Major League Baseball announced today that Executive Vice President for Baseball Operations Joe Torre has denied the formal protest filed by the Tampa Bay Rays regarding their Saturday, Aug. 23 game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre in Toronto.

The youngest generation of baseball players and fans has never known life without Bud Selig at the helm of our pastime. All that is about to change, with Rob Manfred slated to replace Selig as Commissioner in January 2015. As easy as it would be to do, Selig isn’t content to rest on his laurels and simply keep Manfred’s seat warm.

The Tigers might have one more trade for bullpen help in them yet. Oddly enough, they can thank their recent fall out of the AL Central and Wild Card leads in part for getting in a late August waiver claim on Astros closer Chad Qualls ahead of other contenders in need of bullpen help, just ahead of next Sunday’s deadline for postseason roster eligibility.

A pair of local Mets fans wound up starring in the latest episode of the hit MLB.com game show “Bucks on the Pond” powered by Ford, and you can watch the video right here to see for yourself how a seemingly ordinary beverage vessel played a key role in a ballpark date.

Never in a million years did I think I would put on a Red Sox uniform. But with the chance to take part in an ALS fundraiser, it was an easy decision to take part in the Oldtime Baseball Game.

Henry Owens and Daniel Norris faced off for the first time a little more than a month ago in Double-A. Now, the two precocious southpaws, ranked Nos. 4 and 5 on MLBPipeline.com’s Top 10 Left-handed Pitcher Prospects list, will meet on Tuesday, when Triple-A Buffalo hosts Pawtucket at 6:05 p.m. ET.

Being particularly good in one category of the game can sometimes override being weak in another. With that in mind, here’s a look at each key category and which of the remaining contenders is most adept.

On Monday night, the Rockies capitalized on some sloppy play by San Francisco in a 3-2 victory as the Giants try to cling to their slim lead for the second National League Wild Card spot.

A first-inning collision on Monday night led to a seventh-inning exit for Brewers right fielder Ryan Braun, who said he hoped to be back in the lineup when a series against the Padres continues Tuesday at Petco Park.

Giancarlo Stanton has dominated the National League all season. On Monday night, the slugger did some damage in an American League park. Stanton blistered a three-run home run, which became the knockout blow in the Marlins’ 7-1 victory over the Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

Aramis Ramirez went 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs and Ryan Braun added a solo shot as the Brewers got behind a solid return to the mound by Kyle Lohse in a 10-1 rout of the Padres on Monday night in San Diego.

John Lackey fired seven solid innings after yielding an early homer, while Matt Holliday’s single capped a three-run seventh that lifted the Cardinals to a 3-2 win over the Pirates on Monday night.

The A’s returned to the win column with an 8-2 victory over the Astros on Monday at Minute Maid Park behind a stellar Jeff Samardzija, who struck out 10 in eight innings.

Mike Moustakas’ home run was all Michael Pineda would allow over 6 1/3 innings in the Yankees’ fifth straight win, an 8-1 triumph over the Royals on Monday night. Jacoby Ellsbury drove in three runs, while Derek Jeter added two RBIs in his final scheduled appearance in Kansas City.

Cubs fans have had a chance to see a glimpse of the future with recent callups of Javier Baez, Kyle Hendricks and Arismendy Alcantara. Now, Jorge Soler will join the group. Soler, 22, will join the Cubs in Cincinnati, and he’s expected to be at Great American Ball Park on Wednesday.

After its first losing road trip of the season, Baltimore returned to Oriole Park at Camden Yards and responded with a 9-1 win to open a four-game series with Tampa Bay and end a three-game losing streak.

The next time your team’s hurler throws a game-turning bomb and you get down on him, consider a fascinating fact: Seven of the 10 leaders in most homers allowed, and 10 of the top 20, have Hall of Fame plaques.