NEW YORK (AP) — Rich Hill finished May with the lowest monthly ERA in 75 years of a pitcher in his 40s, and the Tampa Bay Rays won for the 16th time in 17 games by keeping up their domination of the reeling Yankees with a 3-1 victory Monday. Hill (4-2), a 41-year-old left-hander who is the oldest player in Rays’ history, improved to 3-0 against the Yankees this season. Hill was 3-1 with a 0.78 ERA in six May starts. Miguel Andújar homered in the seventh, just his second since 2018. J.P. Feyereisen, acquired May 21 from Milwaukee for shortstop Willy Adames, finished a five-hitter for his third save. The AL East-leading Rays (35-20) improved to 7-3 against the Yankees this season. New York (29-25) limped to the season’s one-third mark with its fourth straight defeat and sixth in seven games. Jameson Taillon (1-4) lost to Hill for the second time this year. He allowed three runs and five hits in five-plus innings. Manuel Margot hit an RBI double in the third. Austin Meadows homered into the... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Rich Hill finished May with the lowest monthly ERA in 75 years of a pitcher in his 40s, and the Tampa Bay Rays won for the 16th time in 17 games by keeping up their domination of the reeling Yankees with a 3-1 victory Monday. Hill (4-2), a 41-year-old left-hander who is the oldest player in Rays’ history, improved to 3-0 against the Yankees this season. Hill was 3-1 with a 0.78 ERA in six May starts. Miguel Andújar homered in the seventh, just his second since 2018. J.P. Feyereisen, acquired May 21 from Milwaukee for shortstop Willy Adames, finished a five-hitter for his third save. The AL East-leading Rays (35-20) improved to 7-3 against the Yankees this season. New York (29-25) limped to the season’s one-third mark with its fourth straight defeat and sixth in seven games. Jameson Taillon (1-4) lost to Hill for the second time this year. He allowed three runs and five hits in five-plus innings. Manuel Margot hit an RBI double in the third. Austin Meadows homered into the... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Rich Hill finished May with the lowest monthly ERA in 75 years of a pitcher in his 40s, and the Tampa Bay Rays won for the 16th time in 17 games by keeping up their domination of the reeling Yankees with a 3-1 victory Monday. Hill (4-2), a 41-year-old left-hander who is the oldest player in Rays’ history, improved to 3-0 against the Yankees this season. Hill was 3-1 with a 0.78 ERA in six May starts. Miguel Andújar homered in the seventh, just his second since 2018. J.P. Feyereisen, acquired May 21 from Milwaukee for shortstop Willy Adames, finished a five-hitter for his third save. The AL East-leading Rays (35-20) improved to 7-3 against the Yankees this season. New York (29-25) limped to the season’s one-third mark with its fourth straight defeat and sixth in seven games. Jameson Taillon (1-4) lost to Hill for the second time this year. He allowed three runs and five hits in five-plus innings. Manuel Margot hit an RBI double in the third. Austin Meadows homered into the... [More]

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Adam Wainwright came off the COVID-19 injured list and hung tough, St. Louis got a lights-out performance from its bullpen and the Cardinals beat New York for their fifth straight win. After the game, the Mets fired hitting coach Chili Davis and assistant hitting coach Tom Slater. New York has struggled badly with runners in scoring position this season, a trouble spot last year as well when Davis worked remotely because of coronavirus concerns. Several accomplished hitters are off to slow starts for the Mets, including $341 million newcomer Francisco Lindor. The Cardinals were clinging to a one-run lead in the ninth with two outs and a runner on base when the lights at Busch Stadium flickered, then went out for a moment. When play resumed, reliever Alex Reyes walked Pete Alonso before retiring Dom Smith on a flyball for the final out. Nolan Arenado and Harrison Bader homered to back Wainwright’s first win of the season. Four Cardinals relievers combined for 3 1/3 hitless... [More]

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Adam Wainwright came off the COVID-19 injured list and hung tough, St. Louis got a lights-out performance from its bullpen and the Cardinals beat New York for their fifth straight win. After the game, the Mets fired hitting coach Chili Davis and assistant hitting coach Tom Slater. New York has struggled badly with runners in scoring position this season, a trouble spot last year as well when Davis worked remotely because of coronavirus concerns. Several accomplished hitters are off to slow starts for the Mets, including $341 million newcomer Francisco Lindor. The Cardinals were clinging to a one-run lead in the ninth with two outs and a runner on base when the lights at Busch Stadium flickered, then went out for a moment. When play resumed, reliever Alex Reyes walked Pete Alonso before retiring Dom Smith on a flyball for the final out. Nolan Arenado and Harrison Bader homered to back Wainwright’s first win of the season. Four Cardinals relievers combined for 3 1/3 hitless... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge homered twice, including a grand slam, Gerrit Cole struck out 12 and the New York Yankees routed the Detroit Tigers 10-0. The frequently injured Judge was held out of New York’s starting lineup in its previous two games with what the Yankees described as lower body soreness. Clint Frazier, Aaron Hicks and Rougned Odor also homered, and Giancarlo Stanton had three hits. The Yankees set highs for runs, hits (15) and homers (five). Cole (4-1) allowed four hits and no walks during six innings, and New York pitchers had 18 strikeouts to tie a franchise record for a nine-inning game. Tarik Skubal (0-4) allowed four runs in three innings. NATIONALS 2, MARLINS 1 MIAMI (AP) — Kyle Schwarber led off the bottom of the 10th inning with a two-run homer off Yimi García (2-2), his second walk-off homer this season. Garrett Cooper’s single scored Jose Devers to the Marlins a 1-0 lead in the top of the 10th. Brad Hand (2—0) pitched two innings for the win. Jon Lester allowed... [More]

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Mariners agreed to terms with infielder J.P. Crawford, catcher Tom Murphy and right-hander Rafael Montero, avoiding arbitration with all three players Friday. Crawford's 2021 deal is for $2.05 million, Murphy's is for $875,000 and Montero's is for $2.25 million. The 26-year-old Crawford won his first Gold Glove last season. At the plate, he hit .255, but after a hot start his numbers fell off in late August and September. Crawford made a prorated $213,259 on a salary of $575,800. Murphy was slated to be Seattle’s starting catcher, but injuries from summer camp led to him missing the entire season. Murphy broke a bone in his left foot and had setbacks in his recovery. He made a prorated $213,815 on a salary of $577,300. Montero was one of Seattle’s biggest offseason acquisitions in the hopes of improving a bullpen that was among the worst in baseball. The 30-year-old right-hander was the Rangers' closer for most of last season after Jose Leclerc was sidelined due to a shoulder injury after just two appearances. Montero converted all eight of his save opportunities. He earned a prorated $290,741 on a salary of $785,000. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SEATTLE (AP) — Outfielder Mitch Haniger and the Seattle Mariners agreed to a $3.01 million, one-year contract Monday that avoided arbitration. Haniger did not play last season due to lingering issues from injuries sustained during the 2019 season. But the Mariners expect the former All-Star to be fully recovered and ready for the start of the 2021 season. His 2021 salary matches the same one he had in 2020, when he earned $1,114,815 in prorated pay in a season shortened due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. His 2021 salary is not guaranteed, the same as in 2020. Haniger, 29, had his best year in 2018 when he hit .285 with 26 home runs and 93 RBIs and was selected to the All-Star team. But the following year was filled with injury problems. He had a ruptured testicle and then developed a back injury during his recovery that limited Haniger to just 63 games. Haniger eventually underwent a pair of surgeries and spent the 2020 season on the injured list. Should Haniger remain healthy, he’ll add another key piece to Seattle’s outfield, which will be anchored by AL rookie of the year Kyle Lewis going into the 2021 season. Haniger’s signing leaves Seattle with two arbitration-eligible players: shortstop J.P. Crawford and catcher Tom Murphy. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Mariners signed right-handed pitcher Brian Shaw and placed catcher Tom Murphy on the 10-day injured list on Thursday in setting their 30-man roster for the start of the regular season. Shaw was released by the Colorado Rockies earlier this week. The veteran made 70 appearances with a 5.38 ERA last season with Colorado.Seattle’s bullpen is one of its major concerns going into the 60-game season, and the Mariners will start the season without veteran Yoshihisa Hirano, who is also on the injured list after having tested positive for COVID-19 last month. Seattle will owe Shaw $208,704 of his prorated salary of $3,333,333, with the Rockies responsible for the rest. Murphy was diagnosed with a broken bone in his left foot on Wednesday, leaving the Mariners with only Austin Nola and Joe Hudson as their catchers going into the regular season. Seattle also optioned outfielder Jake Fraley to its taxi squad, leaving one of the outfield positions a question mark going into the opener. Seattle will likely use a mix of Tim Lopes, José Marmolejos, Dylan Moore and Dee Gordon with Mallex Smith and Kyle Lewis the other outfield starters. ___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Washington Nationals are ready to take the field as defending champs.The fans won't be there, but the ballpark will reflect the team's proud status.The Nationals are planning to raise a new 2019 World Series champions flag before Thursday night's opener against the New York Yankees. Other festivities include a ceremonial first pitch thrown by Dr. Anthony Fauci and a previously recorded Presidents Race to be shown during the fourth inning.“We definitely feel a connection with the fans so we’re really going to miss them and we’ll be thinking about them. We’ll be pumping in crowd noise to try to make up the difference,” reliever Sean Doolittle said.“I think opening day, like I said, we’ve got that patch on our uniform sleeve that says world champs. Going out there to start to defend our championship is something we’ve been looking forward to since the end of October," he added.The Nationals also say a Black Lives Matter stencil will appear on the pitcher's mound during games on opening... [More]

Tom Murphy has become somewhat of an online sensation during baseball’s shutdown for the array of workouts the Seattle Mariners' catcher posts on Instagram from his home in upstate New York.While staying in shape is a priority, Murphy also is thinking ahead. As in, how the game’s strategy might need to shift if teams have to play in empty stadiums.“It’s going to be one of those things that it’s going to add some different aspects to the game,” Murphy said.Whenever baseball returns after the delay caused by the coronavirus pandemic, there’s an element that might come into play like never before: the sound of silence.The crack of the bat and the pop of a glove might resonate with a rich, deep echo that invokes the nostalgia of the game — back to the days of playing in front of just family and friends in Little League or high school when the loudest noises were the ping of an aluminum bat and an overzealous parent. But a quiet ballpark also means a drastic departure for pro athletes accustomed... [More]

SEATTLE (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers acquired catcher Omar Narváez from the Seattle Mariners on Thursday for minor league pitcher Adam Hill and a compensation round pick in next June's amateur draft. Narváez becomes Milwaukee’s replacement for Yasmani Grandal, who signed a $73 million, four-year contract with the Chicago White Sox. Narváez, 28, was excellent at the plate in his one season with the Mariners, hitting 278 with 22 home runs and 55 RBIs in 132 games. Narváez led American League catchers in on-base percentage (.373), slugging percentage (.516) and OPS (.889), and was second among catchers in those categories. “Omar has established himself as one of the best offensive catchers in the game,” Milwaukee general manager David Stearns said. “We believe his bat will give us an impactful left-handed presence in our lineup.”The issue for Narváez has been his defense, although he improved last season with Seattle. He had just three passed balls after being charged with 12 in 2018 with... [More]

SEATTLE (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers acquired catcher Omar Narváez from the Seattle Mariners on Thursday for minor league pitcher Adam Hill and a compensation round pick in next June's amateur draft. Narváez becomes Milwaukee’s replacement for Yasmani Grandal, who signed a $73 million, four-year contract with the Chicago White Sox. Narváez was excellent at the plate in his one season with the Mariners, hitting 278 with 22 home runs and 55 RBIs in 132 games. Narváez led American League catchers in on-base percentage (.373), slugging percentage (.516) and OPS (.889), and was second among catchers in those categories. He was expendable because of the depth Seattle has at the position. Tom Murphy emerged as a solid backup and contributor last season and will likely be backed up by Aaron Nola going into the season. Seattle also has top catching prospect Cal Raleigh. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SEATTLE (AP) — There were bound to be bumps and headaches along the way when the Seattle Mariners embarked on a major makeover.After using a major league-record 67 players in one season, the first year of Seattle's rebuild was quite the roller coaster for those involved. It nearly turned out to be one player for every win."I would characterize it as organizationally we knew what we were in for. You hear the saying expect things that are expected," Seattle manager Scott Servais said. "When we left spring training we knew we were going to have a ton of transition, a ton of turnover on our roster. We have. We have gotten to a point I knew we were eventually going to get there."The Mariners weren't going to be contenders this year. They knew that back in spring training and even after starting off the season with an unexpected 13 wins in their first 15 games. They were flawed. They accepted it as they turned the team over to a young core that they hope to build around for the future.Along the... [More]

Athletics first. Marcus Semien homers to center field. Ramon Laureano flies out to deep center field to Dylan Moore. Matt Chapman lines out to center field to Dylan Moore. Matt Olson walks. Mark Canha grounds out to shallow infield, Tom Murphy to Austin Nola.1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 left on. Athletics 1, Mariners 0.Mariners first. Shed Long grounds out to shortstop, Matt Chapman to Matt Olson. J.P. Crawford walks. Austin Nola singles to left field. J.P. Crawford to third. Kyle Seager grounds out to shortstop, Marcus Semien to Matt Olson. Austin Nola to third. J.P. Crawford scores. Kyle Lewis grounds out to shortstop, Marcus Semien to Matt Olson.1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 left on. Athletics 1, Mariners 1.Mariners third. Dylan Moore strikes out swinging. Shed Long doubles to left field. J.P. Crawford flies out to shallow right field to Ramon Laureano. Austin Nola singles to center field. Shed Long scores. Kyle Seager flies out to shallow left field to Chad Pinder.1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors,... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers wrapped up their second straight postseason appearance Wednesday night, with Ryan Braun's grand slam sparking a 9-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds that also tightened the NL Central race.The Brewers have won six in a row and 17 of 19 despite losing MVP Christian Yelich to a broken kneecap, vaulting from also-ran to at least a wild card. There's more at their fingertips — the division-leading Cardinals lost again, slicing their lead over the Brewers to 1 1/2 games.Milwaukee trails Washington by one game for the wild card lead.The Brewers jogged onto the field and formed a scrum by second base after when Junior Guerra got Christian Colon on a grounder for the final out.Braun had a solo shot in a 4-2 win in the series opener, and got the celebration started early Wednesday with his eighth career grand slam in the first inning. Teammates were on their feet, leaning against the dugout railing in anticipation of a big night, when he connected off Tyler... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers wrapped up their second straight postseason appearance Wednesday night, with Ryan Braun's grand slam sparking a 9-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds that also tightened the NL Central race.The Brewers have won six in a row and 17 of 19 despite losing MVP Christian Yelich to a broken kneecap, vaulting from also-ran to at least a wild card. There's more at their fingertips — the division-leading Cardinals lost again, slicing their lead over the Brewers to 1 1/2 games.Milwaukee trails Washington by one game for the wild card lead.The Brewers jogged onto the field and formed a scrum by second base after when Junior Guerra got Christian Colon on a grounder for the final out.Braun had a solo shot in a 4-2 win in the series opener, and got the celebration started early Wednesday with his eighth career grand slam in the first inning. Teammates were on their feet, leaning against the dugout railing in anticipation of a big night, when he connected off Tyler... [More]

Mariners first. Shed Long triples to deep center field. J.P. Crawford singles to right center field. Shed Long scores. Kyle Lewis pops out to Chris Davis. Kyle Seager doubles to deep right field. J.P. Crawford to third. Tom Murphy called out on strikes. Austin Nola grounds out to second base, Hanser Alberto to Chris Davis.1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 left on. Mariners 1, Orioles 0.Orioles first. Hanser Alberto grounds out to third base, Kyle Seager to Dylan Moore. Austin Hays singles to left field. Jonathan Villar called out on strikes. Renato Nunez doubles to deep right field. Austin Hays scores. Mark Trumbo walks. Dwight Smith Jr. grounds out to shortstop, J.P. Crawford to Dylan Moore.1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 left on. Mariners 1, Orioles 1.Orioles seventh. Mark Trumbo pops out to shortstop to J.P. Crawford. Dwight Smith Jr. strikes out swinging. Chris Davis homers to center field. Austin Wynns flies out to left field to Tim Lopes.1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left on. Orioles 2, Mariners 1.

Orioles second. Renato Nunez singles to left field. Jonathan Villar strikes out swinging. Austin Hays grounds out to second base, Dee Gordon to Daniel Vogelbach. Renato Nunez to third. Pedro Severino walks. Stevie Wilkerson doubles to deep right field. Pedro Severino to third. Renato Nunez scores. Richie Martin doubles to deep left center field. Stevie Wilkerson scores. Pedro Severino scores. Hanser Alberto grounds out to third base, Kyle Seager to Daniel Vogelbach.3 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Orioles 3, Mariners 0.Mariners third. Shed Long homers to right field. J.P. Crawford strikes out swinging. Kyle Lewis walks. Kyle Seager grounds out to shallow infield, Trey Mancini to Asher Wojciechowski. Kyle Lewis to second. Tom Murphy strikes out swinging.1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 left on. Orioles 3, Mariners 1.Mariners fifth. Mallex Smith pops out to Pedro Severino. Shed Long doubles to deep right field. J.P. Crawford singles to right field. Shed Long scores. Kyle Lewis singles to right... [More]

Mariners second. Kyle Seager singles to shortstop. Kyle Lewis lines out to deep center field to Bryan Reynolds. Tom Murphy walks. Kyle Seager to second. Dee Gordon lines out to deep left field to Erik Gonzalez. Dylan Moore doubles to deep left field. Tom Murphy scores. Kyle Seager scores. Justin Dunn called out on strikes.2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Mariners 2, Pirates 0.Mariners fourth. Kyle Seager flies out to center field to Bryan Reynolds. Kyle Lewis homers to right field. Tom Murphy homers to center field. Dee Gordon singles to center field. Dylan Moore strikes out swinging. Dee Gordon out at second.2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on. Mariners 4, Pirates 0.Pirates eighth. Erik Gonzalez grounds out to shallow infield to Tom Murphy. Cole Tucker pinch-hitting for Yacksel Rios. Cole Tucker triples to deep right field. Kevin Newman grounds out to third base, Kyle Seager to Austin Nola. Cole Tucker scores. Bryan Reynolds grounds out to shallow infield, Anthony Bass to Austin Nola.1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left on. Mariners 4, Pirates 1.