The Morning Horsehide Herald — the Nine-and-Twentieth of July, Two Thousand and Twenty-Six

The Game of the Day

TWELVE INNINGS AND NOT ONE OF THEM QUIET: ARIZONA SQUANDERS SIX RUNS, SURVIVES TWO NINTH-INNING THUNDERCLAPS, AND TAKES THE FINAL WILD-CARD CHAIR FROM PITTSBURGH, 8 TO 7

The Corsairs, six runs down entering the eighth, draw level upon Lowe's two-run blow and Reynolds's answering circuit; both nines score in the tenth; and in the twelfth the old catcher McCann — four hits on the night — lines home the verdict, the second consecutive evening these claimants have required extra chapters

For the second evening running, the Sonoran nine and the Corsairs of Pittsburgh found nine innings insufficient to their quarrel — and where Monday's affair went ten, this one demanded twelve, and spent every one of them profligately. Arizona built its fortune the unglamorous way: six runs through six innings assembled from ground balls, force plays, an error, and Nolan Arenado's and Corbin Carroll's run-scoring singles, while the Pittsburgh bats slept. Then the eighth arrived, and with it the whole insurrection: Ryan O'Hearn doubled a run home, Endy Rodríguez and Marcell Ozuna singled home two more, and in the ninth Brandon Lowe struck a two-run home run — his two-and-twentieth — and moments later Bryan Reynolds lifted his fifteenth over the right-center barrier, and six-nothing had become six apiece.

The tenth was a comedy of muffs: Arizona pushed ahead on a fielder's choice and a Pittsburgh error, and Pittsburgh answered in kind on a fielder's choice and an Arizona error, seven and seven, as though the two clubs had agreed to trade blunders at par. The eleventh passed without commerce. In the twelfth, James McCann — the seasoned catcher, enjoying a four-hit evening at six-and-thirty years of age — lined a single to right to send Tyler Locklear across, and Carrillo closed the door upon his first victory of the year. Dotel bore the defeat.

The arithmetic is the sharpest blade in the drawer: the two entered the evening joint tenants of the National's final wild-card chair, and Arizona departs sole proprietor at six-and-fifty wins against two-and-fifty defeats, with Pittsburgh a game in arrears alongside Washington. The rubber match goes this very noontide at five-and-thirty past twelve, Rodriguez and his 2.64 opposing Jones — and after two-and-twenty innings in two nights, neither bullpen will answer the bell rested.

News Around the League

Five Days to the Bell: Skubal Takes the Ball at Detroit, Perhaps for the Last Time in Those Flannels, While the Twins Declare Themselves Buyers and Harper Asks for Help

The deadline tolls Monday, the third of August, and the bazaar grows loud. The centerpiece remains Detroit's ace Tarik Skubal, who takes the ball this very afternoon against Baltimore in what the wires solemnly style his potential final start in a Tiger uniform; the speculative packages arrive daily from every contending precinct, and Detroit's fourteen-run thunder of last evening (see the card, below) will not have lowered the asking price. In the Twin Cities, the front office chief Zoll has declared his club buyers outright — emboldened by three straight victories that have drawn Minnesota within a half-game of the league's final wild-card chair. Boston, the wires report, is canvassing the market for shortstop help. And in Philadelphia the plea comes from the captain's own lips: Bryce Harper, surveying a club gone three-and-eight since the All-Star pause and shut out at Miami last night, allowed bluntly that his nine "need some help." The front offices have five days to oblige him — or not.

The Infirmary Ward: Ohtani Slugs On While His Pitching Waits, Buxton's Hip Barks Anew, Vladimir the Younger Sits, and San Francisco Receives Schmitt's Grim Verdict

The great Shohei Ohtani is revealed to be campaigning upon a balky knee and a troublesome biceps, and his return to the pitching mound is accordingly postponed — though the ailments did not prevent his striking a leadoff home run, his three-and-twentieth, and collecting three hits besides in the Angelenos' defeat (see the card, below). In Minnesota the celebration was tempered: Byron Buxton departed the fifth inning of the Twins' victory with a right hip newly aggravated, an old tormentor returned. At Washington, the Torontos expect to rest Vladimir Guerrero Jr. this day on account of tightness in the right hamstring. And the magnets have rendered the verdict San Francisco dreaded: the utility man Casey Schmitt, hurt rounding first on Monday, carries a torn meniscus in the left knee and may be lost for the remainder of the campaign — a cruel bill for a man minding third base with one-and-twenty home runs to his credit.

A Thunderclap from the Convalescent Ward: Seager Homers in His First Rehabilitation Contest

Good tidings from Texas: Corey Seager, the decorated shortstop of the Arlington club, took the field for his first rehabilitation contest and announced himself in the old familiar manner — a home run, garnished with some handsome work afield for good measure. The Lone Star nine, clinging to a two-game lead in the American's West, may be forgiven for consulting the calendar with fresh optimism; there is no deadline acquisition so cheap as a great player returned to health.

An Almanac of Notes: The Cornfield Beckons in a Fortnight, the Little Leaguers in August, and the Season's Final Bell on the Twenty-Seventh of September

The Herald's almanac, for those who plot their summers in advance: on the thirteenth of August the Twins and the Phillies shall play amid the Iowa corn at Dyersville — the Field of Dreams engagement, fifteen days hence. On the three-and-twentieth of that month the Brewers and the Braves repair to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, for the Little League Classic, there to be watched by several thousand small critics of impeccable honesty. And the regular campaign's final day is fixed for the seven-and-twentieth of September — sixty days distant, which is to say: closer than any pennant chaser cares to admit.

The Rest of the Card

FOURTEEN RUNS, NOT ONE ANSWERED: THE MOTOR CITY NINE FLATTEN BALTIMORE BEHIND VALENCIA'S TWO CIRCUITS AND FIVE RUNS DRIVEN BY TORRES

On the eve of Skubal's freighted start (see the bazaar, above), the Detroits supplied their own argument for keeping the roster intact: fourteen runs upon the Baltimores, and not a single tally conceded. Eduardo Valencia struck two home runs among four runs driven in, Gleyber Torres doubled and homered and drove home five, Colt Keith tripled home two, and the young Kevin McGonigle collected four hits and seemed to be forever crossing the plate. Melton ran his record to six-and-one for the victory; Kremer absorbed the ruin. Detroit had dropped three running before this thunder; the O's, eleven back in the East, will hope to forget the entire evening.

ONE RUN, AND ALCANTARA MADE IT A FORTRESS: MIAMI BLANKS THE QUAKERS, 1 TO 0, AND STANDS ONE VICTORY FROM A SWEEP

Kyle Stowers struck his fourteenth home run in the very first inning, and thereafter the affair belonged entirely to Sandy Alcantara, who spun a scoreless gem to run his account to eleven victories — his value, the wires observe, soaring at the most negotiable hour of the year. Fairbanks sealed the fourteenth save. The Quakers, whose captain spent the evening's aftermath pleading for reinforcements (see the bazaar, above), have now dropped two straight at Miami and stand three-and-eight since the All-Star pause, though they cling yet to the second wild-card chair by a single game. The Miami nine, at four-and-fifty apiece, seek the sweep this noontide.

THE LONE STAR NINE STRIKE FIRST IN THE FORTRESS: QUANTRILL, WYNNS'S FIRST CIRCUIT, AND A 4-TO-1 VERDICT OVER TAMPA BAY

Into the league's most forbidding home yard marched the Texas nine, and out they came with the opener: Quantrill held the line, Latz banked his one-and-twentieth save, and the veteran catcher Austin Wynns supplied the flourish with his first home run of the season. Two sacrifice flies and Evan Carter's run-scoring single furnished the remainder; Junior Caminero's triple accounted for the Gulf Coast club's lone tally. Texas thus pads its Western lead while Tampa Bay, still masters of the East, see their cushion over the Pinstripes trimmed to a game and a half. The second engagement goes this evening.

PATIENCE AS ARTILLERY: THREE RUNS FORCED HOME BY BASES-LOADED PASSES, AND THE CAPITAL NINE OUTLAST TORONTO, 8 TO 6

The Washingtons opened with a first inning of exquisite restraint — Keibert Ruiz, Daylen Lile, and Jacob Young each walked with the sacks jammed, three runs forced across without a swing of consequence, four in all — and then turned to plainer methods: Luis García Jr.'s two-run homer, his two-and-twentieth, and Dylan Crews's ninth. The Torontos made it interesting late, Kazuma Okamoto striking his four-and-twentieth and George Springer a three-run blow in the eighth, but Beeter closed the account for his eleventh save. Cavalli won his eighth; Bieber was the party charged. The Capital nine — two-and-thirty wins and twenty defeats upon the road, the league's happiest travelers — stand a game shy of the final wild-card chair; the Canadians remain the East's cellar tenants.

MANZARDO'S GRAND SALVO AND ROCCHIO'S PERFECT LITTLE BUNT: CLEVELAND TAKES THE MATINEE AT CINCINNATI, 6 TO 5

The twin bill's first act opened with a bang: Kyle Manzardo emptied the sacks in the first inning with a grand slam off the celebrated Chase Burns, four runs before an out of consequence was recorded. The Redlegs clawed the whole deficit back — Sal Stewart homering and driving in three — but Chase DeLauter's sacrifice fly squared it and in the eighth Brayan Rocchio laid down as tidy a squeeze bunt as the season has seen, DeLauter scoring the decisive run. Smith sealed his thirtieth save, most in the American; Holderman won; Moll lost. Half a day's work done, half remaining.

THE NIGHTCAP BELONGS TO THE QUEEN CITY: BLEDAY'S EARLY BLOW AND A 2-TO-0 SHUTOUT SQUARE THE TWIN BILL

Vengeance arrived by evening. JJ Bleday struck his eighteenth home run in the first inning of the nightcap, Dane Myers scampered home upon a wild pitch, and the Cincinnati pitching wanted nothing more: Franco earned his first victory of the year, Pagán his eleventh save, and Cleveland's Williams — ten victories to his name and the American's strikeout king — was handed the defeat. The split leaves the Forest City nine still holders of the American's final wild-card chair, though by the thinnest of margins over Minnesota; the rubber match goes this evening at Cincinnati.

LEWIS ENDS IT WITH ONE SWING OF HIS BOOT-HEELS: A TWO-RUN TRIPLE IN THE NINTH, AND THE TWIN CITIES NINE STEAL PAST KANSAS CITY, 3 TO 2

The Missourians had manufactured their lead by the boldest means in the book — Josh Rojas stealing home outright in the sixth, Salvador Perez singling another across — and stood three outs from the verdict when Royce Lewis lined a two-run triple to right, Caratini and Brooks Lee scoring, and the affair was over on the spot. Anderson collected the win; Lange the loss. The victory, Minnesota's third running, draws the North Stars within a half-game of the wild-card line — timely evidence for the front office's declared intent to buy (see the bazaar, above) — though it was purchased dear, Buxton's hip having barked in the fifth (see the ward).

COLE'S QUIET MASTERPIECE ON THE SOUTH SIDE: SIX SCORELESS INNINGS, SEVEN STRIKEOUTS, AND THE PINSTRIPES HOLD ON, 3 TO 2

Gerrit Cole gave the Pale Hose six innings of nothing, striking out seven in an outing the wires pronounce his finest of a trying season, and the Pinstripes banked the whole of their commerce in the second — Anthony Volpe's run-scoring double and Max Schuemann's two-run one. The South Siders made the ninth loud, Chase Meidroth striking a two-run homer, but Bednar survived for his two-and-twentieth save; Kay took the defeat. The Yankees, winners of two straight in the series with Schlittler and his league-best 2.07 going tonight, sit a game and a half behind Tampa Bay; the White Sox' hold on the Central shrinks to a game and a half over Cleveland.

TEN RUNS ON THE RIVALRY STAGE: THE NORTH SIDERS BATTER ST. LOUIS AGAIN, 10 TO 2, AND THE REDBIRDS' SLIDE REACHES THREE

Seven runs inside two innings settled the matter early: Ian Happ's two-run double opened the account, Seiya Suzuki doubled and singled and drove home a pair, and the procession scarcely paused thereafter. Rea cruised to his eighth victory; McGreevy was reached for the ruin. The Cards, now two-and-eight over their last ten and three beaten running, slip further from the wild-card conversation, while the Cubs — winners of seven of ten and, the wires note, playing loudly enough to encourage their front office toward deadline boldness — hold the National's first wild-card chair and sit six behind Milwaukee.

THEY PITCHED TO ALVAREZ WITH THE GAME UPON THE TABLE, AND PAID THE PUBLISHED RATE: HOUSTON 3, THE SERAPHS 2

Yordan Alvarez opened the evening with his five-and-thirtieth home run — no man in either league has more — and closed it with a two-out, go-ahead single in the ninth, the Seraphs having elected, against all published wisdom, to pitch to him. "He's a nightmare," the wires quote from the Anaheim side, and the ledger concurs: he leads the American in average, home runs, and runs driven in alike. Christian Walker added his one-and-twentieth circuit, Okert won, and Hader sealed his fourteenth save. Houston has won two straight and presses within two of Texas in the West; the Anaheim nine have dropped two.

FOUR SUMMERS BETWEEN CIRCUITS: SERVEN'S LONG-AWAITED HOMER AND THE ROOKIE JUMP'S SIX SPOTLESS INNINGS END BOSTON'S ROAD STREAK AT TEN, 4 TO 3

The catcher Brian Serven had not cleared a big-league fence since the year 2022; last night he did, a two-run blow, and the rookie Gage Jump made the arithmetic stand with six scoreless innings as the Mackmen cooled the hottest traveling show in baseball. Connor Wong's two-run homer in the ninth brought the Crimson Hose within one, but Harris recorded his ninth save and the road winning streak died at ten. Tommy White, four hits on the evening, kept the home fires lit besides. Boston, seven back in the East, still holds the second wild-card chair; the Athletics have won two of three.

TATIS COLLECTS FIVE HITS, AND BOGAERTS NEEDS BUT ONE FLY BALL: THE MISSION NINE WALK OFF THE ROCKIES, 8 TO 7, A FOURTH STRAIGHT VICTORY

Fernando Tatis Jr. went five-for-five — the first five-hit evening of his celebrated life — and still the affair required a ninth-inning verdict: Xander Bogaerts lifted a sacrifice fly to center, Jackson Merrill tagged and scored, Colorado spent a challenge disputing the tag-up, and the umpires' original ruling stood. It is, the wires note, the third time this season San Diego has walked off the Mile High nine. Mickey Moniak homered and doubled among three runs driven in for Colorado, and Ezequiel Tovar twice pushed the visitors ahead late, but Miller took the decision and the Padres — winners of four running — pull within a game and a half of the National's final wild-card chair.

THE SUDS MEN RESUME THEIR CUSTOMARY BUSINESS: EIGHT RUNS AT SAN FRANCISCO, TURANG'S THREE HITS, AND HENDERSON UNTROUBLED, 8 TO 2

One night after being blanked, Milwaukee remembered itself: Brice Turang collected three hits and two runs driven in, the youngster Luis Lara tripled home two more, and Logan Henderson carried the decision to five-and-one. Bryce Eldridge's eleventh home run supplied the whole of the Jints' answer. The Brewers, at seven-and-sixty wins against forty defeats, share the game's best ledger with the Dodgers and hold the Cubs six lengths distant in the Central; the Orange and Black, losers of seven of ten, received grimmer news besides in the infirmary column (see the ward, above).

FIVE SEATTLE CIRCUITS, TWO OF THEM CANZONE'S, AND THE SECOND ONE SETTLED IT: THE PUGET SOUND MEN TOPPLE THE ANGELENOS, 7 TO 6

A slugging carnival at Chavez Ravine: nine home runs between the two nines, five of them Seattle's, and the last word belonged to Dominic Canzone, whose two-run blow in the eighth — his second circuit of the night, seventeenth and eighteenth of the season — broke the tie for good. Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodríguez, and Rob Refsnyder had all gone deep before him; Ohtani (leadoff homer, three hits — see the ward) and Max Muncy answered for the home nine, and Ohtani's ninth-inning double made it a one-run affair before Muñoz closed his nineteenth save. Ferrer won it. The Dodgers, beaten twice running, now share the game's best record with Milwaukee rather than owning it outright; the M's climb within a game and a half of the American's final wild-card chair.

RAIN AGAIN STEALS A DATE: THE TOMAHAWK NINE AND THE METROPOLITANS POSTPONED AT FLUSHING, AND SHALL SETTLE IT TWICE OVER THIS DAY

The card's lone blank: the meeting of Atlanta and the Metropolitans was washed out, and the debt comes due at once — a twin engagement at Flushing this day, the matinee at ten past one and the nightcap at ten past seven, with Sale and his 2.19 taking the second game against Scott. The East leaders thus face the awkward chore of a doubleheader against the very club that buried them beneath fourteen runs on Monday; the Flushing men, spoilers in full cry, have won two straight.

Sixteen engagements on this day's bill, swollen once more by rain's arrears at Flushing. The appointments of consequence: Skubal at Detroit against Baltimore at ten past one, perhaps his valedictory in the home flannels (see the bazaar); the Sonoran nine and the Corsairs settle their three-act quarrel at five-and-thirty past twelve; Schlittler, keeper of the American's best earned-run figure, takes the South Side stage against Martin; and the Texas nine seek a second straight verdict in Tampa Bay's fortress at forty minutes past six. Five days now remain before the deadline bell, and the wires will only grow shriller. Until the morrow's dispatch, keep your scorecards near and your enthusiasms nearer.

~ THE HERALD ~