Clint Barmes Explains Why He Retired During the 8th Inning of Triple-A Game  —  It was in the town of Reno, Nevada where Clint Barmes made the decision it would be the last game he'd play.  In front of a crowd of over 5,700 at Greater Nevada Field, Barmes walked into the dugout during …

Jason Heyward made Cubs catcher David Ross cry with his retirement gift  —  Jason Heyward was quick to share the wealth after he signed an eight-year, $184 million contract with the Chicago Cubs in December.  According to Bleacher Report, one of Heyward's first moves after locking up the new deal …

Pujols Hits 569th Homer, Angels Beat Rangers 2-0  —  By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSMAY 23, 2016, 11:15 P.M. E.D.T.  —  ARLINGTON, Texas — Albert Pujols hit a two-run home run, the 569th of his career, and Nick Tropeano threw 6 2/3 strong innings to help the Los Angeles Angels beat the Texas Rangers 2-0 on Monday night.

Change of T-shirt policy: ‘Try not to suck’ welcome at Busch Stadium  —  Pedro and Araceli Perez, with their 9-year-old son Victor, before the start of Monday's game in St. Louis.  —  Tribune Travels  —  Clad in matching T-shirts bearing a potentially offensive four-letter word — no …

Mets Have “Some Curiosity About” Padres' James Loney  —  The Mets have at least “some curiosity about” Padres first baseman James Loney, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter links).  Loney's representatives at the Legacy Agency are expected to contact the club today to see if there's a fit.

Pence's Bloop Double in 9th Lifts Giants Past Padres 1-0  —  By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSMAY 24, 2016, 1:30 A.M. E.D.T.  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Brandon Belt scored from first base when pinch-hitter Hunter Pence's bloop double to short right field fell between two San Diego Padres players with two outs …

Hill Wins Again, A's End Skid With 5-0 Victory vs Mariners  —  By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSMAY 24, 2016, 1:09 A.M. E.D.T.  —  SEATTLE — Rich Hill pitched eight innings to win his fourth straight start, Stephen Vogt hit a leadoff homer in the seventh inning to snap a scoreless tie …

Kershaw Tosses 2-Hitter in Dodgers' 1-0 Win Over Reds  —  By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSMAY 24, 2016, 12:45 A.M. E.D.T.  —  LOS ANGELES — Clayton Kershaw tossed a two-hitter for his third shutout of the season, pitching the Los Angeles Dodgers past Cincinnati 1-0 Monday night for their eighth straight win over the Reds.

Carson Smith To Undergo Tommy John Surgery  —  Red Sox reliever Carson Smith will require season-ending Tommy John surgery, the club has announced.  It's a big blow for Boston and the young reliever, who was acquired from the Mariners over the winter.  —  Smith, 26, had missed the start …

No Duda, no problem: Mets find power stroke, beat Nationals … WASHINGTON — Bartolo Colon's back was bothering him enough that he told New York Mets manager Terry Collins he wouldn't be able to hit another memorable home run.  The heart of the lineup took care of that.

Braves Acquire Brian Matusz, Draft Pick From Orioles  —  The Orioles and Braves have struck a deal that sends lefty Brian Matusz and the 76th overall draft pick from Baltimore to Atlanta.  Minor league pitchers Brandon Barker and Trevor Belicek are headed to the O's in the swap.

Carlos Beltran's numbers say he's more productive as a DH … Carlos Beltran knows the numbers.  —  He knows what they are when he's strictly a designated hitter and when he starts in rightfield.  —  Still, the answer remains the same regarding his preference, something he has said throughout his time with the Yankees.

Suzuki's 4 Hits Help Marlins Rally Past Rays 7-6  —  By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSMAY 23, 2016, 10:36 P.M. E.D.T.  —  MIAMI — Ichiro Suzuki had four hits, including a single in Miami's two-run eighth inning, and the Marlins rallied past the Tampa Bay Rays 7-6 Monday night.

Pirates' Vogelsong hit in head by pitch in win over Rockies  —  PITTSBURGH (AP) Pittsburgh Pirates starter Ryan Vogelsong was carted off the field after getting struck in the head by a pitch in the second inning of a 6-3 win over the Colorado Rockies on Monday.