Monday, June 18th (All times eastern)
BOSTON RED SOX (44-24) AT ATLANTA BRAVES (37-33), 7:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Boston - Curt Schilling (6-3, 3.80) Atlanta - Chuck James (5-6, 4.16)
Curt Schilling attempts to shake off a rough outing in his most recent start when the veteran standout takes the mound tonight for the Boston Red Sox, who visit Atlanta’s Turner Field for the opener of a three- game series with the Braves.
Schilling was one out away from throwing a no-hitter in a June 7th shutout of Oakland, but wasn’t nearly as effective in his last trip to the hill. The 40- year-old was rocked for six runs (five earned) and nine hits over five innings of Boston’s 12-2 setback to Colorado on Wednesday.
A matchup with the Braves may be all Schilling needs to get back on track. He has won six of his last seven decisions against Atlanta and has been tough on the road this season, having posted a 4-2 record and a 3.40 earned run average in six starts away from Fenway Park.
In 39 career appearances (31 starts) versus the Braves, Schilling is 13-10 with a 3.42 ERA and six complete games.
The Red Sox begin a nine-game road trip tonight and are fresh off a three-game home sweep of the San Francisco Giants over the weekend. In Sunday’s finale, Manny Ramirez went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI to lead Boston to a 9-5 victory.
Kevin Youkilis drove in a pair of runs for the Red Sox, who own a comfortable 8 1/2-game lead on the second-place New York Yankees in the American League East standings. David Ortiz contributed two hits and a pair of runs scored to the winning effort.
Boston starter Tim Wakefield (7-7) served up Barry Bonds’ 748th career homer and surrendered five runs over 5 2/3 innings, but still managed to pick up the win. Four Red Sox relievers combined to allow just one hit over the final 3 1/3 frames.
Although the Braves have struggled through much of June, the club did record two victories in three games against the AL Central-leading Cleveland Indians this past weekend. Cleveland avoided the sweep, however, with a 5-2 triumph on Sunday.
Fausto Carmona held the Braves to two runs and five hits over the first seven- plus innings, while Casey Blake went 1-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 26 games.
Chipper Jones finished 2-for-4 and recorded his 2,000th career hit with a single in the second inning for Atlanta, which was attempting to sweep its first interleague series on the road since winning three in a row at Boston in 2002. Scott Thorman went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in the loss.
Atlanta starter Kyle Davies (3-6) worked 5 1/3 innings and allowed five runs — three earned — on six hits.
The Braves enter this series 1 1/2 games behind the slumping New York Mets for first place in the NL East.
Atlanta’s Chuck James will also be trying to rebound from a rough recent start this evening. The southpaw yielded six runs on nine hits — three of which were home runs — and lasted just 4 1/3 innings in a loss at Minnesota on Wednesday.
James had given up two runs or less in each of his three previous starts, although he was a hard-luck loser against the Cubs on June 7 despite throwing seven innings of two-run ball.
The 25-year-old Georgia native will be facing Boston for the first time in his career.
Boston took two of three from Atlanta at Fenway Park last month and has won six of the last seven encounters between the clubs. The Red Sox swept a three- game series in Turner Field last June.
DETROIT TIGERS (39-29) AT WASHINGTON NATIONALS (30-39), 7:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Detroit - Mike Maroth (4-2, 4.91) Washington - Matt Chico (3-4, 4.66)
The Detroit Tigers continue their nine-game swing along the east coast this evening, when they play the opener of a three-game series with the Washington Nationals at RFK Stadium.
The Tigers began this road trip against National League East opponents in Philadelphia over the weekend and took two of three against the Phillies. After this series, Detroit will head to Atlanta for three games.
In the rubber match with the Phillies on Sunday, Craig Monroe’s two-run single in the seventh inning keyed a five-run rally that lifted the Tigers to a 7-4 victory. Magglio Ordonez went 2-for-3 with three RBI for Detroit, which trails Cleveland by one game for first place in the AL Central.
Justin Verlander (8-2) had his bid for back-to-back no-hitters spoiled early. Verlander, who no-hit Milwaukee on Tuesday night, allowed a one-out single to Abraham Nunez in the second inning to end the possibility of becoming the second pitcher ever to throw no-hitters in consecutive starts. He allowed three runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out six in six innings.
Todd Jones pitched a scoreless ninth for his 17th save in 21 chances.
Detroit will send Mike Maroth to the hill tonight and the lefty is 4-2 with a 4.91 earned run average on the season. Maroth earned a victory versus Texas on June 7, then pitched well enough to win against Milwaukee on Wednesday but walked away with a no decision.
The left-hander allowed just one run over seven innings, scattering nine hits and four walks, versus the Brewers.
Maroth has never faced the Nationals before in his career.
Washington avoided a sweep at the hands of Toronto on Sunday, as Ryan Zimmerman homered to help lift his club to a 4-2 victory.
Micah Bowie (4-2) tossed six solid innings, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out six. The Nationals’ bullpen then combined to twirl three perfect frames, with Chad Cordero working the ninth for his 11th save on the season.
Austin Kearns went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for the Nationals, who came into this series off a three-game sweep of Baltimore.
Washington’s Matt Chico will try to end a string of five starts without a decision with tonight’s outing. Chico last posted a victory against Atlanta on May 17 to improve to 3-4, but hasn’t received a win or loss since.
Against Baltimore on Wednesday, the left-hander, who has never faced Detroit in his career, allowed three runs — two earned — on eight hits in 6 2/3 innings of his team’s 9-6 victory. The outing lowered his ERA to 4.66 on the season.
These two franchises will meet for the first time since 2002, when Detroit won two out of three against the Montreal Expos. The Tigers are 94-93 all-time in interleague play, while the Nationals are 95-92.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (36-33) AT CLEVELAND INDIANS (40-28), 7:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Philadelphia - Cole Hamels (9-2, 3.47) Cleveland - Cliff Lee (3-4, 6.22)
Cole Hamels will attempt to become the National League’s first 10-game winner this evening, when his Philadelphia Phillies begin a three-game series against the Cleveland Indians at Jacobs Field.
Hamels is 3-0 over his last four starts and earned the win his last time out on Tuesday against the White Sox. He allowed two runs on six hits over eight innings on that day, while striking out eight to improve to 9-2 with a 3.47 earned run average on the year.
The left-hander leads the NL with 104 strikeouts, one more than San Diego’s Jake Peavy, and will face Cleveland for the first time in his young career.
One person on the Phillies who is familiar with the Indians is skipper Charlie Manuel, who managed Cleveland from 2000-2002. Manuel guided the Tribe to a first-place finish in 2001, but was let go by the club midway through the 2002 season.
Manuel compiled a 220-191 in his time with Cleveland before moving on as a special assistant to the Phillies general manager in 2003. He became the club’s manager in 2005.
The Phillies entered their weekend set with Detroit having swept the White Sox, but failed to carry the momentum into the series and dropped two out of three to the Tigers.
In the rubber match on Sunday, Philadelphia starter Adam Eaton went 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits while walking two and striking out two. However, the Phillies bullpen combined to allow four runs over the final 2 2/3 innings in the 7-4 setback. Geoff Geary (1-2) was charged with the loss.
Chase Utley had three hits and Abraham Nunez had two hits and an RBI for the Phillies, who trail the New York Mets by two games for first place in the National League East.
Philadelphia center fielder Aaron Rowand left Sunday’s game with cramps in his left leg. His status for tonight’s game is uncertain.
The Cleveland Indians continue their tour among NL East opponents tonight. The club went down to Florida and won two of three against the Marlins before returning home to face the Atlanta Braves over the weekend.
The Indians lost the first two contests of that set before rebounding with a 5-2 win on Sunday. Fausto Carmona (8-2) pitched seven-plus strong innings, giving up two runs on five hits while striking out five and walking two. Joe Borowski then kept Atlanta off the scoreboard in the ninth to record his 20th save of the season.
Casey Blake went 1-for-4 and extended his hitting streak to 26 games for the Indians, who won for just the third time in their last eight games. Franklin Gutierrez finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.
Blake’s hitting streak is the longest in the majors this season and longest in Cleveland history since catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. hit safely in 30 straight games in 1997.
Cleveland, which will play at the Washington Nationals following this series, leads the Detroit Tigers by one game for first place in the AL Central.
Hoping to keep the Indians in the win column tonight will be Cliff Lee. The left-hander halted a personal four-game losing streak last time out against Florida, pitching five innings of three-run, six-hit ball in a 7-3 win on Wednesday.
Lee, who has never started against the Phillies before in his career, improved to 3-4 with a 6.04 ERA on the season.
Cleveland and Philadelphia last met in 2002 at Jacobs Field, with Manuel’s Indians winning two out of three in the series. The Indians are 99-88 all-time in interleague play, while the Phillies are 85-96.
MINNESOTA TWINS (34-33) AT NEW YORK METS (37-30), 7:10 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Minnesota - Carlos Silva (4-7, 4.07) NY Mets - John Maine (6-4, 3.05)
The New York Mets hope to get back on the winning track this evening when they open a three-game interleague set with the Minnesota Twins at Shea Stadium.
New York held a 4 1/2-game lead in the National League East back on June 8, but has dropped seven of eight since and has seen its lead dwindle to just a game and a half over the Atlanta Braves.
The Mets’ struggles continued this weekend, as they dropped their fifth consecutive series by losing two of three to the red-hot Yankees, culminating with an 8-2 loss in Sunday’s rubber match at Yankee Stadium. Carlos Delgado and Carlos Beltran each had an RBI in the loss for the Mets, who fell for the 11th time in their last 13 tries.
Orlando Hernandez (3-3) was touched for six runs on seven hits in just 4 2/3 innings en route to the loss.
Getting the call for New York tonight will be right-hander John Maine, who has lost four of his last five decisions. Maine opened the year winning his first five decisions, but has fallen on hard times since. His latest setback came on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, as he allowed four runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 frames to fall to 6-4 on the season, while raising his earned run average to 3.05.
Maine lost his only other start to the Twins, surrendering four runs and seven hits in just 3 2/3 innings pitched.
Minnesota will counter with righty Carlos Silva, who is coming off an eight- hit shutout in his last start. Silva tamed the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday, as he bounced back from a horrific outing in his previous effort to improve to 4-7 to go along with a 4.07 ERA. Silva had been battered by the Washington Nationals for seven runs and nine hits in only three innings back on June 8.
Silva will be making his first-ever start against the Mets, but has faced them 15 times out of the bullpen without recording a decision, while pitching to a 10.22 ERA in those outings.
Minnesota won in dramatic fashion on Sunday, as Justin Morneau’s home run in the ninth inning helped the team avoid a monumental collapse against Milwaukee, as the Twins downed the Brewers, 10-9, after blowing a seven-run lead at the Metrodome.
Lew Ford went 2-for-3 and knocked in four runs as he replaced Torii Hunter in the first inning after he was hit by a pitch, but also made a mistake that almost cost the Twins. In the ninth, Ford misjudged a routine fly ball that led to an inside the park home run by Prince Fielder that fueled a two-run ninth inning for Milwaukee that tied the game and completed a seven-run comeback.
In the ninth, Fielder hit a sky-high fly ball off Joe Nathan to center that Ford couldn’t locate, and the ball bounced away from him as it hit the turf, allowing Fielder to round the bases and make it 9-8.
Bill Hall, Johnny Estrada and Geoff Jenkins followed with singles to load the bases. Nathan battled back to strike out Tony Graffanino, but Craig Counsell’s sacrifice fly brought Hall home to tie the game at 9-9.
Morneau then crushed a first-pitch fastball from Chris Spurling to deep right to win it for the Twins, who avoided a sweep and have five wins in their last seven games. The reigning AL MVP ended 2-for-2 with three runs scored and three RBI.
Jeff Cirillo added three hits and knocked in a run while Nathan (3-1) was credited with the victory.
The Twins swept the Mets the last time they faced them back in 2004, but the Amazins’ took two of three from them in Flushing the first time they met in 2002.
KANSAS CITY ROYALS (28-42) AT ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (30-36), 8:10 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Kansas City - Odalis Perez (3-7, 6.19) St. Louis - Adam Wainwright (5-5, 4.66)
The St. Louis Cardinals shoot for their third straight win this evening when they open a three-game series with the Kansas City Royals at Busch Stadium.
The Cardinals’ bats came alive this weekend, as they outscored the Oakland Athletics 25-12 in the final two games of their three-game weekend series at McAffee Coliseum. In Sunday’s rubber match, Ryan Ludwick belted a three-run home run and drove in a career-high five runs to help St. Louis to a 10-6 win.
Russ Springer (3-0) earned the win after hurling a perfect sixth inning, while Ludwick finished 3-for-5 for the Cardinals, who have won three of five.
St. Louis will pin its hopes tonight on right-hander Adam Wainwright, who is coming off a terrific outing against the Royals in his last start on Wednesday. Wainwright limited KC to just one hit over eight scoreless innings to improve to 5-5 on the year, while lowering his earned run average to 4.66.
Wainwright has faced the Royals four times (one start) and is 1-0 against them with a save and a 1.42 ERA.
Kansas City will counter with left-hander Odalis Perez, who was on the losing end of Wainwright’s gem last week and has dropped five of his last six decisions. Perez surrendered seven runs (six earned) and 10 hits in three innings to the Cards, as he fell to 3-7 to go along with a 6.19 ERA.
Perez is 2-4 lifetime against the Cardinals with a 9.32 ERA in 10 games, seven of which have been starts.
Kansas City comes into this series on a rare winning note after taking two of three over the weekend from the Florida Marlins. In the rubber match of that set on Sunday, Esteban German plated the go-ahead run with a double in the sixth and the bullpen took care of the rest, as Kansas City eked out a 5-4 win at Kauffman Stadium.
Brian Bannister (4-3) picked up the win after tossing six-plus innings of four-run, nine-hit ball. The bullpen was the story, though, with Zack Greinke pitching two perfect frames before Octavio Dotel closed it out in the ninth.
Alex Gordon went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for the Royals, who have won five of their last seven. KC has won three straight series and has not won four in a row since the 2003 campaign.
Kansas City, which is 8-4 in interleague play this season, took two of three from the Cardinals last week at Kauffman, but the Cards are 10-5 in the series since the start of the 2004 season.
FLORIDA MARLINS (33-37) AT CHICAGO WHITE SOX (28-37), 8:11 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Florida - Josh Johnson (0-0, 0.00) Chicago - Jose Contreras (4-7, 4.64)
Jason Johnson makes his season debut this evening when the Florida Marlins open a three-game interleague series with the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.
Johnson last pitched back on September 12, but had to leave that contest after tossing five scoreless innings against the New York Mets because of a stiff biceps muscle. The injury became a nerve problem and cut his season short.
The 23-year-old right-hander, who has never faced the White Sox, was 12-7 last season with a 3.14 earned run average. His impressive campaign landed him a fourth-place finish in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting.
Johnson is expected to throw between 90-100 pitches tonight.
The Marlins will certainly welcome Johnson’s return, as they enter this series on the heels of dropping two of three to the Kansas City Royals, including a 5-4 setback on Sunday at Kauffman Stadium. Jeremy Hermida hit a two-run homer and Aaron Boone went 2-for-3 with an RBI for Florida, which has dropped four of five.
Scott Olsen (5-6) allowed five runs — four earned — on 10 hits over six innings in defeat.
Chicago, meanwhile, continued its freefall on Sunday, as it fell for the 17th time in its last 21 games, losing 8-7 to the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Juan Uribe drove in two runs for the White Sox, which ended a six-game road trip at 1-5.
Hoping to get Chicago back on the right track tonight will be Cuban right- hander Jose Contreras, who has dropped his last three decisions. Contreras was hammered by the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday, as he allowed seven runs (five earned) on seven hits in 3 1/3 innings to fall to 4-7 on the year, while raising his ERA to 4.64.
Contreras has never faced Florida in the regular season, but did face it as a member of the New York Yankees in the 2003 World Series, yielding four runs over 6 1/3 innings in four relief outings.
The Marlins took two of three from the White Sox in June of 2004 in the only other series between the clubs.
TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS (30-37) AT ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (40-30), 9:40 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Tampa Bay - Edwin Jackson (0-8, 8.20) Arizona - Livan Hernandez (5-4, 4.20)
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays will try to continue their mastery of the Arizona Diamondbacks when the two clubs begin a three-game series this evening at Chase Field.
The Devil Rays are a perfect 6-0 all-time against the Diamondbacks. Tampa Bay swept a three-game set in Arizona in 2004 before taking all three contests at St. Petersburg in 2006 by a 15-8 margin. Both teams joined the major leagues as expansion franchises in 1997.
While Tampa Bay is perfect against Arizona, it will send a pitcher to the hill tonight who hasn’t posted a victory in over 1 1/2 years.
The Devil Rays’ Edwin Jackson is 0-8 with an 8.20 earned run average on the season. Jackson hasn’t recorded a major league victory since September 26, 2005 while with the Los Angeles Dodgers, going 0-8 in 35 games (13 starts) since.
Jackson, whose eight losses are tied with Texas’ Vicente Padilla and Baltimore’s Daniel Cabrera for the most in the American League, has already matched Tanyon Sturtze’s club record for most consecutive losses to begin a season, set in 2002.
The right-hander was horrendous in his 12th start of the season Wednesday against the Padres. Jackson lasted just one-third of an inning, his shortest career outing as a starter, and was blitzed for five runs on five hits, including a pair of homers.
Jackson is 1-1 with a solid 2.40 ERA in three lifetime games (two starts) against Arizona.
Tampa Bay halted a four-game losing streak and avoided a sweep at the hands of the Colorado Rockies with a 7-4 victory on Sunday. The Rays’ Jonny Gomes went deep twice for his fourth-career multi-homer game.
Carl Crawford finished 4-for-5 and scored a run, while Carlos Pena homered and Ty Wigginton ended 3-for-5 and scored a run in the win.
The Devil Rays sent Scott Kazmir (5-3) to the hill and he allowed three runs on six hits with five strikeouts and four walks over six innings. Al Reyes tossed a perfect ninth for his 16th save of the season.
Arizona comes into the game having swept the Orioles in three matchups over the weekend to get within one game of San Diego for first place in the NL West.
Chris Snyder went 1-for-3 with a home run and a pair of RBI and Chad Tracy drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning to lift Arizona to a 6-4 victory in Sunday’s finale.
Brandon Webb (7-4) went seven innings, giving up seven hits and three runs ( two earned) while fanning four without a walk to record the win. Jose Valverde hurled a scoreless ninth to earn his 22nd save in 25 chances.
Eric Byrnes homered for the Diamondbacks, who wrapped up a six-game road trip at 3-3 after being swept by the Yankees to begin the trek. Conor Jackson added an RBI single in the win.
The Diamondbacks begin a 10-game homestand with tonight’s game.
Tonight’s starter for Arizona, Livan Hernandez, is 0-2 over his last three starts and was hit with a loss against the Yankees on Wednesday. He lasted just four innings and was tagged for seven runs on nine hits and five walks to fall to 5-4 with a 4.20 ERA on the season
The right-hander has made five career starts against Tampa Bay and is 2-1 with a 5.18 ERA.
CINCINNATI REDS (27-43) AT OAKLAND ATHLETICS (37-31), 10:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Cincinnati - Kyle Lohse (3-8, 4.30) Oakland - Joe Blanton (6-4, 3.62)
Oakland right-hander Joe Blanton makes the first start of his career against the Cincinnati Reds when the Athletics host them to begin a three-game interleague series tonight at McAfee Coliseum.
Blanton, a first-round choice of the Athletics in 2002, has won two of his last three starts, including a seven-inning effort on June 13 against Houston in which he allowed eight hits and three runs while striking out three.
The 26-year-old native of Nashville has never faced the Reds.
He is 2-2 in six home starts this season with a 1.91 earned run average.
Cincinnati right-hander Kyle Lohse has dropped two of his last three starts, including a 6-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on June 13, in which he allowed seven hits and four runs in seven innings.
The native Californian is 1-2 in six career starts against the Athletics with a 4.98 ERA in 34 1/3 innings of work.
He is 2-5 in eight road starts this season with a 5.21 ERA.
On Sunday in Cincinnati, Kevin Millwood struck out 10 for his first win in more than two months and Marlon Byrd drove in three runs with a double and a homer, as the Texas Rangers notched an 11-4 victory over the Reds in the rubber match of a three-game series at Great American Ball Park.
Adam Dunn went 3-for-4 with a pair of homers and three runs batted in for Cincinnati, which has lost four of its last five. The Reds also lost second baseman Brandon Phillips to a hand injury after he was hit by a pitch.
Cincinnati starter Bronson Arroyo (2-8) was roughed up for seven runs — six earned — on eight hits with two walks and five strikeouts in six innings. He fell to 0-6 in his last eight starts and hasn’t won since May 6 against Colorado.
In Oakland, Ryan Ludwick belted a three-run home run and drove in a career- high five runs as St. Louis roared back to down Oakland, 10-6, in the finale of a three-game interleague set at McAfee Coliseum.
Jack Cust was 3-for-5 with a three-run homer for the A’s, who have lost two straight after winning the previous three games. Bobby Crosby finished 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Joe Kennedy surrendered four runs — three earned — on seven hits while walking four and fanning just one. Colby Lewis (0-2) lost after giving up Ludwick’s homer.
The Reds, of course, swept the A’s in the 1990 World Series, but Oakland has exacted a measure of revenge since, winning all six regular season matchups played between them.
HOUSTON ASTROS (30-39) AT LA ANGELS OF ANAHEIM (44-26), 10:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Houston - Chris Sampson (6-5, 3.29) LA Angels - John Lackey (10-4, 2.53)
Right-hander John Lackey aims for his second straight win and major league-leading 11th of the season tonight when the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim host the Houston Astros in the opening game of a three-game interleague series at Angel Stadium.
A 28-year-old Abilene, Texas native, Lackey picked up win No. 10 on June 13 at Cincinnati when he allowed three hits and an earned run in six innings of a 6-3 defeat of the Reds.
Previously, a June 6 loss to Minnesota had ended a five start win streak.
Lackey, who’s never faced the Astros, is 4-2 in six home starts with a 2.68 earned run average.
Houston righty Chris Sampson seeks his eighth straight quality start in his first career outing against the Angels. Sampson, who turned 29 last month, allowed three hits and two runs over seven innings on June 13 against Oakland, getting a no-decision in a 7-3 loss.
The former eighth-round draft choice is 3-4 in seven road starts this season.
He’s never faced the Angels.
On Sunday in Los Angeles, Howie Kendrick went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI and two runs scored as the Angels pounded the Dodgers, 10-4, in the finale of the Freeway Series.
Orlando Cabrera went 3-for-5 with and RBI and a run scored and Chone Figgins drove in a pair of runs for the Angels, who have won four of their past five games.
Kelvim Escobar (8-3) got the win as he gave up three runs on eight hits with a pair of walks and eight strikeouts in seven innings of work.
In Houston, Mike Lamb belted his second-career grand slam in the first inning for the Astros, who swept a three-game series for the first time this season with a 10-3 win over the Seattle Mariners at Minute Maid Park.
Hunter Pence finished 3-for-5 with two RBI and scored a run for the Astros, whose only series sweeps this season were of the two-game variety, as they took consecutive matchups with the Cubs, Marlins and Reds back in April.
Houston’s Roy Oswalt (7-4), who ended a frustrating five-start winless streak, gave up three runs on a season-high 12 hits with two walks and six strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings.
The Astros took two of three from the Angels the only other time that these teams faced off back in 2004.
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (30-38) AT MILWAUKEE BREWERS (38-31), 8:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: San Francisco - Noah Lowry (6-5, 3.46) Milwaukee - Yovani Gallardo (0-0, 0.00)
Barry Bonds resumes his chase of baseball’s all-time home run record in the city where Hank Aaron played the majority of his career when the struggling San Francisco Giants start up a three-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers tonight at Miller Park.
Bonds moved within seven of Aaron’s lifetime mark when he belted his 748th career home run in the sixth inning of Sunday’s game with Boston. The blast wasn’t enough to prevent the Giants from their fourth straight loss, however, as the club fell to the Red Sox by a 9-5 count.
The seven-time MVP went 2-for-3 with a single and a walk for the game. Bonds completed his first trip to Fenway 3-for-9 with three walks and the one homer.
Matt Morris (7-4) was rocked for nine hits and eight runs over four innings in the loss, San Francisco’s seventh in nine games.
Pedro Feliz added his ninth home run of the season and scored twice for the Giants, while Nate Schierholtz had an RBI triple among his three hits.
Bonds, who has six home runs in 15 career games at Miller Park, will take his swings tonight against Brewers rookie Yovani Gallardo.
Gallardo, regarded as one of the best pitching prospects in the game, makes his major league debut tonight to fill the rotation spot of the injured Chris Capuano. The 21-year-old Mexican native was dominating the competition in the Pacific Coast League prior to last week’s callup, having recorded an 8-3 record and a 2.90 earned run average with Triple-A Nashville and racking up a league-best 110 strikeouts in 77 2/3 innings.
In 2006, Gallardo led the entire minor leagues with 188 strikeouts and went 11-5 with a sparkling 1.86 ERA between high Class A and Double A.
San Francisco will counter with Noah Lowry, who halted a personal three-start winless streak with six solid innings against Toronto on Tuesday. The competitive lefty limited the Blue Jays to two runs on just four hits to lead the Giants to a 3-2 victory.
Lowry, who has allowed only four home runs in 83 1/3 innings this season, is 0-1 with a 7.84 ERA in two previous starts against Milwaukee. He faced the Brewers in Miller Park once last season and was tagged for six runs (five earned) in a five-inning no decision.
The Brewers currently hold a 6 1/2-game cushion on both the Cubs and Cardinals for first place in the NL Central and had won four straight games prior to Sunday’s 10-9 defeat at Minnesota. Justin Morneau hit a walkoff home run in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Twins avoided a three-game sweep.
Milwaukee scored twice in the top of the ninth to tie the contest. The first run came on Prince Fielder’s NL-leading 25th homer of the season, an inside- the-park shot that Twins center fielder Lew Ford failed to locate while staring at the Metrodome roof. Craig Counsell’s sacrifice fly later in the frame knotted the score.
Corey Hart hit two home runs and J.J. Hardy and Graffanino also went deep for the Brewers.
Jeff Suppan started for Milwaukee and was roughed up for nine runs on 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings. Chris Spurling (1-1) absorbed the loss after serving up the game-winning homer to Morneau.
Tonight’s matchup is the first meeting between these clubs. The Brewers won six of nine encounters with San Francisco last season and are 8-3 in their last 11 games with the Giants.
