SAN DIEGO — Friday’s game had history and a scare, and it provided a bit of breathing room.

The San Diego Padres three early runs for the second straight night, but this time they added on and held on to beat the San Francisco Giants 5-1.

Along the way, they got excellent pitching, lost rookie Jackson Merrill and saw Manny Machado tie the ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Landon Knack has been a human life preserver for the Los Angeles Dodgers, an unsung rookie right-hander who has helped keep the rotation afloat when seas get a little rough.

With Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Gavin Stone and Clayton Kershaw on the injured list, the Dodgers summoned the 27-year-old right-hander from triple-A...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals continued to shake off the doldrums of their recent seven-game losing streak on Friday night.

The Royals earned a pivotal 5-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium. The win vaulted the club into second place in the American League Central race.

KC improved to 77-65 and sits a half-game...Read more

ST. LOUIS — Bryce Miller threw six scoreless innings, Dylan Moore hit a two-run home run and the Mariners scored three insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning to pull away for a 6-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night.

At 72-70, the Mariners remain 4.5 games back of the Astros in the AL West.

The Mariners are an MLB-...Read more

BALTIMORE — For half an hour six days ago, it appeared Dean Kremer’s season might be over.

The Orioles pitcher was struck on the forearm with a 103.1-mph line drive. The ball was hit so hard it ricocheted off Kremer’s arm and went all the way to Gunnar Henderson at shortstop. Within seconds, a large welt appeared on Kremer’s throwing ...Read more

NEW YORK — Mark Vientos hit two home runs, including a walk-off shot in the 10th inning to help the Mets extend their winning streak to a season-high eight games on Friday night.

Vientos hit a two-run homer in the first inning and one in the 10th off former Mets reliever Justin Wilson to lead the Amazins’ over the Cincinnati Reds, 6-4.

The...Read more

MIAMI — With the magic number dwindling on their first division title since 2011, there will be times during these next three weeks when the Phillies want to pack the roster in bubble wrap and ship it to October.

Take, for instance, Friday night.

Leading by a touchdown (it was the Eagles’ opening night, after all) against the worst team in...Read more

Ryan Feltner was overdue for a win. Long overdue.

The Rockies right-hander finally snagged one, thanks to his own superb performance, a big assist from first baseman Michael Toglia, and another sensational throw from Gold Glove center fielder Brenton Doyle to close out the game.

Feltner shut down the Brewers for six innings in Colorado’s 3-2...Read more

BOSTON — The Red Sox offense has been ice cold lately. How cold is ice cold? So cold that over the past two weeks entering Friday the lineup had managed just 35 runs in 13 games, good for only 2.7 per game.

Fortunately for Boston, this weekend the club is hosting the only team in baseball whose lineup has been less productive.

The Chicago ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Just when the Dodgers thought their pitching staff was getting healthier, they announced yet another significant injury Friday.

Rookie right-hander Gavin Stone was placed on the injured list because of shoulder inflammation, the team said, leaving the 25-year-old's status for the season's final stretch unclear amid a breakout ...Read more

The Yankees got a much-needed glimpse of brilliance on the mound Friday.

With the postseason less than a month away, manager Aaron Boone will have to sort out his playoff rotation sooner rather than later. Luis Gil made a strong case to be a big part of October in the Bombers’ 3-0 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Gil returned from the ...Read more

CHICAGO — Celebrating the past at Wrigley Field while worrying about the Cubs’ future is very much a Chicago thing.

Anthony Rizzo’s long-awaited homecoming three years after the trade to the New York Yankees began the teary tributes Friday, and the inductions of Kerry Wood and Aramis Ramírez into the Cubs Hall of Fame on Sunday will cap ...Read more

SAN DIEGO — Martín Pérez pitched well Thursday night.

Robert Suarez did not.

A grand slam by Parker Meadows, the Tigers’ No. 9 hitter, with two strikes and two outs in the ninth inning, denied the Padres a series sweep and kept them from winning for the seventh time in Pérez’s seven starts.

Pérez had been a when, not an if, for the ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — On the heels of the Pirates’ most challenging offensive performance of the season, it didn’t take long to get off the schneid.

With two away in the first inning of Thursday night’s game at PNC Park, Oneil Cruz smacked a double for the Pirates’ first hit since Tuesday evening’s victory against the Cubs. While Cruz wouldn...Read more

Austin Gomber aced the Braves Thursday night at Truist Park.

The left-hander pitched one of the best games of his career, dominating the Braves for eight innings in the Rockies’ 3-1 victory.

Gomber allowed a single run on five hits — just one hit after the second inning — struck out five and didn’t walk any. He threw 92 pitches, 67 for...Read more

MIAMI — Lop off another number from the countdown to the Phillies’ first division title since 2011. But two digits were even more significant Thursday night:

— Five, as in the innings pitched by Ranger Suárez.

— Zero, as in the runs allowed by the lefty.

Because the Phillies’ chances of winning the World Series — the only goal ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — Despite their team’s sinking playoff hopes, just one win to show for the first five games of their homestand and the season’s two lowest attendance figures the past two days, almost 28,000 Giants fans showed up Thursday to watch the reigning August pitcher of the month take the ball in his first start of September.

They’...Read more

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — As disappointing as things appeared for the Twins with injuries piling up and the club playing one of its worst stretches of the season during a playoff race, they still have Pablo López available to pitch every five or six days.

López gave up a run for the first time in his last four starts, halting a 23 1/3-inning ...Read more