LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Francisco Giants 5-2 on Thursday night, reclaiming first in the National League West after San Diego lost to Milwaukee. The Dodgers also escaped a third straight series loss at home ahead of their weekend road series against the Angels.

Designated hitter Will Smith, whom Dodgers manager Dave ...Read more

Rays shortstop Wander Franco’s new trial on charges of sexual abuse of a minor began Thursday in the Dominican Republic amid heavy military presence and few details.

Prosecutors again laid out the framework of their case against Franco, which stems from a relationship that started in December 2022 when the girl was 14 and Franco 21.

Franco ...Read more

ATLANTA — Manager Craig Counsell thought going into Thursday’s series finale against the Atlanta Braves that the Chicago Cubs would have a hard time getting four innings out of right-hander Ben Brown.

Brown is still building up his pitch count with his transition from the bullpen to the rotation, requiring high efficiency facing Major ...Read more

BOSTON — Ranger Suárez wore the same jersey number (55), warmed up to the same Kid Cudi track (“Mr. Rager”), and threw the same six-pitch kitchen sink.

Only this time, he did it all against the Phillies.

How strange.

But as much as some things change, others never do. Take, for instance, Kyle Schwarber crushing baseballs to the most ...Read more

CHICAGO — The Royals’ rotation was among the best in baseball for the first six weeks of the season, but Kansas City’s starting pitchers have hit a collective pothole.

After turning in a quality start in 19 of the Royals’ first 36 games, the staff’s starters have just one in their last eight contests.

The latest pitcher to struggle ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — A Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher and two of the top jockeys in horse racing were allegedly linked to illegal cockfighting in Puerto Rico through social media posts, according to reporting from USA Today.

The article, published Thursday, highlights social media posts advertising cockfighting tournaments that picture three-time All-...Read more

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Down to their final strike in the final inning of the final game of this challenging Golden State road trip, the Cardinals took a bruise to then deliver one.

JJ Wetherholt was hit by a breaking ball with two strikes and two outs in the ninth inning while trailing the Athletics by a run. Wetherholt grinding through ...Read more

HOUSTON — Without Cal Raleigh, Mitch Garver wouldn’t be here.

He wouldn’t have a spot on the Mariners roster and wouldn’t have a chance to hold down the catching position during Raleigh’s sudden absence.

In the short term, at least, Garver showed Thursday that the Mariners just might be OK without their star catcher.

A few hours ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — Welcome back, Endy Rodriguez.

The 25-year-old catcher made his first appearance for the Pirates since June 6, then helped them to a 7-2 win against the Colorado Rockies on Thursday afternoon at PNC Park. Rodriguez went 2 for 3 with a walk, hitting a double in the second inning then adding a two-run single in the third to extend ...Read more

MILWAUKEE — Griffin Canning’s third start for the Padres was both interminable and brief.

He was on the mound for nearly 20 minutes in the bottom of the first inning while throwing 43 pitches, just 19 of them strikes, and allowing three runs on one hit and four consecutive walks.

His portion of the second inning was also nearly 20 minutes ...Read more

NEW YORK — The first two and a half months have been unkind to the Mets.

But Thursday’s Star Wars Day brought a pair of firsts that’ll fill the entire Mets clubhouse with smiles:

Rookie outfielder A.J. Ewing hit his first big league home run in what became the Mets’ first series sweep of the season in a 9-4 victory against the Detroit ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Zebby Matthews made his season debut Thursday at Target Field, after spending the first seven weeks of the season at Class AAA St. Paul, which answers the primary question after watching his outing: Where has this guy been all year?

Matthews spun seven scoreless innings, yielding four hits and one walk, to lead the Twins to an 8...Read more

HOUSTON —A dreadful year for Cal Raleigh has reached a new low point.

The Mariners’ All-Star catcher, who gamely tried to play through an oblique strain for nearly two weeks, has been placed on the injured list for the first time in his career.

Raleigh was pulled from Wednesday’s game and was seen visibly wincing during a play in the ...Read more

Two days without Shohei Ohtani’s bat in the starting lineup is a tough pill to swallow. But the Dodgers beat the Giants 4-0 Wednesday even without his presence at the top of the batting order.

The Dodgers’ victory featured an early offensive push and back-to-back home runs, as Ohtani made his impact on the mound, holding the Giants ...Read more

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Of all the pitches that Matthew Liberatore threw in a prolonged slog through the fifth inning, the one that went the farthest fittingly did the most damage.

Nick Kurtz’s 405-foot grand slam during the decisive five inning obliterated the Cardinals’ one-run lead and launched the Athletics to a 6-2 victory late ...Read more

HOUSTON — Another game, no doubt, the Mariners are going to believe they should have won.

They did not, in fact, win this game, spoiling Bryce Miller’s sterling season debut and ruining a chance to climb back to .500.

The Astros rallied from a two-run deficit to beat the Mariners, 4-3 in 10 innings.

That ends the Mariners’ nine-game ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Recently retired five-time Gold Glove outfielder Jason Heyward is joining the Dodgers’ front office as a special assistant. Wednesday was his first day on the job at Dodger Stadium, but he said he officially started at the beginning of the month.

“I asked for an opportunity,” Heyward said. “I asked for an opportunity to ...Read more

TORONTO — The Rays have prided themselves during their sizzling start by winning games in different and interesting ways.

Wednesday they lost one that way.

The Rays survived an eighth inning in which their top reliever walked three straight batters en route to giving up the tying run, then rallied for two runs in the 10th.

But it ended ...Read more

NEW YORK — Walked off again.

Carson Benge singled home the free runner in the bottom of the 10th inning, sending the New York Mets, last place in the National League East, to a 3-2 win at Citi Field Wednesday.

The Tigers, 7-18 on the road and 19-24 on the season, have lost seven of their last eight games. They managed one hit after the fifth...Read more

CHICAGO — These aren’t your older brother’s White Sox.

During the previous two seasons, the Royals won 22 of 26 games against the South Siders. But things have changed now.

The White Sox beat the Royals, 6-5, on Wednesday night at Rate Field for Chicago’s fourth victory in six tries against KC this season. It was also the Royals’ ...Read more