ST. LOUIS — Three weeks into the season, the Phillies have tried out three leadoff hitters and five in the cleanup spot. They’ve had big innings and gotten shut out. Most days, the luckless third baseman looks on the brink of disaster.

Overall, the offense has been ... average.

But it’s been just three weeks in mostly frigid weather. ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Yoshinobu Yamamoto can win the National League Cy Young Award.

The possibility of Yamamoto doing that has felt increasingly real every time he has stepped on the mound this season, reaching the point in the Dodgers' 3-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday night to where the previously reticent right-hander readily embraced ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — There’s been a photo making the rounds on social media platforms of a 3-year-old Jackson Jobe, in a caddie uniform at The Masters at Augusta National, caddying for his PGA pro dad Brandt at the annual Par 3 contest.

Tigers manager AJ Hinch, an avid and proficient golfer himself, just shook his head.

“I’ve never been to ...Read more

NEW YORK — Injuries continue to pile up among Yankees starting pitchers.

Marcus Stroman is headed to the 15-day injured list with left knee inflammation, the Yankees announced Saturday.

The move came a day after Stroman allowed five runs in 2/3 innings in Friday night’s 9-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants.

Following that rain-shortened ...Read more

SAN DIEGO — Major League Baseball’s penalties for a failed drug test aren’t stern enough to adequately deter players’ use of banned performance-enhancing drugs, said a former World Series champion known by many San Diegans.

Eric Hosmer, who retired last year and was with the Padres from 2018 through late 2022, said MLB ought to jack up ...Read more

SAN DIEGO — Nick Pivetta was back on the Petco Park mound, out of the cold, and dominant again.

The San Diego Padres turned a gem into a nightmare for Germán Márquez, scoring six runs in the fifth inning en route to an 8-0 victory that kept them perfect in eight home games this season.

The victory also made the Padres 11-3, tying the 1998 ...Read more

SEATTLE — It seemed appropriate that the swing that made Cal Raleigh the Seattle Mariners all-time leader in homers by a catcher also was a late-inning, game-winning blast.

Raleigh clubbed a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the M’s a 5-3 win over the Texas Rangers on Friday night. Raleigh’s third homer of the ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Tommy Edman has never hit more than 13 home runs in any of his six previous MLB seasons.

After just 15 games this year, he’s almost halfway there.

With an easy swing on a knee-high changeup in the sixth inning Friday night, Edman ended what had been a pitcher’s duel between Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Chicago Cubs left-hander ...Read more

The White Sox put the hurt on the Red Sox on Friday night, winning 11-1.

Most of the damage, however, was self-inflicted.

Visiting a team that entered the series 2-10, on an eight-game losing streak and ranked last in the majors in runs, hits, and OPS, and with the worst batting average in the American League, the Red Sox managed to look like ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The Tigers just keep coming.

Down 4-1, they rallied for four runs in the sixth inning and held on to beat the Central Division-rival Minnesota Twins, 7-6, Friday night at Target Field in the first of three.

The Twins helped them off the mat in the top of the sixth. Reliever Jorge Alcala walked the first two hitters, Riley ...Read more

ST. LOUIS — While the abrupt departure of their shortstop and a decision made weeks ago leaving Florida put the Cardinals in a bind early Friday night, the player unexpectedly thrust into play as a result lifted them to a win.

Off the bench into his catcher’s gear as part of a scramble to recover when Masyn Winn experienced back spasms, ...Read more

CLEVELAND — The Kansas City Royals’ offensive cold spells continued against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field.

It was a chilly Friday night for both teams. However, the Royals struggled to find warmth within their starting lineup. KC managed five hits and committed three errors in a 7-0 loss to the Guardians.

The Royals (7-7) ...Read more

CINCINNATI — Fundamentals cost the Pirates again on Friday night. In the first three innings, Pirates starter Bailey Falter walked five batters and threw two wild pitches, catcher Endy Rodriguez had a costly throwing error, and Pittsburgh fell behind 5-0 despite allowing just one hit.

The Pirates were able to cut into that lead but fell ...Read more

BALTIMORE — It appeared as if the Orioles could use a break after beginning the season 5-8 and failing to win any of their first four series.

After a day off Thursday, Mother Nature (or the baseball gods) stepped in Friday to double the ballclub’s time away.

The Orioles’ game against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday evening was postponed ...Read more

CHICAGO — Former Chicago White Sox first baseman/outfielder Gavin Sheets wasn’t prepared for a pop quiz when he came to work last weekend at Wrigley Field.

Sheets’ new team, the San Diego Padres, had won its first seven games, so I asked whether he remembered when the 2024 Sox won their seventh game.

“Probably May,” he said.

It was ...Read more

ATLANTA — Five hours and 38 minutes separated first pitch on Thursday and Marcell Ozuna’s walk-off home run in the wee hours of Friday morning during the Philadelphia Phillies’ 4-2 loss to the Braves.

Despite road games awaiting both teams Friday evening, they waited out a 2 hour, 45 minute rain delay between the sixth and seventh innings...Read more

ATLANTA — The starting pitching has held up reasonably well for the Braves under the circumstances. Reynaldo López made one shaky start before going on the injured list. Chris Sale, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, began the season with two bad starts by his high standards before his third was bad by any standard. Bryce Elder and A.J. ...Read more

BOSTON — After watching his team strike out 30 times in the prior three games, Red Sox manager Alex Cora had a simple message to his team when he arrived at the ballpark on Thursday.

“Put the ball in play,” Cora said pregame. “That’s the bottom line.”

It took a little while, but when the chips were down, the Red Sox took that ...Read more

CLEVELAND — The injuries kept piling up for the Chicago White Sox during their six-game trip. And so did several excruciating defeats — including one-run losses on Sunday in Detroit and Tuesday and Wednesday in Cleveland.

Thursday wasn’t as tight.

The Sox were limited to five hits — just two after the second inning — in a 6-1 loss to...Read more