BOSTON (AP) — The New York Yankees clinched home-field advantage for the AL wild-card game, hitting four homers to tie the major league single-season record and beat the Boston Red Sox 11-6 on Friday night.Aaron Judge hit his first homer since coming off the disabled list Sept. 14, and Gary Sanchez, Aaron Hicks and Luke Voit also homered to match the mark of 264 set by the 1997 Seattle Mariners.The win in the opener of the three-game series settled the AL's last remaining postseason question with two games to go. The Yankees will host Oakland on Wednesday, with the winner playing Boston.The Red Sox, who clinched the best record in baseball with a franchise-record 107 wins, were hoping to make things difficult for their archrivals — and the Athletics, too — by forcing the winner of the wild-card game have to fly cross-country next week. The ALDS begins in Boston on Friday.J.A. Happ (17-6) pitched three perfect innings and allowed just one hit through five. Staked to an 8-0 lead, he loaded... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Justin Verlander pitched just well enough to earn his 200th career win and the Houston Astros hit five home runs, beating the Oakland Athletics 9-4 Sunday to avoid a sweep and retake sole possession of the AL West lead.The surging A's had won the first two games at the Coliseum to tie shaky Houston atop the division. But Yuli Gurriel hit a three-run homer in the third inning and Evan Gattis, Alex Bergman, Marwin Gonzalez and Martin Maldonado later homered for the defending World Series champions. Maldonado also tripled and doubled.Verlander (12-8) gave up four runs in 5 1/3 innings while becoming the 114th pitcher with at least 200 career wins.Oakland's Sean Manaea (11-9) was charged with six runs and nine hits in four-plus innings.DODGERS 12, MARINERS 1SEATTLE (AP) — Clayton Kershaw pitched seven sharp innings for his 150th career win, Justin Turner homered and drove in five runs, and Los Angeles routed Seattle.Kershaw (6-5) gave up four hits, struck out seven and... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Justin Verlander pitched just well enough to earn his 200th career win and the Houston Astros hit five home runs, beating the Oakland Athletics 9-4 Sunday to avoid a sweep and retake sole possession of the AL West lead.The surging A's had won the first two games at the Coliseum to tie shaky Houston atop the division. But Yuli Gurriel hit a three-run homer in the third inning and Evan Gattis, Alex Bergman, Marwin Gonzalez and Martin Maldonado later homered for the defending World Series champions. Maldonado also tripled and doubled.Verlander (12-8) gave up four runs in 5 1/3 innings while becoming the 114th pitcher with at least 200 career wins.Oakland's Sean Manaea (11-9) was charged with six runs and nine hits in four-plus innings.DODGERS 12, MARINERS 1SEATTLE (AP) — Clayton Kershaw pitched seven sharp innings for his 150th career win, Justin Turner homered and drove in five runs, and Los Angeles routed Seattle.Kershaw (6-5) gave up four hits, struck out seven and... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Trevor Williams and two relievers combined on a six-hitter, and the Pittsburgh Pirates blanked the San Francisco Giants 4-0 on Saturday night.Josh Bell homered for the second time in three days. Elias Diaz added two hits for the Pirates after coming in as an injury replacement for Francisco Cervelli.The start of the game was delayed for a ceremony honoring home run king Barry Bonds, who became the 10th player in Giants history to have his jersey retired. Several of his former teammates and managers, including Dusty Baker and Jim Leyland, were on hand.Buster Posey and Evan Longoria had two hits apiece for San Francisco. Ty Blach (6-7) allowed four runs over four innings.Williams (10-8) allowed five hits and walked one in seven innings.ROCKIES 3, DODGERS 2DENVER (AP) — Ryan McMahon hit a three-run homer with two out in the ninth inning, lifting Colorado to the win.McMahon's drive off J.T. Chargois (2-4) cleared the right-field wall just above the out-of-town scoreboard.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton hit the hardest homer ever measured by Major League Baseball's Statcast system, Neil Walker hit two more home runs and the New York Yankees beat the Texas Rangers 7-3 on Thursday night.Stanton's 28th homer was measured at 121.7 mph, the fastest long ball tracked by Statcast since the system was introduced in 2015. Miguel Andujar and Aaron Hicks also went deep, helping the Yankees win their fourth straight since a five-game skid that included a four-game sweep at AL East-leading Boston.J.A. Happ (12-6) pitched six effective innings in his return from hand, foot and mouth disease. Happ was acquired from Toronto last month and has won both his starts with New York. He allowed three runs, four hits, a walk and struck out nine Thursday.Rookie Ariel Jurado (2-2) got Stanton to hit into a double play in the first inning, then intentionally walked Didi Gregorius before Hicks homered to make it 2-0.All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman walked two in the ninth before getting... [More]

C Elias Diaz snapped an 0-for-15 streak on Wednesday and is showing signs of getting back on track at the plate. He doubled in a run on Friday night while making his seventh start behind the plate in the past eight games.

C Elias Diaz has handled the back-and-forth to Triple-A Indianapolis like a pro, says Pirates manager Clint Hurdle. "I'm very encouraged by his mindset, number one, his awareness, number two, and his coachability, number three," said Hurdle. Diaz was optioned Friday, then brought back when Francisco Cervelli went on the disabled list. Diaz went 1-for-3 with a walk on Sunday and has reached base safely in 17 of 22 starts.

C Elias Diaz was recalled from Triple-A when Francisco Cervelli went on the disabled list with left quad irritation. Diaz had gone 4-for-21 in six games since being recalled from Triple-A on Aug. 15. He had reached base in 16 of his 21 starts.

C Elias Diaz was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday when Francisco Cervelli was reinstated from the disabled list. Diaz had gone 4-for-21 in six games since being recalled from Triple-A on Aug. 15. He had reached base in 16 of his 21 starts.

Elias Diaz was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis Tuesday for his fourth big league stint of the season. Diaz was called up to replace Gregory Polanco on the Pirates' roster, but provides insurance behind starting C Francisco Cervelli, who's been battling a sore left wrist. In 30 games this season, Diaz is batting .266 with a home run and 14 RBIs.

C Elias Diaz was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis. Diaz is hitting .266 with two homers and 27 RBIs in 57 games with Indianapolis. The 26-year-old also batted .266 and had one homer and 14 RBIs during 30 games with the Pirates this season.

C Elias Diaz was sent to Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday. He started 15 of 26 games he appeared in and hit .271 with a .297 on-base percentage.

C Elias Diaz recorded a two-run single in Pittsburgh's four-run first inning. The rookie is batting .294 with a home run and 13 RBIs in 27 games this season.

C Elias Diaz got a start in relief of Chris Stewart and snapped an 0-for-11 skid with a double to right in the third that helped the Pirates score three runs and take a lead Sunday at St. Louis. Diaz added a sacrifice fly in the fourth and singled in the seventh, giving him a productive 2-for-3 evening. It was his sixth multi-hit game of the year.

C Elias Diaz went 2-for-4 with a two-RBI double and scored a run. He is filling in for Francisco Cervelli, on the disabled list with a concussion. Diaz has reached base in all eight of his starts this season. "He's having a blast. Big hits. Swinging the bat aggressively," manager Clint Hurdle said. Diaz said offense has been a priority. "In my hitting, I try to work every day, stay inside the ball and use the whole field," he said.

C Elias Diaz replaced C Jacob Stallings, who was 2-for-5 with two runs Friday, behind the plate. Diaz, who was 3-for-3 with two runs and one walk, batted seventh with SS Jordy Mercer moving back to the eighth spot.

C Elias Diaz enjoyed his second straight multi-hit game Saturday, when he went 2-for-3 with a walk in the Pirates' 4-2 loss to the Mets. Diaz, who racked up six RBIs on Friday via a three-run double and three-run homer, singled in the second and fourth Saturday before striking out in the sixth and walking in the eighth. Entering Friday, Diaz had only two hits and one RBI in 18 big league at-bats dating back to 2015. Diaz, who drew the starts the last two games in place of Francisco Cervelli (illness), is batting .300 with the one homer and six RBIs in eight games this season.

C Elias Diaz was recalled from the Pirates' Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis to replace C Chris Stewart, who went on the 10-day disabled list with a left hamstring strain. Diaz pinch hit in the eighth inning and hit into a force out.

C Elias Diaz was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday. In four games for Pittsburgh this season, he went 2-for-9 with no RBIs.

C Elias Diaz has shown improvement behind the plate and with the bat, but could be the odd man out if Francisco Cervelli's foot injury is stabilized. "I think there's great opportunities to learn and grow," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "The blocking, the throwing. The arm is visible, the strength. The receiving part of it. The last piece to come for every catcher's arsenal at this level is the game-calling and the knowing of the pitchers." Diaz showed his potential in that area Tuesday night when he helped navigate Tyler Glasnow through his first major-league victory after a rough first inning.