SEATTLE — A player born and raised in Cuba, who represented Mexico in the World Baseball Classic, ignited a sold-out crowd at T-Mobile Park into raucous chants of “USA! USA! USA!” after smashing a grand slam against the only Major League Baseball team from Canada on the Fourth of July.

To quote many a MLB player and manager — “That’...Read more

WASHINGTON — After Friday night’s loss to the Washington Nationals, Don Kelly stressed that the Pittsburgh Pirates needed more from their starting rotation.

“We need them big time,” Kelly said.

Come Saturday morning, Braxton Ashcraft received that message.

In a Fourth of July matchup that started at 11:05 a.m. ET, Ashcraft allowed one...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Last weekend, K.C. Peterson was sitting at a bar with his friends in western Nebraska, talking about Fourth of July celebrations, when he shared an unexpected tale.

It all started with a marketing gimmick, one so unique only Phillies executive Bill Giles could’ve conceived it. The year was 1976, and Philadelphia was buzzing ...Read more

It was the evening of May 12 when Don Kelly was asked to compare his star player to the best pitcher Kelly had ever shared a clubhouse with.

Paul Skenes had been brilliant once again, allowing just two hits while striking out 10 over eight scoreless innings against the Colorado Rockies. It felt like we weren’t only witnessing the continuation...Read more

This season hasn’t turned out the way the Boston Red Sox expected, but the pitching?

Excellent.

Friday night was yet another display of elite pitching. An historic display, as closer Aroldis Chapman passed Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm for the most relief strikeouts in Major League Baseball History.

The final strikeout of Wilhelm’s Hall of ...Read more

SEATTLE — The pregame chants were deafening from the sold-out crowd of 45,891 at T-Mobile Park.

USA!! USA!! USA!!

As the U.S. men’s soccer team wrapped up a lengthy, if not overwrought, pregame celebration to throw out the first pitch, the Mariners players joined them on the infield for a picture, complete with American flags.

The chants...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing tapped Shohei Ohtani from behind with his glove, as he passed the two-way superstar putting on his hitting guards at the entrance to the dugout.

By the time of that brief exchange in the fourth inning, the battery was already looking, if not completely dominant, at least more in sync ...Read more

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Given the Angels’ situation, just about everything in the next month can be viewed through the lens of the upcoming trade deadline.

In that respect, Reid Detmers didn’t do much for his value with his performance in the Angels’ 5-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Friday night, their fourth straight loss.

Although he wasn...Read more

The Twins have a new manager, new faces atop their front office leadership structure, new players that cycle through the roster and, for the last quarter-century, the same results whenever they play the New York Yankees.

It didn’t matter that the Yankees were on a seven-game losing streak Friday, their longest skid in nearly three years. The ...Read more

HOUSTON — Maybe Junior Caminero just needed a quick break.

After his torrid streak of hitting homers in six straight games — and nine over his last eight — ended on a quiet Thursday, he delivered again on Friday.

Caminero’s seventh-inning homer put the Rays ahead and they went on to a 3-1 victory over the Astros that was their ninth ...Read more

DENVER — Logan Webb was ace personified in June. He had more starts (five) than runs allowed (three), and he logged at least seven innings in every outing. His efforts culminated in him winning National League Pitcher of the Month, the first time in his career he’s earned the honor.

A repeat performance in July isn’t in the cards.

The ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — It’s not official. But it’s obvious.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged Friday that the decision to move back Shohei Ohtani’s start this week will make him unavailable to pitch in the All-Star Game later this month.

“I think so,” said Roberts, who is the National League manager for this year’s game. “I ...Read more

CINCINNATI — The last time the Orioles played at Great American Ballpark, they swept the Reds and allowed only three runs in the series behind an unhittable rotation.

Cole Irvin extended his scoreless innings streak to 20 2/3; John Means tossed seven scoreless innings in his season debut; and Dean Kremer took a perfect game bid into the fifth...Read more

WASHINGTON — The ball was flying on a scorching Friday in D.C. It didn’t seem to fly as far for the Pirates.

The Washington Nationals hit five home runs, including two each from Luis Garcia Jr. and Daylen Lile, in a 9-5 win against the Pirates on Friday night at Nationals Park. They hit three in the first three innings against Mitch Keller,...Read more

ATLANTA — The Mets continue to say they believe they can reach the postseason this year, but at this point, the postseason is about as real for them as Santa Claus.

On a night when the ball was flying out of Truist Park, only one Mets hitter managed to get a ball to leave the park. Juan Soto hit his 18th of the season in the third inning ...Read more

CHICAGO — When the downpour ended, the real deluge began.

And it just did not stop.

The Cardinals opened up a historically huge lead on the Cubs and drowned their archrivals with a 17-1 thumping Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field. The Cardinals thundered out to a lead that got as big as 17 runs by scoring in every inning from the second ...Read more

NEW YORK — Just as the bruised and battered Yankees thought they were getting healthy — at least at the major league level — another injury bit the Yankees on Friday.

The club placed Carlos Rodón on the 15-day injured list with left elbow inflammation prior to its series opener against the Twins. The move is retroactive to June 30.

Rod�...Read more

DENVER — With his baseball career on the fritz, the Colorado kid got reinvigorated by some Colorado kids.

Fossil Ridge and MSU Denver product Julian Garcia made his big league debut for the Cincinnati Reds on June 23 in Cincinnati. It was the culmination of a winding, decade-long journey to the bigs that featured stops in the Puerto Rican ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Roki Sasaki’s abysmal performance faded away in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 12-7 win over the San Diego Padres on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium, but only after the National League West leaders rose from a catatonic first inning.

Andy Pages skirted a tying double down the left-field line, and Mookie Betts and Max Muncy each ...Read more