PITTSBURGH (AP) By his own admission, J.A. Happ can get inside his head too much sometimes, particularly when the St. Louis Cardinals left-hander faces the same team over and over. Taking on the Pittsburgh Pirates for the third time in 17 days, the 38-year-old took a deep breath, relaxed and let the guys behind him do most of the hard work.
Salvador Pérez became only the fourth Kansas City player with consecutive multi-homer games and Jarrod Dyson scored the tiebreaking run in the seventh inning when centerfielder Gilberto Celestino made a pair of errors on a simple fly ball, helping the Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 6-5 Thursday night. Pérez hit a 456-foot solo homer in the first and another solo drive that just cleared the wall in the fifth off JA Happ. Pérez has 14 home runs this season and joined Ed Kirkpatrick in 1969, Darrell Porter in 1977 and Mike Sweeney as the only Royals with multiple homers in consecutive games.
Twins newcomer Happ back on mound after positive virus test
By The Associated PressMarch 3, 2021 GMT
The left-hander tested positive for COVID-19 upon reporting to spring training, putting his practice schedule on hold.
Happ cleared virus protocols on Tuesday and took part in team workouts for the first time at camp in Fort Myers, Florida. The rest of the Twins played an exhibition game against Atlanta in North Port.
The 38-year-old Happ, who left the New York Yankees and signed in January with the Twins for $8 million this season, acknowledged feeling anxious about making up for the lost time and “pressing a little bit” in his bullpen session.
AL Central teams at the start of spring training
By The Associated PressFebruary 11, 2021 GMT
2020: 36-24, first place, lost to Houston in first round of playoffs.
Training Town: Fort Myers, Florida.
Park: Hammond Stadium at CenturyLink Sports Complex.
First Workout: Feb. 19/23.
He’s Here: SS Andrelton Simmons, RHP Alex Colomé, LHP J.A. Happ, RHP Hansel Robles, RHP Shaun Anderson, RHP Ian Hamilton, OF Keon Broxton, LHP Andrew Albers.
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He’s Outta Here: LF Eddie Rosario, RHP Sergio Romo, RHP Trevor May, RHP Jake Odorizzi, INF/OF Marwin Gonzalez, LHP Rich Hill, RHP Tyler Clippard, RHP Matt Wisler, INF Ehire Adrianza, C Alex Avila.