NEW YOIRK (AP) — Minnesota Twins designated hitter Nelson Cruz was voted Marvin Miller Man of the Year and Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman was picked as Player of the Year in annual Players Choice award voting by the Major League Baseball Players Association. Cruz hit .303 with 16 homers and 33 RBIs in the pandemic-shortened season. The Marvin Miller Award goes to the player whose his peers “most respect based on his leadership on the field and in the community.” Freeman batted .341 with 13 homers and 53 RBIs. Freeman was voted the NL’s outstanding player, Cincinnati’s Trevor Bauer outstanding pitcher, San Diego infielder Jake Cronenworth outstanding rookie and Colorado pitcher Daniel Bard comeback player, the union said Thursday. Chicago White Sox first baseman José Abreu was voted the AL’s Outstanding Player, Cleveland’s Shane Bieber outstanding pitcher, Seattle outfielder Kyle Lewis outstanding rookie and Cleveland pitcher Carlos Carrasco comeback player. Hall of Famer Andre... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The price of qualifying offers for Major League Baseball free agents rose by $1.1 million to a record $18.9 million. Determined by the average of the top 125 major league contracts this year, the figure announced Thursday is based on full salaries, not the prorated pay that players received in the pandemic-shorted season. The price had dropped last offseason for the first time, by $100,000 to $17.8 million. Among the top players eligible for free agency are pitchers Trevor Bauer, Marcus Stroman, Liam Hendriks, Blake Treinen, Masahiro Tanaka, José Quintana and Alex Colomé; catcher J.T. Realmuto; outfielders George Springer and Marcell Ozuna; infielder DJ LeMahieu; designated hitter Nelson Cruz; and shortstops Didi Gregorius, Marcus Semien and Andrelton Simmons. A qualifying offer can be made through the fifth day after the World Series, and a player has a week after that to accept. If a team makes a qualifying offer to a player who signs a major league contract with another... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman was voted Major League Player of the Year by Baseball Digest on Monday, and Cleveland’s Shane Bieber was a unanimous pick as Major League Pitcher of the Year. Freeman received eight of 17 first-place votes and 34 points after hitting .341 with 13 homers and 53 RBIs in the pandemic-shortened season. Chicago White Sox first baseman José Abreu was second with four firsts and 26 points. Bieber was 8-1 with a 1.63 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 77 1/3 innings, leading the major leagues in wins, ERA and strikeouts. He received all 17 first-place votes and 51 points. Cincinnati’s Trevor Bauer was second with 28 points. Milwaukee’s Devin Williams was voted relief pitcher of the year. He had a 0.33 ERA and struck out 53 in 27 innings. Williams received 12 first-place votes and 39 points. Oakland’s Liam Hendricks was second with four firsts and 32 points. Voters included writers and broadcasters. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHICAGO (AP) — Manager David Ross had few words for his team after the Chicago Cubs got swept out of the playoffs. There really wasn't much to say, other than this. “Just remember how this feels when you’re working in the offseason,” the rookie skipper said. “This is a terrible feeling. I’m proud of them. I’m very proud of this group. This is a season like no other. As a mamager, I’m very proud of this group.” The Cubs won the NL Central at 34-26 in Ross' first year and returned to the playoffs after missing out last year. Yu Darvish built on a strong second half last year and thrust himself into the Cy Young Award conversation. But the Cubs stalled after winning 13 of their first 16 games in the pandemic-shortened season. They got swept at home by Miami in their wild-card series, managing just one run in two games. They haven't advanced in the postseason since reaching the 2017 NL Championship Series. And they're facing some big decisions about a core that in 2016 helped bring the long-suffering... [More]

The Cincinnati Reds spent big money last offseason to add some badly needed offensive pop to the lineup. It didn’t pay off quite as well as they hoped. Behind solid pitching, the Reds slipped into the playoffs for the first time in seven years despite hitting a major league-worst .212 as a team. The offensive woes were front and center as they were shut out and swept in two games by the Atlanta Braves, wasting solid starts by their two best pitchers, Trevor Bauer and Luis Castillo. The Reds were 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position in the two games and are left to cull the positives from an unsettling season shortened by the coronavirus pandemic and played in empty stadiums. The positives: The Reds slammed 90 home runs in the 60 games, seventh best in the major leagues. Pitching was good all around as they went on a late-season run to finish 31-29 and get to the postseason for the first time in seven years. Bauer’s 1.73 ERA likely will be good enough for the NL Cy Young Award. Most... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today: ___ TRY AGAIN The Cubs and Marlins resume their series a day after poor weather caused a postponement at Wrigley Field. Miami leads the best-of-three 1-0 but may be without outfielder Starling Marte, who was hit by a fastball during Wednesday’s 5-1 victory and has a nondisplaced fracture of the bone running between his left pinky and wrist. He wasn’t in the starting lineup for Thursday’s postponed game, but manager Don Mattingly had not ruled out using him. Chicago is counting on Yu Darvish to avoid a playoff sweep. The ace right-hander was a steady presence for the Cubs throughout the pandemic-shortened season, joining the NL Cy Young Award conversation. A four-time All-Star with Texas, he tied Cleveland’s Shane Bieber for the major league lead with eight wins and was second in the NL to Cincinnati’s Trevor Bauer with a 2.01 ERA. The Marlins will counter with 22-year-old Sixto Sánchez, who debuted Aug. 22 and posted a 3.46 ERA in seven... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Friday: ___ TRY AGAIN The Cubs and Marlins resume their series a day after poor weather caused a postponement at Wrigley Field. Miami leads the best-of-three 1-0 but may be without outfielder Starling Marte, who was hit by a fastball during Wednesday’s 5-1 victory and has a nondisplaced fracture of the bone running between his left pinky and wrist. He wasn’t in the starting lineup for Thursday’s postponed game, but manager Don Mattingly had not ruled out using him. Chicago is counting on Yu Darvish to avoid a playoff sweep. The ace right-hander was a steady presence for the Cubs throughout the pandemic-shortened season, joining the NL Cy Young Award conversation. A four-time All-Star with Texas, he tied Cleveland’s Shane Bieber for the major league lead with eight wins and was second in the NL to Cincinnati’s Trevor Bauer with a 2.01 ERA. The Marlins will counter with 22-year-old Sixto Sánchez, who debuted Aug. 22 and posted a 3.46 ERA in seven... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Freddie Freeman singled home the winning run in the 13th inning, finally ending the longest scoreless duel in postseason history as the Atlanta Braves defeated the Cincinnati Reds 1-0 in the opener of their NL wild-card series on Wednesday. The East champion Braves won the first game of a postseason series for the first time since the 2001 NL Division Series and can wrap up the best-of-three series on Thursday. If they do, it will snap a record-tying streak of 10 straight playoff round losses. What began as a pitching showdown between between Cy Young contenders Trevor Bauer of the Reds and Atlanta’s Max Fried devolved into a strikeout contest. The teams combined for a postseason record 37 Ks — 21 by the Braves. After a couple of hits in the 13th against Archie Bradley, Freeman drove one into center field off Amir Garrett against a five-man infield with one out to end a game that dragged on for more than 4 1/2 hours. A four-time All-Star, Freeman produced another big year... [More]

Shortly after noon in Atlanta, Nick Senzel of the Cincinnati Reds slapped the first pitch from Max Fried to right field for a single, starting a day of baseball unlike any that had come before. Eight postseason games, all set to start in a span of around 10 hours. “This is like September Madness,” Houston manager Dusty Baker said. “It’s going to be mad.” Wednesday indeed had a bit of an NCAA Tournament feel, with a smorgasbord of playoff games starting early in the afternoon and scheduled to last long into the night. For much of the 20th Century, baseball had a maximum of seven games in any single postseason. Wednesday’s schedule alone included more than that, the result of an expanded postseason for 2020 that includes 16 teams after a regular season shortened to 60 games by the coronavirus pandemic. There’s no telling when or if the sport will have a day like this again. It won’t happen this year — when the Astros beat Minnesota 3-1, they eliminated the Twins and ensured that Thursday’s... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — The Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves are playing the longest scoreless game in postseason history. Wednesday's opening game of the NL wild-card series was the first in postseason history to be scoreless through 11 innings. The scoreless streak was extended through 12 innings. The teams combined for a postseason record 35 strikeouts through 12 innings, and every batter that has come to the plate has struck out at least once after the Reds' Nick Castellanos became strikeout victim No. 36 leading off the 13th. For the postseason, baseball has set aside the new extra-innings rule it instituted for the pandemic-delayed regular season. There is no designated runner at second base for extra innings. The Reds left the bases loaded in the 11th when Mike Moustakas struck out to end the inning. Cincinnati wasted another scoring chance in the 12th when Tyler Matzek struck out pinch-hitter Freddy Galvis, leaving runners on first and third. Trevor Bauer had 12 strikeouts through 7 2/3 innings for the Reds. Max Fried threw 7 innings, allowing six hits, for Atlanta. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ATLANTA (AP) — Pablo Sandoval is on the Atlanta Braves' roster for the NL wild-card series against the Cincinnati Reds. The 2012 World Series MVP joined the Braves after being released by the San Francisco Giants a couple of weeks ago. He started at third base in the final game of the regular season, going 0 for 2 with two walks in a 9-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox. Sandoval played 33 games for the Giants, hitting .220 with one homer and six RBIs. The Braves also brought back infielder Charlie Culberson to the big league roster and released left-handed pitcher Tommy Milone, who was acquired at the trade deadline but posted a 14.90 ERA in three starts. ___ The 28-player rosters for the best-of-three series between the Reds and the Braves: CINCINNATI Pitchers (12): RH Tejay Antone, RH Trevor Bauer, RH Archie Bradley, RH Luis Castillo, LH Amir Garrett, RH Sonny Gray, RH Raisel Iglesias, RH Michael Lorenzen, RH Tyler Mahle, LH Wade Miley, RH Lucas Sims, RH Robert Stephenson Catchers (2): Tucker... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today: ___ CRAZY EIGHT How’s this for wild: MLB is set to stage eight postseason games on the same day for the first time. National League clubs will open their best-of-three wild-card series, while four American League teams are already facing elimination after starting Tuesday. The Reds and Braves open things with a dynamite pitching matchup between Trevor Bauer and Max Fried at noon ET, and baseball will be on TV until the Brewers and Dodgers wrap their 10 p.m. ET tilt. With the expansion of the first round from a pair of wild-card games to eight best-of-three series, there are a maximum 65 possible postseason games this year. In the 1960s, there were 66 postseason games in the entire decade, with league championship series starting in 1969. The day starts with a showdown between NL Cy Young Award contenders. Bauer (5-4, 1.73 ERA) was at his best down the stretch for Cincinnati, including a 12-strikeout performance against Milwaukee in his... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Wednesday: ___ CRAZY EIGHT How’s this for wild: MLB is set to stage eight postseason games on the same day for the first time. National League clubs will open their best-of-three wild-card series, while four American League teams are already facing elimination after starting Tuesday. The Reds and Braves open things with a dynamite pitching matchup between Trevor Bauer and Max Fried at noon ET, and baseball will be on TV until the Brewers and Dodgers wrap their 10 p.m. ET tilt. With the expansion of the first round from a pair of wild-card games to eight best-of-three series, there are a maximum 65 possible postseason games this year. In the 1960s, there were 66 postseason games in the entire decade, with league championship series starting in 1969. The day starts with a showdown between NL Cy Young Award contenders. The right-handed Bauer (5-4, 1.73 ERA) was at his best down the stretch for Cincinnati, including a 12-strikeout performance against... [More]

A capsule look at the best-of-three playoff series between the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves beginning Wednesday. All games in Atlanta: ___ CINCINNATI REDS Record: 31-29. Playoff Entry: NL wild card. Playoff Seed: No. 7. Manager: David Bell (second season). Projected Rotation: RHP Trevor Bauer (5-4, NL-best 1.73 ERA, 100Ks), RHP Luis Castillo (4-6, 3.21, 89Ks), RHP Sonny Gray (5-3, 3.70, 72 Ks). Top Hitters: DH Jesse Winker (.255, 12 HRs, 23 RBIs), 1B Joey Votto (.226, 11, 22), RF Nick Castellanos (.225, 14, 34), 3B Eugenio Suarez (.202, 15, 38). Top Relievers: RHP Raisel Iglesias (4-3, 2.74 ERA, 8 saves), RHP Lucas Sims (3-0, 2.45), LHP Amir Garrett (1-0, 2.45, 1 save), RHP Tejay Antone (0-3, 2.80). Series Summary: The Reds took off in early September and earned their first playoff appearance since 2013. Cincinnati won six in a row beginning Sept. 13 and finished the season 11-3, including an extra-inning victory over Minnesota in the finale. The team won its last five series. The... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Like so many things in everyday life this year, little went according to plan for the New York Mets. And with a change in ownership pending, more upheaval could be coming soon. After starting 2020 with such high hopes, the Mets finished 26-34 under rookie manager Luis Rojas in a rocky season cut short by the coronavirus. They tied Washington for last in the NL East and missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year — even with the field expanded to eight teams per league. “That’s pretty frustrating,” said ace Jacob deGrom, who delivered another stellar performance on the mound. “There’s a lot of disappointment.” With slugger Pete Alonso powering a young corps of rising hitters, a second-half surge last year propelled New York to an 86-76 record and generated optimism. Former star Carlos Beltrán was hired as manager to replace Mickey Callaway, and the Mets set about beefing up their pitching staff in free agency. That's when everything went haywire. Beltrán was let go after... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today: ___ LET'S GET IT SETTLED St. Louis, Milwaukee, San Francisco and Philadelphia enter the last day of the regular season competing for two postseason spots, and the biggest game of the day pits Christian Yelich's Brewers against Yadier Molina's Cardinals. A team-by-team breakdown of what each club needs to clinch: Cardinals (29-28) — Qualify with a victory over Milwaukee or a loss by the Giants. If St. Louis loses and San Francisco wins, the Cardinals would make up two games against Detroit on Monday that were postponed this season due to St. Louis' coronavirus outbreak. Brewers (29-30) — Qualify with a victory over St. Louis, or with losses by the Giants and Phillies. Giants (29-30) — Qualify with a victory over San Diego and a Brewers loss. If the Giants and Brewers win, San Francisco needs St. Louis to lose both games against the Tigers on Monday. Phillies (28-31) — Qualify with a win over Tampa Bay and losses by the Brewers and Giants.... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Sunday: ___ LET'S GET IT SETTLED St. Louis, Milwaukee, San Francisco and Philadelphia enter the last day of the regular season competing for two postseason spots, and the biggest game of the day pits Christian Yelich's Brewers against Yadier Molina's Cardinals. A team-by-team breakdown of what each club needs to clinch: Cardinals (29-28) — Qualify with a victory over Milwaukee or a loss by the Giants. If St. Louis loses and San Francisco wins, the Cardinals would make up two games against Detroit on Monday that were postponed this season due to St. Louis' coronavirus outbreak. Brewers (29-30) — Qualify with a victory over St. Louis, or with losses by the Giants and Phillies. Giants (29-30) — Qualify with a victory over San Diego and a Brewers loss. If the Giants and Cardinals win, San Francisco needs St. Louis to lose both games against the Tigers on Monday. Phillies (28-31) — Qualify with a win over Tampa Bay and losses by the Brewers and Giants.... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors on Saturday: PLAYOFF CHASE After manager Don Mattingly’s Marlins clinched a most unlikely postseason spot, three NL playoff slots are still open with two days left in the regular season. St. Louis, Cincinnati and San Francisco are all at .500 or better, Philadelphia and Milwaukee are two games under. Cardinals star Adam Wainwright (5-2, 3.05) faces Milwaukee’s Brandon Woodruff (2-5, 3.43) at Busch Stadium. Wainwright has dropped lost two of his past three decisions after starting the season 4-0. His last win came against the Brewers on Sept. 16 when he went the distance in the opener of a seven-inning doubleheader. SLUGGER SITS White Sox outfielder Eloy Jiménez has a sprained right foot, likely sidelining him for this season-ending series against the crosstown Cubs. The White Sox have dropped a season-high six in a row, falling out of first place in the AL Central. They are hoping to get back on track heading into their playoff appearance since... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Randy Arozarena homered twice and the Tampa Bay Rays clinched their first AL East title in 10 years Wednesday night with an 8-5 victory over the New York Mets. Joey Wendle and Brandon Lowe also went deep to help Tyler Glasnow (5-1) win his fifth straight decision. Tampa Bay will be home at quirky Tropicana Field for a best-of-three first-round playoff series beginning next Tuesday. It is the third division crown for the thrifty Rays, who also won the AL East in 2008 and 2010. Their inaugural season was 1998. After missing a chance to clinch Tuesday, the Rays went into Wednesday again needing just a win or a New York Yankees loss against Toronto to lock up the division championship. The Rays (37-20) broke a 2-all tie in the sixth on Arozarena’s two-run homer off Michael Wacha (1-4) and pulled away. As has become customary during this pandemic-shortened season, the celebration was muted. After Nick Anderson fanned Andres Gimenez for the final out, the closer exchanged a hug... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors on Thursday: PADRES PREDICAMENT Fresh off clinching their first playoff berth in 14 seasons, San Diego is hoping for good news concerning Mike Clevinger. Clevinger was suddenly pulled after only one inning of his start Wednesday and sent for an MRI on his right biceps. The Padres got him a big trade with Cleveland on Aug. 31 and he had been the presumed Game 1 starter in the wild-card round next Wednesday. If Clevinger can’t go, that role could go to Dinelson Lamet. Clevinger’s start had been pushed back from Saturday night because of tightness in his right biceps. He had thrown a bullpen session this week and seemed fine to go, but his biceps tightened up after he threw a curveball to the second batter of the game against the Angels. “We’re comfortable with our options, yeah, but like I said, we’re not going to flip out and freak out,” manager Jayce Tingler said. A NEW ERA No Brewers pitcher has won an ERA title -- Corbin Burnes could become... [More]