CLEVELAND (AP) — On a night for debates, Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole and the New York Yankees made quite an opening statement. Shane Bieber had no rebuttal. Judge smashed a tone-setting, two-run homer on Bieber's fourth pitch, Cole struck out 13 in his New York playoff debut and the …

CHICAGO (AP) — Cubs manager David Ross had to remind himself Monday night that Chicago was still two days away from opening the playoffs against the Miami Marlins. Game 1 of their best-of-three wild-card series is Wednesday at Wrigley Field. And Ross can't wait. “I was laying in bed …

CLEVELAND (AP) — Miguel Andújar was left off the New York Yankees' roster Tuesday for their first-round playoff series against Cleveland. First baseman Mike Ford made the 28-man roster, as did left-hander Jordan Montgomery. Andújar hurt a shoulder last year and lost the third-base job …

A look at what's happening around the majors today: MARQUEE MATCHUP Shane Bieber dominated this year for Cleveland, leading the American League in wins (8), ERA (1.63) and strikeouts (122). He didn’t allow a run in six of his 12 starts. Gerrit Cole delivered for the Yankees in his …

CLEVELAND (AP) — Shane Bieber's first playoff appearance for Cleveland will come against the team that personifies postseason baseball excellence. All those pinstripes. The roll call of Hall of Famers. The 27 World Series titles. The history. Here comes the New York Yankees and all …

A capsule look at the best-of-three playoff series between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians in Cleveland beginning Tuesday night: ___ NEW YORK YANKEES Record: 33-27. Playoff Entry: second place, AL East. Playoff Seed: No. 5. Manager: Aaron Boone (third …

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jay Johnstone, who won World Series championships as a versatile outfielder with the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers while being baseball’s merry prankster, has died. He was 74. He died last Saturday of complications from COVID-19 and also had suffered from …

CHICAGO (AP) — Mookie Betts, meet Devin Williams and his devastating changeup. Aaron Judge, take a closer look at a much improved Shane Bieber. Fernando Tatis Jr., say hello to Jack Flaherty. Welcome to the first round of the 2020 playoffs, a class with an unusual amount of homework — …

CLEVELAND (AP) — Slumping slugger Gary Sánchez will be benched in favor of Kyle Higashioka in the New York Yankees lineup for their wild-card opener Tuesday night. Yankees manager Aaron Boone confirmed Monday that Higashioka would catch ace Gerrit Cole to start the best-of-three series …

NEW YORK (AP) — DJ LeMahieu became the first player to win undisputed batting titles in both leagues and Juan Soto the youngest NL champion as Major League Baseball’s shortest regular season since 1878 ended Sunday. Home runs were down from last year’s record level in a mini-season of …

The 2020 baseball season began with Juan Soto testing positive for COVID-19. Now, he's a 21-year-old batting champion — after beating out another player who went through his own ordeal with the coronavirus. Perhaps it was fitting. Soto finished atop the National League with a .351 …

NEW YORK (AP) — Miami heads to its first postseason appearance since the Marlins' 2003 World Series title with its first winning record in more than a decade. Rookie Jazz Chisholm had a home run and three RBIs on Sunday in a 5-0 win over the New York Yankees. Miami (31-29) finished …

A look at what's happening around the majors Monday: HOW DOES IT FEEL? American League playoff teams get only one day off to assess injuries and make roster decisions before the first round begins Tuesday. Minnesota has a couple of ailing hitters in third baseman Josh Donaldson (right …

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels fired general manager Billy Eppler on Sunday after the long-struggling franchise finished its fifth consecutive losing season under his watch. Eppler was under contract for one more year with the Angels in an extension he signed in July with no …

Christian Yelich and the Milwaukee Brewers got off to a ragged start this year. They never got above .500. And they dropped their last game to finish with a losing record. Guess what? They’re going to the playoffs. “Weird. I guess that’s the only way to describe it. It’s fitting …

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Indians are staying home for the first round of the postseason — and the New York Yankees are coming to town. Carlos Santana had four RBIs and delivered a go-ahead, two-run double in the seventh inning as the Indians rallied for an 8-6 win over the …

NEW YORK (AP) — Miami outfielder Starling Marte and right-hander José Ureña left Sundays' regular-season finale against the New York Yankees after getting hurt in the early innings. Marte was hit on the front of his helmet by Clarke Schmidt’s 94 mph fastball in the second inning. The …

NEW YORK (AP) — DJ LeMahieu is on the verge of a first in more than a century of Major League Baseball: the first player to win undisputed batting titles in both the American and National Leagues. Luke Voit is about to become a more common name atop the leaderboards but part of an …

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Cavan Biggio broke up a no-hit bid with a solo home run in the sixth inning, Randal Grichuk added a three-run shot and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-2 Saturday night. The Blue Jays need another victory in Sunday’s regular-season finale, and a …

Dean Kremer is a budding celebrity in Israel and a developing star in the big leagues. Kremer this month became the first Israeli citizen to pitch in the majors. Not only that, the Baltimore Orioles prospect tossed six innings of one-hit ball in a starting role against the storied New York …