Verlander sharp against old team, Astros top Tigers 5-1  —  Verlander (7-1) struck out nine in his second start at Comerica Park since his 2017 trade from Detroit to Houston.  —  Author: The Associated Press, NOAH TRISTER  —  DETROIT — Justin Verlander allowed two hits in seven impressive innings …

Mets fall as Font spot start fails  —  WASHINGTON — Patrick Corbin dominated, and Wilmer Font was bad.  That's a formula for a short and hard loss, which is exactly what happened as the Mets fell 5-1 to the Nationals on Wednesday night.  —  The Washington left-hander got 11 strikeouts …

'I don't think I've ever been through anything quite like this': A look at Marlins' woes  —  With more than a quarter of the season done, the Miami Marlins are well on their way to one of the worst seasons in MLB history.  With a 1-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday …

Real or not?  Mike Soroka the best rookie over first quarter of season  —  Everything about Braves right-hander Mike Soroka is a little funky.  —  He's Canadian, for starters.  That's a rarity.  There are only eight Canadians who have played in the majors this season …

Diamondbacks capitalize on Chris Archer insight, roll to win despite in-game injuries  —  The Diamondbacks rolled to an 11-1 win over the Pirates Wednesday, and they got their bats going early against Pittsburgh starter Chris Archer.  —  “I think the key with Archer is when he's not commanding the baseball …

Cincinnati Reds complete comeback against Chicago Cubs with Yasiel Puig walk-off single  —  Standing at the plate with the bases loaded in the 10th inning Wednesday, one out, and facing a five-man infield, Yasiel Puig's teammates knew Puig was exactly where he wanted to be.

Maeda strikes out 12, drives in 2 as Dodgers top Padres 2-0  —  Kenta Maeda struck out 12 batters and drove in both runs as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres 2-0 on Wednesday night.  —  The right-hander gave up three hits in 6 2/3 innings and reached double-digit strikeouts for the fifth time in the majors.

Yanks' Andujar to have season-ending surgery  —  NEW YORK — Yankees third baseman Miguel Andujar will have season-ending surgery to repair a small labrum tear in his right shoulder.  —  New York announced the decision Wednesday night during the second game of a doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles that the Yankees swept.

Torres' three homers lift Yankees over Orioles in doubleheader sweep  —  THE BRONX (AP) — Gleyber Torres hit three home runs during a doubleheader sweep, including a solo shot in the nightcap, and Domingo Germán became the majors' first eight-game winner in the New York Yankees' 3-1 victory …

Calhoun's back for the Rangers.  And he didn't hesitate to flash that sweet swing again  —  Willie Calhoun ignored the call at midnight.  —  Calhoun figured his mom would be on the other end, just wanting to chat.  But his phone rang a second time early Wednesday morning, and he didn't ignore it this time.

Giants beat Toronto in Shaun Anderson's MLB debut  —  In an interesting riff on pitching future vs. pitching past, Shaun Anderson made his big-league debut Wednesday afternoon against Edwin Jackson, who was starting for his major league-record 14th team.  —  The young guy's team won.

Rockies Expected To Promote Brendan Rodgers  —  The Rockies are expected to promote top prospect Brendan Rodgers, according to Thomas Harding of MLB.com.  Corresponding moves remain to be seen, but a recent injury to shortstop Trevor Story is said to have played a role in the decision.

Is the .300 hitter a thing of the past?  —  The history of baseball is so remarkably well chronicled in both statistical and narrative forms that there are countless good stories through the eons that we've forgotten.  They happen every day, even now, events notable enough that they might lead …

The MLB players union can make up lost ground by getting more for its non-stars  —  Analytics and foolishness have achieved what collusion could not: the destruction of baseball's fundamental labor covenant, whereby teams controlled athletes early in their careers and rewarded the best with big contracts once they hit free agency.

The biggest busts of the 2009 MLB draft  —  The MLB draft is a time of hope and promise, and after it's all over, a scout sits with his staff and marvels over the players the team just picked.  Well, sometimes the prospects don't work out as planned, as is the case for most of these 22 …

So just how far did that Tuesday homer by Rays' Avisail Garcia go?  —  The team seems pretty sure it was more than the MLB Statcast estimation of 471 feet; Morton set for Sunday start vs. Yankees.  —  MIAMI — Avisail Garcia seemed to get every bit of the Caleb Smith pitch he launched …