Sports
MLB roundup: Cubs belt 8 homers, pound Padres 23-3
Jul 1, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson points after he hits a three-run home run against the San Diego Padres during the third inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images Dansby Swanson hit three home runs and Michael Conforto hit two as the host Chicago Cubs hammered the San Diego Padres 23-3 on Wednesday.
The Cubs, who had not hit more than three homers in a game all season heading into the series, hit five on Tuesday in a 9-7 win and eight on Wednesday to sweep the series and win their fifth straight contest. Seiya Suzuki, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch also homered for the Cubs, who tied a franchise record for long balls in a game.
Swanson, who had a career-high eight RBIs, has five homers in the past two games and nine home runs in his last 13 games. Colin Rea (6-5) was the beneficiary of all the Cubs’ power, giving up two runs and six hits in five innings.
The Padres lost their fifth straight game while sustaining the worst defeat in franchise history. They previously lost by 19 runs on three occasions (twice in 1969, once in 2005). Walker Buehler (5-4) gave up a career-high nine runs on seven hits in four innings.
Rays 4, Royals 0
Junior Caminero became the youngest player in major league history to homer in six consecutive games, socking a two-run shot in the first, and Shane McClanahan allowed three hits over six strong innings as visiting Tampa Bay beat Kansas City for its seventh straight win.
At 22 years, 361 days old, Caminero topped a mark set by then-23-year-old Ken Griffey Jr. with his ninth home run in the past eight games. Cedric Mullins added a solo shot and an RBI single while Taylor Walls had three hits for the Rays, who matched their longest winning streak of 2026. McClanahan (7-5) yielded three singles, did not walk a batter and struck out four.
The Royals have lost six of seven, including four straight against the Rays. Jac Caglianone had two of the Royals’ six hits. Seth Lugo gave up three runs on nine hits in six innings.
Twins 8, Astros 3
Josh Bell, Kody Clemens and Luke Keaschall belted home runs while Taj Bradley matched his career high for strikeouts as visiting Minnesota claimed the rubber match of its three-game series against Houston.
Bell extended his career-best road hitting streak to 16 games with a two-run blast in the first inning before Clemens socked a three-run homer an inning later. Bradley (7-3) worked five innings and allowed four hits and one run. He fanned 11.
Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai (5-4) allowed five runs on four hits and five walks over 1 1/3 innings, marking his third start of fewer than two innings.
Orioles 6, White Sox 1
Dean Kremer pitched six strong innings in his return from the injured list, and Baltimore avoided a three-game sweep by defeating visiting Chicago.
Tyler O’Neill and Leody Taveras each homered as the Orioles made good use of seven hits to snap a four-game losing streak. Blaze Alexander had two hits, including a run-scoring triple. Kremer (1-1), who hadn’t pitched in the big leagues since April 18 as he recovered from a quadriceps injury, held the White Sox to one run on four hits.
Sam Antonacci homered for one of Chicago’s four hits. He also had a single, but the White Sox lost for just the third time in their last nine games. Starter Noah Schultz, also fresh off the injured list, went 4 1/3 innings and was charged with three runs on two hits.
Phillies 10, Pirates 6
Trea Turner homered for the third straight game as Philadelphia hammered Paul Skenes and the visiting Pirates.
Brandon Marsh and Alec Bohm also hit home runs for the Phillies, who tagged Skenes (6-8) for eight runs, seven earned, in four innings. The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner had never allowed more than five runs in any of his first 72 major league starts.
Jared Triolo drove in three runs, and Nick Gonzales had three hits and an RBI for the Pirates. Henry Davis homered in a losing effort.
Nationals 10, Red Sox 2
Andres Chaparro and Nasim Nunez hit their first home runs of the season and James Wood added a three-run shot as visiting Washington rolled past Boston.
Chaparro’s two-run shot in the first inning and Nunez’s fourth-inning solo shot were all that Washington needed to claim the series. Four Nationals had multi-hit games, while Wood, Chaparro and Luis Garcia Jr. each drove in multiple runs. Andrew Alvarez (2-1) allowed two hits over 4 2/3 scoreless innings of relief.
Washington had a 13-9 hits advantage. Three Red Sox players had multi-hit games, but Boston pitchers issued a combined 10 walks.
Tigers 6, Yankees 2 (11 innings)
Zach McKinstry ripped a bases-loaded two-run single off Camilo Doval to highlight a four-run 11th inning for Detroit, which completed a three-game sweep with a victory at New York.
The Tigers completed their first road sweep of the Yankees since 2008 after Detroit reliever Drew Anderson blew a two-run lead in the ninth. Spencer Torkelson gave the Tigers the lead in the 11th by working a walk before McKinstry delivered on a 1-1 cutter from Doval (3-1).
The Yankees, who totaled seven hits, are on their first seven-game skid since losing nine straight from Aug. 12-22, 2023. New York fell to 4-10 in its past 14 meetings with the Tigers.
Blue Jays 9, Mets 3
Sean Keys hit a three-run blast for his first career major league home run and Toronto defeated visiting New York in the decisive match of the three-game series played on Canada Day.
The Blue Jays finished a disappointing 3-7 homestand. The Mets were outhit 12-5 to start 1-2 on their seven-game road trip.
Carson Benge hit a two-run homer for the Mets and Francisco Lindor had a solo shot. Starter Freddy Peralta allowed five runs on seven hits in four innings.
Braves 5, Cardinals 1
Ozzie Albies hit a home run and Atlanta pitchers retired the final 20 batters as the Braves beat visiting St. Louis.
Atlanta ended a three-game losing streak and evened the three-game series at one game apiece. Albies went 2-for-4, scored two runs and had two RBIs. Braves starter Reynaldo Lopez (4-1) threw five innings and allowed one run on two hits, all coming in the first inning.
St. Louis starter Michael McGreevy (3-7) tossed six innings and allowed two runs on three hits. The Cardinals’ offense managed just the two hits.
Guardians 9, Rangers 4
David Fry belted a three-run homer to highlight a five-run second inning, fueling host Cleveland to a victory over Texas.
Austin Hedges launched a two-run homer and Chase DeLauter had an RBI single among his three hits to help the Guardians salvage the finale of their three-game series. Joey Cantillo (7-3) allowed two runs on three hits in five innings to improve to 3-0 in his past four starts.
Elias Diaz launched a solo homer, Nicky Lopez ripped a two-run double and Ezequiel Duran collected three hits for the Rangers, who saw their six-game winning streak end. MacKenzie Gore (5-7) permitted five runs on seven hits in five innings.
Brewers 4, Reds 2
Garrett Mitchell capped a 4-for-4 game with a tiebreaking RBI triple in the seventh inning, leading host Milwaukee past Cincinnati.
Mitchell’s two-out triple into the left-center-field gap gave the Brewers a 3-2 lead. Mitchell then scored on a wild pitch from Brock Burke (3-4). Milwaukee reliever Aaron Ashby (12-1) increased his major-league-leading win total as he tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Trevor Megill pitched around a double in the ninth for his 12th save.
Noelvi Marte hit a two-run homer for the Reds, who took their fourth loss in a row. Reds starter Andrew Abbott allowed two runs and five hits in five innings with five walks.
Rockies 6, Marlins 3
Mickey Moniak doubled, tripled and homered for Colorado in a win over Miami at Denver.
Hunter Goodman and Kyle Karros also homered for the Rockies, who had lost three in a row. Kyle Freeland (2-7) earned his first win since April 7 by limiting the Marlins to two runs and six hits over five innings.
Joe Mack hit an inside-the-park home run and Liam Hicks had two hits and scored a run for Miami, which had won two in a row and six of seven. Max Meyer’s bid to win his first 10 decisions this season was derailed by four unearned runs in the fourth. Meyer (9-1) allowed five runs (one earned) and six hits over six innings.
Giants 6, Diamondbacks 4
San Francisco finally broke through against Arizona, riding home runs from Heliot Ramos and Victor Bericoto to a victory in Phoenix.
Trevor McDonald (3-6) threw six shutout innings for the Giants, who had dropped their first eight matchups with the Diamondbacks this season. Caleb Kilian breezed through a 1-2-3 ninth for his seventh save.
Despite seeing his run of four straight games with a homer end, Ketel Marte had an RBI double and a single for the Diamondbacks. Zac Gallen (3-8) permitted six runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Athletics 7, Dodgers 1
Jonah Heim, Shea Langeliers and Alika Williams hit homers and J.T. Ginn pitched six solid innings to help the Athletics cruise past Los Angeles in West Sacramento, Calif.
Heim drove in two runs, and he, Langeliers, Nick Kurtz, Joshua Kuroda-Grauer and Henry Bolte each had two hits for the Athletics, who snapped a four-game losing streak. Ginn (7-4) gave up one run and three hits.
Freddie Freeman homered and Miguel Rojas had two hits for the Dodgers, who finished a 7-2 road trip. Los Angeles had just five hits after totaling 18 runs and 31 hits while winning the first two games of the three-game series. Shohei Ohtani went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts.
–Field Level Media
Sports
A's belt 3 home runs, salvage series finale against Dodgers
Jul 1, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) is greeted by left fielder Teoscar Hernández (37) )after hitting a one run home run during the third inning against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images Jonah Heim, Shea Langeliers and Alika Williams hit homers and J.T. Ginn pitched six solid innings to help the Athletics cruise to a 7-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday in West Sacramento, Calif.
Heim drove in two runs, and he, Langeliers, Nick Kurtz, Joshua Kuroda-Grauer and Henry Bolte each had two hits for the Athletics, who snapped a four-game losing streak.
Freddie Freeman homered and Miguel Rojas had two hits for the Dodgers, who finished a 7-2 road trip. Los Angeles had just five hits after totaling 18 runs and 31 hits while winning the first two games of the three-game series.
Ginn (7-4) gave up one run and three hits. He walked five and struck out four while winning for the fifth time in his past six decisions.
Shohei Ohtani went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts for the Dodgers. Freeman left the game before the bottom of the sixth inning.
Charlie Barnes (0-1) was the second pitcher for Los Angeles, and he gave up seven runs and 12 hits over seven innings. He struck out two and walked two.
Barnes entered in the second inning and Heim sent his first pitch, a fastball, 444 feet over the fence in center.
Los Angeles tied the game with one out in the third when Freeman smacked a 431-foot homer to right-center.
The Athletics moved ahead in the fourth after Heim walked to start the inning and Kuroda-Grauer doubled. Lawrence Butler’s infield out plated Heim, and Bolte followed with an RBI single for a 3-1 lead.
Langeliers led off the fifth by sending a 433-foot blast over the wall in left-center. Kurtz singled and Colby Thomas hit an RBI double to make it 5-1 before the latter came home on a single by Heim.
Williams homered with two outs in the eighth to finish the scoring.
Jack Dreyer served as the opener for the Dodgers and struck out the side in the first before giving way to Barnes.
The Athletics announced before the game that two-time All-Star Brent Rooker (left knee) would soon undergo season-ending surgery.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lightning sign D John Carlson to 2-year, $17M contract
May 6, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Anaheim Ducks defenseman John Carlson (74) warms up before the start of game two against the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images The Tampa Bay Lightning added one of the top defensemen on the free-agent market Wednesday, signing John Carlson to a two-year, $17 million contract.
The deal carries an $8.5 million cap hit for Carlson, who reached the open market after a brief negotiating window with the Carolina Hurricanes did not lead to a contract. Carolina acquired Carlson’s rights from the Anaheim Ducks on June 27 for defenseman Kyle Masters and a 2026 sixth-round draft pick, but the sides were unable to complete a deal before free agency opened July 1.
Carlson, 36, spent last season with the Washington Capitals and Ducks, finishing with 14 goals and 60 points in 71 games while averaging 23:10 of ice time. Anaheim acquired him from Washington at the trade deadline, and Carlson added six assists in 12 playoff games as the Ducks reached the second round.
The signing provides Tampa Bay with a veteran right-shot defenseman who has a long history of high-level production and heavy ice time. Carlson is coming off an eight-year, $64 million contract that he signed after winning the Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018.
Selected by Washington with the No. 27 pick in the 2008 NHL Draft, Carlson recorded 170 goals and 615 assists across 1,159 regular-season games with the Capitals (2009-26) and Ducks. He was a major part of Washington’s Cup run, producing five goals and 20 points in 24 playoff games.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Heliot Ramos, Victor Bericoto homer as Giants finally defeat Diamondbacks
Jul 1, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher Trevor McDonald (72) throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images The San Francisco Giants finally broke through against the Arizona Diamondbacks after eight previous failures Wednesday night, riding home runs from Heliot Ramos and Victor Bericoto to a 6-4 victory in Phoenix.
Trevor McDonald (3-6) threw six shutout innings for the Giants, who had dropped the first eight matchups with the Diamondbacks this season, including five in a row in Phoenix.
Arizona starter Zac Gallen (3-8) matched zeroes with McDonald until Ramos launched his first pitch of the fifth inning over the fence in center field.
Jung Hoo Lee followed with a single, and Bericoto then made it 3-0 with a bomb to left-center field.
The only homers of the game were Nos. 6 for Ramos and 4 for Bericoto.
The Giants busted the game open in a three-run sixth, with the runs produced by a Ramos triple and singles by Lee and Drew Cavanaugh.
Gallen was pulled two outs into the sixth, charged with all six Giants runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out four.
McDonald was lifted after retiring 18 of the 19 batters he faced through six innings. He struck out five.
Arizona’s only hit against the right-hander came when Ketel Marte led off the fourth with a single. He stole second and third, but was stranded there.
The Diamondbacks made things interesting in the eighth against the Giants’ third pitcher, Ryan Walker. Pavin Smith drove in one run with a single, Marte plated two with a double that included a throwing error by Giants shortstop Christian Koss, and Corbin closed the gap to 6-4 with an RBI infield out.
With the bases empty, Gabriel Moreno singled and reached third on a second throwing error by Koss before Dylan Smith struck out Lourdes Gurriel Jr. as the potential tying run.
Caleb Kilian breezed through a 1-2-3 ninth for his seventh save.
Ramos, Bericoto, Lee and Cavanaugh all had two hits for the Giants, who out-hit the hosts 11-7.
Despite seeing his run of four straight games with a home run end, Marte had a double and a single for Arizona.
–Field Level Media
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