A look at what's happening around the majors today:PAIR OF ACESIt's a marquee matchup when Jacob deGrom starts for the Mets against Max Scherzer at Nationals Park. Washington leads the NL wild-card race, New York is chasing.DeGrom (8-8, 2.66 ERA) is 1-0 with a 0.53 ERA in three games vs. the Nationals this season. Scherzer (9-5. 2.46) has a 3.24 ERA in 8 1/3 innings over two starts since returning from the injured list last month.Mets catcher Wilson Ramos owns a 25-game hitting streak, the longest active string in the majors.WELCOME BACKEdwin Encarnación is set to rejoin the Yankees after missing a month because of a broken right wrist. He's hit 30 home runs this year, including nine in 36 games since being acquired from Seattle in mid-June.The slugger returns to the Yankees to take on Texas, a day after they lost 7-0 to Mike Minor and the Rangers — that ended New York's streak of 220 games without being shut out.It was the second longest string without being blanked in the majors since... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Tuesday:PAIR OF ACESIt's a marquee matchup when Jacob deGrom starts for the Mets against Max Scherzer at Nationals Park. Washington leads the NL wild-card race, New York is chasing.DeGrom (8-8, 2.66 ERA) is 1-0 with a 0.53 ERA in three games vs. the Nationals this season. Scherzer (9-5. 2.46) has a 3.24 ERA in 8 1/3 innings over two starts since returning from the injured list last month.Mets catcher Wilson Ramos owns a 25-game hitting streak, the longest active string in the majors.WELCOME BACKEdwin Encarnación is set to rejoin the Yankees after missing a month because of a broken right wrist. He's hit 30 home runs this year, including nine in 36 games since being acquired from Seattle in mid-June.The slugger returns to the Yankees to take on Texas, a day after they lost 7-0 to Mike Minor and the Rangers — that ended New York's streak of 220 games without being shut out.It was the second longest string without being blanked in the majors since... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Marcus Semien provided just enough early offense and Mike Fiers and three Oakland relievers combined to shut down the Kansas City Royals in a 2-1 victory Tuesday night.Semien scored in the first inning and drove in a run in the second. That was all the offense the A's pitchers needed one day after Oakland had a season-high 19 runs.Fiers (13-3) scattered eight hits in his 5 1/3 innings, but allowed just Alex Gordon's RBI double in the sixth. He's now won 11 straight decisions, dating to May 7, tying Mark Mulder for the second-longest winning streak in Oakland history.Mike Montgomery (3-7) surrendered an unearned run in the first and another run in the second, but gave up nothing else through 6 1/3 innings.ORIOLES 2, NATIONALS 0WASHINGTON (AP) — Aaron Brooks came up with an unexpected pitching gem against the torrid-hitting Nationals, throwing six innings of two-hit ball to help Baltimore end Washington's five-game winning streak.The Nationals were coming off a weekend... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Marcus Semien provided just enough early offense and Mike Fiers and three Oakland relievers combined to shut down the Kansas City Royals in a 2-1 victory Tuesday night.Semien scored in the first inning and drove in a run in the second. That was all the offense the A's pitchers needed one day after Oakland had a season-high 19 runs.Fiers (13-3) scattered eight hits in his 5 1/3 innings, but allowed just Alex Gordon's RBI double in the sixth. He's now won 11 straight decisions, dating to May 7, tying Mark Mulder for the second-longest winning streak in Oakland history.Mike Montgomery (3-7) surrendered an unearned run in the first and another run in the second, but gave up nothing else through 6 1/3 innings.ORIOLES 2, NATIONALS 0WASHINGTON (AP) — Aaron Brooks came up with an unexpected pitching gem against the torrid-hitting Nationals, throwing six innings of two-hit ball to help Baltimore end Washington's five-game winning streak.The Nationals were coming off a weekend... [More]

Red sox first. Mookie Betts strikes out swinging. Rafael Devers walks. Xander Bogaerts grounds out to second base, Ryan McMahon to Daniel Murphy. Rafael Devers to second. J.D. Martinez singles to right field. Rafael Devers scores. Mitch Moreland walks. J.D. Martinez to second. Brock Holt flies out to deep center field to Sam Hilliard.1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 left on. Red sox 1, Rockies 0.Red sox second. Christian Vazquez lines out to center field to Sam Hilliard. Jackie Bradley Jr. homers to center field. Rick Porcello strikes out swinging. Mookie Betts walks. Rafael Devers flies out to left field to Ian Desmond.1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 left on. Red sox 2, Rockies 0.Red sox fourth. Brock Holt singles to right field. Christian Vazquez homers to left field. Brock Holt scores. Jackie Bradley Jr. walks. Rick Porcello grounds out to shallow infield. Jackie Bradley Jr. out at second. Mookie Betts lines out to center field to Sam Hilliard.2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on. Red sox 4, Rockies... [More]

Red sox first. Mookie Betts doubles to deep left center field. Rafael Devers singles to deep left field. Mookie Betts scores. Xander Bogaerts walks. J.D. Martinez grounds out to shortstop. Xander Bogaerts out at second. Rafael Devers to third. Andrew Benintendi grounds out to shallow infield, Aaron Brooks to Chris Davis.1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Red sox 1, Orioles 0.Orioles third. Chris Davis flies out to deep center field to Jackie Bradley Jr.. Chance Sisco grounds out to first base, Mitch Moreland to Rick Porcello. Jonathan Villar singles to right field. Trey Mancini doubles to right field. Jonathan Villar scores. Anthony Santander called out on strikes.1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Orioles 1, Red sox 1.Red sox fourth. Xander Bogaerts lines out to shallow infield to Aaron Brooks. J.D. Martinez doubles to left field. Andrew Benintendi triples to center field. J.D. Martinez scores. Christian Vazquez strikes out swinging. Mitch Moreland triples to right field. Andrew Benintendi... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Red Sox baseball boss Dave Dombrowski gave up on a fourth straight AL East title when he decided not to make a move at the trade deadline.The players bowed out of the postseason race soon after.One year after their record-setting run to their fourth World Series in 15 seasons, the Red Sox are on their way toward missing the playoffs for the first time since 2015. After taking five of six leading up to the July 31 deadline from New York and Tampa Bay — the two teams Boston is chasing in the AL East — the defending champions won just three of their next 15 games.Alex Cora, who led Boston to a franchise-record 108 wins in his first year as a major league manager, acknowledges there's no more time to waste."It actually did feel like a playoff game," he said after beating Cleveland this week to slow the slide. "If we want to make it, we've got to start our playoffs before anyone else."It may already be too late.The Red Sox are closer to fourth than first, 17½ games out in the division... [More]

Yes, the Houston Astros can still be beat, even after assembling baseball's newest super rotation.The Astros acquired six-time All-Star Zack Greinke from Arizona just before Wednesday's trade deadline, adding him to a pitching staff that already included Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole. Then, as if to show off, Houston threw a combined no-hitter Saturday night against Seattle — with Aaron Sanchez, another new acquisition, tossing six innings.Still, recent history tells us that in baseball's fickle postseason, even a trio of aces often isn't enough. Here's a look at some of the best rotations of the wild-card era — and how those teams ultimately fared.Atlanta Braves (1995-99): The Atlanta trio of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz actually joined forces before the wild-card era and stayed together into the new century, but the peak was probably the mid-to-late 1990s, when the Braves won three pennants and a World series in a five-year span. Maddux won the Cy Young Award in 1995, Smoltz... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox are setting their sights on an AL wild-card berth, and they're doing it with the players they already have.Red Sox baseball boss Dave Dombrowski conceded on Wednesday that the ballclub doesn't have a "realistic" hope for a fourth straight AL East title, and said he was unwilling to part with a major asset just to push for a one-game wild-card playoff. Standing pat at the trade deadline was less an expression of faith in the current players than an acknowledgement that — with or without reinforcements — they would need to perform better for the team to have any chance to repeat, anyway."If we were closer to first place, I would have been more open-minded," Dombrowski said shortly after the 4 p.m. deadline passed without any moves and before the team's game against Tampa Bay. "Realistically, we're probably playing first for a wild-card spot. I look at that a little differently as far as what you're trying to do and the risks... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Josh Donaldson homered against Sean Doolittle in the top of the 10th, and the Atlanta Braves pulled out a 5-4 victory over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday to take two of three in the series and pad their NL East lead to 6 1/2 games.After the Nationals scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game, Donaldson swatted a fastball from Doolittle over the center-field wall for his 25th homer of the season.Adam Duvall homered for the fourth time in five games. Ronald Acuña Jr., Ozzie Albies and Tyler Flowers also drove in runs for the Braves, who won consecutive series in Washington for the first time since 2013. They also won two of three in late June.Atlanta got another quality road start from Mike Soroka (10-2), who pitched seven innings and allowed just three hits, including a leadoff homer to Juan Soto in the second.Washington starter Aníbal Sánchez (6-6) could not keep pace, allowing four runs on 10 hits in five innings of work.YANKEES 7, DIAMONDBACKS 5NEW... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox are setting their sights on an AL wild-card berth, and they're doing it with the players they already have.Red Sox baseball boss Dave Dombrowski conceded on Wednesday that the ballclub doesn't have a "realistic" hope for a fourth straight AL East title, and said he was unwilling to part with a major asset just to push for a one-game wild-card playoff. Standing pat at the trade deadline was less an expression of faith in the current players than an acknowledgement that — with or without reinforcements — they would need to perform better for the team to have any chance to repeat, anyway."If we were closer to first place, I would have been more open-minded," Dombrowski said shortly after the 4 p.m. deadline passed without any moves and before the team's game against Tampa Bay. "Realistically, we're probably playing first for a wild-card spot. I look at that a little differently as far as what you're trying to do and the risks... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Xander Bogaerts hit a three-run homer in Boston's seven-run first inning, and the Red Sox pounded the AL East-leading New York Yankees 19-3 on Thursday night in the opener of their four-game series.The 19 runs were the most scored by the Red Sox against the Yankees in the 117-year history of the rivalry.Bogaerts finished with four hits, including a solo shot in the eighth. Andrew Benintendi and Jackie Bradley Jr. had three hits apiece.New York right-hander Masahiro Tanaka (7-6) allowed 12 runs and 12 hits in 3 1/3 innings. It was the most earned runs ever allowed by a Yankees pitcher against Boston since the earned run became an official stat in 1913.Rick Porcello (9-7) pitched six innings of three-run ball for Boston.TWINS 10, WHITE SOX 3CHICAGO (AP) — Nelson Cruz hit three of Minnesota's five homers and finished with five RBIs, powering the Twins to the rout.It was the first three-homer game for the six-time All-Star, who has 385 home runs in his career. He became the 10th... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Xander Bogaerts hit a three-run homer in Boston's seven-run first inning, and the Red Sox pounded the AL East-leading New York Yankees 19-3 on Thursday night in the opener of their four-game series.The 19 runs were the most scored by the Red Sox against the Yankees in the 117-year history of the rivalry.Bogaerts finished with four hits, including a solo shot in the eighth. Andrew Benintendi and Jackie Bradley Jr. had three hits apiece.New York right-hander Masahiro Tanaka (7-6) allowed 12 runs and 12 hits in 3 1/3 innings. It was the most earned runs ever allowed by a Yankees pitcher against Boston since the earned run became an official stat in 1913.Rick Porcello (9-7) pitched six innings of three-run ball for Boston.TWINS 10, WHITE SOX 3CHICAGO (AP) — Nelson Cruz hit three of Minnesota's five homers and finished with five RBIs, powering the Twins to the rout.It was the first three-homer game for the six-time All-Star, who has 385 home runs in his career. He became the 10th... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Xander Bogaerts hit a three-run homer in Boston's seven-run first inning, and the Red Sox pounded the AL East-leading New York Yankees 19-3 on Thursday night in the opener of their four-game series.The 19 runs were the most scored by the Red Sox against the Yankees in the 117-year history of the rivalry.Bogaerts finished with four hits, including a solo shot in the eighth. Andrew Benintendi and Jackie Bradley Jr. had three hits apiece.New York right-hander Masahiro Tanaka (7-6) allowed 12 runs and 12 hits in 3 1/3 innings. It was the most earned runs ever allowed by a Yankees pitcher against Boston since the earned run became an official stat in 1913.Rick Porcello (9-7) pitched six innings of three-run ball for Boston.TWINS 10, WHITE SOX 3CHICAGO (AP) — Nelson Cruz hit three of Minnesota's five homers and finished with five RBIs, powering the Twins to the rout.It was the first three-homer game for the six-time All-Star, who has 385 home runs in his career. He became the 10th... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Xander Bogaerts hit a three-run homer in Boston's seven-run first inning, and the Red Sox pounded the AL East-leading New York Yankees 19-3 on Thursday night in the opener of their four-game series.The 19 runs were the most scored by the Red Sox against the Yankees in the 117-year history of the rivalry.Bogaerts finished with four hits, including a solo shot in the eighth. Andrew Benintendi and Jackie Bradley Jr. had three hits apiece.New York right-hander Masahiro Tanaka (7-6) allowed 12 runs and 12 hits in 3 1/3 innings. It was the most earned runs ever allowed by a Yankees pitcher against Boston since the earned run became an official stat in 1913.Rick Porcello (9-7) pitched six innings of three-run ball for Boston.CARDINALS 6, PIRATES 3PITTSBURGH (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt homered in his career-high fourth straight game, helping the Cardinals finish a four-game sweep of the Pirates.St. Louis (55-47) won for the eighth time in nine games to move into a tie with the idle Chicago... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:BACK TO MAXNationals ace Max Scherzer is set to start against Colorado after recovering from inflammation under his right shoulder. The 34-year-old right-hander threw a bullpen Monday and felt ready to go.An All-Star for the seventh straight season, Scherzer is 9-5 with a 2.30 ERA but has not pitched since July 6. He was 7-0 with a 0.87 ERA in his last seven starts.REVIEW CREWPerhaps there might be a ruling from Major League Baseball on Boston's protest during a 3-2 loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday.There was plenty of confusion, plus a delay of about 15 minutes in the eighth inning at Tropicana Field after a series of defensive changes by the Rays.Reliever Adam Kolarek moved to first base for a batter and Red Sox manager Alex Cora discussed the placement of subs in the batting order with plate umpire Angel Hernandez."The pitcher moved to a position and we felt there were some illegal substitutions," Cora said. "It was a mess, and I wasn't... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Thursday:BACK TO MAXNationals ace Max Scherzer is set to start against Colorado after recovering from inflammation under his right shoulder. The 34-year-old right-hander threw a bullpen Monday and felt ready to go.An All-Star for the seventh straight season, Scherzer is 9-5 with a 2.30 ERA but has not pitched since July 6. He was 7-0 with a 0.87 ERA in his last seven starts.REVIEW CREWPerhaps there might be a ruling from Major League Baseball on Boston's protest during a 3-2 loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday.There was plenty of confusion, plus a delay of about 15 minutes in the eighth inning at Tropicana Field after a series of defensive changes by the Rays.Reliever Adam Kolarek moved to first base for a batter and Red Sox manager Alex Cora discussed the placement of subs in the batting order with plate umpire Angel Hernandez."The pitcher moved to a position and we felt there were some illegal substitutions," Cora said. "It was a mess, and I wasn't... [More]

LONDON (AP) — The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox treated fans to one of the most unusual first innings in their century-plus rivalry when they played Saturday night in the first Major League Baseball game in Europe.In the 2,200th regular-season meeting between the teams, New York scored six runs in the top of the first and Boston came back with six in the bottom half in an inning that lasted 58 minutes, 20 batters and 94 pitches.Boston's Rick Porcello got just one out in the shortest of his 324 career starts. New York's Masahiro Tanaka got two outs and failed to finish the first inning for the first time in 149 major league starts. It was the first time in the rivalry that both teams scored six or more runs in the first and the first big league game involving any teams in which that occurred since visiting Toronto led Oakland 7-6 on June 23, 1989.The last time neither pitcher recorded three outs was Sept. 21, 1989, when San Diego's Dennis Rasmussen and Cincinnati's Jack Armstrong both... [More]

LONDON (AP) — The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox treated fans to one of the most unusual first innings in their century-plus rivalry when they played Saturday night in the first Major League Baseball game in Europe.In the 2,200th regular-season meeting between the teams, New York scored six runs in the top of the first and Boston came back with six in the bottom half in an inning that lasted 58 minutes, 20 batters and 94 pitches.Boston's Rick Porcello got just one out in the shortest of 324 career starts. New York's Masahiro Tanaka got two outs and failed to finish the first inning for the first time in 149 major league starts. It was the first big league game in which both teams scored at least six runs in the first since visiting Toronto led Oakland 7-6 on June 23, 1989.Luke Voit and Edwin Encarnación hit RBI doubles around Didi Gregorius' two-run double, and Aaron Hicks drove a changeup from Rick Porcello 386 feet over the Boston bullpen in right field for a two-run homer on Porcello's 33rd and final pitch.Rafael Devers and Brock Holt had RBI singles in the bottom half around Christian Vazquez's sacrifice fly, and Michael Chavis chased Tanaka with a three-run homer.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LONDON (AP) — Aaron Hicks has hit Major League Baseball's first home run on European soil.The shot came during a 27-minute top of the first inning Saturday night when the New York Yankees batted around against the Boston Red Sox.Hicks drove a changeup from Rick Porcello 386 feet over the Boston bullpen in right field. The two-run drive on Porcello's 33rd pitch gave the Yankees a 6-0 lead just one out into the game. Porcello was then relieved by Colten Brewer, marking the shortest outing of his 324 career starts.New York extended its big league record of consecutive games with a home run to 30.DJ LeMahieu singled leading off, and Aaron Judge flied out to center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr., who fought off the sun to make the catch.Luke Voit hit a foul pop that Michael Chavis let drop after making a long run to the fence behind first base — Olympic Stadium has more foul territory than any regular big league ballpark.Voit followed with an RBI double, Didi Gregorius hit a two-run double and Edwin Encarnación doubled in another run. Hicks followed with his sixth home run.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports