Top News:
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
All-Star Game: Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander take different paths to historic dominance — WASHINGTON - They have everything you'd possibly want in life. — They've got more than $400 million in guaranteed contracts, the kind of money that will take care of generations of their families long after they're gone.
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USA Today:
MLB at the All-Star break: Seven eye-opening numbers from the first half — A first half that never seemed to end has finally reached the All-Star break. — And several storylines have dominated Major League Baseball heading into its symbolic halfway point - many of them coming out of Boston.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …
Matt Ehalt / Daily Record:
Jacob deGrom hoping to get second chance to wow crowd at All-Star Game — Greg Tartaglia, Staff Writer, @NJTags13 — NEW YORK — Jacob deGrom caused Dave Eiland to break from his routine. — When Eiland's team is up to bat, the Mets pitching coach prefers to sit on the bench. He gets out of the way.
Kristie Ackert / New York Daily News:
Mets ace Jacob deGrom on All-Star Game: ‘I want to start’
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, Gaslamp Ball, Brew Crew Ball and Bleed Cubbie Blue
Jenny Dial Creech / Houston Chronicle:
Astros Balls & Strikes: A.J. Hinch sets rotation for after All-Star break
Discussion:
Athletics Nation
Anthony Fenech / Detroit Free Press:
Motivated Detroit Tigers, against all odds, crush Justin Verlander
Discussion:
The Crawfish Boxes
Associated Press:
Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper to bat 6th in All-Star Game — WASHINGTON — Bryce Harper will get to enjoy at least one more grand celebration as a hometown fan favorite at Nationals Park when he trots out to right field at the beginning of the All-Star Game.
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Arizona Republic:
What time is the All-Star Game Home Run Derby? — One of the most exciting aspects of a baseball are the home runs. It's what gets the fans riled up and excited. — Tonight the MLB will celebrate the 33th annual Home Run Derby with a showcase of some of the heaviest hitters in the game.
David SchoenfieldESPN Senior / ESPN:
Who's ready to bash? Meet the eight Home Run Derby competitors
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley, Bleed Cubbie Blue and McCovey Chronicles
Ed Barkowitz / Philly.com:
Phillies' Rhys Hoskins one of the favorites to win Monday's Home Run Derby | Sports betting
Mike DiGiovanna / Los Angeles Times:
Dodgers' Muncy says he'll practice restraint at home run derby
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News … and DodgerBlue.com
Associated Press:
Success on the road lifts A's into contention — The Oakland Athletics have played their way into contention by beating up on teams that are far from it. — Oakland enters the All-Star break having won 21 of its last 27, and the A's are only three games behind the second wild card.
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Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Cubs rookie reliever James Norwood maximizing his midseason audition — Chicago Tribune — There was a different pecking order Sunday during the final 3 2/3 innings of the Cubs' 7-4 win over the Padres, and it included rookie James Norwood, who quickly has taken on a more prominent role in the bullpen.
Jesse RogersESPN / ESPN:
Cubs surge to top of NL at All-Star break thanks to clubhouse culture
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue
Nick Piecoro / Arizona Republic:
Photos: Arizona Diamondbacks in the MLB All-Star Game … The Diamondbacks have hovered at or near the top of the National League West all year, never falling more than 1 1/2 games back. But if the season had ended at the All-Star break on Sunday, they would have finished just behind …
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Arizona Republic:
Next Slide — Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt will start in the 2018 All-Star Game on Tuesday as the National League team's designated hitter. — Goldschmidt lost out on the fan vote but was named to the National League roster with pitchers Patrick Corbin and Zack Greinke …
Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors:
Latest On Manny Machado — The Orioles are getting “very close” to reaching an agreement on a Manny Machado trade, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (via Twitter). However, despite a report of a “handshake agreement” between the Orioles and Phillies by Barstool Sports …
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, Phillies Nation and NESN.com
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Derrick Goold / Kansas City Star:
High-tech approach led Cardinals to sign Mikolas without seeing him in person — Almost all of what the Cardinals saw of Miles Mikolas' reinvention as a pitcher in Japan was the byte-sized view offered by video clips they played and replayed again on a laptop or tablet.
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Chicago Tribune:
Cubs' Albert Almora Jr. says wife Krystal ‘is doing much better’ — Cubs outfielder Albert Almora Jr., who was placed on Family Medical Emergency leave Sunday, tweeted Monday that his wife, Krystal, “is doing much better and baby #2 is kicking all over the place!”
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Mike Trout's incredible start elevates him into the class of MLB's all-time elites — Chicago Tribune — Former Angels scouting director Eddie Bane cringed after soliciting help from one of his evaluators in 2009. — “Around the time of the draft, I asked our scouts to give some comps …
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R.J. Anderson / CBSSports.com:
With MLB All-Star break underway, here are six observations from the first half of the 2018 season
Discussion:
Halos Heaven
Steve Simmons / Toronto Sun:
SIMMONS: Marcus Stroman's explosion symptomatic of Blue Jays' woes — All tangled and twisted in 68 inches of rage, frustration and disappointment, the unfortunate words of Marcus Stroman — some of them true yet contradictory — speak volumes about the troubling and confounding state of the Blue Jays at the all-star break.
Dennis Georgatos / Associated Press:
Trevor Story's walk-off home run lifts Rockies past Mariners … DENVER — Trevor Story tuned up for the All-Star Game with one memorable swing. — Story led off the ninth inning with his 20th homer, and the Colorado Rockies completed a series sweep of the Seattle Mariners with a 4-3 victory on Sunday.
Mitchell Gladstone / Philly.com:
Phillies minor leagues: JoJo Romero is turning things around at double-A Reading — READING — Seven of the Phillies' top 12 prospects are pitchers, with Sixto Sanchez and his blazing triple-digit fastball leading the way in single A and Enyel De Los Santos becoming the first young hurler …
Steve Gardner / USA Today:
Futures Game features power surge with Peter Alonso, Yusniel Diaz, Taylor Trammell — WASHINGTON - The top players in the minor leagues put on quite a display of power in batting practice before the 2018 All-Star Futures Game. Several of them chose to continue, even after the game started.
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