NEW YORK (AP) — Gary Sánchez delivered the first pinch-hit, extra-innings grand slam in Yankees history, Deivi García made a strong impression in his big league debut and New York beat the crosstown Mets 5-2 to complete a doubleheader sweep Sunday night.The Yankees stormed back in the opener, erasing a five-run lead with two outs in the seventh to win 8-7 in eight innings. Aaron Hicks lined a tying, two-run homer in the seventh, and Gio Urshela hit a game-ending single off Edwin Diaz an inning later.The Yankees won the final three games of this five-game Subway Series, snapping a seven-game skid that was their longest since 2017. Sánchez blasted a 2-2 fastball from Drew Smith (0-1) into the left field bleachers for a 5-1 lead. It was the slumping catcher’s first career pinch-hit homer and second career grand slam.García took a shutout into the sixth until allowing Dominic Smith’s tying single. Smith’s hit came after Jeff McNeill reached on an error by first baseman Luke Voit, who had the... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Gary Sánchez delivered the first pinch-hit, extra-innings grand slam in Yankees history, Deivi García made a strong impression in his big league debut and New York beat the crosstown Mets 5-2 to complete a doubleheader sweep Sunday night.The Yankees stormed back in the opener, erasing a five-run lead with two outs in the seventh to win 8-7 in eight innings. Aaron Hicks lined a tying, two-run homer in the seventh, and Gio Urshela hit a game-ending single off Edwin Diaz an inning later.The Yankees won the final three games of this five-game Subway Series, snapping a seven-game skid that was their longest since 2017. Sánchez blasted a 2-2 fastball from Drew Smith (0-1) into the left field bleachers for a 5-1 lead. It was the slumping catcher’s first career pinch-hit homer and second career grand slam.García took a shutout into the sixth until allowing Dominic Smith’s tying single. Smith’s hit came after Jeff McNeill reached on an error by first baseman Luke Voit, who had the... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Gary Sánchez delivered the first pinch-hit, extra-innings grand slam in Yankees history, Deivi García made a strong impression in his big league debut and New York beat the crosstown Mets 5-2 to complete a doubleheader sweep Sunday night.The Yankees stormed back in the opener, erasing a five-run lead with two outs in the seventh to win 8-7 in eight innings. Aaron Hicks lined a tying, two-run homer in the seventh, and Gio Urshela hit a game-ending single off Edwin Diaz an inning later.The Yankees won the final three games of this five-game Subway Series, snapping a seven-game skid that was their longest since 2017. Sánchez blasted a 2-2 fastball from Drew Smith (0-1) into the left field bleachers for a 5-1 lead. It was the slumping catcher’s first career pinch-hit homer and second career grand slam.García took a shutout into the sixth until allowing Dominic Smith’s tying single. Smith’s hit came after Jeff McNeill reached on an error by first baseman Luke Voit, who had the... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Manny Machado hit a grand slam with one out in the 10th inning and the San Diego Padres beat the Texas Rangers for the third straight game, 6-3 Wednesday night.Machado’s 11th career grand slam and sixth walkoff homer came off Rafael Montero (0-1), whose only out in the 10th came on pinch-hitter Greg Garcia’s sacrifice.Fernando Tatis Jr., who hit his MLB-leading 12th homer earlier, drew a walk off Montero to load the bases ahead of Machado, who hit his sixth homer of the season.The Padres have hit grand slams in three straight games for the first time in club history.Texas had gone ahead 3-2 in the top of the inning when Willie Calhoun’s dribbler in front of the plate off Tim Hill (1-0) scored Nick Solak with two outs.Joey Gallo had tied the game at 2 with a homer off Matt Strahm leading off the ninth, his seventh. The Padres beat the Rangers in Arlington on Monday and Tuesday.Roughned Odor homered off Chris Paddack with one out in the second, his third.INDIANS 6, PIRATES... [More]

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Aaron Civale struck out six and didn’t issue a walk while picking up the first complete game of his young career as the Cleveland Indians pushed their winning streak to five with a 6-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night.The 25-year-old Civale allowed five hits and narrowly missed a shutout when Pittsburgh pushed across a run with Josh Bell’s sacrifice fly in the ninth. Carlos Santana broke open a scoreless game with a three-run homer in the sixth inning. Domingo Santana added a bases-clearing double in the eighth as the Indians improved to a season-best six games over .500 (15-9).Santana turned on a full-count cutter from reliever Dovydas Neverauskas (0-3) and sent it over the right-field seats for his third home run of the season. Pittsburgh’s National League-worst batting average dropped to .211 when it failed to muster much of anything against Civale. The Pirates have dropped 13 of 15 and their 4-16 record is the worst in the major leagues.METS 5, MARLINS... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Right-hander Seth Lugo, who leads the New York Mets with three saves, will move into their rotation starting Thursday against Miami to replace struggling left-hander Steven Matz.Matz, who is 0-4 with an ERA of 9.00, will move to the bullpen, and Edwin Diaz will become the closer.Manager Luis Rojas decided to make the switch before Wednesday's game against Miami. “Seth has been a starter for us in the past,” Rojas said. “He’s a guy who is ready for any kind of challenge with his versatility.” Lugo was one of baseball's best, most durable relievers in 2019, compiling a 2.70 ERA while covering 80 innings over 61 appearances. He's repeatedly expressed a preference for starting and had some success in the role in 2017. New York considered converting Lugo back to the rotation over the offseason but instead added free agents Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha. The bullpen struggled without Lugo on Wednesday, allowing three runs to blow a lead before Michael Conforto hit a two-run homer in the ninth to give New York a 5-3 win.Diaz walked in a run in the eighth but pitched a perfect ninth with three strikeouts for the victory. He has a 2.53 ERA and one save and said he embraces returning to the role of closer, where he struggled last year. “I feel like I've been ready since spring training,” the Puerto Rican said through a translator. “I'm ready to pitch in whatever situation they need me.”___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MIAMI (AP) — Michael Conforto hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the ninth inning Wednesday, and the New York Mets beat the Miami Marlins for the third night in a row, 5-3.Jacob deGrom pitched six shutout innings and left with a lead, but Miami scored against the Mets' bullpen on a wild pitch and two bases-loaded walks for a 3-all tie going into the ninth.Brandon Nimmo walked with two out against Brandon Kintzler (1-2), and Conforto hit his fourth homer to center field, a shot estimated at 425 feet.“With how great Jake was,” Conforto said, “it feels good to get that win tonight.” “It’s a big homer,” Mets manager Luis Rojas said, “and one of those wins we haven't haven't had this year — in the ninth to take a lead with two outs, especially after blowing a save.”DeGrom struck out seven, walked none, allowed four hits and departed after throwing 91 pitches. Working for the first time in 10 days after skipping a turn because of neck stiffness, he touched 100 mph in the first inning and 98 in... [More]

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Aaron Civale struck out six and didn’t issue a walk while picking up the first complete game of his young career as the Cleveland Indians pushed their winning streak to five with a 6-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night.The 25-year-old Civale allowed five hits and narrowly missed a shutout when Pittsburgh pushed across a run with Josh Bell’s sacrifice fly in the ninth. Carlos Santana broke open a scoreless game with a three-run homer in the sixth inning. Domingo Santana added a bases-clearing double in the eighth as the Indians improved to a season-best six games over .500 (15-9).Santana turned on a full-count cutter from reliever Dovydas Neverauskas (0-3) and sent it over the right-field seats for his third home run of the season. Pittsburgh’s National League-worst batting average dropped to .211 when it failed to muster much of anything against Civale. The Pirates have dropped 13 of 15 and their 4-16 record is the worst in the major leagues.METS 5, MARLINS... [More]

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Aaron Civale struck out six and didn’t issue a walk while picking up the first complete game of his young career as the Cleveland Indians pushed their winning streak to five with a 6-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night.The 25-year-old Civale allowed five hits and narrowly missed a shutout when Pittsburgh pushed across a run with Josh Bell’s sacrifice fly in the ninth. Carlos Santana broke open a scoreless game with a three-run homer in the sixth inning. Domingo Santana added a bases-clearing double in the eighth as the Indians improved to a season-best six games over .500 (15-9).Santana turned on a full-count cutter from reliever Dovydas Neverauskas (0-3) and sent it over the right-field seats for his third home run of the season. Pittsburgh’s National League-worst batting average dropped to .211 when it failed to muster much of anything against Civale. The Pirates have dropped 13 of 15 and their 4-16 record is the worst in the major leagues.METS 5, MARLINS... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Michael Conforto hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the ninth inning Wednesday, and the New York Mets beat the Miami Marlins for the third night in a row, 5-3.Jacob deGrom pitched six shutout innings and left with a lead, but Miami scored against the Mets' bullpen on a wild pitch and two bases-loaded walks for a 3-all tie going into the ninth.Brandon Nimmo walked with two out against Miami closer Brandon Kintzler (1-2), and Conforto hit his fourth homer to center field, a shot estimated at 425 feet.DeGrom struck out seven, walked none, allowed four hits and departed after throwing 91 pitches. Working for the first time in 10 days after skipping a turn because of neck stiffness, he touched 100 mph in the first inning and 98 in the sixth. Edwin Diaz (1-0) walked in a run in the eighth but pitched a perfect ninth, getting all four of his outs via strikeout.Miami’s Pablo Lopez allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings, raising his ERA to 2.42.The Marlins have lost five games in a row to... [More]

Mets third. Amed Rosario flies out to deep center field to Monte Harrison. Tomas Nido flies out to deep right field to Magneuris Sierra. Brandon Nimmo homers to center field. Jeff McNeil lines out to left field to Matt Joyce.1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left on. Mets 1, Marlins 0.Mets fourth. J.D. Davis homers to center field. Michael Conforto walks. Robinson Cano strikes out swinging. Pete Alonso singles to center field. Michael Conforto to second. Dominic Smith doubles to deep left field. Pete Alonso to third. Michael Conforto scores. Amed Rosario grounds out to third base, Brian Anderson to Jesus Aguilar. Tomas Nido flies out to deep center field to Monte Harrison.2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 left on. Mets 3, Marlins 0.Marlins fourth. Jonathan Villar strikes out on a foul tip. Matt Joyce doubles to deep right center field. Jesus Aguilar doubles. Matt Joyce scores. Corey Dickerson pops out to shallow left field to J.D. Davis. Brian Anderson singles to right center field. Jesus Aguilar scores.... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mookie Betts hit three home runs in a game for the sixth time in his career, matching a major league record, and the Los Angeles Dodgers launched six long balls in all Thursday night during an 11-2 rout of the San Diego Padres.Betts tied a mark shared by Sammy Sosa and Hall of Famer Johnny Mize. The 2018 AL MVP went 4 for 4 with five RBIs and was hit by a pitch in the leadoff spot, where manager Dave Roberts has been reluctant to lock him in.Corey Seager, AJ Pollock and Austin Barnes also homered for the Dodgers. Seager returned after missing five games because of lower back discomfort. Barnes and Betts went back-to-back.With a chance to tie the big league mark of four home runs in one game, Betts reached on an infield single in the seventh. The National League’s top two home run-hitting teams split the four-game series, with the Dodgers outscoring the Padres 17-2 over the last two.Julio Urías (2-0) gave up consecutive homers to Tommy Pham and Eric Hosmer in the first... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Yu Darvish took a no-hitter into the seventh inning in his third straight dominant start, and the major league-leading Chicago Cubs defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2 on Thursday night.Darvish allowed just one hit — Justin Smoak’s solo homer with one out in the seventh inning on his 98th pitch — before Casey Sadler relieved to start the eighth. The 33-year-old right-hander from Japan struck out 11 and threw 104 pitches.Before Smoak’s drive, Darvish allowed only three baserunners. He walked Ben Gamel in the second and Orlando Arcia in the fifth, and hit Christian Yelich with a low pitch in the first. Kyle Schwarber homered early as Chicago improved to 13-3 for the first time since 1907. Javier Baez, Ian Happ and David Bote each had an RBI.Rowan Wick allowed Smoak's run-scoring double with two outs in the ninth before finishing the four-hitter for his third save. Cubs slugger Kris Bryant was held out of the starting lineup with a sore left wrist and ring finger.Brett Anderson... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Tomas Nido had his first two-homer game as a professional, hitting a two-run shot in the fourth and a grand slam in the fifth to lead the New York Mets to an 8-2 win over the Washington Nationals on Thursday and a split of the four-game series.Nido is just the fifth catcher in Mets history to hit at least two homers and collect at least six RBIs in a game. Dominic Smith homered in the second and Pete Alonso had an RBI single in the eighth for the Mets, whose second straight win may have been a costly one. Left fielder Jeff McNeil was carted off after crashing into the wall while robbing Asdrubal Cabrera of a two-run extra-base hit to end the first inning.Smith, Alonso and Luis Guillorme had two hits each.McNeil’s catch cost the Nationals against rookie David Peterson (3-1), who allowed an unearned run and didn’t surrender his lone hit until Yan Gomes led off the fifth with a single. Peterson walked two, struck out three and retired 11 of 12 batters before Gomes’ hit.Jared... [More]

A look at what’s happening around the majors today:WHO’S PLAYING?The Cardinals will see if they can begin their series at Milwaukee after St. Louis became the latest team to get shut down by the coronavirus.The Brewers’ home opener was postponed Friday because two Cardinals players tested positive for COVID-19.“TV Show suggestions please,” tweeted Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty, who had been scheduled to start.Six clubs were off Friday because of the virus and its effects — Miami and Philadelphia had positive tests in their organizations, leaving Washington and Toronto with no games this weekend.Commissioner Rob Manfred talked to union leader Tony Clark about the importance of players following the sport’s virus protocols in hopes of finishing the shortened, 60-game season.“Every player in this league better take a hard look at what you’re doing off the field, because what you do affects, more than just you and your team,” Chicago Cubs outfielder Steven Souza Jr. tweeted. “Your decisions... [More]

A look at what’s happening around the majors on Saturday:WHO’S PLAYING?The Cardinals will see if they can begin their series at Milwaukee after St. Louis became the latest team to get shut down by the coronavirus.The Brewers’ home opener was postponed Friday because two Cardinals players tested positive for COVID-19.“TV Show suggestions please,” tweeted Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty, who had been scheduled to start.Six clubs were off Friday because of the virus and its effects — Miami and Philadelphia had positive tests in their organizations, leaving Washington and Toronto with no games this weekend.Commissioner Rob Manfred talked to union leader Tony Clark about the importance of players following the sport’s virus protocols in hopes of finishing the shortened, 60-game season.“Every player in this league better take a hard look at what you’re doing off the field, because what you do affects, more than just you and your team,” Chicago Cubs outfielder Steven Souza Jr. tweeted. “Your decisions... [More]

SEATTLE (AP) — Even though he only turned 21 this week, Seattle Mariners outfielder Jarred Kelenic doesn’t lack for confidence. Or swagger. Just listen to him talk about the first of two home runs he hit during an intrasquad game. “The first one I was looking for something soft. I didn’t think his fastball was going to beat me. I wanted to stay through the left side of the field with it and was just going to take the approach of a fastball that I was going to just react to it, especially if it was in and that’s kind of what happened,” Kelenic recalled. “I believe I took a first-pitch curveball that I thought was a ball, and the next pitch was a fastball and I reacted. I got the head out and, smell ya later.”Even during a shortened 60-game season, the Mariners will be completely focused on their future. While they want to succeed at the major league level, the development of the prospects on the taxi squad stationed at Seattle's Triple-A affiliate will be of equal importance. Kelenic is... [More]

Few players have been as consistently excellent at the plate as Miguel Cabrera in his prime.That seems like a long time ago now.Cabrera hit only 12 home runs last season and has just 31 over the past three years. He'll turn 37 in April, and there are plenty of indications that the Detroit star is in the middle of a protracted decline. From 2005-13, Cabrera batted at least .320 eight times in nine seasons — and hit at least 30 home runs in all but one year.At this point, the Tigers would probably settle for a 20-homer season and an average around .300. That would be a step up from last year, but it remains to be seen if Cabrera — whose big contract lasts until at least 2023 — is capable of halting this slide in production.Cabrera is one of a handful of players around baseball with a lot to prove this year. Here are a few more:CLAYTON KERSHAW, DODGERSKershaw's 2019 season ended in agonizing fashion, when his failed relief appearance cost Los Angeles dearly in the Division Series finale against... [More]

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom took on two nemeses in his first outing of spring training — a bout of nerves, and the Washington Nationals. The two-time reigning NL Cy Young winner got the best of both. “Any time I take the mound, I’m nervous,” deGrom said after throwing three scoreless innings in a 3-1 win Sunday. “It felt good to get out there in a real game feel, people in the stands, another team. (The jitters) go away when I start warming up."DeGrom cruised on just 33 pitches, striking out two and allowing one hit against the defending World Series champs. The 31-year-old showed no signs of rust against his familiar NL East foe, looking just as sharp as when he became the 11th pitcher to win consecutive Cy Young Awards — despite the Mets going 28-36 in his starts since beginning the 2018 season.He breezed through an easy first against regulars Trea Turner, Ryan Zimmerman and Starlin Castro, getting three outs on seven pitchers — all strikes. The right-hander... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — This is the next stop on Dellin Betances' subway ride around New York.After spending his first eight seasons in the majors with the crosstown Yankees, the New Yorker joined the club on a one-year contract with a player option for 2021. The deal was announced on Christmas Eve and guarantees the towering right-handed reliever at least $10.5 million.“This past week-and-a-half has brought a lot of excitement to myself and my family,” Betances said during his introductory news conference Thursday at Citi Field, where he was joined by more than two dozen family members. “Christmas, in fact, came a little bit early as we celebrated our signing with the New York Mets.”Betances’ journey has taken him through all five of New York City’s boroughs. Born in Manhattan’s Washington Heights neighborhood, the four-time All-Star grew up on the island’s Lower East Side.The Yankees drafted Betances out of Brooklyn’s Grand Street Campus High School in 2006. A year later he suited up for Low... [More]