TUESDAY'S TIDBITS
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| Line of the Day Mike Mussina
Tied season high for strikeouts and pitched his second shutout of the season. |  |
Hero of the
day
Mariners September callup Willie Bloomquist had four hits Sunday and three more Tuesday, including a ground-rule double in the eighth that pulled Seattle within a run of Oakland after trailing 7-2. Bloomquist later scored the tying run in an 8-7 victory that kept the Mariners' playoff hopes alive for another day, if only on paper.
Goat of the day
Mike Fetters gave up a one-out walk, then surrendered a game-winning single with two outs in the ninth as the Diamondbacks lost their fifth straight, 3-2 to the Cardinals. All was not lost, however, as Arizona backed into the playoffs when the Dodgers lost later Tuesday night.
Injuries
Royals coach Tom Gamboa, who was attacked at Comiskey Park during a game last week, is experiencing hearing loss in his right ear. The Royals coach said he planned to see a hearing specialist, but that the soreness seems to be going out of his neck.
Philadelphia All-Star pitcher Vicente Padilla left Tuesday night's start against Atlanta after just one out because of tightness in the back of the right shoulder. He will miss his final start.
Twins' 3B Corey Koskie, who left a game a week ago at Detroit after fouling a ball off his shin, fouled one off his right ankle on a 1-2 pitch in the third inning and was taken to a nearby hospital for precautionary X-rays, which were negative.
Red Sox OF Cliff Floyd is day to day with a strained tendon in his right ankle. He did not play Tuesday.
Reds C Jason LaRue had successful hernia surgery Tuesday and should be able to start working out in eight weeks. He is expected to fully recover by spring training.
Streak of the day
The Blue Jays clinched third place in the AL East. It also ensured the entire AL East will end up in the same order of finish for the fifth straight year -- the first time that's happened in any league or division in any season.
Stat of the day
Yankees slugger Jason Giambi and his brother, Jeremy, broke the record for most homers by
brothers in one season. Joe DiMaggio (46) and his brother Vince (13) combined for 59 in 1937; Jason has 40 and Jeremy -- who split time between the A's and Phillies this year -- has 20.
Another stat of the day
The Mets dropped their 82nd game, assuring them of their first losing season since 1996. It was manager Bobby Valentine's first
losing record in a full season since 1988 in Texas.
The last word
"It's prayer time.''
-- Dodgers left fielder Brian Jordan, after L.A. dropped to three games back with five to play in the wild-card race.
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AMERICAN LEAGUE
Devil Rays at Yankees
Tampa Bay: RF Damian Rolls dropped his glove when he saw a
shirtless man running toward him in the eighth inning of Monday
night's game. Mindful the attack by two fans in Chicago last week
on Kansas City's first base coach, Rolls didn't want to take any
chances. "I'm going to be prepared if he does come after me,''
Rolls said. "Even if I hadn't seen the thing in Chicago, I would
have dropped my glove and squared up for my own protection.'' The
fan was arrested. ... Since losing their 100th game on Sept. 14,
the Devil Rays have gone 6-2 -- their best stretch of the season.
... Aubrey Huff leads the team in homers with 23 despite not having
been called up from Triple-A Durham until May 28. New York: Manager Joe Torre thinks Rogers Clemens, who was on
the disabled list with a strained groin for 21 games in July and
August, may benefit in the postseason from the unexpected midseason
rest. "That may add some gas to his tank. I think that might
benefit a guy 40 years old,'' Torre said. ... After being held
without a homer in four straight games, the Yankees avoided going
homerless for a fifth consecutive game for the first time since
June 30-July 4, 1997. ... Clemens will start Wednesday night
against the Devil Rays for the fourth time this season. He was 3-0
with a 1.69 ERA in his earlier starts against Tampa Bay. ... Jeff
Weaver has not pitched since Aug. 26.
Orioles at Blue Jays
Baltimore: OF Gary Matthews Jr. hasn't started a game since
August 23. Matthews, who has tendinitis in his right wrist, was
activated from the 15-day disabled list on Sept. 11, but has had no
at-bats since then. He pinch-ran on Monday night and stole a base
... Forme-Blue Jay Pat Hentgen will start for the Orioles on
Thursday. Hentgen won a Cy Young Award and two World Championships
with Toronto. ... OF Chris Singleton won 0-for-7 against Boston on
Monday. Toronto: Ace RHP Roy Halladay will start the final game of the
season against the Tigers on Sunday. Halladay took a no-hitter into
the ninth inning of the last game of the 1998 season before
Detroit's Bobby Higginson hit a pinch-hit homer with two outs. ...
Manager Carlos Tosca said he and general manager J.P. Ricciardi
don't like having their players play winter ball. "You don't know
who is managing the people there,'' Tosca said. "You don't know
what kind of effort you get from the guys when they go there.''
Angels at Rangers
Anaheim: Going into Tuesday night's game at Texas, Anaheim was
in the top five in the AL in batting average (.283, first), ERA
(3.66, second) and fielding percentage (.986, second). The last
time the Angels finished in the top five of all three categories
was in 1982 when they won the AL West title. ... SS David Eckstein,
at .301 going into Tuesday, is on pace to set the club record for
batting average by a shortstop. Rick Burleson hit .293 in 109 games
at shortstop in 1981 for the Angels. Texas: 1B Rafael Palmeiro celebrated his 38th birthday Tuesday.
Going into the game against the Angels, Palmeiro was just three
runs shy of joining Jason Giambi, Lance Berkman, Barry Bonds and
Sammy Sosa as the only players in the major leagues with 100 runs,
100 RBI and 100 walks this season. Palmeiro is the only Texas
player ever to accomplish that feat, doing so in 2000. ... The
Rangers agreed to a player development contract with Clinton, Iowa
in the Triple-A Midwest League. The deal is through the 2004
season. The Clinton Lumberjacks have been in the Midwest League
since 1956 and had been affiliated with Montreal the last two
seasons. Clinton replaces Savannah of the South Atlantic League in
the Rangers farm system.
Indians at Twins
Cleveland: Rookie LHP Dave Maurer, a native of Minneapolis
suburb Apple Valley, had a handful of family and friends at
Tuesday's game at the Metrodome. ... 1B Jim Thome entered Tuesday's
game with a streak of 49 straight games reaching base, dating to
July 28 against Detroit. ... The Indians have set a new club record
for most players used in a season with 59. In 2000, 55 players saw
action. That was the only year, other than this one and the 1994
season wiped out by a strike, that Cleveland didn't win the AL
Central. Minnesota: The Twins made their first appearance in Minnesota
since clinching the AL Central. Their championship banner was
unveiled above right field, and a video highlight show was shown on
the scoreboard. ... OF Michael Restovich, a native of Rochester,
Minn., who made his major league debut during the Twins' recent
road trip, had a large contingent of friends and family from his
hometown (about 90 miles south of Minneapolis) in attendance.
Manager Ron Gardenhire, though, didn't have Restovich in the
lineup. "Considering the (Mayo High School athletic director) told
me the whole town is going to be here, it's tempting,'' Gardenhire
said. "But we've got to get ready for the playoffs. These kids all
understand that.'' ... The Twins have endured a lot of injuries
this year, but it looks like they're relatively healthy entering
the regular season's final week. Jacque Jones is the one exception,
but the left fielder's sprained ankle is expected to be healed
enough to allow him to play in this weekend's series against the
Chicago White Sox. Jones lobbied Gardenhire to be the designated
hitter Tuesday night, but Gardenhire wanted to give Jones some more
rest. ... The perils of a multipurpose stadium: A few minutes
before the game, the out-of-town scoreboard was showing Saturday's
college football scores. ... Timberwolves vice president of
basketball operations Kevin McHale was at Tuesday's game.
Red Sox at White Sox
Boston: OF Cliff Floyd is day to day after straining a tendon in
his right ankle in Monday night's victory in Baltimore. "They had
it X-rayed last night and there was nothing out of the order,''
manager Grady Little said. There's no timetable for Floyd's return,
but Little said he hopes Floyd will be able to play during the
series with the White Sox. "He's from here,'' Little said. "We
hope he's able to play here before we get out of town.'' ...
Reliever Bob Howry is available to pitch again after missing 11
games with tendinitis in his right elbow. "Everything's back to
normal and I'm ready to go for the last week or so,'' said Howry,
who is making his first trip to Comiskey Park after being traded to
the Red Sox on July 31. "I don't want to finish the season shut
down for three weeks. I want to finish strong.'' Especially since
he thinks he's finally figured out his velocity problems. Howry has
struggled to regain his velocity since shoulder surgery in 2000,
and Red Sox coaches noticed something different in his delivery
when they looked at old tapes of him. "My hands were a lot lower,
I was bending over,'' Howry said. "So we played with that, tried
to get back to where I was. ... And I was throwing probably 93, 94
mph.'' ... The Red Sox are having a reception for season-ticket
holders Wednesday at Fenway Park. Principal owner John Henry and
president and chief executive officer Larry Lucchino will address
what happened this year and the team's plan for the future. Chicago: Mark Buehrle, trying to become the first White Sox
pitcher to win 20 games since Jack McDowell in 1993, will pitch
Saturday, giving him an extra day of rest. "The extra day will
probably do him a lot of good,'' manager Jerry Manuel said. ...
Since dumping most of their veterans and starting their youth
movement, the White Sox have won 20 of their last 28 games.
"They've handled some very good teams,'' Manuel said of the
youngsters. "That's encouraging. You go into spring training
knowing you've got young players, but also knowing they can
compete.'' ... Many of the young White Sox will play winter ball,
experience Manuel said can be invaluable. "The more experience you
have, the better,'' he said. "I think it's a good experience to go
to a foreign country. A lot of people grow up when they see a
different lifestyle. And just to survive. If you don't play well,
no matter who you are, they'll send you home.'' ... The White Sox
reached a two-year deal that makes Great Falls, Mont., their new
Advanced Rookie affiliate. Chicago previously had a team in
Phoenix. Great Falls has been an affiliate for the Dodgers
(1951-63, 1984-2002) and the Giants (1969-83).
Tigers at Royals
Detroit: The Tigers claimed LHP Jason Jimenez off waivers from
Tampa Bay. They also transferred INF Dmitri Young from the 15-day
to the 60-day DL. Young has been on the DL since July 6 after
hernia surgery. At the end of their three-game series which started
Tuesday night, the Tigers and Royals were guaranteed to have
exactly 200 losses between them. Kansas City: The Tigers and Royals, who are last and
next-to-last in the AL Central, entered their final three-game
series tied 8-8 for the year.
Athletics at Mariners
Oakland: Going into Tuesday's game, Oakland had a major
league-leading 19 shutouts and had tied a club record with 30
victories in one-run games. ... RHP Tim Hudson, Wednesday's
scheduled starter, is 8-0 with a 1.79 ERA over his last 10 starts.
It's the longest active AL winning streak. ... The A's know how to
protect a late lead, going 88-0 when leading after eight innings. Seattle: Manager Lou Piniella believes Pete Rose belongs in the
Hall of Fame. "You give him his due,'' Piniella said. "He had
more hits than anyone in the game. We have a society where bygones
are bygones, don't we?'' ... On Sunday, RHP Jeff Nelson became
Seattle's career leader with 336 games pitched, one more than Mike
Jackson. ... Safeco Field has had 37 sellouts this season, but that
mark wasn't likely to change with thousands of empty seats for the
first pitch.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Marlins at Expos
Florida: RHP Carl Pavano made his first start at Olympic Stadium
since he was traded to the Marlins by Montreal on July 11. Pavano
was 2-1 with a 3.62 ERA in six starts since joining Florida's
rotation on Aug. 23. ... The Marlins had lost four straight to the
Expos and are 8-8 against Montreal this season. Florida needed to
win two of three to win the season series for the fourth straight
season. ... LF Kevin Millar has reached base safely in 38 straight
games. Millar, whose hitting streak ended at 25 games on Friday, is
hitting .412 (63-for-153) since Aug. 10, with 19 doubles, five
homers and 22 RBI. Montreal: Vladimir Guerrero's next hit will be his 200th of the
season. He was two homers short of becoming just the fourth player
in major league history to reach 40 homers and 40 stolen bases in
the same season. Guerrero, who has 38 homers and 40 steals, is
trying to join Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez in the
select group. The New York Yankees' Alfonso Soriano was one homer
short of a 40/40 season through Monday. ... RHP Masato Yoshii is
expected to undergo surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left
shoulder on Thursday in Los Angeles.
Mets at Pirates
New York: It's been a disappointing year for the Mets but help
is on the way. It may not arrive until 2004, though. GM Steve
Phillips is very enthusiastic about SS Jose Reyes, who split this
season between A and Double-A. "He's going to be an impact player
at the major league level,'' Phillips said. "It's not a matter of
if he's going to be a good player, it's a matter of when he's going
to get that opportunity.'' Reyes is ticketed to start next season
at the Triple-A level and arrive in New York the following season.
... 1B Mo Vaughn returned to the lineup Tuesday in Pittsburgh after
missing a game because of swelling in his left knee. ... OF Esix
Snead, one of the Mets' September callups, hit a game-winning home
run over the weekend and his excitement reminded some of the weary
veterans of how much fun baseball is supposed to be. "Mo and I
were laughing about it,'' C Mike Piazza said. "He was so
enthusiastic. The young guys have brought a lot of energy.'' Pittsburgh: The Pirates and Mets met Tuesday for the first time
since they opened the season with a series at Shea Stadium April
1-4. The teams have combined to lose 168 games since then. ... C
Jason Kendall says his surgically repaired left thumb is fine but
manager Lloyd McClendon says it's obvious the injury has continued
to plague Kendall. McClendon thinks an offseason of rest will have
Kendall producing at his customary level. "I look for him to have
a bounce-back year next season,'' McClendon said. ... It's been a
tough year all around for the Pirates. One of the team's
broadcasters, Lanny Frattare, has seen two laptops computers
destroyed in the last few weeks. One was shattered by a foul ball
and the other was soaked by a sudden deluge of rain which was blown
directly into the booth at PNC Park by high winds.
Braves at Phillies
Atlanta: If the Braves win 100 games, they will become the first
franchise in NL history to record seven 100-plus win seasons. Three
other franchises have recorded six seasons, New York/San Francisco
Giants, Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Braves had 100-win seasons in Boston in 1892 and 1898 and in
Atlanta in 1993, 1997 through 1999. Philadelphia: Closer Jose Mesa came into Tuesday with 86 saves
with the Phillies, fifth on the team list. Ron Reed, who is fourth,
had 90 for Philadelphia in the 1970s. ... If the Phillies win their
final home series with Atlanta, they will finish the season with a
winning home record. ... Bobby Abreu has been walked 100 times this
season, the fourth consecutive year he has walked 100 or more
times. The last Phillie with four straight 100-plus walk seasons
had been Mike Schmidt (1974-77). ... Mike Lieberthal received the
second annual community service award from the Phillies and
Phillies Charities prior to the game on Tuesday against Atlanta.
Since 1998, Lieberthal has donated more than $20,000 in tickets to
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and St. Christopher's Hospital
for Children in Philadelphia.
Reds at Cubs
Cincinnati: C Jason LaRue had surgery Tuesday to repair a
hernia. The one-hour procedure was performed by Dr. Joann Lohn and
Reds medical director Dr. Timothy Kremchek. LaRue should be able to
work out in two months and is expected to be fully recovered by
spring training. Corky Miller, who finished the season at Triple-A
Louisville, reported to the Reds on Tuesday to fill the spot. ...
The Reds sent minor league RHP Jorge Cordova to the Tigers to
complete a July 23 deal in which Cincinnati acquired RHP Brian
Moehler and infielder Matt Boone. ... The Reds staff has thrown
just one complete game, which would tie the major league record low
set last season by Tampa Bay. Chris Reistma pitched a complete game
against the Brewers on July 15. ... Scott Sullivan will be the
first pitcher to lead the Reds in appearances for five consecutive
seasons. ... Ken Griffey Jr. didn't want to comment on Sammy Sosa's
fast-approaching 500-homer milestone. "I don't want to jinx him''
said Griffey Jr., who made a soft drink commercial with Sosa. Chicago: GM Jim Hendry said he will make a quick decision on
interim manager Bruce Kimm, probably within a day or two after
Sunday's season finale. "I won't let it hang,'' Hendry said.
"I'll be up front with everyone and let them know where they
stand.'' Hendry wouldn't say which way he is leaning. Kimm replaced
the fired Don Baylor in early July. The Cubs were 34-49 under
Baylor, 0-1 under bench coach Rene Lachemann and before Tuesday's
game with the Reds were 31-41 under Kimm. "I've done the best to
my ability,'' Kimm said. "Are there some things I'd do
differently? Absolutely. ... I'm not a politician. The Cubs have
been good to me. The only surprise is the losing. I really
expected to win more than I lost.'' ... Kimm said rookie Hee Seop
Choi would start the remaining six games at first now that veteran
Fred McGriff has reached 30 homers and 100 RBI. ... The Cubs
obtained RHPS Jason Karnuth and Jared Blasdell to complete last
month's trade that sent lefty reliever Jeff Fassero to the
Cardinals.
Brewers-Astros
Milwaukee: Richie Sexton is the second right-handed hitter in
Brewers history with consecutive 100-RBI seasons. Milwaukee is 3-10
in extra-inning games and 13-28 in games decided by one run. Houston: Rickey Stone's 76 appearances this season was a club
rookie record and sixth-most in team history. He is two games from
the NL rookie record set by Tim Burke of Montreal in 1985.
Diamondbacks at Cardinals
Arizona: RHP Curt Schilling will start on Wednesday if the
Diamondbacks still have not clinched a playoff spot. They entered
the night with the magic number at one for making the postseason,
and with a magic number of three for clinching the NL West. RHP
Armando Reynoso will pitch otherwise. Manager Bob Brenly doesn't
want the Cardinals to see Schilling and Johnson, who is being
pushed back to Thursday, before the playoffs. ... Brenly said the
Diamondbacks will have to be more aggressive on the bases without
OF Luis Gonzalez. "We'll look to hit and run a little more, maybe
steal a little bit more,'' Brenly said. "We may have to play for
the run a little bit more.'' ... 1B Erubiel Durazo will move to RF
and David Dellucci will move to LF in the wake of the Gonzalez
injury. Brenly acknowledged that Durazo is not a natural outfield,
but that he needs his bat in the lineup. St. Louis: 3B Scott Rolen, who has a sprained big toe on his
right foot, was out of the lineup for the third straight game but
expects to play on Thursday. CF Jim Edmonds was scratched due to
general soreness in the lower half of his body. "Yeah, I'm sore,''
Edmonds said. "It's not news. I just have to be careful.'' ... The
Cardinals completed a deal that brought LHP Jeff Fassero from the
Cubs on Aug. 25, sending minor league RHPs Jason Karnuth and Jared
Blasdell to Chicago. ... Manager Tony La Russa entered the night
needing one victory for 600 with the Cardinals. ... RHP Andy Benes
entered the night six strikeouts shy of 2,000 for his career.
Padres at Giants
San Diego: Going into Tuesday's game, the Padres had scored
first against the Giants in the last seven meetings. That didn't
mean much though -- San Diego was 2-5 in those games. In addition,
the last seven games between the teams have gone more than 3 hours.
San Diego's 4-1 win Sept. 15 lasted 3:30. ... OF Mark Kotsay has
improved his hitting vs. lefties. He went 3-for-3 with two home
runs against Dodgers LHP Omar Daal on Sunday for a .333 average
against left-handers. In 2001, Kotsay was only .215 with two homers
against southpaws. ... Manager Bruce Bochy plans to use his top
players until the season ends. He wants as many wins as possible
and a strong finish to a disappointing year. "We hate to be in the
spoiler role, because it means we're out of it, but these are
important games,'' he said. "We're going with our best until this
thing is over.'' ... The Padres have had 59 players hurt this year
-- "never in my wildest dreams would I have thought we'd have so
many injuries,'' Bochy said. ... C Tom Lampkin says he would like
to play in San Diego again next year, his final season before
retirement. San Francisco: While manager Dusty Baker admits to being a
longtime scoreboard watcher, he says it doesn't help his team to be
concerned with what everybody else is doing in the season's final
week. "Worrying doesn't help you anyway,'' he said. "A feeling of
urgency doesn't help.'' The Giants began the day with a two-game
lead over Los Angeles in the NL wild card race with five to go and
a possible makeup game Monday in Atlanta. ... San Francisco was
four games behind NL West-leading Arizona, but Baker wasn't ready
to rule his team out of the division title chase. Yet it would be a
nearly impossible feat. "I allow myself to think about that all
the time,'' he said. "Until you're mathematically eliminated you
can think about it.'' ... Going into Tuesday's game, the Giants had
won 11 of their last 17 at Pacific Bell Park. Since the stadium
opened in 2000, San Francisco has the third-best home winning
percentage in the majors (149-89, .626). Only Oakland and St. Louis
are higher.
Rockies at Dodgers
Colorado: The Rockies were 5-5 at Coors Field against the
Dodgers this season, but brought a 1-6 road record into Los Angeles
on Tuesday night. ... Colorado's bullpen posted a 1.69 ERA in a
three-game sweep of Arizona. ... The Rockies need one starter to go
the distance in their final six games to avoid tying a major league
record for fewest complete games in a season. Both Colorado and
Cincinnai have one complete game so far, which ties the mark set by
the 1995 Rockies and the 2001 Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Los Angeles: CF Dave Roberts, sidelined because of a strained
muscle in his right side, had a MRI exam that revealed a torn
oblique muscle. He's day to day. ... Manager Jim Tracy hasn't ruled
out starting RHP Andy Ashby on Saturday against San Diego. Ashby
has a blister on his pitching hand and won't pick up a ball until
his finger is better. Tracy said it's possible Ashby might start
without throwing on the side. Ashby (9-13) allowed five runs on six
straight hits without getting an out in the third inning Friday
against the Padres. ... Tracy said if the Dodgers are still in the
wild-card race Sunday, the final day of the regular season, then he
would use LHP Odalis Perez, who started Tuesday night. ... Tracy's
home in suburban Claremont is near a wildfire raging in the Angeles
National Forest 40 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. The
fire sent smoke into much of the metro region. "I can see flame
right from my backyard. We got ash in the backyard, on the sidewalk
and the pool,'' he said. "It's not good. I've not seen anything
like that.''
