HOUSTON (AP) — Justin Verlander got some run support for the first time in nearly a month and led the Houston Astros over the San Francisco Giants 4-1 on Wednesday.Verlander (6-2) struck out nine and walked one in six innings, allowing one run and three hits as his major league-leading ERA rose slightly to 1.08. He had given up just three runs over 29 innings during his previous four starts, but the Astros had scored just three runs in that span, getting shut out twice.Ken Giles pitched the ninth to remain perfect in nine save chances.George Springer hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the fifth on a 93 mph fastball from Jeff Samardzija (1-3), driving the ball off the facade above the left-field seats. Carlos Correa added an RBI single later in the inning.BREWERS 9, DIAMONDBACKS 2MILWAUKEE (AP) — Travis Shaw hit a three-run homer and Jesus Aguilar had a go-ahead, two-run single during a seven-run fourth inning to help Milwaukee send Arizona to its seventh straight loss.Brent Suter (4-3)... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Luke Maile hit two home runs, including a two-run shot in the 12th inning that gave the Toronto Blue Jays a 5-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night.Maile's drive off Boston's Brian Johnson (1-2) improved the Blue Jays to 5-0 in extra innings after they overcame an impressive outing by Red Sox starter Chris Sale.Curtis Granderson walked to begin the 12th before Maile went deep to right. Maile also hit a game-tying homer off Sale in the seventh. It was the first multihomer game of his career.Sale matched his career high by striking out 15 over a season-high nine innings.Sam Gaviglio (1-0), recalled from Triple-A Buffalo earlier Friday, pitched three innings for the win in his Blue Jays debut.METS 3, PHILLIES 1PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Michael Conforto hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning off Philadelphia closer Hector Neris for New York's second win in 10 games.Phillies starter Jake Arrieta allowed five hits over 7 1/3 scoreless innings, and they led 1-0 until Neris... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Luke Maile hit two home runs, including a two-run shot in the 12th inning that gave the Toronto Blue Jays a 5-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night.Maile's drive off Boston's Brian Johnson (1-2) improved the Blue Jays to 5-0 in extra innings after they overcame an impressive outing by Red Sox starter Chris Sale.Curtis Granderson walked to begin the 12th before Maile went deep to right. Maile also hit a game-tying homer off Sale in the seventh. It was the first multihomer game of his career.Sale matched his career high by striking out 15 over a season-high nine innings.Sam Gaviglio (1-0), recalled from Triple-A Buffalo earlier Friday, pitched three innings for the win in his Blue Jays debut.METS 3, PHILLIES 1PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Michael Conforto hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning off Philadelphia closer Hector Neris for New York's second win in 10 games.Phillies starter Jake Arrieta allowed five hits over 7 1/3 scoreless innings, and they led 1-0 until Neris... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Michael Conforto hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning off Phillies closer Hector Neris and the New York Mets rallied to beat Philadelphia 3-1 on Friday night.Phillies starter Jake Arrieta allowed five hits over 7 1/3 scoreless innings, and they led 1-0 until Neris allowed a one-out single, Conforto's third homer and a homer to Devin Mesoraco on the next pitch. It was the second blown save in six days for Neris (1-3), both costing Arrieta a victory.Odubel Herrera extended his on-base streak to 40 games with a first-inning home run for the Phillies, who had won four straight.It was only the Mets' second win in 10 games and came in improbable fashion in their first game since an embarrassing gaffe in Wednesday's loss to Cincinnati in which they batted out of order, squashing a first-inning rally.Jeurys Familia (2-1) worked a perfect ninth for the Mets, who had scored two or fewer runs in seven of their previous nine games.CUBS 11, WHITE SOX 2CHICAGO (AP) — Willson Contreras... [More]

MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) — The San Diego Padres rebounded nicely from Los Angeles' combined no-hitter, using two-run homers by Eric Hosmer and Raffy Lopez to beat the Dodgers 7-4 on Saturday night in the first major league series in Mexico since 1999.A day after the first no-hitter ever outside the U.S. or Canada, Travis Jankowski led off the first with a triple for San Diego's first hit of the series. Hosmer then hit a drive over the wall in right against Kenta Maeda.Lopez's first homer of the season erased a 4-3 Los Angeles lead in the sixth.Kirby Yates got two outs for the win, and Brad Hand worked the ninth for his eighth save.Josh Fields (2-1) allowed Lopez's homer.On Friday night, Walker Buehler and three relievers posted the 12th combined no-hitter in major league history, leading the Dodgers to a 4-0 victory.YANKEES 5, INDIANS 2NEW YORK (AP) — Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor's double error led to a pair of runs in a four-run fifth inning off previously unhittable Trevor Bauer,... [More]

MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) — The San Diego Padres rebounded nicely from Los Angeles' combined no-hitter, using two-run homers by Eric Hosmer and Raffy Lopez to beat the Dodgers 7-4 on Saturday night in the first major league series in Mexico since 1999.A day after the first no-hitter ever outside the U.S. or Canada, Travis Jankowski led off the first with a triple for San Diego's first hit of the series. Hosmer then hit a drive over the wall in right against Kenta Maeda.Lopez's first homer of the season erased a 4-3 Los Angeles lead in the sixth, and Chase Headley and Carlos Asuaje contributed RBI singles in the eighth against Daniel Hudson.Kirby Yates got two outs for the win, and Brad Hand worked the ninth for his eighth save.Josh Fields (2-1) allowed Lopez's homer.On Friday night, Walker Buehler and three relievers posted the 12th combined no-hitter in major league history, leading the Dodgers to a 4-0 victory.YANKEES 5, INDIANS 2NEW YORK (AP) — Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor's double... [More]

MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) — The San Diego Padres rebounded nicely from Los Angeles' combined no-hitter, using two-run homers by Eric Hosmer and Raffy Lopez to beat the Dodgers 7-4 on Saturday night in the first major league series in Mexico since 1999.A day after the first no-hitter ever outside the U.S. or Canada, Travis Jankowski led off the first with a triple for San Diego's first hit of the series. Hosmer then hit a drive over the wall in right against Kenta Maeda.Lopez's first homer of the season erased a 4-3 Los Angeles lead in the sixth, and Chase Headley and Carlos Asuaje contributed RBI singles in the eighth against Daniel Hudson.Kirby Yates got two outs for the win, and Brad Hand worked the ninth for his eighth save.Josh Fields (2-1) allowed Lopez's homer.On Friday night, Walker Buehler and three relievers posted the 12th combined no-hitter in major league history, leading the Dodgers to a 4-0 victory.YANKEES 5, INDIANS 2NEW YORK (AP) — Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor's double... [More]

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Nick Kingham carried a perfect game into the seventh inning in his major league debut to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to their fifth straight win, 5-0 over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.Kingham, a 26-year-old rookie right-hander, retired 20 straight before Paul DeJong singled down the left-field line with two outs in the seventh. He finished with one hit and nine strikeouts on 98 pitches (72 strikes) after being recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis earlier in the day.He joined Johnny Cueto as the only pitchers in the last 100 years with one hit allowed, at least nine strikeouts and zero walks in a debut.Luke Weaver (2-2) took the loss after allowing four runs and six hits with six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.RED SOX 4, RAYS 3BOSTON (AP) — Sandy Leon hit a go-ahead RBI single with two outs in the eighth inning against Tampa Bay closer Alex Colome (2-3), helping the Red Sox snap the Rays' eight-game winning streak.J.D. Martinez had four singles and drove in two runs for... [More]

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Nick Kingham carried a perfect game into the seventh inning in his major league debut to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to their fifth straight win, 5-0 over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.Kingham, a 26-year-old rookie right-hander, retired 20 straight before Paul DeJong singled down the left-field line with two outs in the seventh. He finished with one hit and nine strikeouts on 98 pitches (72 strikes) after being recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis earlier in the day.He joined Johnny Cueto as the only pitchers in the last 100 years with one hit allowed, at least nine strikeouts and zero walks in a debut.Luke Weaver (2-2) took the loss after allowing four runs and six hits with six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.RED SOX 4, RAYS 3BOSTON (AP) — Sandy Leon hit a go-ahead RBI single with two outs in the eighth inning against Tampa Bay closer Alex Colome (2-3), helping the Red Sox snap the Rays' eight-game winning streak.J.D. Martinez had four singles and drove in two runs for... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Another week, another ailment for the increasingly brittle Jacoby Ellsbury.The 34-year-old New York Yankees center fielder has plantar fasciitis, extending a stay on the disabled list that began with an oblique injury and was prolonged when he hurt a hip."It's just trying to get him back to a point here he can start in on baseball activities," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Monday.Ellsbury got hurt early in spring training and has been on the disabled list since the start of the season. He did not play in any exhibition games from March 1 until March 24 because of the oblique injury and finished spring training 1 for 14.While the oblique has healed, Ellsbury received a cortisone injection to a hip on April 10 and New York had hoped he would resume baseball activities last Friday. Then his right heel started hurting."I think he's had it at times in the past. I don't think it's a serious thing," Boone said. "He's just got to get right to be able to start back on baseball... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Another week, another ailment for the increasingly brittle Jacoby Ellsbury.The 34-year-old New York Yankees center fielder has plantar fasciitis, extending a stay on the disabled list that began with an oblique injury and was prolonged when he hurt a hip."It's just trying to get him back to a point here he can start in on baseball activities," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Monday.Ellsbury got hurt early in spring training and has been on the disabled list since the start of the season. He did not play in any exhibition games from March 1 until March 24 because of the oblique injury and finished spring training 1 for 14.While the oblique has healed, Ellsbury received a cortisone injection to a hip on April 10 and New York had hoped he would resume baseball activities last Friday. Then his heel started hurting."I think he's had it at times in the past. I don't think it's a serious thing," Boone said. "He's just got to get right to be able to start back on baseball activities... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Jacoby Ellsbury's latest ailment is plantar fasciitis, preventing the New York Yankees outfielder from fully resuming baseball activities.The 34-year-old center fielder has been on the disabled list since the start of the season. He did not play in any exhibition games from March 1 until March 24 because of an oblique injury and finished spring training 1 for 14.Yankees manager Aaron Boone disclosed April 3 that Ellsbury had injured a hip during his rehabilitation, and Ellsbury received a cortisone injection on April 10. New York had hoped he would resume baseball activities last Friday, but Boone said Monday the heel pain had caused another setback. Boone said the oblique had healed.Ellsbury, a backup outfielder after losing the starting center field job to Aaron Hicks last season, is guaranteed $21,142,857 annually through 2020 as part of a $153 million, seven-year contract that includes a $21 million team option for 2021 with a $5 million buyout.Ellsbury hit .264 with seven homers and 39 RBIs in 112 games last season. He was sidelined from May 24 until June 26 after sustaining a concussion against the outfield wall while making a spectacular catch to rob Kansas City's Alcides Escobar.___More AP baseball coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

CLEVELAND (AP) — Lucas Duda homered off Trevor Bauer for the game's only run and Ian Kennedy pitched six shutout innings, leading the Kansas City Royals to a 1-0 win over the Cleveland Indians on Saturday in frigid, football-like weather conditions.Duda's shot in the seventh off Bauer (0-1) was one of only three hits by Kansas City and a rare highlight as the teams survived nine innings with the temperature hovering around freezing.Kennedy (1-0) allowed four hits, walked none and struck out eight. The right-hander was only in trouble once, but worked out of the sixth-inning jam. Blaine Boyer and Justin Grimm pitched an inning apiece before closer Kelvin Herrera worked a perfect ninth for his second save.The temperature was 34 at gametime, one degree above the coldest start to a game in the 25-year history of Progressive Field. Players on both teams bundled up, with several wearing hoods under their caps to try and stay warm.Bauer matched Kennedy and then some, giving up just three hits... [More]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Yankees outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury hurt a hip in his comeback from an oblique injury, a setback that means Aaron Hicks is likely to return from the disabled list first.New York manager Aaron Boone disclosed Ellsbury's latest malady on Tuesday. The 34-year-old outfielder did not play in any exhibition games from March 1 until March 24 and finished spring training 1 for 14."It's going to cost him a couple days here," Boone said. "Hopefully it's something small and not a big deal and not a huge setback, but shut down for a couple days."Ellsbury is projected as a backup outfielder after losing the starting center field job to Hicks last season. Ellsbury is guaranteed $21,142,857 in each of the next three seasons as part of a $153 million, seven-year contract that includes a $21 million team option for 2021 with a $5 million buyout.He hit .264 with seven homers and 39 RBIs in 112 games last season. He was sidelined from May 24 until June 26 after sustaining a concussion against... [More]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Yankees outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury hurt a hip in his comeback from an oblique injury, a setback that means Aaron Hicks is likely to return from the disabled list first.New York manager Aaron Boone disclosed Ellsbury's latest malady on Tuesday. The 34-year-old outfielder did not play in any exhibition games from March 1 until March 24 and finished spring training 1 for 14."It's going to cost him a couple days here," Boone said. "Hopefully it's something small and not a big deal and not a huge setback, but shut down for a couple days."Ellsbury is projected as a backup outfielder after losing the starting center field job to Hicks last season. Ellsbury is guaranteed $21,142,857 in each of the next three seasons as part of a $153 million, seven-year contract that includes a $21 million team option for 2021 with a $5 million buyout.He hit .264 with seven homers and 39 RBIs in 112 games last season. He was sidelined from May 24 until June 26 after sustaining a concussion against... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez has been on Kansas City Royals teams that were picked to lose 90 games, finish last in the AL Central and struggle so much that a total rebuild would have been apropos.Matter of fact, a lot like this one.But those teams usually exceeded expectations, winning the AL pennant one year and the World Series the next, before starting to backtrack. And the veteran catcher with the quick smile and quicker throw to second base believes the Royals can do the same thing this season.They'll start that chase on opening day against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday."It happens every year. Nobody believes in Kansas City. That's what I saw on my internet, the social (media)," said Perez, who will begin the season on the disabled list after sustaining a freak knee injury while carrying a suitcase up some stairs in his home Tuesday night."We need to come play hard," Perez said, "and see what happens after the last out."The Royals and White Sox both have high hopes,... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez has been on Kansas City Royals teams that were picked to lose 90 games, finish last in the AL Central and struggle so much that a total rebuild would have been apropos.Matter of fact, a lot like this one.But those teams usually exceeded expectations, winning the AL pennant one year and the World Series the next, before starting to backtrack. And the veteran catcher with the quick smile and quicker throw to second base believes the Royals can do the same thing this season.They'll start that chase on opening day against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday."It happens every year. Nobody believes in Kansas City. That's what I saw on my internet, the social (media)," Perez said. "We need to come play hard and see what happens after the last out."The Royals and White Sox both have high hopes, even if nobody else does.Kansas City lost star first baseman Eric Hosmer and outfielder Lorenzo Cain as free agents, and big questions remain elsewhere in the lineup.... [More]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Yankees outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury will start the regular season on the disabled list because of an oblique injury that sidelined him three weeks.Ellsbury, who resumed playing Thursday, will remain at the Yankees' spring training complex when the team leaves Florida on Sunday for its final spring training game Monday at Atlanta."Get him 40, 50 at-bats," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Saturday.The Yankees open the regular season Thursday at Toronto.Ellsbury is projected as a backup outfielder after losing the starting center field job to Aaron Hicks last season.Ellsbury, 34, is guaranteed $21,142,857 in each of the next three seasons as part of a $153 million, seven-year contract that includes a $21 million team option for 2021 with a $5 million buyout.Brett Gardner is the starting left fielder, and Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge will rotate between right field and designated hitter. Stanton also could get time in left when Gardner is rested, especially... [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]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — This was supposed to be the season that the Kansas City Royals, after spending the last half decade in contention, were finally forced to rebuild as their core group of players hit free agency.Turns out half of them came back.With the market soft across the board, the Royals were able to bring back shortstop Alcides Escobar and third baseman Mike Moustakas on club-friendly, short-term deals. So while first baseman Eric Hosmer signed a seven-figure contract with the Padres and outfielder Lorenzo Cain struck it big with the Brewers, the Royals still have enough pieces that they could compete into the summer.If that happens to be the case, all bets are off."We're fortunate that it happened for us the way it did, and that's as simple as I can say it at this point," Royals general manager Dayton Moore said.What if the Royals are far out of the race in July? Well, all those pieces they brought back could become useful trade chips, allowing Kansas City to jumpstart its... [More]