WASHINGTON (AP) — Brandon Crawford went 4 for 4 with a two-run homer, and the San Francisco Giants dealt Max Scherzer his first loss in more than two months, defeating the Washington Nationals 2-0 on Sunday.After Pablo Sandoval walked leading off the fourth, Crawford homered into the second deck in right for his eighth of the season. He singled in the first and doubled in the sixth and eighth innings. Since May 1, Crawford is hitting an MLB-best .439 (58-for-132) and has raised his average to .338.Scherzer (10-2) had won nine straight decisions since his last loss on April 4. He allowed two runs and four hits while striking out nine over seven innings.Derek Holland (4-6), a 10-year veteran facing Washington for the first time, allowed three hits and two walks in five innings as five pitchers combined for the three-hitter. Hunter Strickland pitched the ninth for his 13th save.PADRES 3, MARLINS 1MIAMI (AP) — Clayton Richard became the latest pitcher to flirt with the first no-hitter in San... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Brandon Crawford went 4 for 4 with a two-run homer, and the San Francisco Giants dealt Max Scherzer his first loss in more than two months, defeating the Washington Nationals 2-0 on Sunday.After Pablo Sandoval walked leading off the fourth, Crawford homered into the second deck in right for his eighth of the season. He singled in the first and doubled in the sixth and eighth innings. Since May 1, Crawford is hitting an MLB-best .439 (58-for-132) and has raised his average to .338.Scherzer (10-2) had won nine straight decisions since his last loss on April 4. He allowed two runs and four hits while striking out nine over seven innings.Derek Holland (4-6), a 10-year veteran facing Washington for the first time, allowed three hits and two walks in five innings as five pitchers combined for the three-hitter. Hunter Strickland pitched the ninth for his 13th save.METS 2, YANKEES 0NEW YORK (AP) — Seth Lugo (2-1) pitched six dominant innings in a stellar spot start, Todd Frazier... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Jon Lester combined with two relievers on a one-hitter, and the Cubs took advantage of a first-inning slip by center fielder Starling Marte in a 2-0 victory Saturday over the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago's 11th win in 13 games.Lester (7-2) allowed a two-out triple in the third to Austin Meadows, then retired Starling Marte on a groundout. Lester struck out five and walked two in seven innings, improving to 5-1 in his past six starts.Justin Wilson and Steve Cishek each pitched a perfect inning. Cishek got his second save as the Cubs remained a half-game behind NL Central-leading Milwaukee.Nick Kingham (2-3) allowed both runs and four hits in 6 1/3 innings. Pittsburgh lost for the sixth time in seven games and is 5-16 following a 26-17 start, losing seven straight series.YANKEES 4, METS 3NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge hit a tiebreaking drive in the eighth inning and the Yankees won a game of home run derby, beating the Mets for their sixth straight victory in the Subway Series.Rookies... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Jon Lester combined with two relievers on a one-hitter, and the Cubs took advantage of a first-inning slip by center fielder Starling Marte in a 2-0 victory Saturday over the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago's 11th win in 13 games.Lester (7-2) allowed a two-out triple in the third to Austin Meadows, then retired Starling Marte on a groundout. Lester struck out five and walked two in seven innings, improving to 5-1 in his past six starts.Justin Wilson and Steve Cishek each pitched a perfect inning. Cishek got his second save as the Cubs remained a half-game behind NL Central-leading Milwaukee.Nick Kingham (2-3) allowed both runs and four hits in 6 1/3 innings. Pittsburgh lost for the sixth time in seven games and is 5-16 following a 26-17 start, losing seven straight series.YANKEES 4, METS 3NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge hit a tiebreaking drive in the eighth inning and the Yankees won a game of home run derby, beating the Mets for their sixth straight victory in the Subway Series.Rookies... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets have activated third baseman Todd Frazier and reliever Anthony Swarzak from the disabled list.The Mets made the moves before playing Baltimore on Tuesday night. Frazier was in the starting lineup, batting fourth.Frazier was hitting .237 with five home runs and 21 RBIs. He had been on the disabled list since May 8 with a strained left hamstring.Swarzak was 0-0 with a 3.86 ERA in two games for the Mets. The righty had been on the DL since April 1 with a strained left oblique.The Mets also optioned right-hander Gerson Bautista to Triple-A Las Vegas and designated lefty Buddy Baumann for assignment.Bautista was 0-1 with a 12.46 ERA in five games. Baumann went 0-2 with a 27.00 ERA in four games for the Mets and San Diego.

A look at what's happening around baseball today:TEST OF THE CHAMPIONAfter wrapping up a series at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night, Jose Altuve and the World Series champion Astros return home to face another 2017 playoff opponent in Boston. Including a four-game series at Cleveland last weekend, that makes three straight foes for Houston that participated in last year's postseason. Lance McCullers Jr. (6-3, 3.98 ERA) starts the opener of a four-game set against Red Sox lefty Drew Pomeranz (1-2, 6.75 ERA).BACK ON THE MOUNDDodgers ace Clayton Kershaw is scheduled to return to the rotation at home against the Philadelphia Phillies. The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner has been on the disabled list for nearly a month with left biceps tendinitis. He is 1-4 with a 2.86 ERA this season. Aaron Nola (6-2, 2.27 ERA) pitches for the Phillies.BEASTS OF THE NL EASTThe Nationals and Braves, in a tight race with the Phillies for the top spot in the NL East, begin a four-game series in Atlanta. Tanner... [More]

A look at what's happening around baseball Thursday:TEST OF THE CHAMPIONAfter wrapping up a series at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night, Jose Altuve and the World Series champion Astros return home to face another 2017 playoff opponent in Boston. Including a four-game series at Cleveland last weekend, that makes three straight foes for Houston that participated in last year's postseason. Lance McCullers Jr. (6-3, 3.98 ERA) starts the opener of a four-game set against Red Sox lefty Drew Pomeranz (1-2, 6.75 ERA).BACK ON THE MOUNDDodgers ace Clayton Kershaw is scheduled to return to the rotation at home against the Philadelphia Phillies. The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner has been on the disabled list for nearly a month with left biceps tendinitis. He is 1-4 with a 2.86 ERA this season. Aaron Nola (6-2, 2.27 ERA) pitches for the Phillies.BEASTS OF THE NL EASTThe Nationals and Braves, in a tight race with the Phillies for the top spot in the NL East, begin a four-game series in Atlanta.... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — The New York Mets have been reeling, and first-year manager Mickey Callaway is looking for a way out.Almost nothing has gone right since New York won its fourth straight game on May 21. It began Wednesday's game against the Atlanta Braves having lost seven of nine and in danger of falling under .500 for the first time this season."We've hit rock bottom the last few days and we have to come out of it," Callaway said.The bullpen is 1-5 with an 8.51 ERA in its last six games. New York has 11 players on the disabled list, including sluggers Yoenis Cespedes and Todd Frazier, reliever Anthony Swarzak and catcher Travis d'Arnaud.The Mets believe they dodged a couple of major injuries Tuesday when ace Noah Syndergaard was placed on the DL with a strained ligament in his right index finger and Steven Matz left his start in the fourth inning with a mild strain in his left middle finger.But so much has gone wrong that Callaway is wondering what might happen next. Just in the last three... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — On another day of injuries in another season filled with them, the New York Mets were trying to put their finger on the latest problem.A pair of finger injuries sent Noah Syndergaard to the disabled list and knocked Steven Matz out of his start against the Atlanta Braves after just three innings Tuesday.Syndergaard was placed on the 10-day DL before the game with a sore right index finger, though the Mets are hopeful the right-hander will only miss one start.Then, in an almost surreal development for the injury-plagued team, Matz exited with discomfort in the middle finger of his left hand. Leading 4-0, he went out to warm up for the fourth inning but suddenly stopped throwing and began looking at his pitching hand.New York manager Mickey Callaway and a trainer popped out of the dugout to examine Matz. The pitcher flexed the finger a bit before heading slowly to the dugout, his night over after just 42 pitches. He allowed only one hit, walked two and struck out two.Three... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — On the same day the Mets put new reliever Anthony Swarzak on the disabled list, All-Star outfielder Michael Conforto sounded confident about returning to the lineup in a matter of days.Swarzak was placed on the 10-day DL after straining a muscle on his left side in his second appearance with New York. The team recalled right-hander Hansel Robles from Triple-A Las Vegas before Tuesday night's game against Philadelphia."It's really frustrating," Swarzak said.Swarzak left Saturday's game against St. Louis and was later sent for an MRI. He went on the DL retroactive to Sunday and expects to miss a significant stretch of time."A few weeks, from what I understand, is the best-case scenario," he said.The 32-year-old right-hander was the biggest offseason addition to a bullpen the Mets hope will be much-improved this season. The right-hander signed a $14 million, two-year contract after going 6-4 with a 2.33 ERA and 91 strikeouts over 77 1/3 innings in 70 combined games last year... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Mets reliever Anthony Swarzak has been placed on the 10-day disabled list after straining a muscle on his left side in his second appearance with New York.The team recalled right-hander Hansel Robles from Triple-A Las Vegas before Tuesday night's game against Philadelphia.Swarzak left Saturday's game against St. Louis and was later sent for an MRI. He was put on the DL retroactive to Sunday and expects to miss at least a few weeks.The 32-year-old right-hander was the biggest offseason addition to a bullpen the Mets hope will be much-improved this season. The right-hander signed a $14 million, two-year contract after going 6-4 with a 2.33 ERA and 91 strikeouts over 77 1/3 innings in 70 combined games last year with the White Sox and Brewers.He has given up one run and struck out three in 2 1/3 innings with New York.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — Seth Lugo is set to take a spin in the New York Mets' rotation from the get-go.The team announced Sunday that Lugo, reliever Jacob Rhame and utilityman Phillip Evans will be making their first appearances on opening day, each part of the 25-man roster when the Mets host the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday."I'm so excited," said the 25-year-old Evans, who briefly played for the Mets last season. "Being around these veteran guys that I grew up watching has been very special to me. Being able to help this team win will be extremely exciting."Evans's versatility will be his biggest attribute. The longtime infielder played six positions in camp, and he hit .261 with a pair of homers.Evans played in the outfield and also donned the catcher's gear for the first time in his career, giving the Mets an emergency option behind regular backstops Travis d'Arnaud and Kevin Plawecki.Mets manager Mickey Callaway said the strong play of Evans made the possibility of a seven-man... [More]

Capsules of National League East teams, listed in order of finish last year:___Washington Nationals2017: 97-65, first place, lost to Cubs in NLDS.Manager: Dave Martinez (first season).He's Here: 1B-OF Matt Adams, C Miguel Montero, RHP Jeremy Hellickson, RHP Joaquin Benoit, INF Matt Reynolds.He's Outta Here: Manager Dusty Baker, LF Jayson Werth, 1B-LF Adam Lind, C Jose Lobaton, RHP Matt Albers.Projected Lineup: SS Trea Turner (.284, 11 HRs, 45 RBIs, 46 SBs in 98 games), LF Adam Eaton (.297, 2, 13 in 23 games), RF Bryce Harper (.319, 29, 87), 3B Anthony Rendon (.301, 25, 100, 41 2Bs), 2B Daniel Murphy (.322, 23, 93, 43 2Bs; expected to begin season on DL recovering from knee surgery), 1B Ryan Zimmerman (.303, 36, 108, 33 2Bs), CF Michael A. Taylor (.271, 19, 53), C Matt Wieters (.225, 10, 52).Rotation: RH Max Scherzer (16-6, 2.51 ERA, NL-high 268 Ks, 200 2/3 IP, 3rd Cy Young Award), RH Stephen Strasburg (15-4, 2.52, 204 Ks), LH Gio Gonzalez (15-9, 2.96, 79 walks), RH Tanner Roark (13-11,... [More]

Capsules of National League East teams, listed in order of finish last year:___Washington Nationals2017: 97-65, first place, lost to Cubs in NLDS.Manager: Dave Martinez (first season).He's Here: 1B-OF Matt Adams, C Miguel Montero, RHP Jeremy Hellickson, RHP Joaquin Benoit, INF Matt Reynolds.He's Outta Here: Manager Dusty Baker, LF Jayson Werth, 1B-LF Adam Lind, C Jose Lobaton, RHP Matt Albers.Projected Lineup: SS Trea Turner (.284, 11 HRs, 45 RBIs, 46 SBs in 98 games), LF Adam Eaton (.297, 2, 13 in 23 games), RF Bryce Harper (.319, 29, 87), 3B Anthony Rendon (.301, 25, 100, 41 2Bs), 2B Daniel Murphy (.322, 23, 93, 43 2Bs; expected to begin season on DL recovering from knee surgery), 1B Ryan Zimmerman (.303, 36, 108, 33 2Bs), CF Michael A. Taylor (.271, 19, 53), C Matt Wieters (.225, 10, 52).Rotation: RH Max Scherzer (16-6, 2.51 ERA, NL-high 268 Ks, 200 2/3 IP, 3rd Cy Young Award), RH Stephen Strasburg (15-4, 2.52, 204 Ks), LH Gio Gonzalez (15-9, 2.96, 79 walks), RH Tanner Roark (13-11,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — From the start of spring training in Florida, their lockers were lined up all in a row at one end of the rectangular clubhouse.Left to right: Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Steven Matz, Zack Wheeler.The dream rotation for the New York Mets — if only their health would cooperate.More than a month later, with opening day in sight, those five prized pitchers were still feeling good and the Mets finally had a chance to roll out that entire quintet together for the very first time.Wheeler, however, failed to do his part. After compiling an 8.10 ERA and giving up 22 hits in 10 Grapefruit League innings, he was optioned to minor league camp Saturday and will begin the season at Triple-A Las Vegas.Seth Lugo is likely to open as the team's No. 5 starter.Still, four out of five ain't bad — and Lugo has chops, too. So after hiring rookie manager Mickey Callaway and spending nearly $90 million to fill holes in free agency, New York (with fingers crossed) is counting on... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — From the start of spring training in Florida, their lockers were lined up all in a row at one end of the rectangular clubhouse.Left to right: Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Steven Matz, Zack Wheeler.The dream rotation for the New York Mets — if only their health would cooperate.More than a month later, with opening day in sight, those five prized pitchers are still feeling good and the Mets finally have a chance to roll out that entire quintet together for the very first time.After hiring rookie manager Mickey Callaway and spending nearly $90 million to fill holes in free agency, New York (with fingers crossed) is counting on its homegrown power arms to lead the way this season."All of us are All-Star capable," Wheeler said.Harvey, Matz and Wheeler struggled on the mound last year during their latest injury-stunted seasons, so they must rediscover the nasty stuff that looked so promising when they first arrived in the majors.At the top of the rotation, Syndergaard... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — From the start of spring training in Florida, their lockers were lined up all in a row at one end of the rectangular clubhouse.Left to right: Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Steven Matz, Zack Wheeler.The dream rotation for the New York Mets — if only their health would cooperate.More than a month later, with opening day in sight, those five prized pitchers are still feeling good and the Mets finally have a chance to roll out that entire quintet together for the very first time.After hiring rookie manager Mickey Callaway and spending nearly $90 million to fill holes in free agency, New York (with fingers crossed) is counting on its homegrown power arms to lead the way this season."All of us are All-Star capable," Wheeler said.Harvey, Matz and Wheeler struggled on the mound last year during their latest injury-stunted seasons, so they must rediscover the nasty stuff that looked so promising when they first arrived in the majors.At the top of the rotation, Syndergaard... [More]

Capsules of National League East teams, listed in order of finish last year:___Washington Nationals2017: 97-65, first place, lost to Cubs in NLDS.Manager: Dave Martinez (first season).He's Here: 1B-OF Matt Adams, C Miguel Montero, RHP Jeremy Hellickson, RHP Joaquin Benoit, INF Matt Reynolds.He's Outta Here: Manager Dusty Baker, LF Jayson Werth, 1B-LF Adam Lind, C Jose Lobaton, RHP Matt Albers.Projected Lineup: SS Trea Turner (.284, 11 HRs, 45 RBIs, 46 SBs in 98 games), LF Adam Eaton (.297, 2, 13 in 23 games), RF Bryce Harper (.319, 29, 87), 3B Anthony Rendon (.301, 25, 100, 41 2Bs), 2B Daniel Murphy (.322, 23, 93, 43 2Bs, expected to begin season on DL recovering from knee surgery), 1B Ryan Zimmerman (.303, 36, 108, 33 2Bs), CF Michael A. Taylor (.271, 19, 53), C Matt Wieters (.225, 10, 52).Rotation: RH Max Scherzer (16-6, 2.51 ERA, NL-high 268 Ks, 200 2/3 IP, 3rd Cy Young Award), RH Stephen Strasburg (15-4, 2.52, 204 Ks), LH Gio Gonzalez (15-9, 2.96, 79 walks), RH Tanner Roark (13-11,... [More]

Capsules of American League Central teams, listed in order of finish last year:___Cleveland Indians2017: 102-60, first place, lost to Yankees in ALDS.Manager: Terry Francona (sixth season).He's Here: 1B-DH Yonder Alonso, LF Rajai Davis, RHP Alexi Ogando.He's Outta Here: 1B Carlos Santana, OF Jay Bruce, RHP Bryan Shaw, RHP Joe Smith, OF Austin Jackson, LHP Boone Logan.Projected Lineup: SS Francisco Lindor (.273, 33 HRs, 89 RBIs, 44 2Bs, 15 SBs, 10 errors), 2B Jason Kipnis (.232, 12 HRs, 35 RBIs in 90 games), 3B Jose Ramirez (.318, 29, 83, AL-leading 56 2Bs), DH Edwin Encarnacion (.258, 38, 107), 1B Yonder Alonso (.266, career-high 28 HRs, 67 RBIs with Athletics and Mariners), RF Lonnie Chisenhall (.288, 12, 53 in 82 games), C Roberto Perez (.207, 8, 38, club went 44-22 in his starts) or Yan Gomes (.232, 14, 56), CF Bradley Zimmer (.241, 8, 39, 18 SBs, 0 errors), LF Michael Brantley (.299, 9, 52 in 90 games) or Rajai Davis (.235, 5, 20, 29 SBs with Oakland and Boston).Rotation: RH Corey Kluber... [More]

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — Even before Steven Matz had a shaky spring training debut, it had been another bumpy day for the New York Mets.Eager to put last season's rash of injuries behind them, the Mets have instead been slowed by various ailments this month under new manager Mickey Callaway.The Mets said Tuesday that slugging outfielder Yoenis Cespedes was out of action because of mild shoulder soreness. The team also said ace Jacob deGrom was feeling stiffness in his lower back.Then in the third inning against Houston, reliever Anthony Swarzak, who signed a two-year contract with the Mets in December, left the field with two outs after covering first base and committing an error on a soft toss from Adrian Gonzalez.Swarzak's short sprint — his second of the inning to cover the bag — resulted in a left calf strain. The right-hander will have an MRI on Wednesday."I just felt something grab a little bit in my calf. I continued to run and walked off the field, some good signs. It wasn't... [More]