SEATTLE – After the Twins completed two trades Friday to improve their pitching staff, acquiring A.J. Minter for the bullpen and Dean Kremer for the rotation, the offense showed signs of breaking out of its weekslong slumber.

Brooks Lee hit a two-run homer in the second inning, Royce Lewis hit a solo homer in the seventh and Ryan Jeffers ...Read more

DENVER — The Kansas City Royals returned to action on Friday night after being walked off in disappointing fashion against the Minnesota Twins.

It was a new night and a new opponent. The Royals took aim against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field for the first time since 2024.

New game opponent ... but the result remained the same. The ...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif.— When all the pre-game hustle and bustle finally subsided, the Tigers caught their collective breath and did what they came to do Friday night.

They won a baseball game, taking the first of three games from the Athletics at Sutter Health Park, 13-1.

There was so much to sort out beforehand, what with top prospect Max Clark...Read more

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Ryan Johnson has had some moments as a starting pitcher.

Not enough of them, though.

The right-hander was charged with five runs in the Angels’ 6-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night, the latest rough outing in his trial as a major league starter.

Johnson now has a 7.63 ERA in 46 innings and has allowed 12 ...Read more

SAN DIEGO — Not even the Padres believed they’d win out the rest of the season.

But one loss could not — we repeat, could not— become two.

Not at this juncture.

Jase Bowen hit his first big-league homer, his teammates chased Giants rookie Carson Whisenhunt in the fourth inning and the Padres, behind more chaos-theory pitching, blanked...Read more

BALTIMORE — Friday was shaping up to be an all-too-familiar loss for the Orioles — at a time when they couldn’t afford it, with Monday’s trade deadline looming and president of baseball operations Mike Elias clearly on the fence about which direction to go.

But a player who’s consistently struggled in high-leverage spots this season ...Read more

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The first White Sox home run might have been a bad omen for the Rays. The second was certainly worrying. But the third and fourth were nails in the coffin, putting Tampa Bay on the wrong end of a 6-1 score in Friday’s series opener.

Starting pitcher Nick Martinez gave up a career-high four homers in his six innings on...Read more

NEW YORK — Freddy Peralta has likely thrown his last pitch in a Mets uniform. It’s more than likely that Clay Holmes has too.

The scheduled starter for the second game of a four-game set against the Miami Marlins was on track to pitch as early as Friday morning. As negotiations progressed ahead of Monday’s trade deadline, the Mets ...Read more

CINCINNATI — The worst month of Paul Skenes’ career ended in the fourth inning in Cincinnati.

A nightmare loss had only just begun.

Skenes was charged with five earned runs for the second consecutive start, but the Pirates rallied back to take a two-run lead in the eighth. What followed was a bullpen collapse and a game-deciding error, as ...Read more

SAN DIEGO — Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey said in a statement Friday that the team will be “suspending payment” to outfielder Harrison Bader following his late-night scooter accident this past weekend.

“Over the weekend, Harrison Bader was involved in an accident that has delayed Harrison’s prior treatment ...Read more

NEW YORK — Freddy Peralta has likely thrown his last pitch in a Mets uniform. It’s more than likely that Clay Holmes has too.

The scheduled starter for the second game of a four-game set against the Miami Marlins was on track to pitch as early as Friday morning. As negotiations progressed ahead of Monday’s trade deadline, the Mets ...Read more

CHICAGO — Will Warren spun his best start in some time on Friday, holding the Cubs scoreless over 6 2/3 innings in the Yankees’ rainy, 2-0 win at Wrigley Field.

Sharp outings have been hard to come by for the right-hander lately, as Warren, who surrendered six earned runs to the Phillies his last time out, entered the series-opener with a 6...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Bryce Harper was right to be frustrated.

He had the right diagnosis. He had the right prescription. He had the right motivation.

He took the wrong approach.

The first four of those things are the only ones that should matter to anybody invested in the Phillies’ approach to this year’s MLB trade deadline. That goes for the...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Long-term experiments demand resources, which is why the Dodgers' lab is perfect for the Roki Sasaki project.

Funding is no issue. Time is no object. Pressure is a privilege and so is patience.

And when the Dodgers set out to prove a hypothesis — Roki Sasaki can be a "Cy Young-caliber" starting pitcher, as general manager ...Read more

DETROIT — If Scott Harris and the Tigers were waiting for clarity, they got it. After teetering between contention and oblivion all season, they finally reached their tipping point by blowing a 7-0 lead to the Orioles, blowing four of their last five games, blowing saves and chances and shrinking odds.

In a way, Harris’ massive dilemma just...Read more

The Athletics scored first and early in all four games of this week’s series against the Red Sox, and still managed to lose three of four to the visiting Boston ball club.

Such comebacks would’ve been unthinkable a month ago. Even with Thursday’s 5-4 series-clinching victory, the Red Sox are just 21-37 when opponents score first.

“I ...Read more

LOS ANGELES -- In the latest twist in Shohei Ohtani’s battle with left knee discomfort, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts held him out of the lineup during a 6-2 win over the Seattle Mariners on Thursday.

Ohtani reported soreness Wednesday night in his left knee, which he treated over the All-Star break with a lubricating orthovisc injection and ...Read more

SAN DIEGO — There’s no sugarcoating the reality: Robbie Ray’s start on Thursday evening against the San Diego Padres was likely his final start as a Giant.

Ray will not make another start between now and Monday’s trade deadline. When the dust settles, the 34-year-old veteran should be representing his sixth different major-league team. ...Read more

CINCINNATI — The Pirates’ bullpen game failed in its final leg.

Four Pirates relievers combined for eight innings of two-run ball, but Nathaniel Lowe’s bases-loaded fielder’s choice off Gregory Soto earned the Cincinnati Reds a 3-2 win on Thursday night at Great American Ball Park.

Elly De La Cruz scored the winning run. He went 3 for ...Read more