MLB

AP Baseball WriterSmashing: MLB home run record set to fall TuesdayBy RONALD BLUMNEW YORK (AP) Giancarlo Stanton's smacks, Aaron Judge's jolts and all those dizzying long balls helped Major League Baseball move another poke closer to the inevitable.Nearly two decades after the height of the Steroids Era, the...

AP Baseball WriterEncarnacion out of Indians' Game 3 lineup with ankle injuryBy MIKE FITZPATRICKNEW YORK (AP) Injured slugger Edwin Encarnacion is out of the Cleveland Indians' starting lineup for Game 3 of their AL Division Series against the New York Yankees.Michael Brantley is penciled in to replace Encarnacion...

AP Baseball WriterDodgers looking to escape worst skid in two-plus decadesBy JANIE McCAULEYSAN FRANCISCO (AP) Dave Roberts is going to try a little bit of everything to help guide his National League-leading Dodgers out of a funk that matches the worst in L.A. team history. That includes getting...

AP Baseball WriterMLB rules no intent on Tigers pitch that hit plate umpireBy BEN WALKERNEW YORK (AP) Major League Baseball has ruled that the Detroit Tigers did not intend to throw a pitch that struck the plate umpire in the shoulder and knocked him to the ground.MLB said...

AP Sports WriterDickey baffles Nationals, then talks possible retirementBy CHARLES ODUMATLANTA (AP) R.A. Dickey isn't sure he'll be back with Atlanta in 2018, or even still pitching in the majors, so he took a minute to savor what he said could be the final home start of his...

Aaron Hicks activated from disabled list by YankeesNEW YORK (AP) Aaron Hicks has been activated from the disabled list by the playoff-bound New York Yankees after his second lengthy injury layoff this season.Hicks was playing center field and batting leadoff in Tuesday night's series opener against the Tampa...

Abreu, Engel lead White Sox to 11-3 win over RoyalsKANSAS CITY, Missouri (AP) Jose Abreu nearly had his second cycle in three days.Abreu had four hits, Adam Engel hit a three-run homer and the Chicago White Sox pounded out an 11-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on...

Associated PressManfred thinks teams will follow rules for Japanese starBy JIM HOEHNSEATTLE (AP) With Japanese star Shohei Otani considering a jump to a Major League Baseball team, Commissioner Rob Manfred said he believes it will be hard for teams to circumvent existing contract rules in pursuit of the...

Associated PressThe African basketball championship: Unique and entertainingBy KEN MAGUIREDAKAR, Senegal (AP) The African basketball championship may lack star power - even electrical power on occasion. But with national pride at stake, it almost always entertains.AfroBasket, which tipped off Friday in Senegal and Tunisia, can't be compared to...

AP Sports WriterTigers ace Fulmer to have elbow surgery, be out 3-4 monthsBy TOM WITHERSCLEVELAND (AP) The Detroit Tigers say ace Michael Fulmer will undergo elbow surgery on Tuesday and miss the rest of the season.The 2016 AL Rookie of the Year is having a damaged nerve fixed...

2 settle lawsuit against ex-MLB baseball player Chad CurtisGRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) Two of four young women who alleged former Major League Baseball player Chad Curtis inappropriately touched them have settled a federal civil lawsuit against him.Terms of the settlements weren't included in court documents filed Thursday and...

Associated PressManfred thinks teams will follow rules for Japanese starBy JIM HOEHNSEATTLE (AP) With Japanese star Shohei Otani considering a jump to a Major League Baseball team, Commissioner Rob Manfred said he believes it will be hard for teams to circumvent existing contract rules in pursuit of the...