Votto propels Reds to 9th straight win, first place in return  —  CINCINNATI — Joey Votto said upon his return from a 72-game stay on the injured list that he was just trying to earn some playing time.  —  Based on one game, Votto's job seems safe.  —  He homered in the fifth inning …

Max Scherzer gives best performance as a Met in blowout victory over Astros  —  HOUSTON — A series that looked like a clash of the titans before the season started looked more like a race to the bottom by the time it began.  The Mets came into Houston to face the defending World Series champion Astros …

Dick Hall, an Orioles Hall of Fame reliever with impeccable control who helped Baltimore win two World Series, dies at 92  —  Dick Hall, a former star relief pitcher for the Orioles whose unconventional yet effective delivery helped Baltimore win two World Series, died Sunday of multiple myeloma …

Pirates' Henry Davis doubles in 1st career at-bat  —  PITTSBURGH — The Pirates tried to take their time with Henry Davis.  —  His bat wouldn't let them.  —  The top overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft made his major league debut on Monday night against the Chicago Cubs …

MLB power rankings: Giants lay waste to Dodgers, climb into top 10  —  After an offseason devoid of flashy acquisitions, and a plodding start to the season that made their 107-win 2021 campaign seem even more aberrational, the San Francisco Giants are suddenly everything they weren't a few short weeks ago:

Hitting coach Dillon Lawson, other Yankees address team's offensive woes  —  BOSTON — Shortly after the Yankees started Sunday's doubleheader with just four hits in a 6-2 loss to the Red Sox, hitting coach Dillon Lawson, among others, addressed the Bombers' unproductive offense.

Nightengale's notebook: After slow start, Phillies, Trea Turner get hot in June  —  PHOENIX − The music is blaring in the Philadelphia Phillies clubhouse.  Players are singing along to “Dancing on My Own,” their theme song in last year's playoff march.  There's laughter.

Chicago Cubs get some nifty defense from Nick Madrigal and others but are held to 3 hits as their win streak ends at 5  —  With Patrick Wisdom going on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a sprained right wrist, Nick Madrigal is preparing to make consistent starts at third base for the Chicago Cubs.

Braves trade minor league RHP Yacksel Rios to Oakland for cash considerations  —  On the heels of their four-game weekend sweep of the Rockies, the Braves have made a minor roster move: … Rios signed with the Braves on a minor league deal all the way back in January …

Pete Alonso blasts past expected stay on injured list, returns Sunday; Mark Vientos optioned  —  NEW YORK - When Pete Alonso was placed on the injured list after being hit in the left wrist on June 8, the expectation was that he would be on the shelf for three to four weeks.

Minnesota Twins' bullpen cuts through Detroit Tigers' offense in 2-0 loss  —  MINNEAPOLIS — There wasn't a baserunner until the fifth inning.  —  Finally, the Detroit Tigers put theit first runner on base with Zack Short's walk and collected their first hit with Miguel Cabrera's ensuing double …

Bus driver transporting Pittsburgh Pirates charged with DUI  —  A bus driver hired to transport the Pittsburgh Pirates from Chicago to Milwaukee was stopped during the journey and charged with DUI.  —  The trip began in Chicago on Thursday night after the Pirates' 7-2 loss to the Cubs …

David Freese declines Cardinals Hall of Fame induction, cites meaning of redcoat honor  —  NEW YORK — After months of wrestling with his decision and comparing the view he had of his career with the Cardinals against the careers of peers and players he considers the organization's all-time greats …