NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge homered twice, including a grand slam, Gerrit Cole struck out 12 and the New York Yankees routed the Detroit Tigers 10-0. The frequently injured Judge was held out of New York’s starting lineup in its previous two games with what the Yankees described as lower body soreness. Clint Frazier, Aaron Hicks and Rougned Odor also homered, and Giancarlo Stanton had three hits. The Yankees set highs for runs, hits (15) and homers (five). Cole (4-1) allowed four hits and no walks during six innings, and New York pitchers had 18 strikeouts to tie a franchise record for a nine-inning game. Tarik Skubal (0-4) allowed four runs in three innings. NATIONALS 2, MARLINS 1 MIAMI (AP) — Kyle Schwarber led off the bottom of the 10th inning with a two-run homer off Yimi García (2-2), his second walk-off homer this season. Garrett Cooper’s single scored Jose Devers to the Marlins a 1-0 lead in the top of the 10th. Brad Hand (2—0) pitched two innings for the win. Jon Lester allowed... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge homered twice, including a grand slam, Gerrit Cole struck out 12 and the New York Yankees routed the Detroit Tigers 10-0. The frequently injured Judge was held out of New York’s starting lineup in its previous two games with what the Yankees described as lower body soreness. Clint Frazier, Aaron Hicks and Rougned Odor also homered, and Giancarlo Stanton had three hits. The Yankees set highs for runs, hits (15) and homers (five). Cole (4-1) allowed four hits and no walks during six innings, and New York pitchers had 18 strikeouts to tie a franchise record for a nine-inning game. Tarik Skubal (0-4) allowed four runs in three innings. NATIONALS 2, MARLINS 1 MIAMI (AP) — Kyle Schwarber led off the bottom of the 10th inning with a two-run homer off Yimi García (2-2), his second walk-off homer this season. Garrett Cooper’s single scored Jose Devers to the Marlins a 1-0 lead in the top of the 10th. Brad Hand (2—0) pitched two innings for the win. Jon Lester allowed... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge homered twice, including a grand slam, Gerrit Cole struck out 12 and the New York Yankees routed the Detroit Tigers 10-0. The frequently injured Judge was held out of New York’s starting lineup in its previous two games with what the Yankees described as lower body soreness. Clint Frazier, Aaron Hicks and Rougned Odor also homered, and Giancarlo Stanton had three hits. The Yankees set highs for runs, hits (15) and homers (five). Cole (4-1) allowed four hits and no walks during six innings, and New York pitchers had 18 strikeouts to tie a franchise record for a nine-inning game. Tarik Skubal (0-4) allowed four runs in three innings. NATIONALS 2, MARLINS 1 MIAMI (AP) — Kyle Schwarber led off the bottom of the 10th inning with a two-run homer off Yimi García (2-2), his second walk-off homer this season. Garrett Cooper’s single scored Jose Devers to the Marlins a 1-0 lead in the top of the 10th. Brad Hand (2—0) pitched two innings for the win. Jon Lester allowed... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today: ___ HOUSTON HOMECOMING First-year Tigers manager A.J. Hinch returns to Houston for the first time since being suspended by Major League Baseball for his role in the sign-stealing scandal that rocked the sport. With Hinch as their manager, the Astros were found to have used cameras and banged on trash cans to get an unfair advantage en route to winning the World Series in 2017. Hinch was fired following a lengthy investigation and was prohibited from managing last season before being hired by the Tigers. He’s expecting a warm reception in his first game back at Minute Maid Park. “Houston fans have been tremendously supportive to me and my family,” he said. “It’s home for me. That city matters to me. The fans have been tremendous and obviously it will be very emotional when I see them.” Detroit will be without slugger Miguel Cabrera, who was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday with soreness in his left biceps. RAIN GAMES The Mets' meteorological... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today: ___ HOUSTON HOMECOMING First-year Tigers manager A.J. Hinch returns to Houston for the first time since being suspended by Major League Baseball for his role in the sign-stealing scandal that rocked the sport. With Hinch as their manager, the Astros were found to have used cameras and banged on trash cans to get an unfair advantage en route to winning the World Series in 2017. Hinch was fired following a lengthy investigation and was prohibited from managing last season before being hired by the Tigers. He’s expecting a warm reception in his first game back at Minute Maid Park. “Houston fans have been tremendously supportive to me and my family,” he said. “It’s home for me. That city matters to me. The fans have been tremendous and obviously it will be very emotional when I see them.” Detroit will be without slugger Miguel Cabrera, who was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday with soreness in his left biceps. RAIN GAMES The Mets' meteorological... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Monday: ___ HOUSTON HOMECOMING First-year Tigers manager A.J. Hinch returns to Houston for the first time since being suspended by Major League Baseball for his role in the sign-stealing scandal that rocked the sport. With Hinch as their manager, the Astros were found to have used cameras and banged on trash cans to get an unfair advantage en route to winning the World Series in 2017. Hinch was fired following a lengthy investigation and was prohibited from managing last season before being hired by the Tigers. He’s expecting a warm reception in his first game back at Minute Maid Park. “Houston fans have been tremendously supportive to me and my family,” he said. “It’s home for me. That city matters to me. The fans have been tremendous and obviously it will be very emotional when I see them.” Detroit will be without slugger Miguel Cabrera, who was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday with soreness in his left biceps. RAIN GAMES The Mets'... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — Nick Castellanos stood over, flexed and jawed at St. Louis pitcher Jake Woodford after scoring, setting off a series of scuffles that included relievers shoving in the outfield as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Cardinals 9-6 Saturday. St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright was knocked around for six runs and chased in the third. The next inning, the teams started tagging each other. Castellanos, who homered on opening day and hopped out of the box before tossing his bat, was plunked by Woodford with two outs and none on in the fourth. Castellanos retrieved the ball and offered to toss it back to Woodford before flipping it out of play. A wild pitch soon sent Castellanos scampering home from third and he scored with a headfirst slide for a 7-2 lead as he bumped into Woodford, who took the throw from catcher Yadier Molina at the plate. As Castellanos began walking away, Molina rushed up and tapped him from behind, and the benches and bullpens emptied in a wild scene. There was... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — Nick Castellanos stood over, flexed and jawed at St. Louis pitcher Jake Woodford after scoring, setting off a series of scuffles that included relievers shoving in the outfield as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Cardinals 9-6 Saturday. St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright was knocked around for six runs and chased in the third. The next inning, the teams started tagging each other. Castellanos, who homered on opening day and hopped out of the box before tossing his bat, was plunked by Woodford with two outs and none on in the fourth. Castellanos retrieved the ball and offered to toss it back to Woodford before flipping it out of play. A wild pitch soon sent Castellanos scampering home from third and he scored with a headfirst slide for a 7-2 lead as he bumped into Woodford, who took the throw from catcher Yadier Molina at the plate. As Castellanos began walking away, Molina rushed up and tapped him from behind, and the benches and bullpens emptied in a wild scene. There was... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — Nick Castellanos stood over, flexed and jawed at St. Louis pitcher Jake Woodford after scoring, setting off a series of scuffles that included relievers shoving in the outfield as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Cardinals 9-6 Saturday. St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright was knocked around for six runs and chased in the third. The next inning, the teams started tagging each other. Castellanos, who homered on opening day and hopped out of the box before tossing his bat, was plunked by Woodford with two outs and none on in the fourth. Castellanos retrieved the ball and offered to toss it back to Woodford before flipping it out of play. A wild pitch soon sent Castellanos scampering home from third and he scored with a headfirst slide for a 7-2 lead as he bumped into Woodford, who took the throw from catcher Yadier Molina at the plate. As Castellanos began walking away, Molina rushed up and tapped him from behind, and the benches and bullpens emptied in a wild scene. There was... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Infielder Joe Panik was put on the Toronto Blue Jays' major league roster and George Springer went on the 10-day injured list, among a dozen roster moves ahead of Thursday’s opener at the New York Yankees. The 30-year-old Panik, a seven-year major league veteran, had agreed to a minor league contract ahead of spring training and was selected from Triple-A Buffalo. He gets a one-year contract paying $1.85 million while in the major leagues and $150,000 while in the minors. He also can earn $400,000 in performance bonuses for plate appearances: $100,000 each for 325, 400, 475 and 500. Springer was placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained left oblique muscle that will delay his debut with the Blue Jays, who signed him as a free agent to a $150 million, six-year contract. The 2017 World Series MVP with Houston was scratched from a game on March 9 because of tightness in his abdominal muscles and did not play in any exhibitions after March 21. The 31-year-old hit .240... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Gerrit Cole’s dad will watch him pitch at Yankee Stadium in pinstripes for the first time, one of about 10,850 fans allowed in to watch New York’s opener against the Toronto Blue Jays. “I had trouble sleeping last night, so I probably anticipate going to be the same thing tonight,” Cole said Wednesday. “There’s just a lot of different emotions. Everybody is tired of spring training, ready for opening day. Most people’s families are in town, which is special. There’s a lot of hope. There’s a lot of excitement. There’s a lot of projections. There’s a lot of baseball out in front of you. And you’ve prepared up to this point and there’s nothing else. You just want the gates to open and you want it to start.” Cole’s first season with Yankees was played entirely without fans because of the pandemic. “It was a bit surreal at first, and then it became kind of standard operating procedure. There were more important things that we needed to focus on,” Cole said. “Every time I see... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Toronto Blue Jays reliever Kirby Yates is expected to have season-ending surgery on his right elbow, general manager Ross Atkins said Tuesday. The Blue Jays also reported two other injuries: Outfielder George Springer will miss the next four or five days because of a strained oblique muscle and left-hander Robbie Ray will skip at least one spring training start after slipping on a staircase and bruising his elbow. Yates was expected to be Toronto’s closer after signing a $5.5 million, one-year deal in the offseason. On Monday, the team said Yates would miss several weeks because of a strained muscle in his forearm. Yates last pitched Saturday against Philadelphia, striking out two in one scoreless inning. It was his second outing of the spring and his first since March 11. The 33-year-old Yates was an All-Star with San Diego in 2019, when he posted a 1.19 ERA and led the NL with 41 saves. He pitched in six games for the Padres last season and had a 12.46 ERA before surgery... [More]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Joey Gallo's spent several spring trainings in Arizona so the Texas Rangers slugger knows the difference between a real homer and the cheap high fly balls that can drift out of the park in the forgiving desert air. The 27-year-old says his power surge through the first two weeks of exhibition games is for real. “It’s a different environment, it’s a different field,” Gallo said. “But for me, look, I know I have power. I know the balls that I’ve hit so far this spring would probably go out of Globe Life Field anyway.” Gallo has hit an MLB-high five homers through his first seven games, giving the Rangers hope that he can bounce back from a tough 2020 season. The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder has always had an all-or-nothing approach that often ends in a homer, walk or a strikeout. But in last year's pandemic-shortened season, it was a lot more “nothing” than “all." He finished with a .181 batting average and 10 homers which is one of many reasons the Rangers finished last... [More]

The Cleveland Indians have broken COVID-19 protocols for the third time in less than a year, this time costing them third baseman José Ramírez and slugger Franmil Reyes. Manager Terry Francona said Sunday the two players were sent to their Arizona homes while the Indians wait to hear from Major League Baseball when they can rejoin the team. Francona said Reyes, who had a virus-related misstep last season, and Ramirez went out to dinner on Friday following an exhibition game in Mesa against the Chicago Cubs. They reported to the team’s complex on Saturday and were immediately sent away. They did not have contact with any other players or team personnel. “The players themselves actually self-reported that they had made a mistake," Francona said on a Zoom call. When spring training resumed last year after being stopped due to the pandemic, Reyes was forced to quarantine after the team learned via a social media posting that he attended a July 4 party while wearing a mask. A month later, the... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays reacquired left-hander Travis Bergen from the Arizona Diamondbacks for cash on Sunday. Toronto also placed right-hander Patrick Murphy on the 60-day injured list with a sprained right shoulder. The 27-year-old Bergen began last season with the Blue Jays and made one appearance before getting traded to Arizona on Aug. 31 for pitcher Robbie Ray and cash. Bergen finished 1-0 with a 3.24 ERA and one save in eight relief outings combined. He struck out 11 and walked nine in 8 1/3 innings. Bergen pitched for the San Francisco Giants in 2019, going 2-0 with a 5.49 ERA in 21 games. He was selected by the Blue Jays in the seventh round of the 2015 amateur draft out of Kennesaw State University and plucked by the Giants in the Rule 5 draft at the December 2018 winter meetings. San Francisco returned him to Toronto in August 2019. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

TORONTO (AP) — The Blue Jays expect to split the home portion of this year's regular-schedule among their spring training complex in Dunedin, Florida, their Triple-A ballpark in Buffalo, New York, and the Rogers Center in Toronto. Toronto announced Thursday it will play the first two homestands of the season in Dunedin because of Canadian government restrictions during the pandemic. Team president Mark Shapiro said a return to Buffalo is a likely option in June because of the heat and humidity in Florida. He hopes for games in Toronto at some point during the summer. “The alternatives for our season lie with some combination of Dunedin, Buffalo and Toronto," Shapiro said. The Blue Jays played home games during the shortened 2020 season in Buffalo and were 17-9 at Sahlen Field, home of their Buffalo Bisons Triple-A farm team. The Canadian government didn’t allow the team to play at home because of the risk of spreading COVID-19, citing frequent travel required in the U.S. during a baseball... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — The Blue Jays expect to split the home portion of this year's regular-schedule among their spring training complex in Dunedin, Florida, their Triple-A ballpark in Buffalo, New York, and the Rogers Center in Toronto. Toronto announced Thursday it will play the first two homestands of the season in Dunedin because of Canadian government restrictions during the pandemic. Team president Mark Shapiro said a return to Buffalo is a likely option in June because of the heat and humidity in Florida. He hopes for games in Toronto at some point during the summer. “The alternatives for our season lie with some combination of Dunedin, Buffalo and Toronto," Shapiro said. The Blue Jays played home games during the shortened 2020 season in Buffalo and were 17-9 at Sahlen Field, home of their Buffalo Bisons Triple-A farm team. The Canadian government didn’t allow the team to play at home because of the risk of spreading COVID-19, citing frequent travel required in the U.S. during a baseball... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays will play their first two homestands of the season at their spring training facility in Dunedin, Florida, because of Canadian government restrictions during the pandemic. The team said Thursday it has been planning different scenarios for home games and had hoped to see improvements in public health. The Blue Jays cited the “ongoing Canada-U.S. border closure” in making the “difficult decision." The team added in its statement that it ”hopes of a return to play at Rogers Centre as soon as possible.” After starting the season with three-game series at the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers, Toronto’s schedule has a homestand with four games against the Los Angeles Angels from April 8-11 and the Yankees from April 12-14. The Blue Jays follow with a trip to Kansas City, Boston and Tampa Bay, then have home games against Washington on April 27-28 and Atlanta from April 30 to May 2. That is followed by a 10-game trip to Oakland, Houston and Atlanta. It remains... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays will play their first two homestands of the regular season at their spring training facility in Dunedin, Florida, because of Canadian government restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement had not been made. A second person, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Blue Jays planned to make the announcement on Thursday morning. After starting the season with three-game series at the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers, Toronto's schedule has a homestand with four games against the Los Angeles Angels from April 8-11 and the Yankees from April 12-14. The Blue Jays follow with a trip to Kansas City, Boston and Tampa Bay, then have home games against Washington on April 27-28 and Atlanta from April 30 to May 2. That is followed by a 10-game trip to Oakland, Houston and Atlanta. It remains unlikely they would gain approval... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — The busy Toronto Blue Jays agreed Friday to a minor league contract to keep second baseman Joe Panik, who will report to big league spring training. The 30-year-old hit .225 with one homer and seven RBIs in 120 at-bats during the pandemic-shortened season, his first with Toronto. He earned $1,055,056 in prorated pay from a $2.85 million salary. Panik is a seven-year major league veteran who has a .269 average, 39 homers and 240 RBIs for San Francisco (2014-19), the New York Mets (2019) and Blue Jays. Panik was an All-Star in 2015, when he hit .312 with eight homers and 37 RBIs, and he won a Gold Glove the following year. Toronto also announced big league spring training invites for a group that included pitchers A.J. Cole and Tim Mayza, and infielders Richard Ureña, Kevin Smith and Tyler White. Toronto has been among the busiest teams on the free-agent market, agreeing to a $150 million, six-year contract with outfielder George Springer, an $18 million, one-year contract with shortstop Marcus Semien, a $5.5 million, one-year deal with right-hander Kirby Yates, a $3 million, one-year contract with right-hander Tyler Chatwood and a $1.75 million, one-year contract with right-hander David Phelps. The Blue Jays also re-signed left-hander Robbie Ray to an $8 million, one-year contract. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports