An advance scout's theory on why A-Rod is so good this year; Mets' Flores applies for citizenship  —  The Yankees gave us a lot to digest late last night in Oakland, from another CC Sabathia disappointment, to David Carpenter's ineffectiveness, to the mystery of following a sweep of the league's best team with a loss to its worst.

Cain Hits Tiebreaking Double in 8th, Royals Beat Cubs 8-4  —  CHICAGO — Lorenzo Cain hit a tiebreaking RBI double and scored in a three-run eighth inning, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago Cubs 8-4 Friday to snap a four-game losing streak.  —  Alcides Escobar homered on the game's first pitch.

Phillies Notes: Asche, Hamels, Nola  —  The Phillies announced today that Cody Asche has been recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, indicating that the former third baseman's transition to left field will continue at the Major League level.  After being sent to Triple-A to work on the position, Asche batted .295/.358/.393 in 15 games.

Marlins Claim Chad Smith From Angels  —  The Marlins announced that they have claimed right-handed reliever Chad Smith off waivers from the Angels and optioned him to Triple-A New Orleans.  Smith had previously been designated for assignment by the Halos in order to clear a roster spot for the recently acquired Kirk Nieuwenhuis.

MLB Mock Draft 2015: Version 4.0  —  College tournaments have come and gone, as has Florida's high school all-star game in Sebring.  Most major league organizations have had their pre-draft meetings, with scouting directors and crosscheckers meeting with area scouts, going over their lists and lining up their draft boards.

Rangers To Promote Alex “Chi Chi” Gonzalez  —  The Rangers will bring up top pitching prospect Alex “Chi Chi” Gonzalez to make his first big league start on Saturday, the club announced.  Gonzalez came to Texas as the 23rd overall pick in the 2013 draft.  —  Gonzalez is a consensus top-10 …

Cubs will target Ben Zobrist  —  While the Cubs keep their eye on the pitching market as they mull a buyer's approach for the trade deadline, one of their biggest targets heading into June is play-anywhere hitter Ben Zobrist of the Oakland Athletics, according to multiple sources.

Montreal mayor wants regular-season MLB games in the city in 2016  —  Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred is open to Montreal hosting three or four regular-season games in 2016, the city's mayor said Thursday after a 45-minute meeting he described as “extremely positive.”

Brewers Rescind Brandon Kintzler DFA  —  6:13pm: Milwaukee announced that it has rescinded the move and instead placed Kinzler on the 15-day DL, with the team apparently learned that Kinzler was suffering from a pre-existing knee issue.  —  1:23pm: The Brewers announced …

Mets promote Michael Conforto to Double-A  —  The Mets have promoted OF prospect Michael Conforto to Double-A Binghamton, the team announced on Twitter.  —  Conforto had been named the Florida State League's Player of the Week two times this season, where he was batting .283 with a .350 OBP …

Kluber Strikes Out 13 in Indians' 5-3 Win Over Mariners  —  SEATTLE — Corey Kluber struck out 13 in seven innings to win his third straight decision, Jason Kipnis continued his hot May with two hits and two RBIs, and the Cleveland Indians beat the Seattle Mariners 5-3 on Thursday night.

Oak Mountain's David Dahl suffers lacerated spleen in collision in minor league baseball game  —  Oak Mountain High School's David Dahl takes a swing in a batting cage on Feb. 16, 2012.  (Mark Almond/malmond@al.com )  —  Former Oak Mountain baseball star David Dahl suffered a lacerated spleen …