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 …

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 …

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.

7 Rays pitchers combine to hand Miami 7th straight loss, 1-0  —  Seven pitchers combined on a seven-hitter for Tampa Bay, and the Rays shut out the Miami Marlins for the second straight game, 1-0 on Wednesday night.  —  The Marlins (10-31) lost their seventh consecutive game and are on pace for 122 losses.

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 …

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.

Yankees rain homers on David Hess to beat Orioles, 5-3, in first game of doubleheader  —  After two wet days in the Bronx, the New York Yankees rained home runs in the opening game of their doubleheader against the Orioles.  —  In a 5-3 loss Wednesday, Orioles right-hander David Hess …

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.

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.

Blue Jays revisit historic 2015 trade deadline with latest addition  —  The days leading up to 2015 trade deadline were pivotal in Blue Jays history, as the club added Troy Tulowitzki and David Price to put themselves in position to break a 22-year playoff drought.

Amed Rosario can hit from anywhere in the lineup  —  WASHINGTON - While the focus has been on the Mets' injury-prone bullpen or the team's lack of offensive production, Amed Rosario is quietly putting together impressive hit streaks.  —  The Mets shortstop entered Wednesday on an eight-game hitting streak …

James Paxton could return to Yankees soon  —  James Paxton woke up feeling good Wednesday morning and the Yankees let out a collective sigh of relief.  The lefty had reported feeling “something,” in his left knee on Tuesday, when he threw his first bullpen since going on the injured list …