ATLANTA (AP) — Freddie Freeman homered off Yu Darvish in the sixth inning, Touki Toussaint allowed one run and three hits in his season debut, and the Atlanta Braves beat the San Diego Padres 2-1 on Tuesday night. Toussaint, who missed the first 3½ months rehabbing a right shoulder strain, retired the first seven batters he faced before walking Victor Caratini in the third. He didn’t allow a hit until Manny Machado doubled with one out in the fourth. The Padres tied it 1-all in the fourth when Jake Cronenworth was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on Machado’s double and scored on Tommy Pham’s sacrifice fly. Freeman made it 2-1 by taking Darvish deep over the wall in left field with an opposite-field shot, his 22nd homer. Toussaint (1-0) walked two and struck out five in 6 2/3 innings. Darvish (7-4) was making his first start since July 8 after a stint on the injured list due to left hip inflammation. He allowed four hits and two runs with two walks and three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Freddie Freeman homered off Yu Darvish in the sixth inning, Touki Toussaint allowed one run and three hits in his season debut, and the Atlanta Braves beat the San Diego Padres 2-1 on Tuesday night. Toussaint, who missed the first 3½ months rehabbing a right shoulder strain, retired the first seven batters he faced before walking Victor Caratini in the third. He didn’t allow a hit until Manny Machado doubled with one out in the fourth. The Padres tied it 1-all in the fourth when Jake Cronenworth was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on Machado’s double and scored on Tommy Pham’s sacrifice fly. Freeman made it 2-1 by taking Darvish deep over the wall in left field with an opposite-field shot, his 22nd homer. Toussaint (1-0) walked two and struck out five in 6 2/3 innings. Darvish (7-4) was making his first start since July 8 after a stint on the injured list due to left hip inflammation. He allowed four hits and two runs with two walks and three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Freddie Freeman homered off Yu Darvish in the sixth inning, Touki Toussaint allowed one run and three hits in his season debut, and the Atlanta Braves beat the San Diego Padres 2-1 on Tuesday night. Toussaint, who missed the first 3½ months rehabbing a right shoulder strain, retired the first seven batters he faced before walking Victor Caratini in the third. He didn’t allow a hit until Manny Machado doubled with one out in the fourth. The Padres tied it 1-all in the fourth when Jake Cronenworth was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on Machado’s double and scored on Tommy Pham’s sacrifice fly. Freeman made it 2-1 by taking Darvish deep over the wall in left field with an opposite-field shot, his 22nd homer. Toussaint (1-0) walked two and struck out five in 6 2/3 innings. Darvish (7-4) was making his first start since July 8 after a stint on the injured list due to left hip inflammation. He allowed four hits and two runs with two walks and three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Freddie Freeman homered off Yu Darvish in the sixth inning, Touki Toussaint allowed one run and three hits in his season debut, and the Atlanta Braves beat the San Diego Padres 2-1 on Tuesday night. Toussaint, who missed the first 3½ months rehabbing a right shoulder strain, retired the first seven batters he faced before walking Victor Caratini in the third. He didn’t allow a hit until Manny Machado doubled with one out in the fourth. The Padres tied it 1-all in the fourth when Jake Cronenworth was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on Machado’s double and scored on Tommy Pham’s sacrifice fly. Freeman made it 2-1 by taking Darvish deep over the wall in left field with an opposite-field shot, his 22nd homer. Toussaint (1-0) walked two and struck out five in 6 2/3 innings. Darvish (7-4) was making his first start since July 8 after a stint on the injured list due to left hip inflammation. He allowed four hits and two runs with two walks and three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs signed former Cleveland Indians closer Cody Allen to a minor league deal on Friday.Allen was assigned to the team's training site in South Bend, Indiana.The Cubs' bullpen struggled in the first week of the season. Closer Craig Kimbrel walked four batters and allowed two runs in his season debut Monday night. Right-hander Dillon Maples was optioned Thursday after he struggled in his first two appearances.The 31-year-old Allen agreed to a minor league deal with Texas in February, but he was released by the Rangers last week.Allen is 24-31 with a 3.14 ERA and 153 saves in 481 major league appearances over eight big league seasons. He struggled last year, going 0-2 with a 6.26 ERA and four saves with the Los Angeles Angels.Allen had 32 saves for the 2016 Indians team that lost to the Cubs in the World Series. He struck out 12 in six scoreless innings against Chicago in the playoffs.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cubs put left-hander Cole Hamels on the injured list Saturday, a day after he left a game with discomfort in his left side, and designated outfielder Carlos Gonzalez for assignment.Hamels came out after one inning of a 6-3 loss to the Reds in the series opener Friday. He's scheduled for an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the injury, which cost the Cubs their best starter lately.Chicago called up relievers Dillon Maples and Rowan Wick from Triple-A Iowa to stabilize the bullpen. Manager Joe Maddon had to use four relievers after Hamels left the game.Gonzalez signed a minor league deal June 1 and was called up two days later. He batted .175 in 15 games.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs activated reliever Pedro Strop from the 10-day injured list before Tuesday night's game against the Colorado Rockies and optioned reliever Dillon Maples to Triple-A Iowa.The 33-year-old Strop, who went on the IL on May 8 with a strained left hamstring, is 1-2 with a 5.06 ERA and has four saves in six chances. The right-hander is one of several relievers manager Joe Maddon has shuffled into the closer's role as Brandon Morrow recovers from right elbow surgery.In three rehab appearances at Iowa, Strop allowed one hit and one walk in three innings.Maddon believes a healthy Strop can help improve the Cubs' inconsistent bullpen. Before Tuesday's game, the manager said he'd lean toward using Strop to protect a ninth-inning lead against the Rockies.Maples, a 27-year-old right-hander, was 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in 5 2/3 innings over seven appearances with the Cubs.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports