Bold decisions to change Major League Baseball’s longstanding rules quickened the pace of games and revived the popularity of stealing bases over the last few years.

The Royals and reliever Carlos Estévez have agreed to a two-year, $22 million contract, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Wednesday night.

Atlanta’s Chris Sale and Detroit’s Tarik Skubal have each won their first Cy Young Award.

San Francisco third baseman Matt Chapman won his fifth Gold Glove and Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. was among 14 first-time winners of baseball’s most famous fielding honor.

Salvador Perez homered leading off the fourth inning to spark a four-run rally against Carlos Rodón, and the Kansas City Royals beat the New York Yankees 4-2 to even their AL Division Series at one game apiece.

Seth Lugo retired 14 straight batters in his first career complete game as the Kansas City Royals rallied past the Chicago White Sox for a 4-1 win and series sweep.

The Kansas City Royals took their lumps this past week against two of the best teams in baseball.

Mike Yastrzemski splashed a game-ending three-run homer into McCovey Cove in the 10th inning, and the San Francisco Giants rallied past the San Diego Padres 7-4 for their season-best eighth straight victory.

Max Scherzer shut down the San Diego Padres for five innings, rebounding from his postseason flop against them last year, and the New York Mets won 5-0 in a playoff rematch between National League heavyweights.

Baseball’s biggest spenders looked spent.

Pete Alonso launched a tiebreaking homer and Jacob deGrom pitched well enough to help save the New York Mets’ season with a 7-3 victory over the San Diego Padres that evened their wild-card playoff series at one game apiece.

Jacob deGrom struck out 13 batters — the most ever for a Mets pitcher who threw five or fewer innings — but didn’t factor into the decision.

Starling Marte got three hits and the New York Mets kept up their season-long dominance of Philadelphia, topping Zack Wheeler and the Phillies 8-2 in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.

Starling Marte singled home the winning run in the ninth inning, and the New York Mets beat the crosstown Yankees 3-2 for a two-game sweep of their Subway Series.

The New York Mets wasted a stellar performance by Max Scherzer in his return from an oblique injury, losing 1-0 to the Cincinnati Reds on Mike Moustakas’ game-ending sacrifice fly.

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Max Scherzer pulled himself from a start with discomfort in his left side before the New York Mets finished off an 11-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Taijuan Walker pitched seven no-fuss innings and the New York Mets remained unbeaten in 10 series this season, cruising past the sloppy Washington Nationals 4-1.

New York Mets starter Tylor Megill and four relievers combined on the first no-hitter of the Major League Baseball season, teaming up to throw a whopping 159 pitches and beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-0.

Sergio Alcantara snapped a scoreless tie with a two-run homer in the seventh inning, Ketel Marte added an RBI double and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the New York Mets 3-2.

Bryce Harper blew kisses at a booing crowd to punctuate his home run, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the New York Mets 2-1 in eight innings for a doubleheader split after Aaron Nola matched a long-standing major league record with 10 straight strikeouts in the opener.

Jon Lester pitched shutout ball into the seventh inning to gain his first win for Washington, Kyle Schwarber backed him with four RBIs on a pair of home runs and the Nationals beat the New York Mets 6-2 to split a day-night doubleheader.

The Rays and Yankees renew their intense AL East rivalry with a Memorial Day matinee in the Bronx to begin a four-game series.

An update on Mike Trout is expected after the Los Angeles Angels star left Monday night’s win over Cleveland because of a strained right calf.

Pinch-hitter James McCann drove in the game’s first run with a double, Tomás Nido had three hits and the New York Mets overcame more injuries to beat the Atlanta Braves 3-1.

Both baseball teams from New York are away from home this week and each one is having a painful road trip.

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.

Francisco Lindor and the New York Mets agreed to a $341 million, 10-year pact on the eve of opening day, terms that could keep the four-time All-Star in Queens for the rest of his career.

Gausman and Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman accepted $18.9 million qualifying offers Wednesday, Nov. 11, receiving one-year deals to stay with their teams rather than test what they could get in free agency. Qualifying offers began after the 2012 season, and only 10 of 96 offers have been accepted. Stroman was acquired by the Mets from Toronto in July 2019 for left-hander Anthony Kay and minor league right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson. Gausman has a 50-66 record and 4.26 ERA in nine seasons with Baltimore, Atlanta and San Francisco. Tomlin gets a $1 million salary next season, and the deal includes a $1.25 million club option with a $250,000 buyout.

New York Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom points to the outside during the first inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)PHILADELPHIA – Jacob deGrom exited early from a rare rough outing because of a right hamstring spasm, but the New York Mets overcame a four-run deficit and rallied past the Philadelphia Phillies 5-4 on Thursday night. They hit deGrom uncharacteristically hard in the second to take a 3-0 lead. Andrew Knapp knocked an RBI double to right, Haseley hit a sacrifice fly and Andrew McCutchen’s fielder’s choice capped the scoring against deGrom. Like deGrom, Wheeler was bothered by an injury — though one more gross than severe.

New York Mets second baseman Robinson Cano wears a New York Police Department cap while warming up before a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays in Buffalo, N.Y., Friday, Sept. 11, 2020. Dominic Smith hit his first career grand slam and Wilson Ramos had a three-run double in a 10-run fourth inning. Ramos hit a late solo homer. Michael Conforto hit a three-run homer as the Mets scored four runs in the third. Conforto, who along with Ramos scored four times, hit his ninth homer to give the Mets a 3-1 lead.

Aaron Hicks lined a tying, two-run homer in the seventh, and Gio Urshela hit a game-ending single off Edwin Diaz an inning later. At 21 years, 103 days, Garca became the youngest pitcher to start in the majors in the abbreviated 60-game game season. GAME 1The Yankees trailed 7-2 with two outs in final inning of the seven-inning game before rallying against Jared Hughes and Diaz. The Mets added three runs in the sixth when Michael Conforto hit a two-run double and Pete Alonso was hit by a pitch. Yankees: RHP Gerrit Cole (4-1, 3.51) opens a three-game series against AL East leaders Tampa Bay.

(AP Photo/John Minchillo)NEW YORK The last time the New York Yankees lost eight in a row, it was a different millennium. Frazier drew a leadoff walk in the ninth from Betances (0-1), a four-time All-Star with the Yankees before signing with the Mets last offseason. Happ held the Mets to three hits in 7 1/3 shutout innings, becoming the first Yankees starter to reach the eighth this season. The Mets will be the home" team at Yankee Stadium in the second game. Prized pitching prospect Deivi Garcia will start one game for the Yankees, making his major league debut.

The San Diego Padres acquired the reliever from Kansas City on Saturday for outfielder Edward Olivares and a player to be named. The 30-year-old Rosenthal has a 3.29 ERA and seven saves after struggling with injuries and poor performance in recent years. The Mets plan to start righty Rick Porcello (1-4, 6.43 ERA) and converted closer Seth Lugo (1-2, 2.03). That year, he became the only player to hit for the cycle in a postseason game. They made the move with infielder Starlin Castro expected to miss the rest of the season with a broken wrist.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31) throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020. Porcello (1-1) went seven innings, allowing one run and five hits and retiring the last 10 batters he faced. Scherzer threw 99 pitches on opening day against the Yankees, then an MLB season-high 112 in his next start. WHAT A STEALIn his Mets debut, CF Billy Hamilton stole his first base of 2020 and 300th of his career. Nationals: After Thursday's fifth day off in a week, they start a three-game series Friday against visiting Baltimore.

The Cardinals will see if they can begin their series at Milwaukee after St. Louis became the latest team to get shut down by the coronavirus. The Brewers home opener was postponed Friday because two Cardinals players tested positive for COVID-19. TV Show suggestions please, tweeted Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty, who had been scheduled to start. Max Scherzer and the World Series champs wont play again until hosting the New York Mets on Tuesday. San Diegos plus-19 run differential (52 runs scored/33 allowed) is its second best through eight games in team history.

New York Mets' Yoenis Cespedes, right, celebrates his solo home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field, Friday, July 24, 2020, in New York. Rules changes for this shortened season delayed by the coronavirus provided a DH in NL games for the first time giving the Mets a perfect slot for Cspedes as he gets back in the swing of things. Edwin Daz, who lost his job as closer during a miserable 2019 season, struck out two in a hitless ninth for the save. Braves All-Star starter Mike Soroka, who won his previous two matchups with deGrom, allowed four hits in six outstanding innings. Coming off consecutive Cy Young Awards, deGrom fanned eight and permitted only a broken-bat single and a walk.