Justin Verlander was in impressive form as he reached his MLB-leading 12th win of the season, leading the Houston Astros to a 5-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Saturday.
Verlander put in a solid shift on the mount, striking out 10 while allowing just six hits and a walk over 106 pitches in six innings, lowering his ERA to 1.89, third in the major leagues.
The 39-year-old moved past Curt Schilling (3,116) and Bob Gibson (3,117) to 3,121 career Ks with his 10 on the night, moving to a 15th-ranked 108 for the season.
Martin Maldonado also hit a grand slam in the second inning, blasting A's rookie Jared Koenig over his head past centre-field for the third four-run shot of his career.
Moving to 59-31 for the yeat, the Astros extended their lead atop the American League West to 10 games over the Seattle Mariners, while the A's hold the AL's worst record on 31-61.
Yankees smash Red Sox to build momentum
Aaron Judge and Matt Carpenter led the way for the New York Yankees as they gave the Boston Red Sox 14-1 belting in the Bronx.
The team with the MLB's best record lost five of the previous six games and it threatened to be another glum night, at home to their fierce rivals, after Rafael Devers' home run off Jameson Taillon in the first inning.
Judge and Carpenter more than steadied the ship, however. Judge scored two home runs while also Carpenter went long twice, driving in seven runs on the night as the Yankees moved to 63-28 for the year.
Dodgers beat city rivals
Julio Urias and Trea Turner propelled the Los Angeles Dodgers to their 60th win of the season, routing the Los Angeles Angels 7-1.
Trea Turner hit two home runs on the night, including a two-run shot to set up a five-run third inning for the Dodgers, who had the same amount of hits as the Angels with seven.
Julio Urias gave up five of those, but struck out eight Angels batters over 91 pitches in seven innings, moving his ERA to 2.89 for the season.
Freddie Freeman also recorded his 1,000th career RBI as the Dodgers moved to 60-30 for the year, extending their lead over the New York Mets atop the National League to three games.
The Boston Red Sox needed 11 innings to defeat the New York Yankees 5-4 as newly minted two-time All-Star Rafael Devers went deep.
Boston had lost eight of their previous 10 games entering Friday's contest, but Devers got the Red Sox off to a perfect start with a two-run home run in the first inning.
The Yankees responded in the third frame when D.J. LeMahieu and Anthony Rizzo both got on base, setting up Giancarlo Stanton for a three-run blast over the right-field wall to jump ahead 3-2.
Christian Vasquez tied things up an inning later with his own 390-foot solo home run to left-field, before teammate Bobby Dalbec gave the Red Sox a 4-3 lead when he repeated the act in the seventh frame, sending his homer 391 feet to the same spot.
That lead would hold until the bottom of the ninth inning, but the Yankees looked like they would steal it after Red Sox closer Tanner Houck allowed an infield single and a hit-by-pitch to put Gleyber Torres and Matt Carpenter on-base with no outs.
Houck then committed a fielding error, handing the Yankees a run and tying things at 4-4 with still no outs.
The Red Sox opted to intentionally walk the next batter, loading the bases, before they got a crucial ground-ball, throwing out the winning run at home as part of a double-play to keep the game alive.
In extra innings, after the Red Sox were unable to score, the Yankees again loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the 10th, but again fell victim to a ground-ball double-play to extend the game for another frame.
It was not pretty, but Xander Bogaerts was able to hustle across to third base on a fly-ball, before taking a chance and breaking for home after a wild pitch bounced off Jose Trevino's facemask behind the plate to score what would turn out to be the game-winning run.
Ryan Brasier finished it off by coming in and collecting three quick outs for the save and the victory.
J-Rod shows why he is the only rookie All-Star
Seattle Mariners rookie Julio Rodriguez made it clear why he is viewed as one of the game's next big stars as he crushed a grand slam in his side's 8-3 win against the Texas Rangers.
Rodriguez, who earned his first All-Star selection this season at 21 years old, finished the game with five RBIs.
He drove in his first run with a base hit in the fourth inning, before coming through with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth inning to stick the dagger into the Rangers fans.
The home run was Rodriguez's 16th of the season – the most of any rookie – while he also leads all rookies in stolen bases (21) and hits (91). The win was also the Mariners' 12th in a row, their longest winning-streak since 2001.
Alcantara takes loss despite another quality start
National League Cy Young Award favourite Sandy Alcantara delivered another terrific pitching performance in his side's 2-1 loss at home against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Alcantara pitched eight full innings, striking out 12 batters, while giving up two runs from four hits and two walks. It was the 13th consecutive start he has pitched at least seven innings, and his ERA is now 1.76, trailing only Tampa Bay Rays ace Shane McClanahan.
The Phillies were finally able to do some damage off the Marlins star in the seventh inning, with Darick Hall delivering an RBI double, before he was driven in by J.T. Realmuto's RBI double.
The Boston Red Sox moved to third place in the American League after they rallied to defeat the New York Yankees 11-6 on Sunday.
The Red Sox reeled off four runs in the seventh inning to split their four-game series at Fenway Park and claim first place in the AL's wildcard race.
Nick Pivetta was pulled early after the Yankees shot out to a 6-2 lead at the top of the third inning, before Christian Vazquez's solo home run off Jameson Taillon kept them in touching distance.
It was the first of nine consecutive runs for the Red Sox, only a day after they managed three runs in the 10th inning to set up the series split.
Giancarlo Stanton and Matt Carpenter homered for the Yankees early, but the pitchers who followed Pivetta gave up only three hits over the rest of the game.
Marlins win after nine scoreless innings
An epic pitchers' duel between Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara and New York Mets former All-Star Taijuan Walker saw the two sides reach the end of regulation without a run scored, before the Marlins won 2-0 in extra innings.
The National League's Cy Young Award favourite Alcantara pitched seven scoreless innings, giving up six hits and no walks while striking out four. Walker was just as good, allowing three hits and one walk in his seven shut-out frames.
In the top of the 10th inning, the Marlins finally broke the deadlock through a fielding error by Mets catcher Tomas Nido, before Luke Williams collected the game's only RBI with a base hit to give his side some breathing room.
Grossman drops game and record for Tigers
The Chicago White Sox took advantage of a costly error from Robbie Grossman in the eighth inning to defeat the Detroit Tigers 4-2 at home.
With the scores tied at 2-2 in the eighth, with two outs, Grossman dropped a routine pop-up in left-field, keeping the inning alive and allowing the White Sox to capitalise with two runs after RBI base hits from A.J. Pollock and Eloy Jimenez.
It was Grossman's first error in 440 games – dating back to June 13, 2018 – setting a new major league record for games between errors by a position player. He was a perfect 821-for-821 in fielding opportunities over that period.
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
Alex Verdugo led the way for the Boston Red Sox on Saturday, as they dramatically came from behind to defeat the New York Yankees in extra innings.
Verdugo claimed three hits from five at-bats and sparked his side's fightback, scoring the game-tying single in the eighth inning.
Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo gave the Yankees a 5-3 lead with RBI doubles in the 10th inning, both scoring off Jake Diekman.
However, the Red Sox left-fielder responded, scoring a two-run single in the bottom of the extra inning to cap off a three-run frame and hand his side the win over their old rival.
Boston moved to second in the American League East at 46-39, but the Yankees still hold a 15-game lead with the MLB's best record at 61-24.
Rodon rolls for Giants
Carlos Rodon was in spectacular form to inspire the San Francisco Giants to a 3-1 win over the San Diego Padres in divisional ball.
The Giants had lost eight of their past 10 games and Rodon's last start capped off a five-game losing streak. The 29-year-old pitched a complete game, allowing his only run in the second inning.
The left-hander retired 22 of the Padres' final 23 batters while allowing only three hits for only the third complete game of his career.
Mets make it count in extra innings
The New York Mets overcame injuries to Starling Marte and James McCann to maintain their lead in the National League, defeating the Miami Marlins 5-4 in extra innings.
Tomas Nido hit the game-tying double with two outs in the 10th inning, before scoring the winning run on a throwing error by Marlins reliever Tanner Scott.
After retiring the number 17 to honour Keith Hernandez, the Mets secured their fourth walk-off win of the season and improved to 7-0 in extra innings, while moving their record to 53-32.
Los Angeles Angels superstars Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout went a combined six-for-10 from the plate on Friday, but their side still went down 5-4 on the road to the Baltimore Orioles after a ninth-inning collapse.
There were three runs scored in the opening six innings, and all three came from one Mike Trout swing in the third frame, sending a 376-foot shot to left-field to open up a 3-0 lead.
Angels starting pitcher Reid Detmers was spectacular, allowing just two hits and one walk in six scoreless innings, striking out seven batters.
But when Detmers was withdrawn, the Orioles finally found their offense, with Ramon Urias getting them on the board with his RBI single in the seventh inning.
Ryan Mountcastle's RBI base hit an inning later trimmed the lead 3-2, but the game appeared to be put to bed in the top of the ninth inning when Ohtani connected on a 418-foot blast to center-field.
Trailing by two, with two outs in the last inning, the Orioles were able to reduce the margin to one run when rookie Adley Rutschman delivered a clutch RBI double into the gap at right-center.
As the very next batter, Cedric Mullins tied the game when his base hit brought Rutschman in to score, and after a wild pitch put Mullins into scoring position, the comeback was completed as Trey Mancini came through with the Orioles' third consecutive hit to win the game.
Raisel Iglesias takes the loss and the blown save for the Angels, giving up four hits and three earned runs in two-thirds of an inning.
For Ohtani, it was his 19th home run of the campaign – only 12 players have more this season. Trout is one of those 12 players, with his long-ball registering as his 24th, good for fourth in the majors.
Phillies pitchers dominate in St. Louis
Zack Wheeler and Alec Bohm put on a show as the Philadelphia Phillies made some unique history in their 2-0 shutout win against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Wheeler pitched seven rock-solid innings, giving up five hits and one walk without conceding a run, with Seranthony Dominguez and Brad Hand also delivering a scoreless frame each to close it out.
With the bat, Bohm scored both of the Phillies' runs with a solo home run in the sixth inning, and then another in the eighth inning.
It was the first time in MLB history that a team has won 2-0 with a multi-homer game by a player eighth or ninth in their side's batting order.
Yankees smack the Red Sox
The New York Yankees have won the first two fixtures of their four-game road series against the Boston Red Sox, hammering the home side 12-5.
Despite a poor outing from Yankees starter Nestor Cortes, where he was withdrawn in the fourth inning after giving up eight hits and two walks for four runs, the Yankees' bats were able to pick up the slack.
Aaron Judge went a disappointing zero-for-five at the plate, but Matt Carpenter and Josh Donaldson were able to hit home runs, and the Yankees racked up 14 hits as a team, although the Red Sox also had 13.
D.J. LeMahieu, Carpenter, Gleyber Torres, Aaron Hicks and Jose Trevino all finished with multi-hit games for the pinstripes as they extended their league-leading record to 61-23 – six games clear of the second-placed Houston Astros.
The New York Yankees' bullpen were terrific down the stretch to deliver a 6-5 win in the first game of their series against heated rivals the Boston Red Sox.
Played at Boston's Fenway Park, the Yankees threatened to blow the Red Sox away in the third inning when Josh Donaldson crushed a 429-foot grand slam to sntach a 4-0 lead. Aaron Hicks then followed it up with his own solo home run from the very next pitch.
But the Red Sox showed fight in the bottom of the third inning, with Rafael Devers connecting on his fifth career home run against Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, and his 18th blast of the season, with a two-run, 434-foot shot to center-field.
The Yankees were able to add one more insurance run in the fifth inning through a Jose Trevino double, but the Red Sox answered straight back in the bottom of the frame once again.
After a double to Franchy Cordero and a walk to Kevin Plawecki, Devers came through again, this time with a 425-foot homer to straight center-field to score three runs, making it six career homers off Cole and 19 for the season.
The rest of the game featured spectacular pitching out of both bullpens, with the Yankees trio of Wandy Peralta, Michael King and Clay Holmes combining to allow no hits and one walk from the final three frames, while Red Sox arms Matt Strahm, John Schreiber, Ryan Brasier and Austin Davis combined to allow one hit and no walks in the last four innings.
Cole was credited with the win, despite it not being his best performance, finishing with six complete innings for five earned runs, with all five runs coming off the bat of Devers.
The Yankees also got the job done without the help of AL MVP favourite Aaron Judge, who missed with a lower-back complaint, as well as Anthony Rizzo, who is fifth in the league in home runs (22), eight behind Judge's league-lead (30).
Ohtani and Trout struggle as Rutchsman goes deep
Superstar Los Angeles Angels duo Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout finished a combined zero-for-seven from the plate as their side went down 4-1 on the road against the Baltimore Orioles.
The loss is the Angels' fifth from their past six games as another potential AL MVP season from Ohtani appears likely to end without a playoff berth unless things turn around drastically, now fourth in their division and 17 games behind the Houston Astros.
Baltimore was buoyed by top prospect Adley Rutchsman hitting his first career home run at Camden Yards – which the Orioles fans will be hoping was the first of many.
Rookie Strider shines in Braves loss
Atlanta Braves rookie starting pitcher Spencer Strider continues to make his case for NL Rookie of the Year after striking out a career-high 12 batters in his side's 3-2 extra-inning loss to the St Louis Cardinals.
Incredibly, the first nine outs Strider recorded were all strikeouts, and he would make it through six complete innings, allowing no runs from two hits and two walks in 100 pitches. It was the first time in Braves history that a pitcher has recorded each of his first nine outs via strikeout.
The scores were tied at 1-1 after nine innings, and after each side brought home a run in the 10th, the Cardinals were able to score another in the 11th off a Dylan Carlson infield-single, with Packy Naughton collecting the save.
Carlson finished three-for-three at the plate after being brought in as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning.
Aaron Judge is in the midst of a stellar season that is only driving up the price of his next contract for the New York Yankees or whichever team ultimately signs the slugger.
Yankees chairman Hal Steinbrenner said that even if negotiations with Judge take place during this season, the team won’t release details or give any public updates until after the season is over.
Judge turned down an eight-year contract in the range of $230million before the season, and said he wouldn’t negotiate again until after the season. He signed a one-year, $19 million deal last month that avoided an arbitration hearing.
Judge could become the most sought after free agent in years if he hits the market, especially after this season during which he is batting .281 with a major-league leading 29 home runs with 60 RBIs. He is the biggest reason why the Yankees lead baseball with a 58-23 record – matching their second-best 81-game start in franchise history – and are in complete control of the American League East.
"No matter what happens during the season, we’re not going to give any updates. We’re just not going to," Steinbrenner said Wednesday. "I completely agree with Aaron, and still do, that in no way, shape or form can this be a distraction. So the sole focus is winning a championship. That’s all anyone needs to worry about right now."
Steinbrenner said the Yankees have "no regrets" about the financial terms of their initial offer.
"We made an offer that I feel was a very good one. It was based on the numbers, of course, but it was also based, in part, on what he means to the organization. We just didn’t get a deal done."
Framber Valdez and Jeremy Pena starred as the Houston Astros claimed their sixth consecutive win on Sunday, defeating the Los Angeles Angels 4-2 on Sunday.
Helping the Astros secure the sweep in a three-game series of divisional ball in the American League West, Valdez struck out a career-high 13 batters in six innings, allowing two runs on three hits and five walks over 107 pitches.
Meanwhile, Angels star Mike Trout did not claim a hit from four at-bats on Sunday, finishing the three-game series on zero-for-11 on nine strike outs.
Astros rookie Pena homered twice on the other hand, with a two-run shot with two outs in the ninth inning off Ryan Tepera walking his side off.
The Astros moved to 51-27 for the season and took full advantage of the AL-leading New York Yankees' loss, moving to within six games.
Guardians combine for one-hitter
The Yankees were kept scoreless by the Cleveland Guardians, who bounced back from Saturday's double-header sweep to win 2-0 on Sunday.
Guardians starting pitcher Triston McKenzie shut the AL-leaders down over seven innings, striking out seven over 92 pitches, with Eli Morgan and Emmanuel Clase cleaning up for a combined one-hitter.
Franmil Reyes drove in both runs for Cleveland, with a solo home run off Jordan Montgomery in the fourth inning before an RBI single in the eighth.
Narvaez nails Thompson for Brewers win
Omar Narvaez propelled the Milwaukee Brewers to their seventh win in the last 10, as they defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-0.
The 2021 All-Star proved the difference in an otherwise tight game, giving the Brewers their two runs with a two-run shot off Zach Thompson in the fifth inning.
Brandon Woodruff was solid on the mound, striking out eight despite six hits to keep the Pirates scoreless over his six innings, as the National League Central leaders moved to 46-35.
Nolan Arenado sparked a record string of home runs and hit the game-winning drive for the St. Louis Cardinals, in their 7-6 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday.
With two outs in the first inning, Arenado, Nolan Gorman, Juan Yepez and Dylan Carson sent Phillies starting pitcher Kyle Gibson deep, making it the first time in MLB history a team connected for four straight home runs in the opening frame.
The game was tied at 6-6 in the ninth inning when Arenado hit another home run, this time sending Seranthony Dominguez over left field.
Arenado's game-winning performance from four at-bats was impressive enough in isolation, before considering it was backing up from hitting for cycle in Friday's 5-3 defeat to the Phillies.
The Cardinals moved to within a game of the National League Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers, moving their record for the season to 44-36.
Yankees sweep Guardians in double-header
The New York Yankees are running away with the American League East, taking both games in a double-header against the Cleveland Guardians.
Matt Carpenter homered twice in the opening 13-4 win, before Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton hit consecutive home runs and Nestor Cortes shut the Guardians down for six innings, for the 6-1 win in the later game.
The Yankees are 25-6 since May 31, holding a seven-game lead over the Houston Astros in the AL and at 58-21, hold the franchise's second-best record over 79 games.
Freeman leads Dodgers to victory
Freddie Freeman continued his strong form for the Los Angeles Dodgers, hitting the first of three home runs in the opening inning of their 7-2 victory over the San Diego Padres.
Freeman, who leads the Dodgers for OBP at .391 for the season, hit his sixth home run since the start of June after sending Yu Darvish deep. Will Smith and Justin Turner then followed up with solo shots off Darvish to set up the victory.
The Dodgers are now one off 50 wins for the season, moving to 49-28 and extending their lead in the NL over the New York Mets to 1.5 games.
Nolan Arenado sparked a record string of home runs and hit the game-winning drive for the St. Louis Cardinals, in their 7-6 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday.
With two outs in the first inning, Arenado, Nolan Gorman, Juan Yepez and Dylan Carson sent Phillies starting pitcher Kyle Gibson deep, making it the first time in MLB history a team connected for four straight home runs in the opening frame.
The game was tied at 6-6 in the ninth inning when Arenado then hit another home run, this time sending Seranthony Dominguez over left field.
Arenado's game-winning performance from four at-bats was impressive enough in isolation, before considering it was backing up from hitting for cycle in Friday's 5-3 defeat to the Phillies.
The Cardinals moved to within a game of the National League Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers, moving their record for the season to 44-36.
Yankees sweep Guardians in double-header
The New York Yankees are running away with the American League East, taking both games in a double-header against the Cleveland Guardians.
Matt Carpenter homered twice in the opening 13-4 win, before Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton hit consecutive home runs and Nestor Cortes shut the Guardians down for six innings, for the 6-1 win in the later game.
The Yankees are 25-6 since May 31, holding a seven-game lead over the Houston Astros in the AL and at 58-21, hold the franchise's second-best record over 79 games.
Freeman leads Dodgers to victory
Freddie Freeman continued his strong form for the Los Angeles Dodgers, hitting the first of three home runs in the opening inning of their 7-2 victory over the San Diego Padres.
Freeman, who leads the Dodgers for OBP at .391 for the season, hit his sixth home run since the start of June after sending Yu Darvish deep. Will Smith and Justin Turner then followed up with solo shots off Darvish to set up the victory.
The Dodgers are now one off 50 wins for the season, moving to 49-28 and extending their lead in the NL over the New York Mets to 1.5 games.
For the second straight day a Pittsburgh Pirates player has hit three home runs in an 8-7 win – this time with Michael Perez starring against the Milwaukee Brewers.
On Wednesday it was Bryan Reynolds hitting three home runs in an 8-7 win against the Washington Nationals, and Thursday's game started in fine fashion for the Pirates at home, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning.
Those runs came first through a monster 431-foot, two-run blast from Oneil Cruz as he continues to make his case as arguably the most exciting youngster in baseball, before Jack Suwinski followed up with a 412-foot solo shot as the very next batter.
The Brewers fought back in the next couple of frames, with Christian Yelich's RBI triple and Omar Narvaez's RBI double helping to even the score at 3-3 in the fourth inning, and that is where Perez began his memorable night.
In the bottom of the fourth, Perez connected on a 377-foot, two-run homer, driving in Suwinski, and with Suwinski on base again in the sixth inning, Perez repeated the act, this time with a 391-foot, two-run smack.
Perez's longest hit of the game came in the eighth frame, extending his side's lead to 8-4 with a 408-foot solo homer.
With his third long ball of the game, Perez matched his season total entering the contest, and the third turned out to be crucial as the Brewers were able to drive in three runs in the ninth inning, ultimately falling short.
Adding salt to the wounds for the Brewers was starting pitcher Adrian Houser being forced to leave the game in the third inning due to elbow tightness, with the bullpen going on to give up five runs in the last five-and-two-thirds innings.
Guardians walk it off
The Cleveland Guardians only collected three hits in their 5-3 win against the Minnesota Twins, but they saved the best for last.
Twins pitchers Chris Archer, Tyler Duffey and Jovani Moran combined to hold the Guardians to just one hit through the first seven innings – although Archer did hand out six walks.
The Guardians were able to tie things up at 3-3 in the eighth inning as two runs came home on a fielding error from Carlos Correa, setting the table for Andres Gimenez to be the hero in the bottom of the ninth, connecting on a 411-foot, two-run, walk-off blast.
Astros beat the Yankees again
The New York Yankees are 6-3 in their past nine games, but all three losses have come against the Houston Astros after Thursday's 2-1 defeat.
Astros starting pitcher Luis Garcia put in an excellent showing, giving up one run in five-and-a-third innings, holding the Yankees to three hits and two walks from 101 pitches, striking out six.
Houston's only scoring play of the game came in the third inning, with Alex Bregman's two-run double, while the Yankees' sole run came from an Anthony Rizzo homer as the last batter before Garcia was withdrawn.
Pittsburgh Pirates center-fielder Bryan Reynolds hit three home runs to carry his side to an 8-7 away win against the Washington Nationals on Wednesday.
The Nationals had it all working at the plate, collecting 16 hits compared to nine for the Pirates, but Reynolds' power made the difference.
Reynolds connected on his first home run as the second batter of the game, following up Ke'Bryan Hayes' base hit with a 389-foot shot to make it 2-0.
Washington would tie things up later in the first inning thanks to RBI hits from Nelson Cruz and Keibert Ruiz, and star right-fielder Juan Soto got in on the action in the second frame, putting the Nationals up 3-2 with his RBI double.
After Pittsburgh's Daniel Vogelbach hit a 400-foot home run, and the Nationals drove in three more through Ruiz, Cesar Hernandez and Yadiel Hernandez, Reynolds returned to the plate in the sixth inning, trailing 6-4.
His 420-foot solo home run trimmed the margin to 6-5, and followed it up an inning later with a three-run, 389-foot bomb to jump ahead 8-6.
Yadiel Hernandez made things interesting down the stretch when his home run brought the Nationals back to within one run, but Yerry De Los Santos was able to protect the lead and register his first save of the season for the Pirates.
Pirates super-prospect Oneil Cruz was quiet, with no hits, but he was walked twice from his four at-bats, and also reached base on a fielding error.
Judge blasts another in Yankees win
Only one player has more than 23 home runs this season, and Aaron Judge added to his league-leading tally as he crushed his 29th long ball in a 5-3 home win against the Oakland Athletics.
The Athletics started hot as they chained together four hits in the opening inning, highlighted by a two-run double for Stephen Piscotty to lead 3-0.
They would not score in the final eight frames as Yankees starter Jameson Taillon found his footing, and the bullpen combination of Lucas Luetge, Miguel Castro and Clay Holmes allowed just two hits and no walks in the final four innings.
Judge's home run also came in the first inning - a 429-foot, two-run launch as the Yankees' second batter of the game - before Giancarlo Stanton added three more runs with his 391-foot homer in the third inning. Stanton is also top 10 in home runs this season, with 19, while fellow Yankee Anthony Rizzo has 20.
Ohtani pitches a gem for the Angels
Shohei Ohtani struck out 11 batters in the Los Angeles Angels' 4-1 win against the Chicago White Sox, continuing his charge towards back-to-back AL MVPs.
Ohtani – who is also tied for 13th in the league with 17 home runs as a hitter – is now eighth in the league for total strikeouts as a pitcher (101) after a career-high 13 in his last start against the Kansas City Royals.
He held the White Sox scoreless through five-and-two-thirds innings, giving up five hits and one walk as he registered at least 10 strikeouts for the fifth time in his past 11 starts.
Kyle Tucker led the way to set up strong performances from Yordan Alvarez and Framber Valdez for the Houston Astros, who secured a 9-1 win over the New York Mets on Tuesday.
Tucker crushed a three-run home run off Carlos Carrasco at the top of the first inning, with the Astros taking the eventual 4-0 lead.
Leading the team for batting average (.321) and OBP (.415), and the major leagues for OPS (1.082), Alvarez reached base five times in claiming three hits and two RBIs.
In contrast to Carrasco for the Mets, Valdez was solid on the mound, striking out five and giving up six hits to pitch eight scoreless innings, with Enoli Paredes cleaning up in the last.
The Astros claimed the third of five games in this six-game New York stand with the win, before heading back to Houston to play the American League-leading Yankees.
Sears scorches A's in Yankees win
The Yankees maintained their lead in the American League (AL) and extended their record for the season to 55-20, defeating the Oakland Athletics 2-1.
J.P. Sears was in impressive form in only his second major league start, limiting the A's to three hits, while striking out and walking one each over 78 pitches, before he was pulled during the sixth inning.
Jose Trevino provided early support with an RBI single in the first off Frankie Montas, before Marwin Gonzalez homered in the second.
Polanco returns as Twins, Guardians split double-header
Jorge Polanco drove in three runs in his first game back from injury, as the Minnesota Twins claimed a 6-0 win in Tuesday's second game against the Cleveland Guardians.
Having lost 3-2 in the early game, the Twins restored their lead over the Guardians in the AL Central to three games, with Polanco scoring a two-run home run off rookie Konnor Pilkington in the second inning.
Byron Buxton claimed his 20th home run for the season, going long off Anthony Castro in the ninth inning. Jose Miranda also connected in the sixth inning for the Twins.
Sonny Gray pitched seven scoreless innings as the Minnesota Twins stretched their lead atop the American League Central on Monday, trouncing the Cleveland Guardians 11-1.
Gray was in solid form for the Twins despite only striking out three, giving up only three hits over 97 pitches in those seven innings.
The biggest surprise of the night was the Twins dominating at the plate without a big performance from Luis Arraez, who went zero-for-three on the night. Gary Sanchez's three-run home run in the second inning off Triston McKenzie helped set up the win.
Nick Gordon and Carlos Correa each added home runs in the first a high-profile five-game series in the AL Central.
With the opening win, the Twins extended their lead in the division to three games over the Guardians, who have now lost their last five games.
Yankees leave it late against A's
Josh Donaldson hit a two-run double to spark a winning six-run sixth inning for the New York Yankees, who claimed a 9-5 victory over the Oakland Athletics.
Trailing 5-3 coming into the bottom of the sixth, the Pinstripes were able to rally on the back of catcher's interference calls, a hit batter and a walk to set Donaldson's double up and the eventual win.
The Yankees moved to 54-20 for the season, extending their lead over the Houston Astros in the American League to eight games.
Yepez and Cards crush Marlins
The St. Louis Cardinals moved to within a game of the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central, shutting out the Miami Marlins 9-0.
Cardinals designated hitter Juan Yepez had the first multi-home run game of his career, going long off Pablo Lopez and Richard Bleier in the fourth and sixth innings respectively.
Paul Goldschmidt now leads the major leagues for batting average (.347) and OBP (.429) after claiming four hits from as many at-bats.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
