One Noah Syndergaard flaw: Holding runners on … STORY  —  Conforto, Mets have tough time against Bumgarner  —  STATS  —  Mets vs. Giants boxscore  —  STORY  —  Bumgarner continues dominance at Citi Field … Mets  —  Mets-Giants photos

Joey Votto: I'd rather quit than struggle  —  PITTSBURGH — Joey Votto's April was so bad that he said he'd rather walk away from the game and give up the remaining years on his contract than play that way.  —  “It's not something I'm OK with.  I'd rather quit and leave all the money …

Tim Lincecum's Showcase Set For Friday  —  Tim Lincecum will hold a long-awaited throwing showcase for scouts on Friday in Scottsdale, MLB Network's Jon Heyman reports (Twitter links).  As many as 20 teams are expected to attend, including representatives from the Orioles, Padres and the Giants, Lincecum's former team.

Update On Ryan Braun's No-Trade List  —  The no-trade protection in Ryan Braun's contract allows the star outfielder to block a deal to every team besides the Angels, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Giants, Marlins and Padres, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter link).

Kershaw: 3-Hitter, 14 Ks, RBI Single, Dodgers Top Pads 1-0  —  Clayton Kershaw pitched a three-hitter, struck out 14 and also singled home the game's only run, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers over the San Diego Padres 1-0 on Sunday.  —  Kershaw (3-1) ended the Dodgers' six-game losing streak …

Stars and Second Guesses: Inside the Dallas Draft Room  —  Plus more on the event in Chicago, including how the Ravens foiled the Pats  —  The MMQB Extra: Draft and agony  —  The MMQB's Peter King tells the tale of a Draft weekend spent with Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys.

Improving Projections with Exit Velocity  —  Batted-ball exit velocity is all the rage these days.  With MLB's rollout of Statcast last year, exit velocity and other batted-ball metrics have become a part of the casual baseball fan's vocabulary.  Quite simply, it's cool to be able …

Sean Burnett Opts Out Of Dodgers Contract, Will Sign Minors Deal With Braves  —  Veteran left-handed reliever Sean Burnett will opt out of his minor league contract with the Dodgers and sign a new minor league pact with the Braves, reports Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet (Twitter link).

Exploring how MLB has turned Yankee Stadium against Yankees  —  MORE FROM:  —  What has given the Yankees such a home advantage for nine decades — the short right-field porch — is now a detriment.  —  In the age of ever-expanding shifts, the Yankees' lack of offensive diversification …

Reds' Anthony DeSclafani, Raisel Iglesias suffer setbacks  —  PITTSBURGH — The Reds' problems of what to do when all of their starters are healthy have been put off, as not all of their starters are healthy.  —  Sunday starter Raisel Iglesias felt a “pinch” in his right shoulder on Friday and was examined on Saturday.

For Rick Porcello, there's nothing quite like a sinking feeling  —  BOSTON — Here's the deal with Rick Porcello: More sinkers mean fewer stinkers.  Got that?  —  Porcello should say those words before every start for the Boston Red Sox.  If it helps, he should repeat them between innings, even as he stands on the mound.