Even kids who aren’t playing in this year’s Little League World Series are getting into the game in Williamsport. In the Family Fun Zone, an area in the Little League complex behind Lamade and Volunteer Stadiums, fans of all ages are immersed in all things baseball, particularly through MLB’s R.B.I. Baseball 15 and Home Run Derby 2015 games.

The final Saturday in August here, yet it already feels like September with many exciting races heating up throughout Major League Baseball.

The Giants, who bashed the Cubs, 9-1, in Thursday’s AT&T Park matinee behind Madison Bumgarner, are leaning on their famous resolve in the face of a perplexing run of disruptive injuries.

Edwin Encarnacion owns the longest hitting streak in the Major Leagues this season after he extended his run to 22 games with an RBI double during the eighth inning of Thursday’s 4-1 loss to the Rangers.

Tough pitching on a hot afternoon helped the Rangers avoid a sweep as they cooled off the Blue Jays with a 4-1 victory on Thursday.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon was able to find a bright spot after watching the Giants’ Madison Bumgarner strike out 12 over six innings in Chicago’s 9-1 loss on Thursday. In the Giants’ seventh, the Cubs were able to thwart Nori Aoki, who got a little too adventurous on the bases.

Twins rookie slugger Miguel Sano hit one of the more unusual doubles of the season on Thursday night, as he crushed a high drive off Rays left-hander Drew Smyly that hit the “B” ring at Tropicana Field and remained in play for an RBI double.

Catcher Francisco Cervelli was ejected during the third inning of the Pirates’ game against the Marlins on Thursday night at Marlins Park.

Adam Jones exited Thursday’s 5-3 loss to the Royals in the top of the third inning after running into the center-field wall at Kauffman Stadium and suffering some concussion-like symptoms.

The Rangers clung to a one-run lead through 6 1/2 innings on Thursday afternoon, mainly because of some tough, gritty pitching in the Texas heat.

Rangers left fielder Will Venable made his first start in five games with a right-hander on the mound for the Blue Jays and made a terrific defensive play in the second inning of a 4-1 win on Thursday afternoon at Globe Life Park.

Take a look into the Pirates’ dugout moments before first pitch every night. You never know what you might see. It could be Andrew McCutchen pretending to row a boat, with his bat at the oar. You might find Josh Harrison doing the limbo under his bat. Either way, odds are you will find McCutchen and Harrison dancing in the middle of a crowd of teammates, some of them stomping their feet while others bang on empty gum buckets.

The Cubs added another arm to the bullpen mix Thursday, acquiring right-hander Fernando Rodney from the Mariners for a player to be named or cash considerations. Rodney is expected to join the Cubs on Friday in Los Angeles.

The Padres were looking for a way to give right fielder Matt Kemp a day off, but they probably didn’t envision it working out this way.

The final spots in the International and United States Championship games were up for grabs on Thursday at the Little League World Series.

The Rangers had extra reason to celebrate a 4-1 victory over the Blue Jays on Thursday afternoon in the clubhouse afterwards.

Nationals center fielder Denard Span was out of the starting lineup on Thursday against the Padres because of back tightness, the same injury that put him on the disabled list in July. Span woke up Thursday morning and felt stiff, according to manager Matt Williams.