MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Patrick Sandoval had his no-hit bid broken up with one out in the ninth inning on a soft double by rookie Brent Rooker and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Minnesota Twins 2-1 on Saturday night. Sandoval, a 24-year-old lefty who began the game with a 3-13 career record, struck out a career-high 13. There have already been seven no-hitters in the majors this season. The big league record of eight was set in 1884, the first year overhand pitching was permitted. The Twins hadn’t come close to a hit until Rooker, who fanned his first three times up, flared an opposite-field fly that fell just inside the line in right. Sandoval (3-4) smiled after the ball fell, retired the next batter and then was pulled after 108 pitches. He walked one and hit two. Closer Raisel Iglesias allowed an RBI double to Josh Donaldson before getting his 21st save in 25 chances. José Berríos (7-5) allowed two unearned runs in seven innings in perhaps his final start for Minnesota. ASTROS 4, RANGERS... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Astros lost their combined no-hit bid in the eighth when Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled to start the inning for the Texas Rangers. Framber Valdez needed 99 pitches to get through six innings and Bryan Abreu took over for the seventh. Ryne Stanek came on in the eighth and Kiner-Falefa smacked his second pitch into shallow center field for the hit. Center fielder Myles Straw sprinted in and dived to try and make the catch, but it bounced just in front of his glove. Andy Ibáñez reached on a fielding error by Carlos Correa to start the seventh when he bobbled his grounder and didn't attempt a throw to first. Abreu retired David Dahl on a fly out before striking out Charlie Culberson and Jose Trevino to end the inning. Valdez struggled with command on Saturday night and tied a career high by walking six batters. Four of his six walks came in the first two innings. He settled down after the second and retired 12 of his last 14 batters. The 27-year-old left-hander was making... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Framber Valdez of the Houston Astros is pitching a no-hitter through six innings against the Texas Rangers. Valdez struggled with command on Saturday night and tied a career high by walking six batters. Four of his six walks came in the first two innings. He settled down after the second and has retired 12 of his last 14 batters. He has thrown 99 pitches. The 27-year-old left-hander was making his 11th start of the season after missing almost two months after fracturing his left index finger in spring training. Valdez has struck out four and retired the rest on groundballs. The Rangers, who have lost a season-high 10 straight, have not hit a ball in the air through six innings. Valdez has appeared in 56 games with 34 starts in his career. He began the day with a 3.26 ERA and a 5-2 record this season. Jose Trevino hit a sharp ground ball with one out in the fifth that looked like it might get by shortstop Carlos Correa, but he spun to grab it. He bobbled it after the stop, but got it to first just before Trevino touched the bag. The Astros lead 3-0. ___ More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

WASHINGTON (AP) — Alcides Escobar homered in the eighth inning and hit a winning single in the ninth Sunday as the Washington Nationals wrapped up a disturbing weekend with an 8-7 win over the San Diego Padres. A day after the game was suspended in the sixth inning because of a shooting outside Nationals Park, the Padres completed a 10-4 victory. Washington then came back to end a six-game losing streak. Tres Barrera singled off Mark Melancon (2-2) with one out in the ninth and, after failing on a bunt attempt, Victor Robles was hit by pitch. Escobar hit a flyball that center fielder Trent Grisham couldn’t corral and Barrera scored. Brad Hand (5-2) earned the victory. Juan Soto joined Josh Harrison with three hits and added a two-run homer. Manny Machado, Eric Hosmer and Jackson Profar homered for the Padres. Nationals ace Max Scherzer allowed four runs on four hits in seven innings. He struck out eight. In the completion of Saturday's suspended game, Fernando Tatis Jr. had his third four-hit... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Alcides Escobar homered in the eighth inning and hit a winning single in the ninth Sunday as the Washington Nationals wrapped up a disturbing weekend with an 8-7 win over the San Diego Padres. A day after the game was suspended in the sixth inning because of a shooting outside Nationals Park, the Padres completed a 10-4 victory. Washington then came back to end a six-game losing streak. Tres Barrera singled off Mark Melancon (2-2) with one out in the ninth and, after failing on a bunt attempt, Victor Robles was hit by pitch. Escobar hit a flyball that center fielder Trent Grisham couldn’t corral and Barrera scored. Brad Hand (5-2) earned the victory. Juan Soto joined Josh Harrison with three hits and added a two-run homer. Manny Machado, Eric Hosmer and Jackson Profar homered for the Padres. Nationals ace Max Scherzer allowed four runs on four hits in seven innings. He struck out eight. In the completion of Saturday's suspended game, Fernando Tatis Jr. had his third four-hit... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Dusty Baker never felt quite right while navigating his first season as manager of the Houston Astros during last year’s pandemic-shortened campaign. “I felt like a substitute teacher,” Baker said. Now, halfway through his second season in Houston, he has settled in, and the Astros are tied for the second-best record in the American League as they come out of the All-Star break. “This year I feel like the teacher,” he said. “I feel like I’m one of them.” Baker was already playing catch-up in getting to know his team last season before the pandemic hit. He was hired only about two weeks before the start of spring training to replace A.J. Hinch, who was fired after being a suspended by Major League Baseball for a year for his role in the team’s sign-stealing scandal. “We had spring training, I was learning them, they were learning me and then we had the stoppage,” Baker said. “Then we had to come back right quick and then we only had 60 games and there wasn’t time for that... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Bryce Harper homered and tied a career high with five hits, Andrew McCutchen smacked a grand slam and the Philadelphia Phillies handed Chicago its 11th straight loss, beating the Cubs 15-10 on Tuesday night. Rhys Hoskins also went deep. The Phillies jumped on Jake Arrieta (5-9) and finished two shy of a season high with 16 hits. The Cubs extended their worst skid since they dropped 12 in a row in May 2012. Harper had a three-run homer and a season-high four RBIs. McCutchen smacked his third career grand slam and second this season. Jean Segura chipped in with four hits and four runs. Aaron Nola (6-5) went six innings, allowing four runs and six hits. He struck out eight and walked one. Arrieta matched the second-shortest start of his career, lasting just 1 2/3 innings in his second straight outing. He gave up seven runs, tying a season high, and six hits. Javier Báez hit two homers and Robinson Chirinos added a solo shot for the Cubs. ANGELS 5, RED SOX 3 ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP)... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Bryce Harper homered and tied a career high with five hits, Andrew McCutchen smacked a grand slam and the Philadelphia Phillies handed Chicago its 11th straight loss, beating the Cubs 15-10 on Tuesday night. Rhys Hoskins also went deep. The Phillies jumped on Jake Arrieta (5-9) and finished two shy of a season high with 16 hits. The Cubs extended their worst skid since they dropped 12 in a row in May 2012. Harper had a three-run homer and a season-high four RBIs. McCutchen smacked his third career grand slam and second this season. Jean Segura chipped in with four hits and four runs. Aaron Nola (6-5) went six innings, allowing four runs and six hits. He struck out eight and walked one. Arrieta matched the second-shortest start of his career, lasting just 1 2/3 innings in his second straight outing. He gave up seven runs, tying a season high, and six hits. Javier Báez hit two homers and Robinson Chirinos added a solo shot for the Cubs. ANGELS 5, RED SOX 3 ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP)... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Bryce Harper homered and tied a career high with five hits, Andrew McCutchen smacked a grand slam and the Philadelphia Phillies handed Chicago its 11th straight loss, beating the Cubs 15-10 on Tuesday night. Rhys Hoskins also went deep. The Phillies jumped on Jake Arrieta (5-9) and finished two shy of a season high with 16 hits. The Cubs extended their worst skid since they dropped 12 in a row in May 2012. Harper had a three-run homer and a season-high four RBIs. McCutchen smacked his third career grand slam and second this season. Jean Segura chipped in with four hits and four runs. Aaron Nola (6-5) went six innings, allowing four runs and six hits. He struck out eight and walked one. Arrieta matched the second-shortest start of his career, lasting just 1 2/3 innings in his second straight outing. He gave up seven runs, tying a season high, and six hits. Javier Báez hit two homers and Robinson Chirinos added a solo shot for the Cubs. ANGELS 5, RED SOX 3 ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP)... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Bryce Harper homered and tied a career high with five hits, Andrew McCutchen smacked a grand slam and the Philadelphia Phillies handed Chicago its 11th straight loss, beating the Cubs 15-10 on Tuesday night. Rhys Hoskins also went deep. The Phillies jumped on Jake Arrieta (5-9) and finished two shy of a season high with 16 hits. The Cubs extended their worst skid since they dropped 12 in a row in May 2012. Harper had a three-run homer and a season-high four RBIs. McCutchen smacked his third career grand slam and second this season. Jean Segura chipped in with four hits and four runs. Aaron Nola (6-5) went six innings, allowing four runs and six hits. He struck out eight and walked one. Arrieta matched the second-shortest start of his career, lasting just 1 2/3 innings in his second straight outing. He gave up seven runs, tying a season high, and six hits. Javier Báez hit two homers and Robinson Chirinos added a solo shot for the Cubs. PIRATES 2, BRAVES 1 PITTSBURGH (AP) —... [More]

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Bryan Reynolds drew a four-pitch walk from Tyler Matzek, forcing in the winning run in the ninth inning and giving the Pittsburgh Pirates a 2-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night and a three-game winning streak. Matzek (0-3) threw just eight of 20 pitches for strikes. Pittsburgh has won three in a row following a six-game losing streak. The Braves had won four of five before losing twice to the Pirates. Ke’Bryan Hayes hit a pair of doubles for the Pirates. Adam Frazier and Wilmer Difo also had two hits each. Orlando Arcia had two of the Braves’ five hits, including a home run. Richard Rodríguez (4-1) pitched a perfect ninth for the Pirates. ORIOLES 7, BLUE JAYS 5 BALTIMORE (AP) — Pedro Severino and Cedric Mullins homered off Steven Matz, Anthony Santander also went deep and Baltimore beat Toronto. Toronto hit three home runs, too, including No. 28 by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. All the homers came after Baltimore had taken a 7-1 lead. Matz (7-4) allowed six hits... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Zack Collins hit a tiebreaking homer in the sixth inning and the Chicago White Sox scored at least seven runs for the fourth straight game, beating the Minnesota Twins 8-5 on Thursday for a four-game sweep. Chicago got four runs off Minnesota’s bullpen after the Twins erased a 3-0 deficit. The AL Central-leading White Sox won their fourth straight after losing seven of nine. Collins broke a 4-4 tie when he hit a fastball from Jorge Alcala (1-3) into the left-center field bleachers. Jose Abreu drove in another run in the sixth, and Danny Mednick and Collins drove in two more in the seventh. Michael Kopech (3-0) pitched a scoreless sixth and Garrett Crochet struck out Miguel Sano to escape a bases-loaded jam in the seventh. BRAVES 4, METS 3 ATLANTA (AP) — Freddie Freeman singled home the winning run with a low line drive that deflected off reliever Seth Lugo in the ninth inning, Atlanta beat New York. Dominic Smith homered twice for the Mets, including a tying solo shot off... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Zack Collins hit a tiebreaking homer in the sixth inning and the Chicago White Sox scored at least seven runs for the fourth straight game, beating the Minnesota Twins 8-5 on Thursday for a four-game sweep. Chicago got four runs off Minnesota’s bullpen after the Twins erased a 3-0 deficit. The AL Central-leading White Sox won their fourth straight after losing seven of nine. Collins broke a 4-4 tie when he hit a fastball from Jorge Alcala (1-3) into the left-center field bleachers. Jose Abreu drove in another run in the sixth, and Danny Mednick and Collins drove in two more in the seventh. Michael Kopech (3-0) pitched a scoreless sixth and Garrett Crochet struck out Miguel Sano to escape a bases-loaded jam in the seventh. BRAVES 4, METS 3 ATLANTA (AP) — Freddie Freeman singled home the winning run with a low line drive that deflected off reliever Seth Lugo in the ninth inning, Atlanta beat New York. Dominic Smith homered twice for the Mets, including a tying solo shot off... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Zack Collins hit a tiebreaking homer in the sixth inning and the Chicago White Sox scored at least seven runs for the fourth straight game, beating the Minnesota Twins 8-5 on Thursday for a four-game sweep. Chicago got four runs off Minnesota’s bullpen after the Twins erased a 3-0 deficit. The AL Central-leading White Sox won their fourth straight after losing seven of nine. Collins broke a 4-4 tie when he hit a fastball from Jorge Alcala (1-3) into the left-center field bleachers. Jose Abreu drove in another run in the sixth, and Danny Mednick and Collins drove in two more in the seventh. Michael Kopech (3-0) pitched a scoreless sixth and Garrett Crochet struck out Miguel Sano to escape a bases-loaded jam in the seventh. ASTROS 7, INDIANS 2 CLEVELAND (AP) — José Altuve hit a grand slam to briefly quiet constant booing by Cleveland fans, Yordan Álvarez and Michael Brantley homered, and Houston snapped a four-game losing streak. Jeered from the moment he stepped into the batter’s... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks snapped their record 24-game road losing streak by routing the San Diego Padres 10-1 on Saturday night, getting six scoreless innings from Merrill Kelly and four hits and five RBIs from Eduardo Escobar. Escobar and Christian Walker homered for the Diamondbacks, who hadn’t won away from Chase Field since April 25, when Madison Bumgarner pitched seven no-hit innings at Atlanta. The Diamondbacks had dropped 20 of 21 games and 34 of 37 overall. Escobar connected for a two-run homer, and drove in runs with a double, a single and a groundout. He finished a triple shy of the cycle. Kelly (4-7) allowed five hits, struck out five and walked none. Dinelson Lamet (2-3) took the loss, allowing four runs and six hits in 2 1/3 innings. METS 4, PHILLIES 3 NEW YORK (AP) — Jacob deGrom gave up two runs for the first time this season and New York rallied after he exited, beating Philadelphia on Michael Conforto’s sacrifice fly in the ninth inning. DeGrom’s bid to... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Mets ace Jacob deGrom gave up two runs for the first time this season and New York rallied after he exited, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 Saturday on Michael Conforto’s sacrifice fly in the ninth inning. DeGrom’s bid to set the Mets record for the longest scoreless-inning streak fell just short. His run ended at 31 innings on rookie Nick Maton’s RBI single in the second — R.A. Dickey set the team shutout mark of 32 2/3 innings in 2012. DeGrom allowed three hits in six innings, striking out five and walking one while throwing 88 pitches, his most since tossing 93 against Boston on April 28 in a 1-0 loss. Edwin Diaz (2-1) earned the victory. Héctor Neris (1-5) took the loss. BLUE JAYS 12, ORIOLES 4 BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his major league-leading 26th home run, Teoscar Hernández and Randal Grichuk also connected and Toronto rolled past Baltimore. Guerrero homered during a four-run burst in the third inning that also included Bo Bichette’s RBI... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Mets ace Jacob deGrom gave up two runs for the first time this season and New York rallied after he exited, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 Saturday on Michael Conforto’s sacrifice fly in the ninth inning. DeGrom’s bid to set the Mets record for the longest scoreless-inning streak fell just short. His run ended at 31 innings on rookie Nick Maton’s RBI single in the second — R.A. Dickey set the team shutout mark of 32 2/3 innings in 2012. DeGrom allowed three hits in six innings, striking out five and walking one while throwing 88 pitches, his most since tossing 93 against Boston on April 28 in a 1-0 loss. Edwin Diaz (2-1) earned the victory. Héctor Neris (1-5) took the loss. BLUE JAYS 12, ORIOLES 4 BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his major league-leading 26th home run, Teoscar Hernández and Randal Grichuk also connected and Toronto rolled past Baltimore. Guerrero homered during a four-run burst in the third inning that also included Bo Bichette’s RBI... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Gio Urshela stayed in the game despite a shard of a broken bat hitting his right eye in the second inning and hit a go-ahead homer eighth as the New York Yankees rallied from a three-run deficit in a 7-5 victory Saturday that stopped the Oakland Athletics’ seven-game winning streak. Aroldis Chapman struck out Matt Chapman on a 103.4 mph pitch to strand two runners in the ninth for his 15th save. Urshela singled in New York’s first run in the fourth and put the Yankees ahead 5-4 in the eighth when he lifted a 98.6 mph fastball from Jesús Luzardo (2-4) into the netting above Monument Park in center. DJ LeMahieu added a two-run single against Sergio Romo. Chad Green (2-4) struck out the side in the eighth. PADRES 7, REDS 5 SAN DIEGO (AP) — Rookie Kim Ha-seong hit a tiebreaking, two-run home run with two outs in the eighth — three innings after he replaced injured star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. — and San Diego beat Cincinnati. Tatis left after apparently hurting his left... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Gio Urshela stayed in the game despite a shard of a broken bat hitting his right eye in the second inning and hit a go-ahead homer eighth as the New York Yankees rallied from a three-run deficit in a 7-5 victory Saturday that stopped the Oakland Athletics’ seven-game winning streak. Aroldis Chapman struck out Matt Chapman on a 103.4 mph pitch to strand two runners in the ninth for his 15th save. Urshela singled in New York’s first run in the fourth and put the Yankees ahead 5-4 in the eighth when he lifted a 98.6 mph fastball from Jesús Luzardo (2-4) into the netting above Monument Park in center. DJ LeMahieu added a two-run single against Sergio Romo. Chad Green (2-4) struck out the side in the eighth. PADRES 7, REDS 5 SAN DIEGO (AP) — Rookie Kim Ha-seong hit a tiebreaking, two-run home run with two outs in the eighth — three innings after he replaced injured star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. — and San Diego beat Cincinnati. Tatis left after apparently hurting his left... [More]

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ke’Bryan Hayes hastily missed first base and was called out after hitting a first-inning homer, sending Walker Buehler on his way to seven scoreless innings as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-3 Tuesday night. The Pirates star rookie stung an opposite-field line drive in the first inning against Buehler that narrowly cleared the right-field wall, just inside the foul pole. Running hard and with his eyes on the ball, Hayes missed touching first base with his left foot by two or three inches and kept on going. Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts challenged, and umpires overturned the call after a short video review. Buehler (5-0) retired his last 13 batters and had two hits to raise his career batting average to .124. He allowed two hits, struck out two and walked one while throwing 93 pitches. Pirates rookie JT Brubaker (4-5) shut out the Dodgers through four innings but did not make it out of the fifth, when Los Angeles scored three times. Kenley Jansen... [More]