Top News:
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
Pirates slugger Josh Bell proving critics wrong with breakout season — It's like vacationing in Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower, traveling to San Francisco without seeing the Golden Gate Bridge, or traveling to the Grand Canyon, without, well, looking into the canyon.
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Larry Fleisher / Associated Press:
Yankees walk to half game lead in AL East — In a season they never quite envisioned, the Yankees broke loose for their biggest inning of the year in a way they didn't imagine. — Brett Gardner homered early, then got two hits during a seven-run burst in the sixth inning fueled by five walks …
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, Pinstripe Alley and New York Daily News
Coley Harvey / ESPN:
Yankees are ready to romp after seizing division lead — NEW YORK — This coming week has the potential to be the most important of the New York Yankees ' schedule. Feel free to consider that hyperbole. But it's not. — If by late September the American League East race …
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …
Jesse Yomtov / USA Today:
MLB power rankings: Battle for the AL East is going to be wild — The year after combining for 298 wins, the New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox are primed for an intense three-way race in the AL East, the likes of which we haven't seen in quite some time.
Randy Miller / New Jersey Online:
WATCH: Yankees' Aaron Hicks ties game with 1st homer of season
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cards notebook: Bader makes the most of opportunity in Texas — ARLINGTON, TEXAS — It had been 10 days since he saw his name in the starting lineup and more than two weeks since he got to stretch his legs in center as the starter in consecutive games. Still, Harrison Bader didn't see this island …
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Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Bullpen failure wraps up rough trip for reeling Cardinals — ARLINGTON, TEXAS — In the clubhouse hours before it happened, Cardinals manager Mike Shildt leaned forward toward his desk and pointed to the exact spot in the Rangers' lineup that, if the game went as hoped, Andrew Miller would be waiting to face in the seventh inning.
Jeff Wilson / Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
Leclerc was the best pitcher in Rangers' walk-off win. Is it time for him to close again?
Discussion:
Dallas-Fort Worth Sports News, MLB Trade Rumors and Lone Star Ball
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Bader hits his way into leadoff spot as Carpenter, Wong catch a getaway break
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos
KHOU-TV:
Chavis homers, Red Sox snap Astros' 10-game win streak — “They played better today, they outhit us, but our at-bats against Sale were good,” Astros manager AJ Hinch said. “We'll see him again in five days.” — Author: The Associated Press — BOSTON — Michael Chavis pointed …
Discussion:
Beyond the Box Score
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Japan Times:
Star pitcher Koji Uehara retires after long career in MLB, NPB — Yomiuri Giants pitcher and former major leaguer Koji Uehara, who won the World Series with the Boston Red Sox in 2013, announced Monday that his career is over. — “I want to end my 21-year baseball career today,” Uehara, told a press conference in Tokyo.
Discussion:
Over the Monster and NESN.com
David Schoenfield / ESPN:
Real or Not? Mets suffer the worst weekend of the season — The New York Mets just had the worst weekend of the season. Not the worst weekend for the Mets, the worst weekend of any team in the majors. — They went into Miami with a 20-22 record, facing the worst team in the majors …
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Justin Toscano / NorthJersey.com:
Mets become first team to be swept by Marlins this season in 3-0 loss
Discussion:
Halos Heaven and New York Post
Tim Tucker / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Braves' Freeman figures 200th home run will be more special later — Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman became the ninth player in franchise history with 200 career home runs, joining that exclusive group by homering in a fourth consecutive game Sunday. — “It means I was lucky enough …
Alden Gonzalez / ESPN:
Tommy La Slugger: How Angels' La Stella found his power stroke — ANAHEIM, Calif. — Tommy La Stella had compiled 947 plate appearances across five major league seasons by the time he turned 30, a sample representative enough to typecast. The numbers described him as a slap hitter with no power …
Anthony Fenech / Detroit Free Press:
Detroit Tigers mailbag: Searching for silver lining during this long rebuild — At the quarter-season mark, the Detroit Tigers are largely who we thought they were. — They might have pitched better than expected, might have hit worse, but the past month has presented an about-face of sorts …
Luke Zahlmann / Mile High Sports:
Rockies bear witness to Phillies' hit parade, swept on the road — The City of Brotherly Love once again gave the Colorado Rockies the cold shoulder in their 7-5 loss on Sunday to the Philadelphia Phillies. — Another pitching performance to forget for the starting rotation and an explosive …
Discussion:
The Good Phight, Purple Row and Phillies Nation
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Luke Zahlmann / Mile High Sports:
Rockies continue to search for “big hit” in close games
Discussion:
Purple Row
Miami Herald:
Giants bounce back from a shutout loss to beat Arizona, 8-5 — PHOENIX - For the last decade, the San Francisco Giants have consistently counted on Madison Bumgarner in times of need. — They won't have that luxury for much longer, but after turning in their worst performance of the season …
Discussion:
McCovey Chronicles, Talking Chop and MLB Baseball News …
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