NEW YORK (AP) — Boston will pay a Red Sox record $13.4 million luxury tax after failing to make the playoffs and the New York Yankees finished with a $6.7 million bill, likely a fraction of what they will pay next year.Three teams owe tax, according to end of year figures sent to clubs on Wednesday and obtained by The Associated Press. The Chicago Cubs must pay $7.6 million following a season that ended with September fade and no postseason berth.New York has run up a total of $348 million in tax since the payroll restraint system began in 2003, owing money in each year except 2018. The Los Angeles Dodgers are second at $150 million, followed by the Red Sox at $50 million and the Cubs at $11 million.This year's initial tax threshold was $206 million, counting payrolls by average annual values and including earned bonuses, adjustments for cash transactions, option buyouts and just over $14 million per team in benefits.Among regular payrolls, which include salaries, prorated shares of signing... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — J.D. Davis maintains he was not aware of any electronic sign stealing by the Astros in 2017, when he made his major league debut with Houston."I wish I would have known because I batted only like .180, .200 or something like that," he said Wednesday after playing the elf during the New York Mets' holiday party for children. "I really have no idea or no clue."A third-round pick by Houston in the 2014 amateur draft, Davis played his first big league game on Aug. 5, 2017, and hit .226 with four homers and seven RBIs in 62 at-bats.Pitcher Mike Fiers alleged in a report by The Athletic last month that the Astros used a camera to steal signs en route to the World Series title, triggering an investigation by Major League Baseball. A member of the 2017 Astros, Fiers is now with Oakland."I was surprised by it," Davis said. "I was kind of like the freshman among the seniors."Davis said he had not received any calls from MLB investigators.Carlos Beltran, a teammate on the 2017 Astros,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — It had never been so difficult for Mike Trout to arrive at the ballpark, get his mind and body ready, and perform at the level baseball fans have come to expect.And still, nobody did it better in the American League.Trout overcame injury and tragedy to win his third AL MVP award Thursday night, getting 17 of 30 first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Alex Bregman of the Houston Astros was second, and that duo combined for all the first- and second-place votes. Trout also won the award in 2014 and ’16.“This year was probably the toughest year,” Trout said.Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger made it a Southern California sweep, beating out the Milwaukee Brewers’ Christian Yelich for the NL prize. Bellinger got 19 of 30 first-place votes, Yelich got 10, and Washington’s Anthony Rendon got one while finishing third. Yelich won the award last year.Trout had season-ending foot surgery in September while the Angels languished to a fourth-place... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout has overcome injury and tragedy to win his third AL MVP award.Trout got 17 of 30 first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America revealed Thursday night. Alex Bregman of the Houston Astros was second with the other 13 first-place votes. That duo combined for all the first- and second-place votes.Dodgers slugger Cody Bellinger made it an LA sweep, beating out the Milwaukee Brewers’ Christian Yelich for the NL prize. Bellinger got 19 of 30 first-place votes, Yelich got 10, and Washington’s Anthony Rendon got one while finishing third. Yelich won the award last year.Trout had season-ending foot surgery in September. The outfielder played just 134 games but still set a career high with 45 homers. He batted .291, led the majors with a .438 on-base percentage and drove in 104 runs. It was just enough to avoid another second-place finish — he’s tied for the record with four runner-ups.The 28-year-old shined even... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout has overcome injury and tragedy to win his third AL MVP Award.Trout got 17 of 30 first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America revealed Thursday night. Alex Bregman of the Houston Astros was second with the other 13 first-place votes. That duo combined for all the first- and second-place votes.Trout had season-ending foot surgery in September. The outfielder played just 134 games but still set a career high with 45 homers. He batted .291, led the majors with a .438 on-base percentage and drove in 104 runs.The 28-year-old shined even following the death of close friend and teammate Tyler Skaggs on July 1. Trout smashed a 454-foot homer wearing Skaggs’ No. 45 in the team’s first game back, when LA pitchers threw a combined no-hitter.Trout is the 10th three-time MVP and joins an elite group: Barry Bonds, Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, Joe DiMaggio, Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez and Mike Schmidt. Bonds is the only player with more than three MVPs — he won seven.Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Cody Bellinger beat out the Milwaukee Brewers’ Christian Yelich for the NL prize. Yelich won the award last year.___Follow Jake Seiner: https://twitter.com/Jake_Seiner___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Alex Bregman will try to give the Houston Astros an unprecedented sweep.If the All-Star slugger is selected the American League’s Most Valuable Player when voting results are announced Thursday, the Astros will become the first team to have an MVP, Cy Young Award winner and Rookie of the Year in the same season. Justin Verlander took Cy Young honors, and Yordan Álvarez was a unanimous pick as the AL’s top rookie.Mike Trout is probably Bregman’s top competition, and the National League MVP figures to come down to Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers or Christian Yelich of the Brewers, with Anthony Rendon of the Nationals also a worthy finalist.Both MVP races were impacted by injuries. Trout was having another spectacular year for the Los Angeles Angels when right foot problems ended his season early. He did not play after Sept. 7 and was limited to 134 games.Trout still finished with a career-high 45 home runs, along with a .291 batting average, 104 RBIs, 110 runs and a 1.083 OPS. Trout won MVP... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Justin Verlander has a second AL Cy Young Award — and a clear path paved toward Cooperstown.Verlander beat out Houston Astros teammate Gerrit Cole in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America revealed Wednesday night. Verlander got 17 first-place votes to 13 for Cole, who became a free agent after the season.Mets ace Jacob deGrom won the NL prize for the second straight year. He received 29 of 30 first-place votes, becoming the 11th pitcher to win Cy Youngs in consecutive years. He and Verlander are the 20th and 21st players to win the award multiple times.The 36-year-old Verlander won his first Cy Young in 2011 with Detroit, when he was also named MVP. Since then, he’d been a runner-up three times.“The adversity I went through puts a new perspective on everything,” he said. “I mean, still would’ve liked to have won a couple of them.”Verlander continued a marvelous second act to his career since a 2017 trade from Detroit to Houston. He led the majors with... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Justin Verlander has a second AL Cy Young Award — and a clear path paved toward Cooperstown.Verlander beat out teammate Gerrit Cole in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America revealed Wednesday night. Verlander got 17 first-place votes to 13 for Cole, who became a free agent after the season.Mets ace Jacob deGrom won the NL prize for the second straight year. He received 29 of 30 first-place votes, becoming the 11th pitcher to win Cy Youngs in consecutive years. He and Verlander are the 20th and 21st players to win the award multiple times.The 36-year-old Verlander won his first Cy Young in 2011 with Detroit, when he was also named MVP. Since then, he’d been a runner-up three times.“The adversity I went through puts a new perspective on everything,” he said. “I mean, still would’ve liked to have won a couple of them.”Verlander continued a marvelous second act to his career since a 2017 trade from Detroit to Houston. He led the majors with 21 victories and... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Justin Verlander has a second AL Cy Young Award — and a clear path paved toward Cooperstown.Verlander beat out teammate Gerrit Cole in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America revealed Wednesday night. Verlander got 17 first-place votes to 13 for Cole, who became a free agent after the season.Mets ace Jacob deGrom won the NL prize for the second straight year. He received 29 of 30 first-place votes, becoming the 11th pitcher to win Cy Youngs in consecutive years. He and Verlander are the 20th and 21st players to win the award multiple times.The 36-year-old Verlander won his first Cy Young in 2011 with Detroit, when he was also named MVP. Since then, he’d been a runner-up three times.“The adversity I went through puts a new perspective on everything,” he said. “I mean, still would’ve liked to have won a couple of them.”Verlander continued a marvelous second act to his career since a 2017 trade from Detroit to Houston. He led the majors with 21 victories and... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Justin Verlander has a second AL Cy Young Award — and a clear path paved toward Cooperstown.Verlander beat out teammate Gerrit Cole in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America announced Wednesday night. Verlander got 17 first-place votes compared to 13 for Cole, who became a free agent after the season.Mets ace Jacob deGrom won the NL prize for the second straight year. He received 29 of 30 first-place votes, becoming the 11th pitcher to win Cy Youngs in consecutive years. He and Verlander are the 20th and 21st players to win the award multiple times.The previous repeat winner was Washington’s Max Scherzer in 2016 and ’17. Scherzer finished third this season, a slot behind the Dodgers’ Hyun-Jin Ryu.Verlander continued a marvelous second act to his career since a 2017 trade from Detroit to Houston. He led the majors with 21 victories and padded his Hall of Fame resume by getting his 3,000th strikeout in his final start of the regular season. He also reached... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout, Houston third baseman Alex Bregman and Oakland shortstop Marcus Semien are finalists for the AL MVP award.Trout is seeking his third MVP after winning in 2014 and '16. He finished second in 2012, '13, '15 and '18.Washington third baseman Anthony Rendon, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger and Milwaukee outfielder Christian Yelich are the top three for the NL honor. Yelich won last year's NL MVP award with 29 of 30 first-place votes.Houston's Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander are finalists for the AL Cy Young Award along with Tampa Bay's Charlie Morton, the Baseball Writers' Association of America said Monday. Verlander won the 2011 Cy Young with Detroit, when he also was voted MVP.New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom is a finalist for the NL Cy Young Award after getting 29 of 30 first-place votes last year. He is competing with Washington's Max Scherzer and the Dodgers' Hyun-Jin Ryu. Scherzer is a three-time Cy Young winner.Mets... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout, Houston third baseman Alex Bregman and Oakland shortstop Marcus Semien are finalists for the AL MVP award.Trout is seeking his third MVP after winning in 2014 and '16. He finished second in 2012, '13, '15 and '18.Washington third baseman Anthony Rendon, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger and Milwaukee outfielder Christian Yelich are the top three for the NL honor. Yelich won last year's NL MVP award with 29 of 30 first-place votes.Houston's Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander are finalists for the AL Cy Young Award along with Tampa Bay's Charlie Morton, the Baseball Writers' Association of America said. Verlander won the 2011 Cy Young with Detroit, when he also was voted MVP.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

HOUSTON (AP) — It was well within their grasp.The Houston Astros had a shot at a mini dynasty with a second title in three seasons. Instead, they failed to get one win in two chances at home against the Washington Nationals and have an offseason as runner-ups to ponder what might have been."I've got a group of heartbroken men ... that did everything they could to try to bring a World Series championship to this city," manager AJ Hinch said. "And we fell one win shy."The Astros won a franchise-record and MLB-best 107 games to earn home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. It didn't help in a World Series in which they dropped all four games in Houston, capped by Wednesday night's 6-2 loss that left them to watch the Nationals celebrate on their home field.In a season where aces Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole powered their spectacular success, a bullpen implosion in the seventh inning in Game 7 ensured the Astros wouldn't get a second ring this year.Zack Greinke, picked up at the trade... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — What a comeback for the Washington Nationals.The team that was 12 games under .500 before the end of May is now the World Series champion.The Nationals beat the Houston Astros 6-2 on Wednesday night, when they were down 2-0 after six innings. It was Washington's fifth comeback win in a potential elimination game this postseason — four was already a major league record for a single postseason.They had to win the NL wild card game, then went the full five games in the NL Division Series to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers on the road in extra innings to advance. Washington swept St. Louis in the NL Championship Series.BIG HOMERSAnthony Rendon homered in the last three games when the Nationals were facing elimination, becoming the first player ever to homer in three consecutive elimination games.Howie Kendrick put Washington ahead to stay with his two-run homer in the seventh inning of Game 7, two batters after Rendon went deep.Kendrick is the first player with multiple go-ahead... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Max Scherzer never had a clean inning in Game 7 of the World Series for the Washington Nationals. He finished with more walks than strikeouts and walked off the mound trailing.Yet, Mad Max delivered in the clutch for the Nationals even without getting the win.Boosted by a cortisone injection and the adrenaline of trying to get his first World Series ring, Scherzer labored through five innings while throwing 103 pitches. The three-time Cy Young winner gave up seven hits and four walks, yet allowed only two runs.Three days after being unable to make his scheduled start at home in Game 5, when he could barely move his right arm because of an irritated nerve near his neck, Scherzer is finally a World Series champion."Just a moment you never forget. Everything you worked for in your life. I mean ever since I've been a kid, I dreamed to be a baseball player," the 35-year-old Scherzer said. "I knew I wanted to be a baseball player, I wanted to be a World Series champion. What a... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Max Scherzer never had a clean inning in Game 7 of the World Series for the Washington Nationals. He finished with more walks than strikeouts and walked off the mound trailing.Yet, Mad Max delivered in the clutch for the Nationals even without getting the win.Boosted by a cortisone injection and the adrenaline of trying to get his first World Series ring, Scherzer labored through five innings while throwing 103 pitches. Even though the 35-year-old three-time Cy Young winner allowed seven hits and walked four, he gave up only two runs in a championship-worthy effort.Three days after being unable to make his scheduled start at home in Game 5 when he could barely move his right arm because of an irritated nerve near his neck, Scherzer is a World Series champion."For him to grind out those five innings, absolutely kept us in the ballgame, gave us a chance to win. It was gutsy," reliever Sean Doolittle said. "It wasn't his most probably overpowering performance, but it was one... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — What a comeback for the Washington Nationals.The team that was 12 games under .500 before the end of May is now the World Series champion.The Nationals beat the Houston Astros 6-2 on Wednesday night, when they were down 2-0 after six innings. It was Washington's fifth comeback win in a potential elimination game this postseason — four was already a major league record for a single postseason.They had to win the NL wild card game, then went the full five games in the NL Division Series before beating the Los Angeles Dodgers on the road in extra innings to advance. They swept St. Louis in the NL Championship Series.BIG HOMERSAnthony Rendon homered in the last three games when the Nationals were facing elimination, becoming the first player ever to homer in three consecutive elimination games.Howie Kendrick put Washington ahead to stay with his two-run homer in the seventh, two batters after Rendon went deep.Kendrick is the first player with multiple go-ahead homers in the seventh... [More]

Astros second. Yuli Gurriel homers to left field. Yordan Alvarez singles to right field. Carlos Correa singles to right field. Yordan Alvarez to second. Robinson Chirinos pops out to Yan Gomes. Josh Reddick grounds out to first base to Ryan Zimmerman. Carlos Correa to second. Yordan Alvarez to third. George Springer lines out to left field to Juan Soto.1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 left on. Astros 1, Nationals 0.Astros fifth. Michael Brantley singles to right field. Alex Bregman strikes out swinging. Yuli Gurriel reaches on a fielder's choice to shortstop. Michael Brantley out at second. Yordan Alvarez walks. Yuli Gurriel to second. Carlos Correa singles. Yordan Alvarez to third. Yuli Gurriel scores. Robinson Chirinos strikes out swinging.1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 left on. Astros 2, Nationals 0.Nationals seventh. Adam Eaton grounds out to shortstop, Carlos Correa to Yuli Gurriel. Anthony Rendon homers to left field. Juan Soto walks. Howie Kendrick homers to right field. Juan Soto scores.... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — The Latest on Game 7 of the World Series (all times local):10:50 p.m.Howie Kendrick and Anthony Rendon homered in the seventh inning as the Washington Nationals overcame a two-run deficit and rocked the Houston Astros 6-2 Wednesday night in Game 7 to claim the first World Series title in franchise history.With all eyes on Max Scherzer and his remarkable recovery following an injection, the Nationals embraced their shot in a Series where the road team won every game. Even more against the odds: Juan Soto and Washington rallied from behind to win five elimination games this postseason.Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin and the Nats brought the first World Series championship to the nation's capital since Walter Johnson delivered the crown for the Senators in 1924.___10:22 p.m.The Washington Nationals added to their lead going into the ninth inning of Game 7 after another hit by their young slugger.Juan Soto's RBI single in the eighth inning extended Washington's lead over the... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — The Latest on Game 7 of the World Series (all times local):10:22 p.m.The Washington Nationals added to their lead going into the ninth inning of Game 7 after another hit by their young slugger.Juan Soto's RBI single in the eighth inning extended Washington's lead over the Houston Astros to 4-2.Houston will have the top of its order coming up in the bottom of the ninth, needing at least two runs as they try to win their second World Series title in three years.Washington, with the Nationals in their 15th season, will try to take a World Series title with the visiting team winning every game.Soto, who turned 21 last Friday, has two hits in the Series finale and 18 this postseason, with only one player younger than him matching that. Miguel Cabrera had 18 hits as a 20-year-old rookie for the World Series champion Marlins in 2003.___9:53 p.m.Anthony Rendon homered off Zack Greinke and Howie Kendrick followed with a go-ahead, two-run drive against Will Harris in the seventh inning,... [More]