Table of Contents
Friday night in Major League Baseball was all about personal statements. It was a night where players with something to prove stepped into the spotlight and delivered unforgettable performances. The ultimate example came in the Bronx, where a newly acquired star got the last laugh against his former team with the best game of his career. Elsewhere, the league’s top slugger continued his assault on the record books, and multiple games were decided in the final moments by walk-off heroics. It was a night of unforgettable personal triumphs that captivated fans and provided a wealth of narratives for sports handicappers to analyze.
Bellinger’s Career-First 3-Homer Night Is Ultimate Revenge on Cubs
In the ultimate revenge game, Cody Bellinger hit three home runs for the first time in his career, driving in six runs to lead the host New York Yankees to an 11-0 demolition of the Chicago Cubs—the team that traded him in the offseason. Bellinger hit two-run homers in the third, fifth, and eighth innings, becoming the 29th Yankee in history to achieve the feat. His historic night against his former team is the kind of story that dominates sports talk, a performance that will be featured on all sports picks sites. The power display backed a dominant outing from starter Carlos Rodon, who was brilliant over eight shutout innings.
Raleigh’s Two Homers, Including Grand Slam, Power Mariners
Cal Raleigh continues to prove he is the best power-hitting catcher in baseball. He blasted his major league-leading 37th and 38th home runs, the first of which was a grand slam, to lead the visiting Seattle Mariners to a 12-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers. The homers helped Seattle hand Detroit ace Tarik Skubal his first loss since April 2. Raleigh continues to extend his MLB lead in home runs, making him a daily fixture on the home run props leaderboard.
Rafaela’s Walk-Off Homer Caps Red Sox Comeback
Ceddanne Rafaela played hero in Boston, crushing a walk-off, two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Red Sox a dramatic 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. The Red Sox had been shut out for much of the game before Rafaela sent a Pete Fairbanks pitch deep into the night to win it.
d’Arnaud’s Walk-Off Single Lifts Angels Over D-backs
In another dramatic finish, pinch-hitter Travis d’Arnaud lined a single down the left-field line with one out in the bottom of the ninth to give the Los Angeles Angels a 6-5 walk-off victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The hit spoiled a massive night for Arizona’s Randal Grichuk, who hit two home runs.
Giants’ Offense Overwhelms Slumping Dodgers
Willy Adames homered and drove in three runs as the San Francisco Giants handed the Los Angeles Dodgers their seventh consecutive loss in an 8-7 slugfest. Shohei Ohtani hit his 32nd homer of the season, a blast into the San Francisco Bay, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Dodgers’ slide, a shocking development that is causing their championship odds and scores to lengthen.
Yelich’s Homer Sparks Brewers’ Fifth Straight Win
Christian Yelich hit a two-run homer as part of a six-run third inning, leading the Milwaukee Brewers to an 8-3 home victory over the Washington Nationals. The win was the fifth straight for the surging Brewers.
Scherzer Grabs First Win as Blue Jay
Max Scherzer earned his first win of the season, striking out a season-best eight batters as the Toronto Blue Jays held on for a 7-6 victory over the Athletics. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. recorded the 1,000th hit of his career in the win, which was the 11th in 12 games for the first-place Blue Jays.
Santana’s Go-Ahead Homer Leads Guardians Past White Sox
In the first game of a doubleheader, Carlos Santana’s go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning was the difference as the Cleveland Guardians defeated the host Chicago White Sox 4-2.
Tauchman’s Walk-Off Infield Single Splits Doubleheader
The Chicago White Sox got their revenge in the nightcap, as Mike Tauchman delivered a game-ending infield single in the 11th inning to give them a 5-4 victory over the Cleveland Guardians and a split of the twin bill.
Machado Homers as Padres’ Bullpen Shines
Manny Machado homered and the San Diego bullpen was brilliant, tossing 4 1/3 scoreless innings to lead the Padres to a 4-2 victory over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies. Robert Suarez pitched a perfect ninth for his MLB-high 28th save.
Vientos’ Go-Ahead Double Cools Off Royals
Mark Vientos delivered the key hit, a go-ahead, three-run double in the eighth inning, as the visiting New York Mets cooled off the Kansas City Royals with an 8-3 victory.
Murphy’s Two Homers Lead Braves Past Cardinals
Sean Murphy hit two home runs and drove in three runs as the Atlanta Braves’ bullpen blanked the St. Louis Cardinals for six innings to secure a 6-5 victory.
Kremer’s 7 Shutout Innings Blank Marlins
Dean Kremer was masterful for Baltimore, holding the Miami Marlins to just three singles across seven shutout innings as the host Orioles cruised to a 5-2 victory.
Goodman’s Late Homer Not Enough for Rockies
A wild pitch in the eighth inning proved to be the difference as the Cincinnati Reds edged the Colorado Rockies 3-2, spoiling a game-tying two-run homer from Hunter Goodman.
Larnach’s Homer the Key in Twins’ Win
Trevor Larnach’s two-run homer in the fourth inning was all the offense the Minnesota Twins would need, as they held on for a tight 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Leiter and Power Bats Lead Rangers Past Astros
Adolis Garcia and Wyatt Langford both hit home runs to support an effective start from pitcher Jack Leiter as the visiting Texas Rangers earned a 7-3 victory over the Houston Astros.
Looking Ahead to Saturday
The Yankees will look to build on the momentum from Bellinger’s historic night as they continue their series with the Cubs. All eyes will be on the Dodgers to see if they can finally snap their seven-game losing streak against their rivals, the Giants.
Unlock Your Ultimate Sports Edge
A night of historic revenge games and dramatic walk-offs shows that winning in sports requires more than just luck—it requires information and insight. To make smarter decisions, you need the right tools. We provide a comprehensive hub designed to give you that edge, no matter how you follow the game.
It’s about seeing the whole picture. You can dive deep into the analysis of our expert sports handicappers, who live and breathe the trends, or you can follow the hot hands in real-time on our dynamic Service Plays Leaderboard.
