Jason Heyward blitzed with alleged N-word taunts from Cardinals fans in return to St. Louis  —  Jason Heyward's return to St. Louis was marred with racial slurs.  —  In addition to booing, crowd mics picked up multiple Cardinals fans allegedly yelling the N-word at the new Chicago Cubs right fielder …

At 8-4, Royals once again doing things that are ‘not stat-able’  —  OAKLAND — The “Moose” calls erupted just as the third-inning drive off Mike Moustakas' bat sailed over the right-field fence.  Considering the Kansas City Royals were playing at the Oakland Coliseum, it would have been easy …

Rockies Acquire Cody Decker  —  The Rockies have acquired first baseman Cody Decker from the Royals, according to announcements from both teams.  Cash considerations are going back in return.  —  Decker, 29, has minimal major league experience but was long a solid producer in the upper minors …

Didi Gregorius has rough night in Yankees' loss to Athletics  —  Didi Gregorius' night was filled with ups and downs Tuesday.  —  A pair of spectacular plays he made at shortstop behind Chasen Shreve in the seventh inning accounted for the good, but the bad may have very well cost the Yankees the game.

Were the Astros signaling pitches on Tuesday night?  Ask Derek Holland. … After the usual post-game comments, I had one more question for Derek Holland.  I was curious what adjustment, if any, he had made, since the Astros were making such hard contact in the first two innings …

Arizona Diamondbacks rally for victory in extra innings over San Francisco Giants … SAN FRANCISCO - More than 4 1/2 hours of baseball and it was well worth it for Jake Lamb and the Arizona Diamondbacks.  —  Lamb hit a tying homer with two outs in the ninth inning and doubled home …

Stephen Strasburg, slider/cutter in lethal form, strikes out 10 Marlins  —  MIAMI — Ryan Zimmerman calls it a “cutter/slider thing.”  Catcher Wilson Ramos and pitching coach Mike Maddux say “cutter.”  Stephen Strasburg does not call it anything, as he has yet to acknowledge it exists.

Bryce Harper's gets 100th home run ball back thanks to former Make-a-Wish recipient  —  The 10-year-old was happy to return the ball to the Nationals' slugger.  —  Ricky Doyle / NESN.com / Yardbarker  —  It's not uncommon for baseball players and their teams to want to retrieve …

Joe Maddon amused by Busch Stadium ban on his T-shirts  —  Photos of the 2015 NL Manager of the Year.  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Cubs manager Joe Maddon actually sees a benefit to the banning of his “Try Not To Suck” T-shirts at Busch Stadium.  —  “It's much better if the fans make a big deal out of it,” Maddon said Wednesday.

The rise and fall of Rafael Palmeiro … He's sitting with a North Carolina State hat dipped downward.  He's aged well.  Still handsome, the black mustache of his playing days is gone, replaced with a salt-and-pepper beard.  When he stands up, his shoulders are muscular, and he looks a decade younger than 51.

Noah Syndergaard already on list of greatest Mets deals in franchise history, here are my Top 10  —  Noah Syndergaard's early-season brilliance is such that his acquisition from the Blue Jays already has to rank among the best trades the Mets have ever made, with or without Travis d'Arnaud.