NICK CASTELLANOS

With a possible lockout on the horizon, it’s been mostly business as usual on the free agent market — so far.

Baseball’s most influential agent said the sport was the victim of a “competitive cancer” caused by teams unloading veterans to accumulate draft picks and said the Atlanta Braves’ World Series title was a direct result of others' tanking.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have extended qualifying offers to free agent All-Stars Corey Seager and Chris Taylor, but not Clayton Kershaw.

Atlanta outfielder Joc Pederson and Boston infielder-outfielder Kyle Schwarber were among 10 players who became free agents when they both declined 2022 mutual options in their contracts.

Joey Votto and Nick Castellanos combined to drive in nine runs to propel the Cincinnati Reds to a 13-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the make up of Wednesday’s rain out with fading hopes of a playoff entry.

Clayton Kershaw pitched five sharp innings for his first win since June 27, Gavin Lux and Corey Seager each hit two-run homers and the streaking Los Angeles Dodgers beat the sliding Cincinnati Reds 8-5 Sunday. Will Smith also homered as the Dodgers won for the eighth time in nine games. Kershaw (10-7) allowed one run and three hits, striking out eight without a walk.

Anthony Rizzo and the New York Yankees host surprising Seattle in the opener of a four-game series between AL wild-card contenders Thursday night.

The NL Central-leading Brewers are again shuffling their pitching staff with reliever John Axford now out for the season because of elbow trouble and starter Eric Lauer joining the team’s growing COVID-19 injured list.

Shohei Ohtani hit his major league-leading 32nd homer and broke the single-season major league record for homers by a Japanese player during the Los Angeles Angels’ 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. joined his father as an All-Star and Fernando Tatis Jr. accomplished a feat his dad never achieved.

Nick Castellano hit a grand slam in the seventh inning and drove in a career-high seven runs, helping the Cincinnati Reds beat the Philadelphia Phillies 12-4.

The St. Louis Cardinals will need to re-do their rotation now that ace Jack Flaherty will be sidelined for a while with what manager Mike Shildt termed a “significant” oblique injury.

David Bote homered, Adbert Alzolay wriggled out of several jams while pitching into the sixth inning and the surging Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 1-0.

David Peralta hit a three-run triple in a six-run 10th inning to finish with five hits and a career-best seven RBIs, and the Arizona Diamondbacks overcame six Cincinnati home runs to beat the Reds 14-11.

Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. is uncertain for the opener of a two-game series at Yankee Stadium after an MRI revealed a mild abdominal strain.

Tyler Naquin hit another leadoff home run and the high-scoring Cincinnati Reds kept rolling, backing Luis Castillo to rout the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-4 for their fifth straight win.

Both winless teams in the majors are defending division champions.

Now that Fernando Tatis Jr. has been placed on the injured list, the San Diego Padres hope their electrifying shortstop won’t be sidelined too long.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Castellanos has been suspended for two games and fined for his role in an on-field brawl during the season’s opening weekend.

Nick Castellanos stood over, flexed and jawed at St. Louis pitcher Jake Woodford after scoring, stetting off a series of scuffles that included relievers shoving in the outfield as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Cardinals 9-6.

Nick Castellanos stood over, flexed and jawed at St. Louis pitcher Jake Woodford after scoring, setting off a series of scuffles between the Cincinnati Reds and Cardinals that included relievers shoving in the outfield on their way back to the bullpen.

The Padres said Tatis had discomfort in his non-throwing left shoulder and would be reevaluated on Wednesday. Corbin Burnes turned in 4 2/3 innings, striking out six while allowing two runs on three hits. Jon Lester allowed one run and three hits in 3 2/3 innings in his second start of the spring for Washington. He gave up five hits, hit two batters and struck out three. PADRES 5, REDS 4MacKenzie Gore worked 3 2/3 innings in his third start for San Diego, allowing two runs on three hits.

“I don’t even think I’ve had a 13 pitch at-bat in my career.”Hicks was scheduled to pitch one inning. Carlos Martínez worked four innings in the start for St. Louis, allowing two runs and five hits. Pittsburgh starter Steven Brault allowed three runs on five hits and a walk in three innings. YANKEES 5, BLUE JAYS 1New York starter Deivi García gave up one hit and an unearned run in three innings. Dean Kremer allowed a run on three hits, walked two and struck out four in the start for Baltimore.

Kluber gets a $1 million buyout, and the club has said it is interested in re-signing Kluber to a less expensive deal. Lester gets a $10 million buyout from the Chicago Cubs that completes a $155 million, six-year contract rather than a $25 million mutual option. Milwaukee turned down Gyorko and Sogard, a day after declining a $15 million option on 2011 NL MVP Ryan Braun. The White Sox declined a $12 million option for Encarnación and a $7 million option for González, who will receive a $500,000. Kluber gets a $1 million buyout, and the club has said it is interested in re-signing Kluber to a less expensive deal.

(AP Photo/John Bazemore)ATLANTA – The Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves are playing the longest scoreless game in postseason history. Wednesday's opening game of the NL wild-card series was the first in postseason history to be scoreless through 11 innings. The scoreless streak was extended through 12 innings. The teams combined for a postseason record 35 strikeouts through 12 innings, and every batter that has come to the plate has struck out at least once after the Reds' Nick Castellanos became strikeout victim No. For the postseason, baseball has set aside the new extra-innings rule it instituted for the pandemic-delayed regular season.

Cincinnati Reds players climb over the dugout fence and head to celebrate with pitcher Wade Miley after the Reds earned a playoff berth with a 7-2 over the Minnesota Twins in a baseball game Friday, Sept. 25, 2020, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)MINNEAPOLIS – Mike Moustakas homered twice, Freddy Galvis hit a solo shot and the Cincinnati Reds clinched their first playoff spot since 2013, beating the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins 7-2 Friday night. Joey Votto and the Reds had endured six straight losing seasons before advancing this year under manager David Bell. Twins: RHP Homer Bailey, who spent 12 of his 14 major league seasons with the Reds, was designated for assignment prior to the game. Twins: RHP Michael Pineda (2-0, 3.18 ERA) pitches the middle game of the series.

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)Major League Baseball had its fullest schedule in nearly a half-century Friday with 20 games set to be played, including five doubleheaders caused by postponements for weather, the coronavirus and protests of racial injustice. The last time 20 games were on the schedule was Aug. 4, 1974, when there were nine doubleheaders, the Elias Sports Bureau said. There were 12 complete games thrown that day, including nine-inning efforts by Catfish Hunter, Luis Tiant and Dave McNally. Only three of those 20 games back then took over 2 hours, 40 minutes. On Friday, the Blue Jays needed 2:42 for Torontos 8-7 win in seven innings at Fenway Park.