DeJong homer, Lynn pitching have Cards up 2-0 after five  —  The Cardinals jumped on top in the first.  Matt Carpenter led off with an opposite-field single and came around to score on Paul DeJong's one-out homer to left-center field.  —  It's the 13th homer of the season for DeJong …

Contreras homers again as Cubs beat White Sox 7-2 (Jul 25, 2017)  —  CHICAGO (AP) Willson Contreras drove in four runs and Carl Edwards Jr. provided some timely relief, helping the Chicago Cubs beat the Chicago White Sox 7-2 on Tuesday.  —  Ben Zobrist reached four times from the leadoff spot …

Trevor Cahill will make first start for the Royals on Saturday in Boston  —  The Royals are hopeful starting pitcher Trevor Cahill can fill out their rotation following a two-month search for an answer at the back end.  —  His first assignment: facing the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Rangers ready to move ace Yu Darvish in ‘right deal’  —  The Texas Rangers are ready to move ace pitcher Yu Darvish.  All it's going to take is someone to meet their asking price.  —  Sources told ESPN.com that Rangers general manager Jon Daniels began calling potential suitors Monday …

With nerve impingement improved, Nats hope Stephen Strasburg will be ready for next start  —  WASHINGTON — The issue that caused Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg to exit early from his start this past Sunday was nerve impingement in his right forearm.  —  EDITOR'S PICKS

Paxton, Seager pace Mariners past Red Sox, 4-0 (Jul 24, 2017)  —  SEATTLE (AP) James Paxton allowed four singles over seven innings to win his fifth consecutive start in July and Kyle Seager homered to pace the Seattle Mariners to a 4-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Monday night.

Two 3-run homers spark Pittsburgh Pirates' rout of San Francisco Giants  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Pittsburgh Pirates star Andrew McCutchen likes the direction his team's offense is taking lately.  —  At AT&T Park the past three seasons, that direction often has been out of the ballpark.

How the Royals became the streakiest team in baseball  —  If there was a better way to explain this, Royals manager Ned Yost would do more than just shrug his shoulders and offer his sport's equivalent of what the heck.  —  “It's baseball,” he says.  —  If there was a better way to explain this …

Brewers, White Sox Discussing Anthony Swarzak Trade  —  The Brewers and White Sox are in talks about a trade that would send right-hander Anthony Swarzak from Chicago to Milwaukee, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter).  —  After signing a minor league deal with a $900K base salary …

Reds' Scott Feldman to throw bullpen soon  —  NEW YORK — Scott Feldman is expected to join the Reds in Miami this weekend and could throw a bullpen soon, Reds manager Bryan Price said.  —  Feldman, 34, has been on the disabled list since July 18 with a right knee injury.

Dodgers look to beat Twins again with Kershaw on DL (Jul 25, 2017)  —  LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers watched their best pitcher walk off the field in pain Sunday afternoon and then saw his name pop up on the 10-day disabled list on Monday.  —  Even that setback hasn't slowed the team down.

The Yankees prospects A's covet in Sonny Gray sweepstakes  —  Estevan Florial, Jorge Mateo and Domingo Acevedo  —  Getty Images; Charles Wenzelberg; Getty Images  —  MORE FROM: … A game of chicken revolves around Sonny Gray with wonder if the A's will take the best offer available …

Beltre's pursuit of 3,000 giving lift to Rangers teammates  —  The four hits Adrian Beltre collected Monday night moved him within single digits of his 3,000th career hit, and the media aren't the only ones making a big deal out of the impending milestone.  —  His Texas Rangers teammates …

Olney: Some GMs like to deal with each other — and some don't  —  Every baseball executive understood by mid-June that Washington general manager Mike Rizzo needed bullpen help — again — to help plug the gap at closer.  But Rizzo's choices were far less than perfect …

Jake Thompson, once Phillies' top pitching prospect, says he's learning from failure  —  Jake Thompson entered last season as the top pitching prospect in the Phillies' system and a key piece of the trade that sent Cole Hamels to Texas.  He arrived Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park as almost an afterthought …

Astros could hold out George Springer until Friday  —  PHILADELPHIA - George Springer was absent from the Astros lineup Tuesday, a day after he prematurely exited a game because of what the team described as left quad discomfort.  —  With an off day looming Thursday, the Astros may decide …

Jeff Bagwell to be enshrined in Baseball Hall of Fame … Jeff Bagwell lived and breathed baseball as a kid.  He was born in Boston and raised a Red Sox fan.  —  “He could throw a ball before he could walk,” mom Jan Bagwell told the New York Times in a 1994 interview.