Here are the scores. Here are the highlights:
Nationals 6, Braves 3: Anthony Rendon came up big in the opener of a big series for the Nationals, hitting a tie-breaking grand slam off of Chad Sobotka that, after a few more innings of play, cut the Braves’ lead in the East down to four and a half games. Juan Soto singled home a run, Trea Turner hit an RBI double and Patrick Corbin was solid for the Nats, who were once ten games back in the division.
Watch Rendon go deep:
Marlins 11, Diamondbacks 6: A six-run second inning in which three runs came on a bases-loaded bunt from the Marlins pitcher which led to two throwing errors tells you all you need to know about how crisp the Dbacks were last night. Miguel Rojas and Brian Anderson homered, which is something I wrote yesterday morning too. This completed a four-game wraparound series in which the Marlins took three of four from Arizona. Which is good for the Marlins but which in no way justifies this appalling misuse of social media:
Reds 11, Pirates 6: It was already 6-1 when José Iglesias hit a grand slam but why not make it silly when you have the chance? That was all part of a ten-run second inning for Cincinnati. This came on a night when the Pirates had to go with an emergency starter thanks to dealing scheduled starter Jordan Lyles to the Brewers. Frankly, though, the way Lyles had been going of late can we even be sure the outcome would be all that different? No matter the case, the Pirates lost their ninth straight. It’s Steelers and Penguins season now.
Blue Jays 7, Royals 3: Cavan Biggio hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth and drove in another run in the ninth. Vlad Guerrero Jr. got a hit. Bo Bichette made his big league debut and he got a hit. Big day for kids of 1990s stars. Does Kevin Brown have a kid coming up? Edgardo Alfonso? Let’s just go all-in with this, shall we?
Rockies 9, Dodgers 1: Jon Gray shut the Dodgers down, allowing only one run on three hits over eight while David Dahl homered and drove in three and Nolan Arenado had a two-run single during Colorado’s five-run fifth. Joc Pederson got benched late in the game for not running out a ground ball that plated the Dodgers’ only run. I guess Dave Roberts thought that, when you’re having a horrible all-around day, you may as well make the most of it with a teaching moment.
Tigers 7, Angels 2: Jordan Zimmermann picked up his first win since last September after allowing two runs while pitching into the sixth. Miguel Cabrera hit his first homer since the Fourth of July and also singled in two runs. If you squint just right and let your mind go you can almost remember when the Tigers were good. The Tigers have played AL West teams 17 times this year. They have only won twice. Both wins have come off the Angles. I feel like it’s Brad Ausmus giving his old friends some sort of cosmic gift.
Padres 8, Orioles 1: Ya ever get to work and — bam! — crap gets piled on you before you even sit down at your desk? That was David Hess’ night last night. Guy wouldn’t even have his first sip of coffee or check his emails before Fernando Tatís Jr. and Franmil Reyes each homered on the game’s first two pitches. Hess would give up two more bombs — to Eric Hosmer in and Luis Urías in the fourth — but he’d be gone by the time Hosmer his his second homer of the game in the seventh. Figure by then he had left for a smoke break and was thinking hard of saying screw this job and applying to law school.
