When COVID-19 shut the world down in the spring of 2020, Tommy Seidl and Buddy Mrowka took matters into their own hands.

The global pandemic had postponed the Ivy League season, but the two Harvard ballplayers wanted to keep their skills sharp. That’s when Mrowka’s father, Pete, a longtime agent, suggested that they start rounding up like-...Read more

SEATTLE — The back of his gray jersey, already darker in spots than the rest of his teammates because of his profuse sweating, was now one dark color as well parts of most of the sleeves and the chest.

Pablo Lopez was laboring.

He’d already allowed a solo homer to Mitch Haniger to start the third inning and his pitch count was growing at a...Read more

ANAHEIM, Calif. — There have been outings this season when Reese Olson has impressed by the way he dominated the opposing lineup. His eight innings of three-hit shutout ball against the Miami Marlins comes to mind.

But on Saturday night, the Detroit Tigers right-hander impressed with his fortitude and his fight level.

He stayed mostly ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — Saturday was a planned “bullpen game” for the San Francisco Giants, whose rotation sports just two healthy established starters in Logan Webb and Jordan Hicks and has five pitchers — Blake Snell, Kyle Harrison, Keaton Winn, Robbie Ray and Alex Cobb — on the injured list.

It turned into an impromptu bullpen game for ...Read more

BALTIMORE — Heston Kjerstad is finally getting his chance to play on a regular basis. He’s taking full advantage.

The Baltimore Orioles’ outfield prospect started Saturday for the fourth time in six games and rewarded his club’s confidence with a go-ahead grand slam to help beat the Texas Rangers, 6-5, in front of a sold-out crowd of 44...Read more

BOSTON — The San Diego Padres had lost five straight games when they arrived at Citizens Bank Park on June 19.

They were one defeat away from their first 0-6 road trip in 15 seasons.

They had batted .181 and averaged just more than 2 1/2 runs a game during the five losses and had fallen to two games below .500 and out of playoff position.

...Read more

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The usually-reliable Shawn Armstrong gave up six runs in the seventh inning, and the Tampa Bay Rays were held to two hits as the Washington Nationals romped 8-1 Saturday in front of an announced crowd of 17,501 at Tropicana Field.

The Rays dipped below .500 at 41-42. They’ll wrap up this homestand Sunday with the ...Read more

NEW YORK — The New York Mets were only a few outs away from moving into a playoff spot.

With the St. Louis Cardinals losing to the Cincinnati Reds, the Mets needed a win to take possession of the third NL wild-card spot. They went up by as many as five runs early on against the Houston Astros on Saturday at Citi Field, but the pitching couldn...Read more

The New York Yankees may have used up all of their runs in Friday night’s victory. A day after putting 16 runs up on the board, the Bombers offense laid dormant in most of their 9-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday.

Aaron Judge provided the only run of the game with an RBI single in the top of the fifth — prior to Austin Well’s ...Read more

MILWAUKEE — A fiery Justin Steele burst into the Chicago Cubs dugout after his fielding gaffes contributed to a two-run third inning, and he began screaming “wake the f−−− up” to no one in particular.

Or maybe it was to everyone in particular. Either way, the wake-up call worked.

Ian Happ’s two-run, eighth inning home run ...Read more

ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Cardinals must turn their attention to trying to salvage a split out of their four-game set with the Cincinnati Reds. The Cardinals sent their top pitcher Sonny Gray to the mound Saturday, but Gray got chased from the game before the end of the fifth inning.

The Cardinals’ hopes of collecting a win came unraveled ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals celebrated Bo Jackson on Saturday afternoon. The iconic two-sport athlete got his place in the Royals Hall of Fame.

Much like his KC tenure, the Royals have played with relentless style. It has afforded them two critical wins in the important four-game series against the AL Central-leading Cleveland ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Rob Thomson said on Friday night that the Phillies might need to create some runs without Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper in the lineup. But failed to do so on Saturday, in a 3-2 loss to the Miami Marlins.

They faced the first pitcher in MLB history to allow at least 15 home runs in his first eight career starts, in Roddery Mu�...Read more

Leave it to the 2024 Colorado Rockies to make the Chicago White Sox look like the ’27 Yankees.

The White Sox entered the weekend series with a major league-worst 22-61 record. Then they beat the reeling Rockies, 5-3, on Friday night at Guaranteed Rate Field.

On Saturday, the Rockies’ once-promising afternoon quickly turned into a train ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — The familiar thoughts and emotions will arrive for Sid Bream this weekend, the same as they always have, the reality of having played for both the Pirates and Braves.

And obviously not typical tenures, too. Bream, as any Pirates fan knows, was at the forefront of arguably the most painful play in Pittsburgh baseball history.

...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — The patriarch rarely spoke of his previous life. Henry Kimbro, a workaholic dad of three who ran a gas station and cab company in his native Nashville, Tenn., had no time for chit-chat or reminiscing.

Even his own kids, throughout prepubesence, were unaware they lived with one of the most feared leadoff hitters in the rich ...Read more

DENVER — In a fitting end to a historically bad first half, the Rockies lost to the worst team in baseball.

Colorado, the National League cellar-dweller, fell 5-3 to the American League chump Chicago White Sox in the series opener on Friday at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Brenton Doyle and Michael Toglia both homered, but that wasn’t enough as ...Read more

DENVER — In a fitting end to a historically bad first half, the Rockies lost to the worst team in baseball.

Colorado, the National League cellar-dweller, fell 5-3 to the American League chump Chicago White Sox in the series opener on Friday at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Brenton Doyle and Michael Toglia both homered, but that wasn’t enough as ...Read more

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Zach Plesac only has to look down the Angels’ bench if he is looking for some inspiration on how to overcome adversity.

Plesac struggled to find the strike zone, while Luis Rengifo continued to produce offensively and Logan O’Hoppe delivered the big blow in the Angels’ 5-2 victory against the Detroit Tigers on Friday ...Read more