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As the calendar is set to flip to July tomorrow, taking a glimpse at the standings shows that only three divisions have races that you can truly consider close. And by that, I mean within five games. The AL East has three teams within three games, with a big series beginning today as the third-place Toronto Blue Jays visit the first-place New York Yankees. The Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets are tight in the NL East, but the division with the most competition is the NL Central. A year after the Milwaukee Brewers nearly went wire-to-wire, four teams are within five games of first place. The Chicago Cubs are two games ahead of the surging Brewers, 2.5 in front of the St. Louis Cardinals, and five ahead of the Cincinnati Reds. The wild-card battles should be fun, too, with seven teams within six games of each other in the NL and five teams less than five games out of the last spot in the AL.
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Today’s Headlines
That’s Skubal, With 13 K’s
If you don’t watch the American League’s best team, at least watch when left-hander Tarik Skubal is on the mound. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner is having a better season than he did in 2024. His latest display was a 13-strikeout performance over seven shutout innings as the Tigers dispatched the Minnesota Twins 3-0. After allowing a leadoff fly out to begin the game, Skubal struck out the next seven batters before another fly out. His 13 strikeouts tied his career high, set May 25 vs. the Cleveland Guardians. It was also his fifth double-digit strikeout game this season. Skubal, who retired the first 13 Twins before allowing his only hit, issued one walk in lowering his ERA to 2.15. Kerry Carpenter and Riley Greene hit their 16th and 19th homers of the season, respectively, while Carpenter tripled home another run, but aggravated a nagging hamstring injury on the play and had to leave the game.
Extra Work: Mariners Drop Rangers In 12 Again
Some road trips feel easier than others. This was definitely not an easy one for the Seattle Mariners. Having dealt with lengthy weather delays in Chicago and Minnesota, the Mariners capped the 10-games-in-10-days stretch with three straight extra-innings contests. The finale of that trip was 12-inning affair, with Donovan Solano singling home the go-ahead run and Mitch Garver providing the exclamation point with a two-run homer as the Mariners toppled the Texas Rangers 6-3. The Mariners won six of the 10 games on the trip, including two 12-inning wins and a 10-inning loss this weekend. Garver drove in four against his former team, the only run in regulation and one of two Mariners runs in the 10th inning before the backup catcher hit his fourth homer of the season in the 12th. This was also the second time this season the Mariners have played three consecutive extra-inning games. They are 6-7 this season in extras.
Reds Continue Push, Walk Off Padres
Are the Cincinnati Reds finally showing everyone what Terry Francona saw when he signed on to become manager of the team in the offseason? The series finale against the San Diego Padres may have shown just that. Will Benson’s RBI single with one out in the bottom of the ninth scored Gavin Lux and capped a two-run rally as the Reds upended the Padres 3-2. The Reds took two of three from the Padres after doing the same to the AL East-leading New York Yankees to open this six-game homestand. Five Reds relievers combined to allow just one hit over the final 4.2 innings. In the bottom of the ninth against Padres closer Robert Suarez, Elly De La Cruz hit a leadoff single, Lux drew a one-out walk, then Spencer Steer tied it with a single to center. Jose Trevino followed with a single to load the bases, with Benson winning it with a line drive in right.
Mets’ June Swoon Continues As Pirates Sweep
The best regular-season series in quite some time for the Pittsburgh Pirates was the worst regular-season series in quite some time for the New York Mets. Thanks to a pair of home runs from Oneil Cruz, the Pirates completed a three-game sweep of the Mets with a 12-1 triumph. All three games were won easily by the Pirates, the last-place team in the NL Central who knocked the Mets out of first place in the NL East. The Mets have lost 13 of their last 16 and held a players-only meeting Saturday. Offense carried the weekend for the Pirates, who won 9-1, 9-2 and 12-1. Cruz hit his 14th homer of the season in the first inning, a solo shot, then added a two-run blast in the seventh inning. Tommy Pham and Bryan Reynolds also added solo homers for the Pirates. Cruz and Pham went back-to-back in a five-run first inning that also featured a two-run single by Ke’Bryan Hayes, who hit in front of the duo. Three Pirates pitchers — Mike Burrows, Génesis Cabrera and Carmen Mlodzinski — combined to scatter seven hits.
Suarez, Phillies Doom Atlanta
Speaking of the NL East, did the Philadelphia Phillies just put a fork into Atlanta’s season? Left-hander Ranger Suárez continued his sensational run by striking out eight in seven innings as the Phillies edged Atlanta 2-1. In taking two of three in the road series, the Phillies not only took over first place in the NL East, they sent Atlanta (38-45) to 10.5 games out in the division and eight behind the third and final wild-card spot. Suarez allowed just four hits and one run, putting his ERA over the last 10 starts at 1.19, the best 10-game stretch by a Phillies starter since 2011 (Cliff Lee) and just the third since the mound was lowered in 1969 to be under 1.20 (Steve Carlton in 1972, Roy Oswalt in 2010). Atlanta led 1-0 on Sean Murphy’s second-inning homer, but the Phillies erased that in the fifth inning against right-handed starter Spencer Strider on Otto Kemp’s RBI double and Trea Turner’s sacrifice fly.
Valdez Wins Again As Astros Top Cubs
If left-hander Framber Valdez is starting, there is a very good chance the Houston Astros are going to win. Valdez tossed six shutout innings as the Astros blanked the Chicago Cubs 2-0 in a battle of division leaders. The Astros won twice in the three-game series between teams that hooked up a couple times in offseason trades, including the headliner of slugger Kyle Tucker going to Chicago. Valdez allowed five hits and two walks while striking out six as the Astros won for the 10th time in the last 10 starts by Valdez. Valdez also won his eighth straight decision and helped the Astros go 5-1 in a homestand against the Phillies and Cubs. Jose Altuve supplied the offense, hitting a two-run homer in the fifth inning off right-hander Jameson Taillon, his 13th of the season. The Astros lead the AL West by 6.5 games over the Seattle Mariners, while the Cubs’ advantage in the NL Central is now two over the Milwaukee Brewers.
Marlins Win 7th Straight
If we asked you which team had the longest current MLB winning streak, you would probably guess 27 other teams before finally, with a quizzical look, guess the Miami Marlins. But that is exactly the correct answer following the Marins’ 6-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Not only did the Marlins sweep three games from the D’backs, they extended their MLB-best winning streak to seven and have won a franchise-record nine in a row on the road. The Marlins swept the six-game road trip against the San Francisco Giants and D’backs, plus a previous three-game roadie against the Washington Nationals. This hot streak, their longest since 2022, has put the Marlins (37-45) in fourth place in the NL East, just ahead of the aforementioned Nats (35-49) and just a half-game behind third-place Atlanta. This victory came due to a five-run eighth inning, with Otto Lopez singling home a pair of runs to put the Marlins up 3-2, then Kyle Stowers providing cushion with a bases-loaded double.
Best Moments From Yesterday
Judge Hits A Pair To Reach 30
Is Yankees slugger Aaron Judge primed for another hot streak? After hitting just two homers in his last 14 games, Judge went deep twice in the 12-5 win over the Athletics. That gave him 30 on the season, just two behind Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh’s MLB lead.
Honoring The Big Red Machine
Sunday culminated a weekend 50th anniversary celebration of the Reds’ Big Red Machine, which won back-to-back World Series in 1975 and ’76.
Ketel Karma
Ketel Marte of the Diamondbacks has been sizzling in June. He hit his ninth homer of the month in a loss to the Marlins. He also has 24 RBIs this month.
Sunday Stroll
The box score will show Washington Nationals slugger James Wood as going 1-for-2 during the 7-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels in 11 innings. But you have to dig a little deeper to find out he was INTENTIONALLY walked four times.
Quick Trigger
Is there a record for the quickest ejection of two individuals? Home plate umpire Ramon De Jesus tossed a pair of Colorado Rockies, right fielder Tyler Freeman and interim manager Warren Shaeffer, within seconds of each other following a called third strike.
Warren Schaeffer gets his money’s worth with his first ejection as #Rockies interim manager.
— Patrick D. Lyons (@patrickdlyons.bsky.social) 2025-06-29T19:23:04.612Z
‘Struggle Bus’
Atlanta TV announcer Paul Byrd, a former MLB pitcher, needed a take or two to complete an interview with star pitcher Spencer Strider. The K.I.S.S. method works well. 🤣🤣🤣
Paul Byrd tries to speak words gooder
— Baseball GIFs (@baseballgifs.bsky.social) 2025-06-29T19:07:55.626Z
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr., a potential top trade target, went on the 10-day IL with a strained left hamstring.
⚾ Twins third baseman Royce Lewis (strained left hamstring) could be activated before Tuesday’s series opener against the Marlins. A roster spot was opened for that possibility when infielder Jonah Bride was designated for assignment.
⚾ Cleveland Guardians shortstop Gabriel Arias was carted off the field with a sprained left ankle. An MRI exam will be conducted today to determine the extent of the injury.
⚾ Cincinnati Reds right fielder Jake Fraley had a cortisone shot in his right shoulder to address his torn labrum. That will allow him to continue playing, although Fraley is currently on the 10-day IL. Surgery will be necessary, but the plan is for that to happen after the season. Also, infielder Jeimer Candelario, who had been designated for assignment, was officially released. He signed a three-year, $45 million contract before the 2024 season, which the Reds remain financially responsible for.
⚾ New York Yankees right-hander Marcus Stroman was activated from the IL to start the series finale vs. the A’s following inflammation in his right knee that has kept him out since mid-April.
⚾ Baltimore Orioles infielder Jordan Westburg (sprained left index finger) is expected to return to the lineup today or Tuesday after taking swings and playing before Sunday’s game.
⚾ Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Dennis Santana’s four-game suspension for attacking a fan was reduced to three by MLB. He started the suspension Sunday.
Articles You Should Read
It will be bittersweet in Cooperstown without the Cobra — John Perroto, Pittsburgh Baseball Now
He went undrafted after betting probe, now Phillies prospect one step away from MLB — Charlotte Varnes, The Athletic
What if the Twins are sellers at the deadline? — Eric Blonigan, Twins Daily
New Red Sox pitcher Hicks ready for return to bullpen — Tim Healey, Boston Globe
Fantasy Baseball Coverage
