NEW YORK (AP) — Justin Verlander tamed the Yankees again, slowing down the highest-scoring team in the majors and pitching the Houston Astros past New York 5-1 Monday.Verlander exited in the seventh inning with a major league-best 1.11 ERA. J.D. Davis hit an early three-run homer and Jose Altuve had a solo drive, helping Houston win for the sixth time in eight games.Davis hit his first homer of the season, connecting in the second off Domingo German (0-3).Closer Ken Giles, tagged Sunday as the Astros blew a five-run lead in the ninth at Cleveland, pitched the final inning and worked around a leadoff single.Facing the only club in baseball that hasn't been shut out this season, Verlander (7-2) blanked the Yankees until Greg Bird hit a leadoff home run in the seventh.As he left, Verlander took off his cap and waved it toward a solid contingent of Astros fans wearing bright orange behind the dugout.NATIONALS 6, ORIOLES 0BALTIMORE (AP) — Anthony Rendon hit a three-run homer to back a sharp... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Justin Verlander tamed the Yankees again, slowing down the highest-scoring team in the majors and pitching the Houston Astros past New York 5-1 Monday.Verlander exited in the seventh inning with a major league-best 1.11 ERA. J.D. Davis hit an early three-run homer and Jose Altuve had a solo drive, helping Houston win for the sixth time in eight games.Davis hit his first homer of the season, connecting in the second off Domingo German (0-3).Closer Ken Giles, tagged Sunday as the Astros blew a five-run lead in the ninth at Cleveland, pitched the final inning and worked around a leadoff single.Facing the only club in baseball that hasn't been shut out this season, Verlander (7-2) blanked the Yankees until Greg Bird hit a leadoff home run in the seventh.As he left, Verlander took off his cap and waved it toward a solid contingent of Astros fans wearing bright orange behind the dugout.NATIONALS 6, ORIOLES 0BALTIMORE (AP) — Anthony Rendon hit a three-run homer to back a sharp... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Justin Verlander tamed the Yankees again, slowing down the highest-scoring team in the majors and pitching the Houston Astros past New York 5-1 Monday.Verlander exited in the seventh inning with a major league-best 1.11 ERA. J.D. Davis hit an early three-run homer and Jose Altuve had a solo drive, helping Houston win for the sixth time in eight games.Davis hit his first homer of the season, connecting in the second off Domingo German (0-3).Closer Ken Giles, tagged Sunday as the Astros blew a five-run lead in the ninth at Cleveland, pitched the final inning and worked around a leadoff single.Facing the only club in baseball that hasn't been shut out this season, Verlander (7-2) blanked the Yankees until Greg Bird hit a leadoff home run in the seventh.As he left, Verlander took off his cap and waved it toward a solid contingent of Astros fans wearing bright orange behind the dugout.NATIONALS 6, ORIOLES 0BALTIMORE (AP) — Anthony Rendon hit a three-run homer to back a sharp... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Masahiro Tanaka pitched six sharp innings and struck out Japanese countryman Shohei Ohtani twice as the New York Yankees defeated the Los Angeles Angels 3-1 Sunday.Brett Gardner had three hits for New York, which won five of six against the Angels this season.Although Ohtani was pushed back from Sunday's scheduled start due to what the Angels called "workload management," Tanaka (6-2) held up his end up of the highly anticipated pitchers' duel that never materialized. Tanaka struck out eight and allowed just Andrelton Simmons' sixth-inning home run in his longest outing in nearly a month.Pitching on his 30th birthday, Angels right-hander Garrett Richards (4-4) allowed three runs over 2 1/3 innings and matched a season high with five walks.Aroldis Chapman walked Ohtani to begin the ninth, but struck out a pair to earn his 10th save in 11 chances.BRAVES 7, RED SOX 1BOSTON (AP) — Prized rookie Ronald Acuna Jr. took a high-flying tumble while beating out an infield hit, exiting... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Mookie Betts hit his major league-leading 16th homer, Chris Sale struck out nine in 7 2/3 innings and the Boston Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 on Tuesday night.Sale (5-1) gave up four hits and walked two. He has allowed three runs or fewer in his first 11 starts, the longest stretch by a Boston pitcher to open a season since Pedro Martinez's 12 in 2001.Joe Kelly finished the eighth, and Craig Kimbrel got into a bases-loaded jam before finishing his 14th save in 16 chances when Mallex Smith grounded into a game-ending forceout.Willy Adames made his big league debut and hit a solo home run off Sale in his second at-bat. The 22-year-old shortstop prospect went 1 for 4 with three strikeouts.Betts hit a three-run drive in the third off Jake Faria (3-3), who left two batters later because of a strained left oblique.Two hitters following Faria's departure, Wilson Ramos was taken out due to a bruised left hand after Austin Pruitt's 0-2 pitch to Xander Bogaerts... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Mookie Betts hit his major league-leading 16th homer, Chris Sale struck out nine in 7 2/3 innings and the Boston Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 on Tuesday night.Sale (5-1) gave up four hits and walked two. He has allowed three runs or fewer in his first 11 starts, the longest stretch by a Boston pitcher to open a season since Pedro Martinez's 12 in 2001.Joe Kelly finished the eighth, and Craig Kimbrel got into a bases-loaded jam before finishing his 14th save in 16 chances when Mallex Smith grounded into a game-ending forceout.Willy Adames made his big league debut and hit a solo home run off Sale in his second at-bat. The 22-year-old shortstop prospect went 1 for 4 with three strikeouts.Betts hit a three-run drive in the third off Jake Faria (3-3), who left two batters later because of a strained left oblique.Two hitters following Faria's departure, Wilson Ramos was taken out due to a bruised left hand after Austin Pruitt's 0-2 pitch to Xander Bogaerts... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Mookie Betts hit his major league-leading 16th homer, Chris Sale struck out nine in 7 2/3 innings and the Boston Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 on Tuesday night.Sale (5-1) gave up four hits and walked two. He has allowed three runs or fewer in his first 11 starts, the longest stretch by a Boston pitcher to open a season since Pedro Martinez's 12 in 2001.Joe Kelly finished the eighth, and Craig Kimbrel got into a bases-loaded jam before finishing his 14th save in 16 chances when Mallex Smith grounded into a game-ending forceout.Willy Adames made his big league debut and hit a solo home run off Sale in his second at-bat. The 22-year-old shortstop prospect went 1 for 4 with three strikeouts.Betts hit a three-run drive in the third off Jake Faria (3-3), who left two batters later because of a strained left oblique.Two hitters following Faria's departure, Wilson Ramos was taken out due to a bruised left hand after Austin Pruitt's 0-2 pitch to Xander Bogaerts... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Kemp had a pinch-hit, two-run double in the ninth inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers survived a sterling performance by Max Scherzer to beat the Washington Nationals 5-4 on Saturday night and sweep a day-night doubleheader.Scherzer struck out 13 in seven innings, and Washington led 4-3 entering the ninth. But closer Sean Doolittle (1-2) allowed singles to Austin Barnes and Logan Forsythe, and Kemp then hit a line drive to the wall in left field to score them both.Erik Goeddel (3-0) worked a scoreless eighth in his Dodgers debut after being acquired off waivers on Friday from Seattle Mariners. Kenley Jansen worked the ninth for his eighth save, and his second on the day.The Dodgers used eight pitchers. Starter Rich Hill threw just two pitches before leaving with a recurrence of the blister on his left middle finger that has already put him on the disabled list twice this season.In the first game, Ross Stripling (1-1) struck out a career-high nine in six strong innings... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Rookie Tomas Nido has replaced Jose Lobaton as the New York Mets' backup to newly acquired catcher Devin Mesoraco, primarily so he can observe the eight-year veteran.Starter Travis d'Arnaud's season ended after four games because of a torn elbow ligament and backup Kevin Plawecki isn't expected back for at least another week after breaking his left hand on April 11.Nido was brought up when Plawecki got hurt and hit .135 with one RBI in 17 games and 37 at-bats. He was sent back to the minors after the Mets obtained Mesoraco from Cincinnati on April 8 for former ace Matt Harvey."This is a good opportunity for the next week-to-10 days before Plawecki comes back for him to learn a substantial amount that he's not going to learn in the next eight-to-10 days in Triple-A," Mets manager Mickey Callaway said Saturday.Nido, 24, hit .257 with six RBIs in six games at Triple-A Las Vegas of the Pacific Coast League and five at Double-A Binghamton of the Eastern League. Callaway said... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Luke Maile hit two home runs, including a two-run shot in the 12th inning that gave the Toronto Blue Jays a 5-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night.Maile's drive off Boston's Brian Johnson (1-2) improved the Blue Jays to 5-0 in extra innings after they overcame an impressive outing by Red Sox starter Chris Sale.Curtis Granderson walked to begin the 12th before Maile went deep to right. Maile also hit a game-tying homer off Sale in the seventh. It was the first multihomer game of his career.Sale matched his career high by striking out 15 over a season-high nine innings.Sam Gaviglio (1-0), recalled from Triple-A Buffalo earlier Friday, pitched three innings for the win in his Blue Jays debut.METS 3, PHILLIES 1PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Michael Conforto hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning off Philadelphia closer Hector Neris for New York's second win in 10 games.Phillies starter Jake Arrieta allowed five hits over 7 1/3 scoreless innings, and they led 1-0 until Neris... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Michael Conforto hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning off Phillies closer Hector Neris and the New York Mets rallied to beat Philadelphia 3-1 on Friday night.Phillies starter Jake Arrieta allowed five hits over 7 1/3 scoreless innings, and they led 1-0 until Neris allowed a one-out single, Conforto's third homer and a homer to Devin Mesoraco on the next pitch. It was the second blown save in six days for Neris (1-3), both costing Arrieta a victory.Odubel Herrera extended his on-base streak to 40 games with a first-inning home run for the Phillies, who had won four straight.It was only the Mets' second win in 10 games and came in improbable fashion in their first game since an embarrassing gaffe in Wednesday's loss to Cincinnati in which they batted out of order, squashing a first-inning rally.Jeurys Familia (2-1) worked a perfect ninth for the Mets, who had scored two or fewer runs in seven of their previous nine games.CUBS 11, WHITE SOX 2CHICAGO (AP) — Willson Contreras... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:RED ALERTMatt Harvey will make his Cincinnati debut when he starts at Dodger Stadium. Harvey says he's excited to start a new chapter with the last-place Reds, who acquired the former ace from the Mets for catcher Devin Mesoraco on Tuesday. Harvey was 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA with New York.Interim Reds manager Jim Riggleman says Harvey could pitch a couple innings or perhaps more, but the right-hander will be limited because of his lack of recent game competition. Harvey had been working out in Los Angeles after being released.WELCOME BACKAndrew McCutchen plays in Pittsburgh for the first time since the popular Pirates outfielder was traded to San Francisco last winter. McCutchen was a five-time All-Star while wearing the black and gold and is likely to get a big ovation at PNC Park. He is hitting .250 with three home runs and 14 RBIs with the Giants.TRENDINGJake Arrieta (3-1, 3.49 ERA) starts at Citizens Bank Park when Philadelphia hosts the... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Friday:RED ALERTMatt Harvey will make his Cincinnati debut when he starts at Dodger Stadium. Harvey says he's excited to start a new chapter with the last-place Reds, who acquired the former ace from the Mets for catcher Devin Mesoraco on Tuesday. Harvey was 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA with New York.Interim Reds manager Jim Riggleman says Harvey could pitch a couple innings or perhaps more, but the right-hander will be limited because of his lack of recent game competition. Harvey had been working out in Los Angeles after being released.WELCOME BACKAndrew McCutchen plays in Pittsburgh for the first time since the popular Pirates outfielder was traded to San Francisco last winter. McCutchen was a five-time All-Star while wearing the black and gold and is likely to get a big ovation at PNC Park. He is hitting .250 with three home runs and 14 RBIs with the Giants.TRENDINGJake Arrieta (3-1, 3.49 ERA) starts at Citizens Bank Park when Philadelphia hosts the... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Cincinnati Reds aren't wasting any time showing off their new acquisition.Matt Harvey will start for Cincinnati on Friday night in the second game of their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.Interim manager Jim Riggleman said Harvey could pitch a couple innings or the right-hander could go four, but he will be limited because of his lack of recent game competition."He's healthy and ready to go, so we'll just put him out there," Riggleman said.Harvey was in Newport Beach working out at a facility owned by his agent Scott Boras and made the drive up to Dodger Stadium to join his new team on Thursday.He was acquired from the New York Mets for catcher Devin Mesoraco and cash on Tuesday. Harvey was 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA in eight games, including four starts, for the Mets this season before they cut him."I'm excited to help this team any way I can and I'm excited to get the ball," Harvey said in the visitors' dugout after working out on the field.General manager Dick... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Cincinnati Reds aren't wasting any time showing off their new acquisition.Matt Harvey will start for Cincinnati on Friday night in the second game of their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.Interim manager Jim Riggleman says Harvey could pitch a couple innings or the right-hander could go four, but he will be limited because of his lack of recent game competition.Harvey says he's excited to start a new chapter with the last-place Reds, who acquired him from the New York Mets for catcher Devin Mesoraco on Tuesday. Harvey was 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA in eight games, including four starts, for the Mets this season before they cut him.Harvey says he endured some dark days in recent years as he struggled with injuries and tried to recover the All-Star form he had in 2013.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

A look at what's happening around the majors today:___HOME COOKINGCC Sabathia (2-0, 1.39 ERA) and the rolling New York Yankees go for their 18th victory in 19 games and a three-game sweep of rival Boston. New York (26-10) has won eight straight overall and 11 in a row at home. The new AL East leaders have sole possession of the best record in the majors for the first time since July 27, 2012. The Yankees are on a 35-8 tear in the Bronx since Sept. 2, including the postseason, and at 16-5 have the best home record in the majors this year. Eduardo Rodriguez (3-0, 5.29) pitches for the Red Sox.PRICE PLANRed Sox lefty David Price is expected to rejoin the team at Yankee Stadium, a day after being diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome in his pitching hand. He was sent back to Boston this week after experiencing numbness for the second time this season.Manager Alex Cora hasn't ruled out Price to pitch Saturday's game at Toronto. The 2012 AL Cy Young Award winner is 2-4 with a 5.11 ERA in seven... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Brett Gardner capped a slump-busting performance with a go-ahead, two-run triple off Craig Kimbrel in the eighth inning, Aaron Judge followed with a homer and the New York Yankees rallied to beat the Boston Red Sox 9-6 Wednesday night for their 17th victory in 18 games.Kimbrel entered with two on and one out to face Gardner seeking the first five-out save of his career. Gardner drilled a full-count pitch into left-center field, well over the head of center fielder Mookie Betts, who was playing shallow. Neil Walker scored easily from third and rookie Gleyber Torres raced from first and slid past a lunging tag attempted by catcher Christian Vazquez.Judge followed with a line drive to center measured at 117 mph off the bat, his ninth homer of the season. He had three hits and three RBIs as New York won its eighth straight overall and 11th in a row at home.Kimbrel replaced Matt Barnes (0-1) after a double by Walker and a one-out walk to Torres.Yankees reliever Jonathan Holder... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Thursday:___HOME COOKINGCC Sabathia (2-0, 1.39 ERA) and the rolling New York Yankees go for their 18th victory in 19 games and a three-game sweep of rival Boston. New York (26-10) has won eight straight overall and 11 in a row at home. The new AL East leaders have sole possession of the best record in the majors for the first time since July 27, 2012. The Yankees are on a 35-8 tear in the Bronx since Sept. 2, including the postseason, and at 16-5 have the best home record in the majors this year. Eduardo Rodriguez (3-0, 5.29) pitches for the Red Sox.PRICE PLANRed Sox lefty David Price is expected to rejoin the team at Yankee Stadium, a day after being diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome in his pitching hand. He was sent back to Boston this week after experiencing numbness for the second time this season.Manager Alex Cora hasn't ruled out Price to pitch Saturday's game at Toronto. The 2012 AL Cy Young Award winner is 2-4 with a 5.11 ERA in seven... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Brett Gardner capped a slump-busting performance with a go-ahead, two-run triple off Craig Kimbrel in the eighth inning, Aaron Judge followed with a homer and the New York Yankees rallied to beat the Boston Red Sox 9-6 Wednesday night for their 17th victory in 18 games.Kimbrel entered with two on and one out to face Gardner seeking the first five-out save of his career. Gardner drilled a full-count pitch into left-center field, well over the head of center fielder Mookie Betts, who was playing shallow. Neil Walker scored easily from third and rookie Gleyber Torres raced from first and slid past a lunging tag attempted by catcher Christian Vazquez.Judge followed with a line drive to center measured at 117 mph off the bat, his ninth homer of the season. He had three hits and three RBIs as New York won its eighth straight overall and 11th in a row at home.Kimbrel replaced Matt Barnes (0-1) after a double by Walker and a one-out walk to Torres.Yankees reliever Jonathan Holder... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Brett Gardner capped a slump-busting performance with a go-ahead, two-run triple off Craig Kimbrel in the eighth inning, Aaron Judge followed with a homer and the New York Yankees rallied to beat the Boston Red Sox 9-6 Wednesday night for their 17th victory in 18 games.Kimbrel entered with two on and one out to face Gardner seeking the first five-out save of his career. Gardner drilled a full-count pitch into left-center field, well over the head of center fielder Mookie Betts, who was playing shallow. Neil Walker scored easily from third and rookie Gleyber Torres raced from first and slid past a lunging tag attempted by catcher Christian Vazquez.Judge followed with a line drive to center measured at 117 mph off the bat, his ninth homer of the season. He had three hits and three RBIs as New York won its eighth straight overall and 11th in a row at home.Kimbrel replaced Matt Barnes (0-1) after a double by Walker and a one-out walk to Torres.Yankees reliever Jonathan Holder... [More]