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Strop to act as Cubs' closer down the stretch

Pedro Strop will serve as the Cubs' closer for the remainder of the 2013 regular season.

Kevin Gregg will operate in a setup role. "It’s going to be an opportunity [for Strop]," manager Dale Sveum said Thursday. "We want to see what he does in that role. Kevin [Gregg] has been one of the better closers in all of baseball. God knows where we’d be without him."

Source: MLBlogs.com

Thu, Sep 19, 2013 01:13:00 PM

Josh Bell powers Pirates to victory on Sunday

Josh Bell went 2-for-4 with a homer and four RBI on Sunday, powering the Pirates to a 6-3 victory over the Cardinals.

Bell clubbed a two-run homer off of Mike Leake in the first inning then tacked on a two-run single during a three-run uprising in the third. With the two-hit attack, Bell is hitting .261/.340/.493 with 21 homers and 72 RBI in what has been a breakout season offensively.

Aug 20 - 10:09 PM

Gio Gonzalez fans eight in win over Padres

Gio Gonzalez was dominant in Sunday's victory over the Padres, racking up eight strikeouts while allowing just one unearned run over 6 2/3 innings.

Gonzalez scattered five hits and a walk on the day. The 31-year-old southpaw has been outstanding this season, and has now logged quality starts in 14 of his last 15 outings. He's now 12-5 on the year with a sparkling 2.39 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 150/62 K/BB ratio in 162 innings. He'll look to keep on rolling when he takes on the Mets at home on Saturday.

Aug 20 - 8:12 PM

Jesus Aguilar hits two homers to lead Brewers

Jesus Aguilar clobbered a pair of home runs on Sunday, powering the Brewers to a 8-4 victory over the Rockies in Colorado.

Aguilar got the Brewers on the board with a solo shot off of Rockies' starter Kyle Freeland in the first inning. He then tagged Tyler Chatwood for a two-run shot in the seventh inning, increasing the Brewers' lead to 5-1. He finished the day 2-for-4 plus a walk and scored three times. Aguilar is hitting .270/.338/.524 with 14 homers and 44 RBI on the season.

Aug 20 - 7:18 PM

Twins place Miguel Sano (shin) on 10-day DL

Twins placed 3B Miguel Sano on the 10-day disabled list with a stress reaction in his left shin.

Sano left Saturday's game with the issue and sat out Sunday as well. While the Twins' offense exploded without him in the lineup on Sunday, to lose Sano for any considerable length of time would be a major blow to their postseason aspirations. A corresponding roster move will be announced prior to Monday's doubleheader.

Aug 20 - 6:28 PM

Avila hits walkoff two-run single vs. Toronto

Alex Avila hit a walkoff two-run single in the bottom of the 10th inning as the Cubs defeated the Blue Jays 6-5 on Sunday at Wrigley Field.

Toronto took a two-run lead in the top of the 10th, but closer Roberto Osuna couldn't make it stick -- and Blue Jays catcher Rafael Lopez didn't help the cause. Avila came off the bench in this one, drawing a walk in his first plate appearance before playing the role of hero in his second. The 30-year-old catcher has 10 RBI in 12 games since joining the defending World Series champions.

Aug 20 - 6:12 PM

Joey Gallo leaves game after collision Sunday

Joey Gallo was removed from Sunday's game against the White Sox after colliding with teammate Matt Bush while converging on a pop fly in the eighth inning.

Gallo was hit in the head during the exchange and suffered swelling in his nose and upper lip. He'll head for precautionary X-rays of his nose and cheek bone to rule out any structural damage. He'll also have to pass through the concussion protocol before being cleared to return to game action.

Source: John Blake on Twitter

Aug 20 - 6:10 PM

Rosario powers Twins to win with grand slam

Eddie Rosario went 2-for-5 with four RBI in the Twins' 12-5 victory over the Diamondbacks on Sunday.

Rosario capped off the Twins' nine-run first inning with a grand slam off Diamondbacks right-hander Braden Shipley. The 25-year-old outfielder boasts a .303/.342/.511 batting line with 17 home runs, 50 RBI, five stolen bases, and 57 runs scored in 113 games this season.

Aug 20 - 5:57 PM

Treinen earns two-inning save against Astros

Blake Treinen earned a two-inning save Sunday in the Athletics' 3-2 defeat of the Astros.

Treinen struck out three of the seven batters he faced between the bottom of the eighth and the bottom of the ninth to protect Oakland's one-run lead. The 29-year-old right-hander owns a 2.37 ERA and 22/6 K/BB ratio in 19 innings since being acquired from the Nationals in mid-July.

Aug 20 - 5:49 PM

Andrelton Simmons homers as Halos top O's

Andrelton Simmons hit his 13th home run of the year in the Angels' 5-4 win over the Orioles on Sunday.

It was a two-run shot in the top of the sixth inning. Simmons also made a couple of tremendous defensive plays at shortstop in the afternoon victory at Camden Yards. The 27-year-old is slashing .292/.345/.451 through 122 games this season and will probably get a number of down-ballot MVP votes if he can finish strong.

Aug 20 - 5:28 PM

Flowers hits grand slam as Braves rout Reds

Tyler Flowers hit a grand slam in the fifth inning of Sunday's 8-1 rout of the Reds.

It was the only hit of the game for Flowers, but it was obviously a big one. The 31-year-old catcher boasts a career-best .292/.384/.468 batting line with 11 home runs and 43 RBI in 83 total games this season. He holds a team-friendly $4 million club option for 2018 and may be a candidate for a contract extension this winter.

Aug 20 - 5:00 PM

Stanton launches 45th home run of the year

Giancarlo Stanton launched his 45th home run of the season Sunday in the Marlins' 6-4 defeat of the Mets.

Stanton drove Mets starter Jacob deGrom from the game with a three-run shot in the top of the seventh inning. He also singled in the afternoon victory at Citi Field, finishing 2-for-5 with one run scored and three RBI. Stanton is currently on pace for 60 home runs, 125 runs scored, and 129 RBI.

Aug 20 - 4:16 PM