BOSTON (AP) — Mookie Betts hit three home runs against James Paxton during the first four innings Friday night in the Boston Red Sox's 10-5 victory over the New York Yankees, whose starting pitchers have stumbled this week in historic fashion.Betts homered on Paxton's eighth pitch in a three-run first that included J.D. Martinez's two-run homer, went deep again leading off the third for a 4-0 lead and hit a two-run drive in the fourth for a 7-0 advantage.Betts added an RBI double in the sixth off David Hale to give him five RBIs and grounded out in the eighth. With his fifth career three-homer game, Betts raised his season total to 18 homers.Batters have had three-homer games on four straight days for the first time in big league history. Betts followed the New York Mets' Robinson Canó, St. Louis' Paul DeJong and Minnesota's Nelson Cruz.Andrew Cashner (10-5), coming off losses in his first two starts after Boston acquired him from Baltimore, allowed three runs and 10 hits in 6 2/3 innings.Martinez... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels have reached one-year contract agreements with all six of their remaining arbitration-eligible players.Left-handers Tyler Skaggs and Andrew Heaney got the biggest deals, with Skaggs agreeing at $3.7 million and Heaney getting $3.4 million.Relief pitcher Cam Bedrosian got $1.75 million and reliever Hansel Robles got $1.4 million. Two new Angels also finalized deals, with reliever Luis Garcia getting $1,675,000 and infielder Tommy La Stella getting $1.35 million.Right-handers JC Ramirez and Nick Tropeano reached deals Thursday.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels have added to their pitching staff, agreeing to a $9 million, one-year deal with Trevor Cahill.Cahill can earn $1.5 million in performance bonuses based on innings: $250,000 each for 100, 110, 120 and 130, and $500,000 for 170. He would get a $250,000 assignment bonus the first time during the deal he is traded.The 30-year old right-hander went 7-4 with a 3.76 ERA for Oakland last season. He allowed just eight home runs in 110 innings, at 0.65 per nine innings being the fourth-lowest in the American League. His 7.36 hits allowed per nine innings were te ninth-lowest.Cahill, who grew up nearby in Oceanside, was selected to the All-Star Game in 2010 while with the Athletics. He is 80-83 with a 4.08 ERA 10 big league seasons. He has a 2.61 ERA in six starts and two relief appearances at Angel Stadium.Los Angeles made its second move to bolster its rotation. The Angels have a pending $11 million, one-year contract with right-hander Matt Harvey.Andrew Heaney, Tyler Skaggs and Nick Tropeano are the holdover starters. Shohei Ohtani likely won't pitch at all next year following Tommy John surgery on Oct. 1, and JC Ramirez's return date to the major leagues is not certain as he recovers from the elbow ligament replacement procedure last April 17.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Matt Harvey has agreed to an $11 million, one-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels, returning to the team that drafted him out of high school but failed to sign the pitcher.Harvey's deal was disclosed by a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke Tuesday to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not yet been announced.Harvey can earn an additional $3 million in performance bonuses: $250,000 for each start from 15 through 26 the person said. The person spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not yet been announced.His agreement, first reported by MLB.com and Fancred, nearly doubles Harvey's salary from $5,625,000 this year.Harvey joins a rotation projected to include Andrew Heaney, Tyler Skaggs and Nick Tropeano. Shohei Ohtani likely won't pitch at all next year following Tommy John surgery on Oct. 1, and JC Ramirez's return date to the major leagues is not certain as he recovers from the elbow ligament... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Lance Lynn pitched two-hit ball into the eighth inning in his first start with New York, and the Yankees rebounded from their tough weekend in Boston by beating the Chicago White Sox 7-0 on Monday night.Lynn provided a big boost for New York after it dropped a season-high five straight games, including a four-game sweep by the major league-leading Red Sox. The series concluded with Aroldis Chapman blowing a save opportunity in a 10-inning loss at Fenway Park late Sunday night.Enter Lynn (8-8), who was acquired in a trade with Minnesota on July 30 and tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings in relief in his Yankees debut Wednesday. The veteran right-hander, who replaced Sonny Gray in New York's rotation, retired 19 in a row before Nicky Delmonico led off the eighth with a single to right.After Tim Anderson flied out, A.J. Cole finished the three-hitter for the AL wild-card leaders.Dylan Covey (4-8) was charged with four runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings. The right-hander dropped... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Lance Lynn pitched two-hit ball into the eighth inning in his first start with New York, and the Yankees rebounded from their tough weekend in Boston by beating the Chicago White Sox 7-0 on Monday night.Lynn provided a big boost for New York after it dropped a season-high five straight games, including a four-game sweep by the major league-leading Red Sox. The series concluded with Aroldis Chapman blowing a save opportunity in a 10-inning loss at Fenway Park late Sunday night.Enter Lynn (8-8), who was acquired in a trade with Minnesota on July 30 and tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings in relief in his Yankees debut Wednesday. The veteran right-hander, who replaced Sonny Gray in New York's rotation, retired 19 in a row before Nicky Delmonico led off the eighth with a single to right.After Tim Anderson flied out, A.J. Cole finished the three-hitter for the AL wild-card leaders.Dylan Covey (4-8) was charged with four runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings. The right-hander dropped... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — David Bote hit a tying, two-run homer off Brad Boxberger with one out in the ninth inning, Anthony Rizzo followed two pitches later with a winning home run and the Chicago Cubs overcame a five-run deficit to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-6 on Thursday.Bote was called up when Kris Bryant was put on the disabled list because of inflammation in his left shoulder.Eddie Butler (1-1) retired Jon Jay on a flyout that stranded two runners in the ninth. Boxberger (1-4) was the loser.Nick Ahmed hit his first career grand slam in the fifth as Arizona built a 6-1 lead.YANKEES 7, ROYALS 2NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees slugger Aaron Judge was hit on his right wrist by a pitch and forced to leave early, overshadowing New York's romp past Kansas City.The All-Star slugger sustained a fractured right wrist when he was hit by a fastball and is expected to miss three weeks.Normally an All-Star outfielder, Judge was the designated hitter. He winced when he was stung by a fastball from Jakob Junis... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — David Bote hit a tying, two-run homer off Brad Boxberger with one out in the ninth inning, Anthony Rizzo followed two pitches later with a winning home run and the Chicago Cubs overcame a five-run deficit to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-6 on Thursday.Bote was called up when Kris Bryant was put on the disabled list because of inflammation in his left shoulder.Eddie Butler (1-1) retired Jon Jay on a flyout that stranded two runners in the ninth. Boxberger (1-4) was the loser.Nick Ahmed hit his first career grand slam in the fifth as Arizona built a 6-1 lead.YANKEES 7, ROYALS 2NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees slugger Aaron Judge was hit on his right wrist by a pitch and forced to leave early, overshadowing New York's romp past Kansas City.The All-Star slugger sustained a fractured right wrist when he was hit by a fastball and is expected to miss three weeks.Normally an All-Star outfielder, Judge was the designated hitter. He winced when he was stung by a fastball from Jakob Junis... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — David Bote hit a tying, two-run homer off Brad Boxberger with one out in the ninth inning, Anthony Rizzo followed two pitches later with a winning home run and the Chicago Cubs overcame a five-run deficit to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-6 on Thursday.Bote was called up when Kris Bryant was put on the disabled list because of inflammation in his left shoulder.Eddie Butler (1-1) retired Jon Jay on a flyout that stranded two runners in the ninth. Boxberger (1-4) was the loser.Nick Ahmed hit his first career grand slam in the fifth as Arizona built a 6-1 lead.ANGELS 12, WHITE SOX 8ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Francisco Arcia became the first Los Angeles Angels player with four RBIs in his major league debut, hitting a three-run homer and an RBI single. Ian Kinsler and Kole Calhoun also homered for the Angels.Daniel Palka and Jose Abreu each hit two home runs for the White Sox, and Avisail Garcia and Nicky Delmonico also went deep.Nick Tropeano (4-5) allowed five runs and five hits in 6 1/3 innings. Dylan Covey (4-6) gave up six runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.

NEW YORK (AP) — Aroldis Chapman had flamed out, throwing three of 19 pitches for strikes and enabling the Mets to cut a four-run, ninth-inning deficit in half.Chasen Shreve to the rescue. Yes, Chasen Shreve.Maligned last month, Shreve entered with the bases loaded, got Devin Mesoraco to hit into a run-scoring, double-play grounder and retired Wilmer Flores on a slow roller in front of the mound.With his second big league save and first since August 2016, Shreve preserved a 7-6 Subway Series victory Saturday that enabled Sonny Gray (7-7) to win consecutive starts for the first time since the Yankees acquired him last summer.On another tumult-filled day for the last-place Mets, closer Jeurys Familia was traded to Oakland for a pair of minor leaguers and slugging outfielder Yoenis Cespedes was out of the lineup because of body soreness, one game after returning from a two-month absence. Cespedes said Friday night he may need surgery on both heels that would require an eight-to-10-month recovery.Aaron... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Aroldis Chapman had flamed out, throwing three of 19 pitches for strikes and enabling the Mets to cut a four-run, ninth-inning deficit in half.Chasen Shreve to the rescue. Yes, Chasen Shreve.Maligned last month, Shreve entered with the bases loaded, got Devin Mesoraco to hit into a run-scoring, double-play grounder and retired Wilmer Flores on a slow roller in front of the mound.With his second big league save and first since August 2016, Shreve preserved a 7-6 Subway Series victory Saturday that enabled Sonny Gray (7-7) to win consecutive starts for the first time since the Yankees acquired him last summer.On another tumult-filled day for the last-place Mets, closer Jeurys Familia was traded to Oakland for a pair of minor leaguers and slugging outfielder Yoenis Cespedes was out of the lineup because of body soreness, one game after returning from a two-month absence. Cespedes said Friday night he may need surgery on both heels that would require an eight-to-10-month recovery.Aaron... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:HOT AS THE WEATHEREvan Gattis and the World Series champion Astros have the longest active winning streak in the majors. They go for their 10th straight victory when they play at Kansas City, where temperatures are expected to approach triple digits. Houston left-hander Dallas Keuchel (3-8) pitches against Danny Duffy (3-6). Keuchel, the 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner, has allowed 13 runs over 11 innings in two June starts — raising his ERA from 3.65 to 4.45. The Royals have lost four in a row and 10 of 11.OUCH!With a franchise-record 15 players on the disabled list, the Angels try for a second consecutive victory in Oakland. Los Angeles added four more players to the DL on Friday: infielder Zack Cozart (partially dislocated right shoulder), right-hander Jim Johnson (lower back strain), right-hander Garrett Richards (strained left hamstring) and right-hander Nick Tropeano (right shoulder inflammation). Only 12 players from the opening day... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:HOT AS THE WEATHEREvan Gattis and the World Series champion Astros have the longest active winning streak in the majors. They go for their 10th straight victory when they play at Kansas City, where temperatures are expected to approach triple digits. Houston left-hander Dallas Keuchel (3-8) pitches against Danny Duffy (3-6). Keuchel, the 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner, has allowed 13 runs over 11 innings in two June starts — raising his ERA from 3.65 to 4.45. The Royals have lost four in a row and 10 of 11.OUCH!With a franchise-record 15 players on the disabled list, the Angels try for a second consecutive victory in Oakland. Los Angeles added four more players to the DL on Friday: infielder Zack Cozart (partially dislocated right shoulder), right-hander Jim Johnson (lower back strain), right-hander Garrett Richards (strained left hamstring) and right-hander Nick Tropeano (right shoulder inflammation). Only 12 players from the opening day... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels lost four more players to the disabled list Friday, putting the club's total at a franchise-record 15 players on the DL at one time.Infielder Zack Cozart went on the DL with a partially dislocated left shoulder, while right-hander Jim Johnson has a lower back strain; right-hander Garrett Richards is nursing a strained left hamstring; and right-hander Nick Tropeano has inflammation in his pitching shoulder.Meanwhile, Japanese two-way star Shohei Ohtani is taking some one-handed swings as the Angels wait out his sprained elbow to be re-evaluated in a few weeks.The timeline for Richards, plagued by injuries the past two seasons that limited him to 12 total starts over 2016 and '17, to return is unclear, though manager Mike Scioscia said the injury is considered mild. "Hamstrings," he said, "they're a different animal."Richards left his Wednesday start at Seattle after two innings with tightness in the hamstring, then Cozart went down the next inning... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels lost four more players to the disabled list Friday, putting the club's total at a franchise-record 15 players on the DL at one time.Infielder Zack Cozart went on the DL with a partially dislocated right shoulder, while right-hander Jim Johnson has a lower back strain; right-hander Garrett Richards is nursing a strained left hamstring; and right-hander Nick Tropeano has inflammation in his pitching shoulder.Manager Mike Scioscia said he would do anything to take on all the injuries of his players because he doesn't have to be feeling good, with the former catcher noting he already has plenty of aches and pains.The Angels called up four right-handed pitchers from Triple-A Salt Lake: Eduardo Paredes, Akeel Morris, Felix Pena and Jake Jewell. Left-hander John Lamb will be called up to start Saturday, meaning the Angels must make another roster move.___For more AP baseball coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

WASHINGTON (AP) — Brandon Crawford went 4 for 4 with a two-run homer, and the San Francisco Giants dealt Max Scherzer his first loss in more than two months, defeating the Washington Nationals 2-0 on Sunday.After Pablo Sandoval walked leading off the fourth, Crawford homered into the second deck in right for his eighth of the season. He singled in the first and doubled in the sixth and eighth innings. Since May 1, Crawford is hitting an MLB-best .439 (58-for-132) and has raised his average to .338.Scherzer (10-2) had won nine straight decisions since his last loss on April 4. He allowed two runs and four hits while striking out nine over seven innings.Derek Holland (4-6), a 10-year veteran facing Washington for the first time, allowed three hits and two walks in five innings as five pitchers combined for the three-hitter. Hunter Strickland pitched the ninth for his 13th save.PADRES 3, MARLINS 1MIAMI (AP) — Clayton Richard became the latest pitcher to flirt with the first no-hitter in San... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Brandon Crawford went 4 for 4 with a two-run homer, and the San Francisco Giants dealt Max Scherzer his first loss in more than two months, defeating the Washington Nationals 2-0 on Sunday.After Pablo Sandoval walked leading off the fourth, Crawford homered into the second deck in right for his eighth of the season. He singled in the first and doubled in the sixth and eighth innings. Since May 1, Crawford is hitting an MLB-best .439 (58-for-132) and has raised his average to .338.Scherzer (10-2) had won nine straight decisions since his last loss on April 4. He allowed two runs and four hits while striking out nine over seven innings.Derek Holland (4-6), a 10-year veteran facing Washington for the first time, allowed three hits and two walks in five innings as five pitchers combined for the three-hitter. Hunter Strickland pitched the ninth for his 13th save.METS 2, YANKEES 0NEW YORK (AP) — Seth Lugo (2-1) pitched six dominant innings in a stellar spot start, Todd Frazier... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Brandon Crawford went 4 for 4 with a two-run homer, and the San Francisco Giants dealt Max Scherzer his first loss in more than two months, defeating the Washington Nationals 2-0 on Sunday.After Pablo Sandoval walked leading off the fourth, Crawford homered into the second deck in right for his eighth of the season. He singled in the first and doubled in the sixth and eighth innings. Since May 1, Crawford is hitting an MLB-best .439 (58-for-132) and has raised his average to .338.Scherzer (10-2) had won nine straight decisions since his last loss on April 4. He allowed two runs and four hits while striking out nine over seven innings.Derek Holland (4-6), a 10-year veteran facing Washington for the first time, allowed three hits and two walks in five innings as five pitchers combined for the three-hitter. Hunter Strickland pitched the ninth for his 13th save.PADRES 3, MARLINS 1MIAMI (AP) — Clayton Richard became the latest pitcher to flirt with the first no-hitter in San... [More]

Some fantasy baseball owners often compare catchers to kickers in fantasy football. Really, they're more like tight ends, since kickers are unpredictable from week to week.Still, it's hard to get excited about anyone at the position between the top few catchers. Even worse if you're in two-catcher leagues.Let's take a look at a catcher who has more than just a pulse, as well as other players to help you in the short and long term.PLAYERS TO PICK UPMax Stassi, C, Houston (12 percent owned in Yahoo leagues) - With Brian McCann on the disabled list, enter Stassi. In 98 plate appearances this year, Stassi is hitting over .300, with five home runs and 17 RBIs. McCann is on the disabled list with sore knees, but it's his performance that has been the eyesore this year so far. If you don't own one of the top 5 catchers, Stassi should be slotted in your lineup right away.Max Muncy, 1B/3B/OF, Los Angeles Dodgers (7 percent) - Speaking of Maxes, there's one out west who is catching the eyes of fantasy... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Brett Gardner tied it with his second homer of the game, a one-out, two-run drive in the ninth inning, Gleyber Torres hit a winning single in the 10th and the New York Yankees rallied to beat the Houston Astros 6-5 Tuesday night.The Yankees won despite making five errors — including two by Torres at second base — for the first time since 2014. They also came up with a startling defensive play in the 10th when Aroldis Chapman (2-0) threw a 100 mph fastball to the backstop that took a fortuitous carom to catcher Gary Sanchez, who threw out Tony Kemp at third base.Miguel Andujar doubled against Brad Peacock (1-3) with two outs in the 10th, and Torres lined an opposite-field single to right.RED SOX 8, BLUE JAYS 3BOSTON (AP) — Sandy Leon hit a home run and two doubles, Xander Bogaerts also homered and Rick Porcello took a three-hitter into the seventh inning, helping Boston beat Toronto to match the second-best start in franchise history.J.D. Martinez also had two of Boston's... [More]