At the end, he cracked a smile  —  LOS ANGELES-Sitting in the Dodger Stadium press box Thursday night preparing to write an optimistic Dodgers column, I am interrupted by a crack.  —  Dexter Fowler begins the game with a single up the middle against Kenta Maeda.

Rocket men: Red Sox pitchers mow down 20 Rangers  —  BOSTON — Catch a whiff of this: Five Boston Red Sox pitchers combined to tie a major league record for strikeouts Thursday night.  —  Drew Pomeranz, Heath Hembree, Robby Scott, Matt Barnes and Craig Kimbrel punched out 20 Texas Rangers batters …

Houston Astros hold home run clinic in 7-6 win over Detroit Tigers  —  HOUSTON — Houston Astros center fielder Jake Marisnick has carved out a niche as a late-inning defensive specialist able to influence games with his speed on the bases.  But with greater frequency this season, Marisnick has wielded a powerful bat.

Mike Montgomery could get a start, 'but haven't nailed it down yet'  —  Cubs reliever Mike Montgomery reacts after his four-inning save against the Giants on May 25, 2017.  (Chris Kuc/Chicago Tribune)  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Even with Eddie Butler doing an admirable job thus far in the role …

Travis d'Arnaud's latest comeback story: Fighting for starting job  —  MORE FROM: … Injuries are inevitable when you play catcher, the most physically demanding position in baseball.  Just ask Travis d'Arnaud.  —  The 28-year-old made his first start in three weeks on Thursday night at Citi Field …

Rangers returning to Toronto at inopportune time  —  TORONTO  —  The Rangers conclude their nine-game road trip with three against the Toronto Blue Jays this weekend at Rogers Centre.  It's the first time they've met since the Blue Jays swept the Rangers in the ALDS last October …

Top White Sox pitching prospect Lucas Giolito throws a no-hitter in the minors  —  Giolito was a key piece of the trade that sent Adam Eaton to the Nationals  —  The Chicago White Sox kicked off a major rebuild this winter by trading Chris Sale to the Red Sox and Adam Eaton to the Nationals.

Red-hot Clevinger, Indians host Royals (May 26, 2017)  —  CLEVELAND — Indians ace Corey Kluber is getting closer to coming off the disabled list, but his replacement in the rotation has filled in admirably.  —  Friday night, Mike Clevinger will make his fourth start in place of Kluber …

NL East Notes: Pill, Ruiz, Marlins, Glover  —  The Mets are promoting Triple-A righty Tyler Pill to join their pitching staff, MLB.com's Anthony DiComo reports (Twitter link).  It's not clear exactly what role Pill will have with the club, though DiComo does note that Jacob deGrom is healthy …

With Braun heading back to DL and a four-game losing streak, Brewers are facing adversity  —  The rebuilding Milwaukee Brewers haven't faced a lot of adversity to this point of the season, but they're facing some now.  —  The Brewers absorbed bad news on a few fronts Thursday night at Miller Park …

Orioles Outright Luis Sardinas  —  The Orioles announced that shortstop Luis Sardinas, whom they just claimed off waivers earlier this week, has now cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A Norfolk.  By outrighting Sardinas, the O's have opened a spot on their 40-man roster …

Stadium deaths: Are Major League Baseball facilities safe enough?  —  At about 10:57 p.m. on May 16, a 42-year-old man named Rick Garrity was exiting Wrigley Field in Chicago when he apparently tried to climb a 36-inch rail on a ramp leading from the upper deck, according to Chicago Cubs and police officials.

Minor MLB Transactions: 5/26/17  —  Here are the day's minors moves from around baseball...  - The Giants have released first baseman/outfielder Kyle Blanks, tweets Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area.  The 30-year-old Blanks missed the 2016 campaign with foot injuries and inked a minor league pact with San Francisco this winter.

Breshad Perriman giving Ravens reason for cautious optimism  —  Ravens wide receiver Breshad Perriman talks about his health and why he changed his jersey number to No. 11.  (Kevin Richardson / Baltimore Sun video)  —  Ravens wide receiver Breshad Perriman sold cornerback Sheldon Price …