Cardinals fall 5-2 to Royals in 10 innings  —  Pitcher Bud Norris was flawless in ninth inning.  He set down the Royals in order and struck out two.  —  The tenth couldn't have been more different.  Norris loaded the bases, then allowed a two-run single to catcher Drew Butera, who is hitting .176 on the year.

Chicago Cubs take crack at Cleveland Indians rookie Adam Plutko  —  An accomplished veteran southpaw will face off against an inexperienced but ambitious right-hander when the Chicago Cubs host the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday night to wrap up a two-game series at Wrigley Field.

Yankees slugger Aaron Judge: ‘No need’ to defend Home Run Derby title  —  Aaron Judge has already decided to pass on defending his 2017 Home Run Derby title.  —  The New York Yankees slugger said he will skip the event this July at Washington's Nationals Park.

‘Future is now’ for Braves thanks to historic young duo of Ozzie Albies, Ronald Acuña Jr.  —  SportsPulse: MLB insider Bob Nightengale looks at the historic season Shohei Ohtani is putting together and if he truly can become the ‘next Babe Ruth.’ USA TODAY Sports

Cincinnati Reds getting to work early under Jim Riggleman  —  It's been a daily ritual before home games since Jim Riggleman took over as Reds interim manager.  —  A handful of players are out on the field at 3 p.m. or so for early work.  It's usually the basics: Bunting, base-running, fielding.

Jose Altuve standing tall again as Astros host Giants  —  HOUSTON — The standard of excellence is so high for Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, the reigning American League Most Valuable Player, that one weekend blip of stalled production rings alarms.

Arizona Diamondbacks at Milwaukee Brewers … MILWAUKEE - While some are calling for Torey Lovullo to do something to shake things up, he believes there are benefits to remaining as even-keeled as possible.  As for changes to his slumping lineup, well, he said, “stay tuned on that.”

J.D. Martinez Doesn't Need The Green Monster  —  When the Boston Red Sox signed free agent slugger J.D. Martinez this past offseason, it looked like a match made in baseball heaven.  As a right-handed power hitter who'd recently embraced MLB's fly-ball revolution — to great effect …

Mariners strike deal for another 25 years at Safeco Field  —  The Mariners are staying at Safeco Field for the next 25 years.  —  The Seattle Mariners will spend another 25 years at the ballpark known as Safeco Field, King County Executive Dow Constantine announced in a brief press release Wednesday.

Fulmer, Goodum help Tigers top Twins 4-1, stop 5-game skid  —  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Michael Fulmer is a bit confused.  —  Fulmer felt good going into his previous outing yet allowed three runs in a no-decision during a loss at Seattle.  —  “I come here today just not feeling well.

Yankees have been victimized by bad strike calls, but Aaron Boone doesn't want Bombers to start chasing  —  ARLINGTON, Tex. — Aaron Boone doesn't rely on old-school stats like batting average to judge his hitters, preferring to focus on metrics like on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) and what he calls “at-bat quality.”

Dylan Covey gets another chance to prove himself as White Sox take on Orioles  —  White Sox manager Rick Renteria discusses how pitcher Dylan Covey has improved command of the strike zone on Wednesday, May 23, 2018.  (Phil Thompson/Chicago Tribune)  —  Chicago Tribune

Dodgers News: Edward Paredes Recalled, J.T. Chargois Optioned To Oklahoma City  —  The Los Angeles Dodgers recalled Edward Paredes and optioned J.T. Chargois to Triple-A Oklahoma City prior to Wednesday's series finale against the Colorado Rockies.  Paredes joins the team for a second time this season.