Esmerlyn Valdez hit a go-ahead grand slam and drove in six runs as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the visiting Milwaukee Brewers 7-6 in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon, then completed a sweep with a 3-2 win in the second game. The numbers came fast. The bodies on the field took the hits, the swings, the outs, the innings. Valdez hit his second home run of the first game in the seventh inning to put Pittsburgh back in front after his first homer had given the Pirates a 3-2 lead in the third, and the Brewers kept getting shoved back by a game built on pressure, leverage, and whoever could survive the late innings.
Who Has the Power
Braxton Ashcraft allowed five runs on five hits and struck out six in five innings for Pittsburgh, and Gregory Soto escaped a bases-loaded jam in the top of the ninth for his 12th save. Brewers starter Brandon Sproat gave up three runs on two hits and struck out three before leaving after the third inning. Jake Bauers and Sal Frelick homered for Milwaukee. That’s the machinery of the sport: a few players get the credit, a few get the blame, and the rest are left to absorb the damage while the scoreboard keeps its own cold accounting.
In the second game, Bryan Reynolds went 2-for-3 and drove in the go-ahead run for Pittsburgh. Bubba Chandler struck out six and limited the Brewers to two runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings. Valdez added another homer in the second game and has homered in three straight games. Shane Drohan (4-3) allowed three runs on five hits and struck out six in 6 1/3 innings for Milwaukee, which has lost three of its past four games after going 8-2 in its previous 10. The swing of fortune is brutal and immediate. One night’s momentum gets stripped away the next afternoon.
Who Gets Crushed
Elsewhere in the roundup, Chase Meidroth's sixth-inning RBI double lifted the White Sox over the visiting Athletics 1-0. Meidroth was 2-for-3, Luisangel Acuna had two hits, and five Chicago pitchers combined on a four-hit shutout. Erick Fedde (5-6) got the win after allowing two hits and no runs, walking one and striking out three over four innings. Athletics starter Gage Jump (3-4) allowed one run on five hits, walked two and struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings. Joshua Kuroda-Grauer went 2-for-4 with a double, and Jacob Wilson was 2-for-4 with a triple. One run. That’s all it took. The rest was control, containment, and the quiet violence of a shutout.
Andruw Monasterio and Masataka Yoshida each hit two-run homers as the Red Sox beat the Mets 4-0 for Boston's eighth straight win. Five pitchers combined on a three-hit shutout. Jovani Moran (2-2) got the win with 1 2/3 scoreless innings, and fill-in starter Eduardo Rivera threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings in just his second major league appearance. Rivera allowed one hit, walked two and struck out three. Freddy Peralta (5-8) took the loss after allowing two runs on three hits and five walks in 4 1/3 innings, and the Mets went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine. The gap between the clubs showed up in the simplest place: who cashed in, and who left people on base like unpaid labor.
What They Call Order
Victor Caratini's double down the left field line scored Royce Lewis for the go-ahead run in the bottom of the seventh as the Twins beat the Angels 5-3 in Minneapolis. Lewis had earlier hit a two-run homer, and Minnesota scored two runs in the seventh on Lewis' double, Caratini's double and Alan Roden's run-scoring single. Joe Ryan allowed two runs on six hits with six strikeouts and two walks in six innings for Minnesota. Ryan Johnson gave up three runs and three hits over five innings for the Angels, walking three and striking out one.
Steven Kwan lined a two-out, two-strike, two-run double and also made a run-saving defensive play as the Guardians beat the Marlins 4-1. Patrick Bailey added a two-out, two-strike, two-run double in the eighth for insurance. Tanner Bibee (3-9) earned the win with a quality start, allowing five hits, four walks and one run in 6 2/3 innings. Eury Perez (5-7) took the loss after allowing eight hits, two walks and two runs in six innings. The language of the box score is neat. The reality underneath is not. Every inning asks the same thing: who gets to keep going, and who gets cut loose.
Casey Schmitt's three-run homer in the sixth inning broke a 1-1 tie and sent the Giants past the Rockies 4-2. Heliot Ramos and Luis Arraez opened the inning with singles before Schmitt hit his 19th homer, tying him for the team lead. Arraez was 2-for-4. Tyler Mahle (2-8) allowed one run on five hits over seven innings, and J.T. Brubaker pitched the final two innings for his first career save. Kyle Karros homered and Mickey Moniak was 2-for-4 for Colorado, and starter Kyle Freeland (2-8) gave up four runs and six hits in six innings.
The Yankees beat the Nationals 4-2 after Ryan McMahon, Trent Grisham and Paul Goldschmidt hit eighth-inning homers. New York had rallied from three runs down in the ninth inning Friday night and struck earlier Saturday. Trailing 2-0, McMahon homered off Orlando Ribalta, Grisham followed with a two-run shot after Ben Rice walked, and Goldschmidt hit his 15th homer of the season. Brent Headrick (5-1) got the win and David Bednar earned his 18th save. James Wood had three hits, including a homer, and Curtis Mead also homered and singled for Washington, which recorded its 27th blown save of the season. That number hangs there like a ledger of failure. Someone always pays for the collapse.
Jonathan Aranda had three hits and drove in the go-ahead run as the Rays beat the Mariners 6-1 in St. Petersburg, Fla., and claimed their final home series before the All-Star break. Aranda went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a run, including a third-inning double that scored Yandy Diaz to break a 1-1 tie. Pinch hitter Ryan Vilade hit a three-run homer in the seventh. Ben Williamson went 4-for-4 with a double, an RBI, a run and a stolen base as Tampa Bay improved its majors-best home record to 35-14. Griffin Jax (5-6) allowed one run on four hits in five innings for the Rays. Logan Gilbert (7-6) gave up four runs on nine hits with five strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings for Seattle, which lost its fifth straight.
J.T. Realmuto had a two-run double and All-Star Cristopher Sanchez pitched seven-plus strong innings as the Phillies ended the Tigers' six-game winning streak with a 4-2 win in Detroit. Sanchez (11-4) allowed two runs and 10 hits while striking out seven, bouncing back from his worst outing of the season when he gave up nine runs to Kansas City on Monday. Jhoan Duran recorded his 24th save with a perfect ninth. Eduardo Valencia homered and Matt Vierling went 3-for-3 and scored for Detroit. Casey Mize (4-6) allowed all four runs, three earned, on five hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Kyle Bradish took a no-hitter into the seventh inning as the Orioles beat the Royals 6-1 and extended their winning streak to three games. Bradish (6-9) was done after 6 2/3 innings and allowed one run on two hits. Jac Caglianone broke up the no-hit bid with a single as the first batter in the seventh and later scored on Salvador Perez's sacrifice fly. Pete Alonso hit a two-run homer, and Coby Mayo, Taylor Ward and Gunnar Henderson each hit solo shots for Baltimore, which snapped a four-series losing streak at Camden Yards. Noah Cameron (5-7) struck out nine in seven innings but allowed five runs on five hits.
Lars Nootbaar launched a three-run home run in the first inning and Matthew Liberatore tossed six scoreless innings to help the Cardinals beat the Braves 4-1 in St. Louis. Liberatore (5-6) allowed four hits, struck out six and walked one. Reynaldo Lopez (4-2) allowed four runs on five hits in five innings, striking out three and walking one. Mauricio Dubon homered for Atlanta, which saw its lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East reduced to two games. The Braves dropped their fifth game in seven tries.
LaMonte Wade Jr. hit his first career grand slam and Yordan Alvarez hit his AL-leading 31st home run as the Astros beat the Rangers 9-3 in Arlington, Texas. Christian Vazquez also homered for Houston. Peter Lambert (8-5) allowed one run on three hits over six innings, striking out seven and walking one. Ezequiel Duran drove in all three Texas runs with two home runs. Kumar Rocker (2-8) gave up three homers and seven runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Alex Bregman hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the seventh inning as the Cubs beat the Reds 5-3 in Cincinnati. Carson Kelly added a solo homer and Michael Busch had three hits for Chicago. Drew Pomeranz (2-3) got the win despite allowing a run on two hits in the sixth. Caleb Thielbar and Jacob Webb each pitched a scoreless inning before Trent Thornton got the final out for his third save. Nathaniel Lowe, Eugenio Suarez and JJ Bleday each hit solo homers for Cincinnati. Nick Lodolo allowed two runs on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts before leaving with a blister on his left index finger after Kelly's leadoff homer in the sixth.