ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Matt Thaiss scored on Michael Hermosillo’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the 10th inning, and the Los Angeles Angels snapped their three-game skid with a 5-4 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday night.Jason Castro delivered a tying RBI double in the ninth for the Angels, who improved the majors’ worst record to 3-6 despite blowing a two-run lead in the ninth.David Fletcher hit a leadoff single in the 10th off Nivaldo Rodriguez (0-1), sending Thaiss to third. After the Astros walked Anthony Rendon to load the bases, Thaiss scored on Josh Reddick’s inaccurate throw from medium right field.Angels reliever Noé Ramirez got two outs in the 10th, and Ryan Buchter (2-0) struck out Abraham Toro with the bases loaded in a rare bright moment for the Halos’ struggling relievers.ORIOLES 5, RAYS 4, 11 inningsBALTIMORE (AP) — Pinch-hitter Pat Valaika singled in the winning run in the 11th inning, and Baltimore handed Tampa Bay its fourth straight loss.Newcomer Brian Holaday... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Matt Thaiss scored on Michael Hermosillo’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the 10th inning, and the Los Angeles Angels snapped their three-game skid with a 5-4 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday night.Jason Castro delivered a tying RBI double in the ninth for the Angels, who improved the majors’ worst record to 3-6 despite blowing a two-run lead in the ninth.David Fletcher hit a leadoff single in the 10th off Nivaldo Rodriguez (0-1), sending Thaiss to third. After the Astros walked Anthony Rendon to load the bases, Thaiss scored on Josh Reddick’s inaccurate throw from medium right field.Angels reliever Noé Ramirez got two outs in the 10th, and Ryan Buchter (2-0) struck out Abraham Toro with the bases loaded in a rare bright moment for the Halos’ struggling relievers.ORIOLES 5, RAYS 4, 11 inningsBALTIMORE (AP) — Pinch-hitter Pat Valaika singled in the winning run in the 11th inning, and Baltimore handed Tampa Bay its fourth straight loss.Newcomer Brian Holaday... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Miami Marlins acquired left-handed reliever Richard Bleier from the Baltimore Orioles for a player to be named.Miami has been seeking to shore up its roster after more than dozen players tested positive for COVID-19. The team has had its season suspended since Sunday.Bleier went 3-0 with a 5.37 ERA and four saves in 53 games last season. This year, he's pitched three scoreless innings in two appearances.Although Bleier has been one of the team's most effective pitchers out of the bullpen, the rebuilding Orioles have been shuffling their roster over the past two seasons and decided to unload the 33-year-old.The trade was announced after midnight early Saturday morning after Baltimore beat Tampa Bay 6-3 in a game delayed nearly an hour by rain. Bleier was not used and learned of the trade after the final out.Bleier — who grew up in Florida and pitched for Florida Gulf Coast University — said he was “definitely surprised" by the deal.“I’m glad that I have value to another... [More]

SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — In the forgettable 2019 season, the Baltimore Orioles' bullpen had a woeful 5.79 ERA, the worst in the major leagues. That was a far cry from the team's successful run years ago, when its relief corps was a strength led by Zack Britton, who converted all 47 of his save chances in 2016, Darren O'Day and Brad Brach. Brach, Britton and O'Day were all traded in July 2018, leaving Mychal Givens and Richard Bleier as the only veterans in the 'pen. Givens floundered as a closer, going 2-6 with a 4.57 ERA, blowing eight of 19 save opportunities. In his first three seasons with Baltimore, the right-hander was 18-2, but in his last two seasons, he's only 2-13. “It was tough," Givens said. "I had a lot of stretches where I was going very well, and unlucky outings that got away from me, and I think just hopefully we can continue to make better pitches.”Bleier, who missed most of 2018 after lat surgery, struggled as well last season, with a 3-0 record with four saves and a 5.37... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Orioles agreed to one-year contracts with their remaining players eligible for arbitration, securing deals Friday with slugger Trey Mancini, Mychal Givens and infielder Hanser Alberto.Mancini agreed to $4.75 million, Givens $3,225,000 and Alberto $1.65 million. Alberto would get a $50,000 bonus for making 500 plate appearances.After reaching agreement with with reliever Miguel Castro on Thursday, Baltimore general manager Mike Elias worked through the team's arbitration-eligible players on the final afternoon before the team and players would exchange salary figures.Mancini earned $575,500 last season. The first baseman/outfielder played in 154 games last season and reached career highs with 35 home runs and 97 RBIs. He also batted .291 with a career-best .364 on-base percentage.One of few power hitters on the rebuilding Orioles, Mancini was drafted by Baltimore in the eighth round of the 2013 draft. He joined the team in 2016 and quickly became a fan-favorite.Givens... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Orioles agreed to one-year contracts with their remaining players eligible for arbitration, securing deals Friday with slugger Trey Mancini, Mychal Givens and infielder Hanser Alberto.Mancini agreed to $4.75 million, Givens $3,225,000 and Alberto $1.65 million.After reaching agreement with with reliever Miguel Castro on Thursday, Baltimore general manager Mike Elias worked through the team's arbitration-eligible players on the final afternoon before the team and players would exchange salary figures.Mancini earned $575,500 last season. The first baseman/outfielder played in 154 games last season and reached career highs with 35 home runs and 97 RBIs. He also batted .291 with a career-best .364 on-base percentage.One of few power hitters on the rebuilding Orioles, Mancini was drafted by Baltimore in the eighth round of the 2013 draft. He joined the team in 2016 and quickly became a fan-favorite.Givens made $2.15 million last season in 2019, his first season as a closer.... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — The rebuilding Baltimore Orioles further slashed their slim salary payroll by trading infielder Jonathan Villar to Miami on Monday for minor league pitcher Easton Lucas.Villar played in all 162 games this year and led the Orioles with 176 hits, five triples and 40 stolen bases.“He was a tremendously exciting player for us, a joy to have,” general manager Mike Elias said Monday night. “It was hard to let him go, but we've got to keep an eye on our strategic objectives, which is prioritize the future right now.”Villar was too expensive to keep around. He is eligible for arbitration and likely to earn about $10 million next year, so Elias opted to trade the 28-year-old as part of a more substantial teardown.“It makes a lot of sense and it’s something you have to do,” Elias said.The GM described Villar as “a guy who's going into his last year of arbitration with the team and facing free agency who is set to command a large salary with his play this year and year's past” — qualities... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — The rebuilding Baltimore Orioles further slashed their slim salary payroll by trading infielder Jonathan Villar to Miami on Monday for minor league pitcher Easton Lucas.Villar played in all 162 games this year and led the Orioles with 176 hits, five triples and 40 stolen bases.“He was a tremendously exciting player for us, a joy to have,” general manager Mike Elias said Monday night. “It was hard to let him go, but we've got to keep an eye on our strategic objectives, which is prioritize the future right now.”Villar was too expensive to keep around. He is eligible for arbitration and likely to earn about $10 million next year, so Elias opted to trade the 28-year-old as part of a more substantial teardown.“It makes a lot of sense and it’s something you have to do,” Elias said.The GM described Villar as “a guy who's going into his last year of arbitration with the team and facing free agency who is set to command a large salary with his play this year and year's past” — qualities... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — The rebuilding Baltimore Orioles further slashed their slim salary payroll by trading infielder Jonathan Villar to Miami on Monday for minor league pitcher Easton Lucas.Villar played in all 162 games this year and led the Orioles with 176 hits, five triples and 40 stolen bases.“He was a tremendously exciting player for us, a joy to have,” general manager Mike Elias said Monday night. “It was hard to let him go, but we've got to keep an eye on our strategic objectives, which is prioritize the future right now.”Villar was too expensive to keep around. He is eligible for arbitration and likely to earn about $10 million next year, so Elias opted to trade the 28-year-old as part of a more substantial teardown.“It makes a lot of sense and it’s something you have to do,” Elias said.The GM described Villar as “a guy who's going into his last year of arbitration with the team and facing free agency who is set to command a large salary with his play this year and year's past” — qualities... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — The rebuilding Baltimore Orioles further slashed their slim salary payroll by trading infielder Jonathan Villar to Miami on Monday for minor league pitcher Easton Lucas.Villar played in all 162 games this year and led the Orioles with 176 hits, five triples and 40 stolen bases.But Villar is eligible for arbitration and likely to earn about $10 million next year, so general manager Mike Elias opted to trade the 28-year-old as part of a more substantial teardown.Baltimore finished last in the AL East in 2019, the first season with Elias at the helm. From the outset, Elias made it clear that the roster will be overhauled before being injected with young talent.Lucas is a 23-year-old lefty with one year of minor league experience.The Orioles also announced that they have reached a one-year agreement with lefty Richard Bleier and offer 2020 contracts to first baseman Trey Mancini, infielder Hanser Alberto, right-handers Dylan Bundy, Miguel Castro and Mychal Givens.__More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

HOUSTON (AP) — George Springer hit a career-high three homers, Justin Verlander posted his MLB-leading 20th win and the Houston Astros clinched their third straight AL West title in grand fashion, routing the Los Angeles Angels 13-5 on Sunday.A crowd at Minute Maid Park that was cheering from Verlander's first pitch got even louder as Springer homered three times in the first four innings. The Astros kept breaking away and improved to 102-54, a half-game ahead of the New York Yankees for the best record in the majors.After the final out, the Astros held a bouncing group hug in the middle of the diamond and posed for a team picture. It hasn't been determined who they will face in the playoffs as they try for their second World Series championship in three years.Springer, the MVP of the 2017 World Series, had two chances to tie the big league record for home runs in a game. He popped up with the bases loaded in the fifth and grounded out in the seventh.Verlander (20-6) yielded six hits and... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — George Springer hit a career-high three homers, Justin Verlander posted his MLB-leading 20th win and the Houston Astros clinched their third straight AL West title in grand fashion, routing the Los Angeles Angels 13-5 on Sunday.A crowd at Minute Maid Park that was cheering from Verlander's first pitch got even louder as Springer homered three times in the first four innings. The Astros kept breaking away and improved to 102-54, a half-game ahead of the New York Yankees for the best record in the majors.After the final out, the Astros held a bouncing group hug in the middle of the diamond and posed for a team picture. It hasn't been determined who they will face in the playoffs as they try for their second World Series championship in three years.Springer, the MVP of the 2017 World Series, had two chances to tie the big league record for home runs in a game. He popped up with the bases loaded in the fifth and grounded out in the seventh.Verlander (20-6) yielded six hits and... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Carlos Santana hit a grand slam in the 10th inning, and the Cleveland Indians beat the Minnesota Twins 7-3 on Sunday to win the four-game series and forge another tie for the AL Central lead.The Twins tied the game with four hits in a two-run ninth against Brad Hand (5-3), using a single by Luis Arraez and a double by Marwin Gonzalez to extend the game.As pinch-runner Ehire Adrianza tried to score the winning run from first base, left fielder Tyler Naquin grabbed the ball off the bounce from the wall and zipped a throw to shortstop Francisco Lindor, whose relay home was in perfect position for catcher Kevin Plawecki to tag Adrianza with ease.Twins closer Taylor Rogers (2-3) allowed a single, a walk and another single on a bunt by Greg Allen to load the bases with none out for Santana, who quickly erased the late-inning drama with one big swing.The Twins and Indians play six more times, all in September.ORIOLES 8, ASTROS 7BALTIMORE (AP) — Rio Ruiz hit a two-run homer with... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Carlos Santana hit a grand slam in the 10th inning, and the Cleveland Indians beat the Minnesota Twins 7-3 on Sunday to win the four-game series and forge another tie for the AL Central lead.The Twins tied the game with four hits in a two-run ninth against Brad Hand (5-3), using a single by Luis Arraez and a double by Marwin Gonzalez to extend the game.As pinch-runner Ehire Adrianza tried to score the winning run from first base, left fielder Tyler Naquin grabbed the ball off the bounce from the wall and zipped a throw to shortstop Francisco Lindor, whose relay home was in perfect position for catcher Kevin Plawecki to tag Adrianza with ease.Twins closer Taylor Rogers (2-3) allowed a single, a walk and another single on a bunt by Greg Allen to load the bases with none out for Santana, who quickly erased the late-inning drama with one big swing.The Twins and Indians play six more times, all in September.ORIOLES 8, ASTROS 7BALTIMORE (AP) — Rio Ruiz hit a two-run homer with... [More]

April 141910 — William Howard Taft became the first U.S. president to throw out the first ball at a baseball opener in Washington.1910 — Chicago's Frank Smith pitched a one-hitter in the season opener to give the White Sox a win over the St. Louis Browns.1915 — In the opening game at Philadelphia, left-hander Herb Pennock of the A's blanked the Red Sox 5-0. He gave up only one hit — a scratch single by Harry Hooper with two outs in the ninth.1917 — Ed Cicotte of the Chicago White Sox pitched an 11-0 no-hitter over the St. Louis Browns.1925 — The Cleveland Indians opened the season with a 21-14 victory over the St. Louis Browns, the most runs scored by one club on opening day. The Indians scored 12 runs in the eighth inning when the Browns made five errors. Browns first baseman George Sisler had four errors in the game.1967 — Boston rookie Bill Rohr lost a no-hit bid in his first major league start when Elston Howard singled in the ninth inning for the New York Yankees' only hit in a 3-0... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Domingo German overcame control problems on a chilly night to win for the first time since last June, Gary Sanchez and Brett Gardner homered and the banged-up New York Yankees beat the punchless Detroit Tigers 3-1 Monday.Aaron Judge made a sprawling, backhand catch on Niko Goodrum's hard-hit liner after Adam Ottavino walked the first two batters in the eighth inning, a drive that would have tied the score if it had gotten by the right fielder.New York lost two more regulars to the 10-day injured list before the game after they got hurt a day earlier, outfielder Giancarlo Stanton with a strained left biceps and third baseman Miguel Andujar with a small labrum tear in his right shoulder.Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Andujar, runner-up for AL Rookie of the Year last season, will be treated conservatively with a rehab program and there is some optimism he will respond well. But if not, he could need season-surgery.They joined a group of sidelined Yankees that includes pitchers... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Domingo German overcame control problems on a chilly night to win for the first time since last June, Gary Sanchez and Brett Gardner homered and the banged-up New York Yankees beat the punchless Detroit Tigers 3-1 Monday.Aaron Judge made a sprawling, backhand catch on Niko Goodrum's hard-hit liner after Adam Ottavino walked the first two batters in the eighth inning, a drive that would have tied the score if it had gotten by the right fielder.New York lost two more regulars to the 10-day injured list before the game after they got hurt a day earlier, outfielder Giancarlo Stanton with a strained left biceps and third baseman Miguel Andujar with a small labrum tear in his right shoulder.Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Andujar, runner-up for AL Rookie of the Year last season, will be treated conservatively with a rehab program and there is some optimism he will respond well. But if not, he could need seasno-surgery.They joined a group of sidelined Yankees that includes pitchers... [More]

SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — Mike Yastrzemski finally made it to spring training with the Orioles after bouncing around the Baltimore organization since 2013.Though it was a brief stint, the 28-year-old outfielder known primarily for his last name departed on a high note.After being invited to the big league camp, Yastrzemski lasted until Sunday before being sent back to the minors. But he was brought back up this week, and made the most of the moment.The grandson of Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski was a late addition to the Orioles' roster for their game Wednesday against the Rays at Port Charlotte, Florida, and he hit a two-out, ninth-inning home run — his first hit of the spring — off Tampa Bay's Ryne Stanek."That was a beautiful swing right there," Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said.But Yastrzemski was a long shot at best to make the team and earn his first chance to play in the majors."He didn't get the full look we'd like because we have so many outfielders. He played great defense when... [More]

SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — When pitchers and catchers reported to the Baltimore Orioles camp on Tuesday, they met a new administration.There is a manager in the dugout other than Buck Showalter for the first time in nine years, and a new general manager replacing Dan Duquette, who spent seven years with the Orioles.Mike Elias, who was hired in November as Baltimore's new GM, hired Brandon Hyde a month later to succeed Showalter — and the difference was obvious Tuesday. There are few recognizable names, and only a handful of roster spots are accounted for.A year ago, the Orioles lost a franchise-record 115 games, and the team used 56 players, also a record.Elias isn't making any promises for what will likely be a lengthy and challenging rebuild."It was a tough last year for the team," Elias said. "It was a lot of losses. It was a hard season, a lot of disappointing individual performances."Hyde, who spent last year as Joe Maddon's bench coach with the Chicago Cubs, wasn't hired until after December's... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — Baltimore Orioles reliever Richard Bleier is likely lost for the year with a shoulder injury, yet another setback for the team with the worst record in the major leagues.Bleier (3-0, 1.93 ERA) was the most effective pitcher in a bullpen that only recently got back injured Zach Britton and Darren O'Day.Bleier walked off the mound in pain Wednesday after throwing a seventh-inning pitch against Boston. An MRI determined the injury to be a left shoulder latissimus strain, which probably will require surgery to repair."I don't expect him to play again this year," manager Buck Showalter said Friday. "The worst case is that it's a Grade 3 (strain) and he has surgery and returns sometime next season."Bleier, whose 31 appearances are most on the staff, was placed on the 10-day disabled list."It's a loss," Showalter said. "It's very valuable to have a left-handed pitcher who can pitch to both sides. He keeps you from having to (warm up) behind him because you know you can leave him... [More]