Pujols hits 703rd HR to pass Babe for 2nd in RBI; Cards lose
Albert Pujols hit his 703rd home run, breaking a tie with Babe Ruth for second place in career RBIs, but the St. Louis Cardinals lost to Pittsburgh 3-2 when the Pirates drew four consecutive walks in the ninth inning to force home the winning run.
Pujols reaches 695 HRs, Mikolas goes 8 in Cards' win vs Cubs
Albert Pujols collected home run No. 695 in the eighth inning and Miles Mikolas tossed eight shutout innings to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 2-0 win over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday. Pujols drilled the two-run, pinch-hit shot off reliever Brandon Hughes (2-2).
news.yahoo.comCubs overcome 5-run deficit to beat Cards 6-5, Flaherty hurt
Willson Contreras hit a tiebreaking single in the 10th inning to drive in his third run of the game, and the Chicago Cubs overcame a five-run deficit to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-5 on Sunday. St. Louis led 5-0 but starter Jack Flaherty left after two innings because of right shoulder tightness, and the Cubs tied the score with a five-run fourth. The Cardinals have lost three of their last four games and seven of their last 10.
news.yahoo.comCards match record with 14th straight win, rip Cubs 12-4
The surging St. Louis Cardinals emphatically matched a team record with their 14th straight win, pounding the Chicago Cubs 12-4 in the second game of a doubleheader behind Tyler O’Neill’s three-run homer and a pair of solo shots by Lars Nootbaar.
Cards win 10th in row, beat Brewers to extend wild-card lead
Cardinals closer Giovanny Gallegos fanned pinch-hitter Pablo Reyes with the bases loaded for the final out and St. Louis won its 10th straight game, increasing its lead in the playoff chase by holding off the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers 2-1.
LEADING OFF: Crowds back on opening day, Cole starts season
EARLY TESTSThe Washington Nationals will be short-handed due to a positive coronavirus test for the second straight season opener. General manager Mike Rizzo did not reveal who the five players were, and the only certainty as of Wednesday night was that opening day starter Max Scherzer wasn't one of them. The Nationals did not have any players test positive during spring training prior to that. But in a what-are-the-odds moment, all three are set to start on opening day. To be pitching the same day as those guys is pretty cool.”MITTS AND MITTENSNolan Arenado, Kris Bryant and Miguel Cabrera will be wearing gloves on opening day.
LEADING OFF: Crowds back on opening day, Cole starts season
All 30 teams are scheduled to be in action, with Gerrit Cole set to throw the first pitch of the season against Toronto at Yankee Stadium. A year after no fans were allowed during the virus-shortened 60-game season, every stadium is open, in varying degrees as teams adhere to coronavirus protocols. But in a what-are-the-odds moment, all three are set to start on opening day. To be pitching the same day as those guys is pretty cool.”AdMITTS AND MITTENSNolan Arenado, Kris Bryant and Miguel Cabrera will be wearing gloves on opening day. Rain is in the forecast along the East Coast, which could affect games at Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, Citizens Bank Park and Nationals Park.
Chisox star Jiménez out 5-6 months, Rays' Anderson ailing
Sixto Sánchez made his third start, yielding a run on three hits and a walk in 3 1/3 innings. Austin Gomber gave up five runs on eight hits, four of them home runs, 5 1/3 innings. Arizona starter Luke Weaver struck out eight over 5 1/3 innings. Right-hander Adbert Alzolay continued to struggle for Chicago, allowing two runs in 3 1/3 innings. BREWERS 2, GIANTS 2Brett Anderson pitched two-run ball over 5 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and striking out three for Milwaukee.
Diamondbacks' Gallen has sore forearm, might miss opener
SETBACK IN THE BULLPENBlue Jays right-hander Kirby Yates will miss several weeks because of a strained muscle in his forearm. He allowed one run and five hits, striking out five without a walk. Ross Stripling struck out seven and walked none in 3 2/3 innings, but gave up three runs and five hits. Bryan Abreu, a top Astros pitching prospect who turns 24 next month, started and pitched three perfect innings, striking out four. Baltimore starter John Means allowed four hits and walked three over 3 2/3 innings, striking out three.
Spring games begin with fans, new faces, moment for Mancini
AdJazz Chisholm of the Marlins and Adam Haseley of the Phillies did even better — they led off games with home runs. Mancini took off his helmet to acknowledge a standing ovation that included the fans, the Orioles and the Pirates. Marco Gonzales made his first spring start for Seattle, allowing two hits and an unearned run in two innings. Center fielder Trent Grisham, coming off his first Gold Glove last season, doubled and scored a run for San Diego. Top prospect Jeter Downs had a two-run home run and RBI single, while Michael Chavis hit a solo shot.
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.
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.
MLB players to wear electronic tracers, face discipline
(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)NEW YORK – Major League Baseball players, on-field staff and non-playing personnel who require access to them at ballparks must wear electronic tracing wristbands from the start of spring training and face discipline for violations. However, MLB and the MLBPA will strongly encourage players to undergo vaccination at the appropriate time,” the manual states. MLB and the players' association combined to spend about $35 million on COVID-19 testing and rules last year. PCR testing will take place at least every other day starting in spring training and continue as long as a player's team advances until the postseason ends. Any spring training game may end in a tie.
MLB renews 7-inning doubleheaders, runners on 2nd in extras
The deal did not include last year’s experimental rule to extend the designated hitter to the National League or expanded playoffs. After allowing 16 teams in the postseason last year instead of 10, MLB had proposed 14 for this year before withdrawing that plan last month. “We’re comfortable with both rules,” San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler wrote in a text to the AP. About 12% of games were part of doubleheaders, the highest percentage since 13.6 in 1978. “I actually liked both the seven-inning doubleheaders and the runner on second,” Oakland manager Bob Melvin wrote in a text to the AP.
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 – 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.
On Baseball: MLB work stoppage in 2022 increasingly likely
(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)NEW YORK – A work stoppage at the start of spring training 2022 seems increasingly likely after baseball players refused to negotiate with owners over a one-month delay for this spring training and regular season. “I hope we don't have a work stoppage. Clark said in an email he was not more worried about a work stoppage because of the current state of relations and that player anger at club behavior did not frame the relationship. AdSince the last baseball work stoppage, the NFL had a preseason lockout in 2011, and the NBA had lockouts that cut 1998-99 to 50 games per team and 2011-12 to 66 games per team. Publicly, baseball players and owners say they have to work together.
MLB to start on time after players reject delay
Major League Baseball players rejected a proposal to delay the start of spring training and the season due to the coronavirus pandemic, vowing Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, to report under the original schedule. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)NEW YORK – Major League Baseball will proceed with an on-time start to spring training and the season after players rejected a plan Monday night to delay reporting by a more than a month. “We were able to complete a 2020 season through Herculean efforts and sacrifices made by our players, club staff and MLB staff to protect one another,” MLB said. MLB believed the virus situation would improve during the month delay. Players know first-hand the efforts that were required to complete the abbreviated 2020 season, and we appreciate that significant challenges lie ahead.