ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — San Diego Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove pitched the first no-hitter in the history of his hometown team, allowing only one baserunner in a 3-0 victory over the Texas Rangers on Friday night. The Padres were the only active MLB franchise without a no-hitter, and it came in their 8,206th regular-season game — from a 28-year-old who grew up just down the road in El Cajon, California. In only his second start for San Diego, Musgrove (2-0) struck out 10 and faced 28 batters, one over the minimum. He threw 77 of his 112 pitches for strikes. The only Rangers baserunner was Joey Gallo, who was hit by a pitch with two outs in the fourth inning. It was the first no-hitter in the majors this season and only the second complete game. Kohei Arihara (0-1) made his first start for the Rangers after pitching the last six seasons in Japan. He allowed five hits and three runs over four innings. DODGERS 1, NATIONALS 0 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Justin Turner homered in the sixth inning,... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — San Diego Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove pitched the first no-hitter in the history of his hometown team, allowing only one baserunner in a 3-0 victory over the Texas Rangers on Friday night. The Padres were the only active MLB franchise without a no-hitter, and it came in their 8,206th regular-season game — from a 28-year-old who grew up just down the road in El Cajon, California. In only his second start for San Diego, Musgrove (2-0) struck out 10 and faced 28 batters, one over the minimum. He threw 77 of his 112 pitches for strikes. The only Rangers baserunner was Joey Gallo, who was hit by a pitch with two outs in the fourth inning. It was the first no-hitter in the majors this season and only the second complete game. Kohei Arihara (0-1) made his first start for the Rangers after pitching the last six seasons in Japan. He allowed five hits and three runs over four innings. DODGERS 1, NATIONALS 0 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Justin Turner homered in the sixth inning,... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — San Diego Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove pitched the first no-hitter in the history of his hometown team, allowing only one baserunner in a 3-0 victory over the Texas Rangers on Friday night. The Padres were the only active MLB franchise without a no-hitter, and it came in their 8,206th regular-season game — from a 28-year-old who grew up just down the road in El Cajon, California. In only his second start for San Diego, Musgrove (2-0) struck out 10 and faced 28 batters, one over the minimum. He threw 77 of his 112 pitches for strikes. The only Rangers baserunner was Joey Gallo, who was hit by a pitch with two outs in the fourth inning. It was the first no-hitter in the majors this season and only the second complete game. Kohei Arihara (0-1) made his first start for the Rangers after pitching the last six seasons in Japan. He allowed five hits and three runs over four innings. DODGERS 1, NATIONALS 0 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Justin Turner homered in the sixth inning,... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Justin Turner homered in the sixth inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated their World Series ring ceremony day with a 1-0 victory over the Washington Nationals on Friday. Walker Buehler (1-0) pitched six strong innings as the Dodgers won a tidy pitchers’ duel in their home opener without injured star outfielders Mookie Betts and Cody Bellinger. Joe Ross threw five scoreless innings for the Nationals, who lost their third straight after starting the season late and short-handed due to coronavirus cases and quarantines. Former Los Angeles reliever Luis Avilán (0-1) got the loss. The Dodgers received their World Series championship rings in a pregame event in front of the fans who weren’t allowed inside Dodger Stadium in 2020 while their franchise won its seventh title. Clayton Kershaw, Betts and their teammates were cheered by a pandemic-limited sellout crowd of 15,036 while they got their jewelry at Chavez Ravine. Corey Knebel struck out the side in the ninth for... [More]

A look at what’s happening around the majors Friday: RINGING IN THE NEW SEASON The Los Angeles Dodgers will raise the World Series flag for the first time since 1988 and will hand out championship rings before Friday's home opener against Washington, the first time fans are allowed into Dodger Stadium since the Game 5 loss in the 2019 NL Division Series. The Dodgers will special jerseys for the weekend series, with “Dodgers” trimmed in gold, and caps with the interlocking “LA” trimmed in gold. Ace Walker Buehler (0-0) starts for Los Angeles and Joe Ross (0-0) for the Nationals, starting a weekend that includes a pregame tribute Saturday to late manager Tommy Lasorda and a celebration Sunday of the 40th anniversary of Fernando Valenzuela's rookie season. FLAG DAY 2 The Tampa Bay Rays raise their second American League pennant when they host the New York Yankees before a sold-out crowd limited to about 9,000 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. Rich Hill (0-0) starts for the AL champions and Corey Kluber (0-0) for the Yankees, who are starting their first trip of the season. OTHER HOME OPENERS Philadelphia is at Atlanta. Charlie Morton (0-1) starts for the Braves against Zach Wheeler (1-0). Colorado at San Francisco. Johnny Cueto (0-0) starts for the Giants against Austin Gomber (0-1). ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CINCINNATI (AP) — Nick Castellanos stood over, flexed and jawed at St. Louis pitcher Jake Woodford after scoring Saturday, setting off a series of scuffles between the Cincinnati Reds and Cardinals that included relievers shoving in the outfield on their way back to the bullpen. Castellanos was the only player ejected in the skirmish. Castellanos, who homered on opening day and hopped out of the box before tossing his bat, was plunked by Woodford with two outs and none on in the fourth inning. Castellanos retrieved the ball and offered to toss it back to Woodford before flipping it out of play. A wild pitch soon sent Castellanos scampering home from third and he scored with a headfirst slide for a 7-2 lead, bumping into Woodford who took the throw from catcher Yadier Molina at the plate. As Castellanos began walking away, Molina rushed up and tapped him from behind, and the benches and bullpens emptied in a wild scene. There was more pushing and shoving before order seemed to be restored. But as relief pitchers for both teams were heading back to their bullpens, they tangled in the outfield. Back in 2010, the Cardinals and Reds got into a major brawl at Cincinnati. Molina and Brandon Phillips began barking at the plate and eventually Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto got pinned against the backstop and tried to kick his way out. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DENVER (AP) — Trevor Bauer took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning of his Los Angeles debut before allowing a pair of two-run homers, and the Dodgers held on after building a big lead to beat the Colorado Rockies 11-6 on Friday night. The game had a little bit of everything, including a gray cat making a surprise appearance in center field before being ushered out by stadium personnel. Bauer (1-0), the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, purred along through six innings until Trevor Story broke up the no-hit bid with a single and Charlie Blackmon ended the shutout with a two-run homer. Ryan McMahon later followed with another two-run homer. David Price eventually replaced Bauer and gave up back-to-back homers to Dom Nuñez and Sam Hilliard, suddenly turning a 10-0 rout into a 10-6 game. It was the second time in Rockies history they homered four times in an inning. Bauer went 6 1/3 innings and allowed four runs while striking out 10. The right-hander signed a $102 million, three-year deal... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Even during a pandemic, the appetite to sit in the sun and watch Major League Baseball spring training appears robust. The Arizona Diamondbacks sold out their entire spring allotment of tickets in less than 24 hours after they went on sale to the public. Approximately 2,200 tickets were sold for all 14 of the team's home games, with fans spread throughout the park in pods of two, four or six seats and masks are required except when eating or drinking. That's 20 percent of the stadium's normal 11,000-person capacity. “The fact that it sold out as fast as it did — that fires me up,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “We've been looking forward to this day as much as them.” The Colorado Rockies — who share the Salt River Fields facility with the D-backs — have also sold out of tickets to their home games. The two teams open their spring training schedule against each other next Sunday. Spring training facilities across Arizona and Florida have been making their own decisions... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Right-hander Aaron Sanchez finalized a $4 million, one-year contract with the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, giving the club another experienced starter to join Johnny Cueto in the rotation. The Giants said Sanchez could earn up to $2.5 million more in performance bonuses based on starts: $250,000 each for 16 and 18 starts and $500,000 each for 20, 22, 24 and 26 games started. He has been plagued by injuries in recent years. The 28-year-old Sanchez hasn't pitched since 2019, sitting out last year's shortened season while recovering from surgery on his pitching shoulder. He went 5-14 with a 5.89 ERA over 27 starts and 131 1/3 innings playing for Toronto and Houston. A 2016 All-Star for the Blue Jays, he made only 20 starts in 2018 and eight starts the year before because of a blister and split fingernail. The Giants cleared room on the 40-man roster for Sanchez by designating right-hander Trevor Gott for assignment. ___ More AP MLB coverage: https://apnews.com/MLB

Diaper firing, the new baseball offseason arm workout. Who knew? At least in catcher Buster Posey's case it did the trick. His unfortunate target: 9-year-old son Lee. “The fun thing with him is I'll change a diaper from a baby and ball it up real tight and he knows I'm about to fire it at him, so he'll go running," said Posey, who is back in the San Francisco Giants' camp after opting out of last season to care for premature adopted twin girls. “I've been keeping my arm in shape that way by firing diapers at him.” There's some technique involved, to be sure.“You have to really make sure you have the right weight of the diaper so, depending on how well they've been feeding that plays a lot into my accuracy, and if it's the equivalent to the weight of a baseball. So take all that into account, the type of formula they've gotten, if they're eating baby food or not,” he said, adding with a grin, “Yeah, I've been pretty accurate.” Posey has spent the past seven months in serious multitasking... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Right-hander Anthony DeSclafani signed a $6 million, one-year contract with the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday, giving the club a veteran option for the rotation alongside ace Johnny Cueto. The Giants still will look to add another top-tier starter, according to President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi. “He was an early target for us. We've talked a good amount about looking to add some starting pitching to our roster and take some pressure off some of our younger pitchers,” Zaidi said. “DeSclafani is a guy that we think comes with some ceiling. He's got really good stuff, good velocity on the fastball, a lot of characteristics that we look for. Obviously didn't have his best season in 2020 but in 2019 he really had a nice year. That would be a great outcome for us if he can even get back to that level as recently as 2019. We think there's even upside beyond that.” In his sixth season with the Reds, DeSclafani went 1-2 with a 7.22 ERA over nine games — seven... [More]

Oct. 28 1958 — Construction began on the new ballpark for the Giants in San Francisco. The rocks in the area resembled candlesticks. 1968 — Bob Gibson of the St. Louis Cardinals won his first Cy Young Award. Gibson was a unanimous choice after dominating hitters with a 22-9 record and an ERA of 1.12. 1981 — Behind the solid pitching of Burt Hooton and Steve Howe and the bat of Pedro Guerrero, the Los Angeles Dodgers completed a comeback from 0-2 to win the World Series in six games with a 9-2 win over the New York Yankees. Hooton pitched 5 1-3 innings, allowing two runs for the win, and second-year relief ace Steve Howe got the final 11 outs for the save. Guerrero hit a two-run triple in the fifth inning and added a two-run single in a four-run sixth inning that put the game away He hit a home run in the eighth inning to close out the scoring. 1989 — The Oakland Athletics, behind the pitching and hitting of Mike Moore and the bat of Rickey Henderson, beat the San Francisco Ginats 9-6 and... [More]

Four teams, two National League playoff spots. And the AL Central champion. Besides postseason seeding, that's what remains to be decided on the last scheduled day of this bizarre baseball season. It could all come down to the wire at once in a wild rush, too, with every meaningful game Sunday starting just after 3 p.m. EDT. “If you said that to me before the season started or on opening day, I would probably look right at you very honestly and say, ‘I would not be surprised if this season came down to the very last game.’ And that’s what we get,” Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli said. Christian Yelich and the Brewers control their own fate. So do Yadier Molina and the Cardinals. The winner of their matchup Sunday in St. Louis punches a postseason ticket. Brett Anderson (4-3) pitches for Milwaukee against Austin Gomber (1-1). San Francisco is still breathing, but needs help. Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies need even more. One more chance to play in October as part of a playoff... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Alec Mills cruised through baseball’s second no-hitter this season in just the 15th start of his major league career, leading the Chicago Cubs over the Milwaukee Brewers 12-0 on Sunday.The former college walk-on at Tennessee-Martin retired Jace Peterson on a game-ending groundout. Peterson had replaced 2018 NL MVP Christian Yelich on defense to start the eighth inning.Mills (5-3) threw 114 pitches and hardly had any close calls in Chicago’s 16th no-hitter. He struck out five, walked three and induced five swings and misses, tied with Oakland’s Dallas Braden during his perfect game in 2010 for fewest in a no-hitter since at least 1988, according to Stats.Chicago White Sox ace Lucas Giolito threw baseball’s other no-hitter this season against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Aug. 15.Jason Heyward’s RBI double put the Cubs ahead in a five-run fourth against Adrian Houser (1-5) that included Ian Happ’s two-run single. David Bote added a two-run homer in the fifth.ANGELS 5, ROCKIES... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Alec Mills cruised through baseball’s second no-hitter this season in just the 15th start of his major league career, leading the Chicago Cubs over the Milwaukee Brewers 12-0 on Sunday.The former college walk-on at Tennessee-Martin retired Jace Peterson on a game-ending groundout. Peterson had replaced 2018 NL MVP Christian Yelich on defense to start the eighth inning.Mills (5-3) threw 114 pitches and hardly had any close calls in Chicago’s 16th no-hitter. He struck out five, walked three and induced five swings and misses, tied with Oakland’s Dallas Braden during his perfect game in 2010 for fewest in a no-hitter since at least 1988, according to Stats.Chicago White Sox ace Lucas Giolito threw baseball’s other no-hitter this season against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Aug. 15.Jason Heyward’s RBI double put the Cubs ahead in a five-run fourth against Adrian Houser (1-5) that included Ian Happ’s two-run single. David Bote added a two-run homer in the fifth.ANGELS 5, ROCKIES... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Alec Mills cruised through baseball’s second no-hitter this season in just the 15th start of his major league career, leading the Chicago Cubs over the Milwaukee Brewers 12-0 on Sunday.The former college walk-on at Tennessee-Martin retired Jace Peterson on a game-ending groundout. Peterson had replaced 2018 NL MVP Christian Yelich on defense to start the eighth inning.Mills (5-3) threw 114 pitches and hardly had any close calls in Chicago’s 16th no-hitter. He struck out five, walked three and induced five swings and misses, tied with Oakland’s Dallas Braden during his perfect game in 2010 for fewest in a no-hitter since at least 1988, according to Stats.Chicago White Sox ace Lucas Giolito threw baseball’s other no-hitter this season against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Aug. 15.Jason Heyward’s RBI double put the Cubs ahead in a five-run fourth against Adrian Houser (1-5) that included Ian Happ’s two-run single. David Bote added a two-run homer in the fifth.ANGELS 5, ROCKIES... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt hit a three-run homer off a struggling Jon Lester, and the St. Louis Cardinals gained ground in the NL Central race by beating the Chicago Cubs 7-3 on Sunday night.St. Louis pulled within 1 1/2 games of Chicago with its third consecutive win over the division leaders. The longtime rivals have one game left in their pandemic-shortened season series on Monday.Dakota Hudson (2-2) worked five innings of three-run ball, shrugging off a shaky start.Chicago dropped to 10-15 since its 13-3 start. Anthony Rizzo and Jason Kipnis homered for the Cubs, but Lester (2-2) lasted just 3 1/3 innings in another lackluster performance.ANGELS 9, ASTROS 5ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Anthony Rendon homered, Jared Walsh and Justin Upton delivered key hits during a four-run eighth inning and Los Angeles swept the four-game series.The Angels have a won a season-high five straight. They trailed by at least three runs in each game against Houston before rallying.Mike Mayers (1-0), the fifth... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt hit a three-run homer off a struggling Jon Lester, and the St. Louis Cardinals gained ground in the NL Central race by beating the Chicago Cubs 7-3 on Sunday night.St. Louis pulled within 1 1/2 games of Chicago with its third consecutive win over the division leaders. The longtime rivals have one game left in their pandemic-shortened season series on Monday.Dakota Hudson (2-2) worked five innings of three-run ball, shrugging off a shaky start.Chicago dropped to 10-15 since its 13-3 start. Anthony Rizzo and Jason Kipnis homered for the Cubs, but Lester (2-2) lasted just 3 1/3 innings in another lackluster performance.ANGELS 9, ASTROS 5ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Anthony Rendon homered, Jared Walsh and Justin Upton delivered key hits during a four-run eighth inning and Los Angeles swept the four-game series.The Angels have a won a season-high five straight. They trailed by at least three runs in each game against Houston before rallying.Mike Mayers (1-0), the fifth... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Gary Sánchez delivered the first pinch-hit, extra-innings grand slam in Yankees history, Deivi García made a strong impression in his big league debut and New York beat the crosstown Mets 5-2 to complete a doubleheader sweep Sunday night.The Yankees stormed back in the opener, erasing a five-run lead with two outs in the seventh to win 8-7 in eight innings. Aaron Hicks lined a tying, two-run homer in the seventh, and Gio Urshela hit a game-ending single off Edwin Diaz an inning later.The Yankees won the final three games of this five-game Subway Series, snapping a seven-game skid that was their longest since 2017. Sánchez blasted a 2-2 fastball from Drew Smith (0-1) into the left field bleachers for a 5-1 lead. It was the slumping catcher’s first career pinch-hit homer and second career grand slam.García took a shutout into the sixth until allowing Dominic Smith’s tying single. Smith’s hit came after Jeff McNeill reached on an error by first baseman Luke Voit, who had the... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Gary Sánchez delivered the first pinch-hit, extra-innings grand slam in Yankees history, Deivi García made a strong impression in his big league debut and New York beat the crosstown Mets 5-2 to complete a doubleheader sweep Sunday night.The Yankees stormed back in the opener, erasing a five-run lead with two outs in the seventh to win 8-7 in eight innings. Aaron Hicks lined a tying, two-run homer in the seventh, and Gio Urshela hit a game-ending single off Edwin Diaz an inning later.The Yankees won the final three games of this five-game Subway Series, snapping a seven-game skid that was their longest since 2017. Sánchez blasted a 2-2 fastball from Drew Smith (0-1) into the left field bleachers for a 5-1 lead. It was the slumping catcher’s first career pinch-hit homer and second career grand slam.García took a shutout into the sixth until allowing Dominic Smith’s tying single. Smith’s hit came after Jeff McNeill reached on an error by first baseman Luke Voit, who had the... [More]