HOUSTON -- The Orioles' struggles suddenly have them closer to the American League East cellar than first place, which they occupied at least a share of for 35 days in the season's first two months.

They suffered their sixth straight loss and 12th in 15 games, 5-2, against the Houston Astros on Saturday night at Minute Maid Park.

The Orioles (...Read more

PITTSBURGH -- The flock of New Yorkers gathered behind the visitor's dugout at PNC Park before Saturday's game serenaded Mets manager Terry Collins, standing nearby, with a song for his 68th birthday. Collins waved and smiled. When Collins walked past the dugout, one fan, feeling his oats, piped up to inform the manager he'd lost sleep over this...Read more

CHICAGO -- The buck stopped here.

With the Tigers struggling to hit much of anything Saturday afternoon, losing the opener of a straight doubleheader in missed-opportunity fashion, in stepped right-hander Buck Farmer.

And the well-traveled Farmer, who was shuttled between the Tigers and Triple-A Toledo last season, used in starting and ...Read more

CLEVELAND -- Some 10 minutes after he was ejected from Saturday's game, Royals manager Ned Yost took a telephone call in his office. His wife had put their 3-year-old grandson, Jordan, on the phone, and Jordan got straight to the point as Yost told it.

"Granddaddy, did you get thrown out of the game?"

"Yes, Jordan, I did."

"Why."

"Because I ...Read more

MIAMI -- Giancarlo Stanton laid down the gauntlet the night before with a monster home run.

Angels superstar Mike Trout wasted no time answering in the first inning Saturday with a moonshot over the Budweiser Bar onto the concourse in left field at Marlins Park.

In what was shaping up as an in-game preview of the upcoming Home Run Derby, ...Read more

WASHINGTON -- Just hours after the Padres watched Max Scherzer record a season-high 13 strikeouts, they helped San Diego State product Stephen Strasburg to a personal best.

Strasburg collected 15 strikeouts, a career high, over seven innings in the Washington Nationals' 3-0 shutout victory Saturday. The right-hander became the sixth pitcher ...Read more

TORONTO -- Just as they did while winning 10 consecutive games in mid-May, the Texas Rangers are now finding different ways to lose from night to night.

A decent outing by starter Yu Darvish on Saturday afternoon at Rogers Centre was undone by one slider left up over the middle to Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista, who ripped it into the ...Read more

BOSTON -- "This is embarrassing."

Nelson Cruz said it. Scott Servais hinted at it. And the rest of the Mariners players and staff in the cramped visitor's clubhouse had to be thinking it as they sat in silence following a 5-0 loss to the Red Sox on Saturday.

For the second straight day, the Mariners were held scoreless at the hitter's dream ...Read more

The White Sox put their money where their mouth wasn't.

White Sox general manager Rick Hahn had been mum during the weeks leading up to Saturday, when the team officially announced it had signed 19-year-old Cuban prospect Luis Robert, who comes with a hefty price tag reported to be around $50 million -- which includes a $26 million signing ...Read more

Jim Bunning, the only person elected both to baseball's Hall of Fame and the U.S. Senate and a central figure in the best and worst moments of the Phillies' historic 1964 season, died late Friday night. Bunning, who had suffered a stroke in October, was 85.

The first pitcher to throw no-hitters in both the American and National Leagues, the ...Read more

CHICAGO -- The Detroit Tigers' offense needs somebody to step up.

And for the second consecutive game, nobody stepped up.

It was the same story from the same-look team Saturday afternoon in a 3-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. There were opportunities early and late squandered. There was a lengthy period of lethargy at...Read more

When Jim Bunning was near the end of his career and Larry Bowa was at the beginning of his, their baseball paths intersected.

Bowa has always been grateful for the advice he received from Bunning when he was a rookie with the Phillies in 1970, and discussed the influence he had on him prior to Saturday's game.

Bunning, the Hall of Fame pitcher...Read more

LOS ANGELES--Adrian Gonzalez knew the reception that awaited him. As he walked toward his dugout, moments after squaring up his first homer of 2017, Gonzalez locked eyes with Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

Gonzalez raised both his hands toward the sky: Hallelujah. Roberts howled in response.

Inside the dugout, during the sixth ...Read more

CHICAGO -- There was a time on Friday night when the Detroit Tigers had runners on second and third base with nobody out. It was in the top of the fourth inning.

Nick Castellanos was at the plate, Mike Pelfrey was on the mound and there were three balls and no strikes.

The Tigers did not score that inning. On the next pitch, Castellanos ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO -- Jaime Garcia was the only obstacle standing between Matt Cain and another dominant performance at AT&T Park Friday night.

Garcia (2-3) handed Cain (3-3) his second home loss of the season by stifling the Giants (20-30) bats over 62/3 innings and driving in the decisive run in a 2-0 win by the visiting Atlanta Braves.

The ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS -- Before Friday's game, Twins manager Paul Molitor spoke of the harsh reality some of his hitters were about to experience when facing Rays right-hander Chris Archer.

"It is going to be tough to have a good at-bat against him every time," Molitor said. "You're going to have to understand that when a guy has this quality of pitches ...Read more

DENVER -- Not even the ballpark known throughout baseball for its ability to heal the sickest lineup could comfort the Cardinals and their ongoing search for runs.

Not with the kind of club that calls Coors Field home.

Against a Colorado team clicking in every way they wish they could, the Cardinals fell, 10-0, on Friday night. Following ...Read more