Friday typically brings us a full 15-game slate of MLB action, but this time around we the people of baseball are being slightly neglected with a mere 13 games on the schedule. We shall abide, however. The trade deadline is behind us, and that means it's time to lend our full focus to the various and sundry playoff races. Speaking of which, Friday features contender-on-contender action in Wrigley and the Bronx. That's of course in addition to other relevant teams trying to notch wins against less relevant opponents.
Now let's jump in.
Select games can be streamed regionally via fuboTV (Try for free). For more on what channel each game is on, click here.
Who wins every MLB game? And what underdogs can give you a huge victory tonight? Visit SportsLine now to see the exact score of every MLB game, plus get full player stat projections, all from the model that simulates every game 10,000 times.
Baseball scores for Friday, August 2James Paxton rebounds in Yankees win over Red Sox
The Yankees and Red Sox took to the Bronx for another rivalry showdown. This time around, both teams are coming off a very quiet trade deadline. New York could have used some starting pitching while Boston needed to get out and sign some bullpen help. (We have more on that here) But now, let's move onto the game action from the Yankees 4-2 win over the Red Sox on Friday.
We saw a bounce back performance from Yankees left-hander James Paxton, which could be a good sign for the club's struggling rotation. In the first inning with two outs, Paxton walked Xander Bogaerts on six pitches, which was followed up by a two-run home run from J.D. Martinez. Paxton (6-6) came out in the second inning and struck out the side. The rest of his night looked much better, here's his final line:
Plus, it always helps when you've got an offense ready to provide run support. Gleyber Torres' first inning grand slam off Eduardo Rodriguez proved to be enough runs to earn the win.
The reigning World Series champion Red Sox have now lost five straight, for the first time since 2015. Meanwhile, the first-place AL East Yankees notched their 35th comeback win -- the most in MLB this season.
Homer happy Stros
The Houston Astros crushed six home runs against the Seattle Mariners before the game even reached the sixth inning. Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Carlos Correa, Aledmys Diaz, Jake Marisnick and even trade deadline get/returnee Martin Maldonado got in on the fun. It's a season-high number of homers in one game for Houston this season. Take a look at this team's loaded lineup go to work on Seattle's Reggie McClain and Yusei Kikuchi:
On the other end of things, Astros starter Wade Miley carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before Daniel Vogelbach got the M's on board for a hit, with a two-run home run.
Baez leads Cubs to crucial win over division rival Brewers
Cubs shortstop Javier Baez homered, doubled twice and drove in three runs in the Cubs 6-2 victory over the Brewers at Wrigley Field on Friday. Baez finished the day 3 for 5. It was a crucial win for the Cubs as they fight to regain sole possession of first place in the NL Central. Chicago will host Milwaukee for two more games this weekend.
With the win, the Cubs move within one-half game of first-place St. Louis Cardinals in the division. The third-place Brewers fell 2 1/2 games back of the Cardinals. The red-hot Cards will begin a two-game series against the Oakland Athletics on Saturday, they're 7-3 in their last ten games and nearly completed a three-game sweep of the Cubs just days ago. Both Chicago and Milwaukee have gone 4-6 in their last 10 games.
Highlight of the day: Trout ties MLB home run lead
During the Angels loss to the Indians on Friday, Mike Trout hit his 36th home run on the season. The superstar slugger is seemingly unstoppable so far this season -- stop me if you've heard that before.
Mike Trout has hit 36 #dingers this season.
In 2014, Mike Trout hit 36 #dingers while finishing with a .939 OPS and 7.6 bWAR, the worst full season of his career. He also was named the unanimous AL MVP that year.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) August 2, 2019
Let's admire the solo shot off a fastball from Indians' Mike Clevinger:
With the homer, Trout ties Brewers' Christian Yelich for the MLB lead in home runs. During his magnificent eight-year career in the majors, Trout has not yet led the league in home runs.
Quick hits
