Welcome to the first Saturday after the trade deadline. This one is super-sized, too, with the Yankees hosting the Red Sox for a split doubleheader. The Brewers and Cubs also play a matinee while the rest of the league plays night games.
As we do every day of the season, CBS Sports will cover the entire day of Major League Baseball action right here. Let's get to the first version of our daily roundup with news on a top tier starting pitcher continuing to struggle against his rivals.
Select games can be streamed regionally via fuboTV (Try for free). For more on what channel each game is on, click here.
Baseball schedule/scores for Saturday, Aug. 3
FINAL: Yankees 9, Red Sox 2 (box score)FINAL: Cubs 4, Brewers 1 (box score)Marlins at Rays, 6:10 p.m. ET (GameTracker)Red Sox at Yankees, Game 2, 7:05 p.m. ET (GameTracker)Mets at Pirates, 7:05 p.m. ET (GameTracker)Blue Jays at Orioles, 7:05 p.m. ET (GameTracker)White Sox at Phillies, 7:05 p.m. ET (GameTracker)Mariners at Astros, 7:10 p.m. ET (GameTracker)Angels at Indians, 7:10 p.m. ET (GameTracker)Royals at Twins, 7:10 p.m. ET (GameTracker)Reds at Braves, 7:20 p.m. ET (GameTracker)Tigers at Rangers, 8:05 p.m. ET (GameTracker)Nationals at Diamondbacks, 8:10 p.m. ET (GameTracker)Giants at Rockies, 8:10 p.m. ET (GameTracker)Cardinals at Athletics, 9:07 p.m. ET (GameTracker)Padres at Dodgers, 9:10 p.m. ET (GameTracker)
LeMahieu, Yankees tag Sale
Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu greeted Red Sox starter Chris Sale with authority in the front end of the Yankee Stadium twin-billing:
The 16th homer marked a career high for LeMahieu. He'd later hit a three-run homer off Sale to put the game into blowout territory. LeMahieu continues to be one of the biggest bargain signings of this past offseason and he's going to get some second- or third-place MVP votes. It's been a remarkable season for a guy thought to be a bit of a depth signing.
The story here also needs to include Sale. His final line: 3 2/3 IP, 9 H, 8 ER, 0 BB, 4 K. His ERA is now 4.68. This qualifies as one of the worst starts of his career. The eight earned runs ties a career high, and it's the first time it has happened to him in a Red Sox uniform. He was angry about a few calls and got tossed as he was being removed from the game, too.
Further, the Yankees have owned Sale this season. He's faced them four times and has allowed 22 earned runs in 20 innings (9.90 ERA).
The Red Sox entered Saturday four games out of a playoff spot. The champs won't even get a shot to repeat in October unless their so-called ace gets on track.
The loss in Game 1 was the sixth straight for Boston. Every single time this season it looks like they are "back," they follow it with a string of poor play.
Hamels excellent in return from IL
The Cubs got one core piece back from the injured list and lost another during Saturday's win over the Brewers. Cole Hamels returned from several weeks away to twirl a gem. He was limited in pitch count, so he only worked five innings, but those five were scoreless as he only allowed four singles without walking anyone and striking out six. He didn't get the win, as the Brewers tied the game after he departed, but we know that's an incredibly overrated stat anyway. His ERA is down to 2.84. Not too shabby for the 35-year-old.
On the bad news side of things, All-Star catcher Willson Contreras pulled his hamstring in the bottom of the seventh inning and left the game. He'll miss several weeks as a result and the Cubs can't make trades, so it'll be Victor Caratini for the foreseeable future with Taylor Davis likely coming up from Triple-A. Of note: The Angels recently designated Jonathan Lucroy for assignment. If he's outrighted, perhaps the Cubs take a flier. They also could just claim him off waivers.
Later in the inning, Albert Almora tried to cheer up Cubs nation with a go-ahead solo shot:
Almora went 3 for 3 and added a sac fly for insurance run in the eighth.
The Cubs have taken the first two games of the series and are 38-18 this season at home versus a wretched 21-33 on the road.
Quick hits
