Last Updated on June 8, 2007 10:03 pm by admin
INTERLEAGUE
Mets-Tigers
DETROIT: Tigers manager Jim Leyland said before Friday’s series opener with the Mets that he thinks RP Joel Zumaya (finger) and C Vance Wilson (elbow) could miss the rest of the season. “The reports are that Joel Zumaya will be back in August,” Leyland said. “However, I’m not in any way, shape or form counting on that, and it would not surprise me if he was not ready to pitch before the season is over.” Wilson, who has missed the entire year, reinjured his elbow while on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo. … Curtis Granderson is on pace to hit 33 triples this season. That would break Sam Crawford’s 93-year-old franchise record of 26, and threaten Owen Wilson’s major-league record of 36, set in 1912.
NEW YORK: OF Ricky Ledee started Friday against Detroit in left field after having his contract purchased from Triple-A New Orleans earlier in the day. Ledee hit .188 with two homers in a combined 67 games with the Mets and Dodgers this season. He was released by Oakland during spring training before signing a minor league deal with the Mets. He hit .287 with eight homers in 55 games for the Zephyrs. To make room for Ledee, the Mets optioned OF David Newhan to New Orleans. … The Mets made their first visit to Comerica Park this weekend. They had been the last major league franchise to visit the stadium, though they played at Tiger Stadium in 1997. They would have played at Comerica Park last October had they won Game 7 of the NLCS against St. Louis.
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Devil Rays-Marlins
TAMPA BAY: 3B Akinori Iwamura (eye injury) returned to the lineup Friday after missing five games. He was in the leadoff spot for the second time this season, after going 2-for-4 there against Kansas City on June 2 – the game where he suffered the bruised left eye. … SS Brendan Harris batted seventh for the first time this season. … The Rays’ 26-32 record is the best 58-game mark in franchise history. … Saturday’s scheduled starter, RHP James Shields (5-0), is already one win away from matching his total in 21 starts last season.
.. OF Todd Linden cleared waivers and was sent to Triple-A Albuquerque.
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Pirates-Yankees
PITTSBURGH: Xavier Nady, forced from the starting lineup Thursday after injuring his left hamstring the previous night, was back in the lineup as the cleanup batter and homered off Andy Pettitte in the second inning. Nady had been 2-for-10 against Pettitte in his career. Nady entered hitting .385 (15-for-39) against left-handers this year. … The Pirates were swept three years ago in their first regular-season series at Yankee Stadium. Pittsburgh began a run of 15 consecutive interleague games. The Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays are the only AL teams who haven’t played an interleague series at Pittsburgh.
team and show my support,” Giambi said in a statement issued through the team. “They are playing some great baseball right now, and they seem to be having a lot of fun doing it.” … Yankees public address announcer Bob Sheppard missed the game to receive the medal of honor from St. John’s University, his alma mater.
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Rockies-Orioles
COLORADO: OF Willie Taveras, who hit .394 (13-for-33) with a homer and three RBIs on a recent homestand, was manager Clint Hurdle’s choice as the designated hitter when the Rockies began their first interleague series in an American League park Friday. “I thought I’d give him a little blow here,” Hurdle said. “And it keeps his bat in our lineup.” … RHP Rodrigo Lopez, who pitched for the Orioles from 2002-06, starts against his former team Saturday. “I thought it was going to be different, knowing that I was going to pitch in Baltimore,” Lopez said. “But so far, I don’t have that excitement to go out there and prove or do something.”
selecting 2b Eric Perlozzo of Shippensburg University in the 35th round. … The Orioles outscored Colorado 2-0 in the first inning Friday and now have outscored the opposition 41-23 in the opening inning.
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Indians-Reds
CLEVELAND: RHP Cliff Politte is scheduled to continue his comeback from shoulder surgery when he makes his first appearance of the season Saturday with Double-A Akron. The nine-year veteran will throw one inning. Politte was signed by the Indians as minor-league free agent in February after having surgery last August. … Cleveland picked OF Brad Greenwell in the sixth round of the draft on Friday. Greenwell is the son of Mike Greenwell, a former teammate of Indians manager Eric Wedge. “It makes me feel old,” Wedge said. “I remember (Bo Greenwell) running around.” … With Cleveland playing 33 games in the next 34 days, Wedge hopes to get his regulars some days off. SS Jhonny Peralta didn’t start Friday.
s this weekend, manager Jerry Narron said Hopper would start all three games. … SS Alex Gonzalez retured to Cincinnati’s starting lineup after not starting the last three games because of a strained right hamstring.
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Nationals-Twins
WASHINGTON: Though he pulled 2B Felipe Lopez in the fifth inning of Thursday’s loss to Pittsburgh, Washington manager Manny Acta said Lopez’s absence from Friday’s lineup was not because he didn’t run out a ground ball in the game the day before. “It has more to do with (Ronnie) Belliard and how he’s playing,” Acta said. Belliard, entering Friday’s game, had nine hits in his last 18 at-bats. Lopez is in a 2-for-26 slump, but Acta said the issue of him not hustling was over and that he expected Lopez to snap out of his skid soon. … Tony Batista, who was Minnesota’s 3B to start last season before being released in June, has fit in well with the Nationals. He’s primarily been a pinch hitter since being called up last month. Acta said he wasn’t sure how Batista would work in that role, since he was a streaky hitter while he was a regular throughout his career. “He’s been terrific. There’s a lot of baseball left and a lot of at-bats for him,” Acta said.
MINNESOTA: Manager Ron Gardenhire said he isn’t expecting light-hitting Nick Punto and Jason Bartlett to provide the kind of power they displayed Wednesday in the Twins’ 8-5 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. Punto hit a three-run homer and Bartlett a solo shot as Minnesota finished 2-4 on its road trip to Oakland and Anaheim. The homers were the first of the season for both players. “We’re in trouble if those guys start trying to hit fly balls,” Gardenhire said. “Getting on base has always been their job.” … Minnesota averaged only 2.8 runs per game while batting .216 as a team on the road trip. … The Twins have not faced the Washington franchise since it moved from Montreal before the 2005 season. They did, however, sweep the Montreal Expos in a three-game series June 15-17, 2004 – the teams’ only previous meetings.
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Phillies-Royals
PHILADELPHIA: The Phillies may be making their first trip to Kansas City since the 1980 World Series, but Philadelphia’s starters for this three-game series are not unfamiliar with KC’s current hitters. Friday night starter Freddy Garcia spent his entire career with Seattle and Chicago teams in the AL before being traded to the Phillies last December. Jon Lieber spent time with Tampa and the Yankees and Jamie Moyer, Sunday’s starter, pitched the past 13 years for Seattle, Baltimore and Boston. … The Phillies began the series on a six-game road winning streak while KC had lost seven straight at home.
KANSAS CITY: OF Reggie Sanders, on the DL since May 3 with a left hamstring tear, may be back in about 10 days. 1B Ross Gload, out since mid-May with a right quadriceps tear, is also close to returning, the Royals said. … SS Angel Berroa cleared waivers Friday and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Omaha. The 2003 AL rookie of the year had one hit in 11 at-bats and made several mistakes on the bases and in the field during a brief appearance with the Royals. He’ll be with Omaha for its game on Monday in Des Moines.
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Astros-White Sox
a time when he will go back. I have not wanted to make the move as long as we were getting things done.” RHP Dan Wheeler blew his second save of the season in Houston’s 7-6 loss Thursday night in Colorado. Lidge has not allowed a run in 16 of his previous 17 outings.
orld Series, their first title since 1917. Both teams are struggling mightily this season. “People forget pretty quick in Chicago,” Guillen said. “They’ve waited 88 years, they can’t wait 2,3,5 years.”
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Brewers-Rangers
MILWAUKEE: 2B Rickie Weeks (right wrist tendinitis) and RHP Elmer Dessens (strained right shoulder), both on the 15-day DL, are traveling with the team. Manager Ned Yost said neither was close to being activated. … RHP Francisco Cordero, LHP Brian Shouse and OF Kevin Mench all began last year with the Rangers but were traded during the season to Milwaukee. Now they’re on a first-place team, and Texas is last in its division. None expressed a feeling of being vindicated. “It’s a business,” said Cordero. Said Shouse: “You never wish anything bad on anybody.” When told none of the three players for which they were traded is still with the Rangers, Mench shrugged and said, “Did they get a draft pick for Carlos Lee?”
… but the game looks easy when you’re looking at it from the stands.”. …RHP Vicente Padilla came through a 53-pitch bullpen session reporting no problems with the right triceps irritation that knocked him out of his last start. Padilla is scheduled to start Sunday night against Milwaukee. If he is unable to go, the Rangers would call up LHP John Koronka from Triple-A Oklahoma to make the start. …OF Brad Wilkerson, on the 15-day DL since May 16 with a pulled right hamstring, has started a rehab assignment with Double-A Frisco and could be activated by the Rangers next week during a three-game series at Pittsburgh.
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Red Sox-Diamondbacks
BOSTON: RHP Mike Timlin, who has been out since May 3 with right shoulder tendinitis, is expected to be activated on Saturday, manager Terry Francona said. … With no designated hitter at Arizona, David Ortiz started at first base in the opener of a three-game series in Phoenix Friday night. Francona said he would give Ortiz, Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis each a day off during the weekend. “We’d rather play all three of them,” Francona said. “But my complaints obviously have fallen on deaf ears.” … RHP Julian Tavarez starts Saturday against Arizona. He’s 0-1 with an 11.78 ERA in 15 career appearances against Arizona, including three starts. And he has a 14.46 ERA in 10 appearances at Chase Field.
ARIZONA: 3B Chad Tracy went 1-for-5 in a rehabilitation appearance at Triple-A Tucson. He was scheduled to play again Friday. Tracy, who went on the 15-day disabled list May 16 with a sore left ribcage, could rejoin the Diamondbacks on Sunday. … Manager Bob Melvin gave streaking rookie 3B Mark Reynolds and slumping OF Carlos Quentin the night off Friday against Boston ace Josh Beckett. … Beginning May 24, the Diamondbacks’ starting rotation went a combined 10-1 with a 1.79 ERA in 13 games. … RHP Micah Owings starts against the Red Sox Saturday night. Owings (4-1 with a 3.86 ERA) has allowed two or fewer runs in five of his eight starts.
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Mariners-Padres
SEATTLE – Manager Mike Hargrove chatted with one of his former managers with the Cleveland Indians, Dave Garcia, who lives in the San Diego area. … Saturday’s scheduled starter, Jeff Weaver, beat the Padres in Game 1 of the Divisional Series last year while with St. Louis. Weaver is 0-6 with a 14.32 ERA this season. … The Mariners dropped two of three to the Padres in Seattle in May.
SAN DIEGO – SS Khalil Greene was back in the starting lineup Friday night after missing three straight games with a sore right elbow. … Manager Bud Black said RF Brian Giles might come off the disabled list the middle of next week. He has a bone bruise in his right knee. “Brian picked up the pace yesterday,” Black said. “He improved on some movements, and on others there was no gain.”
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Blue Jays-Dodgers
TORONTO: The Blue Jays began a six-game trip through Los Angeles and San Francisco, so DH Frank Thomas will be limited to pinch-hitting duty. He’s just five home runs shy of 500. He has hit 243 of them as a DH, tying Edgar Martinez for the most ever hit in that role. “We’ll just try to save him for the right time. Hopefully if everything falls our way, we can pop him in there and he can do some damage,” manager John Gibbons said. “It’s been up and down for him this year and his consistency’s been missing, but I think it’s human nature to be pressing when you’re that close to a milestone like that. I think it’ll be a relief once he gets there and gets that behind him.” … C Gregg Zaun was activated from the 15-dat DL after being sidelined since Apr. 25 because of a broken right thumb that underwent surgery and still isn’t 100 percent. He will be limited to pinch-hitting duty. … RHP Tomo Ohka was designated for assignment, and his spot in the rotation will be taken by RHP Josh Towers beginning Monday.
uns.
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Athletics-Giants
irritation in his right elbow that landed him on the DL on May 15. He played catch for the second time after also doing so Wednesday. Street hopes to return before the All-Star break, and Geren thinks that’s a reasonable timetable. “I felt strong. I felt a little fatigue, but that’s normal the second day throwing in 27,” Street said. “Everything’s going in the right direction.”
SAN FRANCISCO: RF Fred Lewis played the first inning but was then replaced by Dan Ortmeier. It appeared Lewis was grabbing his side. … RHP Russ Ortiz was slated to be examined by team orthopedist Ken Akizuki a day after going on the DL for the second time this season, with a strained right forearm. … CF Dave Roberts went 0-for-4 and played seven innings Thursday night in his first rehab game for Triple-A Fresno at Las Vegas and the Giants got good reports that he hit the ball hard. He was to play seven again Friday night, then nine Saturday and an easy day Sunday before getting activated Monday to face the Toronto Blue Jays if all continues to go well. … Manager Bruce Bochy isn’t concerned about Barry Zito bouncing back Saturday after an awful start against his former club May 18, when he was tagged for seven runs in four innings of a 15-3 loss. “Barry, he’s so good at putting the bumps in the road, the adversity, the tough games, behind him,” Bochy said. … USC football coach Pete Carroll was in the stands for the second time this season and caught the ceremonial first pitch.
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
Cubs-Braves
CHICAGO: OF Cliff Floyd was placed on the bereavement list as he returned to Chicago to be with his ailing father. Jacque Jones replaced Floyd in the starting lineup. IF Mike Fontenot will be called up from Triple-A Iowa on Saturday. A player can be placed on the bereavement list for three to seven days. … 3B Aramis Ramirez returned to the team Friday after spending Thursday in Chicago. An MRI exam on his knee revealed patella tendinitis. Manager Lou Piniella said Ramirez would be limited to emergency duty as a pinch-hitter until the knee improves.
ATLANTA: 3B Chipper Jones was eligible to come off the disabled list, but instead he was happy just to have his hands and wrists free from braces for a few minutes. Jones injured both wrists in a May 11 collision with the Pirates’ Jose Bautista and was finally placed on the 15-day DL on June 1, retroactive to May 24. Jones said his wrists have improved. “It’s better but still a little ways away from doing anything,” he said. “I’m just hoping that it doesn’t take four to six weeks to completely heal.”