J. Martinez is on an upswing at the plate  —  Jose Martinez, the most consistent Cardinals hitter this season, appeared as if he had hit the wall as the calendar turned to the ninth month.  Martinez, who has the relatively low total of strikeouts of 101 for today's home-run-or-nothing style …

Dodgers have one week to prove they're better than Rockies  —  Let's get right to it: The Los Angeles Dodgers are a better team than the Colorado Rockies.  This isn't really a matter of debate, although I'm guessing more than a few Rockies fans will disagree with that statement.

MLB: Yankees' Didi Gregorius has a wrist injury  —  New York Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius said Sunday that he has torn cartilage in his right wrist and is unsure whether he will play in the American League wild-card game Oct. 3.  —  Gregorius, who has 27 home runs and 86 runs batted in …

Cubs' Kyle Schwarber regaining his groove  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Kyle Schwarber is making up for lost time that he hopes can result in a memorable final week of the regular season.  —  Schwarber went 2-for-2, including a home run and two RBIs, to start the Cubs' game Sunday against the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Why Derek Jeter's Marlins aren't doing so hot right about now  —  MIAMI — The 25th anniversary of the Marlins franchise was seen by the fewest fans at home in team history.  —  The Marlins became the first major league team to draw fewer than 1 million fans at home since the 2004 Montreal Expos …

How Braves will balance rest vs. chasing home-field advantage for playoffs  —  Braves manager Brian Snitker plans to seek a balance this week between two playoff-related objectives: resting key players and chasing home-field advantage.  —  Not surprisingly, Snitker rested front-line players Sunday …

Brewers cruise past Pirates, move closer to playoff berth  —  PITTSBURGH — Christian Yelich hit his 32nd home run, Travis Shaw added his 31st and the Milwaukee Brewers blew past the mistake-prone Pittsburgh Pirates 13-6 on Sunday.  —  Yelich finished 2 for 3 to boost his batting average …

Blake Snell extends his MLB-best win total as Rays beat Blue Jays 5-2  —  Blake Snell's 21 wins are a Rays' single-season record.  —  Blake Snell won his ninth straight start to increasing his major league-leading victories total to 21, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-2 on Sunday to stave off elimination.

Amed Rosario scores twice in 8-5 win, has made huge strides during season  —  WASHINGTON - Mets hitting coach Pat Roessler doesn't worry about Amed Rosario.  —  Whether the shortstop is going hot or cold, Rosario is committed to his daily work, continuing to search for ways to improve to improve.

Detroit Tigers' home finale loss sums up 2018 season: Just a hit short  —  Victor Martinez, the 39-year-old designated hitter, is retiring after the 2018 season.  Free Press sports writer Ryan Ford takes a look at his career.  Wochit  —  CONNECT  —  The story of the Detroit Tigers' season …

Yankees manager still mulling over his wild card pitching options as J.A. Happ lacks command as Bombers fall to Orioles  —  J.A. Happ, Luis Severino or Masahiro Tanaka?  —  Ten days before the wild card game, Aaron Boone said he hasn't picked one yet and is prioritizing home-field advantage …

Red Sox could set club wins record against Indians  —  CLEVELAND — The American League Central champion Cleveland Indians will host the AL East champion Boston Red Sox on Sunday night in the finale of a three-game series between clubs that could meet in the AL Championship Series.

Beltre cheered in possible Texas finale, 6-1 win vs Mariners  —  Adrian Beltre was given a standing ovation when he was removed from what could be his last home game for Texas, just before the Rangers rallied for four runs in the sixth inning to beat the  —  Seattle Mariners 6-1 on Sunday.

Morton leaves Astros' 6-2 win over Angels due to shoulder  —  The 34-year-old right-hander did not pitch for the Astros from Aug. 28 until Sept. 8 because of right shoulder discomfort.  He won his first two starts following his stint on the disabled list, allowing four runs in 11 innings.

Pedro Strop believes he can return to Cubs this week  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Reliever Pedro Strop remains optimistic he could rejoin the Cubs before the end of the regular season.  —  “I feel a lot better,” Strop said before running to the field to play catch Sunday morning.