Baseball Today - May 12
Sat, May 12, 2007
By Associated Press
SCOREBOARD Saturday, May 12
Arizona at Houston (7:05 p.m. EDT). Houston ace Roy Oswalt faces Randy Johnson.
STARS Friday
- A.J. Burnett, Blue Jays, struck out a season-high 10 and Toronto beat Tampa Bay 5-1.
- Jarrod Washburn, Mariners, pitched eight shutout innings in Seattle's 3-0 win over New York.
- Pat Burrell, Phillies, homered twice and drove in five runs to help Philadelphia beat Chicago 7-2.
- Chris Young and Brandon Webb, Diamondbacks. Young homered twice and Webb threw a complete game, leading Arizona past Houston 3-1.
- Jon Garland, White Sox, pitched into the ninth inning, leading Chicago to a 2-1 win over Kansas City.
- Randy Wolf, Dodgers, gave up four hits over seven innings while striking out a season-high 11 and Los Angeles defeated Cincinnati 2-0.
LEGAL PROBLEMS
Arizona Diamondbacks rookie infielder Alberto Callaspo was released on his own recognizance Friday, a day after he was arrested for allegedly assaulting his wife. The 24-year-old Callaspo was taken into custody on suspicion of misdemeanor assault and felony criminal damage, according to a police probable cause statement filed in Maricopa County Justice Court.
SIDELINED
Former Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay is expected to miss four to six weeks after having an emergency appendectomy Friday, the latest bad break for the struggling Toronto Blue Jays. Halladay arrived at Rogers Centre on Friday looking pale and complaining of pain in his lower right abdomen. Trainer George Poulis recognized the symptoms and took Halladay to a local hospital for surgery. Halladay was placed on the 15-day disabled list. ... Washington's Shawn Hill threw five no-hit innings but left with an elbow injury in the Nationals 6-0 win over Florida.
FOR THE RECORD
San Diego's Jake Peavy became the first pitcher in franchise history to strike out at least 10 in four straight starts, holding St. Louis to three hits in seven scoreless innings and leading the Padres to a 7-0 win over the defending World Series champions on Friday night.
SNAPPED
Andruw Jones and Jeff Francoeur went deep on consecutive pitches in Atlanta's 4-1 win over Pittsburgh on Friday to end Atlanta's eight game homerless streak, the Braves longest span without a homer in 24 years. ... New York stopped Milwaukee's six-game winning streak with a 5-4 win. The loss also ended Jeff Suppan's five- game winning streak.
STREAKING
New York won for the seventh time in nine games, 5-4 at home against Milwaukee on Friday. ... Chicago has won three straight and five of six after a 2-1 win at home against Kansas City. ... Detroit has won all seven of Mike Maroth's starts this season, and the Tigers have won 10 of their past 11 games to jump into first place in the AL Central after a 7-3 win over Minnesota. ... The Dodgers beat Cincinnati for the seventh straight time with a 2-0 win on Friday night.
STRONG IN DEFEAT
Texas' Sammy Sosa hit his 596th career home run in a 6-3 loss to Los Angeles on Friday.
SPEAKING
''I normally just get flowers. But that's a great plan.'' - Arizona's Chris Young on retrieving one of two home run balls he hit from the Diamondbacks' 3-1 win over Houston on Friday to give as a Mother's Day gift.
Glaus leaves with apparent leg injury
Fri, May 11, 2007
By Associated Press
TORONTO -- Blue Jays infielder Troy Glaus left Friday night's game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays after just one at-bat when he suffered an apparent leg injury while running out a fly ball.
Glaus, who missed 14 games earlier this season because of a sore left heel, hit a drive to deep center in the first. He appeared to stumble halfway to first base, and yelled out in pain. He bent over behind the bag, then limped off the field alongside trainer George Poulis.
Jason Smith replaced Glaus at third base to start the second inning.
The Blue Jays have lost nine straight games and have been riddled with injuries to key players. Starter Roy Halladay underwent an emergency appendectomy Friday and will miss four to six weeks. Closer B.J. Ryan had Tommy John surgery on his left elbow Thursday and will miss the rest of the year.
Halladay has appendicitis, expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks
Fri, May 11, 2007
By Associated Press
TORONTO -- Former Cy Young winner Roy Halladay is expected to miss four to six weeks because of appendicitis, the latest bad break for the struggling Toronto Blue Jays.
Halladay was set to have an appendectomy Friday night.
Halladay lasted only five innings Thursday night and was hit hard in an 8-0 loss to Boston. The 2003 AL Cy Young winner is 4-2 with a 4.37 ERA in eight starts.
The rout by Boston was the Blue Jays' ninth straight loss and left them in last place in the AL East.
On Thursday, Toronto lost closer B.J. Ryan for the year after he had ligament replacement surgery on his left elbow.
Giambi out in Seattle while waiting for orthotics
Fri, May 11, 2007
By Associated Press
SEATTLE -- Jason Giambi looked fine. And he walked fine - in flip flops and jeans.
''Good for now, until I put on the spikes. Then we'll see,'' the Yankees slugger said Friday afternoon before changing into his uniform in a side room of Safeco Field's visiting clubhouse.
A spur near his left heel kept Giambi out of the lineup for the third straight game.
New York manager Joe Torre said Giambi, a late scratch Friday night, will get custom-fitted orthotics for the problem. But they won't arrive for about a week.
Until then, it's a heavy tape job.
''That seems to help it along,'' Torre said.
Torre originally put Giambi in the lineup for the series opener Friday night. Then the manager said he was going to watch the left-handed batting Giambi take batting practice before deciding whether to rest him and save him for Saturday night, when the Mariners will start right-hander Miguel Batista. Jarrod Washburn, a lefty, started the series opener.
''Obviously, if there's a choice on one of the two days, I'd rather have him (Saturday),'' Torre said.
The news was more clear on leadoff man Johnny Damon and his right calf. Damon, who left a lopsided loss to Texas in the eighth inning Thursday because of a cramp, started for Giambi as the designated hitter.
He told Torre Friday that he was ''100 percent.'' But Thursday was the second time in a week that Damon missed game time because of a cramp in that calf. Melky Cabrera started in center field for Damon against Seattle.
Damon, whom Torre called ''an ignitor for us,'' has been bothered by calf cramps on and off since leaving the opening day game early with them. That turned out to be a mild calf strain. He's also had back pain that sent him to Florida for a few sessions with a chiropractor late last month.
''I think I'm getting past that now,'' Damon said before the game. ''I'd rather miss a few innings or a game now than have it blow up later,'' said Damon, who was 9-for-24 on the Yankees' homestand that ended Thursday.
Torre said he will continue the plan he concocted before the season of starting Damon in the outfield for ''three or four days and then giving him a day off or DH-ing him.''
The manager said he's also noticed the 33-year-old Damon, who has never been on the disabled list, hasn't always been his outgoing self off the field during his recent slog through injuries.
''You get a little older and things start cropping up on you, it gets frustrating,'' Torre said. ''You're used to your body just sort of following your lead. Someone when it doesn't happen, dealing with it for the first time is tough.
''But he's fighting through it. ... When the curtain goes up, he's still the same wacky guy. He knows how important he is to us.''
Hill injured as Nats snap eight-game skid
May 11th, 2007
Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Shawn Hill threw five innings of no-hit ball before leaving with a sore right elbow, and the Washington Nationals avoided matching the franchise's longest winless spell in nearly seven years with a 6-0 shutout of the Florida Marlins in the opener of a three-game series.
After walking two batters and retiring the other 15, Hill (3-3) was warming up for the top of the sixth inning when he left the game. The righty was replaced by Winston Abreu to start the inning. Hill, who had five strikeouts, has a solid 2.70 ERA, and would likely have produced his seventh straight quality start had he not exited early with the injury.
Marlins place RHP Owens on DL
May 11, 2007
WASHINGTON (TICKER) -- The Florida Marlins will have to go through a lengthy road trip without their stopper.
The Marlins placed closer Henry Owens on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Wednesday, with right shoulder rotator cuff tendinitis Friday.
Owens, 28, began the season in a setup role but quickly assumed the closer's job after fellow righthander Jorge Julio blew his first two save chances.
The hard-throwing Owens notched his first career save on April 9 and converted three straight save opportunities earlier this month before absorbing his first blown save in a 7-6 loss to the San Diego Padres last Saturday.
Julio, who returned from a stint on the disabled list Monday, is expected to serve as the closer for the Marlins (16-18), who have lost four of their last five games and embark on a 10-game road trip Friday against the Washington Nationals.
Acquired from the New York Mets last November in a trade that included Jason Vargas, Owens is 2-0 with a 1.96 ERA and four saves in 17 games this season.
In a corresponding move, the Marlins purchased the contract of outfielder John Gall from Class AAA Albuquerque. Gall was batting .307 with three homers and 15 RBI in 34 games.
Blue Jays 3B Troy Glaus (hamstring) has been downgraded to out of today's game.
Nationals 1B Dmitri Young (foot) and closer Chad Cordero (personal) are doubtful.