Future first-ballot Hall-of-Famer Albert Pujols turned back the clock in the St Louis Cardinals' 6-3 win against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, connecting on two long home runs.

It was a game where every run came via the long-ball, with Brewers outfielder Hunter Renfroe getting things started as he blasted a two-run homer in the second inning.

The Brewers would not score again until the ninth frame as Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas put in a terrific performance, giving up two runs from four hits and no walks in eight complete innings, striking out six.

With the bat, the Cardinals registered their first tally later in the second when Pujols sent a 392-foot lead-off shot over the left-field wall, and after three innings of scoreless baseball, Tyler O'Neill tied the game at 2-2 with a 420-foot moonshot to center-field.

Heading into the eighth inning with the scores tied, Dylan Carlson was the next to connect on a home run – the shortest of the game at 373 feet – and after an infield single to O'Neill and a walk to NL MVP favourite Paul Goldschmidt, Pujols stepped back up to the plate and launched a 443-foot nuke to left.

The 443-foot blast from Pujols was his longest of the season, and more than 20 feet further than any of his home runs that he hit in last month's Home Run Derby. He is only the third player in MLB history to have more than one game with multiple home runs after turning 42 years old – along with Barry Bonds and Carlton Fisk – and his 63 career multi-homer games is the fifth most ever.

With the win, the Cardinals opened up a one-and-a-half game lead over the Brewers atop the NL Central.

Yankees go down at Fenway Park

The New York Yankees have now lost four series in a row after being shut-out by the Boston Red Sox 3-0 on Sunday night.

It was a starring performance on the mound from Red Sox starter Michael Wacha in his return from injury, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out nine batters in seven innings.

Despite the Yankees only collecting two hits total for the night, the game was locked at 1-0 until the sixth inning when Red Sox star Rafael Devers – who many consider the future of the franchise – gave his side some breathing room with a 433-foot, two-run home run.

The Yankees still hold a 10-game lead in their division, but now trail the Houston Astros by two-and-a-half games for the best record in the American League.

Estrada walks it off for the Giants

Thairo Estrada treated the San Francisco Giants home fans to a walk-off home run as they defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-7.

In the back-and-forth contest, the Giants jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, but the Pirates came storming back to lead 6-5 after a massive 442-foot, three-run homer from Bryan Reynolds in the seventh inning. Reynolds would finish the game three-for-four at the plate with five RBIs.

The Giants evened things up later in the seventh, before the Pirates were able to grab a lead in the ninth inning due to a fielding error, but they got away with it as Estrada delivered the winning blow with one out.

Despite missing a pair of National League MVP candidates, the St Louis Cardinals rode a big performance from future Hall-of-Famer Albert Pujols to a 6-1 away win against the Toronto Blue Jays.

With both Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado unavailable for their side's trip to Toronto due to their vaccination status, it was a combination of new blood and a blast from the past as they made it look easy.

40-year-old starting pitcher Adam Wainwright was at the peak of his powers, giving up just five hits and no walks for one earned run in seven innings, striking out eight batters. 

While Wainwright controlled the contest with the ball, 42-year-old Pujols made noise with the bat, knocking a single in his first at-bat, a double in his second try, and then a massive 439-foot, three-run homer with his third trip to the plate. It was longer than any home run Pujols hit in this year's Home Run Derby.

Rookie Nolan Gorman – 20 years younger than Pujols – also went deep with a solo home run, while he and 24-year-old Lars Nootbaar were two of five Cardinals to collect multiple hits.

Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr finished two-for-four at the plate, while ace pitcher Kevin Gausman struggled in one of his worst performances of the season. 

Gausman gave up five runs in less than five innings, allowing eight hits and a walk with his six strikeouts.

Mets walk-off against Yankees

The New York Mets threatened to waste a spectacular start from pitcher Max Scherzer, but ultimately got the job done in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat the New York Yankees 3-2 in walk-off fashion.

Pete Alonso's solo home run in the second inning and Francisco Lindor's RBI single in the third frame were the only runs before Max Scherzer was withdrawn, having pitched seven shut-out innings.

As soon as Scherzer was removed, the Yankees came back with a two-run homer from Gleyber Torres, but Eduardo Escobar led off the ninth inning with a double, setting up Starling Marte to be the hero and drive him in with a base hit.

J-Rod does it again for the Mariners

Rookie All-Star Julio Rodriguez showed once again why he is one of the most exciting young talents in all of baseball, blasting a three-run home run to give his Seattle Mariners a 4-2 home win against the Texas Rangers.

Rodriguez, 21, stepped up to the plate in the seventh inning with two runners on base, trailing 2-1, and he connected on a 419-foot no-doubter over the left-field wall to snatch back the lead.

This season, Rodriguez leads all rookies in hits (96), runs (54), home runs (17), RBIs (53), and stolen bases (21).

Despite the American League's (AL) 3-2 win in the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday, Clayton Kershaw relished pitching the opening inning, conceding it "meant a lot" to him.

After nine All-Star selections and six appearances, the three-time National League (NL) Cy Young Award winner visibly savoured the moment as he approached the mound.

After the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series in 2020, Kershaw had effectively achieved everything could as a pitcher in baseball today, but had never started in an All-Star Game.

Achieving it in front of his home fans at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, the usually measured 34-year-old could not hide his excitement. 

"It was actually a lot of fun today to be out there, and the crowd was awesome," Kershaw said after his opening inning. "I can’t say enough good things about Dodger fans, people in LA in general, just how much these last few days, how much they wanted me to do this. It meant a lot to me.

"I tried to take a minute at the beginning to take it all in and look around, which I usually never do. Being here at Dodger Stadium, a place where I’ve been now for 15 years, and to get to do something like this with the best in the world, is really fun.

"And it was also really personal for me and my family, everybody. I’m excited it’s over."

Leading off for the AL, Shohei Ohtani was able to claim a single off Kershaw's first pitch, but the Dodgers' starter caught him trying to steal second, before striking out Aaron Judge.

Paul Goldschmidt gave the NL a 2-0 lead in the opening frame after Mookie Betts drove Ronald Acuna Jr. in, crushing a solo home run up the middle off Shane McClanahan.

The AL team were able to claim the lead with a three-run fourth via Giancarlo Stanton's two-run shot, before Byron Buxton followed up with a solo homer of his own.

Coming in to pinch hit in what could be his final at-bat in an All-Star game, Albert Pujols sent a ball deep into left-field off Paul Blackburn in the bottom of the fourth, but Andrew Benintendi eventually made the catch with the crowd at Dodgers Stadium seemingly willing his hit over the wall.

The AL bullpen started to take over proceedings after Alek Manoah came onto the mound, keeping the NL without a hit between the second and fifth innings.

Emmanuel Clase spectacularly closed for the AL's ninth consecutive win in what was a dominant pitching display.

The man at the centre of the the biggest potential trade story of the season, Juan Soto, gave another display of his value on Monday as he won the MLB Home Run Derby.

Soto, 23, recently rejected a 15-year, $440million extension with the Washington Nationals, sparking rumours that the franchise would instead try to cash-in on him for what is expected to be one of the greatest trade hauls in league history.

He went second in all three of his matchups, meaning he never had a chance to bat out his full time and put up a monstrous score, but he chased down his target relatively comfortably all three times.

He defeated Cleveland Guardians star Jose Ramirez 18-17 in the first round, setting up a surprise matchup with future first-ballot Hall-of-Famer Albert Pujols after the legend shocked top seed Kyle Schwarber 20-19 in a swing-off after tying 13-13 in regulation.

Pujols could not repeat the heroics in the second round, getting eliminated 16-15 as Soto booked his place in the final.

On the other side of the bracket, Seattle Mariners rookie Julio Rodriguez would steal the show, crushing the highest total of the day with 32 home runs as the very first batter of the event, eliminating Corey Seager.

Rodriguez then showed up the reigning back-to-back champion, Pete Alonso, with a score of 31-23, storming into the final opposite Soto.

Ultimately, Rodriguez ran out of juice, only putting up 18 in the decider, which Soto was able to chase down with 30 seconds to spare to claim the crown. Soto also finished with the longest home run of the day at 482 feet.

Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani's two-way selection for the second year in a row was the highlight of Sunday's All-Star Game roster reveal, while Seattle Mariners rookie Julio Rodriguez was the only first-year player to earn the honour.

Ohtani, who learned Friday that he beat out the Houston Astros’ Yordan Alvarez in a fan vote for starter at DH, was also named to the AL roster as a pitcher. 

The reigning league MVP has posted a 0.27 ERA in winning his last five starts, and he threw a 1-2-3 first inning in starting last year’s All-Star Game, becoming the first two-way All-Star in baseball history. 

The Tampa Bay Rays’ Shane McClanahan, however, figures to start the game on the hill for the AL, as he leads the league in strikeouts (141) and ERA (1.73). 

Two New York Yankees starting pitchers were named All-Stars in Nester Cortes and Gerrit Cole, as well as Clay Holmes out of the bullpen. Catcher Jose Trevino was named an All-Star reserve giving New York an MLB-high six All-Stars – the first time the Bronx Bombers had that many since 2011 – with outfielders Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton already named starters. 

The two teams that squared off in last year’s World Series – the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros – were close behind with five All-Stars apiece, while the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals and Toronto Blue Jays each have four. 

For the defending World Series champion Braves, starting outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. will be joined by pitcher Max Fried, catcher Travis d'Arnaud, shortstop Dansby Swanson and DH William Contreras. 

Contreras will not only be the starter with the fan-voted Bryce Harper on the injured list, but he also will be in the starting lineup with his brother after Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras was voted in by the fans. 

They are the first brothers in the same All-Star Game since Aaron and Bret Boone in 2003, and the first brothers to start a Midsummer Classic since 1992, when Roberto and Sandy Alomar Jr. did it. 

The host of this year’s All-Star Game already had two starters in outfielder Mookie Betts and shortstop Trea Turner, and those Dodgers will be joined by Tony Gonsolin and Clayton Kershaw, who is on an All-Star Game roster for the ninth time. 

Gonsolin has an excellent chance to start the game on the mound in front of the fans in Los Angeles having gone 11-0 with an NL-best 1.62 ERA. 

The Miami Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara, however, also could make a case to take the ball first after he lowered his ERA to 1.73 with seven shutout innings on Sunday against the Mets. 

Mariners outfielder Rodriguez is the only rookie named to a roster and is one of 30 first-time All-Stars. 

Below are the full All-Star Game rosters: 

AL Starters, as voted on by fans 

Alejandro Kirk, C, Blue Jays 
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B, Blue Jays 
Jose Altuve, 2B, Astros 
Rafael Devers, 3B, Red Sox 
Tim Anderson, SS, White Sox 
Shohei Ohtani, DH, Angels 
Aaron Judge, OF, Yankees 
Mike Trout, OF, Angels 
Giancarlo Stanton, OF, Yankees 

Reserves 

Yordan Alvarez, DH, Astros 
Miguel Cabrera, DH, Tigers (Special Selection) 
Xander Bogaerts, SS, Red Sox 
José Ramírez, 3B, Guardians 
Jose Trevino, C, Yankees 
Luis Arraez, 1B, Twins 
Andrés Giménez, 2B, Guardians 
George Springer, OF, Blue Jays 
Byron Buxton, OF, Twins 
Andrew Benintendi, OF, Royals 
Kyle Tucker, OF, Astros 
Julio Rodríguez, OF, Mariners 

Starting Pitchers 

Shane McClanahan, LHP, Rays 
Nestor Cortes, LHP, Yankees 
Alek Manoah, RHP, Blue Jays 
Framber Valdez, LHP, Astros 
Martín Pérez, LHP, Rangers 
Paul Blackburn, RHP, A's 
Gerrit Cole, RHP, Yankees 
Justin Verlander, RHP, Astros 
Shohei Ohtani, RHP/DH, Angels 

Relief Pitchers 

Clay Holmes, RHP, Yankees 
Emmanuel Clase, RHP, Guardians 
Gregory Soto, LHP, Tigers 
Jorge López, RHP, Orioles 

NL Starters, as voted on by fans 

Willson Contreras, C, Cubs 
Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Cardinals 
Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B, Marlins 
Manny Machado, 3B, Padres 
Trea Turner, SS, Dodgers 
Bryce Harper, DH, Phillies 
Ronald Acuña Jr., OF, Braves 
Joc Pederson, OF, Giants 
Mookie Betts, OF, Dodgers 

Reserves 

William Contreras, C, Braves 
Nolan Arenado, 3B, Cardinals 
Pete Alonso, 1B, Mets 
Albert Pujols, DH/1B, Cardinals (Special Selection) 
Jeff McNeil, 2B, Mets 
Travis d'Arnaud, C, Braves 
C.J. Cron, 1B, Rockies 
Dansby Swanson, SS, Braves 
Kyle Schwarber, OF, Phillies 
Juan Soto, OF, Nationals 
Starling Marte, OF, Mets 
Ian Happ, OF, Cubs 

Starting Pitchers 

Clayton Kershaw, LHP, Dodgers 
Sandy Alcantara, RHP, Marlins 
Corbin Burnes, RHP, Brewers 
Luis Castillo, RHP, Reds 
Max Fried, LHP, Braves 
Tony Gonsolin, RHP, Dodgers 
Joe Musgrove, RHP, Padres 

Relief Pitchers 

Edwin Díaz, RHP, Mets 
Josh Hader, LHP, Brewers 
Ryan Helsley, RHP, Cardinals 
David Bednar, RHP, Pirates 
Joe Mantiply, LHP, Diamondbacks 

Los Angeles Angels superstars Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout were among the players elected Friday to start in the MLB All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium on July 19. 

Mookie Betts and Trea Turner will represent the host Los Angeles Dodgers, while Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk, Miami Marlins second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., San Francisco Giants outfielder Joc Pederson, Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson and Turner were voted to start as first-time All-Stars. 

Sluggers Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers and Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals were added to the rosters by commissioner Rob Manfred under a provision in the sport’s new labor agreement. It will be the 11th All-Star selection for Pujols and the 12th for Cabrera. The two future Hall-of-Famers have combined for five MVPs, and both are members of the 3,000-hit club. 

''I've always looked up to Albert,'' Cabrera said. ''I've always followed his career. He's one of the best hitters I've ever seen in my life. To be part of this together is going to be great.'' 

Already named starters as the top vote-getters from the first round of balloting were outfielders Aaron Judge of the Yankees and Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Atlanta Braves. Judge leads the majors with 30 home runs. 

Joining Judge in the AL outfield will be teammate Giancarlo Stanton, making them the first pair of Yankees to start in the outfield together since Rickey Henderson and Davie Winfield in 1988. 

The other AL starters are Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers and Ohtani as the designated hitter.  

The NL starters include Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras, St. Louis first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado and an outfield of Betts, Acuna and Pederson.  

Philadelphia's Bryce Harper was elected as the National League's first DH following the expansion of the DH rule to both leagues, but will be replaced in the starting lineup after breaking his left thumb when hit by a pitch from San Diego's Blake Snell on June 25. Harper earned his seventh All-Star selection, his sixth as a starter. 

Pitchers and reserves will be announced Sunday. 

It was a blast from the past for the St. Louis Cardinals in their 18-4 blowout win against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday, with future Hall-of-Famers Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina the stars of the show.

It became uncompetitive early on after the Cardinals piled on seven runs across the opening two frames, and another four in the fourth.

Up 11-0 in the fifth inning, Pujols was brought in as a pinch-hitter, and he crushed the second pitch he saw for a 425-foot home run to left-field.

Pujols' day would not end there as he came up to bat again in the ninth inning with two runners on base, and he launched another home run to make it 18-0.

Not wanting to waste the performance of a real pitcher to close the game, the Cardinals brought in 39-year-old catcher Molina to handle the final inning. It was his first career pitching appearance.

He would give up four runs, including a home run to the very first batter he faced, before getting his third out from a deep fly-ball to center-field.

Both Pujols and Molina are members of the Cardinals only two World Series-winning teams since 1982 – in 2006 and 2011 – and will likely have their numbers retired by the club when they hang up their cleats.

All 10 Cardinals players to take an at-bat finished with at least one hit, while Tommy Edman, Nolan Gorman and Brendan Donovan collected three hits each.

After starting pitcher Steven Matz was withdrawn due to injury before retiring a single batter, Angel Rondon came in with a terrific performance out of the Cardinals bullpen, pitching five scoreless innings, striking out four while giving up just one hit and three walks for his first career win.

Dodgers error gifts Phillies the win

The Los Angeles Dodgers needed just one more out to secure a 3-2 extra innings win against the Philadelphia Phillies, but could not field a routine ground-ball.

After Trea Turner's base hit gave the Dodgers a lead in the top of the 10th inning, Evan Phillips was able to get two Phillies out, with runners on second and third.

While a base hit would have won it, Alec Bohm instead hit one along the ground straight to second-baseman Max Muncy, but as he fumbled the ball and was too late to get the out at first base, both runners came home to win the game.

White Sox wake up late

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Michael Kopech had a perfect game through five innings, but his side needed a late rally to pull out a 5-0 win in the second game of their double-header against the New York Yankees.

Despite Kopech's heroics – finishing his career-long start with seven full innings pitched for six strikeouts, one hit and two walks – the scores were tied at 0-0 heading into the eighth frame.

Yankees set-up pitcher Jonathan Losaiga had no luck getting through the inning unscathed, giving up four hits and two earned runs before getting pulled with runners still on first and second. Miguel Castro could not get the Yankees out of trouble, giving up a three-run homer to Tim Anderson as the very next batter.

Shohei Ohtani starred with a home run in his second consecutive game as the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Oakland Athletics 4-1 on Sunday.

After becoming the third Japanese-born player to hit 100 home runs in the major leagues, the 27-year-old went deep over right-field in the first inning off Frankie Montas. Mike Trout also scored after his single ahead of Ohtani.

It was the reigning American League MVP's eighth home run of the season, trailing Trout by one among the Halos, while the team leads baseball in that category with 49 for the season so far.

Patrick Sandoval pitched into the seventh inning for Los Angeles, striking out four and giving up four hits over 101 pitches.

The Halos moved to 24-13 for the season with the win, five games behind the AL West-leading Houston Astros, while the A's remain bottom of the division on 15-22.

Pujols pitches ninth as Cardinals run riot

Albert Pujols pitched for the first time in his major league career, with the St. Louis Cardinals routing the San Francisco Giants 15-6.

Brendan Donovan and Corey Dickerson were the only Cardinals not to claim hits in the lineup, while Yadier Molina got two hits and four RBIs from three at-bats, as their team went 15-2 up heading into the final frame.

It meant Pujols, the Cardinals' designated hitter, went to pitch for the first time in his 22-year career. The 42-year-old gave up a three-run homer to Luis Gonzalez and a solo shot to Joey Bart, but managed to get the final three outs for the win.

Lux lights up late as Dodgers defeat Phillies

Gavin Lux earned late redemption for the Los Angeles Dodgers in their come-from-behind 5-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies

The second baseman's fielding error allowed the Phillies to gain a 4-0 lead in the second inning, but Lux scored in the eighth inning to move the Dodgers to 4-3 after the eighth.

He then drove the winning two runs home with a walk-off shot deep into the right-field corner to deny the Phillies a four-game sweep at Dodger Stadium.

Juan Soto made history with his 100th career home run in the Washington Nationals' 16-4 loss to world champions, the Atlanta Braves, on Tuesday.

Soto, 23, became the youngest player in franchise history to reach 100 career home runs with a moon shot at the top of the sixth inning.

The homer, which travelled 451 feet according to Statcast to right-center field, was the fourth longest of his career.

"It just comes to me. I never tried to hit a homer, or anything like that," Soto told reporters. "I’m one of the guys who just tries to hit singles every day. So for me to become consistent hitting homers, it’s just impressive and it tells how good I’ve been working on my body and everything."

Soto is the seventh active player to blast 100 homers at age 23 or younger, having first homered as a 19-year-old in 2018.

The Braves ultimately got the win after 10 runs in three innings to open up a 10-1 lead after four innings, but Soto finished with two hits, one run, one walk and one RBI.

Ozzie Albies, who finished with three hits, two runs and three RBIs, blasted his first homer of the 2022 season in the fourth inning.

Albert Pujols looks to be preparing for his final MLB season after returning to the St. Louis Cardinals, who hope he can help take them back to the World Series.

Future Hall of Famer Pujols has signed a one-year, $2.5million contract back in St. Louis, where he started his career in 2001.

In 11 seasons with the Cardinals, the 42-year-old won three National League MVPs, made nine All-Star Game appearances and claimed two World Series titles.

Now, after nine and a half seasons with the Los Angeles Angels before ending last year on the Los Angeles Dodgers, he is ready for one final push.

"This is it for me," Pujols said. "This is my last run."

Pujols appears set to play in a part-time role, as a designated hitter against left-handed pitchers and as a late-game pinch-hitter.

He added: "I think I am here for a reason. They believe I can still play this game."

Pujols may no longer be the difference-maker he was in those two title runs, but the Cardinals have not added to their 11 World Series wins since then, losing to the Boston Red Sox in 2013.

Yadier Molina, the 39-year-old catcher who was a team-mate for both championships and has spent his entire career in St. Louis, is delighted to be reunited with Pujols.

"I'm happy for him to be here," he said. "It's going to be a fun year. We've only got one thing in mind – winning another championship."

Albert Pujols has reportedly agreed a deal to return to the St. Louis Cardinals.

According to ESPN's Aidan Gonzalez, the future Hall of Famer signed a one-year, $2.5million contract to return to the club where he made his name and possibly bookend his career.

Once the 42-year-old completes his physical, Pujols will officially return to the Cardinals, where he won three National League MVPs, made nine All-Star Game appearances and claimed two World Series titles between 2001 and 2011.

He subsequently spent nine and a half seasons with the Los Angeles Angels before ending last year on the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Back in St. Louis, Pujols appears set to play in a part-time role, as a designated hitter against left-handed pitchers and as a late-game pinch-hitter.

In his MLB career to date, Pujols has tallied 3,301 hits, 679 home runs and 2,150 RBIs in 21 seasons.

World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers placed Albert Pujols on the COVID-19-related injured list while activating Cody Bellinger, it was announced on Tuesday.

Pujols – a future Hall of Famer who will celebrate his 42nd birthday in January – had a reaction from his second COVID-19 vaccination shot.

The Dodgers have not placed a timeframe on Pujols' return but the two-time World Series champion and three-time National League (NL) MVP was ruled out of Tuesday's game against the San Diego Padres.

"He didn't feel good as far as playing in a major league game," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "Just to give him a day and see where he's at tomorrow."

The Dodgers, though, activated 2019 NL MVP Bellinger from the IL after a left rib fracture sustained in an outfield collision with team-mate Gavin Lux on September 14.

Pujols is batting .255 with 12 home runs and 38 RBI in 82 games since arriving from MLB rivals the Los Angeles Angels in May while Bellinger – who also battled a shoulder injury earlier this season – is hitting .159 with nine homers and 34 RBI in 89 appearances.

The Dodgers (100-56) were second behind the San Francisco Giants (102-54) in the NL West division prior to Tuesday's games.

The Giants were dealt a blow with in-form Brandon Belt placed on their 10-day IL due to a left thumb fracture after being struck by a fastball against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday.

"It's not optimal, but I think we're going to be fine because our players are prepared for it," Giants manager Gabe Kapler said.

The Giants are yet to put a timeframe on Belt's injury but had said on Monday he will "continue to meet with doctors over the next couple of days to develop a recovery plan and timetable for his return."

Belt is batting .274 with a career-high 29 home runs, 59 RBI and 89 hits. The 33-year-old – a two-time World Series winner – leads the Giants for homers this season.

The Tampa Bay Rays hit two runs in the ninth inning with Yandy Diaz securing a 9-8 walk-off victory in a thrilling clash against the Cleveland Indians in MLB on Monday.

Diaz hit a chopper down to right, with second baseman Cesar Hernandez sending a wild throw well wide of home plate, as Randy Arozarena crossed.

Earlier, Brandon Lowe launched a big grand slam deep to right-field off Logan Allen as the Rays raced to a 4-0 lead in the second inning.

Indians right-fielder Harold Ramirez pulled off two outstanding catches to end the fourth inning, before Cleveland reeled the Rays in with four runs in the fifth inning.

At the bottom of the ninth, wonderkid Wander Franco drove Brett Phillips home, before Diaz's chopper helped Arozarena finish it off.

The win sees the stuttering Rays – who had lost five of their past six games coming in – move to 49-36, while the Indians are 42-40.

Gausman denied, Tatis homers up

The St Louis Cardinals scored five runs in the final three innings to record a 5-3 win over the San Francisco Giants. San Francisco pitcher Kevin Gausman did not allow a hit through his first six innings before Nolan Arenado sparked a two-run rally for St Louis, with a two-run triple from Matt Carpenter, before Alex Reyes closed it out for the Cardinals.

Fernando Tatis Jr. became the fastest player aged 22 or younger to reach 27 home runs in a season (68 games) in the San Diego Padres' 7-5 loss to the Washington Nationals. Tatis also pulled off a miraculous catch at shortstop in the eighth inning from Ryan Zimmerman.

MLB's home run leader Shohei Ohtani had the chance to be the hero at-bat on his 27th birthday in the ninth inning but the Boston Red Sox held their nerve to win 5-4 over the Los Angeles Angels. Raphael Devers starred for the Red Sox with three RBIs.

Ben Gamel had two home runs with six RBIs as the Pittsburgh Pirates brought Atlanta Braves pitcher Max Fried back down to earth after Sunday's walk off following an 11-1 rout.

Cubs' losing run extends to 10

June 24 feels like a long time ago when the Chicago Cubs threw a no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers, with their 13-3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies marking 10 straight defeats. Cubs manager David Ross blew up in frustration and was ejected.

Elite company for Pujols

Albert Pujols reached his 6,000th career base, becoming the fourth player to achieve the feat in MLB history as World Series champions the Dodgers lost 5-4 to the Miami Marlins. The other players to reach the mark are Hank Aaron, Stan Musial, and Willie Mays.

Jorge Alfaro's home run in the eighth inning won it for the Marlins, ending the Dodgers' nine-game win streak.

Monday's results

St Louis Cardinals 5-3 San Francisco Giants
Miami Marlins 5-4 Los Angeles Dodgers
Pittsburgh Pirates 11-1 Atlanta Braves
New York Mets 4-2 Milwaukee Brewers
Tampa Bay Rays 9-8 Cleveland Indians
Minnesota Twins 8-5 Chicago White Sox
Philadelphia Phillies 13-3 Chicago Cubs
Detroit Tigers 7-3 Texas Rangers
Cincinnati Reds 6-2 Kansas City Royals
Boston Red Sox 5-4 Los Angeles Angels
Washington Nationals 7-5 San Diego Padres

Brewers at Mets

The leaders in the National League (NL) East, the Mets (44-37), go again against the NL Central-leading Brewers (51-35).

The Tampa Bay Rays are showing no signs of slowing down with a 3-1 win over the Washington Nationals in the MLB on Tuesday.

Manuel Margot hit a solo home run in the first inning to get them on the board, while Tyler Glasnow continued his hot form on the mound.

Glasnow tossed down 11 strikeouts across seven innings, allowing only six hits.

Mike Zunino drove in Austin Meadows and Randy Arozarena in the fifth inning, before the latter produced a spectacular long throw to deny Josh Bell running for home plate.

Relative newcomer Ryan Thompson finished the job for the Rays with a 95 mph rocket to strike out Bell, sealing a hard-fought win.

The Rays improve to 39-23, having won four of their past five matches.

Correa lifts Astros, Acuna takes off

Carlos Correa guided the Houston Astros to a 7-1 victory on the road against the Boston Red Sox.

At the top of the first inning, Correa hit a home run, which stood after a review that clarified it was in fair territory. The homer was the shortest in the majors this season, at 310 feet.

Correa was at it again at the top of the second inning, drive in a run on a double, as the Astros piled on five runs.

Ronald Acuna Jr clocked up his 18th home run of the season, returning to equal top spot on the charts alongside Vladimir Guerrero Jr in the Atlanta Braves' 9-5 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Acuna's monster homer came in at 460 feet, landing at the top of the stand, going at 116 mph, which was the hardest hit home run by a Braves player in the Stat Cast era.

Walker Buehler had seven shutout innings and was two-for-three from the plate as the Los Angeles Dodgers won 5-3 at the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Padres lose their puff

Anthony Rizzo knocked in four as the Chicago Cubs hit three homers in a 7-1 win away to the San Diego Padres. The Padres have now lost seven of their past 10 games.

Magic Maikel

Maikel Franco had a night to remember in the Baltimore Orioles' 10-3 win over the New York Mets, hitting a moon shot into the second deck as well as a brilliant bare-handed throw from third to first. He also hit another homer, along with three runs batted in.

Tuesday's results

Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3 Pittsburgh Pirates
Baltimore Orioles 10-3 New York Mets
Atlanta Braves 9-5 Philadelphia Phillies
Milwaukee Brewers 5-1 Cincinnati Reds
Miami Marlins 6-2 Colorado Rockies
Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 Washington Nationals
Houston Astros 7-1 Boston Red Sox
Detroit Tigers 5-3 Seattle Mariners
San Francisco Giants 9-4 Texas Rangers
Chicago White Sox 6-1 Toronto Blue Jays
New York Yankees 8-4 Minnesota Twins
Cleveland Indians 10-1 St Louis Cardinals
Los Angeles Angels 8-1 Kansas City Royals
Oakland Athletics 5-2 Arizona Diamondbacks
Chicago Cubs 7-1 San Diego Padres

Blue Jays at White Sox

The Chicago White Sox (37-23), leaders in the American League Central, continue their series at home against the Toronto Blue Jays (30-28).

The Boston Red Sox came from behind to beat rivals the New York Yankees 6-5 for their first series sweep in the Bronx in a decade.

Boston star Xander Bogaerts hit a two-run single with two outs in the 10th inning as the Red Sox held on to defeat the Yankees in their American League (AL) East showdown on Sunday.

The Red Sox rallied behind Marwin Gonzalez's game-tying homer in the seventh inning for their first three-game sweep in the Bronx since June 2011.

"It was real nice," Bogaerts said. "We know we haven't had a lot of success [vs. the Yankees] these last couple of years, but this team is different.

"We have a lot of winning players. You could see that with Kike [Hernandez] last night [Saturday] with that big RBI. Marwin [Gonzalez], these last couple of days, he's been getting hot."

Boston (36-23) – after four consecutive wins – are now a season-high 13 games over .500, though they are still a game behind AL East leaders the Tampa Bay Rays (38-23), who blitzed the Texas Rangers 7-1.

The slumping Yankees (31-29) are fourth in the five-team AL East following four successive defeats.

La Russa second on list for most wins by MLB manager

The Chicago White Sox blanked the Detroit Tigers 3-0 and manager Tony La Russa celebrated a milestone. It was his 2,764th career victory – moving him into second place on MLB's all-time manager wins list. The 76-year-old surpassed John McGraw and now only trails Connie Mack (3,731).

Jesse Winker starred with three home runs as the Cincinnati Reds topped the St Louis Cardinals 8-7. Winker hit a tie-breaking home run in the ninth inning for his second three-homer game this season. It helped the Reds clinch their first four-game sweep of the Cardinals in 21 years.

The Baltimore Orioles had a day out, crushing the Cleveland Indians 18-5 after scoring their most runs since 2015.

Rookie Luis Garcia earned his fifth successive victory and Jose Altuve recorded a lead-off homer in the Houston Astros' 6-3 win at the Toronto Blue Jays.

Bauer outpitched in Atlanta

Trevor Bauer and the Los Angeles Dodgers were beaten 4-2 by the Atlanta Braves. Dodgers ace Bauer allowed three runs and six hits across six innings, while matching his season high of four walks – two of the batters who were walked later scored.

Tanner Rainey was tagged by the Philadelphia Phillies, who eased to a 12-6 win over the Washington Nationals. J.T. Realmuto hit a three-run drive off Rainey as the Nationals pitcher gave up two hits, three runs – all earned and a homer in just one inning.

Pujols eclipses Bonds

Future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols hit his 671st career home run in a loss for World Series champions the Dodgers. With his homer, Pujols passed Barry Bonds for fourth on the all-time total base list with 5,980.

Sunday's results

Baltimore Orioles 18-5 Cleveland Indians
Miami Marlins 3-1 Pittsburgh Pirates
Philadelphia Phillies 12-6 Washington Nationals
Houston Astros 6-3 Toronto Blue Jays
Atlanta Braves 4-2 Los Angeles Dodgers
Milwaukee Brewers 2-0 Arizona Diamondbacks
Chicago White Sox 3-0 Detroit Tigers
Minnesota Twins 2-1 Kansas City Royals
Cincinnati Reds 8-7 St Louis Cardinals
Tampa Bay Rays 7-1 Texas Rangers
Colorado Rockies 3-1 Oakland Athletics
Chicago Cubs 4-3 San Francisco Giants
Seattle Mariners 9-5 Los Angeles Angels
New York Mets 6-2 San Diego Padres
Boston Red Sox 6-5 New York Yankees

Cubs at Padres

The Padres (36-25) will be out to snap their two-game skid against the Cubs (33-26) on Monday. Ryan Weathers starts for San Diego as Chicago counter with Adbert Alzolay.