A look at what's happening around the majors Thursday:MIDSUMMER SKIDThe Nationals open a series against Miami hoping to end a five-game skid and get back to .500. Washington fell to 42-43 with a loss to Boston on Wednesday, the first time the preseason NL East favorites have been under .500 this late in the year since being 60-61 on Aug. 21, 2015. The Nationals held a players' only meeting after a 3-0 loss to the Red Sox highlighted by Adam Eaton's throwing error and a wild pitch from Ryan Madson. Jeremy Hellickson (2-1, 2.63) makes his second start since returning from the DL, while Marlins righty Pablo Lopez (1-0, 3.00) makes his second MLB start.NOT VERY VERLANDERJustin Verlander (9-4, 2.12) tries to stop a personal slide when the Astros open a series against the White Sox. Verlander has allowed nine runs in 11 2/3 innings over his past two starts, taking losses to Toronto (four runs) and Tampa Bay (five runs). Verlander hasn't allowed four or more earned runs in three straight starts... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Chris Sale pitched his latest Bronx gem, Rafael Devers went 5 for 5 with a first-inning grand slam and the Boston Red Sox held the New York Yankees to two hits during an 11-0 rout Saturday night to take back baseball's best record.Sale (8-4) allowed only Giancarlo Stanton's clean single over seven innings, striking out 11. He has a 1.73 career ERA against the Yankees, best among pitchers with at least 10 starts against them since 1920. His ERA at Yankee Stadium is 1.86, second only to Seattle's Felix Hernandez among pitchers with five starts.Boston is a major league-leading 56-28, just ahead of the Yankees at 53-27. New York held the majors' best mark by percentage points after winning Friday's series opener 8-1.Yankee Stadium hosted a season-high sellout of 47,125, and the crowd gave starter Sonny Gray (5-6) an earful after he gave up six runs in 2 1/3 innings. The right-hander dropped to 0-4 with a 9.35 ERA against Boston since being acquired by New York from Oakland last... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Chris Sale pitched his latest Bronx gem, Rafael Devers went 5 for 5 with a first-inning grand slam and the Boston Red Sox held the New York Yankees to two hits during an 11-0 rout Saturday night to take back baseball's best record.Sale (8-4) allowed only Giancarlo Stanton's clean single over seven innings, striking out 11. He has a 1.73 career ERA against the Yankees, best among pitchers with at least 10 starts against them since 1920. His ERA at Yankee Stadium is 1.86, second only to Seattle's Felix Hernandez among pitchers with five starts.Boston is a major league-leading 56-28, just ahead of the Yankees at 53-27. New York held the majors' best mark by percentage points after winning Friday's series opener 8-1.Yankee Stadium hosted a season-high sellout of 47,125, and the crowd gave starter Sonny Gray (5-6) an earful after he gave up six runs in 2 1/3 innings. The right-hander dropped to 0-4 with a 9.35 ERA against Boston since being acquired by New York from Oakland last... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Justin Smoak led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a home run and the Toronto Blue Jays beat Detroit 4-3 on Saturday, handing the Tigers their 11th straight loss.Smoak connected against reliever Joe Jimenez (3-1) for his 11th homer of the season.Seyunghwan Oh (4-2) worked one inning for the win. Randal Grichuk also homered for the Blue Jays, who have won 10 of 11 at home.John Hicks hit a solo homer in the Detroit second off Sam Gaviglio and Nick Castellanos made it 3-0 with a two-run shot in the third, his 12th.Randal Grichuk hit a two-run homer to cap Toronto's three-run fifth that tied the score.RAYS 5, ASTROS 2ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Wilson Ramos drove in four runs in the first two innings against Justin Verlander, and Tampa Bay won for the seventh time in eight games.Matt Duffy finished with three hits, including two in the first two innings, to help the Rays move to .500 (41-41) for the first time since June 1. Tampa Bay has held opponents to two runs or fewer... [More]

Here's a look at what's happening around the major leagues today:STILL HEREMets star Jacob deGrom is expected to start at Miami. He was a late scratch Friday night because of what the team called a family issue — no doubt, many fans around the country thought deGrom might've been traded when they saw the ace had been pulled. DeGrom (5-3) leads the majors with a 1.69 ERA. He'll face Marlins righty Pablo Lopez, making his big league debut.NO SALERed Sox ace Chris Sale will try to extend his hex over slugger Aaron Judge when they meet at Yankee Stadium in the middle matchup of a three-game series. Sale has struck out the New York slugger more than any other pitcher — Judge has fanned 10 times in 15 at-bats against the lefty. Judge has three hits, including a home run, off Sale.CLOSEBartolo Colon tries for his 245th career victory, which would tie Dennis Martinez for the most by a pitcher from Latin America. The 45-year-old Colon (4-5, 4.72 ERA) starts at home for Texas against White Sox lefty... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington pitcher Stephen Strasburg will go on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation, manager Dave Martinez said after the Nationals' 7-5 victory over San Francisco on Saturday.Martinez said there was no timetable on Strasburg's return. The right-hander left his start Friday against San Francisco after two innings and underwent an MRI Saturday morning."I thought just the inflammation was a good thing and nothing else was wrong structurally," Martinez said. "So as soon as we can get that to calm down a little bit and get him throwing a little bit, we'll be fine."The three-time All-Star is 6-6 with a 3.46 ERA in 13 starts this year. It is Strasburg's sixth stint on the disabled list in the past four seasons.Strasburg is the second Washington starting pitcher to go on the disabled list this week. Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson was placed on the DL on Tuesday with a right hamstring strain.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

ATLANTA (AP) — Starter Jeremy Hellickson will have an MRI after straining his right hamstring, forcing him to leave with one out in the first inning of the Washington Nationals' 4-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Sunday.As Hellickson ran to cover Ozzie Albies' grounder, a throwing error by first baseman Mark Reynolds caused him to drop the ball as he came down on the bag. Hellickson immediately clutched the back top of his leg and walked slowly off the field.Hellickson is likely to go on the disabled list, another setback for the injury-riddled Nationals."I tried to walk, and it just kept grabbing on me," he said. "It's really frustrating. It's exactly what I didn't want to happen. The bullpen threw seven shutout innings yesterday and now they have to get 26 more outs. I tried to walk it off, but I couldn't."Jefry Rodriguez, recalled earlier in the day from Double-A Harrisburg, immediately warmed up to make his major league debut. He allowed six base runners in 4 2-3 scoreless innings.Washington... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Washington Nationals starter Jeremy Hellickson has suffered a right leg injury, forcing him to leave with one out in the first inning Sunday against the Atlanta Braves.As Hellickson ran to cover Ozzie Albies' grounder, a throwing error by first baseman Mark Reynolds forced him to drop the ball as he came down on the bag. Hellickson immediately clutched the back top of his leg.Jefry Rodriguez, recalled Sunday morning from Double-A Harrisburg, immediately warmed up and made his major league debut.Albies advanced to second on the play and scored on Nick Markakis' two-out single to give the Braves a 1-0 lead.___More AP baseball coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

NEW YORK (AP) — Brett Gardner tied it with his second homer of the game, a one-out, two-run drive in the ninth inning, Gleyber Torres hit a winning single in the 10th and the New York Yankees rallied to beat the Houston Astros 6-5 Tuesday night.The Yankees won despite making five errors — including two by Torres at second base — for the first time since 2014. They also came up with a startling defensive play in the 10th when Aroldis Chapman (2-0) threw a 100 mph fastball to the backstop that took a fortuitous carom to catcher Gary Sanchez, who threw out Tony Kemp at third base.Miguel Andujar doubled against Brad Peacock (1-3) with two outs in the 10th, and Torres lined an opposite-field single to right.RED SOX 8, BLUE JAYS 3BOSTON (AP) — Sandy Leon hit a home run and two doubles, Xander Bogaerts also homered and Rick Porcello took a three-hitter into the seventh inning, helping Boston beat Toronto to match the second-best start in franchise history.J.D. Martinez also had two of Boston's... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Brett Gardner tied it with his second homer of the game, a one-out, two-run drive in the ninth inning, Gleyber Torres hit a winning single in the 10th and the New York Yankees rallied to beat the Houston Astros 6-5 Tuesday night.The Yankees won despite making five errors — including two by Torres at second base — for the first time since 2014. They also came up with a startling defensive play in the 10th when Aroldis Chapman (2-0) threw a 100 mph fastball to the backstop that took a fortuitous carom to catcher Gary Sanchez, who threw out Tony Kemp at third base.Miguel Andujar doubled against Brad Peacock (1-3) with two outs in the 10th, and Torres lined an opposite-field single to right.RED SOX 8, BLUE JAYS 3BOSTON (AP) — Sandy Leon hit a home run and two doubles, Xander Bogaerts also homered and Rick Porcello took a three-hitter into the seventh inning, helping Boston beat Toronto to match the second-best start in franchise history.J.D. Martinez also had two of Boston's... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:IRATE WITH RIZZOThe Pirates are upset with Anthony Rizzo after the Cubs star slid hard into catcher Elias Diaz while being forced out at home Monday afternoon, and tensions could spill over as the teams resume their series. Rizzo claimed he "wasn't trying to hurt anyone" when he went leg-first into Diaz, who had already touched home plate for the force out and was a full step in front of the base. Diaz remained in the game after being tended to by trainers, but Rizzo gave him a real scare. "When I saw the replay, I was like 'Man, this guy could have ended my career right here,'" Diaz said. "I understand they called it a legal slide, but out of what I've been trained and what I've been told, that was not a legal slide." Diaz said Rizzo apologized before his at-bat in the ninth inning.GAME 7 REMATCHYankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton is hoping a day off Monday will get him going. Last year's NL MVP struck out in all four at-bats Sunday at home... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Tuesday:IRATE WITH RIZZOThe Pirates are upset with Anthony Rizzo after the Cubs star slid hard into catcher Elias Diaz while being forced out at home Monday afternoon, and tensions could spill over as the teams resume their series. Rizzo claimed he "wasn't trying to hurt anyone" when he went leg-first into Diaz, who had already touched home plate for the force out and was a full step in front of the base. Diaz remained in the game after being tended to by trainers, but Rizzo gave him a real scare. "When I saw the replay, I was like 'Man, this guy could have ended my career right here,'" Diaz said. "I understand they called it a legal slide, but out of what I've been trained and what I've been told, that was not a legal slide." Diaz said Rizzo apologized before his at-bat in the ninth inning.GAME 7 REMATCHYankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton is hoping a day off Monday will get him going. Last year's NL MVP struck out in all four at-bats Sunday at... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:SWEPT AWAY?The Diamondbacks hadn't lost a series all season before the surging Nationals arrived in Arizona. Now the D'Backs are seeking to avoid a four-game sweep after scoring just one run in each of their first three games against Washington. The Nationals have won 12 of 14 to get close to first-place Atlanta in the NL East, while Arizona continues to lead the NL Central. Jeremy Hellickson (1-0, 2.28 ERA), Washington's fifth starter who allowed just two hits in his previous outing, starts in the Sunday night game against Arizona's Zack Godley (4-2, 3.83), whose last win came on April 27 against the Nationals.YIKES, SPIKES!Ben Zobrist of the Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball are at odds over his spikes. Zobrist says he's worn black cleats in day games at Wrigley Field for the past two years to honor the sport's past. But the traditional look drew a letter from MLB, saying his cleats must be at least 51 percent blue — the Cubs' color... [More]

YIKES, SPIKES!Ben Zobrist of the Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball are at odds over his spikes. Zobrist says he's worn black cleats in day games at Wrigley Field for the past two years to honor the sport's past. But the traditional look drew a letter from MLB, saying his cleats must be at least 51 percent blue — the Cubs' color — and warned he could be fined and disciplined if he doesn't comply.Fans at Wrigley will see what Zobrist wears when the Cubs host the White Sox.SWEPT AWAY?The Diamondbacks hadn't lost a series all season before the surging Nationals arrived in Arizona. Now the D'Backs are seeking to avoid a four-game sweep after scoring just one run in each of their first three games against Washington. The Nationals have won 12 of 14 to get close to first-place Atlanta in the NL East, while Arizona continues to lead the NL Central. Jeremy Hellickson (1-0, 2.28 ERA), Washington's fifth starter who allowed just two hits in his previous outing, starts in the Sunday night game... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees have acquired pitcher A.J. Cole from the Washington Nationals, hoping the once-promising righty can find his rhythm in a new place.The Yankees got Cole for $75,000, a move they announced Monday night following a 14-1 win over Minnesota. Right-hander David Hale was designated for assignment after pitching two scoreless innings to finish off the rout.The 26-year-old Cole was cut by the Nationals on Friday. He was 1-1 with a 13.06 ERA in four games.Cole won the fifth spot in the rotation out of spring training but was tagged by Atlanta for 10 runs in 3 2/3 innings in his first start. He made one more start, then was shifted to the bullpen when Jeremy Hellickson joined the Nationals.The 6-foot-5 Cole is 5-8 with a 5.32 ERA in parts of four seasons with Washington.Hellickson was signed less than two weeks before opening day. Once he became available after an extended spring, he was added to Washington's roster and Cole became expendable.Hellickson has made two starts for the Nationals and kept them in the game both times.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

NEW YORK (AP) — The Yankees have acquired pitcher A.J. Cole from the Washington Nationals, hoping the once-promising righty can find his rhythm in a new place.New York announced it obtained Cole for cash following a 14-1 win over Minnesota on Monday night. Right-hander David Hale was designated for assignment after pitching two scoreless innings to finish off the rout.The 26-year-old Cole was cut by the Nationals on Friday. He was 1-1 with a 13.06 ERA in four games.Cole won the fifth spot in the rotation out of spring training, but was tagged by Atlanta for 10 runs in 3 2/3 innings in his first start. He made one more start, then was shifted to the bullpen when Jeremy Hellickson joined the Nationals.The 6-foot-5 Cole is 5-8 with a 5.32 ERA in parts of four seasons with Washington.Hellickson was signed less than two weeks before opening day. Once he became available after an extended spring, he was added to Washington's roster and Cole became expendable.Hellickson has made two starts for the Nationals and kept them in the game both times.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Khris Davis hit a tiebreaking, three-run homer off David Price with two outs in the eighth inning and the Oakland Athletics beat Boston 4-1 on Sunday, to deal the Red Sox consecutive losses for the first time under new manager Alex Cora.Boston had won its first six series before losing two of three at the Coliseum, where they were no-hit Saturday by Sean Manaea. They still have the best record in the majors at 17-4.Davis drove in all four runs for the A's, and Blake Treinen (1-1) retired five batters to win. Price (2-2) allowed four runs and nine hits in 7 2/3 innings.YANKEES 5, BLUE JAYS 1Gleyber Torres went 0 for 4 with a strikeout, double-play grounder, popup and flyout in his big league debut, and the youthful Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-1 on Sunday when New York used a starting lineup that didn't include a player 30 or older for the first time since Sept. 29, 1989.Luis Severino (4-1) allowed three hits and struck out six in seven innings, and David Robertson... [More]

Washington pitcher Jeremy Hellickson, Cincinnati outfielder Ben Revere and St. Louis reliever Jason Motte were among the latest cuts as big league teams reached a deadline to make roster decisions.Kansas City pitcher Ricky Nolasco, Minnesota infielder Erick Aybar and Cubs outfielder Peter Bourjos also were released Sunday, four days before all 30 clubs play their openers.It was the last day for teams to choose what to do with players who chose to become free agents after the World Series and later signed minor league contracts. Clubs could either opt to add them to the 25-man roster for opening day, release them or pay a $100,000 retention bonus if they agreed to begin the season in the minors.Toronto reliever Tyler Clippard, who recently signed after working out at a camp for free agents in Florida, will begin with the Blue Jays. Outfielder Colby Rasmus, who walked away from the game last summer, returns with Baltimore.Milwaukee starter Wade Miley and Nationals pitcher Edwin Jackson got... [More]

Washington pitcher Jeremy Hellickson, Cleveland slugger Mike Napoli and Cincinnati outfielder Ben Revere were among the latest cuts as big league teams reached a deadline to make roster decisions.Kansas City pitcher Ricky Nolasco, Minnesota infielder Erick Aybar and St. Louis reliever Jason Motte also were released Sunday, four days before all 30 clubs play their openers.It was the last day for teams to choose what to do with players who chose to become free agents after the World Series and later signed minor league contracts. Clubs could either opt to add them to the 25-man roster for opening day, release them or pay a $100,000 retention bonus if they agreed to begin the season in the minors.Toronto reliever Tyler Clippard, who recently signed after working out at a camp for free agents in Florida, will begin with the Blue Jays. Outfielder Colby Rasmus, who walked away from the game last summer, returns with Baltimore.Milwaukee starter Wade Miley and Nationals pitcher Edwin Jackson got the retention bonus.Texas said Saturday that it had released pitcher Bartolo Colon. The Rangers are free to rework a contact with the 44-year-old righty

Capsules of National League East teams, listed in order of finish last year:___Washington Nationals2017: 97-65, first place, lost to Cubs in NLDS.Manager: Dave Martinez (first season).He's Here: 1B-OF Matt Adams, C Miguel Montero, RHP Jeremy Hellickson, RHP Joaquin Benoit, INF Matt Reynolds.He's Outta Here: Manager Dusty Baker, LF Jayson Werth, 1B-LF Adam Lind, C Jose Lobaton, RHP Matt Albers.Projected Lineup: SS Trea Turner (.284, 11 HRs, 45 RBIs, 46 SBs in 98 games), LF Adam Eaton (.297, 2, 13 in 23 games), RF Bryce Harper (.319, 29, 87), 3B Anthony Rendon (.301, 25, 100, 41 2Bs), 2B Daniel Murphy (.322, 23, 93, 43 2Bs; expected to begin season on DL recovering from knee surgery), 1B Ryan Zimmerman (.303, 36, 108, 33 2Bs), CF Michael A. Taylor (.271, 19, 53), C Matt Wieters (.225, 10, 52).Rotation: RH Max Scherzer (16-6, 2.51 ERA, NL-high 268 Ks, 200 2/3 IP, 3rd Cy Young Award), RH Stephen Strasburg (15-4, 2.52, 204 Ks), LH Gio Gonzalez (15-9, 2.96, 79 walks), RH Tanner Roark (13-11,... [More]