Nathan Lukes' 3-run homer helps the Blue Jays avoid a sweep with a win over the Orioles
Toronto's AL East lead was down to four games after dropping the first three of this series against the last-place Orioles. And the Blue Jays fell behind 3-0 early in the finale before rallying.
Bo Bichette delivered a two-run single off Yennier Cano (1-6) to put Toronto ahead 6-5 in the seventh. Three batters later, Lukes came up as a pinch-hitter and connected off Cano.
The Orioles answered with three runs in the bottom of the seventh, but with the bases loaded and one out, Braydon Fisher came on and struck out Cedric Mullins and pinch-hitter Ramon Laureano to preserve a one-run lead.
Seranthony Domínguez pitched a scoreless eighth one day after being traded from the Orioles to Toronto. Then Jeff Hoffman finished for his 25th save in 29 chances.
TIGERS 7, DIAMONDBACKS 2
DETROIT (AP) — Kerry Carpenter hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs, Chris Paddack threw six solid innings in his Detroit debut and the Tigers beat Arizona.
The AL Central-leading Tigers have won four straight games, coming off a 1-12 slump that spanned before and after the All-Star Game.
Detroit may make moves before the trade deadline on Thursday to bolster its chances winning the franchise's first World Series since 1984.
Arizona has lost five straight, matching its longest losing streak of the season.
Paddack (4-10) gave up only one run on three hits with five strikeouts and no walks, two days after the right-hander was acquired in a trade from the Minnesota Twins.
Ryne Nelson (6-3) allowed four runs — one earned — on six hits. Kyle Backhus followed and gave up three runs on four hits, retiring only two batters.
RED SOX 13, TWINS 1
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jarren Duran went 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs, Trevor Story hit his second homer in as many games, and the Red Sox earned a series win with a victory at Minnesota.
Red Sox starter Brayan Bello yielded one earned run on five hits in seven innings with four strikeouts. The Dominican right-hander has recorded a quality start in nine of his past 10 outings.
Boston finished the month 17-7 and has the American League's fifth-best record at 59-51. Minnesota (51-57) is 4-8 since the All-Star break and sits fourth in the AL Central.
Story's 17th home run of the season gave Boston a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Abraham Toro had an RBI sacrifice fly in the third, and Duran's two-run single in the fifth made it 4-1 and ended starter Zebby Matthews' day.
Matthews (2-3) gave up five earned runs on eight hits with four strikeouts.
ASTROS 9, NATIONALS 1
HOUSTON (AP) — Jose Altuve tied a career high with four hits, highlighted by a three-run homer, to lead Houston to a win over Washington.
It was Altuve's second four-hit game of the season and 41st of his career, which extends a franchise record. He was 4 for 4 and scored three times.
Cooper Hummel hit a two-run homer and Yainer Díaz added a three-run shot to help the AL West leaders win a second straight after they snapped a season-long five-game skid with a 7-4 win Tuesday night.
Houston starter rookie Ryan Gusto (7-4) yielded four hits and a run in six innings to bounce back after giving up a season-high eight runs in a loss to the Athletics on Friday night.
There were two on with two outs in the second when Altuve smacked a changeup from MacKenzie Gore (4-11) into the Crawford Boxes to put the Astros on top 4-1.
Mauricio Dubón singled with one out in the sixth and Hummel made it 6-1 and chased Gore with his third homer of the season.
Gore allowed eight hits and six runs in 5 1/3 innings.
ROYALS 1, BRAVES 0, 10 INNINGS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez drove in MJ Melendez with a single leading off the 10th inning, and Kansas City beat Atlanta while matching a major league record by using nine total pitchers in the shutout.
Sam Long (1-2) was the last of the relievers for Kansas City. He had runners on the corners with nobody out in the 10th before striking out Sean Murphy and Eli White and getting Luke Williams to line out to left field.
Kansas City put Melendez on second base as a pinch runner in the bottom half, and Perez rapped the second pitch from Daysbel Hernandez (4-2) into the gap in right field to give the Royals the win.
The only other club to use nine pitchers in a shutout was Cleveland, which also did it in a 10-inning game in 2016.
WHITE SOX 9, PHILLIES 3
CHICAGO (AP) — Miguel Vargas and Edgar Quero each hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning, and Chicago beat Philadelphia.
Colson Montgomery and Kyle Teel also went deep as last-place Chicago won the rain-delayed rubber game of the three-game series. Luis Robert Jr. and Mike Tauchman each had three hits, and Mike Vasil (5-3) pitched four scoreless innings.
Robert, Tauchman and right-hander Adrian Houser all could be on the move ahead of Thursday's MLB trade deadline. Austin Slater was dealt to the Yankees before the matchup with the Phillies, and Houser was scratched amid trade talks.
Philadelphia's bullpen struggled on the same day it acquired hard-throwing reliever Jhoan Duran in a trade with Minnesota. The Phillies remained a half-game back of the NL East-leading Mets, who lost 5-0 at San Diego.
CUBS 10, BREWERS 3
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Michael Busch homered on the game's first pitch, Moisés Ballesteros hit a bases-clearing double and Chicago trounced Milwaukee to avoid a three-game sweep.
Milwaukee leads Chicago by one game in the NL Central. The teams meet once more this season, a five-game series at Chicago from Aug. 18-21.
Ian Happ homered, Pete Crow-Armstrong went 3 for 4 with two doubles and Kyle Tucker was 2 for 3 with two RBIs for the Cubs.
Milwaukee's William Contreras had his fifth career two-homer game. The two-time All-Star had homered just once since May 23.
Cubs starter Shota Imanaga (8-4) struck out eight, walked none and gave up three runs and five hits in five innings.
Milwaukee's Freddy Peralta (12-5), who had won his last seven starts, allowed a season-high five runs in four innings.
PIRATES 2, GIANTS 1, 10 INNINGS
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Henry Davis' fielder's-choice grounder brought home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning, and Pittsburgh completed a three-game sweep of San Francisco.
Pittsburgh has won five in a row. San Francisco went 0-6 on its homestand, the first time since 1896 the Giants franchise has gone winless on a homestand of six or more games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The Giants also dropped below .500 (54-55) for the first time this season.
San Francisco was swept last weekend by the New York Mets.
With runners at the corners in the 10th, Davis hit a comebacker to Ryan Walker (2-4). Instead of throwing to the plate to get Oneil Cruz, Walker went to second to try to get a double play. Jack Suwinski was running on the pitch and beat the throw. Davis was retired.
Isaac Mattson (3-1) worked two scoreless innings. He struck out Patrick Bailey and Heliot Ramos with runners at second and third for the final two outs.
Pittsburgh starter Mike Burrows allowed one run on three hits in six innings. He struck out seven and walked one. The Giants' Logan Webb gave up one run on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out 11 and walked four.
PADRES 5, METS 0
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Yu Darvish pitched seven impressive innings for his first win of the season, Gavin Sheets hit a two-run homer and San Diego beat NL East-leading New York for a three-game sweep.
Manny Machado added a two-run, bases-loaded single for the Padres, who won their fifth straight game as they continue to chase the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.
Slugger Juan Soto was out of the lineup for the Mets a day after fouling a ball off the top of his left foot.
Darvish (1-3), who turns 39 on Aug. 16, held the Mets to two hits, struck out seven and walked none in his fifth start. After allowing Mark Vientos' single with one out in the first, Darvish retired the next 13 batters. He had been sidelined by right elbow inflammation from mid-March until making his season debut on July 7.
Darvish got a nice ovation as he headed to the dugout after pitching a perfect seventh in what became the Padres' big league-high 15th shutout.
GUARDIANS 5, ROCKIES 0
CLEVELAND (AP) — David Fry hit a two-run homer, Kolby Allard struck out five in 3 1/3 innings, and Cleveland beat Colorado.
Carlos Santana had two hits and an RBI and José Ramírez added two hits as Cleveland took two of three from the Rockies.
Allard retired nine straight batters with five strikeouts while surrendering just one hit.
Ramírez doubled in the first inning, moving to seventh on the Guardians' career hit list, and Fry followed with a home run over the left field wall for a 2-0 lead.
Jakob Junis (3-1) went two innings while Nic Enright, Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith each pitched one scoreless inning. Six Cleveland pitchers held the Rockies to three hits.
Colorado starter Kyle Freeland (2-11) gave up three hits and two runs in three innings.
REDS 5, DODGERS 2
CINCINNATI (AP) — Spencer Steer hit a two-run triple in the eighth inning and Cincinnati defeated Los Angeles after Shohei Ohtani's pitching outing was cut short.
Ohtani left the mound accompanied by a trainer during the fourth inning with no outs and a 2-0 count against Spencer Steer. The Dodgers' two-way superstar threw six straight balls, including two consecutive wild pitches.
Ohtani was making his seventh mound start in his comeback from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, which occurred after the 2023 season. The Dodgers' plan for Wednesday was for Ohtani to throw four innings. He threw 51 pitches, including 32 for strikes.
After Austin Hays and Tyler Stephenson walked in the eighth against Emmet Sheehan (0-3), Steer drove a ball to deep center on the 11th pitch of his at-bat. James Outman, who had just entered to play center field, nearly made a leaping catch at the wall, but the ball popped out of his glove, and Hays and Stephenson scored.
Scott Barlow (4-0) got the final two outs in the eighth and Tony Santillan worked the ninth for his third save.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Exclusive: Jerry Jones unplugged. He talks Micah Parsons contract
OXNARD, CA — Jerry Jones is clearly in no hurry. Why has it taken so long to strike a deal with Micah Parsons? 'It took a long time with Emmitt Smith,' the Dallas Cowboys owner replied, turning back the clock to the Hall of Fame running back's epic holdout in 1993. 'Same thing with (Zack) Martin two years ago. (Cee Dee) Lamb last year. When you have the ability for players under contract to basically renegotiate or say, 'I'm not going to play the contract,' then you have those things happen.' And here's what else can happen: Parsons, the All-Pro defensive end, rocked the NFL universe on Friday when he took to social media to publicly demand a trade, intimating that negotiations for a new contract have stalled to the point of no return. Two days before Parsons' bombshell, though, Jones seemed to have already drawn a line in the sand during an interview with USA TODAY Sports that might have indicated where these negotiations with the defensive centerpiece could be headed. He mentioned that Dak Prescott, who last year become the NFL's first $60 million-per-year man, played out his rookie contract and was twice franchise-tagged before landing his four-year, $240 million megadeal. And he referenced the two franchise tags the team used on since-departed defensive end Demarcus Lawrence before he signed a five-year, $105 million deal in 2019. 'Both of those players, they played their contract out,' Jones said. 'To me, you're going through a process where a player wants to see if they can get an extended contract. And if they don't they play their contract out.' MORE: George Pickens could be explosive for Cowboys – one way or another It should also be noted that Lamb, the star receiver, didn't play out his contract or get franchise-tagged before landing a four-year, $136 million extension that averaged $34 million. But Lamb also forced the issue by holding out of training camp last year. Parsons seemingly gave up leverage by reporting to camp and proceeding as a so-called 'hold-in' while not practicing. The Cowboys exercised the fifth-year option on Parsons' rookie contract, which guarantees a $24.007 million salary for 2025 and a huge bump from the $4.269 million for the first four years of his deal. With the Cowboys yet to negotiate with Parson's agent, David Mulugheta, the frustration is boiling over. Parsons is reportedly seeking a deal that could reset the market again for defensive stars after T.J. Watt's package with the Pittsburgh Steelers averages $41 million per year, which tops the $40 million average that Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett received earlier in the offseason. Yet with the franchise tag in play, the option for Parsons to merely 'play out' his contract as Jones suggested, could allow the Cowboys to prevent him from becoming an unrestricted free agent until, gulp, 2028. And the NFL's highest-rated soap opera, let's call it "As The Cowboys World Turns," is back for another season. 'This business is business-first, right?' Prescott said during an interview with USA TODAY Sports. 'We always say this game is a business, but it's business first.' While Prescott and other players vehemently support Parsons in his efforts to land a new deal, it can't be good for the business of winning to have the distraction weighing on training camp. No, the Cowboys are not the only NFL team with a lingering contract issue for a key player. But some teams manage such business with much less drama, while the Cowboys always seem to have some drama in the wind. As for Parsons' trade request, Jones, speaking to reporters at camp on Saturday, had a message for Cowboys fans: 'Don't lose any sleep over it.' In other words, Jones seems willing to call Parsons' bluff — and quite content to keep the drama flowing. 'This is really nothing new, at all, with Micah,' Jones said at one point during the 1-hour, 10-minute interview over lunch in his training camp office. I asked him about the negative reaction from his massive fan base, which goes far beyond the fans at camp who chanted 'Pay Micah!' The extended negotiations over the past two years involving Prescott, Lamb and Martin added to the perception that the Cowboys lack urgency when it comes to signing key players to extensions. Does the perception that the Cowboys drag their feet concern Jones? 'Let me say this just right,' Jones replied. "I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't do it that way. I should be trying to get the most value for the Cowboys. I've seen players I wish we had renegotiated their contracts earlier and I've had several that I was sorry I renegotiated their contract earlier. The idea that if you wait there's more money (spent) forgets that in between that wait, you get to evaluate and you frankly get to see if you're dealing with the same physical elements of it.' As he pondered this, Jones grabbed a legal pad and began doodling – with circles, arrows and straight lines – to make a point. 'It's almost akin to an option quarterback,' he said. 'He can step out, he can either hand it to that guy going down the line, or he can come on out and keep it, or he can pitch it. Three different things. The longer you give him to get to the sideline, the better chance you've got to make the better play. 'So, I've never, in any way, forgotten all the things that can happen to you if you go too quick. And that list of going too quick is just as long as the negative of getting it done early every time.' That we're talking about Parsons, who is just the second player in NFL history (the first was the legendary Reggie White) to notch at least 12 sacks in his first four seasons, doesn't move Jones off his point. MORE: One fight. Then another. And another. Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer had seen enough There's also a sense with Jones that no one has the NFL money matters figured out quite like he does. He thinks, as the NFL's most powerful owner and essential player in driving the league's media rights deals and labor pacts, that he's more 'in the weeds,' as he put it, with the league's revenues, able to 'look around the corner' at increasing revenues. And with Jones' marketing, the Cowboys have long been the NFL's most valuable franchise, last year becoming the first $10 billion sports franchise in the annual Forbes rankings. 'Nobody could possibly have the feel for whether to go early on him or wait,' Jones said, alluding to revenue and salary cap projections. Of course, skeptics and championship-starved Cowboys fans alike, counter the financials with the football bottom line. The Cowboys, for all of their sustained popularity, have a 29-year drought since last appearing in a Super Bowl. Jones, who also serves as the team's GM, addressed the question before it was even asked. He's not giving up that part of the equation, reiterating his typical stance. 'I'm not in any way revisiting the mentality that I have about how I go about negotiations,' he said. 'Not at all. The buck does stop here.' As usual, the buck is wrapped in so much intrigue. Jones mentioned the Smith holdout from a generation ago. Smith missed the first two games in 1993, and the defending Super Bowl champions started 0-2 without their MVP. After Charles Haley planted a helmet into a locker room wall near Jones following the Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Smith's contract talks suddenly heated up. And it ended well. Smith got his new contract and it sparked the Cowboys to a repeat Super Bowl crown. Ah, the drama. Yet that was then. And this is now. Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@ or follow on social media: On X: @JarrettBell. On Bluesky: This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Exclusive: Jerry Jones talks Micah Parsons contract
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
5 offensive keys for Penn State's in 2025
Penn State is heading into one of the most anticipated and most hyped seasons in the James Franklin era. The Nittany Lions are feeling confident about what comes back on offense and what has been added through the transfer portal. Is this a season where the offense clicks in the biggest moments to get this program over the hump against the best of the best on the schedule? If so, this could be a magical season in Happy Valley. Here are five quick keys to a successful Penn State offense in 2025. Drew Allar must be THE guy Drew Allar is entering his senior season with the weight of the program on his shoulders. He's already racked up nearly 6,000 passing yards and 50 touchdowns in his career. But in 2025, he needs to go from solid to elite — especially in tight games. If he commands the huddle and thrives in big moments, Penn State has a real shot to run the table. Offensive line must keep building One of the biggest strengths this season is the return of multiple offensive line starters. The unit showed flashes in 2024, but the consistency wasn't always there. If this group can dominate in the trenches, especially late in games, it will give Allar time and open lanes for the run game. Balance between Singleton and Allen The duo of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen is one of the best backfield combos in the country. What they need in 2025 is rhythm. That means finding the hot hand, committing to the run, and using them more in the passing game. They're too talented not to get 30+ combined touches a game. Wide receivers must step up Penn State attacked the position through the transfer portal to bring in much-needed help, but we will have to see it pay off on the field rather than go on hype. Kyron Hudson, the USC transfer, is a big-time red zone threat, and the addition of Trebor Pena from Syracuse gives Penn State another big-time target to lock in with. These receivers need to consistently create separation and help stretch the field to keep defenses honest. Clean football wins games Penn State's offense can't afford turnovers, stalled red-zone drives, or mental errors. Finishing possessions, owning third downs, and protecting the football are what separate a 10-win team from a championship one. This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: How Penn State's offense can fuel a 2025 championship run
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Five-star safety from Omaha excited about relationship with Nebraska football
One of the top recruits in the state of Nebraska is impressed by the Huskers' recent recruiting efforts. Omaha Central safety Tory Pittman III told KETV that Nebraska is the one school that has caught his eye. Pittman recently earned his fifth recruiting star. The class of 2027 recruit is the No. 1 prospect in the state of Nebraska and the No. 1 safety in the nation, according to the 247Sports Composite score. "From the jump, they tried to get to know me as a person. Coach Matt Rhule has stayed in constant communication since my eighth-grade year when they first offered me." The recruit has played both safety and wide receiver for the Eagles. In his first season, Pittman totaled 34 tackles and two interceptions and caught three passes for 70 yards in eight games. This past year, he racked up 54 tackles and three interceptions and hauled in 26 catches for 458 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games. Nebraska's class of 2027 holds one commitment. Four-star quarterback Trae Taylor committed in May. Find more from Tory Pittman below. Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions. This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: Nebraska football recruiting target Tory Pittman excited about Huskers
