DENVER (AP) — Trevor Bauer took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning of his Los Angeles debut before allowing a pair of two-run homers, and the Dodgers held on after building a big lead to beat the Colorado Rockies 11-6 on Friday night. The game had a little bit of everything, including a gray cat making a surprise appearance in center field before being ushered out by stadium personnel. Bauer (1-0), the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, purred along through six innings until Trevor Story broke up the no-hit bid with a single and Charlie Blackmon ended the shutout with a two-run homer. Ryan McMahon later followed with another two-run homer. David Price eventually replaced Bauer and gave up back-to-back homers to Dom Nuñez and Sam Hilliard, suddenly turning a 10-0 rout into a 10-6 game. It was the second time in Rockies history they homered four times in an inning. Bauer went 6 1/3 innings and allowed four runs while striking out 10. The right-hander signed a $102 million, three-year deal... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jean Segura hit an RBI single with two outs in the 10th inning to lift the Philadelphia Phillies over the Atlanta Braves 3-2 in their season opener Thursday. After Nate Jones (0-1) intentionally walked Did Gregorius, Segura hit a bouncer down the third-base line to score Bryce Harper, who began the inning as the automatic runner at second base and advanced to third on a grounder. In the top of the 10th, center fielder Roman Quinn made a perfect throw to the plate to retire Ozzie Albies, who was trying to score on Marcell Ozuna’s fly ball. Catcher J.T. Realmuto caught the ball and slid in front of the plate in one slick motion, successfully blocking Albies’ path. Phillies ace Aaron Nola was one strike away from tossing seven scoreless innings before pinch-hitter Pablo Sandoval ripped an 0-2 pitch into the second deck in right field to tie it at 2. The Phillies got 3 1/3 scoreless innings from four relievers, with Connor Brogdon (1-0) working the 10th. They had the worst... [More]

Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Lorenzo Cain has no regrets about opting out of nearly the entire 2020 season but realizes his long layoff could create some obstacles now that he’s back. “Definitely the right choice, 100% it was the right choice,” the 2018 All-Star and 2019 Gold Glove winner said Wednesday from the Brewers’ spring training site in Phoenix. “No doubt in my mind. I would do it again in a heartbeat.” Cain, who turns 35 on April 13, played just five games last year before sitting out the rest of the season. He was one of nearly 20 players to opt out, a group that also included Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher David Price and San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey. Nearly all are returning to action this spring. He said in August his decision resulted from concerns about the pandemic and from a desire “to get my life right with God.” Cain went into more detail Wednesday. “I kind of put God on the backburner for the longest time,” Cain said. “I felt like I needed to make him my... [More]

Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Lorenzo Cain has no regrets about opting out of nearly the entire 2020 season but realizes his long layoff could create some obstacles now that he’s back. “Definitely the right choice, 100% it was the right choice,” the 2018 All-Star and 2019 Gold Glove winner said Wednesday from the Brewers’ spring training site in Phoenix. “No doubt in my mind. I would do it again in a heartbeat.” Cain, who turns 35 on April 13, played just five games last year before sitting out the rest of the season. He was one of nearly 20 players to opt out, a group that also included Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher David Price and San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey. Nearly all are returning to action this spring. He said in August his decision resulted from concerns about the pandemic and from a desire “to get my life right with God.” Cain went into more detail Wednesday. “I kind of put God on the backburner for the longest time,” Cain said. “I felt like I needed to make him my... [More]

Diaper firing, the new baseball offseason arm workout. Who knew? At least in catcher Buster Posey's case it did the trick. His unfortunate target: 9-year-old son Lee. “The fun thing with him is I'll change a diaper from a baby and ball it up real tight and he knows I'm about to fire it at him, so he'll go running," said Posey, who is back in the San Francisco Giants' camp after opting out of last season to care for premature adopted twin girls. “I've been keeping my arm in shape that way by firing diapers at him.” There's some technique involved, to be sure.“You have to really make sure you have the right weight of the diaper so, depending on how well they've been feeding that plays a lot into my accuracy, and if it's the equivalent to the weight of a baseball. So take all that into account, the type of formula they've gotten, if they're eating baby food or not,” he said, adding with a grin, “Yeah, I've been pretty accurate.” Posey has spent the past seven months in serious multitasking... [More]

A team-by-team look at the National League West entering spring training, including key players each club acquired and lost, and dates of the first workout for pitchers and catchers, and the full squad: ___ Los Angeles Dodgers Manager: Dave Roberts (sixth season). 2019: 43-17, first place, World Series champions. Training Town: Glendale, Arizona. Park: Camelback Ranch. First Workout: Feb. 18/23. He’s Here: RHP Trevor Bauer, RHP Tommy Kahnle, LHP Garrett Cleavinger. He’s Outta Here: 3B Justin Turner, RHP Pedro Báez, INF/OF Enrique Hernández, LF Joc Pederson, LHP Alex Wood, RHP Jimmy Nelson, OF Terrance Gore. Going campin’: After winning their first World Series title since 1988 during the pandemic-shortened season, the Dodgers are looking to repeat. They made a major splash just before spring training, signing Bauer a year after trading for Mookie Betts and David Price in February. The roster boasts an enviable three MVPs and three Cy Young Award winners, making the Dodgers the favorites... [More]

Oct. 31 1961 — A federal judge ruled that Birmingham, Ala. laws against integrated playing fields were illegal. This ruling eliminated the last barrier against integrating the Southern Association. 1967 — San Francisco’s Mike McCormick won the National League Cy Young award. Mike McCormick led the league with with 22 victories. It was the first year in which pitchers are honored in both leagues. 1972 — Gaylord Perry, a 24-game winner with the fifth-place Cleveland Indians, won the American League Cy Young award. Perry won by a 64-58 margin over Wilbur Wood of the Chicago White Sox. 1973 — Tom Seaver of the New York Mets became the first pitcher to win the National League Cy Young award with less than 20 wins. Seaver went 19-10 and led the league in ERA (2.08) and strikeouts (251). 2001 — Derek Jeter hit a game-winning home run off Byung-Hyun Kim in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift New York over Arizona 4-3 and tie the World Series at 2-2. The Yankees’ Tino Martinez hit a dramatic two-run... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — From a false-positive coronavirus test for outfielder Alex Dickerson that postponed a pair of road games against the Padres to getting smoked out of Seattle by the West Coast wildfires — all in a six-day span — the San Francisco Giants stressed their resiliency in September. The Giants just needed one more victory to make it all matter. San Francisco went 29-31 under new manager Gabe Kapler, missing a playoff berth on the season's final day Sunday with a 5-4 loss to playoff-bound San Diego. “We did overcome a lot. I think we did a really nice job dealing with the ups and downs of the season, just the season that all the other clubs had to deal with but I think some extra difficult circumstances for our club,” Kapler said. “You want that to lead to wins. You want that to lead to the postseason. It stings that it didn’t.” The Giants haven't reached the playoffs since losing a four-game division series in 2016 to the eventual World Series champion Cubs. “There's definitely... [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]

ATLANTA (AP) — When the New York Mets finally found out Yoenis Céspedes was OK, they suddenly learned something else: The slugger had opted out of playing the rest of this season.Hours after Céspedes didn’t report to the ballpark without explanation, the Mets discovered in the late innings of Sunday’s 4-0 loss to Atlanta that he wouldn’t be back this year because of coronavirus concerns.“I am very surprised,” first-year manager Luis Rojas said. “Him and I have had conversations regularly about playing time, where he was going to hit in the lineup, building him up in the outfield.”“Nothing like this, so this is definitely a surprise,” he said.Céspedes went 0 for 4 during a 7-1 loss Saturday night in Atlanta. He is 5 for 31 (.161) with 15 strikeouts this season.The Mets sent out a statement from general manager Brodie Van Wagenen in the early innings Sunday saying they couldn’t find Céspedes. Van Wagenen said the organization was later notified by Céspedes’ agent that he had decided to opt... [More]

A look at what's happening in the majors today:LET’S PLAY 7!Shortened doubleheaders are about to make their Major League Baseball debut. At least that’s the plan. In this most unpredictable and unusual of seasons, perhaps we shouldn’t take anything for granted.The Detroit Tigers are set to host the Cincinnati Reds in a pair of seven-inning games -- a day after the teams were rained out at Comerica Park, more showers are in the forecast.This will be the first doubleheader since MLB approved condensing twinbills to seven innings each this season. Baseball could see an unusually high number of doubleheaders due to positive coronavirus tests causing postponements, plus rainouts.“I think that’s a good rule change especially with the pitchers going down every day,” Houston manager Dusty Baker said. “With the shortage of pitchers, that is a good rule, especially with teams losing multiple guys.”WHO’S NEXT?Brewers star outfielder Lorenzo Cain and Marlins rookie second baseman Isan Diaz have become... [More]

A look at what's happening in the majors today:LET’S PLAY 7!Shortened doubleheaders are about to make their Major League Baseball debut. At least that’s the plan. In this most unpredictable and unusual of seasons, perhaps we shouldn’t take anything for granted.The Detroit Tigers are set to host the Cincinnati Reds in a pair of seven-inning games -- a day after the teams were rained out at Comerica Park, more showers are in the forecast.This will be the first doubleheader since MLB approved condensing twinbills to seven innings each this season. Baseball could see an unusually high number of doubleheaders due to positive coronavirus tests causing postponements, plus rainouts.“I think that’s a good rule change especially with the pitchers going down every day,” Houston manager Dusty Baker said. “With the shortage of pitchers, that is a good rule, especially with teams losing multiple guys.”WHO’S NEXT?Brewers star outfielder Lorenzo Cain and Marlins rookie second baseman Isan Diaz have become... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — They like to joke that Scott Heineman hits the home runs and his big brother brings him a little good luck then gets a front-row seat to watch him round the bases.Scott homered in the ninth inning for the Texas Rangers in a 7-3 loss to San Francisco as brother Tyler played catcher for the Giants.“I saw him after the game. We did a jersey swap, which was pretty cool," 27-year-old Scott said. "First thing he said to me was like, ‘Dude, unbelievable, 3 for 12 with three home runs.’ Maybe I got good fortune when he’s behind the plate.”Their father will be gifted the jerseys after making the request earlier in the day. “We just figured we would do something kind of special,” Tyler said.Before first pitch, the brothers walked out to home plate from opposite dugouts and represented the Rangers and Giants to confirm the lineup cards, then posed for a photo with the umpires.Hands on hips, they could only grin. Who would have thought this might happen? Not this year in interleague,... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Brothers Scott and Tyler Heineman walked out to home plate from opposite dugouts and represented the Rangers and Giants to confirm the lineup cards, then posed for a photo with the umpires.Hands on hips, they could only grin. Who would have thought this might happen? Not this year in interleague, at least, when the NL West had been scheduled to face the AL Central before the coronavirus pandemic changed everything. Their two managers chatted ahead of time about sending the Heinemans to meet before first pitch Saturday night. San Francisco beat Texas 7-3 but Tyler had to watch as Scott rounded the bases on a home run in the ninth. What made the moment even sweeter for the close-knit siblings is Scott and Tyler each earned a start — something that might not necessarily have happened in other circumstances but worked out beautifully in this condensed 60-game season.Scott filled in at center field for Texas in place of the ailing Danny Santana, while Giants catcher Tyler... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Brothers Scott and Tyler Heineman walked out to home plate from opposite dugouts and represented the Rangers and Giants to confirm the lineup cards, then posed for a photo with the umpires.Hands on hips, they could only grin. Who would have thought this might happen? Not this year in interleague, at least, when the NL West had been scheduled to face the AL Central before the coronavirus pandemic changed everything. Their two managers chatted ahead of time about sending the Heinemans to meet before first pitch Saturday night. What made the moment even sweeter for the close-knit siblings is Scott and Tyler each earned a start — something that might not necessarily have happened in other circumstances but worked out beautifully in this condensed 60-game season.Scott filled in at center field for Texas in place of the ailing Danny Santana, while Giants catcher Heineman has a greater opportunity to play after Buster Posey opted out of the season to care for premature twin... [More]

A look at what's happening in the majors on Sunday:LET’S PLAY 7!Shortened doubleheaders are about to make their Major League Baseball debut. At least that’s the plan. In this most unpredictable and unusual of seasons, perhaps we shouldn’t take anything for granted.The Detroit Tigers are set to host the Cincinnati Reds in a pair of seven-inning games -- a day after the teams were rained out at Comerica Park, more showers are in the forecast.This will be the first doubleheader since MLB approved condensing twinbills to seven innings each this season. Baseball could see an unusually high number of doubleheaders due to positive coronavirus tests causing postponements, plus rainouts.“I think that’s a good rule change especially with the pitchers going down every day,” Houston manager Dusty Baker said. “With the shortage of pitchers, that is a good rule, especially with teams losing multiple guys.”WHO’S NEXT?Brewers star outfielder Lorenzo Cain and Marlins rookie second baseman Isan Diaz have... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Brothers Scott and Tyler Heineman walked out to home plate from opposite dugouts and represented the Rangers and Giants to confirm the lineup cards, then posed for a photo with the umpires.Their two managers chatted ahead of time about sending the Heinemans to meet before first pitch Saturday night. What made the moment even sweeter for the close-knit siblings is Scott and Tyler each earned a start — something that might not necessarily have happened in other circumstances but worked out beautifully in this condensed 60-game season.Scott filled in at center field for Texas in place of the ailing Danny Santana, while Giants catcher Heineman has a greater opportunity to play after Buster Posey opted out of the season."It’s just sheer coincidence," Rangers manager Chris Woodward said of the good fortune for both sides.It took a bit of thoughtful planning to pull this off. Managers no longer trade lineup cards before the game as has long been tradition but rather make sure... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says he's confident his sport can get through the regular season and postseason without being stopped by the coronavirus, though not every team might play all 60 games and winning percentage could be used to determine playoff teams.During an interview Saturday with The Associated Press, Manfred said Major League Baseball knows which player introduced COVID-19 into the clubhouse of the Marlins Marlins. Miami and Philadelphia both postponed games for an entire week.“I think that if everybody does what they are supposed to do, we can continue to play, have a credible season and get through the postseason,” Manfred said.Just 1 1/2 weeks into a pandemic-delayed regular season shortened from 162 games per team to 60, the coronavirus has forced 19 postponements in 11 days, including St. Louis' three-game weekend series at Milwaukee.The virus also prompted at least two more players to opt out Saturday: Brewers All-Star outfielder Lorenzo Cain and... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says he's confident his sport can get through the regular season and postseason without being stopped by the coronavirus, though not every team might play all 60 games and winning percentage could be used to determine playoff teams.During an interview Saturday with The Associated Press, Manfred said Major League Baseball knows which player introduced COVID-19 into the clubhouse of the Marlins Marlins. Miami and Philadelphia both postponed games for an entire week.“I think that if everybody does what they are supposed to do, we can continue to play, have a credible season and get through the postseason,” Manfred said.Just 1 1/2 weeks into a pandemic-delayed regular season shortened from 162 games per team to 60, the coronavirus has forced 17 postponements in 10 days and prompted at least two more players to opt out Saturday: Milwaukee All-Star outfielder Lorenzo Cain and Miami second baseman Isan Díaz.At least 18 Marlins players have been... [More]