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Tag: Juan Soto

  • Ohtani is unanimous MVP for 4th time in winning NL honor as Judge edges Raleigh for 3rd AL accolade

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    Shohei Ohtani likes winning Most Valuable Player awards. He loves winning the World Series even more.

    The two-way Japanese star did both for a second season in a row for the Los Angeles Dodgers, earning his fourth career MVP on Thursday night while unanimously earning the National League honor. He’s just the second to win four MVPs after Barry Bonds with seven and the only player to win unanimously more than once.

    Considering Ohtani is 31, overtaking Bonds doesn’t seem out of the question. Especially if it leads to more Fall Classic opportunities.

    “If I’m playing well as an individual that means I’m helping the team win, so in that sense, hopefully I can end up with a couple more MVPs,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “But at the end of the day, it’s all about winning games.”

    In the American League, Aaron Judge became the New York Yankees’ fourth three-time winner, edging Seattle’s Cal Raleigh with 17 first-place votes to 13 for the switch-hitting catcher. The vote was the closest for an MVP since the Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout topped Houston’s Alex Bregman by 17-13 in 2019.

    Judge, who won the AL award in 2022 and 2024, joined Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle as three-time MVPs with the Yankees. The 33-year-old outfielder led the majors with a .331 batting average and 1.144 OPS while hitting 53 homers.

    When asked about his place in MLB and Yankees lore, Judge acknowledged he’s in rare company.

    “It’s tough for me to wrap my head around,” Judge said. “It’s mind blowing from my side of things, because I play this game to win, I play this game for my teammates, my family, all the fans in New York.”

    Later he added: “You’ve got to pinch yourself every single day. It’s truly an incredible honor.”

    Ohtani won a MVP for the third straight year, his second in the NL with the Dodgers after two in the AL with the Angels. He became the first to win in each league twice after getting the AL honor in 2021 and 2023. Ohtani signed with the crosstown Dodgers the following offseason and won NL MVP in 2024 during his first season in Chavez Ravine. He’s also won the World Series in both his seasons with the Dodgers.

    Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber finished second in the NL with 23 second-place votes and New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto was third with four.

    Ohtani hit .282 and led the NL with a 1.014 OPS. He also had 55 homers, 102 RBIs and 20 stolen bases.

    The right-hander returned to pitching in June after missing 1 1/2 seasons on the mound because of an elbow injury. He struck out 62 batters over 47 innings, slowly increasing his workload while preparing for the postseason.

    Ohtani continued to shine in October with arguably the greatest single game in MLB history. He hit three homers while striking out 10 over six dominant innings on Oct. 17, leading the Dodgers over Milwaukee to finish an NL Championship Series sweep.

    Schwarber, who earned a $50,000 bonus for finishing second, hit an NL-best 56 homers and led the big leagues with 132 RBIs for Philadelphia.

    Soto overcame a slow start to the season to have his typically stellar offensive output. The four-time All-Star — who signed a $765 million, 15-year deal last December — had 43 homers, 105 RBIs and an NL-best 38 stolen bases. He received a $150,000 bonus for finishing third in the MVP voting.

    Judge is the first AL player to win back-to-back MVPs since Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera it in 2012 and 2013.

    Raleigh, nicknamed “Big Dumper,” led the big leagues with 60 homers, the most for a player primarily a catcher. He started 119 games behind the plate and another 38 at designated hitter.

    The 28-year-old also had a career-high 125 RBIs, leading the Mariners to one of their best seasons in franchise history. Judge said he got to know Raleigh a little during the All-Star break and the catcher asked for some leadership tips.

    “Cal’s a special player,” Judge said. “I could sit here and talk all night about the player he is, but really the kind of leader and person he is really stuck out to me at the All-Star Game.”

    Cleveland’s José Ramírez finished third in the AL.

    Arizona’s Geraldo Perdomo was fourth in the NL voting, earning him $2.5 million annual salary increases in 2028 and 2029 along with the price of Arizona’s 2030 club option.

    ___

    AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

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  • Juan Soto Lays Out Mets’ Simple Path to October: ‘Play Better Baseball’

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    The New York Mets have lost four straight games, causing their playoff chances to plummet. With a 76-69 record entering Wednesday, they are not only virtually out of contention for the NL East, but are also on the verge of losing the final NL wild card spot.

    Their cause was not helped by the fact that two of those losses came at the hands of the division-leading Philadelphia Phillies, with a record of 85-60 entering Wednesday. The moment couldn’t be more delicate for the Mets, as team’s star Juan Soto described it after Tuesday’s loss.

    “It’s a tough stretch right now. We just gotta find a way to play better baseball,” Soto said after Tuesday’s game, according to NorthJersey.com. “Attack early, try to come out and give some room to the starter so they can work a little bit more freely. Yesterday was a tough one, today was a tough one, too. We were kinda shaky a little bit on the offensive side.”

    Juan Soto #22 of the New York Mets bats against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on September 9, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Mets 9-3.

    Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

    Soto‘s assessment is backed up by the numbers. In the Mets’ four consecutive losses, six of their eight total runs came after the fifth inning, too little, too late. Meanwhile, their opponents have jumped ahead early, scoring 10 of 19 runs within the first five frames. The contrast underscores the troubling pattern outlined by their stellar right fielder: the Mets are falling behind early and struggling to catch up.

    Heading into Wednesday’s games, the Mets hold the National League’s third and final wild card spot. But the tension is palpable, with the San Francisco Giants just two games back, and riding the momentum of six wins in their last eight contests.

    Mets’ Rough Patch Overshadowed Juan Soto’s Impressive Feat

    When the team’s postseason qualification is in jeopardy, it’s hard to focus on anything else, even if it’s a historic feat. However, what Soto accomplished Tuesday against the Phillies is still beyond impressive.

    The Dominican stole third base in the eighth inning, reaching a staggering 30 stolen bases for the season. Even more remarkable, he joined the MLB 30-30 club (30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in the same season), the fifth Met to do so.

    “Definitely, a lot of hard work was put in since the beginning of the season,” Soto said about this feat, according to MLB.com. “Antoan (Richardson, Mets’ first-base coach) has done an unbelievable job. He’s been helping me since Day 1. So I give him all the credit. He’s the one who put me in this situation and in this spot to do what I’ve done.”

    Soto is now on the verge of adding another remarkable achievement to his résumé: a 40-home run, 30-stolen base season. With 38 homers already under his belt, he’s just two swings away from joining one of baseball’s most exclusive clubs, a feat accomplished only 15 times in Major League history.

    More MLB: Yankees’ Aaron Boone Has 4-Word Gleyber Torres Statement in Return to Bronx

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  • New York Yankees defeat Cleveland Guardians, advance to World Series

    New York Yankees defeat Cleveland Guardians, advance to World Series

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    Juan Soto’s arrival last winter was supposed to be that move that pushed the New York Yankees back to the top.They’re one step away.Video above: After postseason run, what’s next for new Royals ballpark?Soto hit a three-run homer with two outs in the 10th inning and the Yankees advanced to their 41st World Series — and first in 15 years — by beating the Cleveland Guardians 5-2 in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series on Saturday night.Baseball’s biggest brand is going back to October’s main stage.Soto, who was acquired in a seven-player trade from San Diego in December, pushed the Bronx Bombers into position with one big swing.This was why he came, for this moment and for so many more.“We’re right where we belong,” said Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, who pulled off the deal for Soto.The Yankees will try to win their 28th title against either the New York Mets or Los Angeles Dodgers. Game 6 of the NL Championship Series is on Sunday at Dodger Stadium.In the third consecutive tight game in three nights at Progressive Field, Austin Wells walked with one out in the 10th, and Alex Verdugo followed with a grounder to Guardians second baseman Andrés Giménez, whose soft toss to the bag was dropped by rookie shortstop Brayan Rocchio for an error.Hunter Gaddis struck out Gleyber Torres and had Soto in a 1-2 count before New York’s stylish outfielder sent a shot over the wall in center. Soto danced down the first-base line and paused to celebrate with his teammates before circling the bases.“I was just saying to myself, ‘You’re all over that guy. You’re all over that guy. He ain’t got anything,’” said Soto, who moved alongside his manager, Aaron Boone, as the only New York players to homer in an extra-inning, series-clinching win.Luke Weaver got the final three outs with Lane Thomas flying out for the last one, which was caught by Soto.“We get to play for a world championship,” Boone said. “That’s pretty sweet.”The 25-year-old Soto is eligible for free agency this winter, and Yankees fans chanted, “Re-sign Soto!” during the postgame festivities. He’s expected to get a contract upward of $600 million, and his heroics in Game 5 may have raised his price.Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run homer and was named ALCS MVP as the Yankees took care of the Guardians in five games. It wasn’t easy.New York won the first two at Yankee Stadium without much fanfare or any major drama. However, it was a different story in Cleveland, as all three games at Progressive Field were nail-biters.The Guardians rallied to win Game 3 on two two-run homers in their last two at-bats, and the Yankees held on to win Game 4 after blowing a four-run lead.”This was a rollercoaster and we were able to just keep punching back,” Stanton said. “We know there’s much more work to do and it’s only uphill from here and we got to get it done.”Cleveland just didn’t have enough, and a surprising season under first-year manager Stephen Vogt ended just short of a World Series. The franchise remains without a title since 1948, baseball’s current longest drought.“There’s only one team that gets to win the last game of the year, and unfortunately, it’s not going to be us,” Vogt said. “But we accomplished a lot as a group. We got better. We worked extremely hard. I couldn’t be more proud of this group. We just didn’t get quite as far as we wanted to.”The Yankees are back in the World Series, back where their fans expect them to be every year.The club’s 82-80, fourth-place finish in the AL East last season led to some “soul searching as an organization” during the winter, according to Boone, who has been widely criticized but is one of just three managers to take New York to the playoffs in six of his first seven seasons.While the team’s core stayed mostly intact, getting Soto in a blockbuster trade on Dec. 7 — New York sent five players to San Diego for the three-time All-Star — accelerated the team returning to title contender.“That was a good day,” Boone said with a laugh before the game.Stanton’s 446-foot rocket into the left-field bleachers tied it at 2 in the sixth and chased Tanner Bibee, who had struck out New York’s dangerous DH in his first two at-bats and held the Yankees scoreless for the first five innings.It was Stanton’s fourth homer in this series — his third in three days — and his 16th in the postseason, moving him into fourth place on the club’s career list behind Bernie Williams (22), Derek Jeter (20) and Mickey Mantle (18).Before the game, Boone was asked what makes Stanton so good.“He can hit it harder than anyone, first of all,” Boone said. “So there’s the physical nature of what he does that’s different than just about everyone in the world.”But Boone went on to compliment Stanton’s discipline at the plate, “his approach, his process, how he studies guys.”“There’s something that he does when he gets familiarity with people on top of being very physically gifted,” Boone said.The Guardians took a 2-0 lead in the fifth off Carlos Rodón on Steven Kwan’s RBI single with two outs. But Cleveland missed a big chance for more, leaving the bases loaded when Lane Thomas grounded out on the first pitch to him from Mark Leiter Jr.Trainer’s roomYankees: LHP Nestor Cortes (elbow strain) had another successful live batting practice session. The reliever remains on track to join the Yankees on their World Series roster. Boone said Cortes would throw again early next week. Cortes went 9-10 with a 3.77 ERA in 30 starts.

    CLEVELAND —

    Juan Soto’s arrival last winter was supposed to be that move that pushed the New York Yankees back to the top.

    They’re one step away.

    Video above: After postseason run, what’s next for new Royals ballpark?

    Soto hit a three-run homer with two outs in the 10th inning and the Yankees advanced to their 41st World Series — and first in 15 years — by beating the Cleveland Guardians 5-2 in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series on Saturday night.

    Baseball’s biggest brand is going back to October’s main stage.

    Soto, who was acquired in a seven-player trade from San Diego in December, pushed the Bronx Bombers into position with one big swing.

    This was why he came, for this moment and for so many more.

    “We’re right where we belong,” said Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, who pulled off the deal for Soto.

    The Yankees will try to win their 28th title against either the New York Mets or Los Angeles Dodgers. Game 6 of the NL Championship Series is on Sunday at Dodger Stadium.

    In the third consecutive tight game in three nights at Progressive Field, Austin Wells walked with one out in the 10th, and Alex Verdugo followed with a grounder to Guardians second baseman Andrés Giménez, whose soft toss to the bag was dropped by rookie shortstop Brayan Rocchio for an error.

    Hunter Gaddis struck out Gleyber Torres and had Soto in a 1-2 count before New York’s stylish outfielder sent a shot over the wall in center. Soto danced down the first-base line and paused to celebrate with his teammates before circling the bases.

    “I was just saying to myself, ‘You’re all over that guy. You’re all over that guy. He ain’t got anything,’” said Soto, who moved alongside his manager, Aaron Boone, as the only New York players to homer in an extra-inning, series-clinching win.

    Luke Weaver got the final three outs with Lane Thomas flying out for the last one, which was caught by Soto.

    “We get to play for a world championship,” Boone said. “That’s pretty sweet.”

    The 25-year-old Soto is eligible for free agency this winter, and Yankees fans chanted, “Re-sign Soto!” during the postgame festivities. He’s expected to get a contract upward of $600 million, and his heroics in Game 5 may have raised his price.

    Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run homer and was named ALCS MVP as the Yankees took care of the Guardians in five games. It wasn’t easy.

    New York won the first two at Yankee Stadium without much fanfare or any major drama. However, it was a different story in Cleveland, as all three games at Progressive Field were nail-biters.

    The Guardians rallied to win Game 3 on two two-run homers in their last two at-bats, and the Yankees held on to win Game 4 after blowing a four-run lead.

    “This was a rollercoaster and we were able to just keep punching back,” Stanton said. “We know there’s much more work to do and it’s only uphill from here and we got to get it done.”

    Cleveland just didn’t have enough, and a surprising season under first-year manager Stephen Vogt ended just short of a World Series. The franchise remains without a title since 1948, baseball’s current longest drought.

    “There’s only one team that gets to win the last game of the year, and unfortunately, it’s not going to be us,” Vogt said. “But we accomplished a lot as a group. We got better. We worked extremely hard. I couldn’t be more proud of this group. We just didn’t get quite as far as we wanted to.”

    The Yankees are back in the World Series, back where their fans expect them to be every year.

    The club’s 82-80, fourth-place finish in the AL East last season led to some “soul searching as an organization” during the winter, according to Boone, who has been widely criticized but is one of just three managers to take New York to the playoffs in six of his first seven seasons.

    While the team’s core stayed mostly intact, getting Soto in a blockbuster trade on Dec. 7 — New York sent five players to San Diego for the three-time All-Star — accelerated the team returning to title contender.

    “That was a good day,” Boone said with a laugh before the game.

    Stanton’s 446-foot rocket into the left-field bleachers tied it at 2 in the sixth and chased Tanner Bibee, who had struck out New York’s dangerous DH in his first two at-bats and held the Yankees scoreless for the first five innings.

    It was Stanton’s fourth homer in this series — his third in three days — and his 16th in the postseason, moving him into fourth place on the club’s career list behind Bernie Williams (22), Derek Jeter (20) and Mickey Mantle (18).

    Before the game, Boone was asked what makes Stanton so good.

    “He can hit it harder than anyone, first of all,” Boone said. “So there’s the physical nature of what he does that’s different than just about everyone in the world.”

    But Boone went on to compliment Stanton’s discipline at the plate, “his approach, his process, how he studies guys.”

    “There’s something that he does when he gets familiarity with people on top of being very physically gifted,” Boone said.

    The Guardians took a 2-0 lead in the fifth off Carlos Rodón on Steven Kwan’s RBI single with two outs. But Cleveland missed a big chance for more, leaving the bases loaded when Lane Thomas grounded out on the first pitch to him from Mark Leiter Jr.

    Trainer’s room

    Yankees: LHP Nestor Cortes (elbow strain) had another successful live batting practice session. The reliever remains on track to join the Yankees on their World Series roster. Boone said Cortes would throw again early next week. Cortes went 9-10 with a 3.77 ERA in 30 starts.

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  • New York Yankees defeat Cleveland Guardians, advance to World Series

    New York Yankees defeat Cleveland Guardians, advance to World Series

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    Juan Soto’s arrival last winter was supposed to be that move that pushed the New York Yankees back to the top.They’re one step away.Video above: After postseason run, what’s next for new Royals ballpark?Soto hit a three-run homer with two outs in the 10th inning and the Yankees advanced to their 41st World Series — and first in 15 years — by beating the Cleveland Guardians 5-2 in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series on Saturday night.Baseball’s biggest brand is going back to October’s main stage.Soto, who was acquired in a seven-player trade from San Diego in December, pushed the Bronx Bombers into position with one big swing.This was why he came, for this moment and for so many more.“We’re right where we belong,” said Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, who pulled off the deal for Soto.The Yankees will try to win their 28th title against either the New York Mets or Los Angeles Dodgers. Game 6 of the NL Championship Series is on Sunday at Dodger Stadium.In the third consecutive tight game in three nights at Progressive Field, Austin Wells walked with one out in the 10th, and Alex Verdugo followed with a grounder to Guardians second baseman Andrés Giménez, whose soft toss to the bag was dropped by rookie shortstop Brayan Rocchio for an error.Hunter Gaddis struck out Gleyber Torres and had Soto in a 1-2 count before New York’s stylish outfielder sent a shot over the wall in center. Soto danced down the first-base line and paused to celebrate with his teammates before circling the bases.“I was just saying to myself, ‘You’re all over that guy. You’re all over that guy. He ain’t got anything,’” said Soto, who moved alongside his manager, Aaron Boone, as the only New York players to homer in an extra-inning, series-clinching win.Luke Weaver got the final three outs with Lane Thomas flying out for the last one, which was caught by Soto.“We get to play for a world championship,” Boone said. “That’s pretty sweet.”The 25-year-old Soto is eligible for free agency this winter, and Yankees fans chanted, “Re-sign Soto!” during the postgame festivities. He’s expected to get a contract upward of $600 million, and his heroics in Game 5 may have raised his price.Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run homer and was named ALCS MVP as the Yankees took care of the Guardians in five games. It wasn’t easy.New York won the first two at Yankee Stadium without much fanfare or any major drama. However, it was a different story in Cleveland, as all three games at Progressive Field were nail-biters.The Guardians rallied to win Game 3 on two two-run homers in their last two at-bats, and the Yankees held on to win Game 4 after blowing a four-run lead.”This was a rollercoaster and we were able to just keep punching back,” Stanton said. “We know there’s much more work to do and it’s only uphill from here and we got to get it done.”Cleveland just didn’t have enough, and a surprising season under first-year manager Stephen Vogt ended just short of a World Series. The franchise remains without a title since 1948, baseball’s current longest drought.“There’s only one team that gets to win the last game of the year, and unfortunately, it’s not going to be us,” Vogt said. “But we accomplished a lot as a group. We got better. We worked extremely hard. I couldn’t be more proud of this group. We just didn’t get quite as far as we wanted to.”The Yankees are back in the World Series, back where their fans expect them to be every year.The club’s 82-80, fourth-place finish in the AL East last season led to some “soul searching as an organization” during the winter, according to Boone, who has been widely criticized but is one of just three managers to take New York to the playoffs in six of his first seven seasons.While the team’s core stayed mostly intact, getting Soto in a blockbuster trade on Dec. 7 — New York sent five players to San Diego for the three-time All-Star — accelerated the team returning to title contender.“That was a good day,” Boone said with a laugh before the game.Stanton’s 446-foot rocket into the left-field bleachers tied it at 2 in the sixth and chased Tanner Bibee, who had struck out New York’s dangerous DH in his first two at-bats and held the Yankees scoreless for the first five innings.It was Stanton’s fourth homer in this series — his third in three days — and his 16th in the postseason, moving him into fourth place on the club’s career list behind Bernie Williams (22), Derek Jeter (20) and Mickey Mantle (18).Before the game, Boone was asked what makes Stanton so good.“He can hit it harder than anyone, first of all,” Boone said. “So there’s the physical nature of what he does that’s different than just about everyone in the world.”But Boone went on to compliment Stanton’s discipline at the plate, “his approach, his process, how he studies guys.”“There’s something that he does when he gets familiarity with people on top of being very physically gifted,” Boone said.The Guardians took a 2-0 lead in the fifth off Carlos Rodón on Steven Kwan’s RBI single with two outs. But Cleveland missed a big chance for more, leaving the bases loaded when Lane Thomas grounded out on the first pitch to him from Mark Leiter Jr.Trainer’s roomYankees: LHP Nestor Cortes (elbow strain) had another successful live batting practice session. The reliever remains on track to join the Yankees on their World Series roster. Boone said Cortes would throw again early next week. Cortes went 9-10 with a 3.77 ERA in 30 starts.

    CLEVELAND —

    Juan Soto’s arrival last winter was supposed to be that move that pushed the New York Yankees back to the top.

    They’re one step away.

    Video above: After postseason run, what’s next for new Royals ballpark?

    Soto hit a three-run homer with two outs in the 10th inning and the Yankees advanced to their 41st World Series — and first in 15 years — by beating the Cleveland Guardians 5-2 in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series on Saturday night.

    Baseball’s biggest brand is going back to October’s main stage.

    Soto, who was acquired in a seven-player trade from San Diego in December, pushed the Bronx Bombers into position with one big swing.

    This was why he came, for this moment and for so many more.

    “We’re right where we belong,” said Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, who pulled off the deal for Soto.

    The Yankees will try to win their 28th title against either the New York Mets or Los Angeles Dodgers. Game 6 of the NL Championship Series is on Sunday at Dodger Stadium.

    In the third consecutive tight game in three nights at Progressive Field, Austin Wells walked with one out in the 10th, and Alex Verdugo followed with a grounder to Guardians second baseman Andrés Giménez, whose soft toss to the bag was dropped by rookie shortstop Brayan Rocchio for an error.

    Hunter Gaddis struck out Gleyber Torres and had Soto in a 1-2 count before New York’s stylish outfielder sent a shot over the wall in center. Soto danced down the first-base line and paused to celebrate with his teammates before circling the bases.

    “I was just saying to myself, ‘You’re all over that guy. You’re all over that guy. He ain’t got anything,’” said Soto, who moved alongside his manager, Aaron Boone, as the only New York players to homer in an extra-inning, series-clinching win.

    Luke Weaver got the final three outs with Lane Thomas flying out for the last one, which was caught by Soto.

    “We get to play for a world championship,” Boone said. “That’s pretty sweet.”

    The 25-year-old Soto is eligible for free agency this winter, and Yankees fans chanted, “Re-sign Soto!” during the postgame festivities. He’s expected to get a contract upward of $600 million, and his heroics in Game 5 may have raised his price.

    Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run homer and was named ALCS MVP as the Yankees took care of the Guardians in five games. It wasn’t easy.

    New York won the first two at Yankee Stadium without much fanfare or any major drama. However, it was a different story in Cleveland, as all three games at Progressive Field were nail-biters.

    The Guardians rallied to win Game 3 on two two-run homers in their last two at-bats, and the Yankees held on to win Game 4 after blowing a four-run lead.

    “This was a rollercoaster and we were able to just keep punching back,” Stanton said. “We know there’s much more work to do and it’s only uphill from here and we got to get it done.”

    Cleveland just didn’t have enough, and a surprising season under first-year manager Stephen Vogt ended just short of a World Series. The franchise remains without a title since 1948, baseball’s current longest drought.

    “There’s only one team that gets to win the last game of the year, and unfortunately, it’s not going to be us,” Vogt said. “But we accomplished a lot as a group. We got better. We worked extremely hard. I couldn’t be more proud of this group. We just didn’t get quite as far as we wanted to.”

    The Yankees are back in the World Series, back where their fans expect them to be every year.

    The club’s 82-80, fourth-place finish in the AL East last season led to some “soul searching as an organization” during the winter, according to Boone, who has been widely criticized but is one of just three managers to take New York to the playoffs in six of his first seven seasons.

    While the team’s core stayed mostly intact, getting Soto in a blockbuster trade on Dec. 7 — New York sent five players to San Diego for the three-time All-Star — accelerated the team returning to title contender.

    “That was a good day,” Boone said with a laugh before the game.

    Stanton’s 446-foot rocket into the left-field bleachers tied it at 2 in the sixth and chased Tanner Bibee, who had struck out New York’s dangerous DH in his first two at-bats and held the Yankees scoreless for the first five innings.

    It was Stanton’s fourth homer in this series — his third in three days — and his 16th in the postseason, moving him into fourth place on the club’s career list behind Bernie Williams (22), Derek Jeter (20) and Mickey Mantle (18).

    Before the game, Boone was asked what makes Stanton so good.

    “He can hit it harder than anyone, first of all,” Boone said. “So there’s the physical nature of what he does that’s different than just about everyone in the world.”

    But Boone went on to compliment Stanton’s discipline at the plate, “his approach, his process, how he studies guys.”

    “There’s something that he does when he gets familiarity with people on top of being very physically gifted,” Boone said.

    The Guardians took a 2-0 lead in the fifth off Carlos Rodón on Steven Kwan’s RBI single with two outs. But Cleveland missed a big chance for more, leaving the bases loaded when Lane Thomas grounded out on the first pitch to him from Mark Leiter Jr.

    Trainer’s room

    Yankees: LHP Nestor Cortes (elbow strain) had another successful live batting practice session. The reliever remains on track to join the Yankees on their World Series roster. Boone said Cortes would throw again early next week. Cortes went 9-10 with a 3.77 ERA in 30 starts.

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  • Yankees’ Alex Verdugo would love to be table-setter for Aaron Judge, Juan Soto

    Yankees’ Alex Verdugo would love to be table-setter for Aaron Judge, Juan Soto

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    Alex Verdugo believes he possesses the perfect tools to support his superstar Yankees teammates.

    The versatile Verdugo, whom the Yankees acquired this month in a rare trade with the rival Red Sox, wants to use his abilities to make contact, get on base and play all three outfield positions to complement Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, who are among MLB’s premier run producers.

    “I’m excited to be out there with Judge, be out there with Soto,” Verdugo said Thursday during an introductory Zoom call. “They obviously handle the power side of it. I want to handle the getting on base for them, the saving runs and helping any way I can.”

    Verdugo, a career .281 hitter, joins the Yankees after four seasons with the Red Sox. He says he hasn’t spoken with the Yankees about how they plan to use him, though he could be a fit atop the batting order after 2023’s primary leadoff hitter, DJ LeMahieu, batted .243 during a down season.

    The lefty-swinging Verdugo could also help balance out a Yankees lineup that’s been heavily right-handed in recent years, potentially hitting lower in the order between Giancarlo Stanton and Gleyber Torres.

    “I can kind of be wherever in the lineup,” Verdugo said. “I could be at the top of the lineup to work at-bats, see pitches, get on base. I could be in the middle of the lineup for when some of the guys are on base. I can shoot a hole. I can hit a gapper. Every once in a while I run into one where it will leave the park, but I just feel like my bat-to-ball skill is a really good thing.”

    Verdugo, whom the Red Sox acquired in the 2020 blockbuster trade that sent Mookie Betts to the Dodgers, hasn’t hit for much power in his career. His 13 home runs in 2023 tied a career-high.

    His new manager believes those numbers could improve at Yankee Stadium, where the right-field wall sits only 314 feet away from home plate down the line.

    “I think there’s more power in there, and maybe that power plays up a little bit in our ballpark, being a left-handed hitter,” Aaron Boone said Thursday at a food bank hosted at NYPD’s 44th Precinct in the Bronx. “I don’t want him to chase that. I want him to be the best hitter he can be.”

    Boone also lauded Verdugo’s contact hitting, saying he could envision putting him anywhere in the lineup. The manager has repeatedly praised Verdugo’s defense in the corner outfield spots as well.

    Last season, Verdugo was a Gold Glove finalist in right field, which is far more spacious at Boston’s Fenway Park than left field.

    Verdugo could now shift to left field, which is much bigger at Yankee Stadium. That would require Judge to frequently play center field, where he rates about league average, and allow Soto, whose defense grades the lowest of the three, to occupy right.

    “Last year, I really just wanted to get in better shape. I wanted to be able to run like I used to. I wanted to be able to change directions, and I felt like … you could see it,” Verdugo said.

    “I was able to run after balls, go get balls, and if I had not the best jump, I could make up for it. The fact of Fenway being so big in right, I think it played good, too, as in I got to show that a little bit more. Wherever I play in New York, whether it’s left, center, right, it’s going to be wherever they need me.”

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    Peter Sblendorio

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  • Scott Boras talks potential Yankees targets Cody Bellinger, Juan Soto and more

    Scott Boras talks potential Yankees targets Cody Bellinger, Juan Soto and more

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    SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Standing on a soapbox before dozens of reporters, Scott Boras held court and delivered customary one-liners on Wednesday in Arizona.

    Naturally, the agent discussed a number of his clients. But he also spoke on the Yankees and what their approach could look like this offseason after failing to make the playoffs in 2023.

    “I watched an interview yesterday that said to me that they might be aggressive,” Boras said, poking a little fun at Brian Cashman’s unmeasured media scrum on Tuesday. “I’m not sure, I don’t know. I mean, look, they’ve got two top-five players in the game and they’re the New York Yankees, largest revenues in the game. Why wouldn’t they want to reward their fan base with New York Yankee conduct?”

    While it would be bad business for Boras to rule out the Bombers as suitors for any of his clients, it remains to be seen what Yankee conduct will look like this winter considering the team has a ton of needs. Boras, meanwhile, reps a few players who could fill those holes. Here’s what he had to say about players that may make sense for the Yankees.

    CODY BELLINGER

    Bellinger dominated Boras’ media availability, as the former MVP is coming off a bounce-back year with the Cubs that saw him hit .307/.356/.525 with 26 homers, 97 RBI and 20 stolen bases.

    Cashman, meanwhile, said the Yankees need two outfielders and left-handed bats this offseason. While there are concerns over Bellinger’s cost, injury history and underlying metrics — his exit velo, Barrel% and Hard-Hit% didn’t rank particularly well in 2023 — he checks those boxes. The former Dodger is also playoff-tested and still relatively young.

    “You’ve got a five-tool player,” Boras insisted. “Obviously, in the years prior to coming to the Cubs, he had a partial performance due to just lack of strength. He had surgery, broken leg, all those things. But I think it’s pretty evident that when you have youth and you’re 28, you’re a rare free agent. You have a lot of options. But when he came to Chicago, he just feasted on major league pitching.”

    Boras said that Bellinger has told him to “listen to everybody.” Asked directly if the Yankees have expressed interest in Bellinger, Boras said “there’s broad interest” in the slugger.

    “Cody’s played in major markets,” Boras added, “so he just wants to play on a winning team.”

    Boras later told the Daily News that Bellinger would be “comfortable” in New York, where his dad, Clay, played from 1999-2001.

    Boras said that most teams are looking at Bellinger as a centerfielder, but he can also play first base. The agent also said that Bellinger had a “great experience” in Chicago, but it will take a sizeable payday for the Cubs to retain him.

    “I think Chicago got the comforts of a full Belly,” Boras said. “So they’re going to have to loosen their belts to keep Bellinger.”

    JUAN SOTO

    Soto will be the prize of the offseason — if the Padres decide to trade him. However, Boras said that San Diego indicated otherwise when he met with the club.

    “They laid out their plan for next year, which obviously included a lineup that definitely includes Juan Soto,” Boras said. “They’re obviously looking for more left-handed bats, rather than less. That’s for sure.

    “Their ownership is highly committed to winning.”

    Boras also downplayed a recent report from The Athletic that said the Padres took out a $50 million loan to help cover payroll. According to Boras, lots of teams take out loans; they just don’t always get reported.

    “It doesn’t necessarily mean the implication that they are not financially adept or successful,” he said.

    Either way, moving Soto would help the Padres pay for other needs, particularly in the pitching department. The young superstar, also a left-handed hitting outfielder, is projected to make a record-setting $33 million in arbitration this winter. He’s slated to then receive a megadeal in free agency next offseason.

    Given the financial ramifications, the Yankees make sense as a Soto suitor.

    JUNG HOO LEE

    For those that don’t know, Lee is a lefty-hitting, Japanese centerfielder who has become a star in Korea. The 25-year-old is expected to make the transition to the majors this offseason.

    Boras said that close to half the league has inquired about Lee, a .340 career hitter who hit 23 homers with 113 RBI two seasons ago. An ankle injury limited him to 86 games this past season.

    “He can play defense,” Boras said. “He has power. I think Jung Hoo’s gonna bring K-pop to MLB.”

    Boras also highlighted Lee’s bat-to-ball skills and low strikeout rate, which fell below 6% each of the last two seasons.

    “To have that low strikeout rate and strike zone control really has created a lot of interests with teams,” Boras said.

    Boras declined to say if Lee had any preferred markets or if the Yankees have expressed interest. He will hold a workout in the coming weeks so that teams can gauge his agility and health.

    JORDAN MONTGOMERY

    Could the Yankees reunite with Montgomery following his impressive postseason run?

    Boras didn’t dismiss the idea, stating that “Jordan is taking all proposals from all teams.” While there’s no benefit in Boras dismissing a potential suitor, Cashman said that he wants to add pitching. However, Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto figures to be higher on the Yankees’ shopping list.

    Boras added that he expects the pitching market to move quickly.

    MATT CHAPMAN

    Cashman noted that the Yankees have a surplus of infielders, including some younger players. However, if they want more of a sure thing at third base, few are better defensively than Chapman, who can also lengthen a lineup.

    “When you think of bronze, you think of third. But when it comes to Chappy and third, you’re always gold,” Boras quipped. “As far as his bat, I’m not giving you lip service, but the Chap-stick really has a lot to do with the potentials and advances of a core lineup.”

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    Gary Phillips

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  • Today in History: October 25, George III takes the throne

    Today in History: October 25, George III takes the throne

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    Today in History

    Today is Tuesday, Oct. 25, the 298th day of 2022. There are 67 days left in the year.

    Today’s Highlight in History:

    On Oct. 25, 1760, Britain’s King George III succeeded his late grandfather, George II.

    On this date:

    In 1859, radical abolitionist John Brown went on trial in Charles Town, Virginia, for his failed raid at Harpers Ferry. (Brown was convicted and hanged.)

    In 1881, artist Pablo Picasso was born in Malaga, Spain.

    In 1910, “America the Beautiful,” with words by Katharine Lee Bates and music by Samuel A. Ward, was first published.

    In 1945, Taiwan became independent of Japanese colonial rule.

    In 1960, the Bulova Watch Co. introduced its electronic “Accutron” model.

    In 1962, during a meeting of the U.N. Security Council, U.S. Ambassador Adlai E. Stevenson II demanded that Soviet Ambassador Valerian Zorin confirm or deny the existence of Soviet-built missile bases in Cuba; Stevenson then presented photographic evidence of the bases to the Council.

    In 1971, the U.N. General Assembly voted to admit mainland China and expel Taiwan.

    In 1983, a U.S.-led force invaded Grenada (greh-NAY’-duh) at the order of President Ronald Reagan, who said the action was needed to protect U.S. citizens there.

    In 1986, in Game 6 of the World Series, the New York Mets rallied for three runs with two outs in the 10th inning, defeating the Boston Red Sox 6-5 and forcing a seventh game; the tie-breaking run scored on Boston first baseman Bill Buckner’s error on Mookie Wilson’s slow grounder. (The Mets went on to win the Series.)

    In 1994, Susan Smith of Union, South Carolina, claimed that a Black carjacker had driven off with her two young sons (Smith later confessed to drowning the children in John D. Long Lake, and was convicted of murder). Three defendants were convicted in South Africa of murdering American exchange student Amy Biehl. (In 1998, all three were granted amnesty by South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission.)

    In 1999, golfer Payne Stewart and five others were killed when their Learjet flew uncontrolled for four hours before crashing in South Dakota; Stewart was 42.

    In 2002, Democratic U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone of Minnesota was killed in a plane crash in northern Minnesota along with his wife, daughter and five others, a week and a-half before the election.

    Ten years ago: President Barack Obama, seeking to shore up support among women, intensified his pressure on Mitt Romney to break any ties with a Republican Senate candidate, Richard Mourdock of Indiana, who said that if a woman became pregnant from rape it was “something God intended.” Romney ignored the emotional social issue, holding to an optimistic campaign tone as he fought for victory in crucial Ohio.

    Five years ago: Two women who said they had been lost at sea for nearly six months were rescued by a U.S. Navy ship in the Pacific. (The women said they had set out from Honolulu for what was supposed to be an 18-day journey to Tahiti in May but that they encountered a storm; records showed no severe weather in the area at the time, and other inconsistencies in their story came to light in the days after their rescue.) CBS News named correspondent Jeff Glor as anchor of the “CBS Evening News.” The U.S. government announced that all incoming flights to the United States would be subject to new security screening procedures before takeoff.

    One year ago: Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed redrawn voting maps that paved a safer path for the GOP’s slipping majority in the state. Sudan’s military seized power, dissolving the transitional government and arresting the prime minister; thousands of people flooded the streets to protest the coup, and the Sudan Doctors’ Committee said three protesters were killed when security forces opened fire. Hertz announced that it would buy 100,000 electric vehicles from Tesla, one of the largest purchases of battery-powered cars in history.

    Today’s Birthdays: Actor Marion Ross is 94. Basketball Hall of Famer Bob Knight is 82. Author Anne Tyler is 81. Rock singer Jon Anderson (Yes) is 78. Political strategist James Carville is 78. Singer Taffy Nivert (Starland Vocal Band) is 78. Rock musician Glenn Tipton (Judas Priest) is 75. Actor Brian Kerwin is 73. Actor Mark L. Taylor is 72. Movie director Julian Schnabel is 71. Rock musician Matthias Jabs is 66. Actor Nancy Cartwright (TV: “The Simpsons”) is 65. Country singer Mark Miller (Sawyer Brown) is 64. Rock musician Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers; Chickenfoot) is 61. Actor Tracy Nelson is 59. Actor Michael Boatman is 58. Actor Kevin Michael Richardson is 58. Actor Mathieu Amalric is 57. Singer Speech is 54. Actor-comedian-TV host Samantha Bee is 53. Actor Adam Goldberg is 52. Actor-singer Adam Pascal is 52. Rock musician Ed Robertson (Barenaked Ladies) is 52. Actor Persia White is 52. Country singer Chely (SHEL’-ee) Wright is 52. Actor Leslie Grossman is 51. Violinist Midori is 51. Actor Craig Robinson is 51. Actor Michael Weston is 49. Actor Zachary Knighton is 44. Actor Mariana Klaveno is 43. Actor Mehcad (muh-KAD’) Brooks is 42. Actor Josh Henderson is 41. Pop singer Katy Perry is 38. Rock singer Austin Winkler is 38. Singer Ciara is 37. Actor Krista Marie Yu (TV: “Dr. Ken”) is 34. Actor Rachel Matthews is 29. Actor Conchita Campbell is 27. San Diego Padres outfielder Juan Soto is 24.

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  • Cronenworth, Padres rally to stun Dodgers 5-3 to reach NLCS

    Cronenworth, Padres rally to stun Dodgers 5-3 to reach NLCS

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    SAN DIEGO — Baseball fans in San Diego have been waiting a long time to party like this and the Padres were more than happy to finally oblige.

    What made it so much sweeter was that they toppled the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers, the best team in the majors this year and one that had beaten up on the Padres regularly for the better part of two seasons.

    Jake Cronenworth hit a tiebreaking, two-run single with two outs in the seventh inning and San Diego rallied past the Dodgers 5-3 Saturday night to advance to the NL Championship Series for the first time since 1998.

    Petco Park shook and the sellout crowd of 45,139 roared when Josh Hader struck out Mookie Betts, Trea Turner and Freddie Freeman in succession to end the Padres’ third straight win against the Dodgers.

    Hader and third baseman Manny Machado jumped into each other’s arms and the rest of the team joined them in a wild celebration on the infield grass as fireworks went off above the downtown ballpark. Machado and Juan Soto exhorted the fans for more as they all reveled in the middle of a rare San Diego rainstorm.

    “Our fans have been waiting for so long and I used to be that fan that was waiting,” said Joe Musgrove, the hometown kid who started the clincher. “It feels good to be on this side of the ball, I’ll tell you that, but these fans deserve to celebrate tonight.

    “I know the job’s not done, we’ve got a lot of baseball ahead of us still, but this is something that needs to be celebrated,” Musgrove said. “Those guys handed it to us all year long and when it came down to it and we needed to win ballgames we found ways to do it.”

    Before a sign-carrying crowd chanting “Beat LA! Beat LA!,” the Padres stunned the 111-win Dodgers with a five-run seventh to win their best-of-five NL Division Series 3-1.

    “It’s about to be a party out here tonight,” said Musgrove, who grew up a Padres fan in the San Diego suburbs.

    “I mean, since I was a little kid we’ve been getting beat up by the Dodgers. But when it comes down to it and the games matter, this team stepped up, from top to bottom.”

    The Padres had lost nine straight series to the Dodgers before winning the one that mattered the most.

    San Diego will host the Philadelphia Phillies in Games 1 and 2 of an all-wild card NLCS on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Phillies beat the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves 8-3 earlier in the day to win their NLDS in four games.

    “This is what the city’s been waiting for for a long time,” said Machado, the Padres’ $300 million third baseman and unquestioned leader.

    The Padres last reached the NLCS 24 years ago when they beat Atlanta in six games and were then swept by the New York Yankees in the World Series. A handful of players from that team watched from a luxury suite, including Hall of Fame closer Trevor Hoffman and center fielder Steve Finley.

    It was a soul-crushing ending for the Dodgers after the best regular-season record in club history and manager Dave Roberts’ prediction during spring training that they’d win the World Series.

    “Shock factor, very high. Disappointment, very high. It’s crushing,” Roberts said. “Each guy gave everything they had all year long, and a tremendous season. The great thing about baseball is the unpredictability, and the tough thing about it is the same thing.

    “Nothing I can say is going to make it feel any better. Obviously we didn’t expect to be in this position,” he added.

    The game was delayed 31 minutes at the start by showers, which returned in the eighth inning and prompted a short delay while the grounds crew worked on the mound.

    After left-hander Tyler Anderson stymied the Padres through five scoreless innings, San Diego broke through against the Dodgers’ bullpen in the seventh.

    Jurickson Profar drew a leadoff walk against Tommy Kahnle, took third on Trent Grisham’s single and scored when Austin Nola’s infield single glanced off Freeman’s glove at first base. Yency Almonte, who took the loss, came on and was greeted by Kim Ha-seong’s RBI double inside the third base line, followed by Soto’s tying single to right.

    With two outs and the crowd on its feet, Cronenworth singled to center off local product Alex Vesia to give the Padres the lead, raising his arms in celebration as he rounded first and then punching the air with his right fist as he pulled into second base on the throw home. Soto, acquired from Washington in a blockbuster trade Aug. 2, slid home headfirst and jumped up and cheered.

    “We talked about it all day — we’re winning tonight no matter what the situation is,” Cronenworth said.

    “It took a team effort to beat a really good team and we did that,” Machado said.

    After the first rain delay, fans were amped up in anticipation of Musgrove pitching his hometown Padres into the NL Championship Series. The big right-hander from suburban El Cajon, a first-time All-Star in 2022, was the first Padres pitcher from San Diego to make a postseason start in his hometown.

    But Anderson outpitched Musgrove, holding the Padres to two hits through five innings.

    The Dodgers took a 2-0 lead in the third. Betts walked with one out and Turner scorched a grounder past third baseman Machado, who has carried the Padres much of the season, to move Betts to third. Freeman, who helped the Braves win the World Series last year before signing with the Dodgers as a free agent, doubled down the right field line to bring them both in.

    Will Smith hit a sacrifice fly against Steven Wilson with the bases loaded in the seventh for a 3-0 lead, but winning pitcher Tim Hill prevented further damage.

    The Dodgers will be left with an empty feeling. They won the NL West for the ninth time in 10 seasons and finished 22 games ahead of San Diego. The Dodgers went 14-5 against the Padres in the regular season.

    Musgrove was trying for his second straight playoff series-clinching win. On Sunday night, he dominated the New York Mets at Citi Field, allowing just one hit and one walk in seven innings in a 6-0 win that sent the Padres to the NLDS.

    He gave up two runs and six hits in six innings against the Dodgers, struck out eight and walked three.

    FIRST PITCH

    Jake Peavy, the 2007 NL Cy Young Award winner who was Musgrove’s boyhood idol, threw out the ceremonial first pitch to former teammate Mark Loretta. Musgrove switched to Peavy’s No. 44 after he was obtained by the Padres prior to the 2021 season.

    UP NEXT

    Dodgers: Play their spring training opener Feb. 25 against Milwaukee.

    Padres: RHP Yu Darvish likely will get the start Tuesday in Game 1 of the NLCS.

    ———

    More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Turner, Dodgers start fast, hold off Padres in NLDS opener

    Turner, Dodgers start fast, hold off Padres in NLDS opener

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    LOS ANGELES — Trea Turner homered and doubled as the Los Angeles Dodgers started fast and held off the San Diego Padres 5-3 on Tuesday night in their NL Division Series opener.

    Behind 17-game winner Julio Urías, the Dodgers raced to an early 5-0 lead and appeared to be on their way to another blowout of the Padres.

    Los Angeles dominated in the regular season, owning a 14-5 advantage and outscoring San Diego 109-47. The 111-win Dodgers claimed the NL West and the Padres finished second, 22 games back.

    With Sandy Koufax watching from the owners’ box, Urías retired the first eight batters he faced until Austin Nola doubled with two outs in the third.

    “We have to give a lot of credit to our offense,” Urías said through a translator. “They did a good job battling, getting those runs early and putting us in a good spot to win.”

    Chris Martin, who had two saves this season, gave up a single in the ninth, when the Padres had the potential tying run at the plate. Struggling closer Craig Kimbrel was left off the Dodgers’ roster for this best-of-five matchup.

    Game 2 is Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium before the series shifts south to San Diego.

    “No moral victories, but the latter part of the game was better than the first part for us,” Padres manager Bob Melvin said.

    “We felt like we had a chance in the latter innings to win this game,” he said. “I think everybody is pretty eager to get back out here again.”

    The Padres were coming off a win in the decisive Game 3 of the wild-card series Sunday night over the Mets in New York.

    The Dodgers, who had five days off after drawing a bye, showed no signs of rust.

    In the first, Turner hit a 419-foot shot into the left-field pavilion for his second career postseason homer and first as a Dodger. Two batters later, Will Smith doubled and scored on Max Muncy’s two-out single for a 2-0 lead.

    The Dodgers batted around in the third, tacking on three more runs.

    Turner doubled leading off and after Freddie Freeman flied out, Smith stepped in and doubled to deep left-center, nearly the same spot where Turner’s ball landed. Gavin Lux doubled to the right-field corner with two outs, driving in Smith and chasing Mike Clevinger.

    Steven Wilson came in and promptly walked Trayce Thompson to load the bases.

    Choking up, Cody Bellinger initially was thought to have been hit by a pitch and took first base as Muncy was forced in. But upon video review, it appeared the ball hit the knob of the bat. Bellinger was called back to the plate and Muncy returned to third.

    Bellinger was then safe at first on an error by first baseman Wil Myers, scoring Muncy. The ball hit off the heel of Myers’ glove and he missed it on the pickup, leaving no chance to make a play on the speedy Bellinger.

    The Dodgers’ offense — baseball’s highest-scoring this season — went quiet after the third. Their lone baserunner was Freeman, who walked. Mookie Betts and Freeman were a combined 0 for 7 with two strikeouts.

    The Dodgers hadn’t played a must-win game since mid-June before running away with the division. But they found themselves in trouble in the fifth.

    That’s when the Padres finally got to Urías, closing to 5-3 after he gave up three straight hits.

    Myers led off with an opposite-field solo shot to left. Trent Grisham had an RBI grounder that scored Jake Cronenworth, who had singled. Nola’s sacrifice fly scored Ha-Seong Kim, who doubled.

    San Diego threatened again in the sixth against Evan Phillips, but the defense bailed him out.

    Juan Soto drew a leadoff walk. Booed heavily by the crowd of 52,407, Manny Machado followed with an infield trickler that the Dodgers hoped would roll foul. It did not, and went for a single.

    After pinch-hitter Josh Bell struck out, Myers came up as the potential go-ahead run.

    Myers grounded into an inning-ending double play, started by second baseman Gavin Lux. He flipped to Turner, and the shortstop double-clutched before firing to first to get Myers.

    Urías allowed three runs and four hits in five innings. The left-hander struck out six and walked none.

    Clevinger gave up five runs — four earned — and six hits in 2 2/3 innings. The right-hander struck out three and walked two.

    ROSTER MOVE

    Kimbrel had already been demoted from his ninth-inning role two weeks ago after struggling much of the season as the successor to Kenley Jansen, who left as a free agent last winter.

    UP NEXT

    RH Yu Darvish, who had a 3.10 ERA in the regular season, starts Game 2 for the Padres. LH Clayton Kershaw, the three-time Cy Young Award winner, goes for the Dodgers.

    ———

    More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Dominant Dodgers, hot Padres bring SoCal rivalry to NLDS

    Dominant Dodgers, hot Padres bring SoCal rivalry to NLDS

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    LOS ANGELES — The San Diego Padres knocked off the 101-win New York Mets in the National League wild-card series.

    Awaiting them in the NL Division Series is an even bigger challenge: the 111-win Los Angeles Dodgers.

    “They’re hot and we’ve been hot for seven months,” a smiling — or was it smirking? — Dodgers slugger Freddie Freeman said Monday.

    Call it a postseason Freeway Series.

    “It’s going to be a very intense series,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

    Unlike the regular season.

    The Southern California rivals were separated by a whopping 22 games in the NL West, with the Dodgers controlling first place for much of the time and the Padres finishing second.

    “They handed it to us pretty good this year, so we realize what we’re up against,” Padres manager Bob Melvin said. “It feels a little bit better now that we’re not looking at the standings.”

    That’s not the only way in which the Dodgers dominated the Padres. Los Angeles went 15-4 against them, never lost a series and outscored them 109-47.

    As a result, the Dodgers are solid favorites coming into the best-of-five NLDS that begins Tuesday night in Los Angeles. In Game 1, right-hander Mike Clevinger takes the mound for the Padres against left-hander Julio Urías, a 17-game winner for the Dodgers.

    Right-hander Yu Darvish, a 16-game winner, starts for the Padres in Game 2 on Wednesday against left-hander Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers’ three-time Cy Young Award winner.

    The Dodgers are well-rested, having been been off since closing out the regular season a week ago. While the Padres flew cross-country to outscore the Mets 16-8 in winning the wild-card series in three games, the Dodgers played simulated games in their empty stadium.

    They gathered at a high-end steakhouse on Sunday night for a team dinner with the decisive Padres-Mets game on in the background. Watching Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove getting his ears checked for illegal substances by the umpire, “it got a little louder in the room,” Freeman said.

    BOLSTERING THE RANKS

    San Diego got better at the trade deadline by adding closer Josh Hader and two-time All-Star Juan Soto, who was a teammate of current Dodger Trea Turner on the Washington Nationals.

    Hader closed out Game 3 against the Mets and Soto went 2 for 4 with two RBIs in the clincher.

    The Dodgers signed Freeman in March, adding offensive punch to an already potent lineup. Freeman hit .325 and finished .001 points behind the Mets’ Jeff McNeil for the NL batting title.

    ALMOST LIKE HOME

    The last time the Padres were in the playoffs in a full season in front of fans in 2006, Roberts was their leadoff hitter and left fielder. He’ll be able to sleep in his own bed during the NLDS since he lives in the San Diego area.

    BUEHLER’S NIGHT OUT

    Walker Buehler will be on the mound for Game 2 on Wednesday — to toss out the ceremonial first pitch. The two-time All-Star who helped the Dodgers win the 2020 World Series had his second career Tommy John surgery in August. He’s not expected back until the 2024 season. Buehler was 6-3 with a 4.02 ERA in 12 starts this season before having surgery.

    ———

    More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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