Notes from Friday's games
July 7, 2006
BALTIMORE: After initially turning down an invitation, SS Miguel Tejada will participate in Monday's home run derby in Pittsburgh. Tejada, who won the competition in 2004 and was the game's MVP a year ago in Detroit, was added to the eight-man field on Friday. He'll compete with David Ortiz, Ryan Howard, Lance Berkman, Troy Glaus, Jermaine Dye, David Wright and Miguel Cabrera. ... OF Luis Matos, designated for assignment on Thursday, has been put on release waivers, allowing him to negotiate with other teams. However, Matos, who was batting .207 with five RBIs in 55 games, can't sign until he clears waivers on Tuesday. The 27-year-old has spent his entire seven-year career with Baltimore.
CLEVELAND: The Indians outbid several teams to sign free agent RHP Sung-Wei Tseng, a 21-year-old who pitched for Taiwan in the World Baseball Classic. Tseng signed a one-year minor league contract for 2007. Terms of the deal were not made available, but assistant general manager John Mirabelli called the Indians' investment ``significant.'' Mirabelli projects Tseng, whose fastball tops out at 95 mph and throws a splitter, pitching at Single-A Kinston next season. Mirabelli likened the 5-foot-11, 190-pounder to reliever Tom Gordon. The Indians plan to develop Tseng into a starter, but there's a chance he could become a back-of-the-bullpen reliever. ... The Indians claimed RHP Mike Adams off waivers from the New York Mets and optioned him to Triple-A Buffalo. The 27-year-old Adams began the season in Milwaukee's organization before being traded to New York. He went 1-1 with two saves at Triple-A Nashville, and appeared in 13 games for Triple-A Norfolk. He was signed by Milwaukee as a free agent in 2001 and appeared in 59 games for the Brewers in 2004 and 2005.
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NEW YORK: RHP Octavio Dotel (elbow ligament replacement surgery) threw 40 pitches off a bullpen mound. He will have another session Sunday and could start a minor league rehab assignment next week. ``We'll see how it's going after that,'' Dotel said. Manager Joe Torre doesn't expect Dotel to rejoin the Yankees for at least two weeks. ... RHP Carl Pavano (elbow surgery) made 25 light throws in his first session off a mound. ``He's a long, long time away,'' Torre said. The Yankees haven't ruled out Pavano pitching this season.
TAMPA BAY: Manager Joe Maddon is still formulating his plan for the pitching rotation following the All-Star break. LHP Scott Kazmir is scheduled to face the Yankees on Saturday, then participate in the All-Star game on Tuesday. Depending on how many pitches he throws against the Yankees and how long he pitches in All-Star game, Maddon said his next start for the Devil Rays likely would be Friday or Saturday against the Angels. ... Minor league prospect Josh Hamilton went 0-for-2 with a walk and RBI groundout Thursday for Single-A Hudson Valley in his second game since returning from a suspension for violating baseball's drug policy. The No. 1 overall pick in the 1999 draft hadn't played a game for nearly four years because of injuries and the suspension, which began in February 2004.
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TORONTO: OF Alex Rios, who went on the DL on June 28 with a staph infection in his lower left leg, was released from a Toronto hospital Friday. Rios, who was hitting .330 with 15 home runs, 53 RBIs and a .585 slugging percentage in 72 games, was selected to the All-Star game, but will not be able to play. ... OF Eric Hinske went 0-for-4 on Thursday to snap his season-high nine-game hitting streak. ... LHP Ted Lilly, who starts on Saturday, is 3-1 with a 1.88 ERA in his past four starts, pitching six innings each outing. ... It is homecoming for RHP Shaun Marcum, who was born in Kansas City, went to nearby Excelsior Springs (Mo.) High and was a 2003 third round-pick of the Blue Jays out of Southwest Missouri State, where he also played shortstop.
KANSAS CITY: Manager Buddy Bell said C Paul Bako, who was scratched from the lineup on Thursday with a strained right side, could play Friday, he but he opted to start C John Buck instead. ``Paul's got a little tightness in his rib cage,'' Bell said. ``We didn't want to have something happen to him and have only one catcher left. It's not serious enough where he can't play.'' Bell said 1B Doug Mientkiewicz, who caught some at Florida State, would be his emergency catcher. ``That (catching in college) doesn't necessarily count, I guess, but you've got to do what you've got to do,'' Bell said. ... RHP Luke Hudson, who made his first start Friday, was the Royals' 13th starter in 85 games. They have only 15 wins from starters this season and LHP Mark Redman has six.
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MINNESOTA: LHP Francisco Liriano's exclusion from the AL All-Star team means he'll be ready to make the Twins' first start after the All-Star break. Manager Ron Gardenhire said Liriano will start next Thursday against Cleveland, followed by RHP Brad Radke and All-Star LHP Johan Santana. ``We'd have loved for him to pitch in the All-Star game, but the upside is he starts for us on Thursday,'' Gardenhire said. ... Gardenhire wants to get rookie RHP Pat Neshek into a game before the break. Neshek, 6-2 with a 1.95 ERA and 14 saves in 19 chances for Triple-A Rochester before being called up Thursday, will be making his major league debut. Neshek throws sidearm, giving opposing hitters a different look. ``The ball jumps out of his hand,'' Gardenhire said.
TEXAS: RHP Kevin Millwood is expected to have an extended bullpen session Sunday, the first time he's thrown in a week. Millwood's scheduled start on Friday night was skipped because of a strained right biceps that forced him to leave his last start on July 2. Manager Buck Showalter anticipates Millwood will return to the rotation on July 13 or 14 depending on how the team's No. 1 starter handles Sunday's session. Millwood said the ``dull ache'' in his right arm is subsiding. ... RHP Chad Eaton's next rehab outing is a three-inning stint on Monday for Double-A Frisco. Eaton threw 25 pitches for Triple-A Oklahoma on Thursday night, all fastballs, and did not allow a hit to the Omaha Royals.
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BOSTON: With a 7:30 p.m. start on Friday night and a 12:25 p.m. start on Saturday, manager Terry Francona said he might rest C Jason Varitek in the second game of the series with the quick turnaround. ``We will see. I talked to Jason last night. It's such a quick turnaround. We're trying to win the game and you are trying not to injure people, and trying to get production. I will check with Jason after the game. He typically gives you the same answer after every game, 'I'm fine.' I will get a read on his body language, how many ice packs he has on and we will go from there,'' Francona said. ... With the All-Star break, Francona will give Red Sox starter Tim Wakefield more rest. Wakefield pitched Thursday night and earned the victory against Tampa Bay despite a sore back. Wakefield is scheduled to pitch July 16 against Oakland. ``He started out with a knot in his back and he tried to pitch through it. Every time he pitches he seems to move around. We all had it, you know how it feels, it hurts,'' Francona said. ... Despite pulling out of the All-Star game on Friday with a sore knee, OF Manny Ramirez was in the Red Sox's lineup.
CHICAGO: Manager Ozzie Guillen expects he'll see RHP Curt Schilling at his best Sunday in the series finale. That's because Schilling wasn't chosen for the All-Star game that Guillen will manage. ``He can't be mad at me because ... I got handcuffed,'' Guillen said. Because several AL All-Star pitchers are scheduled to work the Sunday before the All-Star game - as Schilling is - Guillen said he needed a staff that could give him innings and couldn't afford to take any more hurlers who would be on short rest. He also pointed out that he only chose seven of the players on the team. Among those were three White Sox - Mark Buehrle, Bobby Jenks and Paul Konerko. Buehrle was picked before he gave up a career-high 11 runs to the Cubs last Sunday. ``Mr. Schilling had an opportunity to get picked by the players,'' Guillen added. ``People think Ozzie Guillen picked the team. I didn't pick the team, they told me what to pick. And I did the best I could to put the American league in the best position to win the game.'' ... 2B Tadahito Iguchi was out of the lineup for the fourth straight game as he recovers from a sprained left ankle. He was injured Monday in a collision with RF Jermaine Dye.
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DETROIT: One day after Seattle traded deposed closer Eddie Guardado to Cincinnati for a Double-A pitcher, Tigers closer Todd Jones had this outlook on his position: ``In baseball, closing is the only thing where 100 percent success is the measuring stick.'' Jones has 22 saves in 25 chances after returning from a pulled hamstring on April 21. He entered Friday with a 9.19 ERA in his last 14 games. Jones had a 3.12 ERA in his first 18 appearances. ... Manager Jim Leyland said he will be in Pittsburgh next week during All-Star festivities, but only because he still has a home he bought there when he managed the Pirates from 1986-1996. Leyland will be attending autograph shows.
SEATTLE: The Mariners transferred OF Jeremy Reed from the 15- to 60-day DL one day after he had a plate surgically inserted into his broken right thumb. Reed said doctors told him he would miss six weeks, while the team is saying eight. Reed had been platooning in CF with Willie Bloomquist before he jammed the thumb into the outfield grass while attempting a diving catch in extra innings Sunday. He said the cast will come off in 10 days, when he will slowly begin working back to baseball drills. ... Reed's transfer opened a spot on the 40-man roster spot for RHP Mark Lowe, who was selected from Double-A San Antonio to fill traded LHP Eddie Guardado's roster spot. Lowe was a closer at Double-A. He was a reliever and spot starter through May for Single-A Inland Empire, for whom he had a five-inning no-hitter earlier this season before being removed because of a pitch-count limit. Manager Mike Hargrove said Lowe, the team's fifth-round draft choice in 2004, will work in the middle innings. ... RHP Gil Meche will start Sunday instead of RHP Felix Hernandez, as the Mariners continue to try and limit the 20-year-old Hernandez's innings. Hernandez has thrown 103 2-3 innings. The team wants to keep him under 200 for the season.
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LOS ANGELES: RHP John Lackey, riding two-start winning streak, was booed when announced as the starter before the game. He faced the A's for the first time since May 2, when A's catcher Jason Kendall charged the pitcher after Lackey threw inside and yelled at him. Both players were ejected and Kendall was suspended four games. ... Manager Mike Scioscia held 3B Maicer Izturis out of the lineup to rest his tight hamstring. ``Hopefully he'll loosen up and be ready to go tomorrow,'' Scioscia said. ... Tim Salmon got the start at DH despite a .125 (5-for-40) career batting average against A's starter Barry Zito.
OAKLAND: LHP Joe Kennedy, sidelined since May 21 with tendinitis in his shoulder, postponed the simulated game he was scheduled to pitch - probably until Sunday. ``He requested a slower process,'' manager Ken Macha said. ``He could pitch today but he's not sure how he would feel after. ... We want to be cautious and trust the player on how he feels.'' ... Macha considers DH Frank Thomas the team's offensive MVP for the first half. Thomas hit a walkoff home run Thursday night to lift the A's to a 7-5 win, his 19th homer of the year and No. 467 of his career. ... RHP Rich Harden, on the DL for the second time this season, hopes to be throwing again when the A's return from the All-Star break and open a series at Boston. He is recovering from a sprained ligament in his right elbow. ``I've been up and down,'' he said. ``I'm trying to stay positive with it right now.''
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SAN DIEGO: C Mike Piazza might not play again before the All-Star break after tweaking his right knee while trying to stretch a single into a double Thursday in Philadelphia. Manager Bruce Bochy said Piazza would be available as a pinch-hitter for the weekend series at Washington. ``I'd put him as day to day,'' Bochy said. ``I'd say there's a good chance he may not start before the break.'' ... 3B Vinny Castilla returned to RFK Stadium for the first time since the offseason trade that sent him from Washington to San Diego. Castilla was made expendable when the Nationals drafted 3B Ryan Zimmerman. ``I have good memories,'' Castilla said. ``I had a great time, especially the first half of the year - that was unbelievable.'' ... Fourteen members of the organization were given a tour of the Pentagon before the game.
WASHINGTON: Even though the bullpen was short on fresh arms after back-to-back brief outings by starting pitchers, manager Frank Robinson said he would not resort to asking a position player to take the mound if a game is out of reach. ``If I'm paying to come out here and watch a ballgame, I don't want to see an outfielder or an infielder pitching. I just don't think it's right, and I don't think it's fair,'' he said. ... Now that Alex Escobar has been activated from the disabled list, Robinson plans to give the 27-year-old outfielder plenty of chances to show his stuff. ``We have to try and find out what people can do, so we'll have a good idea about moves we can make and also get some answers before the end of the year, going into the winter, so we don't have to wait until spring training to see what this guy can do,'' Robinson said. Escobar started in CF.
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PITTSBURGH: 3B Freddy Sanchez, who made the All-Star team for the first time, received a major league-high 856,685 write-in votes during balloting. ... Nate McLouth made his second start in RF. After a dismal June, when hit .193, McLouth is batting .375 (6-for-16) in his last six games. ... First-round draft pick Brad Lincoln will make his professional debut Saturday for the Gulf Coast League Pirates. ... The Pirates have lost seven straight series.
PHILADELPHIA: Eagles offensive lineman Jon Runyan participated in batting practice. The 6-foot-7, 340-pound Runyan made plenty of contact, but had trouble hitting the ball out of the infield. ... Manager Charlie Manuel has drawn heavy criticism from Phillies supporters this season, but he does have his fans, too. ``When we were in Baltimore, I came back to the hotel and five Phillies fans were there and they were really getting on me,'' he said. ``I sat down with them and gave it right back to them. Talked to them for about an hour and one of them said, 'You're a better dude than I thought you were.' I felt better after talking to that guy. I got at least five fans now.'' ... LF Pat Burrell, who hit .100 (1-for-10) in a three-game series against San Diego to start the homestand, was replaced in the starting lineup by David Dellucci. It was the first action for Dellucci since he sustained a mild sprain of his right shoulder on July 2. ... The Phillies have lost eight straight series.
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FLORIDA: All-Star 3B Miguel Cabrera led all NL hitters with a .350 batting average against RHPs. The Mets are starting RHPs in the first three games of the series. ... Cabrera will participate in the home run derby at the All-Star game. ... Florida was 25-15 in its last 40 games after starting the season 11-31. ... The bullpen had converted 14 of its last 16 save opportunities.
NEW YORK: RHP Mike Pelfrey, the team's 2005 first-round draft pick, is slated to make his major league debut as the starter in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader. RHP John Maine is to pitch the opener. ... RHP Steve Trachsel was named Mets pitcher of the month for June after going 4-0. Trachsel has won six straight starts. ... All-Star 3B David Wright will participate in the home run derby. He has 19 homers this season. ... All-Star SS Jose Reyes was leading the majors with 12 triples, 39 stolen bases and 74 runs. He also led the NL with 110 hits. ... Hall of Fame C Gary Carter will manage the United States team in the All-Star Futures Game in Pittsburgh on Sunday. Carter currently manages the Mets' Class-A St. Lucie team in the Florida State League.
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CINCINNATI: LHP Eddie Guardado, acquired from Seattle on Thursday, arrived in Atlanta on Friday afternoon. He said he is ready to close games. ``That's my job in the ninth, and I've got to bear down and give it all I've got,'' Guardado said. ``Believe me, when I do, I give it all I've got every day.'' ... Manager Jerry Narron said his planned rotation following the All-Star break will be RHP Aaron Harang, LHP Eric Milton, RHP Bronson Arroyo and RHP Elizardo Ramirez, who will be recalled from Class A Dayton for the start. Narron said he has Arroyo third in line because he presumes Arroyo will pitch in the All-Star game. Narron said it is possible LHP Brandon Claussen will be able to return from the disabled list by the time the Reds need a fifth starter later in the month. Claussen went on the 15-day DL on June 17 with tendinitis in his left shoulder.
ATLANTA: RHP Jorge Sosa, who started 13 games before moving to the bullpen, gave up his NL-leading 20th homer Thursday night as the Braves blew a five-run lead in the ninth inning. Sosa, 2-10 with a 5.47 ERA, said Friday he still believes he can handle save opportunities. ``I feel confident,'' Sosa said. ``I'm ready for tonight, too. It's no problem for me.'' Sosa has three saves in five chances. ... Manager Bobby Cox said RHP Tim Hudson, RHP John Smoltz and LHP Horacio Ramirez would be the team's first three starters after the All-Star break, probably followed by rookie LHP Chuck James. RHP John Thomson lasted only 3 2-3 innings Tuesday in his return from the disabled list, giving up seven hits and five runs with three walks in a loss to the Cardinals. He is scheduled to start Sunday against the Reds in Atlanta's last game before the break. Thomson likely would follow James in the rotation if he has no more problems with the blister that forced him to the disabled list.
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CHICAGO: Cubs manager Dusty Baker denied a report that said he turned down a contract extension that the team offered him within the past few months. The report said the deal was for $4 million to $4.5 million per year, and he passed it up. ``I'll go on record right now and say that's a lie,'' Baker said. ``A big lie. A bald-faced lie.'' ... 1B Derrek Lee was rested. Lee, who has 11 career homers at Miller Park, his most at any ballpark, came off the disabled list from a broken right wrist on June 25.
MILWAUKEE: LF Carlos Lee entered batting .367 with four homers and 11 RBIs against Cubs RHP Carlos Zambrano. ... Milwaukee had won eight of 10 at Miller Park and had a five-game winning streak. ... C Mike Rivera, brought up when C Chad Moeller was designated for assignment, was in the starting lineup. ... Jeff Cirillo started at 3B.
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ST. LOUIS: The Cardinals designated RHP Sidney Ponson for assignment and put RHP Jeff Weaver on the 25-man roster. Ponson was 4-4 with a 5.24 ERA in 14 games, including 13 starts. Manager Tony La Russa said the move was a tough decision. ``When you think about it, his last three games he's pitched well,'' La Russa said. ``Just looking at the second half there's just no guarantee he's going to be in the rotation and it's a difficult position to put him in. We try to avoid having players on the club who are not in good positions.'' ... Weaver, acquired Wednesday from the Angels, was with the team Friday but won't be used immediately. ``He'll probably be in uniform for three days and he's going to throw and get ready, but I don't see him making an appearance until after the break,'' La Russa said. ... C Yadier Molina did not start after sustaining a mild concussion when he was hit by a pitch Thursday night. ``He's still got a little dizziness,'' La Russa said. Gary Bennett started in Molina's place.
HOUSTON: Texans No. 1 draft pick Mario Williams got words of encouragement and posed for pictures with Roger Clemens before the game. ``I hear he's a legend out here so it was pretty good talking to him,'' Williams said. Williams, a defensive end, said it was the first time he'd been to a major league baseball game, though he played baseball until junior high. ... Astros manager Phil Garner said he's been pleased with rookie pitcher Taylor Buchholz lately. ``He's pitched good,'' Garner said. ``He's showing signs of maturity.'' Buchholz is 6-6 with a 5.21 ERA in 17 games.
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ARIZONA: Slumping SS Craig Counsell, 4-for-35 in his past nine games, was moved down to the No. 8 spot in the batting order. ``We've just want to give him a different look,'' manager Bob Melvin said. ... Melvin was baffled by the results of his starting pitching in the previous series in Los Angeles. Arizona starters didn't go past the fourth inning there after getting two complete games in Oakland. ... INF Andy Green turned 29. ... RHP Brandon Webb's use in the All-Star game will help determine Melvin's pitching plans following the break.
COLORADO: Manager Clint Hurdle wanted to wait until after RHP Byung-Hyun Kim's start to determine his rotation following the All-Star break. ... Hurdle will spend the break golfing and fishing in the Colorado mountains. ... Colorado's starters have been credited with being a major reason the team will go into the break with a winning record. ``They've thrown a lot of innings (517) and kept us in games,'' Hurdle said. ``They've allowed us to choose when we use our bullpen and not let the game choose it for us.''
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SAN FRANCISCO: 3B Pedro Feliz, back at his natural position after the offseason trade of Edgardo Alfonzo, is the only player to start all 87 games for San Francisco. The last Giants player to appear in every game of a 162-game season was 1B Will Clark in 1988. ... San Francisco entered a half-game behind rival Los Angeles. The Giants finished higher in the standings than the Dodgers in eight of the previous nine seasons. The only exception was 2004, when the Dodgers won their first division title since 1988. ... LF Barry Bonds and RF Moises Alou were in the starting lineup together for only the 32nd time in 249 games since the start of last season. Thursday night's 5-4 victory made them 20-11 in those contests.
LOS ANGELES: RHP Brad Penny had a third-row seat across from the Los Angeles Lakers' bench on the night Kobe Bryant scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors at Staples Center. Perhaps Penny was inspired by that performance. He is off to the best start of his career with a 10-2 record and a 2.92 ERA, and is headed to his first All-Star game. ``The equivalent of Kobe's game for me would probably be like striking out 21. I mean, it's unheard of,'' Penny said. ``You might not see that ever again - and if you do, it might be from Kobe. When I go to stuff like that, I'm not thinking about my own career - but of course you always want to be at the top of your game. Some athletes are just so much better than the others, and the real great ones have more nights like that than the others do.'' ... Steve Garvey and Nomar Garciaparra now have something else in common, other than the fact that they both have played first base for the Dodgers. They both received an invite to play in an All-Star game at Pittsburgh by unconventional means. Garvey was a write-in selection by the fans in 1974 and ended up as MVP of the NL's 7-2 victory at Three Rivers Stadium. Garciaparra got the nod Thursday by virtue of Internet balloting, and will make his sixth All-Star appearance Tuesday night at PNC Park.
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Notes from Friday's games
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