Friday, July 13th (All times eastern)
TORONTO BLUE JAYS (43-45) AT BOSTON RED SOX (54-34), 7:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Toronto - Shaun Marcum (4-3, 3.62) Boston - Julian Tavarez (5-7, 4.97)
The Boston Red Sox continue their 11-game homestand tonight with the second of four straight games against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox won the opener of their residency and this series on Thursday. Usual suspects David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez led the attack in Boston’s 7-4 triumph, as Ortiz had three hits, scored twice and drove in a pair of runs while Ramirez had three RBI.
Ortiz, though, revealed after the game he has been playing with a torn meniscus in his right knee since last summer. He stated he isn’t concerned because there is no swelling in the knee, adding he suffered the injury last season at Yankee Stadium after getting tangled in netting around the batting cage.
Tim Wakefield (10-8) threw six innings of four-run, nine-hit ball as Boston rebounded after being swept in three games by the Tigers prior to the All-Star break. The win improved the Red Sox’s major league-best record to 54-34.
Boston has won five in a row at home to improve their season mark at Fenway Park to 29-14.
Alex Rios, who reached the final of the Home Run Derby on Monday, hit his 18th homer of the season for Toronto, while Matt Stairs also homered in defeat.
Lyle Overbay finished 1-for-4 in his return from a broken right hand. The Blue Jays first baseman hadn’t seen action since hitting the disabled list on June 5.
Roy Halladay (10-4) allowed five runs and eight hits over five innings of the loss, Toronto’s second in three games. The club also fell 11 games behind the Red Sox for first place in the American League East.
Toronto will hope to get back on track tonight, as its next seven games can help it make up ground in the AL East standings. In addition to three more meetings against Boston, the Blue Jays then travel to the Bronx for a four- game set against the second-place New York Yankees.
Shaun Marcum will toe the rubber for Toronto hoping to rebound off a horrid outing last Saturday against Cleveland. Marcum fell to 4-3 with a 3.62 earned run average on the season after getting rocked for eight runs on nine hits over just 3 1/3 innings of his club’s 9-4 loss to the Indians.
Marcum, who hasn’t won since June 16, a span of four starts that includes three no decisions, is 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA in six lifetime games against Boston, one of those a start. The right-hander has faced the Red Sox three times this year out of the bullpen and has a loss to go along with a 4.50 ERA.
Boston will send Julian Tavarez to the hill tonight, and he will be trying to halt a personal three-game losing streak. The right-hander has dropped consecutive starts to Seattle, Texas and Detroit, yielding eight runs and 10 hits over 4 2/3 frames against the Tigers on July 6.
The skid has dropped Tavarez to 5-7 with a 4.97 ERA on the season. The 34- year-old is 2-3 with a 4.57 ERA in 21 games — just five of those starts — lifetime against Toronto, including an 0-1 mark in two starts against them this season.
Boston has won four straight and six of its nine meetings with Toronto this season, but was swept by the Blue Jays in two games at Fenway in late April.
CHICAGO WHITE SOX (40-47) AT BALTIMORE ORIOLES (38-51), 7:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Chicago - Mark Buehrle (6-4, 3.03) Baltimore - Erik Bedard (7-4, 3.40)
Mark Buehrle will make the first of what should be many more starts with the Chicago White Sox tonight, when the club continues its four-game series with the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.
Fresh off agreeing to a four-year extension with the White Sox on Sunday, Buehrle will take the hill off an outstanding outing last Saturday. He faced the Twins on that day and improved to 6-4 on the year after tossing eight scoreless innings that lowered his earned run average to 3.03.
The left-hander, who was recently pitching amid a whirlwind of trade speculation and was to be a free agent at the end of the season, received a no decision against Baltimore on July 2 and is 4-1 with a 2.28 ERA in lifetime games (eight starts) against them.
The White Sox began an 11-game road trip with a victory in Thursday’s series opener. Jermaine Dye and Jim Thome both homered in the 9-7 victory, while Rob Mackowiak went 3-for-3 with two RBI.
Jon Garland (7-6) pitched seven strong innings, scattering eight hits and two runs for the White Sox, who won their third game in a row and 11th out of their last 16.
Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie (4-3) was ripped for nine hits and six runs — five earned — in 3 2/3 innings.
Kevin Millar hit a three-run homer in the ninth and finished with four total RBI for Baltimore, which has dropped four of five.
The Orioles activated reliever Danys Baez from the 15-day disabled list before the game, but lost Melvin Mora in the first inning. Baez, who had been on the DL since June 16 due to a strained right forearm, tossed a scoreless ninth inning, while Mora re-injured his left foot and is slated to have an MRI today.
The major leagues’ current strikeout leader Erik Bedard will start tonight for Baltimore. Bedard, who has fanned 149 batters on the season, is 3-0 over his last four starts and is coming off a spectacular outing before the break.
The left-hander went the distance at Texas on Saturday, scattering two hits while striking out 15 in his first career shutout. The win improved him to 7-4 with a 3.40 ERA on the year.
Bedard is 2-2 with a 4.70 ERA in six career starts versus the White Sox. He faced the club on July 2 and took a no decision after allowing six runs on five hits and four walks over 5 2/3 innings.
The Orioles and White Sox split a four-game set at Chicago from July 2-5. The White Sox, though, have won 12 of their last 16 meetings with Baltimore.
KANSAS CITY ROYALS (38-50) AT CLEVELAND INDIANS (52-36), 7:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Kansas City - Odalis Perez (4-8, 5.68) Cleveland - Jake Westbrook (1-4, 6.27)
Owners of the best home record in baseball so far this season, the Cleveland Indians start their second half of the 2007 campaign with a six-game residency at Jacobs Field that begins with tonight’s visit from the Kansas City Royals.
Cleveland currently owns a one-game edge on Seattle for the top spot in the American League wild card race and trails defending AL champion Detroit by just a half-game for first place in the AL Central. An outstanding 31-12 mark in home games has been a main reason for the Tribe’s strong position in the standings.
The Indians stumbled a bit into the All-Star break, however, as the club dropped four of their final five games of the first half. In its most recent contest, Cleveland came up on the short end of a 1-0 decision against Toronto on Sunday.
The Blue Jays’ Alex Rios singled home Reed Johnson with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning for the game’s only run. Johnson reached base on a double off Indians starter Paul Byrd and Rios followed with a base hit up the middle against reliever Rafael Betancourt.
Byrd (7-4) was charged with the run and yielded only four hits in his 8 1/3 innings of work. Cleveland mustered only three hits against Toronto pitching, however, with the Blue Jays’ Josh Towers retiring the first 17 hitters of the game.
Josh Barfield had two of the Indians’ three hits. The other came from Travis Hafner, who extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a seventh-inning single.
Cleveland hitters had more of an impact in Tuesday’s All-Star Game, as catcher Victor Martinez slammed a two-run homer in the eighth inning which proved to be the difference in the AL’s 5-4 win.
Hafner was not selected for the AL squad, but the standout designated hitter still had a very memorable break. On Thursday, the Indians announced they had signed the slugger to a four-year contract extension that includes a club option for the 2013 season.
Unlike the Indians, the Royals closed out their first half with a flourish. Kansas City won nine of its last 13 contests prior to the break and enter tonight’s opener of this three-game series on a two-game win streak.
Both of those victories came at the expense of the lowly Tampa Bay Devil Rays, including Sunday’s 12-4 rout at Kauffman Stadium. Tony Pena finished 3-for-5 with four RBI for the Royals, who blew open a close game with a six-run eighth inning.
Emil Brown, Ross Gload and Alex Gordon each knocked in a pair of runs for Kansas City, while Jorge De La Rosa (7-9) won his third consecutive start with 5 2/3 innings of work. The left-hander allowed two runs on five hits while recording seven strikeouts.
The Royals will be sending out another southpaw this evening, as Odalis Perez gets the call in the series opener. The native Dominican looks to rebound from a rough outing a week ago, when he surrendered five runs and 10 hits in six innings of a 6-5 loss to Tampa Bay.
Perez had turned in two good efforts prior to that start, although he received a no decision in each. He held the White Sox to a run and three hits over seven innings on June 30, six days after tossing five frames of two-run ball at Milwaukee.
This will be the 30-year-old’s third start against the Indians this season. Perez is 0-1 with a 4.76 ERA in 11 1/3 innings of work over those previous two appearances.
For his career Perez owns a 1-1 record and a 3.86 ERA in five starts versus Cleveland.
The Indians counter with Jake Westbrook, who has yet to record a win in three starts since returning from a near-two month stint on the disabled list.
Westbrook is 0-2 with a 4.05 ERA after being activated in late June. He worked seven solid innings in each of his first two starts back from an abdominal strain, but struggled in a loss at Detroit on July 4. The right-hander was touched for five runs on 10 hits over six innings in the setback.
The sinker specialist has had good career success when facing Kansas City, bringing a 5-3 record with a 2.41 ERA in 18 appearances (12 starts) against the Royals into tonight’s tilt.
These AL Central foes have split six meetings so far this season, with the Indians taking two of three matchups at Jacobs Field last month. Kansas City has dropped 12 of its last 15 games in Cleveland.
NEW YORK YANKEES (43-43) AT TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS (34-54), 7:10 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: New York - Roger Clemens (2-3, 3.63) Tampa Bay - Scott Kazmir (5-6, 4.41)
Roger Clemens takes his latest comeback tour to St. Petersburg’s Tropicana Field, as the legendary hurler takes the mound for the New York Yankees in tonight’s second matchup of a four-game series with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
After enduring a rocky start to his second tour of duty with the Yankees, the 44-year-old Clemens has delivered back-to-back terrific performances his last two times out. The future Hall of Famer picked up career win No. 350 when he limited Minnesota to a run and just two hits over eight innings on July 2, then put up similar stats against the Angels this past Saturday.
Clemens held the current AL West leaders to a run on five hits in eight innings of work, although he did not factor in the decision of a game the Angels wound up winning in 13 innings.
Both of those starts came within the comfortable surroundings of Yankee Stadium. On the road this season, Clemens is 0-2 with a 7.15 earned run average in three appearances, one of which came in relief at San Francisco’s AT&T Park.
The seven-time Cy Young winner has enjoyed great success when facing the lowly Devil Rays over the course of his career, however. In 19 lifetime starts against Tampa Bay, Clemens owns a 10-4 record with a 3.11 ERA. He is 6-3 with a 3.88 ERA in 10 previous starts at Tropicana Field.
Clemens has not faced the Devil Rays since September 21, 2003, the final season of his first stint in pinstripes. He tossed seven shutout innings that day to lead New York to a 6-0 win at Tropicana Field.
The Yankees got their second half off to a good start with last night’s 7-3 victory over the Devil Rays, highlighted by three solo home runs by New York batters during the fourth inning.
Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez hit back-to-back homers to give the Bronx Bombers a 3-1 lead in the top of the fourth, and Bobby Abreu connected for a solo shot of his own three batters later.
Rodriguez’s blast was his major league-leading 31st of the season, while Abreu finished 3-for-4 with three RBI to help New York to its sixth win in eight games.
All three long balls came against Tampa starter James Shields (7-5), who surrendered six runs (five earned) and nine hits over six innings.
Andy Pettitte (5-6) worked the first 5 2/3 frames for the Yankees and allowed three runs on six hits to record the victory.
Thursday’s loss was the Devil Rays’ 14th in their last 15 contests. The downtrodden club will turn to talented lefty Scott Kazmir tonight in hopes of turning around their recent misfortune.
Kazmir has had struggles of his own to deal with lately. The hard-throwing southpaw has lost his last three starts and has issued 58 walks on the season, the second-most free passes among AL pitchers.
The 23-year-old had control issues again last Sunday in Kansas City, where he walked three Royals in five innings and gave up five runs (four earned) in a 12-4 Tampa Bay setback.
Kazmir is just 1-3 with a 3.69 ERA in seven lifetime games (six starts) against New York. He had a pair of no decisions versus the Yankees back in April, having allowed eight runs — six earned — over a combined 11 2/3 innings.
The Devil Rays have taken three of their five 2007 meetings with New York and swept the Yankees in a two-game set at Tropicana Field in late April. The Bronx Bombers won six of nine matchups between the teams in St. Petersburg last season.
OAKLAND ATHLETICS (44-45) AT MINNESOTA TWINS (46-43), 8:10 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Oakland - Lenny DiNardo (3-5, 2.72) Minnesota - Johan Santana (10-6, 2.75)
The struggling Oakland Athletics face another daunting challenge tonight at the Metrodome, where the club will take its swings against reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana as it resumes a four-game series with the Minnesota Twins.
Oakland suffered its fourth consecutive loss in Thursday’s opener of this set, as Michael Cuddyer went 4-for-4 with an RBI single to lead the Twins to a 6-2 triumph.
Torii Hunter added two RBI and Scott Baker threw six solid innings for Minnesota, which had lost two straight games to division-rival Chicago to close out its first half.
Baker (4-3) held the Athletics to two runs on five hits before turning the game over to the Minnesota bullpen. Three Twins relievers combined to toss three scoreless frames and preserve the lead.
Oakland starter Chad Gaudin (8-4) wasn’t as sharp, as the right-hander was tagged for five runs and tied a season high with five walks before being lifted after four innings.
On a positive note for the A’s, outfielder Shannon Stewart finished 2-for-4 and has now hit safely in 15 straight games.
Thursday’s loss was Oakland’s sixth in its last seven regular-season games at the Metrodome, although the club did defeat the Twins twice in Minnesota during last year’s American League Division Series.
Things don’t figure to get any easier for the A’s tonight, as Santana has won four consecutive starts and yielded two or less runs in each of those outings. The brilliant lefty also boasts a 44-17 career record at the Metrodome in regular-season play.
Santana delivered another outstanding performance in his most recent start, as he limited the Yankees to two runs and four hits over seven innings in a 6-2 Minnesota win on July 4. The effort lowered his season earned run average to 2.75, the third-best mark in the AL at the moment.
The Venezuelan native also worked a scoreless inning in Tuesday’s All-Star Game in preparation for tonight’s tilt.
Santana is 4-2 with a 3.30 ERA in 15 lifetime appearances (eight starts) against Oakland, but was handed a loss by the A’s at McAfee Coliseum last month. He gave up four runs — three earned — over six innings during his team’s 4-2 setback.
Lenny DiNardo gets another turn in the Oakland rotation tonight after the Athletics were forced to place the oft-injured Rich Harden on the disabled list prior to Thursday’s game. DiNardo relieved Harden in the third inning of Saturday’s 4-0 loss at Seattle and tossed 6 1/3 shutout frames, yielding only three hits and a pair of walks.
In his most recent start, DiNardo lasted only 2 1/3 innings and was rocked for six runs (four earned) on eight hits in a defeat to Toronto. The left-hander comes in having lost three of his last four decisions.
DiNardo’s only previous appearance against Minnesota came last September as a member of the Red Sox, and he threw 3 2/3 shutout innings of relief. He has never pitched in the Metrodome but sports a 1.96 ERA in 23 innings on the road this season.
These teams have now split four meetings so far this year. Minnesota won six of 10 encounters with the A’s during the 2006 regular season, but Oakland swept the Twins in the best-of-five ALDS last October.
DETROIT TIGERS (52-35) AT SEATTLE MARINERS (50-36), 10:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Detroit - Jeremy Bonderman (9-1, 3.48) Seattle - Jarrod Washburn (8-6, 3.72)
The Seattle Mariners take aim at a 10th consecutive victory at Safeco Field in tonight’s second test of a key four-game set with the American League Central-leading Detroit Tigers.
The Mariners maintained their red-hot form in their first game following the All-Star break, as the club came through with a wacky 3-2 decision over Detroit in Thursday’s series opener.
Seattle rallied from an early 2-0 hole with three runs in the fifth inning. Adrian Beltre knocked in the first two with a bases-loaded single, then was ruled to have avoided a tag by Tigers shortstop Carlos Guillen after he slid past the second-base bag during the play. That allowed Richie Sexson to score from first for the go-ahead run.
Felix Hernandez (6-4) made the lead stand before departing with one out in the seventh inning. The Seattle ace allowed 10 hits but limited Detroit to just the two runs.
All-Star closer J.J. Putz picked up his 25th save in 25 chances this season with a scoreless ninth.
Jose Vidro finished 3-for-4 to help the Mariners post their 15th victory in their last 19 games. The surge has vaulted Seattle within two games of the first-place Angels in the AL West standings and one of Cleveland in the race for the league’s wild-card berth.
The Mariners have not lost at home since a June 22 setback to Cincinnati and improved to 28-15 at Safeco Field this season.
Detroit outhit Seattle by an 11-6 margin on the evening but stranded 11 runners and saw its five-game win streak come to an end. The loss also dwindled the Tigers’ lead atop the AL Central to just a half game over Cleveland.
Magglio Ordonez drove in both Detroit runs and Gary Sheffield went 3-for-4 in the loss. Sheffield is now batting .519 (14-for-27) with three homers, six RBI and nine runs scored over his last seven games.
The Tigers will attempt to get back on track tonight behind Jeremy Bonderman, who shoots for his 10th victory of the season. The Washington state native is coming off a very strong performance last Saturday in which he held Boston to two runs and struck out nine batters over eight frames. Bonderman did not factor in the decision, however, in a game Detroit eventually won in 13 innings.
Prior to that outing, Bonderman shut Minnesota out over the first eight innings to lead Detroit to a 1-0 triumph on July 1.
Bonderman defeated the Mariners on May 8 despite allowing five runs over six innings and owns a 3-2 record with a 3.99 earned run average in six career starts against Seattle. This will be his third career major-league appearance in his home state, and he is 1-1 with a 2.30 ERA lifetime at Safeco Field.
Seattle will send out tough lefty Jarrod Washburn, who puts a three-start win streak on the line tonight. The veteran has yielded just three runs over 22 innings (a 1.23 ERA) during his outstanding stretch.
Washburn was brilliant in his final start prior to the All-Star break, as he fired eight shutout innings to defeat Kansas City on July 4. He allowed just five hits and a walk while striking out five Royals.
The 32-year-old is 4-6 with a 4.54 ERA in 12 career starts against Detroit, but has dropped his last five decisions to tonight’s opponent. Washburn’s last victory over the Tigers came on May 4, 2004.
Detroit took two of three from the Mariners back in May and is 10-5 in the last 15 meetings between the teams. The Tigers won five of six games against Seattle in Safeco Field a year ago.
TEXAS RANGERS (38-50) AT LA ANGELS OF ANAHEIM (53-35), 10:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Texas - Kevin Millwood (6-7, 6.16) LA Angels - Jered Weaver (6-5, 3.67)
The American League West-leading Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim get their second half of the season underway with this evening’s opener of a three-game set with the visiting Texas Rangers.
The Angels own a two-game advantage on Seattle in the division standings, but have allowed the surging Mariners to close the gap by dropping eight of their last 12 games prior to the All-Star break. Anaheim closed out the first half by losing two of three encounters with the New York Yankees, including a 12-0 shellacking by the Bronx Bombers in last Sunday’s series finale.
New York racked up nine runs on seven hits against Angels starter Ervin Santana (5-10), who lasted just three innings and lost his fourth straight decision. Los Angeles didn’t do much on the offensive end, either, as the club mustered only five hits against four Yankee pitchers.
Garret Anderson finished 2-for-3 to lead the Angels at the plate.
Prior to the New York series, Anaheim lost two of three encounters with the Rangers in Arlington from July 3-5. However, the Angels have taken seven of the 10 overall meetings between the divisional foes so far this season and swept a three-game set from Texas at home to begin the 2007 campaign.
Since the start of the 2005 season, Texas has gone just 5-17 at Angel Stadium.
Although the Rangers currently reside at the bottom of the AL West standings, the team hasn’t been playing like a cellar-dweller as of late. Texas has won six of its last nine games and closed out its disappointing first half with a 2-1 decision over Baltimore on Sunday.
Kenny Lofton went 2-for-2 with a solo homer and two runs scored for the Rangers, while Kevin Millwood teamed with four relievers on a seven-hitter.
Millwood (6-7) worked the first six frames and held the Orioles to one run on five hits. Eric Gagne preserved the one-run cushion with a scoreless ninth and earned his 12th save of the season.
Texas will bring back Millwood on regular rest to start tonight’s opener. The husky veteran is 4-1 with a 3.66 earned run average over his last five starts and allowed three runs or less in each of his last four mound trips.
One of those victories came against the Angels on July 3, when Millwood yielded just two runs on five hits and walked none over a season-high eight innings.
The 32-year-old did lose his first two starts versus Anaheim this season and has posted a 5.52 ERA over 14 1/3 innings against tonight’s opponent in 2007. For his career Millwood is 2-2 with a 4.04 ERA in six starts against the Angels.
Texas should also receive a boost from the return of first baseman Mark Teixeira, who is expected to come off the disabled list prior to tonight’s game. The switch-hitting slugger was batting .302 with 12 homers and 41 RBI before being sidelined by a quadriceps injury on June 9.
Jered Weaver will make his first start for the Angels since the talented young righty suffered a loss at the hands of the Rangers on Independence Day. Weaver gave up three runs and seven hits in five-plus innings of his team’s 4-2 defeat.
Weaver has now dropped back-to-back games since putting together a five- decision win streak from May 14-June 16. The 24-year-old was a hard-luck loser against Kansas City on June 27, despite yielding just one run and four hits in a seven-inning stint.
This will be Weaver’s third appearance against Texas this season. He tossed seven frames of one-run ball to defeat the Rangers in Arlington on May 14, his only victory in five career starts (1-1) versus the club.
HOUSTON ASTROS (39-50) AT CHICAGO CUBS (44-43), 2:20 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Houston - Jason Jennings (1-4, 4.07) Chicago - Carlos Zambrano (10-7, 4.03)
Right-hander Carlos Zambrano looks for his 10th career victory against the Houston Astros when the Chicago Cubs host their National League Central rivals today in the opener of a three-game weekend series from Wrigley Field.
Zambrano, who’s won three of his last four decisions, is 9-5 in 20 lifetime appearances (18 starts) against the Astros, posting a 2.41 earned run average over 127 innings.
He defeated Houston, 2-1, on June 11 after allowing three hits and an unearned run in eight innings.
The 26-year-old Venezuelan is on pace for a career high for victories in a season, which he’s established twice - winning 16 times in both 2004 and 2006.
Right-hander Jason Jennings hopes to snap a three-start losing streak for the Astros this evening.
The Texan, who’ll turn 29 on Tuesday, has gotten only three runs of offensive support in the three losses, while allowing 19 hits and 11 earned runs in 20 innings against Milwaukee, Colorado and the New York Mets.
He’s 1-1 in three career starts against the Cubs with a 3.66 ERA in 19 2/3 innings.
On Sunday in Houston, Chris Burke hit a two-run homer and scored three times as the Astros defeated the New York Mets, 8-3, to split a four-game set at Minute Maid Park in the final game for both teams prior to the All-Star break.
Morgan Ensberg chipped in a two-run single and Hunter Pence finished 2-for-5 with a triple, RBI and run scored for the Astros, who finished 7-4 on an 11- game homestand.
Roy Oswalt (8-5) got the victory, only his second since May 12th. The Houston right-hander gave up three runs on seven hits while striking out five and walking one over seven innings of work.
In Pittsburgh, Jason Bay hit a two-run home and knocked in four runs to back six solid innings out of Shane Youman as the Pirates clipped the Cubs, 6-2, in the finale of a three-game set last Sunday.
Mark DeRosa and Angel Pagan each knocked in a run for the Cubs, who have cooled off after a recent hot streak. Chicago has dropped three of five after a stretch of 10 wins in 11 games.
Houston has won two of its three meetings with Chicago this year, but the Cubs have won seven of the last 10 meetings overall.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS (36-52) AT FLORIDA MARLINS (42-47), 7:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Washington - Jason Bergmann (1-5, 3.47) Florida - Dontrelle Willis (7-7, 4.72)
Lefty Dontrelle Willis seeks his first win since May 29 tonight, when the Florida Marlins host the Washington Nationals in the opener of a three-game series at Dolphin Stadium.
Willis got a no decision in his last start prior to the All-Star break, as he allowed seven hits and four earned runs over six innings of Florida’s 6-5 defeat of the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 6.
He beat the Cubs for his seventh win of the season in late May, allowing seven hits and four runs in seven innings of a 9-4 triumph, but is 0-4 in seven starts since that triumph.
The 25-year-old, who won 22 games in 2005 and 12 last season, is 10-4 in 15 career starts against the Nationals with a 3.32 earned run average in 89 1/3 innings.
Jason Bergmann, who will take the mound tonight for the Nationals, will also be attempting to break out of a long winless drought. The New Jersey native has not won since May 14 and is 0-2 in three starts since spending over a month on the disabled list with elbow soreness.
He got a no decision against the Chicago Cubs on July 5 on the heels of consecutive losses to Atlanta and Pittsburgh, during which he gave up 12 hits and seven runs in eight innings.
Bergmann has made nine career appearances, including one start, against the Marlins, posting a 4.19 ERA.
On Sunday in Washington, Ryan Zimmerman’s two-run homer sparked a six-run rally in the sixth inning as the Nationals closed out their first half by downing the Milwaukee Brewers, 7-2, in the finale of a three-game set at RFK Stadium.
Felipe Lopez also homered and Ronnie Belliard had three RBI for the Nationals, who took two of three in the series.
Washington starter Tim Redding (1-1) won for the first time at the major league level in nearly three years, allowing two runs on five hits over six innings.
In Los Angeles, Russell Martin finished 2-for-2 with three RBI and three runs scored as the Dodgers topped Florida, 9-3, to salvage the finale of a three- game set Sunday at Dodger Stadium.
Florida starter Scott Olsen (6-7) lasted only one full inning and was charged with five hits and three runs before leaving with a stiff back. Wes Obermueller then allowed six runs on six hits with four walks in three innings of relief.
Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla and Jason Wood each drove in a run for the Marlins.
The Nationals have won three straight against the Marlins and hold a 5-4 advantage in the 2007 series. Florida, though, has won seven of the last nine meetings at Dolphin Stadium.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (40-45) AT PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (44-44), 7:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: St. Louis - Kip Wells (3-11, 5.92) Philadelphia - Kyle Kendrick (3-0, 4.40)
The Philadelphia Phillies open the second half of the season staring at an unwanted historical record: 10,000 losses. The club will try to avoid that mark for at least one more day when it plays the opener of a three-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park.
The Phillies lost to Colorado last Saturday for the 9,999th setback in franchise history. However, they bested the Rockies in the series finale on Sunday, 8-4, to avoid the milestone defeat.
Pat Burrell and Shane Victorino each hit home runs for the Phillies, while Jimmy Rollins chipped in with three hits and two RBI. The win was just Philadelphia’s second in six games, leaving them five games behind the New York Mets for the top spot in the National League East.
Adam Eaton (8-5) went six innings, allowing four runs on eight hits. Ryan Madson hurled the final three frames, all scoreless, to earn his first save of the year.
If anything, Sunday’s win helped the odds that the Phillies will be at home when they become the first professional sports team to ever reach the 10,000 loss mark. Should the Phils drop a game during this set, they will do so in front of a city that has endured over 124 years of losing by the Phils. The club’s lengthy tenure has produced an abundance of losses to just one World Series title, with that championship coming in 1980.
The Phillies haven’t made the playoffs since 1993, when they reached the World Series, only to lose to Toronto in six games.
Kyle Kendrick will attempt to remain both out of the history books and undefeated on the season when he toes the rubber for the Phillies tonight. The Double-A call-up is a perfect 3-0 through five starts with a 4.40 earned run average. He received a no-decision in his final start before the All-Star break on July 6, allowing three runs on 10 hits in his club’s 7-6 setback at Colorado.
The 22-year-old right-hander will be facing St. Louis for the first time in his career.
For St. Louis, the All-Star break provided rest for most but controversy for others.
Albert Pujols, who hasn’t homered in a career-high 22 straight games — spanning 74 at-bats — showed he still has power as he hit a combined 13 homers in the Home Run Derby, but was eliminated in the second round.
However, it wasn’t enough for manager Tony La Russa to put Pujols into the All-Star game on Tuesday. Pujols was the only position player on the NL roster not to get into the game, and La Russa elected not to go to the slugger in the ninth inning with two outs, the bases loaded and his club down 5-4.
Instead, it was Philadelphia’s Aaron Rowand who flied out to end the game.
Pujols indicated after the game he was upset at La Russa for not using him in the game, while the Cardinals manager said he was saving the first baseman in case the game went into extra innings.
La Russa, though, has somewhat conceded since that he maybe should have used Pujols, while the Cardinals star insists there is no rift between the two.
Heading into the break, St. Louis lost two straight to the Giants before avoiding the sweep on Sunday with a 7-0 victory. Todd Wellemeyer (3-1) pitched five scoreless innings and gave up just two hits, while the bullpen kept the shutout intact with four scoreless frames.
Chris Duncan went 2-for-3 and knocked in three runs for the Cardinals, who are 7 1/2 games out of first place in the NL Central and begin a 10-game road trip tonight.
Kip Wells will return to the rotation tonight for the Cards after three outings in the bullpen, and will do so against an opponent he has had success against. Wells, who is just 3-11 on the season with a 5.92 ERA, is a perfect 5-0 in six lifetime starts against Philadelphia with an outstanding 1.33 ERA.
In fact, his last start of this season was versus the Phillies on June 24. Wells earned a no-decision after allowing one run over five innings of work. Following that outing, the right-hander headed to the bullpen. He made three appearances, yielding just one run and eight hits over nine total innings of work.
The Cardinals could also get a boost today in the field. David Eckstein was activated from the 15-day disabled list on Thursday and might play today. The shortstop had been out with a lower back strain.
The Phillies took two of three against the Cardinals in St. Louis in late June, and have won five of their last six games versus the Cards.
CINCINNATI REDS (36-53) AT NEW YORK METS (49-39), 7:10 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Cincinnati - Aaron Harang (9-2, 3.67) New York - John Maine (10-4, 2.71)
John Maine was left off the National League All-Star roster. He will try to show the league the error of its ways when the New York Mets continue their four-game set with the Cincinnati Reds tonight at Shea Stadium.
Maine will toe the rubber after ending his first half the same way he started it. He won his first five decisions to begin the 2007 season and entered the All-Star break on a four-start winning streak. The right-hander was last in action on July 5 against Houston and scattered two runs and six hits over 7 2/3 innings in the Mets’ 6-2 victory.
He also struck out nine and improved to 10-4 with a 2.71 earned run average on the year. Maine’s 10 wins are tied for the NL lead while his ERA is fourth- best in the league.
Maine will be making his first career start against the Reds.
The Mets shook up their roster a bit on Thursday and then bested the Reds 3-2 in the series opener. Outfielder Lastings Milledge, recalled from Double-A Binghamton before the game, scored the game-winning run in the fifth inning.
Jose Reyes and Ruben Gotay hit back-to-back homers in the first inning, marking the first time in Mets’ history they hit two home runs to start the opening frame.
Earlier in the day, the Mets dismissed Rick Down as hitting coach and filled the vacancy with a big name in Rickey Henderson. It is expected, though, that Howard Johnson will assume most or all of Down’s responsibilities.
The Mets also designated 48-year-old infielder Julio Franco for assignment and signed infielder Marlon Anderson to a minor-league contract.
Orlando Hernandez (5-4) struck out seven over six innings to get the win. The right-hander allowed three hits and two runs while walking three to boost the NL East-leading Mets, who hold a 2 1/2-game lead over Atlanta in the division.
Bronson Arroyo (3-10) scattered eight hits and gave up three runs in seven innings for the Reds, who began an 11-game road trip by having their four-game winning streak broken. Scott Hatteberg drove in both of the Reds’ runs.
Cincinnati also made a roster move on Thursday, placing outfielder Josh Hamilton on the 15-day disabled list due to a sprained right wrist.
Aaron Harang will start for the Reds tonight and hasn’t tasted defeat since May 20 at Cleveland, going 4-0 over nine starts since. He improved to 9-2 with a win over the Giants on July 3 before posting a no decision on Sunday versus the Diamondbacks despite eight innings of one-run, six-hit ball. Harang also struck out eight while lowering his ERA to 3.67.
The right-hander is 1-0 with a 4.32 ERA in two career starts against the Mets.
New York held a slim 4-3 edge in the 2006 season series and split four games with the Reds at home. The Mets have won four of their last five games against Cincinnati.
PITTSBURGH PIRATES (40-48) AT ATLANTA BRAVES (47-42), 7:35 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Pittsburgh - Ian Snell (7-5, 2.93) Atlanta - Tim Hudson (8-5, 3.54)
Young right-hander Ian Snell can continue a breakout season tonight when the Pittsburgh Pirates visit Turner Field for the opener of a three-game series with the Atlanta Braves.
The 25-year-old, a former 26th-round draft choice, entered the All-Star break with three wins in his last four decisions, including a 5-3 defeat of Milwaukee on July 4 in which he allowed nine hits and three runs in eight innings.
Snell, who began the season 4-4 after eight decisions, has lowered his earned run average to 2.93 since May 28.
He defeated the Braves, 13-2, on May 13, allowing seven hits and two runs in seven innings. He is 1-1 in four lifetime outings against the Braves with a 4.15 ERA.
Atlanta righty Tim Hudson was hit hard by the Los Angeles Dodgers in his last pre-break start, allowing 10 hits and six runs over just three innings. He got a no-decision, however, in the Braves’ 8-6 win.
Hudson had won two straight starts prior, allowing 14 hits and two runs in 14 innings while beating Washington and Florida.
He’s 2-3 lifetime against the Pirates in six starts.
On Sunday in Pittsburgh, Jason Bay hit a two-run homer and knocked in four runs and Shane Youman tossed six solid innings as the Pirates clipped the Chicago Cubs, 6-2, in the finale of a three-game set.
Youman (2-0) in his second start of the season in place of the injured Zach Duke, gave up just two runs on six hits for the Pirates, who won five of six heading into the All-Star break.
In San Diego, Kyle Davies threw six strong innings and Brian McCann homered and drove in four runs, as the Braves held on to defeat the Padres, 5-4, in the finale of a three-game series at PETCO Park.
Kelly Johnson also homered and Andruw Jones recorded just his second three-hit game of the season for the Braves, who entered the All-Star break having won nine of 13 games to pull within 2 1/2 games of the NL East-leading New York Mets.
Davies (4-7) allowed one run on four hits, striking out six and walking two, picking up his first win in five decisions over his last six starts.
Jones also scored a pair of runs, registering his first three-hit game since May 29. The struggling center fielder, who entered the game hitting just .204, now has 14 hits in his last 13 games as he looks to turn around a poor first- half performance.
The Braves took two of three over the Pirates in Atlanta from May 11-13. The clubs split six games last year.
COLORADO ROCKIES (44-44) AT MILWAUKEE BREWERS (49-39), 8:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Colorado - Jeff Francis (8-5, 3.87) Milwaukee - Chris Capuano (5-6, 4.78)
Canadian-born left-hander Jeff Francis tries for his fourth straight victory tonight when the Colorado Rockies visit Miller Park in game one of a three-game weekend series against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Francis, a first-round draft pick in 2002, beat the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Houston Astros over five starts heading into the All-Star break to run his pre-break win total to eight.
The 26-year-old won a career-best 14 games in 2005, then followed it with 13 wins last season. He’s lost both career starts against the Brewers, allowing 16 hits and 11 runs in 10 2/3 innings.
Milwaukee starter Chris Capuano is 4-2 in six career starts against the Rockies.
He lost his final pre-All-Star start, allowing eight hits and seven runs in a 7-2 loss to Washington on Sunday. Capuano has dropped six straight decisions spanning eight starts and hasn’t posted a win since May 7 against the Nationals.
On Sunday in Colorado, Pat Burrell and Shane Victorino both hit homers as the Philadelphia Phillies downed the Rockies, 8-4, in the finale of a three-game set at Coors Field.
Kaz Matsui and Todd Helton homered for the Rockies, who had a five-game winning streak snapped.
Colorado starter Aaron Cook (5-6) surrendered a season-high 12 hits and five runs.
In Capuano’s loss at Washington on Sunday, Ryan Zimmerman’s two-run homer sparked a six-run rally in the sixth inning as the Nationals downed the Brewers, 7-2, in the finale of a three-game set at RFK Stadium.
Ryan Braun went 3-for-3 with a run scored and Prince Fielder drove in both runs for Milwaukee, which has lost five of six.
This series marks the first meeting between Colorado and Milwaukee this season. The Brewers were 4-2 against the Rockies last season, winning all three games at Miller Park. Milwaukee also swept the Rockies at home in three games in 2005.
SAN DIEGO PADRES (49-38) AT ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (47-43), 9:40 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: San Diego - Greg Maddux (7-6, 4.19) Arizona - Doug Davis (5-10, 4.26)
Veteran 340-game winner Greg Maddux faces one of the few teams against whom he’s been unsuccessful against tonight when the San Diego Padres visit the Arizona Diamondbacks to open a three-game set at Chase Field.
Maddux, a double-digit winner 18 times since 1986, is only 1-9 in 15 career starts against the Diamondbacks with a 5.12 earned run average. In those games, he’s allowed an uncharacteristic 110 hits and 51 earned runs in 89 2/3 innings.
The 41-year-old reached the All-Star break with three losses in four starts, including a 5-4 loss to the Atlanta Braves on July 8. His last win came June 27 against San Francisco, in which he allowed five hits and a run over seven innings at AT&T Park.
Arizona’s Doug Davis, who won 11 games in each of the last two seasons with Milwaukee, seeks his first win since June 24. He lost to St. Louis and San Francisco in his two most recent starts, surrendering 14 hits and seven runs in 12 2/3 innings.
He’s 3-2 in eight appearances - seven starts - against the Padres with a 3.61 ERA in 47 1/3 starts.
On Sunday in San Diego, Kyle Davies threw six strong innings and Brian McCann homered and drove in four runs, as the Atlanta Braves held on to defeat the Padres, 5-4, in the finale of a three-game series at PETCO Park.
Mike Cameron went 1-for-4 with an RBI for the Padres, who have lost three of four and finished a seven-game homestand just 3-4. Michael Barrett had two hits, an RBI and scored a run and Milton Bradley recorded two hits and scored a run for San Diego, which went into the All-Star break with just a one-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers for the top spot in the NL West.
In Cincinnati, Scott Hatteberg’s run-scoring single in the 11th helped the Reds complete a three-game sweep of the Diamondbacks with a 4-3 victory at Great American Ball Park.
The victory went to Kirk Saarloos (1-4) while Jose Valverde (0-3) took the loss.
Yusmeiro Petit started for Arizona and went five innings, allowing three runs on five hits. Petit also fanned eight and walked four.
Chris Young homered for the Diamondbacks, who have dropped five straight and eight of their last nine games overall.
The Diamondbacks own a slim 3-2 edge in the season series.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS (49-40) AT SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (38-48), 10:15 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Los Angeles - Chad Billingsley (5-0, 3.62) San Francisco - Matt Cain (3-9, 3.53)
While most of the All-Stars have cleared out of the Bay Area, Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants have stayed behind at AT&T Park to begin a three-game set with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
AT&T Park was the site of this year’s All-Star Game, a contest won by the American League, 5-4. Bonds, the Giants’ lone representative, went 0-for-2 in the game.
Much like the first half of the season, the focus of the Giants’ second half will probably be all on Bonds, who remains four home runs shy of Hank Aaron’s all-time record of 755 career long balls.
Bonds, who hasn’t homered since July 3 at Cincinnati, went 0-for-3 in San Francisco’s last game on July 8, a 7-0 setback to St. Louis. The loss snapped the Giants’ two-game winning streak.
Barry Zito (6-9) started for San Francisco and continued to struggle, allowing six runs — five earned — on eight hits in four-plus innings.
The Giants will send another struggling hurler to the mound tonight in Matt Cain, who halted a six-decision losing streak with a win over the Reds in his final start of the first half. The right-hander allowed four runs over 5 2/3 innings on July 4 at Cincinnati, but was helped out by his offense in the 9-5 win.
The 22-year-old is 3-9 on the year despite a 3.53 earned run average. Cain is 0-2 in three lifetime starts against the Dodgers with an 8.56 ERA.
Chad Billingsley is slated to make his fifth start of the season for the Dodgers. The right-hander is 5-0 on the year, including 1-0 as a starter, with a 3.62 ERA and was last in action on July 6 against Florida. Billingsley allowed three runs on six hits in five innings of work on the day, getting a no-decision in his club’s 6-5 loss.
The 22-year-old has faced the Giants three times in his career, once as a starter, and is 1-0 against them with a 7.56 ERA. He made a relief appearance on April 8 at San Francisco and was tagged for three runs in two innings.
Bonds is 2-for-4 in his career against Billingsley with a homer, double and three RBI.
The Dodgers halted a four-game losing streak with a win over Florida in the finale of a three-game set on Sunday. All-Star starter Russell Martin finished 2-for-2 with a home run, three RBI and three runs scored in the win.
Andre Ethier hit a three-run homer and Ramon Martinez drove in a pair of runs for the Dodgers, who trail first-place San Diego by one game in the National League West.
Towering left-hander Mark Hendrickson (3-4) allowed four hits and two runs over five innings with six strikeouts and a walk.
The Giants and Dodgers have split six games so far this year with each club recording a three-game sweep on the road.
As the “Chase for the Nextel Cup” gets closer the races get more and more important. The IndyCar race at the Nashville Superspeedway will also be important as drivers try to figure a way to slow the Franchitti juggernaut.
NASCAR
Nextel Cup
USG Sheetrock 400 - Chicagoland Speedway - Joliet, IL
Jeff Gordon was sitting in 12th place in the standings when the series last stepped onto the Chicagoland Speedway track. It was one of the few tracks in the series where the four-time series champion had never won.
Jeff Gordon The last time Jeff Gordon was at Chicagoland he was in 12th place in the standings.
But Gordon ended his Joliet, IL winless streak and climbed into the top-10. He has been in the top-10 ever since - 37 weeks. It is the second longest active streak in Nextel Cup behind the 44-week streak by Jeff Burton. (The all-time record is held by Dale Earnhardt - 174 weeks from 1986 - 1992.)
Both drivers were there at the finish line of the 2006 USG Sheetrock 400.
Matt Kenseth pulled away after he fought back a passing attempt by Gordon on the restart and held 1.484-seconds over the No.24 Chevrolet with 20 laps remaining. Burton was three seconds back.
Gordon posted five consecutive fastest laps, but was still one second back with 15 miles remaining. He was right on Kenseth’s rear bumper with five laps to go and on the next lap he tapped Kenseth’s bumper and sent the No.17 Ford spinning.
“I got in there real hard, he blocked me a little bit a couple of times,” said Gordon. “I jumped back in the gas and I don’t know if Casey (Mears) sitting on the outside made him hesitate, but I was just trying to get the best run I could.”
“I know it was intentional,” said Kenseth afterwards.
Gordon inherited the lead as Kenseth gathered himself and returned to the track in eighth place. But half-a-lap later he ran out of fuel and coasted down pit lane.
The race would finish under a green-white-checker, but the question wasn’t could anyone catch Gordon, it was whether they had enough fuel to reach the checkered flag. Gordon did and won the race. Burton did too and took home second place.
Gordon has been almost perfect in 2007 winning four times and posting 16 top-10s in 18 starts. Even after being penalized 100 points for a COT infraction, Gordon owns a 277-point lead over Denny Hamlin. With just eight races left before the start of the “Chase for the Nextel Cup,” Gordon can coast into the “playoffs.” He is 733 points ahead of 12th-place Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Also safely ensconced in the “Chase” are Hamlin, Kenseth, 2006 Nextel Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, Burton and Carl Edwards.
The final six playoff positions are being contested by 11 drivers. Currently, two-time Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Daytona 500 winner Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Clint Bowyer and Earnhardt Jr. hold the positions. But Jamie McMurray, winner of last week’s race in Daytona, is just 49 points back. The win was his first in 166 starts.
“That guy (McMurray) works as hard or harder than anybody down here; he deserves it,” said Edwards, his teammate at Roush Racing.
Also within striking distance are Ryan Newman (-61), Kurt Busch (-121), Greg Biffle (-204) and J.J. Yeley (-236).
Busch
USG Durock 300 - Chicagoland Speedway - Joliet, IL
This week’s Busch Series race at Chicagoland is likely to see a first-time winner make the turn into Victory Lane. In six previous races, there have been four first-time winners.
In 2001, Jimmie Johnson won the only Busch race of his career. The next year, Johnny Sauter held off late charges from Todd Bodine and Jeff Burton. Skip to 2004 and Justin Labonte won his first and only Busch race squeezing out every drop of fuel to get to the checkered flag.
Brad Keselowski Brad Keselowski has a chance to be a first-time Busch race winner.
Casey Mears became the fourth member of the club one year ago when he beat Carl Edwards to the checkers. The No.60 Ford was 2.097 seconds back with 13 laps to go and Mears in “fuel conservation mode.”
But Mears must have seen Edwards coming and stepped it up and the margin actually increased with 10 laps to go. It was still 1.808 seconds with just six miles to go. Mears cruised to the checkered flag without challenge, earned his first-ever Busch win and ran out of fuel on the victory lap.
A possible choice for this year’s first-timer would be Brad Keselowski. After a great run substituting for Ted Musgrave in a Craftsman Truck race, he will get a shot behind the wheel of Jr. Motorsports’ No.88 U.S. Navy Chevrolet.
The 24-year-old made 13 starts for a smaller team - Keith Coleman Racing before it suspended its operations. When Musgrave was suspended for one race because of an on-track incident, Keselowski finally got the chance to compete in a top quality, competitive truck.
Keselowski won the pole, led four different times for a total of 62 laps and contended for the win.
“I’ve watched Brad for a while and he’s shown a lot of promise in the few Busch races he’s run,” said Earnhardt Jr. on the team’s website. “He became available at a time when we were looking to make some changes to our program and everything just lined up for us to put him in the Navy Chevrolet for the next three races.”
Edwards is the man to beat in 2007 as he jogs to his first Busch Series championship. On the back of 15 top-10s and a series-leading four wins, Edwards has a stranglehold on the driving title - by 798 points. The all-time winning margin is 824 points which Kevin Harvick set last year.
Craftsman
Built Ford Tough 225 - Kentucky Speedway - Sparta, KY
Travis Kvapil won the race two week’s ago, but he didn’t gain much on the leader Mike Skinner or second-place Ron Hornaday, Skinner finished fourth and Hornaday Jr. came across the stripe in third place.
Skinner’s lead is 103 points on Hornaday Jr., 228 points on defending series champion Todd Bodine and 263 points on Kvapil.
Mike Skinner Mike Skinner has a significant point lead on the rest of the field.
The No.5 Toyota has built the lead with consistency. It is what NASCAR values the most. Skinner has put up 12 top-10s in 12 starts, winning three times. He leads the series not only in points, but also in winnings ($392,875), laps led (654), poles (7), top-fives (10) and driver rating (122.9).
Last year, Hornaday Jr. won the race and it helped him put together a three- race streak of top-fives. He faded down the stretch, but this year he has been in contention all season long.
“The win at Kentucky was very special,” said Hornaday, who has 31 wins and two titles in his Craftsman career. “It really signified a turnaround in our program. To beat my competitors in that race was huge. It helped change our outlook and our program.
“When Rick (Ren - crew chief) arrived, he took a good team and made it better. He has such an attention to detail and is so focused and driven.”
Skinner was the leader of last year’s race with 21 laps to go, but he got into a scuffle with Dennis Setzer that sent him into the wall. Hornaday Jr. inherited the lead. The “King of Restarts” did his job and was never challenged on the way to the win.
INDY CARS
Firestone Indy 200 - Nashville Superspeedway - Lebanon, TN
Dario Franchitti has been great all season and it shows in the standings. He has three wins, including the Indianapolis 500, and has yet to finish below seventh. Franchitti has been even better over the last three weeks winning two times and finishing third in the other.
Franchitti has taken a close championship race that had at least six drivers thinking titles and turned it into a two-man, maybe a three-man, race.
The Edinburgh, Scotland native owns a 47-point lead over Target Chip Ganassi’s Scott Dixon. Franchitti’s Andretti Green Racing teammate Tony Kanaan is in third place, 75 points back.
Dixon won last week’s road course race at Watkins Glen, his third in a row at the upstate New York site. He has eight top-fives so far this year.
Kanaan, the 2004 IndyCar Series champion, has been up and down this year. He has earned two wins, and seven top-fives, but he also has finished outside the top-10 three times.
Kanaan also made headlines last week when he got into it after the race with Sam Hornish Jr. Both Team Penske and AGR were fined $25,000 for the incident, the drivers were fined an undisclosed amount and Hornish Jr.’s father, who got physical with Kanaan, will not be allowed in the pit area for one race.
“We are disappointed in the actions of the drivers, the team members and the non-team members involved in the incident,” said Brian Barnhart, president of the racing and operations division for the Indy Racing League.”
Dixon is the defending champion at the Nashville Superspeedway.
