SEATTLE (AP) — John Means threw the major leagues’ third no-hitter this season and came within a wild pitch on a third strike of a perfect game, pitching the Baltimore Orioles over the Seattle Mariners 6-0 on Wednesday. Means (4-0) struck out 12. Seattle’s Sam Haggerty raced to first after he struck out swinging on a curveball in the dirt on a 1-2 count with one outs in the third inning that bounced away from catcher Pedro Severino. Haggerty wasn’t on base long, getting thrown out attempting to steal second. Means threw 79 strikes among 113 pitches, including first-pitch strikes to 26 of 27 batters. When Seattle did make contact against the 28-year-old left-hander, it was weak and there were no threats to fall in for a hit. Means lowered his ERA to 1.37 and became the first individual Orioles pitcher to toss a no-hitter since Jim Palmer against Oakland on Aug,. 13, 1969. It was the 10th no-hitter in franchise history — six in Baltimore after four as the St. Louis Browns. Means joined a... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Jeff McNeil launched a tying homer in the bottom of the ninth inning on his 29th birthday and the New York Mets were handed the winning run on a disputed hit by pitch for a bizarre 3-2 victory over the Miami Marlins in their home opener Thursday. With the bases loaded and one out, a scuffling Michael Conforto appeared to stick out his right elbow pad just enough to get it grazed by a 1-2 breaking ball from closer Anthony Bass that looked to be in the strike zone. Plate umpire and crew chief Ron Kulpa at first signaled strike, then quickly ruled Conforto was hit by the pitch. Conforto headed toward first base as Luis Guillorme scored and the Mets celebrated a comeback win in front of the first crowd at Citi Field in 557 days. Marlins players and manager Don Mattingly argued with Kulpa before a replay review was initiated. The review lasted 58 seconds, and the call was upheld. According to baseball rules, if a batter is hit by a pitch in the strike zone, the pitch should be... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — Nick Castellanos stood over, flexed and jawed at St. Louis pitcher Jake Woodford after scoring, setting off a series of scuffles that included relievers shoving in the outfield as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Cardinals 9-6 Saturday. St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright was knocked around for six runs and chased in the third. The next inning, the teams started tagging each other. Castellanos, who homered on opening day and hopped out of the box before tossing his bat, was plunked by Woodford with two outs and none on in the fourth. Castellanos retrieved the ball and offered to toss it back to Woodford before flipping it out of play. A wild pitch soon sent Castellanos scampering home from third and he scored with a headfirst slide for a 7-2 lead as he bumped into Woodford, who took the throw from catcher Yadier Molina at the plate. As Castellanos began walking away, Molina rushed up and tapped him from behind, and the benches and bullpens emptied in a wild scene. There was... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — Nick Castellanos stood over, flexed and jawed at St. Louis pitcher Jake Woodford after scoring, setting off a series of scuffles that included relievers shoving in the outfield as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Cardinals 9-6 Saturday. St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright was knocked around for six runs and chased in the third. The next inning, the teams started tagging each other. Castellanos, who homered on opening day and hopped out of the box before tossing his bat, was plunked by Woodford with two outs and none on in the fourth. Castellanos retrieved the ball and offered to toss it back to Woodford before flipping it out of play. A wild pitch soon sent Castellanos scampering home from third and he scored with a headfirst slide for a 7-2 lead as he bumped into Woodford, who took the throw from catcher Yadier Molina at the plate. As Castellanos began walking away, Molina rushed up and tapped him from behind, and the benches and bullpens emptied in a wild scene. There was... [More]

Jay Bruce returned to the major leagues Saturday, making the New York Yankees' roster at the deadline for decisions on free agents who had gone to spring training with minor league contracts. Atlanta added third baseman Pablo Sandoval, infielder Ehire Adrianza and reliever Nate Jones to its major league roster. The Chicago Cubs told infielder Eric Sogard he will be added. Detroit, having already told pitcher Julio Teheran he will be on the roster, informed pitcher Derek Holland he will be added and decided to pay a $100,000 retention bonus to keep pitcher Erasmo Ramirez. Under baseball's collective bargaining agreement, players who became free agents after the World Series and then went to spring training with minor league contracts had to be told by noon EDT Saturday that they would be added to the 40-man roster, paid the retention bonus or released. Released players can re-sign with the same team. Miami paid the retention bonus to catcher Sandy Leon, the only other player given the bonus.... [More]

Jay Bruce returned to the major leagues Saturday, making the New York Yankees' roster at the deadline for decisions on free agents who had gone to spring training with minor league contracts. Atlanta added third baseman Pablo Sandoval, infielder Ehire Adrianza and reliever Nate Jones to its major league roster. The Chicago Cubs told infielder Eric Sogard he will be added. Detroit, having already told pitcher Julio Teheran he will be on the roster, informed pitcher Derek Holland he will be added and decided to pay a $100,000 retention bonus to keep pitcher Erasmo Ramirez. Under baseball's collective bargaining agreement, players who became free agents after the World Series and then went to spring training with minor league contracts had to be told by noon EDT Saturday that they would be added to the 40-man roster, paid the retention bonus or released. Released players can re-sign with the same team. Miami paid the retention bonus to catcher Sandy Leon, the only other player given the bonus.... [More]

Jay Bruce returned to the major leagues Saturday, making the New York Yankees' roster at the deadline for decisions on free agents who had gone to spring training with minor league contracts. Atlanta added third baseman Pablo Sandoval, infielder Ehire Adrianza and reliever Nate Jones to its major league roster. The Chicago Cubs told infielder Eric Sogard he will be added. Detroit, having already told pitcher Julio Teheran he will be on the roster, informed pitcher Derek Holland he will be added and decided to pay a $100,000 retention bonus to keep pitcher Erasmo Ramirez. Under baseball's collective bargaining agreement, players who became free agents after the World Series and then went to spring training with minor league contracts had to be told by noon EDT Saturday that they would be added to the 40-man roster, paid the retention bonus or released. Released players can re-sign with the same team. Miami paid the retention bonus to catcher Sandy Leon, the only other player given the bonus.... [More]

Brandon Woodruff is stopping the Milwaukee Brewers’ revolving door of opening-day starting pitchers. Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said Thursday that Woodruff will start the Brewers’ season opener for a second straight year. He will be facing Kenta Maeda when the Brewers host the Minnesota Twins on April 1. “Any time you can go out, get the ball for the first game and try and set the tone for the year, it’s a huge honor and something I don’t take lightly,” Woodruff said Thursday from the Brewers’ spring training site in Phoenix. Having the same pitcher start the opener in back-to-back seasons is something new for the Brewers. They had a different pitcher start each of the last seven season openers, causing fans to refer to an “opening-day curse.” “I don’t really pay too much attention,” Woodruff said. “I just think it’s one of those things. I don’t know if anybody went along with that curse, I guess.” Yovanni Gallardo started his fifth straight season opener in 2014. The list of opening-day... [More]

Brandon Woodruff is stopping the Milwaukee Brewers’ revolving door of opening-day starting pitchers. Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said Thursday that Woodruff will start the Brewers’ season opener for a second straight year. He will be facing Kenta Maeda when the Brewers host the Minnesota Twins on April 1. “Any time you can go out, get the ball for the first game and try and set the tone for the year, it’s a huge honor and something I don’t take lightly,” Woodruff said Thursday from the Brewers’ spring training site in Phoenix. Having the same pitcher start the season opener in back-to-back season is something new for the Brewers. They had a different pitcher start each of the last seven season openers, causing fans to refer to an “opening-day curse.” “I don’t really pay too much attention,” Woodruff said. “I just think it’s one of those things. I don’t know if anybody went along with that curse, I guess.” Yovanni Gallardo started his fifth straight season opener in 2014. The list of... [More]

A team-by-team look at the National League West entering spring training, including key players each club acquired and lost, and dates of the first workout for pitchers and catchers, and the full squad: ___ Los Angeles Dodgers Manager: Dave Roberts (sixth season). 2019: 43-17, first place, World Series champions. Training Town: Glendale, Arizona. Park: Camelback Ranch. First Workout: Feb. 18/23. He’s Here: RHP Trevor Bauer, RHP Tommy Kahnle, LHP Garrett Cleavinger. He’s Outta Here: 3B Justin Turner, RHP Pedro Báez, INF/OF Enrique Hernández, LF Joc Pederson, LHP Alex Wood, RHP Jimmy Nelson, OF Terrance Gore. Going campin’: After winning their first World Series title since 1988 during the pandemic-shortened season, the Dodgers are looking to repeat. They made a major splash just before spring training, signing Bauer a year after trading for Mookie Betts and David Price in February. The roster boasts an enviable three MVPs and three Cy Young Award winners, making the Dodgers the favorites... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks have declined options for the 2021 season for right-handed pitchers Mike Leake, Hector Rondón and Junior Guerra. Leake and Rondón become eligible for free agency, and Guerra for salary arbitration in February. The 32-year-old Leake went 3-3 with a 4.35 ERA in 10 starts for the D-backs in 2019 after being traded from the Mariners. He opted out of the 2020 season because of concerns with the coronavirus. His contract included an $18 million club option for 2021 with a $5 million buyout. Rondón, 32, had a disappointing season in 2020, finishing with a 7.65 ERA in 23 appearances. The reliever gets a $500,000 buyout instead of next year’s $4 million salary. Guerra, 35, pitched well in 2020 with a 3.04 ERA in 25 appearances. He receives a $100,000 buyout instead of a $3.5 million salary. The team faces a Dec. 2 deadline to offer contracts to Guerra and other unsigned players on its 40-man roster. The Diamondbacks are trying to rework their roster after finishing 25-35. They traded several of their key players at mid-season, including outfielder Starling Marté, left-handed pitcher Robbie Ray and right-handed closer Archie Bradley. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PHOENIX (AP) — Madison Bumgarner was one of many reasons the Arizona Diamondbacks fell well short of expectations this season. His assessment of his own personal struggles on the mound a few weeks ago summed up the team's summer quite well. “2020 sucks,” Bumgarner said. "I'm pretty much on board with that now. Not a big fan." The Diamondbacks thought they could challenge for the NL West title this season, but instead, they were the division’s worst team. Now they’re trying to figure out what the 60-game swoon means in the long term and how much they need to reshape the roster. Arizona finished with a 25-35 record but in reality, it felt worse than that. An eight-game losing streak in the middle of the season meant the D-backs were basically out of playoff contention by September. General manager Mike Hazen turned into a seller, dealing pitchers Robbie Ray, Archie Bradley and Andrew Chafin, along with outfielder Starling Marte. It was a stunning change of course considering how confident... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Adam Duvall hit three home runs a night after teammate Marcell Ozuna become the first NL player ever to hit three homers in Fenway Park, and the East-leading Atlanta Braves beat the stumbling Boston Red Sox 7-5 Wednesday night to complete a three-game sweep. Duvall hit a pair of two-run shots over the Green Monster and a solo blast to center for his five RBIs. Ozuna added a long, tiebreaking solo drive for the Braves, who entered the three-game set 0-12-3 in their last 15 series against the Red Sox.It was Atlanta’s first sweep in Boston since capturing a three-game set in 2002. Freddie Freeman had two hits to extend his hitting streak to 16 games.Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a solo homer and J.D. Martinez had two hits and two RBIs for the Red Sox.Ozuna’s drive also cleared the Monster, sailing over a billboard and completely out of Fenway against Andrew Triggs (0-2) in the seventh. Duvall’s third homer hit off a back wall near the bleachers after his second homer had tied it at... [More]

Diamondbacks sixth. Ketel Marte flies out to deep right center field to AJ Pollock. Christian Walker homers to left field. David Peralta singles to shallow infield. Eduardo Escobar pops out to shortstop to Gavin Lux. Josh Rojas singles to right field. David Peralta to second. Nick Ahmed reaches on a fielder's choice to third base. David Peralta out at third.1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 left on. Diamondbacks 1, Dodgers 0.Dodgers ninth. Gavin Lux grounds out to shallow infield, Ketel Marte to Christian Walker. Mookie Betts homers to center field. Corey Seager doubles to deep left field. AJ Pollock strikes out swinging. Max Muncy grounds out to shallow right field, Ketel Marte to Christian Walker.1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Diamondbacks 1, Dodgers 1.Diamondbacks tenth. Carson Kelly flies out to right center field to Mookie Betts. Kole Calhoun walks. Ketel Marte hit by pitch. Kole Calhoun to second. Daulton Varsho to third. Christian Walker walks. Ketel Marte to second. Kole Calhoun to... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Mike Trout drove in three early runs, then made a key catch late as the Los Angeles Angels beat Oakland 4-3 Saturday to snap the Athletics’ nine-game home winning streak.The three-time MVP made a diving catch on Matt Olson’s sinking liner to center field to start the eighth inning, which had Angels reliever Ty Buttrey clapping his glove in gratitude. Buttrey got six outs for his second save.Anthony Rendon extended his hitting streak to 12 games for the Angels, who snapped a four-game losing streak. Matt Andriese (1-1) relieved Griffin Canning in the fifth and pitched 2 1/3 innings for his first win with Los Angeles.Matt Chapman homered for AL West-leading Oakland. Chris Bassitt (2-1) permitted four runs, two earned, and six hits in 5 2/3 innings.DODGERS 4, ROCKIES 3LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cody Bellinger’s home run leading off the ninth inning gave Los Angeles a win over slumping Colorado.Bellinger drove a slider from Daniel Bard (1-2) just over the glove of Rockies right... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Mike Trout drove in three early runs, then made a key catch late as the Los Angeles Angels beat Oakland 4-3 Saturday to snap the Athletics’ nine-game home winning streak.The three-time MVP made a diving catch on Matt Olson’s sinking liner to center field to start the eighth inning, which had Angels reliever Ty Buttrey clapping his glove in gratitude. Buttrey got six outs for his second save.Anthony Rendon extended his hitting streak to 12 games for the Angels, who snapped a four-game losing streak. Matt Andriese (1-1) relieved Griffin Canning in the fifth and pitched 2 1/3 innings for his first win with Los Angeles.Matt Chapman homered for AL West-leading Oakland. Chris Bassitt (2-1) permitted four runs, two earned, and six hits in 5 2/3 innings.RAYS 2, BLUE JAYS 1, 10 INNINGSST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Pinch hitter Kevin Kiermaier singled in the 10th inning, and Tampa Bay ended Toronto’s six-game winning streak.Both teams scored a run in the fifth and it stayed 1-all... [More]

Giants third. Mike Yastrzemski strikes out on a foul tip. Wilmer Flores walks. Evan Longoria homers to center field. Wilmer Flores scores. Hunter Pence strikes out swinging. Joey Bart strikes out swinging.2 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left on. Giants 2, Diamondbacks 0.Diamondbacks fourth. Ketel Marte lines out to second base to Evan Longoria. Christian Walker doubles to deep left field. David Peralta doubles to deep right center field. Christian Walker scores. Eduardo Escobar singles to center field. David Peralta scores. Stephen Vogt flies out to deep left field to Hunter Pence. Nick Ahmed grounds out to shortstop, Brandon Crawford to Wilmer Flores.2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Diamondbacks 2, Giants 2.Giants fifth. Mike Yastrzemski walks. Wilmer Flores homers to left field. Mike Yastrzemski scores. Evan Longoria singles to left center field. Hunter Pence strikes out on a foul tip. Joey Bart called out on strikes. Brandon Crawford called out on strikes.2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — Jonathan Villar hit a first-pitch leadoff homer to spark a robust offensive performance by the Miami Marlins, who beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-7 Thursday night to complete a startling four-game sweep and make Don Mattingly the winningest manager in franchise history.Villar had three hits and Brian Anderson drove in three runs for the upstart Marlins, who emerged from a team-wide coronavirus outbreak to dominate the Orioles and forge the best winning percentage in the big leagues.Miami is 6-1 and in first place in the NL East despite putting 18 players on the injured list before the series opener Tuesday.The Marlins were the “home” team because this was a makeup of a July 28 game that was to be held in Miami but postponed in the wake of the Marlins’ COVID-19 outbreak.Batting in the bottom of the seventh, the Marlins broke a 6-6 tie with a sacrifice fly by Jesús Aguilar off Evan Phillips (1-1) and an RBI triple by Anderson.Mike Morin (1-0) pitched two shutout innings and... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — Jonathan Villar hit a first-pitch leadoff homer to spark a robust offensive performance by the Miami Marlins, who beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-7 Thursday night to complete a startling four-game sweep and make Don Mattingly the winningest manager in franchise history.Villar had three hits and Brian Anderson drove in three runs for the upstart Marlins, who emerged from a team-wide coronavirus outbreak to dominate the Orioles and forge the best winning percentage in the big leagues.Miami is 6-1 and in first place in the NL East despite putting 18 players on the injured list before the series opener Tuesday.The Marlins were the “home” team because this was a makeup of a July 28 game that was to be held in Miami but postponed in the wake of the Marlins’ COVID-19 outbreak.Batting in the bottom of the seventh, the Marlins broke a 6-6 tie with a sacrifice fly by Jesús Aguilar off Evan Phillips (1-1) and an RBI triple by Anderson.Mike Morin (1-0) pitched two shutout innings and... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — San Francisco catcher Buster Posey became the latest well-known player to opt out of the abbreviated 2020 season because of concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, joining Dodgers pitcher David Price and Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman on the sidelines.Later Friday, the Chicago White Sox said prized pitching prospect Michael Kopech wouldn't play this year. No reason was given for his decision.Others like Texas slugger Joey Gallo and San Diego outfielder Tommy Pham provided good news: They can get back on the field after previously testing positive for the virus.One week into Major League Baseball's strange summer camp, the constant churn of rosters is one of the few constants.Posey — a six-time All-Star and 2012 NL MVP — said his family finalized the adoption of identical twin girls this week. The babies were born prematurely and Posey said after consultations with his wife and doctor he decided skipping the season was in his family’s best interest.“These babies, being... [More]