Saturday, July 21st (All times eastern)
TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS (38-57) AT NEW YORK YANKEES (48-46), 1:05 & 7:05 P.M.(DH)
Probable Starting Pitchers: Game 1: Tampa Bay - Jason Hammel (1-0, 6.11) New York - Kei Igawa (2-2, 6.97)
Game 2: Tampa Bay - J.P. Howell (1-3, 6.62) New York - Matt DeSalvo (1-3, 5.87)
Already 18 1/2 games out of contention in the American League East and just 10-17 versus division foes, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays try to follow up their impressive effort on Friday as they play two versus the New York Yankees in the Bronx on Saturday.
The stars aligned for the Devil Rays on Friday night as they thrashed New York in a 14-4 decision in the opener of a four-game set. Dioner Navarro punched his first career grand slam and B.J. Upton posted his first career multi-homer game in the lopsided decision.
Even more impressive was the fact that Tampa Bay starting pitcher Edwin Jackson picked the Yankees to record his first road win in nearly four seasons. Jackson shut out the Yankees over six innings, giving up only four hits and walking four, while striking out four for the visitors. The victory was just the second of the season overall for Jackson, who last won on the road in September of 2003.
While Jackson was showing signs of life for the visitors, Mike Mussina was continuing to struggle as he suffered his seventh loss, against just four wins this season. Mussina was touched for six runs on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings. The meeting was supposed to work in favor of Mussina, who entered the game a perfect 7-0 versus the Rays in Yankee Stadium, but it just wasn’t meant to be.
Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano and Andy Phillips each had a pair of hits for New York, while Bobby Abreu offset those efforts with three strikeouts in five at- bats. Johnny Damon snapped the longest hitless drought of his career (0- for-20) with a single, while Hideki Matsui had his hitting streak snapped at 14 games.
Heading out to the hill for the Devil Rays in the first game of today’s doubleheader will be youngster Jason Hammel, who began his career with six straight losses before earning his first-ever victory at the major league level earlier this season versus Arizona.
Unfortunately, that win in relief is still the lone victory in his career at this point as he gets ready to start his first game of 2007. Last weekend he faced the Yankees for the second time in three days, retiring just a single batter before heading to the dugout.
The Treasure Valley Community College product has thrown a total of just 61 2/3 innings in his major league career, resulting in a lofty 7.30 ERA.
The second game of the day will see left-hander J.P. Howell take the hill for the Rays, getting the call up from Triple-A Durham. Howell, now in his third year of major league experience, last threw at this level on July 5 versus Boston at Fenway Park, where he was battered for six runs in a mere 2/3 innings of action.
Howell as a career mark of 1-0 versus the Yankees but is still just 5-11 overall.
Left-hander Kei Igawa stands to see action today for the Yankees, yet another youngster who is in his first year of major league play. Igawa, who turned 28 just over a week ago, has not won a game since the end of April. Since then he has appeared in five contests, the most recent being a 6-4 victory over Toronto on Monday. In that game the lefty surrendered three runs on seven hits, two of which were home runs, and walked four while striking out seven in five innings of work.
In his only other appearance against Tampa Bay this season, Igawa was touched for seven runs on eight hits over 4 1/3 innings back in April.
Later in the day, rookie hurler Matt DeSalvo gets his first-ever look at the Devil Rays in the second game trying to improve upon his 1-3 record.
DeSalvo, a 26-year old from the Keystone State, last pitched in the majors back on May 28 versus Toronto on the road, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks over 4 2/3 innings.
Over the last seven games Alex Rodriguez, who leads the AL in both home runs (32) and RBI (92), has knocked in five and scored five times, but is hitting a mere .185 during that span for the Yankees. Abreu is tied for the team-lead with seven knocked in over the last week, despite hitting a paltry .167 for the club, currently eight games behind Boston for first place in the division.
Over the last six games Upton has 11 hits and eight runs scored for Tampa Bay, both team highs, while Carlos Pena has knocked in 11 on just eight hits, six of which have gone for extra bases.
In the three previous seasons the Yankees have gone 20-8 against Tampa Bay at home, posting a perfect 10-0 mark in 2004, but this season NY has already dropped two of three meetings to the Devil Rays in the Bronx and are just 4-5 versus today’s visitors overall.
SEATTLE MARINERS (54-39) AT TORONTO BLUE JAYS (46-50), 1:07 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Seattle - Jeff Weaver (2-7, 6.82) Toronto - Josh Towers (4-6, 5.40)
As one of the hottest teams in baseball, the Seattle Mariners continue their quest for the top spot in the American League West as they contend with the Toronto Blue Jays in the second of a three-game set from the Rogers Centre.
On Friday Adrian Beltre connected on a two-run home run for the visitors as the Mariners captured a 4-2 win, marking the team’s eighth in the last 11 outings. With the victory, and a loss by the Angels, Seattle pulled to within a game of first place in the division.
Jose Guillen and Raul Ibanez each drove in a run for the Mariners, while J.J. Putz locked up the triumph with his 29th save of the campaign, his 31st straight dating back to last season. Putz, who put Miguel Batista in the win column for the 10th time this season, ran his scoreless innings streak to 22 in the process as well.
Batista permitted just two runs on five hits and struck out six over 5 2/3 innings of work, while Toronto starter Jesse Litsch managed to make it through only 4 1/3 innings, giving up four runs on five hits and walking four.
Alex Rios accounted for three hits for the Blue Jays and scored one of the team’s two runs on the night, with Frank Thomas coming up with the other.
Now in his ninth season in the majors, Jeff Weaver tries to dig himself out of a huge hole as he takes the mound for the Mariners this afternoon in Toronto.
Weaver has won just twice in 2007, leaving him 20 games under .500 (88-108) for his career as he prepares to face the Blue Jays for the second time this season. The right-hander allowed a total of 10 hits for the fourth time in 2007 on Sunday as the Mariners bowed to Detroit in an 11-7 decision at home. Weaver was tagged for seven earned runs after giving up just seven earned runs in the previous six starts combined.
For his career Weaver has less than impressive stats versus Toronto, posting a 5-9 record with a 5.33 ERA in 16 appearances over the years.
As for the Jays, they are giving the ball to Josh Towers, who hopes to improve upon his 4-1 career mark against Seattle.
A seven-year veteran who broke into the majors with Baltimore, Towers has already doubled his number of wins from a season ago when he finished 2-10. The right-hander enters this contest with a 4-6 mark on the campaign after giving up six runs on nine hits, three of which were home runs, in a loss to the Yankees on Monday in the Bronx.
After playing under .500 against the Blue Jays each of the three previous seasons, Seattle seems to have found the answer in 2007 with four wins in as many chances against the Canadian club.
While Beltre had a big hit for the Mariners in last night’s contest, he is still hitting a mere .136 in the last six games for the club. During that span Ichiro Suzuki has a total of seven hits and has scored five times.
Troy Glaus has been pounding the ball for the Jays, a team that is 11 games out of first in the AL East, coming up with three home runs and seven RBI for the club in the last seven outings. With Aaron Hill accounting for 11 hits and five knocked in, the pair have combined for the majority of the team’s 17 RBI in the last week.
CHICAGO WHITE SOX (43-52) AT BOSTON RED SOX (57-39), 3:35 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Chicago - John Danks (6-6, 4.81) Boston - Kason Gabbard (3-0, 3.38)
Still with the largest cushion of any American League division leader heading into play on Saturday, the Boston Red Sox shoot for their second straight victory as they contend with the Chicago White Sox in the third game of a four-game set from Fenway Park this afternoon.
On Friday the Red Sox snapped a brief three-game slide by posting a lopsided 10-3 decision against Chicago, pushing the club’s lead in the AL East back to eight games over the enigmatic New York Yankees.
Josh Beckett picked up his 13th win of the season, tied for the most in the majors, for the Red Sox, fanning 10 over six innings. Julio Lugo had three hits for the home team, including a grand slam, while Coco Crisp cleared the bases with a triple.
But all the news was not great for the Red Sox as slugger David Ortiz exited the contest with a sore shoulder, a condition that might keep him out of Saturday’s meeting.
Chicago starter Jose Contreras was once again on the short end of a decision, losing for the 12th time this season. Contreras was touched for all 10 runs on 10 hits and three walks, while striking out just two over 7 1/3 innings of work. The loss snapped a three-game win streak for the White Sox.
A couple of youngsters hit the mound in this game for both teams as the White Sox go with John Danks and Boston offers up Kason Gabbard.
Danks, a rookie from Texas, has won two straight starts, with Chicago claiming victory in his last four appearances overall. On Monday the lefty gave up five runs on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings against Cleveland, but with his club scoring 11 runs in his second straight start, Danks managed to grab the victory.
As for Gabbard, who is already 1-0 in his career versus Chicago, he remained undefeated in 2007 after throwing an impressive three-hit shutout versus Kansas City on Monday at home. The left-hander fanned a season-high eight batters and walked only one in the contest.
Over the last seven games both Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye have connected on three home runs, with the former knocking in a team-high nine during that span. Jerry Owens leads the White Sox with eight runs scored in the last week as well. Chicago, which will host division-leading Detroit for five straight beginning on Monday, is a dismal 19-25 at home and already 14 1/2 games out of contention at this point in the season.
Of the team’s four triples over the last seven games, Crisp has every single one of them for the Red Sox, and yet he has scored a total of just five runs as a result. The team as a whole is batting .302 during that span, with Lugo coming up with a stellar 13 hits in 27 at-bats.
This is the first series of the season between these teams, but Boston is 13-8 in the matchup since the start of the 2004 campaign. The White Sox have also struggled in Beantown, where they have won just three times in their last eight visits.
KANSAS CITY ROYALS (42-53) AT DETROIT TIGERS (57-37), 7:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Kansas City - Jorge De La Rosa (7-10, 5.25) Detroit - Justin Verlander (11-3, 3.26)
Best meets the worst in the American League Central this evening as the Detroit Tigers play host to the Kansas City Royals in the second of a three-game set from Comerica Park.
On Friday night the Tigers were beaten and battered by Kansas City in what became a 10-2 decision in the series opener, yet Detroit is still in first place in the division by a game and the Royals are dead last, 15 1/2 games out of contention.
Billy Butler ended up 4-for-5 with four RBI for the visitors, while Mark Grudzielanek also added four hits and scored four times for the Royals, who have won 13 of their last 20 games.
Gil Meche picked up his seventh win of the campaign as he tossed seven strong innings, yielding two runs on five hits with five strikeouts and no walks.
On the other side, Detroit starter Kenny Rogers was touched for six runs, five of them earned, in 6 1/3 innings of work. The loss snapped a four-game win streak for the Tigers, who are a game ahead of Cleveland in the standings and have managed to go 20 games over .500 despite having a mediocre record of 25-20 at home.
Gary Sheffield homered for the host club, while the league’s leading hitter, Magglio Ordonez (.359) posted one hit and an RBI in four trips to the plate.
All-Star hurler Justin Verlander takes the mound for the hometown Tigers in tonight’s contest, aiming for his third straight victory. The right-hander out of Old Dominion allowed four runs on eight hits over seven innings on Sunday versus Seattle, marking his sixth win in the last seven starts.
The 2006 AL Rookie of the Year is already 2-0 this season against Kansas City and an impressive 5-0 versus the club in his two years in the majors, carrying a minuscule 1.58 ERA in six starts.
As for the Royals, they are going to hand the ball to Jorge De La Rosa, who has won only seven of his 17 decisions this season, with one of those triumphs coming at the expense of Detroit.
The left-hander, now in his fourth major league season, faced off against the Cleveland Indians on the road last weekend, giving up a pair of home runs and a total of three runs on just two hits and an unsightly six bases-on-balls in a mere 3 1/3 innings of work. De La Rosa left the game with a bruised left thumb but still figures to be back in action tonight nonetheless.
Ordonez, who is third in the AL in RBI with 80, has plated a total of eight over the last six games for the Tigers, while Curtis Granderson is hitting at a .409 clip with seven runs over that span as well.
Over the last six games Butler has emerged as a real threat for the Royals, knocking in 11 and scoring four times thanks to four doubles. Grudzielanek has just three knocked in over the last six games, but he has crossed the plate himself nine times for Kansas City.
Detroit has dominated this series since the start of last season, winning 22 of the 28 matchups. However, five of Kansas City’s wins in that time have come in the Motor City. LA ANGELS OF ANAHEIM (56-39) AT MINNESOTA TWINS (50-46), 7:10 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: LA Angels - Jered Weaver (6-5, 3.36) Minnesota - Boof Bonser (5-6, 4.68)
Now just a game in front in the American League West, the LA Angels of Anaheim try to bounce back tonight as they challenge the Minnesota Twins in the second game of a three-game set at the Metrodome.
The Angels, who are ahead of the surging Seattle Mariners in the division by just a single game entering the weekend, have lost four of the last five outings following a 7-5 setback in the series opener last night.
Justin Morneau homered and drove in three runs and Jason Kubel finished 3- for-3 with a two-run triple for the Twins as they snapped a three-game slide with the triumph. The duo picked up the offensive slack for the club after Michael Cuddyer was placed on the 15-day DL with a sprained right thumb prior to the contest.
Carlos Silva picked up the win for the home team as he allowed four earned runs on 10 hits over 6 2/3 innings, while Joe Nathan logged his 19th save of the campaign as well.
LA starter John Lackey made it through only five innings, permitting seven runs, five earned, on 10 hits, while fanning three. Mike Napoli finished with three hits and Chone Figgins scored twice for the visitors, who again failed to hit a home run for the 13th straight game, the club’s longest drought in more than three decades.
Following up an impressive rookie season in 2006 in which he went 11-2 for the Angels, Jered Weaver heads out to the mound for LA tonight in search of his seventh win of the campaign.
Weaver, a product of Long Beach State, has not won in more than a month and failed to earn a decision in his most recent outing on Sunday when he allowed two unearned runs on four hits versus Texas at home. Striking out six and walking two over seven innings, Weaver’s Angels bowed in a 5-4 decision.
In his only previous appearance this season versus Minnesota, the right-hander got plenty of run support in a 16-3 drubbing of the Twins at home. In that game Weaver permitted just a single run on five hits over seven innings of action. That victory marked the only decision of his brief two-year career against Minnesota.
As for the Twins, they have Boof Bonser slated to oppose Weaver on the hill. Bonser, a right-hander from Florida, is also in his second year in the majors and has not earned a victory since the second week of June. More recently Bonser threw 6 1/3 innings versus Oakland on Sunday, giving up three runs on five hits and a trio of walks, but he failed to factor into the 4-3 win for his team.
Morneau, who has two home runs and six RBI over the last six games for the Twins, is now second in the AL in both home runs (26) and RBI (81) for a team that is eight games out of contention in the AL Central behind both Detroit and Cleveland.
Despite being second in the American League in hitting this season with a mark of .283 over 95 games, the Angels are second-to-last in home runs with a mere 64, dragging the team’s slugging down to .408. Although he does not appear among the league leaders at the moment, Figgins is hitting .317 for the club this season, while Vladimir Guerrero is at .326 with 14 home runs and 78 RBI.
The Angels took two of three from the Twins earlier in the season and are 17-12 in the series since the start of the 2004 campaign.
CLEVELAND INDIANS (57-39) AT TEXAS RANGERS (41-55), 8:35 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Cleveland - Cliff Lee (5-6, 5.67) Texas - Jamey Wright (3-2, 4.31)
Slowly creeping up on the Detroit Tigers in the American League Central, the Cleveland Indians shoot for their third straight victory tonight as they take on the Texas Rangers in the third of a four-game set at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
On Friday the Tribe got a strong outing from starter Fausto Carmona, who extended his personal winning streak to four games as the visitors picked up the 3-2 victory in the Lone Star State.
Carmona gave up just three hits over eight scoreless innings as Cleveland defeated the Rangers for the sixth consecutive time. Although Joe Borowski surrendered a pair of runs in his only inning of work, he still managed to post his 28th save of the campaign.
Travis Hafner knocked in a pair as he homered for the visitors and Victor Martinez scored once following one of his three doubles.
As for the Rangers, who were playing without Michael Young while he was attending the funeral of his wife’s grandmother, Desi Relaford and Mark Teixeira scored the only runs for the squad, now 15 1/2 games out of contention in the AL West. Brandon McCarthy, who has not won since May, made it through 5 2/3 innings and permitted three runs on six hits and three walks, while striking out four.
Cleveland hurler Cliff Lee tries to even his season record at 6-6 when he takes the hill for the Tribe in tonight’s contest. Lee, a left-hander out of Arkansas, lost his second straight outing on Monday when he gave up seven runs on nine hits and walked three in 5 1/3 innings versus the Chicago White Sox at home.
This will be the first start of the season for Lee against Texas, a team that he has a 3-1 record against in his career, despite carrying a lofty 5.64 ERA over those appearances.
As for the Rangers, they are going with Jamey Wright, who currently stands five strikeouts shy of 800 for his career. Wright, who has almost as many walks over the years with 741, is 0-1 all-time versus Cleveland and is a less- than-spectacular 30 games under .500 (70-100) for his career.
The 12-year veteran last took the hill on Monday when he went seven innings against Oakland on the road, holding the host team scoreless while surrendering a mere four hits and three walks in a 4-1 victory.
Young, who leads the Rangers with 112 hits and is second with 54 RBI, should be back in the lineup for tonight’s meeting. The team could certainly use his leadership considering they are hitting a collective .255 with just two home runs over the last seven games.
As for the Indians, now just a game behind the Tigers in the division, Ryan Garko has been a huge spark for the squad of late with three home runs, eight RBI and eight runs scored in the last seven outings. Not to be overlooked is Hafner who has two long balls and seven knocked in during that stretch as well.
The Indians have won six in a row against the Rangers, including wins in all four meetings so far this year.
BALTIMORE ORIOLES (43-52) AT OAKLAND ATHLETICS (45-51), 9:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Baltimore - Steve Trachsel (5-6, 4.95) Oakland - Dan Haren (10-3, 2.33)
A couple of teams fighting for respectability within their own divisions battle it out tonight in the second of a three-game set from McAfee Coliseum, as the Oakland Athletics take on the Baltimore Orioles.
Baltimore, which will host East Division foes Tampa Bay and New York next week, got an outstanding effort from hurler Erik Bedard on Friday night as the major league leader in strikeouts fanned 11 batters en route to a 6-1 win for the visitors to the West Coast.
Bedard, who has 167 strikeouts in 2007, posted his fifth straight road win on Friday as he held the A’s to just a single hit over seven innings of action. As far as the Baltimore offense was concerned, every batter had at least one hit, with Ramon Hernandez coming up with a pair. Brian Roberts plated two on the night.
The lone run for the A’s came on a home run by Mark Ellis, while Mike Piazza and Bobby Crosby both struck out three times in the outing. Oakland starter Joe Blanton made it through 5 2/3 innings, permitting five earned runs on 10 hits, while striking out three in the setback.
The A’s have now lost 10 of their last 11 outings, while Baltimore has won two of three contests and five of the last seven overall.
Carrying the majority of the weight for the Oakland starting staff this season has been Dan Haren, who takes the hill for the A’s tonight at home.
The right-hander, who is already 2-0 with a scant 1.29 ERA versus the Orioles this season and 3-2 for his career, last pitched on Sunday against Minnesota on the road. Despite giving up a mere two runs on seven hits over six innings of work, Haren failed to factor into the decision in what became a 4-3 setback for the A’s.
After losing only four of his first 16 appearances of the season, Oakland has dropped three of the last four and yet Haren still leads the AL in ERA at 2.33 this season.
While the A’s hang their hopes on the 26-year old California native, Baltimore is opting for the more experienced Steve Trachsel, now in his 15th year in the majors.
The righty is returning from the 15-day DL and a rehab assignment, which means this is his first action with the O’s since the end of June. Trachsel was lit up in his last major league start on June 29 versus the Angels, surrendering five runs on nine hits in just 1 2/3 innings. The Orioles have lost four straight Trachsel starts and five of the last six for a hurler who is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in his career versus the A’s.
Baltimore, which has taken three straight from the A’s and has now evened the season series at three games apiece, is 13 1/2 games out of contention in the AL East and is a mere 21-30 on the road. Oakland, which is two games below .500 at home (24-26), is 11 1/2 games out of first in the AL West at the moment as well.
Roberts continues to lead the O’s in batting at a .316 clip and is first with 61 runs scored, but the team continues to have issues with Melvin Mora (12 home runs, 41 RBI) on the disabled list with a sprained right foot. At the moment Shannon Stewart is the only regular on the A’s roster hitting above .271, coming in at .304 for a team that is hitting a collective .250 through 96 games. ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (50-48) AT CHICAGO CUBS (51-44), 1:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Arizona - Micah Owings (5-5, 4.92) Chicago - Rich Hill (6-6, 3.70)
Lefty Rich Hill can put a little more distance between himself and a recent tailspin today when the Chicago Cubs host the Arizona Diamondbacks in game two of a three-game weekend set at Wrigley Field.
Hill, a 27-year-old from Boston, allowed four hits and two runs over eight innings in his last start, defeating San Francisco, 3-2, on July 16.
The victory snapped a five-start drought for the former second-round draft choice, who had gone 0-2 with three no-decisions heading toward the All-Star break.
Hill has made three lifetime starts against Arizona, going 1-1 with a 5.00 earned run average.
Rookie right-hander Micah Owings goes for the Diamondbacks in search of his first win since June 20. The 24-year-old has gone 0-4 with a no-decision in his last five starts since a 7-4 defeat of Tampa Bay had lifted his record to 5-1.
In his last outing, on July 16, he gave up four runs and seven hits in six innings, losing a 4-3 decision to Milwaukee.
On Friday, Aramis Ramirez drove in the tying run and scored the go-ahead run in the sixth inning, and later added a three-run homer as the red-hot Cubs defeated the struggling Diamondbacks, 6-2.
Jacque Jones drove in a pair of runs for the Cubs, who have won three straight and continue to put pressure on the NL Central-leading Brewers, now trailing Milwaukee by 2 1/2 games. Mike Fontenot had two hits, scored three runs and stole two bases for Chicago, which has won seven of eight on its 10-game homestand.
Jason Marquis (7-5) started for the Cubs and picked up the win, allowing two runs on four hits over 7 2/3 innings. The right-hander struck out three and walked one to pick up his second win in three starts. He combined with Carlos Marmol and Bob Howry on the four-hitter.
Chris Young hit a two-run homer for the Diamondbacks, who have dropped two straight and five of six on the road.
Arizona starting pitcher Brandon Webb (8-8) was solid, but still suffered his third straight loss over his last four starts. The right-hander allowed three runs — two earned — on five hits, striking out four and walking one over seven innings.
Arizona has had recent success against Chicago. It won four of six against the Cubs in 2006, and is 13-7 against them since the start of the 2004 season. COLORADO ROCKIES (49-47) AT WASHINGTON NATIONALS (40-56), 3:55 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Colorado - Rodrigo Lopez (5-2, 4.46) Washington - Mike Bacsik (2-6, 4.87)
Mexican veteran Rodrigo Lopez goes for a third straight strong start today when the Colorado Rockies visit RFK Stadium in the third of a four-game series with the Washington Nationals.
Lopez, who’ll be 32 in December, defeated Philadelphia with five innings of three-run ball on July 7, then got a tough-luck no-decision against Milwaukee seven days later after allowing just one hit and one run in seven innings.
The Brewers won the game, 2-1.
A 15-game winner for Baltimore in 2005, Lopez is winless away from home this year with the Rockies, going 0-2 in five starts away from Coors Field.
He’s 1-1 in two career starts against the Nationals with a 5.11 earned run average.
Mike Bacsik makes his 12th start of the season for Washington and faces the Rockies for the first time.
The 29-year-old Texan has gone winless in two outings since a 3-2 defeat of Pittsburgh on July 1. He got a no-decision in Washington’s 4-3 defeat of Houston on July 16 and dropped a 6-2 decision to Milwaukee on July 6.
He’s 0-3 at RFK Stadium this year, posting a 5.06 ERA in six starts.
On Friday, Aaron Cook tossed seven scoreless innings, and Todd Helton drove in two runs as the Rockies beat the Nationals, 3-1.
Cook (6-6) had a strong outing, yielding just four hits, walking three and fanning eight to earn his first win in three starts.
Willy Taveras had two hits and scored a pair of runs for Colorado, which dropped the opener in the series but has won four of its last five games overall. Ryan Spilborghs also added a pair of hits.
Billy Traber (2-1) allowed two runs — one earned — on three hits over four innings in his first start of the season in a replacement role for the Nationals.
The left-hander, a former first-round pick of the New York Mets, had made 23 appearances in relief this season, but was filling in for journeyman starter Jason Simontacchi, who was placed on the disabled list before the game with right elbow tendinitis.
Ryan Zimmerman knocked in the lone run for Washington, which had a modest two- game winning streak halted.
Colorado won all eight meetings between the teams during the 2006 campaign. The Rockies also won four encounters at RFK Stadium over that span.
NEW YORK METS (54-42) AT LOS ANGELES DODGERS (54-43), 3:55 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: New York - Jorge Sosa (7-4, 3.84) Los Angeles - Brad Penny (11-1, 2.33)
Brad Penny will try for his 12th win of the season this afternoon when the Los Angeles Dodgers continue their four-game series with the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium.
Penny has been outstanding so far this year, posting an 11-1 mark, and is tied with Oakland’s Dan Haren for the third best earned run average in the majors at 2.33.
The right-hander is 6-0 over 10 starts since his lone loss of the season on May 18 against the Angels. He has allowed one run or fewer in eight of those outings, including Monday against the Phillies in which Penny posted a win behind seven frames of four-hit, one-run ball with eight strikeouts.
It was a good sign for Penny, who was hammered for six runs in four innings of a no-decision on July 5 against Atlanta.
Penny, who is just 4-10 with a 5.82 ERA in 17 career starts against New York, is trying to avoid a second-half letdown that ruined his season last year. He went 10-2 before the All-Star break in 2006, but went just 6-7 in the second half with a 6.25 ERA.
Jorge Sosa will start this afternoon for the Mets coming off a tough-luck loss at San Diego. Against the Padres on Monday, Sosa allowed only two runs on five hits over six innings, but got little run support in New York’s 5-1 loss. The defeat dropped Sosa to 7-4 on the year with a 3.84 ERA.
The right-hander, who is 1-3 over his last five outings, has made six lifetime appearances against the Dodgers, with two of those being starts. In that span, he is 0-1 with a 5.63 ERA after allowing 10 runs over 16 total innings. Sosa started against the Dodgers on June 13 and took the loss after yielding six runs over 5 2/3 frames.
Sosa will try to secure a series win for the Mets, who captured the second game of this set on Friday, 4-1, after outslugging the Dodgers 13-9 on Thursday.
Carlos Beltran homered for the second straight game and David Wright had an RBI for the Mets, who have won five of seven and have stretched their lead over the Braves to 3 1/2 games for the top spot in the National League East.
Oliver Perez (9-6) threw 7 1/3 strong innings, allowing six hits and a run with eight strikeouts. Billy Wagner threw the final inning for his 21st save.
New York, though, lost the reliable Jose Valentin, as the second baseman fractured his right tibia after fouling a ball off his leg in the fourth innings.
Nomar Garciaparra homered for the Dodgers, just his third long ball of the season, while Juan Pierre extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a single in the first inning. He also stole his 40th base of the season.
Brett Tomko gave up five hits and an unearned run over six innings in the start. Roberto Hernandez (0-1) allowed two hits and three runs — two earned — in the eighth inning, as the Dodgers lost for the third time in four games and still trail the first-place Padres by just a percentage point in the NL West.
The Dodgers swept a three-game series against New York this season from June 11-13 at Chavez Ravine. The Mets went 4-3 against LA in the 2006 series and swept Los Angeles in three games during last October’s NL playoffs. SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (40-54) AT MILWAUKEE BREWERS (54-42), 3:55 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: San Francisco - Tim Lincecum (4-2, 4.37) Milwaukee - Dave Bush (8-7, 4.84)
With the MLB commissioner looking on, Barry Bonds will again try to inch closer to Hank Aaron’s all-time home run record this afternoon when the San Francisco Giants play the middle portion of their three-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.
One day removed from a two-homer performance against the Cubs on Thursday that gave Bonds 753 career long balls, just two shy of equaling Aaron’s mark, the slugger went 0-for-4 in his team’s series-opening 8-4 victory yesterday.
Also of note was the attendance of commissioner Bud Selig, who plans to attend the rest of the series in his hometown of Milwaukee. Whether or not Selig should or will be there when Bonds breaks Aaron’s record has been a running subplot all season.
Not only is Milwaukee the home of Selig, but it is also where Aaron played from 1954-65 with the Milwaukee Braves and then in 1975-76 with the Brewers. Coincidentally, Aaron blasted the 755th homer of his career on July 20, 1976 in Milwaukee.
There is a chance that Bonds will not be in the starting lineup due to today’s 3:55 p.m. (et) start time. The two teams squared off in a night contest yesterday and Bonds recently sat out the first three games of a four-game set with the Cubs to rest his legs.
Should he start though, Bonds will face a pitcher in Dave Bush who he is just 1-for-6 against lifetime with two strikeouts and no homers.
If Bonds doesn’t play, the Giants will hope his teammates can pick up him like they did in the series opener on Friday. Guillermo Rodriguez knocked in three runs in yesterday’s victory, while Dave Roberts had three hits and an RBI.
Noah Lowry (10-7) allowed four runs — three earned — in six innings of work to take the win, just the Giants second in nine games.
Jeff Suppan started for Milwaukee and yielded three runs over five innings for the Brewers, who have lost two of three. Carlos Villanueva (6-2) coughed up a Milwaukee lead late in the game to take the loss.
J.J. Hardy had two RBI as the Brewers fell to 5-3 on a 10-game homestand, but more importantly, have seen their lead in the National League Central dip to just 2 1/2 games over the second-place Cubs.
Bush toes the rubber for Milwaukee and is 5-1 over his last six starts. He is coming off consecutive victories, besting Washington behind seven innings of one-run ball on July 6 before downing Arizona on Monday. Against the Diamondbacks, Bush scattered three runs on three homers and five hits over six innings, improving to 8-7 on the year with a 4.84 earned run average.
The right-hander is 1-1 in three games (two starts) lifetime versus the Giants with a 3.71 ERA. All three of those outings came last year.
Tim Lincecum will try to extend his stretch of impressive outings when he starts for the Giants. The rookie hurler posted back-to-back wins on July 1 and 7, allowing just three runs over 13 total innings, and then received a no- decision in his first start after the All-Star break on July 16 versus Chicago.
Against the Cubs, Lincecum allowed only one run and two hits, but also walked five over 6 1/3 innings of his club’s 3-2 setback. He struck out eight on the day, however, and is 4-2 with a 4.37 ERA this year.
The 23-year-old right-hander faced Milwaukee for the first time in his career on June 19 and was roughed up for six runs over four innings in the loss.
The Brewers had won seven straight — all at home — versus the Giants until yesterday’s loss. That included a three-game sweep this year in Milwaukee from June 18-20.
CINCINNATI REDS (41-56) AT FLORIDA MARLINS (46-51), 7:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Cincinnati - Bobby Livingston (2-0, 3.18) Florida - Byung-Hyun Kim (4-5, 5.18)
Young left-hander Bobby Livingston goes for his third win of the season, and of his brief big-league career, tonight when the Cincinnati Reds visit Dolphin Stadium for game three of a four-game series with the host Florida Marlins.
Livingston, a 24-year-old who was drafted by Seattle in the fourth round in 2001, has strung together victories in each of his last two spot starts with the injury-plagued Reds.
He defeated Colorado, 4-2, with 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball on June 1, then returned on July 16 and defeated the Atlanta Braves, 10-3, after allowing eight hits and two runs in five innings.
Livingston reached the majors with Seattle in 2006, making three relief appearances and posting an 18.00 earned run average. His first start for the Reds this season came in a 10-5 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 13, during which he allowed 10 hits and four runs in 5 1/3 innings and got a no- decision.
Korean veteran Byung-Hyun Kim goes for the Marlins in his first career start against the Reds.
Kim, who’s made all but one of his 11 appearances this season as a starter, dropped a 5-3 decision to St. Louis on July 16 after allowing eight hits and five runs in six innings. He’d beaten San Diego one start prior, allowing three hits and two runs in 6 1/3 innings on July 5.
The 28-year-old has pitched in relief against Cincinnati 12 times, recording five saves and a 1.46 ERA in 12 1/3 innings.
On Friday, Dan Uggla went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI as the Marlins pounded the Reds, 10-2.
Scott Olsen (8-7), who had served a two-game suspension laid down by Marlins general manager Fredi Gonzalez for insubordination and conduct detrimental to the team, got the win as he gave up just two runs on four hits in seven innings.
The penalty stemmed from an incident occurring after Olsen argued with the manager when he was lifted from his last start, a 5-3 defeat of Washington on July 15.
Miguel Cabrera hit a two-run home run and drove in three runs, Miguel Olivo added a two-run homer and Hanley Ramirez had three hits and drove in a pair for the Marlins, who had lost three of four.
Jeff Conine and Brandon Phillips each hit homers while Kyle Lohse (5-12) got pounded for seven runs — four earned — on eight hits in 6 2/3 innings for the Reds, who had a season-high four-game winning streak stopped.
Cincinnati won four of six from the Marlins last season and is 11-9 against them since the start of the 2004 campaign. The Reds have also won seven of their last 11 in South Beach.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (44-49) AT ATLANTA BRAVES (51-46), 7:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: St. Louis - Braden Looper (7-7, 4.60) Atlanta - Buddy Carlyle (4-2, 4.00)
Albert Pujols is getting hot and will try to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a victory tonight when the club plays the third game of its four-game set with the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field.
Pujols homered for the fifth time in eight games following the All-Star break with a solo shot in Friday’s 4-2 win over the Braves, giving him 21 on the season. He has driven in seven runs during the stretch and lifted his batting average to .319 on the season.
Juan Encarnacion drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning of yesterday’s victory, plating Pujols with a single, as the Cardinals won for the fourth time in six games and improved to 4-4 on their current 10-game road trip.
Adam Wainwright (9-7) allowed one run on six hits with two walks and seven strikeouts, while Jason Isringhausen worked out of a ninth-inning jam to earn his 19th save in 21 chances.
Scott Rolen, though, missed his third straight game due to a left shoulder injury and is listed as day-to-day.
The Cardinals will send Braden Looper to the hill tonight, and the right- hander is coming off a win at Florida on Monday. Looper limited the Marlins to two runs on five hits over 6 1/3 innings to move his mark to 7-7 on the year with a 4.60 earned run average.
The victory halted a six-start losing streak (0-4) for Looper.
A former closer, Looper has never started against the Braves but has faced them 53 times out of the bullpen. In that span, he is 4-2 with eight saves and a 4.07 ERA.
Buddy Carlyle aims for his third straight winning decision when he toes the rubber for Atlanta. The 29-year-old twirled eight solid innings in a victory over San Diego on July 6 before besting Pittsburgh on Sunday behind eight innings of one-run, four-hit ball. Carlyle is 4-2 with a 4.00 ERA, and is undefeated over his last four outings (3-0).
The right-hander has made just one career appearance against the Cardinals, facing them in relief back on September 26, 2000. He threw a shutout inning, walking one and striking out a batter.
Carlyle will hope to get the Braves of their current skid, as the club has dropped four of its last five games. Chipper Jones went 2-for-3 with an RBI, and Edgar Renteria also had a pair of hits in Atlanta’s setback on Friday.
Rafael Soriano (2-2) absorbed the loss, allowing a pair of runs on four hits in the eighth. Starter Chuck James tossed seven frames, allowing one run on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
The defeat moved the Braves to 4-4 on their current 10-game homestand and has the second-place squad 3 1/2 games behind the Mets for the top spot in the National League East.
This series marks the first 2007 meeting between these teams. Atlanta won four of six matchups with St. Louis last season and is 5-2 in its last seven games against the Cardinals at Turner Field.
HOUSTON ASTROS (41-55) AT PITTSBURGH PIRATES (40-55), 7:15 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Houston - Wandy Rodriguez (6-8, 4.33) Pittsburgh - Paul Maholm (5-12, 4.68)
Southpaw Wandy Rodriguez will try to get back on a winning track tonight when the Houston Astros visit PNC Park in game two of a three- game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
A 28-year-old Dominican, Rodriguez had won consecutive starts on July 1 and July 6, allowing a combined seven hits over 16 scoreless innings in defeating Colorado and the New York Mets.
The string ended on July 15, however, when he was racked for nine hits and seven runs — including three home runs — in just 3 1/3 innings of a 7-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
He is 2-2 in five lifetime starts against the Pirates with a 4.20 earned run average in 30 innings.
Former first-round draft pick Paul Maholm will be looking for consistency upon taking the mound for Pittsburgh.
The Mississippi State alumnus has followed a win with a loss three times since June 15, when he defeated the Chicago White Sox, 4-2, with seven strong innings. He lost to Seattle five days later, then beat Florida, lost to Washington, beat the Cubs and lost to Atlanta.
Maholm faced Houston in his fourth start of the season in April 24, tossing nine innings of scoreless three-hit ball in Pittsburgh’s 3-0 victory. The win was his first of the season overall and leveled his record against the Astros to 2-2 in five starts with a 4.55 ERA in 29 2/3 innings.
On Friday, Carlos Lee’s first-inning, two-run homer proved enough for Houston to edge Pittsburgh, 2-1, and prevent the struggling Pirates from getting their seventh straight win versus the Astros this year.
Chris Burke finished 2-for-4 and scored a run for the Astros, who have won two of three. Mark Loretta and Morgan Ensberg both added a pair of hits in the win.
Astros starting pitcher Roy Oswalt (9-6) left in the seventh inning with a chest injury. After he gave up a leadoff double to Ronny Paulino, Oswalt complained of chest discomfort to manager Phil Garner and a trainer. Oswalt had been performing well from the mound prior to the exit, and allowed one run on seven hits with four strikeouts.
Adam LaRoche and Paulino both had a pair of hits for the Pirates, who lost their seventh straight after coming into this series having been swept in three games at Atlanta and then in three games at home against Colorado.
Tom Gorzelanny (9-5), shooting for his fourth straight winning decision, allowed two runs on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts over seven innings for the Bucs.
The Pirates got their season off to a promising start when they swept the Astros in Houston from April 2-4 to open the season. The club then hosted Houston from April 24-26 and took all three games of that set as well.
It was a quick turnaround for a Pirates team that lost 13 of the 16 games they played against the Astros last season. That included seven losses in 10 home games in 2006. PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (48-48) AT SAN DIEGO PADRES (53-42), 10:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Philadelphia - Jamie Moyer (7-8, 4.99) San Diego - David Wells (5-5, 4.15)
A battle between 44-year-old left-handers is on tap for tonight as Jamie Moyer and the Philadelphia Phillies play the third of four straight games against David Wells and the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.
The matchup of ageless wonders will be the second-oldest combined pitching matchup in league history, as Moyer and Wells sport a combined age of 88 years and 307 days.
That falls short of a June 8, 1987 meeting between Phil Niekro and Don Sutton, who were a combined age of 90 years and 135 days when they clashed.
Tonight’s game will also mark the fifth time this season that Moyer has faced a pitcher over the age of 40. He has squared off against Randy Johnson (43) and Tom Glavine (41) twice each.
Moyer will attempt to halt a three-game losing streak tonight that includes a horrendous outing on Monday. Moyer was blitzed for 10 runs on 10 hits over 5 1/3 innings of a 10-3 setback against the Dodgers. The defeat moved his record to 7-8 on the season while ballooning his earned run average to 4.99.
The longtime American League hurler has faced the Padres 13 times in his career and is 5-5 with a 4.35 ERA. He beat San Diego in his only start against them last year.
Wells, meanwhile, will put a personal four-game undefeated streak on the line with tonight’s start. He is 2-0 over that span and defeated the New York Mets on Monday after limiting New York to one run and seven hits over six innings. The victory pushed the left-hander’s record to 5-5 with a 4.15 ERA.
Currently appealing a seven-game suspension, Wells has made four career starts against the Phillies and is 2-1 against them with a 4.33 ERA.
Never shy of emotion himself, Wells will be pitching in front of an emotional Petco crowd, as the Padres are slated to hold a pregame ceremony to dedicate a statue of Hall of Fame inductee Tony Gwynn. Gwynn will be inducted into the Hall on July 29 along with Orioles great Cal Ripken Jr.
Gwynn spent 20 seasons with the Padres, who are honoring the 15-time All-Star all weekend with a variety of in-stadium giveaways. In that span, the outfielder tied a National League record with eight batting titles, matching Honus Wagner’s mark.
Just the 17th player in league history to spend an entire career of 20-or-more seasons with one club, Gwynn, also known as “Mr. Padre”, retired with a career batting average of .338 with 3,141 hits in 2,440 games.
The Padres could have used Gwynn on Friday, as the Phillies posted a 7-3 victory to even this series at one game apiece.
Chase Utley and Ryan Howard each went 2-for-4 in the victory, with Utley launching a two-run homer and Howard driving in a run of his own. It was just Philadelphia’s second win in six games, but moved them back to .500 at 48-48.
Adam Eaton (9-6), making his first start against his former team, gave up just two runs on seven hits with three walks and six strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings to earn the win. He spent his first six seasons in San Diego before playing with Texas last year and then joining the Phils through free agency.
Adrian Gonzalez drove in a pair of runs for the Padres, who had won four of five coming into the contest. San Diego currently leads the National League West by just a percentage point over second-place Los Angeles.
Justin Germano (6-4) got the loss as he was charged with four runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Catcher Josh Bard will be eligible to return from his two-game suspension tonight. Bard’s suspension came after he made contact with an umpire back on May 31 in Pittsburgh.
San Diego and Philadelphia are meeting for the first time with this series since the Padres won four of six games during the 2006 campaign. The Phillies, though, are 14-6 in their last 20 matchups with San Diego.
