PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Pinch-running pitcher Vince Velasquez was called out for leaving second base early while tagging up, resulting in a game-ending double play that gave the Washington Nationals a 5-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday.After Aaron Nola outpitched Max Scherzer for the second time in six days in a matchup of NL Cy Young Award contenders, the Phillies watched Washington rally for three runs in the ninth to take a 5-3 lead.Ramos got Philadelphia within a run with a pinch-hit double in the ninth, and Velasquez pinch-ran for the catcher. Greg Holland relieved and retired Jorge Alfaro on a flyball to center, with Velasquez moving to third as the potential tying run.But the Nationals appealed that Velasquez left too soon, and he was called out. A replay upheld the ruling.Anthony Rendon hit a go-ahead, two-run homer off Pat Neshek (1-1) in the Nationals ninth. The Nationals trailed 3-2 when Bryce Harper drew a leadoff walk from Tommy Hunter. Neshek surrendered Rendon's... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Pinch-running pitcher Vince Velasquez was called out for leaving second base early while tagging up, resulting in a game-ending double play that gave the Washington Nationals a 5-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday.After Aaron Nola outpitched Max Scherzer for the second time in six days in a matchup of NL Cy Young Award contenders, the Phillies watched Washington rally for three runs in the ninth to take a 5-3 lead.Ramos got Philadelphia within a run with a pinch-hit double in the ninth, and Velasquez pinch-ran for the catcher. Greg Holland relieved and retired Jorge Alfaro on a flyball to center, with Velasquez moving to third as the potential tying run.But the Nationals appealed that Velasquez left too soon, and he was called out. A replay upheld the ruling.Anthony Rendon hit a go-ahead, two-run homer off Pat Neshek (1-1) in the Nationals ninth. The Nationals trailed 3-2 when Bryce Harper drew a leadoff walk from Tommy Hunter. Neshek surrendered Rendon's... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Chicago Cubs tied a major league record by turning seven double plays Friday night, including a game-ending effort by rookie third baseman David Bote on a grounder by David Freese to finish off a 1-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.The Cubs got six double plays on grounders — five with Cole Hamels pitching — and one on a line drive. The Elias Sports Bureau said the Cubs became the third team in big league history to turn seven DPs in a nine-inning game.Pittsburgh put runners on first and second in the ninth before Jesse Chavez got Freese to ground to Bote. Having hit a game-ending grand slam last Sunday night to beat Washington 4-3, Bote again was in the right place to cap off a win. Bote stepped on third and threw to first base to end it.Hamels (8-9) pitched seven solid innings. Kyle Schwarber hit a home run in the second off Trevor Williams (10-9). Chavez got his second save as the Pirates lost their fifth in a row.The Cubs beat the Pirates by a 1-0 score for the second... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Chicago Cubs tied a major league record by turning seven double plays Friday night, including a game-ending effort by rookie third baseman David Bote on a grounder by David Freese to finish off a 1-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.The Cubs got six double plays on grounders — five with Cole Hamels pitching — and one on a line drive. The Elias Sports Bureau said the Cubs became the third team in big league history to turn seven DPs in a nine-inning game.Pittsburgh put runners on first and second in the ninth before Jesse Chavez got Freese to ground to Bote. Having hit a game-ending grand slam last Sunday night to beat Washington 4-3, Bote again was in the right place to cap off a win. Bote stepped on third and threw to first base to end it.Hamels (8-9) pitched seven solid innings. Kyle Schwarber hit a home run in the second off Trevor Williams (10-9). Chavez got his second save as the Pirates lost their fifth in a row.The Cubs beat the Pirates by a 1-0 score for the second... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Chicago Cubs tied a major league record by turning seven double plays Friday night, including a game-ending effort by rookie third baseman David Bote on a grounder by David Freese to finish off a 1-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.The Cubs got six double plays on grounders — five with Cole Hamels pitching — and one on a line drive. The Elias Sports Bureau said the Cubs became the third team in big league history to turn seven DPs in a nine-inning game.Pittsburgh put runners on first and second in the ninth before Jesse Chavez got Freese to ground to Bote. Having hit a game-ending grand slam last Sunday night to beat Washington 4-3, Bote again was in the right place to cap off a win. Bote stepped on third and threw to first base to end it.Hamels (8-9) pitched seven solid innings. Kyle Schwarber hit a home run in the second off Trevor Williams (10-9). Chavez got his second save as the Pirates lost their fifth in a row.The Cubs beat the Pirates by a 1-0 score for the second... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles have placed reliever Darren O'Day and outfielder Craig Gentry on the 10-day disabled list.O'Day hurt his left hamstring while fielding a bunt on Tuesday night and Gentry sustained a left rib fracture when hit by a pitch in Atlanta on Friday.It's the second trip to the DL this season for O'Day, who missed a month with a hyperextended elbow.This injury could also result in a lengthy absence. Manager Buck Showalter said, "Not sure we can put a timeframe on it. It's pretty sore."The sidearmer is 0-2 with a 3.60 ERA.Gentry is batting .244 with a team-high 10 steals.Baltimore recalled utility man Steve Wilkerson and right-hander Jimmy Yacabonis from Triple-A Norfolk. Wilkerson made his major league debut last week, and Yacabonis is expected to start Thursday against Seattle in place of Dylan Bundy, who went on the disabled list Tuesday.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

NEW YORK (AP) — Cody Bellinger hit a grand slam to break a scoreless tie in the sixth inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the sinking New York Mets 5-2 on Friday night behind Alex Wood's effective pitching.Yasiel Puig added a solo home run in the ninth, and the defending NL champions won their 10th straight against the Mets dating to May 2016. Los Angeles has outscored New York 75-20 in those games, winning each of the past eight by at least three runs — a first in Dodgers history against any opponent, according to STATS.Wood (3-5) outdueled Zack Wheeler (2-6), allowing two runs and six hits in six innings to win his second consecutive start. The left-hander with the funky delivery struck out seven and walked one.Kenley Jansen fanned two in a perfect ninth for his 19th save.New York wasted a dazzling catch by center fielder Michael Conforto that saved a run in the third. After starting the season 11-1, the Mets lost for the 21st time in 27 games to fall a season-worst 11 games under... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — The last time the Baltimore Orioles began a season this poorly, Buck Showalter was brought in to restore order to the floundering franchise.Now, Showalter finds himself in a similar mess.Back in 2010, the Orioles stumbled to a 1-11 start and were 5-18 at the end of April. They fired manager Dave Trembley in June and continued to slide under interim manager Juan Samuel before Showalter came aboard and guided Baltimore to 34 wins in its final 57 games.Showalter has since taken the Orioles to the postseason on three occasions.This year, however, he's had to deal with a team plagued by injuries, lackluster hitting and inconsistent pitching.With guys like Anthony Santander, Danny Valencia, Chance Sisco and Craig Gentry getting significant playing time, it's no wonder Baltimore (8-20) has a minus-54 run differential and is deep in last place in the AL East.That would be acceptable if the Orioles were tanking, but they fully expected to compete for a playoff spot this season.Vice... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani retired the Oakland Athletics' first 19 batters and yielded one hit over seven shutout innings in his home pitching debut, leading the Los Angeles Angels to a 6-1 victory Sunday.Marcus Semien's clean one-out single to left broke up Ohtani's bid for a perfect game,Ohtani (2-0) struck out the side twice and finished with 12 strikeouts in all. He won his pitching debut in Oakland last weekend with six strong innings, then homered in three consecutive games in Anaheim between starts in his attempt to become the first regular two-way player in decades.Mike Trout and Ryan Schimpf homered, and Albert Pujols had an RBI double in the Angels' seventh win in nine games. Kendall Graveman (0-2) gave up five hits and four walks while failing to get out of the fourth inning for the A's, who have lost seven of 10.METS 6, NATIONALS 5, 12 INNINGSWASHINGTON (AP) — Yoenis Cespedes scored Juan Lagares with a broken-bat single in the 12th inning to help New York complete... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani retired the Oakland Athletics' first 19 batters and yielded one hit over seven shutout innings in his home pitching debut, leading the Los Angeles Angels to a 6-1 victory Sunday.Marcus Semien's clean one-out single to left broke up Ohtani's bid for a perfect game,Ohtani (2-0) struck out the side twice and finished with 12 strikeouts in all. He won his pitching debut in Oakland last weekend with six strong innings, then homered in three consecutive games in Anaheim between starts in his attempt to become the first regular two-way player in decades.Mike Trout and Ryan Schimpf homered, and Albert Pujols had an RBI double in the Angels' seventh win in nine games. Kendall Graveman (0-2) gave up five hits and four walks while failing to get out of the fourth inning for the A's, who have lost seven of 10.MARLINS 6, PHILLIES 3PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jake Arrieta (0-1) lasted just four innings in his Philadelphia debut, allowing three runs — two earned — and three... [More]

The Latest on baseball's opening day (all times Eastern):7:20 p.m.Matt Davidson became the fourth player in major league history to homer three times on opening day, and the White Sox have homered six times total against the Kansas City Royals, as they spoil their AL Central rivals' 50th anniversary celebration at Kauffman Stadium.Tim Anderson also homered twice and Jose Abreu went deep for the White Sox, matching the big league record for opening-day homers set by the Mets in 1988.Three of the four players to homer three times on opening day have done so against the Royals.___7:15 p.m.Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw gave up consecutive singles to open the first inning against the San Francisco Giants.Austin Jackson singled to left center and Joe Panik followed with a single to right field. Kershaw then got Giants newcomer Andrew McCutchen to hit into a double play to shortstop before striking out clean-up hitter Buster Posey to end the inning.Kershaw had a 0.00 ERA in six spring training starts.___7:10... [More]

The Latest on baseball's opening day (all times Eastern):7 p.m.Felix Hernandez will join select company when he makes his 10th straight opening day start for the Seattle Mariners.Hernandez will become just the seventh pitcher to make at least 10 straight opening day starts, joining Steve Carlton, Roy Halladay, Walter Johnson, Robin Roberts, Tom Seaver and Jack Morris. Carlton, Johnson and Halladay started 10 straight; Roberts and Seaver started 12 straight; and Morris started 14 straight opening days from 1980 to 1993.Hernandez has started 11 season openers overall in his career beginning in 2007. The one gap came in 2008 when Erik Bedard started the opener for Seattle.___5:50 p.m.Justin Verlander has finished his first opening day start for the Houston Astros with six scoreless innings.Verlander struck out five, walked two and hit a batter while throwing 90 pitches for the World Series champions in their season opener at the Texas Rangers. The big right-hander, who had started nine of... [More]

The Latest on baseball's opening day (all times Eastern):5:50 p.m.Justin Verlander has finished his first opening day start for the Houston Astros with six scoreless innings.Verlander struck out five, walked two and hit a batter while throwing 90 pitches for the World Series champions in their season opener at the Texas Rangers. The big right-hander, who had started nine of the previous 10 openers for Detroit, allowed four singles.Verlander has a 0.90 ERA in his six regular-season starts since getting traded from the Tigers to the Astros last Aug. 31. He was 5-0 last September, then won four more postseason games, and was the AL Championship Series MVP.Houston led 3-0 when Chris Devenski took over for Verlander at the start of the seventh inning.___5:45 p.m.Some of the biggest names in Dodgers history are gathering for opening day against the rival Giants as the franchise marks its 60th anniversary in Los Angeles.Sandy Koufax and Fernando Valenzuela chatted each other up on the field under... [More]

The Latest on baseball's opening day (all times Eastern):5:22 p.m.Zach Duke performed a baseball rarity at Camden Yards, striking out four in an inning.Unfortunately for the Twins reliever, he yielded two runs in the process.Duke entered in the seventh inning of a scoreless game and promptly struck out Trey Mancini, who reached when the third strike got past catcher Jason Castro.Duke also struck out Tim Beckham, Craig Gentry and Chris Davis. Between those Ks, however, Caleb Joseph hit a two-run triple.The last Twins pitcher to strike out four in an inning was Tyler Duffy in May 2016.___4:50 p.m.Braves catcher Tyler Flowers has left the game after injuring his left oblique while batting in Atlanta.In his first at-bat of the season, Flowers fouled off a pitch and a winced in pain before heading straight to the clubhouse.He was replaced by Kurt Suzuki.Flowers had surgery on both his left wrist and forearm after the 2017 season, the result of being hit by 20 pitches over the course of the season.... [More]

The Latest on baseball's opening day (all times Eastern):4:50 p.m.Braves catcher Tyler Flowers has left the game after injuring his left oblique while batting in Atlanta.In his first at-bat of the season, Flowers fouled off a pitch and a winced in pain before heading straight to the clubhouse.He was replaced by Kurt Suzuki.Flowers had surgery on both his left wrist and forearm after the 2017 season, the result of being hit by 20 pitches over the course of the season. But the Braves announced that he left the game with "left oblique discomfort."The 32-year-old Flowers is coming off one of his best years, hitting a career-high .281 with 12 homers and 49 RBIs. He combined with Suzuki to give the Braves one of baseball's most productive catching duos.___4:40 p.m.Just like that, Shohei Ohtani has his first major league hit.Ohtani lined a first-pitch single down the right-field line against Oakland's Kendall Graveman with two outs in the second inning and the Angels ahead 1-0.The two-way Japanese... [More]

The Latest on baseball's opening day (all times Eastern):4:20 p.m.Giancarlo Stanton quickly got into the swing with his new team.Stanton has hit a two-run homer in his first at-bat with the New York Yankees. He connected in the first inning against Toronto lefty J.A. Happ at Rogers Centre.Stanton led the majors with 59 homers last year and was the NL MVP. Traded to the Yankees in the winter, he batted third in his Yankees debut and was the designated hitter.After taking a called strike on the first pitch, Stanton lined an opposite-field shot estimated at 426 feet over the wall in right.Teammate Aaron Judge, who topped the AL with 52 homers, raised his arm in the dugout and broke into a smile. In 2016, Judge homered in his big league debut with the Yankees.___4:17 p.m.The Royals have marked the start of their 50th season with a lengthy celebration that included such franchise luminaries as Bo Jackson and Hall of Fame third baseman George Brett.The club honored players from every era, highlighting... [More]

The Latest on baseball's opening day (all times Eastern):3:42 p.m.George Springer has led off the season for the World Series champion Houston Astros with his 100th career homer.Springer, the World Series MVP, hit a 2-0 pitch from Texas Rangers starter Cole Hamels into the right-field seats in Arlington, Texas.It is the second year in a row that Springer has hit a leadoff homer in the season opener.___3:30 p.m.The first home run of the season at Camden Yards was turned into an out by Orioles right fielder Craig Gentry.Minnesota's Eddie Rosario lifted a drive that was headed over the 7-foot wall before Gentry leaped, stuck up his glove and snagged the baseball before it disappeared.Orioles starter Dylan Bundy remains perfect through two innings, thanks to Gentry's sensational grab.___2:45 p.m.Atlanta and Philadelphia set their 25-man rosters ahead of opening day at SunTrust Park.The Braves got down to the limit by placing four players on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to March 26.... [More]

The Latest on baseball's opening day (all times Eastern):3:30 p.m.The first home run of the season at Camden Yards was turned into an out by Orioles right fielder Craig Gentry.Minnesota's Eddie Rosario lifted a drive that was headed over the 7-foot wall before Gentry leaped, stuck up his glove and snagged the baseball before it disappeared.Orioles starter Dylan Bundy remains perfect through two innings, thanks to Gentry's sensational grab.___2:45 p.m.Atlanta and Philadelphia set their 25-man rosters ahead of opening day at SunTrust Park.The Braves got down to the limit by placing four players on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to March 26. They include third basemam Johan Camargo (right oblique muscle strain), left-handed pitcher Luiz Gohara (left ankle sprain) and right-hander Chase Whitley (right heel infection).Left-hander Jacob Lindgren, who is recovering from elbow surgery, also went on the DL.The Braves are carrying 12 pitchers and 13 position players until they need a fifth... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Orioles have placed designated hitter Mark Trumbo and pitcher Gabriel Ynoa on the 10-day disabled list.Both moves were made Thursday and are retroactive to March 26. Trumbo has a right quadriceps strain and Ynoa has a shin injury.The Orioles also selected the contracts of four players from Triple-A Norfolk: infielders Pedro Alvarez ($1 million salary in major leagues) and Danny Valencia ($1.2 million), and outfielders Craig Gentry ($900,000) and Colby Rasmus ($3 million).Alvarez and Gentry were in Baltimore's opening day lineup against Minnesota on Thursday.Right-hander Alex Cobb was optioned to Double-A Bowie. He is working to get into pitching shape after being signed as a free agent earlier this month.To make room for the additions, the Orioles designated four pitchers for assignment: Alec Asher, Stefan Crichton, Michael Kelly and Jesus Liranzo.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

OF Craig Gentry (broken right finger), who was activated from the disabled list Tuesday, has been given medical clearance to be used as a pinch runner. He will wear a mitt on his right hand as the finger is still in a splint.