LOS ANGELES (AP) — It's fitting that Russell Martin is returning to the Los Angeles Dodgers.He's pining for a World Series title too.The Dodgers reacquired Martin in a trade with Toronto on Friday, receiving the veteran catcher in exchange for a couple minor leaguers. Los Angeles has won two straight National League pennants but lost each time in the World Series. Martin has never even played in a World Series in 13 seasons with the Dodgers, Yankees, Pirates and Blue Jays."I'm looking for a championship," Martin said. "I've never won a championship, and I'm still hungry for that."The Dodgers also reached one-year deals with their seven remaining arbitration-eligible players. The NL champions agreed with Corey Seager ($4 million), Joc Pederson ($5 million), Chris Taylor ($3.5 million), Enrique Hernandez ($3,725,000), Pedro Baez ($2.1 million), Josh Fields ($2.85 million) and Yimi Garcia ($710,000) on 2019 contracts.Toronto reached deals with outfielder Randal Grichuk at $5 million, outfielder... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers reacquired catcher Russell Martin in a trade with Toronto on Friday, and also reached one-year deals with their seven remaining arbitration-eligible players.The NL champions agreed with Corey Seager ($4 million), Joc Pederson ($5 million), Chris Taylor ($3.5 million), Enrique Hernandez ($3,725,000), Pedro Baez ($2.1 million), Josh Fields ($2.85 million) and Yimi Garcia ($710,000) on 2019 contracts.With catcher Yasmani Grandal leaving for a deal with Milwaukee earlier in the week, the Dodgers had room to bring back Martin.Whether they're done looking at catchers, including a trade for Miami's J.T. Realmuto, team executive Andrew Friedman wouldn't commit."Our focus is still and will always be on how we can continue to improve and make ourselves better," the club's president of baseball operations said. "That remains our mindset in every respect."In exchange for Martin, the Dodgers sent minor leaguers Andrew Sopko, a right-hander, and Ronny Brito,... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers reacquired catcher Russell Martin in a trade with Toronto on Friday, and also reached one-year deals with their seven remaining arbitration-eligible players.The NL champions agreed with Corey Seager, Joc Pederson, Chris Taylor, Enrique Hernandez, Pedro Baez, Josh Fields and Yimi Garcia on 2019 contracts.With catcher Yasmani Grandal leaving for a deal with Milwaukee earlier in the week, the Dodgers had room to bring back Martin.Whether they're done looking at catchers, including a trade for Miami's J.T. Realmuto, team executive Andrew Friedman wouldn't commit."Our focus is still and will always be on how we can continue to improve and make ourselves better," the club's president of baseball operations said. "That remains our mindset in every respect."In exchange for Martin, the Dodgers sent minor leaguers Andrew Sopko, a right-hander, and Ronny Brito, an infielder, to the Blue Jays. Toronto is sending $16.4 million to offset some of the $20 million... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers reacquired catcher Russell Martin in a trade with Toronto on Friday, and also reached one-year deals with their seven remaining arbitration-eligible players.The NL champions agreed with Corey Seager, Joc Pederson, Chris Taylor, Enrique Hernandez, Pedro Baez, Josh Fields and Yimi Garcia on 2019 contracts.With catcher Yasmani Grandal leaving for a deal with Milwaukee earlier in the week, the Dodgers had room to bring back Martin.In exchange, the Dodgers sent minor leaguers Andrew Sopko, a right-hander, and Ronny Brito, an infielder, to the Blue Jays. Toronto is sending $16.4 million to offset some of the $20 million Martin is owed in the final season of his contract.A four-time All-Star, Martin was with the Dodgers from 2006-10 and helped lead Los Angeles to three playoff appearances. The 35-year-old Canadian signed with the New York Yankees as a free agent after the 2010 season and spent two seasons in the Bronx before playing two seasons with Pittsburgh... [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):8:17 p.m.The Boston Red Sox won their fourth World Series championship in 15 years, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 in Game 5 Sunday night behind David Price's pitching and Steve Pearce's power.Alex Cora became the first manager from Puerto Rico to guide a team to the title. He's just the fifth rookie skipper to do it overall.After posting a team-record 108 wins in the regular season and romping through the AL playoffs, the Red Sox finished off a one-sided Series.Price threw three-hit ball into the eighth inning. Pearce hit two home runs, a night after his homer and double spurred a late rally.Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez also connected as the Red Sox hit three homers off Clayton Kershaw.Los Angeles lost Game 7 of the World Series last year to Houston, also at Dodger Stadium by the same 5-1 score.___8 p.m.David Price is out of the game for Boston.Price was stellar in staking the Red Sox to a 5-1 lead over the Los... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on the World Series (all times local):8:17 p.m.The Boston Red Sox won their fourth World Series championship in 15 years, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 in Game 5 Sunday night behind David Price's pitching and Steve Pearce's power.Alex Cora became the first manager from Puerto Rico to guide a team to the title. He's just the fifth rookie skipper to do it overall.After posting a team-record 108 wins in the regular season and romping through the AL playoffs, the Red Sox finished off a one-sided Series.Price threw three-hit ball into the eighth inning. Pearce hit two home runs, a night after his homer and double spurred a late rally.Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez also connected as the Red Sox hit three homers off Clayton Kershaw.Los Angeles lost Game 7 of the World Series last year to Houston, also at Dodger Stadium by the same 5-1 score.___8 p.m.David Price is out of the game for Boston.Price was stellar in staking the Red Sox to a 5-1 lead over the Los... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on the World Series (all times local):8 p.m.David Price is out of the game for Boston.Price was stellar in staking the Red Sox to a 5-1 lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers after eight innings.The left-hander allowed one run and three hits in seven innings. Price struck out five and walked two.Joe Kelly took over and struck out pinch-hitters Matt Kemp, Joc Pederson and Cody Bellinger to end the inning.Boston's Steve Pearce homered for the second time, getting a solo shot off Pedro Baez with two outs in the top of the inning.___7:27 p.m.Those Boston Red Sox bats are getting loud. So are their fans.J.D. Martinez hit his first World Series home run, a line drive over the center-field fence in the seventh inning that put the Red Sox ahead 4-1.Martinez hit Boston's third homer of the game off Los Angeles lefty Clayton Kershaw. Dodger Stadium is dotted with fans wearing red, and those Red Sox rooters began chanting as the ball sailed out.Boston starter David Price is... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on the World Series (all times local):7:27 p.m.Those Boston Red Sox bats are getting loud. So are their fans.J.D. Martinez hit his first World Series home run, a line drive over the center-field fence in the seventh inning that put the Red Sox ahead 4-1.Martinez hit Boston's third homer of the game off Los Angeles lefty Clayton Kershaw. Dodger Stadium is dotted with fans wearing red, and those Red Sox rooters began chanting as the ball sailed out.Boston starter David Price is in total control. He's retired 14 straight batters and got a big cheer from the Boston fans when he retired Yasiel Puig on a soft comebacker to end the seventh.___7:06 p.m.Mookie Betts homered on a Clayton Kershaw slider in the sixth inning, giving the Boston Red Sox a 3-1 lead in Game 5 as they close in on their fourth World Series title in 15 years.Betts had been 0 for 13 with four strikeouts and a pair of intentional walks during the weekend in Los Angeles before his drive into the... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on the World Series (all times local):7:06 p.m.Mookie Betts homered on a Clayton Kershaw slider in the sixth inning, giving the Boston Red Sox a 3-1 lead in Game 5 as they close in on their fourth World Series title in 15 years.Betts had been 0 for 13 with four strikeouts and a pair of intentional walks during the weekend in Los Angeles before his drive into the left-field pavilion.David Price has allowed just two hits since David Freese's leadoff homer, retiring 11 in a row through the sixth. He struck out five, walked one and threw 76 pitches.Kershaw gave up three runs and four hits with four strikeouts and no walks. He threw 73 pitches.___6:51 p.m.The pitching duel continues in Game 5 of the World Series.Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw set down the Red Sox in order in the top of the fifth.Brock Holt lined out, Rafael Devers took a called third strike and Christian Vazquez lined out to left.Kershaw has retired 13 of his last 14 batters since giving up a two-run... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on the World Series (all times local):6:23 p.m.J.D. Martinez almost cost Boston in right field, losing David Freese's one-out fly ball in the twilight sky above Dodger Stadium and allowing the drive to fall behind him for a triple.Martinez usually is a designated hitter for the Red Sox, but Boston wanted to keep the big league RBIs leader in the lineup in the National League city.Freese, who homered leading off the bottom of the first, was stranded. Justin Turner grounded to third with the infield playing halfway and Enrique Hernandez fouled out to Martinez.Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw retired eight in a row after Steve Pearce's two-run homer in the first. Kershaw threw 41 pitches in the first three innings and Boston starter Clayton Kershaw threw 47___6:20 p.m.The Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw retired the side in the top of the second. Boston's David Price gave up only a single to Yasiel Puig while retiring three other batters.Boston leads 2-1.Brock Holt, Christian... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on the World Series (all times local):5:40 p.m.David Freese hit a leadoff home run for the Dodgers to cut Boston's lead to 2-1 in the first inning of Game 5.Boston's Steve Pearce had connected on the sixth pitch of the game from Clayton Kershaw for a two-run homer at the top of the first.That made it two homers and a three-run double for Pearce in his last three at-bats.Kershaw took off his glove and showed little emotion as Pearce finished his trot.___5:23 p.m.That was quick! Steve Pearce tags Clayton Kershaw for a home run and it's already 2-0 Boston.Pearce connected on the sixth pitch of the game from the LA ace, and raised his right arm as he rounded first base. Several Red Sox players spilled from the dugout to greet him.That made it two homers and a three-run double for Pearce in his last three at-bats.Kershaw took off his glove and showed little emotion as Pearce finished his trot.___5:18 p.m.The chants of "Let's go, Red Sox!" have already started at... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on the World Series (all times local):5:23 p.m.That was quick! Steve Pearce tags Clayton Kershaw for a home run and it's already 2-0 Boston.Pearce connected on the sixth pitch of the game from the LA ace, and raised his right arm as he rounded first base. Several Red Sox players spilled from the dugout to greet him.That made it two homers and a three-run double for Pearce in his last three at-bats.Kershaw took off his glove and showed little emotion as Pearce finished his trot.___5:18 p.m.The chants of "Let's go, Red Sox!" have already started at Dodger Stadium.A good-sized pocket of Boston fans in right field began cheering 15 minutes before the first pitch and got louder when David Price strolled from the bullpen to the dugout.They're here, wanting to see the Red Sox win the World Series with a victory in Game 5. Boston leads 3-1 and is hoping to head home for a parade.Former Dodgers star Orel Hershiser threw out the first ball, then told the crowd that while... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on the World Series (all times local):3:55 p.m.Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he talked to his players and coaching staff about President Donald Trump's tweet criticizing Roberts for taking Rich Hill out of Saturday's Game 4 but that he hasn't thought much about it beyond that.Los Angeles trails 3-1 in the best-of-seven series and is trying to avoid seeing another team celebrate a championship at its own park. Houston won last year's World Series here in seven games."I'm focused on winning today. So I really don't have too much bandwidth to kind of really take in all the criticism," Roberts said. "I think that there's a lot of thoughts and opinions that people don't have all the information, which is commonplace these days and cultivate opinions and give out there. So I think for me it's noise."___2:53 p.m.Cody Bellinger is on the bench for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series.His left-handed bat has been replaced in the lineup by Enrique... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cody Bellinger is on the bench for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series.His left-handed bat has been replaced in the lineup by Enrique Hernandez, who will hit third and play center field on Sunday against the Boston Red Sox.First baseman David Freese leads off again for the Dodgers, who face elimination trailing 3-1 in the best-of-seven Series.Third baseman Justin Turner hits second, followed by Hernandez, shortstop Manny Machado in the cleanup spot and left-handed-hitting second baseman Max Muncy.Right fielder Yasiel Puig, who hit a three-run homer in Game 4, bats sixth. Left fielder Chris Taylor hits seventh, catcher Austin Barnes is eighth and left-handed pitcher Clayton Kershaw bats ninth.The Red Sox made one change to their lineup: Rafael Devers starts at third base instead of Eduardo Nunez.Center fielder Mookie Betts leads off, followed by left-handed-hitting Andrew Benintendi in left field, first baseman Steve Pearce and right fielder J.D. Martinez in the cleanup spot.Shortstop Xander Bogaerts bats fifth, second baseman Brock Holt brings his left-handed bat to the sixth spot, with Devers seventh, catcher Christian Vazquez eighth and left-handed starter David Price in the ninth spot.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on Game 4 of the World Series (all times local):10:20 p.m.Steve Pearce hit a tying homer in the eighth and a three-run double in the ninth, and the Boston Red Sox rallied from a four-run deficit in the seventh inning for a 9-6 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night and a 3-1 World Series lead.The improbable surge all started with pinch-hitter Mitch Moreland's three-run homer in the seventh, shortly after Yasiel Puig's three-run homer in the sixth had put the Dodgers up 4-0.Pinch-hitter Rafael Devers singled in Brock Holt with the tiebreaking run in the ninth, with also included Xander Bogaert's RBI single.Craig Kimbrel gave up Enrique Hernandez's two-run homer in the bottom half before getting the final three outs.David Price starts for the Red Sox on Sunday against Clayton Kershaw, tying to close out Boston's fourth title in 15 seasons.___8:19 p.m.Thanks to Steve Pearce, we're tied again in the late innings at Dodger Stadium. Anyone up to play... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on Game 4 of the World Series (all times local):9:08 p.m.Steve Pearce hit a tying homer in the eighth and a three-run double in the ninth, and the Boston Red Sox rallied from a four-run deficit in the seventh inning for a 9-6 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night and a 3-1 World Series lead.The improbable surge all started with pinch-hitter Mitch Moreland's three-run homer in the seventh, shortly after Yasiel Puig's three-run homer in the sixth had put the Dodgers up 4-0.Pinch-hitter Rafael Devers singled in Brock Holt with the tiebreaking run in the ninth, with also included Xander Bogaert's RBI single.Craig Kimbrel gave up Enrique Hernandez's two-run homer in the bottom half before getting the final three outs.Chris Sale starts for the Red Sox on Sunday against Clayton Kershaw, tying to close out Boston's fourth title in 15 seasons.___8:19 p.m.Thanks to Steve Pearce, we're tied again in the late innings at Dodger Stadium. Anyone up to play 18?Pearce... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Brian Dozier swung bananas from a rope over the dugout railing.How appropriate. The longest game in World Series history was bananas.Twenty-three players on each team, including nine pitchers.Eighteen innings — four more than any of the previous 662 World Series games.Seven hours, 20 minutes — 1:39 longer than any Series game played before and 15 minutes more than all four games of the 1939 World Series combined.Walker Buehler threw the first pitch in autumn twilight at 5:10 p.m.Max Muncy homered on the 561st and last at 12:30 a.m., when most of America was asleep and even fans in Alaska and in Hawaii were struggling to stay up.Ernie Banks would have been happy — the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox filled his oft-said desire: Let's play two! "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" was played twice, during the seventh-inning stretch and the 14th inning elongation."It was an amazing game," Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig said. "I'm a little tired. But we're ready to come back... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Brian Dozier swung bananas from a rope over the dugout railing.How appropriate. The longest game in World Series history was bananas.Twenty-three players on each team, including nine pitchers.Eighteen innings — four more than any of the previous 662 World Series games.Seven hours, 20 minutes — 1:39 longer than any Series game played before and 15 minutes more than all four games of the 1939 World Series combined.Walker Buehler threw the first pitch in autumn twilight at 5:10 p.m.Max Muncy homered on the 561st and last at 12:30 a.m., when most of America was asleep and even fans in Alaska and in Hawaii were struggling to stay up.Ernie Banks would have been happy — the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox filled his oft-said desire: Let's play two! "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" was played twice, during the seventh-inning stretch and the 14th inning elongation."It was an amazing game," Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig said. "I'm a little tired. But we're ready to come back... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Brian Dozier swung bananas from a rope over the dugout railing.How appropriate. The longest game in World Series history was bananas.Twenty-three players on each team, including nine pitchers.Eighteen innings — four more than any of the previous 662 World Series games.Seven hours, 20 minutes — 1:39 longer than any Series game played before.Walker Buehler threw the first pitch in autumn twilight at 5:10 p.m.Max Muncy homered on the 561st and last at 12:30 a.m., when most of America was asleep and even fans in Alaska and in Hawaii were struggling to stay up.Ernie Banks would have been happy — the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox filled his oft-said desire: Let's play two! "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" was played twice, during the seventh-inning stretch and the 14th inning elongation."It was an amazing game," Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig said. "I'm a little tired. But we're ready to come back tomorrow."Then he looked at his watch and corrected himself."In a couple... [More]