florida wins again
perdo loses
wickman screws westbrook out of a win
perdo loses
wickman screws westbrook out of a win
Notes from Saturday's games
June 17, 2006
TORONTO: RHP A.J. Burnett, on the 60-day DL with right elbow discomfort, planned to make a rehab start for the Double-A New Hampshire on Saturday night. The Blue Jays hope he can rejoin the team and pitch Thursday at Atlanta. ...Troy Glaus started at shortstop for just the third time this season. Glaus, who has split his time at DH and third base, played shortstop in college and the minors. He homered in Friday's 3-1 loss to Florida. ... Pitcher Casey Janssen made his first start against an NL team.
FLORIDA: OF Josh Willingham, placed on the 15-day DL retroactive to June 7 with a sparined left hand, took 15 swings of a tee on Saturday and hit 20 more soft tosses. He was pain-free and plans to take batting practice on Sunday. He hopes to rejoin the lineup Thursday or Friday. ... RHP Sergio Mitre, on the DL since May 13 with right shoulder inflammation, could throw off a mound next week. ... Pitcher Brian Moehler made his first career appearance against the Blue Jays.
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ARIZONA: Manager Bob Melvin said the team is being extra cautious in the rehab of RHP Juan Cruz, on the DL since June 7 due to a sore right shoulder. Cruz played catch Friday and will do so again Sunday. If he responds well, Cruz will probably throw a bullpen session before making a rehab start. ... OF Luis Gonzalez was the starting DH Saturday night. ``We're giving him a semi-day off,'' Melvin said. Andy Green was in LF in place of Gonzalez.
TEXAS: RHP Adam Eaton had his first throwing session on Saturday in his rehab from the torn tendon in his right middle finger that required surgery on Apri1 4. Eaton threw off flat ground, then threw 15 fastballs. ... Michael Young is scheduled to DH on Sunday after starting the first 69 games at SS. ... Rookie 2B Ian Kinsler got the day off after fouling a ball off his calf on Friday night. Manager Buck Showalter said Kinsler could have played, but ``I want him to be 100 percent.''
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BOSTON: LF Manny Ramirez was not in the lineup due to a sore knee that periodically stiffens on him. He called manager Terry Francona at about 8:15 a.m. Saturday morning to tell him the knee was bothering him. Francona had intended to give 1B David Ortiz the day off, then called him to say he was playing. Kevin Youkilis replaced Ramirez in left and hit a home run leading off the game. It was his third leadoff homer of the season. ... Prior to Saturday's game, the Red Sox had gone five games without an error. Boston leads the majors with a .990 fielding percentage with only 23 errors, seven fewer than any other team.
ATLANTA: 3B Chipper Jones was ill and replaced in the starting lineup by Wilson Betamit. Jones did hit some in the cage and was available to pinch hit if necessary. ... OF Ryan Langerhans (strained hip flexor) has missed five games. ... The Braves' bullpen has 13 blown saves in 28 opportunities and a 5.17 ERA. ... RHP John Thomson was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday after he left his last start with a blister. ... RHP Lance Cormier was called up from Triple-A Richmond and made his first start since 2004 on Saturday against Boston. LHP Horacio Ramirez was scheduled to start but was struck in the forehead with a batted ball last Sunday and experienced dizziness when he tried to work out this week. He was diagnosed with a mild concussion. Cormier was sent to the minors on May 30 after posting a 6.10 ERA in 18 appearances and struggling with his control (17 walks in 20 20-3 innings). ... Ramirez threw a 10-minute bullpen session Friday and will throw a simulated game Sunday before batting practice.
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BALTIMORE: Going into Saturday night's game, Baltimore had lost 20 of the last 28 games on the road and at 12-21 had the fourth worst road record in the AL. The Orioles had won just one road series this season, taking three of four at Tampa Bay during the second week of the season. ... Baltimore has had streaks of 20 and 21 successful steals, first team since St. Louis Cardinals of 1985 to assemble two such streaks.
NEW YORK: At 42-24 going into Saturday night's game, the Mets had their best record after 66 games since 1988 when they were 43-23. ... Over the last 12 games before Saturday night, the Mets were hitting .299 with 87 runs scored. ... Julio Franco leads the majors with 11 pinch hits, one ahead of Philadelphia's David Dellucci and Olmedo Saenz of the Los Angeles Dodgers . ... Before Saturday night, Mets pitchers led the NL with 3.85 earned run average and led the majors with 501 strikeouts.
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CLEVELAND: OF Casey Blake was placed on the 15-day DL, retroactive to June 14, with a strained left oblique muscle, retroactive to June 14. OF Franklin Gutierrez was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo. ... CF Grady Sizemore is the only Indians player to start every game in the same position and spot in the batting order. ... In Sunday's game, RHP Paul Byrd makes his 14th start of the season. He is 5-5 with a 4.81 ERA this season.
MILWAUKEE: RHP Rick Helling, sidelined since April 11 with a strained right elbow, pitched his second rehab start Thursday for Triple-A Nashville. He allowed one run and three hits in seven innings. ``I don't think it's gonna get a whole lot better than it is right now,'' Helling said. ``I hope it does. (The second rehab start) was significantly better than the last one I threw, so that's good. It's a step in the right direction. It definitely isn't feeling any worse.'' ... Rookie 1B Prince Fielder batted fourth for the first time in his career. Carlos Lee (67 starts) and Bill Hall (one) are the only other Brewers to bat in the cleanup spot this season. ... Rookie LHP Zach Jackson will take the mound for the Brewers in the series finale Sunday. Jackson is 1-0 with a 4.40 ERA this season.
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KANSAS CITY: Manager Buddy Bell may have found an alternative to Reggie Sanders in the cleanup spot. After a sluggish start, OF Emil Brown is now batting .270 with five homers and 29 RBIs. Brown made his 12th start at the No. 4 spot on Saturday night. ``He's capable of doing that,'' Bell said of Brown batting fourth. ``He probably has the best power we have on the team.'' ... Bell said the Royals' chances of reversing their dismal start comes down to their pitching. ``That's what momentum's about in baseball,'' Bell said. ``It's about how you pitch the next day.'' Opponents are batting .295 against Kansas City, and Bell said his pitchers have to develop more belief that they can do better. ``It's all confidence,'' he said. ``Do you feel good about making pitches? Do you feel good about getting through innings? Once you have that confidence, everything else follows.''
HOUSTON: Manager Phil Garner hasn't decided which starter he'll reassign when Roger Clemens returns next week. When Clemens makes his much-anticipated return on June 22, rookies Taylor Buchholz and Fernando Nieve are the likeliest candidates to be taken out of the rotation to make room. Nieve has looked better than Buchholz lately, though he has only one decision in his last four starts. Nieve has allowed only two runs in each of his last three starts, including a 9-strikeout effort in Houston's 7-2 win over Atlanta on June 9. ``Every game he pitches, we're in,'' Garner said. ``I don't care how you get there, it's the results. And he's gotten some pretty good results.'' ... Garner is putting off any All-Star decisions until early July. Garner is the NL's manager for the game and must choose seven players not selected by the fans or other players and coaches. He also has to pick a starting pitcher.
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DETROIT: LHP Kenny Rogers will go for his 200th win on Sunday, though he will not be pitching to his favorite target. C Ivan Rodridguez was lifted late in the game for the second straight day because of cramps in Saturday's 9-3 win and won't start. ``It's a tough one, obviously,'' manager Jim Leyland said. ``Kenny's going for his 200th. Sure, I understand. I told him I have to do what's best for the Tigers, and the best is probably to sit (Rodriguez).'' ... The Tigers are 9-for-27 with runners in scoring position in the last two games, after going 5-for-12 on Saturday. ... Although the picture looks grim for the Cubs, Leyland predicted a turnaround. ``I think the Cubs are going to have a great second half when they get (Derrek) Lee back and their pitching back,'' he said.
CHICAGO: RHP Mark Prior will make his first start of the season Sunday after missing the first 2 1/2 months with a strained shoulder. ``It's been a long, hard road, but I'm glad that Mark's getting back on the mound,'' manager Dusty Baker said before Saturday's game. ``Hopefully, we can keep him on the mound all year long.'' Already on a slower paced program to avoid the elbow problems he experienced the previous two springs, Prior strained a muscle in his right shoulder in March and began the season on the disabled list for the third straight year. ... RHP Kerry Wood might pitch a simulated game in Cleveland and could be ready as soon as next weekend. ``It's certainly a possibility,'' Rothschild said. ``I don't want to give a date, but I would think it wouldn't be a long time after he's eligible.'' Wood missed the first seven weeks while recuperating from shoulder surgery and went 1-2 with a 4.12 ERA in four starts before returning to the DL on June 9. ... Henry Blanco started his second straight game at catcher, with Michael Barrett nursing a sore back. Barrett sat out Friday partly because of his back and a lengthy pregame hearing for his appeal of a 10-game suspension for punching the White Sox's A.J. Pierzynski.
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LOS ANGELES: SS Cesar Izturis, who had season-ending Tommy John surgery last September to repair degenerative arthritis in his right elbow, is closing to rejoining the Dodgers. ``He's getting close,'' manager Grady Little said of Izturis, who has been on rehab assignment with Triple-A Las Vegas. ``When we get back home, he will be active.'' The Dodgers have had discussions with Izturis about playing 3B. ... Little said struggling RHP Brett Tomko will not have his turn in the rotation skipped despite having lost his last five starts, the first time that's happened to Tomko in his 10-year career. ``I don't see any reason why, not at this time,'' Little said. ... RHP Derek Lowe entered his start Saturday night having gone 7-0 in eight career starts against the Athletics, posting a 2.81 ERA in those games.
OAKLAND: CF Mark Kotsay missed his second straight game with back spasms. ``It's something that's going to crop up on him for the rest of his life,'' trainer Larry Davis said. ... RHP reliever Justin Duchscherer, out since May 13 with soreness in his right elbow, threw 23 pitches in a simulated game and came out of it without hurting. ``I feel rusty, but I haven't been on the mound in a month,'' Duchscherer said. ``I was pain-free, which is good. Tomorrow will be a big indicator.'' While he expects to be sore Sunday, Duchscherer could pitch a rehab outing for Triple-A Sacramento as soon as Monday. He threw several sharp curveballs - the pitch that has most bothered his elbow - with no trouble. ... Injured RF Milton Bradley, nursing a strained left shoulder, could return to the lineup soon. ``We've had some pretty significant progress on Bradley. Maybe another day or so,'' manager Ken Macha said. ... LHP Barry Zito, who struck out 11 in winning his sixth straight decision Friday night, took batting practice in preparation for interleague play in NL parks and fans chanted ``Zito! Zito!'' as he hit.
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NEW YORK: 3B Alex Rodriguez and hitting coach Don Mattingly met at the batting cage early Saturday to work on a mechanical flaw in Rodriguez's swing. The result? Rodriguez went 2-for-5 with a home run. ``Donnie gave him some thoughts and hopefully we can take it to the field because certainly we all know what kind of a player he is, what kind of ability he has,'' manager Joe Torre said. Rodriguez was in a 4-for-25 slump entering the game. ... Johnny Damon's five RBIs were his most in a game in nearly 10 years. He had a career-high seven with Kansas City at California on Aug. 10, 1996.
WASHINGTON: RF Jose Guillen walked into the tunnel behind dugout after popping out to second in the fifth inning and thought to himself: ``I don't want to come outside and keep playing.'' At the time, he was 0-for-3 for the game and 5-for-20 since returning from a hamstring injury, but he pulled himself together and finished with a double and his first triple of in the season, helping to spur the Nationals' comeback win. ``My first three bats I was looking like one of those rookie guys when they come the first time,'' Guillen said. ``I was swinging at everything. I wasn't comfortable at all. Those last two bats looked like the Jose Guillen everybody knows. It's been tough, but hopefully it's going to start falling now.'' ... RHP Pedro Astacio, trying to return from a strained forearm that has kept him out of the majors so far this year, had three cortisone shots Friday. ``We'll shut him down for three days and start him back up throwing,'' GM Jim Bowden said. ``And hopefully get him over the hump.'' ... Washington's June 24 game at Baltimore has been moved from 1:20 p.m. to 4:35 p.m.
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TAMPA BAY: Manager Joe Maddon employed a bizarre shift against Phillies lefty slugger Ryan Howard on Friday night. Maddon put 2B Jorge Cantu in short right field, SS Julio Lugo at second base and 3B Tomas Perez in left field. Maddon said he got the idea from the 2002 World Series when the Angles used a similar one against Barry Bonds. Maddon said he's also used it against David Ortiz, Jason Giambi and Jim Thome. ... Tampa Bay starter James Shields had two hits in his debut Friday night, giving him one more hit than the entire pitching staff had last season (1-for-13).
PHILADELPHIA: RHP Scott Mathieson made his major league debut Saturday night. Mathieson, who played for Canada in the World Baseball Classic, was 6-2 with a 3.05 ERA at Double-A Reading. ... The Phillies optioned RHP Brian Sanches to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. ... The Phillies allowed a run in the first inning for the fifth straight game. ... Manager Charlie Manuel shuffled his lineup, benching slumping 2B Chase Utley (5-for-42) for Abrahem Nunez and batting 3B David Bell second. ... Even with a losing streak putting them closer to last place in the NL East than first, Manuel remains confident the Phillies can turn it around. ``Upbeat is where it's at,'' he said.
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CHICAGO: RHP Cliff Politte threw in the bullpen on Saturday. The reliever went on the disabled list June 7 with a sore shoulder. ``The way it's going now, we may send him out to rehab, have him pitch a couple more times in the minor leagues and see how he feels,'' manager Ozzie Guillen said. ``We want to make sure he's 100 percent healthy. We don't want him to test it at the big-league level.'' ... With no DH available in an NL ballpark, the White Sox were without AL home run leader Jim Thome for the second straight game. Thome is a .351 career hitter against Reds starter Eric Milton with six homers, but Guillen went with Paul Konerko (.457 career off Milton) at first base. ``We made this decision a long time ago,'' Guillen said. ``We don't want to sit Paulie against left-handers. I never go by the numbers when I'm making out a lineup.''
CINCINNATI: LHP Brandon Claussen went on the 15-day DL with a sore shoulder. Claussen gave up nine runs in two-plus innings on Friday and hasn't won since May 19. ... RHP Joe Mays is expected to take Claussen's spot in the rotation. Mays was released by Kansas City this season and signed a minor league deal with the Reds. Mays, who had reconstructive elbow surgery in 2003, said he is starting to get back to normal. ``My arm is feeling better,'' he said. ``I think the whole thing with Kansas City was my (throwing) mechanics. My mechanics were terrible. I think I had gotten into some bad habits coming off the surgery.''
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TWINS: How's this for a possible pitching matchup Thursday in Houston: Minnesota rookie Francisco Liriano (6-1, 2.16 ERA) vs. 341-game winner Roger Clemens? The 22-year-old Liriano is nearly half as old as Clemens, who turns 44 in August. It could happen, and Twins manager Ron Gardenhire is as eager as anyone to see it. Gardenhire said, ``It could be very exciting, and would be very exciting. Most of the hitters from other teams are coming up and saying, 'Oh, oh, oh,' and shaking their head at some of the things this kid (Liriano) can do. He's got a great slider and a super fastball and a good changeup, and he attacks. It's fun to watch, he's a very athletic kid, and he has all the confidence in the world.'' ... Gardenhire rested 2B Luis Castillo against the Pirates on Saturday night, even though Castillo had seven hits in his previous five games.
PIRATES: RHP Victor Santos may not be able to start Tuesday in Kansas City, which means RHP Kip Wells may make an early return to the rotation. Wells, who had surgery during spring training to repair a blocked artery, was to make a third minor league rehab start Tuesday for Triple-A Indianapolis. Another option is LHP Tom Gorzelanny, who is having an excellent season at Indianapolis despite his 4-5 record. ... Wells allowed three runs and nine hits in 13 1-3 innings in his two minor league starts, one in Class A and the other in Double-A. Wells, who led the NL with 18 losses last season, wasn't expected back until the All-Star break.
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SAN DIEGO: SS Khalil Greene went 0-for-2, drew a walk and was hit by a pitch, leaving him with one hit in his last 26 at-bats. ``It's frustrating, disappointing from a personal standpoint,'' he said. ``You've got to stay with it. Sometimes, you just have no control over it.'' Greene's only hit during his slump was a double in the ninth inning Friday night, when he scored the winning run in a 5-4 victory over the Angels. ... The Padres are 16-9 in day games this season including 9-4 on the road. ... The Padres are using C Mike Piazza as the designated hitter in this weekend's interleague series. ``This year, no question, it suits us,'' manager Bruce Bochy said. ``I much prefer the National League - we're not a huge fan of the DH.'' ... The Padres have an all-time record of 10-8 against the Angels.
LOS ANGELES: RHP Bartolo Colon, last year's AL Cy Young Award winner, pitches for the Angels on Sunday against RHP Chan Ho Park. Colon (0-2) has been sidelined since April 15 because of inflammation in his right shoulder. He won a career-high 21 games last year. ... SS Orlando Cabrera walked in the first to extend his streak of reaching base safely to a franchise-record 47 straight games, the longest current streak in the majors. ... Cabrera committed an error in the eighth. It was his ninth of the season - two more than he committed last year - and the AL-leading 55th for the Angels. It resulted in the 49th unearned run allowed by the Angels - most in the majors. They gave up only 45 last season. ... OF Darin Erstad left the game in the fourth inning after aggravating an injured right foot. He was activated from the disabled list Monday after being sidelined since May 1 with irritation in his right ankle. ``It's all the same stuff,'' he said.
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SAN FRANCISCO: 1B Travis Ishikawa got a start in his hometown on Saturday. Ishikawa, drafted in the 21st round in 2002 out of Federal Way High School in suburban Seattle, went 0-for-3. ``It's a chance of a lifetime,'' the 22-year old said before the game. ``I'm a little excited.'' He caught Yuniesky Betancourt's foul pop while falling over a railing to a photographer's well. Some in the home crowd - including about 30 friends and family - gave him a standing ovation. The Giants recalled the 22-year old on Tuesday, after 1B Lance Niekro went on the DL. ... Barry Bonds, who napped on the clubhouse couch among teammates watching U.S. Open golf before the game, was back at his usual DH place in an AL park, part of the weekend deal he has swapping LF and DH with Moises Alou. Bonds doubled in the seventh and was 1-for-3 before Todd Greene pinch-hit for him in the ninth inning. Alou was 0-for-3 and missed catching Betancourt's fly ball he had leaped for at the wall. That became a triple.
SEATTLE: Manager Mike Hargrove had a law-of-averages explanation for RHP Gil Meche's first complete game since Sept. 12, 2004, on Saturday. Meche allowed only five hits for his sixth win in eight starts and at times overpowered the Giants. ``A pitcher gets 35 starts in a season,'' Hargrove said. ``He is going to have five of them where he can throw underhanded and get guys out, he'll be that on. And he'll have five when he can't get anybody out. Today was one of those five that on with everything ... It's what you do with those 25 starts in between that matter most.'' ... The only major leaguer with a hitting streak this season longer than OF Ichiro Suzuki's current 17-game one or his 18-game streak last month is Atlanta's Edgar Renteria's 23-game streak April 3-May 9. ... OF Jeremy Reed's fourth career home run Saturday was his first at Safeco Field.
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COLORADO: RHP Aaron Cook is 0-4 with a 4.36 ERA in his last five starts, although he allowed only two runs in seven innings on Friday. In three of the losses the Rockies have scored two or fewer runs. ... 3B Garrett Atkins was 0-for-4 on Friday, ending a 14-game hitting streak in which he batted .404. It was the second-longest streak of his career behind a 16-game run from Aug. 21-Sept. 11, 2005. ... Brad Hawpe has homered in two or more consecutive games four times this season, three of them on the road. He had 13 homers overall, tied for the team lead with Matt Holliday.
ST. LOUIS: 1B Albert Pujols, on the DL since June 4 with a strained muscle in his right side, was scheduled to take swings off a tee along with soft toss on Saturday. On Friday, he did some fielding drills for the first time. ``I think he's encouraged about how he feels,'' manager Tony La Russa said. ``But he's not going to do anything crazy.'' ... SS David Eckstein was out of the lineup for the second straight game, two days after sustaining a mild concussion while breaking up a double play. But unlike Friday he was in uniform and available for backup duty. Before the injury Eckstein had missed only one game. Hector Luna batted leadoff for the first time this season on Saturday. ... Scott Spiezio, who's been battling a mononucleosis-like virus, made his first start since June 9 and played first base. ... OF Juan Encarnacion was batting .347 in his last 25 games and batting .382 with runners in scoring position during that span.
June 17, 2006
TORONTO: RHP A.J. Burnett, on the 60-day DL with right elbow discomfort, planned to make a rehab start for the Double-A New Hampshire on Saturday night. The Blue Jays hope he can rejoin the team and pitch Thursday at Atlanta. ...Troy Glaus started at shortstop for just the third time this season. Glaus, who has split his time at DH and third base, played shortstop in college and the minors. He homered in Friday's 3-1 loss to Florida. ... Pitcher Casey Janssen made his first start against an NL team.
FLORIDA: OF Josh Willingham, placed on the 15-day DL retroactive to June 7 with a sparined left hand, took 15 swings of a tee on Saturday and hit 20 more soft tosses. He was pain-free and plans to take batting practice on Sunday. He hopes to rejoin the lineup Thursday or Friday. ... RHP Sergio Mitre, on the DL since May 13 with right shoulder inflammation, could throw off a mound next week. ... Pitcher Brian Moehler made his first career appearance against the Blue Jays.
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ARIZONA: Manager Bob Melvin said the team is being extra cautious in the rehab of RHP Juan Cruz, on the DL since June 7 due to a sore right shoulder. Cruz played catch Friday and will do so again Sunday. If he responds well, Cruz will probably throw a bullpen session before making a rehab start. ... OF Luis Gonzalez was the starting DH Saturday night. ``We're giving him a semi-day off,'' Melvin said. Andy Green was in LF in place of Gonzalez.
TEXAS: RHP Adam Eaton had his first throwing session on Saturday in his rehab from the torn tendon in his right middle finger that required surgery on Apri1 4. Eaton threw off flat ground, then threw 15 fastballs. ... Michael Young is scheduled to DH on Sunday after starting the first 69 games at SS. ... Rookie 2B Ian Kinsler got the day off after fouling a ball off his calf on Friday night. Manager Buck Showalter said Kinsler could have played, but ``I want him to be 100 percent.''
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BOSTON: LF Manny Ramirez was not in the lineup due to a sore knee that periodically stiffens on him. He called manager Terry Francona at about 8:15 a.m. Saturday morning to tell him the knee was bothering him. Francona had intended to give 1B David Ortiz the day off, then called him to say he was playing. Kevin Youkilis replaced Ramirez in left and hit a home run leading off the game. It was his third leadoff homer of the season. ... Prior to Saturday's game, the Red Sox had gone five games without an error. Boston leads the majors with a .990 fielding percentage with only 23 errors, seven fewer than any other team.
ATLANTA: 3B Chipper Jones was ill and replaced in the starting lineup by Wilson Betamit. Jones did hit some in the cage and was available to pinch hit if necessary. ... OF Ryan Langerhans (strained hip flexor) has missed five games. ... The Braves' bullpen has 13 blown saves in 28 opportunities and a 5.17 ERA. ... RHP John Thomson was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday after he left his last start with a blister. ... RHP Lance Cormier was called up from Triple-A Richmond and made his first start since 2004 on Saturday against Boston. LHP Horacio Ramirez was scheduled to start but was struck in the forehead with a batted ball last Sunday and experienced dizziness when he tried to work out this week. He was diagnosed with a mild concussion. Cormier was sent to the minors on May 30 after posting a 6.10 ERA in 18 appearances and struggling with his control (17 walks in 20 20-3 innings). ... Ramirez threw a 10-minute bullpen session Friday and will throw a simulated game Sunday before batting practice.
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BALTIMORE: Going into Saturday night's game, Baltimore had lost 20 of the last 28 games on the road and at 12-21 had the fourth worst road record in the AL. The Orioles had won just one road series this season, taking three of four at Tampa Bay during the second week of the season. ... Baltimore has had streaks of 20 and 21 successful steals, first team since St. Louis Cardinals of 1985 to assemble two such streaks.
NEW YORK: At 42-24 going into Saturday night's game, the Mets had their best record after 66 games since 1988 when they were 43-23. ... Over the last 12 games before Saturday night, the Mets were hitting .299 with 87 runs scored. ... Julio Franco leads the majors with 11 pinch hits, one ahead of Philadelphia's David Dellucci and Olmedo Saenz of the Los Angeles Dodgers . ... Before Saturday night, Mets pitchers led the NL with 3.85 earned run average and led the majors with 501 strikeouts.
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CLEVELAND: OF Casey Blake was placed on the 15-day DL, retroactive to June 14, with a strained left oblique muscle, retroactive to June 14. OF Franklin Gutierrez was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo. ... CF Grady Sizemore is the only Indians player to start every game in the same position and spot in the batting order. ... In Sunday's game, RHP Paul Byrd makes his 14th start of the season. He is 5-5 with a 4.81 ERA this season.
MILWAUKEE: RHP Rick Helling, sidelined since April 11 with a strained right elbow, pitched his second rehab start Thursday for Triple-A Nashville. He allowed one run and three hits in seven innings. ``I don't think it's gonna get a whole lot better than it is right now,'' Helling said. ``I hope it does. (The second rehab start) was significantly better than the last one I threw, so that's good. It's a step in the right direction. It definitely isn't feeling any worse.'' ... Rookie 1B Prince Fielder batted fourth for the first time in his career. Carlos Lee (67 starts) and Bill Hall (one) are the only other Brewers to bat in the cleanup spot this season. ... Rookie LHP Zach Jackson will take the mound for the Brewers in the series finale Sunday. Jackson is 1-0 with a 4.40 ERA this season.
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KANSAS CITY: Manager Buddy Bell may have found an alternative to Reggie Sanders in the cleanup spot. After a sluggish start, OF Emil Brown is now batting .270 with five homers and 29 RBIs. Brown made his 12th start at the No. 4 spot on Saturday night. ``He's capable of doing that,'' Bell said of Brown batting fourth. ``He probably has the best power we have on the team.'' ... Bell said the Royals' chances of reversing their dismal start comes down to their pitching. ``That's what momentum's about in baseball,'' Bell said. ``It's about how you pitch the next day.'' Opponents are batting .295 against Kansas City, and Bell said his pitchers have to develop more belief that they can do better. ``It's all confidence,'' he said. ``Do you feel good about making pitches? Do you feel good about getting through innings? Once you have that confidence, everything else follows.''
HOUSTON: Manager Phil Garner hasn't decided which starter he'll reassign when Roger Clemens returns next week. When Clemens makes his much-anticipated return on June 22, rookies Taylor Buchholz and Fernando Nieve are the likeliest candidates to be taken out of the rotation to make room. Nieve has looked better than Buchholz lately, though he has only one decision in his last four starts. Nieve has allowed only two runs in each of his last three starts, including a 9-strikeout effort in Houston's 7-2 win over Atlanta on June 9. ``Every game he pitches, we're in,'' Garner said. ``I don't care how you get there, it's the results. And he's gotten some pretty good results.'' ... Garner is putting off any All-Star decisions until early July. Garner is the NL's manager for the game and must choose seven players not selected by the fans or other players and coaches. He also has to pick a starting pitcher.
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DETROIT: LHP Kenny Rogers will go for his 200th win on Sunday, though he will not be pitching to his favorite target. C Ivan Rodridguez was lifted late in the game for the second straight day because of cramps in Saturday's 9-3 win and won't start. ``It's a tough one, obviously,'' manager Jim Leyland said. ``Kenny's going for his 200th. Sure, I understand. I told him I have to do what's best for the Tigers, and the best is probably to sit (Rodriguez).'' ... The Tigers are 9-for-27 with runners in scoring position in the last two games, after going 5-for-12 on Saturday. ... Although the picture looks grim for the Cubs, Leyland predicted a turnaround. ``I think the Cubs are going to have a great second half when they get (Derrek) Lee back and their pitching back,'' he said.
CHICAGO: RHP Mark Prior will make his first start of the season Sunday after missing the first 2 1/2 months with a strained shoulder. ``It's been a long, hard road, but I'm glad that Mark's getting back on the mound,'' manager Dusty Baker said before Saturday's game. ``Hopefully, we can keep him on the mound all year long.'' Already on a slower paced program to avoid the elbow problems he experienced the previous two springs, Prior strained a muscle in his right shoulder in March and began the season on the disabled list for the third straight year. ... RHP Kerry Wood might pitch a simulated game in Cleveland and could be ready as soon as next weekend. ``It's certainly a possibility,'' Rothschild said. ``I don't want to give a date, but I would think it wouldn't be a long time after he's eligible.'' Wood missed the first seven weeks while recuperating from shoulder surgery and went 1-2 with a 4.12 ERA in four starts before returning to the DL on June 9. ... Henry Blanco started his second straight game at catcher, with Michael Barrett nursing a sore back. Barrett sat out Friday partly because of his back and a lengthy pregame hearing for his appeal of a 10-game suspension for punching the White Sox's A.J. Pierzynski.
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LOS ANGELES: SS Cesar Izturis, who had season-ending Tommy John surgery last September to repair degenerative arthritis in his right elbow, is closing to rejoining the Dodgers. ``He's getting close,'' manager Grady Little said of Izturis, who has been on rehab assignment with Triple-A Las Vegas. ``When we get back home, he will be active.'' The Dodgers have had discussions with Izturis about playing 3B. ... Little said struggling RHP Brett Tomko will not have his turn in the rotation skipped despite having lost his last five starts, the first time that's happened to Tomko in his 10-year career. ``I don't see any reason why, not at this time,'' Little said. ... RHP Derek Lowe entered his start Saturday night having gone 7-0 in eight career starts against the Athletics, posting a 2.81 ERA in those games.
OAKLAND: CF Mark Kotsay missed his second straight game with back spasms. ``It's something that's going to crop up on him for the rest of his life,'' trainer Larry Davis said. ... RHP reliever Justin Duchscherer, out since May 13 with soreness in his right elbow, threw 23 pitches in a simulated game and came out of it without hurting. ``I feel rusty, but I haven't been on the mound in a month,'' Duchscherer said. ``I was pain-free, which is good. Tomorrow will be a big indicator.'' While he expects to be sore Sunday, Duchscherer could pitch a rehab outing for Triple-A Sacramento as soon as Monday. He threw several sharp curveballs - the pitch that has most bothered his elbow - with no trouble. ... Injured RF Milton Bradley, nursing a strained left shoulder, could return to the lineup soon. ``We've had some pretty significant progress on Bradley. Maybe another day or so,'' manager Ken Macha said. ... LHP Barry Zito, who struck out 11 in winning his sixth straight decision Friday night, took batting practice in preparation for interleague play in NL parks and fans chanted ``Zito! Zito!'' as he hit.
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NEW YORK: 3B Alex Rodriguez and hitting coach Don Mattingly met at the batting cage early Saturday to work on a mechanical flaw in Rodriguez's swing. The result? Rodriguez went 2-for-5 with a home run. ``Donnie gave him some thoughts and hopefully we can take it to the field because certainly we all know what kind of a player he is, what kind of ability he has,'' manager Joe Torre said. Rodriguez was in a 4-for-25 slump entering the game. ... Johnny Damon's five RBIs were his most in a game in nearly 10 years. He had a career-high seven with Kansas City at California on Aug. 10, 1996.
WASHINGTON: RF Jose Guillen walked into the tunnel behind dugout after popping out to second in the fifth inning and thought to himself: ``I don't want to come outside and keep playing.'' At the time, he was 0-for-3 for the game and 5-for-20 since returning from a hamstring injury, but he pulled himself together and finished with a double and his first triple of in the season, helping to spur the Nationals' comeback win. ``My first three bats I was looking like one of those rookie guys when they come the first time,'' Guillen said. ``I was swinging at everything. I wasn't comfortable at all. Those last two bats looked like the Jose Guillen everybody knows. It's been tough, but hopefully it's going to start falling now.'' ... RHP Pedro Astacio, trying to return from a strained forearm that has kept him out of the majors so far this year, had three cortisone shots Friday. ``We'll shut him down for three days and start him back up throwing,'' GM Jim Bowden said. ``And hopefully get him over the hump.'' ... Washington's June 24 game at Baltimore has been moved from 1:20 p.m. to 4:35 p.m.
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TAMPA BAY: Manager Joe Maddon employed a bizarre shift against Phillies lefty slugger Ryan Howard on Friday night. Maddon put 2B Jorge Cantu in short right field, SS Julio Lugo at second base and 3B Tomas Perez in left field. Maddon said he got the idea from the 2002 World Series when the Angles used a similar one against Barry Bonds. Maddon said he's also used it against David Ortiz, Jason Giambi and Jim Thome. ... Tampa Bay starter James Shields had two hits in his debut Friday night, giving him one more hit than the entire pitching staff had last season (1-for-13).
PHILADELPHIA: RHP Scott Mathieson made his major league debut Saturday night. Mathieson, who played for Canada in the World Baseball Classic, was 6-2 with a 3.05 ERA at Double-A Reading. ... The Phillies optioned RHP Brian Sanches to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. ... The Phillies allowed a run in the first inning for the fifth straight game. ... Manager Charlie Manuel shuffled his lineup, benching slumping 2B Chase Utley (5-for-42) for Abrahem Nunez and batting 3B David Bell second. ... Even with a losing streak putting them closer to last place in the NL East than first, Manuel remains confident the Phillies can turn it around. ``Upbeat is where it's at,'' he said.
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CHICAGO: RHP Cliff Politte threw in the bullpen on Saturday. The reliever went on the disabled list June 7 with a sore shoulder. ``The way it's going now, we may send him out to rehab, have him pitch a couple more times in the minor leagues and see how he feels,'' manager Ozzie Guillen said. ``We want to make sure he's 100 percent healthy. We don't want him to test it at the big-league level.'' ... With no DH available in an NL ballpark, the White Sox were without AL home run leader Jim Thome for the second straight game. Thome is a .351 career hitter against Reds starter Eric Milton with six homers, but Guillen went with Paul Konerko (.457 career off Milton) at first base. ``We made this decision a long time ago,'' Guillen said. ``We don't want to sit Paulie against left-handers. I never go by the numbers when I'm making out a lineup.''
CINCINNATI: LHP Brandon Claussen went on the 15-day DL with a sore shoulder. Claussen gave up nine runs in two-plus innings on Friday and hasn't won since May 19. ... RHP Joe Mays is expected to take Claussen's spot in the rotation. Mays was released by Kansas City this season and signed a minor league deal with the Reds. Mays, who had reconstructive elbow surgery in 2003, said he is starting to get back to normal. ``My arm is feeling better,'' he said. ``I think the whole thing with Kansas City was my (throwing) mechanics. My mechanics were terrible. I think I had gotten into some bad habits coming off the surgery.''
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TWINS: How's this for a possible pitching matchup Thursday in Houston: Minnesota rookie Francisco Liriano (6-1, 2.16 ERA) vs. 341-game winner Roger Clemens? The 22-year-old Liriano is nearly half as old as Clemens, who turns 44 in August. It could happen, and Twins manager Ron Gardenhire is as eager as anyone to see it. Gardenhire said, ``It could be very exciting, and would be very exciting. Most of the hitters from other teams are coming up and saying, 'Oh, oh, oh,' and shaking their head at some of the things this kid (Liriano) can do. He's got a great slider and a super fastball and a good changeup, and he attacks. It's fun to watch, he's a very athletic kid, and he has all the confidence in the world.'' ... Gardenhire rested 2B Luis Castillo against the Pirates on Saturday night, even though Castillo had seven hits in his previous five games.
PIRATES: RHP Victor Santos may not be able to start Tuesday in Kansas City, which means RHP Kip Wells may make an early return to the rotation. Wells, who had surgery during spring training to repair a blocked artery, was to make a third minor league rehab start Tuesday for Triple-A Indianapolis. Another option is LHP Tom Gorzelanny, who is having an excellent season at Indianapolis despite his 4-5 record. ... Wells allowed three runs and nine hits in 13 1-3 innings in his two minor league starts, one in Class A and the other in Double-A. Wells, who led the NL with 18 losses last season, wasn't expected back until the All-Star break.
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SAN DIEGO: SS Khalil Greene went 0-for-2, drew a walk and was hit by a pitch, leaving him with one hit in his last 26 at-bats. ``It's frustrating, disappointing from a personal standpoint,'' he said. ``You've got to stay with it. Sometimes, you just have no control over it.'' Greene's only hit during his slump was a double in the ninth inning Friday night, when he scored the winning run in a 5-4 victory over the Angels. ... The Padres are 16-9 in day games this season including 9-4 on the road. ... The Padres are using C Mike Piazza as the designated hitter in this weekend's interleague series. ``This year, no question, it suits us,'' manager Bruce Bochy said. ``I much prefer the National League - we're not a huge fan of the DH.'' ... The Padres have an all-time record of 10-8 against the Angels.
LOS ANGELES: RHP Bartolo Colon, last year's AL Cy Young Award winner, pitches for the Angels on Sunday against RHP Chan Ho Park. Colon (0-2) has been sidelined since April 15 because of inflammation in his right shoulder. He won a career-high 21 games last year. ... SS Orlando Cabrera walked in the first to extend his streak of reaching base safely to a franchise-record 47 straight games, the longest current streak in the majors. ... Cabrera committed an error in the eighth. It was his ninth of the season - two more than he committed last year - and the AL-leading 55th for the Angels. It resulted in the 49th unearned run allowed by the Angels - most in the majors. They gave up only 45 last season. ... OF Darin Erstad left the game in the fourth inning after aggravating an injured right foot. He was activated from the disabled list Monday after being sidelined since May 1 with irritation in his right ankle. ``It's all the same stuff,'' he said.
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SAN FRANCISCO: 1B Travis Ishikawa got a start in his hometown on Saturday. Ishikawa, drafted in the 21st round in 2002 out of Federal Way High School in suburban Seattle, went 0-for-3. ``It's a chance of a lifetime,'' the 22-year old said before the game. ``I'm a little excited.'' He caught Yuniesky Betancourt's foul pop while falling over a railing to a photographer's well. Some in the home crowd - including about 30 friends and family - gave him a standing ovation. The Giants recalled the 22-year old on Tuesday, after 1B Lance Niekro went on the DL. ... Barry Bonds, who napped on the clubhouse couch among teammates watching U.S. Open golf before the game, was back at his usual DH place in an AL park, part of the weekend deal he has swapping LF and DH with Moises Alou. Bonds doubled in the seventh and was 1-for-3 before Todd Greene pinch-hit for him in the ninth inning. Alou was 0-for-3 and missed catching Betancourt's fly ball he had leaped for at the wall. That became a triple.
SEATTLE: Manager Mike Hargrove had a law-of-averages explanation for RHP Gil Meche's first complete game since Sept. 12, 2004, on Saturday. Meche allowed only five hits for his sixth win in eight starts and at times overpowered the Giants. ``A pitcher gets 35 starts in a season,'' Hargrove said. ``He is going to have five of them where he can throw underhanded and get guys out, he'll be that on. And he'll have five when he can't get anybody out. Today was one of those five that on with everything ... It's what you do with those 25 starts in between that matter most.'' ... The only major leaguer with a hitting streak this season longer than OF Ichiro Suzuki's current 17-game one or his 18-game streak last month is Atlanta's Edgar Renteria's 23-game streak April 3-May 9. ... OF Jeremy Reed's fourth career home run Saturday was his first at Safeco Field.
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COLORADO: RHP Aaron Cook is 0-4 with a 4.36 ERA in his last five starts, although he allowed only two runs in seven innings on Friday. In three of the losses the Rockies have scored two or fewer runs. ... 3B Garrett Atkins was 0-for-4 on Friday, ending a 14-game hitting streak in which he batted .404. It was the second-longest streak of his career behind a 16-game run from Aug. 21-Sept. 11, 2005. ... Brad Hawpe has homered in two or more consecutive games four times this season, three of them on the road. He had 13 homers overall, tied for the team lead with Matt Holliday.
ST. LOUIS: 1B Albert Pujols, on the DL since June 4 with a strained muscle in his right side, was scheduled to take swings off a tee along with soft toss on Saturday. On Friday, he did some fielding drills for the first time. ``I think he's encouraged about how he feels,'' manager Tony La Russa said. ``But he's not going to do anything crazy.'' ... SS David Eckstein was out of the lineup for the second straight game, two days after sustaining a mild concussion while breaking up a double play. But unlike Friday he was in uniform and available for backup duty. Before the injury Eckstein had missed only one game. Hector Luna batted leadoff for the first time this season on Saturday. ... Scott Spiezio, who's been battling a mononucleosis-like virus, made his first start since June 9 and played first base. ... OF Juan Encarnacion was batting .347 in his last 25 games and batting .382 with runners in scoring position during that span.
