The Los Angeles Dodgers fortified their chances to repeat as World Series champions by acquiring starter Max Scherzer and shortstop Trea Turner as MLB teams completed a historic trade deadline scramble that saw 10 different 2021 All-Stars change teams.
The Dodgers, who trail the Giants by three games in the highly competitive National League West, were able to orchestrate a blockbuster deal to plug the hole in their rotation left by Trevor Bauer, who remains on leave as he is investigated for sexual abuse.
Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner and eight-time All-Star, steps into a formidable rotation that still features Walker Buhler, Clayton Kershaw and Julio Urias – plus left-hander Danny Duffy, who was acquired from the Kansas City Royals on Thursday.
Turner is batting .322 this year with 18 home runs and has 21 stolen bases, earning him his first All-Star selection earlier this month. He will add his combination of speed and power to a Los Angeles lineup that already leads the National League in runs scored.
In return for the two All-Stars, the Dodgers sent four minor league players to the Washington Nationals, including a pair of top-50 prospects in catcher Keibert Ruiz and pitcher Josiah Gray.
The Nationals were among the biggest sellers at the deadline, sitting in fourth place in the NL East and having just announced that 2019 World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg will undergo season-ending neck surgery.
On Thursday, Washington sent relief pitcher Brad Hand to the Toronto Blue Jays and dealt slugger Kyle Schwarber to the Boston Red Sox. The fire sale continued on Friday, with the Nationals sending catcher Yan Gomes and infielder Josh Harrison to the Athletics and trading veteran lefty Jon Lester to the St. Louis Cardinals.
The other notable sellers at the deadline were the Chicago Cubs, who gutted nearly the entire core that helped them win the World Series in 2016.
Kris Bryant, Javier Baez and Anthony Rizzo each played a vital role in that championship five years ago but were sent packing this week with all three playing in the final seasons of their contracts.
The New York Mets added Baez, who will likely start at shortstop until Francisco Lindor is healthy then play second base, as well as pitcher Trevor Williams in exchange for 2020 top draft pick Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Bryant, who had previously said he would consider re-signing with the Cubs this offseason, yielded a modest return in a trade with the NL West-leading Giants.
The Cubs also had the leading closer on the market, sending Craig Kimbrel to the crosstown White Sox for second baseman Nick Madrigal and pitcher Codi Heuer.
Rizzo was the first to go, traded Thursday to the New York Yankees, whose first basemen have slugged an MLB-worst .323 this season.
The Yankees are in third place, thanks mostly to an anemic offense that has scored the second-fewest runs in the American League, but took huge strides at the deadline. Earlier on Thursday, the Yankees secured towering slugger Joey Gallo in a trade with the woeful Texas Rangers, giving the Bronx Bombers two new power threats from the left side of the plate.
Despite entering Friday fourth in the AL East, the Toronto Blue Jays dealt two prospects to the Minnesota Twins for right-handed starter Jose Berrios. Even if Toronto misses the playoffs this season, Berrios is still just 27 and remains under team control through 2022.
The Atlanta Braves drew attention around the league for being buyers, despite star center fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. being out for the rest of the season. The Braves made multiple deals on Friday and since the All-Star break have added catcher Stephen Vogt, pitcher Richard Rodriguez and four outfielders: Adam Duvall, Joc Pederson, Jorge Soler and Eddie Rosario.
Elsewhere in the NL East, the Philadelphia Phillies also strengthened their position by acquiring All-Star pitcher Kyle Gibson from the Rangers and by re-uniting with infielder Freddy Galvis.
Add in earlier trades that sent Nelson Cruz to the Tampa Bay Rays, Adam Frazier to the San Diego Padres and Eduardo Escobar to the Milwaukee Brewers to reach 10 of this year’s All-Stars moved at the deadline, the most ever.
The New York Yankees have been one of MLB's most aggressive teams ahead of Friday's trade deadline, and their performance against the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday showed they have plenty of room for improvement.
The Rays scored four times in the first inning before exploding for 10 runs in the sixth on the way to a 14-0 victory as they handed Yankees ace Gerrit Cole his worst loss of the season.
Austin Meadows' three-run homer off Cole was the big blow as Tampa Bay took an early lead, and Meadows added a two-run homer in the sixth to cap the scoring.
The Rays also got a grand slam from Brett Phillips and a two-run shot from Ji-Man Choi in that inning as they drove Cole from the game.
The Yankees starter was charged with a season-high eight runs, seven of them earned, despite striking out 10 in 5.1 innings, but it was Albert Abreu who let the game get out of hand for New York.
The reliever faced six batters in the sixth and did not retire any of them, allowing all three Rays homers in the inning while also surrendering a single and walking two.
New York's hitters did not provide much help, as they managed only four hits off Rays starter Luis Patino and two relievers, but they know reinforcements are coming after trading for Joey Gallo and Anthony Rizzo the last two days.
Blue Jays pound Red Sox
The Rays-Yankees game was not the only blowout among American League (AL) East rivals Thursday, as the Toronto Blue Jays hammered the Boston Red Sox in a 13-1 win at Fenway Park. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his 33rd home run of the year amid the onslaught, a three-run drive in the fifth inning, as Toronto starter Hyun Jin Ryu allowed just two hits in six shutout innings.
The San Francisco Giants claimed their second series victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in as many weeks, winning 5-0 as their bullpen turned in 4.1 perfect innings to back up Johnny Cueto's strong start.
Manny Pina homered in the sixth and eighth innings, driving in five runs as the Milwaukee Brewers pulled away late for a 12-0 win and three-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Joey Votto homered for the sixth consecutive game, helping the Cincinnati Reds to a 7-4 win over the Chicago Cubs.
Miguel Cabrera hit the 496th and 497th home runs of his career as the Detroit Tigers beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-2.
Royals take series from White Sox
The first-placed Chicago White Sox fell to the Kansas City Royals for the third time in their four-game series, losing 5-0 as they collected only five hits off Carlos Hernandez and two relievers.
Phillies avoid sweep in dramatic fashion
After dropping the first game of their doubleheader against the Washington Nationals, the Philadelphia Phillies were on the verge of being swept before scoring three in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game. After Washington scored in the top of the eighth, Brad Miller hit a grand slam in the bottom half for the walk-off win.
Thursday's results
Toronto Blue Jays 13-1 Boston Red Sox
Milwaukee Brewers 12-0 Pittsburgh Pirates
Detroit Tigers 6-2 Baltimore Orioles
Atlanta Braves 6-3 New York Mets
Tampa Bay Rays 14-0 New York Yankees
Cincinnati Reds 7-4 Chicago Cubs
Kansas City Royals 5-0 Chicago White Sox
Oakland Athletics 4-0 Los Angeles Angels
San Francisco Giants 5-0 Los Angeles Dodgers
San Diego Padres 3-0 Colorado Rockies
Washington Nationals 3-1 Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies 11-8 Washington Nationals
Astros at Giants
Opening a matchup of division leaders, the Houston Astros (63-40) send Framber Valdez to the mound against All-Star Kevin Gausman and the San Francisco Giants (64-38).
With the MLB trade deadline still a day away, the big dominoes started falling on Thursday as rumours swirled around numerous star players.
While multiple reports said Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer and All-Star shortstop Trea Turner were on the verge of being dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Yankees finalised another addition to their lineup.
A day after acquiring slugger Joey Gallo from the Texas Rangers, New York got Anthony Rizzo from the Chicago Cubs for outfielder Kevin Alcantara and pitcher Alexandro Vizcaino, adding a power-hitting first baseman renowned for his clubhouse presence.
Though he was drafted by the Boston Red Sox and made his MLB debut with the San Diego Padres, Rizzo had been a beloved Cubs fixture for years, making three All-Star teams and helping Chicago to a long-awaited World Series title in 2016.
Rizzo did not play in the Cubs' 7-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds earlier Thursday, prompting fans at Wrigley Field to chant "We want Rizzo!" during the game.
The 31-year-old is hitting .248 with 14 home runs, 40 RBIs and a .792 OPS and will become the Yankees' primary first baseman.
Red Sox swoop for Schwarber
Rizzo's former Cubs team-mate Kyle Schwarber also was on the move Thursday as the Nationals traded him to the Boston Red Sox for minor league pitcher Aldo Ramirez.
Schwarber is on the injured list with a hamstring strain but is expected back soon.
The All-Star is hitting .253 with 25 home runs and 53 RBIs, with 16 of those homers coming in an 18-game stretch in June.
He figures to see time as an outfielder and designated hitter for the Red Sox.
Mariners get Castillo as relievers on the move
In other moves Thursday, the Seattle Mariners acquired closer Diego Castillo from the Tampa Bay Rays for pitcher JT Chargois and third baseman Austin Shenton.
The San Diego Padres shored up their bullpen in getting veteran reliever Daniel Hudson from the Nationals for minor league pitcher Mason Thompson and infielder Jordy Barley.
The Chicago White Sox made a pair of moves, picking up infielder Cesar Hernandez from the Cleveland Indians for left-hander Konnor Pilkington and getting relief pitcher Ryan Tepera from the Cubs for pitching prospect Bailey Horn.
Lefty reliever Brad Hand moved from Washington to the Toronto Blue Jays for catcher Riley Adams, while the Dodgers picked up left-hander Danny Duffy from the Kansas City Royals for a player to be named.
With the MLB trade deadline still a day away, the big dominoes started falling on Thursday as rumours swirled around numerous star players.
While multiple reports said Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer and All-Star shortstop Trea Turner were on the verge of being dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Yankees finalised another addition to their lineup.
A day after acquiring slugger Joey Gallo from the Texas Rangers, New York got Anthony Rizzo from the Chicago Cubs for outfielder Kevin Alcantara and pitcher Alexandro Vizcaino, adding a power-hitting first baseman renowned for his clubhouse presence.
Though he was drafted by the Boston Red Sox and made his MLB debut with the San Diego Padres, Rizzo had been a beloved Cubs fixture for years, making three All-Star teams and helping Chicago to a long-awaited World Series title in 2016.
Rizzo did not play in the Cubs' 7-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds earlier Thursday, prompting fans at Wrigley Field to chant "We want Rizzo!" during the game.
The 31-year-old is hitting .248 with 14 home runs, 40 RBIs and a .792 OPS and will become the Yankees' primary first baseman.
Red Sox swoop for Schwarber
Rizzo's former Cubs team-mate Kyle Schwarber also was on the move Thursday as the Nationals traded him to the Boston Red Sox for minor league pitcher Aldo Ramirez.
Schwarber is on the injured list with a hamstring strain but is expected back soon.
The All-Star is hitting .253 with 25 home runs and 53 RBIs, with 16 of those homers coming in an 18-game stretch in June.
He figures to see time as an outfielder and designated hitter for the Red Sox.
Mariners get Castillo as relievers on the move
In other moves Thursday, the Seattle Mariners acquired closer Diego Castillo from the Tampa Bay Rays for pitcher JT Chargois and third baseman Austin Shenton.
The Chicago White Sox made a pair of moves, picking up infielder Cesar Hernandez from the Cleveland Indians for left-hander Konnor Pilkington and getting relief pitcher Ryan Tepera from the Cubs for pitching prospect Bailey Horn.
Lefty reliever Brad Hand moved from Washington to the Toronto Blue Jays for catcher Riley Adams, while the Dodgers picked up left-hander Danny Duffy from the Kansas City Royals for a player to be named.
With the MLB trade deadline still a day away, the big dominoes started falling on Thursday as rumours swirled around numerous star players.
While multiple reports said Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer and All-Star shortstop Trea Turner were on the verge of being dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Yankees finalised another addition to their lineup.
A day after acquiring slugger Joey Gallo from the Texas Rangers, New York got Anthony Rizzo from the Chicago Cubs for outfielder Kevin Alcantara and pitcher Alexandro Vizcaino, adding a power-hitting first baseman renowned for his clubhouse presence.
Though he was drafted by the Boston Red Sox and made his MLB debut with the San Diego Padres, Rizzo had been a beloved Cubs fixture for years, making three All-Star teams and helping Chicago to a long-awaited World Series title in 2016.
Rizzo did not play in the Cubs' 7-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds earlier Thursday, prompting fans at Wrigley Field to chant "We want Rizzo!" during the game.
The 31-year-old is hitting .248 with 14 home runs, 40 RBIs and a .792 OPS and will become the Yankees' primary first baseman.
Mariners get Castillo as relievers on the move
In other moves Thursday, the Seattle Mariners acquired closer Diego Castillo from the Tampa Bay Rays for pitcher JT Chargois and third baseman Austin Shenton.
The Chicago White Sox made a pair of moves, picking up infielder Cesar Hernandez from the Cleveland Indians for left-hander Konnor Pilkington and getting relief pitcher Ryan Tepera from the Cubs for pitching prospect Bailey Horn.
Lefty reliever Brad Hand moved from Washington to the Toronto Blue Jays for catcher Riley Adams, while the Dodgers picked up left-hander Danny Duffy from the Kansas City Royals for a player to be named.
Walker Buehler celebrated his 27th birthday with a dominant performance as the Los Angeles Dodgers routed the San Francisco Giants 8-0 in MLB action Wednesday.
Buehler improved to 11-1 as he allowed only three hits and two walks in seven shutout innings while striking out eight.
In the meantime, the Dodgers knocked San Francisco starter Anthony DeSclafani out of the game in the third inning, scoring four times in that frame on RBI singles by Justin Turner and AJ Pollock and a two-run triple by Will Smith.
Cody Bellinger capped off the rout for LA with a solo homer in the eighth one night after his throwing error cost the Dodgers the game. He had been one-for-35 agains the Giants this season before that hit.
Making matters worst for the first-place Giants, catcher Buster Posey left the game following the third inning after taking a foul ball of his mask.
Manager Gabe Kapler told reporters after the game that Posey had some dizziness but was not immediately diagnosed with a concussion.
The rivals wrap up their three-game series Thursday in their seventh meeting in a 10-day span.
Judge, Yankees down Rays in 10th
Aaron Judge's 10th-inning single drove in the go-ahead run as the New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1. Yankees pitchers held the Rays hitless for the final six innings after Tampa Bay scored their only run on a Brandon Lowe double in the fourth.
The Atlanta Braves could not back up a solid seven-inning start from Max Fried, falling 2-1 to the New York Mets on Brandon Drury's solo home run in the seventh after Austin Riley had tied the game with a solo shot of his own in the sixth.
Shohei Ohtani homered for the third time in four games, with his 37th of the season keying a five-run fourth inning as the Los Angeles Angels took an early lead and held on to beat the Colorado Rockies 8-7.
Not to be outdone, Joey Votto hit a pair of home runs for the second consecutive game as the Cincinnati Reds topped the Chicago Cubs 8-2.
Tigers allow seven homers, still beat Twins
Detroit pitchers allowed seven home runs while Tigers batters hit none of their own, but the visitors still managed to beat the Minnesota Twins in an NFL-worthy final score of 17-14. Every player in the Detroit lineup scored and drove in at least one run as the Tigers became the first team in MLB history to win despite being out-homered by seven or more. According to Stats Perform, teams on the wrong side of that equation had been 0-41 before Wednesday's game.
Perez stuns White Sox
Salvador Perez hit a monster 438-foot home run off All-Star Chicago White Sox closer Liam Hendriks to tie the game in the ninth inning and the Kansas City Royals would go on to defeat the division-leading Sox 3-2 on Michael A. Taylor's run-scoring single in the 10th.
Wednesday's results
Toronto Blue Jays 4-1 Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox 4-1 Toronto Blue Jays
Milwaukee Brewers 7-3 Pittsburgh Pirates
Baltimore Orioles 8-7 Miami Marlins
New York Mets 2-1 Atlanta Braves
New York Yankees 3-1 Tampa Bay Rays
Cleveland Indians 7-2 St Louis Cardinals
Arizona Diamondbacks 3-2 Texas Rangers
Cincinnati Reds 8-2 Chicago Cubs
Kansas City Royals 3-2 Chicago White Sox
Detroit Tigers 17-14 Minnesota Twins
Los Angeles Angels 8-7 Colorado Rockies
Los Angeles Dodgers 8-0 San Francisco Giants
Oakland Athletics 10-4 San Diego Padres
Houston Astros 11-4 Seattle Mariners
Washington Nationals-Philadelphia Phillies (postponed)
Braves at Mets
The Atlanta Braves (50-52) send Drew Smyly to the mound as they wrap up a rare five-game series with the New York Mets (54-46), who will start Taijuan Walker in the game at Citi Field.
Los Angeles Dodgers' star Cody Bellinger produced an unbelievable error gifting the San Francisco Giants a decisive run in their 2-1 victory in the MLB on Tuesday.
With scores locked at 1-1 after the sides traded runs in the fifth and sixth innings, Bellinger inexplicably threw several feet over third baseman Justin Turner, allowing Buster Posey in for the go-ahead run.
Bellinger is normally at center field but was moved to first base to ease the stress on his sore hamstring, but that came back to bite the Dodgers.
At the bottom of the eighth, Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen had walked Posey and Mike Yastrzemski, before Darin Ruf grounded to second baseman Max Muncy who threw to Bellinger for an out.
But then the first baseman opted to send the ball to third to try out Posey, only to deliver a costly wayward throw.
"I don’t know how I would have thrown it that high. It was a horrible throw," Bellinger said. "I’ll go back and watch it on video and see what happened on that play.”
Home runs for Ohtani and Tatis
Shohei Ohtani's Los Angeles Angels may have lost 12-3 to the Colorado Rockies at home but he provided a highlight with a two-run home run in the fifth inning with his side 10-0 down.
The homer registered 110.4 mph exit velocity and a projected distance of 463 feet. It was also Ohtani's league-high 36th home run this season.
Fernando Tatis Jr also homered, bringing up his 31st of the season, with a two-run shot in the San Diego Padres' 7-4 victory over the Oakland Athletics. The Padres were trailing 3-0 at the time.
Eloy Jimenez creamed a decisive three-run homer which travelled 459 feet to lift the Chicago White Sox to a 5-3 triumph over the Kansas City Royals.
Bryce Harper hit a rare inside-the-park home run as the Philadelphia Phillies lost 6-4 to the Washington Nationals.
Joey Votto was feeling it as he hit two home runs as the Cincinnati Reds won 7-4 over the Chicago Cubs.
Diamondbacks downed by struggling Rangers
The Texas Rangers ended their 10-game losing streak with a 5-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, who continue to struggle. The Diamondbacks allowed all five runs in the fourth inning and slump to a 31-71 record, having only won 12 games on the road from 53, which is the best worst away record in the majors.
Riley's six-RBI game
Austin Riley hit a grand slam and a two-run home run as the Atlanta Braves won 12-5 over the New York Mets. The third baseman moved up to 19 homers for the season, recording his second-ever career grand slam, totalling six RBI for the game.
Tuesday's results
Washington Nationals 6-4 Philadelphia Phillies
Milwaukee Brewers 9-0 Pittsburgh Pirates
Miami Marlins 7-3 Baltimore Orioles
Atlanta Braves 12-5 New York Mets
New York Yankees 4-3 Tampa Bay Rays
St Louis Cardinals 4-2 Cleveland Indians
Texas Rangers 5-4 Arizona Diamondbacks
Cincinnati Reds 7-4 Chicago Cubs
Chicago White Sox 5-3 Kansas City Royals
Detroit Tigers 6-5 Minnesota Twins
Colorado Rockies 12-3 Los Angeles Angels
San Francisco Giants 2-1 Los Angeles Dodgers
San Diego Padres 7-4 Oakland Athletics
Houston Astros 8-6 Seattle Mariners
Dodgers at Giants
Two of the best meet on Wednesday when the San Francisco Giants (63-37), leaders in the National League, host reigning world champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers (61-41).
The New York Yankees piled on four eighth-inning runs to claim a thrilling 4-3 win over the Boston Red Sox in MLB on Saturday.
Trailing 3-0 after seven innings from Red Sox pitcher Nathan Eovaldi, Brett Gardner drove in Estevan Florial with a line drive to right field.
Adam Ottavino stepped up on the mound but Rougned Odor hit a two-run score off the Green Monster to tie it up.
Odor scored when the in-form Gleyber Torres skied one to shallow right-field in a dramatic turnaround.
The result means the Yankees improve their record to 51-46, while the Red Sox are 60-39.
Sandoval's near no-hitter, Haniger double
Los Angeles Angels' pitcher Patrick Sandoval almost had a no-hitter, going eight and a third innings with no hits before Brent Rooker's double in the ninth as the Minnesota Twins won 2-1.
Mitch Haniger continued his exceptional 2021 season with two home runs, taking his season tally to 25, as the Seattle Mariners defeated the Oakland Athletics 5-4.
New recruit Rowdy Tellez also hit two homers as the Milwaukee Brewers won 6-1 over the Chicago White Sox. Tellez joined the Brewers from the Toronto Blue Jays earlier this month.
George Springer produced an incredible diving catch in the outfield as the Blue Jays won 10-3 over the New York Mets.
Phillies pitching woes
The Atlanta Braves piled on the runs late against the Philadelphia Phillies to win 15-3. The Braves scored eight runs in the final two innings as in-fielder Ronald Torreyes stepped up to the mound, allowing six hits, after starter Vince Velasquez was pulled. Freddie Freeman, Abraham Almonte, Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley and Joc Peterson all homered for the Braves.
Tatis make slugging history
Fernando Tatis Jr made history with his 30th home run of the season in the San Diego Padres' 3-2 loss to the Miami Marlins. Tatis' 409-foot homer means he becomes the youngest Padre, at 22-years-old, to reach 30 home runs. It only took Tatis 82 games, which is the fewest for any player his age or younger.
Saturday's results
Arizona Diamondbacks 7-3 Chicago Cubs
New York Yankees 4-3 Boston Red Sox
Atlanta Braves 15-3 Philadelphia Phillies
Miami Marlins 3-2 San Diego Padres
Baltimore Orioles 5-3 Washington Nationals
Cincinnati Reds 5-3 St Louis Cardinals
Milwaukee Brewers 6-1 Chicago White Sox
Toronto Blue Jays 10-3 New York Mets
Los Angeles Angels 2-1 Minnesota Twins
Tampa Bay Rays 8-2 Cleveland Indians
Kansas City Royals 9-8 Detroit Tigers
Houston Astros 4-1 Texas Rangers
Pittsburgh Pirates 10-2 San Francisco Giants
Los Angeles Dodgers 1-0 Colorado Rockies
Seattle Mariners 5-4 Oakland Athletics
Blue Jays at Mets
The New York Mets (51-44), leaders in the National League East, will host the Toronto Blue Jays (49-45) with both sides needing to find some consistent form.
Whatever the Boston Red Sox had in mind heading into Friday's showdown with Gerrit Cole and the New York Yankees, it did not include their own starting pitcher leaving the game after recording just three outs.
Even after Eduardo Rodriguez was forced to leave the game in the second inning due to what the team described as migraine symptoms, the Red Sox had enough firepower to defeat their rivals 6-2 at Fenway Park.
After Rodriguez's unexpectedly early exit, Phillips Valdez stepped in to get out of a second-inning jam and strike out seven in three scoreless innings of relief on the day he was called up from the minor leagues.
Rafael Devers gave the home side the lead with a two-run homer off Cole in the fifth and added a three-run shot against Nestor Cortes in the seventh to put the game away. The latter was the 100th home run of Devers' career.
Mets blank Blue Jays
Pete Alonso accounted for all of the New York Mets' runs with a pair of homers and Tylor Megill had the best start of his career with six shutout innings in a 3-0 defeat of the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Colorado Rockies picked up their 10th road win in 44 games away from Coors Field this season, rallying to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-6 as Charlie Blackmon had three hits incluing the extra-inning homer that sealed the victory.
Nelson Cruz homered in his first game after being traded to Tampa Bay and Ji-Man Choi's three-run homer in the ninth blew open a close game as the Rays beat the Cleveland Indians 10-5.
Rangers pounded again
Kolby Allard surrendered a three-run homer to Kyle Tucker to cap a five-run third inning for the Houston Astros that helped send the Texas Rangers to a 7-3 loss, their 10th consecutive defeat. The Rangers have been outscored 73-18 in that span and have not held a lead for 86 straight innings. According to Stats Perform, that drought is the longest since the Atlanta Braves went 96 innings without a lead in April and May 1977.
Brewers slam White Sox
In a matchup of NL and AL Central division leaders, the Milwaukee Brewers got a boost from Tyrone Taylor's seventh-inning grand slam to down the Chicago White Sox 7-1.
Friday's results
Chicago Cubs 8-3 Arizona Diamondbacks
Tampa Bay Rays 10-5 Cleveland Indians
Philadelphia Phillies 5-1 Atlanta Braves
Boston Red Sox 6-2 New York Yankees
New York Mets 3-0 Toronto Blue Jays
Baltimore Orioles 6-1 Washington Nationals
San Diego Padres 5-2 Miami Marlins
Cincinnati Reds 6-5 St Louis Cardinals
Kansas City Royals 5-3 Detroit Tigers
Minnesota Twins 5-4 Los Angeles Angels
Milwaukee Brewers 7-1 Chicago White Sox
Houston Astros 7-3 Texas Rangers
Seattle Mariners 4-3 Oakland Athletics
Pittsburgh Pirates 6-4 San Francisco Giants
Colorado Rockies 9-6 Los Angeles Dodgers
White Sox at Brewers
A pair of All-Star pitchers go head-to-head as Carlos Rodon and the Chicago White Sox (58-39) continue their series against Corbin Burnes and the Milwaukee Brewers (57-41).
The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees have faced each other more than 2,000 times dating back to 1901, but they have never had a game end quite like Thursday's.
Four wild pitches by New York reliever Brooks Kriske in the 10th inning brought home the tying run and set up the winning run as Boston prevailed 5-4 at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox had trailed 3-1 with two outs in the ninth inning when Kike Hernandez ripped a two-run double to left-center off Chad Green to tie the game and send it to the 10th.
Thanks to MLB's second-year rule that puts a runner on second base to start each extra inning, New York was able to take a 4-3 lead on a groundout and a Brett Gardner sacrifice fly in the top of the inning, but Boston did them one better.
Two wild pitches by Kriske brought Rafael Devers home from second to make it 4-4, and after Xander Bogaerts drew a walk, two more wild pitches moved him to third.
After J.D. Martinez struck out, Hunter Renfroe lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to drive home Bogaerts with the winning run – all without benefit of a hit.
According to Stats Perform, Kriske is the first pitcher in MLB history to throw at least four wild pitches in one extra ininng.
"There's a lot of guys battling their butts off and it sucks to be the one to blow it for the team," Kriske told reporters.
The Yankees sent him to the minor leagues after the game.
Giants stun Dodgers late
The San Francisco Giants scored four runs in the ninth inning for a shock 5-3 victory over the rival Los Angeles Dodgers as they opened up a three-game lead over LA in the National League (NL) West division.
Down 3-1 with two out in the ninth, the Giants loaded the bases and earned a reprieve when video replay overturned a call at second base that would have been the final out of the game. Darin Ruf then walked on a controversial checked-swing call to force in the tying run before LaMonte Wade's two-run single off Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen broke it open.
The Tampa Bay Rays pulled out another late victory, scoring twice in the ninth inning and again in the 10th to defeat the Cleveland Indians 5-4. Entering the ninth trailing 4-2, the Rays got a leadoff homer from Yandy Diaz and a two-out double by Brandon Lowe to tie the game, then brought home the go-ahead run on Austin Meadows' single in the 10th.
The Detroit Tigers remain undefeated since the All-Star break, getting a three-run first-inning homer from Eric Haase and going on to beat the Texas Rangers 7-5 to complete a four-game sweep and extend their winning streak to seven games. The Tigers were 9-24 on May 7 but are 38-27 since.
Sean Manaea struck out a career-high 13 for the Oakland Athletics in a 4-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners.
Braves get to Moore
After allowing six earned runs over his last four outings combined, Philadelphia Phillies starter Matt Moore gave up six in the first four innings of a 7-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves. Dansby Swanson's third-inning grand slam was the big blow for Atlanta.
Another robbery by Bader
St Louis Cardinals center fielder Harrison Bader made a maximum-effort play to end the top of the seventh inning, robbing Nico Hoerner of a bloop single to help the Cardinals hang on to a lead and eventually defeat the Chicago Cubs 3-2.
Thursday's results
Detroit Tigers 7-5 Texas Rangers
Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 Cleveland Indians
Atlanta Braves 7-2 Philadelphia Phillies
Boston Red Sox 5-4 New York Yankees
San Diego Padres 3-2 Miami Marlins
St Louis Cardinals 3-2 Chicago Cubs
Los Angeles Angels 3-2 Minnesota Twins
Oakland Athletics 4-1 Seattle Mariners
San Francisco Giants 5-3 Los Angeles Dodgers
White Sox at Brewers
The Chicago White Sox (58-38) and Milwaukee Brewers (56-41) both have healthy leads in their divisions heading into a week-end showdown in Milwaukee.
The New York Mets fought back from 6-0 down after a bizarre early mistake from pitcher Taijuan Walker to claim a memorable 7-6 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.
Mets manager Luis Rojas was ejected as he protested after Walker mistakenly batted a fair ball into foul territory from Kevin Newman's scuff, allowing the Pirates to swipe three runs.
With bases loaded, John Nogowski touched down at home, while two more runners were able to cross after the ball rolled towards the Pirates dugout with Walker not realising the marginal call.
"Obviously, I thought it was a foul,'' Walker said. "It was so close. I thought I flipped it in the dugout. I didn't even realise it was still in play. It was just one of those plays that just happen. Crazy play.''
With Rojas ejected, the Mets put the drama behind them with Travis Blankenhorn's fourth-inning home run, his career first, bringing it back to 6-4.
In the ninth inning, Michael Conforto hit a two-run home run as the Mets piled on seven unanswered runs to turn the game around spectacularly and improve to a 48-42 record and avoid a surprise Pirates sweep.
More Guerrero and Ohtani homers
Vladimir Guerrero Jr continues to impress with another home run in the Toronto Blue Jays' 10-0 win over the Texas Rangers. Guerrero has 31 home runs and tops the MLB charts with a .332 batting average and 78 RBI.
Shohei Ohtani is the only player in the majors ahead of Guerrero for home runs and he added another, taking his season tally to 34, as the Los Angeles Angels lost 7-4 to the Seattle Mariners.
J.T. Realmuto hit a walk-off home run to settle Saturday's suspended game as the Philadelphia Phillies won 4-2 over the Miami Marlins on Sunday. The Phillies also won Sunday's later game 7-4.
Alcides Escobar also secured a walk-off victory for the Washington Nationals as they defeated the San Diego Padres 8-7 in a see-sawing battle.
Corbin Burnes starred with 12 strikeouts as the Milwaukee Brewers crushed the previously in-form Cincinnati Reds 8-0 for a three-game sweep.
The depleted New York Yankees claimed an impressive 9-1 win over the Boston Red Sox.
Sloppy Dodgers drop
Los Angeles Dodgers' second baseman Chris Taylor dropped a simple Garrett Hampson high ball which proved costly as the Colorado Rockies won 6-5 after Charlie Blackmon's walk-off home run. Taylor's error came with the Dodgers 2-1 up at the bottom of the fifth inning, allowing a run too.
Red hot Rodon
Chicago White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodon reached eight strikeouts for the 10th straight game in his side's 4-0 win over the Houston Astros. Rodon's run of eight or more consecutive Ks is the longest active streak in MLB. Houston also only had one hit for the game. The left-hander is in the mix for the American League Cy Young award.
Sunday's results
Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 Miami Marlins (resumed)
San Diego Padres 10-4 Washington Nationals (resumed)
Philadelphia Phillies 7-4 Miami Marlins
Washington Nationals 8-7 San Diego Padres
New York Mets 7-6 Pittsburgh Pirates
Toronto Blue Jays 5-0 Texas Rangers
Milwaukee Brewers 8-0 Cincinnati Reds
Detroit Tigers 7-0 Minnesota Twins
Tampa Bay Rays 7-5 Atlanta Braves
Chicago White Sox 4-0 Houston Astros
Baltimore Orioles 5-0 Kansas City Royals
St Louis Cardinals 2-1 San Francisco Giants
Colorado Rockies 6-5 Los Angeles Dodgers
Seattle Mariners 7-4 Los Angeles Angels
Cleveland Indians 4-2 Oaland Athletics
Arizona Diamondbacks 6-4 Chicago Cubs
Toronto Blue Jays 10-0 Texas Rangers
New York Yankees 9-1 Boston Red Sox
Astros at White Sox
Reigning world champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers (58-36), take on the high-flying San Francisco Giants (58-34) in the first game of their four-game series.
Max Fried did it all for the Atlanta Braves, pitching seven scoreless innings and collecting three hits in a 9-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Proving Shohei Ohtani is not the only multi-talented pitcher in the majors, Fried allowed just four hits and one walk while striking out seven on the mound and going 3-for-3 with a two-run double at the plate
Fried, who had a pinch-hit, walk-off single on July 4, boosted his batting average to .333 with his offensive effort Saturday.
In addition to their pitcher's heroics, the Braves also got home runs from new addition Joc Pederson and reigning National League MVP Freddie Freeman as they pulled to within a win of .500 at 45-46.
Giolito, White Sox dominate Astros
Chicago starter Lucas Giolito held the Houston Astros to just three hits and the White Sox pounded five home runs in a 10-1 victory over the Houston Astros.
Sixth-inning homers by Gary Sanchez and Gleyber Torres were the difference for the New York Yankees in a rain-shortened 3-1 win over the Boston Red Sox.
The Milwaukee Brewers scored three times in the 11th inning against Sean Doolittle to defeat the Cincinnati Reds 7-4 and extend their division lead to six games.
Robbie Grossman had a leadoff home run in Game 1 and Miguel Cabrera a walk-off bloop single in Game 2 as the Detroit Tigers swept a doubleheader from the Minnesota Twins 1-0 and 5-4.
Ohtani runs out of gas
After a busy week as the center of attention at the All-Star Game, Ohtani turned in his worst batting performance of the year, going 0-for-5 with a season-high four strikeouts in the Los Angeles Angels' 9-4 win over the Seattle Mariners. It was only the second time in 340 MLB games Ohtani has struck out four times at the plate. The other, on Aug. 30, 2019 against the Boston Red Sox, was a 15-inning game in which he made eight plate appearances.
Pirates slam Mets
Trailing 6-0 to the New York Mets, the Pittsburgh Pirates scored five runs in the eighth inning before Jacob Stallings' walk-off grand slam in the ninth gave them a 9-7 victory.
Saturday's results
Detroit Tigers 1-0 Minnesota Twins
Detroit Tigers 5-4 Minnesota Twins
New York Yankees 3-1 Boston Red Sox
Pittsburgh Pirates 9-7 New York Mets
Milwaukee Brewers 7-4 Cincinnati Reds
Atlanta Braves 9-0 Tampa Bay Rays
Chicago White Sox 10-1 Houston Astros
Baltimore Orioles 8-4 Kansas City Royals
St Louis Cardinals 3-1 San Francisco Giants
Los Angeles Dodgers 9-2 Colorado Rockies
Los Angeles Angels 9-4 Seattle Mariners
Chicago Cubs 4-2 Arizona Diamondbacks
Cleveland Indians 3-2 Oakland Athletics
San Diego Padres 8-4 Washington Nationals (suspended)
Philadelphia Phillies 2-2 Miami Marlins (suspended)
Toronto Blue Jays-Texas Rangers (postponed)
Astros at White Sox
After splitting their first two games, division leaders the Houston Astros and Chicago White Sox will square off again in Chicago with the series on the line.
Jake Cronenworth recorded the second cycle of the 2021 MLB season as the San Diego Padres won 24-8 over the Washington Nationals on Friday.
Cronenworth hit a double in the second inning, a triple in the third, a home run in the fifth and a single in the sixth to record the third cycle in Padres' history.
In a high-scoring game, the Padres raced to a 10-3 lead after two innings, before Cronenworth hit a line ball to drive in Fernando Tatis Jr.
In the fifth inning, Cronenworth hit a fly-ball home run, before racing to first after hitting a soft ground ball to short stop.
Meanwhile, Tatis produced some spectacular fielding, throwing to first base from center at the bottom of the first inning.
Wil Meyers also got the 'Slam Diego' moniker going, with a grand slam in the second inning opening up the 10-3 lead, his 11th home run of the season.
As the runs piled on, the Padres claimed a record with the most runs scored in team history, with Meyers getting a second homer with seven RBI.
Indeed, since RBI became an official stat in 1920, no team had scored 24 runs in a game, had a player hit for the cycle (Cronenworth), had a player with seven RBI in a game (Myers) and had a player with five runs in a game (Tommy Pham) all in the same season, let alone on the same night.
Lowrie walkoff, Yaz double
Jed Lowrie hit a home run to clinch a thrilling 5-4 walk-off win for the Oakland Athletics over the Cleveland Indians.
Mike Yastrzemski hit two home runs as the high-flying San Francisco Giants won 7-2 on the road at the St Louis Cardinals.
Eduardo Rodriguez starred on the mound with eight strikeouts as the Boston Red Sox knocked off the depleted New York Yankees 4-0 in a delayed start to their series.
And the Los Angeles Dodgers piled on five runs in the first inning, including a Chris Taylor home run, as they won 10-4 against the Colorado Rockies.
Diamondbacks downed again
The NBA's Phoenix Suns are garnering a lot of love in Arizona but across town the Diamondbacks are having a tough time right now, going down 5-1 at home to the Chicago Cubs. The Diamondbacks (26-67) have lost their past three games, giving up 34 runs in the process.
Guerrero reaches 30 home runs
Vladimir Guerrero Jr continued his All-Star MVP form with two home runs as the Toronto Blue Jays won 10-2 against the Texas Rangers. Guerrero, who now has 30 homers this season, also had four RBI. He is second for homers this season behind only Shohei Ohtani (33).
Friday's results
Philadelphia Phillies 5-2 Miami Marlins
San Diego Padres 24-8 Washington Nationals
Boston Red Sox 4-0 New York Yankees
Pittsburgh Pirates 4-1 New York Mets
Toronto Blue Jays 10-2 Texas Rangers
Milwaukee Brewers 11-6 Cincinnati Reds
Tampa Bay Rays 7-6 Atlanta Braves
Miami Marlins 7-0 Philadelphia Phillies
Houston Astros 7-1 Chicago White Sox
Kansas City Royals 9-2 Baltimore Orioles
San Francisco Giants 7-2 St Louis Cardinals
Los Angeles Dodgers 10-4 Colorado Rockies
Seattle Mariners 6-5 Los Angeles Angels
Chicago Cubs 5-1 Arizona Diamondbacks
Oakland Athletics 5-4 Cleveland Indians
Astros at White Sox
Two of the top sides do battle for the second time in their series as the Chicago White Sox host the Houston Astros on Saturday.
Jose Altuve helped the Houston Astros complete an incredible comeback against the New York Yankees in MLB, while the San Francisco Giants won again.
The Astros trailed 7-2 against the Yankees heading into the bottom of the ninth inning before staging a stunning comeback on Sunday.
Chas McCormick and Abraham Toro brought the Astros within two before Altuve belted a three-run walk-off homer to seal an 8-7 win.
The Astros are 55-36 heading into the All-Star break, while the Yankees slipped to a 46-43 record.
The Giants will take the best record into the break after beating the Washington Nationals 3-1.
Curt Casali's three-run homer in the second inning proved to be enough for the Giants to improve to 57-32. Kevin Gausman struck out nine over six innings to improve to 9-3 this season.
Dodgers seal comeback win, brilliant Bassitt
The Los Angeles Dodgers also produced a fine comeback on Sunday. Trailing 4-1 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Dodgers scored three times in the eighth before Max Muncy belted a three-run walk-off homer.
Chris Bassitt gave up just four hits in seven innings to help the Oakland Athletics beat the Texas Rangers 4-1. Bassitt is now 10-2 this season.
Jorge Polanco went three-for-six with five RBIs to see the Minnesota Twins past the Detroit Tigers 12-9.
Miami Marlins pitcher Pablo Lopez set an MLB record by striking out the first nine batters in a 7-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
Misery for Mets
The Yankees were not the only New York team to give up a big lead on Sunday.
The Mets led the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-0 through one but ended up slumping to a 6-5 loss. It marked the first ever time the Mets and Yankees both blew a five-plus run lead and lost on the same day.
It was a good day for the Pirates, who also selected catcher Henry Davis from Louisville with the number one pick in the MLB Draft.
Altuve steps up
Altuve delivered at a perfect moment for the Astros, sinking the Yankees with a walk-off shot.
Sunday's results
Chicago White Sox 7-5 Baltimore Orioles
Philadelphia Phillies 5-4 Boston Red Sox
Miami Marlins 7-4 Atlanta Braves
Pittsburgh Pirates 6-5 New York Mets
Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 Tampa Bay Rays
Houston Astros 8-7 New York Yankees
Cincinnati Reds 3-1 Milwaukee Brewers
Minnesota Twins 12-9 Detroit Tigers
Oakland Athletics 4-1 Texas Rangers
San Francisco Giants 3-1 Washington Nationals
Los Angeles Dodgers 7-4 Arizona Diamondbacks
Colorado Rockies 3-1 San Diego Padres
Los Angeles Angels 7-1 Seattle Mariners
All-Star Game
The season will take a break with the All-Star Game to be held on Tuesday. The regular season resumes with a clash between the Yankees and Boston Red Sox on Thursday.
Gerrit Cole returned to Houston with venom as he tossed down 11 strikeouts to lead the New York Yankees to a 1-0 win over the Astros in the MLB on Saturday.
It was a star match-up between Cole, who was with the Astros from 2018 to 2019, and Zack Greinke at Minute Maid Park.
Cole, who came into the game with a 6.46 ERA across his last three starts, starred early before Aaron Judge homered in the third from Greinke.
The Yankees pitcher kept the Astros scoreless across seven innings, the first time he had achieved that since May 27.
But he completed a shutout, tossing down 129 pitches, the most by any pitcher in a single game over the past two seasons.
Double grand slam in Dodgers rout
The Los Angeles Dodgers piled on the runs with a 22-1 thrashing of the Arizona Diamondbacks highlighted by grand slams from Mookie Betts and Justin Turner. The Dodgers finished with eight home runs, while Walker Buehler starred on the mound with seven strikeouts.
The 22 runs scored by the Dodgers tied an LA record and are the most runs ever scored in a game at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers also become the first team in MLB history to hit two grand slams in a game twice in the same season.
The Cincinnati Reds won 4-3 over the Milwaukee Brewers buoyed by Nicholas Castellanos' three-run home run, a Eugenio Suarez solo shot in the ninth inning secured the victory.
The St Louis Cardinals scored five runs in one innings, with home runs from Paul Goldschmidt, Tommy Edman and Paul DeJong as they won 6-0 at the Chicago Cubs.
Cruel blow for Braves slugger
Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr will undergo season-ending knee surgery after he tore his right ACL jumping for an outfield catch during Saturday's 5-4 win over the Miami Marlins. Acuna had hit 24 home runs in the 2021 MLB season, with a majors-high 72 runs.
Brown creams 472-foot homer
Seth Brown hit a monster 472-foot home run in the fourth inning off Mike Foltynewicz as the Oakland Athletics won 8-4 over the Texas Rangers in extras. It was a game of homers, with Rangers pair Adolis Garcia and Joey Gallo striking home runs, along with the A's Stephen Piscotty with a two-run homer in the 11th inning.
Saturday's results
Tampa Bay Rays 5-2 Toronto Blue Jays
Minnesota Twins 9-4 Detroit Tigers
San Francisco Giants 10-4 Washington Nationals
Chicago White Sox 8-3 Baltimore Orioles
Oakland Athletics 8-4 Texas Rangers
Pittsburgh Pirates 6-2 New York Mets
Atlanta Braves 5-4 Miami Marlins
Philadelphia Phillies 11-2 Boston Red Sox
Cleveland Indians 14-6 Kansas City Royals
Cincinnati Reds 4-3 Milwaukee Brewers
St Louis Cardinals 6-0 Chicago Cubs
New York Yankees 1-0 Houston Astros
New York Mets 4-2 Pittsburgh Pirates
Seattle Mariners 2-0 Los Angeles Angels
Colorado Rockies 3-0 San Diego Padres
Los Angeles Dodgers 22-1 Arizona Diamondbacks
Reds at Brewers
The in-form Reds (47-42) will aim to continue their impressive run against National League Central leaders, the Brewers (53-38), in the final game in their series, before the All Star break.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
