Top News:
Bob Nightengale / Detroit Free Press:
Chris Bosio ‘crushed’ by Tigers firing, insists he did not direct slur toward employee — Chris Bosio still can't grasp why he was sitting in his Detroit apartment Thursday afternoon instead of on the bench at Comerica Park, unable to accept his abrupt firing as the Detroit Tigers pitching coach.
Discussion:
Bless You Boys, MLB Baseball News … and Deadspin
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Associated Press:
MLB: Bosio: remark was not racial — Pitching coach Chris Bosio said Thursday that he was fired by the Detroit Tigers for using the word “monkey,” but insisted he didn't say it in a racial or demeaning context. — Bosio told USA Today that he used the word while talking about pitcher Daniel Stumpf, who is white.
Discussion:
WSB Radio
Anthony Fenech / Detroit Free Press:
Detroit Tigers' Daniel Stumpf's nickname at root of Chris Bosio firing — Former Detroit Tigers pitching coach Chris Bosio denied allegations of directing “insensitive comments” at a team employee on Thursday afternoon, telling USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale that his comments were not racial in nature …
Anthony Fenech / Detroit Free Press:
Detroit Tigers' Daniel Stumpf has no knowledge of spider monkey nickname — Detroit Tigers pitcher Daniel Stumpf has told the Detroit Free Press that he has no knowledge of the nickname “spider monkey,” which fired pitching coach Chris Bosio said he called him and was fired for when it was taken out of context, according to Bosio.
Discussion:
Halos Heaven, Washington Post and Bless You Boys
Associated Press:
Jays trade veteran Steve Pearce to Red Sox for minor leaguer, cash — BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox acquired veteran first baseman/outfielder Steve Pearce in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday night. — Dave Dombrowski, the Red Sox president of baseball operations …
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com and MLB Trade Rumors
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Coley HarveyESPN / ESPN:
Why the Yankees — not the Red Sox — will win the AL East — You may as well go on and buckle up now. The upcoming push for the American League East pennant is already shaping up to be one for the ages. — Separated often this season by mere percentage points atop the division …
Mike Mazzeo / New York Daily News:
Yankees are finally calling up Brandon Drury for Red Sox series: report
Associated Press:
Rizzo has huge day; Cubs rip Dodgers' bullpen in 11-5 win — LOS ANGELES (AP) — Anthony Rizzo's three-run double and Addison Russell's two-run homer highlighted a seven-run seventh inning as the Chicago Cubs broke loose after Clayton Kershaw exited, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-5 on Thursday.
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Jesse RogersESPN / ESPN:
Cubs emphasize positives after salvaging up-and-down trip — LOS ANGELES — Perhaps Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon's analysis of his team's woeful-looking road trip was spot on. — “The Reds are screwing this whole thing up,” Maddon said before the Cubs' 11-5 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday.
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Until Yu Darvish returns, Jose Quintana says he and other Cubs starters will ‘have his back’
Scott Lauber / Philly.com:
Seranthony Dominguez proves he has the short memory required to be an excellent reliever | Extra Innings — Aaron Nola did it again. For the seventh time in 11 starts, the Phillies' ace righthander allowed fewer than two runs. His latest gem — a 114-pitch mastery of the Nationals …
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Bradford DoolittleESPN / ESPN:
Midseason awards, bad All-Star positions and MLB's next big thing — At some point Friday evening, the 1,215th final score of the 2018 Major League Baseball championship season will be entered in the logs. It's the natural halfway point — peak baseball — when we have as many games behind us as we do ahead.
Discussion:
Daily Herald
Bobby Nightengale / Cincinnati.com:
Cincinnati Reds notebook: Hunter Greene continues to pitch well; Nick Senzel has surgery — Reds pitcher Anthony DeSclafani discusses his third-inning grand slam in an 11-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday. It was the first grand slam by a Reds pitcher since 1959. The Enquirer/Bobby Nightengale
Cincinnati.com:
Next Slide — Despite playing their best baseball of the season, the Reds couldn't avoid a familiar nemesis Thursday night. — Milwaukee Brewers slugger Eric Thames hit 10 home runs against the Reds last year and he's working his way toward that number again.
RELATED:
Alan Robinson / UPI:
Resurgent Reds take on first-place Brewers
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, Brew Crew Ball and Red Reporter
David SchoenfieldESPN Senior / ESPN:
Tim Tebow improving, but call-up to majors would be a stretch — There has been some buzz around Tim Tebow of late. After a slow start, he went 2-for-4 on Thursday, raising his average for Double-A Binghamton to .318 in June and .261/.335/.398 with five home runs on the season. — EDITOR'S PICKS
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Cubs reliever Anthony Bass is in control of his expanding role — Cubs relief pitcher Anthony Bass delivers against the Dodgers on Wednesday, June 20, 2018 at Wrigley Field. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune) — Chicago Tribune — One of the more baffling aspects of the Cubs' pitching staff …
Matt Ehalt / Daily Record:
Mets and Marlins meet in series to determine NL's worst, but only team tried to contend — Steve Popper and Matt Ehalt, Staff Writers — Believe it or not, there is something on the line this weekend in Miami when the Mets and Marlins meet for a three-game set.
Steve Gardner / USA Today:
In wake of feud with Cubs, Sammy Sosa remains adamant about not using PEDs — Sammy Sosa hit 609 home runs in his major league career, 545 of them with the Chicago Cubs. But he and the team are locked in a standoff over suggestions that he hit most of them with the assistance of performance enhancing drugs.
Discussion:
CBSSports.com, Sporting News and Chicago Tribune
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