Sports
Phillies power past Cubs, secure first-round bye
Sep 25, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies infielder Kody Clemens (2) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Chicago Cubs in the fourth inning 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 also are keeping a close eye on the Los Angeles Dodgers (93-64) – who face the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night – in the race for the NL’s top seed.
Philadelphia wrapped up its home schedule with a major league-best 54-27 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.
The Phillies jumped out to an early lead in the first inning against Javier Assad (7-6). Turner’s 20th home run made it 1-0 before Stott’s two-run double increased the advantage to 3-0.
Castellanos’ 23rd homer extended the lead to 4-0 in the third, but Hoerner answered with a three-run shot against Cristopher Sanchez in the fourth to bring Chicago within a run.
The offenses continued to exchange runs, as Clemens responded with a solo shot before the Cubs countered with Cody Bellinger’s RBI single. That hit ended the night for Sanchez, who allowed four runs (three earned) and five hits in 4 2/3 innings. Sanchez walked one and fanned four.
Philadelphia tacked on three more runs in the fifth. Castellanos singled with one out and Stott reached on an infield hit before Assad walked J.T. Realmuto to load the bases. Marsh followed with his bases-clearing double against Keegan Thompson, making it 8-4.
Jose Ruiz (5-1) allowed Hoerner’s solo shot in the sixth before Orion Kerkering, Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez closed it out with one inning apiece.
Realmuto made it 9-5 with an RBI single in the seventh, and Dansby Swanson had a run-scoring double in the ninth for Chicago.
Assad allowed eight runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out three.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Munetaka Murakami strokes 2 of White Sox's 5 homers in rout of Astros
Jul 26, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami (5) is greeted in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images Miguel Vargas hit a go-ahead, two-run home run in the sixth inning and Munetaka Murakami added a pair of homers as the host Chicago White Sox routed the Houston Astros 12-3 on Sunday to avoid a series sweep.
Chicago clubbed a season high-tying five home runs compared to three from Houston to extend its lead atop the American League Central to 2 1/2 games over Cleveland.
With his parents throwing out first pitches on his bobblehead day, Murakami went 3-for-5 with a career-high six RBIs. He drilled an opposite-field two-run homer in the first, drove in a run with a third-inning groundout, added a two-run single in a four-run seventh and finished with a solo clout to right in the eighth.
Jeremy Pena cracked solo homers in his first two at-bats and Taylor Trammell added a solo homer for the Astros, whose five-game winning streak came to a close.
The White Sox’s breakout against Astros right-hander Ronel Blanco in the sixth turned the tide. Sam Antonacci, who collected two hits, led off with a double and advanced to third on a Murakami groundout. Vargas followed with a two-run blast to left field, his 21st homer this season, to put the White Sox ahead 5-3.
Blanco (0-1) scattered five runs and four hits in 5 1/3 innings with three walks and four strikeouts. It marked his second start since rejoining the rotation last week following Tommy John surgery in June 2025.
After Pena opened the game with a home run, Murakami reached Blanco for a two-run home run in the first to stop a 13-game homerless streak.
Houston’s own penchant for the long ball kept the club afloat in the early innings. Jeremy Pena stretched his hitting streak to eight games with a pair of home runs.
White Sox starter Erick Fedde yielded three solo home runs among his five hits over 4 1/3 innings. Pena homered against Fedde with one out in the third, then Taylor Trammell sent Fedde’s first delivery of the fifth over the wall in right center.
Fedde walked one and struck out two. Sean Newcomb (1-2) worked around a hit and walk to get the final two outs in the sixth to notch the victory.
Chase Meidroth homered in the seventh for Chicago and Junior Perez added a two-run blast in the eighth.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Braves win in 11 innings as Orioles squander opportunities
Jul 26, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) attempting to make a tag on Atlanta Braves center fielder Michael Harris II (23) and is safe in the second inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Lexi Thompson-Imagn Images Austin Riley doubled in the go-ahead run in the 11th inning and the Atlanta Braves beat the host Baltimore Orioles 3-2 on Sunday afternoon in the rubber game of the three-game series.
Dominic Smith drove in two runs with a pair of singles and finished with three hits while starting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez threw 5 2/3 shutout innings for the Braves, who won for the eighth time in their last 11 games. Tyler Kinley (6-4) was the winning pitcher by going 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Pete Alonso homered for the Orioles, who tied the game in the bottom of the ninth but then wasted game-winning opportunities in the next two innings. Andrew Kittredge (1-3) took the loss.
After a wild pitch and two walks, the Orioles had the bases loaded with no outs in the 10th. But Gunnar Henderson lined into a double play and Taylor Ward was retired on a flyout. They reloaded the bases with two outs in the 11th but didn’t score.
The Orioles tied the game with an unearned run on Jackson Holliday’s groundout, which accounted for the second out of the ninth inning. The Braves stranded two runners in the top of the 10th.
Lopez allowed five hits and one walk with six strikeouts before Dylan Dodd, Dylan Lee and Raisel Iglesias followed him in relief.
Orioles starter Shane Baz lasted 4 1/3 innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks. Alonso and Ward each had two of Baltimore’s six hits.
The Braves struck first on Smith’s run-scoring single in the second inning. That gave Smith his first 40-RBI season since 2023 when he was with the Washington Nationals.
Smith singled in another run in the fourth.
Alonso’s 22nd long ball of the season came off Lee in the eighth inning to cut the gap to 2-1.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand walked to lead off the bottom of the ninth and Coby Mayo ran for him. Mayo took third on a fielding error by Ozzie Albies at second base before Holliday drove him in, but Iglesias retired Jeremiah Jackson to force extras.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Twins roll up big lead, hold on to beat Athletics
Jul 26, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins right fielder Kody Clemens (2) slides into third base for a run scoring triple as Athletics third baseman Tommy White (47) looks to catch the ball. White would be unable to gather the ball and Clemens would score on the play during the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images Ryan Jeffers went 3-for-5 with three RBIs, and the Minnesota Twins held on for an 11-8 win over the Athletics on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis.
Ryan Kreidler finished 3-for-4 with three doubles and an RBI for Minnesota, which won the rubber match of the three-game series. Kody Clemens went 3-for-5 with two triples and an RBI.
Nick Kurtz hit a three-run home run to lead the Athletics. Jeff McNeil was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
Twins left-hander Connor Prielipp (3-5) held the Athletics to one run on two hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out five.
Athletics left-hander Jeffrey Springs (3-10) gave up five runs (four earned) on four hits in 1 1/3 innings.
Minnesota started the scoring with three runs in the first.
Royce Lewis drove in the first run on a fielder’s choice groundout. Clemens delivered in the next at-bat with a triple to right-center field, and he trotted home to score after Athletics shortstop Alika Williams fired an errant cutoff throw toward third that bounced out of play.
The Twins doubled their lead to 6-0 with three more runs in the second.
Minnesota loaded the bases for two outs for Jeffers, and the Twins made it 4-0 before he made contact. Athletics right-hander Luis Morales committed a bases-loaded walk to allow Alex Jackson to score from third.
Moments later, Jeffers ripped a two-run single to right.
Another miscue by the Athletics allowed the Twins to push their lead to 7-0 in the fourth. Catcher Jonah Heim committed a throwing error that allowed Ryan Kreidler to score.
The Athletics got on the scoreboard in the sixth. Kurtz belted a three-run, 412-foot shot to center for his 21st homer of the season.
Minnesota made it 8-3 on a sacrifice fly by Austin Martin in the sixth.
The Athletics cut the deficit to 8-6 with three runs in the seventh. Donovan Walton drew a bases-loaded walk, McNeil notched an RBI groundout and Carlos Cortes hit a sacrifice fly.
The Twins responded with a run in the bottom of the seventh to make it 9-6. Clemens tripled off the right-field wall, and he scored on a sacrifice fly by Luke Keaschall.
Kreidler and Jeffers drove in one run apiece in the eighth to give the Twins an 11-6 lead.
McNeil and Cortes each drove in a run in the ninth to finish the scoring for the Athletics.
-Field Level Media
Munetaka Murakami strokes 2 of White Sox's 5 homers in rout of Astros
Braves win in 11 innings as Orioles squander opportunities
