NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball has transformed at dizzying speed since Edgar Martinez took his final swing and Mike Mussina, Mariano Rivera and Roy Halladay threw their final pitches."We don't have enough time to talk about that," the ever erudite Mussina said Wednesday when the trio of newly minted living Hall of Famers appeared at a news conference. "The game always evolves — it always has. I'm not sure I love the way it's changed lately, but that's just the nature of it."When Mussina retired Boston's Dustin Pedroia on a double-play grounder to end his final outing in 2008, a start that made him a first-time 20-game winner at age 39, strikeouts in the major leagues totaled 32,884. That broke a mark that had stood since 2004.There were 41,207 whiffs last year, setting a record for the 11th straight season.When Martinez took his final swing in 2004, grounding into a double play against Texas reliever Brian Shouse, infield shifts weren't even totaled, rarely employed only for a few lefty pull... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hard to believe now, all these wins later, but the Alex Cora Era in Boston began with a loss. A brutal one, in fact.Opening day at Tropicana Field in late March, none of his late moves worked out as the bullpen blew a big lead in a 6-4 setback.No fan in New England would admit it now — still, chances are some had already started to wonder whether he was the right guy for the Red Sox."It's baseball," Cora reassured that afternoon. "We know it's going to happen. ... I guess get it out of the way right away."Yep, guess so.A calming presence in a boiling sports cauldron, Cora capped off one of the greatest runs by a first-year skipper in leading Boston to the World Series championship.His Cora-nation came Sunday night, when the Red Sox beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 in Game 5.The victory set off celebrations all over.While throngs of Red Sox fans chanted "Cor-a! Cor-a!" from the seats and so many more reveled across the country, all of Puerto Rico certainly cheered its... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hard to believe now, all these wins later, but the Alex Cora Era in Boston began with a loss. A brutal one, in fact.Opening day at Tropicana Field in late March, none of his late moves worked out as the bullpen blew a big lead in a 6-4 setback.No fan in New England would admit it now — still, chances are some had already started to wonder whether he was the right guy for the Red Sox."It's baseball," Cora reassured that afternoon. "We know it's going to happen. ... I guess get it out of the way right away."Yep, guess so.A calming presence in a boiling sports cauldron, Cora capped off one of the greatest runs by a first-year skipper in leading Boston to the World Series championship.His Cora-nation came Sunday night, when the Red Sox beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 in Game 5.The victory set off celebrations all over.While throngs of Red Sox fans chanted "Cor-a! Cor-a!" from the seats and so many more reveled across the country, all of Puerto Rico certainly cheered its... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hard to believe now, all these wins later, but the Alex Cora Era in Boston began with a loss. A brutal one, in fact.Opening day at Tropicana Field in late March, none of his late moves worked out as the bullpen blew a big lead in a 6-4 setback.No fan in New England would admit it now — still, chances are some had already started to wonder whether he was the right guy for the Red Sox."It's baseball," Cora reassured that afternoon. "We know it's going to happen. ... I guess get it out of the way right away."Yep, guess so.A calming presence in a boiling sports cauldron, Cora capped off one of the greatest runs by a first-year skipper in leading Boston to the World Series championship.His Cora-nation came Sunday night, when the Red Sox beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 in Game 5.The victory set off celebrations all over.While throngs of Red Sox fans chanted "Cor-a! Cor-a!" from the seats and so many more reveled across the country, all of Puerto Rico certainly cheered its... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hard to believe now, all these wins later, but the Alex Cora Era in Boston began with a loss. A brutal one, in fact.Opening day at Tropicana Field in late March, none of his late moves worked out as the bullpen blew a big lead in a 6-4 setback.No fan in New England would admit it now — still, chances are some had already started to wonder whether he was the right guy for the Red Sox."It's baseball," Cora reassured that afternoon. "We know it's going to happen. ... I guess get it out of the way right away."Yep, guess so.A calming presence in a boiling sports cauldron, Cora capped off one of the greatest runs by a first-year skipper in leading Boston to the World Series championship.His Cora-nation came Sunday night, when the Red Sox beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 in Game 5.The victory set off celebrations all over.While throngs of Red Sox fans rooted from the seats and so many more reveled across the country, all of Puerto Rico certainly cheered its native son from Caguas.Cora... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chris Sale stood in the back of the dugout as the World Series was slipping away and started screaming."He's got two pitches!" the Boston Red Sox ace hollered to his left among a stream of profanities, referring to Los Angeles Dodgers starter Rich Hill.Then he shouted to his right.And then straight ahead, pointing with his pitching hand and extending his ring and middle fingers for emphasis.Sale stepped down, kept on shrieking and raised his right hand, his head bobbing up and down and a fire in his eyes like a Shakespearean king exhorting troops into battle."It scared me a little bit," Rafael Devers said through a translator, "because I had never seen him yell like that, and the words that he was saying, I had never heard that come from him before. But, you know, we came out sluggish and that moment helped us get motivated for the rest of the game."Boston had just fallen behind by four runs in the sixth inning Saturday night, nine outs from finding itself tied 2-2 in... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chris Sale stood in the back of the dugout as the World Series was slipping away and started screaming."He's got two pitches!" the Boston Red Sox ace hollered to his left among a stream of profanities, referring to Los Angeles Dodgers starter Rich Hill.Then he shouted to his right.And then straight ahead, pointing with his pitching hand and extending his ring and middle fingers for emphasis.Sale stepped down, kept on shrieking and raised his right hand, his head bobbing up and down and a fire in his eyes like a Shakespearean king exhorting troops into battle."It scared me a little bit," Rafael Devers said, "because I had never seen him yell like that, and the words that he was saying, I had never heard that come from him before. But, you know, we came out sluggish and that moment helped us get motivated for the rest of the game."Boston had just fallen behind by four runs in the sixth inning Saturday night, nine outs from finding itself tied 2-2 in a World Series that... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The World Series was slipping away when Chris Sale stood in the back of the dugout and started screaming at his teammates.The Boston Red Sox had just fallen behind the Los Angeles Dodgers by four runs in the sixth inning Saturday night, nine outs from finding themselves tied 2-2 in a World Series that seemed to be a runaway just 28 hours earlier.His words were loud, not polite.These were not the reassuring words delivered by David Ortiz in his dugout huddle in St. Louis after the fifth inning of Game 4 five years ago.This was more like Justin Verlander's motivational message to the Houston Astros when he popped up the stairs in the very same dugout during Game 2 last October.Boston rallied on Mitch Moreland's three-run homer off Ryan Madson in the seventh and Steve Pearce's solo shot against Kenley Jansen in the eighth. Rafael Dever's go-ahead single in the ninth was followed by Pearce's three-run double and Xander Bogaert's RBI single built a five-run lead. With a 9-6... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Latest on the World Series (all times local):11:20 p.m.David Price pitched six innings of three-hit ball, and major league RBI leader J.D. Martinez broke a fifth-inning tie in another two-out rally that led the Boston Red Sox to a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers for a 2-0 lead in the World Series.Craig Kimbrel closed out the win at noisy Fenway Park, putting the Red Sox halfway to their fourth championship in 15 seasons.Game 3 is Friday in Los Angeles. The Dodgers would need a win then to avoid an 0-3 deficit that no World Series team has ever recovered from.The Red Sox have now won 14 of their last 16 World Series games, dating to a four-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2004.___11:15 p.m.Closer Craig Kimbrel is coming in to pitch the ninth inning as the Red Sox try to preserve a 4-2 lead.Starter David Price and the Boston bullpen have throttled the Dodgers, and the Red Sox are nearing a 2-0 lead in the World Series.___11 p.m.The Los Angeles Dodgers had... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Latest on the World Series (all times local):10:37 p.m.Boston's David Price was relieved after six innings by Joe Kelly in World Series Game 2 with the Red Sox ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 and was in position to win his second straight postseason start after failing to gain a victory in his first 11.Price allowed two runs, three hits and three walks, throwing 88 pitches.Julio Urias pitched a perfect sixth inning for the Dodgers, who were in danger of falling behind 2-0 in the World Series.___10:24 p.m.Maybe it's not in the cards for the Dodgers tonight, either.There was an interesting sight in the fifth inning when Ryan Madson came into the game to relieve Los Angeles starter Hyun-Jin Ryu. During the pitching change, a bat boy brought out laminated cards and gave them to the LA outfielders, certainly to realign their defensive positions.They didn't help when Madson walked Steve Pearce with two outs and the bases loaded. And they weren't much good when cleanup hitter... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Latest on the World Series (all times local):10:24 p.m.Maybe it's not in the cards for the Dodgers tonight, either.There was an interesting sight in the fifth inning when Ryan Madson came into the game to relieve Los Angeles starter Hyun-Jin Ryu. During the pitching change, a bat boy brought out laminated cards and gave them to the LA outfielders, certainly to realign their defensive positions.They didn't help when Madson walked Steve Pearce with two outs and the bases loaded. And they weren't much good when cleanup hitter J.D. Martinez hit an opposite-field liner to right that fell way in front of Yasiel Puig, who might've been playing too deep, even for the slugger.The two-run single put Boston ahead 4-2 going into the sixth.Before the game, Madson said about facing Martinez: "You know you're in a pit with a rattlesnake, and one bad move, and you'll get bit if you're not paying attention."Andrew Benintendi drew a walk that finished Ryu, bringing in Madson. The Red Sox... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Latest on the World Series (all times local):9:43 p.m.Matt Kemp's sacrifice fly and Yasiel Puig's two-out RBI single in a two-run fourth inning put Los Angeles ahead of the Boston Red Sox 2-1 in Game 2 and gave the Dodgers their first lead of the World Series.Red Sox starter David Price opened with two hitless innings, allowing only a pair of walks, before David Freese and Manny Machado singled opening the fourth.Chris Taylor walked on a full count, loading the bases, and Kemp reached down to golf a changeup to center. Price struck out Enrique Hernandez in a nine-pitch at-bat, and Puig lined the next pitch into center. Price then struck out No. 9 hitter Austin Barnes.Price needed 24 pitches to get through the inning, raising his total to 67.Dodgers pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu retired his last five hitters through the fourth inning and had thrown 51 pitches.Boston designated hitter J.D. Martinez, who turned an ankle rounding second base in the opener, ran very slowly when grounding... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Latest on the World Series (all times local):9:15 p.m.David Price held the Los Angeles Dodgers for three innings before they broke through in the top of the fourth. David Freese hit a sinking liner to right that Mookie Betts slid in front of to knock down. It was the Dodgers' first hit of the game, and Manny Machado followed with another single.Price had a 1-0 lead through three innings in his attempt to win a second straight postseason start.It's quite a turnaround for the pitcher who was winless in his first 11 playoff starts. Price has struck out three and walked two while throwing 43 pitches through three innings.The Red Sox are giving Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu difficulty. He's allowed four hits through three innings. Mookie Betts had a one-out single but was stranded there in the bottom of the third.___8:50 p.m.The Boston Red Sox are back on top, and that's meant trouble for opposing teams this October.Xander Bogaerts doubled high off the Green Monster and scored... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Latest on the World Series (all times local):8:50 p.m.The Boston Red Sox are back on top, and that's meant trouble for opposing teams this October.Xander Bogaerts doubled high off the Green Monster and scored on a two-out single by Ian Kinsler that gave Boston a 1-0 lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers after two innings.The Red Sox are 8-0 this postseason when they score first.David Price zipped through two innings, allowing only a walk. Maybe he's found his groove — he was 0-9 in 11 postseason starts before pitching six shutout innings last week as the Red Sox closed out Houston in the AL Championship Series.Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu sailed through the first, then gave up three hits in the second. He got a break when Kinsler was thrown out at third, trying to advance on a single by Jackie Bradley Jr., to end the inning.___8:25 p.m.Game 2 of the World Series is off to a chilly and clean start.Red Sox lefty David Price worked around a two-out walk and got Manny Machado... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Latest on the World Series (all times local):8:25 p.m.Game 2 of the World Series is off to a chilly and clean start.Red Sox lefty David Price worked around a two-out walk and got Manny Machado on a popup to end the opening inning. First baseman Steve Pearce, who's from Florida, made the catch — he's wearing a ski mask.It was 47 degrees and windy for the first pitch, and the temperature was forecast to drop near 40 as the night goes on.Dodgers lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu quickly set down Boston, breezing through the top of the order.___8:10 p.m.The Boston Red Sox honored their 2004 championship team before Game 2 of the World Series, and even the Dodgers got a little love.Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts received a big cheer during the pregame ceremony. He ran out to the mound to hug some of his former teammates, tipped his hat to the crowd and then headed back to the visitors' dugout.Roberts didn't play at all in the '04 Series, but he had a key stolen base that keyed Boston's... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Two Octobers after sparking a reliever revolution, Andrew Miller came up empty.Miller failed to get an out in relief of starter Carlos Carrasco, allowing a go-ahead double to Marwin Gonzalez as the Cleveland Indians lost to Houston 3-1 Saturday and fell into a 2-0 AL Division Series deficit."I wasn't good," Miller said. "I wasn't effective."Miller's ineffectual outing would have been a stunner two years ago, when manager Terry Francona leaned on him for as many as eight outs at a time while Cleveland played all the way to Game 7 of the World Series. It was game-changing when Francona called on Miller as early as the fifth inning that fall, but such aggressive bullpen management has become common around the majors since.Miller hasn't been the same this year, a season that included three stints on the disabled list.Cleveland was clinging to a 1-0 lead with two on and one out in the sixth when Francona called on Miller. Gonzalez immediately drove a two-run double to deep right... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Two Octobers after sparking a reliever revolution, Andrew Miller came up empty.Miller failed to get an out in relief of starter Carlos Carrasco, allowing a go-ahead double to Marwin Gonzlaez as the Cleveland Indians lost to Houston 3-1 Saturday and fell into a 2-0 AL Division Series deficit.Miller's ineffectual outing would have been a stunner two years ago, when manager Terry Francona leaned on him for as many as eight outs at a time while Cleveland played all the way to Game 7 of the World Series.Miller hasn't been the same this year, a season that included three stints on the disabled list.Cleveland was clinging to a 1-0 lead with two on and one out in the sixth when Francona called on Miller. Gonzalez immediately drove a two-run double to deep right field. Miller then walked Carlos Correa, let both runners advance on a wild pitch and intentionally walked Tyler White before Francona came for the ball.Miller had only allowed one previous inherited runner to score in his... [More]

A look at the best-of-five American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox:___Schedule: (All times EDT) Game 1, Friday, at Boston, 7:32 p.m.; Game 2, Saturday, at Boston, 8:15 p.m.; Game 3, Monday, Oct. 8, at New York, 7:40 p.m.; x-Game 4, Tuesday, Oct. 9, at New York, 8:07 p.m.; x-Game 5, Thursday, Oct. 11, at Boston, 7:40 p.m. (All games on TBS).x-if necessary.___Season Series: Red Sox won 10-9.___Projected Lineups:Yankees: LF Andrew McCutchen (.255, 20 HRs, 65 RBIs for Pirates and Yankees), RF Aaron Judge (.278, 27, 67, 152 Ks in 112 games), CF Aaron Hicks (.248, 27, 79 in 137 games), DH Giancarlo Stanton (.266, 38, 100, 211 Ks), 1B Luke Voit (.322, 15, 36 in 47 games for Cardinals and Yankees; .333, 14, 33 in 39 games with Yankees), SS Didi Gregorius (.268, 27, 86 in 134 games), 3B Miguel Andujar (.297, 27, 92, 47 2Bs), C Gary Sanchez (.186, 18, 53 in 89 games), 2B Gleyber Torres (.271, 24, 77 in 123 games).Red Sox: RF Mookie Betts (.346, 32, 80, 129... [More]

A look at the best-of-five American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox:___Schedule: (All times EDT) Game 1, Friday, at Boston, 7:32 p.m.; Game 2, Saturday, at Boston, 8:15 p.m.; Game 3, Monday, Oct. 8, at New York, TBA; x-Game 4, Tuesday, Oct. 9, at New York, TBA; x-Game 5, Thursday, Oct. 11, at Boston, TBA. (All games on TBS).x-if necessary.___Season Series: Red Sox won 10-9.___Projected Lineups:Yankees: LF Andrew McCutchen (.255, 20 HRs, 65 RBIs for Pirates and Yankees), RF Aaron Judge (.278, 27, 67, 152 Ks in 112 games), CF Aaron Hicks (.248, 27, 79 in 137 games), DH Giancarlo Stanton (.266, 38, 100, 211 Ks), 1B Luke Voit (.322, 15, 36 in 47 games for Cardinals and Yankees; .333, 14, 33 in 39 games with Yankees), SS Didi Gregorius (.268, 27, 86 in 134 games), 3B Miguel Andujar (.297, 27, 92, 47 2Bs), C Gary Sanchez (.186, 18, 53 in 89 games), 2B Gleyber Torres (.271, 24, 77 in 123 games).Red Sox: RF Mookie Betts (.346, 32, 80, 129 runs, 30 steals),... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Fans have been waiting for another one of these rumbles: baseball's most-bitter rivals set to tangle again, this time as 100-win heavyweights in the playoffs.Munson vs. Fisk, Pedro vs. Popeye , A-Rod vs. Varitek and earlier this year Brock Holt vs. Tyler Austin .The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees back at each other in the postseason for the first time in 14 years."We're a team that can play with anybody, and we're not afraid to go in there," Yankees center fielder Aaron Hicks said after a 7-2 wild-card win over Oakland sent New York to a best-of-five AL Division Series that starts Friday in Fenway Park.Yankees fans were chanting "We want Boston!" during the late innings. The Red Sox tweeted "We want New York" after the final out in the Bronx."I think they're ready and relish the opportunity to go up against the game's best this year," Yankees rookie manager Aaron Boone said of his players.That is the same Aaron Boone whose 11th-inning homer in Game 7 of the 2003 AL... [More]