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Stuck in something of a home run drought during their previous six games at spacious Busch Stadium, the Cardinals hit the road and hit some much-needed big flies at Truist Field to support bounce-back starter Matthew Liberatore on Tuesday night.

The Cardinals used a towering solo shot by Nelson Velazquez, a three-run homer by blossoming rookie Nathan Church and five-plus shutout innings from Liberatore in a 5-3 defeat of the Braves in Atlanta.

“(Liberatore) did a really good job, giving up just one hit and one run,” Church said to Cardinals.TV after hitting his sixth homer of the season to give Liberatore some run support. “To be able to come back from his last outing and do this against the Braves (in Atlanta), it was a really good start.”

After the Braves clawed back within 5-3, Ryan Fernandez — who was recalled from the 15-day Injured List on Tuesday — closed out the Braves in the eighth and Riley O’Brien pitched the ninth for his 21st save.

The victory was a good start to one of the Cardinals’ most grueling stretches of the season between now and the break for the MLB All-Star Game. The Cards play two more in Atlanta and then travel to Chicago to face the Cubs over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. They then return home to face the National League Central-leading Brewers in five games over a four-day stretch. The Cards conclude the stretch by hosting the Braves at Busch Stadium prior to breaking for the MLB All-Star Game.

Velazquez, who got the start with Braves lefty Martin Perez on the mound, singled in the first inning and then blasted a 444-foot homer to straight away center on a 3-2 pitch. Velazquez hit a cutter that tailed back over the plate, and Velazquez’s smash left his bat at 107.8 mph.

The Cardinals kept going to make the fourth inning a big one. After singles by Masyn Winn and Lars Nootbaar, Church turned on a low-and-in changeup and drove it over the wall in right field to give the Cards a 4-0 lead. His sixth home run of the season traveled 391 and left the bat at an impressive 106.5 mph.

Bryan Torres Not Afraid to Arrive Early, Put in Work to Stay Ready for Cardinals

Big bounce-back night for Liberatore
Liberatore came into Tuesday having surrendered 18 earned runs over his previous four starts, creating questions as to whether the Cardinals should make a change. The club stood by the 26-year-old left-hander and he rewarded their faith in his with his best outing since shutting out the Cubs over 5 1/3 innings on May 31.

After an easy, breezy first inning, Liberatore looked to be ripe for trouble in the second inning. He walked Michael Harris II and Mauricio Dubon and went 3-0 on Eli White, meaning he threw 10 balls in an 11-pitch stretch. However, Liberatore tallied and struck out White tight slider below the zone. He then struck out struggling slugger Austin Riley with another slider after falling behind 3-1 and he got Joey Bart looking to end the inning.

A Look Back at the Good, Bad and Ugly in Cardinals First 81 Games of the Season

Liberatore, who has seen his strikeout numbers spike in recent weeks after making changes to how hard he throws his slider, fanned nine and allowed just one earned run in five innings. He did walk four, but he was able to get enough swing and miss to pitch around the traffic. One of those walks came against Matt Olson – the final batter Liberatore faced and one he thought he had struck out before the Braves slugger was spared by a check-swing ruling.

Rookie Blaze Jordan helped the Cardinals add an insurance run in the sixth inning when he drilled a sacrifice fly to the warning track to score Winn and make it a 5-1 game.

Things got sticky in the eighth inning when JoJo Romero allowed two singles and gave way to Fernandez, who was activated off the 15-day Injured List on Tuesday following back troubles. Fernandez struck out Austin Riley with a 95.5 mph fastball, but he walked pinch hitters Rowdy Tellez and Dominic Smith to load the bases for firing a wild pitch for Atlanta’s third run. However, Fernandez pitched out of trouble by getting Drake Baldwin to ground out to second base.

Junior Caminero homered in his fifth consecutive game, a three-run shot to highlight Tampa Bay’s six-run third inning, and the Rays won their sixth straight game, beating the host Kansas City Royals 10-4 on Tuesday night.

Caminero, who has clubbed eight of his 23 home runs in the last seven games, joins Ronald Acuna Jr. (2018), Brian McCann (2006) and Jack Clark (1978) as the only four players aged 22 or younger since 1900 to homer in five straight contests.

Ryan Vilade also homered and Griffin Jax (4-5) allowed three runs and struck out five over six innings to win his third straight start for the Rays.

Bobby Witt Jr. clubbed a two-run homer in the third and an eighth-inning solo shot as part of a three-hit night for the Royals, who have lost five of six.

Meanwhile, the six earned runs given up by Noah Cameron (4-6) were a season high, along with nine hits and three of Kansas City’s 11 walks surrendered in 3 2/3 innings.

The Royals opened the scoring when Carter Jensen extended his hitting streak to 20 games by sending the first pitch in the bottom of the first into the right-center field fountains.

Tampa Bay, though, broke out in the third, when the first eight batters reached against Cameron.

Nick Fortes opened by reaching second on a bunt single coupled with third baseman Nick Loftin’s throwing error. Yandy Diaz then walked, and Jonathan Aranda (two hits) dropped a run-scoring single to center.

Caminero, who also singled on the night, then cleared the left-field wall with his fifth homer against the Royals this season for a 4-1 Rays lead. Vilade followed with a homer to nearly the same spot and Ben Williamson later recorded an RBI single.

The Royals made it 6-3 in the bottom of the third when Isaac Collins doubled and scored on Witt’s drive into the left-field seats.

Williamson and Taylor Wells drew back-to-back walks in the fifth, advanced via catcher Jensen’s passed ball and both scored on Fortes’ single to left.

In the sixth, Kansas City’s Eric Cerantola walked six batters, allowing one run on a wild pitch with the bags full and another on a bases-loaded walk to Walls.

HOUSTON — Byron Buxton always wants to play, but after his right hip didn’t feel right over the weekend, he knew that the best decision might not be the one he wanted. So he had a conversation with manager Derek Shelton and head athletic trainer Nick Paparesta and underwent an MRI to figure out what’s going on.

Now, he knows. Buxton has been diagnosed with an impingement in the hip, and while he’s likely to sit out at least another couple of days beyond Tuesday’s game against the Astros, he’s not headed to the injured list at this time. All things considered, it’s not ideal, but it could absolutely be worse.

“It’s something we’ve been managing for a little while,” Buxton said. “It was a little bit more than normal. It was one of those times where I’m not trying to be a hero.”

It’s a recurrence of discomfort that sidelined him for a few days in May. However, while running — specifically stopping — was the biggest issue for him then, Buxton said that his swing didn’t feel quite right over the weekend.

“Sunday, I was missing some pitches I normally do damage with,” he said. “I just wasn’t rotating through the body. I think that’s just my body protecting itself from me pulling a lat or whatever the situation could have been. My body was protecting that and just listening to my body.”

Buxton’s situation is very much day to day, but it seems unlikely he will play before the weekend in New York. The Twins finish their series in Houston on Wednesday, followed by an off-day. They’re not going to push him, preferring to take an extra day or two rather than risk a longer-term problem with their best player.

“We have off-days,” said manager Derek Shelton, “and will probably make the best decision moving forward of what we feel the best course of action for Byron is and probably have a conversation with him at some point today. Maybe even another tomorrow and then go from there.”

Buxton feels a responsibility not only to look out for his own health, but to set an example for his teammates by not making unnecessarily risky decisions. It also puts his mind at ease when he sees his teammates come through in his absence.

“As a leader, [it’s] just to make sure I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing right so that it [doesn’t] become something way worse,” he said.

Entering this four-game series against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field, the Miami Marlins were one of, if not the, hottest teams in MLB. Well, the Rockies’ bullpen didn’t do the team many favors on Tuesday night. It gave up nine runs and the Marlins rolled on to a 14-3 dominating win.

With the victory, it put a button on a great month for the Marlins. As for the Rockies, they probably hoped to get this seven-game homestand off to a better start.

That has not happened, which must frustrate Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer to no end.

Tanner Gordon took the loss, falling to 0-2 this season for Colorado. Gordon worked 5.0 innings, allowed nine hits, five earned runs, didn’t walk a batter, and struck out four. That’s a tough loss to take as the Rockies’ offense just didn’t get it together.

Eury Pérez Wins for Marlins
As for the Marlins, Eury Pérez picked up the win. Pérez is now 4-6 this season after he worked 5.1 innings and gave up two hits, one earned run, walked four, and struck out eight.

Rockies reliever Seth Halvorsen, just recalled from the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes, worked 1.0 innings, gave up four hits, three earned runs, walked one, and didn’t strike out anyone. John Brebbia pitched 1.1 innings and he gave up five hits, five earned runs, didn’t walk a batter, struck out one, and gave up two home runs.

Tuesday’s loss sent the Rockies 20 games below .500 at 33-53, and they are now 18-24 at Coors Field this season. Miami goes to 46-40 and is 18-23 away from loanDepot Park in Miami.

Joe Mack hit a two-run home run off Brebbia in the seventh inning, and Owen Caissie touched up Brebbia for a three-run homer in the eighth. Javier Sanoja smashed a three-run home run off of Gordon in the third inning.

Marlins Smashed Rockies’ Pitching
That’s eight of their 14 runs on Tuesday night that the Marlins scored off of long balls.

Colorado’s Mickey Moniak hit a solo home run in the bottom of the first, and that ended up being the big offensive highlight for the Rockies.

With the Rockies falling 20 games under that .500 mark, the team has dropped eight straight games to Miami. This also is the first time that Colorado has lost by more than three runs since June 11. It’s also the second-largest margin of defeat behind a 13-run loss to the San Francisco Giants back on May 31.

Additionally, this marked the third time of the 2026 MLB season that Colorado has allowed at least 14 runs in a game. You have to go back to that May 31 loss to the Giants, which was by a 19-6 final score.

These teams will go at it again on Wednesday night. Hopefully, the Rockies can find a cure for their bullpen problems and the offense can get back on track. The Giants’ series at Coors Field is looming, too. This is the Rockies’ final homestand before the All-Star break, too.

July 1 – The Arizona Diamondbacks ran their season-long winning streak against the San Francisco Giants to eight games Tuesday night, riding home runs from ​Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Ketel Marte to an 8-2 victory in Phoenix.

Recalled earlier ‌in the day from Triple-A and making his first big-league start since April 11, Brandon Pfaadt (1-1) combined with four relievers on a four-hitter, propelling the Diamondbacks to a second consecutive victory in the ​three-game set.

Gurriel delivered the big blow of the game, a two-out, three-run homer ​in the bottom of the first after Giants starter Landen Roupp (5-8) had ⁠put Geraldo Perdomo and Gabriel Moreno aboard with walks.

Hurting his own cause with six ​walks, Roupp was unable to finish the third inning, a frame in which he forced ​in a run by issuing a free pass to Jorge Barrosa with two outs. Marte followed with a two-run single, making it 6-0 and sending the Giants right-hander to the showers.

The six-run cushion made ​a return to a starter’s role more comfortable for Pfaadt, who carried a shutout ​one out into the sixth before serving up Luis Arraez’s fourth home run of the season.

The right-hander ‌limited ⁠the Giants to just two other hits in his 5 1/3 innings, walking one and striking out two.

San Francisco’s only other run came on Rafael Devers’ 15th homer in the seventh.

In between the Giants’ big blows, Marte capped a two-hit, three-RBI game with his 17th ​homer of the season.

The ​Diamondbacks added the ⁠game’s final run in the eighth on an RBI single by Moreno.

Gurriel, Marte, Moreno and Max Kepler had two hits apiece for ​Arizona, which out-hit San Francisco 10-4 en route to a fifth ​straight home ⁠win over the Giants this season. Moreno scored twice.

After singling in the first and tripling in the third before his home run in the sixth, Arraez took a crack at a ⁠cycle ​in the eighth but flied out to left field.

In ​extending his winless streak to 11 games after a 5-1 start to the season, Roupp was charged with six ​runs on five hits in his 2 2/3 innings. He struck out four.

Bryan Woo set the single-season record for most consecutive scoreless innings at T-Mobile Park as the Seattle Mariners defeated the visiting Los Angeles Angels 8-3 Tuesday.

Woo opened with six scoreless frames to reach 32 overall before reliever Eduard Bazardo allowed a pair of inherited runners to score in the seventh.

Woo (7-6), who won his fifth straight home start, was charged with two runs on four hits in 6 1/3 innings. The right-hander walked one and struck out five.

The Mariners managed just three hits off Angels starter Jose Soriano (8-5) through the first five innings before opening the sixth with three straight singles against him to break a scoreless tie.

Julio Rodriguez led off with a sinking liner to left. Wade Meckler made a diving attempt to catch the ball, but he trapped it. Josh Naylor then lined a shoulder-high fastball into left-center for a single.

Randy Arozarena grounded a hit past diving third baseman Vaughn Grissom and into left field, with Rodriguez scoring from second on the play.

Soriano was replaced by Chase Silseth, who walked Cal Raleigh to load the bases. Cole Young lined a run-scoring single to right, and Arozarena scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-0. With two outs, Weston Wilson hit a soft liner to right to score two more runs.

Meckler opened the seventh with a single to left and, an out later, Josh Lowe lined a single to right to put runners at the corners. That was it for Woo, who threw 106 pitches.

Logan O’Hoppe greeted Bazardo by lining a run-scoring single to center, and Donovan Walton walked to load the bases. Zach Neto grounded a two-run single up the middle to pull the Angels within 5-3.

The Mariners got those runs back in the bottom of the inning off Brent Suter. Rodriguez led off with a single, Arozarena doubled with one out, and Young walked to load the bases. Colt Emerson hit a fly ball down the left field line that fell for a two-RBI single, and Victor Robles lined a run-scoring single to left to make it 8-3.

Soriano was charged with three runs on six hits in five-plus innings. He walked one and struck out nine.

After an off day Wednesday because of a FIFA World Cup match across the street at Lumen Field, the Mariners will attempt to sweep the three-game series on Thursday.

Roberts reached the milestone in his 1,606th game, passing Cap Anson (1,641 decisions) to become the fastest manager to 1,000 wins.

In his time as a manager, Roberts’ feel for the role has grown with every season. He didn’t have to dig deep into that acquired knowledge for win No. 1,000, though, as seven strong innings from Justin Wrobleski and another big night for the offense keyed by homers from Tommy Edman and Miguel Rojas got the job done.

“Getting to be the winning pitcher in his 1,000th win is super cool and something I kind of had in my mind entering today,” said Wrobleski, who became the third 10-game winner in the Majors this year. “Can’t thank him enough for what he’s done for my career and my development. I really wanted to get this done for him.”

Afterward, Roberts walked off to the field to a chorus of adoration from the sea of Dodgers fans that filled Sutter Health Park. Later, in the clubhouse, Rojas and Freddie Freeman led a champagne toast in Roberts’ honor, one of the traditions that has defined this era of Dodgers baseball. Roberts encourages his players to celebrate their individual milestones, but this time, it was his turn.

“Today is not about us. It’s about Doc and this big milestone for him,” Rojas said. “He’s always the one raising a glass of champagne, or whatever, when guys accomplish something big in this game. … Like he said, coaches are really good because of really good players, and for him to say that, it means a lot to us in this clubhouse.”

Roberts is the 69th manager in MLB history to win 1,000 games and the third active manager, joining the Reds’ Terry Francona (2,072 wins) and the Tigers’ A.J. Hinch (1,001 wins), who is fresh off reaching the milestone on Monday.

Only three Dodgers skippers have won more regular-season games than Roberts: Walter Alston (2,040 wins), Tommy Lasorda (1,599 wins) and Wilbert Robinson (1,375 wins). Roberts has more postseason wins than any of them: 69, the third most in MLB history behind Joe Torre (84) and Tony La Russa (71).

Roberts is surrounded by Hall of Famers on managerial leaderboards, and he’s put himself on a trajectory to join his peers in Cooperstown one day. His credentials speak for themselves: 10 postseason berths, nine division titles, five National League pennants and three World Series championships.

A’s manager Mark Kotsay, who was the Padres’ hitting coach when Roberts managed his first game, recognized early on that Roberts had the potential to do something special as a manager.

“When we coached together in ’15 and built our bond, really, there was no doubt in my mind that he would be the right fit for that organization,” Kotsay said. “Not only has he provided that leadership, but the charisma. He’s a really special person, and I think that’s what it takes to lead that club.”

June 30 : Egypt captain Mohamed Salah resumed training on Tuesday, participating in part of the team’s session as he continues his recovery from a hamstring strain and boosting hopes he will be fit for Friday’s World Cup last-32 clash against Australia.

Salah was substituted during Egypt’s 1-1 draw with Iran in their final group match, casting doubt over his availability for the knockout tie in Dallas.

Photos posted on the Egyptian Football Association’s Facebook page showed a smiling Salah back on the training pitch in Spokane, where Egypt have been preparing for the Australia match. The team accompanied the images with the caption: “The King is back”.

Salah’s return was a timely boost for Egypt, who progressed to the knockout stages for the first time after finishing second in their group with five points, behind leaders Belgium on goal difference. 

The 34-year-old has been instrumental in Egypt’s campaign, scoring once and providing two assists.

SEATTLE, June 30 : Belgium enter their World Cup round of 32 match against Senegal on Wednesday with momentum and a fully fit squad, but coach Rudy Garcia said being favourites was no guarantee in knockout games.

Belgium laboured in opening draws against Egypt and Iran before sparking to life with a 5-1 win over New Zealand that sent them through as Group G winners and kept them in Seattle, their home during the tournament, for Wednesday’s match.

Belgium have everyone available for the first time at this World Cup, Garcia said. Winger Jeremy Doku missed time for his son’s birth and a brief illness, while defender Zeno Debast is fit to play after missing the group stage with a leg problem.

Debast, who was injured last month training with his Portuguese club Sporting, might not start against Senegal, and “he’s going to need some time to get back to 100 per cent of his capacities and his potential,” Garcia told reporters on Tuesday.

“But it’s not going to be a problem, because ever since the start of the competition, we have shown a very strong defence.”

Belgium gave up two goals in the group stage – one to Egypt and one to New Zealand. 

With a healthy squad, Garcia has many options off the bench. “What matters is not only the starting eleven,” he said.

Striker Romelu Lukaku helped force Egypt to net an own goal seconds after coming on in the second half of Belgium’s 1-1 draw in Seattle to open their group stage games. 

Match conditions on Wednesday are forecast to be cool and overcast – and better than the high temperatures during Belgium’s opener with Egypt when Garcia complained that heat and dry grass made it difficult for his team to play fluidly.

FAVOURITES TAG MEANS LITTLE

Germany’s shootout exit to Paraguay and the Netherlands’ defeat by Morocco show that being favourites to win means little at this stage of the tournament.

“There are no small (in stature) squads,” Garcia said. “Even if you’re a favourite on paper, which was the case for Germany, you can lose.”

Senegal, who emerged from a difficult group including France, Norway and Iraq, present a different challenge, he said.

Garcia described them as “very fast,” “very strong,” technical and well organised defensively.

Senegal qualified for the knockout phase as a third-placed team but they are far stronger than their group stage finish suggested, the Belgium coach said. 

The match also carries a personal thread for Garcia, who worked with Senegal coach Pape Thiaw at Saint-Etienne and recalled helping push him as a young player.

Thiaw is “a wonderful player, and he’s a wonderful coach as well,” Garcia said. “I’m very happy for him. But I’m going to defeat him,” he added.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ, June 30 : Kylian Mbappe has been on Lionel Messi’s heels as both players break new ground in World Cup scoring, but the Frenchman is more obsessed by lifting the trophy in New York on July 19 than becoming marksman supreme.

The 27-year-old netted a double as Les Bleus crushed Sweden 3-0 in the round of 32 on Tuesday to move one shy of Messi’s record 19 goals at World Cups and join him on top of the scoring charts in this edition with six.

“I think the goal, as I said, is to go as far as possible – o make it to (the final on) July 19th and come back here,” Mbappe, who scored his 18 goals in 18 games, told reporters.

“We’re trying to win; we’re taking it one step at a time. Of course, the more goals you score, the higher you climb in the rankings – I’m not telling anyone anything new there.

Paraguay took an ultra defensive approach against Germany to knock the four-times world champions out on penalties in the last 32 on Monday and there is little chance that they will go out swashbuckling against France in Philadelphia on Saturday.

Les Bleus will not take anything for granted and will do their homework, Mbappe warned.

“I think we’ll keep working between now and the Paraguay match to see what we can improve, because there are still some sequences that aren’t quite clear enough, there’s room for improvement,” he said.

“Still, I think it’s positive overall, and our ability to score goals means we always have the chance to take the lead in matches.”