GREGORY POLANCO

MLB clubhouses and dugouts are no longer as crowded during the final weeks of the regular season.

A day after ending their longest winning streak in nearly 60 years, the Yankees try to get back in the win column against Oakland.

Gregory Polanco's stay in Pittsburgh is over.

Gregory Polanco hasn't been part of the Pittsburgh Pirates' long-term plans for a while. The Pirates released the struggling 29-year-old right fielder on Saturday, cutting ties with the last remaining player from the group that helped guide the franchise to three straight postseason berths from 2013-15. Pittsburgh is less than two years into a top-to-bottom overhaul and is all but assured of finishing dead last in the NL Central for a third straight year.

Kevin Newman tied a major league record with four doubles and the Pittsburgh Pirates rolled over the Milwaukee Brewers 14-4 to snap their eight-game losing streak in the first game of a doubleheader.

Michael Conforto hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning to complete a huge comeback and the New York Mets overcame an embarrassing gaffe by All-Star pitcher Taijuan Walker to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-6.

Now this was Bucco Bizarro at its best.

Adrian Houser scattered four hits over a season-high 6 2/3 innings, and the Milwaukee Brewers extended their winning streak to 10 games with a 7-2 victory over Pittsburgh.

Max Kranick pitched five perfect innings in his major league debut before a 64-minute rain delay forced him from the game, and the Pittsburgh Pirates went on to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-2.

Charlie Blackmon got three extra-base hits and keyed a two-run rally in the ninth inning that sent the Colorado Rockies past the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3.

Michael Perez had three hits and drove in three runs, helping Trevor Cahill and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Minnesota Twins 6-2.

Bauer wound up pitching three scoreless innings with the creative approach, striking out three while allowing two hits and a walk. Known for speaking his mind and going his own way, Bauer said he regularly shuts one eye during bullpen sessions and other workouts. METS 6, ASTROS 1 (6)Jacob deGrom pitched two scoreless innings in his spring debut, striking out three and allowing one hit. AdBLUE JAYS 7, PHILLIES 1 (7)Newcomer Tanner Roark made his first start for Toronto, allowing one hit in two scoreless innings. Jorge López threw three scoreless innings with three strikeouts.

AdJazz Chisholm of the Marlins and Adam Haseley of the Phillies did even better — they led off games with home runs. Mancini took off his helmet to acknowledge a standing ovation that included the fans, the Orioles and the Pirates. Marco Gonzales made his first spring start for Seattle, allowing two hits and an unearned run in two innings. Center fielder Trent Grisham, coming off his first Gold Glove last season, doubled and scored a run for San Diego. Top prospect Jeter Downs had a two-run home run and RBI single, while Michael Chavis hit a solo shot.

Down 3-1 and held to one hit for eight innings, the Indians found more of the late-inning magic that has carried them this week. Delino DeShields — who broke up Pittsburgh's no-hit bid with a bunt single in the seventh — hit an RBI single one out later. Until the ninth, the Indians did little against Pittsburgh starter Mitch Keller and three relievers. Gregory Polanco hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning off Indians starter Carlos Carrasco, but the Pirates couldn't hold on and dropped to 2-16 against AL Central teams. UP NEXTAaron Civale (4-5), who will pitch in relief for the Indians during the wild-card round, makes his final regular-season start against Pirates right-hander Joe Musgrove (0-5).

Pittsburgh Pirates starter Mitch Keller was pulled after five innings despite not allowing a hit — and walking eight — against the Cleveland Indians on Friday night. The Indians, however, scored only once and then didn't capitalize in the third after Keller walked the bases full for the second time. Pirates manager Derek Shelton pulled Keller after 98 pitches — 49 were balls — and replaced him with reliever Nik Turley. Keller threw six no-hit innings in his previous start against St. Louis on Sept. 19 before leaving and has now thrown 11 straight hitless innings. Keller is the first NL pitcher with back-to-back no-hit outings of at least five innings since Johnny Vander Meer threw consecutive no-hitters in 1938, STATS said.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielders, from left, Jared Oliva, Bryan Reynolds and Gregory Polanco (25) celebrate the final out of a 7-0 win over the Chicago Cubs in a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)PITTSBURGH – Chad Kuhl pitched seven sharp innings and Colin Moran and Bryan Reynolds had home runs among their three hits each Thursday in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 7-0 victory over the slumping Chicago Cubs. The Cubs, who clinched a postseason berth Tuesday, are stumbling toward the playoffs with five losses in six games. Geoff Hartlieb and Blake Cederlind completed the shutout in which the Pirates’ staff was backed by four home runs. Mills lasted 3 2/3 innings and gave up four runs and eight hits with one walk and two strikeouts.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher JT Brubaker delivers during the first inning of the team's baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020. To commemorate Roberto Clemente Day, the Pirates all are wearing Clemente's No. The Pirates celebrated Clemente's legacy by wearing his number during the organization's first Roberto Clemente Day" on Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox. The Pirates made sure to extend the tribute beyond the walls of PNC Park, where the Roberto Clemente Bridge stands. One of the things that we have talked about a lot is Roberto Clemente, the player, is one of the greatest players of all time, Shelton said.

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)Major League Baseball had its fullest schedule in nearly a half-century Friday with 20 games set to be played, including five doubleheaders caused by postponements for weather, the coronavirus and protests of racial injustice. The last time 20 games were on the schedule was Aug. 4, 1974, when there were nine doubleheaders, the Elias Sports Bureau said. There were 12 complete games thrown that day, including nine-inning efforts by Catfish Hunter, Luis Tiant and Dave McNally. Only three of those 20 games back then took over 2 hours, 40 minutes. On Friday, the Blue Jays needed 2:42 for Torontos 8-7 win in seven innings at Fenway Park.

Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton (17) argues with home plate umpire Jordan Baker during the third inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Sunday, July 26, 2020, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)ST. LOUIS Pittsburgh's Derek Shelton staged baseball's first major, socially distanced umpire argument, then got his first victory as a big league manager as the Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1 on Sunday. Keller (1-0) faced St. Louis for the first time in his career. Cardinals RHP Kodi Whitley also made his major league debut in a relief appearance in the top seventh. Cardinals: RHP Carlos Martinez (4-2, 3.17 ERA, 24 saves in 2019) makes his first start for the Cardinals since July 30, 2018, Tuesday in Minnesota against the Twins to start a seven-game road trip.

Members of the Cleveland Indians line up for the national anthem before an exhibition baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh, Saturday, July 18, 2020. Musgrove struck out five against one hit and one walk in his final tune-up before things start to count. HERE AND THEREChristian Arroyo hit a two-run double in the eighth to spark Cleveland's rally from a 3-0 deficit. ... Zach Plesac allowed two runs on six hits with no walks and six strikeouts in five innings for the Indians. ... Guillermo Heredia, who will start in right field for the Pirates while starter Gregory Polanco recovers from the novel coronavirus, drove in two runs for Pittsburgh.

PHOENIX Major League Baseball's COVID-19 testing sweep appears to be having some success even as large swaths of the United States continue to struggle with containing the fast-spreading virus. In addition to five players, one staff member tested positive. The solution here is really to make sure that we expand testing, Adalja told The Associated Press. Testing results will be watched closely as players and coaches disperse around the country, travel on buses and planes, and stay in hotels. Freeman and and pitcher Touki Toussaint who also previously tested positive for the virus worked out at Truist Park on Friday.

The long stride that makes it seem like he can get from first to second in a handful of steps. Polanco wants to be a part of the next wave designed to get the team back into contention. Or he could be a trade chip designed to help a team in transition stock up on younger and cheaper talent. The Pirates could decide to use him more at designated hitter, but he'd prefer to be in the field. Only three teams hit fewer home runs than the Pirates last season.