This will be the third straight year that the Astros will make the first selection in the First-Year Player Draft. Their pick should be North Carolina State left-hander Carlos Rodon.

MLB Advanced Media announced on Thursday that it has lowered its annual price to $114.99 for MLB.TV Premium and $94.99 for MLB.TV.

Miguel Montero’s walk-off home run in the 10th inning led the D-backs past the Rockies, 5-4, on Wednesday night at Chase Field. Arizona was down to its last out in the ninth, but Martin Prado’s two-run single tied the game and forced extra innings.

Tim Hudson came within one out of going the distance, holding the Padres to two runs on five hits to lead the Giants to a 3-2 victory, their sixth in seven games, on Wednesday night in San Francisco.

Zack Greinke added to his historic stats and so did the Dodgers on Wednesday night in a 6-4 Interleague win over the Twins. Greinke ran his record to 5-0 for the first time since his 2009 American League Cy Young Award season, while the Dodgers recorded franchise win No. 10,000.

Alcides Escobar ripped off a two-run double to lift the Royals over the Toronto Blue Jays, 4-2, on a 53-degree Wednesday night with 11,175 fans at Kauffman Stadium. The victory was the Royals’ fourth in five games.

Blue Jays left fielder Melky Cabrera was diagnosed with a left shin bruise after being hit by a Danny Duffy pitch in the sixth inning of Wednesday’s game against the Royals.

Right-hander Jordan Zimmermann took over the Nationals franchise lead in wins (2005-present) on Wednesday night with his 45th victory, a 7-0 blanking of the Astros at Minute Maid Park.

In seeking payback against the Rangers, the A’s absolutely outdid themselves. Just a week after being swept in their home park by Texas, the A’s marched into Globe Life Park and manhandled the Rangers’ rotation, completing their own three-game sweep with a 12-1 victory Wednesday night.

Hitting wasn’t so much of an issue for the Cubs on Wednesday at Great American Ball Park. The Cubs scored early and often off Tony Cingrani and piled on more at the end off the Reds bullpen, leaving town with a convincing 9-4 win and managing a split of the rain-shortened two-game set.

With contributions from nearly everyone in the lineup, the Nationals jumped all over the Astros to boost Jordan Zimmerman’s solid effort in a 7-0 victory at Minute Maid Park on Wednesday night. Anthony Rendon had four hits — finishing a triple shy of the cycle — and three RBIs, Denard Span tripled and scored twice and Danny Espinosa homered.

C.J. Wilson pitched eight innings of one-run ball and got his usual dose of run support, leading the Angels to a three-game sweep of the Indians with a 7-1 victory on a windy afternoon on Wednesday.

The Rays-Red Sox game scheduled for Wednesday night at Fenway Park was postponed because of rain and will be made up via a Thursday doubleheader.

At last, Nathan Eovaldi was the beneficiary of a big windfall of run support. It was long overdue, but the Marlins right-hander will certainly take it. Marcell Ozuna blasted a three-run homer, Christian Yelich tacked on a two-run shot and Miami rolled to a 9-3 win over Atlanta on Wednesday night at Marlins Park.

With a likely return to the rotation next week in Washington, Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw made his second Minor League rehab start Wednesday night, throwing five innings for Double-A Chattanooga.

Giants pitcher Matt Cain, who was scratched from Tuesday night’s start after cutting his right index finger, was told to take a couple of days off from playing catch to allow the wound to heal, but the plan is for him to take his next turn in the rotation on Monday in Pittsburgh.

The Tigers acquired prospect Robbie Ray in last fall’s Doug Fister trade with an eye toward their rotation of the future. With Anibal Sanchez on the disabled list, Detroit in need of a spot starter and Ray tearing up batting orders at Triple-A Toledo, the future is coming a little sooner than expected.