For a third straight year, the Washington Nationals have dug themselves an early hole. Two seasons ago, they recovered and won the World Series. In 2020, they couldn't overcome their poor start, finishing under .500 in that 60-game season. They have more time to rebound this year, but there aren't many positive signs at the moment. The Nationals are in last place in the NL East, and although their mediocrity has company — only one team in that division has a winning record — Washington's run differential of minus-31 suggests this team has earned its current predicament. The Nationals are 24-32 — the same record they had after 56 games during their championship season. Last year, they were 23-33 at this stage, and the season was almost over. Only two teams have scored fewer runs than Washington this season. Last year, the Nationals struggled as a team but still got stellar production from Trea Turner and Juan Soto. This year Turner is hitting .311 with 10 homers, but Soto is batting a more... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Kiké Hernández snapped an 0-for-27 skid with a tiebreaking double in the eighth inning and the Boston Red Sox completed their major league-best 20th come-from-behind victory, beating the New York Yankees 5-3 Saturday night. Hernández got his first RBI since May 20 by roping a two-out fastball from Chad Green (0-4) to the wall in left, scoring Rafael Devers from first. Christian Vázquez scored Hernández a batter later with a grounder that skipped over the first-base bag, and Bobby Dalbec followed with a two-run homer. Former Yankees minor leaguer Garrett Whitlock (1-1) was credited with his first major league win. Closer Matt Barnes earned his 14th save. Gleyber Torres hit a two-run homer for New York and added a sacrifice fly. GIANTS 4, CUBS 3 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Unbeaten Kevin Gausman struck out 10 in seven innings, Alex Dickerson homered for the second consecutive game and San Francisco beat Chicago. San Francisco won its third straight over the Cubs. The Giants have... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Kiké Hernández snapped an 0-for-27 skid with a tiebreaking double in the eighth inning and the Boston Red Sox completed their major league-best 20th come-from-behind victory, beating the New York Yankees 5-3 Saturday night. Hernández got his first RBI since May 20 by roping a two-out fastball from Chad Green (0-4) to the wall in left, scoring Rafael Devers from first. Christian Vázquez scored Hernández a batter later with a grounder that skipped over the first-base bag, and Bobby Dalbec followed with a two-run homer. Former Yankees minor leaguer Garrett Whitlock (1-1) was credited with his first major league win. Closer Matt Barnes earned his 14th save. Gleyber Torres hit a two-run homer for New York and added a sacrifice fly. GIANTS 4, CUBS 3 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Unbeaten Kevin Gausman struck out 10 in seven innings, Alex Dickerson homered for the second consecutive game and San Francisco beat Chicago. San Francisco won its third straight over the Cubs. The Giants have... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Kiké Hernández snapped an 0-for-27 skid with a tiebreaking double in the eighth inning and the Boston Red Sox completed their major league-best 20th come-from-behind victory, beating the New York Yankees 5-3 Saturday night. Hernández got his first RBI since May 20 by roping a two-out fastball from Chad Green (0-4) to the wall in left, scoring Rafael Devers from first. Christian Vázquez scored Hernández a batter later with a grounder that skipped over the first-base bag, and Bobby Dalbec followed with a two-run homer. Former Yankees minor leaguer Garrett Whitlock (1-1) was credited with his first major league win. Closer Matt Barnes earned his 14th save. Gleyber Torres hit a two-run homer for New York and added a sacrifice fly. GIANTS 4, CUBS 3 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Unbeaten Kevin Gausman struck out 10 in seven innings, Alex Dickerson homered for the second consecutive game and San Francisco beat Chicago. San Francisco won its third straight over the Cubs. The Giants have... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Kiké Hernández snapped an 0-for-27 skid with a tiebreaking double in the eighth inning and the Boston Red Sox completed their major league-best 20th come-from-behind victory, beating the New York Yankees 5-3 Saturday night. Hernández got his first RBI since May 20 by roping a two-out fastball from Chad Green (0-4) to the wall in left, scoring Rafael Devers from first. Christian Vázquez scored Hernández a batter later with a grounder that skipped over the first-base bag, and Bobby Dalbec followed with a two-run homer. Former Yankees minor leaguer Garrett Whitlock (1-1) was credited with his first major league win. Closer Matt Barnes earned his 14th save. Gleyber Torres hit a two-run homer for New York and added a sacrifice fly. GIANTS 4, CUBS 3 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Unbeaten Kevin Gausman struck out 10 in seven innings, Alex Dickerson homered for the second consecutive game and San Francisco beat Chicago. San Francisco won its third straight over the Cubs. The Giants have... [More]

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Joe Panik homered, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Houston Astros 6-2 on Saturday. Panik’s tiebreaking three-run shot off José Urquidy gave Toronto a 4-1 lead in the fourth inning. Guerrero connected in the fifth, sending a two-run drive deep to left for his 18th homer. Guerrero finished with three hits, raising his batting average to .338. Ross Stripling pitched five innings of one-run ball for the Blue Jays, who improved to 3-1 at their temporary home in Buffalo. Stripling (2-3) allowed seven hits, struck out four and walked one. Carlos Correa had three hits and Myles Straw drove in two runs for the Astros. Urquidy (4-3) was tagged for a season-high six runs in 4 1/3 innings. He allowed two or fewer earned runs in seven of his previous nine starts this season. RAYS 3, RANGERS 0 ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Rich Hill pitched another five scoreless innings as Tampa Bay blanked Texas. The 41-year-old Hill (5-2) struck out three and allowed two... [More]

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Joe Panik homered, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Houston Astros 6-2 on Saturday. Panik’s tiebreaking three-run shot off José Urquidy gave Toronto a 4-1 lead in the fourth inning. Guerrero connected in the fifth, sending a two-run drive deep to left for his 18th homer. Guerrero finished with three hits, raising his batting average to .338. Ross Stripling pitched five innings of one-run ball for the Blue Jays, who improved to 3-1 at their temporary home in Buffalo. Stripling (2-3) allowed seven hits, struck out four and walked one. Carlos Correa had three hits and Myles Straw drove in two runs for the Astros. Urquidy (4-3) was tagged for a season-high six runs in 4 1/3 innings. He allowed two or fewer earned runs in seven of his previous nine starts this season. RAYS 3, RANGERS 0 ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Rich Hill pitched another five scoreless innings as Tampa Bay blanked Texas. The 41-year-old Hill (5-2) struck out three and allowed two... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Rich Hill finished May with the lowest monthly ERA in 75 years of a pitcher in his 40s, and the Tampa Bay Rays won for the 16th time in 17 games by keeping up their domination of the reeling Yankees with a 3-1 victory Monday. Hill (4-2), a 41-year-old left-hander who is the oldest player in Rays’ history, improved to 3-0 against the Yankees this season. Hill was 3-1 with a 0.78 ERA in six May starts. Miguel Andújar homered in the seventh, just his second since 2018. J.P. Feyereisen, acquired May 21 from Milwaukee for shortstop Willy Adames, finished a five-hitter for his third save. The AL East-leading Rays (35-20) improved to 7-3 against the Yankees this season. New York (29-25) limped to the season’s one-third mark with its fourth straight defeat and sixth in seven games. Jameson Taillon (1-4) lost to Hill for the second time this year. He allowed three runs and five hits in five-plus innings. Manuel Margot hit an RBI double in the third. Austin Meadows homered into the... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Rich Hill finished May with the lowest monthly ERA in 75 years of a pitcher in his 40s, and the Tampa Bay Rays won for the 16th time in 17 games by keeping up their domination of the reeling Yankees with a 3-1 victory Monday. Hill (4-2), a 41-year-old left-hander who is the oldest player in Rays’ history, improved to 3-0 against the Yankees this season. Hill was 3-1 with a 0.78 ERA in six May starts. Miguel Andújar homered in the seventh, just his second since 2018. J.P. Feyereisen, acquired May 21 from Milwaukee for shortstop Willy Adames, finished a five-hitter for his third save. The AL East-leading Rays (35-20) improved to 7-3 against the Yankees this season. New York (29-25) limped to the season’s one-third mark with its fourth straight defeat and sixth in seven games. Jameson Taillon (1-4) lost to Hill for the second time this year. He allowed three runs and five hits in five-plus innings. Manuel Margot hit an RBI double in the third. Austin Meadows homered into the... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Rich Hill finished May with the lowest monthly ERA in 75 years of a pitcher in his 40s, and the Tampa Bay Rays won for the 16th time in 17 games by keeping up their domination of the reeling Yankees with a 3-1 victory Monday. Hill (4-2), a 41-year-old left-hander who is the oldest player in Rays’ history, improved to 3-0 against the Yankees this season. Hill was 3-1 with a 0.78 ERA in six May starts. Miguel Andújar homered in the seventh, just his second since 2018. J.P. Feyereisen, acquired May 21 from Milwaukee for shortstop Willy Adames, finished a five-hitter for his third save. The AL East-leading Rays (35-20) improved to 7-3 against the Yankees this season. New York (29-25) limped to the season’s one-third mark with its fourth straight defeat and sixth in seven games. Jameson Taillon (1-4) lost to Hill for the second time this year. He allowed three runs and five hits in five-plus innings. Manuel Margot hit an RBI double in the third. Austin Meadows homered into the... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Rich Hill finished May with the lowest monthly ERA in 75 years of a pitcher in his 40s, and the Tampa Bay Rays won for the 16th time in 17 games by keeping up their domination of the reeling Yankees with a 3-1 victory Monday. Hill (4-2), a 41-year-old left-hander who is the oldest player in Rays’ history, improved to 3-0 against the Yankees this season. Hill was 3-1 with a 0.78 ERA in six May starts. Miguel Andújar homered in the seventh, just his second since 2018. J.P. Feyereisen, acquired May 21 from Milwaukee for shortstop Willy Adames, finished a five-hitter for his third save. The AL East-leading Rays (35-20) improved to 7-3 against the Yankees this season. New York (29-25) limped to the season’s one-third mark with its fourth straight defeat and sixth in seven games. Jameson Taillon (1-4) lost to Hill for the second time this year. He allowed three runs and five hits in five-plus innings. Manuel Margot hit an RBI double in the third. Austin Meadows homered into the... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Rich Hill finished May with the lowest monthly ERA in 75 years of a pitcher in his 40s, and the Tampa Bay Rays won for the 16th time in 17 games by keeping up their domination of the reeling Yankees with a 3-1 victory Monday. Hill (4-2), a 41-year-old left-hander who is the oldest player in Rays’ history, improved to 3-0 against the Yankees this season. Hill was 3-1 with a 0.78 ERA in six May starts. Miguel Andújar homered in the seventh, just his second since 2018. J.P. Feyereisen, acquired May 21 from Milwaukee for shortstop Willy Adames, finished a five-hitter for his third save. The AL East-leading Rays (35-20) improved to 7-3 against the Yankees this season. New York (29-25) limped to the season’s one-third mark with its fourth straight defeat and sixth in seven games. Jameson Taillon (1-4) lost to Hill for the second time this year. He allowed three runs and five hits in five-plus innings. Manuel Margot hit an RBI double in the third. Austin Meadows homered into the... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays’ 11-game winning streak came to an end Tuesday night when Brad Keller pitched seven strong innings and Salvador Perez hit a tiebreaking RBI single to give the Kansas City Royals a 2-1 victory. Rich Hill struck out a career-high 13 for the Rays. Tampa Bay’s winning string was the second-longest in club history, one shy of the record set in 2004 by the then-Devil Rays managed by Lou Piniella. Keller (4-4) allowed one run, four hits, four walks and struck out seven. Jake Brentz went 1 1/3 innings before Kyle Zimmer got two outs to get his second save. Perez put the Royals up 2-1 on a sixth-inning single off Hill (3-2). Hill became the oldest player to appear in a game with the Rays at 41 years, 75 days. Hall of Famer Wade Boggs was 41 years, 73 days old when he played his final game on Aug. 27, 1999. WHITE SOX 8, CARDINALS 3 CHICAGO (AP) — Lucas Giolito beat Jack Flaherty in a major league matchup of former high school teammates, leading Chicago... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays’ 11-game winning streak came to an end Tuesday night when Brad Keller pitched seven strong innings and Salvador Perez hit a tiebreaking RBI single to give the Kansas City Royals a 2-1 victory. Rich Hill struck out a career-high 13 for the Rays. Tampa Bay’s winning string was the second-longest in club history, one shy of the record set in 2004 by the then-Devil Rays managed by Lou Piniella. Keller (4-4) allowed one run, four hits, four walks and struck out seven. Jake Brentz went 1 1/3 innings before Kyle Zimmer got two outs to get his second save. Perez put the Royals up 2-1 on a sixth-inning single off Hill (3-2). Hill became the oldest player to appear in a game with the Rays at 41 years, 75 days. Hall of Famer Wade Boggs was 41 years, 73 days old when he played his final game on Aug. 27, 1999. WHITE SOX 8, CARDINALS 3 CHICAGO (AP) — Lucas Giolito beat Jack Flaherty in a major league matchup of former high school teammates, leading Chicago... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays’ 11-game winning streak came to an end Tuesday night when Brad Keller pitched seven strong innings and Salvador Perez hit a tiebreaking RBI single to give the Kansas City Royals a 2-1 victory. Rich Hill struck out a career-high 13 for the Rays. Tampa Bay’s winning string was the second-longest in club history, one shy of the record set in 2004 by the then-Devil Rays managed by Lou Piniella. Keller (4-4) allowed one run, four hits, four walks and struck out seven. Jake Brentz went 1 1/3 innings before Kyle Zimmer got two outs to get his second save. Perez put the Royals up 2-1 on a sixth-inning single off Hill (3-2). Hill became the oldest player to appear in a game with the Rays at 41 years, 75 days. Hall of Famer Wade Boggs was 41 years, 73 days old when he played his final game on Aug. 27, 1999. METS 3, ROCKIES 1 NEW YORK (AP) — Jacob deGrom struck out nine in a successful return from the injured list and Tomás Nido hit a tiebreaking homer... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Stephen Strasburg pitched into the sixth inning in his return from the injured list, allowing just one hit as the Washington Nationals defeated the Baltimore Orioles 4-2 on Friday night. Strasburg (1-1) started for the first time since April 13. He had been sidelined with right shoulder inflammation. He picked up his first win in a regular-season game since Sept. 26, 2019. Strasburg allowed only Anthony Santander’s leadoff single in the second. He walked four and struck out four in 5 1/3 scoreless innings. Washington scored two runs against Jorge López (1-5) in the fifth. López allowed four straight hits, including back-to-back doubles by Josh Bell (3 hits) and Kyle Schwarber and a run-scoring single by Josh Harrison. Freddy Galvis hit a two-run home run with two outs in the ninth against Brad Hand. Trey Mancini had two hits for the Orioles, who have lost 11 of 13 since John Means threw a no-hitter on May 5. DODGERS 2, GIANTS 1 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Trevor Bauer struck... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Stephen Strasburg pitched into the sixth inning in his return from the injured list, allowing just one hit as the Washington Nationals defeated the Baltimore Orioles 4-2 on Friday night. Strasburg (1-1) started for the first time since April 13. He had been sidelined with right shoulder inflammation. He picked up his first win in a regular-season game since Sept. 26, 2019. Strasburg allowed only Anthony Santander’s leadoff single in the second. He walked four and struck out four in 5 1/3 scoreless innings. Washington scored two runs against Jorge López (1-5) in the fifth. López allowed four straight hits, including back-to-back doubles by Josh Bell (3 hits) and Kyle Schwarber and a run-scoring single by Josh Harrison. Freddy Galvis hit a two-run home run with two outs in the ninth against Brad Hand. Trey Mancini had two hits for the Orioles, who have lost 11 of 13 since John Means threw a no-hitter on May 5. DODGERS 2, GIANTS 1 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Trevor Bauer struck... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Stephen Strasburg pitched into the sixth inning in his return from the injured list, allowing just one hit as the Washington Nationals defeated the Baltimore Orioles 4-2 on Friday night. Strasburg (1-1) started for the first time since April 13. He had been sidelined with right shoulder inflammation. He picked up his first win in a regular-season game since Sept. 26, 2019. Strasburg allowed only Anthony Santander’s leadoff single in the second. He walked four and struck out four in 5 1/3 scoreless innings. Washington scored two runs against Jorge López (1-5) in the fifth. López allowed four straight hits, including back-to-back doubles by Josh Bell (3 hits) and Kyle Schwarber and a run-scoring single by Josh Harrison. Freddy Galvis hit a two-run home run with two outs in the ninth against Brad Hand. Trey Mancini had two hits for the Orioles, who have lost 11 of 13 since John Means threw a no-hitter on May 5. DODGERS 2, GIANTS 1 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Trevor Bauer struck... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Stephen Strasburg pitched into the sixth inning in his return from the injured list, allowing just one hit as the Washington Nationals defeated the Baltimore Orioles 4-2 on Friday night. Strasburg (1-1) started for the first time since April 13. He had been sidelined with right shoulder inflammation. He picked up his first win in a regular-season game since Sept. 26, 2019. Strasburg allowed only Anthony Santander’s leadoff single in the second. He walked four and struck out four in 5 1/3 scoreless innings. Washington scored two runs against Jorge López (1-5) in the fifth. López allowed four straight hits, including back-to-back doubles by Josh Bell (3 hits) and Kyle Schwarber and a run-scoring single by Josh Harrison. Freddy Galvis hit a two-run home run with two outs in the ninth against Brad Hand. Trey Mancini had two hits for the Orioles, who have lost 11 of 13 since John Means threw a no-hitter on May 5. YANKEES 2, WHITE SOX 1 NEW YORK (AP) — Gleyber Torres homered... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Stephen Strasburg pitched into the sixth inning in his return from the injured list, allowing just one hit as the Washington Nationals defeated the Baltimore Orioles 4-2 on Friday night. Strasburg (1-1) started for the first time since April 13. He had been sidelined with right shoulder inflammation. He picked up his first win in a regular-season game since Sept. 26, 2019. Strasburg allowed only Anthony Santander’s leadoff single in the second. He walked four and struck out four in 5 1/3 scoreless innings. Washington scored two runs against Jorge López (1-5) in the fifth. López allowed four straight hits, including back-to-back doubles by Josh Bell (3 hits) and Kyle Schwarber and a run-scoring single by Josh Harrison. Freddy Galvis hit a two-run home run with two outs in the ninth against Brad Hand. Trey Mancini had two hits for the Orioles, who have lost 11 of 13 since John Means threw a no-hitter on May 5. YANKEES 2, WHITE SOX 1 NEW YORK (AP) — Gleyber Torres homered... [More]