WASHINGTON (AP) — Starting pitchers Jon Lester and Patrick Corbin, closer Brad Hand and four position players expected in the lineup — left fielder Kyle Schwarber, first baseman Josh Bell, second...
A team-by-team look at the American League Central entering spring training, including key players each club acquired and lost, and dates of the first workout for pitchers and catchers, and the...
WASHINGTON (AP) — Alex Avila finalized a $1.5 million, one-year contract Wednesday with the Washington Nationals, who are expected to use him as the primary backup to starting catcher Yan...
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Max Kepler hit a two-run homer to support another strong start from Randy Dobnak, and the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2 on Sunday.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Max Kepler hit his second leadoff home run of the season, Alex Avila added his first homer for Minnesota, and the Twins beat the Cleveland Indians 4-1 on Friday...
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Coming off major surgery and currently the oldest pitcher in the major leagues, Rich Hill sure looked smooth and spry on the mound in his debut for Minnesota.
A team-by-team look at the American League Central entering spring training, including key players each club acquired and lost, and dates of the first workout for pitchers and catchers, and the...
PHOENIX (AP) — Andrew Chafin entered Tuesday as the National League leader in inherited run percentage and the Arizona reliever did his job in a key situation against Philadelphia.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Zack Greinke doesn't think much about no-hitters.
He was in the minority Thursday night when he took a bid into the seventh inning as the Arizona Diamondbacks cruised to a...
TORONTO (AP) — Zack Greinke got an extra day off after being slowed by a stiff neck in his last start. It paid off as he came out strong against the struggling Toronto Blue Jays.
PHOENIX (AP) — Plate umpire Jim Wolf was forced to leave the game between the New York Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks when he was struck in the mask by a foul ball in the second inning.
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona placed catcher Alex Avila on the injured list with a strained left quadriceps, an injury sustained while circling the bases on a home run.
PHOENIX (AP) — Patrick Corbin got into a rhythm with catcher Alex Avila, leaving Philadelphia's hitters flailing.
The Arizona Diamondbacks have hit their stride at just the right time, leaving the desert with the NL West lead before heading out on a nine-game road trip.
Corbin struck out nine in a combined four-hitter, David Peralta had four hits and two RBIs, and the Diamondbacks rolled over the Philadelphia Phillies 6-0 on Wednesday.
PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks have finalized an $8.25 million, two-year contract with free agent catcher Alex Avila.
Avila fills a roster spot vacated by Chris Iannetta, who shared the catching duties last year and left for an $8.5 million, two-year deal with Colorado.
CHICAGO (AP) — Cubs catcher Willson Contreras' two-game suspension for his argument with umpire Jordan Baker has been reduced to one game, and he served the penalty in the finale of their weekend series against the Cardinals.
Contreras and pitcher John Lackey were ejected in the fifth inning of Friday's 8-2 win. Contreras threw down his mask in anger after he was thrown out, and it bounced up and hit Baker's leg.
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs have claimed veteran catcher Rene Rivera off waivers from the New York Mets.
The 34-year-old Rivera is known for his defensive skills. He has thrown out 10 of 31 runners attempting to steal this season. He is batting .230 with eight homers and 23 RBIs in 54 games.
PHOENIX (AP) — The Chicago Cubs say catcher Willson Contreras is expected to be out four to six weeks because of a strained right hamstring.
The NL Central leaders put Contreras on the 10-day disabled list before Friday night's game at Arizona. He was injured running to first base on Wednesday in San Francisco.
NEW YORK (AP) — Yasiel Puig hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers went deep five times to rally past the New York Mets 7-4 on Saturday to extend their incredible surge.
Chris Taylor, Justin Turner, Corey Seager and rookie Cody Bellinger also connected for the Dodgers, who are 43-7 since June 7. That's the best 50-game run by a big league team since the 1912 New York Giants compiled the same mark from May 14 to July 3.
BALTIMORE (AP) — The Detroit Tigers were sellers before the trade deadline, and now they're winners after it.
Justin Upton hit a grand slam in the eighth inning to back a strong pitching performance by Justin Verlander, and surprising Detroit beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-2 Friday night for its fourth straight victory.
CHICAGO (AP) — Justin Wilson took a flight from New York to Detroit on Monday morning. He said hello to his family, put his two suitcases in his car and drove to Chicago.
After all the speculation and uncertainty leading up to the trade deadline, Justin Verlander's sense of humor was apparently still intact.
"Source: I'm still in the Tigers locker room," said a message on Verlander's Twitter account Monday. There was even a picture of the right-hander offered as proof.
CHICAGO (AP) — The rolling Chicago Cubs got a big lift Monday when they acquired reliever Justin Wilson and catcher Alex Avila in a trade with Detroit, bolstering their chance for another long playoff run.
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs have acquired reliever Justin Wilson and catcher Alex Avila in a trade with the Detroit Tigers, bolstering their chance for another long playoff run.
The addition of Wilson gives manager Joe Maddon another late-inning option in front of All-Star closer Wade Davis. The World Series champions had been searching for backup catcher since they cut Miguel Montero a month ago, and Avila is having one of the best seasons of his career at the plate.
DETROIT (AP) — The Tigers' top players created a winning rally without doing much of anything.
Alex Avila, Justin Upton and Miguel Cabrera drew walks in the 11th inning, the last with the bases loaded, giving Detroit a 6-5 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
DETROIT (AP) — There was no way any Detroit outfielder was going to catch this drive by Salvador Perez.
A night after he was robbed of an extra-base hit by the center fielder, Perez hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning, and the Kansas City Royals went on to an 8-2 victory over the Tigers on Wednesday. Mike Moustakas followed Perez's long home run by going deep as well, part of a four-run fourth inning by the Royals.
DETROIT (AP) — Alex Avila was the best player available on the Detroit Tigers' board when it was their turn to select a player in the fifth round of the 2008 amateur draft.
His dad suggested the Tigers pick someone else.
"I didn't want people to think it was a favor," Tigers general manager Al Avila recalled. "I thought he would have a better opportunity if someone else drafted him so he wouldn't have to deal with the scrutiny of being my son."
DETROIT (AP) — For a team struggling to get above .500, the Detroit Tigers looked like a pennant contender on Friday night.
The Tigers got 13 hits, including seven for extra bases, and made several key defensive plays in a 13-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.
"That might be the best game we've played all year," Ian Kinsler said.
Nicholas Castellanos drove in four runs and Justin Upton drove in three, while Kinsler and Alex Avila homered.
DETROIT (AP) — Miguel Cabrera came into Thursday night's game against Tampa Bay without a homer since May 20, though that didn't give the Rays much confidence.
"We all know what that man can do," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "He can hit a homer at any time to any place in any ballpark."
Cabrera, who has been struggling with a sore back, did just that, going the opposite way for a two-run homer in the ninth inning to give the Detroit Tigers a 5-3 victory.
DETROIT (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels didn't make things easy for themselves on Tuesday night.
The Angels led the Detroit Tigers 4-0 in the fifth inning, but closer Bud Norris had to pitch out of a bases-loaded jam to finish off a 5-3 victory.
"That's a nice win against a hot team," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "We had some trouble closing out some innings, including the ninth, but we got it done."
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — It was a good recipe — walks and extra-base hits - for the Detroit Tigers' offense to break out.
J.D. Martinez and Justin Upton hit two-run doubles with two outs in the third inning as the Tigers held off the Kansas City Royals 6-5 on Wednesday night.
Royals starter Ian Kennedy (0-5) walked the bases loaded before giving up the doubles on consecutive pitches.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — J.D. Martinez and Justin Upton hit two-run doubles with two outs in the third inning as the Detroit Tigers held off the Kansas City Royals 6-5 on Wednesday night.
Royals starter Ian Kennedy (0-5) walked the bases loaded before giving up the doubles on consecutive pitches.
Victor Martinez and Alex Avila homered for the Tigers, who completed a 4-7 three-city trip.
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago White Sox right-hander Miguel Gonzalez has lost his bid for a perfect game against the Detroit Tigers.
Gonzalez retired his first 18 batters Sunday before Andrew Romine and Alex Avila opened the seventh with singles. Romine's hard smash to shortstop Tim Anderson was originally ruled an error, and then changed to a hit later.
The White Sox lead the Tigers 7-1 heading to the bottom of the seventh.
HOUSTON (AP) — It took the Detroit Tigers three games, but they got the offense going again.
Jose Iglesias finished a triple shy of the cycle, Ian Kinsler had two hits and scored twice, and Detroit beat the Houston Astros 6-3 on Wednesday night to snap a three-game skid.
HOUSTON (AP) — Jose Iglesias finished a triple shy of the cycle, Ian Kinsler had two hits and scored twice, and the Detroit Tigers beat the Houston Astros 6-3 Wednesday night to snap a three-game skid.
DETROIT (AP) — Alex Avila, Miguel Cabrera and J.D. Martinez hit consecutive home runs in the first inning as the Detroit Tigers beat Texas 9-3 on Saturday night, ending the Rangers' 10-game winning streak.
Nicholas Castellanos added a three-run homer in the third and Justin Verlander (4-3) pitched seven solid innings for the Tigers.
The Rangers were on their longest winning streak since a 12-game run in 2011, but it ended emphatically against Detroit.
DETROIT (AP) — The way Justin Verlander saw it, Texas may have been due for a loss.
With three straight homers in the first inning, Verlander's Detroit Tigers set about ending the Rangers' 10-game winning streak.
Alex Avila, Miguel Cabrera and J.D. Martinez hit consecutive home runs, and the Tigers beat Texas 9-3 on Saturday night. Nicholas Castellanos added a three-run homer in the third, and Verlander pitched seven solid innings to hand the Rangers their first defeat since May 8.
DETROIT (AP) — Miguel Cabrera was a late scratch from Detroit's starting lineup Wednesday night against Baltimore because of a sore left side.
The Tigers announced their slugger's absence about a half-hour before the scheduled first pitch against the Orioles. A team spokesman said Cabrera was expected to have further testing.
Alex Avila replaced Cabrera at first base, and J.D. Martinez moved up three spots to hit third in the batting order.