The Dodgers come back to defeat the Royals in Skubal's home debut
The Angels' new star didn't have the debut he'd hoped for in front of his new fans, though he was satisfied with the close 5-6 final score.
Ohtani during a game
"There's no place like home." Dorothy's famous line from 'The Wizard of Oz' came true for the Dodgers. The defending champions snapped a three-game losing streak by defeating Kansas City on the home debut of their newest acquisition, Tarik Skubal, at Dodger Stadium. It was a hard-fought victory, in which the Dodgers had to battle back from an early deficit.
With Skubal turning in a modest performance, it was Max Muncy—honored with the presentation of a figurine in his likeness—who proved decisive in turning the score around. The Dodgers fought hard for six innings to overcome the deficit after Skubal's hit early in the game.
It was Muncy who delivered the long-awaited dramatic hit the team needed to stage the comeback. With the bases loaded and two outs, Muncy connected off reliever John Schreiber for a three-run double to right field that cleared the bases.
He also brought home Tommy Edman, Venezuelan Miguel Rojas, and Kyle Tucker, sparking an explosion of euphoria in the stands and allowing the Dodgers to take a 5-3 lead.
However, the Kansas City Royals didn't sit idly by and responded with a two-run home run by Kyle Isbel that once again put the home team in a tight spot. The Angels, however, didn't let themselves be intimidated and, led by Ohtani, who stole second base on a single to center field.
Freddie Fredman, who would be named the game's MVP, came through against Alex Lange, driving in the Japanese star to put the Dodgers back in the lead—a lead they defended until the end.
Schwarber, Sosa, and Painter lead the Phillies to victory over the Cardinals
The Phillies earned their second consecutive victory and seventh in their last ten games in a close 6-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Edmundo Sosa, who drove in three runs, and Kyle Schwarber, who reached base four times, joined right-hander Andrew Painter in defeating their opponent.
Painter maintained a no-hitter through the sixth inning before running out of steam. However, a double by Panamanian catcher Iván Herrera with one out ended the bid for a no-hitter. Left fielder Alec Burleson capped it off with a two-run single that forced Painter out of the game after 93 pitches.
The game saw two players continue their hot streaks: on one hand, Schwarber, who leads the National League with 35 home runs, hit a single and scored in the fifth inning. He also hit a double that allowed Garrett Stubbs to score in the seventh to extend the lead and draw two walks.
Furthermore, Jordan Walker extended his streak of games with at least one hit to 10. This is the fourth time this season he has strung together such a streak of 10 or more games.
The Padres edge out division-leading Milwaukee in a tight 2-3 game
The San Diego Padres managed to defeat the National League Central Division leaders, the Milwaukee Brewers, by a narrow 2-3 margin. Jackson Merrill hit a two-run home run to center field in the seventh inning, while Mason Miller recorded his 30th save—the best mark in the National League.
San Diego had to come back from a 2-1 deficit heading into the seventh inning. At that point, Ty France singled with one out, and Merrill followed with his 19th home run off an 83mph changeup from starter Logan Henderson (6-2). Merrill has now hit nine home runs since the All-Star break.
In addition, San Diego has won 13 of its last 17 games, keeping the Padres just one game out of the final National League playoff spot.
The Rays extend their winning streak with an 8th-inning barrage
Just when it seemed the Rays' seven-game winning streak was about to be snapped by the Athletics, a rally that produced 8 runs allowed the Tampa Bay team to extend its winning streak.
The Sacramento team's joy lasted only a few minutes after taking a three-run lead in the seventh inning (5-2). The Rays' response was lightning-fast, in the form of eight runs that ultimately secured them a 10-6 victory. All the wins in this streak have come on the road.
The Rays (72-46) remain undefeated since the trade deadline on August 3 and have extended their lead as leaders of the American League East Division to six games over the New York Yankees.
LATEST
