BOSTON (AP) — J.D. Martinez hit his 41st home run and the Boston Red Sox moved closer to winning the AL East title, completing a three-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays with a 4-3 victory Thursday night.Xander Bogaerts scored the go-ahead run on an eighth-inning error after the Blue Jays rallied in the top half with two runs to tie it 3-all.Rafael Devers also homered for the major league-leading Red Sox (101-46). They pulled 10 1/2 games ahead of the idle New York Yankees and decreased their magic number to six for clinching a third straight division crown. Boston is the only team in the majors that's already locked up a playoff berth.Brandon Workman (5-0) faced one batter, ending Toronto's eighth-inning rally, and got the win. Craig Kimbrel earned his 40th save. Danny Barnes (3-3) took the loss.Lourdes Gurriel Jr. homered for the Blue Jays.ROCKIES 10, DIAMONDBACKS 3DENVER (AP) — Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story homered, Kyle Freeland pitched effectively into the seventh, and Colorado beat... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Michael Conforto and Todd Frazier hit back-to-back homers with two outs in the ninth inning, and the New York Mets stunned the Miami Marlins 4-3 on Thursday in the first game of a doubleheader.Conforto drove in three more runs in the second game, and Jason Vargas pitched six effective innings to help the Mets win 5-2.In the opener, Kyle Barraclough entered with one out in the ninth and retired pinch-hitter Dominic Smith before Conforto lined a 1-0 changeup into the second deck in right to tie it. Frazier then hit a 1-1 pitch to left center field for his first walk-off homer since June 2015 for Cincinnati.Barraclough (0-6) blew a save for the seventh time in 17 opportunities. Jerry Blevins (3-2) pitched a scoreless ninth for the win.Rookie starter Sandy Alcantara befuddled the Mets, permitting just two hits, with his only real blemish coming off the bat of the opposing pitcher. Steven Matz hit his first career homer, a two-run shot in the second inning to tie it at 2. Peter... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Michael Conforto and Todd Frazier hit back-to-back homers with two outs in the ninth inning, and the New York Mets stunned the Miami Marlins 4-3 on Thursday in the first game of a doubleheader.Kyle Barraclough entered with one out in the ninth and retired pinch-hitter Dominic Smith before Conforto lined a 1-0 changeup into the second deck in right to tie it. Frazier then hit a 1-1 pitch to left center field for his first walk-off homer since June 2015 for Cincinnati.Barraclough (0-6) blew a save for the seventh time in 17 opportunities.Jerry Blevins (3-2) pitched a scoreless ninth for the win.Rookie starter Sandy Alcantara befuddled the Mets offense, permitting just two hits, with his only real blemish coming off the bat of the opposing pitcher. Steven Matz hit his first career homer, a two-run shot into the left-field seats in the second inning to tie it at 2.Peter O'Brien and Isaac Galloway went deep in the top of the second against Matz.ROCKIES 10, DIAMONDBACKS 3DENVER... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Clay Buchholz was scratched from Thursday's start because of tightness in his right arm.Matt Koch started in his place.Buchholz, who signed a minor league deal with Arizona on May 4, is 7-2 with a 2.01 ERA. He is 5-1 with a 1.66 ERA in nine starts since returning from the disabled list on July 24.Koch made his 12th start of the season, but left after allowing four runs and eight hits in three innings.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

A look at what's happening around the majors today:GETAWAY DAYWith both teams chasing an NL West title, the Diamondbacks and Rockies wrap up their pivotal four-game series. Colorado leads the division by 1½ games over the Dodgers, while Arizona is 3½ back. Clay Buchholz (7-2, 2.01 ERA) makes his first career start at Coors Field against Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland (14-7, 2.91), who is 8-2 at home this season. Colorado won 5-4 Wednesday night on DJ LeMahieu's two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning off Yoshihisa Hirano. It was LeMahieu's first career walk-off homer. "Just a great moment," he said. "That was awesome."NO DAYS OFFClinging to a one-game lead in the NL Central, the Cubs have a one-day pit stop in Washington to make up Sunday's rainout. They're not happy about breaking up their homestand and losing a scheduled day off, because it means going 30 straight days without one. "Playing 30 consecutive days is the difficult part," manager Joe Maddon said. "For me, I don't... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Thursday:GETAWAY DAYWith both teams chasing an NL West title, the Diamondbacks and Rockies wrap up their pivotal four-game series. Colorado leads the division by 1½ games over the Dodgers, while Arizona is 3½ back. Clay Buchholz (7-2, 2.01 ERA) makes his first career start at Coors Field against Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland (14-7, 2.91), who is 8-2 at home this season. Colorado won 5-4 Wednesday night on DJ LeMahieu's two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning off Yoshihisa Hirano. It was LeMahieu's first career walk-off homer. "Just a great moment," he said. "That was awesome."NO DAYS OFFClinging to a one-game lead in the NL Central, the Cubs have a one-day pit stop in Washington to make up Sunday's rainout. They're not happy about breaking up their homestand and losing a scheduled day off, because it means going 30 straight days without one. "Playing 30 consecutive days is the difficult part," manager Joe Maddon said. "For me, I don't... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:THE SHO GOES ONShohei Ohtani doesn't need two good elbows to help the Angels. Doctors this week recommended the two-way rookie sensation have Tommy John surgery on his right pitching elbow, but Ohtani has been crushing it at the plate, hitting four homers in his past three games. Ohtani has 19 home runs and leads all rookies with a .579 slugging percentage, and he says he'll keep hitting through the end of the season before deciding whether to have surgery that would keep him off the mound until 2020. The Angels will face White Sox veteran James Shields.NEW BREWGio Gonzalez is set to make his first start with the Brewers against the Giants. The left-hander was acquired from the Nationals a week ago. He had lost three of his final four starts with Washington while posting an 8.71 ERA, but Milwaukee is hoping he can help the team's postseason push.BUCK UPClay Buchholz's resurgent season keeps getting better, a trend Arizona hopes he extends... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Saturday:THE SHO GOES ONShohei Ohtani doesn't need two good elbows to help the Angels. Doctors this week recommended the two-way rookie sensation have Tommy John surgery on his right pitching elbow, but Ohtani has been crushing it at the plate, hitting four homers in his past three games. Ohtani has 19 home runs and leads all rookies with a .579 slugging percentage, and he says he'll keep hitting through the end of the season before deciding whether to have surgery that would keep him off the mound until 2020. The Angels will face White Sox veteran James Shields.NEW BREWGio Gonzalez is set to make his first start with the Brewers against the Giants. The left-hander was acquired from the Nationals a week ago. He had lost three of his final four starts with Washington while posting an 8.71 ERA, but Milwaukee is hoping he can help the team's postseason push.BUCK UPClay Buchholz's resurgent season keeps getting better, a trend Arizona hopes he extends... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — The young Clay Buchholz used the scouting report merely as a suggestion.He glanced at it, made a couple of mental notes, but basically threw whatever pitch was working or felt right in the situation. His stuff was that good.The veteran Clay Buchholz relies on the scouting report much more. His stuff not quite as electric, the right-hander has to use his mind and his arm to get hitters out.It's certainly working. Following a series of injury-plagued seasons, Buchholz has used a more targeted approach to revitalize his career and become a key cog in the Arizona Diamondbacks' push to a second straight playoff appearance."I try to pitch to hitters' weaknesses a lot more than I used to," Buchholz said. "I've gotten a lot better at knowing what part of the scouting report I can (use) and what I can do with it, rather than taking it all in and forgetting some of it and being unsure. I have a lot of other eyes on the whole scenario for me, too."Buchholz has arguably been Arizona's... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Paul DeJong hit a go-ahead, two-run homer off Kenley Jansen in the ninth inning, lifting the St. Louis Cardinals to a 3-1 victory and a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night.The Cardinals' eighth straight road win helped them improve to 17-4 this month, the most wins in the majors. They've homered in 15 straight games, one off the current season mark of 16 in a row by Philadelphia.St. Louis remained 2½ games behind the NL Central-leading Cubs.For Jansen, it was a familiar ending.The All-Star closer, who became a father for the third time earlier in the day, gave up consecutive homers to Jedd Gyorko and Matt Carpenter in the series opener Monday. That was Jansen's first game back after missing time because of an irregular heartbeat.This time, Gyorko singled off Jansen (0-5) and DeJong followed with a drive to left-center to give the Cardinals their first lead.Jordan Hicks struck out Cody Bellinger, Brian Dozier and Chris Taylor to earn his fifth... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Colorado snapped Ronald Acuna Jr.'s home run streak and Atlanta's five-game winning streak, rallying for three unearned runs in the ninth inning to beat the Braves 5-3 on Thursday night.David Dahl homered in the third and capped the winning rally with a two-out, two-run single off Brad Brach (1-3). The Rockies took advantage of an error by shortstop Danby Swanson leading off the ninth to win for the fifth time in six games.One night after being plunked in the left arm by Miami's Jose Urena, Acuna was back in the lineup looking to extend his homer streak to six games. Wearing a red protective guard, the 20-year-old slugger received a standing ovation his first time up and lined the second pitch — one more than he saw the previous game — into center field for a single, extending his hitting streak to nine games.That was the highlight of his night. Acuna finished 1 for 4, lining out to right in the eighth in his last chance to become the first player in Braves franchise history... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Colorado snapped Ronald Acuna Jr.'s home run streak and Atlanta's five-game winning streak, rallying for three unearned runs in the ninth inning to beat the Braves 5-3 on Thursday night.David Dahl homered in the third and capped the winning rally with a two-out, two-run single off Brad Brach (1-3). The Rockies took advantage of an error by shortstop Danby Swanson leading off the ninth to win for the fifth time in six games.One night after being plunked in the left arm by Miami's Jose Urena, Acuna was back in the lineup looking to extend his homer streak to six games. Wearing a red protective guard, the 20-year-old slugger received a standing ovation his first time up and lined the second pitch — one more than he saw the previous game — into center field for a single, extending his hitting streak to nine games.That was the highlight of his night. Acuna finished 1 for 4, lining out to right in the eighth in his last chance to become the first player in Braves franchise history... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Ronald Guzman became the first rookie to hit three home runs in a game against the Yankees, powering the Texas Rangers past New York 12-7 on Friday night.Eight days after Boston's Steve Pearce connected three times off the Yankees, Guzman duplicated the feat in ending New York's four-game winning streak.Guzman grounded out his first time up, then hit solo home runs in three straight at-bats. The 23-year-old first baseman batted again in the eighth with a chance to tie the big league record for homers in a game — no rookie has ever hit four — but struck out swinging against Chad Green.Guzman's two homers off Masahiro Tanaka (9-3) and one off A.J. Cole made him the first Texas player to hit three home runs in a game since Adrian Beltre in 2012.Overall, Guzman has 12 home runs this season, six against the Yankees.Beltre also joined in the fun with his seventh homer of the season, tying recent Hall of Fame inductee Chipper Jones for the 33rd spot on baseball's career list with... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Ronald Guzman became the first rookie to hit three home runs in a game against the Yankees, powering the Texas Rangers past New York 12-7 on Friday night.Eight days after Boston's Steve Pearce connected three times off the Yankees, Guzman duplicated the feat in ending New York's four-game winning streak.Guzman grounded out his first time up, then hit solo home runs in three straight at-bats. The 23-year-old first baseman batted again in the eighth with a chance to tie the big league record for homers in a game — no rookie has ever hit four — but struck out swinging against Chad Green.Guzman's two homers off Masahiro Tanaka (9-3) and one off A.J. Cole made him the first Texas player to hit three home runs in a game since Adrian Beltre in 2012.Overall, Guzman has 12 home runs this season, six against the Yankees.Beltre also joined in the fun with his seventh homer of the season, tying recent Hall of Fame inductee Chipper Jones for the 33rd spot on baseball's career list with... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Ronald Guzman became the first rookie to hit three home runs in a game against the Yankees, powering the Texas Rangers past New York 12-7 on Friday night.Eight days after Boston's Steve Pearce connected three times off the Yankees, Guzman duplicated the feat in ending New York's four-game winning streak.Guzman grounded out his first time up, then hit solo home runs in three straight at-bats. The 23-year-old first baseman batted again in the eighth with a chance to tie the big league record for homers in a game — no rookie has ever hit four — but struck out swinging against Chad Green.Guzman's two homers off Masahiro Tanaka (9-3) and one off A.J. Cole made him the first Texas player to hit three home runs in a game since Adrian Beltre in 2012.Overall, Guzman has 12 home runs this season, six against the Yankees.Beltre also joined in the fun with his seventh homer of the season, tying recent Hall of Fame inductee Chipper Jones for the 33rd spot on baseball's career list with... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Jason Heyward broke up a no-hitter with a tying two-run single in the sixth inning, Anthony Rizzo drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh and the Chicago Cubs beat the Washington Nationals 3-2 on Friday.In the first meeting between the teams since Chicago beat Washington in the NL Division Series, the Cubs won even though they didn't get a hit against Nationals starter Jeremy Hellickson.Rizzo walked three times. Manager Joe Maddon got ejected, but the Cubs pulled out the victory.Hellickson was sailing along, retiring 17 in a row after issuing a leadoff walk to Rizzo in the first. But things took a wild turn with two out in the sixth.He walked Rizzo on 13 pitches and both Javier Baez and Ben Zobrist on four to load the bases. Heyward took two balls from Sammy Solis (1-2) before lining the tying single past second baseman Daniel Murphy.Chicago took a 3-2 lead in the seventh after Maddon got tossed for arguing an interference call against Willson Contreras on the bases.Kyle... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Corey Kluber pitched a three-hitter for his first shutout this season and new arrival Leonys Martin homered again as the Cleveland Indians beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-0 Saturday night.After the game, there was a report that Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia is expected to step down at the end of this season. The report by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic cited unidentified major league sources.The 59-year-old Scioscia is the longest-tenured manager in the majors and has guided the Angels since 2000. They are 55-57 this year.Kluber (14-6) matched zeros for five innings with Felix Pena (1-3), who carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before Martin led off with a homer. Martin has two homers in three games since coming to Cleveland in a trade with Detroit.The Angels were again without All-Star outfielder Mike Trout, who missed his third straight game with a sore right wrist.ASTROS 14, DODGERS 0LOS ANGELES (AP) — Josh Reddick's three-run homer highlighted Houston's... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Corey Kluber pitched a three-hitter for his first shutout this season and new arrival Leonys Martin homered again as the Cleveland Indians beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-0 Saturday night.After the game, there was a report that Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia is expected to step down at the end of this season. The report by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic cited unidentified major league sources.The 59-year-old Scioscia is the longest-tenured manager in the majors and has guided the Angels since 2000. They are 55-57 this year.Kluber (14-6) matched zeros for five innings with Felix Pena (1-3), who carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before Martin led off with a homer. Martin has two homers in three games since coming to Cleveland in a trade with Detroit.The Angels were again without All-Star outfielder Mike Trout, who missed his third straight game with a sore right wrist.REDS 7, NATIONALS 1, 1ST GAMENATIONALS 6, REDS 2, 2ND GAMEWASHINGTON (AP) — Nationals slugger... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Sean Newcomb came within one strike of pitching the first no-hitter by the Atlanta Braves since 1994, denied when Chris Taylor sharply singled in a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.Newcomb had a 2-2 count with two outs in the ninth inning when Taylor hit a hard grounder beyond the reach of diving third baseman Johan Camargo. That came on the career-high 134th and final pitch by the 25-year-old lefty.Newcomb (10-5) left to a thunderous standing ovation from the sellout crowd at SunTrust Park as manager Brian Snitker removed him. Snitker took the ball and gave it back to Newcomb as a keepsake — instead, Newcomb simply tossed it toward the Atlanta dugout as he walked off, wanting no souvenir of the near-miss.Newcomb apologized about an hour after the game for racist, homophobic and sexist tweets he sent as a teenager, calling them "some stupid stuff."Ross Stripling (8-3) was subpar in his second straight start, allowing four runs, seven hits and one walk with five... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Sean Newcomb came within one strike of pitching the first no-hitter by the Atlanta Braves since 1994, denied when Chris Taylor sharply singled in a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.Newcomb had a 2-2 count with two outs in the ninth inning when Taylor hit a hard grounder beyond the reach of diving third baseman Johan Camargo. That came on the career-high 134th and final pitch by the 25-year-old lefty.Newcomb (10-5) left to a thunderous standing ovation from the sellout crowd at SunTrust Park as manager Brian Snitker removed him. Snitker took the ball and gave it back to Newcomb as a keepsake — instead, Newcomb simply tossed it toward the Atlanta dugout as he walked off, wanting no souvenir of the near-miss.Newcomb apologized about an hour after the game for racist, homophobic and sexist tweets he sent as a teenager, calling them "some stupid stuff."Ross Stripling (8-3) was subpar in his second straight start, allowing four runs, seven hits and one walk with five... [More]