KC lost again.
the dodgers are still winning.
the randy johnson finaly won a game
the dodgers are still winning.
the randy johnson finaly won a game
Notes from Wednesday's games
May 24, 2006
CLEVELAND: LHP C.C. Sabathia showed he can field his position with a nimble play in the first inning. Sabathia barehanded a drag bunt from Nick Punto near the mound, raced over to first base and dived to tag Punto, who also was diving. Although replays seemed to show that Sabathia actually missed the tag, manager Eric Wedge was still impressed. ``He made a great play,'' Wedge said. ``He's a great athlete, aggressive and fearless.'' ... CF Grady Sizemore has hit safely in six straight games, batting .333 (9-for-27) with three homers and nine RBIs. ... The Indians have won seven of their last eight games against the Twins dating to last season, but just two of their past seven at the Metrodome.
MINNESOTA: 2B Nick Punto said the Twins appreciate how manager Ron Gardenhire sticks up for them. Gardenhire was ejected in the fifth inning after arguing with umpires for a third time about a call. It was his fourth ejection of the season and 24th of his career. ``That's the best thing about him is that he protects us,'' Punto said. ``That doesn't go unnoticed by the 25 of us.'' ... CF Torii Hunter went 1-for-3 to extend his hitting streak to nine games. ``I'm just waiting for my pitch,'' said Hunter, batting .364 (12-for-33) during the streak. ``If you don't pitch to me, I'll take a walk.'' ... RHP pitcher Brad Radke gave up 10 or more hits for the fifth time this season, and opponents are batting .426 against him in the first inning.
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LOS ANGELES: Utility man Maicer Izturis, recovering from a strained left hamstring, will begin an injury-rehab assignment Friday with Class AAA Salt Lake. ... Manager Mike Scioscia indicated there could be playing time for youngsters such as Kendry Morales and Dallas McPherson even after Darin Erstad returns from the disabled list. ``We need production from whoever's going to be in the lineup. There's certainly jobs to be won out there. Nothing's going to be ordained.'' ... Los Angeles has won 10 of its last 12 games against the Rangers, but Scioscia said, ``It doesn't seem like it. Those guys battle us every out.''
TEXAS: Rookie 2B Ian Kinsler is expected to be activated from the disabled list Thursday. Kinsler was hitting .476 when he dislocated his left thumb April 11 while being thrown out on a stolen base attempt. ``If everything goes well, he'll be at second base. Otherwise, he wouldn't be coming,'' manager Buck Showalter said ... Texas began the day with a one-game lead in the American League West, but Wednesday's loss dropped the Rangers to 10-14 at home. ... The Rangers entered the game with a .295 batting average with runners in scoring position, but in both the fifth and seventh innings they failed to advance runners who led off with doubles.
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NEW YORK: The Yankees recalled LHP Matt Smith from Triple-A Columbus and optioned OF Kevin Reese to Columbus. ... New York has used 17 different starting alignments in the outfield, the most in the majors, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. ... RF Melky Cabrera batted leadoff Wednesday when manager Joe Torre decided to sit out CF Johnny Damon, who has a foot injury. Torre said he put Cabrera in the first spot so he wouldn't have to rearrange the rest of the lineup. ... RHP Mike Mussina, who starts against Kansas City on Friday after New York's off day, is 6-1 and has won at least six of his first seven decisions for the third time in his career.
BOSTON: CF Coco Crisp was expected to play extended spring training games in Fort Myers, Fla., on Thursday and Friday and then join Triple-A Pawtucket for one game Saturday. Crisp, who played just five games this season before going on the disabled list, is expected to return to the Red Sox on Monday. ... Manny Ramirez homered in his third straight game when he hit a solo shot in the first inning Wednesday. ... The Red Sox placed LHP Lenny DiNardo on the 15-day disabled list with a neck strain and recalled RHP Jermaine Van Buren from Pawtucket. ... CF Wily Mo Pena returned to the starting lineup after missing two games with a sore left wrist.
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TAMPA BAY: OF Rocco Baldelli began a 20-day rehab assignment at Triple-A Durham on Tuesday. He went 2-for-4 with two runs scored as the DH versus the Richmond Braves. On Wednesday, he went 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBIs and played RF. Baldelli has not played in a game for the Devil Rays since Oct. 2, 2004. ... 2B Jorge Cantu (left foot fracture) will begin playing in extended spring games on Thursday.
TORONTO: RF Alex Rios has hit in 11 straight. .... RHP Roy Halladay will be given an extra day of rest before his next start. Halladay will pitch against Boston on Monday instead of Chicago on Sunday. Manager John Gibbons says Halladay is past the strained forearm that bothered him earlier this season. Rookie Ty Taubenheim will pitch Sunday against Chicago. ... RHP A.J. Burnett (sore right elbow) will throw on Monday for the first time since leaving a start on April 21. He's made just two starts this season.
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OAKLAND: RHP Esteban Loaiza threw a simulated game Wednesday and showed some increased velocity and good touch on his pitches. ``Looming,'' manager Ken Macha said when asked if Loaiza would be sent on a rehab assignment. Loaiza was a 21-game winner and the All-Star Game starter with the White Sox in 2003. The A's are his third team since leaving Chicago in a 2004 trade with the Yankees. That deal has turned out to be a big one for the White Sox because they got Jose Contreras in return. Loaiza has a strained trapezius muscle. ... A's pitchers walked 16 batters in the first two games of the series, including nine Tuesday night. In their seven previous games they had walked just 17.
CHICAGO: 2B Tadahito Iguchi was out of the lineup for the second straight night with a sore right foot, an injury he got from fouling a ball off it. The White Sox have a day off Thursday and manager Ozzie Guillen wanted to make sure Iguchi was pain free before the team begins a three-game series on the artificial turf in Toronto on Friday. Alex Cintron started at second. Iguchi has been one of the White Sox's hottest hitters with seven hits, including three homers, and seven RBIs in his previous 17 at-bats. ... The White Sox have used 22 different lineups this season. ... AL home run leader Jim Thome, who left Tuesday night's game for a pinch-runner after singling in the eighth because of a sore right groin, was in the lineup.
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DETROIT: Tuesday night's come-from-behind 8-5 victory was No. 1,100 for manager Jim Leyland. ``It just means I've had a lot of good players,'' he said. Leyland is the 45th manager to reach that mark and one of five active managers to do so. ... When CF Curtis Granderson commits an error, it will bring an end to the longest errorless steak of any Tigers outfielder to begin his major league career. Tuesday night's game, in which he had three hits and three RBIs, was his 97th without an error. ... The Tigers have three players on the DL - RHP Troy Percival, RHP Craig Dingman and INF/OF Dmitri Young.
KANSAS CITY: Mark Redman, who'd been slated to start Wednesday night's game, was placed on bereavement leave. He also had an MRI on his elbow, which had been sore, but manager Buddy Bell said he would not have been with the team regardless. Bereavement leave is a minimum of three days and a maximum of seven. Bell said there had not been a death in Redman's family, but that it involved ``somebody close to him.'' RHP Leo Nunez was recalled from Double-A Wichita to take his roster spot. LHP Jimmy Gobble was given his start. ... DH/1B Mike Sweeney said the herniated disc in the cervical region of his spine has been slow to heal. Surgery remains a possibility. He still hopes to get back this year.
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BALTIMORE: Manager Sam Perlozzo said LHP John Halama likely earned a Sunday start against the Los Angeles Angels when he allowed four hits and two runs over five innings in beating his former Seattle Mariners on Tuesday. The 34-year-old lefty was an emergency fill-in after rookie Hayden Penn had an appendectomy Monday night. Halama earned his first win as a starter since Oct. 3, 2004, with Tampa Bay at Detroit. Perlozzo had said rookie Adam Loewen, called up on Tuesday, would likely get the Sunday start. But that was before Halama's work and Loewen, the 2002 fourth overall pick, allowing a run on a walk, hit-batsman and single in 1-3 of an inning Tuesday. ... 2B Brian Roberts (strained left groin) was activated from the 15-day DL before the game. INF Ed Rogers was optioned back to Triple-A Ottawa.
SEATTLE: Manager Mike Hargrove said he spoke to RHP Joel Pineiro after his starter allowed at least five earned runs for a third consecutive outing on Tuesday. And he told Pineiro (4-5), who has allowed at least five earned runs in five of his 10 starts, he is still good. ``I think everyone needs to hear, 'You know what, you really are good' - just for self-confidence and self-worth,'' Hargrove said. Pineiro said after Tuesday's game that he had no life on his fastball and was forced to rely on offspeed breaking pitches - and Baltimore knowingly keyed on those. ... Seattle entered Wednesday 4-4 in their span of 16 straight games without a day off. ... Ichiro Suzuki was batting .177 on April 18. The perennial All-Star started Wednesday batting .322 - his highest since the season's opening week.
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CHICAGO: Kerry Wood's third start of the season is scheduled for Sunday, but Manager Dusty Baker said it could be pushed back. We'll see how he feels after two outings, Baker said. He was a little stiff yesterday. We'll see if he needs an extra day. ... Glendon Rusch or Jae Kuk Ryu would get the start on Sunday if the Cubs decide to push back Wood's start. ... Lack of hitting from the second base position continues to be a problem for the Cubs since they moved Todd Walker to first base to replace the injured Derreck Lee. Neifi Perez, Jerry Hairston Jr. and Freddie Bynum, who have split the starts at second base since Walker was moved, all are batting .221 or worse. Baker said one option could be promoting veteran Tony Womack from Triple-A Iowa.
FLORIDA: LHP Dontrelle Willis will be pitching on five days rest Saturday against the Mets after manager Joe Girardi decided against moving up Willis following the team's off day Thursday. Girardi said his decision was based partly on the fact Willis pitched 17 innings in his last two starts. ... RHP Franklyn German (shoulder) was scheduled to pitch for Class-A Jupiter on Wednesday and could be activated from the disabled list as early as Friday. Girardi said RHP Carlos Martinez (elbow) could be activated in about two weeks. ... C-OF Josh Willingham, hitless in his last 12 at-bats, was given the day off Wednesday.
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ST. LOUIS: Juan Encarnacion drove in five runs during the three-game series: one Monday night, three Tuesday and another Wednesday. ... RHP Chris Carpenter was scratched before the game with swelling in the right side of his upper back near the shoulder blade. RHP reliever Brad Thompson made a fill-in start for the Cardinals, his first career outing as a starter, and went two innings. Carpenter, a 21-game winner last season and the reigning NL Cy Young award winner, is 4-2 this season with a 2.63 ERA and has been hurt by a lack of run support. Jason Marquis, Tuesday's winning pitcher, pinch-hit for Thompson in the third and tripled to start the inning. ... Braden Looper's eighth-inning double was the first of his career and only his second hit ever. ... The Cardinals bounced back after losing the series opener 9-2 Monday night to win their sixth straight series.
SAN FRANCISCO: Dan Ortmeier made his first start of the season for the Giants, playing RF, but he was optioned to Triple-A Fresno after the game. Also, the Giants optioned struggling RHP reliever Scott Munter to Double-A Connecticut. The Giants want Ortmeier to play every day again. The Giants will add a position player and a pitcher before Friday night's series opener against the Colorado Rockies. Munter, who has a 7.71 ERA in 19 appearances, allowed four earned runs and walked three batters Wednesday. ... Injured RF Moises Alou, sidelined with a sprained right ankle, had an MRI exam on his sore right thumb and it revealed a sprain. ... 1B Lance Niekro, expected to be activated from the disabled list Tuesday at Florida following a right shoulder injury, played catch for the first time before the game. ``It's a good thing that it didn't hurt,'' he said.
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PITTSBURGH: 1B Sean Casey, recovering from a fractured back, will begin a rehabilitation stint with Double-A Altoona Friday at Erie. ... The Pirates, who came into Wednesday with a 14-32 record, have won back-to-back games three times this year. ... Jason Bay has reached base safely in 20 of his 21 games this month. Bay has homered seven times in his last seven games. ... After being swept in a three-game series in Phoenix this week, Pittsburgh is 13-21 all-time in Chase Field, formerly known as Bank One Ballpark.
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ARIZONA: The Diamondbacks will travel Thursday to Cincinnati, where they launch a 10-game trip that includes three games with the Reds, three with the New York Mets and four with the Atlanta Braves. ... RHP Brandon Webb will start the series opener Friday in Cincinnati. Webb is 7-0, which ties former Arizona ace Randy Johnson for the best start in franchise history. Johnson won his first seven decisions in 2000. ... LHP Terry Mulholland, on the disabled list with an inflamed left elbow, will start for Triple-A Tucson Saturday. He's on a 70-pitch limit. Mulholland could be ready to return to the Diamondbacks within a week. ... With 510 career doubles heading into Wednesday, OF Luis Gonzalez is tied with Rickey Henderson for 37th on the all-time list. His next double will put him in a tie for 36th with Mark Grace, now a Diamondback broadcaster.
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HOUSTON: For the second straight game, the Astros took a field trip. After Tuesday's visit to injured servicemen and women at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, about 45 members of the organization spent part of Wednesday touring the Pentagon. ``I think the highlight probably was when they briefed us on the world situation and the war on terror,'' manager Phil Garner said. ``You look at that map, the way they have it up there, you see the perspective. They keep a pulse on the whole world.'' Garner said he was antsy when he saw the red button that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld uses to call the president in an emergency. ``I didn't want to hit one and have bells and whistles go off, and all of a sudden you see the missiles going across the screens. I had all these visions that flashed in my head.'' ... Lance Berkman began the game needing one hit to reach 1,000 for his career.
WASHINGTON: Members of the group buying the Nationals team held their first meeting with players and coaches, a closed-door session that lasted about 30 minutes prior to batting practice. ``They spoke their piece and they introduced everybody,'' shortstop Royce Clayton said. ``It was a kind of a quick meet-and-greet.'' The group also held a separate meeting with front office employees and announced four appointments. Bob Wolfe will serve as executive vice president under team president Kasten, and Al Maldon (external affairs), Mike Shapiro (business affairs) and Tom Ward (marketing) will be senior vice presidents. The group expects to take over the team in three or four weeks, once the sale is completed. ... RHP Zach Day, on the disabled list after leaving Monday's game early, underwent an MRI and apparently will not need surgery on his sore shoulder.
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PHILADELPHIA: RHP Ryan Madson's seven-inning, 105-pitch relief effort Tuesday night was the longest relief appearance by a pitcher this season and the longest for the Phillies since Tommy Greene went 7.2 innings April 20, 1991 at St. Louis. ...LHP Cole Hamels, who had been scheduled to start Wednesday night, was scratched from the start because of posterior shoulder symptoms and returned to Philadelphia for further evaluation. Jon Lieber replaced him as Wednesday's starter. ... Rookie C-OF Chris Coste was the only position player not used in Tuesday night's 16-inning marathon. He has not played yet. When he does he will become at age 33, the oldest Phillies rookie since Izzy Leon in 1945, who was 34 when he made his major league debut.
NEW YORK: RF Xavier Nady sat out his second straight game with lower back soreness. He expects to return to action Thursday. ... Mets home attendance is up almost 200,000 after 22 games. Last year, the team drew 705,920 for the first 22 home dates. This year, attendance is 902,882 for the same period. ... Mets pitchers went into Wednesday night's game leading the majors with 365 strikeouts. The Chicago Cubs are second with 336. ... SS Jose Reyes went into Thursday night's game with 18 stolen bases, tied for the major league lead with Scott Podsednik of the Chicago White Sox.
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MILWAUKEE: LHP Chris Capuano, Friday's starter at Philadelphia, has produced quality starts (six innings, three or fewer earned runs) in each of his first 10 starts this season. ... C Damian Miller returned to the starting lineup Wednesday after missing the first two games of the series. Miller left Sunday's 5-3 win over Minnesota in the fourth inning with back spasms. He snapped a 0-for-13 slump with a second-inning leadoff single. ... Carlos Lee's first-inning single Wednesday was his first hit in eight at bats in the series. He went into the game with three hits in his last 30 at bats. ... Prince Fielder's first-inning sacrifice fly was his first of the season.
CINCINNATI: LF Adam Dunn missed his first start of the season and SS Felipe Lopez his second Wednesday. Manager Jerry Narron was trying to get the most out of Thursday's day off. ``I just really think Felipe needed a day off, and with Thursday, it's two days'' Narron said. ``Even if I was tired, I wouldn't tell you,'' Lopez said. ``I never get tired of playing this game.'' ... LHP Kent Mercker expects to be ready Friday, when he's eligible to come off the disabled list. Mercker, who has an inflamed elbow, threw on the side before Wednesday's game. ``I threw until I got tired,'' Mercker said. ``I just wanted to test it and push it a little bit. I threw all of my pitches with no problem.'' ... The Reds are 6-1-1 in eight series at Great American Ball Park.
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ATLANTA - John Smoltz's next start will be pushed back from Saturday to Sunday to give him an extra day's rest. Saturday's starter at Chicago will either be Jorge Sosa on three days rest or LHP Horacio Ramirez, who would have to come off the DL. ... C Brian McCann tweaked his sprained ankle while pinch-hitting on Tuesday night. ... Padres rookie 2B Josh Barfield dropped by the Braves dugout during batting practice to pass along a greeting from his dad, former AL home run king Jesse Barfield, to Atlanta manager Bobby Cox. Jesse Barfield played for Cox in Toronto in the early 1980s. Cox couldn't resist ribbing Barfield by asking, ``Did you go around on the check-swing?'' On Tuesday night, Barfield checked his swing in the seventh, which was ruled a ball. Barfield then hit a grounder that bounced off third baseman Chipper Jones' chest for an error, bringing in the go-ahead run.
SAN DIEGO - C Rob Bowen is scheduled to begin a two-game minor league rehab on Friday with Class A Lake Elsinore, then be activated. He's been on the DL since May 11 with a sprained left thumb. ... LHP Shawn Estes had a setback in his rehab and will take longer than originally expected to return from a strained ligament in his pitching elbow. He was put on the DL after his first start of the season.
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COLORADO: The Rockies take Thursday off before playing a three-game series in San Francisco. Manager Clint Hurdle said he'd prefer not seeing Barry Bonds hit his 715th career homer in person. ``I don't think it has the significance that it once might have,'' Hurdle said. ``I mean, 756 makes a whole lot more noise than 715 does. It's not a record. Hammerin' Hank's got the record.'' Bonds is tied with Babe Ruth for second on baseball's all-time list with 714 homers. Hank Aaron holds the record with 755. ... The Rockies went 10-3 on the road in April, but entered Wednesday night's game with a 2-8 road record in May. They are 8-3 at home this month. ... Even after losing the first two games of their series at Dodger Stadium, the Rockies had a 25-21 record, matching the second-best start through 46 games in franchise history. They were 14-32 at this stage last year.
LOS ANGELES: The Dodgers have won their last six series - the first time they've accomplished such a feat in nearly two years. ... OF Jayson Werth, who underwent surgery in November to repair two torn ligaments in his wrist and hasn't played this season, had a cortisone shot and his wrist was placed in a cast. ``He has scar tissue that is irritated and inflamed,'' head athletic trainer Stan Johnston said. ``It is a setback.'' Johnston said Werth's wrist will be in a cast for 3-to-4 weeks and he'll probably need another 2-to-3 weeks of rehab after that before resuming baseball activities. Johnston said Werth was examined by three doctors this week before hand specialist Dr. Norman Zemel took the latest course of action. ... Johnston also said that an MRI on C Dioner Navarro's right wrist showed no tears, and he'll have a cortisone injection Thursday. Navarro hasn't played since May 4, when he was injured by a foul tip.
May 24, 2006
CLEVELAND: LHP C.C. Sabathia showed he can field his position with a nimble play in the first inning. Sabathia barehanded a drag bunt from Nick Punto near the mound, raced over to first base and dived to tag Punto, who also was diving. Although replays seemed to show that Sabathia actually missed the tag, manager Eric Wedge was still impressed. ``He made a great play,'' Wedge said. ``He's a great athlete, aggressive and fearless.'' ... CF Grady Sizemore has hit safely in six straight games, batting .333 (9-for-27) with three homers and nine RBIs. ... The Indians have won seven of their last eight games against the Twins dating to last season, but just two of their past seven at the Metrodome.
MINNESOTA: 2B Nick Punto said the Twins appreciate how manager Ron Gardenhire sticks up for them. Gardenhire was ejected in the fifth inning after arguing with umpires for a third time about a call. It was his fourth ejection of the season and 24th of his career. ``That's the best thing about him is that he protects us,'' Punto said. ``That doesn't go unnoticed by the 25 of us.'' ... CF Torii Hunter went 1-for-3 to extend his hitting streak to nine games. ``I'm just waiting for my pitch,'' said Hunter, batting .364 (12-for-33) during the streak. ``If you don't pitch to me, I'll take a walk.'' ... RHP pitcher Brad Radke gave up 10 or more hits for the fifth time this season, and opponents are batting .426 against him in the first inning.
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LOS ANGELES: Utility man Maicer Izturis, recovering from a strained left hamstring, will begin an injury-rehab assignment Friday with Class AAA Salt Lake. ... Manager Mike Scioscia indicated there could be playing time for youngsters such as Kendry Morales and Dallas McPherson even after Darin Erstad returns from the disabled list. ``We need production from whoever's going to be in the lineup. There's certainly jobs to be won out there. Nothing's going to be ordained.'' ... Los Angeles has won 10 of its last 12 games against the Rangers, but Scioscia said, ``It doesn't seem like it. Those guys battle us every out.''
TEXAS: Rookie 2B Ian Kinsler is expected to be activated from the disabled list Thursday. Kinsler was hitting .476 when he dislocated his left thumb April 11 while being thrown out on a stolen base attempt. ``If everything goes well, he'll be at second base. Otherwise, he wouldn't be coming,'' manager Buck Showalter said ... Texas began the day with a one-game lead in the American League West, but Wednesday's loss dropped the Rangers to 10-14 at home. ... The Rangers entered the game with a .295 batting average with runners in scoring position, but in both the fifth and seventh innings they failed to advance runners who led off with doubles.
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NEW YORK: The Yankees recalled LHP Matt Smith from Triple-A Columbus and optioned OF Kevin Reese to Columbus. ... New York has used 17 different starting alignments in the outfield, the most in the majors, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. ... RF Melky Cabrera batted leadoff Wednesday when manager Joe Torre decided to sit out CF Johnny Damon, who has a foot injury. Torre said he put Cabrera in the first spot so he wouldn't have to rearrange the rest of the lineup. ... RHP Mike Mussina, who starts against Kansas City on Friday after New York's off day, is 6-1 and has won at least six of his first seven decisions for the third time in his career.
BOSTON: CF Coco Crisp was expected to play extended spring training games in Fort Myers, Fla., on Thursday and Friday and then join Triple-A Pawtucket for one game Saturday. Crisp, who played just five games this season before going on the disabled list, is expected to return to the Red Sox on Monday. ... Manny Ramirez homered in his third straight game when he hit a solo shot in the first inning Wednesday. ... The Red Sox placed LHP Lenny DiNardo on the 15-day disabled list with a neck strain and recalled RHP Jermaine Van Buren from Pawtucket. ... CF Wily Mo Pena returned to the starting lineup after missing two games with a sore left wrist.
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TAMPA BAY: OF Rocco Baldelli began a 20-day rehab assignment at Triple-A Durham on Tuesday. He went 2-for-4 with two runs scored as the DH versus the Richmond Braves. On Wednesday, he went 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBIs and played RF. Baldelli has not played in a game for the Devil Rays since Oct. 2, 2004. ... 2B Jorge Cantu (left foot fracture) will begin playing in extended spring games on Thursday.
TORONTO: RF Alex Rios has hit in 11 straight. .... RHP Roy Halladay will be given an extra day of rest before his next start. Halladay will pitch against Boston on Monday instead of Chicago on Sunday. Manager John Gibbons says Halladay is past the strained forearm that bothered him earlier this season. Rookie Ty Taubenheim will pitch Sunday against Chicago. ... RHP A.J. Burnett (sore right elbow) will throw on Monday for the first time since leaving a start on April 21. He's made just two starts this season.
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OAKLAND: RHP Esteban Loaiza threw a simulated game Wednesday and showed some increased velocity and good touch on his pitches. ``Looming,'' manager Ken Macha said when asked if Loaiza would be sent on a rehab assignment. Loaiza was a 21-game winner and the All-Star Game starter with the White Sox in 2003. The A's are his third team since leaving Chicago in a 2004 trade with the Yankees. That deal has turned out to be a big one for the White Sox because they got Jose Contreras in return. Loaiza has a strained trapezius muscle. ... A's pitchers walked 16 batters in the first two games of the series, including nine Tuesday night. In their seven previous games they had walked just 17.
CHICAGO: 2B Tadahito Iguchi was out of the lineup for the second straight night with a sore right foot, an injury he got from fouling a ball off it. The White Sox have a day off Thursday and manager Ozzie Guillen wanted to make sure Iguchi was pain free before the team begins a three-game series on the artificial turf in Toronto on Friday. Alex Cintron started at second. Iguchi has been one of the White Sox's hottest hitters with seven hits, including three homers, and seven RBIs in his previous 17 at-bats. ... The White Sox have used 22 different lineups this season. ... AL home run leader Jim Thome, who left Tuesday night's game for a pinch-runner after singling in the eighth because of a sore right groin, was in the lineup.
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DETROIT: Tuesday night's come-from-behind 8-5 victory was No. 1,100 for manager Jim Leyland. ``It just means I've had a lot of good players,'' he said. Leyland is the 45th manager to reach that mark and one of five active managers to do so. ... When CF Curtis Granderson commits an error, it will bring an end to the longest errorless steak of any Tigers outfielder to begin his major league career. Tuesday night's game, in which he had three hits and three RBIs, was his 97th without an error. ... The Tigers have three players on the DL - RHP Troy Percival, RHP Craig Dingman and INF/OF Dmitri Young.
KANSAS CITY: Mark Redman, who'd been slated to start Wednesday night's game, was placed on bereavement leave. He also had an MRI on his elbow, which had been sore, but manager Buddy Bell said he would not have been with the team regardless. Bereavement leave is a minimum of three days and a maximum of seven. Bell said there had not been a death in Redman's family, but that it involved ``somebody close to him.'' RHP Leo Nunez was recalled from Double-A Wichita to take his roster spot. LHP Jimmy Gobble was given his start. ... DH/1B Mike Sweeney said the herniated disc in the cervical region of his spine has been slow to heal. Surgery remains a possibility. He still hopes to get back this year.
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BALTIMORE: Manager Sam Perlozzo said LHP John Halama likely earned a Sunday start against the Los Angeles Angels when he allowed four hits and two runs over five innings in beating his former Seattle Mariners on Tuesday. The 34-year-old lefty was an emergency fill-in after rookie Hayden Penn had an appendectomy Monday night. Halama earned his first win as a starter since Oct. 3, 2004, with Tampa Bay at Detroit. Perlozzo had said rookie Adam Loewen, called up on Tuesday, would likely get the Sunday start. But that was before Halama's work and Loewen, the 2002 fourth overall pick, allowing a run on a walk, hit-batsman and single in 1-3 of an inning Tuesday. ... 2B Brian Roberts (strained left groin) was activated from the 15-day DL before the game. INF Ed Rogers was optioned back to Triple-A Ottawa.
SEATTLE: Manager Mike Hargrove said he spoke to RHP Joel Pineiro after his starter allowed at least five earned runs for a third consecutive outing on Tuesday. And he told Pineiro (4-5), who has allowed at least five earned runs in five of his 10 starts, he is still good. ``I think everyone needs to hear, 'You know what, you really are good' - just for self-confidence and self-worth,'' Hargrove said. Pineiro said after Tuesday's game that he had no life on his fastball and was forced to rely on offspeed breaking pitches - and Baltimore knowingly keyed on those. ... Seattle entered Wednesday 4-4 in their span of 16 straight games without a day off. ... Ichiro Suzuki was batting .177 on April 18. The perennial All-Star started Wednesday batting .322 - his highest since the season's opening week.
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CHICAGO: Kerry Wood's third start of the season is scheduled for Sunday, but Manager Dusty Baker said it could be pushed back. We'll see how he feels after two outings, Baker said. He was a little stiff yesterday. We'll see if he needs an extra day. ... Glendon Rusch or Jae Kuk Ryu would get the start on Sunday if the Cubs decide to push back Wood's start. ... Lack of hitting from the second base position continues to be a problem for the Cubs since they moved Todd Walker to first base to replace the injured Derreck Lee. Neifi Perez, Jerry Hairston Jr. and Freddie Bynum, who have split the starts at second base since Walker was moved, all are batting .221 or worse. Baker said one option could be promoting veteran Tony Womack from Triple-A Iowa.
FLORIDA: LHP Dontrelle Willis will be pitching on five days rest Saturday against the Mets after manager Joe Girardi decided against moving up Willis following the team's off day Thursday. Girardi said his decision was based partly on the fact Willis pitched 17 innings in his last two starts. ... RHP Franklyn German (shoulder) was scheduled to pitch for Class-A Jupiter on Wednesday and could be activated from the disabled list as early as Friday. Girardi said RHP Carlos Martinez (elbow) could be activated in about two weeks. ... C-OF Josh Willingham, hitless in his last 12 at-bats, was given the day off Wednesday.
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ST. LOUIS: Juan Encarnacion drove in five runs during the three-game series: one Monday night, three Tuesday and another Wednesday. ... RHP Chris Carpenter was scratched before the game with swelling in the right side of his upper back near the shoulder blade. RHP reliever Brad Thompson made a fill-in start for the Cardinals, his first career outing as a starter, and went two innings. Carpenter, a 21-game winner last season and the reigning NL Cy Young award winner, is 4-2 this season with a 2.63 ERA and has been hurt by a lack of run support. Jason Marquis, Tuesday's winning pitcher, pinch-hit for Thompson in the third and tripled to start the inning. ... Braden Looper's eighth-inning double was the first of his career and only his second hit ever. ... The Cardinals bounced back after losing the series opener 9-2 Monday night to win their sixth straight series.
SAN FRANCISCO: Dan Ortmeier made his first start of the season for the Giants, playing RF, but he was optioned to Triple-A Fresno after the game. Also, the Giants optioned struggling RHP reliever Scott Munter to Double-A Connecticut. The Giants want Ortmeier to play every day again. The Giants will add a position player and a pitcher before Friday night's series opener against the Colorado Rockies. Munter, who has a 7.71 ERA in 19 appearances, allowed four earned runs and walked three batters Wednesday. ... Injured RF Moises Alou, sidelined with a sprained right ankle, had an MRI exam on his sore right thumb and it revealed a sprain. ... 1B Lance Niekro, expected to be activated from the disabled list Tuesday at Florida following a right shoulder injury, played catch for the first time before the game. ``It's a good thing that it didn't hurt,'' he said.
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PITTSBURGH: 1B Sean Casey, recovering from a fractured back, will begin a rehabilitation stint with Double-A Altoona Friday at Erie. ... The Pirates, who came into Wednesday with a 14-32 record, have won back-to-back games three times this year. ... Jason Bay has reached base safely in 20 of his 21 games this month. Bay has homered seven times in his last seven games. ... After being swept in a three-game series in Phoenix this week, Pittsburgh is 13-21 all-time in Chase Field, formerly known as Bank One Ballpark.
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ARIZONA: The Diamondbacks will travel Thursday to Cincinnati, where they launch a 10-game trip that includes three games with the Reds, three with the New York Mets and four with the Atlanta Braves. ... RHP Brandon Webb will start the series opener Friday in Cincinnati. Webb is 7-0, which ties former Arizona ace Randy Johnson for the best start in franchise history. Johnson won his first seven decisions in 2000. ... LHP Terry Mulholland, on the disabled list with an inflamed left elbow, will start for Triple-A Tucson Saturday. He's on a 70-pitch limit. Mulholland could be ready to return to the Diamondbacks within a week. ... With 510 career doubles heading into Wednesday, OF Luis Gonzalez is tied with Rickey Henderson for 37th on the all-time list. His next double will put him in a tie for 36th with Mark Grace, now a Diamondback broadcaster.
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HOUSTON: For the second straight game, the Astros took a field trip. After Tuesday's visit to injured servicemen and women at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, about 45 members of the organization spent part of Wednesday touring the Pentagon. ``I think the highlight probably was when they briefed us on the world situation and the war on terror,'' manager Phil Garner said. ``You look at that map, the way they have it up there, you see the perspective. They keep a pulse on the whole world.'' Garner said he was antsy when he saw the red button that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld uses to call the president in an emergency. ``I didn't want to hit one and have bells and whistles go off, and all of a sudden you see the missiles going across the screens. I had all these visions that flashed in my head.'' ... Lance Berkman began the game needing one hit to reach 1,000 for his career.
WASHINGTON: Members of the group buying the Nationals team held their first meeting with players and coaches, a closed-door session that lasted about 30 minutes prior to batting practice. ``They spoke their piece and they introduced everybody,'' shortstop Royce Clayton said. ``It was a kind of a quick meet-and-greet.'' The group also held a separate meeting with front office employees and announced four appointments. Bob Wolfe will serve as executive vice president under team president Kasten, and Al Maldon (external affairs), Mike Shapiro (business affairs) and Tom Ward (marketing) will be senior vice presidents. The group expects to take over the team in three or four weeks, once the sale is completed. ... RHP Zach Day, on the disabled list after leaving Monday's game early, underwent an MRI and apparently will not need surgery on his sore shoulder.
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PHILADELPHIA: RHP Ryan Madson's seven-inning, 105-pitch relief effort Tuesday night was the longest relief appearance by a pitcher this season and the longest for the Phillies since Tommy Greene went 7.2 innings April 20, 1991 at St. Louis. ...LHP Cole Hamels, who had been scheduled to start Wednesday night, was scratched from the start because of posterior shoulder symptoms and returned to Philadelphia for further evaluation. Jon Lieber replaced him as Wednesday's starter. ... Rookie C-OF Chris Coste was the only position player not used in Tuesday night's 16-inning marathon. He has not played yet. When he does he will become at age 33, the oldest Phillies rookie since Izzy Leon in 1945, who was 34 when he made his major league debut.
NEW YORK: RF Xavier Nady sat out his second straight game with lower back soreness. He expects to return to action Thursday. ... Mets home attendance is up almost 200,000 after 22 games. Last year, the team drew 705,920 for the first 22 home dates. This year, attendance is 902,882 for the same period. ... Mets pitchers went into Wednesday night's game leading the majors with 365 strikeouts. The Chicago Cubs are second with 336. ... SS Jose Reyes went into Thursday night's game with 18 stolen bases, tied for the major league lead with Scott Podsednik of the Chicago White Sox.
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MILWAUKEE: LHP Chris Capuano, Friday's starter at Philadelphia, has produced quality starts (six innings, three or fewer earned runs) in each of his first 10 starts this season. ... C Damian Miller returned to the starting lineup Wednesday after missing the first two games of the series. Miller left Sunday's 5-3 win over Minnesota in the fourth inning with back spasms. He snapped a 0-for-13 slump with a second-inning leadoff single. ... Carlos Lee's first-inning single Wednesday was his first hit in eight at bats in the series. He went into the game with three hits in his last 30 at bats. ... Prince Fielder's first-inning sacrifice fly was his first of the season.
CINCINNATI: LF Adam Dunn missed his first start of the season and SS Felipe Lopez his second Wednesday. Manager Jerry Narron was trying to get the most out of Thursday's day off. ``I just really think Felipe needed a day off, and with Thursday, it's two days'' Narron said. ``Even if I was tired, I wouldn't tell you,'' Lopez said. ``I never get tired of playing this game.'' ... LHP Kent Mercker expects to be ready Friday, when he's eligible to come off the disabled list. Mercker, who has an inflamed elbow, threw on the side before Wednesday's game. ``I threw until I got tired,'' Mercker said. ``I just wanted to test it and push it a little bit. I threw all of my pitches with no problem.'' ... The Reds are 6-1-1 in eight series at Great American Ball Park.
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ATLANTA - John Smoltz's next start will be pushed back from Saturday to Sunday to give him an extra day's rest. Saturday's starter at Chicago will either be Jorge Sosa on three days rest or LHP Horacio Ramirez, who would have to come off the DL. ... C Brian McCann tweaked his sprained ankle while pinch-hitting on Tuesday night. ... Padres rookie 2B Josh Barfield dropped by the Braves dugout during batting practice to pass along a greeting from his dad, former AL home run king Jesse Barfield, to Atlanta manager Bobby Cox. Jesse Barfield played for Cox in Toronto in the early 1980s. Cox couldn't resist ribbing Barfield by asking, ``Did you go around on the check-swing?'' On Tuesday night, Barfield checked his swing in the seventh, which was ruled a ball. Barfield then hit a grounder that bounced off third baseman Chipper Jones' chest for an error, bringing in the go-ahead run.
SAN DIEGO - C Rob Bowen is scheduled to begin a two-game minor league rehab on Friday with Class A Lake Elsinore, then be activated. He's been on the DL since May 11 with a sprained left thumb. ... LHP Shawn Estes had a setback in his rehab and will take longer than originally expected to return from a strained ligament in his pitching elbow. He was put on the DL after his first start of the season.
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COLORADO: The Rockies take Thursday off before playing a three-game series in San Francisco. Manager Clint Hurdle said he'd prefer not seeing Barry Bonds hit his 715th career homer in person. ``I don't think it has the significance that it once might have,'' Hurdle said. ``I mean, 756 makes a whole lot more noise than 715 does. It's not a record. Hammerin' Hank's got the record.'' Bonds is tied with Babe Ruth for second on baseball's all-time list with 714 homers. Hank Aaron holds the record with 755. ... The Rockies went 10-3 on the road in April, but entered Wednesday night's game with a 2-8 road record in May. They are 8-3 at home this month. ... Even after losing the first two games of their series at Dodger Stadium, the Rockies had a 25-21 record, matching the second-best start through 46 games in franchise history. They were 14-32 at this stage last year.
LOS ANGELES: The Dodgers have won their last six series - the first time they've accomplished such a feat in nearly two years. ... OF Jayson Werth, who underwent surgery in November to repair two torn ligaments in his wrist and hasn't played this season, had a cortisone shot and his wrist was placed in a cast. ``He has scar tissue that is irritated and inflamed,'' head athletic trainer Stan Johnston said. ``It is a setback.'' Johnston said Werth's wrist will be in a cast for 3-to-4 weeks and he'll probably need another 2-to-3 weeks of rehab after that before resuming baseball activities. Johnston said Werth was examined by three doctors this week before hand specialist Dr. Norman Zemel took the latest course of action. ... Johnston also said that an MRI on C Dioner Navarro's right wrist showed no tears, and he'll have a cortisone injection Thursday. Navarro hasn't played since May 4, when he was injured by a foul tip.
