Notes from Friday's games
May 26, 2006
TAMPA BAY: The Devil Rays began the day with nine road wins, one more than they had the entire first half of last season. ... Scott Kazmir, Friday's starter, is the first lefty to beat the Red Sox at Fenway Park three times before his 23rd birthday since before World War I, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. ... OF Rocco Baldelli was 4-for-7 in the first two games of his rehabilitation assignment. Baldelli, sidelined with a strained left hamstring, played two games before having Thursday off. ... Saturday's starter, Seth McClung, is 0-3 in his career against the Red Sox and will make his first start against them this year.
BOSTON: Curt Schilling tries for his 200th career victory Saturday. He would be the 104th major league pitcher to reach that mark and the fourth to do it while with the Red Sox. The others are Lefty Grove, Ferguson Jenkins and Luis Tiant. Roger Clemens and Cy Young won 192 games with Boston. ... Boston's 15 errors through Thursday are the fewest the team has made through 45 games since research was first available in 1960. ... Coco Crisp went 2-for-6 in his second extended spring training game in his comeback from a broken finger. He played center field in Fort Myers, Fla., and had a homer, single, walk, stolen base and two runs. He went 0-for-5 in his first game there Thursday. Crisp is scheduled to play Saturday night at Triple-A Pawtucket against Norfolk, then return to the Red Sox on Monday. He played the first five games of the season before going on the disabled list.
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CLEVELAND: Indians manager Eric Wedge needs two wins to tie Alvin Dark (266) for 10th on the team's career list. Wedge is still several years from Lou Boudreau's franchise record of 728. ... Grady Sizemore entered tied for second in the AL with four triples, and nearly added another in the first inning, but was thrown out at third after a pinpoint relay throw by Tigers SS Ramon Santiago.
DETROIT: LHP Mike Maroth went on the disabled list with irritation in his left elbow and will undergo tests next week. Maroth, who has been dealing with the issue all season, lasted just one-third of an inning Thursday in Kansas City, allowing six runs, including back-to-back-to-back homers. ... The Tigers had won six straight, their third winning streak of at least six games this season. The last Tigers team to have three or more six-game winning streaks was the 1984 World Series champs, who had five. ... SS Carlos Guillen was a late scratch from the lineup with a stiff neck.
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KANSAS CITY: Going into the weekend series, Kansas City had lost 14 straight games at Yankee Stadium, dating to Aug. 6, 2002. ... With the worst record in the majors, the Royals had won just two games on the road all season. ... At 10-35, the Royals had their worst record after 45 games and fourth-worst in major league history, trailing only the 1932 Boston Red Sox, 1988 Baltimore Orioles and 2003 Detroit Tigers, who were all 9-36 after 45 games.
NEW YORK: SS Derek Jeter, third in the AL with a .348 batting average before Friday night, got his 2,000th career hit. He became the eighth player to reach the milestone for the Yankees, joining Lou Gehrig (2,721), Babe Ruth (2,518), Mickey Mantle (2,415), Bernie Williams (2,250), Joe DiMaggio (2,214), Don Mattingly (2,153) and Yogi Berra (2,148). ... With 10 saves and 389 in his career, RHP Mariano Rivera was one behind Dennis Eckersley for fourth place on baseball's all-time list. ... After making just 10 errors in the first 28 games this season, the Yankees made 23 in the last 17 games.
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CHICAGO: Manager Ozzie Guillen coached 3B because Joey Cora served the first of a two-game suspension for his part in the bench-clearing melee last week with the Chicago Cubs. ``I'm the only one that has experience coaching third base,'' said Guillen, who previously coached 3B with Florida and Montreal. ... SS Juan Uribe started despite having to leave Wednesday's game in the second inning after being hit in the helmet by a pitch. Uribe was checked out by the team's medical staff and wasn't seriously injured. ``He got hit in the head. Hopefully, he'll wake up. Hopefully, something in the back of his brain will say 'I remember the way I was hitting,''' Guillen joked. Uribe entered the game in a 3-for-23 slump, lowering his average to .197.
TORONTO: LHP Gustavo Chacin (sore left elbow) allowed four runs and six hits in just 2 1-3 innings in a rehab start with Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday. Toronto manager John Gibbons said the most important thing was that his arm felt good. ... Former Toronto closer Duane Ward attended the game. Ward saved a team-record 45 games in 1993.
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OAKLAND: Entering the game with six consecutive losses, manager Ken Macha said, ``We've been through this before. Last May, we had two eight-game losing streaks. We need to get guys healthy, make better pitches and get better performances.'' ... Of Oakland's six players on the disabled list, RHP Jay Witasick (sprained left ankle) is closest to returning. He threw to hitters in Arizona on Friday and will take extensive fielding practice Saturday. OF Milton Bradley (sprained right knee) hit off a tee. RHP Justin Duchscherer (elbow) is working with a physical therapist. The A's will have a better idea about RHP Esteban Loaiza (strained back muscle) early next week after a simulated game.
TEXAS: DH Phil Nevin looked twice as he passed the lineup card in the clubhouse, making sure he was in the lineup against Oakland RHP Joe Blanton. Manager Buck Showalter said the right-handed hitting Nevin, batting .206 against right-handers after snapping an overall 0-for-17 slump Thursday, would also start Saturday. ... RHP Antonio Alfonseca, on the disabled list with a sore elbow, threw on the side and will join Triple-A Oklahoma to pitch an inning Sunday or Monday. ... LHP Brian Anderson will throw an inning at extended spring training in Arizona on Monday, 10 months after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
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SEATTLE: Manager Mike Hargrove thinks RHP Gil Meche finally might be catching on. Meche allowed just four hits and struck out 10 in a tough 2-0 loss to Baltimore on Thursday and has had three strong starts in a row. ``Gil's got a lot of talent,'' Hargrove said. ``They've spent a lot of time here, even before I got here, trying to harness that. Is he where we want him to be? Yes. Will he stay there? I don't know.'' ... Opponents are hitting .232 against the Mariners' bullpen, second-lowest in the AL behind Detroit.
MINNESOTA: 2B Luis Castillo was back in the lineup night after missing Wednesday's game with a sore knee. The Twins had Thursday off and manager Ron Gardenhire wanted to give him a little extra time before this weekend's home series against the Mariners. ``He's fine. I didn't even have to ask him, I just put him in,'' Gardenhire said. ... Rookie OF Jason Kubel, filling in for the injured Shannon Stewart (foot), was in the leadoff spot after being recalled on May 23. ``It's not like we have many options,'' Gardenhire said. ``I put him in there because he can hit.''
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BALTIMORE: The Orioles made their first visit to Angel Stadium since Aug. 4, the day Sam Perlozzo made his debut as a big league manager after replacing the fired Lee Mazzilli and guided the Birds to a 4-1 victory. Baltimore entered this series 45-58 under Perlozzo - one game worse than Mazzilli was after his first 103 games. Mazzilli's predecessor, Mike Hargrove, started out with the same 45-58 record as Perlozzo. ``Last year was pretty much a matter of just trying to finish out the season, keep us respectable and not let a lot of the adversity make it worse than it was. And I felt like I was able to accomplish that part of it,'' said Perlozzo, who got the promotion just three days after Rafael Palmeiro was suspended for a positive steroid test. ``This season there's been some things that I've liked, but we've ended up with a few injuries, and those things seem to keep mounting on us. We're four games under .500. I hope that's not a reflection on me. Hopefully, by the end of the season, we'll get more of my personality through to the ballclub and try to get guys to play the way I'd like to see them play. There may be personnel changes, there may not be.''
LOS ANGELES: LF Garret Anderson tied Brian Downing's record for the most games played in franchise history. Anderson already holds the club record for hits, RBIs, total bases, at-bats, doubles, total bases and extra-base hits. The three-time All-Star also had the biggest clutch hit in Angels history, a tiebreaking three-run double in Game 7 of the 2002 World Series. ... RHP Jered Weaver, who was promoted from Triple-A Salt Lake on Friday, was assigned a locker six stalls away from his brother, Jeff. They joined a list of other brother combos to pitch in the majors, including Phil and Joe Niekro, Gaylord and Jim Perry, Greg and Mike Maddux, Dizzy and Paul Dean, Rick and Paul Reuschel, and Pedro and Ramon Martinez. ``I got the word after our game yesterday and I was pretty excited,'' said Jered, who will make his big league debut Saturday night. ``I didn't know what to do. I was running around the clubhouse like a chicken with its head cut off. It's a dream come true. This is what I've been wanting to do ever since I was about 5 years old, and the time is here. I was lucky enough to get the chance, and hopefully I can stay up here for as long as possible.''
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ATLANTA: The Braves improved to 4-20 in games in which they were behind after eight innings. The Braves are 8-13 in their major league-leading 21 one-run games this season. ... RHP Travis Smith, who was designated for assignment on Sunday, cleared waivers and chose to become a free agent rather than accept an assignment with Triple-A Richmond. ... By the time they wrap up their current 10-day road trip Sunday, the Braves will have played 50 games, 32 on the road. ... Pinch-hitter Wilson Betemit's double to break up Carlos Zambrano's no-hit bid in the seventh inning was aided by the sun that caused Jacque Jones to lose the ball before it hit the right field wall. ``I thought he had the ball. I knew it wasn't going to be a home run,'' Betemit said. ``I hit the ball good and started running and he just lost the ball.''
CHICAGO: Manager Dusty Baker seemed stunned after his team's latest loss when the Cubs gave up three runs in the ninth. The Cubs had a 12-5 advantage in hits and still lost for the 19th time in 23 games. ``This beats all the losses. We out hit them, we out did everything. That's an awful loss,'' Baker said shaking his head in near disbelief. ... After converting 26 save opportunities over two seasons, Ryan Dempster has blown three of his last four. He is 8-for-11 this season. ``Ones like these are really hard to swallow,'' said Dempster, who gave up three ninth-inning runs. ``I feel terrible for the guys.'' ... RHP Mark Prior is scheduled to throw on the side at Wrigley Field on Saturday and then the Cubs will decide if he should do a rehab start at Class A Peoria on Monday or Tuesday. RHP Kerry Wood has been pushed back from Sunday to Monday for his next start so he can have an extra day's rest. He threw in the bullpen Friday with no problems. He is winless in his two starts since coming off the DL.
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HOUSTON: 1B Lance Berkman was out of the Astros' lineup Friday due to tightness behind his right knee - the one that was surgically repaired the last two offseasons. He first felt discomfort while stretching to catch a throw Wednesday night in Washington, then was unable to get loose during an at-bat Thursday and was pulled during the third inning. However, Berkman was told by Nationals team doctors there was no structural damage in the knee. Manager Phil Garner said: ``I decided not to put him in today, but the doctors seem to think he's fine.'' ... The Astros were 0-4 this season when Berkman didn't start.
PITTSBURGH: 1B Sean Casey (two fractures in lower back) began what is expected to be a three-day rehabilitation assignment Friday at Double-A Altoona. He was sent there rather than to Triple-A Indianapolis to avoid playing on an artificial turf field at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Casey is to play nine innings in the field Saturday, then be the designated hitter on Sunday. If he comes through the weekend with no problems, he could rejoin the Pirates and start Monday against Milwaukee. He was hitting .313 before getting hurt while fielding a throw April 14. ... 3B Joe Randa, out since May 1 with a bruised right foot, is shagging balls but is not yet ready to take batting or fielding practice. However, he likely wouldn't be starting even if he were healthy, with Freddy Sanchez hitting .341 going into the weekend.
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MILWAUKEE: The Brewers got RHP Jeremi Gonzalez from the Mets for reliever Mike Adams. Gonzalez will join the team Sunday. ... Dave Bush (3-5, 5.06) seeks his first win on the road Saturday night. The right-hander is 0-4 away from home. ... Three of the regulars - Bill Hall, Corey Koskie and Damian Miller - have extra-base hits for more than half their total hits. ... Hall snapped a 1-for-11 slump with a two-run homer in the first inning.
PHILADELPHIA: CF Aaron Rowand is expected back in the lineup Saturday. He's been on the disabled list since breaking his nose and sustaining facial fractures after crashing into a wall making a catch on May 10. ... C Mike Lieberthal, out with a knee injury, has a rehab assignment at Double-A Reading on Saturday. He could return Sunday or Monday. ... LHP Cole Hamels (shoulder) will throw a bullpen session Saturday. He expects to pitch once he's eligible to come off the disabled list. ... LHP Gavin Floyd (4-2, 6.07) starts on three days' rest Saturday. The injury to Hamels altered the rotation. ... SS Jimmy Rollins, dropped from leadoff to sixth in the lineup, will return to first in the order when Rowand returns.
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LOS ANGELES: C Russell Martin did not play Friday for the first time since May 13. The Dodgers are 15-2 when Martin starts, but manager Grady Little wanted to combine Thursday's off day with Friday to give the rookie a two-day rest. ``Every single thing this kid does is hard, whether it's putting on his gear, going on deck, coming off the field,'' Little said. ``We just want him to take a break.'' ... Closer Eric Gagne, on the DL following elbow surgery, began a rehab assignment Friday night at Triple-A Las Vegas. ... It's becoming customary for teams visiting the Nationals to make a side trip to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where injured servicemen and women from the Iraqi war are recuperating. Fifteen members of the Dodgers organization went there Friday morning, led by Little and players Nomar Garciaparra, Aaron Sele and Andre Ethier. ``It put a personal touch on what's going on,'' Ethier said.
WASHINGTON: C Brian Schneider was activated from the DL before Friday night's game, solving the behind-the-plate troubles that prompted manager Frank Robinson to switch catchers mid-inning the night before. Schneider missed 14 games with a strained left hamstring, and backup Wiki Gonzalez was unavailable Thursday and Friday after getting a concussion from backswing that hit him in the head during Wednesday's game. Matthew LeCroy started Thursday, but he was replaced by emergency C Robert Fick after allowing seven stolen bases and committing two errors. ... To make room for Schneider, RHP Felix Rodriguez was placed on 15-day DL, retroactive to May 20, with right shoulder tendinitis. ... RF Jose Guillen missed the game after re-aggravating his strained right hamstring the night before. Marlon Anderson was in right, his first outfield start of the season.
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ARIZONA: The 10-game road trip started Friday by the Diamondbacks equals their longest of the season and might be their most difficult, with three-game stops at Cincinnati and New York followed by a four-game series in Atlanta. ``This is a tough trip as far as who we're playing,'' manager Bob Melvin said. The 20 road games Arizona had played going into Friday were tied for the fewest in the majors. ... Brandon Webb's start on Friday was his 107th for Arizona, matching Curt Schilling for third-most in franchise history, behind Randy Jounson's 192 and Brian Anderson's 129. ... Saturday's starter, RHP Juan Cruz, has lost his last three decisions. He is 0-2 with a 5.35 ERA in 14 games, including four starts, against the Reds.
CINCINNATI: The Reds activated LHP Kent Mercker from the 15-day DL and traded OF Cody Ross to Florida for a player to be named or cash. The Marlins are Ross' third team in less than five weeks. The Reds acquired him from Los Angeles on April 24. ``This is a good opportunity for me,'' Ross said. ``Hopefully, I'll mix right in there.'' ... Mercker had been sidelined with inflammation in his elbow. ``It'll be nice to have Mercker back,'' manager Jerry Narron said. ... Facing a sinker specialist in Webb, 3B Edwin Encarnacion batted eighth Friday for the first time this season. ``It might be the only time he hits eighth all year,'' Narron said.
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NEW YORK: The Mets scratched 3B David Wright from Friday's lineup due to back spasms. He was replaced by Jose Valentin. ... The Mets, who designated RHP Jeremi Gonzalez for assignment on Thursday, traded him to Milwaukee for RHP Mike Adams, who was sent to Triple A Norfolk. ... The Mets also acquired LHP Dave Williams from Cincinnati for minor league RHP Robert Manuel. Williams was sent to Triple A Norfolk. ... RHP Orlando Hernandez, acquired from Arizona on Wednesday, joined the team in Florida and is scheduled to pitch Sunday.
FLORIDA: Florida acquired OF Cody Ross from Cinicnnati for a player to be named or cash. Ross, who batted .421 in 10 games with the Dodgers and Reds this season, returned from the DL on May 23. ``He's got power from the right side,'' Marlins GM Larry Beinfest said. ``He's smart and aggressive.'' Ross will join the club Saturday. ... The Marlins placed RHP Sergio Mitre on the 60-day DL with right shoulder inflammation. ... RHP Franklyn German, on the 15-day DL with right shoulder tendinitis, will make a rehab appearance at Class A Jupiter on Saturday and Sunday. ... RHP Carlos Martinez, on the 15-day DL with a right elbow strain, will also pitch Saturday at Jupiter.
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COLORADO: INF Jamey Carroll was available off the bench after missing games Tuesday and Wednesday. He left Monday's game at Los Angeles after two innings with a sprained right ankle sustained while running the bases in the first inning. ``He did a range of activities this afternoon - he hit, threw, fielded, did lateral movements,'' manager Clint Hurdle said. ``He graded and tested out very well. He's fit for duty.'' ... The Rockies placed C Danny Ardoin on the 15-day DL with a strained left knee, two days after he got hurt in a collision with the Dodgers' Jose Cruz Jr. on a play at the plate. He will be examined in Colorado on Tuesday. ``All the things you didn't want to see the first 24, 48 hours after his injury, you saw.'' ... The Rockies recalled C JD Closser from Triple-A Colorado Springs to fill Ardoin's roster spot. He was batting .299 with three home runs, 12 doubles, a triple and 13 RBIs in 42 PCL games this season. ``JD's done everything we asked him to do,'' Hurdle said. ``His throwing is markedly improved. This is a little window to evaluate him. I told him to prepare for it to be a short opportunity.''
SAN FRANCISCO: The Giants called up two players from their Double-A team to boost their depleted bullpen and add another infielder with 1B Lance Niekro on the DL. INF Travis Ishikawa was in the starting lineup at first base and batting eighth for Friday night's series opener against Colorado. He is expected to stick around until Niekro returns, which probably will be Tuesday at Florida, and the Giants also purchased the contract of LHP Jonathan Sanchez from Connecticut. Ishikawa was batting .256 with three home runs, 13 RBIs, seven doubles and a triple in 32 games in Double-A ball. ... Manager Felipe Alou hopes to have his son, RF Moises who is sidelined with a right ankle sprain, back in another week or so. ``He's looking good,'' Felipe Alou said. ``It's just the running right now, cutting corners.''
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ST. LOUIS: About a dozen Cardinals came down with a stomach ailment on Thursday, which ruined a day off in San Diego. ``We would have had a hard time fielding a team yesterday,'' head trainer Barry Weinberg said. Most of the players had recovered by game time Friday night, but Weinberg said a few players got hit with it late Thursday were still feeling ill.
SAN DIEGO: Slumping 3B Vinny Castilla, hitting just .225 with one homer and 10 RBIs, sat out Friday night's game in favor of Geoff Blum, and manager Bruce Bochy said Mark Bellhorn probably will start Saturday. ``I wouldn't quite say it's a platoon,'' Bochy said. ``I talked to Vinny in Seattle. There's always a fine line between letting a guy get through it and getting in a platoon. Some guys will figure it out during the course of the year. You have to keep believing that a player will get out of it. It's important to show confidence in them.'' ... Bochy also said 37-year-old C Mike Piazza will get Saturday and Sunday off.
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Notes from Friday's games
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