| Notes from Thursday's games |
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| Written by Admin |
| Thursday, 31 May 2007 15:45 |
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AMERICAN LEAGUE Tigers-Indians DETROIT: Injuries forced manager Jim Leyland to alter his lineup Thursday for the start of a four-game series in Cleveland. Omar Infante started at 3B and Neifi Perez played 2B. 3B Brandon Inge (chip fracture of left big toe) and SS Carlos Guillen (left groin strain) were out. Inge was hit on the foot by a pitch Tuesday and could miss the next few games. Guillen left Wednesday's game, but ran in the outfield Thursday and hopes to play Friday or Saturday. The Tigers don't think either will have to go on the DL. The injuries left 1B Sean Casey and C Mike Rabelo as the only healthy players on the bench. ... RHP Fernando Rodney (right bicep tendinitis) has been throwing in the bullpen and is expected to come off the DL on Tuesday. ez hit .341 (44-for-129) with four homers, 16 RBIs and seven stolen bases in 30 games at Buffalo. ... RHP Mike Koplove was optioned to Buffalo. He allowed two earned runs in four innings for a 4.50 ERA and had no record in three games for Cleveland after being called up May 23. ... RHP Jake Westbrook, sidelined since May 7 by an abdominal strain, is scheduled to make his first rehab start Friday night for Triple-A Buffalo. ``They have me on a 50-pitch count, then we'll see how it goes from there,'' Westbrook said. ... RHP Adam Miller, the Indians' top pitching prospect, will miss three to four weeks with a strained tendon in his right middle finger. He is 4-1 at Buffalo. --- White Sox-Blue Jays CHICAGO: Manager Ozzie Guillen said he'll continue to use RHP Mike MacDougal as his setup man, even though MacDougal has allowed 13 runs in his past 5 2-3 innings. ``I don't want to take confidence out of him,'' Guillen said. ... With his team stuck in a four-game losing streak, Guillen called on his players to show more aggression. ``They're playing hard but I don't think they're playing hard enough to win,'' he said. ``I don't see the hunger, I don't see the killer instinct.'' ... Starting Thursday, the White Sox do not face an AL Central opponent again until June 29, when they visit Kansas City, a span of 27 games. TORONTO: With an off day scheduled for Monday, Toronto will use a four-man rotation until June 9 when RHP Tomo Ohka will start against the Los Angeles Dodgers. ... 3B Troy Glaus (left hamstring) returned to the lineup Thursday against the White Sox. ... Manager John Gibbons said SS Royce Clayton (sore toe) and C Jason Phillips (neck) were both available for Thursday's game. ... RHP John Thomson (sore shoulder) earned the win for Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday. Thomson is 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA in four starts with the Chiefs. --- Orioles-Angels BALTIMORE: Ten of the Orioles' last 16 games going into Thursday were decided by two runs or less, including all of their previous eight losses. ... The Orioles went 4-6 against the Angels last season, the fourth time in five years they've dropped the season series. Moseley was a candidate for a spot start, but Scioscia said he didn't want to disrupt Moseley's momentum as a late-inning reliever in place of RHP Justin Speier, who is on the DL. --- NATIONAL LEAGUE Padres-Pirates SAN DIEGO: OF Hiram Bocachica was claimed on waivers from the Oakland Athletics and will be activated before Friday night's game in Washington. He has a .212 career average in 472 at-bats with the Dodgers, Tigers, Mariners and Athletics. Manager Bud Black likes that Bocachica provides him an extra right-handed bat off the bench. ... The Padres' eight shutouts in their first 52 games were the most in the majors. ... Jake Peavy, who starts Friday night in Washington, has a 0.33 ERA in road games - one earned run allowed in 27 innings. Peavy is 2-4 with a 4.22 ERA in eight career games against the Nationals. he was 0-2 with a 10.45 ERA in two starts against Los Angeles. --- Dodgers-Nationals LOS ANGELES: RHP Jason Schmidt will join the team in Pittsburgh this weekend after pitching six shutout innings with seven strikeouts in a rehabilitation start Wednesday night for Class-A Inland Empire. Manager Grady Little would not say when he expects Schmidt (right shoulder inflammation) to come off the 15-day DL. ... Little declined to name a starter for Saturday's game against Pittsburgh, and he left open the possibility that someone could be called up from Triple-A Las Vegas. ... More than 20 players and team officials, including 1B Nomar Garciaparra and LF Luis Gonzalez toured the Pentagon Wednesday. WASHINGTON: RHP Shawn Hill learned that his pitching elbow is not seriously injured and that his recovery from a strained left shoulder can proceed as planned. Hill (3-3, 2.70 ERA), who is on the 15-day disabled list, felt discomfort in his pitching elbow after changing his mechanics to compensate for a left shoulder strain that he suffered on April 20 while running the bases. He had his elbow examined yesterday by an orthopedist in Cleveland and won't throw again until his left shoulder is pain-free. ... RHP Levale Speigner will start Saturday against San Diego despite having surrendered 17 earned runs in 10 1-3 innings over his last three starts. --- Giants-Mets SAN FRANCISCO: Barry Bonds put on another impressive show in batting practice. He homered on five straight swings, hitting four shots far up the scoreboard in right-center field. Booed when he stepped in for BP, he drew a few cheers for the power display. ... OF Dave Roberts celebrated his 35th birthday. ... The Giants had a chance to even the all-time series at Shea Stadium. They went into the game with a 124-125 mark at the ballpark. NEW YORK: LF Ben Johnson got his first start for the Mets. Acquired in a trade with San Diego last November and promoted from Triple-A New Orleans this week, Johnson went 0-for-2 in the Mets' 12-inning win Tuesday night. ``I like his energy,'' manager Willie Randolph said. ``I don't like my guys to sit too long.'' ... 2B Jose Valentin (torn knee ligament) played five innings in the field at Mets' extended spring training. He went 0-for-4 with a walk. --- Marlins-Brewers main the team's closer. MILWAUKEE: 2B Rickie Weeks is day-to-day with an injury to his right wrist. Craig Counsell started at second for the second straight day and RF Corey Hart took Weeks' leadoff spot in the order. Hart has started four consecutive games and has at least one hit in each contest. ... The Brewers started the season 25-11 but won only four of their next 17. Over that stretch, the team scored three runs or fewer 12 times. ... The team used its eighth consecutive different starting lineup when it began its four-game series with the Marlins. --- Reds-Astros n was placed on the 15-day disabled list on May 22. ... OF Ryan Freel met with a head and neck specialist on Thursday and will see the doctor again next Tuesday, Narron said. Freel suffered contusions to his head and neck after colliding with right fielder Norris Hopper in the third inning of Monday's 4-0 win over Pittsburgh in Cincinnati. Freel was placed on the 15-day disabled list and Narron doctors haven't told him when he can expect to get Freel back. HOUSTON: Manager Phil Garner is running out of possible tweaks he can make to the lineup to shake the Astros out of their hitting slump. 2B Craig Biggio was back in the leadoff spot Thursday, despite a .212 average in May. Garner said he's considered moving 1B Lance Berkman around in the order. Berkman remained in his regular No. 3 spot on Thursday, despite hitting .237 this month. ``You've got to have somebody sitting in the middle (of the lineup) that's going to drive in a run,'' Garner said. ... Brad Ausmus was the Astros' catcher for the second time in Woody Williams' 12 starts. Williams has mostly used backup catcher Humberto Quintero. --- Cardinals-Rockies ST. LOUIS: OF Chris Duncan returned to St. Louis to have more tests on his left knee. ``Duncan is feeling better, but he still has the infection,'' manager Tony La Russa said. ``He's better off being at home and letting the antibiotics take effect.'' ... 1B Albert Pujols was out of the starting lineup. ``He needed a day off,'' La Russa said. ``He's been wearing down.'' ... By winning his first career start, RHP Todd Wellemeyer earned a second start Tuesday when the Cardinals play Cincinnati. ... La Russa senses a change in the way the baseball is flying because of the humidor at Coors Field. ``I think the people have reached a happy medium with the humidor,'' he said. ``I noticed a year ago when we hit balls hard they barely made the warning track.'' COLORADO: OF Willy Taveras was held out of the starting lineup for the third straight game. Taveras had a ball smash off his right index finger on a bunt attempt. ... RHP Josh Fogg will be sent to Triple-A Colorado Springs for a rehab assignment on Saturday. Fogg is on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left groin. ``He said he's feeling pretty good,'' manager Clint Hurdle said. ... OF Brad Hawpe has seven homers since May 16, the most in the majors in that span. ``It's a welcomed sight and a big part of our offense,'' Hurdle said. ... OF Matt Holliday leads the majors with 10 three-hit games. |
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