Voit comes up, Mayers goes down  —  The Cardinals reduced their number of relievers from nine to eight Tuesday when Mike Mayers was sent back to Memphis and first baseman Luke Voit was recalled as an extra hitter.  Greg Holland, signed to a one-year, $14 million contract when the season opened …

Cruz's homer leads Mariners to 6-3 win over Athletics  —  Nelson Cruz's loud and towering two-out, three-run homer on the first pitch he saw in the fifth inning broke a taut tie and propelled Seattle to a 6-3 win over the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night.  —  The Mariners held …

Gary Sanchez hits three-run home run in ninth to give Yankees 4-0 win over Astros  —  HOUSTON - Gary Sanchez scored the Yankees a stunning victory by knockout.  —  The Bombers couldn't hit Justin Verlander all night long.  —  But Sanchez hammered a 423-foot, three-run homer off Ken Giles …

Diamondbacks outfielder Steven Souza … The Diamondbacks will send right-hander Sam McWilliams and lefty Colin Poche to the Tampa Bay Rays as the two players to be named later in the February trade that brought them outfielder Steven Souza Jr., sources said Tuesday.  —  Both are well-regarded prospects.

Next Slide  —  Miguel Cabrera remained out of the Detroit Tigers' starting lineup for the second straight game on Tuesday with a left biceps spasm, but could return on Wednesday, the final game of the series against the Tampa Bay Rays.  —  Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said Cabrera wanted …

Justin Upton's walk-off single puts Angels past Orioles, 3-2  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Baltimore Orioles intentionally walked Mike Trout three times to get to Justin Upton.  Each time, Upton couldn't make them pay.  —  When Trout drew his fourth walk to load the bases in the ninth inning …

Moved to top of order, slumping Harper homers for Nationals  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Slumping Bryce Harper was moved to the leadoff spot for the first time since 2013 and responded with a three-run homer that helped Max Scherzer win his fifth straight start as the Washington Nationals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 12-4 Wednesday night.

Morales, Blue Jays speed past Twins 7-4 in 10th inning  —  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Twelve years into his major league career, Toronto Blue Jays slugger Kendrys Morales has the self-assurance to endure a weeklong slump.  —  The Minnesota Twins are starting to lose some of theirs, more than one month into this once-promising season.

O's not ready to sell just yet; Manny Machado reiterates desire to stay  —  Despite Baltimore's 8-20 record entering Tuesday, Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette says he isn't in sell mode just yet, even with Manny Machado's name back in the rumor mill due to the season-ending injury …

Here's the reason Willie Calhoun isn't on the Rangers' roster.  It's not what many think  —  CLEVELAND  —  For those wanting to get under Jon Daniels' skin, here's a tip:  —  Accuse him of trying to manipulate a player's service clock  —  Thursday marks the day the Texas Rangers …

Phillies' Jake Arrieta: ‘I bet on myself to get the job done’  —  After an offseason of uncertainty, pitcher Jake Arrieta has a new home and a new outlook.  —  “There's not many like me.  That's just how it is, man,” Arrieta told the Chicago Sun-Times.  “I view myself as very different than most.

Alex Bregman, baseball's best sixth-best player  —  Alex Bregman had no other path.  It was baseball or the imponderable.  —  The Astros' blossoming third baseman was born into the game, with ties that extend back to the Splendid Splinter himself.  His grandfather, Stanley …

Radical Ideas Series: What if MLB players were paid on commission?  —  Welcome back to the Radical Ideas Series, in which we “fix” baseball not merely by limiting mound visits or even instituting pitch clocks but by revolutionizing the game's competitive structure with way-out-there — yet at least vaguely plausible — changes.

Phillies get a dose of reality |  Extra Innings  —  I'll take the blame for this one.  Last Saturday, I was watching batting practice at Citizens Bank Park when I told some fellow writers that I had a feeling the Phillies were going to somehow, someway make the playoffs.

Maroons tame the Tigers  —  CHAMPAIGN — No one would have blamed members of the Champaign Central baseball team if they wanted to hang around McKinley Field all afternoon Tuesday.  —  With a near-cloudless sky and a temperature surpassing 80 degrees, the Maroons finally were getting some favorable playing conditions.

Mets GM isn't thrilled with reliever Matt Harvey partying in Los Angeles  —  NEW YORK — Matt Harvey can't stay out of the headlines.  —  The embattled starter-turned-reliever partied in Los Angeles on Thursday night, a day before the Mets faced the Padres in San Diego, as first reported by the New York Post.

Despite strong start, White Sox insist Michael Kopech not ready yet  —  Photos of the White Sox pitcher and the No. 10-ranked prospect by Baseball America.  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Everyone is waiting on Michael Kopech to come up and provide a lift to the White Sox rotation …

Yadiel Rivera's single in 10th gives Marlins fourth straight victory  —  Marlins infielder Yadiel Rivera talks about his pinch-hit, walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning on Tuesday night against Philadelphia.  —  Sun Sentinel  —  Through the first five innings of an eventual 2-1 win …

Akin, Joseph lead Bowie to 7-3 win over Erie  —  ERIE, Pa. (AP) — Corban Joseph hit a two-run single in the third inning, and Keegan Akin struck out 12 hitters over six innings as the Bowie Baysox beat the Erie SeaWolves 7-3 on Tuesday.  —  The single by Joseph, part of a four-run inning …