Mariners pull Ramirez from rotation
September 16, 2007
SEATTLE (AP) -The Mariners decided to pull Horacio Ramirez from the starting rotation on Sunday, just one day after he lasted only four batters in a 6-2 loss to Tampa Bay.
``Maybe he needs to take a step back and take a deep breath,'' Seattle manager John McLaren said before Sunday's game against the Devil Rays. ``The Yankees did it with (Mike) Mussina and we're doing it with him. We'll let somebody else start for one game.''
Ramirez gave up two singles, a walk and a run-scoring single before McLaren removed him.
Ramirez is 8-7 with a 7.16 ERA and has lost three consecutive games. He lasted only 1 2-3 innings last week against Oakland, and has one win since Aug. 9.
Ryan Feierabend and Jorge Campillo are among the candidates to replace Ramirez in the rotation. Feierabend is 1-4 with a 6.40 ERA and has started seven games. Campillo is 0-0 with a 2.25 ERA in just eight innings since being recalled from Triple A Tacoma on Sept. 7.
``Those are two possibilities,'' McLaren said. ``I'm not exactly sure who we're going to put in.''
Tampa Bay calls up pair from Triple-A Durham, will join team Monday
September 16, 2007
SEATTLE (AP) -The Tampa Bay Devil Rays called up left-handers J.P. Howell and Jeff Ridgway from Triple-A Durham after Saturday night's game, and the pair will join the team on Monday in Anaheim.
Howell made 21 starts at Durham, going 7-8 with a 3.38 ERA. Howell, acquired in a June 2006 trade with Kansas City, made eight starts for the Devil Rays last year. He made eight starts this season, going 1-4 with a 7.36 ERA before being sent down to Durham.
Ridgway was 2-3 with a 3.06 ERA at Durham working out of the bullpen. The 27-year-old has spent his entire career in the minors.
Diamondbacks activate Chad Tracy
September 16, 2007
LOS ANGELES (AP) -The Arizona Diamondbacks activated infielder Chad Tracy before Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but don't expect him to be anything more than a pinch hitter for the time being.
The 27-year-old Tracy, hitting .261 with seven homers and 34 RBIs in 75 games, was placed on the disabled list Aug. 15 because of tendinitis in his right knee.
``I have the opportunity to help the team, and that's all I want right now,'' Tracy said. ``It's not going to get any better, but I don't think it can get a whole lot worse, either. I can ride out the pain for an at-bat.''
Tracy hit .308 with 27 homers and 72 RBIs in 145 games two years ago, and .281 with 20 homers and 80 RBIs in 154 games last year.
``It gives us another left-handed bat and a guy who can give us production,'' Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin said. ``You won't see him out in the field, at least early on. It's another guy who's been through the wars.''
The NL West-leading Diamondbacks entered Sunday with a two-game lead over San Diego and a 3 1/2-game lead over the Dodgers.
Baseball Today - September 17
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SCOREBOARD
Tuesday, Sept. 18
Cincinnati at Chicago Cubs (8:05 p.m. EDT).
Carlos Zambrano starts for the NL Central-leading Cubs, facing off against Aaron Harang.
STARS
Sunday
-Michael Young, Rangers, drove in a career-high seven runs, including a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth, and Texas beat the Oakland Athletics 11-9.
-Jim Thome, White Sox, hit a game-ending homer in the ninth inning to push Chicago past the Los Angeles Angels 9-7.
-Joe Dillon, Brewers, drove in a career-high four runs, leading Milwaukee to a 5-2 victory over Cincinnati.
-Josh Anderson, Astros, had a career-high five hits and drove in three runs and Houston pounded Pittsburgh 15-3.
-Tim Hudson, Braves, held Washington to seven hits in a complete game and Atlanta topped the Nationals 3-0.
-Derek Jeter, Yankees, broke an eighth-inning tie with a three-run homer that sent the New York Yankees to a 4-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox.
500 CLUB
Jim Thome hit his 500th homer, a two-run shot in the bottom of the ninth inning that gave the Chicago White Sox a 9-7 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. Thome became the 23rd player in major league history and third this season to reach 500 homers.
YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
Michael Young drove in a career-high seven runs, including a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth, and the Texas Rangers beat the Oakland Athletics 11-9 on Sunday in a game featuring a benches-clearing brawl. A's outfielder Nick Swisher rushed the mound and tackled Texas starter Vicente Padilla after getting hit by a pitch in the first inning. Both benches flooded the field, with Oakland second baseman Jack Hannahan diving into the pile and A's manager Bob Geren getting into a heated argument with the umpires. Second base umpire Tim Timmons was bumped to the ground during the fray, and plate umpire Chuck Meriwether wasted little time in tossing Padilla and Swisher, who had to be restrained by catcher Kurt Suzuki and several teammates. Nobody else was ejected.
30-30
David Wright hit a solo homer in the New York Mets' 10-6 loss to Philadelphia on Sunday to become the third player in franchise history to reach 30 homers and 30 stolen bases in a season. New York hitting coach Howard Johnson and Darryl Strawberry also accomplished the feat with the Mets.
300 SAVES
Todd Jones pitched a shaky ninth inning for his 300th career save in Detroit's 6-4 win over Minnesota on Sunday, becoming the 21st pitcher in major league history to reach the mark. Jones allowed an RBI single to Nick Punto before getting Michael Cuddyer to ground out with the bases loaded for his 37th save in 42 chances this season.
GOT YOUR NUMBER
Philadelphia beat the Mets for the eighth straight time Sunday, completing another sweep of sloppy New York with a 10-6 victory. The Phillies pulled within 3 1/2 games of first-place New York and have won 12 of 18 against the Mets this season, including a franchise-best three series sweeps.
SEASON-HIGHS
Houston piled up a season-high 22 hits to help Brandon Backe win for the first time in more than a year, and the Astros routed Pittsburgh 15-3 on Sunday. Chris Burke had three hits and four RBIs and Ty Wigginton had a home run, double and single and Houston set a season-high for runs to win its second straight.
SNAPPED
Baltimore defeated Toronto 8-6 in 12 innings on Sunday to clinch its first series win since Aug. 13-15, when they took two of three at Yankee Stadium. The Orioles had dropped eight straight series since.
SPEAKING
''I have never been a complete game guy. I don't really care about shutouts. The most important thing is to get a win for the ballclub.'' - Atlanta pitcher Tim Hudson, on pitching his 10th career shutout and 21st complete game in a 3-0 win over Washington on Sunday. He needed just 100 pitches to get the first complete game by a Braves pitcher this season.
Nationals claim Gonzalez off waivers from D-Backs
September 17th, 2007
Washington, DC (Sports Network) - The Washington Nationals claimed pitcher Enrique Gonzalez off trade waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday and added him to their 40-man roster.
The 25-year-old Gonzalez, who will not report to the team, has appeared in 23 games over the last two seasons with the D-Backs and is 3-7 with a 5.82 earned run average.
"Enrique has a quality arm and a four-pitch mix," said Washington assistant general manager and vice president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo. "He has been effective throughout his career in both a relief and starter role, but we believe he has the stuff and repertoire to pitch in a starting role for us."
Gonzalez spent the majority of this year at Triple-A Tucson, going 8-10 with a 5.14 ERA in 27 starts.
Cardinals' Duncan to have sports hernia surgery
September 17th, 2007
St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Chris Duncan is scheduled to have a sports hernia operation on Thursday, the team's medical staff announced.
Duncan had been playing with the injury for more than a month, then aggravated a sore groin on Saturday in Arizona. He will now likely be shut down for the remainder of the season.
As St. Louis' everyday left fielder, Duncan hit for a .259 average with 21 home runs and 70 RBI in 127 games.
The procedure will be performed by Dr. Michael Brunt.