Notes from Wednesday's AL games
August 22, 2007
OAKLAND: INF Donnie Murphy was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Aug. 19, with a strained rib cage muscle that has prevented him from swinging a bat. RHP Esteban Loaiza was activated from the DL and RHP Rich Harden was transferred from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL. ... In his season debut, Loaiza allowed one run and four hits over 7 2-3 innings. He is 6-4 with a 3.60 ERA in 14 career appearances against Toronto. ... 3B Jack Hannahan got the first stolen base of his career, stealing second in the third inning.
TORONTO: DH Frank Thomas walked in the second inning, giving him 1,614 walks and tying him with Eddie Yost for ninth on baseball's career list. Thomas is second among active players, trailing Barry Bonds (2,548). ... 2B Aaron Hill's fifth-inning homer was his 13th of the season, trying him with Roberto Alomar for the second-highest total by a Blue Jays second baseman. Alomar hit 17 homers in 1993. ... The Blue Jays were swept by Oakland, their first sweep at home since dropping three straight to Boston from May 8-10.
SEATTLE: Rookie Ryan Rowland-Smith turned in a career-high four hitless innings in relief. The Australian lefty struck out six, also a career high, with two walks. And most importantly, no runs. He lowered his ERA to 3.47 after appearing for the first time in seven games. ``I didn't want to worry about how my stuff was,'' Rowland-Smith said. ``I just wanted to get ahead in the count and have fun.'' ... DH Jose Vidro was rested. With one more RBI, Vidro will establish a Mariners record by becoming the ninth player with 50 or more RBIs in a season. ... Ben Broussard subbed for Vidro and hit his seventh homer. Broussard had only one at-bat in the team's previous 11 games. ``I felt like I was on the DL. I said, 'Man, when I am going to get back in there?''' he said. ``I'm a competitor, and I want to be in there. We're winning, and that's great. I just have to wait my turn.''
MINNESOTA: Though they're not worried by Boof Bonser's winless streak (0-8 in his last 12 starts), the Twins want him to shed a few pounds from his 260-pound frame. Bonser started an aerobic spinning class with Johan Santana and Carlos Silva. The indoor cycling activity is an intense workout. ``He'll lose weight. There's no doubt, if he stays with that kind of stuff,'' manager Ron Gardenhire said. ... 3B Tommy Watkins pulled a lower abdominal muscle running out a single in the eighth, putting his status in doubt. Before the game, Gardenhire said 3B Brian Buscher (recovering from leg infection) would stay on his rehab assignment with Triple-A Rochester until perhaps Sept. 1 because of an overworked bullpen. Dennys Reyes was unavailable for a couple of days because he banged his elbow on a bullpen chair. Julio DePaula, called up after Tuesday's game, didn't make it to the ballpark in time Wednesday because his flight was canceled. ... Watkins, an energetic overachiever without any standout skills, was doing well before the injury. Coaches at Rochester told Gardenhire he was on the way to being the team's MVP before the Twins called him up. ``He gets a lot out of what he has,'' Gardenhire said.
KANSAS CITY: OF Joey Gathright started in left field and hit leadoff a day after crashing into the stands chasing a foul ball. Gathright hit his head on the back of a seat and wasn't able to make the catch. ``I'm good,'' he said. ``Just a little headache.'' ... OF Mark Teahen left the team and went back to Kansas City to have his left elbow examined. Teahen hyperextended the elbow Saturday when he dove to try and stop a line drive by Oakland's Jeff DeVanon. Royals manager Buddy Bell said Teahen could be placed on the disabled list. ... OF Shane Costa was called up from Triple-A Omaha to replace injured LHP Odalis Perez, who was put on the 15-day DL with a left knee sprain. Bell said the decision to call up Costa, rather than a pitcher, was influenced by the absence of Teahen.
CHICAGO: White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said he is thinking about putting DH Jim Thome in the leadoff spot late in the season if the slugger needs more at_bats to reach 500 home runs. Thome, who hit his 493rd homer on Tuesday, is trying to become the 27th player to reach the mark. ``I've got to go through (general manager) Kenny (Williams), but don't be surprised if late in the season you see Jim Thome leading off to make sure he gets one more at-bat than everybody else,'' Guillen said. ``If he needs a couple of home runs at the end of the season, I'll give him one more at-bat than anybody else. Why not?'' Thome has never started a game hitting leadoff, but he has pinch-hit in the spot twice, going 0-for-1 with a sacrifice fly, according to STATS LLC. Thome had hit .296 with a .394 on-base percentage and 109 homers in 1,433 at_bats when leading off an inning entering Wednesday's game. ... OF Scott Podsednik is day-to-day after leaving Tuesday's game with a strained right rib cage muscle. Podsednik has struggled with injuries the last two seasons and has made two trips to the disabled list this year and played in just 45 games. ``It's a shame he's had to go through a year like this,'' Guillen said. The manager wouldn't say whether or not he'd want Podsednik, who will be a free agent, back next season. ``We have a lot of things up in the air,'' Guillen said.
TEXAS: The Rangers activated 3B Travis Metcalf from Triple-A Oklahoma before the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader and optioned LHP A.J. Murray to the same club. Metcalf marked the occasion with his first career grand slam. ... SS Michael Young was in the starting lineup for both games after leaving Tuesday's game in the fifth inning with back stiffness. ... In the opener, OF Frank Catalanotto started at 1B for the first time this season, the sixth Rangers player to start there this year. ... After Baltimore scored a run in the first inning, Texas had been outscored 94-47 in the first inning this season.
BALTIMORE: In his last 17 starts, Orioles LHP Erik Bedard had given up just 31 earned runs, one more than the Orioles allowed in their 30-3 loss in Wednesday's first game. ... Kevin Millar extended his string of reaching base by hit, walk or hit by pitch to 48 games with a single in the eighth inning of the opener. ... Brian Roberts' three-hit game in the opener was his 11th of the season and 43rd multihit game, pushing him ahead of Nick Markakis for the team lead in both categories.
CLEVELAND: RHP Fausto Carmona's complete-game loss to Detroit on Tuesday night, in which he allowed only three hits and threw 77 pitches in eight innings, was still a topic of conversation. ``It's amazing just how efficient he was,'' manager Eric Wedge said. ``He did a great job mixing his pitches and got some quick outs.'' ... Franklin Gutierrez was in the lineup in RF instead of Trot Nixon. ``Trying to get a little more speed in there,'' Wedge said. ``Obviously trying to create as much as we can.''
DETROIT: DH Gary Sheffield said he will be out for at least the rest of the current homestand, which ends on Monday, because of a sore right shoulder. It has bothered him for more than a month. ``It's too bad to play with right now,'' Sheffield said. ``It's more inflamed that it's ever been. I've gotten the last cortisone (shot) I could get. Sept. 1 is just around the corner. If not, I go on the DL.'' ... LHP Kenny Rogers, on the DL with left elbow inflammation, threw off a mound in the bullpen Tuesday and is scheduled for another bullpen session Thursday.
BOSTON: LF Manny Ramirez was rested. Manager Terry Francona said Ramirez didn't try to talk him out of the decision. ``He knew he had the day off,'' Francona said. ``We talked about it four-five days ago. He knows he can use it.'' ... With Ramirez out of the starting lineup, 3B Mike Lowell batted fourth for the second time this season. ... Eric Hinske started in left, filling in for Ramirez.
TAMPA BAY: RF Delmon Young was out of the starting lineup for just the second time this season. The rookie had gone hitless (0-for-13) in four straight starts for the first time this year. ``I've just seen signs he's wearing down a little bit,'' manager Joe Maddon said. ... Maddon said reports on CF Rocco Baldelli, who has been out since May 16 with a strained left hamstring, have been positive after two minor league rehab games at Class-A Vero Beach. Baldelli could rejoin the team after rosters expand on Sept. 1.
NEW YORK: 3B Alex Rodriguez's two home runs, both solo shots, in Tuesday's loss to the Angels gave him 506 homers and sole possession of 21st place on baseball's career list. He had been tied with Eddie Murray at 504. Toronto's Frank Thomas ranks 20th with 508. ... The Yankees' 18-9 loss to the Angels on Tuesday night was a squeaker compared to Texas' 30-3 rout of Baltimore on Wednesday, and manager Joe Torre saw part of the game on TV in the clubhouse. ``Mercifully it's the ninth inning,'' he said. ``The worst part about it is they're playing at home, so the other team has to hit nine times.'' ... The Angels are the only team with a winning record (61-54) against the Yankees since Torre became manager in 1996, and the Angels eliminated New York from the playoffs in 2002 and 2005. Torre said the Angels are very aggressive, they take advantage of opponents' mistakes and, ``They do a good job matching up pitching-wise.''
LOS ANGELES: 3B Chone Figgins, who sprained his left wrist on a checked swing in the third inning Tuesday night, wasn't in the lineup for the series finale against New York. Figgins, fourth in the AL in batting (.335) and fifth in steals (34), had a CT scan Wednesday afternoon but results were not immediately available. ... Angels manager Mike Scioscia, a longtime Dodgers catcher, put LF Garret Anderson's 10-RBI game the previous night into personal perspective. ``He had one-sixth of my career high,'' Scioscia said. Scioscia's most RBIs were 66 in 1990. ... RF Vladimir Guerrero's run-scoring double in the third inning against the Yankees on Tuesday night gave him 100 RBIs for the season. He joined Anderson as the only players in Angels history to reach that total in four consecutive years.
Notes from Wednesday's NL games
August 22, 2007
LOS ANGELES: LHP Randy Wolf played catch for the first time since he was placed on the DL with shoulder soreness July 20. Wolf, who spent his first eight seasons with the Phillies and celebrated his 31st birthday in Philadelphia on Wednesday, tossed the ball about 20 times. ... Andre Ethier batted fifth after a one-game stint in the No. 3 spot. ... Chad Billingsley pitches the series finale Thursday afternoon. He's 9-4 with a 3.41 ERA away from home in his two seasons in the majors.
PHILADELPHIA: All-Star LHP Cole Hamels became the 19th different player to land on the DL this season. Hamels has a strained elbow and is expected to miss at least two starts, though he's optimistic he'll return when eligible Sept. 1. ``It's nothing serious,'' he said. ... RF Shane Victorino returned to the lineup after missing three weeks with a calf injury. ... All-Star 2B Chase Utley took live batting practice for the first time since he had hand surgery on July 27. Utley could return early next week. ... LHP Fabio Castro was recalled from Triple-A Ottawa and will make his first major league start on Thursday.
SAN DIEGO: OF Milton Bradley was back in the lineup and batting third, a day after making his first start since leaving a game Aug. 3 because of a strained right hamstring. ... RHP Greg Maddux was picked for the all-time Rawlings Gold Glove team, and manager Bud Black agreed with the choice. ``He's the best I've seen,'' Black said. While many good-fielding pitchers envision balls being hit back to them, Black said Maddux is even more precise. ``He'll sometimes take a little hop to the left or right, anticipating it being hit to a certain spot.''
NEW YORK: RHP Pedro Martinez (shoulder) will throw a side session this week at the Mets' complex in Florida, then a decision will be made about his next rehab start. Several of the Mets' minor league teams would like to host the outing - Brooklyn, New Orleans and Binghamton hope the ace pitches in their ballpark. ... Lastings Milledge stared intently at a TV monitor outside the clubhouse, watching a replay of the Mets' ninth-inning rally against Padres closer Trevor Hoffman. Milledge began the two-run comeback with a single. After a few minutes, a Mets staffer walked past and playfully poked Milledge, deadpanning, ``The Mets win, 7-6.'' The excitable OF broke into a big smile and let out an ``Oh, yeah!''
ATLANTA: SS Edgar Renteria saw one pitch before leaving Atlanta's game against Cincinnati on Wednesday after aggravating the right ankle injury that forced him to miss 17 games this month. Renteria was activated from the 15-day disabled list before Wednesday's game after not playing since Aug 3 because of a sprained ankle. He'll be reevaluated on Thursday. ... Rookie IF Martin Prado was optioned to Triple-A Richmond to make room on the roster for Renteria. He hit .279 in 16 games. ... RHP Octavio Dotel tossed Tuesday and Wednesday, but he won't be ready to be activated when he's eligible on Thursday. Dotel has been on the disabled list since Aug. 8 with a right shoulder strain.
CINCINNATI: SS Alex Gonzalez won't play for two or three days while getting back into baseball shape after spending a week on the bereavement list, manager Pete Mackanin said. Gonzalez had been on the bereavement list since Aug. 15 while tending to his son, who is suffering from an undisclosed illness in Miami. He's been on the bereavement list three times this season. ... IF Mark Bellhorn was sent to Triple-A Louisville. He hit a combined .091 in 10 games over two stints with Cincinnati. ... RHP Elizardo Ramirez's start on Thursday will be his second of the season and first of his career against Atlanta.
WASHINGTON: OF Ryan Langerhans cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Columbus. But manager Manny Acta said the Nationals haven't seen the last of Langerhans, who hit just .153 between Atlanta, Oakland and Washington this season. ``We're still not giving up on him,'' Acta said. ``There's a very good chance he'll be coming up in September,'' when rosters expand. ... Acta remains impressed by the fielding efforts of 3B Ryan Zimmerman, who fell a double short of the cycle Tuesday. ``I think he's going to be the next great defensive third baseman in baseball.'' ... OF Nook Logan's five-hit game Tuesday was the franchise's first since Mark Grudzielanek turned the trick on May 8, 1998. The franchise went 3,392 days between the five-hit efforts. ``I'm just going up there free-minded,'' Logan said. ``I'm not going up there (saying), 'Gotta' do this or gotta' do that.'' I gotta' take it one at-bat at a time.''
HOUSTON: RHP Juan Gutierrez will make his first major league start in Thursday's series finale against Washington. Gutierrez has a 4.50 ERA in two relief outings for the Astros. He went 5-9 with a 3.96 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 24 games for Triple-A Round Rock this season. ... C Brad Ausmus thinks he knows why LHP Wandy Rodriguez suffered a rare home loss Tuesday. Rodriguez hadn't allowed more than one run in his last six home starts before getting touched for seven runs in 5 1-3 innings. ``(Rodriguez) struggled a bit mechanically for awhile and was having problems getting his fastball down,'' Ausmus said. Rodriguez uncharacteristically walked four. ... RHP Woody Williams started Wednesday in search of wins in back-to-back starts for the first time all season. He is 2-0 overall with a 1.80 ERA in his last three starts since getting blasted for 12 runs in 11 innings against San Diego and Atlanta on July 27 and August 2.
FLORIDA: Miguel Cabrera has homered in every current NL park after hitting his first at Busch Stadium, which opened in 2006, on Tuesday. He's homered in 26 parks overall, including six AL stadiums and three that have closed, leaving only Fenway Park, Camden Yards and Tropicana Field among parks he has played in. Cabrera has three 30-homer seasons and is the only Marlins player to do it twice. ... Jeremy Hermida was batting .321 on the road and .223 at home. ... The Marlins had homered in 21 of 23 games, totaling 25 this month, after leading the NL with 39 homers in July.
ST. LOUIS: IF Aaron Miles left for California to attend to his wife. The couple is expecting a child. Manager Tony La Russa said Miles could be back by Thursday. ... CF So Taguchi, 2-for-5 against the Marlins this year and a .375 career hitter against Florida (15-for-40), got a spot start in a lineup filled with all right-handed hitters against Marlins LHP Scott Olsen. ... La Russa said slumping Chris Duncan would start on Thursday and that Jim Edmonds would play as long he felt well. The next three games are against right-handed pitchers. ... LHP Mark Mulder (shoulder) worked four innings in his second rehab start for Class-A Palm Beach, allowing an unearned run and two hits with three strikeouts. He could rejoin the team by September.
PITTSBURGH: LHP Zach Duke (left elbow tendinitis) threw 43 pitches in a simulated game at the team's training facility in Bradenton, Fla., on Wednesday. ``He threw all pitches with good command,'' manager Jim Tracy said. ``We'll see how he is Thursday before deciding what he does next.'' ... C Ryan Doumit (sprained left wrist) had a light running workout in Bradenton. ``He had the cast removed from the wrist last Monday and put into a splint,'' Tracy said. ``He can run and throw, but no activity that involves the wrist.'' ... 1B Adam LaRoche has impressed Tracy over the last two months. ``This is a guy that had struck out 80 times by the end of June and only 21 times since,'' Tracy said. ``And he's making contact and hitting the ball to all fields.''
COLORADO: C Edwin Bellorin, who strained his left hamstring legging out a groundout in his first major league at-bat on Aug. 8, is still not close to coming off the DL. Manager Clint Hurdle said Bellorin took batting practice Tuesday and may run on Thursday. ``They come to me when they're close,'' Hurdle said. ... Hurdle kept 1B Todd Helton out of the starting lineup against Pirates left-hander Tom Gorzelanny on Wednesday, but said it was merely to give him a day off. ``You always try to find time when it's best suited for the player,'' Hurdle said.
MILWAUKEE: Manager Ned Yost said he's not considering removing Chris Capuano from the rotation. Capuano has lost 10 straight decisions, and his last victory came on May 7. He's 5-10 with a 5.33 ERA. ... The Brewers have yet to name starting pitchers for Saturday and Sunday at San Francisco. RHP Claudio Vargas (10-4, 4.72 ERA) starts Friday night. He's 5-2 with a 5.55 ERA in 13 career appearances against the Giants. ... Milwaukee's nine-game, 11-day road trip ends with three games at the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 28-30.
ARIZONA: Manager Bob Melvin gave 3B Mark Reynolds a day off Wednesday. On Tuesday night, Reynolds struck out in his first two at_bats against Milwaukee's Dave Bush to match the record of nine consecutive strikeouts by a non-pitcher, set five times, most recently by Kansas City's Bo Jackson in 1988. Bush hit Reynolds with a pitch in the sixth, ending the streak. ... RHP Tony Pena has allowed seven earned runs and seven hits in his last four innings, a span of four appearances. He gave up a grand slam in Tuesday's 7-4 loss to Milwaukee. But Melvin said he isn't thinking about changing Pena's role as a set up man. ``This is a future All-Star, a future closer,'' Melvin said. ``We're not giving up on Tony Pena.''
CHICAGO: LHP Scott Eyre won his 20th career game in his 521st appearance on Tuesday night. Only LHP Tony Fossas has fewer wins (17) with more appearances (567). Eyre has a 1.74 ERA in 12 outings since the All-Star break after a 6.60 ERA in the first half. ``What gives a manager faith in a particular player is production,'' manager Lou Piniella said. Eyre is also one of just three left-handed relief (primarily) pitchers with four or fewer saves and at least 521 appearances, according to Sports Features Group, joining Rheal Cormier and Ray King. ... The Cubs are 14-3-2 in series when winning the first game. ... RHP Carlos Zambrano, who starts Thursday's series finale, is 4-0 with a 2.84 ERA in seven games against the Giants. He's lost his last two starts, the first time he's done that since last August.
SAN FRANCISCO: RHP Tim Lincecum returned from the bereavement list to pitch on Tuesday night, and came within a few pitches of recording his first career shutout and complete game. He faced three hitters in the ninth, all of whom scored. ``I felt like I was making decent pitches,'' he said. ``I was making the same pitches earlier and they made outs on them. I guess they made adjustments. I felt it was the best command I had in a long time.'' ... 1B Dan Ortmeier made his fifth start at first base. Manager Bruce Bochy said the converted outfielder has been working at making the switch. ``You can tell he hasn't played there much,'' Bochy said. ``But he's getting more comfortable. It's not easy to do. It takes a lot of athleticism to do that and he's shown that.'' ... C Eliezer Alfonzo was activated from the 15-day DL and then optioned to Triple-A Fresno. ... RHP Randy Messenger had surgery to put a screw in his fractured left hand. The procedure was performed by Dr. Gordon Brody.
Rangers set modern-day run record in 30-3 rout of O's
August 22nd, 2007
Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - Marlon Byrd and Travis Metcalf each belted grand slams, helping the Texas Rangers set a modern-record for most runs in a game by decimating the Baltimore Orioles 30-3, in the front end of a twi-night doubleheader at Camden Yards.
It was the ninth time a major league team scored 30 runs, the first since Chicago set the major league scoring record in a 36-7 rout of Louisville on June 28, 1897.
The three-game series was scheduled to begin Monday, but the opener was rained out and rescheduled for Wednesday.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia homered twice and drove in a career-high seven runs, and Ramon Vazquez also added a pair of long balls and a career-best seven RBI for Texas, which pounded out 29 hits in the contest to snap a two-game skid. Kason Gabbard (6-1) earned the win, allowing three runs and seven hits, while walking one and fanning three over six frames.
Brian Roberts went 3-for-5 and scored twice for Baltimore, which has lost three of its last five. Daniel Cabrera (9-13) was shelled for six runs and nine hits over five innings in the loss.
The Orioles announced Wednesday that manager Dave Trembley will return to the team for the 2008 season, with an option for 2009.
Trembley was initially promoted from his position as bullpen coach to manager on June 18, replacing the dismissed Sam Perlozzo. Baltimore has since gone 29-26 under Trembley, who spent 20 years as a manager in the minor leagues.
Trailing by three, Texas answered by posting a five-spot in the fourth to take the lead for good. Saltalamacchia's bases-loaded single to center scored two runs, before Vazquez followed by clubbing a three-run homer to right that put the Rangers on top.
Another outburst in the sixth -- highlighted by Byrd's slam -- put the game away. Saltalamacchia led off with a homer to center, chasing Cabrera, and Vazquez greeted reliever Brian Burres with a base hit to right. A wild pitch sent him to second, Frank Catalanotto walked and a fielder's choice bunt by Ian Kinsler erased the lead runner before Michael Young's single loaded the bases.
Byrd followed by blasting an 0-1 pitch well over the fence in left for a grand slam, and after a pair of two-out singles, Saltalamacchia knocked in another run with a base hit through the left side. Vazquez singled in another run, and Catalanotto's RBI single chased Burres. Kinsler's hit off Rob Bell plated Vazquez to make it 14-3.
Catalanotto and Kinsler each knocked in a run in a the eighth to continue the rout, before Metcalf's grand slam to left -- the first of his big league career - made it 20-3. An RBI single by David Murphy, and a three-run shot from Saltalamacchia polished off the 10-run frame.
Jason Botts added a two-run double and Murphy knocked in a run in the ninth before Vazquez's three-run homer -- his second long ball of the game -- finally capped the scoring.
Baltimore pushed a run across in the first behind a leadoff double from Roberts and a run-scoring single by Corey Patterson. The O's also added two more in the third on a ground-rule double by Nick Markakis and an RBI single by Miguel Tejada that made it 3-0.
Tigers' Sheffield sidelined with shoulder injury
August 22nd, 2007
Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Detroit Tigers slugger Gary Sheffield will likely be sidelined a week to rest his aching right shoulder.
According to the Tigers' web site, the shoulder has bothered Sheffield for about the last two months and he aggravated the injury on Tuesday after attempting to lift weights.
In 114 games this season, Sheffield is hitting .279 with 24 home runs and 71 runs batted in.
Marcus Thames will likely see the majority of action at designated hitter for Detroit while 20-year-old rookie Cameron Maybin will get the bulk of the starts in left field as Sheffield sits.
Baseball Today - August 23
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SCOREBOARD
Thursday, Aug. 23
San Diego at N.Y. Mets (7:10 p.m. EDT).
Justin Germano squares off against Tom Glavine.
STARS
Wednesday
-Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ramon Vazquez, Rangers, each homered twice and finished with seven RBIs in Texas' 30-3 pounding of Baltimore in the first game of a doubleheader.
-Nate McLouth, Pirates, hit a pair of home runs in Pittsburgh's 11-2 rout of Colorado.
-Andy Pettite, Yankees, allowed one run and five hits in seven sharp innings to win his fifth consecutive start in New York's 8-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels.
-Billy Butler, Royals, homered and drove in three runs to help Kansas City edge the Chicago White Sox 7-6.
-Michael Cuddyer, Twins, hit a grand slam to fuel a seven-run first inning, and Minnesota beat Seattle 8-4.
BALTIMORE BLITZED
The Texas Rangers rounded the bases at a dizzying pace and became the first team in 110 years to score 30 runs in a game, setting an American League record Wednesday in a 30-3 rout of the Baltimore Orioles in the first game of a doubleheader. It was the ninth time a major league team scored 30 runs, the first since the Chicago Colts set the major league mark in a 36-7 rout of Louisville in a National League game on June 28, 1897, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The 30 RBIs set a major league record. Texas also won the nightcap 9-7.
WEBB'S STREAK SNAPPED
Brandon Webb's scoreless streak ended at 42 innings Wednesday night when Milwaukee's Prince Fielder singled home a run in the first inning of Arizona's 3-2 win. Webb, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, fell 17 innings shy of Orel Hershiser's major league record of 59 straight shutout innings set in 1988. Webb, who had thrown three straight shutouts, gave up two runs and five hits in seven innings to win his 14th game.
PUJOLS POWER
Albert Pujols homered for a career-best fifth consecutive game and St. Louis beat Florida 6-4 on Wednesday. The St. Louis slugger became the first player in major league history to hit 30 homers in each of his first seven seasons.
MR. AUGUST
Andy Pettite allowed one run in seven innings to pick up the win in the New York Yankees' 8-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday. Pettite is 5-0 this month and 44-16 in August during his career, the second-highest winning percentage since 1900 for a pitcher with at least 60 decisions. Yankees great Lefty Gomez tops that list with a 39-14 record in August.
ROLLING THE DICE
Tampa Bay edged Boston 2-1 on Wednesday to improve to 3-9 against the Red Sox this season. All three of the Devil Rays' victories have come against Daisuke Matsuzaka, who was the hard-luck loser, allowing two runs on two hits and striking out eight. Matsuzaka has had two runs or less of support in 12 of his last 16 starts.
GO, JOSE, GO
Jose Reyes did his best to rattle the Padres, stealing three bases and setting a Mets record with 67 in a season. The NL East leaders swiped five in all, yet saw their four-game winning streak come to an end with a 7-5 loss to San Diego on Wednesday. Reyes had the sixth three-steal game of his career
STREAKS
Baltimore's Kevin Millar got a hit in both games of a doubleheader against Texas on Wednesday, extending his run of reaching via hit, walk or hit by pitch to 49 games - tying Ken Singleton's club record set in 1977. ... Jake Peavy allowed two runs and two hits in six innings, striking out 11 to earn his fifth straight win in San Diego's 7-5 victory over the New York Mets. He improved to 8-0 on the road and increased his league-high strikeout total to 186.
SPEAKING
''It was AMAZING in capital letters.'' - Texas' Travis Metcalf, who hit a grand slam in the Rangers' 30-3 rout of Baltimore on Wednesday after being called up from Triple-A Oklahoma earlier in the day. Metcalf also drove in four runs in the nightcap, helping Texas to a 9-7 win. The Rangers had totaled 28 runs in their previous nine games, including two runs on seven hits in their last two.
Braves activate Renteria, option Prado
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CINCINNATI -- The Atlanta Braves activated shortstop Edgar Renteria and optioned infielder Martin Prado to Triple-A Richmond on Wednesday.
Renteria, who missed 17 games since Aug. 3 with a sprained left ankle, was batting second in Atlanta's lineup Wednesday night against Cincinnati. He hit .336 with 11 home runs and 53 RBIs in 105 games before his injury.
Prado hit .279 in 16 games
Reds SS Alex Gonzalez comes off bereavement list, Bellhorn sent to minors
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Reds reinstated shortstop Alex Gonzalez from the bereavement list Wednesday and sent infielder Mark Bellhorn outright to Triple-A Louisville.
Gonzalez had been on the bereavement list since Aug. 15 while tending to his son, who is suffering from an illness in Miami. He's been on the bereavement list three times this season.
Bellhorn got one start after joining the Reds on Aug. 15 for the second time this season. He was hitting .091 in 10 games.
Royals place left-hander Odalis Perez on disabled list
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHICAGO -- The Kansas City Royals placed left-hander Odalis Perez on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday with a left knee sprain and recalled outfielder Shane Costa from Triple-A Omaha.
Perez is 8-11 with a 5.57 ERA. He is expected to miss at least three weeks, manager Buddy Bell said.
Costa is making his third appearance with the Royals this season. He was hitting .185 (12-for-65) with seven RBIs in 33 games for Kansas City.
Tigers deal Monroe to Cubs
August 23rd, 2007
Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - The Detroit Tigers announced during Thursday's contest at Comerica Park against the Cleveland Indians that outfielder Craig Monroe has been traded to the Chicago Cubs.
In return, the Tigers will receive a player to be named at a later date, either on or before October 15.
Monroe hit just .222 with 11 home runs and 55 RBI in 99 games for Detroit this season. In a seven-year career with the Tigers and Rangers, he has posted a .258 average with 103 home runs, 384 RBI in 699 games.
Twins activate Buscher; put Watkins on DL
August 23rd, 2007
Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - The Minnesota Twins placed third baseman Tommy Watkins on the 15-day disabled list and activated third baseman Brian Buscher from the 15-day disabled list on Thursday.
Watkins, 27, is sidelined with a lower abdominal muscle strain that he suffered in the eighth inning of Wednesday's 8-4 win over the Seattle Mariners.
The rookie is hitting .357 with two runs scored in nine games this season.
Buscher had been sidelined since August 7 with an infection in his right leg.
He has hit .227 with an RBI in eight games with Minnesota.
Sox demote Lester, recall Lopez
August 23rd, 2007
Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - The Boston Red Sox optioned pitcher Jon Lester to Double-A Portland on Thursday, and recalled pitcher Javier Lopez from Triple-A Pawtucket prior to the start of the club's four-game series with the Chicago White Sox.
Lester, the plucky 23-year-old, completed a courageous comeback from lymphoma by beating the Cleveland Indians on July 23 for his first major-league win in nearly a year. He was 2-0 with a 5.67 ERA in six starts since being recalled from Pawtucket.
Lopez, who will make his third trip to Boston this season, was 2-1 with a 3.17 ERA in 17 appearances with the PawSox in 2007. The 30-year-old lefty is 2-1 with a 2.87 ERA in 44 games with the Red Sox this year.
Mariners option Parrish, bring up veteran White
August 23rd, 2007
Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - The Seattle Mariners optioned left-handed pitcher John Parrish to Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday, and selected the contract of veteran right-hander Rick White from Tacoma to fill Parrish's vacated roster spot.
Parrish, acquired from Baltimore on August 9, was 0-0 with a 8.44 ERA in four appearances with Seattle. The 29-year old had allowed five earned runs in 5 1/3 innings with the Mariners.
White, 38, has appeared in a total of 607 major league games since breaking in with the Pirates in 1994. He has since spent time with the Devil Rays, Mets, Rockies, Cardinals, White Sox, Astros, Indians. Reds and Phillies, before returning to Houston at the beginning of the 2007 season, where he went 1-0 with a 7.67 ERA in 23 appearances.
For his career, White has compiled a record of 42-53 with a 4.43 ERA, working primarily in relief. His selection fills the Mariners' 40-man roster.