Notes from Tuesday's games
September 4, 2007
SEATTLE: OFs Jeremy Reed and Wladimir Balentien were recalled from Triple-A Tacoma on Tuesday along with INF Nick Green and C Jeff Clement. The moves gave Seattle 35 active players. ``We brought up a lot of guys up to have depth and also to reward some people,'' manager John McLaren. ``We've got some pinch-runner types.'' ... McLaren might go to his bullpen faster now that rosters have expanded. ``It's kind of a two-sided coin. If you don't have your stuff going that day, we can go get you and save you strong for the next start, and give some guys we called up a chance to work,'' he said. ``We've always tried to give the starter an opportunity to pitch his way through it. It's not panic mode. It's more or less something that's actually good for everybody.''
NEW YORK: 1B Andy Phillips had surgery Tuesday to remove a broken bone in his right wrist, an injury sustained when he was hit by a pitch Sunday. With Phillips out for the season, Jason Giambi figures to see more action at first base. ``My body feels great,'' he said. ``It's the best my legs have felt in a long time.'' ... New York's left-handed hitters are slumping all at the same time. Entering Tuesday, Johnny Damon was hitless in his last 17 at_bats, Hideki Matsui was 1-for-14, Bobby Abreu 2-for-15, Robinson Cano 2-for-16 and Jason Giambi 2-for-20. Damon and Giambi were given a night off from the starting lineup with LHP Horacio Ramirez starting for Seattle. ... Actor Brad Pitt attended the game along with director Spike Lee.
CLEVELAND: The Indians recalled LHP Juan Lara, IF Andy Marte and RHP Edward Mujica from Triple-A Buffalo Tuesday. ... Manager Eric Wedge does not foresee much playing time for Marte, the team's opening day third baseman, who hit .180 in 15 games before being placed on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring. Optioned to Buffalo May 28, he hit .267 with 16 home runs and 60 RBI in 96 games. ``It's going to be tough to have much opportunity because of what we have, but he's still an option for us,'' Wedge said. ... OF David Dellucci took part in the team's pregame routine and did some running drills. He has been out since June with a strained left hamstring. Wedge said he expects Dellucci to run again Thursday in Los Angeles. ``If he keeps moving in the right direction we could potentially activate him and then he could be an option off the bench,'' Wedge said.
MINNESOTA: LHP Glen Perkins, out since May 22 with a strained left shoulder, played catch Tuesday and felt good. ``When they say he can go out, we'll get him out there,'' said manager Ron Gardenhire, who indicated Perkins has been talked to about possibly playing winter ball. ... LHP Dennys Reyes, out since Aug. 22 with inflammation in his left elbow, is scheduled to see orthopedic surgeon Dr. Lewis Yocum in Los Angeles next week. Reyes tried to play long toss Monday but felt pain. ``We'd like to have him at least know where we're at before he leaves. We don't want this to linger into spring training,'' Gardenhire said. ... Nick Blackburn pitched one inning of relief Monday in his major league debut. He was a combined 10-4 in 24 Double-A and Triple-A starts. Gardenhire wants to see more of Blackburn in either a starting or relief role. ``I liked what I saw,'' Gardenhire said. ``He had a good angle, went right at it and had good movement.'' ... The Twins' minor league affiliates finished their seasons Monday, going a combined 421-339. The .554 winning percentage was the fourth-best overall, behind the Yankees, Giants and Brewers farm teams.
CHICAGO: White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said he hopes the Detroit Tigers' Magglio Ordonez, a former White Sox player, wins the AL MVP Award. Guillen and Ordonez feuded in the press in 2005, Ordonez's first year with the Tigers, but they made up. ``It will be special for him, his family, the country (Venezuela),'' said Guillen, who is also from Venezuela. He added, ``I'm sorry Alex (Rodriguez). I go for my Venezuelan boy, my countryman.'' ... Chicago purchased the contract of RHP Lance Broadway from Triple-A Charlotte, and recalled LHP Heath Phillips from the same team.
DETROIT: DH Gary Sheffield, on the 15-day disabled list because of a troublesome right shoulder that has bothered him since late July, said he should be ready to play when he is scheduled to come off the DL on Thursday. ... Omar Infante was in the lineup as the DH batting third for Tuesday night's game against Chicago because he is 15-for-35 lifetime against White Sox starter Jon Garland.
TORONTO: Recalled RHP Josh Banks and IF Hector Luna from Triple-A Syracuse and selected the contract of C Sal Fasano from Syracuse. Transferred LHP Gustavo Chacin from the 15-day to the 60-day DL. ... RHP Brandon League was activated from the 15-day disabled list (strained oblique muscle).
BOSTON: Dustin Pedroia was 0-for-11 against the Blue Jays' Roy Halladay before singling in the first inning. ... Jacoby Ellsbury hit his second major league homer in his 30th at-bat. He had two homers in 436 minor league at_bats at Double-A and Triple-A this season. ... RHP Clay Buchholz was named the AL player of the week after throwing a no-hitter in just his second major league start. ... Recalled RHP Devern Hansack from Triple-A Pawtucket.
BALTIMORE: Manager Dave Trembley said SS Luis Hernandez, who was recalled from Double-A Bowie, will get some starting assignments during the final weeks of the season. ``I would expect Hernandez to get an opportunity to play somewhat,'' Trembley said. ``He did a nice job here before. He's a middle infielder, and if you're going to build this thing around pitching and defense, you need guys in the middle of the diamond that can catch the ball and he showed that when he was here before.'' The rookie was with the Orioles from July 7 to August 5.
TAMPA BAY: 1B Carlos Pena, who set a team-record for homers in a season Monday, said he has not been approached by team officials yet about a contract extension. Pena, who is eligible for arbitration during the upcoming offseason, wants to remain with the Devil Rays.. ... SS Ben Zobrist, out since August 19 with a strained right oblique, will likely not play again this season. ``Might be more than likely,'' manager Joe Maddon said. ``He's getting better, making pretty good progress, but it's going to be hard to get him ready to play, that's my guess.''
KANSAS CITY: RHP Zack Greinke is finishing the season with a flourish, throwing 12 straight shutout innings in his three starts since returning to the rotation on Aug. 24. In that span the 23-year-old has allowed 11 hits and one walk while striking out 11. Greinke, who began the season in the rotation before being demoted to the bullpen for 3 1/2 months, has been on a strict pitch count since moving back to a starter's role. ... RHP Brian Bannister was named AL Rookie of the Month for August. The 26-year-old was 4-1 with a 2.90 ERA in six August starts. The Royals have won the award three straight months, including Bannister in June and IF/DH Billy Butler in July.
TEXAS: Manager Ron Washington confirmed that RHP Kameron Loe will miss at least one start with a sore right elbow. Loe left Monday night's start after three innings with what he described as ``a sharp pinch'' in his elbow. ...RHP Kevin Millwood will be moved up a day to make Sunday's start against Oakland. Loe was the scheduled starter. ...OF David Murphy made his third straight start. When Murphy was called up from Triple-A Oklahoma on Aug. 10, Washington was unsure about Murphy's role. But Murphy has gone 16-for-41 (.390) with seven RBIs in his first 20 games for Texas while starting at all three outfield spots. ``He's making us put him in there,'' Washington said.
OAKLAND: DH Mike Piazza turned 39 on Tuesday - but hold the Jack Benny jokes and the violins. He still plans on playing at least another season after becoming a free agent at the end of the month. ``I couldn't be in a better place right now, personally and professionally,'' said Piazza, who arrived at his locker to find two shopping bags with four boxes of decadent-looking cupcakes sent by his wife Alicia and 7-month-old daughter Nicoletta. ``I've had such a great career and met a lot really amazing and wonderful people who have supported me, so I've really been blessed. I still enjoy a lot of things about the game. There are some things I know I can still do, and some things I know my body won't let me do.''
LOS ANGELES: RHP Scot Shields threw 40 pitches during a simulated game in an attempt to overcome his recent slump. At one point, he got so angry that he turned and threw the ball several rows into the seats above the 18-foot wall in right field. ``I got some of my frustration out. There were a couple pitches in a row that didn't go where I wanted it to, and I just snapped,'' said Shields, who surrendered a grand slam by Texas' Hank Blalock that squandered an 8-5 Angels lead on Sunday night. ``It wasn't the most professional thing to do, but I just had to let some emotion go. And to be honest, I don't think I missed a spot after that.''
PHILADELPHIA: SS Jimmy Rollins, the NL Player of the Month for August, singled in his first three at_bats to maintain a .301 career average against the Braves (158-for-524). ... RF Jayson Werth was charged with a fielding error in the third, his first miscue of the season. The Phillies began the game with 74 errors, third-fewest in the NL. ... Philadelphia began the night with a 69-30 record when scoring at least three runs. ... RHP Kyle Kendrick will face the Braves for the first time in his career. Over his last three starts, Kendrick is 3-0 with a 3.20 ERA in 19 2-3 innings. ... In his 15th career game at Turner Field, CF Aaron Rowand singled and doubled to improve his average in Atlanta to .333 (18-for-54).
ATLANTA: After taking live batting practice, SS Edgar Renteria said he will be ready to come off the DL when he is eligible on Friday. Renteria, who has missed 19 games because of a sprained right ankle, was hitting .336 with 11 homers, 53 RBIs and 11 stolen bases when he was re-injured. Unless Renteria has a setback, manager Bobby Cox will put him in the lineup when the Braves begin a three-game home series against the Nationals. ... LHP Mike Hampton, who has missed the last two seasons with a torn ligament and tendon in his elbow, will make 50 tosses from 120 feet on Wednesday and 75 tosses from 120 feet on Saturday. Next week, Mets physician Dave Altcheck will examine Hampton's elbow and plan his next course of action. ... With singles in his first two at_bats, C Brian McCann improved his average to .315 (35-for-111) since Aug. 2. ... Over his last 30 games, RHP Tyler Yates had a 7.50 ERA, and opponents were hitting .324 against him.
FLORIDA: The Marlins recalled four players from Class Triple-A Albuquerque. They are INF Robert Andino, OFs Reggie Abercrombie and Brett Carroll and RHP Ross Wolf. All four have played with the Marlins - Andino is the only one who has yet to play for them this year. Abercrombie played 111 games for Florida in 2006. This year, he's played in only 19 - batting .211 - the same average he had last year. For Albuquerque, Abercrombie batted .339 with 13 home runs and 41 RBIs. Andino, who played in 34 games for the Marlins in 2005 and 2006, batted .278 with 13 homers and 50 RBIs at Albuquerque. Carroll has played in 11 games with Florida and is batting .200 with 2 RBIs. He batted a combined .304 with 22 home runs and 82 RBIs at Double-A Carolina and Albuquerque. Wolf pitched in six games for Florida with an 0-1 record and a 9.64 ERA. He was 4-3 with a 3.42 in 45 games at Albuquerque.
WASHINGTON: The Nationals traded LHP Ray King to Milwaukee for a player to be named later. The 33-year-old King was 1-1 with a 4.54 ERA in 55 games with Washington. King, who will report to Milwaukee on Wednesday, was with the Brewers from 2000-2002. ``It was a shock,'' King said. ``I watched the trade deadline come and go. Anytime you get a phone call from the general manager's secretary, it's not good,'' King said. ...The Nationals reinstated LHP Micah Bowie from the 15-day disabled list and purchased the contracts of LHP Ross Detwiler, OF Justin Maxwell, RHP Jonathan Albaladejo, LHP Arnie Munoz and OF Ryan Langerhans. They transferred RHPs John Patterson and Jason Simontacchi from the 15-day to 60-day disabled list. ...Detwiler was the sixth overall pick in June's draft, and is the first player from the 2007 draft to be placed on a major league roster.
NEW YORK: RH Pedro Martinez reported no problems a day after he threw 76 pitches and got the victory in his return from shoulder surgery. ``Good. Great,'' Martinez said Tuesday. ``I've been bouncing around. Thank God, everything's great. I have yet to throw 100 pitches, but everthing's great.'' ... Martinez's next start will come Sunday in New York against the Astros. ``In front of the home fans, it'll be a little emotional,'' he said. ``I'm crazy with the fans and they're crazy with me.'' ... The Mets called up 41-year-old C Sandy Alomar Jr. from the minors, adding to their depth. ... 3B David Wright was in the lineup even though he had tightness in his right hamstring after Monday's game. ``He tried it and it feels fine,'' manager Willie Randolph said. ``Maybe it was the hot weather or a cramp. I'm going to try to get guys days off. That's why we added Alomar. Players need to back down on their routine.''
CINCINNATI: Six players were called up from Triple-A Louisville, including 1B Joey Votto, considered the Reds' top hitting prospect. The 23-year-old Votto refused to watch a Reds game on television while he was in the minors, waiting until his first promotion to see Great American Ball Park. He made the tour when he arrived. ``I sat on the bench for a second,'' he said. ``It smells like sweaty man out there. A bunch of sweaty ballplayers sit on the bench. I can't wait to join them.'' ... Votto is expected to start at first base on Wednesday in the final game of a series against the Mets. ... The Reds also called up RHPs Todd Coffey, Kirk Saarloos and Brad Salmon, OF Buck Coats and C Ryan Hanigan.
HOUSTON: With the season ended for Triple-A Round Rock, the Astros' September callups joined the team Tuesday. Interim manager Cecil Cooper said three of the callups with significant major-league experience - OF Jason Lane, C Humberto Quintero and INF Cody Ransom - could get some starts in the final month. He said, though, he would play his regulars when facing teams in the pennant race. ... Hunter Pence hit a double Monday, giving him 28 this year and tying the franchise rookie record held by Lance Berkman (2000) and Luis Gonzalez (1991).
MILWAUKEE: The team acquired left-hander reliever Ray King from the Washington Nationals for a player to be named. King will be used as a situational left-hander in a bullpen that has given up leads of three or more runs a major league-worst 15 times. ... OF Geoff Jenkins was back in the starting lineup Tuesday night, a day after being pulled in the fourth inning because of an injured left foot that he bruised while fouling off a pitch. ... Manager Ned Yost said he was avoiding being seen in public in Milwaukee because so many people were making comments about the team, even purchasing four big bags of Starbucks coffee so he did not have to go to that company's store near his home daily. ``It's like a nuclear winter,'' he said.
PITTSBURGH: Ian Snell's seven scoreless innings bailed out a bullpen that had to throw 12 innings while the Pirates were getting swept in a three-game weekend series at Milwaukee. ... The Pirates filled two rotation vacancies with RHP Tony Armas going on Wednesday and RHP Bryan Bullington making his first career start on Thursday. Bullington was the No. 1 overall pick in 2002. RHP John Van Benschoten, also among the September callups, was not under consideration because threw more than 100 pitches in a start on Sunday. For now he'll be used in the bullpen, although manager Jim Tracy said he would not use him in the middle of innings because he's been starting in the minors. ... Xavier Nady was not in the lineup a day after getting beaned by the Cardinals' Andy Cavazos. Manager Jim Tracy said Nady still had the ``remnants of a headache'' and that sudden movements with his head caused dizziness. ``All in all, everything is OK,'' Tracy said. ... LHP Paul Maholm, scratched from Monday's start due to back soreness, was improved but the team had no timetable for his return to the rotation.
ST. LOUIS: Russell Branyan, acquired on Friday from the Phillies, made his first start and was playing 3B. Branyan did not play the first three games and was 1-for-2 on Monday after entering the game as a pinch hitter. ... The Cardinals added four more players to the roster, recalling IF Brian Barden and RHP Brad Thompson from Triple-A Memphis and purchasing the contracts of C Kelly Stinnett and RHP Brian Falkenborg. Memphis manager Chris Maloney and batting coach Rick Eckstein, older brother of Cardinals SS David Eckstein, also have joined the team for the remainder of the season. ... Manager Tony La Russa anticipated no hangover from the 11-0 loss to the Pirates, given that the Cardinals have allowed double-digit runs in 17 games and remain in the NL Central race. ``We've lost that game a lot of times,'' La Russa said. ``We're not going to lose tonight because we're still thinking about it.''
SAN FRANCISCO: OF Barry Bonds was back in the lineup after sitting out Monday's day game. ... LHP Jack Taschner will be sent back to San Francisco Wednesday to have his left shoulder examined. ``Jack strained it in yesterday's outing,'' manager Bruce Bochy said. ``It's calmed down, but we'll still get it looked at.'' Bochy said OF Eugenio Velez could see playing time in the outfield and at second base. ... The Giants purchased the contract of RHP Dan Giese from Fresno and placed him on the 40-man roster. ... To make room on the 40-man roster for Giese, the Giants moved RHP Merkin Valdez to the 60-day disabled list.
COLORADO: RHP Taylor Buchholz had been experiencing soreness in his right elbow. ``He had an MRI on it today,'' manager Clint Hurdle said. ``We have no results, but he won't be available for the rest of this series.'' ... LHP Dan Serafini will assume Buchholz's long relief role. ``Dan is an experienced veteran with a good track record,'' Hurdle said. ... OF Cory Sullivan was in center field to give OF Willy Taveras a day off. ``The trainers advised me it would be best to give Willy the night off,'' Hurdle said.'' ... Hurdle said he would wait until Sunday to name his rotation for the Sept. 10-13 series in Philadelphia.
LOS ANGELES: The Dodgers' 72-65 record entering play Tuesday would have them leading the NL Central. Even though it was a game and a half better than the division-leading Cubs entering play Tuesday, it was good for third place in the NL West. ... Nomar Garciaparra came off the disabled list Tuesday to play against one of his former teams, the Cubs. Nomar is 6-for-23 against the Cubs in his career. At Wrigley Field he's been a .288 hitter in 229 at_bats with eight homers. He played parts of two seasons (2004 and 2005) with the Cubs. ... The Dodgers recalled OF Delwyn Young, INF Tony Abreu, LHP Eric Stults, RHP Eric Hull and UT Wilson Valdez from Triple-A Las Vegas. Los Angeles moved LHP Hong-Chih Kuo (left elbow inflammation) from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list in order to make room for Valdez on the 40-man roster.
CHICAGO: The Cubs brought up three players from their minor league system Tuesday - recalling LHP Carmen Pignatiello and selecting RHP Kevin Hart and OF Sam Fuld - but it was the player they sent down that the most surprising. Infielder/outfielder Eric Patterson, who'd been promoted from Triple-A just last Saturday, was demoted to Double-A after he arrived late for pre-game activities Monday. ``Obviously he made a mistake. It wasn't the first time this year in the system,'' general manager Jim Hendry said. ``Its nothing to be looked upon lightly. It's a privilege to be called up from the minor league system in the middle of the pennant race. We decided to make the switch. It's a tough lesson learned.'' Patterson, the brother of former Cubs and current Orioles outfielder Corey Patterson, had a brief earlier stint with the Cubs. He was named to the all-Pacific Coast League team as a second baseman after batting .297 with 14 homers and 65 RBIs this season. ... After starting the season 2-12 in one-run games, the Cubs were 17-8 in their last 25.
SAN DIEGO: RHP Greg Maddux has faced 191 straight batters since his last base on balls, a walk to Houston's Roy Oswalt on July 28. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it's the second-longest such streak of his career. Maddux went 289 batters without a walk from June 20-Aug. 12, 2001. ... The Padres plan to add a third catcher in the next few days, general manager Kevin Towers said. C Pete LaForest was claimed off waivers by Atlanta on Tuesday. ... RHP Jake Peavy will face the Diamondbacks on three days' rest Wednesday night. Peavy is 3-0 with a 1.71 ERA against Arizona this year, with 45 strikeouts in 26 1-3 innings. He matched his career high by striking out 16 Diamondbacks on April 25. ...
ARIZONA: OF Carlos Quentin, who came off the disabled list Sept. 1, is hitting only .212, but manager Bob Melvin said he would consider starting him down the stretch. Quentin's replacement, Justin Upton, entered Tuesday hitting .231. ... RHP Livan Hernandez faces San Diego in the final regular-season meeting between the clubs. Hernandez 10-4 with a 3.80 ERA in 21 career games, all starts, against San Diego. ... SS Stephen Drew led off Tuesday night for the 19th time, replacing Chris Young, who had 7 hits in his previous 33 at_bats.
Garciaparra comes off the Dodgers' 15-day disabled list
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHICAGO -- The Los Angeles Dodgers activated infielder Nomar Garciaparra off the 15-day disabled list Tuesday.
The 2006 NL Comeback Player of the Year said that taking the past two days off from running seems to have made the difference. Garciaparra was able to jog without pain Tuesday for the first time since he went on the DL.
''It felt pretty good. That's why we activated it,'' Garciaparra said. ''We knew in the past few days there was still swelling in there. There was still some soreness. That's why we decided to just really kind of shut it down and not really mess with it.''
The six-time All-Star said he would have to be careful running the bases.
''I've got to be pretty smart coming out of the blocks,'' Garciaparra said. ''One little false step or hard step could take me back to square one, where I was before. We don't want to take two steps backwards. We want to continue moving forward.''
Manager Grady Little said he would use Garciaparra as a pinch hitter only in a ''game-breaking'' situation.
''That's the way it will be until he's able to run,'' Little said.
Garciaparra is hitting .280 with six home runs and 57 RBIs.
The Dodgers also recalled outfielder Delwyn Young, infielder Tony Abreu, left-hander Eric Stults, right-hander Eric Hull and utility player Wilson Valdez from Triple-A Las Vegas.
Los Angeles moved left-handed pitcher Hong-Chih Kuo (left elbow inflammation) from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list in order to make room for Valdez on the 40-man roster.
MRI confirms Orioles left-hander Erik Bedard has strained oblique
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Erik Bedard underwent an MRI exam Tuesday that confirmed the Baltimore Orioles left-hander has a strained right oblique muscle.
Bedard, the AL strikeout leader, has been out since allowing six runs in six innings in a loss to the Minnesota Twins on Aug. 26. The defeat was his first since June 10 and ended a nine-game winning streak.
''He is to continue treatments,'' Orioles manager Dave Trembley said before Tuesday night's game at Tampa Bay. ''We wanted to rule out anything further by giving the MRI.''
Bedard's status for possbily pitching again this season will be updated later this week.
''We'll see where he's at when we go back (home) Thursday,'' Trembley said. ''I'll be interested to talk to him. When you're dealing with Bedard, you don't want to take any chances. You want to make sure that he's 100 percent.''
Bedard is 13-5 with a 3.16 ERA and 221 strikeouts in 182 innings.
The Orioles brought up four players from minors Tuesday.
Baltimore recalled catcher Gustavo Molina and infielder Luis Hernandez from Double-A Bowie, and infielder Brandon Fahey from Triple-A Norfolk.
Pitcher Fernando Cabrera had his contract purchased from Norfolk. To make room for Cabrera on the 40-man roster, closer Chris Ray was moved from the 15- to the 60-day disabled list.
Ray underwent right elbow ligament replacement surgery in August and could miss all of the 2008 season.
Right-hander Rob Bell, who was designated for assignment by the Orioles last Thursday, has cleared waivers and could rejoin the team Wednesday.
''I would think something would happen tomorrow,'' Trembley said.
Yankees lose A-Rod and Wang to injuries late in game
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The last few innings were just as costly to the New York Yankees as they were to the Seattle Mariners. Maybe more so.
Alex Rodriguez turned an ankle in the seventh and Chien-Ming Wang walked off the mound gingerly with a stiff lower back an inning later, in the midst of a run-scoring barrage that sent the wild card-leading Yankees to a 12-3 victory over the Mariners on Tuesday night.
Wang smothered Seattle to get his 17th win and tie Boston's Josh Beckett for the major league lead. Jorge Posada homered twice, and A-Rod and Bobby Abreu also homered for New York - with Rodriguez hitting a rare drive into the left-field upper deck.
Rodriguez was hurt during a seven-run seventh inning, when he slid into Adrian Beltre. The Seattle third baseman toppled backward, turning A-Rod's ankle. Rodriguez came out at the end of the inning, and postgame X-rays were negative.
''It's a little sore right now,'' said Rodriguez, who was uncertain whether he'd be available to play Wednesday night. ''I'll see how I feel in the morning.''
The injury to Wang is particularly troublesome because fellow Yankees starter Roger Clemens was already scheduled to receive a cortisone shot Wednesday for his sore right elbow.
Yankees manager Joe Torre said the wait to come back during New York's big seventh likely contributed to Wang's tightness. But Wang said he was confident he'd be ready for his next turn in the rotation. Because of two off days, he isn't scheduled to pitch again until next week at Toronto.
In other AL games, it was Boston 5, Toronto 3; the Los Angeles Angels 4, Oakland 3; Cleveland 7, Minnesota 5; the Chicago White Sox 3, Detroit 1; Baltimore 8, Tampa Bay 4; and Texas 9, Kansas City 8.
Posada, Abreu and Robinson Cano had four hits each for the Yankees, who had 20 hits and broke open the game with three runs in the sixth and seven more in the seventh to make it 11-1.
With a victory in Wednesday's series finale, New York would open a three-game wild-card lead with 3 1/2 weeks to play. New York had lost three of four since sweeping Boston.
Seattle lost for the 10th time in 11 games and was ensured of leaving town trailing the Yankees.
''We just got to bounce back (Wednesday),'' manager John McLaren said. ''Two out, and all we need to do is get that streak we're looking for, get that streak at the right time.''
Wang (17-6) allowed one run and five hits in 7 1-3 innings, throwing just 86 pitches. Inducing inning-ending, double-play grounders in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, Wang improved to 8-2 when pitching following Yankees' losses this season. He has won his last six starts in that situation, and is 6-0 against the Mariners in his career.
Beltre ended Wang's shutout bid with a seventh-inning homer - only the second by a right-handed hitter against Wang this year and the first he allowed to a right-hander at Yankee Stadium since Florida's Miguel Olivo connected on June 23, 2006.
Posada put the Yankees ahead with a leadoff homer in the second off Horacio Ramirez (8-5), and Rodriguez hit his major league-leading 46th homer to make it 2-0 in the sixth, a drive that landed about seven rows deep in the upper deck.
''It doesn't matter where it lands,'' Rodriguez said. ''It only counts for one run.''
White Sox right fielder Jermaine Dye leaves game because of quadriceps injury
ASSOCIATED PRESS
DETROIT -- Chicago White Sox' right fielder Jermaine Dye left Tuesday night's game against the Detroit Tigers after the fourth inning because of a strained left quadriceps, and was listed as day-to-day.
''We'll see tomorrow,'' Dye said. ''It will probably be a couple of days.''
Dye was 1-for-2 with a double before being replaced by Darin Erstad in the field in the bottom of the fifth.
Dye was hitting .247 with 26 homers and 67 RBIs.
Tigers' Rogers reinstated from DL, will start against ChiSox
September 5th, 2007
Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Detroit Tigers pitcher Kenny Rogers was reinstated from the 15-day disabled list Wednesday and will start the club's game against the Chicago White Sox.
The 42-year-old lefty has been on the shelf since July 26th with left elbow inflammation.
Rogers is 3-2 with a 5.23 ERA in just six starts this season.
He missed the first half of the season after undergoing surgery in March to remove a blood clot from his left shoulder and did not make his season debut until June 22nd.
Rogers won 17 games for the Tigers last year and helped the team to the World Series.