The 2025 Home Run Derby saw a 5 percent increase in viewership, though ratings for the event were still below most years since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Monday night’s event, won by Seattle’s Cal Raleigh over Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero, averaged a 2.7 rating and drew 5.73 million viewers. That is up from the 5.45 million who tuned in for Teoscar Hernandez’s victory last year.

However, both of those were down from the previous three years. The 2021 event won by the New York Mets’ Pete Alonso drew 7.13 million viewers, followed by 6.88 million for Juan Soto winning the 2022 event while still with the Washington Nationals. Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. won the following year, drawing 6.11 million viewers.

This year was the second-least watched Derby since 5.524 million viewers watched Giancarlo Stanton win in 2016 while with the Marlins, according to the Sports Business Journal. The 2024 Derby was the least-watched during that span, but it also competed with the Republican National Convention.

Monday night’s Derby peaked at 6.31 million viewers at 9:30 p.m. ET and was the most-watched program of the day across all of broadcast and cable television. ESPN2’s “StatCast” version of the event was watched by 499,000 people.

For comparison, this year’s NBA All-Star Game and the NFL’s Pro Bowl Games each averaged 4.7 million viewers — and Tuesday night’s MLB All-Star Game is expected to easily outpace both.

–Field Level Media

All-Star left-hander MacKenzie Gore faces his former team for the second time in less than four weeks when the Washington Nationals host the San Diego Padres on Sunday afternoon.

The Nationals acquired Gore as part of the impressive haul from the Padres in the Juan Soto trade at the deadline in 2022. He is 1-2 with a 4.35 ERA in 20 2/3 innings over four career starts against San Diego.

Gore (4-8, 3.02 ERA this season) will again be pitted against Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta (9-2, 2.88), who was the winning pitcher in San Diego’s 1-0 home victory on June 25.

Gore allowed just one run and five hits over six innings while taking the loss.

Now he’ll take aim at helping the Nationals win the three-game set. The Padres won 7-2 on Friday and Washington bounced back with a 4-2 victory on Saturday.

Gore, 26, was the third overall pick by San Diego in the 2017 MLB Draft, and he was often ranked as the franchise’s top prospect over the next five years.

He reached the majors in April 2022 and made 16 appearances (13 starts) for the Padres before being sent to Washington along with shortstop CJ Abrams and outfielder James Wood among others for Soto and veteran hitter Josh Bell.

Gore, Abrams (2024) and Wood (2025) have all played in the All-Star Game for the Nationals. Gore retired all three batters he faced in Tuesday’s All-Star Game.

He beat the St. Louis Cardinals in his last start before the break by allowing one run and five hits over six innings.

Manny Machado (2-for-7) and Xander Bogaerts (2-for-5) have each homered off Gore, while Jackson Merrill (0-for-6) and Fernando Tatis Jr. (1-for-7) have struggled.

Both teams had just six hits during the Nationals’ win on Saturday.

Nathaniel Lowe smacked his 15th homer of the season for Washington, which also received three innings of one-hit shutout ball from its bullpen.

The best sight for the Nationals was seeing right-hander Kyle Finnegan fanning two batters during a perfect ninth inning for his 19th save of the season, but first since June 6.

Finnegan had allowed eight runs, seven hits and three walks while recording a total of two outs over his previous two appearances. That includes being roughed up for five runs in the ninth inning on Friday while taking the loss.

“Any pitcher will tell you: After a bad one, you don’t want to stew on it for too long. You want to get back out there and put it behind you,” Finnegan told reporters after Saturday’s game. “So I was excited for the opportunity to do that. Happy that they had the faith in me to go back out there and get the last three outs.”

San Diego’s Luis Arraez and Jose Iglesias each had two hits on Saturday while Machado, Gavin Sheets, Bogaerts and Merrill all posted 0-for-4s.

“We were on the brink a lot,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said afterward. “We just couldn’t get the big hit.”

Pivetta, 32, would match his career high for victories if he gets the win on Sunday. He won 10 games for the Boston Red Sox in both 2022 and 2023.

He also had been on a roll, beginning with the win over the Nationals. He gave up three hits and struck out 10 in seven innings in that affair.

Over his past four starts, he’s 2-0 with a 0.36 ERA with 31 strikeouts.

The stellar outing against Washington was definitely different from what typically has transpired for Pivetta. Even after that performance, he is 2-7 with an 8.10 ERA in 14 career appearances (11 starts) against the Nationals.

Lowe is 2-for-9 against Pivetta.

–Field Level Media

The Chicago White Sox are the only team in the majors yet to sweep a series this season.

They’ll try to change that on Sunday afternoon when they take on the host Pittsburgh Pirates in the finale of a three-game series.

In an otherwise difficult season in terms of wins and losses, the White Sox have opened the second half strong, scoring 10 runs in each of their first two victories over Pittsburgh.

But Chicago was hit with a setback on the injury front this week as All-Star right-handed rookie starting pitcher Shane Smith landed on the 15-day injured list with a left ankle sprain retroactive to Wednesday.

“Rolled his ankle running. It’s his lead leg, his plant leg, which for him is his left leg,” White Sox manager Will Venable said on Saturday. “It puts him in a tough spot to be able to make his start. But, hopefully, it’s the short version here.”

This development puts the onus on recently acquired starters such as right-hander Aaron Civale (1-6, 5.30 ERA) to keep Chicago’s rotation strong as the team strives positive results amid an ongoing rebuild.

Civale, who was traded from Milwaukee on June 13, will attempt to pick up his first victory in a White Sox uniform when he opposes Pirates lefty Andrew Heaney (4-8, 4.59) on Sunday.

Civale is 0-4 with a 5.58 ERA in six starts since joining Chicago. He gave up four runs on three hits and two walks while striking out three over 5 2/3 innings in his most recent outing at home against Cleveland on July 13. Civale is 2-2 with a 3.40 ERA in 39 2/3 innings over seven career starts against the Pirates.

The White Sox recalled reliever Wikelman Gonzalez from Triple-A Charlotte on Saturday. They also activated infielder/outfielder Brooks Baldwin, who appeared in Saturday’s game, from the IL and optioned Will Robertson to Charlotte.

Heaney will try to reverse his and his team’s recent results when he takes the mound for the first time since July 12 at Minnesota, when he appeared out of the bullpen in what turned out to be a 12-4 loss. Heaney gave up three runs — all on home runs — over two innings and finished with one walk and no strikeouts.

Heaney’s most recent start was his shortest of the season as he lasted only three innings and gave up four runs on six hits and a walk while striking out two in taking a 9-3 loss at Kansas City on July 7.

Heaney is 5-1 with a 4.31 ERA in 56 1/3 innings over 10 career starts against the White Sox, however, and will try to snap a two-game skid for the Pirates, who are in the midst of one of their worst stretches of the season with 10 losses in their past 11 games.

The first two losses against Chicago marked the first time this season that Pittsburgh lost back-to-back games while allowing 10 runs.

“It’s hard, and it’s something we haven’t dealt with. The pitching has been so good,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “It’s tough whenever you lose a game that you’re ahead and you have to turn it over to the bullpen who has been so reliable all year. They’re going to continue to be reliable. Those guys in the back end have done a great job, and I have full confidence in them to do that.”

–Field Level Media

Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper are giving the Los Angeles Angels all they can handle this weekend.

The Philadelphia Phillies hope for another powerful performance from their left-handed sluggers on Sunday when they conclude their three-game home series with the Angels.

Schwarber has homered in each of the first two games of the series, including a go-ahead grand slam in Saturday’s 9-5 victory. His impressive week also included MVP honors at Tuesday’s All-Star Game after he swatted homers on all three of his swings during the tie-breaking home run derby.

Meanwhile, Harper homered twice in Friday’s series opener — a 6-5 win by Los Angeles — and delivered another blast in Saturday’s win. He is 5-for-8 with four runs scored in the series.

The power surge by Schwarber and Harper has certainly been a welcomed sight for a Phillies team that has struggled to hit home runs (outside of Schwarber) for much of the season.

“It’s just the way this game goes,” Schwarber said after the win. “You want to be able to feel like you’re going to be able to score runs in different ways.”

Philadelphia needs its power hitters to produce more than ever with third baseman Alec Bohm — the team’s typical clean-up hitter — on the injured list with a rib fracture.

“It could be three weeks. It could be four weeks,” manager Rob Thomson said. “It could be less than that. I hate putting timelines on anything.”

The Angels have enjoyed some home run fun of their own in the first two games of the series. Taylor Ward has gone deep in both contests, as has Jo Adell. In total, the visitors have cranked out six home runs — three in each game.

Instead, Saturday’s culprit was the Los Angeles bullpen. Angels relievers gave up seven runs in three innings pitched. But Los Angeles interim manager Ray Montgomery isn’t losing any confidence in his relievers.

“They’re young. They’re still battling through it,” he said. “They haven’t figured out who they are yet entirely. So we’re going to continue putting them in situations like that and look for the best spots — and, hopefully, they make the pitches they need to make.”

The Angels will aim to rebound behind right-hander Jose Soriano (6-7, 3.90 ERA), who will be starting against the Phillies for the first time. He faced Philadelphia once as a reliever in 2023 and allowed a two-run triple to Trea Turner during a brief stint on the mound.

Soriano’s last start came July 13 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He gave up five runs, but only one earned, in five innings in a 5-1 defeat.

Ranger Suarez (7-3, 2.15) will get the ball for Philadelphia after a solid first half in which he gave up three runs or fewer in each of his last 12 starts. Most recently, the lefty allowed three runs in 6 2/3 innings in a 4-2 loss to the San Diego Padres on July 11.

Suarez, who has never previously faced the Angels, was at peace with not getting selected for the National League All-Star team.

“Obviously it’s what you want — you want to go to the All-Star Game. But I’d rather have some rest right now,” he said prior to the break. “I think it’s what’s best for us, for the team and it’s a long second half that we’re going to have. So, I want to remain as healthy and as fresh as I can.”

–Field Level Media

Isaac Collins and Joey Ortiz hit home runs, William Contreras added a two-run double, and the visiting Milwaukee Brewers extended their winning streak to a season-best nine games while remaining perfect against the Los Angeles Dodgers with an 8-7 victory on Saturday.

The Brewers won even as All-Star right-hander Freddy Peralta (12-4) tied a season high by allowing four runs in five innings. Trevor Megill pitched the ninth inning for his 23rd save as Milwaukee improved to 5-0 against Los Angeles with the finale of the season series Sunday.

Neither team has swept the other in a season series since the Brewers moved to the National League in 1998.

Shohei Ohtani hit one of three home runs for the Dodgers, who have lost nine of their last 11 games. With a struggling Mookie Betts getting the night off for Los Angeles, Will Smith had two hits out of the No. 2 spot of the lineup.

Yankees 12, Braves 9

Trent Grisham hit his third career grand slam in the ninth inning to propel visiting New York to a come-from-behind win over Atlanta.

Grisham hit a slider from Raisel Iglesias into the right field seats to give the Yankees their first lead of the game and help end their three-game losing streak. It was Grisham’s 17th homer, tying his career high. Luke Weaver pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings and earned the win. Anthony Volpe sparked the New York offense with a pair of home runs, his 11th and 12th, and a sacrifice fly.

The Braves had built a 5-0 lead thanks in part to a 438-foot solo homer by Michael Harris II, his first since June 13, and a three-run homer by Ozzie Albies. Albies added a two-run single in the fifth to give Atlanta a 7-2 lead before New York’s rally.

Cubs 6, Red Sox 0

Shota Imanaga threw seven scoreless innings, and Michael Busch and Kyle Tucker slugged back-to-back home runs in the first as Chicago blanked visiting Boston.

Imanaga (7-3) allowed just five hits while striking out five and walking one, helping the Cubs take the weekend series and win their fourth straight game. Matt Shaw, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ian Happ each added solo homers for Chicago, which now holds the majors’ best record (59-39).

Boston starter Brayan Bello (6-4) allowed three runs on six hits in the loss, striking out four and walking one. The Red Sox have lost two straight after posting a 10-game winning streak to end the first half.

Reds 5, Mets 2

Jake Fraley matched a season high with three hits, including a go-ahead RBI single, as Cincinnati rallied from an early two-run deficit to win in New York.

Fraley had two doubles and Spencer Steer added two hits for the Reds, who won for the sixth time in seven games to improve to a season-high five games over .500.

Brett Baty homered and singled for New York, while Luis Torrens added two hits. Mark Vientos also singled and drove in a run.

Marlins 3, Royals 1

Shortstop Otto Lopez drove in all three runs as host Miami defeated Kansas City.

Lopez’s two-run double in the eighth inning snapped a 1-1 score. Xavier Edwards added a triple, a double and two runs scored as the Marlins improved to 21-10 over their past 31 games. Miami’s Cal Quantrill pitched a season-high six innings, allowing two hits (both singles), no walks and no runs while striking out three. Ronny Henriquez (6-1) earned the win, and Anthony Bender pitched a scoreless ninth, earning his third save.

Reliever Lucas Erceg (4-3) took the loss for the Royals after Michael Wacha pitched six innings, allowing three hits, one walk and one run with one strikeout. Salvador Perez led the Royals at the plate with a homer.

Blue Jays 6, Giants 3

Eric Lauer pitched six strong innings, Tyler Heineman had a homer and three RBIs and host Toronto defeated San Francisco.

Lauer (5-2) allowed two runs, two hits and no walks with seven strikeouts. Addison Barger was 4-for-4 for the Blue Jays, who have won the first of two games of the three-game series. Will Wagner had a two-run double for the second game in a row for Toronto, which had a 14-4 advantage in hits on Saturday.

Willy Adames hit two solo home runs for the Giants. Starter Logan Webb (9-7) completed six innings, allowing four runs, 11 hits and one walk with one strikeout.

Phillies 9, Angels 5

Kyle Schwarber belted a go-ahead grand slam in the sixth inning to vault Philadelphia to a home win over Los Angeles.

Bryce Harper also homered for the Phillies after hitting two bombs in Friday’s 6-5 defeat in the series opener. Nick Castellanos, Trea Turner and Johan Rojas drove in the other runs for Philadelphia. Phillies starter Taijuan Walker allowed three runs and nine hits over four innings before handing the ball over to the bullpen.

Taylor Ward, Jo Adell and Yoan Moncada hit home runs for the Angels. Yusei Kikuchi allowed two runs and five hits over five innings before the Los Angeles bullpen scuffled to the finish line.

Rays 4, Orioles 3

Tampa Bay came from behind with a three-run eighth inning — sparked by excellent baserunning — to beat visiting Baltimore.

After tying the game with a single, Chandler Simpson stole his 27th base and went to third on a wild pitch as Jose Caballero walked. Caballero promptly stole his league-leading 32nd base — and the Rays’ third steal of the inning — to put runners at second and third with one out, and both runners would come in to score.

Seranthony Dominguez (2-3) took the loss after giving up three runs (two earned) in 1/3 of an inning in the eighth. Edwin Uceta (6-2) picked up the win with two innings of scoreless relief. Pete Fairbanks earned his 16th save despite giving up a run in the ninth.

White Sox 10, Pirates 4

Mike Tauchman’s go-ahead, bases-clearing double highlighted a six-run sixth inning that propelled Chicago to a comeback win over host Pittsburgh.

Tauchman and Lenyn Sosa each had three RBIs to lead the White Sox to their second win in a row following the All-Star break and their third win in the past five games. After Chicago starter Adrian Houser gave up four runs (three earned) in 4 1/3 innings, the White Sox bullpen held the Pirates scoreless the rest of the way.

The Pirates, who lost their second in a row and have lost 10 of their last 11 games, led 3-0 and rookie starter Mike Burrows took a no-hitter into the fifth inning. After Burrows left the game following the fifth, Caleb Ferguson (2-2) gave up four runs on four hits and recorded only one out.

Rangers 4, Tigers 1

Rowdy Tellez hit a three-run home run to back a strong start by Kumar Rocker as Texas defeated struggling Detroit in the second of three-game series in Arlington, Texas.

Tellez’s homer was a boon for Rocker (4-4), who allowed one hit, walked three and struck out six over 6 1/3 innings of work. Tellez, who was signed to a minor league contract on July 5 by the Rangers a week after being released by Seattle, wasn’t on the team until Friday, when he went 0-for-3.

The Tigers did not get a runner past second base until a Riley Greene home run to open the ninth inning. Detroit starter Keider Montero (4-2) went 4 1/3 innings, giving up four runs on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts.

Diamondbacks 10, Cardinals 1

Eugenio Suarez hit two home runs and drove in three and Corbin Carroll had three hits, including two triples, as host Arizona topped St. Louis to win its third straight game.

Geraldo Perdomo had three singles and four RBIs and Ryne Nelson gave up one run in six innings for the D-backs, who have outscored the Cardinals 17-4 in the first two games of the series. Nelson (6-2) gave up four hits, with Alec Burleson’s homer in the sixth the only damage. Nelson is 4-0 with a 2.29 ERA in his last seven starts. Suarez has 33 homers and leads the NL with 81 RBIs. Carroll leads the majors with 12 triples.

Masyn Winn had three hits for the Cardinals, who have lost 10 of 14. Sonny Gray (9-4) gave up 11 hits and a career-high nine runs (eight earned) before leaving in the fourth.

Athletics 8, Guardians 2

Shea Langeliers and Jacob Wilson both hit two-run home runs and Luis Severino earned his first win in more than a month as the Athletics scored the final eight runs of the game to win in Cleveland.

Severino (3-11) went five innings, allowing two runs on three hits in snapping a five-start losing streak. The right-hander struck out three and walked two in an 86-pitch outing. Jack Perkins and Justin Sterner combined for four hitless innings to wrap up the three-hitter.

Rookie first baseman Kurtz went 3-for-5 and drove in two runs, and speedy center fielder Denzel Clarke fell a homer shy of hitting for the cycle for the Athletics. The Guardians lost for just the second time in nine games.

Rockies 10, Twins 6

Ryan McMahon, Ezequiel Tovar and Hunter Goodman homered as host Colorado rallied to beat Minnesota in Denver to clinch the Rockies’ first home series win of the season.

Tovar was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs, and Goodman also drove in three runs. Kody Clemens was 2-for-4 (double, triple) with three RBIs in the loss, the Twins’ third straight.

Rockies starter Antonio Senzatela (4-13) earned the win after allowing three runs and six hits in seven innings with a walk and three strikeouts. Minnesota starter Zebby Matthews (1-2) gave up five runs and eight hits in four-plus innings with a walk and six strikeouts in taking the loss.

Nationals 4, Padres 2

Mitchell Parker tossed six solid innings and Nathaniel Lowe homered to help host Washington double up San Diego and snap a five-game losing streak.

Drew Millas added a two-run single for Washington, which won for just the second time in its past 11 contests. Parker (6-10) allowed two runs on five hits over six innings. He struck out four and walked one while winning for the first time since beating the Padres in San Diego on June 23.

Luis Arraez and Jose Iglesias each had two hits for San Diego, which lost for just the second time in the past six games. Padres starter Yu Darvish (0-2) gave up three runs on five hits over five innings. He struck out one and walked one.

Mariners 7, Astros 6 (11 inn.)

Rookie Cole Young singled home the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning as Seattle defeated visiting Houston for the Mariners’ fifth straight win.

With Dominic Canzone the runner at second to start the inning, Miles Mastrobuoni put down a sacrifice bunt to move Canzone to third. Young lined a single down the right field line off Houston’s Hector Neris (3-2) to win it.

Both teams scored in the 10th. Houston pinch hitter Taylor Trammell’s sacrifice fly brought home the go-ahead run in the top of the inning. The Mariners tied it in the bottom half as Cal Raleigh scored from third on a fluke groundout off the knob of Dylan Moore’s bat.

–Field Level Media