For the first time this season, we get a week full of Coors Field games. You'll want to load up on hitters from the Rockies, Angels and Brewers, while avoiding the pitchers in those matchups. Don't worry, though. Shohei Ohtani won't be facing the thin air of Colorado.Let's take a look at players that can help you long-term, as well as those who worth streaming this week to take advantage of good matchups.PLAYERS TO PICK UPTyson Ross, SP, San Diego (38 percent owned in Yahoo leagues) - Ross has looked like the Ross of old, as unlike Matt Harvey, his recovery from Thoracic Outlet Syndrome surgery has gone really well. The latest example came Tuesday night as he struck out nine batters over six innings, allowing one earned run and three walks. That's a typical Ross start. He's under-owned across the board, and has electric stuff that allows you to deal with the walks. He should be owned in all 12-team leagues.C.J. Cron, 1B, Tampa Bay (38 percent) - He's a streaky player that provides little... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Albert Pujols had a two-run double for his 2,999th career hit, and Luis Valbuena and Andrelton Simmons drove in three runs apiece in the Los Angeles Angels' 12-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday night.Pujols did not get a hit in his final three plate appearances after moving to the brink of the 3,000-hit club in the second inning. He gets another chance Friday in Seattle.Angels rookie right-hander Jaime Barria (2-1) took a no-hitter into the sixth inning of his third career start, finishing with six innings of four-hit ball.Manny Machado drove in two runs for the last-place Orioles, who have lost 15 of 18. Chris Tillman (1-5) recorded just three outs and was charged with seven runs.MARINERS 4, ATHLETICS 1SEATTLE (AP) — Dee Gordon had a big night on the bases, Nelson Cruz hit a two-run homer and the Mariners won their first game since Ichiro Suzuki was moved from the roster to the front office.Hours after the Mariners announced Suzuki's new role for the... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Aroldis Chapman struck out AL MVP Jose Altuve on three straight 101 mph fastballs with two on to end the game, and the New York Yankees got a key hit from rookie Gleyber Torres during a three-run rally in the ninth inning to seesaw past the Houston Astros 6-5 Thursday.The Yankees won a wild one to take three of four from the team that beat them in Game 7 of the AL Championship Series last October.New York took a 3-0 lead into the seventh, trailed 5-3 going into the ninth and let a bounced third strike give the Astros their final chance.Pinch hitter Evan Gattis fanned but reached on Chapman's two-out wild pitch, and George Springer followed with a single. Altuve went down swinging, giving Chapman his seventh save.Chasen Shreve (1-0) got the last two outs of the eighth for the win. Will Harris (1-2) got the loss.NATIONALS 3, PIRATES 1WASHINGTON (AP) — Trea Turner and Ryan Zimmerman homered in the sixth inning, helping Washington complete a four-game series sweep.Jeremy Hellickson... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland Indians right-hander Trevor Bauer believes baseball should allow pitchers to use sticky substances on the ball during games.The present rules that ban pitchers from doing so are rarely enforced, he said Wednesday. He added sticky substances increase movement on the ball and give pitchers an advantage.Bauer started a Twitter battle on Tuesday when he insinuated Houston Astros pitchers are using such substances to increase their spin rates. He addressed the issue before Wednesday's game against Texas."I want to make it abundantly clear and not mince words on it," he said. "I have no problem with any other organization in the league. None. Regarding the Astros. I think they do a great job of player development. I have no accusations against them at all. I've never made any. And I'm not accusing them of cheating."Bauer had no comment when asked if he has used a substance on the ball."We know how it affects spin rate and we know how spin rate affects outcomes and pitches... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Wilson Ramos went deep again and scored on Denard Span's inside-the-park homer, helping the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 12-6 on Saturday for their eighth consecutive victory.It's the longest win streak for Tampa Bay since taking nine in a row in July 2014. The resurgent Rays have won nine of 10 overall to move within one game of .500 at 12-13.Johnny Field and Carlos Gomez also connected for Tampa Bay, and Matt Duffy finished with four hits. Field's three-run drive in the ninth was his first career homer.Ramos belted a two-run shot in the third against David Price (2-3), extending his homer streak to three games.Boston lost for the fifth time in seven games. It also had to replace star outfielder Mookie Betts after the fourth inning due to tightness in his right hamstring.ASTROS 11, ATHLETICS 0HOUSTON (AP) — Lance McCullers threw seven sharp innings, Jose Altuve had four hits and Houston beat Oakland.Altuve hit a towering home run that left the ballpark and doubled.... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Wilson Ramos went deep again and scored on Denard Span's inside-the-park homer, helping the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 12-6 on Saturday for their eighth consecutive victory.It's the longest win streak for Tampa Bay since taking nine in a row in July 2014. The resurgent Rays have won nine of 10 overall to move within one game of .500 at 12-13.Johnny Field and Carlos Gomez also connected for Tampa Bay, and Matt Duffy finished with four hits. Field's three-run drive in the ninth was his first career homer.Ramos belted a two-run shot in the third against David Price (2-3), extending his homer streak to three games.Boston lost for the fifth time in seven games. It also had to replace star outfielder Mookie Betts after the fourth inning due to tightness in his right hamstring.ASTROS 11, ATHLETICS 0HOUSTON (AP) — Lance McCullers threw seven sharp innings, Jose Altuve had four hits and Houston beat Oakland.Altuve hit a towering home run that left the ballpark and doubled.... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The temperature was 32 degrees, the lowest for the start of a game in the 25-year history of Progressive Field, when starter Cleveland Mike Clevinger threw the first pitch to Kansas City's Jon Jay on Sunday.The previous record was 33 degrees for games against Toronto on April 5 and April 7, 1996.Neither club took batting practice, and players on both teams were bundled up when they came on the field. Several wore hoods under their caps to try and stay warm to combat the frigid conditions, which have been fairly common throughout Major League Baseball in the season's first two weeks.The Royals have already had two games postponed due to weather.Saturday's temperature was 34 at first pitch, and the game's only run came on Lucas Duda's seventh-inning homer off Trevor Bauer. The teams combined for nine hits and Royals starter Ian Kennedy said the ball felt like an ice cube before he rubbed it up.According to records kept by the Indians dating to 1970, the lowest game-time temperature at Municipal Stadium, the club's home on Lake Erie until 1993, was 32 degrees on April 7, 1979. Cleveland's Rick Waits pitched a one-hit shutout that day against Boston, with Jerry Remy getting the only Red Sox hit.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

BOSTON (AP) — Xander Bogaerts hit the first grand slam for Boston since the end of the 2016 season and drove in a career-best six runs to carry the Red Sox to a 10-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday for their seventh straight victory.J.D. Martinez and Rafael Devers homered for Boston, and Rick Porcello (2-0) pitched into the eighth inning.This is just the second time in franchise history that the Red Sox have lost their season opener and won the next seven. The other came in 1904 when Boston captured the AL pennant.The Rays have lost seven straight and are off to their worst start ever after rallying for a win at home over the Red Sox on opening day.Bogaerts hit a two-run double in Boston's four-run first. In the second, his second career slam completely left Fenway Park over the Green Monster and came after Jake Faria (0-1) walked the bases full.PHILLIES 20, MARLINS 1PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Maikel Franco and Aaron Altherr each hit a grand slam and Carlos Santana and Jorge Alfaro also... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Xander Bogaerts hit the first grand slam for Boston since the end of the 2016 season and drove in a career-best six runs to carry the Red Sox to a 10-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday for their seventh straight victory.J.D. Martinez and Rafael Devers homered for Boston, and Rick Porcello (2-0) pitched into the eighth inning.This is just the second time in franchise history that the Red Sox have lost their season opener and won the next seven. The other came in 1904 when Boston captured the AL pennant.The Rays have lost seven straight and are off to their worst start ever after rallying for a win at home over the Red Sox on opening day.Bogaerts hit a two-run double in Boston's four-run first. In the second, his second career slam completely left Fenway Park over the Green Monster and came after Jake Faria (0-1) walked the bases full.PHILLIES 20, MARLINS 1PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Maikel Franco and Aaron Altherr each hit a grand slam and Carlos Santana and Jorge Alfaro also... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Trevor Bauer felt the rules beat him before the Royals did.Bauer allowed Lucas Duda's homer on his first pitch in the seventh inning for the game's only run and Ian Kennedy pitched six shutout innings, leading Kansas City to a 1-0 win over the Cleveland Indians on Saturday in frigid, football-like weather conditions.Duda's shot off Bauer (0-1) was one of only three hits by Kansas City and a rare highlight as the teams survived nine innings with the temperature hovering around freezing.But afterward, Bauer complained that he didn't have enough time to warm up following the sixth inning. In an attempt to speed up play this season, Major League Baseball has cut the time between innings from 2 minutes, 25 seconds to 2:05."First pitch of the inning, coming out, I tried to get loose, but with the new (Commissioner) Rob Manfred time (nonsense) we have only a certain amount of time between innings, it's hard to get loose sometimes, especially in conditions like that. It's not safe,... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Lucas Duda homered off Trevor Bauer for the game's only run and Ian Kennedy pitched six shutout innings, leading the Kansas City Royals to a 1-0 win over the Cleveland Indians on Saturday in frigid, football-like weather conditions.Duda's shot in the seventh off Bauer (0-1) was one of only three hits by Kansas City and a rare highlight as the teams survived nine innings with the temperature hovering around freezing.Kennedy (1-0) allowed four hits, walked none and struck out eight. The right-hander was only in trouble once, but worked out of the sixth-inning jam. Blaine Boyer and Justin Grimm pitched an inning apiece before closer Kelvin Herrera worked a perfect ninth for his second save.The temperature was 34 at gametime, one degree above the coldest start to a game in the 25-year history of Progressive Field. Players on both teams bundled up, with several wearing hoods under their caps to try and stay warm.Bauer matched Kennedy and then some, giving up just three hits... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Talk about carrying some baggage into the season.Kansas City will be without Salvador Perez for up to six weeks after the star catcher sprained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee while carrying a suitcase up some stairs in his home.The injury occurred Tuesday night, when the Royals returned to Kansas City from spring training. The five-time All-Star heard a "pop" and immediately called Royals trainer Nick Kenney, who advised Perez to ice the knee and come in for an MRI exam Wednesday.The exam revealed a Grade 2 sprain with a minor tear of the ligament.No surgery is required, and recovery can be as little as four weeks. But the freak injury leaves the Royals without one of their top hitters when they open against the White Sox on Thursday."Hopefully," Royals manager Ned Yost said, "it's shorter than longer."Perez was wearing a bulky black brace on his knee when he arrived at Kauffman Stadium for the club's final preseason workout Wednesday. Later, he... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez has been on Kansas City Royals teams that were picked to lose 90 games, finish last in the AL Central and struggle so much that a total rebuild would have been apropos.Matter of fact, a lot like this one.But those teams usually exceeded expectations, winning the AL pennant one year and the World Series the next, before starting to backtrack. And the veteran catcher with the quick smile and quicker throw to second base believes the Royals can do the same thing this season.They'll start that chase on opening day against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday."It happens every year. Nobody believes in Kansas City. That's what I saw on my internet, the social (media)," said Perez, who will begin the season on the disabled list after sustaining a freak knee injury while carrying a suitcase up some stairs in his home Tuesday night."We need to come play hard," Perez said, "and see what happens after the last out."The Royals and White Sox both have high hopes,... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Talk about carrying some baggage into the season.Kansas City will be without Salvador Perez for up to six week after the star catcher sprained the medial collateral in his left knee while carrying a suitcase up some stairs in his home.The injury occurred Tuesday night, when the Royals returned to Kansas City from spring training. The five-time All-Star heard a "pop" and immediately called Royals trainer Nick Kenney, who advised Perez to ice the knee and come in for an MRI exam on Wednesday.The exam revealed a Grade 2 sprain with a minor tear of the ligament.No surgery is required, and recovery can be as little as four weeks. But the freak injury leaves the Royals without one of their top hitters when they open against the White Sox on Thursday."Hopefully," Royals manager Ned Yost said, "it's shorter than longer."Perez was wearing a bulky black brace on his knee when he arrived at Kauffman Stadium for the club's final preseason workout Wednesday. Later, he told reporters... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez has been on Kansas City Royals teams that were picked to lose 90 games, finish last in the AL Central and struggle so much that a total rebuild would have been apropos.Matter of fact, a lot like this one.But those teams usually exceeded expectations, winning the AL pennant one year and the World Series the next, before starting to backtrack. And the veteran catcher with the quick smile and quicker throw to second base believes the Royals can do the same thing this season.They'll start that chase on opening day against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday."It happens every year. Nobody believes in Kansas City. That's what I saw on my internet, the social (media)," Perez said. "We need to come play hard and see what happens after the last out."The Royals and White Sox both have high hopes, even if nobody else does.Kansas City lost star first baseman Eric Hosmer and outfielder Lorenzo Cain as free agents, and big questions remain elsewhere in the lineup.... [More]

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Eight days before opening day, Jake Arrieta made his first appearance for the Philadelphia Phillies."I had a ton of nervous energy," Arrieta said Thursday after allowing two runs that included Miguel Cabrera's solo homer during a 6-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers.Arrieta struck out two and walked none, throwing 31 pitches over two innings. He gave up three hits."Very anxious to get out there," the 32-year-old right-hander said. "I was in here at 8, and I couldn't stop moving. But now that's over, I can kind of take a deep breath and remember what it feels like to be in a game situation. Umpires, crowd, and it felt great."Arrieta and the Phillies finalized a $75 million, three-year contract on March 12, a deal that could be worth up to $135 million over five seasons.Detroit starter Matthew Boyd and Philadelphia relievers Parker Frazier and Pedro Beato were ejected along with Philadelphia manager Gabe Kapler and bench coach Rob Thomson as three batters were hit by pitches.ELSEWHERE... [More]

Capsules of American League Central teams, listed in order of finish last year:___Cleveland Indians2017: 102-60, first place, lost to Yankees in ALDS.Manager: Terry Francona (sixth season).He's Here: 1B-DH Yonder Alonso, LF Rajai Davis, RHP Alexi Ogando.He's Outta Here: 1B Carlos Santana, OF Jay Bruce, RHP Bryan Shaw, RHP Joe Smith, OF Austin Jackson, LHP Boone Logan.Projected Lineup: SS Francisco Lindor (.273, 33 HRs, 89 RBIs, 44 2Bs, 15 SBs, 10 errors), 2B Jason Kipnis (.232, 12 HRs, 35 RBIs in 90 games), 3B Jose Ramirez (.318, 29, 83, AL-leading 56 2Bs), DH Edwin Encarnacion (.258, 38, 107), 1B Yonder Alonso (.266, career-high 28 HRs, 67 RBIs with Athletics and Mariners), RF Lonnie Chisenhall (.288, 12, 53 in 82 games), C Roberto Perez (.207, 8, 38, club went 44-22 in his starts) or Yan Gomes (.232, 14, 56), CF Bradley Zimmer (.241, 8, 39, 18 SBs, 0 errors), LF Michael Brantley (.299, 9, 52 in 90 games) or Rajai Davis (.235, 5, 20, 29 SBs with Oakland and Boston).Rotation: RH Corey Kluber... [More]

Capsules of American League East teams, listed in order of finish last year:___Boston Red Sox2017: 93-69, first place, lost to Houston in ALDS.Manager: Alex Cora (first season).He's Here: DH J.D. Martinez.He's Outta Here: Manager John Farrell, RHP Doug Fister, OF Chris Young, RHP Addison Reed, OF Rajai Davis, LHP Henry Owens, LHP Fernando Abad.Projected Lineup: RF Mookie Betts (.264, 24 HRs, 102 RBIs), LF Andrew Benintendi (.271, 20, 90), 1B Hanley Ramirez (.242, 23, 62) or Mitch Moreland (.246, 22, 79), DH J.D. Martinez (.303, 45, 104 with Tigers and Diamondbacks), 3B Rafael Devers (.284, 10, 30 in 58 games), SS Xander Bogaerts (.273, 10, 62), CF Jackie Bradley Jr. (.245, 17, 63), C Christian Vazquez (.290, 5, 32) or Sandy Leon (.225, 7, 39), 2B Eduardo Nunez (.313, 12, 58, 24 SBs with Giants and Red Sox) or Dustin Pedroia (.293, 7, 62, .369 OBP in 105 games, expected to be out until late May following knee surgery).Rotation: LH Chris Sale (17-8, 2.90 ERA, MLB-best 308 Ks, MLB-high 214... [More]

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Right-hander Clay Buchholz is the Kansas City Royals' latest reclamation pitching project.The two-time All-Star and the Royals have finalized a minor league contract on Tuesday, and he would get a $1.5 million, one-year deal if added to the 40-man roster. The 32-year-old could earn $250,000 in performance bonuses: $25,000 per start from 10-19.Ryan Madson and Joe Blanton are among the pitchers who revived their careers with the Royals."It's just depth," manager Ned Yost said. "He pitched seven innings last year. He could bounce back like like Madson and Blanton did, two big bounce-back guys. We don't know. We'll just see how it plays out."Drafted by Boston with the 42nd overall pick in 2006, Buchholz made his debut in August 2007 and pitched a no-hitter against Baltimore in his second big league appearance. He was 81-61 in 10 seasons with the Red Sox and made four starts without a decision in the 2013 postseason as Boston won its third World Series title in a decade.Buchholz... [More]

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Right-hander Clay Buchholz is the Kansas City Royals' latest reclamation pitching project.The two-time All-Star and the Royals have finalized a minor league contract on Tuesday, and he would get a $1.5 million, one-year deal if added to the 40-man roster. The 32-year-old could earn $250,000 in performance bonuses: $25,000 per start from 10-19.Ryan Madson and Joe Blanton are among the pitchers who revived their careers with the Royals."It's just depth," manager Ned Yost said. "He pitched seven innings last year. He could bounce back like like Madson and Blanton did, two big bounce-back guys. We don't know. We'll just see how it plays out."Drafted by Boston with the 42nd overall pick in 2006, Buchholz made his debut in August 2007 and pitched a no-hitter against Baltimore in his second big league appearance. He was 81-61 in 10 seasons with the Red Sox and made four starts without a decision in the 2013 postseason as Boston won its third World Series title in a decade.Buchholz... [More]