MLB

While the Toronto Blue Jays' Josh Donaldson is clubbing his way toward the American League MVP Award, the field is starting to close in on the Washington Nationals' Bryce Harper for the National League's top honor.

From those two chases to the battles for the AL and NL Rookie of the Year trophies, there's still a lot left to be determined in the season's final five weeks. From this vantage point, the most competitive race of all appears to be the fight for the AL Comeback Player of the Year award, where players both young and old have played their way into the mix.

These are dark times in the nation's capital. And I mean baseball, not politics, which is saying something.

After a dispiriting loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday, the Washington Nationals sit at 66-65, 6.5 games back of the New York Mets in the National League East.

As if things were not going to be difficult enough. 

The Toronto Blue Jays added game-changing pieces to their roster before the non-waiver trade deadline, and a barrage of wins and a sprint up the American League East standings ensued. They have taken over the top spot with a behemoth offense and strong pitching staff, and it does not look like they are going to slow down anytime soon. 

The Miami Marlins are not having their best season. At 54-79, they sit one game out of last place in a weak National League East division, and it seems like changes are on the horizon, especially for manager Dan Jennings. 

Continue for updates.

Only a handful of no-hitters are thrown each year at the major league level, and should a team fall victim to one, morale can quickly plummet. While one team celebrates ecstatically, the other quietly saunters into an even quieter clubhouse.

The Boston Red Sox-New York Yankees rivalry doesn't have the same juice as it once did now that the Red Sox have been out of playoff contention for a while.

Still, Tuesday's matchup will pique attention in the battle of the Northeast.

This one means everything for the Yankees, which are trying to track down the red-hot Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East. Currently, they're one-and-a-half games behind Toronto in a race that's sure to go on until late September.

The Los Angeles Dodgers gave the San Francisco Giants fits for the second straight game in a 2-1 victory Tuesday night.

LA also increased its lead in the NL West to 5.5 games with the win.

As expected, this game was a pitcher's duel between two of the best in baseball. The Dodgers' Zack Greinke allowed five hits and one earned run while striking out five Giants. He is still undefeated in his career against San Francisco. 

First baseman Mark Teixeira has been a driving force behind the New York Yankees' high-powered offense this season, but the American League All-Star is now banged up at a critical time.

Continue for updates.

The Kansas City Royals have hit an unexpected bump in their road to a repeat World Series bid. Or, to be more accurate, several bumps.

Justin Verlander led the Detroit Tigers to a 6-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals. The right-hander gave up four runs (two earned) on seven hits in 6.2 innings.

The win gave the 32-year-old the 20th victory of his career against the Royals.

For Kansas City, Johnny Cueto's struggles continued. It became apparent early that Cueto’s command was off and the Tigers’ offense jumped on his mistakes. The ace gave up four earned runs on nine hits in six innings of work.