NELSON CRUZ

Manny Machado, Nelson Cruz and the San Diego Padres expect to be big bashers in the batter’s box this season.

Jacob deGrom, Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaerts and Carlos Rodón turned down player options, joining a free agent market that includes Aaron Judge, Trea Turner and Dansby Swanson.

Kyle Schwarber has hit two of Philadelphia’s five homers in the first four innings to help the Phillies get a much-needed win as they try to end an 11-year playoff drought, salvaging a split of a day-night doubleheader with an 8-2 victory over the Washington Nationals in a rainy Game 2.

Mets ace Max Scherzer exited with left side fatigue after five sharp innings and 67 pitches and NL East-leading New York lost to the Washington Nationals 7-1.

Major league losses leader Patrick Corbin ended Washington’s record 43-game drought without a starting pitcher earning a victory as the Nationals beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 to avoid a series sweep.

Seattle right-hander George Kirby set a major league record by throwing 24 straight strikes to start the game and fellow Mariners rookie Julio Rodriguez reached a new level, but Ildemaro Vargas hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning that lifted the Washington Nationals to a 3-1 win.

San Diego and new slugger Juan Soto repeatedly failed to come through in the clutch against his former club, and the last-place Washington Nationals beat the wild-card-chasing Padres 4-3.

Luis Garcia hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning and the last-place Washington Nationals rallied past the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-3 for their second straight win against the NL West leaders.

Jazz Chisholm bunted for a single on the first pitch of Stephen Strasburg’s return from a one-year absence, stole second and the Marlins kept on going in a 7-4 win over the Washington Nationals that finished a three-game sweep.

Lane Thomas had a three-homer game for the first time in his career, and Nelson Cruz and Juan Soto also went deep, leading the Washington Nationals to an 8-5 win over the Cincinnati Reds.

Yadiel Hernandez and Maikel Franco homered and the Washington Nationals ended the Houston Astros’ 11-game winning streak with a 13-6 romp.

Shohei Ohtani hit a tying, two-run double in the ninth inning, Anthony Rendon followed with a game-ending single against his former team and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Washington Nationals 5-4.

Miguel Cabrera reached the 3,000-hit mark on a weekend afternoon in front of an adoring crowd at his home ballpark in Detroit.

Nelson Cruz hit his 450th home run and added a tiebreaking two-run single in three-run eighth inning that lifted the Washington Nationals over the Mets 4-2 and prevented New York from an opening four-game sweep.

Winners of the Roberto Clemente Award will wear his No. 21 on the back of their caps for the rest of their major league careers.

Cubs veteran Kyle Hendricks is set to deliver the first pitch of the season against Corbin Burnes and Milwaukee at Wrigley Field just past 2:20 p.m. EDT, the first of seven games still on the calendar amid rainy forecasts across the country.

Many familiar faces with impressive resumes are in new places following one of major league baseball’s wildest free agent frenzies.

Nelson Cruz quickly showed the Washington Nationals he could bring more than a booming bat to his new team. After standing in the batter’s box as Erick Fedde threw a live bullpen, Cruz approached right-hander with a message: He was tipping his pitches. “I saw something before he threw me the last pitch,” Cruz said Thursday.

Patience is often rewarded for both free agents and general managers during most Major League Baseball offseasons.

Patience is often rewarded for both free agents and general managers during most Major League Baseball offseasons. As expected, free agents are flying off the market and trades are getting done at a breakneck pace following MLB's 99-day lockout that froze the league's transactions for more than three months. “It’s like drinking out of a firehose,” said Andrew Friedman, the president of baseball operations for the Dodgers.

A person with direct knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press that free agent designated hitter Nelson Cruz and the Washington Nationals have agreed to a one-year contract.

With a possible lockout on the horizon, it’s been mostly business as usual on the free agent market — so far.

Beloved baseball lifer Ron Washington is finally getting another shot at a World Series title.

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Randy Arozarena became the first player to hit a home run and steal home in a postseason game, and rookie Shane McClanahan pitched the Tampa Bay Rays past the Boston Red Sox 5-0 in their AL Division Series opener.

The Tampa Bay Rays have won more games than any other team in the American League over the past two seasons, going about their business with a quiet confidence that has the full attention of the Boston Red Sox.

Gary Sánchez and Rougned Odor both struck out with two runners on to blunt a ninth-inning rally and the New York Yankees’ lead atop the AL wild-card race got even tighter with a 4-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Carlos Correa hit his career-high 25th homer with a three-run shot and the Houston Astros clinched the AL West with a 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Drew Rasmussen and three relievers combined for a three-hitter, Brandon Lowe and Ji-Man Choi both homered and the Tampa Bay Rays coasted past the Houston Astros 7-0, giving them the No. 1 seed in the American League playoffs.

The Tampa Bay Rays clinched their second straight AL East title, with Mike Zunino hitting a go-ahead homer and Brandon Lowe later adding a pair of RBI doubles to beat the Miami Marlins 7-3.

Kevin Kiermaier was hit by a pitch after scooping up a Toronto scouting report two days earlier, and the Tampa Bay Rays clinched a postseason berth with a 7-1 victory over the Blue Jays.

Miguel Cabrera got his ninth straight hit before the string ended, Jonathan Schoop launched a grand slam and the Detroit Tigers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 10-4 Friday night. Rays rookie shortstop Wander Franco extended his on-base streak to 39 games, then left in the first inning with tightness in his right hamstring. “We'll know more, but hopefully we caught it early enough,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.

Tampa Bay Rays rookie Wander Franco extended his on-base streak to 39 games, then exited in the first inning against Detroit because of tightness in his right hamstring.

Minnesota Twins rookie Joe Ryan is pitching a perfect game through six innings against the Cleveland Indians in just his second major league start.

Nelson Cruz homered twice and, at 41 years old, became the oldest player in major league history to hit 30 home runs in a season, powering the Tampa Bay Rays past the Boston Red Sox 12-7.

Austin Meadows hit a tying, inside-the-park homer in the ninth inning, Nelson Cruz had a go-ahead single in the 10th and the Tampa Bay Rays rallied from a six-run deficit to beat the Boston Red Sox 11-10.

Wander Franco extended his on-base streak 30 games with a two-run single, fellow rookie Luis Patiño pitched neatly into the sixth inning and the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays won their eighth in a row, beating the Boston Red Sox 6-1.

One day after firing pitching coach Larry Rothschild, the slumping San Diego Padres begin a three-game series Tuesday night against the NL West rival Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Tampa Bay Rays have placed slugger Nelson Cruz on the COVID-19 injured list.

Brandon Lowe, Manuel Margot and Joey Wendle each had two hits and two RBIs, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Chicago White Sox 8-4.

Imagine Olympic swimming without the world’s top 100.

Eddy Alvarez became only the third American to earn medals at both the Summer and Winter Olympics when the United States beat defending-champion South Korea 7-2 to gain a berth into this weekend’s gold medal game against host Japan.

Joey Votto has homered in seven straight games and the Cincinnati Reds slugger can match a major league record Saturday night by going deep against the New York Mets.

Patrick Sandoval had his no-hit bid broken up with one out in the ninth inning on a soft double by rookie Brent Rooker, and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Minnesota Twins 2-1.

Patrick Sandoval of the Los Angeles Angels has lost his no-hit bid with one out in the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins.

Nelson Cruz is headed to a contender in the biggest deal yet ahead of the July 30 trade deadline.

The Tampa Bay Rays added a big bat for the stretch drive, acquiring slugger Nelson Cruz from the Minnesota Twins.

The second half of the major league baseball season begins with one game Thursday night when Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers and the AL East-leading Red Sox visit Yankee Stadium.

Lucas Giolito lobbed an expletive-laced response in Josh Donaldson’s direction after the slugger appeared to yell “Not sticky anymore,” after a first-inning homer, overshadowing Gavin Sheets’ successful debut for the White Sox in a 7-6 victory over the Twins.

Nelson Cruz hit a three-run homer shortly after Cleveland right fielder Josh Naylor was carted off the field following a frightening collision with a teammate, and the Minnesota Twins went beat the Indians 8-2.

Cedric Mullins got two hits, scored two runs and made a sensational catch in center field, helping the Baltimore Orioles snap their 14-game losing streak with a 7-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

Rookie Trevor Larnach homered and Rob Refsnyder drove in two runs as the Minnesota Twins hung on to beat the Kansas City Royals 6-5.

Josh Donaldson of the Minnesota Twins has scored the 2 millionth run in Major League Baseball history, trotting home in the first inning on a ground-rule double by Nelson Cruz against Kansas City.