Oct. 12 1916 — The Boston Red Sox won the World Series in five games with a 4-1 victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers. Ernie Shore pitched a three-hitter for Boston. 1920 — Cleveland’s Stan Coveleski won his third game in the World Series as the Indians beat the Brooklyn Dodgers 3-0 and won the championship, five games to two. 1929 — The Philadelphia Athletics, trailing the Chicago Cubs 8-0 in the fourth game of the World Series, scored 10 runs in the seventh inning to win 10-8. 1967 — Bob Gibson pitched a three-hitter against the Boston Red Sox to give the St. Louis Cardinals a 7-2 win and the championship in seven games. 1977 — The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees 6-1 to even the World Series after two games. Catfish Hunter, who had not pitched in over a month, started the game for the Yankees. Ron Cey, Steve Yeager and Reggie Smith all homered and knocked out Hunter in the third inning. 1982 — Paul Molitor of Milwaukee had five hits, a World Series record, in the 10-0 opener... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Braves need new veteran leadership for a rotation that has lost Julio Teheran and Dallas Keuchel.Left-hander Cole Hamels is eager to fill the void as pitchers and catchers report to spring training on Wednesday.The 36-year-old Hamels, who signed an $18 million, one-year deal with Atlanta on Dec. 4, brings much-needed experience to a young rotation that also includes Mike Soroka, Max Fried and Mike Foltynewicz.Soroka, who could be the team's opening day pitcher, is only 22. Fried is 26. Foltynewicz is 28.Hamels wants to be a resource for the young starters. He remembers such veterans as Roy Halladay set the example for him when he broke into the major leagues with Philadelphia in 2006.“When I came up I was very fortunate to have an organization that looked into what veteran leadership is,” Hamels said last month. “They surrounded me with some of the best players and pitchers that I could ever been around. Roy Halladay, (Roy) Oswalt, Cliff Lee, Jamie Moyer, those... [More]

Oct. 121916 — The Boston Red Sox won the World Series in five games with a 4-1 victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers. Ernie Shore pitched a three-hitter for Boston.1920 — Cleveland's Stan Coveleski won his third game in the World Series as the Indians beat the Brooklyn Dodgers 3-0 and won the championship, five games to two.1929 — The Philadelphia Athletics, trailing the Chicago Cubs 8-0 in the fourth game of the World Series, scored 10 runs in the seventh inning to win 10-8.1967 — Bob Gibson pitched a three-hitter against the Boston Red Sox to give the St. Louis Cardinals a 7-2 win and the championship in seven games.1977 — The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees 6-1 to even the World Series after two games. Catfish Hunter, who had not pitched in over a month, started the game for the Yankees. Ron Cey, Steve Yeager and Reggie Smith all homered and knocked out Hunter in the third inning.1982 — Paul Molitor of Milwaukee had five hits, a World Series record, in the 10-0 opener over... [More]

Oct. 101904 — Boston clinched the pennant on the last day of the season when Jack Chesbro of the New York Highlanders threw a wild pitch in the ninth to allow the winning run to score from third.1920 — The Cleveland Indians beat the Brooklyn Dodgers 8-1 in the fifth game of the World Series. For the Indians, Elmer Smith hit the first Series grand slam and Jim Bagby, the winner, hit the first Series homer by a pitcher.1924 — The Washington Senators won their only championship by defeating the Giants 4-3 in 12 innings. The winning run scored when a ball hit by Earl McNeely bounced over third baseman Fred Lindstrom's head.1926 — Grover Alexander, 39, saved Game 7 and the World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals, fanning Tony Lazzeri with the bases loaded in the seventh inning and pitching 2 1-3 hitless innings. The game ended with Babe Ruth being thrown out trying to steal second base. With two outs in the top of the ninth, Ruth walked for the third time, having homered in the fourth inning.1931... [More]

Oct. 71904 — Jack Chesbro got his 41st victory of the season as New York defeated the Boston Red Sox 3-2.1933 — Mel Ott's home run in the 10th inning to give the New York Giants for a 4-3 victory and the World Championship in five games over the Washington Senators.1935 — Detroit's Goose Goslin drove in Mickey Cochrane with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Tigers a 4-3 win and the World Championship in six games over the Chicago Cubs.1950 — Rookie pitcher Whitey Ford, with ninth-inning help from Allie Reynolds, beat Philadelphia 5-2 to give the Yankees a World Series sweep of the "Whiz Kids."1952 — Billy Martin's running catch on a high infield pop with the bases loaded in the seventh inning snuffed a Dodgers rally and the New York Yankees went on to win Game 7 of the World Series 4-2. It was the fourth consecutive world championship for the Yankees.1969 — The St. Louis Cardinals traded outfielder Curt Flood to the Philadelphia Phillies in a blockbuster deal involving... [More]

Oct. 61915 _ Philadelphia rookie Elmer Myers made a spectacular debut by striking out 12 Washington batters while allowing just two hits. Myers walked 5 in the 4-0 win his only game this year.1926 _ Babe Ruth hit three homers to lead the Yankees to a 10-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in the fourth game of the World Series.1948 _ In the opening game of the World Series, the Boston Braves beat Bob Feller and the Cleveland Indians 1-0 with two hits and the benefit of a disputed call on a pickoff attempt in the eighth by Feller.1963 _ Frank Howard led Los Angeles to a 2-1 win over the New York Yankees with a home run and a single, giving the Dodgers a four-game sweep in the World Series.1966 _ Jim Palmer, 20, became the youngest player to pitch a World Series shutout as the Baltimore Orioles beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-0. Sandy Koufax was the loser, his last appearance in the major leagues. Dodger outfielder Willie Davis committed three errors on successive plays in the fifth inning.1978... [More]

Yes, the Houston Astros can still be beat, even after assembling baseball's newest super rotation.The Astros acquired six-time All-Star Zack Greinke from Arizona just before Wednesday's trade deadline, adding him to a pitching staff that already included Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole. Then, as if to show off, Houston threw a combined no-hitter Saturday night against Seattle — with Aaron Sanchez, another new acquisition, tossing six innings.Still, recent history tells us that in baseball's fickle postseason, even a trio of aces often isn't enough. Here's a look at some of the best rotations of the wild-card era — and how those teams ultimately fared.Atlanta Braves (1995-99): The Atlanta trio of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz actually joined forces before the wild-card era and stayed together into the new century, but the peak was probably the mid-to-late 1990s, when the Braves won three pennants and a World series in a five-year span. Maddux won the Cy Young Award in 1995, Smoltz... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco is being treated for leukemia, and he says it's going to make him stronger than he was before.Carrasco hasn't played for Cleveland since May 30. The 32-year-old right-hander says he got a blood test after a spring-training physical prompted some concern, and he was diagnosed with leukemia in May."I never thought that I would have something like this, because I play baseball, I'm like super healthy or something like that," Carrasco says in a video posted on the Indians' Twitter account. "But you never know what's going on inside your body."When I found out, it made me even stronger, then I push myself to work through this. Then I have a lot of people behind me, helping me, especially my teammates and family."Manager Terry Francona said the club knew the details of Carrasco's condition before the video was released. Carrasco plans to talk to the media in Cleveland next Thursday. Francona declined to talk about the pitcher's condition beyond... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco is being treated for leukemia, and he says it's going to make him stronger than he was before.Carrasco hasn't played for Cleveland since May 30. The 32-year-old right-hander says he got a blood test after a spring-training physical prompted some concern, and he was diagnosed with leukemia in May."I never thought that I would have something like this, because I play baseball, I'm like super healthy or something like that," Carrasco says in a video posted on the Indians' Twitter account. "But you never know what's going on inside your body."When I found out, it made me even stronger, then I push myself to work through this. Then I have a lot of people behind me, helping me, especially my teammates and family."The 32-year-old Carrasco also told a TV station in the Dominican Republic about his condition while visiting a hospital, where he was seeing patients. He said he feels positive about his prognosis and he'll be back with the team "at the... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Indians starter Carlos Carrasco is being treated for leukemia, but remains hopeful he'll pitch again this season.Carrasco, who was diagnosed in June, told a TV station in the Dominican Republic about his condition while visiting a hospital, where he was seeing patients. The 32-year-old Carrasco feels positive about his prognosis and said he'll be back with the team "at the end of July."Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. There are numerous forms of the disease, many of which are highly treatable.Carrasco was not pitching up to his standards and feeling lethargic for weeks in May before getting checked. He told CDN that doctors "saw something different in my blood."The right-hander said he received more tests, and he and his wife were given his diagnosis.The Indians have not commented on Carrasco's diagnosis.Following his diagnosis, Carrasco spoke with long-time teammate Jason Kipnis, who helped him research and understand what he was dealing... [More]

Using the search engine at Baseball-Reference.com, The Associated Press evaluated each team's draft performance from 1996 through 2018, adding up wins above replacement (WAR) figures for drafted players.For each pick, the player's career WAR was added to the appropriate total for the team, depending on whether or not the player signed with the team after being drafted. Some players had their WAR totals included multiple times, if they were drafted more than once.Stats are through May 25. Compensation picks were considered part of the first round where applicable.___ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKSTotal WAR for all drafted players: 581.8 (MLB rank: 4th)Total WAR for drafted players who signed: 440.1 (rank: 5th)Total WAR for drafted players who did not sign: 141.7Impact players (10 WAR or more) drafted: 17 (rank: tie-9th)Impact players drafted and signed: 13 (rank: 12th)Most recent impact player drafted and signed: Trevor Bauer, 2011, first round, pick No. 3 (15.2 WAR)Lowest pick for impact player drafted... [More]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Texas Rangers pitcher Ariel Jurado did not have many Panamanian ballplayers to watch when he was growing up.So he became a fan of Cliff Lee."He's a lefty but I liked him," Jurado said Tuesday through an interpreter. "His pitches were incredible, the way he dominated on the mound."The 23-year-old Jurado studied Lee's games on television. But he has a long way to go to approach the accomplished career of Lee, who pitched 13 seasons with the Cleveland Indians, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies.Right now, Jurado is fighting for a spot in Texas' rotation. He made his major league debut with the Rangers last year, going 5-5 with a 5.93 ERA in 12 games, eight starts.Jurado is hoping to build on his final outing last season, when he tossed six innings of two-hit ball in a 2-0 victory at Seattle on Sept. 27."That outing, I was throwing a good slider and it helped me get through the last few innings," Jurado said. "It was a good sign for me. If something... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bryce Harper is kind of a big deal in Philly.No, not just with his colossal contract — Harper and the Phillies agreed Thursday to a $330 million, 13-year deal that is the largest contract in baseball history.But as an attraction.Harper zipped to the top of the list as the city's most popular athlete, adding a dash of star power while raising payroll, projections and prices to a franchise that has lagged in popularity in the shared sports complex behind Super Bowl champions, a Process and a mascot."One of the best players in baseball," Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said.With Harper set to take his cuts in Philly, the question is raised: Are the Phillies the team to beat in the NL East?That's a clown question, bro.The betting odds shifted faster than the Astros' infield once Harper landed in Philly. The Phillies' odds at winning the division went from 2-1 to 5-4; the pennant from 7-1 to 4-1 and the World Series from 12-1 to 8-1.After leading their division in early August,... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — Carlos Carrasco's career has taken some dramatic turns, re-routed by elbow surgery, a therapeutic trip to the bullpen and several freakish injuries.He persevered, blossoming into a special pitcher — and person — for the Cleveland Indians.They're going to keep him around.The three-time AL Central champions and Carrasco agreed Thursday to a $47 million, four-year contract, a deal that includes $37.25 million in new guaranteed money and could keep him in a Cleveland uniform through the 2023 season.Carrasco, who has won 35 games over the past two seasons, will make $9.75 million next season, the same as his prior deal, and $10.25 million in 2020 — the same amount as the club's previous option for that season. The Indians added on two more seasons at $12 million each, and Cleveland holds a 2023 option for $14 million with a $3 million buyout.For the cash-conscious Indians, the 31-year-old Carrasco is invaluable.He's a core member of one of baseball's best rotations, which could... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Indians have signed starter Carlos Carrasco to a four-year contract extension through the 2022 season.Carrasco's deal includes a club option for 2023. Financial terms were not immediately available.The right-hander went 17-10 with a 3.38 ERA in 30 starts last season for the AL Central champions. He finished with a career-high 231 strikeouts as the Indians became the first team to have four pitchers reach 200 strikeouts in the same season.The 31-year-old Carrasco has developed into one of the league's elite starters, and the Indians wanted to lock him up for the future.Cleveland is still toying with trading either Corey Kluber or Trevor Bauer to address their outfield needs.Carrasco is 79-62 with a 3.71 ERA in 207 career games. The Indians acquired him from Philadelphia in the July 2009 blockbuster that involved ace Cliff Lee.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

BOSTON (AP) — Aces were out early in the World Series, where four-plus innings for starters is becoming the new norm.The outings of the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw and Boston's Chris Sale turned into short stories . Each failed to get an out in the fifth inning Tuesday night, just the fourth time both starting pitchers were chased that early in a Series opener and the first since 2004 — also at Fenway Park.They were long gone by the time Boston won 8-4 in what became a predictable postseason battle of bullpens."I say it all the time, and I say it to my son, I've never seen an ugly win," Sale explained in a packed Boston clubhouse. "Obviously the stat line isn't the prettiest thing. It's not exactly how you draw it up or dream about it, but we got a win, so I'm good to go."For a century, aces were baseball's studs, grabbing the mound for Game 1 as if by birthright and not letting go easily. Think Bob Gibson 50 years ago, pitching a five-hit shutout for St. Louis against Detroit with 17 strikeouts... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Aces were out early in the World Series, where four-plus innings for starters is becoming the new norm.The outings of the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw and Boston's Chris Sale turned into short stories . Each failed to get an out in the fifth inning Tuesday night, just the fourth time both starting pitchers were chased that early in a Series opener and the first since 2004 — also at Fenway Park.They were long gone by the time Boston won 8-4 in what became a predictable postseason battle of bullpens."I say it all the time, and I say it to my son, I've never seen an ugly win," Sale explained in a packed Boston clubhouse. "Obviously the stat line isn't the prettiest thing. It's not exactly how you draw it up or dream about it, but we got a win, so I'm good to go."For a century, aces were baseball's studs, grabbing the mound for Game 1 as if by birthright and not letting go easily. Think Bob Gibson 50 years ago, pitching a five-hit shutout for St. Louis against Detroit with 17 strikeouts... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Aces were out early in the World Series, where four-plus innings for starters is becoming the new norm.The outings of the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw and Boston's Chris Sale turned into short stories. Each failed to get an out in the fifth inning Tuesday night, just the fourth time both starting pitchers were chased that early in a Series opener and the first since 2004 — also at Fenway Park.They were long gone by the time Boston won 8-4 in what became a predictable postseason battle of bullpens."I say it all the time, and I say it to my son, I've never seen an ugly win," Sale explained in a packed Boston clubhouse. "Obviously the stat line isn't the prettiest thing. It's not exactly how you draw it up or dream about it, but we got a win, so I'm good to go."For a century, aces were baseball's studs, grabbing the mound for Game 1 as if by birthright and not letting go easily. Think Bob Gibson 50 years ago, pitching a five-hit shutout for St. Louis against Detroit with 17 strikeouts... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Aces were out early in the World Series, where four-plus innings for starters is becoming the new norm.The outings of the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw and Boston's Chris Sale turned into short stories. Each failed to get an out in the fifth inning Tuesday night, just the fourth time both starting pitchers were chased that early in a Series opener and the first since 2004 — also at Fenway Park.They were long gone by the time Boston won 8-4 in what became a predictable postseason battle of bullpens."I say it all the time, and I say it to my son, I've never seen an ugly win," Sale explained in a packed Boston clubhouse. "Obviously the stat line isn't the prettiest thing. It's not exactly how you draw it up or dream about it, but we got a win, so I'm good to go."For a century, aces were baseball's studs, grabbing the mound for Game 1 as if by birthright and not letting go easily. Think Bob Gibson 50 years ago, pitching a five-hit shutout for St. Louis against Detroit with 17 strikeouts... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Aces were out early in the World Series, where four-plus innings have become a standard night.The outings of the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw and Boston's Chris Sale turned into short stories. Each failed to get an out in the fifth inning Tuesday night, just the fourth time both starting pitchers were chased that early in a Series opener and the first since 2004 — also at Fenway Park.They were long gone by the time Boston won 8-4 in what became a predictable postseason battle of bullpens.For a century, aces were baseball's studs, grabbing the mound for Game 1 as if by birthright and not letting go easily. Think Bob Gibson 50 years ago, pitching a five-hit shutout for St. Louis against Detroit with 17 strikeouts and one walk.But no pitcher has thrown a complete game in the opener since Philadelphia's Cliff Lee beat the New York Yankees in 2009. The last complete-game shutout in Game 1 was thrown by Oakland's Dave Stewart against San Francisco in 1989, part of a tradition of gems... [More]