HOWIE KENDRICK

The Boston Red Sox have been celebrating home runs by giving the hitter a ride through the dugout in a laundry cart.

Harris has a blood clot in his right arm and is leaving spring training camp to be examined by a specialist, manager Dave Martinez said Friday, March 19, 2021. (Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via AP)Washington Nationals reliever Will Harris has a blood clot in his right arm and the team doesn't expect him to be in the bullpen on opening day. Carlos Martínez struggled in his fourth start for St. Louis. DODGERS 7, RANGERS 2Julio Urías made his fourth start for Los Angeles, allowing two hits in four shutout innings, striking out three. Adrian Houser made his fourth start.

Aaron Boone hit a game-ending leadoff homer in the 11th, sending New York to the World Series. 2015 WORLD SERIES GAME 5Matt Harvey and the New York Mets held a 2-0 lead, needing a win to send the Series back to Kansas City. 2016 WORLD SERIES GAME 7The Chicago Cubs led the Cleveland Indians 5-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth. 2019 WORLD SERIES GAME 7Too bad for Houston fans, the last time they saw Gerrit Cole throw, it was in the bullpen rather than on the mound. “I wasn’t going to pitch him unless we were going to win the World Series and have a lead,” Hinch said.

RingCentral Coliseum stands under skies darkened by wildfire smoke before the Oakland Athletics' baseball game against the Houston Astros in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020. The smell of the fires wafted over the stadium as San Francisco hosted Seattle on Wednesday night and ash fell inside the ballpark this week when Oakland played. NOT SO HOTYankees star Gerrit Cole tries to end his three-game losing streak when he starts at home against Baltimore. MISSING YOUThe defending World Series champion Nationals will be without October star Howie Kendrick for a while. Last season, Kendrick was the MVP of the NL Championship Series and hit the go-ahead homer in Game 7 of the World Series.

Soto and Howie Kendrick hit back-to-back homers in Washington's five-run third inning, and Max Scherzer struck out 11 to lead the Nationals to a 10-2 victory over the Red Sox on Friday night. Trea Turner and Victor Robles had three hits apiece for Washington, which handed Scherzer (3-1) a 5-0 lead in the third. The Red Sox scored one in the ninth and loaded the bases before Ryne Harper got the last two outs. The Nationals snapped a three-game losing streak and sent the Red Sox to their fourth loss in five games; it's Boston's worst start since the Great Depression. Red Sox: RHP Chris Mazza (0-1) starts in the second game of the series.

Washington Nationals' Max Scherzer (31) delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020, in New York. But he also looked healthy all the while a wonderful sign for the Washington Nationals. Scherzer showed no effects of hamstring trouble, navigating heavy traffic early for his first win this season, and Trea Turner hit a record-breaking leadoff homer to help Washington beat the New York Mets 2-1 on Tuesday night. Scherzer lasted six innings and threw only 45 pitches over his final four to finish with 105. The Mets hadn't announced a starter to replace Michael Wacha, who went on the injured list Sunday with shoulder inflammation.

The Blue Jays are the home team in the game. They love to win and they love to celebrate.Toronto batted in the bottom of each inning, wore its white uniforms, played its walk-up music and blared OK Blue Jays, the club's traditional seventh-inning stretch staple. The Blue Jays will be using a minor league ballpark Buffalo, but thats still being upgraded to host major league games. Blue Jays: SS Bo Bichette (left hamstring) and OF Randal Grichuk (back tightness) sat out again. UP NEXTWith Stephen Strasburg out, RHP Erick Fedde (0-0, 2.25) will fill in again Thursday, facing Blue Jays LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (0-0, 5.79).

The New York Yankees and the Washington Nationals kneel while holding a black ribbon to honor Black Lives Matter before playing an opening day baseball game at Nationals Park, Thursday, July 23, 2020, in Washington. before the start of the first inning of an opening day baseball game at Nationals Park, Thursday, July 23, 2020, in Washington. Players from both clubs wore T-shirts saying Black Lives Matter during batting practice, and the letters BLM were stenciled into the back of the mound at the center of the diamond. In a poignant reference to the racial reckoning happening in the U.S., players and other members of both teams held a long black ribbon while standing spaced out along the two foul lines. That followed a series of videos: about Black Lives Matter, showing major league players such as New Yorks Aaron Judge and Washingtons Howie Kendrick; about the Nationals postseason run; about the COVID-19 outbreak.

The San Francisco Giants suspended workouts at Oracle Park as they awaited the results of weekend tests for the coronavirus. Rodriguez, who broke out in 2019 as a star, and Red Sox prospect Bobby Dalbec tested positive for the virus. Manager Ron Roenicke said it is just unfortunate the positive test could jeopardize Rodriguezs chances to start on opening day. Also, the Kansas City Royals announced right-hander Brad Keller and first baseman Ryan OHearn had positive tests and gave the team permission to announce the results. Some Washington players did not take part in workouts, including Starlin Castro, Juan Soto, Howie Kendrick and Victor Robles.

The Astros were scheduled to spend July 4 in the nation's capital during a three-game series against the defending World Series champion Nationals. Houston won all three games at Nationals Park last October. The Associated Press looks at some of the sporting events that had been scheduled the week of June 29-July 5:WORLD SERIES REMATCH: The Houston Astros were scheduled to spend July 4 in the nation's capital during a three-game series against the defending World Series champion Washington Nationals. Houston won all three games at Nationals Park last October. WASH IN TEXAS: Ron Washington is the winningest manager for the Rangers, and led them to their only two World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011.

(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)NEW YORK Gerrit Cole could make his New York Yankees debut in a tasty opening-day treat for fans, facing Juan Soto and World Series champion Washington at Nationals Park. The Yankees and Nationals are set meet when the virus-delayed season begins next month, a person familiar with the game told The Associated Press on Saturday. He pitched the Houston Astros past the Nationals 7-1 last October for a 3-2 edge in the World Series. The Yankees and Nationals met twice this year, including New Yorks 6-3 win on March 12 on the final day before MLB stopped spring training because of the virus outbreak. The Yankees are hopeful that slugger Aaron Judge has fully recovered from a rib injury that bothered him during spring training in Florida.

Major League Baseball has proposed expanding the playoff field from 10 teams to as many as 16 for this year and next season. Now comes a proposal certain to truly upend the sport: Up to 16 playoff teams. But to some, an expansion from 10 playoff clubs to 16 would mean the end of civilization. I dont think many players would be, either.To say that 16 of 30 teams are playoff teams, he said, youve got to raise the bar higher than that.Other sports are accustomed to a plethora of postseason hopefuls. Veteran skipper Bobby Valentine is OK with extra playoff teams -- with a caveat.

EMBED >More News Videos Mattress Mack said he's still expecting to distribute lots of free mattresses after the World Series. With Game 4 essentially being another do-or-die game for the Astros, A.J. Hinch and company seem confident in the rookie pitcher's abilities.Altuve started the night with a single that just got past Trea Turner after George Springer struck out in lead-off. Brantley followed Altuve's footsteps with a blooper to centerfield.Bregman continued the Astros' momentum with a line-drive single to left field that brought Altuve home to give the Astros a 1-0 lead. In what is a bullpen day for the Astros in Game 4, another strong outing will be needed to tie the series.An Astros win Saturday night would guarantee the World Series returning to Houston for at least a Game 6.

Getty ImagesHOUSTON - The Houston Astros and Washington Nationals will face off in a World Series featuring teams that have rarely made it. Houston is in its second World Series in three years, and its third all-time. The last time a Washington team made the World Series was 1933, and that was the Senators. As soon as Bryce Harper left in free agency, the Nationals are in the World Series. RF Juan SotoSoto turns 21 in the middle of the World Series and is already one of the best hitters in the National League.