Recaps
[AZ Central] Del Castillo’s blast, Kelly’s new look ignite Diamondbacks in victory – “I wanted to come out aggressive today and just kind of let it fly,” Kelly said. “Just kind of let the chips fall where they may. Not try to be too fine or too precise. “Just be aggressive and get back to competing.” That manifested itself in a repertoire that was up across the board; each of Kelly’s six pitch types came in above their season averages in velocity, three of which registered more than 1.5 mph hotter
than usual. “What I was doing wasn’t working and what I was doing was the opposite of competing and being aggressive and being on the attack,” Kelly said. “Clearly, it wasn’t working, and I just got to the point of, in my mind, it couldn’t get any worse.”
[Arizona Sports] Did Merrill Kelly find some answers in Diamondbacks’ Fourth of July win over Brewers? – He drew 13 whiffs after inducing only four in his last start in Tampa Bay. He struck out six batters, tying a season high, several of which with runners in scoring position to keep the scoring down. “I feel like the league is adjusting to what I try to do, and I need to adjust back,” Kelly said. “I think I haven’t really done a very good job of doing that this year. And I think that just comes with establishing the fastball. I think everything, just like it has for however long baseball’s been around, they pitch off the fastball and everything else plays off the fastball. So going into today, I wanted to make that an emphasis and be on the attack and try to find myself in better counts than I have up to this point.”
Team news
[Dbacks.com] Carroll, Rodriguez to rep D-backs at All-Star Game – “It means a lot to me, because I’ve been in this game for quite a long time, and to have the opportunity to go to an All-Star Game for the first time is just something amazing,” Rodriguez said… [He] credited the Arizona defense behind him for his success this year. “That’s No. 1 factor for sure, because they always play really good behind me,” Rodriguez said. “And second has been that I’ve been great to locate my pitches where I want, have a really good relationship with the catchers that catch me, have a really good plan, and we just go out there and execute it.” Both players had made plans for the All-Star break, with Carroll having some pre-wedding festivities of a friend he was going to attend, while Rodriguez and his wife were going to spend the few days off in the Southern California area.“I think he’ll understand,” Carroll said with a smile.
[Burn City Sports] Was trading Jake McCarthy a massive mistake by the Diamondbacks? – When the lineup isn’t getting production from its biggest names, the lack of depth becomes obvious. That makes McCarthy’s emergence elsewhere even more difficult to ignore. His historic performance for Colorado wasn’t just a career night. It was a reminder of the player Arizona developed but ultimately decided it could live without. Two home runs, six RBI, a stolen base, and relentless pressure on opposing pitchers showcased the complete offensive package the Diamondbacks once believed could be part of their future. The frustrating part for Arizona fans isn’t simply that McCarthy is producing. It’s how he’s producing.
[AZ Central] In a superstar year, Luis Gonzalez embodied 2001 champion Diamondbacks – “Spring training went well, I felt comfortable, and I got off to a great start in the opening series. You get out of the gates good, you start swinging the bat well, your confidence grows. That’s what happened to me. It seemed like every series I felt more confidence going out there and I was starting to feel like the guys were relying on me, counting on me, and I loved that part of being one of the leaders of a ballclub.” Gonzalez became — and remains — the Diamondbacks’ ultimate ambassador, making himself accessible to fans wherever he goes and always greeting them with a warm smile and genuine inclusion. His easy-going, good-guy aura has always made folks feel special, and he has never lost that charm because it’s simply him.He’s not too good to be true; that’s just who he is.
And, elsewhere…
[Milwaukee Journey-Sentinel] Brandon Woodruff leaves start early again with concerning ‘dead arm’ feeling – Just as he did the last time he faced the Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff departed his start early with an apparent injury July 4 at Chase Field. Woodruff came out for the fourth inning with a 85.8 mph fastball and never got above 87.3 in a strikeout to Gabriel Moreno. After that, seven of his final eight pitches before being removed were changeups, including four straight between 73 and 75 mph – more than 7 mph below his season average. An injured list stint is all but a guarantee for Woodruff now the second time around with the ailment.”It’s kind of the same thing he had before,” Murphy said. “It’s in the same area, same spot. That cyst develops. He’s got that tear in the labrum there and that cyst develops. It flares up. It’s probably going to be an IL.”
[ESPN] 2026 MLB All-Star Game rosters: Snubs, other takeaways – At least the NL added all those starting pitchers and no extra relievers beyond the three mandatory voted in by the players — Mason Miller, Jhoan Duran and Raisel Iglesias. If there’s one thing we don’t need, it’s more relievers in an All-Star Game. Oh, don’t worry, we’ll get to the AL. Who should start the game on the mound? Misiorowski has arguably been the best story of the first half, and that’s kind of the point of the All-Star Game. On the other hand, the game is in Philly and Sanchez leads in bWAR and is tied in fWAR. Considering the cost of an All-Star ticket, let’s give the ball to Sanchez and make the home fans happy.
[MLB] Trout becomes 3rd AL player elected to start 11 All-Star Games – Trout leads all active players in All-Star Game selections, but hadn’t been named one since 2023 after suffering a torn meniscus in his knee that plagued him in ‘24 and ‘25. It’s also extra special for Trout because the Midsummer Classic is being held at Citizens Bank Park, which is located just 40 miles from his hometown of Millville, N.J. When manager Kurt Suzuki announced in front of the team that Trout had been elected as an All-Star, the Angels had Trout’s wife, Jessica, and his two sons, Beckham and Jordy, on FaceTime, which made Trout emotional. Trout also fought back tears when speaking to reporters about what it meant to him. “It was definitely on my list when it came out, so it’s pretty cool,” Trout said. “Just the kids, friends, family. It just means a lot.”
And since Mel Brooks recently turned 100 years old…
Young Frankenstein (1974)
- Rating: B+
- Dir: Mel Brooks.
- Star: Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, Teri Garr.
While Wilder is front and centre, the supporting cast are uniformly excellent. Feldman is a real standout, and it makes you wonder what he might have done, save his untimely early death. But the women – not just Garr and her knockers, Madeline Kahn and Cloris Leachman as well – are almost as impeccable. Though, for whatever reason, I think I laughed hardest at Inspector Kemp, with his false arm of 1,001 uses. This is the second time Kenneth Mars has stolen the show in a Brooks movie, after his turn as Nazi playwright Franz Liebkind in The Producers. It’s all almost entirely glorious, and will certainly ensure you won’t be able to watch the classics in quite the same way again. Or sing Putting On The Ritz either.
