MLB Friday scores, highlights, updates, news: Puig saves Dodgers; Yankees blow it
It's officially the second half. Sure, we already passed the halfway point of the season, technically, but MLB calls the games after the All-Star break the "second half." So it's the second half now. Got it? Good!
Let's break down the action from the first day of the second half.
Friday's games
Nationals 5, Reds 0 (box score)
Dodgers 6, Marlins 4 (box score)
Pirates 5, Cardinals 2 (box score)
Mets 14, Rockies 2 (box score)
Red Sox 5, Yankees 4 (box score)
Blue Jays 7, Tigers 2 (box score)
Cubs 9, Orioles 8 (box score)
Braves 4, Diamondbacks 3 (box score)
Brewers 9, Phillies 6 (box score)
Twins at Astros (GameTracker)
Mariners 4, White Sox 2 (box score)
Rangers 5, Royals 3 (box score)
Indians at Athletics (GameTracker)
Rays at Angels (GameTracker)
Giants at Padres (GameTracker)
Puig your friend, Dodgers
After winning 26 of their last 30 heading into the break, the Dodgers seemed poised to lose one on Friday. It would've been forgivable. After all, the old cliche that "you can't win them all" definitely rings true, especially in a season with 162 games.
Instead, with two outs in the ninth, no one on base and the Dodgets trailing the Marlins by one, Joc Pederson singled. Then Yasmani Grandal walked and Yasiel Puig hit one into the Home Run Sculpture. Just like that, it was 6-4. Here's the blast:
Three Kenley Jansen outs later and the Dodgers had won again.
Puig homered earlier in the game, too, so he accounted for four of their six runs on two swings of the bat. With a pretty stacked 2-4 in the order set, the Dodgers only need to count on down-order production from Puig. Games like Friday night show his potential in doing so.
Yankees blow it against Red Sox
Things have really gone south for the Yankees since June 12 and one of the major reasons has surprisingly been the back end of the bullpen. From that day until the All-Star break, the Yankees went 7-18 and blew eight saves.
On Friday night, they led the Red Sox, 4-3, entering the ninth and -- you guessed it -- Aroldis Chapman blew the save.
It all started so innocently on an infield single. Of course, that's the tying run so maybe it wasn't that innocent. Dustin Pedroia would also reach on an infield single before Xander Bogaerts reached on an error and the game was tied.
As an aside, this is how the blown save can be a cruel stat. Without the error, maybe Chapman preserves this thing.
Instead, he took the loss.
With runners on second and third, the Yankees elected to load the bases and hope for some home-plate forceouts or strikeouts. Instead, Chapman walked Andrew Benintendi. It's a walk-off walk. Or in Internet parlance: Shrimp!
