Here are the scores. Here are the highlights:
Astros 7, Indians 1: Gerrit Cole allowed one over seven but struck out only four so I can only assume something is wrong with him. Michael Brantley, Alex Bregman and Yordan Álvarez each knocked in two with Bregman and George Springer each homering. Springer’s homer came in the first. Again: shocker. Cole has not lost since May 22. I can’t remember what I was doing and thinking and how I was living my life on May 22. It may as well be 1983 or something. New Indians Yasiel Puig and Franmil Reyes made their debut. Puig doubled and went 1-for-3 with a stolen base and Reyes went 1-for-4.
Dodgers 8, Padres 2: Will Smith — the Dodgers’ Will Smith, not the Giants’ Will Smith, and unlike yesterday, this morning I think I got the link to the right player — came to the plate with the bases loaded in the sixth with his guys down 2-1 to the other guys. Then he did this:
The best part of that is Padres reliever Trey Wingenter pointing straight up like he’s gonna help his fielder track it down. Which, I dunno, maybe off the bat to him it looked like a popup. It’s kinda how it looked from the TV angle. We are in the juiced ball age and all manner of struck balls that, a couple of years ago, woulda fallen short of the wall seem to be sailing over. Rules are rules, though, and if the ball goes over the fence it’s a homer and this one went over the fence to give the Dodgers a 5-1 lead and after that it was all just details. Smith, by the way, is hitting .349/.396/.884 with six homers in 14 games as a big leaguer.
Marlins 5, Twins 4: The Twins blew a 4-1 lead in the ninth thanks to some ineffective relief from the newly-acquired Sam Dyson, with Neil Walker‘s two-run single tying things up. Then Harold Ramírez smacked a homer in the bottom of the 12th to give the Marlins the walkoff win. Apparently Dyson was working on three hours sleep after the trade and travel. Maybe give him a day to unwind from travel, Rocco? Let him take his shoes off in his hotel room and make fists with his toes and chill out and all of that?
Phillies 10, Giants 2: J.T. Realmuto singled, doubled and hit a three-run homer and César Hernández and Roman Quinn each went deep. Jake Arrieta allowed two runs over four but left early due to a wonky elbow. They’re saying bone spur. I suppose we’ll take their word for it.
Mets 4, White Sox 0: Zack Wheeler tossed seven innings of four-hit ball and Robinson Canó homered and doubled in a run. What’s the what with the Mets lately, you guys? Seven straight wins and now four back of the Wild Card. Do I think they’ll do it? Eh, wouldn’t bet the farm. But they’re downright frisky at the moment.
Athletics 5, Brewers 3: The Brewers clung to a 3-2 lead in the eighth with Josh Hader on the mound but Matt Chapman got the best of him, smacking a two-run homer. That’s the second time in three games against Oakland that Hader has given up a dinger and a lead. Chad Pinder went deep as well and Mark Canha had three hits, as the A’s took their fourth in their last five games. Or their fourth in their last eight. Depends on how you wanna look at it. End points are useful tools of propaganda, you know. In the long run we’re all dead. Sorry, this is getting dark. Let’s move on.
Blue Jays 11, Orioles 2: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit two homers and drove in four and the Jays hit five in all, with Randal Grichuk, Danny Jansen and Billy McKinney going deep for the blue birds. Wait, no one ever calls them the blue birds. Ah, who cares, let’s start now. Trent Thornton got the start and allowed one over six while enjoying far more run support than he’ll get for most of the rest of his career. Not trying to be pessimistic. Just stating facts.
Rays 9, Red Sox 4: Andrew Cashner started for Boston and got smacked around good. Smacked around so good that even Peter Gammons, who is generally not a shade-thrower, is offering some low-key bile on Twitter this morning:
I think the “Boston’s only acquisition” is the kicker there. It’s the equivalent of “I’m not even mad, just disappointed.” Not what you tend to see from old Gammo these days. Anyway, Mike Zunino and Austin Meadows homered while Brendan McKay pitched into the sixth, allowing three runs to give the Rays their fourth straight win and a three-game sweep of the Sox. Tommy Pham had two RBI singles and Jesus Aguilar singled and scored twice. Xander Bogaerts hit two homers in a losing cause. Boston has lost four straight.
Cardinals 8, Cubs 0: Jack Flaherty tossed one-hit, shutout ball for seven innings while striking out nine, Matt Wieters hit a three-run shot and José Martínez, Kolten Wong and Yairo Muniz each had RBI singles for the Cardinals. St. Louis takes two of three and takes sole possession of first place in the Central from the Cubbies.
Braves 4, Reds 1: A rain-shortened game but that’s fine because it allowed me to turn it off an watch “L.A. Confidential” for the 50th time or whatever. Max Fried allowed one over six while Freddie Freeman and Adam Duvall homered. For Duvall that’s four homers in the last three games. I admire him as a hitter – particularly his adherence to violence to baseballs as a necessary adjunct to the job. Have you a valediction, boyo?