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DETROIT (AP) Miguel Cabrera can now say it with a good deal of certainty: Baseball is harder than it looks on TV.”It’s so easy when you watch the game on TV. It’s so slow http://www.yankeesfanproshop.com/authentic-greg-bird-jersey ,” the Detroit slugger said. ”The game is so simple on TV.”It’s not nearly as simple on the field, of course, and right now all Cabrera can do is watch. The Tigers lost their star first baseman in the middle of June to a ruptured biceps tendon, and he’s out for the season. Detroit was in a rebuilding mode anyway, but losing one of the team’s top hitters was a significant blow.Cabrera was back at Comerica Park on Monday night to host an event supporting children’s health and youth baseball programs. He seemed to be feeling good, but he has a long way to go before playing again.”Right now it’s a little slow,” Cabrera said. ”Hopefully in a couple weeks I starting do more stuff, to be healthy again.”Cabrera said he goes back and forth between Michigan and Florida, and he thinks he’s making good progress toward being ready for spring training next year. The two-time American League MVP is 35 now, and this was supposed to be a crucial year for the veteran to show if he could still be one of the game’s most feared hitters after a poor showing in 2017.Instead Dellin Betances Jersey , Cabrera has played only 38 games after never playing fewer than 119 in his previous decade with the Tigers.”Really hard, watch the games on TV. It’s really hard don’t be on the field with my teammates. It doesn’t matter if we win or lose. I want to be part of this process,” Cabrera said. ”Right now, I’m focused to be back next year and healthy.”Cabrera’s big contract extends through at least 2023, which means Detroit may have a hard time trading him as part of its rebuild. In 2016, he hit .316 with 38 home runs and 108 RBIs – his eighth straight year finishing in the AL’s top seven in batting average.Then last season, he hit .249 with only 16 homers and an unsightly .399 slugging percentage.There were some decent signs early this year. Cabrera hit .299 with a .395 on-base percentage. But he had only three home runs. He was hitting .323 when he went on the disabled list in early May with a hamstring strain . He came back June 1, but his bat was quiet from then until his season-ending injury June 12.Cabrera’s absence has left a big hole in the lineup, and Detroit has backup catcher John Hicks playing first base quite a bit in his place.Only six players have reached both 500 home runs and 3,000 hits Matt Holliday Jersey , and with 465 homers and 2,676 hits, Cabrera still has a good chance to join that group if he can come back and play several more seasons. His pursuit of those milestones is on hold now, though. And Detroit fans can only wonder how effective he’ll be going forward.Cabrera was cheerful Monday night and quick with a laugh, but it’s clear that being out of action is tough for him.”I can’t describe what I’m feeling right now,” Cabrera said. ”I need to stay focused, mentally stay focusing on trying to be back healthy next year.”— ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Mike Trout received a cortisone injection in his sore right wrist Monday, and the Los Angeles Angels are hopeful their superstar center fielder can return to their lineup on the weekend.The two-time AL MVP wasn’t in the Angels’ starting lineup for the fifth consecutive game when they opened a six-game homestand against Detroit.Manager Mike Scioscia said Trout won’t play in at least their next two games, including the Angels’ game on his birthday Tuesday. After a day off Thursday http://www.yankeesfanproshop.com/authentic-austin-romine-jersey , the Angels are hopeful Trout will feel good enough to return Friday when they open a series against Oakland.“I think that all the tests he had point to just some inflammation, and that has to run its course, and his injection will help that to happen,” Scioscia said. “We anticipate him getting to baseball activities in a couple of days, and see how he feels for Friday.”Trout hasn’t played since Aug. 1, when he hurt his wrist during a feet-first slide into third base in Tampa Bay. He skipped the last four games of the Angels’ road trip, and he had an injection upon the team’s return to Orange County.Barring a major change, Trout will be out for at least seven games. That will be the second-longest injury absence of his seven full big-league seasons, surpassed only by his 39-game absence last season after he tore a ligament in his left thumb in a headfirst slide.Scioscia doesn’t think the Angels are likely to retroactively place Trout on the disabled list, a move that would make him ineligible until Sunday.“I think if you can get Mike Trout to play from the seventh day instead of the 10th day Reggie Jackson Jersey , I think you’d want to,” Scioscia said. “So we’re just going to let it run its course, and when it’s 100 percent, he’ll play.”The injury will deprive Angels fans of what’s become an annual treat: Seeing Trout do incredible things on his birthday.Trout’s 27th birthday is Tuesday, and he has a history of throwing celebrations for himself: He has homered on his birthday four times in his first six full big-league seasons. He did it at the Big A last season, homering and also getting his 1,000th career hit on his 26th birthday.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Whenever Kyler Murray scrambles http://www.raysfanproshop.com/authentic-c.-j.-cron-jersey , the Oakland Athletics cringe.They definitely don’t want their prized baseball prospect hurt on the football field.The Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from Oklahoma has made himself many new fans in the A’s organization — except when he dashes from the pocket.Murray is a shifty runner, often breaking loose for big gains. He’ll next play Dec. 29 when he leads the fourth-ranked Sooners against bruising No. 1 Alabama in a college football semifinal.“We are big Oklahoma fans right now, for sure. It’s kind of tough to watch him scramble around a little bit sometimes. But still, it’s exciting,” Athletics manager Bob Melvin said Tuesday at the winter meetings.The Athletics are counting on Murray wearing an Oakland jersey in a few months at spring training, sharpening his skills as an outfielder.Drafted last June in the first round as the ninth overall pick, Murray signed with Oakland for $4.66 million. There was an agreement between the team and Murray that he would play football this year, then skip his senior season to begin his pro baseball career.Murray showed off his skills at the Coliseum in an A’s uniform back in June. Melvin, executive Billy Beane and general manager David Forst are just a few of the A’s brass who have been watching him closely ever since as he guides Oklahoma.Not to mention some potential division opponents.“I’m watching Oklahoma football Jesus Sucre Jersey ,” Angels general manager Billy Eppler said, smiling and chuckling from his suite high above the Las Vegas Strip. “He seems like a very remarkable athlete. We’ve known that a little bit about him, even from his high school days. He was a two-sport All-American in high school, Mr. Everything. I know somebody that has come in contact with him even back when he was just coming out of high school. His quarterback development and all those types of things, I have some common friends from some NFL commonalities, and he’s really fun to watch. It will be interesting to see how all that unfolds.”Melvin is watching more Oklahoma games than he expected, noting: “We are pulling hard for them.”“You’re reading before the season started is he going to be the starter there and the next thing you know he’s the Heisman Trophy winner and has a chance to win national championship,” Melvin said.Murray is represented by agent Scott Boras, and the A’s fully expect Murray to pursue baseball.“He’s one of the great athletes you’re going to see http://www.raysfanproshop.com/authentic-jonny-venters-jersey ,” Melvin said. “How many guys are able to … drafted in the first round … Heisman Trophy winner? There aren’t many of those guys. You know athletically he can handle just about anything.”Melvin certainly has envisioned Murray as an A’s major leaguer one day.“Sure,” Melvin said. “I don’t know when.” LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kevin Gausman will likely start Game 3 for the Atlanta Braves in the NL Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.Braves manager Brian Snitker said he is leaning toward using the 27-year-old right-hander when the series shifts to Atlanta on Sunday.However, the Braves decided not to send Gausman back to Atlanta on Friday in case he was needed for Game 2.“If it does and he has to pitch, then we’ll adjust and regroup from there,” Snitker said. “But as of right now, if everything goes where it is, he’ll be the Game 3 starter.”Snitker said Game 1 starter Mike Foltynewicz is under consideration to start Game 4 if necessary on Monday at SunTrust Park.The Dodgers won the opener 6-0.Gausman joined the Braves from Baltimore at the non-waiver trade deadline in July in a six-player deal. He was 5-3 with a 2.87 ERA in 10 starts for the Braves.Gausman has one previous postseason appearance, having pitched in relief for three games with Baltimore in the 2014 American League Division Series against Detroit and the American League Championship Series against Kansas City. He allowed one run over eight innings in the three games for a 1.13 ERA.Gausman’s only career appearance against the Dodgers came on July 6, 2017 Matt Moore Jersey , while with the Orioles. He allowed four runs and eight hits over five innings in a no-decision.The Dodgers will send rookie Walker Buehler to the mound on Sunday.The 24-year-old right-hander last pitched on Monday, allowing one hit in 6 2/3 innings and striking out three in the NL West tiebreaker victory over the Rockies.Buehler was 8-5 with a 2.62 ERA, becoming a solid No. 2 behind ace Clayton Kershaw.“If it wasn’t for Walker, we probably wouldn’t be here in this situation right now,” second baseman Enrique Hernandez said Friday. “He’s been huge.”Buehler made his lone career start against the Braves on June 8 at Dodger Stadium, allowing one run and two hits in 5 1/3 innings of a 7-3 victory. He struck out four and didn’t walk anyone on 71 pitches.

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves lost the first two games of their interleague series in Boston at the end of May and faced Red Sox ace Chris Sale in the final game Billy Williams Jersey , making their chances of avoiding a sweep seem fairly bleak.Mike Foltynewicz, though, took a no-hitter into the sixth inning while outpitching Sale and now the right-hander takes the mound against the Red Sox on Wednesday, this time at SunTrust Park, again trying to help the Braves avoid a sweep.Boston (96-44) improved its interleague record to a major league-best 13-3 with a 5-1 victory Tuesday night and dropped the Braves (76-62) to 8-11 against the American League.Article continues below ...The Braves have won only one interleague series in Atlanta since 2014 and their lead in the National League East is down to three games with Philadelphia’s victory in Miami.Sale doesn’t return from a stint on the disabled list until next week and the AL East-leading Red Sox will call on right-hander Hector Velazquez for the series finale against the Braves.Velazquez (7-2, 3.24 ERA) has made six starts to go with his 33 relief appearances, but hasn’t gone as long as five innings since April. His last start came Aug. 24 at Tampa and he gave up eight runs (three earned) in 2 2/3 innings.Foltynewicz (10-9, 2.80 ERA) will be the starting pitcher expected to have the upper hand this time.Given an early lead thanks to a three-run homer by catcher Tyler Flowers, Foltynewicz dominated the Red Sox at Fenway Park three months ago, allowing three hits and a run over seven innings while striking out seven and walking one.“He was real efficient with his pitches and stayed on the attack,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said after that game. “I just loved how he stayed after it. He was throwing a lot of strikes. His stuff was really good.”Foltynewicz, who made the All-Star Game for the first time http://www.chicagocubsteamshop.com/authentic-jon-lester-jersey , allowed a total of five earned runs in his first five starts of August before giving up five runs (four earned) in a home loss to the Cubs to end the month.A questionable balk victimized Foltynewicz in the second inning and then he allowed a two-run pinch homer in the sixth.The balk was called when Foltnewicz made a slight flinch, apparently as he spit.“Who knows what you really do out there?” Foltynewicz said. “You’re just in the zone. You can do a bunch of different habits and stuff. I just basically hawked a loogie.”Velazquez made two relief appearances against the Braves in May, allowing five hits and one run over 2 2/3 innings while walking two and striking out two.Velazquez’s last appearance was against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, when he gave up a run on two hits in an inning of relief.“We’ll see how long Hector goes,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “It might be similar to (Monday).”Nathan Eovaldi was pulled after 3 1/3 innings in the series opener and the Red Sox totaled eight pitchers in the 8-2 victory.The Boston rotation will be back more to normal when David Price, hit by a comebacker last week, starts against Houston at Fenway Park on Friday and Sale (shoulder strain) comes off the disabled list in the likely role of an “opener” for now next week.Sale, who threw a bullpen Tuesday, is expected to pitch either in the Toronto series or against the New York Mets, although with a limited pitch count.“He’ll probably throw another (bullpen) in three more days and then we go from there,” Cora said. “Not sure if he’ll be the ‘opener’ but looks like next homestand.”Sale is 12-4 with a 1.97 ERA and Price is 14-6 with a 3.60 ERA. CHICAGO (AP) — With the wind blowing out on a warm Saturday at Wrigley Field, the San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs appeared to be headed for a wild finish.Then Chicago’s bullpen took over.Steve Cishek Fergie Jenkins Jersey , Brandon Kintzler and Pedro Strop combined for 3 1/3 perfect innings in relief of Kyle Hendricks, and the Cubs held off the Padres for a 5-4 win.“It didn’t look like a one-run ballgame the way they were pitching,” Hendricks said. “Coming in attacking the strike zone and making huge pitches when they had to, that was awesome to see.”Cishek replaced Hendricks after Austin Hedges’ sacrifice fly trimmed Chicago’s lead to 5-4 with two out in the sixth. With a runner on third, Cishek retired Freddy Galvis on a grounder to second.Cishek then worked the seventh and Brandon Kintzler got three outs before Strop earned his seventh save.“It was a tough day to pitch here,” Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. “We scored early and we hung on.”Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber homered during Chicago’s five-run second inning. Jason Heyward added three hits and drove in a run for the NL Central leaders.Hendricks (8-9) allowed five hits, struck out seven and walked none in his second straight win.San Diego became the first team in the NL with 70 losses. Hedges homered for the second straight day, and Manuel Margot doubled in a run.Padres right-hander Walker Lockett (0-2) allowed five runs and nine hits in five innings. Lockett started in place of Joey Lucchesi, who was scratched on Friday because of an illness.Lucchesi was able to do his pregame work on Saturday and was sent back to the team hotel as a precaution. The left-hander is expected to start on Sunday.Schwarber led off the big second with his 20th homer. Addison Russell added a two-out RBI single and Rizzo followed with a drive to center for his 17th of the season, making it 4-0 Cubs. Heyward capped the five-run burst with an RBI single.“I just let the game speed up on me a little bit on me and got a little fast out there,” said Lockett, who was making his second start and third major league appearance.San Diego was hitless before closing the gap with a three-run fourth. Travis Jankowski led off with a bunt single http://www.chicagocubsteamshop.com/authentic-greg-maddux-jersey , advanced to second on Hendricks’ throwing error and scored on Margot’s double. Renfroe hit a sacrifice fly with one out before Hedges connected for his eighth homer.ROSTER MOVESThe Padres put outfielder Wil Myers on the 10-day disabled list with a left foot bone bruise. The move is retroactive to Friday.Outfielder Franmil Reyes was recalled from Triple-A El Paso. Reyes has played 38 games for the Padres this season, batting .221 with six homers and eight RBIs in 104 at-bats.This is Myers’ third stint on the DL this season.“There’s a good amount of swelling still in there, but hopefully, in three to five days I’ll turn the corner and start putting pressure on it again,” he said.TURNAROUNDStrop had an easy 12-pitch outing after struggling through 26 pitches and giving up two runs on Friday. He got the save after the potential tying run was thrown out at the plate in another 5-4 win for the Cubs.“As a reliever, you don’t have time to be thinking about rough ones,” Strop said. “You’ve got to be able to put those bad ones away sooner than later and focus on the moment.”TRAINER’S ROOMCubs: RHP Yu Darvish (triceps and elbow injuries) threw a 55-pitch bullpen session. He said he was pain-free and “very optimistic” about returning to the rotation. He has made just eight starts this season and last pitched on May 20.UP NEXTCubs ace Jon Lester (12-4, 3.22 ERA) looks to bounce back from a recent rough stretch in the finale of the four-game series. The left-hander is 0-2 with a 7.07 ERA in his last three starts. Lucchesi (5-6, 3.74 ERA) goes for the Padres.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers used their power to put the Pittsburgh Pirates on the ropes. Some heads-up baserunning — and more than a little help from the mistake-prone home team — pushed the Brewers closer to the club’s fifth playoff berth in franchise history.Christian Yelich http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-brandon-guyer-jersey , Travis Shaw and Mike Moustakas all hit homers and Milwaukee scored three times on one wild pitch in the sixth inning to break it open as the Brewers cruised to a 13-6 victory on Sunday.Yelich finished 2 for 3 to boost his batting average to an NL-leading .322 as Milwaukee won for the third time in four games to bolster its chances of reaching the postseason for the first time since 2011.The Brewers (89-67) hold the top NL wild-card spot and remained 2½ games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central, as well as two games ahead of St. Louis, which has the second wild-card position. Both rivals also won Sunday.“We won the series. We put ourselves in a good spot,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “Got, again, nice work from the bullpen. We’re in good shape.”The Pirates were eliminated from playoff contention when the Cardinals beat the Giants.Yelich’s hit his 32nd home run of the season in the second — a three-run blast off Nick Kingham (5-7) — and Shaw followed two batters later with a towering shot that bounded over the right-field seats and into the Allegheny River to give Milwaukee a quick six-run lead.“Jumping out against them is huge,” Shaw said. “We haven’t had much success against them. So, to build an early lead was big. They responded, we responded right back. Pretty good day overall for everybody.”Moustakas, acquired in a midseason trade with Kansas City, added his 28th homer of the season, eight of them with Milwaukee. Corey Knebel (3-3) picked up the win in relief after starter Wade Miley failed to record an out during a rocky fifth inning after the Pirates drew within 7-4. Knebel struck out the next three batters and the Brewers were back in control.“That’s a big inning (from Knebel),” Counsell said. “It stops their momentum. They certainly had it at that point. They were feeling good and right back in the game.”WHOOPSWhen the Brewers weren’t knocking the ball around PNC Park, the Pirates were more than happy to help. Milwaukee scored five runs in the sixth with the ball leaving the infield just once. Poor pitching and comical defense by the Pittsburgh did most of the hard work.The Brewers loaded the bases off Pittsburgh reliever Steven Brault, who was then replaced by Michael Feliz with two outs.Feliz walked in a pair of runs, and three more Brewers scored when his wild pitch skipped toward the Milwaukee dugout. Jesus Aguilar trotted home, Ryan Braun raced in behind Aguilar Erik Gonzalez Jersey , and when the throw from Pittsburgh first baseman Josh Bell got away from Feliz covering the plate, Orlando Arcia scored all the way from first to make it 12-4.“Never seen that,” Arcia said. “Once the wild pitch started and once I noticed that Braun was scoring too, I figured I had to be ready to see where the throw was, in case it was a bad throw, which it happened to be.”Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle simply called it a “bad baseball play.”“Whether there’s confusion or lack of effort or a combination of it going on there? I’m not sure,” Hurdle added.SAYING GOODBYEPittsburgh shortstop Jordy Mercer and second baseman Josh Harrison hit consecutive two-run doubles during a four-run outburst in the fifth. Two of the team’s longest-tenured players exited to loud ovations when they were removed in the eighth in what was likely their final appearance at PNC Park as a member of the home team.Mercer will become a free agent in the offseason, and the team is likely to decline the $10.5 million club option on Harrison, a two-time All-Star. Both were vital parts of Pittsburgh’s run to three straight playoff appearances from 2013-15. On the day the Pirates were officially eliminated from postseason contention in 2018, they tried to drink in the moment.“It shows the game is going to go on with or without you,” Harrison said. “It’s cool for me and him to see it through with each other. Could be worse. Could be here by ourselves, either him or me or in that aspect. It’s cool to have somebody who was my first friend when I got here see it through with me.”TRAINER’S ROOMBrewers: CF Lorenzo Cain went 2 for 5 in his return to the lineup. Cain missed two games and was limited to pinch-hitting duty on Saturday night with an intercostal strain in his ribs.Pirates: CF Starling Marte was removed after experiencing tightness in his left calf while running down the first-base line in the fourth inning. … C Francisco Cervelli (gastrointestinal discomfort) should return to the lineup in Chicago on Monday. … RHP Edgar Santana is scheduled to undergo tests on Monday after exiting Friday night’s game with tightness in his right arm.UP NEXTBrewers: Head to St. Louis for a pivotal three-game series with the Cardinals, who occupy the second wild-card spot. Chase Anderson (9-8, 3.93 ERA) starts on Monday against Jack Flaherty (8-8, 3.08).Pirates: Begin a four-game series in Chicago on Monday against the Cubs. Jameson Taillon (13-9, 3.24) faces Chicago’s Cole Hamels (9-10, 3.90). LOS ANGELES (AP) Dodgers fans nearly filled their home stadium Monday night for a reboot of ”Mannywood http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-josh-tomlin-jersey ,” and then the Milwaukee Brewers stepped in to spoil the party.Eric Thames hit a three-run home run and Christian Yelich extended his hitting streak to 14 games as the Milwaukee Brewers overcame a brief power outage delay and beat Los Angeles 5-2.Manny Machado homered in the ninth inning in his first home game with the Dodgers, going 1 for 3 with two walks. He delivered his 26th home run of the season to center field off Brewers reliever Corey Knebel. He also struck out in the fourth inning with two runners in scoring position.”It wasn’t a good situation,” Machado said, when asked about the home run. ”I should have hit that a couple of innings before. … It was a little late for that one. We’re here to win games and when you come out with a loss like that, it’s not fun.”There was an intensity among the crowd 44,933 that was reminiscent of 2008 when the Dodgers acquired Manny Ramirez for the stretch drive. Ramirez did his part that year by crushing 17 home runs over the season’s final two months, helping push the Dodgers into the National League Championship Series.On Monday, a group of 12 fans in left-center field all wore a blue T-shirt with a single white character, spelling out ”MANNYWOOD 2.0” when they stood shoulder-to-shoulder.”That was pretty cool, I’m not going to lie,” Machado said.However, the night belonged to the Brewers, who grabbed the momentum quickly, before a power outage caused a 23-minute delay between the first and second innings. The Dodgers said the outage was due to ”a disruption in the city’s power feed to the facility.”The Brewers had a 1-0 lead at the time of the delay. Milwaukee loaded the bases three batters into the game – started by a leadoff double by Yelich that extended his streak – against Dodgers starter Kenta Maeda before getting an RBI single from Travis Shaw. Maeda prevented more damage by getting a strikeout, popup and fly ball to end the threat.Thames capped a two-out rally in the third inning with his 14th home run of the season. Shaw, who had three hits, worked a two-out walk before Ryan Braun singled. Thames then drilled a 0-1 pitch off Maeda into the bleachers in left-center to make it 3-0.”It felt good to get the hit to give us some distance from the Dodgers because the way they line up Carlos Carrasco Jersey ,” Thames said. ”This is a huge series. … This might be a postseason matchup, you never know. It’s a playoff preview for us.”Josh Hader (4-0) had three strikeouts over two scoreless innings of relief as the Brewers won for the seventh time in 10 games to follow a seven-game losing streak that ended July 21.”That’s just a tough baseball game,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. ”It’s a good team over there and we outlasted them pitching and did a nice job.”Maeda (7-6) lasted just 4 2/3 innings, throwing 102 pitches. He gave up four runs and seven hits with four strikeouts and three walks.Brewers starter Freddy Peralta went four innings, giving up one run and three hits with four walks and six strikeouts. He threw 98 pitches.Joakim Soria pitched a scoreless seventh inning in his second appearance with Milwaukee after being acquired last week in a trade from the Chicago White Sox.The Dodgers have lost consecutive games after starting the second half with six wins in nine games. They have just seven hits in their last two games after they nearly were no-hit at Atlanta on Sunday by Sean Newcomb.TRAINER’S ROOMBrewers: RHP Jimmy Nelson and C Stephen Vogt, both on the 60-day disabled list following shoulder surgery, were with the team in Los Angeles to get further examinations as they each continue their road to recovery.Dodgers: RHP Ross Stripling was placed on the disabled list with inflammation in the big toe of his right foot, with manager Dave Roberts saying it could take 10-12 days to heal. … Justin Turner (right groin strain) took live batting practice Monday and ran the bases, three days before he is eligible to return from the 10-day disabled list.STAR POWERDallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett was on field at Dodger Stadium pregame Monday, watching batting practice for both the Dodgers and Brewers. Garrett held a lengthy conversation on the field with Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, a Dallas-area native.The Cowboys are in training camp in nearby Oxnard, approximately 60 miles west of Los Angeles.UP NEXTBrewers: LHP Wade Miley (1-1, 2.01 ERA) figures to feel right at home at Dodger Stadium, where he is 3-0 with a 2.41 ERA over six career starts.Dodgers: RHP Walker Buehler (4-3, 3.92) will make his third start since returning from the DL because of a rib microfracture, coming off an outing at Philadelphia where he gave up five earned runs to match a season high.—

TORONTO (AP) — Craig Kimbrel felt bad about making his Boston Red Sox teammates play an additional inning.Mitch Moreland didn’t seem to mind.Moreland hit a three-run homer during a five-run 10th inning Denard Span Jersey , helping the Red Sox overcome Kimbrel’s blown save to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 10-7 on Tuesday night for their fifth straight win.Boston is the first big league team to reach 80 victories this season.Moreland’s one-out shot off Ken Giles (0-3) followed a triple by Mookie Betts and a walk by Andrew Benintendi.“I figured he was trying to get ahead,” Moreland said. “I got a fastball that kind of split the plate in half and that was it.”The All-Star first baseman drove in four. Jackie Bradley Jr. added a two-run homer later in the inning.Giles was charged with five runs in his first home appearance with Toronto since being acquired from Houston in a deal that sent back Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna.Kimbrel (3-1) gave up a solo homer to Justin Smoak with one out in the ninth, tying the game at 5. Kimbrel stuck out the side otherwise. It was Kimbrel’s second blown save in four outings.“I hate blowing games,” Kimbrel said. “I hate making us play extra innings but, again, our guys do what they do. They went back out there and kept on hitting the ball.”J.D. Martinez hit a three-run homer in the eighth, his major league-leading 34th. Martinez finished 3 for 5 with four RBIs.Red Sox manager Alex Cora said power is a “huge” weapon for his team.“We always feel we’re one swing away from getting back into games,” he said.Boston used a four-run eighth to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 5-3 lead but couldn’t close it out. Toronto’s Luke Maile hit an RBI double off Matt Barnes in the eighth before Smoak tied it with his shot off Kimbrel, connecting on a 3-0 pitch.Boston got just two hits over seven innings against starter Marcus Stroman.“He was tough today Guillermo Heredia Jersey ,” Cora said of Stroman. “His ball was all over the place.”Stroman came out to warm up for the eighth but didn’t throw a pitch, leaving with trainer Nikki Huffman after she visited the mound to examine a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand.“It’s something I’ve been dealing with all year,” Stroman said. “It got pretty bad in the seventh. It ripped pretty good, and I just wasn’t in a position where I could throw my pitches effectively.”Ryan Tepera came on and loaded the bases for Moreland, who hit an RBI fielder’s choice. Martinez followed with a drive off the left field foul pole.Tepera was ejected for arguing with home plate umpire Ed Hickox as he walked off at the end of the inning.Devon Travis and Kevin Pillar each hit a two-run home run for the Blue Jays. Toronto has lost 11 of 14 games against the AL East-leading Red Sox, owners of the best record in baseball.Red Sox left-hander Drew Pomeranz allowed two runs and four hits in 4 2/3 innings, matching a season worst with five walks.“We need this guy,” Cora said. “This guy is very important for what we’re trying to accomplish.”DRIP, DRIP http://www.marinersfanproshop.com/authentic-ben-gamel-jersey , DRIPThe retractable roof at Rogers Centre was open when the game began but started to swing closed in the middle of the fifth. In the eighth, a steady stream of water could be seen leaking into the seats in right field as heavy rain fell outside. The parking garage beneath the stadium was flooded.MAKING THEM COUNTSix of Moreland’s 14 home runs this season have given the Red Sox the lead.TRAINER’S ROOMRed Sox: LHP Chris Sale (mild left shoulder inflammation) is scheduled to come off the 10-day disabled list and start against Baltimore on Sunday. Sale (11-4) last pitched July 27. … 3B Rafael Devers (strained left hamstring) is expected to be activated off the disabled list Wednesday, the first day he is eligible.Blue Jays: Toronto put INF Brandon Drury (broken left hand) on the 10-day DL and recalled INF Richard Urena from Triple-A Buffalo.UP NEXTRed Sox LHP Brian Johnson (2-3, 3.74) faces Blue Jays RHP Mike Hauschild (1-0, 0.00) on Wednesday. Johnson is 2-0 with a 3.94 ERA in three career starts north of the border. Hauschild picked up his first career win by tossing six shutout innings of relief against Seattle last Thursday, his Blue Jays debut. BALTIMORE (AP) — The New York Mets enjoyed a memorable night in the midst of a season that’s worth forgetting.Kevin Plawecki hit his first career grand slam during a nine-run sixth inning, Brandon Nimmo went 5 for 5 with three RBIs and the Mets breezed past the Baltimore Orioles 16-5 on Wednesday. Plawecki’s slam highlighted a 19-hit outburst for the Mets, who reached a season high in runs. Nimmo achieved a career high in hits and had two cracks at completing the cycle; Todd Frazier homered , drove in four runs and fell a triple short of the cycle; and backup third baseman Jack Reinheimer got his first major league hit .Wilmer Flores also homered for the Mets Mike Marjama Jersey , who earned a split of the two-game interleague series. New York finished 1-3 this season against the Orioles, who own the worst record in the majors.The Mets are nestled in fourth place in the NL East and have little chance to salvage a winning season. This game, however, was special to several players, most notably Nimmo.New York’s leadoff hitter was vying for the cycle after going single, double, double, triple in his first four at-bats. He was hit by a pitch in the seventh inning and wrapped up his night with a single in the ninth.The cycle didn’t happen, but Nimmo had no complaints.“I really was thinking that five hits would be pretty cool http://www.marinersfanproshop.com/authentic-mitch-haniger-jersey , too. Same with getting on base six times,” he said. “When I got that last hit I was ecstatic. Nights like these, you kind of just want to bottle up and live with them forever.”Zack Wheeler (8-6) gave up one run and five hits over five innings to win his sixth straight start. The right-hander was removed from the game by manager Mickey Callaway after the Mets sent 12 batters to the plate in a lengthy sixth against Dylan Bundy (7-11) and three relievers.After Bundy left with two on, Nimmo hit a two-run triple. A wild pitch let in a run and Frazier doubled in two runs before right-hander Evan Phillips issued a pair of walks to load the bases for Plawecki.Phillips fell behind in the count before grooving a fastball that Plawecki smacked into the left-field seats. It was only his 11th home run in 205 games over four seasons.“In that situation, I was just trying to find the barrel,” Plawecki said. “Obviously it was a really good result.”Bundy allowed seven runs and a career high-tying 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings, a performance that lifted his ERA to 4.99.“He’s not very crisp with his command,” manager Buck Showalter said. “He’ll make a couple good pitches and just can’t finish the at-bat sometimes. A couple of flares hurt him. We know what Dylan is capable of, he just hasn’t been able to get there really. It’s been off and on.”The bullpen was equally ineffective. After the game Edwin Diaz Jersey , the Orioles optioned Phillips to Triple-A Norfolk. Jonathan Villar homered for Baltimore and scored twice.TRAINER’S ROOMMets: David Wright (shoulder/back) went 0 for 3 while playing 3B for Class A St. Lucie and is hitless in three rehab games. He has not played a major league game since May 2016. … Jay Bruce (sore right hip) played 1B and went 2 for 4 for St. Lucie. He has been on the DL since June 18.COMFORTABLE CONFORTOThough Mets CF Michael Conforto went 1 for 8 with five strikeouts in the series, he’s batting .299 since the All-Star break.Conforto missed all of spring training after undergoing shoulder surgery last September.“I think that he’s finally finding more of a comfort zone,” Callaway said. “He’s done a great job of settling in, and we’re seeing a more consistent Michael Conforto out there every day.”UP NEXTMets: It’s up to Philadelphia for a single-admission doubleheader on Thursday. Corey Oswalt (1-2) will start the opener followed by Steven Matz (1-2), who’s been on the DL with a strained left arm. He will be limited to 80 pitches, Callaway said.Orioles: A rarity on Thursday for Baltimore, which gets its second day off this week (also Monday). The Orioles open a three-game series in Cleveland on Friday night.

Tampa Bay’s shutout streak ended at 27 innings Tuesday night http://www.dodgersfanproshop.com/authentic-maury-wills-jersey , tying the club record.But the Rays‘ pitching staff continued its roll behind ace Blake Snell to win their second game over the Kansas City Royals at Tropicana Field.Now, Tampa Bay sends Ryne Stanek to the mound against Kansas City’s Jakob Kunis in the third game of the series Wednesday night.Article continues below ...Snell, winning his 15th game of the season to further become part of the Cy Young talk, gave up a run in the fifth inning, but struck out 11 through six as he lowered his ERA to 2.07.The Rays won their third straight to go to four games over .500, matching their high-water mark for the season.“It’s amazing,” Willie Adames, who had three hits, including a home run, Tuesday, said of Snell (15-5). “You’ve been watching Snell the whole year — he’s been dealing this year. He’s been having a great year — he has great talent.”And the Rays have allowed one run during the mini winning streak.Told the 27 innings tied the club mark set in 2013, manager Kevin Cash said, “It’s awesome. And we’re doing it with a bunch of young pitchers. I have no idea when (it was done last) but the guys that we’re asking to do it it’s been a huge team effort, pen effort, starter effort, opener effort. It’s pretty rewarding to hear that.”Reminded the Rays went to the playoffs in 2013, Cash said, “We better get going.”The Royals have scored one run in 25 innings since a six-run second inning at Chicago on Sunday.“We struck out 16 times tonight,” said K.C. manager Ned Yost. “It’s not acceptable. Just way, way too many punchouts.”Asked about Snell, he said, “He’s tough. He’s an All-Star — not an All-Star by accident.”Kunis is 6-11 with a 4.76 ERA. He has thrown three straight no-decisions — all Royals losses — but has allowed four earned runs in 16 1/3 innings in the three starts.He is 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA in two games (one start) against the Rays. Last year, he struck out 10 in 6 2/3 innings in defeating Tampa Bay.The current Rays are just 1-for-6 lifetime against Kunis.The Rays lost Tommy Pham to a dislocated right ring finger in Tuesday’s game. They announced x-rays were negative and said he is day-to-day.For K.C., Jorge Bonifacio was a late scratch with lower back stiffness. Rookie Ryan O’Hearn, a left-handed hitter, went into the lineup against tough lefty Snell and hit his first home run off a left-hander. That ended the Royals’ scoreless streak at 20 straight innings.Yost didn’t have much of an update on Bonifacio.Before the game, Yost said signs are pointing toward Danny Duffy coming off the 10-day disabled list to start the series finale Thursday night. Duffy threw a bullpen session Monday and reported no after-affects Tuesday.“I’m not going to put it in cement yet Fernando Valenzuela Jersey ,” Yost said. “We’ve still got a couple of days to go, but it looks that way.”Said Duffy, out with left shoulder impingement that required an anti-inflammatory injection: “It went well. (My shoulder) loosened up as it went. This time of year, everyone has something going on (injury-wise), so I’ll give it a shot.“I feel like I’m at the point where I’m good. I feel like if whatever percentage I have left in the tank is good enough to dominate; I’ll give it a go.” NEW YORK (AP) — Luke Voit hit two homers off David Price, Miguel Andujar popped another one barely into the right-field seats and the New York Yankees stalled Boston’s division-clinching celebration by beating the Red Sox 10-1 on Wednesday night.Luis Severino (18-8) pitched seven innings of one-run ball, and the Yankees had no need for All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman on the day they activated him from the disabled list. Chapman had been out since Aug. 21 with left knee tendinitis.Mookie Betts had two strikeouts and no hits in his return to Boston’s lineup. He pulled a possible grand slam just foul in the ninth before grounding into a game-ending double play. The AL MVP contender sat out Tuesday after injuring his left side two days earlier, but came back to bat leadoff as the designated hitter.The Yankees will try to send Boston packing Thursday with the AL East still undecided. The Red Sox lead the division by 9 1/2 games and entered this three-game series needing one victory to lock up the division. New York maintained a 2 1/2-game lead over Oakland for the top AL wild card.Price (15-7) surrendered three homers this time, each aided by Yankee Stadium’s short right-field porch. Andujar hit his 25th just over the wall for a 1-0 lead in the second, and Voit added solo shots in the fourth and sixth to nearly the same spot.DODGERS 5, ROCKIES 2LOS ANGELES (AP) — Pinch-hitter Yasiel Puig slugged a tiebreaking, three-run homer in the seventh inning that sent Los Angeles past Colorado to increase its NL West lead to 2½ games.Walker Buehler struck out a career-high 12 and the Dodgers completed a three-game sweep of the second-place Rockies, giving the defending NL champions their largest division lead this season. They outscored Colorado 16-6 in the series.After falling into a 2-0 hole in a 36-pitch first inning, Buehler settled down. The rookie allowed three hits and one walk over six innings, and neither run he gave up was earned.Puig’s second career pinch-hit homer came off Scott Oberg (7-1) and ignited the crowd and his teammates. On a recent tear at the plate, the excitable Puig raised both arms as he circled the bases.Caleb Ferguson (7-2) got two outs and Kenley Jansen earned his 36th save.Matt Kemp also went deep for the Dodgers, giving them seven players with 20 or more homers in a season for the first time. Brian Dozier’s RBI double tied it 2-all in the fifth.ATHLETICS 10, ANGELS 0OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Stephen Piscotty hit a three-run homer and matched his career high with five RBIs, and Oakland beat Los Angeles to snap a three-game skid.Oakland moved within four games of first-place Houston in the AL West and stayed 5 1/2 ahead of streaking Tampa Bay for the second wild card.Jed Lowrie and Piscotty each hit a two-run double in a six-run fourth to back Brett Anderson (4-5), who pitched 6 2/3 sharp innings. Three relievers finished the four-hitter as Oakland’s 14th shutout of the season took just 2 hours, 23 minutes.Angels starter Felix Pena (3-5) was done after the fourth, allowing six runs and six hits.INDIANS 4, WHITE SOX 1CLEVELAND (AP) — Jason Kipnis hit a grand slam with one out in the ninth inning and Cleveland beat Chicago.Kipnis hit a 3-2 pitch from Ian Hamilton into the right field seats for his 1,000th career hit and was doused with buckets of water by his teammates as he conducted a postgame television interview.The AL Central champions were held to two hits through eight innings before their comeback.Josh Donaldson started the inning with an infield hit. Pitcher Juan Minaya fielded the ball that rolled about 30 feet up the third base line, but Donaldson beat the throw to first. Pinch-hitter Yandy Diaz bounced a single through the left side that moved pinch-runner Rajai Davis to second.Melky Cabrera popped up a bunt attempt to the mound that was caught by reliever Caleb Frare (0-1).Hamilton replaced Frare, but hit Yan Gomes with the first pitch to load the bases.Oliver Perez (1-1) got the final out in the ninth for the Indians.Daniel Palka homered for the White Sox.PHILLIES 4 http://www.dodgersfanproshop.com/authentic-jackie-robinson-jersey , METS 0PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Rhys Hoskins became the seventh-fastest player to hit 50 career home runs and Philadelphia beat New York to keep pace in the NL East race.Zach Eflin and five relievers combined on a six-hitter and Odubel Herrera added two-run homer for the Phillies. They won consecutive series for the first time since July 25 and stayed 5 1/2 games behind division-leading Atlanta.Seven of Philadelphia’s final 11 games are against the Braves, including a four-game series beginning Thursday night in Atlanta.Hoskins’ opposite-field solo shot against Noah Syndergaard (12-4) in the first inning was his 32nd homer of the season and 50th in 192 career games. Only Rudy York (153), Mark McGwire (161), Gary Sanchez (161), Ryan Braun (171), Aaron Judge (174) and former Phillies slugger Ryan Howard (182) reached 50 quicker, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.The 25-year-old Hoskins later added his 35th double, and Jose Bautista had a pinch-hit RBI double in the fifth off Jerry Blevins. Eflin (11-7) struck out nine and allowed three hits in five innings. Luis Avilan, Victor Arano and Adam Morgan each went one inning.BRAVES 7, CARDINALS 3ATLANTA (AP) — Freddie Freeman hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs, Touki Toussaint pitched into the sixth inning and NL East-leading Atlanta beat St. Louis to snap a four-game skid.The Braves have a magic number of six over Philadelphia to clinch their first division title since 2013. St. Louis, which had won three straight, leads Colorado by 1½ games for the second wild card.Atlanta closer A.J. Minter, working in a non-save situation in the ninth, walked two to load the bases, but he struck out Jose Martinez and got Paul DeJong to pop up.Freeman’s 23rd homer, an opposite-field shot to left-center, put the Braves up 2-0 in the fourth against Jack Flaherty (8-8). Toussaint (2-1) allowed five hits and two runs in 5 2/3 innings.DIAMONDBACKS 9, CUBS 0PHOENIX (AP) — Christian Walker and Chris Owings homered off Cole Hamels, and Robbie Ray held Chicago Cubs to one hit over six innings in Arizona’s victory.Walker and Owings were part of a Diamondbacks lineup that featured only two regulars in the field — Nick Ahmed and Ketel Marte. The group did most of its damage against Hamels (9-10), who had yet to lose a start since joining the Cubs via trade from Texas on July 27.Ray (6-2) struck out eight and walked four. Walker and Owings drove in three runs each.Jeff Mathis added a two-run home run off Allen Webster.The Cubs’ NL Central lead dropped to 2 1/2 games over Milwaukee.BREWERS 7, REDS 0MILWAUKEE (AP) — Gio Gonzalez pitched six smooth innings on his 33rd birthday and Jesus Aguilar hit a three-run homer in Milwaukee’s victory over Cincinnati.Manny Pina also had a three-run shot and Aguilar finished with four RBIs. They helped the Brewers boost their lead for the top NL wild card to three games over St. Louis.Gonzalez (9-11) was acquired in a trade with Washington on Aug. 31 in an effort to bolster the Brewers’ starting rotation. The left-hander has picked up a victory in two of his three starts with Milwaukee, and the Brewers have won all three games.Reds right-hander Matt Harvey (7-9), a pitcher the Brewers nearly acquired a few weeks ago before a proposed deal fell through, gave up Aguilar’s game-changing home run.MARINERS 9, ASTROS 0HOUSTON (AP) — Robinson Cano drove in three runs, Kyle Seager Kenley Jansen Jersey , Mitch Haniger and Guillermo Heredia homered and seven pitchers combined for a five-hitter in Seattle’s victory over Houston.The Mariners took two of three in the series from AL West-leading Houston.Seattle rookie Matt Festa made his first career start on a bullpen day for the Mariners and threw a perfect first inning before Casey Lawrence (1-0) took over and allowed one hit in three innings. Adam Warren, Shawn Armstrong, Zach Duke, Justin Grimm and Roenis Elias pitched an inning each to close it out.Dallas Keuchel (11-11) was the loser.RAYS 9, RANGERS 3ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Tommy Pham homered twice and extended his on-base streak to 21 games and late-surging Tampa Bay completed a three-game sweep of Texas.The Rays have won 14 of 17 games in September. They have 11 remaining and are 5 1/2 games behind Oakland for the American League’s second wild card.Adrian Beltre hit his 13th homer for the last-place Rangers. It was the 475th of his career to match Stan Musial and Willie Stargell for 30th on the career lost. He’s 15th with 3,159 hits.Ryan Yarbrough (15-5), the second of five Tampa Bay pitchers, went four innings for the win.Jake Bauers had a two-run single and scored on Willy Adames‘ single in the second off lefty Yohander Mendez (2-2) to put the Rays ahead to stay at 3-0. Pham hit his 18th homer leading off the third, and Matt Duffy’s two-run double in the fourth made it 8-1.Pham went deep again in the eighth for his seventh career multihomer game. The homer was off 45-year-old Bartolo Colon, who was pitching in relief for the first time since his last start Sept. 5.TWINS 8, TIGERS 2DETROIT (AP) — Stephen Gonsalves threw six scoreless innings, and Minnesota pounded Detroit’s pitching.Gabriel Moya started for Minnesota, but was replaced by Gonsalves in the second inning, marking the sixth time this season the Twins used an “opening pitcher.” Gonsalves (1-2) allowed one hit and a walk while striking out four.Ehire Adrianza was 3 for 4 with three runs scored, Tyler Austin was 2 for 3 with two RBIs and two runs scored and Willians Astudillo was 2 for 4 with three RBIs for the Twins, who swept the three-game series against the Tigers. Spencer Turnbull (0-1) made his first major league start, allowing six runs and six hits and a walk in four innings.PIRATES 2, ROYALS 1PITTSBURGH (AP) — Chris Archer pitched seven strong innings, and Pittsburgh beat Kansas City to complete a three-game sweep.Archer (5-8) allowed one run on six hits with eight strikeouts and one walk. The Pirates remain marooned in fourth place in the NL Central despite a five-game winning streak.Felipe Vazquez allowed a walk in the ninth en route to his 35th save.Adam Frazier broke a 1-1 tie with a homer to right-center with two outs in the fifth inning off rookie right-hander Heath Fillmyer (3-2). Adalberto Mondesi homered for Kansas City.ORIOLES 2, BLUE JAYS 1BALTIMORE (AP) — Rookie DJ Stewart hit his first major league home run and Baltimore used five pitchers to beat Toronto.The Orioles bounced back a night after their 108th loss of the season, the most since moving to Baltimore in 1954. They remained three away from the franchise mark set by the 1939 St. Louis Browns.Jimmy Yacabonis started for Baltimore and threw four scoreless innings, followed by Mike Wright (4-2), who blanked the Blue Jays over two innings. Miguel Castro allowed a solo homer to Billy McKinney in the eighth that cut the lead to 2-1 before Tanner Scott managed the final out of the inning. Mychal Givens finished for the save. Marco Estrada (7-13) was the loser.PADRES 8, GIANTS 4SAN DIEGO (AP) — Wil Myers and Freddy Galvis homered, Robbie Erlin pitched five solid innings and San Diego beat San Francisco.Myers’ two-run homer highlighted a five-run second inning. Galvis added a three-run shot in the eighth as San Diego won for the second time in 10 meetings against San Francisco.Erlin (4-7) beat the Giants for the first time and snapped a career-high four-start losing streak.Rookie Armies Garcia homored for the Giants. Chris Stratton (10-9) took the loss.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — It had been a couple of weeks since Steven Souza Jr. approached Arizona manager Torey Lovullo in Cincinnati about batting leadoff http://www.twinsfanproshop.com/authentic-phil-hughes-jersey , so the right fielder began to question whether he would get his chance.“I was wondering,” he said.Then, with the offense in a deep funk, Souza arrived at the ballpark Wednesday and checked the lineup: leadoff.He made good on his word that he could handle the job, hitting a home run to start the third that ended the Diamondbacks‘ 25-inning scoreless drought. Souza added an RBI double the next inning and backed Zack Godley with a defensive gem in a 3-1 win over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday night.Lovullo was considering Souza in the same spot Thursday at Dodger Stadium.“I love it. I’ve done it for the majority of my life. The last couple of years I’ve been in the middle of the lineup,” Souza said. “Wherever Torey wants to put me, I’m going to do my best there. I have some familiarity with the leadoff spot and it was just fun to be there in front of some really good hitters.”Godley (14-7) struck out six over 7 2/3 innings of two-hit ball and increased his career best for wins as first-place Arizona moved a half-game ahead of idle Colorado in the NL West.Lovullo vowed to switch things up as needed to try to give his club a spark, going with Souza leading off in a move that proved spot on.Lovullo said he will “do something a little outside the box” as necessary down the stretch, with everybody understanding each game is now so crucial in the playoff chase.When Souza asked him about hitting leadoff, Lovullo made it clear: “I’ll make that decision,” he told the player. “I’ll handle this. I’ll take care of this.”It was a timely choice.Before Souza’s fourth home run of the year, the Diamondbacks hadn’t scored since the third inning of Sunday’s 5-2 win against the Mariners.Souza also made a magnificent, diving Jose Berrios Jersey , backhand catch on the warning track after running down pinch-hitter Gregor Blanco’s deep fly to the gap in right-center. Souza tipped his cap after the play.San Francisco had its four-game winning streak snapped, one victory shy of matching its longest of the season from May 30 to June 4. The Giants missed a chance to sweep the Diamondbacks in a series of three or more games for the first time since July 2016.Godley, who is 6-0 over his last eight road starts, hit three Giants batters with pitches through five innings. The last time a Diamondbacks pitcher had three hit batsmen was Ian Kennedy on Aug. 9, 2010, against the Brewers.Godley gave way to Archie Bradley after allowing a two-out single to Gorkys Hernandez and pinch-hitter Hunter Pence’s walk. Bradley allowed Andrew McCutchen’s RBI single but retired Joe Panik on a called third strike to end the inning.Brad Boxberger got the final two outs on strikeouts for his 30th save.Giants rookie Dereck Rodriguez (6-2) lost for the first time in 13 appearances — 12 starts — since June 9 at Washington. He walked a season-high four in five innings, allowing five hits with three strikeouts in his second start since coming off the disabled list from a strained right hamstring.“You can have two months of a good stretch and then have one bad outing,” Rodriguez said. “But I’m not going to let it affect me.”STOP SIGNArizona shortstop Nick Ahmed met with third base coach Tony Perezchica to discuss signals after a costly mistake a night earlier that Lovullo described as “maybe just a little gap in communication.”In a scoreless game, Ahmed was thrown out at home to end the eighth as he tried to come home from first on pinch-hitter David Peralta’s single to deep right-center.Ahmed saw Perezchica’s initial, aggressive wave but then ran through a stop sign while charging for home.“They’re both claiming some responsibility,” Lovullo said.From now on with Ahmed, Perezchica will both give a stop sign and a verbal command.TRAINER’S ROOMGiants: Rookie CF Steven Duggar was placed on the disabled list with a potential season-ending left shoulder injury a day after a hard, headfirst slide back into second base. After the game http://www.twinsfanproshop.com/authentic-erick-aybar-jersey , manager Bruce Bochy said Duggar dislocated the shoulder and has a labrum tear, with surgery recommended but no decision yet made. Duggar arrived at AT&T Park still very sore from the night before, when he wound up staying in the game and scoring the winning run in the bottom of the ninth for a 1-0 victory. … Blanco was called up from Triple-A Sacramento. … RHP Jeff Samardzija received a second opinion on his inflamed pitching shoulder from Dr. Tim McAdams at Stanford and it was advised the pitcher continue to rest the injury. There was no structural damage found but Samardzija’s availability for the remainder of the season is in doubt based on the time he would need to build back up in his throwing program after the rest period. “Looking at the timetable here where we’re at in the season, I think you have to be honest and say it’s doubtful,” Bochy said.UP NEXTLeft-hander Robbie Ray (3-2, 4.73 ERA) pitches for Arizona in its series opener at Dodger Stadium. Following an off day for the Giants, lefty Andrew Suarez (5-9, 4.42) takes the mound Friday at home to begin a weekend series with the New York Mets. SAN FRANCISCO — Two sub-.500 teams taking a different approach to September meet one more time with the season series on the line when the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants wrap up their three-game set Sunday afternoon.Veterans Wilmer Flores, Jay Bruce and Todd Frazier combined to produce an 11th-inning run for the Mets on Saturday, sending the Giants (68-69) back below .500 and into even more of a look-at-the-prospects mode for the final 25 games of the season.One of the Giants’ top young pitchers, right-hander Chris Stratton (9-7, 4.99 ERA), will duel Mets standout Noah Syndergaard (9-3 Anibal Sanchez Jersey , 3.51) in the series finale, with each team having won three times in the seven-game season series.Article continues below ...Stratton pitched against the Mets for the first time in his career on Aug. 21, limiting them to two runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings. He did not get a decision in a 6-3 loss.Michael Conforto’s three-run homer off Giants reliever Tony Watson in a four-run eighth inning made the difference that night after Stratton left a 2-2 game in the seventh.Stratton, a veteran of only 31 major league starts, rebounded to shut out the Arizona Diamondbacks for eight innings in a 2-0 win Monday.Stratton might find himself pitching to a familiar batterymate, catcher Aramis Garcia, a teammate earlier this season at Triple-A Sacramento.Garcia homered in his major league debut in Friday’s 7-0 victory over the Mets.Austin Slater, Alen Hanson and Chris Shaw, three other potential foundation pieces in the Giants’ future, also have seen playing time in the New York series even though San Francisco technically remains alive in the National League West and NL wild-card races.The Mets, meanwhile, were long ago left in the dust in the NL East, yet battled the young Giants with mostly veterans Saturday Eduardo Escobar Jersey , including 34-year-old Jerry Blevins, the game’s winning pitcher.New York also summoned former standout third baseman David Wright from a minor league rehab in hopes that he can make his season debut ... more

Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras gave a young fan a pleasant surprise on Thursday.Per Madeline Kenney of theChicago Sun-Times http://www.rangersfanproshop.com/authentic-russell-wilson-jersey , Contreras arrived at Franklin Park's Engel School for kids with special needs to hang out with Daniel Rodriguez, who has Down syndrome, and 60 of his classmates.Rodriguez, 11, first met Contreras at Advocate Children鈥檚 Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois, in 2017. He also got to spend time with the Cubs All-Star at spring training in 2017 and last year when Rodriguezreceived a VIP experience at Wrigley Field and was gifted with a signed helmet, batting gloves and jersey. Contreras hit a three-run homer in that game against the Chicago White Sox."From the first moment that he saw him, that they interacted 鈥?they were just communicating in their own little way," Rodiguez's mother Martin Perez Jersey , Nyvia Crespo, told Kenney. "That first impression has lasted him until this day 鈥?Willson just made him feel so much better that day. It's like his medicine."During their time together Thursday, Contreras and Rodriguez played whiffle ball and corn hole. BOSTON (AP) — Thanks to a miscue by Toronto, the Boston Red Sox moved one step closer to clinching the AL East title.J.D. Martinez hit his 41st home run and the Red Sox scored the tiebreaking run on an eighth-inning error, completing a three-game sweep of the Blue Jays with a 4-3 victory Thursday night.After the Blue Jays rallied for two runs to tie it at 3 in the top of the eighth, Xander Bogaerts doubled in the bottom half and stole third. He came home when Toronto second baseman Yangervis Solarte dropped a popup in shallow right field.“That was a huge situation,” Bogaerts said. “I’ve made errors to make us lose, so I definitely know how he feels. But it’s good we’re on the good side.”Rafael Devers also went deep for the major league-leading Red Sox (101-46), who pulled 10½ games ahead of the idle New York Yankees and decreased their magic number to six for securing a third straight division crown.Boston is the only team in the majors that’s already locked up a playoff berth.Brandon Workman (5-0) faced one batter, ending Toronto’s eighth-inning rally with just three pitches Jurickson Profar Jersey , and got the win. Craig Kimbrel earned his 40th save.Danny Barnes (3-3) took the loss for the Blue Jays, who were down 3-1 entering the eighth.“We clawed back into it after the bullpen did a nice job,” manager John Gibbons said.Lourdes Gurriel Jr. homered in the eighth for Toronto and the Blue Jays added another run after Justin Smoak walked with two outs and Kendrys Morales followed with a single. Joe Kelly hit Randal Grichuk with a pitch to load the bases, then plunked Kevin Pillar to force in the tying run.“He knows that tonight wasn’t a great night for him,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said about Kelly.Devers hit a solo homer with two outs in the sixth off Mark Leiter Jr., putting Boston up 3-1.Martinez went deep in the second, tying Oakland’s Khris Davis for the major league lead in homers.Sam Gaviglio pitched 3 1/3 innings for Toronto, allowing two earned runs and six hits.ON THE RUNBogaerts said he wanted to be aggressive after his double in the eighth and he got a great jump as Barnes was pitching to Blake Swihart.“I was just trying to get to third and make things a little bit easier,” Bogaerts said. “Trying to get a guy home from third with one out is better than trying to get a guy in from second.”Bogaerts was halfway down the third-base line and had a clear view as Solarte tried to get under the ball before it bounced off his glove.“You have to make that play. It’s not always easy when the infield is in,” Gibbons said.SOLID STARTBoston starter Eduardo Rodriguez recovered from a rough outing in a 6-3 loss to Houston last Friday http://www.rangersfanproshop.com/authentic-delino-deshields-jersey , when the Astros tagged him for five runs and six hits over 3 1/3 innings.Rodriguez struck out seven in six innings this time, retiring the last nine batters he faced. He struck out two in the sixth before the Red Sox turned it over to their bullpen in the seventh. He allowed one run on five hits and didn’t walk a batter.It was only his third start since coming off an extended stint on the disabled list with a sprained right ankle.Cora said he wasn’t about to push Rodriguez.“It was more about taking care of him,” the manager explained. “I felt that six was good. The way he threw the ball in the sixth inning was good enough for me.”TRAINER’S ROOMRed Sox: 3B Eduardo Nunez left in the fourth with soreness in his right knee after hitting a leadoff double. Nunez, who tripped and stumbled over first base while running out a fielder’s choice in the second, was replaced by Devers.UP NEXTBlue Jays: RHP Marco Estrada (7-11, 5.32 ERA) starts Friday for Toronto in the first of three games at Yankee Stadium.Red Sox: RHP Hector Velazquez (7-2, 3.29) gets the ball when Boston opens a three-game series at home against the New York Mets.

The Chicago White Sox will try to maintain their recent success when they open a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers on Monday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field.Chicago (55-82) has endured a difficult season but has played much better in the past few weeks. The White Sox are coming off a dominant 8-0 win over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday and have won seven of 10 Josh Harrison Jersey , 13 of 19 and 18 of 30.“The second half has just been a whole different team,” said Daniel Palka, a rookie outfielder who slugged his 20th home run of the season in the series finale against Boston. “Same guys, things are just clicking more consistently.Article continues below ...“We are good despite what the record is. We are playing our best right now, and it’s showing off with these series records.”Meanwhile, Detroit (55-82) comes to town sliding in the opposite direction. The Tigers have lost seven of their past nine but looked better Sunday with an 11-7 win over the New York Yankees.Nicholas Castellanos shined in the victory by going 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs. He leads the team with 20 homers.Tigers right-hander Michael Fulmer (3-10, 4.71 ERA) will aim for his first victory since June 14 when he takes the mound for his 22nd start. Fulmer is 0-5 with a 5.90 ERA in his past seven starts but is feeling healthy after a stint on the disabled list.“Just glad to be back,” Fulmer recently said to the Detroit Free Press. “Everything felt good (the last outing) — that’s the big thing. Mechanics still need some repetition, but for the most part http://www.piratesfanproshop.com/authentic-gregory-polanco-jersey , everything was a little better than it has been all year.”In seven career starts against the White Sox, Fulmer is 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA. He has walked 12 and fanned 28 in 42 2/3 innings.The White Sox will counter with right-hander Reynaldo Lopez (5-9, 4.51 ERA), who will make his 28th start of the season. The 24-year-old is coming off one of his best performances of the year after limiting the Yankees to one run and five hits in seven innings.Lopez is 1-1 with a 3.58 ERA in six career starts against the Tigers. He has walked 14 and struck out 21 in 37 2/3 innings.White Sox manager Rick Renteria said he was proud of the way his team has played as of late.“I think for all of us, the team, myself, the whole organization, we should feel really good about how they’re going about doing their business,” Renteria said. “I think we’ve talked about hopefully having them settle in and get a feel of who they are and what they’re capable of doing. We’ve played two pretty strong offensive clubs (in New York and Boston).“The pitching http://www.piratesfanproshop.com/authentic-jung-ho-kang-jersey , I still believe that on any given club, the pitching is the key to allowing you to have a chance to win. You get some timely hitting and or catch the ball, which you should, and minimize mistakes, you always give yourself a chance. Right now, our guys are doing a lot of those things.” DETROIT (AP) Miguel Cabrera can now say it with a good deal of certainty: Baseball is harder than it looks on TV.”It’s so easy when you watch the game on TV. It’s so slow,” the Detroit slugger said. ”The game is so simple on TV.”It’s not nearly as simple on the field, of course, and right now all Cabrera can do is watch. The Tigers lost their star first baseman in the middle of June to a ruptured biceps tendon Francisco Cervelli Jersey , and he’s out for the season. Detroit was in a rebuilding mode anyway, but losing one of the team’s top hitters was a significant blow.Cabrera was back at Comerica Park on Monday night to host an event supporting children’s health and youth baseball programs. He seemed to be feeling good, but he has a long way to go before playing again.”Right now it’s a little slow,” Cabrera said. ”Hopefully in a couple weeks I starting do more stuff, to be healthy again.”Cabrera said he goes back and forth between Michigan and Florida, and he thinks he’s making good progress toward being ready for spring training next year. The two-time American League MVP is 35 now, and this was supposed to be a crucial year for the veteran to show if he could still be one of the game’s most feared hitters after a poor showing in 2017.Instead, Cabrera has played only 38 games after never playing fewer than 119 in his previous decade with the Tigers.”Really hard, watch the games on TV. It’s really hard don’t be on the field with my teammates. It doesn’t matter if we win or lose. I want to be part of this process John Jaso Jersey ,” Cabrera said. ”Right now, I’m focused to be back next year and healthy.”Cabrera’s big contract extends through at least 2023, which means Detroit may have a hard time trading him as part of its rebuild. In 2016, he hit .316 with 38 home runs and 108 RBIs – his eighth straight year finishing in the AL’s top seven in batting average.Then last season, he hit .249 with only 16 homers and an unsightly .399 slugging percentage.There were some decent signs early this year. Cabrera hit .299 with a .395 on-base percentage. But he had only three home runs. He was hitting .323 when he went on the disabled list in early May with a hamstring strain . He came back June 1, but his bat was quiet from then until his season-ending injury June 12.Cabrera’s absence has left a big hole in the lineup, and Detroit has backup catcher John Hicks playing first base quite a bit in his place.Only six players have reached both 500 home runs and 3,000 hits, and with 465 homers and 2 http://www.piratesfanproshop.com/authentic-jordy-mercer-jersey ,676 hits, Cabrera still has a good chance to join that group if he can come back and play several more seasons. His pursuit of those milestones is on hold now, though. And Detroit fans can only wonder how effective he’ll be going forward.Cabrera was cheerful Monday night and quick with a laugh, but it’s clear that being out of action is tough for him.”I can’t describe what I’m feeling right now,” Cabrera said. ”I need to stay focused, mentally stay focusing on trying to be back healthy next year.”—

Matt Harvey knew the moment he was traded from the New York Mets to the Cincinnati Reds that he was pitching as much for 2019 as he was for 2018.The right-hander realized that if he didn’t regain in 2018 some of the form he displayed while briefly becoming the Mets’ staff ace three years ago Fernando Valenzuela Jersey , his 2019 season was in doubt following several seasons filled with injuries and subpar performances.Now, four months after that trade, Harvey is erasing with every start many of the doubts about whether he’s still a reliable major league starter. His next start comes Saturday as the Reds and San Diego Padres play the third game of a four-game series matching last-place teams at Great American Ball Park.Article continues below ...Harvey, who’s been reliable and fairly consistent, opposes Padres left-hander Robbie Erlin (3-5), whose 33 career starts are far fewer than Harvey’s 124. Erlin lost his last two decisions, to the Rockies and Dodgers, by giving up eight runs in 10 innings.On Friday, Phillip Ervin went 3-for-3 with a pair of homers, driving in four runs and scoring four and Scott Schebler hit a grand slam as Reds stopped a four-game losing streak and evened the series at a game apiece by winning 12-6.It was a long night for the Padres in a lot of ways — not only did they fall behind 12-4, but they waited out a pregame rain delay of 2 hours, 37 minutes merely to play. But a short night for starting pitcher Brett Kennedy, who gave up only one hit but walked four and allowed four runs in 1 2/3 innings.“It was pretty evident early that his velo (velocity) wasn’t where it had been before,” Padres manager Andy Green said. “His command wasn’t there. It wasn’t like they were close misses, they were fairly significant. From a baseball perspective, we felt it prudent to go to the bullpen as quickly as possible and give ourselves the best chance to win that baseball game.”Now they’ll go against Harvey, who was effectively jettisoned by the Mets after going 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA in eight games, including four starts, but looks to be rejuvenating his career.He’s 6-6 with a 4.43 ERA for the Reds despite pitching in a homer-friendly ballpark for a last-place team. And his 132 2/3 innings are the most he’s pitched in a season since he threw 189 1/3 innings while going 13-8 with a 2.71 ERA for the Mets in 2015.“Obviously http://www.dodgersfanproshop.com/authentic-jackie-robinson-jersey , the way this season started (with the Mets casting him off to the Reds), getting to 130-plus innings … I bet you there’s a lot of people that didn’t think that was possible,” Harvey told reporters following his most recent start Monday in Pittsburgh. “I think there’s still a lot of work to be done for this season — four or five more starts, whatever it is. Just got to go out and try to get better each time.“Kind of flush an interesting (2018) season, and get ready for the offseason.”And for next season, wherever that may be. Harvey turns 30 in March and, as a free agent, he’s not quite sure yet whose uniform he will wear in 2019. The Reds would like it to be theirs, and ownership reportedly is very interested in bringing him back if financial terms can be worked out.But, as he said, there’s still work to be done beginning with Saturday.This will be Harvey’s fourth appearance against the Padres this season but only his second start; he pitched an inning apiece as a reliever in two April games while with the Mets. With the Reds, he took the loss in an 8-2 Padres victory at Petco Park on June 2, yielding six hits and four earned runs in five innings. He’s 3-2 with a 4.00 ERA in eight career games against them.Harvey was coming off three consecutive effective starts — three runs allowed in 18 2/3 innings — before giving up five runs in four innings of what turned out to be a 13-12 Reds loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Aug. 29.He followed that up by giving up three runs and seven hits in six innings Monday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, who began a three-game sweep of the Reds by winning 5-1. Harvey yielded a pair of homers, to Adam Frazier and Gregory Polanco.“It’s about two pitches,” Harvey said. “You throw a bad change-up and he (Frazier) hits it out. You throw a good pitch and it finds a hole, like they did most of the game. Then you throw a fastball right down the middle to a power hitter (Polanco) and you give up two more runs.”Now, for Harvey, it’s about September Kenley Jansen Jersey , for sure, but also all about 2019. A strong start from rookie Walker Buehler would go a long way for the Dodgers as they look to swing the series momentum in front of the home crowd.The 24-year-old has a 1.93 ERA at home this season, and he's stood up well to the pressure of October baseball so far, turning in a solid outing in Game 7 of the NLCS his last time out.David Adler of MLB.comcalled attention to the Red Sox's abilities as a fastball-hitting team, so the key for Buehler could be his ability to locate his curveball.Adler wrote: "One area Boston showed just a sliver of vulnerability is against high-spin curveballs, and Buehler has one. The MLB average curveball spin rate in 2018 was 2,492 rpm. Buehler's averaged2,756 rpm as a starterin the regular season, and it is averaging 2,800 rpm in the playoffs. More spin on a curveball generally means more movement and better outcomes for the pitcher."Buehler threw his curveball 14.1 percent of the time during the regular season, holding opposing hitters to a .179 batting average and a stingy .036 ISO, according to Brooks Baseball.Offensively, keep an eye on Manny Machado, who has enjoyed significant success against Red Sox starter Rick Porcello in his career with a13-for-38line that includes two home runs.Red SoxJ.D. MartinezMaddie Meyer/Getty ImagesFiguring out how to get J.D. Martinez into the lineup with the DH no longer in play will be the biggest pregame decision for Alex Cora.Mike Petriello of MLB.com spelled out his two choices:Start Brock Holt at 2B, Mookie Betts in CF, J.D. Martinez in RF, bench Jackie Bradley and Ian Kinsler.Start Mookie Betts at 2B, Jackie Bradley in CF, J.D. Martinez in RF http://www.dodgersfanproshop.com/authentic-corey-seager-jersey , bench Brock Holt andIan Kinsler.Martinez played left field (32 games) and right field (25 games) sparingly this season, while Betts played six innings at second base and has ample experience from his time in the minors, so option No. 2 is not as far-fetched as it might seem.Martinez is hitting .333/.429/.538 with two home runs and 13 RBI in 11 games this postseason, so there's no way he won't be part of the starting lineup.It's also worthmentioning that the versatile Holt was an excellent5-for-13 with two doubles, one triple and two home runs as a pinch-hitter during the regular season, so he has a chance to be a real weapon off the bench.On the pitching side, manager Alex Cora will need to decide whether to use Nathan Eovaldi in the eighth inning again if the score is close. The standout starter pitched a scoreless eighth in Game 1 and Game 2, and Cora didn't rule out a similar approach in Game 3, despite the fact that Eovaldi is currently in line for the Game 4 start."You never know," Cora told reporters. "Like I've been saying all along, we're all-in every day. If we feel there's a chance to close the door with them, we'll use him. The way it's mapped out, it's Rick in Game 3 and maybe Nate in Game 4. But Nate might come in in the eighth again. If we have a chance to be up 3-0 with him on the mound, and then [Craig Kimbrel], we'll do it. And then we'll figure out Game 4."If Eovaldi does wind up pitching on Friday, that could mean a start for Eduardo Rodriguez.One thing is for sure, there's no shortage of interesting storylines heading into Game 3 of the 2018 World Series.All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs, unless otherwise noted.