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Shohei Ohtani becomes first MLB player with 50 HRs, 50 steals

MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers at Miami MarlinsSep 19, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) steals third base against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Shohei Ohtani had a day for the record books, grabbing his 50th stolen base of the season before crushing two home runs to become the first player in Major League Baseball history to post a 50-homer, 50-steal season.

After steals in the first and second innings pushed Ohtani’s season total to 51, he crushed a slider from Miami reliever George Soriano into the upper deck for his 49th home run of the year.

Dodgers fans did not have to wait long at all for Ohtani to turn that 49 into a 50.

In the seventh inning, facing Mike Baumann, the lefty-swinging Ohtani struck a 1-2 knuckle curve to the opposite field 391 feet for his second two-run shot of the day, becoming the founding member of baseball’s 50-50 club.

Ohtani’s singular day saw him go 5-for-5 with seven RBIs, three runs and two steals in seven innings. His second bomb put the Dodgers ahead 14-3 on the hapless Marlins.

Ohtani also tied and broke Dodgers’ single-season record for home runs, set by Shawn Green with 49 in 2001.

The two-way Japanese star doubled against Edward Cabrera to lead off the game and went on to steal third base. He scored on Will Smith’s sacrifice fly three batters later. Ohtani added his 51st steal an inning later after plating Max Muncy with a two-out single.

Ohtani’s 51 steals this season are second to Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (64), while his 50 home runs trail only New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge (53).

The leading National League MVP candidate, Ohtani entered Thursday batting .287 with 110 RBIs and a .978 on base-plus-slugging percentage. He joined the Dodgers in December on a 10-year, $700 million contract.

Los Angeles (90-62) began play Thursday with a 3 1/2-game lead in the NL West in pursuit of its 11th division title in the last 12 years.

–Field Level Media

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Walk-filled 3rd inning helps Pirates beat Reds, snap 4-game skid

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain (9) tags out Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Esmerlyn Valdez (55) on his way to second in the third inning between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Saturday, August 1, 2026.Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain (9) tags out Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Esmerlyn Valdez (55) on his way to second in the third inning between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Saturday, August 1, 2026.

Pittsburgh starter Braxton Ashcraft threw five solid innings and Jake Mangum had two hits and a run to lift the visiting Pirates to a 4-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.

Ashcraft (11-4) allowed one run on two hits with one walk and five strikeouts before a 106-minute weather delay preceded the bottom of the sixth inning.

Bryan Reynolds, Esmerlyn Valdez, Nick Gonzales and Henry Davis finished with an RBI apiece for the Pirates, who snapped a four-game losing streak.

Gregory Soto pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his 14th save. Three Pittsburgh pitchers combined to hold Cincinnati to three hits. The Pirates recorded six hits.

Pittsburgh took a 3-0 lead in the third despite collecting only one hit. Davis drew a leadoff walk, Mangum singled and Brandon Lowe coaxed a walk to load the bases. Reynolds and Valdez drew consecutive bases-loaded walks to make it 2-0.

Gonzales followed with a fielder’s choice to plate Brandon Lowe and give the Pirates a three-run lead. As a steady rain fell throughout the inning, the grounds crew briefly tended to the mound.

Cincinnati got on the board in the fifth when Jose Trevino opened the frame with an opposite-field homer to right.

The Pirates extended their advantage to 4-1 in the sixth when Davis feathered an RBI single into shallow center, just beyond the reach of a diving TJ Friedl.

The Reds, who were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position, threatened in the fourth. Sal Stewart was hit by a pitch before being forced out at second on JJ Bleday’s fielder’s choice. Nathaniel Lowe singled to center and, after Noelvi Marte popped out, Bleday advanced to third when no one covered second on Ashcraft’s pickoff attempt. But Eugenio Suarez struck out to end the inning.

Elly De La Cruz lined a rocket to center to open the eighth, but Mangum chased it down and made a leaping catch.

Reds starter Andrew Abbott (5-7) allowed three runs on three hits while matching a season high with five walks over five innings. He struck out one.

–Field Level Media

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Hunter Goodman (2 HRs, 5 RBIs), Rockies rough up Royals

Aug 1, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman (15) celebrates with center fielder Brenton Doyle (9) in the dugout after hitting a three run home run during the third inning against the Kansas City Royals at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn ImagesAug 1, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman (15) celebrates with center fielder Brenton Doyle (9) in the dugout after hitting a three run home run during the third inning against the Kansas City Royals at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Hunter Goodman homered twice and drove in five, Willi Castro also went deep and the Colorado Rockies beat the Kansas City Royals 12-6 in Denver on Saturday night.

TJ Rumfield finished with three hits and three RBIs, Kyle Karros had two hits and two RBIs and Jake McCarthy also had two hits for Colorado, which won its 44th game of the season, eclipsing last year’s victory total with 51 games remaining.

Jac Caglianone, Salvador Perez homered and John Rave all went deep and Tyler Tolbert and Nick Loftin had two hits each for Kansas City, which pulled outfielder Lane Thomas from the game in the middle of the fourth inning. Multiple outlets reported Thomas had been traded to Atlanta along with left-hander Bailey Falter.

Rockies starter Ryan Feltner worked out of a jam in the first inning but couldn’t escape trouble in the second. Isaac Collins led off with a triple to the gap in right-center and one out later scored on Michael Massey’s sacrifice fly to left.

Tolbert started the third with a double to right and stole second, and two outs later Caglianone hit his 18th home run of the season. Perez followed with his 16th homer to give the Royals a 4-0 lead.

Feltner (4-5) allowed four runs on eight hits over six innings.

Kansas City starter Luinder Avila faltered in the third when Colorado sent 11 batters to the plate. The Rockies loaded the bases with two walks and a single, then Karros drove in the first two with a double and Rumfield made it 4-3 with a single.

Goodman capped the scoring with his 32nd home run of the season, breaking his franchise mark for homers by a catcher in a season that he set last year, and gave Colorado a 6-4 lead.

Avila (5-4) was charged with six runs on four hits in 2 2/3 innings.

Colorado added to the lead in the fourth on Rumfield’s RBI single. Castro hit a solo homer in the fifth, his 12th, to make it 8-4.

Goodman extended his franchise record with a leadoff homer in the seventh and drove in another run in the Rockies’ three-run eighth. The Royals scored twice in the ninth.

-Field Level Media

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Red Sox stay hot with another win over Dodgers

Aug 1, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Payton Tolle (70) throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Navarro-Imagn ImagesAug 1, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Payton Tolle (70) throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Navarro-Imagn Images

Ceddanne Rafaela hit two home runs, Andruw Monasterio doubled and scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the visiting Boston Red Sox slipped past the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 on Saturday.

Left-hander Payton Tolle gave up two runs on nine hits over six innings with seven strikeouts as the Red Sox opened August with a victory after they went 21-4 in July to set a franchise record for a full month with a .840 winning percentage.

Right-hander Justin Slaten (2-4) replaced Tolle and pitched the seventh inning before left-hander Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth inning for his 27th save as Boston played without first baseman Willson Contreras as a precaution after he was hit in the helmet by a pitch on Friday.

After winning the first two games in the series, the Red Sox are 5-1 on a seven-game road California road trip that included a stop to face the Athletics.

Teoscar Hernandez hit a home run among his three hits for the Dodgers, who lost for the fourth time in their past six games. Freddie Freeman also had three hits and has seven multi-hit games over his last nine contests.

Los Angeles right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto (11-7) continued a run of solid pitching since the All-Star break by allowing three runs on four hits over eight innings but still took the loss. The Dodgers had 10 hits to four for the Red Sox but were hitless in four at-bats with runners in scoring position and stranded seven.

Boston took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Rafaela hit his first home run of the game on a drive to left-center field against Yamamoto.

The Dodgers took a 2-1 lead in the second inning on Hernandez’s two-run home run to right field. It was his 10th of the season and second in three games.

Boston tied the score 2-2 in the third on another home run from Rafaela. It was his 14th of the season and his third in a span of four at-bats going back to the series opener on Friday.

Monasterio doubled to lead off the eighth, went to third on a Jarren Duran bunt single and scored on a double-play grounder by Connor Wong.

–Field Level Media

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