⚾ Headlines Around the League
Athletics 6, Nationals 0 — Thomas Homers, Lopez Dazzles in Rookie Showcase
Mariners 4, White Sox 3 (F/11) — Canzone Walks It Off as Seattle Completes Sweep
Pirates 7, Reds 0 — Skenes Shuts Door with Gritty Performance in Series Opener
Braves 8, Marlins 6 — Baldwin’s 2 HRs, 5 RBIs Ignite Comeback in ROY Showcase
Small slate of games Thursday, and most were between non-contenders. But that didn’t stop the league from delivering some great moments. Honestly, it’s always refreshing to shine a light on players and teams that usually get overlooked in a typical First Pitch newsletter.
First up, Drake Baldwin continues to shine for the Braves. He finished the night with 5 RBIs, including a clutch game-tying single in the 7th. The kid is just raking.
At this point, he’s basically locked up NL Rookie of the Year. It’s been a fantastic season for Baldwin, and once again the Braves look set for the future… because of course they are.
Next, Jacob Lopez absolutely shoved against the Nationals. And yes, I know… it’s the Nationals. But these are still Major League hitters, and outings like this shouldn’t be overlooked. Lopez worked into the 8th for the first time in his career and ended up in an insane battle with Nate Lowe. This at-bat was must-watch stuff.
And lastly, Ke’Bryan Hayes made his return to PNC Park. It was just one of those moments that reminds you why baseball is awesome. The fans gave him a great ovation, and it made for a really cool scene.
Some solid matchups lined up for tonight, I’ll be locked in for the Kershaw vs. Scherzer rematch, throwing it back to one of the great moments in MLB lore. Check out this iconic first match up between the two.
Enjoy your Friday and have a great weekend!
– Ryan
🔥 Notable Performances
Hitting
| Player (Team) | H/AB | R | HR | RBI | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marcell Ozuna (ATL) | 3/4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Luis Robert Jr. (CHW) | 3/4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Drake Baldwin (ATL) | 3/5 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| Gavin Lux (CIN) | 3/4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Max Schuemann (OAK) | 3/4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Matt Olson (ATL) | 2/4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brent Rooker (OAK) | 2/5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Bryan Reynolds (PIT) | 2/4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Matt McLain (CIN) | 2/4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TJ Friedl (CIN) | 2/4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pitching
| Player (Team) | IP | H | ER | BB | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Skenes (PIT) | 7.2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Jacob Lopez (OAK) | 6.0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Carlos Carrasco (ATL) | 5.2 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| Eury Perez (MIA) | 5.1 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| Logan Gilbert (SEA) | 5.0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| Shane Smith (CHW) | 5.0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
| Mitchell Parker (WSH) | 5.0 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
📊 Final Scores and Highlights
Athletics 6, Nationals 0
A pair of A’s rookies stole the spotlight in D.C. as Colby Thomas belted his first career homer and Jacob Lopez carved up the Nationals with 10 strikeouts over 7 2/3 scoreless innings to secure a dominant Oakland win.
🔑 Key Moments
Colby Thomas launched a 406-foot two-run blast in the 2nd for his first MLB home run
Thomas added a sac fly in the 4th, finishing with 3 RBIs
Tyler Soderstrom crushed his 21st homer in the 8th to stretch the A’s lead
Jacob Lopez struck out 10 without a walk in 7.2 shutout innings, throwing 82 strikes on 114 pitches
Lopez extended his scoreless streak to 17 IP, the longest by an A’s starter since 2016
Oakland pitchers combined for a 3-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts and no walks
📊 Notable Stats
Athletics
Colby Thomas: 1-for-1, HR (1), 3 RBI, SF
Tyler Soderstrom: 1-for-4, HR (21), RBI
Darell Hernaiz: 2-for-3, 3B, 2 R, BB
Jacob Lopez: 7.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K
Justin Sterner: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K
Nationals
Robert Hassell III: 1-for-3, 2B
Daylen Lile: 1-for-3
Riley Adams: 1-for-3
Mitchell Parker: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K (L)
Mariners 4, White Sox 3
Seattle completed a dramatic extra-inning sweep with a walk-off single from Dominic Canzone, keeping the pressure on Houston in the AL West while overcoming a tense late-game battle and the early exit of Josh Naylor.
🔑 Key Moments
Randy Arozarena opened the scoring in the 3rd with a 2-run homer, giving Seattle a 2-0 lead and momentum early.
Michael A. Taylor and Brooks Baldwin each launched solo homers in the 5th and 7th to bring the White Sox back even.
A controversial hit-by-pitch and a wild pitch by Eduard Bazardo in the 10th gave Chicago a 3-2 lead, putting Seattle on the brink.
Miles Mastrobuoni tied it in the bottom of the 10th by bunting and reaching on a throwing error, scoring Arozarena from second.
In the bottom of the 11th, Dominic Canzone delivered the game-winning hit with a single through the right side, scoring Eugenio Suárez from second to cap the sweep.
Josh Naylor exited in the 4th inning with left shoulder soreness, but the Mariners rallied without him.
📊 Notable Stats
Mariners
Dominic Canzone: 1-for-5, walk-off RBI single
Randy Arozarena: 1-for-5, HR (23), 2 RBI, 2 R
J.P. Crawford: 1-for-3, R, BB
Logan Gilbert: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
Jacob Kowar: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R (W)
White Sox
Brooks Baldwin: 1-for-4, HR (6), RBI
Michael A. Taylor: 1-for-5, HR (7), RBI
Curtis Mead: 2-for-4, R
Shane Smith: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
Brandon Eisert: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 1 K (L)
Pirates 7, Reds 0
Paul Skenes bent but didn’t break, tossing six shutout innings despite allowing a career-high seven hits, while the Pirates’ bats backed him up with early and late power to blank the Reds at PNC Park.
🔑 Key Moments
Bryan Reynolds opened the scoring in the 1st with a 391-foot solo blast to left-center, immediately putting Pittsburgh on the board.
Later that inning, Jared Triolo broke things open with a two-run single to center, plating Oneil Cruz and Andrew McCutchen to make it 3-0.
Henry Davis delivered the dagger in the 7th, launching a 373-foot two-run homer to left for his first long ball since June 7.
Despite giving up seven hits, Paul Skenes worked out of every jam, stranding six runners and keeping the Reds 0-for-5 with RISP through six innings.
The Reds never advanced a runner to third, and Pittsburgh’s bullpen trio of Sanders, Borucki, and Nicolas closed out the nine-hit shutout.
📊 Notable Stats
Pirates
Paul Skenes: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K
Bryan Reynolds: 2-for-4, HR (11), RBI, BB, 2 R
Jared Triolo: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, R
Henry Davis: 2-for-4, HR (5), 2 RBI, 2 R
Andrew McCutchen: 0-for-1, 4 BB, R
Reds
Gavin Lux: 3-for-4, 2B
TJ Friedl: 2-for-4, 2B
Matt McLain: 2-for-4
Braves 8, Marlins 6
Drake Baldwin put on a show at Truist Park with two home runs and five RBIs, including a game-tying single in the 7th, as the Braves erased an early 5-2 deficit to snap a three-game losing streak.
🔑 Key Moments
Drake Baldwin started the scoring with a 404-foot solo homer in the 1st, then added a 3-run blast in the 6th to cut the deficit to 6–5.
After Baldwin tied it 6–6 in the 7th with an RBI single, Marcell Ozuna followed with a go-ahead RBI single — his third hit of the night.
Graham Pauley launched a two-run homer in the 2nd for Miami as part of a 5-run inning off Carlos Carrasco, who allowed six runs in 5.2 IP.
The Braves bullpen delivered four scoreless innings from Dodd, Johnson, Lee, and Iglesias to secure the win.
Baldwin now ranks among rookie leaders in HR (13), RBI (46), and OPS (.840) — improving his case for NL ROY.
📊 Notable Stats
Braves
Drake Baldwin: 3-for-5, 2 HR (12, 13), 5 RBI, 2 R
Marcell Ozuna: 3-for-4, HR (16), RBI, R
Matt Olson: 2-for-4, 2B, BB, R
Carlos Carrasco: 5.2 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Marlins
Eric Wagaman: 1-for-4, 3B, 2 RBI, R
Graham Pauley: 1-for-3, HR (3), 2 RBI, R
Jakob Marsee: 2-for-4, R, RBI, SB
Eury Pérez: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 3 HR
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