Cody Bellinger had a game to remember as the red-hot Los Angeles Dodgers used a devastating first inning to crush the St Louis Cardinals 14-3.
Dodgers star Bellinger hit a grand slam and finished with six RBIs for the MLB World Series champions, who routed the Cardinals thanks to 11 runs in the opening inning on Wednesday.
The 11-run first inning marked the Dodgers' highest-scoring inning in regular-season play since the franchise relocated to Los Angeles in 1958.
Bellinger fuelled the Dodgers, firstly by scoring a two-run single to give the team a 3-1 lead before hitting his sixth career grand slam.
He became the first Dodgers player to drive in six-plus runs in one inning since the team's move to LA.
Cubs conquer Padres
Javier Baez's two-run homer guided the Chicago Cubs to a comprehensive 6-1 victory over the San Diego Padres for a three-game series sweep.
Yan Gomes hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning as the Washington Nationals overcame the Atlanta Braves 5-3. Juan Soto's two-run homer in the fifth gave the Nationals a 3-1 advantage. Since 2018, Soto has the most home runs (12) of 430-plus feet by a Nationals player.
Flexen endures difficult outing
Chris Flexen struggled as the Seattle Mariners were blanked 6-0 by the Oakland Athletics. Seattle starter Flexen conceded a two-run double and finished with seven hits, five runs and a homer against his name through six innings.
As the Dodgers celebrated a monster inning, Cardinals ace Carlos Martinez could not leave the field soon enough. He went two-thirds of an inning, facing 12 batters as he allowed 10 runs on six hits with four walks and a strikeout.
Blue Jays complete comeback in walk-off fashion
The Toronto Blue Jays rallied with three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to top the Miami Marlins 6-5. Joe Panik's sacrifice fly allowed Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to score the winning run after Bo Bichette had levelled proceedings with a two-run triple.
Wednesday's results
Chicago Cubs 6-1 San Diego Padres
New York Mets 7-6 Arizona Diamondbacks
Baltimore Orioles 6-3 Minnesota Twins
New York Yankees 4-3 Tampa Bay Rays
Toronto Blue Jays 6-5 Miami Marlins
Washington Nationals 5-3 Atlanta Braves
Houston Astros 2-1 Boston Red Sox
Colorado Rockies 6-3 Texas Rangers
Los Angeles Dodgers 14-3 St Louis Cardinals
Oakland Athletics 6-0 Seattle Mariners
Philadelphia Phillies-Cincinnati Reds (postponed)
Chicago White Sox-Cleveland Indians (postponed)
Tigers at White Sox
The lowly Detroit Tigers (23-32) will visit the high-flying White Sox (33-22) on Thursday. In an all-American League (AL) Central showdown, leaders the White Sox will look to snap a two-game skid with Dallas Keuchel on the mound. Casey Mize starts for the Tigers.
Packers want Rodgers back: 'We're all on the same page'
The Green Bay Packers' key decision-makers are united in their bid to bring Aaron Rodgers back next year, Matt LaFleur says.
Rodgers' future will again be debated after the Packers' season ended on Saturday with defeat to the San Francisco 49ers.
The 2020 NFL MVP pushed for a move away from Green Bay last year before eventually returning and enjoying another stellar campaign.
But the Super Bowl once again proved beyond Rodgers, who has not returned to the big game since the Packers' title triumph in February 2011.
Rodgers is 7-9 in the postseason in that time and, despite himself underwhelming in the loss to the 49ers, might now wonder if this team will ever get over the hump.
The Packers, for their part, want Rodgers to come back.
LaFleur confirmed on Monday his desire to have the QB return was shared by the rest of the organisation, despite the saga surrounding his future at the start of the season.
"Every conversation that I've been involved in with Gutey [Brian Gutekunst, general manager] and Russ [Ball, director of football operations] and Mark [Murphy, team president], we're all on the same page there," the coach said. "There's no debate."
LaFleur added of Rodgers: "I want to be respectful of his process, whatever he needs to go through to make the best decision for himself.
"And certainly we would love for him to be a Packer and be a Packer to the day he decides to retire."
Rodgers has played 213 games for the Packers, throwing 449 touchdown passes – ranking fifth all time in the NFL and first for Green Bay, ahead of Brett Favre (442).
Davis 'probable' for Lakers-Nets following MCL sprain
The Los Angeles Lakers are set to welcome Anthony Davis back from injury against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday.
Davis has been upgraded to probable for the game at Barclays Center, having been out for almost six weeks with an MCL sprain.
The return of the eight-time NBA All-Star boosts a Lakers team toiling at 23-24 in eighth place in the West.
Davis has played just 27 games this season and only 15 alongside LeBron James.
Despite LA's poor stretch, which began with Davis in the team, going 13-14 with him in the lineup, James has excelled.
In 20 games without Davis this year, James has averaged 32.7 points, taking on added responsibility with third man Russell Westbrook struggling.
The Lakers will hope both Davis and the rest of the team can now rediscover their best form to recover a title push this season.
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