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Lousy weather reduced Tuesday’s schedule to only 11 games, as three of them had to be rescheduled and the Boston-Cincinnati affair was suspended in the fourth inning. What’s more, the rainy day also depressed scoring in the late slate, with three teams being completely shut out, and others being limited to less than three runs. At least things picked up on the West Coast, where we saw plenty of homers and action, including #30 for Shohei Ohtani.
Meanwhile, the AL East continues to get pretty interesting, while the Marlins and Pirates have somehow become the teams to beat…
Today’s Headlines
Freefallin’
For most of the season, the Giants were one of the league’s most surprising stories. Even less than three weeks ago, they tied the Dodgers in the standings for a day, providing optimism for a fan base that has been hungry for a competitive team. Alas, the wheels have fallen off since then, especially in this recent 1-7 stretch that was continued with last night’s 8-2 defeat against Arizona. In the latest embarrassing loss, the Giants allowed two innings to extend after dropped third strikes (leading to three runs), saw their starting pitcher allow a three-run homer following ten straight balls to lead off an inning, ran into an out at home plate that could have given them a 3-0 lead, and failed to record a hit from the fourth through the eighth inning, as the much-maligned Arizona staff retired 15 straight batters at one point. What started as an offensive swoon has turned into a full-blown crisis, as the Giants have now been outscored 43-21 during their 1-7 stretch, including series losses to the Marlins and White Sox, which have led them away from the NL wild card spot they held for most of 2025.
Zac Gallen strikes out 10 and the @Dbacks clobber 4 home runs en route to a division win.
Oh, Canada
With a matinee celebrating Canada Day, a packed Rogers Centre was dressed all in red for a premier matchup against the Yankees, and the home team did not disappoint. What was originally billed as a pitching spectacle between Max Fried and Kevin Gausman ultimately turned into a slugfest, with the Blue Jays coming out on top by a commanding 12-5 score. Both starters were shaky, with Fried allowing a couple of homers and Gausman working around ten baserunners in only five innings. The Yankees managed to tie the game at four as late as the seventh, but a defensive and bullpen implosion led to the defining moment of the contest, as George Springer hit a majestic grand slam that turned a close game into a laugher. The outfielder would close his day with a banner line, including two homers and seven RBI, as Toronto, who at some point was eight games behind first place, has now come within only one win of the mighty Yankees.
Have a #CanadaDay, George Springer!
The 50 Club
The Cubs became the third NL team to reach 50 wins, dominating a decent Cleveland team in a 5-2 final score. The win highlighted just how good Chicago can be in all facets of the game, and how they can become a problem in the playoffs. Starter Matthew Boyd was dominant and efficient, needing only 88 pitches to cruise through seven innings in which he allowed only five hits and two runs, earning his eighth win of the season. The bullpen picked it up nicely, ceding only a walk to close out the game with two scoreless frames. As usual, Chicago’s offense showed up, collecting the hits and five walks, including a Seiya Suzuki homer that represented the exclamation point. With recent reports suggesting that the front office will be aggressive around the trade deadline, it seems as if the Cubs have the tools to go all-in.
Seiya Suzuki homers as the @Cubs fly the W for the 50th time this season!
Break Up the Marlins!
In what continues to be one of the most shocking developments, the Marlins continue to play spoiler against presumed playoff contenders. This time, they started a series against the Twins, handing them a tough 2-0 loss. While the early part of Miami’s winning streak was characterized by timely hitting, last night’s win was built upon pitching, with starter Edward Cabrera and two relievers combining to stifle Minnesota to the tune of only two hits and a walk allowed, versus nine strikeouts. An early Kyle Stowers solo homer provided early support, while an eighth-inning insurance run secured the win for the Marlins, as they have now won eight straight.
The @Marlins pick up their 8th straight win!
Best Moments From Yesterday
30 Before 31
In a particularly uneven matchup, the Dodgers took an easy 6-1 win over the White Sox, storming out to a 4-0 lead that was easily handled by Yoshinobu Yamamoto and a couple of relievers, as LA cruised to its NL-best 54th win. However, the biggest highlight of the game came in the fourth, as Shohei Ohtani crushed a solo homer to reach 30 long balls for the fifth straight season, in what was #255 for his career. Ohtani is on pace to cruise to his second straight 50+ homer season, which makes his pitching exploits all the more impressive. He is slated to start Saturday against the Astros, in what should be a perfect celebration for his 31st birthday.
No. 30 FOR SHOHEI OHTANI 😤 pic.twitter.com/CRddJEw1S2
— MLB (@MLB) July 2, 2025
Swipe Left for the Win
By this point, it has become clear that Paul Skenes has a problem when it comes to facing the Cardinals. Despite what looks like a nice pitching line (five hits and a walk, against five Ks in five scoreless innings), Skenes was off his usual dominance, navigating around trouble in every inning, and even benefiting from an out at home plate to keep the 0-0 tie. After getting a quick hook, he remains winless in six career starts against St. Louis. However, the Pirates did end up raising the Jolly Roger, as catcher Henry Davis played hero. It started with a sacrifice fly in the eighth to drive the game’s first run, and then making an incredible defensive play in the ninth, just as the Cardinals threatened to tie. With runners in second and third, a weak ground ball seemed enough to drive in the tying run, but a quick throw and perfect swipe tag helped Pittsburgh secure the 1-0 win, giving them a fifth straight W.
The Pirates held on for the 1-0 win after Spencer Horwitz threw out José Fermín at home with a great tag by Henry Davis in the 9th inning 🏴☠️
(via @SNPittsburgh)pic.twitter.com/02B8GOOZeB
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 2, 2025
That 70’s Show
While the Boston-Cincinnati matchup had to be suspended due to inclement weather, it at least gave us a memorable image. With the Red Sox commemorating the 50th anniversary of their pennant-winning 1975 team, their broadcast network, NESN, creatively used 70’s graphics during part of the broadcast. This included an old-school look to the colors and definition, simplified graphics, and even a period outfit for sideline reporter Jahmai Webster. Many fans appreciated the nod to the past, where baseball and life seemed much more simple, didn’t they?
With the Red Sox celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1975 AL Pennant-winning team, Tuesday's NESN broadcast went to 1975-style graphics for the third and fourth innings.
This is what it looks like. pic.twitter.com/X3anmLwKOr
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 2, 2025
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ Houston announced that slugger Yordan Alvarez has been completely shut down from baseball activities due to complications from his lingering hand injury. After appearing in only 29 games in 2025, Alvarez has been sidelined with hand issues, which is a problem dating back to the 2022 season. Alvarez will receive a more detailed opinion from a hand specialist before deciding the next steps in his recovery, but it is likely that he will miss a significant amount of time.
⚾ The Tigers have placed outfielder Kerry Carpenter on the 10-day IL due to a hamstring issue. Carpenter was injured during last Sunday’s game while legging out a triple, and the team is expecting the short stint on the IL will be enough to get him back on track, as he has been one of Detroit’s top hitters this season. This will mark the fourth IL trip for Carpenter in the past four seasons.
⚾ Through their social media channels, the San Francisco Giants announced they have picked up the 2026 option on manager’s Bob Melvin contract. This serves as a vote of confidence on Melvin and his staff, as the team is going through a rough stretch that has left them out of a playoff spot. Melvin will be 65 by the time the contract ends in 2026, and he still has a good chance to reach 2,000 career wins should he continue to manage beyond that.
Articles You Should Read
Steven Kwan is Passing the Old Man Test — Davy Andrews, Fangraphs
Meet the Moon Mammoth — Scott Chiusano, MLB.com
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