Shintaro Fujinami joins first-place Orioles after trade: 'I'll do my best here'  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Orioles' attendance at Camden Yards this season has improved, but it's far from one of the best in the major leagues.  —  To Shintaro Fujinami, though, the home crowds he'll pitch …

Top 60 MLB prospects 2023: Keith Law's rankings has Jackson Holliday vs. Jackson Chourio  —  This is my midpoint check-in on the best baseball prospects still in the minor leagues, including players drafted two weeks ago who have signed by now but have not debuted in pro ball.

Cincinnati Reds go streaking again with 2nd straight win behind Andrew Abbott, big hitting  —  The Cincinnati Reds are back.  —  Those pesky-hitting, walk-drawing, base-stealing, outs-on-the-bases-making, Andrew Abbott-baffling, Elly De La Cruz-pea-throwing Reds were at it again …

Contenders watch Cubs closely as they inch closer to selling yet again  —  CHICAGO — The moment Nolan Arenado's two-RBI double bounced off the ivy Thursday night, it seemed like all hope for a Cubs miracle turnaround prior to the trade deadline was over.  Down 5-0 in the fourth inning …

USC football team picked to win Pac-12 title in preseason poll  —  The Trojans receive 25 of 36 first-place votes, with Washington, Utah and Oregon projected to finish second through fourth; UCLA is sixth  —  The USC football team has been picked as the preseason favorite to win the Pac-12 title in its final season in the conference.

A boy was dying.  Hall of Fame inductee Scott Rolen quietly became his best friend  —  At Tyler Frenzel's funeral mass, after his frail, worn out, cancer-ridden body had endured all it could, Scott Rolen stood up inside St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church in Carmel to eulogize the 9-year-old athlete …

Could This Philadelphia Phillies Blockbuster Trade Package Get it Done for Ohtani?  —  A trade package that the Philadelphia Phillies could put together for Shohei Ohtani  —  Ahead of the 2023 MLB Trade Deadline, the Philadelphia Phillies sit firmly as buyers who are looking to improve their roster.

Rockies calling up right-hander Peter Lambert; Connor Seabold headed to bullpen  —  Lambert pitched well in last two starts at Triple-A  —  The Rockies' season-long search for effective starting pitchers continues.  —  Right-hander Peter Lambert will be called up from Triple-A Albuquerque …

Dipoto: Mariners may use deadline to ‘better situate’ team for 2024  —  After another frustrating loss on Wednesday - this time a 6-3 defeat at the hands of the Minnesota Twins - the Seattle Mariners are back under .500 with the Aug. 1 trade deadline less than two weeks away.

Elly De La Cruz breaks his own record with a 99.8 mph throw  —  A few days ago, Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell asked one of the Reds' coaches to check the velocity of infielder Elly De La Cruz's throws.  When Bell learned that De La Cruz set a record with a 97.9 mph throw last Sunday, he was surprised.

Sources: MLB commissioner Rob Manfred expected to be re-elected in vote next week  —  A re-election vote for commissioner Rob Manfred is scheduled for next week and he's expected to have sufficient support for another term, people close to the process who were not authorized to speak publicly told The Athletic.