ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Aaron Hicks injured his left hamstring running up the first-base line in the Yankees' 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night, another concern for New York heading into next week's AL wild-card game.Hicks' 11th-inning double on Saturday drove Didi Gregorius with the run that clinched a postseason berth, and on Sunday the Yankees learned Sunday that Gregorius had torn cartilage in his right wrist during his headfirst slide across the plate.Hicks, who had fouled a pitch off his left ankle just before the double, left Monday's game with left hamstring tightness.New York's win eliminated the Rays and ensured a postseason berth for Oakland, which is likely to be the wild-card opponent but also is still alive in the AL West race. At 96-60, New York is assured of its best record since going 97-65 in 2011.Gardner had a go-ahead single off Ryan Yarbrough (15-6) in a two-run fifth inning.New York used eight pitchers and gave its starters extra rest ahead of the... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Aaron Hicks injured his left hamstring running up the first-base line in the Yankees' 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night, another concern for New York heading into next week's AL wild-card game.Hicks' 11th-inning double on Saturday drove Didi Gregorius with the run that clinched a postseason berth, and on Sunday the Yankees learned Sunday that Gregorius had torn cartilage in his right wrist during his headfirst slide across the plate.Hicks, who had fouled a pitch off his left ankle just before the double, left Monday's game with left hamstring tightness.New York's win eliminated the Rays and ensured a postseason berth for Oakland, which is likely to be the wild-card opponent but also is still alive in the AL West race. At 96-60, New York is assured of its best record since going 97-65 in 2011.Gardner had a go-ahead single off Ryan Yarbrough (15-6) in a two-run fifth inning.New York used eight pitchers and gave its starters extra rest ahead of the... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Aaron Hicks injured his left hamstring running up the first-base line in the Yankees' 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night, another concern for New York heading into next week's AL wild-card game.Hicks' 11th-inning double on Saturday drove Didi Gregorius with the run that clinched a postseason berth, and on Sunday the Yankees learned Sunday that Gregorius had torn cartilage in his right wrist during his headfirst slide across the plate.Hicks, who had fouled a pitch off his left ankle just before the double, left Monday's game with left hamstring tightness.New York's win eliminated the Rays and ensured a postseason berth for Oakland, which is likely to be the wild-card opponent but also is still alive in the AL West race. At 96-60, New York is assured of its best record since going 97-65 in 2011.Gardner had a go-ahead single off Ryan Yarbrough (15-6) in a two-run fifth inning.New York used eight pitchers and gave its starters extra rest ahead of the... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius has torn cartilage in his right wrist and is unsure whether he will be able to play in the AL wild-card game on Oct. 3.Gregorius, who has 27 homers and 86 RBIs, got injured Saturday when he slid headfirst on Aaron Hicks' 11th-inning double to score the run that clinched a postseason berth for New York, which disclosed the injury after a 6-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday.New York remained 1½ games ahead of Oakland for the top AL wild card. Baltimore (45-110) is one loss shy of matching the franchise record for defeats set by the 1939 St. Louis Browns, who went 43-111.Tim Beckham homered twice for the lowly Orioles, who trailed 3-0 early. Ryan Meisinger (2-0) pitched two perfect innings and Mychal Givens worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his ninth save. A.J. Cole (3-1) was the loser.INDIANS 4, RED SOX 3, 11 INNINGSCLEVELAND (AP) — Greg Allen singled with one out and the bases loaded in the 11th inning and Cleveland denied Boston's bid for... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Mookie Betts and the Boston Red Sox won their third consecutive AL East championship Thursday night, clinching on enemy turf with an 11-6 victory over the rival New York Yankees.Betts homered, doubled twice and drove in five runs, finishing with four hits as the Red Sox overcame Giancarlo Stanton's go-ahead grand slam in the fourth inning. Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a tying home run in the seventh and Xander Bogaerts put Boston ahead with a sacrifice fly.With the best record in baseball and a playoff berth already secured, Boston (104-49) closed out a once-tight division race with nine games to spare. J.D. Martinez and the Red Sox, alone in first place since July 2, will open the postseason at home on Oct. 5 against an opponent to be determined.Never before had Boston finished in first place three years in a row. The club needs one victory to match the franchise record held by the 1912 World Series champions.It took three tries, but these Red Sox finally earned their chance... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Luke Voit hit two homers off David Price, Miguel Andujar popped another one barely into the right-field seats and the New York Yankees stalled Boston's division-clinching celebration by beating the Red Sox 10-1 on Wednesday night.Luis Severino (18-8) pitched seven innings of one-run ball, and the Yankees had no need for All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman on the day they activated him from the disabled list. Chapman had been out since Aug. 21 with left knee tendinitis.Mookie Betts had two strikeouts and no hits in his return to Boston's lineup. He pulled a possible grand slam just foul in the ninth before grounding into a game-ending double play. The AL MVP contender sat out Tuesday after injuring his left side two days earlier, but came back to bat leadoff as the designated hitter.The Yankees will try to send Boston packing Thursday with the AL East still undecided. The Red Sox lead the division by 9 1/2 games and entered this three-game series needing one victory to lock up... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Luke Voit hit two homers off David Price, Miguel Andujar popped another one barely into the right-field seats and the New York Yankees stalled Boston's division-clinching celebration by beating the Red Sox 10-1 on Wednesday night.Luis Severino (18-8) pitched seven innings of one-run ball, and the Yankees had no need for All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman on the day they activated him from the disabled list. Chapman had been out since Aug. 21 with left knee tendinitis.Mookie Betts had two strikeouts and no hits in his return to Boston's lineup. He pulled a possible grand slam just foul in the ninth before grounding into a game-ending double play. The AL MVP contender sat out Tuesday after injuring his left side two days earlier, but came back to bat leadoff as the designated hitter.The Yankees will try to send Boston packing Thursday with the AL East still undecided. The Red Sox lead the division by 9 1/2 games and entered this three-game series needing one victory to lock up... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Luke Voit hit two homers off David Price, Miguel Andujar popped another one barely into the right-field seats and the New York Yankees stalled Boston's division-clinching celebration by beating the Red Sox 10-1 on Wednesday night.Luis Severino (18-8) pitched seven innings of one-run ball, and the Yankees had no need for All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman on the day they activated him from the disabled list. Chapman had been out since Aug. 21 with left knee tendinitis.Mookie Betts had two strikeouts and no hits in his return to Boston's lineup. He pulled a possible grand slam just foul in the ninth before grounding into a game-ending double play. The AL MVP contender sat out Tuesday after injuring his left side two days earlier, but came back to bat leadoff as the designated hitter.The Yankees will try to send Boston packing Thursday with the AL East still undecided. The Red Sox lead the division by 9 1/2 games and entered this three-game series needing one victory to lock up... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Luke Voit hit two homers off David Price, Miguel Andujar popped another one barely into the right-field seats and the New York Yankees stalled Boston's division-clinching celebration by beating the Red Sox 10-1 on Wednesday night.Luis Severino (18-8) pitched seven innings of one-run ball, and the Yankees had no need for All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman on the day they activated him from the disabled list. Chapman had been out since Aug. 21 with left knee tendinitis.Mookie Betts had two strikeouts and no hits in his return to Boston's lineup. He pulled a possible grand slam just foul in the ninth before grounding into a game-ending double play. The AL MVP contender sat out Tuesday after injuring his left side two days earlier, but came back to bat leadoff as the designated hitter.The Yankees will try to send Boston packing Thursday with the AL East still undecided. The Red Sox lead the division by 9 1/2 games and entered this three-game series needing one victory to lock up... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Mookie Betts is back in Boston's lineup, hitting leadoff as the designated hitter while the Red Sox try to clinch the AL East at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night.Betts was pulled from a game Sunday with a left side injury. After the team's day off Monday, Betts was held out of the lineup Tuesday night against New York.Manager Alex Cora originally had Betts slated to play center field Tuesday, but when rain pushed back the scheduled first pitch about six hours, Cora sat the AL MVP candidate to keep him away from the soggy conditions.Boston can lock up the division with a victory. It would mark the second time in three years the Red Sox celebrated a division title in the Bronx.Betts leads the majors with a .337 average and also has 29 homers, 28 steals and 72 RBIs as Boston's leadoff man.___Follow Jake Seiner: https://twitter.com/jake_seiner___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Neil Walker hit a three-run homer, Zach Britton started a game-ending double play on New York's third try in the ninth inning and the Yankees kept the Boston Red Sox from a bubbly celebration in the Bronx for at least another night with a 3-2 victory Tuesday.Batting from the left side, Walker launched a no-doubter in the seventh inning off Ryan Brasier for the Yankees' third hit of the game and a 3-1 lead.Aaron Judge returned to New York's lineup for the first time since breaking his right wrist July 26, while AL MVP candidate Mookie Betts got a day off for Boston after injuring his left side Sunday. Judge hit a pop fly to the warning track but finished 0 for 4.New York moved 2½ games ahead of Oakland for the top AL wild card. The A's lost at home to the Angels.Boston is trying to clinch the AL East at Yankee Stadium for the second time in three years. The Red Sox lead the Yankees by 10 1/2 games and entered the night with a magic number of four over the Astros to lock up... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Afternoon showers in the Bronx were just what Aaron Judge needed to get back into the New York Yankees' lineup.For Boston Red Sox star Mookie Betts, it was just the opposite.Judge was hitless in his return and Betts sat out when the Yankees beat the Red Sox 3-2 in the opener of a three-game series Tuesday night. The game was pushed back about six hours because of rain in the forecast and began at 7:08 p.m.The delay allowed Judge to talk his way into manager Aaron Boone's lineup for the first time since breaking his right wrist on July 26. Boone slotted Judge to bat second and play right field, but only because the late start gave him and the front office a few extra hours to evaluate Judge."I just voiced my opinion — a lot," Judge said with a grin. "And they kind of got tired of me telling them I would be playing, so they finally said, 'Let's just put him in there and see what happens.'"Judge went 0 for 4, including a pop fly to the warning track in the right field corner,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Afternoon showers in the Bronx were just what Aaron Judge needed to get back into the New York Yankees' lineup.For Boston Red Sox star Mookie Betts, it was just the opposite.Judge was set to play and Betts to sit out when the Yankees and Red Sox opened a three-game series Tuesday night. The game was pushed back six hours to 7:05 p.m. because of rain in the forecast.The delay allowed Judge to break into manager Aaron Boone's lineup for the first time since breaking his right wrist on July 26. Boone slotted Judge to bat second and play right field, but only because the late start gave him and the front office a few extra hours to evaluate Judge."We want to start that clock of getting in there and playing and getting him those ABs," Boone said. "So he can find that timing sooner rather than later. Physically he's good to go."Manager Alex Cora wrote Betts in as his center fielder as of 9 a.m., even after the AL MVP contender injured his left side Sunday. But then the conditions... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Red Sox star Mookie Betts will sit out Boston's series opener against the New York Yankees on Tuesday night after injuring his left side Sunday.Boston manager Alex Cora says Betts was originally in his starting lineup before rain pushed Tuesday's game back six hours to a 7:05 p.m. first pitch. Cora scratched Betts out of caution because of the soggy conditions.Betts was hurt making two throws to home plate during a 4-3 win over the New York Mets.Boston leads the AL East by 11½ games and can clinch the division by beating the second-place Yankees.___Follow Jake Seiner: https://twitter.com/jake_seiner___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

A look at what's happening around the majors today:BOSOX BUBBLY?The Red Sox can clinch the AL East at Yankee Stadium with a single win during their three-game series — in 2016, Boston locked up the division while playing on the home field of its archrival. Ex-Yankee Nathan Eovaldi pitches against J.A. Happ in a matchup of veterans traded this summer. Rain is in the forecast for the 1:05 p.m. start, with the teams scheduled to begin early ahead of Yom Kippur observances.The Bosox will see how star outfielder Mookie Betts is feeling. He exited their last game after hurting his side making a throw home. Yankees slugger Aaron Judge moved closer to returning from a broken wrist when had 11 at-bats in a simulated game Monday.DODGEBALLThe showdown for first place in the NL West continues when Kyle Freeland (15-7, 2.96 ERA) starts for Colorado against Los Angeles ace Clayton Kershaw (8-5, 2.51) at Dodger Stadium. Kershaw beat the Rockies at Coors Field on Sept. 7; the next day, Freeland downed... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:BOSOX BUBBLY?The Red Sox can clinch the AL East at Yankee Stadium with a single win during their three-game series — in 2016, Boston locked up the division while playing on the home field of its archrival. Ex-Yankee Nathan Eovaldi pitches against J.A. Happ in a matchup of veterans traded this summer. Rain is in the forecast for the 1:05 p.m. start, with the teams scheduled to begin early ahead of Yom Kippur observances.The Bosox will see how star outfielder Mookie Betts is feeling. He exited their last game after hurting his side making a throw home. Yankees slugger Aaron Judge moved closer to returning from a broken wrist when had 11 at-bats in a simulated game Monday.DODGEBALLThe showdown for first place in the NL West continues when Kyle Freeland (15-7, 2.96 ERA) starts for Colorado against Los Angeles ace Clayton Kershaw (8-5, 2.51) at Dodger Stadium. Kershaw beat the Rockies at Coors Field on Sept. 7; the next day, Freeland downed... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:BOSOX BUBBLY?The Red Sox can clinch the AL East at Yankee Stadium with a single win during their three-game series — in 2016, Boston locked up the division while playing on the home field of its archrival. Ex-Yankee Nathan Eovaldi pitches against J.A. Happ in a matchup of veterans traded this summer. Rain is in the forecast for the 1:05 p.m. start, with the teams scheduled to begin early ahead of Yom Kippur observances.The Bosox will see how star outfielder Mookie Betts is feeling. He exited their last game after hurting his side making a throw home. Yankees slugger Aaron Judge moved closer to returning from a broken wrist when had 11 at-bats in a simulated game Monday.DODGEBALLThe showdown for the NL West continues when Kyle Freeland (15-7, 2.96 ERA) starts for Colorado against Los Angeles ace Clayton Kershaw (8-5, 2.51) at Dodger Stadium. Kershaw beat the Rockies at Coors Field on Sept. 7; the next day, Freeland downed the Dodgers.THE... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Tuesday:BOSOX BUBBLY?The Red Sox can clinch the AL East at Yankee Stadium with a single win during their three-game series — in 2016, Boston locked up the division while playing on the home field of its archrival. Ex-Yankee Nathan Eovaldi pitches against J.A. Happ in a matchup of veterans traded this summer. Rain is in the forecast for the 1:05 p.m. start, with the teams scheduled to begin early ahead of Yom Kippur observances.The Bosox will see how star outfielder Mookie Betts is feeling. He exited their last game after hurting his side making a throw home. Yankees slugger Aaron Judge moved closer to returning from a broken wrist when had 11 at-bats in a simulated game Monday.DODGEBALLThe showdown for the NL West continues when Kyle Freeland (15-7, 2.96 ERA) starts for Colorado against Los Angeles ace Clayton Kershaw (8-5, 2.51) at Dodger Stadium. Kershaw beat the Rockies at Coors Field on Sept. 7; the next day, Freeland downed the Dodgers.THE... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:FINAL COUNTDOWNWith the Rockies a half-game ahead of the Dodgers for the NL West lead, the teams begin their final series of the regular season. Jon Gray (11-7) pitches the opener of a three-game set at Dodger Stadium against Hyun-Jin Ryu (4-3). Gray is 4-0 in 11 starts since returning from the minors. After getting shut out on consecutive days, the Rockies ended their longest scoring drought of the year during a 3-2 win Sunday in San Francisco. Colorado is 41-34 on the road this season, and one more victory will break the franchise record for wins away from Coors Field.HUNT FOR OCTOBERIt's a potential playoff preview and a matchup of All-Star pitchers when Miles Mikolas (15-4) and the Cardinals visit first-place Atlanta. Mike Foltynewicz (11-9) starts for the Braves, who lead second-place Philadelphia by 6½ games in the NL East. Atlanta's magic number is eight to win its first NL East title in five years. But the Braves have been struggling... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Monday:SHOWDOWNWith the Rockies and Dodgers in a tight race atop the NL West, they begin their final series of the regular season. Jon Gray (11-7) pitches the opener of a three-game set at Dodger Stadium against Hyun-Jin Ryu (4-3). Gray is 4-0 in 11 starts since returning from the minors. After getting shut out on consecutive days, the Rockies ended their longest scoring drought of the year during a 3-2 win Sunday in San Francisco. Colorado is 41-34 on the road this season, and one more victory will break the franchise record for wins away from Coors Field.HUNT FOR OCTOBERIt's a potential playoff preview and a matchup of All-Star pitchers when Miles Mikolas (15-4) and the Cardinals visit first-place Atlanta. Mike Foltynewicz (11-9) starts for the Braves, who lead second-place Philadelphia by 6½ games in the NL East. Atlanta's magic number is eight to win its first NL East title in five years. But the Braves have been struggling at home, where... [More]