SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Padres’ big bats were big. That was different.

The Padres’ bullpen was the big difference.

With home runs from Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado and their highest-leverage relievers covering more than half the game, the Padres beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-3 on Thursday night at Petco Park.

It was just the...Read more

BOSTON — The Red Sox offense has been scorching hot, and coming into Thursday the club had averaged more than eight runs per game since the start of last week’s Cincinnati series, by far the most in baseball over that stretch.

The problem is those runs came against teams ranging from average to putrid. Could the Red Sox keep hitting against...Read more

ST. LOUIS — Facing a Nationals club he’s managed to keep quiet throughout his career, starter Miles Mikolas delivered his fourth scoreless start of the season that marked a bounce back following a bruising Fourth of July outing at Wrigley Field.

Across 5 2/3 scoreless innings on Thursday at Busch Stadium, Mikolas limited Washington to two ...Read more

NEW YORK — The Yankees overcame seven hitless innings from Bryan Woo on Thursday, walking the Mariners off for a 6-5, 10-inning, series-sweeping victory in the Bronx.

The Bombers’ comeback began in the eighth when Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Ben Rice finally got their club in the hit column. Austin Wells added a sac fly to get Woo out of the game...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant was in a great mood as the Lakers assembled in El Segundo for their 2009 media day.

And for good reason. The Lakers had just won their 15th NBA title a few months earlier and were favored to win No. 16 at the conclusion of the upcoming season (spoiler alert: they did).

The Los Angeles Times' article covering that ...Read more

BALTIMORE — In the midst of his best season yet, the league has taken note of David Peterson. The left-hander became the fourth player and first starting pitcher selected to represent the Mets at the MLB All-Star Game next week at Truist Park in Atlanta, the team announced Thursday.

It will be the first trip to the Midsummer Classic for ...Read more

CHICAGO — Thursday’s Chicago White Sox game against the Cleveland Guardians was postponed because of rain.

The game will be made up as part of a split doubleheader Friday, with the makeup game starting at 2:10 p.m. and the regularly scheduled contest at 7:10 p.m.

Shane Smith will start Game 1 for the Sox and Jonathan Cannon is scheduled ...Read more

BALTIMORE — Tomoyuki Sugano’s outing started with a two-run first inning in which his offerings exploded off the bats of Mets hitters. More of the same for the veteran right-hander who was limping into the second half after a difficult past six weeks, it appeared. But his start ended with a quick sixth inning that brought those who returned ...Read more

NEW YORK — Major League Baseball’s annual pop show is going to feature some jazz this year.

Already an American League All-Star, Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. will participate in the Home Run Derby this coming Monday. The league made the announcement on Thursday following a few days of Chisholm publicly expressing interest in the...Read more

BOSTON — Alex Bregman’s return is imminent, and Thursday afternoon Red Sox manager Alex Cora provided additional clarity on when exactly the All-Star third baseman could be activated.

Though Cora stopped short of announcing a specific return date, the manager said Bregman will play two of the team’s last three games before the All-Star ...Read more

NEW YORK — The Yankees pulled the plug on The Machine, designating DJ LeMahieu for assignment on Wednesday.

The two-time batting champ, still owed about $22 million through next season, was then released on Thursday. Later in the day, Yankees captain Aaron Judge addressed the departure.

“He’s going to be missed,” Judge, a teammate of ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The newly named All-Star homered twice, and the crowd roared as their favorites ran up the score Thursday to earn an 8-1 victory. What a beautiful afternoon at Wrigley Field North.

Yeah, it was a lot less exciting for Twins’ fans, seemingly outnumbered in their own ballpark by thousands of Chicagoans intoxicated by the Cubs’...Read more

BALTIMORE — The Mets‘ issues hitting with runners in scoring position continue to linger into the summer months. Thursday afternoon at Camden Yards, the Mets had opportunities to increase a one-run lead against the Baltimore Orioles, but came up empty each time, spoiling what was otherwise a stellar outing by left-hander David Peterson.

...Read more

BALTIMORE — It was an offer the Orioles thought was too good to pass up.

Baltimore traded right-handed reliever Bryan Baker to the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday for a Competitive Balance Round A pick, No. 37 overall, in the upcoming MLB draft. The deal gives the club seven of the top 93 selections and four of the top 37 in the draft, which ...Read more

The MLB All-Star Game has served disparate purposes over the years. It always has been a showcase for baseball's top talent. Once upon a time, the outcome determined home-field advantage in the World Series. In recent years, it has been a fashion runway for ridiculous uniforms.

This year, it will be an incubator.

The Automated Ball-Strike (ABS...Read more

ANAHEIM — The Angels slugged last in an epic slugfest.

Jorge Soler hit a tie-breaking two-run homer to lift the Angels to an 11-8 victory over the Texas Rangers in a rollercoaster of a game on Wednesday night.

Soler, who has been in a slump for much of the last two months, got ahead 3-and-1 and then launched a 421-foot homer. Nolan Schanuel ...Read more

Every start is about the same.

Mike Shildt is “excited” to see Dylan Cease pitch.

“Love his arm and love his arsenal, and I’m excited for him tonight,” Shildt said Wednesday afternoon. “It’s gonna be a good night.”

That might have varied by a word or two from what the Padres manager has said before virtually every game in ...Read more

DETROIT — The amazing part of the whole thing was somehow, Zach McKinstry and the Tigers were able to keep the big news a secret for nearly 24 hours.

"Yeah, I had to kind of avoid the media," said McKinstry, who got the news Tuesday night.

The news was officially released, posted on the big scoreboard at Comerica Park during the first inning...Read more

NEW YORK — It didn’t take long for Cam Schlittler to demonstrate his scintillating stuff.

On the sixth pitch of his MLB career, the flame-throwing Yankees rookie lit up the radar gun with a 99.9-mph fastball.

Ten pitches later, Schlittler hit 100 mph.

And just like that, Schlittler’s MLB debut was off to a scorching start.

The prized ...Read more

BOSTON — The competition — and stakes — will ratchet up for the Red Sox with their four-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays starting on Thursday, but the Sox at least took care of their business over the last week.

On Wednesday, the Sox completed the three-game sweep of baseball’s worst team, the Colorado Rockies, who have win just ...Read more