PHILADELPHIA: The Phillies claimed RHP Rick White off waivers from Cincinnati. The Reds designated him for assignment on Monday after he compiled a 1-0 record, 6.26 ERA and one save in 26 relief outings after signing a one-year deal on Jan. 31. ... The Phillies came to Fenway Park with a 2-4 record in the first six games of a string of 15 against AL East teams. ... NL RBI leader Ryan Howard played in Fenway for the first time in his three major league seasons. ... Philadelphia brought an 8-11 record in June into Friday's game after going 15-12 last June.
BOSTON: The Red Sox totaled 33 hits in their previous two games against Washington on Tuesday and Wednesday, their most in consecutive games since they also had 33 on June 12 and 13 last year, also against NL teams. ... Boston leads the majors in fielding percentage. It last led the AL in that category in 1950. ... Mike Lowell hit two homers and drove in four runs in two games last month in Philadelphia. ... Friday's starter, Josh Beckett, had already allowed a career-high 17 homers, one more than he gave up in 2004 with Florida.
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FLORIDA: The Marlins placed RHP Carlos Martinez on the 15-day disabled list with right elbow discomfort and recalled RHP Chris Resop from Triple-A Albuquerque. ... Joe Borchard and Wes Helms hit consecutive pinch-hit home runs Thursday night, the first back-to-back pinch-hit homers in the majors since Barry Bonds and Shawon Dunston did it for San Francisco in 2001. ... The last time the Marlins played in Yankee Stadium, they clinched the 2003 World Series with a 2-0 victory in Game 6. ... The Marlins have used 19 rookies this season.
NEW YORK: SS Derek Jeter entered as the career leader in interleague hits with 214 and, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, had reached base in 24 straight. CF Johnny Damon is the interleague leader in runs scored with 126, and Jeter is second with 122. ... With home runs in RFK Stadium in Washington and Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, C Jorge Posada has homered in 25 ballparks, more than any player in Yankees history.
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ST. LOUIS: CF Jim Edmonds was scratched from the lineup just before game time. The team announced that he was still having problems after sustaining a concussion when he ran into an outfield fence Wednesday in Chicago. ... Manager Tony La Russa entered 26-16 against teams managed by longtime friend Jim Leyland. The two first worked together in 1982, when Leyland was a third base coach for La Russa's Chicago White Sox.
DETROIT: Tigers owner Mike Ilitch had a rare press conference before the series opener with the Cardinals. ``I'm going to do what I can as an owner to help our team win, just like I do with the Red Wings,'' he said. ``I don't know what that might be - (Jim) Leyland makes the requests.'' ... LHP Mike Maroth played catch before the game, the first time he has thrown a baseball since undergoing elbow surgery earlier this month. ``I've been walking around with a huge smile, just because I get to play catch,'' he said. ``It felt good.''
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CINCINNATI: 2B Brandon Phillips was back at Jacobs Field for the first time since being traded by Cleveland on April 7. ``I'm happy to be back, but sad that it's on the other side,'' he said. ``But then I'm happy to be on the other side and getting a second chance.'' Phillips is one of 15 players to make their Reds debut this season and came to town a candidate for a spot on the NL All-Star team, hitting .314 with seven homers, 43 RBIs and 14 stolen bases in 64 games. ... Entering play Friday, the Reds had been successful on 17 of their last 18 stolen-base attempts, but had not hit a homer in three games, their longest drought of the season.
CLEVELAND: Victor Martinez replaced Ben Broussard as the starter at first base. ``It's not just a one-day thing,'' manager Eric Wedge said. ``Ben is a good first baseman, but is capable of doing a lot better. He has to get back on track. You can hit all day long, but if you don't pitch and play defense you are not going to win ballgames.'' ... C Kelly Shoppach was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo and started. ... C Tim Laker was designated for assignment. ... OF Jason Michaels missed his seventh game with a sprained right ankle and could go on the disabled list when LHP Jeremy Sowers is recalled from Buffalo to make his big league debut Sunday.
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WASHINGTON: The Nationals activated RHP John Patterson (right forearm) from the 15-day disabled list to start against Baltimore. Patterson spent 62 days on the DL before getting three rehab starts. ``It's good to get John back because he can be a dominant pitcher out there,'' manager Frank Robinson said. To make room for Patterson on the 25-man roster, RHP Tony Armas Jr. (right forearm) was put on the 15-day DL retroactive to June 20. ... 1B Nick Johnson (back strain) was unavailable and Robinson said he likely wouldn't play until Tuesday. Johnson left a game on June 17 against the Yankees in the third inning and has since been listed as day to day. ... Washington agreed to terms with top draft pick Colton Willems, the 22nd overall pick in the amateur draft. The right-hander went 7-1 with an 0.68 ERA this year for John Carroll Catholic High in Florida. The Nationals also agreed to terms with their eighth-round pick, C Sean Rooney.
BALTIMORE: Orioles closer Chris Ray intended to quickly put his first blown save of the season behind him. Ray was 18-for-18 in save situations before yielding two ninth-inning homers to Florida in Baltimore's 8-5 loss Thursday night. ``Those are the kind of things you learn from,'' he said. It was only the second time in the last 25 years that Baltimore lost a home game when leading by four in the ninth. ... Ramon Hernandez, who snapped an 0-for-23 skid with two homers Thursday, started at DH because manager Sam Perlozzo again teamed RHP Rodrigo Lopez with C Javy Lopez.
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NEW YORK: Manager Willie Randolph said he would use a variety of players as the DH during the team's interleague road trip to Toronto, Boston and Yankee Stadium. Julio Franco was the DH on Friday. Randolph said he'll base his decision on matchups and who needs rest. ... OF Cliff Floyd (sprained ankle) was originally supposed to be the DH in a rehab game at Class-A St. Lucie on Thursday, but was too sore. Randolph said Floyd will continue to do light exercises
TORONTO: Manager John Gibbons joked that he isn't a fan of National League rules now after Toronto went 3-6 in games at Colorado, Florida and Atlanta. ``I used to love the National League, but with our lack of success in National League parks I think that's changed,'' Gibbons quipped. ... Gibbons was one of three first-round picks the Mets had in 1980. The others were Darryl Strawberry and Oakland general manager Billy Beane. ... Gibbons was impressed with RHP A.J. Burnett's first start since coming off the DL. Burnett missed two months with elbow problems. He allowed two runs and five hits while striking out seven and walking one in six innings against Atlanta on Thursday night. ``He looked like he was in midseason form, but I haven't seen him midseason before,'' Gibbons said.
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SAN DIEGO: RHP Jake Peavy, who started Friday night against Seattle, is scheduled to have an MRI on his right shoulder Monday. ``It's just precautionary,'' manager Bruce Bochy said. ``We wouldn't pitch Jake if our medical staff and training staff didn't feel like he could pitch or if Jake didn't feel like he could pitch. It is probably for reassurance and to give him peace of mind.'' ... RHP Woody Williams (strained left calf) will pitch for Triple-A Portland on Monday in his second rehab start. He allowed a hit in three innings for Class-A Lake Elsinore on Thursday. Williams was 3-1 with a 3.21 ERA in eight games (seven starts) before he got hurt running the bases on May 12 against the Cubs. ... The Padres agreed to terms with second-round draft pick Wade LeBlanc, a left-hander from Alabama. The 21-year-old LeBlanc was 11-1 with a 2.92 ERA in 18 starts for the Crimson Tide.
SEATTLE: Mariners reliever Eddie Guardado is day to day with back spasms. Guardado and Emiliano Fruto combined for 2 1-3 scoreless innings against the Dodgers on Thursday. ... Since May 31, when they completed a 1-5 road trip, the Mariners were 14-6, a winning percentage that ranked third in the majors. During that span, the club owned the highest batting average (.298) and slugging percentage (.493) in the big leagues. Seattle's 30 home runs were tied for second. ... Ichiro Suzuki, who had his 20-game hitting streak snapped Thursday, was leading the majors with 37 multihit games. ... According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Seattle is the only team to win its first eight interleague games in a season. The streak ended against the Dodgers on Thursday night in a 4-2 loss.
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ATLANTA: The New York Yankees were among the teams scouting the game, which featured the latest start by RHP John Smoltz. ... Manager Bobby Cox remains upbeat despite the Braves dropping 18 of their first 20 games in June. ``A lot of good things are happening on the field,'' Cox said. ``We're not winning, but there are a lot of bright spot to look at.'' ... Cox expects RHP John Thomson, who is on the DL with a blister on his right middle finger, to return in time to make two starts before the All-Star break. ... OF Chipper Jones was the DH Friday. CF Andruw Jones is scheduled for the DH spot on Saturday. ... Cox said that LHP Chuck James will start Sunday's game.
TAMPA BAY: Atlanta manager Bobby Cox has been impressed by the improving Devil Rays. ``In any other division in baseball, they'd probably do very well,'' Cox said. ``It's hard to compete with (Yankees owner) George (Steinbrenner) and the Red Sox.'' The Devil Rays started play Friday 12-25 against the AL East and 20-16 against everyone else this season. ... Injured closer Tyler Walker (right elbow tendinitis) played catch for the first time. He will likely be out for at least a couple more weeks.
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CHICAGO: With Derrek Lee on his way to a weekend rehab assignment and likely headed back to the lineup next week, manager Dusty Baker was asked what will happen to veteran Phil Nevin, who has been filling in lately at first base. ``He's a great player, but he's not D-Lee,'' Baker said, adding that he was hesitant to use the slower Nevin in the outfield once Lee returns. ... Three ex-Twins were in the lineup Friday - RF Jacque Jones, DH Todd Walker and C Henry Blanco. Cubs president Andy MacPhail, also in town, was the general manager for both of Minnesota's World Series winners in 1987 and 1991.
MINNESOTA: With the two top picks in the 2001 draft, Twins catcher Joe Mauer and Cubs righty Mark Prior, scheduled to face each other Saturday, manager Ron Gardenhire was asked if he was looking forward to the matchup. ``I know all that draft stuff is what everybody wants to write about, but that's not even an issue here, really. I just like to see good pitchers throw,'' he said. ... Twins righty Willie Eyre, a rookie, was eager to face his older brother, Scott Eyre, a Cubs lefty. The sons had jerseys sewn together for their parents, half in Chicago gray with Scott's number on the back and half in Minnesota white with Willie's number. If both relievers got in the same game? ``That would be pretty cool. I'm pretty sure we'll both get the scorecards,'' Scott said.
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MILWAUKEE: RHP Tomo Ohka, who has been out with a partial under surface tear of the right rotator cuff, is scheduled to throw batting practice on Saturday for the first time since going on the disabled list on May 3. Ohka was 2-1 with a 3.18 ERA in six starts before the injury. ... RHP Ben Sheets, who went on the disabled list May 3 with tendinitis in his shoulder, is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Saturday. If all goes well, Sheets might also face batters. ... The Brewers are 7-4 on Saturday games, their best record for any day.
KANSAS CITY: Tony Graffanino made his second start of the season at shortstop, while Angel Berroa, who dropped an infield pop up on Thursday, was not in the lineup. Manager Buddy Bell said the decision was made before the game Thursday to rest Berroa on Friday. ... DH Mike Sweeney, who is on the 60-day disabled list with a bulging disc, is taking batting practice. ``Obviously, he's not 100 percent,'' Bell said. ``We're just trying to figure out when is the best time to send Mike out and how many at-bats. We want to make sure when Mike comes back that he is going to be with us for the rest of the year.'' ... LHP Jimmy Gobble has a 2.29 ERA in his past 23 outings, allowing nine earned runs in 35 1-3 innings.
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HOUSTON: Roger Clemens said he felt fine on Friday, after allowing two runs and six hits in five innings and taking the loss in his season debut the previous night against Minnesota. The seven-time Cy Young Award winner threw 100 pitches, walked two and struck out four. ``I think I've got what would be considered as normal soreness from yesterday and a late flight into here,'' he said. ``(I) just need to get up and move around a little bit and do something here today. Today will be a lot of small muscle stuff (workout). Normally it would be a heavy lifting day, but were taking a little bit different approach right now and bullpen will be tomorrow.'' ... American League teams were a combined 77-49 in interleague play entering Friday's games. ``We have to do our part to reassert the superiority of the National League,'' said manager Phil Garner, whose team was 4-5 against the AL. ... This is Houston's first interleague road series this season.
CHICAGO: General manager Ken Williams made it clear he's disturbed by manager Ozzie Guillen's recent controversial comments and the White Sox's treatment by the umpires and baseball officials. Guillen was back in the dugout after serving a one-game suspension, punishment for reliever David Riske hitting St. Louis' Chris Duncan with a pitch Tuesday night after two White Sox were hit. Riske is appealing a three-game suspension. ``I am so disheartened by how we've been treated with regards to the warnings issue, with regards to our overall treatment that's been handed down by the umpiring and (baseball) representatives,'' Williams said. ``It's very disappointing.'' Guillen was also fined Thursday and ordered to attend sensitivity training by commissioner Bud Selig for using a derogatory term that describes someone's sexual orientation during a profanity-filled tirade against Chicago Sun-Times columnist Jay Mariotti. ``We've all seen how the movie ends when things are inflamed to the degree that they are beginning to flame when he says things that are controversial,'' Williams said. ``I didn't have to discuss anything in depth because of the remorse (Guillen) showed me - not toward the target of his criticisms but his choice in language. He's a guy that I'll walk through a wall for. He's got a good heart but we have to curtail some of the language.'' As if there wasn't enough controversy surrounding the White Sox this week, they were accused of stealing pitch signs during their three-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, citing a Cardinals source, reported Friday that the team became convinced during the fifth inning Wednesday that a center-field camera was tipping pitches. ``The way we were swinging the bat, it felt like it (and) it looked like it,'' Ozzie Guillen said. ``But what happened (Thursday)?'' After winning the first two games 20-6 and 13-5, the White Sox managed just one hit but beat the Cardinals 1-0 on Jim Thome's home run on Thursday.
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TEXAS: OF Mark DeRosa was moved from the No. 5 spot in the batting order. ``Mark is hitting the ball well,'' manager Buck Showalter said of DeRosa, 32-for-86 over his last 21 games. ``He is one of our players that I want in the lineup every day.'' ... RHP Frank Francisco (right elbow surgery) had his scheduled throwing session cancelled. ``He had soreness in the elbow,'' Showalter said. ... Showalter, with tongue in cheek, said his fondest memory of Coors Field came when he had a verbal run in with current Colorado co-owner Dick Monfort after the final game of the 1999 season.
COLORADO: OF Brad Hawpe's poor hitting against left-handed pitching earned him a third straight game on the bench. ``He's 1-for-his-last-14 against lefties,'' manager Clint Hurdle said. ``The other guys have been more productive.'' ... Two of the more productive have been OF Choo Freeman and OF Ryan Spilborghs. Freeman's hustle led to Colorado's only two runs last Wednesday in toe 3-2 loss to Oakland and. ``He gives us that hustle in every game he's played,'' Hurdle said. ``I have to find him more at-bats.'' ... Weak hitting SS Clint Barmes (.197) was moved from the No. 8 in the batting order back to No. 2 in an attempt to jump start his bat.
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OAKLAND: RHP Jay Witasick went on the A's disabled list for the second time this year with tendinitis in his left ankle. He missed 47 games earlier in the season with a sprained ankle. Witasick was clobbered in his only two appearances between DL stints, allowing seven runs, three hits and five walks while retiring just two batters. ... The A's also activated RHP Justin Duchscherer. The All-Star reliever missed 42 games with right elbow tendinitis, but made two solid rehab appearances earlier in the week. Manager Ken Macha said Duchscherer will be eased back into regular work. ... Oakland managed just 16 hits in its three-game series in hitter-friendly Colorado earlier in the week, batting .170 with just three runs scored - all in the series finale after two shutout losses. The A's went 25 innings without a run, their longest scoreless streak since April 2005.
SAN FRANCISCO: The Giants hosted '80s night at AT&T Park on Friday night, dressing in their bright-orange jerseys from 1982. The A's wore their bright-green softball-style tops from the same year in the opener of the second leg of the Bay Bridge Series. ... OF Moises Alou could go on the disabled list soon if he doesn't recover quickly from a strained joint in his lower back. Alou missed his fifth straight game with the ailment, and an MRI exam revealed the joint problem. ``He has played for a lot of years, and he's got a lot of war wounds,'' Giants trainer Stan Conte said. ``We're pushing him along, because we're short-handed.'' ... 1B Lance Niekro has resumed running and fielding grounders, but isn't quite ready to return from his disabled-list stint with a strained right groin. Niekro might get a minor league rehab assignment next week. He isn't eligible to return from the DL until Tuesday at the earliest.
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LOS ANGELES: 3B Dallas McPherson was scratched from the lineup after having back spasms during batting practice. McPherson was hitting .327 (17-for-52) in his last 20 games. Maicer Izturis replaced McPherson in the lineup. ... The Angels placed 1B Darin Erstad on the 15-day disabled list with a right ankle injury, retroactive to June 18. Erstad, also sidelined by the ankle May 1 through June 11, was replaced on the roster by OF Tommy Murphy. Erstad is hitting .220 with no homers and five RBIs in 27 games.
ARIZONA: Despite losing 15 of 17 games entering Friday, the Diamondbacks remained only 2 1/2 games behind NL West-leading San Diego. ... The Diamondbacks were one of two teams without an interleague victory. Atlanta was also winless against the American League. Arizona hasn't had a winning record against the AL since posting an 11-4 mark in 2003. ... CF Eric Byrnes was rested after going hitless Thursday in Tampa Bay to snap a six-game hitting streak. ... Only one Diamondbacks starter, C Johnny Estrada, entered batting better than .300.
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PITTSBURGH: Manager Jim Tracy brought his 26-48 Pirates into Los Angeles for the first time since ending his five-year stint as Dodgers manager and attracted a huge crowd of local media who weren't in Pittsburgh for the four-game split between the teams at Pittsburgh in April. ``I love coming back here,'' Tracy said. ``It's easier because we've already played them four games, so there's no extra hype involved with it. But to be sitting here as the manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates when we're 22 games under .500 and we're going to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers, this is extremely unsettling.'' ... Pittsburgh would have to do no worse than 37-51 the rest of the season to prevent Tracy from becoming the fourth manager in franchise history to lose 100 games in his first season at the helm. Lloyd McClendon was 62-100 in 2001, Fred Haney 50-104 in 1953 and Guy Hecker 23-113 way back in 1890. ``I'm not going to sit around here and say that we're not very good because we're young, or because our payroll is only X millions of dollars - because if you're sitting in that clubhouse and you hear those kind of things, then you think it's OK to be horrible - and it's not.'' ... ... Pirates RHP Roberto Hernandez entered Friday six innings shy of the 1,000 mark for his career, which began with the White Sox in 1991 when he made his only three starts in the big leagues. His 326 saves are 10th-best on the all-time list.
LOS ANGELES: 1B Nomar Garciaparra got an up-close-and-personal look at the player who was closest to him in the race for the NL batting title entering Friday - Pittsburgh's Freddy Sanchez. Garciaparra, who came in with a five-point lead over Sanchez, is trying to become the first player since Hall of Famer Ed Delahanty to win a batting crown in the AL and NL. Delahanty batted .376 for the 1902 Washington Senators and .408 for the 1899 Philadelphia Athletics. Garciaparra won consecutive batting titles with Boston in 1999 and 2000. ... Former manager Tom Lasorda, who enjoyed his greatest success as a player when he pitched for the Dodgers' Triple-A Montreal farm club in the 1950s and helped pitch them to five International League titles, will be inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame on Saturday. It is the sixth different Hall of Fame that has welcomed Lasorda into its ranks, including Cooperstown. ... Rookie RHP Takashi Saito, who has taken over as closer in the wake of Eric Gagne's latest setback, brought a scoreless streak of 12.2 innings into Friday night's game
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Notes from Friday's games
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