SALVADOR PEREZ

Two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels has been selected major league player of the year by Baseball Digest and eBay.

The pairings for the baseball playoffs are all set.

Trea Turner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston’s Yuli Gurriel won their first batting titles in a season of boom and bust that saw four teams lose 100 games for only the third time, and four 90-game winners in the AL East alone.

Four teams are separated by two games in the AL wild-card chase, with the Yankees clinging to a one-game lead for the top spot with two games remaining.

The Cleveland Indians won their last home game before they become the Guardians, beating the Kansas City Royals 8-3 to close a run that started in 1915 and will continue in 2022 with a new identity.

Kevin Gausman returns to the mound — and plate — as he tries to help the Giants protect their lead in the NL West.

Salvador Perez hit his 46th home run, breaking Johnny Bench’s record for most by a catcher in a season to highlight the opener, then the Kansas City Royals completed a doubleheader sweep by beating the Cleveland Indians 4-2.

Formerly a fleet outfielder, Anthony Gose returned to the majors five years later Monday night as a rocket-armed reliever for the Cleveland Indians, flashing 100 mph heat and finishing his outing by fanning Royals slugger Salvador Perez.

Shohei Ohtani is set to pitch for the Angels against Oakland on Sunday a few days after manager Joe Maddon contemplated shutting down the two-way star with arm soreness.

Shohei Ohtani will pitch for the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday after his sore arm felt much better in a bullpen session.

Salvador Perez tied Johnny Bench’s record for homers in a season by a catcher with his 45th, but Chad Pinder’s two-run single spurred a third-inning rally and the Oakland Athletics held off the Kansas City Royals 7-2.

Bo Bichette thumped a leadoff homer in the first inning and singled in the tiebreaking run in the seventh, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his 42nd homer, and the Toronto Blue Jays held off the skidding New York Yankees 6-4 for their eighth straight win.

Shohei Ohtani hit his major league-leading 43rd home run and Jose Suarez pitched a five-hitter, leading the Los Angeles Angels to a 4-1 win over the Texas Rangers.

Salvador Perez hit two of Kansas City’s five home runs in the Royals’ 6-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday.

Luke Voit had a two-run single in the first inning and the New York Yankees beat Kansas City 5-2 on Wednesday for their 12th straight series victory over the Royals.

Daniel Lynch pitched eight scoreless, Jorge Soler homered twice and Salvador Perez once to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 6-1 win over the Detroit Tigers.

Kansas City catcher Salvador Pérez will join Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels, Trey Mancini of the Baltimore Orioles, Pete Alonso of the New York Mets and Trevor Story of the Colorado Rockies in the All-Star Home Run Derby at Denver’s Coors Field on July 12.

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.

The Tampa Bay Rays’ 11-game winning streak came to an end when Brad Keller pitched seven strong innings and Salvador Perez hit a tiebreaking RBI single to give the Kansas City Royals a 2-1 victory.

Rookie Andrew Vaughn, starting the nightcap at first base after AL MVP Jose Abreu was injured in a frightening collision in the first game, homered to send the Chicago White Sox over the Kansas City Royals 3-1 for a doubleheader split.

The Kansas City Royals have the best record in baseball — and an identity that should be pretty familiar by now.

Merrill Kelly starts for the Arizona Diamondbacks when they host Fernando Tatis Jr. and the Padres following a dominant pitching performance in a doubleheader at Atlanta.

Jarrod Dyson doubled and scored the go-ahead run in the fifth inning and the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 3-2 to complete a four-game sweep on the road for the first time in nearly 22 years.

Television producers Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers will be honored for their wardrobe efforts on hit TV shows like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Bridgerton” at Tuesday's Costume Designers Guild Awards.

– The Royals made official their $25 million, four-year contract with third baseman Hunter Dozier on Monday, ensuring that another member of their young foundation is under club control for the foreseeable future. And we want that to happen in Kansas City.”AdDozier's deal replaces a $2.72 million, one-year contract he agreed to on Dec. 2. He gets a $1 million signing bonus and will earn $2.25 million this year, $4.5 million in 2022, $7.25 million in 2023 and $9 million in 2024. The Royals have a $10 million option for 2025 with a $1 million buyout. Ad“Hunter is willing to do whatever is necessary to help the team win,” Moore added.

Freeman easily won the NL MVP award Thursday, Nov. 12, topping off a trying year that saw him become so ill with COVID-19 he prayed please dont take me. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)NEW YORK – National League MVP Freddie Freeman was one of three Atlanta Braves selected to the All-MLB first team on Wednesday night. San Diego had two players on the top team: shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. and third baseman Manny Machado. AL MVP José Abreu of the Chicago White Sox was the first baseman on the second team, which also included Philadelphia catcher J.T. Realmuto, Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe, Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager and Indians third baseman José Ramírez.

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.

NEW YORK Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman has tested positive for the coronavirus and is experiencing mild symptoms. Chapman threw a bullpen session Tuesday, and Boone wouldn't comment on whether the left-hander had been at Yankee Stadium since. We adhere to all the contact tracing things. The list now includes the 32-year-old Chapman, a six-time All-Star with 273 career saves, including 37 last season when he had a 2.21 ERA. Britton has been an elite closer in this game for a long time," Boone said.

Injured outfielders Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are likely to miss the New York Yankees' opener at Baltimore on March 26. ANGELS 11, INDIANS 7Michael Hermosillo had a three-run homer and RBI single for the Angels. RANGERS 6, GIANTS 5Wilmer Flores hit his first home run and Buster Posey added an RBI single for San Francisco. Ian Happ led off the game with a home run and added an RBI single. Willson Contreras had a two-run single for Chicago.