Tigers OF Justin Upton to miss 3rd straight game with right side soreness  —  The Tigers will honor former designated hitter Gary Sheffield on July 2, 2017.  Here's a quick look back on his career.  Video by Ryan Ford/DFP Wochit  —  CONNECT  —  Detroit Tigers outfielder Justin Upton …

Olney: Aaron Judge is chasing history by not chasing bad pitches  —  ST. LOUIS — As the New York Yankees prepared to draft Aaron Judge and assessed what he might be in the future, his ability to judge a ball from a strike was always part of the attraction.  They knew he would strike out a lot …

Orioles Beat Rays 7-1 Behind Gausman, Machado  —  Manny Machado hit a three-run homer, Kevin Gausman pitched seven innings of two-hit ball and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Tampa Bay Rays 7-1 to avert a three-game sweep.  —  Baltimore Orioles' Manny Machado, right, greets teammates Ruben Tejada …

Taylor's grand slam highlights Dodgers' 8-0 win over Padres (Jul 01, 2017)  —  SAN DIEGO (AP) The Los Angeles Dodgers have worn out Petco Park - and the San Diego Padres - in the first two games of a weekend series.  —  Chris Taylor hit a grand slam to highlight the Dodgers' 8-0 romp Saturday night …

Rangers visit White Sox with .500 in sight (Jul 02, 2017)  —  CHICAGO — The Texas Rangers will try to climb back to .500 when they meet the Chicago White Sox in the rubber match of a three-game series Sunday afternoon.  —  Texas (40-41) is seeking back-to-back wins after a 10-4 victory over the White Sox on Saturday.

Mets put Conforto on DL with bruised hand, activate Wheeler  —  NEW YORK (AP) — The Mets placed outfielder Michael Conforto on the 10-day disabled list Saturday with a bruised left hand, opening a roster spot for right-hander Zack Wheeler.  —  Wheeler was activated from the DL to start against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Cubs' Maddon optimistic entering series finale vs. Reds (Jul 02, 2017)  —  CINCINNATI — The Chicago Cubs are at the midpoint of the 2017 regular season, and all things considered, manager Joe Maddon is pleased with his team's condition.  —  “Based on everything that's occurred to this point, I'll take it,” Maddon said.

Mets look to pull off sweep of Phillies (Jul 02, 2017)  —  NEW YORK — For the New York Mets, the first two games of a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies have continued to infuse them with the belief they can make a run at a playoff spot.  For the Phillies …

Houston Astros rally for 7-6 win over New York Yankees  —  HOUSTON — An unusual set of administrative events set the table for Astros right-hander Dayan Diaz to have the most memorable game of his young career, a contest capped by a riveting confrontation between two former Cuban stars.

Rangers Open To Trading Jonathan Lucroy  —  3:06pm: The Rangers have discussed Lucroy with other teams, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter).  —  1:56pm: The Rangers are open to trading catcher Jonathan Lucroy, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter links).

Birthday win for Wacha, milestone for Matheny — thanks to Mejia  —  There were milestones aplenty Saturday night at Busch Stadium as the Cardinals continued to creep, inexorably, they trust, to the .500 mark.  —  In the course of 2-1 victory over Washington, the Cardinals' fourth straight …

Greinke fans 8, leads Diamondbacks over Rockies  —  PHOENIX (AP) — Zack Greinke was in control, the Diamondbacks got extra bases on seven of their eight hits and Chase Field was nearly filled to capacity — quite a Saturday night for Arizona.  —  Greinke struck out eight in seven strong innings …

With the trade deadline on the horizon, which relievers will the Nationals pursue?  —  ST. LOUIS — The question isn't if the Washington Nationals will acquire bullpen help before the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline.  The entire industry knows they will.  It's a matter of who, when, and how many pieces they will add.

Total signings: 5.  —  The Orioles' farm system has ranked among the bottom five in baseball the last three years.  One of the big factors for why their minor league system has struggled is that Orioles ownership and senior management have foolishly neglected the international market.

MLB, stung by juiced-ball gripes, sends memo to clubs claiming ‘no evidence’ ball changed  —  Major League Baseball, stung by a rising level of consternation and suspicion regarding the composition of its baseballs, sent a memo to all 30 clubs Saturday detailing the rigorous testing process its balls undergo …