MLB News Blog

Craig Tatum drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning to force in the go-ahead run, Scott Moore and Felix Pie homered, and the Baltimore Orioles rallied from a four-run deficit for a 6-4 victory over the Texas Rangers on Thursday night. Baltimore loaded the bases in a three-run eighth against Frank Francisco (6-4) as [...]

Unhappy with a defensive gaffe, Brian Schneider made up for it at the plate. Schneider hit a game-ending homer in the 12th inning, giving the Philadelphia Phillies a 4-3 victory over the NL Central-leading Cincinnati Reds on Thursday night. “I’m glad to help,” said Schneider, who blamed himself for allowing a wild pitch to tie [...]

Mat Latos offered a simple explanation for his recent run of strong pitching. “Pounding the strike zone,” the San Diego Padres right-hander said. “Instead of nitpicking at the corners, I’m just going after hitters — and that’s been a big success.” Sure has. Latos extended his scoreless streak to 15 innings and had two hits, [...]

Minnesota’s Scott Baker learned it’s no fun to face the heavy-hitting Blue Jays when you have a sore elbow. Jose Bautista hit one of Toronto’s five homers and Brett Cecil snapped a four-start winless skid, leading the Blue Jays to an 8-1 win over the Twins on Thursday night. Fred Lewis, Adam Lind, Jose Molina [...]

Carl Crawford hit a pair of two-run homers, Wade Davis stopped his six-game winless streak and the surging Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Indians 5-2 on Thursday night. Tampa Bay went ahead 2-1 on Crawford’s two-run shot in the first inning. His second two-run drive and Carlos Pena’s solo homer made it 5-2 in [...]

Florida shortstop Hanley Ramirez has been added to the Home Run Derby during the All-Star break. The 2009 NL batting champion will participate in his first derby on Monday in Anaheim, Calif. He had 13 home runs entering the Marlins’ game Thursday night at Arizona. Ramirez joins Milwaukee’s Corey Hart and St.

Pro-immigration groups gathered outside Major League Baseball headquarters in Manhattan on Thursday to protest keeping the 2011 All-Star game in Phoenix. Demonstrators said the game should be moved from Arizona in opposition to the state’s strict new immigration law, signed in April. The statute, SB 1070, requires police, while enforcing other laws, to ask about [...]

The Philadelphia Phillies have activated reliever Ryan Madson from the 60-day disabled list and sent left-hander Mike Zagurski to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Madson was available to pitch Thursday night against the Cincinnati Reds. He broke his right big toe kicking a chair after blowing a save at San Francisco on April 28.

Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto and the New York Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher have been chosen by fans for the final roster spots for Tuesday’s All-Star game in Anaheim. Votto earned the 34th and final spot on the National League roster by beating out Washington third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, Colorado outfielder Carlos Gonzalez and [...]

Minnesota first baseman Justin Morneau is day to day with a “mild concussion” after he was accidentally kneed in the head Wednesday, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. Morneau is second in the AL with a .345 average, seventh in home runs with 18 and 10th in RBIs with 56. He leads the AL in on [...]