2:09 AM ET Sunday’s top 10 thoughts … 1. With the Cardinals shutting out the Pirates 2-0 behind another dominant effort from Jack Flaherty and the Brewers beating the Cubs 8-5, the Cards’ lead over the Cubs in the National League Central is now 4½ games — and that’s the closest of the six division

6:33 PM ET Associated Press HOUSTON — Gerrit Cole celebrated his 29th birthday by allowing one hit with 15 strikeouts in a season-high eight innings, and the Houston Astros routed Felix Hernandez and the Seattle Mariners 21-1 Sunday to complete a four-game sweep. Cole (16-5) won his 12th straight decision and joined Pedro Martinez as

2:08 AM ET MILWAUKEE — As if the Chicago Cubs didn’t have enough to contend with — including a scorching-hot Arizona Diamondbacks team nipping at their heels in the National League’s wild-card race — now they likely have to finish the regular season without last year’s runner-up to the MVP, Javier Baez. A hairline fracture

3:00 AM ET ESPN News Services After making his comeback from Tommy John surgery and a career-threatening broken humerus, Washington Nationals right-handed pitcher Aaron Barrett was consoled by manager Dave Martinez as he wept in the dugout following his first major league appearance in four years on Saturday. Barrett faced four batters in a scoreless

4:18 PM ET Chicago Cubs shortstop Javy Baez has a hairline fracture in his left thumb, an MRI on Saturday revealed. Baez will see a hand specialist on Monday, at which point a timeline for his return will be determined. The shortstop missed his fifth straight game Saturday at the Milwaukee Brewers due to the

12:36 AM ET ESPN News Services ST. LOUIS — Chris Duncan, a former outfielder who helped the St. Louis Cardinals win the 2006 World Series, died Friday. He was 38. Duncan, the son of former St. Louis pitching coach Dave Duncan and brother of former major leaguer Shelley Duncan, died of brain cancer in his

1:00 AM ET MILWAUKEE — It’s the key unit of the Cubs‘ roster that is supposed to lead them to the postseason, but Chicago’s high-priced starting rotation is as big a crapshoot as any part of its game right now. On Friday night, against the Brewers, left-hander Cole Hamels continued a disturbing trend for this

4:54 PM ET Yusniel Padron-Artiles was a 22nd-round pick of the Boston Red Sox and isn’t ranked anywhere on the ballclub’s top-prospects list. But Thursday, the 21-year-old right-hander put together the type of performance that certainly will garner some attention. Padron-Artiles came on in relief for the Class A Lowell Spinners and struck out 14

9:53 AM ET Mike Minor starts Saturday for the Rangers against the Orioles and with a good outing — a strong possibility given the opponent — Minor could move into the lead for the best individual pitching season in Rangers history, at least via Baseball-Reference WAR. I’ve been slightly obsessed with Minor’s WAR for most

11:28 PM ET Associated Press PITTSBURGH — Brian Moran became the first player in major league history to make his debut while facing his brother on the mound, striking out younger sibling Colin in the Marlins’ 10-7 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday night. Brian (1-0) entered in the fourth inning with the Marlins