A look at what's happening around the majors Thursday:INJURED FANProtective netting at ballparks is again under scrutiny after a young girl was struck in Houston by a foul ball. Albert Almora Jr. of the Chicago Cubs hit a line drive into the stands down the third base line and almost immediately put his hands on his head in horror. The girl who got hit was picked up by a man who appeared to be with her, and he dashed up the stairs not long after she was struck. The Astros said the fan was taken to a hospital, but did not disclose any further details. A photo taken by The Associated Press showed the girl apparently conscious and crying as she was whisked away and nearby fans looked on.Like all major league stadiums, Minute Maid Park has netting to protect fans near the field from foul balls. On the third base side in Houston, it extends to the end of the visiting team's dugout. The girl was sitting in what looked to be the third or fourth row about 10 feet past where the netting ends. Following... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — A young fan was taken to the hospital after getting struck by a foul ball during Wednesday night's game between the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros.Cubs outfielder Albert Almora Jr. hit a fourth-inning line drive into the stands down the third base line, where it hit the girl. He immediately put his hands on his head and took a couple of steps toward the seats. He then fell to his knees near home plate and was consoled by teammate Jason Heyward and manager Joe Maddon.It took several minutes for Almora, who appeared to be crying, to compose himself and continue the at-bat, and players from both teams also appeared shaken up by the scene.The girl was picked up by a man who appeared to be with her and he dashed up the stairs not long after she was struck. A photo taken by The Associated Press showed the girl apparently conscious and crying as she was whisked away and nearby fans looked on.After the game, the Astros issued a statement saying the fan was taken to a hospital, but... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — A young fan at Wednesday night's game between the Cubs and Astros was struck by a foul ball hit by Albert Almora Jr., shaking up the Chicago center fielder.Almora hit a fourth-inning line drive into the stands down the third base line, where it hit a young girl. He immediately put his hands on his head and took a couple of steps toward the stands. He then fell to his knees near the plate and was consoled by teammate Jason Heyward and manager Joe Maddon.It took several minutes for Almora, who appeared to be crying, to compose himself and continue the at-bat, and players from both teams also appeared shaken up by the scene.The girl was picked up by a man who appeared to be with her and he dashed up the stairs not long after she was struck. The Astros did not provide an immediate update on her condition, but a photo taken by The Associated Press showed the girl conscious and crying as she was whisked away and nearby fans looked on.After the fourth inning, Almora, who still appeared... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — A young fan at Wednesday night's game between the Cubs and Astros was struck by a foul ball hit by Albert Almora Jr., shaking up the Chicago center fielder.Almora hit a fourth-inning line drive into the stands down the third base line, where it hit a young girl. He immediately put his hands on his head and took a couple of steps toward the stands. He then fell to his knees near the plate and was consoled by teammate Jason Heyward and manager Joe Maddon.It took several minutes for Almora, who appeared to be crying, to compose himself and continue the at-bat, and players from both teams also appeared to be shaken up by the scene.The girl was picked up by a man who appeared to be with her and he dashed up the stairs not long after she was struck. The Astros did not provide an immediate update on her condition, but a photo taken by The Associated Press showed the girl conscious and crying as she was whisked away and nearby fans looked on.After the fourth inning, Almora, who still appeared to be upset, approached a security guard in the stands near where the girl was sitting and spoke to the guard before the two embraced.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHICAGO (AP) — Cubs slugger Kris Bryant left Sunday's game against Cincinnati after colliding with center fielder Jason Heyward in the sixth inning.Speaking right after Chicago's 10-2 loss, manager Joe Maddon said he hadn't watched the replay but was told Bryant was hit in the head/neck area. He wasn't sure if Bryant was going to travel with the team to Houston for the start of its six-game road trip."He's doing OK. He's still under evaluation," Maddon said. "We don't know exactly what we're doing with this whole thing yet. But we're trying to talk with the docs and find out exactly where we're at."Bryant walked through the Cubs' clubhouse after the game, but the media wasn't allowed to speak with him because he was being evaluated.With two outs and a runner on first, Heyward and Bryant converged on Eugenio Suárez's drive toward right-center. It looked as if Heyward called off Bryant on the play, but they ran into each other and the ball went off Heyward's glove.Bryant, a natural third baseman who occasionally plays the outfield, stayed down as Suárez hustled into third on the error. Maddon and a trainer ran out to take a look, and the 2016 NL MVP gingerly walked off the field after a short conversation.Albert Almora Jr. came in to play center field, and Heyward moved to right to replace Bryant.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHICAGO (AP) — Cubs slugger Kris Bryant has left their game against Cincinnati after colliding with center fielder Jason Heyward on a drive in the sixth inning.With two outs and a runner on first Sunday, Heyward and Bryant converged on Eugenio Suárez's fly ball toward the gap in right-center. It looked as if Heyward called off Bryant on the play, but they ran into each other and the ball went off Heyward's glove.Bryant, a natural third baseman who occasionally plays the outfield, stayed down as Suárez hustled into third on the error. Chicago manager Joe Maddon and a trainer ran out to take a look, and the 2016 NL MVP gingerly walked off the field after a short conversation.Albert Almora Jr. came in to play center field, and Heyward moved to right to replace Bryant.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Austin Romine and Cameron Maybin each drove in two runs during New York's five-run second inning, and the Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals 6-5 on Saturday night to complete a doubleheader sweep and run their win streak to seven in a row.Maybin also had an RBI single in the third as New York won both games after severe thunderstorms postponed Friday night's contest.Luke Voit hit a go-ahead home in the seventh inning to power the Yankees to a 7-3 victory in the opener. J.A. Happ (4-3) struck out 10 in six innings.Chance Adams (1-0) threw four innings to earn his first major league victory in the second game after Chad Green threw one inning as the Yankees' opener. Aroldis Chapman earned his 250th career save.Kansas City's Hunter Dozier doubled twice after going hitless in the opener, driving in Adalberto Mondesi in the first inning and coming around to score on Jorge Soler's double in the fourth inning.Scott Barlow (1-1) and Jorge Lopez (0-6) got the losses for... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Austin Romine and Cameron Maybin each drove in two runs during New York's five-run second inning, and the Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals 6-5 on Saturday night to complete a doubleheader sweep and run their win streak to seven in a row.Maybin also had an RBI single in the third as New York won both games after severe thunderstorms postponed Friday night's contest.Luke Voit hit a go-ahead home in the seventh inning to power the Yankees to a 7-3 victory in the opener. J.A. Happ (4-3) struck out 10 in six innings.Chance Adams (1-0) threw four innings to earn his first major league victory in the second game after Chad Green threw one inning as the Yankees' opener. Aroldis Chapman earned his 250th career save.Kansas City's Hunter Dozier doubled twice after going hitless in the opener, driving in Adalberto Mondesi in the first inning and coming around to score on Jorge Soler's double in the fourth inning.Scott Barlow (1-1) and Jorge Lopez (0-6) got the losses for... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Austin Romine and Cameron Maybin each drove in two runs during New York's five-run second inning, and the Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals 6-5 on Saturday night to complete a doubleheader sweep and run their win streak to seven in a row.Maybin also had an RBI single in the third as New York won both games after severe thunderstorms postponed Friday night's contest.Luke Voit hit a go-ahead home in the seventh inning to power the Yankees to a 7-3 victory in the opener. J.A. Happ (4-3) struck out 10 in six innings.Chance Adams (1-0) threw four innings to earn his first major league victory in the second game after Chad Green threw one inning as the Yankees' opener. Aroldis Chapman earned his 250th career save.Kansas City's Hunter Dozier doubled twice after going hitless in the opener, driving in Adalberto Mondesi in the first inning and coming around to score on Jorge Soler's double in the fourth inning.Scott Barlow (1-1) and Jorge Lopez (0-6) got the losses for... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Austin Hedges connected for a grand slam, and the San Diego Padres hit a franchise-record seven home runs to romp past the Toronto Blue Jays 19-4 Saturday for their fifth straight win.Wil Myers and Hunter Renfroe each hit two home runs and Ian Kinsler and Eric Hosmer also homered. The previous team record was six, set in Cincinnati on July 17, 1998.Hedges hit his first career slam and drove in five runs. Myers went 2 for 2, drove in four and scored four times, and Renfroe had four hits, scored four and drove in three.Cal Quantrill (1-2), from nearby Port Hope, Ontario, and the son of former major league pitcher Paul Quantrill, earned his first win in his fourth career start.Edwin Jackson (0-2) got the loss, allowing seven runs in four innings.PHILLIES 7, BREWERS 2MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jake Arrieta pitched eight effective innings and Andrew McCutchen homered, leading Philadelphia to its third consecutive win.César Hernández, Rhys Hoskins and J.T. Realmuto also connected for the... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Austin Hedges connected for a grand slam, and the San Diego Padres hit a franchise-record seven home runs to romp past the Toronto Blue Jays 19-4 Saturday for their fifth straight win.Wil Myers and Hunter Renfroe each hit two home runs and Ian Kinsler and Eric Hosmer also homered. The previous team record was six, set in Cincinnati on July 17, 1998.Hedges hit his first career slam and drove in five runs. Myers went 2 for 2, drove in four and scored four times, and Renfroe had four hits, scored four and drove in three.Cal Quantrill (1-2), from nearby Port Hope, Ontario, and the son of former major league pitcher Paul Quantrill, earned his first win in his fourth career start.Edwin Jackson (0-2) got the loss, allowing seven runs in four innings.PHILLIES 7, BREWERS 2MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jake Arrieta pitched eight effective innings and Andrew McCutchen homered, leading Philadelphia to its third consecutive win.César Hernández, Rhys Hoskins and J.T. Realmuto also connected for the... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Austin Hedges connected for a grand slam, and the San Diego Padres hit a franchise-record seven home runs to romp past the Toronto Blue Jays 19-4 Saturday for their fifth straight win.Wil Myers and Hunter Renfroe each hit two home runs and Ian Kinsler and Eric Hosmer also homered. The previous team record was six, set in Cincinnati on July 17, 1998.Hedges hit his first career slam and drove in five runs. Myers went 2 for 2, drove in four and scored four times, and Renfroe had four hits, scored four and drove in three.Cal Quantrill (1-2), from nearby Port Hope, Ontario, and the son of former major league pitcher Paul Quantrill, earned his first win in his fourth career start.Edwin Jackson (0-2) got the loss, allowing seven runs in four innings.TWINS 8, WHITE SOX 1MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kyle Gibson struck out nine in seven innings, and the Twins beat the White Sox 8-1 for their 10th win in 11 games.Gibson (5-2) gave up five hits and walked none. His only blemish was José Abreu's... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Michael Chavis homered, Xander Bogaerts hit a tiebreaking double in the seventh inning and the Boston Red Sox averted a series sweep against Houston with a 4-3 victory Sunday that snapped the Astros' 10-game winning streak.Mookie Betts scored three runs for Boston, which lost the first two games in its first meeting with the Astros since beating them in the 2018 AL Championship Series.Carlos Correa hit a two-run homer off Chris Sale for Houston, which is 13-4 in May.Astros outfielder George Springer, who began the day leading the American League with 17 homers, exited with lower back stiffness after striking out three times against Sale.Bogaerts' double to deep left-center off Framber Valdez (1-2) scored Betts scored from first base.Sale struck out 10 in 5 1/3 innings, giving up three runs and four hits with five walks. In his previous start, he became the first major league pitcher to strike out 17 batters in seven innings.Marcus Walden (6-0) escaped a bases-loaded, one-out... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Mike Fiers of the Oakland Athletics pitched his second career no-hitter by shutting down the Cincinnati Reds with help from two spectacular defensive plays in a 2-0 victory Tuesday night.Fiers (3-3) followed up his 2015 gem against the Dodgers with a 131-pitch masterpiece to become the 35th pitcher with multiple no-hitters in his career. He walked two, struck out six and ended it by fanning Eugenio Suarez with a big curveball.The A's poured out of the dugout to mob Fiers in celebration after the final out in front of a few thousand fans remaining — the game started more than 1 ½ hours later because of a light malfunction at the Coliseum. Fiers tipped his hat to the crowd and raised his arms in triumph as he walked off.This one didn't come without tense moments as Fiers was bailed out by back-to-back great defensive plays in the sixth inning. Second baseman Jurickson Profar made a diving catch on Kyle Farmer's popup into short right field for the second out, prompting... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Shohei Ohtani went 0 for 4 with an RBI groundout and walked once in his season debut as the Los Angeles Angels beat the Detroit Tigers 5-2 Tuesday night.The Angels activated the AL Rookie of the Year from the injured list and looking very eager to make an impact, Ohtani swung so hard at times that his helmet flew off his head.The 24-year-old two-way player isn't expected to pitch this year as he recovers from Tommy John surgery in October. But the Angels, who are under .500, are hoping Ohtani can provide a boost as their designated hitter.Griffin Canning (1-0) earned the win in his second career start, giving up two runs and four hits over 5 1/3 innings while striking out seven. Hansel Robles pitched the ninth for his third save in as many chances.Daniel Norris (1-1) took the loss.CUBS 5, MARLINS 2CHICAGO (AP) — Kris Bryant hit a tiebreaking, three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning, lifting the Chicago Cubs over Miami.With runners on the corners, Bryant drove a... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Shohei Ohtani went 0 for 4 with an RBI groundout and walked once in his season debut as the Los Angeles Angels beat the Detroit Tigers 5-2 Tuesday night.The Angels activated the AL Rookie of the Year from the injured list and looking very eager to make an impact, Ohtani swung so hard at times that his helmet flew off his head.The 24-year-old two-way player isn't expected to pitch this year as he recovers from Tommy John surgery in October. But the Angels, who are under .500, are hoping Ohtani can provide a boost as their designated hitter.Griffin Canning (1-0) earned the win in his second career start, giving up two runs and four hits over 5 1/3 innings while striking out seven. Hansel Robles pitched the ninth for his third save in as many chances.Daniel Norris (1-1) took the loss.CUBS 5, MARLINS 2CHICAGO (AP) — Kris Bryant hit a tiebreaking, three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning, lifting the Chicago Cubs over Miami.With runners on the corners, Bryant drove a... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Shohei Ohtani went 0 for 4 with an RBI groundout and walked once in his season debut as the Los Angeles Angels beat the Detroit Tigers 5-2 Tuesday night.The Angels activated the AL Rookie of the Year from the injured list and looking very eager to make an impact, Ohtani swung so hard at times that his helmet flew off his head.The 24-year-old two-way player isn't expected to pitch this year as he recovers from Tommy John surgery in October. But the Angels, who are under .500, are hoping Ohtani can provide a boost as their designated hitter.Griffin Canning (1-0) earned the win in his second career start, giving up two runs and four hits over 5 1/3 innings while striking out seven. Hansel Robles pitched the ninth for his third save in as many chances.Daniel Norris (1-1) took the loss.CUBS 5, MARLINS 2CHICAGO (AP) — Kris Bryant hit a tiebreaking, three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning, lifting the Chicago Cubs over Miami.With runners on the corners, Bryant drove a... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Joe Maddon likes to work on his lineups at a local coffee shop. Armed with his iPad, the manager looks over a variety of statistics and other data while searching for every edge for the Chicago Cubs.The process has been the same for Maddon for a long time. But this year is a little different.Maddon is doing his lineups three days at a time, giving his players an advance look at what to expect for the upcoming series. It is a marked departure from the days of managers posting the starting nine in the clubhouse before the game, or even the modern practice of nightly text messages, and Maddon likes how it's going so far."It's getting me out in front even a little bit more than I normally have in the past and there's not anything wrong with that," he said. "It's actually a good thing."The change in approach is part of Chicago's reaction to its disappointing finish last season, when it blew a five-game lead in the NL Central in September and lost to Colorado in a wild card game.... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Joe Maddon likes to work on his lineups at a local coffee shop. Armed with his iPad, the manager looks over a variety of statistics and other data while searching for every edge for the Chicago Cubs.The process has been the same for Maddon for a long time. But this year is a little different.Maddon is doing his lineups three days at a time, giving his players an advance look at what to expect for the upcoming series. It is a marked departure from the days of managers posting the starting nine in the clubhouse before the game, or even the modern practice of nightly text messages, and Maddon likes how it's going so far."It's getting me out in front even a little bit more than I normally have in the past and there's not anything wrong with that," he said. "It's actually a good thing."The change in approach is part of Chicago's reaction to its disappointing finish last season, when it blew a five-game lead in the NL Central in September and lost to Colorado in a wild card game.... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Robinson Chirinos hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in a four-run seventh inning to give the Houston Astros a 4-1 win over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday night.The Astros were unable to do much against Carlos Carrasco (2-3) before Yuli Gurriel's RBI double in the seventh. After an intentional walk, Chirinos sent the next pitch over the train tracks atop the wall in left field and out of the stadium on a night the retractable roof was open.The Astros won the final two games to earn a split of the four-game set with Cleveland, a rematch of last year's AL Division Series in which Houston earned a three-game sweep. Houston also moved into first place in the AL West.Wade Miley yielded six hits and one run in 5 2/3 innings to extend his streak of consecutive starts with three or fewer earned runs to 22. The left-hander struck out three and walked two.Framber Valdez (1-1) yielded one hit in two scoreless innings. Ryan Pressly allowed one hit and no runs in the ninth for his second... [More]