The Month That Was in Baseball: July 2024

Monday, July 1

Who needs the gift runner when you have the New York Mets and Washington Nationals exploding for runs in the 10th inning? After taking a 3-3 game into extras, the Mets score the automatic runner on second along with two others on J.D. Martinez’s home run—then add three more for what appears to be an airtight six-run advantage headed to the bottom of the 10th. But the Nationals similarly rally, scoring four times on two doubles, two walks and a single while putting the tying run on base with two outs—all before Luis Garcia Jr. strikes out to give the Mets a nervous 9-7 victory.

The game is played without the Mets’ Brandon Nimmo, who had fainted in his hotel room the night before and cut his head on the fall. Nimmo passes all concussion tests and will be back in action the next day.

Tuesday, July 2

Shortstop and former batting champ Tim Anderson, hoping for a rebound to top form with the Miami Marlins, is designated for assignment by the club after an anemic showing thus far in 2024—batting .214 with just three extra-base hits (all doubles) among 50 hits. After producing an MLB-low .582 OPS last season, Anderson this year was at .463; no other major leaguer had a lower figure in fewer at-bats. The 31-year-old Anderson was given a one-year, $5 million contract by the Marlins this past winter.

After scoring six runs in the 10th inning the night before at Washington, the Mets head into extras again and notch five more in the 10th against the Nationals to prevail, 7-2. Brandon Nimmo, returning to the lineup after fainting and injuring his head in a fall at his hotel room, belts an RBI double during New York’s latest big rally.

The Mets are just the fourth team—and the first since Arizona in 2021—to score five or more runs in an extra inning over two consecutive games.

The stars come out in the Cincinnati Reds’ 5-4 win at New York over the Yankees. Second-year Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz, showing signs of a rebound after a June swoon dropped his batting average down to .230, triples and homers to lift the Reds. Aaron Judge, in the midst of another monster year, does his best to propel the Yankees in defeat with three hits including his MLB-leading 32nd home run in this, New York’s 87th game of the year; Judge also leads the majors in batting average (.321) and RBIs (83).

The loss is tagged to Luis Gil, for whom opponents appear to be have found the book on. After recording a 9-1 record and 2.03 ERA over his first 14 starts, Gil is 0-3 with a 14.90 figure in his last three.

Really, Royce Lewis—again? The young, highly talented and injury-cursed Minnesota third baseman is headed for the shelf yet again, this time for suffering a groin injury as he hobbles into second base on a two-run double in the Twins’ 5-3 win over the visiting Detroit Tigers. The Twins have Lewis listed as day-to-day, but he’s seen this movie before and isn’t as confident. “Probably not very optimistic, to be honest with you,” he tells reporters after the game. “I’m praying, but it’s usually horrible news.” He’s right; he’ll be absent from action for the next 24 days.

Lewis has already missed two months this year due to a torn leg muscle he suffered on Opening Day, but still is third on the Twins with 10 home runs in just 23 games.

Luis Robert Jr. drives in four runs on a home run and single for the White Sox at Cleveland, but it’s the optics of his defensive indifference that has Chicago fans fuming at the end of the team’s 7-6 loss to the Guardians. With the game tied in the bottom of the ninth with one out and the Guardians’ Andres Gimenez representing the winning run at third, Bo Naylor hits a routine fly toward Roberts in center field. Roberts makes the catch, but doesn’t even bother to make the throw home; Gimenez’s unchallenged run gives Cleveland a 7-6 win. Roberts is defended afterwards by White Sox manager Pedro Grifol, ejected earlier in the game, claiming the outfielder was playing in and had no time to run back and set up to make a throw home. (Also to note: Gimenez is fast.)

Looking at the video, Roberts appeared to have plenty of time to back up, run into the catch and use that momentum to make a throw home. But here’s the thing: What have you got to lose? Just the game, which the White Sox do for the 63rd time against just 24 wins in what’s threatening to become a season of awfully historic proportions for the Pale Hose.

Wednesday, July 3

The starters for the 94th MLB All-Star Game, to be held at Arlington, Texas on July 16, are announced—with some veteran names mixed in with eight first-time starters. Some of the names among the latter group are surprises, because many will assume they’ve been previous starters. Names like Juan Soto, making his fourth All-Star roster but only his first as a starter, and Yordan Alvarez, selected for the first time as the starting DH after finishing second in the vote over the two previous years to Shohei Ohtani—who’s now moved on to the NL and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Less surprisingly, those being given their first starting All-Star nod include second-year Baltimore shortstop Gunnar Henderson, Milwaukee catcher William Contreras, and Cleveland outfielder Steven Kwan, who leads the majors with a .360 batting average. And under the category of ‘better late than never’, San Diego outfielder Jurickson Profar gets a well-deserved spot in the NL lineup in what will be his first-ever All-Star appearance—be it as starter or reserve—in his 11th major league season.

Bryce Harper, who was named to the All-Star team last week by virtue of having the most votes among NL players, leads all starters in terms of seniority with his seventh start; Aaron Judge and Jose Altuve are right behind with their sixth start.

Below are the full lineups for both leagues, with starting pitchers yet to be determined; asterisks indicate players making their first All-Star start.

National League
Catcher—William Contreras, Milwaukee*
First Base—Bryce Harper, Philadelphia
Second Base—Ketel Marte, Arizona
Third Base—Alec Bohm, Philadelphia*
Shortstop— Trea Turner, Philadelphia
Outfield—Christian Yelich, Milwaukee
Outfield—Jurickson Profar, San Diego*
Outfield— Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego
Designated Hitter—Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles

American League
Catcher—Adley Rutschman, Baltimore*
First Base—Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto
Second Base—Jose Altuve, Houston
Third Base—Jose Ramirez, Cleveland
Shortstop—Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore*
Outfield—Aaron Judge, New York
Outfield—Juan Soto, New York*
Outfield—Steven Kwan, Cleveland*
Designated Hitter—Yordan Alvarez, Houston*

Once again, the voters do impressively well in choosing productivity over popularity, as evidenced with the inclusions of Profar and Kwan. On the subject of snubs, perhaps the biggest beef we could find is the selection of Trea Turner (one of three Philadelphia Phillies to make the NL lineup) over that of the Dodgers’ Mookie Betts at shortstop; in our opinion, Betts has been the more potent of the two thus far in 2024. Perhaps the silver lining for Betts is that Turner edged him in the vote by a razor-thin margin.

The Orioles get five shutout innings from Dean Kremer—making his first start since May 20—and the 438th career save from Craig Kimbrel, moving past Francisco Rodriguez into fourth place on the all-time list, to defeat the Mariners at Seattle, 4-1. The victory moves Baltimore two games ahead of the Yankees, who drop a 3-2 home decision against the Reds, in the AL East. Meanwhile, Seattle’s lead in the AL West is whittled down to two games with its fourth straight loss and 10th over its last 13 games; despite their first-place standing, the Mariners are dead last in the majors with a .216 batting average—and it’s just .183 through their current 13-game slump.

Tampa Bay sends pitcher Aaron Civale to the Brewers, who could really use starting pitching, in exchange for 20-year-old infielding prospect Gregory Barrios. Though some may read this as the Rays beginning to pack it in after a subpar (by their standards) start, the team is soon expecting the return of top pitchers Shane McClanahan and Drew Rasmussen—plus, Civale (2-6, 5.07 ERA in 17 starts this season) wasn’t exactly getting it done for the Rays. The Brewers, who previously received Willy Adames from the Rays in what many labeled a steal of a deal, are hoping for history to repeat itself.

Thursday, July 4

For the first time since interleague play was instituted 27 years earlier, the Yankees are swept by a National League team at home as the Reds make it three straight at Yankee Stadium with an 8-4 win; it’s the Yankees’ 14th loss in their last 19 games. Earning the win for the Reds is Frankie Montas, in his first year with Cincinnati after a forgettable, injury-depleted year-plus tenure with the Yankees in which he went 2-3 with a 6.15 ERA over nine appearances.

It’s another big night for the Diamondbacks’ Christian Walker in Los Angeles, pounding out two more home runs to help Arizona pull away with a 9-3 win over the Dodgers. It’s the second straight multi-homer game for Walker, and his fifth straight game with at least one round-tripper against the Dodgers; he’s hit 19 homers in 42 career games at Dodger Stadium.

Barry Bonds is the all-time leader in home runs drilled by visitors at Chavez Ravine, with 29—but he did that in 135 games, or three times as many as Walker has played.

It’s back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 2021 for the A’s, who blank the Angels for a second straight day in Oakland, 5-0. JP Sears and four relievers combine to limit the Angels to four hits and two walks while striking out 11.

Friday, July 5

The Pirates tie a team record with seven home runs, leading directly to all 14 unanswered runs in a 14-2 rout of the Mets at sold-out PNC Park. The benefactor of Pittsburgh’s power surge is rookie marvel Paul Skenes, who improves to 5-0 with a 2.12 ERA as he strikes out eight Mets over seven innings of work. Of the Bucs’ seven homers, two each are belted by Bryan Reynolds and Rowdy Tellez; they also contribute a grand slam, making them the first pair of teammates in MLB history to have a multi-homer effort including a slam in the same game.

The Pirates previously hit seven homers three times, most recently last year at Seattle on May 26. The two grand slams tie a franchise mark accomplished on four previous occasions.

Will Smith hits three solo homers, becoming the second Dodger this season (after Max Muncy on May 4) with a hat trick in an 8-5 victory over the Brewers at Los Angeles. Smith’s first two round-trippers are hit off Aaron Civale, making his Milwaukee debut just a day after being traded from Tampa Bay. A chance for a fourth home run for Smith is denied in the eighth when, with runners at second and third but with first base open, he’s walked on five pitches by Elvis Peguero as part of a three-run, tie-breaking rally for the Dodgers.

The Houston Astros survive two major scares in edging the Twins at Minnesota, 13-12. In the eighth inning, Jose Altuve gets hit on the left hand by a 94-MPH pitch from Josh Winder and immediately calls for the trainer; X-rays will later show no breaks, giving the All-Star second baseman will only miss one day. An inning later, the Astros take an eight-run lead to the bottom of the ninth—where the Twins will erupt for seven, the last four on a grand slam from Carlos Correa, the first he’s hit against his former team. The Twins bow despite a 4-for-4 night from Jose Miranda—a day after going 5-for-5. Overall, Miranda has 10 straight hits, setting a franchise record; all this, and he’s pulled for a pinch hitter during the Twins’ big ninth-inning rally.

Another wild finish takes place in San Diego, where the Padres below a 7-2 lead in the top of the ninth against Arizona—only to score three times in the bottom half of the inning, the last two plated on Manny Machado’s walk-off blast to prevail, 10-8. Alek Thomas’ grand slam initiates the Diamondbacks’ scoring in the ninth; Randal Grichuk’s two-run blast puts Arizona ahead, but only temporarily as Jurickson Profar’s leadoff shot in the bottom of the ninth ties the game in advance of Machado’s game-winner.

According to STATS, this is the first game in MLB history to include a grand slam, go-ahead home run, game-tying homer and walk-off homer—all in the same inning.

The slams by Thomas, the Twins’ Correa and the Brewers’ Rhys Hoskins at Los Angeles all happen in games in which their teams lose. It’s only the second time in MLB history that three teams are defeated on the same day despite having a slam hit on their behalf.

The Phillies’ Aaron Nola outmatches an ineffective Max Fried (six innings, five runs allowed on 11 hits) to record his 100th career victory, 8-6 at Atlanta over the Braves. Nola gives up three runs over six innings, but also strikes out eight with no walks; Trea Turner backs him up with a pair of two-run homers, his second multi-homer performance in four days.

Nola is the ninth Phillies pitcher to notch 100 wins since 1900; at age 31 and under contract with the team through 2030, he is certain to move up on the list of all-time franchise wins.

Despite the loss, the Braves extend a streak of home games without being shut out to 221, surpassing the 1998-2001 Cleveland Indians for the third longest such streak in MLB history. The Braves still have a long way to go before matching #1 on the list—the 1999-2003 Rockies, who went 361 games at Coors Field without being blanked.

After failing to win any of his first 12 starts this season, the Cubs’ Justin Steele—16-5 and our pick for the NL’s Best Pitcher last year—takes matters into his own hands and finally gets in the win column, going the distance in Chicago’s 5-1 victory over the visiting Angels. Steele throws just 95 pitches in the first career complete game, scattering two hits and two walks while lowering his ERA to 2.95; he had come into the game as the pitcher with the most innings thrown (70.1) without a win.

Saturday, July 6

Minnesota’s Jose Miranda ties a major league record by recording hits in 12 consecutive at-bats, singling twice to start the day in the Twins’ 9-3 home win over Houston. The streak comes to an end in the sixth inning when he flies out. Miranda matches the mark co-held by Johnny Kling (1902), Pinky Higgins (1938) and Walt Dropo (1952). In between his two singles on the day, he’s hit by a pitch—but that does not count as an official at-bat.

Has another star been born in the Bronx? Ben Rice tears apart the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium, drilling three home runs and bringing home seven runs in New York’s 14-4 rout of its archrivals. The 25-year-old Rice is the first Yankee rookie in franchise history, and the second leadoff batter (after Tom Tresh in 1962), to hit three homers in a game. Only four major league players have produced a hat trick in fewer career games than Rice’s 17.

No team has scored more than 17 runs this season—except for your Oakland A’s, who dump 19 on the visiting Orioles some two months after scoring 20 against Miami. Four A’s collect three hits, and the team belts five home runs—including the 18th for Brent Rooker, and the 17th for Shea Langeliers.

Sunday, July 7

Reserves and pitchers for the upcoming All-Star Game are announced, completing the roster selection for the contest to be played on July 16 at Arlington, Texas. Including the starters named on July 3, there are 33 first-time All-Stars among the 64 total players named, including Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes—the first player to make the roster a year after being drafted. On the seniority side, Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez and Houston second baseman Jose Altuve are each given their ninth All-Star spot. The Phillies have the most representation of any MLB team with seven All-Stars, as four pitchers join three field position starters; the Dodgers are next with six, followed by the Padres and Guardians with five each. Fifteen teams list the minimum one representative, though that’s subject to change as players possibly bow out to injury, rest or some other excuse from someone such as Carlos Correa—the lone Twins All-Star who’s apparently been hesitant to share an All-Star clubhouse with AL teammates still stewing over his more brazen attitude regarding the 2017 Astros cheating scandal, which he was a part of.

One of the more head-scratching decisions among those chosen is the addition of Yankee closer Clay Holmes (19 saves, 3.00 ERA), who’s having nowhere as good a season as two others not named: Baltimore’s Craig Kimbrel (23, 2.10) and Boston’s Kenley Jansen (18, 2.01). The theory making the rounds is that Holmes was picked by the commissioner’s office so that the Yankees (and, by extension, New York’s big TV market) could have one more rep beyond starters Aaron Judge and Juan Soto.

Correa, facing his old team as the Twins’ home series against Houston wraps up, exits early after being hit by a pitch on his right hand; X-rays will later reveal no significant damage, and he’s expected to miss very little if any time. Without Correa, the Twins will stay knotted with the Astros through to the bottom of the ninth, when catcher Christian Vazquez—who earlier knocked in the Twins’ first two runs—walks it off with a leadoff homer to give Minnesota a 3-2 win. The victorious blow extends the Twins’ streak of consecutive games with a home run to 25—tied for the fifth longest in MLB history.

The Brewers avoid getting swept by the Dodgers at Los Angeles with a 9-2 win, all despite an odd pitching line from starting Milwaukee pitcher Dallas Keuchel. In making his third start since being acquired from Seattle, the former Cy Young Award winner walks five batters and strikes out none, throwing just 42 strikes among 94 total pitches—but also doesn’t allow a run over 4.1 innings. The last pitcher to throw that many frames walking five or more batters without a strikeout or run allowed was Vin Mazzaro, pitching for Kansas City in 2011.

After one more—and less impressive—start, Keuchel will be released by the Brewers.

A day after giving up 14 runs to the Yankees at New York, the Red Sox shut down the Bronx Bombers, 3-0, behind Rafael Devers’ two solo homers and Kutter Crawford’s seven shutout innings—on just 68 pitches. Kenley Jansen wraps up the victory with a perfect ninth for his 438th career save, moving past Francisco Rodriguez for #5 on the all-time list; he’s two saves behind Baltimore’s Craig Kimbrel, who notches his 440th (and 23rd of the year) in the Orioles’ 6-3 victory at Oakland.

Both Kimbrel and Jansen probably won’t reach #3 on the list—Lee Smith, with 478—anytime soon.

Monday, July 8

On an off-day for the Giants, the team holds a special service at Oracle Park for Willie Mays, who passed away last month. Besides the 3,000 fans seated in the stands, dignitaries seated around the infield include Barry Bonds, Mays’ godson; numerous Hall of Famers including Juan Marichal, Reggie Jackson, Rickey Henderson and Dennis Eckersley, and a good many former Giants players, some of them teammates of Mays. Additionally, there’s commissioner Rob Manfred and former President Bill Clinton; another former President, Barack Obama, provides a pre-taped message that plays on the ballpark’s big screen. Appropriately, the ceremony ends with a bunch of kids being let loose in center field to throw the ball around—just as Mays would have liked it.

Tuesday, July 9

Rece Hinds is saying hello to the majors in a record-breaking way. Just called up to the Reds this week, the 23-year-old outfielder drops a double, triple and 458-foot home run—he doesn’t get the single to complete the cycle—in Cincinnati’s 12-6 rain-interrupted soaking of the visiting Rockies.

This comes a day after Hinds’ MLB debut, in which he blasted a 449-foot home run along with a double; he’s the first major leaguer to accrue five extra-base hits over his first two games, and his 15 total bases are more than anyone else over a similar span. Furthermore, Hinds is the first known player to belt each of his first two career homers more than 445 feet.

In a 9-8, 10-inning victory over the Tigers at Detroit, the Guardians’ Jose Ramirez reaches base in all six of his plate appearances—three via hits, the other three via intentional walks. He’s only the second person to experience that combination—the other being Paul Goldschmidt in 2015—since the majors made the intentional walk an official stat in 1955.

With the Orioles losing 9-2 at home to the Cubs, the Guardians reclaim temporary dibs on the AL’s best record at 57-33.

Exactly a year after an initial complaint was filed—and 11 months after his last game to date with the Tampa Bay Rays—Wander Franco has been formally charged with sexual abuse of a minor in his native Dominican Republic. Also charged is the 14-year-old victim’s mother, who was paid “thousands of dollars” by Franco to allow him to engage in the illegal relationship. Franco remains under administrative leave by MLB, which is awaiting the results of the case before determining any punishment of its own. The talented second baseman was in the midst of his first All-Star season last year when he was sidelined by the accusations; in November 2021, he signed an 11-year, $182 million deal with the Rays.

Wednesday, July 10

Starter-turned-closer Michael Kopech completes the first immaculate inning by a White Sox pitcher since Sloppy Thurston way back in 1923, striking out all three batters he faces on nine pitches and nine strikes to wrap up a 3-1 win over the Twins in the first game of a weather-created doubleheader at Chicago. It’s the first immaculate inning thrown by pitcher in over a year, and the 15th so far this decade.

In splitting the twinbill with a 3-2 win in the second game, the Twins still manage to extend their streak of consecutive games with a home run to 28—tied for the second longest in MLB history. Their only run in the first game comes courtesy of a seventh-inning solo homer from Matt Wallner, while in the second game they get back-to-back solo shots from Brooks Lee and Carlos Correa.

For the second time this season, Boston’s Nick Pivetta strikes out eight consecutive batters—and, like the first time, he takes the loss as the Red Sox drop a 5-2 decision to the A’s. Only three other pitchers ever have struck out eight straight and lost, once: Blake Stein in 2001, and Lucas Giolito and Yu Darvish in 2019. Only two other pitchers have struck out eight in a row twice or more in their careers, regardless of result: Jacob deGrom (who’s done it four times), and Nolan Ryan (twice).

In what’s considered a preview of the NLCS—unless a suddenly hot wild card team gets in the way—the Phillies clinch a series win with their second victory in as many games against the Dodgers at Philadelphia, 4-3. With Bryce Harper sitting on the bench with a bruised hand, the Phillies get a quick start on the night with Kyle Schwarber’s eighth leadoff homer of the year, and never trail. The Phillies are the first team to reach 60 wins on the year; only the 1976 team had more wins (63) over their first 92 games.

Thursday, July 11

They still haven’t figured out Paul Skenes—in fact, he only seems to be getting better. They, today, are the Milwaukee Brewers, who suffer through seven hitless innings and 11 strikeouts against the rookie Pittsburgh phenom before his departure. Colin Holderman, taking over for Skenes in the eighth, gives up hits to the first two Brewers he faces, ending a multi-pitcher no-hit bid—but ultimately escapes a bases-loaded jam without allowing a run; Aroldis Chapman pitches a far easier ninth to earn the save in the Pirates’ 1-0 win.

This is the second time this year that Skenes has pitched at least six innings allowing no hits while striking out 11; the only other pitcher to do that within a single season was Nolan Ryan, who completed two no-hitters in 1973 for the California Angels. Skenes is now 6-0 with a 1.90 ERA, which would lead the majors if he had enough innings to qualify. Unless he throws nearly 100 innings over the Pirates’ final 69 games—which isn’t likely—he will not reach that point anytime this season.

The Mets blank Washington at New York, 7-0, for their first shutout win of the year—though it’s not that the Nationals aren’t trying; they get 14 runners on base via six hits, five walks, two hit batsmen and an error—but none of them reach the plate safely. David Peterson throws the first six innings for the Mets, followed by four relievers combining to hold the fort over the final three frames.

All other MLB teams have had at least one shutout on the year; the Mets’ 94 straight games without a blanking are short of the team record of 118 from 1982. The MLB mark belongs to the 1939-40 St. Louis Browns, who failed to keep the zero on the opponent’s scoreboard for 199 straight games. 

The Nationals, meanwhile, have been shut out 10 times this season.

The Cubs, who’ve been taking a lot a heat from their fans of late as they occupy the basement of a very competitive—and very tight—NL Central, finish off a surprising three-game sweep of the Orioles at Baltimore, riding seven shutout innings from Justin Steele and 13 hits (seven of them for extra-base hits) from their lineup to triumph, 8-0. It’s the first time since August 2021 that the Orioles have been swept at home, and the first time since that same year that they’ve been shut out in consecutive games. Despite the sweep, the Cubs remain in last place, tied with the Reds—but are only four games back of the second-place Cardinals, and nine back of the division-leading Brewers.

Friday, July 12

It’s a rough and raucous night for the Orioles as they begin a three-game series at Baltimore against the AL East rival Yankees. Down 4-1 in the ninth and staring at a fourth straight defeat, the Orioles and manager Brandon Hyde, in particular, lose it when, with one out and no one on base, a 0-2, 96-MPH waste pitch from Yankee closer Clay Holmes wastes Heston Kjerstad right in the side of his head. Though momentarily dazed and confused, Kjerstad will ultimately be okay—but Hyde slowly grows into a rage, first yelling at Holmes before making a charge toward the New York dugout, saying later that Yankee coaches were yelling back at him; benches and bullpens clear, but no punches are thrown. The Yankees’ 4-1 victory, buffeted by Gerrit Cole’s six solid innings and Aaron Judge’s 33rd homer of the season brings them to within a single game of the first-place Orioles in the East.

There’s more good news for the Yankees on the night, as their 31-game streak with at least one home run from 2019 remains safe. In San Francisco, the Twins fall to the Giants, 7-1, failing not only to win but to hit a round-tripper—ending a 28-game streak that was both a franchise high and the second longest in MLB history.

The legend of Rece Hinds continues to grow in Cincinnati. Though he has just one hit against the Marlins, it’s a doozy—a third-inning grand slam that prominently figures in the Reds’ 7-4 home victory. In five games since being called up from the minors, Hinds has eight hits—seven of them for extra bases, and three of those for home runs—with eight RBIs.

Friday, July 13

The Yankees, looking to be finally snapping out a weeks-long funk, make it two straight wins at Baltimore with a 6-1 victory behind Luis Gil’s six sharp innings (giving him 10 wins on the year) and Aaron Judge’s 34th home run, the most ever hit by a Yankee before the All-Star Break. The victory guarantees a series victory for New York, which had gone winless in their last eight; conversely, the Orioles will suffer a series defeat against an AL East opponent, snapping a streak of 22 straight either won or tied—which had set an MLB record against teams within one’s division since the start of the divisional era in 1969.

It’s the Reds, and Rece Hinds, again as the rookie slugger called up at the beginning of the week impresses once more in a 10-6 defeat of the Marlins at Cincinnati. Hinds smokes two more homers—at 430 and 454 feet—to give him five in six games; only Trevor Story had more in as many games to start his career in 2016.  More importantly for the Reds, they’re 5-1 since Hinds’ arrival—though it should be noted that those six games have come at home against the NL’s two worst teams, the Rockies and Marlins.

Hinds will have one hit (a double) in his next 16 at-bats with no RBIs and five strikeouts—and afterward will be sent back to Triple-A.

The Dodgers, minus Mookie Betts and essentially their entire starting rotation, continue to struggle. Their latest loss especially hurts, as the bullpen—one of the team’s strengths—falls apart at Detroit as the Tigers plate five in the ninth and two more in the 10th on Gio Urshela’s home run to take an 11-9, come-from-behind victory. The loss for Los Angeles occurs despite a milestone homer for Shohei Ohtani, whose NL-leading 29th of the year is also the 200th of his career.

More bad news come to the Dodgers off the field as it’s revealed that red-haired pitcher Dustin May, who hasn’t pitched in 14 months, undergoes an operation to repair a torn esophagus, of all things. The procedure puts an end to May’s rehab efforts—he was due to start a minor league assignment in the next few weeks—and any chance of coming back this season. The absence of May deepens an already shattered rotation for Los Angeles, which has essentially played .500 ball since mid-June and has MLB’s worst team ERA so far in July at 6.82.

The Astros are edged by the Rangers in 10 innings, 2-1, ending a streak of 10 straight home wins that’s the second longest by an MLB team this year—though it’s well short of the franchise mark of 18 set back in 2004. Both teams certainly have their chances, leaving a combined 22 men on base.

The Pirates get four hits and four RBIs from Bryan Reynolds to topple the White Sox at Chicago, 6-2, for their third straight win. It’s the first time in 53 games that the Bucs have had a streak of either three wins or losses, a streak that was two shy of the all-time record set by the Braves from 2021-22.

Sunday, July 14

The first two rounds of the 2024 MLB Amateur Draft are completed with international flavor at the top. Chosen #1 by the Cleveland Guardians is Travis Bazzana, a 21-year-old five-tool prospect from Australia via Oregon State who smashed 28 home runs in just 60 games this past college season. Behind him at #2 is Chase Burns, a pitcher born in Italy while his parents were stationed there for the U.S. military but raised primarily in Tennessee; the Reds select him as one of three Wake Forest grads chosen within the draft’s first 10 picks.

Among recent high school grads, the highest drafted is shortstop Konnor Griffin, selected by Pittsburgh at #9 out of Jackson Prep School in Mississippi. Overall, 10 high schoolers are picked in the first round.

With the draft concluding two days later, here are some of the more intriguing choices out of 615 total over 20 rounds. As usual, there’s a number of major league legacies represented; they include Cam Caminiti, the cousin of the late Ken Caminiti selected in the first round (#24) by the Braves; pitcher Clark Candiotti (#135, Padres), son of former pitcher Tom Candiotti; pitcher Dawson Brown (#494, Diamondbacks), son of former All-Star pitcher Kevin Brown; outfielder Lucas Ramirez (#502, Angels), son of controversial slugger Manny Ramirez; third baseman D’Angelo Ortiz (#567, Red Sox), son of Hall-of-Fame Red Sox slugger David Ortiz; and shortstop Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek (#607, Blue Jays); son of former infielder Mark Grudzielanek. If ever promoted to the bigs, Martin-Grudzielanek will certainly make a bid for the longest last name ever stitched on the back of an MLB jersey. 

Among the more unusual and cool names chosen include pitcher Boston Bateman (#52, Padres), pitcher Gage Jump (#73, A’s), third baseman Dub Gleed (#274, Marlins), and catcher Sir Jamison Jones (#440, Nationals). Not to go unmentioned is pitcher Cody Morse (#370, Dodgers), who very well might go by the nickname of “Code.” (Code Morse, Morse Code…get it?) 

Finally, in a draft that will be remembered for two foreign-born players representing the two top picks, there’s Lyle Miller-Green—who was born Oleg Kornev in the middle of Siberia before being adopted by American parents at the age of nine months. The Austin Peay outfielder/DH who belted 30 home runs this past college season and is tagged with the nickname “The Siberian Sultan of Swat” was selected #499 by the White Sox.

The A’s tie a franchise record with eight home runs—including three from second-year outfielder Lawrence Butler—as they demolish the Phillies at Philadelphia, 18-3. After being shut out through the first three innings, the A’s score at least two runs in each of the remaining six frames—including five in the ninth off of catcher/emergency pitcher Garrett Stubbs. With Brent Rooker and Seth Brown each adding a pair of homers, it’s the first time in A’s history in which three players smack multiple homers in the same game.

This is the third time this season that the A’s have scored 18 or more runs in a game; no other MLB team has notched more than 17.

Oakland isn’t the only team on a power surge. In New York, the Rockies’ Michael Toglia also goes three-deep, belting homers in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings in an 8-5 victory over the Mets. Ezequiel Tovar drills two of Colorado’s three other homers; overall, there are nine MLB players on the day with two or more round-trippers, one short of the all-time record for one day.

Starting for the Rockies is German Marquez, making his first start in nearly 15 months; in four innings, he allows three runs on five hits and four walks, striking out three to become, with 986 for his career, #1 on the Rockies’ all-time list, supplanting Jorge De La Rosa.

Bad ninth-inning defense dooms three teams on the day—including the Yankees, whose hopes of sweeping the Orioles at Baltimore and taking over sole possession of the AL East at the All-Star Break collapses in a comedy of errors.

New York has just taken the lead in the top of the ninth on rookie Ben Rice’s three-run homer off Craig Kimbrel, who had walked the previous two batters. Clay Holmes tries to snare the save in the bottom of the inning, and although the Orioles load the bases with a single and two walks of their own, the Yankee closer is just a strike away from wrapping it up—but Ryan Mountcastle’s routine grounder is bungled by shortstop Anthony Volpe, scoring the tying run. Next, Cedric Mullins lofts a deep fly ball toward left, but Alex Verdugo fatally starts in when he should be backing up; he desperately and futilely reverses himself, stumbling and falling as the ball flies over his head to give the Orioles a 6-5 win. 

The Giants prevail in nearly the same fashion over the visiting Twins, 3-2. They blow a 2-0 lead largely courtesy of Blake Snell (seven shutout innings, one hit, no walks, eight K’s) as closer Camilo Doval suffers a meltdown that allows the Twins to tie the game. Mike Yastrzemski, leading off the bottom of the ninth, hits a gapper that Minnesota center fielder Manuel Margot makes an ill-fated attempt at a diving catch; reaching third standing up, Yastrzemski then watches as a needless relay throw from rookie second baseman Brooks Lee sails into the Giants dugout. Yastrzemski is gifted 90 more feet and the game-winning run for San Francisco. 

Finally in Detroit, the Dodgers have a 3-2 lead heading to the bottom of the ninth, but reliever Yohan Ramirez commits errors on back-to-back plays—the second of which brings home the winning run when Ramirez fires wildly past third trying to force Justyn-Henry Malloy on a bunt attempt. The 4-3 defeat sends the Dodgers into the All-Star Break having lost six of their last seven games. 

Sixty-five years after his first and only All-Star Game appearance, former pitcher Jerry Walker passes at the age of 85. Part of the Orioles’ so-called “Kiddie Corps” rotation that featured numerous hurlers debuting in their late teens, Walker was 18 when he made his first major league appearance—without playing a day in the minors—in 1957. Two years later, in the midst of his best season (11-10, 2.92 ERA), Walker was given the nod to start for the AL in the latter of two All-Star Games held that year; he remains the youngest player (at age 20) to start in the Midsummer Classic. Over eight big-league seasons, Walker was 37-44 with a 4.36 ERA, 16 complete games and four shutouts.

Monday, July 15

In one of the more entertaining Home Run Derbies in recent memory, the Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernandez—the last player to commit to the Derby—edges out Kansas City star Bobby Witt Jr. in the final round, 14-13, when Witt’s final swing sends a ball off, but not over, the center-field wall. Hernandez is the first Dodger to win the event in this, its 38th year, and takes home a $1 million prize for his efforts. The surprising part of the first round—in which all eight participants get 40 pitches each within three minutes to advance—is that two-time Derby champ Pete Alonso and the Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson (who has the most regular season homers among those at the Derby with 28) both have the fewest number of dingers and are promptly eliminated. Also out after one round is the home favorite, Texas’ Adolis Garcia, who exits one homer short of the four others (Hernandez, Witt, Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez and Philadelphia’s Alec Bohm) who continue on. Hernandez clips Bohm head-to-head, 16-15, to advance to the final round while Witt, whose local roots make him the default favorite of Rangers fans after Garcia’s departure, easily outpaces Ramirez, 17-12.

The longest home run of the night is crushed by Atlanta slugger Marcell Ozuna, who drills a pitch 473 feet for one of his 16 to leave the yard in his first and only round.

Tuesday, July 16

The Red Sox’ Jarren Duran, subbing in for AL All-Star starter Aaron Judge, breaks a 3-3 tie in the fifth with a two-run shot, resulting in the ultimate game-winning runs for the Junior Circuit over the NL at the 94th All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas. The 5-3 triumph is the 10th for the AL in its last 11 games, its 22nd over the last 27, and extends its edge over the NL in All-Star play with a 48-44-2 record. All five AL runs are plated after the NL notch their three, all courtesy of Shohei Ohtani’s three-run blast in the third. A three-run rebuttal in the bottom half of the third, which includes a two-run Juan Soto homer, quickly ties the game before Duran’s go-ahead shot. The winning pitcher is Oakland reliever Mason Miller, who throws seven pitches over 100 MPH—including a pair at 103. Fifteen other pitches are thrown over 100 on the night, including two from NL starter Paul Skenes—who wins a much-anticipated battle with Judge in his one inning of work, inducing a ground out from the mega-slugger. Eight other 100-MPH deliveries are thrown by Cleveland’s Emmanuel Clase, closing out the NL in the ninth.

Miller is the first rookie to win an All-Star Game since Dean Stone in 1954.

Bruce Bochy, managing the AL, becomes the second manager after Tony La Russa to win an All-Star Game for each league.

Ohtani’s home run makes him the first major leaguer to have both a pitching win and homer in his All-Star Game career.

Played on the Rangers’ home turf at Globe Life Park, this is the first All-Star Game since 1939 to be hosted by a defending World Series champion. The earlier contest was played at the original Yankee Stadium and was also won by the AL, 3-1.

The All-Star Game draws 6% more viewers on Fox than in the 2023 game, which had the previous low number of viewers at just over seven million. However, the 3.8% rating was slightly lower than last year’s 3.9%; this could be attributable to the National Republican Convention, which is airing opposite and attracting more overall eyeballs to the airwaves.

In his annual All-Star pregame chat with reporters, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred touches on a number of subjects. On automated strike zones, he hopes to test drive it during Spring Training next year, with the hope of instituting it for the 2026 regular season—but also warns that the system is far from perfected, which could push the target date back. On the topic of gambling, Manfred worries about the proliferation of threats directed at players who aren’t ‘winning money’ for bettors as legal gambling continues to increase. During the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, he’s looking at an extended break—resulting perhaps in a shorter regular season schedule for MLB so top stars can perform for their countries. And finally, after so much criticism of the 2024 All-Star jerseys, Manfred is considering going back to basics, doing the right thing and allowing ASG players to wear the uniforms of their teams—something we recently implored the commish to do.

Thursday, July 18

The Rays move one step closer to having a new local ballpark approved. By a 5-3 vote, the St. Petersburg City Council approves of a massive development on the site of Tropicana Field, the Rays’ current home, which will include 5,400 residential units, 1.4 million square feet in office/medical space, retail, a hotel, a concert venue, 14 acres of parks and open space…and oh yes, an enclosed, tent-like ballpark seating up to 35,000 for the Rays. The Pinellas County Commission still needs to approve of the project; if all goes smoothly, the new ballpark will be ready by 2028, finally ending all the rumors that the Rays are somewhere-bound.

MLB releases the regular season schedule for the 2025 season, which for the second straight year will feature an early Opening Day for the Dodgers on the other side of the Pacific, taking on the Cubs (and former Japanese star pitcher Shota Imanaga) in Tokyo on March 18. The Cubs will also be present for another notable Opening Day event, when it takes on the role of the visitors against the A’s on March 31 for the first MLB game ever played at Sacramento.

Friday, July 19

Slotted in last place in mid-May and down 10 games in the AL West as recently as June 18, the Astros take over first place (albeit by percentage points) with a 3-0 win at Seattle over the Mariners—who had held the top spot for over two months. Hunter Brown throws six shutout innings and the Astros score all three of their runs in the third, two on a Yainer Diaz single.

The Astros need only 24 games to go from 10 games down to first place, shattering the MLB mark for fewest amount games needed to do so; the old record is 33, set ironically by the Mariners in their historic late-season rally to overcome the Angels at the end of the 1995 season.

Saturday, July 20

San Diego’s Dylan Cease allows just one hit while striking out 10 Guardians in the Padres’ 7-0 win at Cleveland. It’s his second straight outing with a hit allowed and 10-plus K’s, a feat matched (or bettered) by Randy Johnson, Max Scherzer and Mike Clevinger. Additionally, this is the fourth time this year that Cease has thrown seven or more innings of one-hit ball; the only pitcher to previously accomplish that was Pete Alexander in 1915.

Sunday, July 21

Yordan Alvarez completes the 10th cycle in Astros history, with an eighth-inning double accounting for his cycle-clinching hit against the Mariners at Seattle. But it’s not enough as the M’s snap a five-game losing streak and defeat Houston, 6-4, regaining a share of first place with the Astros in the AL West. Of the 10 cycles posted by an Astros, four of them have come in losing efforts.

Off the field, the Mariners place first baseman Ty France, an All-Star just two years earlier, on irrevocable waivers. The 30-year-old first baseman has struggled since returning from a fractured heel; in his absence, the Mariners will ride their luck on Luke Raley, who’s shown a little more productivity at the plate.

France will find new employment a week later when he’s brought in by Cincinnati.

The Giants set an early spark, in both good ways and bad, in avoiding a sweep by the Rockies at Denver. Manager Bob Melvin is tossed before the first pitch, saying later that he “just talked too much” while handing umpires the lineup card. Moments later, Giants leadoff hitter Jorge Soler launches a 478-foot drive to straightaway center that’s the longest hit by any major leaguer so far this year. Also contributing to the Giants’ 3-2 victory is Hayden Birdsong, who in his fifth major league start allows two runs on two hits over six innings with 12 strikeouts—making him the first San Francisco pitcher this season to collect 10 or more.

Almost outdistancing Soler is Shohei Ohtani, whose 30th homer as a Dodger (in his 100th game for Los Angeles) clears the right-center bleachers at Dodger Stadium, bouncing through the concourse behind for his own leadoff homer against Kutter Crawford and the Red Sox. The drive, listed at 473 feet, is one of five hit off of Crawford, who hadn’t allowed a run over his previous 16 innings of work; only Tim Wakefield, allowing six in a 2004 game, has given up more homers by a Red Sox pitcher. Overall, the Dodgers will ride six total homers to a 9-6 victory and a three-game sweep of Boston.

The Braves, already without reigning MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. and ace Spencer Strider for the year, absorb two more blows on the day. Second baseman Ozzie Albies suffers a fractured wrist while trying to tag out the Cardinals’ Michael Siani on a stolen base attempt in Atlanta’s 6-2 home loss; he’s slated to be out through mid-September. Additionally, star pitcher Max Fried is placed on the IL with a forearm injury; his absence is expected (or hoped to be) much shorter than that of Albies.

In Cooperstown, New York, the Hall of Fame formally welcomes in their four new inductees: Adrian Beltre, Todd Helton, Joe Mauer and Jim Leyland. Mauer, the youngest of the group at age 40, is the first electee born in the 1980s. Beltre, stepping up to the podium after being introduced, hasn’t even gotten a word out before receiving a rub on the head from fellow Hall of Famer David Ortiz; Beltre, famously known for despising such contact, looks briefly irritated before turning back and giving a smile toward Ortiz. Perhaps the biggest presence on the day is the man who’s not there, as many of the inductees and other speakers evoke the greatness and influence of Willie Mays, who passed away the previous month. “The one thing I always remembered about Willie Mays, you could see the passion that he had and the fun that he had playing the game,” remarked Leyland. “Willie played the game like a kid.”

Monday, July 22

Home Run Derby runner-up Bobby Witt Jr. has played four games since the All-Star Break—and he’s had three hits in each. In his latest effort, he smokes a triple, double and home run before the fourth inning is done, as the Royals rack up the runs early against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks; all he needs is a single to complete the first cycle by a Kansas City player since George Brett in 1990. But in Witt’s next at-bat, he’s plunked by Arizona reliever Humberto Castellanos; he’ll get another chance in the eighth, but flies out. Still, the HBP does not sit well with the Royals and especially catcher Salvador Perez, who barks at Arizona manager Torey Lovullo after the Royals ‘retaliate’ by hitting DBacks catcher Gabriel Moreno. Lovullo is ejected for arguing with umpires after they issue warnings to both teams following the hit on Moreno, while Perez needs to be calmed down by his coaches.

The Royals will go on to defeat the Diamondbacks, 10-4 for their 56th win—matching their entire win total from a year ago with 61 games still to play in 2024.

Only one Kansas City player has had a longer streak of consecutive three-hit games than Witt, and that’s Brett, who did in six straight back in 1976.

In a typical high-scoring, seesaw game at Denver’s Coors Field, the Red Sox take a 7-5 lead to the bottom of the 10th over the Rockies; normally, they would send closer Kenley Jansen out for the save—but Jansen is sitting out the series at the mile-high ballpark due to a heart defect that puts his health at risk in the thin air. In his place, Zack Kelly pitches a second inning and can’t hold the lead as Sam Hilliard’s two-run homer re-knots the game. Boston notches another go-ahead run in the 12th, but the Rockies rebut with a pair of tallies to prevail, 9-8.

An 8-2 record and 4.43 ERA isn’t good enough to stick around on the Dodgers’ rotation, as 35-year-old lefty James Paxton is designated for assignment with Clayton Kershaw and Tyler Glasnow both returning to active duty this week. Only Gavin Stone has more wins this season for Los Angeles, but a rough last three weeks for Paxton provided a tipping point for Dodgers management to make the move.

Tuesday, July 23

In one of his best starts yet, Paul Skenes suffers his first major league defeat. Having allowed just a run on two hits through eight innings, the heralded Pirates rookie is allowed to take the mound for the ninth in a 1-1 tie against the Cardinals at Pittsburgh—but he gives up hits to two of first three batters he faces, with one of them (Michael Siani, who doubled to lead off) scoring what will prove to be the winning run. Ryan Helsley strikes out the side in the bottom of the ninth for his MLB-best 33rd save, securing a 2-1 win for St. Louis.

Skenes’ 11 starts without a loss to start a career are the most in the history of the Pirates.

San Francisco shortstop Tyler Alexander homers for the fifth straight game—breaking a Giants rookie record previously held by Jack Clark from 1977, while tying the all-time MLB rookie mark. But his solo shot in the second, followed by an RBI single in the ninth, are the only two runs notched by the Giants on the evening as they drop a 5-2 decision at Los Angeles against the Dodgers.

Wednesday, July 24

The Rockies tie a franchise record for runs as they demolish the visiting Red Sox, 20-7. Six of those runs are unearned, thanks to four Boston errors; of the Rockies’ 21 hits, eight are for extra bases—including four home runs, highlighted by Brenton Doyle’s first career grand slam in the seventh.

The timing of the blowout loss may be awkward, but the Red Sox nonetheless announce after the game that manager Alex Cora will be given a three-year extension, guaranteeing a paycheck through 2027. Cora is six wins away from the 500th of his career; only three other managers have won more games for the Red Sox, led by Joe Cronin’s 1,071.

In his first appearance in nearly 16 months—and his first with the Giants since an offseason trade from Seattle—Robbie Ray looks a bit rusty in the first inning against the Dodgers at Los Angeles, with two walks, two hit batsmen and two wild pitches. Then he settles down; over the next four innings, Ray will not allow a single baserunner and finish the evening with five no-hit innings (allowing one run), eight strikeouts and the win as the Giants take an 8-3 decision.

In their last scheduled game at the Oakland Coliseum, the Astros avoid a three-game sweep by with an easy 8-1 win over the A’s. With the A’s slated to move to Sacramento next season, the victory gives Houston an all-time 55-54 record at the decaying stadium. This ensures that the Astros will be the only AL team with a winning mark playing the A’s in Oakland. Jose Altuve has three hits for the Astros, while Hunter Brown secures the win by pitching six or more innings for the 12th straight start.

Two teams have suffered a 10-game losing streak this season; they’re both the White Sox. After losing 14 straight in late May into early June, Chicago drops their 10th in a row as the Rangers pull away from a tight affair with six runs in the eighth to roll at Arlington, 10-2. It’s the first time in White Sox history that the team has experienced multiple streaks of 10 or more losses in the same season; at 27-77, they’ll need to go 26-32 or better the rest of the year to avoid their worst-ever record via winning percentage.

Thursday, July 25

After four starts earlier this year throwing seven innings and allowing a single hit in each, the Padres’ Dylan Cease does one better—throwing his first career no-hitter, walking three but facing just one batter over the minimum in a 3-0 victory at Washington. It’s the second no-hitter thrown by a San Diego pitcher in the 56-year history of the franchise, and the second individual no-hitter thrown by a major leaguer this season, following Ronel Blanco’s early-season gem for Houston on April 1. Cease previously flirted with no-hit glory while pitching for the White Sox in 2022, but his bid was denied with two outs in the ninth on a hit by Minnesota’s Luis Arraez—who’s now Cease’s teammate, watching from the Padres dugout while taking a day off.

With nine strikeouts on the day, Cease increases his MLB-leading total on the year to 168. He’s on pace for a personal-best 260.

Over his last three starts, Cease has allowed no runs on just two hits over 22 innings, with 30 K’s.

It’s the first no-hitter thrown by a visiting pitcher at Nationals Park, which opened in 2008.

The trading season witnesses its first big move with a late-night deal sending Randy Arozarena from Tampa Bay to Seattle for two prospects and a player to be named later. After a slow start, Arozarena has picked up steam—and the Mariners, batting an MLB-worst .216, could desperately use someone of his ilk as they continue to sink in the AL West standings and, more certainly, the AL wild card race. The 29-year-old Arozarena brings a bit of pedigree and some spirited dash the Mariners could surely use; he became a borderline household name following a breakout postseason performance in 2020, won AL Rookie of the Year honors a year later, and made his first All-Star team last season.

Clayton Kershaw, healed, rested and ready, finally makes his 2024 debut for the Dodgers. Over four innings against the visiting Giants, ‘Claw’ allows two runs on four hits with six strikeouts. Following his departure, the Dodgers lose a slim lead in the eighth as the Giants tie the game, but all-glove, no-muscle shortstop Nick Ahmed—released by the Giants last week and picked up by the Dodgers—powers his second homer of the year to put Los Angeles back ahead. Shohei Ohtani will follow up with a solo homer of his own, adding insurance as the Dodgers prevail, 6-4.

The Rangers hand the White Sox their 11th straight loss, 2-1, as Max Scherzer throws six solid innings—striking out nine to pass, for the moment, the Astros’ Justin Verlander for #10 on the all-time list with 3,400. Verlander may move back ahead of Scherzer at some point, but he needs to hurry up and recover from a neck issue that has kept him out of action since June 9; while he’s throwing bullpen sessions, there’s still no definitive timetable for his return.

Friday, July 26

The Braves continue their impression of a sinking ship, dropping to third place in the NL East with an 8-4 loss to the Mets—who take over the second-place spot and the top seed among NL wild card hopefuls. It’s the Braves’ sixth straight defeat, their longest skid since 2017; conversely, the Mets have won five straight. But it’s not all peaches and cream on the night for the Mets. Kodal Senga, one of the few guys who did right for New York amid a terrible 2023 season, makes his season debut following a long bout with a shoulder sprain and pitches well—allowing two runs on two hits over 5.1 innings with nine strikeouts—but departs with a calf injury that will put him back on the shelf for, likely, the remainder of the season.

Just four days away from the trading deadline, a few notable deals take place. Tampa Bay, cementing its stance as a seller as they struggle to gain wild card traction, ship Zach Eflin—who led the AL last season with 16 victories—within the division to Baltimore for three minor leaguers. The Orioles, meanwhile, deal outfielder Austin Hays—an All-Star last year—to Philadelphia in exchange for reliever Seranthony Dominguez and career .179-hitting outfielder Christian Pache. The Mariners, still feeling active a day after acquiring the Rays’ Randy Arozarena, pick up one reliever (Yimi Garcia, from Toronto) while ushering out another (Ryne Stanek, to the Mets). And the Dodgers, five days after designating James Paxton for assignment, trade the veteran lefty to Boston—where he pitched last year with the Red Sox, collecting a 7-5 record and 4.50 ERA.

Saturday, July 27

The Yankees reel in exciting but (thus far) overhyped Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Marlins, sending three prospects Miami’s way in return. The 26-year-old Bahamas-born outfielder, who also has experience in the middle infield, has never quite reached the high ceiling many had anticipated; with the Marlins this season, he’s batting .249 with a .730 OPS—medium numbers in line with what he’s managed in four-plus years. Beyond the possible upside, Chisholm brings attitude that could emotionally wake up a Yankee team struggling through a month-long slump in the standings—and he’s not a late-season rental, given that the Yankees have him under team control through 2026.

It’s a good day on the field as well as off it for the Yankees. In a thrilling game at Boston which sees five lead changes, New York overcomes a pair of home runs from Tyler O’Neill with an 11-8, 10-inning win. Starring for the Yankees is, but of course, Aaron Judge—who reaches base all six times he appears at the plate on four hits and two walks, launching his MLB-leading 37th home run over Fenway Park’s Green Monster seats onto Lansdowne Street.

Other trades on the day, as the July 31 deadline approaches, includes the Red Sox picking up catcher Danny Jansen from Toronto; the Angels landing Angels closer Carlos Estevez; and the Mets bringing on outfielder Jesse Winker from Washington.

Blake Snell, in what may be his final start with San Francisco as rumors swirl over an imminent trade, is on fire against the visiting Rockies. In six innings of shutout ball, Snell allows two hits, no walks and strikes out 15—the most by any pitcher throwing six or fewer innings. Snell fails to get his (still) first win as a Giant as reliever Ryan Walker gives up a game-tying homer to the second batter (Michael Toglia) he faces in the seventh, but the Giants rebound for a 4-1 victory.

Entering July, Snell was 0-3 with a 9.51 ERA over six starts; since, he’s allowed two runs on eight hits over 24 innings with 30 strikeouts—and yet he still hasn’t gotten that first win.

Inspired by Snell’s gem, the Giants take the second game of a doubleheader—the first scheduled twinbill in Oracle Park’s 25-year history—by a 5-0 score as rookie Hayden Birdsong and four relievers group up to strike out 13 Colorado batters while allowing just four hits. The 30 total K’s on the day tie the MLB record for a doubleheader (with both games going nine innings), matching the Nationals from the end of the 2015 season when Max Scherzer contributed 18 in a no-hit nightcap; the 64 swing-and-misses by the Rockies are the most by a team on a single day since pitches officially began being tracked in 1988.

Manny Machado joins eight other active players in the 1,000-RBI club, launching a three-run homer in the seventh inning to reach the milestone in the Padres’ 9-4 win at Baltimore. The achievement is even sweeter given that Machado played his first six-plus seasons with the Orioles; this is only his fourth game back at Camden Yards since being dealt away by the O’s late in 2018.

In only his second appearance at Citizens Bank Park—where he grew up watching his fave team in the Phillies—Philadelphia’s Tyler Phillips throws the team’s first shutout by a rookie since Zach Eflin in 2016, silencing the Guardians on four hits, a walk over 105 pitches in an 8-0 victory. It’s the fourth complete-game performance by a Phillies pitcher this year to lead the majors.

Sunday, July 28

Rookie Xavier Edwards becomes the second player in Marlins history to hit for the cycle, starting with his first career home run to lead off the game at Milwaukee. Despite later adding a double, triple and single, Edwards’ performance is hardly enough to lift Miami as they drop a 6-2 decision against the Brewers. The Marlins’ two runs is tied for the lowest plated in a game in which one of their players hit for the cycle. It also happened in 1964, when Jim King’s cycle wasn’t good enough for the Washington Senators (soon to be the Texas Rangers), losing 3-2 at Boston against the Red Sox.

This is the first time in MLB history that two rookies have hit for the cycle in the same season, as the Rangers’ Wyatt Langford also achieved the feat on June 30.

In the 124-year history of the White Sox, they’ve suffered only two losing streaks of 14 games within a season. They’ve both happened this year. At Chicago, the Sox lose to the Mariners, 6-3, as not even rising star pitcher Garrett Crochet—highly rumored to be on the trading block—can save the Sox’ sinking ship as he allows five of the runs within three innings before departing.

Third baseman Isaac Parades, who made the AL All-Star team and leads the Rays with 16 home runs, is dealt to the Cubs for slugger Christopher Morel and two minor leaguers. Though Morel has more homers (18) than Parades, his .199 batting average pales in comparison to Parades’ .247.

Reyes Moronta, a reliever of four MLB teams over six seasons, is killed in a motorcycle accident in his native Dominican Republic at the age of 31. The burly right-hander featured most prominently with the Giants, posting sub-3.00 ERAs in three seasons of activity while missing out on the 2020 campaign due to recovery from a shoulder injury. Moronta later pitched for the Dodgers, Diamondbacks and, last season for a couple of games, the Angels; he most recently pitched in the Mexican League for Bravos de Leon, who released him just last week. In 177 MLB games, Moronta produced a 3.05 ERA.

Monday, July 29

Are things starting to fall into place for the Yankees? At Philadelphia against the NL-best Phillies, New York sees the return of Giancarlo Stanton (who garners a walk in five plate appearances) after five weeks off, the first two home runs in pinstripes for Jazz Chisholm Jr.—all while playing third base for the first time in his career—and yet two more homers for Aaron Judge, leading to a 14-4 rout. Judge ends the night leading MLB in home runs (39) and RBIs (99); as the Yankees hit the official two-thirds point of the season, he’s on pace for just under 60 homers and 150 RBIs.

The White Sox are three runs up and six outs away from ending their second 14-game losing streak of the year—but because they’re the White Sox, nothing goes to plan and the skid continues. The visiting Royals gang up to score six times in the eighth—the last four on Bobby Witt Jr.’s two-out grand slam, the third of his career—and Kansas City glides from there to an 8-5 win.

The 15-game slump for Chicago is tied for the longest in franchise history—the other occurring at the end of 1967 into 1968—and sets the mark for the longest within a single season. With a 27-82 record, the Sox are now assured of a losing record, not that there was any doubt otherwise; only two modern-era teams teams—the 1916 A’s and 1932 Red Sox—have suffered 82 or more losses in fewer games to start a season.

If the White Sox are hoping to avoid a worse outcome than some of the majors’ most infamous losers (such as the 40-120 Mets of 1962), they’ll have to do it without some of their top players. In a three-team deal involving the Dodgers and Cardinals, the Sox send nomadic veteran outfielder Tommy Pham and pitcher Erick Fedde—whose 7-4 record (and 3.11 ERA) comes off as a major outlier for a team losing so often—to St. Louis, while shipping starter-turned-closer Michael Kopech (nine saves) to Los Angeles. The Dodgers recompense with young infielder Miguel Vargas and two minor leaguers headed to Chicago.

For their part, the Cardinals send utility man Tommy Edman, who has yet to play a major league game after both offseason wrist surgery and a more recent sprained ankle, to the Dodgers.

There’s more deals on the penultimate day of the trading season. The Blue Jays play the role of sellers by sending veteran third baseman Justin Turner to the Mariners (who are buying) and pitcher Yusei Kikuchi to Houston. The Giants, looking to lean toward packing it in, send Atlanta slugger Jorge Soler and reliever Luke Jackson—two players with solid contributions in the Braves’ late-season rally toward their 2021 world title—for reliever Tyler Matzek and a minor leaguer. Michael Lorenzen, 5-6 with a 3.81 ERA in 19 appearances for Texas, is sent to Kansas City to bolster the Royals’ rotation. And Washington deals outfielder Lane Thomas, batting .253 with eight homers and 28 steals this year, to Cleveland.

Tuesday, July 30

The trading deadline passes with many moderate-level deals—but no blockbusters.

Perhaps the most generous team on the day is the 39-67 Marlins, who dole out players like a peanut vendor throws out packets to fans. Gone from Miami are hot closer Tanner Scott (1.18 ERA, 18 saves) to San Diego, switch-hitting slugger Josh Bell to Arizona, starting pitcher Trevor Rogers to Baltimore, DH Bryan De La Cruz (the Marlins’ home run leader with 18) to Pittsburgh, and reliever Huascar Brazoban to the Mets. In return for all of the above, the Marlins get eight minor leaguers—including three of the Padres’ top five prospects.

Besides plucking away Rogers from the Marlins, the Orioles also pick up DH Eloy Jimenez from the woe-be-way-gone White Sox, who also continue their shredding of whatever talent they have left by sending team home run leader Paul DeJong (with 18) to Kansas City.

The Dodgers, who’ve seen their talented corps of starting pitchers drop like flies over the past year or two, pick up Jack Flaherty from Detroit for two minor leaguers. A free agent after this season, the 28-year-old Flaherty is having his best year since his late-season breakout with St. Louis in 2018; with the Tigers, he was 7-5 with a 2.95 ERA over 18 starts.

Other deals include the Padres picking up starting pitcher Martin Perez from Pittsburgh, former Gold Glove outfielder Kevin Kiermaier sent from Toronto to the Dodgers, reliever Andrew Chafin going from Detroit to Texas, and Oakland pitcher Paul Blackburn to the Mets.

The two biggest talked-about names in recent weeks not to be traded are reigning NL Cy Young winner Blake Snell, who for now stays in San Francisco, and young White Sox strikeout junkie Garrett Crochet—who, as a former reliever who’s amassed a career-high 114.1 innings this season, revealed deep reluctance to be traded to a contender and potentially pitch into October, fearing long-term burnout.

With the help of Eugenio Suarez’s second career three-homer game, the Diamondbacks choke the Nationals by a 17-0 count at Phoenix, setting franchise marks for the largest shutout win and most hits in a nine-inning contest. The DBacks plate 11 of their runs over the first three innings off Washington starter Patrick Corbin, who sets unwanted personal marks for runs (11) and earned runs (10) allowed; the other time he’s allowed 10 runs in a game came in 2021—also against the Diamondbacks.

Suarez, who goes deep in the first, sixth and seventh innings, fouls out in the eighth in a bid for a fourth homer; he had previously gone three-deep in 2020 for the Reds, driving in five runs in a 6-2 win at Pittsburgh.

It’s an all-time 16 straight losses and counting for the White Sox, who suffer another eighth-inning meltdown at Chicago against the Royals leading to a 4-3 defeat. RBI singles from Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino charge Kansas City’s three-run rally in the eighth, an inning after the White Sox’ removal of effective starter Jonathan Cannon (seven innings, a run allowed on one hit).

The 16-game skid is the longest in the 124-year history of White Sox baseball, and the longest by any MLB team since Baltimore dropped 19 in a row in 2021.

Veteran outfielder Tommy Pham, who played his first four-plus seasons at St. Louis, features prominently for the Cardinals in his first game back in the uniform after being dealt away from the White Sox. Pinch-hitting in the fifth with the bases loaded, Pham wallops his second career grand slam, slamming the door on the visiting Rangers in an 8-1 victory.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. continues to express his joy of being liberated from a last-place team. For the second straight night at Philadelphia, the new Yankee third baseman slaps out a couple of home runs—his second being a three-run shot that puts New York ahead in the seventh, 5-4. The Yankees will ultimately need 12 innings to win their fourth straight game, 7-6 over the Phillies.

Chisholm’s back-to-back multi-homer games comes after having just three over 405 games with the Marlins; he’s only the second player, after Trevor Story in 2016, to connect on four homers over a player’s first three games with a ballclub.

In the Guardians’ 5-0 win at Detroit, Jose Ramirez belts his 27th homer of the year—and the 243rd of his career, passing Albert Belle for second on Cleveland’s all-time list. Ramirez needs another 94 to tie Jim Thome for a share of the list’s top spot.

Wednesday, July 31

It’s getting close in the NL West, where the Padres and Diamondbacks are cutting into the Dodgers’ once dominant first-place advantage. In San Diego, the Padres wrap up a two-game sweep of the Dodgers, as Los Angeles’ Clayton Kershaw is roughed up for seven runs (three earned) on six hits through 3.2 innings in his second start of the season. Additionally, Kershaw doesn’t strike out anyone, ending a major league-record 423-start streak in which he had at least one. The Padres’ 8-1 victory brings them within 4.5 games of the Dodgers in the West, and ensures the Dodgers’ first losing record (11-13) in a full calendar month with since April 2018.

Also applying heat on the Dodgers are the defending NL champion Diamondbacks, who are starting to play like their October selves of last year with a 5-4 win and three-game home sweep of the Nationals. Arizona is five games back of the Dodgers; July ends with the Padres and DBacks occupying the second and third spots in a very crowded NL wild card race with nine teams 7.5 games apart.

Welcome back, Jackson Holliday! Recalled from Triple-A, where he spent three months after a disastrous (2-for-34) big-league debut back in April, baseball’s top hitting prospect returns to the Orioles and provides one hit—but it’s a big one, a fifth-inning grand slam that propels Baltimore to a 10-4 victory over the visiting Blue Jays. The bad news on the day for the Orioles comes just one batter before the Holliday slam, when Jordan Westburg has his hand broken on a pitch from Yerry Rodriguez. The All-Star third baseman is expected to miss at least the next month.

The Yankees finish an impressive road sweep of the Phillies to stay a half-game back of Baltimore in the AL East. The unlikely offensive star for New York is DJ LeMahieu, who’s been in a season-long funk; with a second-inning grand slam and two-run double in the sixth, he knocks in all six runs for the Yankees in a 6-5 battle. Previously, only Joe DiMaggio (1948) and Yogi Berra (1958) had knocked in every New York run in a game where the Yankees scored six or more times.