Baseball

KANSAS CITY -- Alex Cora gave Chris Sale an ultimatum. Boston’s supervisor walked to the mound with the intention to take out Sale with two outs within the fifth inning. Sale disagreed, so Cora gave the veteran lefty a possibility to complete his outing, however with one clear message: “Throw strikes.” Sale responded together with his second-fastest pitch of the day earlier than ramping up the radar gun much more with a Sunday-best 96.8 mph fastball. The heater was 1.5 mph sooner than every other pitch he threw, and he bought out of the inning with a slider to assist the Red Sox earn a 7-3 series-clinching win over the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Sale’s common velocity was down two to a few mph on all three pitches throughout an almost 100 diploma day in Kansas City, however he gave all of...

ST. LOUIS -- Andrew McCutchen swung at a low fastball from Zack Thompson and caught it on the barrel of his bat. It got here off sizzling, at 103.6 mph, and headed to a spot that tends to result in automated doubles for right-handed hitters: the right-field nook. McCutchen put his head down and motored towards the first-base bag, rounded it aggressively then lifted his head and obtained dangerous information. Jordan Walker was retrieving it and making ready to fireside it to second base. McCutchen would have been a straightforward out. The veteran threw up his fingers as if to ask, “What do I have to do to get a double there?” Too typically this season, it has been the Cardinals and their followers throwing up their fingers when watching Walker play proper discipline, however throughout th...

PHOENIX -- While sitting within the first-base dugout at Chase Field on Friday night -- previous to the opener of the sequence between the Orioles and D-backs -- Baltimore supervisor Brandon Hyde was requested concerning the similarities between his membership and Arizona. There are fairly just a few, starting with the truth that each might finish postseason droughts this yr. The O’s haven’t reached the playoffs since 2016, whereas the D-backs haven’t been since ‘17. “A young team over there also, but with some good veteran guys surrounded around some really young, athletic players, some high-upside guys that don’t have a ton of time in the big leagues,” Hyde mentioned of Arizona. “It’s going to be a fun team to watch going forward.” So are the Orioles, as they continued their sturdy push ...

OAKLAND -- Whenever Shohei Ohtani attracts a free go, it is not unusual to listen to boos rain down on the sphere. Not directed towards him, however slightly on the opposing pitcher, for not difficult the Angels' two-way celebrity with one thing price taking a swing at. But Ohtani may be simply as harmful on the basepaths. After swiping his twentieth bag of 2023 within the fifth inning of Sunday's 10-6 loss, Ohtani accomplished the thirty fourth 40-20 season in AL/NL historical past. The Angels' celebrity is barely the eighth participant to boast a number of 40-20 seasons, becoming a member of Alex Rodriguez (4), Barry Bonds (three), Jose Canseco (three), Shawn Green (two), Ken Griffey Jr. (two), Jeff Bagwell (two) and Hank Aaron (two). In his MVP Award-winning 2021 season, Ohtani hit 46 h...

The 19-year-old center infielder, MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 prospect, is predicted to be promoted to Triple-A Norfolk this coming week, a supply confirmed to MLB.com. Holliday has performed at three Minor League ranges in 2023 and has torn all of them up. He has hit .338 with three house runs and 9 doubles in 36 video games with Double-A Bowie. On the season, Holliday owns a .333/.451/.517 slash line in 107 video games throughout Single-A, High-A and Double-A. Holliday, the No. 1 general Draft choose in 2022, is the gem of a loaded Orioles system that got here in first in MLB Pipeline’s midseason group re-rank. The O’s at the moment have six Top 100 prospects; 5 of whom are within the high 50. Norfolk is already Baltimore’s most gifted affiliate, with 5 of the Orioles’ high seven prospects -- n...

The All-MLB Team, created in 2019, has supplied the solutions to an oft-asked query following each season: Who have been one of the best gamers at every place this 12 months? The All-MLB Team is break up right into a First and Second Team, with every staff that includes one choice at catcher, first base, second base, shortstop, third base and DH, in addition to three outfielders (no matter particular outfield place), 5 beginning pitchers and two relievers. The groups are chosen by a voting course of by which 50% of the vote comes from followers and 50% comes from a panel of specialists. The nominees will probably be introduced in November, and the winners will probably be unveiled in December. Throughout the remainder of the common season, we will probably be breaking down the highest game...

It’s the primary full week of September, and which means loads of thrilling baseball is on faucet this week. With lower than a month till the top of the common season, playoff races are taking clearer form as contending groups start their postseason push. This week’s motion features a pair of sequence between American League division rivals -- one within the Central and one within the carefully contested West. Two different AL groups preventing to win their divisions will face off in a four-game set this weekend. On the National League facet, one of many NL’s high groups travels to face a Wild Card contender, whereas two different Wild Card hopefuls face one another in what needs to be an important sequence. Here are 5 sequence you received’t wish to miss this week. Astros at Rangers3 vide...

Sunday featured loads of motion across the Major Leagues -- and its primary impact was to create a logjam within the National League Wild Card race. At the tip of the weekend, the Giants, Marlins (who swept the Nationals in a four-game set) and D-backs all wound up tied for the third and closing NL Wild Card spot with similar 70-67 data. Right behind them -- zero video games again, technically, however with a fractionally decrease successful proportion -- are the Reds (71-68). And do not depend out the Padres, who took three of 4 from San Francisco to remain inside hanging distance. Reminder: As a part of the collective bargaining settlement made with the Players Association earlier than the 2022 season, Major League Baseball expanded the postseason subject from 10 to 12 groups. Both the A...

Monday is Labor Day, and that’s at all times an indication that baseball’s stretch run is in full swing. Just 4 weeks from in the present day, the 2023 common season will likely be full. The 12-team playoff subject -- which already is starting to take form -- will likely be settled. The postseason will get underway Tuesday, Oct. 3, with 4 Wild Card Series contests. Any October matchup has the potential to supply thrilling drama and indelible moments, however some actually stand out extra, not less than on paper. So we tasked seven MLB.com writers with drafting the juiciest doable AL or NL pairings, choosing from among the many checklist of golf equipment with cheap hopes of reaching the postseason. (In different phrases, no World Series matchups simply but.) To make issues a bit extra atte...

Adolis García hits walk-off dwelling run vs. Twins n","providerName":"Twitter","providerUrl":"https://twitter.com","type":"oembed","width":550,"contentType":"rich"},"__typename":"Markdown","content":"“You noticed the reduction at dwelling plate,” supervisor Bruce Bochy stated of García, who wasn't out there for remark after the sport. “You strike out four times -- that's a lot of pressure on you, especially when you're up there with two strikes. I'm sure the pressure was mounting, and he's not feeling good about his day at that point, but he got ahold of one. Good for him, good for us, and again, that's one of the biggest home runs we've had all year.”nn“We had a really good feeling that he was about to do something like that,...