MLB

7:00 AM ET The fact that there is a division title hanging in the balance as the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves meet this weekend might come as a surprise for anyone who was watching the National League East standings earlier this season. What was once a 10.5-game lead for New York in early

11:02 PM ET ESPN News Services The New York Mets are calling up top prospect Francisco Alvarez for this weekend’s pivotal three-game series against the Atlanta Braves, according to multiple reports Thursday. Alvarez, a 20-year-old catcher, was ranked as the No. 4 overall prospect in ESPN’s midseason list published in August. He would be eligible

12:47 AM ET ESPN News Services ANAHEIM, Calif. — Shohei Ohtani has provided Angels fans with plenty of highlights this season. He almost topped them all Thursday night. Ohtani, the Angels’ two-way phenom and the reigning AL MVP, pitched no-hit ball into the eighth inning and extended his hitting streak to 14 games as Los

5:15 PM ET Associated Press TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays clinched a postseason berth Thursday without taking the field. Toronto was assured of an American League wild-card berth when the Boston Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-3. If Toronto holds its current position as the first of the AL’s three wild cards, the

7:00 AM ET With the 2022 regular season wrapping up in seven days, for the most part, all eyes are on the playoffs. The 18 clubs who are done following their final game are looking towards the offseason; however, six wild-card contenders continue to battle for the final five spots, while the top seven teams

9:28 PM ET Marly RiveraESPN Writer Close Marly Rivera is a writer for ESPNdeportes.com and ESPN.com. TORONTO — New York Yankees star Aaron Judge hit his 61st home run of the season Wednesday night against the Toronto Blue Jays, tying Roger Maris’ American League record. It took Maris until Oct. 1, the final game of

7:12 PM ET Associated Press TORONTO — New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu is expected to be activated off the injured list before Friday’s series opener against Baltimore. LeMahieu has not played since Sept. 4 because of a sore toe on his right foot. He is batting .262 with 12 homers and 46 RBIs in

7:00 AM ET Batman has Robin. Tom has Jerry. McCartney had Lennon — and Goldy has Arenado. Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado might have arrived in St. Louis two seasons apart, but they quickly became linked as the dynamic duo manning the two corners of the Cardinals infield. Both have won multiple Gold Glove and

10:01 PM ET Marly RiveraESPN Writer Close Marly Rivera is a writer for ESPNdeportes.com and ESPN.com. TORONTO — From a near August collapse to a late September clinch. What seemed predestined when the New York Yankees were the best team in baseball in the first half of the season and looked doubtful with their subpar

5:19 PM ET Associated Press CLEVELAND — The Guardians might as well keep umbrellas in their bat rack. Cleveland was forced to postpone a celebration and flag-raising ceremony Tuesday to honor its AL Central title before the opener of a three-game series against Tampa Bay due to a rainy weather forecast. The pregame pageantry has

9:07 PM ET Associated Press ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas Rangers right-hander Dane Dunning underwent arthroscopic hip surgery Monday and the team said his availability to pitch in spring training will be determined by the progress of his rehab. The Rangers will recall right-hander Tyson Miller from Triple-A Round Rock on Tuesday, when he is expected

6:16 PM ET Associated Press TORONTO — Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah has been honored with a sportsmanship award for defending teammate Alejandro Kirk after the catcher was criticized online for his weight. Manoah received a roughly $73,000 ($100,000 Canadian) sponsorship prize and immediately donated it to KidSport, a Canadian nonprofit that gives children the

2:03 PM ET Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said Monday the Atlanta Braves will be “forever known as the upset kings of October” for their improbable 2021 World Series win, as he welcomed the team to the White House for a victory celebration. Biden called the Braves’ drive an “unstoppable, joyful run.” The

7:00 AM ET As the 2022 regular season has winded down, all eyes have been on Aaron Judge’s chase to break Roger Maris’ American League record for most home runs in a single season and Albert Pujols’ race to 700 career home runs. One of those milestones has been reached, with Pujols hitting two home

5:34 PM ET Associated Press ARLINGTON, Texas — A sturdy pair of goggles was mandatory attire Sunday in Cleveland’s clubhouse, where impromptu showers of Champagne and beer broke out inside a thick haze of cigar smoke. The Guardians, baseball’s youngest team, finished an unexpected run to the top of the AL Central. Rookie Steven Kwan

11:54 AM ET Associated Press MIAMI — Don Mattingly wants what’s best for the Miami Marlins, what’s best for him and what’s best for his family. And he decided that means it’s time to move on. Mattingly will not be back as manager of the Marlins next season, announcing Sunday that he and team officials

8:25 PM ET Associated Press PHILADELPHIA — As he was going through the postgame handshake line, Kyle Wright received a request from Braves manager Brian Snitker. “I want him to authenticate my own personal scorecard because I want him to sign it for me,” Snitker said. “To think of where he was a year ago

2:40 PM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” Right-hander Luis Castillo and the Seattle Mariners are in agreement on a five-year contract extension that will keep the prized trade-deadline acquisition part of the ascendant team’s core for the foreseeable future,