Rockies place Barmes, Hawpe on DL
DENVER (AP) -The Colorado Rockies placed shortstop Clint Barmes and right fielder Brad Hawpe on the 15-day disabled list on Saturday and recalled outfielder Seth Smith and infielder Ian Stewart from Triple-A Colorado Springs.
Smith was inserted into the lineup in right field for Saturday's 9-2 loss to the New York Mets. Stewart played third in place of Garrett Atkins, who was a late scratch with a stiff neck.
Smith was 0-for-4 and Stewart 0-for-3 Saturday.
Things didn't get any better during the loss. Left fielder Matt Holliday suffered a slight strain of his left hamstring while running out a grounder in the ninth. The Rockies said he is day-to-day and will be evaluated Sunday.
``It grabbed me a little bit, so we'll see how it feels tomorrow,'' said Holliday, who hit his eighth homer of the season in the first inning. ``I can't really say how it feels right now. I've got ice all over it.''
Atkins said his neck has been bothering him for a while and got worse Saturday.
``One swing in the cage tightened it up a little bit,'' he said. ``I tried to keep swinging through it to see if it would be all right. I though it would be OK. It stiffened up so much I couldn't turn to see the pitcher at that point.
``They gave me a couple of muscle-relaxing pills for me to take tonight, so hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow.''
Center fielder Willy Taveras sat out Saturday's game with a bruised right knee suffered in Friday's win over the Mets. He was available to pinch hit, and the Rockies said he is day-to-day.
Barmes sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee when New York's Jose Reyes slid into him at second base during the 10th inning of the Rockies 6-5, 13-inning win Friday night. Barmes left after going 2-for-5 with two RBIs. An MRI exam Saturday revealed the extent of Barmes' injury.
``The way it was explained to me, if you're going to pick a knee injury, this is what you would pick,'' Barmes said. ``I could come back within four weeks.''
Barmes leads the Rockies with a .343 average. Since taking over for Troy Tulowitzki, who is out until the All-Star break with a torn left quadriceps, Barmes has hit .400 with three homers and 10 RBIs. He has hit safely in 14 of his last 15 games.
This is the second time Barmes has been sidelined by an injury. As a rookie in 2005, he broken his left collarbone on June 1 and missed 78 games.
``I do feel for him,'' Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. ``What he can control right now is his emotions and how he puts himself in place to find his way back. He's a tough kid.''
The loss of Barmes meant the Rockies are down to their third shortstop. Omar Quintanilla was in the lineup for Saturday's game, and Hurdle said that rookie Jonathan Herrera, who was in the lineup Saturday at second, could play some shortstop, too.
``We're in a position now, losing two shortstops, I'm not looking for perfect matchups,'' Hurdle said.
Hawpe, whose move to the DL is retroactive to Wednesday, has been bothered by a sore right hamstring for three days. He hasn't played since Tuesday, and the Rockies had hoped he would feel better by this weekend.
``We tried to give this every opportunity to get him in play over the weekend,'' Hurdle said. ``We put him through a series of tests. In a controlled environment there's been some incremental improvement, but baseball's not played in a controlled environment.
``He's not close. We felt he might be close about three or four days from now. That puts him halfway home being on the DL so we just go retroactive to the last game he played and he goes from there.''
Marlins put OF Carroll on 15-day disabled list
MIAMI (AP) -Florida Marlins outfielder Brett Carroll was placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with a right shoulder sprain.
Carroll suffered the injury when he ran into the wall while chasing Aaron Rowand's home run in the fourth inning of Friday's night 8-2 loss to San Francisco. The Marlins recalled infielder Robert Andino from Triple-A Albuquerque to replace Carroll, who is 1-for-16 (.063) with one RBI in 15 games this season.
Indians place Carmona on disabled list
CLEVELAND (AP) -Fausto Carmona was placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday by the Cleveland Indians because of a strained left hip.
``We're not sure how long he'll be out,'' manager Eric Wedge said. ``We're waiting to get MRI results and are hopeful it is not too serious.''
Carmona was injured as he ran to cover first base in the third inning of Cleveland's 13-9 loss to the Texas Rangers on Friday night. He threw one pitch to the next batter, then left the game. The right-hander allowed six runs over two innings, hiking his ERA from 2.25 to 3.10.
Cleveland optioned right-hander Jensen Lewis to Triple-A Buffalo. The Indians recalled Edward Mujica from Buffalo and purchased the contract of right-hander Scott Elarton from the Bisons.
The Indians are concerned about Lewis's drop in velocity and believe the 24-year-old can regain speed and command by working on a few fundamentals in his delivery.
``He was doing a decent job, but we need to get him back to the way he was last year,'' Wedge said of Lewis, who was 0-2 with a 3.58 ERA in 20 games in relief. He went 1-1 with a 2.15 ERA in 26 outings as a rookie a year ago.
``We need a guy like him that we can count on at the back end,'' Wedge continued. ``He's got a lot of gusto out there, he's healthy, but he's not the pitcher we know he can be.''
Carmona's injury occurred at about the same time that right-hander Jake Westbrook was pitching six scoreless innings during an injury rehabilitation assignment at Double-A Akron. Westbrook has been sidelined since April 22 with a strain near his left ribcage.
The 33-year-old Elarton was 1-2 with a 2.45 ERA in 15 relief appearances at Buffalo. He has a 56-60 record with a 5.31 ERA, mostly as a starter for Houston, Colorado, the Indians and Kansas City. He was 14-14 with the Indians in 2004 and 2005.
``Scott was close to making this ballclub out of spring training,'' Wedge said. ``He's a strike-thrower with a lot of experience.''
Mujica, 24, was 0-2 with four saves and a 4.15 ERA at Buffalo. He was called up by the Indians five times last season.
Indians place Carmona on disabled list
CLEVELAND (AP) -Fausto Carmona was placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday by the Cleveland Indians because of a strained left hip.
``We're not sure how long he'll be out,'' manager Eric Wedge said. ``We're waiting to get MRI results and are hopeful it is not too serious.''
Carmona was injured as he ran to cover first base in the third inning of Cleveland's 13-9 loss to the Texas Rangers on Friday night. He threw one pitch to the next batter, then left the game. The right-hander allowed six runs over two innings, hiking his ERA from 2.25 to 3.10.
Cleveland optioned right-hander Jensen Lewis to Triple-A Buffalo. The Indians recalled Edward Mujica from Buffalo and purchased the contract of right-hander Scott Elarton from the Bisons.
The Indians are concerned about Lewis's drop in velocity and believe the 24-year-old can regain speed and command by working on a few fundamentals in his delivery.
``He was doing a decent job, but we need to get him back to the way he was last year,'' Wedge said of Lewis, who was 0-2 with a 3.58 ERA in 20 games in relief. He went 1-1 with a 2.15 ERA in 26 outings as a rookie a year ago.
``We need a guy like him that we can count on at the back end,'' Wedge continued. ``He's got a lot of gusto out there, he's healthy, but he's not the pitcher we know he can be.''
Carmona's injury occurred at about the same time that right-hander Jake Westbrook was pitching six scoreless innings during an injury rehabilitation assignment at Double-A Akron. Westbrook has been sidelined since April 22 with a strain near his left ribcage.
The 33-year-old Elarton was 1-2 with a 2.45 ERA in 15 relief appearances at Buffalo. He has a 56-60 record with a 5.31 ERA, mostly as a starter for Houston, Colorado, the Indians and Kansas City. He was 14-14 with the Indians in 2004 and 2005.
``Scott was close to making this ballclub out of spring training,'' Wedge said. ``He's a strike-thrower with a lot of experience.''
Mujica, 24, was 0-2 with four saves and a 4.15 ERA at Buffalo. He was called up by the Indians five times last season.
Angels at White Sox
By ASA
ESPN may not have expected a battle of division leaders when they scheduled this Sunday Night Baseball contest. But that sure is what they’re getting. Many anticipated the visiting Angels would be sitting atop the AL West but few would have guessed the White Sox would be occupying that same spot in the AL Central.
Chicago has jumped to the front of the surprisingly disappointing Central Division behind solid pitching, a taste for the longball and the 8-game winning streak it brought into this series. The White Sox are second in the American League with a 3.46 ERA, trailing only the Oakland A’s. Four of their five starters own ERAs under 4.00, including Jose Contreras’ 3.17 mark.
Contreras has bounced back from a down 2007 campaign to regain the form that earned him a spot on the 2006 All-Star team. He is 5-3 with a nifty 1.14 WHIP and has allowed just three earned runs over his last three starts, a run that stretches 20 innings. Contreras has shown a bit of inconsistency, though. Of his nine starts this year, he has allowed exactly one earned run in five of those outings. In the other four starts, he has allowed exactly four earned runs. Which Contreras will show up?
The White Sox are far from the best hitting team in baseball, hitting at a .248 team clip, good for 26th in all of baseball. Most of their production has come courtesy of the home run. Chicago has deposited 57 pitches into the stands, good for the fourth most in baseball. Outfielder Carlos Quentin has been the biggest surprise, using his first full-time gig to post an AL-high 12 home runs.
Angels starter John Lackey could combine with Contreras to make this contest a pitcher’s duel. Lackey has returned from a strained triceps as though nothing every happened, picking up exactly where he left off. He has made two starts and gone seven innings in each while allowing just one earned run in both outings.
Los Angeles has built a 2.5-game lead in the West Division despite being in the middle of the pack of nearly every offensive category. The Angels are 11th with a .262 team batting average, 16th with 4.5 runs per game and 16th with 43 home runs. Injuries have limited both Chone Figgins and Howie Kendrick and the rest of the lineup has been unable to pick up the slack.
Mediocre offenses from both Los Angeles and Chicago have combined with solid pitching on both sides to produce a bevy of ‘unders’. The under is 27-18-4 in LA’s 49 games and 27-19 in Chicago’s 46 games. These two teams met in Los Angeles for a 4-game set earlier this year with three of those four games staying under the total and averaging 5.3 total runs per game.
Lackey and Contreras met earlier this year in Lackey’s return from the disabled list. They went toe-to-toe through seven innings with each hurler allowing just one earned run. The difference in that meeting was the bullpen. The White Sox scored five runs in two innings off of the Angels’ pen, giving them the 6-1 win.
Will the Angels and Sox engage in another low-scoring affair? Will they combine to light up the scoreboard? Will one team embarrass the other in front of a national audience? The only way to find out is to tune in.
vegasinsider.com
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Philadelphia (27-24) at Houston (29-22)
The Phillies and Astros wrap up four-game set at Minute Maid Park with Philadelphia sending southpaw Cole Hamels (5-3, 2.61 ERA) to the mound to face Houston’s Chris Sampson (3-3, 5.91).
Philadelphia took Thursday’s series opener 7-5, but the Astros have bounced back the last two nights with a pair of 4-3 victories. Houston is now on a 16-6 roll overall and is 15-8 this season in front of the home fans, including 12-3 in its last 15 as a host. Meanwhile, the Phillies have followed up a three-game winning streak with back-to-back losses.
Houston is on other positive streaks of 5-1 on Sunday, 10-2 against teams with a winning record, 22-7 at home against winning clubs and 5-2 against southpaws. On the opposite end, the Phillies are just 2-5 in their last seven on Sundays and 2-7 in their last nine against right-handed hurlers.
The home team has won eight of the last 11 meetings in this rivalry.
Hamels has been red-hot lately, going 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA in his last three starts. He hasn’t allowed an earned run in his last 16 innings, leading the Phillies to a 5-0 win at home over the Braves and 1-0 win in Washington.
Hamels is 2-1 with a 3.21 ERA in four road starts this season. Also, Philadelphia is 4-0 in Hamels’ four career starts against Houston, with the lefty going 3-0 with a 3.14 ERA (10 earned runs allowed in 28 2/3 innings).
The Astros have won Sampson’s last four starts, including Tuesday’s 4-2 home victory over the Cubs when the right-hander allowed two runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. Despite that strong effort, Sampson is still 1-2 with an ugly 9.82 ERA in four starts at Minute Maid Park this season.
Sampson got roughed up in two starts against the Phillies last season, giving up a combined 11 runs on 22 hits in just 10 1/3 innings in a pair of losses. For his career, Sampson is 0-2 with a 6.19 ERA in three outings against Philadelphia.
Philadelphia is 15-3 in Hamels’ last 18 against N.L. Central opponents, 4-1 when he pitches on Sundays and 35-16 in his last 51 overall. Meanwhile, Houston is just 3-8 in Sampson’s last 11 against teams with a winning record and 1-4 in his last five when he faces an N.L. East foe.
The over is 5-2 in Hamels’ last seven starts and 7-3 in his last 10 starts on the highway against a winning team. Also, the over is 8-1 in Sampson’s last nine at home and 12-5 in his last 17 overall. Overall for the Astros, the under is on streaks of 7-1 overall, 5-1 at home, 10-4 against southpaws and 36-17-3 against teams with a winning record.
Finally, even though the last two games have stayed low, the over is still 7-4-1 in the last 12 head-to-head meetings between these clubs, including 4-2-1 in the past six clashes at Minute Maid Park.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE
AMERICAN LEAGUE
L.A. Angels (30-21) at Chicago White Sox (26-22)
The Angels try to continue their amazing success in the Windy City when they finish a three-game set with John Lackey (1-0, 1.29) on the hill opposite Jose Contreras (5-3, 3.17) and the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.
Los Angeles improved to 12-5 in its last 17 visits to U.S. Cellular after Saturday’s 2-0 victory, which came on the heels of Friday’s 3-1 victory, which snapped an eight-game win streak for the White Sox. The Angels are 5-1 in their last six overall and they’re 14-7 against A.L. Central competition this season. Meanwhile, the White Sox continue to struggle against the A.L. West, going 7-18 in their last 25 (5-6 this year).
L.A. holds a 4-2 series lead against Chicago this season, with the visitor claiming each of the last four contests.
Lackey is making just his third start of the season after recovering from a triceps injury. He’s looked good in his first two, allowing an identical one earned run in seven innings in both starts. In his season debut against these White Sox in Los Angeles, Lackey allowed the one run on six hits in seven innings before the bullpen blew up and the Angels lost, 6-1.
For his career, Lackey is 3-4 with a 3.97 ERA in 10 starts covering 65 2/3 innings against Chicago. However, the Angles have dropped his last four outings against the White Sox dating back to 2005.
Contreras has been dominant in his last three outings, going 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA in 20 innings. He’s allowed one run in each of the three starts, all victories over the Mariners, Angels and Indians. In Los Angeles on May 14, the veteran right-hander opposed Lackey and gave up just one run on four hits in seven innings in the 6-1 win.
Contreras is 5-3 with a 3.36 ERA in nine career outings against Los Angeles, and the White Sox have won six of his last seven vs. the Halos. Another positive note is Contreras hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs against Los Angeles in his last 10 starts dating back to 2005.
Chicago is 12-5 in Contreras’ last 17 at home against winning teams, but just 2-7 in his last nine Sunday outings. Meanwhile, the Angels are 20-9 in Lackey’s last 29 starts overall, 13-4 in his last 17 on the road and 17-5 in his last 22 Sunday starts.
The under is 16-5-3 in Lackey’s last 24 on the highway, 4-0 in his last four overall dating back to last season and 4-1 in his last five against A.L. Central squads. For Contreras, the under is on runs of 5-0 overall, 7-1 on Sundays and 4-1-1 against A.L. West teams, but the over is 15-6-1 in his last 22 at home and 5-2 in his last seven against teams with a winning mark.
As a team, Chicago is on under streaks of 20-7 overall (5-1 last six) and 36-17-3 against the A.L. West. For the Angels, the under runs include 20-7-1 overall, 5-0 on the road and 21-7-2 against the A.L. Central. Finally, in head-to-head matchups, the under is 5-0 in the last five overall, 6-1 in the past seven in Chicago, 5-1 in Contreras’ last six against Angels and 4-1 in Lackey’s last five versus the White Sox.
ATS ADVANTAGE: CHICAGO WHITE SOX and UNDER
GAMETIMEPICKS.COM
David Chan's best and worst pitchers
By DAVID CHAN
It’s time for another weekly installment of ‘money arms’, a look at five of the hottest, and most profitable starting pitchers in baseball.
This week I’m going to widen my scope and take a look at who’s hot, and who’s not. I’ll stay away from the big names and focus on the lesser-known hurlers, as they tend to offer the most bang for your buck.
Who’s hot
Jonathan Sanchez, San Francisco Giants (+$573)
I should preface this by saying that Sanchez’ personal numbers are nothing to get excited about, but the way the Giants have been winning with him on the mound, it doesn’t really matter. San Francisco is 7-3 in Sanchez’ 10 starts, and that’s despite giving him just under four runs per game of support. The 25-year old lefty has been dogged in eight of his first 10 outings, and because he pitches for the Giants, who are 10 games below .500, he’ll continue to get little respect from oddsmakers. Undervalued southpaws can be your bankroll’s best friend throughout the Summer.
Edinson Volquez, Cincinnati Reds (+$540)
That Josh Hamilton trade isn’t looking so bad after all. The Reds traded their young slugger to Texas in exchange for Volquez during the offseason, and so far the move has paid off. Volquez has given the Reds some much-needed stability in the middle of their rotation, allowing two earned runs or fewer in each of his first nine starts. What’s most impressive is his 5-0 record and 1.44 ERA in the bandbox that is the Great American Ballpark. Can he keep it up? I believe the answer is yes. A lot of bettors don’t realize it, but this is Edinson’s fourth year starting in the majors. After going 1-10 in his first 14 big league games, Volquez has won nine of his last 11.
Chris Sampson, Houston Astros (+$492)
Sampson is relatively new on the scene, but he’s no young buck. In fact, today is his 30th birthday. From what I’ve heard, he’s a favorite in the clubhouse, and it’s shown on the field as the Astros have given him an average of nearly six runs per game. Since breaking in during the 2006 season, Sampson is just 12-12, but this year, the Astros have won six of his first nine starts. When he’s on he can be downright nasty, as the Cubs found out earlier this week. He’s had a few poor starts, but has done a good job of keeping his team in the game and eating innings. Now that the Astros bats are coming around, I see plenty of value in Sampson’s future.
Who’s not
Brett Myers, Philadelphia Phillies (-$665)
From 2003-2006 Myers was an absolute rock in the Phillies rotation, starting at least 30 games and posting a .500 or better record each season. Since then, he’s put in some time as a closer, and is now back in the rotation, where he’s done nothing but struggle. The Phillies have lost seven of his 10 starts and he only seems to be regressing. Over his last three outings, Myers has given up 26 hits and 15 earned runs in 15 1/3 innings. The good news for bettors is, he continues to get respect from oddsmakers. He has been favored in seven of his 10 starts this season. Two of Philadelphia’s three wins with him on the mound have come as an underdog.
Andy Pettitte, New York Yankees (-$507)
The Yankees may be turning the corner, but I’m not sure that Pettitte will be following suit. New York is winless in his last five starts. He no longer seems to be a good fit at Yankee Stadium, now 0-3 with a 5.01 ERA in the Bronx this season. This is a guy that started the year 3-1, and looked like he was ready to return to the form that saw him win 21 games in 2003. Well, that just hasn’t been the case, and now he looks like excellent fade material. Pettitte has been dogged just once in nine starts, so there is obviously plenty of value to be had.
Miguel Batista, Seattle Mariners (-$422)
It amazes me how a guy like Miguel Batista continues to find work at the big league level. He gets my vote as the most ineffective starting pitcher in all of baseball at the moment. The guy has already given up 65 hits in just over 48 innings pitched. The latest in a long line of beatings came on Thursday afternoon in Detroit, as he allowed seven hits and five runs over three innings. You should take the opportunity to fade Batista while you still can. He might not be around for much longer.
Covers.com
Angels at White Sox
By LEE KOSTROSKI
Los Angeles Angels at Chicago White Sox
ESPN may not have expected a battle of division leaders when they scheduled this Sunday Night Baseball contest. But that sure is what they’re getting. Many anticipated the visiting Angels would be sitting atop the AL West but few would have guessed the White Sox would be occupying that same spot in the AL Central.
Chicago has jumped to the front of the surprisingly disappointing Central Division behind solid pitching, a taste for the longball and the eight-game winning streak it brought into this series. The White Sox are second in the American League with a 3.46 ERA, trailing only the Oakland A’s. Four of their five starters own ERAs under 4.00, including Jose Contreras’ 3.17 mark.
Contreras has bounced back from a down 2007 campaign to regain the form that earned him a spot on the 2006 All-Star team. He is 5-3 with a nifty 1.14 WHIP and has allowed just three earned runs over his last three starts, a run that stretches 20 innings. Contreras has shown a bit of inconsistency, though. Of his nine starts this year, he has allowed exactly one earned run in five of those outings. In the other four starts, he has allowed exactly four earned runs. Which Contreras will show up?
The White Sox are far from the best hitting team in baseball, hitting at a .248 team clip, good for 26th in all of baseball. Most of their production has come courtesy of the home run. Chicago has deposited 57 pitches into the stands, good for the fourth most in baseball. Outfielder Carlos Quentin has been the biggest surprise, using his first full-time gig to post an AL-high 12 home runs.
Angels starter John Lackey could combine with Contreras to make this contest a pitcher’s duel. Lackey has returned from a strained triceps as though nothing every happened, picking up exactly where he left off. He has made two starts and gone seven innings in each while allowing just one earned run in both outings.
Los Angeles has built a 2.5-game lead in the West Division despite being in the middle of the pack of nearly every offensive category. The Angels are 11th with a .262 team batting average, 16th with 4.5 runs per game and 16th with 43 home runs. Injuries have limited both Chone Figgins and Howie Kendrick and the rest of the lineup has been unable to pick up the slack.
Mediocre offenses from both Los Angeles and Chicago have combined with solid pitching on both sides to produce a bevy of ‘unders’. The under is 27-18-4 in LA’s 49 games and 27-19 in Chicago’s 46 games. These two teams met in Los Angeles for a 4-game set earlier this year with three of those four games staying under the total and averaging 5.3 total runs per game.
Lackey and Contreras met earlier this year in Lackey’s return from the disabled list. They went toe-to-toe through seven innings with each hurler allowing just one earned run. The difference in that meeting was the bullpen. The White Sox scored five runs in two innings off of the Angels’ pen, giving them the 6-1 win.
Will the Angels and Sox engage in another low-scoring affair? Will they combine to light up the scoreboard? Will one team embarrass the other in front of a national audience? The only way to find out is to tune in.
Covers.com
Battle of AL titans on tap
Two first-place will teams collide in the American League this weekend when the Angels and the White Sox clash in a three-game series in Chicago.
Game 1 could be a low-scoring affair if both starting pitchers bring their A-game. Getting the ball for the Angels is Joe Saunders (7-1, 2.48), while Gavin Floyd (4-2, 2.92) starts for Chicago. Saunders went seven 1-3 innings in his last start, allowing two runs in a win over the Dodgers. Floyd pitched brilliantly in his last start, tossing six shutout innings and allowing only four hits against San Francisco. In two starts against the White Sox last year Saunders was roughed up and went 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA. This will be Floyd’s first-ever game against the Angels.
In Game 2 of the series on Saturday, two up-and-down pitchers square off when Jered Weaver (3-5, 4.73) starts for Los Angeles and John Danks (3-3, 2.94) gets the call for Chicago. Weaver allowed two runs on five hits in five 1-3 innings in his last start against the Dodgers. He dominated the White Sox earlier this season, pitching seven shutout innings, allowing only one hit with six strikeouts. Danks picked up a no-decision in his last start after allowing three runs on six hits over six innings against the Giants. Danks also received a no-decision against the Angels earlier this season despite pitching 6 1-3 shutout innings.
In Sunday’s finale, staff ace John Lackey (1-0, 1.29) starts for the Angels and Jose Contreras (5-3, 3.17) opposes him for Chicago. Lackey made his second start of the season last time out and held Toronto to one run over seven innings. Lackey made his season debut against the White Sox and went seven innings, scattering six hits and allowing one run. Contreras has won his last three starts and limited Cleveland to one run in six innings last time out. He earned a win versus Los Angeles earlier in the season after allowing one run in seven innings.