ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Braves capped a most surprising season by clinching their first NL East crown since 2013, with Mike Foltynewicz taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning Saturday in a 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.A year after going 70-92, manager Brian Snitker and his Baby Braves surged back into the playoffs. A loud crowd at SunTrust Park joined the celebration as star Freddie Freeman, rookie Ronald Acuna Jr. and the rest of the Braves reveled.Atlanta makes its first postseason appearance since 2013 on Oct. 4 in the NL Division Series. It has not yet been determined who or where the youth-filled club will play in the best-of-five round.The Braves won their fourth straight game and beat second-place Philadelphia for the third day in a row. The Phillies, who led the division in early August, faded while going 6-14 this month.Foltynewicz (12-10) tipped his cap to a standing ovation as he left with runners on first and second in the eighth with a 4-0 lead.Arodys Vizcaino,... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Braves capped a most surprising season by clinching their first NL East crown since 2013, with Mike Foltynewicz taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning Saturday in a 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.A year after going 70-92, manager Brian Snitker and his Baby Braves surged back into the playoffs. A loud crowd at SunTrust Park joined the celebration as star Freddie Freeman, rookie Ronald Acuna Jr. and the rest of the Braves reveled.Atlanta makes its first postseason appearance since 2013 on Oct. 4 in the NL Division Series. It has not yet been determined who or where the youth-filled club will play in the best-of-five round.The Braves won their fourth straight game and beat second-place Philadelphia for the third day in a row. The Phillies, who led the division in early August, faded while going 6-14 this month.Foltynewicz (12-10) tipped his cap to a standing ovation as he left with runners on first and second in the eighth with a 4-0 lead.Arodys Vizcaino,... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Mike Foltynewicz of the Atlanta Braves has lost his no-hit bid in the seventh inning against the Philadelphia Phillies.Odubel Herrera led off the seventh by lining a clean single up the middle Saturday at SunTrust Park.The Braves lead 4-0, and can clinch their first division title in five years with a win.The longest Foltynewicz has gone without allowing a hit in a game was June 30, 2017 at Oakland when he carried a no-hitter into the ninth and gave up a leadoff homer.__More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

A look at what's happening around the majors today:BRAVES BASH?The Atlanta Braves can clinch their first NL East title since 2013 by beating Philadelphia at SunTrust Park. Sparked by Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ozzie Albies, the Baby Braves moved closer to the division crown with a 6-5 win over the Phillies on Friday night.The Braves are skipping Sean Newcomb's spot, moving up Mike Foltynewicz (11-10, 2.90 ERA) to face Jake Arrieta (10-9, 3.77 ERA). Newcomb has a 7.44 ERA over his last seven starts, endangering his place in the possible playoff rotation after he spent much of the season as one of Atlanta's most effective pitchers. Newcomb will be available out of the bullpen for the remainder of the weekend but could still make another start in the final week of the regular season, according to manager Brian Snitker.BIG NUMBERThe Red Sox go for their 106th win, which would break a team record that's more than a century old. Boston (105-49) beat Cleveland in a matchup of AL division champions to... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Saturday:BRAVES BASH?The Atlanta Braves can clinch their first NL East title since 2013 by beating Philadelphia at SunTrust Park. Sparked by Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ozzie Albies, the Baby Braves moved closer to the division crown with a 6-5 win over the Phillies on Friday night.The Braves are skipping Sean Newcomb's spot, moving up Mike Foltynewicz (11-10, 2.90 ERA) to face Jake Arrieta (10-9, 3.77 ERA). Newcomb has a 7.44 ERA over his last seven starts, endangering his place in the possible playoff rotation after he spent much of the season as one of Atlanta's most effective pitchers. Newcomb will be available out of the bullpen for the remainder of the weekend but could still make another start in the final week of the regular season, according to manager Brian Snitker.BIG NUMBERThe Red Sox go for their 106th win, which would break a team record that's more than a century old. Boston (105-49) beat Cleveland in a matchup of AL division champions... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and his older brother, Yuli, have become the first brothers in major league history to have multihomer games on the same day.Toronto's Lourdes Gurriel homered in the first and fourth innings Friday night in the Blue Jays' 11-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. He also became the first rookie in Blue Jays history to homer in three straight at-bats after hitting a game-tying homer in the ninth inning of Toronto's win on Thursday. Lourdes Gurriel, who has 11 homers this season, is the 14th Toronto player to achieve the feat, the first since Josh Donaldson on Sept. 16-17, 2017.Houston's Yuli Gurriel hit a grand slam in the first inning and added a two-run shot in the third inning of the Astros' 11-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. He has 12 homers this season.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

A look at what's happening around the majors Saturday:WELL PLAYEDDetroit designated hitter Victor Martinez plans to play the final game of his 16-season career when the Tigers host Kansas City. The five-time All-Star announced he will sit out Sunday's series finale, then accompany the team on its final road trip without playing."I feel like I owe it to the fans to have my final at-bats here," said Martinez, who will be honored in a pregame ceremony at Comerica Park.HE'S ALL WRIGHTAdam Wainwright makes his first start for St. Louis since pitching six shutout innings to beat the Dodgers last weekend. The 37-year-old righty has missed most of the season because of elbow trouble. The longtime ace (2-3, 3.72 ERA) is making a bid to re-establish himself in the rotation as the Cardinals push for a playoff spot. Wainwright will be facing the Giants at Busch Stadium.CLINCH TIME?Aaron Judge and the Yankees can clinch their second straight AL wild-card slot if they beat Baltimore and if Tampa Bay loses to Toronto. New York also is trying to stay ahead of the Athletics to host that one-game playoff on Oct. 3.WINDY CITY WEEKENDJon Lester (16-6, 3.43 ERA) will start for the NL Central-leading Cubs when they travel across Chicago to visit the White Sox. Lester is 3-1 with a 2.08 ERA in his last five starts. Lucas Giolito (10-11, 5.77 ERA) is set to pitch for the Chisox.

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell was placed on administrative leave Friday following fresh allegations of domestic violence from his ex-wife.Last year, Melisa Reidy posted a photo on her Instagram account with a caption suggesting her husband of about 18 months had been unfaithful to her. In another post, a user — described by Melisa as a close friend — made the accusation that Russell had "hit" his wife. The post was later deleted. Russell denied the allegation and the two divorced.Late Thursday, a blog post attributed to Reidy contained more detailed allegations, including years of physical and emotional abuse. Less than 12 hours later, Major League Baseball announced Russell had been put on leave under the 2015 domestic violence agreement between management and the players' union."These allegations are completely false," Russell said in a statement put out by the union. "I made that clear to Major League Baseball last year and reiterated it to the Cubs today. I'm... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Texas Rangers fired manager Jeff Banister on Friday after the team stumbled to its first consecutive losing records in 10 years following AL West titles in each of his first two seasons.Texas announced the move with 10 games left in Banister's fourth season, and general manager Jon Daniels said the decision wasn't based on the record."There are times when you're looking for a new voice, and the new voice for the leadership," Daniels said. "Jeff did a very good job for us. Ton of passion and energy and care for everybody involved. ... We just made a decision that a new voice at this point was needed."In a season when the focus turned to the development of their younger players, the Rangers took a 64-88 record into the Friday night's game against Seattle to open the final home series of the year. They had lost four in a row and 11 of 15.Bench coach Don Wakamatsu will serve as interim manager for the remainder of the season, starting with the three-game series against... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Billie Jean King has gone back to her roots in becoming part of the Los Angeles Dodgers' ownership group.The tennis champion first became enamored with the team when it arrived from Brooklyn in 1958. King says she and younger brother Randy Moffitt "grew up bleeding Dodger blue" in Long Beach. Moffitt later pitched in the majors for teams that included the rival San Francisco Giants, or as King puts it "the wrong team."King and her partner Ilana Kloss have taken an undisclosed stake in the Dodgers at the invitation of owner Mark Walter."It's a great thing for the Dodgers," manager Dave Roberts said.Pending approval by the WNBA, King and Kloss are also expected to have an ownership interest along with Walter in the Los Angeles Sparks."We're not allowed to talk about it," King said, referring to her percentage of the Dodgers. "We're all in this together."King said she hopes they "can make a difference that's meaningful and be impactful."She and Kloss met Walter and his wife... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Texas Rangers fired manager Jeff Banister on Friday after the team stumbled to its first consecutive losing records in 10 years after winning AL West titles in each of his first two seasons.Texas announced the move with 10 games left in Banister's fourth season, and general manager Jon Daniels said the decision wasn't based on the record."There are times when you're looking for a new voice, and the new voice for the leadership," Daniels said. "Jeff did a very good job for us. Ton of passion and energy and care for everybody involved, and we just made a decision that a new voice at this point was needed."In a season when the focus turned to the development of their younger players, the Rangers took a 64-88 record into the Friday night's game against Seattle to open the final home series of the year. They had lost four in a row and 11 of 15.Bench coach Don Wakamatsu will serve as interim manager for the remainder of the season, starting with the three-game series... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell was placed on administrative leave Friday following fresh allegations of domestic violence from his ex-wife.Last year, Melisa Reidy posted a photo on her Instagram account with a caption suggesting her husband of about 18 months had been unfaithful to her. In another post, a user — described by Melisa as a close friend — made the accusation that Russell had "hit" his wife. The post was later deleted. Russell denied the allegation and the two divorced.Late Thursday, a blog post attributed to Reidy contained more detailed allegations, including years of physical and emotional abuse. Less than 12 hours later, Major League Baseball announced Russell had been put on leave under the 2015 domestic violence agreement between management and the players' union.Russell can challenge the leave before an arbitrator, and the leave can be extended for additional seven-day periods if the union agrees. He continues to be paid his $3.2 million salary.MLB... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell was placed on administrative leave Friday following fresh allegations of domestic violence from his ex-wife.Last year, Melisa Reidy posted a photo on her Instagram account with a caption suggesting her husband of about 18 months had been unfaithful to her. In another post, a user — described by Melisa as a close friend — made the accusation that Russell had "hit" his wife. The post was later deleted. Russell denied the allegation and the two divorced.Late Thursday, a blog post attributed to Reidy contained more detailed allegations, including years of physical and emotional abuse. Less than 12 hours later, Major League Baseball announced Russell's leave in accordance with the MLB-MLB Players Association domestic violence policy. The Cubs said the leave is for seven days, but could be extended."When the allegations against Addison Russell became public on June 7, 2017, the Commissioner's Office's Department of Investigations immediately... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Texas Rangers fired manager Jeff Banister on Friday after the team stumbled to its first consecutive losing records in 10 years after winning AL West titles in each of his first two seasons.Texas announced the move with 10 games left in Banister's fourth season, with general manager Jon Daniels saying the record was not the reason and that the team needed a "new voice from leadership."In a season when the focus turned to the development of their younger players, the Rangers had a 64-88 record heading into the Friday night's game against Seattle to open the final home series of the year. They had lost four in a row and 11 of 15.Bench coach Don Wakamatsu will serve as interim manager for the remainder of the season, starting with the three-game series against the Mariners. The Rangers will finish the season on the road next week against the Los Angeles Angels and Seattle.Daniels said he informed the 54-year-old Banister of the decision earlier Friday. Banister... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell was placed on administrative leave Friday following fresh allegations of domestic violence from his ex-wife.Last year, Melisa Reidy posted a photo on her Instagram account with a caption suggesting her husband of about 18 months had been unfaithful to her. In another post, a user — described by Melisa as a close friend — made the accusation that Russell had "hit" his wife. The post was later deleted. Russell denied the allegation and the two divorced.Late Thursday, a blog post attributed to Reidy contained more detailed allegations, including years of physical and emotional abuse. Less than 12 hours later, Major League Baseball announced Russell's leave in accordance with the MLB-MLB Players Association domestic violence policy. The Cubs said the leave is for seven days, but could be extended."When the allegations against Addison Russell became public on June 7, 2017, the Commissioner's Office's Department of Investigations immediately... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Texas Rangers fired manager Jeff Banister on Friday after the team stumbled to its first consecutive losing records in 10 years after winning AL West titles in each of his first two seasons.Texas announced the move with 10 games left in Banister's fourth season.In a season when the focus turned to the development of their younger players, the Rangers had a 64-88 record heading into the Friday night's game against Seattle to open the final home series of the year. They had lost four in a row and 11 of 15.Bench coach Don Wakamatsu will serve as interim manager for the remainder of the season, starting with the three-game series against the Mariners. The Rangers will finish the season on the road next week against the Los Angeles Angels and Seattle.General manager Jon Daniels said he informed the 54-year-old Banister of the decision on Thursday, a day off for the team. Banister was under contract through next season."This was not an easy decision and comes after... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell was placed on administrative leave Friday following fresh allegations of domestic violence by his ex-wife.Last year, Melisa Reidy posted a photo on her Instagram account with a caption suggesting her husband of about 18 months had been unfaithful to her. In another post, a user — described by Melisa as a close friend — made the accusation that Russell had "hit" his wife. The post was later deleted. Russell denied the allegation and the two were soon divorced.Late Thursday, a blog post attributed to Reidy contained more detailed allegations, including years of physical and emotional abuse.Less than 12 hours later, Major League Baseball announced Russell's leave in accordance with the MLB-MLB Players Association domestic violence policy."When the allegations against Addison Russell became public on June 7, 2017, the Commissioner's Office's Department of Investigations immediately commenced an investigation," the league said. "Melisa Russell... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell has been placed on administrative leave following fresh allegations of domestic violence by his ex-wife.Last year, Melisa Reidy posted a photo on her Instagram account with a caption suggesting her husband of about 18 months had been unfaithful to her. In another post, a user — described by Melisa as a close friend — made the accusation that Russell had "hit" his wife. The post was later deleted. Russell denied the allegation and the two were soon divorced.Late Thursday, a blog post attributed to Reidy contained more detailed allegations, including years of physical and emotional abuse.Major League Baseball announced Russell's leave Friday in accordance with the MLB-MLB Players Association domestic violence policy. The league said Reidy had declined to cooperate with investigators last year, but new efforts would be made.The Cubs said it supported the decision and would cooperate so any "appropriate action" can be taken.

A look at what's happening around the majors today:BACK ON THE BUMPTrevor Bauer returns to the mound for AL Central champion Cleveland when the Indians host Boston in a potential playoff preview. Bauer has been sidelined with a broken right leg since he was struck by a line drive off the bat of White Sox slugger Jose Abreu on Aug. 11. The right-hander was diagnosed with a stress fracture of his fibula. Indians manager Terry Francona said Bauer will go a "couple of innings" and then throw in the bullpen to increase his pitch count. He will be relieved by rookie Shane Bieber. Francona wants Bauer to make two additional starts during the regular season and be in the playoff rotation. Selected to his first All-Star team this season, Bauer is 12-6 with a 2.22 ERA in 25 starts. Red Sox ace Chris Sale (12-4, 1.92 ERA), also rebuilding arm strength following an injury, is expected to throw about 65 pitches.CLOSE TO RETURNINGDetroit's Niko Goodrum (quad) and third baseman Jeimer Candelario (back)... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Luke Voit and the New York Yankees set two home run records with one swing of the bat.The brawny first baseman hit a two-run shot to straightaway center field in the second inning Thursday night against Boston, giving the Yankees a major league-record 12 players with at least 10 home runs this season."It's pretty cool," Voit said. "That's kind of a cool stat to be a part of."Voit's homer also was the 246th for New York this year, breaking the franchise mark set in 2012. The Bronx Bombers ended the night with 247, including Giancarlo Stanton's seventh career grand slam in the fourth.The long balls weren't enough, though, as the Red Sox clinched their third consecutive AL East title with an 11-6 victory over the second-place Yankees."Up and down their lineup they just outslugged us a little bit," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.New York is on pace for 262 home runs — which would be two short of the big league record established by the 1997 Seattle Mariners.Voit, who also... [More]