The 2023 Home Run Derby and All-Star Game have wrapped up. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. benefited from a gassed Randy Arozarena to pick up the Home Run Derby crown, joining his Vlad Sr, as the only father/son duo to each win the event. On Tuesday, it was a low-scoring affair, but the National League held on to win its first All-Star Game since 2012.
Even though the week’s two main events are in the rearview, this doesn’t mean games instantly start back up. Every team will remain off on Wednesday and Thursday before the regular season schedule around MLB resumes on Friday, July 14, with all 30 teams in action to usher in the year’s second half.
The Cincinnati Reds come out of the break with a 50-41 record and a one-game lead in the NL Central. They will face the second-place Milwaukee Brewers in a huge three-game weekend set in Cincy this weekend, looking for their first division title since 2012. The Atlanta Braves are the best team in baseball, with a 60-29 record and an 8.5-game lead over the Miami Marlins. They will welcome the Chicago White Sox to town for a weekend series.
The Marlins will have their hands full starting the second half on the road against the Baltimore Orioles, who are only two games back of the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East. The Arizona Diamondbacks find themselves tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the AL West and have to deal with the 50-41 Toronto Blue Jays over the weekend.
