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YIPPEE FOR YOGI!

The great Yogi Berra turns 90, and perhaps the most beloved figure in baseball history plans to be on hand for a birthday celebration at the museum that bears his name at Montclair State University in New Jersey. Famed for his Yogi-isms – ”ain’t over till it’s over – and feared for his bat, the three-time AL MVP won a record 10 World Series rings playing for the Yankees.

WELL ADJUSTED

Stephen Strasburg returns to Washington’s rotation when he starts at Arizona. The righty made an early exit in his previous outing because of an alignment issue under his shoulder blade. He then visited a chiropractor and said he felt much better. He’s 2-3 with a 4.73 ERA in six games this year.

IN ORBIT

Collin McHugh starts for the AL West-leading Astros, trying to match the team record of 12 straight victories by a pitcher. He’ll throw in Houston vs. San Francisco, aiming to tie the mark shared by Wade Miller and Mark Portugal. McHugh is 4-0 with a 3.23 ERA in six starts this year.

NOAH’S ARC

Prized Mets pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard is set to make his major league debut, facing the Cubs at Wrigley Field. The 22-year-old righty is among several talented arms in New York’s minor league system. He was 3-0 with 1.82 ERA this year at Triple-A Las Vegas, plus he was hitting .455 with a homer.

SKIDDING

The Rockies look to end a nine-game losing streak when they visit the Angels. Colorado is tied for the fewest wins in the majors and has been outscored 76-31 during its slump. ”I’m sitting in my chair here and trying to think of one positive thing and there are not many,” shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said.

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Tanaka made 10 pitches at 60 feet on level ground after a throwing session on flat ground before Monday night’s game at Tampa Bay.

He is 2-1 with 3.22 ERA in four starts this season.

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Just ask Philadelphia second baseman Chase Utley, who is hitting .116 so far this season – and that’s after he had a hit both Saturday and Sunday to raise his average a bit.

It’s early, but it’s also rare for a regular starter to be hitting that poorly. Utley easily has the lowest average of qualified hitters right now. The next worst belongs to Rougned Odor of Texas, who is a full 28 points higher at .144.

Since 2010, only four players have finished the season hitting under .200 while still qualifying for the batting title – Carlos Pena (twice), Mark Reynolds, Dan Uggla and Chris Davis. Those players have two things in common: They all hit with enough power to make a low batting average a bit more acceptable, and they were all established players who were less likely to be benched even while hitting poorly.

That’s what makes this a tough situation for Philadelphia manager Ryne Sandberg. There’s certainly a decent chance Utley will emerge from this slump and be a productive player again, but how long can the team wait?

”I just take it a day at a time. With him, I’ve been thinking about a lot of things,” Sandberg said. ”He’s also a guy I want up there with a guy on third base situation, in a game-hitting situation.”

Utley did not start Saturday, but he singled as a pinch-hitter. He returned to his normal spot at No. 3 in the batting order the next day.

Other prominent hitters with low averages so far include Chris Carter (.151), Jay Bruce (.167), Jimmy Rollins (.171) and Mike Napoli (.172).

Pittsburgh’s Josh Harrison, who hit .315 last year and nearly won the National League batting title, is languishing at .173 right now.

”I think the game can speed up on players,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. ”I think Josh is right now continuing to work and find that rhythm.”

Here are a few other recent developments from around the majors:

PUZZLING

As odd as it is to see a hitter like Utley in a funk, there are a few pitchers off to eye-opening starts as well – and not in a good way.

AL Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber is 0-5 with a 5.04 ERA. Chris Sale has a 5.93 ERA, and Clay Buchholz is at 5.73. CC Sabathia is 0-5.

SLUGGING

Nelson Cruz of Seattle already has 14 home runs – only three fewer than the entire Philadelphia team.

FANTASY FOCUS

Aside from the big-name players mentioned above, here are some other buy-low candidates who might be possible trade targets after slow starts: Evan Gattis of Houston, Stephen Strasburg of Washington and Jose Quintana of the Chicago White Sox.

LINE OF THE WEEK

Yasmani Grandal, Dodgers, homered twice and drove in eight runs in a 14-4 win over Milwaukee on Thursday. With apologies to Bryce Harper’s three-homer game, Grandal gets the nod for a performance in which he had four hits, scored three times and still found time to walk twice.

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AP Sports Writers Rob Maaddi and Will Graves contributed to this report.

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Hudson tore his ulnar collateral ligament in June 2012 and has made just 12 major league appearances since, all in relief.

Manager Chip Hale says Hudson is scheduled to throw only 50-60 pitches Sunday against San Diego. The Diamondbacks plan to go with a committee of relievers, including J.C. Ramirez, who was called up from Triple-A Reno to fill the roster spot opened when the team sent Danny Dorn back to the minors after Saturday’s game.

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Pitching in a rehab game for Triple-A Nashville on Friday, Parker threw wildly to the plate and collapsed just off the mound. He rolled around in pain and had to be helped off the field.

X-rays and a CT scan at Vanderbilt University Medical Center on Saturday revealed a fracture of the medial epichondyle bone. It’s in the area where the surgery was performed March 24, 2014.

”We don’t know how much this sets back his recovery at this time,” A’s trainer Nick Paparesta said Saturday night. ”He’s going to go home and we’ll set him up to see a specialist.”

Parker, acquired from Arizona before the 2012 season, was 12-8 in 2012 and 13-8 in 2013.

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GOING FOR 100

Reigning NL MVP and Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw has just one win in six starts this season for the Dodgers. It will be his fourth try at his 100th career win when he faces the Rockies.

MAD STREAK

World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner of the San Francisco Giants will try to win a third straight start when he faces the Marlins on Saturday. The lefty (3-1, 3.03 ERA) took a no-hit bid into the seventh against San Diego his last time out.

NEXT BIG THING

White Sox top prospect Carlos Rodon will make his first major league start, in the nightcap of a doubleheader against the Reds. With right-hander Jeff Samardzija serving his five-game suspension, Chicago needed somebody to face Cincinnati. That chance is going to Rodon, who has a 2.84 ERA in three relief appearances. ”It should be fun. We’ll see how it goes,” Rodon said.

AND INDIANS MAKE 11

Indians left-hander Bruce Chen will make his first major league appearance since Aug. 28, when he starts against Minnesota. He signed a minor league contract with Cleveland in February. Chen, 37, will be pitching for his 11th major league team. ”Not like I’m counting or anything. I have the hats, baseball bags, but every single team is special for me and hopefully I can make it a special time in Cleveland.”

RESTING UP

Center fielder Carlos Gomez could return for the Brewers’ game against the Chicago Cubs after missing a couple days with what manager Craig Counsell said was a ”very mild hip flexor.” Counsell said having Gomez sit was precautionary because of another injury to his right leg. Gomez came off the 15-day disabled list on May 2 for a right hamstring strain. He’s off to a slow start batting .236 with a homer and nine RBIs.

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Donaldson connected off the facing of the third deck in the first inning and Colabello added an opposite field shot in the second. Both homers came off Wade Miley (1-4), who lost his third straight start.

Sanchez (3-2) allowed two hits, walked five and struck out three to win for the third time in four starts.

The Red Sox lost for the sixth time in seven games. They came in having scored just 15 runs in their previous six, posting a team batting average of .214 in that span.

Things didn’t go much better against the Blue Jays. Dustin Pedroia’s one-out single in the first was their only hit through the first seven innings, and Pedroia was immediately erased on a double play.

PHILLIES 3, METS 1

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Ryan Howard homered and drove in two runs, Cole Hamels outpitched Matt Harvey and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the New York Mets.

Hamels (2-3) gave up one run and four hits in seven innings, striking out eight.

Harvey (5-1) allowed three runs and six hits in six innings for his first career loss before June and first in seven starts against Philadelphia. The hard-throwing righty was 10-0 in 16 starts in April and May.

Philadelphia’s Freddy Galvis was 3 for 3 with a walk, raising his team-best batting average to .351.

Ken Giles tossed a perfect eighth and Jonathan Papelbon finished for his sixth save in six tries.

NATIONALS 9, BRAVES 2

WASHINGTON (AP) – Bryce Harper hit two more home runs, giving him five in two games, and Danny Espinosa also connected twice to power the Washington Nationals past the Atlanta Braves.

Harper drove in five runs with three hits. On Wednesday, he homered his first three times up and drove in five runs.

Harper has 10 home runs this season, along with those 10 RBIs in his last two games.

Jayson Werth added a solo home run as the Nationals backed Gio Gonzalez (3-2). Gonzalez pitched seven solid innings after going 0-7 in his previous eight starts against Atlanta.

Harper hit a two-run homer in the sixth off Eric Stults (1-3), giving Washington a 3-2 lead. Harper hit a three-run drive deep into the right-center field stands in the eighth against Williams Perez, who was making his major league debut.

REDS-WHITE SOX, PPD

CHICAGO (AP) – The opener of Cincinnati’s first series at the Chicago White Sox in 14 years has been postponed by rain.

YANKEES 5, ORIOLES 4

NEW YORK (AP) – Brian McCann hit an early two-run homer, Andrew Miller got his major league-leading 13th save and the New York Yankees held on to beat the Baltimore Orioles.

A night after hitting his 661st home run to move past Willie Mays into sole possession of fourth place, Alex Rodriguez hit a drive to the top of the wall in right-center for his first triple since July 2012. New York (19-11) survived yet another short start by Adam Warren to win for the 16th time in 21 games and move eight games over .500 for the first time since the final day of 2013 season.

Warren took a shutout into the fifth but was removed one out short of qualifying for a win. He gave up two runs, seven hits and three walks.

Dellin Betances (4-0) retired four straight batters for the win and Miller, New York’s fifth pitcher, got three straight outs against the team he finished last year with to remain perfect in save opportunities.

TWINS 9, INDIANS 3

CLEVELAND (AP) – Torii Hunter went 4 for 4, including a solo homer, and drove in four runs, leading the Minnesota Twins past the Cleveland Indians.

The Twins have won eight of nine and are 16-7 since April 13.

Hunter, with a chance for a five-hit game, walked on four pitches in the ninth.

Mike Pelfrey (3-0), rebounding from his shortest outing of the season, gave up two runs in seven innings.

Bauer (2-1) allowed five runs in five-plus innings as Cleveland’s problems continue. The Indians (10-18) have the worst record in the American League.

RAYS 8, RANGERS 2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – Nathan Karns took a shutout into the eighth inning, pinch hitter Brandon Guyer had a three-run homer and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Texas Rangers.

Karns (2-1) allowed two hits through seven scoreless innings before Adam Rosales homered to lead off the eighth. Karns struck out a career-high nine.

Yovani Gallardo (2-5) lost his fourth straight start, giving up four runs and three hits in 5 1-3 innings.

Evan Longoria hit an RBI single that finished Gallardo in the sixth. Reliever Alex Claudio threw only one pitch in the game, and Guyer sent it into the left-field seats for the first pinch-hit homer of his career and a 5-0 lead.

Longoria was the designated hitter, one day after his streak of playing in 270 consecutive games ended due to flulike symptoms.

CARDINALS 8, PIRATES 5

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Matt Holliday and Kolten Wong hit three-run homers and Michael Wacha remained unbeaten as the St. Louis Cardinals held off the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Holliday sent a towering shot to left-center off Francisco Liriano (1-2) in the third inning and Wong put it away with a drive over the Clemente Wall in right off Arquimedes Caminero in the seventh. Jhonny Peralta also homered for the Cardinals, who have won 10 of 11.

Wong finished with three hits. Trevor Rosenthal worked the ninth for his 11th save as the Cardinals improved to a major-league best 22-7. Wacha (5-0) produced six workmanlike innings, giving up three runs and six hits with one strikeout.

Starling Marte had three hits for Pittsburgh and Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker and Francisco Cervelli added two each.

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More than anything, the Angels bench coach’s method gets his players’ eyes on him in a hurry when necessary.

The longtime Los Angeles coach whistles while he works – how appropriate for a team that plays its home games within a 10-minute drive from Disneyland – and has done so dating to his days managing in the minor leagues.

His signature, split-second chirp is all it takes to get a wayward outfielder’s attention if by some chance the player has not looked toward the dugout for instructions between batters or, in some cases, even between pitches.

”He’s got a loud whistle. It’s better than me trying to say, `Yo!”’ manager Mike Scioscia said this spring, chuckling at the thought. ”There’s no doubt you want to get the attention of your players. Our guys from the time they come to our organization are pretty well trained to look in the dugout when a new hitter comes up to see where they are.”

In an age when defensive shifting has become almost the norm as clubs seek even the slightest advantage, every move matters – and every toot, too.

Whistling isn’t the first-choice method for Ebel when it comes to communicating with his players from the top of the dugout alongside Scioscia. Alfredo Griffin manages the infielders’ movements while Ebel does the same for the outfielders.

”The last thing I want to do is whistle,” Ebel said.

But a loud trill comes in handy.

”If they’re looking in at me and we say we’re going to do this, this, this, I’ll do a hand sign,” he explained. ”But if we somehow, some reason (don’t get eye contact), the game flow, loud crowd, whatever’s going on … big whistle. They just hear the whistle. For some reason my whistle, they hear it.”

Baseball Info Solutions, a high-tech company founded in 2002, provided data to 21 of the 30 major league clubs last year to help teams determine how to align defenses against certain hitters based on spray charts and tendencies. Ebel and the Angels rely on all of that, but still add their old-school touch.

For all of the high-tech programming, slugging first baseman Albert Pujols and the Angels sometimes execute the final part of their shift strategy in a bygone manner: with signals and whistling.

Jeremy Zoll, the team’s coordinator of advance scouting, examines the data on hitters and consults with player information coach Rico Brogna, a big league catcher from 1992-01. They forward the information to Griffin, Los Angeles’ first base coach, and Ebel.

”Every pitch our guys look in,” Ebel said.

When they don’t remember, Ebel makes it happen.

”They hear the whistle, and they look in and it’s just a quick hands,” said Ebel, who demonstrates his snappy, distinct sound. ”Whistle, boom, come here, go here. Most of the time, pitch, pitch, they look at me, everything’s good. Pitch, pitch, look at Griff, everything’s good. Maybe a certain count we’re going to move, somebody’s not looking (he whistles). They look, boom, boom, boom … boom, boom, boom … boom, boom, boom. … I don’t think the fans will hear.”

Ebel joined the Angels in 2005 following 17 seasons with Dodgers as minor league player, coach and manager. He is 531-496 in eight-plus seasons as a manager, so his whistling has done him well.

The 49-year-old Ebel, a former infielder who played as high as the Triple-A level, has developed his unique coaching techniques along the way so that even the veteran stars appreciate his approach. Often, the players already know what to expect based on pregame planning and scouting sessions.

”He wants to put us in the right position,” Pujols said. ”If we are close enough where we’re at first base or if he’s even standing in the dugout, that’s how he gets our attention.”

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AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum in New York contributed to this report.

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WELL DONE, SON

The 2-year-old son of Colorado closer John Axford will throw out the first ball before the Rockies host the Dodgers at Coors Field. Jameson Axford has spent the last two months in and out of hospitals for treatment of rattlesnake bites. The young boy was bitten twice in the right foot in the yard of the Arizona house his family rented for spring training, and remains in a wheelchair while healing. His catcher for the ceremonial toss? Dad, naturally.

RED SOX SHAKEUP

The Red Sox will have someone new overseeing their pitchers as they begin a series at Toronto. Boston fired pitching coach Juan Nieves in the wake of a last-place start and the worst ERA in the AL. General manager Ben Cherington didn’t immediately announce a replacement, but did say another move involving reliever Edward Mujica was expected.

MEET THE MATT

Mets ace Matt Harvey has won all five of his starts this year after missing a season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He’s striking out more than a batter per inning, and brings his heat to Philadelphia.

TEMPER, TEMPER

Yordano Ventura starts the series opener at Detroit, with Royals fans hoping he can control his emotions and his pitches. The 23-year-old ace is coming back from a seven-game suspension imposed for getting into a tiff with the White Sox. In his two starts before that, he got fined for hitting Oakland’s Brett Lawrie with a pitch and jawed with Angels star Mike Trout.

WOBBLY WEAVER

Concern is building in Anaheim as Jered Weaver again aims for his first win this season. A three-time All-Star at 32, he is 0-4 in six starts with a 6.29 ERA, and his fastball is barely reaching 85 mph. Weaver pitches at home vs. the Astros.

GRAY DAY

Sonny Gray (4-0, 1.67 ERA) pitches for Oakland, trying to extend his success in Seattle. He is 3-0 with an 0.98 ERA in four starts at Safeco Field.

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1907 – Boston’s Big Jeff Pfeffer threw a no-hitter to give the Braves a 6-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds in Boston.

1929 – Carl Hubbell of the New York Giants pitched a no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the first by a left-hander in the majors in 13 seasons.

1935 – In the first game of a doubleheader, Ernie Lombardi of the Cincinnati Reds hit four doubles in consecutive innings (sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth) off four different Phillies pitchers. Lombardi also singled as the Reds beat Philadelphia 15-4.

1946 – Boston shortstop Johnny Pesky scored six times, setting an American League record, in a 14-10 win over the White Sox. Pesky, who was 4-for-5 in the game with a walk and two RBIs, matched Mel Ott’s National League mark for runs scored in a game.

1966 – Frank Robinson became the only player to hit a home run out of Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium. Robinson hit a 451-foot – 541 feet total – shot on a fly over the left-field wall off Cleveland right-hander Luis Tiant. The Orioles won 8-3.

1966 – The St. Louis Cardinals closed Busch Stadium with a 10-5 loss to the San Francisco Giants.

1968 – Jim “Catfish” Hunter of the Oakland A’s pitched a perfect game to beat the Minnesota Twins 4-0.

1984 – Minnesota’s Kirby Puckett had four singles in his first major league game as the Twins beat the California Angels 5-0.

1994 – The Colorado Silver Bullets, the first women’s team to play a pro men’s team, lost 19-0 to the Northern League All-Stars. Leon Durham hit two homers and Oil Can Boyd started for the All-Stars. The Silver Bullets had two hits, struck out 16 times and made six errors.

1998 – Mark McGwire became the fastest player to hit 400 home runs when he connected in the third inning of the St. Louis Cardinals’ game against the New York Mets. McGwire, the 26th player to reach the milestone, hit his 400 homers in 4,726 at-bats. The previous best was 4,854 by Babe Ruth.

2001 – Randy Johnson became the third pitcher to strike out 20 in nine innings, but didn’t finish the game as the Arizona Diamondbacks went on beat Cincinnati 4-3 in 11 innings. Johnson, the first left-hander to strike out 20, missed out on the chance to join Roger Clemens and Kerry Wood as the record-holders for a nine-inning game because Arizona could not finish off the Reds in regulation.

2003 – Aaron Boone hit three solo homers, leading the way as the Cincinnati Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-6.

2010 – Jody Gerut hit for the cycle and drove in four runs as the Milwaukee Brewers pounded the Arizona Diamondbacks 17-3. Gerut hit a solo home run in the second inning, singled in the third, drove in a run with a triple in the fifth and added a two-run double in the ninth.

2010 – Mark Teixeira joined Lou Gehrig as the only Yankees to hit three home runs against the Boston Red Sox, and he and Francisco Cervelli drove in five runs each as New York beat Boston 14-3. Teixeira hit solo homers in the fifth and seventh, then added a two-run shot far over the left field wall in the ninth off outfielder Jonathan Van Every for the third three-homer game of his career.

2012 – Josh Hamilton became the 16th player to hit four home runs in a game, launching a quartet of two-run drives against three different pitchers to carry the Texas Rangers to a 10-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Hamilton homered off Jake Arrieta in the first and third innings, added another off Zach Phillips in the seventh and topped it off sending an 0-2 pitch over the center-field wall against Darren O’Day in the eighth. Hamilton also doubled in the fifth inning. His 18 total bases set a single-game American League record, and his eight RBIs were a career high.

Today’s birthdays: Alfredo Simon, 24; Wily Peralta, 26; Adrian Gonzalez, 33.

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