A look at what’s happening around the majors Saturday: ___ COUNT ’EM! Major League Baseball is full of huge numbers — 4,256 hits by Pete Rose, 511 wins for Cy Young, 2,632 consecutive games played by Cal Ripken Jr. Real soon, the sport will reach a big, round number: 20,000 total players. There had been 19,989 players in MLB history going into the weekend, according to baseballreference.com, boosted by Seattle rookies Jarred Kelenic and Logan Gilbert making their debuts Thursday night. The list that began in 1871 ranges from A to Z. First on the alphabetical chart is pitcher David Aardsma, who moved into the top spot ahead of Hank Aaron when he started out in 2004 for San Francisco. Aardsma’s last season was 2015 — that was the same year the player last on the list, pitcher Tony Zych, made his debut with the Mariners. Of all the nearly 20,000 players so far to get into at least one game, 266 have reached the Hall of Fame. Walter Alston played two innings in his only game in 1936 for the... [More]

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nolan Arenado homered against his former team, Adam Wainwright pitched three-hit ball into the ninth inning and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Colorado Rockies 2-0 on Sunday. Yadier Molina hit an RBI double and Ryan Helsley got Josh Fuentes to ground into a game-ending double play with the bases loaded for his second career save and first this season. St. Louis completed a three-game sweep and has won nine of 11 overall. Colorado dropped to a major league-worst 2-14 on the road. Wainwright (2-3) struck out five and walked three over 8 1/3 innings, improving to 11-1 against the Rockies. Arenado homered leading off the second against German Marquez (1-4), who allowed two runs — one earned — in six innings. St. Louis improved to 14-4 since April 23, the best record in the majors during that span. YANKEES 3, NATIONALS 2 NEW YORK (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton hit a game-ending single off Brad Hand in the ninth inning, and New York beat Washington for its second straight walk-off... [More]

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nolan Arenado homered against his former team, Adam Wainwright pitched three-hit ball into the ninth inning and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Colorado Rockies 2-0 on Sunday. Yadier Molina hit an RBI double and Ryan Helsley got Josh Fuentes to ground into a game-ending double play with the bases loaded for his second career save and first this season. St. Louis completed a three-game sweep and has won nine of 11 overall. Colorado dropped to a major league-worst 2-14 on the road. Wainwright (2-3) struck out five and walked three over 8 1/3 innings, improving to 11-1 against the Rockies. Arenado homered leading off the second against German Marquez (1-4), who allowed two runs — one earned — in six innings. St. Louis improved to 14-4 since April 23, the best record in the majors during that span. YANKEES 3, NATIONALS 2 NEW YORK (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton hit a game-ending single off Brad Hand in the ninth inning, and New York beat Washington for its second straight walk-off... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — San Diego Padres right-hander Chris Paddack was placed on the injured list Friday with what manager Jayce Tingler described only as “a medical condition.” Asked if it was related to COVID-19, Tingler said: “I cannot get into it. I wish I could give you details, I can’t. All I’ll say is it’s a medical condition.” The Padres did not specify if it was the 10-day injured list. Paddack (1-3, 5.40 ERA) last pitched on Tuesday at Arizona, taking a 5-1 loss after giving up five runs, three earned, and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. ___ More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DUNEDIN, Fla. (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit three home runs, including a grand slam and solo shot off Washington ace Max Scherzer, and had seven RBIs as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Nationals 9-5 on Tuesday night. Guerrero’s slam in the third put the Blue Jays ahead 4-3 and ended Scherzer’s scoreless streak at 19 innings. Guerrero made it 7-3 with his drive in the fifth and added a two-run, seventh-inning shot off Kyle Finnegan to complete his first three-homer game. Scherzer (1-2) joined Ivan Nova as the only pitchers to have allowed a homer to both Guerrero Jr. and his father, Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero. Scherzer allowed seven runs — five earned — and eight hits over five innings. Tommy Milone (1-0) was the winner. RAYS 4, ATHLETICS 3 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Brett Phillips hit a two-run homer in the sixth, helping send Oakland to its second loss in 16 games. Joey Wendle’s two-out single in the seventh tacked on another run for the Rays and ended Tampa Bay’s 0-for-26 stretch... [More]

DUNEDIN, Fla. (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit three home runs, including a grand slam and solo shot off Washington ace Max Scherzer, and had seven RBIs as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Nationals 9-5 on Tuesday night. Guerrero’s slam in the third put the Blue Jays ahead 4-3 and ended Scherzer’s scoreless streak at 19 innings. Guerrero made it 7-3 with his drive in the fifth and added a two-run, seventh-inning shot off Kyle Finnegan to complete his first three-homer game. Scherzer (1-2) joined Ivan Nova as the only pitchers to have allowed a homer to both Guerrero Jr. and his father, Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero. Scherzer allowed seven runs — five earned — and eight hits over five innings. Tommy Milone (1-0) was the winner. RAYS 4, ATHLETICS 3 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Brett Phillips hit a two-run homer in the sixth, helping send Oakland to its second loss in 16 games. Joey Wendle’s two-out single in the seventh tacked on another run for the Rays and ended Tampa Bay’s 0-for-26 stretch... [More]

DUNEDIN, Fla. (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit three home runs, including a grand slam and solo shot off Washington ace Max Scherzer, and had seven RBIs as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Nationals 9-5 on Tuesday night. Guerrero’s slam in the third put the Blue Jays ahead 4-3 and ended Scherzer’s scoreless streak at 19 innings. Guerrero made it 7-3 with his drive in the fifth and added a two-run, seventh-inning shot off Kyle Finnegan to complete his first three-homer game. Scherzer (1-2) joined Ivan Nova as the only pitchers to have allowed a homer to both Guerrero Jr. and his father, Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero. Scherzer allowed seven runs — five earned — and eight hits over five innings. Tommy Milone (1-0) was the winner. RAYS 4, ATHLETICS 3 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Brett Phillips hit a two-run homer in the sixth, helping send Oakland to its second loss in 16 games. Joey Wendle’s two-out single in the seventh tacked on another run for the Rays and ended Tampa Bay’s 0-for-26 stretch... [More]

SEATTLE (AP) — Julio Urías threw seven dominant innings of one-hit ball, striking out a career-high 11 and leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 1-0 win over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday. Corey Seager drove in the only run with a two-out single in the third inning after AJ Pollock’s leadoff double. Those were the Dodgers’ only hits in the game. Seattle’s lone hit against Urías (3-0) was Mitch Haniger’s slow infield single with two outs in the third inning. Victor González worked the eighth, and Kenley Jansen pitched a perfect ninth for his fourth save to complete the one-hittter. Gonzales (1-2) allowed two hits and struck out six. He retired the final 13 batters he faced. ATHLETICS 7, TWINS 0, 1ST GAME ATHLETICS 1, TWINS 0, 2ND GAME OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Matt Olson hit a grand slam and Mitch Moreland homered twice to back Sean Manaea’s shutout, and Jesús Luzardo followed with his own Game 2 gem as Oakland swept a doubleheader against depleted Minnesota. The Athletics have won 10 straight.... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Slumping slugger José Ramírez connected for a go-ahead, two-run homer off Lance Lynn in the sixth inning and the Cleveland Indians bounced back from being no-hit, beating the Chicago White Sox 4-2 on Thursday. After Carlos Rodón just missed a perfect game Wednesday night, there was a different kind of tension this time as the benches emptied in the bottom of the first. Adam Eaton singled and tried to advance when Indians right fielder Josh Naylor threw to third, hoping to get the lead runner. Eaton arrived ahead of the throw back to second, but was called out when his hand came off the bag while shortstop Andrés Giménez stood his ground and held the tag. Eaton grabbed Giménez’s leg, began barking and then pushed Giménez in the chest with two hands. Indians starter Aaron Civale plunked Eaton with a pitch in the upper arm in the third. Civale (3-0) allowed only a run — in the first — and five hits through six innings in his third straight strong start. Nick Wittgren and James... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Slumping José Ramírez connected for a go-ahead, two-run homer off Lance Lynn in the sixth inning and the Cleveland Indians bounced back from being no-hit, beating the Chicago White Sox 4-2 on Thursday. After Carlos Rodón just missed a perfect game Wednesday night, there was a different kind of tension this time as the benches emptied in the bottom of the first. Adam Eaton singled and tried to advance when Indians right fielder Josh Naylor threw to third, hoping to get the lead runner. Eaton arrived ahead of the throw back to second, but was called out when his hand came off the bag while shortstop Andrés Giménez stood his ground and held the tag. Eaton grabbed Giménez’s leg, began barking and then pushed Giménez in the chest with two hands. Indians starter Aaron Civale plunked Eaton with a pitch in the upper arm in the third. Civale (3-0) allowed only a run — in the first — and five hits through six innings in his third straight strong start. Nick Wittgren and James Karinchak... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Slumping José Ramírez connected for a go-ahead, two-run homer off Lance Lynn in the sixth inning and the Cleveland Indians bounced back from being no-hit, beating the Chicago White Sox 4-2 on Thursday. After Carlos Rodón just missed a perfect game Wednesday night, there was a different kind of tension this time as the benches emptied in the bottom of the first. Adam Eaton singled and tried to advance when Indians right fielder Josh Naylor threw to third, hoping to get the lead runner. Eaton arrived ahead of the throw back to second, but was called out when his hand came off the bag while shortstop Andrés Giménez stood his ground and held the tag. Eaton grabbed Giménez’s leg, began barking and then pushed Giménez in the chest with two hands. Indians starter Aaron Civale plunked Eaton with a pitch in the upper arm in the third. Civale (3-0) allowed only a run — in the first — and five hits through six innings in his third straight strong start. Nick Wittgren and James Karinchak... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit a 451-foot homer and pitched two-hit ball into the fifth inning in a historic two-way performance, and Jared Walsh hit a walkoff homer in the Los Angeles Angels’ 7-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday night. Walsh hit two homers, including a big three-run shot off Matt Foster to end the Angels’ third win over Chicago in their four-game, season-opening series. Ohtani reached another milestone in his unique career when he took the mound and occupied the No. 2 slot in the batting order for the Angels. He was just the third pitcher in 45 seasons to hit for himself in a game with the designated hitter available, and the first to bat second since Jack Dunleavy did it for the Cardinals in 1903. In the first inning alone, Ohtani both threw the hardest pitch by any starting pitcher in baseball this season and produced the hardest hit by any batter this season. Ohtani touched 101 mph with a fastball, and his first-pitch homer off Chicago’s Dylan... [More]

Alec Bohm hit a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning, Zach Eflin gave Philadelphia another strong start and the Phillies completed a three-game sweep of the defending NL East champion Atlanta Braves with a 2-1 win Sunday. Philadelphia’s starting trio of Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler and Eflin (1-0) surrendered three runs, 11 hits and one walk in 20 2/3 innings against an Atlanta lineup that led the majors in 2020 with 556 hits. The Phillies bullpen, which posted a 7.06 ERA in 2020, didn’t yield a run in 7 1/3 innings in the set. Philadelphia regained the lead in the eighth as Rhys Hoskins, Bryce Harper and Bohm hit consecutive singles off Chris Martin (0-1). Hector Neris got his first save. REDS 12, CARDINALS 1 Nick Castellanos came out swinging with his bat a day after being ejected for inciting a bench-clearing melee, hitting a three-run homer off Carlos Martinez (0-1) and triple to finish the series 6 for 11 with five RBIs. Tyler Naquin also a three-run shot for the Reds, who won two in... [More]

The Houston Astros received a positive update on left-hander Framber Valdez on the same day Forrest Whitley had season-ending surgery on his right elbow. Valdez met with Dr. Steven Shin in Los Angeles on Wednesday, and new images of the pitcher's fractured left ring finger showed significant healing, according to the team. Valdez is expected to continue his rehab at the team's facility in Florida, and there is no timetable yet for his return to the mound. The 27-year-old Valdez went 5-3 with a 3.57 ERA in 11 games last year, including 10 starts. He got hurt when struck by a comebacker while pitching against the Mets on March 2. Whitley's Tommy John surgery was performed by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas. He got hurt while throwing batting practice this spring training. The 23-year-old Whitley, one of Houston's top prospects, is expected to miss at least a year. He was selected by the Astros in the first round of the 2016 amateur draft. ACES APLENTY Aces Walker Buehler of the Los... [More]

A team-by-team look at the National League West entering spring training, including key players each club acquired and lost, and dates of the first workout for pitchers and catchers, and the full squad: ___ Los Angeles Dodgers Manager: Dave Roberts (sixth season). 2019: 43-17, first place, World Series champions. Training Town: Glendale, Arizona. Park: Camelback Ranch. First Workout: Feb. 18/23. He’s Here: RHP Trevor Bauer, RHP Tommy Kahnle, LHP Garrett Cleavinger. He’s Outta Here: 3B Justin Turner, RHP Pedro Báez, INF/OF Enrique Hernández, LF Joc Pederson, LHP Alex Wood, RHP Jimmy Nelson, OF Terrance Gore. Going campin’: After winning their first World Series title since 1988 during the pandemic-shortened season, the Dodgers are looking to repeat. They made a major splash just before spring training, signing Bauer a year after trading for Mookie Betts and David Price in February. The roster boasts an enviable three MVPs and three Cy Young Award winners, making the Dodgers the favorites... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — It turns out that Joe Musgrove was prescient when, at 18, he got a tattoo of a baseball with the San Diego Padres' logo in it, along with his last name and the year he was born. His grandmother chewed him out, telling the teenager he had no idea if the Padres would draft him out of Grossmont High in suburban El Cajon. They didn't. A decade later, though, it's all good. The big right-hander finally is a member of his hometown Padres, who obtained him Tuesday from the rebuilding Pittsburgh Pirates in a seven-player, three-team trade that also included the New York Mets. Musgrove had some fun with his grandmother Tuesday via FaceTime. “I said, ‘Remember how stupid you made me feel when I got this at 18? I told you it would play out,'“ the right-hander said in a videoconference with reporters. ”We had a cool little moment with that." Three teams and six seasons into his big league career, Musgrove will toe the rubber at Petco Park wearing the brown and gold of a Padres team... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Joe Musgrove grew up a San Diego Padres fan and now the right-hander gets to pitch for his hometown team, which in less than a month has remade itself into perhaps one of the best in the major leagues. The Padres brought Musgrove home Tuesday, adding yet another starting pitcher via a seven-player trade involving the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Mets. The Padres, who believe they can contend for the World Series title, sent major league reliever David Bednar and three prospects — outfielder Hudson Head, left-hander Omar Cruz and right-hander Drake Fellows — to the rebuilding Pirates. The Padres sent left-hander Joey Lucchesi to New York, and the Pirates got catcher Endy Rodríguez from the Mets. Musgrove, who played at Grossmont High in suburban El Cajon, California, joins a rotation that includes Yu Darvish and Blake Snell, who were obtained in blockbuster trades after Christmas, and Dinelson Lamet and Chris Paddack. The Padres are considering using a six-man rotation... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Yu Darvish found out things move fast when San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller is wheeling and dealing. The right-hander didn’t think he’d be traded away by the Chicago Cubs but was caught up in Preller’s vortex. Within the span of about 24 hours this week, the Padres obtained left-hander Blake Snell in a big deal with Tampa Bay, finalized a $28 million, four-year deal with South Korean slugger Kim Ha-seong, a deal that could be worth $34 million over five seasons if a a mutual option is excised and contains $1 million annually in performance bonuses. San Diego then obtained Darvish in another blockbuster deal. Darvish found out about it on social media. “When I woke up that morning I saw the Snell trade go down and I thought nothing’s going to happen,” Darvish said through an interpreter during a videoconference Thursday. “I wasn’t expecting the Padres to make another move but I was receiving phone calls within the hour and I found out on Twitter, yeah. “I wasn’t... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Yu Darvish found out things move fast when San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller is wheeling and dealing. The right-hander didn’t think he’d be traded away by the Chicago Cubs but was caught up in Preller’s vortex. Within the span of about 24 hours this week, the Padres obtained left-hander Blake Snell in a big deal with Tampa Bay, finalized a $28 million, four-year deal with South Korean slugger Kim Ha-seong, a deal that could be worth $34 million over five seasons if a a mutual option is excised and contains $1 million annually in performance bonuses. San Diego then obtained Darvish in another blockbuster deal. Darvish found out about it on social media. “When I woke up that morning I saw the Snell trade go down and I thought nothing’s going to happen,” Darvish said through an interpreter during a videoconference Thursday. “I wasn’t expecting the Padres to make another move but I was receiving phone calls within the hour and I found out on Twitter, yeah. “I wasn’t... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Yu Darvish found out things move fast when San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller is wheeling and dealing. The right-hander didn’t think he’d be traded away by the Chicago Cubs but was caught up in Preller’s vortex. Within the span of about 24 hours this week, the Padres obtained left-hander Blake Snell in a big deal with Tampa Bay, reportedly agreed to terms with Korean slugger Kim Ha-seong and then obtained Darvish in another blockbuster deal. Darvish found out about it on social media. “When I woke up that morning I saw the Snell trade go down and I thought nothing’s going to happen,” Darvish said through an interpreter during a videoconference Thursday. “I wasn’t expecting the Padres to make another move but I was receiving phone calls within the hour and I found out on Twitter, yeah. “I wasn’t expecting to be traded and obviously this happened in one single day so I was pretty shocked. Not in a bad way,” Darvish said. After running out of starting pitching during... [More]