Top News:
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
RELATED:
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 …
Peter Botte / New York Daily News:
Yankees vs. Red Sox matchups: Which team has the edge at each position entering series — The Red Sox already have reached the 81-game midpoint of the regular season, and the Yankees will get there after facing their longtime AL East rivals three times this weekend.
Alex Butler / UPI:
Red Sox acquire Steve Pearce from Blue Jays — The Boston Red Sox acquired Steve Pearce and cash considerations from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Minor League infielder Santiago Espinal. — Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski announced the deal on Thursday.
Christian Red / New York Daily News:
CC Sabathia, Friday's starter for Yankees, calls Red Sox tilt biggest series yet this season
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
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
RELATED:
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
Anthony Fenech / Detroit Free Press:
Detroit Tigers' Daniel Stumpf's nickname at root of Chris Bosio firing
Anthony Fenech / Detroit Free Press:
Detroit Tigers' Daniel Stumpf has no knowledge of spider monkey nickname
Discussion:
Washington Post, Halos Heaven and Bless You Boys
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.
RELATED:
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.
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue
Dick Scanlon / Associated Press:
Astros beat Rays 1-0 for 11th straight road win — The Astros have won Lance McCullers' last six starts and have won 18 of 21 overall. Their latest win matched the club record set last May 14-June 5 on the way to winning the franchise's first World Series title.
RELATED:
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 …
RELATED:
Bobby Nightengale / Cincinnati.com:
Joey Votto says benches-clearing incident against Brewers was a ‘misunderstanding’ — After watching a called strike in his second at-bat of Thursday's 6-4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, Joey Votto turned toward home-plate umpire Roberto Ortiz. — Votto stepped out of the batter's box and appeared to say a few words.
Discussion:
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Knoxville News-Sentinel
RELATED:
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
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
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 …
