Monday, May 06, 2002
Notes from Sunday's games
The Associated Press
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Angels-Blue Jays
ANAHEIM: The Angels have scored 110 runs over their last 13 games. ... Angels starters have pitched into the seventh inning or later in 15 of the last 21 games. ... 2B David Eckstein has reached base in 27 of 30 games this season. ... OF Garret Anderson has 17 RBIs in his last 20 games. ... RHP Ramon Ortiz has thrown Anaheim's last four complete games dating back to last season. ... Some players attended the NHL playoff game involving the Maple Leafs on Saturday night. The game went to three overtimes and didn't finish until midnight. Some left before Toronto's Gary Roberts won it.
TORONTO: ... The Blue Jays have lost six consecutive series. ... 1B Carlos Delgado is hitting .130 in his last 13 games. “I've been awful, terrible,” Delgado said. “My approach has not been bad, but I just haven't been able to hit the ball.” ... The Blue Jays have allowed first inning runs in 18 of their 29 games.
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Rangers-Indians
TEXAS: ... CF Carl Everett sat out Sunday's game with a strained right calf muscle he injured while running out a single on Saturday. ... RHP Chan Ho Park will throw a three-inning simulated game on Monday in Texas as he recovers from a pulled right hamstring.
CLEVELAND: The Indians snapped out of an almost monthlong offensive slump with Sunday's 9-2 win. They got a season-high 16 hits and scored their most runs in a game since April 10. They also had their first multirun inning in 66 innings. “That's what we needed,” said manager Charlie Manuel. “We did some real good things.” ... OF Brady Anderson was scratched from the starting lineup Sunday because of lower back spasms. Anderson said his back was tight when he woke up at 4 a.m. Anderson said he was looking forward to the Indians' trip to Baltimore, where he played for 13 seasons. Anderson said he has no bitterness toward the Orioles, who released him in November. “I had a great career there and loved the time I spent there,” he said, “and it would be kind of petty to have bad feelings for something that was such a good experience for me.”
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Mariners-Yankees
SEATTLE: Since being moving by manager Lou Piniella to the second spot in the batting order Thursday, Bret Boone is 7-for-13 with two homers and eight RBIs. But he hopes the move is not permanent. “I don't like, it but I'll do whatever skip wants me to do,” Boone said. ... About the only thing that went wrong for the Mariners in their three-game sweep at Yankee Stadium was another bad outing by Paul Abbott. Abbott, bumped from the rotation, allowed four runs in the ninth inning Sunday to raise his ERA to 11.96. “We have to get Abbott straightened out,” Piniella said. ... OF Mike Cameron will be honored before Tuesday night's home game against Toronto for his four-homer game last Thursday in Chicago. Fans will receive a placard honoring Cameron.
NEW YORK: OF Bernie Williams appears to have recovered from the sore shoulders that slowed him earlier this season. He is hitting .310 with four homers and 10 RBIs since missing three games with the injury. “The stronger you get the more confidence you have to get out in front on the inside pitch,” he said. ... The Yankees finished their 12-game stretch against Oakland and Seattle 6-6. New York started 6-3 but was swept by Seattle to end the two-week stretch. “We had really high hopes for this weekend, but it just didn't work out,” manager Joe Torre said. ... Nick Johnson missed the game with a bone bruise on his right knee. Johnson was lifted in the sixth inning Saturday after complaining about the injury. An MRI exam Sunday was negative and Johnson is day-to-day.
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Red Sox-Devil Rays
BOSTON: The Red Sox have a 4 1/2-game lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East. It's their biggest advantage since the end of the 1995 season (seven games). ... Manager Grady Little spent a few minutes near the left-field wall three hours before the game checking out the catwalk hit by Shea Hillenbrand's game-winning, pinch-hit grand slam in the Red Sox's 7-5 win Saturday. ... ... SS Nomar Garciaparra is just 2-for-12 in the series, but the hits came during key ninth innings Saturday (double) and Sunday (solo homer).
TAMPA BAY: LHP Wilson Alvarez (ribs) worked 20 minutes off a bullpen mound and said afterward he would throw batting practice on Wednesday. ... Manager Hal McRae said the main problem the Devil Rays' closer by committee members — who have blown seven of 11 save opportunities — has been lack of fastball control. That has resulted in pitches winding up in the batters' “love zone” according to McRae. ... The bullpen problems has not prompted McRae to change his mind about the lack of importance when it comes to complete games. “Where are the complete games? Look at every team. They're not there,” McRae said. Entering Sunday, there were 35 complete games in the majors this season. The Devil Rays' last one game came April 13, 2001. ... During the current 10-game losing streak, the Devil Rays have not hit into a double play.
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Royals-Orioles
KANSAS CITY: Three of the Royals' six straight losses under interim manager John Mizerock have been by one run, but the Royals have been outscored 39-16 during the streak. ... Kansas City went 0-7 this season vs. Baltimore while being outscored 55-16. ... 1B Mike Sweeney is hitting .333 (9-for-27) over the past seven games. ... RHP Jason Grimsley has allowed six earned runs in his last three outings (3 IP), raising his ERA from 1.17 to 5.91. ... The Royals have hit just two home runs in the last eight games. ... Kansas City is 0-13 when scoring three runs or less.
BALTIMORE: The Orioles (16-15) have a winning record since beating New York on opening day. ... The four-game sweep of Kansas City was the Orioles' first since September 1999. It was the Orioles first four-game sweep of Kansas City in Baltimore ... After starting the year 1-6, Baltimore has gone 15-9. ... RHP Rick Bauer has allowed an earned run in only one of 10 outings. ... 1B Jeff Conine is hitting .325 (14-for-43) over the past 10 games. ... C Geronimo Gil missed the last six games with groin and hamstring injuries. ... RHP Jorge Julio has not allowed a hit in six of 14 outings.
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Tigers-Twins
DETROIT: Sunday's victory gave the Tigers a 10-8 record since starting the season 0-11. ...Randall Simon is 11-for-27 (.407) over the last seven games. ...Shane Halter is also on a hot streak, hitting in seven straight games and going 12-for-27 (.444) over that span. ... On the other end of the spectrum is Robert Fick, who is 1-for-23 since starting the season with a .377 batting average. ... All three of Craig Paquette's homers this season have come in the Metrodome.
MINNESOTA: Despite their 14-2 record at home, their position atop the AL Central, and their current push for a new stadium, the Twins are behind last season's attendance pace. Through 16 home dates, the Twins have drawn 313,597 fans, 25,762 behind their attendance a year ago, when they drew just under 1.8 million. ... Minnesota has outscored its opponents 91-64 at home this season, and the Twins' 14-2 start at the Metrodome is the best in club history. ... Torii Hunter was the American League Player of the Month for April, but his torrid hitting has continued into May — he's 30-for-75 (.400) with six doubles, five homers and 13 RBI in the last 20 games. He was held out of the starting lineup Sunday for the first time this season.
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Athletics-White Sox
OAKLAND: Closer Billy Koch, who has retired 25 of 27 batters over his last nine outings, said it's fun to be in a groove like he is right now. “I've never been so confident in my mechanics,” said Koch, whose opponents are hitting a league-low .104 (5-for-48). “Last year on the rubber, I moved around all over, but I've found my spot this year. I've been trying to get maximum results with minimum effort.” ... The A's avoided losing four in a row for the first time since Aug. 21-24 last season. ... The team hit 40-for-199 (.201) on its 2-4 road trip. ... The A's came in 5-for-37 (.135) over their last five games with runners in scoring position, but went 2-for-3 Sunday. “We finally cashed in on a big hit,” said second baseman Randy Velarde, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
CHICAGO: After struggling early in the season, DH Frank Thomas said he was feeling better at the plate during Chicago's homestand. Thomas went 8-for-20 with three doubles, two homers and eight runs scored against the Mariners and Athletics. He raised his batting average to .277. “It's been slow, but it's coming back,” said Thomas, who missed most of last season with a torn triceps. “They're not going to spoon-feed me at the plate like I was a kid. I have to work up there.” ... The White Sox are 0-7 when scoring fewer than four runs. ... Chicago did not sweep the A's as they hoped, but Chicago won its second series in a row. Chicago also beat the Mariners 2-of-3 to go 4-2 on their homestand. “It says we can beat the best teams in baseball,” closer Keith Foulke said. “Our goal is to win every series, and when October rolls around, we'll be in very good shape if we do that.”
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
Rockies-Phillies
COLORADO: ... Colorado completes a 10-day, nine-game road trip with a three-game set at Montreal, beginning Tuesday. ... The Rockies were swept by Philadelphia after having led all three games. “We came out of the gate strong in all three games,” Todd Zeile said. “But the other team kept coming back so you have to give them credit.” Zeile was 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored in Sunday's 7-4 loss. ... RHP John Thomson is scheduled to start Tuesday's game against the Expos. Thomson has won his last two starts, allowing three earned runs with two walks and 13 strikeouts in 14 1-3 innings. He is 0-2 with a 4.19 ERA in three starts at Olympic Stadium. ... OF Jorge Piedra joined Class A Salem for Sunday's game after being acquired from the Chicago Cubs.
PHILADELPHIA: RHP Turk Wendell, on the 60-day disabled list with right elbow tendinitis, will pitch an inning on May 10 at Class A Lakewood and May 12 and 14 at Triple-A Scranton. If all goes well, manager Larry Bowa said Wendell would pitch back-to-back nights (on May 16 and 17) at Scranton. ... RHP Robert Person will have an MRI on his right elbow on Monday. Bowa said he would consider bringing up RHP Brett Myers from Scranton if the injury to Person is serious. ... Bowa said Dave Hollins' career could be in jeopardy due to an infected left knee caused by a spider bite. “His blood pressure was real high and his healing process is slowed by diabetes,” Bowa said of the 35-year-old Hollins. “I'm sure this could threaten his career because he's not a 27-year-old kid.” ... OF Jason Michaels replaced OF Bobby Abreu in the starting lineup Sunday and went 3-for-4 with three runs. Michaels is hitting .476 in 12 games. ... 3B Scott Rolen is the only Phillie to start every game. “I've got to find him some rest but even when he doesn't hit, he saves runs with his defense,” Bowa said of Rolen. “Whoever you put out there can be a good player, but not a Rolen.”
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Marlins-Brewers
FLORIDA: After an off-day Monday, the Marlins begin a six-game homestand against San Diego. Los Angeles will also be in for three games. ... In the second inning Sunday, pitcher A. J. Burnett banged an RBI double down the third base line to give the Marlins a 2-1 lead over Milwaukee. It was his first hit in 15 at-bats this season. ... Florida catcher Charles Johnson loves Miller Park. He hit his first home run of the season there Sunday. His last homer was Aug. 1, 2001, also in Miller Park.
MILWAUKEE: Starter Jamey Wright, who has been on the disabled list since April 11 with tendinitis in his right shoulder, will go to Triple-A Indianapolis for a rehabilitation stint. His first outing will be Thursday against Pawtucket. He pitched a simulated game Sunday without any problems. ... OF Matt Stairs, in a slump all season, hit his first home run of the season Sunday against Florida. The two-run shot tied the game 2-2 in the second inning. Before the game, manager Jerry Royster predicted Stairs would start hitting. “Matt Stairs has produced all his life. He's never not (hit).” Stairs has a lifetime .265 average and 140 home runs since coming to the majors in 1992. ... INF Mark Loretta, a career .291 hitter, is struggling this season and mainly sitting on the bench. But he had a single and a double Saturday night to snap an overall 0-for-18 hitless streak and an 0-for-13 slump at Miller Park. However, he was out of the lineup again Sunday as Tyler Houston took over at third.
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Braves-Cardinals
ATLANTA: RHP Jason Marquis gave up two runs in five innings in a rehab start Saturday night for Triple-A Richmond, with six strikeouts and one walk. He's expected to rejoin the rotation Saturday in Atlanta, bumping Albie Lopez to the bullpen. ... RHP Greg Maddux issued 12 walks in April, eight fewer than he allowed in all of 1997. He led the NL with a ratio of one walk per nine innings last year. ... LHP Tom Glavine has an NL-leading 0.93 ERA heading into Tuesday's start against the Dodgers. He's 15-16 in 40 career starts against Los Angeles. ... Rafael Furcal was 2-for-13 in the three-game series against the Cardinals after entering it a .436 career batter (17-for-39) against St. Louis. ... Chipper Jones is 21-for-54 (.389) the last 15 games with three homers and 15 RBIs.
ST. LOUIS: RHP Garrett Stephenson, on the disabled list for a lower back injury since April 15, will make the first of two rehab starts Wednesday at Class A Peoria. He threw 75-80 pitches off the bullpen mound before Sunday's game. Stephenson had been scheduled to return from the DL last Wednesday, but was scratched because he and the team agreed he wasn't fully recovered. “I'm able to pitch now,” Stephenson said. “Everything's good.” ... C Mike Matheny, who entered the season splitting time with Mike DiFelice, has started eight of the last 10 games. Matheny is 7-for-15 in his last six games and 11-for-26 over the last nine with two homers and six RBIs. ... Tino Martinez was 0-for-10 in the three-game series against the Braves with a sacrifice fly. ... Jim Edmonds was 0-for-3 with a walk, ending an eight-game hitting streak during which he was 11-for-27.
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Mets-Astros
NEW YORK: SS Rey Ordonez, out with a left oblique strain, is still sore and doesn't anticipate starting before next Tuesday. ... Counting Sunday's lineup, the Mets have used 22 different lineups this season.
HOUSTON: T.J. Mathews, the Astros' best reliever with a 1.69 ERA before going on the disabled list last week with a strained right biceps, is getting treatment and said the soreness has gone down and he's feeling better. “But I won't try to throw for at least another seven or eight days,” Mathews said of his rehab. ... Wade Miller, on the DL with a pinched nerve in his neck, threw a 12-minute bullpen session Saturday and reported no pain. He'll throw a simulated game Tuesday another next weekend before heading for a rehab assignment or two in the majors.
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Expos-Diamondbacks
MONTREAL: OF Vladimir Guerrero is going through a tough road trip, at least by his lofty standards. Entering Sunday's game, he was 4-for-18, but three of the hits were home runs and the other a double. In the first two games of the Arizona series, he was 1-for-7, with the only hit a solo homer. ... 3B Fernando Tatis went 3-for-5 in Saturday night's 6-5, 11-inning loss, his first three-hit game since April 8 of last year. His 468-foot homer in that game tied for the second-longest at Bank One Ballpark. ... Tatis has six hits in 15 at-bats since coming off the disabled list. ... 1B Andres Galarraga will meet with Dr. Steve Rosen in Chicago on Monday for examination of his lower back. Galarraga was placed on the 15-day DL on Thursday.
ARIZONA: The Diamondbacks used all six of their relievers in Saturday night's victory, so they purchased the contract of RHP Erik Sabel from Triple-A Tucson. INF Danny Klassen was released outright and assigned to Tucson to make room for Sabel. ... Closer Byung-Hyun Kim pitched for the fourth consecutive day for the first time in his major league career Saturday. The right-hander has allowed one run this season in 16 innings, a 0.56 ERA. “He might be the best pitcher in baseball right now,” manager Bob Brenly said. “His stuff is just electric.” ... C Damian Miller took a cortisone shot after experiencing back spasms Saturday night and was out of the lineup on Sunday. ... LHP Brian Anderson was struck in the left thumb by a line drive Saturday night. The swelling had subsided considerably on Sunday. Anderson isn't scheduled to start again until May 14.
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Cubs-Dodgers
CHICAGO: Monday is a bittersweet anniversary for LHP Donovan Osborne, who will meet St. Louis for the firs time as a Cub — three years to the day he pitched his last game for the Cardinals. Plagued by shoulder problems, he didn't pitch again in the majors until opening day this year after winning a job with the Cubs in spring training as a non-roster invitee. “It'll feel a little strange going back there, but I'm looking forward to it,” Osborne said. “I was hurt a lot over there. When I was healthy, I was winning. But when I wasn't, it was tough to go out and try to pitch. I just couldn't do it anymore. I was worn out with the injuries and letting down my teammates, the general manager, the manager and the coaching staff. So I just finally said, "Hey, I'm done with this game. I need to hide for a while and heal — mentally and physically.”' ... Cubs TV Analyst Joe Carter, who ended the 1993 World Series with a home run for the Toronto Blue Jays, was more than 3,000 miles away from SkyDome on Sunday when the Jays distributed bobblehead dolls with his likeness to a crowd of 24,046 — about 5,400 more than their average attendance.
LOS ANGELES: Leadoff batter Dave Roberts, who has raised his average from .216 to .312 over the last two weeks with help from former Dodgers great Maury Wills, received the ultimate compliment from Cubs manager Don Baylor after going 4-for-4 with a bunt RBI single and two stolen bases in Saturday night's 3-2 victory. “I thought Brett Butler retired,” Baylor said in reference to the former Dodgers sparkplug. “Roberts is kind of a pesky player. It seems like every time they needed a hit or a stolen base, he was there.” ... Adrian Beltre took his second 11-game hitting streak of the season into Sunday night's game. Beltre's longest streak in the majors is 17 games.
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Reds-Giants
CINCINNATI: SS Barry Larkin left after seven innings Sunday because of tightness in his right hamstring. ... 1B Sean Casey had gone 1-for-20 until his single in the fifth. ... With a homer, a triple and an RBI single, OF Juan Encarnacion was a double shy hitting for the cycle. The Reds have not seen a cycle since Eric Davis did it on June 2, 1989, against San Diego.
SAN FRANCISCO: Willie Mays celebrates his 71st birthday Monday. ... Giants starter Jason Schmidt, who left Saturday's game early with a shoulder injury, underwent an MRI exam showing slight inflammation in the rotator cuff. He'll throw out of the bullpen at Shea Stadium on Tuesday to determine whether he'll make his next scheduled start, team trainer Stan Conte said. ... OF Tsuyoshi Shinjo, who has a right thigh strain, was not in the Giants' lineup Sunday but he was available to play.
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Pirates-Padres
PITTSBURGH: C Jason Kendall and manager Lloyd McClendon were ejected after arguing a called third strike on Adrian Brown to start the ninth inning. The Pirates felt plate umpire Mark Barron's strike zone was inconsistent, and pointed to Brian Giles' at-bat in the second inning, with the bases loaded and three runs already in. Giles started with a 2-0 count against Brian Lawrence, then struck out looking. “The frustrating thing was, he threw one strike the whole at-bat,” Giles said. “Not to take anything away from how he pitched, but in a key situation there, he threw one strike. Call it an excuse or whatever, but you'd sure like to see it called the same both ways.” Kendall said Barron called Giles out “on a ball that (catcher Tom) Lampkin's glove basically hit the ground on with the bases loaded in a key situation.” ... Before the game, the Pirates activated 2B Pokey Reese from the 15-day disabled list. Reese had been sidelined since April 20 with a strained right hamstring. To make room on the roster, the Pirates put RHP Josias Manzanillo on the DL with a bone chip in his right elbow.
SAN DIEGO: Since going 1-5 on their season-opening road trip to Arizona and San Francisco, the Padres have won seven of eight series. ... By taking two of three from the Pirates, the Padres have won four straight series. ... With Padres CF Mark Kotsay sitting out due to tenderness in his right hand, rookie 3B Sean Burroughs was moved up to the No. 2 spot in the order. Burroughs, who went 1-for-5, has mostly batted in the No. 6 spot. ... C Tom Lampkin hit a two-run triple in a 6-5 win, his first since June 11, 2000, at San Francisco while with Seattle. ... In his last nine games, Lampkin is batting .286 with two doubles, one triple, two homers and six RBIs to raise his average from .030 to .148.
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Notes from Sunday's games
