Heyward helps Cubs beat Cardinals 9-6 in return from break  —  CHICAGO — The All-Star break is over.  It's right about now when the Chicago Cubs usually take off.  —  Jason Heyward had three hits and two RBI, Ian Happ belted a two-run homer and the Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 9-6 …

265 or bust!  Yankees eye home run history in second half  —  NEW YORK — Aaron Boone appeared annoyed by the question, one he'd fielded several times already during the opening half of his first season as a big league manager.  —  Can this team really thrive relying so heavily on home runs?

Cincinnati Reds hope to keep rolling after All-Star break  —  The Reds know they are considered to be sellers as the trade deadline approaches.  —  Despite the 21-10 run leading into the All-Start break, the Reds remain 10 games out of the National League Wild Card.

Severino Finds Stardom Thanks to Yanks Enemy Turned Ace Whisperer Pedro Martinez  —  WASHINGTON — It started quietly two winters ago.  Then, slowly, word seeped out: Two Red Sox legends had decided to help a young Yankee.  —  Now, those whispers are about to lead to a lot of squirming and shouting.

Photos: Arizona Diamondbacks in the MLB All-Star Game … The Diamondbacks and Rockies resume play after the All-Star break Friday at Chase Field, and I'll be there.  It's just one game out of 162 this season, but for me it means much more.  Friday is the 50th anniversary of the first major-league game I attended.

Gibbons pulling for Tulo's return this season  —  Don't include Blue Jays manager John Gibbons as a guy who doesn't care if 33-year-old shortstop TroyTulowitzki makes it back to the team this season.  —  Tulowitzki has missed the entire season because of bone spurs in his right heel …

Column: Instead of fixing what's wrong with baseball, it's time to appreciate what's right  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Appearing before a Senate subcommittee on antitrust and monopoly on July 9, 1958, Yankees manager Casey Stengel gave a couple of long-winded and convoluted answers to the questions of Sen. Estes Kefauver.

For starters: Rays open second half at home vs. Marlins  —  Greetings from Tropicana Field, where the Rays come out of the All-Star break with a three-game series against the Marlins.  Here's the lineup for Tampa Bay, which dropped two of three to the Marlins

The most common trade deadline mistake and MLB's next big thing  —  Do not fight the regression monster.  That, my friends, is the rule to live by when thinking about the upcoming trade deadline.  —  You hate to begin a baseball column with a statistical precept like that, even when it's a simple concept such as regression.

Milwaukee Brewers players shocked by Josh Hader's tweets, but willing to hear him out  —  What would normally have been a low-key, voluntary workout for the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on Thursday took on a decidedly different tone in the wake of the Josh Hader controversy.

Boston's Holt injured at end of wild play in Detroit  —  DETROIT (AP) — Boston Red Sox second baseman Brock Holt left Friday night's game at Detroit in the fourth inning with what appeared to be a right knee injury.  —  Holt stayed on the ground for a while at the end of a wild play.

Eight starters?  For Dodgers, too much pitching is a good problem  —  LOS ANGELES — It is a good problem, Dave Roberts will admit, but it torments him nonetheless.  His Los Angeles Dodgers will begin the season's second half with what appears to be an excess of quality starting pitchers …

Jay Bruce doesn't know when he will start hitting again as back woes complicate recovery from hip strain  —  Jay Bruce is hoping to hit again soon after being shut down from batting about 10 days ago when he felt sore, but he doesn't know exactly when he'll start swinging again.

Bay Bridge series: The DH debate rekindled  —  As the Giants assemble their designated-hitter strategy for Phase 2 of the Bay Bridge Series at the Oakland Coliseum, the argument is rekindled once again: Is the DH good for the game?  —  It won't ever disappear entirely, which is a real shame, from this viewpoint.

Ranking each division race entering the second half  —  After several days of Manny Machado-related intrigue, spirited dialogue about Mike Trout's role as a baseball brand ambassador and debate over whether Bryce Harper's Home Run Derby victory is a sign that he is or isn't “back,” …

Nationals hope Strasburg's return a difference vs. Braves  —  WASHINGTON — The Washington Nationals starting rotation gets a much-needed boost Friday night with the return of Stephen Strasburg.  —  The right-hander, out since exiting his start on June 8 with right shoulder inflammation …