MILWAUKEE (AP) — St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty became the major leagues’ first seven-game winner this year with a 2-0 victory over Milwaukee on Thursday as the Brewers’ Corbin Burnes extended his streak to 58 consecutive strikeouts before his first walk. Flaherty (7-0) allowed four hits in six innings, struck out six and walked two to help the Cardinals win a three-game series that featured dominant starting pitching. Burnes (2-3) returned from the injured list after a positive test for coronavirus, which he said left him asymptomatic. He opted against getting vaccinated for what he said were personal reasons. In his first appearance since April 26, Burnes struck out nine among his first 14 outs, giving him 58 strikeouts and no walks this year before he walked Tommy Edman with two outs in the fifth. Alex Reyes remained perfect in 11 save chances by striking out Tyrone Taylor to strand two runners. Nolan Arenado’s two-out single in the first scored Edman. That marked the only... [More]

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Adam Wainwright came off the COVID-19 injured list and hung tough, St. Louis got a lights-out performance from its bullpen and the Cardinals beat New York for their fifth straight win. After the game, the Mets fired hitting coach Chili Davis and assistant hitting coach Tom Slater. New York has struggled badly with runners in scoring position this season, a trouble spot last year as well when Davis worked remotely because of coronavirus concerns. Several accomplished hitters are off to slow starts for the Mets, including $341 million newcomer Francisco Lindor. The Cardinals were clinging to a one-run lead in the ninth with two outs and a runner on base when the lights at Busch Stadium flickered, then went out for a moment. When play resumed, reliever Alex Reyes walked Pete Alonso before retiring Dom Smith on a flyball for the final out. Nolan Arenado and Harrison Bader homered to back Wainwright’s first win of the season. Four Cardinals relievers combined for 3 1/3 hitless... [More]

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Adam Wainwright came off the COVID-19 injured list and hung tough, St. Louis got a lights-out performance from its bullpen and the Cardinals beat New York for their fifth straight win. After the game, the Mets fired hitting coach Chili Davis and assistant hitting coach Tom Slater. New York has struggled badly with runners in scoring position this season, a trouble spot last year as well when Davis worked remotely because of coronavirus concerns. Several accomplished hitters are off to slow starts for the Mets, including $341 million newcomer Francisco Lindor. The Cardinals were clinging to a one-run lead in the ninth with two outs and a runner on base when the lights at Busch Stadium flickered, then went out for a moment. When play resumed, reliever Alex Reyes walked Pete Alonso before retiring Dom Smith on a flyball for the final out. Nolan Arenado and Harrison Bader homered to back Wainwright’s first win of the season. Four Cardinals relievers combined for 3 1/3 hitless... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Indians' opener is Thursday in Detroit. Their closer isn't nearly as definitive. Cleveland enters the season with uncertainty at several positions, questions about whether their offense can produce enough to back a strong starting staff and manager Terry Francona deciding not to christen a closer from an interesting assortment of bullpen arms. For now, the closer's job is shared. After the Indians parted ways with All-Star Brad Hand this winter, it was assumed that hard-throwing right-hander James Karinchak, who had 53 strikeouts in 27 innings last season, would move into the vital closer spot. However, partly because of Karinchak's struggles during camp (6.10 ERA in 12 appearances) and because he has other options, Francona will use a rotation of relievers to close with Karinchak, Emmanuel Clase and Nick Wittgren all getting a turn. “It’s more how we get to a point in the game,” Francona said Wednesday on a Zoom call from Comerica Park. "I've never been real comfortable... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Bryan Shaw came to camp determined to show the Indians there were some quality innings left in that rubber right arm of his. They believe him. The 33-year-old right-hander, who signed a minor league deal with Cleveland this offseason, was told Wednesday by Chris Antonetti, the team's president of baseball operations, that he will make the opening-day roster. “It was awesome,” Shaw said of getting the news. “I mean, I kept giving him some crap every day, walking by (manager) Tito’s (Francona's) office, saying, ‘Hey, we got a meeting today?’ for the past week or so, trying to see if they’d tell me one way or another.” Shaw earned his spot in Cleveland's bullpen, where he spent 2013-17 and took the ball from Francona as often as needed. He'll get a one-year contract paying a $1 million salary in the major leagues and $125,000 in the minors and will have the chance to earn $1.3 million in performance bonuses based on pitching appearances: $100,000 each for 35 and 40, $150,000... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Bryan Shaw has pitched his way back into Cleveland's bullpen. The 33-year-old right-hander, who signed a minor league deal with the Indians this offseason, was told Wednesday that he will make the club's opening-day roster. He will get a one-year contract paying a $1 million salary in the major leagues and $125,000 in the minors and will have the chance to earn $1.3 million in performance bonuses based on pitching appearances: $100,000 each for 35 and 40, $150,000 apiece for 45, 50 and 55, and $200,000 each for 60, 65, 70 and 75. Shaw was a dependable reliever from 2013-17 with the Indians before signing with Colorado as a free agent. He came into camp determined to show he had something left, and Shaw has shown the Indians everything they wanted go see. Manager Terry Francona said he let Chris Antonetti, the team's president of baseball operations, deliver the news to Shaw. “We’ve actually had some really tough conversations, and I thought Chris should get to have one... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Free agent reliever Blake Parker agreed Monday to a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians. The incentive-laden deal includes an invitation to training camp and will be finalized once the 35-year-old Parker undergoes medical tests. Parker spent the past two seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies. The right-hander went 3-0 with a 2.81 ERA in 14 games during the shortened 2020 season. The well-traveled Parker has pitched for six teams over eight major league seasons. He also has been with the Cubs, Yankees, Mariners, Angels and Twins. He has a 14-10 career record with a 3.52 ERA and 34 saves in 303 games. Parker had 14 saves for Los Angeles in 2018. The Indians are retooling their bullpen following the departure of closer Brad Hand. The club recently signed former Phillies reliever Heath Hembree to a minor league deal and are giving Bryan Shaw a shot to make their roster after choosing not to re-sign him after the 2017 season. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Trevor Bauer is coming home to pitch for the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner announced his decision on Friday in a two-minute video posted to his Twitter account. Bauer narrated the piece, which ended with him saying, "This season is about making sure history remembers us as we wish to be remembered. This season is about adding to our legacy. And I can’t wait, Dodger fans.” The Dodgers made it worth his while: His contract is for $102 million over three years, according to multiple media reports. The video was titled “MY NEW HOME!!!” and the credits said it was written by Bauer, who wore a Dodgers jersey and cap. He tossed a baseball from one hand to the other. Bauer, who turned 30 last month, was born in North Hollywood, went to high school in Santa Clarita and played baseball at UCLA. The right-handed free agent also was negotiating with the New York Mets. Bauer's agent, Rachel Luba, tweeted, “So excited for your next... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Trevor Bauer is coming home to pitch for the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner announced his decision on Friday in a two-minute video posted to his Twitter account. Bauer narrated the piece, which ended with him saying, "This season is about making sure history remembers us as we wish to be remembered. This season is about adding to our legacy. And I can’t wait, Dodger fans.” The video was titled “MY NEW HOME!!!” and the credits said it was written by Bauer, who wore a Dodgers jersey and cap. He tossed a baseball from one hand to the other. Bauer, who turned 30 last month, was born in North Hollywood, went to high school in Santa Clarita and played baseball at UCLA. The right-handed free agent also was negotiating with the New York Mets. Bauer's agent, Rachel Luba, tweeted, “So excited for your next chapter with the @Dodgers, Trevor Bauer.” For the second straight year, the Dodgers had a mostly quiet offseason before making... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Trevor Bauer is coming home to pitch for the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner announced his decision on Friday in a two-minute video posted to his Twitter account. Bauer narrated the piece, which ended with him saying, "This season is about making sure history remembers us as we wish to be remembered. This season is about adding to our legacy. And I can’t wait, Dodger fans.” The video was titled “MY NEW HOME!!!” and the credits said it was written by Bauer, who wore a Dodgers jersey and cap. He tossed a baseball from one hand to the other. Bauer, who turned 30 last month, was born in North Hollywood, went to high school in Santa Clarita and played baseball at UCLA. The right-handed free agent also was negotiating with the New York Mets. Bauer's agent, Rachel Luba, tweeted, “So excited for your next chapter with the @Dodgers, Trevor Bauer.” For the second straight year, the Dodgers had a mostly quiet offseason before making... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Trevor Bauer is coming home to pitch for the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner announced his decision on Friday in a two-minute video posted to his Twitter account. Bauer narrated the piece, which ended with him saying, "This season is about making sure history remembers us as we wish to be remembered. This season is about adding to our legacy. And I can’t wait, Dodger fans.” The video was titled “MY NEW HOME!!!” and the credits said it was written by Bauer, who wore a Dodgers jersey and cap. He tossed a baseball from one hand to the other. Bauer, who turned 30 last month, was born in North Hollywood, went to high school in Santa Clarita and played baseball at UCLA. The right-handed free agent also was negotiating with the New York Mets. Bauer's agent, Rachel Luba, tweeted, “So excited for your next chapter with the @Dodgers, Trevor Bauer.” Bauer joins a Dodgers rotation that had a major league-best 3.02 ERA during the abbreviated... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Trevor Bauer is coming home to pitch for the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner announced his decision on Friday in a two-minute video posted to his Twitter account that ended with him saying, “And I can’t wait Dodger fans.” The video was titled “MY NEW HOME!!!” Bauer, who turned 30 last month, was born in North Hollywood, went to high school in Santa Clarita and played baseball at UCLA. The right-handed free agent also was negotiating with the New York Mets. Bauer joins a Dodgers rotation that had a major league-best 3.02 ERA during the abbreviated 60-game season last year, when the franchise won its first championship since 1988. He will slot in among ace Walker Buehler, three-time NL Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw and 2012 AL Cy Young winner David Price, who opted out last season because of the pandemic. Bauer is 75-64 with a 3.90 ERA in nine major league seasons that included a career-best 17-9 with a 4.19 ERA for Cleveland... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — With some spots to fill in their bullpen, the Cleveland Indians signed durable reliever Bryan Shaw to a minor league contract and invited him to big league spring training. The 33-year-old Shaw spent five seasons with the club, appearing in 378 games during a tenure when he was invaluable for manager Terry Francona. The right-hander had a 3.11 ERA and led the American League in appearances three times with the Indians. Shaw never pitched in fewer than 70 games during his first stint with the Indians, and he often took the ball on back-to-back days for Francona. Shaw left as a free agent after the 2017 season and signed a three-year contract with Colorado. He was 1-0 with a 18.00 ERA in six innings over six games with Seattle last season. If added to the 40-man roster, Shaw would get salaries of $1 million in the majors and $100,000 in the minors, and he would have the chance to earn $1.45 million in performance bonuses based on pitching appearances from 35 to 65. Cleveland... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — With some spots to fill in their bullpen, the Cleveland Indians signed durable reliever Bryan Shaw to a minor league contract and invited him to big league spring training. The 33-year-old Shaw spent five seasons with the club, appearing in 378 games during a tenure when he was invaluable for manager Terry Francona. The right-hander had a 3.11 ERA and led the American League in appearances three times with the Indians. Shaw never pitched in fewer than 70 games during his first stint with the Indians, and he often took the ball on back-to-back days for Francona. Shaw left as a free agent after the 2017 season and signed a three-year contract with Colorado. He was 1-0 with a 18.00 ERA in six innings over six games with Seattle last season. Cleveland needs relievers after not re-signing closer Brad Hand and trading Adam Cimber. Right-hander DJ Johnson also signed a minor league deal. The 31-year-old split last season with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in Japan's Central League and the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan's Pacific League. Johnson made 35 relief appearances for Colorado Rockies in 2018 and 2019. ___ More AP MLB coverage: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DENVER (AP) — Nolan Arenado hasn't expressed this much optimism since signing his $260 million contract with Colorado two years ago. “Excited” was the term the slugging, slick-fielding third baseman used about a dozen times Tuesday at his introductory news conference following his blockbuster trade from the Rockies to the St. Louis Cardinals. Excited to join a team that's always in the playoff picture. Excited to join an organization with such rich history. Left unsaid but just underneath the surface: Excited to flee a franchise that posted just two winning records during his eight years in Denver and never advanced beyond the NL Division Series. The eight-time Gold Glove winner and five-time All-Star forced his way out of Colorado by steadfastly sticking to a request to be traded. He’ll be suiting up for a Cardinals team thinking about an NL Central title and more, while the Rockies are looking at some variation of a rebuild in front of a frustrated fanbase. “They really care about winning,”... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Nolan Arenado hasn't expressed this much optimism since signing his $260 million contract with Colorado two years ago. “Excited” was the term the slugging, slick-fielding third baseman used about a dozen times Tuesday at his introductory news conference following his blockbuster trade from the Rockies to the St. Louis Cardinals. Excited to join a team that's always in the playoff picture. Excited to join an organization with such rich history. Left unsaid but just underneath the surface: Excited to flee a franchise that posted just two winning records in his eight years in Denver and that never advanced beyond the NL Division Series. The eight-time Gold Glove winner and five-time All-Star forced his way out of Colorado by steadfastly sticking to a request to be traded. He’ll be suiting up for a Cardinals team thinking about an NL Central title and more, while the Rockies are looking at some variation of a rebuild in front of a frustrated fanbase. “They really care about winning,”... [More]

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Mariners have designated Daniel Vogelbach for assignment barely a year after he was an All-Star selection. The Mariners made the move Wednesday before the start of a five-game homestand. Vogelbach was hitting .094 with only five base hits and two home runs since the season began. He had yet to play a game in the field this season at first base and was reduced to only being a designated hitter. “Vogey is kind of locked in (to one spot). We tried to play him some at first base last year, not his strength. His strength is in the batter’s box and hopefully hitting it over the fence, but he doesn’t bring a whole lot other than the bat,” manager Scott Servais said. “When the bat is your big carrying tool, you have to hit. It’s a do-good league. Where we are at right now, we’re just going to give some of those at-bats and opportunities to some other players.” A year ago, Vogelbach had a strong first half to the season, hitting 21 home runs and driving in 51 runs before... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge homered for the third straight night, Jordan Montgomery cut up one of the league’s hottest lineups in his 2020 debut and the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 5-1 on Friday night in their first home game of the coronavirus-shortened season.Judge took aim at Yankee Stadium’s short right field porch in the third, a half-inning after starting a double play from right. Gio Urshela and Brett Gardner hit their first home runs of the season, Chad Green pitched two perfect innings in relief, and Adam Ottavino and Jonathan Holder closed up shop as New York improved to 5-1.Michael Chavis homered for Boston and Phillips Valdez impressed over 2 2/3 scoreless innings, but the club couldn’t overcome another poor start by Ryan Weber (0-2).There was also a moment of silence for late Yankees co-owner Hank Steinbrenner, who died in April. New York is wearing uniform patches with his initials this season.Montgomery (1-0) pitched 5 2/3 innings, limiting the Red Sox to a run,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge homered for the third straight night, Jordan Montgomery cut up one of the league’s hottest lineups in his 2020 debut and the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 5-1 on Friday night in their first home game of the coronavirus-shortened season.Judge took aim at Yankee Stadium’s short right field porch in the third, a half-inning after starting a double play from right. Gio Urshela and Brett Gardner hit their first home runs of the season, Chad Green pitched two perfect innings in relief, and Adam Ottavino and Jonathan Holder closed up shop as New York improved to 5-1.Michael Chavis homered for Boston and Phillips Valdez impressed over 2 2/3 scoreless innings, but the club couldn’t overcome another poor start by Ryan Weber (0-2).There was also a moment of silence for late Yankees co-owner Hank Steinbrenner, who died in April. New York is wearing uniform patches with his initials this season.Montgomery (1-0) pitched 5 2/3 innings, limiting the Red Sox to a run,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge homered for the third straight night, Jordan Montgomery cut up one of the league’s hottest lineups in his 2020 debut and the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 5-1 on Friday night in their first home game of the coronavirus-shortened season.Judge took aim at Yankee Stadium’s short right field porch in the third, a half-inning after starting a double play from right. Gio Urshela and Brett Gardner hit their first home runs of the season, Chad Green pitched two perfect innings in relief, and Adam Ottavino and Jonathan Holder closed up shop as New York improved to 5-1.Michael Chavis homered for Boston and Phillips Valdez impressed over 2 2/3 scoreless innings, but the club couldn’t overcome another poor start by Ryan Weber (0-2).There was also a moment of silence for late Yankees co-owner Hank Steinbrenner, who died in April. New York is wearing uniform patches with his initials this season.Montgomery (1-0) pitched 5 2/3 innings, limiting the Red Sox to a run,... [More]