SHANE BIEBER

The Chicago Cubs have hired Carter Hawkins as general manager, dipping into Cleveland’s front office in an effort to bolster their own player development system.

The Cleveland Indians won their last home game before they become the Guardians, beating the Kansas City Royals 8-3 to close a run that started in 1915 and will continue in 2022 with a new identity.

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole starts the opener of a crucial three-game series at Fenway Park with the Red Sox two games ahead of New York for the top AL wild card.

The Chicago White Sox clinched their first AL Central title since 2008 with a 7-2 win over the Cleveland Indians in a doubleheader opener behind two home runs by Tim Anderson.

Salvador Perez hit his 46th home run, breaking Johnny Bench’s record for most by a catcher in a season to highlight the opener, then the Kansas City Royals completed a doubleheader sweep by beating the Cleveland Indians 4-2.

Houston Astros right-hander Zack Greinke makes his first start Tuesday night since testing positive for COVID-19 last month.

Mitch Moreland homered twice, Chris Bassitt posted his AL-leading 12th win and the Oakland Athletics routed the Cleveland Indians 17-0 for their seventh straight victory.

Miguel Cabrera got a planned day off as he closes in on his 500th career home run and the Cleveland Indians defeated the Detroit Tigers 7-5.

Franmil Reyes homered twice, the first a second-inning blast that bounced out of Progressive Field and almost dinged a bicyclist pedaling past on the street, and the Cleveland Indians beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-2.

The second half of the major league baseball season begins with one game Thursday night when Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers and the AL East-leading Red Sox visit Yankee Stadium.

Fashion forward.

Philadelphia’s J.

Shohei Ohtani achieved a first in the near century history of baseball’s All-Star Game: selection as both a hitter and a pitcher.

The Mets’ Jacob deGrom, Milwaukee’s Brandon Woodruff, Texas’ Kyle Gibson and the Yankees’ Gerrit Cole are among those likely to picked as All-Stars when pitchers and reserves are announced.

Miguel Cabrera hit his 494th career homer, moving into sole possession of 28th place all-time, and the Detroit Tigers beat Cleveland 7-1 to complete a doubleheader sweep of the Indians on Wednesday night.

The Braves are monitoring star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. after he was scratched from Atlanta’s lineup Wednesday due to lower back tightness.

Indians pitcher Aaron Civale will miss more than one month with a sprained right finger, the latest blow to Cleveland’s injury-ravaged rotation.

Two-way star Shohei Ohtani is back on the mound, taking on Kevin Gausman and the Giants at Angel Stadium.

Cleveland Indians right-hander Aaron Civale appears headed to the injured list because of soreness in the middle finger on his pitching hand, another major hit for a banged-up staff.

Three of baseball’s best pitchers are hurting.

José Ramírez picked up a pair of RBIs made possible by Baltimore blunders in the field and the Cleveland Indians extended the Orioles’ road losing streak to 16 straight games with a 4-3 win.

Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber won’t throw for at least two weeks because of a right shoulder strain, an injury that will further test Cleveland’s pitching depth.

Indians ace Shane Bieber, the reigning AL Cy Young winner, has a strained right shoulder and will not pitch for at least two weeks.

On the surface, not much has changed in Philadelphia.

Slumping DJ LeMahieu and the skidding Yankees hope to get back on target when they start a set at Target Field against the Twins on Tuesday night.

Indians manager Terry Francona was drained and looking forward to some sleep after a long weekend in Rhode Island for a family wedding. The Indians were just as tired. José Ramírez's two-run homer and a solid start by reliever Cal Quantrill led Cleveland to a 3-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on Monday, giving the Indians their second straight split of a seven-inning doubleheader in two days.

The Cleveland Indians were on the right side of this no-hit bid.

DETROIT -- Starting pitcher Shane Bieber took a no-hitter into the seventh inning as the Cleveland Indians beat the Detroit Tigers 5-2 on Thursday afternoon at Comerica Park. The Indians (27-21) took three of four in the series and trail the Chicago White Sox by just one game in the American League Central race. pic.twitter.com/tQBnNBlSzx — Detroit Tigers (@tigers) May 27, 2021The Indians haven’t had a no-hitter since Len Barker’s perfect game on May 15, 1981. Bryan Garcia, Joe Jimenez, Daniel Norris and Derek Holland each pitched an inning of relief for the Tigers. Up next: The Tigers open a three-game series with the New York Yankees on Friday at 7:10 p.m.

Cleveland’s Shane Bieber has a no-hitter through six innings against the Detroit Tigers.

Miles Mikolas is set to return to the majors for the first time since starting the opener of the 2019 NL Championship Series for St. Louis.

Shane Bieber’s record strikeout streak ended when the Seattle Mariners sent the Cleveland ace to an early exit.

Albert Pujols didn’t have to travel far to find a new opportunity.

Shane Bieber pitched out of some early trouble before extending his strikeout record and César Hernández hit a two-run homer, sending the Cleveland Indians to a 3-2 win over the Chicago Cubs.

Orioles ace John Means got five days of rest following his no-hitter last week against Seattle, and now he’ll try to match Johnny Vander Meer’s record with a second straight no-no against the streaking Mets.

The Mets will see how ace Jacob deGrom fares this week after being scratched from his scheduled start at St. Louis when he had trouble getting loose during a pregame stretch.

The Mets will see how ace Jacob deGrom fares this week after being scratched from his start at St. Louis when he had trouble getting loose during a pregame stretch.

Shane Bieber struck out 11, setting a major league record in the process and pitching the Cleveland Indians past the Chicago White Sox 5-3.

Arizona LHP Madison Bumgarner starts against Colorado in his first appearance since pitching a seven-inning no-hitter against Atlanta last Sunday, a game that Major League Baseball does not consider to be a no-hitter.

Gerrit Cole was one pitch better than Shane Bieber in a heavyweight matchup of aces as Rougned Odor and Aaron Hicks homered off Cleveland’s Cy Young winner in the fifth inning, giving the New York Yankees a 2-1 win over the Indians.

Giancarlo Stanton busted out of his slump with two rocketed home runs — one with the highest exit velocity this season — and New York connected four times, sending the Yankees to a 5-3 win over the Cleveland Indians.

Jacob deGrom struck out a career-high 15, pitched a two-hitter and boosted the Mets' sagging offense with a go-ahead double from the No. 8 spot in the batting order, leading New York over the Washington Nationals 6-0.

As pitching matchups go, this one is aces.

Shane Bieber kept up his record strikeout run, fanning 13 and pitching the Cleveland Indians past the Cincinnati Reds 6-3.

Josh Naylor lined into a triple play in the eighth inning, then let a routine grounder roll through his legs at first base with two outs in the ninth that led to Cincinnati’s tying run as the Reds beat the Cleveland Indians 3-2 in 10 innings.

The Red Sox and Twins are scheduled to begin their series in Minnesota a day late.

First-year Tigers manager A.

First-year Tigers manager A.

Robbie Grossman drawing walks probably didn't make the Opening Day highlight reel, but it does demonstrate his value as a leadoff hitter.

Miguel Cabrera hit a drive to right field, and on a snowy day at Comerica Park, it was anyone's guess where the ball would end up.

Miguel Cabrera homered through the snow in his first at-bat of the season, then added a sparkling play at first base to lift the Detroit Tigers to a 3-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians.

Matt Boyd out-dueled one of the best pitchers in the world Thursday to lead the Detroit Tigers in a shutout victory over the Cleveland Indians on Opening Day.

Tigers starter Matthew Boyd pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and overcoming four walks. Top 6th: After giving up a broken-bat, two-out single, Matthew Boyd gave way to Jose Cisnero, who recorded the final out of the sixth. Top 5th: Matthew Boyd walked two more batters but escaped with a fifth scoreless inning. Top 2nd: Matthew Boyd got his first strikeout, setting down Josh Naylor in the middle of a 1-2-3 inning. pic.twitter.com/bKrBSgwrd5 — Detroit Tigers (@tigers) April 1, 2021Top 1st: With thick flurries obscuring the field, Matthew Boyd pitched a scoreless first, overcoming a hard-hit double to left by second baseman Cesar Hernandez.

Patty and Steve Smith watch the baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Indians as snow falls, Thursday, April 1, 2021, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)DETROIT – Miguel Cabrera hit the first home run of the new Major League Baseball season, a drive through the snow in Detroit's chilly opener against Cleveland on Thursday. It wasn't easy to see through the ball through the snow, and Cabrera slid into second base, unsure if he'd cleared the wall. The 37-year-old Cabrera is five homers shy of tying Lou Gehrig and Fred McGriff for 28th on the career list. The new season began at Yankee Stadium, where Gerrit Cole threw the first pitch of the year, a ball to Toronto's Marcus Semien.

Miguel Cabrera is not done giving us memories.

The Detroit Tigers open the 2021 season on Thursday at 1:10 p.m. at Comerica Park against the Cleveland Indians. Left-hander Matthew Boyd will start for the Tigers against reigning American League Cy Young winner Shane Bieber. Top 6th: After giving up a broken-bat, two-out single, Matthew Boyd gave way to Jose Cisnero, who recorded the final out of the sixth. Top 2nd: Matthew Boyd got his first strikeout, setting down Josh Naylor in the middle of a 1-2-3 inning. pic.twitter.com/bKrBSgwrd5 — Detroit Tigers (@tigers) April 1, 2021Top 1st: With thick flurries obscuring the field, Matthew Boyd pitched a scoreless first, overcoming a hard-hit double to left by second baseman Cesar Hernandez.

The Tigers will have three consecutive switch hitters at the top of the lineup. Jeimer Candelario and Willi Castro, who are both coming off outstanding short seasons in 2020, will follow Grossman. Miguel Cabrera will bat cleanup and play first base. Miguel Cabrera, 1B5. Willi Castro is 1-for-6, but the one hit was a three-run home run.

The Detroit Tigers have released their starting lineup for Opening Day against the Cleveland Indians at Comerica Park.

EARLY TESTSThe Washington Nationals will be short-handed due to a positive coronavirus test for the second straight season opener. General manager Mike Rizzo did not reveal who the five players were, and the only certainty as of Wednesday night was that opening day starter Max Scherzer wasn't one of them. The Nationals did not have any players test positive during spring training prior to that. But in a what-are-the-odds moment, all three are set to start on opening day. To be pitching the same day as those guys is pretty cool.”MITTS AND MITTENSNolan Arenado, Kris Bryant and Miguel Cabrera will be wearing gloves on opening day.

The state of Ohio swept Wednesday’s Cy Young Awards, with Shane Bieber of the Cleveland Indians winning American League honors and Trevor Bauer of the Cincinnati Reds winning the National League award. Bieber, 25, garnered every first-place vote and became the 10th unanimous selection for the AL Cy Young, a group that includes Detroit Tigers Denny McLain (1968) and Justin Verlander (2011). Bieber is the fifth Indians pitcher to win a Cy Young, joining Gaylord Perry (1972), CC Sabathia (2007), Cliff Lee (2008) and Corey Kluber (2014 and 2017). RELATED: How did I fill out my AL Cy Young ballot? This is the second runner-up finish for Darvish, who finished second in the AL in 2013 while pitching for the Texas Rangers.

This was my first time voting for the Cy Young, my first time voting for a “major” award really, and I didn’t want to screw it up. As I write this, my strong assumption is that everyone else did too and that he will unanimously win the 2020 American League Cy Young Award. RELATED: 2020 Cy Young Awards: Shane Bieber, Trevor Bauer win bigAfter Bieber, things got trickier. Because the Cy Young is awarded on a point system, the second-, third-, fourth- and fifth-place votes really do matter. The truth is, after hours of staring at a spreadsheet, all the pitchers start to look the same.

Shane Bieber and the birthday boy helped the Cleveland Indians end their skid. Bieber took a shutout into the eighth inning, Jose Ramirez homered twice on his 28th birthday and the Indians beat the Detroit Tigers 10-3 on Thursday night. The Indians entered the day holding the final American League playoff spot, and they had a four-game cushion despite their recent slide. That cost the Cleveland right-hander the major league ERA lead, but Bieber did become the first eight-game winner of this shortened season. The Indians then scored two more runs off Mize in the fourth, both of them unearned.

DETROIT -- By the time the Detroit Tigers finally got to Cleveland Indians ace Shane Bieber, they were already down by 10 runs. Tigers rookie starter Casey Mize walked three batters in a miserable fourth inning in which his command abandoned him. Bottom 4th: Shane Bieber walked Willi Castro before methodically striking out Miguel Cabrera, Jeimer Candelario and Niko Goodrum. Top 3rd: Casey Mize has retired seven in a row after retiring the Indians in order again in the third. Bottom 1st: Shane Bieber struck out Victor Reyes and Willi Castro on swings that could best be described as waves.

Tigers rookie Casey Mize (0-1, 5.85) will face the Indians' Shane Bieber (7-1, 1.53), a top contender for this year’s AL Cy Young Award. Bottom 7th: Another 1-2-3 inning for Shane Bieber, who has allowed just two hits through seven shutout innings. Bottom 4th: Shane Bieber walked Willi Castro before methodically striking out Miguel Cabrera, Jeimer Candelario and Niko Goodrum. Top 3rd: Casey Mize has retired seven in a row after retiring the Indians in order again in the third. Bottom 1st: Shane Bieber struck out Victor Reyes and Willi Castro on swings that could best be described as waves.

DETROIT -- If the Detroit Tigers had won last night, it would have set the stage for a highly improbable late-season series against the Cleveland Indians. But the Tigers lost to the Kansas City Royals, which dropped them to 4 1/2 games out of the playoff race. Even if they somehow swept the Indians this weekend, the Tigers would still trail their AL Central rival by a half-game. Detroit Tigers (21-27) 4.5 GBThe Tigers’ chances of making the playoff field, according to FiveThirtyEight, is still a surprisingly high 2 percent. In that case, the Tigers would end the weekend 24-28, still 2 1/2 games behind the Indians, who would be 27-26.

The Detroit Tigers split the two-games series against the Kansas City Royals. The game will air on Fox Sports Detroit and can be streamed on Hulu + Live TV (7-day free trial). Casey Mize (0-1, 5.85 ERA) is back on the mound for the Tigers after a strong start against the Chicago White Sox. What: Detroit Tigers (21-27) vs. Cleveland Indians (26-23)Where: Comerica ParkDate: Thursday, Sept. 17Time: 7:10 p.m.TV: Fox Sports DetroitStream: Hulu + Live TV (7-day free trial)SIGN UP FOR TIGERS CONFIDENTIAL. Get Tigers news, analysis and opinion in text messages sent straight to your phone from MLive Tigers beat writer Evan Woodbery.