MLB ROUNDUP: KYLE TUCKER, CUBS CRUSH CARDINALS 11-0
Matthew Boyd celebrated his All-Star Game selection by striking out nine batters in five innings as the Chicago Cubs demolished the visiting St. Louis Cardinals 11-0 Sunday night.
Fellow All-Star selection Kyle Tucker drove in three runs for the Cubs, who have won eight of their last 11 games. Seiya Suzuki contributed a double, home run and two RBIs to the outburst.
Boyd (9-3) allowed just three hits and a walk while winning his third straight start. St. Louis starter Erick Fedde (3-9) allowed three runs on two hits and four walks in 1 1/3 innings.
The Cardinals have lost five of their last six games to fall 6 1/2 games behind the National League Central-leading Cubs.
Astros 5, Dodgers 1
Jose Altuve went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs, and Houston pulled away from host Los Angeles.
Christian Walker and Yainer Diaz each hit a solo home run for the Astros, who completed a three-game sweep over the Dodgers and improved to 11-2 in their past 13 games. Zack Short went 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
Dalton Rushing finished 2-for-3 with an RBI double to lead Los Angeles at the plate. The Dodgers were swept for the first time since May 16-18.
Yankees 6, Mets 4
Aaron Judge hit his 33rd home run of the season and finished with three RBIs to help the Yankees end a six-game losing streak with a win against the host Mets.
Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried (11-2) gave up three runs on six hits and struck out five before he was lifted after facing one batter in the sixth inning. Trent Grisham had three hits, while Austin Wells, Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt each added a pair.
The Mets had their four-game winning streak snapped. Chris Devenski started a bullpen game for the Mets, allowing one hit in two frames before giving way to Zach Pop (0-1).
Orioles 2, Braves 1
Trevor Rogers pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings and Jackson Holliday homered to help visiting Baltimore beat Atlanta to sweep their three-game series.
Rogers (2-0) allowed only four hits and two walks and struck out a season-high six. It was the third scoreless stint in five starts for Rogers, who lowered his ERA to 1.57. Holliday went 4-for-4, the second four-hit game of his career, with a double and a home run. He supplied all the offense via a two-run homer in the third inning, his 11th of the season.
Braves starter Grant Holmes (4-8) pitched six innings and allowed two runs on four hits. Atlanta has lost four in a row and dropped nine of its last 11.
Phillies 3, Reds 1
Zack Wheeler threw a dazzling one-hitter with 12 strikeouts as Philadelphia nipped visiting Cincinnati.
Bryson Stott hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the eighth inning to help make a winner of Wheeler (9-3), who was named National League Pitcher of the Month for June and picked up right where he left off. The right-hander allowed only a home run to Austin Hays and did not walk a batter in a sparkling individual effort.
Making his third career start for the Reds, Chase Burns allowed one run and two hits over 4 2/3 innings. He walked four and struck out seven, throwing 91 pitches, and didn’t factor into the decision.
Red Sox 6, Nationals 4
Trevor Story and Ceddanne Rafaela each homered to help visiting Boston complete a three-game sweep over Washington.
Story hit a two-run home run that was part of Boston’s four-run first inning, and Rafaela (three hits) added a solo home run in the ninth. Garrett Crochet (9-4) pitched the first five innings for the Red Sox. He allowed nine hits and struck out seven.
Brady House collected three hits for the Nationals. Left-hander Shinnosuke Ogasawara (0-1) made his major league debut, but was pulled with two outs in the third after throwing 55 pitches. He gave up four runs on seven hits.
Blue Jays 3, Angels 2
Bo Bichette homered, Kevin Gausman struck out nine in 5 2/3 innings and Toronto defeated visiting Los Angeles to sweep the three-game series and extend its season-best winning streak to eight games.
Bichette atoned for an error in the top of the fourth inning by driving an 0-1 changeup from Tyler Anderson (2-6) off the facing of the second deck for a home run to lead off the home fourth. Toronto added a run in the inning when Myles Straw doubled and scored on Joey Loperfido’s single to right. Davis Schneider hit an RBI single to left for Toronto’s go-ahead run in the sixth.
Mike Trout hit a solo home run for the Angels, who stranded 12 runners. Taylor Ward added three hits, a walk, an RBI and a stolen base.
Tigers 7, Guardians 2 (10 innings)
Trey Sweeney and Riley Greene each belted homers in the 10th inning and Tarik Skubal threw seven innings of three-hit, shutout ball to help Detroit hand host Cleveland its 10th straight loss.
Skubal struck out 10 while allowing only three hits and no runs. In his last four starts against division opponents, he has struck out 43, allowed eight hits and one walk, and no runs. Chase Lee (4-0) pitched 1 2/3 innings and gave up only one hit and struck out one.
Guardians starter Gavin Williams struck out eight and allowed one hit and no runs over six innings. Cade Smith (2-3) opened the 10th inning and allowed six runs on five hits.
Rockies 6, White Sox 4
Mickey Moniak finished a double shy of the cycle, Michael Toglia hit the go-ahead homer and Colorado beat Chicago in Denver.
The Rockies wrapped up a 2-4 homestand and avoided being swept for the 13th time this season. Zach Agnos (1-3) pitched an inning for his first major league win and Seth Halvorsen got the final three outs for his eighth save.
Mike Tauchman and Colson Montgomery had two hits apiece and Shane Smith (3-7) got the start the same day he was named a reserve for the American League All-Star squad, the only representative for the White Sox. Smith allowed five runs on five hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Brewers 3, Marlins 1
Brandon Woodruff, pitching in the majors for the first time in 652 days, allowed one run in six innings, leading Milwaukee to a series-clinching win over host Miami.
Woodruff (1-0), who had a long recovery from shoulder surgery, gave up two hits and one walk, striking out eight in his first MLB appearance since Sept. 23, 2023. Jackson Chourio homered and drove in all three runs to power Milwaukee’s offense.
Miami starter Edward Cabrera (3-3) took the tough-luck loss, allowing just two runs and five hits with zero walks in seven innings. Cabrera has pitched seven strong innings in each of his past two starts, allowing a total of just two runs.
Royals 4, Diamondbacks 0
Michael Lorenzen pitched seven scoreless innings and won for the first time in nearly a month as Kansas City beat Arizona in Phoenix.
Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez homered for the Royals, who took two out of the three games in Arizona. Kyle Isbel went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Vinnie Pasquantino was also 2-for-4 with two doubles. Lorenzen (5-8) allowed just two hits and a walk to record his first victory since June 8.
The Diamondbacks were shut out for just the second time this season. Anthony DeSclafani (0-1) made his first major league start in nearly two years due to an elbow injury. He struck out six and walked none but gave up four earned runs on four hits and two hit batters in four-plus innings.
Mariners 1, Pirates 0
Randy Arozarena homered and George Kirby outdueled Paul Skenes as Seattle defeated visiting Pittsburgh to complete a three-game sweep.
Arozarena went deep to left off Pirates reliever Carmen Mlodzinski (2-6) with two outs in the bottom of the sixth. It was Arozarena’s sixth homer on the Mariners’ seven-game homestand, on which they went 5-2.
Skenes pitched five scoreless innings and allowed five hits, striking out a season-high 10 without a walk. Kirby (3-4) went 6 1/3 scoreless innings and gave up four hits. He didn’t walk a batter and fanned nine.
Giants 6, Athletics 2
Willy Adames homered and drove in three runs to lead San Francisco to a victory over the Athletics at West Sacramento, Calif.
Luis Matos added a two-run double and Tyler Fitzgerald homered as the Giants won the final two contests of the three-game series. Rafael Devers and Wilmer Flores had two hits as San Francisco improved to 5-1 against the Athletics this season. Hayden Birdsong (4-3) gave up one run and three hits over five innings.
Tyler Soderstrom homered and doubled while Jacob Wilson had two singles for the Athletics, who won the series opener on Friday before being outplayed the last two games. Jacob Lopez (2-5) of the Athletics was charged with four runs and five hits over 4 1/3 innings.
Rays 7, Twins 5 (10 innings)
Yandy Diaz’s go-ahead double in a three-run 10th inning enabled struggling Tampa Bay to beat Minnesota in Minneapolis.
In a 4-4 game, Diaz, who had two hits, lined a run-scoring double to right and later scored on a throwing error by Justin Topa. Junior Caminero’s sacrifice fly added an insurance run. Jonathan Aranda went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, and Caminero drove in a pair. Taylor Walls hit a solo homer as the Rays won for just the third time in nine games.
Minnesota’s Byron Buxton (two hits) and Harrison Bader hit home runs. Bader entered as a pinch hitter in the eighth and responded with a two-run homer to left off Mason Montgomery to even it at 4.
Padres 4, Rangers 1
Fernando Tatis Jr. reached base four times and knocked in the go-ahead run as San Diego captured the rubber game of its weekend series with visiting Texas.
Six San Diego pitchers combined to give up six hits, with Kyle Hart (3-2) getting the win. Hart relieved opener David Morgan in the second inning and retired all 11 men he faced, striking out two in his first MLB outing since May 28. Robert Suarez worked the ninth for his 25th save to tie Houston’s Josh Hader for the MLB lead.
Jack Leiter (4-6) absorbed the loss after being charged with two runs on five hits and two walks in 3 2/3 innings, whiffing five. Leiter struggled with his command all night, needing 85 pitches to record his 11 outs.
–Field Level Media
ROYALS PLACE LHP DANIEL LYNCH IV (ELBOW) ON 15-DAY INJURED LIST
The Kansas City Royals placed left-hander Daniel Lynch IV on the 15-day injured list on Sunday because of left elbow nerve irritation.
In a corresponding move, the Royals recalled right-hander Jonathan Bowlan from Triple-A Omaha.
Lynch, 28, pitched one scoreless inning of relief on Saturday and allowed two walks with one strikeout in a 7-1 road loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
He is 3-2 with one save, a 2.59 ERA, 22 walks and 29 strikeouts in 41 2/3 innings over 39 games (two starts).
The Royals selected Lynch in the first round (34th overall) of the 2018 MLB Draft out of the University of Virginia. He is 16-25 with two saves, a 4.62 ERA, 135 walks and 279 strikeouts in 337 innings over 106 games (56 starts) in parts of five seasons.
Bowlan, 28, is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA, seven walks and 12 strikeouts in 15 innings over 12 relief appearances for Kansas City this season. He is a career 1-3 with a 4.35 ERA, 10 walks and 18 strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings over 15 games (two starts) in parts of three seasons.
He is 2-0 with three saves, a 1.90 ERA, six walks and 30 strikeouts in 23 2/3 innings over 17 appearances at Omaha. Kansas City selected Bowlan in the second round of the 2018 draft out of Memphis.
PADRES RHP YU DARVISH (ELBOW) TO MAKE SEASON DEBUT ON MONDAY
Padres right-hander Yu Darvish will make his season debut when San Diego hosts the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.
The five-time All-Star has been sidelined all season due to elbow inflammation. He was cleared after throwing a side session on Saturday and is expected to be limited to 75 pitches.
“We’re excited to have that happen,” Shildt said of Darvish’s return. “It really did get back to him checking all the boxes — simulated games, recovering, bullpens … being able to hold velocity.”
Darvish, 38, is in his fifth season with the Padres. He is 39-32 with a 3.79 ERA in 100 starts for San Diego.
Overall, Darvish is 110-88 with a 3.58 ERA in 282 starts with the Texas Rangers (2012-17), Los Angeles Dodgers (2017), Chicago Cubs (2018-20) and Padres. Darvish missed the 2015 season with Texas after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
The Padres certainly could use Darvish, as co-ace right-hander Michael King (shoulder nerve issue) has missed the past six-plus weeks. Up-and-down Dylan Cease is the team’s No. 1 starter at the moment.
On May 14, Darvish made a four-inning rehab appearance for Triple-A El Paso but more elbow issues occurred after the start, further pushing back his expected return.
Darvish didn’t make a rehab start this time around.
Right-hander Zac Gallen (6-9, 5.45) will start for Arizona in the opener of a four-game series.
BLUE JAYS PLACE 2B ANDRES GIMENEZ (ANKLE) ON 10-DAY IL
The Toronto Blue Jays placed second baseman Andres Gimenez on the 10-day injured list on Sunday because of a left ankle sprain.
The move, retroactive to Saturday, was one of several transactions for the team. Toronto recalled outfielder Joey Loperfido from Triple-A Buffalo, optioned right-hander Lazaro Estrada to Buffalo, activated right-hander Ryan Burr from the 60-day injured list and designated rookie outfielder Will Robertson for assignment.
Gimenez, 26, last played on Friday and tweaked his ankle again while running the bases during a 4-3 win in 10 innings over the visiting Los Angeles Angels. He also experienced discomfort during a three-hit performace against the New York Yankees on Wednesday, with the Blue Jays sitting him in that series finale before he attempted a return Friday that was cut short.
Toronto has won seven straight despite his unavailability.
An All-Star while with the Cleveland Guardians in 2022, Gimenez is batting .218 with five home runs and 23 RBIs in 61 games in his first season with Toronto. He also was on the IL and out 24 games with a quad strain from May 7 to June 3.
Gimenez is a career .257 hitter with 54 homers and 245 RBIs in 629 regular-season games for the New York Mets (2020), Cleveland (2021-24) and Toronto.
Burr, 31, has not pitched this season after going on the 60-day injured list in March because of right shoulder inflammation. He threw one scoreless inning on Wednesday in Triple A.
For his career, Burr is 4-5 with a 4.10 ERA, 51 walks and 113 strikeouts in 107 2/3 innings over 100 games (six starts) for the Chicago White Sox (2018-19, 2021-22) and Blue Jays (2024).
Loperfido, 26, has not played in the major leagues this season. He played in a total of 81 games for the Houston Astros and the Blue Jays in 2024 and batted .214 with four homers and 25 RBIs. He batted .278 with six homers and 39 RBIs in 76 games for Buffalo this season.
Estrada, 26, allowed two hits and one run in four innings for a 2.25 ERA, along with four strikeouts in his major league debut on Saturday against the Angels. He was 2-4 with a 4.27 ERA, 21 walks and 66 strikeouts in 60 2/3 innings over 15 starts at Buffalo this season.
Robertson, 27, made his major league debut on June 15 and batted .100 (1-for-10) with one RBI in three games.
GUARDIANS PLACE OF LANE THOMAS (FOOT) ON INJURED LIST
Cleveland Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas returned to the 10-day injured list on Sunday because of plantar fasciitis in his right foot.
The move, retroactive to Saturday, came after Thomas exited the 2-1 home loss to the Detroit Tigers after five innings on Friday and sat out the 1-0 setback to the Tigers the following day due to the injury.
The Guardians have lost nine consecutive games.
In a corresponding move, the Guardians recalled rookie infielder Will Wilson from Triple-A Columbus. Wilson, who turns 27 on July 21, batted .176 (9-for-51) in 24 games after making his major league debut in April. He hit .308 with eight home runs and 24 RBIs in 36 games with Columbus.
Thomas, 29, also was on the IL for the same ailment from May 30 to June 9. He went on the list in April because of a bruised right wrist. Thomas injured his wrist when he was hit by a Shane Smith pitch in the fifth inning of the Guardians’ home opener on April 8 against the Chicago White Sox.
Thomas is batting .160 (20-for-125) with four home runs and 11 RBIs in 39 games this season.
He is a career .242 hitter with 76 homers and 254 home runs in 600 regular-season games for the St. Louis Cardinals (2019-21), Washington Nationals (2021-24) and Guardians.
Thomas hit two homers and drove in nine runs while batting .222 (8-for-36) in 10 postseason games with Cleveland in 2024.
CATCHER-NEEDY ORIOLES ACQUIRE ALEX JACKSON FROM YANKEES
The Baltimore Orioles acquired minor league catcher Alex Jackson from the New York Yankees on Sunday, agreeing to send international bonus pool money and either a player to be named later or cash considerations.
He was added to the major league roster.
Jackson was the No. 6 overall pick of the Seattle Mariners in the 2014 MLB Draft and has a career batting average of .132 in 124 games with the Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays. He has six career home runs and 24 RBIs and thrown out 29.1 percent (16 of 55) potential base stealers.
The 29-year-old will provide depth at the position for the Orioles, who lost starter Adley Rutschman through at least the All-Star break due to the left oblique strain that sent him to the injured list for the first time in his career.
Catchers Maverick Handley (concussion) and Chadwick Tromp (back) also are sidelined, and veteran Gary Sanchez left Saturday night’s game against the Atlanta Braves with knee pain after making a play at the plate.
Sanchez was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right knee sprain on Sunday.
At Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season, Jackson hit .226 with 31 runs, seven doubles, one triple, 10 home runs and 34 RBIs in 44 games. He threw out 26.3 percent (10 of 38) of runners attempting to steal a base.
SKUBAL, ALONSO, KERSHAW HEADLINE MLB ALL-STAR RESERVES
Major League Baseball announced the pitchers and reserves for the 2025 All-Star Game on Sunday.
These are the complete rosters set to square off in the Midsummer Classic at Atlanta’s Truist Park on July 15. Reserves are selected through a combination of player ballots and the MLB commissioner’s office. All 30 teams have at least one All-Star representative.
AL Starters
The AL starters, announced last week, are headlined by a trio of Detroit Tigers plus sluggers Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh.
| Position | Player | Team |
| C | Cal Raleigh | Mariners |
| 1B | Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | Blue Jays |
| 2B | Gleyber Torres | Tigers |
| 3B | José Ramírez | Guardians |
| SS | Jacob Wilson | Athletics |
| OF | Aaron Judge | Yankees |
| OF | Riley Greene | Tigers |
| OF | Javier Báez | Tigers |
| DH | Ryan O’Hearn | Orioles |
AL Reserves
Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Jonathan Aranda and Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña are the two first-time All-Stars among the AL reserves.
| Position | Player | Team |
| C | Alejandro Kirk | Blue Jays |
| 1B | Jonathan Aranda | Rays |
| 2B | Brandon Lowe | Rays |
| 3B | Alex Bregman* | Red Sox |
| 3B | Jazz Chisholm Jr. | Yankees |
| SS | Bobby Witt Jr. | Royals |
| SS | Jeremy Peña* | Astros |
| OF | Byron Buxton | Twins |
| OF | Steven Kwan | Guardians |
| OF | Julio Rodríguez | Mariners |
| DH | Brent Rooker | Athletics |
*Bregman and Peña are currently on the injured list
AL Pitchers
Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman earns his eighth career All-Star nod, while Texas Rangers ace Jacob deGrom is in his first Midsummer Classic since 2021. Chicago White Sox rookie Shane Smith, meanwhile, is now the second player in history to be named an All-Star in the same year he was a Rule 5 Draft pick, joining Dan Uggla in 2006.
| Position | Player | Team |
| SP | Tarik Skubal | Tigers |
| SP | Garrett Crochet | Red Sox |
| SP | Yusei Kikuchi | Angels |
| SP | Max Fried | Yankees |
| SP | Jacob deGrom | Rangers |
| SP | Shane Smith | White Sox |
| SP | Hunter Brown | Astros |
| SP | Kris Bubic | Royals |
| SP | Bryan Woo | Mariners |
| RP | Aroldis Chapman | Red Sox |
| RP | Josh Hader | Astros |
| RP | Andrés Muñoz | Mariners |
NL Starters
Three Los Angeles Dodgers stars and hometown favorite Ronald Acuña Jr. headline the NL’s starting nine.
| Position | Player | Team |
| C | Will Smith | Dodgers |
| 1B | Freddie Freeman | Dodgers |
| 2B | Ketel Marte | D-Backs |
| 3B | Manny Machado | Padres |
| SS | Francisco Lindor | Mets |
| OF | Pete Crow-Armstrong | Cubs |
| OF | Ronald Acuña Jr. | Braves |
| OF | Kyle Tucker | Cubs |
| DH | Shohei Ohtani | Dodgers |
NL Reserves
First-time All-Stars on the Senior Circuit’s squad include Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood and St. Louis Cardinals utility player Brendan Donovan.
| Position | Player | Team |
| C | Hunter Goodman | Rockies |
| 1B | Pete Alonso | Mets |
| 1B | Matt Olson | Braves |
| 2B | Brendan Donovan | Cardinals |
| 3B | Eugenio Suárez | D-Backs |
| SS | Elly De La Cruz | Reds |
| OF | James Wood | Nationals |
| OF | Kyle Stowers | Marlins |
| OF | Corbin Carroll | D-Backs |
| OF | Fernando Tatis Jr. | Padres |
| DH | Kyle Schwarber | Phillies |
NL Pitchers
Clayton Kershaw, who joined the 3,000-strikeout club earlier this week, was named to his 11th All-Star Game as a “legacy pick” by commissioner Rob Manfred to honor his iconic career.
| Position | Player | Team |
| SP | Clayton Kershaw | Dodgers |
| SP | Chris Sale* | Braves |
| SP | Zack Wheeler | Phillies |
| SP | Paul Skenes | Pirates |
| SP | Logan Webb | Giants |
| SP | Robbie Ray | Giants |
| SP | Freddy Peralta | Brewers |
| SP | MacKenzie Gore | Nationals |
| SP | Matthew Boyd | Cubs |
| SP | Yoshinobu Yamamoto | Dodgers |
| RP | Edwin Díaz | Mets |
| RP | Jason Adam | Padres |
| RP | Randy Rodríguez | Giants |
*Sale is currently on the injured list
NATIONALS FIRE MANAGER MARTINEZ, GM RIZZO
The Washington Nationals have cleaned house.
Washington fired longtime manager Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo after the last-place team was swept at home by the Boston Red Sox, the team announced.
Mike DeBartolo, the Nationals’ senior vice president and assistant general manager of baseball operations, was promoted to interim GM. The team plans to name an interim manager on Monday.
“On behalf of our family and the Washington Nationals organization, I first and foremost want to thank Mike and Davey for their contributions to our franchise and our city,” principal owner Mark Lerner said in a statement. “While we are appreciative of their past successes, the on-field performance has not been where we or our fans expect it to be. This is a pivotal time for our club, and we believe a fresh approach and new energy is the best course of action for our team moving forward.”
The firings come one week before Washington is set to make the first overall pick in this year’s MLB Draft.
Washington held club options for 2026 on both Martinez’s and Rizzo’s contracts. The team had to exercise them by the middle of this month, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
Martinez, 60, collected a 500-622 record over his seven-plus seasons in the nation’s capital, and he owns the third-most wins in Nationals/Expos history.
The Nats posted winning records under Martinez in his first two campaigns. In 2019, his club rebounded from a 19-31 start to make the playoffs as a wild card before upsetting the Houston Astros in the World Series for the franchise’s first championship.
However, the Nats have failed to post a winning record since that championship and have lost 90-plus contests in each of the last four seasons, including a league-worst 107 in 2022. Washington currently sits last in the NL East at 37-53, and endured an 11-game losing streak in early June.
Martinez raised eyebrows during that losing streak when he said that his club’s offensive struggles were “never on coaching.” He later clarified the remarks, saying that he never meant to criticize his players.
Rizzo, meanwhile, originally joined the Nationals organization in 2007 and had served as GM since 2009. Under his watch, the team made five playoff appearances while winning four division titles and the 2019 World Series, all while developing stars such as Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, and Juan Soto.
“The sun will come up tomorrow,” Rizzo told Barry Svrluga of The Washington Post shortly after being let go. “That’s the job. I had a great run. Navigated that ownership group for almost 20 years.”
