New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole delivered another terrific start as he shut out the Minnesota Twins in a 2-0 home victory on Sunday.

Cole, who came into the contest with a 3-0 record this season after giving up just three earned runs in his 19.1 innings pitched, banked another win with nine scoreless frames against the Twins.

He allowed two hits and one walk to go with 10 strikeouts, retiring the game's last 11 batters to finish the complete game in 109 pitches (73 strikes).

With the bat, it was veteran infielder D.J. LeMahieu who was the Yankees' hero. The 34-year-old three-time All-Star came through with a two-out RBI single to give New York a 1-0 lead in the third inning, before doubling their advantage with a solo home run in the sixth inning.

Exciting rookie shortstop Anthony Volpe continued to make an impact for the Yankees, showing off his speed by reaching on an infield single in the fifth inning, and then he made his way into scoring position with his seventh stolen base of the season. 

His seven steals lead all rookies and tie him for the second most in the majors, while only Volpe and Baltimore Orioles speedster Cedric Mullins (eight steals) have nabbed at least seven bases without being caught stealing.

With the win, the Yankees secured a series split with the Twins, with both teams now at 10-6.

Bellinger bombs one against his former side

Former NL MVP with the Los Angeles Dodgers Cody Bellinger got revenge on his former side as his home run was the difference in the Chicago Cubs' 3-2 win.

Bellinger, who won Rookie of the Year in 2017 and NL MVP in 2019 as a member of the Dodgers, connected on the biggest hit of the game in his first series back in Los Angeles following an offseason move to the Cubs.

The 27-year-old blasted a 422-foot solo home run in the sixth inning to extend the Cubs' lead to 3-1, after team-mate Patrick Wisdom broke the tie with his own solo homer just three pitches earlier.

The victory secured the second impressive series win in a row for the Cubs after also taking their three-game set against the Seattle Mariners 2-1, and improved Chicago's record to 8-6.

Castillo flirts with perfect game

Luis Castillo showed why he is the top arm in the Mariners' rotation, not allowing a baserunner until the seventh inning as his side defeated the Colorado Rockies 1-0.

Castillo dismissed the first 18 Rockies batters in order, allowing no hits or walks through six innings, before his bid for a perfect game was broken up by back-to-back singles in the seventh frame.

The Mariners' offense needed all the help they could get, collecting only four hits as a team, but Jarred Kelenic came through with the crucial two-out RBI single in the sixth inning to get his team over the line.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have lost three games in a row for the first time since mid-June after going down 7-1 at home against the San Diego Padres on Friday.

Yu Darvish was spectacular starting on the mound for the visitors, pitching seven scoreless innings while only allowing two hits and two walks to go with nine strikeouts.

While Darvish was taking the Dodgers' offense out of the contest, the Padres' big bats came through with some timely hits, with star Manny Machado's two-run home run breaking the deadlock in the third inning.

Just three batters after Machado in the same inning, it was teammate Brandon Drury's turn to do the damage, connecting on his own two-run shot to double the Padres' lead to 4-0.

With Drury and Todd Grisham on base in the sixth frame, Padres lead-off hitter Jurickson Profar put the game beyond doubt with a three-run home run, before the Dodgers salvaged one consolation run in the ninth frame through a Joey Gallo base hit.

Overall, the Dodgers only registered four hits as a team, with their MVP candidates Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman combining to go zero-for-six.

Despite their three-game losing streak, the Dodgers are still five-and-a-half games clear for the best record in the majors at 90-41, and they lead the Padres by 17 games in the NL West.

Castillo, Raleigh lead Mariners to convincing win

Luis Castillo held the Cleveland Guardians scoreless through the first six innings as the Seattle Mariners prevailed 6-1 away from home.

Castillo finished with four strikeouts, allowing five hits and one walk, while with the bat it was Cal Raleigh doing the damage.

Raleigh hit a 366-foot solo home run in the third inning, and he topped that in the sixth frame when he blasted a 424-foot, three-run shot over the right-field wall.

AL Rookie of the Year favourite and the recent recipient of a contract worth up to $470million if all its incentives are hit, Julio Rodriguez came around to score two runs, going one-for-five at the plate.

D'Arnaud and the Braves get to Alcantara

It was a rough outing for NL Cy Young Award shoo-in Sandy Alcantara, giving up six runs in five innings as the Atlanta Braves made him look average in an 8-1 win.

Alcantara leads the majors comfortably in innings pitched (190 – 20 more than second-place) and wins-above-replacement, or WAR (6.9 – 1.9 more than second-place), but he had no answer for a switched-on Braves offense.

Travis d'Arnaud had a day to remember, blasting a pair of 400-foot home runs, while rookies Michael Harris II and Vaughan Grissom also went deep.

Adding to the launch party was Austin Riley, who hit his 34th long-ball of the season – the third-most in the majors – and he has the second-most total bases, trailing only New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge.

Juan Soto scored on his San Diego Padres debut to rapturous applause as his new side won 9-1 over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday.

Reigning Home Run Derby winner Soto, who sealed a Deadline Day trade from the Washington Nationals on Tuesday, was given a raucous applause upon his first at-bat by the Petco Park faithful.

Soto's first at-bat ended with a four-pitch walk, before hitting home plate when Jake Cronenworth was walked after being struck by Chad Kuhl's pitch.

However it was another new addition, Brandon Drury, who stole the show with a first-inning grand slam to open up a 5-0 lead with his 21st home run of the season.

Manny Machado and Cronenworth both hit home runs in the fifth inning, while Soto finished with two walks from his two at-bats, with the one run.

Cole aced by Mariners and Castillo

Gerrit Cole allowed six runs in the first inning as his poor form since the All-Star Game continued in the New York Yankees' 7-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday.

Cole was on the mound for the first inning, with blasts from Eugenio Suarez, Carlos Santana and Jarred Kelenic opening up a 6-0 lead. The last time Seattle hit three homers in the first inning of a game was in May 2002.

The six runs were the most allowed in any inning of the career of Cole, who became the second pitcher in the modern era to allow three homers in the first inning of a game multiple times in the same season. He has given up five or more earned runs in consecutive outings for the first time since 2017 and has an ERA of 7.00 in three starts since the All-Star Game, having gone at 3.02 prior to that.

Luis Castillo, in his first start for the Mariners, put on a clinic with eight strikeouts, allowing five hits across six-and-two-third innings.

Vogelbach grand slam in Mets triumph

Daniel Vogelbach hit a grand slam as the New York Mets knocked off the Washington Nationals 9-5 to improve their record to 66-38.

Pete Alonso blasted his 28th home run of the season in the second inning, which was also the 21st of his career against the Nats, which is the most of any opponent he has faced.

Vogelbach's moment came in the fifth inning with the Mets 2-0 up and bases loaded, hitting high deep down the right field line.

The Seattle Mariners are apparently going all-in on ending the longest postseason drought of the four major North American professional sports, finalising a deal to acquire starting pitcher Luis Castillo from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for four players. 

Castillo is widely regarded as the best starting pitcher available before Tuesday’s trading deadline, and Seattle have paid a high price to land the two-time All-Star.  

Heading to Cincinnati reportedly are minor leaguers Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo – two of the Mariners' top-three prospects – along with pitcher Levi Stoudt, the team’s fifth-ranked prospect, and pitcher Andrew Moore.  

Castillo is 4-4 with a 2.86 ERA in 14 starts this season, striking out 90 with 28 walks in 85 innings. He has spent his entire six-year career with the Reds, going 44-53 with a 3.62 ERA In 137 starts.  

The Mariners, who have not made a playoff appearance since 2001, are 54-47 this season, well behind AL West-leading Houston, but they own one of the three wild-card spots.  

Castillo will anchor a rotation that already includes reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray and 10-game winner Logan Gilbert.  

Eloy Jimenez homered twice again while Lucas Giolito starred on the mound as the Chicago White Sox won 11-1 over the Minnesota Twins in MLB on Monday.

The White Sox claimed their fourth consecutive win, following up their series sweep over the Chicago Cubs, with a one-sided display.

Tim Anderson hit a leadoff home run to start the dominance, before Jimenez claimed center stage.

Jimenez hit a straight projected 454-foot two-run homer to open up a 3-0 first innings lead.

At the top of the second inning, Jimenez went high down the line into the corner for a three-run homer, stretching the White Sox lead to 7-0.

Jimenez had homered twice in Sunday's win over the Cubs and now has five home runs in his 10 appearances this season.

Giolito had eight strikeouts across eight innings, with only two hits and without any walks.

 

Yankees edges Royals in extras

The New York Yankees scored three runs in the 11th inning to win 8-6 over the Kansas City Royals as they made it eight wins from their past 10.

DJ Mahieu's go-ahead RBI double, which drove home Joey Gallo, followed by a two score on Brett Gardner's single which hopped into short-stop Nicky Lopez's jaw, opened up an 8-5 lead in the 11th before Wandy Peralta closed it out.

Meanwhile, the Chicago Cubs-Milwaukee Brewers game was postponed and rescheduled as part of a Tuesday double-header due to inclement weather.

 

Castillo loses his touch

Luis Castillo was pulled in the fourth inning as the Cleveland Indians opened up an 8-0 lead in their 9-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds. May 29 was the last time Castillo had given up four or more runs in a game, while he had an ERA of 1.91 since June 1.

 

Hosmer reaches 100th hit

In Fernando Tatis Jr's absence, Eric Hosmer homered in the second inning and added an RBI double in the eighth as the San Diego Padres won 8-3 at the Miami Marlins. Hosmer brought up his 100th hit of the season, while he also has 52 RBI. Joe Musgrove was outstanding with eight strikeouts too.

 

Monday's results 

Cleveland Indians 9-3 Cincinnati Reds
Chicago White Sox 11-1 Minnesota Twins 
New York Yankees 8-6 Kansas City Royals
San Diego Padres 8-3 Miami Marlins
Chicago Cubs - Milwaukee Brewers (postponed)

 

Rays at Red Sox

The top two in the American League East meet when the in-form Tampa Bay Rays (68-44) travel to the Boston Red Sox (65-49), who have won two of their past 10 games.

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