LOS ANGELES — Two of the best teams in baseball convened at Chavez Ravine on Friday night, the National League West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers and NL East-leading Atlanta Braves opening a three-game series that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts promised would be “a good matchup, exciting for our fans and players.”

The clubs did not disappoint...Read more

PHOENIX — The San Diego Padres did not wait around to see if their current collection of players could be good enough.

As those players began a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night, the team was completing a trade with the Marlins for Luis Arráez, the reigning National League batting champion.

Arráez led all major league ...Read more

ST. LOUIS — Cardinals ace Sonny Gray held the Chicago White Sox scoreless for seven innings, while Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras provided the bulk of the offense to get the homestand started on a winning note.

Arenado went 2 for 4, swatted a pair of doubles and drove in three runs in a 3-0 Cardinals win over the White Sox in front of an...Read more

HOUSTON — Who are these guys?

Before the Mariners’ first trip to Minute Maid Park this year, it was a fair question to ask about a Houston Astros team sitting, curiously, in last place in the American League West.

By the end of Friday night’s game, the same question could reasonably be asked about another typically dominant squad: the ...Read more

CINCINNATI — Reds fans were hoping to witness a fireworks show both in the sky and on the diamond Friday night.

After a lengthy rain delay, it appeared the literal show would be called off because the game would end too late. Instead, the fans who endured the 2-hour, 41-minute delay were treated to a fireworks display shortly after the sun ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Facing the stiffest test of his short career as a starting pitcher, the biggest impact Jordan Hicks made Friday night against the Phillies wasn’t anything he did on the mound. It was his delay getting off of it.

With the speedy Trea Turner standing on second base with one steal already under his belt, Hicks remained ...Read more

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Starting pitching remains a struggle for the Mets.

Left-hander Jose Quintana pitched an eight-inning gem his last time out and followed it up with his worst performance in years Friday night in a 10-8 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.

Quintana (1-2) allowed eight earned runs for the first time since June ...Read more

NEW YORK — Mired in an offensive outage, the Yankees’ lineup came alive just in a nick of time Friday night.

Giancarlo Stanton’s game-tying RBI double and Anthony Rizzo’s walk-off single capped a ninth-inning rally to give the Yankees an improbable 2-1 victory against the Tigers in the Bronx.

The Yankees had been shut out for eight ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Royals reliever John Schreiber roared towards his dugout. As he walked off the mound, he threw his fist violently in the air.

Schreiber was pumped. … and rightfully so. The Royals veteran had just given his team a chance.

In the seventh inning, Schreiber pitched out of a bases-loaded jam against the Texas ...Read more

PHOENIX — The Padres did not wait around to see if their current collection of players could be good enough.

On Friday, they traded for Luis Arraez, the National League batting title winner last season.

Arraez, who led all major league hitters with a .354 batting average in 2023 and won the AL batting crown with a .316 average in 2022, is ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — It’s not often that a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning feels like a dagger. Then again, the current slump of Derek Shelton’s offense is far from common.

The Pirates' silence at the plate continued into the weekend, failing to tally a run until the bottom of the ninth inning en route to a 3-2 loss to the Colorado ...Read more

CHICAGO — As Harry Caray’s Chicago Cubs career was celebrated Thursday with the 26th “Toast to Harry Caray” sponsored by his namesake restaurant, his legacy on the South Side continues to be overlooked by his former team.

It makes sense that the restaurant is more focused on his Cubs years, when Caray became a national figure thanks to ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The timing was coincidental.

But, on Shohei Ohtani's first off day as a Dodger, the discourse Wednesday centered on the one big struggle of his 2024 season — a weakness that had cropped up once again the night before.

When there hasn't been a runner at second or third base season, Ohtani has been the best hitter in baseball. ...Read more

BALTIMORE — Neither Aaron Judge nor the Yankees had a successful series against the Orioles, as the slugger’s hit total matched the club’s win total over four games.

Judge went just 1 for 13 with four strikeouts in Baltimore, with his only hit, a single, coming in Monday’s shutout loss. Judge isn’t the only reason the Yankees won just...Read more

LAS VEGAS — Millions of dollars stolen from Shohei Ohtani by Ippei Mizuhara to pay the former interpreter’s gambling debt to an illegal bookmaking operation were funneled through Resorts World and a California casino, according to an ESPN report.

Federal authorities last month charged the former longtime interpreter for the Los Angeles ...Read more

NEW YORK — The Mets and the Chicago Cubs took the first three games of the series down to the wire this week. The fourth was no different.

The Mets walked off with a 7-6 win Thursday at Citi Field, splitting a four-game series with the Chicago Cubs. With two on and none out in the bottom of the 11th, Francisco Lindor, who came off the bench ...Read more

Just how low can the Rockies go? There’s no telling, not after getting swept in Miami by another bad baseball team.

The Marlins finished their three-game broom job with a 5-4 walk-off win in the 10th inning Thursday afternoon at loanDepot park. The Marlins’ Jesus Sanchez lined a single to left off lefty reliever Jalen Beeks to drive in ...Read more

BALTIMORE — The Orioles lead the major leagues in home runs thanks to their best hitters.

Baltimore’s eight hitters with the most at-bats all have four or more homers. Gunnar Henderson blasted 10 before May 1. Cedric Mullins and Colton Cowser both have six. In 31 games, the Orioles have hit 48 homers — seven more than any other club.

...Read more