A look at what's happening around the majors today:STAR ATTRACTIONSThe top two teams in the National League meet again when Cody Bellinger and the Dodgers visit Atlanta. Los Angeles starter Hyun-Jin Ryu (12-2) leads the majors with a 1.45 ERA. Mike Foltynewicz (4-5, 6.24 ERA) gets the ball for the Braves.Bellinger hit his 41st home run Friday night, tied with Angels star Mike Trout for most in the majors, and the Dodgers won the series opener 8-3 while setting a big league record with 22 homers in a five-game span. The two-time defending NL champions also eliminated the Braves from the playoffs last year and swept them at home in May.Atlanta outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. leads the NL in stolen bases and needs one more to join Trout in 2012 as the only players with a 30-30 season before their 22nd birthday. Acuña has 35 home runs.KEEP 'EM IN THE PARK, KIDTop prospect Logan Webb makes his major league debut for the Giants against Arizona. The 22-year-old Webb has pitched at four minor league... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Walton brought his unique commentary and musings to the baseball booth Friday night. After nine innings, it was evident Chicago White Sox broadcasts might never be the same again.Walton was the guest analyst because Steve Stone is taking this weekend's series against the Los Angeles Angels off. The former UCLA and NBA star center called the ballgame for NBC Sports Chicago with Jason Benetti. The two also work together on college basketball games for ESPN.The White Sox were intrigued about bringing Walton in for a game after hearing him and Benetti calling the Maui Invitational last November. Benetti, in his fourth season calling White Sox games, then extended the invitation to Walton during the NBA playoffs.The fact that it was 70s Weekend and Tie Dye T-Shirt night at Angel Stadium made it even all the more surreal."That is the way my life works. I talked to my son Chris who lives in the area and it's his son's birthday, so we picked... [More]

White sox third. Leury Garcia doubles to deep right center field. Tim Anderson singles to right field. Leury Garcia scores. Jose Abreu grounds out to shortstop, David Fletcher to Albert Pujols. Tim Anderson to third. James McCann grounds out to shortstop, David Fletcher to Albert Pujols. Eloy Jimenez strikes out swinging.2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on. White sox 2, Angels 0.Angels third. David Fletcher triples to deep left field. Mike Trout called out on strikes. Shohei Ohtani singles to second base. David Fletcher scores. Justin Upton lines out to deep center field to Leury Garcia. Kole Calhoun called out on strikes.1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. White sox 2, Angels 1.White sox fourth. Welington Castillo doubles to deep left field. Jon Jay out on a sacrifice bunt to shallow infield, Patrick Sandoval to Albert Pujols. Welington Castillo to third. Yolmer Sanchez singles to shallow infield. Welington Castillo scores. Ryan Goins grounds out to second base. Yolmer Sanchez out at second.1... [More]

Angels first. Brian Goodwin pops out to shallow infield to Jose Abreu. Mike Trout singles to second base. Shohei Ohtani doubles to deep left center field. Mike Trout to third. Justin Upton grounds out to shortstop, Tim Anderson to Jose Abreu. Shohei Ohtani to third. Mike Trout scores. David Fletcher grounds out to second base, Yolmer Sanchez to Jose Abreu.1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Angels 1, White sox 0.Angels third. Max Stassi lines out to second base to Yolmer Sanchez. Brian Goodwin strikes out on a foul tip. Mike Trout homers to center field. Shohei Ohtani singles to right field. Justin Upton grounds out to shortstop, Tim Anderson to Jose Abreu.1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Angels 2, White sox 0.White sox fourth. Leury Garcia grounds out to first base to Matt Thaiss. Tim Anderson singles to left field. Jose Abreu homers to center field. Tim Anderson scores. James McCann strikes out swinging. Eloy Jimenez lines out to deep center field to Mike Trout.2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors,... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Brewers star Christian Yelich has returned to the lineup after missing five starts because of a back injury.The NL MVP was set to bat third and play right field Tuesday night when the Brewers hosted Minnesota.Yelich leads the NL with a .335 batting average and his 39 home runs are tied for the most in the majors with Mike Trout of the Angels.Yelich pinch-hit on Sunday and struck out in the Brewers' 1-0 loss to the Texas Rangers.The lefty-swinging Yelich missed six consecutive games from April 29 to May 4 while dealing with a back issue. He has not been on the injured list this season.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Aug. 41884 — Pud Galvin pitched the most lopsided no-hitter in major league history as the Buffalo Bisons routed the Detroit Wolverines 18-0. It is the second career no-hitter for Galvin.1910 — Jack Coombs of the Philadelphia A's and Ed Walsh of the Chicago White Sox hooked up in a 16-inning scoreless tie. Coombs struck out 18 and allowed three hits.1945 — Bill Salkeld of Pittsburgh hit for the cycle in a 6-5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Pirate catcher went 5 for 5 and drove in all five runs.1945 — Boston's Tom McBride became the third player to drive in six runs in an inning as the Red Sox pounded Washington 15-4. McBride had a bases-loaded double and triple during the Red Sox's 12-run fourth inning.1953 — New York's Vic Raschi set a record for a pitcher by driving in seven runs in a 15-0 win over the Detroit Tigers.1963 — New York's Mickey Mantle, batting for the first time in two months after breaking his left foot, hit a pinch home run as the Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Major league batters are on pace to hit 600 more home runs than in any previous season, nearly 10% above the record set two years ago.There were 1,057 home runs in July, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, breaking the previous July record of 961 in 2004.A total of 4,478 home runs were hit in 1,621 games through Wednesday, an average of 2.76 per game. Batters are on pace to hit 6,712 home runs, well above the record 6,105 set in 2017 and up 20% from 5,585 last year.Milwaukee's Christian Yelich began Thursday leading the major leagues with 36 home runs, followed by the Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout (35), and New York Mets rookie Pete Alonso and the Los Angeles Dodgers' Cody Bellinger with 34 each.A year after strikeouts surpassed hits for the first time, whiffs remain ahead: 28,422 to 28,088. Strikeouts project to 42,607, which would top last year's 41,207 and set a record for the 12th straight season.The major league batting average was .252 through June. That is up four percentage points from last year's average, the lowest since 1972 — the year before the American League started using the designated hitter.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Major league batters are on pace to hit 600 more home runs than in any previous season, nearly 10% above the record set two years ago.There were 1,057 home runs in July, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, breaking the previous July record of 961 in 2004.A total of 4,478 home runs were hit in 1,621 games through Wednesday, an average of 2.76 per game. Batters are on pace to hit 6,712 home runs, well above the record 6,105 set in 2017 and up 20% from 5,585 last year.Milwaukee's Christian Yelich began Thursday leading the major leagues with 36 home runs, followed by the Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout (35), and New York Mets rookie Pete Alonso and the Los Angeles Dodgers' Cody Bellinger with 34 each.A year after strikeouts surpassed hits for the first time, whiffs remain ahead: 28,422 to 28,088. Strikeouts project to 42,607, which would top last year's 41,207 and set a record for the 12th straight season.The major league batting average was .252 through June. That is up four percentage points from last year's average, the lowest since 1972 — the year before the American League started using the designated hitter.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

WASHINGTON (AP) — Josh Donaldson homered against Sean Doolittle in the top of the 10th, and the Atlanta Braves pulled out a 5-4 victory over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday to take two of three in the series and pad their NL East lead to 6 1/2 games.After the Nationals scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game, Donaldson swatted a fastball from Doolittle over the center-field wall for his 25th homer of the season.Adam Duvall homered for the fourth time in five games. Ronald Acuña Jr., Ozzie Albies and Tyler Flowers also drove in runs for the Braves, who won consecutive series in Washington for the first time since 2013. They also won two of three in late June.Atlanta got another quality road start from Mike Soroka (10-2), who pitched seven innings and allowed just three hits, including a leadoff homer to Juan Soto in the second.Washington starter Aníbal Sánchez (6-6) could not keep pace, allowing four runs on 10 hits in five innings of work.YANKEES 7, DIAMONDBACKS 5NEW... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Xander Bogaerts hit a three-run homer in Boston's seven-run first inning, and the Red Sox pounded the AL East-leading New York Yankees 19-3 on Thursday night in the opener of their four-game series.The 19 runs were the most scored by the Red Sox against the Yankees in the 117-year history of the rivalry.Bogaerts finished with four hits, including a solo shot in the eighth. Andrew Benintendi and Jackie Bradley Jr. had three hits apiece.New York right-hander Masahiro Tanaka (7-6) allowed 12 runs and 12 hits in 3 1/3 innings. It was the most earned runs ever allowed by a Yankees pitcher against Boston since the earned run became an official stat in 1913.Rick Porcello (9-7) pitched six innings of three-run ball for Boston.TWINS 10, WHITE SOX 3CHICAGO (AP) — Nelson Cruz hit three of Minnesota's five homers and finished with five RBIs, powering the Twins to the rout.It was the first three-homer game for the six-time All-Star, who has 385 home runs in his career. He became the 10th... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Charlie Morton struck out 11 over seven innings and the Tampa Bay Rays avoided a three-game sweep by beating David Price and Boston 3-2 in a game that the Red Sox protested on Wednesday.Confusion reigned in the top of the eighth when a series of defensive changes involving reliever Adam Kolarek prompted Boston manager Alex Cora to protest the game due to the placement of subs into the Rays lineup after the designated hitter was removed.Kolarek replaced Morton and retired pinch-hitter Sam Travis on a pop fly. The left-hander then shifted to first base when Rays manager Kevin Cash brought in reliever Chaz Roe, who got a fly ball from Mookie Betts.After Kolarek then returned to the mound and Nate Lowe entered to play first base, Cora met with the umpires, which prompted around a 15-minute stoppage as the umpires discussed the matter.After the protest was made and the game resumed, Kolarek got a first-pitch grounder from Rafael Devers.An unhappy Cora again talked... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:PAYING RESPECTSRyan Braun will miss Milwaukee's home game against the Cincinnati Reds to attend the funeral of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs, who was found dead in a Texas hotel room on July 1. Braun and Skaggs were workout buddies. Mike Trout and the Angels have an off day between road series at Seattle and the Los Angeles Dodgers.NET GAINSThe Chicago White Sox are set to become the first team to have protective netting in place entirely from foul pole to foul pole when they host Miami. Washington also has extended its netting in midseason — nearly as far as the White Sox.The new netting at Guaranteed Rate Field and Nationals Park will debut a day after another fan was injured by a foul ball. Cleveland star Francisco Lindor said he was told his liner at Progressive Field sent a 3-year-old boy to the hospital.Several fans, some of them young children, have been hurt all around the majors this season by foul balls. Some teams have... [More]

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A fan casually walked to home plate and approached Philadelphia hitter Brad Miller for a handshake before being apprehended, and the Phillies later beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 Sunday on Rhys Hoskins' home run in the 11th inning.Moments after Bryce Harper argued a called third strike and Hoskins spiked his bat after being hit by a pitch, things turned bizarre in the sixth inning at PNC Park.That's when a man carrying a cellphone came out of the crowd and strolled toward Miller in the batter's box. Miller backed away and the man kept walking, leisurely getting near the Phillies' dugout on the first base side, where he was handcuffed by security personnel and led away.Miller then grounded into an inning-ending double play.Hoskins hit his 21st home run, connecting off Chris Stratton (1-3). The drive came right after Harper again seemed displeased with plate umpire Ben May when striking out looking to start the inning.Phillies reliever Ranger Suárez (3-0) got Starling Marte... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Monday:PAYING RESPECTSRyan Braun will miss Milwaukee's home game against the Cincinnati Reds to attend the funeral of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs, who was found dead in a Texas hotel room on July 1. Braun and Skaggs were workout buddies. Mike Trout and the Angels have an off day between road series at Seattle and the Los Angeles Dodgers.NET GAINSThe Chicago White Sox are set to become the first team to have protective netting in place entirely from foul pole to foul pole when they host Miami. Washington also has extended its netting in midseason — nearly as far as the White Sox.The new netting at Guaranteed Rate Field and Nationals Park will debut a day after another fan was injured by a foul ball. Cleveland star Francisco Lindor said he was told his liner at Progressive Field sent a 3-year-old boy to the hospital.Several fans, some of them young children, have been hurt all around the majors this season by foul balls. Some teams... [More]

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A fan casually walked to home plate and approached Philadelphia hitter Brad Miller for a handshake before being apprehended, and the Phillies later beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 Sunday on Rhys Hoskins' home run in the 11th inning.Moments after Bryce Harper argued a called third strike and Hoskins spiked his bat after being hit by a pitch, things turned bizarre in the sixth inning at PNC Park.That's when a man carrying a cellphone came out of the crowd and strolled toward Miller in the batter's box. Miller backed away and the man kept walking, leisurely getting near the Phillies' dugout on the first base side, where he was handcuffed by security personnel and led away.Miller then grounded into an inning-ending double play.Hoskins hit his 21st home run, connecting off Chris Stratton (1-3). The drive came right after Harper again seemed displeased with plate umpire Ben May when striking out looking to start the inning.Phillies reliever Ranger Suárez (3-0) got Starling Marte... [More]

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A fan casually walked to home plate and approached Philadelphia hitter Brad Miller for a handshake before being apprehended, and the Phillies later beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 Sunday on Rhys Hoskins' home run in the 11th inning.Moments after Bryce Harper argued a called third strike and Hoskins spiked his bat after being hit by a pitch, things turned bizarre in the sixth inning at PNC Park.That's when a man carrying a cellphone came out of the crowd and strolled toward Miller in the batter's box. Miller backed away and the man kept walking, leisurely getting near the Phillies' dugout on the first base side, where he was handcuffed by security personnel and led away.Miller then grounded into an inning-ending double play.Hoskins hit his 21st home run, connecting off Chris Stratton (1-3). The drive came right after Harper again seemed displeased with plate umpire Ben May when striking out looking to start the inning.Phillies reliever Ranger Suárez (3-0) got Starling Marte... [More]

SEATTLE (AP) — Mike Leake of the Seattle Mariners lost his bid to pitch a perfect game on a leadoff single in the ninth inning by rookie Luis Rengifo, then finished off the Los Angeles Angels for a 10-0 win Friday night.A week after the worst start of his career, Leake almost achieved baseball immortality.The Angels hadn't come close to a hit and Leake hadn't gone to a three-ball count before Rengifo grounded a clean hit to right field on Leake's 79th pitch.The fans gave Leake a standing ovation and he quickly waved to acknowledge their cheers.After a walk, Leake (8-8) retired the next three batters for a one-hitter, striking out Mike Trout on a full-count pitch to end it. Leake fanned six overall and walked one.Leake's second career shutout came exactly a week after he was tagged by the Angels in his previous start, giving up seven runs on eight hits and a walk while getting just two outs. The Angels pitched a combined no-hitter that night in Anaheim while the entire club wore jerseys... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees manager Aaron Boone got fired up at a rookie umpire in a profane rant, and New York awoke from a sleepy start to rally past the Tampa Bay Rays 6-2 in a doubleheader opener Thursday.New York rallied to win the second game 5-1 and reopen an eight-game AL East lead over the second-place Rays. Luke Voit tied the score in the fifth with his first home run since June 14, and catcher Mike Zunino caused Charlie Morton to balk home the tiebreaking run in a four-run sixth that included Didi Gregorius' two-run single. The Yankees won three straight after wasting a ninth-inning lead in the series opener and improved to 34-11 against the AL East, including 12-5 against Tampa Bay.After Domingo Germán (12-2) gave up solo homers to his first two batters in the first game, Gio Urshela hit a tying home run in the second off Yonny Chirinos (9-5), and Gary Sánchez smashed a go-ahead 110 mph single off the glove of third baseman Yandy Díaz during a three-run fifth. Díaz had helped the... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Mike Trout is back in the Los Angeles Angels lineup after missing the previous three games due to a mildly strained right calf.The two-time AL MVP will be the designated hitter Thursday when the Angels complete a four-game series against the Houston Astros. He leads the league in home runs (30) and RBIs (75) along with a .305 batting average, which is ninth.Trout suffered the injury during Sunday's game against Seattle. Prior to the injury, he had eight home runs in seven games.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

A look at what's happening around the majors today:NEW SOXAndrew Cashner makes his Boston Red Sox debut at Fenway Park against Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays. Cashner was acquired Saturday from Baltimore for two 17-year-old prospects. The 32-year-old righty went 9-3 with a 3.83 ERA in 17 starts for the team with the worst record in the majors. He has gone at least six innings in his last five outings and has a 1.41 ERA since the beginning of June. "This is the World Series champs. It's a chance to help these guys get to where they want to go," Cashner said. "I'm definitely looking forward to the race. It's something I haven't been in, really."CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVECody Bellinger, now with the most home runs in the majors, tries to add to his total as the Dodgers (63-33) — with the top record in the big leagues — look for another big outburst in Philadelphia. Bellinger saw a sea of blue behind him in right field and heard "M-V-P" chants throughout the night Monday in Philly... [More]