MLB salary-arbitration case score: Players 6, Teams 3

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida — Trevor Bauer, Gerrit Cole and Alex Wood won their salary-arbitration cases on Wednesday, giving players a 6-3 advantage over teams to ensure a winning record in consecutive years for the first time since 1989-90.

Bauer won his hearing for the second straight year and was awarded $13 million US by James Darby, James Oldham and Sylvia Skratek instead of the Cleveland Indians’ $11-million offer.

Cole was given a $13.5-million salary by Gil Vernon, Steven Wolf and Walt De Treux rather than the Houston Astros’ offer of $11,425,000.

Wood will get $9.65 million instead of the Cincinnati Reds’ $8.7-million offer, Dan Brent, Andrew Strongin and Phillip LaPorte decided.

Bauer and Cole topped the previous high for a salary awarded in an arbitration hearing, $10.5 million won last year by Boston outfielder Mookie Betts.

Bauer, a 28-year-old righthander, won a $6,525,000 salary last year in a case decided by Strongin, Wolf and Robert Herzog, who ruled against Cleveland’s $5.3-million offer.

Minnesota’s Kyle Lohse (2005, ’06), Houston’s Collin McHugh (2017, ’18) and Tampa Bay’s Jake Odorizzi (2017, ’18) also won in consecutive years.

Cole, also a 28-year-righthander, received his second AllStar selection last year and went 15-5 with a 2.88 ERA. He made $6.75 million.

Wood, a 28-year-old lefthander, was 9-7 with a 3.68 ERA for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 27 starts and six relief appearances last year, when he made $6 million. He was acquired by the Reds on Dec. 21 along with outfielders Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp.

Players will finish with a winning record for the third time in four years but just the fifth time since 1996 and 11th time since arbitration started in 1974.

Astros shortstop Carlos Correa, Oakland closer Blake Treinen and Tampa Bay outfielder Tommy Pham also won their cases this year, while Washington outfielder Michael A. Taylor, Nationals reliever Kyle Barraclough and Toronto reliever Ryan Tepera lost.

Detroit pitcher Michael Fulmer asked for a raise from $575,200 to $3.4 million on Wednesday, and the Tigers argued for $2.8 million. A decision by Matt Goldberg, Robert Herzog and Elizabeth Neumeier is expected today.

New York Yankees righthander Luis Severino is the only player still scheduled for a hearing. Pitcher Aaron Nola avoided a hearing by agreeing to a $45-million, four-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.