BOSTON — Just a little over a week before the MLB trade deadline and Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow orchestrated what could be the first of many deals late Saturday night.

And it was a stunner, but not for the right reasons.

The Red Sox traded starting pitcher Connelly Early to the Washington Nationals for infielder Curtis Mead...Read more

ARLINGTON, Texas — Hands on his hips, Bryan Woo lingered in the middle of the pitcher’s mound, looking out toward center field with a stilted blank stare after allowing a fifth run early in Saturday’s game.

As Woo wrestled with another baffling road start, it would be impossible for someone else to articulate exactly what the Seattle ...Read more

ST. LOUIS — For as quiet as the Cardinals’ lineup had been coming out of the All-Star break, it looked as if their Saturday showing would have some similar silence after a chance to rattle off multiple runs in the first inning ended with one run to show for it.

The Cardinals had their first two batters reach base against Reds starter Hunter...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Already light on starting pitching depth, the Minnesota Twins pushed back Joe Ryan’s next start for at least a few days and lost Saturday’s starter Mike Paredes to an oblique strain during pregame warmups.

With uncertainty surrounding the Twins starting rotation, Kendry Rojas struck out five batters across four scoreless ...Read more

NEW YORK — The ball jumped off Kyle Tucker’s bat for a high-flying home run into the right-field stands at Citi Field.

Tucker had been patient, watching the first four pitches of the at-bat against Nolan McLean, a pair of balls, and a pair of strikes low and in. Then, when McLean missed with a center-cut fastball, Tucker got all of it.

...Read more

NEW YORK — After this disaster of a Mets season ends and the Mets start their postmortem, they’ll have to find out why Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor both suffered calf injuries, Jorge Polanco suffered an Achilles injury, and whether there is any correlation with their training program.

Soto was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — Saturday’s matchup against the Cleveland Guardians began on a high note when Yandy Diaz knocked a single into right field, becoming just the fourth player in Tampa Bay Rays history to reach 1,000 hits with the franchise.

But it was his next hit that changed the calculus of the game, setting into motion a two-run fifth inning ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Nine days before the trade deadline, the discussions continued on the executive level of Citizens Bank Park about the most advisable strategy for the Phillies to improve their roster.

The debate surely got more robust Saturday night.

Go ahead, take your pick of the Phillies’ most pressing need: a back-end starting pitcher, a...Read more

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates’ matchup with the Chicago Cubs on Saturday evening had a big game feel, with fans lining up across the Roberto Clemente Bridge hours before the game to see a matchup of wild-card hopefuls, to watch Paul Skenes pitch, and to collect a Dr. Robby bobblehead.

Those same fans began the unhappy walk across the ...Read more

MIAMI — It has come to this.

And that will be fine with the Padres, as long as it keeps going like this.

Their quilt of a pitching staff is getting the job done, and the offense is cobbling together crucial hits.

That is how the first two games against the Marlins have gone, at least, which is better than what was happening the first seven ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani's throwing program has stalled, with the Los Angeles Dodgers star canceling a bullpen session the team had tentatively scheduled for Saturday.

"Just doesn't feel 100%," manager Dave Roberts said of Ohtani's left knee. "And because I think that the last 'pen that he had, there was a little bit of regression. So we ...Read more

BOSTON — Over the course of a long baseball season, sometimes you’re the windshield and sometimes you’re the bug.

With Dylan Cease on the mound Saturday, the Boston Red Sox didn’t know what hit them.

The Toronto Blue Jays ace threw his third career complete-game shutout, holding the Red Sox to just one hit and three walks with 12 ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — If this was Robbie Ray’s last start at Oracle Park as a San Francisco Giant, then it was a heck of a way to go out.

Ray delivered one of his best starts of the season in the Giants’ 9-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday afternoon, pitching six shutout innings with five strikeouts to trim his ERA to 3.16. With...Read more

DETROIT — Tough to win on a daily basis scoring just two runs.

The Detroit Tigers got away with it on Friday night, but that output was insufficient Saturday.

Nick Loftin slammed a 94-mph fastball from James Waguespack in the top of the ninth inning, sending the Kansas City Royals to a 3-2 win in front of 32,867 at Comerica Park.

The Royals...Read more

DETROIT — For all his illustrious accolades, Kansas City Royals star Salvador Perez can finally celebrate the one record that has always eluded him.

On Saturday, Perez set the Royals’ all-time home run record against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. He eclipsed Hall of Famer George Brett — who held the prestigious honor for over three...Read more

ARLINGTON, Texas — Rafael Palmeiro has every number to be in Cooperstown, but a failed drug test will forever prevent that from happening, and it is used as cover to explain why he is not even in the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame.

Steroids, HGH and other performance-enhancing drugs continue to define this century of Major League Baseball, and ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — Despite losing a four-run lead, the San Francisco Giants beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-6 in 10 innings on Friday evening at Oracle Park as Rafael Devers delivered a walk-off ground-rule double to snap San Francisco’s five-game losing streak.

While Devers delivered a walk-off ground-rule double with the bases loaded, Luis ...Read more

BALTIMORE — It’s hard to imagine a loss more demoralizing than the one the Orioles suffered Friday night.

A day that began with excitement surrounding Kyle Bradish’s newly signed contract extension ended in disaster. After leading for most of the game, Baltimore couldn’t close out the Atlanta Braves in a 7-6 loss in 10 innings.

Atlanta...Read more

ARLINGTON, Texas — Not the offensive resurgence the Mariners were looking for.

Not the result, either.

Jake Burger hit a two-run homer off Bryce Miller in the fourth inning and added the go-ahead single on the first pitch from Eduard Bazardo in the sixth inning, sending the Rangers to a 5-4 victory over the Mariners in the opener of their ...Read more