ATLANTA (AP) — Ronald Acuna Jr. pulled off one of the rarest feats in baseball history, hitting leadoff homers in both games of a doubleheader to send the first-place Atlanta Braves to a sweep of the Miami Marlins on Monday.The 20-year-old rookie hit an opposite-field drive into the Braves' bullpen in Game 1, powering Atlanta to a 9-1 victory. Haitian-American Touki Toussaint (1-0) pitched six strong innings to win his major league debut.It was more of the same from Acuna in the nightcap. He sent a towering shot into the seats in left-center, sparking the Braves to a 6-1 victory behind another strong outing on the mound from Mike Foltynewicz (10-7).Acuna appeared to be only the fourth player in big league history to hit a pair of leadoff homers in a doubleheader.Merandy Gonzalez (2-1) took the loss in the second game after being called up from Double-A Jacksonville for his first career start.Acuna hit his first leadoff homer off Pablo Lopez (2-3) and added a two-run double in the sixth,... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Trevor Williams and two relievers combined on a six-hitter, and the Pittsburgh Pirates blanked the San Francisco Giants 4-0 on Saturday night.Josh Bell homered for the second time in three days. Elias Diaz added two hits for the Pirates after coming in as an injury replacement for Francisco Cervelli.The start of the game was delayed for a ceremony honoring home run king Barry Bonds, who became the 10th player in Giants history to have his jersey retired. Several of his former teammates and managers, including Dusty Baker and Jim Leyland, were on hand.Buster Posey and Evan Longoria had two hits apiece for San Francisco. Ty Blach (6-7) allowed four runs over four innings.Williams (10-8) allowed five hits and walked one in seven innings.ROCKIES 3, DODGERS 2DENVER (AP) — Ryan McMahon hit a three-run homer with two out in the ninth inning, lifting Colorado to the win.McMahon's drive off J.T. Chargois (2-4) cleared the right-field wall just above the out-of-town scoreboard.... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Ryan Zimmerman hit two home runs off a shaky Jon Lester and tied a career high with six RBIs, sending the Washington Nationals over the Chicago Cubs 9-4 on Saturday.Zimmerman hit a two-run homer in the first inning and a sacrifice fly to the warning track in the third. He chased Lester with a three-run drive in the fourth that made it 9-1. He is batting .355 (16 for 45) with four homers and 16 RBIs in 14 games since returning from the disabled list last month.Daniel Murphy also homered and had three hits, helping Tanner Roark (7-12) win his fourth straight start.Lester (12-5) was tagged for eight earned runs and 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings. The left-hander is winless in his last five starts for the NL Central leaders, going 0-3 with a 10.32 ERA during that span.Anthony Rizzo got his 1,000th career hit for the Cubs.MARINERS 3, ASTROS 2HOUSTON (AP) — Ryon Healy had three hits and drove in the go-ahead run for Seattle, and Guillermo Heredia made a spectacular catch to preserve... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Sean Newcomb came within one strike of pitching the first no-hitter by the Atlanta Braves since 1994, denied when Chris Taylor sharply singled in a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.Newcomb had a 2-2 count with two outs in the ninth inning when Taylor hit a hard grounder beyond the reach of diving third baseman Johan Camargo. That came on the career-high 134th and final pitch by the 25-year-old lefty.Newcomb (10-5) left to a thunderous standing ovation from the sellout crowd at SunTrust Park as manager Brian Snitker removed him. Snitker took the ball and gave it back to Newcomb as a keepsake — instead, Newcomb simply tossed it toward the Atlanta dugout as he walked off, wanting no souvenir of the near-miss.Newcomb apologized about an hour after the game for racist, homophobic and sexist tweets he sent as a teenager, calling them "some stupid stuff."Ross Stripling (8-3) was subpar in his second straight start, allowing four runs, seven hits and one walk with five... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Sean Newcomb came within one strike of pitching the first no-hitter by the Atlanta Braves since 1994, denied when Chris Taylor sharply singled in a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.Newcomb had a 2-2 count with two outs in the ninth inning when Taylor hit a hard grounder beyond the reach of diving third baseman Johan Camargo. That came on the career-high 134th and final pitch by the 25-year-old lefty.Newcomb (10-5) left to a thunderous standing ovation from the sellout crowd at SunTrust Park as manager Brian Snitker removed him. Snitker took the ball and gave it back to Newcomb as a keepsake — instead, Newcomb simply tossed it toward the Atlanta dugout as he walked off, wanting no souvenir of the near-miss.Newcomb apologized about an hour after the game for racist, homophobic and sexist tweets he sent as a teenager, calling them "some stupid stuff."Ross Stripling (8-3) was subpar in his second straight start, allowing four runs, seven hits and one walk with five... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Aroldis Chapman had flamed out, throwing three of 19 pitches for strikes and enabling the Mets to cut a four-run, ninth-inning deficit in half.Chasen Shreve to the rescue. Yes, Chasen Shreve.Maligned last month, Shreve entered with the bases loaded, got Devin Mesoraco to hit into a run-scoring, double-play grounder and retired Wilmer Flores on a slow roller in front of the mound.With his second big league save and first since August 2016, Shreve preserved a 7-6 Subway Series victory Saturday that enabled Sonny Gray (7-7) to win consecutive starts for the first time since the Yankees acquired him last summer.On another tumult-filled day for the last-place Mets, closer Jeurys Familia was traded to Oakland for a pair of minor leaguers and slugging outfielder Yoenis Cespedes was out of the lineup because of body soreness, one game after returning from a two-month absence. Cespedes said Friday night he may need surgery on both heels that would require an eight-to-10-month recovery.Aaron... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Aroldis Chapman had flamed out, throwing three of 19 pitches for strikes and enabling the Mets to cut a four-run, ninth-inning deficit in half.Chasen Shreve to the rescue. Yes, Chasen Shreve.Maligned last month, Shreve entered with the bases loaded, got Devin Mesoraco to hit into a run-scoring, double-play grounder and retired Wilmer Flores on a slow roller in front of the mound.With his second big league save and first since August 2016, Shreve preserved a 7-6 Subway Series victory Saturday that enabled Sonny Gray (7-7) to win consecutive starts for the first time since the Yankees acquired him last summer.On another tumult-filled day for the last-place Mets, closer Jeurys Familia was traded to Oakland for a pair of minor leaguers and slugging outfielder Yoenis Cespedes was out of the lineup because of body soreness, one game after returning from a two-month absence. Cespedes said Friday night he may need surgery on both heels that would require an eight-to-10-month recovery.Aaron... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Nationals ace Max Scherzer singled as a pinch hitter in the 14th inning and scored the tiebreaking run on Wilmer Difo's triple, sparking Washington to a 5-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday.In his third big league pinch-hit appearance, Scherzer singled up the middle against Miguel Socolovich (0-1) and sped home from first base on Difo's hit to right-center field. Spencer Kieboom added an RBI single. Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, touched off a dugout celebration after he scored.Justin Miller (2-0) struck out five in three innings, facing the minimum, and Sean Doolittle got three straight outs for his 14th save.Juan Soto and Michael Taylor homered for Washington. Johan Camargo hit his third home run this week for Atlanta.YANKEES 8, ORIOLES 5BALTIMORE (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton and Miguel Andujar homered to help Masahiro Tanaka win his fifth straight decision, and the New York Yankees extended the Orioles' losing streak to seven games.Tanaka (7-2) allowed... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays traded minor league catcher Curt Casali to the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday for cash.Casali batted .199 with 19 home runs and 49 RBIs in 161 games over four seasons with the Rays.The 29-year-old was hitting .274 with four home runs and 20 RBIs this year for Triple-A Durham.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays have obtained infielder/outfielder Rob Refsnyder from the Cleveland Indians for $90,000.The 27-year-old has spent parts of three major league seasons with the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays, batting .233 with 14 doubles, two homers and 17 RBIs. He spent time with both teams in 2017, appearing in 20 games at second base, 10 in left field, six at first base and four in right field.Cleveland claimed Refsnyder off waivers from the Blue Jays last November.Tampa Bay also announced Tuesday that catcher Curt Casali and outfielders Johnny Field and Brandon Snyder have been reassigned to minor league camp.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Jake Faria couldn't think of a better way to finish what's been a mostly frustrating spring for the young Tampa Bay Rays right-hander.The 24-year-old pitcher no-hit the Detroit Tigers for six innings on Tuesday, exiting his final tuneup for the regular season confident his performance is trending in the right direction.Faria, who entered the game with a 7.43 ERA over five appearances, will start Tampa Bay's fifth game of the season — next Monday in New York against the Yankees.A lineup of Tigers reserves and minor leaguers rallied to close out spring training with a 2-1 victory at Tropicana Field, however the Rays felt good about how Faria pitched after struggling much of this month.Faria, who retired the first 13 batters he faced before hitting Christin Stewart with a pitch with one out in the fifth. He struck out five and walked one while throwing 82 pitches and facing just one man over the minimum for six innings.Although he had already shown signs of progress... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Rangers have signed three more players to minor league contracts that include invitations to major league spring training.Texas announced Thursday that it has signed catcher Curt Casali and re-signed outfielder Jose Cardona and right-hander Tayler Scott. The trio is among 21 non-roster invitees to major league spring training with the Rangers.Casali has appeared in the majors each of the past four seasons with Tampa Bay, hitting .199 over 161 games. The 31-year-old catcher has thrown out 26 of 85 attempted base stealers, or 31 percent, in his major league games. He spent most of last season at Triple-A Durham.The 23-year-old Cardona, entering his eight season in the Rangers organization, and Scott are going to major league spring training for the first time.___More MLB baseball: https://apnews.com/tags/MLBbaseball

C Curt Casali went 1-for-3 with a home run to left field off Orioles starter Kevin Gausman in Sunday's win. It was Casali's first home run since Sept. 27, 2016. "I feel comfortable with this group and I feel capable at the major league level," Casali said. "I hope the last couple games have showed them what type of player I can be in the future."

C Curt Casali was recalled from Triple-A Durham on Friday. The 28-year-old hit .263 with 48 RBIs in 85 games at Triple-A. He has hit .195 in 152 games in parts of three major league seasons, the most recent in 2016.

C Curt Casali was recalled from Triple-A Durham.

C Curt Casali was recalled from Triple-A Durham on Thursday. He batted .168 with seven home runs in 185 at-bats for the Rays earlier this season. In 20 games for Durham, he hit .254/.407/.365 with two homers and 15 RBIs.

C Curt Casali was optioned to Triple-A Durham on Friday. Casali, who hit .238 with 10 home runs in 101 at-bats last year for the Rays, wasn't the same hitter this season, batting .168 with seven home runs in 185 at-bats.

C Curt Casali was optioned to Triple-A Durham on Thursday. In 71 games for Tampa Bay this year. he hit .168/.256/.319 with seven homers and 20 RBIs.

C Curt Casali hit a two-run home run -- his first in 70 at-bats, going back to June 1. Casali had been hitting .115 in his last 22 games, losing his role as primary catcher to Luke Maile since the All-Star break. He was called (again) for catcher's inteference later in the game, but his home run was a huge boost for the Rays.

C Curt Casali left the game after he was hit in the helmet with a bat in its backswing. The Rays announced he had a contusion to the left side of his head, and Hank Conger replaced him behind the plate. Casali went 0-for-2 to drop his season average to .169.