White sox first. Tim Anderson singles to shallow right field. Yoan Moncada singles to shallow center field. Tim Anderson to second. Jose Abreu grounds out to shallow left field, Maikel Franco to Hunter Dozier. Edwin Encarnacion out on a sacrifice fly to deep center field to Edward Olivares. Yoan Moncada to third. Tim Anderson scores. Luis Robert lines out to shallow infield to Brady Singer.1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. White sox 1, Royals 0.White sox second. Eloy Jimenez singles to shallow right field. James McCann singles to shortstop. Eloy Jimenez to second. Nomar Mazara strikes out swinging. Nick Madrigal singles to second base. James McCann to third. Eloy Jimenez scores. Fielding error by Edward Olivares. Tim Anderson called out on strikes. Yoan Moncada hit by pitch. Nick Madrigal to second. Jose Abreu lines out to second base to Hunter Dozier.1 run, 3 hits, 1 error, 3 left on. White sox 2, Royals 0.Royals second. Alex Gordon walks. Edward Olivares strikes out swinging. Nicky... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Benches cleared Tuesday night during the Dodgers’ 5-2 victory over the Astros in the first game between the teams since it was revealed that Houston illegally stole signs en route to a 2017 championship that came at Los Angeles’ expense in the World Series.The fracas occurred after Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly threw high-and-tight pitches to Astros stars Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa in the sixth inning. Kelly threw an errant breaking ball over Correa’s head. Correa, who homered and finished with three hits, took off his batting helmet and stared Kelly down before continuing the at-bat. Kelly struck out Correa, then stuck out his tongue and made a face in his direction. Correa started walking toward him and the players exchanged words, prompting the benches to clear in the first such incident of this pandemic-delayed season. There was plenty of yelling and crowding — outlawed as MLB tries to play a 60-game season amid the pandemic — but no pushing or punches thrown.Order was... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — Javier Báez homered twice, doubled and scored on a deft dive to the plate, Alec Mills went six solid innings, and the Chicago Cubs extended their opening surge, beating the Cincinnati Reds 8-5 on Tuesday night.Chicago has won four of its first five games, scoring first in each one. Jason Kipnis’ triple — Shogo Akiyama lost it in the sun — got the Cubs going again.Mills (1-0) added to Chicago’s stretch of impressive starts, holding the Reds to two hits in six innings. Chicago’s starters have a 1.80 ERA and a .131 opponent batting average this season.The Reds got two-run homers by Nick Castellanos — his first since signing a $64 million deal — and Freddy Galvis but fell to 1-4, tied for the worst start in the majors.Cody Reed (0-1) allowed two runs in the fifth after relieving starter Tyler Mahle.DIAMONDBACKS 4, RANGERS 1ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Merrill Kelly took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before giving up a home run as Arizona beat Texas. Rougned Odor’s one-out... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — Javier Báez homered twice, doubled and scored on a deft dive to the plate, Alec Mills went six solid innings, and the Chicago Cubs extended their opening surge, beating the Cincinnati Reds 8-5 on Tuesday night.Chicago has won four of its first five games, scoring first in each one. Jason Kipnis’ triple — Shogo Akiyama lost it in the sun — got the Cubs going again.Mills (1-0) added to Chicago’s stretch of impressive starts, holding the Reds to two hits in six innings. Chicago’s starters have a 1.80 ERA and a .131 opponent batting average this season.The Reds got two-run homers by Nick Castellanos — his first since signing a $64 million deal — and Freddy Galvis but fell to 1-4, tied for the worst start in the majors.Cody Reed (0-1) allowed two runs in the fifth after relieving starter Tyler Mahle.BLUE JAYS 5, NATIONALS 1WASHINGTON (AP) — The reigning World Series champions dropped to 1-4 in the pandemic-shortened season with a 5-1 loss to Toronto that included two outfielders... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals placed right-hander Chance Adams and left-hander Randy Rosario on the injured list and right-hander Jesse Hahn on the bereavement list as they pared their roster down to 30 players Thursday ahead of opening day in Cleveland.Backup catcher Meibrys Viloria was reinstated from the injured list and recalled, along with right-hander Ronald Bolanos and outfielder Franchy Cordero, both of whom were acquired in a recent trade with San Diego. Left-handers Foster Griffin and Gabe Speier and right-hander Kyle Zimmer also were recalled.Veteran reliever Greg Holland, who helped pitch the Royals to a pair of World Series appearances, made the club along with outfielder Erick Mejia, right-hander Tyler Zuber and catcher Oscar Hernandez.Adams and Rosario join an injured list that includes right-handers Jakob Junis and Brad Keller, infielder Ryan O'Hearn, outfielder Hunter Dozier, catcher Cam Gallagher and infielder Kelvin Gutierrez. Junis, Keller and O'Hearn tested positive for COVID-19 but have been cleared to return, while Dozier and Gallagher are still out after positive tests.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Sept. 81905 — The Pittsburgh Pirates stranded 18 runners in an 8-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds to set a National League record for men left on base.1939 — With his 12-1 victory over the Browns in St. Louis, 20-year-old Bob Feller became the youngest modern-era player to win 20 games.1940 — Joe Gordon of the New York Yankees hit for the cycle in a 9-4 win over the Boston Red Sox.1940 — Johnny Mize of St. Louis hit three homers and drove in six runs in a 16-14 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first game of a doubleheader. Mize became the first player to hit three homers in one game four times in a career.1955 — The Brooklyn Dodgers beat the Milwaukee Braves 10-2 to clinch the National League pennant with a 17-game lead.1958 — Roberto Clemente tied a major league record by hitting three triples in a 4-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.1965 — Bert Campaneris of the Kansas City A's played all nine positions but had to leave after a ninth-inning collision with Ed Kirkpatrick of the Angels.... [More]

Athletics second. Matt Olson strikes out swinging. Mark Canha singles to center field. Seth Brown singles to left field. Mark Canha to third. Khris Davis walks. Seth Brown to second. Jurickson Profar walks. Khris Davis to second. Seth Brown to third. Mark Canha scores. Josh Phegley walks. Jurickson Profar to second. Khris Davis to third. Seth Brown scores. Marcus Semien triples to deep center field. Josh Phegley scores. Jurickson Profar scores. Khris Davis scores. Robbie Grossman called out on strikes. Matt Chapman grounds out to shortstop, Whit Merrifield to Ryan O'Hearn.5 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Athletics 5, Royals 0.Royals second. Ryan O'Hearn grounds out to first base to Matt Olson. Meibrys Viloria grounds out to shortstop, Marcus Semien to Matt Olson. Bubba Starling singles to center field. Brett Phillips homers to right field. Bubba Starling scores. Nicky Lopez grounds out to first base to Matt Olson.2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on. Athletics 5, Royals 2.Athletics third.... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals traded left-handed reliever Jake Diekman to the Oakland Athletics for two minor league prospects amid of flurry of moves before Saturday night's game against Cleveland.Kansas City also recalled oft-injured pitcher Kyle Zimmer and first baseman Ryan O'Hearn from Triple-A Omaha. Struggling first baseman Lucas Duda was designated for assignment.Diekman is 0-6 with a 4.75 ERA in 48 relief appearances this season, but he has allowed just one run in his last six outings. He isn't signed beyond this year, making him an obvious trade candidate, and the Athletics snapped him up just days before the trade deadline."I played against that team basically for three years," said Diekman, who has spent a large part of his career with Texas. "I know the division really well. I know how good that team is. I'll just go there and hopefully continue the success they've had there and see where we end up at the end of the year."The trade is the second this month between the... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals traded left-handed reliever Jake Diekman to the Oakland Athletics for two minor league prospects amid of flurry of moves before Saturday night's game against Cleveland.Kansas City also recalled oft-injured pitcher Kyle Zimmer and first baseman Ryan O'Hearn from Triple-A Omaha. Struggling first baseman Lucas Duda was designated for assignment.Diekman is 0-6 with a 4.75 ERA in 48 relief appearances this season, but he has allowed just one run in his last six outings. He isn't signed beyond this year, making him an obvious trade candidate, and the Athletics snapped him up just days before the trade deadline."I played against that team basically for three years," said Diekman, who has spent a large part of his career with Texas. "I know the division really well. I know how good that team is. I'll just go there and hopefully continue the success they've had there and see where we end up at the end of the year."The trade is the second this month between the... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals have traded left-handed reliever Jake Diekman to the Oakland Athletics for two minor league prospects amid of flurry of moves before Saturday night's game against Cleveland.Kansas City also recalled oft-injured pitcher Kyle Zimmer and first baseman Ryan O'Hearn from Triple-A Omaha. First baseman Lucas Duda was designated for assignment.Diekman is 0-6 with a 4.75 ERA in 48 relief appearances this season, but he has allowed just one run in his last six outings. He isn't signed beyond this year, making him an obvious trade candidate.In return, the Royals got 26-year-old outfielder Dairon Blanco and 20-year-old right-hander Ismael Aquino from Oakland. Blanco is hitting .276 for Double-A Midland while Aquino is 1-1 with a 4.58 ERA in 10 appearances for Oakland's team in the Arizona Fall League.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CLEVELAND (AP) — Trevor Bauer was pulled by manager Terry Francona after seven hitless innings and 117 pitches, and watched from the dugout as Toronto's Freddy Galvis broke up Cleveland's bid for a combined no-hitter with a leadoff single in the ninth inning of the Indians' 4-1 win Thursday night.Bauer was attempting to throw Cleveland's first no-hitter in 38 years — on the 25th anniversary of Progressive Field's opening — but was taken out as his pitch count increased."It was the right decision," Bauer said.Jon Edwards got two outs in the eighth before closer Brad Hand worked out of a bases-loaded jam. Hand, however, gave up a hard single to center by Galvis. Alen Hansen followed with Toronto's second hit and the Blue Jays scored before Hand struck out two for his third save.Bauer (1-0) walked six and struck out eight. The Indians haven't pitched a no-hitter since Len Barker's perfect game against Toronto in 1981.Aaron Sanchez (1-1) took the loss. This was the third time this season the... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Trevor Bauer was pulled by manager Terry Francona after seven hitless innings and 117 pitches, and watched from the dugout as Toronto's Freddy Galvis broke up Cleveland's bid for a combined no-hitter with a leadoff single in the ninth inning of the Indians' 4-1 win Thursday night.Bauer was attempting to throw Cleveland's first no-hitter in 38 years — on the 25th anniversary of Progressive Field's opening — but was taken out as his pitch count increased."It was the right decision," Bauer said.Jon Edwards got two outs in the eighth before closer Brad Hand worked out of a bases-loaded jam. Hand, however, gave up a hard single to center by Galvis. Alen Hansen followed with Toronto's second hit and the Blue Jays scored before Hand struck out two for his third save.Bauer (1-0) walked six and struck out eight. The Indians haven't pitched a no-hitter since Len Barker's perfect game against Toronto in 1981.Aaron Sanchez (1-1) took the loss. This was the third time this season the... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Trevor Bauer was pulled by manager Terry Francona after seven hitless innings and 117 pitches, and watched from the dugout as Toronto's Freddy Galvis broke up Cleveland's bid for a combined no-hitter with a leadoff single in the ninth inning of the Indians' 4-1 win Thursday night.Bauer was attempting to throw Cleveland's first no-hitter in 38 years — on the 25th anniversary of Progressive Field's opening — but was taken out as his pitch count increased.Jon Edwards got two outs in the eighth before closer Brad Hand worked out of a bases-loaded jam. Hand, however, gave up a hard single to center by Galvis. Alen Hansen followed with Toronto's second hit and the Blue Jays scored before Hand struck out two for his third save.Bauer (1-0) walked six and struck out eight. The Indians haven't pitched a no-hitter since Len Barker's perfect game against Toronto in 1981.Aaron Sanchez (1-1) took the loss. This was the third time this season the Blue Jays were held hitless into the seventh... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Having spent six seasons in the minor leagues and last year working on his mechanics, right-hander Kyle Zimmer had a strong spring training for Kansas City and hoped to make the Royals' opening day roster.Then manager Ned Yost told the Zimmer and infielder Frank Schwindel they were going to Omaha, where the Royals' Triple-A farm team plays."You could see their heads down," Yost recalled. "But I said afterwards, Omaha is going to get on a plane and go back to Arizona. We're going to get on a plane and go to Kansas City. And you're going to be on that plane."The fifth overall pick in the 2012, Zimmer was with the Royals for Thursday's opener against the Chicago White Sox."I feel like I have to have some sort of record for the most times coming out of a game with a trainer," the 27-year-old said. "Any time you come off the field with a trainer is not a good time. Last spring was tough. It just felt like that was it."Zimmer resurrected his career with a six-month stint... [More]

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Kyle Zimmer remembers the feeling of failure and frustration that washed over him while standing on the mound in spring training, his fastball topping out at 82 mph and his arm feeling as if it was flying to home plate right along with the ball.The fifth pick of the Kansas City Royals in the 2012 draft had gone through elbow surgery. Biceps tendinitis. Shoulder surgery. Thoracic outlet surgery. More shoulder soreness and fatigue.Standing on a mound? He might as well have been standing in a hospital. He'd seen plenty of them.The strapping right-hander's career had crashed so hard that when the Royals finally designated him for assignment, then requested outright waivers, nobody wanted him. So he signed a minor league deal to return to the only club he'd ever known, then began the long and arduous road to recovery one more time, unwilling or unable to give up on his big league dreams."You're just trying to ride it out," Zimmer said, "each setback."There are always stories... [More]

A team-by-team look at the American League Central 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:___Cleveland IndiansManager: Terry Francona (seventh season).2018: 91-71, first place, lost to Houston in Division Series.Training Town: Goodyear, Arizona.Park: Goodyear Ballpark.First Workout: Feb. 14/18.He's Here: 1B-DH Carlos Santana, 1B Jake Bauers, C Kevin Plawecki, OF Jordan Luplow, RHP Chih-Wei Hu, RHP Nick Wittgren, LHP Oliver Perez, INF Ryan Flaherty, C Dioner Navarro.He's Outta Here: OF Michael Brantley, DH Edwin Encarnacion, LHP Andrew Miller, RHP Cody Allen, C Yan Gomes, 1B Yonder Alonso, 3B Yandy Diaz, 2B Erik Gonzalez.Going campin': The Indians followed up a third straight AL Central title with another postseason disappointment, getting swept in the Division Series by Houston. The offseason goal was to reduce payroll, and the Indians went at their roster with a wrecking ball.... [More]

A team-by-team look at the American League Central 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:___Cleveland IndiansManager: Terry Francona (seventh season).2018: 91-71, first place, lost to Houston in Division Series.Training Town: Goodyear, Arizona.Park: Goodyear Ballpark.First Workout: Feb. 14/18.He's Here: 1B-DH Carlos Santana, 1B Jake Bauers, C Kevin Plawecki, OF Jordan Luplow, RHP Chih-Wei Hu, RHP Nick Wittgren, LHP Oliver Perez, INF Ryan Flaherty, C Dioner Navarro.He's Outta Here: OF Michael Brantley, DH Edwin Encarnacion, LHP Andrew Miller, RHP Cody Allen, C Yan Gomes, 1B Yonder Alonso, 3B Yandy Diaz, 2B Erik Gonzalez.Going campin': The Indians followed up a third straight AL Central title with another postseason disappointment, getting swept in the Division Series by Houston. The offseason goal was to reduce payroll, and the Indians went at their roster with a wrecking ball.... [More]

A team-by-team look at the American League Central 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:___Cleveland IndiansManager: Terry Francona (seventh season).2018: 91-71, first place, lost to Houston in Division Series.Training Town: Goodyear, Arizona.Park: Goodyear Ballpark.First Workout: Feb. 14/18.He's Here: 1B-DH Carlos Santana, 1B Jake Bauers, C Kevin Plawecki, OF Jordan Luplow, RHP Chih-Wei Hu, RHP Nick Wittgren, LHP Oliver Perez, INF Ryan Flaherty, C Dioner Navarro.He's Outta Here: OF Michael Brantley, DH Edwin Encarnacion, LHP Andrew Miller, RHP Cody Allen, C Yan Gomes, 1B Yonder Alonso, 3B Yandy Diaz, 2B Erik Gonzalez.Going campin': The Indians followed up a third straight AL Central title with another postseason disappointment, getting swept in the Division Series by Houston. The offseason goal was to reduce payroll, and the Indians went at their roster with a wrecking ball.... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals have signed right-hander Kyle Zimmer to a one-year contract, and designated infielder Cheslor Cuthbert for assignment.Zimmer was selected by Kansas City in the first round, fifth overall, of the 2012 draft. The 27-year-old has dealt with injuries throughout his career, going 12-19 with a 3.54 ERA in 85 appearances, including 49 starts. He has totaled 310 strikeouts and 90 walks in 259 innings in the minors.Under the deal announced Friday, Zimmer will earn $555,000 if he is in the majors next season, and $124,000 in the minors.The 26-year-old Cuthbert hit .194 with three homers and seven RBIs in 30 games with the Royals last season.___More AP baseball: www.apnews.com/MLB and www.twitter.com/AP_Sports

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Opening day is supposed to be a time when smiles come easy, when managers and players look to the long and daunting grind ahead with a profound sense of hope and optimism.Royals skipper Ned Yost wasn't having any of it.He'd lost All-Star catcher Salvador Perez for up to six weeks because of a freak knee injury. One of the key pieces in his bullpen, Nate Karns, is headed to the disabled list with elbow inflammation. And two of the club's top prospects expected to help sooner than later, infielder Adalberto Mondesi and outfielder Bubba Starling, are likewise headed to the disabled list.The Royals were also forced to designate for assignment erstwhile top prospect Kyle Zimmer, a hard-throwing pitcher whose troubling injury history has prevented him from realizing his potential.Throw in the fact that Yost prefers to get into the day-to-day grind, rather than sit through the pomp and circumstance of opening day, and he was in a particular grim mood Thursday."You kind... [More]