Notes from Saturday's games
August 5, 2006
OAKLAND: 3B Eric Chavez committed his first error in 65 games on Saturday when he misplayed a grounder by Richie Sexson in the third inning. Chavez hadn't committed an error since April 30 against Kansas City. Chavez is also struggling at the plate with runners in scoring position. He was 0-for-3 Saturday and is 3-for-45 since June 3. ... C Jason Kendall started his 15th straight game behind the plate on Saturday. Macha would like to get reserve C Adam Melhuse in the lineup occasionally, but with how Kendall has handled the pitching staff and the A's getting a few days off in the schedule, he intends to keep Kendall in. ``The reason we are where were at is our pitching staff and Jason has been tremendous with the pitchers,'' Macha said. ... With their win Friday night, the A's clinched the season series with Seattle for the third straight season.
SEATTLE: Rookie RHP Mark Lowe pitched two scoreless innings on Saturday, extending his streak to 14 2-3 innings and passing Pat Rice for the most consecutive shutout innings to start a career in team history. Rice pitched 13 shutout innings in 1991. Lowe has appeared in 11 games since being called up from Double-A San Antonio on July 7. ... Injured CF Jeremy Reed hopes to begin some baseball activity with his broken right thumb in the next five to 10 days. Reed, who was injured diving for a fly ball on July 2, recently had the cast removed from his hand, and is doing strengthening exercises for the thumb. He intends on accompanying the team on its next road trip and is hoping to start taking batting practice when Seattle plays in Anaheim on Aug. 17. Reed will be eligible to come off the DL in early September.
---
---
TEXAS: 1B Mark Teixeira, who walked twice, has reached base without the benefit of a fielder's choice in a career-high 29 straight games - the longest active streak in the AL. ... The Rangers, who have played nine consecutive series against the Angels without winning one, can end that drought with a victory on Sunday. ... John Koronka allowed seven runs and seven hits in four innings. The left-hander is 0-3 with a 6.80 ERA in his last eight road starts since beating the Angels and Seattle back-to-back April 18-23.
LOS ANGELES: Chone Figgins, who hasn't batted anywhere but the leadoff spot this season, was not in the starting lineup for only the eighth time in the team's first 110 games. He is in a 2-for-23 rut that has dropped his average to .256. His on-base percentage is .326, the lowest in the majors among leadoff men with a minimum of 400 at_bats. But manager Mike Scioscia has no plans to drop him down in the batting order. The last time Figgins started in any other spot in the order was May 8, 2005, when he batted second. Last season, Figgins set a franchise record for switch-hitters with 186 hits, led the majors with 62 stolen bases, and was rewarded with a three-year, $10.5 million contract. ... The Angels' aren't blaming RHP Bartolo Colon's participation in the World Baseball Classic for the Cy Young winner's injury-decimated season. ``I don't think the work he got in the Baseball Classic impacted what's happened now because his pitch counts were very low in those games he pitched and his velocity was close to game-velocity when he was pitching with us in the spring,'' Scioscia said.
---
---
CHICAGO: 3B Joe Crede left the game in the fourth with back stiffness. Manager Ozzie Guillen said he won't play Sunday. He's day-to-day. ``I took him out when I saw him grab his back,'' Guillen said. ``I'll make sure he's ready to play when we get home. It's nothing big. It's not a big deal. I just don't want to take a chance with him.'' The White Sox have Monday off before hosting the New York Yankees on Tuesday. ... DH Jim Thome is 5-for-7 with three walks since returning after missing two games with back spasms. ... 1B Paul Konerko had four RBI and now has 742 in his career, moving him past Nellie Fox and Robin Ventura into seventh place on the White Sox all-time list.
TORONTO: LF Frank Catalanotto ended an 0-for-13 skid with a single in the ninth. ... Manager John Gibbons said there are no hard feelings between him and Bengie Molina after the catcher complained publicly about his playing time. ``That happens,'' Gibbons said. ``He just wants to play everyday. Everyone does.'' ... LHP Gustavo Chacin will make his next rehab start Wednesday and he could possibly return to the Jays rotation after that. ``We just have to make sure we build him up enough,'' Gibbons said.
---
---
NEW YORK: Derek Jeter's 13-game hitting streak ended Saturday when he went 0-for-3 with a walk in the Yankees' 5-0 loss to Baltimore. ... 2B Miguel Cairo strained his left hamstring in the third inning and could be out for two weeks, manager Joe Torre said. ... New York managed only one hit for the first time since July 16, 2004, in Detroit. ... It was the second time this season the Yankees were shut out. ... By starting for the 81st time at catcher, Jorge Posada guaranteed his $12 million option for 2007.
BALTIMORE: LHP Adam Loewen had a career-high eight strikeouts in earning his second big-league win Saturday. ... The Orioles' previous one-hitter was by Mike Mussina, the losing pitcher Saturday. ... SS Miguel Tejada went 3-for-4 Saturday and is batting .491 in his last 13 games. ... The Orioles had their sixth sellout of the year, and the crowd of 49,159 was the seventh-largest regular season crowd in Camden Yards history.
---
---
CLEVELAND: Manager Eric Wedge is impressed with what he's seen so far of OF Shin-Soo Choo, who the team acquired from Seattle for 1B Ben Broussard. ``You couldn't ask a young man to do more as far as making an impression,'' said Wedge. ``His game is very complete, as far as being an all-around ballplayer.'' ... Wedge also said that reliever Fernando Cabrera has had trouble with his location all season. ``His fastball command has been bad all year,'' Wedge said. ``And his ability to throw his secondary pitches in the strike zone.''
DETROIT: If his throwing session on Sunday goes well, LHP Mike Maroth will be sent on a rehabilitation assignment and start on Wednesday for Triple-A Toledo, according to pitching coach Chuck Hernandez. Maroth is on the 60-day DL after undergoing surgery on his left elbow. ... Manager Jim Leyland didn't have RF and cleanup Magglio Ordonez in the lineup for Saturday night's games against Cleveland because, ``He hasn't had much success against (Indians' starter Paul) Byrd (4-for-29) and his leg was barking a little bit.''
---
---
MINNESOTA: Torii Hunter was back in center field after being used as the designated hitter in the first two games at Kansas City because of a sore left ankle. ``What we're going to do is protect him as much as we can with his ankle,'' Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. ... 1B Justin Morneau walked four times on Friday. The last Twin to walk four times in a game was Lew Ford on Sept. 12, 2004 at Detroit. ... DH-OF Rondell White, who has been slowed by tightness in his left hamstring, ran the bases on Saturday and will do the same on Sunday.
KANSAS CITY: DH Mike Sweeney, who is rehabbing with Class AAA Omaha, went 2-for-2 with two walks, a double and a two-run homer on Friday in a 7-5 loss to Portland in Pacific Coast League. If Sweeney has no setbacks, he could rejoin the Royals on Tuesday for the series opener against Boston. Sweeney has missed 87 games with a bulging disc. ... RHP Luke Hochever, the first pick in the June draft, signed his contract on Saturday. He was picked 40th overall by the Dodgers last year, but did not sign. ``It's been a long process for me,'' Hochevar said. He will throw a bullpen session Sunday at Kauffman Stadium and report on Monday to the Royals' complex in Surprise, Ariz. ... Closer RHP Ambiorix Burgos has given up 12 home runs in his 53 hits. He leads the majors with 10 blown saves.
---
---
BOSTON: 3B Mike Lowell (sore left foot) was out of the lineup for the second straight game. He will likely miss Sunday's game as well. ``He seems to be a little better,'' manager Terry Francona said. ... DH David Ortiz made his 10th start of the season at first base, which allowed LF Manny Ramirez to be the DH. Ramirez has experienced some knee soreness throughout the season. ``Just trying to keep the lineup somewhat in order,'' Francona said. ... RHP Tim Wakefield (ribs) resumed playing catch. ... Francona said C Jason Varitek, who had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Thursday, is already down to using one crutch. Varitek could rejoin the Red Sox next month. ... OF Trot Nixon is doing some pulling exercises on his injured right biceps.
TAMPA BAY: LF Carl Crawford turned 25 on Saturday. Only Hall of Famers Joe Medwick, Freddie Lindstrom, Jimmie Foxx and Arky Vaughn had more doubles (104), triples (60) and homers (48) before turning 25. His 202 stolen bases is the seventh most by a player before age 25 since 1900. ... CF Rocco Baldelli (right hamstring soreness) was out of the lineup for third straight game. He is not expected to start Sunday either. ``Pretty much the same as yesterday,'' Baldelli said. ``It feels a little bit better everyday.''
---
---
---
PHILADELPHIA: Jon Lieber's six-hitter was his first complete game since June 14 last year, a 3-1 loss at Seattle. ... Chase Utley's spikes from Friday night are going to the Hall of Fame. His 35-game hitting streak was stopped by the Mets on Friday night, and he didn't start Saturday but got a pinch single in the ninth inning. ``It was a good run,'' he said, ``but I'm more happy that the past two weeks we've been playing solid baseball.''
NEW YORK: After reviewing recordings, Mets manager Willie Randolph said the two balk calls on RHP Orlando Hernandez in Friday's 5-3 loss were correct but said one was ``nit-picky.'' ... Aaron Heilman, who appears to have replace Duaner Sanchez as Billy Wagner's primary setup man, got his 18th hold. ... LF Cliff Floyd, who aggravated his left Achilles' tendon and left in the first inning, said he should be able to play Sunday night.
---
---
ATLANTA: 1B Adam LaRoche returned to the lineup Saturday after missing two starts with a strained right hamstring. He pinch-hit and grounded out in the eighth in the Braves loss on Friday and came up with a solo home run Saturday. ... Marcus Giles' nine-game hitting streak (18-for-37, .486) is his third this season of at least nine games. His longest is 13, from June 27 through July 14. Giles is now hitting .423 (11-for-26) against the Reds this season and .395 (51-for-129) with six home runs in his career. ... RHP Jason Shiell was optioned to Triple-A Richmond after his start on Saturday, and the contract of LHP Wayne Franklin was being purchased from Richmond.
CINCINNATI: The Reds improved bullpen means manager Jerry Narron feels no pressure to rush injured relievers Kent Mercker (left elbow) and Matt Belisle (lower back) back from the disabled list. Both threw bullpen sessions on Friday and are expected to make rehab appearances next week. ``You want to make sure everybody is healthy when they come back,'' Narron said. The bullpen's ERA since the All-Star break was 3.38 going into Saturday's game, down from 5.16 in the first half. ... RF Ryan Freel's all-out style cost him a start Saturday. Freel was sore after banging his nose into Rafael Furcal's leg on an attempted stolen base on Wednesday and then sliding headfirst into the wall in foul territory while making a diving catch on Friday. ``I feel like I dove into a wall,'' Freel said. ``Oh, wait. I did.''
---
---
PITTSBURGH: SS Jack Wilson was out of the lineup for a third straight game with tightness in his right calf. The Pirates leadoff hitter hurt his calf sliding into second in Wednesday's 3-2 loss to Atlanta. Manager Jim Tracy said Wilson was better and would likely do some infield work before Saturday's game against the Cubs. ``He is definitely improved,'' said Tracy. ``We're hopeful that he will make it to the field and do some functional things while we're taking batting practice.'' Tracy added that Wilson's reaction to the pregame workout would be a primary factor in whether he returns to action Sunday. ... OF Chris Duffy has made a major impact since being recalled on Aug. 1. Although he only has 3 hits in 23 at_bats since the call-up, he has made up for it with some impressive defense in center field. ``He makes your whole outfield better,'' Tracy said. ``He makes the outfield smaller because of the ground that he covers. He makes your corner outfielders that much better because of the distance that he can cover.''
CHICAGO: INF Ronny Cedeno, who moved to second from shortstop after the Cubs acquired SS Cesar Izturis, struggled in his first start at second base on Friday and made an error in Saturday's game. He wasn't able to turn a double-play and failed to cover second base on an extra base bit on Friday and on Saturday he was charged with an error when he didn't touch second base on a double-play attempt. Cubs manager Dusty Baker said before Saturday's game that the Cubs never thought about sending him down to the minors so he can work on playing second base. ``No. That wouldn't really be fair to Ronny because he would lose service time, he would lose money and he hasn't really done anything to go to the minor leagues other than try to learn how to play second base,'' said Baker. ``It's not like he hasn't played second base ever before.'' ... Closer Ryan Dempster saved his 21st game of the season and his ninth straight in Saturday's win over the Pirates.
---
---
LOS ANGELES: INF Jeff Kent, on the 15-day DL with a sore left oblique, will be activated for the game against Colorado on Monday. ... OF Kenny Lofton scored his 1,411th run on Friday, surpassing Hall of Famer Billy Williams for 76th on the all-time list. ... RHP Elmer Dessens suffered a mild ankle sprain during batting practice Friday, turning his left ankle on the warning track while shagging fly balls. Dessens, acquired on July 25 from the Kansas City Royals, is day-to-day.Dessens has allowed one run in seven innings as a middle reliever since joining the Dodgers. ... OF Jose Cruz Jr. was given his unconditional release by the team Friday, three days after designating him for assignment.
FLORIDA: RHP Sergio Mitre, on the 60-day DL with right shoulder inflammation since May 26, threw two innings in a simulated game on Saturday. Mitre is expected to go on a rehab start at Single-A Jupiter next week. Mitre doesn't want to go to the bullpen. ``I've done the bullpen thing before (with the Chicago Cubs) and it didn't go well,'' Mitre said. ``I'm not a bullpen guy. These guys (Marlin starters) are doing well so it's the coaches decision. It's going to be interesting.''. ... C Paul Hoover, selected from Triple-A Albuquerque Aug. 3, is expected to start Sunday to give Miguel Olivo a rest. It will be Hoover's first major league appearance since Sept. 22, 2002 vs. Toronto with Tampa Bay.
---
---
MILWAUKEE: RHP Francisco Cordero will remain the closer, at least until RHP Derrick Turnbow is completely straightened out. Turnbow has blown eight of his last 20 save chances after starting the year 12-for-12. Cordero was 3-for-3. ``He's really done a nice job,'' manager Ned Yost said. The Brewers are 4-for-4 as a team since Cordero was acquired from Texas on July 28, including one by Turnbow. Turnbow retired both batters he faced in the eighth on Friday. ``Derrick threw some great breaking balls,'' Yost said. ``His fastball exploded, so if we get him going, we're going to be in great shape.'' ... LHP Chris Capuano will look for his first win in a month when he starts Sunday against the Cardinals. He's 0-3 with a 6.94 ERA since shutting out the Cubs 2-0 on July 6.
ST. LOUIS: RHP Chris Carpenter believes he'll be able to make his next scheduled start at Cincinnati on Wednesday despite a bruised thumb sustained Friday. Carpenter tried to field a comebacker in the top of the sixth but the ball missed his glove and caught his right hand. ``The way I felt about it last night, I wasn't excited about what the next few days were going to bring,'' Carpenter said. ``But when I woke up this morning I was very pleasantly surprised.'' ... The Cardinals' eight-game losing streak is their second of the season. They also lost eight straight at the end of June. ... RF Juan Encarnacion got a day off against Brewers RHP Ben Sheets, against whom he was 1-for-20 with a home run. Chris Duncan moved from LF to RF and John Rodriguez was in the original lineup card in LF before being scratched about an hour before game-time. Scott Spiezio replaced Rodriguez. ... Spiezio was 3-for-24 as a pinch hitter after popping out with the bases loaded against Dan Kolb in the sixth on Friday.
---
---
COLORADO: C Yorvit Torrealba has been on the Rockies' wish list since manager Clint Hurdle first saw him in 1995 as an 18-year-old with Bellingham of the Northwest League. Hurdle was the Rockies minor league roving hitting instructor at the time and filed a glowing report on Torrealba, then with the Giants. ``His name struck me as different,'' Hurdle recalled. ``I turned in a report on him as a major league prospect. I've watched him from time to time and of the opportunities he's had it's usually been against us. He beat us with a grand slam once and put down a bunt with a runner on third to help beat us. We've been looking for a guy who can play both sides of the plate. He's the best package in the four or five years I've been here and we're giving him the freedom to play.'' Torrealba, who never played more than 66 games or gotten more than 200 at bats in his 3 1-2 years in the majors, currently has 32 RBI in his 39 games with the Rockies. ``He's comfortable hitting with runners in scoring position and he's a big hit guy,'' Hurdle said. ... Rockies' pitchers have thrown seven straight quality starts entering Saturday's action, the longest streak in franchise history. ... LHP Brian Fuentes has an eight-inning scoreless streak over his previous seven appearances.
SAN FRANCISCO: RHP Armando Benitez remains the Giants closer, mostly because RHP Tim Worrell (bulging disc in his neck) is unavailable. ``I'd feel different about our entire bullpen if Worrell were healthy,'' manager Felipe Alou said. ``He was 6-for-6 in saves before Benitez came back this year. You remember that. He'd be the alternative as we try to make Benitez more comfortable again. I'm trying to bring (Benitez) back to where he'll be an effective closer again. I'm trying to get him in as much as possible and see if he'll get better by pitching a lot. To me, it's just command. His velocity is really good.'' ... RHP Jamey Wright will start Tuesday's game at Arizona. Alou was wavering between Wright and RHP Brad Hennessey. ``We're going back to the rotation,'' Alou said. ``Jamey has been starting all year and with the bullpen situation, I don't want to bring in a new guy in the bullpen.''
---
---
HOUSTON: The Astros hit a season-high four home runs and drew 11 walks in the 8-7 victory Friday night. Houston also walked 11 times in an 18-inning game at Pittsburgh on May 27. The 11 walks are the most by the Astros since they drew 14 at Milwaukee on April 29. 2000. ... Willy Taveras' homer Friday night was his first since June 10, 2005, a span of 785 at bats. It was the third-longest active homer drought in the majors.
ARIZONA: The Diamondbacks will have to make a roster move to bring up a starting pitcher for their game Monday night against San Francisco. It will be the second such move in three days. The team recalled RHP Dustin Nippert from Triple-A Tucson to take All-Star Brandon Webb's scheduled start on Saturday night. Webb, bothered by a sore elbow, will throw a bullpen session on Monday. ... The Diamondbacks tied a club record by walking 11 Friday night. The mark was set Sept. 25, 2003, at Colorado. ... Friday night's 3:45 game was Arizona's longest nine-inning contest of the season.
SBR Top-Rated Sportsbooks
Notes from Saturday's games
Reply With Quote