Baseball Today - May 8
Tue, May 8, 2007
By Associated Press
Boston at Toronto (7:07 p.m. EDT). Josh Beckett goes for his major league-leading seventh win of the season for the Red Sox.
STARS
Monday
-Bengie Molina, Giants, homered twice in the fifth inning and had five RBIs to lead San Francisco to a 9-4 win over New York.
-Brad Penny, Dodgers, struck out a career-high 14 and allowed five hits in seven scoreless innings and Los Angeles beat Florida 6-1.
-Chris Capuano, Brewers, struck out a season-high nine in eight-plus innings for his fifth win of the year and Milwaukee defeated Washington 3-0.
-Adrian Beltre, Mariners, hit a tiebreaking homer off Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning and Seattle edged the Yankees 3-2.
TWICE AS NICE
San Francisco''s Bengie Molina hit a two-run homer in the fifth, then added a three-run drive later in the same inning. Molina became the first Giants player to homer twice in an inning since Willie McCovey in 1977, and San Francisco topped New York 9-4.
BUSTED
Tampa Bay relief pitcher Juan Salas and Louis Santangelo, a catcher in Houston''s minor league system, were each suspended 50 games Monday after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.
SUSPENDED
Yankees reliever Scott Proctor was suspended four games and manager Joe Torre was penalized one game by Major League Baseball on Monday, a day after a skirmish between the Seattle Mariners and New York. Proctor appealed his suspension, meaning he can pitch until a hearing is held and a ruling is issued. Torre missed Monday night''s 3-2 loss to the Mariners.
STREAKS
Florida has lost three in a row following a 6-1 defeat Monday night to Los Angeles. The Marlins have struck out 25 times in their last two games. ... Washington has lost six games in a row for the second time this year after a 3-0 loss to Milwaukee, which has won eight of nine.
SNAPPED
Atlanta''s Chuck James lasted a minimum of five innings in each of his previous six starts this season before going 3 2-3 innings in a 4-2 loss Monday night to San Diego. ... Los Angeles'' Wilson Betemit, who hit pinch-hit homers in the past two games, struck out pinch-hitting in the eighth inning of a 6-1 win over Florida.
SPEAKING
''Have you seen Roy pitch? I wouldn''t be surprised if he''s 19-1 against anybody. He''s the best in the game, as far as I''m concerned.''''- Houston slugger Lance Berkman, on teammate Roy Oswalt improving to 19-1 for his career against Cincinnati. Oswalt gave up two runs in seven innings for his fifth win of the year and the Astros topped the Reds 5-4.
Padres and Braves call up starters for Tuesday's game
Tue, May 8, 2007
By Associated Press
ATLANTA -- The San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves called up a pair of minor league pitchers Monday night to start Tuesday's game.
The Padres will pitch right-hander Justin Germano and the Braves will start Anthony Lerew.
Germano is 1-3 in nine career appearances, including six starts, with San Diego, Cincinnati and Philadelphia. He was 4-0 with a 1.69 ERA in five starts for Triple-A Portland.
The Padres optioned relief pitcher Royce Ring to Portland. He appeared in two games, giving up one hit and no runs in two innings.
Lerew was recalled from Triple-A Richmond. A corresponding move will be announced before the game. He gave up five runs in two innings to Philadelphia in his only appearance with Atlanta last season.
The 25-year-old right-hander was scheduled to start for Richmond on Tuesday. He is 1-0 with a 1.37 ERA in five starts. He has allowed only 20 hits in 26 innings.
Lerew fills the spot in the Braves' rotation left vacant when Mark Redman was placed on the disabled list with a toe injury.
Pittsburgh reliever Capps suspended four games
May 7th, 2007
New York, NY (Sports Network) - Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Matt Capps was suspended four games and fined an undisclosed amount Monday after intentionally hitting Prince Fielder of the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.
Capps' suspension will begin Tuesday in Chicago unless he appeals it.
In 18 games this season, Capps is 2-0 with a 2.25 earned run average.
Groin injury sidelines Taveras
The Denver Post
Cincinnati - Willy Taveras rounded second base and ran himself right onto the trainer's table.
The Rockies center fielder expects to miss tonight's game and possibly the entire Cardinals series with a tight right groin.
"I think it will only be a few days, three at the most," said Taveras, who never had suffered a right leg problem before Sunday. "A guy like me, I don't have power. My game is running (12 infield hits, nine stolen bases). So to help the team, my legs have to be healthy."
Taveras, thrown out by center fielder Josh Hamilton at third base when hurt, shook his head when asked about the poor timing of the injury. He has finally hit his stride offensively, batting .436 (17-for-39) with 12 runs in his past nine games. The Rockies already are without second baseman Kaz Matsui, who could be out until June with a disc injury in his back.
"It's something you don't expect, and you have to deal with it," Taveras said. "I don't think I will need (an MRI). I will be out there soon."
Dave Roberts missed his second straight game on Monday with an inflamed left elbow, according to the AP. The injury is on his throwing arm, making it painful not only to throw but also to hit. He plans to be back in the lineup Tuesday night. "I can't get a handle on this thing," said Roberts. "There's a lot of inflammation in there. I thought a couple of days would work. I could play with it but we're looking at the big picture. I'm compromising on the field and I don't want to do that." He will continue to undergo treatment.
The Phillies are planning on holding 1B Ryan Howard out of the starting lineup until Friday in an effort to get him healthy.
D-Backs manager Bob Melvin said that 3B Chad Tracy will return to the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the Phillies.
Dodgers 3B Andy LaRoche had X-rays performed on his wrist after he was hit by a pitch on Monday.The X-rays were negative and he shouldn't miss any time.
Howard to miss two games; DL stint possible
Tue, May 8, 2007
Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard will miss the next two games of a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Philadelphia Daily News reported early Tuesday morning.
Howard, who is hitting only .198 with five home runs and 19 RBIs this year, has been hampered by a strained left thigh and sprained left knee for the past few weeks.
The Phillies announced that the 2006 NL MVP would be re-evaluated by team physician Dr. Michael Ciccotti before Friday's home game against the Chicago Cubs. There's a strong possibility that Howard could be headed for the 15-day disabled list if the three days off doesn't help allieviate the injuries.
"We'll wait and see how it goes down," Howard told the Daily News. "In a couple of days hopefully it'll feel better. If not..."
Howard sprained his knee April 18 against the Washington Nationals and missed the next three games. Before last night's 4-3 loss to the Diamondbacks as +107 underdogs, Howard was hitting .184 with 21 strikeouts since injuring the knee.
Cordero placed on bereavement list
May 8th, 2007
Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - The Washington Nationals placed right-handed closer Chad Cordero on the bereavement list on Tuesday so he can attend to his ailing grandmother.
In a corresponding move, the club selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Winston Abreu from Triple-A Columbus.
Cordero has struggled so far on the mound this season, 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.
Players placed on the bereavement list must miss a minimum of three games with a maximum of seven before returning to their team.
Abreu, 30, was 1-0 with one save and a 0.50 ERA in 10 games out of the Clippers' bullpen.
Rangers activate Gagne
May 8th, 2007
Bronx, NY (Sports Network) - The Texas Rangers activated closer Eric Gagne from the disabled list on Tuesday.
Gagne was sidelined with a strained right hip. He had appeared in just four games with one save before going on the shelve.
Gagne, the National League Cy Young Award winner in 2003 and the major league record holder with 84 consecutive converted saves, has been hampered by a number of injuries over the last two seasons and had made just 16 appearances in that time.
To make room for Gagne on the roster, the Rangers optioned pitcher Wes Littleton to their Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma.
Angels' place P Speier on DL
May 8th, 2007
Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim placed pitcher Justin Speier on the 15-day disabled list with a non-baseball related medical condition.
The move is retroactive to April 30.
The 33-year old Speier has a 1.69 earned run average in 15 appearances with the Angels this season and is limiting opponents to a .130 batting average against him.
Speier owns a 27-20 record with 17 saves and a 3.95 ERA in 10 career major league seasons.
To replace Speier on the 25-man roster, the club recalled infielder Kendry Morales from their Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake.
Morales, 23, was batting .287 with a home run and 10 RBI in 23 games with Salt Lake. This marks his second stint with the Angels this season. Morales is 2- for-5 in two games with the Angels in 2007.