Nationals recall Bergman, option Lannan to Columbus
August 26, 2007
DENVER (AP) -The Washington Nationals reinstated pitcher Jason Bergman from the disabled list and optioned pitcher John Lannan to Triple-A Columbus after their 10-5 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Sunday.
The right-handed Bergman went on the DL on July 27 with left hamstring tightness and missed 32 games. He is 2-5 with a 4.56 ERA with the Nationals this year, and was 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA in three rehab starts with Columbus.
Lannan, who was recalled from Columbus on July 26, was 2-2 with a 4.15 ERA in six starts for the Nationals.
Rockies recall catcher Iannetta, place Gil on waivers
August 26, 2007
DENVER (AP) -The Colorado Rockies recalled catcher Chris Iannetta from Triple-A Colorado Springs late Saturday night and placed catcher Geronimo Gil on waivers.
Iannetta was sent down to Triple-A on Aug. 6 and played 16 games for the Sky Sox, hitting .296 with a home run and seven RBIs. He started behind the plate Sunday and was 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs in the Rockies' 10-5 win over the Washington Nationals.
Iannetta was the Rockies' opening-day catcher but lost his job to Yorvit Torrealba after he struggled at the plate. He was hitting .179 with two home runs and 15 RBIs when he was sent down.
``When we sent him down it was with every intention for him to get his feet back on the ground offensively,'' Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. ``We do feel he gives us the best combination behind the plate when matched with Torrealba.''
Gil was an emergency call-up when Edwin Bellorin injured his left hamstring on Aug. 8. Gil played in five games for the Rockies and had one hit.
Tigers rookie Jair Jurrjens goes on disabled list; Zach Miner recalled
August 26, 2007
DETROIT (AP) -The Tigers placed rookie pitcher Jair Jurrjens on the 15-day disabled list Sunday, hours after he left a start against the New York Yankees because of soreness in his right shoulder.
The club recalled right-hander Zach Miner from Triple-A Toledo. He was sent down Friday to make room for lefty Andrew Miller, who returned from the disabled list.
The right-handed Jurrjens (1-1) faced six batters in 1 1-3 innings Sunday and left after giving up Jason Giambi's solo homer in the second. The first Curacao native to pitch in the majors, Jurrjens was making his third career start.
Four relievers came on to help the Tigers hold on to a 5-4 victory over the Yankees.
Jurrjens had a 3.60 ERA in three starts.
Miner is 2-3 with a 3.86 ERA in 24 appearances this season.
Nationals reinstate Bergmann from DL
August 26th, 2007
New York, NY (Sports Network) - The Washington Nationals reinstated right-hander Jason Bergmann from the 15-day disabled list Sunday and optioned righty John Lannan to Triple-A Columbus.
Bergmann is 2-5 with a 4.56 ERA in 14 starts with Washington this season. He has been on the DL since July 27, retroactive to July 25, with tightness in his left hamstring.
The 25-year-old went 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA in three rehab starts with Triple-A Columbus. In his most recent outing on Thursday versus the Louisville Reds, Bergmann tossed seven scoreless innings, yielded six hits, did not walk a batter and fanned nine.
Bergmann is expected to get the starting assignment on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Lannan, who was recalled from Columbus on July 26, was 2-2 with a 4.15 ERA in six starts for the Nationals.
Mets designate Alomar for assignment, will activate Lo Duca
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK -- The New York Mets designated catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. for assignment after their 6-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday night.
Manager Willie Randolph said the club will activate catcher Paul Lo Duca on Monday, the first day he's eligible to come off the disabled list. Lo Duca aggravated his strained right hamstring in a loss to the Marlins earlier this month.
Alomar hit .158 in six games with the Mets. Major league rosters expand Saturday, and Alomar could rejoin the team when he's eligible to return next month.
''He's been a good veteran presence,'' Randolph said. ''He's done a great job.''
Baseball Today - August 27
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SCOREBOARD
Monday, Aug. 27
Arizona at San Diego (10:05 p.m. EDT). Jake Peavy of the Padres starts the opener of a key series against the NL West-leading Diamondbacks.
STARS Sunday
-Carlos Pena, Devil Rays, hit a pair of home runs in Tampa Bay's 7-4 win over Oakland.
-Chris Young, Diamondbacks, hit two homers to help Arizona beat the Chicago Cubs 5-4.
-Ryan Howard, Phillies, homered and drove in four runs in Philadelphia's 14-2 rout of San Diego.
-Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez, Indians, singled home runs in the 11th inning to help Cleveland beat Kansas City 5-3.
-Matt Holliday, Rockies, homered, doubled and drove in three runs to help Colorado complete a three-game sweep of Washington with a 10-5 win.
SWEEPING SOX
Boston defeated the Chicago White Sox 11-1 on Sunday to complete a four-game sweep. For the series, the Red Sox outscored Chicago 46-7. Boston scored at least 10 runs in every game of the series, which is only the fourth time that has happened in a four-game series since 1900, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, and the first time in the American League in 85 years.
BOOM TOWN
David Wells pitched five effective innings in his Dodgers debut and Los Angeles beat the New York Mets 6-2 on Sunday night to salvage the finale of the three-game series. Wells (6-8) allowed seven hits and two runs, walked three and struck out two in his first game in 20 days. He was 0-3 with a 14.04 ERA in his previous four starts before San Diego cut him loose earlier this month.
POWER PLAY
Detroit defeated the New York Yankees 5-4 on Sunday in a game in which home runs accounted for all the offense. Curtis Granderson led off the first inning with an inside-the-park homer for the Tigers and Carlos Guillen added a two-run shot later in the frame. Marcus Thames also homered in the third for Detroit. Jason Giambi hit a solo shot for the Yankees in the second and Robinson Cano connected for a three-run shot in the fourth to complete the scoring.
RED HOT
Ryan Jorgensen's first grand slam helped 29-year-old Tom Shearn win his major league debut Sunday, and Cincinnati beat Florida 9-3 for its sixth straight victory. Since interim manager Pete Mackanin took over on July 3, Cincinnati has the NL's best record at 29-19.
INSIDE-OUT
Curtis Granderson led off the first inning with an inside-the-park homer for the Tigers in a 5-4 win over the Yankees on Sunday. ... Derrek Lee hit his second career inside-the-park homer for the Cubs in a 5-4 loss to the Diamondbacks.
STREAKING
Matt Holliday homered, doubled and drove in three runs to lead Colorado past Washington 10-5 on Sunday and extended his hit streak to 16 games - a career best. His is the longest current hitting streak in the majors.
SPEAKING
''I'll sleep in my car to pitch in the big leagues right now.'' - Cincinnati right-hander Tom Shearn, who won his major league debut, a 9-3 victory over Florida on Sunday. The 29-year-old, who slept on reliever Gary Majewski's couch before his big day, played in the minors for 11 seasons and spent another recovering from elbow surgery.
Astros fire Garner, Purpura
FOXSports.com
The Astros, initiating a major overhaul, have fired general manager Tim Purpura and manager Phil Garner, according to a major-league source.
The move comes just two years after the pair took the team to the first World Series in franchise history.
The Astros have called a news conference at 3 p.m. ET to announce the change.
Owner Drayton McLane expected the team to contend after signing left fielder Carlos Lee to a $100 million free-agent contract and adding starting pitchers Woody Williams and Jason Jennings.
Instead, the Astros are 58-73, tied with the Nationals for the third-worst record in the National League, ahead of only the Pirates and Marlins.
Bench coach Cecil Cooper will be the team's interim manager.
Boone to undergo knee surgery and miss rest of season
August 27, 2007
MIAMI (AP) -Florida Marlins infielder Aaron Boone said Monday he'll undergo arthroscopic knee surgery and miss the rest of the season.
Boone has been on the disabled list since June 25. Surgery is scheduled for Sept. 4, the Marlins said.
``I'm actually a little relieved that they're going to just go in there and clean it up,'' Boone said. ``Just give me a clean bill of health to go into the offseason and rehab this thing properly.''
Boone hurt the same knee playing basketball after his All-Star season in 2003 and missed the 2004 season. The injury led to the New York Yankees acquiring Alex Rodriguez from the Texas Rangers.
In his first year with the last-place Marlins, Boone batted .286 with five home runs and 28 RBIs in 69 games.
``We've been struggling the last several weeks,'' Boone said. ``Not being able to help when you feel like you can - that's one of the toughest things about having an injury.''
Boone agreed to a one-year, $925,000 contract with the Marlins in December.
Tigers place Sheffield on DL with sore shoulder
August 27th, 2007
Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - The Detroit Tigers placed slugger Gary Sheffield on the 15-day disabled list with a sore right shoulder.
The move is retroactive to August 22.
According to a report on the Tigers' web site, the shoulder has bothered Sheffield for about the last two months and he aggravated the injury last Tuesday after attempting to lift weights.
In 114 games this season, Sheffield is hitting .279 with 24 home runs and 71 runs batted in.
To take his spot on the roster, Detroit recalled outfielder Timo Perez from Triple-A Toldeo.
Perez, who had a brief stint with the Tigers in July, is hitting .309 with 39 doubles, 13 home runs and 69 RBI in 122 games for the Mud Hens.
Phillies activate Utley from DL
August 27th, 2007
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley was activated from the 15-day disabled list on Monday just in time for the start of a crucial four-game series with the New York Mets.
Utley, who has missed 28 games since breaking a bone in his right hand July 26, cleared the final hurdle in his path to the starting lineup, receiving medical clearance from hand specialist Randall Culp on Monday afternoon.
The two-time All-Star was hitting .336 with 17 home runs, 41 doubles and 82 RBI before the injury. He completed a three-game rehabilitation stint with Double-A Reading in which he went 1-for-10.
Tadahito Iguchi has hit .301 in Utley's absence but will move to the bench.
Philadelphia went 15-13 without Utley in the lineup, but enters the series six games behind NL East-leading New York, which holds a slim 6-5 advantage in the season series and has won four of five this year in the City of Brotherly Love.
To make room for Utley on the roster, the Phillies designated infielder Russell Branyan for assignment.
Branyan began the season with San Diego, hitting .197 with seven homers and 19 RBI in 61 games. He was subsequently released by the club on July 28, and signed by Cleveland on August 7, but assigned to the Tribe's Triple-A club in Buffalo where he appeared in one game.
Acquiring Branyan gave Philadelphia a lefty bat with power off the bench. He played in just seven games, however, going 2-for-9 (both home runs) with five RBI.