Houston's big seventh inning dooms Mariners  —  SEATTLE (AP) - Gerrit Cole pitched seven strong innings and the Houston Astros scored six runs in the seventh to beat the Seattle Mariners 7-1 on Wednesday night.  —  Cole (2-0) struck out five, ending a string of double-digit strikeout games at three.

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Reds fired Bryan Price on Thursday after their 3-15 start, the first managerial change in the major leagues this season.  —  Price was in his fifth season leading the rebuilding team, which has relied on rookies more than any other team in the majors during his tenure.

Braves beat Phillies, await word on Freeman's status  —  Philadelphia Phillies' Vince Velasquez singles during the fifth inning of the team's baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Wednesday, April 18, 2018, in Atlanta.  (AP Photo/Todd Kirkland)  —  Philadelphia Phillies' Andrew Knapp scores …

Bader starts in center as Pham gets a day off; O'Neill offers pop off bench  —  CHICAGO  • With a roster move Thursday morning and a lineup nod later that day, the Cardinals revealed how they feel about center fielder Tommy Pham's recovery from a groin soreness that interrupted his ninth inning, in the cold, on Tuesday night.

Austin has hearing to appeal 5-game suspension  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees first baseman Tyler Austin had his hearing Thursday to appeal his five-game suspension for his part in a brawl with the Boston Red Sox.  —  John McHale Jr., a special assistant to baseball commissioner Rob Manfred, heard the appeal.

Detroit Tigers fan goes shirtless in 36-degree weather, goes viral  —  Spring-like weather is taking forever to get to Michigan.  —  That hasn't stopped one fan from working on his tan at a Detroit Tigers game.  —  The Tigers faced the Baltimore Orioles in a game-time temperature …

Belt homers as Giants beat Diamondbacks 4-3  —  PHOENIX (AP) — Brandon Belt hit a two-run homer with two out in the 10th inning, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-3 on Wednesday night to stop a four-game slide.  —  Andrew McCutchen opened the 14th with a leadoff single against Brad Boxberger.

Dodgers extend win streak to four with sweep over Padres  —  SAN DIEGO  —  When he arrived at the ballpark Wednesday afternoon, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts knew who his closer was.  The unsteady April of Kenley Jansen was not enough to dislodge him from the position he earned with half a decade of excellence.

Yankees drop struggling Giancarlo Stanton to 4th in lineup  —  NEW YORK — In the hopes of heating up Giancarlo Stanton's cold bat in the Bronx, the New York Yankees on Thursday are moving him in the batting order.  —  The power hitter, who had spent all of this young season hitting third …

Twins beat Indians 2-1 in 16 innings in Puerto Rico  —  SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Eddie Rosario scored the winning run in his homeland in the 16th inning, coming around on Ryan LaMarre's single to lift the Minnesota Twins over the Cleveland Indians 2-1 on Wednesday night for a split of their two-game series in Puerto Rico.

Column: White Sox end their circus trip, while Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts juggles  —  Photos from the White Sox-Athletics game at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, April 18, 2018.  —  Chicago Tribune  —  The White Sox's misery continued with a 12-11 loss to the A's on Wednesday …

Alex Rodriguez's cousin held captive after Lamborghini deal goes bad  —  Two men were arrested after they allegedly held a cousin of former slugger Alex Rodriguez for ransom Wednesday night, New York police confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.  —  Norberto Susini was held hostage at a New York hotel …

Felipe Alou's book tells more than game stories  —  Felipe Alou has plenty of captivating stories to tell from the six decades he has spent in pro baseball, including stints playing alongside Willie Mays and Hank Aaron and managing Barry Bonds, three of the top five home run hitters of all time.

Pirates brace for familiar face vs. Phillies  —  The Pittsburgh Pirates will see a familiar face Thursday night in Philadelphia.  —  Jake Arrieta, making his third start with the Phillies, will be on the mound against the Pirates, the team he's faced the most during his major league career.

Albert Almora Jr. bats leadoff vs. Cardinals; Ben Zobrist out of the lineup  —  Photos from the 8th annual Bricks & Ivy Ball at Navy Pier to benefit Cubs Charities on April, 18 2018.  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Albert Almora.  Jr. will get the rare leadoff assignment against a right-handed pitcher Thursday …

Inside Albert Pujols' path to 3,000 hits  —  ALBERT PUJOLS' THREE MVP awards, 10 All-Star Games and abundance of Baseball-Reference black ink ensure him a place in Cooperstown and the right to take an occasional breather from the concept of every pitcher-batter confrontation as a life-or-death experience.