ATLANTA — Ronald Acuna Jr. wasn’t in the starting lineup on Friday against the Miami Marlins.

But in a key moment, the Atlanta Braves’ star outfielder made his presence known.

Acuna’s two-out, pinch-hit RBI double in the seventh inning off Anthony Bass tied the game and started a three-run Braves rally that sank the Marlins, 6-4, to ...Read more

CINCINNATI — There was a significant presence missing from the field Friday during the national anthem before the Giants’ game at Great American Ballpark, and there will be into the foreseeable future: manager Gabe Kapler.

In the wake of the tragic massacre in Uvalde, Texas, this week that left 19 children and two teachers dead, Kapler said...Read more

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Jeffrey Springs has done a lot right since moving into the Tampa Bay rotation on May 9. In making his fourth start Friday, Springs made just a few mistakes, allowing a pair of solo home runs.

But it was enough to sink the Rays, who had another woefully quiet night at the plate and lost, 2-0.

The Yankees improved their ...Read more

BOSTON — The light at the end of the tunnel is finally visible for Chris Sale.

The injured lefty is expected to get on the mound three times next week before the Red Sox re-evaluate him, but the next step could be a rehab assignment to kickstart his return to the big leagues for the first time since last October.

“I’m not 100 percent ...Read more

DETROIT — The Tigers and Guardians baseball game Friday night was postponed because of inclement weather.

It will be made up as the second game of a split doubleheader on July 4 at 6:40 p.m., following the originally scheduled game at 1:10 p.m.

The scheduled pitching matchup between Alex Faedo and Cleveland's Shane Bieber will be moved to ...Read more

The second game of the Rockies-Nationals series set for Friday evening in Washington has been postponed, the teams announced, due to a strong possibility of severe thunderstorms in the D.C area.

Colorado will now play a doubleheader Saturday. The first game is at 11:05 a.m. ET and the second at 5:05 p.m.

The Rockies enter the matchups having ...Read more

CINCINNATI — A couple hours before first pitch here Friday, players from the Giants and Reds met in the outfield. These were not your typical pregame greetings: Joc Pederson and Tommy Pham had an apparent beef to settle.

While the Reds were taking batting practice and Giants players were stretching in left field, approximately 30 players and ...Read more

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Josh Donaldson is going to be out for a while longer. The third baseman who recently had to apologize to White Sox shortstop TIm Anderson and the Jackie Robinson family for what were at the very least insensitive remarks was placed on the injured list with shoulder inflammation Friday after days on the COVID-19 list.

�...Read more

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Shohei Ohtani was on the mound, Mike Trout was batting in front of him in the lineup, the Angels had the third-best record in the American League … and half of the seats were empty.

This wasn't Fenway Park.

Or Wrigley Field.

Or Dodger Stadium.

Yet, in its own way, Angel Stadium was the perfect place to watch a ballgame ...Read more

CINCINNATI — A few hours before one of the Giants’ most thrilling baseball games in recent memory, manager Gabe Kapler struck a solemn tone in the dugout.

“I think you’ve noticed the last couple days, my mood in here has been especially light and playful,” he told reporters gathered in the dugout Tuesday at Oracle Park for a routine ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Trevor Megill threw the hardest pitch of his major league career in his Twins debut on Sunday. The official reading on the radar gun: 99.8 mph.

"Almost there," he said. "Two more tenths. I've got to get it up a little bit more to officially be in that club."

The triple-digits club. The big 1-0-0. The Ultimate Flamethrower ...Read more

PHOENIX — The game was so out of hand by the eighth inning, relief pitcher Evan Phillips had a plate appearance … and drew a walk.

The game was so out of reach by the ninth, infielder Hanser Alberto took the mound … and recorded the final three outs without yielding a run.

Really, the Dodgers’ 14-1 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks ...Read more

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. sought out Shohei Ohtani last year during the first day of All-Star game festivities and pantomimed holding a camera. The Toronto Blue Jays slugger wanted a shot with the Angels’ two-way phenom.

Ohtani’s response? Afterward, he recalled thinking, “Why is he asking? It’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. I�...Read more

Alex Cora wasn’t one bit worried about what’s become a rare occurrence for his Boston Red Sox, an offensive dud in Wednesday’s loss.

The Red Sox were creating tons of traffic on the bases and producing plenty of quality at-bats, but just couldn’t find the big hit.

On Thursday, they returned to their scheduled programming. As did Trevor...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Bobby Witt Jr.’s two-out, two-strike RBI double in the eighth put the Kansas City Royals ahead for the first time and capped a three-run inning.

The one-run lead sent a noticeable portion of Minnesota Twins fans filing to the exit, but the game was far from a foregone conclusion. In the bottom half of the inning, reliever ...Read more

Rockies manager Bud Black is staying positive on the potential for supposed ace German Marquez to turn around his disastrous season.

“I think it’s going to happen every fifth day,” Black told the KOA radio broadcast team before Colorado embarked on a four-game road stand at the Nationals.

However, in a 7-3 loss on Thursday, that hope ...Read more

ATLANTA — Aaron Nola yielded two runs in seven innings May 15, and still, the Phillies lost. He gave up one run in seven innings May 5, and still, the Phillies lost. He tossed seven scoreless innings April 24, and guess what? Yep, the Phillies lost.

If ever a pitcher deserved the chance to finish his own game, after all that, it was Nola.

So...Read more