Seiya Suzuki drove in three runs and the Chicago Cubs scored five times in the second inning before holding on for a 9-7 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Friday's opener of a three-game series.

Michael Busch, acquired from the Dodgers in the offseason, had a solo homer against his former team to help Chicago to its fifth consecutive win. Dansby Swanson also homered for the Cubs and Ian Happ contributed a two-run triple.

The Dodgers had a four-game winning streak snapped despite Shohei Ohtani connecting for his second homer of the season, a two-run shot in the fifth inning. Teoscar Hernandez went 3 for 4 with four RBIs for Los Angeles.

After Hernandez's two-run single in the first inning gave the Dodgers an early lead, the Cubs answered and then some against Los Angeles starter Bobby Miller in the second.

Swanson got Chicago on the board with a one-out solo homer and Miller walked Busch before yielding back-to-back singles to Nico Hoerner and Nick Madrigal, the last of which plated Busch. Happ later walked to load the bases and Hoerner scored on Miller's wild pitch for a 3-2 Cubs lead.

Suzuki then doubled to right to knock in two more runs and extend the margin and chase Miller, who was tagged for five runs in just 1 2/3 innings.

Busch homered in the third to put Chicago up 6-2, but Ohtani followed Mookie Betts' single in the fifth with a blast into the right-field seats off Cubs' starter Kyle Hendricks to close the gap. Hendricks then walked Freddie Freeman before giving up a double to Will Smith that cut Los Angeles' deficit to 6-5.

Hendricks was charged with five runs on eight hits over four-plus innings.

Happ brought in Hoerner and Yan Gomes with a triple in the sixth to give Chicago some breathing room, then scored on Suzuki's sacrifice fly for a 9-5 lead.

Hernandez plated Freeman and Smith with a single in the seventh to get the Dodgers closer, but relievers Julian Merryweather and Adbert Alzolay shut Los Angeles out over the final two innings to protect the lead.

Rangers roll past Astros in ALCS rematch

Adolis Garcia and Marcus Semien each belted three-run homers as the Texas Rangers cruised to a 10-2 rout over the Houston Astros in the American League West rivals' first meeting since last season's League Championship Series.

Garcia also had an RBI single to back 7 2/3 outstanding innings from Cory Bradford as the Rangers took the opener of this four-game Lone Star series. 

Bradford yielded just one run and two hits with no walks to help Texas end a run of eight consecutive Houston wins at the Rangers' Globe Life Park, including three during the 2023 ALCS that Texas won in seven games before later capturing the franchise's first World Series title.

The Rangers went up big early in the rematch, scoring five two-out runs off Houston starter Hunter Brown in the second inning.

Singles by Josh Smith and Semien put two runners on before Corey Seager drove in Texas' first run with a double. Semien then scored on Wyatt Langford's infield single before Garcia launched a three-run homer for a 5-0 advantage.

Smith's RBI double in the fourth and Garcia's run-scoring single in the fifth increased the margin further, and Semien made it a 10-0 lead when he homered off Brandon Bielak with two aboard in the sixth.

Bradford was removed after giving up a two-out single to Jeremy Pena in the eighth. Jake Meyers then greeted reliever Yerry Rodriguez with a two-run homer to end Texas' shutout bid.

Brown lasted just three innings and was tagged for five runs and eight hits while walking four.

Clement's homer helps Blue Jays spoil Yankees' home opener

Ernie Clement broke a scoreless tie with a pinch-hit home run in the seventh inning, and five Toronto Blue Jays pitchers combined on a six-hitter to spoil the New York Yankees' home opener with a 3-0 victory.

Clement sent a pitch from Yankees reliever Caleb Ferguson into the left-field seats to help Toronto take the opener of this three-game series.

The Blue Jays tacked on two more runs in the top of the ninth before ex-Yankee Chad Green worked around a pair of hits in the bottom of the inning to finish off the shutout and earn his first save of the season.

New York was dealt just its second loss in eight games this season despite an outstanding start from former Blue Jay Marcus Stroman, who yielded just three hits and struck out six in six scoreless innings.

Yusei Kikuchi was just as good for Toronto, as the left-hander permitted just four hits and struck out seven in 5 1/3 innings.

Alejandro Kirk had three hits for the Blue Jays, including a single in the ninth that was followed by a base hit from Daulton Varsho. Isiah Kiner-Falefa then drew a walk to load the bases before New York reliever Nick Burdi threw a wild pitch that allowed pinch-runner Brian Serven to score for a 2-0 lead.

Burdi uncorked another wild pitch later in the inning that enabled Varsho to score Toronto's final run. 

The Texas Rangers will be without key pitcher Max Scherzer for possibly the first half of the 2024 season after the three-time Cy Young Award winner underwent back surgery this week, the team announced Friday. 

Scherzer issued a statement revealing he had surgery Thursday to repair a herniated disk in his back that has been bothering him all offseason. The injury also forced his removal from the Rangers' roster prior to the end of the 2023 World Series, which Texas won in five games over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

"After returning to my offseason home in Florida, my discomfort in my back continued to get worse,” Scherzer said. “During this time I received the diagnosis of a herniated disk.  After several conservative treatments and consulting with multiple specialists, I made the decision to have the recommended surgery.

"Getting this procedure done now will give me the best chance to pitch as much as possible for the Rangers in 2024. I look forward to putting in the rehab work and getting back on the mound next summer."

Rangers general manager Chris Young told reporters Friday that Scherzer will likely be sidelined into June or July. 

Scherzer was forced out of his Game 3 start of the World Series after three innings with what was initially described as back tightness. The 39-year-old also missed the final few weeks of the regular season with a muscle strain in his right shoulder before returning for the American League Championship Series between Texas and the Houston Astros.

The eight-time All-Star also missed time with injuries in 2022 while then with the New York Mets, as he was limited to 23 starts and 145 1/3 innings that year. Discounting the COVID-19 shortened 2020 campaign, both totals were his fewest in a season since his rookie year in 2008.

Texas acquired Scherzer from the Mets near the trade deadline on July 30, and he posted a 4-2 record with a 3.20 ERA in eight regular-season starts before the shoulder injury. The veteran right-hander was 0-1 with a 6.52 ERA in three post-season starts.

Scherzer compiled a 13-6 record with a 3.77 ERA and 174 strikeouts in 27 overall regular-season starts between the Mets and Rangers in 2023.

The Rangers will now begin defense of the franchise's first World Series title with two former Cy Young winners on the injured list. Jacob deGrom, Scherzer's former teammate in New York, is recovering from Tommy John surgery performed last summer and is aiming for a return in August.

“We had hoped to have a healthy Max Scherzer at the beginning of the season, obviously,” Young said when asked if the injury changes the Rangers' offseason plans. "That said, we also recognised that we were going to need pitching depth. I'm not sure it changes much in terms of building out that depth. It thins us out a little bit on the front half of the season.

"Pitching will remain a focus and we'll continue to look for any way to improve our club.”

Artemi Panarin and Jimmy Vesey each scored twice and the New York Rangers defeated the New Jersey Devils 5-3 on Saturday to extend their point streak to 11 games.

Panarin scored a first-period power-play goal and his second goal midway through the third forged a 3-3 tie.

He set a franchise record by running his season-opening point streak to a career-high 15 games, breaking the mark he shared with Rod Gilbert.

The 15-game point streak is the longest by a Ranger since Wayne Gretzky in 1996-97.

Igor Shesterkin returned after missing four games with an undisclosed injury and stopped 30 shots as the Rangers improved to 10-0-1 in their last 11 contests.

Jack Hughes had a goal and an assist in his return after missing five games with an upper-body injury, but New Jersey lost for the fourth time in five games.

Avalanche score 6 straight to beat Stars

Valeri Nichushkin ignited a four-goal third period and the Colorado Avalanche scored six unanswered goals in a 6-3 victory over the Dallas Stars.

Colorado’s Cale Makar became the fastest defenseman in NHL history to reach 200 career assists with three in his 254th game.

Tyler Seguin’s second goal of the game early in the second period gave Dallas a 3-0 lead, but Colorado responded with goals by Miles Wood and Ryan Johansen to make it a one-goal game.

Nichushkin’s unassisted goal tied it at 4:19 of the third, Mikko Rantanan put the Avs on top with 5:28 remaining and Andrew Cogliano’s goal just 21 seconds later extended the advantage.

The Stars had a four-game winning streak snapped, while Colorado won its third in a row.

Ovechkin scores 827th as Capitals stay hot

Alex Ovechkin scored the 827th goal of his career to lead the surging Washington Capitals to a 4-3 win over the reeling Columbus Blue Jackets.

Hendrix Lapierre had a goal and two assists and Sonny Milano added a goal and an assist for the Capitals, who have won four straight and eight of 10.

Johnny Gaudreau, Justin Danforth and Ivan Provorov scored as Columbus dropped its eighth in a row (0-6-2).

The Los Angeles Angels have appointed veteran former Texas Rangers boss Ron Washington as their new manager, the Major League team have announced.

The 71-year-old succeeds Phil Nevin, whose contract was not renewed after the Angels failed to reach this season’s play-offs.

Washington, who had been on the coaching staff at Atlanta, led the Rangers to back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011 in his last frontline job.

The Los Angeles Angels are turning to a veteran to lead their ball club, hiring the 71-year-old Ron Washington to be their manager on Wednesday.

Washington, who becomes the old manager in major league baseball, hasn't managed a team since 2014, with the Texas Rangers.

His only previous experience as a manger in MLB came with the Rangers from 2007-14, as he directed the team to AL pennants in 2010 and 2011. He went 664-611 during his eight years at the helm in Texas, and also reached the playoffs in 2012, losing a one-game wild-card series to the Baltimore Orioles.

Washington spent the past seven seasons as the Atlanta Braves' third base coach, helping the franchise to the 2021 World Series title.

He becomes Los Angeles' fourth manager in the last six years and replaces Phil Nevin after the Angels decided to part ways with him after 1 1/2 seasons.

Despite having three-time AL MVP Mike Trout and 2021 league MVP Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles finished fourth in the AL West this past season with a 73-89 - its eighth consecutive losing season. 

It's been nine seasons since the Angels last made the play-offs, the longest postseason drought in MLB.

The Texas Rangers are just one win away from their first World Series crown after a dominant 11-7 game four win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Marcus Semien hit a two-run triple and a three-run home run for the Rangers, who opened a 10-0 lead after just three innings.

The Rangers now lead the Diamondbacks 3-1 in the seven-game series having stretched their unbeaten away record in the postseason to 10 games.

They became the first team in World Series history to have consecutive five-run innings with all-star pairing Corey Seager and Semien continuing their hot form, both players batting in six runs apiece during the series.

Saeger hit his third two-run home run of the series while Jonah Heim got in on the action in the eighth inning with a home run to stretch the lead further.

After scoring one run in the fourth, the Diamondbacks fought back with six more across the final two innings, but the gap was too big to bridge.

Arizona’s second baseman Ketal Marte recorded two more hits, sending his record postseason hitting streak to 20 games.

Texas can clinch their first MLB crown on Wednesday night in Arizona, but they will have to do it without veteran pitcher Max Scherzer and star outfielder Adolis Garcia who were injured in game three.

The last team to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the World Series were the Chicago Cubs in 2016, but 42 of the last 49 teams up 3-1 have gone on to win.

Marcus Semien hit a three-run homer and drove in five runs as the Texas Rangers moved within one win of their first World Series title on Tuesday with an 11-7 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Corey Seager added a two-run home run and the Rangers won their 10th straight postseason road game, extending their MLB record.

Texas scored five runs in the second and third innings, becoming the first team in World Series history with consecutive five-run innings.

Texas can wrap up the World Series in Game 3 on Wednesday.

Only seven of the last 49 teams to take a 3-1 lead in the World Series failed to win. The most recent team to overcome a 3-1 deficit was the Chicago Cubs against Cleveland in 2016.

Seager’s third two-run homer of the Series capped the five-run second and Semien’s blast punctuated the third.

The Rangers learned before the game that slugger Adolis Garcia and pitcher Max Scherzer will miss the rest of the World Series.

Garcia, the ALCS MVP, has a moderate strain of his left oblique and Scherzer, who was in line to pitch a possible Game 7, has a muscle spasm on the right side of his back.

Garcia hit .323 with eight homers and a major league-record 22 RBIs in these playoffs.

Travis Jankowski took Garcia’s spot in right field and had two hits and two RBIs in his first Series at-bats.

The Diamondbacks were held in check by Andrew Heaney and the Rangers’ bullpen before scoring four runs in the eighth, three on Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s home run off Chris Stratton.

Heaney allowed one run and four hits in five innings.

Gabriel Moreno added a two-run single in the ninth to draw Arizona closer, but Jose Leclerc retired Christian Walker for the final out.

Arizona’s Ketel Marte extended his postseason-record hitting streak to 20 games with a first-inning single.

Corey Seager's two-run homer helped the Texas Rangers withstand a pair of key injuries and regain the upper hand in the World Series with Monday's historic 3-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 3.

Texas bounced back from a 9-1 home loss in Saturday's Game 2 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Fall Classic and become the first team in MLB history with nine consecutive road victories in a single post-season. The Rangers, now 9-0 away from home in these playoffs, had shared the record with the 1996 New York Yankees and 2019 Washington Nationals.

The Rangers prevailed despite both star pitcher Max Scherzer and slugger Adolis Garcia exiting Game 3 with injuries. Scherzer left after three innings with back tightness, while Garcia departed in the eighth after appearing to hurt his left side on a swing in his final at-bat.

Scherzer left with a 3-0 lead after Texas scored all of its runs in the top of the third inning. Nathaniel Lowe led off the frame with a double off Arizona starter Brandon Pfaadt and scored on Marcus Semien's two-out single before Seager launched a long home run into the right-field seats.

The Diamondbacks didn't score until the eighth, when pinch-hitter Emmanuel Rivera doubled off Aroldis Chapman and Geraldo Perdomo followed with an RBI single. Chapman prevented further damage, however, by striking out Corbin Carroll and getting Ketel Marte to hit into an inning-ending double play Seager started with a sliding grab on a hard ball hit to the standout shortstop.

Jose Leclerc then retired Arizona in order in the ninth to record his fourth save of the post-season.

Garcia, whose 22 RBIs in these playoffs are an MLB record, also came through with a defensive gem before leaving, as the right fielder delivered a perfect throw to the plate in the second inning to nail Christian Walker attempting to score on a single by Tommy Pham.

Scherzer held the Diamondbacks to two hits and walked two before exiting after 36 pitches. Jon Gray relieved the three-time Cy Young winner and yielded just one hit over three scoreless innings to earn the win.

Pfaadt lasted 5 1/3 innings and was charged with all three Texas runs along with four hits.

The Diamondbacks managed just six hits, including a sixth-inning single by Marte that extended the second baseman's postseason-record hitting streak to 19 games.

Corey Seager’s second two-run home run of the World Series led the Texas Rangers over the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-1 to take a 2-1 series lead.

Seager, who hit a ninth-inning home run which took the first game into extra innings, struck in the third inning off Diamondbacks starting pitcher Brandon Pfaadt.

The Rangers added a third and it proved enough as their pitching staff kept the Diamondbacks offence quiet to seal a ninth straight-away win in the postseason.

Arizona’s only run came in the eighth inning with an RBI single from Geraldo Perdomo, Christian Walker getting cut down at the plate in the second inning by Adolis Garcia.

Garcia left the game late on after appearing to injure his side, while veteran starting pitcher Max Scherzer threw three innings before departing with back tightness.

Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte stretched his record postseason hitting streak to 19 games.

Game four of the seven-game series is in Arizona on Tuesday night.

The Arizona Diamondbacks bounced back from losing game one in extra innings to tie the World Series with a 9-1 rout of the Texas Rangers.

Pitcher Merrill Kelly proved dominant as he allowed just three hits over seven innings and the Arizona bats completed the job.

Gabriel Moreno put the Diamondbacks – who were two runs up in the ninth inning before losing in extra innings the previous night – ahead with a home run in the fourth and they never relented.

A three-run eighth inning included a two-run single for Ketel Marte, who set a new record of 18 consecutive post-season games with a hit.

Tommy Pham had four hits, rookie Corbin Carroll driving in a pair of runs as Arizona won their first World Series match away from home – their only previous appearance coming in 2001.

Evan Longoria, playing in his first World Series since 2008 at the age of 38, also drove in a run.

Rookie Brandon Pfaadt will pitch for the Diamondbacks when the series resumes with game three in Arizona on Monday night, facing three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer who will be pitching for his third different team in the World Series.

Merrill Kelly shut down the Texas Rangers for seven innings and Ketel Marte extended his postseason hitting streak to a record 18 games as the Arizona Diamondbacks rolled to a 9-1 win on Saturday night, evening the World Series at one game apiece.

Gabriel Moreno opened the scoring in the fourth inning with a solo home run off Jordan Montgomery and Tommy Pham went 4 for 4 with a pair of doubles as Arizona rebounded from Friday’s 6-5, 10-inning loss.

The Diamondbacks went 6 for 14 with runners in scoring position and broke open the game with three runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth.

Marte had a two-run single in the eighth to break a tie for the longest playoff hitting streak with Derek Jeter, Manny Ramirez and Hank Bauer.

Kelly pitched three-hit ball with nine strikeouts and no walks and allowed his only run on Mitch Garver’s leadoff homer in the fifth.

Montgomery suffered his first postseason loss after allowing four runs and nine hits in six innings.

The series shifts to Arizona for Game 3 on Monday in the first World Series game in Phoenix since 2001.

A home run in the 11th inning by Adolis Garcia gave Texas Rangers a 6-5 victory in the opening game of the World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Rangers, seeking their first World Series crown, had trailed 5-3 in the ninth inning before Corey Seager hit a two-run home run to send the match into extra innings.

After a scoreless 10th inning, Garcia homered for the fifth straight game to spark rapturous scenes at Arlington.

Texas had taken a two-run lead in the opening inning, but Arizona fought back with three runs off starter Nathan Eovaldi – who had only given up five runs in the play-offs – in the third inning.

The home side immediately drew level, but Tommy Pham fired the Diamondbacks – chasing their second World Series title in their first appearance since 2001 – with a lead-off home run to start the fourth inning.

Ketel Marte stretched the advantage in the fifth, his RBI double equalling the post-season hitting streak of 17 successive games.

Trailing by two, the Rangers were down to their last two outs when Seager took closer Paul Sewald deep and Garcia applied the closing touches.

Game two is in Texas again on Saturday night before the series switches to Arizona.

Adolis Garcia continued his record-setting postseason with an opposite field, walk-off home run in the 11th inning to lift the Texas Rangers to a wild 6-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday in Game 1 of the World Series.

Garcia sent a 3-1 pitch from Miguel Casto over the wall in right field and beyond the glove of a leaping Corbin Carroll for his second RBI of the game, setting a record for most in one postseason with his 22nd.

He has homered in five straight games – tied for the second-longest streak in playoff history.

Garcia’s heroics were made possible when Corey Seager hit a tying, two-run shot in the ninth inning off Arizona closer Paul Sewald, who had converted his first six save chances this postseason.

Ketel Marte had an RBI double in the fifth inning for the Diamondbacks, extending his hitting streak to 17 games. That ties the record for the longest in a postseason, shared by the Yankees’ Hank Bauer (1956-58), the Yankees’ Derek Jeter (1998-99) and Boston’s Manny Ramirez (2003-04).

Tommy Pham’s solo homer in the fourth gave Arizona a 4-3 lead and Marte’s double made it 5-3.

Texas scored twice in the first off Zac Gallen on Evan Carter’s RBI double and Garcia’s single.

Carroll’s two-run triple in the third erased the Rangers’ two-run lead, and he scored on Marte’s failed fielder’s choice.

Game 2 is Saturday night in Texas.

The Texas Rangers are through to their first World Series since 2011 with an 11-4 victory over the Houston Astros in game seven of the American League Championship Series.

The Rangers will come up against either the Philadelphia Phillies or the Arizona Diamondbacks, who face off for a place in the final in their deciding game seven on Tuesday.

Corey Seager’s early home run helped Texas grab the initiative straight away as they raced into a commanding lead.

Rangers led 4-2 in the third innings and they hammered in four more runs in the top of the fourth to secure a comfortable triumph as Houston were denied a third-successive World Series appearance.

Texas are the oldest club in Major League Baseball to not have a World Series to their name but will have the opportunity to get their first by playing four of the seven games at their home stadium in Arlington.

Adolis Garcia homered twice and drove in five runs to set an MLB post-season record for RBIs in a series, and the Texas Rangers rolled to an 11-4 victory over the rival Houston Astros in Monday's Game 7 of the American League Championship Series to secure their first World Series appearance since 2011.

Garcia went 4 for 5 to cap a sensational ALCS in which he amassed 15 RBIs, the most by any player in a play-off series in MLB history. The Cuban slugger homered in each of the final four games and was an obvious choice for series MVP.

Corey Seager and Nathaniel Lowe also homered and rookie Evan Carter had a two-run double for Texas, which won Games 6 and 7 in Houston to improve to 8-0 on the road in these playoffs, tying an MLB record for consecutive away wins to begin a single post-season set by the 1996 New York Yankees.

Rangers skipper Bruce Bochy made history as well by becoming the first manager to win a League Championship Series with three different teams. The 68-year-old previously guided the San Francisco Giants to World Series titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014 and led the San Diego Padres to the 1998 Fall Classic.

He'll now try to end the Rangers' 61-year drought without a World Series title, the longest of the six current MLB franchises that have never won one. Texas lost to Bochy's Giants in the 2010 World Series and to the St. Louis Cardinals the following year in their lone other previous appearance.

The defending World Series champion Astros were bidding to become the first team to win three consecutive league pennants since the Yankees did so in four straight seasons from 1998-2001.

They fell behind early, however, as Texas scored three times off Cristian Javier in the first inning.

Seager started the scoring with a one-out homer and Carter singled and stole second before coming home on Garcia's base hit for a quick 2-0 lead. Garcia then stole second and came around on a single by Mitch Garver.

Javier was pulled after recording just one out and allowing three runs on four hits. The right-hander entered Game 7 with a 1.69 ERA while winning both of his two previous starts in this post-season.

The Astros got a run back in the bottom of the first when Jose Altuve doubled off Max Scherzer and later scored on Jose Abreu's single, but Garcia's first homer of the night restored Texas' three-run advantage in the third.

Alex Bregman got Houston back within two with a solo homer off Scherzer in the bottom of the third, but the Rangers scored four times off J.P. France in the fourth to break the game open.

After loading the bases with one out on two singles and a walk, Carter doubled to right to bring in two runs and Garcia drove in two more with a single that pushed the lead to 8-2.

Scherzer permitted two runs in 2 2/3 innings before being removed in favour of Jordan Montgomery, who tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings to earn his second win of the ALCS.

Lowe's two-run homer in the sixth stretched Texas' lead to 10-2. The Astros got a run back on Yordan Alvarez's RBI single in the seventh before Garcia went deep again in the eighth for the Rangers' final run.