Brian Giles goes on DL; Hoffman says arm's better
May 26, 2007
SAN DIEGO (AP) -Padres right fielder Brian Giles went on the 15-day disabled list on Saturday with an annoying bone bruise in his right knee.
To take his place on the roster, the Padres recalled infielder-outfielder Paul McAnulty from Triple-A Portland.
Giles missed five straight starts before the Padres decided to sit him down. The move was retroactive to last Sunday. Giles said he originally hurt his knee when he ran into a door in the outfield wall at Wrigley Field in mid-April, and tweaked it several days later chasing a fly ball at Colorado.
``From that point on is when I started feeling it pretty good the rest of the way,'' Giles said. ``But it was always playable until the last seven to eight days, and then it was a grind just to go out and play catch. There were a couple of times where it bit me pretty good. It just wasn't getting any better.''
Giles hopes to be activated in time for a home series against the rival Los Angeles Dodgers starting June 5.
``It's a bone, so it's hard to tell,'' Giles said. ``Hopefully we can calm it down and be ready to go then. It's a weird injury. It's not like a muscle where I can shoot it up or something. Bone's a little different.''
Giles, the older brother of Padres second baseman Marcus Giles, was hitting .276 with one home run and 12 RBIs.
McAnulty made the opening day roster but was optioned to Portland on April 18.
Meanwhile, closer Trevor Hoffman said his right arm ``wasn't very cranky'' a night after manager Bud Black held him out of a save situation. Hoffman, baseball's all-time saves leader with 495, said Friday night that his arm was sore after pitching in three of the previous four games.
He said he'd be available Saturday night if needed.
``I don't want to turn it into a big deal because it's happened over my career a lot of times, just trying to be smart within the realm of the workload,'' the 39-year-old Hoffman said. ``Was I capable of pitching last night? Absolutely. Was it a smart idea to recognize that my arm's a little cranky and another day would have benefited instead of possibly throwing and then taking a couple of steps back and then having to deal with more irritation? What's the saying, discretion is the better part of valor?''
With the Padres leading 8-6, fans who had been expecting Hoffman to come trotting out to AC/DC's ``Hells Bells'' instead got Scott Linebrink jogging out to Metallica's ``Enter Sandman.''
``They're kind of going, 'Whoa,' `` Hoffman said.
Linebrink said he's come to enjoy the show when Hoffman enters a game.
``That's a tough crowd. I guess you've got some hard-core AC/DC fans,'' said Linebrink, who prefers country music. ``A lot of people come to the yard to see that, so I can see how that would be a bit of a letdown.''
Tigers' Polanco leaves game with oblique injury
May 26, 2007
DETROIT (AP) -Detroit Tigers second baseman Placido Polanco left Saturday's game against Cleveland after the sixth inning because of a muscle spasm in his oblique and is day-to-day.
Polanco went from sprinting to stopping awkwardly when third base coach Gene Lamont signaled for him to stop after Gary Sheffield's single. Polanco then scored on Magglio Ordonez's sacrifice fly.
``When they held me at third base, I felt something in my ribs, but it wasn't a big deal,'' Polanco said after the Indians beat Detroit 6-3. ``But when I slid at home plate, I was out of breath for a while and I couldn't talk or breathe. But it's nothing major or nothing bad.''
Polanco, who said the ribs on his left side were sore, hoped to play Sunday night in the series finale. Tigers manager Jim Leyland doubted he would have the second baseman in the lineup.
He is hitting .326 with a homer and 26 RBIs and is among league leaders with a .447 batting average with runners in scoring percentage.
Soria placed on 15-day DL; LaRue activated
May 26th, 2007
Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Kansas City Royals pitcher Joakim Soria was placed on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation prior to Saturday's game against Seattle.
The move was retroactive to May 23.
Soria, who took over the closer role early in the season, is 1-2 with 10 saves and a 3.57 ERA.
According to the club's website, Octavio Dotel and Zack Greinke will assume ninth-inning duties in his stead. Pitcher Ryan Braun was recalled from Triple-A Omaha for Saturday's tilt.
Also, Kansas City activated from the 15-day disabled list catcher Jason LaRue, who got hit by a pitch from Todd Wellemeyer in the second inning of a 17-3 loss to Oakland on May 10, and designated catcher Paul Phillips for assignment.
Rangers make roster moves
May 26th, 2007
Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - The Texas Rangers made several roster moves on Saturday.
The club optioned outfielder Kevin Mahar to Triple-A Oklahoma, and selected the contract of outfielder Marlon Byrd from Oklahoma to fill that spot on the roster.
Mahar hit a paltry .167 with one RBI and two runs scored in seven games this season for the Rangers. Byrd has appeared in 44 games for the RedHawks, hitting a team-best .358 with six home runs and 32 RBI. He last appeared in the majors in 2006 with the Washington Nationals.
In a related move, Texas also designated catcher Miguel Ojeda for assignment. Ojeda has spent the entire season with Oklahoma, batting .216 with two homers and nine RBI in 28 games.
Tigers disable Rodney
May 26th, 2007
Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - The Detroit Tigers have placed relief pitcher Fernando Rodney on the 15-day disabled list because of biceps tendinitis.
The move is retroactive to May 21, meaning the right-hander will be eligible to return June 5.
Rodney has appeared in 19 games this season for the Tigers, posting a record of 1-4 with one save and a 4.71 earned run average. He has 18 strikeouts in just 21 innings.
The Tigers have recalled pitcher Zach Miner from Triple-A Toledo to fill the roster spot.
Miner will join the Tigers for the second time this season. The righty made one start on May 17 at Boston and took the loss in a 2-1 decision after yielding two runs -- one earned -- on six hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Notes from Saturday's AL games
May 26, 2007
LOS ANGELES: The Angels improved to 57-52 against New York in the regular season since the start of 1996. They're the only AL team to hold an edge over the Yankees in the Joe Torre era, and have also beaten them twice in the first round of the playoffs. ... Chone Figgins went 0-for-4, dropping him to .131. He's also made five errors in 23 games since coming off the disabled list.
NEW YORK: RHP Phil Hughes (hamstring) has a sprained left ankle, MRI test results showed. He hurt himself during an agility drill in Tampa, Fla., on Friday. ``We'll evaluate it in the next couple of days,'' Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. ... RHP Mariano Rivera pitched a perfect ninth as the Yankees tried to keep their closer sharp. He has only three saves this season, including two in a doubleheader sweep at Texas on May 3 - that was his last save.
CLEVELAND: LF David Dellucci, whose tiebreaking homer in the eighth lifted the Indians to a 6-3 win at Detroit, said a Roman Catholic nun has helped him hit his way out of slump. Sister Dulce, a missionary in Baton Rouge, La., gave Dellucci three tips in a phone conversation Friday. ``Loosen up,'' Dellucci recalled her saying. ``Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Bring God with you.'' ... With starters Cliff Lee and Jake Westbrook spending time on the DL this season, manager Eric Wedge said the contributions of RHP Fausto Carmona (5-1, 2.77) have been big. ``Arguably, he's been as important to us as anybody on our roster, `` said Wedge. ... In his last 10 games, CF Grady Sizemore is hitting .383 with three homers, a triple, nine RBIs and has scored 13 runs.
DETROIT: 2B Placido Polanco left the game after the sixth inning because of a muscle spasm in his oblique. He went from sprinting to stopping awkwardly when third base coach Gene Lamont signaled for him to stop and later scored on Magglio Ordonez's sacrifice fly. ``When they held me at third base, I felt something in my ribs, but it wasn't a big deal,'' Polanco said. ``But when I slid at home plate, I was out of breath for a while and I couldn't talk or breathe. But it's nothing major or nothing bad.'' Manager Jim Leyland said he doubted Polanco would play Sunday night, but Polanco was hoping he would be available. ... RHP Jason Grilli limped off the field after a line drive connected with his left knee. X-rays were negative, and Grilli said he expected to be ready if needed Sunday night.
TAMPA BAY: LHP Scott Kazmir, who is scheduled to start against the White Sox on Sunday, has only two wins in his last 16 starts despite a 3.53 ERA. Devil Rays manager Joe Maddon expects Kazmir's luck to turn. ``I know he is going to get on a roll and I know he is going to pitch real well. He is going to find his rhythm and he is going to find his tempo,'' Maddon said. Tampa Bay's opening day pitcher this season, Kazmir is 2-2 with a 3.81 ERA. ... 3B Akinori Iwamura is expected to come off the disabled list on Monday. Iwamura is on the 15-day disabled list with a left hamstring strain.
CHICAGO: 1B Paul Konerko is back with the team after missing Friday's game for personal reasons. ... The White Sox leave town on Sunday after playing 14 straight games in Chicago. They played a three-game series at Wrigley Field against the Cubs on May 18-20. ... The White Sox rank last in the American League with a .234 batting average, but they have had 10 hits or more in five of their last six games. ... White Sox closer Bobby Jenks is tied with Tampa Bay closer Al Reyes for the longest active save streak in the American League with 13 in a row. ... When the White Sox have more hits than their opponents they are 18-2.
TORONTO: Ace Roy Halladay will return sooner than originally expected to the rotation, Thursday against the White Sox. Blue Jays manager John Gibbons wasn't yet willing to announce whose spot Halladay will take. ... C Gregg Zaun, out with a broken right thumb that was surgically repaired April 26, has resumed taking batting practice. Zaun will begin a minor-league rehab assignment next week. He will be a designated hitter to start and eventually will get behind the plate. Gibbons said Zaun could be back for Toronto's next road trip, which begins June 8 in Los Angeles. ... With rookie Adam Lind struggling, Matt Stairs started again in LF. He's been primarily a DH, 1B and RF in his career, but Gibbons doesn't mind putting Stairs somewhere new. ``Just a good baseball player,'' Gibbons said.
MINNESOTA: Joe Mauer is still not ready, though manager Ron Gardenhire said the catcher is running at about 75 percent. He'll have to get back to full range of motion in his strained quadriceps before he returns. ``He's going to tell us. We can't tell him,'' Gardenhire said. He said there's not a target date for Mauer to come back. ... SS Jason Bartlett (sore neck and shoulder) was out of the lineup for the fifth straight game, but he's expected to return Sunday. ... LF Rondell White (strained calf), who has been working out in Florida for the past month, is running better, according to general manager Terry Ryan. White hasn't played in any minor-league games yet, and the team doesn't have a timetable on his return. ... After arthroscopic surgery to repair damage in his left knee two weeks ago that made it difficult to walk for several days, Gardenhire has resumed throwing batting practice.
SEATTLE: Manager Mike Hargrove said he'd settled on a starter for next Tuesday's game against the Angels, but would not say who, or even if he's a lefty or a righty. ``He might be ambidextrous,'' he said. A replacement is needed for LHP Horacio Ramirez, on the DL with left shoulder tendinitis. ... Starter Felix Hernandez, who was removed in the sixth inning Friday night with stiffness in the lower back, was fine on Saturday. In the middle of a 23-game stretch, look for Hargrove is rest his regulars as much as possible. After they got a big lead over KC on Friday, both Jose Vidro and Ichiro Suzuki were lifted. ``If I'd had more people on the bench where I'd have given more people time off, I would have. But you can't totally empty your bench in the sixth inning,'' Hargrove said.
KANSAS CITY: RHP Gil Meche, who experienced stiffness in his lower back while getting shelled in Friday night's 10-2 loss, was fine Saturday and is not expected to miss his next start. The Royals put RHP Joakim Soria on the 15-day DL with right shoulder inflammation and recalled RHP Ryan Braun from Triple-A Omaha. They also reclaimed catcher Jason LaRue from his injury assignment and designated catcher Paul Phillips for assignment. LaRue was in the lineup for Saturday night's game against Seattle.
OAKLAND: 3B Eric Chavez returned after a three-day absence because of tendinitis in his triceps. He was orginially not in the starting lineup, but deemed himself ready to play and was a late addition in place of Marco Scutaro. Chavez struck out in his first at-bat and had one hit in his last 14 at_bats. ... The A's went up against LHP Brian Burres on Saturday seeking to improve their record against lefties to 12-7. Their 11 wins against southpaws were the most in the AL.
BALTIMORE: Miguel Tejada hit his second homer in three games Saturday, a two-run shot against Joe Kennedy. He hit two homers in his first 46 games. ... Chris Gomez got his eighth start of the season, the seventh at first base. He walked his first times to the plate, keeping his .294 batting average intact. ... Ten of the Orioles' previous 11 games had been decided by two runs or fewer, and the exception was a three-run win over Toronto. Baltimore was 3-8 in that span. ... Baltimore came into the weekend with an AL-best .988 fielding percentage and were tied with Minnesota for fewest errors (21).
BOSTON: RHP Mike Timlin pitched one inning in a rehab appearance Friday night for Triple-A Pawtucket. He walked one batter in a 16-pitch outing. The reliever has been out since May 3 with tendinitis in his right shoulder and is scheduled to make another appearance for the PawSox on Sunday. ... SS Julio Lugo stole his 14th base Friday night and has not been caught stealing this season. He is the first Boston player to be successful on his first 14 steal attempts since Leon Culbertson in 1943.
TEXAS: RHP Brandon McCarthy is still scheduled to make his next start Wednesday in Oakland despite leaving Friday night's start against Boston after two innings due to a recurring blister on his right middle finger. McCarthy's availability will be determined in a bullpen session on Monday in Oakland. McCarthy has been putting ointment on the finger to toughen the skin, but the blister reopened on the humid night that included a rain delay of almost two hours. McCarthy issued four walks and gave up four runs in the abbreviated stint, blaming the blister for his control problems. ...The Rangers will call up RHP Mike Wood from Triple-A Oklahoma to start Tuesday night against the A's. Wood is 3-1 with a 2.58 ERA in six starts for Oklahoma and 0-1 with a 7.02 ERA in three starts for Texas. ...RHP Kevin Millwood will be on a 70-pitch limit in his rehab start for Double-A Frisco on Sunday. Millwood is on the DL for the second time this season because of a left hamstring strain.
Notes from Saturday's NL games
May 26, 2007
PHILADELPHIA: LHP Michael Zagurski, called up from Double-A Reading on Friday, appeared in his second straight game Saturday, pitching 1 1-3 scoreless innings to protect a two-run lead. He pitched a scoreless inning in his debut Friday night. ``Being a left-hander has really helped him,'' said manager Charlie Manuel of the early appearances by the rookie. ``The last two games he's responded really well for a guy who two weeks ago was in A-ball.'' Zagurski pitched at Class A Clearwater before moving up to Reading. ... RHP Antonio Alfonseca earned his first save since Sept. 13, 2002, for the Cubs at Cincinnati.
ATLANTA: Manager Bobby Cox was ejected for the second straight game for the first time since May 20-21, 2003, at Cincinnati. He has 130 career ejections, one behind John McGraw's record. John Smoltz also was ejected by first base umpire Ron Kulpa after he joined Cox's complaints about Kulpa calling a ball hit by Willie Harris foul that landed near the right-field line. ... With two hits Saturday, SS Edgar Renteria is hitting .332 with 27 RBIs. He has hits in 27 of his past 31 games. ... 3B Chipper Jones missed his third straight game after having a cortisone shot in his sore right thumb on Wednesday night. Cox said he hopes Jones can play on Sunday.
CHICAGO: After the game, RHP Carlos Zambrano turned the tables on reporters, announcing that he was going to ask the questions. ``How many wins do I have? Five. How many does the (NL) leader have? Seven. I read something the other day that I may be hurt. I don't know why you guys put that in the paper. I'm not hurt. I don't feel pain. I feel good,'' he said before rattling on. ``I'm throwing 90-92, and you can pitch in the big leagues with that if you locate your pitches. My agent just sent me a text message saying that last year by this time I had three wins. So I feel good. Don't worry about my ERA. My ERA will come down sooner or later. I've never had a good start, but this year is different.'' ... 2B Mark DeRosa went 1-for-3 against Dodgers LHP Mark Hendrickson and is hitting .600 with two homers against him. ... The Cubs improved to 2-3 on their six-game West Coast trip, which ends Sunday. ... C Michael Barrett got the day off and 3B Aramis Ramirez was set to take Sunday off. ... The Cubs don't face the Dodgers again until Sept. 3 in Chicago.
LOS ANGELES: RHP Brett Tomko saw his first action out of the bullpen since April 30 and tossed a perfect ninth inning. He was demoted from the starting rotation Wednesday. ... CF Juan Pierre will bat leadoff against right-handed pitchers, while SS Rafael Furcal will be in the top spot against left-handers, manager Grady Little said. ... Furcal sat out Saturday because of stiffness in his right knee, which began Friday night, but said he expected to return Sunday. ... 2B Jeff Kent was supposed to get the day off, but was used as a pinch-hitter in the eighth. He struck out with the bases loaded. Kent went 2-for-3 with a home run and drove in four runs in Friday night's 9-8 victory. ... RHP Jason Schmidt made a brief pre-game appearance in the clubhouse, saying he still had the flu and was feeling too weak to throw the simulated game that he missed Friday. ``He looked kind of weak and we don't know when he'll be able to work,'' Little said. Schmidt has been on the DL since April 15 because of right shoulder inflammation.
NEW YORK: With OF Shawn Green sidelined with a broken right foot he got in the ninth inning Friday, the Mets started Carlos Gomez in right field on Saturday. Green will be evaluated in New York on Monday. ... RHP Orlando Hernandez, who started Friday for the first time since April 24 because of shoulder bursitis, reported no problems after allowing two hits in six shutout innings. ``It's sore, but nothing out of the normal,'' said Hernandez, who's expected to make his next start Thursday against San Francisco. ... RHP Jorge Sosa, who starts on Sunday, has a 2.08 ERA in six previous appearances at Florida.
FLORIDA: Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez was back in the dugout Saturday. He missed most of Thursday's game with Philadelphia after a second-inning ejection, and was suspended for Friday's game against the Mets. ``Who's the new guy?'' quipped injured OF Cody Ross when walking past Gonzalez before the game. ... RHP Josh Johnson (elbow) will make a rehab start in Jupiter, Fla., on Tuesday and said he hopes to be in the Marlins' rotation in the next couple weeks. ... 2B Dan Uggla has started and batted second in all 49 Marlins games this season. ... 3B Miguel Cabrera's home run off Mets closer Billy Wagner on Friday was his first in 61 at_bats. He went a career-long 66 at_bats without a homer last July.
PITTSBURGH: C Ryan Doumit was tested for a concussion on Saturday, a day after he was hit in the head by Ryan Freel's bat at the end of a swing. Doumit did well on the test, but wasn't cleared to play. ``I feel good, though,'' he said. ``All is clear. All is well.'' Manager Jim Tracy isn't sure how long he will be out. ... LHP Tom Gorzelanny played catch in the outfield before the game and reported no problems. ``He gripped it fine,'' Tracy said. Gorzelanny bruised his left thumb on a comebacker Thursday night, but he's expected to make his scheduled start on Tuesday against San Diego. ... The Pirates sent nine batters to the plate for four runs off Bronson Arroyo, their biggest first inning since they also scored four at Wrigley Field on Sept. 4 last year. The big first inning came after they sent 12 batters to the plate for eight runs in the 10th inning on Friday night - their biggest inning in more than three years - for a 10-4 win.
CINCINNATI: RHP Bronson Arroyo is having trouble getting through the first inning. Last Monday, he threw 49 pitches to 10 batters and gave up four runs against the Nationals. On Saturday, he threw 34 pitches, faced nine batters and gave up four runs to the Pirates. ... OF Josh Hamilton expects to head to Triple-A Louisville to start playing on Monday. Hamilton went on the 15-day DL with an inflamed digestive tract. He will play in the minors until he's eligible to return on June 3. His stomach is fine, but his conditioning has slipped. ``I did some wind sprints and felt whipped after I did them,'' Hamilton said. ... Reliever Bill Bray has had another setback. He broke the tip of the index finger on his pitching hand during spring training. He started a rehabilitation assignment with the Reds' farm club in Sarasota, Fla., on Sunday, but had to quit pitching because of a sore shoulder. The Reds said on Saturday that he has a mild case of shoulder tendinitis.
WASHINGTON: RHP Jesus Colome hadn't allowed a run in 10 2-3 innings, including a perfect eighth inning in Friday's 5-4 victory. But manager Manny Acta said there's no temptation to make him the permanent setup man and demote Jon Rauch, who has allowed seven runs in his past four innings. Rauch was 3-for-3 in save chances while closer Chad Cordero was on the bereavement list earlier this month. ``I don't give up on my guys after four bad outings,'' Acta said. ``Just a week ago people were wondering if we were going to take Rauch out of the closing role and now that he's struggling as the setup we're not going to go through the same thing. He's going to bounce back.'' ... LHP Micah Bowie, who won his first game as a starter since 1999 on Friday, allowed two runs in five innings. His previous outing was his first in the rotation and he said he ran out of gas, lasting 3 1-3 innings and 69 pitches and getting a no-decision in a 4-3 victory. ``I think I doubled anything I'd done in the last I don't know how many years,'' Bowie said. ``It's nice once you start stretching out a little bit, you have a little more endurance.'' ... RHP Shawn Hill, on the DL with a shoulder injury since May 12, threw 30 pitches in the bullpen and could begin a rehab assignment if there are no setbacks.
ST. LOUIS: A day after criticizing Juan Encarnacion's baserunning, manager Tony La Russa inserted Scott Spiezio in RF and the cleanup spot and left Encarnacion on the bench. La Russa said the fact Spiezio was 8-for-17 against the Nationals with a homer and seven RBIs last year was the deciding factor. ... RHP Anthony Reyes has allowed 34 runs in 10 starts, with 19 runs coming in the first two innings. His eight consecutive losses to start the season are one shy of the franchise record set by Danny Jackson in 1995, and he's the first pitcher in the majors to lose 10 straight decisions since Cleveland's Fausto Carmona lost 11 in a row from April 20, 2006 to April 13, 2007. ... Albert Pujols' fourth-inning homer Friday night was his first in 12 games at Busch Stadium. He was 17-for-37 during a nine-game hitting streak that raised his average to a season-best .287. ... Jim Edmonds had homered in consecutive games and had an RBI in the past four games after getting one homer in the first 36 games.
COLORADO: C Yorvit Torrealba likely will have Sunday's game off, with Chris Iannetta slated to get the start. ... Manager Clint Hurdle is going to keep using 3B Garrett Atkins, who entered the game in a 1-for-19 slump and 7-for-57 (.123) over his past 17 games - dropping his average from .270 to .221. Jeff Baker is getting his chances, too, but Hurdle believes in Atkins. ``Bake is playing an important role and learning a role,'' Hurdle said. ``To pull the plug on Garrett, I'm not a fan right now. Based on two years, all we've talked about was how he could hit. Fifty games into the season, all people want to talk about is how he can't hit. I'm not one of them.'' In addition, Hurdle plans to stick with a regular lineup for a while now that 2B Kazuo Matsui is healthy and back to playing regularly, saying he wanted to ``give it some legs.'' ... Hurdle is pleased with the work being done by OF Brad Hawpe on his swing with hitting coach Alan Cockrell. ``He has a high-risk, high-reward swing,'' Hurdle said. ``They're spending a lot of time trying to simplify his swing.''
SAN FRANCISCO: Manager Bruce Bochy wasn't sure whether slugger Barry Bonds would play Sunday's series finale. ... 1B Ryan Klesko's offensive production is keeping him in the lineup. ``He's swinging well. It's hard to get his bat out of there,'' Bochy said. That meant Rich Aurilia had the night off. ... CF Dave Roberts, recovering from elbow surgery May 11 to remove bone chips and spurs, could begin some light throwing as soon as Sunday or perhaps Tuesday following the team's day off Monday. ``He's doing well. He's hitting,'' athletic trainer Dave Groeschner said. ... INF Kevin Frandsen graduated earlier in the day from San Jose State with a degree in finance, one of about 1,400 undergraduate business majors. ``It's nice knowing it's done,'' said Frandsen, who finished his last two courses online during the offseason. ``I don't have to worry about setting up graduation plans. I will have that diploma soon.''
HOUSTON: The Astros have been outscored 53-8 in their six-game losing streak, 31-5 in their past three. ... RHP Roy Oswalt, who starts Sunday's series finale, is 6-0 in seven career starts against Arizona with a 1.98 ERA. ... Manager Phil Garner stayed with the same lineup for the second night in a row. ``We scored three runs,'' he explained. Houston scored a total of five runs in the first five games of its losing streak. ... Morgan Ensberg's second home run in five at_bats was overlooked late in Friday night's 13-3 loss. He was not introduced as a pinch hitter in the at-bat and never was added to the lineup on the Chase Field scoreboard. ... The Astros have Memorial Day off, then play at home against Cincinnati on Tuesday. RHP Jason Jennings returns from the DL to make the start for Houston.
ARIZONA: Manager Bob Melvin said LHP Randy Johnson is a go for his next scheduled start Wednesday in Philadelphia. Johnson missed his scheduled start Friday night because of forearm tendinitis. The Big Unit played catch in the bullpen before Saturday night's game. ... The Diamondbacks placed INF Jason Smith on the 15-day DL because of a burst appendix. He had been designated for assignment but his appendix attack occurred before official word reached the MLB office. That meant he had to go on the DL, retroactive to May 19. ... After scoring one run in two games against Colorado, the Diamondbacks outscored Houston 22-4 in the first two of the four-game series against the Astros. ... OF Jeff Davanon has been shut down after a setback in his recovery from shoulder and ankle surgery. ... 3B Chad Tracy, sidelined with left rib cage soreness, hit off a tee before Saturday night's game.
Halladay set for Thursday start
Sat, May 26, 2007
By Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS -- Toronto Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay will return to the rotation next week and come off the disabled list earlier than originally expected.
Manager John Gibbons said before Saturday's game at Minnesota that Halladay will start at home on Thursday against the Chicago White Sox, one day less than three weeks since he had his appendix removed. The procedure was initially supposed to keep him off the mound for at least one month.
But Halladay, who is 4-2 with a 4.37 ERA in eight appearances this season, responded well to the appendectomy and felt good after throwing 65 pitches in a simulated game on Friday. He'll have five days of rest before making his first start since May 10.
''He's one of the best pitchers in the game. We want to run him out there,'' Gibbons said.
The next question for the Blue Jays is whose spot will be given up for Halladay, but Gibbons was coy on the subject.
''When we decide to make a change, we'll let you know,'' he said.
Rookie Jesse Litsch, who didn't finish the fifth inning in Friday's 4-3 loss to the Twins, is scheduled to make his next start on Wednesday against the New York Yankees. Tomo Ohka, Saturday's starter, could be the odd man out.
Mets: Gomez could miss a few days
Carlos Gomez doesn't believe the strained left hamstring he sustained last night will keep him out for long, according to the New York Daily News. "I don't think I will be out for a long time - maybe two or three days," Gomez said. "I felt like it stretched - not pulled. That's why I can walk now. I feel only a little pain when I do squats. I feel like normal."
Red Sox: Beckett set for Tuesday return
Josh Beckett threw 70 pitches in a side session on Saturday. Afterward, he pronounced himself ready to start Tuesday's game, according to the Boston Globe. He had his blistered finger bandaged as a precaution. "Obviously, we want to be smart with this thing," Beckett said.
Giants: Durham leaves with abdominal injury
Ray Durham left Saturday's game with a strained abdominal muscle and is listed as day-to-day, the AP reports.
Diamondbacks: Johnson on schedule for Wednesday
Bob Melvin says Randy Johnson is a go for his next scheduled start Wednesday in Philadelphia, the AP reports. Johnson missed his scheduled start Friday night because of forearm tendinitis. Johnson played catch in the bullpen before Saturday night's game.
Baseball Today - May 27
Sun, May 27, 2007
By Associated Press
SCOREBOARD
Monday, May 28
Cleveland at Boston (7:05 p.m. EDT).
Cliff Lee faces off against Curt Schilling in a matchup of division leaders.
STARS
Saturday
-Chase Utley, Phillies, drove in three runs in Philadelphia's 6-4 win over Atlanta.
-David Dellucci, Indians, hit a tiebreaking two-run homer to lift Cleveland over Detroit 6-3.
-Carlos Delgado, Mets, hit two home runs and had five RBIs in New York's 7-2 win over Florida.
-Kenji Johjima, Mariners, hit his first major league grand slam to help Seattle defeat Kansas City 9-1.
-Aaron Cook, Rockies, pitched a complete-game five-hitter to lead Colorado past San Francisco 6-1.
DROUGHT
Barry Bonds' slump continued in San Francisco's 6-1 loss to Colorado on Saturday. The slugger went 0-for-4 with four groundouts for his fifth straight hitless game. He hasn't homered since May 8 and has gone 41 at-bats and 61 plate appearances without a homer, remaining 10 shy of tying Hank Aaron's career record of 755. During that stretch of 14 games since the homer, Bonds has drawn 20 walks with seven intentional free passes, struck out eight times and is batting .122.
WINNING SMALL
Colorado won their fourth game in a row with a 6-1 victory over San Francisco. This marks the first time in franchise history that Colorado has won four straight without a home run.
CARRYOVER
Pittsburgh scored four runs in their best first inning of the season in a 9-5 win over Cincinnati on Saturday, one day after they rallied to victory with their biggest splurge in three years. The Pirates scored eight runs in the 10th inning for a 10-4 victory in the series opener.
STREAKS
Ichiro Suzuki stretched his hitting streak to 19 games in Seattle's 9-1 win over Kansas City on Saturday. ... Arizona dealt Houston their seventh straight loss, beating the Astros 5-4. ... Cincinnati has lost a season-high five in a row and 19 of 24 overall following a 9-5 loss to Pittsburgh. ... Texas has lost four straight and nine of 12 overall following a 7-4 loss to Boston.
SNAPPED
Derek Jeter's 19-game hitting streak came to an end for New York in a 3-1 loss to Los Angeles on Saturday. ... Orlando Cabrera's career-best hitting streak was stopped at 15 games for the Angels in the win.
SPEAKING
''We hoped for one hour for the wind to pick it up or Santa Claus to pick it up and move it somewhere to play this game, but the weather was pretty ugly.'' - White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, on his team's game against Tampa Bay being rained out on Saturday. The game is rescheduled for August 27 at 1:05 p.m. in Chicago.
Braves 3B Chipper Jones (thumb) is not in the starting lineup; Martin Prado is starting at third.
Yankees CF Johnny Damon (leg cramps) is not in the starting lineup; Melky Cabrera is starting in center.
Yankees C Jorge Posada is not in the starting lineup; Wil Nieves is the starting catcher today.
Mets C Paul Lo Duca is not in the starting lineup; Ramon Castro is the starting catcher today.
Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Barry Bonds, who often sits out day games after night games, will start in this afternoon's game
Cubs 3B Aramis Ramirez (rest) is expected to get the day off today.
White Sox C AJ Pierzynski (rest) is expected to get the day off today.
Marlins SS Hanley Ramirez is not in the starting lineup; Alfredo Amezaga is starting at short.
Braves C Brian McCann is not in the starting lineup; Jarrod Saltalamacchia is the starting catcher.
Phillies LF Pat Burrell is not in the starting lineup; Michael Bourn is starting in left.
Pirates option Rogers, recall Sharpless
May 27, 2007
CINCINNATI (AP) -The Pittsburgh Pirates optioned right-hander Brian Rogers to Triple-A Indianapolis before Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Reds.
Rogers had no record and a 13.50 ERA in a combined two innings over three appearances since being recalled from Indianapolis on Tuesday.
The Pirates recalled right-hander Josh Sharpless, who arrived in Cincinnati in time for Sunday's game. He had a 1.50 ERA in 14 games as a rookie with the Pirates last season.
Sharpless was 1-0 with three saves and a 2.96 ERA in 16 appearances with Indianapolis this season.
Cardinals send Reyes to minors
May 27, 2007
ST. LOUIS (AP) -Anthony Reyes, who won the World Series opener for the St. Louis Cardinals last fall but has lost 10 straight regular-season decisions, on Sunday was optioned to Triple-A Memphis.
Reliever Todd Wellemeyer will take Reyes' spot in the rotation Wednesday at Colorado. The Cardinals recalled left-hander Troy Cate from Memphis to fill the roster spot.
Reyes is 0-8 with a 6.08 ERA in nine starts and allowed five runs and eight hits in 5 2-3 innings in a loss to the Nationals on Friday. He was 5-8 with a 5.06 ERA as a rookie last year, but made a name for himself with eight dominating innings against the Tigers in the Series opener.
Reyes is the first Cardinals pitcher to lose 10 straight decisions since closer Dennis Eckersley lost 10 in a row from April 4, 1996 to Aug. 26, 1997. Team records going back to 1957 show no starters with losing streaks of that length.