NEW YORK (AP) — The Yankees are in danger of going an entire decade without reaching a World Series for the first time since the 1910s.Aaron Boone's rookie season as a manager ended in failure when New York fizzled in the AL Division Series against Boston and was eliminated in four games."You're always chasing utopia," Boone said after the Yankees' final rally of the season fell short Tuesday night.A year after losing in the AL Championship Series was perceived as success, elimination by Boston left a feeling of failure for the title-worshipping Yankees.New York went 100-62 for its best record since its last World Series championship in 2009, yet finished eight games back of the Red Sox. The Yankees have gone six straight seasons without a first-place finish.They're set to retool around the young core of Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Gleyber Torres, Miguel Andujar and Luis Severino, plus in-prime regulars Giancarlo Stanton, Didi Gregorius and Aaron Hicks. The Yankees got the power but were... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees couldn't wait to get back home.Now, that's exactly where they're staying.CC Sabathia became the latest pitcher to put New York in an early hole as rookie manager Aaron Boone again stuck with his starter too long, and the Yankees fell just short of extending their season Tuesday night with a 4-3 loss to the rival Boston Red Sox in Game 4 of their AL Division Series."That's the one team that you don't want to lose to," outfielder Brett Gardner said. "We hate losing to them and we love beating them. Obviously, they just had our number this year."New York mounted a last-ditch rally against wild closer Craig Kimbrel, scoring twice in the ninth inning . But the Yankees' comeback stalled when Gary Sanchez's bases-loaded sacrifice fly was caught on the left-field warning track , and rookie Gleyber Torres grounded out with two on to end it — sort of.The play at first base was close, so both teams and a sellout crowd held their breath during a... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees couldn't wait to get back home.Now, that's exactly where they're staying.CC Sabathia became the latest pitcher to put New York in an early hole as rookie manager Aaron Boone again stuck with his starter too long, and the Yankees fell just short of extending their season Tuesday night with a 4-3 loss to the rival Boston Red Sox in Game 4 of their AL Division Series."That's the one team that you don't want to lose to," outfielder Brett Gardner said. "We hate losing to them and we love beating them. Obviously, they just had our number this year."New York mounted a last-ditch rally against wild closer Craig Kimbrel, scoring twice in the ninth inning . But the Yankees' comeback stalled when Gary Sanchez's bases-loaded sacrifice fly was caught on the left-field warning track , and rookie Gleyber Torres grounded out with two on to end it — sort of.The play at first base was close, so both teams and a sellout crowd held their breath during a... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees couldn't wait to get back home.Now, that's exactly where they're staying.CC Sabathia became the latest pitcher to put New York in an early hole as rookie manager Aaron Boone again stuck with his starter too long, and the Yankees fell just short of extending their season Tuesday night with a 4-3 loss to the rival Boston Red Sox in Game 4 of their AL Division Series."That's the one team that you don't want to lose to," outfielder Brett Gardner said. "We hate losing to them and we love beating them. Obviously, they just had our number this year."New York mounted a last-ditch rally against wild closer Craig Kimbrel, scoring twice in the ninth inning. But the Yankees' comeback stalled when Gary Sanchez's bases-loaded sacrifice fly was caught on the left-field warning track, and rookie Gleyber Torres grounded out with two on to end it — sort of.The play at first base was close, so both teams and a sellout crowd held their breath during a dramatic... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees couldn't wait to get back home.Now, that's exactly where they're staying.CC Sabathia became the latest pitcher to put New York in an early hole as rookie manager Aaron Boone again stuck with his starter too long, and the Yankees fell just short of extending their season Tuesday night with a 4-3 loss to the rival Boston Red Sox in Game 4 of their AL Division Series.New York mounted a last-ditch rally against wild closer Craig Kimbrel, scoring twice in the ninth inning. But the Yankees' comeback stalled when Gary Sanchez's bases-loaded sacrifice fly was caught on the left-field warning track, and rookie Gleyber Torres grounded out with two on to end it — sort of.The play at first base was close, so both teams and a sellout crowd held their breath during a dramatic replay review before the out call was upheld following a 63-second delay. Kimbrel and the Red Sox — suspended in mid-celebration for a minute — resumed bouncing around in excitement.After... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees couldn't wait to get back home.Now, that's exactly where they're staying.CC Sabathia became the latest pitcher to put New York in an early hole as rookie manager Aaron Boone again stuck with his starter too long, and the Yankees fell just short of extending their season Tuesday night with a 4-3 loss to the rival Boston Red Sox in Game 4 of their AL Division Series.New York mounted a last-ditch rally against wild closer Craig Kimbrel, scoring twice in the ninth inning. But the Yankees' comeback stalled when Gary Sanchez's bases-loaded sacrifice fly was caught on the left-field warning track, and rookie Gleyber Torres grounded out with two on to end it — sort of.The play at first base was close, so both teams and a sellout crowd held their breath during a dramatic replay review before the out call was upheld following a 63-second delay. Kimbrel and the Red Sox — suspended in mid-celebration for a minute — resumed bouncing around in excitement.After... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Angel Hernandez hit .250 in Game 3 of the AL Division Series. That's a mediocre batting average for a player and awful replay average for an umpire.Hernandez was overruled on three of four video reviews of his decisions at first base during Boston's 16-1 rout of the New York Yankees on Monday night."There were several very close calls at first base tonight, and we are glad that instant replay allowed the umpiring crew to achieve the proper result on all of them," Major League Baseball said in a statement.The Red Sox, Yankees and fans around the country will see plenty of Hernandez on Tuesday night, when he's scheduled to work the plate in Game 4.The 57-year-old Hernandez was born in Havana, joined the major league staff in 1993 and worked the World Series in 2002 and 2005. He sued MLB in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati in July 2017, alleging race discrimination and citing his lack of World Series assignments in the past decade and baseball not promoting him to crew chief.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Angel Hernandez hit .250 in Game 3 of the AL Division Series. That's a mediocre batting average for a player and awful replay average for an umpire.Hernandez was overruled on three of four video reviews of his decisions at first base during Boston's 16-1 rout of the New York Yankees on Monday night."There were several very close calls at first base tonight, and we are glad that instant replay allowed the umpiring crew to achieve the proper result on all of them," Major League Baseball said in a statement.The Red Sox, Yankees and fans around the country will see plenty of Hernandez on Tuesday night, when he's scheduled to work the plate in Game 4.The 57-year-old Hernandez was born in Havana, joined the major league staff in 1993 and worked the World Series in 2002 and 2005. He sued MLB in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati in July 2017, alleging race discrimination and citing his lack of World Series assignments in the past decade and baseball not promoting him to crew chief.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Angel Hernandez hit .250 in Game 3 of the AL Division Series. That's a mediocre batting average for a player and awful replay average for an umpire.Hernandez was overruled on three of four video reviews of his decisions at first base during Boston's 16-1 rout of the New York Yankees on Monday night."There were several very close calls at first base tonight, and we are glad that instant replay allowed the umpiring crew to achieve the proper result on all of them," Major League Baseball said in a statement.The Red Sox, Yankees and fans around the country will see plenty of Hernandez on Tuesday night, when he's scheduled to work the plate in Game 4.The 57-year-old Hernandez was born in Havana, joined the major league staff in 1993 and worked the World Series in 2002 and 2005. He sued MLB in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati in July 2017, alleging race discrimination and citing his lack of World Series assignments in the past decade and baseball not promoting him to crew chief.... [More]

Of course Erik Kratz kept hoping for a moment like this. That's why he stuck around, through a dozen big league organizations, a couple of cruel demotions in the minors, a bunch of near-misses in the World Series.And the time he accidentally shot himself in the hand with a nail gun."I really feel like I've played my last game for the last 12 years because the game doesn't owe anybody anything," the Milwaukee catcher said. "When you understand that, you appreciate these times more than anything else."Luke Voit certainly never expected to hear crowds at Yankee Stadium chanting his name in October, especially when he was stuck at Triple-A for St. Louis in late July. Yet there he was, batting third as New York hosted Boston on Monday night.Ryan Brasier's path to these playoffs was unusual, too. The Red Sox reliever is a rookie — even though he made his major league debut in 2013.This postseason is full of stars, including Christian Yelich, Jose Altuve and Mookie Betts. Ronald Acuna Jr., Miguel... [More]

Of course Erik Kratz kept hoping for a moment like this. That's why he stuck around, through a dozen big league organizations, a couple of cruel demotions in the minors, a bunch of near-misses in October.And the time he accidentally shot himself in the hand with a nail gun."I really feel like I've played my last game for the last 12 years because the game doesn't owe anybody anything," the Milwaukee catcher said. "When you understand that, you appreciate these times more than anything else."Luke Voit certainly never expected to hear crowds at Yankee Stadium chanting his name in October, especially when he was stuck at Triple-A for St. Louis in late July.Ryan Brasier's path to these playoffs was unusual, too. The Red Sox reliever is a rookie — even though he made his major league debut in 2013.This postseason is full of stars, including Christian Yelich, Jose Altuve and Mookie Betts. Ronald Acuna Jr., Miguel Andujar and Walker Buehler are among the many talented newcomers.To see them here,... [More]

A look at the best-of-five American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox:___Schedule: (All times EDT) Game 1, Friday, at Boston, 7:32 p.m.; Game 2, Saturday, at Boston, 8:15 p.m.; Game 3, Monday, Oct. 8, at New York, 7:40 p.m.; x-Game 4, Tuesday, Oct. 9, at New York, 8:07 p.m.; x-Game 5, Thursday, Oct. 11, at Boston, 7:40 p.m. (All games on TBS).x-if necessary.___Season Series: Red Sox won 10-9.___Projected Lineups:Yankees: LF Andrew McCutchen (.255, 20 HRs, 65 RBIs for Pirates and Yankees), RF Aaron Judge (.278, 27, 67, 152 Ks in 112 games), CF Aaron Hicks (.248, 27, 79 in 137 games), DH Giancarlo Stanton (.266, 38, 100, 211 Ks), 1B Luke Voit (.322, 15, 36 in 47 games for Cardinals and Yankees; .333, 14, 33 in 39 games with Yankees), SS Didi Gregorius (.268, 27, 86 in 134 games), 3B Miguel Andujar (.297, 27, 92, 47 2Bs), C Gary Sanchez (.186, 18, 53 in 89 games), 2B Gleyber Torres (.271, 24, 77 in 123 games).Red Sox: RF Mookie Betts (.346, 32, 80, 129... [More]

A look at the best-of-five American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox:___Schedule: (All times EDT) Game 1, Friday, at Boston, 7:32 p.m.; Game 2, Saturday, at Boston, 8:15 p.m.; Game 3, Monday, Oct. 8, at New York, TBA; x-Game 4, Tuesday, Oct. 9, at New York, TBA; x-Game 5, Thursday, Oct. 11, at Boston, TBA. (All games on TBS).x-if necessary.___Season Series: Red Sox won 10-9.___Projected Lineups:Yankees: LF Andrew McCutchen (.255, 20 HRs, 65 RBIs for Pirates and Yankees), RF Aaron Judge (.278, 27, 67, 152 Ks in 112 games), CF Aaron Hicks (.248, 27, 79 in 137 games), DH Giancarlo Stanton (.266, 38, 100, 211 Ks), 1B Luke Voit (.322, 15, 36 in 47 games for Cardinals and Yankees; .333, 14, 33 in 39 games with Yankees), SS Didi Gregorius (.268, 27, 86 in 134 games), 3B Miguel Andujar (.297, 27, 92, 47 2Bs), C Gary Sanchez (.186, 18, 53 in 89 games), 2B Gleyber Torres (.271, 24, 77 in 123 games).Red Sox: RF Mookie Betts (.346, 32, 80, 129 runs, 30 steals),... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Fans have been waiting for another one of these rumbles: baseball's most-bitter rivals set to tangle again, this time as 100-win heavyweights in the playoffs.Munson vs. Fisk, Pedro vs. Popeye , A-Rod vs. Varitek and earlier this year Brock Holt vs. Tyler Austin .The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees back at each other in the postseason for the first time in 14 years."We're a team that can play with anybody, and we're not afraid to go in there," Yankees center fielder Aaron Hicks said after a 7-2 wild-card win over Oakland sent New York to a best-of-five AL Division Series that starts Friday in Fenway Park.Yankees fans were chanting "We want Boston!" during the late innings. The Red Sox tweeted "We want New York" after the final out in the Bronx."I think they're ready and relish the opportunity to go up against the game's best this year," Yankees rookie manager Aaron Boone said of his players.That is the same Aaron Boone whose 11th-inning homer in Game 7 of the 2003 AL... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Other than opening with a reliever on the mound, nothing was any different about this October for the Oakland Athletics.They didn't last very long ... again.Liam Hendriks gave up a two-run homer to Aaron Judge on his ninth pitch and the A's never recovered, making another early playoff exit with a 7-2 loss to the New York Yankees in the American League wild-card game Wednesday night.Oakland's dangerous bats were mostly silenced by Luis Severino and a nasty New York bullpen, sending the A's right back across the country and home for the winter — an abrupt ending to their surprisingly successful 97-win season."Unless you play the last game, it's disappointing," manager Bob Melvin said. "So I think when you reflect back and look where we started the year, kind of where we came from, it ends up being a good year. But it doesn't feel good right now."Meanwhile, the Yankees advanced to a best-of-five Division Series against rival Boston.It was the eighth consecutive defeat for... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Other than opening with a reliever on the mound, nothing was any different about this October for the Oakland Athletics.They didn't last very long ... again.Liam Hendriks gave up a two-run homer to Aaron Judge on his ninth pitch and the A's never recovered, making another early playoff exit with a 7-2 loss to the New York Yankees in the American League wild-card game Wednesday night.Oakland's dangerous bats were mostly silenced by Luis Severino and a nasty New York bullpen, sending the A's right back across the country and home for the winter — an abrupt ending to their surprisingly successful 97-win season."Unless you play the last game, it's disappointing," manager Bob Melvin said. "So I think when you reflect back and look where we started the year, kind of where we came from, it ends up being a good year. But it doesn't feel good right now."Meanwhile, the Yankees advanced to a best-of-five Division Series against rival Boston.It was the eighth consecutive defeat for... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Luis Severino gets a wild-card do-over.After getting just one out for the New York Yankees against Minnesota last year, Severino starts this year's winner-take-all matchup against the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday night ."I just want to win," Severino said Tuesday. "If I can go four good innings and then the bullpen comes, that would be great."Severino was chosen over J.A. Happ and Masahiro Tanaka despite a second-half slump. Rookie manager Aaron Boone said he made the decision after a staff meeting Saturday, slept on it and finalized it the next day ."I think he's equipped in so many ways to handle this, and perhaps most importantly, he's equipped with amazing stuff and the ability to dominate big league hitters because he's such a talented pitcher," Boone said.Severino left last year's wild-card game trailing 3-0 after allowing four hits and a walk. Chad Green, David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle and Aroldis Chapman combined for five-hit relief as New York rallied for an 8-4... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Luis Severino gets a wild-card do-over.After getting just one out for the New York Yankees against Minnesota last year, Severino starts this year's winner-take-all matchup against the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday night."I just want to win," Severino said Tuesday. "If I can go four good innings and then the bullpen comes, that would be great."Severino was chosen over J.A. Happ and Masahiro Tanaka despite a second-half slump. Rookie manager Aaron Boone said he made the decision Saturday."I think he's equipped in so many ways to handle this, and perhaps most importantly, he's equipped with amazing stuff and the ability to dominate big league hitters because he's such a talented pitcher," Boone said.Severino left last year's wild-card game trailing 3-0 after allowing four hits and a walk. Chad Green, David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle and Aroldis Chapman combined for five-hit relief as New York rallied for an 8-4 victory."I was too excited," Severino said. "It was a good experience.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball is opening October by blasting the game's so-called "unwritten rules."MLB released an advertisement ahead of Tuesday's postseason opener denouncing the anti-bat flip attitudes of many baseball traditionalists."Don't stop and stare. Don't flip your bat. Respect the jersey," says a narrator at the start. Meanwhile, the commercial shows Giancarlo Stanton admiring a lengthy home run, Carlos Correa tossing his bat, Mookie Betts flexing and Yasiel Puig wagging his tongue after a daring headfirst slide.It also includes Atlanta rookie Ronald Acuna Jr. celebrating a home run against the Marlins. Acuna was plunked by Miami's Jose Urena during his impressive five-game homer streak this season, an incident that put baseball's unwritten rules back under the microscope.After Acuna, the ad cuts to Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. Griffey sports a backward baseball cap, just like he did as the fresh face of baseball in the early 1990s."No more talk," Griffey says. "Let... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Cincinnati catcher Tucker Barnhart could hear the difference at Great American Ball Park, one of six major league stadiums that set record lows for attendance this year."It's pretty hard to not notice it when you can hear the light towers buzzing," he said.Major League Baseball's average attendance dropped 4 percent to 28,830, its lowest since 2003 after 14 consecutive seasons topping 30,000.Baltimore's Camden Yards, Chicago's Guaranteed Rate Field, Minnesota's Target Field, Miami's Marlins Park and Pittsburgh's PNC Park also drew their smallest attendance since opening as part of a ballpark boom. In a season of unusually cold and wet weather, 17 of the 30 teams experienced drops.Major League Baseball attributed the decrease primarily "connected to the historically bad weather we faced back in the spring" and noted the percentage drop decreased markedly after May 1.Total attendance fell to 69.63 million from 72.67 million last year and a high of 79.5 million in 2007. The... [More]