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All of that hubbub late Monday night was all about baseball, right? RIGHT??? No, social media was set ablaze by the release of a new album by Taylor Swift called, “The Life of a Showgirl.” But we all know that the real news was made by folks with names such as Caleb Durbin, Christian Walker and Chris Paddack, right? RIGHT??? Well, that is what I believe, so without further adieu, the biggest news from Monday.
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Today’s Headlines
Brewers A Perfect 10 Again
If you didn’t believe in the Milwaukee Brewers after they rattled off 11 wins in a row last month, they are doing their darnedest to try again. Brice Turang hit a leadoff homer and Christian Yelich added a solo shot to trigger a four-run third inning as the Brewers rolled to a 7-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates to open a three-game series. The win was the Brewers’ 10th straight, making them the first team since the 2019 Houston Astros to have a pair of double-digit win streaks in the same season. It also boosted their MLB-leading record to 74-44, good enough for a 6.5-game lead over the second-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central. Left-hander Jose Quintana allowed three hits, including a solo homer, in six solid innings to become the third member of the Brewers’ rotation to win 10 or more games (Freddy Peralta has 13, Quinn Priester 11). Not all the news was good for the Brewers. Their 11-game errorless streak came to an end when they committed a pair of errors in the third inning. The Brewers have their work cut out for them if they are to match their 11-game winning streak from July 6-21 as they face Pirates ace Paul Skenes today.
THE BREWERSthe 10th team in the divisional era (1969) with multiple double-digit winning streaks in a season, joining: 2019 HOU2017 LAD2015 TOR2013 ATL2001 STL1978 PIT1977 KC1969 NYM1969 HOUh/t @shanthisc.bsky.social
Padres Creeping Up On Dodgers …
Catchers don’t often get traded during the season. The theory is that it takes a lot of time for catchers to digest all of the information for each pitcher on the staff. But the San Diego Padres don’t care, which is why they went out and picked up Freddy Fermin from the Kansas City Royals. Fermin hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning to help the Padres beat the San Francisco Giants 4-1. With their 12th win in 15 games, the second-place Padres have pulled within one game of the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers. Right-handed starter Yu Darvish allowed one run over six innings, not issuing a walk and striking out six. Fermin hit his first home run since coming over in the July 31 trade.
…Who Fall Again To Angels
Are the Los Angeles Angels the Kryptonite of the Dodgers? Sure is looking that way. Zach Neto hit two homers, including a leadoff shot in the first inning, and Mike Trout drove in a pair of runs in a four-run fifth inning as the Angels improved to 4-0 in the Freeway Series with a 7-4 win over the Dodgers. The Angels prevailed despite Shohei Ohtani hitting his 42nd homer and Max Muncy hitting a three-run shot, all in a four-run eighth inning for the Dodgers. Ohtani’s blast, which is tied for the NL lead with Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies and just behind the MLB-leading 45 by Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, was his 100th at Angel Stadium, where he played for six seasons.
Astros Spoil Bregman’s Return
It was a double homecoming at Daikin Park. Not only was Carlos Correa back playing for the Houston Astros for the first time in front of the home fans, but former Astros third baseman Alex Bregman was in town with the Boston Red Sox. Bregman followed up a standing ovation by reminding Astros fans what they were missing, hitting a two-run homer in the first inning. But Correa got his own warm welcome back, and the Astros overcame Bregman and the Red Sox for a 7-6 win. Astros right-handed starter Cristian Javier made his first start since having Tommy John surgery last year and went five innings, surrendering two runs on just three hits and two walks while striking out five. Ramón Urías, a trade-deadline acquisition to help fill the void that was left by Bregman’s offseason departure, went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and scored twice. Chas McCormick hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning for the Astros, with Urias’ two-run shot coming in the fifth. The Astros lead the AL West by one game over the second-place Seattle Mariners, who have won seven straight. The Red Sox, meanwhile, dropped 4.5 games behind the AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays.
Schwarber’s 42nd Propels Phils Late
The Philadelphia Phillies have been the biggest beneficiary of the New York Mets‘ slide. But the Phillies have done their job while the Mets haven’t. With Kyle Schwarber capping a four-run eighth inning with a two-run homer, the Phillies won their fourth straight, beating the Cincinnati Reds 4-1. The Phillies have won eight of 10 games in August and now lead the NL East by six games over the second-place Mets, who open a three-game series against Atlanta today. Reds left-hander Andrew Abbott held the Phillies in check, retiring the first 12 hitters and allowing just three hits through seven innings. But the Phillies strung together three straight two-out hits to chase Abbott, taking a 2-1 lead on Trea Turner’s RBI single. That left right-hander Tony Santillan to face Schwarber, who crushed his 42nd homer, tied with the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani for the most in the NL and second only in MLB to the 45 by Cal Raleigh of the Mariners. The Reds, facing a big week against two first-place teams, are two games behind the Mets, who hold the third and final NL wild-card spot.
Eovaldi Struggles, But Rangers Walk It Off
Walk-off wins are great no matter what time of year they come. But when you are battling for a playoff spot and you have a chance to bail out one of your best pitchers, it means just that much more. That is what the Texas Rangers did, with Rowdy Tellez hitting a tying homer with one out in the ninth and Jake Burger singling home the winning run with one out in the 10th as the Rangers pulled out a 7-6 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The win came after right-handed starter Nathan Eovaldi, who has been rock solid all season, was tagged for five runs on eight hits in five innings, including a four-run third inning that had the D’backs up 5-0. But the offense picked up Eovaldi, with Wyatt Langford hitting a three-run homer in a four-run sixth inning to pull the Rangers within 6-5.
Torkelson’s 9th-inning Blast Saves Tigers
In every season, a little rain must fall — in a metaphorical way. But for a Detroit Tigers team that for a good chunk of the season sported MLB’s best record, a little too much rain has fallen on them over the last month, which put a dent in what once seemed like an insurmountable lead in the AL Central. But thanks to Spencer Torkelson drilling a tiebreaking solo homer in the top of the ninth inning, the Tigers opened a series against the lowly Chicago White Sox with a 2-1 triumph. Torkelson used some body English to keep the ball fair as it clanked off the left-field foul pole for his 26th homer of the season. It was enough to increase the Tigers’ lead over the second-place Cleveland Guardians to 6.5 games, tied with the Brewers for the biggest division lead. But the win wasn’t official until a 63-minute rain delay passed.
By The Numbers
⚾ The Colorado Rockies lost to the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2, marking their eighth loss in a row. It is the fourth eight-game losing streak for the Rockies this season.
⚾ The New York Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins 6-2. Since the start of the 2002 season, the Yankees are 124-44 against the Twins, including postseason play, for a .738 winning percentage.
⚾ Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero, runner-up in Home Run Derby, hit his fifth homer in five games during a 7-4 win over the Athletics.
Best Moments From Yesterday
Sneak Peek
Players Weekend returns this weekend, and players are starting to receive their equipment. Check out what Red Sox rookie Marcelo Mayer has done with his bats.
Marcelo Mayer's Lightning McQueen bat for Players' Weekend may be the best piece of custom lumber we've ever seen 😮
A Taste of Home
Alex Bregman made his name as an MLB player with the Astros. So when the Red Sox flew into Houston on Sunday after their series in San Diego, Bregman knew exactly what he wanted to do right away.
"We landed last night and immediately went to Whataburger to get back into the Texas swing of things," said Alex Bregman, who ordered a No. 3 (a triple meat Whataburger) with no tomatoes and a large Dr. Pepper.Athletes, they're just like us.
— Chandler Rome (@chandlerrome.bsky.social) 2025-08-11T22:04:36.124Z
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ Astros left-handed closer Josh Hader was unavailable to pitch Monday due to left shoulder discomfort and is undergoing tests.
⚾ Rays left-handed starter Shane McClanahan underwent a procedure to address a nerve issue in his left triceps. The surgery ends the season for McClanahan, who has not pitched in an MLB game since 2023. The nerve issue popped up during spring training as McClanahan was nearing a return following Tommy John surgery late in the 2023 season.
⚾ Twins center fielder Byron Buxton was activated from the 10-day IL following irritation to cartilage in his left ribs.
⚾ The Rockies called up right-hander Chase Dollander, their top pitching prospect, to start Monday. Catcher Austin Nola was designated for assignment. This is Dollander’s second stint in the majors this year.
⚾ Kansas City Royals right-handed reliever Hunter Harvey went on the 15-day IL with a strained right adductor.
⚾ St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar left the game after fouling a ball off his left knee. X-rays were negative, and Nootbaar is considered day-to-day.
Articles You Should Read
MLB needed this, Jen Pawol deserved it — Brittany Ghiroli, The Athletic
The hottest team in baseball — Joe Posnanski, JoePosnanski.com
Why Red Sox’s Cora stuck with Story through struggles — Christopher Smith, Yahoo Sports
With Greene’s imminent return, Burns’ rotation spot in jeopardy — Mark Sheldon, MLB.com
Fantasy Baseball Coverage
