ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 3 of the World Series (all times local): 9:24 p.m. Austin Barnes’ two RBIs in Game 4 have looked very different. After dropping down a squeeze bunt to bring home a run in the fourth inning, the Dodgers’ nine-hitter launched a solo homer in the sixth, stretching Los Angeles’ lead to 6-1. It was the first home run of the postseason and second all year for LA’s backup catcher. The only other player with a run-scoring sacrifice bunt and a homer in a World Series game is the Yankees’ Hector Lopez in Game 5 of the 1961 Series against Cincinnati, according to MLB.com. Mookie Betts followed with a single and stole second base, his second of the game and fourth of the World Series. He was stranded there. Barnes was primarily added to the lineup because of what he can do behind the plate with ace Walker Buehler. That plan has worked out, too. Buehler has cruised through six innings of three-hit ball. He struck out three in the bottom of the sixth and has... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 3 of the World Series (all times local): 8:56 p.m. The Rays finally broke through against Walker Buehler, with Manuel Margot and Willy Adames hitting doubles in the fifth inning that cut the Dodgers’ lead to 5-1. Buehler had been in complete control until then, striking out five through four hitless innings. But Margot pulled a hard grounder down the left field line with one out and Adames delivered with two outs. That was the first run Buehler has permitted in the World Series play. In his only previous outing, he threw seven shutout innings against Boston in Game 3 in 2018. Charlie Morton’s run as an October ace ended in the early innings, and he was pulled after a one-out walk to Max Muncy in the fifth. The Rays had hoped to get a few more outs from Morton to preserve their bullpen. ___ 8:26 p.m. Walker Buehler dazzled through four hitless innings, and the Los Angeles Dodgers had a 5-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays heading into the fifth inning... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 3 of the World Series (all times local): 8:05 p.m. Justin Turner sparked the Dodgers again for two more runs off Charlie Morton, and Los Angeles leads Tampa Bay 3-0 through three innings. After Morton hit Corey Seager on the toe with a pitch, Turner drove a double down the left-field line. Both came around to score on Max Muncy’s single. Turner also hit a solo homer in the first. Turner passed Steve Garvey earlier this month for most hits (now 75) in Dodgers postseason history and has the most RBIs (40). He entered the game batting .216 this postseason, but he has extra-base hits in three straight at-bats, including a double in the eighth inning of Game 2. Morton’s three runs allowed matches a postseason career high in his 13th appearance. The 37-year-old has quietly been one of the best postseason pitchers ever with a 2.84 ERA. The Rays got their first baserunner against Walker Buehler in the bottom of the inning when Kevin Kiermaier walked, but... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 3 of the World Series (all times local): 7:40 p.m. Los Angeles ace Walker Buehler is cruising through two perfect innings in Game 3 of the World Series against Tampa Bay. Buehler pushed his strikeout streak to four straight batters, getting Ji-Man Choi looking on a 98 mph fastball and Manuel Margot swinging at 99. Joey Wendle flew out to left to end the inning. Of the 22 pitches Buehler has thrown, 18 have been for strikes. The Dodgers lead 1-0 on Justin Turner’s first-inning home run. Tampa Bay starter Charlie Morton settled down with a 1-2-3 second after allowing Turner’s shot and a single in the first. Cody Bellinger flew out on the first pitch, Chris Taylor struck out and Joc Pederson grounded a slow roller to second. ___ 7:25 p.m. Justin Turner put the Los Angeles Dodgers ahead 1-0 in the first inning, homering on Charlie Morton’s 14th pitch. After taking a curveball with a 1-1 count for a strike with two outs, Turner turned on a high 94.8... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 3 of the World Series (all times local): 7:25 p.m. Justin Turner put the Los Angeles Dodgers ahead 1-0 in the first inning, homering on Charlie Morton’s 14th pitch. After taking a curveball with a 1-1 count for a strike with two outs, Turner turned on a high 94.8 mph fastball and drove it 397 feet over the left-field wall. Turner’s home run, the Dodgers’ team record 24th this season, was his 11th postseason home run over 69 games with the Dodgers from 2014 to 2020. That tied the team record set by Duke Snider over 36 games with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from 1954 to 1959. Max Muncy singled with two outs but was stranded when Morton struck out Will Smith. Dodgers ace Walker Buehler struck out two in a perfect bottom of the first that required 11 pitches, half Morton’s total. ___ 7:10 p.m. The Los Angeles Dodgers are the visiting team for Game 3 of the World Series, and batting first. Los Angeles, which had the best record in the majors... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 3 of the World Series (all times local): 6:25 p.m. The roof is closed for Game 3 of the World Series after it cooled down significantly in Texas. That could also affect how many runs are scored. It is the first time in 13 postseason games that the roof has not been open at the new $1.2 billion Globe Life Field — and the Los Angels Dodgers have played in all of them. The Tampa Bay Rays played their American League series in San Diego. An average of 10.42 runs have been scored in the postseason games in Arlington, including 21 total runs in the first two World Series games. The roof was closed for 24 of the 30 regular-season home games the Texas Rangers played in their new ballpark this year. An average of 8.21 runs per game were scored with the roof closed, down from 11.83 runs a game when open. Major League Baseball decided earlier in the day to close the roof because of the forecast for cooler temperatures, a wind chill and the possibility of... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Andrew Friedman isn’t quite torn. The Dodgers’ president of baseball operations since October 2014, he helped build Los Angeles into a power that reached the World Series for the third time in four seasons. He had been Tampa Bay’s executive vice president of baseball operations since 2006, building a team that reached the World Series in 2008 and overseeing the acquisition of Kevin Kiermaier, Blake Snell and Diego Castillo and a staff with many holdovers still in place. With the Dodgers, he oversaw the acquisition of Mookie Betts and Brusdar Graterol, the drafting of Walker Buehler and the signing of A.J. Pollock, Max Muncy and Blake Treinen. "It kind of hit me today waking up and processing all the text messages and questions about it,” Friedman said Monday, a day before the Dodgers and Rays face each other in the World Series opener. “It’s definitely surreal. Some of my best friends in life are there. And we joked when I left the team that we were going to meet... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Andrew Friedman isn’t quite torn. The Dodgers’ president of baseball operations since October 2014, he helped build Los Angeles into a power that reached the World Series for the third time in four seasons. He had been Tampa Bay’s executive vice president of baseball operations since 2006, building a team that reached the World Series in 2008, overseeing the acquisition of Kevin Kiermaier, Blake Snell and Diego Castillo and a staff with many holdovers still in place. With the Dodgers, he oversaw the acquisition of Mookie Betts and Brusdar Graterol, the drafting of Walker Buehler and the signing of A.J. Pollock, Max Muncy and Blake Treinen. "It kind of hit me today waking up and processing all the text messages and questions about it,” Friedman said Monday, a day before the Dodgers and Rays face each other in the World Series opener. “It’s definitely surreal. Some of my best friends in life are there. And we joked when I left the team that we were going to meet up... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Lance Lynn pitched seven strong innings, Elvis Andrus homered and the Texas Rangers snapped a six-game losing streak with a 7-1 win Tuesday night over the Los Angeles Angels, who had won five in a row.Lynn (5-2), the first major league pitcher to make 10 starts this season, struck out six, walked two and limited the Angels to one run on four hits. The right-hander had lost his previous two starts, allowing 10 runs (nine earned) — more than he had allowed combined his first seven starts. Andrus put the Rangers ahead to stay with a solo shot in the second. They went ahead 3-0 with two unearned runs in the fourth on second baseman Matt Thaiss’ two-out error. Andrew Heaney (3-3) allowed five runs (three earned) in five innings. He struck out four and walked one. Heaney had won his last two starts and had pitched 10 consecutive scoreless innings before Andrus went deep. The lefty also gave up five runs (over 3 2-3 innings) in his first start at the Rangers’ new ballpark... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — It didn’t take Jake Cronenworth long to start making an impression in the big leagues.The rookie with the San Diego Padres doubled in his first big league at-bat, hit his first homer in his sixth game and put on such a fielding clinic at first base during the second full week of the season that A.J. Pollock of the Los Angeles Dodgers said he was “just trying not to hit it to that Cronenworth guy” when he delivered a go-ahead hit against San Diego. On Aug. 26, Cronenworth’s grand slam against Houston made “Slam Diego" the first team in big league history to hit five in six games. Earlier that week, they became the first team to hit a grand slam in four straight games.Life in the majors came at Cronenworth fast and he responded so well that he was named NL Rookie of the Month. He’s gone from being an intriguing two-way prospect who came over with Tommy Pham in an offseason trade with Tampa Bay to being the leading contender for NL Rookie of the Year.“It’s pretty tough to... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Matt Thaiss scored on Michael Hermosillo’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the 10th inning, and the Los Angeles Angels snapped their three-game skid with a 5-4 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday night.Jason Castro delivered a tying RBI double in the ninth for the Angels, who improved the majors’ worst record to 3-6 despite blowing a two-run lead in the ninth.David Fletcher hit a leadoff single in the 10th off Nivaldo Rodriguez (0-1), sending Thaiss to third. After the Astros walked Anthony Rendon to load the bases, Thaiss scored on Josh Reddick’s inaccurate throw from medium right field.Angels reliever Noé Ramirez got two outs in the 10th, and Ryan Buchter (2-0) struck out Abraham Toro with the bases loaded in a rare bright moment for the Halos’ struggling relievers.ORIOLES 5, RAYS 4, 11 inningsBALTIMORE (AP) — Pinch-hitter Pat Valaika singled in the winning run in the 11th inning, and Baltimore handed Tampa Bay its fourth straight loss.Newcomer Brian Holaday... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Matt Thaiss scored on Michael Hermosillo’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the 10th inning, and the Los Angeles Angels snapped their three-game skid with a 5-4 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday night.Jason Castro delivered a tying RBI double in the ninth for the Angels, who improved the majors’ worst record to 3-6 despite blowing a two-run lead in the ninth.David Fletcher hit a leadoff single in the 10th off Nivaldo Rodriguez (0-1), sending Thaiss to third. After the Astros walked Anthony Rendon to load the bases, Thaiss scored on Josh Reddick’s inaccurate throw from medium right field.Angels reliever Noé Ramirez got two outs in the 10th, and Ryan Buchter (2-0) struck out Abraham Toro with the bases loaded in a rare bright moment for the Halos’ struggling relievers.ORIOLES 5, RAYS 4, 11 inningsBALTIMORE (AP) — Pinch-hitter Pat Valaika singled in the winning run in the 11th inning, and Baltimore handed Tampa Bay its fourth straight loss.Newcomer Brian Holaday... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Matt Thaiss scored on Michael Hermosillo’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the 10th inning, and the Los Angeles Angels snapped their three-game skid with a 5-4 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday night.Jason Castro delivered a tying RBI double in the ninth for the Angels, who improved the majors’ worst record to 3-6 despite blowing a two-run lead in the ninth.David Fletcher hit a leadoff single in the 10th off Nivaldo Rodriguez (0-1), sending Thaiss to third. After the Astros walked Anthony Rendon to load the bases, Thaiss scored on Josh Reddick’s inaccurate throw from medium right field.Angels reliever Noé Ramirez got two outs in the 10th, and Ryan Buchter (2-0) struck out Abraham Toro with the bases loaded in a rare bright moment for the Halos’ struggling relievers.YANKEES 5, RED SOX 2NEW YORK (AP) — Gio Urshela hit his first big league grand slam, Aaron Judge homered for a career-high fourth straight game and New York won its fifth straight.Nick Nelson (1-0)... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland’s Shane Bieber tied the major league record for strikeouts in a pitcher’s first two starts of the season, punching out 13 Minnesota Twins over eight innings in the Indians’ 2-0 victory on Thursday night.Bieber (2-0) fanned 14 over six scoreless innings on Friday against Kansas City. His 27 strikeouts in the two games matched the record set by Karl Spooner of the Brooklyn Dodgers in September 1954 during the first two starts of his short career.Facing a Twins team that came in with the second-best run differential in baseball, Bieber allowed three singles in his eight innings.Francisco Lindor supplied all the offense Cleveland needed with a two-run homer in the third inning off Jose Berríos (0-1). After Jose Ramirez singled with two outs, Berrios left an 0-2 pitch up over the plate, and Lindor drove it over the fence in right for his second homer of the season.YANKEES 8, ORIOLES 6BALTIMORE (AP) — Aaron Judge hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning after New York... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland’s Shane Bieber tied the major league record for strikeouts in a pitcher’s first two starts of the season, punching out 13 Minnesota Twins over eight innings in the Indians’ 2-0 victory on Thursday night.Bieber (2-0) fanned 14 over six scoreless innings on Friday against Kansas City. His 27 strikeouts in the two games matched the record set by Karl Spooner of the Brooklyn Dodgers in September 1954 during the first two starts of his short career.Facing a Twins team that came in with the second-best run differential in baseball, Bieber allowed three singles in his eight innings.Francisco Lindor supplied all the offense Cleveland needed with a two-run homer in the third inning off Jose Berríos (0-1). After Jose Ramirez singled with two outs, Berrios left an 0-2 pitch up over the plate, and Lindor drove it over the fence in right for his second homer of the season.YANKEES 8, ORIOLES 6BALTIMORE (AP) — Aaron Judge hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning after New York... [More]

The minute word leaked that the designated hitter was coming to the National League this season, fans and front offices alike began pinpointing the perfect candidates.Kyle Schwarber ... Ryan Braun ... Jay Bruce. And several others.Whether it be an aging slugger returning from injury or a younger hitter who’s not so good with the glove, nearly every NL team has a player who fits the profile: dangerous stick, suspect defense. A natural choice to bat for the pitcher and not play the field. Suddenly there’s an ideal spot in the starting lineup available to those guys, now that the DH has spread beyond the American League under new rules adopted for a postponed season shortened to 60 games because of the coronavirus.It all starts without fans on hand Thursday night in Washington, where the World Series champion Nationals host the New York Yankees. Probably with Eric Thames or Howie Kendrick becoming the first designated hitter for an NL squad playing a regular-season game in its home ballpark.“I... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers were eager to show off $100 million worth of stadium renovations to fans and a national audience at the All-Star Game this summer. Turns out, it appears only players are going to see the changes up close this season because of the coronavirus pandemic, which will keep the public out of the ballpark for at least the early portion of a 60-game schedule that begins July 23. The Dodgers won't host the All-Star festivities until 2022.The black tarp that served as the backdrop in center field is gone, replaced by a new center field plaza that may take some getting used to for hitters.First baseman Max Muncy was hit by a pitch on his left ring finger during the team's intrasquad game Tuesday. “I couldn’t really see the ball,” he said Wednesday on a video conference call. “I’m trying to adjust to some of the changes out there.”Muncy said he’ll stop swinging a bat while his finger heals, but he expects to be ready for opening day.The new batter's eye has... [More]

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — NL MVP Cody Bellinger was scratched from the Los Angeles Dodgers' starting lineup on Monday for a spring training game against the Cincinnati Reds.The outfielder took part in a charity event on Sunday night at a Topgolf facility in Scottsdale, and a video showed him hitting a long drive off a tee.Golf swings aren’t believed to be the reason for his injury, according to manager Dave Roberts.With the Dodgers off Tuesday and playing a night game Wednesday, Roberts isn't rushing to get Bellinger back to action. “We'll see how he responds. But it's not imperative that he plays in that night game, either,” Roberts said after the Dodgers lost 6-2 to the Reds.Bellinger is 4 for 13 with two doubles.He had been scheduled to play center field and bat fourth. Instead the Dodgers moved A.J. Pollock from left to center field and inserted Matt Beaty in left field for the spring training debut of left-hander David Price, who was acquired from Boston along with outfielder Mookie Betts.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — NL MVP Cody Bellinger was scratched from the Los Angeles Dodgers' starting lineup on Monday for a spring training game against the Cincinnati Reds.The outfielder took part in a charity event on Sunday night at a Topgolf facility in Scottsdale, and a video showed him hitting a long drive off a tee.Golf swings aren’t believed to be the reason for his injury, according to manager Dave Roberts.With the Dodgers on an off-day Tuesday and playing a night game Wednesday, Roberts isn't rushing to get Bellinger back to action. “We'll see how he responds. But it's not imperative that he plays in that night game, either,” Roberts said after the Dodgers played the Reds 6-2Bellinger is 4 for 13 with two doubles.He had been scheduled to play center field and bat fourth. Instead the Dodgers moved A.J. Pollock from left to center field and inserted Matt Beaty in left field for the spring training debut of left-hander David Price, who was acquired from Boston along with outfielder Mookie Betts.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — NL MVP Cody Bellinger was scratched from the Los Angeles Dodgers' starting lineup on Monday for a spring training game against the Cincinnati Reds.The outfielder took part in a charity event on Sunday night at a Topgolf facility in Scottsdale, and a video showed him hitting a long drive off a tee.Golf swings aren’t believed to be the reason for his injury, according to manager Dave Roberts.Bellinger is 4 for 13 with two doubles.He had been scheduled to play center field and bat fourth. Instead the Dodgers moved A.J. Pollock from left to center field and inserted Matt Beaty in left field for the spring training debut of left-hander David Price, who was acquired from Boston along with outfielder Mookie Betts.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports