MLB series to watch: Twins-Yankees, Brewers-Cubs clashes loom large as races stay hot  —  The final two weeks of September figured to be crucial for teams like the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs in their attempts to solidify division leads.  The Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers …

Chicago Cubs pull off sweep of St. Louis Cardinals  —  CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs stayed on a roll and improved their playoff picture.  But not before a last-minute scare.  —  With the tying run on first base, the St. Louis Cardinals' Dexter Fowler hit a long drive to center field.

Ryan Zimmerman's 2 HRs propel Washington Nationals past Los Angeles Dodgers  —  WASHINGTON — Ryan Zimmerman laughed and jerked his head around to his right late Sunday night after he was asked what he took away from a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers that ended minutes earlier.

Noah Syndergaard one step closer to Mets return after throwing simulated game  —  MIAMI — Noah Syndergaard threw a simulated game at Marlins Park on Monday.  The righthander and the Mets hope it is the last step before he can come off the disabled list and pitch in a game this weekend at Citi Field.

Let's be real: Rangers needed a sweep to keep wild card hopes alive  —  ANAHEIM  —  The Texas Rangers salvaged the finale of their three-game series Sunday afternoon against the Los Angeles Angels but there's no salvaging the season.  —  The Rangers needed a sweep (or, at the very least …

Cubs push back Jon Lester's next start to Wednesday vs. Rays  —  Cubs manager Joe Maddon reacts after the 4-3 win over the Cardinals on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017.  (Paul Skrbina/Chicago Tribune)  —  The Chicago Cubs adjusted their rotation, pushing left-hander Jon Lester's next start to Wednesday night against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Holland drops ball on Padres' squeeze, Rockies lose 4-3  —  DENVER  —  Rockies closer Greg Holland stretched as far as he could, getting his glove on Matt Szczur as the Padres baserunner dove across the plate.  —  Holland got there for the tag.  Just not with the baseball.

Rumor Central: Will the Phillies shop Cesar Hernandez?  —  Second baseman Cesar Hernandez will likely be a key figure in the Philadelphia Phillies' offseason, either as a building block for 2018 or as a valuable trade chip, suggests Ryan Lawrence of PhillyVoice.com.

Series preview: Cubs at Rays  —  Chicago Tribune  —  All games on WSCR-AM 670.  —  Season series: Tied 1-1.  —  LH Mike Montgomery (6-8, 3.57) vs. RH Chris Archer (9-10, 4.06)  —  LH Jon Lester (11-7, 4.30) vs. LH Blake Snell (3-6, 4.25)  —  Storylines: The Rays' playoff hopes are fading …

Rumor Central: Could Bob Geren be the next Mets manager?  —  Los Angeles Dodgers bench coach Bob Geren “may have a leg up” on a possible managerial vacancy with the New York Mets, reports Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  —  The Mets have yet to make a public announcement on the future …

Technology Threatens Scouts, Could Also Set Them Free  —  After the Houston Astros elected to part ways with eight scouts last month, I wrote a piece on whether scouts and Statcast could coexist following the move by Jeffrey Luhnow.  (Luhnow said the vacancies would ultimately be filled.)

Ausmus won't second-guess subbing Castellanos in RF in Boyd's no-hit try  —  With two outs in the ninth, Boyd gave up a double to end the no-hit bid; Castellanos, the rightfielder at the time, is getting on-the-job training  —  Brad Ausmus knew what the first question was going to be.