The Pirates put themselves in position for the rarest of baseball feats of dominance when they held off the Cardinals on Wednesday night, 5-4, for the fourth time in three nights. Thus, on Thursday night they will go for their first five-game sweep since Sept. 12-15, 1996, in San Francisco.

As the Braves extended this week’s assault against the Rockies in Wednesday night’s 9-0 win, they produced yet another offensive eruption that provided starter Mike Minor plenty of cushion as he closed his stellar July in impressive fashion.

Wade Miley put together another impressive start as he helped the D-backs salvage a split of a two-game series with a 7-0 win over the Rays on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field.

The Astros have have certainly created opportunities for young players to — as manager Bo Porter likes to say — “grab the bull by the horns.” Astros pitcher Brett Oberholtzer grabbed the bull, threw it to the ground and kept the horns for a souvenir Wednesday night at Camden Yards, throwing seven scoreless innings in an 11-0 win over the Orioles.

Rodriguez will participate in a simulated game at the Yankees’ complex on Thursday, and general manager Brian Cashman said that the club plans to have Rodriguez begin a new Minor League rehabilitation assignment on Friday.

You’d be surprised how many times in history players have been dealt to a team they’re currently playing. It’s purely coincidental, sure. But it’s not all that uncommon.

Matt Kemp’s recovery from a sprained left ankle is progressing slower than the Dodgers hoped, and it’s possible the outfielder won’t return from the disabled list until September.

The Reds finally broke free from their offensive funk Wednesday, and Homer Bailey was the beneficiary as he took a shutout into the ninth against the Padres. A 4-1 win snapped Cincinnati’s five-game losing streak.

It might be a bit early to punch playoff tickets for the Rays and Dodgers. That said, they seem headed that way. The various moves made by other clubs leading up to Wednesday’s non-waiver Trade Deadline may influence the balance of power, but in the end, it still looks like we could have ourselves a Rays-Dodgers Fall Classic, and wouldn’t that be fun?

Red Sox top prospect Xander Bogaerts wasn’t included in any blockbuster non-waiver Trade Deadline deal on Wednesday. Neither was Astros outfield prospect George Springer, with Houston adding young talent rather than trading it away. But that doesn’t mean the pair wasn’t impacted by the Deadline activity.

Looking to land a starting pitcher to help their rotation this season and beyond, the Padres traded for D-backs right-hander Ian Kennedy on Wednesday, hours before the non-waiver Trade Deadline.

An MRI performed on Yadier Molina’s right knee on Wednesday revealed no structural damage, leaving the Cardinals optimistic that their All-Star catcher will be active after a 15-day stay on the disabled list.

The Orioles and Astros worked out a deal that sent Houston starting pitcher Bud Norris to Baltimore in exchange for Orioles outfielder L.J. Hoes, left-handed pitching prospect Josh Hader and a Competitive Balance Draft pick.

The non-waiver Trade Deadline has passed, and the baseball landscape has been altered and we’re left to make our initial assessments of this year’s flurry of moves before waiting to see how they pan out.

The White Sox did not consummate any last-minute deals before Wednesday’s non-waiver Trade Deadline, but general manager Rick Hahn says he nearly pulled one off.

The Rays placed southpaw Matt Moore on the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday after the 14-game winner felt soreness in his pitching elbow.

Curtis Granderson, who has been sidelined with a broken left pinkie knuckle since he was struck by a pitch from Tampa Bay’s Cesar Ramos May 24, will be activated Friday for the Yankees’ weekend series in San Diego.