Baseball Today - April 9
Mon, Apr 9, 2007
By Associated Press
SCOREBOARD
Monday, April 9
Houston at Chicago (2:20 p.m. EDT). Ted Lilly makes his Wrigley Field debut for the Cubs.
STARS
Sunday
-Livan Hernandez, Diamondbacks, took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, and Arizona beat Washington 3-1.
-Kevin Kouzmanoff, Padres, singled with one out in the 10th to snap out of a 2-for-20 slump and give San Diego a 2-1 victory over Colorado.
-Ivan Rodriguez, Tigers, went 2-for-4 with a go-ahead three run homer in the ninth inning of Detroit's 3-2 win over Kansas City.
-Johan Santana, Twins, allowed one hit over seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts and Minnesota beat the White Sox 3-1.
-Luis Gonzalez, Dodgers, hit two home runs and drove in four runs in a 10-4 win over the Giants.
-David Ortiz, Red Sox, homered twice in a 3-2 win over the Rangers.
SNOW-GO
For the second day in a row, snow and cold weather has forced a doubleheader between Seattle and Cleveland to be postponed. The teams were snowed out of a day-night doubleheader on Saturday, when they were attempting to make up Friday's game, which was postponed after the teams had played four innings and endured nearly 3 hours in delays. The Mariners and Indians will try to salvage half of their four-game series by playing two on Monday.
HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM
Houston lost to St. Louis 10-1 on Sunday. With the loss, the Astros fell to 1-5, matching its worst start since 1990. They open a six-game road trip Monday in Chicago against the Cubs.
SETTLING IN
Luis Gonzalez hit his first two home runs in Dodger Blue and Randy Wolf gave Los Angeles a third straight standout pitching performance to pull off a three-game sweep of the archrival San Francisco Giants, 10-4 on Sunday. Gonzalez connected for a solo shot and three-run homer in his 26th career multihomer game, and Wolf (1-1) outpitched $126 million fellow left-hander Barry Zito in the Dodgers' eighth consecutive victory in San Francisco.
BREAKING OUT
Rookie Kevin Kouzmanoff singled with one out in the 10th to snap out of a 2-for-20 slump and give the San Diego Padres a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. It was San Diego's second consecutive win against the Rockies, and both came late. On Saturday night, Adrian Gonzalez doubled in Cruz with one out in the ninth for a 3-2 victory. ... David Ortiz snapped out of a 2-for-18 slump with his first two home runs to help Boston beat Texas 3-2 to avoid a sweep.
SNAPPED
Roy Halladay won for the first time since last August and Toronto beat Tampa Bay 6-3 on Sunday. Halladay (1-0) had gone winless in seven starts - including his final six last year - since beating Baltimore on Aug. 20. He gave up three runs, seven hits, three walks and had seven strikeouts over seven innings. ... Albert Pujols hit a two-run homer to snap out of a 1-for-17 slump and St. Louis beat Houston 10-1. ... Washington's 3-1 loss to Arizona marked the first time the Nationals did not trail 4-0 in a game this season.
INJURED
Hideki Matsui was put on the 15-day disabled list Sunday by the New York Yankees, a day after straining his left hamstring. After playing in 1,768 consecutive games with the Yomiuri Giants (1,250) and the Yankees (518), Matsui was sidelined from May 11 to Sept. 12 last year with a broken left wrist.
SPEAKING
''I'm going to call my mom in Venezuela to come here and cook for him. We'll poison him. If he eats what my mom cooks, he will be in trouble to pitch the next day.'' - White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, jokingly, on how to beat Johan Santana. Santana struck out nine while allowing one hit and three walks over seven scoreless innings in Minnesota's 3-1 win over the White Sox on Sunday.
Ramirez sidelined with injury
Sun, Apr 8, 2007
By Associated Press
MIAMI -- Florida Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez left Sunday's game against Philadelphia after hurting his right hamstring.
Ramirez pulled up limping after he ran out a routine grounder to short leading off the first inning. He walked slowly off the field and was replaced by Alfredo Amezaga.
Last season's NL rookie of the year was batting .320 with three steals and eight runs.
Left fielder Josh Willingham, who came within a single of hitting for the cycle Saturday, was a late scratch from the lineup with a stiff back. His status is day-to-day.
Matsui put on disabled list
Sun, Apr 8, 2007
By Associated Press
NEW YORK -- Hideki Matsui was put on the 15-day disabled list Sunday by the New York Yankees, a day after straining his left hamstring.
New York planned to recall Kevin Thompson from Triple-A Scranton of the International League.
''When you play baseball this long, these things happen. There's nothing you can do about it,'' Matsui said through a translator.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said an MRI exam showed blood near the injury.
''It's something we just don't want to play with,'' Cashman said. ''Our experience is that it usually takes 15 days or so.''
After playing in 1,768 consecutive games with the Yomiuri Giants (1,250) and the Yankees (518), Matsui was sidelined from May 11 to Sept. 12 last year with a broken left wrist.
New York is short on outfielders. Center fielder Johnny Damon hasn't started since last Monday's opener because of a strained right calf but did enter in the late innings Saturday and Sunday.
Hampton suffers setback as elbow pain ends bullpen session
Sun, Apr 8, 2007
By Associated Press
ATLANTA -- Mike Hampton's struggle to return to the Atlanta Braves' rotation suffered another setback on Sunday when he felt pain in his left elbow and had to stop throwing in the bullpen.
Hampton strained an oblique muscle last month, and that pain in his left side kept him from pitching in a game during spring training. But the recurrence of soreness in the elbow could be a greater concern.
Hampton missed the 2006 season following reconstructive surgery on his left elbow, and he felt more pain in the elbow Sunday.
After ending the bullpen session, Hampton met with team doctors before Sunday's game against the New York Mets as the severity of his setback was not immediately known.
''We shut down due to discomfort in his elbow,'' Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell said.
When asked if Hampton was frustrated, McDowell said ''Probably so. I think anybody would be.''
Hampton, 34, was expected to join John Smoltz, Tim Hudson and Chuck James as the leaders of the Braves' rotation. After Hampton suffered the oblique injury during batting practice in spring training, the team signed another left-hander, Mark Redman, who struggled in Friday's loss to the New York Mets.
Hampton went 5-3 in 12 starts for the Braves in 2005, struggling much of the season with a sore elbow that finally required major surgery. He is starting the seventh season of a $121 million, eight-year contract he signed with Colorado after the 2000 season.
O's Hernandez goes on DL
Sun, Apr 8, 2007
By Associated Press
NEW YORK -- Catcher Ramon Hernandez was put on the 15-day disabled list Sunday by the Baltimore Orioles because of a strained left oblique, and left-hander Kurt Birkins was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk before the Orioles game on Sunday against the New York Yankees.
Hernandez was scratched from last Monday's opener, and the DL move was made retroactive to March 31, one day after his last spring training game.
Carpenter doesn't make the trip to Pittsburgh
By Joe Strauss
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Monday, Apr. 09 2007
HOUSTON — After receiving a tentative go-ahead to make Tuesday's start against
the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter instead will have an MRI
exam today to determine the cause of renewed stiffness and swelling in the
former Cy Young Award winner's right elbow.
Carpenter, who threw a side session without incident Saturday afternoon, awoke
Sunday to find his elbow had swollen much as it did following his start April 1
against the New York Mets.
Carpenter met Sunday morning with the team's training staff, who arranged
today's examination by team medical supervisor Dr. George Paletta. Carpenter
returned to St. Louis on Sunday night unsure whether he would be placed on the
disabled list.
"I don't know what's next except that we're going to get it looked at
tomorrow," Carpenter said Sunday.
Manager Tony La Russa confirmed the complication after the Cardinals' 10-1 win
against the Houston Astros and waved off any possibility of Carpenter taking
his scheduled turn Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
"After the throw he had a little bit of a response, a little bit of swelling —
not a lot, but a little bit," La Russa said. "We want to be sure Dr. Paletta
takes a look at it before we make any decisions. But right now, there's no
chance he'll pitch Tuesday."
Sunday's relapse intensified organizational concern about a condition initially
described as more an inconvenience than something potentially serious.
Carpenter threw Saturday's side session without first having an MRI exam. He
threw in the outfield Friday without a problem, then, after taking the mound
Saturday, predicted he would start Tuesday in Pittsburgh. Sunday's game notes
listed Carpenter as that day's starter.
"It's obviously very disappointing," Carpenter said 90 minutes before Sunday's
first pitch. "Everything was fine after I threw yesterday. I was encouraged. I
wasn't expecting this."
Upbeat Saturday, Carpenter appeared downcast after emerging from the trainers'
room Sunday.
"I was excited about how it went (Saturday)," Carpenter said. "The plan was to
play catch on Friday. If nothing happened, throw a side (session) on Saturday.
If nothing happened, continue on. Everything looked great until this morning."
The previous Monday, Carpenter was unable to touch his right hand to his right
shoulder. He said that the sensation was similar Sunday, but not quite to the
same extent.
The club is encouraged that the swelling is located behind, rather than inside
the elbow.
Posterior inflammation often suggests a problem with bone spurs or bone chips
that can be removed with arthroscopic surgery. Pain and swelling to the inside
of the elbow can indicate a ligament tear, necessitating far more extensive
surgery. The club also is encouraged that Carpenter felt no discomfort during
his recent throwing sessions.
Before Sunday's game, pitching coach Dave Duncan referred questions to head
trainer Barry Weinberg, but the club has not made its trainers available to
reporters this season in response to players' expanded privacy rights regarding
the release of injury information. Teams may seek a waiver from athletes to
explain medical issues.
General manager Walt Jocketty traveled to Memphis on Sunday morning; La Russa
suggested Saturday that the club might turn to its Class AAA affiliate for a
replacement, if needed.
Duncan identified Blake Hawksworth as the organization's "sixth starter" last
week but also held out the possibility of "a bullpen game" if Carpenter didn't
make his next turn. The bullpen option appears more remote if the club believes
Carpenter's absence will last more than one start. Sunday's reoccurrence
suggests a more serious problem than first anticipated and makes it more likely
the club will put Carpenter on the disabled list retroactive to April 2.
A trip to the disabled list would be Carpenter's third in the past four
seasons. He went on the DL last May with right shoulder bursitis. In September
2004 he experienced a nerve disorder in his right biceps that caused him to
miss the club's postseason push to the World Series.
During December's winter meetings the Cardinals picked up their 2008 option on
Carpenter while signing him to a three-year, $43.5 million extension with a $15
million option for 2012.
Snow wipes out Mariners and Indians again
April 9th, 2007
Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - The Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Indians again had a doubleheader postponed because of snow.
The teams were slated to play a four-game set at Jacobs Field this weekend, but failed to finish any of the games.
Snow forced Friday's opener to be postponed while the contest was in the fifth inning. A day/night doubleheader Saturday was then postponed because of snow and the teams were again snowed out of a traditional twinbill on Sunday afternoon.
Makeup dates for the series have not yet been determined.
Phillies activate Lieber from DL
April 9th, 2007
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The Philadelphia Phillies activated right-hander Jon Lieber from the 15-day disabled list on Monday.
Lieber suffered a strained right oblique muscle last month after losing a spot in the starting rotation during spring training.
However, with Freddy Garcia on the DL, the 13-year veteran could reclaim that spot. Lieber finished 9-11 with a 4.93 earned run average in 27 starts last season.
Following Sunday's 6-4 loss at Florida, the Phillies optioned pitchers Zack Segovia and Joe Bisenius to Triple-A Ottawa. Segovia was the losing pitcher in the game, yielding five runs on eight hits in five innings of work.
Reliever Francisco Rosario, who was acquired from Toronto on Friday, also joined the team.
Marlins Miguel Olivo (thumb) is expected to return to the starting lineup on Monday; he's been out since jamming his thumb during Friday's game.
Royals Manager Buddy Bell said Sunday that Mike Sweeney and Mark Grudzielanek will likely both sit out two of the three games in Toronto.
The Astros have decided to pull Brad Lidge from the closer's role and use him earlier in games. Dan Wheeler is the new favorite for saves in Houston.