Sports
MLB roundup: Cubs erupt in 6-run first, crush Framber Valdez, Tigers
Jul 21, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs designated hitter Michael Conforto (20) celebrates with shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) after hitting a two-run home run against the Detroit Tigers during the fifth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images The host Chicago Cubs sent 12 batters to the plate in a six-run first inning as they rolled to a comfortable 11-2 win over the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night.
Pete Crow-Armstrong was a perfect 2-for-2 with three walks and two RBIs for Chicago, which evened the series after the Tigers’ 8-6 extra-innings win on Monday. Michael Conforto added a two-run homer. Cubs starting pitcher David Peterson (5-7) was the beneficiary of the run support and took full advantage, tossing 6 2/3 scoreless innings. Detroit managed just three hits against Peterson, who struck out four and walked only one.
Dillon Dingler doubled in the second before hitting a two-run shot in the ninth to put the Tigers on the board. Dingler is now 6-for-8 with three long balls in the series. Valdez (5-7) recorded just two outs in 42 pitches, giving up five hits and two walks. He was charged with all six runs in the inning after Madden issued another bases-loaded free pass to Seiya Suzuki.
The first seven Cubs reached base against Detroit starter Framber Valdez (5-7). The scoring started with cleanup hitter Carson Kelly knocking a two-run single to right, followed by a bloop RBI hit for Michael Busch and a run-scoring infield single for Ian Happ. Crow-Armstrong — who started the big inning with a leadoff triple — drew a bases-loaded walk in his second at-bat and ended Valdez’s night, as he was pulled in favor of Ty Madden. Valdez (5-7) recorded just two outs in 42 pitches, giving up all siix runs on five hits and two walks.
Dodgers 2, Phillies 1
Max Muncy hit a two-run home run in support of Justin Wrobleski as visiting Los Angeles held on for a victory over Philadelphia.
Muncy’s fourth-inning blast off Zack Wheeler provided enough offense for Wrobleski (11-2), who allowed one run and five hits in 6 1/3 innings. The All-Star left-hander walked one and struck out seven in lowering his ERA to 2.62. Wheeler (10-2) allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings, striking out nine without a walk. Alec Bohm had three hits and an RBI.
The Phillies had runners on second and third with one out in the ninth against Tanner Scott. Brandon Marsh hit a grounder to third that resulted in Justin Crawford getting tagged out in a rundown between third and home, and then J.T. Realmuto — who was already on third — retreated towards second and was thrown out to end the game.
Rays 12, Blue Jays 2
Nick Fortes and Yandy Diaz hit three-run home runs and visiting Tampa Bay posted a season-best 21 hits to clobber Toronto.
Fortes finished with three hits and four RBIs, Chandler Simpson and Ben Williamson each added four hits and Junior Caminero had two hits and three walks for the Rays, who took a 2-0 lead in the four-game series. Tampa Bay is 7-1 against Toronto this season to clinch the season series.
Ernie Clement and George Springer had two hits apiece for the Blue Jays, who have lost six of seven.
Diamondbacks 6, Athletics 5 (10 innings)
Ildemaro Vargas slapped a bases-loaded single to left with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning as Arizona recorded a victory over the Athletics at Phoenix.
Nolan Arenado delivered the tying single earlier in the inning as Arizona won for the seventh time in the past nine games. Max Kepler added a three-run homer for the Diamondbacks.
Jacob Wilson drilled a tying two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning and Jonah Heim hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the 10th inning for the Athletics. Shea Langeliers also homered for the Athletics, who lost for the 16th time in their past 19 games.
Padres 8, Braves 3
Manny Machado hit a pair of home runs and starter Walker Buehler recovered from early troubles to pitch 5 2/3 strong innings and help visiting San Diego beat Atlanta.
Machado, who went 2-for-5, hit a 412-foot solo homer to left field in the fifth inning and added a 418-foot solo shot to center one inning later. The Padres also got home runs from Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr., and the Tatis homer traveled 474 feet, the longest in the major leagues this season. Tatis went 3-for-5 with three RBIs.
Rookie Jim Jarvis hit a two-run triple for the Braves.
Rangers 10, White Sox 0
Brandon Nimmo and Wyatt Langford homered and Kumar Rocker and Marco Gonzales combined on a three-hit shutout as Texas routed visiting Chicago.
Nimmo powered the Rangers to a lead they wouldn’t relinquish, reaching White Sox starter Noah Schultz for a two-run blast with two out in the first inning. The Texas right fielder finished 4-for-4. Alejandro Osuna added three hits and three RBIs, Langford had two hits and two RBIs and Ezequiel Duran and Nicky Lopez both contributed two hits and an RBI.
Schultz (3-7), a rookie left-hander, endured one of his roughest outings. He allowed five runs on a career-high 11 hits over 3 2/3 innings. Rocker (3-8) countered with a sparkling effort to earn his first victory since May 19 at Colorado. The right-hander stymied Chicago over six shutout innings.
Guardians 5, Twins 2
Austin Hedges and rookie Petey Halpin had back-to-back sacrifice flies in a pivotal sixth inning, propelling Cleveland over visiting Minnesota.
Hedges brought home Kahlil Watson with the go-ahead run after the Guardians loaded the bases with no outs against Mike Paredes (0-3). After a double steal, Halpin’s sacrifice fly off Taylor Rogers drove in Travis Bazzana after a replay review overturned an out call at the plate to make it 4-2. Bazzana added a two-out RBI single in the seventh to make it 5-2.
Ryan Jeffers hit a solo homer in the first inning for the Twins, extending his on-base streak to 15 games.
Mets 4, Brewers 0
Zac Thornton tossed six scoreless innings and earned his first big-league win as visiting New York beat Milwaukee in the middle game of a three-game series.
Jared Young and Luis Robert Jr. homered while Carson Benge had an unusual two-run double for the last-place Mets, who have won three of five since the All-Star break against the Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies, each of whom currently occupy a playoff spot. The Brewers, blanked for just the fourth time this season, had their four-game winning streak snapped.
Thornton (1-1) allowed three hits, walked one and struck out two while extending his scoreless streak to 18 innings dating back to June 26. He has a 1.93 ERA in his first four major league starts. Brandon Sproat (3-5), who was dealt to the Brewers by the Mets in the Freddy Peralta trade in January, gave up two runs on four hits and four walks over 4 2/3 innings.
Royals 3, Giants 2
Luinder Avila allowed two runs while setting career highs with seven strikeouts and 6 1/3 innings, while Vinnie Pasquantino and Nick Loftin each had two hits and an RBI as Kansas City won over visiting San Francisco.
Pressed into the Royals’ injury-ravaged rotation since early June, Avila (5-3) yielded five hits while helping secure a series win. Pasquantino and Loftin delivered RBI singles in the sixth to help Kansas City erase a 2-1 deficit.
Tyler Mahle (2-9) was charged with all three runs and allowed five hits while completing five-plus innings for the Giants, who have lost four straight. San Francisco managed only five hits and went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
Astros 5, Marlins 3
Tatsuya Imai allowed one run over six innings, Isaac Paredes clubbed a three-run homer and Houston sent reeling Miami to its eighth straight loss.
Imai (6-4) produced his fifth quality start of the season. He retired the side in order only once — in the second — but stranded four baserunners in scoring position across six innings. Astros closer Josh Hader notched his 11th save with a scoreless ninth, working around a leadoff double.
Joe Mack shaved the Marlins’ deficit to 5-3 with a two-run homer off AJ Blubaugh in the seventh, his ninth home run of the season and second of the series.
Rockies 8, Nationals 7
Hunter Goodman hit a solo home run with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, lifting Colorado over Washington in Denver.
Goodman leads all catchers in homers with a career-high-tying 31. Jordan Romano pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his seventh save, making a winner of Juan Mejia (3-6), who tossed a clean eighth. Goodman finished with two hits, Mickey Moniak also went deep and singled, Cole Carrigg had three hits and Jake McCarthy added two hits for the Rockies.
CJ Abrams homered twice, James Wood had two doubles and two RBIs and Luis Garcia Jr. and Nasim Nunez also had two hits each for Washington.
Angels 5, Cardinals 1
Jo Adell hit a two-run home run to highlight a five-run first inning and rookie Walbert Urena allowed one run on six hits over six innings to lead Los Angeles to a victory over slumping St. Louis in Anaheim, Calif.
Jorge Soler had a two-run double, Jose Siri doubled and had two hits and Zach Neto and Adell also had two hits for Los Angeles, which won its third straight game. Urena (6-7) threw 28 pitches during a scoreless first inning, 16 of which registered 100 mph or better. Mitch Farris, Chase Silseth and Ryan Zeferjahn combined to allow one hit over three shutout innings.
Alec Burleson had three hits for St. Louis, which lost its fourth straight and fifth in six games. Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore (5-7) allowed five runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Reds 4, Mariners 2
Chase Burns pitched five scoreless innings to win his 11th straight decision as Cincinnati defeated host Seattle.
Elly De La Cruz, Eugenio Suarez and Nathaniel Lowe homered for the Reds, who snapped Seattle’s three-game winning streak and knocked the Mariners out of first place in the American League West. Weston Wilson and Julio Rodriguez went deep for the hosts.
Burns (12-1), in his first full season, allowed three hits — singles by Josh Naylor and Victor Robles in the second and another single by Naylor in the fourth. The Mariners were 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10. Luis Castillo (3-9) made a quality start, giving up three runs on four hits over seven innings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Another Tiger possibly on trade block, Casey Mize, faces Royals
Jul 19, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Casey Mize (12) pitches during the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images The possibility of Tarik Skubal getting traded has loomed over the Tigers all season. But another key Detroit starter and impending free agent, Casey Mize, also could swap out uniforms if the Tigers choose to sell before the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
Mize could be making his last appearance with the club when the Tigers host the Kansas City Royals on Saturday afternoon.
The 29-year-old right-hander has battled groin tightness at various times this season, but when he’s been on the mound, he has delivered quality innings. Mize (4-6, 2.79 ERA) has allowed two or fewer runs in 11 of his 15 starts.
Mize had his latest start, his first after the All-Star break, cut short when a comebacker from Los Angeles Angels’ Jo Adell struck his left wrist. He exited after 3 1/3 innings but didn’t have any lingering effects from the injury.
“I’m good,” Mize said, according to the Detroit News. “I (am) looking forward to Saturday. We’ve been checking all the boxes that we need to and I’m feeling good.”
Mize, who gave up one run and five hits and a walk with five strikeouts in Anaheim, Calif., is not dwelling on the trade speculation.
“Where we are as a team makes that more simple (to deal with),” Mize said. “There are so many unknowns. We’re in a 10-game sprint right now, and it takes tons of focus on what we’re doing here and now, day to day. That’s kind of how I’ve always played, so that makes it pretty easy to focus on that instead of the other stuff. I’m just leaning on that and really caring about what we’re doing right now.”
Mize hasn’t faced the Royals this season, but he has made more career starts against them than any other club. He is 3-2 with a 4.97 ERA in 13 starts vs. Kansas City. Royals catcher Salvador Perez has a .424 average with five extra-base hits against him in 33 at-bats.
Michael Wacha (5-7, 3.66) will start for the Royals. Wacha was sharp in his first start after his All-Star appearance, holding San Francisco to one run and three hits in six innings on Monday.
The 35-year-old right-hander had one of his best outings of the season against the Tigers on May 9, tossing seven scoreless innings. He only allowed two hits and two walks while striking out six.
In 11 career starts against Detroit, he is 3-3 with a 2.95 ERA.
Like Mize, Wacha is a potential trade candidate, as is another veteran Royals starter, Seth Lugo. Wacha is signed through next season with a club option for 2028.
“We’ll be open-minded to anything,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said. “But we have to be very, very pointed on what we want to get out of any one of those two. And it’s also, they made a commitment to us, and that’s big. And I think that’s important to the morale of the team.”
The Tigers have won three straight, including the first two games of the current four-game series. Skubal struck out 12 in 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball during the Tigers’ 2-1 victory on Friday.
Kansas City had won three straight prior to visiting Detroit, while the Tigers have won three in a row.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Nationals All-Star Foster Griffin aims to level series vs. D-backs
Jul 19, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Washington Nationals pitcher Foster Griffin (22) throws to an Athletics batter during the first inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Marshall-Imagn Images Washington left-hander Foster Griffin looks to continue his stellar rookie season and help the Nationals gain in the National League wild-card race when the club hosts the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday.
Arizona took the series opener 3-2 on Friday and has won four straight and six of seven.
Griffin (11-2, 2.69 ERA) has made eight consecutive starts without allowing more than one run, a franchise record. The 30-year-old All-Star has won three straight starts and has not taken a loss since May 14.
Washington is 16-4 in his starts this year, 10-1 in his past 11 outings. Included in that run was his lone career outing vs. the Diamondbacks. Griffin threw five innings of one-run ball for a 14-1 victory in Phoenix on June 5.
Last time out, Griffin allowed a run on eight hits over seven innings during a 5-2 win against the Athletics on Sunday.
Griffin, who spent the previous three seasons in Japan, is a free agent after this season and could be making his final start for the Nationals if they opt to trade him before the Aug. 3 deadline.
“I’ve really enjoyed my time here, enjoyed the clubhouse, the staff and front office,” he said, according to the Baltimore Banner. “The pitching staff, specifically, I feel like we’ve gotten along great, so we’ll see what happens.”
Arizona rookie left-hander Mitch Bratt (0-0, 5.06) opposes Griffin in his fourth major league start. Last time out, he gave up two runs on eight hits over 4 2/3 innings during a no-decision against the Athletics on Monday.
Eduardo Rodriguez pitched six strong innings on Friday and the Diamondbacks scored the go-ahead run on Gabriel Moreno’s seventh-inning sacrifice fly.
Arizona recorded its first run on a safety squeeze and its second when Ketel Marte got down the line in time to beat the potential double-play relay. Paul Sewald pitched the ninth for his 24th save.
“I thought we did a lot of little things right,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “It all added up and it was a great win. The bullpen went lights out, they executed. Paul got that big save.”
Moreno had two hits and reached base in his 40th straight start, moving into sole possession of the second-longest such streak in team history behind Corbin Carroll’s 44-game run in 2024.
Moreno has reached base two or more times in 12 of his past 15 games.
“It seems like he’s on base with every at-bat,” Lovullo said. “He spoils us with a really good approach. There’s just an ease to his game and he’s kind of in the middle of everything.”
The Nationals, who were opening a six-game homestand and had won three of four, got a two-run homer and a single from Dylan Crews. He is 6-for-21 (.286) in his past six games with two home runs, five RBIs and five runs.
CJ Abrams had two hits and is 11-for-21 (.524) in his past five games with two doubles, four home runs, eight RBIs and six runs.
Washington trails Arizona by three games for the third NL wild-card spot.
“We’re treating this like a playoff series,” Nationals manager Blake Butera said. “… Do whatever we have to do to come out of these with a win because we know how important it is against these guys.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rookie RHP Ryan Johnson, Angels attempt to level series vs. Giants
Jul 19, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Ryan Johnson (32) pitches during the second inning against the Detroit Tigers at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images Two teams that have struggled in close games would like nothing better than to be on the winning end of a one-sided affair Saturday afternoon when the Los Angeles Angels and the host San Francisco Giants continue their three-game interleague series.
Nine innings weren’t enough to determine a winner in the opener on Friday. The Giants emerged with a 7-6 win when Rafael Devers delivered a bases-loaded, walk-off single with one out in the bottom of the 10th.
The teams left the field with the scoreboard showing 8-6, the result of Devers’ long fly to left field having bounced over the fence. It initially was ruled a ground-rule double, with two runs scoring, even though only one was needed to end the game.
The Elias Sports Bureau, the official statisticians for Major League Baseball, reviewed the play shortly thereafter and the hit was changed to a single, producing one run. That made the official final score 7-6 and dropped Devers’ RBI total for the game from four to three.
The confusion was appropriate for teams that have struggled to record one-run wins this season. The Angels lead the majors with 19 one-run defeats, while the Giants have 16, tied with the St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres for second most in the National League.
Having watched his team fail far more than succeed in tight games, Giants manager Tony Vitello had an unusual reaction to watching his club blow a late 6-4 lead before recovering.
“It made for a better win to be honest with you — more exciting, more memorable for the guys,” he said. “A moment, hopefully, they can build confidence on, that we can come back if things don’t go perfect.”
Giants left-hander Robbie Ray (8-6, 3.33 ERA), who started a one-run loss against the Colorado Rockies in his most recent home outing, will take the mound on Saturday.
Ray is 3-1 with a 2.53 ERA in five career starts against the Angels, with the .750 winning percentage equaling his second best against any opponent. With a win on Saturday, Ray would match his mark against the Chicago Cubs, 4-1.
Ray got a no-decision on Sunday after yielding three runs (one earned) on seven hits in four-plus innings against the Seattle Mariners.
The Angels will send out rookie right-hander Ryan Johnson (2-4, 6.10 ERA) to oppose Ray, 34.
Johnson, 23, faced four batters in relief and retired them all in his only previous meeting with the Giants, on April 19, 2025. In his latest outing, Johnson threw five innings of one-run ball in a 3-2 win over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.
While many Angels might be wondering where they will be after the upcoming trade deadline, Johnson, one of the franchise’s top prospects, has only pondered how he can be most effective the rest of this season and moving forward.
“I don’t know if there’s any specific goals other than just keep competing and getting a feel for being in the rotation week to week,” Johnson said following his Sunday outing. “I feel like I’ve been able to get into a good routine and figure out what I want to do in between starts that makes me feel good.”
–Field Level Media
How to pre-order Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, Z Flip 8: See preorder deals
Midjourney announces surprise purchase of popular horoscope app Co-Star
