Top News:
Associated Press:
Giants outslug Diamondbacks for series sweep — PHOENIX (AP) — The surging San Francisco Giants have made the NL West a little more intriguing. — Brandon Belt and Joe Panik drove in two runs each, Hunter Pence had a pinch-hit, two-run double, and the Giants completed a three-game sweep …
RELATED:
Jack Magruder / UPI:
Cardinals, Diamondbacks open 3-game series — PHOENIX — Give Arizona left-hander Robbie Ray an “A” in self-evaluation. — Ray won his final six regular-season decisions in 2017 after missing a month with a concussion suffered when he was struck in the head by a line drive in St. Louis on July 28.
Nick Piecoro / Arizona Republic:
San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks … For stretches on Sunday, Diamondbacks right-hander Zack Godley's misses could best be measured in feet, not inches. He would sometimes spin off the mound, the balance he'd been trying to maintain in his delivery nowhere to be found.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, McCovey Chronicles and AZ Snake Pit
UPI:
Pirates search for consistency against Dodgers — LOS ANGELES — The Pittsburgh Pirates headed north by bus Sunday evening to see if the roller-coaster ride will continue. — Fresh off a series victory at San Diego, capped by a 7-5 victory Sunday, the Pirates are now in Los Angeles …
Justin Tasch / New York Daily News:
Kyle Higashioka records his first major-league hit in style, a solo homer off David Price — Kyle Higashioka, the 28-year-old catcher who had a cup of coffee with the Yankees last season in making it to the majors for the first time, is back now with Gary Sanchez (right groin strain) on the disabled list.
RELATED:
Peter Botte / New York Daily News:
Brian Cashman not miffed with Yankees special adviser Alex Rodriguez praising Red Sox sluggers — Among his numerous jobs since retiring from baseball in 2016, Alex Rodriguez presently serves as both a special adviser to the Yankees' front office and as a game analyst on ESPN.
Pete Caldera / USA Today:
Alex Rodriguez thinks Red Sox have better 1-2 punch than Yankees — NEW YORK - Alex Rodriguez remains on the Yankees' payroll in an advisory capacity, the specifics of which are vague. — He's also paid for his opinions as an ESPN Sunday Night Baseball analyst.
Ken Davidoff / New York Post:
Gleyber Torres in elite company with Yankees lineup shuffle
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, Pinstripe Alley and Over the Monster
Toronto Sun:
Mariners beat Royals 1-0 for 7th straight victory — SEATTLE (AP) Not only was it Canada Day with “The Big Maple”, Canadian James Paxton on the mound for the Mariners' 1-0 victory over the Royals, it also was Paxton Bobblehead Day at Safeco Field. — This bobblehead included a bald eagle …
RELATED:
Gene Warnick / UPI:
Royals face Mariners thankful dismal June is over — With apologies to Little Orphan Annie, the sun'll come out today. — Considering the month the Kansas City Royals just went through, and that they're currently in often-overcast Seattle, that was no guarantee.
Discussion:
Lookout Landing and Royals Review
Toronto Sun:
Mariners beat Royals 1-0 for 7th straight victory — SEATTLE (AP) James Paxton limited Kansas City to two hits and struck out 11 in eight innings and the Seattle Mariners beat the Royals 1-0 on Sunday for their season-best seventh consecutive victory. — Paxton, from Ladner, British Columbia …
Jim Ingraham / UPI:
Indians, Corey Kluber hit rough patch entering series vs. Royals — Two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber will go into his start Monday night in Kansas City in an unfamiliar position: in a slump. — In his first 14 starts this year, Kluber was 10-2 with a 1.99 ERA.
Scott Lauber / Philly.com:
Andrew Knapp's walk-off homer gives Phillies improbable win over Nationals in 13 innings — For a few moments Sunday, between pitches in the eighth inning, Gabe Kapler vacated his usual position on the steps of the dugout to retrieve a cup of water. It was nearly 100 degrees on the field.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
RELATED:
Scott Lauber / Philly.com:
Nick Pivetta brought relief to Phillies' bullpen in 13th inning vs. Nationals — The way Nick Pivetta looked at it, he owed his teammates a favor. — Pivetta lasted only 1 2/3 innings in his start Friday night. So, with the Phillies out of available relievers in the 13th inning …
Jim Salisbury / MLB Baseball News, Scores …:
Phillies' bullpen deserves tons of credit for series win over Nats
Discussion:
Federal Baseball and The Good Phight
Associated Press:
Blake Snell, Rays edge Astros 3-2 to wrap up impressive homestand — Blake Snell and the surging Tampa Bay Rays are having success against some of the major's best teams. — Snell struck out 10, reliever Diego Castillo fanned Jose Altuve in a key spot and the Rays wrapped up an impressive homestand …
RELATED:
Greg Auman / UPI:
Rays hope to ride Snell's pace vs. Astros
Discussion:
DRaysBay and baseballmusings.com
Dick Scanlon / Associated Press:
Ramos has 4 RBIs as Rays beat Astros, Verlander 5-2
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News … and The Crawfish Boxes
Alan Robinson / UPI:
Reds look to remain hot vs. White Sox — James Shields of the Chicago White Sox and the Cincinnati Reds play in opposite leagues and rarely see each other, yet they currently have much in common. — Now that they're starting to make something out of what appeared to be a totally lost season, they'd like to keep it going.
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Peraza hits Reds' latest grand slam in 8-2 win over Brewers — CINCINNATI — Another day, another Cincinnati grand slam. — Jose Peraza kept up the parade of slams, sending Matt Harvey and the Reds over the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers 8-2 Sunday.
Alex Butler / UPI:
Reds pitcher Michael Lorenzen hits homer in third straight at-bat
Discussion:
The Comeback
George Sipple / Detroit Free Press:
Detroit Tigers snap 11-game losing streak with win over Blue Jays — What happened: The Detroit Tigers (37-48) beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 9-1 on Sunday afternoon to snap an 11-game losing streak...The Tigers scored five runs with two outs in the fifth to take a 5-1 lead.
RELATED:
Des Moines Register:
Iowa baseball: Hawkeyes signee Korry Howell inks with the Milwaukee Brewers — Iowa's hope to hold onto shortstop signee Korry Howell is officially over. The former Kirkwood standout has signed with the Milwaukee Brewers, Hawkeyes baseball coach Rick Heller confirmed to HawkCentral.
Associated Press:
MLB: Velasquez goes on Phillies' DL — Right-hander Vince Velasquez on Sunday was put on the 10-day disabled list by the Philadelphia Phillies because of a bruised forearm. — Velasquez was hit just below the elbow on a second-inning liner by Washington's Adam Eaton on Saturday.
Doug Padilla / Associated Press:
Marquez pitches Rockies to 3-1 win over Dodgers — LOS ANGELES (AP) A fist pump and a late fastball on the cusp of 100 mph was all the indication needed to know just how good German Marquez felt Saturday. — He pitched two-hit ball over eight innings and Ian Desmond homered as the Colorado Rockies beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, True Blue LA and Purple Row
RELATED:
Phil Thompson / Chicago Tribune:
Ricky's boys cause fits: Fielding, baserunning errors evidence of 'sloppiness' — The White Sox manager addresses the team's “focus” after several fielding and baserunning mistakes, include a lapse in judgement by Yoan Moncada by not hustling home. — Chicago Tribune
Associated Press:
Jon Lester stars on bound and at plate for Cubs — CHICAGO (AP) — Jon Lester hit a three-run homer in an eight-run second inning and wound up with his NL-leading 11th victory in the Chicago Cubs' 11-10 win over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday. — Ian Happ also homered for the Cubs.
