TORONTO (AP) — James Paxton of the Seattle Mariners became the first Canadian to pitch a no-hitter in his home country, shutting down the Toronto Blue Jays 5-0 Tuesday night.Paxton joined Dick Fowler of the 1945 Philadelphia Athletics as the only Canadians to throw a no-hitter.Paxton, who's from British Columbia, pointed to a giant tattoo on his right forearm of a maple leaf — a national symbol of Canada — as he celebrated to a standing ovation at Rogers Centre.The 29-year-old lefty nicknamed "The Big Maple" threw 99 pitches in tossing the third no-hitter in the majors this year — all three have come in different countries.Oakland's Sean Manaea pitched one against Boston on April 21 in California. Four Los Angeles Dodgers combined to no-hit San Diego in Mexico last Friday.Coming off a career-high 16 strikeouts in his last start, Paxton (2-1) was electric once again, hitting 100 mph with his fastball while retiring Josh Donaldson on a grounder to end it.Paxton struck out seven, walked three... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball's most bitter rivals, ready to tangle once again.And this time, the Red Sox and Yankees bring the two best records in the big leagues into a fight for first place in the AL East.Following their throwback brawl at Fenway Park last month, the teams square off on Yankee Stadium soil for the first time this season Tuesday night. New York ace Luis Severino is scheduled to start the opener of a three-game showdown against Boston left-hander Drew Pomeranz."Look, Red Sox-Yankees is always big, and obviously they're a great team. So we understand there will be a lot of excitement around it," first-year Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Sunday. "There will be more eyes on this one and that's what you love about being a part of this."With the weather finally warming up on the East Coast, both teams are scorching hot.Mookie Betts and the Red Sox boast the top mark in the majors at 25-9, good for a one-game edge over New York. Boston has bounced back from a three-game skid to... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball's most bitter rivals, ready to tangle once again.And this time, the Red Sox and Yankees bring the two best records in the big leagues into a fight for first place in the AL East.Following their throwback brawl at Fenway Park last month, the teams square off on Yankee Stadium soil for the first time this season Tuesday night. New York ace Luis Severino is scheduled to start the opener of a three-game showdown against Boston left-hander Drew Pomeranz."Look, Red Sox-Yankees is always big, and obviously they're a great team. So we understand there will be a lot of excitement around it," first-year Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Sunday. "There will be more eyes on this one and that's what you love about being a part of this."With the weather finally warming up on the East Coast, both teams are scorching hot.Mookie Betts and the Red Sox boast the top mark in the majors at 25-9, good for a one-game edge over New York. Boston has bounced back from a three-game skid to... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Joe Kelly's appeal of a six-game suspension was denied by John McHale Jr., a special assistant to baseball commissioner Rob Manfred, and the Boston pitcher started serving the penalty on Thursday night against Toronto."It's disappointing," Kelly said. "Suspensions are always not fun. Went in there and went through the appeal process. Obviously it didn't work out too well."Following the decision, Kelly posted a message on Twitter that read "At least take me to dinner first..."Kelly was disciplined for twice throwing at the New York Yankees' Tyler Austin on April 11. Austin charged the mound and was suspended five games, a penalty cut to four Thursday by McHale.Despite the outcome, Kelly said he didn't regret appealing."I always like sticking up for myself," he said. "It kind of helps me sleep at night going in fighting for what I believe in."Red Sox manager Alex Cora said he had expected a reduction in Kelly's suspension."If I was a gambling man, I would have bet a dollar... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Tyler Austin's suspension was cut from five games to four by John McHale Jr., a special assistant to baseball commissioner Rob Manfred, and the New York first baseman will start serving the penalty on Friday when the Yankees open a series at the Los Angeles Angels.Austin was disciplined for his role in a brawl with AL East rival Boston on April 11 at Fenway Park. Red Sox reliever Joe Kelly threw at Austin twice in the seventh inning of that night's game, missing with the first attempt but hitting Austin on the side with the second. Austin charged the mound."I obviously don't want to be suspended at any point in time, but it's happened, we've got to deal with it and move forward," Austin said after Thursday's 4-3 win over Minnesota. "I'm happy they knocked one game down. I'm thankful for that."Kelly's appeal of a six-game suspension was denied Thursday by McHale.New York has won six straight, and Austin is batting .350 with three homers and nine RBIs in his last five games,... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Joe Kelly's appeal of a six-game suspension was denied by John McHale Jr., a special assistant to baseball commissioner Rob Manfred, and the Boston pitcher started serving the penalty on Thursday night against Toronto.Kelly was disciplined for twice throwing at the New York Yankees' Tyler Austin on April 11. Austin charged the mound and was suspended five games, a penalty still under appeal.Kelly has a 3.09 ERA in 11 games this season. After allowing four runs in one-third of an inning in an opening-day loss to Tampa Bay, Kelly has not allowed a run in 11 1/3 innings. Boston will have to play with 24 active players during the suspension.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

HOUSTON (AP) — Justin Verlander pitched seven sharp innings, AL MVP Jose Altuve hit his first home run of the season and the Houston Astros beat the Angels 5-2 on Wednesday, ending Los Angeles' road winning streak at a team record-tying 11.Albert Pujols connected off Verlander for his 619th career homer. Pujols has 2,994 hits.Alex Bregman hit a three-run double and Jake Marisnick homered as Houston avoided a three-game sweep. The Angels also won 11 straight road games in 1988.Verlander (4-0) held the Angels hitless into the fifth inning. He gave up two runs and four hits, striking out nine without a walk. Verlander won his 11th regular-season decision in a row.Ken Giles pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save. Nick Tropeano (1-2) retired the first 11 batters he faced, striking out six.INDIANS 4, CUBS 1CLEVELAND (AP) — Indians reliever Andrew Miller exited with tightness in his hamstring in the win over Chicago and could miss a few days.Miller grabbed the back of his leg after throwing... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Yuli Gurriel was thrown out at third base by catcher Martin Maldonado to end the game after an original safe call was reversed on replay, giving the Los Angeles Angels a 2-0 win over Houston on Monday night that ended the Astros' six-game winning streak.Third base umpire Cory Blaser signaled safe. Blaser also called Colorado's Nolan Arenado safe at home plate Sunday trying to advance on a ball in the dirt. That call was then reversed on replay for the final out in the Chicago Cubs' 9-7 win.Tyler Skaggs (3-1) allowed four hits in seven innings for the Angels, and Keynan Middleton earned his sixth save. The Astros outscored the White Sox 27-2 during a three-game sweep last weekend.Kole Calhoun had an RBI single and Justin Upton added an RBI double. Los Angeles had lost five of six following a seven-game winning streak. The Angels are 10-1 on the road, but 5-7 at home.Gerrit Cole (2-1) retired his first 13 hitters, striking out five. He gave up two runs and four hits in seven... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Yuli Gurriel was thrown out at third base by catcher Martin Maldonado to end the game after an original safe call was reversed on replay, giving the Los Angeles Angels a 2-0 win over Houston on Monday night that ended the Astros' six-game winning streak.Third base umpire Cory Blaser signaled safe. Blaser also called Colorado's Nolan Arenado safe at home plate Sunday trying to advance on a ball in the dirt. That call was then reversed on replay for the final out in the Chicago Cubs' 9-7 win.Tyler Skaggs (3-1) allowed four hits in seven innings for the Angels, and Keynan Middleton earned his sixth save. The Astros outscored the White Sox 27-2 during a three-game sweep last weekend.Kole Calhoun had an RBI single and Justin Upton added an RBI double. Los Angeles had lost five of six following a seven-game winning streak. The Angels are 10-1 on the road, but 5-7 at home.Gerrit Cole (2-1) retired his first 13 hitters, striking out five. He gave up two runs and four hits in seven... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Yuli Gurriel was thrown out at third base by catcher Martin Maldonado to end the game after an original safe call was reversed on replay, giving the Los Angeles Angels a 2-0 win over Houston on Monday night that ended the Astros' six-game winning streak.Third base umpire Cory Blaser signaled safe. Blaser also called Colorado's Nolan Arenado safe at home plate Sunday trying to advance on a ball in the dirt. That call was then reversed on replay for the final out in the Chicago Cubs' 9-7 win.Tyler Skaggs (3-1) allowed four hits in seven innings for the Angels, and Keynan Middleton earned his sixth save. The Astros outscored the White Sox 27-2 during a three-game sweep last weekend.Kole Calhoun had an RBI single and Justin Upton added an RBI double. Los Angeles had lost five of six following a seven-game winning streak. The Angels are 10-1 on the road, but 5-7 at home.Gerrit Cole (2-1) retired his first 13 hitters, striking out five. He gave up two runs and four hits in seven... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Yuli Gurriel was thrown out at third base by catcher Martin Maldonado to end the game after an original safe call was reversed on replay, giving the Los Angeles Angels a 2-0 win over Houston on Monday night that ended the Astros' six-game winning streak.Third base umpire Cory Blaser signaled safe. Blaser also called Colorado's Nolan Arenado safe at home plate Sunday trying to advance on a ball in the dirt. That call was then reversed on replay for the final out in the Chicago Cubs' 9-7 win.Tyler Skaggs (3-1) allowed four hits in seven innings for the Angels, and Keynan Middleton earned his sixth save. The Astros outscored the White Sox 27-2 during a three-game sweep last weekend.Kole Calhoun had an RBI single and Justin Upton added an RBI double. Los Angeles had lost five of six following a seven-game winning streak. The Angels are 10-1 on the road, but 5-7 at home.Gerrit Cole (2-1) retired his first 13 hitters, striking out five. He gave up two runs and four hits in seven... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Tyson Ross lost his bid to pitch the first no-hitter in the history of the San Diego Padres when rookie center fielder Franchy Cordero appeared to misplay a ball with two outs in the eighth inning Friday night of a 4-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.Playing their 7,835th game since joining the majors in 1969, the Padres again came agonizingly close to their first no-no. They remain the only team in the big leagues that has never thrown a no-hitter.Ross had a 1-0 lead with two outs in the eighth when Christian Walker lined a drive to deep center. Cordero seemed to get a late break on the ball, then had it sail just over his outstretched glove for a double that made it 1-all. Ross was pulled after throwing a career-high 127 pitches. The right-hander, who turns 31 on Sunday, struck out 10 and walked three. He retired 18 straight after walking Jarrod Dyson in the first. Brad Hand (1-2) relieved Ross and got the last four outs — they combined on the 29th one-hitter in Padres'... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Yoenis Cespedes, who struck out in his previous four at-bats, hit a tiebreaking single with two outs in the 12th inning to lift the New York Mets to a 5-3 win over the Atlanta Braves on Friday night.Cespedes' single to right field drove in winning pitcher Robert Gsellman from second base. Cespedes scored on Asdrubal Cabrera's double off Josh Ravin (0-1) to right field. Cabrera ran halfway to third before stopping and trying to return to second. A review showed he was out at second, overturning the original call. Ravin hit Gsellman with a pitch to open the 12th. Gsellman moved to second on Amed Rosario's sacrifice. Michael Conforto popped out before Cespedes delivered the go-ahead hit.Gsellman (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings. Jeurys Familia pitched a perfect 12th for his eighth save.ASTROS 10, WHITE SOX 0CHICAGO (AP) — Justin Verlander pitched six sparkling innings, Carlos Correa homered twice and the Houston Astros pounded the White Sox.George Springer also drove in four... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees first baseman Tyler Austin had his hearing Thursday to appeal his five-game suspension for his part in a brawl with the Boston Red Sox.John McHale Jr., a special assistant to baseball commissioner Rob Manfred, heard the appeal. Austin says he was told he'd likely learn the result of his hearing within a week.Austin was suspended by Major League Baseball after charging the mound at Fenway Park on April 11 when reliever Joe Kelly threw at him twice. The second pitch hit Austin on the side. Kelly was suspended six games but also appealed.Kelly, Austin, Red Sox manager Alex Cora and Yankees third base coach Phil Nevin were fined. Four players on the disabled list also were fined for entering the field during the skirmish: Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia, and Red Sox infielders Xander Bogaerts, Dustin Pedroia, and Marco Hernandez.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees first baseman Tyler Austin had his hearing Thursday to appeal his five-game suspension for his part in a brawl with the Boston Red Sox.Austin says he was told he'd likely learn the result of his hearing within a week.Austin was suspended by Major League Baseball after charging the mound at Fenway Park on April 11 when reliever Joe Kelly threw at him twice. The second pitch hit Austin on the side. Kelly was suspended six games but also appealed.Kelly, Austin, Red Sox manager Alex Cora and Yankees third base coach Phil Nevin were fined. Four players on the disabled list also were fined for entering the field during the skirmish: Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia, and Red Sox infielders Xander Bogaerts, Dustin Pedroia, and Marco Hernandez.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees signed first baseman/outfielder Adam Lind to a minor league deal on Wednesday.Lind will report to the team's complex in Tampa, Florida, for extended spring training.Lind also signed a minor league deal with New York on March 2 and was released 12 days later. He hit .200 (3 for 15) in five spring games with the Yankees.The 34-year-old Lind batted .303 with 14 homers and 59 RBIs in 116 games with Washington last season. He is a .272 hitter with 200 homers and 723 RBIs in 12 years in the majors.It looked as if Greg Bird was set to take over at first for New York during spring training, but he had right ankle surgery on March 27. Tyler Austin and Neil Walker have been handling the load at first.The Yankees were off Wednesday, but top prospect Gleyber Torres returned to the field for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The infielder went 1 for 2 with a double, two walks and a sacrifice fly in the RailRiders' 6-3 loss to Gwinnett.Torres had been out since he left Monday night's game with stiffness in the middle of his back. He could be promoted to the majors soon.Thairo Estrada, another Yankees prospect, also returned to the field with Class A Tampa. The 22-year-old infielder had three hits in the Tarpons' 12-0 victory against Daytona.Estrada began the season on the disabled list after he was shot in the right thigh area during a robbery attempt in his hometown of Bejuma, Venezuela.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees signed first baseman/outfielder Adam Lind to a minor league deal on Wednesday.Lind will report to the team's complex in Tampa, Florida, for extended spring training.Lind also signed a minor league deal with New York on March 2 and was released 12 days later. He hit .200 (3 for 15) in five spring games with the Yankees.The 34-year-old Lind batted .303 with 14 homers and 59 RBIs in 116 games with Washington last season. He is a .272 hitter with 200 homers and 723 RBIs in 12 years in the majors.It looked as if Greg Bird was set to take over at first for New York during spring training, but he had right ankle surgery on March 27. Tyler Austin and Neil Walker have been handling the load at first.The Yankees were off Wednesday, but top prospect Gleyber Torres returned to the field for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The infielder went 1 for 2 with a double, two walks and a sacrifice fly in the RailRiders' 6-3 loss to Gwinnett.Torres had been out since he left Monday night's game with stiffness in the middle of his back. He could be promoted to the majors soon.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees have signed first baseman/outfielder Adam Lind to a minor league deal.The Yankees announced the contract on Wednesday. Lind will report to the team's complex in Tampa, Florida, for extended spring training.Lind also signed a minor league deal with New York on March 2 and was released 12 days later. He hit .200 (3 for 15) in five spring games with the Yankees.The 34-year-old Lind batted .303 with 14 homers and 59 RBIs in 116 games with Washington last season. He is a .272 hitter with 200 homers and 723 RBIs in 12 years in the majors.It looked as if Greg Bird was set to take over at first for New York during spring training, but he had right ankle surgery on March 27. Tyler Austin and Neil Walker have been handling the load at first.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

The concept of pitch framing is not exactly new, but it certainly seems to be under a bit more scrutiny now.There was even a bench-clearing incident earlier this month when Arizona manager Torey Lovullo started arguing with the plate umpire about St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina's framing. Lovullo said he praised Molina while using a profanity. The two had a shouting match.It's rare for something as mundane as pitch framing to cause such a dust-up, but it's clear that players, managers and umpires are becoming increasingly cognizant of the way catchers can try to influence calls on balls and strikes."I've had an umpire tell me this year that borderline pitches, I'm making them look better than what they are," Detroit catcher James McCann said. "They've known for years that we try and steal strikes. It's probably just more in the limelight now because we do have the framing numbers, and we do have umpires grades."Lovullo's complaints aside, there doesn't seem to be too much of a backlash... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — It may take a while for the New York Yankees to finish their three games in Detroit this season.The Yankees and Tigers were rained out Saturday, with bad weather threatening to wash away most of New York's only scheduled visit to the Motor City this year. The Yankees beat the Tigers 8-6 on Friday night, and the teams will try to play a split doubleheader Sunday to finish this three-game series — but the weather then might not be any better."It doesn't look very good, but we'll just try and have a good day of rest today," New York manager Aaron Boone said. "Some guys getting a little bit of work in now, and prepare ourselves like we are getting ready to go tomorrow, and then we'll see what Mother Nature has for us."The Tigers would send left-handers Francisco Liriano (1-1) and Matthew Boyd (0-1) to the mound Sunday against New York right-handers Luis Severino (2-1) and Luis Cessa (0-0). The games are scheduled for 1:10 and 7:10 p.m.If one or both games are postponed Sunday,... [More]