Notes from Sunday’s games

 

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Angels-Red Sox
LOS ANGELES: INF Chone Figgins has started to throw and “the next thing will be to get him in the (batting) cage,” manager Mike Scioscia said. Figgins is recovering from fractures to two fingers on his right hand. … Sunday’s rainout pushed back the return of RHP Jered Weaver (tendinitis in his right forearm). Scioscia did not announce a new date for Weaver’s next start. … Los Angeles is 1-5 after starting the season 5-1. … The Angels were outscored 18-1 in the first two games of the series.
the game was rained out.
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White Sox-Indians
CHICAGO: Although starter Jose Contreras and three relievers combined on a one-hitter, the White Sox lost 2-1 to the Indians, whose only hit came on a leadoff double by Grady Sizemore in the first. The last time the White Sox lost while allowing one hit was Aug. 23, 2005, against Minnesota. … With LHP C.C. Sabathia on the mound, manager Ozzie Guillen shook up his lineup and sat DH Jim Thome, C A.J. Pierzynski and OF Scott Podsednik – all lefties – for the series finale. Guillen also moved Darin Erstad from center field to first base for the first time since the 32-year-old signed with Chicago as a free agent. Erstad, who played nearly 600 games at first for the Angels, had a throwing error in the second inning. … The White Sox had three errors after making just five in their first 10 games.
e future,” Shapiro said. The Indians hold a $4.75 million option on Hafner for next year. … C Victor Martinez, sidelined since straining a quadriceps muscle on opening day, is expected to be back in the lineup Tuesday in New York. … With 10 strikeouts, C.C. Sabathia has reached double digits in Ks nine times in his career.
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Tigers-Blue Jays
DETROIT: Five Detroit players honored Jackie Robinson by wearing No. 42, including C Ivan Rodriguez. The others were outfielders Curtis Granderson, Craig Monroe, Gary Sheffield and Marcus Thames. … Magglio Ordonez started at DH because of a gash on his lower left leg. Ordonez was hurt Saturday when he was hit by a broken bat. … Thames was originally in the lineup but was scratched just before gametime because of flulike symptoms.
Jays wore No. 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson – hitting coach Mickey Brantley, SS Royce Clayton, DH Frank Thomas and OF Vernon Wells.
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Rangers-Mariners
TEXAS: If manager Ron Washington is going to give guys a day off, he wants to do it early in the season before they get into a groove. That’s why 3B Hank Blalock sat out Sunday, but the move backfired. His backup, Matt Kata, had two errors and misplayed another grounder. The Rangers had six errors in the final two games of the series with Seattle. “The second day we started to make some mistakes and it all went downhill,” Washington said. “That’s baseball. I just don’t want my guys panicking.” … 2B Ian Kinsler continued his early power hitting, connecting for his sixth homer in the ninth inning off Seattle closer J.J. Putz. Kinsler is second in the AL behind Yankees star Alex Rodriguez. … Washington didn’t think he’d have DH Sammy Sosa in the lineup Tuesday night when the Rangers play in Chicago against the White Sox. RHP Jon Garland is scheduled to start for Chicago.
ly. “I thought I did a good job of staying sharp,” Ramirez said. “I felt fine.” … 1B Richie Sexson continued to hit nothing but extra-base hits. He doubled in the first for his fifth hit of the season – three doubles and two homers. … Seattle is the only team in baseball yet to face a left-handed starter. That should change Thursday, when the Mariners are scheduled to face Minnesota lefty Johan Santana.
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Devil Rays-Twins
TAMPA BAY: LF Carl Crawford wore No. 42 to honor Jackie Robinson. … Tampa Bay has played just three games at home. The Devil Rays play 30 of their next 44 games in Florida. … With Sunday’s win, the Devil Rays split a four-game set at the Metrodome. Before the series, Tampa Bay lost 10 straight in Minnesota.
MINNESOTA: CF Torii Hunter and first base coach Jerry White wore No. 42 in tribute to Jackie Robinson. … C Joe Mauer was presented with the Silver Bat, emblematic of winning the 2006 AL batting championship. Mauer, who sat out for the first time this season, was the first catcher to win the AL crown when he hit .347 last year. … Justin Morneau, the AL MVP, was also given his Silver Slugger award. … The Twins have played 10 home games, tops in the major leagues. They are off Monday and start a three-game series at Seattle on Tuesday.
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Yankees-Athletics
NEW YORK: Injured LF Hideki Matsui, on the DL with a strained left hamstring, took some fly balls and is progressing. He could travel to Tampa, Fla., as soon as Monday night to continue his rehab, perhaps getting into a game by later in the week. “I feel really good right now. Things are going pretty well,” he said. “I don’t think anxious is the word. If you’re injured, you’re injured. You have to do what you have to do to get healthy.” … RHP Chris Britton was called up from Triple-A Scranton. He spent Saturday night in Toronto before receiving a 4:30 a.m. wake-up call to fly to Oakland in time for the game.
OAKLAND: CF Milton Bradley missed his fourth straight game – on his 29th birthday – with a strained left hamstring. Athletics manager Bob Geren hopes Bradley will return to the lineup for Tuesday’s home game against the Los Angeles Angels. If he’s not ready, the A’s will consider putting him on the DL. … 2B Mark Ellis sat out for the second consecutive game since being hit in the left shoulder blade by Brian Bruney’s pitch Friday night. … 3B Eric Chavez stole his second base of the year. … RHP Rich Harden allowed a hit to a right-handed batter for the first time this year on Alex Rodriguez’s popup that fell in shallow right-center in the fourth.
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
Reds-Cubs
CINCINNATI: LF Adam Dunn was a late scratch Sunday after feeling a sharp pain in his back when he grabbed the dugout rail on the way to the field. “It felt like two knives went in my back,” he said. Dunn, batting .326 with four homers, expects to play Monday against Milwaukee even though he had a tough time taking deep breaths and was unable to lay on his stomach when he got to the clubhouse. … SS Alex Gonzalez missed his third consecutive game while tending to his 7-month-old son, who is hospitalized in Venezuela. The Reds hope to have him back Monday. … C David Ross started Sunday and went 0-for-3, dropping his average to .083. “We’re doing everything we can to get David Ross on track swinging the bat,” manager Jerry Narron said. Ross hit .255 with 21 homers and 52 RBI in 90 games last season.
CHICAGO: Manager Lou Piniella said he’s “hopefully optimistic” 3B Aramis Ramirez will be able to play Monday against San Diego, after missing three straight games with tendinitis in his right wrist. He is batting .406 this season, after hitting .291 with 38 homers and 119 RBIs last year. … Utility player Ryan Theriot, who has been starting for Ramirez, continued to make a case for more playing time, collecting three hits Sunday to raise his average to .381. “I’m going to play people who are getting the job done, and he’s swinging the bat well,” Piniella said. “We’ve got to find a place to put him. … The kid deserves to play.” … Reliever Scott Eyre spent Saturday night in the hospital with flu-like symptoms.
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Marlins-Braves
FLORIDA: In honor of the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color line in major league baseball, Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said: “I think everyone should be real appreciative and aware of the struggles he went through to play the game. I wish I had met him.” … Rookie RHP Rick Vanden Hurk got his first major league hit on Sunday, a bloop single to left in the fourth inning. … Rookie RHP Matt Lindstrom, throwing a 98 mph fast ball, struck out the three Braves he faced in the eighth. … Rookie OF Alejandro De Aza, still hobbled by an ankle injury after playing the first eight games and getting a hit in each, pinch hit in the ninth and grounded out to end the game… RHP Ricky Nolasco threw in the bullpen and said he felt all right. He’s been on the DL because of right elbow inflammation and is eligible to be activated April 22. … Entering Sunday’s game, the Marlins led the NL in hitting (.295) and the majors in extra-base hits (46).
Lance Cormier, on the 15-day DL with a strained right triceps, threw in the bullpen before the game. He’ll wait until Monday to see if there’s any soreness. … Saturday night’s rainout was only the 10th postponement in the 11-year history of Turner Field and the first in April. A makeup date has not yet been announced. … Hudson’s start was the 250th of his career.
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Brewers-Cardinals
MILWAUKEE: Tony Gwynn’s pinch-hit single in the seventh was the Brewers’ first of the season. The team started 0-for-13. … LHP Chris Capuano opens a two-game series at Cincinnati on Monday with a chance to give his team its first winning trip of more than three games since Aug. 15-21, 2005. Milwaukee was 27-54 on the road last season, second-worst in the NL, and is 3-2 on the road this season. Capuano had been scheduled to pitch Saturday but was pushed back two days after Friday’s game was postponed by rain.
ies against the Pirates after being pushed back two days. He completed warmup tosses before a rainout on Friday.
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Padres-Dodgers
SAN DIEGO: OF Mike Cameron wore No. 42 to pay tribute to Jackie Robinson, who became the first black player in the majors on April 15, 1947 for the Brooklyn Dodgers. “We spoke five or six days ago about tonight,” manager Bud Black said. “He wanted to wear (No. 42), he felt like he should wear it.” … Entering Sunday’s game, the Padres had outscored their opponents 19-1 from the seventh inning on after being outscored 30-22 in the first six innings. … C Pete Laforest made his Padres debut Saturday night, and impressed Black. “I thought Pete did a very good job with Jake (Peavy),” Black said. “He caught him in spring training. They didn’t seem to miss a beat.” Peavy (2-0) allowed three hits and one run in seven innings. Laforest, who played previously in the majors with Tampa Bay in 2003 and 2005, also had an RBI single.
ay night, wasn’t in the lineup Sunday night. “We know he’s going to get out of it, we have to make sure he knows he’s going to get out of it,” Little said. “He’s a confident young man, he knows what he’s capable of doing.” … Jackie Robinson was named the NL’s first Rookie of the Year in 1947, and it started a trend. Since that time, 16 Dodgers have won the award, which now bears his name.
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Rockies-Diamondbacks
COLORADO: Manager Clint Hurdle says RHP Josh Fogg will be available to bolster his depleted bullpen when the Rockies open a seven-game home stand Monday against San Francisco. Fogg had been scheduled to start Wednesday against Los Angeles but was pushed back when RHP Rodrigo Lopez missed his start Sunday with a sore elbow. Lopez will start Wednesday and Fogg on Thursday. … The Rockies left 11 on base Sunday and 31 in the three-game series against Arizona. … Todd Helton, who had a solo homer and RBI single in Sunday’s 6-4 loss, has driven in more runs (102) and scored more runs (110) against the Diamondbacks than any other player. Barry Bonds is a distant second with 83 runs and 88 RBIs.
ARIZONA: OF Carlos Quentin went 2-for-3 with Triple-A Tucson against Colorado Springs on Sunday and could be activated from the 15-day disabled list on Monday. … The Diamondbacks expect the crowd to give a warm welcome when Luis Gonzalez on Monday night makes his first trip to Arizona since leaving the team after last season and signing with the Dodgers. Gonzalez – the face of the Arizona franchise for eight years – wanted to re-sign with the Diamondbacks but was told the team wasn’t interested. … 2B Orlando Hudson, who is batting .412, has reached base in all 13 games this season, 11 with hits and two by walks.