Last Updated on May 21, 2007 9:32 pm by admin
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Red Sox-Yankees
s is a good step.” … The Red Sox entered with a 10 1/2-game lead in the AL East over Baltimore and New York, but 3B Mike Lowell wasn’t looking at this three-game series as a chance to put away the Yankees. “I don’t think anything’s a knockout punch until you get to September and that calculator is putting some bad percentages on it,” Lowell said. … Francona praised SS Julio Lugo, in his first season with the Red Sox. “He’s got a lot of energy and I think the Boston atmosphere is bringing out the best of that personality,” the manager said.
to start Friday night against the Angels. Clippard beat the Mets in his impressive major league debut Sunday night. DeSalvo is 1-1 with a 3.71 ERA in three starts for the Yankees. Of the two, DeSalvo is the one in the bullpen for now because Torre said he figures DeSalvo is probably better equipped to handle that role.
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Mariners-Indians
SEATTLE: The Mariners are on a 10-day road trip in which they will fly a total of 6,273 miles. The team flew from Seattle to Cleveland on Sunday to play Monday night, the makeup of a snowed out game on April 6. They’ll play in Tampa Bay (three games), Kansas City (three) and Los Angeles (three) before returning home to play Texas on May 31. … 1B Richie Sexson, who entered Monday in an 0-for-15 slump, was back in the lineup after not playing Saturday and Sunday. He was 4-for-27 on the Mariners’ recent homestand. “He’s been working in the cages the last couple of days and he’s swinging better,” manager Mike Hargrove said. … OF Raul Ibanez (sore lower back) may return to the lineup in the next day or two. His back has bothered him since the Mariners flew from Detroit to Seattle earlier this month. He played on Friday, which only made the condition worse, Hargrove said.
CLEVELAND: Grady Sizemore finally got caught. Cleveland’s speedy leadoff hitter was thrown out trying to steal second Sunday against Cincinnati, ending his streak of 15 straight steals to start the season. Sizemore was the first Indians player since 1957 to open the season with 15 straight steals. “It’s unusual that it goes this late in the season until somebody gets caught like that,” Indians manager Eric Wedge said Monday, “especially somebody as aggressive as him.” Sizemore is just seven steals shy of his total for all of last season. He didn’t get his 16th steal of 2006 until July 30, the Indians’ 103rd game. Sizemore entered Monday’s game leading the AL in steals. … Indians pitchers entered Monday having issued a major league-low 110 walks. … The Indians are 7-0 in home series.
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Twins-Rangers
, so Mauer won’t be eased back into the lineup as a DH. “He hasn’t done any running or squatting,” Gardenhire said. “So he’s a ways away. There’s no timetable. We want him to be able to catch. I don’t want him to take off running and pop something.” Mauer has been out since May 6 with a strained left quad.
TEXAS: Injuries to regulars have provided opportunities for reserves like 3B Ramon Vazquez, OF Victor Diaz, and utility man Matt Kata, and so far, manager Ron Washington has been pleased with the results. Vazquez went 6-for-7 as a starter against Houston over the weekend. “They’re doing what they’re supposed to do as role players, helping out any way that they can,” said Washington, who played multiple positions off the bench during his 564-game major league career. … Washington has been trying to get his hitters to try to manufacture runs, but the Rangers lead the majors in homers and are scoring more than 40 percent of their runs with the long ball. “The problem is getting people on base so we can get more than one (with a home run),” Washington said.
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Athletics-White Sox
OAKLAND: RHP Colby Lewis will be called up from Triple-A Sacramento to start Tuesday’s game against the White Sox, manager Bob Geren said. “Our Triple-A staff said he’s thrown very well,” Geren said. “He has pretty good command and he has big league experience. They felt he was pitching the best and would be the right guy.” Lewis is 12-13 with a 6.76 ERA in 46 major league games, 33 starts. … OF Milton Bradley was out of the starting lineup for the seventh consecutive game with a strained left hamstring. “He’s close but he’s still not ready yet,” Geren said. “He just felt it a little bit still.” Bradley came off the DL on May 11 after being placed there on April 23 because of the hamstring. … RHP Justin Duchscherer (sore right hip) received a cortisone shot on May 17 to help with the pain but said he still isn’t ready to pitch. “I feel worse today than yesterday,” Duchscherer said, adding that the three-hour plane flight to Chicago didn’t help.
ring play Monday. … SS Juan Uribe missed the game to be with his mother, who is sick.
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
Nationals-Reds
WASHINGTON: LF Ryan Church was out of the lineup a day after he was hit on the left forearm by a pitch. “I would say he’ll need one day off,” manager Manny Acta said. “It’s still swollen. He’s having a tough time gripping the bat. He was due for a day off anyway.” Church and 3B Ryan Zimmerman were the only Nationals to play in all of the first 44 games. … Zimmerman started and doubled home the first of Washington’s four runs in the first inning off Bronson Arroyo. Washington sent 10 batters to the plate during the 20-minute rally. Arroyo threw 49 pitches. … SS Felipe Lopez and RF Austin Kearns returned to Cincinnati for the first time since they were part of an eight-player trade last July 13. Kearns hit a two-run homer in his second at-bat.
, another step in his recovery from reconstructive elbow surgery. He hopes to be pitching on a rehabilitation assignment soon. “What you’re looking for his how the ball comes out of your hand and whether you’re pain-free,” Guardado said. “No pain. I’m looking forward to the next step.”
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Rockies-Diamondbacks
COLORADO: RHP LaTroy Hawkins, who has missed 27 games with right elbow inflammation, has thrown on back-to-back days at Triple-A Colorado Springs and could be activated Tuesday, manager Clint Hurdle said. … Monday was Colorado’s 32nd straight day alone in last place in the NL West. Hurdle reacted to what he called the “public perception” that the Rockies haven’t made enough moves to try to improve. “We are not sitting on our hands,” he said. “Most people don’t have any idea of the conversations that are held internally or the challenges that are put on us, and you’re not going to because it’s really none of your business. But at the same time, we have an accountability that we do want to share and get our message out loud and clear.”
ARIZONA: CF Chris Young, nagged by a groin injury, didn’t start for the third straight game Monday night. He could return to the lineup Tuesday. … 3B Chad Tracy, on the disabled list with a rib injury, is eligible to come off the disabled list May 31. When he does, manager Bob Melvin may have to make a decision about whether to demote INF Mark Reynolds. Reynolds was playing for Double-A Mobile a week ago, but he had seven hits in his first 18 at-bats (.389) with a double, triple and home run. … LHP Randy Johnson has allowed five earned runs in his last three starts, a span of 17 2-3 innings. Johnson also has won his last two starts, at Colorado May 15 and at Pittsburgh May 20.
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Brewers-Dodgers
MILWAUKEE: RHP Matt Wise had a special visitor before Monday night’s game at Los Angeles. It was Det. Mike Jacobellis from the LAPD, who’ll retire next month after 32 1/2 years on the job. Jacobellis was Wise’s Little League coach. … The Brewers, who began their six-game West Coast road trip with a 27-17 record, haven’t finished a season with a winning record since going 92-70 in 1992. The 14-year drought ties Pittsburgh for the longest in the majors. … RHP Greg Aquino, sidelined since April 21 because of tightness in his forearm, was sent to Triple-A Nashville to begin a rehab assignment. … RHP Chris Spurling, recalled from the minors on April 25, is the only player who has been added to the Brewers’ 25-man roster since opening day. The 26 players they have used are the fewest in the majors. Last season they tied a franchise record for the most players used (49).
LOS ANGELES: When Cleveland received an NBA expansion franchise back in 1970, the club held a contest to select the nickname for the team. RHP Brett Tomko’s father, Jerry, who was born and raised in the Cleveland area, submitted “Cavaliers” and won the contest – which included 11,000 entries. “He drew a little swashbuckler guy and wrote why it should be the Cavaliers,” Tomko said. “He got season tickets for a year and also was supposed to get an autographed basketball, which he never got. He’s still kind of bitter about it. Maybe they’ll send him a LeBron (James) jersey – or send me one.” … Manager Grady Little flip-flopped the first two batters in his lineup, putting CF Juan Pierre in the leadoff spot and SS Rafael Furcal second. He also moved C Russell Martin up to the five-hole. “Changing our lineup doesn’t necessarily have anything to with anyone’s non-production in a certain spot. It was for the sole purpose of giving the entire lineup a different look and see if it makes a difference,” Little said after watching his offense score only four runs in their three straight losses to the Angels. “I don’t know how long it will last. It might last the rest of the season. I don’t know.”
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Astros-Giants
HOUSTON: Even with slugger Barry Bonds in a funk, Astros manager Phil Garner doesn’t intend to let No. 25 beat him if he can help it. “It still depends on the situation,” Garner said. “The same thing with (Albert) Pujols or any of the better hitters. Unfortunately, the home run chase isn’t any different part of the equation for us – it’s whether he can beat you.” … The teams played for the second time in a week after Houston took two of three at Minute Maid Park. Having just seen the Giants helps some. “It’s still fresh,” Garner said. “They’re a club we’re not really comfortable with because we don’t see them much. We know them now.” … Houston’s 11 wins in May heading into its two-city, seven-game road trip matched the club’s victory total from April.
Former Olympic figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi threw out the ceremonial first pitch on Japanese Heritage Night.