July 28th, 2025

⚾ Headlines Around the League

Red Sox 4, Dodgers 3 — Bregman Bomb and Rafaela's Magic Seal Series Win at Fenway

Yankees 4, Phillies 3 — McMahon Makes Statement as Yanks Rally Without Judge

Mauricio, Soto Go Deep as Mets Complete Sweep at Oracle

Reds 2, Rays 1 — Singer Deals, Small Ball Delivers as Reds Complete Sweep

Rangers 8, Braves 1 — Texas Sweeps Again as Offense Powers Sixth Straight Win

Athletics Stun Astros with First Road Sweep Since 2013

Happy Monday! Let’s start with the one game you absolutely need to catch from Sunday: the Dodgers‑Red Sox series finale. It was a fantastic baseball game all‑around and Boston put it on the Dodgers all weekend. This will be a tough team to beat if they can get in the playoffs.

Trade‑deadline thoughts with just days to go:

Tigers
I doubt they shake things up. They seem committed to that young core and probably won’t ship off any big names.

Yankees
Stuck in limbo until Judge is healthy. McMahon looks like a great addition. Another arm or bat would help, but they might wait and see.

Astros
Surprisingly good team this year, yet this roster still feels a couple pieces short especially with the Mariners and Rangers playing great.

Phillies
Give me either Clase from the Guardinas or Duran from the Twins. I think their relief pitching is really the only concern here. I suppose they could use help at 3B but honestly Otto Kemp is playing pretty well and might be the answer.

Mariners
Time to push the chips all in. If there’s a way to pry Eugenio Suárez from Arizona, do it. Surrounding Raleigh with more bats is only going to make this team more dangerous. Their rotation and bullpen is as good as any in MLB.

Cardinals
I’m reading a lot of reports that Nolan Arenado could be on the trade block. If that actually happens, St. Louis could be looking to shake things up in a big way. At first I brushed this off but I actually think their is some momentum behind the Cardinals selling.

If you look at the NL standings, unless anything crazy happens there is really only 1 Wild Card spot left between the Padres, Giants, Reds, and Cardinals. I personally don’t think the Cardinals are better than any of those other 3 teams so why not sell.

And finally, check out this hilarious clip of Ichiro’s speech today at the Hall of Fame Ceremony where he slams the one clueless writer who didn’t vote for him (props to Ichiro for not letting that slide… he should have been an easy unanimous, first ballot, hall of fame vote):

🔥 Notable Performances

Hitting

Pitching

📊 Final Scores and Highlights

Red Sox 4, Dodgers 3

In a high-energy rubber match at Fenway Park, the Red Sox rode a go-ahead homer from Alex Bregman and a game-saving double play by Ceddanne Rafaela to clinch a dramatic series victory over the defending champs.

🔑 Key Moments

• Fenway ignites early — Roman Anthony opened the scoring with a sac fly in the 1st, giving the Red Sox a quick 1–0 lead and getting the crowd involved right away.

• Dodgers punch back — LA responded with three unanswered runs, including a towering solo homer by Michael Conforto and an RBI single from Mookie Betts to take a 3–1 lead in the 4th.

• Anthony’s bounce-off-the-Monster triple — The rookie's rocket to left-center ricocheted off the wall and brought Boston back within one, setting the stage for the game's biggest swing.

• Bregman delivers the big blow — One pitch later, Bregman unloaded on a middle-in sweeper and crushed it over the Green Monster, flipping the game and sending Fenway into a frenzy.

• Rafaela’s web gem flips the inning — With the tying run on second in the 8th, Rafaela snared a line drive and doubled off Kim at second with a quick sprint and tag, ending the Dodgers’ last real threat.

📊 Notable Stats

Red Sox

• Alex Bregman: 1-for-3, HR (13), 2 RBI, BB

• Roman Anthony: 1-for-3, 3B, 2 R, RBI

• Abraham Toro: 1-for-2, R, SB

• Jordan Hicks: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K (save)

• Walker Buehler: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 4 K

Dodgers

• Michael Conforto: 3-for-4, HR (9), 2B, R, RBI

• Mookie Betts: 1-for-4, RBI, BB

• Miguel Rojas: 1-for-1, 2 R, 3 BB, 2B

• Dustin May: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 5 K

Yankees 4, Phillies 3

With Aaron Judge landing on the IL, newcomer Ryan McMahon delivered a game-changing double and sparkling defense to lift the Yankees to a gritty win over the Phillies at Yankee Stadium.

🔑 Key Moments

• Phils jump ahead early — Nick Castellanos and Otto Kemp hit solo shots in the 2nd to put Philadelphia up 2–0 and momentarily silence the Bronx crowd.

• Yanks come roaring back — With the bases loaded and no outs, McMahon ripped a two-run double past Harper to tie it, then scored on a single by Trent Grisham after Jasson Domínguez crossed on a sac fly for a 4–2 lead.

• Kemp strikes again — The rookie launched his second homer of the game, a no-doubt blast to center in the 5th to cut the deficit to 4–3.

• McMahon flashes leather — With the tying run in scoring position later that inning, McMahon made a spinning slide-and-throw to rob Trea Turner and preserve the lead.

• Devin shuts the door — Devin Williams struck out two in a clean 9th to lock down the win and hand Carlos Rodón his 11th victory of the year.

📊 Notable Stats

Yankees

• Ryan McMahon: 2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI, R

• Trent Grisham: 1-for-4, RBI

• Carlos Rodón: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 8 K

• Devin Williams: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K (save)

Phillies

• Otto Kemp: 2-for-4, 2 HR (3, 4), 2 R, 2 RBI

• Nick Castellanos: 1-for-4, HR (14), RBI

• Zack Wheeler: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 8 K

Mets 5, Giants 3

The Mets rallied behind Ronny Mauricio and Juan Soto’s clutch homers to erase a late deficit and cap off a three-game sweep of the Giants, stretching their win streak to seven just days before the trade deadline.

🔑 Key Moments

• Chapman puts Giants in front — After Francisco Lindor’s RBI groundout gave New York a brief lead, Matt Chapman launched solo and two-run homers in the 4th and 5th to flip the game 3–2 in San Francisco’s favor.

• Mauricio levels it with a splash — In the 7th, Ronny Mauricio tied the game with a towering homer into McCovey Cove, only the fourth splash hit there this season.

• Soto turns the tide — Just three batters later, Juan Soto smacked a go-ahead solo blast the opposite way, giving the Mets their first lead since the 3rd.

• Diaz walks tightrope, slams door — Edwin Díaz loaded the bases in the 9th but struck out Matt Chapman swinging to end it, earning the save in a high-stress finish.

• Alvarez and McNeil stay hot — Francisco Alvarez went 2-for-4 and scored twice, while Jeff McNeil added two doubles to fuel the Mets’ 12-hit day.

📊 Notable Stats

Mets

• Ronny Mauricio: 4-for-4, HR (5), 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R

• Juan Soto: 1-for-4, HR (25), RBI, BB

• Francisco Alvarez: 2-for-4, 2 R

• Kodai Senga: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 3 K

• Edwin Díaz: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K (save)

Giants

• Matt Chapman: 2-for-5, 2 HR (15, 16), 3 RBI

• Willy Adames: 2-for-5, R

• Randy Rodríguez: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

Reds 2, Rays 1

Brady Singer pitched his longest and sharpest outing of the season and the Reds scratched out two early runs with hustle to sweep the Rays and win their fourth straight heading into a crucial series with the Dodgers.

🔑 Key Moments

• Trevino sets the tone — After Chandler Simpson led off the game with a single, Jose Trevino erased him with a perfect throw to second, stifling Tampa’s speed and shifting the momentum early.

• Reds hustle into the lead — In the bottom of the first, TJ Friedl raced home from second on an infield single by Austin Hays, then Matt McLain stole third and scored moments later on a Gavin Lux grounder to make it 2–0.

• Singer dominates into the 8th — Brady Singer allowed just two hits through the first seven innings and didn’t walk a batter until the 6th. His only blemish came in the 8th, when Taylor Walls launched a solo homer to right-center.

• Bullpen shuts it down — Tony Santillan and Emilio Pagán both pitched for the third straight day, with Pagán earning his 22nd save after a clean 9th to lock down the sweep.

• Red-hot rotation — Singer’s gem lowered the Reds’ starter ERA to 1.32 over the last four games, a key reason Cincinnati is surging with the trade deadline approaching.

📊 Notable Stats

Reds

• Brady Singer: 7.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K

• Austin Hays: 1-for-4, RBI, SB

• TJ Friedl: 1-for-3, R, BB

• Gavin Lux: 1-for-3, RBI

• Emilio Pagán: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K (Save)

Rays

• Taylor Walls: 2-for-3, HR (4), RBI

• Shane Baz: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

• Tristan Gray: 0-for-3, 3 K

Rangers 8, Braves 1

The Rangers completed their second straight sweep and tied their season-high win streak behind Jack Leiter’s strong start and a rejuvenated offense that continues to surge in July.

🔑 Key Moments

• Smith goes deep early — Josh Smith gave the Rangers a jolt in the 2nd inning with a two-run homer, capping a four-run frame that put Texas in firm control.

• Leiter keeps rolling — Rookie Jack Leiter struck out seven over six strong innings, allowing just two hits and a single run while notching his fifth quality start.

• Langford delivers again — Wyatt Langford ripped a two-run double in the 3rd and added a walk, continuing his hot stretch as the offense clicked top to bottom.

• Jung extends the lead — Josh Jung plated two more with a sharp single in the 3rd, pushing the Rangers’ lead to 8-0 before the end of the inning.

• Bullpen slams the door — Caleb Boushley and Cole Winn combined for three scoreless innings, with Winn striking out the side in the 9th to seal the sweep.

📊 Notable Stats

Rangers

• Josh Smith: 3-for-4, HR (9), 2 R, 2 RBI, BB

• Wyatt Langford: 2-for-3, 2B (13), 3 RBI, BB

• Josh Jung: 1-for-4, 2 RBI

• Jack Leiter: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K

Braves

• Sean Murphy: 1-for-4, RBI 2B

• Bryce Elder: 2.2 IP, 6 H, 8 ER, 4 BB, 3 K

• Michael Harris II: 2-for-4, 2B

Other scores around the league:

Athletics 7, Astros 1
J. Ginn: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 4 SO
S. Langeliers: 2-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Pirates 6, Diamondbacks 0
P. Skenes: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 9 SO, 1 BB
O. Cruz: 2-3, 1 R, 2 RBI

Orioles 5, Rockies 1
T. Sugano: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 8 SO, 2 BB
T. O'Neill: 1-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Tigers 10, Blue Jays 4
J. Flaherty: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 7 SO, 1 BB
M. Scherzer: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 11 SO

Cubs 5, White Sox 4
B. Brown: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 SO
A. Benintendi: 2-4, 2 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI

Royals 4, Guardians 1
N. Cameron: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 6 SO, 1 BB
C. Estevez: 1.0 IP, 1 H

Brewers 3, Marlins 2
B. Woodruff: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 6 SO, 3 BB
E. Perez: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 6 SO, 2 BB

Nationals 7, Twins 2
J. Irvin: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 SO
C. Abrams: 2-3, 3 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Padres 9, Cardinals 2
S. Kolek: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 SO, 3 BB
A. Burleson: 2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Angels 4, Mariners 1
K. Hendricks: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 SO, 1 BB
K. Jansen: 1.0 IP, 2 SO

⚾ Must-Watch Games Today

🍺 Cubs (62‑43) @ Brewers (62‑43) — NL Central Showdown at the Top

🕖 7:40 PM ET | 📺 Marquee, FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin
Matthew Boyd (11‑3, 2.20 ERA) vs. Jacob Misiorowski (4‑1, 2.45 ERA)
Both teams share the division lead—this one kicks off a massive series with the division on the line.

🔥 Mets (62‑44) @ Padres (57‑49) — Cease vs. Montas in a Nightcap Duel

🕘 9:40 PM ET | 📺 SNY, Padres TV, MLBN
Frankie Montas (3‑1, 4.62 ERA) vs. Dylan Cease (3‑10, 4.59 ERA)
Cease aims to stop the surging Mets who bring their bats west in a possible playoff preview.

⚓ Mariners (56‑50) @ Athletics (46‑62) — Luis Castillo Looks to Keep Seattle Rolling

🕙 10:05 PM ET | 📺 ROOTNW, NBCSCA
Luis Castillo (7‑6, 3.30 ERA) vs. JP Sears (7‑8, 4.98 ERA)
Seattle is fighting for positioning in a tight AL West, they’ll lean on Castillo to start the week strong.

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