Vladimir Guerrero Jr.of the Blue Jays returns from the break with a bang as he goes two for three with a walk and two home runs to open up a big lead at the top of the Baseball Musings Batter Rankings. That game score of 78 ranked fifth highest of the day, the Blue Jays taking the game from the Rangers 10-2. Joey Gallo of the Rangers went 0 for 3 in the game to drop to third place.

Matt Olson of the Athletics moves into second place with a good night, three for five with two doubles in a 5-4 win over the Indians. Freddie Freeman of the Braves returns to the top five for the first time in a while after a four for five night with a home run. The Rays, however, take the game 7-6 in extra innings. Freeman is hitting .419 in July.

Juan Soto of the Nationals now holds the fifth slot as he goes four for five with two home runs against the Padres. That tied for highest game score of the day with Jake Cronenworth of the Padres, whose four for five gave him the cycle.

On a night the Padres treated Nationals Park like Coors Field, slashing balls through the thick humid air as if the nation’s capital was located a mile high, Jake Cronenworth became the first Padres player to hit for the cycle somewhere other than Denver.

That provided a mere starting point for describing what happened in the Padres’ explosive start to the season’s second half.

The Padres scored at least one run in the first six innings, including seven in the second and six in the sixth, and then added four in the eighth to set a franchise record for runs scored in a game in a 24-8 victory over the Nationals that was also the longest nine-inning game in franchise history. 

SanDiegoUnionTribune.com

The Padres had a cycle, grand slam, and a steal of home in the game. Tommy Pham, Wil Myers, and Eric Hosmer all posted game scores of 70 or more. It was a game for the ages for San Diego.