Mets target 5 innings of relief for Matz to prepare for postseason  —  The New York Mets have developed a strategy to prepare rookie starter Steven Matz for the postseason after he was forced to skip a start due to back discomfort.  —  The New York Mets have developed a strategy …

Chris Sale sets franchise strikeout record in White Sox win over Tigers  —  Ed Walsh's record for strikeouts stood for 107 years.  It finally came down Friday night.  —  White Sox strikeout whiz Chris Sale did the honor by striking out Tigers catcher James McCann in the second inning of a 2-1 victory.

White Sox slugger Jose Abreu joins Albert Pujols in exclusive club for 2  —  Chicago Tribune … Jose Abreu pointed to the sky after reaching first base in the seventh inning Thursday night at U.S. Cellular Field, hugged White Sox first-base coach Daryl Boston and flashed a big grin.

2015 Midwest League Top 20 Prospects  —  See Also: Midwest League/South Atlantic League Top 20 Prospects Chat With J.J. Cooper  —  MIDWEST LEAGUE TOP 20 PROSPECTS  —  West Michigan may have won the low Class A Midwest League title, but in all likelihood, Quad Cities will be the team to remember from 2015.

Inside Baseball: Nationals to let Williams go, and more MLB moves  —  Embattled Nationals manager Matt Williams' firing was a surety even before he missed, then mishandled a dugout choking incident that became national news.  He's a nice man and he tried hard, but he probably was miscast …

COLORADO ROCKIES / MLB  —  WILIN ROSARIO WANTS MORE PLAYING TIME AND MORE AT-BATS  —  “If they want to move me, I'm good with it,” Rosario said.  —  The Denver Post  —  Wilin Rosario (20) of the Colorado Rockies reacts to flying out to Joc Pederson (31) of the Los Angeles Dodgers during a National League west showdown.

Paco Rodriguez Undergoes Tommy John Surgery  —  Braves lefty Paco Rodriguez has undergone Tommy John surgery, MLB.com's Mark Bowman reports on Twitter.  That means he'll almost certainly miss all of next season.  —  Rodriguez, 24, came to Atlanta as one of the thirteen players to change hands …

Control issues have been costly for Wacha  —  ATLANTA  • Other than the obvious concern for his long-term health, a chief reason why the Cardinals wanted to monitor and reduce Michael Wacha's workload during the season was to be sure they had their young starter crisp and ready for October.

Hurricane Could Affect MLB Weekend  —  With playoff spots still to be decided this weekend, Hurricane Joaquin could throw a big, wet wrench into the postseason schedule.  —  The AL still has one wild-card spot to be decided, while the wild-card host has yet to be determined.

Redskins' Alfred Morris spends pregame at FedEx Field with ‘my Stadium Fam’  —  A bit more than two hours before Washington's last home game, Alfred Morris emerged from the stadium tunnel and ambled down the home team's sideline.  FedEx Field was calm and quiet then.

Rangers Win, Securing Spot in Postseason  —  The Texas Rangers clinched a wild-card spot and moved to the cusp of the American League West title on Thursday night, with a three-run double by Adrian Beltre backing Derek Holland in a 5-3 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Angels.

Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy says he has played entire season with torn labrum in left shoulder … Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy revealed Thursday that he has been playing the entire season with a torn labrum in his left, non-throwing shoulder.  —  Hardy said he does not plan to have surgery in the offseason.