Ryu leads Dodgers past Giants to avoid series sweep  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Hyun-Jin Ryu stretched his road scoreless streak to 26 innings, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Francisco Giants 2-1 Thursday to avoid a sweep.  —  Ryu (3-1) struck out three and walked one on a season-high 112 pitches …

Jeremy Jeffress Elects Free Agency  —  Blue Jays right-hander Jeremy Jeffress has rejected an outright assignment and elected free agency, reports Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).  Additionally, Jeffress is expected to sign with a new club within 24 to 48 hours, according to Passan.

Through hitting system, Mets aim to build winner  —  Players are evaluated, rewarded based upon adherence to club's metric  —  NEW YORK — About a week before Mets camp drew to a close in Florida, staffers gathered the team's hitters into a meeting room and laid out the organization's offensive philosophy …

Bradley Leads Red Sox Past White Sox in 14 Innings  —  CHICAGO — The Boston Red Sox used patience and 15 walks to rally and force extra innings.  —  When Jackie Bradley Jr. came to the plate to face a position player with two men on base, he felt it was time to be aggressive.

Will Duke star Jabari Parker go pro?  He reveals his decision exclusively to SI.com … Duke's freshman forward Jabari Parker sits down with Sports Illustrated's Jeff Benedict to make his decision whether to stay in school or declare for the NBA draft.  —  After losing in the NCAA tournament, I needed to clear my mind.

Cashner Solid in Padres' 4-2 Win Over Rockies  —  SAN DIEGO — Andrew Cashner pitched into the eighth inning and Chris Denorfia drove in two runs to lift the San Diego Padres to a 4-2 win over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night.  —  Cashner (2-1) wasn't nearly as sharp …

Blue Jays, Twins set for day-night doubleheader  —  The Sports Network  —  The Toronto Blue Jays and Minnesota Twins are set for a day-night doubleheader Thursday at Target Field.  —  Wednesday's middle test of this three-game series was postponed due to inclement weather.

Dillon Gee dominates as Mets complete sweep of Diamondbacks with 5-2 win  —  Gee threw seven shutout innings, scattering three hits and striking out three for the Mets, who moved above .500 for the first time this season.  —  PHOENIX — All it took was seven scoreless innings for Dillon Gee to get his first win of 2014.

MLB: Puig's journey from Cuba  —  With Puig was Yunior Despaigne, then 24.  A former national-level Cuban boxer and a friend of Puig's from their teens, Despaigne had spent the previous year recruiting Puig to defect, under the direction of a Cuban-born resident of Miami named Raul Pacheco.

Aviles, Bourn speak on importance of Robinson  —  DETROIT — Baseball celebrated Jackie Robinson Day on Tuesday, but the Indians were unable to participate when extremely cold temperatures and snow forced a postponement of Cleveland's game with the Tigers.  The tribute in Detroit carried over to Wednesday's tilt at Comerica Park.

Cole Hamels likely to pitch vs. Dodgers next week  —  Cole Hamels could be just days away from making his 2014 debut, Phillies assistant general manager Scott Proefrock said.  —  Proefrock said Wednesday afternoon before the Phillies-Braves game at Citizens Bank Park that Hamels …

Julio Teheran tosses 3-hitter in blanking of Phillies  —  PHILADELPHIA — Julio Teheran pitched a three-hitter, Evan Gattis homered among a career-best four hits, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 1-0 Wednesday night.  —  Teheran (3-1) retired his first 12 batters …

No comeback for Tiger first base coach Omar Vizquel: Cleveland Indians chatter  —  OMAR_VIZQUEL__IAN_KINSLER__4_2_ WALKOFF_SINGLE_VS._KC_.JPG  —  Detroit first base coach Omar Vizquel congratulates Ian Kinsler on April 2 at Comerica Park after Kinsler's game-winning hit against Kansas City in the 10th inning.

Rangers rally for two in 9th to beat Mariners  —  ARLINGTON, Texas — Leonys Martin had a game-winning RBI single in the ninth inning as the Texas Rangers scored two unearned runs in a two-out rally against Fernando Rodney, beating the Seattle Mariners 3-2 on Wednesday night in a game that started as a battle of aces.