FRIDAY'S TIDBITS
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Line of the Day
Erubiel Durazo
Durazo made up for lost time on the disabled list. In his second game since coming off the DL, he hit three two-run homers and a bases-loaded double to clear the bases in a 12-9 victory over the Phillies. |
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Hero of the day
Easy choice. Jason Giambi hit a game-winning grand slam in the bottom of the 14th inning to lead the Yankees to a 13-12 victory over the Twins.
Goat of the day
Padres shortstop Deivi Cruz made three of San Diego's five errors, helping the Mets crush San Diego 12-4.
Injury report
Orioles designated hitter David Segui will have surgery on his left wrist and will be out 10-to-12 weeks.
Brewers catcher Raul Casanova was put on the 15-day disabled list with a torn elbow ligament.
Braves shortstop Mark DeRosa left the game in the fifth inning with ligament damage in his right ankle. Atlanta manager Bobby Cox said the injury might be serious.
Dodgers outfielder Brian Jordan missed his fourth straight game with a lower back strain.
Florida catcher Ramon Castro went on the disabled list with a strained right elbow.
Devil Rays starter Devil James was placed on the 15-day DL with right shoulder tendinitis.
Athletics starter Cory Lidle has inflammation in his right shoulder and was placed on the 15-day DL.
Devil Rays catcher Toby Hall left the game in the eighth inning after taking a foul tip off his hand.
Streak of the day
Despite having a season-high 17 hits, the Phillies fell to 0-5 on their seven-game road trip.
Stat of the day
Indians second baseman Ricky Gutierrez has hit into an AL-leading 11 double plays.
The last word
"This is the setup we've been waiting for since we signed Jason Giambi. I don't know how many times I've been asked when is he going to have his defining moment."
-- Yankees manager Joe Torre
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AMERICAN LEAGUE
Royals at Indians
Kansas City: Tony Pena said the first person to congratulate him
on being named Royals manager was retired infielder Alvaro
Espinoza, his teammate on the Cleveland Indians in the mid-1990s.
... Pena chatted with his former Cleveland teammates during batting
practice and embraced Indians hitting coach Eddie Murray. Pena said
he also took a moment to reflect on one of the highlights of his
playing career -- his game-winning homer in the first game of the
1995 AL division series at Jacobs Field. ... The Royals entered 3-2
against the Indians this season, with all the victories coming at
Kauffman Stadium.
Cleveland: Pitcher C.C. Sabathia said he blames himself for
getting into a situation where he was robbed at gunpoint early
Friday morning. Sabathia, 21, was robbed at a downtown hotel by a
group of men who stole his necklace, earrings and wallet. He said
he was shaken, but uninjured, and wants to pitch in his scheduled
start Saturday. ... Sabathia is the second Indians player to be the
victim of a holdup. In December, utilityman Jolbert Cabrera was
shot in the buttocks during a carjacking in Colombia. ... Indians
starters had worked at least six innings the last 10 games,
compiling a 5-5 record with a 3.43 ERA.
Rangers at Tigers
Texas: Manager Jerry Narron didn't expect to have 1B Rafael
Palmeiro (calf) back in the lineup during the weekend series.
"He's still not ready, but we haven't thought about the DL. We
hope to at least have him back for DH-ing or pinch-hitting by the
end of the trip." ... OF Juan Gonzalez came off the disabled list
and got his traditional Comerica Park welcome, booed as he came to
the plate in the first inning. Gonzalez has been booed in every
appearance in Detroit since leaving the Tigers for Cleveland after
the 2000 season.
Detroit: The Tigers had three new players in their lineup -- 3B
Chris Truby, SS Ramon Santiago and C Matt Walbeck. Truby was
acquired from Montreal on Thursday for INF Jose Macias, while
Santiago and Walbeck had been at Triple-A Toledo. Santiago and
Truby were making their Tigers debut, while Walbeck was returning
to Detroit after a five-year absence. ... Tigers manager Luis
Pujols said Santiago, who had only played nine games at Triple-A,
would be the new starting shortstop, a decision that angered
incumbent Shane Halter. "I came up as a utilityman, and I wouldn't
mind playing that role on a team with someone like Derek Jeter or
A-Rod or Nomar," Halter said. "But I don't think I should be a
utilityman behind someone that's never even played Triple-A. I
think I should be starting."
Twins at Yankees
Minnesota: RHP Rick Reed, who spent 4½ years with the Mets,
started in New York for the first time since July 26 -- four days
before he was traded to Minnesota. ... 1B Doug Mientkiewicz will
miss this weekend's three-game series after receiving a cortisone
shot for his ailing left wrist. ... With Brad Radke on the DL with
a pulled groin, RHP Tony Fiore will make his first career start
Saturday after 27 relief appearances. Fiore is 2-0 with an 0.89 ERA
in nine relief appearances this season.
New York: Alfonso Soriano has five leadoff homers in his past 27
games and says he wants to be like Rickey Henderson. Not so fast,
manager Joe Torre said. "He's going to have to take a lot more
pitches to be like Rickey," Torre said. Soriano has walked just
seven times this season, a far cry from Henderson, the career
leader in walks. ... Nick Johnson has 11 RBI in his previous four
games -- the same amount he had in his first 34. "I'm just trying
to get more consistent at-bats," Johnson said. ... The Yankees
have 14 homers in the past four games -- their most in a four-game
span since also hitting 14 June 5-8, 1977. "We seem to have the
home run threat up and down the lineup," Torre said.
Athletics at Blue Jays
Oakland: Manager Art Howe started Olmedo Saenz at first base
instead of Carlos Pena because Saenz came in with good numbers
against Toronto starter Roy Halladay (4-for-10). "He's swung the
bat good against this guy. I'm trying to get some offense in the
lineup," Howe said. Pena entered hitting .223. ... Howe said OF
Jeremy Giambi, who fouled two balls off his right foot Wednesday,
would be available to pinch-hit. Giambi missed Thursday's game.
Toronto: Manager Buck Martinez said C Darrin Fletcher, on the
15-day disabled list with a sprained right ankle, wouldn't
necessarily be the everyday catcher when he returns. Martinez
praised C Tom Wilson, who entered hitting .319 with three home runs
and 14 RBI. ... Martinez rested rookie third baseman Eric Hinske
because Oakland starter Mark Mulder is a tough left-hander.
Martinez said the day off had nothing to do with Hinske's two
errors Thursday. Hinske has 12 errors this season. Dave Berg played
third base. ... Martinez said OF Jose Cruz Jr., who came in hitting
.236, is off to a slow start because he missed most of spring
training with a strained ribcage muscle.
Angels at White Sox
Anaheim: At 22-16, the Angels are off to their best start after
38 games since 1995, when they were 23-15. ... The Angels had to
wait through a rain delay of 3 hours, 55 minutes in Detroit on
Thursday night before the game was postponed. The game never
started and a makeup date has not been announced. Detroit and
Anaheim were not scheduled to meet again this season. Scott
Schoenweis, the scheduled starter, was pushed back to Friday night.
... With temperatures in the mid-40s, manager Mike Scioscia is
anxious to see how his team performs. "It's easy to play this game
when it's 70 degrees out," he said. ... The Angels swept the White
Sox in Anaheim last weekend by outscoring them 30-7, including 19-0
in the series opener.
Chicago: Magglio Ordonez was back in the lineup. Ordonez was
given Thursday night off to rest a sore back, a condition which is
not serious but one the team needs to monitor. "He came in early
and got his treatment and he said that he felt good," manager
Jerry Manuel said. "I don't anticipate any problems." ... OF
Kenny Lofton was given the night off. ... The White Sox have played
a number of streaking teams this season. Cleveland came into
Chicago with an 11-game winning streak April 16 before being swept
by the White Sox. The Seattle Mariners came into Chicago with a
10-game road winning streak April 30 before the White Sox took two
of three. Anaheim came into Friday night's game with a seven-game
winning streak.
Mariners at Red Sox
Seattle: Ichiro Suzuki was thrown out on an outstanding play by
2B Lou Merloni in the third inning. Merloni charged in and fielded
Suzuki's high hopper with his bare hand and fired to first baseman
Tony Clark. ... LF Mark McLemore didn't start after going 5-for-5
in Thursday night's 15-2 win at Toronto. Desi Relaford started in
his place. McLemore is batting .464 in his last seven games. ...
Ruben Sierra entered batting .326 and singled in his first two
at-bats ... C Dan Wilson didn't start for the second straight game
after being hit by a pitch on his right wrist Wednesday night.
Boston: RF Trot Nixon completed his four-game suspension for
flinging his bat toward Tampa Bay pitcher Ryan Rupe on May 5. RHP
Frank Castillo dropped his appeal of a five-game suspension for
hitting a Tampa Bay batter later in the game. ... Brian Daubach's
first-inning double came one day after Boston's streak of 30 games
with at least one double ended. That was the team's longest streak
since 1986. ... C Jason Varitek didn't start. He is 3-for-23 in his
last seven games. His replacement, Doug Mirabelli, has been Darren
Oliver's regular catcher this season. ... Johnny Damon and Shea
Hillenbrand came in tied for third in the AL with a .342 batting
average. Both were 50-for-142.
Devil Rays at Orioles
Tampa Bay: RHP Delvin James was placed on the 15-day disabled
list with right shoulder tendinitis, and RHP Jason Standridge was
optioned to Triple-A Durham. To replace them on the roster, Tampa
Bay called up INF Jason Smith and RHP Lee Gardner from Durham.
Gardner was leading the International League with 12 saves, and
Smith was hitting .301 with three home runs and 11 RBI. ...
Manager Hal McRae said Smith would split time at third base with
Jared Sandberg, but not in a traditional platoon. Instead, pitching
matchups will dictate who will play. ... OF Randy Winn was out of
the starting lineup for the second consecutive game with hamstring
tightness. Winn was available, but McRae would like to make sure he
is fit and didn't rule out up to a week of inactivity. ... LHP
Wilson Alvarez will make his second rehabilitation start Sunday for
Double-A Orlando. He has been on the disabled list since April 15
with a right rib strain.
Baltimore: 1B-DH David Segui will have surgery on his sore left
wrist May 21 and will be sidelined 10-to-12 weeks. The club said he
had torn cartilage and ligament damage in the hand, but Segui
disputed the claim of ligament problems. Segui hurt his hand in a
home plate collision with Kansas City catcher Brent Mayne on April
26 and has played in only six of 17 games since. ... The Orioles
sent C Izzy Molina outright to Double-A Bowie and recalled OF Luis
Garcia from Triple-A Rochester. Garcia gives the Orioles a speedy
pinch-runner off the bench, something manager Mike Hargrove has
lacked. ... RHP Jason Johnson, on the disabled list with a broken
right middle finger, will have two more bullpen sessions before he
starts a minor league rehabilitation assignment, Hargrove said.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Cubs at Brewers
Chicago: Chris Stynes got a start at third base in place of Bill
Mueller. "He's on this team and he needs to play," manager Don
Baylor said. "We're just giving him a chance more than anything
else." Mueller is batting .167 in his nine games since coming off
the DL. ... OF Corey Patterson, batting .310, also got the night
off. "He was a little out of sync in St. Louis. His swing was a
little off," Baylor said of the three losses earlier this week to
the Cardinals. ... Baylor said he was moving rookie 2B Bobby Hill
to the No. 8 spot in the order to take off some of the pressure of
hitting second. ... Prior to Friday's game, the Cubs had sent 210
batters to the plate without hitting home run. The last one was by
Sammy Sosa on May 9 against Milwaukee's Ben Sheets in Chicago. ...
1B Fred McGriff has hit homers in 39 parks and would tie
Cleveland's Ellis Burks for the record if he hits one at Miller
Park. Burks can add to his total by hitting one in Seattle's Safeco
Field this year while McGriff will play in three other parks where
he has yet to homer -- Arizona, San Francisco and Pittsburgh.
Milwaukee: The players' association is appealing the $1,000 fine
and three-day suspension levied on RHP Brian Mallette, who was
ejected from Wednesday's 7-4 loss to Cincinnati for throwing an
inside pitch after giving up a home run. "It's unfortunate the way
the fine was handed down," manager Jerry Royster said. "It was
totally unintentional and we're appealing it based on that." Thus,
Mallette was eligible to play Friday against Chicago. ... The
Brewers placed C Raul Casanova on the 15-day DL with a torn ulnar
collateral ligament in his left elbow, suffered in a collision at
home with Cincinnati C Corky Miller in Thursday's 2-1 loss.
Casanova was out trying to score from first on a long double by
pitcher Ben Sheets. Casanova slid head first into the body of
Miller, who had completely blocked the plate. ... Milwaukee started
the weekend series with a 9-2 record in its last 11 games with the
Cubs, including 3-0 this year. ... Through 41 games, 1B Richie
Sexson is on a pace fort 44 HRs and 142 RBI. ... RHP Jose Cabrera,
obtained from Atlanta with hopes of being a strong setup reliever,
makes his second start Saturday because Milwaukee has three
starters -- Jamey Wright, Paul Rigdon and Nick Neugebauer -- and spot
starter Nelson Figueroa on the DL.
Pirates at Astros
Pittsburgh: The Pirates' relievers took their second loss of the
season Thursday night against Houston. They have given up only nine
earned runs in 14 games prior to Friday.
Houston: Roy Oswalt has not allowed a home run in his last 49
innings. ... Julio Lugo likes his new role as the leadoff hitter.
"I feel comfortable there. I like it a lot better than hitting
eighth," Lugo said. Entering Friday night's game, Pittsburgh had
two hits in its last 37 at-bats with men in scoring position.
Reds at Cardinals
Cincinnati: RHP Jose Rijo, who threw five scoreless innings on
his 37th birthday on Monday, is to start the second game of the
four-game series at St. Louis on Saturday. His previous two starts,
Rijo allowed 11 runs in 10 1/3 innings. He's 4-1 with a 2.08 ERA in
nine appearances at Busch Stadium. ... OF Ken Griffey did not join
the team in St. Louis. He continues to rehabilitate in Cincinnati
with a physical therapist and is to be activated from the disabled
list sometime next week. ... The Reds' 25-15 start was their best
since after 40 games since 1995, when they began the year 26-14.
Last year they were 14-10 in April but then went 6-22 in May. So
far, they were 9-6 this month. ... Reliever Jim Brower, who had a
5.87 ERA in April, was at 0.93 midway through May with one earned
run in 9 2/3 innings.
San Francisco: An MRI exam on LHP Steve Kline's left knee showed no
tears and he was able to bend the knee some on Friday. Kline has
been on the disabled list since April 29 with a strained triceps
and reported tendinitis in the knee after throwing in the bullpen
on Wednesday. He's been durable through his career, leading the
league in appearances the last three seasons. "It's oil change
time, 100,000 miles baby," Kline said. ... Starters Garrett
Stephenson and Woody Williams, who came off the disabled list and
pitched this week, felt fine the day after their outings. ... LHP
Bud Smith allowed one hit in seven innings in his first start for
Triple-A Memphis since being demoted earlier this week. Smith will
make at least one more start in the minors before he is reassessed.
Braves at Rockies
Atlanta: The matchup between Tom Glavine and Colorado's John
Thomson was just the second between five-game winners in the NL
this season. The Dodgers' Kazuhisa Ishii and Florida's A.J. Burnett
each had five wins when they met on May 10. ... Atlanta will not
return to Colorado during the regular season after the series ends
Sunday. ... Kevin Millwood, who is to start Saturday against
Colorado, has a 5-1 career record and 2.81 ERA against the Rockies.
The Braves have never faced Colorado starter Denny Stark. ...
Marcus Giles, who was not in the starting lineup Friday night, is
7-for-17 against the Rockies in his career.
Colorado: The Rockies have 43 homers in 41 games, including 25
at Coors Field. ... Colorado scored 16 of 30 runs in its four-game
series with Florida on nine home runs. ... The Rockies reacquired
RHP Bryan Rekar in a trade with Kansas City for RHP Eduardo
Villacis. Rekar appeared in 31 games for the Rockies from 1995-97,
posting a 7-10 record with a 6.54 ERA. He is 25-49 with an ERA of
5.62 in 131 major-league games. Villacis was 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA in
10 games with Single-A Asheville. ... Rockies owner Jerry McMorris
said the potential strike would ruin baseball. "We can't afford to
have that, and our fans won't tolerate it," he said. "I agree
with the position of our commissioner. We need to get to the
negotiating table."
Phillies at Diamondbacks
Philadelphia: RHP Robert Person, on the disabled list since
April 30 with tendinitis in his right elbow, will begin a minor
league rehab assignment on Monday. ... RHP Turk Wendell, on the
60-day DL, will undergo surgery on his right elbow on Monday. ...
In their 0-4 start to this road trip, the Phillies have scored a
total of eight runs. ... While compiling a 3-16 road record,
Philadelphia has scored 70 runs (a 3.7 average) and hit .239. ...
After a strong showing in Thursday's 4-2 loss, RHP David Coggin
will not start in the upcoming series against the New York Mets,
but will get a turn during the following series against Montreal.
Arizona: RHP Curt Schilling will face his former team on
Saturday night in search of his ninth victory. It will be the third
time he has faced the Phillies since being traded to Arizona.
Schilling was 0-1 with a no-decision against Philadelphia last
year. ... Travis Lee's double off LHP Mike Myers on Thursday night
was the first allowed by the left-handed submarine-style reliever
against a left-handed hitter this season -- in 25 at bats. ... Byung
Hyun-Kim earned his 11th save of the season Thursday night, and
45th of his career to set a club record. Kim has allowed two runs
in 24 2/3 innings for a 0.73 ERA. He has struck out 41 and walked
five.
Marlins at Giants
Florida: C Ramon Castro was headed back to South Florida to be
examined by team physician Dr. Dan Kanell after going on the
disabled list Thursday with a strained right elbow. Castro injured
his arm on a throw to first against Colorado. The Marlins recalled
INF Pablo Ozuna from Triple-A Calgary, who was with the team in San
Francisco. Ozuna was batting .347 with 10 RBI and two homers in 27
games for the Cannons. ... The middle of Florida's lineup -- Preston
Wilson, Cliff Floyd, Mike Lowell and Derrek Lee -- were batting a
combined .300 with six RBI at Pacific Bell Park coming in. ... RHP
Ryan Dempster entered 0-4 with a 4.88 ERA in five games.
San Francisco: Both SS Rich Aurilia and OF Reggie Sanders were
back in the lineup after taking Thursday off to rest some sore
muscles. ... The Giants are 12-2 in series against the Marlins in
San Francisco. The Giants, who took last season's series 4-2, have
not dropped a season series to the Marlins in six years. At Pacific
Bell Park, the Giants are 5-1 against Florida. ... In his previous
three outings against the Marlins, RHP Russ Ortiz was 1-1 with a
1.19 ERA. ... Florida's Cliff Floyd was batting .429 lifetime
against Ortiz, with six hits and two home runs in 14 at-bats. ...
Barry Bonds led the majors with 53 walks coming in, putting him on
pace to walk 215 times. He set the single-season record last year
with 177 walks.
Expos at Dodgers
Montreal: OF Vladimir Guerrero was 13-for-33 (.394) with three
homers, six RBI and six runs scored during an eight-game hitting
streak. ... After going 16-10 in April, the second-best mark in
team history, the Expos were 4-11 through their first 15 games in
May. ... Manager Frank Robinson, who was 20 when he first met
former Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Joe Black, remained close to him
over the years and was a frequent golfing partner. Black died
Friday in Arizona. He was 78. "He was a fun-loving guy who was
willing to talk baseball at the drop of a hat with anybody,
especially young players," Robinson said.
Los Angeles: Longtime Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully was
saddened by the death of Joe Black, who pitched for the team in
Brooklyn. "When I first met him, he reminded me of an ebony
statue. I mean, he had the most remarkable body; he was strong as
an ox. He impressed (manager) Charlie Dressen with his competitive
drive," Scully said. "He was soft-spoken, had a wonderful smile,
was very, very friendly -- all the good things that you like in a
player." ... It was Eric Karros T-shirt night at Dodger Stadium,
and teammate Chad Kreuter decided some tribute to the first baseman
would be in order. So he convinced all the Los Angeles players and
coaches to don the T-shirts and take the field before Karros -- who
came out in his usual warmup shirt and was amused to see all his
teammates wearing his name and number on their backs. ... CF Dave
Roberts returned to the lineup after missing four games with a
strained right quadriceps muscle. ... LF Brian Jordan missed his
fourth straight with a lower back strain. An MRI exam was negative.
"We have not discussed the DL because he's making progress,"
manager Jim Tracy said. "We're hopeful it doesn't become an
option."
Mets at Padres
New York: Mets closer Armando Benitez could have pitched
Thursday night if needed, manager Bobby Valentine said, but the
lineup set up better for LHP Mark Guthrie, who got his first save
of the year in a 3-1 win. Benitez hasn't pitched since May 8. He
cut his index finger while closing a clubhouse door on May 10. He
has seven saves in as many opportunities, the last on April 27. ...
Ty Wigginton, who grew up in the San Diego suburb of Chula Vista,
made his big league debut when he pinch-hit in Thursday night's
win. Wigginton's contract was purchased from Triple-A Norfolk on
Wednesday. Wigginton went to the same high school as Padres rookie
Alex Pelaez, who also made his big league debut Thursday night.
San Diego: 1B Alex Pelaez, who made his big league debut
Thursday night, became the sixth former San Diego State player to
suit up for the Padres. The others were OF Tony Gwynn, OF Chris
Gwynn, 3B Graig Nettles, RHP Mike Couchee and OF Dave Robinson. ...
Pelaez got his first hit in Thursday's 3-1 loss to the New York
Mets, a single. As a gag, Phil Nevin presented Pelaez with a ball
with a three-inch scuff mark. Nevin then gave Pelaez the real ball.
... Pelaez, who grew up in suburban Chula Vista, said he had
40-to-50 family and friends at Thursday night's game and about
20-to-30 at Friday night's game. Some family members had been set
to go to Las Vegas on Thursday to see him play with Triple-A
Portland, but then the Padres promoted him. "I had to call them
all up in the morning, tell them `Hey, cancel the trip. Don't spend
your money. We'll go later."'
