LOS ANGELES — They had balloons, baseball caps and a splashy video. They even had Dusty Baker, because any day with Dusty Baker is a good day.

And, as a campaign called "The Sacramento Pitch" unveiled its plan to lure a Major League Baseball expansion team to the state capital, the mayor made his pitch a blunt one.

"This region has earned ...Read more

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Having covered baseball since 1995, I’ve seen players reveal a range of emotions following a demotion to the minors.

My most memorable: When I was on the Kansas City Royals beat, I drove to their affiliate in Omaha to interview a young slugger who had been sent down a week earlier. When I asked him how he planned to turn ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — A series with promise ended with a disappointing split.

The Pirates lost, 7-2, to the Chicago Cubs on Thursday night at PNC Park, dropping the final two games after extending the Cubs’ losing streak to 10 on Tuesday. The Cubs scored four runs in the final two innings against Brandan Bidois and Yohan Ramirez.

Paul Skenes took ...Read more

With MLB’s current labor agreements set to expire on Dec. 1, the owners and players have begun negotiating a new deal that could shape the sport’s future for years to come.

This week the two sides laid out their opening proposals, and it’s clear they are far apart.

As has long been expected, the owners formally proposed the ...Read more

BOSTON — Thursday was shaping up to be a competitive afternoon of baseball at Fenway Park, with the Red Sox and Atlanta Braves tied at 2-2 heading into the sixth inning.

Then Boston went to the bullpen, and things immediately went down the tubes.

Danny Coulombe and Greg Weissert combined to allow five runs in a colossal sixth-inning meltdown...Read more

BALTIMORE — For the first time this week, the late-inning magic swung away from the Orioles.

Adley Rutschman tapped his helmet in the eighth inning. Bases loaded. Full count. A pitch from Anthony Nunez to Yohendrick Piñango was called a ball, and the Orioles challenged it through the ABS system.

When the call was upheld on Camden Yards’ ...Read more

CHICAGO – Simeon Woods Richardson was bumped out of the Twins’ starting rotation two weeks ago because of ineffectiveness, and his one-day return Thursday didn’t look any better.

Woods Richardson made an emergency start after Kendry Rojas was scratched with a pregame injury. Woods Richardson gave up five hits and five runs in 2 2/3 ...Read more

The Dodgers’ recent string of injuries continued Wednesday when left fielder Teoscar Hernández pulled up limping after trying to beat out a grounder to shortstop.

Once he was thrown out in the second inning of the Dodgers’ 4-1 win against the Rockies, Hernández took his time walking across the field back to the dugout.

The Dodgers ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers’ recent string of injuries continued Wednesday, when left fielder Teoscar Hernández pulled up limping after trying to beat out a groundout to shortstop.

Once he was thrown out in the second inning of the Dodgers’ game against the Rockies, Hernández took his time walking across the field back to the dugout. The ...Read more

Gerrit Cole showed minimal rust in his first start back from Tommy John surgery.

His follow-up performance on Wednesday didn’t seem to feature any.

In fact, Cole’s pitch count was the only indication that he is still easing his way back from major elbow reconstruction surgery. The Yankees’ ace was limited to 79 pitches in the team’s ...Read more

CHICAGO – Byron Buxton welcomed Chicago White Sox right-hander David Sandlin to the major leagues, hitting a 417-foot homer to center field on the second pitch of Sandlin’s debut.

Sandlin proceeded to show the Minnesota Twins throughout the rest of his outing Wednesday why the White Sox could be a formidable team this summer. Sandlin didn�...Read more

NEW YORK — Fans of the Mets might joke that the team affects their mental health — poorly, at that — and watching the mental mistakes the team has been making on the field probably doesn’t help. Your mental health should not be solely dependent on the wins and whims of a baseball team, or any sports team, for that matter, but with that ...Read more

DETROIT — Apparently, the 2026 Detroit Tigers can’t have nice things. At least not for long.

They won a baseball game Wednesday night, which has been rare. They beat the Los Angeles Angels and their ace right-hander Jose Soriano, 4-0 at Comerica Park. The win snapped a seven-game home losing streak and was their second win overall in their ...Read more

BOSTON — Too often this season, the big, game-changing hit has eluded the Boston Red Sox.

They didn’t need one to take a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning Wednesday night, the frame that ultimately sealed an 8-0 series-evening victory over the visiting Atlanta Braves.

Boston’s half of the fourth was all about the power of one. ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Dodgers utility man Kiké Hernández said he was hoping for "somewhat good news tomorrow" after leaving Tuesday's game with an oblique injury.

But on Wednesday, an MRI exam showed a "significant tear" in his left oblique, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. Hernández is expected to be out six to eight weeks, but recovery ...Read more

BALTIMORE — A week ago, the Tampa Bay Rays were unstoppable.

They had the best record in Major League Baseball. Their old-school, small-ball style of offense was flummoxing opponents. They beat up on the Baltimore Orioles so badly during a series sweep that it caused Mid-Atlantic Sports Network broadcaster Ben McDonald to go on a two-minute ...Read more

The San Francisco Giants aren’t just bad; they’re pioneers.

Day in and day out, they actively explore uncharted frontiers of baseball ineptitude, finding bold, avant-garde ways to hand games to their opponents. They can’t hit, they can’t run, their fundamentals belong in a blooper reel, their starting rotation is untrustworthy and their...Read more