LOS ANGELES — It’s hard not to count as the strikeouts go by.

Clayton Kershaw’s first strikeout Friday night came on his “Cooperstown curveball” — a pitch that’s dazzled since its first appearance at Dodger Stadium on May 25, 2008. Two strikeouts on sliders that dove into the dirt like paper airplanes curtailing in the wind ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — Rafael Devers went hitless in five at-bats in his first game against his former team as the San Francisco Giants fell to the Boston Red Sox, 7-5, on Friday night at Oracle Park.

Devers received a standing ovation in his first plate appearance of the night. Along with the Giants fans rising to their feet, a smattering of Red ...Read more

SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Padres returned to calm and cool San Diego and eventually warmed up Friday night.

But a comeback from four runs down was merely a setup to another letdown, as a Padres reliever melted down again.

The Royals scored twice in the eighth inning off Jason Adam and held on for a 6-5 victory Friday night at Petco Park.

...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. – This is what happens when a hot offensive team faces a pitcher searching for his game.

The Tampa Bay Rays, winners of six of their last eight games, KO’d Jack Flaherty in the third inning and beat the Tigers, 14-8, Friday night at George Steinbrenner Field.

Flaherty was charged with eight runs in just 2 1/3 innings. After a ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Milwaukee right-hander Jacob Misiorowski was removed from his major league debut on June 12 at St. Louis after slipping on the mound while throwing a pitch because of cramps. He had thrown five no-hit innings at that point, with his fastball reaching 102 miles per hour.

Most of his outing Friday night at Target Field was simply ...Read more

DENVER — There may be no cryin’ in baseball, but there were a whole lot of Ryans at Coors Field on Friday night.

The Ryans in the Colorado Rockies lineup had a good night, much to the delight of a large group of their namesakes taking part in a “Ryan meetup,” but it wasn’t enough to combat the Arizona Diamondbacks’ lineup in a 14-8 ...Read more

ST. LOUIS — Looking to provide distance for a Cardinals bullpen that needed to use each of its relievers on Thursday during a doubleheader vs. the White Sox, starter Andre Pallante turned in his second scoreless outing of six or more innings this season when he faced the Reds on Friday night.

The stability provided by Pallante’s start ...Read more

NEW YORK — The way the Baltimore Orioles must scratch and claw for every win they can get right now, nobody in the third base dugout at Yankee Stadium was going to complain about a wall scraper falling in their favor Friday night.

Ramón Urías hit a go-ahead, 337-foot home run in the eighth inning to help the Orioles (33-42) come back and ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Zack Wheeler delivered the pitch and looked in at the home plate umpire, as though he expected a called third strike.

Ball three.

It was the right call. Wheeler’s sinker was inside, a smidge off the plate. But Jonathan Parra called strikes on similar pitches Friday night, and if he had done so there, Wheeler would’ve ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — They groveled at his feet when they visited him at the White House in April, owner Mark Walter applauding when he lied about egg prices and team president Stan Kasten laughing at his attempts at humor.

They remained silent when he flooded their city with federal agents, chief marketing officer Lon Rosen refusing to comment on ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Dodgers manager Dave Roberts will serve a one-game suspension Friday night against the Washington Nationals after Thursday’s bases-clearing altercation against the San Diego Padres.

In addition to the suspension, Major League Baseball announced Roberts was fined an undisclosed amount. Padres manager Mike Shildt was also ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — Pirates reliever Dennis Santana has been suspended four games for his “aggressive conduct towards a fan,” Michael Hill, MLB’s senior vice president for on-field operations, announced Friday. Santana has elected to appeal the suspension and is eligible to play while the appeal is heard.

The suspension stems from an incident ...Read more

BOSTON — If the buzzword of Monday evening’s post-trade videoconference with Red Sox president Sam Kennedy and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow was “alignment,” then the theme of Rafael Devers’ media availability on Friday was "Don’t look back, you’re not going that way."

Hours before his first game against the franchise he’...Read more

CHICAGO — Cubs fans found out early Friday that they would have a chance to honor one of the greatest home run hitters in history, Sammy Sosa, as he made his first public return to Wrigley Field since 2004.

After the 40,787 in attendance got a chance to honor Sosa before the bottom of the second inning, they watched the player who is so far ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Amid the Dodgers' silence about federal immigration raids in Southern California, a familiar voice that has comforted immigrants for years emerged.

Jaime Jarrín, the former Spanish-language voice of the Dodgers who captivated thousands of fans for decades and served as Fernando Valenzuela's translator during Fernandomania, ...Read more

CHICAGO — Cubs fans found out early Friday that they would have a chance to honor one of the greatest home run hitters in history, Sammy Sosa, as he made his first public return to Wrigley Field since 2004.

After the 40,787 in attendance got a chance to honor Sosa before the bottom of the second inning, they watched the player who is so far ...Read more

NEW YORK — The Yankees boosted their bullpen on Friday, activating Luke Weaver from the injured list prior to their series-opener against the Baltimore Orioles.

The expected move marks a speedy, rehab assignment-less return for the righty, who strained his left hamstring during a mid-game stretch at Dodger Stadium on June 1. Weaver was ...Read more

CHICAGO — Sammy Sosa is back.

Again.

The former Chicago Cubs outfielder returned to Wrigley Field Friday for the first time since his controversial exit in 2004 after reuniting with the organization in January at the Cubs Convention.

Sosa’s return was supposed to be a surprise reveal after a video highlight package was played in the “...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The two New York teams dropped by Dodger Stadium a couple of weeks ago, first the Yankees and then the Mets, and broadcasters for each team made sure to complain about how loud it was.

“The Dodger Stadium center field speakers are in full assault mode,” Yankees radio voice Dave Sims tweeted.

On the ESPN Sunday night ...Read more