CHICAGO (AP) — With just 60 games this season, the Chicago Cubs need Craig Kimbrel to be better than he was last year.Much, much better.The 32-year-old Kimbrel is looking to bounce back from one of the worst stretches of his stellar career. The seven-time All-Star closer never looked right after he got a late start last year, going 0-4 with a career-high 6.53 ERA and three blown saves in 16 chances.In his last appearance of the season, he was taken deep by Yadier Molina and Paul DeJong on his first two pitches in the ninth inning of a 9-8 loss to St. Louis that helped push Chicago out of the playoff picture.If Kimbrel flops again, it won't take much to sink the Cubs' chances in a shortened season amid the coronavirus pandemic.“You know, in my role, I think turning the page is a big saying, but I think in 60 games it's going to have to be big time,” Kimbrel said Wednesday on a video conference call. “I think each game is going to be a huge game, so I don’t think guys can carry things from... [More]

July 91902 — Rube Waddell beat Bill Dinneen 4-2 in 17 innings when light-hitting Monte Cross hit a two-run homer for Philadelphia.1932 — Ben Chapman of the Yankees hit three homers, including two inside the park, as New York beat the Detroit Tigers 14-9 at Yankee Stadium.1937 — Joe DiMaggio drove in seven runs and hit for the cycle and to lead the New York Yankees to a 16-2 rout of the Washington Senators.1940 — The NL recorded the first shutout in All-Star play, with a 4-0 win at Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis. Five pitchers — Paul Derringer, Bucky Walters, Whit Wyatt, Larry French, and Carl Hubbell — held the AL to three hits. Max West hit a three-run homer.1946 — After a one-year break due to war travel restrictions, the Americans trounced the Nationals 12-0 at Fenway Park, the most one-sided of the All-Star games. Ted Williams of the Red Sox didn’t disappoint the hometown fans. He hit two homers and two singles for five RBIs.1968 — Willie McCovey hit into a double play, scoring Willie... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Robbie Ray already knew 2020 would be a big season for his financial future because it's his last one before becoming a free agent.Now the Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander has less time to make a strong impression.Major League Baseball's coronavirus-delayed 60-game season is much shorter than the usual 162-game grind. That means pitchers like Ray will probably make about 11 or 12 starts instead of the typical 30-plus.Because of the compressed calendar, the 28-year-old Ray made sure he kept in shape during the spring hiatus from baseball. In his first live work off the mound Sunday, he threw nearly 80 pitches and said he's very close to being ready for the regular season, which begins July 24 against the Padres.The motivation is obvious: A bad start to the season could cost him millions of dollars in what's expected to be a tight free-agent market during the offseason. Conversely, two good months might lead to a big payoff this winter.“I had the assumption that once everything... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Gerrit Cole couldn't have expected the New York Yankees to take the ball away from him just one batter into his first home start in the Bronx.But the team's new $324 million ace learned the hard way about one of baseball’s new coronavirus safety protocols Tuesday night during an intrasquad game at Yankee Stadium. Cole allowed a home run to the second hitter he faced, Miguel Andújar, one pitch after being forced to give up the ball he used to strike out leadoff man Mike Tauchman.“I liked that ball,” Cole grumbled on the mound.Among the safety steps instituted by Major League Baseball for this virus-shortened season is that pitchers can’t reuse a baseball once it has been touched by other players. After Cole struck out Tauchman swinging, catcher Gary Sánchez whipped the ball around the infield — a customary ritual that’s frowned upon in MLB’s 2020 operations manual. Cole shot the dugout a confused look when coaches called for the ball. Andújar crushed the next pitch into the... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — When the Minnesota Twins signed Rich Hill from the bargain aisle of free agency last winter, they expected the left-hander to be available around midseason after his recovery from elbow surgery. Now the 40-year-old is on track to be ready right away, thanks to the virus outbreak that shoved the schedule back by four months and shrunk it to 60 games. The Twins, who open on the road against the Chicago White Sox on July 24, are setting up a rotation with Hill in it. The 15-year veteran faced hitters at Target Field on Monday, logging four simulated innings in his latest step forward in yet another injury comeback.“There’s a lot of people who put in the time and the effort and gave me their time to make sure that I can be in the best position possible to go out there and perform,” Hill said Tuesday on a video conference call with reporters. "I put in the time and put in the effort, and it’s definitely paid off. I feel great, and yesterday was just one step in the right direction.”Over... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani threw competitive pitches off the mound at Angel Stadium on Tuesday for the first time in two years.Ohtani struggled with his control in the Los Angeles Angels' intrasquad game, walking eight batters on about 50 pitches. The two-way star and manager Joe Maddon weren't overly concerned about the results of another key day in Ohtani's return from Tommy John surgery.“I was able to throw all my pitches today, so I’m just going to try to build on that,” Ohtani said through a translator. “Obviously it felt a lot different from my bullpens, especially because I was unfamiliar with pitching to my teammates. That kind of threw me off a little bit.”Ohtani hadn't pitched at the Big A since June 9, 2018, when he left a game with what was initially called a blister. Ohtani was shut down as a pitcher for three months, and the AL Rookie of the Year only returned for one outing in September before it was determined he needed elbow surgery.“I just saw a guy that didn’t... [More]

As baseball nears the two-week countdown to the start of its delayed season, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to keep more players, including Boston Red Sox projected opening day starter Eduardo Rodriguez, off the field.On Tuesday, one day after Major League Baseball released its 60-game schedule, there was continued evidence of the difficulties caused by the pandemic.The San Francisco Giants suspended workouts at Oracle Park as they awaited the results of weekend tests for the coronavirus. The Chicago Cubs' workout was delayed. Oakland left-hander Jake Diekman, who has ulcerative colitis, an autoimmune condition, said teams having to call off workouts because of delays in test results “just can't happen.”“I know they’re trying their hardest, but I don’t know if that’s good enough for right now,” Diekman said Tuesday. “It’s a little worrisome. Say we go on a 10-day road trip and we only get results one time. That’s not very good with 45 or 50 people in a clubhouse at one time.”Giants manager... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Jake Diekman has serious questions about Major League Baseball's ability to pull off a season given the issues everywhere getting timely test results, forcing delays and cancellations of workouts.For now, Diekman still plans to play. He must be extra careful given he has the autoimmune condition ulcerative colitis.“Once the regular season hits there’s no way I’m opting out, but if they don’t get the testing figured out then this whole thing will get shut down,” Diekman said Tuesday. “During the season there’s no way we can go 72 hours or longer without knowing our result, there’s just no way. There’s no way that can possibly happen and this be safe for all 60, 70 days or whatever it is.”The Oakland lefty said “I'm high risk so I'm going to have to speak out. I don't want to get sick” and represents others who must take added precautions because of an underlying condition.“There's a little part in everyone's mind that thinks this whole thing's going to get shut down,”... [More]

As baseball nears the two-week countdown to the start of its delayed season, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to keep more players, including Boston Red Sox projected opening day starter Eduardo Rodriguez, off the field.On Tuesday, one day after Major League Baseball released its 60-game schedule, there was continued evidence of the difficulties caused by the pandemic.The San Francisco Giants suspended workouts at Oracle Park as they awaited the results of weekend tests for the coronavirus. The Chicago Cubs' workout was delayed. Oakland left-hander Jake Diekman, who has ulcerative colitis, an autoimmune condition, said teams having to call off workouts because of delays in test results “just can't happen.”“I know they’re trying their hardest, but I don’t know if that’s good enough for right now,” Diekman said Tuesday. “It’s a little worrisome. Say we go on a 10-day road trip and we only get results one time. That’s not very good with 45 or 50 people in a clubhouse at one time.”Giants manager... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets will host the crosstown Yankees on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 next season, according to a person familiar with the decision.The clubs will play at Citi Field in a game sure to be full of emotions for the city that's also reported over 18,000 confirmed coronavirus deaths this year. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because Major League Baseball has not yet released next season’s schedule.“I can’t imagine how powerful and how emotional of an event that could be," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.The decision was first reported by Newsday.The 20th anniversary game will be played not far from the site of demolished Shea Stadium, where Hall of Famer Mike Piazza hit a memorable home run for the Mets against the Braves on Sept. 21, 2001 in the first major sporting event in the city following the attacks. New York wore hats honoring the city's first responders for the game.Mets slugger Pete Alonso is sure to have a hand in the... [More]

SEATTLE (AP) — When the games start, Kyle Seager doesn’t intend to be wearing a mask all the time. For now, in the early days of summer camp for the Seattle Mariners, the veteran third baseman has it on all the time. At the plate. In the field. It’s not enjoyable. But for him it’s necessary. Both personally and to be an example. “It’s just for the practice purposes and make sure we do our part to make sure we can get to these games and make sure we can get this thing rolling and get this thing off the ground,” Seager said on Tuesday. “There’s been issues, obviously. we all understand about the virus and we get that you’ve got to protect ourselves and your teammates and we don’t want this thing to spread. So if we can control it and if wearing a mask helps that and we can get this season rolling then that’s what I think we want to do.” On a rebuilding ball club with plenty of younger faces floating around that he doesn’t fully recognize yet, Seager is one of the few Mariners that needed... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts has grown accustomed to being on big stages during his first seven years in the major leagues.He won a World Series ring as a rookie with the Red Sox in 2013 and became a full-time starter the following season. He's since earned another ring in 2018 and followed that up last year by becoming the first Boston shortstop since Nomar Garciaparra to post 30 home runs and 100 RBIs in a season. It helped Bogaerts earn his second All-Star selection, third Silver Slugger award and a fifth-place finish in American League MVP balloting.Now, as the Red Sox prepare for the shortened 2020 season with low expectations after trading 2018 MVP Mookie Betts and left-hander David Price to the Dodgers, the 27-year-old Bogaerts believes he's ready to step into a leadership role.“I think so," he said Tuesday. “Obviously those are two guys that are still missed. Guys that were well-loved by our teammates and obviously the city. So I’m looking forward to the season.”Usually... [More]

Cody Bellinger was well on his way to becoming the National League MVP only 60 games into last season for the Los Angeles Dodgers, already with 20 homers in that stretch before his 24th birthday.Over that same span for the Houston Astros last summer, Justin Verlander won nine games and struck out 103 batters on the way to his second AL Cy Young Award. The veteran right-hander had more wins and strikeouts through the first 60 games for the American League champions than he did just over one-third of the way into the 2011 season for the Detroit Tigers, when he finished 24-5 and was also the AL MVP.After 60 games this year, it will already be time to determine who wins those awards. There will be no more games to be played in a regular season that's set to begin July 23 and is 102 games shorter than usual because of the coronavirus pandemic.Bellinger was only the fifth MVP from either league over the past 20 seasons to have 20 homers in his team's first 60 games — Barry Bonds did it twice,... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Adam Haseley reported to camp Tuesday after waiting several days for clearance because the lab used by Major League Baseball didn’t return the results of his initial test for the coronavirus.“Once we realized we weren’t going to get that result, we retested him and he tested negative,” Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said Tuesday. “It’s going to be critical that the testing is done reliably and done quickly. The league folks, the Players Association folks, and the folks at the lab are doing the best they can, and we absolutely understand that this is a huge undertaking and it’s the first time that these parties have ever gone through that. So, we understand all that.“Nevertheless, it’s frustrating for a player like Adam Haseley or the Phillies when something like that happens, and our hope throughout the league is that as we work through these instances early, that we will be able to smooth them out for later in camp and later in... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Clayton Kershaw will make his franchise-record ninth opening day start for the Los Angeles Dodgers.Manager Dave Roberts confirmed his choice Tuesday in a video conference call. The Dodgers open the 60-game season on July 23 at home against the rival San Francisco Giants. Kershaw was tabbed to start opening day against the Giants on March 26 before the season was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.The 32-year-old left-hander tossed four innings in the Dodgers' second intrasquad game Monday night. He struck out new teammate Mookie Betts on a called third strike by umpire Bob Geren, the team's bench coach who was working the plate. Kershaw threw another inning in the bullpen.Kershaw's streak of opening day starts ended last year when he began the season on the injured list with left shoulder inflammation. He was replaced by Hyun-Jin Ryu, who signed with Toronto in December.Kershaw is 5-1 with a 1.05 ERA on opening day.The team's rotation was upended when new Dodger David Price said he would sit out the season. He was expected to be the No. 3 starter behind Kershaw and Walker Buehler. Julio Urias and Alex Wood were expected to fill out the back end.Ross Stripling, Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin are among the leading contenders to fill Price's spot.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees have scheduled preseason exhibitions against the crosstown Mets and Philadelphia Phillies.The Yankees and Mets will play at Citi Field on Friday, July 18 and then at Yankee Stadium the following night. The Phillies will come to the Bronx and play the Bombers on July 20. All three games announced Tuesday will air locally on the YES Network. The Yankees will open a pandemic-shortened 60-game regular season against the World Series champion Nationals in Washington on July 23 — the first game of the season for any team. The Dodgers and Giants will play later that night, and the rest of the league will open the next day. New York manager Aaron Boone has been quick to get his pitchers and hitters into game situations during their condensed preseason camp. The club held a six-inning intrasquad game Monday night on the third day of official practices at empty Yankee Stadium.The team had another intrasquad set for Tuesday night, with new ace Gerrit Cole set to pitch in pinstripes for the first time at Yankee Stadium after signing a $324 million, nine-year deal in the offseason.___Follow Jake Seiner: https://twitter.com/Jake_Seiner___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MIAMI (AP) — Reliever Nick Vincent signed last week with the Miami Marlins and settled in for two days of quarantine in his hotel room while awaiting clearance to join workouts.“That was a little bit different,” he said. “In 48 hours, you're definitely a little stir-crazy."Vincent spent a lot of time watching TV, including the news, which reinforced that it was wise to lay low with the coronavirus crisis worsening in Florida and much of the country.And as Major League Baseball attempts to salvage the 2020 season, behavior away from the ballpark will help determine the outcome. Just like on the field, success will depend on how many players are safe at home.“That’s going to be the biggest challenge for this game to move forward — the off-the-field stuff and what guys do," said Vincent, an eight-year major league veteran. “It's just going to take one team to mess it up for everybody. I hope everybody gets that. It’ll take five guys to get a whole team sick, and then if a whole team is sick,... [More]

July 81912 — Rube Marquard’s 19-game winning streak was stopped when the New York Giants lost 7-2 to the Chicago Cubs.1935 — The AL extended its All-Star winning streak to three with a 4-1 victory at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium. New York Yankee Lefty Gomez went six innings, which prompted the NL to have the rules changed so that no pitcher could throw more than three innings, unless extra innings.1941 — Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox hit a three-run, two-out homer in the ninth to give the AL a dramatic 7-5 victory in the All-Star game at Detroit’s Briggs Stadium. Up to that point Arky Vaughn of the Pittsburgh Pirates was the NL hero with two home runs, the first player to do so in All-Star play. Joe and Dom DiMaggio both played for the AL, marking the first time that brothers appeared in the same All-Star game.1947 — Frank Shea became the first winning rookie pitcher in the first 14 years of All-Star play as the AL nipped the NL 2-1 at Chicago’s Wrigley Field.1952 — The NL edged the... [More]

Major League Baseball released its pandemic-shortened schedule Monday, featuring a tantalizing season opener between the New York Yankees and World Series champion Washington Nationals, even as some teams were still bogged down by coronavirus concerns. By the time MLB revealed each team’s 60-game slate Monday evening, the Nationals and Houston Astros — last year’s pennant winners — had canceled workouts because of COVID-19 testing delays that one executive worried could endanger the season. The St. Louis Cardinals also scrubbed their practice for the same reason.“We got camps being shut down and people going three and four days without tests. You just don’t know what’s going on,” Dodgers star Mookie Betts said. “We have to just figure out the right way to do it.” Nick Markakis became the second Atlanta Braves veteran to opt out of the season, swayed by a phone call with teammate Freddie Freeman, who has been stricken with COVID-19. The Texas Rangers said All-Star slugger Joey Gallo tested... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Baseball's two World Series teams canceled workouts Monday because of coronavirus testing delays that one executive worried could endanger the season.The defending champion Washington Nationals and reigning American League champion Houston Astros called off training camp practices after not receiving test results from Friday. The St. Louis Cardinals also scrubbed their scheduled workout for similar reasons.The cancellations come amid delays around Major League Baseball, with some players opting out, and in the aftermath of Nationals reliever Sean Doolittle criticizing slow test results and a lack of some personal protective equipment.“Without accurate and timely testing, it is simply not safe for us to continue with summer camp,” Washington general manager Mike Rizzo said. "Major League Baseball needs to work quickly to resolve issues with their process and their lab. Otherwise, summer camp and the 2020 season are at risk.”Astros general manager James Click said the delay... [More]