Spotlight turns to baseball and Padres' weighty expectations
Just hours after confetti fell on the NFL champion Kansas City Chiefs in Glendale, Arizona, the sports spotlight shifted to baseball as pitchers and catchers who will play in the World Baseball Classic began reporting to spring training complexes throughout the Phoenix area and in Florida.
Giants finish at .500 for 1st time, top playoff-bound Padres
Wil Myers got a nice ovation from the crowd as he exited what probably was his final regular-season game with the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Myers' exit to cheers was the highlight for the Padres in an 8-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday in the regular-season finale. Manager Bob Melvin had Myers, the longest-tenured Padres player, move from first base to third base before the top of the eighth inning, and then subbed him out.
news.yahoo.comRobinson Canó cut by Padres, elects free agency
Robinson Canó's short stint with the San Diego Padres is over. Less than a month after signing him, the Padres parted ways with the veteran slugger, who elected to become a free agent Thursday when he declined an assignment to Triple-A El Paso. San Diego had hoped the 39-year-old Canó would provide some much-needed offense against right-handed pitching but he batted just .091 (3 for 33) without an extra-base hit in 12 games.
news.yahoo.comLEADING OFF: Canó joins Padres, Kershaw out, Kirby back home
Robinson Canó has found another job in the majors, signing with San Diego less than a week after being released by the Mets. The Padres plan to use the 39-year-old Canó as a left-handed bat off the bench. Acting manager Ryan Christenson said he could get some occasional starts at second base and designated hitter.
news.yahoo.comA's trade 3 more stars, rebuild again going into 2022
The Oakland Athletics posted a farewell photo on social media featuring pitching ace Chris Bassitt and their former superstar slugging Matts, third baseman Matt Chapman and first baseman Matt Olson, after trading them away in cost-cutting moves so familiar to this low-budget franchise. Missing in the mix: departed manager Bob Melvin, who left in October to take over the San Diego Padres. Meanwhile, the A's welcomed back a pair of veterans who have meant so much to the franchise: catcher Stephen Vogt and infielder Jed Lowrie.
news.yahoo.comAL batting champion Gurriel lifts Astros over A's 7-6
AL batting champion Yuli Gurriel hit a winning RBI single in the ninth inning, and the AL West champion Houston Astros headed to the postseason with a 7-6 win over the Oakland Athletics on Sunday. Gurriel hit .319 and became Houston’s second player to win a batting title after Jose Altuve in 2014, ’16 and ’17.
news.yahoo.comAstros' edge for home field in playoffs cut with loss to A's
Matt Olson and Chad Pinder each homered and the Oakland Athletics beat Houston 8-6 Friday night, cutting the Astros’ edge for home-field advantage in the AL playoffs. Houston leads the White Sox by one game for home field in their best-of-five Division Series matchup next week. The AL West champion Astros also own the tiebreaker after going 5-2 against AL Central champion Chicago this season.
news.yahoo.comGreinke gets 200th win, pitches Astros past A's 4-1
Zack Greinke #21 of the Astros pitches in the top of the second inning against the Oakland Athletics at Ring Central Coliseum. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)OAKLAND, Calif. - Zack Greinke threw seven smooth innings for his 200th win, pitching the first-place Houston Astros past the Oakland Athletics 4-1 on Sunday to avoid a four-game sweep. Yuli Gurriel added an RBI double in the sixth for undermanned Houston, which had a two-man bench but snapped Oakland's four-game winning streak. Oakland saw its home winning streak end at six games, matching the club's season high. AGAINST THE AL WESTThe A's also had a five-game winning streak against division opponents snapped, their longest vs. the AL West all season.
A's edge Astros 3-2 in 13 to inch closer in playoff chase
Robbie Grossman singled home the winning run with two outs in the 13th inning to give Oakland a 3-2 victory over the Astros on Friday night. Corban Joseph singled leading off the bottom of the 13th against Cy Sneed (0-1) and was sacrificed to second. Canha hit his 18th homer in the second, and Semien added his 20th on a 2-0 pitch from Verlander in the sixth. Unhappy AltuveJose Altuve went 1 for 6 but the Astros second baseman was particularly unhappy with plate umpire Tripp Gibson after flying out in the 10th. Armenteros has been in the minors since July 22 because Houston had no need for a fifth starter.
A's hold off Astros 7-6 in a home run derby with 10 homers
Matt Chapman hit two home runs for the second straight day, connecting for the tiebreaking shot in the eighth inning to lead the Athletics past the Houston Astros in a 7-6 home run derby of sorts Thursday night. Four players hit two home runs: Chapman and teammate Matt Olson along with Houston's Michael Brantley and Carlos Correa. It was a little bit of 2019 home run derby with the ball flying out of the ballpark everywhere." Correa homered leading off the fifth and seventh innings for Houston, the second giving him 100 for his career. Chapman hit a tiebreaking homer estimated at 453 feet leading off the sixth before Olson's second of the night and No.