MLB Game of the Day

The Game

Miami looked to be cruising toward snapping its slide early. Padres starter Walker Buehler walked Liam Hicks and Griffin Conine in the second, and both scored — Hicks on a stolen base and a throwing error by catcher Luis Campusano, Conine on Graham Pauley's RBI single — to make it 2-0. Kyle Stowers stretched the lead to 3-0 with a leadoff homer off Buehler in the third.

Marlins starter Janson Junk was dealing, holding San Diego to a single run into the fifth before a scary moment ended his day: Ty France's comebacker deflected off reliever Michael Petersen's forearm after Junk departed, and Petersen left the game with a forearm contusion. Junk's final line was one run and seven hits allowed over 4 2/3 innings.

Miami still led 3-1 entering the eighth when reliever Lake Bachar came on to protect it. It fell apart in a hurry. Jake Cronenworth led off with a single, and two batters later Machado turned on a 3-2 fastball and drove it over the center-field fence to tie the game at 3-3. One out later, Bachar left a sweeper over the plate and Merrill pulled it out to right-center for a 4-3 Padres lead. Luis Rengifo doubled and scored on a Luis Campusano single to make it 5-3, capping a four-run inning that turned a two-run Miami lead into a two-run deficit in a matter of minutes.

San Diego's bullpen shut the door from there. Wandy Peralta worked around a hit for a scoreless inning to earn the win, and Mason Miller finished it for his 27th save, completing a three-game sweep at loanDepot Park in front of a crowd of 21,675 that jeered as the eighth inning ended.

The result was about more than one game for Miami. The Marlins had lost 11 in a row three times previously, most recently in June 2011, but had never dropped 12 straight. They'll try to end the skid Monday at home against Philadelphia.

Line Score

Standout Performances

Manny Machado (Padres, DH) — 2-for-5, 2B, HR, 3 RBI. His two-run homer in the eighth tied the game moments before Merrill put San Diego ahead for good.

Jackson Merrill (Padres, CF) — 2-for-4, HR, RBI. His go-ahead solo shot came one batter after Machado's game-tying blast.

Lake Bachar (Marlins, RHP, L 1-2, BS) — 1.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 2 HR allowed. Entered protecting a two-run lead in the eighth and surrendered it in a span of four batters.

Janson Junk (Marlins, RHP) — 4.2 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K. Kept Miami in control before departing with an injury after the fifth.

The Game

Cease was in total command from the first pitch, mixing a sharp slider with his changeup and fastball and generating almost no hard contact through five shadow-and-sunshine innings at Fenway. The only baserunner he allowed before the sixth came on a four-pitch walk to Caleb Durbin in the fifth. He didn't surrender a hit until Andruw Monasterio lined a leadoff double down the left-field line to open the sixth — the last real threat the Red Sox would muster.

Toronto's offense did its work early. In a five-run third against Boston starter Sonny Gray, the Blue Jays sent hits raining around Fenway — six of Gray's 10 hits allowed came in that single inning. Springer's three-run shot was the headline blow, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Ernie Clement each adding RBI hits to blow the game open before Boston had settled in.

From there it was simply about how long Cease could keep it going. He struck out the side in order to close the game, finishing with 12 strikeouts and three walks over 120 pitches — his fourth career complete game and shutout. It came almost exactly two years to the day after he threw a full no-hitter for the San Diego Padres at Washington on July 25, 2024, and less than three weeks after a no-hit bid of his own was broken up by a leadoff single in the ninth at San Francisco.

The outing made Cease just the 16th pitcher — and the first since Felix Hernandez in 2007 — to throw a one-hit shutout against the Red Sox at Fenway Park, and the first Blue Jays pitcher to do it since Brandon Morrow in August 2010.

For Boston, the loss was just its second in 18 games. The Red Sox had won 15 straight, matching an 80-year-old club record, before that streak was snapped Wednesday — making Cease's mastery an abrupt reminder that even a red-hot lineup can be shut down cold.

Line Score

Standout Performances

Dylan Cease (Blue Jays) — 9.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 12 SO, win (7-5)

George Springer (Blue Jays) — 2-for-5, HR (11th), 3 RBI, R

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Blue Jays) — 3-for-4, 2 RBI, BB

Sonny Gray (Red Sox) — 5.0 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO, loss (12-2)

The Game

Baltimore built an early cushion, scoring twice in the second and adding another run in the fourth to lead 3-2 after Atlanta had chipped in a pair of its own. The lead held until the eighth, when Drake Baldwin's solo homer off reliever Ri Garcia — his second blown save of the year — knotted the score at 3-3 and sent the game into the late innings deadlocked.

Neither side could push a run across in the ninth, even after Atlanta intentionally walked Gunnar Henderson to set up a force play that ended the inning on a Taylor Ward groundout. That set the stage for a frantic 10th.

With a runner already placed at second to open the frame, Atlanta strung together a leadoff single from Joey Bart, a run-scoring fielder's choice aided by a throwing error from second baseman Jackson Holliday, and then the decisive blow: Matt Olson's three-run homer to right-center off reliever Kittredge, a 416-foot shot that turned a one-run game into a 7-3 rout.

Baltimore refused to go quietly. Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who entered the game hitting .400, answered in the bottom of the 10th with a two-run homer off Dylan Lee to pull the Orioles within 7-6, and a sacrifice fly from pinch hitter Jackson brought the tying run to the plate. But Atlanta closed the door there, escaping Baltimore with its sixth win in seven games.

The victory pushed the Braves to 61-42 and first place in the NL East, while the Orioles slipped to 50-54 and fourth in the AL East.

Line Score

Standout Performances

Matt Olson (Braves) — 2-for-5, HR (27th), 3 RBI, decisive three-run homer in the 10th

Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Orioles) — 2-for-4, HR (3rd), double, 4 RBI

Drake Baldwin (Braves) — 1-for-5, game-tying solo HR (20th) in the 8th

Eli Hernández (Braves) — W (1-0), 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 K, 0.00 ERA — bridged the 8th through 10th to earn the win

The Game

It was a scoreless pitchers' duel for five innings, with Royals right-hander Randy Dobnak matching Tigers starter Troy Melton zero for zero. Kansas City finally broke through in the sixth when Isaac Collins lifted a two-run homer, and the Royals carried that 2-0 cushion into the seventh looking to hand the ball to their bullpen with a clean lead.

They nearly got there. Kansas City reliever John Schreiber was one out away from escaping the seventh unscathed when Outman turned on a 2-2 fastball and sent it just over the wall in right field for a three-run homer, flipping a two-run deficit into a 3-2 Tigers lead in a single swing.

Kansas City answered right back. Josh Rojas lined an RBI single off Drew Anderson in the eighth to tie it at 3-3, but Detroit reclaimed the lead in the bottom half when Dingler ripped a go-ahead double off Steven Cruz, plating the go-ahead run and handing Anderson the win.

The ninth still had drama left. Finnegan entered with two runners aboard and only one out, but induced a double play to end the threat and lock down his second save of the season.

The win keeps Detroit's late-summer surge alive and adds weight to a bigger storyline hanging over the club: ace Tarik Skubal, before the game, said his preference is to finish the season in a Tigers uniform and compete for a championship rather than be dealt before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. Skubal is slated to start Friday against the same Royals club — a start that, depending on what the front office decides, could be his last in a Detroit uniform.

Line Score

Standout Performances

James Outman (Tigers) — 1-for-4, three-run HR (7th inning), 3 RBI — the swing that flipped the game

Dillon Dingler (Tigers) — go-ahead RBI double in the 8th off Steven Cruz

Isaac Collins (Royals) — two-run HR in the 6th, broke a scoreless tie

Troy Melton (Tigers, SP) — 5.0 IP, 2 R (2 ER), 5 H, 4 BB

Randy Dobnak (Royals, SP) — 5.0 scoreless IP

Kyle Finnegan (Tigers, RP) — 1.0 IP, escaped a two-on, one-out jam in the 9th with a double play for his 2nd save; Drew Anderson (4-4) earned the win, Steven Cruz (2-3) took the loss

The Game

For six innings, this looked like a low-scoring grind. Braves left-hander Martín Pérez, activated off the injured list after taking a Juan Soto liner off his forearm on July 5, allowed just one hit over four scoreless innings in his return. Padres right-hander Michael King opened shaky, walking the bases loaded before Michael Harris II's groundout drove in the game's first run in the first inning, and Atlanta's 1-0 lead held deep into the night as King settled in, working six innings with seven strikeouts.

San Diego finally broke through in the seventh when Jackson Merrill tied it at 1-1 with a solo homer off reliever Didier Fuentes, and the game looked headed for a tight finish.

Instead, the eighth inning blew the game open. Mauricio Dubón singled to start the rally against left-hander Wandy Peralta, and Jarvis followed with a double into the right-field corner that scored Dubón all the way from first for a 2-1 lead. Brewer Hicklen doubled in Jarvis, and then Ozzie Albies, Matt Olson, Austin Riley and Dominic Smith strung together RBI singles off Randy Vásquez. The Braves collected seven of their 14 hits in the inning alone, turning a one-run game into a 7-1 laugher.

San Diego was not finished. Víctor Mederos allowed a run-scoring single to Gavin Sheets and a two-run triple to Fernando Tatis Jr. in the ninth, and Luis Rengifo followed with a two-run homer off Iglesias to cut the deficit to 7-6. But Iglesias steadied himself to retire the final two batters and preserve the win, pushing Atlanta to 59-42 while San Diego dropped to 50-52.

Dylan Lee, who worked a scoreless eighth, picked up his fifth win of the season without a loss. The Braves and Padres close out their four-game series Thursday, with Chris Sale (10-6, 2.06 ERA) opposing Griffin Canning.

Line Score

Standout Performances

Jim Jarvis (Braves, SS) — 2-for-4, R, RBI, go-ahead double in the six-run eighth

Fernando Tatis Jr. (Padres, RF) — 1-for-3, R, 2 RBI, ninth-inning triple that fueled the comeback bid

Martín Pérez (Braves, SP) — 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 3 SO in his return from a forearm contusion

Raisel Iglesias (Braves, RP) — 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 HR allowed, 2 SO, 20th save — survived Rengifo's homer to close it out

The Game

For six innings, this had the look of a tight, low-scoring grind. George Kirby, making his first start in 12 days, needed just 80 pitches to breeze through six shutout frames, scattering three hits and striking out six against a single walk. Reds starter Andrew Abbott matched him blow for blow, working around trouble of his own and holding Seattle off the board until the fifth — even as his defense quietly undid him behind the scenes.

Seattle's only run through six summed up Cincinnati's night. Victor Robles led off the fifth with a single, stole second on a throw that skipped past Edwin Arroyo, and raced home on an infield chopper by Julio Rodríguez that shortstop Elly De La Cruz double-clutched. The Mariners led just 1-0 — and lost Rodríguez in the process, as the center fielder pulled up holding his hamstring after beating out the infield hit and was promptly removed from the game.

The floodgates opened in the bottom of the seventh. Reliever Pierce Johnson allowed two singles before Colt Emerson, inserted into the lineup barely 90 minutes before first pitch on his 21st birthday, lifted a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0. Another single set up Weston Wilson, Rodríguez's injury replacement, who doubled home a run to push the lead to 3-0 and chase Johnson from the game. Reds manager Terry Francona then summoned lefty Caleb Ferguson, who intentionally walked Dominic Canzone to load the bases and pitch to Raleigh instead.

It backfired immediately. Raleigh turned on Ferguson's first offering, a hanging breaking ball, and sent it 408 feet into the left-field bleachers — his sixth career grand slam and 10th home run of the season — blowing the game open at 7-0 in a single swing. An unearned run off Chase Petty in the eighth, on a botched potential double-play ball that squirted loose, rounded out the scoring.

The win was Seattle's third straight and improved the Mariners to 51-50, a half-game ahead of Texas (50-50), which fell to the White Sox earlier Monday. It's a modest margin, but a meaningful one for a club that spent much of the summer chasing the Rangers — and one earned even as Seattle's leadoff man and center fielder walked off nursing a hamstring injury.

Line Score

Standout Performances

George Kirby (Mariners) — Win: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 80 pitches — sixth straight quality start

Cal Raleigh (Mariners) — 1-for-3, grand slam (6th of his career), 4 RBI, run scored

Victor Robles (Mariners) — 4-for-4, 2 R, SB

Andrew Abbott (Reds) — Loss: 6 IP, 1 unearned run allowed, 0 earned — ERA now 3.89

The Game

St. Louis built its cushion early and often. Blaze Jordan's RBI triple ignited a five-run third inning against Arizona starter Eduardo Rodriguez, who was rocked for seven hits and five earned runs and lasted just 2 2/3 innings. Jordan added a two-run single off reliever Philip Abner in the fifth to push the margin to 7-0, and Cardinals starter Andre Pallante carried a shutout into the sixth.

Arizona began chipping away in the sixth. Ketel Marte's single, a bases-loaded walk to Gabriel Moreno and another to Tyler Locklear trimmed the deficit to 7-3. Geraldo Perdomo cut it to two in the seventh with his first career inside-the-park home run, the ball skipping past Cardinals left fielder Jose Fermin.

The Diamondbacks completed the tie in the eighth. After Locklear singled with two outs off Gordon Graceffo, Nolan Arenado — notching career hit No. 1,999 in the process — drove a two-run homer to knot the score at 7-7 and send the game to extra innings.

Neither bullpen budged through the ninth. With Barrosa placed at second to open the 10th as the automatic runner, Kepler lined a double into the right-field corner to send him home and set off a celebration at Chase Field. Juan Morillo worked the final four outs for the win; Luis Gastelum took the loss after allowing the unearned, decisive run.

The victory matched the largest comeback in Diamondbacks history, tying the mark set in a 13-7 win over Philadelphia on August 29, 2022, and moved Arizona to 51-48 on the season.

Line Score

Standout Performances

Max Kepler (Diamondbacks) — 2-for-5, walk-off RBI double in the 10th

Nolan Arenado (Diamondbacks) — 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, game-tying eighth-inning homer (career hit No. 1,999)

Geraldo Perdomo (Diamondbacks) — 1-for-4, inside-the-park HR, 2 RBI

Blaze Jordan (Cardinals) — 3-for-5, triple, 3 RBI