A look at what’s happening around the majors today:
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BRONX TWO-STEP
The Yankees host the Red Sox in a day-night doubleheader as the longtime rivals jostle for playoff position.
Boston holds one of two AL wild-card spots, but New York is only two games behind after winning 10 of 13 heading into the three-game series.
Left-hander Jordan Montgomery (4-5, 3.69 ERA) is expected to come off the COVID-19 injured list to start one game for the Yankees — a day after ace Gerrit Cole did the same — and lefty Luis Gil (1-0, 0.00) will make his third big league start in the other. Boston plans to pitch right-handers Nathan Eovaldi (10-7, 3.91) and Tanner Houck (0-3, 2.93).
ONE AWAY
Following an off day, Miguel Cabrera takes another swing at career homer No. 500 when the Detroit Tigers face Dylan Bundy (2-9, 6.17 ERA) and the Los Angeles Angels at home.
Cabrera struck out twice and hit a shallow flyball Sunday as Cleveland starter Triston McKenzie retired the first 23 Detroit batters before Harold Castro singled with two outs in the eighth inning of an 11-0 Indians victory.
DIFFERENT STYLES
There’s an interesting pitching matchup on tap in St. Louis, where Corbin Burnes (7-4, 2.23 ERA) and the NL Central-leading Brewers face Adam Wainwright and the streaking Cardinals.
Burnes tied a major league record by striking out 10 straight batters in his last start against the Chicago Cubs. He equaled the mark set by Hall of Famer Tom Seaver of the New York Mets in 1970 against San Diego and matched this June by Philadelphia right-hander Aaron Nola against the Mets.
A first-time All-Star this season, the 26-year-old Burnes finished with a career-high 15 strikeouts in eight innings on a steamy night at Wrigley Field. All 10 of his Ks during the streak came on swinging strikes.
Wainwright, who turns 40 this month, is coming off a two-hit shutout against Pittsburgh in which he helped himself with a pair of hits. Wainwright (11-6, 3.27) retired the last 15 batters and needed just 88 pitches to finish the 11th shutout of his 16-year career and first since 2016. He struck out seven and did not issue a walk in winning his fourth straight start.
St. Louis (61-56) has won six in a row to climb within four games of a playoff spot.
DIRTY DOZEN
Both the Cubs and Orioles try to halt 12-game losing streaks.
Chicago sends Kyle Hendricks (13-5, 4.15 ERA) to the mound in Cincinnati as the right-hander, hammered by Milwaukee last time out, looks to become the first 14-game winner in the majors. Reds rookie Vladimir Gutiérrez (8-3, 3.95) has won his past four starts.
Following a huge sell-off at the trade deadline last month, the Cubs have lost 12 in a row for the first time since 2012.
Meanwhile, the Orioles turn to John Means (5-4, 3.21 ERA) at first-place Tampa Bay in a matchup between the top and bottom teams in the American League. Baltimore is 1-12 against the Rays this season, getting outscored 103-51, and has given up nine runs or more in eight of the games.
The Orioles, who dropped 14 in a row from May 18-31, have been outscored 113-36 during their current slide.
At least there might not be many people rooting against them — the announced crowd Monday night for the opener of a seven-game Rays homestand was just 5,460.
WORTH A SHOT
Jake Arrieta didn't get traded at the deadline last month, but he became the latest former Cubs star to join a contender Monday.
The San Diego Padres signed Arrieta to a minor league deal and said he would join their injury-plagued rotation Wednesday at Colorado.
The 35-year-old Arrieta had an ugly end to his second stint with Chicago. He allowed eight runs over four innings in a loss to the Brewers last week, mocked a reporter for wearing a mask during a postgame interview — and got released the next day.
Arrieta went 5-11 with a 6.88 ERA in 20 starts for the Cubs. But he provides the Padres with a veteran arm as they try to maintain their hold on an NL wild-card spot.
“If he was throwing the ball really dominant, we would have never had this opportunity,” Padres manager Jayce Tingler said. “Change of scenery, a little bit of a chance of fresh air and an opportunity to win down the stretch.”
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