Gerrit Cole dominated on the mound, guiding the New York Yankees to a 4-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in a pivotal matchup between American League East contenders. Aaron Judge broke a homer drought with his 33rd of the season, helping Cole (2-1) secure the win by limiting the Orioles to one run over six innings. In contrast, Orioles starter Cade Povich (1-4) struggled, giving up three runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Tensions flared in the ninth inning when Orioles manager Brandon Hyde erupted after Yankees reliever Clay Holmes accidentally hit Heston Kjerstad in the head with a pitch. This incident triggered a bench-clearing altercation, resulting in Hyde’s ejection. Despite the commotion, Holmes managed to secure his 21st save with a grounder and a strikeout, sealing the Yankees’ sixth win in their last 21 games and narrowing the gap to just one game behind the Orioles in the division standings.
In other MLB action, the Tampa Bay Rays blanked the Cleveland Guardians 2-0 behind Taj Bradley’s stellar pitching performance. Bradley scattered five hits over seven innings, striking out eight batters while Colin Poche and Jason Adam combined for a scoreless relief effort. Yandy Diaz led the Rays’ offense with three hits, including an RBI, supported by Alex Jackson’s two doubles and Josh Lowe’s solid contributions.
The Los Angeles Angels edged past the Seattle Mariners 6-5 in extra innings, courtesy of Willie Calhoun’s walk-off two-run homer in the 10th inning. Calhoun’s heroics capped off a two-homer game, overshadowing Mitch Garver’s earlier RBI double for the Mariners. Hans Crouse picked up the win for the Angels, countering Austin Voth’s unfortunate loss after a competitive late-game exchange.
Meanwhile, the Arizona Diamondbacks staged a comeback to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4, with Geraldo Perdomo’s sacrifice fly in the ninth inning proving decisive. Alek Thomas ignited Arizona’s rally with a clutch two-run single in the eighth inning, securing the Diamondbacks’ ninth win in 13 games. Justin Martinez earned the win in relief, while Chad Green took the loss for the Blue Jays despite a solid offensive effort from George Springer.
The Cincinnati Reds overcame the Miami Marlins 7-4 behind a grand slam from rookie Rece Hinds and Jonathan India’s leadoff home run. Carson Spiers delivered a strong start for the Reds, striking out a career-high nine batters over five innings. Nick Martinez provided three scoreless relief innings to secure Cincinnati’s fourth win in five games, despite Jesus Sanchez’s three-run homer for the Marlins.
Shohei Ohtani propelled the Los Angeles Dodgers to a narrow 4-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers with a go-ahead double in the ninth inning. Freddie Freeman added a solo homer for the Dodgers, who snapped a four-game losing streak thanks to Michael Petersen’s winning relief effort and Daniel Hudson’s closing save. Riley Greene drove in two runs for the Tigers in their losing effort against James Paxton and the Dodgers’ bullpen.
In Philadelphia, the Oakland Athletics defeated the Phillies 6-2 behind Lawrence Butler’s pinch-hit two-run homer. Shea Langeliers contributed two RBI singles, while Osvaldo Bido earned the win with three scoreless relief innings. Cristian Pache and Edmundo Sosa managed RBI hits for the Phillies, but Ranger Suarez took the loss after allowing four runs over six innings.
Elsewhere, Cole Ragans guided the Kansas City Royals to a 6-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox, pitching seven innings of one-run ball. Bobby Witt Jr. and MJ Melendez each homered for the Royals, supporting Ragans’ solid outing against Cooper Criswell and the Red Sox. Kansas City extended their winning streak to four games, while the Red Sox struggled with Ceddanne Rafaela’s two-hit effort.
The New York Mets held off a late surge from the Colorado Rockies to secure a 7-6 win, fueled by Jose Iglesias and Harrison Bader’s multi-homer performances. Mark Vientos also homered for the Mets, who maintained their winning streak through a challenging series. Michael Toglia and Brenton Doyle led the Rockies’ offensive efforts with two-run homers, but Colorado fell short against New York’s resilient bullpen.
The Houston Astros continued their dominance at home with a 6-3 win over the Texas Rangers, fueled by Jake Meyers, Alex Bregman, and Jose Altuve’s home runs. Meyers and Bregman provided solo shots, while Altuve’s three-run blast highlighted Houston’s offensive surge against Andrew Heaney and the Rangers. The Astros extended their home winning streak to 10 games, showcasing their formidable form ahead of the All-Star break.
In San Francisco, Kyle Harrison ended his winless streak with a strong performance, guiding the Giants to a 7-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins. Brett Wisely contributed with a triple, a double, and a single, while Jorge Soler added a crucial triple to support Harrison’s dominant outing against Joe Ryan and the Twins. San Francisco capitalized on five extra-base hits to secure a commanding win at Oracle Park.
The Chicago Cubs rode Kyle Hendricks’ seven shutout innings to a 5-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, extending their winning streak to five games. Nico Hoerner and David Bote provided key RBIs for the Cubs, backed by Miles Mastrobuoni’s dynamic offensive display. Hendricks limited the Cardinals to five hits and a walk, while Hector Neris closed the game with his 13th save. St. Louis struggled to generate offense, with Paul Goldschmidt’s late RBI single proving insufficient against Chicago’s strong pitching.
Lastly, the Washington Nationals defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 5-2 behind Jesse Winker’s homer and RBI double against his former team. Juan Yepez contributed with two hits for the Nationals, while Robert Garcia and Kyle Finnegan combined for a solid bullpen effort. Freddy Peralta endured a tough outing for the Brewers, conceding four runs over five innings, as Milwaukee struggled to overcome Washington’s offensive prowess.
The Atlanta Braves handed the San Diego Padres their fifth consecutive loss with a 6-1 victory, courtesy of Spencer Schwellenbach’s impressive seven innings on the mound. Marcell Ozuna homered twice for the Braves, supported by Orlando Arcia’s two-run shot to seal Atlanta’s win. Manny Machado provided the lone RBI for the Padres, who continued to struggle offensively amidst their recent losing streak.
Finally, the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Chicago White Sox 4-1 behind Ke’Bryan Hayes’ clutch hitting and Marco Gonzales’ stellar return to the mound after injury. Gonzales pitched five strong innings, allowing one run and seven hits in his first appearance since April. David Bednar secured a perfect ninth inning for his 17th save, as Pittsburgh extended their recent success with a fourth win in five games, while Chicago faltered with Jonathan Cannon’s tough outing on the mound.
