MLB

Braves 7, Diamondbacks 5

There might not be a more underrated hitter in baseball than Matt Olson. Atlanta’s first baseman, after smashing home run Nos. 31 and 32 yesterday, is on pace for over 50 this season.

Arizona is in the thick of the NL pennant race, so losing a Zac Gallen start, even in Atlanta, isn’t ideal for the Diamondbacks.

Brewers 4, Phillies 0

The Brewers lead the NL Central by just 2.5 games and have subpar peripherals, but Milwaukee still feels like a good bet to win the division at this point. One major reason why? Corbin Burnes’ dominance of late. The 28-year-old is clearly the club’s ace, and his stuff was buzzing in this game, as Burnes tossed eight shutout frames.

After losing this game, Taijuan Walker may still be 11-4, but that record is a bit deceiving. Walker’s ERA is over 4.00, and he allowed four runs to a shaky Brewers lineup yesterday.

Reds 5, Giants 1

The Reds may have had plans for rookie Andrew Abbott to become an effective top of the rotation arm in a few years down the road, but the club would probably be lying if it said it expected it in 2023. That’s what’s happened, though, at least so far, as Abbott is 5-2 with a 2.10 ERA after pitching eight scoreless innings yesterday. Despite Abbott’s success, Cincinnati should probably still add a veteran starter before the trade deadline.

Blue Jays 4, Padres 0

Even at his floor, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is still an above average bat, but Toronto needs him to be more than that in a loaded AL East. In this game, he was just that, sending his 15th home run to the seats. For the Blue Jays to make the postseason, the first baseman will probably need to run his total to at least 30.

Matt Carpenter’s regression from 2022 to this season has been astronomical, to say the least. The 37-year-old spooked all of baseball with a 1.138 OPS last season with the Yankees, but he’s cratered to just a .604 mark this campaign. At his advanced age, this may be the end of the line for Carpenter.

White Sox 6, Mets 2

Losing to the lifeless White Sox couldn’t be what the Mets were looking for in Jose Quintana’s season debut. This goes without saying, but time is running thin for the Mets to turn their season around.

Tigers 3, Royals 0

The Tigers are kind of (?) a team to keep an eye on. At the conclusion of this contest, Detroit was just 5.5 games back of the solid Twins. It’s unlikely the Tigers will catch Minnesota, but it must be refreshing for the fanbase to have their team in the hunt in the back half of July. Two relievers that finished this game for the Tigers, Tyler Holton and Jason Foley, have been very good for Detroit this year.

If this season is it for Zack Greinke, it’ll be a difficult exit for the Kansas City legend. After losing this game, Greinke is 1-10 with a 5.40 ERA. To make matters worse, certainly no team would be interested in dealing for Greinke as a rental for the stretch run, leaving both team and player stuck with each other.

Mariners 5, Twins 0

It’s going to be a challenge for the 48-48 Mariners to grab a wild card spot at 5.5 games out, but riding the arm of George Kirby is their best shot. Kirby is a good young pitcher, and he was better than good in this game, delivering seven shutout frames, while striking out 10 Twins.

I wonder how much longer Jorge Lopez can survive as an MLB reliever. Lopez was phenomenal for a segment of 2022 as Baltimore’s closer, but he’s been abysmal for almost the rest of his career, dating back to 2015. Lopez allowed three runs in just one inning yesterday, raising his ERA to 5.40.

Orioles 4, Rays 3

The Rays are imploding. Tampa Bay afforded itself plenty of breathing room thanks to a scorching start, but at 60-40, the Rays’ record is mortal again. An addition or two at the trade deadline is probably a necessity, but at least Tampa Bay has Tyler Glasnow back and finally settled in.

Cardinals 7, Cubs 2

Marcus Stroman’s pitching has regressed to the mean over the past month or so, and that’s bad news for the Cubs’ potential haul at the trade deadline. Chicago is now 45-51, and the Cubs selling over the next week and a half feels more likelier than ever. The aforementioned Stroman, plus Cody Bellinger, should both be attractive chips to prospective buyers, and it’ll be interesting to find out Chicago’s return, should it decide to sell.

Astros 3, Athletics 1

The Astros were missing a few key position players for this game, but at a solid 54-43, it’s easy to see why Houston isn’t as potent as it’s been in recent seasons. There’s a chance for that to change, though, as young contributors like J.P. France have been useful for the Astros. Last night, France allowed just one run across seven innings, lowering his ERA to 3.13.