The Houston Astros and Washington Nationals hold sizable leads in their division races, and each team had three players voted to the starting lineup of the All-Star Game on July 11 in Miami.The All-Star starters, reserves and pitchers were all announced Sunday. Starters were selected by a fan vote, and the pitchers and reserves were chosen by a combination of player vote and selections made by the commissioner's office.The three Astros voted as starters for the American League were second baseman Jose Altuve, shortstop Carlos Correa and outfielder George Springer.Washington's representatives in the National League starting lineup will be first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, second baseman Daniel Murphy and outfielder Bryce Harper, who was the leading vote-getter in the NL.San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey, Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado, Cincinnati Reds shortstop Zack Cozart and outfielders Charlie Blackmon of the Colorado Rockies and Marcell Ozuna of the host Miami Marlins... [More]

TORONTO -- Drew Pomeranz pitched six effective innings, and the Boston Red Sox trounced the Toronto Blue Jays 15-1 to complete a three-game sweep.Betts had three-run and two-run homers and an RBI single and a two-run single as the Red Sox won their fourth game in a row.Hanley Ramirez added three hits, including a two-run homer, and three RBIs for the Red Sox, who outhit the Blue Jays 21-5.Pomeranz (8-4) allowed five hits, two walks and one run in six innings to win his second consecutive start. Fernando Abad replaced Pomeranz in the seventh and allowed one walk in three innings to pick up his first save of the season.Braves 4, Athletics 3 (12 innings)OAKLAND, Calif. -- Kurt Suzuki hit two home runs, including a tiebreaking solo shot in the top of the 12th inning, powering Atlanta to a victory against Oakland and a three-game series sweep.Leading off the 12th, the former Oakland catcher launched John Axford's 3-1, 96 mph fastball into the left-center-field seats for his sixth home run of... [More]

WASHINGTON -- Stephen Strasburg struck out 13 batters in seven innings, Anthony Rendon was 3-for-3 with a homer, and Bryce Harper was 2-for-4 with two RBIs as the Washington Nationals beat the Chicago Cubs 8-4 on Wednesday.There was more bad news for the Cubs as Kris Bryant left in the fifth inning when he rolled his ankle on the third-base bag after he caught a foul pop nearby. He sustained a moderate right ankle sprain; X-rays were negative. Manager Joe Maddon said Bryant "obviously" would be off his feet for a few days.Strasburg (9-2) gave up four hits and three runs (two earned) with pinpoint control. He walked one while throwing 96 pitches, 70 for strikes. The right-hander had allowed 13 runs in his previous 15 1/3 innings.Chicago starter John Lackey (5-9) surrendered a season-high eight earned runs on nine hits (three homers) with two walks, a wild pitch and hit batter in 5 1/3 innings. He had allowed only two runs in his previous 12 innings over two starts.Angels 3, Dodgers 2ANAHEIM,... [More]

RF Bryce Harper got something to hit in his first at-bat Monday against the Cubs. He singled with two outs in the first inning. He had an infield hit in the eighth and was 3-for-5. Last year in May, he walked 13 times in a four-game series against the Cubs, including six in one game. Harper has hit in 17 of his last 18 games and he lifted his average to .321.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays moved four games above .500 for the first time in nearly two years, surging past the Baltimore Orioles with a 15-5 win on Friday night at Tropicana Field.The Rays jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the first three innings and reset their season high for scoring, getting home runs from Derek Norris, Shane Peterson and Logan Morrison. The slumping Orioles matched a dubious major league record by allowing at least five runs in 20 straight games -- the first team to do so since the 1924 Philadelphia Phillies.Tampa Bay roughed up starter Ubaldo Jimenez (2-3), who didn't survive the third inning. Rays starter Chris Archer (6-4) threw six innings, not needing his best stuff to win his second straight start. The Rays got four RBIs each from Evan Longoria and Peterson, who was called up before the game and had a two-run homer. Marlins 2, Cubs 0MIAMI -- Giancarlo Stanton homered, Jose Urena pitched six scoreless innings and Miami defeated Chicago at Marlins Park.One... [More]

RF Bryce Harper came through again in the clutch Friday, with a walkoff single in the 10th for a 6-5 win over the Reds. It was the fifth walkoff win of the year for the Nationals and the 19th come from behind victory. "It was as lot of fun to watch and a lot of fun to be part of," he said. "I had had some good pitches I had just missed in earlier at bats. I was just trying to grind it out and get a pitch I could handle and get a hit. We battled from the first inning on. It was tough facing a rookie we had not seen before. Our bullpen really did a great job tonight. Anytime they come in and close the door for us like tonight that's huge."

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays moved four games above .500 for the first time in nearly two years, surging past the Baltimore Orioles with a 15-5 win on Friday night at Tropicana Field.The Rays jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the first three innings and reset their season high for scoring, getting home runs from Derek Norris, Shane Peterson and Logan Morrison. The slumping Orioles matched a dubious major league record by allowing at least five runs in 20 straight games -- the first team to do so since the 1924 Philadelphia Phillies.Tampa Bay roughed up starter Ubaldo Jimenez (2-3), who didn't survive the third inning. Rays starter Chris Archer (6-4) threw six innings, not needing his best stuff to win his second straight start. The Rays got four RBIs each from Evan Longoria and Peterson, who was called up before the game and had a two-run homer. Marlins 2, Cubs 0MIAMI -- Giancarlo Stanton homered, Jose Urena pitched six scoreless innings and Miami defeated Chicago at Marlins Park.One... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays moved four games above .500 for the first time in nearly two years, surging past the Baltimore Orioles with a 15-5 win on Friday night at Tropicana Field.The Rays jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the first three innings and reset their season high for scoring, getting home runs from Derek Norris, Shane Peterson and Logan Morrison. The slumping Orioles matched a dubious major league record by allowing at least five runs in 20 straight games -- the first team to do so since the 1924 Philadelphia Phillies.Tampa Bay roughed up starter Ubaldo Jimenez (2-3), who didn't survive the third inning. Rays starter Chris Archer (6-4) threw six innings, not needing his best stuff to win his second straight start. The Rays got four RBIs each from Evan Longoria and Peterson, who was called up before the game and had a two-run homer. Marlins 2, Cubs 0MIAMI -- Giancarlo Stanton homered, Jose Urena pitched six scoreless innings and Miami defeated Chicago at Marlins Park.One... [More]

RF Bryce Harper hit his 18th homer of the season on Monday against Miami LHP Justin Nicolino. It was just Harper's second homer this season against a left-handed pitcher. Overall, Harper is hitting .316 this season.

RF Bryce Harper extended his hitting streak to 11 games Sunday, when he went 1-for-3 with a first-inning single in the Nationals' 5-1 loss to the Mets. The 11-game streak ties a single-season career high for Harper, who also hit in 11 straight games from Aug. 18-29, 2013. His longest hitting streak is a 12-game run from Sept. 24, 2012 through Apr. 4, 2013. Harper is batting .326 (15-for-46) with two homers and six RBIs during his current streak. Overall this season, Harper is batting .318 with 17 homers and 51 RBIs in 62 games.

RF Bryce Harper batted second again Monday with LF Jayson Werth still on the disabled list. Werth normally bats second for the Nationals. Dusty Baker, the Washington manager, said he would rather have Harper bat third if Werth was available. Harper had a homer and scored two runs but was 1-for-4 and he now has a .319 average.

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Zack Cozart is enjoying the best season of his career and he now sits atop the balloting to start in the All-Star Game after Major League Baseball announced its latest National League tabulations on Monday.Cozart moved ahead of Los Angeles' Corey Seager in the battle for the starting shortstop gig. Cozart sits at 997,966 votes while Seager has received 804,788.Cozart, who has never been an All-Star, ranks fifth in the NL in batting at .329 entering Monday. He has nine homers and 30 RBIs to go with a stellar .580 slugging percentage.Seager is batting .279 with nine homers and 31 RBIs but is slugging just .473.Leading vote-getter Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals became the first player to reach two million votes and has 2,132,795 overall. He leads the outfielders and is followed by Charlie Blackmon (1,588,498) of the Colorado Rockies and Jason Heyward (737,147) of the Chicago Cubs.Buster Posey (1,357,467) of the San Francisco Giants leads all catchers. Other position leaders are first baseman Ryan Zimmerman (1,060,532) of the Nationals, second baseman Daniel Murphy (1,745,231) of the Nationals and third baseman Kris Bryant (1,248,348) of the Cubs.The American League balloting update will be announced Tuesday.

RF Bryce Harper went 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run. Harper hit a sacrifice fly in the first to drive home SS Trea Turner and scored in the fourth on a sac fly by 2B Daniel Murphy. Harper has hit safely in 11 of 14 career games at Dodger Stadium, where he is hitting .269 with two home runs and five RBIs.

RF Bryce Harper returned to the lineup Sunday against Oakland after serving a three-game suspension for charging the mound and fighting San Francisco Giants reliever Hunter Strickland, who hit him with a pitch on Monday at AT&T Park. Harper went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts and three walks, including one intentional, and scored twice, in an 11-10 victory. "Just happy to be back," Harper said before the game. "I'm definitely happy to be back up here with the guys and be able to play today. Glad that's out of the way and we can all move forward and get going."

RF Bryce Harper served the third and final game of his suspension Saturday for fighting San Francisco reliever Hunter Strickland after being hit by a pitch on Monday at AT&T Park. Harper missed the series finale against the Giants and two games against Oakland. Harper has been at his home in Las Vegas during his suspension. "I know he's working," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said before Saturday's 10-4 loss to the A's. "He went home to work, work with his dad, work out. I'm not worried about him just lounging. He'll be back tomorrow and I plan on him being in the lineup tomorrow."

RF Bryce Harper served the second game of his three-game suspension Friday night against Oakland. Harper was suspended for fighting Giants reliever Hunter Strickland after being hit by a Strickland fastball on Monday at AT&T Park. Harper will be eligible to return on Sunday for the finale of Washington's three-game series against Oakland. The Nationals have won the past two games without Harper, including a 13-3 victory against the A's.

RF Bryce Harper agreed to begin a three-game suspension Wednesday night after Major League Baseball reduced his penalty from four games. He will be eligible to return in Sunday's series finale in Oakland against the Athletics.

Major League Baseball plans to reduce Washington Nationals slugger Bryce Harper's suspension for Monday's bench-clearing brawl from four games to three games, according to multiple reports Wednesday.Harper originally received a four-game ban on Tuesday for his role in a fight with San Francisco Giants reliever Hunter Strickland.Harper will start serving his three-game suspension as the Nationals face the Giants on Wednesday night, a source told ESPN.Strickland was suspended six games for his role, apparently holding a grudge after Harper hit two home runs against him in the 2014 National League Division Series.The right-hander hit Harper on the right hip with a 95-mph fastball in the eighth inning of the Nationals' 3-0 win. Strickland also filed an appeal.Harper charged the mound and threw his helmet, which appeared to slip out of his hand and come nowhere close to Strickland, but they both landed punches before being engulfed by teammates in a melee at the center of the infield.The 24-year-old... [More]

RF Bryce Harper, who is appealing his four-game suspension for charging the mound in Monday's win over the San Francisco Giants, went 0-for-5 in the win Tuesday, striking out three times.

OF Bryce Harper received a four-game suspension on Tuesday for his part in a bench-clearing brawl the day before against the Giants at AT&T Park in San Francisco. The Washington Nationals' star will appeal. Giants RHP Hunter Strickland, apparently holding a grudge after Harper hit two home runs against him in the 2014 National League Division Series, hit Harper on the right hip with a 95 mph fastball in the eighth inning on Monday.