MLB News

Chad Billingsley tossed a two-hitter over eight innings and singled home the decisive runs as the Dodgers beat the Giants on Friday night, 4-2.

Luke French didn't make history with a no-hitter Friday, but his seven-inning, one-hit performance helped the Mariners eke out a 1-0 victory over the Indians.

Will Rhymes snapped a tie with a two-run triple in the 11th inning to boost the Tigers to a 9-5 victory over the Royals on Friday at Kauffman Stadium.

A sacrifice fly by Augie Ojeda in the bottom of the eighth helped lead the D-backs past the Astros, 4-3, on Friday night in front of 24,748 at Chase Field.

Jason Giambi homered and made a key defensive play to back Aaron Cook in Friday night's victory over the National League West-leading Padres.

Propelled by a six-run seventh inning, the A's picked up an 8-0 victory over the Angels on Friday to open the three-game set.

The Cardinals' survival series started appropriately on Friday night, with the home team clinging to victory by its fingernails, with a 3-2 win over the Reds.

If Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips isn't Public Enemy No. 1 in St. Louis, he's probably No. 1-A. It was one of the least surprising subplots to surface from of Friday's important series opener between the first-place Reds and second-place Cardinals.

Matt Garza yielded a run on five hits to win his third straight decision, and the Tampa Bay Rays didn't lose any ground in the playoff race, earning a 4-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night in the opener of a nine-game road trip.

Led by Garrett Jones' pair of RBI doubles, the Pirates rolled to an 8-5 win over the Nationals as they opened up a homestand at PNC Park on Friday night.

Cole Hamels carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning against the Brewers and allowed just three hits in seven scoreless innings in Friday's 1-0 victory at Citizens Bank Park.

A's veteran Eric Chavez confirmed on Friday he won't be playing again this season and is still very much considering retirement.

Kenshin Kawakami got the Braves on the board Friday with a second-inning RBI single, but back from a stint in Triple-A, he lasted just three innings in a 6-1 loss to the Marlins.

The first week of the divorce trial of Frank McCourt and Jamie McCourt wrapped up on Friday with both parties testifying at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles.

Tim Lincecum hasn't reverted to keeping his hair close-cropped as he did during his first two Giants seasons. But he did receive approximately a two-inch trim before the Giants left for Los Angeles on Thursday.

Since Andres Torres established himself as the Giants' everyday leadoff hitter, as well as a performer who could receive some votes on the bottom half of baseball writers' Most Valuable Player ballots, he has noticed that pitchers are approaching him differently.

Dodgers catcher Russell Martin went for a routine CT scan on his right hip Wednesday and received good news, as was expected.

Tigers catcher Gerald Laird, who hit a game-winning home run on Thursday in Minnesota, was scratched from the lineup on Friday because of lower back tightness.

Former All-Star pitcher Mark Prior, whose career has been derailed by a devastating shoulder injury, has reached an agreement with the Rangers on a Minor League contract.

Josh Hamilton continues to feel significant improvement in his aching right knee but was back at designated hitter on Friday.

Miguel Cabrera was not in Friday's lineup because of biceps tendinitis in his left shoulder, but hopes to return on Saturday.

Royals catcher Jason Kendall went through surgery for extensive repairs of his right shoulder on Friday in Los Angeles.

The Phillies finish the season with no games scheduled the final four Thursdays of the month, which gives them flexibility with how they set up their rotation.

Rookie right-hander Jeremy Hellickson fumbled for the right words on Friday when asked how he's adapting to his new role in the the Rays' bullpen. After all, he's yet to make a relief appearance since being recalled from Triple-A Durham on Sept. 1.

Nationals rookie sensation Stephen Strasburg underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery on Friday. He will return home to San Diego and begin his rehab.

Chris Tillman is expected to arrive in Baltimore on Friday night and he will make his next scheduled start on Sunday for the Orioles against the Rays.

Manny Ramirez was openly apologetic for the sour way his memorable tenure with the Red Sox ended.

The Cubs know Alfonso Soriano can hit home runs. Blake DeWitt is surprising them. Soriano and DeWitt each belted three-run homers to lift the Cubs to a 7-6 victory Friday over the New York Mets.

As expected, Orioles center fielder Adam Jones, who received a cortisone injection in his left shoulder on Thursday, was not in the starting lineup and unavailable for Friday's series opener against the Rays.

Sparked by a makeshift top of the order, the Yankees blitzed Blue Jays starter Brandon Morrow on Friday en route to their seventh straight win, 7-3.

Evan Meek was scheduled to throw off the mound on Friday for the first time since being struck in the right hand by a line drive last Sunday.

While manager Edwin Rodriguez served his one-game suspension Friday in the opener vs. the Braves, Marlins players Chris Volstad, Alex Sanabia and Gaby Sanchez appealed their sanctions.

What had seemed somewhat inevitable over the last week officially occurred on Friday, as second baseman Dustin Pedroia had surgery to repair the navicular bone in his left foot.

Labor Day weekend is going to revolve around the National Pastime, as it always does. It will be that way right through the busiest Monday of the baseball season, featuring 16 games.

With Massachusetts in a state of emergency as a result of Hurricane Earl, Friday's series opener between Red Sox and White Sox at Fenway Park will be played Saturday as part of a doubleheader.

Nyjer Morgan was surprised and upset upon learning that he had been suspended for eight games Friday as a result of his role in a benches-clearing fracas in Miami two nights earlier.

The Rangers made a series of moves on Friday, calling up catcher Taylor Teagarden and left-hander Clay Rapada from Triple-A Oklahoma City, reinstating right-hander Dustin Nippert off the 15-day disabled list and assigning outfielder Brandon Boggs to Triple-A after he cleared waivers.

After beginning the season with an up-and-down showing in 30 relief appearances, then getting sent to the Minors to convert back to the rotation, Jenrry Mejia will finally make his big league debut as a starter Saturday.

The Mets didn't learn much about Johan Santana's immediate status Friday, as he wasn't scheduled for any activity. The team is taking a wait-and-see approach as to whether Santana will take his next turn in the rotation.

With Tom Gorzelanny unavailable, the Cubs have tweaked their rotation and will have Carlos Zambrano (6-6, 4.36 ERA) start Saturday and Ryan Dempster (12-9, 3.71 ERA) on Sunday in the series against the New York Mets. Carlos Silva could return Monday.

Lance Berkman was back in the Yankees' starting lineup on Friday for the first time since coming back from the disabled list.

Alex Rodriguez confirmed on Friday that he has ended his relationship with agent Scott Boras.

Alex Rodriguez took batting and infield practice before Friday's contest against the Blue Jays, and Yankees manager Joe Girardi expects his third baseman to be back in the starting lineup when he's eligible to come off the disabled list on Sunday.

Cubs general manager Jim Hendry, who met this past week with managerial candidate Ryne Sandberg, said there is no front-runner for the Cubs' job and he is still in the early stages of the interview process.

Yunel Escobar and Fred Lewis did not start on Friday against the Yankees, though Escobar appears closer to returning than Lewis.

After missing a week with what he described as a "heavy head" and other head-injury symptoms, Lyle Overbay returned to the Blue Jays' starting lineup on Friday, batting fifth and playing first base against the Yankees.

FOX's "This Week in Baseball," where viewers will be treated to an inside look at the lesser-known jobs in baseball that are crucial to making each game a reality on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET.

Several hard-nosed players who grinded through double-digit seasons of Minor League baseball, endured hundreds of bus trips, and dealt with multiple Spring Training cuts only to get their first real shot this week at the pinnacle of professional baseball.

Had everything gone the way right-hander Brandon Lyon would have preferred, teammate Matt Lindstrom never would have had to go on the disabled list and would have continued finishing off games while Lyon happily served as the Astros' eighth-inning setup man.