SAN DIEGO — The season had gotten a little green for the San Diego Padres. As in, the color of one’s countenance when feeling ill.

Purple is the color the Padres needed to see at a time like this.

That is the color worn by one major league team. The worst one.

That is who came to Petco Park on Thursday.

And that is who the Padres got ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — There was a gasp in the stadium as the line drive whizzed toward Jesús Luzardo.

He caught the ball hit by Mets center fielder Jeff McNeil, then spun around to get the double play at second base. In a flash, Luzardo had gotten himself out of the first-inning jam that seemed like it might never end while the Mets tagged him for ...Read more

CLEVELAND — The Kansas City Royals know their backs are against the wall.

With 15 games remaining in the 2025 season, they have reached a point where every game matters.

“It’s a really important one to try to get ahead of these guys because I think they got the tiebreaker on us,” Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino said before ...Read more

NEW YORK — Aaron Judge keeps rising up the Yankees’ all-time home run list.

The star slugger hit two more homers in Thursday night’s 9-3 win over the Detroit Tigers, giving him 361 in his career and tying him with Joe DiMaggio for the fourth most in Yankees history.

Only Babe Ruth (659), Mickey Mantle (536) and Lou Gehrig (493) are ahead...Read more

NEW YORK — President Donald Trump gave a speech inside the Yankees’ clubhouse, then took his seat behind protective glass at Thursday night’s game in the Bronx, amid an overwhelming security presence on the 24th anniversary of 9/11.

Trump heard cheers and boos as he appeared during the national anthem on the jumbotron, which showed him ...Read more

CHICAGO — Chicago White Sox infielder Chase Meidroth said it’s “pretty easy” playing defense behind starter Shane Smith.

“He throws a lot of strikes,” Meidroth said. “Every time he’s on the mound, we should win. He’s a No. 1 in this league. He’s really good.”

The rookie had another sharp outing Thursday, scattering four ...Read more

BALTIMORE — It wasn’t a walk-off this time, but the win counts just the same.

The Orioles beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 on Thursday as Dylan Beavers, the latest walk-off hero from their victory Wednesday night, came through again with a go-ahead RBI single in the seventh to break the tie and help Baltimore (69-77) win its eighth game in ...Read more

At some point, the Dodgers hope, they will be able to field a fully healthy lineup.

A late scratch on Wednesday to catcher Will Smith, however, meant it would have to wait at least a couple more days.

Despite activating Tommy Edman from the injured list pregame, and proceeding to sweep the Colorado Rockies with a 9-0 win that stretched their ...Read more

The longest night of the season had the strangest of endings for the Mariners.

Leo Rivas hit a walkoff, two-run home run on the first pitch of the bottom of the 13th inning, sending the Mariners to a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night at T-Mobile Park.

It was the first plate appearance of the night for Rivas, who ...Read more

SAN DIEGO — The Padres are dragging at what would seem to be the wrong time.

Maybe it will turn around. Virtually every team that has played in a World Series could look back at a stretch in the waning months of the regular season that they simply had to survive.

Maybe it won’t turn around. A five-game cushion with 16 games remaining is ...Read more

BALTIMORE — Just imagine if these games mattered in the standings.

The magic is back in Baltimore, and the Orioles are hardly losing. And they can’t stop winning in walk-off fashion.

The Orioles did it again Wednesday. For the fourth time in five games, the Orioles won on a walk off. This time, it was a single from rookie Dylan Beavers in ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Harrison Bader has played for the Phillies for all of 41 days, and already, he has a catchphrase.

What a gift.

It’s a gift, Bader said, that the Twins traded him before the July 31 deadline — and to the Phillies, no less. After four months with a noncontending team that will be at home in October, he’s poised to return ...Read more

NEW YORK — As Gleyber Torres prepared for his first game back at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, the Tigers’ second baseman said that he didn’t harbor any ill will for his former employer.

“I know it’s a business,” Torres said when asked if was disappointed that the Yankees didn’t extend him an offer in free agency this past offseason....Read more

CHICAGO — A team that says it’s going all out to win every game in a bid to make the postseason can’t load the bases on three walks to start the second inning and not get any runs.

Nor can that team allow five runs in the bottom of the inning by letting six of seven batters, and five straight, reach base.

Nor get two runners into scoring...Read more

NEW YORK — With President Trump scheduled to attend Thursday night’s game in the Bronx, the Yankees are introducing enhanced security measures.

As such, the Yankees laid out a series of guidelines for fans who plan to attend the series finale against the Detroit Tigers.

“Ticketed guests are strongly urged to arrive as early as possible ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — Call me crazy.

Call me delusional.

Call me the last optimist standing.

Call me the only one who believes Orlando’s longshot bid to bring the Tampa Bay Rays to Orlando was actually enhanced earlier this week when major investor Dr. Rick Workman defected to an ownership group that already has a deal in place to buy the Rays....Read more

CLEVELAND — When Kansas City Royals outfielder Jac Caglianone went on his rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha, there was a clear goal in mind.

Caglianone, who struggled with his plate discipline, needed to improve the selection of pitches that he swung at. Simply put, the Royals wanted Caglianone to work counts and get in advantageous ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — With a looming three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, a clean sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks would’ve been a boon for the San Francisco Giants as they chase down the New York Mets for the final NL wild-card spot.

They’ll have to settle for two of three.

Carson Seymour recorded four outs and surrendered four...Read more