Joe Maddon preaches patience with Cubs' youngsters amid ongoing struggles  —  Cubs manager Joe Maddon after the 9-4 loss to the Mets on June 14, 2017.  (Mark Gonzales/Chicago Tribune)  —  Chicago Tribune  —  The Cubs' Game 7 starting lineup in the 2016 World Series included 22-year-old Addison Russell …

J. Martinez sparks four-run second; Cards trail 6-4  —  Jose Martinez, who knocked in four runs in a doubleheader on Tuesday, drove in two more with a second-inning triple Wednesday night at Busch Stadium as the Cardinals ate into an early six-run Milwaukee lead and exited the inning trailing only 6-4.

Castillo's grand slam in 5th helps Orioles beat White Sox, 10-6, end 11-game road losing streak  —  CHICAGO  —  Welington Castillo's towering fifth-inning grand slam Wednesday night packed a lot of meaning for a reeling Baltimore Orioles team that had lost six consecutive games overall …

Greg Bird may stay at Triple-A Scranton if struggles at plate continue  —  ANAHEIM — Greg Bird, the best player in baseball during the spring, is going to have to earn his way back onto the first-place Yankees' roster.  Joe Girardi's honest assessment of the struggling Bird at this point …

Royals making most of their last chance together  —  SAN FRANCISCO - By going 9-3 with a 2.10 ERA in his first 13 starts, Kansas City Royals left-hander Jason Vargas has made a strong case for his first All-Star Game invite next month in Miami, where he began his major league career with the Marlins.

Red Sox hand Phillies their eighth straight loss  —  The Phillies returned home Wednesday for the first time in 10 days to find a new addition inside their clubhouse at Citizens Bank Park.  Chairs and tables were rearranged to create space for a Ping-Pong table, which instantly became the most popular spot in the room.

Report: Baseball to relax uniform policies during first Players Weekend  —  Major League Baseball will hold its first Players Weekend late this summer, an event that will allow athletes to showcase their personalities through minimal uniform restrictions, Yahoo Sports reported Wednesday.

Marcell Ozuna HR starts comeback as Marlins beat A's  —  MIAMI (AP) — Marcell Ozuna homered to start the Miami Marlins' comeback from an early four-run deficit, and they beat the Oakland Athletics 11-6 Wednesday to complete a two-game sweep.  —  Ozuna hit his 17th home run to start the second inning …

Talented, joyful and Dominican-proud, Manny Machado is the face of MLB's new identity.  —  Maybe that's why they work so hard to create the illusion of frivolity.  The visiting clubhouse in Detroit, to take one example, has a table with cartons of Dubble Bubble (three flavors) …

Early peek at whom the Phillies could draft with next year's top pick  —  The 2017 Major League Baseball draft - all 1,215 picks of it - is finished and next year's edition is less than a year away.  A lot will change before next June, but one thing is fairly certain: The Phillies will have one of the top picks.

Rockies Quiet Pirates 5-1 To End 3-Game Losing Streak  —  PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ian Desmond hit his fourth home run of the season and rookie German Marquez pitched effectively into the sixth inning as the Colorado Rockies beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-1 on Wednesday night to snap a three-game losing streak.

Ground Rule Doppelgängers, 2017 Edition  —  Prior to last season, I collected several data points about each team since 1988.  These data points represented the organization's past, present and future plans as well as its recent success and potential for success.  Then I gave each a rank and percentile.

Hernandez hits home run off Miller, Dodgers beat Indians 6-4  —  CLEVELAND  —  Cleveland relief ace Andrew Miller wore a shocked expression after giving up a tiebreaking home run to Los Angeles pinch-hitter Kike Hernandez in the eighth inning Wednesday night.