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How the MLB trade deadline has changed since the 2022 playoff expansion

Sports / Baseball /

NEW YORK — The MLB trade deadline is not what it used to be.

Since MLB expanded its playoff field to 12 in 2022, more teams have remained in contention deeper into the season.

Entering Tuesday, 22 of the 30 teams either held a playoff spot or were within 5.5 games of one. Sixteen teams had odds of 21.6% or better of making the postseason, ...Read more

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'I want to be like Ichiro': How Mariners legend shaped next generation of MLB stars

Sports / Baseball /

SEATTLE — When Steven Kwan was growing up in the Bay Area, he’d spend summers with his Japanese grandmother. And every day, the NHK network would be on the television. And every day, there would be a segment about a Japanese icon.

This guy on the screen being talked about was the epitome of cool — professionally, culturally. He wore ...Read more

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Troy Renck: Rockies' Hall of Famer Larry Walker forever linked to Ozzy Osbourne's 'Crazy Train'

Sports / Baseball /

DENVER — One is known for swinging a wooden bat in the clutch. The other for chomping a live bat in his mouth.

They were born in different countries 18 years apart.

Yet, Larry Walker and Ozzy Osbourne remain forever linked in Colorado Rockies history.

When Osbourne passed away on Tuesday, the first person who came to mind was Walker. ...Read more

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Julio Rodríguez, Randy Arozarena power Mariners past Angels

Sports / Baseball /

ANAHEIM, Calif — A couple of hours after the Mariners struck with baseball’s first big move ahead of the trade deadline and acquired a middle-of-the-order bat, their current middle-of-the-order bats responded.

Now if only Julio Rodríguez and Randy Arozarena can keep this up after Josh Naylor arrives.

Rodríguez, Arozarena and Jorge ...Read more

Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Beyond the bullpen, how aggressive will the Dodgers be at the MLB trade deadline?

Sports / Baseball /

LOS ANGELES — Four months ago, the Dodgers were cast as baseball's new evil empire, lapping rival contenders with lavish free-agent spending during an offseason that raised alarms about competitive balance within MLB.

"Coming into the season," general manager Brandon Gomes recalled this week, "we were talking about how we've ruined baseball ...Read more

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Cardinals outslug Padres en route to 9-7 victory

Sports / Baseball /

ST. LOUIS — Can’t put this one on the offense.

Seven runs will win a game almost 90% of the time in the major leagues.

A sweaty Thursday night did not work out that way for the Padres, as their offense found some potency but their pitchers threw too many pitches that found the seats and the Cardinals outlasted them, 9-7, on an oppressively...Read more

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Mariners acquire slugger Josh Naylor in trade with Diamondbacks

Sports / Baseball /

SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners have kicked off the trade-deadline season with another significant summer addition, acquiring first baseman Josh Naylor from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, a source with knowledge of the deal told The Seattle Times.

Naylor, 28, will provide a middle-of-the-order presence around Julio Rodríguez, Cal ...Read more

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Blue Jays deal Tigers their 10th loss in last 11 games

Sports / Baseball /

DETROIT — The Detroit Tigers broke out a new home run celebration early Thursday night, but it was the same old stuck-in-the-mud offense that led to the once-upon-a-time best team in baseball's latest defeat.

The Blue Jays got to Reese Olson for five runs in the sixth inning and to Dietrich Enns for four more in the seventh in blowing out the...Read more

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As Yankees stumble, Aaron Judge says a hot streak is coming: 'When it does, watch out'

Sports / Baseball /

Minutes after the Yankees lost an ugly contest to the Blue Jays on Wednesday night, Aaron Judge said that he still believes he’s on a great team.

Never mind that the Bombers made four errors in the 8-4 defeat. Or that they totaled seven in the series. Or that the loss put them four games back of Toronto in the American League East and made ...Read more

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Orioles' Charlie Morton bounces back to lead 4-3 win over Guardians

Sports / Baseball /

CLEVELAND — Coming off a seven-run outing that had shades of his disastrous start to the season, Charlie Morton pitched into the seventh inning Thursday to help the Orioles salvage their series finale against the Cleveland Guardians with a 4-3 win.

With the trade deadline just a week away, Morton is shaping up to be one of the Orioles’ top ...Read more

Before entering Hall of Fame, Ichiro talks about his greatest baseball moments

Sports / Baseball /

SEATTLE — Ichiro wasn’t sure he would last a year in the major leagues.

Anger helped him deliver what became known as the “Star Wars” throw.

He wished the third-base coach had given him the stop sign before finishing off the first inside-the-park home run in All-Star Game history, would love to talk hitting with Hall of Famer Rod Carew...Read more

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Red Sox erase five-run deficit, beat Phillies in 11 innings to avoid sweep

Sports / Baseball /

Baseball has no shortage of unwritten rules, but among the most important is “don’t give the opposing team extra outs.”

The Philadelphia Phillies are a championship contender, but Wednesday they broke that rule and paid for it dearly.

Leading the Red Sox by five runs in the top of the fifth, the Phillies should have gotten out of the ...Read more

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Rays blow two multi-run leads in loss to AL-worst White Sox

Sports / Baseball /

TAMPA, Fla. — Blowing a four-run lead in the second inning was a bad start for the Rays on Wednesday. But there was a worse ending, as they blew a two-run lead late and lost to the White Sox, 11-9.

Starter Taj Bradley had a rough and short night, allowing the Sox to quickly erase the 4-0 lead the Rays grabbed in the first on homers by Yandy ...Read more

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Yankees' defensive meltdown leads to another series loss to Blue Jays

Sports / Baseball /

TORONTO — With their ace on the mound and a chance to leave Canada with a much-needed series win over the Blue Jays on Wednesday, the Yankees embarrassed themselves. Again.

After another night of atrocious baseball, the Bombers fell, 8-4. The loss, which followed an ugly defeat on Monday, put manager Aaron Boone’s ballclub four games behind...Read more

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Orioles' bullpen stumbles again in 3rd straight loss to Guardians

Sports / Baseball /

CLEVELAND — The Baltimore Orioles’ bullpen, once the lone source of stability for the struggling ballclub, has become a glaring problem over the past few weeks.

After entering play Wednesday with the highest bullpen ERA in the majors this month at 6.75, the Orioles let another close game slip away as Colin Selby gave up the go-ahead run in ...Read more

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As Cubs drop Royals series, improving the pitching staff remains trade deadline priority

Sports / Baseball /

CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs came into the season expecting right-hander Colin Rea to factor into the rotation in some capacity.

The 35-year-old had 76 career big league starts before joining the Cubs, and the organization expected that experience to be valuable as they tried to build a pitching staff with depth and multi-inning options. ...Read more

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Freddie Freeman's walk-off hit saves the day, lifts Dodgers to win over Twins

Sports / Baseball /

LOS ANGELES — Remember when the Dodgers injury-riddled rotation was the problem? That’s so last month.

The issue now is the bullpen. Over the last four weeks the team’s bullpen ERA has ballooned to 4.44. Only six teams in the majors entered Wednesday with a higher mark.

Freddie Freeman saved the Dodgers from another painful bullpen ...Read more

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Luis Castillo, Mariners crushed by Brewers in series finale

Sports / Baseball /

SEATTLE — All it takes sometimes to wind up on the losing side is one bad inning.

Wednesday afternoon’s start was one of Luis Castillo’s most frustrating, and worst of the season, the type that many pitchers prefer to “flush” and forget about, as the Mariners veteran tied for a season high with 10 hits allowed, along with six runs —...Read more

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Royals flex muscle in 8-4 rout of Cubs

Sports / Baseball /

CHICAGO — The Royals made themselves right at home at the Friendly Confines.

That’s the nickname for Wrigley Field, a place where the Royals’ batters obviously felt comfortable on Wednesday. They hit four two-run home runs in an 8-4 win over the Cubs. They also hit four on Monday night, so that’s eight homers in three games for the ...Read more

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John Hill: Can Tampa land Rays stadium without transit?

Sports / Baseball /

TAMPA, Fla. — Let me first dispense with the obvious: I have no idea where a new owner might take the Tampa Bay Rays. The team could remain in St. Petersburg, move to Tampa or even find a home closer to the rumored buyers, a Jacksonville-based investors’ group.

But one thing about a stadium search in Hillsborough County is clear: As much as...Read more