Stay updated on everything baseball with our morning MLB News & Moments articles. We’ve got you covered to keep you in the know.
If you had a case of the Mondays, hopefully a little baseball snapped you right out of that. There was plenty going on, including a key trade-deadline acquisition getting hurt and another giving up a devastating walk-off homer.
Don’t forget to watch every game with the Pitcher List community on Playback!
Today’s Headlines
Reds Upend Cubs; Soroka Going On IL
When in a pennant race, there are losses where you tip your cap to your opponent and those where you think you didn’t take advantage of your chances. Chalk this one up in the latter column for the Chicago Cubs. TJ Friedl singled home the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh inning, and the Cincinnati Reds took advantage of a baserunning gaffe for a 3-2 win over the Cubs. Combined with the Milwaukee Brewers‘ 3-1 win over Atlanta, the Cubs fell three games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. The Brewers have MLB’s best record at 68-44. In the bottom of the eighth inning, it appeared the Cubs’ Dansby Swanson tied the game with an infield single, but after replay review, it was ruled that Swanson stepped short of first and was ruled out. Neither starting pitcher made it past the second inning. Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo exited after 1.2 innings due to a blister on his left index finger. Cubs right-hander Michael Soroka, the biggest pitching addition by the team at the deadline, was lifted after the second inning due to right shoulder soreness. Soroka will be placed on the injured list today. Soroka said he had an MRI before the trade deadline that did not reveal any issues.
Rangers Stun Yankees With Jung Walk-off
The New York Yankees acquired two closers and another late-inning arm to strengthen their bullpen. Through four games, it isn’t working out the way they wanted it to. Struggling Joc Pederson hit a tying solo homer in the bottom of the ninth inning, then Josh Jung cranked a three-run shot in the 10th inning as the Texas Rangers shocked the Yankees 8-5. Pederson was just 2-for-21 when he pinch-hit in the ninth and took a 2-1 pitch from offseason trade acquisition Devin Williams deep for his third homer of the season to tie it 5-5. With the automatic runner on second and two outs in the 10th, Jake Bird, picked up from the Colorado Rockies at the deadline, intentionally walked Wyatt Langford to face Jung, who had extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a third-inning single. Jung connected on a 1-1 pitch from Bird for a no-doubter, his 11th homer this year. He celebrated with a nice bat flip. It was the fourth straight loss for the Yankees, who fell 5½ games behind the first-place Toronto Blue Jays, while holding a wild-card spot.
Red Sox Win 6th Straight
One of the great things about baseball is that you never know which inning a game is going to be decided. For the Boston Red Sox, the opener of their series against the Kansas City Royals was essentially over after the bottom of the first inning. That is because the Red Sox scored five times in the first and held off the Royals 8-5. Duran came through with a two-out three-run homer to cap that first inning, a 419-foot shot to center field. Wilyer Abreu, who replaced Roman Anthony in the lineup just before first pitch after the rookie experienced back tightness, walked in the first inning, then had a defensive gem as he threw out Nick Loftin at the plate to stifle a four-run eighth inning by the Royals. Red Sox left-handed starter Brayan Bello continued his excellent run by allowing one unearned run in six innings, walking one and striking out five.
Cardinals Slip Past Dodgers
While the St. Louis Cardinals‘ postseason hopes are kind of faint at the moment, that doesn’t mean they can’t ruin someone else’s party. Pinch-hitter Yohel Pozo singled home pinch-runner Garrett Hampson with two outs in the top of the ninth to snap a tie and give the Cardinals a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the bottom of the ninth and Shohei Ohtani on first, Cardinals right fielder Lars Nootbaar made a terrific diving catch on a one-out blooper down the line by Mookie Betts that likely would have gone for extra bases had it fallen. Most of the scoring came in the eighth and ninth innings as Iván Herrera briefly put the Cardinals up 2-1 with a solo homer, while Andy Pages tied it with a single in the bottom half. Before that, pitching had taken center stage. Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray allowed just one hit over seven innings (a Freddie Freeman solo homer), while walking one and striking out eight. Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow was nearly as good, allowing a run on three hits and two walks with seven strikeouts.
Lars Nootbaar makes an UNBELIEVABLE catch in the 9th 😱
By The Numbers
âš¾ The Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins each hit three homers in a 6-3 Tigers win. The game took only 1 hour and 58 minutes to complete, the first Tigers game since 1948 to feature six homers and be done in less than 2 hours.
âš¾ The Houston Astros, who were just 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position during a weekend sweep by the Boston Red Sox, were 6-for-12 in an 8-2 win over the Miami Marlins.
âš¾ Brewers right-handed starter Quinn Priester, who allowed two hits in seven innings, tied a club record by winning his 10th straight decision in Milwaukee’s 3-1 win over Atlanta. Priester is 11-2.
âš¾ Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette, in his first game at Coors Field where dad Dante Bichette played for the Colorado Rockies, hit two homers in Toronto’s 15-1 win. Dante hit 111 homers at Coors Field. Bo had a career-high six RBIs.
Best Moments From Yesterday
Schwarbombs (For 40) And Bader Blast
Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber sandwiched two Schwarbombs — including a grand slam — around the first homer in a Phillies uniform by Harrison Bader. Schwarber now has 40 to take sole possession of the NL homer lead and two behind Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners for the MLB lead. Bader’s blast broke a 3-3 tie in the sixth inning as the Phillies scored eight times en route to a 13-3 triumph over the Baltimore Orioles. The Phillies hit six homers.
Your Own Beauty
This one won’t be hung in the Louvre, but the Pittsburgh Pirates will take a win however it comes. Jack Suwinski scored the winning run to cap a two-run ninth inning on Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s one-out chopper to first for a 5-4 win over the San Francisco Giants.
The @Pirates rally for two in the 9th and a #walkoff win!
On The Line
This one came so close to rolling foul.
A game of inches 😱
Injuries and Other Moves
âš¾ Just as the Dodgers were getting a key player back, they lost another. Infielder-outfielder Tommy Edman went on the 10-day injured list with a sprained right ankle. That was the logical counter to the Dodgers activating third baseman Max Muncy from the IL following a bone bruise to his left knee.
⚾ Atlanta third baseman Austin Riley went on the 10-day injured list with a lower abdominal strain. It is the latest blow for a team that has its entire Opening Day rotation on the IL and superstar right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. also out.
âš¾ After failing to land a starting pitcher at the trade deadline, the Yankees signed right-hander Kenta Maeda to a minor-league deal. Maeda was released by the Detroit Tigers in May after posting a 7.88 ERA in a relief role, then landed with the Cubs, where he struggled at Triple-A (5.97 ERA) and was released Saturday.
⚾ Twins right-handed starter Simeon Woods Richardson went on the 15-day IL with an illness. He was scratched from Sunday’s start.
⚾ Left-handed reliever Génesis Cabrera was designated for assignment by the Pittsburgh Pirates, making room for right-hander Johan Oviedo, who made his first MLB start since undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Articles You Should Read
What would Roberto Clemente do? — Dave Zirin, The Nation
“They’ve got to perform better”: Three Dodgers stars who need to heat up — Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times
Baseball people want to help, but Pirates need to ask — John Perroto, Pittsburgh Baseball Now
Fantasy Baseball Coverage
