New York Yankees look to move ahead of Boston Red Sox  —  NEW YORK — If the New York Yankees noticed they once trailed the Boston Red Sox by 7 1/2 games in the AL East, manager Aaron Boone did his best to conceal knowledge of the fact.  —  Yet that is how the divisional standings looked …

After an awkward entrance, Devin Mesoraco hopes to produce for catcher-needy Mets  —  CINCINNATI — It took about 15 minutes for Devin Mesoraco's world to turn upside down.  One minute he was in the familiar Reds home clubhouse, getting dressed to catch Luis Castillo's start against the Mets.

Reliever Brent Suter homers, helps Brewers beat Indians 3-2  —  MILWAUKEE — Pitcher Brent Suter hadn't hit a home run since high school.  —  Imagine his surprise and delight when he went deep on AL Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber.  —  This wasn't just a shot that curled around the foul pole …

Homer-happy D-backs beat Dodgers 8-5 in 12 innings  —  LOS ANGELES — A belief they're going to win, even when they blow the lead or trail in a game.  That confidence used to belong to the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Now, it's owned by the Arizona Diamondbacks  —  David Descalso hit a tiebreaking …

Wins and answers in short supply as Orioles' 2018 season careens toward disaster … BALTIMORE — It was somewhere around the seventh batter of the game Tuesday night at Oriole Park at Camden Yards that the sheer, historic depth of the Baltimore Orioles' hopelessness revealed itself.

Hellickson throws 6 perfect innings in Nationals' 4-0 win  —  SAN DIEGO  —  Jeremy Hellickson didn't give the San Diego Padres a chance over the first six innings.  —  It was 18 up and 18 down for the Padres, who only four nights earlier had been no-hit by four Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers in Monterrey, Mexico.

Cubs beat Marlins 4-3, benches clear in 4th  —  Bryant scores go-ahead run in 8th  —  CHICAGO - Kris Bryant slid home safely with the go-ahead run on Victor Caratini's grounder to the right side in the eighth inning, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Miami Marlins 4-3 on Tuesday night.

Error feels deflating for Martinez  —  Jose Martinez lined his fourth homer of the season over the center-field fence in the first inning Tuesday and, it seemed, the Cardinals were off and running.  —  But, four innings later, Martinez couldn't handle a liner by Eddie Rosario to first base …

Aaron Nola dominates; Hector Neris rebounds |  Extra Innings  —  Aaron Nola pitched, and the Phillies won.  That combination is starting to become as commonplace as peanut butter and jelly, bacon and eggs, and surf and turf.  The Phillies have won five of Nola's last six starts, but his brilliance dates to June 22 of last season.

Rockies top Angels, win sixth in row … Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani heads to first on a ground-out against the Colorado Rockies during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 8, 2018, in Denver.  (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)  — JACK DEMPSEY

At 53, Rafael Palmeiro says he's joining professional independent league team in Texas  —  Rafael Palmeiro says he is returning to professional baseball at the age of 53.  —  The longtime Texas Ranger and Baltimore Oriole told The Dallas Morning News on Tuesday that he has agreed to play …

Milwaukee Brewers' Stephen Vogt suffers career-threatening shoulder injury while on rehab  —  No player on the Milwaukee Brewers' roster does a better job of keeping his chin up and looking at the bright side than Stephen Vogt, one of the most upbeat players you ever could meet.

Pittsburgh Pirates end long road trip against lowly Chicago White Sox  —  The Pittsburgh Pirates will wrap up a 10-day, nine-game road trip when they play the Chicago White Sox in a series finale Wednesday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago.  —  Pittsburgh (20-16) …

Under the cover of Lightning, the Rays aren't as bad as previously thought  —  ST. PETERSBURG — Rays left-hander Blake Snell, off to a great start in 2018, was talking about his team's life as a Tampa Bay second banana.  He spoke at his locker, next to and nearly behind a blue banner that hung from the ceiling in the home clubhouse.

Injury leaves more questions than answers for Dodgers' Kershaw  —  LOS ANGELES_Clayton Kershaw politely invited the media to his locker Tuesday afternoon for his first interview since being diagnosed with biceps tendinitis.  But, his left shoulder hurting, he wasn't really in the mood.

Why a 21-K game is MLB's best record that can actually happen  —  The coolest individual accomplishment we could reasonably hope to see this baseball season is a 21-strikeout start*.  This is just my opinion, which you might not share, and ordinarily that disagreement would be fine and we'd walk away friends.