Salvador Perez's grand slam lifts the Royals in 6-4 victory over Red Sox  —  On the final night of May, three weeks before the first grand slam of Salvador Perez's career, before the Royals edged the Boston Red Sox 6-4 on Wednesday afternoon, reserve catcher Drew Butera picked up a baseball bat near home plate at Kauffman Stadium.

Detroit Tigers say they aren't panicking, but time is ticking  —  The Tigers have dropped 9 of their last 12 and are now six games below .500; is sell mode in sight?  —  CONNECT  —  SEATTLE - At this point of the season, with the Detroit Tigers no longer treading water - they appear to be sinking …

Cardinals overcome their own mistakes, take advantage of Phillies' to win in 10th inning  —  “Guys — they've been giving me a lead out there and I've just been serving it right back to them.  That's not the way to go about it.  Whenever we get a lead that starter is supposed to go out there and keep that lead.

Mariners Designate Tyler Cloyd  —  The Mariners have designated Tyler Cloyd and optioned Christian Bergman, per a club announcement.  Righty Andrew Moore's contract was selected in a corresponding move.  —  Cloyd, 30, made only a single appearance for Seattle this year — his first since 2013.

Chris Tillman approaching critical stretch as performance 'isn't as good as he needs to give us'  —  “You're fortunate to get out of some situations early, but just too many pitches that are not very competitive from the start,” said Chris Tillman.  (Kevin Richardson / Baltimore Sun video)

Texas Rangers get out to fast start in win over Toronto Blue Jays  —  ARLINGTON, Texas — Despite appearances, Nick Martinez knows his role with the Texas Rangers.  —  It's called “be ready at a moment's notice no matter what you're called on to do.”  —  The Texas right-hander was more than ready in a spot start on Tuesday.

Mitch Williams wins $1.5M in lawsuit against MLB Network  —  CAMDEN, N.J. — A jury in New Jersey has awarded former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Mitch Williams $1.5 million in a civil case against MLB Network after he was fired following reports about his conduct at a Little League game.

Arizona Diamondbacks sign first-round pick Pavin Smith … DENVER - The Diamondbacks signed first-round pick Pavin Smith on Wednesday, and the slugging first baseman out of Virginia is expected to report to the club's short-season Hillsboro affiliate.  —  Smith received a bonus of $5,016,300 …

Michael A. Taylor is ‘a little injured,’ out of Nationals lineup Wednesday  —  MIAMI — About an hour and a half before Wednesday's game, Davey Lopes searched the clubhouse for Ryan Raburn, who was sitting at his locker.  —  “Left field,” Lopes told him, and Raburn nodded.

Berrios goes 8, Sano hits 18th as Twins beat White Sox 4-2 … MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins struggled so badly last season that even the elite talents of Jose Berrios and Miguel Sano were swallowed up by a club-record 103 losses.  —  Their skills have sure been shining through this year.

Gregorius, Holliday HR, Yanks thump Angels 8-4 to end skid … NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees manager Joe Girardi finally got to use the overpowering 1-2 at the back of his bullpen, getting innings from  —  Aroldis Chapman in the same game for the first time since early May.

Cubs' Anthony Rizzo ends leadoff streak at seven games  —  Anthony Rizzo is the only player in the last 60 years to reach safely to start the first inning in his first seven career leadoff appearances.  —  His streak ended there Wednesday, when the Cubs first baseman flew out out to Padres right fielder Hunter Renfroe on a 3-0 pitch.

Preview: Brewers vs. Pirates  —  MILWAUKEE — When the Pittsburgh Pirates arrived at Miller Park Monday afternoon, manager Clint Hurdle thought his team was in good position to claw away at the Milwaukee Brewers' lead in the National League Central.  —  Two games into the series …

Mets Place Zack Wheeler On Disabled List  —  10:15pm: The Mets only expect Wheeler to require a minimal DL stint and are hopeful that he'll miss just one start, writes MLB.com's Anthony DiComo.  —  “It's just sore.  It's sustained soreness,” said Wheeler.

Brewers Sign Keston Hiura  —  The Brewers announced on Wednesday that they've signed their first-round pick, UC Irvine second baseman/outfielder Keston Hiura.  According to MLB.com's Jim Callis (on Twitter), he'll receive a bonus of $4MM, which comes in a bit south of the $4.57MM slot value of the No. 9 overall selection.

Reds promote Shed Long, Nick Senzel to Class AA Pensacola  —  Shed Long is a minor league player hoping to make his way to the big leagues.  C. Trent Rosecrans invites listeners along his journey with a new podcast.  Amanda Rossmann & Sam Greene  —  CONNECT  —  Shed Long is one step closer to his Great American Dream.