ROCCO BALDELLI

Bob Nightengale and Gabe Lacques look at what the Yankees need to do going forward if they actually want to compete for a World Series.

Andy Nesbitt, Bob Nightengale and Gabe Lacques examine if the main culprits in the Astros cheating scandal can redeem their legacy this postseason.

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.

Luis Rojas has been let go as manager of the New York Mets after two losing seasons.

Gary Sánchez lined a winning single in the 10th inning, and the New York Yankees overcame a five-run deficit to beat the Minnesota Twins 6-5.

MLB clubhouses and dugouts are no longer as crowded during the final weeks of the regular season.

Red Sox ace Chris Sale joined Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax as the only pitchers on record with three immaculate innings, Bobby Dalbec homered twice and Boston beat the Minnesota Twins 12-2.

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.

Rob Refsnyder bounced back from a run-in with the center-field fence to score the go-ahead run in the 10th inning on a wild pitch and the Minnesota Twins handed the Baltimore Orioles their 14th straight loss, 3-2.

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.

Twins reliever Tyler Duffey has been suspended three games for his errant pitch to White Sox's Yermin Mercedes, who had previously homered in blowout.

Two-way star Shohei Ohtani makes his sixth pitching start of the season Wednesday when the Angels face Aaron Civale and the Indians.

White Sox manager Tony La Russa says Yermín Mercedes made a “big mistake” when he crushed a 3-0 pitch from infielder Willians Astudillo for a solo homer in the ninth inning of Monday night’s 16-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

Jordan Luplow hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning off Alex Colomé, giving the Cleveland Indians a 5-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins in their series opener.

Minnesota left-hander J.

The Oakland Athletics extended their winning streak to 11, rallying from a two-run deficit to beat the Twins 13-12 when Luis Arraez threw away Ramón Laureano’s grounder for Minnesota’s second error of the 10th inning.

Matt Olson hit a grand slam, Mitch Moreland homered twice to back Sean Manaea’s shutout, then Jesús Luzardo followed with his own Game 2 gem as the Oakland Athletics swept a doubleheader against the depleted Minnesota Twins, 7-0 and 1-0 to run their winning streak to 10 games.

Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. is uncertain for the opener of a two-game series at Yankee Stadium after an MRI revealed a mild abdominal strain.

The game between Minnesota and the Oakland Athletics scheduled for Monday night at the Coliseum has been postponed because of the Twins’ continued COVID-19 problems.

The Twins are undergoing more testing this weekend in Anaheim, and they're uncertain when they'll be allowed to play again.

The Minnesota Twins will see when they can next play after their COVID-19 problems wiped the rest of a series in Anaheim against the Angels.

The Twins’ games against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday and Sunday have been postponed due to Minnesota’s COVID-19 problems.

Max Kepler’s RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning gave Minnesota a 4-3 victory over Boston, stopping a five-game losing streak for the Twins and breaking a nine-game winning string for the Red Sox.

Rafael Devers homered for the fourth straight game and the streaking Boston Red Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 4-2 on a snowy afternoon in a series opener moved back following the fatal police shooting of a Black man in the Twin Cities area.

A pair of three-time Cy Young Award winners square off when Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers face Max Scherzer and the Nationals in a marquee matchup between the past two World Series champions.

The Twins have lost three times this season -- all of them in 10th inning with the automatic runner on second base.

Mitch Haniger homered and hit the go-ahead sacrifice fly in the 10th inning to give the Seattle Mariners a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

Both winless teams in the majors are defending division champions.

Now that Fernando Tatis Jr. has been placed on the injured list, the San Diego Padres hope their electrifying shortstop won’t be sidelined too long.

FILE - This is a 2020 file photo showing Mike Bell of the Minnesota Twins baseball team. Twins bench coach Mike Bell has taken an indefinite leave from the team because of kidney cancer. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)FORT MYERS, Fla. – Minnesota Twins bench coach Mike Bell, the younger brother of Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell, died Friday of kidney cancer. Mike Bell had surgery Jan. 28 to remove a growth that was discovered earlier that month. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said at the start of spring training that his top assistant in the dugout was “very, very optimistic” about his recovery.

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)Right-hander Kevin Gausman’s impressive day at spring training had nothing to do with any of the usual statistics, like strikeouts or innings pitched. Batting practice for San Francisco's pitchers took on a non-traditional look Thursday at Scottsdale Stadium in Arizona. But the stands won't be empty — or full — when the Giants host their spring training opener Sunday. Scottsdale Stadium will have the lowest capacity at 9%, which is about 1,000 fans for Giants home games. Spectators at Scottsdale Stadium may get to see Gausman throw his lively fastball, but not a look at his Fungo golf skills.

(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)It's normal for a baseball player to dream of making his big league debut or pitching in the postseason. He became the fifth player in the modern era to make his big league debut in a postseason game — and three of those newcomers did it this year. The Padres lost 5-1, but it was scoreless when Weathers came in — a reasonably high-pressure situation, compared to other players who made their debuts in the postseason. In 2015, Adalberto Mondesi made his debut for Kansas City in Game 3 of the World Series. "He’s here to play, and that’s why we carried him on this roster.”McClanahan's debut came in Game 1 of the AL Division Series on Monday night.

"But what are they going to say now?”Nine months after Houston's rules-breaking, sign-stealing system was revealed, the Astros advanced to the Division Series in Los Angeles. The Twins are 0-18 in the playoffs since winning Game 1 of their Division Series at the New York Yankees on Oct. 5, 2004, a total of seven rounds lost. Since that date, the Astros are 43-35 in postseason play, winning 10 of 15 rounds with three trips to the World Series. In a three-game division series sweep by the Yankees last year, the Twins totaled seven runs and 22 hits. Baldelli declined to confirm whether Buxton was experiencing a recurrence of concussion symptoms that kept him out of the last two regular season games.

(AP Photo/Aaron Doster)A look at what's happening around the majors Wednesday:___CRAZY EIGHTHow’s this for wild: MLB is set to stage eight postseason games on the same day for the first time. National League clubs will open their best-of-three wild-card series, while four American League teams are already facing elimination after starting Tuesday. With the expansion of the first round from a pair of wild-card games to eight best-of-three series, there are a maximum 65 possible postseason games this year. In the 1960s, there were 66 postseason games in the entire decade, with league championship series starting in 1969. Dallas Keuchel (6-2, 1.99 ERA) starts Game 2 following a successful first season with Chicago.

Houston Astros' Carlos Correa, left, and George Springer, center, jump in celebration of the Astros 4-1 win over the Minnesota Twins 4-1 in Game 1 of an American League wild-card baseball series, Tuesday Sept. 29, 2020, in Minneapolis. They know what it’s like," said manager Dusty Baker, after the Astros became the first team in major league history to win a game after reaching the postseason with a losing record. It didn’t go my way,” said Romo, who has three World Series rings with San Francisco and pitched in his 30th career postseason game. Minnesota’s previous win in the playoffs was notched in New York on Oct. 5, 2004, in Game 1 of the AL division series. UP NEXTThe Astros were waiting until after the game to announce their starter for Game 2, though Valdez's appearance took him out of the mix.

MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota Twins third baseman Josh Donaldson will miss the best-of-three AL first-round series against Houston because of a nagging injury to his right calf, and the team included rookie Alex Kirilloff on the roster that was set on Tuesday prior to Game 1. He has never played above Double-A but showed the club he was ready with strong performances at the team's alternate training site this summer. He can play the corner outfield positions and first base, giving manager Rocco Baldelli additional flexibility with Donaldson out. Like the Twins and Kirilloff, the Astros put outfielder Chas McCormick on their roster despite him never previously appearing in an MLB game. Manager Dusty Baker said McCormick was included for defense and potential designated runner duties.

Gerrit Cole delivered for the Yankees in his first season since signing a $324 million, nine-year contract, going 7-3 with a 2.84 ERA. “We think this is a good matchup.”For all Bieber and Cole have accomplished in the shortened regular season, it will mean little if they don’t perform well to start the best-of-three series. For instance, Yankees catcher Kyle Higashioka has only played 72 regular season games, including just two against wild-card foe Cleveland. Both were injured Friday, sat out the final two regular season games as a precaution, then participated in a workout at Target Field on Monday. They open a wild-card series in Oakland hoping ace Lucas Giolito can play stopper.

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 he’ll be ready for the postseason opener. Brett Phillips exited Sunday’s game with right hamstring tightness, and fellow outfielder Manuel Margot (sore foot) was scratched from the lineup. Acuña was scratched Sunday with renewed irritation in his left wrist. Because of the reworked schedule caused by the virus outbreak, the Yankees didn’t play in Cleveland this year.

San Francisco is still breathing, but needs help. San Francisco (29-30) needs a victory over the visiting Padres and a Brewers loss. “We just have to keep our head up and try to win,” San Francisco pitcher Johnny Cueto said. 2 seed in the AL — with a win at home against Cincinnati or a White Sox loss at home to the Cubs. Anthony Rizzo and the Chicago Cubs clinched the NL Central crown Saturday night even while losing to the crosstown White Sox.

The Marlins, Phillies, Cardinals, Reds, Brewers and Giants are the top teams still in contention -- and they’re packed tightly with slots available for one team from the NL East, another from the NL Central and then two wild cards. The Mets (26-31) and Rockies (25-31) are mathematically eligible but need to win out just to have a shot. AL-MOST OVEROnly one playoff spot remains open in the AL, and Michael Brantley and the Astros are on the verge of clinching it. The Twins are trying to seal the AL Central. The Chisox have lost five in a row, dropping them out of the AL Central lead and one game behind Minnesota.

Chicago White Sox's Jose Abreu (79) and Eloy Jimenez celebrate the team's 4-3 win over the Minnesota Twins in baseball game Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Chicago. The White Sox clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2008. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)CHICAGO – After clinching a postseason berth for the first time since 2008, the Chicago White Sox were low key during their on-field celebration. The White Sox assured themselves of no worse than a wild-card berth. White Sox: RHP Jonathan Stiever (0-0, 2.45 ERA) starts the opener of a three-game series Friday night at Cincinnati.

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Dane Dunning delivers during the first inning of the team's baseball game against the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Dane Dunning delivers during the first inning of the team's baseball game against the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020, in Chicago. The AL-best White Sox also moved 16 games over .500 for the first time since they were 71-55 on Aug. 26, 2012. Byron Buxton hit his third career inside-the-park homer for Minnesota, but the Twins finished with just four hits. But the White Sox went ahead to stay with three runs in the bottom of the third. White Sox: LHP Jace Fry threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings after he was reinstated from the 10-day injured list.

He's just glad that on Jackie Robinson Day, they're conversations that everyone is willing to have, even if the answers aren't always clear. For Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, Jackie Robinson Day comes at a good time. Coming up in the Dodgers organization and the name Jackie Robinson, it just meant so much more. MLB announced Friday that its partnership with the Jackie Robinson Foundation would extend through 2023. It includes $3.5 million to support the foundation's Scholarship Program, the Jackie Robinson Museum and the annual JRF ROBIE Awards.

Minnesota Twins pitcher Kenta Maeda of Japan throws against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)MINNEAPOLIS Kenta Maeda lost a no-hitter in the ninth inning for the Minnesota Twins, who blew a three-run lead but came back to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 in 12 innings. Maeda's no-hit bid was ended by Eric Sogard's soft single that soared just over the glove of a leaping Polanco at shortstop. Maeda retired 21 straight batters in a stretch from the first to the eighth innings and finished with 12 strikeouts. Opponents are 0 for 22 against Hader this season, with four walks and one hit by pitch 12 strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings.

Minnesota Twins' Eddie Rosario, Byron Buxton and Jake Cave celebrate after a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)MILWAUKEE Byron Buxton hit two solo home runs and Miguel San added another as the Minnesota Twins jumped to an early lead and routed the Milwaukee Brewers 12-2 on Wednesday night. The victory gave the AL Central-leading Twins a 2-1 series win over the Brewers, who dropped to 2-6 at home. Minnesota starter Kenta Maeda (3-0), in his first season with the Twins after being acquired from the Dodgers in February, retired the first 11 batters he faced. Brewers: In Chicago facing Cubs RHP Yu Darvish (2-1, 2.12 ERA), who has thrown 16 strikeouts in 17 innings.

(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)CHICAGO Leury Garca homered from both sides of the plate, helping Dallas Keuchel and the Chicago White Sox pound the Minnesota Twins 10-3 on Saturday. Keuchel allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings in his White Sox debut after agreeing to a $55.5 million, three-year contract in December. McCann singled in Adam Engel before Garca belted a three-run drive off left-hander Devin Smeltzer in the seventh, making it 10-3 White Sox. It also was the 11th time a White Sox player had connected from both sides of the plate in a single game. WORTH NOTINGThe White Sox announced right-hander Carson Fulmer had been claimed off waivers by Detroit.

PHOENIX The Minnesota Twins have shuffled their on-field staff to protect the health of some of their older coaches. I think we all know that we're making the right decision, but that doesn't mean it feels good," Baldelli said. The defending World Series champion Nationals will begin their title defense without Zimmerman and pitcher Joe Ross, who both declined to play because of health concerns. We are one hundred percent supportive of their decision to not play this year, Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said in a statement. Cleveland's 61-year-old manager Terry Francona said he's not nervous, even though he's had previous health issues.