Sports
MLB roundup: Phillies top Cubs, clinch first-round bye
Sep 25, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh (16) is showered by second baseman Bryson Stott (5) after the game against the Chicago Cubs at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images Brandon Marsh hit a three-run double, Nick Castellanos and Bryson Stott each collected three hits, and the Philadelphia Phillies topped the visiting Chicago Cubs 9-6 on Wednesday.
Castellanos, Trea Turner and Kody Clemens homered for Philadelphia (94-65), which clinched a first-round bye in the National League playoffs with their win combined with the Milwaukee Brewers’ loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Phillies remain a half-game behind the Los Angeles Dodgers (94-64) in the race for the NL’s top seed after the Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres 4-3 later Wednesday.
Philadelphia wrapped up its home schedule with a major league-best 54-27 home record despite impressive performances from Chicago’s Isaac Paredes and Nico Hoerner. Paredes went 4-for-5 for the Cubs (81-78), while Hoerner hit a pair of home runs — his sixth and seventh of the campaign.
Dodgers 4, Padres 3
Shohei Ohtani drove in two runs, including a go-ahead RBI single in the sixth inning, as Los Angeles moved to the cusp of another National League West title after a victory over visiting San Diego.
Teoscar Hernandez and Gavin Lux each drove in a run as the Dodgers moved three games ahead of the Padres and reduced their magic number for their 11th division title in 12 seasons to two. The Dodgers can win the West with a victory over the Padres on Thursday.
Alex Vesia (5-4) pitched an inning to earn the win and Michael Kopech handled the ninth for his 15th save. Fernando Tatis Jr. homered for the Padres. Jeremiah Estrada (6-3) allowed a run in two-thirds of an inning.
Tigers 7, Rays 1
Spencer Torkelson homered and drove in three runs and red-hot Detroit moved closer to an American League wild-card berth with a win over visiting Tampa Bay.
Parker Meadows had three hits, including a solo homer, as Detroit won for the eighth time in nine games. Riley Greene and Dillon Dingler each added two hits and an RBI. Detroit starter Keider Montero gave up one run and four hits in 2 2/3 innings.
Tampa Bay had yielded three runs or fewer in eight consecutive games prior to Wednesday. Zack Littell gave up three runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Blue Jays 6, Red Sox 1
Jonatan Clase collected three hits, including his first career major league home run, as Toronto defeated visiting Boston.
Alejandro Kirk added three hits and three RBIs for the Blue Jays, who ended a five-game losing streak and prevented a three-game sweep. The Red Sox had their four-game winning streak end and saw their faint playoff hopes vanish.
Toronto right-hander Kevin Gausman (14-11) allowed one run, four hits and three walks while striking out three in six innings. Boston right-hander Richard Fitts (0-1) gave up four runs, six hits and two walks with two strikeouts in five innings.
Diamondbacks 8, Giants 2
Zac Gallen struck out a season-best 11 in six innings and pinch hitter Pavin Smith slugged a three-run homer to help Arizona record a victory over San Francisco at Phoenix.
Gallen (14-6) gave up one run, two hits and two walks while winning his fifth consecutive decision. Arizona ended a three-game losing streak and moved one percentage point behind the New York Mets in the battle for the National League’s second and third wild-card spots. Geraldo Perdomo had two hits and a walk for the Diamondbacks.
Heliot Ramos had two hits and an RBI for the Giants, who had a season-best five-game winning streak halted. San Francisco’s Mason Black (1-5) gave up four runs and five hits over 2 2/3 innings.
Orioles 9, Yankees 7
Gunnar Henderson collected three hits and Colton Cowser drove in three runs as visiting Baltimore hung on for a victory over New York, which was unable to clinch the American League East for the second straight night.
A night after clinching a playoff berth, Baltimore has a magic number of one to seal the top AL wild card. Henderson led off the game with an infield single as the Orioles scored three times and had six hits in the first inning against New York emergency starter Marcus Stroman. The Orioles finished with 17 hits and went 8-for-16 with runners in scoring position.
New York saw its magic number for clinching a second division title in three seasons remain at one. Juan Soto slugged a two-run homer in the fifth. Aaron Judge homered for the fourth straight game to up his major-league-leading total to 57.
Mariners 8, Astros 1
George Kirby pitched six strong innings, Julio Rodriguez joined the 20-20 club and Seattle kept pace in the playoff race with a win in Houston in the decisive game of a three-game series.
Seattle remained 2 1/2 games behind the final two American League wild-card spots after the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers both won later Wednesday. The Minnesota Twins also posted a victory on Wednesday, and they are just two games back of Kansas City and Detroit.
Astros rookie Shay Whitcomb committed four errors after replacing veteran Alex Bregman at third base in the fourth inning. Bregman, an impending free agent for Houston (86-73), was pulled from his potential last regular-season home game and received a nice ovation as he exited.
Guardians 5, Reds 2
Jose Ramirez hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the eighth inning and Cleveland beat visiting Cincinnati to complete a two-game sweep.
Four Guardians pitchers retired the first 18 Reds batters. Cleveland’s Hunter Gaddis (6-3) blew a lead in the top of the eighth but earned the win. Emilio Pagan (4-5) served up Ramirez’s homer.
Cincinnati failed to score after loading the bases with no outs in the ninth against Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase, who recorded his franchise-record 47th save.
Royals 3, Nationals 0
Robbie Grossman supplied a two-run single, and visiting Kansas City survived the early departure of starter Michael Lorenzen to beat Washington.
Michael Massey and Salvador Perez had two hits each for the Royals, who remain tied with the Detroit Tigers for the second and third American League wild cards. Lorenzen exited after 2 1/3 innings due to leg fatigue that he hopes is minor.
Daniel Lynch IV (2-0) tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings for the win as six Royals pitchers combined on the two-hit shutout. Lucas Erceg pitched the ninth for his 13th save.
Pirates 2, Brewers 1
Luis L. Ortiz allowed one run on four hits over seven innings and Liover Peguero drove in two runs in his season debut to lead host Pittsburgh past Milwaukee.
Peguero, who played a combined 60 games with Pittsburgh in 2022 and ‘23, had a two-run double while Isiah Kiner-Falefa had two hits for Pittsburgh. Those were the Pirates’ only three hits.
Jake Bauers hit a home run for Milwaukee, which had a two-game winning streak snapped. The Brewers were eliminated from contention for the National League’s two first-round playoff byes. They will be the No. 3 seed in the NL playoffs and will host a wild-card series next week.
White Sox 4, Angels 3 (10 innings)
Andrew Benintendi’s RBI single in the 10th inning led host Chicago to a victory over Los Angeles as the White Sox averted a modern major-league-record 121st loss in a season for the second straight day.
Jose Quijada (2-1) struck out Luis Robert Jr. to begin the 10th inning before Benintendi’s single to left-center field ended the game. Jared Shuster (2-4) pitched one scoreless inning for the win.
Korey Lee launched a two-run homer and Lenyn Sosa added a solo shot for the White Sox (38-120), who remained tied with the expansion 1962 New York Mets for the most single-season losses since 1901.
Twins 8, Marlins 3
Carlos Santana hit a three-run double to cap a five-run seventh inning and Minnesota pulled away from Miami in Minneapolis.
The Twins (82-76) kept within two games of the final American League wild-card spot with four to play. The Marlins reached 100 losses for the fourth time in franchise history, joining teams from 1998 (108 losses), 2013 (100) and 2019 (105).
Trevor Larnach went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, and Byron Buxton hit a solo home run for the hosts. Jake Burger went 2-for-5 with a double, a homer and three RBIs to lead Miami.
Rangers 5, A’s 1
Wyatt Langford ignited a three-run first inning with a home run and Texas turned out the lights on 57 years of night baseball at the Oakland Coliseum with a victory over the Athletics.
Rangers relievers Matt Festa (6-1), Andrew Chafin and Jose Leclerc held the A’s scoreless on just three hits over 5 1/3 innings. Adolis Garcia also homered for Texas.
Brent Rooker had a double and a single and Lawrence Butler added a pair of singles for the A’s. Brady Basso (1-1) yielded five runs on six hits in three innings.
Cardinals 5, Rockies 2
Erick Fedde struck out 10 over seven strong innings, Masyn Winn tripled, doubled and scored twice and St. Louis beat Colorado in Denver.
Fedde (9-9) allowed one run on six hits and a walk. Pedro Pages, Ivan Herrera and Thomas Saggese also had two hits apiece for the Cardinals. Ryan Helsley got the final two outs with one pitch for his major-league-leading 48th save.
Brenton Doyle homered and Aaron Schunk, Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Jones had two hits each for the Rockies.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cubs ring up 14 hits in series-opening win over Cardinals
Jul 27, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman (3) rounds third base after hitting a solo home run against the St. Louis Cardinals in the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images Alex Bregman and Nico Hoerner each homered and had four hits apiece as the visiting Chicago Cubs opened a four-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals with a 7-3 win on Monday.
Bregman doubled twice and drove in two runs and Hoerner had four RBIs for Chicago, which tallied 14 hits and won for the third time in its last four games. Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya added two hits apiece.
David Peterson (6-7) allowed two runs on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings.
Jose Fermin hit a solo homer and Masyn Winn had two hits for St. Louis, which has lost eight of its 11 games coming out of the All-Star break.
After the start of the game was delayed 1 hour and 46 minutes due to rain, the Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on back-to-back doubles by Seiya Suzuki and Bregman against Matthew Liberatore (5-8).
With two runners on and one out in the second inning, Amaya added to Chicago’s lead with a run-scoring single to right field.
Fermin put the Cardinals on the board with a two-out solo homer in the bottom of the second. The 407-foot blast was Fermin’s fifth homer of the season.
Bregman began the third inning by depositing Liberatore’s first offering into the right-field seats for his 11th homer of the season.
Liberatore allowed three runs on eight hits over 3 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out five.
The Cubs extended their lead to 5-1 in the fifth inning. Bregman and Kelly hit consecutive singles and both scored on Hoerner’s one-out single.
Gavin Hollowell replaced Peterson with a runner on second and two outs in the sixth. Winn greeted Hollowell with a run-scoring single, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Bryan Torres’ ground-rule double.
The Cubs added to their lead in the ninth when Hoerner hit a two-run blast for his fifth homer of the season and first since April 21.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Brandon Lowe's heroics help Pirates down Diamondbacks in 10
Jul 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe (5) receives a water bath after hitting an RBI single to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks in ten innings at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Brandon Lowe’s single in the bottom of the 10th inning scored Billy Cook and propelled the host Pittsburgh Pirates to a 3-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.
The Pirates drew even with the Diamondbacks for the final National League wild-card spot, dealing Arizona its third loss in a row.
Lowe’s game-winner off Diamondbacks reliever Taylor Clarke (2-2) was a liner that got past first baseman Ildemaro Vargas. Lowe finished with three hits and two RBIs.
Endy Rodriguez, who was activated from the 10-day injured list pregame after recovering from a left glute strain, singled to right to open the 10th, putting runners on the corners with no outs.
Jake Mangum grounded to second base, and Billy Cook was caught in a rundown between third and home. But Cook bought enough time and made it back to third just as Rodriguez did, resulting in one out, but ensuring the Pirates still had a runner at third.
Max Kepler had three hits, drove in the Diamondbacks’ two runs and had a chance to give Arizona the lead in the top of the 10th. However, with the bases loaded and two outs, Kepler lined out to center against reliever Mason Montgomery (4-3).
Montgomery also struck out Gabriel Moreno two batters prior after Arizona had put runners on second and third with one out.
Bryan Reynolds knotted the game at 2 in the bottom of the eighth with a two-out RBI double to score Lowe, who doubled in the prior at-bat. The clutch hit came moments after Pirates manager Don Kelly was ejected by third base umpire Ben May after arguing a check-swing call during Reynolds’ at-bat.
The teams were locked in a scoreless stalemate until Kepler’s two-run double with the bases loaded put the Diamondbacks in front in the top of the sixth.
In the bottom of the sixth, Mangum scored on a single by Lowe to cut Arizona’s lead to 2-1.
Pittsburgh’s hot-hitting rookie Esmerlyn Valdez was struck by a 91.4 mph fastball from Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly on his left hand and exited the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. Valdez has 14 home runs in his first 38 career games.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Astros' 4-run small-ball rally in ninth inning sinks Angels
Jul 27, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels second baseman Vaughn Grissom (5) hits a home run during the third inning against the Houston Astros at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images LaMonte Wade Jr. drove in the go-ahead run with a bases-loaded walk during a four-run ninth inning as the Houston Astros rallied for a 6-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Monday in Anaheim, Calif.
The decisive rally featured just one hit, a single that did not knock in a run.
Taylor Trammell homered, walked twice, was hit by a pitch and scored twice as Houston took the opener of a three-game series, its sixth win in seven games. The Astros trailed 4-0 after three innings.
Astros reliever Cristian Javier (1-1) allowed three hits and no walks over five shutout innings, striking out seven. Josh Hader pitched around two walks in the bottom of the ninth to pick up his 13th save.
Vaughn Grissom went 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs for Los Angeles, which lost for the ninth time this season when leading after eight innings. Jose Fermin (3-2) was charged with three runs, one earned, while recording only one out.
Houston trailed 4-2 entering the ninth. Trammell was hit by a pitch to open the inning, advanced to second on a passed ball and went to third on a single by Christian Walker. Lucas Spence then hit a potential double-play grounder that bounced past Grissom at second, allowing Trammell to score.
It looked as if the Angels might get out of the jam when Christian Vazquez popped out on a bunt and pinch runner Nick Allen was thrown out at the plate on Jeremy Pena’s grounder to third. However, after Yordan Alvarez was intentionally walked to load the bases, reliever Sam Bachman hit Isaac Paredes with a pitch to force in the tying run, then walked Wade to make it 5-4.
Bachman subsequently mishandled Jose Altuve’s comebacker, allowing Alvarez to score.
Los Angeles took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Astros starter Tatsuya Imai walked Zach Neto and Mike Trout to begin the frame, and both runners advanced on a balk. Nolan Schanuel drove in Neto with a sacrifice fly as Trout tagged and advanced to third. After Jorge Soler walked, Grissom singled to drive in Trout.
The Angels extended the lead to 4-0 in the third inning on Grissom’s seventh homer, a 395-foot drive to left-center, and Jo Adell’s RBI bloop double down the right field line.
Houston cut the gap to 4-1 in the fourth inning on Trammell’s fifth home run, a 412-foot shot into the bleachers in right-center.
The Astros closed within 4-2 in the eighth inning when Pena led off with a double into the left field corner and scored on a single by Alvarez, his American League-leading 78th RBI.
–Field Level Media
Cubs ring up 14 hits in series-opening win over Cardinals
Brandon Lowe's heroics help Pirates down Diamondbacks in 10
