Red Sox rally past Rays for 8th straight win  —  Andrew Benintendi hit a tiebreaking RBI double in Boston's wild six-run eighth inning, and the Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 8-7 on Sunday for their eighth straight win.  —  The Red Sox improved to 8-1 with the sweep of their weekend set against the struggling Rays.

What we learned at the Cubs' snowed-out home opener  —  Chicago Tribune  —  What we learned Monday during the Cubs' home-opener snowout:  —  When the Cubs turned on the sprinklers in the morning, most assumed it was an accident.  The snow-covered field was bad enough.  Why make it even soggier?

Strong-starting Braves face struggling Nationals  —  The Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals have gotten off to different starts so far this season.  —  Atlanta has won all three of its series to start the season while the Nationals, a team many believe to be one of baseball's best, has dropped five games in a row.

Shohei Ohtani gives up 1 hit in 7 shutout innings in home debut  —  EDITOR'S PICKS  —  After a solid first start on the mound and an impressive first week at the plate, the two-way wonder dominated the A's in a dazzling first start in Anaheim.  —  But when Ohtani finally yielded a hit …

Cardinals leaning right as retooling of bullpen begins, Holland's arrival nears  —  The Cardinals began Sunday what should be a week of turnover and retooling in the bullpen, but as telling as any arm they'll add was the two feet locked in walking boots that morning.

Yadier Molina has to be restrained after Torey Lovullo makes remarks toward catcher  —  The St. Louis Cardinals' Yadier Molina had to be restrained Sunday after Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo gestured at the catcher while he was arguing a called third strike against outfielder A.J. Pollock.

Mark McGwire: Didn't need PEDs to hit 70 home runs  —  Mark McGwire insists he didn't need to use performance-enhancing drugs to hit 70 home runs, telling The Athletic in an interview published Monday that he would have accomplished that feat without help.  —  “Absolutely,” McGwire said.

Yankees fans, media quickly tire of Giancarlo Stanton in Big Apple  —  MIAMI - Is it possible Giancarlo Stanton now realizes the benefits of playing in front of those sparse Marlins crowds?  —  When he played in front of empty seats at Marlins Park, those empty seats rarely booed.

Mariners' Ryon Healy on 10-day disabled list with sprained ankle  —  First baseman Ryon Healy on Monday became the latest starting position player placed on the disabled list by the Seattle Mariners.  —  Healy, who sprained his ankle during a postgame workout on Saturday, was placed on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to April 8.

Phenom Shohei Ohtani, streaking Robinson Cano visit the Royals in KC this week  —  The Royals are back in Kansas City for their first extended homestand of the season.  They'll host the Seattle Mariners at Kauffman Stadium for a three-game set (7:15 p.m. Monday and Tuesday and 1:15 Wednesday, all on FSKC).

Morton, Stassi lead Astros over Padres 4-1 for series win  —  HOUSTON (AP) — Houston Astros right-hander Charlie Morton often marvels at the nameplates above the lockers in the corner of the clubhouse where his fellow starters sit.  —  Morton, the No. 5 starter on a pitching staff …

Game Day: Arizona Diamondbacks open series on road vs. San Francisco Giants  —  Follow our updates as the Arizona Diamondbacks take on the Giants in San Francisco.  —  The first game of the series is scheduled to begin at 7:15 p.m.  —  Zack Godley is set to start for Arizona, while Derek Holland is set to start for San Francisco.

Baseball's got talent, but how much, at which positions and how far into the future?  —  One bit of conventional wisdom in baseball is that talent tends to be evenly distributed among the different positions.  This is more myth than rule because shortstops and first basemen aren't born …

Despite Ian Happ's struggles, Cubs manager Joe Maddon sticking with him in leadoff spot  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Manager Joe Maddon was fully committed to using Kyle Schwarber as the Cubs' primary leadoff hitter through the first month of 2017, and he isn't about to give up on Ian Happ in that role after only nine games.

Cubs prospect Duane Underwood Jr. to make long-awaited Triple-A debut on mound  —  Since he was selected in the second round of the 2012 draft, it may seem like it has taken Duane Underwood Jr., a long time to finally get to Triple-A.  —  But from the perspective of the Chicago Cubs …

What's next for Phillies starter Jake Arrieta |  Extra Innings  —  Good morning, Phillies fans, and welcome to another edition of Extra Innings.  The Phillies missed a chance to reach .500 yesterday, but they still were able to earn their first series victory of the season by taking two of three from the hapless Marlins.

Martin's single leads Tennessee to 5-4 win over Mississippi  —  PEARL, Miss. (AP) — Trey Martin hit a two-run single in the second inning, leading the Tennessee Smokies to a 5-4 win over the Mississippi Braves on Monday.  —  Craig Brooks struck Michael Snyder out with runners on first and third …