CLEVELAND (AP) — Francisco Lindor connected for a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning as the Cleveland Indians again moved 10 games ahead of Minnesota in the AL Central with a 5-2 win over the Twins on Wednesday night.Lindor, who struck out with the winning run at second base in the ninth in a loss on Tuesday, drove the first pitch from Trevor Hildenberger (2-3) over the wall in right to trigger a wild celebration.Jason Kipnis singled with one out in the ninth before Twins right fielder Max Kepler robbed Yan Gomes of extra bases with a leaping catch before crashing into the wall. Brandon Guyer followed with a single to bring up Lindor, who capped a wild ninth inning with his 29th homer.The All-Star shortstop skipped around the bases before being mobbed at home plate by his teammates.Down 2-1, Minnesota tied it in the ninth on Miguel Sano's leadoff homer against Cody Allen (4-4), who wound up with a blown save and win.DIAMONDBACKS 6, PHILLIES 0PHOENIX — Patrick Corbin struck... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Francisco Lindor connected for a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning as the Cleveland Indians again moved 10 games ahead of Minnesota in the AL Central with a 5-2 win over the Twins on Wednesday night.Lindor, who struck out with the winning run at second base in the ninth in a loss on Tuesday, drove the first pitch from Trevor Hildenberger (2-3) over the wall in right to trigger a wild celebration.Jason Kipnis singled with one out in the ninth before Twins right fielder Max Kepler robbed Yan Gomes of extra bases with a leaping catch before crashing into the wall. Brandon Guyer followed with a single to bring up Lindor, who capped a wild ninth inning with his 29th homer.The All-Star shortstop skipped around the bases before being mobbed at home plate by his teammates.Down 2-1, Minnesota tied it in the ninth on Miguel Sano's leadoff homer against Cody Allen (4-4), who wound up with a blown save and win.DIAMONDBACKS 6, PHILLIES 0PHOENIX — Patrick Corbin struck... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Sonny Gray was chased in the third inning by the team with worst record in the majors, big league-loss leader Alex Cobb ended a nine-start winless streak and the Baltimore Orioles beat the New York Yankees 7-5 on Wednesday.Despite what appeared to be a midgame lecture in the dugout by third base coach Phil Nevin during a rain delay, New York (68-38) dropped 5 1/2 games behind Boston (75-34) heading into a four-game series at Fenway Park starting Thursday.Gray (8-8) allowed seven runs, eight hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings, raising his ERA to 5.56. He was booed as he walked off the mound and was replaced by Lance Lynn.Cobb (3-14) had been 0-7 since winning at the New York Mets on June 5, losing his last five outings. He breezed against the Yankees with an early 7-1 lead, allowing one run and seven hits in six innings and stopping Baltimore's streak of 11 consecutive road losses.Gleyber Torres homered twice for New York, a solo drive in the second and a three-run shot... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Sonny Gray was chased in the third inning by the team with worst record in the majors, big league-loss leader Alex Cobb ended a nine-start winless streak and the Baltimore Orioles beat the New York Yankees 7-5 on Wednesday.Despite what appeared to be a midgame lecture in the dugout by third base coach Phil Nevin during a rain delay, New York (68-38) dropped 5 1/2 games behind Boston (75-34) heading into a four-game series at Fenway Park starting Thursday.Gray (8-8) allowed seven runs, eight hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings, raising his ERA to 5.56. He was booed as he walked off the mound and was replaced by Lance Lynn.Cobb (3-14) had been 0-7 since winning at the New York Mets on June 5, losing his last five outings. He breezed against the Yankees with an early 7-1 lead, allowing one run and seven hits in six innings and stopping Baltimore's streak of 11 consecutive road losses.Gleyber Torres homered twice for New York, a solo drive in the second and a three-run shot... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Alex Cobb had gone two months without a win, and the weight became a burden as his record fell to 2-14, the most losses in the major leagues."At a certain point of that stretch, I'm just hoping not to get a loss," he said. "Not even hoping for wins at that point, I'm just hoping not to lose."Given a five-run lead in the second inning, Cobb breezed and ended skids for himself and the Baltimore Orioles.Cobb allowed one run and seven hits in six innings in a 7-5 win over the New York Yankees on Wednesday that ended the Orioles' streak of 11 consecutive road losses."He's handled it so well," manager Buck Showalter said. "I'm sure there's some sarcastic response to that, but he's a pro and he's pitched better than that. He's going to be a good pitcher for us when all's said and done. He's got a lot of ways to get you out."Cobb (3-14) had been 0-7 since a June 5 victory at the New York Mets, losing his last five outings. Since he last won, the Orioles traded Manny Machado, Zach... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Sonny Gray was chased in the third inning by the team with worst record in the majors, big league-loss leader Alex Cobb ended a nine-start winless streak and the Baltimore Orioles beat the New York Yankees 7-5 on Wednesday.Despite what appeared to be a midgame lecture in the dugout by third base coach Phil Nevin during a rain delay, New York (68-38) dropped 5 1/2 games behind Boston (75-34) heading into a four-game series at Fenway Park starting Thursday.Gray (8-8) allowed seven runs, eight hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings, raising his ERA to 5.56. He was booed as he walked off the mound and was replaced by Lance Lynn.Cobb (3-14) had been 0-7 since winning at the New York Mets on June 5, losing his last five outings. He breezed against the Yankees with an early 7-1 lead, allowing one run and seven hits in six innings and stopping Baltimore's streak of 11 consecutive road losses.Gleyber Torres homered twice for New York, a solo drive in the second and a three-run shot... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Reshaping their pitching staff for the stretch run, the Yankees acquired right-hander Lance Lynn from Minnesota on Monday while dealing Adam Warren to Seattle.Ahead of Tuesday's deadline for trades without waivers, the Yankees sent first baseman/outfielder Tyler Austin and right-handed pitching prospect Luis Rijo to the Twins for Lynn. Minnesota will give $2 million to the Yankees to cover half of the $4 million remaining in Lynn's $12 million salary.Already, Lynn was looking forward to returning to Fenway Park, where he got a no-decision Friday in his second career appearance at Boston."I've never been to Fenway as Yankee. I think they dislike you even more, so that should be exciting," he said. "I'm guessing they say a little bit nastier things to Yankees players than they do anybody else."Lynn becomes the long reliever in place of Warren, who was dealt to the Mariners for $1.25 million in international signing bonus pool allotment. He joins Luis Cessa as insurance for... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Reshaping their pitching staff for the stretch run, the Yankees acquired right-hander Lance Lynn from Minnesota on Monday while dealing Adam Warren to Seattle.Ahead of Tuesday's deadline for trades without waivers, the Yankees sent first baseman/outfielder Tyler Austin and right-handed pitching prospect Luis Rijo to the Twins for Lynn. Minnesota will give $2 million to the Yankees to cover half of the $4 million remaining in Lynn's $12 million salary.Already, Lynn was looking forward to returning to Fenway Park, where he got a no-decision Friday in his second career appearance at Boston."I've never been to Fenway as Yankee. I think they dislike you even more, so that should be exciting," he said. "I'm guessing they say a little bit nastier things to Yankees players than they do anybody else."Lynn becomes the long reliever in place of Warren, who was dealt to the Mariners for $1.25 million in international signing bonus pool allotment. He joins Luis Cessa as insurance for... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Yankees made another move to reshape their pitching staff, trading right-hander Adam Warren to the Seattle Mariners for $1.25 million in international signing bonus pool allotment.Ahead of Tuesday's deadline for trades without waivers, the Yankees recently acquired reliever Zach Britton from Baltimore and starter J.A. Happ from Toronto, and dealt left-hander Chasen Shreve and right-hander Giovanny Gallegos to St. Louis.New York has raised its bonus pool to $8,752,600 from an original $5,002,600 and lowered its 40-man roster to 38 — plus Jacoby Ellsbury and Ben Heller on the 60-day disabled list.The 30-year-old Warren, often used as a long reliever, was 0-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 24 appearances this season, interrupted by a stint on the disabled list from April 21 through June 3 caused by a strained back. He has a $3,315,000 salary and is eligible for free agency after the World Series.Warren was traded to the Cubs in December 2015 in the deal that brought second baseman Starlin Castro to New York, then reacquired the following July along with second baseman Gleyber Torres and outfielders Billy McKinney and Rashad Crawford in the deal that sent closer Aroldis Chapman to Chicago.After helping the Cubs win their first World Series since 1908, Chapman re-signed with the Yankees.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

There are 11 teams within six games of a playoff spot in the National League, which could make for a thrilling last two months of the regular season.It also means some front offices are facing tough decisions as the non-waiver trade deadline looms.It's easy to deal away your top players when you're 20 games behind, but if the postseason is still a possibility, the decision to buy or sell becomes trickier. The Washington Nationals, for example, are six games back in their division and trail the second wild card by the same margin — but there are enough legitimate stars on that roster that a medium-sized deficit is certainly surmountable with this much time to go.Fangraphs.com gives the Nats a 42.5 percent chance to make the postseason, while fivethirtyeight.com (20 percent) and baseballprospectus.com (22 percent as of Sunday morning) are more pessimistic. Whichever website you believe, it would be unusual for a team in Washington's position to become a seller at the deadline. That tends... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — To the New York Yankees, lefty J.A. Happ put check marks in a lot of boxes — familiar with the AL East, comfortable in the postseason and perhaps most importantly, successful against the Boston Red Sox.Hours after ace reliever Zach Britton donned pinstripes for the first time, the Yankees also acquired the starting pitcher they sought. They got Happ from Toronto on Thursday for infielder Brandon Drury and minor league outfielder Billy McKinney."We definitely satisfied some needs here," New York general manager Brian Cashman said.The Yankees began the day 5½ games behind AL East-leading Boston. They were just 14-14 in their previous 28 games.Happ, who turns 36 in October, is 10-6 with a 4.18 ERA in 20 starts and was a first-time All-Star. He joins a rotation that includes Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia and Sonny Gray. Manager Aaron Boone said it hasn't been determined when Happ will make his Yankees debut.Happ was 0-3 in his last four starts, and had been hit... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees acquired left-hander J.A. Happ from Toronto on Thursday to bolster their starting rotation, a deal that sent infielder Brandon Drury and minor league outfielder Bill McKinney to the Blue Jays.Happ, who turns 36 in October, is 10-6 with a 4.18 ERA in 20 starts and was a first-time All-Star. He joins a rotation that includes Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia and Sonny Gray.Happ has a $13 million salary in the final season of a $36 million, three-year contract, and the Yankees are responsible for the remaining $4,543,011.Reliever Zach Britton reported to the Yankees on Thursday, two days after he was acquired from Baltimore for three pitching prospects. Britton added $4,387,097 to the Yankees payroll. New York began the season with a $179 million payroll for purposes of the luxury tax, which left the team room to add salaries and remain under the $197 million threshold.New York began the day 5½ games behind Boston, the AL East leader. The Yankees... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — A person with knowledge of the talks tells The Associated Press the New York Yankees are nearing a deal to acquire left-hander J.A. Happ from Toronto to bolster their starting rotation.The Yankees would send infielder Brandon Drury and minor league outfielder Bill McKinney to the Blue Jays, the person said Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the trade was subject to the teams approving medical records.Happ, who turns 36 in October, is 10-6 with a 4.18 ERA in 20 starts and was a first-time All-Star. He would join a rotation that includes Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia and Sonny Gray.Happ has a $13 million salary in the final season of a $36 million, three-year contract, and the Yankees would be responsible for the remaining $4,543,011.Reliever Zach Britton reported to the Yankees on Thursday, two days after he was acquired for prospects. Britton added $4,387,097 to the Yankees payroll. New York began the season with a $179 million payroll for... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — New York manager Aaron Boone said newly acquired reliever Zach Britton will fill a variety of roles at the back end of the Yankees bullpen but emphasized that Aroldis Chapman's role remains the same."Chappy is our closer," Boone said before Wednesday's game at Tampa Bay. "I'm sure there will be opportunities on a day when maybe we need to stay away from Chappy or it's three in a row for Chappy, those kind of things. Having so many quality guys, that allows us to really preserve and protect them."The Yankees acquired Britton from the rebuilding Baltimore Orioles for three prospects late Tuesday, a trade expected to bolster New York's bullpen for the stretch run.Chapman left a July 7 outing against Toronto with left knee discomfort."He's been dealing with the issue," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said on a conference call. "He's been successful despite the issue and feels it's a nonissue other than the fact that we just have to deal with it and it's a maintenance... [More]

At the All-Star break last year, Chris Sale looked as if he might pull away in the American League Cy Young race. He already had 178 strikeouts with only 22 walks.By the end of the season, of course, Sale had to settle for second place — and not a particularly close second — after Corey Kluber took the award away with a torrid second half.That's all just a roundabout way of saying that the following midseason awards aren't meant as predictions of who will actually win these in 2018. It's just a quick attempt to honor the players who have stood out so far.___AL MVPTop Contenders: Mookie Betts, Red Sox; Aaron Judge, Yankees; Francisco Lindor, Indians; Jose Ramirez, Indians; Mike Trout, AngelsThe Pick: TroutTrout leads the AL in on-base percentage, and although he's second to Betts in OPS, he's played in 19 more games than the Boston outfielder. Trout also has the lead in wins above replacement — both the Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs versions. You could put together an entire 10-man MVP... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Noah Syndergaard pitched out of trouble in a rusty return from the disabled list and helped himself with an RBI single as the New York Mets beat the Washington Nationals 4-2 on Friday night.Amed Rosario tripled and doubled, both times over Bryce Harper's head in center field, and the Mets won for only the sixth time in their last 26 home games. Brandon Nimmo had three hits for New York, which built a three-run cushion in the first inning against struggling starter Tanner Roark.Roark (3-12) became the first 12-game loser in the majors this season. He allowed four runs and eight hits in five innings.Matt Adams homered for the inconsistent Nationals, who fell back to .500 at 47-47. They have lost just three of 13 games at Citi Field since the start of last season.After missing seven weeks with a strained ligament in his right index finger, Syndergaard (5-1) came out firing 99 mph fastballs.Robert Gsellman gave up Adams' upper-deck shot in the eighth but got six outs for his... [More]

Mike Trout, Aaron Judge and Mookie Betts form a dream outfield for the American League. Bryce Harper and Max Scherzer make up a not-so-gracious welcome committee for the NL.Power in the center of power. A capital-sized All-Star Game.Baseball unveiled the rosters for its midsummer showcase Sunday night, featuring an imposing AL lineup and Harper starting at his home ballpark in Washington.Reigning AL MVP Jose Altuve was one of five All-Stars from the World Series champion Houston Astros, matching the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians for most in the majors. The New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves each had four, including rookie Gleyber Torres from the Bronx Bombers and fellow second baseman Ozzie Albies from the surprising Braves."It's fun. You're playing but you're looking around because you're playing with all those big boys out there," said Altuve, who made the AL team for the sixth time.Torres is on the disabled list with a hip injury and unlikely to participate. While he and Albies... [More]

Mike Trout, Aaron Judge and Mookie Betts form a dream outfield for the American League. Bryce Harper and Max Scherzer make up a not-so-gracious welcome committee for the NL.Power in the center of power. A capital-sized All-Star Game.Baseball unveiled the rosters for its midsummer showcase Sunday night, featuring an imposing AL lineup and Harper starting at his home ballpark in Washington.Reigning AL MVP Jose Altuve was one of five All-Stars from the World Series champion Houston Astros, matching the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians for most in the majors. The New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves each had four, including rookie Gleyber Torres from the Bronx Bombers and fellow second baseman Ozzie Albies from the surprising Braves."It's fun. You're playing but you're looking around because you're playing with all those big boys out there," said Altuve, who made the AL team for the sixth time.Torres is on the disabled list with a hip injury and unlikely to participate. While he and Albies... [More]

Mike Trout, Aaron Judge and Mookie Betts form a dream outfield in the American League. Bryce Harper and Max Scherzer make up a not-so-gracious welcome committee for the NL.Power in the center of power. A capital-sized All-Star Game.Baseball unveiled the rosters for its midsummer showcase Sunday night, featuring an imposing American League lineup and Harper starting at his home ballpark in Washington.Reigning AL MVP Jose Altuve was one of five All-Stars from the World Series champion Houston Astros, matching the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians for most in the majors. The New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves each had four, including rookie Gleyber Torres from the Bronx Bombers and fellow second baseman Ozzie Albies from the surprising Braves."It's fun. You're playing but you're looking around because you're playing with all those big boys out there," said Altuve, who made the AL team for the sixth time.Torres is on the disabled list with a hip injury and unlikely to participate. But while... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jackie Bradley Jr. drove in two runs, Eduardo Rodriguez struck out six in six innings and the Boston Red Sox beat the Washington Nationals 3-0 on Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep.Rodriguez (10-3) allowed three hits and walked one. Craig Kimbrel worked the ninth for his 26th save in 28 chances, finishing a six-hitter.The Nationals (42-43) have lost five in a row to fall below .500 this late in the season for the first time since being 60-61 on Aug. 21, 2015. The preseason NL East favorites held a players-only meeting after the game.A throwing error by Adam Eaton on Bradley's sacrifice fly and a wild pitch by Ryan Madson (2-4) in the seventh inning contributed to Washington's 17th loss in 22 games.Nationals starter Erick Fedde left one batter into the second inning with right shoulder stiffness. Manager Davey Martinez said Fedde was scheduled to have an MRI.YANKEES 6, BRAVES 2NEW YORK (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton hit a three-run homer and CC Sabathia pitched six effective... [More]