August 20th, 2025

⚾ Headlines Around the League

Yankees 13, Rays 3 — Bronx Bombers Match Franchise HR Record With Nine-Homer Barrage

Tigers 1, Astros 0 — Torres’ Walk-Off in Extras Caps Skubal’s Milestone Night

Phillies 6, Mariners 4 — Realmuto’s Late Blast Seals Sánchez’s Gem

Orioles 4, Red Sox 3 — Basallo’s First Big Moment Seals Extras Win at Fenway

Taillon Sharp in Return as Chicago Sweeps Doubleheader

What’s up, First Pitch fans!!! Hope you’re all having a great week so far, happy Wednesday.

Here come the Yankees! Baseball is a funny game. One day everyone’s ready to bury you (guilty 🙋‍♂️), and the next you’re the talk of the league. Turns out when you hit 9 home runs in a single game, it’s pretty easy to win back some love.

The Yankees put on an absolute show last night against the Rays, starting things off with back-to-back-to-back homers.

They’re heating up at just the right time as they start a massive Red Sox series at home starting tomorrow. After that, they will play the Nationals and White Sox. Could be an interesting month in the standings if the Yankees can get hot.

Meanwhile in Philly, JT Realmuto looks like he’s found the fountain of youth. Some of the swings he’s had this year have been jaw-dropping. He’s always been solid, but I don’t remember him launching balls like this in recent seasons. Case in point: check out his huge go-ahead homer in the 8th last night.

Enjoy this hilarious clip from the Cubs game yesterday, hopefully the poor fella didn’t get snitched on. Thanks for reading and let’s have a great day!

🔥 Notable Performances

Hitting

Pitching

📊 Final Scores and Highlights

Yankees 13, Rays 3

The Yankees tied a franchise record and stood alone in MLB history with their second nine-homer game of the season, dismantling the Rays in Tampa. Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Giancarlo Stanton went deep back-to-back-to-back in the 1st, setting the tone for a night of thunder that saw Stanton, Bellinger, and José Caballero each homer twice.

🔑 Key Moments

• The fireworks started in the 1st when Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Giancarlo Stanton blasted consecutive homers off Shane Baz for a quick 3-0 lead.

• In the 2nd, José Caballero added a two-run shot, stretching it to 5-0 and joining the barrage against his former club.

• Jazz Chisholm Jr. joined the fun in the 3rd with a solo homer, and the 4th inning brought the knockout punch: Giancarlo Stanton’s three-run blast followed immediately by Ben Rice’s solo shot for a 10-2 cushion.

• The 6th saw Cody Bellinger belt his second of the night, a two-run drive, before José Caballero capped the historic performance in the 9th with the Yankees’ ninth homer.

• Behind the thunder, Carlos Rodón worked six innings of two-run ball for his 13th win.

📊 Notable Stats

Yankees

• Aaron Judge: 2-5, HR (40), 3 R, RBI, BB

• Cody Bellinger: 4-5, 2 HR (23, 24), 3 RBI, 3 R

• Giancarlo Stanton: 2-3, 2 HR (13, 14), 4 RBI, 2 R, BB

• José Caballero: 2-4, 2 HR (3, 4), 3 RBI, 2 R, BB

• Jazz Chisholm Jr.: 2-5, HR (22), RBI, R

• Ben Rice: 1-4, HR (19), RBI, R, BB

• Carlos Rodón: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Rays

• Christopher Morel: 2-4, 2B, R

• Everson Pereira: 1-3, R, BB

• Jake Mangum: 2-4, RBI, SB (19)

• Shane Baz: 3.0 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 5 HR

Phillies 6, Mariners 4

Cristopher Sánchez struck out 12 in a dominant outing, but it was J.T. Realmuto’s eighth-inning homer that secured the Phillies’ win over Seattle.

🔑 Key Moments

• Kyle Schwarber wasted no time, crushing a solo homer in the 1st to give Philly a 1-0 lead.

• The Mariners answered in the 3rd when Randy Arozarena doubled home J.P. Crawford, tying the game 1-1.

• The Phillies punched right back in the bottom of the inning — Bryce Harper’s sac fly and J.T. Realmuto’s RBI single made it 3-1.

• Bryson Stott added insurance in the 4th with a solo blast, stretching the lead to 4-1.

• Seattle stormed back in the 7th — Julio Rodríguez’s RBI groundout and Eugenio Suárez’s two-run double tied things at 4-4.

• In the 8th, Realmuto delivered the dagger: a towering two-run homer to left-center, putting Philly back in front 6-4 for good.

📊 Notable Stats

Phillies

• Cristopher Sánchez: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 12 K

• J.T. Realmuto: 2-for-3, HR (9), 3 RBI, SB (7)

• Bryson Stott: 1-for-2, HR (8), 2 R, RBI, BB, SB (20)

• Kyle Schwarber: 1-for-4, HR (44)

Mariners

• Eugenio Suárez: 3-for-4, 2B (23), 2 RBI

• Randy Arozarena: 1-for-4, 2B (25), RBI, R, BB

• Cal Raleigh: 1-for-3, 2B (19), R, 2 BB

Orioles 4, Red Sox 3

The Orioles took their third straight series thanks to top prospect Samuel Basallo, whose 11th-inning grounder pushed across the winning run in Boston.

🔑 Key Moments

• Boston grabbed the early lead in the 3rd when Trevor Story’s groundout brought the inning to a close with the Sox still ahead 1-0.

• Baltimore answered in the 5th — Ryan Mountcastle lined a single to tie it, Colton Cowser ripped a double to put the O’s in front, and a wild pitch added another run for a sudden 3-1 advantage.

• In the 8th, Boston loaded the bases with a real chance to swing momentum, but Rico Garcia slammed the door with three straight strikeouts, preserving the two-run lead.

• The Fenway crowd erupted in the 9th when Nathaniel Lowe crushed a 424-foot, two-run blast to right-center, pulling the Red Sox even at 3-3.

• The Sox threatened again in the 10th, but Yennier Cano induced a rally-killing double play to escape.

• That set the stage in the 11th, where 21-year-old Samuel Basallo chopped a ball in front of the plate just far enough to score Jeremiah Jackson — his first career RBI and the game-winner.

📊 Notable Stats

Orioles

• Ryan Mountcastle: 1-5, RBI, R

• Colton Cowser: 1-3, RBI double, 2 BB

• Tomoyuki Sugano: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R (0 ER), 3 K

• Rico Garcia: 1.0 IP, 3 K, stranded bases loaded

Red Sox

• Nathaniel Lowe: 1-4, HR (17), 2 RBI, BB

• Romy Gonzalez: 2-4, R

• Walker Buehler: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K

Cubs 6, Brewers 4 (GAME 1)

Owen Caissie stole the spotlight in his first Wrigley start, driving in three runs with a two-run single and a solo blast while flashing his defense. Willi Castro added a three-run homer as the Cubs held off a late Brewers push to take Game 1 of the doubleheader.

🔑 Key Moments

• The rookie wasted no time in the 1st, lining a two-run single to right for his first career RBIs, giving Chicago an early 2-0 lead.

• In the 3rd, Willi Castro broke it open with a three-run homer to right-center, putting the Cubs up 5-0.

• Milwaukee punched back in the 4th as Christian Yelich drilled a solo shot, then trimmed the deficit to 5-4 in the 6th on Sal Frelick’s RBI single.

• Caissie answered in the bottom half with his first big league homer, a 105 mph rocket to left-center that stretched the lead to 6-4.

• The Brewers threatened in the 9th, but Daniel Palencia induced a game-ending double play to lock down the win.

📊 Notable Stats

Cubs

• Owen Caissie: 2-4, HR (1), 3 RBI

• Willi Castro: 1-4, HR (11), 3 RBI

• Matthew Boyd: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K

Brewers

• Sal Frelick: 2-4, 2 RBI

• Christian Yelich: 1-4, HR (26), RBI

• Chad Patrick: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 4 K

Cubs 4, Brewers 1 (GAME 2)

Jameson Taillon delivered six strong innings in his first start back from the injured list, holding Milwaukee to one run as the Cubs closed out a sweep at Wrigley. Timely hits from Owen Caissie, Michael Busch, and Nico Hoerner built enough cushion before Willi Castro’s defensive gem sealed the nightcap win.

🔑 Key Moments

• Milwaukee struck first in the opening inning when Andrew Vaughn singled home William Contreras for a 1-0 lead.

• Chicago answered in the 2nd — Owen Caissie tied it with an RBI single before Michael Busch doubled to right, bringing Caissie all the way around for a 2-1 advantage.

• In the 5th, Nico Hoerner grounded a sharp single up the middle to extend the lead to 3-1.

• The Cubs added more in the 6th when Matt Shaw tripled and later scored on Michael Busch’s fielder’s choice, making it 4-1.

• The Brewers threatened in the 7th, but Sal Frelick’s deep fly turned into a game-changing double play as Willi Castro threw out Brice Turang at the plate.

📊 Notable Stats

Cubs

• Jameson Taillon: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

• Michael Busch: 1-4, 2 RBI (double, fielder’s choice)

• Owen Caissie: 1-2, RBI single, R

• Nico Hoerner: 1-3, RBI, SB (23)

Brewers

• Andrew Vaughn: 1-4, RBI

• William Contreras: 1-4, R

• Brandon Woodruff: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K

Other scores around the league:

Cardinals 7, Marlins 4
M. McGreevy: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 5 SO
R. O’Brien: 1.0 IP, 2 SO, 2 BB

Blue Jays 7, Pirates 3
M. Scherzer: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 4 SO, 3 BB
G. Springer: 2-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Mets 8, Nationals 1
D. Peterson: 8.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 10 SO, 1 BB
J. McNeil: 3-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI

Braves 11, White Sox 10
K. Teel: 2-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI
R. Iglesias: 1.0 IP

Athletics 6, Twins 3
J. Lopez: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 8 SO, 1 BB
H. Harris: 1.0 IP

Royals 5, Rangers 2
M. Kelly: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 SO
S. Lugo: 6.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 5 SO, 2 BB

Dodgers 11, Rockies 4
E. Sheehan: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 7 SO, 2 BB
A. Call: 4-5, 3 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Reds 6, Angels 4
H. Greene: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 12 SO
J. Adell: 3-4, 2 R, 2 HR, 2 RBI

Diamondbacks 6, Guardians 5
C. Carroll: 2-4, 2 R, 1 RBI
A. Saalfrank: 1.0 IP, 1 SO

Padres 5, Giants 1
N. Pivetta: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 10 SO, 2 BB
J. Lee: 2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI

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