CHICAGO -- The Cubs avoided being no-hit Wednesday night when Anthony Rizzo led off the seventh inning with a double off Adam Plutko, but they couldn't muster much else in a 1-0 loss that completed a two-game sweep by the Indians at Wrigley Field.

Willson Contreras followed Rizzo's hit with an infield single, but the Cubs failed to score as ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA -- Big games? Jake Arrieta has pitched in more than a few.

Arrieta started the National League wild-card game in 2015 and tossed a five-hit shutout for the Chicago Cubs. A year later, with the Sons of Theo Epstein facing elimination, Arrieta took the ball in Game 6 of the World Series and beat the Cleveland Indians. And he kept the...Read more

NEW YORK -- All Don Mattingly wanted was for the Marlins just to "hang in there" as long as they could against Jacob deGrom.

Mattingly got his wish.

The Marlins hung in, and then they won.

Trailing 1-0 entering the ninth, the Marlins came up with two runs off Mets closer Jeurys Familia to pull off the 2-1 comeback win and take the series.

J....Read more

WASHINGTON -- Nationals pitcher Erick Fedde let go of a changeup that stayed a little too elevated and a little more over the middle of the plate than he wanted.

The ball shot high enough and hard enough off Christian Villanueva's bat that Fedde sank to a squat on the front of the mound as he rotated his body to watch it fly.

The wind, blowing...Read more

PHILADELPHIA -- Much like the Braves are building around young pillars Ronald Acuna and Ozzie Albies, the Phillies are orchestrating their future around Rhys Hoskins and Scott Kingery.

And the difference at the top of the National League East so far is one pairing's success against the other's growing pains.

Hoskins burst onto the scene in ...Read more

HOUSTON -- A day after suffering at the hands of the second-best pitcher in the American League, the Giants squared off against the only player posting better numbers than Houston's Gerrit Cole.

Their matchup with Justin Verlander didn't end well either.

After winning two in a row to end a seven-game homestand, the Giants lost to the defending...Read more

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland A's had their four-game victory streak snapped when Seattle's Jean Segura beat the relay throw to the plate, scoring the game-winning run on Guillermo Heredia's double to right-center field in the 10th inning on Tuesday night.

Even after the 3-2 loss, there was no decision on the night's overriding topic: An ...Read more

TORONTO -- Their offense still stumbling in the darkness, the Angels' latest loss was aided when a little too much light was cast upon their defense.

Right fielder Chris Young's inability to secure a potential third-out fly ball in the first inning helped lead to four unearned runs as they fell to Toronto 5-3.

The Angels have lost six of seven...Read more

ST. LOUIS -- For weeks, Royals starting pitchers have struggled to both give manager Ned Yost length and their offense a chance to breathe.

They've dug themselves into early ruts, allowing 19 first-inning runs through 20 games in May after allowing just 16 first-inning runs in the first 28 games of the season. They've often labored just to get ...Read more

HOUSTON -- Madison Bumgarner faced hitters at Minute Maid Park on Tuesday, but he did not face the Houston Astros.

While Bumgarner took another crucial step in his lengthy rehab process, his absence from the Giants starting rotation remains a glaring issue for a team that clearly missed its ace in an 11-2 loss.

The defending World Series ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA -- The Braves will retain first place for another day.

Behind Ozzie Albies and Brandon McCarthy, they won a 3-1 barnburner against the Phillies on Tuesday.

Albies put the Braves ahead with a solo homer in the third. They tacked on another run in the fifth after two Phillies throwing errors and added an insurance run in the ninth ...Read more

NEW YORK -- The moment he spotted Don Mattingly emerge from the dugout to come take the ball from him, Caleb Smith waited on the mound with his back turned to the manager, staring off into the distance.

He didn't appear happy.

But neither could he be disappointed.

Smith turned in yet another impressive start as the Marlins handed the Mets a 5...Read more

WASHINGTON -- Eric Lauer found the consistency he had worked for and the Padres were seeking from him.

The rookie left-hander went six strong innings on Tuesday, surrendering his only run on Bryce Harper's game-tying solo home run in the fifth.

The Padres lost 2-1 on a walk-off double by Michael A. Taylor against Matt Strahm scored Juan Soto ...Read more