CHICAGO (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt hit a three-run homer off a struggling Jon Lester, and the St. Louis Cardinals gained ground in the NL Central race by beating the Chicago Cubs 7-3 on Sunday night.St. Louis pulled within 1 1/2 games of Chicago with its third consecutive win over the division leaders. The longtime rivals have one game left in their pandemic-shortened season series on Monday.Dakota Hudson (2-2) worked five innings of three-run ball, shrugging off a shaky start.Chicago dropped to 10-15 since its 13-3 start. Anthony Rizzo and Jason Kipnis homered for the Cubs, but Lester (2-2) lasted just 3 1/3 innings in another lackluster performance.ANGELS 9, ASTROS 5ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Anthony Rendon homered, Jared Walsh and Justin Upton delivered key hits during a four-run eighth inning and Los Angeles swept the four-game series.The Angels have a won a season-high five straight. They trailed by at least three runs in each game against Houston before rallying.Mike Mayers (1-0), the fifth... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt hit a three-run homer off a struggling Jon Lester, and the St. Louis Cardinals gained ground in the NL Central race by beating the Chicago Cubs 7-3 on Sunday night.St. Louis pulled within 1 1/2 games of Chicago with its third consecutive win over the division leaders. The longtime rivals have one game left in their pandemic-shortened season series on Monday.Dakota Hudson (2-2) worked five innings of three-run ball, shrugging off a shaky start.Chicago dropped to 10-15 since its 13-3 start. Anthony Rizzo and Jason Kipnis homered for the Cubs, but Lester (2-2) lasted just 3 1/3 innings in another lackluster performance.ANGELS 9, ASTROS 5ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Anthony Rendon homered, Jared Walsh and Justin Upton delivered key hits during a four-run eighth inning and Los Angeles swept the four-game series.The Angels have a won a season-high five straight. They trailed by at least three runs in each game against Houston before rallying.Mike Mayers (1-0), the fifth... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Anthony Rendon hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning, Albert Pujols drove in three runs and the Los Angeles Angels rallied for a 7-6 victory over the Houston Astros to sweep Saturday’s doubleheader.It was not a walk-off win for the Angels, though. They were the visiting team in the nightcap because it was a makeup of the Aug. 26 game in Houston that was postponed due to Tropical Storm Laura.Mike Trout became the Angels’ home run leader in the first game with No. 300 of his career and Jo Adell celebrated with a game-winning, two-run single in the seventh to give Los Angeles a 10-9 win.Rendon hitting homers to sink the Astros is nothing new. He had a three-run shot for Washington in Game 6 of last year’s World Series and then a solo drive in the deciding game to start the Nationals’ comeback.Noe Ramirez (1-0) worked a scoreless sixth and Ty Buttrey earned his fifth save.Los Angeles trailed 6-4 in the seventh. Justin Upton singled and Trout walked before Rendon... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Mike Trout became the Angels’ career home run leader and Jo Adell celebrated with a game-ending, two-run single in the seventh, lifting Los Angeles to a 10-9 victory over the Houston Astros in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday.The Angels trailed by two going into the seventh. Trout and Shohei Ohtani drew walks before Justin Upton doubled to drive in Trout. One out later, Adell lined a two-run single to right off Enoli Paredes (1-2) for his first game-ending hit.Trout hit career homer No. 300 in the third inning to pass Tim Salmon as the franchise leader. He also had a pair of doubles.Adell and Upton also homered, and Felix Peña (3-0) got the win.Kyle Tucker homered and drove in three runs for the Astros, who lost in walk-off fashion for the second straight game.INDIANS 4, BREWERS 3CLEVELAND (AP) — Milwaukee closer Josh Hader allowed his first hit of the season, and then gave up César Hernández’s game-winning single in the ninth inning.Oscar Mercado, who... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Nate Pearson was not included on the Toronto Blue Jays' 30-man roster for Friday's opener at Tampa Bay, a move that likely will delay free-agent eligibility of the hard-throwing right-hander by a year until after the 2026 season.Pearson, who turns 24 on Aug. 20, was 5-4 with a 2.30 ERA in 25 starts across three minor league levels last season that included three starts at Triple-A Buffalo. He struck out 119 in 101 2/3 innings.If he is not put on the active roster until July 29, he would be limited to 61 days of major league service in the 67-day season. That would leave him with a maximum 169 days of credited major league service this year, three days shy of the 172 days needed for a full year of credited service. Service time is adjusted this year because of the shortened season caused by the coronavirus pandemic.A player needs six years of major league service to be eligible for free agency.Pearson allowed four runs and five hits in 3 2/3 innings in an exhibition start... [More]

A team-by-team look at the American League East entering spring training, including key players each club acquired and lost, and dates of the first workout for pitchers and catchers, and the full squad:___New York YankeesManager: Aaron Boone (third season). 2019: 103-59, first place, lost to Houston in AL Championship Series. Training Town: Tampa, Florida. Park: George Steinbrenner Field. First Workout: Feb. 13/18. He's Here: RHP Gerrit Cole, C Erik Kratz, C Chris Iannetta, C Josh Thole, RHP Nick Tropeano, LHP Luis AvilánHe's Outta Here: LHP CC Sabathia, SS Didi Gregorius, 1B Edwin Encarnacion, C Austin Romine, RHP Dellin Betances, OF Cameron Maybin, OF Jacoby Ellsbury, 1B Greg Bird, RHP Chance Adams, LHP Stephen Tarpley, LHP Nestor Cortes Jr., RHP Cory GearrinGoing campin': After a big league-record 30 players went on the injured list a total of 39 times last season, health remains a concern. Left-hander James Paxton had back surgery Feb. 5 and is expected to be sidelined until May or... [More]

A team-by-team look at the National League West entering spring training, including key players each club acquired and lost, and dates of the first workout for pitchers and catchers, and the full squad:___Los Angeles Dodgers Manager: Dave Roberts (fifth season). 2019: 106-56, first place, lost to Nationals in Division Series. Training Town: Glendale, Arizona. Park: Camelback Ranch. First Workout: Feb. 14/18. He's Here: OF Mookie Betts, LHP David Price, LHP Alex Wood, RHP Blake Treinen, RHP Jimmy Nelson, 2B Clayton Daniel.He's Outta Here: LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu, RHP Kenta Maeda, LHP Rich Hill, OF Joc Pederson, OF Alex Verdugo, 1B David Freese, RHP Yimi Garcia, 3B Jedd Gyorko, C Russell Martin, RHP JT Chargois, 2B Kristopher Negron.Going campin': In what's become a familiar refrain, the Dodgers arrive at camp still looking for their first World Series championship since 1988. After losing in two straight World Series, they were ousted by Washington in five games in the NL Division Series last fall.... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — The Diamondbacks did not offer 2020 contracts to outfielder Steven Souza Jr., pitcher Taijuan Walker and catcher Caleb Joseph, making them free agents.Souza, 30, missed last season because of a left knee injury after he slipped on home plate and tore multiple ligaments near the end of spring training. Souza’s best year was in 2017, when he hit 30 homers for the Tampa Bay Rays. He made $4,125,000.The 27-year-old Walker missed most of the last two years after Tommy John surgery. The right-hander pitched one inning during the last week of the 2019 season and made $5,025,000.Joseph, 33, spent a big chunk of the year in Triple-A and played in 20 games for Arizona, hitting .211 in 38 at-bats. He had a split contract calling for $1.1 million while in the majors and $250,000 in the minors.All three would have been eligible for arbitration had they been offered contracts.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Cardinals first. Dexter Fowler homers to right field. Tommy Edman grounds out to first base, Jake Lamb to Mike Leake. Paul Goldschmidt flies out to right field to Abraham Almonte. Marcell Ozuna lines out to center field to Jarrod Dyson.1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left on. Cardinals 1, Diamondbacks 0.Diamondbacks ninth. Christian Walker pinch-hitting for Abraham Almonte. Christian Walker called out on strikes. Ildemaro Vargas pinch-hitting for Domingo Leyba. Ildemaro Vargas homers to center field. Eduardo Escobar flies out to deep center field to Harrison Bader. Adam Jones pinch-hitting for Jake Lamb. Adam Jones strikes out swinging.1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left on. Cardinals 1, Diamondbacks 1.Cardinals thirteenth. Tommy Edman strikes out swinging. Paul Goldschmidt homers to center field. Marcell Ozuna walks. Yadier Molina strikes out swinging. Matt Carpenter pops out to shallow left field to Nick Ahmed.1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 left on. Cardinals 2, Diamondbacks 1.Diamondbacks thirteenth.... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Robinson Chirinos hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in a four-run seventh inning to give the Houston Astros a 4-1 win over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday night.The Astros were unable to do much against Carlos Carrasco (2-3) before Yuli Gurriel's RBI double in the seventh. After an intentional walk, Chirinos sent the next pitch over the train tracks atop the wall in left field and out of the stadium on a night the retractable roof was open.The Astros won the final two games to earn a split of the four-game set with Cleveland, a rematch of last year's AL Division Series in which Houston earned a three-game sweep. Houston also moved into first place in the AL West.Wade Miley yielded six hits and one run in 5 2/3 innings to extend his streak of consecutive starts with three or fewer earned runs to 22. The left-hander struck out three and walked two.Framber Valdez (1-1) yielded one hit in two scoreless innings. Ryan Pressly allowed one hit and no runs in the ninth for his second... [More]

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Dustin Pedroia's first game in nearly 10 months couldn't have gone much better — even if it lasted just one inning.Pedroia cleanly fielded a two-out grounder by Minnesota's Jake Cave, then singled off Kohl Stewart leading off the bottom half of Boston's 12-1 loss Thursday."It made me happy to run around the bases," Pedroia said. "It was really fun out there."A four-time All-Star and the 2008 AL MVP, Pedroia's knee problems began with a spikes-up takeout slide at second by Baltimore's Manny Machado on April 21, 2017. Pedroia went on the disabled list three times that season, twice because of knee inflammation, and had left knee surgery that Oct. 25.He played in five injury rehabilitation games at Triple-A Pawtucket last May 14-24, appeared in three games for the Red Sox from May 26-29, then went back on the disabled list for the rest of the season."I just need to keep building on this. I hadn't seen a pitch since May 29. Everything went well," Pedroia said.Cave and... [More]

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Dustin Pedroia's first game in nearly 10 months couldn't have gone much better — even if it lasted just one inning.Pedroia cleanly fielded a two-out grounder by Minnesota's Jake Cave, then singled off Kohl Stewart leading off the bottom half of Boston's 12-1 loss Thursday."It made me happy to run around the bases," Pedroia said. "It was really fun out there."A four-time All-Star and the 2008 AL MVP, Pedroia's knee problems began with a spikes-up takeout slide at second by Baltimore's Manny Machado on April 21, 2017. Pedroia went on the disabled list three times that season, twice because of knee inflammation, and had left knee surgery that Oct. 25.He played in five injury rehabilitation games at Triple-A Pawtucket last May 14-24, appeared in three games for the Red Sox from May 26-29, then went back on the disabled list for the rest of the season."I just need to keep building on this. I hadn't seen a pitch since May 29. Everything went well," Pedroia said.Cave and... [More]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks have tried to match up Zack Greinke with the same catcher per the pitcher's request. On Monday, 24-year-old Carson Kelly got his first chance behind the plate in the ace's first spring training start.It was a good partnership. Greinke needed just 16 pitches — 14 strikes — to retire the Oakland Athletics in order over two innings."Get outs — that's kind of the big thing for him," Kelly said of Greinke. "He did that and he did it efficiently, too, without throwing a lot of pitches. I feel like that's Zack Greinke-esque."Jeff Mathis was Greinke's personal catcher last season but signed as a free agent with the Texas Rangers. Kelly, acquired by Arizona from the St. Louis Cardinals in the trade for Paul Goldschmidt, caught Greinke during his last live batting practice session as a tuneup.Pitching on a back field and facing teammates, however, is different than a real game, even if it is an exhibition game."With the live BP, I was excited, very... [More]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Carson Kelly and Luke Weaver will always been known as the other players in the Paul Goldschmidt trade. No matter what they do for the rest of their careers, good or bad, they will be linked to the Arizona Diamondbacks' fan-favorite first baseman.But the Diamondbacks do not consider them replacements for Goldschmidt.Goldschmidt was one of the best players in baseball during his eight seasons in Arizona, so matching his production would be difficult. Plus, Kelly is a catcher and Weaver a right-handed starting pitcher.The Diamondbacks just want them to be the best versions of themselves they can be."When they were traded over, those were the first conversations that I began to have with them about just being themselves, embracing the organization the way we're embracing them," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. "We chose them for a reason: because they're very special players."Both are looking forward to a fresh start.For Kelly, the trade should mean an opportunity... [More]

SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — The sun wasn't shining on Brandon Hyde's first workout as Baltimore Orioles' manager.Rain delayed the start of workouts Wednesday for about an hour. But eventually, 15 pitchers threw bullpens and the Orioles rolled out some new cameras to help the team evaluate them.Baltimore has three confirmed starters: Dylan Bundy, Andrew Cashner and Alex Cobb. Last week, the Orioles signed Nate Karns, who didn't pitch in 2018. They hope he can be their fourth starter, and there's spirited competition for the fifth spot."I think it's pretty open," Hyde said. "It's a great opportunity for everybody in camp. A lot of jobs to be won."Few spots on a team attempting to rebound from a franchise-worst 115 loss season are accounted for."It's just going to be a ton of evaluating," the 45-year-old Hyde said.Besides Karns, David Hess and Yefry Ramirez, who finished last year in Baltimore's rotation, will be in the mix. Josh Rogers, a left-hander obtained from the New York Yankees in the trade... [More]

SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — The sun wasn't shining on Brandon Hyde's first workout as Baltimore Orioles' manager.Rain delayed the start of workouts Wednesday for about an hour. But eventually, 15 pitchers threw bullpens and the Orioles rolled out some new cameras to help the team evaluate them.Baltimore has three confirmed starters: Dylan Bundy, Andrew Cashner and Alex Cobb. Last week, the Orioles signed Nate Karns, who didn't pitch in 2018. They hope he can be their fourth starter, and there's spirited competition for the fifth spot."I think it's pretty open," Hyde said. "It's a great opportunity for everybody in camp. A lot of jobs to be won."Few spots on a team attempting to rebound from a franchise-worst 115 loss season are accounted for."It's just going to be a ton of evaluating," the 45-year-old Hyde said.Besides Karns, David Hess and Yefry Ramirez, who finished last year in Baltimore's rotation, will be in the mix. Josh Rogers, a left-hander obtained from the New York Yankees in the trade... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Catcher Caleb Joseph and the Arizona Diamondbacks have agreed to a one-year contract that calls for a $1.1 million salary in the major leagues and a $250,000 salary in the minors.Arizona opened a roster spot by placing right-hander Taijuan Walker on the 60-day injured list on Wednesday.The 32-year-old Joseph played five seasons with Baltimore and is ninth among active catchers with a caught-stealing percentage of 29.4. He threw out 32.2 percent of attempted base stealers last season and tied for the major league lead among catchers with 11 double plays, but he hit just .219 with three homers and 17 RBIs in 280 plate appearances. He became a free agent when the Orioles failed to offer a contract by the Nov. 30 deadline.Joseph is a career .224 hitter with 31 homers and 122 RBIs.Walker is recovering from Tommy John surgery after tearing his right ulnar collateral ligament last April against the Los Angeles Dodgers.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

A team-by-team look at the American League East entering spring training, including key players each club acquired and lost, and dates of the first workout for pitchers and catchers, and the full squad:___Boston Red SoxManager: Alex Cora (second season).2018: 108-54, first place, World Series champions.Training Town: Fort Myers, Florida.Park: JetBlue Park at Fenway South.First Workout: Feb. 13/18.He's Here: OF Gorkys Hernandez, RHP Jenrry Mejia.He's Outta Here: RHP Craig Kimbrel, RHP Joe Kelly, 2B Ian Kinsler.Going campin': The Red Sox are largely standing pat as they attempt to win back-to-back World Series for the first time in more than a century. The team that won a franchise-record 108 games in the regular season last year is largely intact, with All-Star closer Kimbrel the biggest loss. Second baseman Dustin Pedroia is hoping to return from a knee injury that limited him to three games last season. Christian Vazquez, Blake Swihart and Sandy Leon will compete for two spots at catcher.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Speedy outfielder Billy Hamilton and 2017 All-Stars Avisail Garcia and Jonathan Schoop became free agents Friday when they were among 43 players cut loose by teams that failed to offer 2019 contracts, but the Chicago Cubs hung onto shortstop Addison Russell despite his 40-game domestic violence suspension that extends until May.Cubs president of president of baseball operations Theo Epstein called the decision a procedural step and said it "does not represent the finish line nor rubber-stamp his future" with them."It does however reflect our support for him as long as he continues to make progress and demonstrates his commitment to these important issues," Epstein added.Russell accepted the suspension following allegations made by his ex-wife Melisa Reidy. Though Russell has denied the allegations, he apologized to Reidy and his family for "my past behavior.""Since accepting my suspension, I've had time to reflect on my past behavior and think about the next steps I need... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — Buck Showalter has been fired as manager of the Orioles, who made three playoff appearances under his guidance but this year staggered through the worst season since the team moved to Baltimore in 1954.Showalter confirmed the dismissal Wednesday in a text message to The Associated Press.A three-time AL Manager of the Year, Showalter ranks second on the Orioles' career list with 669 victories, trailing Earl Weaver. He took over in August 2010 and orchestrated the resurgence of a team that suffered through 14 straight losing seasons.Once hailed for making baseball in Baltimore relevant again, the 62-year-old Showalter is out of a job after a season in which the Orioles finished 47-115, 61 games behind Boston in the AL East. His contract expired at the end of October, and the Orioles opted against a renewal as they continue a major rebuild that began in late July, when they traded stars Manny Machado, Zach Britton, Jonathan Schoop and Kevin Gausman for minor league prospects.Those... [More]