TAMPA. Fla. — This is what it was supposed to look like. This is the version of the Rays that could contend in September.

Not overpowering. Not terribly sexy. Just good starting pitching, excellent defense and enough versatility in the lineup to sneak past opponents with bigger payrolls and better name recognition.

The Rays beat the Blue ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — Paul Skenes has greatly suffered from the Pirates’ offensive woes this season and his outing Friday evening was no different. However, despite another quality start wasted, Skenes’ teammates were able to battle back in the late going, ultimately defeating the Brewers by a final score of 6-5 thanks to a walk-off run from Adam ...Read more

WASHINGTON — The Washington Nationals announced a paid attendance of 19,195 on Friday night at Nationals Park. It’s unclear how many of those in attendance were Giants fans, but there were more than enough — especially behind the third-base dugout — to start a “Let’s go Giants” chants in the lower bowl.

Landen Roupp pitched six-...Read more

ATLANTA — On Friday afternoon, Brian Snitker arrived at Truist Park and wrote out the lineup, as he does ahead of every game. This time, before the 50th contest of the season, the manager penciled in a new name at the top.

“Acuña Jr.”

And Snitker had the perfect description for the allure of a player like Acuña.

“He’s one of those...Read more

BOSTON — The Red Sox demolished the Orioles in a 19-5 win in Game 1 of a doubleheader but lost their top player, third baseman Alex Bregman, to right quad tightness.

Bregman suffered the injury rounding first base after singling to left field in the bottom of the fifth inning. Bregman returned to first and motioned that he needed to come out ...Read more

BOSTON — Red Sox reliever Liam Hendriks had enough. So, he took to social media on Thursday to raise awareness about death threats he received following a loss to the Mets.

Hendriks addressed the post, and some of the messages he received, in the Red Sox clubhouse Friday morning ahead of a doubleheader against the Orioles.

“Unfortunately, ...Read more

CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs denied a report from their flagship radio station that the 2027 All-Star Game was coming to Wrigley Field, telling the Tribune “no decision has been made.”

WSCR-AM 670 reported Thursday that MLB has awarded the game to the Cubs, who have long sought the big event since a massive ballpark renovation in the 2010s....Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — When it comes to the Orlando Dreamers and the burgeoning public campaign to bring Major League Baseball to Central Florida, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings hasn’t exactly grabbed a bat and sprinted out of the dugout.

He hasn’t thrown out the ceremonial first pitch. He hasn’t been photographed in an Orlando Dreamers cap...Read more

HOUSTON — Two and a half hours before he stepped back onto a major league mound for the first time in eight months, George Kirby stood in the Mariners dugout, looking out at the field while his teammates went through their pregame routines.

It all should have looked and felt familiar. The last time he pitched in a major league game was in ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — The Pirates narrowly avoided major league history, but they waited until the last possible moment to do so.

The Pirates scored five runs on Thursday night, the first time in 27 games that they’ve reached that total. They lost anyway, falling 8-5 to the Brewers despite two runs in the ninth inning and their best offensive ...Read more

DETROIT — Manager AJ Hinch, maybe getting a little weary of answering questions about the magnitude of this series with the Guardians, finally summed it up like this:

“It’s cool and it doesn’t matter.”

Both things can be true.

The Guardians, who broke the Tigers’ hearts in Game 5 of the ALDS last October, drew first blood in the ...Read more

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The way things are going for the Angels lately, not even a bad six innings could derail them.

Taylor Ward’s seventh-inning grand slam erased a three-run deficit, leading the Angels to a 10-5 victory over the A’s on Thursday afternoon. They extended their winning streak to seven games.

The Angels (24-25) had not ...Read more

TORONTO — The Padres reminded themselves who they were.

“I like this game,” Luis Arraez said. “This game is the San Diego Padres. When we compete, we look like that.”

Looking better and feeling better about it was the only win on Thursday.

The Padres lost the crapshoot that is modern extra innings and lost a sixth straight game. A ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — The tweet Jon Heyman of the New York Post posted a few days ago certainly was not meant as comic relief, but here's hoping it provided at least a little bit of that for rightfully embittered Pirates fans:

"Pirates source: Paul Skenes is not getting traded. 'No chance, no way, no how,' is the way I heard it. While there's a bit of...Read more

BOSTON — It’s not uncommon for professional athletes to receive criticism on social media, but sometimes that fan behavior can escalate into harassment or outright abuse.

On Thursday, Red Sox right-hander Liam Hendriks revealed he’d received messages that were beyond the pale.

“Just as an FYI: Threats against my life and my wife’s ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Slow down.

Previously limited to fastballs and splitters, Shohei Ohtani threw a handful of sliders and curveballs in his mid-week bullpen session, but that doesn't mean he will be a two-way player again before the All-Star break.

Ohtani is lined up to potentially face hitters in a simulated game on Saturday in New York, but ...Read more

BOSTON — With both Triston Casas and Romy Gonzalez out injured, the Red Sox have struggled to get by with little to no depth at first base.

Thursday the club brought in some badly needed reinforcements.

The Red Sox announced they have acquired first baseman Ryan Noda from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for cash considerations. Noda has ...Read more