WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on baseball's All-Star Game (all times local):9:10 p.m.Willson Contreras put the National League on the board in the All-Star Game by homering off Blake Snell in the third inning.Contreras hit the first pitch from Snell just over the wall in left field to cut the American League lead to 2-1.All three runs have scored on solo homers.In the top of the third, Mike Trout homered off Jacob deGrom.Trout went deep on a 1-2 fastball, sending it into the AL bullpen in left field.It was Trout's second homer in five All-Star Game appearances and improved him to 7-for-15 (.467) in his All-Star career. He was named MVP of the game in 2014 and 2015.___8:45 p.m.Aaron Judge has given the American League a 1-0 lead in the All-Star Game with a homer off Max Scherzer.Leading off the second inning, the Yankees slugger got ahold of a belt-high 0-1 fastball from Scherzer and sent it into the bullpen beyond the left field fence.It was Judge's first All-Star Game hit in his second... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on baseball's All-Star Game (all times local):8:45 p.m.Aaron Judge has given the American League a 1-0 lead in the All-Star Game with a homer off Max Scherzer.Leading off the second inning, the Yankees slugger got ahold of a belt-high 0-1 fastball from Scherzer and sent it into the bullpen beyond the left field fence.It was Judge's first All-Star Game hit in his second appearance. He went 0-for-3 last year.National League manager Dave Roberts tapped Scherzer to start the game in part because it's being played at his home ballpark. The Nationals right-hander made his third All-Star start.___8:10 p.m.A combat medic who received the Medal of Honor for his service in Vietnam has thrown out the ceremonial first pitch for the All-Star Game at Nationals Park.James McCloughan was one of 30 Medal of Honor recipients to be honored before the game. After serving in Vietnam, McCloughan spent 38 years as a high school baseball coach in Michigan.In choosing McCloughan, Major... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on baseball's All-Star Game (all times local):8:10 p.m.A combat medic who received the Medal of Honor for his service in Vietnam has thrown out the ceremonial first pitch for the All-Star Game at Nationals Park.James McCloughan was one of 30 Medal of Honor recipients to be honored before the game. After serving in Vietnam, McCloughan spent 38 years as a high school baseball coach in Michigan.In choosing McCloughan, Major League Baseball stayed away from political controversy during the first All-Star game in 49 years in Washington. President Donald Trump did not attend the game a day after he drew bipartisan criticism for siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin over Russian meddling in the 2016 election.Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy threw out the first pitch at All-Star games in Washington during their terms. Dwight D. Eisenhower declined because he was recovering from surgery, while Richard M. Nixon had to delegate the responsibility to Vice... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on baseball's All-Star Game (all times local):7:20 p.m.Some Cubs fans — and gamblers — are claiming on social media that Bryce Harper "cheated" during the Home Run Derby to beat Chicago's Kyle Schwarber.Harper hit 19 homers in the final round of Monday night's competition at Nationals Park to beat Schwarber by one. Hitting in front his hometown fans with his father pitching, Harper appeared to be running out of time to catch the Cubs slugger before he hit nine homers in his final 10 swings to tie him. Because he hit two homers over 440 feet in the round, Harper earned 30 seconds of extra time that he used to hit the decisive long ball.The competition rules state that the pitcher has to wait until the previous ball has landed before throwing another one. Video from the event shows Harper's father, Ron, apparently breaking that rule. Umpires on the field did not intervene.But that didn't stop Cubs fans from complaining that Harper cheated or that the event was... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on baseball's All-Star Game (all times local):6:30 p.m.Severe thunderstorms that blew through Washington in the afternoon soaked the field at Nationals Park, but players hope the conditions are safe and playable for the All-Star Game.The rain stopped in time for the NL and AL to take abbreviated batting practice"You have to deal with elements," NL starter Max Scherzer of the host Nationals said. "You have to pitch when it's cold, you have to pitch when it's hot, when it's windy, when it's rainy. This is just another element of baseball that a pitcher just has to deal with."With the storms over, there was not much concern about delaying or postponing the game as much as how the water on the field could affect play. Nearby Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport took more than 2 inches of rain, and there was standing water in the NL dugout."Hopefully it's dry and everybody's safe and nobody gets injury," Mariners designated hitter Nelson Cruz said. "That's the... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on baseball's All-Star Game (all times local):6:30 p.m.Severe thunderstorms that blew through Washington in the afternoon soaked the field at Nationals Park, but players hope the conditions are safe and playable for the All-Star Game.The rain stopped in time for the NL and AL to take abbreviated batting practice"You have to deal with elements," NL starter Max Scherzer of the host Nationals said. "You have to pitch when it's cold, you have to pitch when it's hot, when it's windy, when it's rainy. This is just another element of baseball that a pitcher just has to deal with."With the storms over, there was not much concern about delaying or postponing the game as much as how the water on the field could affect play. Nearby Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport took more than 2 inches of rain, and there was standing water in the NL dugout."Hopefully it's dry and everybody's safe and nobody gets injury," Mariners designated hitter Nelson Cruz said. "That's the... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Colorado right-hander German Marquez homered against Arizona infielder Daniel Descalso, helping the Rockies pound the Diamondbacks 19-2 on Wednesday night.Marquez (8-8) pitched six innings of two-run ball. He connected for his first career homer in the fifth.Marquez's drive to center was the first homer by a pitcher off a position player since Mike LaCoss went deep for the Giants against San Diego's Dane Iorg on June 23, 1986, according to STATS.Carlos Gonzalez homered twice for the Rockies and drove in six runs. Charlie Blackmon and Ian Desmond also went deep.Arizona right-hander Shelby Miller (0-4) allowed five runs in one inning before departing with right elbow tightness.MARLINS 5, BREWERS 4, 12 INNINGSMIAMI (AP) — Milwaukee slugger Jesus Aguilar was added to the NL All-Star team and then validated the selection with three hits and three RBIs, but the Brewers went 3 for 16 with runners in scoring position.Starlin Castro singled home the winning run for Miami with one out... [More]

Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar and Seattle Mariners shortstop Jean Segura won the final two roster spots for next week's All-Star Game in Washington.Major League Baseball released the results of online balloting for the last slot in each league Wednesday night, with Aguilar drawing 20.2 million votes to secure his first All-Star selection. His total was the second-highest in the history of the All-Star Final Vote, trailing only Justin Turner's 20.8 million votes last year.The 28-year-old Venezuelan was tied for the National League lead with 23 home runs and becomes the fourth Milwaukee player headed to the game."The campaign was unbelievable — the people in Wisconsin and around the world really supported me," Aguilar said. "It's a great thing."Brewers outfielders Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich had already been chosen, along with reliever Josh Hader.Aguilar has 67 RBIs, including 12 in his past seven games, and is batting .307."I'm swinging really good right now," he said.Segura... [More]

Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar and Seattle Mariners shortstop Jean Segura won the final two roster spots for next week's All-Star Game in Washington.Major League Baseball released the results of online balloting for the last slot in each league Wednesday night, with Aguilar drawing 20.2 million votes to secure his first All-Star selection. His total was the second-highest in the history of the All-Star Final Vote, trailing only Justin Turner's 20.8 million votes last year.The 28-year-old Venezuelan was tied for the National League lead with 23 home runs and becomes the fourth Milwaukee player headed to the game. Brewers outfielders Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich had already been chosen, along with reliever Josh Hader.Segura snagged the last American League spot with 13.6 million votes. He was followed by Boston Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi, New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton, Minnesota Twins outfielder Eddie Rosario and Los Angeles Angels shortstop Andrelton... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels placed pitcher Garrett Richards on the 10-day disabled list due to ulnar collateral ligament damage in his right elbow.General manager Billy Eppler said before Wednesday's game against Seattle that options to treat the injury will be decided on at a later date. Eppler said Richards would decide on "conservative care" or season-ending Tommy John surgery.This is the third straight season that Richards has dealt with an arm injury. The right-hander had been limited to six starts each of the past two seasons. He missed most of 2016 due to an ulnar collateral ligament injury and had biceps nerve irritation last year."There is a scenario that could bring him back maybe the last couple of weeks, the last week, something like that," Eppler said.Richards, who will become a free agent at the end of the season, is 5-4 with a 3.66 earned run average. He has made 16 starts this season, which is his most since 2015.Richards made his second start on Tuesday since returning from the 10-day disabled list because of a left hamstring strain. He gave up three runs on four hits over 2 2/3 innings and left the game in the middle of an at-bat in the third inning against Seattle's Nelson Cruz.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar and Seattle Mariners shortstop Jean Segura have won the final two roster spots for next week's All-Star Game in Washington.Major League Baseball released the results of online balloting for the last slot in each league Wednesday night, with Aguilar drawing 20.2 million votes to secure his first All-Star selection. His total was the second-highest in the history of the All-Star Final Vote, trailing only Justin Turner's 20.8 million votes last year.The 28-year-old Venezuelan was tied for the National League lead with 23 home runs and becomes the fourth Milwaukee player headed to the game. Brewers outfielders Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich had already been chosen, along with reliever Josh Hader.Segura snagged the last American League spot with 13.6 million votes. He was followed by Boston Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi, New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton, Minnesota Twins outfielder Eddie Rosario and Los Angeles Angels shortstop... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Joey Votto hit a go-ahead three-run double during a seven-run ninth inning and the Cleveland Indians bullpen wasted a gem from Trevor Bauer in a 7-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night.Indians closer Cody Allen (2-4) allowed six runs after getting two outs in the ninth, the last three charged on Votto's sharp hit to right off Dan Otero. Adam Duvall also doubled in two in the ninth, while Jose Peraza and Eugenio Suarez each hit an RBI single. Cincinnati had seven straight batters reach with two outs, and the inning didn't end until Scooter Gennett ran into the third out at third base on Suarez's single.Cleveland's bullpen entered Tuesday with a 5.13 ERA, better only than the Rockies (5.28) and Royals (5.35).Bauer was brilliant, striking out 12 over eight scoreless innings in his first appearance since being named to the All-Star team for the first time. The right-hander allowed three singles, walked one and didn't allow a hit until Jesse Winker hit a one-out single... [More]

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Mariners signed general manager Jerry Dipoto to a multiyear contract extension on Friday, a reward for the club being on track to end the longest playoff drought in the four major professional sports in the U.S.The agreement comes with the Mariners 24 games above .500, and striving to make the postseason for the first time since 2001."We're obviously happy with the work he's done so far and look forward to the next several years as well," team president and CEO Kevin Mather said. "We are having some success on the field, but when I said the work he has done so far, I'm referring to day one. We hired him Sept. 28, 2015 and he hasn't stopped since the day he got here."Since the start of the 2016 season, Dipoto's first full year, the Mariners have the eighth-best record in the majors at 220-192. Seattle's 56-32 start through 88 games is tied for the second-best mark in franchise history. Only the 2001 team that tied the major league mark for most wins in a season... [More]

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Mariners signed general manager Jerry Dipoto to a multiyear contract extension on Friday, a reward for the club being on track to end the longest playoff drought in the four major professional sports in the U.S.The agreement comes with the Mariners 24 games above .500, and striving to make the postseason for the first time since 2001."Jerry arrived here 2½ years ago with a specific plan for our franchise," Seattle president and CEO Kevin Mather said. "He has successfully executed that plan, resulting in a younger, more athletic and, most importantly, far more successful major league team."Dipoto is in his third full season with the Mariners, who are 56-32 and 1½ games out of first place in the AL West. Since the start of the 2016 season, his first full year, the Mariners have the eighth-best record in the majors at 220-192."As I said when I arrived here, I believe this organization has every opportunity to be successful on a consistent basis," Dipoto said in a... [More]

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Mariners signed general manager Jerry Dipoto to a multiyear contract extension on Friday, a reward for the club being on track to end the longest playoff drought in the four major professional sports in the U.S.The agreement comes with the Mariners 24 games above .500, and striving to make the postseason for the first time since 2001."Jerry arrived here 2½ years ago with a specific plan for our franchise," Seattle president and CEO Kevin Mather said. "He has successfully executed that plan, resulting in a younger, more athletic and, most importantly, far more successful major league team."Dipoto is in his third full season with the Mariners, who are 56-32 and 1½ games out of first place in the AL West. Since the start of the 2016 season, his first full year, the Mariners have the eighth-best record in the majors at 220-192."As I said when I arrived here, I believe this organization has every opportunity to be successful on a consistent basis," Dipoto said in a... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Now that fan voting is finished, it's a good time to take a hard look at All-Star Game selections.Which players are worthy of participating July 17 in Washington, and who gets left out?Let's touch on this topic first: Shohei Ohtani is incredibly talented and fascinating to watch, but the Los Angeles Angels' two-way Japanese star simply hasn't been on the field enough to earn a spot. Not at pitcher OR designated hitter.Ohtani just returned to the lineup from an elbow injury that's knocked him off the mound for now. He's only made nine major league pitching starts, and the Angels have limited his at-bats all season due to concerns about the rookie's workload.So while it would definitely be fun to see him in baseball's summer showcase, there are several more deserving American League sluggers at DH. It wouldn't be fair to deny one of them in favor of Ohtani. And he's unavailable to pitch at this point.Let him win his invitation next season with a fully healthy and productive... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Lance McCullers pitched seven strong innings, Jake Marisnick homered and the Houston Astros beat the Tampa Bay Rays 1-0 on Thursday night to tie a franchise record with their 11th straight road win.McCullers (9-3) gave up three hits while striking out seven. The Astros have won his last six starts and have won 18 of 21 overall. Their 11th straight road win matched the club record set last May 14-June 5 on the way to winning the franchise's first World Series title.The Rays, who had won five straight overall and eight straight at home, had runners on first and third with none out in the eighth against reliever Chris Devenski, but Matt Duffy lined into a double play and Jake Bauers grounded out.Hector Rondon pitched the ninth for his fifth save in seven opportunities.Marisnick's homer in the fifth came off Ryan Yarbrough (7-4) and was his seventh of the season. It ended the Rays' streak of 26 scoreless innings, the second-longest in franchise history.RED SOX 4,... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Anthony Rizzo's three-run double and Addison Russell's two-run homer highlighted a seven-run seventh inning as the Chicago Cubs broke loose after Clayton Kershaw exited, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-5 on Thursday.The Cubs pounded out 15 hits, including four by Rizzo. Russell drove in four runs in the final regular-season meeting between the teams that played each other in the NL Championship Series the last two years.They met seven times in 10 days, with the Cubs winning four games over the two series.The Dodgers staked Kershaw to a 3-1 lead before he departed after five innings because of a pitch limit.The Cubs jumped on reliever Walker Buehler (4-2), who arrived earlier in the morning from Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he had been set for a rehab assignment. Albert Almora Jr. homered on Buehler's second pitch and Russell's sacrifice fly tied it at 3 in the sixth.Steve Cishek (2-0) got the win with 1 2/3 innings of relief.ROCKIES 9, GIANTS 8SAN FRANCISCO (AP) —... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — J.D. Martinez hit his major league-leading 25th home run, Rafael Devers delivered a tiebreaking double and the Boston Red Sox beat the skidding Los Angeles Angels 9-6 on Wednesday night after squandering a six-run lead.Martinez's homer capped a six-run second for the Red Sox, who won for the fifth time in six games. Eduardo Nunez and Sandy Leon also went deep in the inning. Boston improved to 5-0 against the Angels this season and has outscored them 45-10.Martin Maldonado launched a three-run homer and Ian Kinsler had a solo shot for the Angels. They lost their fifth straight and 12th in 16 games.Los Angeles reliever Jake Jewell was carted off the field with what appeared to be a gruesome injury to his right ankle after covering the plate on a run-scoring wild pitch in the eighth.Angels star Mike Trout went 1 for 4 as a sprained right index finger kept him as the designated hitter for the eighth consecutive game.Devers doubled off reliever Jose Alvarez (3-3) in the seventh,... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — J.D. Martinez hit his major league-leading 25th home run, Rafael Devers delivered a tiebreaking double and the Boston Red Sox beat the skidding Los Angeles Angels 9-6 on Wednesday night after squandering a six-run lead.Martinez's homer capped a six-run second for the Red Sox, who won for the fifth time in six games. Eduardo Nunez and Sandy Leon also went deep in the inning. Boston improved to 5-0 against the Angels this season and has outscored them 45-10.Martin Maldonado launched a three-run homer and Ian Kinsler had a solo shot for the Angels. They lost their fifth straight and 12th in 16 games.Los Angeles reliever Jake Jewell was carted off the field with what appeared to be a gruesome injury to his right ankle after covering the plate on a run-scoring wild pitch in the eighth.Angels star Mike Trout went 1 for 4 as a sprained right index finger kept him as the designated hitter for the eighth consecutive game.Devers doubled off reliever Jose Alvarez (3-3) in the seventh,... [More]