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1:40 PM ET, August 21, 2017

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 Top News: 
Jesse Yomtov / USA Today:
MLB pennant race: Four mid-week series that impact the standings  —  With about 40 games left in the regular season, baseball's postseason picture has gotten even murkier, as the wild card races grow tighter and the Cubs fail to pull away in the NL Central.  —  It's a crucial week for contenders …
RELATED:
USA Today:
MLB power rankings: Red Sox, Indians rising  —  The odds of the Los Angeles Dodgers making the playoffs are 100%, according to Fangraphs.com.  —  Not surprising for a team 52 games (87-35) over .500 and once again No. 1 in USA TODAY' Sports' MLB power rankings for the fifth consecutive week.
Mike Mazzeo / New York Daily News:   Yankees believe they can still catch Red Sox in AL East despite latest defeat
Fox Sports:
Red Sox beat Yankees 5-1, move 5 up in AL East (Aug 20, 2017)
Discussion: Over the Monster and CBS New York
ESPN:
Yankees' Aaron Judge extends record strikeout streak to 37 games
Zach Buchanan / Cincinnati.com:
BAR: So much for an August trade...  The Blog Above Replacement a daily look at the Cincinnati Reds, their minor leagues and whatever else is on the mind of Enquirer Reds beat writers, C. Trent Rosecrans and Zach Buchanan.  You can follow them on Twitter (@ctrent and @ZachENQ), Facebook …
RELATED:
Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors:
NL Central Notes: Cozart, Piscotty, Brewers, Montero  —  While Zack Cozart still stands out as a logical on-paper trade candidate, Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes that it doesn't seem that much of a market has developed for the 31-year-old.  That puts the Reds in a difficult position …
Discussion: Chicago Sun Times
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:   Piscotty says demotion was good for him  —  WILLIAMSPORT, Pa.
Associated Press:
Gonzalez pitches 6 scoreless, White Sox hold off Rangers 3-2  —  ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Miguel Gonzalez and Juan Minaya pitched out of trouble just well enough on Sunday.  —  Gonzalez escaped early trouble to finish six scoreless innings and Minaya recorded the final out after giving up a two-run homer …
RELATED:
Steve Lyttle / The Charlotte Observer:   Knights-to-Chicago still a busy thoroughfare
Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune:   White Sox shut down Rangers for 8 innings, then hold on for 3-2 victory
ESPN:
Tigers' Ian Kinsler fined $10K for comments about umpire Angel Hernandez  —  Detroit Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler was fined $10,000 for his comments about umpire Angel Hernandez, sources tell ESPN's Buster Olney.  —  Last Tuesday, Kinsler called Hernandez a bad umpire who is …
RELATED:
Dayn Perry / CBSSports.com:
Umpires end protest after MLB commissioner Rob Manfred agrees to meet
Brian Marron / NorthJersey.com:
Rosario adds another learning experience in loss to Marlins  —  Amed Rosario knew Dee Gordon can seriously run, but he learned firsthand just how fast the star lead-off man is at Citi Field on Sunday afternoon.  —  With the Mets down 2-1 in the seventh inning with Miguel Rojas on second base …
RELATED:
Jerry Beach / UPI:   Miami Marlins lefty Adam Conley mesmerizes New York Mets
Daniel Popper / New York Daily News:
‘Overconfident’ Amed Rosario botches routine ground ball, main culprit in latest Mets loss
Discussion: Amazin' Avenue
Daniel Popper / New York Daily News:
Jacob deGrom has a chance to reach goal of 200 innings pitched, Yoenis Cespedes commits defensive miscues
Discussion: Amazin' Avenue
Anthony Fenech / Detroit Free Press:
Mikie Mahtook ignores his stats, but the Detroit Tigers are noticing  —  Mahtook, the lone Tiger batting over .300 this season, has been one of the best hitters in baseball since June  —  It's not a superstition.  Not something he's consciously aware of.  But when Mikie Mahtook thinks about it …
RELATED:
Anthony Fenech / Detroit Free Press:   Jordan Zimmermann still tweaking, but far off from guy Tigers paid for
Bradford DoolittleESPN / ESPN:   Justin Verlander's domination of Dodgers looked like an Astros audition
Fox Sports:
Surging Brewers continue Western trek in San Francisco (Aug 21, 2017)  —  SAN FRANCISCO — The Milwaukee Brewers seek to move up in the division standings while the San Francisco Giants endure the first day after being formally eliminated in their division race when the clubs open a three-game series Monday night.
RELATED:
Kristie Rieken / Associated Press:
Semien, Cotton send Athletics past sloppy Astros 3-2  —  Houston's struggles this month continue as team is 7-12  —  HOUSTON - Marcus Semien wound up with a Little League home run when Houston kept throwing the ball away to help the Oakland Athletics avoid a sweep with a win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.
Discussion: The Crawfish Boxes
RELATED:
Tegna / KIII-TV:   Four Astros To Join Hooks This Week For Rehab Assignment
Cincinnati.com:
This time, the ‘stuff’ doesn't translate for Castillo  —  ATLANTA - From what we'd seen in his first 11 starts in the big leagues, it's easy to forget that Luis Castillo is a rookie.  Sunday against the Braves, the rookie looked like a rookie.  —  The stuff was still there - oh was it …
RELATED:
Fox Sports:
Flowers' grand slam helps Newcomb, Braves top Reds 8-1 (Aug 20, 2017)
Discussion: Talking Chop
ESPN:
Bartolo Colon becomes third active pitcher to beat all 30 teams  —  Minnesota Twins starter Bartolo Colon became the third active MLB pitcher to beat all 30 teams with a 12-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday.  —  “It means a lot to my career,” Colon said through a translator …
RELATED:
Bill Baer / NBCSports.com:
Bartolo Colon has now beaten all 30 major league teams
Doug Mittler / ESPN:
Rumor Central: Interest in Asdrubal Cabrera picking up?  —  The New York Mets continued their late-summer housecleaning this past weekend by dealing outfielder Curtis Granderson to the Los Angeles Dodgers and catcher Rene Rivera to the Chicago Cubs.  —  Will infielder Asdrubal Cabrera be the next veteran to go?
RELATED:
Marc Carig / Newsday:   Mets get hard-throwing Jacob Rhame in Curtis Granderson deal; interest in Asdrubal Cabrera picks up, source says
George A. King III / New York Post:
Yankees need Tommy Kahnle to turn things around — and fast … Tommy Kahnle was the least known of the three players the Yankees acquired from the White Sox in exchange for prospects last month, but there were high expectations for the right-handed reliever.
RELATED:
Mike Mazzeo / New York Daily News:
Benched closer Aroldis Chapman throws a scoreless sixth inning in Yankees loss
Rob Longley / National Post:
Acclaimed Toronto Blue Jays prospect Rowdy Tellez has ‘learned a lot’ from disappointing season  —  Tellez's year started with him being touted as the Jays' first baseman of the future.  It is ending with considerably less fanfare  —  BUFFALO — It was another strikeout in a mostly maddening season …
Rustin Dodd / Kansas City Star:
The AL wild-card race is a historic mess.  The Royals could take advantage  —  The model is the 2015 Houston Astros.  Or maybe it's the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals, or the 2005 San Diego Padres, or even the 1981 Royals.  —  You remember that team, right?  They made the playoffs despite …
Gabe Lacques / USA Today:
MLB's 2018 free agent class: Stars hit some bumps on road to riches  —  Make no mistake: The free agent class of 2018 should be the greatest in baseball history.  —  From MVP winners to future Hall of Famers to multiple franchise players, this star-studded cast will likely produce …
Tim Bannon / Chicago Tribune:
Jorge Soler eclipse: Whatever happened to the former Cub?  —  Jorge Soler with the Royals in July.  —  Jorge Soler's career has not exactly been in the path of totality.  —  Monday's eclipse naturally reminded us of the former Cub, whose career has been partially obscured since he was traded last December.
ESPN:
Power Rankings: The race tightens atop the American League  —  The name of the game at this point of this season isn't whether the Dodgers are No. 1; they're the unanimous choice of our voters, again.  No, the real drama now might be over who has the claim to be the best team in the American League …
 
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 More News: 
Jorge Castillo / Washington Post:
Nationals bullpen, until very recently a glaring weakness, is now a fearsome strength
Discussion: FanRag Sports
Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors:
Minor MLB Transactions: 8/21/17
Discussion: Star Tribune
Zach Berman / Philly.com:
Alshon Jeffery ran wrong route but says, “I'll be all right”
Discussion: ProFootballTalk and FanRag Sports
Travis Johnson / Associated Press:
Bell powers Pirates past Cardinals 6-3 in Little League Classic
 Earlier Picks: 
Jeff Sanders / sandiegouniontribune.com:
Wild Lamet off the mark in Padres loss
Ari Gilberg / New York Daily News:
Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander implies juiced baseballs are behind this season's home run surge
Dave Skretta / MLB on Yahoo! Sports:
Cuthbert, Escobar lead Royals to 7-4 victory over Indians
Discussion: Royals Review and Kansas City Star
 

 
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Tamantha Ryan / Page Six:
50 Cent's ex Daphne Joy accuses him of rape, physical abuse amid Diddy lawsuit drama — but he denies it

Jeff Conway / Forbes:
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People:
Gypsy Rose Blanchard Announces Separation from Husband 3 Months After Prison Release

 
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