A look at what's happening around the majors today: ___ BAKER'S DOZEN IN THE BOOKS Oakland goes for its 14th consecutive victory when the Athletics take on Baltimore at Camden Yards. Jesús Luzardo (1-1, 5.89 ERA) is on the mound as the A’s look to complete a three-game sweep. This is the third-longest winning streak in Oakland history. The A’s won 14 straight in 1988 and set a then-American League record with 20 consecutive victories in 2002. Cleveland broke that mark with 22 straight wins in 2017 — Oakland’s string is the longest in the majors since that Indians run. The Athletics, who lost their first six games this season, have outscored opponents 83-36 during the winning streak. John Means (1-0, 1.52) starts for the Orioles after getting an additional two days of rest following seven shutout innings Sunday at Texas in his last outing. Oakland has won nine in a row against Baltimore dating to 2019. SUNDAY NIGHT SPOTLIGHT Fernando Tatis Jr. is coming off consecutive two-homer games as... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today: ___ BAKER'S DOZEN IN THE BOOKS Oakland goes for its 14th consecutive victory when the Athletics take on Baltimore at Camden Yards. Jesús Luzardo (1-1, 5.89 ERA) is on the mound as the A’s look to complete a three-game sweep. This is the third-longest winning streak in Oakland history. The A’s won 14 straight in 1988 and set a then-American League record with 20 consecutive victories in 2002. Cleveland broke that mark with 22 straight wins in 2017 — Oakland’s string is the longest in the majors since that Indians run. The Athletics, who lost their first six games this season, have outscored opponents 83-36 during the winning streak. John Means (1-0, 1.52) starts for the Orioles after getting an additional two days of rest following seven shutout innings Sunday at Texas in his last outing. Oakland has won nine in a row against Baltimore dating to 2019. SUNDAY NIGHT SPOTLIGHT Fernando Tatis Jr. is coming off consecutive two-homer games as... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors on Sunday: ___ BAKER'S DOZEN IN THE BOOKS Oakland goes for its 14th consecutive victory when the Athletics take on Baltimore at Camden Yards. Jesús Luzardo (1-1, 5.89 ERA) is on the mound as the A’s look to complete a three-game sweep. This is the third-longest winning streak in Oakland history. The A’s won 14 straight in 1988 and set a then-American League record with 20 consecutive victories in 2002. Cleveland broke that mark with 22 straight wins in 2017 — Oakland’s string is the longest in the majors since that Indians run. The Athletics, who lost their first six games this season, have outscored opponents 83-36 during the winning streak. John Means (1-0, 1.52) starts for the Orioles after getting an additional two days of rest following seven shutout innings Sunday at Texas in his last outing. Oakland has won nine in a row against Baltimore dating to 2019. AILING ASTROS Houston second baseman José Altuve says he tested positive for COVID-19... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors on Sunday: ___ AILING ASTROS Houston second baseman José Altuve says he’s tested positive for COVID-19 but hasn’t felt badly and hopes to return to the lineup soon. The 2017 AL MVP was among five Astros who were placed on the COVID-19 list on April 14. The four other players were back on the active roster within a few days. It’s unclear how much time Altuve will need before playin again. He said he received the first dose of one of the two-dose COVID-19 vaccines before testing positive, and that he has no idea how he contracted the virus. Altuve is hitting .318 with one homer, three doubles and five RBIs in 11 games. Hours after Altuve spoke, Houston starter Jake Odorizzi was forced to leave after throwing only five pitches against the Angels because of tightness in his right forearm. Odorizzi got a late start to the season after not signing with the Astros until March 8. He entered the game with an 0-2 record and 10.57 ERA in two starts this... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Manuel Margot hit a tiebreaking two-run homer, Tyler Glasnow overcame cramps and poor control to pitch five innings of one-run ball and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Yankees 6-3 Saturday and dropped New York to an AL-worst 5-9. New York lost its seventh straight series to the Rays is last this late in the season for the first time since 1991, per Elias Sports. Fans in the Bronx again booed the Bombers, but they were more restrained a day after some hurled baseballs and other items on the field late in an 8-2 loss to the Rays. Francisco Mejía hit a solo shot in the second off Jordan Montgomery (1-1), and Margot made it 3-1 with his homer off the left-hander in the fourth. Joey Wendle added a two-run shot against Jonathan Loaisiga in the seventh, and Mejía had an RBI double in the ninth. Glasnow (2-0) walked four but also struck out seven and limited New York to two hits as the Rays (7-8) won their second straight in the series. DODGERS 2, PADRES 0 SAN DIEGO (AP) — Mookie Betts... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Sean Kazmar Jr. grounded into a double play — and sounded overjoyed. “Definitely everything and then some,” he said. “What an amazing feeling.” While Kazmar and the Atlanta Braves lost to the Chicago Cubs 13-4, his pinch-hit appearance in the fifth inning marked the 36-year-old infielder's first major league game since Sept. 23, 2008, with the San Diego Padres — a span of 12 years, 6 months, 25 days. “Obviously wasn't the outcome we were looking for. A win would have been nice,” he said. “But what a good feeling — just last night when Snit told me and waking up and then getting that opportunity early in the game was awesome. But, again, yeah, man, amazing feeling, and hopefully stick around a little longer.” Kazmar was in his hotel room Friday night watching the Braves' game on television and realized his odds of a callup were getting better when Ender Inciarte injured a hamstring in the fourth inning and Ozzie Albies Jr. was hit on the right calf by Justin Steel's pitch... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors on Sunday: ___ WAITING GAME The Minnesota Twins will see when they can next play after their COVID-19 problems wiped the rest of a series in Anaheim against the Angels. Games on Saturday night and Sunday were called off. Outfielder Kyle Garlick, another undisclosed Twins player and a team staff member tested positive in the two days before the postponements, manager Rocco Baldelli said. Shortstop Andrelton Simmons already hadn’t made the trip after testing positive early in the week, and he hadn’t been around the team since Tuesday. “There’s not one person in our group who’s not frustrated,” Baldelli said. “Does everyone have that general frustration just having to deal with this in a grander sense? Absolutely. And then there are probably people who are frustrated about particular aspects of that.” The Twins are scheduled to play Monday night at Oakland. There have now been five games postponed this season because of the virus, including three... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Sean Kazmar Jr. grounded into a double play — and sounded overjoyed. “Definitely everything and then some,” he said. “What an amazing feeling.” While Kazmar and the Atlanta Braves lost to the Chicago Cubs 13-4, his pinch-hit appearance in the fifth inning marked the 36-year-old infielder's first major league game since Sept. 23, 2008, with the San Diego Padres — a span of 12 years, 6 months, 25 days. “Obviously wasn't the outcome we were looking for. A win would have been nice,” he said. “But what a good feeling — just last night when Snit told me and waking up and then getting that opportunity early in the game was awesome. But, again, yeah, man, amazing feeling, and hopefully stick around a little longer.” Kazmar was in his hotel room Saturday night watching the Braves' game on television and realized his odds of a callup were getting better when Ender Inciarte injured a hamstring in the fourth inning and Ozzie Albies Jr. was hit on the right calf by Justin Steel's pitch... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Sean Kazmar Jr. grounded into a double play — and sounded overjoyed. “Definitely everything and then some,” he said. “What an amazing feeling.” While Kazmar and the Atlanta Braves lost to the Chicago Cubs 13-4, his pinch-hit appearance in the fifth inning marked the 36-year-old infielder's first major league game since Sept. 23, 2008, with the San Diego Padres — a span of 12 years, 6 months, 25 days. “Obviously wasn't the outcome we were looking for. A win would have been nice,” he said. “But what a good feeling — just last night when Snit told me and waking up and then getting that opportunity early in the game was awesome. But, again, yeah, man, amazing feeling, and hopefully stick around a little longer.” Kazmar was in his hotel room Saturday night watching the Braves' game on television and realized his odds of a callup were getting better when Ender Inciarte injured a hamstring in the fourth inning and Ozzie Albies Jr. was hit on the right calf by Justin Steel's pitch... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Sean Kazmar Jr. returned to the major leagues after an 13-year absence, pinch hitting for the Atlanta Braves and grounding into a double play on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs. The 36-year-old infielder's contract was selected by the Braves from their alternate training site before the game. He pinch hit in the fifth inning grounded into a 4-6-3 double play. Kazmar had not played in the major leagues on Sept. 23, 2008, with the San Diego Padres. He appeared in 19 games that season for his only previous major league action, and had since played in Triple-A for the Padres, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets and Braves, plus Double-A for the Mets — a total of 1,106 minor league games, “That was probably one of the greatest moments I’ve had as a manager at all the levels, quite honestly,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said of informing Kazmar of his return. “It’s amazing. You go from ’08 to 2021, in between, you’ve got to be kidding me, to have the perseverance and the dedication... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Atlanta Braves placed 36-year-old infielder Sean Kazmar Jr. on the active roster on Saturday, a move that put a big smile on the face of manager Brian Snitker. And for good reason. Kazmar hasn't played in the major leagues in more than a decade. “That was probably one of the greatest moments I’ve had as a manager at all the levels, quite honestly,” Snitker said of informing Kazmar of his return. “It’s amazing. You go from ’08 to 2021, in between, you’ve got to be kidding me, to have the perseverance and the dedication and the drive.” Kazmar last played in the major leagues on Sept. 23, 2008 with the San Diego Padres, appearing in 19 games that season for his only major league action. He has since played in Triple-A for the Padres, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets and Braves. The most recent player with a bigger gap between major league appearances was right-hander Ralph Winegarner, according to Elias Sports Bureau. Winegarner played on June 23, 1936 for the Cleveland Indians... [More]