Sunday MLB scores, highlights, updates, news: Jose Quintana shines in Cubs debut
Plus the Yankees and Red Sox clash and Charlie Blackmon hits an inside-the-park home run
It's Sunday, so you know what that means -- a full slate of MLB action. Here is our recap of the day in baseball
Final scores
Nationals 14, Reds 4 (box score)
Rockies 13, Mets 4 (box score)
Pirates 4, Cardinals 3 (box score)
Yankees 3, Red Sox 0 (box score)
Dodgers 3, Marlins 2 (box score)
Braves 7, Diamondbacks 1 (box score)
Cubs 8, Orioles 0 (box score)
Blue Jays at Tigers (GameTracker)
Phillies 5, Brewers 2 (box score)
Mariners 7, White Sox 6 in 10 innings (box score)
Astros 5, Twins 3 (box score)
Royals 4, Rangers 3 (box score)
Angels 4, Rays 3 (box score)
Athletics 7, Indians 3 (box score)
Padres 7, Giants 1 (box score)
Red Sox 3, Yankees 0 (box score)
Quintana shines in Cubs debut
Jose Quintana made his first start for the Cubs on Sunday, and boy did it go well.
All total, Quintana threw seven shutout innings against the Orioles. He fanned 12, issued zero walks, and yielded just three hits. He did that all on 100 pitches even.
José Quintana last 2 GS:
— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) July 16, 2017
10 K for #WhiteSox Jul 8
12 K for #Cubs Jul16
1st pitcher in MLB history with 10-K game for both teams in a season
Although Quintana's seasonal numbers don't reflect it, he'd been pitching well lately. He entered Sunday having held opponents to 14 runs over his last seven starts, while also striking out 29 more batters than he walked in 40 innings.
Obviously it'll take more than one good start for Quintana to justify the cross-town trade, but everyone has to be happy with the opening outing.
Struggling D-Backs lose again
Boy did the Diamondbacks pick the wrong time to slump. The Dodgers have been on a rampage the last few weeks, which, combined with Arizona's recent skid, has the D-Backs 10 1/2 games back in the NL West. They were 1 1/2 games back as recently as June 28, which was only 17 days ago.
The D-Backs lost again and were swept in Atlanta by the Braves this weekend. Matt Kemp's three-run home run broke the game open in the third inning.
Gone. #ChopOnpic.twitter.com/VmKt8ghHEF
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 16, 2017
Sunday's loss was the fifth straight for the D-Backs and their 11th in their last 14 games. They've been outscored 66-43 in those 14 games.
I suppose the good news is the Diamondbacks built up such a big cushion earlier in the season that going 3-11 in their last 14 games has not buried them in the standings. They remain in the top NL wild-card spot with a 6 1/2 game lead over the Cubs, the top team on the outside looking in.
Clearly though, the D-Backs need to get things turned around and soon. They still have some breathing room, but they don't want to push it.
Didi did it again
On Saturday, Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius helped put an end to the 16-inning marathon between the Yanks and the Red Sox by plating the go-ahead run with an RBI single as part of a 4-1 victory.
On Sunday, Gregorius played a key part in the Yankees' 3-0 win in Game 1 of a doubleheader. This time, he scored the first run of the game and later delivered a solo home run that finished off the scoring in the sixth inning.
Up, up and away!@DidiG18 got all of that one.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 16, 2017
âï¸âï¸âï¸âï¸âï¸âï¸âï¸âï¸âï¸ pic.twitter.com/XX36dD5RKD
The Yankees pitching staff, by the way, actually walked more batters (seven) than they struck out (six). It didn't matter though, as CC Sabathia, Tyler Clippard, Chad Green, and Aroldis Chapman yielded just four hits and no runs.
For those keeping track at home, Chapman recorded one strikeout in four batters faced, and induced zero swinging strikes, per Baseball Savant.
Ozuna robs home run, Stanton loses glove
The Dodgers are completely unstoppable right now. They won for the 29th time in their last 33 games Sunday to improve their record to 64-29. What was once a tight NL West race is now out of hand. Los Angeles has a 10 1/2 game lead over the second place D-Backs.
If not for Marcell Ozuna, the Dodgers would have had one more run on the board Sunday, not that they needed it to win. Ozuna scaled the left field wall and robbed Enrique Hernandez of a solo home run. Check it out:
Up, up and away!@DidiG18 got all of that one.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 16, 2017
âï¸âï¸âï¸âï¸âï¸âï¸âï¸âï¸âï¸ pic.twitter.com/XX36dD5RKD
Man, what an incredible play. The Marlins lowered the left field wall at Marlins Park to help generate some more home runs, and as an added bonus, the shorter walls makes it easier for outfielders to scale the fence and rob homers.
Giancarlo Stanton was not as lucky as his teammate, however. Over in right field, Stanton managed to lose his glove over the wall trying to rob Chris Taylor of a triple a few innings before Ozuna robbed Hernandez. Here's the play:
.@Giancarlo818 must remain armed to defend the wall. https://t.co/RdLKX0Sg5L pic.twitter.com/eR7SVAqGtr
— Cut4 (@Cut4) July 16, 2017
You know things are going well and when you're banging balls off the wall and causing outfielders to lose gloves. The Dodgers are too good right now.
Blackmon scores inside-the-park homer
Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon recorded an inside-the-park home-run on Sunday against the Mets. His line drive to deep left-center seemingly went over the wall, and was played as such by center fielder Curtis Granderson. Alas, Granderson's lacking urgency allowed Blackmon to notch a different kind of home run. You can watch the full video here.
"From that day on, if I was going somewhere, I was running!"@Chuck_Nazty's 2nd inside-the-park homer of the year: https://t.co/kRR3bNabDv pic.twitter.com/9TlYwFk2OA
— Cut4 (@Cut4) July 16, 2017
It was Blackmon's second inside-the-parker this season. Notable, because he's now one away from matching the combined total of every other ballplayer in the majors:
Charlie Blackmon has 2 inside-the-park HR this season. The rest of MLB has 3 combined this season.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 16, 2017
By the way, Blackmon is the second Rockies outfielder with multiple inside-the-park homers in a season, joining ⦠who else, Brandon Barnes:
Charlie Blackmon is the second player in franchise history to record two inside-the-park home runs in one season (Brandon Barnes, 2014).
— Rockies PR (@RockiesPR) July 16, 2017
Quick hits
- The Nationals added some much-needed bullpen help, acquiring Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle from the Athletics for Blake Treinen and two prospects.
- The Rockies are reportedly after Tigers OF J.D. Martinez.
- We evaluated the Blue Jays' likely deadline approach.
- Edwin Jackson will join the Nationals rotation this week.
















