Braves sweep Mets, take 2-game lead in East with 3 remaining
Dansby Swanson and Matt Olson homered for the third straight game, Travis d’Arnaud hit a go-ahead two-run single in the third inning, and Atlanta Braves beat the New York Mets 5-3, completing a three-game sweep of their NL East rival and taking a two-game lead in the division with three games to play.
LEADING OFF: Opening day! Guardians debut, Ohtani and Braves
Cubs veteran Kyle Hendricks is set to deliver the first pitch of the season against Corbin Burnes and Milwaukee at Wrigley Field just past 2:20 p.m. EDT, the first of seven games still on the calendar amid rainy forecasts across the country.
A'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.comOlson is center of long-term plan to keep Braves competitive
Atlanta's trade for Matt Olson was designed to ensure the defending World Series champion Braves will be contenders in 2022. Signing Olson to an eight-year deal only one day later was the foundation of a plan by general manager Alex Anthopoulos to keep Atlanta competitive through the decade. As soon as it became clear the Braves and Freddie Freeman wouldn't reach a deal, Anthopoulos shifted to a new a long-term strategy.
news.yahoo.comYanks' Judge, 5 Braves among players headed to arbitration
New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge and five players from the World Series champion Atlanta Braves are among the players who are headed toward salary arbitration hearings that will occur during the regular season after failing to agree to contracts for 2022.
In hot MLB market, patience takes a backseat to action
Patience is often rewarded for both free agents and general managers during most Major League Baseball offseasons. As expected, free agents are flying off the market and trades are getting done at a breakneck pace following MLB's 99-day lockout that froze the league's transactions for more than three months. “It’s like drinking out of a firehose,” said Andrew Friedman, the president of baseball operations for the Dodgers.
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.comOlson, Athletics top Astros 3-2, take over AL wild-card lead
Justin Verlander #35 of the Houston Astros pitches in the sixth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Minute Maid Park. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)HOUSTON - Matt Olson hit a two-run homer to back a solid start by Homer Bailey and the Oakland Athletics beat the Houston Astros 3-2 Thursday night to take over the AL wild-card lead. The Athletics got Verlander (18-6) for three runs in the first three innings before he settled in to pitch three scoreless frames. The Astros loaded the bases with two outs but Blake Treinen struck out rookie Kyle Tucker to leave everyone stranded. The Athletics tagged Verlander right away in his second start since tossing his third career no-hitter on Aug. 1.
A's beat Astros 8-4, gain more ground in AL West
Matt Olson and Josh Phegley each had two hits for Oakland, which finished with 13 hits - just two for extra bases. The A's have won four straight games and 11 of their last 16. They have gained four games in four days on the Astros, closing to within 6 1/2 games of the AL West leaders. In seven starts since the All-Star break he's 4-1 with a 2.36 ERA. Armenteros gave up five runs and seven hits with one walk in four innings.
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.