CHICAGO (AP) — Lucas Giolito pitched the first no-hitter of the pandemic-delayed major league season, striking out 13 and permitting just one runner in leading the Chicago White Sox over the Pittsurgh Pirates 4-0 Tuesday night.With the seats at Guaranteed Rate Field empty, the hollers of his teammates echoed around the ballpark after right fielder Adam Engel caught Erik Gonzalez’s slicing drive toward the line for the final out.An All-Star last year, the 26-year-old Giolito (3-2) matched his career high for strikeouts set in his previous start against Detroit.Only a four-pitch walk to Gonzalez leading off the fourth inning got in Giolito’s way of perfection. The right-hander threw 101 pitches and made quick work of the Pirates -- Pittsburgh came into the game batting just .229 this season and has the worst record in the majors.Giolito pitched the 19th no-hitter in White Sox history and first since Philip Humber threw a perfect game at Seattle in 2012. This was the seventh time the Pirates... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Manny Machado hit a grand slam with one out in the 10th inning and the San Diego Padres beat the Texas Rangers for the third straight game, 6-3 Wednesday night.Machado’s 11th career grand slam and sixth walkoff homer came off Rafael Montero (0-1), whose only out in the 10th came on pinch-hitter Greg Garcia’s sacrifice.Fernando Tatis Jr., who hit his MLB-leading 12th homer earlier, drew a walk off Montero to load the bases ahead of Machado, who hit his sixth homer of the season.The Padres have hit grand slams in three straight games for the first time in club history.Texas had gone ahead 3-2 in the top of the inning when Willie Calhoun’s dribbler in front of the plate off Tim Hill (1-0) scored Nick Solak with two outs.Joey Gallo had tied the game at 2 with a homer off Matt Strahm leading off the ninth, his seventh. The Padres beat the Rangers in Arlington on Monday and Tuesday.Roughned Odor homered off Chris Paddack with one out in the second, his third.INDIANS 6, PIRATES... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mookie Betts hit three home runs in a game for the sixth time in his career, matching a major league record, and the Los Angeles Dodgers launched six long balls in all Thursday night during an 11-2 rout of the San Diego Padres.Betts tied a mark shared by Sammy Sosa and Hall of Famer Johnny Mize. The 2018 AL MVP went 4 for 4 with five RBIs and was hit by a pitch in the leadoff spot, where manager Dave Roberts has been reluctant to lock him in.Corey Seager, AJ Pollock and Austin Barnes also homered for the Dodgers. Seager returned after missing five games because of lower back discomfort. Barnes and Betts went back-to-back.With a chance to tie the big league mark of four home runs in one game, Betts reached on an infield single in the seventh. The National League’s top two home run-hitting teams split the four-game series, with the Dodgers outscoring the Padres 17-2 over the last two.Julio Urías (2-0) gave up consecutive homers to Tommy Pham and Eric Hosmer in the first... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Marcus Semien homered in the first after hitting a walkoff single to end a 13-inning win a night earlier and the Oakland Athletics beat the Houston Astros 3-1 on Saturday for their eighth straight victory.Frankie Montas (2-1) pitched seven shutout innings, allowing two hits without walking a batter and striking out five for the AL West-leading A’s.The three-time reigning division champion Astros lost their fourth in a row. The last three defeats had been by a total of four runs.Semien became the first player in A’s franchise history with a game-ending hit and a leadoff homer on back-to-back days. Matt Chapman homered in the eighth and added an RBI groundout in the sixth as Oakland (11-4) matched the 2014 club for the best record through 15 games over the last 30 years. Houston starter Framber Valdéz (0-2) gave up two runs and seven hits, striking out nine with one walk over seven innings.GIANTS 5, DODGERS 4LOS ANGELES (AP) — Austin Slater had his first multi-homer... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Jacob deGrom struck out a season-high 10 in six innings and the New York Mets snapped a five-game skid Monday night with a 7-2 victory over the Braves that was overshadowed by a season-ending injury to Atlanta ace Mike Soroka. Soroka tore his Achilles tendon in the third inning as he took a step toward first to cover the bag — a huge blow to the two-time defending NL East champions. Robinson Canó had three RBIs before leaving the game himself — one of three New York infielders who went down with injuries. Wilson Ramos added a two-run homer for the Mets, who avoided a four-game sweep and ended Atlanta’s five-game winning streak. Travis d’Arnaud homered off deGrom (1-0) in the fifth.Soroka (0-1) allowed three hits, walked four and wound up being charged with four earned runs in 2 1/3 innings, the second-shortest outing of his career.The Mets had injury concerns, too. Jeff McNeil was scratched just before the first pitch with back tightness, and Canó exited with left groin tightness... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Jacob deGrom struck out a season-high 10 in six innings and the New York Mets snapped a five-game skid Monday night with a 7-2 victory over the Braves that was overshadowed by a season-ending injury to Atlanta ace Mike Soroka. Soroka tore his Achilles tendon in the third inning as he took a step toward first to cover the bag — a huge blow to the two-time defending NL East champions. Robinson Canó had three RBIs before leaving the game himself — one of three New York infielders who went down with injuries. Wilson Ramos added a two-run homer for the Mets, who avoided a four-game sweep and ended Atlanta’s five-game winning streak. Travis d’Arnaud homered off deGrom in the fifth.DeGrom (1-0) turned in another sterling effort. He threw 104 pitches.When Davis grounded the ball toward first baseman Freddie Freeman, Soroka broke in that direction to cover the bag if necessary — only to go down on his first step off the mound. Soroka (0-1) allowed three hits, walked four and wound... [More]

Dodgers first. Joc Pederson homers to center field. Max Muncy strikes out swinging. Justin Turner strikes out swinging. Cody Bellinger grounds out to shallow infield, Chris Paddack to Jake Cronenworth.1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left on. Dodgers 1, Padres 0.Padres first. Fernando Tatis Jr. flies out to center field to Cody Bellinger. Trent Grisham homers to right field. Manny Machado walks. Tommy Pham grounds out to shallow left field, Justin Turner to Matt Beaty. Manny Machado to second. Jake Cronenworth grounds out to shallow infield, Max Muncy to Matt Beaty.1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 left on. Dodgers 1, Padres 1.Padres fourth. Tommy Pham grounds out to shallow infield, Max Muncy to Matt Beaty. Jake Cronenworth grounds out to shallow right field to Matt Beaty. Wil Myers homers to center field. Abraham Almonte grounds out to shortstop, Chris Taylor to Matt Beaty.1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left on. Padres 2, Dodgers 1.Dodgers fifth. Corey Seager doubles to deep right center field. Chris Taylor... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:BACK TO WORKThe Philadelphia Phillies face a difficult assignment in their long-awaited return to action.Bryce Harper and the Phils haven't played since opening the season with a three-game series against the Miami Marlins, a team that has had at least 18 players test positive for the coronavirus. Although the Phillies didn’t have any players test positive, their games last week were postponed as a cautionary measure.The Phillies got to work out again Saturday, and now come back from a weeklong layoff to face Gerrit Cole and the AL East-leading New York Yankees on the road.Jake Arrieta takes on a power-packed lineup at Yankee Stadium. New York star Aaron Judge has homered in five straight games.This marks a homecoming of sorts for Phillies first-year manager Joe Girardi. He managed the Yankees from 2008-17 and helped them beat Philadelphia in the 2009 World Series.HOME AT LASTThe Milwaukee Brewers are finally playing their home opener a... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors on Monday:BACK TO WORKThe Philadelphia Phillies face a difficult assignment in their long-awaited return to action.Bryce Harper and the Phils haven't played since opening the season with a three-game series against the Miami Marlins, a team that has had at least 18 players test positive for the coronavirus. Although the Phillies didn’t have any players test positive, their games last week were postponed as a cautionary measure.The Phillies got to work out again Saturday, and now come back from a weeklong layoff to face Gerrit Cole and the AL East-leading New York Yankees on the road.Jake Arrieta takes on a power-packed lineup at Yankee Stadium. New York star Aaron Judge has homered in five straight games.This marks a homecoming of sorts for Phillies first-year manager Joe Girardi. He managed the Yankees from 2008-17 and helped them beat Philadelphia in the 2009 World Series.HOME AT LASTThe Milwaukee Brewers are finally playing their home opener... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — In the first major league game with the new, unpopular extra-inning rule, automatic runner Marcus Semien began the bottom of the 10th on second base and scored on Matt Olson’s grand slam, sending the Oakland Athletics over the Los Angeles Angels 7-3 Friday night.Olson, whose alert throw from first base nailed Angels free runner Shohei Ohtani in the top of the 10th, connected with one out. Major League Baseball instituted the controversial extra-inning runner rule for this season to keep games from dragging on amid a compressed, 60-game schedule that started late because of the virus outbreak.After Semien took second, the A’s loaded the bases against Hansel Robles (0-1) on a hit by pitch, wild pitch and a walk.New Angels manager Joe Maddon brought in reliever Hoby Milner and, with a five-man infield in place, Olson hit the first pitch far over the right-field wall.According to STATS, Olson became the third player to hit a walkoff grand slam on opening day. He joined... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Kyle Hendricks convinced new manager David Ross to let him finish a three-hitter, Anthony Rizzo homered and dished out hand sanitizer, and the Chicago Cubs started the season by beating the Milwaukee Brewers 3-0 on Friday night.Ian Happ also had a two-run drive and Ross got his first victory as a big league manager as the Cubs opened this pandemic-shortened 60-game season without fans at Wrigley Field. Hendricks struck out nine and walked none in his first career opening-day start and fourth career shutout.Orlando Arcia had each of Milwaukee’s hits off Hendricks (1-0). After he singled with two out in the third for the Brewers’ first baserunner, he accepted a splash of sanitizer from a smiling Rizzo at first and cleaned off his hands.Ross came out to check on Hendricks with two out and a runner on first in the ninth. He decided to leave him in, and Keston Hiura bounced into a game-ending fielder’s choice on Hendricks’ 103rd pitch.Milwaukee right-hander Brandon Woodruff allowed... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Kyle Hendricks convinced new manager David Ross to let him finish a three-hitter, Anthony Rizzo homered and dished out hand sanitizer, and the Chicago Cubs started the season by beating the Milwaukee Brewers 3-0 on Friday night.Ian Happ also had a two-run drive and Ross got his first victory as a big league manager as the Cubs opened this pandemic-shortened 60-game season without fans at Wrigley Field. Hendricks struck out nine and walked none in his first career opening-day start and fourth career shutout.Orlando Arcia had each of Milwaukee’s hits off Hendricks (1-0). After he singled with two out in the third for the Brewers’ first baserunner, he accepted a splash of sanitizer from a smiling Rizzo at first and cleaned off his hands.Ross came out to check on Hendricks with two out and a runner on first in the ninth. He decided to leave him in, and Keston Hiura bounced into a game-ending fielder’s choice on Hendricks’ 103rd pitch.Milwaukee right-hander Brandon Woodruff allowed... [More]

With all the protocols in place, Stephen Strasburg got a good feel Monday night for what pitching on the road will entail this season during the coronavirus pandemic. Last year's World Series MVP threw five strong innings for Washington in a 4-2 exhibition win over the Baltimore Orioles. Nationals manager Dave Martinez said the team took five buses for the 45-minute ride to Baltimore so players and staff could space out, with 14 people on each bus. “It’s pretty intense,” Strasburg said. “You get on the bus and you have to wear a face mask the whole time. Then you get in, and basically they temperature screen you. It’s kind of tough to get a good temperature reading when it’s 100 degrees outside. "But if you pass that, then you come into the clubhouse and everybody’s kind of sectioned off. So it’s just kind of an adjustment that we have to make. But unfortunately it’s kind of challenging to build team chemistry in an environment like this right now.” Strasburg looked just fine on the mound,... [More]

Miami Marlins shortstop Miguel Rojas talked Monday about the ways the 2020 season will be different for players, with little clubhouse interaction, seats in the stands and postgame meals via hotel room service.Another change: Rojas believes the Marlins will be good.He joined Miami in 2015 and has since endured five consecutive losing seasons. But like the team’s management and some outside observers, Rojas says the Marlins are poised for a big leap forward in Year 3 of Derek Jeter’s rebuilding program.“I’m really excited about the starting pitching, and our offense is way better than the last couple of years,” Rojas said. “The whole organization has been doing a great job bringing the young prospects along. It doesn’t matter if they don’t make the club right now. We know we have those guys waiting.”Fans will get their first look — on TV only — when the Marlins play an exhibition game Tuesday at Atlanta. They begin the season Friday at Philadelphia.GETTING GOINGDr. Anthony Fauci, a Washington... [More]

Miami Marlins shortstop Miguel Rojas talked Monday about the ways the 2020 season will be different for players, with little clubhouse interaction, seats in the stands and postgame meals via hotel room service.Another change: Rojas believes the Marlins will be good.He joined Miami in 2015 and has since endured five consecutive losing seasons. But like the team’s management and some outside observers, Rojas says the Marlins are poised for a big leap forward in Year 3 of Derek Jeter’s rebuilding program.“I’m really excited about the starting pitching, and our offense is way better than the last couple of years,” Rojas said. “The whole organization has been doing a great job bringing the young prospects along. It doesn’t matter if they don’t make the club right now. We know we have those guys waiting.”Fans will get their first look — on TV only — when the Marlins play an exhibition game Tuesday at Atlanta. They begin the season Friday at Philadelphia.GETTING GOINGDr. Anthony Fauci, a Washington... [More]

Miami Marlins shortstop Miguel Rojas talked Monday about the ways the 2020 season will be different for players, with little clubhouse interaction, seats in the stands and postgame meals via hotel room service.Another change: Rojas believes the Marlins will be good.He joined Miami in 2015 and has since endured five consecutive losing seasons. But like the team’s management and some outside observers, Rojas says the Marlins are poised for a big leap forward in Year 3 of Derek Jeter’s rebuilding program.“I’m really excited about the starting pitching, and our offense is way better than the last couple of years,” Rojas said. “The whole organization has been doing a great job bringing the young prospects along. It doesn’t matter if they don’t make the club right now. We know we have those guys waiting.”Fans will get their first look — on TV only — when the Marlins play an exhibition game Tuesday at Atlanta. They begin the season Friday at Philadelphia.GETTING GOINGDr. Anthony Fauci, a Washington... [More]

Three or four hours before a National League game, they’d be cackling around the cage.Madison Bumgarner and buddies — or pitchers from any home team, really — taking batting practice under an afternoon sun in an otherwise empty ballpark. After all the bunting drills, when they finally got to swing some lumber, you’d hear oohs and aahs, hoots and hollers, boasting and bragging, teasing and laughing. Maybe even the occasional wager or two. But that merry pursuit of a secondary skill is suddenly an endangered species in baseball. Under new rules for this abbreviated season delayed by the coronavirus, all games will include the designated hitter — knocking NL pitchers right out of the batter’s box.“Well, obviously my thoughts don’t really matter,” said a smiling Bumgarner, the Arizona Diamondbacks newcomer who leads active pitchers with 19 career home runs. “I do what I’m told. I’ll sit there and pitch and that’s it for now. I think that’s obviously where everybody wants the game to go, so... [More]

Three or four hours before a National League game, they’d be cackling around the cage.Madison Bumgarner and buddies — or pitchers from any home team, really — taking batting practice under an afternoon sun in an otherwise empty ballpark. After all the bunting drills, when they finally got to swing some lumber, you’d hear oohs and aahs, hoots and hollers, boasting and bragging, teasing and laughing. Maybe even the occasional wager or two. But that merry pursuit of a secondary skill is suddenly an endangered species in baseball. Under new rules for this abbreviated season delayed by the coronavirus, all games will include the designated hitter — knocking NL pitchers right out of the batter’s box.“Well, obviously my thoughts don’t really matter,” said a smiling Bumgarner, the Arizona Diamondbacks newcomer who leads active pitchers with 19 career home runs. “I do what I’m told. I’ll sit there and pitch and that’s it for now. I think that’s obviously where everybody wants the game to go, so... [More]

Before all the self-proclaimed purists forecasting the destruction of baseball strategy and the very sanctity of the sport as we know it go berserk bemoaning the inclusion of a designated hitter in the National League this season, remember this:In a most remarkable October full of huge momentum swings, the pivotal blow that decided last year’s World Series was delivered by, yep, the NL DH.OK, that clang resonating off the right field foul screen at Minute Maid Park — courtesy of Howie Kendrick’s home run in Game 7 for the visiting Washington Nationals — probably won’t drown out the wailing of longtime National League fans over the plan to play this virus-delayed season with a (gasp!) DH in both circuits.And it certainly won’t quell the debate that’s raged since April 6, 1973, when Ron Blomberg of the New York Yankees stepped to the plate at Fenway Park as Major League Baseball’s first DH (and drew a bases-loaded walk from Luis Tiant).To many NL fans, the simple scribble of “DH” on the lineup... [More]

Before all the self-proclaimed purists forecasting the destruction of baseball strategy and the very sanctity of the sport as we know it go berserk bemoaning the inclusion of a designated hitter in the National League this season, remember this:In a most remarkable October full of huge momentum swings, the pivotal blow that decided last year’s World Series was delivered by, yep, the NL DH.OK, that clang resonating off the right field foul screen at Minute Maid Park — courtesy of Howie Kendrick’s home run in Game 7 for the visiting Washington Nationals — probably won’t drown out the wailing of longtime National League fans over the plan to play this virus-delayed season with a (gasp!) DH in both circuits.And it certainly won’t quell the debate that’s raged since April 6, 1973, when Ron Blomberg of the New York Yankees stepped to the plate at Fenway Park as Major League Baseball’s first DH (and drew a bases-loaded walk from Luis Tiant).To many NL fans, the scribble of “DH” on the lineup card... [More]