SEATTLE — Good start. Better finish.

Jorge Polanco delivered a bases-loaded single off Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Seattle Mariners a 4-3 walkoff victory over the Guardians on Saturday night at T-Mobile Park.

After the Guardians intentionally walked Cal Raleigh to load the bases...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The offense scored 11 times. Shohei Ohtani hit two home runs. And the team regained sole possession of first place in the division.

But on a night of all-around excellence from the Los Angeles Dodgers, no one impressed quite like the man who endures as the most familiar face on the team.

Clayton Kershaw might only throw 90 mph...Read more

PHOENIX — Geraldo Perdomo’s hand slid across home plate before Elias Díaz’s glove could come down on top of it.

Luis Arraez grabbed his head, one hand on each side.

The Diamondbacks poured from the third base dugout ready to celebrate. In the other dugout, the Padres players and coaches who lined the railing did not move.

Adrián Morej...Read more

NEW YORK — The Rays cobbled together a big inning for the second straight game, scoring five runs in the fourth to beat the Mets again, this time 8-4.

Shortstop Taylor Walls had a big role in the win, delivering two doubles and dropping a squeeze bunt in the middle of the fourth-inning outburst.

The Rays improved to 38-32, moving to a season...Read more

CHICAGO — Pope Leo XIV spoke directly to the young people scattered throughout the audience at Rate Field Saturday afternoon, telling them that they are the “promise of hope” and that the world looks to them to help spread a message of peace and harmony among all people.

“We have to look beyond our own, if you will, egotistical ways. We...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Max Kepler didn’t see many pitches to hit on Saturday.

He had walked twice before stepping up to the plate in the eighth inning against Toronto, and the first two pitches from Blue Jays reliever Chad Green were well outside the strike zone.

But then Green put a four-seam down the middle, and Kepler connected with an ...Read more

HOUSTON — Joe Ryan halted the run of troublesome starts by the Twins’ veteran starting pitchers on Saturday.

Didn’t matter. Twins still lost.

Cam Smith hit a ground-ball single up the middle in the bottom of the ninth off Jhoan Duran, scoring Christian Walker from third base, and the Astros clinched the season series against the Twins ...Read more

Chase Dollander and the Colorado Rockies hope they caught a glimpse into the future Saturday afternoon.

Spencer Strider carved up Rockies hitters with a dominant performance, leading the Atlanta Braves to a 4-1 victory at Truist Park. Strider struck out 13 batters in six shutout innings, and only one of the Rockies’ four baserunners against ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — What once looked like a promising season is falling apart for the Kansas City Royals.

The Royals’ offense is nowhere to be found. On Saturday, the club posted three hits against Athletics left-hander Jacob Lopez. He tossed six shutout innings despite entering play with a 6.00 ERA.

There were opportunities to score. ...Read more

BALTIMORE — The assignment for Tyler Anderson was to do what so many other left-handed pitchers have done to the Baltimore Orioles this season.

The Orioles came into the game as the worst-hitting team in the majors against lefties, and they still scored six runs against Anderson in the Angels’ 6-5 loss Saturday afternoon.

The Orioles’ ....Read more

CHICAGO — Like Thursday, the Pirates’ only offense in the first six innings against the Cubs came from Andrew McCutchen in the first.

Also like Thursday, it cost them in yet another one-run loss.

The Cubs beat the Pirates, 2-1, on Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field. Chicago native Ryan Borucki took the loss, allowing the deciding homer to...Read more

LOS ANGELES — As part of their Pride Night celebration, a Dodgers official received a commemorative scroll from Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath before the team opened its three-game series against the San Francisco Giants.

"It is truly my pleasure to be celebrating Pride with the Dodgers," Horvath said. "Especially a time like ...Read more

DETROIT — Saturdays have not been kind to the Tigers. Plain and simple.

The 11-1 thumping they took from the Reds at Comerica Park was their seventh straight Saturday loss. That’s 27% of their losses.

Go figure.

In this one, though, they paid the price for violating one of the foundational tenets of their own organizational philosophy: ...Read more