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MLB News & Moments: Yankees win on and off the field

Max Muncy walks it off.

Pablo Figueroa
MLB Morning News 57 Minutes Ago

Stay updated on everything baseball with our morning MLB News & Moments articles. We’ve got you covered to keep you in the know.

In a noteworthy move around the business of baseball, the Yankees announced that they received a capital infusion of a reported $2.6 billion, somewhere around 15% of their franchise valuation. This development does not immediately mean that the franchise will increase payroll or enter into a Dodgers-like stratosphere, but is rather an investment that should help the Steinbrenners have more financial options around the team.

It was also announced that ownership and major decisions will not change from the leadership of Hal Steinbrenner, but Apollo Global should at least have a say in the board of directors. As MLB prepares for a likely lockout and money being at the center of every discussion, this type of deal is further proof that only a few teams are capable of gaining access to such wealth.

Today’s Headlines

 

Never Desist

Following Monday’s strange fourth-out play, the weirdness continued its stay north of the border, as Dylan Cease had one of the worst starts of his Cy Young-caliber season. The righty made quick work of the Red Sox through two innings, allowing only one walk. From that point on, Boston appeared to figure out Cease, recording four hits and three walks, but failed to get the big knock against him, as Toronto’s ace limited the damage to one run per inning through the fifth, exiting after five frames and 104 pitches, as the Blue Jays faced a 3-1 deficit. This time around, the offense was able to pick up their teammate, tying the game right after Cease’s departure, and taking the lead for good in the sixth. Toronto took advantage of a 10-hit effort and a key error by the Red Sox, scoring five times despite only recording a couple of doubles. Adley Rutschman made his Boston debut, recording a hit and two walks, but could not stop the Sox from losing their fourth straight. Boston has now lost more games in the past four days than their total losses from July 3 to August 7.

Muncy Ends What Snell Started

As the Dodgers hosted the Royals, the buzz around the ballpark revolved around the return of Blake Snell, making only his second start of 2026 following a three-month layoff. Much like it happened in 2025, LA is counting on their returning pitchers as the perfect reinforcements for the stretch run, and Snell delivered in a major way. Despite allowing a run in the fourth and leaving with the score tied, the lefty was electric, striking out ten over five innings. Kansas City’s Michael Wacha held court through much of the contest, but a late Dodgers rally gave LA a 3-1 lead heading into the eighth. The Royals then staged a rally of their own, scoring three times to turn the game on its head, as the Dodgers were at risk of ruining Snell’s return. This is where Mookie Betts, who had already homered in the second, proved to be the hero, singling in the tying run with two outs, sending the game to extras. Once there, Kansas City’s usually anemic offense reared its ugly head, failing to score the ghost runner. Meanwhile, the Dodgers had the top of their order to close the tenth, and a Max Muncy walk-off single sealed the deal to give LA their second straight win, as the 5-4 final was a sigh of relief.

Nick at Nite

A night after avoiding the trap game and coming back late against the struggling A’s, Tampa Bay decided to waste no time and took control of game two from the get-go. The Rays’ home run derby-like offense started in the first, as Junior Caminero blasted a two-run homer, while the offense would clobber five additional homers, including a multi-dinger effort from Taylor Walls, who had not recorded a single long ball this season. The massive run support allowed manager Kevin Cash to give starter Nick Martinez a very long leash, and the veteran was up to the task en route to his 12th win of 2026, which set a new career high for Martinez. The large lead allowed Martinez to pitch to contact, as he allowed eight hits and four runs, needing 101 pitches to complete the game. He is now one of three pitchers in the last decade with four runs allowed in a complete-game effort. The Rays have now won eight straight in this road trip, opening a six-game lead atop the AL East.

Pirates Fail to Catch Fish

In what once looked like a promising season, the Pirates continue to unravel in depressing fashion, as they have now gone 8-16 since the All-Star break. Facing Eury Pérez and the Marlins, Pittsburgh was limited to four singles and two walks, and had no runner reach second base. Meanwhile, Paul Skenes was good but far from his best version, taking a loss for the third time in his last four starts. In a concerning development, none of his pitches reached 97 miles per hour, and he was pulled after only 65 pitches and five innings. Perez, on the other hand, was masterful, striking out seven over the same number of frames, as the often-inconsistent hurler earned his sixth win of the season. Pittsburgh’s playoff odds have sunk well below 5%, while Miami’s 2-0 win continues to provide hope for the Fish.

The Seventh Floor

The Chicago Cubs became the fifth team, and fourth in the NL, to reach 70 wins in 2026, beating the Nationals 8-6 in a game full of homers and scoring. Starter Shota Imanaga was far from his best, allowing three long balls as part of a four-inning outing, but Chicago took advantage of Washington’s lowly staff, scoring in six separate frames. Five of the Cubs’ nine hits went for extra bases, including Pete Crow-Armstrong’s 27th homer of the season and Seiya Suzuki reaching 20 for the fourth straight season. While the recently acquired Ryan Zeferjahn ran into some trouble in the eighth, closer Jacob Webb came in for the four-out save, as he has emerged as a weapon for Chicago’s bullpen. With the rest of the division scuffling, the Cubs now look almost certain to make the postseason and can give the Brewers a scare atop the NL Central.

 

By The Numbers

 

35 As Junior Caminero and Matt Olson added homers to their impressive season, the MLB home run lead is now a four-way tie with 35 long balls. Kyle Schwarber and Yordan Alvarez are also part of that select club, as it seems impossible to project a winner at this point.

14 In an impressive battle between closer Emilio Pagán and second baseman Sam Antonacci, 14 pitches were needed to decide a key at-bat in the bottom of the tenth. At one point, Antonacci fouled off six straight pitches, but Pagan won the battle with a strikeout on pitch #14. In true justice from the baseball gods, Pagan retired the next two batters in only three pitches and earned the save.

112 The A’s not only lost their game against the Rays, but also saw an impressive individual feat go by the wayside. Shortstop Jacob Wilson made a throwing error in the eighth, when the game was already out of reach, ending his streak of 112 games without committing an error.

3 Baseball can sometimes be marked by hyper-specific stats and milestones, but this one displayed on San Francisco’s broadcast is kind of neat. After catcher Drew Cavanaugh stole second, it means that three rookie catchers have recorded a steal for the Giants, including Daniel Susac and Jesus Rodriguez. It is the first time in franchise history with such a trio.

 

 

Best Moments From Yesterday

 

Heavenly

In one of the most creative giveaways of the season, the White Sox hosted Pope Hat Night, handing pope hats with a team logo to the first 40,000 fans in attendance. The promotion was a major success, with a packed stadium celebrating the team’s most famous fan, Pope Leo the 14th. Chicago’s prayers were initially heard, with an early 4-0 lead that looked far from any evil. Alas, the Reds had some sacrilegious thoughts of their own, getting to the White Sox’s bullpen after starter Sean Burke exited following seven sparkling frames. Reliever Bryan Hudson committed the sin of allowing three runs without recording an out, setting up an extra-innings affair that Cincinnati would ultimately take with a 5-4 final. The Reds scored the always blasphemous ghost runner, while the Sox could not match it, but at least their fans got to go home with an epic souvenir.

The Bare Necessities

The Yankees and Mariners played a very entertaining game at the Bronx, as New York overcame a strong start from Bryan Woo by getting to Seattle’s bullpen. A disastrous relief appearance from Michael Rucker led to a four-run seventh, while the Yankee bullpen took care of business for a 4-1 final. Before all that happened, a chaotic play set the tone for the Bombers, with their young, new shortstop showing that he may just belong here. With Dominic Canzone at the plate and a runner on first, a ground ball up the middle first looked destined to hit pitcher Ryan Weathers, but he made an acrobatic twist to avoid it. The ball would then find the second base bag, taking a strange bounce that usually becomes a hit. Instead, George Lombard Jr., Jr. never took his eye off it, snagging the ball with his bare hand and keeping his cool to throw out Canzone at first. Lombard would also add a hit to his tally, as New York handed Seattle its fifth straight loss.

Ronald, the Clown

Atlanta bounced back nicely in game two of their series against the Mets, riding a strong Martín Pérez start and their elite bullpen to a 4-0 shutout win. Ronald Acuña Jr. was not at his best at the plate, going 0-for-4, but he saved his best for a nice celebration at the end. As the Atlanta team gathered to congratulate each other by the mound, Acuña decided to try his best pitching impression, as catcher Drake Baldwin stared in disbelief. I guess that when your team throws nothing but zeroes, you become motivated to see how that feels.

 

Injuries and Other Moves

 

⚾The Blue Jays had a busy day regarding pitcher injuries, as two of their starters faced important news. Ace Trey Yesavage underwent surgery to repair a left meniscus injury, in what is the second lengthy IL stint for him in 2026. While the surgery was considered minor and Yesavage could return later in the season, his availability may depend on Toronto’s chances to make the playoffs. Meanwhile, Jameson Taillon was placed on the 15-day IL with forearm tendinitis, following his early exit in Monday’s game against Boston. His status is also uncertain, meaning that the Jays will carry a four-man rotation before deciding on a fifth starter or having bullpen games.

⚾ Tigers outfielder Riley Greene left last night’s game against Cleveland following a hit by pitch that went straight to his right leg. He should be considered day-to-day for now, as more details are expected later today. 

⚾ With strange timing amid another lost season, the Angels announced the firing of pitching coach Mike Maddux, bullpen coach Dom Chiti, and assistant pitching coach Darryl Scott. The Halos are again a bottom-10 staff across MLB, although they did sell enough at the deadline to suggest that a serious rebuilding effort will take place. A change in pitching philosophy and coaching makes sense in that regard, while the team’s announcement also hints that manager Kurt Suzuki will stay with the team, following his bizarre one-year contract signed in the offseason. 

 

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Pablo Figueroa

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Pablo Figueroa is a Baseball Writer here at Pitcher List, with experience as a writer since 2013. He lives in Aguascalientes, Mexico - proud home of Los Rieleros. When he´s not thinking about baseball , he's a husband, owns two dogs, watches random episodes of The Sopranos , plays padel, and works on his day job to pay the bills.

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