Baseball Today
By The Associated Press
May 14, 2007
Detroit at Boston (7:05 p.m. EDT). Nate Robertson faces off against Daisuke Matsuzaka.
STARS
Sunday
-- Torii Hunter, Twins, homered twice and drove in a career-high seven runs, helping Minnesota beat Detroit 16-4.
-- Nelson Cruz, Rangers, hit a walkoff solo homer to give Texas a 7-6 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.
-- Jack Cust, Athletics, hit a walkoff homer to help Oakland rally for a 10-7 victory over Cleveland.
-- Damion Easley, Mets, hit a two-run homer and had two RBI singles in a 9-1 rout of Milwaukee.
-- Justin Germano, Padres, allowed three hits in seven scoreless innings for his first win in three years and San Diego topped St. Louis 3-0.
-- David DeJesus, Royals, tied a career-high with four hits and had two RBIs and three runs scored in Kansas City's 11-1 win over the Chicago White Sox.
-- Rafael Furcal, Dodgers, went 4-for-4 with a run-scoring bunt in a 10-5 victory over Cincinnati.
CYCLE
San Francisco rookie Fred Lewis hit for the cycle in a 15-2 win over Colorado on Sunday, just four days after being called up from Triple-A Fresno. Lewis doubled in the first inning, hit a three-run homer in the fourth and tripled in the fifth. He led off the seventh with a single to complete the 24th cycle in Giants history. Lewis added another single in the seventh to finish 5-for-6 with four RBIs. ^HAPPY ENDINGS=
Jack Cust's fifth homer in four games capped a five-run ninth inning that helped Oakland rally for a 10-7 victory over Cleveland on Sunday. ... Nelson Cruz hit a solo homer with one out in the ninth inning to give Texas a 7-6 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.
BREAKING OUT
Minnesota racked up season highs in runs, hits (22) and homers (four) in a 16-4 victory over Detroit on Sunday night.
BEEN A WHILE=
Eric Gagne earned his first win since June 10, 2005, in Texas' 7-6 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. ... Jason Simontacchi got his first win since September 2003, Cristian Guzman got his first RBIs since September 2005, and Washington got their first sweep of the season with a 6-4 win over Florida. ... San Diego's Justin Germano got his first major league win since May 22, 2004, leading San Diego over St. Louis 3-0.
STREAKS
Miguel Tejada played in his 1,118th consecutive game in Baltimore's 6-5 loss to Boston on Sunday, passing Billy Williams and moving into fifth on the all-time list. Tejada's streak is the longest among active players. ... Cincinnati's Brandon Phillips extended his hitting streak to 16 games in a 10-5 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
SNAPPED
Alfonso Soriano had the longest hitting streak of his career end at 20 games in the Chicago Cubs' 4-1 win at Philadelphia on Sunday. ... Edgar Renteria's 18-game hitting streak ended in Atlanta's 13-2 loss to Pittsburgh. ... Tampa Bay beat Toronto 2-1 to snap a season-high six-game losing streak.
SWAP
Colorado traded right-hander Byung-Hyun Kim to Florida for right-handed pitcher Jorge Julio on Sunday.
SPEAKING
"I finally got a win -- thank God." -- Houston lefty Wandy Rodriguez, speaking in Spanish through a translator, on his first win since July 2. Rodriguez gave up one run in five innings to improve to 1-3 on the year and the Astros beat Arizona 5-2 on Sunday.
The Royals are expected to place Ross Gload on the disabled list today, according to the KC Star. The Royals plan to recall Angel Berroa from Triple-A Omaha today to replace the injured Ross Gload on their roster, according to the KC Star.
Moises Alou said an MRI taken Saturday revealed blood in the injured area of his strained left quadriceps, according to Newsday. The Mets will wait a few days to see if he can avoid a trip to the disabled list, but Alou didn't sound very confident about that happening. "I'm not very optimistic," said Alou. "It's not a good feeling. Unfortunately, I had my knee that was bothering me, so I couldn't work on my leg for a couple of weeks."
Mets manager Willie Randolph said Orlando Hernandez probably will not be ready to come off the disabled list to pitch Thursday's game, according to Newsday. El Duque is set to toss his second bullpen session in five days today. He's recovering from bursitis in his right shoulder.
The Rockies optioned Denny Bautista to Triple-A Colorado Springs after he managed to retire just one of the eight batters he faced on Sunday, according to the Rocky Mountain News.
It's possible that Mike Jacobs will require a trip to the disabled list, according to the Sun-Sentinel. He returned to action yesterday after a six-game absence due to a sore right thumb but was forced to exit when his bat flew out of his hand in the fourth inning. "I didn't want to go on the disabled list, but I might have to do it," Jacobs said. "I don't have enough strength in my lower hand with the protective shield that I'm using to hold the bat without pain. I just can't grip it firmly."
It's not clear what role Byung-Hyun Kim will have with the Marlins, once healthy, according to the Sun-Sentinel. "We haven't decided on his role," said Marlins assistant general manager Michael Hill. "We will let our people evaluate him." He was on the disabled list with the Rockies due to a thumb injury, but he should be ready to go when he joins the Marlins on Tuesday.
Mets LF Moises Alou (quadricep) is not expected to play Monday.
Blue Jays 3B Troy Glaus (foot) is not expected to play Monday.
Pirates 3B Jose Bautista (ankle) is not expected to start Monday.
Braves 3B Chipper Jones (thumb/quadricep) is expected to return to the starting lineup for Monday's game against Washington.
Millwood hurt in return from DL
Mon, May 14, 2007
By Associated Press
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas Rangers pitcher Kevin Millwood aggravated his strained left hamstring and lasted just five outs Monday against the Los Angeles Angels in his return from the disabled list.
Pitching for the first time since April 28, Millwood gave up Casey Kotchman's first-inning grand slam. He walked Reggie Willits with two outs and none on in the second, and Willie Eyre began warming up hurriedly in Texas' bullpen. After Orlando Cabrera singled, Texas manager Ron Washington and trainer Jamie Reed went to the mound and removed Millwood.
Braves' Smoltz injures hand
Mon, May 14, 2007
By Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- Atlanta Braves right-hander John Smoltz left the game against the Washington Nationals in the bottom of the seventh inning after injuring his pitching hand while making a tag.
The Nationals went on to win the game 2-1.
With one out, Smoltz tagged out Austin Kearns in a rundown after Kearns was caught off third base on a failed suicide squeeze bunt attempt by Ryan Langerhans. Kearns was running toward home plate and was about 20 feet away from it when Smoltz tagged him.
Immediately after applying the tag at chest level, Smoltz fell to the ground in obvious pain. He then got up, looked at his hand and slammed his glove to the ground in frustration. He left the field after being examined by a trainer.
Lee goes back to Chicago for tests on ailing neck
Mon, May 14, 2007
By Associated Press
NEW YORK -- Chicago Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee missed Chicago's game Monday night against the New York Mets because of neck spasms.
Lee, who leads the major leagues with a .390 batting average, went back to Chicago for tests on his neck and was not at Shea Stadium for the game. Mark DeRosa started at first base - and planned to use Lee's mitt. Lee had started all 35 games for the Cubs this season.
''Nothing serious, and we think he'll be here tomorrow,'' manager Lou Piniella said. ''He's day to day. We'll see how he is when he gets here.''
Piniella said Lee was sent for tests because the team wanted to be extra safe when dealing with a neck problem.
Lee was originally left out of the lineup for Sunday's game in Philadelphia, but he persuaded Piniella to let him play. Lee left in the second inning due to his ailing neck. He grounded into a double play in the first and Piniella pulled him in the second.
Lee, the 2005 NL batting champion and a two-time Gold Glove winner, was limited to 50 games last year because of a wrist injury. This season, he has two homers, 17 doubles and 21 RBIs.
For the first time this year, Alfonso Soriano moved from the leadoff spot to No. 3 in the lineup, where Lee normally hits. Second baseman Ryan Theriot batted leadoff against Mets starter Tom Glavine.
''When Derrek comes back, we'll put D-Lee back in the 3-hole,'' Piniella said.
Royals DL hits double-digits
May 14th, 2007
Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - The Kansas City Royals placed first baseman Ross Gload on the 15-day disabled list Monday with a torn right quadriceps, and recalled 2003 AL Rookie of the Year infielder Angel Berroa from Triple-A Omaha.
Berroa was sent to the minors in spring training, as the club acquired Tony Pena Jr. in a trade with Atlanta. Berroa hit .303 in 30 games (37-for- 122) with 15 runs and 45 walks before getting called up.
Gload becomes the major league-leading 10th player to currently reside on the shelf for Kansas City, as the Yankees have nine there.
Also, Ryan Shealy will begin an injury rehab stint with Omaha Monday.
Nationals reinstate Cordero
May 14th, 2007
Washington, D.C. (Sports Network) - The Washington Nationals reinstated right-handed closer Chad Cordero from the bereavement list on Monday, and placed pitcher Shawn Hill on the 15-day disabled list with a shoulder strain.
Cordero was originally placed on the bereavement list on May 8 to attend to his ailing grandmother.
He struggled on the mound prior to his leave of absence, converting just four of his eight save opportunities while yielding 22 hits and 10 walks in 15 1/3 innings. That is in sharp contrast to the two campaigns prior to this one, when the right-hander recorded 47 and 29 saves, respectively.
A five-year pro, Cordero has a 17-11 lifetime record with a 2.74 ERA and 95 saves for the Washington franchise.
Hill went 3-3 with a healthy 2.70 ERA in eight starts before falling on the DL. The move is retroactive to May 12.