Judge falls just short of 61, Yanks clinch playoff berth
Aaron Judge fell a few feet short of a record-tying 61st homer, hitting a 404-foot drive caught just in front of the center field wall, and the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 5-4 on Josh Donaldson’s 10th-inning single to clinch their sixth straight playoff berth.
LEADING OFF: 41-year-old Hill faces 40-year-old Wainwright
Dodgers Cardinals Baseball St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright walks off the field after being removed during the ninth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) (Jeff Roberson)A look at what's happening around the majors Monday:___OLD TIMERS' DAYMets 41-year-old left-hander Rich Hill is set to face Cardinals 40-year-old righty Adam Wainwright in a showdown of veterans who still got it. Hill (6-6, 3.82) has allowed three earned runs over 17 innings in his previous three starts, and Wainwright (15-7, 2.98) pitched into the ninth inning against the Dodgers in a 5-4 win his last time out. ANOTHER BLOWSan Diego is monitoring left-hander Blake Snell after he left a game Sunday against the Dodgers after 11 pitches with a left adductor strain. He was facing Trea Turner when he suddenly left the mound with a 2-1 count, having thrown 11 pitches.
wftv.comRays' Hill says union 'dropped the ball' on grip enhancers
Orioles Rays Baseball Tampa Bay Rays' Rich Hill goes into his windup against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, June 12, 2021, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) (Chris O'Meara)CHICAGO — (AP) — Veteran Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Rich Hill says the players' union “dropped the ball” when it came to this week’s announcement from Major League Baseball about grip-enhancing substances. MLB said pitchers will be ejected and suspended for 10 games starting Monday for using illegal foreign substances to doctor baseballs. “I think this falls on the PA, the players' association," the 41-year old Hill said before Wednesday’s game at the Chicago White Sox. "I feel like they should have come together and settled this, and handled it like professionals,” Hill added. When it’s 30 degrees out and freezing cold we get a rosin bag,” Hill said.
wftv.comRays win for 16th time in 17 games, Hill beats Yankees 3-1
Rays Yankees Baseball Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Rich Hill reacts during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees on Monday, May 31, 2021, in New York. Hill (4-2), a 41-year-old left-hander who is the oldest player in Rays’ history, improved to 3-0 against the Yankees this season. New York (29-25) limped to the season’s one-third mark with its fourth straight defeat and sixth in seven games. The Yankees have scored two runs or fewer in nine of their last 12 games for the first time since August 1971. UP NEXTRHP Tyler Glasnow (4-2, 2.57) starts Tuesday for the Rays and RHP Domingo Germán (4-3, 3.06) for the Yankees.
wftv.comRays' 11-game win streak ends, fall to Keller, Royals 2-1
Tampa Bay's winning string was the second-longest in club history, one shy of the record set in 2004 by the then-Devil Rays managed by Lou Piniella. Jake Brentz went 1 1/3 innings before Kyle Zimmer got two outs to get his second save. Perez put the Royals up 2-1 on a sixth-inning single off Hill (3-2). Hill became the oldest player to appear in a game with the Rays at 41 years, 75 days. “I’m excited about that,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said.
wftv.comNats reliever Harris out with blood clot in pitching arm
Harris has a blood clot in his right arm and is leaving spring training camp to be examined by a specialist, manager Dave Martinez said Friday, March 19, 2021. (Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via AP)Washington Nationals reliever Will Harris has a blood clot in his right arm and the team doesn't expect him to be in the bullpen on opening day. Carlos Martínez struggled in his fourth start for St. Louis. DODGERS 7, RANGERS 2Julio Urías made his fourth start for Los Angeles, allowing two hits in four shutout innings, striking out three. Adrian Houser made his fourth start.
LeMahieu HR ends inning, no more early exits for pitchers
Starter Zach Eflin pitched four shutout innings, allowing two hits and striking out four without a walk. ROCKIES 2, MARINERS 1Kyle Freeland allowed three hits in four shutout innings in his second start for Colorado, striking out four. Seattle's Marco Gonzales threw four shutout innings in his second start, allowing two hits while striking out four. Martín Pérez made his second start, allowing two hits and a walk in four scoreless innings. ATHLETICS 5, REDS 2 (7)Oakland lefty Sean Manaea struck out four in three innings, allowing one run and three hits.
Ohtani fans 5 in return to mound; Harper HR on 1st swing
The 2018 AL Rookie of the Year is off to a strong start this spring on both sides. PHILLIES 3, PIRATES 0Bryce Harper homered on his first swing of spring training, launching a opposite-field drive to left. Chad Kuhl made his second start for Pittsburgh, allowing two runs on three hits. Brad Keller worked three innings in the start for the Royals and allowed a run on four hits and two walks. BRAVES 4, TWINS 0 (7)Kyle Wright fared much better in his second start for Atlanta, allowing one hit in three shutout innings with two strikeouts.
AP source: Twins bolster rotation with $8M deal for Happ
FILE - In this Oct. 6, 2020, file photo, New York Yankees pitcher J.A. The Minnesota Twins and Happ agreed Wednesday, Jan. 20, to a one-year, $8 million contract, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The 38-year-old Happ spent the past 2 1/3 seasons with the New York Yankees. Minnesota was third in the AL in 2020 with a team ERA of 3.58. Happ went 12-8 in 2019 and struggled at the start of the pandemic-delayed 2020 season, prompting the Yankees to skip his turn.
White Sox beat Twins 4-3 to clinch playoff spot
Chicago White Sox's Jose Abreu (79) and Eloy Jimenez celebrate the team's 4-3 win over the Minnesota Twins in baseball game Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Chicago. The White Sox clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2008. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)CHICAGO – After clinching a postseason berth for the first time since 2008, the Chicago White Sox were low key during their on-field celebration. The White Sox assured themselves of no worse than a wild-card berth. White Sox: RHP Jonathan Stiever (0-0, 2.45 ERA) starts the opener of a three-game series Friday night at Cincinnati.
Bieber wins again, Lindor homers as Indians down Twins 4-2
Cleveland Indians' Francisco Lindor reacts as he runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run in the sixth inning in a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Cleveland. Bieber (6-0) allowed two runs and four hits in six innings as the Indians ended a four-game losing streak to the Twins and pulled within 1 1/2 games of the division leaders. Bieber had three walks in the first three innings he came in with just six in 40 2/3 innings all season but regrouped. With the Indians down 2-1, Lindor connected in the sixth off reliever Jorge Alcala (1-1), who replaced starter Rich Hill to start the inning. Carlos Santana followed with a walk, and one out later, pinch-hitter Tyler Naquin delivered an RBI double to put the Indians ahead 4-2.
Maeda's no-hitter ends in 9th; Twins top Brewers 4-3 in 12
Minnesota Twins pitcher Kenta Maeda of Japan throws against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)MINNEAPOLIS Kenta Maeda lost a no-hitter in the ninth inning for the Minnesota Twins, who blew a three-run lead but came back to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 in 12 innings. Maeda's no-hit bid was ended by Eric Sogard's soft single that soared just over the glove of a leaping Polanco at shortstop. Maeda retired 21 straight batters in a stretch from the first to the eighth innings and finished with 12 strikeouts. Opponents are 0 for 22 against Hader this season, with four walks and one hit by pitch 12 strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings.
Garca homers twice as White Sox pound Twins 10-3
(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)CHICAGO Leury Garca homered from both sides of the plate, helping Dallas Keuchel and the Chicago White Sox pound the Minnesota Twins 10-3 on Saturday. Keuchel allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings in his White Sox debut after agreeing to a $55.5 million, three-year contract in December. McCann singled in Adam Engel before Garca belted a three-run drive off left-hander Devin Smeltzer in the seventh, making it 10-3 White Sox. It also was the 11th time a White Sox player had connected from both sides of the plate in a single game. WORTH NOTINGThe White Sox announced right-hander Carson Fulmer had been claimed off waivers by Detroit.