Harper, Williams ejected vs. Yankees  —  Bryce Harper and Matt Williams were both ejected in the bottom of the third inning against the New York Yankees on Wednesday night in a bizarre sequence sparked by a called first strike.  —  Home plate umpire Marvin Hudson called a strike …

Keith Law's first 2015 mock draft  —  Vanderbilt shortstop Dansby Swanson is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick  —  Source: … I say it every year, but it's more true this year than most: Three weeks from Draft Day is still a long way off for a prediction.

Hershey's sends Nats 108 more bottles of chocolate sauce to mark wins  —  1h - MLB MAX SCHERZER WASHINGTON NATIONALS + more  —  ESPN sports business reporter Darren Rovell discusses Hershey's shipment of chocolate syrup to the Nationals.

Brent Strom, second man to have Tommy John surgery, now makes pitch to Astros aces  —  Brent Strom has a good memory.  Strom, the former Met lefty who is now the Astros pitching coach, is detailing his first game in the majors, a start at Shea against the Expos and he can still see Tommie Agee racing …

Theo Epstein strikes again  —  1d - MLB CHICAGO CUBS BOSTON RED SOX + more

Why Children Are Abandoning Baseball  —  Major League Baseball is strong, but the casual young player is vanishing, threatening the sport's future  —  The local Little League in the City of Newburgh, N.Y., has been desperately trying to attract enough kids to stay afloat.

Rockies Option Drew Stubbs, Recall Brandon Barnes  —  The Rockies have optioned struggling outfielder Drew Stubbs to Triple-A, Nick Groke of the Denver Post reports (Twitter links).  Taking his place on the active roster is Brandon Barnes.  —  Stubbs, 30, avoided arbitration with a $5.825MM contract …

Mauer's Homer Lifts Twins to 4-3 Win Over Pirates in 13  —  PITTSBURGH — Joe Mauer hit his first home run of the season, a solo shot off Antonio Bastardo in the 13th inning to help the Minnesota Twins to a 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night.

Hal Steinbrenner says Yankees will pay Alex Rodriguez's HR bonus if that's how arbitrator rules  —  The Yankees have made it clear they don't want to pay Alex Rodriguez a $6 million bonus for tying Willie Mays with his 660th career home run, but they will if an arbitrator decides they must …

Castellanos' 3-Run Triple Lifts Tigers Over Brewers 5-2  —  DETROIT — Nick Castellanos hit a bases-loaded triple with two out in the eighth inning to lift the Detroit Tigers to a 5-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night.  —  The Tigers avoided a sweep in the three-game series thanks to a rally in their final at-bat.