Billy Butler helps Royals top O's to spoil Manny Machado's debut  —  BALTIMORE — Billy Butler came within a single of hitting for the cycle, and the Kansas City Royals beat Baltimore 8-2 on Thursday night to end the Orioles' five-game winning streak and take the luster off Manny Machado's impressive major league debut.

Moore sharp for six as Rays sweep Blue Jays  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Matt Moore pitched six sharp innings and Jose Lobaton drove in three runs as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-1 Thursday for a three-game sweep.  —  Tampa Bay has won 16 straight series against Toronto at Tropicana Field.

Playoffs open with inaugural Wild Card games Oct. 5  —  Major League Baseball on Thursday announced the schedule for its revamped postseason, which will open on Friday, Oct. 5, with the inaugural Wild Card games and run through the 108th World Series, set to get under way on Wednesday, Oct. 24.

Teixeira, Chavez HRs Help Yankees Top Tigers 4-3  —  DETROIT (AP) — Mark Teixeira and Eric Chavez hit solo home runs on consecutive pitches in the eighth inning that put New York ahead, and the Yankees held on to beat the Detroit Tigers 4-3 Thursday.  —  Yankees manager Joe Girardi was ejected …

Ubaldo Jimenez Pitches Indians Past Red Sox 5-3  —  CLEVELAND (AP) — Ubaldo Jimenez struck out a season-high 10 for his first win in more than a month and the Cleveland Indians beat Boston 5-3 on Thursday night, handing the Red Sox their seventh loss in nine games.

Pitching coach Radinsky dismissed; Niebla interim  —  Indians' starting pitching has fared poorly, contributing to difficult season  —  Scott Radinsky (center) was in his first season as pitching coach of the Indians.  —  CLEVELAND — The Indians' prolonged and persistent struggles …

Dickey wins 15th as Mets stop long home skid  —  Recap  —  Box Score  —  Play-By-Play  —  Photos  —  Conversation  —  R.A. Dickey goes distance as Mets snap 9-game home slide  —  NEW YORK — R.A. Dickey pitched a complete game for his NL-leading 15th win, stopping Jose Reyes' 26-game hitting streak …

Dodgers' Abreu accepts assignment to minors  —  Bobby Abreu has cleared waivers and accepted a minor-league assignment by the Los Angeles Dodgers, the veteran outfielder's agent said Thursday.  —  The Dodgers designated Abreu for assignment last week to create a spot on the roster …

Cleveland Indians CEO Paul Dolan on Tribe's midsummer collapse: ‘It was so dismal’ — Terry Pluto  —  CLEVELAND, Ohio — Paul Dolan still can't believe it happened.  —  On July 26, his Cleveland Indians beat the Detroit Tigers and Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander.

Kubel homers twice as Diamondbacks beat Pirates  —  PITTSBURGH — Jason Kubel homered twice, Joe Saunders pitched seven effective innings and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-3 on Thursday.  —  Both of Kubel's home runs immediately followed hits by Aaron Hill.

Red Sox Promote Xander Bogaerts To Double-A  —  Xander Bogaerts may only be 19, but the Red Sox shortstop on his way to Double-A Portland, according to high Class A Salem Red Sox announcer Evan Lepler.  —  The only player in the Eastern League who will be younger than Bogaerts …

Time for NY Mets manager Terry Collins and GM Sandy Alderson to start preparing for 2013 season  —  But you can't totally write off this season, not with baseball's recurring narrative of recent teams rushing through the final months of the season en route to a title