Sports
Reds aim to keep finding new ways to win vs. Cubs
Jul 10, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly de la Cruz (44) high fives outfielder Spencer Steer (7) after the victory over the Chicago Cubs at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images The Cincinnati Reds are getting creative in their effort to remain in the National League wild-card race.
Spencer Steer figures prominently in those plans for the Reds, who continue their three-game series against the visiting Chicago Cubs on Saturday.
Steer made his first career start in center field on Friday, when Cincinnati out-hit the Cubs 13-4 in a 4-0 victory. Hunter Greene struck out 12 batters over seven innings to help the Reds record their sixth shutout win of the season.
Seiya Suzuki had two hits for the Cubs, who struck out 16 times and were blanked for the ninth time this season.
Cincinnati placed Matt McLain on the 10-day injured list with a left calf strain prior to the game and turned to Steer, who had three hits in the win.
Steer played the first six innings in center field before moving to right field for the final three frames.
“I think it’s always been something I wanted to do. It’s just another tool to add to the tool belt,” Steer said of playing center field. “Another chance for me to get on the field. The more positions I can play — I think I’ve been pretty vocal — the better. It’s just cool that they trust me with this opportunity. We’re going to let it fly and see what happens.”
Reds third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes was activated from the injured list and went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
Cincinnati will send left-hander Nick Lodolo (3-2, 4.68 ERA) to the mound on Saturday. He allowed one run in six innings in a 3-2 home win over the Baltimore Orioles last Sunday.
Lodolo, 28, has given up one run on nine hits over his past three outings covering 15 innings. He threw first-pitch strikes to 19 of 26 batters against the Orioles.
“To get deeper in the games, we’ve got to be better at count control just as a whole,” Lodolo said. “That was a big emphasis for me going into the day. It sets you up a lot better to do things that you want to do.”
Ian Happ is 8-for-23 (.348) with a home run and Dansby Swanson has homered twice against Lodolo, who is 2-2 with a 4.63 ERA in nine career starts versus the Cubs.
Chicago will counter with right-hander Javier Assad (6-1, 4.15), who tossed 4 2/3 scoreless innings in a no-decision against the St. Louis Cardinals last Sunday.
“Other than when he kind of lost it a little bit in the second inning, he threw the ball really well and gave us exactly what we needed,” Chicago manager Craig Counsell said. “It was a really nice effort.”
Assad, 28, has gone 3-0 with a 2.78 ERA over his last seven appearances, including four starts.
Assad likely will benefit from the Cubs’ stellar defense, led by second baseman Nico Hoerner, Swanson at shortstop and center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.
“The consistency of guys limiting the other team, limiting the damage, it’s a big part — with all the injuries we’ve had on the pitching side — of us being able to steady the ship a little bit,” Cubs outfielder Michael Conforto said.
Steer is 3-for-17 (.176) against Assad, who is 0-2 with a 3.19 ERA in nine career games (six starts) versus Cincinnati.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jimmy Crooks homer lifts Cards to rain-delayed win over Braves
Jul 10, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Blaze Jordan (33) hits a double against the Atlanta Braves during the third inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Jimmy Crooks hit a go-ahead solo home run in the eighth inning on Friday to lift the St. Louis Cardinals to a 2-1 victory over the visiting Atlanta Braves.
After a rain delay of nearly three hours in the top of the fourth derailed the game, Crooks hit his second home run of the season off Atlanta’s Danny Young (0-1) to help the Cardinals claim the series opener. Kyle Leahy threw three scoreless frames, surrendering a single and striking out two for St. Louis before being replaced by George Soriano after the delay.
JoJo Romero (1-2) tossed a perfect eighth inning to earn the win, and first-time All-Star Riley O’Brien posted his 23rd save in 27 tries for the Cardinals, who had dropped five of six entering the game.
Chris Sale started for Atlanta, allowing two hits in three scoreless innings, striking out five and walking one before the delay. Victor Mederos threw a pair of impressive innings in relief for Atlanta, which mustered just three hits. Austin Riley’s fifth-inning RBI single accounted for the Braves’ only run, as the visitors lost their fourth game in six tries.
In the bottom of the third, Blaze Jordan ripped a one-out double for the game’s first extra-base hit. After Sale issued a two-out walk to JJ Wetherholt, Ivan Herrera’s flyout ended the threat.
With Ozzie Albies leading off in the fourth, the game was halted by rain. After the delay, Soriano struck out Albies before retiring Matt Olson and Drake Baldwin.
Atlanta struck first in the fifth, though, as Mike Yasztremski doubled and scored on Riley’s RBI single. Justin Bruihl then relieved Soriano and threw 1 2/3 scoreless frames.
Didier Fuentes took over in the sixth for the Braves, allowing a one-out walk to Wetherholt and consecutive singles to Herrera and Jordan Walker, tying the score at one apiece.
The St. Louis bullpen retired the final seven Atlanta batters in order, with two of them flying out to the warning track.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rockies awaken in 9th, rally past Giants
Jul 10, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Colorado Rockies outfielder Jake McCarthy (31) runs after bunting a pitch thrown by San Francisco Giants pitcher Caleb Kilian (not pictured) during the ninth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images Kyle Karros flipped a deficit into a lead with a two-run single, Cole Carrigg padded the advantage with a sacrifice fly and the visiting Colorado Rockies rallied for three runs in the ninth inning to stun the San Francisco Giants 4-3 on Friday night.
After Rafael Devers’ third hit in the seventh inning gave the Giants a 2-1 lead they took into the ninth, closer Caleb Kilian (2-5) didn’t retire any of the four batters he faced, allowing a single to Mickey Moniak, a walk to pinch hitter Troy Johnson and a bunt single to Jake McCarthy, setting up Karros’ hit through a drawn-in infield.
Carrigg followed with his run-scoring flyball to left field off Kilian’s replacement, Erik Miller, giving Jordan Romano a two-run cushion for the bottom of the ninth.
The Rockies needed both runs after Romano served up a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to Devers before walking Willy Adames to again load the bases with two outs. Juan Mejia then came on and got Bryce Eldridge to ground out to second base on his first pitch, securing his fourth save.
Antonio Senzatela (9-1), who pitched a scoreless eighth, was credited with the win.
After the Rockies tied the contest in the fifth, neither team scored again until Luis Arraez stroked a two-out single in the seventh, stole second, advanced to third on a passed ball and jogged home when Devers grounded a single into right field.
Neither starting pitcher got a decision after carrying a 1-1 tie into the sixth inning.
Rockies starter Tanner Gordon worked around eight hits and a walk to limit the Giants to a single run in five innings. He struck out one.
San Francisco’s only run against him was the game’s first, when Devers lofted his 19th home run of the season into the right field bleachers to lead off the second inning.
Giants starter Robbie Ray took a shutout in the fifth, when the Rockies got even on back-to-back two-out doubles by Ezequiel Tovar and McCarthy.
The left-hander left three batters into the sixth, having walked each of them. Thanks to Dylan Smith retiring the next three batters to get out of the jam unscathed, Ray allowed only the one run on four hits and six walks. He struck out four.
Karros finished with three hits, while McCarthy and TJ Rumfield had two hits apiece for the Rockies, who have beaten their National League West rivals five times in eight meetings this season.
Devers totaled three RBIs, while Arraez joined his teammate with three hits for the Giants, who fell to 2-3 on their week-long homestand.
– Field Level Media
Sports
Jimmy Crooks' homer lifts Cardinals to rain-delayed win over Braves
Jul 10, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Blaze Jordan (33) hits a double against the Atlanta Braves during the third inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Jimmy Crooks hit a go-ahead solo home run in the eighth inning on Friday to lift the St. Louis Cardinals to a 2-1 victory over the visiting Atlanta Braves.
After a rain delay of nearly three hours in the top of the fourth derailed the game, Crooks hit his second home run of the season off Atlanta’s Danny Young (0-1) to help the Cardinals claim the series opener. Kyle Leahy threw three scoreless frames, surrendering a single and striking out two for St. Louis before being replaced by George Soriano after the delay.
JoJo Romero (1-2) tossed a perfect eighth inning to earn the win, and first-time All-Star Riley O’Brien posted his 23rd save in 27 tries for the Cardinals, who had dropped five of six entering the game.
Chris Sale started for Atlanta, allowing two hits in three scoreless innings, striking out five and walking one before the delay. Victor Mederos threw a pair of impressive innings in relief for Atlanta, which mustered just three hits. Austin Riley’s fifth-inning RBI single accounted for the Braves’ only run, as the visitors lost their fourth game in six tries.
In the bottom of the third, Blaze Jordan ripped a one-out double for the game’s first extra-base hit. After Sale issued a two-out walk to JJ Wetherholt, Ivan Herrera’s flyout ended the threat.
With Ozzie Albies leading off in the fourth, the game was halted by rain. After the delay, Soriano struck out Albies before retiring Matt Olson and Drake Baldwin.
Atlanta struck first in the fifth, though, as Mike Yasztremski doubled and scored on Riley’s RBI single. Justin Bruihl then relieved Soriano and threw 1 2/3 scoreless frames.
Didier Fuentes took over in the sixth for the Braves, allowing a one-out walk to Wetherholt and consecutive singles to Herrera and Jordan Walker, tying the score at one apiece.
The St. Louis bullpen retired the final seven Atlanta batters in order, with two of them flying out to the warning track.
–Field Level Media
Jimmy Crooks homer lifts Cards to rain-delayed win over Braves
Rockies awaken in 9th, rally past Giants
