Overview

• The Padres snapped a four-game skid with a 3-1 win over the Cardinals, driven by Manny Machado’s two hits and a tense late-game exchange of hit-by-pitches that led to dual bench-clearings.
• After back-to-back victories highlighted by three-run homers from Brendan Donovan and Willson Contreras and a Miles Mikolas shutout, the Cardinals dropped the series finale and now trail the NL wild-card by one game.
• The White Sox’s offense erupted for 12 runs and four homers in a Friday rout of the Cubs, paced by Edgar Quero’s four-hit performance, but they were stifled 6-1 the next night as Ian Happ and Matt Shaw launched late homers.
• Repeated beanballs in both the Cardinals-Padres and Cubs-White Sox matchups prompted warnings, underscoring rising tensions with the trade deadline approaching.
• The Mets extended their winning streak to five games with an 8-1 victory over the Giants, fueled by Francisco Lindor’s homer and Clay Holmes’s five innings of two-run ball to maintain a one-game NL East lead.