ARLINGTON, Texas — The San Diego Padres have starting pitching problems.

They don’t hit very well against them. And their own are getting knocked around pretty good.

The Padres on Sunday lost 4-3 to the Texas Rangers in a game that was more emblematic of the latter but was also somewhat illustrative of the former.

While Nathan Eovaldi did...Read more

NEW YORK — Even on an afternoon in which they faced one of MLB’s filthiest flamethrowers, the New York Yankees had their chances.

They put eight runners on base against Cincinnati Reds ace Chase Burns, and five of them made it into scoring position.

They put plenty of pressure on the Reds’ bullpen, too.

But the clutch hit eluded the ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A day after a scoreless draw between Ecuador and Curacao riveted nearly 70,000 World Cup fans at the football stadium adjacent to the ballpark by Blue Ridge Cutoff, there would be no such zero-sum tension, no lack of scoring in Kansas City.

The stinginess on the pitch one day was not matched by the pitches the next.

...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — Outfielder Jonny DeLuca’s nearly month-long absence due to a right hamstring strain is certainly not the only reason the Tampa Bay Rays went from being the majors’ best team to the worst over that stretch, losing 15-of-22 games.

But his contributions in the two games he started since being reinstated from the injured list ...Read more

SEATTLE — Down in the dirt to start the seventh inning, Logan Gilbert had fans up on their feet a few minutes later.

In his first Father’s Day as a dad, Gilbert had one of his best starts of the season Sunday afternoon, allowing only one run over 6 1/3 innings to power the Seattle Mariners past the Boston Red Sox, 3-1, and salvage the ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The first two games of the series between the Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers featured fireworks in the ninth inning— and raised heart rates for fans back in Baltimore.

The Orioles lost the first in walk-off fashion after Ryan Helsley’s blown save but won the second after nearly squandering another lead because of...Read more

PHOENIX – The Minnesota Twins used a high-powered offense to carry them throughout their road trip, but Sunday’s 4-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks was defined by their defense, their pitching and some surprising baserunning.

Erasing a two-run deficit with a two-out rally in the seventh inning, the Twins pulled ahead when Alex Jackson ...Read more

DENVER — The Pittsburgh Pirates did well to avoid what would have been a gut punch of a sweep on Sunday. Now, they hope they’ve avoided a second.

Right-hander Jared Jones left Sunday’s 8-6 win against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field when he was hit by a line drive on his right elbow to end the third inning. Jones was clearly upset as ...Read more

Sunday’s 2-1 loss to the Miami Marlins locked up the San Francisco Giants’ sixth sweep this season, already their most before an All-Star break since 2017.

They didn’t leave without first supplying ninth-inning drama at loanDepot Park.

Rafael Devers led off the ninth with a walk, then waved a finger toward the dugout in objection to ...Read more

PHOENIX – For all the talk about how hard it is to hit against modern major league pitching, the Minnesota Twins made it look easy during their largest offensive output in two years Saturday night.

The Twins reached season highs in runs (16) and hits (20) by the fifth inning. They batted around their lineup twice, sending 10 hitters to the ...Read more

SEATTLE — As Nick Davila struggled to record the first out of the seventh inning, the crowd of 45,663 — a second consecutive sellout — started “the wave” with the Seattle Mariners trailing by four runs.

The noise swirled around T-Mobile Park and many of the fans seemed genuinely happy to stand up and scream.

It circulated far longer ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — It was Andy Pages’ wife, Alondra, who told the Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder on June 3 that MLB All-Star voting had opened.

“I simply just told her, (the ballots) don’t really matter to me,” Pages said through team interpreter Juan Dorado, in a conversation with The Times earlier this month. “I’m just going to ...Read more

DENVER — Suddenly, Paul Skenes can’t find a win.

The Pittsburgh Pirates lost their seventh consecutive Skenes start, falling 2-1 to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Saturday night despite six innings of two-run ball from Skenes.

Skenes took the loss, falling to 6-7. The Pirates, in danger of a sweep by the majors-worst Rockies, are ...Read more

ARLINGTON, Texas — Manny Machado got himself in a favorable count and got a pitch in the middle of the strike zone.

And he hit it a long way.

“He’s still Manny (expletive) Machado,” Jackson Merrill said. “That’ll never change.”

At least for now, at least for a day, the hero was back.

“Felt good,” Machado said. “We got a ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — In three weeks, in the same sold-out ballpark, in front of another national television audience, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper will probably be in the All-Star Game, maybe even the Home Run Derby.

But they won’t put on a show like this.

They can’t possibly.

Can they?

Whatever happens, take this to the bank: The ...Read more

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Homefield advantage can only carry the Rays so far.

Saturday they failed to convert a series of early scoring opportunities, and a baserunning mistake by Junior Caminero cost them another chance later.

The result was a 4-3 loss to the Nationals at Tropicana Field, and another step back after the one the Rays seemed to ...Read more

DETROIT — Chicago White Sox manager Will Venable was quite sure there would be no shenanigans Saturday afternoon at Comerica Park, as there were during Friday’s night’s game against the Detroit Tigers.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t even call them shenanigans,” Venable said, correcting the reporter.

So what’s the proper terminology for a ...Read more

To understand the ugliness of the Giants’ 6-3 loss to the Miami Marlins on Saturday evening at loanDepot Park, take a look at the play-by-play log for the bottom of the fourth inning.

Three pitchers were needed to record three outs. Trevor McDonald faced three and didn’t retire any, plunking a batter and allowing two singles before being ...Read more

DETROIT — It all worked out in the end.

The Detroit Tigers, held hitless for 42/3 innings, rallied late to beat the Chicago White Sox, 4-1, Saturday at Comerica Park.

Kevin McGonigle produced the first hit, a single off lefty Joe Rock with two outs in the fifth. That advanced Zack McKinstry to third, setting up Dillon Dingler’s tying RBI ...Read more