Real or Not?  Shohei Ohtani gives Mike Trout a birthday blast  —  Mike Trout sat out on his birthday party, so Shohei Ohtani partied all on his own.  Trout was on hand for the Los Angeles Angels' 11-5 win over the Detroit Tigers on the 27th anniversary of his birth, but for the first time in his MLB career …

Mets to start Jacob deGrom in makeup game vs. Yankees  —  The New York Mets will start ace Jacob deGrom in their makeup game against the New York Yankees on Monday, manager Mickey Callaway announced.  —  Jason Vargas (2-8, 8.75 ERA) had been the listed starter, but Callaway announced the change Wednesday.

Rich Hill pitches Dodgers past his former A's club 4-2  —  OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Rich Hill played just long enough for the Oakland Athletics two years ago to get a feel for how they can come back when it's close and win in the late innings, a signature of his former club this season.

‘Childish Bambino’ is one of the greatest teenagers in MLB history  —  WASHINGTON — That the Washington Nationals were open to trading Bryce Harper speaks volumes.  —  First and foremost, it speaks to just how disappointing the first half of the season was, for both Harper and the Nats.

Next Slide  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. — For a few hours on Tuesday afternoon, it was a cool story.  —  At 4:33 p.m. local time, Jacob Turner slipped through a side door into the Detroit Tigers clubhouse for the first time in seven years.  Turner received a warm welcome from his teammates …

Andujar hit, Gray relief lift Yankees over White Sox in 13  —  CHICAGO (AP) A couple of costly errors at third base over the weekend contributed to Miguel Andujar being the designated hitter the last two games.  —  There's no issue with the 23-year-old's bat, though.

Scott Servais says 'We'll see' when asked if struggling Felix Hernandez will make next start  —  The Seattle Mariners are uncertain whether Felix Hernandez will make his next turn in the rotation after the struggling former ace suffered one of the worst losses of his career Tuesday against the Texas Rangers.

Brad Lidge approves of Gabe Kapler's bullpen ways |  Extra Innings  —  One facet that will be critical during the final weeks of the season is how the Phillies respond to tough losses.  They faced difficult moments this season and seemed to bounce back each time.

Rays face Orioles with momentum of walk-off win  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — After three straight one-run losses, the Tampa Bay Rays got one back on their side Tuesday night, opening a three-game series with the Baltimore Orioles with a walk-off home run by rookie Willy Adames in the ninth inning.

Does everything Javier Baez brings add up to an MVP?  —  KANSAS CITY — It's a topic gaining momentum, at least in Chicago, where you can't turn on a sports-radio talk show without someone claiming that Chicago Cubs All-Star infielder Javier Baez is the leading candidate for National League MVP honors.

Braves beat Nationals 3-1 to salvage split after 8-3 defeat  —  WASHINGTON — Not too many teams locked in a pennant race get excited about a doubleheader split.  —  That wasn't the case with the  —  Atlanta Braves, who were absolutely delighted after  —  Ender Inciarte snapped …

Carlos Correa likely to return to Astros for weekend series  —  Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa, who has been out since late June with a lower back injury, will likely be activated for this weekend's series against the Seattle Mariners.  —  “We hope to get him back early at the beginning …

Mariners reliever Sam Tuivailala strains Achilles  —  Seattle Mariners reliever Sam Tuivailala strained his right Achilles tendon trying to execute a rundown in Wednesday game against the Rangers.  —  Tuivailala was trying to chase down Rougned Odor in a rundown between home and third.

Blake Bortles' younger brother earns stripes with Tigers' affiliate in minors  —  The Detroit Tigers took Colby Bortles, the younger brother of Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles, in the 22nd round of the 2017 draft.  —  Colby Bortles has heard it from fans from Clinton to Beloit …

Jose Reyes isn't giving up hope on another season with Mets  —  Jose Reyes doesn't want to retire, but he knows the decision might be made for him.  —  Reyes is set to become a free agent again after this season, and is hopeful to return to Queens, but the affection of ownership toward …

Pomeranz doesn't make it through 5 innings against Jays  —  TORONTO — Judging by his latest outing, Drew Pomeranz's time in the Red Sox starting rotation might be coming to an end.  —  The Red Sox starter lasted just 4 2/3 innings against the Blue Jays Tuesday night, with only 44 of his 84 pitches going for strikes.

‘He comes ready:’ David Bote's 3 RBIs help Cubs increase their Central lead  —  Chicago Tribune  —  David Bote's ascent as a major-league-caliber player started to evolve last season at Triple-A Iowa and continued in the Arizona Fall League and into spring training.