MLB News and Notes June - 15

Astros' Everett placed on DL
June 14th, 2007

Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Houston Astros shortstop Adam Everett fractured his right fibula in Thursday's 6-5 11-inning loss to Oakland and was placed on the 15-day disabled list after the game.

Everett suffered the injury after colliding with teammate Carlos Lee in the fourth inning. Everett was backpedaling for a fly ball as Lee slid into him, sending Everett tumbling to the ground. Neither player caught the ball. Lee got up, but Everett remained on all fours until getting carted off the field.

The 30-year old Everett is hitting .228 with two home runs and 15 RBI in 63 games for the Astros this season. His estimated recovery time is four to eight weeks.

To replace him on the roster, the club recalled infielder Eric Bruntlett from Triple A Round Rock.

Royals' Grudzielanek placed on 15-day DL
June 14th, 2007

Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Kansas City Royals second baseman Mark Grudzielanek was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to June 13, Thursday with a torn meniscus in his left knee.

Grudzielanek, who suffered the injury running out a play in the first inning of Tuesday's 8-1 win over St. Louis, left in the fifth inning of that game. This season with the Royals, Grudzielanek is hitting .267 with four homers and 26 runs batted in.

Outfielder Shane Costa, who was optioned to Triple-A Omaha prior to Wednesday's game, will be recalled from Omaha and be available for Thursday's game.

Also, the Royals placed right-handed pitcher Brandon Duckworth on the 15-day DL with a torn left oblique. Lefty Neal Musser was recalled from Omaha to take Duckworth's spot on the roster.

Rangers place McCarthy on DL
June 14th, 2007

Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - The Texas Rangers placed pitcher Brandon McCarthy on the 15-day disabled list with a blister on his right middle finger.

The move is retroactive to Sunday

McCarthy is 4-4 with a 5.90 ERA in 12 games for the Rangers this season, including 11 starts.

To replace him, Texas recalled pitcher Kameron Loe from Triple-A Oklahoma. Loe is scheduled to be the starter for the Rangers tonight against Pittsburgh.

In 15 appearances for Texas this season, including 10 starts, Loe is 1-6 with a 7.40 ERA.

Brewers place Capuano on DL
June 14th, 2007

Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - The Milwaukee Brewers placed left-hander Chris Capuano on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left groin. The move is retroactive to June 9.

Capuano, who is 5-5 with a 4.35 ERA this season and currently on a career-high five-game personal losing streak, was scratched from his start on Wednesday and replaced by Carlos Villanueva.

To take his spot, Milwaukee purchased the contract of pitcher Yovani Gallardo from Triple-A Nashville.

Gallardo, the 2006 Brewers Minor League Pitcher of the Year, is 8-3 with a 2.90 ERA in 13 starts for Nashville this season.

Tigers C Wilson out for year after elbow surgery
June 14, 2007

DETROIT (AP) -Tigers catcher Vance Wilson had season-ending elbow surgery Wednesday and could be sidelined well into next season.

Wilson, who has been on the disabled list the entire season, had Tommy John surgery and is expected to be out for nine months to a year.

Wilson hit .283 as Ivan Rodriguez's backup last year, helping the Tigers earn a postseason bid for the first time since 1987.

He went on the disabled list at the end of spring training, then re-injured the elbow earlier this month while on a rehab assignment at Triple-A Toledo.

Mike Rabelo, who began the season with one game of major league experience, is hitting .283 in 18 games as Rodriguez's backup.

Pirates to call up Van Benschoten for Saturday start
June 14, 2007

PITTSBURGH (AP) -John Van Benschoten, the Pittsburgh Pirates' first-round draft pick in 2001, will be promoted from Triple-A Indianapolis to start Saturday against the Chicago White Sox.

Right-hander Shawn Chacon (2-1, 4.25 ERA) will come out of the rotation, but Pirates manager Jim Tracy said no roster move to clear a spot for Van Benschoten will be made until Saturday.

Pittsburgh is carrying 13 pitchers, including eight relievers, but closer Matt Capps faces a four-game suspension for hitting Milwaukee's Prince Fielder with a pitch.

With the Pirates getting little production from three of their five starters, Van Benschoten and former No. 1 draft pick Bryan Bullington were under consideration for a callup. But Bullington (9-3, 2.83 ERA at Indianapolis) was lifted in the first inning of a start Sunday with shoulder discomfort and won't pitch in a weekend series against Durham.

The 26-year-old Van Benschoten was 6-4 with a 2.73 ERA in 12 starts at Indianapolis, striking out 45 and walking 30. He made his major league debut with the Pirates in 2003, going 1-3 with a 6.91 ERA in six games.

The right-handed Van Benschoten later needed operations on both shoulders, one to repair a torn labrum, and has spent much of the time since then in rehabilitation.

Notes from Thursday's games
June 14, 2007

SAN DIEGO: 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff left in the fourth inning with a lower back strain after swinging at a pitch. Manager Bud Black said he'll be day to day. ``It's something that we're going to keep an eye on, obviously,'' Black said. ``We'll see how he comes out of it the next 24 hours.'' ... RF Hiram Bocachica (strep throat) was in the starting lineup for the first time since last weekend and went 0-for-4. ... 1B Adrian Gonzalez went 2-for-3, giving him a team-best 19 multihit games.

TAMPA BAY: Manager Joe Maddon said it's ``more than likely'' that CF Elijah Dukes will start Friday night at Colorado. Dukes returned but didn't play Thursday, one day after he left the team for personal reasons. ... A decision on whether RHP Edwin Jackson (0-8, 8.20 ERA in 12 starts) will lose his spot in the rotation could be announced as soon as Friday. RHP Jason Hammel would likely fill the role if Jackson is dropped.

LOS ANGELES: RF Vladimir Guerrero has broken out of his slump with two impressive games. He emerged from an 0-for-14 skid by driving in four runs on Wednesday night. Guerrero drove in three more on Thursday with a bases-loaded single and a sacrifice fly. ... 3B Chone Figgins extended his hitting streak to 13 games, matching his career high. It's the fourth time he has hit in 13 in a row, the first since September 2005. He is batting .466 during the streak. ... C Jose Molina extended his hitting streak to a season-high eight games. ... RHP Bartolo Colon improved to 3-0 in three career starts against Cincinnati.

CINCINNATI: Reds closer Eddie Guardado will take his comeback from reconstructive elbow surgery to Triple-A Louisville. Guardado has made four scoreless rehab appearances for Class A Dayton. He'll pitch for Louisville on Friday and Sunday. Guardado hopes to be back with the Reds by midseason. ... Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 579th homer. He's four away from tying Mark McGwire for seventh place. ... Griffey has 44 homers in interleague play, matching Carlos Delgado for second on the career list. Jim Thome has hit 52. ... CF Josh Hamilton left the game after the fifth inning because he felt dizzy on the hot, sunny afternoon. ... 1B Scott Hatteberg matched his career high with four hits. Hatteberg was only 3-for-27 in June heading into the game.

MILWAUKEE: RHP Chris Capuano went on the 15-day DL with a strained groin Thursday and RHP Yovani Gallardo, from Triple-A Nashville, took his roster spot. ... RHP Chris Spurling, who picked up his first big-league win since 2005 on Wednesday, pitched another scoreless inning against his former team on Thursday. ``This is definitely going to be a confidence-booster,'' the former Tiger said. ... Milwaukee's 6-5 victory gives that NL Central-leading Brewers exactly one more run than their opponents this season. ... OF Corey Hart, who had a solo homer and two RBIs, is hitting .356 with hits in 14 of his last 16 games.

DETROIT: Backup C Vance Wilson had season-ending elbow surgery Wednesday and could be sidelined well into next season with a recovery that is expected to last nine months to a year. Mike Rabelo, who began the season with one game of major league experience, is hitting .283 in 18 games as Rodriguez's backup. ... CF Curtis Granderson went 0-for-4 with a walk, ending a career-high 13-game hitting streak. ... DH Gary Sheffield was 3-for-4 and is hitting .346 with 10 doubles, 16 homers and 39 RBIs over his last 46 games. ... OF Magglio Ordonez was 2-for-4 and leads the majors with a .367 batting average.

ARIZONA: SS Stephen Drew's streak of 34 games without an error ended when he misplayed Jorge Posada's grounder in the fifth inning. Drew had the longest active string among NL shortstops. ... Arizona has lost 21 of its last 28 interleague games. The Diamondbacks play at Baltimore this weekend.

NEW YORK: Alex Rodriguez started at DH for only the 10th time in his career and the first time since last Aug. 20. It was unfamiliar territory - when he was stranded to end the eighth, the All-Star third baseman briefly lingered on the field, waiting for a teammate to bring him his glove. ... Andy Pettitte has walked one batter in each of his last seven starts. He leads AL left-handers with a 2.93 ERA. ... The Yankees are a major league-best 110-73 in interleague play. ... The Yankees will pay tribute to Rutgers' recent sports success before Friday night's game. Coach Vivian Stringer and members of the women's basketball team will attend and football coach Greg Schiano will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

OAKLAND: Closer Huston Street visited Dr. Anthony Galea in Toronto as he recovers from nerve irritation in his right elbow. The 2005 AL Rookie of the Year has been on the disabled list since May 15. Galea had simple instructions for Street. ``Essentially what he needs most is to rest,'' Oakland assistant GM David Forst said. ``He is going to remain in Toronto for a few days. He won't be able to play catch until he is symptom free. Dr. Galea thinks his long term prognosis is very good.'' ... The Athletics have hit at least one home run in each of their last five games. ... Marco Scutaro hit his fourth home run on Thursday and is hitting .317 in his last 21 games. ... Oakland is 7-2 in Interleague play this season after Thursday's 6-5 11-inning win over Houston.

HOUSTON: Houston placed shortstop Adam Everett on the 15-day disabled list with a fractured right leg after the game Thursday. The team recalled Eric Bruntlett from Triple-A Round Rock to take his spot on the roster. Bruntlett was named Round Rock's offensive player of the month for May after hitting .362 with nine RBIs, six doubles and two triples. Manager Phil Garner said Bruntlett and Mark Loretta will split time at shortstop while Everett is out. Everett is expected to miss four-to-eight weeks. ... With Thursday's loss to Oakland, the Astros have won just two of their last 10 series since May 15. ... Carlos Lee had an RBI on Thursday to push his NL-leading total to 54. ... Craig Biggio got his first pinch hit of the season with a single in the 10th inning on Thursday for his 2,985th career hit. ... Mike Lamb was 3-for-5 with two RBIs Thursday for his sixth multi-hit game of the season

SEATTLE: LHP Jake Woods was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma after the Mariners lost the series-finale 5-4 at Wrigley Field. LHP Ryan Feierabend flew into Chicago before the game and is expected to be activated before the Mariners begin a three-game set in Houston on Friday. ... Seattle batted .192 (5-for-26) with runners in scoring position in the three-game series against the Cubs. The Mariners entered Chicago hitting .299 (169-for-566) with runners in scoring position, good for second-best in baseball. ... Manager Mike Hargrove had a laugh before the game talking about some of the unique aspects of Wrigley Field. ``The best I ever saw was when Ichiro caught a ball (on Tuesday),'' Hargrove said. ``He turned around and threw it in the stands and they threw it back at him.''

CHICAGO: Daryle Ward, on the DL with a strained hip, will start a rehab assignment at Triple-A Iowa and is expected to be activated next week. ... C Michael Barrett was out of the starting lineup for a second straight game but is scheduled to return Friday against the Padres. Barrett won't catch Saturday's game when Carlos Zambrano starts. Barrett hasn't caught Zambrano in three starts since their fight in the dugout and clubhouse. Manager Lou Piniella said it was too early to say if backup catcher Koyie Hill would get more playing time. Hill had a double, walk and sacrifice Thursday and the Cubs are 5-1 in games he's started. ... Rookie reliever Clay Rapada made his major league debut and retired the only batter he faced.

COLORADO: 3B coach Mike Gallego missed the game to attend the high school graduation of his twin sons. 1B coach Glenallen Hill moved to third and bench coach Jamie Quirk worked at first. The substitutions temporarily cost Colorado a run in the third: Hill held Kaz Matsui up at third on Matt Holliday's double, but Matsui probably could have scored when Coco Crisp's throw toward the infield turned into a loose ball. They all scored on Garrett Atkins' grand slam anyway. ... CF Willy Taveras got a bit of a rest by serving as designated hitter. Ryan Spilborghs made his fifth start of the season in center.

BOSTON: LF Manny Ramirez, who usually wears his pant legs down to his shoes, showed a lot of the red sock. ... J.D. Drew was bumped from fifth to leadoff in the hopes of sparking some offense. The Red Sox signed 10 picks from last week's draft: RHP Adam Mills, SS Kenneth Roque, C Daniel Miliano, LHP William Latimer, 3B Deshaun Brooks, C Will Vazquez, LHP Daniel Buller, RHP Anthony Bajoczky, SS Emmanuel Solano and C Peter Gilardo.

TEXAS: OF Sammy Sosa was given the night off Thursday in Pittsburgh even though the Pirates were starting a left-handed pitcher. Manager Ron Washington said Sosa, who has 598 career home runs and is the Rangers' regular designated hitter, will start Friday and Saturday in Cincinnati but sit out again Sunday. ``I'll get him back in there (Friday),'' Washington said. ``I just wanted to get (OF Victor Diaz) to play.'' ... SS Michael Young is the all-time leader in batting average in interleague games with a .348 average going into Thursday's contest. Washington said that is not a coincidence. ``Mike is a guy who's geared to hit,'' Washington said. ``They challenge you over here. They go after you; that's just the mentality of the National League.'' ... Washington is leaning toward giving more at bats at third base to 3B Ramon Vazquez than to 3B Travis Metcalf for the immediate future with 3B Hank Blalock on the disabled list.

PITTSBURGH: Manager Jim Tracy said that RHP Shawn Chacon - whom Tracy announced Thursday would lose his spot in the rotation in favor of Triple-A call-up John Van Benschoten - would be one of the team's primary set-up men for closer RHP Matt Capps. With RHP Salomon Torres on the disabled list and the bullpen as a whole struggling, Chacon is a good option to solidify the seventh- and eighth-inning roles. ``With his versatility and what he showed us earlier in the season, it makes sense,'' Tracy said. ``He's a guy who has been throwing the ball very well for us since the season started.'' ... LHP Damaso Marte is another late-inning option. The veteran has a 1.23 ERA in 29 games, and left-handers are batting just .111 against him. ... Tracy said that representatives for Capps have been in contact with Major League Baseball since his appeal hearing of his four-game suspension for throwing at the Brewers' Prince Fielder. His hearing was last Friday in New York and no official word has come from the league.

CLEVELAND: The Indians recalled LHP Jason Stanford from Triple-A Buffalo in time for him to start Thursday, and optioned Matt Miller to Double-A Akron. ... Cleveland is 21-8 at home, the second-best mark in the majors, and starts a stretch Friday of playing 19 of its next 25 games at Jacobs Field. ... LHP C.C. Sabathia (9-1) gets the start Friday against the Atlanta Braves, a team he's never faced. ... Cleveland's batting average as a team has gone from .260 to .273 over the last 29 games.

FLORIDA: RHP Josh Johnson, who hasn't pitched in the majors this season because of forearm discomfort, will rejoin the Marlins in Kansas City on Friday and is scheduled to throw a bullpen session. He could be back in Florida's rotation by early next week. ... RHP Sergio Mitre takes a streak of 23 2-3 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run into Friday's start at the Royals. ... SS Hanley Ramirez's first-inning single extended his interleague hitting streak to 12 games.

WASHINGTON: OF Ryan Church didn't start for just the second time this season Thursday because of a sore right quad he hurt the previous night running the bases. Manager Manny Acta said the injury would not sideline Church for more than a game. ... With Church out, Acta shuffled the lineup, starting Robert Fick in LF and Ronnie Belliard at 1B. It was Fick's third start in LF, fifth in the outfield. Belliard was at 1B for the fourth time this year; he never started there in eight previous big-league seasons . . . Injured RHP Shawn Hill (left shoulder strain) played catch before the game, but Acta said the pitcher was nowhere near being ready to start a rehab assignment.

BALTIMORE: Jay Payton joined the 1,000-hit club Wednesday, but downplayed the accomplishment after having 24 hours to reflect on the feat. ``It either means you're old, or you're young and really, really good,'' the 34-year-old outfielder said. ``Since I'm not young and really, really good, I guess that just means I'm old.'' ... CF Corey Patterson was back on the bench Thursday after going 1-for-5 Wednesday, only his second start since June 5. He is mired in a 4-for-37 skid that has dropped his batting average to .208. ... Baltimore's home game against Boston on Aug. 11 has been moved from 7:05 p.m. to 3:55 p.m. to accommodate FOX-TV.

ATLANTA: 3B Chipper Jones, back from the disabled list as the DH this week following an absence of about three weeks because of bone bruises on both of his hands, said he felt fine in Wednesday's return. He went 3-for-4. ``I can't complain. I didn't smoke anything, but I got good results and didn't take a step back, so I'm encouraged with that,'' Jones said. ... RHP John Smoltz, who decided to push his next start back to Saturday and hasn't pitched since June 5 because of a sore shoulder, will get to face his original organization, the Detroit Tigers, in his home state of Michigan on June 22. ... After taking on the Minnesota Twins this week, a rematch of the 1991 World Series, the Braves will travel to Cleveland for a repeat of the 1995 Fall Classic against the Indians.

MINNESOTA: Joe Mauer caught his third straight game Thursday and has been behind the plate for five of Minnesota's six games since he came off the disabled list following a month-long absence because of a strained quadriceps. Manager Ron Gardenhire said he'd probably use Mauer as the DH on Friday and Sunday. ... LF Jason Kubel returned to the lineup Thursday after sitting out three games because of a sprained knee. The Twins want him to be more aggressive early in the count and produce consistently enough to hold down the sixth spot in the batting order. ... RHP Carlos Silva said his newborn son, Justin, was not named for Twins 1B and reigning AL MVP Justin Morneau. His wife, Maria, has always liked the name. ``The only thing I say to her is, 'Don't name it Carlos, because there are too many Carloses in the world,''' Silva said.

ST. LOUIS: When the Cardinals are in Oakland for a three-game series this weekend, manager Tony La Russa will get to sleep in his own bed. La Russa managed the A's from 1986-95 and still makes his home there. He's not expecting to be booed by A's fans. ``I haven't done anything to them. Why should they boo me?'' he asked. ... INF David Eckstein was out of the lineup Thursday after leaving Wednesday's game with tightness in his lower back. The Cardinals listed him as day-to-day. ... The return of outfielder Juan Encarnacion has given the offense a big boost. He missed the first month and a half while recovering from offseason wrist surgery, but he had two hits and two RBIs in Wednesday night's win and stretched his hitting streak to 13 games, six short of his career-best 19-game streak.

KANSAS CITY: 2B Mark Grudzielanek will undergo surgery Friday on the same knee that was operated on in March. He and RHP Brandon Duckworth were placed on the DL Thursday and OF Shane Costa and LHP Neal Musser were recalled from Triple-A Omaha. Costa had just been sent to the Triple-A team the day before. The Royals are not sure how long they'll be without Grudzielanek, who is one of the team leaders and drove in seven runs over the weekend against Philadelphia. ... Twenty-six of the 52 players KC drafted this month have agreed to terms, including their No. 2 pick Clayton Mortensen, a pitcher from Gonzaga University.

Josh Beckett Loses First Game as Red Sox Fall to Rockies
Thursday, June 14th, 2007

Oh, you know they’re talking about Bucky Dent again in Beantown.

On a night when the Yankees won again, the Boston Red Sox saw their ace lose for the first time and against one of the weaker teams in baseball, no less.

Garrett Atkins hit a grand slam in the third inning off Josh Beckett and the underdog Colorado Rockies beat the Red Sox, 7-1, to win a second straight game at Fenway Park on Thursday.

Beckett (9-1) allowed season highs of six runs and 10 hits, with a walk and a strikeout in five innings before leaving down 6-0. He failed to become the first BoSox starter to begin a season with 10 straight wins since Roger Clemens went 14-0 in 1986.

“It was a fun run,” Beckett said after taking his first loss. “There’s no way I take all the credit. If you’re not striking everybody out, you need those eight guys behind you.”

Against Colorado, Beckett couldn’t get any run support. Jeff Francis (6-5) scattered seven hits over five-plus innings, striking out six to move above the .500 mark on the year. The Rockies paid a whopping +210 on the moneyline (meaning a winning bet of $100 would net a $210 profit).

Matt Holliday added a solo home run, his 11th of the season for the Rockies, who won two of three in the series and four of their last five overall. Todd Helton contributed a run-scoring single and Atkins finished 3-for-5.

With the loss and the Yankees’ win, the Red Sox - who’ve lost four of five - saw their American League East lead over New York trimmed to 7.5 games.

In other interleague games on Thursday:

New York Yankees 7, Arizona 1: Andy Pettitte hurled eight brilliant innings as New York completed a three-game sweep at Yankee Stadium as the streaking Yankees won their ninth straight and moved one game closer to the first-place Red Sox. Pettitte (4-4), who turns 35 on Friday, dazzled Arizona with his vaunted cutter, a cut-fastball that dives in on the hands of a righthanded batter. The veteran lefty allowed just one run on four hits, while walking one and striking out four in the game. Alex Rodriguez was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored as New York paid -240 on the moneyline.

San Diego 7, Tampa Bay 1: Justin Germano (5-0) tossed six scoreless innings to lead the Padres to a road win, rewarding their backers with a -110 payday. Germano, who entered the season with one major-league win in nine career appearances, won for the fifth time in his last six starts. The right-hander scattered just three hits, walked one and fanned four to lower his ERA to 2.36 since being promoted from Triple-A Portland.

Los Angeles Angels 9, Cincinnati 7: Vladimir Guerrero singled in the go-ahead run in a six-run seventh inning for the Angels, who rallied to win on the road. Bartolo Colon (6-2), who had won five straight decisions before picking up a pair of losses and a no-decision in his previous three outings, allowed five runs - four earned - on seven hits with a walk and seven strikeouts over six innings. Los Angeles paid -125.

Milwaukee 6, Detroit 5: Ben Sheets pitched into the sixth inning, recording his 1,000th career strikeout along the way, as the Brewers won on the road as -115 favorites. Sheets (7-3) yielded three runs on eight hits, walked three and struck out seven. He reached the milestone of 1,000 strikeouts in the fourth inning when he fanned Mike Rabelo to end the frame. Sheets now has 61 strikeouts on the season and 1,003 since making his major league debut with the Brewers in 2001.

Oakland 6, Houston 5: Jason Kendall singled home the winning run in the 11th inning for the visiting Athletics, -123 favorites. With the score knotted at five, Oakland got the winning run in the 11th off reliever Brian Moehler (0-2). Bobby Crosby and pinch-hitter Kurt Suzuki both singled before Kendall lined the winning hit to leftfield.

Chicago Cubs 5, Seattle 4: Cesar Izturis’ two-run double in the bottom of the eighth inning proved to be the difference as Chicago rallied to win at Wrigley Field, paying their backers at -152. Down 4-3, the Cubs came back on the Seattle bullpen. Brandon Morrow (3-1) issued consecutive walks to Mark DeRosa and Mike Fontenot before Koyie Hill moved both runners up with a sacrifice bunt. Izturis then came through with a two-run double to left to vault on top. Bob Howry (3-3) finished the games with 1.1 scoreless innings to earn the win.

Cleveland 3, Florida 2: Jason Stanford pitched six solid innings as the Indians won in Miami and paid +112. Stanford (1-0), whose contract was purchased from Triple-A Buffalo, was charged with just one run on six hits with a career-high seven strikeouts and Victor Martinez hit a solo home run and scored twice for the Indians.

Texas 6, Pittsburgh 0: Jerry Hairston, Travis Metcalf and Gerald Laird all hit homers as the Rangers won on the road, paying +164. Kameron Loe (2-6) was the stopper. He was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma after being sent to the minors following a disastrous outing on Saturday against Detroit. Thursday was much better. The big righthander, starting in place of Brandon McCarthy, blanked Pittsburgh on five hits with three walks and seven strikeouts over eight innings.

Washington 3, Baltimore 1: Ryan Zimmerman knocked in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning as the Nationals swept their Beltway rival in Camden Yards. Jason Simontacchi (4-4) pitched seven-plus innings, scattering nine hits while giving up just one run for the Nationals, who have won five of six overall. They paid +190.

Kansas City 17, St. Louis 8: Mark Teahen went 3-for-5 with a pair of triples and five runs driven in as the Royals pounded the Cardinals to win two of three in the battle of Missouri. Emil Brown went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and three driven in and David DeJesus added three RBIs as Kansas City paid +112 at home.

Minnesota 3, Atlanta 2: Mike Redmond’s single in the bottom of the ninth knocked in the winning run as the Twins rallied for a three-game sweep at home. The Twins were limited to just two hits thanks to Tim Hudson and trailed 2-0 heading into ninth as Atlanta closer Bob Wickman (1-2) took the mound. He managed to blow the lead. Minnesota paid -177 as a home underdog.

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Rangers activate LHP Mahay
June 15th, 2007

Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - The Texas Rangers have activated left-hander Ron Mahay from the 15-day disabled list.

Mahay, who was placed on the disabled list on May 15 with a strained right oblique muscle, is 0-0 with a 3.86 ERA in 13 appearances for Texas this season. He has thrown 16 1/3 innings, allowing seven runs on 12 hits, while walking 15 and striking out 14. He has held opponents to a .207 batting average against.

Mahay made seven rehab appearances combined between Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Oklahoma went 0-1 with a 5.91 ERA.

In a corresponding move, Texas optioned RHP Scott Feldman to Oklahoma. Feldman appeared in 19 games for the Rangers in 2007 going 1-2 with a 6.66 ERA.

Mariners recall LHP Feierabend
June 15th, 2007

Houston, TX (Sports Network) - The Seattle Mariners have recalled lefthander Ryan Feierabend from Triple-A Tacoma.

The 21-year-old Feierabend started a pair of games against the Angels (May 29) and Rangers (June 3), going 1-1 with a 5.14 ERA before being optioned back to Tacoma on June 4.

To make room on the 25-man roster.Left-handed pitcher Jake Woods was optioned to Tacoma following yesterday's game against the Chicago Cubs.

The Mariners visit the Houston Astros for the opener of a three-game interleague series tonight.

White Sox recall MacDougal
June 15th, 2007

Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - The Chicago White Sox recalled pitcher Mike MacDougal from Triple-A Charlotte on Friday.

MacDougal was 1-3 with a 7.13 ERA in 27 relief appearances for the White Sox earlier this season before being sent down. While with Charlotte, the right- hander made four scoreless relief appearances, allowing just three hits with one walk and four strikeouts.

To make room for MacDougal, the White Sox designated pitcher Bret Prinz for assignment. The right-hander allowed three runs in 3 1/3 innings over four relief appearances, posting an 8.10 ERA with the Sox.

Reds recall Salmon, ship Majewski to Louisville
June 15, 2007

CINCINNATI (AP) -The Cincinnati Reds optioned struggling reliever Gary Majewski to Triple-A Louisville on Friday and recalled rookie Brad Salmon.

Majewski's ERA climbed to 15.88 after he gave up three runs without retiring a batter Thursday in a 9-7 loss to the Angels.

The Reds had optioned right-hander Salmon to Louisville on June 5. The 27-year-old is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in 11 games with the Reds this season.

Majewski was part of an eight-player trade with Washington last July. The Reds were counting on the 27-year-old right-hander to shore up their bullpen, but he was plagued by shoulder problems that continued into spring training. He began this season at Louisville but was recalled by the Reds on May 24.

The Reds have filed a grievance against Washington, contending that Nationals general manager Jim Bowden failed to inform them about Majewski's shoulder problems.

Padres call up Headley
June 15, 2007

CHICAGO (AP) -The San Diego Padres purchased the contract of infielder Chase Headley from their Double-A farm club at San Antonio on Friday and optioned infielder/outfielder Paul McAnulty to Triple-A Portland.

Headley was the starter at third base Friday as San Diego opened a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs. The second-round pick in the 2005 draft out of Tennessee, Headley batted .357 with 13 homers and 42 RBIs for San Antonio.

McAnulty batted .200 with a homer and five RBIs in 20 games for the Padres.

Headley started Friday because Kevin Kouzmanoff left Thursday's game against the Devil Rays in the fourth inning after straining his back while taking a swing.