WASHINGTON (AP) — Atlanta pinch-hitter Pablo Sandoval drove a two-run homer to the deepest part of the ballpark off a Washington reliever who took over after Stephen Strasburg’s six scoreless innings Wednesday, lifting the Braves to a 2-0 victory over the Nationals and a doubleheader sweep. Sandoval drove a 96 mph fastball from Tanner Rainey (0-1) more than 400 feet following Dansby Swanson’s two-out single in the seventh and final inning. Luke Jackson (1-0) earned the win in Game 2, and Sean Newcomb got three strikeouts for the save. Ronald Acuña Jr. doubled and had a pair of singles as Atlanta won the opener 7-6. The Braves put up five runs in the second inning off Erick Fedde (0-1), then wound up barely holding on with a save by Will Smith. Andrew Stevenson grounded into a game-ending double play. Josh Tomlin (1-0) pitched two hitless innings. Washington is missing nine players because of a coronavirus outbreak that led to the postponement of the team’s first four games. Four players... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Atlanta pinch-hitter Pablo Sandoval drove a two-run homer to the deepest part of the ballpark off a Washington reliever who took over after Stephen Strasburg’s six scoreless innings Wednesday, lifting the Braves to a 2-0 victory over the Nationals and a doubleheader sweep. Sandoval drove a 96 mph fastball from Tanner Rainey (0-1) more than 400 feet following Dansby Swanson’s two-out single in the seventh and final inning. Luke Jackson (1-0) earned the win in Game 2, and Sean Newcomb got three strikeouts for the save.. Ronald Acuña Jr. doubled and had a pair of singles as Atlanta won the opener 7-6. The Braves put up five runs in the second inning off Erick Fedde (0-1), then wound up barely holding on with a save by Will Smith. Andrew Stevenson grounded into a game-ending double play. Josh Tomlin (1-0) pitched two hitless innings. Washington is missing nine players because of a coronavirus outbreak that led to the postponement of the team’s first four games. Four players... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Atlanta pinch-hitter Pablo Sandoval drove a two-run homer to the deepest part of the ballpark off a Washington reliever who took over after Stephen Strasburg’s six scoreless innings Wednesday, lifting the Braves to a 2-0 victory over the Nationals and a doubleheader sweep. Sandoval drove a 96 mph fastball from Tanner Rainey (0-1) more than 400 feet following Dansby Swanson’s two-out single in the seventh and final inning. Luke Jackson (1-0) earned the win in Game 2, and Sean Newcomb got three strikeouts for the save.. Ronald Acuña Jr. doubled and had a pair of singles as Atlanta won the opener 7-6. The Braves put up five runs in the second inning off Erick Fedde (0-1), then wound up barely holding on with a save by Will Smith. Andrew Stevenson grounded into a game-ending double play. Josh Tomlin (1-0) pitched two hitless innings. Washington is missing nine players because of a coronavirus outbreak that led to the postponement of the team’s first four games. Four players... [More]

The Atlanta Braves stopped a season-starting four-game losing streak Wednesday by edging the Washington Nationals 7-6 in a doubleheader opener as Ronald Acuña Jr. doubled and had a pair of singles The Braves put up five runs in the second inning off Erick Fedde (0-1), then wound up barely holding on with a save by Will Smith a day after he gave up a walk-off hit to Juan Soto in a 6-5 loss to Washington. Andrew Stevenson grounded into a game-ending double play. Josh Tomlin (1-0) pitched two hitless innings. Washington is missing nine players because of a coronavirus outbreak that led to the postponement of the team’s first four games. Four players tested positive for COVID-19, and another five who would have been on the 26-man roster are under quarantine. REDS 11, PIRATES 4 Tyler Naquin hit another leadoff homer, this time off Chad Kuhl (0-1), Kyle Farmer added a two-run double in the first, and Cincinnati won its fifth straight Luis Castillo (1-1) allowed four hits in seven innings, struck... [More]

Jon Lester was back on a mound Thursday, wearing a Washington Nationals uniform while facing opposing batters for the first time in spring training and striking out a couple during his two innings, less than two weeks after surgery to remove a parathyroid gland. “Baseball, for me, is an escape. I come to the field, I’ve got stuff I need to do. I forget about this,” Lester said, pointing to the scar on the front of his throat, after Washington's 3-1 exhibition victory against the New York Mets at Port St. Lucie, Florida. "You dive into that routine," the 37-year-old left-hander said. Wearing a red Nationals No. 34 uniform, Bryce Harper's old number, along with a green hat the day after St. Patrick's Day, Lester allowed one run and one hit while throwing 31 pitches, 21 for strikes. He went to 0-2 counts on each of the first three Mets hitters, getting the first two out before walking J.D. Davis and giving up a first-pitch RBI double to James McCann. Then Lester pitched a 1-2-3 second inning,... [More]

Kohei Arihara finished what he started this time. The Texas Rangers newcomer bounced back from a shaky spring training debut, pitching three solid innings Monday in a 9-0, seven-inning loss to the Chicago Cubs. Arihara retired his final seven batters, setting down Ian Happ, Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant to end his outing. Overall, he allowed a run on two singles without a strikeout or walk. Signed to a $6.2 million, two-year contract after six seasons in Japan, the 28-year-old right-hander allowed a three-run homer in the first inning of his initial spring start against the Chicago White Sox last week. He worked two innings, both of them cut short before the third out because of high pitch counts. After his three innings against the Cubs, Arihara went to the bullpen to throw additional pitches to get him up to 50 for the day. All in all, a bit different than the adrenaline and excitement of his first game against big league hitters last week. Arihara said he was just thinking about doing... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors on Wednesday: RAYS THE BANNER Rays right-hander Tyler Glasnow (4-1, 4.21 ERA) gets his final tuneup for the postseason when he faces Robinson Canó and the New York Mets at Citi Field. Glasnow and the playoff-bound Rays hope to make it a special night -- they can clinch their first AL East title with a win, or a loss by the Yankees to Toronto. “I go into it with maybe a little bit more confidence than I did last year,” Glasnow said. “Just an exciting time.” Glasnow is pegged to start the second game of Tampa Bay’s best-of-three, first-round playoff series next week, manager Kevin Cash said. Blake Snell is lined up for the opener, and Charlie Morton would pitch a potential Game 3. All three would have two extra days of rest. “I feel good,” Glasnow said. “It definitely is starting to feel more like, in a rhythm.” Glasnow is 4-0 in his last five starts. TUNEUP TIME Cleveland ace Shane Bieber (8-1, 1.74 ERA) had his start pushed back a day, lining... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — Slumping Jesse Winker hit a three-run homer — one of four off White Sox starter Jonathan Stiever — and the Cincinnati Reds extended their surge into playoff contention with a 7-1 win Friday night for their season-high sixth victory in a row. The Reds moved to .500 (26-26) for the first time since Aug. 3. Their winning streak has them in playoff position, in second place in the NL Central behind the Cubs. The AL Central-leading White Sox clinched their first playoff berth since 2008 with a win over the Twins on Thursday night. Their momentum hit a snag as Stiever (0-1) got hit hard in his first major league road appearance. The 23-year-old right-hander allowed Winker’s shot and solo homers by Joey Votto, Nick Castellanos and Tucker Barnhart. Tyler Mahle (2-2) got his first win since Aug. 28, allowing four hits and fanning eight in 5 2/3 innings. CARDINALS 6, PIRATES 5, 1st game PITTSBURGH (AP) — Kolten Wong hit the second leadoff home run of his career, Tyler O’Neill added... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Atlanta Braves center fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. left Friday's game at Washington after he fouled a ball off his left foot in the fourth inning.X-rays revealed no fracture and Acuña is considered day to day, the team announced.The 21-year-old slugger went down on one knee after he fouled off the pitch from Nationals starter Erick Fedde. Acuña tried to walk off the injury before he was helped off the field by manager Brian Snitker and a trainer. He did not put weight on his left leg as he left the field.Enter Inciarte replaced Acuña in center.Acuña is batting .280 with 11 homers and 22 RBIs. He had homered in Atlanta's previous two games.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Tyler Glasnow flummoxed the Yankees for six innings, Ji-Man Choi and Kevin Kiermaier homered off Gerrit Cole, and the Tampa Bay Rays extended their mastery of New York with a 5-3 victory Monday night.The AL East leaders improved to 7-1 against the Yankees this season and stretched their division cushion to 4 1/2 games.New York had won three straight since snapping a seven-game skid, but crumbled early with Cole on the mound.Glasnow (2-1) had a no-hitter through five and completed six innings of scoreless, two-hit ball. He struck out nine and walked one.Gio Urshela hit a solo homer, and Luke Voit added his eighth homer in 12 games for the Yankees.Diego Castillo stranded a runner in the ninth for his third save.Cole (4-2) labored through five innings, allowing four runs, eight hits and four walks. He struck out seven.PHILLIES 8, NATIONALS 6PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Spencer Howard threw five effective innings, Rhys Hoskins homered and drove in three runs and Philadelphia beat Washington.Juan... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Tyler Glasnow flummoxed the Yankees for six innings, Ji-Man Choi and Kevin Kiermaier homered off Gerrit Cole, and the Tampa Bay Rays extended their mastery of New York with a 5-3 victory Monday night.The AL East leaders improved to 7-1 against the Yankees this season and stretched their division cushion to 4 1/2 games.New York had won three straight since snapping a seven-game skid, but crumbled early with Cole on the mound.Glasnow (2-1) had a no-hitter through five and completed six innings of scoreless, two-hit ball. He struck out nine and walked one.Gio Urshela hit a solo homer, and Luke Voit added his eighth homer in 12 games for the Yankees.Diego Castillo stranded a runner in the ninth for his third save.Cole (4-2) labored through five innings, allowing four runs, eight hits and four walks. He struck out seven.PHILLIES 8, NATIONALS 6PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Spencer Howard threw five effective innings, Rhys Hoskins homered and drove in three runs and Philadelphia beat Washington.Juan... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Tyler Glasnow flummoxed the Yankees for six innings, Ji-Man Choi and Kevin Kiermaier homered off Gerrit Cole, and the Tampa Bay Rays extended their mastery of New York with a 5-3 victory Monday night.The AL East leaders improved to 7-1 against the Yankees this season and stretched their division cushion to 4 1/2 games.New York had won three straight since snapping a seven-game skid, but crumbled early with Cole on the mound.Glasnow (2-1) had a no-hitter through five and completed six innings of scoreless, two-hit ball. He struck out nine and walked one.Gio Urshela hit a solo homer, and Luke Voit added his eighth homer in 12 games for the Yankees.Diego Castillo stranded a runner in the ninth for his third save.Cole (4-2) labored through five innings, allowing four runs, eight hits and four walks. He struck out seven.PHILLIES 8, NATIONALS 6PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Spencer Howard threw five effective innings, Rhys Hoskins homered and drove in three runs and Philadelphia beat Washington.Juan... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Tyler Glasnow flummoxed the Yankees for six innings, Ji-Man Choi and Kevin Kiermaier homered off Gerrit Cole, and the Tampa Bay Rays extended their mastery of New York with a 5-3 victory Monday night.The AL East leaders improved to 7-1 against the Yankees this season and stretched their division cushion to 4 1/2 games.New York had won three straight since snapping a seven-game skid, but crumbled early with Cole on the mound.Glasnow (2-1) had a no-hitter through five and completed six innings of scoreless, two-hit ball. He struck out nine and walked one.Gio Urshela hit a solo homer, and Luke Voit added his eighth homer in 12 games for the Yankees.Diego Castillo stranded a runner in the ninth for his third save.Cole (4-2) labored through five innings, allowing four runs, eight hits and four walks. He struck out seven.PHILLIES 8, NATIONALS 6PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Spencer Howard threw five effective innings, Rhys Hoskins homered and drove in three runs and Philadelphia beat Washington.Juan... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Tyler Glasnow flummoxed the Yankees for six innings, Ji-Man Choi and Kevin Kiermaier homered off Gerrit Cole, and the Tampa Bay Rays extended their mastery of New York with a 5-3 victory Monday night.The AL East leaders improved to 7-1 against the Yankees this season and stretched their division cushion to 4 1/2 games.New York had won three straight since snapping a seven-game skid, but crumbled early with Cole on the mound.Glasnow (2-1) had a no-hitter through five and completed six innings of scoreless, two-hit ball. He struck out nine and walked one.Gio Urshela hit a solo homer, and Luke Voit added his eighth homer in 12 games for the Yankees.Diego Castillo stranded a runner in the ninth for his third save.Cole (4-2) labored through five innings, allowing four runs, eight hits and four walks. He struck out seven.PHILLIES 8, NATIONALS 6PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Spencer Howard threw five effective innings, Rhys Hoskins homered and drove in three runs and Philadelphia beat Washington.Juan... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Spencer Howard threw five effective innings, Rhys Hoskins homered and drove in three runs and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Washington Nationals 8-6 Monday night.Juan Soto hit a pair of two-run homers and Michael Taylor and Trea Turner also went deep for the defending World Series champions, who fell to 12-20.Howard (1-1) allowed two runs and five hits, striking out four to earn his first major league win in his fourth start.The Phillies are 15-15 at the midpoint of the pandemic-shortened season after winning six of seven.Nationals starter Erick Fedde (1-3) gave up six runs and four hits in six innings. Jay Bruce homered, and Jean Segura lined a three-run double for the Phillies.CARDINALS 7, REDS 5CINCINNATI (AP) — Paul DeJong slugged his first career grand slam, helping Dakota Hudson to his first win of the season as St. Louis held on to beat Cincinnati.The Cardinals loaded the bases with two outs in the fourth inning on Kolten Wong’s single and walks by Paul Goldschmidt... [More]

Phillies first. Andrew McCutchen lines out to deep right field to Adam Eaton. Rhys Hoskins homers. Bryce Harper strikes out swinging. J.T. Realmuto grounds out to shallow infield, Luis Garcia to Eric Thames.1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left on. Phillies 1, Nationals 0.Phillies second. Didi Gregorius strikes out swinging. Jean Segura grounds out to first base to Eric Thames. Jay Bruce homers to right field. Alec Bohm grounds out to shortstop, Trea Turner to Eric Thames.1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left on. Phillies 2, Nationals 0.Phillies fourth. Bryce Harper walks. J.T. Realmuto hit by pitch. Bryce Harper to second. Didi Gregorius singles to shortstop. J.T. Realmuto to second. Bryce Harper to third. Jean Segura doubles to deep center field. Didi Gregorius scores. J.T. Realmuto scores. Bryce Harper scores. Jay Bruce grounds out to shallow right field to Eric Thames. Jean Segura to third. Alec Bohm out on a sacrifice fly to deep right field to Adam Eaton. Jean Segura scores. Roman Quinn grounds... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Lucas Giolito pitched the first no-hitter of the pandemic-delayed major league season, striking out 13 and permitting just one runner in leading the Chicago White Sox over the Pittsurgh Pirates 4-0 Tuesday night.With the seats at Guaranteed Rate Field empty, the hollers of his teammates echoed around the ballpark after right fielder Adam Engel caught Erik Gonzalez’s slicing drive toward the line for the final out.An All-Star last year, the 26-year-old Giolito (3-2) matched his career high for strikeouts set in his previous start against Detroit.Only a four-pitch walk to Gonzalez leading off the fourth inning got in Giolito’s way of perfection. The right-hander threw 101 pitches and made quick work of the Pirates -- Pittsburgh came into the game batting just .229 this season and has the worst record in the majors.Giolito pitched the 19th no-hitter in White Sox history and first since Philip Humber threw a perfect game at Seattle in 2012. This was the seventh time the Pirates... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Lucas Giolito pitched the first no-hitter of the pandemic-delayed major league season, striking out 13 and permitting just one runner in leading the Chicago White Sox over the Pittsurgh Pirates 4-0 Tuesday night.With the seats at Guaranteed Rate Field empty, the hollers of his teammates echoed around the ballpark after right fielder Adam Engel caught Erik Gonzalez’s slicing drive toward the line for the final out.An All-Star last year, the 26-year-old Giolito (3-2) matched his career high for strikeouts set in his previous start against Detroit.Only a four-pitch walk to Gonzalez leading off the fourth inning got in Giolito’s way of perfection. The right-hander threw 101 pitches and made quick work of the Pirates -- Pittsburgh came into the game batting just .229 this season and has the worst record in the majors.Giolito pitched the 19th no-hitter in White Sox history and first since Philip Humber threw a perfect game at Seattle in 2012. This was the seventh time the Pirates... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Lucas Giolito pitched the first no-hitter of the pandemic-delayed major league season, striking out 13 and permitting just one runner in leading the Chicago White Sox over the Pittsurgh Pirates 4-0 Tuesday night.With the seats at Guaranteed Rate Field empty, the hollers of his teammates echoed around the ballpark after right fielder Adam Engel caught Erik Gonzalez’s slicing drive toward the line for the final out.An All-Star last year, the 26-year-old Giolito (3-2) matched his career high for strikeouts set in his previous start against Detroit.Only a four-pitch walk to Gonzalez leading off the fourth inning got in Giolito’s way of perfection. The right-hander threw 101 pitches and made quick work of the Pirates -- Pittsburgh came into the game batting just .229 this season and has the worst record in the majors.Giolito pitched the 19th no-hitter in White Sox history and first since Philip Humber threw a perfect game at Seattle in 2012. This was the seventh time the Pirates... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Lucas Giolito pitched the first no-hitter of the pandemic-delayed major league season, striking out 13 and permitting just one runner in leading the Chicago White Sox over the Pittsurgh Pirates 4-0 Tuesday night.With the seats at Guaranteed Rate Field empty, the hollers of his teammates echoed around the ballpark after right fielder Adam Engel caught Erik Gonzalez’s slicing drive toward the line for the final out.An All-Star last year, the 26-year-old Giolito (3-2) matched his career high for strikeouts set in his previous start against Detroit.Only a four-pitch walk to Gonzalez leading off the fourth inning got in Giolito’s way of perfection. The right-hander threw 101 pitches and made quick work of the Pirates -- Pittsburgh came into the game batting just .229 this season and has the worst record in the majors.Giolito pitched the 19th no-hitter in White Sox history and first since Philip Humber threw a perfect game at Seattle in 2012. This was the seventh time the Pirates... [More]