JARED HUGHES

The NL Central has been home to baseball's most heated rivalries for more than a decade, with bench-clearing incidents, suspensions and hurt feelings.

The average Major League Baseball salary dropped for an unprecedented third straight year, even before the shortened season caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic. The average fell despite Gerrit Cole, Stephen Strasburg, Anthony Rendon and Christian Yelich all starting long-term contracts guaranteeing $215 million or more. The average Major League Baseball salary dropped for an unprecedented third straight year, even before the shortened season caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The players’ association calculated the 2020 average would have been $3.89 million if a full season had been played. Because the pandemic caused players to receive roughly 37% of pay last year, the actual average plunged to $1.59 million, its lowest since 1998.

Aaron Hicks lined a tying, two-run homer in the seventh, and Gio Urshela hit a game-ending single off Edwin Diaz an inning later. At 21 years, 103 days, Garca became the youngest pitcher to start in the majors in the abbreviated 60-game game season. GAME 1The Yankees trailed 7-2 with two outs in final inning of the seven-inning game before rallying against Jared Hughes and Diaz. The Mets added three runs in the sixth when Michael Conforto hit a two-run double and Pete Alonso was hit by a pitch. Yankees: RHP Gerrit Cole (4-1, 3.51) opens a three-game series against AL East leaders Tampa Bay.

Atlanta Braves pitcher Max Fried fields a ground ball by New York Mets' Jeff McNeil during the third inning of a baseball game Saturday, July 25, 2020, in New York. Ozuna, signed to an $18 million, one-year free agent deal in January, energized Atlanta's struggling offense with his opposite-field drive against Daz. Ozuna went with a 3-2 fastball just off the outside corner and roped it out to right field for his first home run with the Braves. McNeil countered with a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the fifth, but Daz couldn't make it stand. An All-Star with Seattle in 2018, Daz labored through a brutal 2019 with a 5.59 ERA and seven blown saves.

Puig agreed to a one-year deal pending a physical, a person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press. Glasnow re-joined the Rays on after missing the first 11 days of summer camp following his positive test. Outside of briefly losing his sense of taste and smell, the 26-year-old Glasnow said he didnt experience any noticeable symptoms of COVID-19. I had maybe really mild cold symptoms for maybe a day, Glasnow said, wearing a mask during a Zoom call. It would always be at a weird time of the day, and it had to be nobody there, Glasnow said.

Call it Pirates vs. Reds, round two - and a fitting farewell for Yasiel Puig. Four Pirates and four Reds were ejected in Pittsburgh's 11-4 win, including Puig, who was in the process of being traded. Reds manager David Bell faces a suspension for coming back onto the field and going after Pirates manager Clint Hurdle during the fracas. Puig prolonged the fight that started when Reds reliever Amir Garrett went toward the Pirates dugout and threw several punches. Puig was given a warm ovation from Reds fans as he left the field after his ejection, knowing he was headed to Cleveland.