MLB odds: Current baseball betting lines This matchup looks lopsided in favor of the Nationals, based on each team’s current form and Zimmermann pitching his best ball of the season. The Giants come in on a five-game losing streak, while the Nationals have won eight straight at home and 11 of their past 14 overall. They’ve also beaten the Giants 11 of the past 15 at home. Zimmermann hasn’t allowed a run over his past two starts spanning 15....

The reigning world champs’ season ultimately rode on the shoulders of closer Wade Davis, who hung on for a six-out save to help end the Dodgers’ undefeated postseason run and allow the Cubs to play a Game 5 on Thursday night in Chicago (8 p.m. ET, TBS). MLB PLAYOFFS: Three takeaways from Cubs’ series-saving win over Dodgers Chicago’s offensive struggles continued, but the Cubs had just enough help from the long ball to win....

Sometimes you’ve gotta throw out “the book,” that disgusting piece of literature that says closers can only pitch the ninth inning. MORE: Best photos from NL Division Series games | Mets-Dodgers: Five takeaways Sometimes you’ve “gotta roll the dice” to win the prize. Terry Collins rolled the dice Thursday night — and his team won the prize. Rightly recognizing that the magnitude necessitated an unconventional approach, the Mets’ manager brought in his elite closer, Jeurys Familia, for a six-out save in the decisive Game 5 of the NLDS against the Dodgers....

Ace pitcher Jake Arrieta’s dominating performance against the Pirates in the NL wild-card went to one young Cubs fan’s head — literally. The fan had Arrieta’s face and the Cubs’ logo shaved into his head. Note the color and the attention to detail. MORE: 10 greatest Cubs of all time | Joe Maddon reflects on childhood Cardinals connection

Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong celebrated after hitting a double against the Cubs on Friday night by hitting the “The Whip.” MORE: 10 greatest Cardinals of all time | Cubs manager Joe Maddon grew up a Cardinals fan Have fun, young man. It’s your world.

It was 5:01 p.m. ET on Thursday when Robinson Chirinos, the Rangers’ No. 9 hitter, belted a two-run homer off the Blue Jays ace and Cy Young candidate, giving Texas a three-run lead in the fifth inning of Game 1 of the teams’ American League Division Series. Suddenly, the Blue Jays were faced with the prospect of going down 1-0 in a best-of-five series, facing Cole Hamels in Game 2, and then having to go to Texas....

What an odd start to the 2019 MLB season. The Padres, Mariners, Twins and Rays are all in first place in their respective divisions. The Rockies entered Sunday dead last in the NL in runs scored. The Tigers are over .500. Dogs and cats living together. Mass hysteria. It’s easy to point at MLB standings and records and say, “Well, Team Y has a better record than Team X, so you’re wrong, stupid!...

Arlene Marcley told the Greenville News the museum will announce the decision on its Facebook page Tuesday morning. MORE: Classic photos from baseball’s golden age Jackson’s supporters have spent decades trying to convince MLB to overturn the lifetime ban handed down by the game’s first commissioner, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, in 1921. Jackson and seven White Sox teammates were banned for their roles in throwing the 1919 World Series to the Reds....

Chavez, 34, could work in the Cubs’ rotation or bullpen. He was exclusively a reliever for Texas this season (3-1, 3.51 ERA in 56 1/3 innings) but worked multiple innings in 18 of his 30 appearances. He threw five innings once and four innings twice. Last season with the Angels, Chavez made 21 starts and 17 relief appearances. MORE: Odds, predictions on which teams will make the playoffs Chicago (56-38) has a need for relievers and starters....

REPORTED BY: CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman THE DETAILS: Talks between the Astros and Reds could get interesting given the icy relationship Houston general manager Jeff Luhnow and Cincinnati GM Walt Jocketty had when together in St. Louis, but the Astros need to add a pitcher before the trade deadline. THIS SEASON: Cueto was scratched from his start Sunday in Cleveland with stiffness in the elbow. He was seen by team medical director Dr....

REPORTED BY: ESPN’s Jayson Stark on “Baseball Tonight.” MORE: Seven best destinations for Jonathan Papelbon | Little less talk, little more action needed from Mets’ Alderson THE DETAILS: Despite having the worst record in the American League, the Red Sox are willing to dip into their farm system and open their checkbook to land Hamels. THIS SEASON: Hamels has been slumping as of late but still owns a 3.46 ERA with a 1....

According to Peter Gammons, Chapman is likely to be traded from the Reds by the end of the weekend. MORE: Chapman and other stars who could get traded Chapman, 27, has recorded no fewer than 33 saves in the last four seasons as the Reds closer. However, he’ll hit free agency after the 2016 season, and the Reds reportedly have no plans to keep him as he’ll certainly command even more than the $13 million he’s set to make in his final year of arbitration....

The catcher’s agent told The Miami Herald on Friday that Realmuto would prefer to be dealt before the team’s pitchers and catchers report to camp on Feb. 14. “He would like to be traded to another organization before spring training so he has an opportunity to compete for a championship,” Jeff Berry told the Herald. WYLLYS: Marlins’ trade of Yelich finally gives Miami offseason win Berry made his comments the same day Realmuto lost his salary arbitration hearing vs....

The defending American League pennant winners are casting a wide net with trade inquiries, including A’s utilityman Ben Zobrist and Reds pitchers Mike Leake and Johnny Cueto. Cueto has made four starts since returning from a disabled list stint for elbow soreness and is 4-4 with a 2.98 ERA. Zobrist is batting .243/.325/.434, but is heating up, batting .318/.388/.591 over the last 14 days entering Tuesday’s game. Leake is 4-4 with a 4....

The biggest free agents are still on the market, as you know. J.D. Martinez is looking for his $200 million deal. Eric Hosmer seems to be still looking for a landing spot on a team not using the word “rebuilding” in its mission statement. Top starters Jake Arrieta and Yu Darvish are still trying to figure out where they’ll pitch next year, and next-tier starters Alex Cobb and Lance Lynn are waiting for contenders to decide it’s worth paying for a quality No....

And that makes sense. McCann, with two years and $34 million (plus a $15 million club option for 2019) left on his contract, won’t be the Yankees’ primary catcher in 2017. After Gary Sanchez’s otherworldly MLB debut — he hit 20 home runs in 53 games — they want to see how he’ll do as the primary guy behind the plate. MORE: Worst free-agent signings in MLB history So they are open to trading him, and a recent report suggested they may already have a trading partner, though it failed to name that team....

Suffice it to say, it wasn’t as well-received as the network had hoped. MLB fans had been warned Wednesday about the possibility of a hologram of Caray, who died in 1998. MORE: Live scores, updates, highlights from Reds vs. Cubs “Field of Dreams” game Here is how the one-minute song looked on television, as the Caray hologram was placed in the press box of the Field of Dreams stadium in Dyersville, Iowa....

Yost was spotted sporting the watch earlier this week, which raised questions. MORE: Why your team’s fan base is freaked out | Would a Pirates-Royals World Series be bad for baseball? On Tuesday, we kind of got an answer. The Kansas City Star’s Andy McCullough asked Yost about the watch and got an interesting response. Apparently MLB called Yost and told him he’s not allowed to wear the watch during games....