PHILADELPHIA — The first pitch Andrew Painter threw on Saturday was a fastball that missed badly: high and inside to White Sox leadoff hitter Sam Antonacci.

It was a harbinger of things to come for Painter’s start, as he struggled significantly with his command in the Phillies’ 6-3 loss to Chicago. He ultimately hit Antonacci with another...Read more

ATLANTA — The Pittsburgh Pirates may have a little déjà vu.

On Friday night, the Atlanta Braves knocked Mitch Keller around to the tune of six runs in 4 2/3 innings, with three runs coming in the fifth. And on Saturday afternoon, Braxton Ashcraft was met with a similar fate.

Ashcraft (5-3, 3.28 ERA) gave up nine hits and six runs — ...Read more

MIAMI — The Tampa Bay Rays have been doing work and making moves, such as bumping Steven Matz to the bullpen, in an effort to get their pitching back on track.

But after Saturday’s 4-3 loss to the Miami Marlins, the Rays’ ninth in their last 12 games to drop their record to 37-24, there are also fair questions to ask about their lack of ...Read more

Saturday night’s game between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees was rained out due to what the home team described as a “forecast of sustained inclement weather” in the Yankee Stadium area.

The game has been rescheduled to a split-admission doubleheader Saturday, Aug. 29, when the Red Sox make their second and final trip to the ...Read more

ST. LOUIS — Unable to make the most of their scoring chances as they threatened to make a late comeback vs. the Cincinnati Reds, the swing the St. Louis Cardinals needed to launch them to a win on Saturday at Busch Stadium came from the hitter who didn't get a chance to take a swing in the sixth.

Lars Nootbaar, who intentionally walked during...Read more

CHICAGO — There would be no encore to the seven-homer barrage.

After scoring 12 runs on Thursday and 18 more runs on Friday, the San Francisco Giants lost 3-2 to the Chicago Cubs on Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field on a walk-off, 10th-inning single by Michael Busch.

Matt Chapman, fresh off tying the San Francisco-era record with eight ...Read more

DETROIT — Bryce Miller was finally provided a full runway. No pitch or inning restrictions. No splitting duties with Luis Castillo. For the first time since last September, it was entirely on Miller how long he stayed on the mound.

After six innings Saturday afternoon, Miller walked off the mound on his own accord. Everything he’d shown in ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — In a pitchers’ duel at Target Field on Saturday, it was a throw toward second base from Minnesota Twins reliever Eric Orze that may have been the costliest in a 3-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals.

Orze entered the ninth inning with a one-run lead. He immediately found himself in trouble after Isaac Collins hit a leadoff single...Read more

LOS ANGELES — No stranger to a big moment, Freddie Freeman blasted a walk-off home run in the ninth inning of a 1-0 victory over the Angels on Friday night. Dodger Stadium shook as the fans celebrated.

Through most of the game, the excitement was contained to a pitcher’s duel — a chess game of defensive plays, waiting to see who flinched ...Read more

DENVER — The June sunset at Coors Field was spectacular on Friday night. So was Colorado Rockies right-hander Ryan Feltner.

But the fireworks didn’t begin until after sundown when the Milwaukee Brewers scored four runs in the ninth inning and four more in the 10th to shock Colorado, 9-7.

“There was some good and some bad, for sure,” ...Read more

SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Padres came home from their worst road trip in two years, out of playoff position for the first time since the season’s second week.

They had lost five games in a row and nine of their previous 10.

Waiting for them in San Diego were the New York Mets, in last place in the National League East and the only team ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins had a lot of plays to celebrate during their 5-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday, but Byron Buxton’s running catch in the third inning came with a cost.

Buxton, who dealt with a nagging hip and shoulder injuries for the final two weeks in May, left Friday’s game in the third inning after he ...Read more

ST. LOUIS — Out to a one-run lead to start the sixth inning after Jordan Walker rocketed them to a one-run advantage with a double in the fifth, the Cardinals padded their lead with a double from the returning Lars Nootbaar and added to it with patient at-bat after patient at-bat on Friday night against the Reds.

The Cardinals lineup produced...Read more

MIAMI — The Rays got back to playing like themselves on Friday.

They pitched very well, with a dominant start by Drew Rasmussen. They scored early and often, sparked by Richie Palacios’ two-run triple in the first. They played clean on defense and on the bases.

And they shook hands and high-fived afterward, beating the Marlins, 6-0.

The ...Read more

ATLANTA — Mitch Keller hoped to put a rocky month of May behind him.

Instead, in his first start of June against the MLB-leading Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Truist Park, his struggles only continued. Keller took his third loss of the season, giving up seven hits, six runs and walking three across 4 2/3 innings as the Pirates lost, 6-3....Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Kyle Schwarber chugged, like a choo-choo train, up the third base line and dove headfirst across home plate, making sure to touch it with his right hand.

And then, he stayed there, prone, arms above his head.

Freeze that.

After weeks of winning low-scoring games because of otherworldly starting pitching and a sturdy bullpen, ...Read more

TORONTO — The Blue Jays are going to see Adley Rutschman in their nightmares pretty soon, if they aren’t already.

Rutschman entered Friday’s game with a .942 career OPS against the Orioles’ division rivals from north of the border, and he reinforced that track record, haunting Toronto by going 4 for 4 with a solo home run, two doubles, ...Read more

This has been a difficult season for the Red Sox, but you might not know it if you only saw them play on the road.

Back at Yankee Stadium for the first time since last October’s American League wild-card series, the Red Sox played like the playoff hopeful the club always expected to be. The club got some big home runs, a strong performance by...Read more