Big game moves don't lead to a big hit in a Reds loss to the Cardinals  —  The MLB playoff race comes with a sense of urgency and leads to the types of aggressive moves that a manager wouldn't make in the dog days of the summer.  Against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday …

Big second inning helps push Hooks past Wind Surge to win series  —  HOOKS 7, WIND SURGE 3  —  Wind Surge: Yoyner Fajardo 1-5, R, 2B; Tanner Schobel 2-4, RBI; Seth Gray 1-4, 2 R; Alex Isola 2-4, RBI; Willie Joe Garry Jr. 1-3, RBI, 2B; Travis Adams (L, 4-10) 5 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 6 K

Injured Orioles closer Félix Bautista plays catch, but Brandon Hyde 'wouldn't put any stock into it'  —  BOSTON — Two weeks to the day after exiting the mound in the ninth inning with a right elbow injury, Orioles All-Star closer Félix Bautista played catch on the field before Friday night's game at Fenway Park.

Dodgers P Walker Buehler won't return to rotation this season  —  Any hopes of Walker Buehler returning to the Los Angeles Dodgers' needy rotation before the start of the postseason were officially dashed Friday when the team announced that Buehler, in the late stages of his recovery …

Derek Jeter returns, Yankees honor 1998 team at Old-Timers' Day  —  NEW YORK — Back at Yankee Stadium and hearing the cheers at age 49, Derek Jeter had some advice for the team he led to five titles.  —  “I'm working on rebranding the name Old-Timers' to something else,” he said.

Javier Assad struggles with his command in Chicago Cubs' 6-2 loss to Arizona Diamondbacks in opener of 4-game series  —  Javier Assad's command has been a staple of his big-league success.  —  Since his transition to the rotation one month ago, it has served as the basis for his ability to give the Chicago Cubs quality starts.

Exclusive: 25 years later, Mark McGwire still gets emotional reliving 1998 Home Run Chase  —  Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa captured the nation's imagination in the summer of 1998.  Twenty-five years later, the magic from that season lives on.  —  IRVINE, Calif. — Mark McGwire …

Reports: Mookie Betts (foot) leaves ballpark on crutches  —  Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts left LoanDepot Park in Miami on crutches after fouling a ball off his foot Thursday night against the Marlins, according to multiple reports.  —  X-rays reportedly were negative.

At least 14 killed as fierce storms and severe flooding lash southern Europe  —  At least 14 people have died and several remain missing across Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria as torrential rain and severe flooding batter southern Europe.  —  Flooding has claimed at least three lives in mainland Greece …

MLB places Dodgers' Julio Urías on administrative leave  —  Major League Baseball announced it placed Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias on administrative leave Wednesday, three days after police arrested the left-hander on suspicion of felony domestic violence.

Walk-off balk: Chicago White Sox find another tough way to lose, this time 7-6 to the Kansas City Royals  —  KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chicago White Sox continue to come up with painful ways to lose.  —  Just when they thought they've seen it all, the Sox fell 7-6 to the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium.