Notes from Wednesday's games
June 14, 2006
DETROIT: 1B Chris Shelton returned to the lineup and batted eighth after sitting out Tuesday's game. Shelton is hitting .130 in his last 13 games. ... Craig Monroe (ankle) started at DH, but is still not ready to play the field. Tigers manager Jim Leyland said that he might try using Monroe at first base during this weekend's interleague series in Chicago. ... LHP Kenny Rogers picked up his 9th win Tuesday, the fastest any Tigers pitcher had gotten to nine wins since Frank Tanana on June 12, 1988.
TAMPA BAY: The Devil Rays placed closer Tyler Walker on the 15-day DL on Wednesday and called up reliever Tim Corcoran from Triple-A Durham. Walker has a 1-3 record with a 4.95 ERA in 20 games this year, and leads the team with 10 saves. Corcoran will be Tampa Bay's 20th pitcher of the season, four short of the franchise record set three times between 2000 and 2004. ... The Devil Rays entered Wednesday's game with a 31-31 record against the Tigers. Tampa Bay is only over .500 against Kansas City (.528) in the American League.
---
---
CLEVELAND: The Indians released LHP Scott Sauerbeck, who was designated for assignment last Friday - 10 days after he was arrested. The 34-year-old Sauerbeck was accused of fleeing police along with a woman charged with driving his car while drunk. He pleaded not guilty to obstructing official business and permitting someone intoxicated to drive his car. ... RF Casey Blake was scratched from the lineup about an hour before the game because of a lower abdominal strain on his left side. He will be re-evaluated Thursday. Eduardo Perez was shifted from 1B to RF, and Ben Broussard was inserted at 1B. Perez entered 8-for-27 (.296) against LHP Randy Johnson with four homers, a double and seven RBIs. ... Slumping SS Jhonny Peralta was back in the lineup after a three-day break (including the off day Monday). ``I think that we got the most out of those three days that we could - I think that he did,'' manager Eric Wedge said. ``You can't expect too much right away, just slowly work your way in the right direction.'' ... Wedge said DH Travis Hafner will play some first base during an interleague series this weekend at Milwaukee.
NEW YORK: Jason Giambi was back in the lineup as the DH after missing two games with a bruised left hand. Giambi, who batted cleanup, was hit by a pitch Saturday against Oakland. He doubled off the center-field fence in the fourth inning and scored. ... Slumping 3B Alex Rodriguez entered 4-for-25 with one RBI in seven games on the homestand. He struck out in the second, leaving him with one hit in 13 at-bats, and was booed again by the Yankee Stadium crowd. ``He's been pressing,'' manager Joe Torre said. ``I don't think the fans booing him really impacts anything. If he gets a hit, they're going to cheer him.''
---
---
BALTIMORE: LHP Adam Loewen opposed LHP Randy Johnson in his first major league start, Roy Halladay in his second and third and is tentatively scheduled to go up against Mets left-hander Tom Glavine on Sunday. ``You can't do anything about it,'' manager Sam Perlozzo said. ``He's not going up against the pitcher. He's going up against nine guys.'' ... OF Nick Markakis entered Wednesday's game hitting just .221 with two home runs and 16 RBI. ``He's been doing real well in batting practice. It just hasn't translated into the game,'' Perlozzo said.
TORONTO: Manager John Gibbons said LHP Gustavo Chacin and RHP Josh Towers are his best hitting pitchers, but neither of them will bat in Toronto's upcoming interleague games because Chacin is on the 15-day DL and Towers is at Triple-A Syracuse. The Blue Jays play Florida this weekend before going to Atlanta. ... Gibbons said he would pitch RHP closer B.J. Ryan in Wednesday's game. Ryan hasn't pitched since June 9.
---
---
CHICAGO: RF Jermaine Dye, the AL leader in slugging percentage (.651) and second with 19 home runs, wasn't in the starting lineup Wednesday night. Russ Gload started instead. Manager Ozzie Guillen gives all his starters regular days off, especially from the summer heat. ``I have to give my guys a break to keep them strong, especially when it's so hot,'' Guillen said. ... Guillen had his players take batting practice in the indoor cages Wednesday rather than on the field in the blistering Texas heat.
TEXAS: INF D'Angelo Jimenez was released Wednesday. He had been designated for assignment June 6 and cleared waivers without being claimed. Jimenez hit .211 with one home run and eight RBIs in 20 games. ... The Rangers aren't wearing shorts for batting practice - hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo has scoffed at that suggestion from manager Buck Showalter. But the team wore new tops Wednesday that are designed to be cooler.
---
---
BOSTON: Manager Terry Francona dropped CF Coco Crisp to eighth in the order and stuck 1B Kevin Youkilis in the leadoff spot for Wednesday's game, hopeful the move would be beneficial to Crisp and the top of the lineup. ``We'll let Coco settle in and run a little more freely down there without the big boys coming up,'' Francona said. ``Maybe we'll get a little bit of an advantage on both ends.'' Youkilis is among the league leaders in on-base percentage. Crisp, who missed 42 games with a broken finger, was activated from the DL on May 28 and hasn't found his rhythm yet. ... RHP reliever Keith Foulke, who was put on the DL on Tuesday with elbow tendinitis, won't be allowed to throw at all until the team returns home from its current road trip next Monday.
MINNESOTA: Manager Ron Gardenhire now has a void to fill at 3B after the designation of Tony Batista for assignment following Tuesday's game. For now, it will be a committee of Terry Tiffee, Nick Punto, Luis Rodriguez and Juan Castro - whose job at SS was taken when Jason Bartlett was called up. ... Jason Kubel's game-winning grand slam, the first of his short career, in the 12th inning of Tuesday's game was a rarity. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was only the sixth game-ending grand slam with the player's team trailing in extra innings in the last 25 years. The most recent was Jason Giambi, who hit one for the Yankees against the Twins in 2002. ... Kubel's homer also was the first drive by a Minnesota DH this season, the last team in the majors to get one from that spot. The Twins, however, have five grand slams this year - tied for second in the majors. Rondell White, the struggling DH whose status on the roster could be in jeopardy, was in Wednesday's lineup for just the second time in the last seven games.
---
---
SEATTLE: 2B Jose Lopez is hitting .241 in the 13 games he's batted in the third spot of the order, and .277 overall. Manager Mike Hargrove has seen a lot of progress in his approach since last year. ``I see better discipline,'' Hargrove said. ``He still swings at a lot of pitches but the biggest difference I see from last year is he's covering the outside part of the plate better and using the other side of the field. When I made the switch I was worried about (3B Adrian) Beltre batting second; I was more concerned with how Lopez would handle batting third. I think it has been shown he has handled it.'' Lopez also has shown a little more patience. He walked 14 times in 411 at-bats entering the season and has 12 walks in 276 at-bats this year. ``He's under the radar right now,'' Hargrove said. ``How good a hitter can he be if he's willing to take a walk now and then? Who knows.'' ... With interleague play drawing near, the Mariners will be without a DH for nine games beginning Tuesday in Los Angeles. Pitchers have been taking batting practice for two weeks in preparation. ``American League teams are built for the DH,'' Hargrove said, ``so, yes, it's a distinct disadvantage (to be without).'' ... Thursday starter LHP Jarrod Washburn is 1-4 with a 4.66 ERA in six road games but he's 4-5 with a 3.48 ERA in 14 games in Oakland.
OAKLAND: 2B Mark Ellis, on the DL with a broken thumb since June 1, will have his injury X-rayed next week to determine the progress. ``We'll see how the mending is coming along,'' manager Ken Macha said. ``He's continued with infield drills. Of all the people on the team he's the one guy who doesn't need to be reminded about a workout.'' ... 3B Eric Chavez is hitless in his last 15 at bats, including eight strikeouts. He's hitting .264, the lowest his average has been since April 15, but will remain in the lineup as long as he's healthy. ``He was swinging pretty good in batting practice,'' Macha said. ``He'll play and work it out. He's going to come around. I've got a lot of faith in him.'' ... A's pitchers took live batting practice for the first time in preparation for interleague play against the NL West next week. The A's travel to Colorado, San Francisco and San Diego for nine games in 11 days beginning Monday. Macha said RHP Dan Haren is the best hitter among the pitchers. ... With interleague play on the horizon, DH Frank Thomas will be limited to pinch-hitting duties. ``It would be nice to get him an at-bat every night,'' Macha said. ``We'll see how that plays out. I told him in Chicago that we probably got more out of him than we expected at that point. He's played nearly every day since. He's become more than a threat; he's become a reality.'' ... OF Milton Bradley was given the night off.
---
---
KANSAS CITY: DH-1B Mike Sweeney, sidelined since May 2 with a herniated disc, is encouraged by his progress. ``I'm right on track,'' Sweeney said while riding a stationary bike in the weight room. ``I've been hitting the ball off a tee, and I haven't had any major setbacks. I was in the greatest shape of my life in spring training. Unfortunately, it hasn't worked out yet. But at least I can look at myself in the mirror and know that I've done everything in my power, as far as preparation for the season. My heart hurts that I can't be in the lineup. As far as a definitive day, that's up to our medical staff.'' ... For someone like RF Reggie Sanders, who played in three World Series with three different teams over the previous five seasons, this season has been the ultimate culture shock. The Royals entered Wednesday 16-47, and would need to go 47-52 to avoid their fourth 100-loss season in five years. ``I knew when I signed what I was getting into and that it wasn't going to be an easy walk,'' said Sanders, who signed a two-year, $10 million contract on Dec. 23. ``I knew this team was in a rebuilding stage and had a long way to go, but I didn't think it would be as tough as it's been. I still sit back sometimes and think about what my purpose is here and why am I here. I've come to the conclusion that I have to show these guys what it takes every single day to try to have the attitude and the focus when you step on the field to win. I don't know if that message is getting across. I mean, if you look at the standings, no.''
LOS ANGELES: No decision was made Wednesday as to whether RHP Jered Weaver will stay in the rotation, one night after he won his fourth consecutive start since being promoted from Triple-A and lowered his ERA to 1.37. Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon is gearing up to return to the roster after a bout with tendinitis in his shoulder, and manager Mike Scioscia searched for guidance in an unlikely place. ``Today I looked into my dog's eyes and said, `Hey, bring your paw up once or twice,' and I didn't get a response. So she wasn't much help today,'' Scioscia joked. ``There's a lot of things we have to think of long-term and short term that are going to point us in one direction or another. That's why we're waiting as long as we can, because you don't want to make a decision that might come back and haunt you.'' ... CF Darin Erstad got Wednesday night off after he played his first two games following a six-week stint on the DL due to ankle problems. ``I hadn't played for six weeks, so there's just normal game soreness,'' Erstad said. ``But I made it through. Mike's going to work me in slow.''
---
---
---
MILWAUKEE: CF Brady Clark batted second for the second consecutive game Wednesday, but manager Ned Host prefers him in the eighth slot. ``I like a guy in the eight hole who can turn the lineup around,'' Yost said. ``He won't get to 3-1 and swing at ball four. He's good at taking pitches, working the count and getting on base. If he starts off an inning, he's got a little speed and he's easy to bunt over to second.'' ... The Brewers already have used 24 pitchers this season, the most in the majors and one short of the franchise record, set in 1969 and tied in 2002. ... LHP Chris Capuano's start against Cleveland on Friday will be the first appearance of his career against the Indians.
CINCINNATI: Seventy Cincinnati Bengals, in town for a mini-camp that was scheduled to start Thursday, took batting practice before Wednesday's game. LB David Pollack hit four home runs, including one off an advertising sign on the facade of the upper deck in left field. ``I could do Barry Bonds,'' OT Willie Anderson said. ``Hit one day, take the next day off, make $20 million.'' ... RHP David Weathers threw with no problems Wednesday and is expected to be available Friday, manager Jerry Narron said. Weathers left Sunday's game with tendinitis. ... RF Austin Kearns, hitting just .136 (3-for-22) on the homestand, did not start Wednesday.
---
---
ATLANTA: The Braves placed RHP Chris Reitsma on the DL, retroactive to June 12, with ulnar neuritis in his right arm. RHP Phil Stockman, purchased from Triple-A Richmond to take Reitsma's roster spot, arrived at Dolphin Stadium on Wednesday night after an earlier flight was postponed because of bad weather. ... Atlanta entered Wednesday's action 11 games behind the New York Mets in the NL East, the Braves' largest deficit since the end of the 1990 season. ... Sunday's home game against the Boston Red Sox was moved from 1:05 to 8 p.m. and will be televised by ESPN. The game will feature a matchup between Boston's Curt Schilling and Atlanta's John Smoltz.
FLORIDA: The Marlins placed OF Josh Willingham on the DL, retroactive to June 7, because of a sprained left hand. OF Chris Aguila was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque to take Aguila s place. ... 1B Mike Jacobs, batting .337 since May 12, was not in the starting lineup so he could rest a sore ankle. Manager Joe Girardi said Jacobs has had problems with the ankle for a couple of months. ... After facing Pedro Martinez, Jason Schmidt twice and John Smoltz in his last four starts, Marlins RHP Josh Johnson is scheduled to face Toronto's Roy Halladay (8-1) on Sunday.
---
---
ST. LOUIS: Manager Tony La Russa wouldn't discuss on Wednesday the season-ending injury by pitcher-turned-outfielder Rick Ankiel, saying he has not yet talked to Ankiel. He injured a left knee tendon during spring training Feb. 27 and did not play in a game this season before undergoing surgery last month. Ankiel was coming off a promising 2005 season in which he had 21 homers and 75 RBIs in 85 games with Triple-A Quad Cities and Double-A Springfield. ... The Cardinals are hoping that pitching in Pittsburgh will get Mark Mulder out of his slump. Mulder is 0-3 in his last four starts and is winless since May 17, but is 5-0 with a 2.25 ERA in seven career starts against the Pirates.
PITTSBURGH: Manager Jim Tracy will miss Thursday afternoon's game against the Cardinals to attend the high school graduation of youngest son Mark from Claremont (Calif.) High School. Bench coach Jim Lett will manage the team. Another of Tracy's three sons, catcher Chad Tracy, was chosen by the Texas Rangers in the third round of this month's major league draft. ... The Pirates have reached terms with their top two draft picks, first-round pitcher Brad Lincoln of the University of Houston and second-round pick Michael Felix of Troy State. Lincoln is a right-hander who went 12-2 with a 1.69 ERA, while the left-handed Felix went 9-4 and batted .381.
---
---
NEW YORK: What a week for 3B David Wright. First, he took the top spot in fan balloting at his position for the NL All-Star team. Then he made a fantastic backhanded catch on a ball hit down the line by Pat Burrell to start a double play and preserve a New York win on Tuesday. Wright said he'd be honored to make his first All-Star team. ``It's any kid's dream,'' he said. ``It's definitely something I want to be a part of.'' Manager Willie Randolph called the defensive gem ``vintage Nettles.'' ... The Mets reached 40 wins the third fastest in team history (63 games). The only Mets teams to get to 40 wins before the 65th game was in 1986 (40-16) and 1988 (40-22).
PHILADELPHIA: RHP Julio Santana will miss the rest of the season because of a right elbow injury that will require ligament reconstruction surgery to repair. Signed to a one-year contract last winter in the hopes that he would strengthen the bullpen, Santana was 0-0 with a 7.56 ERA in seven games. ... LHP Randy Wolf, also coming back from an elbow injury, will have his next rehabilitation start pushed back a day or two after getting hit on the left hand by a line drive Tuesday. Wolf woke up Wednesday with swelling in his left hand. ... RHP Scott Mathieson was recalled from Double-A Reading to start Saturday's game against Tampa Bay. Mathieson was 6-2 with a 3.05 ERA in 13 starts
---
---
COLORADO: RHP Jose Mesa dropped his appeal of a suspension for hitting Giants SS Omar Vizquel by a pitch on April 28. The suspension began with Wednesday's game at Washington and was shortened from four to three games. Manager Clint Hurdle said the loss of Mesa should be no problem for the Rockies, whose bullpen is well rested after a string of strong starts. ``Our bullpen's in fine shape, as far as availability,'' Hurdle said. ... The Rockies entered Wednesday's game three games behind Arizona and Los Angeles, who are tied for first place in the NL West. It's the closest Colorado has been to first place since May 29. ... 3B Garrett Atkins' stolen base on Tuesday was the second in a week. Before his first steal against Los Angeles on June 9, Garrett Atkins had no stolen bases in his first 234 major league games.
WASHINGTON: SS Stephen King, the Nationals' third-round in last week's draft, worked out with the team on Wednesday, taking batting practice at RFK Stadium and getting some hitting pointers from manager Frank Robinson. King has signed to play in college with Louisiana State, but he said that signing with the Nationals remains a strong possibility. ``I really want to play professional baseball, so I'm sure we'll work something out.'' ... 2B Jose Vidro was in the starting lineup Wednesday, a day after leaving in the seventh with a bruise on the right side of his chest after a diving catch in the sixth inning. OF/1B Daryle Ward was available for pinch-hitting duty as well after missing Tuesday's game with the flu. ... OF Jose Guillen batted sixth for the third straight game. Before this series, Guillen had not batted lower than fifth as a National.
---
---
HOUSTON: Chris Burke, who tied a club record with five runs scored during a 4-for-4 performance Tuesday night, has pushed CF Willy Taveras to the bench with his recent hitting. ``Willy has not done anything. It's not that Willy is out of favor,'' manager Phil Garner said Wednesday. ``We've started to play better and Chris has been a part of that and Willie was sliding a little bit.'' Taveras has started 54 games this season and is batting .266. Burke was hitting .313 before Wednesday night's game. Garner said Taveras continues to work on his game and obviously wants to be back in the starting lineup. He said the switch is not necessarily a permanent one. ``It's not cut in stone. We were 19-9 with Willy in center field. ... The only thing you can do is what Chris has done. When you get an opening, make sure you are prepared.'' ... 3b Morgan Ensberg's bruised right shoulder kept him out of the lineup for a fourth straight game.
CHICAGO CUBS: C Michael Barrett's appeal hearing for his 10-game suspension is scheduled for Friday in Chicago before officials of Major League Baseball. Barrett was suspended May 26, six days after he punched the White Sox's A.J. Pierzynski in the jaw after a home plate collision, triggering a brawl. Barrett is hoping to get the penalty reduced. ... 1B Derrek Lee, recovering from a broken right wrist, tried to swing a bat Tuesday but reported that he still has pain. Lee, who's been able to take ground balls and throw, had hoped to hit off a tee. ``We're not babying it,'' Lee said. ``Like yesterday I thought I would be able to swing fine and be able to hit off a tee but it didn't work that way. It was sore,'' he said. Lee said he will wait a few days as he tries to get his wrist stronger. The defending NL batting champ said he still hopes to return to the Cubs before the All-Star break and would prefer to do so without first going on a minor league rehab assignment. ``The closer you get, the harder it is to sit out. I'm itching,'' he said.
---
---
SAN FRANCISCO - CF Steve Finley was back in the line-up Wednesday night at Arizona. Finley, a former Diamondback, is a lifetime .297 hitter at Chase Field. ... 3B Pedro Feliz played every inning of the Giants' first 64 games, and manager Felipe Alou said he has no intention of resting him, comparing Feliz to indefatiguable Baltimore SS Miguel Tejada. ``Feliz is more or less that kind of stud,'' Alou said. ``He can play every day. ... Alou said RHP Matt Cain, who started Wednesday night at Arizona, has the kind of fastball that could make him an ideal closer some day. ``Any guy who throws like that ... you have a guy like Cain coming in throwing 97, 98 for one inning,'' Alou said.
ARIZONA - RHP Kevin Jarvis will start against the Rangers Saturday in Texas. It will be the first major league start for Jarvis since 2003, when he started 16 games for San Diego. Jarvis is 0-0 with a 9.95 ERA in four appearances this season. ``I think we'll try to get five innings out of him,'' manager Bob Melvin said. ... Jarvis may return to the bullpen if RHP Juan Cruz is ready to return to the rotation next week. Cruz will throw in the bullpen Thursday and then is likely to be headed for a rehabilitation assignment. ... RHP Jorge Julio, acquired from the New York Mets May 24, earned his fourth save in as many chances Tuesday night, and his third with the Diamondbacks. He's taken the closer job from RHP Jose Valverde, who opened the season in the job but has blown three saves in 17 chances. ``We're still tinkering a little bit with Valverde,'' Melvin said. ``Status quo for now.''
---
---
LOS ANGELES - The Dodgers purchased the contract of RHP Chad Billingsley, who is scheduled to start Thursday's series finale. To make room on the roster, they optioned IF/OF Joel Guzman to Triple-A Las Vegas. ... OF Jason Repko was transferred to the 60-day DL.
SAN DIEGO - Needing only a single to hit for the cycle Tuesday night, Mike Cameron didn't swing at a 3-0 pitch from Odalis Perez in the seventh inning out of respect for baseball etiquette. Had he done so, with the Padres up by eight runs, he figured he might get hit in the ribs on Wednesday night. Cameron, who walked in that at-bat, got hit anyway on Wednesday night, taking a pitch by Brad Penny on the left shoulder in the first inning. ... RHP Woody Williams, on the DL since May 13 with a strained L calf, is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Friday similar to a simulated game, just without a batter standing in. ... First-round draft pick Matt Antonelli took batting practice before Wednesday night's game. He's scheduled to report Thursday to Eugene of the Northwest League.
SBR Top-Rated Sportsbooks
Notes from Wednesday's games
Reply With Quote