SEATTLE (AP) — Rookie Freddy Peralta tossed seven scoreless innings and drove in a run with his first career hit, combining with two relievers on a five-hitter to lead the Milwaukee Brewers past the Cincinnati Reds 4-0 on Wednesday.Christian Yelich homered and finished a triple shy of the cycle, reaching base five times and driving in two runs for Milwaukee. He opened the first with his 21st homer, doubled in the third, walked in the fourth and singled in the sixth and eighth.Peralta (6-4) allowed just three singles, striking out seven and walking two to win for the second time in seven starts. The 22-year-old right-hander did not allow a hit until Jose Peraza's single to open the fourth.Peralta was 0-for-22 with 11 strikeouts this season before he drove in the Brewers' second run with a fourth-inning single.Robert Stephenson (0-2) allowed four runs on nine hits in five innings, walking three and striking out four.The Reds loaded the bases in the eighth against Taylor Williams, but Jeremy... [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]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Chicago Cubs tied a major league record by turning seven double plays Friday night, including a game-ending effort by rookie third baseman David Bote on a grounder by David Freese to finish off a 1-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.The Cubs got six double plays on grounders — five with Cole Hamels pitching — and one on a line drive. The Elias Sports Bureau said the Cubs became the third team in big league history to turn seven DPs in a nine-inning game.Pittsburgh put runners on first and second in the ninth before Jesse Chavez got Freese to ground to Bote. Having hit a game-ending grand slam last Sunday night to beat Washington 4-3, Bote again was in the right place to cap off a win. Bote stepped on third and threw to first base to end it.Hamels (8-9) pitched seven solid innings. Kyle Schwarber hit a home run in the second off Trevor Williams (10-9). Chavez got his second save as the Pirates lost their fifth in a row.The Cubs beat the Pirates by a 1-0 score for the second... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — When baseball stars on expiring contracts get traded in July, there's usually no need to find long-term housing.Infielders Manny Machado, Mike Moustakas and Brian Dozier; starting pitchers Cole Hamels, J.A. Happ and Nathan Eovaldi; catcher Martin Maldonado; and closer Zach Britton are among the players dealt ahead of this week's deadline for trades without waivers. All could be eligible for free agency after the World Series.Most will find new clubs, like Randy Johnson (Houston for Arizona after 1998), CC Sabathia (Milwaukee for the Yankees after 2008), Aroldis Chapman (Chicago Cubs for a Yankees return following 2016) and Yu Darvish (Los Angeles Dodgers for the Chicago Cubs last offseason).Few decide to stay, such as Yoenis Cespedes with the New York Mets after the 2015 seasonAdding to the intrigue is last offseason's slow free-agent market, which saw veterans scramble during spring training to find cut-rate contracts as opening day approached.A look at some of the potential... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Pitchers Garrett Richards, Tyler Skaggs and Matt Shoemaker agreed to one-year deals with the Los Angeles Angels along with the team's other seven arbitration-eligible players.Richards, the team's ace, agreed at $7.3 million. He made one start last April before missing the next five months while rehabbing a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow. The 29-year-old right-hander has made just six starts in each of the past two seasons because of elbow injuries. Richards earned $6.85 last season and can become a free agent after the 2018 season.Skaggs agreed at $1,875,000 plus awards bonuses. The left-hander was 2-6 with a 4.55 ERA last season, when he missed three months because of injury. He made $555,000.Shoemaker receives $4,125,000. Like Richards and Skaggs, he was derailed by injury last season when he was 6-3 with a 4.52 ERA in 14 starts. The right-hander took a line drive off his head in early September and missed the rest of the season. He is... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Free-agent catcher Rene Rivera and the Los Angeles Angels have agreed to a $2.8 million, one-year contract.Rivera has played for six teams over nine seasons in a major league career that began with Seattle. He split last season between the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs, batting .252 with 10 homers and 35 RBIs in 74 games.The 34-year-old Rivera has a strong arm behind the plate, throwing out 36.8 percent of attempted base-stealers.He is likely to compete for the Angels' backup job behind Gold Glove winner Martin Maldonado, who is eligible for arbitration after appearing in 138 games last season.Rivera's base salary is guaranteed, and he can earn $200,000 in performance bonuses for games started at catcher: $50,000 each for 45, 50, 55 and 60.In another move Tuesday night, Angels left-hander Nate Smith was designated for assignment. Smith is a longtime Angels prospect. He won't pitch in 2018 after having shoulder surgery last month.___More AP baseball: www.apnews.com/tags/MLBbaseball

C Martin Maldonado was not in the starting lineup Friday against the Mariners, but his 137 games caught this season leads the majors. Maldonado also has the best fielding percentage among major league catchers at .998, and he has thrown out 39 percent of would-be base stealers, which ranks second in the American League. Offensively, he's hitting .223 with 14 homers and 38 RBIs, and he leads the team with eight sacrifices and 18 hit-by-pitches.

C Martin Maldonado leads the majors with 130 games caught this season, including 124 starts. He ranks third in the American League having thrown out 41 percent of would-be basestealers, and he is hitting .221 with 14 homers and 37 RBIs. Maldonado has been hit by a pitch 18 times, ranking second in the American League behind Texas' Carlos Gomez (19).

C Martin Maldonado hit his 13th and 14th home runs of the season on Monday afternoon in an 11-9, 11-inning win against Oakland. Maldonado hit a solo shot in the second inning and a two-run blast in the third, both off of A's RHP Chris Smith. He had his second career multi-homer game, both coming this season. Facing a 3-2 count, Maldonado crushed Smith's 3-2 fastball over the center field fence, an estimated 431 feet, in the second inning. Then in the fourth he hit a 447-foot shot to center, hitting Smith's 3-2 fastball.

C Martin Maldonado had two doubles in the third inning Wednesday, becoming the first catcher in major league history to accomplish the feat. He started the seven-run inning with a double and then added another double as the last hit of the frame. He is having a career season, ranking second in hits by a catcher in the AL (70) and throwing out 44 percent of attempted base-stealers. He has set career highs for hits, doubles (13), home runs (11) and games played (92).

C Martin Maldonado is nearing a career high for games started behind the plate. Saturday's game was his 77th. The most he had previously was 79 in 2015. His nine home runs in 2017 is a career high.

C Martin Maldonado went 1-for-4 and erased two Texas runners on the bases. Maldonado threw out Carlos Gomez trying to steal second in the seventh inning and threw out Drew Robinson in the eighth inning. Maldonado has thrown out 16 of 38 who have tried to steal against him.

C Martin Maldonado had one of the two Los Angeles hits on Friday with his second-inning single. That gave Maldonado 60 hits this season. He's two shy of matching his career high of 62 set in 2012.

C Martin Maldonado homered on Monday for the ninth time this season, already establishing a career-high for him. Maldonado has done most of his damage on the road, hitting seven of his nine homers away from home.

C Martin Maldonado's home run Monday gave him eight on the season, tying his career high. He has hit three home runs in his last six games in addition to throwing out 38 percent of runners trying to steal on him. He went 0-for-3 Tuesday.

C Martin Maldonado homered while going 2-for-4 with two RBIs. In eight games against the Astros this season, Maldonado is 11-for-26 (.423) with two homers and four RBIs. His 44 hits this season surpassed his total of 42 in all of 2016.

C Martin Maldonado got the day off. He leads all American League catchers in hits with 41 in 51 games played. He had 42 hits all last season.

C Marin Maldonado has settled in as the Angels' starting catcher since being acquired from Milwaukee. He is hitting .292 in his last 21 games, with a .348 OBP. He has caught eight of 18 runners attempting to steal.

C Martin Maldonado went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts in his Angels debut. Maldonado, known most for his strong arm and catching skills, came to the Angels along with RHP Drew Gagnon from Milwaukee in a trade for C Jett Bandy on Dec. 13.