Murphy hits two long HRs, Braves beat Cardinals 6-5
Murphy hit a 437-foot, two-run shot out to left-center field on an 0-2 pitch from Matthew Liberatore for a 3-0 lead in the first. Murphy fouled off seven pitches in a 13-pitch at-bat before hitting a 440-foot solo shot to center for a 5-2 advantage in the third. Murphy and Ronald Acuña Jr. both had three of the Braves' 12 hits.
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Enyel De Los Santos (3-2) got the win with two perfect innings following starter Grant Holmes, who allowed five runs and nine hits in three innings. Raisel Iglesias pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 10th save in 14 opportunities — and first since June 24 against the Mets.
Acuña hit the third pitch from Liberatore for a double and scored on Austin Riley's one-out single for the Braves' first run. Michael Harris II doubled and scored on Acuña's single for a 4-2 lead in the second. Jurickson Profar doubled following Murphy's second homer and scored on a single by Drake Baldwin for a 6-2 advantage.
Brendan Donovan singled leading off the Cardinals' first against Grant Holmes. Alec Burleson had a one-out double to drive in the Cardinals' first run for a second straight day. Willson Contreras' RBI single cut it to 3-2.
Pedro Pagés had a two-out bases-loaded single in the third to drive in two and Victor Scott II followed with an RBI single to get the Cardinals to 6-5.
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Atlanta third baseman Austin Riley left after three innings with what the team said was 'abdominal tightness'.
Key moment
Burlson drew a walk leading off the seventh against Austin Cox before Contreras greeted replacement Rafael Montero with a single. Montero retired the next three to keep it 6-5.
Key stat
The Braves beat the Cardinals for the 1,000th time but trail by 106 wins in the all-time series — with 18 ties.
Up next
The Braves haven't announced a Saturday starter opposite Cardinals RHP Erick Fedde (3-9, 4.79 ERA).
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USA Today
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MLB trade deadline: Nearly every prospect dealt in 2024 looks like a dud
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Seattle missed the playoffs last year but Arozarena is still producing at an All-Star level this year, even as Tampa Bay has largely readjusted its offense without him. Hopkins, a Futures Game selection, has made gains in the Rays pitching program and is now their No. 5 prospect, with 99 strikeouts in 81 innings and a 3.32 ERA in 18 Class AA starts. Smith, who turned 21 July 23, is No. 12 in the Rays' system and trending well at Class AA, his 10 homers and 26 steals auguring a versatile offensive profile. ∘∘ Guardians get: OF Lane Thomas Nationals get: LHP Alex Clemmey, INF Rafael Ramirez Jr., INF Jose Tena Outcome: Guardians win AL Central, lose in AL Championship Series; Nationals finish 71-91 Aftermath: Thomas hit an epic postseason home run in Cleveland, though his overall production tailed off switching leagues in the trade. The Nationals hit on Clemmey, a Futures Game participant who's now their No. 5 prospect, but still has a long climb ahead from A ball. Tena has shown no power or speed and league-average hit ability in major league stints, while Ramirez has spent all season on the Class A injured list. ∘∘ Guardians get: RHP Alex Cobb Giants get: LHP Jacob Bresnahan and player to be named (INF Nate Furman) Outcome: Guardians win AL Central, lose in AL Championship Series; Giants finish 80-82 Aftermath: Cobb didn't pitch for the Giants in '24 due to injury but made three effective starts down the stretch and started two playoff games for the Guardians, who won his ALDS outing against Detroit before he was injured again in the ALCS. Bresnahan, 20, is ranked 16th in the Giants system and having a decent year in low A; Furman has yet to play in their system due to injury. ∘∘ Royals get: RHP Michael Lorenzen Rangers get: LHP Walter Pennington Outcome: Rangers finish 78-84 Aftermath: In a weird buy-sell deadline for the Rangers, the Royals got the veteran arm they needed for a playoff drive as Lorenzen posted a 1.57 ERA down the stretch, joined the playoff bullpen and re-signed in K.C. Pennington made a one-game debut with the Rangers but was placed on waivers in April and claimed by Baltimore. ∘∘ Diamondbacks get: LHP A.J. Puk Marlins get: INF Deyvison De Los Santos, OF Andrew Pintar Outcome: Diamondbacks finish 89-73, miss playoffs on tiebreaker Aftermath: Puk pitched splendidly down the stretch for Arizona, but underwent an internal brace elbow reconstruction in June; he should recover to pitch in the 2026 second half before hitting free agency. Whle De Los Santos, now the Marlins' No. 18 prospect, led all the minor leagues with 40 homers in 2025, his strikeout rate - 27% this year, with 11 homers - has long diminished his stature as a prospect. Pintar, 25, has reached Class AAA but is not on the 40-man roster. The middling middle Mariners get: DH/INF Justin Turner Blue Jays get: OF RJ Schreck Aftermath: Turner was solid (.363 OBP, .766 OPS) in 48 games with the Mariners and while they didn't make the playoffs, his lasting impact was as hitting counselor for franchise player Cal Raleigh. Schreck, 24, is Toronto's No. 16 prospect and has reached Class AA (.941 OPS in 41 games). ∘∘ Mariners get: RHP Yimi Garcia Blue Jays get: OF Jonatan Clase, C Jacob Sharp Aftermath: Garcia was a decent high-leverage relief prize (2.70 ERA) at the deadline but didn't pitch nearly as well (6.00) in 10 games with Seattle. For that, the Blue Jays got a utility guy who produced a 64 adjusted OPS in 112 plate appearances this year before heading to the minors, and a 23-year-old Class AA catcher with a .195 slugging percentage. ∘∘ Brewers get: RHP Nick Mears Rockies get: RHP Bradley Blalock, RHP Yujanyer Herrera Outcome: Brewers lose in NL wild card; Rockies finish 61-101 Aftermath: Mears is still paying dividends for the ever-contending Brewers, with a 0.85 WHIP this year. Blalock has a 7.18 ERA in 14 games, 11 starts, for Colorado the past two years and has an 8.32 ERA at Class AAA. Herrera, 21, underwent Tommy John surgery in October. ∘∘ Mets get: OF Jesse Winker Nationals get: RHP Tyler Stuart Outcome: Mets lose in NLCS Aftermath: The vibes were good enough for Winker in New York, who goes back to childhood in Orlando with Francisco Lindor, that they re-upped him in the winter, and he's produced at replacement level for a calendar year. Stuart, who turns 26 in October, is the Nationals' No. 18 prospect but is out for the year with an elbow injury that's limited him to 10 appearances. ∘∘ Rangers get: C Carson Kelly Tigers get: RHP Tyler Owens, C Liam Hicks Aftermath: Kelly's star turn wouldn't come until he joined the Cubs this year; he provided an 84 adjusted OPS to Texas' futile playoff run. Owens, 24, is Detroit's 16th-ranked prospect and made three relief appearances this season, but has been hit hard in Class AAA Toledo's pen. ∘∘ Padres get: LHP Martín Pérez Pirates get: LHP Ronaldys Jimenez Outcome: Pirates finish 76-86 Aftermath: Pérez was a near-ideal deadline stopgap, pitching to a 3.46 ERA in 10 starts, though he did not make San Diego's postseason rosters. Jimenez, 19, has a 4.28 ERA as a reliever for the Pirates' Florida complex team. ∘∘ Brewers get: RHP Frankie Montas Reds get: RHP Jakob Junis, OF Joey Wiemer, cash Outcome: Reds finish 77-85 Aftermath: The fifth trade of Montas's career, he made 11 starts for the Brewers and one playoff start, his 3 ⅔ innings apparently convincing the Mets to give him an ill-advised contract last winter. Junis was on an expiring contract, while Wiemer played in two games for the Reds and was a throw-in in the winter deal sending Jonathan India to Kansas City for pitcher Brady Singer. He's spent all season in Class AAA. ∘∘ Diamondbacks get: RHP Dylan Floro Nationals get: INF Andres Chaparro Aftermath: Floro had a 2.06 ERA when the Nationals flipped him; he posted a 9.37 mark in 15 games with Arizona. Chaparro, 26, got three hits in his major league debut with Washington but batted .186 (24-for-132) since and has a .228/.333/.465 line at Class AAA. ∘∘ Rangers get: LHP Andrew Chafin Tigers get: RHP Joseph Montalvo, RHP Chase Lee Aftermath: Yet another uncommon W for the Tigers, who deal a major league regular yet finish 34-19 and reach the playoffs while adding Lee, now their No. 15 prospect and a reliable (1.05 WHIP) member of their big league bullpen. ∘∘ Yankees get: RHP Mark Leiter Jr. Cubs get: INF Ben Cowles, RHP Jack Neely Outcome: Cubs finish 83-79 Aftermath: A classic get-us-an-arm deal, Leiter provided the Yankees a relief body and was actually better (1.98 ERA) in the postseason than the regular season (4.98). Cowles, 25, has a .233/.296/.379 line at Class AAA; Neely made six relief appearances for the Cubs last season but has a 6.91 ERA in AAA. Smaller potatoes Red Sox get: RHP Luis Garcia Angels get: RHP Ryan Zeferjahn, CF Matthew Lugo, RHP Yeferson Vargas, 1B/DH Niko Kavadas Outcome: Red Sox finish 81-81 Aftermath: A classic modern Red Sox half-measure, where they don't really sell but also don't buy anything of significance and leave fans wondering what the point was. Garcia logged an 8.22 ERA in 15 games; while the Red Sox basically gave the Angels a bunch of guys, Zeferjahn, Lugo and Kavadas have made their major league debuts, with Lugo a potentially useful utility player. Warm bodies, anyway, more than the Red Sox can now say about Garcia. ∘∘ Red Sox get: C Danny Jansen Blue Jays get: SS Eddinson Paulino, INF Cutter Coffey, RHP Gilberto Batista Aftermath: See above. Jansen capped off the worst year of his career by hitting .188 in 30 games for Boston. None of the Jays' acquisitions rank in their top 30, and only Paulino, a 155-pound 23-year-old, is playing above A ball. ∘∘ Mets get: RHP Huascar Brazoban Marlins get: OF Wilfredo Lara Aftermath: Brazoban was good (2.90 ERA) for the Marlins, bad (5.14, no playoff run) for the Mets, though he's still around as a sentient member of the Mets' bullpen, striking out a batter an inning. Lara, 21, has a .203/.300/.326 line at high A. ∘∘ Pirates get: INF Isiah Kiner-Falefa Blue Jays get: OF Charles McAdoo Outcome: Pirates finish 76-86; Blue Jays finish 74-88 Aftermath: Hey, remember the time the Pirates were buyers, kind of? Yeah, we don't, either. But Pittsburgh was 55-52 before finishing 21-34 and just two games ahead of Toronto – which added who's now its 20th-ranked prospect in McAdoo, 23, who has a .749 OPS and 10 homers at Class AA. ∘∘ Pirates get: LHP Jalen Beeks Rockies get: LHP Luis Peralta Aftermath: Those swashbucklin' Pirates were active at the deadline, though Beeks produced a 1.79 WHIP in 26 games for them. Peralta has made 24 relief appearances over two sesons with the Rockies but has a 10.72 ERA at Class AAA this year. ∘∘ Mets get: RHP Paul Blackburn Athletics get: RHP Kade Morris Aftermath: Blackburn was hurt before this deal and also this year but was a five-start stopgap for the NLCS finalists. Meanwhile, the A's coached up Morris, 23, into their No. 8 overall prospect after a strong half season at Class AA. ∘∘ Diamondbacks get: 1B Josh Bell Marlins get: Cash considerations Aftermath: The 'or player to be named later' never showed up so this was just a cash dump; Nationals fans should have similar expectations with Bell on the block once again, though he did have a .796 OPS in Arizona's failed playoff drive.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Padres come into matchup against the Cardinals on losing streak
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