Sports
Adrian Del Castillo belts 3-run homer to power Diamondbacks past Brewers
Jul 4, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Ildemaro Vargas (6) tags out Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter Christian Yelich (22) in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images Adrian Del Castillo blasted a three-run homer in the first inning and the Arizona Diamondbacks maintained that lead throughout the 4-3 win against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday evening in Phoenix.
Diamondbacks right-hander Merrill Kelly (6-8) ended a five-start losing streak by limiting Milwaukee to two runs and scattering eight hits over five innings. He struck out six and walked two in the second game of the three-game series.
Jonathan Loaisiga, Brandyn Garcia and Juan Morillo each blanked the Brewers for an inning before Paul Sewald gave up a home run to Jackson Chourio in the ninth before closing out his 20th save.
Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff (2-2) walked off the mound with a trainer with two outs in the fourth after a sudden drop in velocity. The two-time All Star allowed three runs and two hits, striking out six and walking one.
Woodruff was making his third start since missing nearly two months because of right shoulder inflammation.
Brice Turang delivered his second consecutive three-hit game, William Contreras and Garrett Mitchell provided two hits each, and Christian Yelich also homered for Milwaukee, which won the series opener 7-4 in 11 innings on Friday night for its fourth win in its past five.
Woodruff retired the first two batters on six pitches before a walk and a single put runners on the corners for Del Castillo, who sent the first pitch over the right-field wall for a 414-foot home run that gave the Diamondbacks the early 3-0 lead.
Milwaukee stranded six through the first four innings and was 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position when Turang led off the fifth with a double to center for his third straight hit.
Yelich then blasted a first-pitch fastball into the swimming pool area in right-center field to cut it to 3-2.
The Brewers put runners on second and third with one out later in the inning, but could not push home the tying run.
The Brewers had retired 19 in a row when Lourdes Gurriel Jr. led off the eighth with a pinch-hit single. Ildemaro Vargas then doubled down the left-field line to score pinch-runner Jorge Barrosa from first and extend the lead to 4-2.
–Field Level Media
Sports
O's ruin Hunter Greene's season debut, take down Reds
Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo (29) runs the bases after hitting a three-run home run in the first inning of a MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles, Saturday, July 4, 2026, at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati. Rookie Samuel Basallo smacked a three-run home run in the first inning and Adley Rutschman drilled a two-run double during a five-run fourth to help the Baltimore Orioles defeat the host Cincinnati Reds 8-5 on Saturday night.
Pete Alonso provided three hits and an RBI as the Orioles, who won their third in a row, bounced back after falling behind during Cincinnati’s three-run second.
Baltimore starter Brandon Young worked through five-plus innings, surrendering four runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out five. Young (7-2) is 4-1 in his last six starts.
Baltimore used four relievers to cover the final four innings, capped by Tyler Wells picking up his second save by working the ninth.
Jose Trevino had three hits and an RBI and Elly De La Cruz added two hits and an RBI for Cincinnati, which lost for the sixth time in its last seven. The Reds outhit Baltimore 11-10 but left nine runners on base.
Reds starter Hunter Greene (0-1), making his season debut coming off the injured list, was dinged for eight runs on seven hits with four walks in 3 1/3 innings. He struck out seven and tossed a wild pitch.
Basallo began the scoring with his two-out blast in the first, pushing his homer total to 14.
The Reds, who were blanked 3-0 in Friday night’s series opener, tied the score in the bottom of the inning on the first of two RBI singles by Eugenio Suarez.
Cincinnati grabbed the lead in the second on Jose Trevino’s double before TJ Friedl’s RBI triple and Elly De La Cruz’s run-scoring single.
The Orioles went ahead again on Blaze Alexander’s two-run single in the fourth before Rutschman’s double extended the lead. Rutschman scored on Pete Alonso’s two-out single. Baltimore had only two hits after the fourth inning.
Suarez’s two-out infield single in the seventh allowed the Reds to cut the margin to 8-5, but they stranded two runners on base.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Astros snap Rays' 9-game win streak on Yordan Alvarez walk-off HR
Jul 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (44) rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Tampa Bay Rays in the first inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images Yordan Alvarez capped a three-hit, six-RBI night with a walkoff two-run home run as the Houston Astros rallied from a five-run deficit to outslug the visiting Tampa Bay Rays 10-8 on Saturday.
Alvarez plated Jose Altuve with his 29th home run of the season and second of the game with no outs in the ninth inning. He smacked a 1-2 fastball from Rays reliever Casey Legumina (2-2) 424 feet to straightaway center field to snap the Rays’ nine-game winning streak.
The Astros pulled even at 8-8 with a three-run seventh inning that featured an Alvarez sacrifice fly, an Isaac Paredes RBI single and a pinch-hit RBI single from Zach Dezenzo.
Altuve scored three runs.
Neither Hunter Brown nor Drew Rasmussen pitched effectively for their respective teams.
Brown, making just his fourth start for the Astros following a two-plus-month stint on the injured list with a right shoulder strain, labored with his control throughout. Junior Caminero spotted the Rays a 1-0 lead in the first with his 26th home run – and 11th in his last 11 games – by driving a full-count slider 437 feet to left-center. Brown escaped further damage by getting Ryan Vilade to ground into an inning-ending double play.
After Houston jumped ahead 2-1 on Alvarez’s first homer, the Rays regained their lead in the second inning. Two batters after Victor Mesa Jr. worked a leadoff walk, Richie Palacios crushed his second home run of the season 409 feet to right-center for a 3-2 lead.
The Rays extended their advantage with three runs in the second and one run in the fourth.
Brown allowed seven runs on six hits and four walks with three strikeouts over four innings. He threw 82 pitches, only 45 for strikes.
Rasmussen, the American League Pitcher of the Month for June, surrendered a two-run homer to Alvarez in the bottom of the first and a two-run opposite-field shot to Yainer Diaz in the fourth that pulled the Astros to within 7-4. Alvarez plated Allen with a run-scoring single in the fifth to cut the deficit to 7-5.
Tampa Bay extended its lead once more to 8-5 on Jonny DeLuca’s fifth homer of the season in the seventh, a solo shot.
Rasmussen allowed a season-high-tying five runs on six hits and one walk with two strikeouts over five innings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Phillies use homers to coast to series-opening win over Royals
Jul 4, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (10) celebrates with center fielder Justin Crawford (2) after hitting a two run home run against the Kansas City Royals during the fourth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images J.T. Realmuto, Gabriel Rincones Jr. and Alec Bohm homered in support of Jesus Luzardo as the visiting Philadelphia Phillies topped the Kansas City Royals 6-1 in Saturday’s opener of a three-game set.
Luzardo (7-4) allowed one run and four hits in six innings, as the left-hander struck out nine without issuing a walk. Kyle Schwarber, one of five Phillies named to the All-Star team earlier Saturday, notched three hits in a supporting effort.
Kansas City starter Michael Wacha (5-6) allowed four runs in six innings, issuing eight hits and a walk while striking out seven. Nick Loftin drove in the only run for the Royals, who have lost eight of their last nine games.
The Phillies loaded the bases against Wacha in the first inning, but the veteran right-hander escaped the jam. He then faced minimal resistance in the second and third innings before Philadelphia opened the scoring in the fourth.
With a runner on first and one out, Realmuto sent a 1-0 sinker into the seats in left field. Two pitches later, Wacha’s 1-0 offering to Rincones ended up in the bullpen in right.
Kansas City got a run back in the bottom half, when Lane Thomas doubled with one out and later scored on Loftin’s infield hit.
Bohm countered with a leadoff homer in the sixth as the visitors went ahead 4-1.
Wacha gave way to Lucas Erceg to begin the seventh. The right-hander allowed a one-out single to Trea Turner and then walked Schwarber before a fielder’s choice put runners on the corners. Erceg then uncorked a wild pitch which extended the Phillies’ lead to 5-1..
Meanwhile, Luzardo ended his night with a 1-2-3 sixth before Jonathan Bowlan struck out three of the four hitters he faced in the seventh.
Rincones’ eighth-inning RBI double tacked on an insurance run for Philadelphia before Orion Kerkering and Tim Mayza each logged a perfect frame to close the game out.
–Field Level Media
