Notes from Wednesday's games
June 21, 2006
DETROIT: Detroit lost for only the fourth time in its last 20 road games. Leadoff batter Brandon Inge was 0-for-5 with four strikeouts. ... Pitcher Nate Robertson picked up his first hit and RBI in his career when he singled home Craig Monroe in the second. Monroe had three doubles but left the game in the seventh when his left quad tightened running from first to second. ``I'm fine,'' he said. ``No need to even write about it. It's just a cramp and I'm just being careful.'' ... Marcus Thames hit two singles to reach base safely for the 34th time in 36 games.
MILWAUKEE: Milwaukee has trailed in 21 of its 25 home victories. ... Opposing pitchers hit .278 (5-18) with a pair of doubles and four runs batted in on the six-game homestand. Chad Moeller snapped an 0-for-10 skid with a single in the second. ... Rickie Weeks entered the game with just one hit in his previous 16 at-bats. He singled in the first and homered in the seventh. ... The last time starter Chris Capuano lost at home was April 9, a span of seven starts. Milwaukee is 7-1 in his last eight starts. Chris Barnwell pinch-hit in the seventh and singled for his first major-league hit.
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LOS ANGELES: Orlando Cabrera reached base for the 50th straight game with an infield single in the first. ... Jeff Weaver struck out seven to move within two K's of 1,000 for his career but saw his winless stretch reach four starts since beating the Minnesota Twins on May 30. Weaver is 14-5 in 30 career interleague appearances. ... Angels LF Garret Anderson, in an 0-for-11 stretch, got the day off. ... 2B Maicer Izturis stole his fourth base of the year in the seventh and hit a three-run double to match his career high for RBIs. ... Winning pitcher Scot Shields had his first at-bat of the year and only the third of his career. He struck out his first two times, both against the Dodgers in each of the previous two seasons, and put the ball in play for the first time with a groundout to first.
SAN FRANCISCO: Omar Vizquel swiped second in the eighth for his 350th career stolen base. ... INF Kevin Frandsen rejoined the Giants after being recalled from Triple-A Fresno after Tuesday's game. He will provide depth at all of the infield spots. Feliz has played every inning this season and Alou knows he will need a day off soon. ... RF Moises Alou, scratched before Sunday's game at Seattle with back spasms, was held out of the lineup for the fourth straight game and had an MRI exam on his back. ... C Todd Greene is batting .386 (22-for-57) in his 16 starts. ... LHP Jonathan Sanchez is yet to give up a run in his major league career - eight outings covering 7 1-3 innings.
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WASHINGTON: First baseman Nick Johnson didn't start his fourth straight game due to a mild lower back strain suffered Saturday against the New York Yankees. He had an MRI in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, and the results - announced Wednesday- were negative. He's still listed as day-to-day. ... RHP Tony Armas Jr., who gave up eight hits and four runs in 3 2/3 innings while taking the loss in Monday's start against Boston, also had an MRI Tuesday. The test showed an inflammation of the right forearm. The plan is for him to rest for three days. ... Damian Jackson broke an 0-for-14 slump with a double in the third.
BOSTON: Trot Nixon entered Wednesday's game as Boston's leading hitter with a .327 average after going 3-for-4 Tuesday. ``He showed up (in spring training) ready to play, felt good about himself and he's healthy,'' Boston manager Terry Francona said. ``We haven't seen that in a couple of years.'' Nixon suffered back and hamstring injuries last season. ... OF Dustin Mohr, designated for assignment June 16 while on option to Triple-A Pawtucket, elected for free agency instead of accepting an outright assignment. ... SS Alex Gonzalez was back in the starting lineup after getting the last two days off. Alex Cora had played at short the past two games.
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CHICAGO: 1B Derrek Lee (broken right wrist) is getting closer to a return. After hitting in a cage for several days, he took batting practice with his teammates for the second straight day Wednesday. ``It feels good,'' he said. ``There are no setbacks.'' Lee has been on the disabled list since April 21. Asked if he will be able to play this weekend when the Cubs visit Minnesota, he said, ``I don't know. It will be soon, but I'm not going to put a date on it.'' Manager Dusty Baker is leaning toward sending Lee on a brief minor-league rehab assignment. ``We're still trying to decide if he needs to go out and see live pitching somewhere,'' he said. Lee was batting .318 with three homers and 10 RBIs when he was injured. ... 3B Aramis Ramirez is finally showing signs of coming out of a season-long offensive funk. He entered Wednesday with a five-game hitting streak and is batting .350 (14-for-40) with three homers and seven RBIs in his last 10. ``When you're in a hole, you don't jump out of it, you climb out of it,'' Baker said. ... Baker will have his players put in some extra work in the Metrodome before the Cubs start a three-game series in Minnesota Friday. ``The turf presents some problems and it's a faster game,'' he said. ``We'll also have to get used to the roof.''
CLEVELAND: Indians were able to completely rid themselves of RHP Jason Johnson, but at a price. One day after designating the struggling right-hander, the club traded him to the Boston Red Sox with cash for a player to be named or cash. Cleveland general manager Mark Shapiro wouldn't divulge how much of Johnson's $3.5 million contract for 2006 - the sides had a mutual option for 2007 - the Indians will pay. ``A significant amount of money,'' Shapiro said. ``We're picking up some of the salary. It's about moving payroll.'' ... Jason Michaels and his sore ankle are running out of time. The outfielder missed his fifth straight game on Wednesday. With the club off on Thursday, Michaels will have more time for rest and therapy. But if he's not ready to go for Friday's opener against Cincinnati, the Indians will likely place him on the 15-day disabled list. ``If he isn't doing a little more on Friday, it's probably a DL situation,'' manager Eric Wedge said.
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FLORIDA: 2B Dan Uggla, who left Tuesday's game with hamstring tightness, was not in the starting lineup Wednesday and is day-to-day. ``We'll see how he feels tomorrow. He's a little sore today,'' manager Joe Girardi said. ``He's not worse than yesterday, so that's a good sign.'' ... The Marlins plan to activate C Josh Willingham from the 15-day disabled list Thursday, Girardi said. Willingham, who was placed on the DL with a sprained left hand June 14 (retroactive to June 7), finished a two-game rehabilitation assignment with Double-A Carolina on Wednesday.
BALTIMORE: Manager Sam Perlozzo has decided to keep rookie LHP Adam Loewen in the starting rotation for at least another turn. Loewen, who is winless in four starts, will start Saturday against Washington. ``I had some doubts, but I thought I'd get one more chance,'' Loewen said. ``It's coming down to I have to produce.'' ... 3B Melvin Mora started Wednesday, less than 24 hours after being struck in the left knee by a pitch from Dontrelle Willis. ... Perlozzo testified Wednesday in a probe headed by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell to investigate the use of steroids in baseball.
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NEW YORK: SS Derek Jeter had his left knee bandaged and was in the starting lineup after he was hit on the inside of his knee by a pitch from Rheal Cormier on Tuesday night. Jeter also has battled minor discomfort on the inside of his right foot for the last few days. ``He's one of those guys where it's never a consideration to not play him,'' manager Joe Torre said. ... Torre was pleased to see OF Bernie Williams go 5-for-5 against the Phillies on Tuesday. ``You certainly see a lot of spring in his step right now,'' he said. ... Torre is friends with Heat coach Pat Riley and left a congratulatory message for him. Torre doesn't think Riley will come back to defend the NBA championship. ``I'm not sure he's going to do it next year,'' Torre said. ``It has to be very satisfying to him.''
PHILADELPHIA: RHP Scott Mathieson will be skipped in the rotation because of Thursday's day off and his next start is expected against Baltimore next week. ... Manager Charlie Manuel said LF Pat Burrell probably will be used as a DH in most of the upcoming nine games in AL cities. OFs Shane Victorino and David Dellucci will get more playing time because of the DH. ... 1B Ryan Howard said he had several phone messages and text messages after hitting two homers and driving in seven runs on Tuesday night. ``He's definitely more than a hitter. He's a slugger. He can definitely hit .300,'' Manuel said.
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ARIZONA: Manager Bob Melvin tinkered with his lineup as the Diamondbacks entered Wednesday with two wins in 15 games. Among the moves were RF Shawn Green hitting third for the first time this season and 3B Chad Tracy batting cleanup for the fourth time. LF Luis Gonzalez, who has been batting fourth, was moved to fifth for the initial time in 2006. ``You move things around and give it a fresher look,'' Melvin said. ... RHP Juan Cruz (right shoulder) had a 12-minute bullpen session. He is expected to have a couple more mound sessions before making a minor league rehab start.
TAMPA BAY: Manager Joe Maddon met with representatives from former Sen. George Mitchell's independent investigation of steroids in baseball. Officials from all 30 teams are being interviewed as part of the investigation. Maddon said he couldn't comment about the matter. ... RHP Edwin Jackson, who joined the team from Triple-A Durham, said he has no problem with being moved from a starter to the bullpen. ``I don't mind it,'' Jackson said. ``Contributing is contributing regardless where it is.''
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TORONTO: Troy Glaus started at shortstop for the second straight night and fifth time this season as manager John Gibbons again had Shea Hillenbrand start at third base. Gibbons said Glaus, who has started 59 games at third base, has looked comfortable at shortstop. ``He's made all the plays,'' Gibbons said. ``He's actually looked pretty good. I don't think he's been exposed range-wise yet. But you know he played in college. He likes playing it. It just made sense for us. Get that extra bat.'' ... The team was expected to make a roster move after Wednesday night's game to open a spot for A.J. Burnett to be activated for Thursday night's start.
ATLANTA: LHP Horacio Ramirez is scheduled to start Thursday night for the first time since he was knocked out of his June 11 game against the Houston Astros when he was hit on the forehead with a ball hit by Lance Berkman. Berkman's hit crashed off of the left side of Ramirez' forehead and then flew to shallow right field. ``There's really no lingering effects,'' Ramirez said Wednesday before acknowledging ``Mentally, you do think about it a little bit. There's really only one way of getting past it. That's going out there and forgetting about it.'' ... Manager Bobby Cox said RHP Lance Cormier will make his second fill-in start Saturday at Tampa Bay. Cox said a pitcher will be called up from Triple-A Richmond to make Sunday's start. A likely candidate is LHP Chuck James.
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MINNESOTA: Manager Ron Gardenhire is eager to see how his young hitters deal with Roger Clemens and the hype surrounding his 2006 debut on Thursday. ``It's going to be a fun night,'' Gardenhire said. ``Everybody dreams of facing Roger Clemens, so they're going to get that opportunity. Hopefully, they'll remain relaxed enough to see the ball and get a good pitch to hit. Hopefully, we'll rise to the occasion and handle ourselves.'' ... Gardenhire said OF Shannon Stewart, who has been on the DL since injuring his left foot on May 22, will begin a minor-league rehab stint with Triple-A Rochester on Saturday. Gardenhire said Stewart is expected to rejoin the Twins on July 1. Stewart ran the bases on Wednesday and Gardenhire said he's still feeling pain turning corners. ``But it's good enough,'' Gardenhire said. ``As long as we all understand, he's not 100 percent. Whether he'll be 100 percent, we just don't know. But he's ready to go and try this thing out and see what happens.''
HOUSTON: Manager Phil Garner called Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen on Tuesday about an article in a Chicago newspaper in which Guillen was quoted as saying Garner refused to shake hands during the World Series. Guillen told Garner he was misquoted and Garner produced a photo of him shaking hands with Guillen before one of the games in Chicago. ``Doesn't that look like shaking his hand right there? It sure looks to me like I'm shaking his hand,'' Garner said. ``I don't know what the issue is.'' The article also quotes Guillen as saying Garner treated him like ``some crazy Venezuelan man.'' Guillen said that quote was also incorrect and Garner, who briefly played in Venezuela, bristled at the mistake. ``I have quite a good rapport with Venezuelans,'' Garner said. ``I played in the (Latin) World Series and represented Venezuela. I have no problems with Venezuela.'' ... 1B Lance Berkman was fourth in NL All-Star balloting at his position, but he's got a great chance to make the roster for the July 11 game. Garner, the NL manager, has seven at-large picks to make after the fans vote and said Berkman is the most deserving Astro. ``Lance is still one of the best hitters in baseball,'' Garner said. ``If you're trying to win an All-Star game, a lot of people would say Lance would be a guy (to pick).''
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SAN DIEGO: C Josh Bard fouled a ball off his foot Tuesday night and was rested on Wednesday. Manager Bruce Bochy said he was going to start C Mike Piazza anyway on Wednesday, listing Bard as day-to-day. ... Bochy registered his 900th win on Tuesday night, becoming the 60th major league manager to do so. He said he didn't even realize the milestone until he was told by a club official. ``It's just a number,'' said Bochy, who has 934 losses.
TEXAS: RHP John Wasdin threw off flat ground on Wednesday and if he gets through Thursday's mound session, he'll have a 70-pitch outing for Triple-A Oklahoma on Sunday. Wasdin is out with a sprained right thumb and is due to come off the 15-day DL at the end of June. ... RHP Kameron Loe is headed for the team's minor league camp in Arizona to begin rehab from a right elbow bone bruise. ... The club announced the signing of two more draft picks, LHPs Daniel Herrera (45th round) and Patrick Donovan (50th).
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PITTSBURGH: 1B Sean Casey was back in the lineup after sitting out one game. He was hit by a pitch on Sunday above the elbow and declared day-to-day. The Pirates are on pace to smash the team record of 171 home runs set in 1999. Through Tuesday's game, they had 84 homers in 72 games. They did not hit their 84th last year until their 104th game. ... Manager Jim Tracy will probably feel a bit nostalgic when the Pirates play their next series. They'll be in Los Angeles to face the Dodgers, where he was manager 2001-2005.
KANSAS CITY: The Royals had two former first-round draft picks, 3B Alex Gordon and OF Billy Butler, chosen to compete in the futures game at the All-Star game in Pittsburgh. The Royals put new OF Joey Gathright right to work, starting him in center Wednesday night and moving David DeJesus from center to left. Gathright was acquired in a trade with Tampa Bay on Tuesday for LHP J.P. Howell. He was batting ninth and being counted on to give the Royals something they badly need, speed on the bases and in the outfield.
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OAKLAND: SS Bobby Crosby and C Jason Kendall were given the night off. ``I wanted to give them both a day off,'' manager Ken Macha said. ``Bobby's hand isn't what it should be.'' ... One day after wanting an investigation of the humidor ball used it Coors Field, Macha rescinded the request. ``They have been approved by Major League Baseball,'' he said. ... RHP Kirk Saarloos will be skipped over in his next scheduled start because the A's have two days off over the next five days.
COLORADO: The Rockies had eight right-handed hitters and 1B Todd Helton in the lineup to face LHP Barry Zito. ``I wanted to get Choo Freeman and Ryan Spilborghs into the lineup,'' manager Clint Hurdle said of the OFs. ``You want ever edge you can against Zito.'' ... Hurdle scoffed at the talk about the humidor coming from the Oakland clubhouse. ``Jason Jennings pitched a heck of a game,'' Hurdle said. ``Period.'' ... The Rockies are considering several options for the DH role for road interleague games with Los Angeles and Seattle. ... First-round draft choice RHP Greg Reynolds attended the game.
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CINCINNATI: Before Wednesday's matchup, INF Juan Castro had appeared in two games for the Reds since he was acquired from Minnesota last Thursday and manager Jerry Narron was already impressed with the slick-fielding veteran. ``(He's) an outstanding late-inning defensive replacement and also gives us some insurance at shortstop so we can give (Felipe) Lopez a day off on occasion,'' Narron said. Castro spent five years with the Reds before signing with the Twins before the 2005 season. ... Narron said he hopes to get 3B Edwin Encarnacion (sprained left ankle) back ``in the next week or so.'' Encarnacion is eligible to come off the DL on Thursday. ... Reds starters entered play Wednesday with a 4.26 ERA to rank fourth in the NL. The last time they finished the season with that ranking or higher was when they placed fourth with a 4.35 ERA in 1999.
NEW YORK: LF Cliff Floyd (sprained left ankle) got some work in a pool on Tuesday and ran Wednesday. He is eligible to come off the DL on Thursday but manager Willie Randolph said he isn't sure when he'll be activated. Randolph said he'll know more about when Floyd will return when the veteran gets some simulated game action. ``I want him to be as close to 100 percent as he can be before he gets back,'' Randolph said. ... Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson missed the game so he could attend his oldest son Sean's high school graduation. Bullpen coach Guy Conti helped fill in for Peterson, who will be back with the team Thursday. ... Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid and actor Tim Robbins were both in the Mets' clubhouse before the game.
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Notes from Wednesday's games
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Royals won 6-4.
