Notes from Thursday's games
June 15, 2006
BALTIMORE: The Orioles have lost 20 of their last 27 on the road. ... Baltimore manager Sam Perlozzo confirmed that he and other members of the organization are scheduled to be interviewed by investigators next week as part of baseball's probe into performance-enhancing drugs. ... RHP Daniel Cabrera had his string of 12 consecutive scoreless innings snapped when Eric Hinske homered in the second inning. Cabrera hadn't given up a run since returning from the 15 disabled list. He had inflammation in his right shoulder. ... The Orioles are a season-worst eight games below .500. ... Baltimore is 9-23 against teams with records of .500 or better. ... Major League Baseball announced Thursday that games on Father's Day will have a sixth-inning stretch to raise awareness of prostate cancer. Public service announcements will be shown at ballparks across the majors, and players, umpires and managers will wear blue wristbands for the occasion.
TORONTO: 2B Russ Adams threw wildly to first while trying to convert a double play in the fourth. The Blue Jays sent Adams down to Triple-A Syracuse and converted into a second baseman after he had difficulty making throws to first. Nine of his 10 errors were on throwing errors to first. ... The Blue Jays matched a season-high by moving nine games above .500. ... LHP Ted Lilly has recorded 20 strikeouts over his last two starts.
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TAMPA BAY: Manager Joe Maddon was impressed by several things about the Detroit Tigers during Thursday's 6-2 loss, but he was most surprised by their marksmanship. Both Magglio Ordonez and Vance Wilson hit balls off starting pitcher Casey Fossum's slender right calf. ``That's not easy to do,'' Maddon joked. ``They should go to one of the casinos tonight, because if you can hit his calves, you are good.'' ... Tampa Bay hit just .162 in its four-game visit to Detroit, losing three of the four games. ``Their pitching is outstanding,'' Maddon said. ``That's the best in the league.''
DETROIT: Manager Jim Leyland doesn't have much hope for his pitchers when they bat during Detroit's upcoming trips to Chicago and Milwaukee. ``I'm just hoping they come up in a lot of bunt situations,'' he said. ``I don't expect them to get any hits. If they do, it is a bonus.'' ... C Vance Wilson, despite playing irregularly behind All-Star Ivan Rodriguez, is hitting .326 in his last 15 games. ``Vance is always ready - he doesn't sit and pout when he doesn't play,'' Leyland said. ``We couldn't ask for a better catching tandem.''
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CLEVELAND: Hollandsworth's home run gave Cleveland homers in 13 straight games and a major league best of 51 of 65 games. It was his first of the year. ... Lee threw 97 pitches, 65 for strikes. ... Indians won for just the third time in their last 16 games at Yankee Stadium since the start of the 2002 season. ... Cleveland continues its road trip with an interleague series in Milwaukee, team's first visit to that city since 2000.
NEW YORK: The theme for June 24 Oldtimer's Day will be a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Don Larsen's World Series perfect game against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Thirteen members of the 1956 World Championship team will return to Yankee Stadium including Larsen and Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra. ... CF Johnny Damon left the game in the eighth inning after feeling a slight twinge in his right hamstring. He expects to play Friday in Washington. ... Cabrera's home run ended a stretch of 130 at-bats without a home run for the rookie outfielder.
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SEATTLE: LHP Jarrod Washburn saw his road ERA balloon to 6.14 from 4.66 after allowing six runs in five innings. Washburn's 3.47 career road ERA is more than 1.00 lower than his home ERA (4.56). Washburn and San Francisco Giants RHP Jamey Wright are the only active pitchers with a career ERA on the road at least a run lower than home. Wright pitched with the Colorado Rockies for six of his 12 big-league seasons. ... OF Ichiro Suzuki extended his hitting streak to 15 games with an infield single in the fifth inning. It's the ninth time - the second this season - Suzuki has had a hitting streak of at least 15 games. Joey Cora accomplished the feat five times with the Mariners. A hitting streak of at least 15 games has occurred 34 times in Mariners history. ... Yuniesky Betancourt leads all AL shortstops with 51 double plays turned.
OAKLAND: DH Frank Thomas went on the disabled list for the fourth time in three years, this time with a strained right quad. Thomas tried to play through the injury, which he originally hurt on May 11 in Toronto. ``The worse thing to do is to get compensation injuries, when you're trying make up for one injury and get another,'' head trainer Larry Davis said. ``Instead of short term, it could turn into six-to-eight weeks.'' Thomas will continue to take batting practice and will likely accompany the team when it travels to three National League cities beginning Monday. ... RHP Esteban Loaiza was on the mound about 24 hours after being released from jail in Alameda County. He was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after police clocked his Ferrari going more than 120 mph on a freeway near San Lorenzo, about seven miles from the Coliseum, early Wednesday morning. ``This is a very serious situation,'' manager Ken Macha said. ``It will not be taken lightly.'' ... OF Bobby Kielty's third-inning home run was the 11,000th in Athletics franchise history. Lave Cross hit the A's first home run on April 30, 1901. Mickey Cochrane hit the 1,000th homer 26 years later. Miguel Tejada hit the 10,000th homer five years ago. ... LHP Barry Zito is 7-6 with a 3.81 ERA in 17 career interleague starts. ... After committing one error in their previous 13 games, the A's made two errors in the second inning against the Mariners.
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CHICAGO: The White Sox have a weekend series in Cincinnati at homer-friendly Great American Ball Park, but Guillen doesn't want his hitters to get caught up in long-ball contest with the Reds. ``The ball is flying there, but we can't worry about the ball park,'' Guillen said. ``We have to play our game no matter who we face.'' ... Guillen will give DH Jim Thome his first start of the season at 1B on Sunday against the Reds.
TEXAS: Manager Buck Showalter is using Mark DeRosa in a number of different roles to keep his bat in the lineup. DeRosa, who has played 2B, 3B, LF, RF and DH, started the night batting .336. ``I think Mark's capable of being an everyday anything,'' Showalter said. ``He's kind of our regular irregular.'' ... Showalter said the three-game weekend series against the Arizona Diamondbacks - the team he managed from 1998-2000 - will be nothing special for him. ``There aren't many people left from when I was there,'' Showalter said.
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BOSTON: The Red Sox acquired LH reliever Javier Lopez from the White Sox on Thursday, and with their rotation struggling, manager Terry Francona was asked if he and general manager Theo Epstein had discussions about acquiring a starter. ``We talk about everything,'' Francona said. ``He's been so supportive.'' Francona said he's often reluctant to ask for a certain type of player, out of duty to the club he's managing. ``My responsibility is to get the most out of everyone in the clubhouse, and that's how I feel,'' Francona said. ... Francona was optimistic about Friday's starter, 22-year-old Jon Lester, who was so-so in his first outing last week. ``Who knows when we'll see the finished product ... but he's a real bright kid who wants to learn. He'll get better,'' Francona said.
MINNESOTA: LF Shannon Stewart was sore before Thursday's game, and his comeback from a plantar fascia injury in his left foot has been slow. It will be at least another week, manager Ron Gardenhire, until he's sent on a rehabilitation assignment. Stewart has been out since May 20. When he returns, it will likely be as a full-time DH to allow young Jason Kubel to develop in the outfield. ... The Twins have been distributing ``Vote for Joe'' buttons and encouraging fans to vote for catcher Joe Mauer on their All-Star ballots. Mauer is leading the majors in batting, but he's not currently among the top five vote-getters at his position. Boston's Jason Varitek is first.
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KANSAS CITY: After wrapping up their four-game set in Anaheim on Thursday, the Royals go to Houston for their first series there against the Astros since 2000. ... Heading into the series finale against the Angels, the Royals had scored 50 runs in June, with half of those coming in two games - nine runs at Seattle on June 3 and 16 against Texas on June 8. Kansas City averaged just 2.3 runs in the other 11 games. ... Going into Thursday night's game against Anaheim, 2B Mike Grudzielanek had made no errors this season, handling 269 total chances in 57 games. His fielding streak, which extends back to Sept. 2 of last season when he was with St. Louis, was at 75 games, 334 total chances.
LOS ANGELES: RHP Bartolo Colon, last year's AL Cy Young winner, is expected to start either Sunday or Monday in his return from the DL. Colon has been sidelined since April 16 by tendinitis in his right shoulder. ``I feel strong,'' Colon, 0-2 with a 7.07 ERA in three starts before going on the DL, said through a translator on Thursday. Colon's return means the Angels will have to open a spot in the rotation. Rookie Jered Weaver is 4-0 with a 1.37 ERA since being called up on May 26. ``We have six starters right now who can do the job,'' Colon said. Among the possibilities are sending Weaver back to the minors, or moving his older brother Jeff, who is 3-9 with a 6.15 ERA, out of the rotation and into the bullpen. ... A fielding error by Gold Glover SS Orlando Cabrera in the first inning Thursday night - on a mishandled throw - led to the 46th unearned run allowed by the Angels this season and eclipsed last year's total. Chone Figgins, who has split time between center field and third base, has made a team-high 11 of the Angels' 50 errors. ``One of our strengths has always been pitching and defense,'' said RHP Kelvim Escobar, the victim of 14 unearned runs. ``We haven't been able to make some key plays, and it's hurt our team. You don't want to give up extra outs, because anyone can hurt you. It can be the Yankees, it can be Kansas City, it doesn't matter. This is the big leagues.''
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ST. LOUIS: The Cardinals are 21-8 in day games. ... LHP Mark Mulder has allowed 23 earned runs and 36 hits in 19 innings over his last four starts, a 10.89 ERA.
PITTSBURGH: The Pirates are 1-10 in home day games. ... The Pirates haven't won a series against St. Louis since sweeping three games June 28-30, 2004, in Pittsburgh.
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NEW YORK: David Wright has a nine-game hitting streak. He's 15-for-38 (.395) with four homers and 12 RBIs in that stretch. Wright has 28 RBIs in his last 30 games. ... CF Carlos Beltran has a hit and RBI in eight straight games in which he's batting .471 (16-for-34). ... OF Cliff Floyd remained out of the starting lineup. He hasn't played since twisting his left ankle last Tuesday in Los Angeles. ... The Mets swept the Phillies for the first time since May 31-June 2, 2004, in Philadelphia. ... The Mets are 15-5 with two ties in 22 series. They've won seven of the last eight series.
PHILADELPHIA: Cole Hamels (1-1) makes his fifth start on Friday night against Tampa Bay. The rookie left-hander is coming off the worst outing - four runs in five innings - of his brief career. ... RF Bobby Abreu drew his major league-leading 67th walk. ... 2B Chase Utley's average has fallen to .299 with a 5-for-38 slump. ... The Phillies have homered in 14 straight games. ... Reliever Rheal Cormier hasn't allowed a run at home in 17 games, dating to last season and spanning 16 innings. ... The Phillies have been swept three times this season. They are 16-19 at home, the worst record at home for any non-losing team.
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COLORADO: With four sacrifice bunts on Thursday, the Rockies increased their season total to 49, tops in the majors. OF Cory Sullivan had a major league-record four Wednesday, and his three Thursday gave him a record seven over two games. In the fifth and seventh on Thursday, Jamey Carroll reached base, was bunted to second by Sullivan and scored on subsequent hits. ``You're just setting up dominoes,'' manager Clint Hurdle said. ... Carroll finished the four-game series 8-for-18 with seven runs scored, one home run and two RBIs. The Nationals sold Carroll to the Rockies in February. ... OF Garrett Atkins' 14-game hitting streak is the second longest of his career. He had hits in 16 straight games from Aug. 25-Sept. 11, 2005.
WASHINGTON: John Wetteland was removed as bullpen coach and offered another job with the organization. Manager Frank Robinson said he asked Wetteland several times to get the team's relievers to focus more and cut down on practical jokes, such as lighting firecrackers. ``He just didn't conform with the way I wanted things done out there in the bullpen. I talked to him on a number of occasions,'' Robinson said after Thursday's 8-1 loss to Colorado. ``I never talked to a bullpen coach as much as I talked to him about that situation and the problem. It started in spring training and carried right over into yesterday.'' Nationals relievers have 12 saves in 21 chances this season, with a 7-12 record and a 4.41 ERA. ... LF Alfonso Soriano says he's now comfortable playing in the outfield and would prefer not to be traded by the Washington Nationals during the season. Asked before Thursday's 8-1 loss to Colorado if he'd be OK staying in Washington through the end of the season, Soriano said: ``Yeah, because I don't like half and half - start here and finish with another team. But if it happens, I have to live with that. I don't have control over the situation. I like to start my season with one team and finish with that team.''
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HOUSTON: Morgan Ensberg was available to pinch hit in the Astros' 3-2 win over the Cubs on Thursday, manager Phil Garner said, but he didn't play. Mike Lamb started at third. Ensberg, who has missed five straight games with a bruised right shoulder, could lift his arm above his head and said he felt better. ... The Astros are preparing for 15 straight games against AL opponents, beginning with six games at home against Kansas City and Minnesota starting Friday. ``I don't know that it matters,'' Garner said of the unfamiliar competition. ... Craig Biggio got a day off at second and Chris Burke filled in for him. Burke had been playing for Willy Taveras in center, but Taveras started and led off Thursday. Burke went 2-for-3, scoring the tying run. He was 7-for-11 in the series and is hitting .400 over his last nine games.
CHICAGO: Carlos Zambrano's 107 pitches Thursday is tied for his fifth-lowest count over 15 starts. He threw 126 in each of his last two starts and he said his arm felt ``heavy'' Thursday. Zambrano didn't attribute it to overwork and he hit 96 mph on his fastball. ``You're not going to feel perfect every time you go out there for 35 starts,'' pitching coach Larry Rothschild said. ... Freddie Bynum got the start in left field Thursday for Matt Murton, who was hitless in his last two games, and manager Dusty Baker intimated that the two might share a platoon role. Bynum responded going 1-for-4 with a triple. ``It's a little bit of an opportunity for me,'' Bynum said. ``I just have to get in there and play my heart out and whatever happens, happens.'' ... The Cubs play at Cleveland and Minnesota in the next six games and Baker has been freshening up on these teams he said he hasn't seen in person since finishing his career with Oakland in 1986. He even asked White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen for some help, but wouldn't relay what Guillen told him.
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LOS ANGELES: RHP Chad Billingsley had an impressive big league debut, allowing two runs and six hits in 5 1-3 innings while also getting his first hit, a two-run single. He didn't get the decision in the Dodgers' 7-3 win over San Diego. ... Jeff Kent hit his 11th double, giving him 484 for his career, tying him with Hal McRae for 57th on the career list.
SAN DIEGO: The Padres agreed to terms with OF Kyler Burke, their first-round compensation pick in last week's draft. The Padres have signed or agreed to terms with 22 of their drafted players. ... Vinny Castilla hit his first career pinch-hit homer on Thursday.
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ARIZONA: RHP Juan Cruz, who is on the 15-day DL with right shoulder soreness, had an MRI on Thursday after experiencing stiffness in the shoulder following a bullpen throwing session, manager Bob Melvin said. The team will re-evaluate Cruz in the next few days. ... Melvin said the Diamondbacks' staff is working to solve the recent struggles of RHP Jose Valverde, who was demoted from the closer role recently. In an 11-4 loss to San Francisco on Wednesday night, Valverde gave up four runs on four consecutive hits, including a three-run homer by Barry Bonds. ``We're looking at video,'' Melvin said. ``He's an emotional guy and he's going through a tough time.''
SAN FRANCISCO: With a day game after a night game, OF Barry Bonds was not in the starting lineup as the Giants finished a three-game series at Arizona on Thursday. On Wednesday night, Bonds hit his 717th career home run, and his ninth in 50 games this season. ... Manager Felipe Alou is amazed by the NL West, where two games separated all five teams as play began Thursday. ``The Diamondbacks lost seven straight games and they're in first place,'' Alou said. ``I'm thinking, how did that happen? When you lose seven straight games, you should be in last place.'' ... The Giants head to Seattle to open a three-game interleague series with the Mariners on Friday. San Francisco leads the all-time series 9-7.
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ATLANTA: 2B Marcus Giles (fever) was a late scratch Thursday night. Wilson Betemit replaced Giles at second and led off. OF Ryan Langerhans (strained hip flexor) was sidelined for a third straight game. ... Manager Bobby Cox said LHP Horacio Ramirez might miss his scheduled start on Saturday against Boston after being hit by a batted ball on Sunday. The pitcher still experienced dizziness on Tuesday. Cox also said he didn't know when RHP John Thomson would pitch next. Thomson left Wednesday night's game with a blister. ... The Braves' bullpen entered Thursday night's game with 13 blown saves in 28 opportunities and a 5.17 ERA.
FLORIDA: LF Cody Ross was in the lineup one night after being hit in the jaw with a pitch. X-rays were negative and Ross didn't lose any teeth. ... 1B Mike Jacobs was in Thursday night's lineup hitting third. He left Tuesday night's game with a sprained right ankle and was limited to a pinch-hitting appearance Wednesday night. ... A scoring change - from a wild pitch to a Matt Treanor passed ball - resulted in LHP Dontrelle Willis being charged with four earned runs Wednesday night instead of five.
June 15, 2006
BALTIMORE: The Orioles have lost 20 of their last 27 on the road. ... Baltimore manager Sam Perlozzo confirmed that he and other members of the organization are scheduled to be interviewed by investigators next week as part of baseball's probe into performance-enhancing drugs. ... RHP Daniel Cabrera had his string of 12 consecutive scoreless innings snapped when Eric Hinske homered in the second inning. Cabrera hadn't given up a run since returning from the 15 disabled list. He had inflammation in his right shoulder. ... The Orioles are a season-worst eight games below .500. ... Baltimore is 9-23 against teams with records of .500 or better. ... Major League Baseball announced Thursday that games on Father's Day will have a sixth-inning stretch to raise awareness of prostate cancer. Public service announcements will be shown at ballparks across the majors, and players, umpires and managers will wear blue wristbands for the occasion.
TORONTO: 2B Russ Adams threw wildly to first while trying to convert a double play in the fourth. The Blue Jays sent Adams down to Triple-A Syracuse and converted into a second baseman after he had difficulty making throws to first. Nine of his 10 errors were on throwing errors to first. ... The Blue Jays matched a season-high by moving nine games above .500. ... LHP Ted Lilly has recorded 20 strikeouts over his last two starts.
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TAMPA BAY: Manager Joe Maddon was impressed by several things about the Detroit Tigers during Thursday's 6-2 loss, but he was most surprised by their marksmanship. Both Magglio Ordonez and Vance Wilson hit balls off starting pitcher Casey Fossum's slender right calf. ``That's not easy to do,'' Maddon joked. ``They should go to one of the casinos tonight, because if you can hit his calves, you are good.'' ... Tampa Bay hit just .162 in its four-game visit to Detroit, losing three of the four games. ``Their pitching is outstanding,'' Maddon said. ``That's the best in the league.''
DETROIT: Manager Jim Leyland doesn't have much hope for his pitchers when they bat during Detroit's upcoming trips to Chicago and Milwaukee. ``I'm just hoping they come up in a lot of bunt situations,'' he said. ``I don't expect them to get any hits. If they do, it is a bonus.'' ... C Vance Wilson, despite playing irregularly behind All-Star Ivan Rodriguez, is hitting .326 in his last 15 games. ``Vance is always ready - he doesn't sit and pout when he doesn't play,'' Leyland said. ``We couldn't ask for a better catching tandem.''
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CLEVELAND: Hollandsworth's home run gave Cleveland homers in 13 straight games and a major league best of 51 of 65 games. It was his first of the year. ... Lee threw 97 pitches, 65 for strikes. ... Indians won for just the third time in their last 16 games at Yankee Stadium since the start of the 2002 season. ... Cleveland continues its road trip with an interleague series in Milwaukee, team's first visit to that city since 2000.
NEW YORK: The theme for June 24 Oldtimer's Day will be a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Don Larsen's World Series perfect game against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Thirteen members of the 1956 World Championship team will return to Yankee Stadium including Larsen and Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra. ... CF Johnny Damon left the game in the eighth inning after feeling a slight twinge in his right hamstring. He expects to play Friday in Washington. ... Cabrera's home run ended a stretch of 130 at-bats without a home run for the rookie outfielder.
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SEATTLE: LHP Jarrod Washburn saw his road ERA balloon to 6.14 from 4.66 after allowing six runs in five innings. Washburn's 3.47 career road ERA is more than 1.00 lower than his home ERA (4.56). Washburn and San Francisco Giants RHP Jamey Wright are the only active pitchers with a career ERA on the road at least a run lower than home. Wright pitched with the Colorado Rockies for six of his 12 big-league seasons. ... OF Ichiro Suzuki extended his hitting streak to 15 games with an infield single in the fifth inning. It's the ninth time - the second this season - Suzuki has had a hitting streak of at least 15 games. Joey Cora accomplished the feat five times with the Mariners. A hitting streak of at least 15 games has occurred 34 times in Mariners history. ... Yuniesky Betancourt leads all AL shortstops with 51 double plays turned.
OAKLAND: DH Frank Thomas went on the disabled list for the fourth time in three years, this time with a strained right quad. Thomas tried to play through the injury, which he originally hurt on May 11 in Toronto. ``The worse thing to do is to get compensation injuries, when you're trying make up for one injury and get another,'' head trainer Larry Davis said. ``Instead of short term, it could turn into six-to-eight weeks.'' Thomas will continue to take batting practice and will likely accompany the team when it travels to three National League cities beginning Monday. ... RHP Esteban Loaiza was on the mound about 24 hours after being released from jail in Alameda County. He was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after police clocked his Ferrari going more than 120 mph on a freeway near San Lorenzo, about seven miles from the Coliseum, early Wednesday morning. ``This is a very serious situation,'' manager Ken Macha said. ``It will not be taken lightly.'' ... OF Bobby Kielty's third-inning home run was the 11,000th in Athletics franchise history. Lave Cross hit the A's first home run on April 30, 1901. Mickey Cochrane hit the 1,000th homer 26 years later. Miguel Tejada hit the 10,000th homer five years ago. ... LHP Barry Zito is 7-6 with a 3.81 ERA in 17 career interleague starts. ... After committing one error in their previous 13 games, the A's made two errors in the second inning against the Mariners.
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CHICAGO: The White Sox have a weekend series in Cincinnati at homer-friendly Great American Ball Park, but Guillen doesn't want his hitters to get caught up in long-ball contest with the Reds. ``The ball is flying there, but we can't worry about the ball park,'' Guillen said. ``We have to play our game no matter who we face.'' ... Guillen will give DH Jim Thome his first start of the season at 1B on Sunday against the Reds.
TEXAS: Manager Buck Showalter is using Mark DeRosa in a number of different roles to keep his bat in the lineup. DeRosa, who has played 2B, 3B, LF, RF and DH, started the night batting .336. ``I think Mark's capable of being an everyday anything,'' Showalter said. ``He's kind of our regular irregular.'' ... Showalter said the three-game weekend series against the Arizona Diamondbacks - the team he managed from 1998-2000 - will be nothing special for him. ``There aren't many people left from when I was there,'' Showalter said.
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BOSTON: The Red Sox acquired LH reliever Javier Lopez from the White Sox on Thursday, and with their rotation struggling, manager Terry Francona was asked if he and general manager Theo Epstein had discussions about acquiring a starter. ``We talk about everything,'' Francona said. ``He's been so supportive.'' Francona said he's often reluctant to ask for a certain type of player, out of duty to the club he's managing. ``My responsibility is to get the most out of everyone in the clubhouse, and that's how I feel,'' Francona said. ... Francona was optimistic about Friday's starter, 22-year-old Jon Lester, who was so-so in his first outing last week. ``Who knows when we'll see the finished product ... but he's a real bright kid who wants to learn. He'll get better,'' Francona said.
MINNESOTA: LF Shannon Stewart was sore before Thursday's game, and his comeback from a plantar fascia injury in his left foot has been slow. It will be at least another week, manager Ron Gardenhire, until he's sent on a rehabilitation assignment. Stewart has been out since May 20. When he returns, it will likely be as a full-time DH to allow young Jason Kubel to develop in the outfield. ... The Twins have been distributing ``Vote for Joe'' buttons and encouraging fans to vote for catcher Joe Mauer on their All-Star ballots. Mauer is leading the majors in batting, but he's not currently among the top five vote-getters at his position. Boston's Jason Varitek is first.
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KANSAS CITY: After wrapping up their four-game set in Anaheim on Thursday, the Royals go to Houston for their first series there against the Astros since 2000. ... Heading into the series finale against the Angels, the Royals had scored 50 runs in June, with half of those coming in two games - nine runs at Seattle on June 3 and 16 against Texas on June 8. Kansas City averaged just 2.3 runs in the other 11 games. ... Going into Thursday night's game against Anaheim, 2B Mike Grudzielanek had made no errors this season, handling 269 total chances in 57 games. His fielding streak, which extends back to Sept. 2 of last season when he was with St. Louis, was at 75 games, 334 total chances.
LOS ANGELES: RHP Bartolo Colon, last year's AL Cy Young winner, is expected to start either Sunday or Monday in his return from the DL. Colon has been sidelined since April 16 by tendinitis in his right shoulder. ``I feel strong,'' Colon, 0-2 with a 7.07 ERA in three starts before going on the DL, said through a translator on Thursday. Colon's return means the Angels will have to open a spot in the rotation. Rookie Jered Weaver is 4-0 with a 1.37 ERA since being called up on May 26. ``We have six starters right now who can do the job,'' Colon said. Among the possibilities are sending Weaver back to the minors, or moving his older brother Jeff, who is 3-9 with a 6.15 ERA, out of the rotation and into the bullpen. ... A fielding error by Gold Glover SS Orlando Cabrera in the first inning Thursday night - on a mishandled throw - led to the 46th unearned run allowed by the Angels this season and eclipsed last year's total. Chone Figgins, who has split time between center field and third base, has made a team-high 11 of the Angels' 50 errors. ``One of our strengths has always been pitching and defense,'' said RHP Kelvim Escobar, the victim of 14 unearned runs. ``We haven't been able to make some key plays, and it's hurt our team. You don't want to give up extra outs, because anyone can hurt you. It can be the Yankees, it can be Kansas City, it doesn't matter. This is the big leagues.''
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ST. LOUIS: The Cardinals are 21-8 in day games. ... LHP Mark Mulder has allowed 23 earned runs and 36 hits in 19 innings over his last four starts, a 10.89 ERA.
PITTSBURGH: The Pirates are 1-10 in home day games. ... The Pirates haven't won a series against St. Louis since sweeping three games June 28-30, 2004, in Pittsburgh.
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NEW YORK: David Wright has a nine-game hitting streak. He's 15-for-38 (.395) with four homers and 12 RBIs in that stretch. Wright has 28 RBIs in his last 30 games. ... CF Carlos Beltran has a hit and RBI in eight straight games in which he's batting .471 (16-for-34). ... OF Cliff Floyd remained out of the starting lineup. He hasn't played since twisting his left ankle last Tuesday in Los Angeles. ... The Mets swept the Phillies for the first time since May 31-June 2, 2004, in Philadelphia. ... The Mets are 15-5 with two ties in 22 series. They've won seven of the last eight series.
PHILADELPHIA: Cole Hamels (1-1) makes his fifth start on Friday night against Tampa Bay. The rookie left-hander is coming off the worst outing - four runs in five innings - of his brief career. ... RF Bobby Abreu drew his major league-leading 67th walk. ... 2B Chase Utley's average has fallen to .299 with a 5-for-38 slump. ... The Phillies have homered in 14 straight games. ... Reliever Rheal Cormier hasn't allowed a run at home in 17 games, dating to last season and spanning 16 innings. ... The Phillies have been swept three times this season. They are 16-19 at home, the worst record at home for any non-losing team.
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COLORADO: With four sacrifice bunts on Thursday, the Rockies increased their season total to 49, tops in the majors. OF Cory Sullivan had a major league-record four Wednesday, and his three Thursday gave him a record seven over two games. In the fifth and seventh on Thursday, Jamey Carroll reached base, was bunted to second by Sullivan and scored on subsequent hits. ``You're just setting up dominoes,'' manager Clint Hurdle said. ... Carroll finished the four-game series 8-for-18 with seven runs scored, one home run and two RBIs. The Nationals sold Carroll to the Rockies in February. ... OF Garrett Atkins' 14-game hitting streak is the second longest of his career. He had hits in 16 straight games from Aug. 25-Sept. 11, 2005.
WASHINGTON: John Wetteland was removed as bullpen coach and offered another job with the organization. Manager Frank Robinson said he asked Wetteland several times to get the team's relievers to focus more and cut down on practical jokes, such as lighting firecrackers. ``He just didn't conform with the way I wanted things done out there in the bullpen. I talked to him on a number of occasions,'' Robinson said after Thursday's 8-1 loss to Colorado. ``I never talked to a bullpen coach as much as I talked to him about that situation and the problem. It started in spring training and carried right over into yesterday.'' Nationals relievers have 12 saves in 21 chances this season, with a 7-12 record and a 4.41 ERA. ... LF Alfonso Soriano says he's now comfortable playing in the outfield and would prefer not to be traded by the Washington Nationals during the season. Asked before Thursday's 8-1 loss to Colorado if he'd be OK staying in Washington through the end of the season, Soriano said: ``Yeah, because I don't like half and half - start here and finish with another team. But if it happens, I have to live with that. I don't have control over the situation. I like to start my season with one team and finish with that team.''
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HOUSTON: Morgan Ensberg was available to pinch hit in the Astros' 3-2 win over the Cubs on Thursday, manager Phil Garner said, but he didn't play. Mike Lamb started at third. Ensberg, who has missed five straight games with a bruised right shoulder, could lift his arm above his head and said he felt better. ... The Astros are preparing for 15 straight games against AL opponents, beginning with six games at home against Kansas City and Minnesota starting Friday. ``I don't know that it matters,'' Garner said of the unfamiliar competition. ... Craig Biggio got a day off at second and Chris Burke filled in for him. Burke had been playing for Willy Taveras in center, but Taveras started and led off Thursday. Burke went 2-for-3, scoring the tying run. He was 7-for-11 in the series and is hitting .400 over his last nine games.
CHICAGO: Carlos Zambrano's 107 pitches Thursday is tied for his fifth-lowest count over 15 starts. He threw 126 in each of his last two starts and he said his arm felt ``heavy'' Thursday. Zambrano didn't attribute it to overwork and he hit 96 mph on his fastball. ``You're not going to feel perfect every time you go out there for 35 starts,'' pitching coach Larry Rothschild said. ... Freddie Bynum got the start in left field Thursday for Matt Murton, who was hitless in his last two games, and manager Dusty Baker intimated that the two might share a platoon role. Bynum responded going 1-for-4 with a triple. ``It's a little bit of an opportunity for me,'' Bynum said. ``I just have to get in there and play my heart out and whatever happens, happens.'' ... The Cubs play at Cleveland and Minnesota in the next six games and Baker has been freshening up on these teams he said he hasn't seen in person since finishing his career with Oakland in 1986. He even asked White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen for some help, but wouldn't relay what Guillen told him.
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LOS ANGELES: RHP Chad Billingsley had an impressive big league debut, allowing two runs and six hits in 5 1-3 innings while also getting his first hit, a two-run single. He didn't get the decision in the Dodgers' 7-3 win over San Diego. ... Jeff Kent hit his 11th double, giving him 484 for his career, tying him with Hal McRae for 57th on the career list.
SAN DIEGO: The Padres agreed to terms with OF Kyler Burke, their first-round compensation pick in last week's draft. The Padres have signed or agreed to terms with 22 of their drafted players. ... Vinny Castilla hit his first career pinch-hit homer on Thursday.
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ARIZONA: RHP Juan Cruz, who is on the 15-day DL with right shoulder soreness, had an MRI on Thursday after experiencing stiffness in the shoulder following a bullpen throwing session, manager Bob Melvin said. The team will re-evaluate Cruz in the next few days. ... Melvin said the Diamondbacks' staff is working to solve the recent struggles of RHP Jose Valverde, who was demoted from the closer role recently. In an 11-4 loss to San Francisco on Wednesday night, Valverde gave up four runs on four consecutive hits, including a three-run homer by Barry Bonds. ``We're looking at video,'' Melvin said. ``He's an emotional guy and he's going through a tough time.''
SAN FRANCISCO: With a day game after a night game, OF Barry Bonds was not in the starting lineup as the Giants finished a three-game series at Arizona on Thursday. On Wednesday night, Bonds hit his 717th career home run, and his ninth in 50 games this season. ... Manager Felipe Alou is amazed by the NL West, where two games separated all five teams as play began Thursday. ``The Diamondbacks lost seven straight games and they're in first place,'' Alou said. ``I'm thinking, how did that happen? When you lose seven straight games, you should be in last place.'' ... The Giants head to Seattle to open a three-game interleague series with the Mariners on Friday. San Francisco leads the all-time series 9-7.
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ATLANTA: 2B Marcus Giles (fever) was a late scratch Thursday night. Wilson Betemit replaced Giles at second and led off. OF Ryan Langerhans (strained hip flexor) was sidelined for a third straight game. ... Manager Bobby Cox said LHP Horacio Ramirez might miss his scheduled start on Saturday against Boston after being hit by a batted ball on Sunday. The pitcher still experienced dizziness on Tuesday. Cox also said he didn't know when RHP John Thomson would pitch next. Thomson left Wednesday night's game with a blister. ... The Braves' bullpen entered Thursday night's game with 13 blown saves in 28 opportunities and a 5.17 ERA.
FLORIDA: LF Cody Ross was in the lineup one night after being hit in the jaw with a pitch. X-rays were negative and Ross didn't lose any teeth. ... 1B Mike Jacobs was in Thursday night's lineup hitting third. He left Tuesday night's game with a sprained right ankle and was limited to a pinch-hitting appearance Wednesday night. ... A scoring change - from a wild pitch to a Matt Treanor passed ball - resulted in LHP Dontrelle Willis being charged with four earned runs Wednesday night instead of five.