Bรกez to Detroit, MLB teams race to finish biz before lockout
Javier Bรกez agreed to bring his high motor to the Motor City, while other teams around the majors raced to finish up business before Tuesdayโs deadline to tender contracts and a likely roster freeze coming when baseball's collective bargaining agreement expires Wednesday.
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Now in Chisox 'pen, Kopech makes debut after 2020 opt-out
TWINS 1, ORIOLES 0 (7 INNINGS)Minnesota ace Kenta Maeda allowed one hit in three innings, striking out four in his second start. Baltimore's Dean Kremer fared better in his second start, allowing a hit and a walk in three scoreless innings. Deivi Garcรญa pitched three shutout innings in his second start for the Yankees. Nick Pivetta made his second start for Boston, allowing a run on three hits with three strikeouts in three innings. Alex Wood worked two innings in the start for San Francisco and gave up a home run to Omar Narvaez.
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Happ beats Cubs in arbitration; teams finish with 5-4 record
Happ asked for a raise from $624,000 to $4.1 million during a Zoom session Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021, and the Cubs argued he should be paid $3.25 million. Teams finished with a 5-4 advantage in cases that went to a hearing, their second straight winning record after two consecutive years in which players had an advantage. A day after hearing arguments, arbitrators Frederic Horowitz, Steven Wolf and Jules Bloch decided in favor of Happ's figure rather than the team's $3.25 million. St. Louis pitcher Jack Flaherty ($3.9 million), Braves pitcher Mike Soroka ($2.8 million) and Rays first baseman Ji-Man Choi ($2.45 million) also won their cases. Teams beat Atlanta shortstop Dansby Swanson ($6 million), San Francisco infielder Donovan Solano ($3.25 million), Tampa Bay pitcher Ryan Yarbrough ($2.3 million), New York Mets third baseman/outfielder J.D.
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Braves beat shortstop Dansby Swanson in salary arbitration
Atlanta Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson, center, is unable to make the throw as Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts, left, breaks up the double play as Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) is shown during the fourth inning in Game 6 Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020, for the best-of-seven National League Championship Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)The Atlanta Braves beat Dansby Swanson in salary arbitration, and the shortstop will earn $6 million rather than his request for $6.7 million. The 27-year-old Swanson hit .274 with 10 homers and 35 RBIs last season in an NL-high 237 at-bats. Atlanta pitcher Mike Soroka ($2.8 million) won, as did St. Louis pitcher Jack Flaherty ($3.9 million) and Tampa Bay first baseman Ji-Man Choi ($2.45 million). Davis ($2.1 million) and Baltimore outfielder Anthony Santander ($2.1 million) lost.
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Mets' Davis, O's Santander lose arbitration, Rays' Choi wins
FILE - In this Aug. 29, 2020, file photo, New York Mets third baseman J.D. Davis and the Mets argued the first of 13 scheduled salary arbitration cases this month. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)NEW YORK โ The New York Mets defeated third baseman and outfielder J.D. Davis, the Baltimore Orioles beat outfielder Anthony Santander and first baseman Ji-Man Choi defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in the first three of 13 scheduled salary arbitration cases this month. Santander gets a raise from $572,500 to $2.1 million rather than his $2,475,000 request, the same figures exchanged by Davis and the Mets.
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Lindor, Bryant, Bellinger, Seager get big-money deals
Lindor, the star shortstop acquired last week by the New York Mets from Cleveland, got the largest of the deals at $22.3 million. Bellinger and Seager got big raises after helping the Los Angeles Dodgers win their first World Series title since 1988. He asked for a raise from $8 million to $12.5 million, and the Astros offered $9.75 million. Ace pitcher Walker Buehler asked for $4.15 million and was offered $3.3 million, and catcher Austin Barnes asked for $2 million and was offered $1.5 million. Also exchanging were New York Mets third baseman-outfielder J.D.
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Cashed Out: Rays manager roasted for pulling Snell in Game 6
Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Blake Snell leaves the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the sixth inning in Game 6 of the baseball World Series Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)ARLINGTON, Texas โ Blake Snell turned away from his manager and yelled an expletive as Kevin Cash headed to the mound. Iโm not going to ask any questions, but he was pitching a great game," Betts said. It was the Cy Young Snell that pitched tonight.โCount Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, himself a frequent target for criticism over pulling starters, among those happy to see Snell go. โMookie looked at me with a little smile, and we were all just excited that Snell was out of the game,โ Roberts said.
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Fitting finale: Dodgers win title, Turner tests positive
He wasn't on the field initially as the Dodgers enjoyed the spoils of a title earned during a most unusual season. The 35-year-old Turner has been a staple in the Dodgersโ lineup for seven of their eight consecutive NL West titles. Los Angeles had come up short in the World Series twice in the previous three years. The Rays had 16 Ks and the Dodgers 11, the most combined strikeouts in a nine-inning World Series game. โThis year has been crazy, but no matter what, weโll look back on this and weโre World Series champs.
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The Latest: Dodgers' Turner tests positive for coronavirus
Los Angeles Dodgers' Justin Turner flies out against the Tampa Bay Rays during the sixth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays a baseball World Series Game 6 Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)ARLINGTON, Texas โ The Latest on Game 6 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays (all times local):11:10 p.m.Justin Turner was removed from the Dodgersโ World Series-clinching victory after testing positive for the coronavirus. ___10:10 p.m.With postseason star Julio Urรญas on the mound, the Los Angeles Dodgers are clinging to a 2-1 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays heading into the eighth inning. โI donโt know if weโve got any Tampa Bay Rays fans here in Orlando,โ Obama said. The Globe Life Field roof will be closed for Game 6 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays.
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World Series notes: Kershaw could have title-clinching shot
(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)ARLINGTON, Texas โ Clayton Kershaw could take the mound Sunday night with a chance to close out the Los Angeles Dodgersโ first World Series title since 1988. Now the 6-foot-1, 260-pound Rays first baseman is doing full splits in the World Series. Choi is the first Korean-born position player to appear in a World Series game, which he called an honor while crediting the โspecial group of guyโ โ his teammates and them getting there together. Clayton felt the same way.โBetts is a four-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner who helped the Red Sox beat the Dodgers in the 2018 World Series. โJust understanding that if we do things the right way in spring training, weโll do those things all the way through the World Series.
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Buehler leads Dodgers over Rays 6-2 for 2-1 Series lead
(AP Photo/Eric Gay)ARLINGTON, Texas โ Walker Buehler pitched in the World Series like the Los Angeles Dodgers' aces of old. Buehler struck out 10 over six innings in a pulsating performance, and Los Angeles beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-2 on Friday night for a 2-1 World Series lead. He became just the second player to drive in runs with both a homer and a sacrifice bunt in the same Series game. Steely-eyed like Hershiser, who won MVP honors of the 1988 Series, Buehler has supplanted Kershaw as the Dodgersโ ace. He has allowed one run in 13 Series innings that include seven scoreless in Game 3 against Boston two years ago.
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The Latest: Ballpark roof closed for World Series Game 3
(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)ARLINGTON, Texas โ The Latest on Game 3 of the World Series (all times local):6:25 p.m. The roof is closed for Game 3 of the World Series after it cooled down significantly in Texas. An average of 10.42 runs have been scored in the postseason games in Arlington, including 21 total runs in the first two World Series games. The roof was closed for 24 of the 30 regular-season home games the Texas Rangers played in their new ballpark this year. An average of 8.21 runs per game were scored with the roof closed, down from 11.83 runs a game when open.
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The Latest: Dodgers pull within 6-4 on Seager homer in 8th
Tampa Bay is looking to even the Fall Classic after Los Angeles won 8-3 in the opener. He and Dylan Floro are the only Los Angeles pitchers who havenโt been charged with at least one run in Game 2. The Los Angeles Dodgers try to take a 2-0 World Series lead against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Los Angeles Dodgers have certainly settled into the new ballpark deep in the heart of Texas. Game 2 of the World Series will be the Dodgersโ 15th game at the $1.2 billion Globe Life Field.
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LEADING OFF: Rays, Braves try to clinch World Series trips
The Astros defeated the Rays 4-3 and the Rays lead the series 3-2 games. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)A look at what's happening around the majors today:GETTING CLOSEMarcell Ozuna, Freddie Freeman and the Braves will try to clinch Atlanta's first trip to the World Series since 1999. They take a 3-1 lead over the Dodgers into Game 5 of the NL Championship Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. GETTING TIGHTJi-Man Choi and the Rays will try for the third day in a row to reach the World Series. A pair of losses to Houston has narrowed Tampa Bayโs lead in the AL Championship Series to 3-2 at Petco Park in San Diego.
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Rays' offense stuck in neutral again as Astros force Game 6
(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)SAN DIEGO โ Except for an occasional homer, the Tampa Bay Raysโ offense has fallen largely silent on the brink of the World Series. โThat big hit has continued to elude us with guys on base,โ Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. Tampa Bay went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position in Game 5 after going 1 for 4 in Game 4. โWeโve been streaky throughout the course of these playoffs,โ Tampa Bay outfielder Kevin Kiermaier said. That's something of a rarity in this postseason, when Tampa Bay has been practically perfect in each game.
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Correa hits walkoff homer to keep Astros alive in ALCS
The Astros defeated the Rays 4-3 and the Rays lead the series 3-2 games. The Astros forced Game 6 on Friday, a rematch of the first game started by left-handers Blake Snell of Tampa Bay and Valdรฉz. Otherwise, big league clubs leading 3-0 in a best-of-seven postseason series are 37-1. Correa also hit a walkoff homer in Game 2 of the 2017 ALCS off Aroldis Chapman of the New York Yankees. Houston became the first team with a leadoff and walk-off home run in a postseason game.
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Springer, Altuve homer to keep Astros alive in ALCS
Beating the Tampa Bay Rays three more times to reach the World Series won't be easy, but the Astros believe they can do it. With Altuve atoning for his poor defense in this series, the Astros finally got their offense going after being pushed to the brink of a sweep. The Rays remain one win from advancing to the World Series for the second time in franchise history. Altuve hit a homer in the first and an RBI double in the third for a 2-0 lead. It was the third home run of the postseason for Springer, the MVP of the 2017 World Series.
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Altuve's 2 early throwing errors doom Astros in ALCS Game 2
โWe were down 0-2 in the World Series last year with (ALCS Game 3 starter) Josรฉ Urquidy and (ALCS Game 4 starter Zack) Greinke coming up next to pitch for us,โ shortstop Carlos Correa said. The Astros have made three errors in two games, while the Rays have played sparkling defense all across the diamond. Iโm sure heโll do that.โAfter the second error, Correa moved into the spot normally occupied by Altuve in the shift. Altuve's first error put the Astros in a hole they never escaped, even with a superb start from McCullers. After getting nine hits and just one run in Game 1, the Astros ended their 13-inning scoreless streak with Correa's homer.
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Margotโs homer, catch highlight Rays' 4-2 win over Astros
Asked which was bigger in the 4-2 victory against the Houston Astros, Margot said through a translator: โDefinitely the home run. He played one game in right field in 2016 and the rest of his time in San Diego was spent in center. โTo have the ability to know where youโre at, and kind of be able to say, โForget it, I know Iโm going to hit something but Iโm going in,โ and still hang on to the ball, was really, really impressive,โ manager Kevin Cash said. It was an unbelievable play that he made on the right field line, putting himself in a dangerous place. โEverybody is really, really supportive of him and just so happy for what he's accomplished.โMorton improved to 4-0 with a 0.90 ERA in the last two postseasons.
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Stanton, Yankees power way to 9-3 win against Rays in opener
Stanton hit a grand slam in the ninth inning for New York's fourth home run of the game, and the Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 9-3 on Monday in the opener of their AL Division Series at Petco Park. Beginning with this round, all postseason series were moved to neutral sites because of the coronavirus. The Yankees set a franchise record by hitting at least three home runs in three consecutive postseason games. Tampa Bay dominated the contentious regular-season series, going 8-2 against the rival Yankees and winning the AL East by seven games over second-place New York. Cole beat Tampa Bay twice in last yearโs ALDS with Houston.
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Snell sharp, Margot HR, Rays beat Blue Jays 3-1 in opener
Thatโs probably the worst thing we can do as a team,โ Blue Jays third baseman Cavan Biggio said. Diego Castillo, Nick Anderson and Pete Fairbanks followed the starter, limiting the Blue Jays to two singles, two doubles and Bo Bichette's eighth-inning sacrifice fly the rest of the way. The wild-card Blue Jays broke through in the eighth against Anderson, didn't allow a run in 18 of 19 regular season appearances. Heโs pretty good,โ said Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo, who served on Cash's staff with the Rays from 2015-18. UP NEXTLefty Hyun Jin Ryu starts for the Blue Jays against right-hander Tyler Glasnow, whoโs been Tampa Bayโs best pitcher.
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LEADING OFF: Ailing players heal up, Yanks back in Cleveland
Minnesota has a couple of ailing hitters in third baseman Josh Donaldson (right calf) and center fielder Byron Buxton (mild concussion symptoms). Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said Buxton is improving and the team hopes heโll be ready for the postseason opener. Brett Phillips exited Sundayโs game with right hamstring tightness, and fellow outfielder Manuel Margot (sore foot) was scratched from the lineup. Acuรฑa was scratched Sunday with renewed irritation in his left wrist. Because of the reworked schedule caused by the virus outbreak, the Yankees didnโt play in Cleveland this year.
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Glasnow overpowers Yanks as Rays go to 7-1 vs NY this season
Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow winds up during the second inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Monday, Aug. 31, 2020, at Yankee Stadium in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)NEW YORK After a decade spent chasing their big-budget AL East rivals, the Tampa Bay Rays are pummeling the New York Yankees. The AL East leaders improved to 7-1 against the Yankees this season and stretched their division cushion to 4 1/2 games. TRAINER'S ROOMRays: 3B Yandy Daz was pulled with left hamstring tightness in the fifth and is day to day. UP NEXTYankees RHP Masahiro Tanaka (0-1, 3.48 ERA) will start on extended five days' rest against Rays RHP Trevor Richards (0-0, 4.71).
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Cole just misses 20th reg-season win in row, Yanks beat Rays
With two outs and a runner on, Cole had a 1-2 count on Ji-Man Choi, who came back to hit an RBI double. Jose Martinez followed with a two-run homer on the 107th pitch from a clearly tiring Cole. Cole was bidding to tie Roger Clemens, Jake Arrieta and Rube Marquard for the third-longest streak ever. His only loss since May 2019 came in Game 1 of the World Series last October, pitching for Houston against Washington. ... Rays C Mike Zunino was mired in an 0 for 23 slide before doubling off Cole during the fifth.