Familiar Forces: Pham scores twice, Mikolas makes that enough in 2-1 win vs. Padres  —  SAN DIEGO  • As much as the Cardinals have been waiting for some of their stalwarts to halt their struggles and catch fire, they remain in first place as Mother's Day approaches because of a trio of constants they've been able to count on.

It's not just Arizona - hitters seem to be slumping across MLB.  What gives? … CONNECT  —  You think Paul Goldschmidt has been slumping?  Well, he has, but he's not alone.  (Also, he's going to be fine.)  —  Nobody in Arizona seems to be able to hit.

Baseball roundup: Albies hits grand slam as Braves beat Marlins  —  Albies, Freeman key Braves' rout of Marlins  —  Ozzie Albies hit Atlanta's first grand slam of the season to highlight a seven-run sixth inning, Freddie Freeman had a career-high five hits and the NL East-leading Braves beat the Marlins 9-2 in Miami on Thursday night.

Martinez homers, Red Sox rebound to cool off Yankees, 5-4  —  Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts, left, center fielder Mookie Betts, center, and right fielder J.D. Martinez celebrate after the Red Sox defeated the New York Yankees 5-4 in a baseball game in New York, Thursday, May 10, 2018.

Evan Longoria: Rays might be better off leaving Tampa Bay  —  PHILADELPHIA — At a critical juncture when Rays, business and government leaders are trying to secure the long term future of baseball in the Tampa Bay area by building a new stadium, the greatest player in franchise history said they may be wasting their time.

Meet the Mets, but can the Phillies beat the Mets?  |  Extra Innings  —  Only five teams in baseball — Boston, the New York Yankees, Houston, Atlanta and Arizona — have a better record than the Phillies after the Phils' four-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants.  The Phillies are 22-15.

Danny Farquhar thanks doctors, says he 'can't wait' to pitch again after ruptured aneurysm  —  Danny Farquhar thanked his family, Chicago White Sox fans and medical personnel on Instagram on Thursday night, adding that he “can't wait” to return to pitching after a ruptured brain aneurysm ended his 2018 season.

Matt Harvey's fresh start with the Cincinnati Reds will start with a start Friday  —  LOS ANGELES — The Reds were vague about their plans for Matt Harvey after trading for him.  They cleared that up in a big way Thursday.  —  Harvey will start Friday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers here.

Chacin contains his former team, Brewers beat Rockies 5-2  —  Milwaukee Brewers' Travis Shaw breaks his bat while hitting a double off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher German Marquez during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 10, 2018, in Denver.  (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Nationals' Adam Eaton has ankle surgery, no return timetable  —  PHOENIX (AP) — Washington Nationals center fielder Adam Eaton had surgery on his troublesome left ankle Thursday with no timetable given for his return.  —  The arthroscopic surgery was performed in Green Bay by the Packers' orthopedist …

Gonzalez, Long lead the way for Pensacola  —  BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Luis Gonzalez doubled twice and singled, driving in two runs as the Pensacola Blue Wahoos beat the Birmingham Barons 6-2 on Thursday.  The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Blue Wahoos and a three-game winning streak for the Barons.

Why the success of Cubs' lineup is personal to Joe Maddon  —  CHICAGO — If you're looking for that one moment when the Cubs decided they needed more from their offense, you won't find it.  —  It was a culmination of many moments — many frustrating ones — over the past couple of years, during both the regular season and playoffs.

Examining Orioles' starting pitching depth as twin bill, Tillman's woes necessitate fresh arms  —  Shortly after the Orioles walked off the field winners for a second night in a row Thursday, executive vice president Dan Duquette was waiting for manager Buck Showalter in his office …

Brusa, Franco lift San Jose over Modesto in a 13-7 slugfest  —  MODESTO, Calif. (AP) — Gio Brusa homered, doubled and singled, driving in four runs and scoring a pair as the San Jose Giants topped the Modesto Nuts 13-7 on Thursday.  —  Wander Franco doubled twice and singled with three runs and two RBIs for San Jose.

Dark Knight's decline, no-no fatigue and MLB's next big thing  —  The Reds made quite a gamble this week when they traded for former Mets problem child Matt Harvey.  You might compare it to a lottery ticket, which is to say the odds of this working out seem long.

Castellanos, Greene emerge as leaders in Tigers' clubhouse  —  Albert Pujols picked up his 3,000th hit on May 4.  Which active player will be the next one to reach the milestone?  Video by Ryan Ford/DFP Wochit  —  CONNECT  —  It's become a familiar sight with the Detroit Tigers this season …