Dodgers hit 3 homers for 51 in June, beat Cubs 7-5  —  LOS ANGELES (AP) — After an anemic first couple months of the season, the Dodgers are powering balls out of the stadium at a near record rate.  —  Max Muncy and Cody Bellinger each hit a solo home run, Joc Pederson added a two-run shot …

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.

If Yankees want to beat Red Sox in AL East race, they need Giancarlo Stanton to start hitting like J.D. Martinez  —  Over the last few weeks Giancarlo Stanton has started to look more like the reigning National League MVP than the guy who spent the first couple of months as a Yankee chasing pitches …

Column: There's no telling how long the White Sox rebuild will take  —  White Sox manager Rick Renteria talks about 36-year-old pitcher James Shields making himself ‘relevant.’ (Phil Thompson/Chicago Tribune)  —  Chicago Tribune  —  The White Sox reach the midway point of the 2018 season Friday …

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.

Phillies' Jerad Eickhoff heads to Florida to continue rehab  —  Jerad Eickhoff left the Phillies bullpen on Thursday afternoon with a towel over his shoulder and optimism in his mind.  —  It was just earlier this month that Eickhoff traversed the country to find out why his fingers had gone numb when he last pitched.

Detroit Tigers Ron Gardenhire ejected because of ... his bench coach?  —  Detroit Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire was not short on words when talking about how he felt after being tossed during Wednesday's game against the Oakland Athletics.  —  Gardenhire was thrown out in the third inning …

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

A happy homecoming for Tampa's Lance McCullers as Astros cool down Rays  —  ST. PETERSBURG - Tampa's Lance McCullers had come to work twice previously at the Trop with little to show for his efforts.  —  Thursday proved much more rewarding as McCullers got his first hometown win in leading …

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 …

Iowa Cubs reliever Alberto Baldonado selected to play in Triple-A All-Star Game  —  Iowa manager Marty Pevey is headed to the Triple-A All-Star Game with some company.  —  Alberto Baldonado, a left-handed reliever, was selected to play for the Pacific Coast League All-Star team in the Triple …

Astros To Place Carlos Correa On 10-Day DL  —  The Astros will place star shortstop Carlos Correa on the 10-day disabled list, manager A.J. Hinch told reporters including MLB.com's Brian McTaggart (video link on Twitter).  The move will formally be made tomorrow.

Sources: Sixers Building Trade Packages for Kawhi Leonard Around Saric, Covington  — The buzz around Kawhi Leonard has increased in recent days, with several teams displaying interest.  Sources tell The Crossover that Philadelphia is among the franchises weighing trade packages for the Spurs star.

MLB players survey: Sounding off on umps, shifts, steroids - and whether to strike back  —  After decades of labor peace and undeniable prosperity, Major League Baseball players have experienced a tumultuous few years.  —  An aggressive commissioner has threatened to unilaterally alter the way the game is played.

Jays' starter Ryan Borucki's hard work pays off as he rises above ‘dark place’  —  HOUSTON — Ryan Borucki has been described as a can't miss prospect, which is interesting because when he was a senior in high school, if he turned sideways, you probably would have missed him.

Rays journal: Debate continues over Romo's outburst  —  ST. PETERSBURG — There was plenty said to both extremes about RHP Sergio Romo having his say with Washington's Michael A. Taylor at the end of Tuesday's game.  —  Some defended the Rays reliever for defending the game in chastising Taylor …