PHILADELPHIA (AP) — J.T. Realmuto hit a grand slam, Bryce Harper went deep twice and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Chicago Cubs 11-1 in Charlie Manuel's first game as hitting coach, ruining Cole Hamels' return home Wednesday night.Manuel was back in red pinstripes in his old dugout exactly six years to the day the franchise icon managed his last game for the Phillies. He heard "Charlie! Charlie! Charlie!" chants after Realmuto connected to make it 10-0 in the third.Hamels, the 2008 NLCS and World Series MVP with Manuel's Phillies, was roughed up in his first game in Philadelphia since he was traded to Texas in July 2015. Hamels (6-4) gave up eight runs and nine hits in two-plus innings.Aaron Nola (11-3) benefited from the offense's rare outburst. He allowed three hits, including Kris Bryant's homer, and struck out seven in seven innings.Hamels received the loudest applause during pregame introductions and got a standing ovation when he came to the plate already trailing 4-0 in the... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:STRASBURG VS. BAUERThere's quite a pitching matchup at Nationals Park for the series finale between Washington and Cincinnati: Stephen Strasburg vs. Trevor Bauer, two righties who are among the top strikeout artists in the majors this season.For Bauer, it's his third appearance for the Reds since arriving from the Indians in a three-team trade that sent Yasiel Puig to Cleveland — and came shortly after the pitcher chucked a baseball over an outfield wall when he was removed from a game. Bauer is 1-0 with a 3.09 ERA for Cincinnati, and 10-8 with a 3.74 ERA and 200 strikeouts in 168 1/3 innings overall in 2019.Strasburg leads the NL in wins at 14-5, is fourth with 181 Ks and has a 3.72 ERA. He's also 3-0 with a 2.52 ERA in his past four starts against the Reds.REMEMBER ME?Cubs lefty Cole Hamels is set to pitch at Citizens Bank Park for the first time since the Phillies traded him to Texas in July 2015.Hamels spent 10 seasons with Philadelphia... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Wednesday:STRASBURG VS. BAUERThere's quite a pitching matchup at Nationals Park for the series finale between Washington and Cincinnati: Stephen Strasburg vs. Trevor Bauer, two righties who are among the top strikeout artists in the majors this season.For Bauer, it's his third appearance for the Reds since arriving from the Indians in a three-team trade that sent Yasiel Puig to Cleveland — and came shortly after the pitcher chucked a baseball over an outfield wall when he was removed from a game. Bauer is 1-0 with a 3.09 ERA for Cincinnati, and 10-8 with a 3.74 ERA and 200 strikeouts in 168 1/3 innings overall in 2019.Strasburg leads the NL in wins at 14-5, is fourth with 181 Ks and has a 3.72 ERA. He's also 3-0 with a 2.52 ERA in his past four starts against the Reds.REMEMBER ME?Cubs lefty Cole Hamels is set to pitch at Citizens Bank Park for the first time since the Phillies traded him to Texas in July 2015.Hamels spent 10 seasons with Philadelphia... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Gio Urshela hit two home runs for the second straight game and the New York Yankees outslugged rookie Bo Bichette and the Toronto Blue Jays 12-6 Thursday night to extend their winning streak to a season-best nine games.Playing in Toronto for the first time, Bichette became the first player in major league history to double in nine consecutive games. He also homered, giving him an unprecedented 13 extra-base hits in his first 11 career games. Bichette is the first rookie to have an extra-base hit in nine straight games since Ted Williams in 1939, according to STATS.The Yankees have hit a record 19 homers over their last four games, including at least five in each win during a three-game sweep at Baltimore this week. Mike Tauchman also homered Thursday to give New York three connections.Domingo Germán (15-2) pitched five innings to win his sixth consecutive decision for New York.Both of Urshela's homers came off left-hander Thomas Pannone (2-5), who matched a career worst by... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Gio Urshela hit two home runs for the second straight game and the New York Yankees outslugged rookie Bo Bichette and the Toronto Blue Jays 12-6 Thursday night to extend their winning streak to a season-best nine games.Playing in Toronto for the first time, Bichette became the first player in major league history to double in nine consecutive games. He also homered, giving him an unprecedented 13 extra-base hits in his first 11 career games. Bichette is the first rookie to have an extra-base hit in nine straight games since Ted Williams in 1939, according to STATS.The Yankees have hit a record 19 homers over their last four games, including at least five in each win during a three-game sweep at Baltimore this week. Mike Tauchman also homered Thursday to give New York three connections.Domingo Germán (15-2) pitched five innings to win his sixth consecutive decision for New York.Both of Urshela's homers came off left-hander Thomas Pannone (2-5), who matched a career worst by... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:TARGET TIMEA couple months ago, Cleveland trailed the Twins by 11 ½ games in the AL Central and was being written off as too old and too banged-up. But by going a baseball-best 38-16 since June 4, the Indians have closed within two games of Minnesota heading into this four-game series at Target Field.Mike Clevinger (6-2, 3.07 ERA) starts the opener for the Indians against Kyle Gibson (11-4, 4.02). Clevinger is 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA in his last three road starts."Guys are in a good mood, feeling good and excited to get to Minnesota," Cleveland second baseman Jason Kipnis said.HOT AS COLECubs lefty Cole Hamels (6-3, 2.84 ERA) looks to stay on track against Alex Wood (1-0, 3.18) at Cincinnati. Hamels pitched five shutout innings versus Milwaukee last Saturday in his return from a five-week stint on the injured list with a strained oblique, and is 2-2 with a 1.07 ERA in his last seven starts.Two-time All-Star catcher Jonathan Lucroy is expected... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Thursday:TARGET TIMEA couple months ago, Cleveland trailed the Twins by 11 1/2 games in the AL Central and was being written off as too old and too banged-up. But by going a baseball-best 38-16 since June 4, the Indians have closed within two games of Minnesota heading into this four-game series at Target Field.Mike Clevinger (6-2, 3.07 ERA) starts the opener for the Indians against Kyle Gibson (11-4, 4.02). Clevinger is 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA in his last three road starts."Guys are in a good mood, feeling good and excited to get to Minnesota," Cleveland second baseman Jason Kipnis said.HOT AS COLECubs lefty Cole Hamels (6-3, 2.84 ERA) looks to stay on track against Alex Wood (1-0, 3.18) at Cincinnati. Hamels pitched five shutout innings versus Milwaukee last Saturday in his return from a five-week stint on the injured list with a strained oblique, and is 2-2 with a 1.07 ERA in his last seven starts.Two-time All-Star catcher Jonathan Lucroy is expected... [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]

HOUSTON (AP) — Aaron Sanchez looked like a reinvented pitcher in his Houston debut, throwing six stellar innings to start the Astros on a combined no-hitter Saturday night in their 9-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners.Sanchez was an All-Star in 2016 and led the American League in ERA, but he's struggled badly this season and had lost 13 straight decisions to lead the majors with 14 losses. Three days after he was acquired from Toronto at the trade deadline, the 27-year-old right-hander teamed with Will Harris, Joe Biagini and Chris Devenski to shut down Seattle.It was the second time in less than a month the last-place Mariners were no-hit by multiple pitchers. The Los Angeles Angels used two pitchers in a combined no-hitter July 12 against Seattle on a night when they honored late left-hander Tyler Skaggs by all wearing his No. 45 in their first home game since his death.Sanchez (4-14) struck out six, walked two and hit a batter in his first victory since April 27 for Toronto.Seattle's... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Aaron Sanchez looked like a reinvented pitcher in his Houston debut, throwing six stellar innings to start the Astros on a combined no-hitter Saturday night in their 9-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners.Sanchez was an All-Star in 2016 and led the American League in ERA, but he's struggled badly this season and had lost 13 straight decisions to lead the majors with 14 losses. Three days after he was acquired from Toronto at the trade deadline, the 27-year-old right-hander teamed with Will Harris, Joe Biagini and Chris Devenski to shut down Seattle.It was the second time in less than a month the last-place Mariners were no-hit by multiple pitchers. The Los Angeles Angels used two pitchers in a combined no-hitter July 12 against Seattle on a night when they honored late left-hander Tyler Skaggs by all wearing his No. 45 in their first home game since his death.Sanchez (4-14) struck out six, walked two and hit a batter in his first victory since April 27 for Toronto.Seattle's... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Saturday:NOW PITCHINGTrevor Bauer (9-8, 3.79 ERA) makes his Cincinnati debut four days after arriving in a trade with Cleveland. Bauer went 3-2 with a 4.54 ERA in six starts last month. In his last outing, he threw the ball from just past the mound over the center field fence in Kansas City after getting pulled. Bauer starts for the Reds at Atlanta. ... Marcus Stroman makes his first start for the Mets after being acquired in a trade with Toronto. Stroman is 10-5 with a 2.93 ERA against National League teams in his career. He pitches at Pittsburgh.CHECK HIMThe Rockies will see how outfielder David Dahl is feeling, a day after he sprained his right ankle was carted off the field in obvious pain. A first-time All-Star, Dahl was injured making an awkward catch in center at Coors Field.The team said X-rays were negative and the severity of the injury was being assessed.STARTING OVERAaron Sanchez (3-14, 6.07 ERA) makes his debut for the Astros, three... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Saturday:STARTING OVERAaron Sanchez (3-14, 6.07 ERA) makes his debut for the Astros, three days after they got him in a trade with Toronto. The 27-year-righty leads the majors in losses — in 2016, he was an All-Star and topped the AL in ERA.Houston has a history of improving the performance of pitchers it acquires, and Sanchez is eager to get going."I'm sure there's things that are on their mind and things that are on my mind. It's an open line of communication here," he said. "I'm thrilled to see what they've got for me. I'm thrilled to kind of share my thoughts with them and bounce ideas off of each other and see where it goes."Sanchez will start for the AL West leaders at home against Seattle.LET'S SEECubs lefty Cole Hamels (6-3, 2.98 ERA) is expected to come off the injured list and pitch against the Brewers at Wrigley Field. The 35-year-old four-time-All Star has been sidelined since suffering a left oblique strain at Cincinnati on June... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Last time the Houston Astros went to Cleveland, they made a boozy, bubbly mess in the visiting locker room.Now they're invading the home clubhouse, too.Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and four of their Astros teammates will lead the American League squad at the All-Star Game in Cleveland on July 9. Major League Baseball unveiled full rosters for the midsummer showcase Sunday, and Houston topped all big league clubs with six players. No other AL team has more than three."Impressive," Verlander said. "I mean, I think we could have a lot more."Alex Bregman, George Springer and Michael Brantley will be in the starting lineup, and Verlander, Cole and Ryan Pressly are on the pitching staff. It will be the first trip to Cleveland for those Astros since Game 3 of last year's AL Division Series, when Houston won 11-3 to complete a sweep.The Dodgers, Brewers and Rockies lead the NL with four players each. The Los Angeles contingent includes Cody Bellinger, Clayton Kershaw, Hyun-Jin... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Last time the Houston Astros went to Cleveland, they made a boozy, bubbly mess in the visiting locker room.Now they're invading the home clubhouse, too.Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and four of their Astros teammates will lead the American League squad at the All-Star Game in Cleveland on July 9. Major League Baseball unveiled full rosters for the midsummer showcase Sunday, and Houston topped all big league clubs with six players. No other AL club has more than three.Alex Bregman, George Springer and Michael Brantley will be in the starting lineup, and Verlander, Cole and Ryan Pressly are on the pitching staff. It will be the first trip to Cleveland for those Astros since Game 3 of last year's AL Division Series, when Houston won 11-3 to complete a sweep.The Dodgers, Brewers and Rockies lead the NL with four players each. The Los Angeles contingent includes Cody Bellinger, Clayton Kershaw, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Walker Buehler — plenty of familiar faces for manager Dave Roberts.Milwaukee... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and four of their Houston Astros teammates will lead the American League squad at the All-Star Game in Cleveland on July 9.Major League Baseball unveiled full rosters for the midsummer showcase Sunday, and the Astros top all big league clubs with six players. No other AL club has more than three.Alex Bregman, George Springer and Michael Brantley will be in the starting lineup for the AL, and Verlander, Cole and Ryan Pressly are on the pitching staff. It will be the first trip to Cleveland for those Astros since Game 3 of last year's AL Division Series, when Houston won 11-3 to complete a sweep.The Dodgers, Brewers and Rockies lead the NL with four players each. The Los Angeles contingent includes Cody Bellinger, Clayton Kershaw, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Walker Buehler — plenty of familiar faces for manager Dave Roberts.Milwaukee will be represented by Christian Yelich, Mike Moustakas, Yasmani Grandal and Josh Hader. It's the second appearance for Hader,... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cubs put left-hander Cole Hamels on the injured list Saturday, a day after he left a game with discomfort in his left side, and designated outfielder Carlos Gonzalez for assignment.Hamels came out after one inning of a 6-3 loss to the Reds in the series opener Friday. He's scheduled for an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the injury, which cost the Cubs their best starter lately.Chicago called up relievers Dillon Maples and Rowan Wick from Triple-A Iowa to stabilize the bullpen. Manager Joe Maddon had to use four relievers after Hamels left the game.Gonzalez signed a minor league deal June 1 and was called up two days later. He batted .175 in 15 games.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

A look at what's happening around the majors today:DUCKS ACROSS THE PONDHigh cheese has come to the land of high tea. The Red Sox and Yankees will begin their two-game series in London, with Boston's Rick Porcello facing New York's Masahiro Tanaka at Olympic Stadium, home of the West Ham soccer club. Hitters figure to have a jolly old time with the center field wall a cozy 385 feet away. "Hopefully, we'll poke a couple out," Yankees slugger Aaron Judge said, smiling after batting practice Friday.TWO-WAY RAYBrendan McKay will make his major league debut on the mound for Tampa Bay. The two-way prospect was 3-0 with a 1.08 ERA in five games with Triple-A Durham, where he also spent time as the DH. Rays manager Kevin Cash said the left-hander will also pitch against the Yankees on July 5, and that discussions are on-going about how many at-bats the 2017 first-round pick will get while he's with the big club. He'll face Rangers right-hander Adrian Sampson (6-4) in his first start.LEFT OUTThe... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — Left-hander Cole Hamels was pulled after only one inning against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night because of discomfort in his side, the latest blow to a Chicago Cubs rotation already missing Kyle Hendricks.Hamels struggled with his control, throwing 22 pitches. He gave up two singles, a walk and a run in the inning. He left after trying to warm up for the second inning.It was a huge break for the last-place Reds. Hamels was 11-1 in 17 career starts against Cincinnati.Hamels went seven innings in each of his previous five starts. He had a 1.00 ERA over that span, allowing four earned runs.Hendricks is on the injured list with a sore right shoulder. He's expected to throw in the bullpen on Saturday and could return before the All-Star break.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

A look at what's happening around the majors Saturday:DUCKS ACROSS THE PONDHigh cheese has come to the land of high tea. The Red Sox and Yankees will begin their two-game series in London, with Boston's Rick Porcello facing New York's Masahiro Tanaka at Olympic Stadium, home of the West Ham soccer club. Hitters figure to have a jolly old time with the center field wall a cozy 385 feet away. "Hopefully, we'll poke a couple out," Yankees slugger Aaron Judge said, smiling after batting practice Friday.TWO-WAY RAYBrendan McKay will make his major league debut on the mound for Tampa Bay. The two-way prospect was 3-0 with a 1.08 ERA in five games with Triple-A Durham, where he also spent time as the DH. Rays manager Kevin Cash said the left-hander will also pitch against the Yankees on July 5, and that discussions are on-going about how many at-bats the 2017 first-round pick will get while he's with the big club. He'll face Rangers right-hander Adrian Sampson (6-4) in his first start.LEFT OUTThe... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Friday:SETTLING INCraig Kimbrel got a little help settling in at Wrigley Field, and now he and the Chicago Cubs are hitting the road. Kimbrel got the save in his season debut Thursday, but only after Anthony Rizzo dived to tag first base for the final out when Kimbrel forgot to cover the bag. Kimbrel was brought up from Triple-A earlier in the day, feeling sufficiently tuned up after signing a $43 million, three-year contract June 7. The Cubs are set to open a series at Cincinnati, with left-hander Cole Hamels (6-2, 2.92) facing righty Sonny Gray (3-5, 4.03).ROCKY ROADJacob deGrom tries to get the Mets right after a miserable road trip. New York dropped 8 of 11 games, including the last five, during a swing through Atlanta, Chicago and Philadelphia. The trip included a jarring incident between manager Mickey Callaway, pitcher Jason Vargas and a reporter, and it ended with two straight walk-off losses. The club comes home to face the Braves and... [More]