Span exits in 3rd but Nationals beat Mets 4-2  —  WASHINGTON (AP) Nationals center fielder Denard Span left in the third inning after making a diving, tumbling catch, and NL East champion Washington went on to a 4-2 victory over the New York Mets on Tuesday night.

Gibson pitches seven strong as Twins top Diamondbacks  —  MINNEAPOLIS — Kyle Gibson matched a career high with eight strikeouts, Chris Parmelee hit a two-run single after entering the game for an injured Joe Mauer, and the Minnesota Twins beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-3 on Tuesday night.

O's hold off Jeter, Yanks as Cruz belts 40th  —  Recap  —  Box Score  —  Play-By-Play  —  Photos  —  Conversation  —  Nelson Cruz lifts Orioles with 40th homer; Derek Jeter fans to end it  —  NEW YORK — Nelson Cruz hit his major league-leading 40th home run and the Baltimore …

Pirates edge Braves to clinch at least an NL wild-card berth  —  ATLANTA — Gerrit Cole retired the final 17 hitters he faced, and the surging Pittsburgh Pirates clinched a spot in the playoffs with a 3-2 win over the free-falling Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night.

Cabrera's RBI single lifts Tigers over White Sox  —  DETROIT - Miguel Cabrera's RBI single in the bottom of the ninth lifted the Detroit Tigers to a key 4-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.  —  The win kept Detroit a game ahead of Kansas City atop the American League Central …

Zobrist drives in pair, Rays rally late to beat Red Sox  —  BOSTON - Ben Zobrist had three hits and drove in Tampa Bay's first two runs during an eighth inning rally for the Rays in a 6-2 win over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night.  —  Alex Cobb pitched seven strong innings and Matt Joyce added …

After conversation with Jon Daniels, Michael Young bows out of Texas Rangers managerial search  —  Former Texas Rangers inflieder Michael Young speaks to media during training camp for Dirk Nowitzki's 2014 Heroes Celebrity Baseball Game at Dr. Pepper Ballpark in Frisco, Texas Friday June 20, 2014.

Cueto, Reds push Brewers to brink of playoff elimination  —  CINCINNATI, Ohio — Johnny Cueto kept his hopes of a 20-win season in play, and Todd Frazier and Devin Mesoraco hit back-to-back homers on Tuesday night, sending the Cincinnati Reds to a 3-1 victory that pushed the Milwaukee Brewers …

Hitters' penchant for swinging at first pitch of an at-bat among possible causes  —  9/13/14: Brewers manager Ron Roenicke talks about his team's 5-1 loss to the Reds and assesses the struggling offense  —  PITTSBURGH — Before the reporter could finish a question about the Brewers' recent …

The First Slay of Pompey  —  Dalton Pompey hits his first major league home run for the Blue Jays in the bottom of the fifth against Felix Hernandez and the Mariners.  The solo shot ties the game at two.  He came into the the game just 3 for 19 with no extra base hits during his cup of coffee.

After 13 years in minors, Ranger gets MLB hit  —  ARLINGTON, Texas — This was a rare treat for a baseball team that's been on hard times for the bulk of the season.  —  Guilder Rodriguez, a career minor leaguer, got his second big league start on Monday night for the Texas Rangers and delivered …

Wally Backman could join Terry Collins' Mets coaching staff full-time in 2015: source  —  Backman, the team's Triple-A manager, could be Collins' third base coach if the team moves Tim Teufel off of third and into the role of hitting coach.  ‘There was some talk about it,’ a source said.

Susac scores Belt, Giants beat Dodgers in 13th inning  —  The Sports Network  —  Los Angeles, CA - Pinch-hitter Andrew Susac's RBI single in the top of the 13th inning highlighted a three-run frame that gave the San Francisco Giants a 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday.