The New York Yankees enjoyed a milestone win for CC Sabathia and a sweep over their closest pursuer in the American League East on Wednesday.

Now the focus is on a four-game series against the AL West-leading Houston Astros, who are coming off a rare rough patch but swept the Yankees in April.

The Yankees put their five-game winning streak on the line Thursday night when they host the Astros in the opener of a four-game series.

Read More...

Minnesota right-hander Jake Odorizzi will try to take over the major league lead in wins on Thursday night when the American League Central-leading Twins open a four-game series at Kansas City.

Odorizzi (10-2, 2.24 ERA) enters the game tied with Lucas Giolito of the White Sox for most wins in the big leagues. He'll be opposed by right-hander Glenn Sparkman (1-3, 4.01) in a sequel to a matchup that took place in Minneapolis on Saturday, when the Twins won 5-4.

One right-hander who just lost an unbeaten streak goes head-to-head with another who has started an impressive run when the Tampa Bay Rays and the host Oakland Athletics open a four-game series Thursday night.

The Rays' Charlie Morton (8-1, 2.37 ERA) blanked the A's on two hits over seven innings in a 6-2 win June 10 that opened a three-game set at Tampa Bay.

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) Former Red Sox slugger David Ortiz was shot in the back by a gunman who mistook him for the real target, another man who was seated at the same table at an outdoor cafe, Dominican officials said Wednesday.

The Dominican Republic's attorney general and national police director told reporters that the attempted murder was ordered from the United States by Victor Hugo Gomez, an associate of Mexico's Gulf Cartel. They said Gomez had hired a gang of killers to eliminate his cousin, whom Gomez suspected of turning him in to Dominican drug investigators in 2011.

TORONTO (AP) Getting back to basics at the plate has been paying off for Los Angeles Angels slugger Mike Trout.

Trout hit two home runs, including his sixth career grand slam, and had a career-best seven RBIs as the Angels beat the Toronto Blue Jays 11-6 on Wednesday night.

WASHINGTON (AP) With a broken nose, pronounced black eye and seven shutout innings, Max Scherzer provided a striking capper to the Washington Nationals' day-night doubleheader sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Scherzer himself? He shrugged off his work in the Nationals' 2-0 victory Wednesday night as business as usual.

LOS ANGELES (AP) Cody Bellinger keeps getting on base, and if he's at home chances are it's via a home run.

Bellinger slugged his 24th homer - 16th at Dodger Stadium - and Los Angeles kept it together after losing starter Rich Hill to injury in a 9-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday night, becoming the major leagues' first 50-win team.

PHOENIX (AP) Ryan McMahon and the Rockies found a way to stack hits against Arizona ace Zack Greinke, and those hits led to another Colorado victory.

McMahon hit a tiebreaking, two-run double in the seventh inning to make up for a costly error, and the Rockies added on in a 6-4 win over the Diamondbacks on Wednesday night.

SAN DIEGO (AP) Manny Machado missed a three-run home run by inches.

Franmil Reyes did not, and for the first time ever, the San Diego Padres have multiple players with 20 home runs in the first half of a season.