Even though Arrieta is less battle tested in the postseason than Bumgarner, he relishes the opportunity to pitch against him with the stakes and their highest. “Well, he’s a tremendous pitcher,” Arrieta said of Bumgarner in his news conference Sunday. “He’s got a lot of deception. He’s got plus stuff. He really knows how to pitch, and he’s a guy who really seems to shine brightest in the postseason when the games matter the most....

Pitchers Kyle Hendricks and Travis Wood, who relieved Hendricks in the fourth inning when the starter left with an arm bruise, provided most of Chicago’s offense. Hendricks drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the second inning, then Wood smacked a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth. MORE: Top 50 players in the playoffs Giants batters struggled again, with a two-run third inning their only offense so far this series....

Bauer, the Cleveland pitcher who cut his right pinkie doing maintenance on his drone, got going pretty well in Game 3 against Toronto on Monday night, striking out Jose Bautista. But his bid to become the most famous pitcher in the ALCS with a wound since Curt Schilling did not last much longer. Bauer issued a walk to Josh Donaldson, got Edwin Encarnacion to fly out, then walked Troy Tulowitzki when an international television audience got a look at a whole lot of blood pouring out of the opened wound....

Now that spring training is under way, the Birds still need starting pitching. With that in mind, the club appears willing to sacrifice a first-round draft pick in order to sign Ervin Santana or Ubaldo Jimenez, the two best hurlers left on the free-agent market, FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal reports. Because both pitchers received qualifying offers from their 2013 clubs, the O's would have to give up the No. 17 overall pick in June's MLB Draft to sign them....

We got our first look at the uniforms in action on Friday afternoon with the Nationals and Cubs, and, oh boy, there’s a lot to discuss. I’ll get to that in a minute. “Inspired by players’ style choices when they are away from the field, the fashionable monochromatic uniforms allow for each custom accessory design to stand out more than ever before,” MLB announced in its news release Aug. 6....

The Royals were the only major league team in the “path of totality,” which is the area where the sun is completely blocked out by the moon. Unfortunately, the Royals didn’t play Monday and are set to face the Rockies on Tuesday. MORE: South Carolina football team watches solar eclipse The rest of the league took the opportunity to see the eclipse, and shared reactions on Twitter. First, here’s the coolest one of the day — Columbia, S....

Let’s look at the other team, though. What exactly are the Reds doing here? This is a franchise that’s lost at least 94 games each of the past four seasons, including 95 in 2018. I’ll admit, my first thought was this: Does the front office honestly think that adding Yasiel Puig, Alex Wood and Matt Kemp — and jettisoning Homer Bailey’s 6.09 ERA — will be the difference between 95 losses in 2018 and a playoff push in 2019?...

San Francisco was originally expected to move the 29-year-old starter before Wednesday’s deadline. But, the team worked its way back into playoff contention after the All-Star break and ultimately held onto Bumgarner. “I never expected to be somewhere else until that happened,” Bumgarner told reporters, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “Nothing has changed for me. I don’t look at it as being past a hurdle. I’ve got a job to do and I’m going to do it....

According to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Sluser, Oakland is interested in acquiring second base prospect Joe Wendle from the Indians for Moss. MORE: Jays fan cries over Brett Lawrie trade Wendle, 24, spent most of last season with Double-A Akron, where he batted .253/.311/.414 with eight home runs. Slusser reported that he missed time with a broken bone in his wrist. Moss, 31, was slowed by a hip injury last season but remains a left-handed power threat who could take over at first base or right field in Cleveland....

DeWitt was asked about the possibility of being a seller at the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, a rare development for a franchise that’s won at least 86 games in nine straight seasons and made the playoffs in 12 of the past 17 years. “I think being a ‘seller’ is sort of a misnomer,” DeWitt said during that June 30 press conference. “We’re not selling to dump payroll. We’re not selling, we’re looking to improve, both short-term and long-term....

REPORTED BY: Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. MORE: 11 players Padres could trade by deadline | Spector: Time for Jays to get Cole Hamels THE DETAILS: The Brewers are in full sell mode. Last week they dealt third baseman Aramis Ramirez, and they’re willing to part ways with Lind, who is also garnering attention from the Pirates. THIS SEASON: Although he has missed games over the weekend with lower back tightness, the 32-year-old left-handed hitter is batting ....

THE RUMOR: Padres GM A.J. Preller is still in touch with the Phillies regarding Cole Hamels. REPORTED BY: FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal . THE DETAILS: Rosenthal adds some doubt the Padres have enough to make a deal happen. LAST SEASON: Hamels went 9-9 , 2.46 ERA/3.07 FIP and 198 strikeouts in 30 starts with the 73–89 Phillies. SN’S TAKE: Padres’ catching prospect Austin Hedges is ranked No. 51 in MLB....

Everyone seems to be after pitching, and undoubtedly, guys like Madison Bumgarner, Marcus Stroman and Matthew Boyd will be moved. But make no mistake, hitters will be on the move too. So who have teams already been connected to? Who could they be go after? We have a pretty good idea about who some teams have asked for, but we also can make pretty good guesses as to who other teams might have inquired about....

A lot of MLB teams have taken this to heart, which is why rebuilds are all the rage. Some teams, such as a Phillies and Braves, seem to be coming out of their rebuilds with the results they expected. Others, such as the Padres and White Sox, are less than good this season, but are staying the course with a clear eye on the future. Then there are teams whose windows are closed, given roster and division....

Which Bumgarner will the other team get — the seemingly invincible left-hander who carried the Giants to the World Series title in 2014, or the pitcher who has a career-high 4.21 ERA this season? In fact, the Yankees, one of the teams that has reportedly checked in about acquiring Bumgarner, are rumored to be having internal discussions about Bumgarner’s true value, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. The 29-year-old Bumgarner has heard the rumors he’s not the same pitcher he was a few years ago....

THE RUMOR: The Pirates are fielding trade offers for closer Mark Melancon, first baseman Pedro Alvarez and second baseman Neil Walker. REPORTED BY: ESPN’s Jayson Stark, via Twitter. THE DETAILS: The Pirates, who finished with the second-best record in baseball last year, have a tight budget and are not likely to try to retain closer Melancon, who heads into free agency after the 2016 season. The team is also reportedly shopping second baseman Walker and first baseman Alvarez, who also become free agents next year....

But, what about the pitchers who are going to surprise you? Because let’s be honest, there is a surprise move every year. In 2015 the Astros got Mike Fiers in the Carlos Gomez deal, in 2018, the Yankees picked up Lance Lynn and even this year Andrew Cashner has already been dealt to the Red Sox. These weren’t widely talked about moves before they happened, but they did have influences on teams down the road....

The latest in a long line of speculative “discussions” came Wednesday as MLB Network reported that the Tigers and Dodgers have been in contact about Detroit second baseman Ian Kinsler. MORE: Top starting pitchers who could be traded Kinsler, 34, is a four-time All-Star and 2016 Gold Glove winner. Detroit is said to be in the market for young talent with the likes of Kinsler, Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander and J....

This year, some massive movement on the trade market could be in the cards, if the rumored available names end up on the move. Cubs players Anthony Rizzo, Javy Baez and Kris Bryant; the Nationals’ Max Scherzer and Trea Turner; and Twins outfielders Byron Buxton and Max Kepler are all potential trade targets heading into Friday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline. FAGAN: Blue Jays should celebrate return to Toronto with big trades The first blockbuster deal of the trade season was struck between the Yankees and the Rangers on July 29, with New York adding another bomber to its lineup, acquiring slugger Joey Gallo for a package of prospects....

The 56-year-old Darling has been on the disabled list for the entire season. He officially joined the National League staff in 1988 and became a crew chief before the 2004 season. Darling was a part of the World Series in 2003 and 2010. The San Francisco native also worked All-Star games in 1993 and 2003. Major League Baseball also announced Friday that Quinn Wolcott had been appointed to the full-time umpiring staff....