Omar Infante had not appeared in a game for the Royals in more than a week before seeing his name in the starting lineup on Thursday night. The second baseman then knocked in a week’s worth of runs in an 8-4 romp over the Indians at Progressive Field.

Right-hander Jimmy Nelson and the Brewers appeared to escape a major scare on Thursday night, when the 26-year-old starter was struck on the right side of the head by a line drive in the third inning.

Right-hander Marco Estrada tossed eight scoreless innings while Edwin Encarnacion, Josh Donaldson and Cliff Pennington each homered in the Blue Jays’ 5-0 victory over the Braves on Thursday night at Turner Field.

When you’re in the sort of tailspin the Astros are going through, it’s natural for players to press. It’s natural for them to try to do too much, especially when you’re one of the best hitters coming up in a big spot late in the game.

Corey Kluber was focused soley on the fifth inning. Indians manager Terry Francona had his eye on the ace pitcher’s future. In Kluber’s first start in nearly three weeks, Francona lifted the pitcher after only four innings, setting a bullpen meltdown in motion that would sink the Tribe in an 8-4 loss to the Royals on Thursday night.

Just last weekend, Mike Moustakas set a Royals franchise mark with nine RBIs in a game. On Thursday, second baseman Omar Infante, who hasn’t started a game since Sept. 6, tried to break that record. Infante set a career high with seven RBIs in the Royals’ 8-4 win over the Indians. He started with a three-run homer and followed that with a two-run double and a two-run single.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter likes to assess each player’s output in a game not just by RBIs, but a cumulative score that also includes runs taken away in the field. By both accounts, Adam Jones had a fantastic Thursday night in the O’s 4-3 win over the Rays at Tropicana Field.

If there was ever one aspect of Mike Trout’s game that came under scrutiny, it was his throwing ability. His arm strength was considered below average, the one chink in the armor that kept Trout from consideration as a true five-tool player. Arm strength is widely considered the toughest aspect in baseball to improve upon, but somehow, Trout has done it.

The players listed could provide difference-making stats for DraftKings participants on Saturday.

Jung Ho Kang, whose production and brushfire popularity has fueled the Pirates’ playoff drive, has been lost for the season with an injury to his left knee and fractured leg.

After three intense one-run games in a key series between National League Central contenders, the Cubs afforded themselves some breathing room on Thursday at PNC Park. Anthony Rizzo’s two-run homer touched off a six-run, seven-hit fifth-inning flurry and the Cubs stormed to a 9-6 win over the Pirates, tightening the NL Wild Card standings.

Joe Maddon’s Cubs have been one of the best stories in baseball this season, and it appears that they, like the Cardinals, may finally be built to last.

Milo Hamilton, who called games with enthusiasm and distinction as the voice of the Astros for a generation of baseball fans in Houston, passed away Thursday at the age of 88.

Voting is underway to help decide Best Starting Pitcher in the Esurance MLB Awards, and the combination of increased offensive output in 2015 plus comparable leaderboard finishes since 1968’s “Year of the Pitcher” only magnifies the overall performance of your 13 nominees.

There have been wins and losses, impactful games and forgettable ones, dropped pops and bat shards and enough emotion to fill all five boroughs five times over.

World Baseball Classic, Inc. (WBCI) today announced the venues and pools for the qualifying round of the 2017 World Baseball Classic, the fourth installment of the baseball tournament featuring many of the world’s greatest players

NEW YORK — Commuters beware, conductors be timely and rats, well, run for your lives. It’s Subway Series time again this weekend in New York City, where the No. 7 line will be clogged with pinstripes so close to the autumnal equinox for first time since 2000. The trains will be full with orange and blue too, like they typically are, those colors sparkling particularly bright at the moment. Mets fans are ravenous now, able to sense their team’s first postseason birth since 2006, thanks to a comfortable 7 1/2 lead in the National League East.