NEW YORK (AP) — Gleyber Torres became the youngest Yankees player to hit a walkoff homer, a three-run shot in the ninth inning that gave New York a 7-4 win over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday for its 15th victory in 16 games.At 21 years and 144 days, bettered Mickey Mantle, who was 21 years and 185 days when he hit three-run, ninth-inning drive of Boston's Ellis Kinder in a 6-3 win on April 23, 1953.Aaron Hicks and Neil Walker, who began the day batting .182, opened the ninth with consecutive doubles to tie it, chasing Allen (2-1). One out later, pinch-hitter Giancarlo Stanton was intentionally walked and Torres drove a full-count pitch from Dan Otero over the center-field fence.Chasen Shreve (2-0) struck out two in a perfect ninth for the win.ANGELS 8, MARINERS 2SEATTLE (AP) — Shohei Ohtani returned from a sprained ankle and took a shutout into the seventh inning while outpitching Felix Hernandez, Mike Trout hit his 12th home run and the Angels beat the Mariners.Ohtani (3-1) made his... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Cubs manager Joe Maddon fired back at Pittsburgh Pirates skipper Clint Hurdle for criticizing Chicago star Javier Baez's bat flip on a popup.Maddon was "surprised" and didn't "really understand" why Hurdle criticized Baez. He also said he believes "in not interfering with other groups.""Be careful when you start becoming hypercritical because you're pretty much defining yourself," Maddon said prior to Friday's game against Atlanta.The 25-year-old Baez homered twice for the second straight day in Chicago's victory over Pittsburgh on Wednesday. But he also flipped his bat high into the air on a popup to shortstop Jordy Mercer in the seventh inning.Baez acknowledged after the win it was a mistake and that a teammate talked to him about the display.Hurdle questioned Baez's "respect for the game" on Thursday, and the flashy star brushed off those comments after the Pirates beat the Cubs.Maddon praised his player for owning up to his mistake. He also said he didn't see the bat flip."I think most of the time when you hear commentary — or critical commentary — it's really pretty much self-evaluation," Maddon said. "It's about what you believe. It's about your judgmental component. It reveals you more than the person you're talking about. I've always believed that. Whenever you want to be hypercritical of somebody, just understand you're pretty much revealing yourself and what your beliefs are."___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

CHICAGO (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle criticized Chicago Cubs infielder Javier Baez on Thursday for his bat flip on a popup, and the young slugger brushed off the comments by the former major leaguer.Baez homered twice for the second straight day in Chicago's 13-5 victory over Pittsburgh on Wednesday night. But he also flipped his bat high into the air when he popped up to shortstop Jordy Mercer in the seventh inning.The 25-year-old Baez acknowledged after the win it was a mistake and that a teammate had talked to him about the display.Hurdle was still rankled by the move before the Pirates' 6-1 victory in the series finale."Where's the respect for the game?" Hurdle said. "The guy hits four homers in two days, so that means you can take your bat and throw it 15, 20 feet in the air when you pop up like you should have hit your fifth home run? I would bet that men over there talked to him, because I do believe they have a group over there that speaks truth to power."Asked... [More]

Capsules of National League Central teams, listed in order of finish last year:___Chicago Cubs2017: 92-70, first place, lost to Dodgers in NLCS.Manager: Joe Maddon (fourth season).He's Here: RHP Yu Darvish, RHP Brandon Morrow, RHP Tyler Chatwood, RHP Steve Cishek, LHP Drew Smyly, C Chris Gimenez.He's Outta Here: RHP Wade Davis, C Alex Avila, C Rene Rivera.Projected Lineup: CF Ian Happ (.253, 24 HRs, 68 RBIs, .842 OPS) or Albert Almora Jr. (.298, 8, 46), 3B Kris Bryant (.295, 29, 73, 38 2Bs, 111 runs), 1B Anthony Rizzo (.273, 32, 109, 91 BBs), C Willson Contreras (.276, 21, 74), LF Kyle Schwarber (.211, 30, 59), SS Addison Russell (.239, 12, 43), RF Jason Heyward (.259, 11, 59), 2B Javier Baez (.273, 23, 75, .796 OPS).Rotation: LH Jon Lester (13-8, 4.33 ERA, 180 Ks), RH Kyle Hendricks (7-5, 3.03), RH Yu Darvish (10-12, 3.86, 209 Ks with Rangers and Dodgers), LH Jose Quintana (11-11, 4.15, 207 Ks with White Sox and Cubs), RH Tyler Chatwood (8-15, 4.69 with Rockies).Key Relievers: RH Brandon... [More]

Capsules of National League Central teams, listed in order of finish last year:___Chicago Cubs2017: 92-70, first place, lost to Dodgers in NLCS.Manager: Joe Maddon (fourth season).He's Here: RHP Yu Darvish, RHP Brandon Morrow, RHP Tyler Chatwood, RHP Steve Cishek, LHP Drew Smyly, C Chris Gimenez.He's Outta Here: RHP Wade Davis, C Alex Avila, C Rene Rivera.Projected Lineup: CF Ian Happ (.253, 24 HRs, 68 RBIs, .842 OPS) or Albert Almora Jr. (.298, 8, 46), 3B Kris Bryant (.295, 29, 73, 38 2Bs, 111 runs), 1B Anthony Rizzo (.273, 32, 109, 91 BBs), C Willson Contreras (.276, 21, 74), LF Kyle Schwarber (.211, 30, 59), SS Addison Russell (.239, 12, 43), RF Jason Heyward (.259, 11, 59), 2B Javier Baez (.273, 23, 75, .796 OPS).Rotation: LH Jon Lester (13-8, 4.33 ERA, 180 Ks), RH Kyle Hendricks (7-5, 3.03), RH Yu Darvish (10-12, 3.86, 209 Ks with Rangers and Dodgers), LH Jose Quintana (11-11, 4.15, 207 Ks with White Sox and Cubs), RH Tyler Chatwood (8-15, 4.69 with Rockies).Key Relievers: RH Brandon... [More]

On the day the Kansas City Royals welcomed back Mike Moustakas, they found out Jorge Bonifacio will miss half the season.Bonifacio was suspended 80 games by Major League Baseball on Saturday after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.The outfielder was banned after a positive test for Boldenone. The ban will begin on opening day."It really kind of made me sick to my stomach," Royals manager Ned Yost said.The 24-year-old Bonifacio made his major league debut last season, hitting .255 with 17 home runs and 40 RBIs in 113 games.Bonifacio's suspension cleared a roster spot for Moustakas, who re-signed with the Royals this week after becoming a free agent last fall.Moustakas set a Royals record with 38 home runs last season, then rejected a $17.4 million offer from the team. But the third baseman never received the multiyear, mega-million dollar contract he and his agent Scott Boras anticipated.The Royals signed Moustakas to a one-year $6.5 million contract with a mutual option... [More]

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Jordy Mercer shakes his head at the notion.The 31-year-old shortstop is now the Pittsburgh Pirates' elder statesman in terms of continuous service in the organization. Mercer was the Pirates' third-round pick in the 2008 amateur draft from Oklahoma State and reached the major leagues four years later.Mercer inherited the title from center fielder Andrew McCutchen in January when the Pirates traded the 2013 NL MVP and five-time All-Star to the San Francisco Giants. McCutchen was Pittsburgh's first-round pick in 2005."I look around and I'm the last guy here, which is kind of weird feeling," Mercer said at the Pirates' spring training camp. "It's a good feeling, too, to know that they still want me around after all these years."Mercer has been a steady if unspectacular presence in the Pirates' lineup since taking over as the starter midway through the 2013 seasons. Pittsburgh made the first of three consecutive postseason appearances that year and Mercer has hit .256... [More]

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Neal Huntington has a problem with the word "rebuild." To the Pittsburgh Pirates general manager, the connotation hints at raising a white flag on the present."Rebuild implies you're looking five years down the road," Huntington said.Which, Huntington insists, his team is not doing. Even after a three-day span in January in which the Pirates sent pitcher Gerrit Cole to Houston and franchise cornerstone Andrew McCutchen to San Francisco for younger, less proven and less expensive players. Even after an offseason in which Pittsburgh spent nothing on the open market in an effort to close the gap on NL Central rivals St. Louis and Chicago (and Milwaukee for that matter)."We lot of young talented players that are going to be entertaining," Huntington said. "We scratch our heads at times but they're going to be entertaining."Will they be competitive in one of baseball's most challenging divisions is another matter. Manager Clint Hurdle begins his eighth season very much like... [More]

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Gerrit Cole remains a Pittsburgh Pirate. For now, at least.The Pirates and their top starting pitcher avoided arbitration by agreeing on a one-year deal worth $6.75 million on Friday. Cole went 12-12 with a 4.26 ERA while making a career-high 33 starts in 2017. He has one year of arbitration remaining and could command a hefty salary bump in 2019, one of the reasons the Pirates have explored trading him in recent weeks.Pittsburgh also reached agreements with shortstop Jordy Mercer and reliever George Kontos. Mercer, who will make $6.75 million in 2018, hit .255 with 14 home runs and 58 RBIs last season. Kontos, acquired from San Francisco at the trade deadline last July, will make $2.725 million.Closer Felipe Rivero remains eligible for arbitration. He is asking for $2.9 million and the team is offering $2.4 million.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

SS Jordy Mercer ended the season on a down note after going 3-for-3 with four RBIs on September 23 against the St. Louis Cardinals. Mercer did not play in any games of the four-game set in Washington due to a left leg injury.

SS Jordy Mercer (left leg) did not start for the sixth game in a row Saturday. He was 3-for-3 with a career-high four RBIs on Sept. 23 against the St. Louis Cardinals.

SS Jordy Mercer (knee) did not start for the fifth game in a row Friday. He is hitting .255 in 145 games this season.

SS Jordy Mercer (left knee) was out of the starting lineup for the fourth game in a row Thursday. He is hitting .255 in 145 games this season.

SS Jordy Mercer was 3-for-3 with four RBIs and two runs scored. That included a triple in the first that got behind St. Louis CF Dexter Fowler and was close to being an inside-the-park grand slam. "Definitely was thinking about it," Mercer said. "Didn't allow me to do that today, but it was a good day." It was Mercer's first multi-hit game since Aug. 28, when he also went 3-for-3. He is one RBI shy of his career high of 59 set last season.

SS Jordy Mercer was 1-for-2 with a walk. He led off the third with a homer to left-center. It was his 13th, setting a career high. In the fifth, he drew a leadoff walk and, in a heady base-running move, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. "He has been steadfast in his approach and his consistency from opening day until now," manager Clint Hurdle said. "There's been some lulls and ups and downs. He's not trying to hit for power. He's trying to put good swings on balls."

SS Jordy Mercer has matched his single-season career high of 12 home runs (also achieved in 2014). The last Pittsburgh shortstop to hit 13 home runs in one season was Pat Mears in 2000. The club record is 19 by Arky Vaughan in 1935.

SS Jordy Mercer went 2-for-3 with a homer, run scored and RBI and tied a season-high with three hits. Mercer's eighth inning solo homer to left broke a shutout and was his first home run since Aug. 12 at Toronto.

SS Jordy Mercer hit his 11th home run of the season on Saturday in the ninth inning of the 7-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. It ties his home run total of last season and puts him one short of his career-best set in 2014.

SS Jordy Mercer had three hits, including a three-run home run, in the Pirates' win over the San Francisco Giants on Monday night. His homer came off LHP Josh Osich, making Mercer 8-for-his-last-14 against left-handed pitchers. The three-hit game was his fifth of the season, his first since June 3.

SS Jordy Mercer continued his power surge with his seventh home run of the year in the fourth inning that snapped a 1-1 tie and put Pittsburgh ahead to stay. Mercer's previous career high was 12, so he's definitely within striking distance with more than half the season remaining. He added a third RBI in the sixth on a groundout, giving him seven in 24 career at-bats against Lynn.