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They know this, of course, and that’s why they’ve been connected with every elite closer available on the market (Aroldis Chapman, Wade Davis and Andrew Miller). They’re not looking for a setup guy. They have lots of those — their bullpen ERA is 3.05, which is fourth-best in the bigs. If they’re going to win the World Series — and make no mistake, that’s absolutely the only acceptable result for the Nationals this season — they’re going to need a ninth-inning hammer....

It looks to be a quiet trade market for starters this deadline — but despite the lack of quality starting pitching available, there are still some bargains to be found. So, if teams reach their hands into the junk drawer and rummage around a bit, they might be able to come up with some decent value at the deadline with these starters. MORE: MLB trade deadline tracker J.A. Happ The Blue Jays are quite a way out of the playoff race, and Happ is on the final year of his three-year, $36-million deal with Toronto....

Although the Marlins are last in the NL East standings, they beat the second-place Phillies three times in a row this weekend. Miami topped Philadelphia, 6-4, Sunday and dominated at the plate, outhitting the Phillies 16-4. Garrett Cooper, Brian Anderson and J.T. Riddle all hit home runs for the Marlins in a complete team effort. “(I) can’t say enough about the hitting,” Cooper said. “Hitting is contagious and everybody came through with big hits....

In case you didn’t know… Inter Miami are a professional football team based in Miami, Florida, and were established in January 2018. The president of the side is David Beckham; he’s also the owner, along with five others: Simon Fuller, Marcelo Claure, Jorge Mas, Jose Mas, and Masayoshi Son. The team is set to join the MLS in 2020, with their stadium being built a season or two later. The idea for Inter Miami can be traced back to when Beckham signed with the MLS back in 2007....

The league’s annual midseason showcase, in which an All-Star squad faces a top European club in a glitzy exhibition, was held just 24 days after Germany lifted the World Cup trophy in Rio de Janeiro. Contractually obligated to cut short his post-World Cup vacation, Schweinsteiger flew in hours before the game and didn’t come on for Bayern Munich until the 80th minute — then exited eight minutes later, the victim of a bruised ankle after a crunching challenge from All-Star midfielder Will Johnson....

With one match left in that campaign, those difficult realities have popped up again. As MLS Cup looms, the storyline has shifted away from the two teams that will be on the field and moved toward the players that have been forced off of it. Saturday’s clash between the Columbus Crew and the Seattle Sounders promises to be a spectacle, but it will be a match defined by the pandemic....

It’s a fair criticism, but Martino got it right Saturday. Atlanta United delivered a 2-0 victory over the Portland Timbers to claim the MLS Cup crown and send off the departing manager with a trophy. “Well, we won one, that’s good,” he said with a laugh after the match. “It’s been a long time. In 2013 with Newell’s and one title with Barca. Now this. After several disappointments, above all two in the Copa America....

Jones was handed a suspension for a first-half tackle on Dallas forward Cristian Colman. The reckless tackle from behind at the time received a yellow card. WATCH: Pulisic gets goal and assist Romney’s suspension was for diving. The defender successfully feigned contact in the box to draw a second-half penalty, which Giovani dos Santos converted. It temporarily brought the Galaxy level with Dallas, though Dallas would go on to win the game....

MLB World Series champions the Astros dealt pitchers Joe Musgrove and Michael Feliz and third baseman Colin Moran to the Pirates in return for the 2015 All-Star. Prospect Jason Martin is also heading to Pittsburgh. Cole is coming off a career-worst ERA at 4.26 in 203 innings pitched, but he remains one of the hardest throwers in the game. The 27-year-old was the number one overall pick in 2011 by Pittsburgh and is twice a first-round pick as he was taken 28th overall by the New York Yankees in 2008....

TV COVERAGE: MLB will hold Day 1 of the draft at MLB Network’s Studio 42 in Secaucus, N.J. The draft will begin live on MLB Network and MLB.com at 7 p.m. ET. MLB Network will cover the first 75 picks of the draft. MLB DRAFT: Worst No. 1 picks | 2015 mock draft | Best players picked 1-50 | Live: Track the first round of the MLB draft Here is the order in which the teams will draft:Before the start of the draft, MLB Network will air a preview show, also simulcast on MLB....

Until MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announces each pick, trying to predict exactly which player will be selected in each spot is a near-impossible task, as teams weigh factors from player quality, signability, bonus pools and organizational needs. But The Sporting News is going to give it a shot anyway at picking the first 30 players to be taken off the board in this year’s draft, and to which teams....

The NL West-leading Dodgers host the Rockies at 4 p.m. ET Sunday, and MLB Network will simulcast the SportsNet LA’s production of the game. (The game will be blacked out in the Dodgers’ and Rockies’ home territories.) Scully, 88, announced this month that he wouldn’t be calling Dodgers postseason games, meaning Sunday’s game — scheduled for the day after “Vin Scully Appreciation Day” at Chavez Ravine — will be his last in L....

The Padres ended the Pirates’ seven-game win streak in walk-off fashion. MORE: Strasburg exits with injury | Curry spotted at Giants game Padres catcher Derek Norris blasted a grand slam off Rob Scahill in the bottom of the ninth to give San Diego a 6-2 win. Pirates starter Francisco Liriano was stellar, pitching six scoreless innings allowing three hits while striking out 11, but the Padres scored two runs in the seventh to tie the game at two before Norris ended it....

Check The Linemakers on Sporting News’ odds page for current baseball lines from Las Vegas. Toronto Blue Jays -115 (vs Chicago White Sox)Marco Estrada vs Jeff Samardzija The teams combined for 27 hits last night in a game won by the Jays 10-9. The pitching wasn’t great for either of the team’s starters or relievers. Pitching is definitely a question mark for both teams, something to think about when heading to the third game of the series....

And if everything breaks right, we’ll have chaos beyond Game 162. Four AL teams have a shot at those wild-card berths as they enter play Sunday. Sporting News takes you through the Sunday scenarios as the baseball drama cranks all the way up: AL wild card standings Where do they stand? The Red Sox and Yankees are tied for the top spot; the Blue Jays and Mariners are a game behind....

The Best. Team. Ever. ended what once looked like an all-time historic season with a 12-17 September and opened the door for National League rivals to feel they had a chance at a pennant most thought the Dodgers wrapped up in July. MORE: Three takeaways from Dodgers’ NLDS Game 3 win Celebrations of Cody Bellinger’s rookie season and potential MVP candidacy were forgotten as Pedro Baez couldn’t record an out....

The grounds crew quickly attempted to cover the field so it would remain dry once the rain stopped. MORE: ALDS photos | Playoff picks | Ranking the postseason players One member of the crew nearly gotten rolled up by the tarp. Luckily, he escaped unscathed and out of contention for being associated with Vince Coleman, the former Cardinals outfielder who was famously injured during the 1985 playoffs when an automatic tarp rolled over his leg during warmups....

We’ll get some things right and we’ll get some things wrong. But, ultimately, we’re just throwing things against the wall and hoping they stick — just like everyone else. It’s a lovely April tradition. MORE: The Sporting News’ 2022 MLB Opening Day Power Rankings Here are predictions for the 2022 MLB season from TSN’s panel of baseball experts. Ryan Fagan (@RyanFagan) American League races East: Blue JaysCentral: White SoxWest: AstrosWild cards: Rays, Yankees, Mariners MVP: Shohei Ohtani, AngelsCy Young: Dylan Cease, White SoxRookie of the Year: Julio Rodriguez, Mariners...