BALTIMORE (AP) — Chris Sale celebrated his return from the disabled list by striking out 12 over five dominant innings, and the Boston Red Sox moved 50 games over .500 by completing a sweep of the lowly Baltimore Orioles with a 4-1 victory on Sunday.Sale (12-4) was placed on the DL on July 28 with left shoulder inflammation. Judging by his performance, the injury is no longer an issue.The left-hander allowed just one hit, a clean third-inning single to left field by Renato Nunez, and walked none. Craig Kimbrel, the last of five Boston relievers, worked the ninth for his 35th save.Steve Pearce homered for the Red Sox, who have won 10 of 11 to improve to 85-35.Alex Cobb (3-15) took the loss despite allowing only two runs, one earned, over seven innings.YANKEES 7, RANGERS 2NEW YORK (AP) — CC Sabathia threw six shutout innings, Giancarlo Stanton homered again and the Yankees won for the sixth time in seven games.Didi Gregorius also homered and turned in a nifty defensive play for New York.... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Trevor Williams and two relievers combined on a six-hitter, and the Pittsburgh Pirates blanked the San Francisco Giants 4-0 on Saturday night.Josh Bell homered for the second time in three days. Elias Diaz added two hits for the Pirates after coming in as an injury replacement for Francisco Cervelli.The start of the game was delayed for a ceremony honoring home run king Barry Bonds, who became the 10th player in Giants history to have his jersey retired. Several of his former teammates and managers, including Dusty Baker and Jim Leyland, were on hand.Buster Posey and Evan Longoria had two hits apiece for San Francisco. Ty Blach (6-7) allowed four runs over four innings.Williams (10-8) allowed five hits and walked one in seven innings.ROCKIES 3, DODGERS 2DENVER (AP) — Ryan McMahon hit a three-run homer with two out in the ninth inning, lifting Colorado to the win.McMahon's drive off J.T. Chargois (2-4) cleared the right-field wall just above the out-of-town scoreboard.... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Ryan Zimmerman hit two home runs off a shaky Jon Lester and tied a career high with six RBIs, sending the Washington Nationals over the Chicago Cubs 9-4 on Saturday.Zimmerman hit a two-run homer in the first inning and a sacrifice fly to the warning track in the third. He chased Lester with a three-run drive in the fourth that made it 9-1. He is batting .355 (16 for 45) with four homers and 16 RBIs in 14 games since returning from the disabled list last month.Daniel Murphy also homered and had three hits, helping Tanner Roark (7-12) win his fourth straight start.Lester (12-5) was tagged for eight earned runs and 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings. The left-hander is winless in his last five starts for the NL Central leaders, going 0-3 with a 10.32 ERA during that span.Anthony Rizzo got his 1,000th career hit for the Cubs.MARINERS 3, ASTROS 2HOUSTON (AP) — Ryon Healy had three hits and drove in the go-ahead run for Seattle, and Guillermo Heredia made a spectacular catch to preserve... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — Brett Gardner had four hits, homered and drove in three runs to help the New York Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 10-2 Monday night for a doubleheader split.In the opener, Danny Valencia snapped an 0-for-25 skid with a three-run homer off CC Sabathia, and Baltimore ended a six-game losing streak with a 5-4 victory.The split left the Yankees a 4-4 record against Baltimore and dropped them 2½ games behind first-place Boston in the AL East.The first game ended with Gardner grounding out as a pinch hitter with the potential tying run on third base. He returned in the nightcap to torment the Orioles at the plate and in center field, where he made several fine, running catches.Gardner led off with a single off Jefry Ramirez (0-3) and scored on a double by Didi Gregorius. In the fourth, Gardner hit his seventh homer, a two-run drive that made it 3-0.That was enough offense for Luis Cessa (1-1), who allowed three hits over six shutout innings.RED SOX 5, RANGERS 0BOSTON (AP)... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — Brett Gardner had four hits, homered and drove in three runs to help the New York Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 10-2 Monday night for a doubleheader split.In the opener, Danny Valencia snapped an 0-for-25 skid with a three-run homer off CC Sabathia, and Baltimore ended a six-game losing streak with a 5-4 victory.The split left the Yankees a 4-4 record against Baltimore and dropped them 2½ games behind first-place Boston in the AL East.The first game ended with Gardner grounding out as a pinch hitter with the potential tying run on third base. He returned in the nightcap to torment the Orioles at the plate and in center field, where he made several fine, running catches.Gardner led off with a single off Jefry Ramirez (0-3) and scored on a double by Didi Gregorius. In the fourth, Gardner hit his seventh homer, a two-run drive that made it 3-0.That was enough offense for Luis Cessa (1-1), who allowed three hits over six shutout innings.RED SOX 5, RANGERS 0BOSTON (AP)... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Xander Bogaerts hit the first grand slam for Boston since the end of the 2016 season and drove in a career-best six runs to carry the Red Sox to a 10-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday for their seventh straight victory.J.D. Martinez and Rafael Devers homered for Boston, and Rick Porcello (2-0) pitched into the eighth inning.This is just the second time in franchise history that the Red Sox have lost their season opener and won the next seven. The other came in 1904 when Boston captured the AL pennant.The Rays have lost seven straight and are off to their worst start ever after rallying for a win at home over the Red Sox on opening day.Bogaerts hit a two-run double in Boston's four-run first. In the second, his second career slam completely left Fenway Park over the Green Monster and came after Jake Faria (0-1) walked the bases full.PHILLIES 20, MARLINS 1PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Maikel Franco and Aaron Altherr each hit a grand slam and Carlos Santana and Jorge Alfaro also... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Xander Bogaerts hit the first grand slam for Boston since the end of the 2016 season and drove in a career-best six runs to carry the Red Sox to a 10-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday for their seventh straight victory.J.D. Martinez and Rafael Devers homered for Boston, and Rick Porcello (2-0) pitched into the eighth inning.This is just the second time in franchise history that the Red Sox have lost their season opener and won the next seven. The other came in 1904 when Boston captured the AL pennant.The Rays have lost seven straight and are off to their worst start ever after rallying for a win at home over the Red Sox on opening day.Bogaerts hit a two-run double in Boston's four-run first. In the second, his second career slam completely left Fenway Park over the Green Monster and came after Jake Faria (0-1) walked the bases full.PHILLIES 20, MARLINS 1PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Maikel Franco and Aaron Altherr each hit a grand slam and Carlos Santana and Jorge Alfaro also... [More]

C Bryan Holaday shared in the excitement of batterymate LHP Matthew Boyd nearly pitching a no-hit game Sunday. "It's a dream (for catchers) as well," he said. "We do everything for our pitchers. It's maybe even more nerve-wracking on our end. You don't want to do anything (to mess it up)." Holaday and Boyd agreed on the call of the pitch SS Tim Anderson hit for a double with two outs in the ninth. It was a changeup low and away. "The count was 2-0 and we were kind of figuring he was looking for a heater," Holaday said. "He threw a changeup, and it was a good changeup." But Anderson was thinking changeup, and he smacked it for a double.

C Bryan Holaday had a double plus a single Saturday off Cleveland ace Corey Kluber. Holaday's single in the seventh drove in Detroit's first run. Acting manager Gene Lamont noted Holaday is hitting .500 off Kluber over his career and, "That's why I played him."

C Bryan Holaday had his contract purchased Friday by Detroit, bringing him back to the Tigers after he returned to the organization in the spring. Holaday pinch-hit for DH Ian Kinsler in the eighth inning and singled to right. Holaday, 29, hit .269 in 93 games with 12 home runs and 50 RBIs for Triple-A Toledo this season after signing March 31. He was drafted by the Tigers and played with them from 2012-15 before appearing in games with Boston and Texas last season. Several pitchers have credited "Doc" with helping them reach the majors with Detroit this season.

C Bryan Holaday was signed by the Tigers to a minor league contract. Holaday, who previously played for the Tigers from 2012-15, was released earlier this week by the Phillies. Holaday, 29, has a .245 career average in five seasons. He split last season between the Rangers and Red Sox.

The Detroit Tigers placed outfielder J.D. Martinez on the 10-day disabled list on Friday because of his recent foot injury.Martinez sprained his right foot on March 18 and was placed in a walking cast. An examination at Charlotte, N.C., on March 24 determined that he injured the Lisfranc ligament and could miss up to four weeks.Martinez is scheduled to have the cast removed on Monday.Martinez, 29, batted .307 with 22 homers and 68 RBIs last season. He established career highs for homers (38) and RBIs (102) in 2015 when he was a member of the American League All-Star team.Detroit also signed catcher Bryan Holaday to a minor league contract. Holaday, who previously played for the Tigers from 2012-15, was released earlier this week by the Philadelphia Phillies.The 29-year-old Holaday has a .245 career average in five seasons. He split last season between the Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox.

C Bryan Holaday was claimed by the Red Sox off waivers from the Texas Rangers. Holaday batted .238 with two home runs and 13 RBIs in 30 games for the Rangers this season.

C Bryan Holaday was designated for assignment. He had a .238 average in 29 games this year as a Ranger.

C Bryan Holaday was designated for assignment Monday.

C Bryan Holaday began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Round Rock on Tuesday, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. Holaday, who went on the disabled list July 6 with a bruised left thumb, was batting .238 (20-for-84) in 30 games before the injury.

C Bryan Holaday will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday at Triple-A Round Rock. Holaday, who went on the disabled list July 6 with a bruised left thumb, was batting .238 (20-for-84) in 30 games before the injury.

C Bryan Holaday will begin a rehabilitation assignment Tuesday at Triple-A Round Rock.

C Bryan Holaday was placed on the 15-day disabled list with the bruised left thumb. He is batting .238 with two home runs and 13 RBI in 84 at-bats this season.

C Bryan Holaday was placed on the disabled list Wednesday with a bruised left thumb.