Yankees even series vs. Red Sox; David Bednar gets 1st playoff save
NEW YORK — Austin Wells hit a tiebreaking single with two outs in the eighth inning, and the New York Yankees avoided elimination with a 4-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox in Game 2 of their American League wild-card series Wednesday. Game 3 of the best-of-three set will be...
Guardians pop in 8th inning, beat Tigers to force Game 3
CLEVELAND — Brayan Rocchio belted a go-ahead solo homer, and Bo Naylor had a three-run shot as part of a five-run eighth inning, giving the Cleveland Guardians a 6-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers in Game 2 of their American League wild-card series Wednesday afternoon. The Central Division champion Guardians...
Manny Machado homers as Padres shut out Cubs to even wild-card series
Manny Machado belted a two-run homer in the fifth inning, helping the visiting San Diego Padres square their National League wild-card series against the Chicago Cubs at one win apiece following a 3-0 victory Wednesday. The decisive Game 3 of the best-of-three series is Thursday afternoon in Chicago. The winner...
Reds allow 5 homers in a playoff game for the 1st time in franchise history, hand Game 1 to Dodgers
ESPN play-by-play announcer Jon “Boog” Sciambi shared a sad-but-true fact about the Cincinnati Reds’ postseason history during Game 1 of their National League wild-card series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Sciambi said during the broadcast that it was the 98th playoff game in Reds’ franchise history, and...
Yoshida’s pinch-hit, 2-run single backs Crochet’s strong pitching as Red Sox take lead on Yankees
NEW YORK — Garrett Crochet struck out 11 in 7 2/3 outstanding innings as the Boston Red Sox went ahead after getting Max Fried out of the game and opened their American League wild-card series with a 3-1 victory over the New York Yankees on Tuesday. Boston grabbed the advantage...
Back-to-back homers lift Cubs past Padres in wild-card series openerVideo
Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly belted back-to-back homers to lead off the fifth inning, lifting the host Chicago Cubs to a 3-1 victory over the San Diego Padres in Game 1 of their National League wild-card series on Tuesday. Daniel Palencia (1-0) struck out two and retired all five batters...
Tarik Skubal strikes out 14 as Tigers edge Guardians to kick off MLB playoffsVideo
CLEVELAND — Tarik Skubal struck out a record-setting 14 over 7 2/3 innings, and Riley Greene scored on Zach McKinstry’s go-ahead sacrifice bunt in the seventh, giving the Detroit Tigers a 2-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of their American League wild-card series Tuesday afternoon. Reigning Cy...
What to watch during MLB’s best-of-three Wild Card Series this week
PHOENIX — Major League Baseball’s postseason has delivered some spicy matchups for this week’s Wild Card Series, particularly in the American League. The four series begin Tuesday, highlighted by a matchup between the archrival Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. All games of the best-of-three series will be at...
Reds earn 1st playoff berth since 2020 as they capitalize on Mets’ big fadeVideo
MILWAUKEE — The Cincinnati Reds are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2020 after overtaking the New York Mets for the National League’s third and final wild card on the season’s final weekend. Cincinnati got to the postseason with plenty of help from the stumbling Mets. The...
U mad, bro?: Sharing lots of feelings on the Steelers, Skenes, Schoenfield, Sinatra and soggy pizza
The rapture didn’t happen this week. Some people seem really upset about that. Personally, I’m angry because the Pittsburgh Steelers can’t get off the field on possession downs, and the Pirates never give Paul Skenes any run support. It’s giving me a headache. Anyone got any Tyleno… nevermind. Let’s discuss...
Guardians’ David Fry sustains broken nose, facial fractures after being hit in face by 99 mph pitchVideo
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cleveland Guardians designated hitter David Fry sustained a broken nose and facial fractures after he was hit in the face by a pitch from Detroit’s Tarik Skubal in the sixth inning of Cleveland’s 5-2 win over the Tigers, a victory that deadlocked the AL Central division race....
Cubs’ Matt Shaw says he’s ‘not concerned at all’ about backlash for attending Charlie Kirk memorialVideo
CHICAGO — Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw insisted he has no regrets about missing a game to attend the memorial for his friend Charlie Kirk, saying he had an invitation from the right-wing commentator’s widow and permission from the team to attend the event in Glendale, Arizona. Shaw said...
MLB will use robot umpires in 2026
NEW YORK — Robot umpires are getting called up to the big leagues next season. Major League Baseball’s 11-man competition committee on Tuesday approved use of the Automated Ball/Strike System in the major leagues in 2026. Human plate umpires will still call balls and strikes, but teams can challenge two...
Clayton Kershaw soaks in the applause in his last regular-season start at Dodger Stadium
LOS ANGELES — Clayton Kershaw pitched the final regular-season home game of his 18-year career with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, welcomed and sent off with standing ovations a day after announcing his decision to retire at season’s end. Kershaw’s longtime warmup song, “We Are Young” by Fun, blared...
Clayton Kershaw to retire, will make final regular-season start at Dodger Stadium on Friday
LOS ANGELES — Three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw will retire at the end of this season, the Los Angeles Dodgers announced Thursday. The 37-year-old left-hander who got his 3,000th strikeout in July will make his final regular-season start at Dodger Stadium on Friday night against the San Francisco...
Cal Raleigh breaks Mantle’s switch-hitter record, ties Griffey’s Mariners record with 55th and 56th HRsVideo
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Cal Raleigh broke Mickey Mantle’s record for homers by a switch-hitter and tied the Mariners record set by Ken Griffey Jr. when the Seattle star hit his 55th and 56th of the season in consecutive at-bats against the Royals on Tuesday night. Raleigh doubled in his...
Trump draws cheers, boos at 9/11 Yankees game
NEW YORK — President Donald Trump attended the New York Yankees game Thursday night, drawing a mixed reaction while marking the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, after honoring the memories of the victims at the Pentagon earlier in the day. Authorities installed security glass outside an upper level...
Aaron Judge hits 359th career homer, passing Hall of Famer Yogi Berra for 5th in Yankees history
NEW YORK — Yankees captain Aaron Judge hit his 359th career home run in the first inning Tuesday night against the Detroit Tigers, breaking a tie with Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra for fifth place on the franchise list. Judge drove a full-count splitter from Casey Mize to right-center...
Rays’ Wander Franco detained, admitted into clinic for mental health issuesVideo
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — Suspended Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, who was found guilty earlier this year of sexually abusing a minor, was detained by police on Tuesday and admitted into a clinic in the Dominican Republic for mental health issues, according to authorities. The request to have...
First Call: Seahawks injury news; Giants sticking with Russell Wilson; Tyler Glasnow exits during no-hitter
Tuesday’s “First Call” has injury news for the Seattle Seahawks as they get ready to arrive at Acrisure Stadium for Sunday’s game against the Steelers. We check in on Russell Wilson’s status in New York, and we update the health of a former Steeler who was injured for Miami. Plus,...
Phillies sign right-hander Walker Buehler to bolster pitching staff
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Phillies signed veteran right-hander Walker Buehler on Sunday in a bid to bolster their pitching staff for a long playoff run. The 31-year-old Buehler, a two-time NL All-Star who helped the Los Angeles Dodgers to World Series titles in 2020 and 2024, was released by Boston...
Rangers’ Corey Seager has appendectomy after abdominal pain during last game
Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager had an appendectomy Thursday after experiencing abdominal pain during a game the previous night The surgery was done in Texas after the team had traveled to California for the start of a series against the Athletics on Friday night. Chris Young, the team’s president of...
Guardians opted to release Carlos Santana as `joint decision'” with 39-year-old first baseman
CLEVELAND — The release of Cleveland Guardians first baseman Carlos Santana was a “joint decision between him and us,” according to team president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti. The 39-year-old cleared waivers Thursday and was subsequently removed from the roster, giving Santana an opportunity to sign with another team before...
Bookmaker linked to baseball star Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter sentenced to just over a year
SANTA ANA, Calif. — A Southern California bookmaker who took thousands of sports bets from the former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani was sentenced Friday to just over a year in prison. Mathew Bowyer, 50, pleaded guilty last year to running an illegal gambling business, money laundering and filing...
Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber hits 4 homers in game against Braves
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber homered in four of his first five at-bats Thursday night against Atlanta, pushing his season total to 49. Schwarber is the fourth Phillies player to hit four homers in a game and the first since Mike Schmidt against the Chicago Cubs in April...
