Rob Manfred vote short on 1st ballot  —  BALTIMORE — Rob Manfred fell one vote short of the required three-quarters majority on the first ballot Thursday to become the new baseball commissioner, a person familiar with the balloting told The Associated Press.

Terry Collins: Matt Harvey out for '14  —  NEW YORK — New York Mets manager Terry Collins had a blunt message for rehabbing ace Matt Harvey during a phone conversation with the ace on Thursday: “Back off.”  —  Concerned Harvey is doing too much, too fast in his return from Tommy John surgery …

Culberson breaks lengthy HR drought as Rockies beat Reds  —  DENVER — Charlie Culberson hit his first homer in more than a month — a three-run shot in the fifth — and Jorge De La Rosa pitched seven effective innings to lift the Colorado Rockies over the Cincinnati Reds 7-3 on Thursday night.

Marlins Rally, Beat Diamondbacks 5-4 in 10 Innings  —  MIAMI — Marcell Ozuna doubled home Garrett Jones with the winning run in the 10th inning, and the Miami Marlins topped the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-4 on Thursday night.  —  Ozuna's line-drive to left-center came off Bradin Hagens (0-1), who was making his major league debut.

Pirates Acquire John Axford  —  The Pirates have officially acquired righty John Axford from the Indians, the clubs have announced.  Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the transaction (via Twitter).  Axford, 31, joined Cleveland on a one-year, $4.5MM free agent contract after being non-tendered by the Cardinals.

Yadi catches for first time since surgery  —  ST. LOUIS — On Thursday, 34 days after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb, veteran catcher Yadier Molina crouched down to catch his first bullpen session since the injury.  —  Manager Mike Matheny noted afterward …

Comedian adores his Amazin's — and admits he thinks about baseball ‘all day’  —  What's the deal with instant replay?  Jerry Seinfeld doesn't mind if the umps get it wrong sometimes. … What was your first baseball memory?  —  It's a cliché, but walking through the tunnel …

Cardinals top Padres to leapfrog Pirates in NL Central  —  ST. LOUIS — Pinch-hitter Jon Jay delivered a two-run double in the eighth inning and right fielder Shane Robinson threw out the potential tying run at the plate in the ninth to help the St. Louis Cardinals hold off the San Diego Padres 4-3 Thursday night.

Pedro: Clemens, Bonds deserve HOF nod  —  BOSTON — Former Red Sox pitcher and future Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez believes Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds should be in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.  —  Martinez, who has always been outspoken about players accused of using performance-enhancing drugs …