Gibson, Twins top Rays 5-1 in rain-delayed series opener  —  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Nine years after drafting Kyle Gibson in the first round and six seasons into his major league career, the faith the Minnesota Twins have had in the lanky right-hander has finally been rewarded on a consistent basis.

Jerry Blevins continues to struggle against lefties, gives up big home run in NY Mets loss  —  Jerry Blevins on his first start in the 8-7 loss to the Dodgers Matt Ehalt, Staff Writer, @MattEhalt  —  NEW YORK — Relievers are always hot commodities at the trade deadline.

Stripling, Dodgers beat Ross, Padres 3-2 to take 3 of 4  —  SAN DIEGO (AP) Ross Stripling got past the San Diego Padres despite not having his best stuff and now can look forward to his first All-Star Game.  —  And his defending NL champion Los Angeles Dodgers grabbed sole possession …

Jordan Hicks: Bud Norris has ‘best intentions for me’  —  Rookie reliever Jordan Hicks addressed reports of potential conflict within the St. Louis Cardinals' locker room, saying teammate and closer Bud Norris has his best interests in mind.  —  “He has the best intentions for me,” Hicks told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Thursday.

Yankees score twice in 8th off Kluber, top Indians 7-4  —  CLEVELAND (AP) - Aaron Hicks drove home Didi Gregorius from first base with a one-out double in the eighth inning off Cleveland ace Corey Kluber, sending the New York Yankees to a 7-4 win over the Indians on Thursday night.

Cubs All-Star Javier Baez is the most exciting player in baseball  —  SAN DIEGO — It's not easy to walk the streets or have a meal with budding Chicago Cubs star Javier Baez.  Just ask his teammates, who have seen Baez rise from a piece in the Cubs puzzle to an All-Star who is must-watch at the plate, on the bases and in the field.

Veteran pitcher Casey Coleman was contemplating retirement.  Then the Cubs called.  —  Triple-A baseball came to Des Moines in 1968 with the Iowa Oaks, and the Iowa Cubs have carried the torch since 1982.  Here's a collection of some of the biggest names and best players during that time.

MLB: Papa John's faces fallout  —  The Miami Marlins and Baltimore Orioles suspended their business relationships with Papa John's after the company's chairman of the board apologized for using a racial slur and resigned.  —  In a statement Thursday, the Marlins said “derogatory and insensitive comments” …

How fast is Shohei Ohtani?  Faster than you think  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. — Billy Eppler had been traveling to Japan to scout Shohei Ohtani since 2013, which meant that by the time this spring rolled around, Eppler's Los Angeles Angels knew pretty much everything there was to know about Ohtani's on-field ability.

Manny Machado's top 12 landing spots and MLB's next big thing  —  The Manny Machado Watch has intensified over the past couple of weeks.  In some ways, that's hard to believe.  After all, this has been going on since last winter, when the Baltimore Orioles' star infielder was reportedly …

Angels' Garrett Richards to have Tommy John surgery  —  MLB, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. — Los Angeles Angels right-hander Garrett Richards has opted to have season-ending Tommy John surgery to repair ulnar collateral ligament damage in his right elbow.

It took a sad Mets fan to produce Red Sox brilliance  —  The new documentary “Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived,” which debuts July 23 on PBS, is excellent.  It provides a warts-and-all portrayal of one of the game's most fascinating historical figures as we approach the 100th anniversary of his birth (August 30, 1918).

Astros hoping Carlos Correa to come off DL after All-Star break  —  The Houston Astros are hoping that shortstop Carlos Correa, who has been out since June 26 with a stiff back, can return to action after the All-Star break.  —  Over the past few days, Correa has resumed baseball activities …

Twins' Logan Morrison goes on 10-day DL with left hip injury  —  MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins have placed designated hitter/first baseman Logan Morrison on the 10-day disabled list with a left hip injury.  —  The move was made before Minnesota's game Thursday against Tampa Bay …

Pearce calls his time with the Blue Jays bittersweet  —  BOSTON - Steve Pearce describes his time in Toronto as bittersweet.  —  He enjoyed playing for the Blue Jays, but at the same time there was a real sense of frustration.  Injuries kept the hard-hitting utility man from really showing Toronto fans …