ST. LOUIS (AP) — Odubel Herrera homered and pinch-hitter Jorge Alfaro hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning, sending the Philadelphia Phillies over the St. Louis Cardinals 7-6 on Saturday.Alfaro was scratched with right knee soreness after originally being in the lineup. He was removed from Friday night's game.Greg Holland (0-2) surrendered two runs while getting just two outs.Herrera extended his streak of reaching base to 45 consecutive games with his home run in the third inning.Tommy Hunter (1-0) wound up with the win. Seranthony Dominguez pitched two perfect innings for his first career save.DODGERS 4, NATIONALS 1, 1ST GAMEWASHINGTON (AP) — Ross Stripling struck out a career-high nine in six innings as Los Angeles won the opener of a day-night doubleheader.Howie Kendrick, hitting a team-leading .303 for the Nationals, took an awkward step while retreating to catch a deep flyball to left field in the eighth. He was put on the 10-day disabled list with a right Achilles tendon injury.Stripling... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Nationals have placed veteran Howie Kendrick on the 10-day disabled list with a right Achilles tendon injury.Washington made the announcement Saturday night, about three hours after Kendrick was hurt in the opener of a doubleheader against the Los Angeles Dodgers.Kendrick took an awkward step while retreating to catch a deep flyball to left field in the eighth inning of Washington's 4-1 loss. He winced as he threw the ball and then went to the ground, where a trainer examined his lower right leg. He did not put any weight on the leg and was taken off the field in a cart."It's a huge loss," teammate Bryce Harper said. "Not something you want to see, especially when we need him. I'm super bummed out."The Nationals did not specify whether Kendrick's Achilles was torn or provide any other details. Manager Dave Martinez said Kendrick would have an MRI.Kendrick was in the dugout and in uniform for the nightcap, wearing a walking boot on his right foot.Kendrick's .303 batting... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rich Hill lasted just two pitches against the Washington Nationals.The veteran Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander was pulled with an 0-2 count to leadoff hitter Trea Turner on Saturday night with an apparent recurrence of the blister problem that has already put him on the disabled list twice this season.Television close-ups showed a broken and bloody fingernail on Hill's left middle finger.Blisters have plagued the 38-year-old Hill for the past several seasons.Left-hander Scott Alexander replaced Hill in the second game of a day-night doubleheader.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Nationals have placed veteran Howie Kendrick on the 10-day disabled list with a right Achilles tendon injury.Washington made the announcement Saturday night, about three hours after Kendrick was hurt in the opener of a doubleheader against the Los Angeles Dodgers.Kendrick took an awkward step while retreating to catch a deep flyball to left field in the eighth inning of Washington's 4-1 loss. He winced as he threw the ball and then went to the ground, where a trainer examined his lower right leg. He did not put any weight on the leg and was taken off the field in a cart."It's a huge loss," teammate Bryce Harper said. "Not something you want to see, especially when we need him. I'm super bummed out."The Nationals did not specify whether Kendrick's Achilles was torn or provide any other details. Manager Dave Martinez said Kendrick would have an MRI.Kendrick's .303 batting average leads the team, and he has steadied the Nationals' lineup in the absence of regulars Adam... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks will wait until Monday before deciding whether outfielder Steven Souza Jr. will go back on the disabled list.Souza reinjured his right pectoral muscle on a throw from right field Friday night. He originally hurt the muscle during spring training and didn't start his big league season until May 3.An MRI on Saturday determined he sustained a strain and had inflammation. The images will be sent to Arizona's medical staff to determine whether it occurred in the same spot."Obviously a little more sore than I'd like," he said.Souza thinks he can avoid returning to the DL and said the injury is "nothing like it was obviously back in March."In his first season with Arizona, the 29-year-old is hitting .167 (7 for 42) with one RBI."When I decided to come off the DL, I said I was to play. And so when I say I'm ready to play, I'm not going to use this pec as a crutch for anything," he said.Souza won't play the outfield for the remainder of the series at the New York Mets but hoped to be available as a pinch-hitter.Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo initially described the injury as inflammation; after being told Souza called it a strain, Lovullo confirmed the diagnosis. Lovullo said Souza slipped chasing a ball down the line earlier in the week, starting to cause the tightness."I assured the front office that if we have to, we could play one man down for the next two days," Lovullo said.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins lost a key member of their batting order Saturday as first baseman Joe Mauer was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a cervical strain and concussion-like symptoms.The former American League MVP was pulled from Friday's game in the fifth inning with what the team called "neck stiffness" stemming from a dive for a foul ball on May 11.Twins manager Paul Molitor revealed Saturday that Mauer was also experiencing balance issues and sensitivity to light the night prior, which contributed to his removal."We ran through the protocol last night," said Molitor, "and there was no definitive answer there as far as what exactly is ongoing, but given his history ... it looks to me like it's gonna be at least a few days."Mauer suffered a concussion in 2013 that gave him lingering symptoms as he hit below .280 for three seasons in a row.The 35-year-old batted .305 last season and was hitting .283 this year with a .404 on-base percentage. He recently recorded... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Rookie Tomas Nido has replaced Jose Lobaton as the New York Mets' backup to newly acquired catcher Devin Mesoraco, primarily so he can observe the eight-year veteran.Starter Travis d'Arnaud's season ended after four games because of a torn elbow ligament and backup Kevin Plawecki isn't expected back for at least another week after breaking his left hand on April 11.Nido was brought up when Plawecki got hurt and hit .135 with one RBI in 17 games and 37 at-bats. He was sent back to the minors after the Mets obtained Mesoraco from Cincinnati on April 8 for former ace Matt Harvey."This is a good opportunity for the next week-to-10 days before Plawecki comes back for him to learn a substantial amount that he's not going to learn in the next eight-to-10 days in Triple-A," Mets manager Mickey Callaway said Saturday.Nido, 24, hit .257 with six RBIs in six games at Triple-A Las Vegas of the Pacific Coast League and five at Double-A Binghamton of the Eastern League. Callaway said... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins have placed first baseman Joe Mauer on the 10-day disabled list with a cervical strain and concussion-like symptoms.His symptoms began May 11 after he dove for a foul ball against the Los Angeles Angels and worsened during Friday's game.The former American League MVP dealt with long-lasting concussion symptoms after suffering a 2013 concussion, so the Twins opted to be caution with one of their top hitters.Outfielder Jake Cave was called up from Triple-A Rochester to take Mauer's place on the roster in advance of Minnesota's matchup with the Milwaukee Brewers. He was listed seventh in Saturday night's batting order and will play center field.

CHICAGO (AP) — The Texas Rangers have put left-hander Matt Moore on the 10-day disabled list with right knee soreness.The Rangers recalled right-hander Ariel Jurado from Double-A Frisco. The 22-year-old Jurado was scheduled to start Saturday night against the Chicago White Sox in his major league debut. He was 1-1 with a 2.57 ERA in six starts for Frisco this season.Moore has felt discomfort in the knee since spring training. He allowed five runs on five hits in 3 2/3 innings on Friday night against the White Sox. He is 1-5 with a 7.99 ERA in 10 games."He fought through it, but just felt like it got to a point to where we have to give him time to calm down," manager Jeff Banister said.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins have placed first baseman Joe Mauer on the 10-day disabled list with a cervical strain and concussion-like symptoms.The recalled outfielder Jake Cave from Triple-A Rochester. The 25-year-old Cave was in the Twins' lineup Saturday against Milwaukee, batting seventh and playing center field in his major league debut.Cave was acquired by the Twins on March 16 for minor league right-hander Luis Gil and was optioned to Triple-A Rochester a week later. The left-handed hitting Cave batted .265 with seven doubles, one home run and 17 RBIs in 35 games for the Red Wings this season.

ATLANTA (AP) — Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson has been reinstated from the disabled list and is in the lineup batting eighth for Saturday's game against Miami.Swanson missed 13 games with left wrist inflammation. He hit just .146 in 41 at-bats before winching in an at-bat and getting removed from a game at New York.Swanson, the 2015 No. 1 overall draft pick, started the season strong and is hitting .289 with two homers and 15 RBIs overall.To make room for Swanson, right-hander Matt Wisler was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

CINCINNATI (AP) — Reds left-hander Amir Garrett and Chicago Cubs second baseman Javier Baez exchanged words after Baez struck out to end the seventh inning, sparking a bench-clearing incident that was quickly defused after a brief scuffle in the first game of a day-night doubleheader Saturday.Baez appeared to take issue with Garrett's slight celebration of the inning-ending strikeout. The two approached each other as Garrett walked off the field toward the first base dugout. The dugouts and bullpens all emptied and the teams converged in foul territory, but order was quickly restored and there were no ejections.The Reds were leading, 4-2.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Reds left-hander Amir Garrett and Chicago Cubs second baseman Javier Baez exchanged words after Baez struck out to end the sixth inning, sparking a bench-clearing incident that was quickly defused after a brief scuffle in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.Baez appeared to take issue with Garrett's slight celebration of the inning-ending strikeout. The two approached each other as Garrett walked off the field toward the first base dugout. The dugouts and bullpens all emptied and the teams converged in foul territory, but order was quickly restored and there were no ejections.The Reds were leading, 4-2.

NEW YORK (AP) — The Mets have recalled right-hander Chris Flexen and catcher Tomas Nido from Las Vegas of the Pacific Coast League, optioned left-hander Buddy Baumann to the Triple-A farm team and designated catcher Jose Lobaton for assignment.The 23-year-old Flexen was 3-3 with a 3.40 ERA in seven starts and one relief appearances this year. The 24-year-old Nido batted .135 with one RBI in 17 games and 37 at-bats for the Mets this season and hit .257 with six RBIs in six games at Las Vegas and five at Double-A Binghamton of the Eastern League.Baumann, 30, is 0-1 with a 19.29 ERA in one game with San Diego and one with the Mets, who claimed him off waivers on April 27.The 33-year-old Lobaton hit .152 with three RBIs in 18 games and 46 at-bats with the Mets this season.New York announced the moves Saturday.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

HOUSTON (AP) — Charlie Morton pitched seven solid innings, Tony Kemp had a tiebreaking RBI double in the seventh and the Houston Astros beat the Cleveland Indians 4-1 on Friday night for their third straight win.Morton (6-0) allowed one run and four hits with eight strikeouts in extending his career-high winning streak to nine straight dating to last September. Morton retired 19 of the first 21 batters.After Cleveland starter Mike Clevinger (3-1) walked Marwin Gonzalez and Derek Fisher to lead off the seventh, Brian McCann popped out before Kemp hit his RBI ground-rule double down the right-field line to give Houston a 2-1 lead. George Springer followed with a grounder to Kipnis, but Fisher beat the throw home.Ken Giles pitched the ninth for his seventh save.ROYALS 5, YANKEES 2KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Whit Merrifield had three hits, stole three bases and scored twice off CC Sabathia in the first four innings, Jakob Junis held down the Yankees' potent offense and Kansas City beat New York.Salvador... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Jake Lamb was reinstated from the disabled list Friday by the Arizona Diamondbacks, who hope the return of their All-Star third baseman will boost a struggling lineup."I just know having an impact bat in there is very relieving to everybody. It's 30 home runs and 100 RBIs that's returning to us. We're excited about that. I know there might be some growing pains early," manager Torey Lovullo said, "but we're going to expect big things from him as we did last year."The move came just a few days after the NL West leaders lost center fielder A.J. Pollock for the next four to eight weeks because of a broken left thumb. Pollock was hitting .293 with 11 home runs and 33 RBIs, pacing the team in all three categories.Arizona began the day with a .220 batting average that ranked last in the majors. Then the Diamondbacks opened a three-city road trip with their eighth defeat in nine games, striking out 16 times in a 3-1 loss to the New York Mets.Lamb went 1 for 4 with an RBI double... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Juan Lagares and his Gold Glove are probably gone for the season.The part-time New York Mets center fielder is expected to miss the rest of the year because of an injury to the big toe on his left foot. The team announced Friday that Lagares had an MRI and is tentatively scheduled for surgery next week to repair a complete tear of the big toe plantar plate, which is a thick supporting ligament."We got the news yesterday," manager Mickey Callaway said. "That was really tough. I felt really bad for him. He was on a roll and playing great and now this happens."Lagares, a 2014 Gold Glove winner who was off to a fine start this season, got hurt Wednesday in the ninth inning of a lopsided loss to Toronto when he ran into the outfield wall to make a catch."It's going to hurt us a little bit. We counted on Juan off the bench at times. He was probably in a situation where he was going to get to start playing a lot more than he had, with some guys out," Callaway said.It's the latest... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays plan to give veteran reliever Sergio Romo his first career start Saturday night against the Los Angeles Angels, though it will be a short one.Romo, who has appeared in 588 major league games over the course of 11 seasons, will open the game before Rays manager Kevin Cash turns to rookie left-hander Ryan Yarbrough.The plan is to let Romo face the heart of an Angels' lineup heavy on right-handed batters with power before bringing in Yarbrough, who has a 3-2 record and 3.93 ERA. It is intended to keep the likes of Mike Trout and Albert Pujols from getting a third look at Yarbrough later on in the game."They could obviously change that now because they know we're pitching Romo, but I doubt it. There's a couple guys in that lineup that aren't going to move no matter who's pitching," Cash said prior to Friday's game. "Get through an inning or two, see where we're at, then probably hand the ball over to Yarbs. I think it helps him, benefits him."The Rays... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Charlie Morton pitched seven solid innings, Tony Kemp had a tiebreaking RBI double in the seventh and the Houston Astros beat the Cleveland Indians 4-1 on Friday night for their third straight win.Morton (6-0) allowed one run and four hits with eight strikeouts in extending his career-high winning streak to nine straight dating back to last September. Morton retired 19 of the first 21 batters.After Cleveland starter Mike Clevinger (3-1) walked Marwin Gonzalez and Derek Fisher to lead off the seventh, Brian McCann popped out before Kemp hit his RBI ground-rule double down the right-field line to give Houston a 2-1 lead. George Springer followed with a grounder to Kipnis, but Fisher beat the throw home.Ken Giles pitched the ninth for his seventh save.ROYALS 5, YANKEES 2KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Whit Merrifield had three hits, stole three bases and scored twice off CC Sabathia in the first four innings, Jakob Junis held down the Yankees' potent offense and Kansas City beat New... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:CAN WE JUST PLAY?The Washington Nationals still haven't finished a full game since last Sunday. Their matchup against the Yankees at home Tuesday night was suspended in the sixth inning because of rain, and the teams were washed out Wednesday. The Nats were off Thursday and rained out again Friday night against the Dodgers.Washington and Los Angeles are now scheduled for a split doubleheader. And yep, an all-day rain is in the forecast at Nationals Park.SLUMPINGYankees shortstop Didi Gregorius is in a 1-for-45 slump that's lasted two weeks. He was batting .372 in late April and was chosen the AL Player of the Month. He hit his 10th home run on April 27, but hasn't cleared the fence since then. Gregorius has struck out only four times in his last 10 games, but isn't finding any open space.NICE STARTPirates center fielder Austin Meadows looks to build on his fine big league debut. The 23-year-old got two hits and stole a base Friday night... [More]