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July 4th has come and gone. Firework cases are emptied. Leftover hot dogs now sit in the fridge. Beer rests beside it. But baseball, maybe the truest piece of Americana, remains as fresh as ever. MLB supplied a wonderful evening lineup for the few fans still awake and uninebriated enough to watch. And if that weren’t enough, if even still there was a hunger pang, MLB announced its All-Stars. So forget the hot dogs and the beer and the corn and the fireworks and strap in for news about the nation’s constant.
Today’s Headlines
We All Yield to Yordan
“Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.” So says Michael Corleone and Houston Astros fans everywhere after a wild 10-8 walk-off win. Down 7-2 after the top of the fourth, Houston was riddled with a thousand bullets. Yainer Diaz got them off the floor with a two-run homer. Yordan Alvarez then got them walking with an RBI in the fifth and the seventh to make it 8-6. Isaac Paredes and Zach Dezenzo then shot Tampa through the eye with a pair of singles to tie the game. Finally, we got to the ninth. Jose Altuve, Mighty Mouse himself, walked. That put Alvarez back at the dish. Here’s a guess at how that went. Alvarez slammed the door shut on Tampa with a towering 424-foot walk-off dinger. It wasn’t personal, Tampa. It was strictly business.
San Diego’s Skid Hits Seven
The San Diego Padres. They’re not quite the New York Mets. They’re a different breed of disappointment. San Diego bore the stripes again last night in a 3-0 defeat against the rival Los Angeles Dodgers. It’s San Diego’s eighth straight loss. It’s also their longest losing streak since 2013, back when the Padres were sans all their stars now. Poor pitching and inept offense are to blame for today’s streak, and San Diego can point toward the latter last night. Yoshinobu Yamamoto spayed San Diego with seven shutout innings and 10 strikeouts. The Padres managed just three hits in general last night, two of which were singles in the first inning. This 43-45 team, as they say, has no dog in them.
Bird Gangs Greene
Hunter Greene’s 2026 debut didn’t go according to plan. The visiting Baltimore Orioles belittled Greene on Saturday en route to an 8-5 win. Trouble came from the jump. Greene allowed three runs in the first, all due to a Samuel Basallo three-run bomb. Despite traffic, he’d settle down until the fourth inning. A Colton Cowser leadoff single spiraled into back-to-back walks and a bases-loaded situation for Blaze Alexander. Alexander laced a single to score one. Two more scored on an Adley Rutschman double. And it’s there Greene departed, with seven hits, four walks, and eight runs allowed. The bright side? Greene struck out seven and coaxed 15 swinging strikes. His stuff still plays. It’s moreso command and rust. At least, that’s what Cincy’s hoping.
Twins Spell Trouble in New York
The New York Yankees‘ usual “June swoon” bled into yesterday’s 11-4 lopsided loss to the Minnesota Twins. The score is as it suggests: A bludgeoning. Minnesota got the beatdown started early thanks to a three-run first against starter Brendan Beck. Beck, by the way, is only here because Carlos Rodón, the projected starter, is now dealing with elbow inflammation. But that bad news is beside the point. All told, Beck would allow five runs in 3.2 innings. The bullpen would allow another six, with reliever Camilo Doval coughing up four to up his season ERA to 4.81. That said, kudos to Twins first baseman Josh Bell, who went deep twice.
All of this points to a not-so-rosy look for the Yanks. Aaron Judge is weeks away from getting imaging on his fractured rib. The offense is inert without him and Giancarlo Stanton. Stanton, like Judge, doesn’t have a timetable for a return. Rodon just joined Max Fried on the IL. Oh, and the club is 2-8 over its last 10. It’s raining cats and dogs in New York. And if it doesn’t change soon, July could be worse than June.
The Gang Going to Philly
We now take a break from your regularly scheduled game recaps to bring you, well, the All-Star roster. The AL has its shoo-ins and its surprises. Beware the bolding. There’s Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, Yordan Alvarez, Byron Buxton, and Bobby Witt Jr., the usual suspects. Another one, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., was named to the team, but has opted out of participating. Not so expected is the youth movement. The AL features four rookies on its roster: Cleveland’s Parker Messick and Travis Bazzana, New York’s Cam Schlittler, and Detroit’s Kevin McGonigle. Other first-timers include New York’s Ben Rice, Tampa’s Bryan Baker, Texas’ Jacob Latz, Cleveland’s Cade Smith, Toronto’s Louis Varland, Dylan Cease, Ernie Clement, Detroit’s Dillon Dingler, the A’s Shea Langeliers and Nick Kurtz, and Chicago’s Miguel Vargas. That’s 14 first-time All-Stars.
The National League is no different, with 11 first-time All-Stars. Yet unlike the AL, some of these are veterans: Jhoan Duran, Raisel Iglesias, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Brandon Marsh, for example. New blood accounts for the rest. Cincy’s Chase Burns and Sal Stewart made the cut. Miami’s Max Meyer and Otto Lopez received the nod. Atlanta’s Drake Baldwin, St. Louis’ Jordan Walker, and LA’s Andy Pages as well. Backing them are veterans from all corners. Perhaps the last thing worth mentioning is that Bryce Harper made the team, but only as a “Legend” pick. He is the only player on either roster to receive such a nomination. Regardless, it’s much warranted. Harper’s .903 OPS is sixth-best in baseball.
The Great Gilberto
Seattle’s Logan Gilbert seemingly cast a spell on the Toronto Blue Jays in an 11-0 victory. Gilbert didn’t need any tricks. There were no rabbits; just domination. Gilbert struck out seven in seven shutout innings. He allowed just one hit. That’s it. Toronto looked like some woebegone mime who stuttered out a word every other minute while he looked like Houdini.
As for the game’s other starter, Shane Bieber, the third time wasn’t the charm. The Mariners rocked the veteran pitcher in his third start of the season, scoring seven runs on six hits, three walks, and two home runs. Victor Robles cast the first spell on Bieber with an RBI single. Randy Arozarena then said ala-ka-zaam, hitting a grand slam three batters later. Bieber’s ERA is now 9.00. Gilbert, on the other hand, is two strikeouts away from 1,000 in his career.
By The Numbers
⚾ 500. Atlanta’s Chris Sale officially has 500 strikeouts with the club. He is now the 10th pitcher in MLB history to have 500+ strikeouts with three different teams.
⚾ 458. San Francisco’s Bryce Eldridge blasted a 458-foot homer. He now has an .852 OPS through 46 games.
⚾ 29. Look out, Kyle Schwarber. Yordan Alvarez went deep twice yesterday and is only one back of the home run crown.
⚾ 11. It’s a day that ends in “y,” which means one thing: Junior Caminero homered. Yes, the Rays shortstop has hit 11 homers in his last 11 games. On June 22, Caminero had 15 homers. Now, just about two weeks later, he has 26 and is four away from the most in baseball.
⚾ 11, again. With another All-Star selection, Mike Trout is now the third player in AL history to be an 11-time All-Star. His only contemporaries are George Brett and Cal Ripken Jr.
⚾ 8. The Phillies have won each of Jesús Luzardo’s last eight starts and scored 55 runs in them.
⚾ 6. Cleveland’s Austin Hedges had a, let’s say, spat last week with Seattle’s Josh Naylor. He’s been on fire since, going 6-for-14 with two home runs, his latest yesterday. Not such a loser anymore, is he, Mr. Naylor?
⚾ 4. The Pittsburgh Pirates have won each of Braxton Ashcraft’s last four starts. Doing so bumps Ashcraft’s record to 8-4. He now leads the Pirates in starter ERA and wins. (Sorry, Skenes)
Best Moments From Yesterday
Jumping Junior
Look, it’s one thing to read about it. It’s another to watch it.
11 homers in his last 11 games 🤯
Junior Caminero is unstoppable right now! https://t.co/WlaRSZ9gkW pic.twitter.com/ygPO3KijNr
— MLB (@MLB) July 4, 2026
Wood’s Own Fireworks
Ladies and gentlemen, James Wood is becoming a super-duper star before our very eyes. The freakish phenom is now up to 23 home runs with a .961 OPS. He isn’t 24 until September.
428-foot blast
23 home runs
7 leadoff home runsJAMES WOOD!!! @Nationals pic.twitter.com/DxCS9uafh8
— MLB (@MLB) July 4, 2026
Jo Problem
That’s four.
Jo Adell with another robbery in right field, taking away a potential homer from Romy Gonzalez to end the first. pic.twitter.com/nYbsNf18u2
— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) July 5, 2026
Hot Dogs with a Side of Netting
The better question: Does the Orioles broadcast team carry a pool net with them? Or did they find one kicking around the confines of Great American Ballpark?
Ben and Kevin made sure there was no hot dog left behind 🌭 pic.twitter.com/1MqgLUrdGm
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) July 5, 2026
Gilbert’s Golden Glove and Smile
Sorry, Canada. You’re on the wrong end of a lot of highlights today.
Logan Gilbert underhand flips the ball for the out and makes himself smile 😂 pic.twitter.com/cxZp7ZKmOT
— MLB (@MLB) July 4, 2026
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ Money be Greene. The Cincinnati Reds activated ace Hunter Greene yesterday for his season debut. Greene has missed the entire season thus far due to bone chips in his throwing elbow. At 40-47, the Reds hope Greene’s return provides some boost. If not every fifth day, then maybe even more often. To activate Greene off the IL, the club DFA’d outfielder Will Benson and optioned pitcher Chase Petty to Triple-A.
⚾ Bad news for the Buccos. Standout reliever Evan Sisk will miss at least the next two weeks due to inflammation in his throwing elbow. But given the diagnosis, it’s far more likely Sisk misses much more time than that. Regardless, no Sisk is a killer. The 29-year-old carried a 2.23 ERA through 32 games. Righty Hunter Stratton joins the team as Sisk’s replacement.
⚾ It’s one of those seasons for Milwaukee’s Brandon Woodruff. The veteran exited Saturday’s game early with a shoulder injury. If this all sounds familiar, it’s because it is. Woodruff dealt with a shoulder injury earlier this season that had the same symptoms: Decreased velocity. Milwaukee already has Woodruff on the IL.
⚾ Atlanta had a busy fourth. The headline? Shortstop Ha-Seong Kim is going to the IL due to inflammation in his right middle finger. Kim hasn’t played since June 30, presumably due to this injury. Infielder Kyle Farmer joins Atlanta and will replace Kim offensively. Pitching-wise, Atlanta optioned Anthony Molina to Triple-A and elevated JR Ritchie. Molina had a 5.40 ERA in three appearances.
⚾ Surprising news out of Houston. The Astros optioned outfielders Jake Meyers and Joey Loperfido to make room for Zach Dezenzo and LaMonte Wade Jr. Meyers’ demotion is the headline here. The 30-year-old has been a mainstay on Houston’s roster since his 2021 debut, appearing in 517 games in that span. However, with career-worst offense numbers, perhaps the move shouldn’t be all that shocking.
⚾ The A’s had their own parade of moves. Catcher Brian Serven is up from Triple-A, Zack Gelof is off the IL, and Darell Hernaiz and Joey Meneses are going down to fit them in.
⚾ Colorado’s Tomoyuki Sugano is going to the 15-day IL with back spasms. Fellow pitcher Seth Halvorsen is also landing on the IL, but with shoulder inflammation. To compensate, Colorado selected the contract of Jordan Romano and recalled Sean Sullivan.
⚾ Twins starter Zebby Matthews has maybe the oddest injury of the year. The 26-year-old somehow suffered a foot laceration while pitching. Matthews was removed from the game, but Minnesota is optimistic he’ll make his next scheduled start.
⚾ The Texas Rangers will be without veteran reliever Jalen Beeks for the rest of the season. Beeks is undergoing flexor-tendon surgery. The operation will cost him this season and maybe parts of next. In other Rangers pitching news, Jakob Junis also went to the IL, while reliever Chris Martin was activated from it.
⚾ Chicago, like Texas, is shuffling its bullpen. The team DFA’d reliever Bryse Wilson and elevated the recently-signed Jake Woodford to the MLB.
Articles You Should Read
All you need to know for Star-Spangled Sunday on NBC/Peacock — Jason Foster, MLB.com
11 stats and facts as 2026 All-Star Game rosters are revealed — Sarah Langs, MLB.com
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