LOS ANGELES — Based on the Dodgers’ original lineup, Teoscar Hernández would have been in the dugout during the biggest at-bat of Saturday night’s game.

Originally, on a night the Dodgers gave normal No. 2 hitter Mookie Betts a scheduled day off following his battle with a stomach virus last week, the team had switch-hitter Tommy Edman ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Roki Sasaki chose right when he signed with the Dodgers.

Never mind not being ready to lead the rotation of another team and challenge Shohei Ohtani. The 23-year-old Sasaki doesn’t look ready to pitch in the major leagues.

Sasaki made his second start for the Dodgers on Saturday night, and it was somehow worse than his first....Read more

SEATTLE — The path to a second straight defeat that once again featured a paucity of runs scored was slightly different this time.

Unlike their loss in the previous game, where base runners and the possibility of scoring runs was largely nonexistent, the Seattle Mariners had traffic on the bases, runners in scoring position and plenty of ...Read more

HOUSTON — The New York Mets‘ defense played exceptionally tough behind right-hander Griffin Canning on Saturday night, but the bats couldn’t back him up.

After Jose Siri tied the rubber game at 1-1 in the top of the sixth, the Houston Astros came right back in the bottom of the inning to retake the lead and chase Canning from the game. ...Read more

ARLINGTON, Texas — Kristian Campbell’s first big league start in left field nearly got off to a memorable start.

With two men on and two outs in the bottom of the first Campbell tracked down a hard hit ball off the bat of Jake Burger and made a sensational full-extension diving grab to his left. But when he hit the ground the ball popped ...Read more

HOUSTON — Allow Juan Soto to reintroduce himself.

One day after hitting his first home run as a member of the New York Mets, the visitors clubhouse at Daikin Park was still buzzing. It wasn’t just that he hit a home run and when he did — in the third inning of a 2-0 game off Houston right-hander Hunter Brown — it was how he managed to ...Read more

SAN DIEGO — Randy Vásquez pitched like he hardly ever had before.

Yuli Gurriel broke a scoreless tie with a two-out pinch-hit single in the seventh inning.

Three relievers who don’t usually find themselves protecting a one-run lead late in games did so.

And the find-a-way Padres remained undefeated three games into the season.

Their 1-0...Read more

WASHINGTON — Upon getting traded to the Phillies in December, Jesús Luzardo heard from his new pitching coach, who had a few ideas for how the lefty could make his top-of-the-rotation stuff even better.

Why throw one slider, Caleb Cotham said, when Luzardo can throw two?

“He’s always had that short, kind of dirty slider, and he worked ...Read more

MIAMI — For the second time in three games, a combination of poor outfield defense and late-game pitching led the Pittsburgh Pirates to squander a lead in the final third of a ballgame, ultimately leading to a 5-4 loss in 12 innings to the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park.

Dane Myers was the hero for Miami, walking it off with a single off ...Read more

TORONTO — Somebody handed the Baltimore Orioles back the remote.

After their lineup went on pause during their loss Friday, the Orioles hit play and their offense resumed its high-octane production led by Jordan Westburg’s first career multi-homer game for a 9-5 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon.

The Orioles began the ...Read more

CINCINNATI — Justin Verlander would be a first-ballot Hall of Famer if he retired tomorrow. He’s done just about all there is for a starting pitcher to do in this game. Rookie of the Year. MVP. Two World Series titles. Three Cy Young Awards. But there is one major box he’s yet to check: 300 wins.

While improbable since he’s 38 wins away...Read more

Diamond gems and outfield heroics rescued the Colorado Rockies in their 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays Saturday afternoon.

Colorado’s offense didn’t produce much at breezy George M. Steinbrenner Field, but its defense was top-notch, producing highlights in nearly every inning. And closer Seth Halvorsen set down four in a row to record ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Bobby Witt Jr. reminded Royals fans about his impressive speed on Opening Day.

On Saturday, he came through with his first signature moment of 2025.

The Kansas City Royals fought from behind against the Cleveland Guardians at Kauffman Stadium. A Maikel Garcia home run tied the score at 3-3, then Witt, the Royals’ ...Read more

ST. LOUIS — As much emphasis as the Cardinals continue to place on how their lineup starts games, starts innings and sustains that pressure — coaches call it a “relentless” pursuit and do so relentlessly — there’s something to be said about how they’ve revived innings before they go kaput.

A bases-loaded, no-out opportunity in a ...Read more

SEATTLE — All the frustration felt by fans for the first six innings on opening night and all the memes, snarky tweets and comments that might have been prematurely sent or were waiting to be shared about the same ol’ Mariners, having the same feckless offensive production as last season while suffering yet another run-deprived loss, well, ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Another night that began with a ceremony for the Dodgers’ 2024 World Series championship culminated in the 2025 team collecting a win.

And this time, not even one of the club’s most important players from last year’s title-winning squad could crash the party.

Over a nearly 30-minute pregame ceremony Friday — one with so...Read more

SAN DIEGO — A night of back-and-forth baseball at Petco Park ended the way the San Diego Padres are accustomed to such games ending.

Jake Cronenworth’s home run leading off the eighth inning gave the Padres a lead, and Robert Suarez worked a clean ninth to preserve a 4-3 victory and give the Padres their second dramatic victory in two games...Read more

ARLINGTON, Texas — Rafael Devers is off to a brutal start.

Since shifting to full-time designated hitter duty Devers has looked completely lost at the plate. The slugger went hitless with three strikeouts on Opening Day, and in Friday’s 4-1 loss to the Texas Rangers he turned in another goose egg, going 0 for 4 with four strikeouts.

Per ...Read more