ChiSox employee on viral 1st pitch: ‘It was scary’  —  CHICAGO — Mary Ruich anticipated control issues.  —  “I knew it wasn't going to be good, but I thought I'd be close,” she said Wednesday.  “It was scary.”  —  The rookie right-hander threw one of the most wayward ceremonial …

Josh Bell homers again, Pirates beat Reds 7-2 for split  —  Pirates record with his 12th homer in May, and Pittsburgh stopped  —  Derek Dietrich's home run spree Wednesday, beating the  —  Cincinnati Reds 7-2 for a split of their four-game series.  —  Bell's three-run homer tied Jason Bay's mark from May 2006.

Eduardo Escobar's power surge a welcome development for Diamondbacks  —  DENVER - Eduardo Escobar does not have an explanation for his sudden power surge.  He offers no backstory about a swing change or some realization of what pitches he can drive.  And he objects to the notion that home runs have become a bigger part of his game.

Forsythe, Santana keep producing.  But here's why Rangers are sticking with struggling Odor  —  Logan Forsythe and Danny Santana might be the two most productive bench players in the American League, now that Hunter Pence has become a must-have for every Texas Rangers lineup.

James Paxton pitches as if he never left in return from IL; B-Bombers live up to their nickname  —  Getting James Paxton back is a big boost for the Yankees.  —  In his first game back from the injured list, Paxton's four shutout innings reminded the Bronx Bombers what they were missing …

Astros' Carlos Correa placed on injured list with fractured rib  —  At Tropicana Field this March, sidelined by another ambiguous injury in a career becoming full of them, Carlos Correa exuded optimism.  —  The All-Star shortstop sat out Houston's first three regular-season games against the Rays …

Rolling bands of severe weather force another delay for Cardinals, Phillies  —  PHILADELPHIA — As obvious as the tarp is on the field, there is a better way to know when a game is going into a delay, and possibly how long it will be.  —  Watch for the pitchers.

John Smoltz thrilled to see All-Star Game return to Atlanta  —  The Braves rolled out an alumni red carpet while announcing they'll host the 2021 MLB All-Star Game on Wednesday afternoon.  —  Among the former Braves greats in attendance was John Smoltz, the Hall of Fame righty who earned eight All-Star nods.

Indians SP Zach Plesac receives letter from David Price after Major League debut  —  After making his Major League debut on Tuesday, Cleveland Indians starter Zach Plesac received an unexpected gift from his Boston Red Sox counterpart, David Price.  —  Officially, Zach Plesac received …

Dominic Smith makes first start of year in left field  —  LOS ANGELES — Dominic Smith jogged out to left field with a renewed sense of purpose on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium.  —  Smith made his first start of the year in left field for Game 3 between the Dodgers and the Mets on the West Coast.

Cody Bellinger doing it on offense and defense, just like Mike Trout  —  At nine minutes past 8 p.m. on Tuesday, the voice of Don Henley wafted over the bleachers at Dodger Stadium, the chorus of “Hotel California” heralding the arrival to the plate of baseball's most riveting attraction.

Dodgers first baseman Matt Beaty dives into nachos and beer, gets impressive stain, doesn't change pants  —  On the very first at-bat of Wednesday night's Mets-Dodgers game, Amed Rosario hit a foul pop-up into the stands.  Dodger first baseman Matt Beaty didn't catch it when he dove into the stands …

Top games in Cincinnati Reds history: No. 42 - Reds get no-hit, but beat the Houston Colt .45s  —  Ken Johnson was a key contributor to Cincinnati's 1961 run to the National League pennant, going 6-2 with a 3.25 earned-run average in 15 games, including 11 starts, in the second half.

As MLB's long summer begins, its biggest losers seek hope: ‘We needed to win a ballgame’  —  BALTIMORE — It is probably too harsh, even inaccurate, to call any Major League Baseball game meaningless.  No matter how ugly the records, how lopsided the standings, fans pay hundreds of dollars …

Louisville baseball's Will Smith may already have the greatest walk-out music in MLB  —  Now this is a story all about how ... a former University of Louisville baseball player made his major league debut.  —  Ex-Card and Louisville native Will Smith's life got flipped turned upside down on Tuesday night …