Sunday, June 30 Monday's Around the Horn ESPN.com |
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AMERICAN LEAGUE Boston: RHP Frank Castillo dropped his appeal of a five-game suspension for stepping on umpire Bill Welke's foot during an argument June 19 in San Diego. He probably won't miss a start because the Red Sox began a four-day, five-game series with Toronto on Monday night. ... 2B Carlos Baerga left the game with a strained left hamstring suffered while running out a groundout in the third. He pulled up as he approached the base and was replaced in the field by Lou Merloni in the top of the fourth. ... RHP Dustin Hermanson threw off the bullpen mound before the game and he "felt very good,'' manager Grady Little said. He threw about 25 pitches and hopes to return to action, probably on a rehabilitation assignment, soon after the All-Star game. Hermanson, signed in the offseason as a free agent, suffered a groin injury in the second inning on April 3 and hasn't played since.
Royals at Mariners Seattle: Manager Lou Piniella, who managed the New York Yankees from 1986-88, was an interested observer in the Yankees' acquisition of slugger Raul Mondesi from Toronto on Monday. The Mariners have lost to the Yankees in the AL championship series the past two seasons. They have said that they'd like to acquire a veteran hitter before the July 31 trading deadline. "If they need a player, they go get it,'' Piniella said of the Yankees. "If they need a pitcher, they go get a pitcher, too.'' Piniella said he thinks Mondesi, 31, is still a productive player although he's hitting only .224. "He's got some pop, he's a good outfielder and he has a good throwing arm,'' Piniella said. ... Switch-hitting SS Carlos Guillen still isn't batting right-handed because of a sore left ring finger. He was hit by a pitch while bunting in a game in Baltimore May 31. He was out of the lineup Monday night against Kansas City LHP Darrell May. "That's starting to be a little bit of a concern,'' Piniella said. "That's been a long, long time. It should have healed by now.'' ... Piniella said he'd take a second half of the season like the Mariners' first half. The Mariners were 51-30 in their first 81 games. "If we get 51 more wins, we'll be happy,'' Piniella said. "As long as we stay healthy.''
Twins at Athletics Oakland: The Athletics went a major league-best 16-2 in interleague play. Their only two losses were to the San Francisco Giants. ... The A's wrapped up June with a 21-7 record, setting an Oakland record for most wins in the month. The previous mark was 20-9 in 1995. ... At the halfway point of the season, Miguel Tejada has 331 at-bats, on pace to break the Oakland record for a season, 644, set by Johnny Damon last year. Tejada has 99 hits, on pace to break Jose Canseco's Oakland mark of 187 set in 1988. ... The A's have just seven sacrifice bunts this season.
NATIONAL LEAGUE Philadelphia: Going into Monday's game, 1B Travis Lee had a .999 fielding percentage (1 error in 698 total chances). ... The Phillies had managed just 22 runs in their previous nine home games (a 2.4 average) before they started a seven-game homestand against the Mets and Expos. ... CF Doug Glanville has walked 17 times. He had 19 walks last season. ... RHP Terry Adams has made four consecutive quality starts. He will face the Mets on Tuesday.
Padres at Cardinals St. Louis: Manager Tony La Russa said he's not worried "in the slightest'' about closer Jason Isringhausen, who has two blown saves in his last three appearances after one in his first 17. "If right now you said that the biggest problem we'd have from now to the end of the season is Isringhausen, then you can start printing the playoff tickets,'' La Russa said. "He's real good.'' ... 2B Fernando Vina got his third day off of the season as La Russa packed his lineup with seven right-handed hitters against LHP Oliver Perez. "I had him in there and I scratched him,'' La Russa said. "Talking to him, he's just gassed.'' Joining Vina on the bench was fellow left-handed hitter Tino Martinez, with the Cardinals facing LHP Oliver Perez. ... Mike Coolbaugh, recalled from Triple-A Memphis on Sunday, made his first start on Monday and played in LF. ... Mike DiFelice hit his third home run on Sunday, and first since the fifth game of the year on April 6.
Marlins at Cubs Chicago: Reliever Tom Gordon is expected to be activated on Tuesday, but it's unclear just how the team will use him. With Antonio Alfonseca locked into the closer's role, the Cubs have left open the possibility of trading Gordon before July 31. Gordon has been on the 60-day DL since March 30 with a right shoulder injury. ... The Cubs began a 12-game stretch Monday in which they'll play only the Marlins and Braves between July 1-16. ... After the All-Star break, the Cubs will play 18 of their first 23 games at home.
Brewers at Pirates Pittsburgh: The Pirates reached the midpoint of the season Monday with a 36-45 record. They were 31-50 halfway through last year en route to a 100-loss season. "We've been a competitive ballclub,'' manager Lloyd McClendon said. McClendon said his most pleasant surprise from the first half has been the work of starting pitchers Kip Wells and Josh Fogg, who were acquired from the Chicago White Sox last winter. Wells is 9-5 and Fogg is 8-6. ... LHP Dave Williams will see Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham on July 10 and probably have season-ending arthroscopic shoulder surgery the following day. Williams is on the disabled list with a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
Astros at Reds Cincinatti: The Reds remembered the first game at Riverfront Stadium by wearing commemorative uniforms for Monday night's game against Houston. One problem: Their outfit was off by two years. The first game at Riverfront Stadium was June 30, 1970, when the Reds lost to the Atlanta Braves 8-2. They were in St. Louis on Sunday, the 32-year anniversary, and decided to commemorate it in their first game back. The Astros wore gray road uniforms with dark blue socks and caps, the same ones that their 1970 team wore. The Reds wore their 1972 uniforms -- knit shirts with red trim and plain white pants that became synonymous with the Big Red Machine. When they moved into Riverfront in 1970, the Reds actually wore a button-down shirt without the red trim on the sleeves or neck. ... SS Barry Larkin was back in the lineup after being relegating to pinch-hitting for four games because of spasms in his right shoulder and neck. He doubled in his first at-bat, snapping an 0-for-20 skid that was his longest since he went 0-for-30 in 1998.
Expos at Braves Atlanta: NASCAR drivers Dale Jarrett and Michael Waltrip were guests of Braves third-base coach Ned Yost during batting practice. Each took a turn in the cage, with Jarrett hitting several line drives. ... First-round draft pick Jeff Francoeur took some swings, too, wearing a No. 12 jersey with his name on the back. Using one of Marcus Giles' bats, Francoeur hit several balls over the wall. "It's fun right now, to just get a chance to be down here,'' he said. "It's a good honor for me.''
Giants at Rockies Colorado: All-Star 1B Todd Helton missed two games against Seattle with a sore back, but was back in the lineup Sunday and started Monday. Helton said he planned to play in the All-Star game next week, but was going to pass on the home run derby. "With my back, it wouldn't be a good idea,'' Helton said. "It wasn't too good of an experience for me last year. I'm not a home run hitter.'' ... The Rockies placed utility player Greg Norton on the DL with a strained right hamstring on Monday and brought up Ross Gload from Triple-A Colorado Springs to take his place. "He'd been playing probably the best of anyone down there,'' manager Clint Hurdle said of Gload. "John Barnes had been playing really well, but he tweaked a hamstring last week. (Gload) was the right man to call up.''
Dodgers at Diamondbacks Arizona: Arizona plays its next 23 games against NL West teams, in a span of 28 days. The only break is for the All-Star Game, a contest in which six Diamondbacks are playing. ... 1B Erubiel Durazo is back on the 15-day DL after straining his right oblique muscle swinging the bat. INF Alex Cintron was called up from Triple-A Tucson for the third time this season to take Durazo's spot on the roster. ... OF Luis Gonzalez cooled off considerably on Arizona's 3-3 road trip to Houston and Cleveland, going 4-for-22, 0-for-9 against the Indians. ... 2B Junior Spivey has a 16-game hitting streak, which dates back to before he went on the 15-day DL. Spivey's fifth-inning home run Sunday was Arizona's first homer since Tuesday in Houston, a span of 45 innings. |
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