Sports
Red Sox welcome O's with eyes on 14th straight win
Jul 19, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin (5) and Boston Red Sox first baseman Wilson Contreras (40) celebrate the victory against the Tampa Bay Rays after the ninth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images The Boston Red Sox started their 13-game win streak on the road before the All-Star break, but home cooking has helped to fuel it.
After completing a four-game sweep of the American League East-leading Tampa Bay Rays, the Red Sox look to keep the good times rolling when they welcome the Baltimore Orioles — who have won seven in a row themselves — into Boston for the start of a three-game series on Monday night.
“I feel like we’ve flipped the script,” Boston third baseman Caleb Durbin said.
The current heater has Boston two games above the .500 mark for the first time since a win on Opening Day. Now the team is two games short of the club record of 15 straight set in 1946.
“You’re winning games against clubs that have a chance to be in the playoffs. That’s important,” Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said. “It’s important that we’re playing this way out of the All-Star break. It’s important that we’re doing it at home. All those things matter.”
Another thing that matters? The return of Willson Contreras.
Contreras’ two-run homer in the fifth inning on Sunday gave the Red Sox a 6-1 lead, which proved to be the final score, in support of another quality start from Sonny Gray. It was the first baseman’s second round-tripper in three games since returning from a suspension and his fourth in seven games since July 4.
The Red Sox hand the ball to Payton Tolle (5-6, 3.11 ERA) for his first start since the All-Star break after being limited to 3 2/3 innings last Sunday against the New York Mets in an effort to manage his workload. The 23-year-old was still effective, striking out seven and allowing just one run on three hits in 3 2/3 innings.
Tolle has allowed just one run or fewer in three of his last four starts, while one of his three shutout performances this season came in his first career start against Baltimore on June 3, as he limited the Orioles to seven hits over six innings and struck out five.
Though the Orioles remain two games below .500 (49-51) on the season, they continued their winning ways with a 5-2 Sunday triumph and a three-game road sweep over the Houston Astros.
Baltimore managed just six hits, including a pair from Dylan Beavers, but seven walks and four hit batters helped set its offense in motion. Gunnar Henderson’s steal of home on a double steal also highlighted the effort.
“(Our offense just wants to) continue to put pressure on defenses,” Henderson said. “If you do that over the course of nine innings, you’re bound to break through.”
The Orioles did just that in the fifth, thanks to a two-run single by Leody Taveras.
As his team arrives in Boston, Orioles manager Craig Albernaz will be watching the status of catcher Samuel Basallo, who exited Sunday’s game with right shoulder discomfort during an at-bat in the second inning.
“It’s been a lingering thing, and obviously, he just aggravated it,” said Albernaz, who also noted that All-Star Adley Rutschman was experiencing left discomfort before the game.
Baltimore looks to continue its recent momentum with Shane Baz (4-9, 4.19) on the mound, searching for his first win since June 12. The righty has fanned nine batters in two of his five outings since then, including a 4 2/3-inning start last Sunday against the Kansas City Royals.
The rotation initially had Kyle Bradish scheduled to make the Monday start before he was pushed back a day. Bradish signed a five-year contract extension on Saturday, becoming the highest-paid pitcher in Orioles history.
Baz is 4-1 with a 2.63 ERA in six career starts against the Red Sox. He was a winner in Boston in that June 2 outing, pitching seven innings of two-run ball with six strikeouts.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Trea Turner knocks two out as Phillies control Dodgers
Jul 20, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) hits a two run home run during the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Trea Turner had two homers, a double and five RBIs to fuel the Philadelphia Phillies to a 10-7 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday.
Brandon Marsh, Bryce Harper and Derek Hill also homered for Philadelphia, which provided Cristopher Sanchez (12-4) with plenty of offensive support. After struggling in his first All-Star start last week, the left-hander allowed three runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings in this one, striking out seven without a walk.
Mookie Betts homered twice as part of a 4-for-5 night for the Dodgers, while Andy Pages chipped in with two hits and an RBI. Los Angeles starter Emmet Sheehan (4-7) absorbed the loss after allowing six runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Sanchez worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning before Sheehan pitched around a leadoff double in the bottom half.
Sanchez logged a 1-2-3 second inning, setting the stage for his teammates to plate three runs in the bottom of the frame.
Gabriel Rincones Jr.’s RBI double opened the scoring before Justin Crawford’s sacrifice fly made it 2-0. Turner followed with a blast into the left-field seats to extend the advantage to 4-0.
Betts singled and came around to score in the fourth to get Los Angeles on the board. The Dodgers then added two more runs in the sixth against Sanchez and reliever Orion Kerkering.
However, Philadelphia quickly regained the momentum as Marsh homered off Sheehan to begin the sixth. Later in the frame, lefty Alex Vesia surrendered a three-run blast to Turner — his 200th career home run.
Harper reached a milestone of his own in the seventh, launching his 200th homer as a member of the Phillies against reliever Landon Knack. Derek Hill’s solo shot in the eighth made it 10-4.
The Dodgers plated three runs in the ninth against Chase Shugart, highlighted by Betts’ two-run homer. The rally featured a misplay by Turner, who had a rough night at shortstop with an error and multiple other miscues.
Jhoan Duran came on for the Phillies and recorded the final out of the game.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Yordan Alvarez homers twice, Ronel Blanco returns as Astros top Marlins
Jul 20, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Ronel Blanco (56) reacts after retiring the side against the Miami Marlins during the fourth inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images Yordan Alvarez produced his fifth multi-homer game of the season to help the Houston Astros snap a four-game skid with an 8-5 win over the visiting Miami Marlins on Monday.
Alvarez finished 3-for-4 with a pair of solo home runs. He posted his 12th three-hit game of the season and his 27th career multi-homer game to send the Marlins to their seventh straight loss.
The Marlins seized a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning against Astros right-hander Ronel Blanco, who was reinstated from the 60-day injured list to make his first start since May 17, 2025. Blanco missed 15 months due to Tommy John surgery.
His season debut was uneven. Blanco recorded eight strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings and allowed only two hits. However, Blanco issued three walks, and the two hits were two-run home runs from Joe Mack and Liam Hicks.
Mack followed a two-out walk issued to Jakob Marsee with a 409-foot blast to right field in the second. Blanco opened that frame with strikeouts of Hicks and Griffin Conine, but Mack followed Marsee by drilling a 3-2 fastball for his eighth homer of the season.
The Astros fashioned an immediate response against Marlins right-hander Janson Junk (4-6). Taylor Trammell ignited a six-run second inning with an RBI single that bounced into right and scored LaMonte Wade Jr. Two batters later, Lucas Spence walked to load the bases with one out for Jeremy Pena, who rallied from an 0-2 hole by delivering his second career grand slam.
Pena went the opposite way to right for his seventh homer of the season. Alvarez followed with a titanic shot into the upper deck in right-center field, his 32nd home run covering 428 feet.
Hicks shaved that 6-2 deficit in half in the fourth when he followed a leadoff walk from Xavier Edwards with his 14th home run, a 393-foot shot to right. Blanco rallied and retired the ensuing five batters, but a two-out walk to Kyle Stowers in the fifth spelled the end of his 86-pitch outing.
Alvarez greeted Marlins reliever Lake Bachar with a 419-foot laser to right-center leading off the fifth. Junk allowed six runs on five hits and three walks with three strikeouts over four innings.
Jose Altuve added Houston’s eighth run with a two-out single in the seventh following Isaac Paredes’ triple. Astros closer Josh Hader gave up three hits in the ninth, including Heriberto Hernandez’s run-scoring single, before locking down the win.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Washington gets to Kyle Freeland early, takes down Rockies
Jul 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Washington Nationals second baseman Nasim Nunez (26) turns the first half of a double play against Colorado Rockies right fielder Tyler Freeman (2) in the fourth inning at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images CJ Abrams homered for the second straight game, one of three home runs for Washington, and the Nationals beat the Colorado Rockies 7-3 in Denver on Monday night.
Jacob Young also went deep and finished with three hits, Curtis Mead contributed three hits, and Andres Chaparro hit his fourth home run for Washington, which has won two in a row and leads majors with 147 homers.
Riley Cornelio (1-1) tossed 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief and Tom Cosgrove got the final six outs for his first save.
Jake McCarthy led Colorado with a pair of hits. The Rockies, who have dropped three of their first four out of the All-Star break, have the worst record in the National League.
The Nationals jumped on Colorado starter Kyle Freeland. James Wood drew a walk to lead off the game, Mead followed with a single to center and Chaparro hit the first pitch he saw from Freeland into the seats in left-center field.
Washington threatened for more in the first when Dylan Crews walked and Young singled with one out, but Freeland retired the next two batters to end the frame.
The Rockies loaded the bases in the third with two singles and a walk against Washington starter Andrew Alvarez, and Castro cleared them with a two-out double to center to tie it 3-3.
Alvarez allowed three runs on six hits over 4 1/3 innings.
Tempers flared in the fifth. Chaparro flew out to right field and on his trot back to the dugout ran over part of the mound, drawing the ire of Freeland. Benches and bullpens cleared but the incident didn’t escalate and no one was ejected.
Young broke the tie in the sixth inning when he led off against Freeland with his ninth home run. Abrams extended the lead in seventh when he hit a two-run shot off Antonio Senzatela, his 22nd homer of the season.
Freeland (2-9) gave up four runs on seven hits in his six innings of work.
The Nationals tacked on a run in the ninth with Daylen Lile’s two-out RBI triple.
–Field Level Media
Trea Turner knocks two out as Phillies control Dodgers
Yordan Alvarez homers twice, Ronel Blanco returns as Astros top Marlins
