Before Friday’s game, Cubs manager Dale Sveum talked about how Anthony Rizzo needed to deliver with runners on. The first baseman did that in the ninth, with an assist from Giants first baseman Brandon Belt. Two runs scored on an error by Belt with two outs in the ninth to give the Cubs a 3-2 victory over the Giants.

Right-hander Randall Delgado turned in his first-career complete game, a three-hit shutout, and was one of seven D-backs with multiple hits in Friday night’s rout of the Padres at Chase Field.

Clayton Kershaw threw eight innings of one-run ball and Hanley Ramirez’s two-run homer was enough to give the Dodgers the upper hand in Friday’s pitchers’ duel against Homer Bailey and the Reds, 2-1.

We’re under a week to go until the non-waiver Trade Deadline, and activity is picking up. More and more teams are getting clearer ideas of whether they’re buyers or sellers — and at what price in either case — all while also trying to, you know, win ballgames.

Ryan Raburn hit a walk-off homer in the 11th inning as the Indians beat the Rangers, 11-8, on Friday night at Progressive Field.

Ryan Zimmerman’s home run in the ninth inning helped the Nationals edge the Mets, 2-1, in the second game of a day-night doubleheader on Friday at Nationals Park. Washington was pounded by New York in the afternoon affair, 11-0.

To play almost perfect baseball for almost a month is pretty good, even by the Rays’ high standards. But that is what they have done. Since June 29, they are 20-3. In that time, their starters are 16-3 with a 2.13 ERA.

James Shields shut out Chicago for the first seven innings and the Royals beat the White Sox, 5-1, on Friday night. David Lough homered and drove in two runs.

Strikeout machines Yu Darvish and Justin Masterson are slated to square off in Cleveland as the Rangers take on the Indians on Saturday.

The Blue Jays’ offense erupted for eight runs in the seventh inning as Edwin Encarnacion homered twice, including a grand slam, and turned a deficit into a 12-6 victory over the Astros on Friday night at Rogers Centre. Jose Reyes reached base five times and was a triple short of the cycle.

Doug Fister has been one of the best second-half pitchers in baseball for the past two seasons. He’s proving they were no fluke, as he allowed only three hits in eight innings of the Tigers’ 2-1 win against the Phillies on Friday night in front of a sold-out crowd at Comerica Park.

Mike Minor tightened his grip on the title of Atlanta’s de facto No. 1 starter with an impressive seven-inning start, and the Braves held on to an early lead to best the Cardinals in Friday night’s series opener, 3-1.

Tampa Bay took over first place in the American League East on Friday night with a 10-6 win over the Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

A little bit of run support is going a long way with how the Marlins are pitching. Henderson Alvarez threw six shutout innings, while Giancarlo Stanton clubbed a solo home run, and the Marlins defeated the Pirates, 2-0, on Friday night at Marlins Park.

Derek Jeter always bubbles with enthusiasm and optimism. But on Saturday, the first day he’s eligible to come off the disabled list, he will participate in a simulated game, the Yankees announced after Friday’s 10-6 loss to the Rays.

Alfonso Soriano played his 539th game as a member of the Yankees on Oct. 25, 2003, going 2-for-3 at the plate as New York lost the deciding Game 6 of the 2003 World Series to the Marlins. On Friday — nine years, nine months and two days later — he played his 540th.

Adam Jones powered the Orioles to a 6-0 win over the visiting Red Sox with a pair of home runs that supported Chris Tillman’s strong performance. Tillman tossed seven shutout innings and allowed just two hits, helping the Orioles snap a three-game skid and pick up a full game on the Red Sox.