PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — Mickey Callaway's first season as a manager with the New York Mets was ... well ... messy.His team batted out of order due to a lineup-card snafu. Several puzzling decisions drew heavy scrutiny. And the banged-up Mets faded fast following an 11-1 start, finishing eight games under .500."I experienced a ton. I think that's probably the most valuable thing, is just going through it. Going through the ups and downs," Callaway said Wednesday. "I'm looking forward to Year 2."But as he prepares to begin his second spring training in charge, the 43-year-old Callaway is already under plenty of pressure in a potentially dicey situation.The club's new general manager, former player agent Brodie Van Wagenen, didn't hire him. Not to mention, Van Wagenen and chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon want a playoff contender after spending about $80 million on free agents plus more big bucks to obtain second baseman Robinson Cano in a blockbuster trade with Seattle.On paper, the... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Wilson Ramos had a grip on the New York Mets from the moment he walked into their winter meetings suite in Las Vegas last week."It was his handshake," new general manager Brodie Van Wagenen recalled Tuesday at the catcher's introductory news conference. "As some of you may get to know, this guy has really big, strong, strong mitts here for hands."Ramos agreed to a $19 million, two-year contract, the fourth All-Star to join the Mets since Van Wagenen was hired in late October. New York acquired second baseman Robinson Cano and closer Edwin Diaz from Seattle and brought back former closer Jeurys Familia as a setup man."Internally, we would argue that we're the favorites in the division right now," Van Wagenen told the team's SNY network.Ramos commanded the room, according to Van Wagenen, when he met with the GM, manager Mickey Callaway and other New York executives. Ramos looked at home during the Citi Field news conference, wearing a sports shirt and sneakers as he slipped... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Allard Baird believes the New York Mets are ready to win now."You need impact starting pitching and they have it here. That was one of the attractive things," he said Thursday, a day after leaving the World Series champion Boston Red Sox to become an assistant general manager under new Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen.New York's rotation is headed by NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard, and it also includes Zack Wheeler, Steven Matz and Jason Vargas,But the Mets were next to last in the major leagues with a .234 batting average, just ahead of Philadelphia, and 21st with 170 home runs. Three years after winning the NL pennant, New York finished fourth in the NL East at 77-85."There are areas that we need to improve, and I know Brody is working extremely hard, as well as everybody else in the organization, to get there as quick as possible," Baird said. "I think it goes well beyond the major league club. It's the things that do not make the headlines that... [More]

DENVER (AP) — David Dahl homered for the fourth straight game, and the Colorado Rockies opened a one-game NL West lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday that extended their winning streak to seven.Trevor Story and Gerardo Parra also went deep. Trying for the first division title in team history, Colorado (89-70) closes at home with three games against Washington while the Dodgers finish at San Francisco. The Dodgers are one game ahead of St. Louis for the second NL wild-card berth.Scott Oberg (8-1) pitched 1 1/3 hitless innings, and Wade Davis got his NL-leading 42nd save.Philadelphia (78-81) has lost a season-high eight straight and has gone 15-33 since moving a season-high 15 games over .500 on Aug. 5.Jake Arrieta (10-11) gave up three runs and six hits in six innings. He had a 3.96 ERA, his highest since 2013, in his first season after agreeing to a $75 million, three-year contract with the Phillies.YANKEES 12, RAYS 1ST. PETERSBURG,... [More]

DENVER (AP) — David Dahl homered for the fourth straight game, and the Colorado Rockies opened a one-game NL West lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday that extended their winning streak to seven.Trevor Story and Gerardo Parra also went deep. Trying for the first division title in team history, Colorado (89-70) closes at home with three games against Washington while the Dodgers finish at San Francisco. The Dodgers are one game ahead of St. Louis for the second NL wild-card berth.Scott Oberg (8-1) pitched 1 1/3 hitless innings, and Wade Davis got his NL-leading 42nd save.Philadelphia (78-81) has lost a season-high eight straight and has gone 15-33 since moving a season-high 15 games over .500 on Aug. 5.Jake Arrieta (10-11) gave up three runs and six hits in six innings. He had a 3.96 ERA, his highest since 2013, in his first season after agreeing to a $75 million, three-year contract with the Phillies.YANKEES 12, RAYS 1ST. PETERSBURG,... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The New York Mets are shutting down right-hander Zack Wheeler for the rest of the season as a precaution, ending a career-best year in which he logged nearly 100 more innings than 2017.Manager Mickey Callaway said before Wednesday night's game at Philadelphia that they'd be "probably taking the best care of him" by holding him out of his final two starts."I feel like I had a good season," Wheeler said. "I would have liked to have finished it out, but getting 100 more innings than last season without doing that much the past 2½ years, I think it makes sense to kind of shut it down and not really push it."Wheeler missed two full seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2015. He returned last season and was 3-7 with a 5.21 ERA in 17 starts. After beginning this season in Triple-A following a difficult spring training, Wheeler was called up in April and went 12-7 with a 3.31 ERA in 29 starts while throwing 182 1/3 innings."He always knew he could be this guy. But when... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The New York Mets are shutting down right-hander Zack Wheeler for the rest of the season as a precaution, ending a career-best year in which he logged nearly 100 more innings than 2017.Manager Mickey Callaway said before Wednesday night's game at Philadelphia that they'd be "probably taking the best care of him" by holding him out of his final two starts."I feel like I had a good season," Wheeler said. "I would have liked to have finished it out, but getting 100 more innings than last season without doing that much the past 2½ years, I think it makes sense to kind of shut it down and not really push it."Wheeler missed two full seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2015. He returned last season and was 3-7 with a 5.21 ERA in 17 starts. After beginning this season in Triple-A following a difficult spring training, Wheeler was called up in April and went 12-7 with a 3.31 ERA in 29 starts while throwing 182 1/3 innings."He always knew he could be this guy. But when... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — J.D. Martinez hit his 41st home run and the Boston Red Sox moved closer to winning the AL East title, completing a three-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays with a 4-3 victory Thursday night.Xander Bogaerts scored the go-ahead run on an eighth-inning error after the Blue Jays rallied in the top half with two runs to tie it 3-all.Rafael Devers also homered for the major league-leading Red Sox (101-46). They pulled 10 1/2 games ahead of the idle New York Yankees and decreased their magic number to six for clinching a third straight division crown. Boston is the only team in the majors that's already locked up a playoff berth.Brandon Workman (5-0) faced one batter, ending Toronto's eighth-inning rally, and got the win. Craig Kimbrel earned his 40th save. Danny Barnes (3-3) took the loss.Lourdes Gurriel Jr. homered for the Blue Jays.ROCKIES 10, DIAMONDBACKS 3DENVER (AP) — Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story homered, Kyle Freeland pitched effectively into the seventh, and Colorado beat... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — J.D. Martinez hit his 41st home run and the Boston Red Sox moved closer to winning the AL East title, completing a three-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays with a 4-3 victory Thursday night.Xander Bogaerts scored the go-ahead run on an eighth-inning error after the Blue Jays rallied in the top half with two runs to tie it 3-all.Rafael Devers also homered for the major league-leading Red Sox (101-46). They pulled 10 1/2 games ahead of the idle New York Yankees and decreased their magic number to six for clinching a third straight division crown. Boston is the only team in the majors that's already locked up a playoff berth.Brandon Workman (5-0) faced one batter, ending Toronto's eighth-inning rally, and got the win. Craig Kimbrel earned his 40th save. Danny Barnes (3-3) took the loss.Lourdes Gurriel Jr. homered for the Blue Jays.ROCKIES 10, DIAMONDBACKS 3DENVER (AP) — Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story homered, Kyle Freeland pitched effectively into the seventh, and Colorado beat... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — J.D. Martinez hit his 41st home run and the Boston Red Sox moved closer to winning the AL East title, completing a three-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays with a 4-3 victory Thursday night.Xander Bogaerts scored the go-ahead run on an eighth-inning error after the Blue Jays rallied in the top half with two runs to tie it 3-all.Rafael Devers also homered for the major league-leading Red Sox (101-46). They pulled 10 1/2 games ahead of the idle New York Yankees and decreased their magic number to six for clinching a third straight division crown. Boston is the only team in the majors that's already locked up a playoff berth.Brandon Workman (5-0) faced one batter, ending Toronto's eighth-inning rally, and got the win. Craig Kimbrel earned his 40th save. Danny Barnes (3-3) took the loss.Lourdes Gurriel Jr. homered for the Blue Jays.ROCKIES 10, DIAMONDBACKS 3DENVER (AP) — Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story homered, Kyle Freeland pitched effectively into the seventh, and Colorado beat... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — J.D. Martinez hit his 41st home run and the Boston Red Sox moved closer to winning the AL East title, completing a three-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays with a 4-3 victory Thursday night.Xander Bogaerts scored the go-ahead run on an eighth-inning error after the Blue Jays rallied in the top half with two runs to tie it 3-all.Rafael Devers also homered for the major league-leading Red Sox (101-46). They pulled 10 1/2 games ahead of the idle New York Yankees and decreased their magic number to six for clinching a third straight division crown. Boston is the only team in the majors that's already locked up a playoff berth.Brandon Workman (5-0) faced one batter, ending Toronto's eighth-inning rally, and got the win. Craig Kimbrel earned his 40th save. Danny Barnes (3-3) took the loss.Lourdes Gurriel Jr. homered for the Blue Jays.ROCKIES 10, DIAMONDBACKS 3DENVER (AP) — Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story homered, Kyle Freeland pitched effectively into the seventh, and Colorado beat... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Michael Conforto and Todd Frazier hit back-to-back homers with two outs in the ninth inning, and the New York Mets stunned the Miami Marlins 4-3 on Thursday in the first game of a doubleheader.Conforto drove in three more runs in the second game, and Jason Vargas pitched six effective innings to help the Mets win 5-2.In the opener, Kyle Barraclough entered with one out in the ninth and retired pinch-hitter Dominic Smith before Conforto lined a 1-0 changeup into the second deck in right to tie it. Frazier then hit a 1-1 pitch to left center field for his first walk-off homer since June 2015 for Cincinnati.Barraclough (0-6) blew a save for the seventh time in 17 opportunities. Jerry Blevins (3-2) pitched a scoreless ninth for the win.Rookie starter Sandy Alcantara befuddled the Mets, permitting just two hits, with his only real blemish coming off the bat of the opposing pitcher. Steven Matz hit his first career homer, a two-run shot in the second inning to tie it at 2. Peter... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Steve Pearce had three hits and three RBIs, Rick Porcello allowed two hits in five innings and the Boston Red Sox beat the Atlanta Braves 5-1 on Tuesday night for their second straight win in a matchup of division leaders.Porcello (16-7) gave up one run and struck out five, improving to 10-3 on the road this year. He had been 0-2 in his previous three starts overall since an Aug. 14 win at Philadelphia.Atlanta pitchers walked nine, including five by starter Sean Newcomb (11-8), who matched his season high. He allowed three runs and four hits in 4 1/3 innings.The Braves' lead over second-place Philadelphia in the NL East was cut to three games.Kurt Suzuki homered for the Braves.BREWERS 11, CUBS 1MILWAUKEE (AP) — Lorenzo Cain reached base five times, Wade Miley pitched six stingy innings and Milwaukee romped past Chicago to climb within three games of the NL Central leaders.Miley (3-2) allowed one run and three hits, struck out five and walked none as Milwaukee won for the... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — Christian Yelich led Milwaukee's big comeback by hitting for the cycle, and Jesus Aguilar homered in the 10th inning, powering the Brewers to a 13-12 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday nightAguilar connected off Raisel Iglesias (2-3) for Milwaukee's fourth homer of the game, halting the Brewers' month-long slide. Milwaukee has dropped 11 of 20 and slipped into third place in the NL Central, five games behind the Cubs.Yelich became the eighth Brewers player to hit for the cycle and the first since George Kottaras on Sept. 3, 2011, at Houston. Yelich also matched the club record with six hits of the Brewers' 22 hits, including a two-run homer.Mike Moustakas' solo shot put Milwaukee ahead 11-10 in the eighth, but Joakim Soria's wild pitch allowed Billy Hamilton to score the tying run in the bottom of the inning. Jeremy Jeffress (7-1) gave up Brandon Dixon's homer in the 10th.The Brewers extended their Great American Ball Park record to 21 straight games with at... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — Christian Yelich led Milwaukee's big comeback by hitting for the cycle, and Jesus Aguilar homered in the 10th inning, powering the Brewers to a 13-12 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday nightAguilar connected off Raisel Iglesias (2-3) for Milwaukee's fourth homer of the game, halting the Brewers' month-long slide. Milwaukee has dropped 11 of 20 and slipped into third place in the NL Central, five games behind the Cubs.Yelich became the eighth Brewers player to hit for the cycle and the first since George Kottaras on Sept. 3, 2011, at Houston. Yelich also matched the club record with six hits of the Brewers' 22 hits, including a two-run homer.Mike Moustakas' solo shot put Milwaukee ahead 11-10 in the eighth, but Joakim Soria's wild pitch allowed Billy Hamilton to score the tying run in the bottom of the inning. Jeremy Jeffress (7-1) gave up Brandon Dixon's homer in the 10th.The Brewers extended their Great American Ball Park record to 21 straight games with at... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Mookie Betts homered early and had a two-run double in Boston's 11-run seventh inning as the Red Sox rallied for a 14-6 victory over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday night after pitcher David Price was knocked out with a bruised left wrist.The 33-year-old lefty exited in the fourth after being struck by a line drive off the bat of Austin Dean on the final play of the previous inning.With the Red Sox trailing 5-3, Blake Swihart had a pinch-hit RBI single and Jackie Bradley Jr. tied it with a double before Betts hit his go-ahead shot into the right-center gap off Adam Conley (3-4). Brock Holt followed with a pinch-hit triple and scored on Xander Bogaerts' single.Eduardo Nunez and Ian Kinsler had RBI singles before Swihart doubled home his second run of the inning and scored on Bradley's single. By the time it was over, Boston had its biggest inning of the season.Betts and Eduardo Nunez each hit a solo homer for the Red Sox, who won for the 22nd time in their last 26 interleague... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Mookie Betts homered early and had a two-run double in Boston's 11-run seventh inning as the Red Sox rallied for a 14-6 victory over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday night after pitcher David Price was knocked out with a bruised left wrist.The 33-year-old lefty exited in the fourth after being struck by a line drive off the bat of Austin Dean on the final play of the previous inning.With the Red Sox trailing 5-3, Blake Swihart had a pinch-hit RBI single and Jackie Bradley Jr. tied it with a double before Betts hit his go-ahead shot into the right-center gap off Adam Conley (3-4). Brock Holt followed with a pinch-hit triple and scored on Xander Bogaerts' single.Eduardo Nunez and Ian Kinsler had RBI singles before Swihart doubled home his second run of the inning and scored on Bradley's single. By the time it was over, Boston had its biggest inning of the season.Betts and Eduardo Nunez each hit a solo homer for the Red Sox, who won for the 22nd time in their last 26 interleague... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Todd Frazier hit a grand slam and drove in a season-high five runs to lead the New York Mets to a 10-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday, avenging a tough loss earlier in the day.Frazier gave New York a 4-0 lead in the first inning with his drive against Alec Mills (0-1) and added an RBI single in a two-run ninth.Jason Vargas (5-8) won his third straight start. The Mets had 16 hits and avoided a season sweep after dropping the first six games against the NL Central leaders.Victor Caratini hit a two-run homer for Chicago in the ninth.The Cubs had won a season-high seven in a row after pulling out a 2-1 victory earlier on Ben Zobrist's RBI single with the bases loaded in the 11th. That game was suspended in the top of the 10th because of rain the previous night.In the suspended game, Zobrist grounded the winning single up the middle off Daniel Zamora with one out in the 11th after Chicago loaded the bases against Paul Sewald (0-5). Jesse Chavez (5-2) got the win with... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Wednesday:HILL COUNTRYThe Athletics wrap up their series at Minute Maid Park, trailing the AL West-leading Astros by 1 1/2 games going into the finale. Trevor Cahill (5-3, 3.44 ERA) starts for Oakland, looking to rebound after allowing five runs in five innings against Minnesota in his last outing. Dallas Keuchel (10-10, 3.54) pitches for Houston.TAKE TWOThe Cubs will try to win their seventh in a row — and eighth, too — when they take on the Mets at Wrigley Field.The teams were tied at 1 when their game Tuesday night was suspended in the top of the 10th inning because of rain. Michael Conforto had a 2-0 count leading off the inning when it was stopped. After they resume and finish, Cubs rookie Alec Mills will go for his first big league win when he faces Jason Vargas.LEFT(IES) FROM ATLANTAAlex Wood and Mike Minors both made their big league debuts with the Braves, and were teammates together in Atlanta for two seasons. The lefties are now scheduled... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Rookie David Bote struck again, connecting in the 10th inning for another game-ending home run that sent the Chicago Cubs over the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 on Friday for their third straight victory.Bote got behind 0-2 before driving Raisel Iglesias' next pitch deep to left field with one out. The infielder hit a bottom-of-the-ninth, two-out grand slam that beat Washington 4-3 on Aug. 12.Iglesias (2-2) had made seven straight scoreless appearances. Jesse Chavez (4-2), the sixth Cubs reliever, pitched a scoreless inning.Daniel Murphy hit his first homer since being traded Tuesday from Washington to the NL Central-leading Cubs. Alec Mills pitched 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball in his first major league start.Cincinnati wasted a terrific start by Matt Harvey in its fourth loss in five games. Harvey struck out six in 5 1/3 innings after reportedly being claimed off waivers by Milwaukee. He stayed with the Reds when they couldn't work out a deal.BREWERS 7, PIRATES 6, 15 inningsMILWAUKEE... [More]