JOE GIRARDI

Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani and Yordan Alvarez are the finalists for American League MVP in voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

The Philadelphia Phillies hope their run to the World Series is just the start of a championship window.

Kyle Schwarber went from big bopper to bad bunter.

Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber put a sudden end to that record-tying hitless streak by Houston pitchers.

Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson is kind of a big deal back home.

Justin Verlander remains in search of his first World Series win after going 0-6 with a 5.68 ERA in seven Series starts.

Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies are set to play the Houston Astros in the World Series.

Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies are set to play the Houston Astros in the World Series.

Brandon Marsh hit a three-run homer and J.

Nick Castellanos drove in three runs and made a potentially game-saving catch in the ninth inning, lifting the Philadelphia Phillies over the reigning World Series champion Atlanta Braves 7-6 in the opener of their NL Division Series.

After guiding the Philadelphia Phillies to their first playoff series victory since 2010, manager Rob Thomson had the interim removed from his title.

The Kansas City Royals fired manager Mike Matheny and pitching coach Cal Eldred on Wednesday night, shortly after the struggling franchise finished the season 65-97 with a listless 9-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians.

Aaron Nola took a perfect game into the seventh inning and Kyle Schwarber homered twice as the Philadelphia Phillies clinched their first playoff berth in 11 years with a 3-0 win over the Houston Astros Monday night.

Former Philadelphia Phillies manager Joe Girardi has joined Marquee Sports Network as an game analyst for the Chicago Cubs, one of his former teams.

Shohei Ohtani makes his final start before heading to the All-Star Game and hopes to lead Los Angeles to a better result against Houston’s Cristian Javier, who struck out 14 Angels on July 1.

American League powerhouses square off when Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees host Yordan Álvarez and the Houston Astros in the opener of a highly anticipated four-game series Thursday night.

Christian Walker had three hits and three RBIs, Jake McCarthy homered and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Phillies 13-1 to end Philadelphia’s nine-game winning streak and give interim manager Rob Thomson his first loss.

Zack Wheeler struck out eight over six sharp innings, Bryson Stott hit a two-run homer and the Philadelphia Phillies won their ninth straight game with a 4-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Philadelphia Phillies interim manager Rob Thomson tries to extend his unbeaten run when Arizona visits Citizens Bank Park on Friday night.

Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Odúbel Herrera homered as interim manager Rob Thomson and the streaking Philadelphia Phillies won their season-high seventh straight game, beating the sagging Milwaukee Brewers 8-3.

Aaron Nola pitched eight sharp innings and the surging Philadelphia Phillies hit four home runs to rout the scuffling Milwaukee Brewers 10-0.

The Los Angeles Angels fired manager Joe Maddon but still stretched their losing streak to 13 games, matching the worst skid in franchise history.

Bryson Stott hit a game-winning, three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning after Bryce Harper tied it with a grand slam in the eighth, and the Philadelphia Phillies rallied for a 9-7 victory that sent slumping Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels to their 11th straight defeat.

Cardinals star Paul Goldschmidt could set the longest hitting streak of his career if he’s successful in both games of a day-night doubleheader at Wrigley Field on Saturday.

Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber each homered twice and the Philadelphia Phillies won in interim manager Rob Thomson’s debut, 10-0 over the Los Angeles Angels.

The Los Angeles Dodgers opened the season with an all-time high $310.6 million payroll for purposes of the luxury tax and are on track to pay a record tax of nearly $47 million.

Joe Girardi has been fired by the Philadelphia Phillies after his team’s terrible start.

San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler stood just outside the third base dugout at Citizens Bank Park for the national anthem, taking a break on Memorial Day from his protest against the direction of the nation.

Several of Gabe Kapler’s fellow managers are offering their support for his decision to avoid the field during the national anthem as a protest following the school shootings in Texas that left 19 children and two teachers dead.

Dansby Swanson scored the tiebreaking run in the fifth inning on an excruciating defensive sequence by the Phillies, and the Atlanta Braves beat Philadelphia 8-4.

Yu Darvish struck out five and walked none over seven shutout innings to lead the San Diego Padres to a 2-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Mets ace Max Scherzer is scheduled for an MRI a day after pulling himself from a start with discomfort in his left side.

Marcus Stroman is set to come off the COVID-19 injured list and start for the Cubs against Arizona.

Bryce Harper sat out a third straight game as he recovers from a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right elbow and the Phillies slugger may not play right field again until late July.

Phillies slugger Bryce Harper has a small tear in his right elbow and won’t throw for four weeks, but the reigning NL MVP will stay in the lineup as Philadelphia’s designated hitter.

Pete Alonso drove in five runs to help the New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies 9-6 in the finale of their three-game series.

Billy McKinney homered and Daulton Jefferies and four relievers combined on a three-hitter to lead the Oakland Athletics past the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1.

A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that outfielder Kyle Schwarber has agreed to a four-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies worth about $80 million.

Joe Girardi isn’t concerned about managing the Philadelphia Phillies without a contract extension.

Manager Aaron Boone has been re-signed by the New York Yankees to a three-year contract with a club option for 2025 after four winning but unsuccessful seasons.

Sooner than many baseball fans wanted, maybe, but the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers will meet in a winner-take-all Game 5 of the NL Division Series at Oracle Park.

Zack Wheeler pitches Tuesday night for Philadelphia in the opener of a pivotal three-game series at Atlanta.

Bryce Harper had three hits, drove a three-run homer and had four RBIs to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 17-8 win over the Chicago Cubs.

Corey Seager and Max Muncy homered and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-0.

Zack Wheeler pitched a two-hitter and struck out 11, Bryce Harper homered and the first-place Philadelphia Phillies finished off a three-game sweep for their eighth straight victory, 3-0 over the fading New York Mets.

Brad Miller homered twice and the first-place Philadelphia Phillies withstood a ninth-inning rally for their seventh straight victory, 5-3 over the sinking New York Mets.

Wander Franco got off to a smashing start this week, hitting a home run and double in his major league debut for Tampa Bay.

Kansas City manager Mike Matheny warned opponents that if they act like Philadelphia’s Joe Girardi and ask umpires to check Royals pitchers for sticky substances, it would provoke his team.

Starlin Castro hit a go-ahead, two-run single off closer Hector Neris in the ninth inning and the Washington Nationals rallied three times to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 13-12.

Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo called Joe Girardi a “con artist” a day after Philadelphia’s manager asked umpires to check Max Scherzer for illegal substances during Tuesday night’s game.

Max Scherzer threw his glove and hat to the grass, then stared down Phillies manager Joe Girardi after getting checked for a third time by umpires for sticky stuff as the Washington Nationals beat Philadelphia 3-2.

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

The Washington Nationals have put pitcher Austin Voth on the 10-day injured list with a fractured nose.

Noah Syndergaard was pulled from his minor league rehabilitation outing because of soreness in his pitching elbow Tuesday night, the latest setback for a New York Mets team ravaged by injuries.

Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper has gone on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Sunday with a bruised left forearm.

Jon Lester is set to start for the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field after spending the past six seasons with the Chicago Cubs.

Bryce Harper treated heckling fans to a long home run, Andrew Knapp delivered a key pinch-hit in place of injured catcher J.

Ehire Adrianza capped a night full of comebacks for Atlanta with a game-ending RBI single in the 12th inning, helping the Braves stun the Philadelphia Phillies for a chaotic 8-7 victory.

Phillies star Bryce Harper said he feels fine after being hit in the face by a 96.9 mph fastball Wednesday night, forcing him from Philadelphia’s game against St. Louis.

Andrew Knapp hit the winning single in the ninth inning, Bryce Harper hit a tying solo homer in the seventh and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the San Francisco Giants 6-5.

Scherzer will make his Nationals-record sixth opening day start April 1, facing the New York Mets in Washington. The original lineup released by Washington before the game featured a designated hitter; that was revised to include Scherzer batting for himself. DeGrom struck him out, part of his 4 2/3 scoreless innings with three hits and five Ks. YANKEES 8, BLUE JAYS 3Gerritt Cole struck out eight in five innings, allowing one run in his fourth spring start for New York. BRAVES 11, RAYS 1Atlanta starter Max Fried gave up three hits and struck out five over six innings.

This screengrab from a Zoom call shows David Dombrowski, the Philadelphia Phillies' new president of baseball operations, during a Zoom call Friday, Dec. 11, 2020. (Zoom via AP)Dave Dombrowski wants to win again sooner rather than later. So he finalized a deal Friday to become the Philadelphia Phillies’ president of baseball operations, convinced the team is not far from its first World Series title since 2008. Phillies president Andy MacPhail called again Saturday, and Dombrowski said he was told of the nebulous expansion timetable by MLB on Monday and Tuesday. “It was John reaching out and really trying to make me part of the Phillies organization,” Dombrowski said.

FILE - In this July 24, 2020, file photo, Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly, left, gives an elbow-bump to Philadelphia Phillies manager Joe Girardi, right, prior to a baseball game in Philadelphia. Mattingly won the NL Manager of the Year award on Tuesday night, Nov. 10. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola, File)Tampa Bay’s Kevin Cash won the AL Manager of the Year award on Tuesday night, and Miami’s Don Mattingly took home the NL honor. Tingler and Ross led their teams to the playoffs in their first seasons as a big league manager. The Tampa, Florida, native and Florida State alum was hired as Tampa Bay manager the day before his 37th birthday.

Klentak stepped down after a third straight September collapse left the team out of the postseason for the ninth consecutive season. “We’ve made progress but we haven’t made enough progress fast enough,” Phillies managing partner John Middleton said. Klentak was hired in October 2015 by team President Andy MacPhail after serving as assistant general manager for the Los Angeles Angels for four seasons. The Phillies had the worst bullpen ERA in the majors this season and it didn't improve after Klentak acquired four veterans in trades. The Phillies went 161-163 under Kapler before Middleton overruled Klentak and MacPhail and fired him last year.

Philadelphia Phillies' Bryce Harper, left, celebrates his home run with third base coach Dusty Wathan during the sixth inning of the team's baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020, in Washington. With Harper leading the way, and homers from Andrew McCutchen, Didi Gregorius and Andrew Knapp, too, the Phillies beat the Nationals 12-3 Wednesday night. “We’re at the part of the season where I need to be on the field," Harper said. TRAINER’S ROOMPhillies: 1B Rhys Hoskins (left elbow) is unlikely to be activated off the injured list before the regular season ends, Girardi said. UP NEXTPhillies: Off on Thursday, then finish the regular season with a three-game series at Tampa Bay that opens Friday.

Cincinnati’s Trevor Bauer (1.80) is third and starts at home against the Brewers in a matchup of NL playoff contenders. Atlanta won its third straight NL East title with an 11-1 romp over the contending Marlins. After losses in 10 straight postseason appearances, the Braves are desperate to end the drought. There’s so much to be proud of from my point of view.”STUMBLINGThe Phillies have lost in four, dropping them out of NL playoff position. After getting in a doubleheader in Washington, they’ll try to regain their winning touch when Zach Eflin (3-2, 4.28 ERA) starts against Erick Fedde (2-3, 4.36) at Nationals Park.

San Diego Padres shortstop Eric Hosmer, center, celebrates after the Padres beat the Seattle Mariners in a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in San Diego. The Padres clinched a spot in the playoffs. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

But going into this last week, a lot of postseason spots are still wide open. Tampa Bay, Oakland, the White Sox and Minnesota also have earned AL spots, and Cleveland, Toronto and Houston have the inside track on the three remaining positions. With six spots in play, it should be an entertaining week with Cincinnati, Milwaukee and San Francisco all at .500. NICE STARTDane Dunning is 2-0 with a 2.33 ERA in five starts for the White Sox since making his major league debut this season. The White Sox lead second-place Minnesota by 2 1/2 games.

Philadelphia Phillies' Jake Arrieta pitches during the third inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)PHILADELPHIA – Phillies right-hander Jake Arrieta will not pitch again in the regular season because of a strained right hamstring. Manager Joe Girardi said on Thursday that Arrieta could return to the rotation if the Phillies make the playoffs. Arrieta said after the game “there’s no question in my mind” he would return for the playoffs. The 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner is in the final season of a $75 million, three-year contract.

MIAMI – Undefeated Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler ripped a fingernail putting on his pants, delaying his next start for two days and perhaps longer. Wheeler might lose the nail on the middle finger of his right hand. “We don’t think it’s a DL thing, but it depends on what happens to the nail,” Girardi said. Wheeler said the nail has been an issue throughout his career, and it’s prone to catch on things. “We’ll see how the soreness goes, and see how this thing starts healing up.”Spencer Howard is scheduled to start in place of Wheeler on Saturday.

Phillies second baseman Neil Walker tried to restrain Harper, who then got in Ortizs face and began yelling at the 35-year-old ump -- an apparent violation of Major League Baseballs safety protocols during this pandemic-shortened season. Walker and first base coach Paco Figueroa tried to hold Harper back, and manager Joe Girardi also came out to help usher the star off the field. Harper is just 7 for 47 (.149) in his last 15 games, dropping his batting average from .367 down to .271. Trout leads the majors with 15 home runs and has connected five times in eight games. Hell try to get back in the swing when the Athletics face Garrett Richards (1-2, 4.63 ERA) at the Coliseum.

NBA referees march in support of players seeking an end to racial injustice in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020. Black men, Black women, Black kids. The two other playoff games for that day were also postponed, as were the three games set for Thursday. MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: Seven games were postponed Thursday, a day after three games were called off. The MLS had no games scheduled for Thursday.

Cole (3-0) allowed one run and five hits, struck out four and walked one on 91 pitches. The major league-best Yankees have won seven straight the equivalent of a 19-game spurt over a 162-game season. Because of Tuesdays postponement, the Phillies planned to return home after the game without having checked into their hotel. ... Closer Aroldis Chapman is to throw a bullpen in Scranton on Tuesday or Wednesday in his return from COVID-19. Happ (0-0) had been scheduled to start for the Yankees on Tuesday and RHP Aaron Nola (0-1) for the Phillies.

Philadelphia Phillies manager Joe Girardi, left, talks with Bryce Harper, right, prior to a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Friday, July 24, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)A look at what's happening around the majors today:BACK TO WORKThe Philadelphia Phillies face a difficult assignment in their long-awaited return to action. Although the Phillies didnt have any players test positive, their games last week were postponed as a cautionary measure. The Phillies got to work out again Saturday, and now come back from a weeklong layoff to face Gerrit Cole and the AL East-leading New York Yankees on the road. MISSING MANAGERThe Cleveland Indians likely will be missing manager Terry Francona for a second straight game when they visit Cincinnati.

The virus also prompted at least two more players to opt out Saturday: Brewers All-Star outfielder Lorenzo Cain and Miami second baseman Isan Daz. I dont think its realistic to think that were not going to have any more positive tests, Manfred said. After two St. Louis players tested positive, the whole Cardinals team was given rapids tests Friday and saliva samples were sent to an MLB laboratory. Thats why we were reluctant to get into scheduling a bunch of doubleheaders just to play more games, Manfred said. In addition, Manfred says players and coaches should take advantage of the open seats in the stands near the dugouts and bullpens in order to spread out.

He was like, Youre bothering me, Im trying to hit, recalled Girardi, now manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. I said, Well, Im trying to bother you, Chili.Girardi doesnt think that kind of chatter will happen as much this season amid the coronavirus pandemic. Some plate umpires are expected to wear their own face coverings. Im just trying to show that its easy to do and its the right thing to do, Frazier said. Neither is MLB players must use face coverings elsewhere in the ballpark, but not during on-field activities.

NEW YORK The crowd noise was phony. Those runs in the fourth inning were the only ones Cole allowed over 5 2/3 innings Friday night. He thought the crowd noise was a work in progress. It kind of sounds the same, I guess, if youre in your zone and youre and youre not really paying attention, he said. Warren wont be ready to pitch at the major league level until next year and the Yankees could re-sign him.

FILE - In this Tuesday, July 7, 2020, file photo, Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Josh Bell, right, listens to manager Derek Shelton during a team workout at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. Shelton and other first-year managers are scrambling to make up for lost time. Fortunately for the first-year Pittsburgh Pirates manager, bench coach Donnie Kelly made it a point to provide it. I just (want) to make sure that Im talking to them, Im aware of what theyre going through, Shelton said. The 38-year-old Rojas the youngest manager in the majors read a book by Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski to help him prepare.

New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole throws during the first inning of an intrasquad game during baseball practice Tuesday July 7, 2020, in New York. But the team's new $324 million ace learned the hard way about one of baseballs new coronavirus safety protocols Tuesday night during an intrasquad game at Yankee Stadium. I liked that ball, Cole grumbled on the mound. Cole faced a Yankees B team in an intrasquad game that aired locally. ... C Kyle Higashioka was scratched from the intrasquad game with a sore neck.

New York Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom throws during a simulated game at a baseball workout at Citi Field, Sunday, July 5, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom throws during a simulated game at a baseball workout at Citi Field, Sunday, July 5, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)NEW YORK – The New York Mets will host the crosstown Yankees on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 next season, according to a person familiar with the decision. The clubs will play at Citi Field in a game sure to be full of emotions for the city that's also reported over 18,000 confirmed coronavirus deaths this year. “I can’t imagine how powerful and how emotional of an event that could be," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. It'll be a homecoming of sorts for former Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who was hired as Phillies manager over the offseason.