Thursday is typically a rest/travel day in baseball, so there are only 11 games on today's slate. With the trade deadline fast approaching, make sure you stay current with our daily rumors roundup. It is being updated constantly. Here is everything you need to know about Thursday's MLB action.
Thursday's scores
- Cubs 7, Diamondbacks 6 (box score)
- Angels 12, White Sox 8 (box score)
- Rays 4, Orioles 3 (box score)
- Yankees 7, Royals 2 (box score)
- Mets 12, Pirates 6 (box score)
- Twins 2, Red Sox 1 (box score)
- Phillies 9, Reds 4 (box score)
- Nationals 10, Marlins 3 (box score)
- Dodgers 8, Braves 2 (box score)
- Athletics 7, Rangers 6 (box score)
- Brewers 7, Giants 5 (box score)
A's extend hot streak
Is there a more fun team in baseball than the A's? Probably not. With a win on Thursday, Oakland has won each of their last six games, and they are 27-7 in their last 34 games. That is the best record in baseball since June 16.
On Tuesday, the A's erased a 10-2 deficit to beat the Rangers. On Wednesday, they erased a 5-1 deficit and won 6-5 thanks to a two-run go-ahead home run by Khris Davis in the ninth inning. It was his second home run of the game and his sixth home run in his last four games.
On Thursday? The A's jumped ahead 2-0 and 3-2 early, then were able to build a 6-2 lead. That lead turned into in a 7-6 win, with credit going to Blake Treinen for a save despite pitching on a third consecutive day.
During this 27-7 stretch the A's have gone from 11 1/2 games back of the second AL wild card spot to merely one game back. The Mariners have to be looking over their shoulders right now. How could they not be?
Phillies homer seven times in win
The Phillies had a fun night against the Reds pitching staff, tying a franchise record by homering seven times.
Rhys Hoskins, Nick Williams, and Maikel Franco each homered twice, with Carlos Santana adding a dinger of his own. Hoskins now has six home runs in his past six games.
The Phillies, for their part, have now won five of seven since the All-Star Game. They'll play three more with the Reds this weekend before heading off to play the Red Sox in Boston.
Cubs win on back-to-back home runs
Coming into the ninth inning of Thursday's game, the Cubs hadn't had much fun against the Diamondbacks this week. Chicago had lost two of the first three games of the series, and was trailing by two runs with Brad Boxberger on the bump. Another loss seemed imminent.
But that's not what happened. Instead, Ben Zobrist worked a walk and was on first base with one out when David Bote stepped to the plate. Bote, who appeared in his 21st game on Thursday, then did the unimaginable, homering an 0-2 pitch to tie the game up.
Anthony Rizzo was up next, and he took the first pitch of his at-bat before ending the game with a walk-off home run. For Rizzo, it was his first homer since June 24 and his second since June 11:
The Cubs have a slew of problems, yet they've continued to find ways to win. It isn't always pretty, but it's proved to be an effective means of claiming the National League Central lead.
Judge suffers chip fractured after being hit on wrist
Yankees star Aaron Judge left Thursday's game after being hit by a pitch on the wrist. He's since underwent an MRI, which revealed that he'll miss at least three weeks due to a chip fracture. Click here for the full story.
Tropeano gives up five homers, wins
Angels starter Nick Tropeano had an odd day at the office. On the one hand, he allowed five home runs; on the other, he and his team were able to earn the victory.
Tropeano survived despite the long balls by limiting baserunners. In 6 1/3 innings, he allowed no hits other than the home runs and walked just two. He also struck out seven batters. Tropeano is the fifth pitcher this season to yield five homers in a game and the third in July alone.
More notably, Tropeano is the first pitcher since Mat Latos in May 2012 to give up at least five home runs and still earn the victory. He's the fourth pitcher since the last round of expansion to pull it off, and the 12th pitcher all-time, per Baseball-Reference's play index.
The White Sox, by the way, deserve recognition for hitting six home runs ... and losing by four.
Quick hits
- The 2018 non-waiver trade deadline is right around the corner, . Also, we ranked all 30 teams on the "trade deadline intrigue scale" and made a case for the Rays to trade Chris Archer.
- The Blue Jays traded J.A. Happ to the Yankees for 3B Brandon Drury and minor league OF Billy McKinney. The Yankees had been looking to improve their rotation since the offseason.
- The White Sox traded RHP Joakim Soria to the Brewers for minor leaguers LHP Kodi Medeiros and RHP Wilber Perez. Milwaukee adds some bullpen depth behind closer RHP Corey Knebel and All-Star setup man LHP Josh Hader.
- The Blue Jays traded RHP Seung-Hwan Oh to the Rockies for minor leaguers OF Forrest Wall and 1B Chad Spanberger, as well as cash or a player to be named later. Colorado is trying to improve the bullpen they thought they fixed over the winter.
- For the second time this season, the Cubs have placed 3B Kris Bryant on the 10-day DL with shoulder inflammation. He initially hurt the shoulder on a slide last month and reaggravated the injury on a swing earlier this week.
- The Nationals placed RHP Stephen Strasburg on the 10-day DL with a pinched nerve in his neck. He spent six weeks on the disabled list with a shoulder injury, made one start earlier this week, and is right back on the disabled list.
- Reds OF Jesse Winker will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, reports The Athletic. He was placed on the disabled list with a right shoulder subluxation Thursday. Winker hit .299/.405/.431 with seven home runs in 89 games this year.
- The Pirates activated C Francisco Cervelli off the 7-day concussion disabled list, the team announced. He's had on-and-off concussion issues throughout his career, but has been cleared to play.