NEW YORK (AP) — Tomas Nido had his first two-homer game as a professional, hitting a two-run shot in the fourth and a grand slam in the fifth to lead the New York Mets to an 8-2 win over the Washington Nationals on Thursday and a split of the four-game series.Nido is just the fifth catcher in Mets history to hit at least two homers and collect at least six RBIs in a game. Dominic Smith homered in the second and Pete Alonso had an RBI single in the eighth for the Mets, whose second straight win may have been a costly one. Left fielder Jeff McNeil was carted off after crashing into the wall while robbing Asdrubal Cabrera of a two-run extra-base hit to end the first inning.Smith, Alonso and Luis Guillorme had two hits each.McNeil’s catch cost the Nationals against rookie David Peterson (3-1), who allowed an unearned run and didn’t surrender his lone hit until Yan Gomes led off the fifth with a single. Peterson walked two, struck out three and retired 11 of 12 batters before Gomes’ hit.Jared... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Marcus Semien homered in the first after hitting a walkoff single to end a 13-inning win a night earlier and the Oakland Athletics beat the Houston Astros 3-1 on Saturday for their eighth straight victory.Frankie Montas (2-1) pitched seven shutout innings, allowing two hits without walking a batter and striking out five for the AL West-leading A’s.The three-time reigning division champion Astros lost their fourth in a row. The last three defeats had been by a total of four runs.Semien became the first player in A’s franchise history with a game-ending hit and a leadoff homer on back-to-back days. Matt Chapman homered in the eighth and added an RBI groundout in the sixth as Oakland (11-4) matched the 2014 club for the best record through 15 games over the last 30 years. Houston starter Framber Valdéz (0-2) gave up two runs and seven hits, striking out nine with one walk over seven innings.GIANTS 5, DODGERS 4LOS ANGELES (AP) — Austin Slater had his first multi-homer... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Marcus Semien homered in the first after hitting a walkoff single to end a 13-inning win a night earlier and the Oakland Athletics beat the Houston Astros 3-1 on Saturday for their eighth straight victory.Frankie Montas (2-1) pitched seven shutout innings, allowing two hits without walking a batter and striking out five for the AL West-leading A’s.The three-time reigning division champion Astros lost their fourth in a row. The last three defeats had been by a total of four runs.Semien became the first player in A’s franchise history with a game-ending hit and a leadoff homer on back-to-back days. Matt Chapman homered in the eighth and added an RBI groundout in the sixth as Oakland (11-4) matched the 2014 club for the best record through 15 games over the last 30 years. Houston starter Framber Valdéz (0-2) gave up two runs and seven hits, striking out nine with one walk over seven innings. YANKEES 8, RAYS 4, 1st game; RAYS 5, YANKEES 3, 2nd gameST. PETERSBURG, Fla.... [More]

A look at what's happening in the majors today:RED-HOT COLEGerrit Cole tries for his 20th straight regular-season win when he pitches for the Yankees at Tampa Bay. Cole is 3-0 with a 2.55 ERA in three starts since signing a $324 million, nine-year contract with New York.Cole’s streak dates to May 2019 with Houston and is the sixth-longest in big league history. Hall of Famer Carl Hubbell leads the list with 24 in a row, followed by Roy Face (22) and Roger Clemens, Jake Arrieta and Rube Marquard tied at 20. Cole lost the World Series opener last year when Washington beat the Astros.Tyler Glasnow pitches for the Rays at Tropicana Field. He’s 0-0 with a 3.12 ERA in two starts.FLYING FISHThe Marlins have rapidly become the most surprising team in the majors and now try for their seventh win in a row when they take on the Mets at Citi Field.Miami is 5-0 since missing more than a week because of the team’s coronavirus outbreak, and is 7-1 overall.The Marlins keep winning despite already using... [More]

A look at what's happening in the majors on Saturday:RED-HOT COLEGerrit Cole tries for his 20th straight regular-season win when he pitches for the Yankees at Tampa Bay. Cole is 3-0 with a 2.55 ERA in three starts since signing a $324 million, nine-year contract with New York.Cole’s streak dates to May 2019 with Houston and is the sixth-longest in big league history. Hall of Famer Carl Hubbell leads the list with 24 in a row, followed by Roy Face (22) and Roger Clemens, Jake Arrieta and Rube Marquard tied at 20. Cole lost the World Series opener last year when Washington beat the Astros.Tyler Glasnow pitches for the Rays at Tropicana Field. He’s 0-0 with a 3.12 ERA in two starts.SOUNDS FAMILIARClayton Kershaw was supposed to start on opening day at Dodger Stadium against Giants right-hander Johnny Cueto, but got scratched shortly before opening day because of back trouble. Kershaw and Cueto now are set to match up again in Los Angeles.Kershaw looked every bit a three-time NL Cy Young Award... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — This was not what Gerrit Cole had in mind for his debut in pinstripes, and yet it was.Cole extended his regular-season streak of victories to 19, leading New York over the Philadelphia Phillies 6-3 on Monday night for the Yankees' seventh win in a row.With the Yankee Stadium seats empty due to the novel coronavirus, wife Amy watched from home as Cole pitched his home debut for New York.“Mom and dad had a few of neighbors over in California," Cole said. "They sent us some pictures as they were watching the game. My folks, they’re a little bummed that they couldn’t be here, to be honest.”New York improved to 8-1 for the third time after 1988 and 2003 — but it's the equivalent of 22-3 over a 162-game season. The streak of the major league-best Yankees is tantamount to a 19-game spurt.“Even though it is a shorter season, it’s a long ways to go, right” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "We need to keep grinding now."Cole (3-0) allowed one run and five hits in six innings, struck... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Jacob deGrom struck out a season-high 10 in six innings and the New York Mets snapped a five-game skid Monday night with a 7-2 victory over the Braves that was overshadowed by a season-ending injury to Atlanta ace Mike Soroka. Soroka tore his Achilles tendon in the third inning as he took a step toward first to cover the bag — a huge blow to the two-time defending NL East champions. Robinson Canó had three RBIs before leaving the game himself — one of three New York infielders who went down with injuries. Wilson Ramos added a two-run homer for the Mets, who avoided a four-game sweep and ended Atlanta’s five-game winning streak. Travis d’Arnaud homered off deGrom (1-0) in the fifth.Soroka (0-1) allowed three hits, walked four and wound up being charged with four earned runs in 2 1/3 innings, the second-shortest outing of his career.The Mets had injury concerns, too. Jeff McNeil was scratched just before the first pitch with back tightness, and Canó exited with left groin tightness... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — This was not what Gerrit Cole had in mind for his debut in pinstripes, and yet it was.Cole extended his regular-season streak of victories to 19, leading New York over the Philadelphia Phillies 6-3 on Monday night for the Yankees' seventh win in a row.With the Yankee Stadium seats empty due to the novel coronavirus, wife Amy watched from home as Cole pitched his home debut for New York.“Mom and dad had a few of neighbors over in California," Cole said. "They sent us some pictures as they were watching the game. My folks, they’re a little bummed that they couldn’t be here, to be honest.”New York improved to 8-1 for the third time after 1988 and 2003 — but it's the equivalent of 22-3 over a 162-game season. The streak of the major league-best Yankees is tantamount to a 19-game spurt.“Even though it is a shorter season, it’s a long ways to go, right” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "We need to keep grinding now."Cole (3-0) allowed six hits, struck out four and walked one... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Jacob deGrom struck out a season-high 10 in six innings and the New York Mets snapped a five-game skid Monday night with a 7-2 victory over the Braves that was overshadowed by a season-ending injury to Atlanta ace Mike Soroka. Soroka tore his Achilles tendon in the third inning as he took a step toward first to cover the bag — a huge blow to the two-time defending NL East champions. Robinson Canó had three RBIs before leaving the game himself — one of three New York infielders who went down with injuries. Wilson Ramos added a two-run homer for the Mets, who avoided a four-game sweep and ended Atlanta’s five-game winning streak. Travis d’Arnaud homered off deGrom in the fifth.DeGrom (1-0) turned in another sterling effort. He threw 104 pitches.When Davis grounded the ball toward first baseman Freddie Freeman, Soroka broke in that direction to cover the bag if necessary — only to go down on his first step off the mound. Soroka (0-1) allowed three hits, walked four and wound... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Jacob deGrom struck out a season-high 10 in six innings and the New York Mets snapped a five-game skid Monday night with a 7-2 victory over the Braves that was overshadowed by a season-ending injury to Atlanta ace Mike Soroka. Soroka tore his Achilles tendon in the third inning as he took a step toward first to cover the bag — a huge blow to the two-time defending NL East champions. Robinson Canó had three RBIs before leaving the game himself — one of three New York infielders who went down with injuries. Wilson Ramos added a two-run homer for the Mets, who avoided a four-game sweep and ended Atlanta’s five-game winning streak. Travis d’Arnaud homered off deGrom in the fifth.DeGrom (1-0) turned in another sterling effort. He threw 104 pitches.When Davis grounded the ball toward first baseman Freddie Freeman, Soroka broke in that direction to cover the bag if necessary — only to go down on his first step off the mound. Soroka (0-1) allowed three hits, walked four and wound... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — This was not what Gerrit Cole had in mind for his debut in pinstripes, and yet it was.Cole won his home debut for the New York Yankees, extending his regular-season streak of victories to 19 with a 6-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday night.New York improved to 8-1 for the third time after 1988 and 2003. The major league-best Yankees have won seven straight — the equivalent of a 19-game spurt over a 162-game season.Cole (3-0) allowed six hits, struck out four and walked one on 91 pitches, leaving after a 1-hour, 7-minute rain delay ahead of the seventh. His grunts could be heard in empty Yankee Stadium as easily as Rafael Nadal’s at a grand slam final.A month shy of his 30th birthday, the right-hander reached 99.3 mph, but he did not have his best arsenal. Cole threw 46 fastballs, 24 sliders, 18 knuckle-curves and three changeups.Signed to a $324 million, nine-year contract, Cole grew up a Yankees fan, and at his signing news conference in December brought... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:BACK TO WORKThe Philadelphia Phillies face a difficult assignment in their long-awaited return to action.Bryce Harper and the Phils haven't played since opening the season with a three-game series against the Miami Marlins, a team that has had at least 18 players test positive for the coronavirus. Although the Phillies didn’t have any players test positive, their games last week were postponed as a cautionary measure.The Phillies got to work out again Saturday, and now come back from a weeklong layoff to face Gerrit Cole and the AL East-leading New York Yankees on the road.Jake Arrieta takes on a power-packed lineup at Yankee Stadium. New York star Aaron Judge has homered in five straight games.This marks a homecoming of sorts for Phillies first-year manager Joe Girardi. He managed the Yankees from 2008-17 and helped them beat Philadelphia in the 2009 World Series.HOME AT LASTThe Milwaukee Brewers are finally playing their home opener a... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors on Monday:BACK TO WORKThe Philadelphia Phillies face a difficult assignment in their long-awaited return to action.Bryce Harper and the Phils haven't played since opening the season with a three-game series against the Miami Marlins, a team that has had at least 18 players test positive for the coronavirus. Although the Phillies didn’t have any players test positive, their games last week were postponed as a cautionary measure.The Phillies got to work out again Saturday, and now come back from a weeklong layoff to face Gerrit Cole and the AL East-leading New York Yankees on the road.Jake Arrieta takes on a power-packed lineup at Yankee Stadium. New York star Aaron Judge has homered in five straight games.This marks a homecoming of sorts for Phillies first-year manager Joe Girardi. He managed the Yankees from 2008-17 and helped them beat Philadelphia in the 2009 World Series.HOME AT LASTThe Milwaukee Brewers are finally playing their home opener... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Marlins never considered sitting out a game as health concerns rattled the clubhouse. Brian Anderson and Miguel Rojas eased the lineup pain for a day -- and they’ll have an extra night in Philadelphia to think about any potential scares ahead.Anderson and Rojas each hit three-run homers and Miami overcame the late scratch of its starting pitcher and looming coronavirus scares to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 11-6 on Sunday.“We’re taking risks every day,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “That’s what the players all around the league are doing. You travel all the time .. it’s a risk that we take. We’re going to have to be adjustable, we’re going to have to be flexible, we’re going to have to be patient.”Jose Urena, Miami’s opening day starter in 2018 and 2019, was bumped from his start about 90 minutes before the first pitch. The Marlins did not disclose the reason. Miami’s good vibes from winning two of three were dampened by the potential health scare that could... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Brian Anderson and Miguel Rojas each hit three-run homers and the Miami Marlins overcame the late scratch of their starting pitcher and a looming health scare to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 11-6 on Sunday.Jose Urena, Miami’s opening day starter in 2018 and 2019, was bumped from his start about 90 minutes before the first pitch. The Marlins did not disclose the reason. Miami had other players unavailable: Garrett Cooper and Harold Ramirez also were out of the lineup after playing in the first two games of the season-opening, three-game set against the Phillies. Again, the Marlins did not immediately say why the players were not in the lineup. Marlins catcher Jorge Alfaro was placed on the injury list with an undisclosed ailment at the start of the series.With the specter of the coronavirus hanging over the franchise, the Marlins refused to wilt and helped turn a steamy Sunday in front of another empty ballpark into a wild one and take two of three in Philly.Yelling... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — This is the final year of Jordan Zimmermann's contract with Detroit — and after battling injuries and ineffectiveness through most of his tenure with the Tigers, this is also his last chance to make a good impression before free agency arrives again.And now that opportunity may be gone.The Tigers put Zimmermann on the 45-day injured list last weekend because of a right forearm strain, and in this shortened season, that means he won't pitch much — if at all.Zimmermann went 1-13 with a 6.91 ERA last year. He has a 5.61 ERA in four seasons with Detroit. If he was going to be any kind of significant target on the free agent market for 2021, he needed to show he could stay healthy and effective, but now his best-case scenario is to return to the mound at the very end of the season.“There's a lot of innings on that arm, and he's had to deal with a lot of things,” Detroit manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He's going to try to get himself better, and somewhere down the road, maybe at... [More]

June 271917 — Catcher Hank Gowdy of the Braves became the first major league player to enter military service in World War I.1939 — The Brooklyn Dodgers and the Boston Braves played a 23-inning, 2-2 tie. Whit Wyatt pitched the first 16 innings for the Dodgers. Both clubs played a 26-inning tie in 1920 at the same Braves Field.1958 — Billy Pierce of the Chicago White Sox retired 26 straight Washington batters before pinch-hitter Ed Fitzgerald hit a double just inside the right-field line for the only hit. Pierce then struck out Albie Pearson on three pitches and beat the Senators 3-0.1973 — David Clyde, a $125,000, 18-year-old bonus baby with the Rangers, pitched five innings, struck out eight and allowed one hit in his first major league start. Texas beat the Minnesota Twins 4-3 before 35,698 fans — the Rangers’ first home sellout at Arlington Stadium.1980 — The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Jerry Reuss pitched a no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants in an 8-0 victory at Candlestick Park. The... [More]

June 271917 — Catcher Hank Gowdy of the Braves became the first major league player to enter military service in World War I.1939 — The Brooklyn Dodgers and the Boston Braves played a 23-inning, 2-2 tie. Whit Wyatt pitched the first 16 innings for the Dodgers. Both clubs played a 26-inning tie in 1920 at the same Braves Field.1958 — Billy Pierce of the Chicago White Sox retired 26 straight Washington batters before pinch-hitter Ed Fitzgerald hit a double just inside the right-field line for the only hit. Pierce then struck out Albie Pearson on three pitches and beat the Senators 3-0.1973 — David Clyde, a $125,000, 18-year-old bonus baby with the Rangers, pitched five innings, struck out eight and allowed one hit in his first major league start. Texas beat the Minnesota Twins 4-3 before 35,698 fans — the Rangers’ first home sellout at Arlington Stadium.1980 — The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Jerry Reuss pitched a no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants in an 8-0 victory at Candlestick Park. The... [More]

June 241936 — Rookie Joe DiMaggio hit two homers in the fifth inning and added two doubles in the New York Yankees’ 18-4 victory over the St. Louis Browns.1950 — Wes Westrum of the New York Giants hit three home runs and a triple in a 12-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.1955 — Harmon Killebrew hit his first major league homer, off Billy Hoeft at Griffith Stadium, but the Detroit Tigers beat the Washington Senators 18-7.1962 — Jack Reed, a substitute outfielder, hit a homer off Phil Regan in the 22nd inning to give the New York Yankees a 9-7 win over the Detroit Tigers in a game that lasted 7 hours, 22 minutes. It was the only homer Reed hit in the majors.1968 — Jim Northrup tied a major league record by hitting two grand slams in one game as the Detroit Tigers beat the Cleveland Indians 14-3.1983 — Don Sutton of the Milwaukee Brewers became the eighth pitcher in major league history to strike out 3,000 batters. Sutton’s 3,000th victim was Cleveland’s Alan Bannister in a 3-2 win over the... [More]

April 211910 — The Cleveland Indians played their first game at League Park and lost to the Detroit Tigers 5-0, in front of 19,867.1955 — The Brooklyn Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies 14-4 at Ebbets Field for their 10th consecutive victory from the start of the season — a major league record that lasted until 1981.1967 — After 737 consecutive games, the Dodgers were rained out for the first time since moving to Los Angeles. The St. Louis Cardinals were scheduled.1982 — The Atlanta Braves beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-3 for their 13th straight victory.1984 — In his second start since August 1982, Montreal pitcher David Palmer threw five perfect innings against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 4-0 victory stopped by rain.1987 — The Milwaukee Brewers’ 13-game winning streak from the start of the season ended with a 7-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox. Milwaukee shared the major league streak of 13 straight, set by the Atlanta Braves in 1982.1994 — Eddie Murray set a major league record with his... [More]