Sports
MLB roundup: Max Kepler completes comeback as D-Backs stun Cardinals
Jul 19, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks Adrian Del Castillo scores a run against the St. Louis Cardinals in the sixth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images Max Kepler delivered the game-winning RBI in the 10th inning as the Arizona Diamondbacks scored eight unanswered runs in an 8-7 win against the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday in Phoenix.
Kepler drove in automatic runner Jorge Barrosa with one out against Luis Gastelum (1-1), completing Arizona’s comeback. Juan Morrillo (3-4) worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win.
The Diamondbacks trailed 7-0 entering the bottom of the sixth before scoring three times in the inning. Geraldo Perdomo added a two-run inside-the-park homer in the seventh, and Nolan Arenado tied the game with a two-run shot in the eighth.
Blaze Jordan went 3-for-5 with three RBIs for the Cardinals, who scored five runs against Eduardo Rodriguez in the third inning.
Brewers 3, Marlins 1
William Contreras belted a three-run walk-off home run with one out in the ninth inning to give Milwaukee a victory over visiting Miami, completing a sweep of the three-game series.
Held to two hits through eight innings, the Brewers rallied against Marlins closer Pete Fairbanks (3-4). Jackson Chourio singled to open the ninth and Brice Turang walked. After a strikeout, Contreras sent a 1-2 cutter 411 feet to center for his 10th home run. Robert Gasser allowed one run on three hits in five innings. Grant Anderson (3-3) pitched a scoreless ninth for Milwaukee to earn the victory.
The Marlins wasted a dominating start by Eury Perez, who allowed just one hit over six innings. He struck out nine, walked three and hit one batter in a 93-pitch outing. Esteury Ruiz accounted for the Marlins’ only run with a third-inning homer off Gasser.
Padres 19, Royals 2
Jackson Merrill, Ty France and Fernando Tatis Jr. combined for five home runs and 13 RBIs as San Diego avoided a sweep with a drubbing of host Kansas City.
Merrill went 4-for-6 with two homers and four RBIs, while Tatis homered once, drove in four and scored three runs. Both of France’s hits were home runs, a grand slam in the eighth inning and a solo shot in the ninth for five RBIs.
Royals position player Tyler Tolbert took the mound and allowed six runs in the ninth, including a pair of homers. Jac Caglianone homered and doubled for Kansas City, which had won four straight at home.
White Sox 3, Blue Jays 0
Sean Burke allowed two hits and one walk with five strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings as visiting Chicago blanked Toronto.
Colson Montgomery went 2-for-4 and hit a solo home run for the White Sox in the rubber match of a three-game series.
Grant Taylor allowed Ernie Clement’s infield hit and Nathan Lukes’ bunt single to open the bottom of the ninth. The threat ended on a lineout and a double-play grounder to give Taylor his fifth save of the season. Lukes had two of the Blue Jays’ four hits.
Braves 8, Rangers 5
Austin Riley and Drake Baldwin each hit two home runs to lead Atlanta over visiting Texas.
Riley was 3-for-4, including his 11th and 12th home runs, with four RBIs and two runs scored. Baldwin went a career-best 5-for-5, including his 17th and 18th homers, with two RBIs and a stolen base. Braves starter Grant Holmes (6-4) threw five innings and allowed three runs on seven hits. Atlanta had 14 hits, including two each from Matt Olson, Michael Harris II and Brewer Hicklen.
Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi (9-8) pitched four innings and allowed four runs on six hits – three of them home runs. Wyatt Langford (3-for-5, 2 RBIs, 2 runs) homered and Nicky Lopez matched Langford with three hits.
Red Sox 6, Rays 1
Sonny Gray pitched six innings of one-run ball and Willson Contreras hit a two-run home run, leading Boston to a win which completed a four-game series sweep of visiting Tampa Bay.
With the victory, the Red Sox are now on a 13-game win streak. Gray (12-1) scattered five hits en route to his ninth straight quality start. The veteran right-hander has now allowed one run or fewer in five consecutive outings.
The Rays went 0-for-15 with runners in scoring position on the day. Chandler Simpson (2-for-4) was the lone Tampa Bay batter with multiple hits. Shane McClanahan (8-6) allowed six runs (four earned) on five hits over five innings.
Mets 6, Phillies 1
Nolan McLean struck out 10 over six scoreless innings as New York defeated host Philadelphia in the rubber game of their weekend series.
Francisco Lindor hit a long homer as part of a 3-for-3 afternoon in which he also walked twice and drove in three runs. That was more than enough support for McLean (7-6), who allowed only two hits and a pair of walks in lowering his ERA to 0.75 over his last four starts.
Phillies starter Alan Rangel (0-3) gave up five runs, seven hits and three walks to go with four strikeouts in four innings. Alec Bohm’s homer accounted for the only run for Philadelphia.
Dodgers 8, Yankees 2 (Game 1)
Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched a complete game four-hitter as Los Angeles scored three times off Cam Schlittler and pulled away late for a victory over host New York in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.
Yamamoto (10-6) allowed two runs in his first career regular-season complete game after throwing consecutive complete games last postseason. He struck out seven and walked none, throwing first-pitch strikes to 21 of 30 hitters. The Dodgers ran away with the game thanks to a five-run eighth against the Yankees bullpen.
Trent Grisham homered and Anthony Volpe had an RBI single as the Yankees dropped to 18-21 since losing Aaron Judge to a fractured right rib. Schlittler (9-6) allowed three runs on six hits over 4 1/3 innings, striking out eight but needing 98 pitches to record 13 outs.
Pirates 7, Guardians 1
Billy Cook collected three hits and drove in his first two runs of the season, fueling visiting Pittsburgh over Cleveland.
Rookie Esmerlyn Valdez provided insurance by belting a two-run homer in the ninth inning. Pirates ace Paul Skenes (9-8) won his third straight start. The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner allowed one run on seven hits with eight strikeouts in seven innings. Jared Triolo, Jake Mangum and Nick Gonzales each had two of the team’s 11 hits.
The Guardians’ Steven Kwan had two hits, including an RBI bunt single in the third inning. Cleveland’s Joey Cantillo (8-5) was charged with four runs on seven hits in five-plus innings.
Orioles 5, Astros 2
Brandon Young twirled seven strong innings, Leody Taveras delivered a critical two-run, two-out single and visiting Baltimore completed a three-game sweep of Houston.
The Orioles extended their season-best win streak to seven games and have won 10 of 13. Young (8-2) produced his eighth quality start and allowed one run on five hits and one walk with seven strikeouts.
Astros right-hander Hunter Brown (1-1) labored throughout his sixth start since his return from a two-plus-month stint on the injured list. Brown allowed four runs on three hits and a career-high six walks over 4 2/3 innings. He has walked 15 batters over his last three starts.
Cubs 10, Twins 1
Nico Hoerner went 2-for-5 with a triple and four RBIs, and Chicago cruised past visiting Minnesota.
Alex Bregman added a two-run homer for the Cubs, who won the rubber match of the three-game series. Michael Busch went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs, and Pedro Ramirez finished 2-for-4 with an RBI. Left-hander Shota Imanaga (6-8) limited the Twins to six hits over seven scoreless innings.
Minnesota right-hander Zebby Matthews (4-7) gave up 10 runs (eight earned) on nine hits in three-plus innings. Royce Lewis went 1-for-3 with a double — the Twins’ only extra-base hit.
Angels 3, Tigers 2
Rookie Ryan Johnson allowed one run on two hits over five innings and Oswald Peraza went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run as Los Angeles salvaged the final game of a three-game series with Detroit in Anaheim, Calif.
Nolan Schanuel had three hits and Vaughn Grissom added two hits, including a double, with a run, helping the Angels snap a four-game losing streak. Johnson (2-4) walked three and struck out five before Ryan Zeferjahn picked up the save.
Kevin McGonigle and Riley Greene each hit home runs for the Tigers, who took just their fourth loss in the last 15 games.
Nationals 5, Athletics 2
Foster Griffin’s seven innings of one-run ball and home runs by CJ Abrams and Dylan Crews led Washington past the host Athletics in West Sacramento, Calif.
Griffin (11-2) struck out only two but induced 12 groundball outs. Two of those grounders resulted in double plays as Griffin limited the damage from the eight hits he allowed. Curtis Mead and Harry Ford had the other RBIs for the Nationals.
Shea Langeliers went 2-for-4 with a double while Alika Williams hit a pair of two-baggers out of the No. 9 spot for the A’s, who out-hit Washington 11-7 in a losing effort. Teammates Tyler Soderstrom and Jacob Wilson each had an RBI. Jacob Lopez (4-4) gave up two runs in 4 1/3 innings.
Reds 9, Rockies 6
Tyler Stephenson slugged a pair of home runs, Sal Stewart and Nathaniel Lowe each hit three-run homers and Cincinnati overcame Hunter Goodman’s three home runs to beat Colorado in Denver.
Hunter Greene (2-1) allowed three runs on four hits with zero walks and seven strikeouts over six innings to help the Reds win the rubber match of a three-game series. Stephenson hit a two-run homer in the first inning, a solo shot in the fifth and a double in the seventh for Cincinnati.
Goodman hit three home runs in a game for the second time this season and drove in five runs for the Rockies, who lost for the fourth time in their last five games. Willi Castro added a solo homer in the ninth inning. The Reds scored five runs on four hits in the first inning off Colorado starter Ryan Feltner (3-4).
Mariners 6, Giants 3
Pinch hitter Luke Raley hit a tiebreaking home run and Cole Young added a two-run shot as Seattle got back to the .500 mark with a victory against visiting San Francisco in the rubber match of the interleague series.
Right-hander Logan Gilbert (8-6) pitched six quality innings for the Mariners, allowing three runs on four hits with 10 strikeouts. Eduard Bazardo, Gabe Speier and Andres Munoz combined for three scoreless innings of one-hit relief with six strikeouts. Josh Naylor and Weston Wilson added RBI singles for Seattle.
Bryce Eldridge opened the scoring with a first-inning solo homer for the Giants. Luis Arraez — who struck out twice for the first time this season — gave San Francisco a 3-2 lead with an RBI double in the sixth inning. Giants starter Robbie Ray went four-plus innings and gave up three runs (one earned) on seven hits. Adrian Houser (2-7) gave up the final three runs.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Phillies' Zack Wheeler, Dodgers' Justin Wrobleski test mettle in rematch
Jul 12, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) celebrates in the dugout after throwing six shutout innings against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images Zack Wheeler and Justin Wrobleski headline a star-studded pitching matchup Tuesday when the Philadelphia Phillies continue their home series with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Wheeler (10-1, 2.13 ERA) has enjoyed a terrific season despite getting a late start to it due to a blood clot in his shoulder. He blanked the Detroit Tigers over six innings in his most recent outing, allowing just two hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts on July 12.
In fact, the veteran right-hander has punched out double-digit batters in all three of his starts this month, totaling 34 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings.
This is Wheeler’s first start of the second half. He initially was left off the National League All-Star team and then turned down a spot as a replacement on the squad.
“They disrespected me, so I’m not going to participate,” Wheeler said at the time. “I don’t need a pity party. I don’t need somebody saying, ‘He’s had major surgery. Look at him now.’ I don’t need that.”
Across the diamond, Wrobleski (10-2, 2.69) gladly accepted a spot on the NL squad after scuffling for most of his first two MLB seasons. The lefty, who turned 26 last week, pitched two innings in the Midsummer Classic — which took place in Philadelphia — and allowed a long home run to Miguel Vargas but also struck out five.
“You want to be an All-Star,” Wrobleski said earlier this month. “It’s something that, regardless of the year, whenever, it’s always a big deal.”
In his most recent start, Wrobleski limited the Colorado Rockies to one run over seven innings on July 7. That was the same line that he posted in his only career start against the Phillies, on May 29 of this season.
Wheeler, meanwhile, is 3-3 with a 4.57 ERA in eight career starts against the Dodgers.
Philadelphia opened the series with a 10-7 victory on Monday behind Trea Turner’s two homers and five RBIs. He also committed an error and made two other misplays at shortstop, contributing to multiple rallies by Los Angeles.
“Trea’s our guy,” Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said. “Trea works every day, so it’s not like he’s out there and doesn’t care about defense. … He’s working every day, so we ride with Trea.”
Brandon Marsh, Bryce Harper and Derek Hill also homered for the Phillies.
Mookie Betts launched a pair of home runs for the Dodgers as part of a four-hit showing in a losing effort.
“That was certainly a nice silver lining for tonight,” Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said. “All of his at-bats were really good. … I just saw that fire tonight. The good conviction in the swings.”
Betts had gone 0-for-14 in his previous four games and had not recorded a multi-hit effort since July 2.
“I just think that he’s better than what he’s showing,” Roberts said. “Do I have the expectations of when he was considerably younger, playing the outfield? No, I don’t. I think that’s an unfair expectation. I have a hard time really answering what my expectation is. I just know that he helps us win baseball games.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Twins looking to break out of funk in Cleveland … quickly
May 18, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Kendry Rojas (60) delivers a pitch against the Houston Astros in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images The Minnesota Twins are on the periphery of the American League postseason race with the trade deadline approaching, three games out of the final wild-card position.
Absorbing three lopsided road losses in a three-day span, most recently a 13-4 mauling by the Cleveland Guardians on Monday, has not helped Minnesota’s chances.
Twins left-hander Kendry Rojas (1-1, 2.79 ERA) will take on Guardians lefty Parker Messick (8-5, 2.73) in the second contest of their four-game series in Cleveland on Tuesday.
Minnesota has been outscored 29-7 during its losing streak, which began with two defeats to the Chicago Cubs by a combined 16-3 margin immediately after winning seven of nine games.
The misery continued Monday, when All-Star pitcher Joe Ryan gave up a modern MLB record-tying six home runs over four innings. The Guardians clubbed seven total homers, tying their home franchise mark.
“It’s definitely frustrating and not the way you want to start a series against this team,” said Ryan, who is 1-3 over his last five starts while being the subject of trade speculation. “They beat me to the spot more times than I got them.
“It’s a tough one, right, because I’m the one that’s wearing it. It’s definitely all on me.”
While Minnesota’s bullpen has been borderline disastrous — with the exception of current closer Yoendrys Gomez — its starters have ranked in the middle of the pack in the AL all season.
That hasn’t been the case in their last three games, however, with Ryan following poor outings by Taj Bradley and Zebby Matthews, combining to allow 21 earned runs in just 12 innings for a 15.75 ERA while being tagged with three losses.
“As good as our starting pitching has been, we’ve had a lull,” Twins manager Derek Shelton said. “The balls were all in the middle of the plate, that’s what I saw from Joe. The way the whole night went, it’s encapsulated by the balls left over the plate.”
Rojas has made six relief appearances and two starts — the latter both no-decisions with a 1.50 ERA over six innings — since making his major league debut on April 22. He has a 1-1 record and 6.75 ERA in two bullpen outings against the Guardians.
Cleveland is one game behind the first-place Chicago White Sox in the AL Central while Minnesota sits five games back in third. The Guardians have split four contests coming out of the All-Star break.
Rhys Hoskins and rookie Petey Halpin each had two of the team’s seven homers in the series opener while Brayan Rocchio, Travis Bazzana and Patrick Bailey also went deep on a warm evening that was conducive to hitting.
“Homers are always cool, and we all try to be the guy that starts that contagiousness,” said Hoskins, who is three homers shy of 200 in his career. “A lot of the pitches were in the middle of the plate, and you can’t miss those in this league.”
Messick, like Ryan, worked a scoreless inning in the All-Star Game that the AL won 4-0. The rookie has pitched against the Twins twice in his 26-game career, posting a 1-0 record with 16 strikeouts and a 2.45 ERA in 11 innings.
“It was really important for the team to get off to a good start against a division rival,” said Tanner Bibee, the winning pitcher Monday. “And I feel like we did it pretty well.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Yankees strive to keep riding Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s bat
Jul 20, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) celebrates with teammates after hitting a three-run home run during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s power has been a key to the New York Yankees’ past two victories.
And after the best game of Chisholm’s inconsistent season, the Yankees will seek a third straight win Tuesday night when they host the Pittsburgh Pirates, though heavy rain is expected for the New York area.
New York is 6-2 in its past eight games, and Chisholm has four of his 16 homers in that span. He hit a tie-breaking homer to left field off Evan Phillips in the eighth inning to send the Yankees to a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the nightcap of Sunday’s doubleheader before recording his 10th career multi-homer game in Monday’s 8-5 victory over the Pirates.
Chisholm heads into Tuesday hitting .368 (7-for-19) in his past five games. He slugged a three-run homer in the first inning Monday and a go-ahead, two-run homer in the third after getting a pep talk from teammates.
“He’s capable of that,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “When he gets it rolling, he’s capable of big things.”
Chisholm is hitting .228 and is third on the Yankees in homers behind injured star Aaron Judge and Ben Rice, who is batting .378 during a career-high 12-game hitting streak. Chisholm also is hitting .260 (13-for-50) in 14 games this month after hitting .177 in his previous 25.
“I felt like I was trying to overdo it, trying to hit a five-run home run with nobody on base,” Chisholm said. “Realizing that we do this as a team and everybody play their game because none of us are Aaron Judge.”
Pittsburgh, meanwhile, is 8-4 in its past 12 games and hopes to see more big swings from rookie Esmerlyn Valdez, who hit a 431-foot two-run homer that gave the Pirates a brief lead Monday. He has at least one RBI in eight straight games.
Valdez is the first Pirate with an RBI and an extra-base hit in eight games in a row since Hall of Famer Willie Stargell in 1971. He also is hitting .369 with 11 of his 13 homers and 29 RBIs over his past 23 games since June 19.
“It felt good to be next to those names,” Valdez said through an interpreter.
Despite the short outing from All-Star Braxton Ashcraft on Monday, the Pirates should be well-situated in their bullpen if needed on Tuesday. Wilber Dotel and Brandon Eisert combined on four innings before Dennis Santana got upset at Jose Caballero for taking too long in the batter’s box, triggering a brief benches-clearing incident.
“Dennis just got frustrated by something,” Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly said. “Thankfully it didn’t end up being a big deal.”
Bubba Chandler (3-8, 4.77 ERA), who is 2-2 with a 4.68 ERA in his past eight games, will start for the Pirates on Tuesday. Pittsburgh is 5-3 in those games. In his most recent start, the right-hander allowed two runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings while throwing 97 pitches in a no-decision during the Pirates’ 3-2 home win over the Milwaukee Brewers on July 11.
He has never faced the Yankees.
Right-hander Will Warren (7-4, 4.03 ERA), who has struggled at times recently after a quick start to the season, will start for the Yankees.
Warren is 0-3 with a 5.56 ERA in his past seven starts since getting off to a 7-1 start. He has allowed two runs or less in two of his past three starts, however, including a no-decision at Washington in which he allowed one run on four hits in five innings on July 12.
Warren has no decisions in two career outings vs. the Pirates, with a 12.60 ERA over five innings.
Warren has a 12.60 ERA in a pair of appearances against the Pirates.
–Field Level Media
Phillies' Zack Wheeler, Dodgers' Justin Wrobleski test mettle in rematch
Twins looking to break out of funk in Cleveland … quickly
