ROBBIE RAY

Yordan Alvarez and his mighty bat did it yet again, launching a go-ahead, two-run homer in the sixth inning off Seattle ace Luis Castillo that lifted the Houston Astros over the Mariners 4-2 for a 2-0 lead in the AL Division Series.

The Houston Astros were five outs away from facing a 1-0 deficit in the ALDS, but Yordan Alvarez blasted a walk-off, three-run homer to turn the tables.

Yordan Alvarez smashed a game-ending, three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning off Robbie Ray, wrecking Seattle’s strategy of using a Cy Young Award winner in a rare relief role and vaulting the Houston Astros over the Mariners 8-7 in their playoff opener.

There’s a whole lot riding on Alek Manoah’s first career playoff start, but the Toronto Blue Jays All-Star right-hander isn’t the least bit fazed about facing the Seattle Mariners in Friday’s wild-card opener.

The entire Major League Baseball playoff picture is now set.

The Philadelphia Phillies grabbed baseball’s last playoff ticket, and Bryce Harper and company partied into the night.

Seattle Mariners left-hander Robbie Ray has not allowed a hit to the Washington Nationals through six innings.

Carlos Santana snapped an 0-for-17 slump with a go-ahead two-run homer during Seattle’s three-run seventh inning, and the Mariners rallied to beat the slumping New York Yankees 4-3.

Pinch-hitter Luis Torrens singled with one out in the 13th inning to score Eugenio Suárez, and the Seattle Mariners beat the New York Yankees 1-0 in a game dominated by the starting pitching of Gerrit Cole and Luis Castillo.

Houston ace Justin Verlander, who leads the major leagues in wins, takes a 13-3 record and 1.86 ERA into his start Friday against visiting Seattle.

Robbie Ray struck out 12 without a walk over 6 2/3 innings, rookie All-Star center fielder Julio Rodríguez hit a grand slam and the Seattle Mariners have their longest winning streak in more than two decades, beating the Texas Rangers 8-3 for their 12th win in a row.

There were 15 MLB players who signed new contracts worth $100 million or more before this season.

Los Angeles will be well represented in the July 19 All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium.

Bet up to $1,000 on the Astros -1.5 or the Mariners to win on Sunday completely risk-free at FanDuel Sportsbook! Los Angeles has +194 money line odds and the +1.5 run line has +100 odds. Oakland’s money line odds are +128, so a $100 successful bet on the A’s profits $128. Los Angeles Angels vs. Houston Astros run line prediction: Astros -1.5 (-113)The Astros can sweep the Angels with a win on Sunday afternoon, and we predict they can do just that. Oakland Athletics vs. Seattle Mariners money line prediction: Mariners ML (-152)The Athletics battle the Mariners Sunday afternoon in a pitching rematch between two aces.

Mariners left-hander Robbie Ray has pitched six hitless innings against the Los Angeles Angels.

Mariners manager Scott Servais was ejected for his role in a benches-clearing scuffle in the ninth inning of Seattle’s 7-4 win over the Houston Astros, a game in which Cal Raleigh had a career-high four RBIs and Julio Rodriguez hit a late two-run shot.

Mike Trout is mired in the worst slump of his brilliant career and the Angels are one loss from matching their longest skid in 34 years.

A look at what’s happening around the majors on Monday:.

Trevor Story hit a grand slam over the Green Monster and into the hands of a former Red Sox player a night after hitting three over Fenway Park’s fabled left field wall to leading Boston to a 7-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

Trevor Story had three homers, four hits and seven RBIs to help the Boston Red Sox rally from a four-run deficit to beat the Seattle Mariners 12-6.

Mariners left-hander Robbie Ray isn’t joining Seattle for a series in Toronto this week, missing a chance to celebrate the Cy Young Award he won with the Blue Jays last season amid border restrictions related to the COVID-19 vaccine.

Phillies star Bryce Harper is scheduled to get a platelet-rich plasma injection to help with a small tear in his right elbow, causing him to miss the series finale at Dodger Stadium.

Carlos Correa and the Minnesota Twins dodged a major problem this past week.

Detroit Tigers lefty Eduardo Rodríguez gets a look at his former teammates when he pitches against Boston at Comerica Park.

Detroit Tigers lefty Eduardo Rodríguez gets a look at his former teammates when he pitches against Boston at Comerica Park.

Rachel Balkovec is set to become the first woman to manage a minor league affiliate of a major league team Friday when her Class-A Tampa Tarpons in the New York Yankees’ organization face the Lakeland Flying Tigers in the Florida State League.

Cubs veteran Kyle Hendricks is set to deliver the first pitch of the season against Corbin Burnes and Milwaukee at Wrigley Field just past 2:20 p.m. EDT, the first of seven games still on the calendar amid rainy forecasts across the country.

There's a lot to catch up on from a bizarre baseball offseason before the 2022 season officially begins with first pitch at Wrigley Field.

Many familiar faces with impressive resumes are in new places following one of major league baseball’s wildest free agent frenzies.

Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge and the rest of baseball’s biggest stars are due at spring training Sunday for the first official day of preseason training following the end of Major League Baseball’s 99-day labor lockout.

In each of the past two offseasons, pitcher Kevin Gausman spurned free agent advances from the Toronto Blue Jays and general manager Ross Atkins.

AL Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray and the Seattle Mariners have finalized their $115 million, five-year contract.

Right-hander Max Scherzer agreed to a record-setting $130 million, three-year contract with the New York Mets and shortstop Corey Seager struck a $325 million, 10-year deal with the Texas Rangers as players and teams rushed to reach agreements before an expected lockout.

Everybody knows the Detroit Tigers aren’t done signing free agents this offseason, but with many of the top targets signing this week, when is the time to strike?

MLB free-agent signings, which typically take place at a leisurely pace over several months, are now happening in rapid-fire fashion like the NFL. The Tigers aren’t in the mix for Scherzer, but they were -- somewhat surprisingly -- linked to another former Detroit pitcher on Sunday. The New York Post listed the Tigers among five suitors for left-handed pitcher Robbie Ray, who won the AL Cy Young with the Blue Jays in 2021. If the Tigers truly are pursuing Ray, it would be an indication that they plan to sit out the upper-tier shortstop market. The Tigers, barring a last-minute change, are not expected to tender a contract to left-handed pitcher Matthew Boyd, making him a free agent.

Former Detroit Tigers pitcher Robbie Ray was named the winner of the 2021 American League Cy Young Award on Wednesday night. Ray joins Roy Halladay (2003), Roger Clemens (1997, 1998) and Pat Hentgen (1996) among Toronto Cy Young winners. Ray is the fifth pitcher from that 2014 team to win a Cy Young, joining Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello and David Price. Corbin Burnes of the Milwaukee Brewers edged out Philadelphia Phillies starter Zack Wheeler to win his first Cy Young Award. Burnes is the first Brewers pitcher to win the Cy Young Award in the NL.

Toronto left-hander Robbie Ray bounced back from a dismal season to win the AL Cy Young Award and Milwaukee righty Corbin Burnes returned from a bout of COVID-19 to win the NL’s top pitching prize.

Justin Verlander reached a $25 million deal to remain with the Houston Astros as he comes back from Tommy John surgery, and Brandon Belt accepted an $18.4 million qualifying offer from the San Francisco Giants.

The deadline for MLB teams to extend qualifying offers to prospective free agents passed this weekend, and those decisions will have an impact on the Detroit Tigers as they hurtle toward an active offseason.

Former Detroit Tigers Justin Verlander, Robbie Ray and Nick Castellanos were among the 14 free agents that received qualifying offers from their old team before Sunday night’s deadline. The qualifying offer functions as a one-year, $18.4 million contract for the 2022 season. Teams that extend the qualifying offer will receive draft pick compensation if the player ultimately signs with another team. Some other high-profile players didn’t get the qualifying offer because they’d already been given an offer previously in their career (it can only be done once), or they were traded mid-season. Verlander must decide by Nov. 17 whether to accept or reject the Astros’ qualifying offer.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have extended qualifying offers to free agent All-Stars Corey Seager and Chris Taylor, but not Clayton Kershaw.

Publicly the Tigers have confirmed only two other positions on their winter wish list: Shortstop and starting pitcher. These are players that Tigers general manager Al Avila should call right now, before the hot stove gets too warm. But at least he played outstanding defense at three different infield spots, which would have helped the Tigers in 2021. Also, remember that there will be more free agents hitting the market later this month after being non-tendered by their old club. Some of those players will be younger and potentially more attractive than traditional free agents, so stay tuned.

Los Angeles Angels two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani was voted player of the year and the American League outstanding player by fellow major leaguers in the annual Players Choice Awards from the Major League Baseball Players Association.

Trea Turner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston’s Yuli Gurriel won their first batting titles in a season of boom and bust that saw four teams lose 100 games for only the third time, and four 90-game winners in the AL East alone.

The surging Cardinals will try for a franchise-record 15th consecutive win in a game at Wrigley Field.

The surging Cardinals will try for a franchise-record 15th consecutive win in a game at Wrigley Field.

Toronto left-hander Robbie Ray leads the majors with 233 strikeouts, tops the AL with a 2.64 ERA and is 12-5 going into this start at Tampa Bay.

Bo Bichette thumped a leadoff homer in the first inning and singled in the tiebreaking run in the seventh, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his 42nd homer, and the Toronto Blue Jays held off the skidding New York Yankees 6-4 for their eighth straight win.

Big league home run leader Shohei Ohtani is unbeaten in his last 13 starts going into this outing for the Los Angeles Angels against the AL West-leading Astros in Houston.

What happened next was frustratingly familiar for the Tigers: Teheran made exactly one start before coming down with a shoulder injury. The Tigers will almost certainly be back in that same market yet again this winter, looking to add at least one free-agent pitcher. Five prominent free-agent starters signed for about that amount last winter:The Blue Jays scored big this year with lefty Robbie Ray, a Cy Young candidate in 2021. Of course, developing your own starters is often cheaper and more valuable than scouring the free-agent market. Or maybe we’ll be writing about the latest free-agent starter that didn’t pan out at this time next year.

The Toronto Blue Jays have won four in a row entering their big series this week in New York against the Yankees.

The Tigers (59-65) snapped a four-game losing streak, while the Blue Jays (63-57) have lost six of seven. The Jays’ only run came on Vladimir Guerrero’s 36th home run of the season, a solo shot to right in the fourth. Tigers relievers Jose Cisnero and Gregory Soto pitched into and out of trouble in the eighth and ninth innings after Alexander departed. pic.twitter.com/pywvEyb4hM — Detroit Tigers (@tigers) August 21, 2021The Tigers managed little against Jays starter Robbie Ray, who struck out 11 and didn’t issue a walk in eight innings, the longest outing by any Toronto pitcher all year. BOX SCOREUp next: The Tigers and Jays meet again on Saturday at 6:10 p.m. Tigers right-hander Wily Peralta (3-2, 3.70 ERA) will face Jays lefty Hyun Jin Ryu (11-6, 3.72).

Max Stassi hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth inning and the Los Angeles Angels overcome an eight-run deficit to beat the Detroit Tigers 13-10 on Thursday.

Shohei Ohtani pitched six innings of three-hit ball to win his third consecutive start, and he also doubled and scored an early run in the Los Angeles Angels’ 6-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

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The Toronto Blue Jays were given approval from the Canadian government on Friday for an exemption on border restrictions that would allow them to play in Canada later this month.

The Toronto Blue Jays were given approval from the Canadian government on Friday for an exemption on border restrictions that would allow them to play in Canada later this month. The Blue Jays had asked the federal government to allow them to play at Rogers Centre starting July 30 and wanted a response by Friday. The Blue Jays played home games during the shortened 2020 season in Buffalo, New York, and started this season in Dunedin, Florida, before moving to Buffalo.

Tony La Russa moved into second on baseball’s career manager wins list, snapping a tie with John McGraw by directing the Chicago White Sox to a 3-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. keyed a career-best four-hit outing with his major league-leading 17th home run and the Toronto Blue Jays celebrated the return to their temporary Buffalo home with a 5-1 win over the Miami Marlins.

Next week’s Baseball Winter Meetings -- held virtually, of course -- might get the ball rolling on a few more deals. The Kansas City Royals signed 32-year-old Mike Minor to a two-year deal worth a guaranteed $18 million earlier this week. * Robbie Ray, who like Smyly is an ex-Tigers, signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. It’s unclear if next week’s Winter Meetings will bring any relief to the winter doldrums. The Tigers signed two other position players -- first baseman C.J.

Even so, we managed to cobble together a list of players that Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila should call right now, before the hot stove gets too warm. A look backBefore we take a look at this winter, let’s look back at my must-call free agents from a year ago. As always, I wasn’t searching for the best players, but merely the ones who make the most sense for the Tigers. Avila has indicated he’s not real keen on paying much for a catcher this winter, which would leave only the usual suspects of lower-tier free agents available. The price is right, but there are two factors working against the Tigers.

Twenty players who were once part of the Detroit Tigers system will play for 13 of the 16 teams participating in the 2020 MLB playoffs. Oakland Athletics pitcher Joakim Soria throws against the Minnesota Twins in a baseball game Friday, July 19, 2019, in Minneapolis. In 2020, he’s posted a career-low 3.32 ERA in 21 2/3 innings. Minnesota Twins catcher Alex Avila plays during a summer camp intrasquad baseball game Friday, July 16, 2020 in Minneapolis. Detroit Tigers' Trevor Rosenthal throws to the Texas Rangers in a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019.