PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks lost some of their best players to trades or free agency over the past 12 months.They went ahead and won 85 games anyway.It was an encouraging season for Arizona, which hung around the NL wild-card race deep into September and finished with an 85-77 record despite being in a semi-rebuilding mode.The good news for the Diamondbacks is they have a relatively young group of talented players in the everyday lineup like Ketel Marte, Eduardo Escobar, Christian Walker, Nick Ahmed and Carson Kelly. There's also depth in the pitching staff after rookies like Zac Gallen and Alex Young performed well in the season's final months.Even better, Arizona appears to have at least a little payroll flexibility to make needed improvements.The bad news is the Diamondbacks are still in a division with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who won 106 games and show no signs of slowing down soon."I don't know how many games we finished out of the division, but it was a lot," Arizona... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt has hit a two-run homer in his return to Chase Field as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night.The 32-year-old Goldschmidt spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Arizona Diamondbacks and was a fan favorite during his tenure. He hit .297 with 209 homers and 710 RBIs during his eight years in the desert, helping the franchise make the playoffs in 2011 and 2017.The Diamondbacks honored Goldschmidt with a tribute video before the game that highlighted some of his best moments. He also got a big ovation before his first at-bat in the first inning, when he drew a walk.In the third, he drove a changeup from Alex Young over the right-center field fence for his 32nd homer of the year. It was also his 100th career homer at Chase Field, which is a stadium record.Goldschmidt's homer gave the Cardinals a 4-1 lead.He was traded during the offseason for catcher Carson Kelly, pitcher Luke Weaver, infielder Andy Young and a draft pick.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Aug. 181915 — Boston opened Braves Field with a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.1931 — New York's Lou Gehrig played in his 1,000th consecutive game. Gehrig went hitless in the 5-4 loss to Detroit.1948 — Brooklyn's Rex Barney pitched a one-hitter for a 1-0 win over Robin Roberts and the Philadelphia Phillies at Shibe Park.1956 — The Cincinnati Reds hit eight home runs and the Milwaukee Braves added two to set a National League record for home runs by two clubs in a nine-inning night game. Bob Thurman's three homers and double led the Reds in the 13-4 rout.1960 — Lew Burdette of the Milwaukee Braves pitched a no-hitter, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 1-0. Burdette faced the minimum 27 batters.1965 — Hank Aaron of Milwaukee hit Curt Simmons' pitch on top of the pavilion roof at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis for an apparent home run. However, umpire Chris Pelekoudas called him out for being out of the batter's box when he connected. Nevertheless, the Braves won the game 5-3.1967... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — For the first time in two years, Yasmany Tomás is earning his big salary in the big leagues.The 28-year-old outfielder was brought back from the minor leagues by the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday and grounded out as a pinch hitter in a 3-2 loss to Miami."The call came as a surprise, I was asleep at 6 in the morning," Tomás said in Spanish. "My agent called me with the news that I was going to get called up to the major leagues again. I never lost hope. I always knew my destiny was to play in the major leagues."Tomás was sent outright to Triple-A Reno in April 2018, with Arizona responsible for the $42.5 million owed over the remaining three seasons of a $68.5 million, six-year contract he signed after defecting from Cuba.Signed in December 2014 when Dave Stewart was Arizona's general manager, Tomás hit .272 with 31 homers and 83 RBIs in 2016, then slumped to a .241 average with eight homers and 32 RBIs in 47 games in 2017, when he did not play after June 2. Sidelined by right... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — For the first time in two years, Yasmany Tomás is earning his big salary in the big leagues.The 28-year-old outfielder was brought back from the minor leagues by the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday"The call came as a surprise, I was asleep at 6 in the morning," Tomás said in Spanish. "My agent called me with the news that I was going to get called up to the major leagues again. I never lost hope. I always knew my destiny was to play in the major leagues."Tomás was sent outright to Triple-A Reno in April 2018, with Arizona responsible for the $42.5 million owed over the remaining three seasons of a $68.5 million, six-year contract he signed after defecting from Cuba.Signed in December 2014 when Dave Stewart was Arizona's general manager, Tomás hit .272 with 31 homers and 83 RBIs in 2016, then slumped to a .241 average with eight homers and 32 RBIs in 47 games in 2017, when he did not play after June 2. Sidelined by right groin tendinitis, he had core surgery that Aug. 22.Tomás... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona right-hander Luke Weaver has a mild sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow along with a mild flexor pronator strain, and the Diamondbacks expect him to be sidelined for an extended time.Weaver was removed one batter into the sixth inning at San Francisco on Sunday. The Diamondbacks sought opinions from Dr. James Andrews and Los Angeles Dodgers head team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache."It's obviously a bummer, and it stinks to ever be off the field," Weaver said. "For now, all I know is I have to some rest."The 25-year-old is 4-3 with a 3.03 ERA in 11 starts.Weaver and catcher Carson Kelly were acquired from St. Louis in the offseason trade for first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DENVER (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks have put right-hander Luke Weaver on the 10-day injured list with forearm tightness.Manager Torey Lovullo said Monday that Weaver went back to Phoenix and is scheduled have an MRI. Lovullo added he spoke to Weaver and said his starter remains "optimistic that he's going to get some good news."Weaver left the game in the sixth inning Sunday in San Francisco. He's 4-3 with a 3.03 ERA this season. He also has 68 strikeouts and 14 walks in 6 2 1/3 innings.To take Weaver's place on the roster, the Diamondbacks recalled righty Jimmie Sherfy from the Triple-A Reno.__More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

HOUSTON (AP) — Rafael Devers homered off Justin Verlander, and the Boston Red Sox took advantage of two errors by the Houston Astros to avoid a series sweep with a 4-1 victory Sunday.Eduardo Rodriguez (5-3) held Houston to one run and four hits in six innings, improving to 5-1 in his last eight starts.The Astros lost for just the fifth time in 22 games and finished the regular season 4-2 against the Red Sox, who beat them 4-1 in the ALCS last season on the way to a World Series championship.Devers' solo shot in the fourth gave the Red Sox a 2-1 lead. It was Devers' seventh homer of the season and fourth in six games.Marcus Walden earned his second major league save and first this season.Verlander (8-2) permitted three runs and six hits in seven innings, striking out six.ATHLETICS 7, MARINERS 1OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Matt Chapman homered for the second consecutive day, Josh Phegley also went deep and had three RBIs, and the streaking Oakland Athletics won their ninth straight, beating Seattle... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Rafael Devers homered off Justin Verlander, and the Boston Red Sox took advantage of two errors by the Houston Astros to avoid a series sweep with a 4-1 victory Sunday.Eduardo Rodriguez (5-3) held Houston to one run and four hits in six innings, improving to 5-1 in his last eight starts.The Astros lost for just the fifth time in 22 games and finished the regular season 4-2 against the Red Sox, who beat them 4-1 in the ALCS last season on the way to a World Series championship.Devers' solo shot in the fourth gave the Red Sox a 2-1 lead. It was Devers' seventh homer of the season and fourth in six games.Marcus Walden earned his second major league save and first this season.Verlander (8-2) permitted three runs and six hits in seven innings, striking out six.ATHLETICS 7, MARINERS 1OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Matt Chapman homered for the second consecutive day, Josh Phegley also went deep and had three RBIs, and the streaking Oakland Athletics won their ninth straight, beating Seattle... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Ryan Braun's career-high sixth hit, a two-run single with one out in the 18th inning, lifted the Milwaukee Brewers to a 4-3 comeback victory over the New York Mets on Saturday night in the longest game in Miller Park history.Braun stood on first base with his hands raised above his head as Yasmani Grandal slid across home plate with the winning run, ending the game that lasted 5 hours and 22 minutes. A jubilant bunch of Brewers ran out to greet Braun, who was the only Milwaukee player to have multiple hits.The Mets took a 3-2 lead in the top of the 18th on Jeff McNeil's run-scoring single off Taylor Williams (1-1), who was Milwaukee's eighth and final pitcher.But the Brewers were far from done. Eric Thames drew a leadoff walk from Chris Flexen (0-2), who then got Mike Moustakas to fly out to center. Flexen, just recalled from Triple-A Syracuse earlier in the day, walked Grandal and Travis Shaw to load the bases for Braun. The Brewers' longest-tenured hit a sharp grounder... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Boston Red Sox strung together 10 straight hits against White Sox left-hander Manny Bañuelos, ending one hit shy of the major league record during a nine-run third inning in a 15-2 rout of Chicago on Saturday night.Bañuelos (2-1) retired his first eight batters before Christian Vázquez opened Boston's two-out rally with a single. Xander Bogaerts, Michael Chavis and Eduardo Núñez each homered, Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez had RBI doubles, and Vázquez capped the streak with another single before White Sox manager Rick Renteria pulled Bañuelos with a 9-1 deficit. Carson Fulmer replaced Bañuelos and interrupted the hit parade by walking Andrew Benintendi. Betts flew out to right to end the inning after 14 batters.The Colorado Rockies had a major league-record 11 straight hits during a 17-2 win over the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field on July 30, 2010.Chavis added another solo shot in the fifth for his first multihomer game and finished with four hits and three RBIs. All of... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Robinson Chirinos hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in a four-run seventh inning to give the Houston Astros a 4-1 win over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday night.The Astros were unable to do much against Carlos Carrasco (2-3) before Yuli Gurriel's RBI double in the seventh. After an intentional walk, Chirinos sent the next pitch over the train tracks atop the wall in left field and out of the stadium on a night the retractable roof was open.The Astros won the final two games to earn a split of the four-game set with Cleveland, a rematch of last year's AL Division Series in which Houston earned a three-game sweep. Houston also moved into first place in the AL West.Wade Miley yielded six hits and one run in 5 2/3 innings to extend his streak of consecutive starts with three or fewer earned runs to 22. The left-hander struck out three and walked two.Framber Valdez (1-1) yielded one hit in two scoreless innings. Ryan Pressly allowed one hit and no runs in the ninth for his second... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Patrick Corbin took a one-hitter into the eighth inning in his first victory with Washington, Wilmer Difo homered and the Nationals beat the punchless San Francisco Giants 4-2 on Thursday.Signed to a $140 million, six-year contract in December after pitching for six seasons in Arizona, Corbin started three games without a decision with his new team before throwing a gem in the deciding matchup of a three-game series.Corbin (1-0) struck out nine, walked one and a hit a batter over 7 2/3 innings against a struggling San Francisco offense that came in with a .208 average. The lone hits against the lefty were Evan Longoria's fifth-inning double and Erik Kratz's two-out RBI double in the eighth.After Kratz broke up the shutout, Kyle Barraclough entered and retired pinch-hitter Buster Posey. Sean Doolittle worked the ninth, giving up three hits and a run while earning his second save.San Francisco starter Drew Pomeranz (0-2) gave up four runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings.After... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Patrick Corbin took a one-hitter into the eighth inning in his first victory with Washington, Wilmer Difo homered and the Nationals beat the punchless San Francisco Giants 4-2 on Thursday.Signed to a $140 million, six-year contract in December after pitching for six seasons in Arizona, Corbin started three games without a decision with his new team before throwing a gem in the deciding matchup of a three-game series.Corbin (1-0) struck out nine, walked one and a hit a batter over 7 2/3 innings against a struggling San Francisco offense that came in with a .208 average. The lone hits against the lefty were Evan Longoria's fifth-inning double and Erik Kratz's two-out RBI double in the eighth.After Kratz broke up the shutout, Kyle Barraclough entered and retired pinch-hitter Buster Posey. Sean Doolittle worked the ninth, giving up three hits and a run while earning his second save.San Francisco starter Drew Pomeranz (0-2) gave up four runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings.After... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Patrick Corbin took a one-hitter into the eighth inning in his first victory with Washington, Wilmer Difo homered and the Nationals beat the punchless San Francisco Giants 4-2 on Thursday.Signed to a $140 million, six-year contract in December after pitching for six seasons in Arizona, Corbin started three games without a decision with his new team before throwing a gem in the deciding matchup of a three-game series.Corbin (1-0) struck out nine, walked one and a hit a batter over 7 2/3 innings against a struggling San Francisco offense that came in with a .208 average. The lone hits against the lefty were Evan Longoria's fifth-inning double and Erik Kratz's two-out RBI double in the eighth.After Kratz broke up the shutout, Kyle Barraclough entered and retired pinch-hitter Buster Posey. Sean Doolittle worked the ninth, giving up three hits and a run while earning his second save.San Francisco starter Drew Pomeranz (0-2) gave up four runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings.After... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Patrick Corbin took a one-hitter into the eighth inning in his first victory with Washington, Wilmer Difo homered and the Nationals beat the punchless San Francisco Giants 4-2 on Thursday.Signed to a $140 million, six-year contract in December after pitching for six seasons in Arizona, Corbin started three games without a decision with his new team before throwing a gem in the deciding matchup of a three-game series.Corbin (1-0) struck out nine, walked one and a hit a batter over 7 2/3 innings against a struggling San Francisco offense that came in with a .208 average. The lone hits against the lefty were Evan Longoria's fifth-inning double and Erik Kratz's two-out RBI double in the eighth.After Kratz broke up the shutout, Kyle Barraclough entered and retired pinch-hitter Buster Posey. Sean Doolittle worked the ninth, giving up three hits and a run while earning his second save.San Francisco starter Drew Pomeranz (0-2) gave up four runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings.After... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Patrick Corbin took a one-hitter into the eighth inning in his first victory with Washington, Wilmer Difo homered and the Nationals beat the punchless San Francisco Giants 4-2 on Thursday.Signed to a $140 million, six-year contract in December after pitching for six seasons in Arizona, Corbin started three games without a decision with his new team before throwing a gem in the deciding matchup of a three-game series.Corbin (1-0) struck out nine, walked one and a hit a batter over 7 2/3 innings against a struggling San Francisco offense that came in with a .208 average. The lone hits against the lefty were Evan Longoria's fifth-inning double and Erik Kratz's two-out RBI double in the eighth.After Kratz broke up the shutout, Kyle Barraclough entered and retired pinch-hitter Buster Posey. Sean Doolittle worked the ninth, giving up three hits and a run while earning his second save.San Francisco starter Drew Pomeranz (0-2) gave up four runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings.After... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Christian Yelich hit his fourth homer in the first inning and a two-run double in the ninth, leading the Milwaukee Brewers to a dramatic 5-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.Ben Gamel led off the ninth with a pinch-hit double and advanced on Lorenzo Cain's infield single off reliever Jordan Hicks' glove. Yelich then hit a liner into the gap in left-center, driving in Gamel and Cain.Yelich tossed his helmet in the air in celebration as Cain slid face first across the plate, giving Milwaukee three wins in its opening four-game set against rival St. Louis. Yelich's teammates rushed the field and doused the reigning NL MVP with Gatorade in a raucous celebration at second.Yelich began his day with a long drive into the second deck in right against Michael Wacha, tying the major league record for homers in consecutive games to start a season. He also became the first player to win the MVP award and then homer in his first four games of the next season.Paul Goldschmidt,... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Christian Yelich hit his fourth homer in the first inning and a two-run double in the ninth, leading the Milwaukee Brewers to a dramatic 5-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.Ben Gamel led off the ninth with a pinch-hit double and advanced on Lorenzo Cain's infield single off reliever Jordan Hicks' glove. Yelich then hit a liner into the gap in left-center, driving in Gamel and Cain.Yelich tossed his helmet in the air in celebration as Cain slid face first across the plate, giving Milwaukee three wins in its opening four-game set against rival St. Louis. Yelich's teammates rushed the field and doused the reigning NL MVP with Gatorade in a raucous celebration at second.Yelich began his day with a long drive into the second deck in right against Michael Wacha, tying the major league record for homers in consecutive games to start a season. He also became the first player to win the MVP award and then homer in his first four games of the next season.Paul Goldschmidt,... [More]

With opening day just around the corner, the list of notable players who are going to be absent keeps growing.World Series MVP Steve Pearce will start the season on the injured list for the Boston Red Sox, and Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Steven Souza Jr. went down with a knee injury Monday night when he slipped on home plate.Earlier in the day, Baltimore put scheduled opening-day starter Alex Cobb on the 10-day injured list with a strained right groin.Pearce exited an exhibition game last weekend due to discomfort in his left calf. The right-handed batter normally platoons with lefty-hitting Mitch Moreland at first base, but the Red Sox will begin defense of their championship Thursday in Seattle without Pearce."We have to do it that way," manager Alex Cora said. "It makes sense for us, it makes sense for him. He should be back sooner rather than later but he won't be ready for Seattle, so why take a chance?"Sam Travis will likely make the team and take Pearce's spot on the opening-day... [More]