Top News:
Noah Trister / Boston Globe:
How the Tampa Bay Rays are leading the AL East midway through April — Now, this is an impressive opening for the Tampa Bay Rays. — Last year, the Rays pioneered the idea of an “opener” — a pitcher who would work an inning or two at the beginning of the game, facing some of the toughest hitters instead …
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Ian Harrison / seattlepi.com:
Heredia homers as Rays top Jays 8-4, win 5th straight series — TORONTO (AP) — Baseball anonymity doesn't bother the Tampa Bay Rays. — Pinch-hitter Guillermo Heredia homered to cap a five-run burst in the eighth inning and the Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-4 Sunday for their fifth straight series victory to begin the season.
Discussion:
ABC News, Bluebird Banter and MLB Baseball News …
Jesse Yomtov / USA Today:
MLB power rankings: Is this the best team the Rays have ever had? — There's usually a legitimate reason to write off the Tampa Bay Rays. — This season feels different. — As hard as it is to believe, it's been 11 years since that Tampa reached the World Series and made the transformation …
Daimon Eklund / Associated Press:
Cole strikes out 11, Diaz homers, Astros win 3-2 at Seattle — Hector Rondon, Ryan Pressly and Roberto Osuna each pitched a perfect inning in relief for Houston, with Osuna working the ninth for his seventh save. — SEATTLE — Gerrit Cole struck out 11 in six innings …
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ESPN:
Power Rankings: Big tests coming for April's hot starters — Just one more week into the season, we're starting to see some stronger teams emerge. But we're also ready to crown a new No. 1, as the Astros rode their nine-game win streak to the top of rankings, earning three first-place votes to replace the Dodgers at the top slot.
David Schoenfield / ESPN:
Real or not? Astros are headed for another 100-win season
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …
Daily Record:
Right time for The Rivalry to resume? Yankees hope to find a spark as Red Sox arrive — Yankees manager Aaron Boone on Masahiro Tanaka's loss on Sunday to the White Sox — NEW YORK - Aaron Judge led a super-confident group of Yankees out of Fenway Park, in the wee hours of last Oct. 7 …
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Phil Rosenthal / Chicago Tribune:
Column: Can the White Sox parlay their series win over the Yankees into something bigger? — Chicago Tribune — Even if the surreal wintry spring weather suggested Chicago's April calendar was nothing but a cosmic joke, there was in fact no time warp Sunday.
Dan Martin / New York Post:
Aaron Hicks speaks — without a timetable in sight
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley and New Jersey Online
Carlos Rodriguez / Associated Press:
Ozuna, Cardinals power past Reds 9-5 for split in Mexico — A billboard advertising the Mexico Series between the Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals stands outside the stadium before the start of their second game in Monterrey, Mexico, Sunday, April 14, 2019.
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Associated Press:
Baseball roundup: Marquez, Rockies end 8-loss skid — German Marquez pitched a one-hitter, nicked only by Evan Longoria's single with one out in the eighth, and the Colorado Rockies ended an eight-game losing streak by beating the hosting San Francisco Giants 4-0 Sunday.
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Associated Press:
Rockies' Marquez gives up 1st hit in 8th vs Giants — SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — German Marquez of the Colorado Rockies has lost his no-hit bid on Evan Longoria's one-out single in the eighth inning at San Francisco. — After Gold Glove third baseman Nolan Arenado made a nifty play on a hard …
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, McCovey Chronicles and baseballmusings.com
Associated Press:
LEADING OFF: MLB celebrates Jackie Robinson Day — A look at what's happening around the majors Monday: — JACKIE ROBINSON DAY — Major League Baseball observes Jackie Robinson Day at ballparks all over the country. Robinson broke baseball's color barrier when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947.
Discussion:
McCovey Chronicles, Lone Star Ball and MLB Baseball News …
Deesha Thosar / New York Daily News:
Jacob deGrom scuffles in second straight outing raising cause for concern — ATLANTA - A scrappy five-inning outing for a typical top starter would be unfortunate, but it wouldn't raise any eyebrows. Yet, when a Mets ace coming off a historic season is out of whack, it's certainly cause for concern.
Discussion:
NorthJersey.com, Newsday, Amazin' Avenue, New York Post and MLB Baseball News …
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Gabriel Burns / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Teheran shows up deGrom, Braves split with Mets
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …
Richard Morin / Associated Press:
Diamondbacks salvage series against Padres, end four-game losing streak with win — Zack Greinke pitched seven strong innings and helped himself with two hits, pinch-hitter David Peralta connected for a three-run homer and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the San Diego Padres 8-4 Sunday to stop a four-game losing streak.
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Kristie Ackert / New York Daily News:
James Paxton accidentally tipped pitches in Yankees' loss to Astros — James Paxton was tipping his pitches Wednesday. The Yankees lefty said that Carlos Beltran came up to him Saturday and told him that he was showing what was coming. — That allowed the Astros to know what to expect from Paxton …
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley
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Tim Reynolds / Baltimore Sun:
Segura's homer helps Phillies outlast Marlins in 14 innings — Philadelphia Phillies' Jean Segura (2) third base base after hitting a two run home run during the 14th inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins on Sunday, April 14, 2019, in Miami. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) (Brynn Anderson)
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Tim Reynolds / MLB Baseball News, Scores …:
Segura homers in 14th, Phillies top Marlins 3-1
Discussion:
The Good Phight
Kevin Acee / Miami Herald:
Padres made winning choice bringing up Fernando Tatis Jr. at start of season — Can you imagine? — “I know,” Fernando Tatis Jr. said with a smile. “We would have missed a couple things already.” — The Padres decided against manipulating Tatis' service time, promoting …
Associated Press:
Darvish to start Monday after Cubs snowed out — CHICAGO — Snow and rain led to the postponement of Sunday's finale of a three-game series between the Los Angeles Angels and Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. — A makeup date was not immediately announced. — A steady snow fell throughout …
Discussion:
ESPN
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Alden Gonzalez / ESPN:
Why evolution of changeup could make or break Clayton Kershaw's season — LOS ANGELES — It was 10 years, three teams and one career ago, but Brad Ausmus remembers the game — May 17, 2010, on the road against the Florida Marlins. Clayton Kershaw carried a no-hitter through seven innings that night …
Matt Calkins / Miami Herald:
Daniel Vogelbach is poster boy for Mariners' fast start — Daniel Vogelbach is in the Mariners clubhouse wearing a yellow shirt with the word “TANKS” stitched across his chest in red letters. He doesn't know what it means. It was just a shirt that teammate Dee Gordon gave him and Dee isn't around to explain.
