Notes from Wednesday's games
May 17, 2006
TEXAS: 3B Hank Blalock went 0-for-4 ending his 11-game hitting streak. He was batting .336 with eight homers and 33 RBIs this season. ``You can tell he's on a mission,'' manager Buck Showalter said. ``What is he, 25 now? He's starting to figure out that they're not going to try to get him out in the strike zone very often.'' ... Showalter said he isn't concerned with the soreness or stiffness RHP Antonio Alfonseca felt just above his elbow when he tried to warm up Tuesday night, partly because it wasn't in the same place that Alfonseca had a problem last year.
NEW YORK: RHP Shawn Chacon has a large, nasty welt (called a hematoma) just below the knee on the inside of his left leg - the result of getting hit by a comebacker last Thursday against Boston. Chacon pitched in pain Tuesday night against Texas and was roughed up for eight runs - seven earned - in only 1 1-3 innings. ``I don't make excuses. I was healthy enough to pitch,'' Chacon said. He added that it's ``really uncomfortable'' and he's sure he would benefit from an extra day or two of rest before making his next start, but he plans to pitch Sunday night against the New York Mets as scheduled. ``It's something that, we've obviously got to get it out of there. I'll leave that to the doctors. It's not something that's a red flag,'' manager Joe Torre said. ``Hopefully, we can get it out of there by Sunday and he can be a little more comfortable.'' ... After sitting out Tuesday night with a stiff neck, Jason Giambi was back in the lineup as the designated hitter. ``It's not all the way back yet,'' Giambi said. ``Good enough to hit, though. I only have to turn one way.'' Torre thinks Giambi should be able to play first base this weekend in interleague games against the Mets at Shea Stadium. ... Injured RF Gary Sheffield (left wrist and hand) said he was feeling better, but there was no timetable yet for when he will start swinging a bat again.
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MINNESOTA: The team demoted RHP Kyle Lohse to Triple-A Rochester. He was 2-4 with a 8.92 ERA In eight games. ``Lohse has been around here for a while,'' said Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire. ``I know it's very hard for him. But we can't keep sending struggling starters out to be knocked around.'' The Twins also recalled RHP Boof Bonser from Triple-A Rochester. ... Tuesday night's loss to Detroit was the Twins' fifth straight in Detroit. The last time they lost five in a row in Detroit was June 21,1996 - April 9,1997.
DETROIT: Tigers' manager Jim Leyland was thinking defense in making out his lineup for Wednesday night's game against Minnesota and LHP Johan Santana. He said that some say play a strong offensive lineup against a tough pitcher and others say use a good defensive lineup, because it doesn't matter who is hitting. Leyland opted for the strong defensive lineup, which meant lefty-hitting rookie Curtis Granderson remains in CF. ``He's (Santana) is going to be tough for anybody,'' Leyland said. ``So, basically, I'm playing my defense.'' ... Detroit will play in Baltimore on Sept. 21, at 4:05 p.m., to make up for the game on May 11, at Baltimore that was rained out.
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KANSAS CITY: Manager Buddy Bell said he will use RHP Elmer Dessens as the closer, moving RHP Ambiorix Burgos to middle relief. Since Dessens had pitched Tuesday night, Bell said RHP Mike Wood would be the closer Wednesday night. ``This is a little bit of bullpen by committee for now,'' said Bell, adding that he would prefer to have one reliable closer. ``Burgie's got a great arm and he's going to make a good closer one day, but for now, we'll give him a little breather.'' Burgos has given up six runs over his last 2 2-3 innings, with three straight blown saves. ... OF Shane Costa, on the DL since April 29 with a strained left hamstring, is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Wichita.
CLEVELAND: INF Lou Merloni was brought up from Triple-A Buffalo, where he hit .316 with 12 doubles, three homers and 12 RBIs in 32 games. INF Ramon Vazquez, who hit .179 with four RBIs in 16 games, was optioned to Buffalo. ... C Victor Martinez entered play Wednesday in a 2-for-33 slide and hitless in his last 18 at-bats to drop his average from .384 to .310. ``From time to time, Victor tries to do a little too much,'' manager Eric Wedge said. ... OF Grady Sizemore played 825 of a possible 828 innings in center field over the Indians' past 90 games and was there again Wednesday. ... Cleveland scored 231 runs in its first 39 games, a 5.9 average that was the best in baseball.
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BOSTON: Through Tuesday, the Red Sox had a major-league low 12 errors and ranked first with a .991 fielding percentage. ``We've played pretty good defense, it's been fun to watch,'' manager Terry Francona said. ``There've been some innings where our pitching is scuffling a little bit, but then we catch the ball real clean and we end up getting off the field, rather than having the pitching scuffle and then throwing it away and then really have a long inning. It gives you a chance.'' ... RHP Jonathan Papelbon recorded his major league-leading 14th save Tuesday. ... 3B Mike Lowell leads the majors with 20 doubles. Since 1960, only three other players had as many as 20 doubles on May 16. ... RHP Curt Schilling moved within two of 200 career wins on Tuesday.
BALTIMORE: 2B Ed Rogers made his first career start Wednesday. ... Entering Wednesday, since 2B Brian Roberts went on the DL April 30, the Orioles used five leadoff hitters with a combined .191 average, six runs and three walks in 15 games. ... Roberts (strained groin) played for Class AA Bowie Wednesday on a rehab assignment. Manager Sam Perlozzo said he hopes to have Roberts back Friday when Baltimore opens an interleague series in Washington. ``We want him to go Friday if that's at all possible. That's our goal,'' Perlozzo said. ... The Orioles' 13-game losing streak to Boston entering Wednesday matched the third longest vs. an opponent in team history.
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CHICAGO: Manager Ozzie Guillen decided to give 3B Joe Crede a rest by not starting him Wednesday night. He had started in 36 of the White Sox's first 38 games. ``The way Joe plays everyday, I'm just giving him one day to recover,'' Guillen said. ... Guillen said a roster move to correspond with the expected activation of RHP Jose Contreras (pinched nerve in right leg) from the 15-day DL will be decided in the next couple days. Contreras is slated to pitch Sunday against the Chicago Cubs.
TAMPA BAY: CF Rocco Baldelli (hamstring) played in an extended spring training game and might begin a two to three week minor league rehabilitation assignment next week with Triple-A Durham. ``No setbacks, no negatives,'' manager Joe Maddon said. ``He felt really good.'' Baldelli, who has had an injury-marred career playing in center field, started in right Wednesday and has also worked at first base as the team looks at potential options to keep him healthy. ... Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Joey Galloway took batting practice before the game.
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SEATTLE- GM Bill Bavasi said the Mariners weren't thinking about sending RHP Felix Hernandez to the minors despite his rocky 2-5 season, featuring Tuesday night's loss to Oakland in which he allowed 11 hits and 10 runs. Hernandez has a 5.19 ERA, but Bavasi says it's all according to plan for the teen phenom's development. ``This is a kid that they tried to move fast so he would experience some adversity in the minor leagues, but he didn't experience much,'' Bavasi said. ``He's experiencing it here. He has moved fast. He's continuing to pick stuff up.'' ... LHP Jamie Moyer made six of his first eight starts this season at home before facing the A's on Wednesday night.
OAKLAND- 2B Marco Scutaro, who's hitting .400 with three homers in his career against Moyer, was in the starting lineup. ... Injured RHP Rich Harden and LHP Joe Kennedy participated in long-toss Wednesday. Harden, on the DL since April 28 with a strained back muscle, could throw a bullpen session Monday. ... DH Frank Thomas, who has a strained right quadriceps, was back in the lineup after missing four games. He could have played Tuesday, manager Ken Macha said.
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TORONTO: RHP Shawn Marcum was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday to fill the roster spot vacated when LHP Gustavo Chacin was placed on the 15-day DL, retroactive to May 11, because of tightness in his elbow. ... INF Troy Glaus was not in the lineup Wednesday night after being hit on his left elbow by a pitch. Manager John Gibbons said Glaus would probably return Thursday. ... Angel Stadium official scorer Ed Munson took away a stolen base he awarded Bengie Molina Tuesday night and changed his ruling to catcher's indifference because no one was holding Molina on at first base.
LOS ANGELES: 2B Adam Kennedy was moved from ninth to third in the lineup by manager Mike Scioscia as a way to get a strong bat in the middle of the lineup to replace OF Garret Anderson and OF Darin Erstad, who are both injured. ``It's nice to be able to do different things, especially when guys are injured,'' Kennedy said. ... The Angels open interleague play Friday with a three-game series at Dodger Stadium. They'll send RHP Jeff Weaver (1-6) against former Angel and RHP Aaron Sele (1-0).
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CINCINNATI: Felipe Lopez ran his hitting streak to 11 games with a single in the first inning Wednesday night in Pittsburgh. ... Manager Jerry Narron planned to move Brandon Phillips from No. 7 to No. 2 in the order, but Phillips went back to hitting seventh when Scott Hatteberg came down with the flu. ... LHP Dave Williams pitches Thursday in Pittsburgh for the first time since the Pirates traded him for 1B Sean Casey during the offseason. Williams will be the second former Pirates pitcher to oppose them in as many days; RHP Bronson Arroyo was the starter Wednesday night. Williams lost to the Pirates 5-3 in Cincinnati on April 9 in his first start for the Reds, giving up five hits and two earned runs in six innings. Williams led the Pirates in victories while going 10-11 last season.
PITTSBURGH: SS Jack Wilson is ready to start playing again after being out of the lineup since May 7 with a hamstring injury, but manager Jim Tracy wanted to give him one more day and started Freddy Sanchez on Wednesday night. ... Tracy plans to start giving Ryan Doumit more starts at first base once Doumit recovers from his left hamstring injury. Doumit had never played the position before making a spot start there on the Pirates' last road trip. ... Tracy hasn't decided who to use as the designated hitter this weekend in Cleveland, but suggested it might be Sanchez or Craig Wilson.
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FLORIDA: The Marlins keep juggling their roster. With SS Hanley Ramirez sidelined by a shoulder injury, SS Robert Andino was called up from Triple-A Albuquerque. Andino went right into the starting lineup, batting eighth against John Smoltz. Andino was batting .297 with four homers and 10 RBIs at Albuquerque. He was a September call-up by Florida a year ago, hitting .195 with one RBI in 17 games. ... Ramirez underwent an MRI before the game but the Marlins didn't immediately release the results. He was listed as day to day. ... OF Eric Reed was optioned to Albuquerque to make room on the roster for Andino. Reed appeared in 30 games for the Marlins and was hitting just .114 (4-of-35).
ATLANTA: RHP Lance Cormier, on the DL with a strained left oblique, worked one scoreless inning with two strikeouts for Single-A Rome. If he's ready to be activated for Thursday's game, the Braves will return RHP Anthony Lerew to the minors. Lerew was recalled from Triple-A Richmond on Wednesday to give the Braves an extra arm in the bullpen after RHP Kyle Davies went on the DL with a torn groin muscle. ... LHP Chuck James (strained right hamstring) also worked a scoreless inning for Rome to start an extended rehab assignment. He will build up his stamina in case he's needed as a starter with the Braves. ... The Braves' injury problems have been a reprieve for struggling RHP Jorge Sosa, who probably would have been yanked from the rotation by now with an 0-5 record and 6.52 ERA. ``It's just one bad inning every time,'' Cox said. ``It's bad pitches. Just a couple, but they always seem to hurt big.'' Sosa has been one of the Braves' biggest disappointments after going 13-3 last season.
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WASHINGTON: Veteran shortstop Royce Clayton was signed as a minor league free agent and was expected to be a steadying force for the club. The 15-year veteran is hitting just .246 and had five errors, tied for the team high. ``He hasn't been as steady defensively as we hoped he would be and expected to be,'' manager Frank Robinson said. ``Offensively he's been a little up and down.'' ... The Nationals were charged with 28 errors before Wednesday's game and had a .980 fielding percentage, the fifth-worst number in the NL. But the team has made scores of defensive mistakes that don't show up in the stats. ``It seems like we keep making these one or two physical errors at the wrong time,'' Robinson said. Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman proved Robinson prophetic when made a fielding error with two outs in the first inning Wednesday, allowing a run to score. ... Robinson met with reporters before the game and then seemingly pulled out of managing Wednesday with severe back spasms. He took some medicine and decided to manage about an hour before the game started.
CHICAGO: Ronny Cedeno is struggling at the plate and in the field. The young shortstop, in his first full season with the Cubs, has eight errors, five more than any other Cub and he had just two hits in his last 15 at-bats going into Wednesday's game. ``The thing about errors is that they come in streaks,'' Cubs manager Dusty Baker said. ``You can go two weeks without an error then make three in three days. You knew that when we started we had a young shortstop who gets a whole bunch of balls. Sometimes - like yesterday - he was little too aggressive and not knowing he could take his time on that particular runner. Once he's around more he'll know more. A lot of this has to do with him knowing the opposition and the speed of the opposition.'' ... RHP Mark Prior threw a side session Wednesday and was scheduled to pitch to rookie leaguers Friday in Arizona. RHP Wade Miller was scheduled to pitch in a similar game Monday. ... The Cubs had a meeting with the club's manager of security, Mike Hill, before Wednesday's game concerning the woman who threw a ball that nearly hit Jacque Jones late in Tuesday's game. Baker said he didn't expect ``copycat'' fans to act likewise. ``I don't think people want to get in trouble and people will turn you in, evidently,'' he said. The woman was detained and reportedly drunk, but was not arrested.
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PHILADELPHIA: LF David Dellucci replaced Pat Burrell in the lineup Wednesday against the Brewers. Burrell was 3-for-14 (.214) in his last four games. Dellucci, meanwhile, had hits in four of his last five at-bats, three of them for extra bases. ... Sunday, 1B Ryan Howard became just the fourth player in major league history to hit a pinch-hit home run and extra-inning homer in the same game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Howard's eighth-inning drive tied it and his 10th-inning shot won the game against the Reds, 2-1. ... RHP Cole Hamels, who opened the season at Single-A Clearwater, will make his second career start for the Phillies on Thursday. Hamels got a no decision Friday, as he walked five, struck out seven and gave up one hit in Philadelphia's 8-4 win over the Reds. He took a no-hitter into the fifth inning.
MILWAUKEE: The Brewers placed SS J.J. Hardy on the 15-day DL Wednesday with a severely sprained ligament in his right ankle, which he suffered while sliding into home the night before. Hardy is expected to miss two to six weeks. Brewers manager Ned Yost said INF Jeff Cirillo will see increased playing time at third base and second base because of the injury. With Bill Hall replacing Hardy at shortstop, Brady Clark also will see more time in center field. ... To replace Hardy, the Brewers recalled OF prospect Corey Hart from Triple-A Nashville. It is Hart's fourth stint with the team in three years. He opened this season on the big league roster but played sparingly and was sent down on April 18. Hart said he was happy to be back, but felt bad for Hardy. ``You never want that to happen,'' Hart said. ... Despite struggling in his first two starts since being recalled from Triple-A Nashville, RHP Ben Hendrickson (0-1, 7.50 ERA) will start Saturday's game against the Minnesota Twins, the team announced.
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SAN FRANCISCO: LHP Noah Lowry will pitch Friday against good friend and former college teammate Dan Haren, yet another meeting between the two who always seem to face off when the Giants and A's play on the interleague schedule. Haren won last year, and the two have had their share of duels in spring training, too. ``Every time. It's funny how it works out that way,'' Lowry said. ``The day before his last start, he text messaged me and said, 'FYI, we're matching up again.' I had been looking down the list thinking it would be (Brad) Halsey, to mix it up a bit.'' ... 1B Lance Niekro missed his third straight game with a right shoulder injury. ``It's going slowly,'' he said. ... RF Moises Alou, sidelined since May 5 with a sprained right ankle, took live batting practice for the second straight day.
HOUSTON: Manager Phil Garner expects 1B Lance Berkman to return to the lineup Friday after sitting out four of the last five games with a sore left hamstring. Berkman hit his 13th homer of the season on Sunday and his 40 RBIs rank second in the majors to Albert Pujols. The Astros have missed his production lately, averaging two runs in their last four games, losing three. ... In time for the San Francisco Giants' visit to Minute Maid Park this week, Garner read ``Game of Shadows,'' the book focusing on Barry Bonds' alleged use of performance-enhancing substances. ``It was pretty incriminating,'' Garner said. ... RF Jason Lane was out of Wednesday's starting lineup after 10 consecutive starts. Lane had reached base in 25 of his last 32 games, but is batting only .209. Orlando Palmeiro replaced Lane. ... IF/OF Chris Burke was expected to come off the DL on Monday, after a weekend rehab assignment in Round Rock. Burke dislocated his left shoulder in the Astros' 5-3 loss to Colorado on May 7. The backup utility player is batting .378 with 14 hits in 37 at-bats.
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NEW YORK: RHP Brian Bannister, on the DL with a hamstring injury, will make a rehab start for Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday instead of a bullpen session as manager Willie Randolph had been led to believe. Bannister could rejoin the rotation after that. ... Randolph said he gave no thought to resting slumping Cliff Floyd, who got two hits on Tuesday, against LHP Mark Mulder. ``He hits lefties,'' Randolph said. ``What, you want me platooning him now? He's one of my big guys.'' Jose Valentin, who was 6-for-9 in the two games he started in place of Floyd over the weekend, was one of his ``support guys.'' ``I'm not going to play him at the expense of Cliff, who can carry you for a month and a half.'' ... RHP Aaron Heilman threw a scoreless inning on Tuesday and has allowed one earned run in his last 16 1-3 innings.
ST. LOUIS: Manager Tony La Russa all but guaranteed that rookie RHP Anthony Reyes, currently with Triple-A Memphis, would start in place of injured Sidney Ponson on Saturday in Kansas City. ``Right now, I'd bet on it,'' La Russa said. ``We're getting him ready and making arrangements to fly him into Kansas City. Ponson, on the DL with an elbow injury, thinks he'll throw off a mound for the first time since being sidelined this weekend in Kansas City. La Russa said Reyes would make one start and then go back to the minors ... RHP Brad Thompson had thrown 14 1-3 consecutive scoreless innings before giving up four runs, two earned, in one-third of an inning on Tuesday. ... Scott Spiezio was 1-for-10 as a pinch hitter.
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LOS ANGELES: Rafael Furcal was 0-for-5 against the Rockies on Wednesday, ending his streak of reaching base at 19 games. ... Little made it clear that the closer's job belongs to RHP Eric Gagne (right elbow) whenever he returns to the active roster. ... SS Cesar Izturis (right elbow) will go out on a rehab assignment soon, possibly this weekend.
COLORADO: OF Eli Marrero was at the park, but unavailable after a Tuesday night bout with a stomach flu. ... Matt Holliday had hit safely in six straight plate appearances before Brad Penny hit him with a pitch in the fourth inning on Wednesday. ... Colorado has hit a double in 15 straight games and in 38 of 41 this season.
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SAN DIEGO: OF Brian Giles reached base safely in 35 of the Padres' first 40 games. He went into Wednesday's game with 33 walks, tied for third in the NL. His .409 on-base percentage ranked 10th in the league. ... C Mike Piazza will be the Padres' designated hitter in two of their three interleague games at Seattle this weekend, manager Bruce Bochy said. Piazza caught his 27th game Wednesday night at Arizona. ... In losing to the Diamondbacks on Tuesday night, Jake Peavy fell to 6-8 lifetime against Arizona. No other team has beaten San Diego's ace more than three times. ... Trevor Hoffman is 7-for-7 in save opportunities this year. The rest of the Padres' bullpen is a combined 1-for-4.
ARIZONA: RHP Orlando Hernandez, who left Tuesday night's start in the third inning with a mid-back strain, will throw in the bullpen on Friday. That's when the club will determine whether he'll make his next scheduled start Sunday against Atlanta. Hernandez has made seven trips to the DL since 2000. ... LHP Terry Mulholland, who is on the DL with an inflamed left elbow, pitched a three-inning simulated game Wednesday afternoon. ``I was hitting my spots,'' Mulholland said. ``I had good action on my breaking ball.'' Mulholland is likely to begin a rehabilitation stint at Triple-A Tucson on Sunday or Monday. ... Russ Ortiz, on the DL with a strained right calf, pitched Tuesday night for Triple-A Tucson, allowing one earned run in four innings. Ortiz will pitch again Sunday for the Sidewinders.
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Notes from Wednesday's games
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