CHICAGO (AP) — Anthony Rizzo hit a grand slam, Willson Contreras had two long solo homers and the Chicago Cubs kept pace in the NL wild-card race with a 17-8 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday.Rookie Nico Hoerner hit a two-run shot for his first major league homer and had four RBIs for the Cubs. Chicago moved a game ahead of Milwaukee for the second NL wild card.Contreras, Hoerner and Nicholas Castellanos homered in the first with the wind blowing out as Chicago scored five times after Pittsburgh jumped on Jon Lester (13-10) for a 4-0 lead.Hoerner elevated a low pitch to the center field batter's eye in his first plate appearance at Wrigley Field. He drove in two more runs with a single in Chicago's seven-run fifth. The 22-year-old infielder made his debut with the Cubs on Monday at San Diego after the team announced All-Star shortstop Javier Báez would be out of the season with a hairline fracture in his left thumb.Alec Mills pitched the final three innings for his first save.... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Wilmer Flores snapped a 13th-inning tie with an RBI single, helping the Arizona Diamondbacks end a three-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday.Eduardo Escobar made up for a crucial throwing error, leading off the 13th with a single off Adam Kolarek (2-1) — Arizona's first hit since the fifth inning. He moved to second on a double-play grounder before scoring on Flores' two-out broken-bat hit to right field off Chaz Roe.Archie Bradley (2-3) pitched three scoreless innings to get the win. Zack Godley, the eighth Diamondbacks pitcher, worked a perfect 13th for his first career save.Arizona pitchers combined to set a franchise record with 23 strikeouts.The Rays rallied from a 2-0 deficit to force extra innings, scoring on Escobar's eighth-inning error and Kevin Kiermaier's two-out, pinch-hit single in the ninth.CUBS 3, MARLINS 2, 11 INNINGSCHICAGO (AP) — Jason Heyward homered leading off the 11th inning to lift surging Chicago... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Wilmer Flores snapped a 13th-inning tie with an RBI single, helping the Arizona Diamondbacks end a three-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday.Eduardo Escobar made up for a crucial throwing error, leading off the 13th with a single off Adam Kolarek (2-1) — Arizona's first hit since the fifth inning. He moved to second on a double-play grounder before scoring on Flores' two-out broken-bat hit to right field off Chaz Roe.Archie Bradley (2-3) pitched three scoreless innings to get the win. Zack Godley, the eighth Diamondbacks pitcher, worked a perfect 13th for his first career save.Arizona pitchers combined to set a franchise record with 23 strikeouts.The Rays rallied from a 2-0 deficit to force extra innings, scoring on Escobar's eighth-inning error and Kevin Kiermaier's two-out, pinch-hit single in the ninth.CUBS 3, MARLINS 2, 11 INNINGSCHICAGO (AP) — Jason Heyward homered leading off the 11th inning to lift surging Chicago... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Wilmer Flores snapped a 13th-inning tie with an RBI single, helping the Arizona Diamondbacks end a three-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday.Eduardo Escobar made up for a crucial throwing error, leading off the 13th with a single off Adam Kolarek (2-1) — Arizona's first hit since the fifth inning. He moved to second on a double-play grounder before scoring on Flores' two-out broken-bat hit to right field off Chaz Roe.Archie Bradley (2-3) pitched three scoreless innings to get the win. Zack Godley, the eighth Diamondbacks pitcher, worked a perfect 13th for his first career save.Arizona pitchers combined to set a franchise record with 23 strikeouts.The Rays rallied from a 2-0 deficit to force extra innings, scoring on Escobar's eighth-inning error and Kevin Kiermaier's two-out, pinch-hit single in the ninth.CUBS 3, MARLINS 2, 11 INNINGSCHICAGO (AP) — Jason Heyward homered leading off the 11th inning to lift surging Chicago... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Wilmer Flores snapped a 13th-inning tie with an RBI single, helping the Arizona Diamondbacks end a three-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday.Eduardo Escobar made up for a crucial throwing error, leading off the 13th with a single off Adam Kolarek (2-1) — Arizona's first hit since the fifth inning. He moved to second on a double-play grounder before scoring on Flores' two-out broken-bat hit to right field off Chaz Roe.Archie Bradley (2-3) pitched three scoreless innings to get the win. Zack Godley, the eighth Diamondbacks pitcher, worked a perfect 13th for his first career save.Arizona pitchers combined to set a franchise record with 23 strikeouts.The Rays rallied from a 2-0 deficit to force extra innings, scoring on Escobar's eighth-inning error and Kevin Kiermaier's two-out, pinch-hit single in the ninth.BREWERS 7, NATIONALS 3MILWAUKEE (AP) — Christian Yelich hit his major leading-leading 16th home run and Milwaukee won... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Pinch-hitter Hunter Renfroe hit a grand slam with two outs in the ninth inning off Kenley Jansen to give the San Diego Padres a thrilling 8-5 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.Renfroe drove an 0-1 pitch into a balcony on the Western Metal Supply Co. Building in the left-field corner. He dropped his bat and raised his arms before beginning his trot.The Padres, who avoided a three-game sweep, started the winning rally with three straight singles off Jansen (2-1), who was trying for his third save in three games. Eric Hosmer hit a leadoff single to left and Manuel Margot and Wil Myers followed with bunt singles to load the bases. Jansen struck out Greg Garcia and got rookie Francisco Mejia to pop up before Renfroe's slam.Adam Warren (2-0) pitched a perfect ninth for the win.CUBS 13, CARDINALS 5CHICAGO (AP) — Kris Bryant hit his fourth career grand slam in Chicago's six-run eighth inning and the Cubs pounded St. Louis for their season-high seventh consecutive victory.Willson... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Pinch-hitter Hunter Renfroe hit a grand slam with two outs in the ninth inning off Kenley Jansen to give the San Diego Padres a thrilling 8-5 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.Renfroe drove an 0-1 pitch into a balcony on the Western Metal Supply Co. Building in the left-field corner. He dropped his bat and raised his arms before beginning his trot.The Padres, who avoided a three-game sweep, started the winning rally with three straight singles off Jansen (2-1), who was trying for his third save in three games. Eric Hosmer hit a leadoff single to left and Manuel Margot and Wil Myers followed with bunt singles to load the bases. Jansen struck out Greg Garcia and got rookie Francisco Mejia to pop up before Renfroe's slam.Adam Warren (2-0) pitched a perfect ninth for the win.CUBS 13, CARDINALS 5CHICAGO (AP) — Kris Bryant hit his fourth career grand slam in Chicago's six-run eighth inning and the Cubs pounded St. Louis for their season-high seventh consecutive victory.Willson... [More]

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals have placed struggling reliever Greg Holland on the disabled list with a right hip impingement.The Cardinals made the move Saturday after Holland's ERA ballooned to 9.45 following a bumpy inning of work Friday night in an 8-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Holland, a three-time All Star, allowed two runs on three hits. He has surrendered two runs in each of his last four appearances.Manager Mike Matheny gave no timetable for Holland's possible return.St. Louis activated left-handed reliever Tyler Lyons (back strain) and catcher Carson Kelly (hamstring) off the disabled list. To make room for Kelly, the Cardinals optioned catcher Steve Baron to Triple-A Memphis.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals shifted pitcher Adam Wainwright to the 60-day disabled list on Thursday because of persistent pain in his right elbow, with no set timetable for his return.The Cardinals announced the move prior to their game against Philadelphia. The three-time All-Star has been bothered by the elbow most of the season, and is on the DL for second time this year."Adam is a different sort of equation right now," said John Mozeliak, the team's President of Baseball Operations. "Obviously being placed on the 60, it's clearly hitting the pause button."The Cardinals also put catcher Carson Kelly on the 10-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring, a setback for a team already without the injured Yadier Molina behind the plate. Catcher Steve Baron was called up from Triple-A Memphis.The 36-year-old Wainwright went on the 10-day disabled list on Monday, a day after struggling in a start at San Diego. He walked six in 2 1/3 innings, giving up two runs and three... [More]

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals have put catcher Carson Kelly on the 10-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring, a setback for a team already without the injured Yadier Molina behind the plate.The Cardinals also moved pitcher Adam Wainwright from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day DL and called up catcher Steve Baron from Triple-A Memphis.The 23-year-old Kelly was hitting .111 since being called up on May 6 following Molina's late-night surgery after being hit by a foul ball in the groinWainwright was put on the disabled list for a second time this season after a reoccurrence of right elbow pain during a start at San Diego. He and Kelly are among five Cardinals to go on the disabled list this week, joining Carlos Martinez, Tyler Lyons and Luke Gregerson.Baron was 0 for 11 with Seattle in 2015 in his only major league action.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals placed struggling reliever Luke Gregerson on the 10-day disabled list Wednesday with a right shoulder impingement.Gregerson, who signed an $11 million, two-year contract with St. Louis over the winter, has an 8.64 ERA in 12 appearances this season. The 34-year-old right-hander recorded just one out in Tuesday's 4-1 loss at Minnesota and was charged with two runs and two hits."The shoulder just wasn't quite cooperating and he's got some bark in the elbow too," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "So we're going to have to get a look at both. I think he's had some things periodically through a long career. He'll have them pop up, but these don't seem to be letting him do what he needs to do."St. Louis recalled right-hander John Brebbia from Triple-A Memphis. Brebbia is 0-1 with a 2.70 ERA in six relief appearances for St. Louis this season, striking out 14 in 10 innings.St. Louis has put four pitchers on the disabled list in the last week, with... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals have placed struggling reliever Luke Gregerson on the 10-day disabled list with a right shoulder impingement.The Cardinals also recalled right-hander John Brebbia from Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday. Brebbia is 0-1 with a 2.70 ERA in six relief appearances for St. Louis this season, striking out 14 in 10 innings.Gregerson, who signed an $11 million, two-year contract with St. Louis over the winter, has an 8.64 ERA in 12 appearances this season. The 34-year-old right-hander recorded just one out in Tuesday's 4-1 loss at Minnesota and was charged with two runs and two hits.St. Louis has put four pitchers on the disabled list in the last week, with Gregerson joining starters Carlos Martinez and Adam Wainwright and reliever Tyler Lyons.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) — The San Diego Padres rebounded nicely from Los Angeles' combined no-hitter, using two-run homers by Eric Hosmer and Raffy Lopez to beat the Dodgers 7-4 on Saturday night in the first major league series in Mexico since 1999.A day after the first no-hitter ever outside the U.S. or Canada, Travis Jankowski led off the first with a triple for San Diego's first hit of the series. Hosmer then hit a drive over the wall in right against Kenta Maeda.Lopez's first homer of the season erased a 4-3 Los Angeles lead in the sixth.Kirby Yates got two outs for the win, and Brad Hand worked the ninth for his eighth save.Josh Fields (2-1) allowed Lopez's homer.On Friday night, Walker Buehler and three relievers posted the 12th combined no-hitter in major league history, leading the Dodgers to a 4-0 victory.YANKEES 5, INDIANS 2NEW YORK (AP) — Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor's double error led to a pair of runs in a four-run fifth inning off previously unhittable Trevor Bauer,... [More]

MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) — The San Diego Padres rebounded nicely from Los Angeles' combined no-hitter, using two-run homers by Eric Hosmer and Raffy Lopez to beat the Dodgers 7-4 on Saturday night in the first major league series in Mexico since 1999.A day after the first no-hitter ever outside the U.S. or Canada, Travis Jankowski led off the first with a triple for San Diego's first hit of the series. Hosmer then hit a drive over the wall in right against Kenta Maeda.Lopez's first homer of the season erased a 4-3 Los Angeles lead in the sixth, and Chase Headley and Carlos Asuaje contributed RBI singles in the eighth against Daniel Hudson.Kirby Yates got two outs for the win, and Brad Hand worked the ninth for his eighth save.Josh Fields (2-1) allowed Lopez's homer.On Friday night, Walker Buehler and three relievers posted the 12th combined no-hitter in major league history, leading the Dodgers to a 4-0 victory.YANKEES 5, INDIANS 2NEW YORK (AP) — Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor's double... [More]

MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) — The San Diego Padres rebounded nicely from Los Angeles' combined no-hitter, using two-run homers by Eric Hosmer and Raffy Lopez to beat the Dodgers 7-4 on Saturday night in the first major league series in Mexico since 1999.A day after the first no-hitter ever outside the U.S. or Canada, Travis Jankowski led off the first with a triple for San Diego's first hit of the series. Hosmer then hit a drive over the wall in right against Kenta Maeda.Lopez's first homer of the season erased a 4-3 Los Angeles lead in the sixth, and Chase Headley and Carlos Asuaje contributed RBI singles in the eighth against Daniel Hudson.Kirby Yates got two outs for the win, and Brad Hand worked the ninth for his eighth save.Josh Fields (2-1) allowed Lopez's homer.On Friday night, Walker Buehler and three relievers posted the 12th combined no-hitter in major league history, leading the Dodgers to a 4-0 victory.YANKEES 5, INDIANS 2NEW YORK (AP) — Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor's double... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Less than two hours before the start of their season, the St. Louis Cardinals found a closer.Greg Holland and the Cardinals agreed to a $14 million, one-year contract Thursday, according to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement was pending a physical and had not been announced.A three-time All-Star, Holland was a free agent after leading the National League with 41 saves last year for Colorado. His addition would be a major boost to an unsettled Cardinals bullpen lacking a proven closer in the wake of several injuries."It's great," catcher Yadier Molina said following a 9-4 loss to the New York Mets. "I'm excited. Hopefully everything works out and it happens."Holland turned down a $17.4 million, one-year qualifying offer from the Rockies last fall. If the Cardinals complete the deal, they will forfeit their second-highest draft pick in June, currently No. 43, and $500,000 of international signing bonus allocation... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Less than two hours before the start of their season, the St. Louis Cardinals found a closer.Greg Holland and the Cardinals agreed to a $14 million, one-year contract Thursday, according to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement was pending a physical and had not been announced.A three-time All-Star, Holland was a free agent after leading the National League with 41 saves last year for Colorado. His addition would be a major boost to an unsettled Cardinals bullpen lacking a proven closer in the wake of several injuries.Holland turned down a $17.4 million, one-year qualifying offer from the Rockies last fall. If the Cardinals complete the deal, they will forfeit their second-highest draft pick in June, currently No. 43, and $500,000 of international signing bonus allocation for the 2018-19 signing period.St. Louis had planned to use newcomer Luke Gregerson in the ninth inning, but he strained his left hamstring late... [More]

Capsules of National League Central teams, listed in order of finish last year:___Chicago Cubs2017: 92-70, first place, lost to Dodgers in NLCS.Manager: Joe Maddon (fourth season).He's Here: RHP Yu Darvish, RHP Brandon Morrow, RHP Tyler Chatwood, RHP Steve Cishek, LHP Drew Smyly, C Chris Gimenez.He's Outta Here: RHP Wade Davis, C Alex Avila, C Rene Rivera.Projected Lineup: CF Ian Happ (.253, 24 HRs, 68 RBIs, .842 OPS) or Albert Almora Jr. (.298, 8, 46), 3B Kris Bryant (.295, 29, 73, 38 2Bs, 111 runs), 1B Anthony Rizzo (.273, 32, 109, 91 BBs), C Willson Contreras (.276, 21, 74), LF Kyle Schwarber (.211, 30, 59), SS Addison Russell (.239, 12, 43), RF Jason Heyward (.259, 11, 59), 2B Javier Baez (.273, 23, 75, .796 OPS).Rotation: LH Jon Lester (13-8, 4.33 ERA, 180 Ks), RH Kyle Hendricks (7-5, 3.03), RH Yu Darvish (10-12, 3.86, 209 Ks with Rangers and Dodgers), LH Jose Quintana (11-11, 4.15, 207 Ks with White Sox and Cubs), RH Tyler Chatwood (8-15, 4.69 with Rockies).Key Relievers: RH Brandon... [More]

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — St. Louis closer Luke Gregerson will begin the season on the disabled list with a hamstring strain, manager Mike Matheny said on Saturday.Gregerson injured the hamstring during conditioning drills. He hasn't pitched in a Grapefruit League game since Tuesday, when he struck out two in an inning. There is no announced timetable for his return."Hamstrings are so difficult to predict," Matheny said.The Cardinals signed Gregerson during the offseason to be their closer. He saved 31 games for Houston in 2015 and 15 more the following season.Gregerson worked three perfect innings this spring for the Cardinals."He's frustrated, too," Matheny said. "He's had a long career and been a guy that's been durable."Earlier this spring, Gregerson missed time because of oblique tightness. Matheny said he didn't believe the two issues were related."He bounced back pretty quick which is hopefully an indicator of how quickly he's able to bounce back from injury," Matheny said.Without Gregerson,... [More]

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — St. Louis closer Luke Gregerson will begin the season on the disabled list with a hamstring strain, manager Mike Matheny said on Saturday.Gregerson injured the hamstring during conditioning drills. He hasn't pitched in a Grapefruit League game since Tuesday, when he struck out two in an inning. There is no announced timetable for his return.The Cardinals signed Gregerson during the offseason to be their closer. He saved 31 games for Houston in 2015 and 15 more the following season.Earlier this spring, Gregerson missed time because of oblique tightness. Matheny said he didn't believe the two issues were related.Without Gregerson, Matheny intends to select his closer on a game-by-game basis based on matchups. Righties Dominic Leone and Bud Norris, along with lefty Tyler Lyons, figure to be in the mix.___More AP baseball coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball