BOSTON (AP) — Adam Duvall hit three home runs a night after teammate Marcell Ozuna become the first NL player ever to hit three homers in Fenway Park, and the East-leading Atlanta Braves beat the stumbling Boston Red Sox 7-5 Wednesday night to complete a three-game sweep. Duvall hit a pair of two-run shots over the Green Monster and a solo blast to center for his five RBIs. Ozuna added a long, tiebreaking solo drive for the Braves, who entered the three-game set 0-12-3 in their last 15 series against the Red Sox.It was Atlanta’s first sweep in Boston since capturing a three-game set in 2002. Freddie Freeman had two hits to extend his hitting streak to 16 games.Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a solo homer and J.D. Martinez had two hits and two RBIs for the Red Sox.Ozuna’s drive also cleared the Monster, sailing over a billboard and completely out of Fenway against Andrew Triggs (0-2) in the seventh. Duvall’s third homer hit off a back wall near the bleachers after his second homer had tied it at... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Adam Duvall hit three home runs a night after teammate Marcell Ozuna become the first NL player ever to hit three homers in Fenway Park, and the East-leading Atlanta Braves beat the stumbling Boston Red Sox 7-5 Wednesday night to complete a three-game sweep. Duvall hit a pair of two-run shots over the Green Monster and a solo blast to center for his five RBIs. Ozuna added a long, tiebreaking solo drive for the Braves, who entered the three-game set 0-12-3 in their last 15 series against the Red Sox.It was Atlanta’s first sweep in Boston since capturing a three-game set in 2002. Freddie Freeman had two hits to extend his hitting streak to 16 games.Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a solo homer and J.D. Martinez had two hits and two RBIs for the Red Sox.Ozuna’s drive also cleared the Monster, sailing over a billboard and completely out of Fenway against Andrew Triggs (0-2) in the seventh. Duvall’s third homer hit off a back wall near the bleachers after his second homer had tied it at... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The positive COVID-19 test that forced the Cincinnati Reds to postpone their two games against Pittsburgh over the weekend has also forced the Royals' Matt Harvey to delay his year-long wait to return to a big league mound.The Reds and Royals were supposed to begin a two-game series in Kansas City on Tuesday night, but Major League Baseball decided to postpone the game to give Cincinnati more time for testing. Now, the clubs will play a doubleheader Wednesday with the first seven-inning game taking place at 4:05 p.m. CDT and the second about 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game..“It's not strange. It's more exciting than anything,” said Harvey, who pitched against the Royals for the New York Mets in the 2015 World Series, and will be starting Game 2 against Trevor Bauer (2-0) after looking good at the club's alternate training site.Harvey hasn't pitched since the Los Angeles Angels released him last July.“A couple years ago there was probably going to... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The positive COVID-19 test that forced the Cincinnati Reds to postpone their two games against Pittsburgh over the weekend has also forced the Royals' Matt Harvey to delay his year-long wait to return to a big league mound.The Reds and Royals were supposed to begin a two-game series in Kansas City on Tuesday night, but Major League Baseball decided to postpone the game to give Cincinnati more time for testing. Now, the clubs will play a doubleheader Wednesday with the first seven-inning game taking place at 4:05 p.m. CDT and the second about 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game..“It's not strange. It's more exciting than anything,” said Harvey, who pitched against the Royals for the New York Mets in the 2015 World Series, and will be starting Game 2 against Trevor Bauer (2-0) after looking good at the club's alternate training site.Harvey hasn't pitched since the Los Angeles Angels released him last July.“A couple years ago there was probably going to... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The positive COVID-19 test that forced the Cincinnati Reds to postpone their two games against Pittsburgh over the weekend has also forced the Royals' Matt Harvey to delay his year-long wait to return to a big league mound.The Reds and Royals were supposed to begin a two-game series in Kansas City on Tuesday night, but Major League Baseball decided to postpone the game to give Cincinnati more time for testing. Now, the clubs will play a doubleheader Wednesday with the first seven-inning game taking place at 4:05 p.m. CT and the second about 30 minutes later.“It's not strange. It's more exciting than anything,” said Harvey, who pitched against the Royals for the New York Mets in the 2015 World Series, and will be starting Game 2 after looking good at the club's alternate training site.Harvey hasn't pitched since the Los Angeles Angels released him last July.“A couple years ago there was probably going to be a few more fans that game than there will be,” Harvey said.... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Pinch-hitter Michael Perez hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning on his 28th birthday, six Tampa Bay pitchers combined on a two-hitter and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the AL East-leading New York Yankees 1-0 on Friday night.Yoshi Tsutsugo drew a leadoff walk from Adam Ottavino (2-1) in the eighth and went to second with one out when Kevin Kiermaier walked. Both runners advanced a base on a wild pitch before Perez put the Rays up 1-0 on his fly to center.Chaz Roe (2-0) went the final two innings for the win.Masahiro Tanaka allowed one hit and struck out five over five innings, retiring his final 13 batters after giving up a first-inning single to Yandy Diaz. The Yankees’ right-hander needed just 59 pitches in his second start after beginning the season on the concussion list after being struck in the head by Giancarlo Stanton’s liner during a July 4th summer camp simulated game.Three New York pitchers also limited the Rays to just two hits.MARLINS 4, METS 3NEW... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Pinch-hitter Michael Perez hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning on his 28th birthday, six Tampa Bay pitchers combined on a two-hitter and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the AL East-leading New York Yankees 1-0 on Friday night.Yoshi Tsutsugo drew a leadoff walk from Adam Ottavino (2-1) in the eighth and went to second with one out when Kevin Kiermaier walked. Both runners advanced a base on a wild pitch before Perez put the Rays up 1-0 on his fly to center.Chaz Roe (2-0) went the final two innings for the win.Masahiro Tanaka allowed one hit and struck out five over five innings, retiring his final 13 batters after giving up a first-inning single to Yandy Diaz. The Yankees’ right-hander needed just 59 pitches in his second start after beginning the season on the concussion list after being struck in the head by Giancarlo Stanton’s liner during a July 4th summer camp simulated game.Three New York pitchers also limited the Rays to just two hits.MARLINS 4, METS 3NEW... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Greg Holland struck out the top of Cleveland's order to strand the tying run at second base and Maikel Franco hit a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning to give the Kansas City Royals a 3-2 win over the Indians on Saturday in just the third major league game decided by the debated extra-inning runner rule.With Greg Allen on second, Holland fanned César Hernández and José Ramírez before getting All-Star Francisco Lindor to chase strike three in the dirt for the final out and the most unique save of his career.“It’s kind of strange," Holland said of Major League Baseball’s new rule designed to keep games from dragging in this condensed, 60-game season.The Royals could be heard whooping it up as they poured out of the dugout, with Mike Matheny posting his first win as Kansas City's manager — a win he knows some will say deserves an asterisk.“I love it. I hope we do it tomorrow," he said, referring to the automatic-runner rule, which has been used in the minors. "Though actually... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Greg Holland struck out the top of Cleveland's order to strand the tying run at second base and Maikel Franco hit a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning to give the Kansas City Royals a 3-2 win over the Indians on Saturday in just the third major league game decided by the debated extra-inning runner rule.With Greg Allen on second, Holland fanned César Hernández and José Ramírez before getting All-Star Francisco Lindor to chase strike three in the dirt for the final out and the most unique save of his career.The Royals could be heard whooping it up as they poured out of the dugout, with Mike Matheny posting his first win as Kansas City's manager.Holland's performance provided a fitting ending for the Royals, who got an excellent start from Brady Singer in his big league debut. Reliever Scott Barlow struck out two in the ninth to get the win.The Indians got just one hit after the third inning and finished with four.Jorge Soler and Salvador Pérez hit back-to-back homers in the... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The moment that young right-hander Brady Singer steps onto the mound for the Kansas City Royals on Saturday in Cleveland will no doubt be surreal, the culmination of a lifelong dream hatched as a boy growing up in Florida and fostered by family and friends along the way.Too bad they won't get to see it in person.When the decision was made to play an abbreviated 60-game major league season without fans, it meant that anybody making their debut would do so without their support system there to enjoy it. Not mom and dad, who may have gotten them started in the game. Or little league and high school coaches that taught them to throw a curveball or turn a double play. Or the college coaches that may have turned their turned natural talent into the makings of a pro.Instead, like all baseball fans, they will be forced to watch on television the realization of a goal years in the making.“We've had this conversation internally,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said, “and it's... [More]