Former Astros coach Rich Dauer makes emotional return for first pitch ceremony  —  First pitches don't often bring a tear to the eye, but the one Monday afternoon in Houston was a little out of the ordinary.  —  As the Astros unveiled their World Series banner in front of a sellout crowd …

Bryce Harper is on a home-run-hitting tear  —  Washington Nationals slugger Bryce Harper hit his third home run in two days in an 8-1 win against the Atlanta Braves.  —  Harper's latest bomb was a 425-foot shot off of Sean Newcomb in the second inning Monday at SunTrust Park in Atlanta.

Indians hoping to maintain dominance over Angels  —  The Cleveland Indians will try to extend their winning streak against the Los Angeles Angels to 13 games when they meet Tuesday night at Angel Stadium.  —  The Indians (2-2) beat the Angels 6-0 in the opener of their three-game series Monday night …

Detroit Tigers can't shake off bad weather in 1-0 loss to K.C. Royals  —  This is one way to speed up the pace of play in baseball.  —  The Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals played in terrible weather conditions on Tuesday afternoon at Comerica Park; the temperature was in the high-30's …

Cardinals recall Bader as Gyorko (hamstring) goes on 10-day disabled list  —  MILWAUKEE  • The Cardinals have recalled outfielder Harrison Bader from Class AAA Memphis to fill the roster spot vacated by third baseman Jedd Gyorko, who went on the 10-day disabled list Tuesday …

The story behind White Sox coach Daryl Boston's whistle and Josh Donaldson's reaction  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Daryl Boston tried to learn how to whistle on his own.  —  He even turned to YouTube to watch instructional videos.  But the White Sox first-base coach couldn't get the sound …

Yankees' Jacoby Ellsbury shut down ‘for a couple of days’ with hip issue  —  NEW YORK — Injured veteran Jacoby Ellsbury's return has hit a snag as the New York Yankees' banged-up outfield waits on a couple of key players to come off the disabled list.  —  According to manager Aaron Boone …

Mariners place DH Nelson Cruz on 10-day DL with sprained ankle  —  SAN FRANCISCO — The Seattle Mariners have placed designated hitter Nelson Cruz on the 10-day disabled list after he suffered a sprained right ankle in the season-opening series against Cleveland.

Commanding the strike zone is key for the young pitchers in the Cincinnati Reds rotation  —  Next time you watch Tyler Mahle pitch, watch Tucker Barnhart's mitt.  If it's not moving, Mahle is likely going to be good.  If Barnhart is reaching for pitches, Mahle is probably going to be in trouble.

Mets send Anthony Swarzak to the DL, recall Hansel Robles  —  The Mets placed reliever Anthony Swarzak on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to April 1 with a left oblique injury.  —  Hansel Robles was recalled from Las Vegas to take his spot on the roster.

Should Shohei Ohtani stay a two-way player?  Exactly 100 years ago, the Red Sox faced the same question with Babe Ruth  —  Now we've seen it for real: Shohei Ohtani got a hit in his first major league at-bat, and then he got a win in his major league debut.

Ramirez, Betts homer as Red Sox top Marlins  —  Fish fall 7-3  —  MIAMI - Brian Johnson gave the Boston Red Sox their fifth solid start in five games, allowing one run in six innings in a 7-3 victory over the Miami Marlins on Monday night.  —  All five Boston starters have allowed less than two runs …

MLB legend Keith Hernandez returns to Twitter  —  Former St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets star Keith Hernandez has returned to Twitter after nearly a two-year absence.  —  The 64-year-old first baseman-turned-SNY broadcaster composed his first tweet since October of 2015 on March 30 …

Angels place Matt Shoemaker on the disabled list  —  ANAHEIM — The Angels have placed Matt Shoemaker on the disabled list with a strained right forearm, the second of their starters go down with an injury in the past three weeks.  —  There was no immediate word on the nature or severity of Shoemaker's injury.

Tommy Pham Waited Forever to Make It.  Now, He's Got Plenty to Say About His Journey.  —  Created with Sketch.  — The Cardinals may have cost Tommy Pham millions by stashing him in the minor leagues, but that won't stop the outfielder from maximizing his time in the big leagues …

Bucky Dent, Mickey Rivers compare Yankees to 1978 team: ‘They got a nucleus like we had’  —  Aaron Boone and Bucky Dent have more in common than just hitting memorable October home runs against the Red Sox.  —  The two now also share being Yankees manager together.

Aces have their place in Rangers-A's matchup  —  OAKLAND, Calif. — Two teams struggling on offense will find themselves challenged by staff pitching aces Tuesday night when the Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics meet for the second time in their four-game series.

Ross returns to Padres' rotation to face Rockies  —  SAN DIEGO — When Tyson Ross was healthy and at his best, the 6-foot-6 right-hander was an All-Star for the Padres.  —  He had a 23-26 record over the 2014-15 seasons with a 3.03 ERA in 64 starts covering 391 1/3 innings.

Photos: Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles Dodgers … When he was sent up as a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the 15th inning, Jeff Mathis controlled his own destiny.  He knew if he got a hit, the Diamondbacks would dance on the infield at Chase Field.  If he didn't, a different fate would befall him.