Jake Irvin's seven scoreless innings lift Nationals over Pirates

PITTSBURGH (AP) — James Wood led off the game with a home run and Jake Irvin pitched seven scoreless innings to lead the Washington Nationals to a 3-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.

Irvin (1-0) allowed three hits, struck out six and walked one as the Nationals snapped a three-game losing streak. The Pirates never got a runner past second base in losing for the fourth time in five games.

Jose A. Ferrer and Kyle Finnegan pitched one inning each to finish the four-hitter. Finnegan notched his sixth save in as many opportunities.

The shutout came a night after the Pirates recorded a season high in runs scored while beating the Nationals 10-3.

PHILLIES 6, GIANTS 4

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto homered and Bryson Stott and Max Kepler added two hits apiece as Philadelphia beat San Francisco.

Realmuto had two hits and two RBIs to snap out of a funk in which his batting average dipped to .222. Alec Bohm added a key RBI single in the sixth that scored the go-ahead run to help Philadelphia rally.

Orion Kerkering (2-1) earned the victory in relief of starter Jesus Luzardo, who worked 5 1/3 innings and allowed five hits and three runs while striking out four. Matt Strahm earned his first save of the season.

Jung Hoo Lee and Matt Chapman each had two hits for the Giants, who are 3-2 midway through a 10-game trip. Justin Verlander (0-1) took the loss, working 5 2/3 innings and allowing eight hits and four earned runs. Casey Schmitt added a two-run single for the Giants.

DIAMONDBACKS 10, MARLINS 4

MIAMI (AP) — Corbin Carroll hit a grand slam and drove in five runs, and Arizona beat Miami.

Geraldo Perdomo and Josh Naylor also went deep as Arizona won for the fifth time in six games. Merrill Kelly (3-1) struck out nine in six sparkling innings.

Carroll hit an RBI double and scored on Perdomo’s three-run shot in the second. It was Perdomo’s third homer of the season.

Naylor added a solo drive in the third and Carroll hit his third career grand slam off George Soriano in the sixth. Carroll has three homers during an eight-game hitting streak.

Griffin Conine had two hits and scored two runs for Miami. Liam Hicks drove in two runs.

RED SOX 7, RAYS 4

TAMPA (AP) — Alex Bregman went 5 for 5 with two home runs and four RBIs, Jarren Duran added a two-run homer and Boston beat Tampa Bay.

Bregman fell a triple shy of the cycle and had his seventh two-homer game. Kameron Misner nearly robbed him of the second one, but the ball fell out of the rookie’s glove and over the right-center fence.

The Red Sox got three hits in the first off Ryan Pepiot (1-2), one more than they had in six innings against Shane Baz in a 16-1 loss on Monday.

Boston starter Walker Buehler (2-1) allowed three hits and two runs over five innings. He walked three and struck out three. Aroldis Chapman fanned Brandon Lowe for his fourth save.

Jonathan Aranda, who entered leading the majors with a .395 average, was 2 for 3 with a homer and an RBI for Tampa Bay.

REDS 8, MARINERS 4

CINCINNATI (AP) — Austin Hays drove in four runs in his season debut, and Cincinnati beat Luis Castillo and Seattle.

Hays, who signed with Cincinnati in free agency, singled in Matt McLain in the third inning. He capped the Reds’ four-run fifth with a three-run shot to center.

Hays missed the start of the season with a left calf strain that occurred on the final day of spring training.

Castillo (1-2) was charged with six runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings in his first career start against Cincinnati. He was traded from the Reds to the Mariners in July 2022.

Dylan Moore homered twice and drove in four runs for Seattle, which had won four in a row. Moore had three of the Mariners’ six hits.

GUARDIANS 6, ORIOLES 3

BALTIMORE (AP) — Logan Allen pitched impressively into the sixth inning, and Cleveland beat Baltimore for their sixth victory in seven games.

Allen (1-1) allowed two hits in 5 2/3 scoreless innings. He struck out six and walked two.

Steven Kwan hit a two-run homer for Cleveland in the fifth and an RBI single in the sixth.

Cedric Mullins went deep for the Orioles, who have lost four of five. Charlie Morton (0-4) allowed five runs and seven hits in five-plus innings. He became the first major league pitcher with four losses in 2025.

YANKEES 4, ROYALS 2

NEW YORK (AP) — Jasson Domínguez went 3 for 3 with a three-run double that put New York ahead in the sixth inning in a victory over Kansas City.

Max Fried (3-0) struck out seven in 6 2/3 innings and the Yankees erased a 2-0 deficit with a four-run sixth aided by three straight two-out walks. New York will go for a three-game sweep Wednesday in a rematch of an AL Division Series won by the Yankees over the Royals in four games last October.

MJ Melendez homered and Bobby Witt Jr. hit an RBI double off the right-center fence in the third for the Royals, who lost for the fourth time in five games and fell to 2-6 on the road. They have dropped 19 of their past 20 completed series against the Yankees since May 2015, including the playoffs.

BLUE JAYS 6, BRAVES 3

TORONTO (AP) — Alan Roden hit his first career home run, Anthony Santander also connected and the Toronto beat Atlanta.

The Blue Jays hit more than one home run in a game for the first time this season. Toronto has 11 homers in 18 games. Their opponents have 24.

Kevin Gausman (2-1) struck out six over six innings to win for the first time in three starts. Gausman allowed two runs and six hits, including two home runs.

Austin Riley, Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies all hit solo homers but the Braves failed to win consecutive games.

BREWERS 5, TIGERS 0

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Quinn Priester and four relievers combined on a one-hitter and Rhys Hoskins broke out of his early-season slump to help Milwaukee snap a three-game skid by beating Detroit.

In his second start since the Brewers acquired him from the Boston Red Sox last week, Priester (1-0) held the Tigers hitless until he allowed a leadoff double to Gleyber Torres in the sixth. Priester departed at that point, having struck out four and walked three.

Jared Koenig, Abner Uribe, Nick Mears and Grant Anderson didn’t allow Detroit any baserunners the rest of the way.

TWINS 6, METS 3

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Ryan Jeffers and Harrison Bader had three hits apiece and Brooks Lee homered on as Minnesota defeated New York.

Byron Buxton singled twice and scored two runs for the Twins.

Bailey Ober (1-1) gave up three earned runs on five hits with no walks and five strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings to pick up his first victory since Aug. 9, a span of 13 starts.

Jhoan Durán struck out Francisco Lindor, the potential tying run, to earn his first save of the season.

For the Mets, Pete Alonso and Juan Soto each homered — the second in as many nights for Soto, who hadn’t gone deep since the second game of the season.

ASTROS 2, CARDINALS 0

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jake Meyers had three hits and drove in a run, Hunter Brown threw six shutout innings, to lead Houston to a victory over St. Louis.

Yordan Alverez hit a leadoff homer in the eighth off reliever Kyle Leahy.

Brown (2-1), making his first career appearance against the Cardinals, allowed four hits in pitching his fourth quality start of the season. He struck out four and walked two.

Josh Hader pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his fourth save.

Cardinals starter Erick Fedde (1-2) gave up six hits and three walks in six innings while striking out five. It was his third quality start in four outings this season.

ATHLETICS 12, WHITE SOX 3

CHICAGO (AP) — Tyler Soderstrom hit a pair of three-run home runs, his major league-leading seventh and eighth homers of the season, and the Athletics beat Chicago.

Soderstrom went deep with nobody out in the first off White Sox starter Sean Burke (1-3) for a 3-0 lead.

Andrew Vaughn, just 6 for 53 to begin the season, answered with a three-run shot off Jeffrey Springs (3-1) in the bottom half to tie it.

The Athletics took the lead for good in the second on an RBI double by Gio Urshela. Shea Langeliers, who had three hits, added a solo homer in the third for a 5-3 lead.

Max Muncy hit a two-out double before Soderstrom’s long ball capped a four-run sixth for a 9-3 lead.

Langeliers added an RBI double in a three-run ninth.

RANGERS 4, ANGELS 0

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Tyler Mahle struck out nine over six sharp innings, and Texas snapped a three-game losing streak with a win over Los Angeles.

Mahle (3-0) limited the Angels to three singles and walked two batters before four relievers finished off the third shutout win for Texas already this year.

Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi (0-3) struck out six while also pitching three-hit ball over six innings. He walked two.

Texas manufactured its first run after Mahle had thrown the last of his 93 pitches to finish the top of the sixth inning.

No. 9 batter Leody Taveras led off the bottom half with a bunt single, stole second and went to third on catcher Travis d’Arnaud’s throwing error. Taveras scored when Marcus Semien’s sacrifice fly was caught by Taylor Ward against the wall in left field.

CUBS 2, Padres 1, 10 INNINGS

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Nico Hoerner’s triple leading off the 10th inning drove in automatic runner Dansby Swanson, and Chicago beat San Diego, handing the Padres their first loss in 12 home games.

Hoerner’s opposite-field liner to right-center off Yuki Matsui (0-1) rolled to the wall. Swanson scampered home and Hoerner slid into third headfirst ahead of the throw from center fielder Jason Heyward.

The Padres had runners on first and third with two outs in the bottom of the inning before Caleb Thielbar got three-time batting champion Luis Arraez to fly out to left to get his first save.

Ryan Pressley (1-1) earned the win in the matchup of NL division leaders.

San Diego slugger Manny Machado homered after two Cubs players dropped pop fouls during a nine-pitch at-bat against Shota Imanaga in the fifth.

DODGERS 6, ROCKIES 2

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Will Smith hit a three-run homer and Los Angeles beat Colorado Rockies to snap their streak of three straight series losses.

The Dodgers took the first two of their three-game set against the Rockies, who fell to a franchise- and MLB-worst 3-14 overall and 1-10 on the road.

The Dodgers wore their Brooklyn replica uniforms on Jackie Robinson Day in front of a sellout crowd of 53,198. His No. 42 was mowed into the centerfield grass and every player, manager and coach around the major leagues donned his jersey number to mark the 78th anniversary of Robinson breaking baseball’s color barrier.

Jack Dreyer (2-0) earned his second major league victory in 1 2/3 innings of relief with four strikeouts.

The Rockies scored their runs on Jacob Stallings’ two-out, two-strike RBI double that made it 5-2 in the fourth after Ryan McMahon walked and Mikey Moniak singled.

Dodgers starter Landon Knack allowed two runs and four hits in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out two and walked two.

Washington Nationals pitcher Kyle Finnegan reacts after getting the final out of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

ATLANTA (AP) — Donald Trump would not be the first president to invoke the Insurrection Act, as he has threatened, so that he can send U.S. military forces to Minnesota.

But he'd be the only commander in chief to use the 19th-century law to send troops to quell protests that started because of federal officers the president already has sent to the area — one of whom shot and killed a U.S. citizen.

The law, which allows presidents to use the military domestically, has been invoked on more than two dozen occasions — but rarely since the 20th Century's Civil Rights Movement.

Federal forces typically are called to quell widespread violence that has broken out on the local level — before Washington's involvement and when local authorities ask for help. When presidents acted without local requests, it was usually to enforce the rights of individuals who were being threatened or not protected by state and local governments. A third scenario is an outright insurrection — like the Confederacy during the Civil War.

Experts in constitutional and military law say none of that clearly applies in Minneapolis.

“This would be a flagrant abuse of the Insurrection Act in a way that we've never seen,” said Joseph Nunn, an attorney at the Brennan Center for Justice's Liberty and National Security Program. “None of the criteria have been met.”

William Banks, a Syracuse University professor emeritus who has written extensively on the domestic use of the military, said the situation is “a historical outlier” because the violence Trump wants to end “is being created by the federal civilian officers” he sent there.

But he also cautioned Minnesota officials would have “a tough argument to win” in court, because the judiciary is hesitant to challenge “because the courts are typically going to defer to the president” on his military decisions.

Here is a look at the law, how it's been used and comparisons to Minneapolis.

George Washington signed the first version in 1792, authorizing him to mobilize state militias — National Guard forerunners — when “laws of the United States shall be opposed, or the execution thereof obstructed.”

He and John Adams used it to quash citizen uprisings against taxes, including liquor levies and property taxes that were deemed essential to the young republic's survival.

Congress expanded the law in 1807, restating presidential authority to counter “insurrection or obstruction” of laws. Nunn said the early statutes recognized a fundamental “Anglo-American tradition against military intervention in civilian affairs” except “as a tool of last resort.”

The president argues Minnesota officials and citizens are impeding U.S. law by protesting his agenda and the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and Customs and Border Protection officers. Yet early statutes also defined circumstances for the law as unrest “too powerful to be suppressed by the ordinary course” of law enforcement.

There are between 2,000 and 3,000 federal authorities in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, compared to Minneapolis, which has fewer than 600 police officers. Protesters' and bystanders' video, meanwhile, has shown violence initiated by federal officers, with the interactions growing more frequent since Renee Good was shot three times and killed.

“ICE has the legal authority to enforce federal immigration laws,” Nunn said. “But what they're doing is a sort of lawless, violent behavior” that goes beyond their legal function and “foments the situation” Trump wants to suppress.

“They can't intentionally create a crisis, then turn around to do a crackdown,” he said, adding that the Constitutional requirement for a president to “faithfully execute the laws” means Trump must wield his power, on immigration and the Insurrection Act, “in good faith.”

Courts have blocked some of Trump's efforts to deploy the National Guard, but he'd argue with the Insurrection Act that he does not need a state's permission to send troops.

That traces to President Abraham Lincoln, who held in 1861 that Southern states could not legitimately secede. So, he convinced Congress to give him express power to deploy U.S. troops, without asking, into Confederate states he contended were still in the Union. Quite literally, Lincoln used the act as a legal basis to fight the Civil War.

Nunn said situations beyond such a clear insurrection as the Confederacy still require a local request or another trigger that Congress added after the Civil War: protecting individual rights. Ulysses S. Grant used that provision to send troops to counter the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacists who ignored the 14th and 15th amendments and civil rights statutes.

During post-war industrialization, violence erupted around strikes and expanding immigration — and governors sought help.

President Rutherford B. Hayes granted state requests during the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 after striking workers, state forces and local police clashed, leading to dozens of deaths. Grover Cleveland granted a Washington state governor's request — at that time it was a U.S. territory — to help protect Chinese citizens who were being attacked by white rioters. President Woodrow Wilson sent troops to Colorado in 1914 amid a coal strike after workers were killed.

Federal troops helped diffuse each situation.

Banks stressed that the law then and now presumes that federal resources are needed only when state and local authorities are overwhelmed — and Minnesota leaders say their cities would be stable and safe if Trump's feds left.

As Grant had done, mid-20th century presidents used the act to counter white supremacists.

Franklin Roosevelt dispatched 6,000 troops to Detroit — more than double the U.S. forces in Minneapolis — after race riots that started with whites attacking Black residents. State officials asked for FDR's aid after riots escalated, in part, Nunn said, because white local law enforcement joined in violence against Black residents. Federal troops calmed the city after dozens of deaths, including 17 Black residents killed by local police.

Once the Civil Rights Movement began, presidents sent authorities to Southern states without requests or permission, because local authorities defied U.S. civil rights law and fomented violence themselves.

Dwight Eisenhower enforced integration at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas; John F. Kennedy sent troops to the University of Mississippi after riots over James Meredith's admission and then pre-emptively to ensure no violence upon George Wallace's “Stand in the Schoolhouse Door” to protest the University of Alabama's integration.

“There could have been significant loss of life from the rioters” in Mississippi, Nunn said.

Lyndon Johnson protected the 1965 Voting Rights March from Selma to Montgomery after Wallace's troopers attacked marchers' on their first peaceful attempt.

Johnson also sent troops to multiple U.S. cities in 1967 and 1968 after clashes between residents and police escalated. The same thing happened in Los Angeles in 1992, the last time the Insurrection Act was invoked.

Riots erupted after a jury failed to convict four white police officers of excessive use of force despite video showing them beating a Rodney King, a Black man. California Gov. Pete Wilson asked President George H.W. Bush for support.

Bush authorized about 4,000 troops — but after he had publicly expressed displeasure over the trial verdict. He promised to “restore order” yet directed the Justice Department to open a civil rights investigation, and two of the L.A. officers were later convicted in federal court.

President Donald Trump answers questions after signing a bill that returns whole milk to school cafeterias across the country, in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)