They surfaced during MLB All-Star Game Milwaukee Brewers reliever pitched in; he later said he posted the tweets when he was “young, immature and stupid”
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MLB star Josh Hader apologizes for racist, homophobic tweets
They surfaced during MLB All-Star Game Milwaukee Brewers reliever pitched in; he later said he posted the tweets when he was “young, immature and stupid”
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MLB star Josh Hader apologizes for racist, homophobic tweets
They surfaced during MLB All-Star Game Milwaukee Brewers reliever pitched in; he later said he posted the tweets when he was “young, immature and stupid”
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MLB star Josh Hader apologizes for racist, homophobic tweets
WASHINGTON (CBS SPORTS) — Trade buzz surrounding Orioles infielder Manny Machado is at an all-time high right now, and according to multiple reports he’s likely to be dealt before play resumes coming out of the All-Star break. Indeed, Baltimore may already have a deal in place with the Dodgers: Can report with more certainty: Machado to #Dodgers happening. Among remaining questions, in addition to specifics of return beyond OF Yusniel Diaz: How much money, if any, #Orioles will send #Dodgers to secure a better package and help ease LAD’s luxury-tax concerns. — Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 18, 2018 It’s also worth noting that CBS Sports HQ baseball insider Jim Bowden reported that Machado is not expected to be a member of the O’s once their season resumes after the All-Star break and that he’ll be dealt to a National League team. Bear in mind that the Orioles have a somewhat complicated recent history when it comes to signing off on players’ medicals, so some hurdles may remain. As for those tax concerns that Rosenthal notes, the Dodgers conducted their entire offseason with the goal of resetting their competitive balance tax status and thus not paying those penalties. Given that Machado is owed the balance of a $16 million salary for 2018 and given that the Dodgers are right up against the tax threshold, they’ll need some cash from Baltimore or to send a pricey contract the other way. That, in turn, means the Orioles can ask for more on the prospect front. Machado makes sense given that the Dodgers lost franchise shortstop Corey Seager to Tommy John surgery, and that in tandem with the lack of production at second base has left them thin in the infield. Adding Machado and installing him at short would allow the Dodgers to shift Chris Taylor from short to second base and thus plug that hole. As for Machado’s merits, he’s in the midst of a career year. At the break, he’s batting .315/.387/.575 (164 OPS+) with 24 home runs in 96 games. He’s also returned to his original position of shortstop this season. While returns are mixed on his fielding at that premium spot, he has proved capable of manning it on a daily basis (notable given his past knee injuries). Machado is also a pending free agent, and by all accounts he’s determined to test the market. Given that the Dodgers have Seager and Justin Turner installed at short and third, respectively, they can sensibly take Machado on as a temporary fix. Rosenthal spoke to Machado about the rumors during Tuesday night’s All-Star Game at Nationals Park. Here’s what he said on what may be his last day as an Oriole: “I just try not to think about it, to be honest. I try to enjoy this moment with the American League guys and just enjoy this with these guys that I’ve played with for a long time. “It’s been a tremendous honor to wear this uniform. They gave me an opportunity to come up and play in the big leagues — that’s everyone’s dream. They gave me that. They gave me the opportunity to play shortstop again. The organization has done everything, so if this is the last time, hopefully I treated them well and did everything I could for this organization. “I’m just trying to enjoy this off day tomorrow. I mean, I don’t know if I’m going to get a call or not, but I’m just trying to enjoy this last off day. As of now, I haven’t heard of anything.” The SportsLine Projection Model was already high on the Dodgers for the rest of the season and has them as the leader in World Series probability in the National League. The forecast gives the Dodgers a bit of a boost, going from 94.1 wins without Machado to 94.6 with the addition of the Orioles infielder. Postseason odds go from 94.7 to 96.5 percent. As far as winning the World Series? Machado would raise the Dodgers’ chances from 23.7 to 24 percent. No, that’s not a huge difference, which reflects two facts: we’re well past the midpoint of the season, and SportsLine was already quite bullish on the Dodgers moving forward. — Dayn Perry, CBS Sports Writer
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Machado Expected To Go To Dodgers For Yusniel Diaz Package
Ryan Mayer The St. Louis Cardinals missed the playoffs just four times between 2000 and 2015, while making the World Series four times and winning twice. The franchise was seen as one of the gold standards in the league and had seemingly undergone a successful transition at manager from Tony LaRussa to Mike Matheny. Well, the last two and a half years haven’t been as kind to the Cardinals, and on Saturday it cost Matheny his job. St. Louis, 48-46, have missed the playoffs each of the last two seasons and enter the All-Star break seven-and-a-half games back of the Cubs in the division race and four games back in the battle for the Wild Card. The franchise hasn’t missed the playoffs in three consecutive seasons since 1997-1999 and clearly, executives thought a change was needed in order to avoid that fate. In addition to the team’s performance on the field, there were incidents off the field, like the situation between closer Bud Norris and reliever Jordan Hicks , that seemed to factor into the decision. Either way, over the course of his six-and-a-half seasons at the helm of the squad, Matheny went 592-474 with a World Series appearance back in 2013, when the Cards lost to the Red Sox in six games. While the Cardinals are looking for a new manager, the New York Mets could be looking for a new ace if they don’t negotiate a new contract with Jacob deGrom. Reports this week indicated that deGrom’s agent had told the team that the 30-year-old righty is interested in locking into a long-term deal to stay in the Big Apple. But, that came with a caveat. deGrom’s agent, Brodie van Wagenen of CAA, told reporters that if the Mets do not share that same interest in a long-term contract, the team should immediately begin looking for a trade. That’s not quite an outright trade request from deGrom, but it’s as close as one can get. In fairness to deGrom, he is certainly out-performing his contract, as through 123 innings pitched this season he’s allowed just 23 earned runs, good for a minuscule 1.68 ERA. He becomes arbitration-eligible after this season, but the team still has two years of control through the arbitration process before he could become a free agent in 2021. For more on these stories and the rest of the week in baseball, check out the video above.
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The Baseball Report: Matheny’s Out, deGrom’s Agent Sends Mets A Message
WASHINGTON (AP) — The ball cleared the center field wall, and the sellout crowd roared. Bryce Harper threw his bat in the air, thrust both index fingers skyward and yelled with delight as a shower of streamers rained upon the crowd of 43,698. It could have been a scene from a playoff game. That it was merely the All-Star Home Run Derby mattered not to Harper or the Washington Nationals fans, who were thrilled to see their hometown hero deliver the night’s final longball Monday. In the midst of it all — and in the middle of trying season — Harper grabbed the microphone and said: “This crowd: Wow! Washington Nationals, baby!” With an exceptional display of power and clutch hitting, Harper rallied in the final round, connecting on pitches from his father to beat Kyle Schwarber of the Chicago Cubs 19-18. Harper hit the contest-winning blast in extra time, the reward for hitting two homers at least 440 feet during the 4 minutes of regulation. After he connected with the game winner, the Nationals star immediately went into celebration mode. “We have some of the best fans in all of baseball, and to be able to that with my family out there, that’s an incredible moment, not only for me but for the organization and the Nationals fans,” Harper said. Harper’s teammate, Max Scherzer, the NL starter on Tuesday night, also appreciated the moment. “It’s awesome. Hometown,” Scherzer said. “The crowd is behind him. He found some rhythm, kept it simple and just continued to hit home run after home run.” Wearing a headband that resembled the District of Columbia flag and displaying a right sleeve with stars and stripes, Harper trailed 18-9 with 1:20 left before rallying. He homered on nine of his last 10 swings before entering extra time. The six-time All-Star arranged to have his dad, Ron, pitch to him in the annual contest on the eve of the All-Star Game. That made the victory even sweeter. “I’m only as good as my BP guy,” Harper said with a grin. Hours before the session, Harper spoke excitedly about having his dad pitch to him in the contest. The 25-year-old said his father “worked his tail off every single day to provide for me and my family” and “now being able to have him throw to me in a big league ballpark is the cherry on top.” Afterward, Ron Harper said of his son: “He did great. So I’m really proud of him. He’s a great kid. You couldn’t ask for anything better.” It’s been a tough year for Harper, who’s hitting only .214 for the disappointing Nationals. He won a contest that many sluggers avoid, fearful it might wear them out and throw them off. He can only hope this helps him get back into the swing. The 2015 NL MVP beat Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves and Max Muncy of the Dodgers before trumping the fifth-seeded Schwarber, who put the pressure on with a solid outing before Harper stepped to the plate. “As soon as I got done with that round I told myself that (Harper) had it,” Schwarber said. “I knew that he had the home crowd behind him.” Harper, who has 23 home runs this season, advanced to the final with an astonishing spree of longball hitting. He trailed Max Muncy of the Dodgers 12-4 with 2:20 left, then peeled off six homers in 47 seconds before calling a timeout. Harper returned to hit three more home runs in 22 seconds, the last of them inside the right-field foul pole. The semifinal matchup between Schwarber and Philadelphia’s Rhys Hoskins went down to the final swing. After stunning top-seed Jesus Aguilar of Milwaukee in the opening round, the eighth-seeded Hoskins ripped 20 long balls to put the pressure on Schwarber. Using a late surge, Schwarber pulled one ball after another over the right field wall to squeeze out a 21-20 victory — by far the highest-scoring matchup of the night. The fans dutifully cheered most home runs during the first round, but they saved their loudest cheers for Harper, the last player to step to the plate. After Freeman hit 12 home runs over the 4-minute span, Harper unleashed six shots of at least 440 feet and secured the victory with a drive to center long before the clock expired. As the ball cleared the wall, the left-handed hitting Harper walked out of the batter’s box and thrust both arms in the air. Milwaukee’s Aguilar, the NL home run leader at the break, was eliminated in the opening round by Hoskins 17-12. Aguilar hit too many balls to straightaway center, where the wall stands over 400 feet from the plate. Hoskins pumped most of his drives into the left-field seats, where it’s 336 feet down the line. The most thrilling first-round match featured a near buzzer-beater by Houston’s Alex Bregman, who fell to Schwarber 16-15. The difference was the pair of homers that Schwarber hit during 30 seconds of extra time. Bregman — the lone AL representative — appeared defeated with a minute left, but he mounted a late surge and lost when his final swing produced a drive that landed at the base of the center-field wall. Muncy advanced by defeating No. 6 seed Javier Baez of the Cubs, 16-15. Baez hit the longest shot of the Derby, a 479-footer. (© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Hometown Hero Harper Wins Thrilling HR Derby Over Schwarber
WASHINGTON (AP) — Bryce Harper thrilled the home crowd and surely made his father proud, winning the All-Star Home Run Derby on Monday night with an exceptional display of power that carried him past Kyle Schwarber of the Chicago Cubs 19-18. Harper hit the contest-winning blast in extra time, the reward for hitting two homers at least 440 feet during the 4 minutes of regulation. After he connected with the game winner, the Washington Nationals slugger threw his bat in the air and pointed both index fingers toward the sky as a shower of streamers rained upon the crowd of 43,698. The six-time All-Star arranged to have his dad, Ron, pitch to him in the annual contest on the eve of the All-Star Game. Harper responded with a performance that drew the loudest cheers of the night at Nationals Park. Bryce Harper celebrates after winning the T-Mobile Home Run Derby. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) It’s been a trying season for Harper, who’s hitting only .214 for the disappointing Nationals. He won a contest that many sluggers avoid, fearful it might wear them out and throw them off. Harper can only hope this helps him get back into the swing. The 2015 NL MVP beat Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves and Max Muncy of the Dodgers before trumping the fifth-seeded Schwarber, who put the pressure on with a solid outing before Harper stepped to the plate. Wearing a headband that resembled the District of Columbia flag and displaying a right sleeve with stars and stripes, Harper trailed 18-9 with 1:20 left before rallying. He homered on nine of his last 10 swings before entering extra time. Hours before the session, Harper spoke excitedly about having his dad pitch to him in the contest. The 25-year-old said his father “worked his tail off every single day to provide for me and my family” and “now being able to have him throw to me in a big league ballpark is the cherry on top.” Harper advanced to the final with an astonishing spree of long-ball hitting. He trailed Max Muncy of the Dodgers 12-4 with 2:20 left, then peeled off six homers in 47 seconds before calling a timeout. Harper returned to hit three more home runs in 22 seconds, the last of them inside the right-field foul pole. The semifinal matchup between Schwarber and Philadelphia’s Rhys Hoskins was a thriller. After stunning top-seed Jesus Aguilar of Milwaukee in the opening round, the eighth-seeded Hoskins ripped 20 long balls to put the pressure on Schwarber. Using a late surge, Schwarber pulled one ball after another over the right field wall to squeeze out a 21-20 victory — by far the highest-scoring matchup of the night. The fans dutifully cheered most home runs during the first round, but they saved their loudest cheers for Harper, the last player to step to the plate. After Freeman hit 12 home runs over the 4-minute span, Harper unleashed six shots of at least 440 feet and secured the victory with a drive to center long before the clock expired. As the ball cleared the wall, the left-handed hitting Harper walked out of the batter’s box and thrust both arms in the air. Freeman was the oldest player in the field at 28, and the first Braves participant since Andruw Jones in 2005. Milwaukee’s Aguilar, the NL home run leader at the break, was eliminated in the opening round by Hoskins 17-12. Aguilar hit too many balls to straightaway center, where the wall stands over 400 feet from the plate. Hoskins pumped most of his drives into the left-field seats, where it’s 336 feet down the line. The most thrilling first-round match featured a near buzzer-beater by Houston’s Alex Bregman, who fell to Schwarber 16-15. The difference was the pair of homers that Schwarber hit during 30 seconds of extra time, the reward for hitting two long balls of at least 440 feet. Bregman — the lone AL representative — appeared defeated with a minute left, but he mounted a late surge and lost when his final swing produced a drive that landed at the base of the center-field wall. Muncy advanced by defeating No. 6 seed Javier Baez of the Cubs, 16-15. Baez hit the longest shot of the Derby, a 479-footer. (© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Hometown Hero Bryce Harper Wins HR Derby Over Cubs’ Schwarber
WASHINGTON (CBS Sports) — Mets ace Jacob deGrom has obviously been a bright spot in an otherwise dismal 2018 for the Queenslanders. Despite the Mets’ being on pace for 95 losses and a last-place finish (yes, they’re behind the Marlins in the standings) deGrom has positioned himself as an NL Cy Young contender. In his age-30 season, the All-Star deGrom has pitched to an MLB -best 1.68 ERA with a 4.97 K/BB ratio after 19 starts. For his career, he owns a sparkling 140 ERA+ across parts of five big-league seasons. Yes, deGrom has had injury concerns in the past, but it’s all come together this season. His excellence in tandem with the Mets’ awfulness has led to speculation and even reportage that he’ll be traded prior to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. As well, deGrom isn’t eligible for free agency until after the 2020 season, which only adds to his appeal on the market. The Mets themselves have sent mixed signals on this matter, especially since GM Sandy Alderson took a leave of absence to focus on his health. As for deGrom and his representatives, they sound like they’d like the Mets to make a choice. Here are the relevant goods from The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal: CAA’s Brodie van Wagenen, agent for Jacob deGrom: “We have discussed Jacob’s future with the Mets at length. Jacob has expressed interest in exploring a long-term partnership that would keep him in a Mets uniform for years to come.” 1/2 — Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 16, 2018 More from Van Wagenen: “If the Mets don’t share same interest, we believe their best course of action is to seriously consider trade opportunities now. The inertia of current situation could complicate Jacob’s relationship with the club and creates an atmosphere of indecision.” — Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 16, 2018 During All-Star Game media day availability, the pitcher himself added a little clarification: Clearly a bit uncomfortable with all the questions about his future, deGrom continually deferred to the Mets, saying any decision is in their hands. “We've said multiple times that we're open to talk extensions. It's up to them what they want to do.” — Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) July 16, 2018 As a front-line contributor still in his pre-free agency years, deGrom’s been paid far less than he’s been worth to the Mets. DeGrom’s also older than most players of similar service time, so he’s likely open to signing away a free-agent year or two in exchange for financial security. The Mets, though, must decide if deGrom is going to be around and in something near peak form by the time they’re ready to contend again. If not, they should trade him for valuable prospects — especially since he’s their most valuable potential trade chip. That the Mets are faced with this choice isn’t exactly breaking news, but it’s notable when an agent and his client directly lay it out in those terms. While the Mets don’t matter in terms of the current standings, what path they take before July 31 will have major impact on the future of the organization. Perhaps there’s no bigger decision than how to handle deGrom’s future as a Met.
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Jacob DeGrom’s Agent To Mets: Sign Extension Or Trade Ace
NEW YORK (AP) — Daniel Murphy and Trea Turner each hit a two-run single in Washington’s five-run seventh inning, helping the Nationals beat the New York Mets 6-1 on Sunday. Matt Adams added two hits and scored a run as Washington salvaged a split of its four-game set against New York. A preseason favorite to win the NL East and contend for a World Series championship, the disappointing Nationals hit the All-Star break with a 48-48 record, good for third in the division. Washington Nationals’ Daniel Murphy and Kelvin Herrera celebrate a 6-1 win against the New York Mets during their game at Citi Field on July 15, 2018. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) Jeremy Hellickson (4-1) pitched six crisp innings in his second straight win. The veteran right-hander allowed one run and two hits, struck out six and walked two. Jose Reyes drove in Michael Conforto with a fielder’s choice in the second, tying it at 1, but Washington grabbed control in the seventh. Juan Soto and Anthony Rendon opened the inning with walks against Anthony Swarzak (0-2). Tim Peterson then came in and surrendered singles to Adams and Murphy, who came off the bench to hit for Michael A. Taylor. Jerry Blevins replaced Peterson with two out and runners on second and third. But he hit Wilmer Difo and Adam Eaton before Turner’s single gave Washington a 6-1 lead. (© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Murphy, Turner Push Nationals Past Mets
CLEVELAND (AP) — When he got back to the dugout, Austin Romine was greeted with smiling faces and laughter. “Why does everyone have fun watching a catcher round the bases?” he said. Romine chuckled, too. New York Yankees’ Austin Romine is congratulated by teammates in the dugout after scoring against the Cleveland Indians in the seventh inning at Progressive Field on July 14, 2018. (Photo by David Maxwell/Getty Images) New York’s backup catcher came all the way around and scored when Cleveland committed two errors on his routine double in the seventh inning, and the New York Yankees edged the Cleveland Indians 5-4 on Saturday night in a game that had several strange plays. “It was a bit of a wacky game,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone, who was ejected in the sixth. After the Indians tied it 4-all in the sixth when Jose Ramirez scored from second on an infield single, the Yankees went ahead off Mike Clevinger (7-5) on a play that brought Little League flashbacks back to everyone in the ballpark. Romine hit a shot in the gap that rolled to the base of the wall in right-center. But as he neared second, Indians right fielder Brandon Guyer bobbled the ball and Romine headed to third. But as he slid into the bag, second baseman Erik Gonzalez’s relay throw from the outfield skipped past Ramirez at third and headed toward Cleveland’s dugout. Clevinger did his best to corral the wayward throw on the track, but it had too much backspin, hopped out of play and Romine was awarded home. “It was unknown territory for me to head to third, and it turned out good,” Romine said, smiling. “Crazy hops like that happen when you’re playing hard. I don’t think I’ve ever had one of those. I’m too busy trying to hit real home runs. I don’t think I even had one back in Little League.” Clevinger said it was frustrating not to be able to get his hands on Gonzalez’s throw. “It’s like chasing butterflies,” Clevinger said. “Baseball’s weird.” Didi Gregorius hit a three-run homer and Greg Bird added a solo shot for the Yankees, who moved 30 games over. 500 and kept pace with the AL East-leading Boston Red Sox. Indians All-Star Ramirez belted his 29th homer, giving the third baseman as many homers as he had all last season — and tying Mickey Mantle’s record for the most by a switch-hitter before the break. David Robertson (7-3) struck out three, Dellin Bentances worked the eighth and Aroldis Chapman got his 26th save in 27 tries. There was nice moment in the ninth when Indians catcher Yan Gomes found out he was an All-Star as he stepped in to face Chapman. Although Gomes struck out, he’ll never forget the matchup. “That was kind of a weird at-bat,” he said. “It was like the happiest strikeout. I had the weirdest feeling walking back. It was kind of weird.” JOSE HUSTLE Ramirez’s hustle allowed the Indians to tie it sixth and chase CC Sabathia, who made his 527th career start. The left-hander was an out away from escaping a second-and-third situation when Guyer hit a chopper to third that Miguel Andjuar fielded on an awkward hop. As Michael Brantley raced home, Yankees first baseman Bird came off the bag to grab his throw. Meanwhile, Ramirez never slowed when he rounded and scored ahead of Bird’s throw with a head-first slide. “He’s done that a couple times now,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “The guy has been out at first so we haven’t scored, but that’s incredible. Guyer did a really good job of getting down the line, but Josey, that only works if you’re going right from the jump. And it’s just like, his baseball internal clock is amazing.” OUTTA HERE Boone missed all the action. He was ejected in the sixth inning following another interesting play. Giancarlo Stanton swung and missed a 0-2 pitch that appeared to glance off the slugger’s hand. Boone argued that it should have been a foul ball, and was tossed. By rule, a strike is called even when the ball hits a batter while swinging. “It looks like they got the call right after I watched it up here (in the clubhouse),” Boone said. “I thought it was a foul ball, so I didn’t think it was a good look, and I’m trying to influence things a little bit out there.” MOVING UP Sabathia tied Jerry Koosman and soon-to-be Hall of Famer Jack Morris for 36th place on the career starts list. UP NEXT Indians All-Star RHP Trevor Bauer (8-6, 2.23 ERA) takes on RHP Masahiro Tanaka (7-2, 4.68 ERA) in the series finale. Bauer has made seven straight quality starts with at least eight strikeouts and no home runs allowed, one shy of Pedro Martinez’s record set in 2002. Bauer will only pitch in Tuesday’s All-Star game if it goes to extra innings. (© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Indians Botch Romine’s Double As Yankees Win
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Max Muncy homered and drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, helping the Los Angeles Dodgers rally past the Angels 3-2 on Friday night in the resumption of the Freeway Series. The Angels took two out of three last week in Anaheim. Muncy, who will participate in next week’s Home Run Derby, singled to deep right-center off Cam Bedrosian (3-2), scoring pinch-hitter Logan Forsythe and Joc Pederson to put the Dodgers ahead 3-2. Muncy took second on right fielder Kole Calhoun’s throw that sailed over the head of catcher Jose Briceno. Bedrosian scrambled to the backstop, but he bobbled the ball and had no throw to the plate as Pederson scored. Caleb Ferguson (2-1) got the win with two perfect innings of relief. Scott Alexander induced a double play to end the ninth for his first save. The Angels got the potential tying run on in the ninth when pinch-hitter Shohei Ohtani doubled with one out. Briceno beat out the throw from shortstop to put runners on the corners. David Fletcher grounded into a game-ending double play to third base. First baseman Cody Bellinger barely tagged Fletcher before he got to the bag for the final out. Muncy’s 22nd home run in the first off starter Felix Pena gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. Calhoun tied the game with a homer leading off the third and put the Angels ahead 2-1 with another solo shot leading off the fifth. Mike Trout went 1 for 4 with two strikeouts for the Angels, who were without slugger Albert Pujols. He went on the disabled list earlier Friday. Pena gave up one run and three hits in four innings. He struck out five and walked three. Buehler came off the disabled list to make his first start since June 8. The rookie allowed two runs and six hits in five innings, struck out five and walked one. TRAINER’S ROOM Angels: Pujols (left knee inflammation) went on the 10-day DL after having an injection in his knee. He’s expected to miss six games. Dodgers: 3B Justin Turner (left hip) got treatment and was available to hit. He initially hurt it on a checked swing and it bothered him running Thursday at San Diego. … LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (left groin strain) threw a bullpen session and will have another one in a few days. … LHP Rich Hill threw a bullpen session and could be used in relief this weekend to stay sharp. He isn’t dealing with any injuries. … LHP Julio Urias (left shoulder surgery rehab) has clocked 92 mph while throwing to hitters and is progressing well. UP NEXT LHP Andrew Heaney (5-6, 3.84 ERA) starts for the Angels, having allowed three runs over seven innings in his last start against the Dodgers last weekend. LHP Alex Wood (5-5, 3.88) goes for the Dodgers after not factoring in the decision against their rivals last Sunday. (© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Muncy Homers, Singles In Go-Ahead Run; Dodgers Top Angels
CLEVELAND (AP) — Rookie right-hander Shane Bieber pitched into the eighth inning and Cleveland’s shaky bullpen narrowly closed things out, lifting the Indians over the New York Yankees 6-5 on Friday night. Bieber (5-1) was removed after Tyler Wade’s leadoff double in the eighth and Cleveland leading 6-3. Brett Gardner’s RBI groundout cut the lead to two and set up a tense ninth inning. Cleveland Indians’ Shane Bieber pitches against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Progressive Field on July 13, 2018. (Photo by David Maxwell/Getty Images) Closer Cody Allen, who allowed a career-high six runs in the ninth inning against Cincinnati on Tuesday, gave up Giancarlo Stanton’s leadoff homer. Greg Bird followed with a single, but Allen got Miguel Andujar to bounce into a double play. Allen walked Neil Walker, but pinch-hitter Didi Gregorius popped up to shortstop Francisco Lindor in shallow left field. Allen recorded his 19th save in 20 chances. Jose Ramirez, the starting third baseman for the AL in the All-Star Game, drove in two runs with a groundout in the first and a triple in the fifth. Michael Brantley, also an All-Star, hit a two-run double in the second. The Indians broke a seven-game losing streak against the Yankees dating to last season’s AL Division Series when New York came back from a 2-0 deficit. The Yankees won the first four games between the teams this season. Yankees rookie Domingo German (2-5) allowed six runs — matching a season high — in four-plus innings. Bieber allowed four runs — three earned — in seven-plus innings. The right-hander was making his seventh major league start. Neil Ramirez replaced Perez in the eighth and hit Aaron Judge with a 1-2 pitch, but struck out Aaron Hicks. Judge ran on the pitch and was called safe at second, but the call was overturned after a review. Bieber has a 3.74 ERA in seven starts with Cleveland after beginning the season at Double-A Akron. Ramirez’s groundout scored a run in the first and Cleveland added three in the second. Yan Gomes doubled in a run before Brantley added a two-run double. New York got back in the game in the fifth on Walker’s RBI double and Gardner’s sacrifice fly, with a wild pitch scoring another run. Ramirez’s RBI triple and Yonder Alonso’s run-scoring single in the bottom of the inning pushed the lead to 6-3. TRAINER’S ROOM Yankees: C Gary Sanchez (strained right groin) ran the bases Friday and could begin a minor league rehab assignment Sunday at Triple-A Scranton. He’s been out since June 25. Indians: LHP Andrew Miller (right knee inflammation) will throw to hitters Saturday at Double-A Akron and will likely begin a rehab assignment next week. He’s been on the disabled list since May 26. UP NEXT Yankees LHP CC Sabathia (6-4, 3.34 ERA) will make his 527th career start Saturday, tying him with Jerry Koosman and Jack Morris for 36th on the career list. RHP Mike Clevinger (7-4, 3.34) allowed two runs in 7 1/3 innings at Yankee Stadium on May 6 in a no-decision. (© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Bieber, Indians Hang On To Beat Yankees
NEW YORK (AP) — Noah Syndergaard pitched out of trouble in a rusty return from the disabled list and helped himself with an RBI single as the New York Mets beat the Washington Nationals 4-2 on Friday night. Amed Rosario tripled and doubled, both times over Bryce Harper’s head in center field, and the Mets won for only the sixth time in their last 26 home games. Brandon Nimmo had three hits for New York, which built a three-run cushion in the first inning against struggling starter Tanner Roark. New York Mets’ Noah Syndergaard pitches in the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field on July 13, 2018. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) Matt Adams homered for the inconsistent Nationals, who fell back to .500 at 47-47. They have lost just three of 13 games at Citi Field since the start of last season. After missing seven weeks with a strained ligament in his right index finger, Syndergaard (5-1) came out firing 99 mph fastballs. But he gave up seven hits in five innings and never retired the leadoff hitter. Still, the 2016 All-Star held the Nationals to one run while striking out three and walking two. Wilmer Difo made things easier by running into the first out of the third inning at third base, and Syndergaard retired Anthony Rendon and struck out Harper with two on to limit the damage. Difo had doubled to drive in Roark, who opened the inning with the first triple by a Washington pitcher since Joel Hanrahan in 2007. Syndergaard also got Harper to ground into an inning-ending double play with two runners aboard in the fifth. The right-hander was pulled after 75 pitches. Seth Lugo overcame a wild start to his relief outing and worked two hitless innings. Robert Gsellman gave up Adams’ upper-deck shot in the eighth but got six outs for his fourth save. Roark (3-12) became the first 12-game loser in the majors this season. He allowed four runs and eight hits in five innings. The right-hander has lost his last five starts and six decisions since his most recent win June 6 against Tampa Bay. Washington has dropped his past seven starts and nine of his last 10. Jose Bautista and Devin Mesoraco each had an RBI single in the first, sandwiched around Wilmer Flores’ sacrifice fly. Rosario tripled off the center-field wall to open the second and scored when a smiling Syndergaard lined a single to right field. TRAINER’S ROOM Nationals: SS Trea Turner was rested in favor of Difo as Washington started seven left-handed hitters against Syndergaard. Turner flied out as a pinch hitter leading off the ninth. … RHP Koda Glover is scheduled to pitch Saturday for Class A Potomac after his rehab assignment was moved up from the rookie-level Gulf Coast League. The reliever has been sidelined all season by right shoulder tendinitis and will probably require eight or nine appearances before he’s ready to come off the disabled list, manager Dave Martinez said. Mets: OF Yoenis Cespedes (right hip flexor) ran the bases at the team’s complex in Florida and was scheduled to do so again Friday, according to manager Mickey Callaway. “He came out of it really good. He feels good and is progressing,” Callaway said. “He’s going to run the bases again today and then we’re hoping that, kind of move on to the next step after that.” Cespedes has been out since mid-May. … LHP Jason Vargas (strained right calf) is set to make another rehab start for Class A Brooklyn on Saturday. ROSTER MOVE To open a spot for Syndergaard, the Mets optioned LHP P.J. Conlon to Triple-A Las Vegas. UP NEXT Nationals RHP Austin Voth makes his major league debut against Zack Wheeler (2-6, 4.42 ERA) and the Mets on Saturday. The 26-year-old Voth, a fifth-round draft pick in 2013 out of Washington, was 4-5 with a 3.55 ERA at Triple-A Syracuse. Wheeler, pitching in some poor luck, is 0-5 over 13 outings since his last win April 29 at San Diego. That’s the longest stretch without a win for a Mets starter since 1998. The right-hander is 2-8 in 11 career starts against Washington, including 0-6 with a 5.71 ERA in six games at home. (© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Syndergaard Returns From DL, Gets Win Over Nationals
Milwaukee Brewers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Friday, July 13, 2018, 7:05 pm ET MILWAUKEE -109 My projections see the Brewers toppling the Pirates in more than 60 percent of simulations for their Friday showdown. We’re getting value on Milwaukee at essentially a pick’em price. The Brewers have won the last four games started by Jujnior Guerra, and are 5-2 when he takes the mound against losng teams. The Pirates are 1-5 in the last six outings by Nick KIngham. SportsLine Expert: Stephen Oh (108-72 in last 180 MLB picks) Fernando Rodney (Photo Credit: Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) Tampa Bay Rays vs. Minnesota Twins Friday, July 13, 2018, 8:10 pm ET MINNESOTA +105 My data sees the Twins beating the Rays more than 60 percent of the time in their Friday showdown, giving us a must-play on the slight home underdog. Minnesota is currently on a 7-1 run in home games, and have won five of six against right-handed starters. The Rays are just 1-4 in the past five road starts by Nathan Eovaldi. SportsLine Expert: Stephen Oh (108-72 in last 180 MLB picks) Chicago Cubs vs. San Diego Padres Friday, July 13, 2018, 10:10 pm ET CHICAGO CUBS -130 Let’s keep rolling with a play on the Cubs Friday night, or more precisely, a play against Clayton Richard. He’s walked nine and fanned four over his last two starts. The Cubs rank ninth in OPS (.752) versus southpaws and are 10-2 in their last 12 facing lefty starters. Lay the reasonable price. SportsLine Expert: Larry Hartstein (71-54 in last 125 MLB ML picks) > > MORE: See all MLB picks Buster Posey (Photo Credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) Oakland Athletics vs. San Francisco Giants Friday, July 13, 2018, 10:15 pm ET OVER 7.5 My projections see the Athletics and Giants plating about nine runs Friday, which would send us Over the posted total of 7.5 with room to spare. Oakland has played 5-1 to the Over in its past six road games against left-handed starters, while San Francisco has played Over in four of its past five interleague games. What’s more, the Over is on a 9-1-1 Over spurt in this series. SportsLine Expert: Stephen Oh (108-72 in last 180 MLB picks)
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SportsLine’s Top Weekend Picks: Baseball Heads Into All-Star Break
Milwaukee Brewers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Friday, July 13, 2018, 7:05 pm ET MILWAUKEE -109 My projections see the Brewers toppling the Pirates in more than 60 percent of simulations for their Friday showdown. We’re getting value on Milwaukee at essentially a pick’em price. The Brewers have won the last four games started by Jujnior Guerra, and are 5-2 when he takes the mound against losng teams. The Pirates are 1-5 in the last six outings by Nick KIngham. SportsLine Expert: Stephen Oh (108-72 in last 180 MLB picks) Fernando Rodney (Photo Credit: Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) Tampa Bay Rays vs. Minnesota Twins Friday, July 13, 2018, 8:10 pm ET MINNESOTA +105 My data sees the Twins beating the Rays more than 60 percent of the time in their Friday showdown, giving us a must-play on the slight home underdog. Minnesota is currently on a 7-1 run in home games, and have won five of six against right-handed starters. The Rays are just 1-4 in the past five road starts by Nathan Eovaldi. SportsLine Expert: Stephen Oh (108-72 in last 180 MLB picks) Chicago Cubs vs. San Diego Padres Friday, July 13, 2018, 10:10 pm ET CHICAGO CUBS -130 Let’s keep rolling with a play on the Cubs Friday night, or more precisely, a play against Clayton Richard. He’s walked nine and fanned four over his last two starts. The Cubs rank ninth in OPS (.752) versus southpaws and are 10-2 in their last 12 facing lefty starters. Lay the reasonable price. SportsLine Expert: Larry Hartstein (71-54 in last 125 MLB ML picks) > > MORE: See all MLB picks Buster Posey (Photo Credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) Oakland Athletics vs. San Francisco Giants Friday, July 13, 2018, 10:15 pm ET OVER 7.5 My projections see the Athletics and Giants plating about nine runs Friday, which would send us Over the posted total of 7.5 with room to spare. Oakland has played 5-1 to the Over in its past six road games against left-handed starters, while San Francisco has played Over in four of its past five interleague games. What’s more, the Over is on a 9-1-1 Over spurt in this series. SportsLine Expert: Stephen Oh (108-72 in last 180 MLB picks)
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SportsLine’s Top Weekend Picks: Baseball Heads Into All-Star Break
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Albert Pujols hit two home runs to tie Ken Griffey Jr. for sixth place on the career list with 630, and the Los Angeles Angels rolled to an 11-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night. Tyler Skaggs pitched six strong innings for the Angels in his return from the disabled list. Pujols hit a two-run shot in the first and a solo drive in the sixth. He also had three hits to pass ex-Angel Rod Carew and move into a tie for 25th all-time with Rickey Henderson at 3,055. It was the 50th multihomer game for Pujols, who went back-to-back with Justin Upton in the sixth. David Fletcher also homered in the first off Mariners starter James Paxton, who left the game with lower back stiffness after Pujols connected. Paxton (8-4) gave up three runs and three hits in two-thirds of an inning, throwing just 17 pitches in his final start of the first half. Skaggs (7-5), who missed nine games with a hamstring strain, gave up one run on five hits with five strikeouts and a walk. The left-hander has allowed one earned or less in six consecutive outings, the longest such streak from an Angels starter since George Brunet in 1968. Fletcher hit the first home run of his career and gave the Angels their third leadoff home run this season. Ian Kinsler had the other two. Upton’s home run was his 18th and gave the Angels a commanding 8-1 lead in the sixth. The Angels took two of three from Seattle and have won three of their past four series. The one they lost was last weekend in Seattle. The Angels had lost five of their last six against the Mariners before the series began. The Mariners grabbed a 1-0 lead on Kyle Seager’s RBI single in the first inning, but it was all Angels after that. After Fletcher’s homer, Pujols’ two-run shot gave the Angels a 3-1 advantage. Kole Calhoun made it 4-1 in the second on a sacrifice fly, and the Angels increased their lead to 5-1 in the fifth on an RBI single from Kinsler. Mike Trout scored three runs and stole a base, making him the second player all-time, along with Joe Morgan in 1974, to compile 100 hits, 80 walks and 15 steals before the All-Star break. Mariners infielder Andrew Romine entered as a pitcher in the eighth to face his former team and the right-hander retired Trout (fly ball) and Pujols (grounder) before giving up a two-run single to Kinsler, who had three hits. TRAINER’S ROOM Mariners: LHP Marco Gonzales (bruised left calf) was getting treatment after he was hit by a comebacker Wednesday, and manager Scott Servais said the 10-game winner will be pushed to the back half of the rotation after next week’s All-Star break. … RHP Felix Hernandez (lower back stiffness) will come off the disabled list next week and pitch at the front of the rotation when the second half of the season begins. Angels: RHP Garrett Richards has elected Tommy John surgery over a conservative treatment option for his damaged ulnar collateral ligament and will miss the remainder of the season. … OF Chris Young (left hamstring strain) was given a platelet rich plasma (PRP) injection but has not started baseball activity after he was placed on the 10-day disabled list July 4. UP NEXT Mariners: RHP Christian Bergman, who threw seven scoreless innings May 16 in his only major league appearance this season, will be recalled Friday to start the series opener at Colorado. Angels: One week after recording a career-best eight strikeouts against the Dodgers at home, right-hander Felix Pena (1-0, 3.63 ERA) will get another crack at them Friday in Los Angeles. (© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Pujols Hits 630th HR, Ties Griffey For 6th; Angels Rout M’s