CHICAGO -- The Cubs picked up the slack Monday night for the loss of Anthony Rizzo and for the ineffectiveness of left-hander Cole Hamels.

Kyle Schwarber hit a three-run home run in the first inning and made a diving catch in left field to take away a potential RBI away from Josh VanMeter in the fourth.

Relievers Steve Cishek, Alec Mills, ...Read more

ST. LOUIS -- Marcell Ozuna drove in four runs with a home run and double and threw a Washington runner out at the plate Monday night as the Cardinals defeated the Nationals 4-2 at Busch Stadium.

Ozuna hit a two-run homer in the first inning and a two-run double in the seventh to break a tie and make a winner of Dakota Hudson (16-7), who worked ...Read more

MILWAUKEE -- Before he walked from the mound at Miller Park, the four infielders who had played behind him for the better part of four innings reached in with their gloves one at a time to tap Garrett Richards on the seat of his pants.

Richards' long road back was complete. It was all he had said he wanted.

But then it wasn't all he wanted, ...Read more

DETROIT -- Just when it looked like the Detroit Tigers were about to cruise to the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, they won.

In the series finale of a four-game series at Comerica Park, rookie left-hander Tyler Alexander pitched the best game of his young career and outfielder Victor Reyes continued his hot hitting.

In the 5-2 win, ...Read more

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Royals slugger Jorge Soler either genuinely didn't see the irony or didn't feel the need to acknowledge it. He hit his 42nd, 43rd, and 44th home runs -- part of the greatest power hitting season in franchise history -- in Chicago last week.

He put his power on full display as well as his growth in the city where he started ...Read more

ATLANTA -- Not even the 1927 New York Yankees, despite a lineup famously known as "Murderers' Row," had three players with 40 or more home runs. They had two, Babe Ruth with 60 and Lou Gehrig with 47, but no one else with more than 18.

In fact, only three teams in MLB history have had three 40-homer hitters in the same season: the 1973 Atlanta ...Read more

NEW YORK -- The Los Angeles Dodgers were reeling when Jedd Gyorko stepped into the batter's box to pinch-hit in the eighth inning of their 3-2 win Sunday night. They had spent seven innings wasting prime scoring opportunities against New York Mets right-hander Zack Wheeler. They were down to six outs to rebound.

Then they got a gift. Mets left-...Read more

DENVER -- The Padres and their fans can be thankful that won't happen again until next season.

The Padres got swept out of Coors Field by the Rockies on Sunday, losing 10-5 in what started as the most competitive contest of the three-game series and ended as the biggest blowout.

And that was after Josh Naylor's two-run homer in the ninth.

The...Read more

CHICAGO -- Anthony Rizzo sprained his right ankle during the third inning of Sunday's 16-6 win over the Pirates, putting a damper on a big milestone for Kris Bryant and the Cubs bagging their third straight game with at least 14 runs.

Bryant knocked two home runs off Trevor Williams to left-center field -- the first bomb moving him past Ernie ...Read more

WASHINGTON -- The Braves' attention will soon shift toward assembling their postseason roster. But the last week won't inspire confidence in up-and-down left-hander Max Fried, whose breakthrough has reached a sudden halt.

Fried lasted just 2-1/3 innings in a 7-0 loss Sunday. It spared the Nationals a sweep and helped prevent the Braves from ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Royals knew they'd face a much taller task this weekend against the Houston Astros than they had during their recent four-series win streak. The Astros have World Series aspirations and just might finish the regular season with the best record in baseball.

The Royals simply didn't have the firepower and depth to matchup ...Read more

ST. LOUIS -- Ryan Braun hit a 3-2 pitch into the bleachers in left-center field for a grand slam off reliever Junior Fernandez in the top of the ninth inning Sunday as the visiting Milwaukee Brewers rallied for a 7-6 win before a crowd of 46,722 at Busch Stadium.

The homer, which put the Brewers on top 7-4, set a franchise record for Milwaukee....Read more

DETRIOT -- Orioles manager Brandon Hyde has praised his team's resilience throughout a 2019 season that Saturday reached 100 losses. The 100th was one of the toughest, with two late leads disappearing and the final blow delivered on the Detroit Tigers' walk-off grand slam. But Sunday, even the rain falling over Comerica Park couldn't dampen ...Read more

CLEVELAND -- A disappointing weekend for the Indians at least finished with a small bright spot.

Trailing 4-2 entering the bottom of the sixth and staring at a disastrous series sweep, the Indians came from behind Sunday to beat the Minnesota Twins 7-5 at Progressive Field.

Jason Kipnis doubled and Franmil Reyes walked to put the tying runs on...Read more

CHICAGO -- Kris Bryant has hit more home runs in his first five seasons than Ernie Banks did.

Let that sink one in for a minute.

With 136 home runs going into Sunday's game against the Pirates, Bryant was tied with "Mr. Cub" for most home runs in a player's first five seasons on the North Side. Bryant hit Nos. 137 and 138 Sunday.

"Pretty cool...Read more

LOS ANGELES -- Mike Trout will undergo season-ending right foot surgery this week, the Angels announced Sunday.

Trout will have the procedure to remove a Morton's neuroma from his right foot. Having last played on Sept. 7, Trout said Saturday night he was hoping to return to the lineup for the team's series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays. ...Read more

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Brad Ausmus' pregame media session Saturday afternoon quickly turned into a glorified injury update. On an Angels team that seems to get more banged up by the day, there was plenty for the first-year manager to cover.

Asked whether Mike Trout, who hasn't played since Sept. 7 because of nerve irritation in his right foot that ...Read more