Community Picks: Chicago Cubs 0% vs Miami Marlins 0%

June 24 (Gracenote) - Standings from the MLB on Thursday AMERICAN LEAGUEEASTERN DIVISION W L PCT GB 1. Baltimore 41 30 .577 - 2. Boston 40 32 .556 1 1/2 3. Toronto 40 34 .541 2 1/2 4. NY Yankees 35 36 .493 6 5. Tampa Bay 31 39 .443 9 1/2 CENTRAL DIVISION W L PCT GB 1. Cleveland 41 30 .577 - 2. Kansas City 38 33 .535 3 3. Detroit 38 35 .521 4 4. Chicago White Sox 36 37 .493 6 5. Minnesota 23 49 .319 18 1/2 WESTERN DIVISION W L PCT GB 1. Texas 47 26 .644 - 2. Houston 37 36 .507 10 3. Seattle 36 37 .493 11 4. LA Angels 31 42 .425 16 5. Oakland 30 42 . ... Continue to Article

June 24, 2016 2:04:am EST

There's really only one of two ways this can end for the Chicago Cubs this year. Or they can become the baseball version of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers, ending an epic championship drought. With the Cubbies' history -- most of it bad -- the smart money is on them coming up short again. Continue to Article

June 23, 2016 11:32:pm EST

Giancarlo Stanton was the target of his teammates' postgame celebration for a change Thursday, and afterward he stood at his locker with shaving cream in his hair, on the side of his face and even under his chin. Stanton homered in the fourth inning and singled home the go-ahead run with two outs in the eighth, helping the Miami Marlins send the Chicago Cubs to their fourth consecutive defeat, 4-2. Stanton's two hits hiked his average to a still-woeful .216, and he has been even worse in clutch situations. Continue to Article

June 23, 2016 11:11:pm EST

Javier Baez is proving to be one heck of a utility player for the Chicago Cubs. The former top prospect would probably be a full-time starter on most teams, but is relegated to a backup role with Chicago.  Despite the reduced playing time, Baez has still been able to produce some incredible plays. He's smashed walk-off home runs, pulled off impressive slides and even excelled in the field.  Baez's expertise in the field was once again on display during Thursday's contest against the Miami Marlins. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Baez nearly pulled off one of the most incredible diving plays we've ever seen. With two outs in the inning, Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto hit a ground ball toward the hole between third and short. Baez, who was playing third, ranged to his left and attempted to slide in order to get his glove on the ball.  The ball took a bounce at the last minute, and instead of gloving it cleanly, Baez managed to deflect the ball straight up in the air. As his slide continued, Baez kept his eyes on the ball, snagged it with his bare-hand and fired to first base. At first, it looked as if he had actually made the play. The umps ruled Realmuto out on the play, and it seemed as though Baez had just made one of the best web gems of the season. [ Join a Yahoo Daily Fantasy Baseball contest now ] That wasn't the case. Replays revealed Realmuto had beaten the throw and he was eventually ruled safe. Realmuto runs fairly well for a catcher. He stole eight bases last season and has already swiped three bags this year. It's definitely possible that Baez' throw would have nailed nearly every other catcher in the league. In this case, he had the misfortune of going up against one of the few catchers who has wheels.  The fact that Baez didn't get the out probably ruins this play in the eyes of some, but what he was able to do was incredibly impressive. How many fielders come close to getting the runner there? How much body control and coordination do you have to have in order to stay with that ball and even have a shot at the out? He may not have made the play, but we're still impressed. If Baez continues to pull off highlight-level plays in limited time, you have to wonder whether he can work his way into a larger role, even though he's a member of the stacked Cubs. More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports: - - - - - - - Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik Continue to Article

June 23, 2016 11:06:pm EST