NEW YORK (AP) — Gleyber Torres lined a game-winning single in the ninth inning and the New York Yankees hit two more homers to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-7 Wednesday.Didi Gregorius and DJ LeMahieu connected as the Yankees extended their major league record to 29 straight games with a home run. The AL East leaders overcame two homers and a double by Lourdes Gurriel Jr., plus an early 5-0 deficit, to finish a power-packed 9-1 homestand.Now, they'll head straight from Yankee Stadium to England, where they'll enjoy two days off before playing the Boston Red Sox at London Stadium on Saturday and Sunday in the first major league games in Europe.Zack Britton wasn't so great in giving up Cavan Biggio's RBI single in the ninth that made it 7-all. But Britton (3-1) wound up with the win to close out a three-game sweep.Gregorius got an infield hit off Nick Kingham (3-2) with one out in the ninth, Aaron Hicks walked and Torres followed with his hit.INDIANS 5, ROYALS 3CLEVELAND (AP) — Trevor Bauer... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani became the first Japanese-born player to hit for the cycle, helping the Los Angeles Angels beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-3 Thursday night after a delay caused by a power outage.Ohtani hit a three-run homer in the first inning and completed the feat with a single in the seventh. He is the eighth Angels player to hit for the cycle and the first since Mike Trout on May 21, 2013.Albert Pujols also homered for the Angels, becoming the sixth player ever with 200 home runs in each league. He hit 445 in 11 seasons with St. Louis and has 200 in eight years with the Angels, including 12 this season.He led off the third with a double and tripled in the fifth before Pujols' home run. A two-out single in the seventh completed the cycle in just four plate appearances, and fans at Tropicana Field gave him a standing ovation.The game was held up 36 minutes by a power delay in the fourth with the Angels leading 3-0.Yarbrough (5-3) gave up five runs and five hits (all... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani became the first Japanese-born player to hit for the cycle, helping the Los Angeles Angels beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-3 Thursday night after a delay caused by a power outage.Ohtani hit a three-run homer in the first inning and completed the feat with a single in the seventh. He is the eighth Angels player to hit for the cycle and the first since Mike Trout on May 21, 2013.Albert Pujols also homered for the Angels, becoming the sixth player ever with 200 home runs in each league. He hit 445 in 11 seasons with St. Louis and has 200 in eight years with the Angels, including 12 this season.He led off the third with a double and tripled in the fifth before Pujols' home run. A two-out single in the seventh completed the cycle in just four plate appearances, and fans at Tropicana Field gave him a standing ovation.The game was held up 36 minutes by a power delay in the fourth with the Angels leading 3-0.Yarbrough (5-3) gave up five runs and five hits (all... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Tuesday:CRUZ CONTROLTwins slugger Nelson Cruz has homered in four straight games, his streak coming soon after his return from a strained wrist that put him on the injured list for more than three weeks.The 38-year-old Cruz is batting .279 with 11 home runs and 28 RBIs, helping Minnesota post the best record in the American League. He now faces Seattle in the series opener at Target Field.TWO STOPSThe Subway Series gets underway with a day-night doubleheader at Yankee Stadium.After a rainout Monday in the Bronx, the Mets flip-flopped their pitchers. Zack Wheeler (5-3) will start the opener for them against Masahiro Tanaka (3-5) in the first of four matchups this season between the crosstown rivals. Jason Vargas (2-3) goes in the nightcap versus fellow left-hander James Paxton (3-2) and the Yankees.TAKE A SEATBraves third baseman Josh Donaldson and Pirates pitcher Joe Musgrove can expect a little time off after their bench-clearing confrontation.... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Tuesday:CRUZ CONTROLTwins slugger Nelson Cruz has homered in four straight games, his streak coming soon after his return from a strained wrist that put him on the injured list for more than three weeks.The 38-year-old Cruz is batting .279 with 11 home runs and 28 RBIs, helping Minnesota post the best record in the American League. He now faces Seattle in the series opener at Target Field.TWO STOPSThe Subway Series gets underway with a day-night doubleheader at Yankee Stadium.After a rainout Monday in the Bronx, the Mets flip-flopped their pitchers. Zack Wheeler (5-3) will start the opener for them against Masahiro Tanaka (3-5) in the first of four matchups this season between the crosstown rivals. Jason Vargas (2-3) goes in the nightcap versus fellow left-hander James Paxton (3-2) and the Yankees.TAKE A SEATBraves third baseman Josh Donaldson and Pirates pitcher Joe Musgrove can expect a little time off after their bench-clearing confrontation.... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Tuesday:CRUZ CONTROLTwins slugger Nelson Cruz has homered in four straight games, his streak coming soon after his return from a strained wrist that put him on the injured list for more than three weeks.The 38-year-old Cruz is batting .279 with 11 home runs and 28 RBIs, helping Minnesota post the best record in the American League. He now faces Seattle in the series opener at Target Field.TWO STOPSThe Subway Series gets underway with a day-night doubleheader at Yankee Stadium.After a rainout Monday in the Bronx, the Mets flip-flopped their pitchers. Zack Wheeler (5-3) will start the opener for them against Masahiro Tanaka (3-5) in the first of four matchups this season between the crosstown rivals. Jason Vargas (2-3) goes in the nightcap versus fellow left-hander James Paxton (3-2) and the Yankees.TAKE A SEATBraves third baseman Josh Donaldson and Pirates pitcher Joe Musgrove can expect a little time off after their bench-clearing confrontation.... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks got to play Home Run Derby in Philly.The Diamondbacks hit three straight home runs to open the game against Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jerad Eickhoff on Monday night.Eickhoff allowed two more two-run homers before he was chased in the fourth inning and the Diamondbacks up 7-3. The Diamondbacks hit two more homers in the fifth to set a club record with seven in one game.Eickhoff allowed five hits in three-plus innings — all the hits homers.Jarrod Dyson hit the first pitch of the game to right field for his fourth homer of the season. Ketel Marte followed with his 16th home run on a drive to right. David Peralta finished the longball barrage when he went deep to center for his ninth homer.It was the first time a team had hit three straight home runs to begin the first inning since the Diamondbacks did it on July 21, 2017, at home against Washington ace Max Scherzer.Eickhoff gave up two-run shots in the fourth to Eduardo Escobar and Alex Avila.... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks got to play an early round of Home Run Derby in Philly.The Diamondbacks hit three straight home runs to open the game against Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jerad Eickhoff on Monday night. Eickhoff allowed two more two-run home runs before he was chased in the fourth inning and the Diamondbacks up 7-3.Eickhoff allowed five hits in 3-plus innings — all the hits homers.Jarrod Dyson hit the first pitch of the game to right field for his fourth homer of the season. Ketel Marte followed with his 16th home run on a drive to right. David Peralta finished the longball barrage when he went deep to center for his ninth homer.It was the first time a team had hit three straight home runs to begin the first inning since the Diamondbacks did it on July 21, 2017, at home against Washington ace Max Scherzer.Eickhoff gave up two-run shots in the fourth to Eduardo Escobar and Alex Avila. Eickhoff failed to retire a batter in the fourth when he was yanked by manager Gabe Kapler.The game had been delayed 35 minutes by rain, and more rain fell once play began.Arizona connected a day after the Nationals hit four home runs in a row in the eighth inning at San Diego.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks got to play an early round of Home Run Derby in Philly.The Diamondbacks hit three straight home runs to open the game against Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jerad Eickhoff on Monday night.Jarrod Dyson hit the first pitch of the game to right field for his fourth homer of the season. Ketel Marte followed with his 16th home run on a drive to right. David Peralta finished the longball barrage when he went deep to center for his ninth homer.It was the first time a team had hit three straight home runs to begin the first inning since the Diamondbacks did it on July 21, 2017, at home against Washington ace Max Scherzer.Eickhoff had allowed 11 homers in 54 1-3 innings this season.The game had been delayed 35 minutes by rain, and more rain fell once play began.Arizona connected a day after the Nationals hit four home runs in a row in the eighth inning at San Diego.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DETROIT (AP) — Charlie Morton allowed five hits in seven innings, extending his unbeaten streak to 20 starts and leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 4-0 win over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night.Morton (7-0) hasn't lost since Aug. 11, and only Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers, at 21 starts, has a longer active unbeaten streak. Morton struck out eight with no walks and needed just 83 pitches to complete seven innings.Austin Meadows tripled and scored on a throwing error in the third to open the scoring. Tampa Bay scored two more runs in the fifth and snapped its four-game losing streak.Spencer Turnbull (3-5) allowed three runs in five innings.METS 7, GIANTS 0NEW YORK (AP) — Jason Vargas pitched his first shutout in two years, Amed Rosario hit a three-run homer and New York won despite losing Robinson Canó hours after his return from the injured list.Michael Conforto and Adeiny Hechavarría each had a solo homer for the Mets, who ended a three-game skid with their second win in seven games.Canó... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Charlie Morton allowed five hits in seven innings, extending his unbeaten streak to 20 starts and leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 4-0 win over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night.Morton (7-0) hasn't lost since Aug. 11, and only Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers, at 21 starts, has a longer active unbeaten streak. Morton struck out eight with no walks and needed just 83 pitches to complete seven innings.Austin Meadows tripled and scored on a throwing error in the third to open the scoring. Tampa Bay scored two more runs in the fifth and snapped its four-game losing streak.Spencer Turnbull (3-5) allowed three runs in five innings.METS 7, GIANTS 0NEW YORK (AP) — Jason Vargas pitched his first shutout in two years, Amed Rosario hit a three-run homer and New York won despite losing Robinson Canó hours after his return from the injured list.Michael Conforto and Adeiny Hechavarría each had a solo homer for the Mets, who ended a three-game skid with their second win in seven games.Canó... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Charlie Morton allowed five hits in seven innings, extending his unbeaten streak to 20 starts and leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 4-0 win over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night.Morton (7-0) hasn't lost since Aug. 11, and only Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers, at 21 starts, has a longer active unbeaten streak. Morton struck out eight with no walks and needed just 83 pitches to complete seven innings.Austin Meadows tripled and scored on a throwing error in the third to open the scoring. Tampa Bay scored two more runs in the fifth and snapped its four-game losing streak.Spencer Turnbull (3-5) allowed three runs in five innings.METS 7, GIANTS 0NEW YORK (AP) — Jason Vargas pitched his first shutout in two years, Amed Rosario hit a three-run homer and New York won despite losing Robinson Canó hours after his return from the injured list.Michael Conforto and Adeiny Hechavarría each had a solo homer for the Mets, who ended a three-game skid with their second win in seven games.Canó... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Charlie Morton allowed five hits in seven innings, extending his unbeaten streak to 20 starts and leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 4-0 win over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night.Morton (7-0) hasn't lost since Aug. 11, and only Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers, at 21 starts, has a longer active unbeaten streak. Morton struck out eight with no walks and needed just 83 pitches to complete seven innings.Austin Meadows tripled and scored on a throwing error in the third to open the scoring. Tampa Bay scored two more runs in the fifth and snapped its four-game losing streak.Spencer Turnbull (3-5) allowed three runs in five innings.METS 7, GIANTS 0NEW YORK (AP) — Jason Vargas pitched his first shutout in two years, Amed Rosario hit a three-run homer and New York won despite losing Robinson Canó hours after his return from the injured list.Michael Conforto and Adeiny Hechavarría each had a solo homer for the Mets, who ended a three-game skid with their second win in seven games.Canó... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Charlie Morton allowed five hits in seven innings, extending his unbeaten streak to 20 starts and leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 4-0 win over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night.Morton (7-0) hasn't lost since Aug. 11, and only Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers, at 21 starts, has a longer active unbeaten streak. Morton struck out eight with no walks and needed just 83 pitches to complete seven innings.Austin Meadows tripled and scored on a throwing error in the third to open the scoring. Tampa Bay scored two more runs in the fifth and snapped its four-game losing streak.Spencer Turnbull (3-5) allowed three runs in five innings.METS 7, GIANTS 0NEW YORK (AP) — Jason Vargas pitched his first shutout in two years, Amed Rosario hit a three-run homer and New York won despite losing Robinson Canó hours after his return from the injured list.Michael Conforto and Adeiny Hechavarría each had a solo homer for the Mets, who ended a three-game skid with their second win in seven games.Canó... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Charlie Morton allowed five hits in seven innings, extending his unbeaten streak to 20 starts and leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 4-0 win over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night.Morton (7-0) hasn't lost since Aug. 11, and only Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers, at 21 starts, has a longer active unbeaten streak. Morton struck out eight with no walks and needed just 83 pitches to complete seven innings.Austin Meadows tripled and scored on a throwing error in the third to open the scoring. Tampa Bay scored two more runs in the fifth and snapped its four-game losing streak.Spencer Turnbull (3-5) allowed three runs in five innings.METS 7, GIANTS 0NEW YORK (AP) — Jason Vargas pitched his first shutout in two years, Amed Rosario hit a three-run homer and New York won despite losing Robinson Canó hours after his return from the injured list.Michael Conforto and Adeiny Hechavarría each had a solo homer for the Mets, who ended a three-game skid with their second win in seven games.Canó... [More]

Using the search engine at Baseball-Reference.com, The Associated Press evaluated each team's draft performance from 1996 through 2018, adding up wins above replacement (WAR) figures for drafted players.For each pick, the player's career WAR was added to the appropriate total for the team, depending on whether or not the player signed with the team after being drafted. Some players had their WAR totals included multiple times, if they were drafted more than once.Stats are through May 25. Compensation picks were considered part of the first round where applicable.___ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKSTotal WAR for all drafted players: 581.8 (MLB rank: 4th)Total WAR for drafted players who signed: 440.1 (rank: 5th)Total WAR for drafted players who did not sign: 141.7Impact players (10 WAR or more) drafted: 17 (rank: tie-9th)Impact players drafted and signed: 13 (rank: 12th)Most recent impact player drafted and signed: Trevor Bauer, 2011, first round, pick No. 3 (15.2 WAR)Lowest pick for impact player drafted... [More]

Using the search engine at Baseball-Reference.com, The Associated Press evaluated each team's draft performance from 1996 through 2018, adding up wins above replacement (WAR) figures for drafted players.For each pick, the player's career WAR was added to the appropriate total for the team, depending on whether or not the player signed with the team after being drafted. Some players had their WAR totals included multiple times, if they were drafted more than once.Stats are through May 25. Compensation picks were considered part of the first round where applicable.___ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKSTotal WAR for all drafted players: 581.8 (MLB rank: 4th)Total WAR for drafted players who signed: 440.1 (rank: 5th)Total WAR for drafted players who did not sign: 141.7Impact players (10 WAR or more) drafted: 17 (rank: tie-9th)Impact players drafted and signed: 13 (rank: 12th)Most recent impact player drafted and signed: Trevor Bauer, 2011, first round, pick No. 3 (15.2 WAR)Lowest pick for impact player drafted... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Christian Vazquez hit a sacrifice fly in the 11th inning, and the Boston Red Sox completed an uplifting three-game sweep of the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays with a 4-3 victory Sunday.Rafael Devers singled off Jose Alvarado (0-2) to start the 11th and went to second when Michael Chavis walked.Both runners moved up a base on Jackie Bradley's sacrifice bunt and Vazquez followed with his fly that Kevin Kiermaier ran down in center field.Marcus Walden (3-0) allowed an infield hit over two scoreless innings and Ryan Brasier worked the 11th to get his sixth save.After starting the season by losing eight of 10, the defending World Series champions are 7-5 over the last 12 games and went from eight to five games behind the Rays.DODGERS 6, BREWERS 5MILWAUKEE (AP) — Cody Bellinger reached over the right field wall to rob Christian Yelich in the eighth inning of yet another home run, then hit a solo drive off Josh Hader with two outs in the ninth to lift Los Angeles over... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Christian Vazquez hit a sacrifice fly in the 11th inning, and the Boston Red Sox completed an uplifting three-game sweep of the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays with a 4-3 victory Sunday.Rafael Devers singled off Jose Alvarado (0-2) to start the 11th and went to second when Michael Chavis walked.Both runners moved up a base on Jackie Bradley's sacrifice bunt and Vazquez followed with his fly that Kevin Kiermaier ran down in center field.Marcus Walden (3-0) allowed an infield hit over two scoreless innings and Ryan Brasier worked the 11th to get his sixth save.After starting the season by losing eight of 10, the defending World Series champions are 7-5 over the last 12 games and went from eight to five games behind the Rays.DODGERS 6, BREWERS 5MILWAUKEE (AP) — Cody Bellinger reached over the right field wall to rob Christian Yelich in the eighth inning of yet another home run, then hit a solo drive off Josh Hader with two outs in the ninth to lift Los Angeles over... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Jose Altuve hit two homers, Carlos Correa homered with three RBIs and the Houston Astros completed their first sweep of the New York Yankees with an 8-6 win Wednesday night.The Astros needed late-game comebacks to win the first two games of the series but used a four-run fifth inning to break the finale open and held on for their sixth straight win despite a big eighth inning by the Yankees.It's the first time since 2004 the Astros have swept a homestand of at least two series. They beat the Athletics three times this weekend before the Yankees arrived.Altuve, who has homered in three straight games, hit his first one off James Paxton (1-2) to tie it at 1 in the first inning after Brett Gardner hit a leadoff homer for New York.The Astros were up by 1 with no outs in the fifth inning when Altuve connected off Paxton again. The towering shot clanged off the light pole atop the wall in left field to make it 4-2.A single by Michael Brantley chased Paxton, who was replaced by... [More]