When the Boston Red Sox traded for Garrett Crochet this past offseason, they did so with days like Sunday in mind.

Having lost five of six and looking to avoid an embarrassing three-game sweep to one of the worst teams in baseball, the Red Sox handed the ball to their ace and Crochet delivered. Facing his former team for the first time since ...Read more

BALTIMORE — A day’s worth of Orioles baseball, fat with gusto and as full of life as they’ve been all season, can unravel quickly.

Thus was the case in the waning innings of Baltimore’s nail-biting 7-6 10-inning loss to the visiting Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon.

Gregory Soto relieved Seranthony Domínguez in the eighth inning,...Read more

HOUSTON — The encouraging start to Kyle Hendricks’ season came to a quick end with one rough inning.

Hendricks gave up five runs in the second inning of the Los Angeles Angels’ 7-3 loss to the Houston Astros on Sunday afternoon.

The loss also ended the Angels’ season-opening streak of four straight series wins, as they lost two of ...Read more

ST. LOUIS — When the ball got up in the air, Brandon Marsh raced in and toward the left-field line. But third baseman Alec Bohm barely gave chase, presuming it would go foul.

Instead, it dropped inside the chalk.

And that was Sunday in St. Louis for the Phillies, summed up neatly by one play — a bloop, ground-rule RBI double for the ...Read more

CINCINNATI — The Pirates' offense sunk to new lows against a talented pitcher on Sunday at Great American Ball Park, as Pittsburgh had just two hits in a 4-0 shutout loss to the Cincinnati Reds.

The Pirates’ final 23 batters of the game were retired. They last had a baserunner in the second inning, resulting in their first series sweep of ...Read more

NEW YORK — Compared to the first two games of the San Francisco Giants’ three-game series with the New York Yankees, Sunday afternoon in the Bronx may as well been the Bahamas. The temperature was up, the sun was shining and the sky featured smatterings of bright blue instead of a uniform drab gray. With playing conditions tenable for ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Edouard Julien led off the Minnesota Twins batting order for the first time this season on Sunday, and Byron Buxton also batted second for the first time.

Something else was different too.

Julien and Buxton both homered from their new spots, and the Twins salvaged the final game of three-game series with the Detroit Tigers, ...Read more

SEATTLE — It took 15 games, but the Seattle Mariners finally enjoyed a comfortable night at the ballpark.

No nervy high-leverage moments late in the game or extra innings. No walk-offs either for or against.

This win was almost relaxing.

The M’s picked up a second straight series win after a 9-2 thumping of the Texas Rangers on Saturday ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — This is Roki Sasaki’s home now. The San Gabriel Mountains at his back as he stands atop the mound at Dodger Stadium. Stands filled with adoring fans. Warm spring evenings that soon will lip into summer swelter.

Sasaki, 23, is beginning to feel at home in Chavez Ravine and with the heat that comes with choosing the Dodgers ...Read more

SAN DIEGO — Kyle Hart retired the first 10 batters he faced Saturday night, which was two more batters than he faced in his previous start.

The Padres got a season-low three hits, but two of them were solo home runs.

They beat the Colorado Rockies 2-0.

Just another victory at Petco Park.

The Padres are perfect through nine games at home, ...Read more

HOUSTON — The most memorable out of Tyler Anderson’s gem was an out that he didn’t even get.

Anderson took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and the recently homer happy Angels hit two more in a 4-1 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday night.

The lasting image of the game, though, will be an Astros fan grabbing a foul ball out of ...Read more

CLEVELAND — The Kansas City Royals found themselves in a familiar spot Saturday night against the Cleveland Guardians.

The Royals ran into more good pitching. And the offense continued to struggle to score runs and support the pitching staff.

As a result, Cleveland picked up a 6-3 victory and clinched the early April series at Progressive ...Read more

CINCINNATI — On his bobblehead night, the best player on the field showed out.

Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz hit a grand slam in the third inning, providing Cincinnati with all the offense it needed in an eventual 5-2 win Saturday at Great American Ball Park. The Pirates have lost the first two games of the series, dropping their record to 5...Read more

CHICAGO — One thing we know about the Chicago White Sox — they’re familiar with the task of trying to climb out from an early-season hole.

An eight-game losing streak in the first month of 2022 was a harbinger of what was in store for Tony La Russa’s final season as Sox manager. That would be the beginning of the end for the core of the...Read more

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Mets‘ bats just can’t seem to click.

A lineup that was expected to mash has done so in what seems like fits and starts through 14 games this season. Saturday against the A’s, the Mets put traffic on the basepaths and made right-hander J.T. Ginn throw more pitches than he likely wanted to, but only had one ...Read more

BALTIMORE — The Orioles’ offense was backed into a corner.

Entering the fifth inning Thursday, their lineup had yet to produce a base runner against starter Bowden Francis with the Toronto Blue Jays leading 3-0. They had gone 15 consecutive innings without scoring a run and just watched one of their best players from a year ago hit his ...Read more

This is shaping up to be a nightmare of a weekend for the Boston Red Sox.

Following Friday’s embarrassing loss, the Red Sox dropped their second straight to the Chicago White Sox in crushing fashion on Saturday, losing 3-2 on a walk-off single by Brooks Baldwin.

The loss ensures the Red Sox will lose the three-game series to a team that ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — So, you could easily blame another Rays defeat on home runs. After all, they gave up four more in a 5-4 loss against the Braves on Saturday.

But, for argument’s sake, why not consider this:

— Jose Caballero getting thrown out on the bases three different times between a caught stealing, a pickoff and getting doubled off ...Read more

Cody Bellinger had run into bad luck of late.

The Yankees center fielder missed two games at the beginning of the month when his lower back tightened up — an issue he’s dealt with from time to time.

He sat out again on Tuesday when a batch of room-service chicken wings in Detroit left him with food poisoning.

Bellinger entered Saturday ...Read more