A look at what’s happening around the majors today:
DIVISION DUST-UP
The Padres and Dodgers open their final series this season, perhaps San Diego’s best chance to close in on the eight-time reigning NL West champions. Los Angeles ace Clayton Kershaw (5-1, 1.98) faces emerging Padres right-hander Dinelson Lamet (2-1, 2.24) in the first of three games at Petco Park. Lamet’s only loss this season came against the Dodgers on Aug. 4.
WINDY WEEK
The Minnesota Twins begin a weeklong stay in Chicago, taking on a pair of first-place teams.
José Berríos (4-3, 4.40 ERA) starts the opener of a four-game series at Guaranteed Rate Field, trailing the White Sox by one game in the AL Central. He’s won three straight decisions and will go against Dylan Cease (5-2, 3.33 ERA).
The White Sox have won four in a row. After finishing on the South Side, the Twins will move to Wrigley Field next weekend to play the NL Central-leading Cubs.
ON THE ROAD
After beating Texas on Sunday afternoon, Oakland is in Seattle for a doubleheader that’s part of four games in about 60 hours, in three cities and time zones. The three-day travel binge ends with the start of a two-game series at Colorado on Tuesday.
The doubleheader was wedged between the trips after a three-game series at the Mariners to start September was postponed over COVID-19 issues. It’s the third twinbill in a week, and 10 games over seven days would be franchise’s most since the Kansas City A’s played 10 from June 16-22, 1966.
HANGING ON
The Cincinnati Reds are playing catch-up in the NL postseason picture, and now they’ll be without ace Sonny Gray due to a strain in the right side of his mid-back. Gray went on the injured list Sunday. The Reds are set to play a doubleheader in Pittsburgh, with Trevor Bauer (4-3, 1.74) starting the opener and Anthony DeSclafani (1-2, 7.20) pitching the nightcap.
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Regulators authorized AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine for use in adults throughout the European Union on Friday, amid criticism the bloc is not moving fast enough to vaccinate its population.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A former FBI lawyer was sentenced to probation for altering an email that the Justice Department relied on during its surveillance of an aide to President Donald Trump during the Russia investigation.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Tony Evers lashed out Friday at rival Republicans who tried to repeal his statewide mask mandate, saying killing the order would be a ridiculous move comparable to abolishing speed limits.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — As some conservatives in South Carolina celebrated getting a bill that would ban almost all abortions in the state past a legislative barrier and likely becoming law, they said they are not finished trying to end all abortions.
A Moscow court on Friday put the brother and several allies of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny under house arrest for two months as authorities sought to stymie more protests over the jailing of the top Kremlin foe.