MLB News and Notes June - 14

Brewers' Capuano scratched from start
June 13th, 2007

Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Chris Capuano was scratched from Wednesday's start against the Detroit Tigers due to a strained left groin.

Capuano, who is 5-5 with a 4.35 ERA this season and is on a career-high five- game personal losing streak, was replaced by Carlos Villanueva. Capuano last started on Friday versus Texas, when he was tagged for six runs on eight hits and four walks over four innings.

Capuano, who is 0-5 with a 6.89 ERA over his last six starts, was forced out of a game on May 2 against St. Louis after getting hit on the right knee by a comebacker.

Cubs send Murton to Triple-A
June 13, 2007

CHICAGO (AP) -The Chicago Cubs optioned outfielder Matt Murton to Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday to get him more at_bats and recalled left-handed reliever Clay Rapada.

Murton had platooned with veteran Cliff Floyd in left and right field, and his batting average dropped from .297 last year - his first full season in the big leagues - to .252 in 49 games. He had 30 hits, including a homer, and eight RBIs in 119 at_bats.

Rapada was 2-1 with a 3.77 ERA in 29 relief appearances and 9-for-9 in save situations for Iowa.

Notes from Wednesday's games
June 13, 2007

CHICAGO: The White Sox continue their Pennsylvania road trip with a three-game set in Pittsburgh after a day off Thursday. ... Jim Thome started at first base for the first time since last July 1. ... The White Sox are eight games under .500 (27-35) for the first time since June 6, 2003. ... Jon Garland, who has allowed two runs in 15 1-3 innings over his last two starts, faces the Pirates on Friday night.

PHILADELPHIA: The Phillies completed their first sweep at home this season. They also swept a three-game series in Atlanta from May 25-27 and in New York over the Mets last week. ... Kyle Kendrick isn't guaranteed another start, despite a solid outing in his major league debut. Manager Charlie Manuel said he'll evaluate the rotation on Thursday's off day. Kendrick's next scheduled start would be at Cleveland on Tuesday. ... Shane Victorino has stolen 18 straight bases without getting caught. ... Since a 4-11 start, the Phillies are 31-20.

TORONTO: RHP A.J. Burnett, who left his start Tuesday night with a mild right shoulder strain, had an MRI exam and won't need a stint on the disabled list. ... Toronto designated C Sal Fasano for assignment and purchased the contract of reliever Lee Gronkiewicz from Double-A New Hampshire. He joins a Blue Jays bullpen that was second in the AL with a 3.22 ERA entering Wednesday. ... The Blue Jays won for the first time in six tries in San Francisco and improved to 1-7 in the series.

SAN FRANCISCO: Barry Bonds got a break - save for a pinch-hit strikeout to end the game. That gives the slugger two days of rest before he is the DH at Boston all weekend - the club's first trip to Fenway Park since the New York Giants visited the Boston Braves in 1915. ... Guillermo Rodriguez drove in two runs in his major league debut, starting at catcher for the Giants after 11 1/2 years in the minor leagues. He got an RBI single in the fourth for his first big league hit and added an eighth-inning sacrifice fly. Rodriguez's family got to see the game on TV in Venezuela. His dad began to doubt whether the catcher would ever reach the big leagues. ``I said, 'Just wait. One day I will get my shot,''' Rodriguez said. ``I don't want to say I was nervous, but I had a little bit of butterflies the first two innings. I waited a long time for this day. It was my debut and I think I did it right.'' ... With pitcher Tim Lincecum, Rodriguez and reliever Jonathan Sanchez getting hits, it gave the Giants four players in two days who got their first major league hits. Rookie Nate Schierholtz did it Tuesday night, then got two more hits Wednesday. ... Randy Winn was back in San Francisco's lineup and playing LF after being held out a night earlier with a sore ribcage. ... Hall of Famers Juan Marichal and Dave Winfield were picked to manage in the All-Star Futures game on July 8 in San Francisco. Marichal, a nine-time All-Star who spent 14 seasons with the Giants, will manage the World team. Winfield, a 12-time All-Star, will lead the U.S. team.

COLORADO: The Rockies scored two runs or less for the 21st time in their first 64 games when they lost to Boston 2-1 on Tuesday. They are 1-20 in those games. ... Troy Tulowitzki snapped an 0-for-12 slump with a single in the second inning. ... When Jeremy Affeldt gave up a sacrifice fly to J.D. Drew that drove in the go-ahead run on Tuesday, it was only the second time the Colorado bullpen allowed an inherited run to score over the last 20 games.

BOSTON: 2B Alex Cora started in place of rookie Dustin Pedroia, who is hitting .314. ``I just want to get it kind of spread out,'' manager Terry Francona said. ``Keep guys sharp.'' ... 3B Mike Lowell's 12th error of the season, a wild throw that allowed a run to score in the second inning, left him two shy of his season high established in 2002 with Florida. He had six errors in 153 games with Boston last year. ... With Pedroia on the bench, Coco Crisp, who entered batting .225, moved into the leadoff spot. Julio Lugo, with a .215 batting average through Tuesday, batted first all season before hitting ninth Tuesday and Wednesday.

TEXAS: Manager Ron Washington said RHP Kameron Loe would start Thursday night's series finale in Pittsburgh instead of RHP Brandon McCarthy, who has a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand. Washington indicated that McCarthy will be placed on the disabled list Thursday, retroactive to June 10. He would sit out two starts. Loe is 1-6 with a 7.40 ERA this season in 15 games, 10 starts. ... OF Marlon Byrd, who has only 20 home runs in 1,364 career at_bats and was in the minor leagues until being recalled May 26, was in the cleanup spot. Byrd was batting .403 in 16 games, so Washington said he just wanted to ride the streak. ``I don't want him to be a power hitter,'' Washington said. ``I just need him to keep doing what he's doing.'' ... The Rangers came in 16-2 when scoring seven or more runs and 7-39 when they didn't.

PITTSBURGH: INF Jose Castillo started for the third consecutive game at SS in place of Jack Wilson. ``Were not shelving anybody,'' manager Jim Tracy said. ``We're just taking advantage of the fact this guy's played a couple good games and giving him a chance to play. That's all.'' ... RF Xavier Nady was hitting .345 in the past 23 games. He had homered four times in his previous nine games and was batting .317 against right-handed pitching since May 19. Nady, a right-handed batter, is a career .334 hitter against lefties and .247 against right-handers. ``(Nady has) not expanded the strike zone,'' Tracy said. ``He's getting better pitches to swing at against right-handed pitchers, pitches he can handle.'' ... Through Tuesday, 3B Jose Bautista's 24 runs scored since May 18 ranked first in the NL. He had scored at least one run in 17 of the 24 games in that span.

CLEVELAND: LHP Jason Stanford, who hasn't pitched in the majors since April 2004 because of reconstructive elbow surgery, will start the series finale Thursday at Florida. Stanford was 4-1 with a 3.41 ERA in 12 games for Triple-A Buffalo this season. ... RHP Jake Westbrook (abdominal strain) threw five innings for Class-A Lake County on Wednesday, his third minor league rehab start. Westbrook allowed six hits, five runs (four earned) and struck out five while walking none. ... Late afternoon rain has kept the Indians from taking batting practice before either game in Florida.

FLORIDA: The Marlins will wear commemorative uniforms Thursday from the 1997 World Series season. Florida beat Cleveland in seven games to win that title, and several members of that team will be honored before the Indians-Marlins series finale. ... C Miguel Olivo, whose three-run double lifted the Marlins to a 3-0 win over Fausto Carmona and the Indians on Tuesday, got the night off. ... Florida is 10 games closer to first place in the NL East than it was at this time last season. ... The Marlins entered with the third-best interleague record (101-74), behind only the New York Yankees (108-73) and Oakland Athletics (108-75).

MILWAUKEE: LHP Chris Capuano was scratched from his start Wednesday and was replaced by RHP Carlos Villanueva, who allowed a run, five hits and two walks while striking out four over five innings. ... 1B Prince Fielder downplayed his first game at Detroit's Comerica Park, not far from Tiger Stadium, where his father, ex-Tiger Cecil Fielder, hit home runs. ``It's not that big of a deal,'' he said. ``It would be if I was playing in the old Tiger Stadium because that's where I hung around.'' ... INF Rickie Weeks (right wrist tendinitis) is eligible to come off the disabled list Thursday, but manager Ned Yost doesn't expect him to play right away. ... RHP Elmer Dessens (right shoulder strain) is making progress and could be ready for a simulated start as early as Saturday.

DETROIT: LHP Kenny Rogers is set to make his second rehab start Friday at Class-A Michigan. ``I hope I'm back after that, but you never know,'' said Rogers, who hasn't pitched for the Tigers this season after having surgery to remove a blood clot in his shoulder. ... SS Carlos Guillen, who has been out with an injured right hamstring since Sunday, said he is improving, but did not know when he would return. ... DH Gary Sheffield said he has ``no idea'' when his appeal of a three-game suspension will be heard. Umpire Greg Gibson ejected Sheffield after the slugger argued a strike call, then broke his bat on a groundout and threw away the piece of wood still in his hands. ... The Tigers had some success getting seagulls off the field with a noisemaker and dogs.

ARIZONA: Conor Jackson was the designated hitter and Chad Tracy played 1B. Tracy was the DH on Tuesday night and Tony Clark was the 1B. Manager Bob Melvin said Jackson will be back at 1B for Thursday's game. ... LHP Doug Slaten was struck on the right hand buy a batted ball during batting practice Tuesday. The hand was bandaged Wednesday but Slaten said he was OK. ... Arizona entered Wednesday night's game 1-3 in interleague play and 66-80 all-time. ... Melvin said RF Carlos Quentin has been working on his approach at the plate. Quentin was batting .212 with four homers and 23 RBIs entering Wednesday night's game. ``He needs to be a little bit more selective, especially on the first pitch,'' Melvin said.

NEW YORK: RF Bobby Abreu singled in the fourth inning to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. He also scored his 1,000th career run. ... C Wil Nieves was in the lineup and Jorge Posada moved to designated hitter. The move left New York without a catcher on the bench but manager Joe Torre said he wanted to see Nieves catch RHP Mike Mussina again. ``I'm not sure that this has anything to do with Moose but it just feels good to me right now,'' Torre said. Nieves was behind the plate when Mussina allowed one run in six innings in a no-decision against the Chicago White Sox in his previous start. ... Johnny Damon was back in CF after nine straight starts at designated hitter. Damon has been bothered by sore legs this season but said he felt good before the game. ``We need to play Johnny in the outfield every once in a while anyway just to keep him going there,'' Torre said.

WASHINGTON: 1B Dmitri Young, who entered Wednesday's game against Baltimore batting .339 with a team-high 37 RBIs, and 2B Ronnie Belliard, who was hitting .295 in a utility role, will likely be attractive targets for contending teams at the trading deadline. Manager Manny Acta, however, isn't thinking in those terms, preferring to leave the wheeling and dealing to general manager Jim Bowden. ``I can't control it. I'll deal with what I have. That's Jim's question,'' Acta said. ... The success of Wednesday starter Matt Chico has been no surprise to Acta. The Nationals were 5-2 in Chico's previous seven starts and he lasted five or more innings in five of those games. ``The last six or seven games, he's given us a chance to win,'' Acta said.

BALTIMORE: LHP Adam Loewen will undergo season-ending elbow surgery on Thursday. Loewen, who's been on the disabled list since May 4 with a stress fracture in his elbow, hoped that resting his pitching arm would enable him to return in August or September. But because the injury failed to improve, surgery became the best option because he can be ready by spring training. ... RHP Danys Baez expressed hope Wednesday that he might soon be able to reclaim the setup role he lost after a series of ineffective appearances. ``I feel a lot better. I'm more comfortable on the mound. I've been working a lot on mechanics, and I think they are where they should be,'' said Baez, who kept the opposition scoreless in four of his last five outings. Manager Sam Perlozzo, however, said he wasn't quite ready to commit to using Baez in tight games.

SAN DIEGO: OF Brian Giles (bruised right knee) had a cardio session and worked out in the pool Wednesday. Manager Bud Black said Giles will need to go out on a rehab assignment before being activated from the disabled list. ... RHP Clay Hensley, who is 1-2 with a 6.23 ERA since being sent to Triple-A Portland, has been working on his command and will have to be more consistent with it before getting called up, according to Black. ... LHP David Wells is scheduled to make just his second start at Wrigley Field when the Padres open a three-game series Friday with the Chicago Cubs. Former Cubs' RHP Greg Maddux is scheduled to pitch in the series' finale Sunday.

TAMPA BAY: LHP Scott Kazmir, who was kicked on the left hand during a play at the plate Tuesday, threw in the outfield and took part in fielding drills. ``A little sore, but good,'' Kazmir said. ``I'm ready to go.'' Kazmir's next scheduled start is Sunday at Colorado. ... 2B B.J. Upton (strained left quadriceps) took BP, but didn't participate in pregame defensive drills. He has missed the past four games and is not expected back until at least this weekend. ... CF Rocco Baldelli (strained left hamstring) had six at_bats in an extended spring training game as the DH. He could start a minor league assignment this weekend or early next week.

LOS ANGELES: LF Garret Anderson was back in the lineup after missing two games because of tightness in his right leg. ... 3B Chone Figgins doubled in his first at-bat, extending his hitting streak to 12 games, one shy of his career best. ... RF Vladimir Guerrero snapped an 0-for-14 slump with an RBI double in the fourth inning. ... RH Bartolo Colon is scheduled to start the final game of the series on Thursday. Colon missed his scheduled start on June 2 because of triceps tendinitis. He is 2-0 in two career starts against the Reds with a 0.69 ERA - o`ne run allowed in 13 innings. ... The Angels rank in the middle of the American League in fielding, but manager Mike Scioscia likes the way they've been handling themselves defensively. ``I think we are a much more cohesive defensive team now than we have been in the past few years,'' he said.

CINCINNATI: CF Ryan Freel is scheduled for another exam on Friday. Freel hasn't played since May 28, when he ran into Norris Hopper while making a catch. Freel, who is on the DL, has the symptoms of a concussion. ... RH Homer Bailey hopes to throw more strikes and fewer pitches in his second major league start on Thursday against the Angels. He needed 114 pitches to go five innings in his debut Friday, a 4-3 win over Cleveland. ``There were a lot of things that went on in that last game,'' Bailey said. ``So this time, I'll take it a little bit slower and get ahead of the hitters.'' ... Manager Jerry Narron likes the Angels' balance and versatility. ``They're probably constructed more like a National League team than anybody in the National League, the way they can play,'' Narron said.

SEATTLE: 3B Adrian Beltre was out of the starting lineup and wearing a brace after he aggravated his injured left thumb in Tuesday's 5-3, 13 inning win over Chicago. ``That thumb isn't getting any better,'' Mariners manager Mike Hargrove said. ``If anything, it's probably getting worse.'' Hargrove said the team will ``shut down'' Beltre for three to five days but doesn't believe a stint on the DL will be necessary. ... A night after using six relievers, Hargrove said the bullpen was overtaxed. ``We're thin, but we've been thin for a few weeks,'' Hargrove said, adding that only Jake Woods and Jason Davis were definitely available Wednesday night.

CHICAGO: C Michael Barrett insisted his relationship with the pitching staff is fine. Barrett and starter Rich Hill had a lively exchange in the dugout after the top of the fourth inning Tuesday, less than two weeks after a fight with Carlos Zambrano that left the catcher with a black eye and six stitches in his lower lip. ``We work really hard together,'' Barrett said. ``I've developed a really good relationship with these guys.'' Asked if he and Barrett had resolved their differences, Hill said, ``No, no, no, no, there wasn't any need to. We discussed what needed to discuss in the dugout.'' Manager Lou Piniella dismissed the exchange as ``15 seconds of conversation.'' Barrett's night took another bad turn in the 13th inning when he mishandled RF Jacque Jones' throw as Jose Vidro scored the go-ahead run. ... Piniella did not address the media following Tuesday's game. Why? ``I was tired,'' he said. ``Thirteen innings. I had a headache.''

OAKLAND: DH Mike Piazza took batting practice on the field before Wednesday's game. Piazza has been on the DL since straining his right shoulder in Boston on May 2. A's manager Bob Geren said Piazza swung the bat without pain. LF Travis Buck also took some swings, but was out of Wednesday's lineup with a jammed right thumb. ... OF Shannon Stewart missed another start Wednesday with a sore right foot, but could return on Thursday. ... Geren said RHP Rich Harden is close to being ready to pitch in a real game. Harden has been out with a strained right shoulder since April 15. He'll throw a simulated game and could come out of the A's bullpen during next week's six-game homestand. ``There are too many stepping stones on the way to guarantee that,'' Geren said ... The A's struck out 18 times in Tuesday's loss, their first-ever game in Houston. Astros ace Roy Oswalt had 10 strikeouts, a combination of good pitching and Oakland's unfamiliarity with him. ``Probably more of the first one,'' Geren said. ``Good fastball, great breaking ball. He was impressive.''

HOUSTON: The Astros agreed to terms with all of their 26 picks from the first-year player draft. The list includes 10 pitchers and 16 position players. ... RF Luke Scott was pulled from the starting lineup with an abdominal injury and replaced by Chris Burke. Scott says he's recovered from a strained left hip flexor he sustained June 9. He pinch-hit once in each of Houston's last three games, but didn't play the field. ``I've been ready to go,'' said Scott, batting .256. ``It's just something you have to work back into.'' ... Eric Munson was Houston's starting catcher on Wednesday, a curious move after Brad Ausmus knocked in four runs, including the game-winner on Tuesday. Ausmus had no problem with the move. ``If it helps us win to play Eric more, do it,'' Ausmus said. ... 1B Lance Berkman sat out for the second straight game to complete his two-game disciplinary suspension. Berkman was suspended for coming on the field during a bench-clearing confrontation in Colorado on June 5. Berkman was ejected for arguing a call earlier in the game.

ATLANTA: RH John Smoltz will make his next start this Saturday, he said shortly before Wednesday's game. His last scheduled start (Sunday) was skipped because of inflammation in his right shoulder, and he hasn't taken the mound since June 5. Smoltz, however, said he felt fine after a bullpen session Wednesday afternoon. Manager Bobby Cox left the decision on when to start up to Smoltz. RH Buddy Carlyle will start on Friday for the beginning of a three-game series at Cleveland. ... Cox said he thought it would take Chipper Jones a couple of at_bats to get his form back after missing the past two-plus weeks with bruised hands. Jones will probably be the DH most of the time this week while the Braves play in AL parks.

MINNESOTA: LF Jason Kubel (sprained right knee) was available to play Wednesday, but manager Ron Gardenhire held him out of the lineup for one more day and planned to start him Thursday. ... LH Dennys Reyes (left shoulder inflammation) felt fine and was expected to be activated from the disabled list following Wednesday's game, and LH Carmen Cali - who has been filling in for him as the specialty lefty in the bullpen - was expected to be sent back to Triple-A. ... Gardenhire has 30 career ejections, 100 less than Braves manager Bobby Cox - who is one shy of John McGraw's all-time record. With all the attention he's received recently for the approaching milestone, Cox told Gardenhire he's a little ``leery'' of getting tossed. ``I said, 'Coxy, I guarantee when it comes time, you won't be leery,''' Gardenhire said, laughing.

ST. LOUIS: After finishing this series Thursday night, the Cardinals will be off to Oakland for their first-ever regular-season games at McAfee Coliseum. St. Louis is in the midst of a 12-game stretch against AL clubs Oakland, Kansas City and Los Angeles. Despite recent interleague struggles, the Cardinals maintained the No. 3 spot among NL teams in interleague play, trailing only Florida and Atlanta. ... The Cardinals have announced the signing of 26 of the 52 players they drafted in the June draft. ... In fan balloting announced this week, Albert Pujols led NL first baseman in All-Star voting.

KANSAS CITY: 2B Mark Grudzielanek was out of the lineup with a swollen knee, the same knee that was operated on during spring training. Grudzielanek said he did not think the injury was serious. ``Give me a couple of days, I'll be out there,'' he said. Several Royals have come close to hitting for the cycle in recent games. Grudzielanek needed a triple, and Alex Gordon and Mark Teahen needed a home run. ...The Royals purchased the contract of INF Fernando Cortez from Triple-A Omaha and optioned OF Shane Costa to Omaha. Cortez, who brings some much-needed speed to the lineup, was hitting .299 with 12 doubles, a triple, three home runs and 19 RBIs in 61 games for Omaha.

NEW YORK: The Mets, in the midst of a stretch against six consecutive teams that were in the postseason last year, begin a three-game set at Yankee Stadium on Friday night. Oliver Perez will attempt to delay Roger Clemens' 350th career victory in the opener, and Tom Glavine will make his fifth attempt at his 296th victory on Saturday afternoon. Manager Willie Randolph, who was a Yankees coach under Joe Torre for nine seasons and Torre's bench coach in 2004 before taking the Mets job, is 8-7 against Torre since leaving the Bronx. ``I don't really look at it as managing against Joe,'' Randolph said. ``I mean, Joe and I have a special relationship and it's always good to see him, but I never feel like I'm managing against any manager.''

LOS ANGELES: The batting helmet RHP Hong-Chih Kuo wore when he hit the Dodgers' third home run on as many pitches against John Maine of the New York Mets on Tuesday night was sent to the Hall of Fame. It was the seventh time in history that a pitcher was a part of a trio of consecutive home runs, and only the second time since 1963. Kuo pitched for the Dodgers' Triple-A Las Vegas club last season and hit the team's only grand slam. ... C Russell Martin's next stolen base will tie the Los Angeles Dodgers single-season record for catchers, set by Johnny Roseboro with 12 in 1962.

Baseball Today - June 14

Thu, Jun 14, 2007
By Associated Press

SCOREBOARD

Thursday, June 14

Colorado at Boston (7:05 p.m. EDT). Josh Beckett looks to improve to 10-0 on the season for the Red Sox.

STARS Wednesday

-Jake Peavy, Padres, gave up two hits in seven innings in San Diego's 9-0 win over Tampa Bay.

-Carlos Silva, Twins, pitched a complete game for his second career shutout and Minnesota knocked off Atlanta 6-0.

-Adam Wainwright, Cardinals, allowed one hit in a career-high eight innings in St. Louis' 7-3 victory over Kansas City.

-Aaron Rowand, Phillies, hit a grand slam and drove in five runs to lead Philadelphia past the Chicago White Sox 8-4.

-Ian Snell, Pirates, pitched his first career complete game and Pittsburgh topped Texas 8-1.

-Vladimir Guerrero, Angels, drove in four runs in the Los Angeles Angels' 6-3 win over Cincinnati.

THREE FIRSTS

San Francisco starter Tim Lincecum, catcher Guillermo Rodriguez and reliever Jonathan Sanchez each got their first career hits in the Giants' 7-4 loss to Toronto on Wednesday. The last time three players on the same team collected their first career hits on the same day was Sept. 20, 1998, by Atlanta's Mark DeRosa, Wes Helms and Bruce Chen at Arizona, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The last time it happened when September roster expansion wasn't in effect was April 19, 1962, by the expansion Houston Colt .45s at Wrigley Field. According to Elias, Johnny Weekly, Pidge Browne and Merritt Ranew all got their first hits.

NOT SO AMAZING

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the slumping New York Mets 9-1 on Wednesday night to complete a three-game sweep. The sweep was the Dodgers' first over the Mets in Los Angeles since August 1996. The Mets, beaten 5-3 and 4-1 in the first two games of the series, have lost five straight and nine of 10.

DROUGHT OVER

Jason Kendall homered in Oakland's 7-3 win over Houston on Wednesday for the first time since May 31, 2006, a span of 157 games and 619 at-bats. It ended the second-longest drought in the majors among active players and was just his second homer in his last 406 games.

PAYBACK

After walking three times during Justin Verlander's no-hitter on Tuesday night, Bill Hall hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth inning to lift Milwaukee over Detroit 3-2 on Wednesday.

STREAKS

Casey Blake extended his hitting streak to a career-high 22 games in Cleveland's 7-3 win over Florida on Wednesday. ... The New York Yankees beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-2 to extend their season-high winning streak to eight. Bobby Abreu stretched his hitting streak to 12 games in the win. ... Curtis Granderson extended his career-best hitting streak to 13 games in Detroit's 3-2 loss to Milwaukee.

SNAPPED

The Chicago Cubs beat Seattle 3-2 on Wednesday to snap the Mariners' season-high five-game win streak.

SPEAKING

''I went online and watched every out he got. I was not quite Verlanderish today. But I'll take it.'' - St. Louis hurler Adam Wainwright, on taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning of the Cardinals' 7-3 win over Kansas City on Wednesday, a night after Detroit's Justin Verlander pitched a no-hitter against Milwaukee. Wainwright gave up one hit in eight innings to even his record on the season at 5-5.

Report: Selig heading toward suspending Giambi
June 13th, 2007

Arlington, VA (Sports Network) - Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig is heading toward suspending New York Yankees slugger Jason Giambi, according to a published report.

USA Today reports Selig could suspended Giambi next week if he doesn't cooperate, as asked on June 6, to meet with former Senate majority leader George Mitchell, who is conducting the sport's investigation into steroid use.

The newspaper reports a high-ranking Major League Baseball official spoke with Selig and said the commissioner wants a decision from Giambi by Tuesday.

Last month, Giambi was quoted by USA Today as saying baseball needs to apologize for the issue of steroids in the sport.

"I was wrong for doing that stuff," Giambi told the paper in May before a game against the Chicago White Sox. "What we should have done a long time ago was stand up -- players, ownership, everybody -- and said: 'We made a mistake.'

"We should have apologized back then and made sure we had a rule in place and gone forward...Steroids and all of that was a part of history. But it was a topic that everybody wanted to avoid. Nobody wanted to talk about it."

Giambi soon after met with Major League Baseball officials and Selig has yet to determine if the former AL MVP will be punished for his vague admission to taking performance-enhancing drugs.

"Any admission regarding the use of illegal performance-enhancing substances, no matter how casual, must be taken seriously," said commissioner Selig in a release last week. "It is in the best interests of baseball for everyone, including players, to cooperate with Senator Mitchell in his investigation so that Senator Mitchell can provide me with a complete, thorough report. Discipline for wrongdoing is important, but it is also important to create an environment so players can feel free to honestly and completely cooperate with this important investigation."

If Giambi, who is on the disabled list with a foot injury, meets with Mitchell, he would be the first active player to cooperate with the investigation.

Giambi was among those who testified before a grand jury during the BALCO investigation in December 2003, and reports in the San Francisco Chronicle a year later said he told the grand jury that he used steroids and human growth hormone. In February 2005, he issued an apology, but never used the word steroids -- citing legal issues -- and did not specifically say for what he was apologizing.

Devil Rays place Upton on DL
June 13, 2007

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -The Tampa Bay Devil Rays placed second baseman B.J. Upton on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained left quadriceps Wednesday and recalled outfielder Jonny Gomes from Triple-A Durham.

Upton hasn't played since he was hurt last Friday while running to first. The Devil Rays hope Upton will be ready to rejoin the team around June 23.

``It's been getting better every day,'' Upton said after the Devil Rays lost 9-0 to the San Diego Padres. ``Take a week or so off and see how it feels.''

Upton is hitting .320 with nine homers and 30 RBIs. An exam Wednesday showed more inflammation than the team anticipated, prompting the DL move.

``The MRI revealed that he needed a little bit of rest,'' Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. ``We're just concerned about the long haul, pushing him right now. It just wasn't necessary. We thought it was better to shut him down for right now.''

Gomes hit .184, including 18 strikeouts in 49 at_bats, before being optioned to Durham on May 28. He appeared in 13 games with Durham, hitting .302 with one homer and seven RBIs.