WASHINGTON (AP) — Patrick Corbin took a one-hitter into the eighth inning in his first victory with Washington, Wilmer Difo homered and the Nationals beat the punchless San Francisco Giants 4-2 on Thursday.Signed to a $140 million, six-year contract in December after pitching for six seasons in Arizona, Corbin started three games without a decision with his new team before throwing a gem in the deciding matchup of a three-game series.Corbin (1-0) struck out nine, walked one and a hit a batter over 7 2/3 innings against a struggling San Francisco offense that came in with a .208 average. The lone hits against the lefty were Evan Longoria's fifth-inning double and Erik Kratz's two-out RBI double in the eighth.After Kratz broke up the shutout, Kyle Barraclough entered and retired pinch-hitter Buster Posey. Sean Doolittle worked the ninth, giving up three hits and a run while earning his second save.San Francisco starter Drew Pomeranz (0-2) gave up four runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings.After... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:CLOSER NEEDEDThe Braves have a big hole in their bullpen now that closer Arodys Vizcaino will miss the rest of the season after having right shoulder surgery. General manager Alex Anthopoulos has heard fans chanting at SunTrust Park for the team to sign free agent closer Craig Kimbrel and bring him back to Atlanta, and he indicated the Braves are exploring all available options."There's been a ton of turnover from the beginning of camp to where we are today," Anthopoulos said. "I think it goes without saying we're going to look to do what we can both internally and externally."The NL East champion Braves have recently used A.J. Minter as their closer, but he's struggled.DISCIPLINE DAY?Major League Baseball will certainly review at the bench-clearing fray that erupted after Kansas City's Brad Keller drilled Tim Anderson with a fastball on Wednesday. In his previous at-bat, the energetic White Sox shortstop had spiked his bat to celebrate... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Thursday:CLOSER NEEDEDThe Braves have a big hole in their bullpen now that closer Arodys Vizcaino will miss the rest of the season after having right shoulder surgery. General manager Alex Anthopoulos has heard fans chanting at SunTrust Park for the team to sign free agent closer Craig Kimbrel and bring him back to Atlanta, and he indicated the Braves are exploring all available options."There's been a ton of turnover from the beginning of camp to where we are today," Anthopoulos said. "I think it goes without saying we're going to look to do what we can both internally and externally."The NL East champion Braves have recently used A.J. Minter as their closer, but he's struggled.DISCIPLINE DAY?Major League Baseball will certainly review at the bench-clearing fray that erupted after Kansas City's Brad Keller drilled Tim Anderson with a fastball on Wednesday. In his previous at-bat, the energetic White Sox shortstop had spiked his bat to celebrate... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Domingo German overcame control problems on a chilly night to win for the first time since last June, Gary Sanchez and Brett Gardner homered and the banged-up New York Yankees beat the punchless Detroit Tigers 3-1 Monday.Aaron Judge made a sprawling, backhand catch on Niko Goodrum's hard-hit liner after Adam Ottavino walked the first two batters in the eighth inning, a drive that would have tied the score if it had gotten by the right fielder.New York lost two more regulars to the 10-day injured list before the game after they got hurt a day earlier, outfielder Giancarlo Stanton with a strained left biceps and third baseman Miguel Andujar with a small labrum tear in his right shoulder.Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Andujar, runner-up for AL Rookie of the Year last season, will be treated conservatively with a rehab program and there is some optimism he will respond well. But if not, he could need season-surgery.They joined a group of sidelined Yankees that includes pitchers... [More]

Jose Ramirez is expected to be in the Cleveland Indians' opening day lineup Thursday, four days after fouling a pitch off the area below his left knee.Manager Terry Francona said Tuesday that Ramirez should be ready to go for the opener at Minnesota. The All-Star third baseman worked out Monday and Tuesday in Arizona, testing his bruised left knee while Cleveland finished its exhibition schedule with games against the Rangers in Texas. Ramirez will join the team for a workout Wednesday in Minnesota.Ramirez left the field on a cart Sunday in an alarming scene for the Indians, who will already be without star shortstop Francisco Lindor and second baseman Jason Kipnis. Both players are working back from right calf strains.Ramirez had 39 home runs and 105 RBIs last season, finishing third in AL MVP voting for the second straight year.Cleveland lost to Texas 5-4 on Tuesday in its final spring training game. Mike Clevinger allowed four runs (two earned) in three innings. He walked two, struck... [More]

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Corey Seager returned with a bang to the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup Wednesday night.The star shortstop, playing against major league competition for the first time in nearly a year, homered to center field in his second at-bat against Chicago Cubs left-hander Cole Hamels at Sloan Park."It was just fun. The adrenaline, the excitement, it was really good," Seager said after playing six innings in his Cactus League debut. "It's been a really long time since I've been out there. That was the excitement part of it."Seager added a sacrifice fly in the fifth."I was happy for him. He looked really good in the batter's box," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "A positive night."A two-time All-Star and the 2016 NL Rookie of the Year, Seager played just 26 games a year ago before an elbow injury ended his season on April 29.He had Tommy John surgery in early May and arthroscopic surgery on his left hip in August. The Dodgers made their second straight trip to the World Series despite... [More]

Clayton Kershaw might not be on the mound when the two-time NL champion Los Angeles Dodgers start the season.The lefty ace is working his way back from shoulder soreness that caused him to shut down his spring training.Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said "that's fair" when asked Monday whether Kershaw might miss the opener March 28 against Arizona at Dodger Stadium."There's just way too much importance put on the opening-day roster. The No. 1 thing is for him to be ready and to feel confident physically and mentally," Roberts said, "and when that is, it is."Kershaw has made a franchise-record eight consecutive opening day starts, and was tabbed to do so again when the Dodgers arrived in Arizona.But a couple days later, the three-time Cy Young Award winner had some shoulder soreness that caused him to halt his throwing program. He's taking anti-inflammatory medication.Kershaw began throwing against last week, slowly building up the amount of work and the distance of his throws. He threw on... [More]

A weekly look at some of the standout players during spring training and how they might help their teams this season (through Wednesday):BYRON BUXTON, MINNESOTA TWINS, OFThe 25-year-old started spring training with five straight hits, including two homers. The speedy outfielder hit .253 with 16 homers and 29 stolen bases in 2017, but batted .156 last year while dealing with migraines, a broken toe plus hand and wrist issues.JULIO URIAS, LOS ANGELES DODGERS, LHPThe hard-throwing left hander had a good start to spring training, pitching a scoreless inning against Oakland. Still just 22 years old, he has a chance to break camp in the starting rotation, especially with ace Clayton Kershaw's uncertain health. Urias made his MLB debut in 2016 at 19, but his quick rise was stalled by surgery on June 27, 2017, to repair the anterior capsule of his left shoulder. He returned to the Dodgers last Sept. 15 and made three appearances.YOAN MONCADA, CHICAGO WHITE SOX, 2BThe 23-year-old former top prospect... [More]

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Hanging out in shallow left field with alpha teammate Justin Turner, young star Corey Seager and manager Dave Roberts, the assimilation of Los Angeles Dodgers newcomer A.J. Pollock continued Wednesday morning.Amid Turner's easygoing banter and Roberts' warmth and wisdom, Pollock is increasingly comfortable in Dodger Blue after spending the past 10 seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the only organization he'd ever known."It was weird in the beginning, just kind of getting used to it," Pollock said. "Yeah, this is the team I was playing against for so many years, and now I am a part of their team and meeting some of the guys I've played against for so long.""Now, it is starting to get a little more familiar and normal, and I am excited. This is a great team. They've been to the World Series two years in a row and it is something I am really excited to be a part of," he said.The Dodgers signed Pollock on Jan. 24 to a five-year, $60 million contract, gambling the... [More]

Byron Buxton is eager to lose all reminders of a lost season.The 25-year-old Minnesota center fielder began spring training with five straight hits, including two home runs and 10 RBIs, before going hitless in three tries Wednesday for the Twins in a rain-shortened 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies."We haven't played very many games out here and he's already shown everyone who's watching he can do a lot of things," first-year Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "He is as impactful as any player in the game."Buxton hit just .156 with four RBIs over 28 games last year in an injury-plagued season. He dealt with migraines, a broken toe, hand and wrist issues.Buxton batted .300 with 11 home runs, 35 RBIs and 13 stolen bases in 57 games after the All-Star break in 2017, and won a Gold Glove."He can do things on both sides of the ball and on the bases," Baldelli said.FROM AROUND THE GRAPEFRUIT AND CACTUS LEAGUESORIOLES 7, RED SOX (SS) 6Chance Sisco hit two home runs, singled and drove in five... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Having lost in the World Series for the second straight year, the Dodgers enter an offseason filled with decisions about some of the franchise's biggest names, including Clayton Kershaw, Manny Machado and manager Dave Roberts.First up is Kershaw, who has until Wednesday to decide whether to opt out of the last two years and $65 million of his contract.If he does, the 30-year-old pitcher who has spent his entire 11-season career in Los Angeles can become a free agent. The front office has made it clear it wants Kershaw to remain the face of the franchise."I just hope they do the right thing," pitcher Rich Hill said about management retaining his fellow left-hander.Kershaw wasn't able to rewrite his postseason legacy of struggles, giving up three home runs Sunday in the Dodgers' loss to the Red Sox in the deciding Game 5 .The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner is 9-10 with a 4.32 ERA in the postseason. In two straight World Series, he's 1-2 with an ERA of 5.40. Four of... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on the World Series (all times local):12:30 a.m.Max Muncy ended the longest World Series game ever with a leadoff home run in the 18th inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers outlasted the Boston Red Sox 3-2 early Saturday to pull within 2-1.Muncy connected off Nathan Eovaldi, who was in his seventh inning of relief. It took seven hours and 561 pitches to settle this.The Red Sox were oh-so-close in the 13th to taking a huge 3-0 lead. But second baseman Ian Kinsler's wide throw on a two-out grounder by Yasiel Puig let Los Angeles score the tying run.Game 4 is Saturday and Rich Hill will start for the Dodgers. Eovaldi had been set to pitch until he entered in the 12th and stayed in.___12:15 a.m.The Dodgers and Red Sox are headed to the 18th inning in Game 3 of the World Series.Neither team did much offensively in the 17th against Los Angeles reliever Julio Urias and Boston's Nathan Eovaldi, who has now thrown six innings of two-hit ball.Jackie Bradley Jr. drew a walk,... [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 first delivery from Ryan Madson was a changeup that bounced past catcher Austin Barnes for a wild pitch, allowing two baserunners to advance.Things hardly got better from there for the previously dependable Dodgers bullpen.Madson and three other relievers failed to slow Boston's bats on a night when ace Clayton Kershaw wasn't at his best, either, and Los Angeles fell to the Red Sox 8-4 in the World Series opener Tuesday.Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has been able to count on his relievers this October. The group is 4-1 with a 1.30 ERA, limiting opponents to a .180 average.Against the AL champions at their chilly home park, though, that group went ice cold in Game 1."You're going to have to go to the 'pen and play matchups, and that's kind of how I saw it, we saw it," Roberts said. "But they got the big hit when they needed it."Kershaw was chased from a 3-3 game in the fifth after walking Mookie Betts and allowing a single to Andrew Benintendi.Roberts gave the ball to Madson,... [More]

Sometimes, in the pressure cooker of a World Series, a manager gets distracted by all those indecipherable charts and the trove of analytics he has at his fingertips.Sometimes, he spends too much time flailing around in search of the perfect matchup instead of just watching what's occurring right before his eyes.That's what happened to Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers.In a classic case of over-managing, Roberts helped send his team to an 8-4 loss in Game 1 Tuesday night against the Boston Red Sox by making one move too many in the decisive seventh inning, setting up Eduardo Nunez's three-run homer.The Dodgers were trailing only 5-4, despite another postseason flop by Clayton Kershaw, when Andrew Benintendi led off with his fourth hit of the game — a blooper down the left-field line that somehow managed to elude Joc Pederson before hopping into the stands for a fluky ground-rule double.Roberts hustled to the mound to lift Julio Urias, summoning hard-throwing right-hander Pedro Baez... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The first delivery from Ryan Madson was a changeup that bounced past catcher Austin Barnes for a wild pitch, allowing two baserunners to advance.Things hardly got better from there for the previously dependable Dodgers bullpen.Madson and three other relievers failed to slow Boston's bats on a night when ace Clayton Kershaw wasn't at his best, either, and Los Angeles fell to the Red Sox 8-4 in the World Series opener Tuesday.Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has been able to count on his relievers this October. The group is 4-1 with a 1.30 ERA, limiting opponents to a .180 average.Against the AL champions at their frigid home park, though, that group went ice cold in Game 1.Kershaw was chased from a 3-3 game in the fifth after walking Mookie Betts and allowing a single to Andrew Benintendi.Roberts gave the ball to Madson, a key piece when LA's bullpen covered 5 1/3 scoreless innings in a Game 7 victory over Milwaukee to close out the Championship Series. Roberts has leaned on Madson... [More]

Sometimes, in the pressure cooker of a World Series, a manager gets distracted by all those indecipherable charts and the trove of analytics he has at his disposable.Sometimes, he spends too much time flailing around in search of the perfect matchup instead of just watching what's happening right before his eyes.That's what happened to Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers.In a classic case of over-managing, Roberts helped send his team to an 8-4 loss in Game 1 Tuesday night against the Boston Red Sox by making one move too many in the decisive seventh inning.The Dodgers were trailing only 5-4, despite another postseason flop by Clayton Kershaw, when Andrew Benintendi led off with his fourth hit of the game — a bloop down the left-field line that somehow managed to elude Joc Pederson before hopping into the stands for a rather fluky ground-rule double.Roberts hustled to the mound to lift Julio Urias, summoning hard-throwing right-hander Pedro Baez from the bullpen.Baez was left off the... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Latest on the World Series (all times local):12:03 a.m.Andrew Benintendi, J.D. Martinez and the Boston Red Sox came out swinging in the World Series opener, seizing every advantage in their quirky ballpark to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-4 on a chilly Tuesday night.Benintendi delivered four hits, Martinez drove in two early runs and pinch-hitter Eduardo Nunez golfed a three-run homer to seal it. The 108-win Red Sox got a solid effort from their bullpen after an expected duel between aces Chris Sale and Clayton Kershaw never developed.Xander Bogaerts hit into a go-ahead forceout in the fifth and Rafael Devers followed with an RBI single for a 5-3 lead.After Manny Machado hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh for his third RBI, Nunez homered over the Green Monster off Alex Wood in the bottom half.Boston's David Price faces Hyun-Jin Ryun in Game 2 on Wednesday. This marks just the third World Series in which both starting pitchers in the first two games are lefties.___11:35... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Latest on the World Series (all times local):11:35 p.m.Pinch-hitter Eduardo Nunez's three-run homer off Alex Wood gave the Red Sox an 8-4 lead in the seventh inning.Manny Machado's sacrifice fly against Ryan Brasier had pulled the Dodgers to 5-4 in the top half. With runners on second and third, Eduardo Rodriguez relieved and retired Cody Bellinger on an inning-ending flyout.Andrew Benintendi led off the bottom half with a double against Julio Urias that kicked off the glove of Bellinger in short left, Benintendi's fourth hit of the game. Bellinger had just entered the game in the top half.Pedro Baez struck out Mitch Moreland, intentionally walked J.D. Martinez and struck out Xander Bogaerts.Nunez batted for Rafael Devers, Wood relieved and Nunez sent a knuckle-curve just over the Green Monster.___10:51 p.m.Red Sox reliever Joe Kelly used his 100 mph heat to restore order to a grinding game, preserving Boston's 5-3 lead after six innings.Kelly retired three straight Dodgers,... [More]