PITTSBURGH — For the second time in four days, the Pittsburgh Pirates were nearly perfect. This time, it didn’t even result in a win.

Four Pirates combined to retire the first 20 St. Louis Cardinals, the same number of Milwaukee Brewers that Paul Skenes retired on Friday, but Dennis Santana allowed four runs in the ninth in a 4-2 loss at ...Read more

Toronto Blue Jays starter Dylan Cease entered Monday’s series opener in Toronto as Major League Baseball’s strikeout leader, but it was Ranger Suárez who racked up the punchouts, took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, and had himself a career night.

In the American League East rivals’ first meeting of the year, Suárez held the Blue ...Read more

The Tampa Bay Rays extended their winning streak to five games with a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over the Guardians on Monday night at Cleveland’s Progressive Field.

Ryan Vilade and Jonathan Aranda provided the key hits, Steven Matz worked seven strong innings, and Ian Seymour and Bryan Baker teamed up for the final six outs.

The Rays ...Read more

CHICAGO — The start of Monday’s Chicago White Sox game against the Los Angeles Angels at Rate Field has been delayed because of inclement weather in the area, the Sox announced.

The game was scheduled to begin at 7:40 p.m. ET.

“We are monitoring the forecast and will provide updates when available,” the Sox said in a message posted on ...Read more

NEW YORK — After the New York Mets finally put an end to their 12-game hitting streak last week, setup man Luke Weaver had a quote that summed up the Mets in a way that few have ever been able to: “It’s not very often you have such a talented team where everything just doesn’t really click in the right way. It’s quite an impossible ...Read more

BOSTON — Prior to Sunday’s game, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and interim manager Chad Tracy spoke to Boston Red Sox players to address them about the club’s managerial change.

Speaking to reporters in the Camden Yards visitor’s clubhouse afterward, several veteran Red Sox players offered unusually candid assessments of the ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A game that started out like it would be a stress-free victory ended up as an agonizing loss.

After taking a six-run lead in the second inning, the Los Angeles Angels blew a three-run lead in the ninth and then a one-run lead in the 10th, eventually losing 11-9 to the Kansas City Royals on a rainy Sunday.

Drew Pomeranz ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers’ 6-0 win over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday included another strong offensive performance and Shohei Ohtani’s first home run in two weeks. But veteran second baseman Miguel Rojas didn’t see those as the main factors.

“It’s all about starting pitching right now, to be honest with you,” he said. �...Read more

Meet the Mets … greet the Mets … step right up and beat the Mets.

That’s exactly what the Colorado Rockies did on Sunday afternoon in the first game of a doubleheader at Citi Field.

Behind 5 1/3 superb innings by veteran left-hander Jose Quintana, another shutdown performance from its bullpen and timely hits, Colorado beat New York, 3-1....Read more

Start spreading the news: the Colorado Rockies are no longer pushovers. They proved it in the Big Apple by sweeping a three-game series from the scuffling New York Mets.

Colorado (13-16) completed the job by taking both games of Sunday’s doubleheader at Citi Field, beating the Mets, 3-1, in Game 1, and blanking the Mets, 3-0, in Game 2 ...Read more

CHICAGO — The Chicago White Sox dropped their second straight extra-inning game, falling 2-1 to the Washington Nationals in 10 innings on Sunday in front of 24,259 at Rate Field.

The Sox went 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position on Sunday as they lost two of three in the series.

“I think really the story (of) the whole series is just ...Read more

Meet the Mets … greet the Mets … step right up and beat the Mets.

That’s exactly what the Colorado Rockies did on Sunday afternoon in the first game of a doubleheader at Citi Field.

Behind 5 1/3 superb innings by veteran left-hander Jose Quintana, another shutdown performance from its bullpen and timely hits, Colorado beat New York, 3-1....Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Giants appeared headed for another listless loss Sunday, only to rediscover their bats when they needed them most to support starting pitcher Landen Roupp.

Casey Schmitt had the big blow with a three-run home run in the seventh inning in a 6-3 win over the Miami Marlins before a sellout crowd of 40,445 at ...Read more

MEXICO CITY — The San Diego Padres had it done to them this time.

An easy, breezy Sunday turned dark in the seventh inning, when a couple slowly rolled singles, a bungled play at second base, a grand slam, two doubles and a walk turned a five-run lead into a two-run deficit.

The Arizona Diamondbacks scored six runs in that inning off ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Diaz provided the offense, and four pitchers took care of the rest as the Tampa Bay Rays completed a sweep of the Minnesota Twins with a 4-2 victory on Sunday afternoon.

The Rays improved to 16-11, getting to five games over .500 for the first time since July 19, and are an American League-best 14-6 ...Read more

CINCINNATI — The Detroit Tigers were a credible road team last year, going 41-40. So far this season, not so much.

They had already been swept out of Arizona (three games) and Minnesota (four games) this season. And they were nine outs away from getting broomed out of Cincinnati, as well.

Until AJ Hinch played one of his lefty-slayer cards ...Read more

ATLANTA — The charter was gassed up and ready to fly at about 6 p.m. Sunday.

It could’ve taken off four hours earlier.

Because Aaron Nola dropped the Phillies down a three-run hole after only 10 pitches in a game they stood little chance of winning anyway. Left-handed pitchers are Kryptonite to the Phillies’ hitters — and Braves ace ...Read more

When the sun rose over Baltimore on Sunday morning, the Boston Red Sox awoke with a lingering sense of disbelief. Hours earlier longtime manager Alex Cora and a large chunk of his coaching staff had been abruptly fired, and now the players were left trying to process everything and figure out what would come next.

And yet, baseball season doesn...Read more

ST. LOUIS — Rob Refsnyder launched a pinch-hit solo home run into the visitors’ bullpen in the top of the ninth inning, completing another Seattle Mariners comeback in a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday afternoon at Busch Stadium.

Refsnyder successfully challenged what was a strike three from home-plate umpire John Bacon ...Read more

MILWAUKEE — Carmen Mlodzinski started with three hitless innings. He couldn’t complete the fourth.

The Milwaukee Brewers scored five runs against Mlodzinski in the fourth inning, then cruised to a 5-0 victory on Sunday afternoon at American Family Field. The Pittsburgh Pirates won the series, their third-consecutive series win against a ...Read more