The Red Sox haven't officially ruled out seeing David Ortiz in action, but they've deemed it unlikely, as they do not want to risk further injury to the star slugger.

Many teams may have been out of action on Thursday, but a handful of games were played that had plenty of playoff implications. None more than in Baltimore, where the Yankees and Orioles squared-off in the series opener that once again changed the landscape of the American League East and the AL Wild Card.

Surrounded by many of the bright lights in the environmental realm, in the heart of the green diamond in the greenest of ballparks, Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig on Thursday night accepted the Green Sports Alliance's first Environmental Leadership Award.

The Nationals were sluggers in more ways than one Thursday night at Nationals Park. They pounded the Cubs, 9-2, and had two bench-clearing incidents, one involving Bryce Harper.

Each day, MLB.com selects one player from each game whose performance stands out.

Josh Hamilton and Adrian Beltre belted back-to-back homers early while Michael Young plated the go-ahead run in the 10th inning to help the Rangers win the series with a 5-4 victory over the Royals on Thursday night.

The Nationals pounded the Cubs, 9-2, at Nationals Park on Thursday night, but two bench-clearing incidents, one of which involved Bryce Harper, overshadowed the game.

As Adam Jones rounded the bases following his critical homer Thursday, as the crowd stood and roared, as Cal Ripken Jr., Eddie Murray and others applauded, there was a feeling that Baltimore was back.

Looking to stay alive in the postseason hunt, Tampa Bay will start Jeremy Hellickson against Texas lefty Derek Holland on Friday night at Tropicana Field.

The White Sox have struggled against the Royals this season but have a chance to remedy that during a three-game series which begins on Friday night in Chicago. Francisco Liriano will take the mound opposite Luis Mendoza in the opener.

A gritty Orioles club showed its mettle, rallying after blowing a five-run lead to take a 10-6 win over the Yankees on Thursday night at Camden Yards. Adam Jones' tiebreaking homer — one of six by the O's — put Baltimore ahead to stay in the eighth.

Roy and Brandy Halladay on Thursday hosted about 65 people at 10 Arts Bistro and Lounge at the Ritz-Carlton in Center City for The Halladay Family Foundation Food Fight 2012. The foundation donated profits from the event to Philabundance, the region's largest hunger relief fund.

The last five times the Pirates started a series in Pittsburgh, they lost the first game. They'll try to reverse that trend when the Cubs come to town Friday for the first of a three-game series.

Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg (15-6, 2.94 ERA) is scheduled to make his penultimate start of the season on Friday, while the Marlins will counter with 21-year-old Jacob Turner, who will pitch on eight days' rest as Miami also takes caution with its young right-hander.

With the Orioles and Yankees once again tied atop the AL East, Friday night's winner will gain sole possession of the division lead, if only for a day. New York's Phil Hughes, who lost to Baltimore on Sunday, will oppose Wei-Yin Chen at Camden Yards.

On the 17th anniversary of the night Cal Ripken Jr. passed Lou Gehrig and broke the record many thought couldn't be touched, the Orioles paid tribute to their former shortstop.