The San Diego Padres jumped on the St Louis Cardinals early on Saturday and never let up, hitting home runs in each of the first three innings on the way to a 13-3 rout. 

Despite top slugger Fernando Tatis Jr's absence due to a positive COVID-19 test, the Padres pounded three-time All-Star Adam Wainwright for those six early runs, then piled on the St Louis bullpen. 

Austin Nola drove in a career-high six runs, including a three-run homer off Wainwright in the third inning. Tommy Pham and Kim Ha-seong also homered for San Diego.

Things got so bad for St Louis that veteran infielder Matt Carpenter came on to pitch in the seventh inning, then remained in the game to work the eighth. He surrendered two hits to the six batters he faced but did not allow any more runs. 

The Padres and Cardinals entered Saturday with two of the three best records in the National League, but St Louis will need to bounce back Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep. 

Dodgers' Bauer dominates Marlins

Reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer was spectacular for the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 7-0 win over the Miami Marlins.

Bauer allowed just two hits in seven shutout innings while striking out 10 Miami batters to lower his ERA to 2.20. All of Bauer's strikeouts came in the first four innings.

There was one concerning note for the Dodgers in victory, though, as Corey Seager left the game in the fifth inning after being hit by a pitch in the right hand. 

The New York Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-2 thanks in part to a two-run homer by Aaron Judge. It was Judge's 23rd career home run against the Orioles, his most against any team.

Ian Anderson limited the Milwaukee Brewers to two hits in his six innings of work as the Atlanta Braves cruised to a 5-1 victory.  

Eduardo Escobar hit a pair of homers and drove in seven runs to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks past the Washington Nationals 11-4. 

Harold Castro's 10th-inning single lifted the Tigers past the Chicago Cubs 9-8 for Detroit's fifth win in six games. 

Phillies' stars fall in loss

The Philadelphia Phillies' two best hitters left a 4-0 defeat to the Toronto Blue Jays with injuries, adding longer-term concern to Saturday's setback. Bryce Harper departed in the fourth inning with what the team called right shoulder soreness, and J.T. Realmuto followed in the eighth with a left wrist problem. Manager Joe Girardi told reporters both players are day-to-day. 

Bogaerts clears the Monster

Xander Bogaerts launched a rocket over the Green Monster in Boston, with his 446-foot home run helping the Red Sox to a 9-0 rout of the Los Angeles Angels.

Saturday's results

Detroit Tigers 9-8 Chicago Cubs
Boston Red Sox 9-0 Los Angeles Angels
Minnesota Twins 5-4 Oakland Athletics
Tampa Bay Rays 12-5 New York Mets
Pittsburgh Pirates 8-6 San Francisco Giants
New York Yankees 8-2 Baltimore Orioles
Houston Astros 6-5 Texas Rangers
Kansas City Royals 5-1 Chicago White Sox
Atlanta Braves 5-1 Milwaukee Brewers
Toronto Blue Jays 4-0 Philadelphia Phillies
Cincinnati Reds 6-5 Colorado Rockies
Arizona Diamondbacks 11-4 Washington Nationals
San Diego Padres 13-3 St Louis Cardinals
Seattle Mariners 7-3 Cleveland Indians
Los Angeles Dodgers 7-0 Miami Marlins

Mets at Rays

Marcus Stroman (3-3, 2.01 ERA) will try to prevent the Tampa Bay Rays (22-19) from sweeping the New York Mets (18-15) at Tropicana Field. Josh Fleming (2-3, 2.73) gets the start for the Rays. 

Seattle Mariners prospect Jarred Kelenic wowed after homering for his first MLB hit, while the Washington Nationals showed no mercy on Friday.

Kelenic announced his arrival with a two-run homer as the Mariners beat the Cleveland Indians 7-3 in Seattle.

The 21-year-old became the youngest Mariners player to homer since Adam Jones in 2006 after going long in the third inning.

Kelenic, who also added a pair of doubles against the Indians, joined Kyle Lewis (2019) in hitting a home run for the first major league hits.

According to Stats Perform, Kelenic is the youngest American League (AL) player with three-plus extra-base hits out of the lead-off spot since Rickey Henderson in 1979.

Meanwhile, the Nationals crushed the Arizona Diamondbacks 17-2 in their series opener.

The Nationals used a six-run opening inning to ease past the Diamondbacks – the franchise's biggest first inning since 2018.

Washington produced a 22-hit performance as Yan Gomes starred with a career-high five hits while he finished a home run shy of the cycle.

Gomes set career highs with five hits and four runs. Per Stats Perform, at the age of 33, he is the second-oldest catcher in the modern era to reach both numbers in a game, behind only Walker Cooper (aged 34, 1949).

Season-high outing for Kershaw

World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers topped the Miami Marlins 9-6 behind ace Clayton Kershaw, who posted a season-high 11 strikeouts. Despite conceding five runs over six innings, Kershaw won for the sixth time in eight starts, while contributing an RBI single.

The Oakland Athletics clubbed four home runs as they made light work of the Minnesota Twins 6-1. Frankie Montas allowed one run and four hits for his third consecutive victory.

The Kansas City Royals snapped an 11-game losing streak by beating the Chicago White Sox 6-2 in the opener of their doubleheader. The White Sox won the second game 3-1.

Aaron Judge hit a pair of home runs to fuel the New York Yankees' 5-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

Miley falls flat on his face

Wade Miley came crashing back down to earth in the Cincinnati Reds' 9-6 loss to the Colorado Rockies. After his no-hitter against the Indians earlier this month, Miley gave up eight runs on 11 hits as he struck out five in three-plus innings. According to Stats Perform, Miley became the first pitcher to allow 11-plus hits in his first game pitched after throwing a no-hitter since Bob Gibson in 1971.

White Sox star Jose Abreu – the reigning American League (AL) MVP – and Kansas City's Hunter Dozier were involved in a sickening collision in Friday's doubleheader opener. The pair had to be helped off the field after Abreu left with a facial contusion, laceration and bruised knee. Hozier was placed on the seven-day concussion injured list.

The Ohtani show

Playing as a designated hitter, two-way star Shohei Ohtani recorded his 11th home run of the season in the sixth inning. The Los Angeles Angels still lost 4-3 to the Boston Red Sox.

Friday's results

Kansas City Royals 6-2 Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox 3-1 Kansas City Royals
Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 San Francisco Giants
New York Yankees 5-4 Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox 4-3 Los Angeles Angels
Chicago Cubs 4-2 Detroit Tigers
Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies 5-1 Toronto Blue Jays
Atlanta Braves 6-3 Milwaukee Brewers
Oakland Athletics 6-1 Minnesota Twins
Houston Astros 10-4 Texas Rangers
Colorado Rockies 9-6 Cincinnati Reds
Washington Nationals 17-2 Arizona Diamondbacks
Seattle Mariners 7-3 Cleveland Indians
Los Angeles Dodgers 9-6 Miami Marlins
San Diego Padres 5-4 St Louis Cardinals

Marlins at Dodgers

The Dodgers (21-17) can complete a four-game series sweep of the Marlins (17-21) on Saturday. Trevor Bauer will start for the Dodgers.

New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole starred in the team's 1-0 shutout of the Tampa Bay Rays in MLB action on Wednesday.

Cole put on a show in St Petersburg, where the Yankees pitcher struck out 12 batters over eight innings against the team's American League (AL) East rivals midweek.

The three-time All-Star surpassed 1,500 career strikeouts as a result of his performance for the streaking Yankees, who have won four successive games.

Cole (212 games) is the second fastest pitcher to reach the mark, behind Randy Johnson (206 games).

It was Cole's fifth game this season with 10-plus strikeouts and 0 walks, already the most in a single season in Yankees history, per Stats Perform. The most by any player in a season in the modern era is seven by Cole in 2019.

White Sox roll on, Cabrera makes history

World Series hopefuls the Chicago White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 13-8 for their fifth straight victory. Jose Abreu drove in three runs as he became the sixth Cuban-born player to have 200-plus home runs and 700-plus RBI. White Sox rookie Andrew Vaughn hit the first home run of his career.

Miguel Cabrera became the Venezuelan hit king after the Detroit Tigers defeated the slumping Kansas City Royals 4-2. Cabrera drove in two runs as he surpassed Omar Vizquel for the most major league hits by a Venezuelan player.

The Los Angeles Angels were routed 9-1 by the Houston Astros but it was a memorable day for two-way star Shohei Ohtani. The Japanese sensation became the first player to start as a pitcher and then hit leadoff the following game since 1916.

World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers eased past the Seattle Mariners 7-1. Max Muncy homered for the second straight game, while Julio Urias retired Seattle's first 13 batters and gave up only two singles and a walk as he struck out six.

Kansas City's woes continue

The Royals cannot buy a win at the moment. Kansas City are in the midst of a 10-game losing streak – the franchise's longest skid since dropping 10 in succession in 2019.

Contreras clubs Ryu

William Contreras hit a moon shot, a 463-foot home run of Toronto Blue Jays ace Ryu Hyun-jin in the fifth inning. The Atlanta Braves still lost 4-1.

Wednesday's results

New York Mets 7-1 Baltimore Orioles
Cincinnati Reds 5-1 Pittsburgh Pirates
Cleveland Indians 2-1 Chicago Cubs
San Diego Padres 5-3 Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies 3-2 San Diego Padres
Philadelphia Phillies 5-2 Washington Nationals
Detroit Tigers 4-2 Kansas City Royals
New York Yankees 1-0 Tampa Bay Rays
Oakland Athletics 4-1 Boston Red Sox
Toronto Blue Jays 4-1 Atlanta Braves
Milwaukee Brewers 4-1 St Louis Cardinals
Houston Astros 9-1 Los Angeles Angels
Chicago White Sox 13-8 Minnesota Twins
Miami Marlins 3-1 Arizona Diamondbacks
Los Angeles Dodgers 7-1 Seattle Mariners

Yankees at Rays

The in-form Yankees (20-16) can claim a series sweep of the Rays (19-19) on Thursday. Jameson Taillon starts for the Yankees, while the Rays counter with Rich Hill on the mound.

The Houston Astros brought home four at the bottom of the eighth to claim a 5-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels in MLB on Tuesday.

Shohei Ohtani had 10 strikeouts from seven innings but he was not on the mound, instead at right-field, as the Astros did the damage after Taylor Ward leveled the match up with a home-run at the top of the eighth.

Jose Altuve raced home for the go-ahead knock from Michael Brantley's hit and two batters later with two-on Yuli Gurriel hit his sixth home-run of the season.

Aaron Judge hit his eighth homer for the 2021 season early in the New York Yankees' 3-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

At 2-0 down, Mike Zunino hit the biggest Rays home run, at 472 feet, since tracking began in 2008.

Catcher Gary Sanchez spectacularly threw out Austin Meadows on second after an error, while Aroldis Chapman sent down some heat in the ninth to clinch the win. Gerrit Cole should return Wednesday.

Red Sox overcome Means, Bieber ripper

John Means, coming off a no-hitter with 14 consecutive scoreless innings pitched, was excellent again for the Baltimore Orioles but they lost 3-2 to the Boston Red Sox.

The Orioles took the lead and held it into the eighth when Albert Almora ran at full speed at center field face first into the wall trying to make a catch, although he got up and walked off. Baltimore plated a subsequent run to go 2-0 up from a Freddy Galvis.

But the Mets found a way back after Kevin Pillar was a foot away from a home run. Pillar eventually slid into home base from Patrick Mazeika's hit to complete a come-from-behind win. Mazeika celebrated his walk-off with his team-mates ripping his shirt off.

Chris Bassitt had 10 strikeouts across seven innings as the Oakland Athletics won 3-2 over the Boston Red Sox.

The As scored two runs in the seventh, with first baseman Matt Olson hitting the plate before he made the decisive catch with runners on two bases in the ninth to seal the win.

Cleveland Indians pitcher Shane Bieber pulled off an instinctual catch from Joc Pederson's hit which traveled with an 111 mph exit velocity in their 3-2 win over the Chicago Cubs.

Bieber made eight strikeouts but it was Jose Ramirez in the fourth who hit a crucial home-run, his 10th of the season.

In a National League Central match-up between two in-form sides, the St. Louis Cardinals got past the Milwaukee Brewers 6-1 with five runs in the 11th including a Tyler O'Neill homerun.

The Detroit Tigers led 7-0 before an almighty comeback from the Kansas City Royals who eventually went down 8-7 with Niko Goodrum getting home at the bottom of the ninth.

Mitch Haniger hit two home-runs, taking his season tally to 10, as the Seattle Mariners blew a 4-1 lead to go down 6-4 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ward and Trout clash in outfield

It was not a good night for the Angels, especially when outfielders Ward and Mike Trout had a collision where the former somehow held on to a catch and both avoided injury, walking away with bruised egos.

Number 11 for Acuna Jr

Ronald Acuna Jr took the outright lead for most home runs this season, his 11th of 2021 in MLB, but it was not enough for the Atlanta Braves who lost 5-3 to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Tuesday's results

San Francisco Giants 4-2 Texas Rangers
Cleveland Indians 3-2 Chicago Cubs
Pittsburgh Pirates 7-2 Cincinnati Reds
Philadelphia Phillies - Washington Nationals
New York Mets 3-2 Baltimore Orioles
Oakland Athletics 3-2 Boston Red Sox 
New York Yankees 3-1 Tampa Bay Rays
Detroit Tigers 8-7 Kansas City Royals
Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 Atlanta Braves 
St. Louis Cardinals 5-1 Milwaukee Brewers
Chicago White Sox 9-3 Minnesota Twins
Houston Astros 5-1 Los Angeles Angels
San Diego Padres 8-1 Colorado Rockies
Arizona Diamondbacks 11-3 Miami Marlins
Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 Seattle Mariners

Yankees at Rays

Last season's runners-up, the Tampa Bay Rays, continue their American League East series against the New York Yankees.

Two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom will be placed on the injured list after leaving Sunday’s start with tightness in his right side.

The New York Mets announced their intention to put deGrom on the shelf on social media on Monday, but added that the results of the right-hander’s MRI were "clean of any issues."

The team will announce a corresponding move on Tuesday.

With no apparent structural damage revealed by the MRI, the Mets and their fans are hopeful the 32-year-old flamethrower will only miss one start in the rotation, returning during a weekend series against the Miami Marlins from May 21-23.

DeGrom made his sixth start of the season against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday, his first time on the mound in 11 days after skipping a turn in the rotation, also because of right side tightness.

After winning the NL Cy Young Award in 2018 and 2019, deGrom finished third in voting last year and is off to a torrid start this season.

DeGrom is 3-2 for the first-place Mets with an MLB-leading 0.68 ERA and has 65 strikeouts in 40 innings pitched.

Fernando Tatis Jr. flexed his muscles as the San Diego Padres crushed rivals the San Francisco Giants 11-1 in MLB action on Sunday.

Tatis launched a 454-foot homer – his ninth of the season – to lead the Padres past the Giants in San Francisco, where San Diego avoided a series sweep in the battle of the National League (NL) West franchises.

Padres star Tatis went deep off Johnny Cueto in the second inning, while team-mate Jake Cronenworth also sent a 445-foot shot to right field in the same frame.

Cronenworth became the fourth Padres player to hit a home run in San Francisco, following in the footsteps of Ryan Klesko (2003), Brian Giles (2008) and Yasmani Grandal (2014).

Chris Paddack pitched three scoreless innings for the visiting Padres before leaving with a 5-0 lead, while Ryan Weather had three shut-out innings.

Elsewhere, the New York Yankees celebrated back-to-back walk-off victories following their 3-2 win over the Washington Nationals.

Giancarlo Stanton was the hero for the Yankees, delivering a game-ending single off Brad Hand in the ninth inning.

Ynoa powers Braves past Phillies

Huascar Ynoa won his fourth successive start while also having six hits and six RBI in those games as the Atlanta Braves defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 6-1. Ynoa gave up one run, four hits and one walk while striking out six in six innings. According to Stats Perform, he is the first pitcher to go 4-0 with six-plus hits and six-plus RBI over a four-start span since the New York Mets' Dwight Gooden in 1985.

Jared Walsh hit a two-run double in the third inning to fuel the Los Angeles Angels' 2-1 victory against World Series champions and city rivals the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Pearson endures nightmare return

The Toronto Blue Jays finally got to see their top prospect back in action but the rookie pitcher struggled badly in a 7-4 loss to the Houston Astros. Pearson allowed four hits and a career-high five walks in his first start of the season and fifth of his career. He gave up three runs in 2.1 innings of work.

The Mets topped the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-2, however the win was overshadowed by ace Jacob deGrom. In his return to the mound following lat inflammation, DeGrom was pulled after throwing two warm-up pitches before the sixth inning in New York, where the two-time National League (NL) Cy Young Award winner allowed one run while striking out six and giving up one hit over five innings prior to exiting with the trainer.

Tucker helps tame Jays

Kyle Tucker hit a three-run homer and tied a career high with four RBI in Houston's success against Toronto. Tucker gave the Astros a 7-0 lead in the fourth inning.

Sunday's results

Boston Red Sox 4-3 Baltimore Orioles
New York Yankees 3-2 Washington Nationals
New York Mets 4-2 Arizona Diamondbacks
Milwaukee Brewers 2-1 Miami Marlins
Chicago White Sox 9-3 Kansas City Royals
Houston Astros 7-4 Toronto Blue Jays
St Louis Cardinals 2-0 Colorado Rockies
Pittsburgh Pirates 6-5 Chicago Cubs
Texas Rangers 10-2 Seattle Mariners
San Diego Padres 11-1 San Francisco Giants
Los Angeles Angels 2-1 Los Angeles Dodgers
Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 Oakland Athletics
Atlanta Braves 6-1 Philadelphia Phillies
Cincinnati Reds-Cleveland Indians (postponed)
Minnesota Twins-Detroit Tigers (postponed)

Red Sox at Orioles

The high-flying Red Sox (22-13), who top the American League (AL) East, will put their four-game winning streak on the line against the lowly Orioles (15-19) on Monday. Boston can seal a four-game sweep as they start with Martin Perez, while Baltimore send Jorge Lopez to the mound.

New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom will undergo an MRI after his comeback from lat inflammation was cut short due to a "different injury" on Sunday.

Having been scratched from Tuesday's scheduled start against the St Louis Cardinals because of inflammation in his right lat, star Mets pitcher DeGrom made his return to the mound in the team's 4-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

DeGrom, however, was pulled after throwing two warm-up pitches before the sixth inning in New York, where the two-time National League (NL) Cy Young Award winner allowed one run while striking out six and giving up one hit over five innings prior to exiting with the trainer.

"He's going for an MRI, just to see what's going on there, to see how he is, have a clear view," said Mets manager Luis Rojas.

"Right-side tightness is what we have from our medical staff here, more so in his lower back area, on the right side. They're taking a look, so once we get the results back, we'll know how he is."

Rojas added: "It's different. It's the right side, but now it's more in the lower back area rather than a little higher than he was with the tightness.

"No pain, just the tightness. That's what he told our trainer. We'll see."

DeGrom improved his record to 3-2 for the season as his ERA rose from an MLB-best 0.51 to 0.68.

World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers almost blew a 13-0 lead in their wild 14-11 win over city rivals the Los Angeles Angels, a result which snapped a four-game skid.

The struggling Dodgers – whose nightmare stretch saw their record dip from an MLB-best 13-2 to 17-6 having lost 14 of 18 games – raced to a 13-0 lead after five innings in Anaheim on Saturday.

After neither team managed a hit in the first three innings, Mookie Betts inspired the Dodgers with a lead-off walk in the fourth inning followed by a two-run single later in the frame.

Max Muncy, Matt Beaty, Austin Barnes, Betts, Corey Seager and Will Smith all delivered RBI hits for the Dodgers – who added another five runs in the fifth inning.

Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw also struck out five batters and allowed two hits over five scoreless innings before the team's bullpen surrendered 11 runs to the Angels.

The Angels scored seven unearned runs in a two-out rally in the seventh inning, highlighted by a first career homer for Jose Rojas – a three-run shot.

However, the Dodgers managed to hold on as they survived for a confidence-boosting victory in the Freeway Series.

Hader history

Milwaukee Brewers ace Josh Hader became the faster pitcher in MLB history to 400 career strikeouts. Hader reached the mark in just over 234 innings, surpassing the mark set by Craig Kimbrel (236) in 2014. Hader struck out the side in the ninth inning as the Brewers defeated the Miami Marlins 6-2. In the same game, team-mate Adrian Houser homered off Daniel Castano on April 27 and again on Saturday. Per Stats Perform, Houser is the first Brewers player to hit his first two career home runs against the same pitcher since Robin Yount in 1974.

Max Scherzer had 14 strikeouts and allowed two hits in the Washington Nationals' 4-3 extra-innings loss to the New York Yankees. It was his seventh game of 14-plus strikeouts and three or fewer hits allowed, a mark only bettered by Nolan Ryan (15) and Randy Johnson (14) in the modern era, per Stats Perform.

Chicago White Sox star Yasmani Grandal has 13 walks in his last four games, tying the most in any four-game span in the modern era, according to Stats Perform. The others with 13 are Babe Ruth (1930) and Bryce Harper (2016). The White Sox eased past the Kansas City Royals 9-1.

Musgrove costly in San Fran

Star pitcher Joe Musgrove struggled in the San Diego Padres' 7-1 loss at the hands of in-form National League (NL) rivals the San Francisco Giants. Musgrove gave up eight hits as he allowed four runs and two homers in five innings.

Biggio hits first homer in Houston

Craig Biggio enjoyed a Hall of Fame career with the Houston Astros. His son Cavan plays for the Toronto Blue Jays and the emerging second baseman hit his first home run at the ballpark where his father made so many memories. Cavan Biggio had a two-run homer in the second inning as the Blue Jays topped the Astros 8-4 at Minute Maid Park in Houston.

Saturday's results

New York Yankees 4-3 Washington Nationals
St Louis Cardinals 9-8 Colorado Rockies
Chicago Cubs 3-2 Pittsburgh Pirates
San Francisco Giants 7-1 San Diego Padres
Oakland Athletics 6-3 Tampa Bay Rays
Detroit Tigers 7-3 Minnesota Twins
Cleveland Indians 9-2 Cincinnati Reds
Milwaukee Brewers 6-2 Miami Marlins
Boston Red Sox 11-6 Baltimore Orioles
Texas Rangers 9-8 Seattle Mariners
New York Mets 4-2 Arizona Diamondbacks
Chicago White Sox 9-1 Kansas City Royals
Toronto Blue Jays 8-4 Houston Astros
Atlanta Braves 8-7 Philadelphia Phillies
Los Angeles Dodgers 14-11 Los Angeles Angels

Diamondbacks at Mets

Mets (15-13) ace Jacob deGrom is pencilled in to make his return to the mound in Sunday's series finale against the Diamondbacks (15-18). DeGrom has been sidelined due to lat inflammation. The Diamondbacks will counter with Riley Smith.

New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom is "ready to roll" against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday, according to general manager Zack Scott.

DeGrom was diagnosed with inflammation in his right lat following an MRI on Tuesday, though the star pitcher avoided the injured list having been shut down for the "next few days".

The two-time National League (NL) Cy Young Award winner was scratched from his scheduled start against the St Louis Cardinals on Tuesday before the MLB showdown was postponed due to inclement weather.

But DeGrom has been given the all-clear to make his comeback in the final game of the Diamondbacks series in New York.

"Anytime you're talking about someone that special, it's a relief whenever there's any kind of potential health issue," Scott told reporters on Saturday.

"It wasn't something that anyone thought was a major issue. He did throw his bullpen and was throwing 98 [mph] and looking good.

"So he's ready to roll for tomorrow. It was definitely a relief."

DeGrom is boasting an MLB-best 0.51 ERA through his five games in MLB in 2021.

The three-time All-Star has allowed 16 hits, five runs and just two homers for the Mets, while he has struck out 59 batters.

DeGrom tied Nolan Ryan's record for most strikeouts through a pitcher's first five starts of a season.

The 32-year-old tallied nine strikeouts over six innings against the Boston Red Sox last month to improve his five-game total to 59, matching Ryan's feat in 1978.

DeGrom also ranks first for strikeouts per nine innings (15.17) among pitchers this season.

A meeting of two of the top teams in the American League nearly produced the second no-hitter of the night in MLB, but the Oakland Athletics settled for a 2-1 walk-off win against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Oakland starting pitcher Sean Manaea was perfect through six innings and had a no-hitter through seven innings, leaving a 1-1 game with one out in the eighth. 

That ended Manaea's bid for his second career no-hitter to follow his April 2018 gem against the Boston Red Sox, but Oakland still managed to pull out the victory against the defending AL champions. 

Seth Brown won it for the A's with a two-out home run off Jeffrey Springs in the bottom of the ninth. 

Brown had driven in the previous Oakland run with a single in the seventh inning. 

Miley with fourth MLB no-hitter this season

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Wade Miley threw the fourth no-hitter in MLB this season, shutting down the Cleveland Indians for a 3-0 win. Miley's gem came two days after John Means of the Baltimore Orioles no-hit the Seattle Mariners and is the 17th no-hitter in Reds history.

Austin Slater's tie-breaking home run gave the San Francisco Giants a 5-4 win over the San Diego Padres as the top two teams in the National League West squared off. 

The Washington Nationals scored eight runs in the final two innings to break a 3-3 tie and blow out the New York Yankees 11-4. Josh Harrison hit a three-run home run in the eighth and Juan Soto a two-run homer in the ninth for Washington. 

Francisco Lindor hit a two-run homer in the seventh to tie the game and the New York Mets beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-4 with a walk-off bases-loaded ground ball by Patrick Mazeika in the 10th inning. 

Detroit Tigers star Miguel Cabrera singled in his first two at-bats to give him 2,874 hits in his career, passing Babe Ruth for 45th on MLB's all-time list, in a 7-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins. 

Phillies get to Morton early

In his first six starts for the Atlanta Braves, Charlie Morton held opponents scoreless in the first inning while allowing only three base-runners. That luck changed Friday, as seven of the nine Philadelphia Phillies he faced in the first reached base and the visitors posted a 6-0 lead while driving Morton from the game in a 12-2 Phillies win. 

Flaherty can hit, too

Shohei Ohtani is not the only MLB pitcher who can go deep at the plate. St Louis Cardinals ace Jack Flaherty crushed a pitch from former team-mate Austin Gomber of the Colorado Rockies for a 416-foot home run. On the mound, Flaherty allowed only three hits in seven innings as the Cardinals rolled to a 5-0 win.

Friday's results

Chicago Cubs 3-2 Pittsburgh Pirates
Washington Nationals 11-4 New York Yankees
New York Mets 5-4 Arizona Diamondbacks
Miami Marlins 6-1 Milwaukee Brewers
Minnesota Twins 7-3 Detroit Tigers
Philadelphia Phillies 12-2 Atlanta Braves
Seattle Mariners 5-4 Texas Rangers
Boston Red Sox 6-2 Baltimore Orioles
Cincinnati Reds 3-0 Cleveland Indians
Houston Astros 10-4 Toronto Blue Jays
Chicago White Sox 3-0 Kansas City Royals
St Louis Cardinals 5-0 Colorado Rockies
Los Angeles Angels 9-2 Los Angeles Dodgers
Oakland Athletics 2-1 Tampa Bay Rays
San Francisco Giants 5-4 San Diego Padres

Nationals at Yankees

Two pitchers with impressive track records will be on display in New York as three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (2-2, 2.54 ERA) and the Washington Nationals visit two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber (2-2, 3.03 ERA) and the Yankees. 

Jose Altuve celebrated his birthday with a home run as the Houston Astros silenced the boo boys in a 7-4 win at the New York Yankees.

The Astros have been booed relentlessly in their first visit to New York since the sign-stealing scandal.

Houston were found to have stolen signs of opposition teams on the way to winning the championship in 2017, as well as for part of 2018 following an investigation last year.

Yankees fans have made their feelings known throughout the MLB series, but Altuve answered the boos by hitting a go-ahead, three-run homer in the eighth inning on his 31st birthday.

The Astros avoided a series sweep against the Yankees, who had their five-game winning streak snapped on Thursday.

Braves end seven-year wait

For the first time since 2014, the Atlanta Braves swept the Washington Nationals thanks to a 3-2 victory. It was a bittersweet outing for Dave Martinez, who oversaw his 411th career game as Nationals manager – a franchise record. Washington's Jon Lester also became the 17th left-handed pitcher in MLB history to record 2,400 career strikeouts.

Taijuan Walker allowed just one hit in seven innings to fuel the New York Mets' 4-1 win away to the St Louis Cardinals.

Randal Grichuk had a memorable game after homering, doubling and driving in five runs as the Toronto Blue Jays rallied past the Oakland Athletics 10-4. Marcus Semien homered among his four hits for the Blue Jays, who split the series in Oakland.

The Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox combined to score 21 runs without hitting a homer – the latter were 12-9 victors. It is the first time that many runs were scored without a homer at Fenway Park in a nine-inning game since 1961.

Twins and their extra-inning woes continue

The Minnesota Twins were outlasted 4-3 by the Texas Rangers after 10 innings. This season, the Twins are 0-7 in extra innings.

The Miami Marlins edged the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-1 but Pablo Lopez is still searching for a win. Lopez improved his ERA to 0.38 over his last four starts following his five-inning, 0 earned-run no decision. Per Stats Perform, he is the first pitcher since ERA became official in 1913 to have a four-start span with 20-plus innings pitched, an ERA under 0.50 and no wins.

Ohtani homers… again

Two-way Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani hit his 10th home run of the season in an 8-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. With his homer, it is the second time this year Ohtani has been the starting pitcher one day and then homered the next. According to Stats Perform, the Japanese sensation is the first player in the modern era to do so in the same season.

Thursday's results

Houston Astros 7-4 New York Yankees
Philadelphia Phillies 2-0 Milwaukee Brewers
Boston Red Sox 12-9 Detroit Tigers
Texas Rangers 4-3 Minnesota Twins
New York Mets 4-1 St Louis Cardinals
Cleveland Indians 4-0 Kansas City Royals
Toronto Blue Jays 10-4 Oakland Athletics
Atlanta Braves 3-2 Washington Nationals
Miami Marlins 3-1 Arizona Diamondbacks
Tampa Bay Rays 8-3 Los Angeles Angels

Dodgers at Angels

It will be an all-Los Angeles affair as city rivals the Dodgers (17-15) and Angels (13-17) meet on Friday. Slumping World Series champions the Dodgers have lost three straight games and eight of their last 10. The Dodgers will send Julio Urias to the mound, while Griffin Canning starts for the Angels.

A new day but the same result for struggling World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers, who suffered a 6-5 walk-off defeat to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday.

The Dodgers were condemned to walk-off misery in game two of Tuesday's doubleheader and the slumping MLB holders experienced the same fate midweek.

Anthony Rizzo hit an RBI single in a two-run 11th inning to lift the Cubs, who completed a sweep of the Dodgers at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

The Cubs swept the Dodgers – who lost for the 13th time in 17 games following a 13-2 start to the season – at Wrigley Field for the first time since 2008.

Meanwhile, Baltimore Orioles ace John Means entered the MLB history books after throwing a no-hitter against the Seattle Mariners.

Means threw the Orioles' first solo no-hitter since Jim Palmer in 1969 as Baltimore blanked the Mariners 6-0.

It was an almost perfect performance for Means, who retired all 27 batters he faced in Seattle but did allow a baserunner when Sam Haggerty reached on a third-strike wild pitch in the third inning.

Means is the first pitcher to throw a non-perfect no-hitter in which the team did not record a walk, hit by pitch or error.

According to Stats Perform, Means is also the second pitcher in American League (AL) history to throw a no-hitter with 12-plus strikeouts and 0 walks, joining Felix Fernandez – who had a perfect game in 2012.

Fulmer follows in Ryan's footsteps

Detroit Tigers pitcher Michael Fulmer earned his first career save in a 6-5 win over the Boston Red Sox. Fulmer retied Bobby Dalbec and Kike Hernandez to snap Detroit's six-game skid. According to Stats Perform, Fulmer is the first pitcher to get a save the day after a start of less than an inning since Nolan Ryan in 1973.

Marcell Ozuna hit a grand slam to lead the Atlanta Braves past the Washington Nationals 5-3, while Didi Gregorius also managed a grand slam as the Philadelphia Phillies topped the Milwaukee Brewers 5-4.

Giancarlo Stanton stayed hot with a homer and four runs in the New York Yankees' 6-3 win against the Houston Astros. Stanton homered in back-to-back games for the first time since last July as the Yankees extended their winning streak to six games.

A's falter against Jays

The Oakland Athletics were leading the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 before faltering. Toronto produced a five-run eighth inning to rally past the A's. Lou Trivino struggled in the eighth, allowing three hits, five runs – all earned – and two walks. Toronto won 9-4.

Ohtani the freak

Is there anything Shohei Ohtani cannot do? The two-way Los Angeles Angels star – returning to the mound – caught his own pitch in a fine example of his fielding and agility. Ohtani pitched five scoreless innings, giving up just one hit while striking out seven but the Angels still lost 3-1 to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Wednesday results

Cincinnati Reds 1-0 Chicago White Sox
Colorado Rockies 6-5 San Francisco Giants
Baltimore Orioles 6-0 Seattle Mariners
St Louis Cardinals 4-1 New York Mets
New York Mets 7-2 St Louis Cardinals
Miami Marlins 8-0 Arizona Diamondbacks
Atlanta Braves 5-3 Washington Nationals
New York Yankees 6-3 Houston Astros
Philadelphia Phillies 5-4 Milwaukee Brewers
Detroit Tigers 6-5 Boston Red Sox
Chicago Cubs 6-5 Los Angeles Dodgers
Texas Rangers 3-1 Minnesota Twins
Cleveland Indians 5-4 Kansas City Royals
San Diego Padres 4-2 Pittsburgh Pirates
Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 Los Angeles Angels
Toronto Blue Jays 9-4 Oakland Athletics

Blue Jays at Athletics

The Blue Jays will look to split their series away to the Athletics on Thursday. Blue Jays ace Ryu Hyun-jin starts, while the A's counter with Mike Fiers.

New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom could return to the mound against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday.

DeGrom was diagnosed with inflammation in his right lat following an MRI on Tuesday, though the star pitcher avoided the injured list having been shut down for the "next few days".

The two-time National League (NL) Cy Young Award winner was scratched from his scheduled start against the St Louis Cardinals on Tuesday before the MLB showdown was postponed due to inclement weather.

The Mets open a three-game series against the Diamondbacks on Friday.

"I was a little bit more sore after my last start. Didn't think too much of it," DeGrom said on Wednesday.

"I noticed my mechanics were off. Looked at some of the video and got some of the numbers, and my arm was down a little bit and ... flying open. So that's obviously going to put more stress on my arm."

"Feeling good now. The plan is to see the doctor again tomorrow and let him re-evaluate," DeGrom said. "It's in a good spot, I guess. If it kind of creeps up towards the armpit, then it's not good, but the spot it's in is definitely manageable."

DeGrom is boasting an MLB-best 0.51 ERA through his five games in MLB in 2021.

The three-time All-Star has allowed 16 hits, five runs and just two homers for the Mets, while he has struck out 59 batters.

DeGrom tied Nolan Ryan's record for most strikeouts through a pitcher's first five starts of a season.

The 32-year-old tallied nine strikeouts over six innings against the Boston Red Sox last month to improve his five-game total to 59, matching Ryan's feat in 1978.

DeGrom also ranks first for strikeouts per nine innings (15.17) among pitchers this season.

Clayton Kershaw and Trevor Bauer were on the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday, but the MLB World Series champions were still swept by the Chicago Cubs.

Dodgers ace Kershaw and reigning National League (NL) Cy Young Award winner Bauer started in games one and two respectively, however, the Cubs were 7-1 and 4-3 victors to sweep the doubleheader in Chicago.

The Cubs secured the day-night sweep in walk-off fashion as the Dodgers lost for the eighth time in 10 games.

Elsewhere, the Houston Astros were greeted by boos and bad words in their first visit to New York since the sign-stealing scandal.

New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom has been shut down for the "next few days" due to inflammation in his right lat.

DeGrom was scratched from his scheduled start against the St Louis Cardinals on Tuesday before the MLB showdown was postponed due to inclement weather.

After undergoing an MRI, DeGrom avoided the injured list but will "refrain from throwing" for a short period, the Mets said in a statement.

DeGrom – a two-time National League (NL) Cy Young Award winner – has been red-hot for the Mets this season.

Entering Tuesday's play, DeGrom boasted an MLB-best 0.51 ERA through his five games in MLB in 2021.

The three-time All-Star has allowed 16 hits, five runs and just two homers for the Mets, while he has struck out 59 batters.

DeGrom tied Nolan Ryan's record for most strikeouts through a pitcher's first five starts of a season.

The 32-year-old tallied nine strikeouts over six innings against the Boston Red Sox last month to improve his five-game total to 59, matching Ryan's feat in 1978.

DeGrom also ranks first for strikeouts per nine innings (15.17) among pitchers this season.