Elly De La Cruz comes through as Reds beat Rays, secure series win

Elly De La Cruz certainly looks well-equipped for a playoff race. In fact, the Cincinnati Reds all do when they're rolling like they are right now.

But it was De La Cruz, as fans chanted his name, who came up big and brought a crowd of 39,848 to its feet with the game-winning hit against the Tampa Bay Rays on July 26. De La Cruz drove in two runs on a bloop, bases-loaded, two-out single that lifted the Reds over the Rays, 6-2, on a night at Great American Ball Park when hits were in short supply for both clubs for much of the contest.

"Everybody likes the big moments," De La Cruz said. "Big crowd, tight game. It was a tight situation."

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The victory lifted the Reds to 55-50, equaling the five-games-over-.500 high-water mark they had already achieved once in 2025. Cincinnati will enter the July 27 series finale against Tampa Bay with the series win in hand and one game back in the race for the No. 3 Wild Card spot in the National League, trailing the San Diego Padres , who beat St. Louis.

Graham Ashcraft was the winning pitcher for the Reds. Andrew Abbott started the game and allowed one run and two hits in six innings as his ERA dropped from 2.13 to 2.09.

We're playing really good baseball right now," Abbott said. "I think we kind of sat down and had a discussion as a team where we're just kind of like, let's keep stacking series wins. Let's control the things that we can control. Obviously, trying to put ourselves in a situation to be buyers, to be in the playoffs and we're right on the door knocking. We're really just trying to focus on the things that we can do.

"So, really just trying to focus on the things we can do and try to get in there, and keep playing well all the way through the end and hopefully at the end, we're in the postseason."

A pitchers' duel through five innings, both clubs started to gain traction offensively in the sixth.

Yandy Diaz opened the scoring with a solo home run to left-center field to lead off the sixth. The Reds, who wore blue throwback-style caps with a National Baseball Hall of Fame patch in honor of this weekend's induction festivities, came back to take the lead in the bottom of the inning when a hard-hit Austin Hays grounder slid under the glove of Rays' shortstop Taylor Walls.

Tampa Bay tied the game in a controversial manner in its next at-bat. Graham Ashcraft appeared to have hit the strike zone for a would-be called third strike against the Rays' Josh Lowe, but home plate umpire Willie Traynor called the pitch a ball.

The next pitch from Ashcraft was lined into left field for a game-tying single. Reds manager Terry Francona then appeared to argue with Traynor from the dugout and was ejected. Francona came out to the field to continue the dispute and crew chief Todd Tichenor diffused the exchange.

Then, De La Cruz delivered his game-winning hit on a full count after initially falling behind, 0-2, against Rays lefty reliever Garrett Cleavinger.

The patience he has, he's seeing the ball really well over the last couple weeks, or the last couple months, actually," said Reds bench coach Freddie Benavides. "For him to put it in play, especially against one of their top left-handed relievers, so, it was a great at-bat and great things happen when you put it in play.

Benavides was the acting manager for Cincinnati after Francona's ejection.

T.J. Friedl and Matt McLain added more insurance runs in the eighth inning. Friedl hit a dribbler single that got past Lowe, who entered the game at shortstop. A McLain single made it 6-2.

The Reds will go for a sweep of the Rays on July 27, (1:40 p.m.) as Cincinnati's Brady Singer (7-8, 4.84 ERA) is scheduled to start against Tampa's Shane Baz (8-6, 4.66 ERA).

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Elly De La Cruz comes through in the clutch as Reds beat Rays, take series win

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Saturday night Orioles game thread: vs. Rockies, 7:05pm ET

Where to watch: MASN/MASN+

Probable pitchers: LHP Trevor Rogers (3-1, 1.74 ERA, 35 K) vs. RHP Antonio Sanzatela

Losing sucks. Losing 24-2 against the Reds on Easter sucked. Dropping a game against Tampa after leading 8-0 sucked. Watching former Oriole Kyle Stowers hit three home runs at Camden Yards in an 11-1 loss to the Marlins sucked.

But losing to a Rockies team on pace to tie the record for most losses in a season, especially after taking an early 4-0 lead, that has to be the moment that sucked the most this season. The loss to Colorado in the opening game of the series felt like the true point of no return for this season. In previous years, such a loss would have been a "sound the alarms" moment. Now, with the trade deadline five days away and the O's nine games out of a Wild Card spot, there's no reason to get alarmed because there's nothing left to salvage.

One thing that should bring Birdland members at least some sense of joy is another outing from Trevor Rogers. The 27-year-old left-hander has been one of very few silver linings around the dark cloud hovering over the 2025 campaign. He's pitched so well in his seven starts that he's third on the Orioles with a 2.0 bWAR, first among Baltimore pitchers. Rogers' development might give the O's a jump start on rebuilding this rotation for 2026 , but he will need to maintain his current level over his remaining 10-12 starts this year.

Despite spending the first 4+ years of his career in the National League, Rogers doesn't have a lot of experience facing the Rockies. He first faced Colorado during his All-Star season in 2021, when he pitched 7 IP, allowed 3 H, 2 R (1 ER), 1 BB and struck out K in an 11-4 Miami win. His only other appearance against the Rox came in Denver and didn't go as well, as Rogers allowed five runs, five walks and only lasted 3.2 innings.

The good news for Rogers today is that he doesn't have to face this Rockies team at Coors Field, and his starting at Camden Yards has generally been a great thing for the O's. In two starts in Baltimore this year, Rogers has allowed only one run and five hits over 14.2 innings while striking out 12.

Offensively, the Orioles should be able to take advantage of Rockies starter Antonio Senzatela. The 30-year-old from Venezuela has the most losses in baseball and the most hits allowed. His 6.41 ERA would be the second-worst among qualified starters, except he has struggled so much in his 20 starts that he doesn't have enough innings to qualify.

Orioles Lineup

1. Jackson Holliday (L) 2B
2. Jordan Westburg (R) 3B
3. Gunnar Henderson (L) SS
4. Ryan O'Hearn (L) 1B
5. Ramón Laureano (R) RF
6. Colton Cowser (L) LF
7. Tyler O'Neill (R) DH
8. Cedric Mullins (L) CF
9. Jacob Stallings (R) C

Rockies Lineup

1. Tyler Freeman (R) RF
2. Ezequiel Tovar (R) SS
3. Hunter Goodman (R) C
4. Jordan Beck (R) LF
5. Thairo Estrad (R) 2B
6. Mickey Moniak (L) CF
7. Kyle Farmer (R) DH
8. Warming Bernabel (R) 1B
9. Orlando Arcia (R)

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Paul Skenes shuts down Tigers as Pirates take series opener

Any hopes the Detroit Tigers had of building momentum after snapping their six-game losing streak on Sunday night were quickly dashed by Paul Skenes.

The 23-year-old All-Star pitched six shutout innings as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Tigers 3-0 on Monday night at PNC Park.

The Tigers (60-41) have scored just three runs in four games since the All-Star break and have now been shut out twice. They'll face the Pirates (40-61) two more times this week.

Skenes, who started the All-Star Game for the National League and is a leading contender for the NL Cy Young Award, handled the Tigers' lineup with relative ease. Detroit's best scoring opportunity came in the third inning when Parker Meadows led off with a double and Matt Vierling followed with an infield single. But Skenes retired three straight batters to escape the threat.

He's really good," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters in Pittsburgh after the game. "I felt like we put up some tough at-bats as the game went on. He got into the game pretty easily, and then we had a couple things going where we had to find a way to scratch across a bleeder or a bullet or a big hit to dent what he's doing. He's going to get his punchouts. He's really good at using his elite stuff, and he's a hard measuring stick.

Tigers starter Jack Flaherty continued his Jekyll-and-Hyde season, striking out six but issuing three costly walks in a start that lasted just three innings.

They dumped a few hits in there, hit a couple balls well, some untimely walks, and you look up and he's closing in on 80 pitches," Hinch said. "I was glad he held it to three runs because it felt like it could've been worse. Then our pen came in and kept it close, to where they had to use a couple of their guys to finish us off.

One positive sign for the Tigers: the bullpen seems to be stabilizing after a difficult period leading into the break. Dietrich Enns, Chase Lee, and Tommy Kahnle combined for five scoreless innings in relief.

Kahnle entered July with a 1.77 ERA but had allowed 14 runs in 3 1/3 innings before Monday's scoreless outing.

That was a positive outing for Tommy," Hinch said. "I was hoping to get a lower-leverage situation where he could come in and work on a few things, have a little bit of breathing room. Ideally, we were going to be up 5-0 or 6-0. But I think just him walking off the field with a positive feeling is a step in the right direction.

BOX SCORE

Next up : The Tigers and Pirates meet again on Tuesday at 6:40 p.m.

Tigers' right-hander Casey Mize (9-3, 3.15 ERA) will face Pirates' right-hander Mitch Keller (3-10, 3.48).

Mize is making his first appearance since a relief outing in the All-Star game on July 15.

Keller has spent his entire career with the Pirates since being drafted out of high school in the second round in 2014.

Keller has a 2.32 ERA over his last seven starts (42 2/3 innings).

©2025 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit mlive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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What We Learned About MN Twins Top Pick Marek Houston – MSF Exclusive

On Sunday evening, just before the start of this year’s All-Star Game festivities, Major League Baseball ushered in the next wave of big league talent via the 2025 MLB Draft, where the Minnesota Twins selected 21-year-old switch-hitting shortstop Marek Houston 16th overall , from Wake Forest.

Yes, another shortstop , which happens a lot in professional baseball, because at all levels of the game, shortstop is where teams usually play their best athletes. And for these kids' entire lives, up until they are drafted, that's always been them.

Like last year at Wake Forest, when Marek Houston proved to be far better than his collegiate competition, slashing .354/.458/.597 (1.055 OPS) with 14 doubles, 15 home runs and a 46/46 K/BB ratio. Oh, and he successfully stole 19 of the 21 bases he tried to steal, too.

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Related: Report: Minnesota Twins Prepare for a Quiet Trade Deadline

Now, the superstar Demon Deacon is looking forward to his first professional opportunity, which will come quickly. Luckily, before his life became too hectic, I was able to catch up with Houston a couple of days after he was drafted by the Twins.

Marek Houston not a fan of the MLB Draft process, but MN Twins fans will love him

In our brief conversations, I got to know Minnesota's latest top just a little bit. And it didn't take more than a few messages back and forth before I realized that this kid is an old-school type gamer who takes pride in his defense (more on that below). No doubt, I expect Houston to grow on the fanbase rather quickly, if he plays well.

I'm a competitor. I like to compete, and once the game starts it's about winning. As a hitter I'm looking to get on base and see what the situation holds for me. Defensively I want to be reliable and take away hits from the other team. — Marek Houston

Houston tried to soak in the draft process as much as possible, and told me that he had a great meeting with the Minnesota Twins and loved the people they have in the organization. He described the overall draft process, however, as confusing.

The 6'3", 205 lb athlete He said he had an idea of where he would go, but "when the time comes, it's all a big mystery." Overall, it sounds like going through the steps of getting drafted and dealing with all the outside noise added more unnecessary stress than anything else. Without a doubt, he sounds happy that it's over and excited to be a Twin.

The draft process was honestly very confusing. You have an idea of where you may go, but when the time comes it's all a big mystery. I had a great meeting with the Twins a couple days before and loved what they were about and the people they have... I'm excited to be a part of an organization that I have already heard so many great things about. — Marek Houston

When Houston lands in Minneapolis to put pen to paper, he will be visiting the state for the first time. He has seen plenty of Target Field, from afar, and knows some of the stars who have worn the Minnesota Twins uniform.

Houston can stick at shortstop, ready to prove the offense is legitimate.

Before he can think about living in the Twin Cities, though, he has to fight his way up the minor league ladder. Defensively, there's no reason why Marek Houston can't stick at shortstop.

In fact, MLB Pipeline tagged him as the best defensive shortstop in the 2025 MLB Draft. That now gives the MN Twins two consecutive drafts where their top pick could genuinely remain at SS, after they selected Kaelen Culpepper in 2024. He represented the Twins in the MLB All-Star Futures Game this year

Offensively, Houston's game took off during his final collegiate season, especially from a power standpoint. After posting just 12 home runs in his first 119 college games, Marek overhauled his offensive approach last season and it led to some incredible results.

I'm looking to keep improving at all levels of my game. You can always get better if you are putting in the work. I think the most exciting part about pro ball is the high level players and pitchers you face. I think I will learn a lot just from being around those types of players. — Marek Houston

Now, he's determined to prove to himself and anyone else who cares that he was worth the 16th overall pick, and hopefully even more.

MLB Commissioner: Minnesota Twins Sale is Imminent

With a significant amount of college experience behind him, and a polished defensive game, he could be a fast riser. Look for the MN Twins to send him to Fort Myers initially, but a promotion to Cedar Rapids by the end of the year makes sense.

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Phillies' Ranger Suárez gets a shorter start as the ace left-hander's workload grows

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ranger Suárez has thrown enough pitches and innings this season for the reigning NL East champion Philadelphia Phillies to fit the modern definition of a workhorse.

On Saturday, it was time for a break.

Or at least time to shorten the left-hander's outing against Cincinnati to give him some rest and try to prevent wear and tear on a body that broke down at the end of last season.

Suárez was pulled after just five innings and 80 pitches, the fewest of each since his first start of the season in early May.

Suárez earned a no-decision but did his part — along with home runs from Alec Bohm, Kyle Schwarber and Edmundo Sosa — to help the Phillies beat the Reds 5-1.

Manager Rob Thomson said that due to a recent heavy workload, Suárez entered with an 85-pitch limit.

Suárez had pitched at least seven innings in each of his last five starts and thrown at least six in all but his first start of the year, when he allowed seven runs in 3 2/3 innings.

Suárez (7-2, 1.99 ERA) has been superb since then. He made six June starts and threw at least 94 pitches in all of them, and he has a 1.22 ERA over his last 11 starts.

We went into today just trying to pull back a little bit," Thomson said. "I don't really concern myself with (velocity) because he pitches and that's what he did today. He threw strikes, first-pitch strikes.

Suárez said he agreed with Thomson's decision to play it safe with his left shoulder and back.

Suárez has not allowed more than one earned run since June 7 at Pittsburgh, and he's permitted one or zero earned runs in nine of his 12 starts.

Although he missed April while recovering from a back injury, Suárez's stats are strong enough to warrant consideration for a second consecutive All-Star selection. Thomson advocated for his star pitcher—who will be eligible for free agency at the end of the season—as well as fellow starters Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sánchez to represent the NL on July 15 in Atlanta.

He'll find out Sunday if he's on the team.

When the season starts, one of the goals you have as a player is to go to the All-Star Game," Suárez said through an interpreter. "On that end, I'm a little hopeful. If that happens, I'm excited about it. But I think the main thing for us right now is to focus on just finishing the season as healthy as possible.

The Phillies have reason to be cautious with Suárez as they pursue their fourth consecutive playoff appearance and their first World Series title since 2008.

Suárez went 10-2 with a 1.83 ERA in 16 starts last season through June 25 before a bad back landed him on the injured list, and he struggled afterward, posting a 2-6 record and a 6.54 ERA over his final 11 starts. Suárez also missed time due to a back injury in 2022.

The Phillies need Suárez healthy and at his best in October, even if pitch counts cost him a win in July.

If we have to do it again," Thomson said, "we'll do it again.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb

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Bullpen fails one too many times for the offense to compensate in the extra-innings 9-6 loss.

In a bullpen game and with their backs truly against the wall in the standings, the Braves were hoping to even the series at home against Baltimore.

Things got off to a good start, as Aaron Bummer worked around a hit-by-pitch to strike out the side. The Braves' offense got going early as well, with Matt Olson hitting a ringing double and Austin Riley crushing a two-run homer to dead center, a welcome sight considering homers have been scarce for Austin recently.

Drake Baldwin singled and Ozuna reached on catcher's interference, but Ozzie popped up (what's new) to end the inning with a solid 2-0 Atlanta lead.

Bummer struck out another two in a scoreless second, but his third inning did not go so well. He allowed a solo homer to Tyler O'Neill and walked Cedric Mullins at the bottom of the Orioles' lineup, but Snitker still saw it fit for him to try to face the Orioles' lineup a second time through. That turned into a two-run homer, as the Braves' 2-0 lead evaporated into a 3-2 deficit in the third. Dylan Dodd took over and got out of the inning on two groundouts. Fortunately, the Braves' offense wasn't done for the day, as Matt Olson crushed a line drive homer to lead off the home third, tying the game.

Drake Baldwin hit a double with two outs, but Marcell Ozuna flew out to end the inning. Dodd returned for the fourth inning and allowed a double to O'Hearn followed by a home run to Cowser, giving the Orioles a 5-3 lead. The Atlanta offense responded in the fourth, as Nick Allen started the rally with a double. Acuna walked before Olson, and Matt worked a long at-bat that ultimately resulted in an RBI single. Austin Riley doubled down the left-field line, scoring Acuna, but Olson was thrown out attempting to score from first, leaving the game tied at 5 runs apiece.

Dodd obtained the fifth and pitched a scoreless inning, completing a total of 2.2 innings. The Braves' offense threatened again in the fifth when Baldwin was hit by a pitch and Albies singled, putting two on with two outs for Michael Harris, who unsurprisingly struck out to end the inning. De Los Santos and Austin Cox combined for a scoreless sixth, and the Braves' offense created a significant threat in the bottom of the frame as Nick Allen led off with an infield single, and Acuna and Olson each walked, loading the bases with no outs against former teammate Scott Blewett. In true 2025 Atlanta fashion, only one run scored, as Austin Riley struck out, Profar grounded out, bringing home a run, and Baldwin grounded out to end the threat. The Braves held a 6-5 lead, but there was certainly a sense that failing to capitalize more on that huge opportunity could come back to haunt them, as it has many times this season.

As was highly predictable, the Orioles immediately tied the game back up on a Mullins double and a Holliday single, ending Austin Cox's outing. Daysbel Hernandez was up next and struck out four batters with one walk over his 1.2 innings of scoreless work. Raisel Iglesias worked around a walk for a scoreless top of the ninth, as the Braves' offense continued to search for another run. That search continued into extra innings, as they were unable to get anything going in the bottom of the ninth.

Rafael Montero pitched the ninth inning, as he has been quite effective over the past month or so. Unfortunately, things didn't go well, as Ramon Laureano doubled in the first run, and combined with an intentional walk, scored two more runs on another double by Stallings. The bottom of the Braves' order was retired in order in the tenth inning, resulting in yet another lost game and another lost series, with the Braves' playoff hopes quickly fading into oblivion.

Join us tomorrow as the Braves look to salvage the series behind Grant Holmes at 11:35 PM ET.

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Parents walk off with a win after Xander Bogaerts' exit

Jake Cronenworth struck out looking with the bases loaded to end the sixth inning.

He wasn’t going to come up empty again.

The Padres' second baseman avenged an early missed opportunity with a single in the same situation in the 10th inning, sending the Padres to a walk-off, 3-2 victory over the Texas Rangers to start the final homestand before the All-Star break.

The Padres are hopeful that this win wasn't preceded by a significant loss.

Moments before Cronenworth's walk-off in front of a sellout crowd of 45,114, Xander Bogaerts grabbed his right hamstring after swinging and missing at a first-pitch changeup. Bogaerts was attended to by a trainer for several moments before leaving the game for the second time in five days due to cramping.

Pretty nasty cramp," Padres manager Mike Shildt said. "Knotted up on him. Tried to get it to relax. Doesn't sound like it's hamstring-related, but it's happening a little more frequently, so we've got to do the proverbial deep dive to figure out what that looks like.

It was quad cramping that forced Bogaerts from the ninth inning on June 29 in Cincinnati. He did not miss any additional time and was hopeful that would be the case this time as well.

Friday's issue occurred without any warning.

That's why it was a little weird," Bogaerts said. "I hadn't felt one thing before the whole day and after the swing ... I could barely walk. (But) ... I'm good now.

Bryce Johnson completed Bogaerts' at-bat in the 10th inning and struck out on two pitches, bringing Cronenworth to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded.

Against a left-hander, too.

Just like in the sixth inning after Luis Arraez's game-tying single.

At that point, Padres manager Mike Shildt still had the right-handed-hitting Jose Iglesias in his holster — someone he's used in similar spots on occasion — and elected to stick with Cronenworth against left-hander Hoby Milner.

In the 10th, Iglesias had already flied out as a pinch-hitter for Martin Maldonado in the ninth, so the only option was to stick with Cronenworth.

The two-time All-Star came through this time, pulling a 2-1 slider from left-hander Robert Garcia into right field for his fifth walk-off hit at Petco Park.

Only Will Venable, with six, has more in the history of the Padres' East Village park.

“It’s not too often you get an opportunity again with the bases loaded to win the game,” Cronenworth said.

He added: "I think I get the best out of myself in those bigger spots. I think it's something I thrive in, in those positions. I just want to help the team win."

The walk-off ensured the Padres got something from a stellar day on the mound from the staff.

Randy Vásquez allowed only Marcus Semien's two-run double in the second inning over six quality innings. Jeremiah Estrada, Jason Adam, and Robert Suarez each pitched scoreless innings, and Adrián Morejón left the automatic runner and a walk on base in the 10th inning, giving a struggling offense one more chance at victory.

An intentional walk to Manny Machado — sitting just three hits shy of 2,000 after homering in a two-hit day — started the rally, and Gavin Sheets' soft, one-out single to center loaded the bases.

Before that, the Padres spent much of Friday afternoon trying to erase Semien's two-run double.

Machado's 440-foot home run to center field in the third inning brought the Padres halfway there. Then, in the sixth inning, Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a triple off the glove of right fielder Adolis Garcia to lead off the inning and eventually scored on a single by Luis Arraez through the left side of the infield, tying the game.

The pitching staff might have had a little more room to breathe if Trenton Brooks hadn't been erased at second base in the fifth inning on a technicality.

The 30-year-old journeyman roped a 102 mph ball off the right-field wall with one out and slid into second base ahead of shortstop Corey Seager’s tag. Seager, however, kept his glove on Brooks as he popped up from his slide and was awarded an out after a delayed replay review showed that the Padres' designated hitter lost contact with the bag for just a moment.

In fact, that was likely Shildt's argument as he discussed the overturned call with crew chief Alan Porter after the review in New York removed Brooks from second base.

A manager must raise a hand immediately after a play to signal a potential challenge, starting a 15-second window to make a decision.

After Brooks' "double" — which was later scored a single — Rangers manager Bruce Bochy and his bench appeared to struggle to get the attention of plate umpire Alex MacKay.

That prompted a discussion with Shildt before the play was sent to New York and after the safe call on the field was overturned.

Managers are typically automatically ejected immediately after arguing a decision from New York.

“I think they did the right thing by allowing me to have the conversation so I didn’t get ejected,” Shildt said. “… They have hard jobs, man. I’m not going to be that guy that just piles on them when I have an opportunity. Fact of the matter is (Bochy) was looking to make a challenge, he was doing it right and they were able to challenge it.”

©2025 The San Diego Union-Tribune. Visit sandiegouniontribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Reusse: On display this weekend, the Tampa Bay Rays, masters of baseball innovation and evaluation

Spring training was underway in 2018 and there were reports coming out of Port Charlotte, Fla., that the Tampa Bay Rays were going to have a four-starter rotation and then mix and match relievers to fill the opening when necessary.

This was such an interesting change to the past several decades of major league baseball that the short drive was made from Fort Myers to listen to manager Kevin Cash and others explain the thinking.

There was even a call put in to Jim Perry, the greatest spot starter in Twins history — before he became a workhorse starter and won the team's first Cy Young Award in 1970.

As it turned out, this was much more innovative than considering a variety of spot starters. On May 19, Cash said to career reliever Sergio Romo, "Serge, you're going to pitch today, so why don't you start?"

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli was the bench coach for the Rays at that time. He recalled that Romo's reaction quickly shifted from confusion to enthusiasm. And not only did he start for the first time after 588 relief appearances, but he also started again the next day.

By the end of the regular season, the Rays had used an opener in 50 games. Ryan Stanek was the opener in 29 of those games in 2018 and 27 more in 2019.

The "opener" is back in the news for the Rays this season for a reason 180 degrees removed from 2018: They haven’t used one.

Tampa Bay arrived at Target Field on Friday for a July 4 late matinee that was Game 88 of the season—with Ryan Pepiot, Drew Rasmussen, Shane Baz, Zack Littell, and Taj Bradley having made all but one start.

Littell, a former Twins reliever, was Friday's starter. He is the highest paid of the fivesome at $5.72 million.

Pepiot was involved in the trade that sent the outstanding Tyler Glasnow to the Dodgers in 2023. Los Angeles gave him a five-year, $136 million contract.

Glasnow had been injured with the Rays. He was injured again in L.A. He's now on a rehab assignment. He's also averaging $25.2 million in salary per season through 2028.

The Rays are paying the five starters a combined $10.72 million in 2025. Rasmussen is due to go from $2 million to $5 million in 2026.

There's a chance he will get paid that in Tampa Bay next season. There is also a chance he will get moved for a couple of young arms that the Rays' massive brain trust detects as being on the cusp of being solid big-league starters.

They had the audacity to trade David Price, a Cy Young Award winner who was a month away from his 29th birthday, on July 31, 2014.

One certainty: The Rays aren't going to pay the price for a pitcher when they believe they've already received the best seasons of his career. And they aren't going to let such a pitcher leave without receiving some promising talent in return.

Tampa Bay entered the league as the Devil Rays in 1998. Vince Naimoli was the owner, and they were an abomination. Vince sold off part of the team after seven losing seasons. Stuart Sternberg became the head of the ownership group and began making decisions after the 2005 season.

His first move was to fire Chuck LaMar as general manager and replace him with Andrew Friedman, one of those bright young baseball minds in the mold of Theo Epstein.

"Stuart decided to hire Friedman and put the Rays' money into building the best possible department for information on players — to identify them and improve them," Baldelli said Friday.

The Rays were never going to outspend the Yankees, the Red Sox, the teams in that division. They had to do it another way.

Which was: By detecting and acquiring talent that might be underappreciated elsewhere.

On Friday, The Rays lost 4-3 to the Twins. and fell to 48-40, the same record as the Yankees and a game and a half behind Toronto in the AL East. The Yankees' payroll is $288 million. The Rays' payroll is $88 million, which is actually rather generous for them.

They had to give up on Wander Franco, a great shortstop talent signed at a very young age to a long-term contract. He was accused (and is now convicted) of having sexual relations with underage girls in the Dominican Republic.

Franco was an All-Star at age 22 in 2023, hasn’t played the past two seasons, and presumably is done as far as MLB is concerned.

The Rays are also playing this season at the Yankees' spring training park. — Steinbrenner Field — in Tampa, since the hurricane damaged their home park ... that dump of a dome in St. Petersburg.

I told Baldelli about a trip to that dome a few Januarys ago, to attend a Rays winter workout for pitchers. There were also hitters around. And there was a flea market set up across the outfield, with civilians exploring scores of cheap goods on old tables.

"None of the Rays were complaining; they just went about their business ... with pitching coach Kyle Snyder and others offering their sage advice," I said.

Baldelli shook his head in slight wonder and said: "That's the thing about the Rays, from being there and now watching them. They don't worry about any disadvantages."

They just play.

©2025 The Minnesota Star Tribune. Visit startribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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SB Nation Reacts Results: Do SOMETHING...

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Arizona Diamondbacks fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

We are into July, and the trade deadline begins to loom, ever more prominently, at the end of the month. But the D-backs' position regarding their strategy for it remains up in the air. They are neither in a wild-card position that would encourage adding to the roster, nor are they so far out of it that selling is the obvious answer. The team's position seems to change on a series-by-series basis, or as we saw in the Giants' set just completed, even within them [We're so back! Oh, wait: we suck again. Never mind...] So, earlier in the week we asked you to tell us what general strategy the Diamondbacks should adopt with regard to this season's trade deadline... Here are the results:

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What stands out is an overwhelming desire for the team to do something . There may not be agreement on what that should be. However, with only three percent supporting moving forward with the current roster, maintaining the status quo is not an option. On the hitting side, the team should soon get Corbin Carroll back from the injured list, and hopefully Gabriel Moreno will follow. But on the pitching side, the health issues are more of the "season ending" and/or "say hello to Dr. Neal ElAttrache" variety. You would also not believe how badly I butchered the good doctor's name. Glad I decided to look it up. With the pitching being the obvious issue, I can see the logic behind the overwhelming rejection of "Hold."

The overall inclination was to sell, by a margin of 59-38% - which is a clear majority, but not overwhelmingly one-sided. I can see both sides here: it feels as if adding to and stabilizing the bullpen could end up having a knock-on impact elsewhere. But on the other hand, there's perhaps no team with a better collection of fungible assets who will be out of contract at the end of the season. Converting them into pieces that could help us in 2026 and beyond might be the best long-term answer. Though as Steak85 noted , 2027—hopefully with a healthy Corbin Burnes on Opening Day—might be a better target for the team's next window of contention. Here are a few other comments:

• Steak85 - "Definitely move any bullpen pieces teams want, including Ryan Thompson, even though he's under contract for another year. Bullpens are so volatile, and people overpay for bullpen help every deadline."
• DBacksEurope - "Weak sell, assuming the team will continue to dwindle as they have done until now."
• AZNailgal520 - "Clean up with our known sluggers, relief pitchers and starting pitchers. Other teams will pay us well for these assets. I trust Hazen not to acquire a bunch of AA players for these guys."
• SnakesAlive2023 - "You have to capitalize on all the valuable rentals we have this year from players who are major leaguers or close to it. This way, I believe we can still make a solid push by returning to what made us so special in 2023."
• BeTeaBaseball - "Weak sell - only trade players if you can get something decent in return. Moving players just for salary relief will, I think, alienate fans and cost you gate revenue."
• piratedan7 - "We ought to be listening. In this day and age, with as competitive as it is, we've got to restock and retool and heal up, and this year should be a seller's market."

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MLB News: Former Red Sox, Cardinals Pitcher Dies

Diego Segui, a journeyman pitcher who was traded three times and played for two expansion franchises over parts of 15 major league seasons, has died. He was 87.

Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, made the announcement. Tuesday on Twitter/X .

Heartbroken about the news of the passing of my dear friend, and former MLB pitcher, Diego Segui," Kendrick wrote He was 87. We honored Diego last November with our Negro Leagues Baseball Lifetime Achievement Award. Sending thoughts and prayers to the Segui family!

Segui went 92-111 with a 3.81 ERA in 639 major league games (171 starts). He also saved 71 games in his career with the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics (1962-65, 1967-68, 1970-72), Washington Senators (1966), Seattle Pilots (1969), St. Louis Cardinals (1972-73), Boston Red Sox (1974-75) and Seattle Mariners (1977).

Segui won the American League ERA title in 1970 with Oakland, and helped the A's reach the AL Championship Series the following year.

More news: MLB News: 3-Time All-Star Announces Sudden Retirement

But Segui was not around to see the A's rattle off the first of their three consecutive World Series championships in 1972. He was purchased by the Cardinals at midseason and remained in the St. Louis bullpen through the end of the 1973 season.

In December 1973, Segui was traded again, this time to the Boston Red Sox as part of a six-player swap.

More news: Two-Time World Series Champion, Beloved Member of 1969 Mets, Passes Away

Segui appeared in his only World Series with the Red Sox in 1975, throwing a scoreless inning in Game 5 of Boston's seven-game loss to the Cincinnati Reds.

That would prove to be Segui's final appearance in a Red Sox uniform; he was released the following April and spent the season starting for the San Diego Padres' Triple-A affiliate in Hawaii.

More news: Legendary 2-Sport Star Whose Grandson Followed Him to MLB's Cardinals Dies

The minor league audition was a successful one, as Segui signed with the expansion Mariners ahead of the 1977 season. He was tabbed to start the Mariners' first regular season game, and threw the first pitch in franchise history.

Segui also appeared in the first game in Seattle Pilots history in 1969, throwing the final three innings, giving him a unique place in the annals of the city's two baseball franchises. The Pilots moved to Milwaukee the following year and were rebranded the Brewers.

More news: Former Orioles and Twins pitcher, Cincinnati native, dies unexpectedly at 54

Santos's playing career continued in the Mexican League for another seven years after he threw his final pitch in MLB in September 1977. After retiring, he would serve as a minor league coach. His second son, David, had a 15-year major league career of his own (1990-2004) and in 1998 followed in his father's footsteps by playing for the Mariners.

For more MLB news, visit news realtime Sports .

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