Chris Flexen impresses as Mets rookies pace offense to beat Diamondbacks  —  Is Chris Flexen forcing the Mets to consider him in their plans for the future?  —  The rookie righthander is in the majors only because of all the Mets' pitching injuries, but after a rough first couple of starts …

Brewers stumble in 7th, fall to Giants in series finale  —  SAN FRANCISCO — The Milwaukee Brewers would have much preferred to leave for an important road series against baseball's best Los Angeles Dodgers with momentum from a series win.  —  MORE BREWERS COVERAGE

Schwarber homers, Cubs stay hot with 9-3 win over Reds  —  CINCINNATI (AP) — Kyle Schwarber hit a three-run homer in the ballpark near his home, Tommy La Stella added a two-run shot while subbing for Kris Bryant, and the Chicago Cubs kept their second-half surge going with a 9-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night.

New York Yankees pound Jordan Zimmermann, Detroit Tigers, 10-2  —  Zimmermann allows seven runs for the third straight start; Tigers lose for 14th time in 17 games  —  Jordan Zimmermann wasn't good on Wednesday night like he wasn't good his last start or the start before that.

Cleveland Indians 2B Jason Kipnis (hamstring) placed on DL again  —  Cleveland Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring, the team announced Wednesday.  —  Kipnis is the third Indians' player to be placed on the disabled list …

Tim Anderson's hit in 9th gives Chicago 4-3 win over Twins  —  CHICAGO  —  Even though his turn was two batters away, Tim Anderson realized from the dugout that he'd have a chance to play the hero on Wednesday night.  —  A sacrifice bunt and intentional walk later, the 24-year-old stepped to the plate determined to deliver.

Yankees' patience with Luis Severino has paid off in a big way  —  DETROIT — Luis Severino may not win the AL Cy Young Award.  He may not win the AL Comeback Player of the Year either.  —  But Severino's transformation from 2016 to 2017 is remarkable nonetheless.

Hosmer 3-run HR with 2 outs in 9th, Royals beat Rockies 6-4  —  Eric Hosmer got a lot of close-up looks at Greg Holland over the years.  So when it came time to face his former Kansas City teammate, Hosmer remembered what to do.  —  And what not to do, too.

Who would Rangers turn to if they bypass Ross?  —  ANAHEIM, CALIF.  —  Right-handers Nick Martinez and Austin Bibens-Dirkx are candidates to start Sunday for the Texas Rangers, if the coaching staff decides to replace Tyson Ross in the rotation.  —  That decision was pending Wednesday …

BAR: What happens after the debut for Reds rookies?  —  The Blog Above Replacement a daily look at the 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) …

Three-run 10th inning sends Rangers past Angels  —  ANAHEIM, CALIF.  —  Adrian Beltre connected for two solo home runs Wednesday night, and Robinson Chirinos homered and drove in two runs as the Texas Rangers beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-5 in 10 innings.  —  The Rangers scored three times …

Mets shut down Zack Wheeler for the rest of the season  —  Zack Wheeler is done for the season.  —  The right hander who was making his return from 2015 Tommy John surgery, was on the disabled list with right arm discomfort but was shut down Thursday morning.

Marlins back under .500 after two-hit loss to Phillies  —  Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly discusses the team's 8-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday, including an ugly outing from left-hander Justin Nicolino (2 1/3 innings, six runs) and a much better one from Philly righty Mark Leiter (seven innings, one hit).