ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Yermín Mercedes has yet to make an out this season. The 28-year-old Chicago White Sox rookie is the first player since at least 1900 to begin a season with eight straight hits. He had hits in his first three plate appearances Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels one night after becoming the second player in the modern era to get five hits in his first career start. The previous best was by Cincinnati's Chris Stynes, who started 1997 with seven straight hits. Mercedes was supposed to have the night off against the Los Angeles Angels, but manager Tony La Russa said he earned his way into the lineup with Friday night's performance. Mercedes, who is the designated hitter for the second straight night, drove Alex Cobb's splitter beyond the wall in left field to give the White Sox a 1-0 lead in the second. Mercedes followed that with a single to center in the fourth inning and an RBI double to left-center in the sixth. He has hits in eight of his first nine MLB at-bats,... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Yermín Mercedes is yet to make an out this season. One night after becoming the second player since 1900 to get five hits in his first career start, the 28-year-old Chicago White Sox rookie got hits in his first two plate appearances Saturday and became the first player in franchise history to begin a season 7 for 7. Nobody in the majors has started a year with seven straight hits since Chris Stynes for Cincinnati in 1997. Mercedes was supposed to have the night off against the Los Angeles Angels, but manager Tony La Russa said he earned his way into the lineup with Friday night's performance. Mercedes, who is the designated hitter for the second straight night, drove Alex Cobb's splitter beyond the wall in left field to give the White Sox a 1-0 lead in the second. Mercedes followed that with a single to center in the fourth inning. He has hits in seven of his first eight MLB at-bats. “I wanted to get Jake Lamb in there one of the days, today or tomorrow,” La Russa said before Saturday’s game. “I was kind of holding it open. I could have played (Billy) Hamilton or could have played (Andrew) Vaughn at DH. It was open until Mercedes earned it.” The only players since 1900 to get five hits in their first career start are Mercedes and Cecil Travis of the Washington Senators, who went 5 for 7 in 1933. Fred Clarke also did it for the Louisville Colonels in 1894. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

A team-by-team look at the American League West entering spring training, including key players each club acquired and lost, and dates of the first workout for pitchers and catchers, and the full squad: ___ Oakland Athletics Manager: Bob Melvin (11th season). 2020: 36-24, first place, lost to Houston in Division Series. Training Town: Mesa, Arizona. Park: Hohokam Stadium. First Workout: Feb. 17/22. He’s Here: SS Elvis Andrus, C Aramis Garcia, LHP Cole Irvin, LHP Nik Turley, INF Jed Lowrie. He’s Outta Here: SS Marcus Semien, RHP Liam Hendriks, OF Khris Davis, 2B Tommy La Stella, OF Robbie Grossman, RHP Yusmeiro Petit, RHP Joakim Soria, LHP T.J. McFarland, 3B Jake Lamb, LHP Mike Minor. Going campin’: After winning their first division title in seven years, the A’s took some serious hits this offseason with Semien leaving to sign a one-year deal in Toronto after not getting a qualifying offer from Oakland and star closer Hendriks signing with the White Sox. The A’s acquired Andrus to replace... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels are far from finished with their effort to unlock Shohei Ohtani's enormous two-way potential. Ohtani agreed to an $8.5 million, two-year contract with the Angels on Monday, avoiding arbitration. He will make $3 million in 2021 and $5.5 million in 2022, and both years are guaranteed. Ohtani had asked for $3.3 million for the upcoming season, and the Angels had countered with $2.5 million. Instead of going to what would have been a difficult, complicated arbitration hearing because of Ohtani's two-way talents and the pandemic-shortened season, the sides reached a deal that extends up to his final year of arbitration eligibility in 2023. “Obviously it’s a unique case,” new Los Angeles general manager Perry Minasian said. “There aren’t any examples of this. But as we talked, we felt this number lined up over a two-year deal. There’s risk and reward for both sides, but it made sense for them and it made sense for us. We’re ecstatic we could get a... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles have agreed to sign veteran right-hander Félix Hernández to a minor league contract. Hernández won an AL Cy Young Award, two ERA titles and made six All-Star teams over 15 seasons with Seattle before becoming a free agent last offseason. The 34-year-old signed a minor league deal with Atlanta and looked sharp during spring training, but ultimately opted out of the pandemic-shortened 60-game season. In his last big league action, Hernández went 1-8 with a 6.40 ERA in 2019. He hasn't finished with an ERA under 4.00 since 2016, and his last All-Star appearance was in 2015. He has won 169 games and owns a 3.42 career ERA. Hernández could earn a rotation spot with the rebuilding Orioles, who have 2019 All-Star left-hander John Means locked in as a starter but not much else. They traded Alex Cobb to the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday, leaving Keegan Akin, Dean Kremer, Jorge López, Wade LeBlanc, Thomas Eshelman and Bruce Zimmermann as the only returning players to start at least one game in 2020. Baltimore also announced Wednesday it has agreed to minor league deals with infielders Seth Mejias-Brean and Malquin Canelo, right-handers Dusten Knight, Konner Wade and Spenser Watkins and left-hander LeBlanc. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles have agreed to sign veteran right-hander Félix Hernández to a minor league contract. Hernández won an AL Cy Young Award, two ERA titles and made six All-Star teams over 15 seasons with Seattle before becoming a free agent last offseason. The 34-year-old signed a minor league deal with Atlanta and looked sharp during spring training, but ultimately opted out of the pandemic-shortened 60-game season. In his last big league action, Hernández went 1-8 with a 6.40 ERA in 2019. He hasn't finished with an ERA under 4.00 since 2016, and his last All-Star appearance was in 2015. He has won 169 games and owns a 3.42 career ERA. Hernández could earn a rotation spot with the rebuilding Orioles, who have 2019 All-Star left-hander John Means locked in as a starter but not much else. They traded Alex Cobb to the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday, leaving Keegan Akin, Dean Kremer, Jorge López, Wade LeBlanc, Thomas Eshelman and Bruce Zimmermann as the only returning players to start at least one game in 2020. Baltimore also announced Wednesday it has agreed to minor league deals with infielders Seth Mejias-Brean and Malquin Canelo, right-handers Dusten Knight, Konner Wade and Spenser Watkins and left-hander LeBlanc. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels acquired veteran right-hander Alex Cobb from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for prospect Jahmai Jones. The Angels also get cash in the trade announced Tuesday night. The 33-year-old Cobb is expected to join the Angels' rotation alongside Dylan Bundy, who had the best season of his career in 2020 after Los Angeles obtained him from rebuilding Baltimore. Cobb went 2-5 with a 4.30 ERA in 10 starts last season for the Orioles. He is 55-57 with a 3.88 ERA during a decade in the majors with Tampa Bay and Baltimore. Although he hasn't regularly reached the heights of his best days with the Rays in recent years, Cobb is a groundball pitcher who could benefit from playing in pitcher-friendly Angel Stadium with the Halos' excellent infield defense. Cobb had Tommy John surgery in 2015 and missed most of the 2019 season with back problems. Cobb is owed $15 million in the final season of a $57 million, four-year contract, of which $4.5 million is deferred... [More]

Sept. 21 1934 — Daffy Dean of the St. Louis Cardinals pitched a no-hitter against the Brooklyn Dodgers for 3-0 victory in the second game of an Ebbets Field doubleheader. Daffy’s brother Dizzy, held Brooklyn hitless until the eighth inning in the opener and won 13-0. 1947 — Boston’s Johnny Pesky had two hits in each game of a doubleheader and finished the day with 202 hits. Pesky surpassed the 200-hit mark for the third time in as many major league seasons. He is the only player to lead a league in hits in his first three seasons in the game. 1964 — Manager Gene Mauch’s first-place Phillies lost 1-0 to the Cincinnati Reds on Chico Ruiz’s steal of home in the sixth inning. It was Philadelphia’s first of 10 straight losses, a streak that cost them the NL pennant. 1970 — Oakland’s Vida Blue pitched a no-hitter in his eighth major league start, beating Minnesota 6-0. 1995 — Colorado’s John Vander Wal set a major league record with his 26th pinch-hit of the season with a home run in the seventh... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Nate Lowe hit two homers and drove in four runs as Tampa Bay fielded a lineup of all lefties, Blake Snell worked 5 1/3 scoreless innings and the AL East-leading Rays routed the cellar-dwelling Boston Red Sox 11-1 on Friday night.Tampa Bay became the first major league team since at least 1900 to use a batting order with only left-handed batters, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.Snell (4-1) gave up five hits and two walks. He struck out five.Yoshi Tsutsugo also homered for the Rays, who stopped a three-game skid. Boston rookie Bobby Dalbec had his five-game home run streak end but had an RBI double in the ninth.Rays manager Kevin Cash stacked his lineup with lefties against right-hander Andrew Triggs, who made his second start with Boston.Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke quickly countered by removing Triggs after he allowed a hit and walk in a scoreless first. However, Tsutsugo started the second with a homer off lefty Matt Hall (0-3).Kevin Kiermaier had an RBI... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Nate Lowe hit two homers and drove in four runs as Tampa Bay fielded a lineup of all lefties, Blake Snell worked 5 1/3 scoreless innings and the AL East-leading Rays routed the cellar-dwelling Boston Red Sox 11-1 on Friday night.Tampa Bay became the first major league team since at least 1900 to use a batting order with only left-handed batters, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.Snell (4-1) gave up five hits and two walks. He struck out five.Yoshi Tsutsugo also homered for the Rays, who stopped a three-game skid. Boston rookie Bobby Dalbec had his five-game home run streak end but had an RBI double in the ninth.Rays manager Kevin Cash stacked his lineup with lefties against right-hander Andrew Triggs, who made his second start with Boston.Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke quickly countered by removing Triggs after he allowed a hit and walk in a scoreless first. However, Tsutsugo started the second with a homer off lefty Matt Hall (0-3).Kevin Kiermaier had an RBI... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Nate Lowe hit two homers and drove in four runs as Tampa Bay fielded a lineup of all lefties, Blake Snell worked 5 1/3 scoreless innings and the AL East-leading Rays routed the cellar-dwelling Boston Red Sox 11-1 on Friday night.Tampa Bay became the first major league team since at least 1900 to use a batting order with only left-handed batters, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.Snell (4-1) gave up five hits and two walks. He struck out five.Yoshi Tsutsugo also homered for the Rays, who stopped a three-game skid. Boston rookie Bobby Dalbec had his five-game home run streak end but had an RBI double in the ninth.Rays manager Kevin Cash stacked his lineup with lefties against right-hander Andrew Triggs, who made his second start with Boston.Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke quickly countered by removing Triggs after he allowed a hit and walk in a scoreless first. However, Tsutsugo started the second with a homer off lefty Matt Hall (0-3).Kevin Kiermaier had an RBI... [More]

Yankees first. DJ LeMahieu homers to left field. Luke Voit singles to right field. Brett Gardner homers to right field. Luke Voit scores. Clint Frazier lines out to deep right field to DJ Stewart. Gleyber Torres lines out to deep center field to Cedric Mullins. Gary Sanchez lines out to second base to Pat Valaika.3 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on. Yankees 3, Orioles 0.Yankees second. Mike Tauchman singles to left field. Kyle Higashioka homers to left field. Mike Tauchman scores. Tyler Wade lines out to shallow infield to Alex Cobb. DJ LeMahieu grounds out to shortstop, Jose Iglesias to Pat Valaika. Luke Voit grounds out to shallow infield, Rio Ruiz to Pat Valaika.2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on. Yankees 5, Orioles 0.Yankees sixth. Gleyber Torres doubles to left field. Gary Sanchez walks. Mike Tauchman singles to shallow center field. Gary Sanchez to third. Gleyber Torres scores. Kyle Higashioka called out on strikes. Tyler Wade pops out to shallow infield to Rio Ruiz. DJ LeMahieu lines out to third base to Rio Ruiz.1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 left on. Yankees 6, Orioles 0.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Max Muncy drove in four runs close to home for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who can still avoid their first series loss of the season after a 7-4 win Saturday night over the Texas Rangers and potential trade target Lance Lynn.Cody Bellinger’s long two-run homer in the third put Los Angeles up 3-0. Muncy, who played high school baseball about 25 miles from the new Rangers ballpark, made it 4-2 with a deep sacrifice fly in the fifth off Lynn (4-1). The slugger then belted a three-run homer in the seventh.Blake Treinen (3-1) worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win. Kenley Jansen got three outs for his ninth save. The trade deadline in MLB’s shortened season is Monday, and Lynn could be a target for contending teams — though it could take a hefty offer to acquire the workhorse veteran who is signed through next season.Lynn is still second in the American League with a 1.97 ERA after giving up three earned runs in six innings.YANKEES 2, METS 1NEW YORK (AP) — Clint Frazier... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Max Muncy drove in four runs close to home for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who can still avoid their first series loss of the season after a 7-4 win Saturday night over the Texas Rangers and potential trade target Lance Lynn.Cody Bellinger’s long two-run homer in the third put Los Angeles up 3-0. Muncy, who played high school baseball about 25 miles from the new Rangers ballpark, made it 4-2 with a deep sacrifice fly in the fifth off Lynn (4-1). The slugger then belted a three-run homer in the seventh.Blake Treinen (3-1) worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win. Kenley Jansen got three outs for his ninth save. The trade deadline in MLB’s shortened season is Monday, and Lynn could be a target for contending teams — though it could take a hefty offer to acquire the workhorse veteran who is signed through next season.Lynn is still second in the American League with a 1.97 ERA after giving up three earned runs in six innings.YANKEES 2, METS 1NEW YORK (AP) — Clint Frazier... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Max Muncy drove in four runs close to home for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who can still avoid their first series loss of the season after a 7-4 win Saturday night over the Texas Rangers and potential trade target Lance Lynn. Cody Bellinger’s long two-run homer in the third put Los Angeles up 3-0. Muncy, who played high school baseball about 25 miles from the new Rangers ballpark, made it 4-2 with a deep sacrifice fly in the fifth off Lynn (4-1). The slugger then belted a three-run homer in the seventh.Blake Treinen (3-1) worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win. Kenley Jansen got three outs for his ninth save. The trade deadline in MLB’s shortened season is Monday, and Lynn could be a target for contending teams — though it could take a hefty offer to acquire the workhorse veteran who is signed through next season.Lynn is still second in the American League with a 1.97 ERA after giving up three earned runs in six innings.YANKEES 2, METS 1NEW YORK (AP) — Clint Frazier... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Clint Frazier scored the winning run on Dellin Betances’ wild pitch in the ninth inning, and the New York Yankees averted their longest losing streak in a quarter-century Saturday with a 2-1 victory over the crosstown Mets.J.A. Happ pitched brilliantly into the eighth at Yankee Stadium and Luke Voit homered early for the injury-ravaged Bronx Bombers, who stopped a seven-game slide that followed six straight wins. They haven’t dropped eight in a row since August 1995.The Mets had won three straight and six of eight, including a Subway Series doubleheader sweep Friday at Yankee Stadium. Betances (0-1) got the loss against his former team.Wilson Ramos greeted Yankees reliever Adam Ottavino with a tying home run in the eighth. Aroldis Chapman (1-1) got three outs for the win.CUBS 3, REDS 0, GAME 1CINCINNATI (AP) — Yu Darvish scattered seven hits over six innings, Anthony Rizzo homered twice and the Cubs snapped a three-game skid.Darvish (6-1) earned his sixth straight win. He... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Dansby Swanson hit a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to cap a four-run rally that gave the Atlanta Braves a stunning 7-6 victory over the Washington Nationals on Monday night.With the Braves trailing 6-3 against Washington closer Daniel Hudson (1-2), Adam Duvall made it close by hitting a two-run shot that just cleared the wall in left field. Johan Camargo followed with a single, but Hudson retired the next two hitters to put the Braves down to their final out.It never came.Swanson drove one over the wall in right-center for the game winner. The rally ruined a memorable night for Washington rookie Luis Garcia, who became the first player born in the 2000s to hit a big league homer. The youngest player in the majors at age 20, Garcia hit a two-run shot off Touki Toussaint in the second inning. Asdrubal Cabrera, Juan Soto and Eric Thames also homered for the defending World Series champs, but it wasn’t enough.DODGERS 11, MARINERS 9LOS ANGELES (AP) —... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Dansby Swanson hit a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to cap a four-run rally that gave the Atlanta Braves a stunning 7-6 victory over the Washington Nationals on Monday night.With the Braves trailing 6-3 against Washington closer Daniel Hudson (1-2), Adam Duvall made it close by hitting a two-run shot that just cleared the wall in left field. Johan Camargo followed with a single, but Hudson retired the next two hitters to put the Braves down to their final out.It never came.Swanson drove one over the wall in right-center for the game winner. The rally ruined a memorable night for Washington rookie Luis Garcia, who became the first player born in the 2000s to hit a big league homer. The youngest player in the majors at age 20, Garcia hit a two-run shot off Touki Toussaint in the second inning. Asdrubal Cabrera, Juan Soto and Eric Thames also homered for the defending World Series champs, but it wasn’t enough.TWINS 4, ROYALS 1MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Nelson... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Dansby Swanson hit a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to cap a four-run rally that gave the Atlanta Braves a stunning 7-6 victory over the Washington Nationals on Monday night.With the Braves trailing 6-3 against Washington closer Daniel Hudson (1-2), Adam Duvall made it close by hitting a two-run shot that just cleared the wall in left field. Johan Camargo followed with a single, but Hudson retired the next two hitters to put the Braves down to their final out.It never came.Swanson drove one over the wall in right-center for the game winner. The rally ruined a memorable night for Washington rookie Luis Garcia, who became the first player born in the 2000s to hit a big league homer. The youngest player in the majors at age 20, Garcia hit a two-run shot off Touki Toussaint in the second inning. Asdrubal Cabrera, Juan Soto and Eric Thames also homered for the defending World Series champs, but it wasn’t enough.TWINS 4, ROYALS 1MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Nelson... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Dansby Swanson hit a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to cap a four-run rally that gave the Atlanta Braves a stunning 7-6 victory over the Washington Nationals on Monday night.With the Braves trailing 6-3 against Washington closer Daniel Hudson (1-2), Adam Duvall made it close by hitting a two-run shot that just cleared the wall in left field. Johan Camargo followed with a single, but Hudson retired the next two hitters to put the Braves down to their final out.It never came.Swanson drove one over the wall in right-center for the game winner. The rally ruined a memorable night for Washington rookie Luis Garcia, who became the first player born in the 2000s to hit a big league homer. The youngest player in the majors at age 20, Garcia hit a two-run shot off Touki Toussaint in the second inning. Asdrubal Cabrera, Juan Soto and Eric Thames also homered for the defending World Series champs, but it wasn’t enough.TWINS 4, ROYALS 1MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Nelson... [More]