Caminero Ties Home Run Lead; Skenes Struggles Again
Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays hit his 35th home run, tying him with three other players for the league lead. This marks the latest point in the season that a Rays player has led in home runs, surpassing the previous record set by Jose Canseco in June 1999.
Paul Skenes, the reigning NL Cy Young winner, allowed one earned run in his recent start against the Marlins, but his performance raised concerns as he averaged a season-low 95.7 mph on his fastball and was removed after 65 pitches. Skenes has struggled with a 6.25 ERA in July and has pitched only five innings in both of his starts this month.
Jackson Kent, a left-hander for the Nationals, is set to join the major league team and will pitch against the Cubs. Kent, a fourth-round pick in the 2024 draft, has a 3.72 ERA across 20 starts in the minors this season and is regarded as a top-10 prospect in the organization. The Nationals are making changes to their rotation, with Kent likely replacing Miles Mikolas.
Rays shortstop Taylor Walls ended a nearly 100-game home run drought by hitting two home runs in a single game, one from each side of the plate. This was only the second time in his career that he has achieved this feat.
