MLB

12:40 AM ET Associated Press OAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland Athletics clinched their first American League West title since 2013 on Monday, with an assist from the rival Houston Astros. Houston lost 6-1 to the Seattle Mariners, ending its three-year reign as division champion and making the A’s the first team in the majors to

7:00 AM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” Just like that, the fastest, weirdest, pandemickiest baseball season ever has come and gone. Mathematics holds that a 60-game schedule is shorter than the standard 162, but the 2020 season has whistled

7:00 AM ET Did you think we would get here? With one week remaining in this shortened, 60-game season, without the benefit of a bubble to keep the players completely isolated from the coronavirus, the 30 teams and 1,295 different players who have worn a major league uniform in 2020 are going to make it

7:00 AM ET ESPN.com Staff As we enter the final week of the regular season, the playoff field is taking shape, as are ESPN’s Power Rankings. After a period where they slipped out of our top five (and nearly slipped out of a playoff berth), the Yankees righted the ship and have looked like the

11:55 PM ET CHICAGO — Chicago Cubs left fielder Kyle Schwarber was pulled from Sunday’s game after he played a double into a triple off the bat of Minnesota Twins center fielder Jake Cave. “I think the guy shouldn’t have gotten to third base there,” a repentant Schwarber said after the Twins’ 4-0 win. “It

9:14 PM ET ESPN News Services SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Padres are returning to the playoffs for the first time in 14 years after beating the Seattle Mariners 7-4 Sunday with a three-run rally in the 11th inning that included a go-ahead double by newcomer Mitch Moreland. The clincher came in the finale

5:15 PM ET Associated Press DETROIT — Ron Gardenhire mostly maintained his jovial demeanor this season. As recently as Friday night, he was needling a reporter while discussing a strategic decision from the late innings. Less than 24 hours later, Gardenhire announced his retirement. This year was taking more of a toll on the 62-year-old

7:00 AM ET MLB InsidersESPN With the 2020 MLB season hitting the home stretch (already!), ESPN has a Sunday doubleheader with four teams hoping to make some noise in October. The Giants and A’s get things going at 4 p.m. ET, followed by Twins-Cubs at 7 p.m. ET. To get you ready for the twin

4:55 PM ET It’s a miracle the ligaments in Justin Verlander‘s right elbow lasted this long. He has thrown 48,822 pitches in the Major League Baseball regular season, another 3,109 high-intensity pitches in the postseason, numerous more deliveries in spring training and bullpen sessions and then all the ones in high school, college and his

1:13 PM ET Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander is set to undergo Tommy John surgery, he said in an Instagram post Saturday. Verlander hasn’t pitched since his season debut July 24. He said in a video that he “felt something in my elbow” during a simulated game this week and that, after consulting with doctors,

11:14 PM ET ESPN News Services ANAHEIM, Calif. — Los Angeles Angels slugger Albert Pujols passed Willie Mays for fifth place on the career home run list, hitting No. 661 on Friday night against Texas. The 40-year-old Pujols connected for a solo homer with one out in the fifth inning. He sent Wes Benjamin‘s fastball

8:01 PM ET ESPN News Services The St. Louis Cardinals have placed right-hander Dakota Hudson on the 10-day injured list with a strained right forearm. Hudson left his start Thursday night after two innings due to what he described as discomfort in his right arm. The 26-year-old is 3-2 with a 2.77 ERA in eight

6:37 PM ET Associated Press CHICAGO — The White Sox clinched their first postseason berth since 2008, rallying to beat the Minnesota Twins 4-3 Thursday as Eloy Jimenez hit a tiebreaking double that capped a two-run rally in the seventh inning. Chicago (33-17) opened a three-game lead over the second-place Twins (31-21) in the American

4:00 PM ET ESPN.com Staff Major League Baseball has announced the schedule for the unique 16-team 2020 MLB playoffs, which are set to open with the wild-card round beginning Tuesday, Sept. 29, and continuing through the first neutral-site World Series in MLB history scheduled from Tuesday, Oct. 20 through Wednesday, Oct. 28, at Globe Life

10:05 PM ET ESPN News Services NEW YORK — The Yankees hit five home runs in an inning for the first time in their history. Brett Gardner, DJ LeMahieu and Luke Voit homered on consecutive pitches in the fourth inning from Toronto’s Chase Anderson on Thursday night. Voit’s home run was his major league-leading 20th.

1:26 AM ET CHICAGO — An emotional Jon Lester took the mound Wednesday night for what could have been his final start at Wrigley Field as a Cub. Lester, 36, will be a free agent after this season unless the team picks up a $25 million option on him for 2021. “We don’t know what

9:08 PM ET Associated Press PHILADELPHIA — Jacob deGrom‘s balky hamstring forced an untimely exit Wednesday night. Now, the New York Mets ace hopes it won’t mean an early end to his season. DeGrom left a rare rough outing because of a right hamstring spasm, then watched his teammates erase a four-run deficit in rallying

8:06 PM ET ESPN News Services SAN DIEGO — The Los Angeles Dodgers became the first team to clinch a playoff spot in the pandemic-shortened season, beating the San Diego Padres 7-5 Wednesday behind Dustin May‘s gutty effort out of the bullpen and home runs from AJ Pollock and Chris Taylor. The Dodgers are heading