Saturday, July 7th (All times eastern)
CLEVELAND INDIANS (51-35) AT TORONTO BLUE JAYS (42-43), 1:07 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Cleveland - Fausto Carmona (9-4, 3.78) Toronto - Shaun Marcum (4-2, 2.86)
Winners of two games in a row, the Toronto Blue Jays hope to continue their strong play at home as they host the Cleveland Indians in the second of three weekend meetings at Rogers Centre.
On Friday, Vernon Wells homered and knocked in three runs, helping Toronto fight off Cleveland, 8-6. Alex Rios added two RBI for the Blue Jays, who have won three of four.
Reed Johnson made an immediate impact in his first action in nearly three months for Toronto. The left fielder was activated from the 60-day disabled list earlier in the day, and came up with a sensational diving catch in the ninth to rob Victor Martinez and preserve the lead. Johnson had been sidelined since April with a herniated disk in his lower back.
Roy Halladay (10-3) allowed five runs in 5 2/3 frames but still got the win, while Jeremy Accardo recorded his 11th save of the season.
Cliff Lee (5-5) yielded six runs — five earned — over four innings for the Indians, who have lost three in a row. Casey Blake went 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBI in defeat.
Cleveland’s Fausto Carmona aims for his 10th win of the season today against only four losses. The 23-year-old righty was simply brilliant on Monday against the Devil Rays, allowing only one earned run over six innings. With quality starts in all but one of his last 15 outings, Carmona is one of the best young pitchers in the game.
Toronto will counter with Shaun Marcum, a 25-year-old who has been an obvious bright spot for the Jays. Marcum did not figure in the decision of Sunday’s game against the Mariners, but the fact that he allowed zero earned runs in 6 1/3 innings suggests that he deserved a victory. Marcum is 4-2 this season with a stellar 2.86 ERA.
Carmona has never faced the Jays, while both of Marcum’s appearances against the Indians have come this season. He is 0-1 against Cleveland with a 4.50 ERA.
The Indians swept the Jays in a three-game set at Jacobs Field earlier this season and are 16-7 against Toronto since the start of the 2004 season.
LA ANGELS OF ANAHEIM (52-34) AT NEW YORK YANKEES (41-42), 3:55 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: LA Angels - John Lackey (11-5, 3.04) New York - Roger Clemens (2-3, 4.26)
The New York Yankees are in search of their third straight win today as they host the LA Angels of Anaheim in the middle game of a three- game series at Yankee Stadium.
Yankees’ third baseman Alex Rodriguez returned to the starting lineup with a bang, clubbing a two-run homer, as New York bested the Angels, 14-9, in the series opener on Friday.
Rodriguez had two hits and scored three times, and Jorge Posada went 3-for-5 with three RBI for the Yankees, who had a season-high 19 hits and won for the fourth time in five contests to get back within a game of .500 (41-42).
Melky Cabrera had three hits with an RBI and scored three times for New York. Johnny Damon, playing left field for the first time since June 22, 2001 when he was with Oakland, had a pair of hits with an RBI and scored twice in the win.
Every player in the Yankee lineup had at least a hit and an RBI.
Orlando Cabrera and Chone Figgins each drove in three runs for Los Angeles, which despite leading the AL West, has lost three of four and seven of its last 10 games.
Rodriguez sat out his first game of the season on Thursday due to a strained left hamstring, which he suffered Monday against Minnesota. He made a couple of good defensive plays in the second, including starting an inning-ending double play. Rodriguez then snapped an 0-for-19 slump with a double to start the bottom of the inning.
John Lackey has been outstanding for the Angels this season, and the righty will get the ball tonight in Yankee Stadium. Lackey is 11-5 with a 3.04 ERA and is coming off a solid performance against the Orioles on Sunday. In that contest, he surrendered three earned runs on four hits in 7 1/3 innings.
Lackey has already beaten the Yankees this season, overshadowing the fact that he remains 4-6 lifetime against New York with a 5.35 ERA.
It is certainly safe to say that the Yankees hoped for more than Roger Clemens has given them since bringing the legend back for another season. Since joining the club fashionably late, Clemens is 2-3 with a 4.26 ERA for a team that seemingly has little chance of getting back into the playoff race. On a positive note, Clemens did earn his 350th career victory last time out, allowing only two hits and one run over eight innings in what was his best outing by far. The question today is wether he can build off that momentum.
Clemens has owned the Angels in his brilliant career, posting a 29-9 lifetime record and a 2.53 ERA.
The Angels swept the Yankees in a three-game set in the Bronx earlier in the season and are 20-13 against them since the start of the 2004 campaign.
MINNESOTA TWINS (45-41) AT CHICAGO WHITE SOX (37-47), 3:55 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Minnesota - Boof Bonser (5-5, 4.76) Chicago - Mark Buehrle (5-4, 3.26)
After winning both ends of a doubleheader yesterday, the Minnesota Twins hope to make it three in a row over the Chicago White Sox in front of a U.S. Cellular Field crowd that has had little to cheer about this season.
In the first game on Friday, the Twins outslugged the White Sox, 20-14. Jason Kubel belted a grand slam and drove in a career-high seven runs to lead the charge.
Torii Hunter also homered and Joe Mauer tied his career high with five RBIs, going 4-for-6 with three singles and a double for the Twins, who had lost four of their previous five games.
Minnesota starter Scott Baker (3-3) went five frames, allowing seven runs on nine hits in the game that featured 39 hits, including 21 from the Twins.
Paul Konerko, Josh Fields and Jim Thome all homered for the White Sox, who have lost three of four.
Chicago starter Jon Garland (6-6) was tagged for 12 runs - 11 earned - on 11 hits in just 3 1/3 innings.
In the second game of the doubleheader, Justin Morneau homered three times and drove in six runs, as the Twins crushed the White Sox by a 12-0 final.
Jeff Cirillo, Hunter and Michael Cuddyer also had home runs for the Twins, who have won three of four. Manager Ron Gardenhire picked up his 500th win thanks to the day-night double dip.
This is the first time since 1993 that the Twins have won both ends of a doubleheader.
Morneau became the first Twin to hit three homers in a game since Tony Oliva against Kansas City on July 3, 1973.
Matt Garza (1-0) went 0-for-2 at the plate but made up for it on the mound, tossing six scoreless innings in his first start of the season.
Gavin Floyd (0-1) made his White Sox debut in unspectacular fashion, allowing six runs on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings for Chicago.
Minnesota’s Boof Bonser will pitch today, and he has been mediocre this season. Bonser is 5-5 with a 4.76 ERA and appeared to be on his way to a strong outing against the Yankees on Monday before a poor sixth inning. Still, he did not rely too heavily on his fastball in the tilt, a good sign for sure.
Bonser is 1-1 lifetime against the White Sox with a 3.00 ERA.
Chicago has not had much to cheer about this season, but Mark Buehrle has been strong. The left-handed pitcher is 5-4 with a 3.26 ERA, and while he was strong against the Orioles on Monday, a late-inning blunder by the bullpen cost him a victory.
Buehrle has more career wins against Minnesota than any other club. He is 18-10 lifetime against the Twins with a 3.76 ERA.
Minnesota has won seven of the 10 meetings between these AL Central rivals this season.
SEATTLE MARINERS (47-36) AT OAKLAND ATHLETICS (44-42), 4:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Seattle - Felix Hernandez (4-4, 4.11) Oakland - Rich Harden (1-1, 1.17)
The Seattle Mariners can move to .500 on the road this season if they are able to knock off the Oakland Athletics this afternoon in an AL West showdown.
On Friday, Adrian Beltre went 5-for-5 with two homers, two doubles and a single as the Mariners handed Oakland’s Dan Haren his first loss since April 7th by a 7-1 final.
Beltre had three RBI for Seattle, which has won two of three. Jose Vidro also chipped in with a two-run double.
Eric O’Flaherty (6-0) earned the win by tossing a scoreless frame, while starter Jeff Weaver yielded just one run on four hits, walked two and fanned four over five innings.
Haren (10-3) was tagged for four runs — three earned — on seven hits over 6 1/3 innings. The right-hander lost his first two starts of his 2007 campaign but had been unbeatable since, compiling a 10-0 record in 16 previous outings. He had also emerged as a leading candidate to start for the American League in Tuesday’s All-Star Game in San Francisco.
Dan Johnson knocked in the lone run for the A’s, who made five errors in the contest and have dropped three of their last five games. Third baseman Marco Scutaro had four of the errors, which tied an American League record for errors in a game by a third baseman.
Scutaro was starting in place of Eric Chavez, who sat out with back stiffness. He made two throwing errors and also botched a pair of grounders in the eighth inning.
Seattle will send Felix Hernandez to the hill in today’s contest in hopes that he can improve upon his unimpressive 4-4 record and 4.11 ERA. Hernandez was tremendous on Monday, allowing two runs over eight innings. He tossed a shutout against Oakland on Opening Day and figures to enter this clash with a great deal of confidence.
Hernandez is 2-2 with a 2.61 ERA in five career starts versus the Athletics.
Oakland will counter tonight with Rich Harden, who will make his first start since April 15th. Harden was out of commission with a shoulder injury, but the fact that he has pitched well in three relief appearances suggests that he is ready to make a start. When healthy, he is one of the top strikeout pitchers in all of baseball.
Harden did beat Seattle earlier this season and is 5-1 all-time against the Mariners with a staggering 1.28 ERA.
The Mariners swept a two-game set at McAfee Coliseum back in April but are just 9-22 as the visitor in this series since 2004.
BOSTON RED SOX (53-32) AT DETROIT TIGERS (50-34), 7:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Boston - Kason Gabbard (2-0, 5.79) Detroit - Jeremy Bonderman (9-1, 3.58)
A pair of AL Division leaders will play the second of a three-game weekend series at Comerica Park as the Detroit Tigers host the Boston Red Sox.
The Red Sox came into Friday’s series opener on a four-game winning streak, just one shy of their season high that they have set twice this year. However, Marcus Thames hit a grand slam and drove in five runs as the Tigers downed the Red Sox, 9-2, in that opener.
Curtis Granderson hit a solo home run while Placido Polanco and Gary Sheffield each scored twice for the Tigers, who have won three straight.
Andrew Miller (4-2) got the win. The left-hander was charged with just one run on three hits with four walks and six strikeouts in seven innings of work, the longest outing of his career.
Coco Crisp drove in a run and Doug Mirabelli added a solo home run for the Red Sox, who saw their winning streak come to an end. Julian Tavarez (5-7) was roughed up for eight runs on 10 hits in just 4 2/3 innings or work. It was his third straight loss.
Boston first baseman Kevin Youkilis missed his second straight game with a sore left quadricep. His replacement in the lineup, Jeff Bailey, went 0-for-4 in his major league debut. It remains to be seen if Youkilis can return to the lineup today.
Boston is expected to give the ball to Kason Gabbard tonight, in hopes that he can push his record to 3-0. While his 2-0 mark is impressive, his 5.79 ERA leaves much to be desired. He allowed three earned runs over 5 2/3 innings of his last outing, and seven runs of support by his Red Sox teammates certainly helped the cause.
Detroit star righty Jeremy Bonderman will take the hill in front of the home crowd this evening, and he has lost only one game all season. At 9-1 with a 3.58 ERA, he is certainly on the list of Cy Young candidates at the halfway point of this season. Bonderman tossed eight scoreless innings against Minnesota in his most recent outing, bouncing back strong from his only loss of the campaign.
Gabbard has never faced Detroit, while Verlander is 3-4 lifetime against Boston with a 4.98 ERA.
The Red Sox had won three of four meetings against the Tigers this season prior to Friday’s contest. The clubs split six games in 2006.
TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS (34-51) AT KANSAS CITY ROYALS (36-50), 7:10 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Tampa Bay - Andy Sonnanstine (1-3, 5.63) Kansas City - Gil Meche (5-6, 3.26)
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Kansas City Royals are unquestionably two of baseball’s worst teams, and the clubs will continue their weekend series at Kauffman Stadium tonight.
On Friday, James Shields tossed seven strong innings before things went bad in the eighth, but the Devil Rays were able to hold on to beat the Royals, 6-5, and put an end to an ugly 11-game losing streak.
Shields (7-4) held the Royals to just one run through seven innings, but ended up allowing seven hits and four runs in 7 2/3 innings with six strikeouts. Brendan Harris went 2-for-4 with two RBI and scored two times for the Devil Rays, who pounded out 15 hits. Delmon Young went 3-for-5 with two RBI for the Devil Rays, who hadn’t won since beating the Dodgers, 9-4, on June 24.
Gary Glover recovered from letting up a leadoff homer in the ninth to earn his first save of the season.
Odalis Perez (4-8) was roughed up for 10 hits and five runs in six innings. Alex Gordon went 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI for the Royals, who have now dropped consecutive games after winning seven of nine.
Despite the victory, the Devils Rays are tied for the fewest wins in the majors.
Tampa’s Andy Sonnanstine is scheduled to start tonight, and there is certainly room for improvement on his 1-3 record and 5.63 ERA. The rookie hurler was mediocre in a loss to the Indians last time out. While not overpowering by an means, Sonnanstine is consistent in that he throws strikes and rarely surrenders walks.
The Tampa righty has never faced Kansas City.
While Kansas City’s Gil Meche is just 5-6 this season, his 3.26 ERA suggests that he has pitched better than the record indicates. After allowing two runs in the first inning of his most recent outing against the Mariners, Meche closed the door the rest of the way and received a hard luck no-decision.
Meche lost his only start against Tampa this season despite pitching fairly well in the contest. Surprisingly, he is 1-4 lifetime against the Devil Rays with a 5.11 ERA.
Tampa has won three of its five games with the Royals this season, and the Devils Rays are 19-9 against Kansas City since the start of the 2004 season.
BALTIMORE ORIOLES (37-48) AT TEXAS RANGERS (37-49), 8:35 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Baltimore - Erik Bedard (6-4, 3.67) Texas - Brandon McCarthy (4-5, 6.17)
The Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles have both managed only 37 wins so far this season, and the disappointing clubs will collide in Arlington again this evening as their weekend series continues.
Michael Young singled home the winning run in the 10th inning, as Texas edged Baltimore yesterday by a 4-3 final.
Brad Wilkerson homered for the Rangers, who have gone 11-5 since June 20. Kameron Loe, who took the mound in search of a fifth consecutive winning start, allowed just five hits with three walks and three strikeouts over six- plus frames. Joaquin Benoit (3-2) retired three straight in the 10th for the win.
Nick Markakis went 3-for-4 with two RBI for the Orioles, who lost their second straight. Chris Gomez ended 2-for-4 in the loss. Jeremy Guthrie, who was one of the bright spots in the Orioles’ otherwise dim first half of the season, gave up three runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts over six innings.
Lefty Erik Bedard will be on the hill for the Orioles on Friday, hoping to improve on his 6-4 record and 3.67 ERA. For a team that has little to cheer about once again, Bedard has been a bright spot. However, after a stellar June in which he posted a 2.61 ERA, Bedard was roughed up in his most recent outing against the White Sox.
Brandon McCarthy will get the ball for Texas, and his 4-5 record to go along with a 6.17 ERA is unlikely to spark much confidence among teammates. He came off the disabled list on Monday and lost to Boston, 7-3. It was only McCarthy’s second start since May 25th.
Bedard is 2-1 lifetime against the Rangers with a 3.42 ERA, while McCarthy has no record against the Orioles.
This current series marks the first between these teams in 2007. Texas won six of nine matchups with Baltimore last season and is 13-7 in this series since the start of the 2005 campaign.
ATLANTA BRAVES (46-41) AT SAN DIEGO PADRES (48-37), 3:55 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Atlanta - Jo-Jo Reyes (0-0, 0.00) San Diego - David Wells (4-5, 4.16)
With John Smoltz ailing, Jo-Jo Reyes will make his major league debut for Atlanta this afternoon when the Braves continue their three- game series with the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.
The Braves were forced to place Smoltz on the 15-day disabled list Friday due to inflammation in his pitching shoulder after an MRI test revealed the injury. Earlier in the week, Smoltz was replaced by Houston’s Roy Oswalt for the upcoming All-Star Game at AT&T Park.
With Smoltz sidelined, the left-handed Reyes will make his major league debut in Smoltz’s place. The 22-year-old was a second-round selection by the Braves in the 2003 free agent draft and was the Atlanta’s Single-A Pitcher of the Year last season.
Reyes made 13 starts with Double-A Mississippi, going 8-1 with a 3.56 earned run average, and was 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA through four starts with Triple-A Richmond.
David Wells will start for the Padres and is coming off a win last time out. Against the Marlins on Monday, the left-hander tossed 6 2/3 shutout innings, allowing just five hits and three walks with a season-high six strikeouts to improve to 4-5 on the season with a 4.16 ERA.
The 44-year-old Wells, who is pitching to a 2.73 ERA over his last nine starts, faced Atlanta on May 10 and took the loss after yielding five runs over 5 2/3 frames. He is 3-1 in five career starts versus the Braves with a solid 2.67 ERA.
The Braves won their third straight game and the opener of this set on Friday, as Buddy Carlyle (3-2) threw eight solid innings, scattering eight hits and three runs with seven strikeouts in a 7-4 victory.
Andruw Jones smacked a two-run homer as part of a three-RBI game for the Braves, who have crept to within two games of the New York Mets for the lead in the National League East.
Kelly Johnson went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored as Atlanta improved to 5-3 on a 10-game road trip leading into the break.
Atlanta, though, is getting banged up behind the plate. Jarrod Saltalamacchia left yesterday’s game in the seventh inning after being hit in the left shoulder with a foul ball. He was replaced by All-Star Brian McCann, who wasn’t in the starting lineup yesterday due to a sprained right knee.
Padres starter Justin Germano (5-3) was ripped for 10 hits and seven runs in four-plus innings to take the loss. Russell Branyan hit a solo homer for the Padres, who have dropped three of four, but have held onto their one-game edge over the Los Angeles Dodgers for the top spot in the NL West.
The Braves have won four straight over the Padres and seven of the last eight meetings in the series.
CHICAGO CUBS (43-42) AT PITTSBURGH PIRATES (39-47), 7:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Chicago - Ted Lilly (7-4, 3.84) Pittsburgh - John Van Benschoten (0-2, 4.35)
The Pittsburgh Pirates will try to match their season high for consecutive wins tonight when they continue their three-game series with the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park.
The Pirates won their fourth game in a row in the series opener on Friday, one shy of their season-high five straight wins set from April 22-27. Freddy Sanchez and Xavier Nady both homered in the 8-4 victory yesterday.
Ryan Doumit finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored for the Pirates, who improved to 6-2 on a 10-game homestand. Jose Bautista ended 2-for-4 with an RBI in the win.
Paul Maholm (5-11) gave up four runs on five hits with three walks and five strikeouts over seven-plus innings for Pittsburgh, which announced earlier in the day that CEO Kevin McClatchy will step down from his position at the end of the 2007 season.
Mark DeRosa went 1-for-3 with an RBI for the Cubs, who have still won 11 of their last 14 games and trail Milwaukee by 5 1/2 games for the lead in the NL Central. Right-hander Jason Marquis (6-5) allowed six runs on eight hits with three walks and three strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings for Chicago.
Cubs starter Ted Lilly aims for his fourth straight winning decision with tonight’s outing. Lilly is coming off back-to-back wins and hasn’t been defeated since June 5 at Milwaukee — a span of five starts.
The left-hander was solid on Monday against the Nationals, hurling seven innings of one-run, three-hit ball with three walks and five strikeouts in a 7-2 victory that improved Lilly to 7-4 with a 3.84 earned run average.
Lilly has made two starts against the Pirates this season and didn’t factor into the decision of either outing. He has a lifetime ERA of 5.52 in four games (two starts) against Pittsburgh.
John Van Benschoten will take the hill for the Pirates tonight still in search of his first win of the 2007 season. He lost his first two outings of the year, including his season debut on June 16, and has since posted back-to-back no-decisions.
Against Milwaukee on Monday, the right-hander allowed three runs on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts over six innings of his team’s eventual 10-3 loss.
Van Benschoten, who was 1-3 in 2004 with Pittsburgh, has never faced the Cubs. He is looking for his first victory since posting his only major league win on September 10, 2004 against Houston.
Pittsburgh now holds a 4-3 edge in its season series with Chicago this year.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS (49-37) AT WASHINGTON NATIONALS (34-52), 7:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Milwaukee - Jeff Suppan (8-7, 4.90) Washington - Jason Simontacchi (5-6, 6.27)
Veteran Jeff Suppan looks to stay unbeaten in a fifth straight start tonight when the Milwaukee Brewers remain at RFK Stadium for game two of three with the host Washington Nationals.
The 32-year-old right-hander is unblemished since a June 12 loss to Detroit. Since, he’s picked up a win and three no-decisions, though he has been touched to the tune of 31 hits and 20 earned runs in 20 2/3 innings.
The Milwaukee bats have provided ample run support, however, outscoring foes 36-22 while winning three of the four games.
Suppan, who has not faced the Nationals this season, is 3-2 in eight lifetime starts against them with a 3.14 earned run average.
Journeyman righty Jason Simontacchi looks to stay on an alternating stretch of losses and wins.
He dropped his last start on July 2, allowing seven hits and five runs in a 7-2 defeat by the Chicago Cubs. He’d beaten Cleveland, lost to Detroit and beaten Baltimore in the three preceding starts.
Simontacchi has not faced the Brewers this year, but he’s 1-1 lifetime against them in nine appearances — three starts — with a 4.15 ERA.
On Friday, Ryan Braun hit a pair of solo homers and Dave Bush tossed seven strong innings to lead the Brewers over the Nationals, 6-2.
Braun ended 2-for-5 and Kevin Mench went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer for the Brewers, who ended a three-game losing streak. Corey Hart finished 1-for-5 to extend his career-best hitting streak to 22 games, as NL Central-leading Milwaukee improved to 3-5 on its current 10-game road trip.
Bush (7-7) won for the fourth time in five decisions, yielding just one run on seven hits. The right-hander struck out a season-high tying seven and walked two.
Ronnie Belliard fell a triple short of the cycle, going 4-for-5 for the Nationals, who have lost consecutive games and nine of 10 outings. Dmitri Young, the lone All-Star for Washington this season, went 2-for-5, as the Nats left 11 runners on base to fall to 1-4 on their current seven-game homestand.
Washington starter Mike Bacsik (2-6) suffered the loss, allowing six runs on eight hits in five innings of work.
Milwaukee swept a three-game set from the Nationals in early May, after Washington won five of the six matchups a year ago.
NEW YORK METS (47-38) AT HOUSTON ASTROS (38-49), 7:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: New York - Tom Glavine (7-6, 4.39) Houston - Woody Williams (4-10, 5.47)
Southpaw Tom Glavine can take another step closer to the 300-win plateau tonight when the New York Mets visit the Houston Astros in the third of four games at Minute Maid Park.
Glavine, now 41, was foiled in his last bid for win No. 298, dropping a 6-2 decision to Colorado on July 2 after allowing six runs and nine hits in six innings.
He’d won two straight going in, including a 9-1 defeat of Oakland and a 2-0 blanking of St. Louis, in which he gave up just one hit in six innings.
Glavine has scored 15 career wins against the Astros, going 15-11 in 39 starts with a 3.14 earned run average.
He’s opposed by fellow veteran Woody Williams, who’s won two of three decisions since a dreadful 2-9 start. Williams beat Philadelphia, 7-5, on July 2, allowing six hits and three runs in seven innings.
He’s 5-3 in 14 career starts against the Mets, allowing 85 hits and 46 earned runs in 89 1/3 innings.
On Friday, Wandy Rodriguez tossed a four-hit shutout and Lance Berkman highlighted a three-run fifth inning with a two-run homer as the Astros downed the Mets, 4-0.
Rodriguez (6-7) went the distance for the first time in his career, striking out a career-high tying eight and walking just one. The left-hander has not allowed a run and only seven hits over the last 17 innings covering his last two starts.
Hunter Pence went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Brad Ausmus scored a pair of runs for the Astros, who knotted this four-game set and ended a two-game skid. Craig Biggio also drove in a run for Houston, which improved to 6-3 on its current 11-game homestand.
Former Astro Carlos Beltran went 1-for-4 for the Mets, who have dropped five of their last six outings and fell to 4-5 on their current 11-game road trip.
New York starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey (0-7) lost his seventh straight start, surrendering four runs on seven hits, striking out a season-high five and walking two, over six innings.
New York and Houston are meeting for the first time since the Mets won four of six games last season. The Mets took two of three at Minute Maid Park in 2006.
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (47-41) AT CINCINNATI REDS (34-52), 7:10 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Arizona - Brandon Webb (8-6, 3.27) Cincinnati - Homer Bailey (2-2, 8.10)
Right-hander Brandon Webb looks to take another step toward consistency tonight when the Arizona Diamondbacks face the Cincinnati Reds in the second of three games at Great American Ball Park.
Webb, who was 16-8 with a gaudy 3.10 earned run average last season, has alternated wins and losses in five starts since the end of a three-start win streak in early June.
In his last outing on July 2, he surrendered seven hits and five runs over six innings while dropping an 11-3 verdict to St. Louis. His last win came on June 27, when he held the Los Angeles Dodgers scoreless over seven innings while allowing seven hits in a 2-0 win.
Webb is 4-2 lifetime against the Reds in seven starts, posting a 2.50 ERA in 50 1/3 innings.
Right-handed phenom Homer Bailey gets another crack at things for the Reds while hoping to erase the memory of two straight rough outings.
Bailey, 21, was 2-0 with a no-decision through the first three starts of this, his initial big-league season, but has since lost two in a row while failing to get through four innings.
He gave up six hits and six runs while recording just five outs in an 11-4 loss to Philadelphia on June 26, then was touched for seven hits and seven runs in 3 2/3 innings of an 11-7 loss to St. Louis on July 1.
He’s walked 19 and struck out 10 in 23 1/3 innings overall.
On Friday, Ken Griffey Jr. hit the 586th home run of his career, tying Hall of Famer Frank Robinson for sixth on the all-time list, as the Reds beat the Diamondbacks, 8-1.
Kyle Lohse (5-10) pitched brilliantly to earn the sixth complete game of his career, and his second this season. The right-hander allowed just four hits, walked two and fanned five. He has yielded just one earned run over his last 16 innings pitched.
Griffey connected off Arizona starter Micah Owings (5-4) for a two-run shot in the fifth inning, hammering an 0-1 pitch 419 feet to right-center. It was his 23rd homer of the season, and leaves him just four shy of the 27 he hit last year.
Brandon Phillips had three hits, including a solo homer, and also scored three runs for Cincinnati, which has won four of its last six games. Adam Dunn added a two-run homer, and Edwin Encarnacion chipped in with a two-run double.
Owings was touched for six runs, six hits and three walks in 4 2/3 innings. He also had four strikeouts for Arizona, which has dropped three straight and seven of nine overall.
Arizona won two of three from the Reds earlier in the season and is 6-4 against them since the start of last season.
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (37-47) AT ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (39-44), 7:15 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: San Francisco - Tim Lincecum (3-2, 4.64) St. Louis - Braden Looper (6-6, 4.65)
The San Francisco Giants go for their fourth win in a row over the St. Louis Cardinals tonight when the two clubs play the second of three straight games against each other at Busch Stadium.
After losing four straight to the Cardinals last season, the Giants swept a quick two-game set against St. Louis in San Francisco on April 18-19. The club then made it three in a row over the Cards with a 4-3 victory on Friday.
Noah Lowry (9-6) threw six innings that saw him allow just four hits and a run with five walks and five strikeouts. The Giants ran into trouble in the ninth frame, allowing two runs, but Randy Messenger picked up his first career save by retiring So Taguchi on a fly ball to left field to end the game.
Ray Durham had two of San Francisco’s nine hits, drove in a run and scored, as the Giants won for the fourth time in six games.
Slated All-Star starter Barry Bonds went 0-for-1 with three walks while scoring once. He remains four homers shy of tying Hank Aaron’s all-time home run record of 755.
Albert Pujols, another NL All-Star, wasn’t able to grab the spotlight from Bonds, fanning twice and going 0-for-4 at the plate, as the Cardinals lost for the second time in six contests.
Mike Maroth (0-1) was charged with five hits and four runs — one earned — over five innings.
Taking the mound for the Cardinals tonight will be Braden Looper, who is set to make his second start since coming off the disabled list because of a right shoulder strain.
He returned to action on Monday against Arizona and picked up a no-decision to stretch his winless streak to five starts (0-3). Looper allowed three runs on four hits in six innings against the Diamondbacks and is 6-6 on the season with a 4.65 earned run average.
The right-hander has never started against the Giants, but has faced them 29 times out of the bullpen, going 0-1 with two saves and a 4.28 ERA in that span.
Bonds is 2-for-5 in his career against Looper with two walks, a strikeout and no home runs.
Tim Lincecum is in rare form, which is bad news for the Cardinals as they will face the rookie for the first time in his career. The right-hander has not allowed a run in his last 16 innings, dating back to a June 19 loss to Milwaukee.
Lincecum actually allowed six runs before settling down against the Brewers, and threw seven shutout frames on June 25 versus San Diego. He carried that momentum into a Sunday start against Arizona, again throwing seven scoreless frames. He allowed only three hits and struck out a career-high 12 in the win, improving to 3-2 on the year while lowering his earned run average to 4.64.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (43-43) AT COLORADO ROCKIES (43-43), 8:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Philadelphia - Jamie Moyer (7-6, 4.25) Colorado - Rodrigo Lopez (4-2, 4.77)
Two teams going in opposite directions will continue their series tonight, as the Philadelphia Phillies and the Colorado Rockies play the second of three straight contests at Coors Field.
Both teams currently sit at .500 with identical 43-43 records. However, each team has taken a different approach to get there.
The Rockies have followed a stretch of nine losses in 10 games with a four- game winning streak to get back to .500, while the Phillies have lost three of four and six of eight after Friday’s 7-6 setback to Colorado.
Colorado’s Brad Hawpe tied the game at 6-6 with a two-out homer in the ninth inning off of Antonio Alfonseca, and Yorvit Torrealba drove home Garrett Atkins in the 11th inning to lift the Rockies to the one-run victory.
Hawpe finished with four hits and Matt Holliday also homered for the Rockies. Manny Corpas (3-2) tossed a scoreless inning for the win, while starter Jeff Francis surrendered six runs and 12 hits in five innings of work.
The win moved the Rockies to within 5 1/2 games of the Padres for the lead in the National League West.
Aaron Rowand had three doubles and scored a pair of runs for the Phillies, who are 4 1/2 games behind the New York Mets for first place in the NL East.
J.D. Durbin allowed the game-winning run and fell to 0-2. The loss also prevented rookie right-hander Kyle Kendrick from securing his fourth straight win since being called up from Double-A Reading. Kendrick allowed three runs on 10 hits, walked one and fanned two in the start.
Jamie Moyer will try to help the Phils rebound, but is still in search of his first career win against Colorado. The veteran left-hander is 0-3 in three starts versus the Rockies with a 4.87 earned run average. He last started against them on June 30 of 2006 while still with Seattle, and allowed two runs in a complete game, 2-0 setback.
The 44-year-old left-hander is coming off a loss last time out that dropped his record to 7-6 on the season with a 4.25 ERA. At Houston on Monday, Moyer allowed four runs on nine hits over six innings of a 7-5 setback.
Rodrigo Lopez takes the hill for the Rockies. The right-hander posted victories in each of his first four decisions, but has lost back-to-back starts to drop to 4-2 on the year while lifting his ERA to 4.77.
On June 26 at the Cubs, Lopez was tagged for eight runs in just 4 2/3 frames, and then lasted a season-low four innings on Monday at Houston, allowing six runs on eight hits.
The righty made his only other career start against the Phillies on June 29 of last season with Baltimore, and took the loss after yielding four runs over 7 2/3 innings.
This series marks the first of the year between the two clubs. The Phillies won four of seven matchups in 2006 with the Rockies.
FLORIDA MARLINS (41-46) AT LOS ANGELES DODGERS (48-39), 10:10 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Florida - Sergio Mitre (2-4, 2.88) Los Angeles - Derek Lowe (8-7, 2.98)
The Los Angeles Dodgers will try to halt a three-game losing streak tonight when they continue their series with the Florida Marlins at Dodger Stadium.
Los Angeles will hand the ball to Derek Lowe for tonight’s game, as the right- hander attempts to continue a recent solid stretch that has seen him go 4-2 over his last eight outings with a sparkling 2.20 earned run average.
Lowe, though, is winless in his last two starts. He was handed a defeat at Arizona on June 27 before taking a no-decision against Atlanta on Monday behind five innings of one-run, eight-hit ball. He also struck out five and is 8-7 on the season with a 2.98 ERA.
The 34-year-old is 5-3 with three saves in 12 games (seven starts) against the Marlins with a 3.93 ERA. He faced them on May 10 of this year and threw 8 1/3 innings, but allowed a three-run homer to Josh Willingham in the bottom of the ninth to give the Marlins a 3-0 victory.
Sergio Mitre will take the mound for Florida tonight seeking his first win since May 20 at Tampa Bay. Since besting the Devil Rays, the right-hander has gone 0-2 over his last seven starts to dip to 2-4 on the season despite a 2.88 ERA.
Mitre took a tough-luck loss on Monday at San Diego, allowing three runs on only three hits with a pair of walks in a 3-1 setback.
The 26-year-old twice faced the Dodgers out of the bullpen before making his first career start against them on May 10 of this year. He took a no-decision even though he tossed eight shutout frames, scattering three runs and a trio of walks.
Hanley Ramirez played the hero in Florida’s 6-5 victory over the Dodgers on Friday in the series opener. The shortstop homered twice and executed a perfect bunt single in the 10th frame that plated the winning run.
Mike Jacobs had three hits and an RBI for the Marlins, who have won two in a row and four of six. Renyel Pinto (1-3) threw two innings to get his first major league win, while Kevin Gregg notched his 18th save of the year.
The Dodgers were trying for their 100th straight home win when leading after eight innings, but Takashi Saito blew a save for just the fourth time in 51 lifetime tries, allowing an RBI double to Miguel Cabrera in the ninth.
Russell Martin clubbed a two-run homer and Jeff Kent went 3-for-4 and scored for the Dodgers, who trail the Padres by one game for first place in the National League West. Brett Tomko (1-7), the seventh Dodger pitcher of the game, took the loss.
These two clubs split a four-game series in Florida in May. The Dodgers, though, won five of six in the series last year.
MLB 07/07/2007
3:55 PM EDT
951 atlanta braves (l) reyes, jo jo 8.5o20 8.5o20
952 san diego padres (l) wells, d -140 / -138 -136
Jo Jo Reyes(L): 10-1, 3.08era, 98-45 k/bb; in 96.1 IP, 19g,
17gs @ AA and AAA this season; FOX
KEY MOVES BY BETTING PUBLIC TODAY est
Time of Play Game Date Game # Team
8:14:35am 2007-07-07 963 PHI +105
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7:05 PM EDT
953 chicago cubs (l) lilly, t -150 / -140 -142
954 pittsburgh pirates (r) van benschoten, j 8.5o20/8.5o15/8.5o20
WGN
7:05 PM EDT
955 milwaukee brewers (r) suppan, j -152 / -138 -139
956 washington nationals(r) simontacchi, j 9u20 9u15
SAMPLE EARLY LINES AT BET33.COM
7:05 PM EDT
957 new york mets (l) glavine, t -125/-118/-119/-122
958 houston astros (r) williams, w 9.5u15/9.5o20/9.5o15
7:10 PM EDT
959 arizona diamondbacks(r) webb, b -145/-140/-145
960 cincinnati reds (r) bailey, h 9o15/9/9o15
7:15 PM EDT
961 san francisco giants (r) lincecum, t -110/9u20/8.5o20/8.5
962 st. louis cardinals (r) looper, b 9u20 -110 -108
8:05 PM EDT
963 philadelphia phillies(l) moyer, j -110 -105
964 colorado rockies (r) lopez, r 11 11
10:10 PM EDT
965 florida marlins (r) mitre, s 7.5 7.5
966 los angeles dodgers (r) lowe, d -160 -153
1:05 PM EDT
967 cleveland indians (r) carmona, f 9o15/EVEN/-105/-107/-109
968 toronto blue jays (r) marcum, s -120 9o15 9
TORONTO - 3B Troy Glaus (ankle) is expected to miss the next 2 games.
3:55 PM EDT
969 los angeles angels (r) lackey, j 9 9
970 new york yankees (r) clemens, r -125/-122/-115/-130/-126
FOX
3:55 PM EDT
971 minnesota twins (r) bonser, b 9 9
972 chicago white sox (l) buehrle, m -145/-135/-134/-130
FOX
4:05 PM EDT
973 seattle mariners (r) hernandez, f +8.5U 8o15
974 oakland athletics (r) harden, r 8o15 +88.5 / +88 -131
7:05 PM EDT
975 tampa bay devil rays(r) sonnanstine, a 10u20 10u15
976 kansas city royals (r) meche, g -155 -145
7:05 PM EDT
977 boston red sox (l) gabbard, k 10u15 / 10 10u15
978 detroit tigers (r) bonderman, j -155 -145
8:35 PM EDT
979 baltimore orioles (l) bedard, e -135/-125/-122
980 texas rangers (r) mccarthy, b 10u15 10u15
ARENA FB 07/07/2007
3:00 PM EDT
101 colorado crush 111.5 111.5 112
102 san jose sabercats -14 -14 -14 -05
ESPN
8:00 PM EDT
103 columbus destroyers 107 107 108
104 dallas desperados -12 -12 -12 -05
ESPN
SAMPLE EARLY LINES AT BET33.COM
SAN ANTONIO- G Becky Hammon (foot) upgraded to probable Saturday vs Seattle.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL - Jul 07
NATIONAL LEAGUE - SATURDAY
Jul 07 951 ATL JJ REYES -L +120 o8½-120 +1½-175
3:55 PM 952 SDG D WELLS -L -140 u8½EV -1½+155
Jul 07 953 CUB T LILLY -L -140 o9EV -1½+120
7:05 PM 954 PIT VAN BENSCN-R +120 u9-120 +1½-140
Jul 07 955 MIL J SUPPAN -R -145 o8½-120 -1½+115
7:05 PM 956 WAS SIMONTACHI-R +125 u8½EV +1½-135
Jul 07 957 NYM T GLAVINE -L -120 o9-125 -1½+140
7:05 PM 958 HOU W WILLIAMS-R EV u9+105 +1½-160
Jul 07 959 ARI B WEBB -R -145 o9-105 -1½+110
7:10 PM 960 CIN H BAILEY -R +125 u9-115 +1½-130
Jul 07 961 SFO T LINCECUM-R -105 o8½-120 +1½-220
7:15 PM 962 STL B LOOPER -R -115 u8½EV -1½+180
Jul 07 963 PHI J MOYER -L -110 o10½-125 +1½-215
8:05 PM 964 COL R LOPEZ -R -110 u10½+105 -1½+175
Jul 07 965 FLA S MITRE -R +140 o7½-110 +1½-160
10:10 PM 966 LOS D LOWE -R -160 u7½-110 -1½+140
AMERICAN LEAGUE - SATURDAY
Jul 07 967 CLE F CARMONA -R -110 o9½+105 +1½-225
1:05 PM 968 TOR S MARCUM -R -110 u9½-125 -1½+185
Jul 07 969 LAA J LACKEY -R +110 o9-115 +1½-185
3:55 PM 970 NYY R CLEMENS -R -130 u9-105 -1½+165
Jul 07 971 MIN B BONSER -R +120 o9-115 +1½-170
3:55 PM 972 CWS M BUEHRLE -L -140 u9-105 -1½+150
Jul 07 973 SEA F HERNANDZ-R +115 o8-115 +1½-180
4:05 PM 974 OAK R HARDEN -R -135 u8-105 -1½+160
Jul 07 975 TAM SONNANSTIN-R +130 o10-110 +1½-155
7:05 PM 976 KAN G MECHE -R -150 u10-110 -1½+135
Jul 07 977 BOS K GABBARD -L +125 o10-110 +1½-160
7:05 PM 978 DET BONDERMAN -R -145 u10-110 -1½+140
Jul 07 979 BAL E BEDARD -L -130 o10+105 -1½+125
8:35 PM 980 TEX B MCCARTHY-R +110 u10-125 +1½-145
GRAND SALAMI
NO LISTED PITCHERS - ALL GAMES MUST GO 8.5 INNINGS
Jul 07 991 AWAY RUNS
1:05 PM 992 HOME RUNS
Jul 07 993 OVER RUNS
1:05 PM 994 UNDER RUNS
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL - Jul 10
MLB ALL STAR GAME - TUESDAY
@ AT & T PARK - SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Jul 10 941 AMERICAN LEAGUE -120 o10-105 -1½+135
8:20 PM 942 NATIONAL LEAGUE EV u10-115 +1½-155
1ST HALF - 5 INNINGS Line From: Jul 07 - 09:06 AM
1ST HALF - 5 INNINGS First Half Lines - Jul 07
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Jul 07 1951 1H ATL JJ REYES -L
3:55 PM 1952 1H SDG D WELLS -L
Jul 07 1953 1H CUB T LILLY -L
7:05 PM 1954 1H PIT VAN BENSCN-R
Jul 07 1955 1H MIL J SUPPAN -R
7:05 PM 1956 1H WAS SIMONTACHI-R
Jul 07 1957 1H NYM T GLAVINE -L
7:05 PM 1958 1H HOU W WILLIAMS-R
Jul 07 1959 1H ARI B WEBB -R
7:10 PM 1960 1H CIN H BAILEY -R
Jul 07 1961 1H SFO T LINCECUM-R
7:15 PM 1962 1H STL B LOOPER -R
Jul 07 1963 1H PHI J MOYER -L
8:05 PM 1964 1H COL R LOPEZ -R
Jul 07 1965 1H FLA S MITRE -R
10:10 PM 1966 1H LOS D LOWE -R
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Jul 07 1967 1H CLE F CARMONA -R
1:05 PM 1968 1H TOR S MARCUM -R
Jul 07 1969 1H LAA J LACKEY -R
3:55 PM 1970 1H NYY R CLEMENS -R
Jul 07 1971 1H MIN B BONSER -R
3:55 PM 1972 1H CWS M BUEHRLE -L
Jul 07 1973 1H SEA F HERNANDZ-R
4:05 PM 1974 1H OAK R HARDEN -R
Jul 07 1975 1H TAM SONNANSTIN-R
7:05 PM 1976 1H KAN G MECHE -R
Jul 07 1977 1H BOS K GABBARD -L
7:05 PM 1978 1H DET BONDERMAN -R
Jul 07 1979 1H BAL E BEDARD -L
8:35 PM 1980 1H TEX B MCCARTHY-R
PEPSI 400 - *ODDS TO WIN*
PEPSI 400 - *ODDS TO WIN* - Jul 07
Jul 07 - 8:00 PM ODDS TO WIN THE PEPSI 400
401 TONY STEWART +400
402 JEFF GORDON +515
403 JIMMIE JOHNSON +650
404 DALE EARNHARDT JR +900
405 KEVIN HARVICK +1000
406 KURT BUSCH +1150
407 MATT KENSETH +1800
408 DENNY HAMLIN +1800
409 JEFF BURTON +2000
410 KYLE BUSCH +1600
411 MARK MARTIN +2000
412 MARTIN TRUEX JR +2000
413 RYAN NEWMAN +2800
414 DAVID GILLILAND +3800
415 CLINT BOWYER +3500
416 CARL EDWARDS +3500
417 CASEY MEARS +3500
418 JAMIE MCMURRAY +4000
419 JUAN MONTOYA +4500
420 RICKY RUDD +4000
421 GREG BIFFLE +4000
422 FIELD +2500
2007 NEXTEL CUP CHAMPIONSHIP - Jul 07
Jul 07 - 7:00 PM
ODDS TO WIN THE 2007 NEXTEL CUP CHAMPIONSHIP
101 TONY STEWART +600
102 JIMMIE JOHNSON +500
103 MATT KENSETH +800
104 JEFF GORDON +300
105 DALE EARNHARDT JR +1800
106 DENNY HAMLIN +600
107 GREG BIFFLE +4000
108 CARL EDWARDS +900
109 KEVIN HARVICK +1200
110 KASEY KAHNE +10000
111 JEFF BURTON +1200
112 CASEY MEARS +6000
113 KURT BUSCH +2000
114 CLINT BOWYER +3000
115 JUAN MONTOYA +8000
116 RYAN NEWMAN +2000
117 MARTIN TRUEX JR +2000
118 SCOTT RIGGS +50000
119 REED SORRENSON +50000
120 JAMIE MCMURRAY +5000
121 KYLE BUSCH +1200
122 FIELD +3000
PEPSI 400 - *MATCHUPS* - Jul 07
Jul 07 5 COMING UP SOON
8:00 PM 6 COMING UP SOON
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS - Jul 07
***UFC 73: STACKED - ARCO ARENA, CA***
SATURDAY
Jul 07 817 H HERRING +425
10:00 PM 818 A NOGUEIRA -625
Jul 07 917 Nate Marquardt +115
10:00 PM 918 Anderson Silva -145
Jul 07 919 Hermes Franca +210
10:00 PM 920 Sean Sherk -250
Jul 07 921 Rashad Evans -115
10:00 PM 922 Tito Ortiz -115
ARENA FOOTBALL - Jul 07
DIVISIONAL ROUND - SATURDAY
Jul 07 101 COLORADO CRUSH +13½-110 o112-110
3:00 PM 102 SAN SABERCATS -13½-110 u112-110
Jul 07 103 COB DESTROYERS �110 o108-110
8:00 PM 104 DAL DESPERADOS -12-110 u108-110
ARENA FOOTBALL - Jul 08
DIVISIONAL ROUND - SUNDAY
Jul 08 105 PHI SOUL 110 o115-110
7:00 PM 106 GEORGIA FORCE -8-110 u115-110
ARENA FOOTBALL - Jul 09
DIVISIONAL ROUND - MONDAY
Jul 09 107 LA AVENGERS �110 o97-110
8:30 PM 108 CHI RUSH -10-110 u97-110
BOXING - Jul 07
12 ROUNDS IBF HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE
***WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO VS LAMON BREWSTER***
Jul 07 671 Wladimir Klitschko -500
2:00 PM 672 Lamon Brewster +400
WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO VS LAMON BREWSTER TOTAL ROUNDS
Jul 07 673 Over 8½ rounds +120
2:00 PM 674 Under 8½ rounds -150
12 ROUNDS WBA LIGHT MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE
***ALCINE VS SIMMS***
Jul 07 821 J ALCINE +250
10:30 PM 822 T SIMMS -330
Jul 07 823 WILL GO RDS o11½-110
10:30 PM 824 WON’T GO RDS u11½-120
SIMMS VS ALCINE
Jul 07 825 ALCINE BY KO
10:30 PM 826 ALCINE BY DEC
Jul 07 827 SIMMS BY KO
10:30 PM 828 SIMMS BY DEC
(Friday, July 6th)
Final Score: Minnesota 20, Chicago 14 (Game 1)
Final Score: Minnesota 12, Chicago 0 (Game 2)
Chicago, IL - Jason Kubel belted a grand slam and drove in a career-high seven runs as the Minnesota Twins outslugged the Chicago White Sox, 20-14, in the front end of a day-night doubleheader at U.S. Cellular Field. Torii Hunter also homered and Joe Mauer tied his career high with five RBIs, going 4-for-6 with three singles and a double for the Twins. Justin Morneau then homered three times and drove in six runs, as Minnesota capped the high-octane doubleheader with a 12-0 victory. Jeff Cirillo, Hunter and Michael Cuddyer also had home runs for the Twins, and manager Ron Gardenhire picked up his 500th win thanks to the day- night double dip. This is the first time since 1993 that the Twins have won both ends of a doubleheader. Morneau became the first Twin to hit three homers in a game since Tony Oliva against Kansas City on July 3, 1973.
Final Score: Detroit 9, Boston 2
Detroit, MI - Marcus Thames hit a grand slam and drove in five runs as the Detroit Tigers downed the Boston Red Sox, 9-2, in the opener of a three-game set at Comerica Park. Curtis Granderson hit a solo home run while Placido Polanco and Gary Sheffield each scored twice for the Tigers, who have won three straight. Andrew Miller (4-2) got the win. The left-hander was charged with just one run on three hits with four walks and six strikeouts in seven innings of work, the longest outing of his career. Coco Crisp drove in a run and Doug Mirabelli added a solo home run for the Red Sox, who had a four- game winning streak stopped. Julian Tavarez (5-7) was roughed up for eight runs on 10 hits in just 4 2/3 innings or work. It was his third straight loss.
Final Score: New York 14, LA Angels of Anaheim 9
Bronx, NY - Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez returned to the starting lineup with a bang, clubbing a two-run homer, as New York outlasted the Angels, 14-9, in the opener of a three-game series. Rodriguez had two hits and scored three times, and Jorge Posada went 3-for-5 with three RBI for the Yankees, who had a season-high 19 hits and won for the fourth time in five contests to get back within a game of .500 (41-42). Melky Cabrera had three hits with an RBI and scored three times for New York. Johnny Damon, playing left field for the first time since June 22, 2001 when he was with Oakland, had a pair of hits with an RBI and scored twice in the win. Every player in the Yankee lineup had at least a hit and an RBI. Orlando Cabrera and Chone Figgins each drove in three runs for Los Angeles, which despite leading the AL West, has lost three of four and seven of its last 10 games.
Final Score: Toronto 8, Cleveland 6
Toronto, ON - Vernon Wells homered and knocked in three runs, helping the Toronto Blue Jays fight off the Cleveland Indians, 8-6, in the opener of a three-game set at Rogers Centre. Alex Rios added two RBI for the Blue Jays, who have won three of four. Reed Johnson made an immediate impact in his first action in nearly three months for Toronto. The left fielder was activated from the 60-day disabled list earlier in the day, and came up with a sensational diving catch in the ninth to rob Victor Martinez and preserve the lead. Johnson had been sidelined since April with a herniated disk in his lower back. Roy Halladay (10-3) allowed five runs in 5 2/3 frames but still got the win, while Jeremy Accardo recorded his 11th save of the season. Cliff Lee (5-5) yielded six runs — five earned — over four innings for the Indians, who have lost three in a row. Casey Blake went 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBI in defeat.
Final Score: Tampa Bay 6, Kansas City 5
Kansas City, MO - James Shields tossed seven strong innings before things went bad in the eighth, but the Tampa Bay Devil Rays were able to hold on and beat the Kansas City Royals, 6-5, putting an end to their 11- game losing streak in the opener of a three-game set. Shields (7-4) held the Royals to just one run through seven innings, but ended up allowing seven hits and four runs in 7 2/3 innings with six strikeouts. Brendan Harris went 2-for-4 with two RBI and scored two times for the Devil Rays, who pounded out 15 hits. Delmon Young went 3-for-5 with two RBI for the Devil Rays, who hadn’t won since beating the Angels, 9-4, on June 24. Gary Glover recovered from letting up a leadoff homer in the ninth to earn his first save of the season. Odalis Perez (4-8) was roughed up for 10 hits and five runs in six innings. Alex Gordon went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI for the Royals, who have now dropped consecutive games after winning seven of nine.
Final Score: Texas 4, Baltimore 3 (10 innings)
Arlington, TX - Michael Young singled home the winning run in the 10th inning, as Texas edged Baltimore, 4-3, to start a three-game series. The Rangers got the winning run off reliever Paul Shuey (0-1). Travis Metcalf grounded a lead-off single, Jerry Hairston Jr. bunted him over to second, and Ramon Vazquez walked to set up Young, who roped the game- winning single off the glove of a diving Chris Gomez at third base. Brad Wilkerson homered for the Rangers, who have gone 11-5 since June 20. Kameron Loe, who took the mound in search of a fifth consecutive winning start, allowed just five hits with three walks and three strikeouts over six- plus frames. Joaquin Benoit (3-2) retired three straight in the 10th for the win. Nick Markakis went 3-for-4 with two RBI for the Orioles, who lost their second straight. Gomez ended 2-for-4 in the loss. Jeremy Guthrie, who was one of the bright spots in the Orioles’ otherwise dim first half of the season, gave up three runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts over six innings.
Final Score: Seattle 7, Oakland 1
Oakland, CA - Adrian Beltre went 5-for-5 with two homers, two doubles and a single as the Seattle Mariners handed Dan Haren his first loss since April 7th with a 7-1 victory over Oakland. Beltre had three RBI for Seattle, which has won two of three. Jose Vidro also chipped in with a two-run double. Eric O’Flaherty (6-0) earned the win by tossing a scoreless frame, while starter Jeff Weaver yielded just one run on four hits, walked two and fanned four over five innings. Haren (10-3) was tagged for four runs - three earned - on seven hits over 6 1/3 innings. The right-hander lost his first two starts of his 2007 campaign but had been unbeatable since, compiling a 10-0 record in 16 previous outings. He had also emerged as a leading candidate to start for the American League in Tuesday’s All-Star Game in San Francisco. Dan Johnson knocked in the lone run for the A’s, who made five errors in the contest and have dropped three of their last five games. Third baseman Marco Scutaro had four of the errors, which tied an American League record for errors in a game by a third baseman. Scutaro was starting in place of Eric Chavez, who sat out with back stiffness. He made two throwing errors and also botched a pair of grounders in the eighth inning.
Final Score: Milwaukee 6, Washington 2
Washington, DC - Ryan Braun hit a pair of solo homers and Dave Bush tossed seven strong innings to lead the Milwaukee Brewers over the Washington Nationals, 6-2, in the opener of a three-game set at RFK Stadium. Braun ended 2-for-5 and Kevin Mench went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer for the Brewers, who ended a three-game losing streak. Corey Hart finished 1-for-5 to extend his career-best hitting streak to 22 games, as NL Central-leading Milwaukee improved to 3-5 on its current 10-game road trip. Bush (7-7) won for the fourth time in five decisions, yielding just one run on seven hits. The right-hander struck out a season-high tying seven and walked two. Ronnie Belliard fell a triple short of the cycle, going 4-for-5 for the Nationals, who have lost consecutive games and nine of 10 outings. Dmitri Young, the lone All-Star for Washington, went 2-for-5, as the Nats left 11 runners on base to fall to 1-4 on their current seven-game homestand. Washington starter Mike Bacsik (2-6) suffered the loss, allowing six runs on eight hits in five innings of work. The left-hander has now lost two straight and three of four starts.
Final Score: Pittsburgh 8, Chicago 4
Pittsburgh, PA - Freddy Sanchez and Xavier Nady both homered in the third inning, as the Pittsburgh Pirates topped the Chicago Cubs, 8-4, in the opener of a three-game series at PNC Park. Ryan Doumit finished 2- for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored for the Pirates, who won their fourth straight. Jose Bautista ended 2-for-4 with an RBI in the win. Paul Maholm (5-11) gave up four runs on five hits with three walks and five strikeouts over seven-plus innings for Pittsburgh, which announced earlier in the day that CEO Kevin McClatchy will step down from his position at the end of the 2007 season. Mark DeRosa went 1-for-3 with an RBI for the Cubs, who had won 11 of 13 games coming into the contest. Right-hander Jason Marquis (6-5), who ended a nine-start winless skid in his last outing, allowed six runs on eight hits with three walks and three strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings for Chicago.
Final Score: Cincinnati 8, Arizona 1
Cincinnati, OH - Ken Griffey Jr. hit the 586th home run of his career, tying Hall of Famer Frank Robinson for sixth on the all-time list, as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 8-1, in the start of a three-game set at Great American Ball Park. Kyle Lohse (5-10) pitched brilliantly to earn the sixth complete game of his career, and his second this season. The right-hander allowed just four hits, walked two and fanned five. He has yielded just one earned run over his last 16 innings pitched. Griffey connected off Arizona starter Micah Owings (5-4) for a two-run shot in the fifth inning, hammering an 0-1 pitch 419 feet to right-center. It was his 23rd homer of the season, and leaves him just four shy of the 27 he hit last year. Brandon Phillips had three hits, including a solo homer, and also scored three runs for Cincinnati, which has won four of its last six games. Adam Dunn added a two-run homer, and Edwin Encarnacion chipped in with a two-run double. Owings was touched for six runs, six hits and three walks in 4 2/3 innings. He also had four strikeouts for Arizona, which has dropped three straight and seven of nine overall.
Final Score: Houston 4, New York 0
Houston, TX - Wandy Rodriguez tossed a four-hit shutout and Lance Berkman highlighted a three-run fifth inning with a two-run homer as the Houston Astros downed the New York Mets, 4-0, at Minute Maid park. Rodriguez (6-7) went the distance for the first time in his career, striking out a career-high tying eight and walking just one. The left-hander has not allowed a run and only seven hits over the last 17 innings covering his last two starts. Hunter Pence went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Brad Ausmus scored a pair of runs for the Astros, who knotted this four-game set and ended a two- game skid. Craig Biggio also drove in a run for Houston, which improved to 6-3 on its current 11-game homestand. Former Astro Carlos Beltran went 1- for-4 for the Mets, who have dropped five of their last six outings and fell to 4-5 on their current 11-game road trip. New York starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey (0-7) lost his seventh straight start, surrendering four runs on seven hits, striking out a season-high five and walking two, over six innings.
Final Score: San Francisco 4, St. Louis 3
St. Louis, MO - Barry Bonds didn’t get many chances to inch closer to Hank Aaron’s home run record, but the Giants got six strong innings on the mound from Noah Lowry in a 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Bonds, who is four homers shy of Aaron’s record 755, went 0-for-1 with three walks and scored once. He grounded into a double play in the first and earned passes in the third, fifth and seventh before being replaced by pinch-runner Fred Lewis. Lowry (9-6) allowed four hits and a run with five walks and five strikeouts to win his third consecutive start. Kevin Correia threw two scoreless innings, but Brad Hennessey ran into trouble in the ninth, walking Aaron Miles and giving up a pinch-hit single to Scott Spiezio. Jake Taschner surrendered a two-run single to pinch-hitter Chris Duncan with two outs. However, Randy Messenger picked up his first career save by retiring So Taguchi on a fly ball to left field. Ray Durham had two of San Francisco’s nine hits, drove in a run and scored, as the Giants won for the fourth time in six games. Albert Pujols wasn’t able to grab the spotlight from Bonds, fanning twice and going 0-for-4 at the plate, as the Cardinals fell in the opener of the three-game series and lost for the second time in six contests. Mike Maroth (0-1) was charged with five hits and four runs — one earned — over five innings.
Final Score: Colorado 7, Philadelphia 6 (11 innings)
Denver, CO - Yorvit Torrealba drove in the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning, as the Colorado Rockies erased a five-run deficit and beat the Phillies, 7-6, in the start of a three-game series at Coors Field. Garrett Atkins drew a one-out walk off J.D. Durbin (0-2) and Brad Hawpe, who tied the game with a two-out homer in the ninth inning, singled to center. Troy Tulowitzki then struck out, but Torrealba smashed a 1-1 pitch back up the middle to score Atkins. Durbin fell to 0-2 with the Phillies, who acquired him off waivers from Boston earlier in the season. The loss also prevented sensational rookie right-hander Kyle Kendrick from securing his fourth straight win since being called up from Double-A Reading. Kendrick allowed three runs on 10 hits, walked one and fanned two in the start. Aaron Rowand had three doubles and scored a pair of runs for the Phillies, who have dropped three of four and six of their last nine. Manny Corpas (3-2) tossed a scoreless inning for the win, while Rockies starter Jeff Francis surrendered six runs and 12 hits, with a walk and four strikeouts in five innings of work. Hawpe finished with four hits and Matt Holliday also homered for the Rockies, who have won four straight and five of six.
Final Score: Atlanta 7, San Diego 4
San Diego, CA - Buddy Carlyle tossed eight strong innings, and Andruw Jones blasted a two-run homer and drove in another run as the Atlanta Braves defeated the San Diego Padres, 7-4, in the opener of a three- game set. Carlyle (3-2) scattered eight hits and three runs, fanning seven with one walk for the Braves, who have won three straight. Kelly Johnson went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored for Atlanta. Justin Germano (5-3) was ripped for 10 hits and seven runs in four-plus innings. Russell Branyan hit a solo homer for the Padres, who have dropped three of four.
Final Score: Florida 6, Los Angeles 5 (10 innings)
Los Angeles, CA - Hanley Ramirez homered twice and then executed a perfect bunt single to drive in the winning run in the 10th inning, boosting Florida to a 6-5 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kevin Gregg walked Tony Abreu, James Loney and Rafael Furcal with two outs in the bottom of the inning, but then got Juan Pierre to pop out to shortstop. The Dodgers were trying for their 100th straight home win when leading after eight innings, but Takashi Saito blew a save for just the fourth time in 51 lifetime tries, allowing an RBI double to Miguel Cabrera. Jeremy Hermida dropped a sure out, capping Los Angeles’ five-run fifth inning, but the Marlins rallied to win back-to-back games for the first time since a three-game surge, June 19-22. Mike Jacobs had three hits and an RBI for the Marlins. Renyel Pinto (1-3) threw two innings to get his first major league win, while Gregg notched his 18th save of the year. Russell Martin clubbed a two-run homer and Jeff Kent went 3-for-4 and scored for the Dodgers, who suffered their third consecutive defeat.
