October 3, 2024 4:28 am
BALTIMORE (AP) — The Kansas City Royals endured two seven-game losing streaks in the final month of the season. The second of those ended with a well-timed joke from a three-time World Series winner. Now they’re in the AL Division Series against the New York Yankees after opening the playoffs with a two-game sweep of Baltimore. Kansas City’s approach allowed a team that lost 106 games last year to turn things around in a hurry. It will be a bigger challenge for AL batting champion Bobby Witt Jr. and Co. to keep it going.
October 3, 2024 4:27 am
HOUSTON (AP) — Andy Ibáñez hit a tiebreaking three-run double in Detroit’s four-run eighth inning, and the Tigers swept the Houston Astros with a 5-2 victory in Game 2 of their AL Wild Card Series. Parker Meadows homered as Detroit ended Houston’s run of seven consecutive appearances in the AL Championship Series. It was a sweet moment for Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, who led Houston to a championship in 2017 and was fired in the aftermath of the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal. Next up for the wild-card Tigers is a trip to Cleveland to take on the AL Central champions in a best-of-five AL Division Series. Game 1 is on Saturday.
October 3, 2024 4:36 am
Pete Rose still isn’t going into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The career hits leader’s banishment from baseball 35 years ago was often referred to as a lifetime ban, and his death this week led some to believe that would end. But Rose was actually declared permanently ineligible by Major League Baseball rules for betting on the game. As in forever unless there is a formal reinstatement. Since players or officials on MLB’s ineligible list can’t be considered for election into the Hall of Fame, Rose’s status didn’t change when he died Monday at age 83.
October 2, 2024 4:28 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh quarterback Russell Wilson’s calf injury is improving, but Justin Fields will get the start when the Steelers host the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5. Coach Mike Tomlin says he expects Wilson to take on a heavier load in practice as he recovers from a calf issue he aggravated just before the season opener. Tomlin says the 35-year-old Wilson will need to show he has full mobility before being given “serious consideration” to return. Fields has played well over the first month and had 367 yards of total offense in a Week 4 loss to Indianapolis.
October 2, 2024 4:31 am
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a towering two-run homer on his first playoff swing in four years and Michael King struck out 12 in his first postseason start as the San Diego Padres beat rookie AJ Smith-Shawver and the Atlanta Braves 4-0 in Game 1 of their NL Wild Card Series. Tatis’ 415-foot shot landed in the second deck in left field at Petco Park and sent the towel-waving, sellout crowd of 47,647 into a frenzy. The 25-year-old star missed just more than 2 1/2 months this season with a stress reaction in his right thighbone. Meanwhile, in Milwaukee, Mark Vientos hit a tiebreaking, two-run single during a five-run outburst in the fifth inning as the indefatigable New York Mets continued their thrilling week by beating the Milwaukee Brewers 8-4 in an NL Wild Card Series opener. The Mets didn’t earn a playoff berth until they rallied late from a three-run deficit to win the opening game of a makeup doubleheader Monday in Atlanta, one day after the regular season was supposed to end. Now they’re one win from heading to Philadelphia for an NL Division Series. Milwaukee has lost 10 of its last 11 playoff games, a stretch that began with its Game 7 home defeat against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2018 NL Championship Series.
October 2, 2024 4:33 am
BALTIMORE (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. hit an RBI single in his playoff debut to back Cole Ragans’ six sharp innings and help the Kansas City Royals return from a nine-year postseason absence with a 1-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in Game 1 of their AL Wild Card Series. Witt is a 24-year-old shortstop who led the majors with 211 hits and a .332 batting average this season. He singled to left field Tuesday off a 95 mph, first-pitch cutter from 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes with two outs in the sixth. Maikel Garcia came around to score after drawing a walk, stealing second and moving to third on a groundout. Ragans left after 80 pitches because of cramping in his left calf. Lucas Erceg earned the save. In Houston, Tarik Skubal added perhaps his most important accomplishment to date to an already sparkling resume Tuesday. The AL pitching Triple Crown winner gave the Detroit Tigers their first postseason victory in more than a decade with a sensational playoff debut in a 3-1 victory over the Houston Astros. Skubal, who had had 228 strikeouts to go with 18 wins and 2.39 ERA, allowed just four singles and walked one in six innings.
October 1, 2024 2:31 am
Paul Skenes has been named Baseball America’s 2024 Rookie of the Year. Skenes is the second player from the Pirates to be named the publication’s rookie of the year along with Andrew McCutchen in 2009. The 22-year-old Skenes went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA (133.0ip/29er), 170 strikeouts, .198 batting average against and 0.95 WHIP in 23 starts this season for the Pirates.
Skenes ranked first this season among all qualified National League rookies in ERA, batting average against and WHIP, tied for second in wins, and second in strikeouts and winning percentage (.786). Skenes is the first rookie pitcher to record at least 23 starts with a sub-2.00 ERA in a single season since Scott Perry (44 games/36 starts) in 1918 according to StatsPerform. He also finished his rookie campaign with a .198 batting
October 1, 2024 4:34 am
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Mason Rudolph led seven scoring drives after starter Will Levis left with a shoulder injury, and the Tennessee Titans beat the Miami Dolphins 31-12 on Monday night. Rudolph threw for 85 yards and completed 9 of 17 passes in relief of Levis, who attempted just four passes before running and diving for a first down on Tennessee’s second drive and coming down hard on his right throwing shoulder. He stood on the sideline with his helmet but didn’t return. Nick Folk made field goals of 53, 52, 47, 51 and 29 yards for the Titans, who won their first game of the season.
October 1, 2024 4:32 am
DETROIT (AP) — Jared Goff threw a perfect game, setting an NFL record by completing all 18 of his passes to help the Detroit Lions beat the Seattle Seahawks 42-29 Monday night. Goff had a touchdown reception for the first time in his career, catching a pass from Amon-Ra St. Brown. He also threw one of his two touchdown passes to the All-Pro receiver. Goff and St. Brown are the eighth duo in league history to throw and catch a touchdown from each other. Kurt Warner had the previous NFL mark for the passes without an incompletion for Arizona against Houston in 2005.
October 1, 2024 4:30 am
ATLANTA (AP) — After a season that didn’t go nearly as planned, the Atlanta Braves find themselves back in a familiar spot. The postseason. The Braves overcame an interminable string of injuries — including the loss of their MVP outfielder and ace pitcher — to lock up their seventh straight playoff appearance with a 3-0 win over the New York Mets in the final game of the regular season. While Atlanta’s streak of six consecutive NL East titles was snapped by the Philadelphia Phillies, there were no complaints after all the team went through.
