A look at what's happening around the majors Sunday:PROBABLE — BUT NOT DEFINITEWith Washington and the Los Angeles Dodgers tied 1-1 in their NL Division Series, Nationals ace Max Scherzer is scheduled to start Game 3 at home on Sunday.Scherzer threw 77 pitches over the first five innings of the NL wild card game against Milwaukee on Tuesday and allowed three runs and four hits — including Yasmani Grandal's two-run homer in the first and Eric Thames' solo drive in the second.He returned on two days' rest Friday to make his fourth career postseason relief appearance, striking out the side in the eighth inning to help Washington win 4-2."I felt I could really go one inning and recover from that," Scherzer said.In the event Scherzer can't start, manager Dave Martinez indicated right-hander Anibal Sánchez replace him.Left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu starts for the Dodgers.THE (WAINW)RIGHT STUFFAdam Wainwright starts for the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday against Atlanta, the team that selected him in... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Just too much traffic for Twins rookie Randy Dobnak.The feel-good story of the Uber driver-turned-big league pitcher came to a screeching halt Saturday when the New York Yankees tagged him from the get-go in an 8-2 rout, putting Minnesota in a serious jam in the AL Division Series."Nerves were fine," Dobnak said. "I don't know what it was."A week removed from his in-season wedding in Maryland, and with new bride Aerial in the stands, Dobnak soaked in the mocking, taunting cheers of "Uber, Uber" from the bleacher crowd at Yankee Stadium when he limbered up in the outfield before Game 2."I figured that was going to happen," he said, smiling. In fact, he asked his bullpen catcher: "How many Uber chants are we getting tonight?"Dobnak looked loose, too, as he hopped over the third base line on the way to the mound. With his Fu Manchu mustache, big glasses and red-shaded shoes, No. 68 certainly stood out before throwing a pitch, even to those who didn't know his backstory.Then,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Just too much traffic for Twins rookie Randy Dobnak.The feel-good story of the Uber driver-turned-big league pitcher came to a screeching halt Saturday when the New York Yankees tagged him from the get-go in an 8-2 rout, putting Minnesota in a serious jam in the AL Division Series.A week removed from his in-season wedding in Maryland, and with new bride Aerial in the stands, Dobnak soaked in the mocking, taunting cheers of "Uber, Uber" from the bleacher crowd at Yankee Stadium when he limbered up in the outfield before Game 2.He looked loose, too, as he hopped over the third base line on the way to the mound. And with his Fu Manchu mustache, big glasses and red-shaded shoes, No. 68 certainly stood out before throwing a pitch, even to those who didn't know his backstory.Then, the Yankees geared up. Quickly, they drove Dobnak out of the game.DJ LeMahieu sliced a leadoff double against Dobnak, and things didn't improve much for the 24-year-old righty. He left with the bases... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Last weekend, Randy Dobnak got married in Maryland. This one, he'll pitch a playoff game at Yankee Stadium.Pretty nice little Saturday planned — two of them, actually — for an undrafted rookie who never expected to be in this position. Just find No. 68 of the Minnesota Twins on Twitter , where he mentions his 4.99/5 Uber driver rating.Dobnak was a surprising choice by the Twins to start Game 2 of their AL Division Series against Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and the powerful New York Yankees. The 24-year-old righty will make his postseason debut with Minnesota trailing 1-0 in the best-of-five series following a 10-4 defeat Friday night."My parents are coming from Pittsburgh," Dobnak said. "My agent and his dad, I think they live here. And then my wife, her dad, her roommate and her brother are coming from Hedgesville, West Virginia. I think it's like five hours or so, not too bad."Only eight people, nothing too crazy, but they're really looking forward to it. I'm looking... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Last weekend, Randy Dobnak got married in Maryland. This one, he'll pitch a playoff game at Yankee Stadium.Pretty nice little Saturday planned — two of them, actually — for an undrafted rookie who never expected to be in this position. Just find No. 68 of the Minnesota Twins on Twitter, where he mentions his 4.99/5 Uber driver rating.Dobnak was a surprising choice by the Twins to start Game 2 of their AL Division Series against Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and the powerful New York Yankees. The 24-year-old righty will make his postseason debut with Minnesota trailing 1-0 in the best-of-five series following a 10-4 defeat Friday night."My parents are coming from Pittsburgh," Dobnak said. "My agent and his dad, I think they live here. And then my wife, her dad, her roommate and her brother are coming from Hedgesville, West Virginia. I think it's like five hours or so, not too bad."Only eight people, nothing too crazy, but they're really looking forward to it. I'm looking... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Not until the 42nd pitch of the night was a ball put in play to a fielder.There were five home runs, 25 strikeouts, 14 walks, 13 pitchers and just 15 hits.The New York Yankees' 10-4 win over the Minnesota Twins in their AL Division Series opener on Friday was the epitome of what Major League Baseball has evolved into in 2019.A 4-hour, 15-minute meeting between power-packed offenses was dominated by the Three True Outcomes — homers, walks, strikeouts — when the defense is superfluous other than the pitcher and catcher."Certainly entertaining. It's harrowing to watch but it's also it's very refreshing when you know your team's up and can score in bunches and it's not going to take five to six hits," Twins general manager Thad Levine was saying during batting practice. "The seven, eight, nine hitters in these lineups could be hitting three, four, five for other teams. And I don't think that's lost on either of the teams that are playing today."In a season with a 6,776 home... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Last weekend, Randy Dobnak got married in Maryland. This one, he'll pitch a playoff game at Yankee Stadium.Pretty nice little Saturday planned — two of them, actually — for an undrafted rookie who never expected to be in this position. Just find him on Twitter, where he boasts about his 4.99/5 Uber driver rating.Dobnak was a surprising choice by the Minnesota Twins to start Game 2 of their AL Division Series against the New York Yankees. The 24-year-old righty will make his postseason debut with the AL Central champions trailing 1-0 in the best-of-five series following a 10-4 defeat Friday night."My parents are coming from Pittsburgh," Dobnak said. "My agent and his dad, I think they live here. And then my wife, her dad, her roommate and her brother are coming from Hedgesville, West Virginia. I think it's like five hours or so, not too bad."Only eight people, nothing too crazy, but they're really looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to it, having them there, just having... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Not until the 42nd pitch of the night was a ball was put in play to a fielder.There were five home runs, 25 strikeouts, 14 walks, 13 pitchers and just 15 hits.The New York Yankees' 10-4 win over the Minnesota Twins in their AL Division Series opener on Friday was the epitome of what Major League Baseball has evolved into in 2019.A 4-hour, 15-minute meeting between power-packed offenses was dominated by the Three True Outcomes — homers, walks, strikeouts — when the defense is superfluous other than the pitcher and catcher."Certainly entertaining. It's harrowing to watch but it's also it's very refreshing when you know your team's up and can score in bunches and it's not going to take five to six hits," Twins general manager Thad Levine was saying during batting practice. "The seven, eight, nine hitters in these lineups could be hitting three, four, five for other teams. And I don't think that's lost on either of the teams that are playing today."In a season with a 6,776 home... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Saturday:COLE'S ROLLGerrit Cole led the big leagues with 326 strikeouts, topped the AL with a 2.50 ERA and went 20-5, one win behind Astros teammate Justin Verlander for most in the majors. He also was 16-0 in his final 22 starts.Cole starts Game 2 of the AL Division Series, a day after Verlander pitched seven shutout innings of one-hit ball in a 6-2 win over Tampa Bay in the opener. Cole's strikeouts set a franchise record, topping the 313 fanned by J.R. Richard in 1979.Blake Snell (6-8, 4.29 ERA) pitches for the Rays. A year after going 21-5 with a 1.89 ERA and winning the AL Cy Young Award, the lefty missed two months late in the season because of arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips in his elbow. Snell didn't get out of the third inning in any of his three September starts, but believes he'll be able to go quite a bit longer in this playoff outing."I feel very good," he said. "I feel like I'll be able to go five strong innings, if I'm... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Not until the 42nd pitch of the night was a ball was put in play to a fielder.There were five home runs, 25 strikeouts, 14 walks, 13 pitchers and just 15 hits.The New York Yankees' 10-4 win over the Minnesota Twins in their AL Division Series opener on Friday was the epitome of what Major League Baseball has evolved into in 2019.A 4-hour, 15-minute meeting between power-packed offenses was dominated by the Three True Outcomes — homers, walks, strikeouts — when the defense is superfluous other than the pitcher and catcher."Certainly entertaining. It's harrowing to watch but it's also it's very refreshing when you know your team's up and can score in bunches and it's not going to take five to six hits," Twins general manager Thad Levine was saying during batting practice. "The seven, eight, nine hitters in these lineups could be hitting three, four, five for other teams. And I don't think that's lost on either of the teams that are playing today."In a season with a 6,776 home... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Saturday:COLE'S ROLLGerrit Cole led the big leagues with 326 strikeouts, topped the AL with a 2.50 ERA and went 20-5, one win behind Astros teammate Justin Verlander for most in the majors. He also was 16-0 in his final 22 starts.Cole starts Game 2 of the AL Division Series, a day after Verlander pitched seven shutout innings of one-hit ball in a 6-2 win over Tampa Bay in the opener. Cole's strikeouts set a franchise record, topping the 313 fanned by J.R. Richard in 1979.Blake Snell (6-8, 4.29 ERA) pitches for the Rays. A year after going 21-5 with a 1.89 ERA and winning the AL Cy Young Award, the lefty missed two months late in the season because of arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips in his elbow. Snell didn't get out of the third inning in any of his three September starts, but believes he'll be able to go quite a bit longer in this playoff outing."I feel very good," he said. "I feel like I'll be able to go five strong innings, if I'm... [More]

A look at the best-of-five American League Division Series between the Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees:___Schedule: (All times EDT) Game 1, Friday, at New York, 7:07 p.m. (MLB); Game 2, Saturday, at New York, 5:07 p.m. (FS1); Game 3, Monday, Oct. 7, at Minnesota, TBA (FS1 or MLB); x-Game 4, Tuesday, Oct. 8, at Minnesota, TBA (FS1); x-Game 5, Thursday, Oct. 10, at New York, TBA (FS1).x-if necessary.___Season Series: Yankees won 4-2.___Projected Lineups:Twins: C Mitch Garver (.273, 31 HRs, 67 RBIs, .630 slugging percentage in 93 games), SS Jorge Polanco (.295, 22, 79, 40 2Bs), DH Nelson Cruz (.311, 41, 108, .639 slugging percentage in 120 games), 3B Miguel San� (.247, 34, 79, 159 Ks in 105 games), LF Eddie Rosario (.276, 32, 109), CF Max Kepler (.252, 36, 90), 1B C.J. Cron (.253, 25, 78), RF Marwin Gonzalez (.264, 15, 55) or Jake Cave (.258, 8, 25 in 72 games) or LaMonte Wade Jr. (.196, 2, 5, 11 walks in 69 PAs), 2B Jonathan Schoop (.256, 23, 59) or Luis Arraez (.334, 4, 28 in 92 games).Yankees:... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — James Paxton will start the New York Yankees’ AL Division Series opener against the Minnesota Twins on Friday night, and 39-year-old left-hander CC Sabathia will not be included on the roster because of a sore pitching shoulder.Paxton (15-6, 3.82 ERA), a 30-year-old left-hander in his first season with the Yankees, will be followed by Masahiro Tanaka (11-9, 4.45) for Game 2 on Saturday and Luis Severino (1-1, 1.50) for Game 3 at Minnesota on Monday.“I’ve been talking to teammates, asking them what it’s been like pitching in the postseason,” Paxton saidPaxton won a career-best 10 straight starts before leaving his final regular-season start after one inning last Friday because of a tight glute muscle in the left buttocks.“It’s good. It will be a non-issue,” he said.He struggled in the first inning, allowing 12 of his 23 home runs, but he gave up just six homers in his final 11 starts.“I threw a few more pitches in the bullpen second half of the season,” Paxton said, “so I... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — José Berríos will start the AL Division Series opener for the Minnesota Twins against the New York Yankees.Berríos was 14-8 with a 3.68 ERA and 195 strikeouts in 200 1/3 innings.James Paxton (15-6, 3.82) will start Friday night’s game for the Yankees.Twins manager Rocco Baldelli did not announce a Game 2 starter. Right-hander Jake Odorizzi (15-7, 3.51) is the most likely candidate.Masahiro Tanaka (11-9, 4.45) starts Game 2 for the Yankees on Saturday and Luis Severino (1-1, 1.50) for Game 3 at Minnesota on Monday.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins had a lead on the New York Yankees that had dwindled to one run on this late July night, and rookie Lewis Thorpe was in a daunting situation with one out in the sixth inning.After giving up hits to three of the first four batters he faced, the Twins left-hander had runners at first and second behind him. Yankees slugger Aaron Judge towered in front of him at the plate. Pitching coach Wes Johnson jogged to the mound to deliver a simple message.“He said, ‘Have some fun,’” Thorpe said, “and I smiled and threw a first-pitch slider.”Judge swung and grounded into a double play. The Twins went on to beat the Yankees, who they’ll face on Friday in Game 1 of their AL Division Series.Advising professional athletes is never quite so finger-snap easy, of course. To directly correlate every point of progress by a Twins pitcher this season to the work that Johnson has done in his first year would be disingenuous, ignorant of the dozens of others in the organization... [More]

A look at the best-of-five American League Division Series between the Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees:___Schedule: (All times EDT) Game 1, Friday, at New York, 7:07 p.m. (MLB); Game 2, Saturday, at New York, 5:07 p.m. (FS1); Game 3, Monday, Oct. 7, at Minnesota, TBA (FS1 or MLB); x-Game 4, Tuesday, Oct. 8, at Minnesota, TBA (FS1); x-Game 5, Thursday, Oct. 10, at New York, TBA (FS1).x-if necessary.___Season Series: Yankees won 4-2.___Projected Lineups:Twins: C Mitch Garver (.273, 31 HRs, 67 RBIs, .630 slugging percentage in 93 games), SS Jorge Polanco (.295, 22, 79, 40 2Bs), DH Nelson Cruz (.311, 41, 108, .639 slugging percentage in 120 games), 3B Miguel San� (.247, 34, 79, 159 Ks in 105 games), LF Eddie Rosario (.276, 32, 109), CF Max Kepler (.252, 36, 90), 1B C.J. Cron (.253, 25, 78), RF Marwin Gonzalez (.264, 15, 55) or Jake Cave (.258, 8, 25 in 72 games) or LaMonte Wade Jr. (.196, 2, 5, 11 walks in 69 PAs), 2B Jonathan Schoop (.256, 23, 59) or Luis Arraez (.334, 4, 28 in 92 games).Yankees:... [More]

A look at the best-of-five American League Division Series between the Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees:___Schedule: (All times EDT) Game 1, Friday, at New York, 7:07 p.m. (MLB); Game 2, Saturday, at New York, 5:07 p.m. (FS1); Game 3, Monday, Oct. 7, at Minnesota, TBA (FS1 or MLB); x-Game 4, Tuesday, Oct. 8, at Minnesota, TBA (FS1); x-Game 5, Thursday, Oct. 10, at New York, TBA (FS1).x-if necessary.___Season Series: Yankees won 4-2.___Projected Lineups:Twins: C Mitch Garver (.273, 31 HRs, 67 RBIs, .630 slugging percentage in 93 games), SS Jorge Polanco (.295, 22, 79, 40 2Bs), DH Nelson Cruz (.311, 41, 108, .639 slugging percentage in 120 games), 3B Miguel San� (.247, 34, 79, 159 Ks in 105 games), LF Eddie Rosario (.276, 32, 109), CF Max Kepler (.252, 36, 90), 1B C.J. Cron (.253, 25, 78), RF Marwin Gonzalez (.264, 15, 55) or Jake Cave (.258, 8, 25 in 72 games) or LaMonte Wade Jr. (.196, 2, 5, 11 walks in 69 PAs), 2B Jonathan Schoop (.256, 23, 59) or Luis Arraez (.334, 4, 28 in 92 games).Yankees:... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins had a lead on the New York Yankees that had dwindled to one run on this late July night, and rookie Lewis Thorpe was in a daunting situation with one out in the sixth inning.After giving up hits to three of the first four batters he faced, the Twins left-hander had runners at first and second behind him. Yankees slugger Aaron Judge towered in front of him at the plate. Pitching coach Wes Johnson jogged to the mound to deliver a simple message.“He said, ‘Have some fun,’” Thorpe said, “and I smiled and threw a first-pitch slider.”Judge swung and grounded into a double play. The Twins went on to beat the Yankees, who they’ll face on Friday in Game 1 of their AL Division Series.Advising professional athletes is never quite so finger-snap easy, of course. To directly correlate every point of progress by a Twins pitcher this season to the work that Johnson has done in his first year would be disingenuous, ignorant of the dozens of others in the organization... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Trea Turner's go-ahead grand slam lifted Washington to a 6-5 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies for a doubleheader sweep Tuesday that helped the Nationals clinch an NL wild card, capping quite a turnaround for a team that was 19-31 in late May.Turner had three hits in the day's first game, a 4-1 win for the Nationals. Washington assured itself of returning to the playoffs for the fifth time in eight years after sitting out October in 2018.Anthony Rendon delivered two sacrifice flies to raise his majors-leading RBIs total to 124 in the opening victory, a result that also eliminated Philadelphia and $330 million outfielder Bryce Harper, the ex-Nationals star, from postseason contention.In the nightcap, Washington trailed 4-2 entering the sixth, because Brad Miller managed to hit two homers off Max Scherzer (11-7).Washington loaded the bases in the sixth against Aaron Nola (12-7) with two walks and a single, setting the stage for Turner's 18th homer of the season and... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Trea Turner's go-ahead grand slam lifted Washington to a 6-5 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies for a doubleheader sweep Tuesday that helped the Nationals clinch an NL wild card, capping quite a turnaround for a team that was 19-31 in late May.Turner had three hits in the day's first game, a 4-1 win for the Nationals. Washington assured itself of returning to the playoffs for the fifth time in eight years after sitting out October in 2018.Anthony Rendon delivered two sacrifice flies to raise his majors-leading RBIs total to 124 in the opening victory, a result that also eliminated Philadelphia and $330 million outfielder Bryce Harper, the ex-Nationals star, from postseason contention.In the nightcap, Washington trailed 4-2 entering the sixth, because Brad Miller managed to hit two homers off Max Scherzer (11-7).Washington loaded the bases in the sixth against Aaron Nola (12-7) with two walks and a single, setting the stage for Turner's 18th homer of the season and... [More]