BOSTON (AP) — Held hitless into the eighth inning by Domingo Germán and looking feeble, Alex Verdugo and the Boston Red Sox suddenly erupted for five runs and stormed past the New York Yankees 5-4 Sunday. Verdugo opened the eighth with a long double for Boston’s first hit. Later, Kiké Hernández slid home headfirst on Xander Bogaerts’ sacrifice fly with the go-ahead run to cap the rally. The Red Sox won for the 10th time in 13 games against the Yankees and reclaimed first place in the AL East, a game ahead of Tampa Bay. New York fell nine games behind Boston. Boston trailed 4-0 when Verdugo doubled to deep right, and Germán was lifted after the hit. Jonathan Loaisiga (7-4) relieved, and Boston broke loose with four straight hits. Hunter Renfroe had an RBI double, Christian Vázquez singled home a run and Hernández followed with an RBI double, cutting it to 4-3. Zack Britton relieved and pinch-hitter Kevin Plawecki’s groundout plated the tying run. Hernández hustled hard and beat right fielder... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Yankees' post-All-Star break opener against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night was postponed because of positive COVID-19 tests among vaccinated New York pitchers Jonathan Loaisiga, Nestor Cortes Jr. and Wandy Peralta. “It’s a fluid situation that could spread. It has spread to some degree," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. “We have three positives and we have three pending that we’ve had rapid tests on. ... We’ll wait now for the lab tests to come back, which I’m assuming is going to be positive, as well. So that would increase our number to six, but we're not at six yet. We're at three confirmed.” Loaisiga went on the COVID-19 injured list Saturday, when the Yankees were in Houston, and he did not travel home with the team Sunday. Cortes and Peralta went on the COVID-19 IL on Thursday. Cashman said all three were fully vaccinated, as are most of the players on the team. Among the three, two received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and the other was... [More]

SEATTLE (AP) — New York Yankees starter Domingo Germán was scratched from his scheduled start on Wednesday night against the Seattle Mariners after undergoing an emergency root canal. Nick Nelson started in place of Germán for the Yankees. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Germán underwent the procedure on Wednesday morning and may be available to pitch out of the bullpen if needed. It may be that Germán slots back into the rotation on Friday when the Yankees open a three-game series in Houston heading into the All-Star break. New York is currently without a starter for the opener of that series. Germán is 4-5 with a 4.50 ERA in 15 starts. “Depending on what happens tonight, what happens tomorrow, it could be he’s in play potentially Friday,” Boone said. Gleyber Torres was back in the lineup for New York after missing the series opener with concern about his left hamstring, but the Yankees expect to be without reliever Darren O’Day for a while. Boone said O’Day injured his hamstring going through his pregame routine before Tuesday’s game. “He hasn’t got the MRI yet, but it does look like it’s significant,” Boone said. Boone said he was also encouraged by the bullpen session on Tuesday of injured reliever Zack Britton, who has been out since June 26 with a hamstring strain. Boone said the next step for Britton would probably be throwing a live batting practice. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani struck out nine over six innings of one-run ball for the Angels, but the San Francisco Giants rallied for seven runs in the 13th inning of a 9-3 victory over Los Angeles on Wednesday. Steven Duggar had an RBI double in the 12th and a two-run single in the 13th for the Giants, who finally blew it open while the Angels had outfielder Taylor Ward playing catcher and starting pitcher Griffin Canning playing left field as the fallout from an untimely injury to Kurt Suzuki and a series of strategic decisions made to allow Ohtani to hit for himself. Mike Tauchman struck out five times before hitting a three-run homer to cap the Giants’ 13th-inning rally. Brandon Crawford put San Francisco ahead to stay with a bases-loaded walk from Alex Claudio (1-2), who walked three straight in the 13th. The 13-inning game matched the longest in the majors since the institution of the runner-on-second-base rule to open extra innings last season. Dominic Leone (1-0) won despite... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani struck out nine over six innings of one-run ball for the Angels, but the San Francisco Giants rallied for seven runs in the 13th inning of a 9-3 victory over Los Angeles on Wednesday. Steven Duggar had an RBI double in the 12th and a two-run single in the 13th for the Giants, who finally blew it open while the Angels had outfielder Taylor Ward playing catcher and starting pitcher Griffin Canning playing left field as the fallout from an untimely injury to Kurt Suzuki and a series of strategic decisions made to allow Ohtani to hit for himself. Mike Tauchman struck out five times before hitting a three-run homer to cap the Giants’ 13th-inning rally. Brandon Crawford put San Francisco ahead to stay with a bases-loaded walk from Alex Claudio (1-2), who walked three straight in the 13th. The 13-inning game matched the longest in the majors since the institution of the runner-on-second-base rule to open extra innings last season. Dominic Leone (1-0) won despite... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Kansas City manager Mike Matheny warned opponents that if they act like Philadelphia’s Joe Girardi and ask umpires to check Royals pitchers for sticky substances, it would provoke his team. New York Yankees reliever Zack Britton and Max Scherzer, members of the players’ association’s executive subcommittee, called on Major League Baseball to end on-field checks by umpires and replace them with monitors who would conduct inspections in clubhouses, dugouts and bullpens. “If I’m a young kid at the game and I’m asking my dad, `Well, hey, what’s going on? Why they getting checked?? What he’s going to say? `Well, they think everyone’s cheating,” Britton said Wednesday. “I mean, is that what we want the game to be about, like we’re assuming you’re cheating? I just think it’s a bad look.” On-field exams of pitchers started Monday, a week after baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred announced a crackdown on unauthorized grip substances. When umpire Alfonso Marquez approached Scherzer... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — First baseman Mike Ford was traded by the New York Yankees to the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday for $100,000 and a player to be named. Ford was designated for assignment Saturday when reliever Zack Britton was activated from the injured list. The money in the trade is payable July 1. Ford, who turns 29 on July 4, had a strong rookie season with the Yankees in 2019, hitting .259 with 12 homers and 25 RBIs in 143 at-bats over 50 games. But he slumped to a .135 average with two homers and 11 RBIs in 74 at-bats during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. With first base time available this year because of Luke Voit's injuries, Ford batted .133 with three homers and five RBIs in 60 at-bats. A rare left-handed hitter on the current Yankees, Ford had a .199 average with 17 homers and 41 RBIs in parts of three major league seasons. Ford hit .083 (2 for 24) with one RBI in seven games this season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He was optioned to Triple-A Durham by the Rays. Tampa Bay activated right-hander Collin McHugh from the COVID-19 related injured list, transferred right-hander Tyler Glasnow (sprained right elbow) to the 60-day injured list and optioned right-hander Chris Mazza to Durham. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — First baseman Mike Ford was traded by the New York Yankees to the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday for $100,000 and a player to be named. Ford was designated for assignment Saturday when reliever Zack Britton was activated from the injured list. The money in the trade is payable July 1. Ford, who turns 29 on July 4, had a strong rookie season with the Yankees in 2019, hitting .259 with 12 homers and 25 RBIs in 143 at-bats over 50 games. But he slumped to a .135 average with two homers and 11 RBIs in 74 at-bats during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. With first base time available this year because of Luke Voit's injuries, Ford batted .133 with three homers and five RBIs in 60 at-bats. A rare left-handed hitter on the current Yankees, Ford had a .199 average with 17 homers and 41 RBIs in parts of three major league seasons. Ford hit .083 (2 for 24) with one RBI in seven games this season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

A look at what's happening around the majors today: ___ FISH STORY An update on Mike Trout is expected after the Los Angeles Angels star exited Monday night’s win over Cleveland before the second inning because of a strained right calf. The three-time MVP was limping after running to third on an inning-ending popup in the first. Following the game, manager Joe Maddon said Trout was undergoing further evaluation — including an MRI — and the team would know more Tuesday. “I saw nothing. I looked up and he was limping to the third base bag,” Maddon said. “It was kind of innocuous and I had no idea why. It was hurting him pretty good.” Trout began the day batting .333 but was 1 for 17 in his past six games. He snapped a five-game hitless streak Sunday in Boston. BITE OUT OF THE BIG APPLE Both teams from New York are away this week and each one is having a painful road trip. After arriving in Atlanta, the Mets placed outfielder Michael Conforto and second baseman Jeff McNeil on the 10-day injured... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors on Tuesday: ___ BITE OUT OF THE BIG APPLE Both teams from New York are away this week and each one is having a painful road trip. After arriving in Atlanta, the Mets placed outfielder Michael Conforto and second baseman Jeff McNeil on the 10-day injured list Monday with strained hamstrings. The two were hurt in Sunday’s loss at Tampa Bay. Then starter Taijuan Walker exited early against the Braves with tightness in his left side, and outfielder Kevin Pillar was hit square in the face by a 95 mph fastball from reliever Jacob Webb. Blood poured from Pillar’s nose in a frightening scene, but he was escorted off the field under his own power with towels covering his face. After a 3-1 win, Mets manager Luis Rojas said Pillar was taken to the hospital for a CT scan. Pillar then provided an encouraging update on his Twitter account. “Thanks to everyone that has reached out! Scary moment but I’m doing fine!” he posted. The Mets already have ace starter... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors on Tuesday: ___ BITE OUT OF THE BIG APPLE Both teams from New York are away from home this week and each one is having a painful road trip. After arriving in Atlanta, the Mets placed outfielder Michael Conforto and second baseman Jeff McNeil on the 10-day injured list Monday with strained hamstrings. Both players were hurt in Sunday’s loss at Tampa Bay. “We’re taking a week-to-week approach with both of these guys,” manager Luis Rojas said. Then starter Taijuan Walker exited early against the Braves with tightness in his left side, and outfielder Kevin Pillar was hit square in the face by a pitch. Blood poured from Pillar’s nose in a frightening scene, but he walked off the field under his own power. The Mets already have ace starter Jacob deGrom, outfielder Brandon Nimmo and third baseman J.D. Davis on the IL. Valuable reliever Seth Lugo was transferred from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL. recovering from right side tightness. Meanwhile,... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday by the New York Yankees because of a left quad strain, and left-handed pitcher Zack Britton had a potential setback in his recovery from elbow surgery. The Yankees made the move with Stanton before the opener of their four-game series in Texas. It was retroactive to Friday, the day after he last played before being held out of all three games during a weekend series in Baltimore. Right-hander Albert Abreu was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Manager Aaron Boone said Britton was dealing with some soreness after his one-inning simulated game Saturday with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, when he threw to hitters for the first time. Boone said the lefty's planned rehab start for Double-A Somerset on Wednesday might get pushed back a couple of days. "I think just general soreness," Boone said. “It could just be related to the normal ramp-up of going into a sim game and facing... [More]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — It took just four batters at George Steinbrenner Field before a fan yelled “C'mon, blue!” toward home plate umpire Kaleb Devier after two consecutive close pitches were called balls. Never mind that a computer was making the calls. Didn't matter on Tuesday night as the Tampa Tarpons took on the Dunedin Blue Jays. Because from Omaha to San Jose to the Jersey Shore, minor league baseball was back after a lost season, with fans, crazy promotions and even those robot umpires. The Tarpons found themselves already in the dog days on opening day. They hosted the Dunedin Blue Jays on “Tail Waggin’ $2 Tuesday” where fans could bring their pooches to the park for two bucks. New York Yankees vice president Vance Smith greeted and talked with fans as they entered the ballpark to see the Class A affiliate, calling it a homecoming after a minor league season wiped out by the coronavirus pandemic. “Excited, but also hesitation,” Smith said. “We’re following some protocols, but we’re... [More]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — It took just four batters at George Steinbrenner Field before a fan yelled “C'mon, blue!” toward home plate umpire Kaleb Devier after two consecutive close pitches were called balls. Never mind that a computer was making the calls. Didn't matter on Tuesday night as the Tampa Tarpons took on the Dunedin Blue Jays. Because from Omaha to San Jose to the Jersey Shore, minor league baseball was back after a lost season, with fans, crazy promotions and even those robot umpires. The Tarpons found themselves already in the dog days on opening day. They hosted the Dunedin Blue Jays on “Tail Waggin’ $2 Tuesday” where fans could bring their pooches to the park for two bucks. New York Yankees vice president Vance Smith greeted and talked with fans as they entered the ballpark to see the Class A affiliate, calling it a homecoming after a minor league season wiped out by the coronavirus pandemic. “Excited, but also hesitation,” Smith said. “We’re following some protocols, but we’re... [More]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — It took just four batters at George Steinbrenner Field before a fan yelled “C'mon, blue!” toward home plate umpire Kaleb Devier after two consecutive close pitches were called balls. Never mind that a computer was making the calls. Didn't matter on Tuesday night as the Tampa Tarpons took on the Dunedin Blue Jays. Because from Omaha to San Jose to the Jersey Shore, minor league baseball was back after a lost season, with fans, crazy promotions and even those robot umpires. The Tarpons found themselves already in the dog days on opening day. They hosted the Dunedin Blue Jays on “Tail Waggin’ $2 Tuesday” where fans could bring their pooches to the park for two bucks. New York Yankees vice president Vance Smith greeted and talked with fans as they entered the ballpark to see the Class A affiliate, calling it a homecoming after a minor league season wiped out by the coronavirus pandemic. “Excited, but also hesitation,” Smith said. “We’re following some protocols, but we’re... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees' players and staff are restless. So are fans. A 5-10 start, the franchise's worst in 24 years, has shaken a team that expects to contend for a World Series title. “Right now we would be a team that an opponent would want to play because obviously we’re not firing on all cylinders,” general manager Brian Cashman said Monday. “So if you have a chance to catch us right now, you’re catching us at the right time, through obviously yesterday’s games, and we look forward to that changing.” Batting, pitching and fielding have faltered. New York’s .210 batting average is next-to-last in the American League, and a team with a dearth of left-handed hitters is batting just .202 against right-handed pitchers. The Yankees’ 55 runs entering Monday tied Detroit for the AL low. Ace Gerrit Cole is 2-1 with a 1.82 ERA and the rest of New York’s starters are 1-6 with a 6.39 ERA. Twelve errors have led to 10 unearned runs. Only the bullpen, which has a 2.43 ERA that is third... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees' players and staff are restlessness. So are fans. A 5-10 start, the franchise's worst in 24 years, has shaken a team that expects to contend for a World Series title. “Right now we would be a team that an opponent would want to play because obviously we’re not firing on all cylinders,” general manager Brian Cashman said Monday. “So if you have a chance to catch us right now, you’re catching us at the right time, through obviously yesterday’s games, and we look forward to that changing.” Batting, pitching and fielding have faltered. New York’s .210 batting average is next-to-last in the American League, and a team with a dearth of left-handed hitters is batting just .202 against right-handed pitchers. The Yankees’ 55 runs entering Monday tied Detroit for the AL low. Ace Gerrit Cole is 2-1 with a 1.82 ERA and the rest of New York’s starters are 1-6 with a 6.39 ERA. Twelve errors have led to 10 unearned runs. Only the bullpen, which has a 2.43 ERA that... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The 2021 salaries for the 117 major league baseball players on opening day rosters and injured lists earning $10 million or more. Figures were obtained by The Associated Press from management and player sources and include salaries and pro-rated shares of signing bonuses and other guaranteed income. For some players, parts of salaries deferred without interest are discounted to reflect present-day values. Player, ClubSalary1, Trevor Bauer, LAD$38,000,0002, Mike Trout, LAA37,116,6673, Gerrit Cole, NYY36,000,0004, Nolan Arenado, StL35,000,0005, Max Scherzer, Was34,503,4806, Manny Machado, SD34,000,0007, Justin Verlander, Hou33,000,0008, Zack Greinke, Hou32,921,8509, Stephen Strasburg, Was32,045,25610, David Price, LAD32,000,00011, Clayton Kershaw, LAD31,000,00112, Miguel Cabrera, Det30,000,000(tie) Albert Pujols, LAA30,000,00014, Jose Altuve, Hou29,000,000(tie) Giancarlo Stanton, NYY29,000,00016, Jacob DeGrom, NYM28,131,95517, Anthony Rendon, LAA28,071,42918, Bryce Harper,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Gerrit Cole’s dad will watch him pitch at Yankee Stadium in pinstripes for the first time, one of about 10,850 fans allowed in to watch New York’s opener against the Toronto Blue Jays. “I had trouble sleeping last night, so I probably anticipate going to be the same thing tonight,” Cole said Wednesday. “There’s just a lot of different emotions. Everybody is tired of spring training, ready for opening day. Most people’s families are in town, which is special. There’s a lot of hope. There’s a lot of excitement. There’s a lot of projections. There’s a lot of baseball out in front of you. And you’ve prepared up to this point and there’s nothing else. You just want the gates to open and you want it to start.” Cole’s first season with Yankees was played entirely without fans because of the pandemic. “It was a bit surreal at first, and then it became kind of standard operating procedure. There were more important things that we needed to focus on,” Cole said. “Every time I see... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Reliever Lucas Luetge has made the New York Yankees’ opening-day roster and is returning to the major leagues for the first time since 2015. New York selected him to the major league roster from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday and agreed to a contract paying $600,000 while in the major leagues and $180,000 while in the minors. The 34-year-old left-hander had a 1.74 ERA in nine spring training appearances. He allowed his only runs on a pair of solo homers by Toronto’s Teoscar Hernández and Kevin Smith on March 21. He gave up eight hits in 10 1/3 innings with 18 strikeouts and two walks. New York had an opening for a left-hander while Zack Britton recovers from surgery on March 15 to remove a bone chip in his pitching elbow and Justin Wilson builds arm strength after being sidelined during spring training by shoulder soreness. “There was a lot of really good competition, frankly, better competition than I feel like we’ve had in the last several years,” Yankees... [More]