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BUSTER POSEY

Giants plan to exercise Posey's $22M option if he will play

The San Francisco Giants plan to exercise Buster Posey's $22 million club option for the 2022 season as long as the veteran catcher wants to keep playing after a stellar year. Posey, whose contract includes a $3 million buyout, helped lead the Giants to a franchise-record 107 wins and their first NL West title since 2012 by playing regularly down the stretch this year as he demonstrated his health and durability during his 12th major league season. The 34-year-old Posey opted out of the coronavirus-shortened 2020 campaign to care for prematurely born adopted twin girls.

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Giants clinch share of West, match team mark with 106th win

Darin Ruf hit a first-inning home run and Mike Yastrzemski added an RBI single to send San Francisco on its way, and then the Giants waited on Los Angeles' result against the NL Central champion Brewers. A Dodgers loss would ensure San Francisco the division crown outright over the eight-time defending West winners and reigning World Series champions. San Francisco went through a quick congratulatory handshake line on the diamond.

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Buster Posey's 18th homer helps Giants to ninth straight win

Buster Posey is hitting, moving on the bases and catching with an encouraging strength in mid-September for someone who had hip surgery three years ago and chose to sit out the shortened 2020 season to protect his young family. Posey homered in the first inning and beat out an infield single then scored the go-ahead run on an error in the third, and the San Francisco Giants beat the San Diego Padres 6-1 on Tuesday night for their ninth straight victory a day after becoming the first team in the big leagues to clinch a playoff berth. “I feel good, I feel like my legs are underneath me,” Posey said.

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Price, Posey, MLBers who opted out for virus excited for '21

“It definitely crossed my mind,” Price said Friday from Dodgers spring training in Glendale, Arizona. Traded from Boston to the Dodgers last February, the 35-year-old Price pitched in spring exhibitions for LA before deciding to go home. Instead of playing, he did what many Americans have done with their unexpected time — he watched a lot of TV. “It’s a lot easier said than done to take a step away from something you’ve done your entire life. “Being away from it for that time was tough.”___AP Baseball Writer Janie McCauley and Sports Writer Beth Harris contributed.

Leading Off: Phillies end layoff, visit Judge, Cole, Yankees

Philadelphia Phillies manager Joe Girardi, left, talks with Bryce Harper, right, prior to a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Friday, July 24, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)A look at what's happening around the majors today:BACK TO WORKThe Philadelphia Phillies face a difficult assignment in their long-awaited return to action. Although the Phillies didnt have any players test positive, their games last week were postponed as a cautionary measure. The Phillies got to work out again Saturday, and now come back from a weeklong layoff to face Gerrit Cole and the AL East-leading New York Yankees on the road. MISSING MANAGERThe Cleveland Indians likely will be missing manager Terry Francona for a second straight game when they visit Cincinnati.

LEADING OFF: Reds-Tigers debut MLB's 7-inning doubleheaders

Shortened doubleheaders are about to make their Major League Baseball debut. Baseball could see an unusually high number of doubleheaders due to positive coronavirus tests causing postponements, plus rainouts. I think thats a good rule change especially with the pitchers going down every day, Houston manager Dusty Baker said. The Angels expect to have Ohtani start their Sunday games this season. KERSHAWS BACKDodgers ace Clayton Kershaw is set to make his season debut when he faces the Diamondbacks at Arizona.

Manfred confident MLB can get through playoffs despite virus

The virus also prompted at least two more players to opt out Saturday: Brewers All-Star outfielder Lorenzo Cain and Miami second baseman Isan Daz. I dont think its realistic to think that were not going to have any more positive tests, Manfred said. After two St. Louis players tested positive, the whole Cardinals team was given rapids tests Friday and saliva samples were sent to an MLB laboratory. Thats why we were reluctant to get into scheduling a bunch of doubleheaders just to play more games, Manfred said. In addition, Manfred says players and coaches should take advantage of the open seats in the stands near the dugouts and bullpens in order to spread out.

Batter Up! Baseball, soundtrack of summer, is back - sort of

The Los Angeles Dodgers play the Los Angeles Angels at sunset during the fifth inning of a preseason baseball game, Tuesday, July 21, 2020, in Los Angeles. Rather than keeping players and club personnel sealed in a bubble environment, baseball teams will fly around the country, raising more health concerns. “Going to be 2020 coronavirus baseball,” Yankees star pitcher Gerrit Cole said. Los Angeles ace Clayton Kershaw had hoped to take part, but he was scratched from the opener because of back issues. “It’s that sound, it’s the summer sound.”___AP Baseball Writers Ronald Blum and Janie McCauley and AP Sports Writers Howard Fendrich and Joe Reedy contributed to this report.

LEADING OFF: Opening day in DC, Dodger Stadium amid pandemic

Later, Los Angeles lefty Clayton Kershaw takes on the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. This opening day doubleheader begins the most unusual year in the history of Major League Baseball. MLB players can put a patch with Black Lives Matter or United For Change on a jersey sleeve during opening day. The 27-year-old Betts helped beat the Dodgers in the 2018 World Series when he was the AL MVP for Boston. The six-time All-Star, three-time World Series champion and 2012 NL MVP and his wife have adopted twin identical girls who were born prematurely.

Opening day amid virus: Masked men, empty parks, odd sounds

DHs in the National League, well, OK. An automatic runner on second to start the 10th inning? If this is what its going to be, this is whats going to be, Scherzer said. Four months after the games were supposed to start, strange ball is better than no ball, right? Opening day brings a tasty doubleheader: a marquee pitching matchup in Washington, followed by the nightcap at Dodger Stadium when Clayton Kershaw taking on the San Francisco Giants. Is it going to be perfect the very first day? As manager Bob Melvin said.

After beating cancer, KC's Hill won't let COVID-19 stop him

Not long ago, Royals pitcher Tim Hill was wrapping up eight brutal months of chemotherapy to treat colon cancer. The biopsy came back positive for colon cancer, the same disease that claimed his father when Hill was just 17 years old. With the support of the Royals, Hill began to build back his strength. Those factors left Hill wondering whether he should step on the field when baseball resumed or stick to the sideline, knowing they increased the risk of complications should he contract COVID-19. Some of it seems over-the-top when you first look at it, but when you start seeing people test positive, you see maybe it's necessary.

AP sources: About 10 MLB umpires opt out over virus concerns

(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)About 10 Major League Baseball umpires have opted out this season, choosing not to work games in the shortened schedule because of concerns over the coronavirus. There are 76 full-time MLB umpires and more than 20 of them are age 55 or over. A deal between MLB and its umpires reached during the virus shutdown ensured that if even one regular-season game was played this season, the umps were guaranteed 37.5% of their salaries. Minus 10 or more MLB umpires, many Triple-A umps will work the two-month season. Just as MLB redrew the schedule amid the virus outbreak, umpires are certain to see a shift, too.