Top News:
Associated Press:
Baseball roundup: Error helps Royals snap 9-game skid — Detroit rookie first baseman Niko Goodrum dropped Jon Jay's grounder and then made a wild throw, allowing the tiebreaking run to score in the ninth inning as the Kansas City Royals snapped a nine-game losing streak …
RELATED:
Dave Hogg / Associated Press:
Jones' HR, Tigers win 4th in row, 3-2; KC drops 9th straight
Jones' HR, Tigers win 4th in row, 3-2; KC drops 9th straight
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …
Chris McCosky / Detroit News:
Another walk-off! Tigers' JaCoby Jones homers in 10th
Another walk-off! Tigers' JaCoby Jones homers in 10th
Discussion:
Bless You Boys, Royals Review and MLB Baseball News …
Matt Ehalt / Daily Record:
Mets have used strong throwers like Tomas Nido with Noah Syndergaard — Mets Asst. GM John Ricco discusses Kevin Plawecki's injury — ATLANTA — For the second straight start, Tomas Nido caught Noah Syndergaard. — “I like the combination a little bit,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said before Friday's game.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News … and Talking Chop
RELATED:
Charles Odum / MLB Baseball News, Scores …:
Cespedes has go-ahead single as Mets top Braves in 12th
Cespedes has go-ahead single as Mets top Braves in 12th
Discussion:
USA Today and Amazin' Avenue
Matt Ehalt / USA Today:
Mets' Matt Harvey bristles over job security question: 'I'm a starting pitcher'
Mets' Matt Harvey bristles over job security question: 'I'm a starting pitcher'
Discussion:
MLB on Yahoo! Sports and Daily Record
Kristie Ackert / New York Daily News:
Jason Vargas may join Mets as soon as next weekend
Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune:
White Sox pitcher Danny Farquhar passes out in dugout, taken to hospital during Friday's game — Rick Renteria and James Shields on Danny Farquhar collapsing in the dugout: ‘It takes your breath away.’ (Colleen Kane/Chicago Tribune) — Chicago Tribune — White Sox reliever Danny Farquhar …
RELATED:
Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune:
As Michael Kopech pitches one state over, James Shields, White Sox falter in 10-0 loss to Astros — Photos from the White Sox-Astros game at Guaranteed Rate Field on Friday, April 20, 2018. — Chicago Tribune — As White Sox general manager Rick Hahn wrapped up speaking with the media Friday afternoon …
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …
Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune:
White Sox are 1st MLB team to ditch single-use plastic straws
White Sox are 1st MLB team to ditch single-use plastic straws
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News … and South Side Sox
Rick Hummel / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Fowler sits as Pham bats leadoff — Dexter Fowler wasn't in Friday night's Cardinals lineup, which meant he wasn't leading off, which meant that Tommy Pham was. — The switch-hitting Fowler, just one for 17 (.059) against lefthanded pitching, didn't start against Cincinnati lefthander Brandon Finnegan last Saturday, either.
RELATED:
John Fay / Cincinnati.com:
Cincinnati Reds start Jim Riggleman's tenure with a loss to St. Louis Cardinals — ST. LOUIS - The Jim Riggleman Era began like the Bryan Price Era ended: With a quiet loss. — The Reds fell to St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 Friday night at Busch Stadium. The Reds have lost three straight to fall to 3-16.
Tommy Birch / Des Moines Register:
Cubs top prospect Adbert Alzolay dominates in Triple-A debut — Chicago Cubs top prospect Adbert Alzolay joins Iowa Cubs — It's easy to see why there are so many high hopes for Adbert Alzolay. — The 23-year-old was dominant in his Triple-A debut for the Iowa Cubs …
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue
RELATED:
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Cubs' top pitching prospect Adbert Alzolay dazzles in 2018 debut — Chicago Tribune — The extra time Cubs officials gave top pitching prospect Adbert Alzolay to build arm strength paid off Friday night. — Alzolay retired the first 12 batters he faced and didn't allow a hit for 5 1/3 innings in his 2018 debut for Triple-A Iowa.
Peter Botte / New York Daily News:
Sonny Gray, still yet to meet Yankees' expectations, may force Bombers to eventually trade for another pitcher — Chazz Palminteri, another famous Sonny from the Bronx, was shown on the scoreboard at the Stadium soon after the Yankees' starting pitcher was booed off the mound.
RELATED:
Alex Butler / UPI:
Yankees' Aaron Judge smacks historic moon-shot homer
Yankees' Aaron Judge smacks historic moon-shot homer
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News … and Pinstripe Alley
Nick Piecoro / Arizona Republic:
Last Slide — The season is barely three weeks old, but the Diamondbacks' bullpen already is exhibiting many of the same attributes as last year: assembled on the cheap, effective in a sort of non-traditional way and, most important, as good as anyone's. — The Diamondbacks entered Friday …
RELATED:
Reuters:
Machado, Orioles beat Indians to snap 6-game skid — Manny Machado homered for the third time in two games and Trey Mancini added a tiebreaking two-run double in the fifth inning as the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Cleveland Indians 3-1 on Friday night in Baltimore.
Discussion:
Camden Chat
RELATED:
Jerry CrasnickESPN Senior / ESPN:
Orioles closer Zach Britton takes another step toward return
Associated Press:
Giants put Pence on DL with thumb injury, recall Williamson — ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco Giants have placed outfielder Hunter Pence on the 10-day disabled list with a sprained right thumb and recalled outfielder Mac Williamson from Triple-A Sacramento.
RELATED:
Steve Buffery / Toronto Sun:
Blue Jays prospect Gurriel makes MLB debut — NEW YORK — Somebody threw a horse racing analogy at Blue Jays manager John Gibbons prior to Friday night's game at cold and breezy Yankee Stadium. — It was suggested to Gibbons that infielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who was called up to the Jays …
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News … and Pinstripe Alley
RELATED:
Scott Lauber / Philly.com:
Phillies, Rhys Hoskins don't panic with two strikes — Rhys Hoskins kickstarted the Phillies' five-run second inning Thursday night by crushing a pitch through a stiff wind and over the left-field fence at Citizens Bank Park. — But it didn't happen until Hoskins was in a two-strike count.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, The Good Phight and Bucs Dugout
Kyle Newman / Denver Post:
Jon Gray shaky again, offense sputters as Rockies get blasted by Cubs in series opener — A seven-run sixth inning was Colorado's undoing as Gray falls to 1-4 on a chilly night at Coors Field — Nolan Arenado made a majestic return from his five-game suspension Friday …
Discussion:
Purple Row
Daniel Popper / New York Daily News:
Giancarlo Stanton's slump may be coming to end after second-straight strong game — With a player of Giancarlo Stanton's caliber and stature, it was only a matter of time before he connected on a ball and watched it fly over the fence. — That moment came Friday night.
Associated Press:
Baseball notebook: Napoli suffers ACL injury in minors — Napoli to have knee surgery after getting hurt in minors — Former Cleveland Indians slugger Mike Napoli will have season-ending knee surgery after getting hurt in the minors while playing for the Tribes' Triple-A club in Columbus, Ohio.
Associated Press:
Birk, Wrenn and Jones lead Corpus Christi in win — FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Ryne Birk had five hits, while Stephen Wrenn and Taylor Jones recorded three apiece as the Corpus Christi Hooks defeated the Frisco RoughRiders 11-3 on Friday. — Birk singled five times, driving in two runs.
Reuters:
Field hustles home as Rays win in 10 — Pinch runner Johnny Field scored the decisive run from second base on an infield grounder with two out in the bottom of the 10th inning as the Tampa Bay Rays posted an 8-7 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Friday night at Tropicana Field.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News … and DRaysBay
Associated Press:
Healy leads Arkansas to 10-7 win over Springfield — LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Ryon Healy hit a three-run home run and had two hits, driving in four, as the Arkansas Travelers exploded for a season-high in runs in a 10-7 win over the Springfield Cardinals on Friday.