ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Victor Caratini is a no-no catcher. When hometown pitcher Joe Musgrove threw the first no-hitter for the San Diego Padres in their franchise history, Caratini became the first MLB catcher to be behind the plate for consecutive no-hitters in the league for different teams. “He was the first one to embrace me,” Musgrove said of Caratini. “And it just felt good. I know he wanted that as bad as I did.” While Musgrove had never thrown a no-hitter at any level, Caratini was on the receiving end last Sept. 13 when Alec Mills threw one for the Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee. The offseason acquisitions by the Padres got one together Friday night in a 3-0 win against the Rangers in Texas. “Just super happy. I think it’s pretty rare to find yourself in those situations,” Caratini said Saturday through a translator. “Joe had everything working, had all of his pitches working. It’s really awesome. Really happy to be a part of it, really happy for him, and really happy for the team... [More]

A team-by-team look at the National League West entering spring training, including key players each club acquired and lost, and dates of the first workout for pitchers and catchers, and the full squad:___Los Angeles DodgersManager: Dave Roberts (fourth season).2018: 92-71, first place, lost to Boston in World Series.Training Town: Glendale, Arizona.Park: Camelback Ranch.First Workout: Feb. 13/19.He's Here: CF A.J. Pollock, RHP Joe Kelly, C Russell Martin, RHP Homer Bailey, 3B Justin Yorchak, LHP Adam McCreery, RHP Jaime Schultz.He's Outta Here: SS Manny Machado, OF Matt Kemp, OF Yasiel Puig, C Yasmani Grandal, LHP Alex Wood, 2B Brian Dozier, RHP Ryan Madson, C Kyle Farmer, 2B Chase Utley, RHP John Axford, RHP Daniel Hudson, LHP-RHP Pat Venditte.Going campin': The Dodgers arrive at camp with unfinished business yet again, having lost in the World Series for the second straight year. They won their sixth consecutive NL West title and second straight NL pennant only to fall short in seven... [More]

A team-by-team look at the National League West entering spring training, including key players each club acquired and lost, and dates of the first workout for pitchers and catchers, and the full squad:___Los Angeles DodgersManager: Dave Roberts (fourth season).2018: 92-71, first place, lost to Boston in World Series.Training Town: Glendale, Arizona.Park: Camelback Ranch.First Workout: Feb. 13/19.He's Here: CF A.J. Pollock, RHP Joe Kelly, C Russell Martin, RHP Homer Bailey, 3B Justin Yorchak, LHP Adam McCreery, RHP Jaime Schultz.He's Outta Here: SS Manny Machado, OF Matt Kemp, OF Yasiel Puig, C Yasmani Grandal, LHP Alex Wood, 2B Brian Dozier, RHP Ryan Madson, C Kyle Farmer, 2B Chase Utley, RHP John Axford, RHP Daniel Hudson, LHP-RHP Pat Venditte.Going campin': The Dodgers arrive at camp with unfinished business yet again, having lost in the World Series for the second straight year. They won their sixth consecutive NL West title and second straight NL pennant only to fall short in seven... [More]

A team-by-team look at the National League West entering spring training, including key players each club acquired and lost, and dates of the first workout for pitchers and catchers, and the full squad:___Los Angeles DodgersManager: Dave Roberts (fourth season).2018: 92-71, first place, lost to Boston in World Series.Training Town: Glendale, Arizona.Park: Camelback Ranch.First Workout: Feb. 13/19.He's Here: CF A.J. Pollock, RHP Joe Kelly, C Russell Martin, RHP Homer Bailey, 3B Justin Yorchak, LHP Adam McCreery, RHP Jaime Schultz.He's Outta Here: SS Manny Machado, OF Matt Kemp, OF Yasiel Puig, C Yasmani Grandal, LHP Alex Wood, 2B Brian Dozier, RHP Ryan Madson, C Kyle Farmer, 2B Chase Utley, RHP John Axford, RHP Daniel Hudson, LHP-RHP Pat Venditte.Going campin': The Dodgers arrive at camp with unfinished business yet again, having lost in the World Series for the second straight year. They won their sixth consecutive NL West title and second straight NL pennant only to fall short in seven... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Steve Pearce homered three times, the second a three-run drive in an eight-run fourth inning as the Boston Red Sox rallied from an early deficit to beat the New York Yankees 15-7 on Thursday night and take a season-high 6½-game lead in the AL East.In the opener of a four-game series that gave New York the potential to erase most of its division deficit, the Red Sox instead opened a bigger gap, taking advantage of manager Aaron Boone's decision to pull starter CC Sabathia after three innings with a 4-2 lead. Jonathan Holder (1-2) faced seven batters and did not record an out.Mookie Betts had four hits and two walks, reaching safely all six times he came to the plate. Pearce, J.D. Martinez, Ian Kinsler and Andrew Benintendi had three hits apiece for Boston.Didi Grigorius homered twice, Aaron Hicks hit one and Giancarlo Stanton got his 25th of the season for the Yankees, who have lost just twice in the past week but dropped two games in the division.Brian Johnson (2-3), making... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Steve Pearce homered three times, the second a three-run drive in an eight-run fourth inning as the Boston Red Sox rallied from an early deficit to beat the New York Yankees 15-7 on Thursday night and take a season-high 6½-game lead in the AL East.In the opener of a four-game series that gave New York the potential to erase most of its division deficit, the Red Sox instead opened a bigger gap, taking advantage of manager Aaron Boone's decision to pull starter CC Sabathia after three innings with a 4-2 lead. Jonathan Holder (1-2) faced seven batters and did not record an out.Mookie Betts had four hits and two walks, reaching safely all six times he came to the plate. Pearce, J.D. Martinez, Ian Kinsler and Andrew Benintendi had three hits apiece for Boston.Didi Grigorius homered twice, Aaron Hicks hit one and Giancarlo Stanton got his 25th of the season for the Yankees, who have lost just twice in the past week but dropped two games in the division.Brian Johnson (2-3), making... [More]

C A.J. Ellis hit a two-run homer in Miami's three-run fourth. It was his sixth homer of the season and second in his past three games. The other was Sept. 20 against the New York Mets. Ellis, who also doubled home a run in the ninth, had a season-high three RBIs, his most since Sept. 17, 2016 against Miami while playing for the Philadelphia Phillies.

C A.J. Ellis, a backup not known for his offense, hit his third homer of the season. Two of those shots have come against the Giants, and that continues a trend. Ellis has six career homers against the Giants. The only team he has victimized more often has been the Colorado Rockies, with eight homers.

C A.J. Ellis hit a rare home run on Sunday afternoon at Cincinnati, belting his second homer of the season on a 3-1 pitch from Reds rookie right-hander Sal Romano. His only other home run this season came on July 9. In 64 games last season, Ellis hit two homers.

C A.J. Ellis went 2-for-3 with the game-winning RBI in the seventh inning against Arizona on Sunday. Ellis is hitting just .209, but the Marlins are 8-3 when he starts. On his game-winning single, Ellis fouled off 10 pitches. His hit came on the 14th pitch of the at-bat, a 100-mph fastball by reliever Archie Bradley.

C A.J. Ellis got another win on Sunday. Although Ellis is only batting .136 and went 1-for-4 with a run scored on Sunday, the Marlins are 4-1 when he starts, and his pitchers have a 3.00 ERA when throwing to him. Starting catcher J.T. Realmuto is a much better offensive player and is hitting .342. But the Marlins are just 7-11 when Realmuto starts. Furthermore, Miami pitchers have a 4.68 ERA when throwing to Realmuto.

C A.J. Ellis (hamstring) appears likely to return by Opening Day.

C A.J. Ellis hit his first home run as a Phillie Friday night. It was also his home home run since April 23 at Colorado, a span of 136 plate appearances. Of his 37 career homers, six have plated three or more runners.

Phillies C A.J. Ellis, who was acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers last Thursday, delivered a tie-breaking two-run double in the seventh inning of his debut with the club Sunday, a 5-3 victory over the New York Mets. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he is only the second major league player this season to deliver a game-winning RBI in the seventh inning or later in his first game for a team. The other was Washington 2B Daniel Murphy, who accomplished the feat on Opening Day in a 10-inning victory at Atlanta.

C A.J. Ellis made his first hit with the Phillies a big one on Sunday, when he laced a tie-breaking two-run double in the seventh inning of a 5-1 win over the Mets. Ellis, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday in a trade that sent longtime Phillies C Carlos Ruiz to the Dodgers, finished 1-for-4 in his debut with the Phillies. It was the first game he has played for an organization other than the Dodgers, who selected him in the 13th round of the 2003 draft. Ellis is expected to get about the same amount of playing time as Ruiz received. Overall this season, Ellis is batting .196 with one homer and 15 RBIs in 54 games this season.

C A.J. Ellis was activated by the Phillies on Saturday, when he did not play in a 12-1 loss to the Mets. Ellis was activated two days after he was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the trade that sent longtime Phillies C Carlos Ruiz to Los Angeles. Manager Pete Mackanin said Ellis, who caught two bullpen sessions on Saturday, would make his Phillies debut by starting behind the plate on Sunday. Mackanin said he expected Ellis to receive about the same amount of playing time Ruiz earned prior to the trade. Ellis, who spent his entire nine-year career with the Dodgers, is batting .194 with one homer and 13 RBIs in 53 games this season.

C A.J. Ellis was activated Saturday. Ellis, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday, is expected to start Sunday.

C A.J. Ellis was traded by the Dodgers to the Phillies for C Carlos Ruiz. Ellis, who is batting .194 with one home run and 13 RBIs, heads to Philly along with minor league RHP Tommy Bergjans and a player to be named later or cash considerations. Ellis played in 544 games for the Dodgers from 2008-16, becoming a full-time player in 2012 and posting his best numbers that year, a .270 average with 13 homers and 52 RBIs. He hit .237 with 36 homers and 161 RBIs in his Dodger career. In the postseason, Ellis batted .365 average in 17 games.

LOS ANGELES -- In a move that shook up the Los Angeles Dodgers' clubhouse, popular backup A.J. Ellis was dealt to the Philadelphia Phillies for fellow catcher Carlos Ruiz on Thursday."Obviously, it was tough decision on a personal level," Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said. "We felt like from a baseball standpoint, Carlos fit our team extremely well. I could go on and on about A.J. and his attributes and what he brings to a team. And if Carlos didn't possess similar things, we wouldn't have made the move."Ellis was known as one of the leaders in the Dodgers' locker room despite limited playing time this year behind starter Yasmani Grandal. Ellis also is a close friend of Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw."Shocked. Quiet," Ellis said of Kershaw's reaction upon hearing the news, according to MLB.com. Kershaw did not speak with the media about the trade. "The shock kind of hit us both simultaneously and we both cried."Ruiz, 37, helped lead the Phillies to a World Series... [More]

C A.J. Ellis stole his first career base (537th game) in the fourth inning. Maile scooted into the outfield and allowed OF Joc Pederson to score from third.