AROUND THE HORN
Padres: SS Fernando Tatis Jr. took live batting practice Thursday ahead of the Padres’ game in Pittsburgh, and manager Jayce Tingler said the team is “optimistic” he’ll be available for Friday’s game against the rival Dodgers. Tatis suffered a subluxation of his left shoulder during a swing April 5, his third reported issue with that shoulder in a span of 23 days. Subluxations often lead to surgery. But there are also cases when players can manage the ailment for a prolonged period of time. Tatis, 22, signed a 14-year, $340 million contract extension during the offseason . ... Manny Machado hit his third HR of the season and drove in three runs, Eric Hosmer added two hits and two RBIs and the Padres jumped on the Pirates early in an 8-3 win. The Padres scored four in the first and two in the second.
Twins, Red Sox: Max Kepler’s RBI single in the ninth gave the host Twins a 4-3 victory over the Red Sox — stopping a five-game losing streak for the Twins and breaking a nine-game winning string for the Red Sox. It was the Red Sox’s longest winning streak since a 10-game run in 2018, the season they won the World Series. The Twins avoided their first four-game sweep by the Red Sox in 21 years.
Mariners: Mitch Haniger became the first Mariners player to homer out of the leadoff spot in both ends of a doubleheader, hitting a tiebreaking drive in the second game that led the visitors over the Orioles 2-1 for a sweep. Haniger’s fifth-inning HR to left-center off broke a 1-all tie and gave him four HRs this season. J.P. Crawford hit a tiebreaking, two-run double in the sixth that lifted the Mariners to a 4-2 win in the opener — a fitting score for Jackie
Robinson Day. The Mariners have won five of their last six. The O’s have lost eight of 10.
Extra innings: The Giants placed RHP Johnny Cueto on the 10-day IL with a Grade 1 strained lat muscle. Cueto (2-0), 35, exited in the sixth inning of his start Wednesday against the Reds. ... Dansby Swanson’s RBI single with the bases loaded capped a two-run rally in the ninth and the Braves beat the visiting Marlins 7-6 to snap a four-game losing streak. The Marlins were trying for their first four-game sweep of the Braves . ... José Ramírez connected for a go-ahead, two-run HR off Lance Lynn in the sixth and the Indians bounced back from being no-hit the night before, beating the host White Sox 4-2. Aaron Civale (3-0) allowed only a run — in the first — and five hits through six innings in his third straight strong start. The 25-yearold right-hander struck out four, walked two and lowered his ERA to 2.18 . ... MLB suspended Cubs RHP Ryan Tepera three games for intentionally throwing at the Brewers’ Brandon Woodruff on Tuesday. Tepera also was fined. He appealed the decision. Cubs manager David Ross was suspended one game and fined. He will sit out Friday’s game against the Braves . ... A study by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) found MLB with slightly lower scores for racial and gender hiring than last year’s report but earning bonuses for social justice initiatives and hiring milestones. Researchers awarded bonus points for: the Marlins hiring Kim Ng as MLB’s first female GM, the move to reclassify the Negro Leagues as major leagues and the decision to pull the All-Star Game from Atlanta due to changes in Georgia’s laws that restrict voting rights