Esmerlyn Valdez hits 13th homer in loss to Yankees

Stott hit a solo homer in the second and put the game away with his bases-loaded double down the right field line in the sixth. It’s his second career five-RBI game, with the other coming against the Braves on July 25, 2022. He’d driven in a total of two runs in his previous 25 games.

The runs all came in the fifth, when the Yankees collected three hits despite not hitting a ball harder than 83 mph. Sánchez also helped the Yankees along with a walk, an errant pickoff throw to first and a wild pitch in the frame. However, he was excellent otherwise in winning for the league-leading 13th time this season. That matches his win total from 2025, when he finished as the NL Cy Young runnerup. He’ll next face the Orioles on Saturday.

Warren, who had pitched just two-thirds of an inning over the last two weeks, turned in his worst start of the year in giving up a triple and a sac fly in the first, a solo homer in the second and then four runs in the third. The big blow then was a three-run double to left from Alec Bohm that might have been caught by a healthy Cody Bellinger. That followed an intentional walk (after a 2-0 count) to Brandon Marsh. Warren struck out five, but he fell to 7-5 with a 4.41 ERA. He’s already in line to get bumped from the rotation when Carlos Rodón returns, but now one wonders if he might be expelled earlier. For now, he’s set to face the Cubs next weekend.

Bohm also came up with two on in the eighth, but he grounded into a double play then. Not that the Phillies needed runs in an 11-4 game at that point. Bohm is hitting just .218 this month, but he has four homers, five doubles and 14 RBI in 20 games. He’s knocked in 33 runs in 46 games since the beginning of June.

The homer off Tim Mayza in the seventh was his ninth off a lefty this year. Although he’s striking out 28 percent of the time against southpaws, he’s managed a fine .261/.322/.515 line in 134 plate appearances. It will ensure that he remains a full-time starter if Giancarlo Stanton reclaims the DH spot sometime next month.

Aided by a run of lefty opponents, Volpe now started three out of four games after sitting out nine of the previous 13. He’s not exactly tearing it up with his .681 OPS this season, but he has overtaken José Caballero there. Caballero is down to .664 while hitting .211 with a 19/1 K/BB this month.

This isn’t performance related, as the 27-year-old Kelenic was hitting .404/.469/.684 for Triple-A Round Rock this month. So, he must be receiving interest from another major league team or perhaps a club in Asia. Kelenic hit .213/.304/.295 in 69 plate appearances for the White Sox and Rangers in major league stints earlier this season.

Tiedemann, who was regarded as one of the game’s best pitching prospects before injuries struck, returned from elbow surgery to be make two appearances in the FCL in June before getting shut down again because of a neck problem. He averaged 96.4 mph with his 10 fastballs today, topping out at 97.7 mph.

Blewett was DFA’d by St. Louis on Wednesday after pitching two scoreless innings for the team. The Cardinals had only called him up because he opted out of minor league contract on July 15, forcing the issue. The 30-year-old journeyman has a 4.10 ERA in 74 2/3 career innings as a major leaguer. He’s out of options, so the A’s will add him to their bullpen immediately.

Urquidy, who spent most of last year working his way back from Tommy John, made the Pirates out of spring training this year, only to lose his spot after giving up 10 runs — six earned — in 6 1/3 innings over five relief appearances. He’d since posted a 3.66 ERA with a 73/18 K/BB in 83 2/3 innings as a starter for Triple-A Indianapolis. According to SoxMachine’s James Fegan, Urquidy will likely go to Triple-A for now.