AMERICAN LEAGUE
Rangers-Angels
TEXAS: Texas has been outscored 31-8 in the first inning this season, including 10-0 in this series after Los Angeles scored four times Monday. … Rangers 1B Mark Teixeira’s first-inning single stretched his hitting streak to 12 games. RHP Kevin Millwood allowed four runs and three hits with three walks in his first start since going on the disabled list April 28 with a strained left hamstring.
LOS ANGELES: The Angels scored at least six runs in each of the four games against Texas. … Vladimir Guerrero has 21 homers and 51 RBIs in 61 career games against the Rangers, but drove in just one run in the four-game series. … Casey Kotchman’s first-inning grand slam was the second of his career. It was also his second homer off Millwood in three career at-bats.
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Tigers-Red Sox
DETROIT: Manager Jim Leyland said it’s “not a slam dunk” that injured right-hander Jeremy Bonderman will pitch Friday when his turn in the rotation comes up. Bonderman missed his start Sunday with a cut on the middle finger of his pitching hand. He’ll go on the disabled list if he can’t pitch Friday, Leyland said. … 2B Placido Polanco was not in the starting lineup because of a stiff back. … Relievers Jason Grilli and Wilfredo Ledezma were not available after combining for 103 pitches in 3 2-3 innings in Sunday’s 16-4 loss to Minnesota, Leyland said. “We’re probably in a dilemma for a day or so” in the bullpen.
BOSTON: Manager Terry Francona wants to see how the cut on RHP Josh Beckett’s middle finger of his throwing hand heals before deciding if Beckett will start Friday. Beckett (7-0) left Sunday’s 6-5 win over Baltimore after four innings, his shortest outing of the season. … LF Manny Ramirez started in left field after leaving Sunday’s game after eight innings with a tight hamstring. … Sunday’s win was the first time since April 29, 1979, that a team won in nine innings after being shutout for the first eight and trailing by at least five runs. … RF J.D. Drew made his third error of the season in the first inning in his 35th game. He made just five in 146 games last year with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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Orioles-Blue Jays
BALTIMORE: 3B Melvin Mora, who missed Sunday’s game with a bruised right palm, returned to the lineup for Monday’s game against Toronto. … With two days off scheduled in the next week, manager Sam Perlozzo said he may skip LHP Brian Burres after his next outing. Burres (1-3) will start Wednesday’s series finale against Toronto. … Perlozzo said he’s not worried about the status of closer Chris Ray, who gave up three runs and blew the save in Sunday’s 6-5 loss to Boston. “We just hope that’s something that’s not going to continue,” Perlozzo said.
TORONTO: 3B Troy Glaus (sore left heel) returned to the lineup Monday. Glaus left Friday’s game after his first at-bat when he injured his heel while running out a fly ball. Glaus did not play Saturday or Sunday. He missed 14 games with the same injury earlier this season. … RHP Roy Halladay, who had an appendectomy on Friday, said he hopes to be pitching again in four weeks. Doctors have told Halladay to avoid strenuous activity for two weeks, so he’ll limit himself to playing catch and riding a bicycle. … RHP Jesse Litsch, who was 5-1 with an 0.96 ERA at Double-A New Hampshire, will make his major league debut when he starts in Halladay’s place against Baltimore on Tuesday.
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Royals-Athletics
ed to move some people around, it’s nice that he has the versatility that we need.” … INF Angel Berroa was recalled from Triple-A Omaha to take Gload’s place. Berroa, the 2003 AL Rookie of the Year, was demoted to the minors late in spring training after coming into camp as the team’s starting shortstop. But with Berroa having a rough spring, the Royals acquired Tony Pena Jr. in a trade with the Atlanta Braves and gave him the starting job. “We’re happy to have him back,” Bell said. “He’s very deserving of it. He did what we asked him to do when he went down there.”
OAKLAND: RHP Esteban Loaiza pitched two innings in an extended spring training game in Arizona, allowing three runs, four hits and no walks against Angels minor leaguers. Loaiza, who has been on the DL since March 25 with spasms in his throwing shoulder, could pitch in a real minor league game this weekend. … OF Mark Kotsay also played, getting his first game action since undergoing lower back surgery in March and went 1-for-3. … The A’s will hold a rare in-season pitchers’ fielding practice before Wednesday’s game. Oakland pitchers have made only two errors this season, but manager Bob Geren wants to make PFPs a regular drill this season. “I’ve been on teams where you make a couple of mistakes and then you start doing it,” manager Bob Geren said. “It’s better as a team to know you’re going to do it a certain amount of times.”
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
Marlins-Pirates
FLORIDA: RF Jeremy Hermida, out with a deep bone bruise on his right knee, was in the starting lineup Monday night for the first time this season. He was 1-for-5 on a rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Albuquerque last weekend. Manager Fredi Gonzalez plans to start him regularly, despite the long layoff and the stress fracture in an ankle that sidelined him late last season. … Gonzalez hasn’t decided whether newly acquired RHP Byung-Hyun Kim will be a starter or reliever. Kim was 1-2 with a 10.50 ERA in three relief appearances for Colorado before going on the disabled list with a bruised right thumb on April 16. The Rockies had not recalled him before dealing them for former Marlins closer Jorge Julio. Gonzalez said, “I don’t know if we’ll use him in relief or the starting rotation – wherever he helps the club better.” Gonzalez wouldn’t rule out using Kim as a closer at times.
Jose Bautista could return by Thursday or Friday from the sprained ankle that occurred during a collision at the plate Sunday against Atlanta. The injury initially appeared much worse, and both Bautista and Tracy were relieved upon hearing the prognosis. Bautista is wearing an air cast on the ankle but is not on crutches.
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Braves-Nationals
ATLANTA: 3B Chipper Jones did not start for the third straight day because of bruised wrists and thumbs. He was originally in the starting lineup, but was scratched before the game. … RHP John Smoltz turns 40 on Tuesday. … LHP Mike Gonzalez entered Monday with 14 consecutive scoreless appearances and had converted 30 straight save opportunities.
Manny Acta said.
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Brewers-Phillies
MILWAUKEE: C Johnny Estrada’s second-inning solo shot gave the Brewers at least one homer in 10 straight games for the first time since June 10-20, 2004. … Claudio Vargas (3-0, 2.65) takes the mound Tuesday night. The Brewers are 6-0 in his starts this season. … 1B Prince Fielder’s first-inning double gave him hits in 17 of 20 games. … 2B Rickie Weeks has reached safely in 32 of 35 games this season.
PHILADELPHIA: Closer Tom Gordon, on the disabled list with a rotator cuff strain, was released from the hospital after going in Friday with an upper respiratory infection. … Two days after scoring 11 runs with Aaron Rowand batting third and Jimmy Rollins in his customary leadoff spot, manager Charlie Manuel flip-flopped the two players in his lineup. … Adam Eaton (3-3, 7.43 ERA) tries for his second straight quality start Tuesday night. Eaton has struggled since signing a free-agent contract in the offseason. … Chase Utley was hit by a pitch for the 13th time, which leads the majors.
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Cubs-Mets
ajor leagues with a .390 batting average, went back to Chicago for tests and was not at the game. Mark DeRosa started at 1B – and planned to use Lee’s mitt. Lee had started all 35 games for the Cubs this season. “Nothing serious, and we think he’ll be here tomorrow,” manager Lou Piniella said. “He’s day to day. We’ll see how he is when he gets here.” … For the first time this year, LF Alfonso Soriano moved from the leadoff spot to No. 3 in the lineup, where Lee normally hits. “Since we’ve moved him to left field, he’s picked it up. He really has,” Piniella said. Soriano doubled and scored in the first inning, one day after his career-best 20-game hitting streak was snapped in Philadelphia. He has reached base in all 30 games he’s played in this year. … 2B Ryan Theriot batted leadoff. … Henry Blanco started behind the plate to give C Michael Barrett a rest. Blanco entered 5-for-11 (.455) with three RBIs against Mets starter Tom Glavine.
playing good. It’s early. Hopefully this will heal and allow me to play the rest of the year injury-free.” Endy Chavez started in LF again. … LHP Jason Vargas is likely to be called up from Triple-A New Orleans to start Thursday against the Cubs. Vargas didn’t pitch Sunday for the Zephyrs as originally scheduled. New York would need to make room on the 25-man roster for Vargas, which could make it more likely Alou would land on the DL if he wasn’t ready to play. … RHP Guillermo Mota, serving a 50-game steroids suspension, has left extended spring training in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and was set to begin his rehab assignment with New Orleans at Las Vegas.
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Reds-Padres
CINCINNATI: LHP Eddie Guardado threw 20 pitches of live batting practice as he continues rehabilitation from reconstructive elbow surgery Sept. 8. … San Diego native Aaron Harang is scheduled to start in his hometown for the fourth time in his career Tuesday. The right-hander is 3-0 with a 3.20 ERA in 19 2-3 innings in San Diego. That includes a 2-0 record and 2.57 ERA in 14 innings in two starts at Petco Park. He will oppose fellow San Diegan David Wells.
SAN DIEGO: C Rob Bowen isn’t expected to land on the disabled list despite suffering a deep bruise on his right elbow when he was hit by a pitch Sunday by Jason Isringhausen of St. Louis. “He should be able to do everything in one to two days,” manager Bud Black said. … RHP Clay Hensley, on the disabled list because of a groin strain, threw a bullpen session and was reported to be OK. He is eligible to be activated Friday.
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Cardinals-Dodgers
ST. LOUIS: The Cardinals entered their three-game series against the Dodgers with 110 runs scored, 17 homers and a .234 team batting average – all big-league lows. “We’re probably watching tapes of when I played,” said manager Tony La Russa, whose team had one homer this month – by Chris Duncan on May 1. … When asked about his team’s offensive woes, SS David Eckstein said he could only look at himself. “I’ve got to turn it around,” said Eckstein, the World Series MVP last fall who’s hitting .207. “I’ve got to find a way to get the swing back, be more productive. It’s been very strange – not normal.” … The Cardinals swept the Dodgers 7-0 last season and are 15-4 in regular-season games between the teams dating back to 2004. … The Cardinals’ 15-20 start to the season was their worst since 1986, when they were 14-21 after 35 games.
LOS ANGELES: RHP Jason Schmidt, sidelined since April 14 because of inflammation in his pitching shoulder, threw 45 pitches off a mound Sunday. “It’s coming along,” he said. “There’s no timetable. I’m pushing it as fast as I can.” Manager Grady Little would only say Schmidt is progressing. “That’s certainly better than regressing,” Little said. Schmidt, 1-2 with a 7.36 ERA in three starts, signed a three-year, $47 million contract last winter. … Little said Wilson Betemit and rookie Andy LaRoche will split time at third base for the time being. Betemit started his second straight game Monday night. “It’s a situation where we’ve got a couple good players there and both will get a lot of playing time,” Little said. … 1B Nomar Garciaparra entered Monday night’s game hitting .391 at home and .225 on the road. … The Dodgers entered Monday night’s game with a 19-0 record when getting more hits than their opponents.
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