Futures Game a showcase of potential Manny Machado trade chips  —  WASHINGTON — Touki Toussaint was about to settle down for his pregame nap when Atlanta Braves director of player development Dom Chiti called.  —  “When I saw his name pop up, I did kind of get nervous,” Toussaint said.

Cardinals win in interim manager Shildt's debut  —  Dexter Fowler homered to give interim manager Mike Shildt a win in his first game as the St. Louis  —  Cincinnati Reds 6-4 on Sunday.  —  Shildt took over for Mike Matheny, who was fired late Saturday after six-plus seasons at the helm.

Despite stellar first half, Yankees still have plenty of work to do to catch Red Sox  —  CLEVELAND - After clobbering the Red Sox on July 1, no one expected the Yankees to be 4.5 games back of their hated rivals in the AL East division standings.  —  But that's where they are right now …

Motivated Detroit Tigers, against all odds, crush Justin Verlander  —  Jeff Seidel, Detroit Free Press Columnist  —  HOUSTON — The Detroit Tigers needed this.  —  Not for the standings.  Not to create second-half momentum.  Not to convince the front office to keep players around past the trade deadline like in years past.

As pivotal All-Star break arrives, Orioles still weighing interest for top trade chips Machado, Britton, others  —  The Orioles enter the All-Star break preparing to navigate one of the club's most pivotal stretches in determining its future in the weeks leading up to the nonwaiver trade deadline …

Futures Game managers and longtime friends Torii Hunter, David Ortiz frenemies between the lines  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — They don't enjoy the style of today's game, and can't believe the plethora of strikeouts and lack of activity on the basepaths, but here they were Sunday, competing against one another one final time.

Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw encouraged heading into season's second half  —  LOS ANGELES — Clayton Kershaw was good on Sunday, amid the Dodgers' series-clinching 5-3 victory over the Angels.  But he wasn't Clayton Kershaw, three-time Cy Young Award winner.  The Dodgers' longtime ace allowed 10 baserunners …

MLB: Meadows sent to the minors  —  Outfielder Austin Meadows was demoted Sunday by the Pittsburgh Pirates to triple-A Indianapolis.  —  Meadows, 23, was the team's first-round pick in the 2013 draft.  He hit .298 in 48 games but lost playing time to Corey Dickerson and Gregory Polanco.  —  Etc.

Improved A's, Giants look for series win  —  The Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants will head into the All-Star break in significantly better shape than a year ago.  —  First though, there is the matter of concluding the first part of the “Bay Bridge” series Sunday afternoon when the Giants host the Athletics at AT&T Park.

Anthony Swarzak's horrific outing proves Mets struck out with their biggest bullpen signing  —  As the only member of the Mets' already-infamous class of free agents who is currently on the active roster, Anthony Swarzak was charged with the duty of salvaging some honor for the group …