Sports
MLB roundup: A's snap 10-game skid with 15-1 rout of Nationals
Jul 18, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics outfielders Tyler Soderstron (21), Lawrence Butler (4), and Carlos Cortes (26) celebrate their win against the Washington Nationals at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images Jacob Wilson homered during a three-hit outing, Tyler Soderstrom and Carlos Cortes also went deep and the Athletics broke a 10-game slide with a 15-1 beatdown of the Washington Nationals on Saturday night at West Sacramento, Calif.
J.T. Ginn (8-6) took a no-hitter into the seventh inning for the Athletics, who bounced back from a 23-4 loss in Friday’s opener of the three-game set.
Shea Langeliers drove in three runs and Wilson, Soderstrom, Cortes, Joshua Kuroda-Grauer and Jeff McNeil each drove in two for the Athletics, who lost their previous four games by a cumulative score of 47-6. McNeil had three hits.
Keibert Ruiz had two of the Nationals’ four hits as the club lost for the seventh time in its past 10 games. Washington received a sacrifice fly in the ninth from Jorbit Vivas to score at least once for the 69th straight game.
Red Sox 7, Rays 6
Wilyer Abreu homered twice to help Boston extend its winning streak to 12 games by beating visiting Tampa Bay.
Abreu hit a solo home run in the third, then a two-run homer off reliever Garrett Cleavinger (2-3) that erased a 6-5 deficit in the seventh. Reliever Ryan Watson (1-0) gave up a run on one hit in two innings. Boston also received a two-run home run from Jahmai Jones.
Victor Mesa Jr. and DeLuca each hit a solo home run for Tampa Bay. Mesa’s homer was part of a three-run fourth inning that gave the Rays a 5-3 lead. DeLuca’s home run made it 6-3 in the seventh.
Cubs 6, Twins 2
Matthew Boyd threw six quality innings and Nico Hoerner delivered the fifth four-hit game of his career to help Chicago even its two-game series with visiting Minnesota.
Boyd (6-1) allowed one run on three hits, striking out four and walking one for the Cubs, who won their sixth game in nine tries. Michael Busch homered while Pedro Ramirez and Miguel Amaya each drove in a pair of runs.
Taj Bradley (9-4) allowed five runs on seven hits across five innings for the Twins, who saw their three-game winning streak come to an end. Kody Clemens hit two solo home runs in the loss.
Pirates 7, Guardians 1 (Game 1)
Esmerlyn Valdez and Jacob Gonzalez both hit two-run homers and Nick Gonzales had a solo shot as visiting Pittsburgh handily beat Cleveland in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.
Pirates starter Jared Jones (2-1) struck out a season-high nine over five innings, giving up one run on three hits. His streak of 30 straight batters retired across three starts ended after he retired the first eight batters of this game when Steven Kwan singled.
Travis Bazzana’s third-inning RBI triple provided the only run of the game for the Guardians, who had a four-game winning streak snapped. Gavin Williams (10-5) tied his career high by allowing three home runs in six innings, while matching his season best with 11 strikeouts. He gave up five runs on seven hits.
Guardians 5, Pirates 3 (Game 2)
Rookie Travis Bazzana belted a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning, giving Cleveland a comeback win over visiting Pittsburgh.
It was the first career walk-off hit for Bazzana, an All-Star second baseman, as Cleveland rallied from three runs down in the final two innings to salvage a split of the interleague twinbill. All-Star Cade Smith (3-1) pitched a clean ninth with two strikeouts for the victory. Cleveland pulled into a virtual tie for first place in the American League Central Division with the Chicago White Sox.
Pittsburgh’s Santana (2-5) recorded only one out and allowed two runs on three hits. The Pirates had their four-game winning streak snapped and are one game behind the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins for the third and final National League wild-card spot.
Blue Jays 1, White Sox 0
Shane Bieber pitched six strong innings and George Springer delivered the winning hit as Toronto edged visiting Chicago.
Bieber (1-1) allowed three hits and two walks with six strikeouts in his fifth start of the season. Springer drove in Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the fourth inning against Davis Martin (9-5). Despite shouldering the loss, Martin struck out five and surrendered four hits over 5 2/3 innings.
Louis Varland pitched a perfect ninth with one strikeout to earn his 20th save and end Toronto’s three-game losing streak. The White Sox had won four straight. The teams have split the first two of a three-game series, with the White Sox leading the season series 4-1.
Rockies 10, Reds 3
TJ Rumfield went 4-for-5 with a two-run homer and four RBIs as Colorado ended a three-game losing streak with a win over Cincinnati in Denver.
Jake McCarthy and Mickey Moniak each had two hits and two RBIs for Colorado while Cole Carrigg added two hits with an RBI and three runs scored. Tomoyuki Sugano (9-4) won his fifth straight decision, allowing three runs on six hits over 6 1/3 innings.
Jose Trevino hit a pair of solo homers among his three hits for Cincinnati, which trailed 8-1 after three innings and lost for the third time in its last four games.
Rangers 7. Braves 6
Brandon Nimmo had three RBIs, including two that gave Texas the lead in the crucial four-run sixth inning, helping the visiting Rangers come from behind to beat Atlanta.
Nimmo went 2-for-5 to lead the Rangers’ 12-hit attack and secure a bounce-back win after Friday’s 15-1 loss. Texas batted around in the sixth inning to take a 7-5 lead. Evan Carter hit a two-run homer, his eighth, off reliever Tyler Kinley (5-4), to tie the game.
Texas starter MacKenzie Gore (6-8) pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed five runs on six hits. He struck out seven. Jacob Latz got the final four outs to earn his 19th save.
Orioles 4, Astros 2 (11 innings)
Tyler O’Neill and Leody Taveras delivered back-to-back run-scoring singles with two outs in the 11th inning as visiting Baltimore outlasted Houston.
Orioles lefty Trevor Rogers posted his fifth consecutive start allowing one run or fewer and notched a season-high eight strikeouts. He surrendered one run on seven hits over 6 1/3 innings.
Astros right-hander Spencer Arrighetti allowed one hit in five innings but issued four walks.
Phillies 6, Mets 1
Trea Turner had a home run among his three hits, scored three runs and stole a base as Philadelphia beat visiting New York.
Kyle Schwarber gave the Phillies a lead they’d never relinquish with a two-run homer in the first inning. Turner homered in the fifth — his second round-tripper in as many games — and Alec Bohm followed with an RBI single in the same inning before Bryce Harper capped the scoring with a two-run single in the sixth. All-Star Jesus Luzardo (9-4) gave up one run on two hits over five innings.
Tyrone Taylor homered in the second and had two hits for the Mets, who have lost eight of 13 this month. A.J. Ewing singled for New York’s only other hit.
Diamondbacks 5, Cardinals 3
Nolan Arenado drove in two runs and moved within two hits of 2,000 for his career to lead Arizona to a win over St. Louis in Phoenix.
Arenado was 2-for-4 and Ketel Marte was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored for the Diamondbacks, who saw starter Brandon Pfaadt (4-1) win his fourth straight start as he allowed two runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings. Paul Sewald allowed a homer in the ninth but recorded his 23rd save.
Jimmy Crooks homered and J.J. Wetherholt was 2-for-5 with a run scored for the Cardinals, who have lost two of their last three. St. Louis starter Dustin May (5-7) gave up five runs and eight hits over five innings.
Royals 6, Padres 1
Salvador Perez moved closer to franchise history with his two-run homer, Lane Thomas also clubbed a two-run shot and spot-starter Randy Dobnak allowed one run as Kansas City beat visiting San Diego.
Thomas set the tone with his homer in the first, and Perez added some insurance with a sixth-inning shot. Perez also moved within two of tying George Brett’s franchise record of 317 home runs. Dobnak, making his first start since 2021 and third appearance of the season, yielded four hits but just one run over 4 1/3 innings.
Fernando Tatis Jr.’s third-inning homer plated the Padres’ only run of the game as they finished 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Griffin Canning (1-8) allowed four runs over 3 2/3 innings on five hits.
Brewers 8, Marlins 6
Garrett Mitchell’s two-run double capped a four-run rally and Shane Drohan pitched effectively for six innings to pace Milwaukee to a comeback victory over visiting Miami.
Drohan (5-3) gave up three runs in the second, but none the rest of the way, retiring the final nine hitters he faced and 13 of the last 14 while finishing with a career-high nine strikeouts. Mitchell finished with three hits, and Yelich added an insurance two-run double.
The Marlins, whose fifth straight loss matched their season high, closed the gap in the ninth inning thanks to Griffin Conine’s three-run homer off Craig Yoho. Trevor Megill got the final three outs for his 15th save in 17 opportunities.
Mariners 4, Giants 3 (10 innings)
Julio Rodriguez, activated from the seven-day concussion injured list earlier in the day, hit a sacrifice fly with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning to give host Seattle a walk-off win over San Francisco.
Cole Young added a three-run homer for the Mariners, who won for just the second time in their past eight games. After the Giants failed to score in the top of the 10th off Jose A. Ferrer (3-1), Victor Robles started the bottom of the inning as the automatic runner at second base. He advanced to third on Colt Emerson’s sacrifice bunt and, following a walk to J.P. Crawford, scored on Rodriguez’s liner to left off Dylan Smith (0-2).
Rafael Devers and Willy Adames hit solo shots for San Francisco, who had its winning streak snapped at three games.
Tigers 7, Angels 0
Tarik Skubal scattered five hits over seven innings and Spencer Torkelson homered twice and drove in four runs to lead Detroit Tigers to a series-clinching victory over Los Angeles in Anaheim, Calif.
Skubal (6-5) struck out nine and didn’t walk a batter while allowing only one runner past first base. Colt Keith went 4-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored, and Kevin McGonigle had a double among his two hits and two runs scored for the Tigers, who won for the 11th time in their last 14 games.
Logan O’Hoppe had two hits for Los Angeles, which lost its fourth straight game and for the 12th time in its last 14 games. Grayson Rodriguez (3-3) gave up six runs on seven hits in four innings.
–Field Level Media
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White Sox pounding out runs since All-Star break as Rangers struggle
Jul 20, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas (20) hits an RBI double against the Texas Rangers during the third inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images The Chicago White Sox keep earning victories behind a strong offense.
They hope to keep the trend going against the host Texas Rangers in Arlington on Tuesday night, especially given new injury concerns.
American League Central-leading Chicago routed Texas 10-3 in Monday’s series opener despite losing catcher Kyle Teel (left ankle) and shortstop Colson Montgomery (right shin) to injury.
Teel, who was using crutches after the game, was set to undergo further evaluation Tuesday, while Montgomery is considered day-to-day.
With the lineup in flux, six different players drove in runs as Chicago collected eight extra-base hits and stopped a 10-game losing streak in Arlington. Andrew Benintendi had a bases-clearing double in the fifth inning for the key blow while Miguel Vargas had three hits and two RBIs.
Vargas’ ninth-inning double scored Chase Meidroth to set a career best with his 61st RBI of the season. The White Sox moved to seven games over .500 (53-46) for the first time since 2021.
Chicago’s relentless offense has led the team to three wins in four games since the All-Star break, outscoring opponents 25-8.
Texas pulled to 5-3 Monday on Jake Burger’s solo home run in the seventh before allowing five runs in the ninth. The Rangers, who trail the Seattle Mariners by a half-game for the AL West lead, have lost three of four games since the All Star-break, getting outscored 39-16.
Joc Pederson hit a leadoff home run, and the Rangers handed ace Jacob deGrom a 2-0 lead after two innings, but the team couldn’t sustain the momentum.
“Probably a couple missed-location pitches tonight that cost us some runs. … The other teams have capitalized on some mistake pitches,” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said postgame. “So the crooked numbers have cost us the last couple games, and we just haven’t been able to catch up.”
The White Sox, however, took advantage of the scoring opportunities. Benintendi’s big double was his first career hit off deGrom after going hitless in 10 at-bats against him.
“We were kind of waiting for that one big hit. We had chances all night, it felt like,” Benintendi said, per MLB.com. “Obviously he’s really good, so you’re not going to get many pitches to hit. If you miss one, you’re probably not going to get another one. Just stick with it and go from there.”
Texas will turn to right-hander Kumar Rocker (2-8, 4.40 ERA) on Tuesday as he aims to regroup from his struggles to start July. In two starts this month, Rocker is 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA and four home runs allowed over 10 innings.
Rocker pitched five shutout innings to defeat the visiting White Sox on June 15, 2025, in his lone career appearance against them.
“Win a game. That’s how you get back on track,” Schumaker said. “So (Tuesday), with Rocker going, it’s going to be important for him to get off to a good start to keep us in the game.”
Rookie left-hander Noah Schultz (3-6, 5.60 ERA) will start for the White Sox as they aim to secure their third straight series victory. He has never faced the Rangers.
Schultz will pitch for the first time since July 12, when he picked up his first victory since May 1 with a steady outing against the visiting Athletics in the first-half finale.
After walking seven batters in 9 1/3 innings over his previous two starts, Schultz issued zero walks against four strikeouts while limiting the A’s to one run and four hits in five innings of a 9-1 win.
“We really found that I was just tensing up too much, doing some things,” Schultz said. “We kind of emphasized the whole week of just kind of being loose and being free out there. I think it definitely helped with getting ahead of guys and attacking guys early.”
–Field Level Media
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Mired in 'rough' stretch, Padres' Walker Buehler seeks to bounce back vs. Braves
Jul 6, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Walker Buehler (10) pitches in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Chadd Cady-Imagn Images Two pitchers with a lot to prove will face off on Tuesday night when the Atlanta Braves host the San Diego Padres in the second contest of a four-game series.
The Braves won the series opener 3-2 on Monday for their first victory in four tries against the Padres this season.
San Diego will send Walker Buehler (5-5, 5.36 ERA) to the mound on Tuesday to face Atlanta’s Reynaldo Lopez (4-2, 3.50) in a matchup of veteran right-handers. Each is trying to hold on to a position in the rotation.
Buehler will try to bounce back from three poor performances before the All-Star break.
In his last outing on July 11 against Toronto, he pitched two innings and allowed four runs on three hits and four walks in San Diego’s 8-7 victory. Buehler is 0-2 with a 16.36 ERA in his last three trips to the mound, having allowed 20 runs and six homers in 11 innings.
“The same miss over and over, left and high,” Buehler said after his last start. “I think the All-Star break is coming at a good time for me. So try not to put too much stock into it. … Obviously, the past two or past three have been really rough, so good time to take kind of a step back and see what we’re doing.”
Padres manager Craig Stammen said he was optimistic that having a few days off at the break would help Buehler, 31, get his season back on track.
“He’s not a spring chicken,” Stammen said. “He’s got a lot of innings under his belt. … You can definitely see you know he’s not as sharp as he was back in June. We’ll get him right and get him back to that pitcher that we saw that was very effective for us.”
Buehler has made six career appearances (all starts) against the Braves, going 2-2 with a 3.75 ERA. He faced them one time in 2025 while with Boston and took a loss, allowing five runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Lopez is one of many possible pieces for Atlanta’s ever-changing rotation. He began the season as a starter but spent June in the bullpen. Since returning to the rotation, he is 1-1 with a 3.50 ERA.
In his last start on July 11 against St. Louis, Lopez worked five innings and allowed four runs in a 4-1 loss. It was his third consecutive five-inning start.
In four career appearances (three starts) against the Padres, Lopez is 0-1 with a 3.93 ERA.
The Braves need their starters to go five-plus innings to preserve their relievers. Bryce Elder did that on Monday, when he worked six innings. And the overtaxed bullpen, with regular standouts Dylan Dodd, Dylan Lee and closer Raisel Iglesias all unavailable, received 2 1/3 innings from Victor Mederos, who earned his first career save.
Mederos was acquired from the Los Angeles Angels on April 3.
“He’s thrown the ball well for us, but that’s a different animal what he did in a one-run game,” Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said. “You see that with players sometimes. It might be a different voice or a different piece of advice, and it clicks with a guy and he takes off. It’s looking like that’s the case with Vic.”
–Field Level Media
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Twins vs. Guardians Prediction: Best Bets for Tuesday's AL Central Showdown
Jun 18, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Parker Messick (77) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images The Minnesota Twins (49-52) and Cleveland Guardians (53-48) meet for the second installment in a four-game series at Progressive Field on Tuesday, and first pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET.
The Twins are looking to bounce back after the Guardians routed them 13-4 despite the presence of All-Star RHP Joe Ryan on the bump. Cleveland knocked him around for eight runs and 10 hits in just four innings, and he was out there serving up batting practice. Ryan tied a major league record, while setting a Twins franchise record, by serving up six home runs.
The Guardians swatted seven homers on Monday night, and it was the sixth time in Indians/Guardians history that the team has belted at least seven home runs in a single game. Rhys Hoskins swatted a pair of solo home runs, while Petey Halpin also had two homers and three RBI out of the ninth spot. All-Star Travis Bazzana, Patrick Bailey and Brayan Rocchio also left the yard. Chase DeLauter had two singles and two doubles in five at-bats, while driving in three runs.
Tuesday Twins vs. Guardians best bet
Now, the Guardians turn to their All-Star, LHP Parker Messick (8-5, 2.73 ERA, 1.07 WHIP) for Tuesday’s game. He is 3-2 with a 3.09 ERA and 1.15 WHIP across 58 ⅓ IP in 10 home starts, and he has allowed just two homers in those outings. In other words, Ryan has allowed three times as many home runs at Progressive Field in four innings than Messick has allowed in 10 outings.
The rookie LHP Kendry Rojas (1-1, 2.79 ERA, 1.60 WHIP) makes his third start and ninth career appearance. It’s his first start since serving as the opener for two innings in a 12-3 loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 23. He twirled four scoreless innings in his only other start against the Houston Astros on May 18. This will be his first-career road start.
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Minnesota is skidding hard, losing three in a row, while getting outscored 29-7 in the nosedive. The Over has cashed in the past two games, allowing 11.5 runs per game (RPG).
Cleveland is 2-2 in four games out of the All-Star break, while the Over has cashed in each of its past two games, too. The Guardians are 6-2 in the past eight games, while the Under is still 6-2 in the eight-game span since July 9.
The Twins are 23-27 on the road this season, while going 14-14 inside the AL Central Division. Against left-handed starting pitchers, Minnesota is just 13-18 this season.
The Guardians have a 26-24 mark at home, while going 16-11 inside the division, although they’re just 2-4 in the past six games against the AL Central. Cleveland is 21-12 vs. LHP in 33 encounters this season, too.
There is a 50 percent chance of scattered thunderstorms around first pitch, with the weather expected to mostly clear out by 9:00 p.m. ET, so there could be a potential delay. The good news is that the rains should keep the smoke and haze from the Canadian wildfires to a minimum. If it was dry, the air quality might be an issue, with the winds blowing out of the west-northwest from 10-15 mph. That means winds will be blowing from left field to right field, which could aid right-handed hitters against left-handed starters. As such, our top play in this game is the OVER 8 (-115). In addition, with Messick against an opener, it’s surprising the GUARDIANS (-150) aren’t favored by quite a bit more.
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White Sox pounding out runs since All-Star break as Rangers struggle
Mired in 'rough' stretch, Padres' Walker Buehler seeks to bounce back vs. Braves
