SAN DIEGO (AP) — The rebuilding San Diego Padres rewarded free agent Drew Pomeranz for two strong months in Milwaukee’s bullpen and addressed two big needs by acquiring right-handed starter Zach Davies and lefty outfielder Trent Grisham from the Brewers on Wednesday.They were the first big moves of the offseason for the Padres, who have lost more than 90 games for four straight seasons and haven’t been to the playoffs since 2006.San Diego and Pomeranz — an All-Star during his brief stay with the Padres in 2016 — agreed to a $34 million, four-year contract.The left-hander had a strong final two months of the season with the Brewers after being traded to Milwaukee from San Francisco. He was 0-1 with a 2.39 ERA in 25 games, including one start.Pomeranz struck out 45 and walked only eight of the 100 batters he faced"We're banking that he's found a role that really fits for him and it was a chance to get an impact performer," Padres general manager A.J. Preller said."He shortened up his repertoire... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Padres introduced their new manager and hinted about old uniform colors they'll wear in 2020. It's easy to predict which the team's weary, patient fans are more excited about.When Jayce Tingler was presented at a news conference on Thursday, he was wearing the club's classic brown jersey, which is expected to return next season.The 38-year-old is a first-time big league manager and takes over a team that last had a winning record in 2010. San Diego has not hired a manager with prior big league experience since Jack McKeon in 1988."I may not be perfect," Tingler said of his lack of experience. "But I have managed a lot of games in my mind."Andy Green was fired Sept. 21 after going 274-366 in four seasons.Padres general manager A.J. Preller's relationship with Tingler dates to 2015 and their time together with the Texas Rangers."I think the easy thing to do sometimes when you make a decision and it doesn't get the result you're looking for is going 180 degrees in a different... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Padres introduced their new manager and hinted about old uniform colors they'll wear in 2020. It's easy to predict which the team's weary, patient fans are more excited about.When Jayce Tingler was presented at a news conference on Thursday, he was wearing the club's classic brown jersey, which is expected to return next season.The 38-year-old is a first-time big league manager and takes over a team that last had a winning record in 2010. San Diego has not hired a manager with prior big league experience since Jack McKeon in 1988."I may not be perfect," Tingler said of his lack of experience. "But I have managed a lot of games in my mind."Andy Green was fired Sept. 21 after going 274-366 in four seasons.Padres general manager A.J. Preller's relationship with Tingler dates to 2015 and their time together with the Texas Rangers."I think the easy thing to do sometimes when you make a decision and it doesn't get the result you're looking for is going 180 degrees in a different... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Mike Trout has been chosen major league player of the year by Baseball Digest and eBay.The star outfielder from the Los Angeles Angels edged Dodgers slugger Cody Bellinger by two points in voting by a 17-member panel of baseball writers, broadcasters, former players and executives.Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander was selected pitcher of the year and San Diego Padres closer Kirby Yates got picked as the top reliever.The awards were announced Thursday. Trout also won in 2014.Trout set a career high with 45 home runs even the two-time AL MVP didn’t play after Sept. 7 because of a foot injury. He batted .291 with 104 RBIs and ranked second in the majors with a 1.083 OPS.Verlander, also a two-time winner, led the big leagues with 21 wins and 223 innings pitched. He was second in the American League with 300 strikeouts and a 2.58 ERA. The right-hander tossed his third career no-hitter and became the 18th pitcher to reach 3,000 strikeouts.Astros teammate Gerrit Cole finished a distant second.Yates had the most saves in the majors, converting 41 of 44 chances and compiling a 1.19 ERA that was the lowest among all relievers.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Major league batters finished with 6,776 home runs, shattering the previous record of 6,105 set two years ago.Dominic Smith hit the final long ball of the season, a three-run drive in the 11th inning Sunday off Atlanta's Grant Dayton that lifted the New York Mets over the NL East champion Braves 7-6.Oakland's Steven Piscotty started the barrage on March 20 in Tokyo against Seattle's Marco Gonzales, the sixth batter of the season.This year's total was 11% above the old record and 21% higher than last year's 5,585.Minnesota hit three home runs Sunday to establish the big league team record with 307, one more than the Yankees. The previous mark of 267 was set last year by New York. This year's Yankees became the first team with 14 players reaching double-digits in home runs."I don't think anybody will ever forget the 'Bomba Squad,'" first-year Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said.Major League Baseball has asked for more scientific tests on baseballs, and Commissioner Rob Manfred... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Major league batters finished with 6,776 home runs, shattering the previous record of 6,105 set two years ago.Dominic Smith hit the final long ball of the season, a three-run drive in the 11th inning Sunday off Atlanta's Grant Dayton that lifted the New York Mets over the NL East champion Braves 7-6.Oakland's Steven Piscotty started the barrage on March 20 in Tokyo against Seattle's Marco Gonzales, the sixth batter of the season.This year's total was 11% above the old record and 21% higher than last year's 5,585.Minnesota hit three home runs Sunday to establish the big league team record with 307, one more than the Yankees. The previous mark of 267 was set last year by New York. This year's Yankees became the first team with 14 players reaching double-digits in home runs."I don't think anybody will ever forget the 'Bomba Squad,'" first-year Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said.Major League Baseball has asked for more scientific tests on baseballs, and Commissioner Rob Manfred... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Major league batters finished with 6,776 home runs, shattering the previous record of 6,105 set two years ago.Dominic Smith hit the final long ball of the season, a three-run drive in the 11th inning Sunday off Atlanta's Grant Dayton that lifted the New York Mets over the NL East champion Braves 7-6.Oakland's Steven Piscotty started the barrage on March 20 in Tokyo against Seattle's Marco Gonzales, the sixth batter of the season.This year's total was 11% above the old record and 21% higher than last year's total of 5,585.Minnesota hit three home runs Sunday to set the big league team record with 307, one more than the Yankees. The previous mark of 267 was set last year by New York. This year's Yankees became the first team with 14 players reaching double-digits in home runs.Strikeouts set a record for the 12th consecutive season at 42,823, up 4% from 41,207 last year and 33% from 32,189 in 2007. A year after strikeouts exceeded hits for the time, the gap was ever greater.Tim... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Tim Anderson became only the third Chicago White Sox player to win an American League batting title and injured Milwaukee star Christian Yelich wound up as the National League's first repeat champion in two decades.Anderson went 0 for 2 Sunday and finished at .335, eight points ahead of the New York Yankees' DJ LeMahieu. Anderson joined Luke Appling (1936, '43) and Frank Thomas ('97) as White Sox batting champions.Yelich wound up at .3292, just ahead of Arizona's Ketel Marte's .3286, as neither made it to the season's final weekend. Yelich's season ended when he broke his right kneecap by fouling a pitch of it on Sept. 10. Marte has not played since Sept. 17 due to lower back inflammation.Yelich won at .326 last year and became the NL's first back-to-back batting leader since Colorado's Larry Walker in 1998 and '99, which started a run of three titles in four years. The closest NL race was in 2003, when Albert Pujols of St. Louis beat Todd Helton of Colorado .35871 to .35849.The... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — The Minnesota Twins capped a night of sensational slugging by breaking the major league record for home runs in a season, but that wasn't enough to overcome Detroit's seven-run third inning in the Tigers' 10-7 victory Saturday.The Twins homered six times to bring their season total to 268, one more than the New York Yankees managed last year. Minnesota broke the mark when Mitch Garver led off the ninth with a drive to left for his second homer of the game.Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco, C.J. Cron and Nelson Cruz also went deep for Minnesota, which passed the 1997 Mariners (264 homers) during the game. Martín Perez (9-6) got the loss.Ronny Rodriguez hit a pair of two-run homers for the Tigers, who snapped a six-game skid and halted a six-game winning streak by the AL Central-leading Twins. Matthew Boyd (7-10) earned the win.ANGELS 10, RED SOX 4ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Albert Pujols homered in a seven-run eighth inning, Mike Trout became the youngest player to reach at least 275 home... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — The Minnesota Twins capped a night of sensational slugging by breaking the major league record for home runs in a season, but that wasn't enough to overcome Detroit's seven-run third inning in the Tigers' 10-7 victory Saturday.The Twins homered six times to bring their season total to 268, one more than the New York Yankees managed last year. Minnesota broke the mark when Mitch Garver led off the ninth with a drive to left for his second homer of the game.Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco, C.J. Cron and Nelson Cruz also went deep for Minnesota, which passed the 1997 Mariners (264 homers) during the game. Martín Perez (9-6) got the loss.Ronny Rodriguez hit a pair of two-run homers for the Tigers, who snapped a six-game skid and halted a six-game winning streak by the AL Central-leading Twins. Matthew Boyd (7-10) earned the win.NATIONALS 7, MARLINS 0WASHINGTON (AP) — Stephen Strasburg struck out 14 in eight crisp innings and Anthony Rendon homered twice, powering the Nationals to the... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Sean Rodriguez lined a home run leading off the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Philadelphia Phillies a 6-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night.Josh Bell hit a solo homer off Philadelphia closer Hector Neris to tie it at 5 in the ninth after Corey Dickerson hit a two-run shot against his former team in the eighth to give the Phillies a one-run lead.But after stranding five runners in the ninth and 10th, the Phillies won it when Rodriguez went deep against Michael Feliz (2-4) for his fourth career walk-off homer. Rodriguez was in a 1-for-21 slump before he connected.Philadelphia moved within a game of the idle Cubs for the second NL wild card.Bryce Harper homered with two outs in the eighth in his first game back from paternity leave to cut it to 4-3. After J.T. Realmuto's infield single, Dickerson ripped one out to put the Phillies ahead 5-4.Dickerson, acquired from the Pirates before the July 31 trade deadline, has 21 RBIs in 19 games for the Phillies.Brad... [More]

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) — José Quintana pitched seven crisp innings, Anthony Rizzo hit a two-run homer and the Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-1 on Sunday night in the MLB Little League Classic.Nicholas Castellanos and Jason Heyward also connected as Chicago earned its second straight win since consecutive heartbreaking losses to the Phillies and Pirates.The Cubs took two of three in the unusual weekend set and remain in a virtual tie with St. Louis for the top spot in the NL Central.Starling Marté had three hits for Pittsburgh, including his 21st homer in the ninth. Mitch Keller (1-2) allowed six runs in 4 1/3 innings.With grinning Little Leaguers dressed in their uniforms filling the stands at BB&T Ballpark, Quintana (11-7) allowed five hits and walked none. The left-hander improved to 7-0 in nine starts since his last loss June 22.ASTROS 4, ATHLETICS 1OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Zack Greinke threw seven smooth innings for his 200th win, helping the AL West-leading Astros avoid... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Zack Greinke threw seven smooth innings for his 200th win, pitching the first-place Houston Astros past the Oakland Athletics 4-1 on Sunday to avoid a four-game sweep.Alex Bregman had a three-run homer among his four hits to back Greinke, who won his third straight start since joining the Astros from the Arizona Diamondbacks at the July 31 trade deadline.Greinke (13-4) went nine up, nine down on 25 pitches to start the game before giving up Marcus Semien's 21st homer. The right-hander allowed four hits with three walks and six strikeouts. He became the 115th pitcher in major league history to reach 200 career wins, and the second in Houston's rotation along with Justin Verlander.Roberto Osuna finished for his 27th save as the Astros stopped a five-game slide.Yuli Gurriel added an RBI double for Houston, which snapped Oakland's four-game winning streak. The Astros went back ahead of the A's by 7 1/2 games in the AL West race.Athletics lefty Brett Anderson (10-9) allowed... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Manager Aaron Boone, Brett Gardner and the New York Yankees again hammered away at the umpires, this time in prolonged rants that brought several members of the team spilling onto the field, while beating the Cleveland Indians 6-5 Saturday.Gleyber Torres hit two home runs and Didi Gregorius and DJ LeMahieu also connected for the AL East-leading Yankees.But what really fired up the crowd of 47,347 at Yankee Stadium occurred in the sixth inning after Cameron Maybin was called out on strikes by Triple-A ump Ben May.For the third time in a month — each time with a minor league call-up umpire behind the plate — the team with the best record in American League lost its temper in a big way. This episode led to Boone, Gardner and pitcher CC Sabathia being ejected.James Paxton (9-6) went five innings for the win. Zach Plesac (6-4) was chased in the fifth.Aroldis Chapman closed for his 35th save in 40 chances.BREWERS 15, NATIONALS 14, 14 INNINGSWASHINGTON (AP) — Eric Thames hit a... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Manager Aaron Boone, Brett Gardner and the New York Yankees again hammered away at the umpires, this time in prolonged rants that brought several members of the team spilling onto the field, while beating the Cleveland Indians 6-5 Saturday.Gleyber Torres hit two home runs and Didi Gregorius and DJ LeMahieu also connected for the AL East-leading Yankees.But what really fired up the crowd of 47,347 at Yankee Stadium occurred in the sixth inning after Cameron Maybin was called out on strikes by Triple-A ump Ben May.For the third time in a month — each time with a minor league call-up umpire behind the plate — the team with the best record in American League lost its temper in a big way. This episode led to Boone, Gardner and pitcher CC Sabathia being ejected.James Paxton (9-6) went five innings for the win. Zach Plesac (6-4) was chased in the fifth.Aroldis Chapman closed for his 35th save in 40 chances.CUBS 2, PIRATES 0PITTSBURGH (AP) — Kris Bryant homered in the seventh inning,... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Shane Bieber became the first pitcher this season to throw three complete games, leading the Cleveland Indians over the Los Angeles Angels 6-2 Sunday for a three-game sweep.Bieber (11-4) allowed five hits, struck out eight and walked none. Bieber, the All-Star Game MVP, is 9-2 in his last 15 starts.Cleveland is 37-15 since June 4, the best record in the major leagues in that span. After trailing by as many as 11½ games in early June, the Indians started Sunday three games back of AL Central-leading Minnesota.Jason Kipnis, Francisco Lindor and rookie Oscar Mercado homered off Jaime Barria (4-5), who gave up three runs in 3 2/3 innings. Barria is 2-4 with a 10.13 ERA on the road.Kole Calhoun homered and Albert Pujols had an RBI single for Los Angeles, which lost its fourth straight.YANKEES 7, RED SOX 4NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge homered early and a makeshift New York Yankees lineup pounded David Price in a victory that sent the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Shane Bieber became the first pitcher this season to throw three complete games, leading the Cleveland Indians over the Los Angeles Angels 6-2 Sunday for a three-game sweep.Bieber (11-4) allowed five hits, struck out eight and walked none. Bieber, the All-Star Game MVP, is 9-2 in his last 15 starts.Cleveland is 37-15 since June 4, the best record in the major leagues in that span. After trailing by as many as 11½ games in early June, the Indians started Sunday three games back of AL Central-leading Minnesota.Jason Kipnis, Francisco Lindor and rookie Oscar Mercado homered off Jaime Barria (4-5), who gave up three runs in 3 2/3 innings. Barria is 2-4 with a 10.13 ERA on the road.Kole Calhoun homered and Albert Pujols had an RBI single for Los Angeles, which lost its fourth straight.ASTROS 3, MARINERS 1HOUSTON (AP) — Justin Verlander struck out 10 in another dominant Houston pitching performance, and the Astros completed a three-game sweep.A day after Astros newcomer Aaron... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Looking to spice up the All-Star Game election, Major League Baseball essentially introduced a primary this year.Candidates were narrowed down in fan voting to three finalists per position, including nine outfielders for three starting spots in each league. Fans then had 28 hours beginning Wednesday at noon EDT to go online and choose from those finalists the starters for the July 9 showcase in Cleveland.Results will be announced Thursday night, with pitchers and reserves revealed Sunday.So, with that in mind, let's take a look at who belongs.Each roster has 32 slots, with 12 going to pitchers. Perhaps the most difficult part is that every club must be represented — although Miami is really the only team without a worthy All-Star this season.Alex Cora of the World Series champion Boston Red Sox will manage the American League, which has won six times in a row and is 18-3-1 in the last 22 years.After capturing consecutive pennants, Dave Roberts from the Los Angeles Dodgers... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Looking to spice up the All-Star Game election, Major League Baseball essentially introduced a primary this year.Candidates were narrowed down in fan voting to three finalists per position, including nine outfielders for three starting spots in each league. Fans then had 28 hours beginning Wednesday at noon EDT to go online and choose from those finalists the starters for the July 9 showcase in Cleveland.Results will be announced Thursday night, with pitchers and reserves revealed Sunday.So, with that in mind, let's take a look at who belongs.Each roster has 32 slots, with 12 going to pitchers. Perhaps the most difficult part is every club must be represented — although Miami is really the only team without a worthy All-Star this season.Alex Cora of the World Series champion Boston Red Sox will manage the American League, which has won six times in a row and is 18-3-1 in the last 22 years.After capturing consecutive pennants, Dave Roberts from the Los Angeles Dodgers pilots... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Johan Camargo had a two-run, pinch-hit homer in the 10th inning, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Washington Nationals 4-3 Sunday to win their fifth straight series.Overcoming an injury to standout rookie starting pitcher Mike Soroka, the Braves used the long ball and their bullpen to win the deciding matchup of a three-game set between NL East rivals.Camargo connected off Tanner Rainey (1-2) after Ozzie Albies drew a one-out walk, and Atlanta held on for its seventh victory in 10 extra-inning games this season.Josh Donaldson and Ronald Acuña Jr. also went deep for the first-place Braves.Juan Soto homered for the Nationals, who have lost two in a row following a five-game win streak.A.J. Minter (2-4) worked the ninth and Luke Jackson earned his 11th save despite giving up a run, two hits and a walk.ASTROS 9, YANKEES 4NEW YORK (AP) — Jose Altuve hit a leadoff homer, rookie Yordan Alvarez connected again and Houston ended its first seven-game skid in four years.New York had... [More]