OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Light-hitting Dee Gordon homered off Yusmeiro Petit in the 12th inning to break a scoreless tie and the Seattle Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics 2-0 on Wednesday to avoid a three-game sweep.Jean Segura had four hits to help the Mariners closed within 2 1/2 games of the A's for the second AL wild-card spot.Seattle's Mike Leake pitched eight innings of two-hit ball with six strikeouts and one walk. Oakland's Brett Anderson went 7 2/3 without allowing a run in his longest outing since June 16, 2015.Nick Martini had three hits for the A's and Matt Olson added two. Oakland entered the day one game behind first-place Houston.Both teams squandered numerous scoring opportunities before Seattle scraped together two runs on one hit. After Petit (5-3) got leadoff man Denard Span to ground out, Mike Zunino walked. Gordon hit the next pitch over the right-field wall. Gordon's only other home run was a solo shot against Cleveland on April 1 in Seattle's third game of the season.James... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Andrew Benintendi's RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning capped Boston's rally from three runs down in the ninth against New York closer Aroldis Chapman, and the Red Sox completed a four-game sweep over the rival Yankees with a 5-4 victory on Sunday night.Boston opened a 9 1/2-game lead atop the AL East over the Yankees, who lost their season-high fifth straight.Boston (79-34) has won eight of nine games and owns the majors' best record.The Yankees hadn't been swept in a four-game series by the Red Sox when they entered a series 30 or more games over .500 since 1939, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.Sandy Leon looped a two-out single off Jonathan Holder (1-3) in the 10th and advanced on a wild pitch. Tony Renda pinch-ran before Benintendi's single bounced up the middle to the right of second-base.Matt Barnes (4-3) worked a perfect inning in the top of the 10th.DODGERS 3, ASTROS 2LOS ANGELES (AP) — Brian Dozier delivered a two-run double in the first... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Brian Dozier delivered a two-run double in the first inning and Manny Machado had three hits with two runs scored as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Houston Astros 3-2 on Sunday.Cody Bellinger had an RBI double for the Dodgers, who prevented a three-game sweep by the team that beat them in last year's World Series.George Springer and Tony Kemp homered for the Astros, but Springer exited in the third with left thumb discomfort after he was thrown out trying to steal second base.New reliever Roberto Osuna did not pitch in his first game on the active roster for Houston. Osuna was reinstated from the restricted list after serving a 75-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's domestic violence policy. The All-Star closer was acquired Monday in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays while he was still serving his suspension.Dodgers starter Walker Buehler (5-4) gave up two runs over 5 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts. Kenley Jansen closed for his 31st save.Gerrit... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit two home runs in a game for the first time in the major leagues, and the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Cleveland Indians 7-4 on Friday night.Ohtani, whose four hits were also the most of his big league career, singled in the eighth and scored the go-ahead run on David Fletcher's double.The Angels won at Progressive Field for the first time since June 17, 2014, breaking a 10-game skid.Ohtani hit a two-run homer in the first and a solo home run in the third off Mike Clevinger.Justin Anderson (3-2) pitched the seventh and the Angels' bullpen held the Indians to one run over the final four innings.Cleveland's bullpen allowed four runs in the eighth to break a 3-all tie. Ohtani started the rally with a one-out single off Oliver Perez (0-1). He stole second and Albert Pujols was intentionally walked with a 3-0 count.RED SOX 4, YANKEES 1BOSTON (AP) — Rick Porcello pitched a one-hitter, Steve Pearce homered for the fourth time in two nights and Boston beat New... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Minnesota Twins third baseman Miguel Sano understands why he was sent down to the minors — to get into shape.The 25-year-old Sano is glad he's back and the team hopes it brings a spark after a pair of trades sent away infielder Eduardo Escobar and reliever Ryan Pressly a day earlier."This is my future. It was on the line. I understand what they did," he said through a translator, standing at his locker a few hours before the Twins faced the AL East-leading Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park."It wasn't negative. It was something positive now that I look back at it," he said. "It helped me realize the steps I needed to do to be back here."The Twins recalled Sano and left-hander Gabriel Moya on Saturday from Triple-A Rochester, adjusting after trades Friday night."I think we had to think about the big picture, where we were and the path moving forward," Twins vice president Derek Falvey said of the moves. "I think we expect a lot of Miguel and he's someone that can really impact us."Sano... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Minnesota Twins have recalled third baseman Miguel Sano and left-hander Gabriel Moya from Triple-A Rochester, adjusting after trades that sent away infielder Eduardo Escobar and right-hander Ryan Pressly.Sano has been in the minor leagues for more than six weeks. He was sent down to work on his conditioning. After missing a month because of a hamstring injury earlier in the season, Sano struggled at the plate upon his return. For the Twins this year, he's batting .203 with seven home runs and 27 RBIs in 37 games.Escobar moved to third base in Sano's absence and was one of the team's most productive players. He was dealt to Arizona on Friday, when Pressly was also traded to Houston.This is Moya's third stint with Minnesota this season.___For more AP baseball coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kenta Maeda struck out 10 over five innings, and the Los Angeles Dodgers finally found their offense to beat the San Francisco Giants 5-0 on Saturday night for their first win of the season.After striking out 18 times in a pair of 1-0 defeats to open the season, the Dodgers got the loudest cheers in the first inning for a sacrifice fly by Yasiel Puig that scored their first run off Derek Holland (0-1). Matt Kemp followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0.Maeda (1-0) allowed five hits and walked one. He faced baserunners in every inning except the fifth.Joe Panik, whose solo homers beat the Dodgers in the first two games, hit into a game-ending double play in the ninth.BREWERS 7, PADRES 3SAN DIEGO (AP) — Christian Yelich tied his career high with five hits, leading the Brewers to a sweep of their season-opening series.Yelich scored three times and drove in two runs as Milwaukee improved to 3-0 for the first time since it won its first five games in 2006. Lorenzo Cain had... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — Adam Eaton had solo homer among his career-high five hits and Brian Goodwin hit his first career grand slam on Saturday, powering the Washington Nationals to a 13-7 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.The Nationals have won their first two games under new manager Dave Martinez, hired after Dusty Baker was fired last season following another quick exit in the playoffs. The last time they opened a season 3-0 was 2013, when they swept the Marlins.Matt Adams and Trea Turner also homered for Washington.Stephen Strasburg (1-0) gave up three runs — only one earned — in 6 1/3 innings while improving to 5-1 career against Cincinnati. Scott Schebler's homer in the fourth inning provided Cincinnati's first run of the season after 12 scoreless innings.The Nationals piled up six runs in six innings off Luis Castillo (0-1), the Reds' top young starter last season.BLUE JAYS 5, YANKEES 3TORONTO (AP) — Yangervis Solarte hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning of Toronto's first win of... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — Adam Eaton had solo homer among his career-high five hits and Brian Goodwin hit his first career grand slam on Saturday, powering the Washington Nationals to a 13-7 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.The Nationals have won their first two games under new manager Dave Martinez, hired after Dusty Baker was fired last season following another quick exit in the playoffs. The last time they opened a season 3-0 was 2013, when they swept the Marlins.Matt Adams and Trea Turner also homered for Washington.Stephen Strasburg (1-0) gave up three runs — only one earned — in 6 1/3 innings while improving to 5-1 career against Cincinnati. Scott Schebler's homer in the fourth inning provided Cincinnati's first run of the season after 12 scoreless innings.The Nationals piled up six runs in six innings off Luis Castillo (0-1), the Reds' top young starter last season.BLUE JAYS 5, YANKEES 3TORONTO (AP) — Yangervis Solarte hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning of Toronto's first win of... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Minnesota Twins right-hander Phil Hughes is beginning the season on the disabled list with a strained left oblique.Twins manager Paul Molitor said before an exhibition game against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday that the 31-year-old Hughes is "still in the mix" to pitch April 11, the first time Minnesota will need a fifth starter.Hughes had been on track to be at the end of Minnesota's rotation before hurting himself last week.With Hughes to be put on the DL by opening day, winter meeting draft pick Tyler Kinley and Gabriel Moya both are expected to be part of the bullpen for the initial 25-man roster.Last season, Hughes went 4-3 with a 5.87 ERA in 14 appearances, including nine starts, before his season ended in July because of surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, an issue involving the compression of nerves or blood vessels.Minnesota opens at Baltimore on Thursday.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Minnesota Twins pitcher Phil Hughes prefers to focus on the future. Besides, lingering on his injury-plagued past might be too painful.Yet coming off three straight seasons that didn't go as planned, Hughes finds himself slowed again this spring.The 31-year-old righty strained his left oblique on Thursday, a week before opening day."He hasn't caught a lot of breaks," manager Paul Molitor said. "He came up here and pitched his butt off that first year, he was rewarded for it. But since that time, it's been hard for him to stay on the mound."Some of it's certainly out of his control, with the thoracic outlet thing and he got smoked by that line drive," he said.Hughes got off to a good start for the Twins. He joined them in 2014 and went 16-10 with a 3.52 ERA, walking only 16 in 209 2/3 innings.As a reward, the Twins gave him a five-year, $58 million contract, and he was their opening day starter the next season.Since then, he's 16-19 with a 5.04 ERA in 53 appearances,... [More]

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Tyler Kinley started spring training knowing he had a tough task to make Minnesota's roster.The 27-year-old right-handed reliever has been throwing hard to try to fulfill his goal of making the major leagues, and that happens to be his greatest asset.Because Kinley was selected from Miami in the winter meeting draft, he must be offered back to the Marlins if the Twins don't keep him in the majors."I really try not to think about it. I try to just think about preparing myself the best I can and trying to go out and execute that plan," Kinley said. "Just to establish myself as a reliable bullpen arm, not only to the coaching staff and front office's eyes, but to the players as well. Gain everyone's trust and gain everyone's respect."The radar gun can accomplish some of that. He consistently touches the upper 90s mph, presenting the type of power arm the Twins have long been in short supply of in their bullpen.Selected by the Marlins in the 16th round of the 2013 amateur... [More]

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — The Minnesota Twins signed Fernando Rodney to be their closer, bringing his 300 career saves to a bullpen that's needed a boost for several seasons.In an age when ninth-inning use isn't necessarily for a team's best reliever anymore, Addison Reed might have been the more valuable addition."There's no question he wants to find his way into the biggest situations of the game that lead you to your closer," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "He knows it might not always be the eighth inning. He's more than open to do it. He's got a nice resume which includes a fair amount of saves, and he's more than capable, but to hear him talk about how important those things are to him is more than refreshing."The last four World Series participants, starting with defending champion Houston last fall, have provided a prime-time snapshot of the importance of having multiple hard throwers capable of commanding high-leverage situations once the starting pitcher is removed. That can start... [More]