'There's a camaraderie we have.' For Chicago Cubs fans who made the trek to London, the trip is unique — and bittersweet.  —  LONDON — For longtime Chicago Cubs fan Marci Watts, the London Series represented the perfect 55th wedding anniversary gift for her parents, who are diehard St. Louis Cardinals fans.

How one baseball team could change MLB draft strategy forever  —  Baseball's draft can be pretty predictable.  Not on a pick-to-pick basis — no prognosticator can predict even half of the picks right, and that includes the scouts and execs making some of the picks — but on the whole, things go as expected.

Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds (back) placed on 10-day IL  —  The Pittsburgh Pirates placed outfielder Bryan Reynolds on the 10-day injured list on Thursday because of back inflammation.  —  The Pirates recalled right-handed pitcher Cody Bolton from Triple-A Indianapolis in a corresponding move.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Talks Rule Changes, Robo-Umpires, and His Message for Oakland Fans  —  Baseball has always been obsessed with numbers.  Accolades are earned by accumulating home runs and strikeouts and runs batted in.  Major League Baseball's 2023 success can be summed up in three digits: 2:39.

Mets deal Eduardo Escobar to Angels for minor leaguers Coleman Crow, Landon Marceaux  —  PHILADELPHIA — Third base officially belongs to Brett Baty.  —  The Mets traded Eduardo Escobar and cash considerations to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for two minor league pitchers Friday night …

Mets option Tylor Megill to Triple-A Syracuse after ugly start against Astros  —  The Mets optioned pitcher Tylor Megill to Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday.  —  The move comes a day after Megill surrendered five runs (four earned), four walks and four hits over 2.1 innings of work in a loss against the Houston Astros on Wednesday.

Why do Cincinnati Reds players wear a Viking helmet?  Here's the celebration's backstory  —  The Cincinnati Reds keep on winning, and fans are seeing more and more of the team's celebratory Viking helmet.  —  The Reds' tradition is new this season.  Players are draped in a special cape and Viking-style hat after hitting a home run.

Domingo German disappoints again as Yankees' bats look lifeless vs. Mariners rookie Bryan Woo  —  With Domingo German fresh off a two-inning, seven-run start his last time out, Aaron Boone noted that players are prone to “hiccups here and there” over the course of a long season.

Rays bench Wander Franco for way he has handled frustration  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco has been benched by manager Kevin Cash for the way he has handled frustrating situations this year.  —  Franco will not play in at least games Thursday and Friday against the Kansas City Royals, Cash said.

The Royals Are the MLB Disaster No One Is Talking About  —  If not for the coverage of the Athletics and their proposed move to Las Vegas, the Royals' ineptitude this season would garner more attention.  With its worst 73-game mark in franchise history, Kansas City (20-53) is on pace for 118 losses …

'I Don't Know How You Can Block the Plate From Behind the Plate'  —  A night after Bruce Bochy said a replay ruling was “one of the worst calls I've ever seen,” another controversial call on a play at the plate added even more confusion.  —  For years, fans and players alike have complained …

Check out where the Cincinnati Reds' 10-game winning streak ranks in franchise history  —  The Cincinnati Reds are on a 10-game winning streak heading into Wednesday's series finale against the Colorado Rockies.  That ties the fifth-longest streak in franchise history.