Braves Fire Fredi Gonzalez; Brian Snitker Named Interim Manager  —  The Braves have brought an end to the speculation by officially firing manager Fredi Gonzalez, as David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution was first to report (Twitter link).  Gonzalez becomes the first skipper to lose his post this year.

Right-hander Tim Lincecum agrees to deal with Angels  —  Tim Lincecum, who recently auditioned for teams to show he is healthy, has agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Angels, according to ESPN's Jim Bowden.  —  The deal is pending a physical.  —  Lincecum spent nine seasons …

Pirates Extend Francisco Cervelli  —  The Pirates have announced a three-year extension with catcher Francisco Cervelli that will pay him $31MM, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).  He was set to hit the free agent market after the season, but will instead remain in Pittsburgh through 2019 under his new deal.

Steven Adams apologizes for ‘quick little monkeys’ comment after Thunder beat Warriors  —  OAKLAND — Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams apologized for his postgame comment that so many found offensive in the wake of a Game 1 win in the Western Conference Finals.

Dick McAuliffe, from 1968 champion Detroit Tigers, dies at 76  —  Dick McAuliffe, an infielder for the 1968 World Series champion Detroit Tigers, died on Friday.  He was 76.  —  The Tigers confirmed McAuliffe's passing and held a moment of silence before Monday's game for him and former first-round pick John Young.

Angels Edge Dodgers 7-6 in Freeway Series Opener  —  By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSMAY 17, 2016, 2:21 A.M. E.D.T.  —  LOS ANGELES — Albert Pujols and Mike Trout combined to drive in six runs and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Dodgers 7-6 on Monday night for their fourth straight win in the opener of the Freeway Series.

Semien Homers, Manaea Wins First Major-League Game  —  By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSMAY 17, 2016, 12:45 A.M. E.D.T.  —  OAKLAND, Calif. — Marcus Semien homered in support of Sean Manaea, who allowed four hits over 6 2/3 innings, and the Oakland Athletics beat the Texas Rangers 3-1 on Monday night.

Rays Hit 4 Homers, Rout Blue Jays 13-2  —  By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSMAY 16, 2016, 10:15 P.M. E.D.T.  —  TORONTO — Curt Casali hit a three-run homer, Tim Beckham and Steve Pearce each hit two-run blasts and the Tampa Bay Rays had four homers while beating the Toronto Blue Jays 13-2 on Monday night.

Manager Walt Weiss says better pitching, more diverse offense gives Colorado better chance on road  —  The Denver Post  —  Ryan Raburn (6) and DJ LeMahieu celebrate Sunday after Raburn's two-run, pinch-hit homer against the Mets.  (Justin Edmonds, Getty Images)  —  The Rockies' clubhouse was a hectic place Sunday night.

Bad blood between Rougned Odor and Jose Bautista, and Rangers and Blue Jays, is good for MLB  —  We've always thought that bat flipping, like Jose Bautista's all-timer in the playoffs against Texas last year, was a great thumb in the eye to all the stodgy, “play the game the right way” …

Kemp follows Altuve's 5-foot-6 footsteps to Astros  —  BOSTON — Tony Kemp's Nashville, Tenn., homecoming turned out to be more memorable than even he could have imagined.  —  Kemp, who was raised outside Music City and attended college at Vanderbilt, was with dozens of family members …

Confidence, Composure Define Moniak  —  It's a warm, Southern California afternoon in August.  Texas outfielder Jordan Wiley steps into the lefthanded batter's box at historic Blair Field as he sizes up his opponent, righthander Nathan Walker.  Here, at the Area Code Games, every player on the field knows who's watching them.

Joyce, Niese Lead Pirates to 8-5 Win Over Braves  —  By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSMAY 16, 2016, 10:30 P.M. E.D.T.  —  PITTSBURGH — Matt Joyce homered among his three hits and drove in three runs, Gregory Polanco had three hits and three runs scored, and Jon Niese pitched six effective innings …