11:04 PM ET ESPN News Services MIAMI — Don Mattingly says he’s glad to be returning next year as the Miami Marlins manager to provide stability for a struggling franchise, because as a player he experienced the other extreme. Mattingly played for the New York Yankees from 1982 to 1995, when they made 12 managerial
MLB
9:16 PM ET The New York Yankees defeated the Los Angeles Angels 9-1 on Thursday to clinch their first American League East division title since 2012. The win was also New York’s 100th of the season, matching last season’s total and giving the franchise consecutive 100-win seasons for the first time since a three-year stretch
9:16 PM ET ESPN News Services The resilient New York Yankees powered their way to the club’s first American League East title since 2012, routing the Los Angeles Angels 9-1 on Thursday night behind three RBIs each from old mainstay Brett Gardner and newcomer DJ LeMahieu. A day after wasting a chance to clinch first
11:45 PM ET Let’s be direct here: This shouldn’t happen at the major league level. One team should not go 18-1 against another. It feels almost impossible in a sport where the spread between the best winning percentages and worst winning percentages is not as large as in the NBA or the NFL. Bad teams
6:41 PM ET CHICAGO — With their season on the line, the Chicago Cubs were forced to scratch veteran left-hander Cole Hamels from his scheduled start Friday against the St. Louis Cardinals, choosing to pitch Alec Mills in his place. Hamels, 35, has left shoulder soreness that is expected to sideline him for one outing.
5:52 PM ET Associated Press CLEVELAND — Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez took batting practice Thursday for the first time since breaking his right hand last month and is hoping to return before the end of the regular season. Ramirez had surgery for a broken hamate bone Aug. 26, and the expected recovery window had
5:37 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Yankees reliever Dellin Betances has been told surgery is not recommended for the partially torn Achilles tendon that ended his season after eight pitches. Betances received a second opinion from Dr. Martin O’Malley of the Hospital for Special Surgery, who concurred with Dr. Justin Greisberg of New
2:31 PM ET ESPN News Services ATLANTA — Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Atlanta Braves has become only the third player in baseball history to hit 40 homers in a season at 21 years old or younger. Acuna’s historic homer came with a flourish in the third inning of Atlanta’s 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia
1:49 PM ET New York Yankees pitcher Domingo German has been placed on administrative leave under the joint MLB-MLBPA domestic violence policy, it was announced Thursday. It is unclear as to what led German, who is 18-4 with a 4.03 ERA and 153 strikeouts for the AL East-leading Yankees this season, to being placed on
8:00 AM ET Bradford Doolittle Close ESPN Staff Writer Sports reporter, Kansas City Star, 2002-09 Writer, Baseball, Baseball Prospectus Co-author, Pro Basketball Prospectus Member, Baseball Writers Association of America Member, Professional Basketball Writers Association Jesse Rogers Close ESPN Staff Writer Jesse joined ESPN Chicago in September 2009 and covers the Chicago Cubs for ESPNChicago.com and