PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Mickey Callaway needed two news conferences to issue one apology.After the New York Mets fined their manager and pitcher Jason Vargas for their expletive-filled confrontation with a reporter following a weekend loss, Callaway stopped short of saying he was sorry for the incident during his first meeting with the media on Monday.Callaway cursed at Newsday beat reporter Tim Healey and Vargas had to be restrained from charging him in the cramped Wrigley Field clubhouse after a 5-3 loss on Sunday. There was no physical contact.Two hours after Callaway initially met with a large group of media members and 70 minutes before first pitch in Philadelphia, Callaway clarified his remarks."In my meeting with Tim, I apologized for my reaction," Callaway said. "I regret it. I regret the distraction that it's caused to the team.... It's something I'm not proud of. I'm not proud of the distraction. I'm not proud of what I did to Tim. For that, I'm definitely sorry."General manager Brodie... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Tuesday:HOMER HAPPYAaron Judge, Gary Sánchez, Edwin Encarnación and the New York Yankees try to set the major league record for most consecutive games with a home run.The Yankees homered in their 27th straight game Monday night, matching the mark set by Alex Rodriguez, Rafael Palmeiro and the 2002 Texas Rangers.Next up, Giancarlo Stanton, Gleyber Torres and their New York teammates take on Toronto lefty Clayton Richard (0-3, 7.46 ERA) at Yankee Stadium. Richard has allowed five homers in 25 1/3 innings this season.SAY WHAT?Catchers Willson Contreras and Tyler Flowers aim to keep cool, a day after things got testy between them at Wrigley Field, prompting the Cubs and Braves to clear the benches.Contreras homered for Chicago in the second inning Monday night, turned around to look at Flowers and then thumped his chest rounding first. Contreras shouted at Flowers after crossing the plate, and the dugouts emptied. Cubs manager Joe Maddon and Flowers... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman likes pitching in the Bronx, and he'd love it even more if he wasn't facing the Bombers.Asked Monday at Yankee Stadium about trade speculation connecting him and New York, Stroman stopped short of saying he was hopeful for a deal but insisted he could handle the city's notoriously tough stage."I love it, New York's like the Mecca of the world," Stroman said. "I love excitement. I love bright lights. I love competition. I love pressure."I've always loved pitching here, even though I haven't always pitched fairly well here, I've always enjoyed it. Yankee lineups are brutal. They're hard to kind of navigate. But yeah, I love the spotlight. The bigger the moment, that's where I've always wanted to be," he said.The 28-year-old Stroman is from Long Island and still has family in the area. He was expecting about 40 family and friends for Monday night's series opener between Toronto and New York, including his brother's youth baseball team,... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Mickey Callaway needed two news conferences to issue one apology.After the New York Mets fined their manager and pitcher Jason Vargas for their expletive-filled confrontation with a reporter following a weekend loss, Callaway stopped short of saying he was sorry for the incident during his first meeting with the media on Monday.Callaway cursed at Newsday beat reporter Tim Healey and Vargas had to be restrained from charging him in the cramped Wrigley Field clubhouse after a 5-3 loss on Sunday. There was no physical contact.Two hours after Callaway initially met with a large group of media members and 70 minutes before first pitch in Philadelphia, Callaway clarified his remarks."In my meeting with Tim, I apologized for my reaction," Callaway said. "I regret it. I regret the distraction that it's caused to the team.... It's something I'm not proud of. I'm not proud of the distraction. I'm not proud of what I did to Tim. For that, I'm definitely sorry."General manager Brodie... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Chris Woodward loves that the expectations are higher for the Texas Rangers.They are certainly higher than they were when the first-time manager took over a team coming off consecutive losing seasons."Whether that lasts and we sustain that, it's totally on us," Woodward said. "Do we have a team that we feel like can win every game? We do, and they truly believe that."After 21 games in 20 days, the Rangers got to their first day off in three weeks Monday. The are 42-36 and have lost only one of their last 12 series since a five-game losing streak that dropped them five games under .500 in mid-May.While three games shy of the midpoint of Woodward's first season, and still a bit early to talk about playoffs, the Rangers were only a half-game behind the American League's second wildcard."There's no question there's a lot of room for growth in every player in that locker room, but the overall belief is that we're going to win a game every time we step on the field," he... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman likes pitching in the Bronx, and he'd love it even more if he wasn't facing the Bombers.Asked Monday at Yankee Stadium about trade speculation connecting him and New York, Stroman stopped short of saying he was hopeful for a deal but insisted he could handle the city's notoriously tough stage."I love it, New York's like the Mecca of the world," Stroman said. "I love excitement. I love bright lights. I love competition. I love pressure."I've always loved pitching here, even though I haven't always pitched fairly well here, I've always enjoyed it. Yankee lineups are brutal. They're hard to kind of navigate. But yeah, I love the spotlight. The bigger the moment, that's where I've always wanted to be," he said.The 28-year-old Stroman is from Long Island and still has family in the area. He was expecting about 40 family and friends for Monday night's series opener between Toronto and New York, including his brother's youth baseball team,... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The New York Mets have fined manager Mickey Callaway and pitcher Jason Vargas for their expletive-filled confrontation with a reporter after a weekend loss at Wrigley Field.General manager Brodie Van Wagenen made the announcement before the Mets played Monday night in Philadelphia. He did not disclose the amount of the fines.Callaway cursed at Newsday beat reporter Tim Healey and Vargas had to be restrained from charging him in the clubhouse after a 5-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday. There was no physical contact.Callaway called it a "misunderstanding," Vargas said it was "an unfortunate distraction" and Van Wagenen said it was "regrettable on many levels."Van Wagnenen said Callaway's status as manager remains unchanged. The Mets are 37-41.In a story published by Newsday on Sunday night, Healey said Mets Chief Operating Officer Jeff Wilpon called him "to apologize on behalf of the organization."___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Los Angeles Dodgers needed a one-game playoff to win the NL West last year.That appears to have been an aberration.After six straight victories, the Dodgers now lead the division by 13 games, and that's a little more in line with their norm of late. Los Angeles has won the last six NL West titles, and twice the final margin was in double digits. Now the Dodgers own the best record in baseball and are in the middle of another midseason surge.The Dodgers are 15-6 this June, after going 17-9 in that month last year and 21-7 in 2017. Their last three games have been particularly pulsating, each of them won on a walk-off home run by a rookie. Will Smith, Matt Beaty and Alex Verdugo delivered those dramatic swings against Colorado, the team that took the division race with Los Angeles down to the 163rd game last season.The Dodgers seem eager to make sure it doesn't come to that in 2019. Their 3.16 team ERA is the best in the major leagues, and they lead the National League in on-base percentage... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Alex Rodriguez had to make some adjustments when he switched from shortstop to third base after signing with the New York Yankees. He is having the same type of learning curve as a game analyst.Rodriguez said he is happy with the improvements he has made in his second year in the booth for ESPN's "Sunday Night Baseball," but he is looking to get better during the second half of the season."I certainly feel better than I did last year. I think the flow between all of us is improving," Rodriguez said last week while in Los Angeles, where he called a pair of Dodgers games.Rodriguez was a pleasant surprise when he joined Fox's studio team in 2015, but studio work involves a finite amount of time and isn't happening while the game is taking place. A game has plenty of ebbs and flows over three hours and can be a challenge when a three-person booth is involved.Rodriguez said the biggest challenge has been learning when to join into the conversation with Matt Vasgersian and... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Johan Camargo had a two-run, pinch-hit homer in the 10th inning, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Washington Nationals 4-3 Sunday to win their fifth straight series.Overcoming an injury to standout rookie starting pitcher Mike Soroka, the Braves used the long ball and their bullpen to win the deciding matchup of a three-game set between NL East rivals.Camargo connected off Tanner Rainey (1-2) after Ozzie Albies drew a one-out walk, and Atlanta held on for its seventh victory in 10 extra-inning games this season.Josh Donaldson and Ronald Acuña Jr. also went deep for the first-place Braves.Juan Soto homered for the Nationals, who have lost two in a row following a five-game win streak.A.J. Minter (2-4) worked the ninth and Luke Jackson earned his 11th save despite giving up a run, two hits and a walk.ASTROS 9, YANKEES 4NEW YORK (AP) — Jose Altuve hit a leadoff homer, rookie Yordan Alvarez connected again and Houston ended its first seven-game skid in four years.New York had... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — New York Mets manager Mickey Callaway cursed at a reporter, and pitcher Jason Vargas had to be restrained from charging him during a confrontation in the team's clubhouse after a loss Sunday.The dustup with beat writer Tim Healey of Newsday occurred after the Mets blew a late lead in a 5-3 defeat to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. There was no physical contact.In a story published by Newsday on Sunday night, Healey said Mets Chief Operating Officer Jeff Wilpon called him "to apologize on behalf of the organization."The incident followed a tense postgame news conference, when reporters asked Callaway repeatedly about his decision to stick with reliever Seth Lugo during the eighth inning instead of going to closer Edwin Diaz. Lugo allowed a go-ahead, three-run homer to Javier Baez.After the news conference, Callaway walked past Healey and other reporters in the clubhouse. Healey told Callaway he would "see you tomorrow," and Callaway responded by calling Healey an obscenity.... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — New York Mets manager Mickey Callaway cursed at a reporter, and pitcher Jason Vargas had to be restrained from charging him during a confrontation in the team's clubhouse after a loss Sunday.The dustup with Tim Healey of Newsday occurred after the Mets blew a late lead in a 5-3 defeat to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. There was no physical contact.The Mets apologized to Healey, the team said in a statement hours later. Healey declined comment.Reporters asked repeatedly after the game about Callaway's decision to stick with reliever Seth Lugo during the eighth inning instead of going to closer Edwin Diaz. Lugo allowed a go-ahead, three-run homer to Javier Baez.After his standard postgame news conference, Callaway walked past Healey in the clubhouse. Healey told Callaway he would "see you tomorrow," and Callaway responded by calling Healey an obscenity. Callaway walked away and then returned, cursing at Healey again and telling him to leave the clubhouse.Vargas then stared... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Johan Camargo had a two-run, pinch-hit homer in the 10th inning, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Washington Nationals 4-3 Sunday to win their fifth straight series.Overcoming an injury to standout rookie starting pitcher Mike Soroka, the Braves used the long ball and their bullpen to win the deciding matchup of a three-game set between NL East rivals.Camargo connected off Tanner Rainey (1-2) after Ozzie Albies drew a one-out walk, and Atlanta held on for its seventh victory in 10 extra-inning games this season.Josh Donaldson and Ronald Acuña Jr. also went deep for the first-place Braves.Juan Soto homered for the Nationals, who have lost two in a row following a five-game win streak.A.J. Minter (2-4) worked the ninth and Luke Jackson earned his 11th save despite giving up a run, two hits and a walk.ASTROS 9, YANKEES 4NEW YORK (AP) — Jose Altuve hit a leadoff homer, rookie Yordan Alvarez connected again and Houston ended its first seven-game skid in four years.New York had... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — New York Mets manager Mickey Callaway cursed at a reporter, and pitcher Jason Vargas had to be restrained from charging him during a confrontation in the team's clubhouse after a loss Sunday.The dustup with Tim Healey of Newsday occurred after the Mets blew a late lead in a 5-3 defeat to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Reporters asked repeatedly after the game about Callaway's decision to stick with reliever Seth Lugo during the eighth inning instead of going to closer Edwin Diaz. Lugo allowed a go-ahead three-run homer to Javier Baez.After the press conference, Callaway walked past Healey in the clubhouse. Healey told Callaway he would "see you tomorrow," and Callaway responded by calling Healey an obscenity. Callaway walked away and then returned, cursing at Healey again and telling him to leave the clubhouse.Vargas then stared down Healey and eventually tried to charge him. Players stepped in to restrain the veteran left-hander.No punches were thrown, and Healey left the clubhouse moments later.It's been a trying season for the Mets following an aggressive offseason. The club is 37-41.New York is set to open a four-game series at Philadelphia on Monday.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Atlanta Braves have sent 2018 All-Star pitcher Mike Foltynewicz to the minor leagues following another ineffective start.Foltynewicz (2-5, 6.37 ERA) was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday after giving up eight runs in four innings to Washington less than 24 hours earlier.After the Braves rallied for a 13-9 win on Saturday night, Foltynewicz said, "It's just frustrating. I have a 7.00 ERA on a first-place team."By late Sunday morning, he was no longer part of the NL East-leading Braves' roster.Atlanta pitching coach Rick Kranitz said of the right-hander: "He's an All-Star, and he has great stuff. He just needs to go down, clear his head and relax and start making pitches."The Braves filled the roster spot by recalling right-hander Chad Sobotka from Gwinnett.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHICAGO (AP) — Pete Alonso has hit his 27th home run, passing Darryl Strawberry for the New York Mets rookie record in just his 77th game.Alonso hit a solo drive against Chicago Cubs starter Cole Hamels in the fourth inning at Wrigley Field on Sunday. The 24-year-old slugger entered the day second in the majors in home runs, trailing NL MVP Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers with 29.Strawberry won NL Rookie of the Year by hitting 26 homers in 122 games in 1983. He issued a statement via the Mets congratulating Alonso, saying "what he's done in a short period of time is most impressive. No goal seems out of reach."___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Atlanta Braves have sent 2018 All-Star pitcher Mike Foltynewicz to the minor leagues following another ineffective start.Foltynewicz (2-5, 6.37 ERA) was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnet on Sunday after giving up eight runs in four innings to Washington less than 24 hours earlier.After the Braves rallied for a 13-9 win on Saturday night, Foltynewicz said, "It's just frustrating. I have a 7.00 ERA on a first-place team."By late Sunday morning, he was no longer part of the NL East-leading Braves' roster.Atlanta pitching coach Rick Kranitz said of the right-hander: "He's an All-Star, and he has great stuff. He just needs to go down, clear his head and relax and start making pitches."The Braves filled the roster spot by recalling right-hander Chad Sobotka from Gwinnet.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

BOSTON (AP) — Red Sox infielder Brock Holt has left Sunday's game against Toronto in the fourth inning with left hamstring tightness.Holt singled with one out in the second, advanced on Christian Vázquez's single and was cut down at the plate by left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s throw trying to score on Jackie Bradley Jr.'s single.Holt was replaced by Eduardo Núñez in the top of the fourth.Holt has been Boston's hottest hitter since returning from the injured list on May 27, leading the team with a .357 average coming into Sunday.He went on the IL on April 7 with a scratched right cornea and also on injured his right shoulder while on a rehab assignment.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Christian Yelich first met Giannis Antetokounmpo last month in downtown Milwaukee.The encounter happened inside a hallway at Fiserv Forum after Antetokounmpo and the Bucks eliminated the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals.The meeting of the Milwaukee stars occurred about six months after Yelich won the 2018 NL MVP award.Now, Antetokounmpo could bring another MVP trophy to the city situated on Lake Michigan's western shore.The Bucks forward is a finalist for NBA MVP along with Oklahoma City swingman Paul George and Houston guard James Harden, who won the award last season.The winner will be announced Monday night."Obviously I'm happy to be one of the three finalists," Antetokounmpo said two days after losing to the eventual NBA champion Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference finals. "Hopefully I get it. If not, I have many more years to be able to help my teammates be successful and put me in a situation that we can get it."Antetokounmpo set career highs... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:ALBERT'S ALLEYAlbert Pujols wraps up his reunion at Busch Stadium, where the adoring St. Louis fans get another chance to cheer him in the Sunday night special.Pujols has been showered with standing ovations this weekend during the Angels' visit — his first time back since signing with Los Angeles after the 2011 season. He took a curtain call after hitting a home run Saturday, a salute for the three NL MVP awards and two World Series championships he won with the Cardinals.Miles Mikolas (5-7, 4.48 ERA) starts for St. Louis against lefty Tyler Skaggs (6-6, 4.61).STREAKINGAstros ace Justin Verlander tries to halt three long streaks when he starts on Old-Timers' Day at Yankee Stadium.Gleyber Torres and New York have won eight in a row and are going for a four-game sweep in the matchup of AL division leaders. Houston has dropped seven straight — the last time it had a longer skid was a 15-game rut in 2013.Gio Urshela and Austin Romine homered... [More]