Phillies fourth. J.T. Realmuto singles to center field. Corey Dickerson strikes out swinging. Jean Segura strikes out swinging. Brad Miller homers to center field. J.T. Realmuto scores. Scott Kingery lines out to shallow center field to Adam Frazier.2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on. Phillies 2, Pirates 0.Pirates fifth. Colin Moran called out on strikes. Jacob Stallings flies out to deep left field to Corey Dickerson. Adam Frazier doubles to deep right field. Joe Musgrove singles to deep left field. Adam Frazier scores. Kevin Newman grounds out to shallow infield, Jason Vargas to Rhys Hoskins.1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Phillies 2, Pirates 1.Pirates seventh. Melky Cabrera singles to left field. Colin Moran doubles to deep left field. Melky Cabrera scores. Jacob Stallings walks. Adam Frazier out on a sacrifice bunt to shallow infield, Rhys Hoskins to Cesar Hernandez. Jacob Stallings to second. Erik Gonzalez to third. Josh Bell pinch-hitting for Joe Musgrove. Josh Bell is intentionally... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Two months ago, as the New York Mets commemorated the 50th anniversary of a most improbable World Series title, 74-year-old alum Ed Kranepool stood at a Citi Field lectern and tried to encourage a languishing team."They can do it like we did. You gotta believe in yourself!" Kranepool said that afternoon, addressing both the cheering crowd and current Mets players clapping in the dugout. "So good luck. You have a half a season. We want to wish you the best so that we can celebrate in October."It was a noble sentiment, even if that optimism felt farfetched with New York nine games under .500.And then the next night the maligned club publicly apologized on the scoreboard to two living members of the 1969 Miracle Mets who were mistakenly included in a video montage of players from that team who had died.Turned out, though, maybe Kranepool was on to something.Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz finally hit their stride on the mound. Justin Wilson and Luis Avilan returned from injuries... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:NO REINFORCEMENTSThe Yankees came up short trying to acquire pitching help at the trade deadline, and that's putting more pressure on James Paxton to shake off a rough stretch. The big left-hander is 0-3 with a 6.67 ERA in his past six starts, including a loss at Fenway Park last week when he allowed seven runs in four innings. Paxton (5-6, 4.72) faces the Red Sox again in the opener of a four-game home series. He'll oppose right-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (13-4, 4.13).MAY DAYTop Dodgers pitching prospect Dustin May is expected to make his major league debut against San Diego. The 21-year-old right-hander is nicknamed Gingergaard because his flowing red hair and big-time fastball remind some of Mets ace Noah Syndergaard. May was 6-5 with a 3.38 ERA over 20 starts between Double-A and Triple-A this season.ENJOY ITThe Tampa Bay Rays will have a rare Friday off before starting a two-game series against Miami on Saturday at Tropicana Field. It... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Friday:NO REINFORCEMENTSThe Yankees came up short trying to acquire pitching help at the trade deadline, and that's putting more pressure on James Paxton to shake off a rough stretch. The big left-hander is 0-3 with a 6.67 ERA in his past six starts, including a loss at Fenway Park last week when he allowed seven runs in four innings. Paxton (5-6, 4.72) faces the Red Sox again in the opener of a four-game home series. He'll oppose right-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (13-4, 4.13).MAY DAYTop Dodgers pitching prospect Dustin May is expected to make his major league debut against San Diego. The 21-year-old right-hander is nicknamed Gingergaard because his flowing red hair and big-time fastball remind some of Mets ace Noah Syndergaard. May was 6-5 with a 3.38 ERA over 20 starts between Double-A and Triple-A this season.ENJOY ITThe Tampa Bay Rays will have a rare Friday off before starting a two-game series against Miami on Saturday at Tropicana Field.... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Three days after being acquired in a surprising trade, Marcus Stroman joined the New York Mets on Wednesday and immediately declared his new team a playoff contender — this season."It's definitely been a whirlwind," the All-Star pitcher said before the Mets beat the Chicago White Sox 4-2 for their season-best sixth straight victory. "I'm excited to be here, throw my bullpen and get settled."I'm looking forward to making the playoffs this year and chasing it."The Mets sent two minor league pitching prospects to Toronto for the 28-year-old right-hander Sunday in a move that stunned many around baseball who expected the club to be a seller.But after winning 12 of 16, the Mets are 52-55 and 4½ games out for the second NL wild card — although several teams are in front of them."We've got some momentum, we just have to keep going," first-year general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said on a conference call. "This team has shown resiliency. This team has earned the right to now go play... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Three days after being acquired in a surprising trade, Marcus Stroman joined the New York Mets on Wednesday and immediately declared his new team a playoff contender — this season."It's definitely been a whirlwind," the All-Star pitcher said before the Mets beat the Chicago White Sox 4-2 for their season-best sixth straight victory. "I'm excited to be here, throw my bullpen and get settled."I'm looking forward to making the playoffs this year and chasing it."The Mets sent two minor league pitching prospects to Toronto for the 28-year-old right-hander Sunday in a move that stunned many around baseball who expected the club to be a seller.But after winning 12 of 16, the Mets are 52-55 and 4½ games out for the second NL wild card — although several teams are in front of them."We've got some momentum, we just have to keep going," first-year general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said on a conference call. "This team has shown resiliency. This team has earned the right to now go play... [More]

Out of nowhere, the Houston Astros got a huge head start on October.On a dizzying day that featured two dozen trades, the Astros pulled off the biggest and most startling deal, adding ace Zack Greinke to an imposing rotation already loaded with All-Stars Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole.Plenty of familiar names were on the go Wednesday — Shane Greene and Mark Melancon boosted the Braves' bullpen, with Scooter Gennett, Jesús Aguilar, Mike Leake and Tanner Roark among those also moving.But it was the Astros' acquisition of Greinke from Arizona for four minor leaguers that quickly became the talk of baseball. The deal came right before the deadline for swapping players to still have them eligible for the postseason."We had him high on our list and we didn't know this was even remotely possible and it really wasn't until the last 48 hours and really the last 24 hours that we started to get traction on something," Houston general manager Jeff Luhnow said.The AL West leaders and 2017 World Series... [More]

Out of nowhere, the Houston Astros got a huge head start on October.On a dizzying day that featured two dozen trades, the Astros pulled off the biggest and most startling deal, adding ace Zack Greinke to an imposing rotation already loaded with All-Stars Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole.Plenty of familiar names were on the go Wednesday — Shane Greene and Mark Melancon boosted the Braves' bullpen, with Scooter Gennett, Jesús Aguilar and Mike Leake among those also moving.But it was the Astros' acquisition of Greinke from Arizona for four minor leaguers that quickly became the talk of baseball. The deal came right before the deadline for swapping players to still have them eligible for the postseason."We had him high on our list and we didn't know this was even remotely possible and it really wasn't until the last 48 hours and really the last 24 hours that we started to get traction on something," Houston general manager Jeff Luhnow said.The AL West leaders and 2017 World Series champions... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Phillies have acquired outfielder Corey Dickerson from the Pittsburgh Pirates for a player to be named and $250,000 in international signing money.Dickerson is hitting .317 with 18 doubles, four homers and 25 RBIs with a .931 OPS in 43 games this season. He grounded out as a pinch hitter Wednesday in Pittsburgh's 4-1 loss at Cincinnati and could become the first player to play for two teams in one day since Joel Youngblood in 1982 if he arrives in Philadelphia for a night game against San Francisco.Dickerson won a Gold Glove last year and was an All-Star in 2017 for Tampa Bay.Philadelphia designated outfielder Dylan Cozens to make room for Dickerson on the 40-man roster.The Phillies added lefty starter Jason Vargas from the Mets on Monday.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — If Madison Bumgarner, Noah Syndergaard, Trevor Bauer, Mike Minor or Robbie Ray is going to get dealt to contenders desperate for arms, it will happen this week or not at all.Baseball's trade window shuts Wednesday afternoon — completely, not like in years past.Marcus Stroman, Jason Vargas, Andrew Cashner, Jordan Lyles, Drew Smyly, Homer Bailey, Jake Diekman and Derek Holland are among the pitchers dealt as the deadline approached. Most of the big names fans envisioned changing jerseys have stayed put in this new era of baseball economics, where prospects and youth are more prized than ever."Teams are doing a better and better job of understanding younger and younger players, and that's why you see the value in teams trying to keep prospects," Toronto general manager Ross Atkins said Monday after dealing Stroman, a first-time All-Star, to the New York Mets for a pair of pitching prospects. "The younger players seem to be really increasing in value."Major League Baseball's... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:STILL A MET (FOR NOW)Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard (7-5, 4.33) is set to start against the White Sox, and it could be his final appearance with the club. The hard-throwing 26-year-old changed his bio on Twitter over the weekend to read "Pitcher for the New York Mets, for now," and he also tweeted a meme of Thor actor Chris Hemsworth with the text "I have no idea what's going on." First-year general manager Brodie Van Wagenen has been busy ahead of Wednesday's trade deadline, acquiring right-hander Marcus Stroman from Toronto and dealing left-hander Jason Vargas to Philadelphia. It's unclear if the club plans to send away more pieces or make a long-odds push for an NL wild card.EAST ENEMIESDavid Price (7-4, 3.66) gets the ball for Boston in the opener of a three-game series against Charlie Morton (12-3, 2.60) and Tampa Bay at Fenway Park. The Red Sox took two of three from the Rays last week and have pulled within a half-game of Tampa... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — If Madison Bumgarner, Noah Syndergaard, Trevor Bauer, Mike Minor or Robbie Ray are going to get dealt to contenders desperate for arms, it will happen this week or not at all.Baseball's trade window shuts Wednesday afternoon — completely, not like in years past.Marcus Stroman, Jason Vargas, Andrew Cashner, Jordan Lyles, Drew Smyly, Homer Bailey, Jake Diekman and Derek Holland are among the pitchers dealt as the deadline approached. Most of the big names fans envisioned changing jerseys have stayed put in this new era of baseball economics, where prospects and youth are more prized than ever."Teams are doing a better and better job of understanding younger and younger players, and that's why you see the value in teams trying to keep prospects," Toronto general manager Ross Atkins said Monday after dealing Stroman, a first-time All-Star, to the New York Mets for a pair of pitching prospects. "The younger players seem to be really increasing in value."Major League Baseball's... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Tuesday:STILL A MET (FOR NOW)Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard (7-5, 4.33) is set to start against the White Sox, and it could be his final appearance with the club. The hard-throwing 26-year-old changed his bio on Twitter over the weekend to read "Pitcher for the New York Mets, for now," and he also tweeted a meme of Thor actor Chris Hemsworth with the text "I have no idea what's going on." First-year general manager Brodie Van Wagenen has been busy ahead of Wednesday's trade deadline, acquiring right-hander Marcus Stroman from Toronto and dealing left-hander Jason Vargas to Philadelphia. It's unclear if the club plans to send away more pieces or make a long-odds push for an NL wild card.EAST ENEMIESDavid Price (7-4, 3.66) gets the ball for Boston in the opener of a three-game series against Charlie Morton (12-3, 2.60) and Tampa Bay at Fenway Park. The Red Sox took two of three from the Rays last week and have pulled within a half-game of Tampa... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies bolstered their beleaguered rotation.Left-hander Jason Vargas was acquired from the New York Mets on Monday for Double-A catcher Austin Bossart.The 36-year-old is 6-5 with a 4.01 ERA, winning his last three starts. He became expendable when the Mets acquired right-hander Marcus Stroman from Toronto on Sunday night for a pair of pitching prospects."Jason Vargas is battle-tested and has been relatively effective for the better part of a decade now," Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said. "He gives his team a chance to win the game every time he takes the ball. I like the fact it's a different look. He's a soft-tossing lefty. We have a lot of hard-throwing righties. He's a good complement to our pitching staff."Vargas is expected to start this weekend against the Chicago White Sox. Zach Eflin, who is scheduled to pitch Friday, has a 10.46 ERA in his last six starts. Vargas could take that spot on regular four days' rest.Vargas is owed $2,666,667... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies bolstered their beleaguered rotation.Left-hander Jason Vargas was acquired from the New York Mets on Monday for Double-A catcher Austin Bossart.The 36-year-old Vargas is 6-5 with a 4.01 ERA, winning his last three starts. He became expendable when the Mets acquired right-hander Marcus Stroman from Toronto on Sunday night for a pair of pitching prospects.Vargas could start Friday night against the Chicago White Sox on normal four days' rest. Zach Eflin, who is scheduled to pitch that night, has a 10.46 ERA in his last six starts.Vargas is owed $2,666,667 of his $8 million salary for the remainder of this season, and his contract includes an $8 million club option for 2020 with a $2 million buyout. He receives a $250,000 assignment bonus.New York agreed to pay $666,667 to the Phillies to offset part of Vargas' 2019 salary, with $333,333 payable Sept. 2 and $333,334 on Oct. 1, and $250,000 to offset the assignment bonus. In addition, the Mets will... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations says the New York Mets are close to a trade to send left-hander Jason Vargas to the Philadelphia Phillies for Double-A catcher Austin Bossart.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday because the trade had not yet been announced.A 36-year-old left-hander, Vargas is 6-5 with a 4.01 ERA, winning his last three starts. He became expendable when the Mets acquired right-hander Marcus Stroman from Toronto on Sunday night for a pair of pitching prospects.Vargas said after beating Pittsburgh on Sunday that he did not expect to be traded. He is owed $2,666,667 of his $8 million salary for the remainder of this season, and his contract includes an $8 million club option for 2020 with a $2 million buyout.The 26-year-old Bossart is hitting .195 with seven homers and 28 RBIs at Reading of the Eastern League. He was a 14th-round pick in the 2015 amateur draft from the University of Pennsylvania.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — All-Star pitcher Marcus Stroman was acquired by his hometown Mets from the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday for a pair of minor league prospects, a trade that makes it likely New York will deal away one of its current starters by Wednesday's deadline.A 28-year-old right-hander who made his first All-Star team this season, Stroman is 6-11 in 21 starts despite a 2.96 ERA that is fifth-best in the American League. He is eligible for arbitration next winter and can become a free agent after the 2020 season.Toronto received two of New York's top pitching prospects in 24-year-old left-hander Anthony Kay and 18-year-old righty Simeon Woods Richardson. As part of the swap, the Mets get $1.5 million from the Blue Jays to offset much of the $2,506,452 remaining on Stroman's $7.4 million salary this year.The 5-foot-7 Stroman is 47-45 with a 3.76 ERA in six big league seasons. He grew up on Long Island near Mets starter Steven Matz, about 50 miles from Citi Field."Marcus is a dynamic talent... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets are close to completing a trade to acquire All-Star pitcher Marcus Stroman from the Toronto Blue Jays, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Sunday because the swap had not been finalized.New York would send the Blue Jays two of its top pitching prospects, 24-year-old left-hander Anthony Kay and 18-year-old right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson, a second person familiar with the talks said, also on condition of anonymity because the trade had not been completed.Stroman posted a tweet that read: "Toronto, I love you...forever!" It was followed by a Canadian flag.A 28-year-old right-hander who made his first All-Star team this season, Stroman is 6-11 in 21 starts despite a 2.96 ERA that is fifth-best in the American League. He has a $7.4 million salary and is not eligible for free agency until after the 2020 season.The 5-foot-7 Stroman is 47-45 with a 3.76 ERA in six big league... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets are close to completing a trade to acquire All-Star pitcher Marcus Stroman from the Toronto Blue Jays, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Sunday because the swap had not been finalized.Stroman posted a tweet that read: "Toronto, I love you...forever!" It was followed by a Canadian flag.A 28-year-old right-hander who made his first All-Star team this season, Stroman is 6-11 in 21 starts despite a 2.96 ERA that is fifth-best in the American League. He has a $7.4 million salary and is not eligible for free agency until after the 2020 season.The 5-foot-7 Stroman is 47-45 with a 3.76 ERA in six big league seasons. He grew up on Long Island near Mets starter Steven Matz, about 50 miles from Citi Field.Toronto's clubhouse was not opened to reporters after Sunday's game against Tampa Bay, and Stroman left the ballpark without speaking to media. Blue Jays spokesman Rich Griffin... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:SWINGIN' FOR SEVENCardinals star Paul Goldschmidt has homered in a career-best six straight games, tying the team record shared by Matt Carpenter and Mark McGwire. Goldschmidt will next face former Arizona teammate Wade Miley (8-4, 3.18 ERA) when St. Louis hosts Houston in an interleague matchup of division leaders.The major league record for consecutive games with a home run is eight by Ken Griffey Jr. (Seattle, 1993), Don Mattingly (Yankees, 1987) and Dale Long (Pittsburgh, 1956).FENWAY FROLICLefty ace Chris Sale and the hard-hitting Red Sox try for a home sweep of the rival Yankees in prime time. Boston has outscored the AL East-leading Yankees 38-13 to win the first three of a four-game set.The Red Sox have scored eight or more runs in six straight games against New York, their best streak in the clubs' 117-year rivalry.Domingo Germán (12-2, 4.03 ERA) pitches for the Yankees. Over the past seven games, New York's starters have given... [More]