Baseball

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — John Sterling, Gary Cohen and Skip Caray are among the finalists for the Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in baseball broadcasting. Caray, Jacques Doucet, Tom Hamilton, Duane Kuiper and Ernie Johnson Sr.

HOUSTON (AP) — Tarik Skubal added perhaps his most important accomplishment to an already sparkling resume.

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball's average attendance rose 0.9% this season, increasing in consecutive years for the first time since 2011-12. MLB drew 71.

HOUSTON (AP) — Tarik Skubal kept up his stellar season with a sensational playoff debut and the Detroit Tigers got to Framber Valdez early in a 3-1 win over the Houston Astros in their AL Wild Card Series opener on Tuesday.

PHOENIX (AP) — Diamondbacks owner Tom Kendrick said he is the person responsible for signing pitcher Jordan Montgomery, who underperformed this season after joining Arizona on a hefty free agent contract.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Bruce Bochy will turn 70 next year during his 28th season as a big league manager, and really isn't thinking beyond that.

CHICAGO (AP) — Jed Hoyer figured he would be discussing a potential playoff matchup rather than a season that fell far short of expectations.

MIAMI (AP) — Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix called his team's season “disappointing” and “frustrating" while expressing optimism for the future despite years of inconsistency and turnover.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bryce Harper snagged a one-hopper on an infield drill, earning a “nice play, Harp!” from manager Rob Thomson. A two-time NL MVP, Harper later chucked a baseball from first base into the left field seats.

The Houston Astros left three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander off the roster for their AL Wild Card Series against Detroit but did include injured slugger Yordan Alvarez.