Real or not?  Ohtani is back too late to save the Angels  —  Shohei Ohtani returned to the Los Angeles Angels lineup at a much-needed time, with the Angels scuffling at a game over .500 and beginning a must-win series against a team they have to chase down for a playoff spot.

Phillies look to get 10 games over .500 vs. O's |  Extra Innings  —  Thanks to Zach Eflin and Seranthony Dominguez, the two biggest pitching surprises of the season, and a spectacular game-saving play by third baseman Maikel Franco in the top of the eighth inning, the Phillies pulled out another …

Astros win on road again with 5-3 victory at rival Rangers  —  Houston is 11-4 this season against its instate division rival, with seven consecutive road wins in the series.  Houston is a majors-best 31-14 on the road this season.  —  ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Josh Reddick and Tony Kemp homered …

New York Yankees catcher Austin Romine sits for fourth straight day  —  NEW YORK - Austin Romine wants to play.  And now, he feels healthy enough to return.  —  But the Yankee catcher found himself on the bench for the fourth straight day even after the tightness in his hamstring subsided.

Nats activate Matt Adams (broken finger) from DL  —  Washington Nationals slugger Matt Adams has been activated from the 10-day disabled list after missing over two weeks with a broken finger.  —  Adams suffered a fractured left index finger on June 15 when he was hit by a pitch and has missed Washington's last 16 games.

Yu Darvish's rehab program — and return to Cubs rotation — remains murky  —  Cubs manager Joe Maddon discusses bringing up Victor Caratini, Chris Gimenez and Yu Darvish on Wednesday, July 4, 2018.  (Mark Gonzales/Chicago Tribune)  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Wednesday marked the fifth …

Arizona Diamondbacks vs. St. Louis Cardinals … Every at-bat is a fact-finding mission, especially for a team that's facing a pitcher it hasn't seen before - and even more so when that pitcher is as good as Jack Flaherty, the St. Louis Cardinals' rookie right-hander.  —  Flaherty has a fastball that can touch 97.

Senzatela throws 7 shutout innings, Rockies beat Giants 8-1  —  Colorado Rockies' Nolan Arenado, center, is congratulated by teammates Charlie Blackmon, left, and DJ LeMahieu after Arenado hit a three-run home run off San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Chris Stratton during the fifth inning …

Yan Gomes' grand slam helps Cleveland Indians rally past Kansas City Royals, 6-4  —  The Indians lead the American League with eight grand slams and Gomes' blast was their second in two nights.  —  KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Yan Gomes hit a grand slam in the sixth inning and the Cleveland Indians rallied …

Dodgers ready to keep flexing muscles vs. Pirates  —  LOS ANGELES — The Pittsburgh Pirates are undecided on a starter for Wednesday's series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and volunteers might be hard to come by.  —  The Dodgers' offense is coming off a productive June when they hit 55 home runs …

July shocker: A's may have staved off annual trade dumps  —  OAKLAND - The running joke around the Oakland Athletics at this time of year is that any veteran having a good season should keep his bags packed.  —  On the way to finishing last in the AL West each of the last three years …

White Sox try to ride momentum versus Reds  —  The slumping Chicago White Sox are playing a team that didn't give up on its season despite a terrible start, so maybe they decided that was a pretty good strategy to adopt.  —  The White Sox could have easily given up on their Tuesday night game …

Cincinnati Reds manager Jim Riggleman ejected after umpire told him to ‘do your job’  —  Trailing by four runs in the top of the 12th inning Tuesday, Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman attempted to signal an intentional walk from the dugout.  —  Holding up four fingers …

Cubs' rotation alignment keeps Jon Lester in line to pitch in All-Star Game  —  Jon Lester on hitting his second career homer in Sunday's Cubs win.  (Paul Sullivan/Chicago Tribune)  —  Chicago Tribune  —  The Cubs resisted the temptation to squeeze three starts out of Jon Lester before the end of the first half of the season.

Los Angeles Angels place Tyler Skaggs on DL  —  Left-hander Tyler Skaggs, who leads the Los Angeles Angels in wins, ERA and strikeouts this season, was placed on the 10-day disabled list Wednesday with a right adductor strain.  —  The move was made retroactive to Sunday.

Rays' Gomez takes bat to water cooler after striking out  —  Carlos Gomez provided some Fourth of July fireworks in the Tampa Bay Rays' dugout Wednesday, destroying a water cooler in a display of frustration after striking out in Wednesday's game against the Marlins.

Roundtable: What stands out in the standings on July 4?  —  Before lighting up the grill, reaching for a cold beverage or looking up for fireworks on the Fourth of July, there's one tradition that should sit atop every baseball fan's holiday to-do list: checking the MLB standings.