TAMPA BAY: LF Carl Crawford was removed from the original lineup about 2 1/2 hours before the game. He injured his right shoulder diving for Manny Ramirez's third-inning double on Tuesday night. ``Crawford landed funny on his shoulder on that dive,'' manager Joe Maddon said. ... Maddon joked about the defense his team employed against Red Sox slugger David Ortiz on Tuesday. He moved his third baseman to the outfield and pushed his shortstop over to the right-field side of second base, with his second baseman in short right. ``It's a 3-4 defense,'' he said. ``It works on the batter's box all the way to the wall.'' Ortiz doubled off the Green Monster on Tuesday. ``Ask Bill Belichick.'' Maddon said he originally thought of the shift when he was the Angels' bench coach but didn't have a chance to use it until he got a manager's job. ``He's just going to hit through the shift anyway,'' he said. ``He can bunt if he likes.'' Ortiz also wears No. 34.
BOSTON: Closer Jonathan Papelbon, who threw 34 pitches for his seventh save Tuesday, got the night off. ``I told (manager Terry Francona) that I could go if it was late in the season or a playoff-type atmosphere,'' he said. ... OF Adam Stern, a winter-meeting draft pickup by the Red Sox last season, is eligible to be sent back to the minors Thursday, if the club chooses. ``I don't think we've altered our stance,'' Francona said. ``He's got to play. That kid's got a chance to be a real good player, but I think he needs his at-bats.'' Francona wouldn't say if he would return or not, though.
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CLEVELAND: LHP C.C. Sabathia, on the 15-day DL with a strained abdominal muscle, is to throw in the bullpen on Thursday. If he passes that test, Sabathia may take his rehabilitation to the next level. ``I think we're going to set him up to throw a simulated game on Saturday,'' manager Eric Wedge said. ``It depends how he does tomorrow.'' ... After the first five games of the current 10-game trip, OF Casey Blake and C Victor Martinez combined to hit .472 (17-for-36) with nine runs and nine RBIs. ... Blake sat out Wednesday's game with sore right groin as a precaution. ``We don't want a one-day thing to turn into a two-week thing,'' Wedge said.
BALTIMORE: The Orioles optioned OF Val Majewski to Triple-A Ottawa and purchased the contract of OF Luis Terrero from the Lynx. Majewski was recalled Tuesday to replace OF David Newhan, who broke his right leg. ``We didn't want Val sitting on the bench,'' manager Sam Perlozzo said. Newhan was transferred from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL on Wednesday. ... OF Luis Matos was placed on the 15-day DL before Wednesday's game with a sore right shoulder. Matos injured the shoulder sliding into second base on opening day. C Raul Chavez's contract was purchased from Double-A Bowie. ... RHP Eddy Rodriguez joined the club Wednesday. He replaces LHP Tim Byrdak, who was placed on the 60-day DL with bone chips in his left elbow.
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NEW YORK: Manager Joe Torre was satisfied but not pleased with a .500 record after playing 11 of 14 on the road. ``It's only 7-7 but I'm certainty satisfied with everything that's gone on here effort wise,'' Torre said. ``We've been in every game, except maybe yesterday.'' ... The Yankees watched video of Tuesday's 10-5 loss to Toronto to see if LHP Randy Johnson was tipping his pitches, but Torre said they couldn't tell. The Big Unit allowed seven runs and nine hits in just 3 1-3 innings. ``There wasn't anything that was glaring,'' Torre said.
TORONTO: RF Alex Rios usually only starts against LHPs this season, but he started against RHP Mike Mussina a night after homering and trying a career-high with four RBIs. The Blue Jays had planned on platooning Rios and Eric Hinske in RF this year, but Rios entered Wednesday's game among league leaders with a .390 average and has five home runs. ``We're not giving up on that platoon yet,'' said manager John Gibbons, who started Rios because Hinske is 4-for-29 in his career against Mussina. Gibbons said Hinske will play Friday against Boston RHP Josh Beckett. Rios went 1-for-3. ... C Gregg Zaun has caught all three of LHP Ted Lilly's starts. Gibbons said he started Zaun on Wednesday because it was day game after a night game and because he wanted Zaun to face Mussina.
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KANSAS CITY: The Royals have been outscored 72-27 during their 10-game losing streak. ... Kansas City is just 15-44 in April since 2004. ... The Royals still do not have a win from one of their starters this season.
CHICAGO: Jim Thome has reached base and scored a run in each of the White Sox's 15 games. He has five intentional walks. ... After a 1-for-26 start, Scott Podsednik has four straight multihit games and is 10-for-27 in the last seven games. ... Rob Mackowiak is in an 0-for-15 slump, meaning the White Sox are struggling in center field no matter who plays there. Rookie Brian Anderson went through an 0-for-16 drought and is in a 1-for-23 skid.... Rookie Bobby Jenks is 6-for-6 in saves after heeding manager Ozzie Guillen's edict to get in better shape. ... Thursday's off day could mean a trip to the barber shop for four White Sox after owner Jerry Reinsdorf told them to get a trim. A.J. Pierzynski, Joe Crede, Freddy Garcia and Neal Cotts are expected to have shorter locks Friday.
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LOS ANGELES: OF Tim Salmon, who has been bothered by a slight strain of his right groin, was available again Wednesday to pinch hit. He left Sunday's game with the injury. ... OF Juan Rivera, who has tightness in his ribcage and hasn't played since Sunday, took some light swings before Wednesday's game. ... Jeff Mathis caught his second straight game, and Jose Molina was on the bench, but manager Mike Scioscia said neither player is ahead of the other on the depth chart. Partly because neither of them have hit very well, and partly because the season is so young. ``We're going to need them both,'' Scioscia said.
MINNESOTA: Ruben Sierra made his Twins debut, batting cleanup as the DH in place of struggling Rondell White - who singled Tuesday but was still hitting only .098 entering the game. ``Rondell got a hit yesterday, so I decided to give him a break,'' manager Ron Gardenhire said, jokingly. ... Mike Redmond caught in place of Joe Mauer, who will play in Thursday afternoon's game. Mauer turned 23 Wednesday. ... LHP Dennys Reyes has thrown 12 scoreless innings - starting two games - for Triple-A Rochester, and the Twins currently have only one lefty, Francisco Liriano, in the bullpen. The last two spots are currently occupied by Matt Guerrier and Willie Eyre, but Gardenhire expressed confidence in them.
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TEXAS: The Rangers placed INF Mark DeRosa on the 15-day DL with a sprained left foot. DeRosa has played in only two games this season and is frustrated not knowing exactly how to rehabilitate the injury. ... INF Drew Meyer, the 10th overall choice in the 2002 amateur draft, was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma to take DeRosa's place as utility backup. Manager Buck Showalter said he isn't sure when Meyer, 24, will make his major league debut. ``I want to give Drew a start somewhere down the line,'' Showalter said. D'Angelo Jimenez is starting at 2B while Ian Kinsler remains on the DL with a dislocated left thumb. Kinsler is not due to return until April 27. Texas drafted Meyer as a SS, but he has since also played at 2B, 3B and all three OF positions. Showalter said Oklahoma manager Tim Ireland told him ``he should feel comfortable playing anywhere.'' ... RHP Kevin Millwood entered Wednesday's start having allowed one walk in his first 18 innings as a Ranger. ... 1B Mark Teixeira, batting .321 entering Wednesday, was a career .240 hitter in April and had never hit above .280 in that month entering this season.
SEATTLE: Hitting coach Jeff Pentland said he has tried to talk to struggling RF Ichiro Suzuki ``almost every day, to try to explain to him if there is anything I can do to help, let me know.'' Pentland said he has told Suzuki his swing ``looks a little long'' as the career .332 hitter fights through a .177 average entering Wednesday. ``Whether he does anything with that ... some guys mull it over and then decide what to do.'' Manager Mike Hargrove said he is not concerned. He expects Suzuki to finish the season ``near his track record, plus or minus. Everyone needs to be patient - including myself,'' Hargrove said. Ichiro has never hit lower than .243 in April. ... RHP Kevin Appier, attempting a comeback 24 months after his last major league game, through a scoreless inning in Triple-A Tacoma's 3-2 win at Sacramento. Appier, 38, allowed one hit, walked one and struck out one in his first Tacoma start after two rehabilitation outings (strained calf) at extended spring training in Arizona. Seattle director of minor league operations Greg Hunter said the current plan is for Appier to eventually have four and five-inning outings. ... Seattle is 0-4 this season against LHPs after the loss to Texas' John Koronka on Tuesday. ---
SEATTLE: Hitting coach Jeff Pentland said he has tried to talk to struggling RF Ichiro Suzuki ``almost every day, to try to explain to him if there is anything I can do to help, let me know.'' Pentland said he has told Suzuki his swing ``looks a little long'' as the career .332 hitter fights through a .177 average entering Wednesday. ``Whether he does anything with that ... some guys mull it over and then decide what to do.'' Manager Mike Hargrove said he is not concerned. He expects Suzuki to finish the season ``near his track record, plus or minus. Everyone needs to be patient - including myself,'' Hargrove said. Ichiro has never hit lower than .243 in April. ... RHP Kevin Appier, attempting a comeback 24 months after his last major league game, through a scoreless inning in Triple-A Tacoma's 3-2 win at Sacramento. Appier, 38, allowed one hit, walked one and struck out one in his first Tacoma start after two rehabilitation outings (strained calf) at extended spring training in Arizona. Seattle director of minor league operations Greg Hunter said the current plan is for Appier to eventually have four and five-inning outings. ... Seattle is 0-4 this season against LHPs after the loss to Texas' John Koronka on Tuesday. ---
DETROIT: RHP closer Todd Jones, on the disabled list with a pulled left hamstring, threw 25 pitches in his second straight day working in a simulated game and is encouraged he will be ready to be activated Friday in Seattle. At first, Jones will pitch only an inning or so and probably not the ninth. ``I just want to get started,'' said Jones, who is pleased with his improved flexibility. ``I'm three weeks behind.'' He doesn't plan to go into an all-out sprint just yet. Manager Jim Leyland said Jones would likely come off the DL on Friday as long as he feels OK. ... LHP Kenny Rogers entered his start Wednesday against his former club eight wins shy of earning his 200th career victory.
OAKLAND: For now, Adam Melhuse will be the personal catcher for No. 4 starter Esteban Loaiza. Durable starting C Jason Kendall, who played 150 games in his first season for the A's in 2005, didn't take well to the news when told by manager Ken Macha last week in Minnesota. ``Esteban's been around a long time and knows what he's going to do out there,'' Macha said. ``At this particular time, this is what the arrangement is.'' ... 3B Eric Chavez, batting .204 for his career against Rogers, got the day off. ... Everybody around the A's was still talking Wednesday about how closer Huston Street, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, bounced back for a save Tuesday night after blowing it Sunday against the Texas Rangers to end a streak of 21 straight converted saves. Street showed his best velocity of the year and got two strikeouts in the 4-3 win. ``It worked perfectly with the day off (Monday) and getting back out there,'' pitching coach Curt Young said. ``You don't convert all of those in a row without a lot of quality to your game. It's going to happen. He works the same every day and prepares the same every day.'' Said Macha: ``That young man approached the save last night with tremendous determination.''
CARDINALS: OF Jim Edmonds returned to the Cardinals' lineup Wednesday after missing four starts with right shoulder inflammation to homer in his first at-bat and hit a two-run double. ... Also back was OF John Rodriguez, who didn't start for two games due to a sore left shoulder. ... Despite winning the NL Central last year, the Cardinals were 3-5 against the Cubs at home. The teams meet this weekend in St. Louis, after the Cubs swept three in Wrigley Field last weekend. Asked about the Cubs' recent success against his team - after years of domination by the Cardinals - manager Tony La Russa said, ``It means absolutely nothing. The season series last year, like last week, it means nothing. What it means is it's a brand new three-game series and a brand new year, and whoever plays the best wins.''
PIRATES: Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield will attend an arbitrator's hearing Thursday in Pittsburgh on OF Jody Gerut's injury grievance. The Pirates put Gerut on the minor league suspended list last week after he declined to report to Triple-A Indianapolis, citing a right knee injury. As a result, the Pirates aren't paying him his $875,000 salary. The team claims he is healthy enough to play and that he said nothing about being hurt until after being demoted. The Pirates aren't disputing a doctor's findings that Gerut has patella tendinitis, but say it shouldn't prevent him from playing. ... The Pirates scored 13 runs while losing twice in the three-game series against the Cardinals - all but one in their 12-4 victory Tuesday night. ... The Pirates get their first off day of the season Thursday after playing 17 games in 17 days.
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WASHINGTON: RF Jose Guillen was back in the lineup after missing four straight games because of a left oblique strain. ... On the verge of a milestone win, manager Frank Robinson said the 1989 Baltimore Orioles was the best team he managed. ... Robinson had a 10-minute conversation Wednesday with general manager Jim Bowden, who was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after allegedly running a stop sign while in Florida. Robinson said Bowden was doing ``as well as he can under the circumstances.'' Robinson said Bowden ``perked up'' when they started talking about Washington's win on Tuesday. ... The Nationals/Expos have won only one season series from Philadelphia in the last 10 years.
PHILADELPHIA: When pressed about the many areas the Phillies are struggling in, like hitting with runners in scoring position and the front end of the bullpen, manager Charlie Manuel said it was too early to panic. ``I don't think I should get uptight about things yet,'' he said. ``We could take off and start winning games.''
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ATLANTA: The Braves have a day off Thursday before beginning a three-game series in Washington on Friday night, so RHP Jorge Sosa (0-3, 10.45 ERA) will be skipped the next time through the rotation. RHP Kyle Davies, coming off a three-hitter against the Mets, will start Sunday against the Nationals. Sosa will pitch Tuesday night in Milwaukee on seven days' rest, manager Bobby Cox said. ... CF Andruw Jones has homered in four consecutive games, tying a career best set in September 1998. ... 2B Marcus Giles sat out with an injury to the middle finger on his left hand. ``It's pretty sore, stiff,'' Giles said. ``Definitely couldn't hit today.'' He hurt it sliding into second base Tuesday night. ``It still could be a possible broken finger,'' Cox said. ``We'll know by tomorrow afternoon whether we need one or two players up here.'' ... Cox got his 2,100th victory.
NEW YORK: Rookie 2B Anderson Hernandez was placed on the 15-day disabled list. He had an MRI that showed a bulging disc in his back. The Mets plan to activate 2B Kaz Matsui in time for Thursday night's game in San Diego. ``I expect Matsui to start our game in San Diego. He's been playing and he should be ready,'' manager Willie Randolph said. ``I have no idea how long Hernandez is going to be out. He's never had anything like this, never had any back problems.'' ... LHP Tom Glavine lowered his ERA to 1.38 through four strong starts. He dropped to 2-9 in 13 outings against the Braves with a 5.79 ERA, but he's pitched much better against his former team the past two years. ``My last five games against them have been really good. I'm more comfortable pitching against them. But as time goes on, there are less and less guys over there who I played with, too. That thought that they have so much information about me is gone,'' he said. Glavine won two NL Cy Young Awards and a World Series MVP in Atlanta before signing with the Mets before the 2003 season. ... 3B David Wright made his first three errors of the season, matching a club record done many times. The last Mets player to commit three errors in a game was 2B Roberto Alomar on Sept. 13, 2002, at Montreal.
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FLORIDA: The Marlins' four homers tied their club record. It was the 27th time they'd hit four in a game, and the second time this season. They also hit four in an 11-2 win over Houston on April 4. ... The Marlins are 0-5 in one-run games, the only NL team that hasn't won one. Florida was 20-23 in one-run games last year. ... The bullpen's meltdown left LHP Dontrelle Willis stuck at 9-0 career in April. Only one other player has done better in major league history - Rick Rhoden won his first 13 April decisions from 1975-81 with the Dodgers and the Pirates. ... C Miguel Olivo is 7-for-18 in his last four starts with four doubles and two homers.
CINCINNATI: With the Marlins' four-homer game, a total of 33 have been hit in the first nine games this season at Great American Ball Park, an average of 3.67 per game. The ballpark yielded the most homers in the majors last season - 246, or 3.04 per game. ... Before the game, RH reliever Mike Burns was optioned to Triple-A Louisville. LHP Michael Gosling was called up, gave up a pair of runs in 1 1-3 innings, then was optioned back to Louisville. The Reds plan to call up LHP Brian Shackelford on Thursday. ... Gosling hit Mike Jacobs in the helmet in the fifth inning. Jacobs wasn't hurt. Gosling also hit Pittsburgh's Sean Casey in the helmet during a spring training game.
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MILWAUKEE: OF Gabe Gross is second on the team in RBIs with nine despite the fact 12 of his 13 appearances have been as a pinch hitter. It doesn't bother Gross, who hit home runs in the first two games of this series. ``This is my role on the team and a way I can contribute,'' said Gross, whose three pinch-hit homers are already one short of the club record for a season. ``I understand that. Every game I have to get ready for one at bats at a time. ``Hopefully, I can continue to produce this way all season. But we've got a long way to go and baseball always has its ups and downs.'' ... The Brewers lost six of the first eight on their road trip, but manager Ned Yost likes what he has seen with his offense scoring 30 runs the last four games. ``I think the guys are starting to pick it up a little,'' Yost said. ``The offense is starting to kick in and that's a good sign.''
HOUSTON: RHP Brandon Backe returned from Los Angeles just before Wednesday's game after seeing Dr. Lewis Yocum about his right elbow. Backe strained the elbow his last start April 13 against the Giants and was placed on the disabled list the next day. ``It appears they have affirmed what the original diagnosis was,'' manager Phil Garner said. ``It's a sprain and that technically means it's a little bit of a tear. But he shouldn't have to have surgery.'' Garner said it still means 6-to-7 weeks rehab. ``That's the good news,'' he said. ... OF Preston Wilson was never shaken by his club record seven straight strikeouts, including a club mark of five in one game Monday night. He didn't consider changing anything during the streak. ``I'm way past that,'' Wilson said. ``If you start changing things, you start doubting your ability and I never did that. ``I wasn't upset about it then and I'm not upset about it now.''
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SAN DIEGO: C Mike Piazza said he has changed his approach with as he advances in age. ``You have to take care of yourself because it takes so much longer to recover after a game,'' he said. ``The physical even taxes the mental.'' ... 3B Vinny Castilla batted cleanup for the first time this year and was 4-for-6 with an RBI. ... The Padres finished the road trip 5-4. ... 2B Josh Barfield had two triples a home run and three RBIs while hitting .429 in the series. ... OF Ben Johnson had a career-high four RBIs. ... OF Mike Cameron leaves Thursday to begin a rehab assignment at Lake Elsinore, the team's Single A affiliate in the California League.
COLORADO: Indianapolis QB Peyton Manning threw out the first pitch. ... With an eye on the weekend series with San Francisco, the Rockies plan to walk Barry Bonds when there is an open base. ``He can hit home runs,'' manager Clint Hurdle said. ``Let him be somebody else's Rubik's Cube.'' ... 2B Jason Smith is batting .500 this year against the Padres. ... The Rockies hit only three home runs in the first six games of a nine-game homestand. ... RHP Scott Dohmann made his first appearance of the year.
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SAN FRANCISCO- Closer Armando Benitez, who has been on the disabled list since April 2 with left knee bursitis, is likely to be activated Thursday, manager Felipe Alou said. Tim Worrell is 6-for-6 in save situations as Benitez' replacement. ... With his 298th home run Tuesday night, center fielder Steve Finley moved closer to joining the 300-homer, 300-steal club. Only teammate Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, Andre Dawson and Bobby Bonds hit at least 300 homers and stole at least 300 bases.
ARIZONA- Manager Bob Melvin said right-handed reliever Casey Daigle wasn't happy after being optioned to Triple-A Tucson on Wednesday. ``He deserves to be here,'' said Melvin, who sent Daigle down to make room on the roster for right-hander Brandon Medders. Medders was activated Wednesday after spending the first two weeks of the season on the disabled list with inflammation in his back. ... Left-hander Terry Mulholland, on the disabled list with left elbow inflammation, will travel with the team on the nine-game California trip that begins Friday in Los Angeles. He is expected to begin throwing soon. ... Right-hander Claudio Vargas (1-1) starts the series finale against San Francisco Thursday. In his last outing, Vargas gave up five runs on eight hits in 3 1-3 innings.
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CHICAGO: The Cubs, who began the season without injured aces Kerry Wood and Mark Prior, are holding their own in the pitching department. Their starters are 5-3 with a 3.70 ERA in their first 13 games. Three of the wins belong to Greg Maddux. ``We don't feel any pressure. We've been throwing the ball good,'' said Carlos Zambrano, who allowed a run and four hits over six innings in the Cubs' 2-1 loss on Tuesday. ``Maddux and (Jerome) Williams threw outstanding the last time, so I don't think there's any pressure at all. We just have to win as many games as possible. And when Wood and Prior come back, it's going to be much better.''
LOS ANGELES: The Dodgers sent Nomar Garciaparra on a two-game rehab assignment with Triple-A Las Vegas and hope to activate him for Saturday's game with Arizona. The two-time AL batting champ, who has been converted from shortstop to first maseman this season, is on the DL for the seventh time in his career due to a strained ribcage muscle in his right side. ... Next Tuesday is the 30th anniversary of Rick Monday's most significant achievement at Dodger Stadium - when he ran full speed from center field and scooped up an American flag two protesters were about to set fire to in left-center field. He was playing for the Chicago Cubs at the time. The Dodgers will be on the road Tuesday, so the team is honoring the anniversary prior to Sunday's game against Arizona.
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Notes from Wednesday's games
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