TORONTO — For the second time in three days, the St. Louis Cardinals relief corps gave up one late run that provided the deciding margin in a road loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

A multitude of missed offensive opportunities paved the way to a walk-off loss in Friday’s series opener, but the Cardinals’ lack of scoring chances opened the ...Read more

ATLANTA — Despite all the injuries to their pitching staff and questions about their roster depth, the Los Angeles Dodgers still believe.

That they can finish off a division title in the National League West.

That they can mount a deep, albeit unconventional, October run.

That, as manager Dave Roberts declared, “the talent we have, the ...Read more

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Caden Dana is learning what it takes to be a successful big league pitcher.

He’s learning the hard way.

The Angels’ 20-year-old top prospect gave up five runs in a 6-4 loss to the Houston Astros on Sunday afternoon.

It came on the heels of a rough game last week against the Texas Rangers. Dana has now allowed 10 runs ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — The San Diego Padres won a game that got them closer to wrapping up a postseason spot.

They did it in a familiar manner, overcoming whatever might have tripped them up and winning in extra innings.

“This team is on a mission, and we definitely want to get there,” Fernando Tatis Jr. said. “This is just what it takes for ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — The series finale between the Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies felt less like a roller coaster and more like a high-stakes chess match. It was a nail-biter from start-to-finish, and the Mets were forced to play nearly all of it without Francisco Lindor.

Tyrone Taylor hit just his seventh homer of the season in the top of the ...Read more

SEATTLE — In a season filled with brilliant outings from the pitching staff, including the most quality starts in all of Major League Baseball, the unique trio of George Kirby, Trent Thornton and Eduard Bazardo combined for possibly the Mariners’ best overall pitching performance of the season in Sunday’s 7-0 win over the Texas Rangers.

...Read more

DETROIT — Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson, as they often are before a game, were sitting side by side in the clubhouse talking shop.

Greene was congratulating Torkelson for his "choke and poke" two-strike base hit to right field to keep the game alive in the ninth inning Saturday. And then he started rooting around for a new bat.

"This ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — When the Twins were at one of their lowest points in the season with teams chipping away at their lead in the wild-card race, Brooks Lee delivered the best game of his rookie season.

“I hope it happens at an even better time in the playoffs,” said a smiling Lee after the Twins avoided being swept by the Cincinnati Reds with ...Read more

NEW YORK — Aaron Judge let his bat do the talking on Sunday, as he crushed a two-run homers in the Yankees’ 5-2 win over the Red Sox after Alex Cora suggested his team threw at the slugger the day before.

With the Yankees already leading thanks to a Giancarlo Stanton RBI double in the second inning and a Gleyber Torres solo homer in the ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — As much as he could, Billy Cook did justice to the spot he was assigned on the field.

With the numerals “2” and “1” etched into the right-field grass at PNC Park on Sunday afternoon in honor of “Clemente Day,” Cook provided a couple of moments “The Great One” made commonplace while winning 15 Gold Glove awards ...Read more

NEW YORK – For the first time in over four decades, the Red Sox will have to find their voice.

Joe Castiglione, the award-winning voice of Red Sox radio for 42 seasons and over 6,500 games, will retire at season’s end, he announced in the fourth inning of Sunday’s Red Sox-Yankees game.

“While I feel I am at the pinnacle of my career, ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — Having a powerful and burly professional athlete who's every bit of 6-foot-6, 235 pounds walking around the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex isn't new, especially three days before the Steelers play the Denver Broncos.

But the uniqueness of it came with that man's profession: starting pitcher for the Pirates and not a tight end or ...Read more

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Taylor Ward and Nolan Schanuel both came steaming toward the plate, just about 30 feet apart, with Schanuel representing the tying run in the bottom of the eighth inning.

The ball arrived in between them, just in time to keep the Angels down by a run in a game they went on to lose, 5-3 against the Houston Astros on Saturday ...Read more

SEATTLE — For the first time since he’s been a member of the Seattle Mariners, T-Mobile Park was transformed into RandyLand.

With the Mariners in must-win mode, Randy Arozarena, who earned a reputation for being a performer in clutch situations with the Tampa Bay Rays, delivered in the bottom of the ninth Saturday evening.

With the bases ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — Joe Musgrove bounced back while the San Diego Padres took another step ahead.

Six days after one of the worst starts of his career — which went bad in a matter of a few minutes — Musgrove threw six scoreless innings in a rematch against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday. And the Padres’ offense methodically added on ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins finally had the type of lineup they envisioned for a playoff run with Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton returning from the injured list on back-to-back days.

In the 18th game of the season that featured Correa, Buxton and Royce Lewis in the lineup together, it ended with position player Kyle Farmer on the mound....Read more

ATLANTA — The Dodgers’ pitching situation has become increasingly ugly this weekend, after manager Dave Roberts announced Saturday that ace right-hander Tyler Glasnow will likely miss the rest of the season.

But, in back-to-back losses to the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park, the team’s on-field play hasn’t been much better.

On Saturday ...Read more

DETROIT — Zach Eflin wasn’t panicked after one of the Orioles’ worst games of the season Friday night.

Instead of catastrophizing about the state of the club, he stuck with the certainties that baseball — and the universe — provide.

“Sun’s going to come up tomorrow, and we’re going to be prepared for it,” the veteran pitcher ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Missing their team leader, the New York Mets looked like they were cruising to a win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park.

Without Francisco Lindor, the Mets took a big lead on the Phillies early. But their NL East rivals got a big performance from their leader, Bryce Harper, who hit two home runs ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers knew the risks that came with acquiring talented but injury-plagued pitcher Tyler Glasnow last offseason. On Saturday, after the latest setback in his late-season elbow injury, they finally had to grapple with the worst-case scenario.

Glasnow's season almost certainly is over because of an elbow sprain, manager Dave ...Read more