Ohtani throws 50-pitch bullpen session in return from elbow surgery; Kershaw activatedNew Foto - Ohtani throws 50-pitch bullpen session in return from elbow surgery; Kershaw activated

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani threw a 50-pitch bullpen session Saturday, another step in his throwing program in his return from elbow surgery. Ohtani advanced from the 35 pitches he tossed in is previous bullpen session on the same day that the Dodgers activated left-handed pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who made his season debut against the Los Angeles Angels. Ohtani did not throw any sliders in the bullpen. He simulated a two-inning outing by throwing 25 pitches, resting and then finishing with 25 more pitches. Ohtani was the designated hitter Saturday against his former team. As a pitcher for the Angels, the right-hander went 38-19 with a 3.01 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 132 innings. He made 86 starts with the Angels from 2018-23. Ohtani hasn't pitched in a major league game since Aug. 23, 2023, for the Angels. He is recovering fromright elbow surgery on Sept. 19, 2023. There is no timetable for his return to the mound. The 37-year-old Kershaw began his 18th MLB season on the injured list while recovering from toe and knee surgeries. He made five rehab starts and went 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in 21 innings. He entered Saturday's start as the club's all-time strikeout leader at 2,968 and was 212-94 with a 2.50 ERA in 432 appearances (429 starts). With Saturday's start, the three-time Cy Young Award winner ties Zack Wheat and Bill Russell for the most years with the Dodgers franchise. To make room on the roster for Kershaw right-hander Ryan Loutos was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Also, left-hander Blake Snell (shoulder) was transferred to the 60-day injured list. Snell, who recently started a light throwing program, has made just two starts for the Dodgers and has not pitched since April 2. He signed a five-year, $182 million contract with the Dodgers in the offseason. ___ AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Ohtani throws 50-pitch bullpen session in return from elbow surgery; Kershaw activated

Ohtani throws 50-pitch bullpen session in return from elbow surgery; Kershaw activated LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Shohei...
Twins shut out Brewers 7-0 for 13th straight winNew Foto - Twins shut out Brewers 7-0 for 13th straight win

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Pablo López combined with three relievers on a three-hitter as the Minnesota Twins beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-0 on Saturday for their third straight shutout and 13th consecutive victory. The Twins haven't allowed a run since giving up six of them in the third inning of an8-6 victoryat Baltimore in the second game of a doubleheader Wednesday. Milwaukee has been shut out in four of its last five games, the first time that's happened in franchise history, according to Sportradar. According to Sportradar, the last team to get shut out four times in a five-game stretch was the Miami Marlins in July 2022. Ryan Jeffers went 4 for 5 with a homer and double, and Kody Clemens went 3 for 5 with a homer as the Twins collected 18 hits. López (4-2) struck out six and allowed two hits and two walks in six innings. Justin Topa, Jorge Alcala and Kody Funderburk each pitched one inning of relief. The Twins took control of the game by scoring single runs in each of the first six innings. Four of those runs came off Tobias Myers, who was sent to the minors earlier this week before getting called back up when left-hander Jose Quintana went on the injured list. Jeffers opened the scoring by hitting a 420-foot shot to left-center with one out in the first inning. He also doubled and scored in the third, singled in the fourth and singled in the eighth. Myers (1-1) allowed 11 hits over 3 2/3 innings while striking out four and walking nobody. METS 3, YANKEES 2 NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Lindor hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the ninth inning and New York Mets beat the Yankees in the Subway Series to remain the only team without a three-game losing streak this season. Juan Soto went 1 for 4 with a walk and is 1 for 6 in his first two games back in the Bronx in a matchup between division leaders since leaving the Yankees for a record $765 million, 15-year contract with the Mets. DJ LeMahieu and Cody Bellinger homered for the Yankees, who had won seven of their previous nine games. Luis Torrens walked with one out in the ninth off Fernando Cruz (1-2), Brett Baty reached on an infield hit and Tyrone Taylor was hit by a pitch. Lindor's 293-foot fly easily scored speedy pinch-runner Luisangel Acuña. Reed Garrett (1-1) retired LeMahieu on a bases-loaded flyout to end the eighth and Edwin Díaz got three straight outs, remaining perfect in 10 save chances. CUBS 7, WHITE SOX 3 CHICAGO (AP) — Dansby Swanson homered and Pete Crow-Armstrong drove in two more runs to help the Chicago Cubs beat the Chicago White Sox. Miguel Amaya also had two RBIs as the NL Central-leading Cubs improved to 4-1 on a six-game homestand. Matthew Boyd (4-2) struck out eight while pitching six innings of three-run ball. The Cubs set a franchise record with their seventh consecutive victory against the White Sox. The all-time series between the crosstown rivals is tied at 74 wins apiece. Chase Meidroth and Tim Elko went deep for the last-place White Sox in their third consecutive loss. Sean Burke (2-5) allowed five earned runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. Meidroth led off the game with a drive to left for his first career homer. But the Cubs grabbed control with four runs in the second. Walks by Moisés Ballesteros and Nico Hoerner loaded the bases for Amaya, who lined a two-run single into left field. With two out and runners on second and third, Crow-Armstrong lined another two-run single to center. Crow-Armstrong homered and drove in a career-high six runs in Friday's13-3 victoryin the series opener. The 23-year-old center fielder is batting .327 (18 for 55) with six homers and 17 RBIs in his last 14 games. BLUE JAYS 2, TIGERS 1 TORONTO (AP) — Ernie Clement hit a game-winning single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning and Toronto rallied to beat Detroit. Jeff Hoffman (4-2) worked one inning for the win as Toronto stopped Detroit's winning streak at four. Trailing 1-0, Toronto tied it in the eighth on an RBI single by pinch-hitter Alejandro Kirk. Tigers right-hander Reese Olson walked one and struck out six in six innings. Bo Bichette had a leadoff single against Olson in the first inning, but the Blue Jays didn't get another hit off the Tigers right-hander. Tyler Heineman drew a leadoff walk in the third, but was erased on a double play. Olson retired the final 11 batters he faced. NATIONALS 10, ORIOLES 6 BALTIMORE (AP) — Luis Garcia Jr. had two RBIs to fuel a six-run first inning, and Washington won, hours after Baltimore fired manager Brandon Hyde. Soon after arriving at the ballpark, the Orioles learned the team dismissed Hyde and made third base coach Tony Mansolino the interim manager. Hyde guided Baltimore into the postseason in 2023 and 2024, but this year the Orioles started 15-28 and were mired in last place in the AL East when general manager Mike Elias decided to make a change. It didn't help Saturday. In the top of the first inning, Nationals leadoff hitter CJ Abrams hustled to second base on a routine single, Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins misjudged a flyball that soared over his head and Washington scored four runs before Baltimore recorded a single out. The key blow was Garcia's two-run single, but there were also two doubles and a triple. The first six players in the batting order scored in Washington's first six-run first inning since May 14, 2021, at Arizona. Kyle Gibson (0-3) gave up six runs and six hits while getting just two outs. RAYS 4, MARLINS 0 MIAMI (AP) — Drew Rasmussen threw a season-high six innings of four-hit ball, Yandy Díaz had two hits and two RBIs and Tampa Bay beat Miami. Jonathan Aranda and Chandler Simpson singled twice and drove in a run each for the Rays, who scored their runs in the fifth inning against Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara. Rasmussen (2-4) struck out seven for his first win since March 31. Simpson left in the ninth after he was thrown out the plate and collided with Marlins catcher Nick Fortes. Simpson remained on the ground while tended to by the training staff before walking to the dugout. Alcantara (2-6), who lost his sixth straight outing, gave up four runs and five hits in five innings. REDS 4, GUARDIANS 1 CINCINNATI (AP) — Will Benson and Rece Hinds hit solo home runs as Cincinnati won its third straight game, beating Cleveland. Brent Suter allowed four hits in three innings before five relievers combined to allow a run on four hits for the Reds, including a 1-2-3 sixth inning by Luis Mey (1-0). Lyon Richardson relieved Suter and allowed Daniel Schneemann's solo homer, his sixth, leading off the fifth to put the Guardians ahead 1-0. Slade Cecconi (0-1) was reinstated from the 15-day injured list to start Saturday for the Guardians after recovering from a left oblique strain he suffered during spring training. Cecconi allowed just two hits through four innings, but Benson tied the score 1-1 with his third homer leading off the fifth. Benson has homered in three straight games for the first time in his career. PHILLIES 5, PIRATES 2 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Zack Wheeler pitched six shutout innings, Bryson Stott homered and drove in three runs, and Philadelphia defeated Pittsburgh. Stott launched his fourth homer of the season off starter Carmen Mlodzinski (1-4) in the third and knocked in two runs an inning later with an opposite-field single. Wheeler (5-1) posted another strong outing, allowing three hits and a walk. It was his second consecutive scoreless start, and he's gone 16 innings without giving up a run. Bryce Harper had two hits and an RBI. Harper has reached base 11 times in his last 17 plate appearances, logging seven hits and four walks. Kyle Schwarber added an RBI double for the Phillies, who have won 14 of 19. Mlodzinski lasted 3 1/3 innings, allowing four runs and seven hits. RANGERS 5, ASTROS 1 ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Joc Pederson broke a tie with a two-run home run in the sixth inning, Wyatt Langford hit a solo shot in a two-run seventh and Texas beat Houston. Tyler Mahle (5-1) allowed the one run over six innings, keeping his ERA at 1.47 — ranking third in the AL. The Rangers have taken two of the first three games of the four-game series. Pederson, hitting .123 with four RBI to that point as Texas' primary DH this season, followed Marcus Semien's one-out single off Ronel Blanco (3-4) with a drive to right-center for his second homer of the season. Langford's homer off Bennett Sousa immediately followed Josh Smith's sacrifice fly that scored Sam Haggerty. Haggerty led off with a walk and was picked off first base, but he reached third when first baseman Christian Walker threw low to second base. The Astros took a 1-0 lead four batters in when Walker hit a 3-2 fastball for an opposite-field double to score Isaac Paredes. CARDINALS 1, ROYALS 0 KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jordan Walker homered and Miles Mikolas pitched six sharp innings to lead surging St. Louis past Kansas City. Mikolas (3-2) allowed two hits with four strikeouts and two walks for the Cardinals, who have won three straight and 12 of 13. St. Louis is 7-1 on a nine-game trip to three cities, winning all three series. Walker connected leading off sixth. Iván Herrera's two-out single in the fifth was the only other hit for the Cardinals. Kyle Leahy permitted two hits in two innings of relief and Ryan Helsley finished the four-hitter for his ninth save. Hard-luck loser Noah Cameron (1-1) went 6 1/3 innings in his second major league start. The 25-year-old left-hander from St. Joseph, Missouri, became the first pitcher to begin his career with consecutive starts of 6 1/3 or more innings without giving up more than two hits in either one. Kansas City stranded five runners and has been held to four or fewer runs in seven of the last eight games. The Royals have scored four or more 38 times this season, second-most in the majors. RED SOX 7, BRAVES 6 BOSTON (AP) — Rafael Devers homered leading off the bottom of the ninth inning against Pierce Johnson, sending Boston to a comeback win over Atlanta that snapped its four-game losing streak. Jarren Duran had a two-run homer and a tying two-run single for the Red Sox, who had dropped 10 of 15. Atlanta's Matt Olson and Marcell Ozuna hit consecutive first-inning homers off Lucas Giolito, helping the Braves build a 5-0 lead before the Red Sox came charging back with two runs in the seventh and two in the eighth. Drake Baldwin added a two-run homer for Atlanta, which lost for only the fifth time in 14 games. Aroldis Chapman (3-2) struck out three in a scoreless inning for the win. Eli White had three singles and a couple of nice running catches on back-to-back plays in the fourth for the Braves. It was the second straight night that Olson was the front end of back-to-back homers after he hit a solo shot in aseries-opening victoryFriday.

Twins shut out Brewers 7-0 for 13th straight win

Twins shut out Brewers 7-0 for 13th straight win MILWAUKEE (AP) — Pablo López combined with three relievers on a three-hitter as the Minneso...
Liberty raise championship banner, beat Aces 92-78New Foto - Liberty raise championship banner, beat Aces 92-78

NEW YORK (AP) — Breanna Stewart scored 25 points and Natasha Cloud added 22 to help the New York Liberty beat the Las Vegas Aces 92-78 on Saturday in the season opener, right after the team unveiled its 2024 WNBA championship banner. New York had a15-minute ceremonybefore the game where the players received their championship rings and the banner was raised to the rafters of Barclays Center to the delight of the sellout crowd of 17,344. The Liberty used the momentum and energy from that ceremony to beat the rival Aces, whom they eliminated in the WNBA playoff semifinals last year. New York built a 14-point halftime lead before Las Vegas chipped away to get within 66-64 early in the fourth quarter. Cloud, who came to the Liberty in an offseason trade, then had consecutive three-point plays to start an 8-0 run that made it 74-64 with 5:47 left. Las Vegas could only get within six the rest of the way. A'ja Wilson led Las Vegas with 31 points and 16 rebounds. Jackie Young added 16 points for the Aces, who were missing reserve Crystal Bradford. Bradfordwas serving a one-game suspensionfor an incident from 2021. This was her first time on a regular-season roster since then. FEVER 93, SKY 58 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Caitlin Clark opened the season with the third triple-double of her career, andnew-look Indianadominated the final 16 1/2 minutes to pull away from revamped Chicago. Last season's WNBA Rookie of the Year finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists while blocking a career-high four shots. Aliyah Boston added 19 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks, while Natasha Howard scored 15 points in her Fever debut. DeWanna Bonner also scored seven points to move into third on the WNBA's career scoring last, passing Tina Thompson. Bonner now has 7,489 points. Angel Reese had 12 points and 17 rebounds for the Sky, who lost three of four last season to Indiana. Ariel Atkins added 11 points. But the game was defined bythe newest chapter in the Clark-Reese rivalry.This time, it came on a hard foul from Clark across Reese's arm, which jarred the ball loose and knocked Reese to the floor with 4:38 left in the third quarter. When Reese jumped up to confront Clark, Fever center Aliyah Boston stepped between the two players as Clark walked away from the skirmish. The referees upgraded Clark's foul to a flagrant 1 and assessed technical fouls to Reese and Boston following a replay review. But after Reese made one of two free throws and Courtney Vandersloot made a layup on the ensuing possession, Indiana closed the third quarter on a 9-0 run to take a 65-45 lead. The Sky never really threatened Indiana's lead.

Liberty raise championship banner, beat Aces 92-78

Liberty raise championship banner, beat Aces 92-78 NEW YORK (AP) — Breanna Stewart scored 25 points and Natasha Cloud added 22 to help the N...
Journalism shows heart, resiliency to win the Preakness Stakes — just like the Altadena community he representsNew Foto - Journalism shows heart, resiliency to win the Preakness Stakes — just like the Altadena community he represents

Michael McCarthy had just witnessed a display of resiliency unfold in front of him at the Preakness Stakes on Saturday when he referenced another. "We'll rebuild," McCarthy told NBC in a televised interview from the wet track of Baltimore's Pimlico Race Course, just minutes after his horse, Journalism, won the 150th running of the Triple Crown's middle leg. "This is for Altadena." Journalism's victory required a comeback of more than five lengths, an improbable run that required slipping between two horses on either side as it entered the backstretch, then furiously making up ground on leader Gosger, never taking the lead until the final strides. The route was unexpected and challenging — not all that dissimilar to what its trainer had endured since January wildfires in Southern California displaced McCarthy and his family from their home. As flames creeped within areported600 feet of the walls of McCarthy's Altadena home, he his wife and daughter left at 4:40 a.m. and checked into a hotel,The Athleticreported last month. McCarthy's home in Altadena suffered smoke damage but ultimately survived what became known as the Eaton fire, named for a nearby canyon from which it originated and grew into a blaze that would kill 18 people. But his neighborhood was largely destroyed, as was the city where he was raised. What remained in Altadena was "just chimneys," McCarthytoldNBC Sports last month. Together the Eaton and nearby Palisades fire, which also ignited in early January in Pacific Palisades west of Los Angeles, and also spread via extreme winds, destroyed an estimated 16,000 structures, impacted more than 30,000 people and at an economic loss of more than $250 billion. On the Jan. 8 morning when the fire broke out, 3-year-old Journalism was in the back right corner of its stall in a barn at Santa Anita Park in nearby Arcadia, "which is where they go when they know something is going on," McCarthytoldNBC Sports' Tim Layden. The trainer decided to move Journalism and other horses out of the barn that day and had them driven near San Diego as a precaution. Aron Wellman, a co-owner of Journalism,toldThe Athletic last month that "there were a lot of moving parts" as the fires broke out. "The weight of the world was on Michael's shoulders there for a bit," he said. When, four days later, Journalism was brought back to Santa Anita, his trainer remarked that the horse appeared unaffected by the disruption taking place around him. It was a foreshadowing of the horse's unflappability it used to win Saturday at Pimlico. Considered the betting favorite to win the May 3 Kentucky Derby, Journalismfinished second when it was unable to catch Sovereignty.The Derby champion was not entered at the Preakness because of the two-week turnaround. It used to be rare for a Derby champion to skip the Preakness, and thus miss out on the possibility of winning horse racing's Triple Crown, which ends with the Belmont Stakes. Yet this year marked the third time in the last four years the Preakness field has not included the Derby winner. The trend has created a debate about whether the Triple Crown, with three races spaced apart by just two weeks, is too taxing on horses. Only three horses in the Preakness field had also raced in the Kentucky Derby. "I think it says a lot about him," McCarthy said after the race. "None of these Triple Crown races are easy to get to, you certainly need the vehicle, and we had it with him." In comeback, Journalism wins 150th Preakness Stakes Bold colors, big hats and fast horses: Photos of the 150th Preakness Stakes Baltimore's historic Pimlico Race Course will begin demolition after the Preakness In a nine-horse field Saturday, Journalism sat in sixth through the backstretch of the 1 3/16-mile track, and appeared too far back to make a challenge entering the homestretch in front of the Pimlico grandstand that will soon be demolished. Yet Journalism showed why it was the pre-race favorite, with 6-5 odds, by charging to a victory. The comeback "defied logic," Wellman said after the race. "I just think that this victory symbolizes so much about life," Wellman said. "It took guts for Mike McCarthy to make this call to come here. It took guts for (jockey) Umberto Rispoli to power his way through a seemingly impossible hole, getting sideswiped and threading the needle and powering on through. And it took guts from an incredible horse to somehow will his way to victory."

Journalism shows heart, resiliency to win the Preakness Stakes — just like the Altadena community he represents

Journalism shows heart, resiliency to win the Preakness Stakes — just like the Altadena community he represents Michael McCarthy had just wi...
Joc Pederson hits 2-run homer in the Rangers' 5-1 victory over the AstrosNew Foto - Joc Pederson hits 2-run homer in the Rangers' 5-1 victory over the Astros

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Joc Pederson broke a tie with a two-run home run in the sixth inning, Wyatt Langford hit a solo shot in a two-run seventh and the Texas Rangers beat the Houston Astros 5-1 on Saturday night. Tyler Mahle (5-1) allowed the one run over six innings, keeping his ERA at 1.47 — ranking third in the AL. The Rangers have taken two of the first three games of the four-game series. Pederson, hitting .123 with four RBI to that point as Texas' primary DH this season, followed Marcus Semien's one-out single off Ronel Blanco (3-4) with a drive to right-center for his second homer of the season. Langford's homer off Bennett Sousa immediately followed Josh Smith's sacrifice fly that scored Sam Haggerty. Haggerty led off with a walk and was picked off first base, but he reached third when first baseman Christian Walker threw low to second base. The Astros took a 1-0 lead four batters in when Walker hit a 3-2 fastball for an opposite-field double to score Isaac Paredes. Texas tied it in the third when Langford singled home Kyle Higashioka, who walked and reached third on Haggerty's ground-rule double. The Astros left seven runners on base and were 0 for 4 hitting with runners in scoring position. Key moment Haggerty was a late replacement in Texas' lineup after Evan Carter was scratched with right quadriceps tightness. Key stat Three Rangers starters rank in the AL's 10 top in ERA, Mahle joined by Nathan Eovaldi (fourth at 1.51) and Jacob deGrom (10th at 2.29). Up next Rangers RHP Jack Leiter (3-2, 4.34 ERA) was set to start Sunday in the series finale. The Astros hadn't announced a starter. ___ AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Joc Pederson hits 2-run homer in the Rangers' 5-1 victory over the Astros

Joc Pederson hits 2-run homer in the Rangers' 5-1 victory over the Astros ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Joc Pederson broke a tie with a two-ru...

 

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