MLB News and Notes June - 16

Diamondbacks send Johnson to DL
June 15th, 2007

Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Randy Johnson was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday due to tightness in his buttocks.

The move came after Arizona's 7-3 comeback win over the Orioles. Before the game it was announced Johnson would miss his scheduled start against Baltimore Saturday due to lower back pain, but the team made the change to move him to the DL following the contest.

The 43-year-old Johnson is off to a 4-2 record with a 3.52 ERA in his return season to Arizona. The five-time Cy Young Award winner has fanned 70, while walking only 11 in his first nine starts. He began the season on the disabled list after undergoing back surgery in the offseason.

The Diamondbacks will replace Johnson with Edgar Gonzalez on Saturday. Brandon Webb will pitch for Arizona Sunday. The Orioles flipped their pitchers for this weekend, choosing to go with Daniel Cabrera on Saturday and Brian Burres Sunday.

Arizona also recalled pitcher Enrique Gonzalez from Triple-A Tucson to take Johnson's place on the roster. He went 3-7 with a 5.67 ERA in 22 games, including 18 starts for the Diamondbacks in 2006.

Notes from Friday's games
June 15, 2007

ATLANTA: Manager Bobby Cox says RHP Tim Hudson has a ``knot behind his neck'' but doesn't expect the pitcher to miss a start. Hudson left Thursday's game in Minnesota after allowing only two hits in 7 1-3 scoreless innings. Hudson is scheduled to start Tuesday in Boston. ... Backup C Jarrod Saltalamacchia was back at first base Friday. He made his first career start there Thursday. ``I thought he was all right,'' Cox said. ``I don't want to just catch him every fifth or sixth day. He's a good hitter.'' ... After facing Minnesota LHP Johan Santana Thursday, the Braves opposed Cleveland LHP C.C. Sabathia Friday. ``You play the schedule,'' Cox said. ``You want to face those guys. You want to face the best pitchers.'' Cox likes the idea of interleague play, but doesn't like using the designated hitter. ``Even when I was in Toronto (as manager, 1982-85), I was a proponent of National League rules. That's the game I grew up with.''

CLEVELAND: Manager Eric Wedge said RHP Jake Westbrook needs at least one more rehab start in the minors. ``We want to get Jake built up to where he can go deep in games,'' Wedge said. Westbrook has been sidelined since May 3 by an abdominal strain. LHP Jason Stanford, who worked six strong innings Thursday in his first big-league outing since April 2004, will take get another start in Westbrook's absence. ... Entering Friday, RHP Rafael Betancourt had not allowed a run in his last 16 innings over 14 appearances, lowering his ERA to 1.21. ... INF Beau Mills, Cleveland's first-round draft pick last week, signed Friday and will report to short-season Mahoning Valley in the New York-Penn League next week. He's the son of Boston bench coach Brad Mills. ... OF Grady Sizemore got his 20th stolen base in the first inning Friday, two shy of his career high set in 2005 and matched in 2006.

SAN FRANCISCO: 1B Ryan Klesko was scratched from the lineup with sore hips. Mark Sweeney took his place in the field and batted second against Julian Tavarez. ... OF Dave Roberts was given a standing ovation before leading off the game. Roberts' stolen base in Game 4 of the 2004 AL championship series helped spark Boston to four straight wins over the New York Yankees en route to their first World Series title in 86 years. It was his first game back on the Fenway field since then.

BOSTON: DH David Ortiz was ejected for arguing a called third strike in the first inning. Ortiz complained only briefly to home plate umpire Tony Randazzo before heading back to the dugout. Randazzo tossed him shortly thereafter. It was the sixth time in his career that Ortiz has been thrown out of a game, the first since Aug. 19, 2005. ... The Red Sox observed a moment of silence in memory of former Boston Globe baseball writer Larry Whiteside, who died Friday at the age of 69.

METS: RHP Pedro Martinez threw 53 pitches Friday in his fourth bullpen session. Mets GM Omar Minaya said Martinez is on track to start a minor league rehabilitation assignment in July. ... When 48-year-old Julio Franco flied out against 44-year-old Roger Clemens ending the second inning, they became the oldest batter-pitcher matchup in the major leagues since Nick Altrock of the Washington Senators hit a comebacker off the Philadelphia Athletics' Rube Walberg in the 11th inning on Oct. 1, 1933, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Altrock was 57 and hadn't played since 1919. It was the final game of his major league career, and Washington's final game of the regular season. Walberg was 37. Clemens and Franco totaled 93 years, 246 days, while Altrock and Walberg added to 94 years, 80 days. ``It makes me want to grab a bat and hit again,'' Yankees manager Joe Torre said. Franco also took a called third strike and grounded out against Clemens. ... David Wright extended his hitting streak to 16 games.

YANKEES: DH Johnny Damon, slated to lead off in the original lineup, was scratched because of an abdominal strain. CF Melky Cabrera was moved from the No. 8 spot to the top of the batting order, and Josh Phelps became the designated hitter and batted eighth. ... The Yankees have lost only one home series against the Mets since interleague play began in 1997, dropping two of three in 2005. ... Rutgers' football and women's basketball teams were honored before the game. Football coach Greg Schiano threw out the ceremonial first pitch. ... LHP Andy Pettitte turned 35.

DETROIT: SS Carlos Guillen was back in the lineup after missing three games with a hamstring spasm. ... The Tigers began a stretch of nine straight games in NL ballparks. Manager Jim Leyland said it's unfair. ``I don't think an American League team should be asked to play nine straight days in National League cities. I think that's out of line,'' he said. ``We're not built for that.'' ... LHP Andrew Miller (2-0) makes his third start Saturday.

PHILADELPHIA: Manager Charlie Manuel got an endorsement from Tigers 2B Placido Polanco, who played for the Phillies for parts of four seasons from 2002-05. Many fans wanted Tigers manager Jim Leyland to replace Larry Bowa after he was fired in 2004, but then-general manager Ed Wade hired Manuel. ``When you lose, it's the manager's fault. When you win, it's the players,'' Polanco said. ... RHP Kyle Kendrick, who pitched well in his major league debut filling in for the injured Freddy Garcia, likely will make his second start at Cleveland on Tuesday night. However, the Phillies could go to a four-man rotation because of two off days in the next 10 days.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX: OF Scott Podsednik, out since April 16 with a right abductor pull, has played more than a week on a rehabilitation assignment for Triple-A Charlotte and manager Ozzie Guillen said his status will be reevaluated early next week. There is a chance he could be activated some time next week. ... The White Sox have used 52 different lineups in 63 games this season. ... Guillen expressed confidence that RHP Mike MacDougal can return to his early-season form after an 11-day demotion to Triple-A Charlotte. MacDougal's ERA was at 3.09 on May 6 but in his last five innings, he gave up 10 runs. He was demoted on June 4. ``I want him to challenge people,'' Guillen said. ``I want him to be around the plate because he has good enough stuff to get people out on the big leagues.''

PITTSBURGH: 2B Freddy Sanchez was not in the lineup Friday because he had flu-like symptoms. SS Jack Wilson took his place in the lineup, with INF Jose Castillo starting at second base. Wilson, the team's regular shortstop, was not in the lineup for the previous four contests while Castillo had been starting in Wilson's place. ... Manager Jim Tracy will miss games Saturday and Sunday to attend college graduation ceremonies for his son, Brian. Brian Tracy, was pitched at UC-Santa Barbara, was drafted by Pittsburgh in the 20th round last week. Bench coach Jim Lett will take over the managerial duties in Jim Tracy's absence. ... C Humberto Cota, who was designated for assignment June 4, had his 10-day window expire and Friday he was in the midst of his 24-hour window to elect whether to accept an outright assignment to Triple-A Indianapolis or declare free agency.

ARIZONA: The Diamondbacks scratched LHP Randy Johnson from his scheduled start Saturday because of lower back pain. Johnson was to have an MRI exam on Friday, but manager Bob Melvin said the examination was merely a precaution. ``We are going to err on the side of caution. I've said that from day one. That's the way we're going to handle it,'' Melvin said. Reliever Edgar Gonzalez will replace Johnson. ... Arizona optioned INF Alberto Callaspo to Triple-A Tucson and called up INF Augie Ojeda from Tucson. Callaspo hit .206 with four RBIs in 126 at bats. Ojeda batted .323 in 32 games at Tucson. ``He'll play any position and he's always prepared to play,'' Melvin said.

BALTIMORE: RHP Daniel Cabrera will start Saturday with one fewer day of rest than usual. He was flipped in the rotation with LHP Brian Burres, who was moved back to Sunday because of soreness in his left shoulder. ... Manager Sam Perlozzo defended his bullpen Friday, less than 24 hours after Baltimore relievers gave up the final two runs in a 3-1 loss to Washington. ``If we had a six spot on the board, nobody would be saying anything. But we had a one spot,'' Perlozzo said. ``I think the pen is fine. Everybody has been battling their tails off out there.'' Perhaps, but the bullpen allowed runs in 13 of Baltimore's last 23 games through Thursday.

WASHINGTON: Five Washington pitchers were scheduled throw in minor league rehab appearances on Friday. RHP John Patterson (elbow inflammation) started for Class-A Potomac, RHP Jason Bergmann (sore elbow) for Triple-A Columbus and RHP Jerome Williams (strained shoulder) at Double-A Harrisburg. LHP Mike O'Connor (sore elbow) was set to follow Williams while RHP Luis Ayala (sore elbow) hoped to pitch in back-to-back games for Columbus. ... LHP Shawn Hill (strained shoulder) played catch before Friday's game at Toronto for the first time since landing on the disabled list May 12. ... At least six Nationals players have 25 or more RBIs. Atlanta, with seven, is the only NL team with more 25-RBI batters.

TORONTO: LHP Gustavo Chacin (sore shoulder) said he felt good after throwing 25 pitches from 45 feet Thursday and doing the same again on Friday. ... OF Reed Johnson (herniated disk) will start playing simulated games at extended spring training in the next few days and could be ready to return after the All-Star break. ... The Blue Jays have signed 10 players selected in last week's draft, including first-round selection 3B/SS Kevin Ahrens and second-round selection C J.P. Arencibia. Toronto has signed 22 draft picks so far. ... A ``technical problem'' prevented the retractable roof at Rogers Centre from being opened before Friday's game against Washington.

TEXAS: LHP Ron Mahay came off the 15-day DL, where he had spent a month with a strained muscle in his rib cage. RHP Scott Feldman was sent to Triple-A Oklahoma to open a roster spot, his third demotion since May 1. ... 3B Ramon Vazquez hit a solo homer in his first at-bat, ending an 0-for-11 slump. It was his first RBI since a homer on May 25 off Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka. ... SS Michael Young doubled in his first at-bat, extending his hitting streak to eight games. ... In the first three innings this season, the Rangers have scored 96 runs and given up 166.

CINCINNATI: CF Josh Hamilton is getting blood work to see why he feels tired and is constantly thirsty. Hamilton was sidelined earlier this month by an inflamed digestive system. ``I drink water all the time,'' he said. ``I'll get filled up and, 20 minutes later, my mouth is dry. They're doing all kinds of testing. Diabetes runs in my family, so they're looking at that.'' ... CF Ryan Freel was examined by a specialist and cleared to start working out lightly. Freel hasn't done anything since he ran into a teammate while catching a fly ball on May 28, resulting in a concussion.

SEATTLE: LHP Ryan Feierabend was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma on Friday. He replaced LHP Jake Woods, who was optioned to Tacoma after Thursday's game in Chicago. ``We'll use him in a long role some and then work him into later roles,'' manager Mike Hargrove said. ``He'll be like a lot of our guys, just kind of a floater going back and forth to different roles.'' This is only Seattle's second visit to Minute Maid Park with the first coming in 2002. ``It's a nice park,'' Hargrove said. ``It looks like it plays small. I know pitchers better keep the ball down.'' Noticing the tote board keeping count of Craig Biggio's pursuit of 3,000 hits, Hargrove said, ``He's obviously a great player. You don't play in the majors that long and accomplish that much without being a great player. And he plays the game right.''

HOUSTON: Manager Phil Garner's approach to pitching against Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki is simple. ``I think you just bring the infield in and throw him fastballs,'' Garner said. ``You let him hit the ball. He's going to get his hits regardless. Just make him swing at the first two pitches and don't expend as much energy on him. Then just try to get the rest of them out.'' After losing SS Adam Everett to a broken leg Thursday night, the Astros called up Eric Bruntlett from Triple-A Round Rock. Garner says he'll play Mark Loretta at short as well as Bruntlett, who found out about his old friend Everett on the scoreboard at Round Rock during the Express game against New Orleans on Thursday night. ``It was kind of weird,'' Bruntlett said. ``The TV announcer said they would probably bring me up. But that's just TV guys. I didn't know until after the game I was coming up.'' ... Reliever Rick White, out with a pinched nerve in his neck, is eligible to come off the disabled list Saturday but probably won't before next week.

FLORIDA: RHP Josh Johnson rejoined the Marlins Friday after being out all year with a problem in his pitching elbow and will start Monday against the Chicago White Sox. Manager Fredi Gonzalez said Johnson would be limited to about 90 pitches. Johnson, 11-5 as a rookie last year in 24 starts, left behind an unexpected gift for the Double-A clubhouse in Zebulon, N. C. - a 42-inch plasma TV. ``I don't even think they know about it yet,'' he said. ``They'll get a little surprise.'' ... Gonzalez said there was no serious injury to LHP Dontrelle Willis' left hand from Thursday night's game, when he appeared to jam it during a play at first base.

KANSAS CITY: 2B Mark Grudzielanek underwent successful knee surgery to repair cartilage damage on Friday and is expected back in about a month. It was the same knee that doctors performed an arthroscopic procedure on during spring training. ``It wasn't anything that we didn't expect. It was just an ordinary cartilage surgery, so that's good,'' said manager Buddy Bell. ``There's no bone damage or anything like that. We're hoping he'll be back within a month.'' Utility man Esteban German will take over at second. ... DH Mike Sweeney was back in the lineup after experiencing a back spasm while batting Wednesday night and sitting out a game.

MILWAUKEE: With LHP Chris Capuano on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left groin, look for prospect Yovani Gallardo to start Monday against the Giants. Or maybe not. Gallardo was called up after Thursday's victory over Detroit, but may be used out of the bullpen this weekend if needed. If Gallardo does pitch in relief against the Twins, look for Carlos Villanueva to get the nod Monday. ... If the Brewers win on Friday, it will be their first three-game win streak since winning a season-best six games from May 4-9.

MINNESOTA: LF/DH Rondell White, on the disabled list since April 10 with a strained right calf, played in a minor league scrimmage on Friday. The oft-injured veteran was the DH and went 2-for-3. Manager Ron Gardenhire said White experienced ``mild soreness'' after the game and will DH again on Saturday. There is no timetable for his return to the Twins' lineup. ... LHP Glen Perkins will begin rehabbing in Florida once the Twins' current homestand ends. Perkins went on the DL with a left shoulder strain in May and pitched out of the bullpen before the injury. Once he returns, Gardenhire is unsure if he will rejoin the Twins or start for Triple-A Rochester. ... On the DL since May 11, OF Josh Rabe had successful surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. He is expected to be ready for spring training next season.

TAMPA BAY: OF Elijah Dukes was not in the starting lineup Friday night. ``I gave him a day off Wednesday and decided to give him another day off tonight,'' manager Joe Maddon said. ``This was strictly a baseball decision.'' ... Maddon spent time before the game with Ryan Meisinger, a Denver resident confined to a wheelchair. ``Ryan came to one of my baseball camps,'' Maddon said. ... RHP Edwin Jackson will start Monday's game against Arizona. ``I don't want to attach an ultimatum to this start,'' Maddon said. ``He's had some nice outings.'' ... OF Rocco Baldelli (strained left hamstring) isn't expected back until June 22, when Tampa Bay opens a three-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

COLORADO: INF/OF Jeff Baker ate his first meal in nearly three days Friday. He caught a flu bug in Boston and has been unavailable for the past two games. ``I think it has run its course,'' said Baker, who lost nine pounds. ``I had a chicken caesar salad (Friday) and it tasted good - and stayed down. I'm feeling better.'' ... Manager Clint Hurdle can't explain why the Rockies have won six of their last eight games. ``I'm not that smart to figure all that out,'' Hurdle said. ``We were looking for ways to put a consistent game together. That's all.'' ... OF Steve Finley was unconditionally released Friday. He was designated for assignment on June 5.

SAN DIEGO: OF Brian Giles, on the DL with a right knee contusion, has been doing some running and is improving, manager Bud Black said. There is no timetable for Giles' return. ... Chase Headley got thrown right into the mix after the Padres purchased his contract from Double-A San Antonio. He played his first major league game at third base in place of Kevin Kouzmanoff, who had to leave Thursday's game against Tampa Bay after hurting his back during a swing. Headley went 0-for-3. ``He's been hitting since spring training and hasn't stopped and is playing a good third base,'' Black said. ``The organization felt he was the guy to go to.'' Paul McAnulty was sent to Triple-A to make room for Headley.

CHICAGO: Listed generously at 5-foot-8, Mike Fontenot is swinging a big bat for the Cubs. His two-run homer off David Wells put them ahead Friday. He's hitting .400 during a seven-game hitting streak. ``He's not a big man, but he's got crazy power,'' teammate Alfonso Soriano said. ... C Henry Blanco had a setback in his recovery from a neck injury and needed a cortisone injection. Blanco has been on the DL since May 31 with a cervical herniated disc. ``We felt this weekend he might get him playing, but he's hurting. It's going to be a while longer,'' manager Lou Piniella said. ... 3B Aramis Ramirez, on the DL since June 7 with a sore left knee, is better and should return when his 15-day stint is up. When Ramirez is back, the Cubs will probably move Mark DeRosa around. DeRosa has been filling in for Ramirez ... RHP Kerry Wood, out all season with a sore right shoulder, was in the clubhouse on Friday. Piniella said it would be a lift for the Cubs if Wood - who has battled injuries most of his career - could return by the end of the season.

Mets End Yankees’ Winning Streak as Subway Series Renews
Saturday, June 16th, 2007

Two cross-town rivals headed in opposite directions in the standings collided on the diamond Friday night. The outcome at Yankee Stadium wasn’t the one everyone expected.

Oliver Perez combined with three relievers on a five-hit shutout as the New York Mets blanked the New York Yankees and Roger Clemens, 2-0, to snap the Bronx Bombers’ nine-game winning streak.

The Mets, who halted a five-game skid and won for just the second time in 11 games, won this interleague game the old-fashioned way - with pitching and spectacular defense. Perez (7-5) allowed five hits while walking three and fanning six over 7.1 innings to earn the win. Billy Wagner hurled a perfect ninth to pick up his 15th save.

With the Subway Series win, the Mets paid +155 on the moneyline (meaning a winning wager of $100 would net a $155 profit).

Jose Reyes finished 3-for-3 with a solo home run, three stolen bases and two RBIs, and David Wright was 1-for-3 and extended his hitting streak to a career-best 16 games.

Derek Jeter was 2-for-4 with a double for the Yankees, who fell 8.5 games behind Boston in the AL East. Bobby Abreu finished 0-for-3 to halt a 13-game hitting streak.

Clemens (1-1) followed up his much ballyhooed return to the Bronx, a 9-3 win over Pittsburgh last Saturday, with another solid if unspectacular performance. The 44-year-old righthander allowed two runs on seven hits in 6.1 innings while walking one and fanning eight en route to the loss.

In other interleague action on Friday:

Toronto 7, Washington 2: Troy Glaus homered and finished with three RBIs to guide the Blue Jays to a win at Rogers Centre. Adam Lind added a two-run shot while ace Roy Halladay (7-2) put together another quality outing as the Blue Jays paid -290.

Atlanta 5, Cleveland 4: Yunel Escobar hit a two-run double off C.C. Sabathia in the ninth inning as the Braves rallied for a victory as a +210 road underdog. Casey Blake’s homer in the eighth inning give Cleveland a 4-3 lead and extend his hitting streak to 24 games. Sabathia fell to 9-2.

Boston 10, San Francisco 2: Dustin Pedroia went 5-for-5, including a two-run homer, and collected a career-high five RBIs as the Red Sox won at Fenway Park, rewarding their faithful with a -142 payout. Julian Tavarez (4-4), the much-maligned fifth starter, allowed six hits and two runs over seven innings, fanning three and walking two. J.D. Drew finished 3-for-4, knocked in three runs and scored three times for Boston.

Detroit 12, Philadelphia 8: Ivan Rodriguez went 3-for-5, homered, scored three runs and had five RBIs as the Tigers outslugged the Phillies in Detroit. Sean Casey went 4-for-5 with three RBIs for the Tigers, who snapped a two-game skid and paid -122.

Arizona 7, Baltimore 3: Orlando Hudson belted a go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth inning as the Diamondbacks rallied to win at Camden Yards, where they were a +134 underdog. Chris Snyder also homered during Arizona’s five-run eighth inning and Augie Ojeda smacked a two-run shot in the ninth.

Pittsburgh 4, Chicago White Sox 2: Paul Maholm pitched seven strong innings as the Pirates won as a +125 home underdog. Maholm (3-9) gave up just one run on three hits with three walks and six strikeouts to snap a personal five-decision losing streak for the Pirates.

Texas 7, Cincinnati 6: Sammy Sosa hit his 599th career home run - a grand slam in the fifth inning - and the Rangers held on for a victory in Cincinnati. Sosa, who also had a run-scoring single and finished the game with five RBIs, ended a drought of 70 at-bats since his last homer, which occurred on May 22 against Minnesota. With his next home run, he will become only the fifth player in major league history to reach the 600 mark. The Rangers paid +137.

Houston 5, Seattle 1: Wandy Rodriguez (4-6) was charged with one run on six hits in 7.2 innings to lead the host Astros, a +134 underdog. Mike Lamb went 4-for-4 with a two-run home run and three RBIs.

Kansas City 6, Florida 2: Gil Meche snapped a five-start losing streak by tossing eight strong innings as the Royals won at home, paying -114. Meche (4-6), the Royals’ $55-million offseason acquisition, allowed just one run and scattered six hits to pick up his first win since May 3.

Milwaukee 11, Minnesota 3: Geoff Jenkins went 3-for-5 and hit a grand slam in the fourth inning as the Brewers romped to a road win. Prince Fielder hit a two-run home run and scored three times for the Brewers, who have won three in a row and four of five. They paid +113.

Colorado 12, Tampa Bay 2: Matt Holliday went 3-for-5 with four RBIs as the Rockies blasted the Devil Rays at Coors Field. Rodrigo Lopez (3-0) exited after six innings, allowing two runs and eight hits with three strikeouts. Colorado was a +108 home underdog.

Oakland 14, St. Louis 3: Dan Haren (8-2) threw seven strong innings to win his eighth consecutive decision as the Athletics spoiled Tony La Russa’s return to Oakland with a milestone victory over the Cardinals. Jason Kendall stroked a two-run double during a six-run third inning for the A’s, who recorded their 8,000th win as a franchise since it began play in 1901. The A’s paid -200 with the win.

Los Angeles Dodgers 2, Los Angeles Angels 1: Derek Lowe outdueled Ervin Santana in the latest edition of the Freeway Series at Dodger Stadium. Lowe (7-6) allowed just one run and four hits over seven innings while recording a career-high 11 strikeouts. His biggest test of the night came in the sixth, when he allowed a two-out single to Chone Figgins before fanning Orlando Cabrera to end the inning. The Dodgers were a -130 favorite.

In the lone National League game on Friday:

Chicago Cubs 4, San Diego 1: A couple of Wrigley Field’s passionate fans made it stressful for the home team, reaching over the ivy-covered walls for balls that were in play. But the Cubs avoided a Bartman-like flashback and got sixth-inning homers from Mike Fontenot and Alfonso Soriano to win as a -140 favorite. The fans’ actions recalled the 2003 NL Championship Series when fan Steve Bartman interfered with a foul ball in the eighth inning of Game 6. The Cubs collapsed and went on to lose the series to the Florida Marlins. On Friday, though, they won.

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Rockies send Barker to minors, call up Sullivan
June 15, 2007

DENVER (AP) -The Colorado Rockies optioned outfielder Sean Barker to Triple-A Colorado Springs following Friday night's 12-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and called up outfielder Cory Sullivan.

Barker was 0-for-2 and was hit by a pitch in three plate appearances with the Rockies.

``I got a chance to see what players do at this level,'' Barker said. ``I know I have to do what I had been doing in the minors and hope to get back up here quickly.''

The 27-year-old Sullivan was Colorado's starting center fielder in 2006. He has a career .280 average in 265 games over two seasons.

Sullivan was batting .262 with a homer and 21 RBIs in 53 games with Colorado Springs.

Baseball Today - June 16
By Associated Press

SCOREBOARD

Saturday, June 16

Detroit at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. EDT). Rookie Andrew Miller looks to remain unbeaten for the Tigers.

STARS Friday

-Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox, had five hits and five RBIs to lead Boston to a 10-2 win over San Francisco.

-Sammy Sosa, Rangers, hit a grand slam for his 599th career homer in a 7-6 victory at Cincinnati.

-Ted Lilly, Cubs, pitched eight innings, giving up six hits and one run in a 4-1 victory over San Diego.

-Ivan Rodriguez, Tigers, went 3-for-5 with five RBIs to help Detroit beat Philadelphia 12-8.

-Oliver Perez, Mets, allowed five hits over 7 1-3 scoreless innings to help the Mets beat the Yankees 2-0.

-Derek Lowe, Dodgers, allowed one run over seven innings and had a career-high 11 strikeouts in a 2-1 win over the Angels.

-Geoff Jenkins, Brewers, hit a grand slam in an 11-3 at Minnesota.

600 IN SIGHT

Sammy Sosa hit a grand slam for his 599th career homer Friday night, taking another little hop toward history while leading Texas to a 7-6 victory over Cincinnati. The 38-year-old slugger is one homer away from a mark that only four others have reached - Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, Babe Ruth and Willie Mays. He ended an 18-game homer drought with his first grand slam since Sept. 15, 2004.

CROSSTOWN CLASHES

Derek Lowe allowed one run over seven innings and had a career-high 11 strikeouts, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 2-1 victory over the Angels Friday night in the opener of Freeway Series II. ... Oliver Perez limited the Yankees to five hits in 7 1-3 innings, Jose Reyes homered and Carlos Gomez leapt to prevent a three-run homer, leading the Mets a 2-0 victory at Yankee Stadium in the opener of the season's second Subway Series.

REDEMPTION

Ted Lilly, ejected after two-thirds of an inning in his previous start against Atlanta for hitting Edgar Renteria with a pitch, allowed six hits over eight innings in the Chicago Cubs' 4-1 win over San Diego on Friday.

STREAKS

Oakland's Dan Haren won his eighth straight decision in a 14-3 win over St. Louis on Friday night. ... David Wright extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a single in the Mets' 2-0 win over the Yankees. ... Chone Figgins singled in the sixth inning in the Angels' 2-1 loss to the Dodgers to extend his hitting streak to a career-best 14 games.

OLD TIMERS

Julio Franco's matchup with Roger Clemens in the Mets' 2-0 victory over the Yankees on Friday night became the oldest batter-pitcher matchup in the major leagues since Nick Altrock (57) of the Washington Senators hit a comebacker off the Philadelphia Athletics' Rube Walberg (37) in the 11th inning on Oct. 1, 1933, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Clemens and Franco (48) totaled 93 years, 246 days, while Altrock and Walberg added to 94 years, 80 days.

STRONG IN DEFEAT

Jimmy Rollins hit a pair of solo homers and Ryan Howard, Greg Dobbs and Shane Victorino also connected for Philadelphia in a 12-8 loss to Detroit on Friday night.

SPEAKING

''Everybody's thinking about 600. I didn't come here to hit 600. Believe me, I want to get it done. I want to get it over with. But I'm not going to stop at 600. Definitely everybody's waiting for that; it's a big number. But my intention is not stopping there. I'm not going to be like I was in Chicago, but little by little, I'll be happy.'' - Sammy Sosa, who hit a grand slam for his 599th career homer in Texas' 7-6 victory over Cincinnati on Friday night. The 38-year-old slugger is one homer away from a mark that only four others have reached - Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, Babe Ruth and Willie Mays.