CHICAGO (AP) — Pinch-hitter David Bote smashed a grand slam against Ryan Madson with two outs in the ninth inning to lift the Chicago Cubs to a 4-3 victory over the Washington Nationals on Sunday night.Bote's long drive to center field came after Washington's Max Scherzer and Chicago's Cole Hamels delivered simply dominant starts.Madson (2-5) came in with a 3-0 lead to start the ninth and quickly ran into trouble. He gave up an infield single to Jason Heyward with one out and hit Albert Almora with a pitch. Madson then retired Kyle Schwarber on a foul pop before hitting Contreras to load the bases, but Bote drove a 2-2 pitch well beyond the center-field wall.Bote's drive made a winner of Justin Wilson (4-3), who got the final two outs in the ninth.RED SOX 4, ORIOLES 1BALTIMORE (AP) — Chris Sale celebrated his return from the disabled list by striking out 12 over five dominant innings, and the Boston Red Sox moved 50 games over .500 by completing a sweep of the lowly Orioles.Sale (12-4)... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — Chris Sale celebrated his return from the disabled list by striking out 12 over five dominant innings, and the Boston Red Sox moved 50 games over .500 by completing a sweep of the lowly Baltimore Orioles with a 4-1 victory on Sunday.Sale (12-4) was placed on the DL on July 28 with left shoulder inflammation. Judging by his performance, the injury is no longer an issue.The left-hander allowed just one hit, a clean third-inning single to left field by Renato Nunez, and walked none. Craig Kimbrel, the last of five Boston relievers, worked the ninth for his 35th save.Steve Pearce homered for the Red Sox, who have won 10 of 11 to improve to 85-35.Alex Cobb (3-15) took the loss despite allowing only two runs, one earned, over seven innings.MARINERS 4, ASTROS 3, 10 INNINGSHOUSTON (AP) — Ryon Healy hit a tying homer with two out in the ninth inning, Mitch Haniger delivered an RBI double in the 10th and the Mariners swept a four-game series from the AL West-leading Astros.It's the... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — Chris Sale celebrated his return from the disabled list by striking out 12 over five dominant innings, and the Boston Red Sox moved 50 games over .500 by completing a sweep of the lowly Baltimore Orioles with a 4-1 victory on Sunday.Sale (12-4) was placed on the DL on July 28 with left shoulder inflammation. Judging by his performance, the injury is no longer an issue.The left-hander allowed just one hit, a clean third-inning single to left field by Renato Nunez, and walked none. Craig Kimbrel, the last of five Boston relievers, worked the ninth for his 35th save.Steve Pearce homered for the Red Sox, who have won 10 of 11 to improve to 85-35.Alex Cobb (3-15) took the loss despite allowing only two runs, one earned, over seven innings.MARINERS 4, ASTROS 3, 10 INNINGSHOUSTON (AP) — Ryon Healy hit a tying homer with two out in the ninth inning, Mitch Haniger delivered an RBI double in the 10th and the Mariners swept a four-game series from the AL West-leading Astros.It's the... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — Chris Sale celebrated his return from the disabled list by striking out 12 over five dominant innings, and the Boston Red Sox moved 50 games over .500 by completing a sweep of the lowly Baltimore Orioles with a 4-1 victory on Sunday.Sale (12-4) was placed on the DL on July 28 with left shoulder inflammation. Judging by his performance, the injury is no longer an issue.The left-hander allowed just one hit, a clean third-inning single to left field by Renato Nunez, and walked none. Craig Kimbrel, the last of five Boston relievers, worked the ninth for his 35th save.Steve Pearce homered for the Red Sox, who have won 10 of 11 to improve to 85-35.Alex Cobb (3-15) took the loss despite allowing only two runs, one earned, over seven innings.YANKEES 7, RANGERS 2NEW YORK (AP) — CC Sabathia threw six shutout innings, Giancarlo Stanton homered again and the Yankees won for the sixth time in seven games.Didi Gregorius also homered and turned in a nifty defensive play for New York.... [More]

DENVER (AP) — To summon a recent reliever, Cubs manager Joe Maddon didn't even need to signal his bullpen. He just pointed toward his first baseman.Now pitching: Anthony Rizzo .That's no sort of curveball, either.In an increasing trend this season, position players are making more appearances on the mound to save wear and tear on the bullpen in games that have spiraled out of hand or as a last resort.Through Thursday, there have been 49 appearances by 39 non-pitchers (not counting two-way player Shohei Ohtani ). Both figures are major-league highs for the expansion era starting in 1961, according to the Elias Sports Bureau."It's just cool to be up there and get to do something that you don't get to do," said Pirates shortstop Jordy Mercer, who was a closer and infielder at Oklahoma State but has never pitched in the majors despite his best lobbying efforts. "You have the ball in your hands nonstop."Rizzo pleaded for a while to get into a game. His chance arrived on July 23 with the Cubs... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Sonny Gray was chased in the third inning by the team with worst record in the majors, big league-loss leader Alex Cobb ended a nine-start winless streak and the Baltimore Orioles beat the New York Yankees 7-5 on Wednesday.Despite what appeared to be a midgame lecture in the dugout by third base coach Phil Nevin during a rain delay, New York (68-38) dropped 5 1/2 games behind Boston (75-34) heading into a four-game series at Fenway Park starting Thursday.Gray (8-8) allowed seven runs, eight hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings, raising his ERA to 5.56. He was booed as he walked off the mound and was replaced by Lance Lynn.Cobb (3-14) had been 0-7 since winning at the New York Mets on June 5, losing his last five outings. He breezed against the Yankees with an early 7-1 lead, allowing one run and seven hits in six innings and stopping Baltimore's streak of 11 consecutive road losses.Gleyber Torres homered twice for New York, a solo drive in the second and a three-run shot... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Sonny Gray was chased in the third inning by the team with worst record in the majors, big league-loss leader Alex Cobb ended a nine-start winless streak and the Baltimore Orioles beat the New York Yankees 7-5 on Wednesday.Despite what appeared to be a midgame lecture in the dugout by third base coach Phil Nevin during a rain delay, New York (68-38) dropped 5 1/2 games behind Boston (75-34) heading into a four-game series at Fenway Park starting Thursday.Gray (8-8) allowed seven runs, eight hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings, raising his ERA to 5.56. He was booed as he walked off the mound and was replaced by Lance Lynn.Cobb (3-14) had been 0-7 since winning at the New York Mets on June 5, losing his last five outings. He breezed against the Yankees with an early 7-1 lead, allowing one run and seven hits in six innings and stopping Baltimore's streak of 11 consecutive road losses.Gleyber Torres homered twice for New York, a solo drive in the second and a three-run shot... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Sonny Gray was chased in the third inning by the team with worst record in the majors, big league-loss leader Alex Cobb ended a nine-start winless streak and the Baltimore Orioles beat the New York Yankees 7-5 on Wednesday.Despite what appeared to be a midgame lecture in the dugout by third base coach Phil Nevin during a rain delay, New York (68-38) dropped 5 1/2 games behind Boston (75-34) heading into a four-game series at Fenway Park starting Thursday.Gray (8-8) allowed seven runs, eight hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings, raising his ERA to 5.56. He was booed as he walked off the mound and was replaced by Lance Lynn.Cobb (3-14) had been 0-7 since winning at the New York Mets on June 5, losing his last five outings. He breezed against the Yankees with an early 7-1 lead, allowing one run and seven hits in six innings and stopping Baltimore's streak of 11 consecutive road losses.Gleyber Torres homered twice for New York, a solo drive in the second and a three-run shot... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — In the highest-scoring game in franchise history, Daniel Murphy hit two early home runs and the Washington Nationals kept pouring it on against emergency reliever Jose Reyes and the New York Mets in a 25-4 rout Tuesday night.Trea Turner, who apologized before the game to his teammates for homophobic and racially insensitive tweets he sent several years ago, had four of Washington's 26 hits. Pitcher Tanner Roark (5-12) hit a three-run double during a seven-run first inning.The Nationals set the team scoring mark dating to their days as the Montreal Expos in 1969. It was the Mets' most-lopsided loss in their 57-season history, worse than a 26-7 pounding by Philadelphia in 1985.Reyes made the first pitching appearance of his career, and the 35-year-old infielder got tagged for home runs by Matt Adams and Mark Reynolds in a six-run eighth. Throwing a fastball in the mid-80s mph and a curve in the upper 40s, Reyes gave up five hits and walked two.Reyes also plunked Ryan Zimmerman... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — In the highest-scoring game in franchise history, Daniel Murphy hit two early home runs and the Washington Nationals kept pouring it on against emergency reliever Jose Reyes and the New York Mets in a 25-4 rout Tuesday night.Trea Turner, who apologized before the game to his teammates for homophobic and racially insensitive tweets he sent several years ago, had four of Washington's 26 hits. Pitcher Tanner Roark (5-12) hit a three-run double during a seven-run first inning.The Nationals set the team scoring mark dating to their days as the Montreal Expos in 1969. It was the Mets' most-lopsided loss in their 57-season history, worse than a 26-7 pounding by Philadelphia in 1985.Reyes made the first pitching appearance of his career, and the 35-year-old infielder got tagged for home runs by Matt Adams and Mark Reynolds in a six-run eighth. Throwing a fastball in the mid-80s mph and a curve in the upper 40s, Reyes gave up five hits and walked two.Reyes also plunked Ryan Zimmerman... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Todd Frazier stood a few feet away, wearing the No. 21 Mets jersey of Cleon Jones, Carlos Delgado and Lucas Duda. New York general manager Sandy Alderson smiled.In a depressed free-agent market, Alderson added the third baseman to New York's offseason haul with a $17 million, two-year contract. For a commitment of just $72 million, the Mets brought in Frazier, outfielder Jay Bruce and reliever Anthony Swarzak while retaining shortstop Jose Reyes."Profligate," Alderson said wryly."I think we've tried to be opportunistic," he went on during a news conference at Citi Field. "Some opportunities arose for us that probably would not have been expected right after the end of the World Series."New York hunted the free-agent market for bargains like savvy shoppers at a season closeout. The ever-chatty Frazier, from Toms River, New Jersey, preferred to stay in the area after an enjoyable stay with the New York Yankees last summer.Peripatetic at calm times, Frazier's was even more... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Todd Frazier and the New York Mets have finalized a $17 million, two-year contract after the third baseman passed his physical.Frazier, who turns 32 next week, gets $8 million this year and $9 million in 2019, and the agreement includes a $500,000 assignment bonus if traded."This is my home. I belong here. I belong in New York," Frazier said during a Citi Field news conference Wednesday.He was a 1998 Little League World Series champion in Toms River, New Jersey, and starred at Rutgers. He hit .213 with 27 home runs, 76 RBIs and a .344 on-base percentage last year for the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees, who acquired him on July 19.Frazier hit 35 homers for Cincinnati in 2015 and set career highs with 40 homers and 98 RBIs for the White Sox in 2016."A big personality," Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said.Asdrubal Cabrera becomes New York's projected starter at second base.Third baseman David Wright has been limited to 75 regular-season games during the past three... [More]

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — Getting back on the mound late last season was important for Noah Syndergaard.The New York Mets star went on the disabled list after tearing a lat muscle on April 30 in his fifth start, a 23-5 loss to Washington.He made a pair of brief minor league appearances at the start of September, then had two short outings for New York in the season's final 10 days, totaling three innings."You don't want to go into the offseason in a rehab protocol. I worked so hard for four months that I felt I needed a little bit of a reward to go out there and have success and show that I can come back from a serious injury like that healthy," he said Wednesday in his first appearance at pre-spring training workouts.The 25-year-old right-hander is the ace of the rotation under new manager Mickey Callaway, who replaced Terry Collins. He heads a staff that includes Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Steven Matz and Zack Wheeler, a quintet that combined for just 86 starts last year."I think if... [More]

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — Getting back on the mound late last season was important for Noah Syndergaard.The New York Mets star went on the disabled list after tearing a lat muscle on April 30 in his fifth start, a 23-5 loss to Washington.He made a pair of brief minor league appearances at the start of September, then had two short outings for New York in the season's final 10 days, totaling three innings."You don't want to go into the offseason in a rehab protocol. I worked so hard for four months that I felt I needed a little bit of a reward to go out there and have success and show that I can come back from a serious injury like that healthy," he said Wednesday in his first appearance at pre-spring training workouts.The 25-year-old right-hander is the ace of the rotation under new manager Mickey Callaway, who replaced Terry Collins. He heads a staff that includes Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Steven Matz and Zack Wheeler, a quintet that combined for just 86 starts last year."I think if... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Todd Frazier and the New York Mets have finalized a $17 million, two-year contract after the third baseman passed his physical.Frazier, who turns 32 next week, gets $8 million this year and $9 million in 2019, and the agreement includes a $500,000 assignment bonus if traded. He was to be introduced Wednesday at Citi Field.He was a 1998 Little League World Series champion in Toms River, New Jersey, and starred at Rutgers. He hit .213 with 27 home runs, 76 RBIs and a .344 on-base percentage last year for the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees, who acquired him on July 19.Frazier hit 35 homers for Cincinnati in 2015 and set career highs with 40 homers and 98 RBIs for the White Sox in 2016.Asdrubal Cabrera becomes New York's projected starter at second base.Third baseman David Wright, the Mets' captain, has been limited to 75 regular-season games during the past three years and none since May 2016 because of injuries and a chronic back condition.Among the most active teams this offseason, the Mets brought back right fielder Jay Bruce with a $39 million, three-year contract, gave free agent reliever Anthony Swarzak a $14 million, two-year deal and retained infielder Jose Reyes with a $2 million agreement.___More MLB baseball: https://apnews.com/tags/MLBbaseball

NEW YORK (AP) — Free agent third baseman Todd Frazier is switching sides close to home, set to join the New York Mets and take over a spot that's been in flux since David Wright got injured.A person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Monday night that Frazier and the Mets had agreed on a two-year contract for $17 million. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was still pending a successful physical.Frazier, who was a 1998 Little League World Series champion in nearby Toms River, New Jersey, and later starred at Rutgers, finished up last season with the New York Yankees.The Yankees got him last July in a trade with the Chicago White Sox, and Frazier hit a combined .213 with 27 home runs, 76 RBIs and a .344 on-base percentage. Popular wherever he's been, the spirited Frazier has always drawn cheers from local fans when playing in the New York area."I love playing at home," Frazier said last year after he was traded to the Yankees, his favorite team as... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Free agent third baseman Todd Frazier is switching sides close to home, set to join the New York Mets and take over a spot that's been in flux since David Wright got injured.A person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Monday night that Frazier and the Mets had agreed on a two-year contract for $17 million. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was still pending a physical.Frazier, who was a 1998 Little League World Series champion in nearby Toms River, New Jersey, and later starred at Rutgers, finished up last season with the New York Yankees.The Yankees got him last July in a trade with the Chicago White Sox, and Frazier hit a combined .213 with 27 home runs, 76 RBIs and a .344 on-base percentage. Popular wherever he's been, the spirited Frazier has always drawn cheers from local fans when playing in the New York area."I love playing at home," Frazier said last year after he was traded to the Yankees, his favorite team as a kid.Frazier... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Left-hander Josh Smoker has been traded from the New York Mets to the Pittsburgh Pirates for minor league left-hander Daniel Zamora and cash.The swap was announced Wednesday, five days after Smoker was designated for assignment to clear a roster spot after the Mets re-signed free agent infielder Jose Reyes.Smoker was 3-0 with a 4.70 ERA for the Mets as a rookie in 2016, then went 1-2 with a 5.11 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings over 54 relief appearances last year. He was sidelined from June 14 to July 10 with a strained left shoulder and had a 2.63 ERA in 32 games following his return.Smoker, who turned 29 in November, enters games to Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water."The 24-year-old Zamora, who attended Stony Brook on Long Island, was 2-4 with nine saves and a 1.76 ERA last year from Class A Bradenton and Double-A Altoona, striking out 63 in 56 1/3 innings. He was a Florida State League All-Star.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

NEW YORK (AP) — Jose Reyes and the New York Mets finalized a $2 million, one-year contract, a deal that allows him to earn an additional $500,000 in bonuses based on plate appearances."This is my home," Reyes said in a statement Friday. "I'm excited to be back with a great group of teammates. I will do everything I can to help us get back to the postseason."Now 34, Reyes was a four-time All-Star shortstop with the Mets from 2003-11 and left after winning the NL batting title to sign a $106 million, six-year contract with Miami. He was traded in November 2012 to Toronto and in July 2015 to Colorado, which released him in 2016 after Reyes served a 59-day domestic violence suspension.He returned to New York, came up to the major leagues in July and batted .267 with eight homers and 24 RBIs in 279 plate appearances.Reyes remained with the Mets last year and was among their most versatile players, appearing in 80 games at shortstop, 36 at third base, 28 at second base, one in center field and... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Jose Reyes and the New York Mets finalized a $2 million, one-year contract, a deal that allows him to earn an additional $500,000 in bonuses."This is my home," Reyes said in a statement Friday. "I'm excited to be back with a great group of teammates. I will do everything I can to help us get back to the postseason."Now 34, Reyes was a four-time All-Star shortstop with the Mets from 2003-11 and left after winning the NL batting title to sign a $106 million, six-year contract with Miami. He was traded in November 2012 to Toronto and in July 2015 to Colorado, which released him in 2016 after Reyes served a 59-day domestic violence suspension.He returned to New York, came up to the major leagues in July and batted .267 with eight homers and 24 RBIs in 279 plate appearances.Reyes remained with the Mets last year and was among their most versatile players, appearing in 80 games at shortstop, 36 at third base, 28 at second base, one in center field and one in left. He hit .246 with 15 homers, 58 RBIs and 24 steals in 561 plate appearances.New York has been active in the offseason, agreeing to a $39 million, three-year contract with outfielder Jay Bruce, a $14 million, two-year deal with reliever Anthony Swarzak and a deal for $545,000 with first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.General manager Sandy Alderson said this week the team is looking at more infield options in a late-developing free agent market.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball