PITTSBURGH — When the Pirates drafted Jameson Taillon second overall in the 2010 draft, they likely hoped he’d one day pitch meaningful late-season games at PNC Park. That was indeed the case Monday evening, just for the wrong team.

Taillon helped his club get another step closer to the postseason, throwing six scoreless frames to pave the ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — This is the time to bring on the rivals. The Dodgers are used to taking on challengers down the pennant stretch: the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres — and, in a previous version of the National League West, the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds.

The final two weeks of the regular season are upon us. The Dodgers have...Read more

BOSTON — This weekend didn’t go the way the Red Sox hoped, and through the first two games it seemed like every time they had a chance to make something happen, the club let it slip away.

But Sunday the Red Sox only needed about 20 minutes to flip the script on their rivals.

The Red Sox ambushed the New York Yankees in Sunday night’s ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — The Los Angele Dodgers have gotten back to the basics this week, preaching the importance of the little things in daily hitters’ meetings, in-game dugout conversations and even simulated drills in early batting practice sessions.

After slumping for the last 2 1/2 months, they were searching for a more dependable style of ...Read more

SAN DIEGO — The march toward the inevitable stalled for a time this month, but the San Diego Padres got back to taking advantage of the opportunity they were given.

Seven games in 10 days against one of the worst teams in the history of Major League Baseball helped get the Padres back on track.

They won five of those games, finishing the ...Read more

SEATTLE — The only fitting way for the Seattle Mariners to take over first place alone atop the American League West was to have the man that carried them through the first half of the season check off another historical mark on his résumé for the American League Most Valuable Player award.

On the final day of a seven-game homestand where ...Read more

CHICAGO — Junior Caminero moved within two homers of Carlos Pena’s franchise single-season record, and the Tampa Bay Rays moved closer to formal elimination from the American League playoff race in a 4-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.

After Yandy Diaz led off the game with his career-high 24th homer, Caminero followed with his 44th of ...Read more

MILWAUKEE — The pair of late-game relievers who pitched themselves into such trouble Saturday night got a second chance Sunday and cinched the lone win of the road trip.

This time, they got to cover for someone else’s misstep.

Riley O’Brien and JoJo Romero, the right-left combo the St. Louis Cardinals are using to close out games, ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Bailey Ober threw 101 pitches Sunday and there was probably only one that he wished he had back.

Ober, who has battled his pitching mechanics almost all season and thrown with lower velocity, struck out a season-high nine batters across six innings. He yielded four hits and zero walks in what could have been one of his better ...Read more

CLEVELAND — Chicago White Sox designated hitter Andrew Benintendi hit a sharp grounder that appeared to be headed to center field for a game-tying single with two outs in the ninth inning Sunday against the Cleveland Guardians.

“I think I yelled because I thought it was through,” Sox infielder Chase Meidroth said of his reaction while ...Read more

NEW YORK — Losers of their last eight straight, the Mets had to contend with football Sunday, kids going back to school and waning interest in baseball Sunday afternoon at Citi Field. All season, fans heeded the calls of the team and the owners, packing Citi Field to see what they hoped would be winning baseball.

For the most part, the Mets ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — The Kansas City Royals needed a spark on Sunday.

Philadelphia Phillies starter Aaron Nola was dealing through four innings. He marched through the Royals’ lineup with relative ease. The first nine Kansas City hitters to face him took a U-turn back to the visitors’ dugout.

Nola was also racking up the strikeouts. He tallied...Read more

There are likely few people on the Pirates roster who are more ready for this season to end than Oneil Cruz. Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park is just another example of why this is the case.

"It's tough," manager Don Kelly told SportsNet Pittsburgh's postgame show, "especially since we scored three in the first ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — Teoscar Hernández pumped his fist. Ben Rortvedt let out a scream. Mookie Betts put some oomph on the end of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ arm-waving, hip-shaking, hit celebration.

After struggling for so long in high-leverage situations, the team’s offense finally had reason to celebrate.

For weeks now, the Dodgers have ...Read more

SEATTLE — For a guy who has one of the most valuable fastballs in all of baseball, it felt a little incongruous that Bryan Woo threw a sweeper for his breakthrough pitch Saturday night.

It certainly caught the Angels’ Sebastián Rivero by surprise.

On a 1-2 count, Rivero took the sweeper right down the middle for strike three in the fifth ...Read more