PIRATES’ SKENES AN ALL-STAR JUST 8 WEEKS AFTER DEBUT, AND 7 PHILLIES ARE PICKED FOR JULY 16 GAME
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes was picked for the All-Star Game on Sunday just eight weeks after his debut, and the major league-leading Philadelphia Phillies had a big league-high seven selections.
Skenes, who turned 22 in May, was selected by the Pirates as the top pick in last year’s amateur draft, two days before the All-Star Game in Seattle. He made his first big league start on May 11 and is 5-0 with a 2.12 ERA in 10 starts and 78 strikeouts in 59 1/3 innings. He has thrown 74 pitches of 100 mph or more.
Chicago Cubs pitcher Shoto Imanaga joined Skenes and San Diego outfielder Jackson Merrill as the only rookie All-Stars for the July 16 game at Arlington, Texas.
Philadelphia pitchers Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suárez, Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm were picked to join three starting Phillies position players: first baseman Bryce Harper, shortstop Trea Turner and third baseman Alec Bohm.
Philadelphia has seven All-Stars for the first time, though Harper’s availability depends on when he returns from a hamstring strain that has sidelined him since June 27. Wheeler is lined up to pitch for the Phillies next weekend and the team told Major League Baseball he won’t be available for the All-Star Game.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have six All-Stars after pitcher Tyler Glasnow, catcher Will Smith, first baseman Freddie Freeman, outfielder Teoscar Hernández and injured shortstop Mookie Betts joined starting DH Shohei Ohtani on the NL roster.
Cleveland topped the AL with five after first baseman Josh Naylor, closer Emmanuel Clase and designated hitter David Fry joined a pair of starters: third baseman José Ramírez and outfielder Steven Kwan.
Atlanta pitcher Chris Sale earned his eighth All-Star selection, the first for the 36-year-old left-hander since seven straight from 2012-18. The gap is the longest for an All-Star since Albert Pujols earned his 11th trip for his final season in 2022, his first since 2015.
“It is definitely satisfying. I appreciate it for sure,” said Sale, acquired by Braves from Boston in December. “They took a chance and I’m happy to be able to do this for them.”
Texas closer Kirby Yates at 37 is the oldest All-Star and will be joined by second baseman Marcus Semien of the host World Series champion Rangers.
Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez was picked for the ninth time, matching Houston second baseman Jose Altuve for the most among the 67 players on this year’s rosters.
Merrill at 21 is the youngest All-Star and among 32 first-time picks.
Skenes is scheduled to have one more start for Pittsburgh, and his 11 games put him on track to have the fewest for player in an All-Star Game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Detroit’s Mark Fidrych in 1976, the Dodgers’ Hideo Nomo in 1995 and Florida’s Dontrelle Willis in 2003 each had 13. (While Boston’s Don Schwall had 11 at the time of the first All-Star Game in 1961, he did not appear, and he had 15 when he pitched three innings three weeks later in that year’s second All-Star Game.)
San Diego outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr., elected by fans to start, will miss the game because of a stress reaction in his right thigh bone. Betts, voted in by players for his eighth straight All-Star appearance, has been out since breaking his left hand on June 16.
Cincinnati’s 22-year-old speedster, Elly De La Cruz, got Betts’ spot after finishing second to him on the player ballot. Skenes and San Francisco outfielder Heliot Ramos were picked by MLB to replace Wheeler and Tatis.
Starting pitchers Corbin Burnes of Baltimore, Garrett Crochet of the Chicago White Sox, Tanner Houck of Boston, Seth Lugo of Kansas City and Tarik Skubal of Detroit were voted to the AL staff by players, managers and coaches along with Clase, Yates and Mason Miller of Oakland.
AL reserves picked by players included Fry, Naylor, Perez, Semien, shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. of Kansas City, third baseman Rafael Devers of Boston and outfielders Jarren Duran of Boston, Riley Greene of Detroit and Kyle Tucker of Houston.
MLB used four of its AL picks on players whose teams weren’t already represented: pitchers Tyler Anderson of the Los Angeles Angels and Logan Gilbert of Seattle, shortstop Carlos Correa of Minnesota and third baseman Isaac Paredes of Tampa Bay. Pitchers Clay Holmes of the New York Yankees and Cole Ragans of Kansas City also were selected.
Glasnow, Sale, Ranger Suárez and Wheeler were voted to the NL staff along with fellow starter Reynaldo López of Atlanta, while Hoffman, Strahm and Robert Suarez of San Diego won bullpen balloting.
NL reserves voted by players were Betts, Freeman, Hernández, Merrill, Smith, second baseman Luis Arraez of San Diego, third baseman Ryan McMahon of Colorado, outfielder Bryan Reynolds of Pittsburgh and designated hitter Marcell Ozuna of Atlanta.
All six of MLB’s NL selections were for players on teams still without All-Stars: pitchers Ryan Helsley of St. Louis, Imanaga, Tanner Scott of Miami and Logan Webb of San Francisco, along with shortstop CJ Abrams of Washington and first baseman Pete Alonso of the New York Mets, also an MLB pick last year.
Notable players left off include Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, second baseman Jordan Westburg, who finished second in the final round of fan balloting, and outfielder Anthony Santander, fourth in fan voting.
Catcher J.T. Realmuto and DH Kyle Schwarber, both of Philadelphia, and San Diego third baseman Manny Machado were omitted despite finishing second in the last stage of the fan balloting. Schwarber has a strained groin.
Tuesday, July 16
At Globe Life Field
Arlington, Texas
American League
Starters
Catcher — Adley Rutschman, Baltimore Orioles
First Baseman — Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays
Second Baseman — Jose Altuve, Houston Astros
Shortstop — Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles
Third Baseman — José Ramírez, Cleveland Guardians
Designated Hitter — Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros
Outfield — Aaron Judge, New York Yankees; Juan Soto, New York Yankees; Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians
Pitchers — Garrett Crochet, Chicago White Sox, Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers, Tanner Houck, Boston Red Sox, Seth Lugo, Kansas City Royals, Cole Ragans, Kansas City Royals, Logan Gilbert, Seattle Mariners, Corbin Burnes, Baltimore Orioles, Tyler Anderson, Los Angeles Angels, Mason Miller, Oakland Athletics, Kirby Yates, Texas Rangers, Clay Holmes, New York Yankees, Emmanuel Clase, Cleveland Guardians’
Reserves — C Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals, SS Carlos Correa, Minnesota Twins, 3B Rafael Devers, Boston Red Sox, 2B Marcus Semien, Texas Rangers, OF Kyle Tucker, Houston Astros, 1B Josh Naylor, Cleveland Guardians, 3B Isaac Parades, Tampa Bay Rays, SS Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals, OF Jarren Duran, Boston Red Sox, OF Riley Greene, Detroit Tigers, DH David Fry, Cleveland Guardians
National League
Starters
Catcher — William Contreras, Milwaukee Brewers
First Baseman — Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies
Second Baseman — Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks
Shortstop — Trea Turner, Philadelphia Phillies
Third Baseman — Alec Bohm, Philadelphia Phillies
Designated Hitter — Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers
Outfield — Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers; Jurickson Profar, San Diego Padres; Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres
Pitchers — Ranger Suárez, Philadelphia Phillies, Tyler Glasnow, Los Angeles Dodgers, Shota Imanaga, Chicago Cubs, Reynaldo López, Atlanta Braves, Logan Webb, San Francisco Giants, Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chris Sale, Atlanta Braves, Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia Phillies, Ryan Helsley, St. Louis Cardinals, Tanner Scott, Miami Marlins, Robert Suarez, San Diego Padres, Matt Strahm, Philadelphia Phillies, Jeff Hoffman, Philadelphia Phillies
Reserves — C Will Smith, Los Angeles Dodgers, SS Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers, 1B Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers, OF Teoscar Hernández, Los Angeles Dodgers, SS Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds, SS CJ Abrams, Washington Nationals, 3B Ryan McMahon, Colorado Rockies, OF Jackson Merrill, San Diego Padres, OF Heliot Ramos, San Francisco Giants, OF Bryan Reynolds, Pittsburgh Pirates, DH Marcell Ozuna, Atlanta Braves, 1B Luis Arraez, San Diego Padres, 1B Pete Alonso, New York Mets
MLB ROUNDUP: MARLINS STUN WHITE SOX WITH WALK-OFF HR
Down to their last strike, the host Miami Marlins picked up a 7-4 walk-off win over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday afternoon when Jake Burger slugged a three-run homer against his former team.
With two outs in the ninth, and the Marlins trailing 4-3, Miami first baseman Josh Bell — mired in an 0-for-23 slump — drove an RBI double just over the glove of leaping left fielder Tommy Pham. After an intentional walk to Jesus Sanchez, Burger connected on a 99-mph fastball from closer Michael Kopech (2-8), who blew the save.
JT Chargois (1-0) came away with the victory after tossing a scoreless inning of relief.
The White Sox had built a 4-1 lead thanks in part to two runs in the sixth. Danny Mendick started the rally with a single, and he scored on Korey Lee’s triple into the right field corner. Andrew Vaughn added a sacrifice fly to left.
Twins 3, Astros 2
Christian Vazquez’s walk-off home run off Josh Hader to open the bottom of the ninth inning lifted Minnesota over Houston in Minneapolis.
Vazquez finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs for Minnesota, which took the rubber match of the three-game series and has won six of its past eight games. Byron Buxton and Brooks Lee each tallied two hits and a run.
Cesar Salazar and Jose Altuve had one RBI apiece for Houston, which was held to five hits. Joey Loperfido hit a pinch-hit double for the Astros’ only extra-base hit.
Blue Jays 5, Mariners 4 (10 innings)
Daulton Varsho’s two-out single in the top of the 10th inning brought home the go-ahead run as Toronto rallied past host Seattle.
George Springer hit a game-tying three-run homer in the seventh for the Blue Jays, who won their second game in a row by the same score.
Victor Robles and Mitch Garver homered for the American League West-leading Mariners, who have lost their past six series by 2-1 margins as their division lead has been cut from 10 games to two.
Braves 6, Phillies 0
Atlanta hit four home runs, three coming in the second inning, and Reynaldo Lopez pitched six scoreless innings to overpower visiting Philadelphia in the rubber match of a three-game series.
The Braves won the final two games of the series, improved to 4-2 against the Phillies this year and cut Philadelphia’s National League East lead to eight games. Adam Duvall, Jarred Kelenic and Matt Olson went yard during the second, and Eli White tacked on a homer in the sixth.
The beneficiary of the run support was Lopez (7-2), who allowed two hits, walked three and struck out six. Lopez won his fifth straight decision and lowered his ERA to a major-league-best 1.71. Philadelphia’s Nick Castellanos went 0-for-3 and saw his hitting streak end at eight games.
Cardinals 8, Nationals 3
Willson Contreras hit a two-run home run and drove in three runs as visiting St. Louis beat Washington.
Nolan Arenado and Nolan Gorman each had two hits and drove in two runs for the Cardinals, who notched 13 hits and have won five of their past seven. St. Louis starter Kyle Gibson (7-3) went five innings, allowing three runs on nine hits.
Washington’s Jesse Winker had two doubles and CJ Abrams and Lane Thomas had two hits apiece. The Nationals collected 11 hits but were short-circuited by three double plays.
Mets 3, Pirates 2
Francisco Lindor had three hits, including a go-ahead two-run single in the ninth inning, and visiting New York beat Pittsburgh.
Mets closer Edwin Diaz (3-1) gave up the lead in the eighth inning before recording the final four outs.
Ke’Bryan Hayes had two singles for Pittsburgh, which has scored a total of four runs in two consecutive losses after winning 14-2 in Friday’s opener of the four-game series.
Guardians 5, Giants 4
Pinch hitter Bo Naylor hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the sixth inning to propel Cleveland to a home victory over San Francisco.
Josh Naylor and Daniel Schneemann each had an RBI for the Guardians. Cade Smith (4-1), Tim Herrin and Hunter Gaddis each pitched a perfect inning in relief of starter Carlos Carrasco, while Emmanuel Clase notched his 27th save as Cleveland won its second straight.
Michael Conforto clubbed a two-run homer for the Giants, who led 3-0 before faltering to finish their six-game road trip 3-3.
Tigers 5, Reds 1
Starting pitcher Tarik Skubal recorded a career-high 13 strikeouts across seven stellar innings to help visiting Detroit complete a three-game series sweep against Cincinnati.
Skubal (10-3) allowed one run on three hits while issuing no walks. Gio Urshela went 3-for-4 and Zach McKinstry was 2-for-4 with three RBIs for the Tigers.
Jonathan India and Elly De La Cruz each went 0-for-4 for the Reds.
Cubs 5, Angels 0
Hayden Wesneski pitched 6 1/3 innings of one-hit ball and Michael Busch hit a two-run home run to help host Chicago beat Los Angeles.
After getting shut out by the Angels on Saturday, the Cubs returned the favor in the final meeting of a three-game set. Chicago won the series 2-1. The victory on Sunday also gave the Cubs their fifth series win since May 1.
Brandon Drury, Taylor Ward and Kevin Pillar recorded the Angels’ only hits of the game. Drury hit a hard grounder for a single in the first inning. Ward and Pillar each had infield singles in the ninth.
Rangers 13, Rays 2
Corey Seager, Jonah Heim and Robbie Grossman each homered as Texas tied its season high with 19 hits to sweep Tampa Bay in a three-game series in Arlington, Texas.
Heim and Wyatt Langford each had four hits, while Leody Taveras added three. Travis Jankowski went 2-for-3 with three RBIs for the Rangers, who batted around in a six-run fourth inning and a three-run fifth. Nathan Eovaldi (6-3) allowed two runs over seven innings to earn the win.
Losing pitcher Zack Littell (3-6) allowed seven runs on nine hits in four innings. Jose Caballero hit a two-run homer for the Rays, who lost for the fourth time in five games.
Royals 10, Rockies 1
Brady Singer pitched seven dominant innings to lead Kansas City to a rout of Colorado in Denver.
Singer (5-5) allowed one run on six hits while striking out seven and walking a pair, earning his first victory since May 19. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Royals.
Bobby Witt Jr. finished 3-for-5, including a three-run home run, and Kansas City teammate Maikel Garcia tallied a pair of hits and a three-run homer of his own. Jake Cave was 2-for-3 for the Rockies, who saw their three-game winning streak come to an end.
Orioles 6, Athletics 3
Anthony Santander and Heston Kjerstad hit first-inning home runs, Grayson Rodriguez won his 11th game and visiting Baltimore held on for a victory over Oakland to complete a winning road trip.
Rodriguez (11-3) moved into a tie for the major league lead in wins. He limited the A’s to three runs and six hits in six-plus innings. The Orioles finished 4-2 on their six-game road trip.
Rodriguez took a shutout into the sixth before serving up an RBI double to Tyler Soderstrom and a sacrifice fly to Shea Langeliers. A’s starter Mitch Spence (5-5) allowed five runs (four earned) and seven hits in six-plus innings.
Brewers 9, Dodgers 2
Christian Yelich and Blake Perkins each had three hits, a home run and three RBIs to help visiting Milwaukee avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of Los Angeles.
Eric Haase also homered in addition to scoring twice for the Brewers. Dallas Keuchel threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings in his third outing since he was acquired from Seattle. The 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner allowed three hits, walked five and did not record a strikeout.
Chris Taylor hit a two-run blast and Miguel Rojas had two doubles to lead Los Angeles. Dodgers starter Justin Wrobleski (0-1) made his major league debut in a spot start. The left-hander allowed four runs and five hits in five innings, striking out four and walking two.
Diamondbacks 9, Padres 1
Eugenio Suarez snapped a tie with a two-run homer and Ryne Nelson fired 6 2/3 solid innings as visiting Arizona beat San Diego.
Suarez drilled his seventh homer of the season with two outs in the top of the seventh. He lined a Dylan Cease fastball an estimated 350 feet to left.
Cease (7-8) matched Nelson pitch for pitch for most of his seven innings, permitting five hits and three runs while issuing just one walk and striking out eight. But it wasn’t enough to keep Cease from falling to 2-6 in his past eight decisions.
REDS PLACE INF NICK MARTINI (THUMB) ON 10-DAY IL
The Cincinnati Reds placed outfielder Nick Martini on the 10-day injured list on Sunday because of a left thumb injury.
Martini jammed his thumb during a head-first slide while trying to steal second base in the second inning of the 5-3 home loss to the Detroit Tigers. Martini did not come out of the game.
Martini, 34, collected three hits in eight at-bats over his last three games to raise his average to .212 this season. He has five home runs and 24 RBIs in 52 games.
In parts of five seasons with the Oakland Athletics (2018-19), San Diego Padres (2019), Chicago Cubs (2021) and Reds (2023-present), Martini is batting .252 with seven homers and 70 RBIs in 193 games.
In a corresponding move Sunday, the Reds recalled shortstop Livan Soto from Triple-A Louisville. Soto, 24, has played in one game for Cincinnati and went 0-for-3. He’s hitting .269 (63-for-234) with 12 doubles, two homers and 28 RBIs across three Triple-A teams affiliated with the Los Angeles Angels, Baltimore Orioles and Reds.
DODGERS CALL UP LHP JUSTIN WROBLESKI, TRADE RHP MATT GAGE TO METS
The Los Angeles Dodgers promoted left-handed pitching prospect Justin Wrobleski on Sunday, shortly on the heels of trading righty Matt Gage to the New York Mets.
Wrobleski, a fast-rising prospect in the Dodgers organization, is slated to make his major league debut Sunday in a start against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Gage, 31, was traded to the Mets for cash considerations. Over 16 career major league appearances, he has amassed a 1.83 ERA with 20 strikeouts against nine walks. All of his appearances have come for the Toronto Blue Jays (2022) and Houston Astros (2023).
Wrobleski, 23, was considered the top left-handed pitching prospect in the organization by multiple outlets, having been promoted to Double-A Tulsa earlier this spring. He went 5-2 at Tulsa with a 3.06 ERA with 62 strikeouts and 13 walks in 13 starts.
The Dodgers optioned right-hander Gus Varland to make room for the young pitcher. Varland, 27, is 1-1 in his career in 23 appearances with a 5.81 ERA.
CUBS PUT RHP COLTEN BREWER (BROKEN HAND) ON 60-DAY IL
The Chicago Cubs placed right-handed pitcher Colten Brewer on the 60-day injured list Sunday due to a broken left hand. The injury occurred Saturday, reportedly when he punched the dugout wall in frustration.
Brewer entered the game in relief of starter Kyle Hendricks in the third inning with the Cubs down 2-0 to the Los Angeles Angels. He got just two outs before being lifted and was charged with three runs (one earned) on two hits, two walks and a hit batter.
The Angels went on to win 7-0.
The six-year veteran, in his first season with the Cubs, has made 16 relief appearances. The 31-year-old has no decisions to go with a 5.66 ERA, a save and a blown save, nine walks and 22 strikeouts.
In a corresponding move, the Cubs called up right-hander Hunter Bigge from the Iowa Cubs. In 11 games, Bigge, 26, is 1-0 with a 0.77 ERA and six saves.
The Cubs selected Bigge with a 12th-round pick in 2019 from Harvard. He has yet to make his major league debut.
PIRATES PLACE LHP BAILEY FALTER (TRICEPS) ON 15-DAY IL
The Pittsburgh Pirates placed left-handed starter Bailey Falter on the 15-day injury on Sunday because of left triceps tendinitis.
In a corresponding move, the Pirates selected the contract of right-hander Brent Honeywell Jr. from Triple-A Indianapolis.
Falter, 27, lasted only until the third inning of a 5-2 loss to the visiting New York Mets on Saturday, when he walked the third batter, J.D. Martinez, on four pitches and then threw a ball to Pete Alonso before coming out of the game.
The Pirates termed his condition as left posterior arm discomfort before the more specific diagnosis.
“I just obviously wanted to try to stay in the game for as much as possible, just to give the bullpen a little break,” Falter said after the game. “But I noticed a little discomfort in the warmup pitches in the third. Didn’t really throw too many strikes. It kind of flared up after that, and I kind of just lost feel for (the strike zone).”
Falter took the loss to fall to 4-7 this season with a 4.08 ERA, 28 walks and 61 strikeouts in 90 1/3 innings over 17 starts.
In parts of four seasons for the Philadelphia Phillies (2021-23) and Pirates (2023-present), Falter is 14-21 with a 4.55 ERA, 71 walks and 229 strikeouts in 288 2/3 innings over 77 games (48 starts).
Honeywell, 29, signed as a free agent with Pittsburgh in February and had not appeared in a major league game this season. He was 1-3 with seven saves, a 4.85 ERA, 17 walks and 33 strikeouts in 39 innings over 31 appearances with Indianapolis.
Pittsburgh designated left-hander Justin Bruihl for assignment to make room for Honeywell on the 40-man roster. Bruihl, 27, is 0-0 with a 9.53 ERA in 5 2/3 innings over seven appearances this season.
The Pirates also activated catcher Henry Davis (concussion) from the seven-day injured list following the end of his rehab assignment and optioned him to Indianapolis. The No. 1 overall draft pick in 2021, Davis, 24, is batting .153 in 29 games with Pittsburgh this season.