PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Max Scherzer threw his glove and hat to the grass, then stared down Phillies manager Joe Girardi after getting checked for a third time by umpires for sticky stuff as the Washington Nationals beat Philadelphia 3-2 Tuesday night. Scherzer (6-4) looked sharp in his return to the rotation after missing a start due to a groin injury, striking out eight in five innings. Girardi apparently didn’t like what he saw. In the fourth, Scherzer threw high and inside to Alec Bohm, sending him sprawling to the ground before striking him out. Prior to the next batter, Girardi asked the umpires to check Scherzer. Scherzer already had been checked by second-base umpire Alfonso Marquez after the first and third inning. So, when he was approached for a third time, this time at Girardi’s request, Scherzer threw his glove and hat to the ground, unbuckled his belt and appeared ready to take his pants off. Yan Gomes had a pair of RBI singles for the Nationals, who have won three straight and... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Max Scherzer threw his glove and hat to the grass, then stared down Phillies manager Joe Girardi after getting checked for a third time by umpires for sticky stuff as the Washington Nationals beat Philadelphia 3-2 Tuesday night. Scherzer (6-4) looked sharp in his return to the rotation after missing a start due to a groin injury, striking out eight in five innings. Girardi apparently didn’t like what he saw. In the fourth, Scherzer threw high and inside to Alec Bohm, sending him sprawling to the ground before striking him out. Prior to the next batter, Girardi asked the umpires to check Scherzer. Scherzer already had been checked by second-base umpire Alfonso Marquez after the first and third inning. So, when he was approached for a third time, this time at Girardi’s request, Scherzer threw his glove and hat to the ground, unbuckled his belt and appeared ready to take his pants off. Yan Gomes had a pair of RBI singles for the Nationals, who have won three straight and... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Max Scherzer threw his glove and hat to the grass, then stared down Phillies manager Joe Girardi after getting checked for a third time by umpires for sticky stuff as the Washington Nationals beat Philadelphia 3-2 Tuesday night. Scherzer (6-4) looked sharp in his return to the rotation after missing a start due to a groin injury, striking out eight in five innings. Girardi apparently didn’t like what he saw. In the fourth, Scherzer threw high and inside to Alec Bohm, sending him sprawling to the ground before striking him out. Prior to the next batter, Girardi asked the umpires to check Scherzer. Scherzer already had been checked by second-base umpire Alfonso Marquez after the first and third inning. So, when he was approached for a third time, this time at Girardi’s request, Scherzer threw his glove and hat to the ground, unbuckled his belt and appeared ready to take his pants off. Yan Gomes had a pair of RBI singles for the Nationals, who have won three straight and... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Jacob deGrom pitched one-hit ball over five scoreless innings as the Mets beat the Atlanta Braves 4-2 Monday in a doubleheader opener. Ian Anderson (5-3) allowed three hits in 5 1/3 innings as the Braves won the nightcap 1-0 and he to became the first native New Yorker to beat the Mets and Yankees in New York in the same season. DeGrom (7-2) didn’t allow a hit in the seven-inning opener until Mets outfielders misplayed a fifth-inning fly ball into a ground-rule double. Jeff McNeil came off the injured list and singled as a pinch-hitter for deGrom during the fifth, then scored on Dominic Smith’s three-run double. Seth Lugo and Edwin Díaz finished the two-hitter, with Díaz getting his 15th save. Kyle Muller (0-1) pitched one-hit ball over four innings in his first big league start. In the second game, Ronald Acuña Jr. hit his 20th homer. Braves closer Will Smith loaded the bases in the seventh but escaped for his 14th save. PADRES 6, DODGERS 2 SAN DIEGO (AP) — Yu Darvish struck... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Jacob deGrom pitched one-hit ball over five scoreless innings as the Mets beat the Atlanta Braves 4-2 Monday in a doubleheader opener. Ian Anderson (5-3) allowed three hits in 5 1/3 innings as the Braves won the nightcap 1-0 and he to became the first native New Yorker to beat the Mets and Yankees in New York in the same season. DeGrom (7-2) didn’t allow a hit in the seven-inning opener until Mets outfielders misplayed a fifth-inning fly ball into a ground-rule double. Jeff McNeil came off the injured list and singled as a pinch-hitter for deGrom during the fifth, then scored on Dominic Smith’s three-run double. Seth Lugo and Edwin Díaz finished the two-hitter, with Díaz getting his 15th save. Kyle Muller (0-1) pitched one-hit ball over four innings in his first big league start. In the second game, Ronald Acuña Jr. hit his 20th homer. Braves closer Will Smith loaded the bases in the seventh but escaped for his 14th save. RANGERS 8, ATHLETICS 3 ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Andy... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Jacob deGrom pitched one-hit ball over five scoreless innings as the Mets beat the Atlanta Braves 4-2 Monday in a doubleheader opener. Ian Anderson (5-3) allowed three hits in 5 1/3 innings as the Braves won the nightcap 1-0 and he to became the first native New Yorker to beat the Mets and Yankees in New York in the same season. DeGrom (7-2) didn’t allow a hit in the seven-inning opener until Mets outfielders misplayed a fifth-inning fly ball into a ground-rule double. Jeff McNeil came off the injured list and singled as a pinch-hitter for deGrom during the fifth, then scored on Dominic Smith’s three-run double. Seth Lugo and Edwin Díaz finished the two-hitter, with Díaz getting his 15th save. Kyle Muller (0-1) pitched one-hit ball over four innings in his first big league start. In the second game, Ronald Acuña Jr. hit his 20th homer. Braves closer Will Smith loaded the bases in the seventh but escaped for his 14th save. RANGERS 8, ATHLETICS 3 ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Andy... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Jose Altuve belted a grand slam in the 10th inning and the Houston Astros, saved by Carlos Correa’s tying homer in the ninth, beat the Texas Rangers 6-3 on Tuesday night to give manager Dusty Baker quite an exciting birthday gift. After Texas drove in the automatic runner in the top of the 10th for a 3-2 lead, Rangers rookie reliever Demarcus Evans (0-2) walked Myles Straw and pinch-hitter Jason Castro to load the bases with no outs in the bottom half. Altuve then launched his soaring shot into left field to put the Astros on top and start the party. Altuve was doused with water at home plate before sharing a hug with Baker, who celebrated his 72nd birthday. Correa hit a solo homer to the opposite field shot with two outs and two strikes in the ninth off Josh Sborz, making it 2-all. Nate Lowe’s RBI single off Ryan Pressly (3-1) with two outs in the 10th put the Rangers up. GIANTS 9, DIAMONDBACKS 8 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks blew a seven-run lead and lost... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Jose Altuve belted a grand slam in the 10th inning and the Houston Astros, saved by Carlos Correa’s tying homer in the ninth, beat the Texas Rangers 6-3 on Tuesday night to give manager Dusty Baker quite an exciting birthday gift. After Texas drove in the automatic runner in the top of the 10th for a 3-2 lead, Rangers rookie reliever Demarcus Evans (0-2) walked Myles Straw and pinch-hitter Jason Castro to load the bases with no outs in the bottom half. Altuve then launched his soaring shot into left field to put the Astros on top and start the party. Altuve was doused with water at home plate before sharing a hug with Baker, who celebrated his 72nd birthday. Correa hit a solo homer to the opposite field shot with two outs and two strikes in the ninth off Josh Sborz, making it 2-all. Nate Lowe’s RBI single off Ryan Pressly (3-1) with two outs in the 10th put the Rangers up. METS 3, CUBS 2 NEW YORK (AP) — Taijuan Walker struck out a career-high 12, Pete Alonso drove in three... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Jacob deGrom was pulled from a do-it-all gem with right flexor tendinitis, a troubling diagnosis for the New York Mets that clouded a 3-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Friday night. DeGrom (6-2) faced the minimum over six innings and ripped a two-run single, giving him five RBIs this season — compared to four earned runs allowed. He struck out 10 in the abbreviated outing. DeGrom left after 80 pitches and extending his scoreless streak to 22 innings. He had a no-hit bid until Wil Myers beat the shift with a weak grounder in the fifth. Billy McKinney drove in a run with the first of his two doubles in the fifth, and deGrom followed with his two-run hit. San Diego dropped its third straight. Blake Snell (2-3) allowed three runs in four-plus innings, and the Padres couldn’t do enough damage against New York’s bullpen. CUBS 8, CARDINALS 5 CHICAGO (AP) — Anthony Rizzo hit a tying home run in the sixth inning on the 14th pitch of his at-bat against Daniel Ponce de Leon.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Jacob deGrom was pulled from a do-it-all gem with right flexor tendinitis, a troubling diagnosis for the New York Mets that clouded a 3-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Friday night. DeGrom (6-2) faced the minimum over six innings and ripped a two-run single, giving him five RBIs this season — compared to four earned runs allowed. He struck out 10 in the abbreviated outing. DeGrom left after 80 pitches and extending his scoreless streak to 22 innings. He had a no-hit bid until Wil Myers beat the shift with a weak grounder in the fifth. Billy McKinney drove in a run with the first of his two doubles in the fifth, and deGrom followed with his two-run hit. San Diego dropped its third straight. Blake Snell (2-3) allowed three runs in four-plus innings, and the Padres couldn’t do enough damage against New York’s bullpen. CUBS 8, CARDINALS 5 CHICAGO (AP) — Anthony Rizzo hit a tying home run in the sixth inning on the 14th pitch of his at-bat against Daniel Ponce de Leon.... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today: ___ STICKY SITUATION Yankees ace Gerrit Cole has found himself in a sticky situation. Days after Twins third baseman Josh Donaldson off-handedly alleged that Cole had been using foreign substances to sharpen his stuff, the pair will go head to head with Cole on the mound for New York at Minnesota. The pitches Cole threw in his previous outing didn’t rotate as much as usual, and Donaldson casually wondered aloud last week whether Cole had suddenly stopped using substances that could spike his spin rates, fearing an MLB crackdown. Cole said the spin issues were due to mechanical flaws. “I understand this topic is important to everybody that cares about the game,” Cole said. “In regards to Josh, I kind of felt like it was a bit of a low-hanging fruit, but he’s entitled to his opinion and to voice his opinion, so I just have other things that I need to keep my focus on.” HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT Burly, bearded right-handers Lance Lynn and Alek Manoah... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors on Wednesday: ___ STICKY SITUATION Yankees ace Gerrit Cole has found himself in a sticky situation. Days after Twins third baseman Josh Donaldson off-handedly alleged that Cole had been using foreign substances to sharpen his stuff, the pair will go head to head with Cole on the mound for New York at Minnesota. The pitches Cole threw in his previous outing didn’t rotate as much as usual, and Donaldson casually wondered aloud last week whether Cole had suddenly stopped using substances that could spike his spin rates, fearing an MLB crackdown. Cole said the spin issues were due to mechanical flaws. “I understand this topic is important to everybody that cares about the game,” Cole said. “In regards to Josh, I kind of felt like it was a bit of a low-hanging fruit, but he’s entitled to his opinion and to voice his opinion, so I just have other things that I need to keep my focus on.” HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT Burly, bearded right-handers Lance Lynn and Alek... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors on Wednesday: STICKY SITUATION Yankees ace Gerrit Cole has found himself in a sticky situation. Days after Twins third baseman Josh Donaldson off-handedly alleged that Cole had been using foreign substances to sharpen his stuff, the pair will go head to head with Cole on the mound for New York at Minnesota. The pitches Cole threw in his previous outing didn’t rotate as much as usual, and Donaldson casually wondered aloud last week whether Cole had suddenly stopped using substances that could spike his spin rates, fearing an MLB crackdown. Cole said the spin issues were due to mechanical flaws. “I understand this topic is important to everybody that cares about the game,” Cole said. “In regards to Josh, I kind of felt like it was a bit of a low-hanging fruit, but he’s entitled to his opinion and to voice his opinion, so I just have other things that I need to keep my focus on.” HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT Burly, bearded right-handers Lance Lynn and Alek... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Khris Davis was designated for assignment Tuesday by the slumping Texas Rangers, a move more about the young team's standing than the struggles of the veteran slugger. Davis missed the first 34 games of the season because of a left quad strain, then hit .157 with two home runs and five RBIs in his 22 games. Texas got the 33-year-old Davis, who has a $16.75 million salary this season, when longtime starting shortstop Elvis Andrus was traded to Oakland in February. The Rangers recalled infielder/outfielder Eli White from Triple-A Round Rock. They have seven days to trade, release, or outright Davis to the minor leagues. General manager Chris Young and manager Chris Woodward both said the team needs to find out about its young players, and there will now be more opportunities to do that. “It's less about Khris Davis' performance and more about the club in general, the state of our group and where we are and what aligns with our goals for this year,” Young said. “This... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Clint Frazier hit a game-ending, two-run homer with two outs in the 11th inning after making a game-saving catch in the eighth, and the slumping New York Yankees beat the rival Tampa Bay Rays 5-3 Tuesday night. The righty-hitting Frazier turned on a slider from right-hander Andrew Kittredge (5-1) and stood at the plate to admire the drive, capping a tight finish in which both teams came up short on potential rallies. One of those stalled efforts came in the eighth, when Frazier dove and needed every inch of his mitt to catch Joey Wendle’s soft-hit liner to strand two. New York ended a four-game slide and beat Tampa Bay in the Bronx for the second time in 11 tries since the start of last season. The AL East-leading Rays remained 4 1/2 games ahead of the Yankees with two games left in this four-game series. Tampa Bay had held New York to three or fewer runs in seven straight matchups and won nine straight against division foes. ORIOLES 7, TWINS 4 BALTIMORE (AP) — Cedric Mullins... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Robbie Grossman hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Detroit Tigers a 3-2 victory over the New York Yankees on Friday night. The Yankees took the lead in the top of the inning when automatic runner Aaron Judge came home from third on a passed ball. Justin Wilson (1-1) retired the first two Detroit batters in the bottom half, but on a full count, Grossman sent a high drive that cleared the fence in left field. Rougned Odor homered and had four hits for the Yankees, who dropped a bizarre game that also included a three-ball walk for New York hitter Gio Urshela. Bryan Garcia (1-1) won in relief for Detroit. Each starting pitcher — Gerrit Cole for New York and Casey Mize for Detroit — was a former No. 1 overall draft pick. Mize, the top pick in the 2018 draft, allowed a run and five hits in five innings. He struck out seven with no walks. Cole was picked first overall by Pittsburgh in 2011. He allowed a run and six hits in six innings. ATHLETICS 3,... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Robbie Grossman hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Detroit Tigers a 3-2 victory over the New York Yankees on Friday night. The Yankees took the lead in the top of the inning when automatic runner Aaron Judge came home from third on a passed ball. Justin Wilson (1-1) retired the first two Detroit batters in the bottom half, but on a full count, Grossman sent a high drive that cleared the fence in left field. Rougned Odor homered and had four hits for the Yankees, who dropped a bizarre game that also included a three-ball walk for New York hitter Gio Urshela. Bryan Garcia (1-1) won in relief for Detroit. Each starting pitcher — Gerrit Cole for New York and Casey Mize for Detroit — was a former No. 1 overall draft pick. Mize, the top pick in the 2018 draft, allowed a run and five hits in five innings. He struck out seven with no walks. Cole was picked first overall by Pittsburgh in 2011. He allowed a run and six hits in six innings. ATHLETICS 3,... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Robbie Grossman hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Detroit Tigers a 3-2 victory over the New York Yankees on Friday night. The Yankees took the lead in the top of the inning when automatic runner Aaron Judge came home from third on a passed ball. Justin Wilson (1-1) retired the first two Detroit batters in the bottom half, but on a full count, Grossman sent a high drive that cleared the fence in left field. Rougned Odor homered and had four hits for the Yankees, who dropped a bizarre game that also included a three-ball walk for New York hitter Gio Urshela. Bryan Garcia (1-1) won in relief for Detroit. Each starting pitcher — Gerrit Cole for New York and Casey Mize for Detroit — was a former No. 1 overall draft pick. Mize, the top pick in the 2018 draft, allowed a run and five hits in five innings. He struck out seven with no walks. Cole was picked first overall by Pittsburgh in 2011. He allowed a run and six hits in six innings. ATHLETICS 3,... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Shane Bieber pitched out of some early trouble before extending his strikeout record and César Hernández hit a two-run homer, sending the Cleveland Indians to a 3-2 win over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night. Bieber (4-2) struck out eight and has now fanned at least that many in 20 consecutive starts, a major league mark he builds on every time out. The right-hander’s streak was in jeopardy, but he got Nick Martini for strikeout No. 8 in the seventh. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner wasn’t as sharp as usual and needed a career-high 121 pitches to go 6 2/3 innings. James Karinchak finished the seventh for Bieber and worked the eighth. Emmanuel Clase gave up two singles in the ninth, but got Matt Duffy to bounce into a game-ending double play for his seventh save. Hernández homered in the fifth off Adbert Alzolay (1-3), who matched Bieber for six innings. ASTROS 5, ANGELS 1 HOUSTON (AP) — Shohei Ohtani struck out 10 in an impressive duel with Lance McCullers Jr., and... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Shane Bieber pitched out of some early trouble before extending his strikeout record and César Hernández hit a two-run homer, sending the Cleveland Indians to a 3-2 win over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night. Bieber (4-2) struck out eight and has now fanned at least that many in 20 consecutive starts, a major league mark he builds on every time out. The right-hander’s streak was in jeopardy, but he got Nick Martini for strikeout No. 8 in the seventh. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner wasn’t as sharp as usual and needed a career-high 121 pitches to go 6 2/3 innings. James Karinchak finished the seventh for Bieber and worked the eighth. Emmanuel Clase gave up two singles in the ninth, but got Matt Duffy to bounce into a game-ending double play for his seventh save. Hernández homered in the fifth off Adbert Alzolay (1-3), who matched Bieber for six innings. ASTROS 5, ANGELS 1 HOUSTON (AP) — Shohei Ohtani struck out 10 in an impressive duel with Lance McCullers Jr., and... [More]