lots of interesting games yesterday.

the tribe didn't even show up last night against the angels.

June 4, 2006

BOSTON: After winning two of three in Detroit this weekend, the Red Sox have now won eight of their last nine series against the Tigers. Boston lost two of three at home to the Tigers last August, but is still 22-7 against Detroit since the beginning of the 2003 season. ... INF Kevin Youkilis is day to day after getting hit in the forearm by a pitch from Jason Grilli in the eighth inning. Youkilis stayed in the game after being hit, but left for a defensive replacement in the bottom half. He was taken for X-rays, which were negative. ``It just tightened up,'' said Youkilis, who expects to be ready for Monday's game at Yankee Stadium.



DETROIT: RHP Chris Spurling was unhappy after the game when he found out he had been demoted to Triple-A Toledo. Spurling has a 3.18 ERA in nine relief outings over two stints with Detroit this season, but the Tigers are planning to add another position player in time for Tuesday's series opener in Chicago. ``I get the impression that I'm not well-liked around here,'' he said. ``I thought I was doing OK - well enough that they called me back up, but I guess not.'' ... Manager Jim Leyland said that Zach Miner will remain in the rotation, despite lasting only four innings in his major league debut. ``His control wasn't good, but his stuff is plenty good,'' Leyland said. ``I like him a lot.''

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LOS ANGELES: The Angels will reunite with Joe Maddon, who was on their coaching staff for 12 seasons, during a three-game series in Tampa Bay that opens Monday night. Maddon was named Devil Rays manager in November. ... Manager Mike Scioscia and pitching coach Bud Black met with LHP J.C. Romero on Sunday. Romero is 1-2 with an 8.69 ERA and opposing hitters are batting .325 against him. He has walked 17 in 19 2-3 innings. The meeting primarily focused on how Romero approaches hitters. ``His arm is too good to be painting himself into a corner as much as he has,'' Scioscia said. ``It was very positive.'' ... OF Darin Erstad (bone bruise in right ankle) is 1-for-9 in two rehab games at Triple-A Salt Lake City. He's expected to rejoin the Angels this week ... SS Orlando Cabrera has reached base in 34 straight games, the longest active streak in baseball. ... RHP Bartolo Colon (sore shoulder) is expected to start for Salt Lake City on Tuesday and could rejoin the Angels next weekend.

CLEVELAND: Manager Eric Wedge likes the recent work of RHPs Fernando Cabrera and Fausto Carmona in the bullpen. ``They're coming in and getting the job done,'' Wedge said. ``They're settling into roles nicely.'' Before Sunday's game, Cabrera had allowed only one earned run and struck out 16 in his last 13 1-3 innings while Carmona hadn't allowed any runs and fanned seven over 7 2-3 innings. ... The Indians lead the AL with three complete games and six grand slams. ... With 42 strikeouts and only 17 walks in his first 206 at-bats, OF Jason Michaels is far behind the ratio of 45 strikeouts and 44 walks he had in 289 at-bats last year with the Phillies. ... Former Indians outfielder Candy Maldonado was at Jacobs Field on Sunday, broadcasting the game in Spanish for ESPN.

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NEW YORK: RHP Aaron Small has allowed nine homers in 22 1-3 innings this year. Last season, when he was 10-0, Small surrendered four homers in 76 innings. ... SS Derek Jeter left Sunday's game with a bruised right thumb. X-rays were negative, and the Yankees hope to have him back for a four-game series against Boston that begins Monday ... Fourteen of New York's 30 road games have been sellouts, including three straight this weekend. ... Kevin Thompson got his first career RBIs with a three-run double Sunday. ... The Yankees have recorded at least 10 hits in 11 consecutive games, their longest streak since 1937, when they did it in 12 straight. ... New York allowed a season-high four homers.

BALTIMORE: Javy Lopez had his 22nd career multihomer game Sunday, the first since 2004. ... Corey Patterson stole two bases and has steals in eight straight games, the longest streak in the majors since Kenny Lofton's eight-game run in 1996. ... SS Brendon Fahey made his first outfield start in the majors. Fahey had two putouts, tied his career high with three hits and had his first multi-RBI game. ... RHP Rodrigo Lopez has won his last three starts, compiling a 3.05 ERA during that span. His ERA for the season is 6.75.

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TORONTO: The Blue Jays are hitting .303 as a team. It's the highest average after 55 games in team history. ... Shea Hillenbrand went 3-for-4 Sunday and has 19 hits in 49 at-bats against Tampa Bay this season. ... RHP Josh Towers, who was sent to the minors on May 23 after losing eight of nine decisions, picked up his first win for Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday night. He allowed three runs and nine hits over seven innings.

TAMPA BAY: OF Josh Hamilton, who received permission from Major League Baseball on Thursday to participate in extended spring training, met with manager Joe Maddon for the first time. Hamilton, the first pick in the 1999 amateur draft, was suspended in February 2004 for violating baseball's drug policy. ``It was a great first impression,'' Maddon said. ``He's getting a second chance and it appears as though he's really embracing that opportunity.'' Hamilton hasn't played since July 2002 because of injuries and unspecified personal issues. ... Maddon said there is ``still a shot'' that 2B Jorge Cantu (left foot) could return Tuesday or Wednesday.

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TEXAS: To those wondering why Mark Teixeira hasn't hit many home runs this season, well, he can't explain it. He's batting .299 after going 4-for-5 on Sunday. But after hitting 43 homers last season, he has six. ``I still would like to know why I'm not hitting home runs,'' he said. ``I feel like I'm seeing the ball well. I feel strong. I feel like I'm hitting the ball hard.'' ... RHP John Wasdin will likely start the second game of Saturday's doubleheader at Boston, manager Buck Showalter said. Wasdin, who has no record and two strikeouts in 2 1-3 innings, will remain in the bullpen until Wednesday. ... The Rangers had lost 11 consecutive series in Chicago since 1997 before taking two of three this weekend.

CHICAGO: Veteran reliever Jeff Nelson went on the 15-day DL because of a sore right elbow and right-hander Agustin Montero was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte. The 39-year-old Nelson allowed a run and three hits in 2 2-3 innings in six appearances since the White Sox purchased his contract from Charlotte on May 23. The 6-foot-8 right-hander ranks sixth among active pitchers with 798 career appearances. Montero made his major league debut with the White Sox on May 12, and allowed three runs (one earned) and two hits over three innings in two appearances before being sent back to Triple-A. ... DH Jim Thome hopes to start Tuesday against Detroit after being held out of the lineup for the third straight game with a strained groin. ... Mark Buehrle suffered his second straight loss to the Rangers after winning his first seven decisions against them. He is 7-2 with a 3.09 ERA lifetime against Texas.

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KANSAS CITY: The Royals have a chance Monday to finish their longest road trip of the season at 5-5. That's good stuff for a team that began this trek through New York, Oakland and Seattle 2-20 away from home. ``You know, it would be nice to go .500 on this trip,'' manager Buddy Bell said. ``We've either played really good or really bad. And it seems like we've been on the road forever.'' ... LHP Mark Redman had gone 16 starts without a win before his victory Sunday. But his mind was on his 69-year-old father, Allen, who will undergo what Redman called ``high-risk'' surgery on Monday in San Diego. Redman allowed eight hits and four runs in 5 2-3 inning in his first start since May 19. He was coming off the bereavement list. ... 3B Mark Teahen impressed Bell with a double, a sacrifice bunt and a line-drive RBI single on Sunday. Teahen had been on an 0-for-14 skid with the Royals before getting his first hits since his Saturday recall from Triple-A Omaha. ``He looks so much more ready to hit,'' Bell said. ``So much more aggressive ... he's a typical second-year guy going through ups and downs.''

SEATTLE: OF Raul Ibanez did not play for the first time in 244 games because of what the team called flulike symptoms. It was his first day off since Sept. 8, 2004. RF Ichiro Suzuki holds the Mariners record with an ongoing games-played streak of 297. ... Ibanez was originally in the lineup at DH, which would have benched switch-hitter Carl Everett for a second straight time against a LHP. Everett, batting .175 against LHPs, went 0-for-3 with a strikeout against Redman. ... 3B Adrian Beltre has 14 hits in his last nine games (14-for-38, .368). He is 8-for-22 (.364) since manager Mike Hargrove moved him from fifth to second in the order last week. ... IF-OF Mike Morse started for Ibanez in LF and went 2-for-3 with an RBI double. He is 5-for-11 since being recalled from Triple-A Tacoma on May 20.

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SAN FRANCISCO: The Giants would like to activate RF Moises Alou (sprained right ankle) from the DL before Monday night's game against Florida. With Randy Winn and Barry Bonds also in the outfield, that could mean diminished playing time for Steve Finley, who has eight triples and 26 RBIs. ``When he plays he's going to play center field. I really don't want to worry about it right now. Finley needs a day off anyway,'' manager Felipe Alou said. ``It's hard to have Moises and Finley in the same lineup.'' ... RHP Jamey Wright, who threw eight strong innings in the second game of Saturday night's doubleheader, pinch-hit with the bases loaded in the 12th and struck out to end the inning.

NEW YORK: RF Xavier Nady was in the clubhouse for the first time since having an appendectomy early Tuesday morning. ``I was bored. I couldn't sit at home anymore,'' he said. ``I just had to get out of the house and come say hi to everyone.'' Nady is scheduled to see the doctor again Friday. Mets broadcaster Gary Cohen also had an appendectomy this weekend. ``Unbelievable,'' Nady said. ... The Mets dropped to 17-7 in one-run games. Of their 55 games, 43.6 percent have been decided by one run - the highest percentage in the majors. ... LF Endy Chavez became the first Mets outfielder to have three assists in a game since RF Joel Youngblood on May 23, 1981, at St. Louis. ... RHP Steve Trachsel is 0-3 in seven starts since beating the Giants 4-1 in San Francisco on April 25. ... SS Jose Reyes got his 115th stolen base, tying former Mets SS Bud Harrelson for sixth on the team's career list.

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SAN DIEGO: Padres catchers collectively rank as the best in the majors in home runs (13), total bases (121) and slugging percentage (.579). Mike Piazza, Josh Bard and Josh Rob Bowen have combined to man the position. ... The statistics certainly suggest the circumstances and surroundings affect 2B Josh Barfield. Heading into Sunday's game in Pittsburgh, the rookie was hitting .185 at home, but .370 away from PETCO Park. He was hitting .310 in day games and only .235 at night and .429 indoors compared to .258 outside. ... San Diego had committed the least errors (25) and had the best fielding percentage (.988) in the National League before Sunday's games.

PITTSBURGH: General manager Dave Littlefield gave the organization's first public endorsement of INF Freddy Sanchez as the regular everyday third baseman. Sanchez took over the job when 3B Joe Randa injured his foot May 2. Sanchez has responded by hitting .403 in his last 24 games and was second in the National League in batting average (.351) going into Sunday's contest. ``In this business, very few things are set in stone,'' Littlefield said. ``And even when they are set in stone, they aren't set in stone forever. It's easy to see when Sanchez is hitting .350 and playing way he's been playing, we need him in the lineup and he deserves to play. That's pretty clear-cut.'' ... Littlefield said Randa, who was signed to a $4 million contract in the offseason, would likely begin a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis by the end of the week. ... Long-term, Littlefield said Sanchez could be in a mix with 2B Jose Castillo and 3B/OF Jose Bautista for playing time.

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ARIZONA: 1B Tony Clark's two-homer breakout game Sunday didn't surprise manager Bob Melvin. ``It was just a matter of time,'' Melvin said. ``We liked the matchup today. ... When he gets hot, now you've got that weapon sitting on the bench.'' Clark's first homer left him 5-for-5 with four homers in his career against Jorge Sosa. He added a single in two other at-bats against Sosa and finished the day 4-for-5 overall, lifting his batting average from .164 to .208. ... Melvin said he planned to use RHP Jose Valverde in a save situation, but Melvin used RHP Kevin Jarvis in the ninth inning following the Diamondbacks' four-run outburst in the top of the ninth, taking away a save situation.

ATLANTA: Manager Bobby Cox said RHP John Smoltz wants to pitch Wednesday against Washington on three days rest. But Cox didn't sound enthusiastic about using the 39-year-old Smoltz on less than normal rest. ``Smoltz wants to do it,'' Cox said. ``We'll see.'' ... SS Edgar Renteria's seventh-inning homer was his fourth in his last 11 games after going 24 games without a homer. He has hits in 42 of his 47 games played this season. ... RHP Jorge Sosa has given up four or more runs in seven of his 11 starts this season. ... 3B Chipper Jones was given a day off, though he was on deck to pinch-hit when Ryan Langerhans took a called third strike from Luis Vizcaino to end the eighth inning.

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CINCINNATI: Reds' reliever Todd Coffey got the win in Cincinnati's 6-4, 11 inning game against the Astros on Sunday. But he was still upset about blowing a save in the 10th. He allowed two doubles and a run that tied the game. ``My pitches weren't where I wanted them to be,'' he said. ``It's plain and simple. I just blew it.'' ... Esteban Yan got his first save with the Reds on Sunday and it was also his first since September 2004 when he was with Detroit. ... Austin Kearns had two solo home runs on Sunday to stretch his team-leading RBI total to 38.

HOUSTON: RHP Roy Oswalt's back problem, that forced him to be scratched from Sunday's game, has altered Houston's rotation. Rookie Taylor Buchholz will move up from Tuesday to start on Monday against the Chicago Cubs and lefty Wandy Rodriguez will start on Tuesday. Houston's pitcher for Wednesday has not been announced. ... Astros manager Phil Garner said he was pleased with Fernando Nieve's performance on Sunday. Nieve had less than 15 minutes to prepare for a start after Oswalt was scratched with back spasms. ``He did a good job,'' Garner said. ... The Astros signed three players on Sunday. Houston added OF Andrew Darnell, RHP Reid Kelly and LHP William Owens. Darnell and Kelly were selected in last year's amateur free agent draft. Owens signed as a fifth-year senior from The Citadel. ... C Brad Ausmus hit a triple on Sunday for the first time since April 2004 at Milwaukee.

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WASHINGTON: The Nationals swept the Brewers to win a road series for the first time since April 18-20 when they took two out of three from Philadelphia. ... RHP Livan Hernandez (4-5)goes for his fourth straight win Monday in Atlanta against the Braves. ... Alfonso Soriano hit his 20th and 21st home runs. The second, a grand slam in the sixth inning, was his third career slam. Although Soriano is second in the major leagues in home runs he claims ``I don't see myself like a home run hitter.'' He said he likes stealing bases better than hitting homers.

MILWAUKEE: The Brewers 8-4 loss Sunday to Washington was their eighth in a row. They last lost eight straight from August 18-30, 2004 during a 12-game losing streak. ... Right-fielder Geoff Jenkins left the game with a concussion in the fourth inning after first baseman Prince Fielder knocked him down as they chased a pop fly along the first base line. He is listed as day to day. ... Reliever Zach Jackson made his major league debut with a 1-2-3 ninth inning. He struck out the first two batters he faced.

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CHICAGO: RHP Mark Prior made his second rehab start for Class A Peoria on Saturday and took the loss, allowing one run on three hits in five innings with five strikeouts and no walks. Manager Dusty Baker said he wasn't sure how many more rehab starts Prior, 0-2 with a 3.86 ERA during his rehab thus far, would need. ... Phil Nevin, who hit a two-run homer in his first start on Saturday, was back on the bench on Sunday. Baker said Nevin, who can play first or third, likely would play only against left-handed pitching. Plus, he said Nevin was sore after playing first base for the first time since spring training after being a DH in Texas. ``So we have to guard against that, too,'' Baker said. ``He's just been hitting and going back to the dugout.'' ... Juan Pierre was caught stealing in the second for only the fourth time in 21 attempts. ... Matt Murton is 2-for-28 against St. Louis pitching after going 0-for-5 with three strikeouts.

ST. LOUIS: Closer Jason Isringhausen leads the NL with 18 saves in 21 chances but lives dangerously. Half of his 24 appearances have begun with the opposition reaching base. ... Scott Rolen batted third, Albert Pujols' spot in the lineup, for the first time since April 19, 2003. He had two hits and three RBIs and is 13-for-34 during a season-best nine-game hitting streak. ... Rookie LHP Tyler Johnson struck out both batters he faced in the eighth, left-handed hitters Juan Pierre and Tony Womack. Left-handed hitters are 0-for-13 against him.

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FLORIDA - Pitcher Scott Olsen has a 2.63 ERA over his last two starts. He's given up four earned runs in 13 2/3 innings. ... With a single in the fourth inning, third baseman Miguel Cabrera has now hit safely in 11 straight games. He's hitting .525 during the streak. ... Shortstop Hanley Ramirez's seventh-inning home run was his first since April 18 against Cincinnati. Ramirez has three this season.

COLORADO - Manager Clint Hurdle was ejected for the second time this season Sunday for arguing a call with first base umpire Darryl Cousins in the top of the eighth inning. ... Outfielder Matt Holliday's 455-foot home run was the longest hit at Coors Field this season. Cincinnati's Adam Dunn had the record with a 454-foot homer on May 4. ... The Rockies lost their fifth straight game, and have now lost 10 of their last 12 games.

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PHILADELPHIA: RF Bobby Abreu needs 13 home runs and 11 stolen bases to join Barry Bonds as the only players in big league history with eight or more consecutive seasons of 20 homers and 20 steals. ... RHP Brett Myers induced four double-play grounders during his no-decision against Los Angeles. After the Dodgers put the leadoff batter on base in three of the first four innings, Myers got the next batter to ground into a double play all three times. ``I knew that my curve ball was probably my best pitch to get double plays with,'' Myers said. ... Chase Utley, who tied Juan Samuel's franchise record for second baseman with 28 home runs last season, hit his 11th of the year in Philadelphia's victory. ``Chase doesn't have the size, but he has the pop,'' teammate Jimmy Rollins said. ``He's perfect for this lineup. He starts the power threat early, so you don't have to wait until you get to the 3-4-5-6 hitters for somebody to drive the ball out of the yard.'' ... RHP Tom Gordon, who held the record for consecutive save conversions until Eric Gagne of the Dodgers shattered it, has converted 35 of 38 chances since the start of the 2003 season. He led the AL in 1998 with 46 saves while pitching for Boston.

LOS ANGELES: OF Jason Repko, who has been getting around on crutches since suffering a high ankle sprain trying to climb a fence after a home run by Houston's Morgan Ensberg on May 9 at Dodger Stadium, expects to discard the crutches on Tuesday. But it will still be at least another 3-4 weeks before he's even able to play in a rehab game. ``I didn't understand how different a high ankle sprain is from just a regular ankle sprain,'' said Repko, whose injured left ankle put him on the DL for the first time in the big leagues. ``But I researched it on the Internet and was pretty surprised to see how damaging it could be. My best thing is to listen to (the team's medical staff), follow what they want me to do, rehab it the right way and keep my career healthy.'' ... The Dodgers did a variation on their annual Camera Day ritual, with the players taking digital photographs of the fans who were taking pictures of them on the field from behind metal barriers. The players' photos of the fans will be placed on the Dodgers' team web site. ... The Dodgers recalled LHP Hong-Chih Kuo from Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday and optioned LHP Tim Hamulack to the 51s. Hamulack was 0-2 with a 6.57 ERA in 24 relief appearances and hit two batters - Barry Bonds and Arizona's Luis Gonzalez.