Baseball Today - May 3
Thu, May 3, 2007
By Associated Press
New York at Arizona (9:40 p.m. EDT). Tom Glavine goes for his 294th career victory for the Mets. Oddsmakers list the Diamondbacks as +128 home underdogs. The total is set at 9 runs.
STARS Wednesday
-Barry Bonds, Giants, went 2-for-4 with a homer and four RBIs to lead San Francisco to a 5-3 win over Colorado.
-Gary Sheffield, Tigers, went 4-for-4 with a homer and an RBI single to help Detroit complete a sweep of Baltimore with a 3-2 win.
-Jason Marquis, Cubs, pitched eight innings allowing one run on four hits to lead Chicago to a 7-1 victory over Pittsburgh.
-Mark Hendrickson, Dodgers, pitched six scoreless innings and allowed only three hits in Los Angeles'' 2-1 win over Arizona.
SPECTACULAR SIX
Boston beat Oakland 6-4 on Wednesday night. With the victory, Josh Beckett became the first Red Sox pitcher to win his first six starts since Roger Clemens in 1991 and is just two behind the team record shared by Babe Ruth and two others. Beckett is the only pitcher with six wins this season and became the eighth Red Sox pitcher to win at least his first six starts. The team record of eight is shared by Ruth in 1917, Dave Ferriss in 1945 and Roger Moret in 1973.
TWELVE TO GO
Barry Bonds hit career homer No. 743 on Wednesday night in the Giants 5-3 victory over Colorado. Bonds moved within 12 homers of Hank Aaron''s career record of 755, hitting a two-run shot to right field in the fourth inning. It was Bonds'' second career homer off Francis.
DOUBLE DUTY
Oliver Perez struck out a season-high 10 and singled twice to help the Mets beat Florida 6-3 on Wednesday. The left-hander allowed three runs - one earned - and three hits in 5 2-3 innings, went 2-for-2 at the plate with a sacrifice bunt and scored twice.
MILWAUKEE''S BEST
Milwaukee completed a sweep of St. Louis with a 4-0 victory Wednesday. With three consecutive wins over the World Series champions, the Brewers have won nine of 11 overall and have the best record in baseball at 18-9.
HALL OF SHAME
Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda was arrested Tuesday after a California Highway Patrol officer pulled him over for speeding and discovered drugs in the car. The former San Francisco Giants star was clocked going 83 mph in a 65 mph zone and was arrested after the CHP officer found marijuana, a syringe and a ''usable'''' amount of a white-powder substance that likely was methamphetamine or cocaine. Cepeda works for the Giants as a community liaison and speaks to at-risk children about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.
TRADE
Outfielder Ryan Langerhans was traded Wednesday night for the second time in a week, going from Oakland to Washington for outfielder Chris Snelling. Langerhans was 3-for-44 with the Braves and came to the Athletics after snapping an 0-for-29 slump on Sunday. Snelling is batting .204 in 24 games with Washington with 10 starts.
STREAKS
Torii Hunter pushed his career-high hitting streak to 17 games with a two-run homer off Jae Seo in the second inning of Minnesota''s 4-3, 10-inning loss to Tampa Bay on Wednesday night.
INJURED
Oakland designated hitter Mike Piazza is expected to be sidelined 4-to-6 weeks with a strained right shoulder injured Wednesday night when he dove into third base in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid being tagged out. Piazza, who signed as a free agent after spending the previous 14 seasons in the National League, is batting .282 after going 2-for-3 in the Athletics'' 6-4 loss to the Red Sox. He hit safely in his last six games but is just 14-for-59 in his last 15.
SPEAKING
''He made one mistake. He left it up. I''m sure he would like to have that one back, but I''d like to have my other three back.''-Phillies 1b Ryan Howard said after homering off of Braves LHP Chuck James in Philadelphia''s 4-3 loss to Atlanta. The NL MVP struck out three times to go along with that homer and is now batting .217 on the season.
Phillies' Gordon to have shoulder examined
May 2nd, 2007
Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Phillies closer Tom Gordon is returning to Philadelphia on Thursday because of discomfort in his right shoulder.
The Phillies announced after Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Braves that Gordon will not fly with the team to San Francisco for a four-game series after he arrived at the ballpark in Atlanta with the sore shoulder.
Gordon, who has three blown saves in eight chances this season, last pitched in Philadelphia's 6-4 win over the Braves on Tuesday. He is scheduled to be examined by team physician Dr. Michael Ciccotti.
Problems with Gordon's shoulder also landed him on the disabled list last season, and he left the team during spring training before this season started to have the shouder re-examined.
Brett Myers, who has allowed just one run in eight relief appearances this season, is likely to step into the closer's role for Philadelphia.
Langerhans traded, Piazza injured
May 2nd, 2007
Boston, MA (Sports Network) - The Oakland Athletics traded outfielder Ryan Langerhans to the Washington Nationals for outfielder Chris Snelling on Wednesday.
Langerhans, who was acquired on Sunday from the Atlanta Braves, went hitless in four at-bats over two games for the Athletics. The 27-year-old Texan has three hits in 48 at-bats split between the Braves and A's this season.
Snelling had one home run and seven RBI, batting a paltry .204 in 24 games with Washington this season.
A's designated hitter Mike Piazza is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks with strained ligaments in his right shoulder. Piazza left Wednesday's A's-Red Sox game after the top of the sixth inning, when Boston third baseman Mike Lowell appeared to roll over Piazza's shoulder when trying to make a play at third base on Bobby Crosby's ground ball.
Yankees' Pavano suffers setback
May 3rd, 2007
New York, NY (Sports Network) - New York Yankees pitcher Carl Pavano reportedly suffered a setback this week while rehabilitating his strained right forearm.
According to a report in the New York Times, the oft-injured Pavano felt tightness in the forearm again and plans to visit noted surgeon Dr. James Andrews for an examination.
Pavano hasn't pitched since April 9 and has made only 19 appearances for the Yankees since signing a four-year deal before the 2005 season.
Padres activate Branyan
May 3rd, 2007
San Diego, CA (Sports Network) - The San Diego Padres activated infielder Russell Branyan from the bereavement list on Thursday.
Branyan posted a .292 batting average with one home run and four RBI in 14 games this season. He has amassed 112 homers, 278 RBI, 86 doubled and 243 runs in a 10-year major-league career with Cleveland, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Tampa Bay, and San Diego.
To make room on the roster, the club sent catcher Pete Laforest to Triple-A Portland. Laforest hit .313 (5-for-16) with a double and a run batted in during his six-game stretch with the Padres.
Angels place Izturis on DL
May 3rd, 2007
Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - The LA Angels of Anaheim placed infielder Maicer Izturis on the 15-day disabled list on Thursday due to a strained left hamstring. The move is retroactive to April 30.
Izturis, who is making just his third trip to the DL in his career, is batting .253 with 13 RBI, two stolen bases and seven runs scored in 25 games this season.
To replace Izturis on the 25-man roster, the club recalled infielder Brandon Wood from Salt Lake of the Pacific Coast League.
Mets option Park
May 3rd, 2007
Flushing, NY (Sports Network) - The New York Mets optioned right-handed pitcher Chan Ho Park to New Orleans of the Pacific Coast League on Thursday.
Park, who began the season with New Orleans, was recalled by the Mets on April 30, and started one game against the Florida Marlins. He allowed six hits and seven runs over four innings, striking out four and walking a pair.
To fill the roster spot, the Mets have selected the contract of right-hander Lino Urdaneta from New Orleans.
The 27-year-old Mexican was 1-0 with six saves in 10 relief appearances for the Zephyrs. He is expected to be available for New York's game on Thursday against Arizona.
Twins Michael Cuddyer (back) is not in the starting lineup.
Devil Rays Delmon Young is not expected to start tonight.
Red Sox JD Drew is not in the starting lineup.
Phillies RP Brett Myers will take over the closers duties, while Tom Gordon is out with a shoulder injury.
Indians activated SP Cliff Lee from the 15-day DL.
Yankees placed SP Phil Hughes (hamstring) on the 15-day DL.