MLB

11:26 PM ET ESPN staff This time, a 5-0 lead was more than enough for the Houston Astros. A day after allowing the Philadelphia Phillies to come back to win 6-5 in extra innings, the Astros took care of business in Game 2, winning 5-2. Framber Valdez went 6.1 innings, giving up one run and

2:44 PM ET Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado is remaining in St. Louis as he won’t opt out of his contract, a source confirmed to ESPN on Saturday. Arenado, 31, has five years and $144 million left on his deal, a nine-year, $275 million contract he signed in 2019 with the Colorado Rockies. Arenado was

12:00 PM ET HOUSTON — The moment met Framber Valdez on the night of Oct. 20, in the fourth inning of the second game of the American League Championship Series, with the Houston Astros leading and the New York Yankees threatening as a result of Valdez’s own mistakes. Valdez had bobbled a slowly hit comebacker,

3:14 AM ET Marly RiveraESPN Writer Close Marly Rivera is a writer for ESPNdeportes.com and ESPN.com. HOUSTON — Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander remains well on his way to Cooperstown. But somewhat surprisingly, still missing from his distinguished 17-year career resume is a World Series victory. Verlander cruised through the first three innings of Game

4:39 PM ET Game 1 of the 2022 World Series is finally here. 2 Related From the American League, the Houston Astros continue to make their case as one of baseball’s best modern dynasties. This is their fourth World Series appearance in six years, and they’ve run roughshod over the competition in the playoffs, sweeping

7:15 AM ET It’s 2022 World Series time in Houston! Thanks to the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies making short work of their opponents in the previous round, baseball fans had to go four October days without playoff baseball. But the wait is finally over! With the first pitch of World Series Game 1 scheduled

8:31 PM ET HOUSTON — Justin Verlander ventured into the free agent market for the first time last offseason and could do so again in a matter of weeks. His contract comes with a $25 million player option for 2023, granted by virtue of him reaching, and easily surpassing, the 130-inning threshold this season. But

10:01 AM ET Associated Press MILWAUKEE — David Stearns is stepping away from his role as the Brewers‘ president of baseball operations, saying Thursday he just needs a break and isn’t thinking about taking a job with any other organization. Stearns will remain with the Brewers in an advisory role to owner Mark Attanasio. Matt

7:00 AM ET Kyle Schwarber‘s home runs this postseason have been nothing short of majestic. One traveled 488 feet in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the San Diego Padres last week, the longest home run in Petco Park history. Another — 429 feet this time — got lost in the trees

3:05 PM ET Associated Press Adam Wainwright will pitch for the St. Louis Cardinals next season, choosing to return for an 18th with the club while longtime teammates Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina head into retirement. Cardinals president John Mozeliak said Wednesday that the 41-year-old Wainwright informed the NL Central champions of his decision to

4:02 PM ET Associated Press TAMPA, Fla. — New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner plans to keep Aaron Boone as his manager. “As far as Boone’s concerned, we just signed him and for all the same reasons I listed a year ago, I believe he is a very good manager,” Steinbrenner said Wednesday as he

11:43 AM ET Associated Press PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies will start right-hander Aaron Nola in Game 1 of the World Series against the Astros and last season’s National League Cy Young Award runner-up Zack Wheeler in Game 2. Game 1 of the World Series is Friday in Houston. Game 2 is Saturday. Nola is 2-1

8:55 PM ET Associated Press SAN DIEGO — The sudden end of a season that went unexpectedly deep left the San Diego Padres with questions to answer and holes to fill, as well as a hunger to play further into October next year. They will also begin pondering a long-term deal for 24-year-old superstar Juan

4:17 PM ET The Miami Marlins have hired Skip Schumaker as the team’s new manager, the team announced Tuesday. A first-time manager, Schumaker played 11 seasons in the majors, with the first eight coming with the St. Louis Cardinals. He was a part of two World Series-winning Cardinals teams in 2006 and 2011. “As we

7:45 AM ET INSTEAD OF A bank vault or a Brink’s truck, the betting slips from what could be the largest payout in sports gambling history are being guarded by nothing more than an old, tattered Houston Astros backpack. On a recent Tuesday afternoon in Houston, with the MLB playoffs about to begin, the faded

Oct 23, 2022 PHILADELPHIA — Welcome to the World Series, Bryce Harper. The superstar the Philadelphia Phillies brought in years ago to turn around a team stuck in mediocrity delivered one of the biggest home runs in franchise history Sunday. Harper’s two-run, rocket shot of a home run to left field in the bottom of

10:57 AM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” NEW YORK — There’s a hardness to this Houston Astros team, one honed by years hearing every insult imaginable, existing as flypaper for vitriol, living a life of perpetual villainy. It’s something

12:08 AM ET The 2022 World Series matchup is set. Starting Friday, the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies will clash for the Commissioner’s Trophy in a meeting of one league’s favorite and the other league’s biggest underdog. Under MLB’s new playoff format, the Phillies entered as the sixth and final seed in the National League