Out of nowhere, the Houston Astros got a huge head start on October.On a dizzying day that featured two dozen trades, the Astros pulled off the biggest and most startling deal, adding ace Zack Greinke to an imposing rotation already loaded with All-Stars Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole.Plenty of familiar names were on the go Wednesday — Shane Greene and Mark Melancon boosted the Braves' bullpen, with Scooter Gennett, Jesús Aguilar, Mike Leake and Tanner Roark among those also moving.But it was the Astros' acquisition of Greinke from Arizona for four minor leaguers that quickly became the talk of baseball. The deal came right before the deadline for swapping players to still have them eligible for the postseason."We had him high on our list and we didn't know this was even remotely possible and it really wasn't until the last 48 hours and really the last 24 hours that we started to get traction on something," Houston general manager Jeff Luhnow said.The AL West leaders and 2017 World Series... [More]

The Latest on Major League Baseball's trade deadline (all times Eastern):6:40 p.m.The Los Angeles Angels have acquired catcher Max Stassi from the Houston Astros in exchange for minor-league outfielders Rainier Rivas and Raider Uceta.Stassi, who has played in parts of seven seasons with the Astros, is batting .167 with a home run and three RBIs in 31 games this season. General manager Billy Eppler said the move was more about adding catching depth and Stassi's strength behind the plate. According to MLB Statcast, Stassi is the second-best pitch framer in the AL with a 54.1% strike rate.Catcher Dustin Garneau was designated for assignment before Wednesday's game against the Detroit Tigers..___5:55 p.m.Mike Minor will make his scheduled start for the Rangers after the trade deadline passed with the All-Star lefty still in Texas.Hunter Pence, the All-Star designated hitter, is also still with his hometown team and in the lineup Wednesday night when Minor and the Rangers play the Seattle Mariners,... [More]

The Latest on Major League Baseball's trade deadline (all times Eastern):5:55 p.m.Mike Minor will make his scheduled start for the Rangers after the trade deadline passed with the All-Star lefty still in Texas.Hunter Pence, the All-Star designated hitter, is also still with his hometown team and in the lineup Wednesday night when Minor and the Rangers play the Seattle Mariners, an AL West rival that traded three pitchers Wednesday.Rangers general manager Jon Daniels says his team, which has dropped a game under .500, explored a lot of different options."There were a couple of things that got close later today that I thought might come to fruition, but ultimately it didn't line up for one side or the other," Daniels said, without getting into specifics.Minor, who is signed with the Rangers through next season, drew interest from teams looking to boost their rotations.Daniels said the Rangers weren't going to force a deal, and that the future options could include Minor pitching in Texas... [More]

The Latest on Major League Baseball's trade deadline (all times Eastern):5:25 p.m.The Chicago Cubs acquired outfielder Nicholas Castellanos from the Detroit Tigers for two minor league pitchers.The 27-year-old Castellanos hit .273 with 11 home runs and 37 RBIs for Detroit this season. He's played third base and in the outfield during his career and has been considered a liability defensively, but Castellanos gives Chicago a productive bat against left-handed pitching.Detroit received right-handers Paul Richan and Alex Lange.Castellanos is tied for the major league lead with 37 doubles. He has a .347 average and a 1.026 OPS this year in 72 at-bats against lefties.___5:20 p.m.Milwaukee has acquired left-hander Drew Pomeranz and righty Ray Black from the San Francisco Giants for infield prospect Mauricio Dubon.Also Wednesday, San Francisco obtained second baseman Scooter Gennett from the Reds for a player to be named. Cincinnati will send cash to the Giants to cover part of Gennett's $9,775,000... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — Tanner Roark was on the road headed to Atlanta for the Cincinnati Reds' next series when he stopped to get something to eat and learned that he'd be going in a much different direction.The playoff-contending Oakland Athletics acquired Roark on Wednesday, filling out a rotation that also could have left-hander Sean Manaea back soon.Oakland sent outfield prospect Jameson Hannah to Cincinnati. The Reds are sending Oakland $2.1 million to offset much of the $3,225,806 remaining in Roark's $10 million salary.The trade was announced about an hour before the deadline for making deals. The A's began the day a half-game out of the second AL wild-card spot.Roark lasted a season-low 3 1/3 innings during Cincinnati's 11-4 loss to the Pirates on Tuesday. He is 6-7 in 21 starts with a 4.24 ERA and can become a free agent after the season, which left him a candidate for a midseason trade."I knew coming into the season that this was a possibility," Roark said. "That's how the game is.... [More]

The Latest on Major League Baseball's trade deadline (all times Eastern):4:35 p.m.The Los Angeles Dodgers added infielder Jedd Gyorko, acquiring him from the St. Louis Cardinals for left-hander Tony Cingrani and minor league righty Jeffry Abreu. The Dodgers also receive international cap space and cash considerations.The 30-year-old Gyorko has been on the injured list since June 8 with back and right wrist issues. He's hitting .196 on the season.Cingrani is also out following left shoulder surgery and hasn't pitched this season.The Dodgers entered the day with a 70-39 record, easily the best mark in the National League.___4:15 p.m.The Washington Nationals tried to upgrade their bullpen, acquiring relievers Roenis Elias and Hunter Strickland from Seattle and Daniel Hudson in a trade with Toronto.The Mariners received a trio of minor league pitchers from the Nationals — left-handers Taylor Guilbeau and Aaron Fletcher and right-hander Elvis Alvarado. Washington sent minor league right-hander... [More]

The Latest on Major League Baseball's trade deadline (all times Eastern):4:15 p.m.The Washington Nationals tried to upgrade their bullpen, acquiring relievers Roenis Elias and Hunter Strickland from Seattle and Daniel Hudson in a trade with Toronto.The Mariners received a trio of minor league pitchers from the Nationals — left-handers Taylor Guilbeau and Aaron Fletcher and right-hander Elvis Alvarado. Washington sent minor league right-hander Kyle Johnston to Toronto for Hudson, who can become a free agent at the end of the season.Elias has been Seattle's primary closer for the majority of the season after Strickland suffered a lat strain in the opening week and missed several months. Strickland has appeared in just four major league games this season.Elias has appeared in 44 games and was 4-2 with a 4.40 ERA and 14 saves for Seattle.The 32-year-old Hudson went 6-3 with a 3.00 ERA and two saves in 45 games for the Blue Jays.___4:10 p.m.The Yankees got a pitcher at the deadline — for one... [More]

The Latest on Major League Baseball's trade deadline (all times Eastern):3:50 p.m.The Philadelphia Phillies bolstered their outfield by acquiring veteran Corey Dickerson from the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash and a player to be named.Dickerson, who could become a free agent at the end of the season, hit .317 with four home runs and 25 RBIs for the Pirates. The 30-year-old missed most of the first half of the season with a strained throwing shoulder.The Pirates acquired Dickerson from Tampa Bay on the eve of the 2018 regular season. Dickerson responded by hitting .300 with 13 home runs and 55 RBIs. He also won his first career Gold Glove for his play in left field.Pittsburgh's fade from contention after the All-Star break and the rise of young outfielder Bryan Reynolds in Dickerson's absence made him expendable for a team now looking toward 2020 and beyond.___3:25 p.m.The playoff-contending Oakland Athletics have acquired starter Tanner Roark from the Cincinnati Reds, filling out a rotation... [More]

The Latest on Major League Baseball's trade deadline (all times Eastern):3:25 p.m.The playoff-contending Oakland Athletics have acquired starter Tanner Roark from the Cincinnati Reds, filling out a rotation that also could have left-hander Sean Manaea back soon.Oakland dealt outfield prospect Jameson Hannah to Cincinnati. The Reds are sending Oakland $2.1 million to offset much of the $3,225,806 remaining in Roark's $10 million salary.The A's began the day a half-game out of the second AL wild-card spot.Roark lasted a season-low 3 1/3 innings during Cincinnati's 11-4 loss to the Pirates on Tuesday. He is 6-7 in 21 starts with a 4.24 ERA and can become a free agent after the season.Manaea struck out eight in six innings of a rehab start at Triple-A this week. He's likely to get one more rehab start before being activated. He had shoulder surgery last September.___3:10 p.m.The Arizona Diamondbacks have acquired rookie right-hander Zac Gallen from the Miami Marlins for minor league shortstop... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — The playoff-contending Oakland Athletics have acquired starter Tanner Roark from the Cincinnati Reds, filling out a rotation that also could have left-hander Sean Manaea back soon.Oakland dealt outfield prospect Jameson Hannah to Cincinnati. The Reds are sending Oakland $2.1 million to offset much of the $3,225,806 remaining in Roark's $10 million salary.The trade was announced Wednesday, about an hour before the deadline for making deals. The A's began the day a half-game out of the second AL wild-card spot.Roark lasted a season-low 3 1/3 innings during Cincinnati's 11-4 loss to the Pirates on Tuesday. He is 6-7 in 21 starts with a 4.24 ERA and can become a free agent after the season.The Reds traded Roark a few hours after getting Trevor Bauer from the Indians for right fielder Yaisel Puig in a three-team swap that included San Diego.Manaea struck out eight in six innings of a rehab start at Triple-A this week. He's likely to get one more rehab start before being activated. He had shoulder surgery last September.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

July 281931 — Bob Fothergill of Chicago hit a home run and a triple in an 11-run eighth inning. The White Sox set an American League record by recording 12 hits in the inning and beat the New York Yankees 14-12.1940 — King Kong Keller hit three homers to give the New York Yankees a 10-9 win over Chicago in the first game of a doubleheader split.1951 — Clyde Vollmer of Boston hit a grand slam in the 16th inning, the latest ever hit in a major league game. The Red Sox beat the Cleveland Indians, 8-4, in 16.1971 — Sixteen-time Gold Glove winner Brooks Robinson committed three errors in the sixth inning against the Oakland A's. Frank Robinson's three-run homer in the ninth won the game for the Orioles.1976 — John Odom (five innings) and Francisco Barrios (four innings) combined on a no-hitter as the Chicago White Sox beat Oakland 2-1.1983 — AL president Lee McPhail ruled that George Brett's "pine tar" home run against New York on July 24 should count. The umpires had disallowed the homer because... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Gary Sánchez, Gleyber Torres and DJ LeMahieu homered in a hurry, connecting in a six-run fourth inning that powered the New York Yankees past the Houston Astros 10-6 on Thursday night for their sixth straight win.Edwin Encarnación hit his AL-leading 23rd home run, and second since being acquired by New York from Seattle, as the Yankees handed Houston its season-worst fifth loss in a row.The Astros dropped a matchup of division leaders despite Jake Marisnick's two home runs and solo drives by Alex Bregman and rookie Yordan Álvarez.Sánchez opened the fourth with his 22nd homer. With rain falling, Torres connected for a three-run jolt off rookie Framber Valdéz (3-3). LeMahieu tagged reliever Chris Devenski for a two-run homer and a 6-0 lead. The inning included two delays — a short break to fix the mound and a 37-minute stoppage when the showers fell too hard.Nestor Cortes Jr. (2-0) pitched three innings after another fine start by opener Chad Green. The veteran reliever struck... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Gary Sánchez, Gleyber Torres and DJ LeMahieu homered in a hurry, connecting in a six-run fourth inning that powered the New York Yankees past the Houston Astros 10-6 on Thursday night for their sixth straight win.Edwin Encarnación hit his AL-leading 23rd home run, and second since being acquired by New York from Seattle, as the Yankees handed Houston its season-worst fifth loss in a row.The Astros dropped a matchup of division leaders despite Jake Marisnick's two home runs and solo drives by Alex Bregman and rookie Yordan Álvarez.Sánchez opened the fourth with his 22nd homer. With rain falling, Torres connected for a three-run jolt off rookie Framber Valdéz (3-3). LeMahieu tagged reliever Chris Devenski for a two-run homer and a 6-0 lead. The inning included two delays — a short break to fix the mound and a 37-minute stoppage when the showers fell too hard.Nestor Cortes Jr. (2-0) pitched three innings after another fine start by opener Chad Green. The veteran reliever struck... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Gary Sánchez, Gleyber Torres and DJ LeMahieu homered in a hurry, connecting in a six-run fourth inning that powered the New York Yankees past the Houston Astros 10-6 on Thursday night for their sixth straight win.Edwin Encarnación hit his AL-leading 23rd home run, and second since being acquired by New York from Seattle, as the Yankees handed Houston its season-worst fifth loss in a row.The Astros dropped a matchup of division leaders despite Jake Marisnick's two home runs and solo drives by Alex Bregman and rookie Yordan Álvarez.Sánchez opened the fourth with his 22nd homer. With rain falling, Torres connected for a three-run jolt off rookie Framber Valdéz (3-3). LeMahieu tagged reliever Chris Devenski for a two-run homer and a 6-0 lead. The inning included two delays — a short break to fix the mound and a 37-minute stoppage when the showers fell too hard.Nestor Cortes Jr. (2-0) pitched three innings after another fine start by opener Chad Green. The veteran reliever struck... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — Scooter Gennett began a rehab assignment Monday, the final step in returning from a severe groin injury in spring training that has sidelined the Cincinnati Reds second baseman all season.Gennett will play five days with Single-A Daytona and move up to Triple-A Louisville to continue the rehab, which will last until he feels ready to come off the injured list. Manager David Bell said Gennett will be back in the starting lineup as soon as he's able."We all know he's going to play," Bell said. "He's been a big part of our offense the last few years. There's no reason that would change."There may be some limitations at the beginning, to make sure he's healthy and all that."In the last two years, Gennett has 50 homers and 189 RBIs, joining Dave Parker and Deron Johnson as the only Reds to put up such numbers in their first two seasons with Cincinnati. He was an All-Star for the first time last year, when he finished second to Milwaukee's Christian Yelich for the batting title... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:KD'S RETURN?The Oakland Athletics are hoping to get injured slugger Khris Davis back in the lineup for the middle game of a series against the first-place Houston Astros. Davis took batting practice before the series opener and could be activated from the injured list as early as Saturday after being sidelined since May 22 with a left him injury. Davis might like to get back in time to face Houston ace Justin Verlander (8-2, 2.38 ERA). Davis homered three times in eight at-bats against Verlander last season. Brett Anderson (6-3, 3.86 ERA) starts for Oakland.KERSHAW VS. HARPERClayton Kershaw starts for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Philadelphia Phillies in a match-up of first-place teams. The left-hander is 5-0 with a 3.46 ERA and 48 strikeouts this year and 3-5 with a 3.07 ERA in 13 starts against the Phillies. Kershaw will be facing Bryce Harper, who is 2 for 21 with 13 strikeouts against the Dodgers' ace.GERM�N-TOWNYankees right-hander... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Saturday:KD'S RETURN?The Oakland Athletics are hoping to get injured slugger Khris Davis back in the lineup for the middle game of a series against the first-place Houston Astros. Davis took batting practice before the series opener and could be activated from the injured list as early as Saturday after being sidelined since May 22 with a left him injury. Davis might like to get back in time to face Houston ace Justin Verlander (8-2, 2.38 ERA). Davis homered three times in eight at-bats against Verlander last season. Brett Anderson (6-3, 3.86 ERA) starts for Oakland.KERSHAW VS. HARPERClayton Kershaw starts for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Philadelphia Phillies in a match-up of first-place teams. The left-hander is 5-0 with a 3.46 ERA and 48 strikeouts this year and 3-5 with a 3.07 ERA in 13 starts against the Phillies. Kershaw will be facing Bryce Harper, who is 2 for 21 with 13 strikeouts against the Dodgers' ace.GERM�N-TOWNYankees right-hander... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Rafael Devers homered off Justin Verlander, and the Boston Red Sox took advantage of two errors by the Houston Astros to avoid a series sweep with a 4-1 victory Sunday.Eduardo Rodriguez (5-3) held Houston to one run and four hits in six innings, improving to 5-1 in his last eight starts.The Astros lost for just the fifth time in 22 games and finished the regular season 4-2 against the Red Sox, who beat them 4-1 in the ALCS last season on the way to a World Series championship.Devers' solo shot in the fourth gave the Red Sox a 2-1 lead. It was Devers' seventh homer of the season and fourth in six games.Marcus Walden earned his second major league save and first this season.Verlander (8-2) permitted three runs and six hits in seven innings, striking out six.ATHLETICS 7, MARINERS 1OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Matt Chapman homered for the second consecutive day, Josh Phegley also went deep and had three RBIs, and the streaking Oakland Athletics won their ninth straight, beating Seattle... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Rafael Devers homered off Justin Verlander, and the Boston Red Sox took advantage of two errors by the Houston Astros to avoid a series sweep with a 4-1 victory Sunday.Eduardo Rodriguez (5-3) held Houston to one run and four hits in six innings, improving to 5-1 in his last eight starts.The Astros lost for just the fifth time in 22 games and finished the regular season 4-2 against the Red Sox, who beat them 4-1 in the ALCS last season on the way to a World Series championship.Devers' solo shot in the fourth gave the Red Sox a 2-1 lead. It was Devers' seventh homer of the season and fourth in six games.Marcus Walden earned his second major league save and first this season.Verlander (8-2) permitted three runs and six hits in seven innings, striking out six.ATHLETICS 7, MARINERS 1OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Matt Chapman homered for the second consecutive day, Josh Phegley also went deep and had three RBIs, and the streaking Oakland Athletics won their ninth straight, beating Seattle... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Michael Chavis homered, Xander Bogaerts hit a tiebreaking double in the seventh inning and the Boston Red Sox averted a series sweep against Houston with a 4-3 victory Sunday that snapped the Astros' 10-game winning streak.Mookie Betts scored three runs for Boston, which lost the first two games in its first meeting with the Astros since beating them in the 2018 AL Championship Series.Carlos Correa hit a two-run homer off Chris Sale for Houston, which is 13-4 in May.Astros outfielder George Springer, who began the day leading the American League with 17 homers, exited with lower back stiffness after striking out three times against Sale.Bogaerts' double to deep left-center off Framber Valdez (1-2) scored Betts scored from first base.Sale struck out 10 in 5 1/3 innings, giving up three runs and four hits with five walks. In his previous start, he became the first major league pitcher to strike out 17 batters in seven innings.Marcus Walden (6-0) escaped a bases-loaded, one-out... [More]