Perfection? Not yet. Progress? Certainly.

Yasmany Tomas smacked two home runs and drove in five to back an outstanding pitching performance from Archie Bradley as the D-backs cruised to an 8-1 win over the Brewers on Wednesday night at Miller Park.

Kris Bryant hit a solo homer in the sixth, Javier Baez smacked a tiebreaking two-run blast in the seventh and Addison Russell added his first career grand slam in the eighth to lift the Cubs to an 8-1 victory over the White Sox on Wednesday in the third game of a four-game Interleague series.

Their star pitcher had been bested. All their momentum had vanished. To beat the Mets on Wednesday night, the Cardinals would need to topple Mets All-Star closer Jeurys Familia, which no team had done in the regular season in nearly a year. Pulling off that unlikely feat in front of a hostile Citi Field crowd, the Cardinals stole a 5-4 game and a series victory from the Mets, winning two of three in a series of two National League Wild Card contenders.

Astros 2015 top Draft pick Alex Bregman is the new No. 1 prospect in baseball after landing atop MLB Pipeline’s midseason re-rank of the Top 100 Prospects list, which is dominated by middle infielders at the very peak.

Astros outfielder Colby Rasmus snapped an 0-for-29 slump at an opportune time.

Khris Davis and Coco Crisp each belted two-run homers off Rangers reliever Matt Bush in the eighth inning to send the A’s to a 6-4 win in the rubber match of a three-game set on Wednesday night at Globe Life Park.

Nolan Brown hopes to one day attend college near his hometown of Long Beach, Calif. But the 16-year-old might not be able to do so without baseball.

The Rockies placed right-hander Jason Motte on the 15-day disabled list with a right rotator cuff strain and reinstated lefty Chris Rusin (left shoulder strain) from the DL before Wednesday’s series finale with the Orioles.

Astros center fielder Carlos Gomez left Wednesday’s game against the Yankees in the second inning with a right hamstring strain.

How did they do that?

Tyler Saladino started at second base again Wednesday, but White Sox manager Robin Ventura won’t commit to Saladino being there most of the time in Brett Lawrie’s absence. Lawrie was placed on the 15-day disabled list (retroactive to July 22) with a strained left hamstring. Infielder Carlos Sanchez was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte.

Rangers right-hander Colby Lewis is expected to undergo one last MRI exam on Friday before beginning the next steps of his recovery from a right lat strain. He expects to return sometime before the end of August.

Matt Moore allowed one unearned run in 6 2/3 innings and Evan Longoria slugged a two-run homer in a three-run fourth inning as the Rays beat the Dodgers on Wednesday, 3-1, for the franchise’s first win at Dodger Stadium.

Four days after Tyler Glasnow exited his second Major League start with discomfort in his throwing arm, head athletic trainer Todd Tomczyk said he envisions the right-hander being able to pick up a baseball in the coming days.

Brewers outfielder Keon Broxton is booking plenty of frequent flyer miles this year. Recalled from Triple-A earlier this week, Broxton is in his fourth stint with the Brewers in his rookie season. That sort of fluctuation between levels can be tough on a young player, but Broxton has taken the ups and downs of his season in stride.

The Braves on Wednesday traded a pair of pitchers — right-handed starter Lucas Harrell and lefty reliever Dario Alvarez — to the Rangers for infield prospect Travis Demeritte ahead of Monday’s non-waiver Trade Deadline.