LOS ANGELES (AP) — Clayton Kershaw yielded four hits over seven innings, Justin Turner homered and the Los Angeles Dodgers ended their three-game losing streak with an 8-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday. Kershaw (4-2) struck out eight and walked one never allowing Cincinnati to get a runner to third base. Matt Beaty drove in two runs with a pinch single on his 28th birthday during a six-run eighth. Nick Senzel matched his career high with four hits as the Reds were shut out for the fourth time. Sonny Gray (0-2) pitched four-hit ball into the sixth while striking out 11 and allowing four hits and three walks. MARLINS 6, BREWERS 2 MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jesús Aguilar homered for the fifth time in six games, a tiebreaking three-run shot off Eric Yardley in the fourth. Sandy Alcantara (1-2) gave up two runs and five hits in seven innings. Zack Godley (0-1) walked five, threw two wild pitches, committed a balk and hit a batter in an eventful Brewers debut. He was charged with four runs,... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Clayton Kershaw yielded four hits over seven innings, Justin Turner homered and the Los Angeles Dodgers ended their three-game losing streak with an 8-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday. Kershaw (4-2) struck out eight and walked one never allowing Cincinnati to get a runner to third base. Matt Beaty drove in two runs with a pinch single on his 28th birthday during a six-run eighth. Nick Senzel matched his career high with four hits as the Reds were shut out for the fourth time. Sonny Gray (0-2) pitched four-hit ball into the sixth while striking out 11 and allowing four hits and three walks. MARLINS 6, BREWERS 2 MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jesús Aguilar homered for the fifth time in six games, a tiebreaking three-run shot off Eric Yardley in the fourth. Sandy Alcantara (1-2) gave up two runs and five hits in seven innings. Zack Godley (0-1) walked five, threw two wild pitches, committed a balk and hit a batter in an eventful Brewers debut. He was charged with four runs,... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Corey Seager hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer on Tim Hill’s first pitch of the 12th inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres 11-6 Friday night in a tense, entertaining first matchup this season between NL West rivals who have visions of deep playoff runs. It took 4 hours, 57 minutes to decide this one, which ended early Saturday morning. The benches emptied after Dodgers reliever Dennis Santana hit Jorge Mateo with a pitch to put runners on the corners with one out in the 10th. Trent Grisham walked to load the bases, but Santana struck out Fernando Tatis Jr. to escape. The teams met for the first time since the Dodgers swept San Diego in their Division Series last year en route to winning the World Series. The Padres responded by beefing up their rotation, trading for Yu Darvish, Blake Snell and Joe Musgrove. Darvish and Snell are scheduled to pitch in the final two games of the three-game series. Seager homered with Mookie Betts on second base after... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kyle Schwarber hit a game-ending homer in the ninth inning, helping the Washington Nationals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 1-0 on Friday night after Max Scherzer passed Cy Young on baseball’s career strikeouts list. The lefty-batting Schwarber connected on a 2-1 pitch from left-hander Alex Young (0-3), sending a drive to right that traveled an estimated 463 feet for his first homer for Washington. Brad Hand (1-0) worked a scoreless ninth for the win. The Nationals allowed just three hits. Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, struck out the side in the seventh while passing Cy Young to move into 22nd place on baseball’s strikeout list. He finished with 10 on the day, giving him 2,808 for his career. RAYS 8, YANKEES 2 NEW YORK (AP) — Brandon Lowe hit a two-run double in the first inning off opener Nick Nelson (0-2), and AL champion Tampa Bay kept up its domination of New York, setting off frustrated fans who caused a brief interruption. The young, athletic Rays... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kyle Schwarber hit a game-ending homer in the ninth inning, helping the Washington Nationals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 1-0 on Friday night after Max Scherzer passed Cy Young on baseball’s career strikeouts list. The lefty-batting Schwarber connected on a 2-1 pitch from left-hander Alex Young (0-3), sending a drive to right that traveled an estimated 463 feet for his first homer for Washington. Brad Hand (1-0) worked a scoreless ninth for the win. The Nationals allowed just three hits. Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, struck out the side in the seventh while passing Cy Young to move into 22nd place on baseball’s strikeout list. He finished with 10 on the day, giving him 2,808 for his career. RAYS 8, YANKEES 2 NEW YORK (AP) — Brandon Lowe hit a two-run double in the first inning off opener Nick Nelson (0-2), and AL champion Tampa Bay kept up its domination of New York, setting off frustrated fans who caused a brief interruption. The young, athletic Rays... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Jeff McNeil launched a tying homer in the bottom of the ninth inning on his 29th birthday and the New York Mets were handed the winning run on a disputed hit by pitch for a bizarre 3-2 victory over the Miami Marlins in their home opener Thursday. With the bases loaded and one out, a scuffling Michael Conforto appeared to stick out his right elbow pad just enough to get it grazed by a 1-2 breaking ball from closer Anthony Bass that looked to be in the strike zone. Plate umpire and crew chief Ron Kulpa at first signaled strike, then quickly ruled Conforto was hit by the pitch. Conforto headed toward first base as Luis Guillorme scored and the Mets celebrated a comeback win in front of the first crowd at Citi Field in 557 days. Marlins players and manager Don Mattingly argued with Kulpa before a replay review was initiated. The review lasted 58 seconds, and the call was upheld. According to baseball rules, if a batter is hit by a pitch in the strike zone, the pitch should be... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Jeff McNeil launched a tying homer in the bottom of the ninth inning on his 29th birthday and the New York Mets were handed the winning run on a disputed hit by pitch for a bizarre 3-2 victory over the Miami Marlins in their home opener Thursday. With the bases loaded and one out, a scuffling Michael Conforto appeared to stick out his right elbow pad just enough to get it grazed by a 1-2 breaking ball from closer Anthony Bass that looked to be in the strike zone. Plate umpire and crew chief Ron Kulpa at first signaled strike, then quickly ruled Conforto was hit by the pitch. Conforto headed toward first base as Luis Guillorme scored and the Mets celebrated a comeback win in front of the first crowd at Citi Field in 557 days. Marlins players and manager Don Mattingly argued with Kulpa before a replay review was initiated. The review lasted 58 seconds, and the call was upheld. According to baseball rules, if a batter is hit by a pitch in the strike zone, the pitch should be... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Jeff McNeil launched a tying homer in the bottom of the ninth inning on his 29th birthday and the New York Mets were handed the winning run on a disputed hit by pitch for a bizarre 3-2 victory over the Miami Marlins in their home opener Thursday. With the bases loaded and one out, a scuffling Michael Conforto appeared to stick out his right elbow pad just enough to get it grazed by a 1-2 breaking ball from closer Anthony Bass that looked to be in the strike zone. Plate umpire and crew chief Ron Kulpa at first signaled strike, then quickly ruled Conforto was hit by the pitch. Conforto headed toward first base as Luis Guillorme scored and the Mets celebrated a comeback win in front of the first crowd at Citi Field in 557 days. Marlins players and manager Don Mattingly argued with Kulpa before a replay review was initiated. The review lasted 58 seconds, and the call was upheld. According to baseball rules, if a batter is hit by a pitch in the strike zone, the pitch should be... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit a 451-foot homer and pitched two-hit ball into the fifth inning in a historic two-way performance, and Jared Walsh hit a walkoff homer in the Los Angeles Angels’ 7-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday night. Walsh hit two homers, including a big three-run shot off Matt Foster to end the Angels’ third win over Chicago in their four-game, season-opening series. Ohtani reached another milestone in his unique career when he took the mound and occupied the No. 2 slot in the batting order for the Angels. He was just the third pitcher in 45 seasons to hit for himself in a game with the designated hitter available, and the first to bat second since Jack Dunleavy did it for the Cardinals in 1903. In the first inning alone, Ohtani both threw the hardest pitch by any starting pitcher in baseball this season and produced the hardest hit by any batter this season. Ohtani touched 101 mph with a fastball, and his first-pitch homer off Chicago’s Dylan... [More]

Alec Bohm hit a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning, Zach Eflin gave Philadelphia another strong start and the Phillies completed a three-game sweep of the defending NL East champion Atlanta Braves with a 2-1 win Sunday. Philadelphia’s starting trio of Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler and Eflin (1-0) surrendered three runs, 11 hits and one walk in 20 2/3 innings against an Atlanta lineup that led the majors in 2020 with 556 hits. The Phillies bullpen, which posted a 7.06 ERA in 2020, didn’t yield a run in 7 1/3 innings in the set. Philadelphia regained the lead in the eighth as Rhys Hoskins, Bryce Harper and Bohm hit consecutive singles off Chris Martin (0-1). Hector Neris got his first save. REDS 12, CARDINALS 1 Nick Castellanos came out swinging with his bat a day after being ejected for inciting a bench-clearing melee, hitting a three-run homer off Carlos Martinez (0-1) and triple to finish the series 6 for 11 with five RBIs. Tyler Naquin also a three-run shot for the Reds, who won two in... [More]

Alec Bohm hit a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning, Zach Eflin gave Philadelphia another strong start and the Phillies completed a three-game sweep of the defending NL East champion Atlanta Braves with a 2-1 win Sunday. Philadelphia’s starting trio of Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler and Eflin (1-0) surrendered three runs, 11 hits and one walk in 20 2/3 innings against an Atlanta lineup that led the majors in 2020 with 556 hits. The Phillies bullpen, which posted a 7.06 ERA in 2020, didn’t yield a run in 7 1/3 innings in the set. Philadelphia regained the lead in the eighth as Rhys Hoskins, Bryce Harper and Bohm hit consecutive singles off Chris Martin (0-1). Hector Neris got his first save. REDS 12, CARDINALS 1 Nick Castellanos came out swinging with his bat a day after being ejected for inciting a bench-clearing melee, hitting a three-run homer off Carlos Martinez (0-1) and triple to finish the series 6 for 11 with five RBIs. Tyler Naquin also a three-run shot for the Reds, who won two in... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Randy Dobnak's road to the major leagues was so far off the traditional path he even chauffeured some ride-share customers along the way. The Minnesota Twins delivered the overachieving right-hander another big-time moment on Monday, in the form of a $9.25 million, five-year contract that includes three club options and could be worth $29.75 million over eight seasons. “I always believed in myself, even since I was a little kid. You have career days and stuff when you’re in elementary school and whatnot, and I was always like, ‘I want to be a baseball player,'” said Dobnak, whose place as the swingman of the 13-pitcher staff was secured last week. He'll be the team’s primary long reliever for now, essentially the sixth starter behind José Berríos, Kenta Maeda, Matt Shoemaker, Michael Pineda and J.A. Happ. This is a lot of money to guarantee a pitcher with 75 career major league innings, but the Twins saw enough improvement in his fastball and his slider this spring to... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins and closer Taylor Rogers agreed to terms Thursday on a $6 million, one-year contract, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contract had not yet been finalized. Rogers compiled a 4.05 ERA in 21 appearances with nine saves and two blown chances during the abbreviated 60-game season. The left-hander was the last remaining Minnesota player eligible for arbitration, meaning the Twins have no proposed salaries to exchange with agents this winter and won't have to worry about heading to any hearings. They declined Wednesday to offer 2021 contracts to left fielder Eddie Rosario and reliever Matt Wisler, making them free agents. The team also reached one-year deals with starting pitcher José Berríos ($5.6 million salary plus $500,000 signing bonus), center fielder Byron Buxton ($5,125,000), reliever Tyler Duffey ($2.2 million), catcher Mitch Garver ($1,875,000) and reliever... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins declined Wednesday to offer a 2021 contract to Eddie Rosario, their regular left fielder for the last six seasons. The Twins also decided to non-tender reliever Matt Wisler prior to MLB's deadline. They reached one-year deals with five of their arbitration-eligible players: José Berríos ($500,000 signing bonus and $5.6 million salary), center fielder Byron Buxton ($5,125,000), reliever Tyler Duffey ($2.2 million), catcher Mitch Garver ($1,875,000) and reliever Caleb Thielbar ($650,000). Rosario cleared waivers this week, another sign of the economic uncertainty around the industry. “We very much appreciate everything Eddie has done up to this point. He’s been a big part of this team over the last number of years. So those are always difficult decisions. But he was a pro about it,” president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said. Though Rosario and Wisler were the only players on the 40-man roster not offered new contracts, Falvey said the team remains... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins declined Wednesday to offer a 2021 contract to Eddie Rosario, their regular left fielder for the last six seasons. The Twins also decided to non-tender reliever Matt Wisler prior to MLB's deadline. They reached one-year deals with five of their arbitration-eligible players: José Berríos ($6.1 million), center fielder Byron Buxton ($5,125,000), reliever Tyler Duffey ($2.2 million), catcher Mitch Garver ($1,875,000) and reliever Caleb Thielbar ($650,000). Rosario cleared waivers this week, another sign of the economic uncertainty around the industry. “We very much appreciate everything Eddie has done up to this point. He’s been a big part of this team over the last number of years. So those are always difficult decisions. But he was a pro about it,” president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said. Though Rosario and Wisler were the only players on the 40-man roster not offered new contracts, Falvey said the team remains open to negotiating with them... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins agreed to a $2.2 million, one-year contract on Wednesday with reliever Tyler Duffey, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contract had not yet been finalized. Duffey was among seven Twins players eligible for salary arbitration for the 2021 season, joining left fielder Eddie Rosario, starting pitcher José Berríos, center fielder Byron Buxton, closer Taylor Rogers, catcher Mitch Garver and relief pitcher Matt Wisler. Duffey, who turns 30 on Dec. 27, had a career-best 1.88 ERA in 24 innings this year with 13 hits allowed and 31 strikeouts. Over the last two years, the right-hander has been a key late-game cog in Minnesota's bullpen, logging a 2.31 ERA and 113 strikeouts over 81 2/3 innings with 57 hits allowed. ___ More AP MLB coverage: https://apnews.com/MLB

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins placed two more regulars on the injured list Thursday, with center fielder Byron Buxton and catcher Mitch Garver joining third baseman Josh Donaldson on the sideline.Buxton has inflammation in his left shoulder, which he had surgery on almost a year ago. President of baseball operations Derek Falvey said this issue is not connected to the labrum tear that required the operation. Buxton aggravated the discomfort with his headfirst slide into home Tuesday for the winning run in the 12th inning against Milwaukee. He's batting .221 with five homers and 12 RBIs in 21 games this season.Garver has a mild intercostal muscle strain on his right side, an injury suffered while swinging Wednesday against the Brewers. He's hitting .154 with one homer and two RBIs in 17 games.Donaldson missed his 18th straight game Thursday with a strained right calf. Starting pitcher Homer Bailey has also been on the injured list for the last three weeks with right biceps tendinitis.Outfielder... [More]

Twins fourth. Nelson Cruz homers to left field. Eddie Rosario strikes out swinging. Marwin Gonzalez walks. Miguel Sano called out on strikes. Max Kepler walks. Marwin Gonzalez to second. Byron Buxton singles to left center field. Max Kepler to third. Marwin Gonzalez scores. Ehire Adrianza reaches on a fielder's choice to shallow infield. Byron Buxton out at second.2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 3 left on. Twins 2, Royals 0.Twins sixth. Miguel Sano doubles to deep right center field. Max Kepler singles to deep right field. Miguel Sano scores. Byron Buxton strikes out swinging. Ehire Adrianza grounds out to shortstop. Max Kepler out at second.1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on. Twins 3, Royals 0.Twins seventh. Jorge Polanco grounds out to shallow right field to Ryan McBroom. Mitch Garver flies out to left field to Alex Gordon. Nelson Cruz homers to center field. Eddie Rosario singles to deep right field. Marwin Gonzalez flies out to right field to Hunter Dozier.1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Twins 4, Royals 0.Royals ninth. Hunter Dozier homers to center field. Ryan McBroom flies out to right field to Max Kepler. Maikel Franco singles to center field. Alex Gordon lines out to shallow right field to Ildemaro Vargas. Maikel Franco doubled off first.1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on. Twins 4, Royals 1.

Twins second. Marwin Gonzalez grounds out to second base, Keston Hiura to Justin Smoak. Miguel Sano walks. Jake Cave doubles to deep left field. Miguel Sano scores. Byron Buxton grounds out to shortstop, Keston Hiura to Justin Smoak. Jake Cave to third. Luis Arraez singles to left field. Jake Cave scores. Mitch Garver singles to center field. Luis Arraez to third. Jorge Polanco singles to center field. Mitch Garver to second. Luis Arraez scores. Nelson Cruz singles to center field. Jorge Polanco to third. Mitch Garver scores. Eddie Rosario grounds out to shallow infield, Eric Sogard to Justin Smoak.5 runs, 5 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Twins 5, Brewers 0.Twins third. Marwin Gonzalez strikes out on a foul tip. Miguel Sano homers to left field. Jake Cave grounds out to second base, Eric Sogard to Justin Smoak. Byron Buxton singles to shallow right field. Luis Arraez walks. Byron Buxton to second. Mitch Garver flies out to deep left field to Christian Yelich.1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 left... [More]

Twins first. Max Kepler pops out to shallow right field to Orlando Arcia. Jorge Polanco homers to right field. Nelson Cruz grounds out to shallow infield, Orlando Arcia to Jedd Gyorko. Eddie Rosario homers to right field. Marwin Gonzalez singles to shallow infield. Mitch Garver strikes out swinging.2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Twins 2, Brewers 0.Brewers first. Avisail Garcia homers to left field. Keston Hiura strikes out swinging. Christian Yelich grounds out to second base, Jorge Polanco to Miguel Sano. Jedd Gyorko strikes out swinging.1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left on. Twins 2, Brewers 1.Twins third. Nelson Cruz walks. Eddie Rosario homers to right field. Nelson Cruz scores. Marwin Gonzalez lines out to deep center field to Avisail Garcia. Mitch Garver strikes out swinging. Luis Arraez strikes out on a foul tip.2 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left on. Twins 4, Brewers 1.Brewers fifth. Manny Pina homers to center field. Ben Gamel strikes out on a foul tip. Luis Urias pops out to shallow... [More]