KHRIS DAVIS

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.

Major League Baseball teams can now expand their rosters, but there’s something different about September call-ups this season — clubs can add just two players.

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

The NL Central-leading Brewers are again shuffling their pitching staff with reliever John Axford now out for the season because of elbow trouble and starter Eric Lauer joining the team’s growing COVID-19 injured list.

New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole has found himself in a sticky situation.

Veteran slugger Khris Davis has been designated for assignment by the slumping Texas Rangers.

Adolis García kept up his home run barrage, connecting twice and helping power the Texas Rangers past the Houston Astros 8-4.

Martín Maldonado homered and drove in three runs to back seven solid innings from Zack Greinke, and the Houston Astros defeated the Texas Rangers 10-4 for their fourth straight victory.

Zack Greinke pitched six shutout innings, Michael Brantley and Alex Bregman homered back-to-back in the eighth, and the Houston Astros hushed an unwelcoming crowd in beating the reigning AL West champion Oakland Athletics 8-1.

The Padres said Tatis had discomfort in his non-throwing left shoulder and would be re-evaluated on Wednesday. Corbin Burnes turned in 4 2/3 innings, striking out six while allowing two runs on three hits. Jon Lester allowed one run and three hits in 3 2/3 innings in his second start of the spring for Washington. He gave up five hits, hit two batters and struck out three. PADRES 5, REDS 4MacKenzie Gore worked 3 2/3 innings in his third start for San Diego, allowing two runs on three hits.

On that one, we are probably on the same page.”RED SOX 8, RAYS 2Garrett Richards struck out seven in four scoreless innings for Boston. ATHLETICS 5, PADRES 4Fernando Tatis Jr. led off the game with his second spring home run, a smashing return after missing six days with a non-virus bug. The 30-year-old left has pitched four scoreless innings this spring. BREWERS 8, CUBS 3 (7)Brandon Woodruff made his second start for Milwaukee, allowing five hits in two scoreless innings. BRAVES 8, TWINS 5Michael Pineda, who last pitched a full season in 2016, made his first spring start for Minnesota.

FILE - In this March 11, 2020, file photo, Texas Rangers' Elvis Andrus tosses a ball before a spring training baseball game against the San Francisco Giants in Surprise, Ariz. The Rangers traded Andrus to the Oakland Athletics on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021. Texas sent the 32-year-old Andrus, catcher Aramis Garcia and $13.5 million to the A's for designated hitter Khris Davis, catcher Jonah Heim and right-hander Dane Acker. Young is still the team’s career leader and Andrus is second on the list for games played, at-bats and triples. Davis hit .271 with 15 doubles, 32 homers and 80 RBIs in 79 career games against Texas.

Houston Astros' Carlos Correa, left, and George Springer celebrate after the Astros defeated the Oakland Athletics in Game 2 of a baseball American League Division Series in Los Angeles, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020. The Houston Astros can't miss these days. “With every victory, the energy and the confidence grows,” first-year Houston manager Dusty Baker said. Five of Springer’s postseason homers have come at Dodger Stadium, where the Astros beat the Dodgers in Game 7 of the 2017 World Series. The scandal led to season-long suspensions of Houston general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch, who both were fired.

Houston Astros' Carlos Correa, left, celebrates with George Springer after they defeated the Oakland Athletics in Game 1 of a baseball American League Division Series in Los Angeles, Monday, Oct. 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)LOS ANGELES – A home run derby broke out during a hot, dry day at Dodger Stadium, and suddenly the Houston Astros have their swing and swagger back. “When you get the leadoff guy (Springer) getting on base every single time, good things are going to happen. Altuve's line-drive single to left scored Maldonado and Springer to put the Astros back in front, 6-5. Chris Bassitt put the potential tying and go-ahead runs on in the fifth with back-to-back singles by Springer and Altuve.

Now, the slugging A's are right back in a familiar fall position: one winner-take-all postseason game with the season on the line. Semien and Davis connected early and Oakland's bullpen barely held off José Abreu and the Chicago White Sox late for a 5-3 win Wednesday that sent the AL playoff series to a deciding Game 3. The White Sox went 14-0 in the regular season against left-handed starters and beat southpaw Jesús Luzardo in the playoff opener. “I'm pretty sure we're pretty dang confident in anyone we throw against the White Sox,” Bassitt said. He went just 3 for 18 against the White Sox last season.

OAKLAND, Calif. Khris Davis is in a far different role these days for the Oakland Athletics and still delivered in a key moment. Davis homered and hit an RBI double in a rare start facing previously unbeaten Zack Greinke, and the A's sent the Houston Astros to their sixth straight loss with a 4-2 win Tuesday in the first game of a doubleheader. Davis, the major league homer leader in 2018, snapped an 0-for-8 stretch playing for the first time since Aug. 26 at Texas. He began the day 3 for 8 lifetime against Greinke with a home run and a double. UP NEXTNew As lefty Mike Minor (0-5) was set to make his first Oakland start in the second game opposite RHP Chase De Jong (0-0, 27.00 ERA).

Oakland Athletics players celebrate after Matt Olson, center left, hit a grand slam home run against the Los Angeles Angels in the tenth inning a baseball game in Oakland, Calif., Friday, July 24, 2020. According to STATS, Olson became the third player to hit a walkoff grand slam on opening day. The game went to the 10th tied at 3 after Jason Castros tying homer in the ninth against As closer Liam Hendriks. The Angels didn't deliver a win for Maddon in his Angels managerial debut. UP NEXTLHP Sean Manaea, who went 4-0 last season in September after returning from shoulder surgery before losing the wild card game, pitches Saturday opposite Angels RHP Dylan Bundy.

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.