SEATTLE — Felix Hernandez won’t allow himself to disgrace the pitcher’s mound where he became a Seattle Mariners icon, and certainly not on the weekend where the franchise is celebrating 50 seasons.

The “King” doesn’t operate like that.

Since he’s scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch Friday to open the weekend ...Read more

SEATTLE — Nobody asked Troy Melton to fill anybody else’s shoes. It wasn’t his burden to take over the mantle of ace of staff with Tarik Skubal gone.

But if actions speak louder than words, he seems to have accepted the challenge.

Melton was brilliant Tuesday, pitching seven scoreless, three-hit innings in the Tigers’ 8-0 romp over the...Read more

DENVER — The Rays went 1-for-2 Tuesday in unveiling their top two trade acquisitions, then beat the Rockies 9-7 in 11 innings.

First, the bad.

Starter Freddy Peralta, acquired Sunday from the Mets based on his past success, had a rough outing, allowing seven runs and getting pulled in the fourth inning.

Then, the good.

Catcher Liam Hicks, ...Read more

PHOENIX — Before the pitchers they brought in to save the season get to work, the Padres got a lift from someone who has been around all along.

Randy Vásquez, whose season began so strong but who had recently been banished to the bullpen, worked six scoreless innings Tuesday in a 9-4 victory over the Diamondbacks.

The victory got the Padres...Read more

CHICAGO — Southpaw Tarik Skubal’s experience pitching in the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field came with a hostile reception. Cubs fans booed him as he approached the bullpen gate in right field to warm up before the game. They jeered even louder and longer as he took the mound in the bottom of the first inning.

That’s what came with ...Read more

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Giants’ season is no longer about trying to make the playoffs. That’s been apparent for weeks, but the team’s sell-a-thon ahead of the trade deadline served as the symbolic white flag on the year. For San Francisco, the next two months will not be about the wins and losses, but about answering one question:

Who ...Read more

NEW YORK — Memorable debuts apparently run in the Lombard family.

Shortly before top Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr. homered in his MLB debut on Tuesday night in the Bronx, his younger brother, Jacob Lombard, homered in his pro baseball debut with Single-A Jupiter.

“I haven’t talked to him yet, but I heard,” George Lombard Jr., 21,...Read more

MILWAUKEE — The Pirates lost, 4-2, to the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Tuesday night. Logan Henderson threw six strong innings for Milwaukee, while the Pirates didn’t do much offensively beyond two solo home runs.

With the loss, the Pirates are 57-58 and once again below .500.

Manager Don Kelly was ejected in the fourth ...Read more

BALTIMORE — Twenty-four hours after trading away franchise face Adley Rutschman, the Orioles had a choice.

They could let the emotions of Monday’s trade deadline linger. Or they could turn the page.

They chose the latter, defeating the Angels, 3-1, to begin the final 50 games of the season with a much-needed win. Left-hander Cade Povich, ...Read more

CLEVELAND — Now that the trade deadline is over, what comes next for the moribund Mets?

“Play winning baseball,” said interim manager Andy Green.

The Mets did that Tuesday at Progressive Field, beating the Cleveland Guardians, 6-2, in the first game of a three-game series. Catcher Luis Torrens, who garnered a lot of interest from other ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Bryce Harper jogged out to right field. He turned to face the bleachers, removed his cap, raised both arms over his head, and bowed like an actor on Broadway, not an athlete off Broad Street.

Then, on the first pitch, he caught a flyball.

Just like old times.

And when we say old times, we’re talking about 2022 — April 16,...Read more

NEW YORK — The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders had just returned home from Des Moines, Iowa, on Sunday when George Lombard Jr. hopped on his first group phone call of the evening.

Also on the line was Triple-A manager Shelley Duncan, Double-A skipper James Cooper and Yankees coordinator Ryan Hunt. Together, the trio delivered the news that ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Jeff Hoffman is headed to Minnesota after being traded from Toronto, but it won’t be the first time he will put on a Twins uniform.

The Twins have a little history with their new late-inning reliever (we’ll call him that until the Twins admit he’s their closer) from the 30 days he was with the organization in 2023.

...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — As a kid, Luis Arraez hated striking out so much he used to cry afterward.

As he grew up and became a professional, the tears abated. But the hatred never did. So it’s a good thing that he has just a 4.5% strikeout rate this season, the lowest in MLB. In 105 games this season, Arraez has struck out 21 times and walked 25 ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — At some point, Dave Dombrowski is going to have to start being right.

A .333 batting average might get you into the Hall of Fame as a hitter, but it’s a recipe for disaster as an executive.

To understand why the Phillies were where they were on Monday afternoon, you need only look at the president’s scorecard.

Justin ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — No date will ever top Oct. 27, 2002, the date the Los Angeles Angels won their lone World Series.

We could talk about Sept. 30, 1984, the date Mike Witt threw the Angels' lone perfect game. Or June 9, 2009, the date the Angels drafted the best player in franchise history, Mike Trout. Or July 29, 2018, the date Vladimir Guerrero ...Read more

SAN DIEGO — A.J. Preller did what he had to do.

He added two effective pitchers to a starting rotation that couldn’t be trusted.

Thanks to Preller’s two trades Monday, the Padres now have a much better chance of earning a wild-card playoff berth over the final 50 games and succeeding in October.

The moves for Robbie Ray and Casey Mize ...Read more

NEW YORK — Trade talks between the Yankees and Detroit Tigers about all-world ace Tarik Skubal didn’t get very far.

“They did have some asks our way that we were unwilling to do,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Monday, shortly after the MLB trade deadline passed.

“But it was a very specific ask and a certain player — ...Read more