The final four teams remaining in this year’s Little League World Series entered battle on Saturday with a spot in the world championship game on the line. The U.S. Championship game featured a dominant pitching performance as New York ousted Tennessee to advance to the Final. In the earlier game, South Korea beat Panama in the International title game, also behind strong work on the mound.

The end is coming for Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez, who pitches Sunday afternoon against the Mets at Citi Field. The end is coming for rookie Jake Thompson, too. The Phillies are monitoring their workloads, and it is expected both will be shut down sometime before the end of the season.

The Yankees insisted that they weren’t waving the white flag on anything by dealing away some of their most attractive assets a month ago, expressing the belief that the players still in their clubhouse would continue to push for a postseason berth.

Koji Uehara is gaining steam in his quest to pitch again for the Red Sox this season. The righty had a solid bullpen session of over 50 pitches on Friday, and he is getting close to being able to throw to hitters.

A.J. Ellis, who had spent his entire career with the Dodgers, joined the Phillies before Saturday night’s game against the Mets at Citi Field. He said he is getting acclimated to his new reality.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter is a hard-nosed, knowledgeable baseball man, and nobody knows that better than Dan Duquette, the club’s executive vice president of baseball operations.

Chris Sale has thrown 120 pitches in each of his last two starts, matching a season-high against the A’s and the Mariners while allowing three runs over 17 total innings.

That’s one way to win.

Players from the 16 Little League World Series teams around the globe stay in Williamsport for nearly two weeks. While they get plenty of time on the field, and on television, they build some of their best memories in “The Grove,” the dormitories adjacent to Lamade Stadium, far away from cameras and boisterous fans.

David Ross got his brownies and joined Cubs manager Joe Maddon for a private audience with legendary Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully on Friday.

The defending World Series-champion Royals look like a team that doesn’t want to miss the thrill of another October. Inconsistent for much of the season, Kansas City has played terrific baseball of late, continuing with Friday night’s 6-3 victory over the Red Sox in the opener of a three-game series at Fenway Park.

Kris Bryant made yet another addition to his MVP case as he hit home runs in the eighth and 10th innings to power a 6-4, comeback win for the Cubs over the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.

The D-backs activated outfielder A.J. Pollock for Friday’s series opener against the Reds at Chase Field.

After blowing a lead in the ninth inning and and having to rally after falling behind in the 10th, Brandon Drury scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the 11th to lift the D-backs to a 4-3 win over the Reds in the series opener at Chase Field on Friday night.

Following a four-game stretch that saw the Indians score only three runs — all via solo home runs — the offense kicked into high gear Friday night in a 12-1 victory over the Rangers.

For most of Friday night, the Marlins didn’t have much bounce in their step. But after a frantic rally, they celebrated a 7-6 walk-off win on Chris Johnson’s ground-rule double in the ninth inning.

What should have been an occasion for Mookie Betts to celebrate the first five-hit game of his career was instead another night for the Red Sox to wonder why they are having such difficulty cashing in on scoring opportunities.