MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) — The San Diego Padres rebounded nicely from Los Angeles' combined no-hitter, using two-run homers by Eric Hosmer and Raffy Lopez to beat the Dodgers 7-4 on Saturday night in the first major league series in Mexico since 1999.A day after the first no-hitter ever outside the U.S. or Canada, Travis Jankowski led off the first with a triple for San Diego's first hit of the series. Hosmer then hit a drive over the wall in right against Kenta Maeda.Lopez's first homer of the season erased a 4-3 Los Angeles lead in the sixth.Kirby Yates got two outs for the win, and Brad Hand worked the ninth for his eighth save.Josh Fields (2-1) allowed Lopez's homer.On Friday night, Walker Buehler and three relievers posted the 12th combined no-hitter in major league history, leading the Dodgers to a 4-0 victory.YANKEES 5, INDIANS 2NEW YORK (AP) — Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor's double error led to a pair of runs in a four-run fifth inning off previously unhittable Trevor Bauer,... [More]

MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) — The San Diego Padres rebounded nicely from Los Angeles' combined no-hitter, using two-run homers by Eric Hosmer and Raffy Lopez to beat the Dodgers 7-4 on Saturday night in the first major league series in Mexico since 1999.A day after the first no-hitter ever outside the U.S. or Canada, Travis Jankowski led off the first with a triple for San Diego's first hit of the series. Hosmer then hit a drive over the wall in right against Kenta Maeda.Lopez's first homer of the season erased a 4-3 Los Angeles lead in the sixth, and Chase Headley and Carlos Asuaje contributed RBI singles in the eighth against Daniel Hudson.Kirby Yates got two outs for the win, and Brad Hand worked the ninth for his eighth save.Josh Fields (2-1) allowed Lopez's homer.On Friday night, Walker Buehler and three relievers posted the 12th combined no-hitter in major league history, leading the Dodgers to a 4-0 victory.YANKEES 5, INDIANS 2NEW YORK (AP) — Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor's double... [More]

MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) — The San Diego Padres rebounded nicely from Los Angeles' combined no-hitter, using two-run homers by Eric Hosmer and Raffy Lopez to beat the Dodgers 7-4 on Saturday night in the first major league series in Mexico since 1999.A day after the first no-hitter ever outside the U.S. or Canada, Travis Jankowski led off the first with a triple for San Diego's first hit of the series. Hosmer then hit a drive over the wall in right against Kenta Maeda.Lopez's first homer of the season erased a 4-3 Los Angeles lead in the sixth, and Chase Headley and Carlos Asuaje contributed RBI singles in the eighth against Daniel Hudson.Kirby Yates got two outs for the win, and Brad Hand worked the ninth for his eighth save.Josh Fields (2-1) allowed Lopez's homer.On Friday night, Walker Buehler and three relievers posted the 12th combined no-hitter in major league history, leading the Dodgers to a 4-0 victory.YANKEES 5, INDIANS 2NEW YORK (AP) — Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor's double... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Charlie Morton pitched two-hit ball into the eighth inning and struck out 10 as the Houston Astros snapped the New York Yankees' nine-game winning streak with a 2-1 victory Monday night.Carlos Correa had two hits and an RBI for Houston in the first meeting between the teams since Game 7 of last year's AL Championship Series, when Morton allowed two hits over five innings for the win in a 4-0 victory that sent the Astros to the World Series.Houston has won seven straight at home against the Yankees including the postseason, holding them to no more than one run in their past six games here.Morton (4-0) had allowed just one hit when Gleyber Torres chased him with a two-out double in the eighth. Brad Peacock walked pinch-hitter Aaron Judge, who didn't start for the first time this season, and Torres stole third base.Chris Devenski was greeted with an RBI single by Brett Gardner that cut the lead to 2-1. Devenski then fanned AL player of the week Didi Gregorius on three pitches... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Charlie Morton pitched two-hit ball into the eighth inning and struck out 10 as the Houston Astros snapped the New York Yankees' nine-game winning streak with a 2-1 victory Monday night.Carlos Correa had two hits and an RBI for Houston in the first meeting between the teams since Game 7 of last year's AL Championship Series, when Morton allowed two hits over five innings for the win in a 4-0 victory that sent the defending champion Astros to the World Series.Houston has won seven straight at home against the Yankees including the postseason, and the Astros have held them to no more than one run in their past six games here.Morton (4-0) had allowed just one hit when Gleyber Torres chased him with a two-out double in the eighth. Brad Peacock took over and walked pinch-hitter Aaron Judge, who didn't start for the first time this season, and Torres stole third base.Chris Devenski replaced Peacock and was greeted with an RBI single by Brett Gardner that cut the lead to 2-1. Devenski... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Charlie Morton pitched two-hit ball into the eighth inning and struck out 10 as the Houston Astros snapped the New York Yankees' nine-game winning streak with a 2-1 victory Monday night.Carlos Correa had two hits and an RBI for Houston in the first meeting between the teams since Game 7 of last year's AL Championship Series, when Morton allowed two hits over five innings for the win in a 4-0 victory that sent the defending champion Astros to the World Series.Houston has won seven straight at home against the Yankees including the postseason, and the Astros have held them to no more than one run in their past six games here.Morton (4-0) had allowed just one hit when Gleyber Torres chased him with a two-out double in the eighth. Brad Peacock took over and walked pinch-hitter Aaron Judge, who didn't start for the first time this season, and Torres stole third base.Chris Devenski replaced Peacock and was greeted with an RBI single by Brett Gardner that cut the lead to 2-1. Devenski... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Trevor Bauer felt the rules beat him before the Royals did.Bauer allowed Lucas Duda's homer on his first pitch in the seventh inning for the game's only run and Ian Kennedy pitched six shutout innings, leading Kansas City to a 1-0 win over the Cleveland Indians on Saturday in frigid, football-like weather conditions.Duda's shot off Bauer (0-1) was one of only three hits by Kansas City and a rare highlight as the teams survived nine innings with the temperature hovering around freezing.But afterward, Bauer complained that he didn't have enough time to warm up following the sixth inning. In an attempt to speed up play this season, Major League Baseball has cut the time between innings from 2 minutes, 25 seconds to 2:05."First pitch of the inning, coming out, I tried to get loose, but with the new (Commissioner) Rob Manfred time (nonsense) we have only a certain amount of time between innings, it's hard to get loose sometimes, especially in conditions like that. It's not safe,... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Lucas Duda homered off Trevor Bauer for the game's only run and Ian Kennedy pitched six shutout innings, leading the Kansas City Royals to a 1-0 win over the Cleveland Indians on Saturday in frigid, football-like weather conditions.Duda's shot in the seventh off Bauer (0-1) was one of only three hits by Kansas City and a rare highlight as the teams survived nine innings with the temperature hovering around freezing.Kennedy (1-0) allowed four hits, walked none and struck out eight. The right-hander was only in trouble once, but worked out of the sixth-inning jam. Blaine Boyer and Justin Grimm pitched an inning apiece before closer Kelvin Herrera worked a perfect ninth for his second save.The temperature was 34 at gametime, one degree above the coldest start to a game in the 25-year history of Progressive Field. Players on both teams bundled up, with several wearing hoods under their caps to try and stay warm.Bauer matched Kennedy and then some, giving up just three hits... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Ron Gardenhire's first win with the Detroit Tigers came courtesy of a couple other grizzled veterans.Francisco Liriano pitched into the seventh inning in his Detroit debut and Victor Martinez drove in three runs to give the Tigers a 6-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on a chilly Monday.Gardenhire won 1,068 games as Minnesota's manager from 2002-14. This is his first year at the helm in Detroit.The temperature was in the mid-30s at Comerica Park for a matchup between the last two winless teams in the American League.Liriano (1-0) allowed a run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings. The Tigers scored four runs in the fifth, with Martinez delivering a two-run single off Jason Hammel (0-1).PIRATES 5, TWINS 4PITTSBURGH (AP) — Colin Moran hit a first-inning grand slam in his debut at PNC Park, Jameson Taillon tied a career high with nine strikeouts and Pittsburgh held on for the win in its home opener.Moran, part of a trade that sent Gerrit Cole to Houston in January, sent a full-count... [More]

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Danny Duffy is still scheduled to start on opening day for the Kansas City Royals — at this moment, anyway.A day after he exited his final spring training game because of a stiff left shoulder, Duffy said he was ready to pitch Thursday at home against the Chicago White Sox."As of now, I feel good," Duffy said Sunday. "I don't really have too many comments. I feel good to go."Duffy left in the third inning after throwing 32 pitches against an Arizona split squad. His first pitch bounced in front of the plate and his fastball velocity was 82 to 85 mph, about 10 miles less than his normal working velocity.Duffy threw only 15 innings in spring training and no more than 4 1/3 innings in any start. He was 1-1 with an 8.40 ERA, allowing 14 earned runs and 19 hits, including four home runs. He walked nine and struck out 12."I'm feeling just fine this morning," Duffy said. "I knew what it was. It's just something we didn't want to push through. Initially, I tried to get my... [More]

Capsules of American League Central teams, listed in order of finish last year:___Cleveland Indians2017: 102-60, first place, lost to Yankees in ALDS.Manager: Terry Francona (sixth season).He's Here: 1B-DH Yonder Alonso, LF Rajai Davis, RHP Alexi Ogando.He's Outta Here: 1B Carlos Santana, OF Jay Bruce, RHP Bryan Shaw, RHP Joe Smith, OF Austin Jackson, LHP Boone Logan.Projected Lineup: SS Francisco Lindor (.273, 33 HRs, 89 RBIs, 44 2Bs, 15 SBs, 10 errors), 2B Jason Kipnis (.232, 12 HRs, 35 RBIs in 90 games), 3B Jose Ramirez (.318, 29, 83, AL-leading 56 2Bs), DH Edwin Encarnacion (.258, 38, 107), 1B Yonder Alonso (.266, career-high 28 HRs, 67 RBIs with Athletics and Mariners), RF Lonnie Chisenhall (.288, 12, 53 in 82 games), C Roberto Perez (.207, 8, 38, club went 44-22 in his starts) or Yan Gomes (.232, 14, 56), CF Bradley Zimmer (.241, 8, 39, 18 SBs, 0 errors), LF Michael Brantley (.299, 9, 52 in 90 games) or Rajai Davis (.235, 5, 20, 29 SBs with Oakland and Boston).Rotation: RH Corey Kluber... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — This was supposed to be the season that the Kansas City Royals, after spending the last half decade in contention, were finally forced to rebuild as their core group of players hit free agency.Turns out half of them came back.With the market soft across the board, the Royals were able to bring back shortstop Alcides Escobar and third baseman Mike Moustakas on club-friendly, short-term deals. So while first baseman Eric Hosmer signed a seven-figure contract with the Padres and outfielder Lorenzo Cain struck it big with the Brewers, the Royals still have enough pieces that they could compete into the summer.If that happens to be the case, all bets are off."We're fortunate that it happened for us the way it did, and that's as simple as I can say it at this point," Royals general manager Dayton Moore said.What if the Royals are far out of the race in July? Well, all those pieces they brought back could become useful trade chips, allowing Kansas City to jumpstart its... [More]

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — Michael Brantley had no problem getting back in the swing of things Wednesday night.Brantley homered on his first swing of spring training, making a promising return to the Cleveland Indians' lineup following surgery in October on his right ankle.The 30-year-old outfielder turned around a pitch from Kansas City's Jason Hammel and knocked it onto the pavilion roof in right field in the second inning. He was later called out on strikes and flew out to left field before being replaced in left field prior to the sixth inning.Brantley's first spring start was delayed by injury for the third straight season. In 2016, he homered in a March 19 debut after having right shoulder surgery the previous November. Last spring, he was held out of Cactus League action until March 20 following biceps surgery the previous August.Brantley batted .299 with nine homers and 52 RBIs in 90 games last year before being shut down with the ankle injury. Cleveland has been cautious with his workload... [More]

On the day the Kansas City Royals welcomed back Mike Moustakas, they found out Jorge Bonifacio will miss half the season.Bonifacio was suspended 80 games by Major League Baseball on Saturday after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.The outfielder was banned after a positive test for Boldenone. The ban will begin on opening day."It really kind of made me sick to my stomach," Royals manager Ned Yost said.The 24-year-old Bonifacio made his major league debut last season, hitting .255 with 17 home runs and 40 RBIs in 113 games.Bonifacio's suspension cleared a roster spot for Moustakas, who re-signed with the Royals this week after becoming a free agent last fall.Moustakas set a Royals record with 38 home runs last season, then rejected a $17.4 million offer from the team. But the third baseman never received the multiyear, mega-million dollar contract he and his agent Scott Boras anticipated.The Royals signed Moustakas to a one-year $6.5 million contract with a mutual option... [More]

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals agreed to a minor league contract with right-hander Ricky Nolasco on Wednesday that includes an invitation to their major league camp.He would get a $1.5 million, one-year contract if added to the 40-man roster and would have the chance to make $250,000 in performance bonuses: $25,000 for his 10th start and each additional start through 19.The 35-year-old spent the past two seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, where he went 6-15 with a 4.92 ERA a year ago. Nolasco has a reputation for being durable, going 114-118 with a 4.56 ERA across 12 seasons with the Angels, Dodgers, Marlins and Twins.Kansas City reached a deal with him one day after placing right-hander Jesse Hahn on the 60-day disabled list with a sprained right ulnar collateral ligament. Hahn, who had Tommy John surgery in 2010, is expected to visit Dr. Neal ElAttrache for a second opinion.Nolasco will compete for a spot in the back end of the Royals rotation, where the only sure spots are filled by Danny Duffy, Ian Kennedy and Jason Hammel.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals signed veteran right-hander Ricky Nolasco to a minor league contract on Wednesday with an invitation to spring training.He will get $1.5 million if he makes the major league roster and could earn another $250,000 in performances bonuses. He also can opt out of the contract on March 24 if he's not added to the 25-man big league roster.Nolasco went 6-15 with a 4.92 ERA in 33 starts last season with the Los Angeles Angels. He has a career record of 114-118 with the Marlins, Angels, Dodgers and Twins in 330 career games, 312 of them starts, over 12 years.Nolasco would add depth to a rotation that includes Danny Duffy, Ian Kennedy, Jason Hammel, Jakob Junis and Nathan Karns.

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals agreed to a minor league contract with right-hander Ricky Nolasco on Wednesday that includes an invitation to their major league camp.The 35-year-old spent the past two seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, where he went 6-15 with a 4.92 ERA a year ago. Nolasco has a reputation for being durable, going 114-118 with a 4.56 ERA across 12 seasons with the Angels, Dodgers, Marlins and Twins.Kansas City reached a deal with him one day after placing right-hander Jesse Hahn on the 60-day disabled list with a sprained right ulnar collateral ligament. Hahn, who had Tommy John surgery in 2010, is expected to visit Dr. Neal ElAttrache for a second opinion.Nolasco will compete for a spot in the back end of the Royals rotation, where the only sure spots are filled by Danny Duffy, Ian Kennedy and Jason Hammel.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The offseason Royals fans have been dreading for years has come and gone, and now a team that could bear little resemblance to its championship past is ready to report to spring training in Arizona.Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas could be playing elsewhere. Lorenzo Cain is already headed to camp with Milwaukee. The only core member that reached free agency who will be back is shortstop Alcides Escobar, who agreed to one-year contract with Kansas City with nothing else materialized.One thing the Royals aren't going to do: tank.General manager Dayton Moore insisted they will not regress to their 100-loss past, even if Hosmer and Moustakas also sign with other teams. He's confident that a relatively weak farm system can replace those big names, and that the Royals will at least be competitive by opening day."If anybody thinks we're going to settle for mediocrity," Moore said, "or allow our players to be overmatched on a consistent basis, not put a competitive team on... [More]

A team-by-team look at the American League Central entering spring training, including key players each club acquired and lost, and dates of the first workout for pitchers and catchers, and the full squad:___Cleveland IndiansManager: Terry Francona (sixth season).2017: 102-60, first place, lost to New York Yankees in ALDS.Training Town: Goodyear, Arizona.Park: Goodyear Ballpark.First Workout: Feb. 15/19.He's Here: 1B-DH Yonder Alonso, OF Melvin Upton Jr., RHP Alexi Ogando.He's Outta Here: 1B Carlos Santana, OF Jay Bruce, RHP Bryan Shaw, RHP Joe Smith, OF Austin Jackson, LHP Boone Logan.Going campin': Poised to possibly end their 70-year-old World Series title drought, the Indians, who reeled off 22 straight victories in 2017, didn't even make it back to the AL Championship Series after squandering a 2-0 playoff lead against the Yankees. Unlike last winter, when the club signed DH Edwin Encarnacion in free agency, the Indians were relatively quiet, counting on their core to carry them in... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals had hoped to retain some of the core players that helped them to back-to-back American League pennants and a World Series title after hitting free agency this offseason.They accomplished it with at least one of them.Kansas City signed Alcides Escobar to a $2.5 million deal for the upcoming season Monday, keeping their longtime shortstop on the roster after he joined first baseman Eric Hosmer, third baseman Mike Moustakas, outfielder Lorenzo Cain and pitcher Jason Vargas in hitting the open market.Royals general manager Dayton Moore said last week, when the framework for a contract was in place, that he hoped Escobar could give the club more time for top prospect Raul Mondesi Jr. to mature."It's important to have a lot of depth up the middle, as you know, although we really appreciate and admire the talent of Raul," Moore said. "We'll see how that unfolds."Escobar, who can earn up to $1.5 million in bonuses based on plate appearances, has spent the past... [More]