MLB News and Notes August - 21

Orioles activate Bynum; option Fahey
August 20th, 2007

Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - The Baltimore Orioles Monday activated outfielder Freddie Bynum from the 15-day disabled list and optioned infielder Brandon Fahey to Triple-A Norfolk.

Bynum, 27, was placed on the disabled list on July 7 with a strained left hamstring. He is hitting .277 with two homers and eight RBI in 48 games.

The 26-year-old Fahey was hitting .231 in 23 games with the Orioles.

Baseball Today - August 21
ASSOCIATED PRESS

SCOREBOARD

Tuesday, Aug. 21

San Diego at N.Y. Mets (7:10 p.m. EDT).

Chris Young faces off against John Maine in a possible playoff preview.

STARS

Monday

-Mark Teixeira, Braves, hit a pair of homers for the second straight game and drove in six runs to help Atlanta pound Cincinnati 14-4.

-Ryan Budde, Angels, doubled in the winning run in the 10th inning in a 7-6 win over the Yankees.

-Raul Ibanez, Mariners, hit two home runs in Seattle's 9-4 win over Minnesota.

-Yoveni Gallardo, Brewers, struck out six in six innings and hit his first major league homer and Milwaukee shut down Arizona 9-0.

-Tim Wakefield, Red Sox, struck out five in seven innings to tie for the major league lead with 15 wins and lead Boston to a 6-0 win over Tampa Bay.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

Tim Wakefield allowed four hits in seven innings to help Boston defeat Tampa Bay 6-0 on Monday. The knuckleballer has a decision in all of his 25 starts, the first to reach that number since Jack McDowell posted decisions in his first 27 starts with the Chicago White Sox in 1993. Wakefield improved to 19-2 - including a 9-0 mark at Tropicana Field - all-time against the Devil Rays.

ANKIEL AWESOME

Rick Ankiel continued to impress in his improbable comeback, hitting his fourth homer and picking up his first outfield assist to help St. Louis defeat the Chicago Cubs 6-4 on Monday and move within three games of first in the NL Central.

SNAPPED

Bobby Jenks failed to break the major league record for consecutive batters retired before getting three outs to help the Chicago White Sox avoid their longest losing streak in 16 years with a 4-3 win over Kansas City on Monday. Jenks gave up a single to Joey Gathright to lead off the ninth and responded by retiring the next three batters for his 34th save. The White Sox avoided losing nine in a row for the first time since August 1991.

SPEAKING

''The date was wrong and everything was spelled differently. I was kind of looking at it like 'Jeez, Louise. Wow.' I looked behind me and everyone was laughing at me. They got me.'' - Oakland's Jack Hannahan, on his teammates playing a joke on him following his first career homer in the Athletics' 6-4 win over Toronto on Monday.

Notes from Monday's games
August 20, 2007

OAKLAND: The Athletics placed OF Travis Buck on the 15-day disabled list Monday because of a strained left hamstring, retroactive to August 18, and recalled infielder J.J. Furmaniak from Triple-A Sacramento. ... Manager Bob Geren said RHP Rich Harden, sidelined since July 12 because of a strained shoulder, is now throwing from 140 feet at Oakland's spring training facility in Arizona. ... Geren said 3B Eric Chavez (back spasms) is headed to Arizona and is expected to resume baseball activities, such as swinging and running, by this Wednesday. .

TORONTO: 2B Aaron Hill was held out of the starting lineup Monday and replaced by Russ Adams. Hill has played in 121 of Toronto's 123 games this season. ... LHP Scott Downs earned the victory Sunday over Baltimore, becoming the first Toronto reliever to earn a win in 36 games, ending a streak that dated back before the All-Star break. The last Toronto reliever to earn a win was RHP Jeremy Accardo, who beat Cleveland on July 8. ... OF Reed Johnson entered play Monday batting .429 (9-for-21) over his past seven games.

BOSTON: RHP Matt Clement (right shoulder surgery) threw 50 pitches off a bullpen mound. Manager Terry Francona doesn't expect Clement to rejoin the Red Sox this season, but said he could pitch by mid-September in the instructional league. Clement has been working out at Boston's spring training complex in Fort Myers, Fla. and is set to throw batting practice in the near future. ... The Red Sox started a season-long 10-game, 11-day road trip. After three games at Tampa Bay, Boston will play four at the Chicago White Sox before a three-game set with the New York Yankees.

TAMPA BAY: The Devil Rays might go to a six-man rotation in September. It would allow the team to cut down on the number of pitches thrown by LHP Scott Kazmir and RHP James Shields, and also setup an audition by a minor league pitcher like RHP Jeff Niemann or RHP Mitch Talbot. ``It's not totally finalized,'' manager Joe Maddon said. ... Tampa Bay held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new spring training complex in Port Charlotte, Fla. The team will move their spring operations there in 2009. ``You can see it will be state of the art,'' said Maddon, who attended the ceremony.

SEATTLE: With the Mariners 15-6 over their last 21 games - the best mark in the majors over that span - coming into Monday, manager John McLaren was hesitant to mess with success in his lineup. He also acknowledged the need to give some of his regulars days off before the September stretch run in the race for a playoff spot. ``You hate to break up winning combinations,'' McLaren said, ``but again you hate to put them in situations where they're exhausted.''... Monday's game was the start of a 20-day stretch featuring 17 road games, with series in Minnesota, Texas, Toronto, New York and Detroit. The Mariners, who also play once in Cleveland to make up for a game snowed out earlier this year, will face Los Angeles at home Aug. 27-29. ... Raul Ibanez and Richie Sexson hit first inning home runs Monday, the second straight day Seattle has had two first inning homers. Adrian Beltre and Jose Guillen connected Sunday.

MINNESOTA: Johan Santana was named the American League Player of the Week. It is the third time in his career he has received the honor. Santana went 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 15 innings pitched, including a franchise-best 17-strikeout performance Sunday. ... SS Jason Bartlett missed his fourth straight game because of a strained left hamstring, but manager Ron Gardenhire received an encouraging report on Bartlett's health and said he was expected back in the lineup for Thursday's game at Baltimore. That's the same day the Twins plan to activate 3B Brian Buscher from the disabled list. The rookie has been out with an infection in his right leg caused by a stray foul ball off his bat earlier this month. ... 2B Alexi Casilla was the leadoff hitter for Monday's game. He's likely destined for that spot permanently next season and on into the future, but the Twins have been hesitant to play him there too much as the rookie gets adjusted to the majors. ``His swing is not exactly perfect from either side, but he'll take pitches and he'll work counts, and if he does get on he's not afraid to (run),'' Gardenhire said.

KANSAS CITY: Entering Monday night's game against the White Sox, OF Joey Gathright is 7-for-11 in his last three games. He is hitting .363 in 33 games with the Royals this season. ... INF Jason Smith, who homered at Oakland on Saturday, has hit 14 of his 15 home runs on the road in his career. According to Stats Inc., the Indians Casey Blake is the only player besides Smith to hit 14 of their first 15 home runs on the road since 1957. ... 2B Mark Grudzielanek is hitting .370 since coming off the disabled list on July 6. Grudzielanek hit .429 in the month of July.

CHICAGO: Before Monday night's game, the White Sox lost a season-high eight straight and are in last place in the AL Central. Despite being out of the playoff chase, OF Jermaine Dye said he's still motivated with win. ``When you don't win your division, you didn't have a good year,'' said Dye. ... Left-handed reliever Mike Myers reached agreement on a contract Monday with the White Sox, two weeks after the New York Yankees cut the lefty. Guillen has no immediate plans to use Myers in relief opportunities and said when Myers does pitch, he will face lefties. The 38-year-old Myers will get the prorated minimum salary for the rest of this season. The White Sox hold a $1.1 million option for next year with no buyout.

SAN FRANCISCO: LF Barry Bonds will be in the lineup when the Giants begin a homestand Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs, but CF Rajai Davis will get a breather, manager Bruce Bochy said. Davis hit safely for the 14th time in his 15 starts with the Giants on Monday. ``He could use a break,'' Bochy said. ... 1B Ryan Klesko is 10-for-23 in the past nine games.

FLORIDA: The Marlins were swept in a series for the sixth time this season when they lost Monday to San Francisco. ... A scoreless streak by the bullpen ended at 15 1-3 innings when Taylor Tankersley gave up two runs in the eighth. ... RF Jeremy Hermida hiked his average in day games to .339 with two hits. He's batting .250 at night.

ST. LOUIS: RHP Jason Isringhausen pitched the eighth and ninth to pick up his 23rd save of the season. The two-inning save was his first since Aug. 8, 2002, against the Montreal Expos. ... 3B Scott Rolen went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs, snapping an 0-for-10 streak. Despite battling a sore shoulder, Rolen is batting .291 (28-for-96) with four homers and 14 RBIs since July 22. ``I feel good at the plate,'' he said. ``I feel fine defensively.'' With the Cardinals only three games behind Chicago for first place in the NL Central, manager Tony La Russa plans to play Rolen as much as possible. ``I think the expectation is that Scott's going to be out there most of the time,'' La Russa said. ``I'm hoping that we can stay in this thing and Scott can keep contributing.''

CHICAGO: RF Cliff Floyd is expected to rejoin the team Tuesday following the death of his father Aug. 12. Cornelius Clifford Floyd, Sr., had suffered from kidney problems and had open heart surgery before he died at age 57. Under supervised medical care, he had made it to a game at Wrigley Field in late June to see his son play one last time. ``It's been tough. I knew my dad was really sick, I just hoped he could pull through,'' Floyd said Monday. ``He was looking really good, looked like he was coming out of it. I think out of everything that hurts the most is that I really thought I would have him around more.'' Floyd said he'd been buoyed by his teammates, several of whom attended the funeral Saturday. ... Carlos Zambrano, who pitched three perfect innings before Sunday night's game was rained out, will start again Thursday in San Francisco. His next start was initially supposed to be Friday in Arizona but he was moved up a day after throwing 40-some pitches. Jason Marquis and Rich Hill will also pitch against the Giants. ... During the Cubs' six-game homestand with the Reds and Cardinals, there were five separate rain delays totaling six hours, 52 minutes.

ATLANTA: LHP Chuck James will miss his scheduled start Tuesday because of soreness in the back of his left shoulder. LHP Jo-Jo Reyes will be called up to start in his place. The Braves will have to make a roster move to open a spot for him. James won't go on the DL for now. ... OF Jeff Francoeur singled in his first two at_bats for his team-high 44th multihit game this season.

CINCINNATI: INF Jeff Conine was traded to the Mets for a pair of minor leaguers. The 41-year-old Conine started 49 games at first base and one at DH for the Reds. The two players acquired, 20-year-old SS Jose Castro and 22-year-old OF Sean Henry, will be assigned to Double-A Chattanooga. The Reds plan to call up INF/OF Jorge Cantu from Triple-A Louisville to take Conine's roster spot. ... C David Ross is recovering from the concussion he suffered Tuesday in a collision with San Diego's Mike Cameron at home plate. ``Yesterday was my best day,'' he said Monday. ``I got my personality back. I was laughing and smiling, and I didn't have a headache. I just did some hitting and throwing and running. I still had a little fogginess.''

HOUSTON: RHP Roy Oswalt threw from flat ground before Monday's game, but his status for Thursday's start wasn't determined. Oswalt left his start Saturday in San Diego with a strained left oblique muscle. Manager Phil Garner said that rookie RHP Juan Gutierrez will start if Oswalt can't. Gutierrez made his major league debut Sunday in San Diego, throwing one scoreless inning. Gutierrez was 5-9 with a 3.96 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 24 games - 23 starts - for Triple-A Round Rock this season. ... OF Carlos Lee, who missed his first start of the season Sunday with a strained right hip flexor, was back in the lineup Monday. Lee pinch-hit in the ninth inning Sunday. ... The Astros began a 10-game homestand Monday, and Garner knows it's getting late for his team to make a run for the NL Central title. ``Things are happening to the teams in front of us,'' Garner said. ``We just have to do our part and win. We have to win, baby.''

WASHINGTON: RHP Tim Redding was back at Minute Maid Park for the first time since the Astros traded him to San Diego on March 28, 2005. Redding sports a 14-13 record and a 4.56 ERA at the ballpark, but his Astros career was often marred by inconsistency. ``I don't think it'll be difficult for (Redding),'' Nationals manager Manny Acta said. ``He faced them before (in Washington) and held them to three runs in seven innings. I'll take that any day. He's passed that now. Tim appreciates what the Astros did for him.'' Redding started Monday's game. ... OF Ryan Church was back starting in center field on Monday, a day after OF Austin Kearns made his first start of the season in center. ... RHP Jesus Colome was available for the first time since being placed on the DL June 24 with a soft tissue infection in his right leg. He was activated Saturday, but because of a missed connection he arrived at RFK Stadium too late to play in Sunday's 8-2 loss to the Mets.

PITTSBURGH: RHP Shawn Chacon, who grew up in Colorado, returned to Denver for the first time since playing for the Rockies in the 2005 season. ... INF Matt Kata started for the Pirates on Monday in place of 1B/OF Xavier Nady. Kata is 16-for-40 in his career at Coors Field. ... Monday's starter RHP Matt Morris is 0-5 with a 7.63 ERA over his last 11 starts. ... The Pirates' 27 home runs in August is third in the majors behind only the Milwaukee Brewers (30) and the New York Yankees (30).

COLORADO: 1B Todd Helton turned 34. ``I got him what he gave me for my birthday,'' manager Clint Hurdle said. ``Nothing.'' ... LHP Brian Fuentes has not made back-to-back appearances since returning from the DL on Aug. 14. ``We are moving closer to letting him pitch back-to-back games,'' Hurdle said. ``I'm relying on him to let me know how he feels.'' ... OF Jeff Baker, who was hit in the face by Jason Marquis on Aug. 10, has joined Triple-A Colorado Springs. ... RHP Jason Hirsh (fractured right ankle) is close to begin throwing.

Nationals, Diamondbacks, BoSox complete three-way deal
August 21st, 2007

Washington, D.C. (Sports Network) - The Washington Nationals sent right-hander Emiliano Fruto to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday in exchange for prospect Chris Carter, who was then traded to Boston to finish last week's deal for outfielder Wily Mo Pena.

Fruto holds a 3-9 record and a 5.26 ERA in 18 games -- including 16 starts -- for Triple-A Columbus of the International League this season.

Carter, the player to be named from Friday's trade in which Washington got Pena and cash from Boston, hit .324 with 18 homers and 84 RBI in 126 games with Triple-A Tucson of the Pacific Coast League.

Pena has reached base eight times in 14 plate appearances, and is hitting .455 with a double, two homers and three RBI in three games with the Nationals thus far.

Brewers send down Villanueva, bring up McClung
August 21st, 2007

Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - The Milwaukee Brewers made a couple of roster moves on Tuesday as they optioned pitcher Carlos Villanueva to Triple-A Nashville and recalled pitcher Seth McClung from Nashville.

Villanueva has appeared in 53 games (one start) this season with Milwaukee and has a 6-3 record with a 4.68 earned run average. During Monday's 9-0 win over Arizona, he threw three perfect innings.

It is McClung's first appearance with the Brewers this season.

Reds bring up Saarloos from minors
August 21st, 2007

Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - The Cincinnati Reds selected the contract of pitcher Kirk Saarloos from Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday.

Saarloos, who was up with the team earlier this season, went 1-4 with a robust 8.19 earned run average in 29 games.

To make room for Saarloos on the roster, the Reds optioned left-handed pitcher Phil Dumatrait to Louisville. In his time with Cincy, Dumatrait struggled in four starts, going 0-2 with a 14.18 ERA.

Cincinnati also announced that pitcher Victor Santos was outrighted to the minors after clearing waivers.

Braves put LH Chuck James on 15-day DL with tight shoulder, release RH Tanyon Sturtze
August 21, 2007

CINCINNATI (AP) -Left-hander Chuck James went on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with tightness in the back of his pitching shoulder, meaning he will miss at least one start for the Atlanta Braves.

James originally was scheduled to start Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds. Instead, the Braves called up left-hander Jo-Jo Reyes from Triple-A Richmond to take his place.

The Braves also unconditionally released right-handed reliever Tanyon Sturtze, who hasn't been able to make a full recovery from shoulder surgery last year.

James lasted only 3 2-3 innings and gave up a career-high four homers last Thursday in a 9-3 loss to San Francisco. Although he didn't feel pain in the shoulder, he wasn't able to bring his arm all the way up in his delivery.

An exam found an inflamed tendon in the back of the shoulder that was limiting his movement.

``When they pushed in there, I could feel it,'' James said. ``I've been having a lot of trouble trying to hit spots. I've been missing over the middle (of the plate) and haven't had life on my fastball. I hope that's what it is.''

James hasn't played catch since his last start, giving the injury a few days to recover. He expects to throw on Wednesday and see how it feels.

The Braves needed to open a roster spot for Reyes, and James was the best option.

``I'll only miss another start while I'm on the DL because of the way the schedule is,'' he said.

The 36-year-old Sturtze signed a one-year, $750,000 deal last December with the Braves, who were hoping he could be back from rotator cuff surgery early in the season. Sturtze had the surgery May 23 last year, his third pitching in relief for the Yankees.

The comeback has gone slower than expected.