BASEBALL GAME RECAPS 9-1-08

A-Rod's early offense paces Yankees' outburst vs. Tigers
Associated Press

DETROIT -- What could have been a September showdown between the teams with the two biggest payrolls in baseball instead had very little impact on the pennant races.

Thanks to a guy known as "Pudge," it wasn't devoid of emotion.

Alex Rodriguez sparked a scoring barrage with a two-run single in the first inning and added an RBI in each of the next two frames to help the New York Yankees build a huge cushion they needed in a 13-9 win over the Detroit Tigers on Monday.

Perhaps the only intriguing moment in the listless game that lasted nearly 4 hours happened in the second inning when Ivan Rodriguez came to the plate.

He was greeted with a standing ovation in his first game against the Tigers since they traded him. Rodriguez acknowledged the fans by taking off his helmet and waving to the sold-out crowd.

"That was special," he said. "I appreciated that very, very, very much. It was great. It means that in the four years I was here, I did a good job and the fans appreciated that."

The Yankees and Tigers played a makeup game after a matchup in May was rained out. The teams with the highest payrolls in baseball combined for a performance that seemed as significant and stirring as a Grapefruit League exhibition. New York's opening-day payroll, counting players on the disabled list, was $209.1 million and Detroit's was $138.7 million.

Both underachieving teams began the final month with double-digit deficits in their divisions. The Yankees began the day seven games behind the Red Sox in the AL wild card race.

"You can't take anything for granted," Ivan Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez signed with the Tigers after they lost an AL-record 119 games in 2004, then helped them reach the World Series in 2006.

He will be a 37-year-old free agent this offseason.

"Physically, I know he can sill play every day," Girardi said. "How many more years he can do it? I don't know."

Alex Rodriguez's four RBIs helped the Yankees take an 11-2 lead, but they were ahead by just two runs following five innings after giving up homers to Gary Sheffield, Miguel Cabrera and Brandon Inge.

Derek Jeter drove in one of two runs in the sixth, padding the lead to 13-9.

"The bottom line is that we won the game," New York manager Joe Girardi said.

Justin Verlander (10-15) lasted a career-low 1 2/3 innings and gave up eight runs -- five earned -- and seven hits with two walks.

"I'll make this easy for you," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said in a 9-second address to reporters. "We basically threw a lot of balls when we should've thrown strikes and we threw some strikes when we should've thrown balls.

"And, that's the end of the conversation. I'll see you later."

Verlander agreed with Leyland's assessment.

"The bad pitches I threw got hit and the good ones got hit as well," said Verlander, who was booed as he walked to the dugout when Leyland replaced him. "It's one of those days you've got to get behind you."

Verlander has had a lot of starts he'd like to forget this season after being the only pitcher to throw a no-hitter, start a World Series game, and be Rookie of the Year and an All-Star in his first two full seasons.

He won 35 games the previous two years and trailed only Dwight Gooden's 41 victories among pitchers in their first two full seasons since 1970.

Brian Bruney (2-0) was credited with the win for pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings in the middle of the game. Sidney Ponson started and gave up seven runs -- six earned -- and nine hits over three innings.

"I didn't do what I was supposed to do," Ponson said.

In his major league debut, Phil Coke struck out two, including Cabrera with one on to get out of the seventh inning to maintain New York's four-run lead.

Game notes
The Yankees expect to activate RHP Joba Chamberlain (rotator cuff tendinitis) from the DL on Tuesday. They plan to use him in the bullpen for the rest of this season, letting him build up arm strength before becoming a starter again in the future. ... The Tigers will pitch LHP Dontrelle Willis and RHP Freddy Garcia against each other in a simulated game before Tuesday's series opener against the Los Angeles Angels. ... Johnny Damon hit his 12th homer for the Yankees. ... Sheffield's 494th homer moved him past Lou Gehrig and Fred McGriff for 25th on baseball's all-time list. ... In a six-day stretch, the Yankees will have played in New York, Detroit, Tampa Bay and Seattle. ... Cabrera has hit 22 of his 30 homers since June 10. ... The Tigers traded Rodriguez to New York for RHP Kyle Farnsworth at the non-waiver trading deadline. ... Retired Michigan football coach Lloyd Carr threw the ceremonial first pitch, then pumped his fist.




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Red-hot Pedroia helps BoSox put Orioles on ice
Associated Press

BOSTON -- The accolades continue growing and the hits keep coming for Dustin Pedroia.

Pedroia's two-run single capped a four-run sixth inning, Paul Byrd pitched seven efficient innings and the Boston Red Sox beat the struggling Baltimore Orioles 7-4 on Monday night.

Byrd, Pedroia's teammate for a little less than three weeks, was gushing with praise for the scrappy second baseman. This coming after White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen continually lauded his play over the weekend.

"I can't say enough about my second baseman," Byrd said. "This guy, in my opinion, is the MVP of the league. He's unbelievable. I didn't know he was that good when I came over here."

Pedroia, who hit .374 in August and closed the month going 9-for-12, scored 33 runs last month, the most for the Red Sox since Dom DiMaggio and Billy Goodwin had 35 in 1950, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

"He said that," Pedroia said, breaking into a smile, when informed of Byrd's MVP comment. "That's a great compliment coming from him. I definitely love playing behind him."

On Monday, he was 2-for-4, scored a run and made a nice backhanded play on Brian Roberts' seventh-inning grounder.

"A lot of people talk about Manny [Ramirez] leaving. I wish Pedroia was leaving," Guillen said a few days earlier.

The Red Sox, who had the AL's second-best record at 18-9 in August but failed to gain ground on AL East-leading Tampa Bay, which went 21-7, pulled to five games behind the idle Rays. Boston increased its lead to three games in the wild card race.

Baltimore, swept in a three-game series at Tampa Bay over the weekend when its pitchers allowed 34 runs, lost for the ninth time in 10 games.

Jason Varitek and Jeff Bailey hit consecutive homers for the Red Sox. Varitek's tied Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk for a club record with his 157th as a catcher.

Adam Jones, Juan Castro and Kevin Millar had solo home runs for Baltimore. Millar's was his 20th, the third time -- and first since he hit 25 with the Red Sox in 2003 -- he's reached that mark.

Trailing 3-2 in the sixth, Boston grabbed the lead for good against Garrett Olson (8-7). Jason Bay and Jed Lowrie hit consecutive doubles, tying the game. After Bailey walked, Coco Crisp hit an RBI single up the middle. Jacoby Ellsbury reached on an infield hit to load the base before Pedroia lined reliever Dennis Sarfate's outside pitch to right, making it 6-3.

"We couldn't get the third out before Pedroia got the big hit," Baltimore manager Dave Trembley said. "Obviously he's having a tremendous season and is an exceptional player, so those guys have a knack for coming up with the big hit in those kinds of situations."

Olson, recalled from Triple-A Norfolk to make the start, felt he went away from his best pitch by trying to fool Boston's strong fastball hitting lineup.

"You've still got to stay with your best stuff," he said. "My fastball, I thought was my best pitch. I think I got a little defensive."

Byrd (10-11), making his fourth start for Boston since being acquired for a player to be named or cash from Cleveland on Aug. 12, gave up four runs and seven hits.

Javier Lopez worked a perfect eighth before Jonathan Papelbon pitched the ninth for his 35th save.

The Orioles jumped ahead 1-0 in the first when Jones, activated from the disabled list before the game, homered on the first pitch he saw, sending a drive over the Green Monster seats.

Game notes
Pedroia's key single was his 184th hit, a record for Red Sox record for second baseman, breaking Del Pratt's 1922 mark. ... Kevin Youkilis was back in Boston's lineup after missing two games with flu-like symptoms. ... Red Sox 3B Mike Lowell, on the 15-day DL with a strained right oblique, took grounders and BP before the game and is close to returning. He hopes to be back this weekend. ... Boston manager Terry Francona said RF J.D. Drew, on the DL with a strained lower back, was expected to hit in an indoor cage. ... Trembley said closer George Sherrill, on the DL since Aug. 16 with left shoulder inflammation, played long toss and is scheduled to do so again Wednesday. ... Baltimore 3B Melvin Mora missed his third straight game with a strained left hamstring.





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Lee throws five-hit shutout to become Indians' fourth 20-game winner
Associated Press

CLEVELAND -- Once inside the clubhouse, Cliff Lee's teammates popped open champagne and toasted his latest win, his biggest win.

Exactly one year after being brought back from the minor leagues, Lee had something major to celebrate: He's Cleveland's first 20-game winner in 34 years.

"Has a nice ring to it," Lee said. "I like the sound of that."

Lee, who was sent back to Triple-A last season to work on his mechanics and his mental approach, pitched a five-hitter for his second career shutout and led the Indians to a 5-0 win over the Chicago White Sox on Monday night.

Lee (20-2) is the first Indian to reach 20 wins since Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry went 21-13 in 1974. The left-hander's milestone win was his ninth straight victory.

"I never lost confidence," Lee said. "I never got down on myself or questioned my abilities. I never once doubted what I could do."

With a chance to also join Hall of Famers Bob Feller and Bob Lemon as Cleveland's 20-game winners, Lee shut down the hard-hitting, Central-leading White Sox. He gave up two singles to open the first before retiring 21 straight and finishing his fourth complete game.

"That's the best I've seen him throw against us in some time," said Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen, whose club dropped into a tie for first in the Central with Minnesota. "He's a 20-game winner for a reason. We got to him early and had an opportunity. Then he shut us down, just dominated us."

After he got Carlos Quentin to ground into a game-ending double play, Lee punched his fist into his glove and hugged catcher Kelly Shoppach as fireworks boomed above Progressive Field. And as he has done 19 other times this season, Lee got in line to exchange handshakes with his teammates.

First baseman Ryan Garko flipped the ball to Lee, and he headed to the dugout as a video tribute from Perry and Feller was shown on the stadium scoreboard.

"It's nice to get this behind me and not have to answer questions about matching Gaylord Perry," Lee said in a typically stoic tone. "I'm glad I got it over with on the first try. It's a good feeling, especially not giving up any runs."

Lee's 20 wins put a resounding stamp on his turnaround season.

Ineffective for the first fourth months of 2007, Lee had been sent back to the minors last July, a startling downfall for a pitcher who had won 46 games over the previous three years. In his final start before the demotion, Lee was booed off the field and sarcastically tipped his cap at fans who were sick of seeing him.

Now, they can't get enough of Lee.

Since the first day of spring training in '08, he has been in a groove.

"It's a tremendous tribute to him and the work and the commitment he made," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "These things don't happen by accident."

He went 5-0 in April and was 12-2 when he took the mound as the AL's starter at the All-Star Game in Yankee Stadium. He went 5-0 with a 1.86 ERA in August.

He leads the majors in wins and ERA, and no pitcher has meant more than the laid-back 30-year-old, who has accounted for 30 percent of Cleveland's 66 victories.

The Indians' three-decades-plus drought without a 20-game winner was the longest among non-expansion teams. Tampa Bay, Colorado and Florida have never had a pitcher get to 20 wins, and it's been 30 years since the Montreal/Washington franchise and San Diego had a 20-game winner.

Lee has refused to put emphasis on any start but his next one, and has shrugged off his success with a hey-this-is-my job nonchalance. For weeks, he has downplayed any significance of reaching the 20-win barrier, insisting all he wants to do is give the Indians a chance to win.

Lee has been remarkably consistent, pitching at least five innings in all 27 starts. He has allowed two or fewer runs in 21 of them and hasn't walked a batter 10 times. He has been nearly as good on the road (11-2) as at home (9-0).

His approach has been simple.

"You've got to locate. You've got to work ahead. You've got mix and change speeds," Lee said. "That's the key to pitching."

Orlando Cabrera and A.J. Pierzynski opened the first with singles. But Lee struck out Quentin and then got Jermaine Dye to hit a hard liner to second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera, who snagged the drive and stepped on the bag for the double play.

Lee gave up two singles in the ninth before he got Pierzynski to fly to left. Chicago's fiery catcher, who slammed his bat down after popping out in the fourth, then stared in Lee's direction. Lee stared back.

"He was chirping from the dugout," said Lee, who couldn't recall if he yelled anything back at Pierzynski. "He gave me a little extra energy. I appreciate that, him giving me a little extra edge."

Pierzynski denied yelling at Lee.

"I didn't say anything to him the whole game," he said. "I yelled something when I popped up. He pitched a great game and has had a heck of a season. Give the guy credit. Winning 20 games is pretty darn good."

As the Indians celebrated Lee's win, many of the White Sox remained in their dugout, perhaps upset by the left-hander's posture.

"I don't care," Lee said.

The Indians scored three earned runs off Chicago starter Clayton Richard (2-3).

Game notes
Ken Griffey Jr. was a late scratch from Chicago's lineup. Nick Swisher took his spot in center and in the No. 7 spot. ... DH Travis Hafner, sidelined since May with a shoulder injury, will not be called up from the minors on Tuesday when the Indians expand their roster by seven. Hafner has been rehabbing at Triple-A Buffalo. 2B Josh Barfield is one of the players the Indians will bring up. ... The White Sox have been shut out 11 times, tied for the league lead.




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Beltre has five hits, five runs to lead Mariners in rout of Rangers
Associated Press

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The toughest part of Adrian Beltre's day came when he entered the Seattle clubhouse.

The Mariners third baseman received a congratulatory beer shower after hitting for the cycle against the Texas Rangers in a 12-6 victory Monday night.

"I'm still shaking," Beltre said. "I don't like that feeling. But I'll take it. If I have to do it tomorrow, I'll do it again."


Beltre became the fourth Seattle player to hit for the cycle and had five hits to help the Mariners win their fourth straight game. Beltre, who had the third five-hit game of his career, finished off the cycle with an RBI triple off Josh Rupe in the eighth.

"I've seen guys do it and it was pretty cool," Beltre said. "It's pretty special. I'm proud of it."

Beltre, who signed a five-year contract with the Mariners before the 2005 season, has battled injuries during most of his stay in Seattle. He's had a left thumb injury for parts of the past two seasons.

"He's the toughest ballplayer I've ever seen," Mariners manager Jim Riggleman said. "He plays through nagging injuries, through pain. He's an animal out there. I'm just very happy for him. He's starting to put up some numbers that are starting to reflect how good a player he is."

Beltre homered in the second, had an RBI single in the fourth and singled in the sixth off Rangers starter Matt Harrison. He doubled off Rangers reliever Luis Mendoza (3-7) in Seattle's four-run seventh.

Beltre's bid for a six-hit game came up short when he grounded out in the ninth.

John Olerud was the last Mariner to hit for the cycle, doing so on June 16, 2001 against the San Diego Padres.

Arizona's Stephen Drew hit for the cycle earlier Monday against St. Louis. It was the first time two players hit for the cycle on the same day since Sept. 17, 1920, when Bobby Veach of the Detroit Tigers and George Burns of the New York Giants did it, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Beltre also became the fourth Seattle player ever to score five runs.

Three of Beltre's hits came on 0-2 pitches -- something that frustrated Rangers manager Ron Washington.

"Beltre is known to be a darn good hitter," Washington said. "You can't make those mistakes."

Sean Green (4-4) pitched three scoreless innings in relief to help the Mariners post their first four-game winning streak of the season.

Josh Hamilton homered and drove in his 118th RBI, and Taylor Teagarden hit a three-run blast after being recalled earlier in the day.

The Mariners, who trailed 6-4, scored a run on Jamie Burke's single in the sixth and four more in the seventh.

After Mendoza retired the leadoff man in the seventh, the next six Seattle batters reached base.

Raul Ibanez tied the game at 6 with an RBI single to set the stage for Jeremy Reed, who was pinch hitting for Wladimir Balentien.

Reed grounded a single under the glove of second baseman Joaquin Arias to put the Mariners ahead 8-6. Burke hit a sacrifice fly to cap Seattle's scoring in the seventh.

Seattle, who has the worst record in the American League, pounded out a season-high 20 hits and equaled their season-best with 12 runs.

"Obviously this year has been tough on us, but we still come to win every day," Beltre said. "Hopefully we can get on a good streak. We're trying to win every game that we can.

Mariners starter Carlos Silva allowed six runs and 10 hits after being activated from the disabled list before the game.

Harrison allowed five runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings for the Rangers, who lost for the 10th time in 12 home games.

Teagarden, who was a member of the bronze medal winning team in the Olympics, replaced an injured Jarrod Saltalamacchia in the fifth after being recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma before the game on the first day of expanded rosters.

His three-run home run capped a five-run fifth that put the Rangers ahead 6-4.

Beltre homered for the third time in two games leading off the second.

Game notes
Washington, a resident of New Orleans in the offseason, said his home escaped serious damage after Hurricane Gustav hit southern Louisiana on Monday. Washington has 10 family members who fled the storm staying at his home in Texas. ... Balentien snapped an 0-for-18 slump with two hits. ... Rangers hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo was back on the bench and in uniform for the first time since undergoing knee replacement surgery July 25.





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Cantu's homer, Baker's sac fly lead Marlins past Braves
Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) -- John Baker knew he needed to come through, if the Florida Marlins were going to start September with a much-needed win.

Jorge Cantu homered and Baker hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to drive in the winning run in the ninth, helping the Marlins beat the Braves 4-3 on Monday.

Baker's fly ball to shallow left drove in Dan Uggla, who beat left fielder Brandon Jones' throw to the plate. It was the 11th walk-off win this season for the Marlins. They avoided falling to .500 for the first time since April 6, when they were 3-3.

"With one out, it's the one chance we have to score without a base hit," Baker said. "I'm looking for anything out over the plate in those situations and both pitches were close to me. You can't get behind in the count and can be a little bit more aggressive with one out."

The Braves have lost four straight and 17 of their last 21 games to fall 20 games under .500 for the first time since 1990. It was the 29th consecutive one-run loss on the road since August 10, 2007 for the Braves, a major league record.

The Marlins loaded the bases in the ninth off closer Mike Gonzalez (0-1). Uggla led off with a walk then went to second on a sacrifice bunt. Gonzalez intentionally walked Cody Ross, then walked Wes Helms to fill the bases, setting the stage for Baker.

Gonzalez couldn't seem to find the strike zone.

"I just wasn't throwing strikes," Gonzalez said. "It gets harder when you know they're not swinging and looking for a walk. The strike zone just becomes so much smaller. I beat myself in this situation. When you lose for walking three guys, that's where it hurts."

Matt Lindstrom (3-2) pitched the ninth for the Marlins and got the win.

Florida remained seven games behind New York in the NL East after the Mets rallied to beat the Brewers. Meanwhile, the Marlins haven't won two games in a row since the end of July.

"Let's have a little better September than we had August," said Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez, who acknowledged they were aggressive in sending Uggla on the fly by Baker.

"He was going no matter who caught it. We were going to make them throw him out."

Atlanta had runners on the corners in the ninth, but Martin Prado popped out to end the inning.

"I'm pretty much disgusted with losing," Gonzalez said. "That's the worst thing in the world right now is to go out there and be losing like this."

The Marlins took a 2-0 lead on Cantu's home run off Hampton in the first. His shot over the left field scoreboard scored Hanley Ramirez, who walked to lead off the inning.

The Braves made it 2-1 in the second when Brandon Jones singled to drive in Yunel Escobar, who led off the inning with a single.

Paul Lo Duca and Luis Gonzalez hit back-to-back doubles to give the Marlins a 3-1 advantage in the third.

The Braves scored twice in the fifth to tie the game at 3. Brandon Jones doubled to lead off, then Hampton singled Jones to third. Jones scored on Josh Anderson's single. One out later, Chipper Jones drove in Hampton on a bouncer up the middle.

Florida starter Josh Johnson pitched six innings, allowing three runs and nine hits while striking out eight, tying his career high.

"This win is a big lift," Johnson said. "Everybody's got smiles on their faces and that's what we want right now."

Braves starting pitcher Mike Hampton tossed six innings. He gave up three runs and six hits.

Game notes
Florida will recall INF Robert Andino, INF Dallas McPherson and RHP Eulogio de la Cruz on Tuesday. ... The Marlins returned from rehab and reinstated LHP Andrew Miller (15-day) and OF Brett Carroll (60-day) from the disabled list. Miller struck out the side in the seventh inning. ... C Mike Rabelo was transferred to the 60-day DL. ... Hampton's 106 pitches today was the most since April 22, 2005 vs. Philadelphia (118). ... The Braves activated INF Ruben Gotay from the 15-day DL.





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Delgado homers late to push visiting Mets past Brewers
Associated Press

MILWAUKEE -- The shadows in late afternoon at Miller Park can be brutal to hitters, but Carlos Delgado made good contact anyway.

Delgado's two-run homer off Eric Gagne in the eighth inning propelled the New York Mets to a 4-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday.

"Probably the worst shadows that I've been involved with since I've been in professional baseball, but it goes the same way for both teams," Delgado said. "It was pretty tough, but whatever. We got it done."

The Mets had little success against Ben Sheets, but the Brewers' right-hander left the game after five scoreless innings as a precautionary measure with tightness in his left groin. New York then battered six Milwaukee relievers for four runs on seven hits and four walks in the final four innings.

"He's one of our top pitchers," Milwaukee manager Ned Yost said of Sheets. "Do you wanna take a chance of losing him? I don't. I take no chances with starting pitchers this time of year. Very, very slight, started to get some tightness and I'm not taking a chance of him pulling it."

It was the fourth win in five games for the Mets, and all four victories have been comebacks.

"Good teams do this," Delgado said. "It's important. It shows that you can do it. Ideally, you want to be ahead but if you're not you've got to put together some good at-bats, get some baserunners and come up with a big hit. It says a lot about the character and the will we have with this ballclub."

It was Delgado's 462nd career homer, tying him with Jose Canseco for 31st place on the all-time list.

"Obviously, it's flattering," Delgado said. "I'm going to play a couple more years, so I'm not so concerned with the guys on that list."

The Mets first baseman has 20 homers and 60 RBI since June 27, the most of any NL player in that time.

"Carlos has been amazing," New York manager Jerry Manuel said. "If he's swinging it well, he seems to come up at the right time and put a good swing on it. He's been outstanding."

While the Milwaukee relievers imploded, the beleaguered Mets bullpen pitched three shutout innings. Nelson Figueroa (3-3) pitched a scoreless seventh to earn the victory in relief of Johan Santana. Luis Ayala pitched the ninth for his fourth save in five chances.

"They stepped up and attacked the hitters," Manuel said. "Threw strikes. I felt that going in, a lot of our right handers appear to match up well with this team. They're a very aggressive hitting club. We were able to get it done."

Gagne (4-3) gave up three runs and four hits in the eighth. He has a 6.81 ERA this year after signing a $10 million, one-year contract with the Brewers.

Trailing 2-1, Daniel Murphy greeted Gagne with a double. One out later, Delgado hit his 31st home run of the year to give New York a 3-2 lead.

"He was trying to make an 0-2 pitch, and it got too much of the plate," Yost said. "He wasn't even trying to throw a strike. He just didn't hit his spot. He didn't execute."

Carlos Beltran singled and scored on Ryan Church's double to the center-field wall, increasing the Mets' lead to 4-2. Beltran later left the game with a bruise behind his right knee suffered when colliding with home plate umpire Ed Rapuano while sliding into home.

Tony Bernazard, the Mets' vice president of player development, said Beltran was day-to-day and the injury did not appear to be serious.

"He's sore, but he should be fine," Bernazard said.

New York starter Johan Santana pitched six innings, giving up two runs and seven hits. He struck out 10.

Sheets had given up only two hits and a walk before being pulled. The right-hander -- counted on along with CC Sabathia to lead the Brewers back to the playoffs for the first time since 1982 -- put on a team jacket and stayed in the dugout talking with manager Ned Yost and pitching coach Mike Maddux after leaving the game.

A year after blowing a seven game lead in the final 19 days of the season, the Mets fell behind quickly in their first game of September. Milwaukee made it 1-0 in the first when J.J. Hardy's liner to left hit off Murphy's glove and rolled into the left-field corner. Murphy slipped on the warning track and Hardy slid into third with a triple.

Ryan Braun followed with a double to left to make it 1-0.

Santana balked with Prince Fielder on third in the sixth, giving the Brewers a 2-0 lead.

The Mets scored their first run in the seventh on reliever Mitch Stetter's wild pitch, allowing Beltran to score from third. Stetter then got Jose Reyes to fly out with runners on second and third to preserve the lead.

Game notes
Mets closer Billy Wagner threw about 20 pitches off a mound Monday. Bernazard said the team would "see how it feels" on Tuesday before deciding what the next step would be for Wagner, on the DL with a strained left forearm.





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Nats remain hot, Phillies fall two games behind Mets in NL East
Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- Meet the team on the longest current winning streak in baseball: the Washington Nationals.

Ryan Zimmerman hit a two-run home run and the Nationals -- the team with the worst record in baseball -- won their seventh consecutive game Monday, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 7-4.

Washington is on its best winning streak since a 10-game stretch in June 2005, and everyone on the team is contributing. Every Washington starter had at least one hit -- including starting pitcher Tim Redding.

"That's what we've been missing the whole season," Washington manager Manny Acta said. "Now guys are swinging the bats throughout the whole lineup, and it helps. Everyone around here becomes a little bit smarter with seven runs and 12 hits."

The Phillies dropped two games behind the Mets in the NL East. New York rallied to beat Milwaukee 4-2.

"It would've been nice to score runs early," second baseman Chase Utley said. "Obviously it didn't work out. We're not gonna let this one game get us down. We're gonna battle back like we always have. This month is obviously extremely important so we'll see what happens."

The Nationals' offense grabbed the lead quickly, on Lastings Milledge's two-run single in the first inning. They piled on a few more runs in the fourth, when Willie Harris hit an RBI triple, Cristian Guzman scored him with a double, and Zimmerman capped things off with a mammoth homer to center field.

"We're going through one of those good times now," Zimmerman said. "We've got to keep doing that for the rest of the month and it'll be a fun last three or four weeks."

As the Nationals' offense was clicking, Redding was struggling to control his fastball, although it was hard to tell from the scoreboard -- Redding (10- did not allow a hit in the first five innings.

The only two hits given up by Redding came in the sixth, before he was lifted for a reliever. Redding allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings, walking three and hitting two batters.

There were certainly some flaws in those no-hit frames. In the first inning, Redding put runners on with a walk and a hit batter, then threw the ball into center field on a pick-off attempt before striking out Ryan Howard and getting Jayson Werth to pop up and end the inning.

By the time Shane Victorino beat out the throw on a grounder deep in the hole for the Phillies' first hit, Redding was already wearing down.

"I was beat after about the fourth inning," Redding said.

Victorino's single started a mini-meltdown for the Nationals.

With two out, Victorino stole second and advanced on an error by catcher Jesus Flores. Howard then doubled, sending Victorino home. Redding walked Jayson Werth and was relieved by Charlie Manning, after throwing 106 pitches.

He lacked command of his fastball early in the game, that's why he ran his pitch count," Acta said. "But still, he made pitches when he had to."

Redding's 10 wins ties his career high, and he is the first Washington pitcher to reach the mark since Ramon Ortiz did so in 2006.

Philadelphia didn't need any more hits -- Manning walked two to load the bases, and reliever Marco Estrada came on. Estrada didn't do much better. He walked pinch-hitter Pat Burrell to drive in one run, then hit Chris Coste to send home another. Estrada finally got out of the inning, striking out pinch-hitter Carlos Ruiz.

The Nationals' bullpen shut down Philadelphia the rest of the way, allowing just two more hits. One of those was a solo home run by Jimmy Rollins in the ninth inning, his 10th of the year.

"You don't have to have the most talented team, but if you stay after it, somewhere along the line you'll get into a streak and things start going your way," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "Right now, you have to take your hats off to them because they haven't quit."

Kyle Kendrick (11- got the loss, allowing six runs on eight hits in four innings.

Both teams had control issues, especially early in the game. Redding hit Utley in the first inning and Victorino in the third. Elijah Dukes was hit by Kendrick in the first and Happ in the fourth. When Kendrick threw a ball up-and-in to Zimmerman in the third inning, home plate umpire Bruce Dreckman warned both dugouts.

Game notes
With rosters expanding Monday, the Phillies recalled RHP Adam Eaton and LHP J.A. Happ from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, and purchased the contracts of OF Greg Golson and C Lou Marson from Double-A Reading ... The Nationals recalled OF Roger Bernadina and 1B/OF Kory Casto and selected the contracts of LHP Mike Hinckley, RHP Shairon Martis and RHP Levale Speigner from Triple-A Columbus. Washington also activated SS Alberto Gonzalez from the 15-day DL (left hamstring strain) and transferred OF Wily Mo Pena to the 60-day DL (left shoulder surgery). ... Nationals 1B Dmitri Young, on the DL since July 12 (diabetes) started a rehab assignment with Short-Season Single-A Vermont.





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Small ball, De La Rosa help Rockies take series opener from Giants
Associated Press

DENVER -- A month ago Jorge De La Rosa was pitching his way into the Colorado Rockies bullpen. Monday he showed he could be valuable if the Rockies are going to make another September run.

De La Rosa pitched seven shutout innings and had an RBI single, Willy Taveras stole three bases and scored twice and Colorado beat the San Francisco Giants 4-0 on Monday.

De La Rosa (8-7) was sharp for the fifth straight start, allowing four hits, striking out six and walking one. He didn't allow a runner past first base and twice erased leadoff singles by inducing double plays.

"He continues to take steps forward," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "He's got momentum going for him and confidence."

The defending NL champion Rockies began September six games behind the Diamondbacks in the NL West. They are hoping for another spectacular finish, after going 20-8 last September. Colorado has won 14 of their last 15 September games overall.

"We're not out of it," Hurdle said. "As long as we stayed focused on our own game, that's what gives me hope."

Outings like De La Rosa's on Monday help fuel that hope. Following Bengie Molina's two-out single in the fourth, De La Rosa didn't allow a hit and retired 10 of the last 11 batters he faced, including striking out four of the last five. He was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the seventh.

"He threw strikes and pitched well, but offensively we're struggling," Giant manager Bruce Bochy said. "We're not getting the big hit to keep a rally going."

Since giving up seven earned runs in 1 2/3 innings against Florida on July 31, De La Rosa has gone at least six innings in each of his five starts and has not allowed more than three runs in any outing. He has a 1.78 ERA during that stretch.

"I wasn't pitching very good in those days," De La Rosa said of his start against the Marlins. "They gave me another chance to start. I'm starting to feel much better. I'm controlling my emotions more, I'm staying calm. That's what I need."

De La Rosa gave up leadoff singles in the second and fourth inning but a pair of double plays erased those hits.

"When he's throwing strikes, we like our chances behind him," Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said. "More than anything it keeps us in a rhythm defensively. We're able to make plays for him if he's throwing strikes."

Jonathan Sanchez (8-10), who was activated from the 15-day disabled list before the game, struck out six, walked three and allowed only three hits in seven innings. Sanchez, who went on the DL on Aug. 16 with a left shoulder strain, has not won since beating Oakland on June 29. He is 0-6 in eight starts during that span.

"The walks killed me," Sanchez said. "I walked a couple of guys and they scored. That was the key to the game."

Molina had three hits for the Giants, who have lost six of their last seven.

The Rockies got all the runs they needed in the second. Tulowitzki, who had two of the Rockies' four hits, hit a two-out triple to knock in Ryan Spilborghs and De La Rosa followed with a single to center to drive in Tulowitzki to make it 2-0.

The Rockies made it 3-0 in the third on the legs of Taveras. Taveras led off with a walk, stole second, moved to third on Matt Holliday's groundout to shortstop and scored on Garrett Atkins' flyout to shallow left field.

Taveras' speed also resulted in Colorado's final run. He singled with one out in the eighth, stole second and third and came home on a wild pitch.

Game notes
Atkins' Coors Field hitting streak ended at 19 games. ... Giants 1B Pablo Sandoval led all rookies with a .393 average in August. ...Taveras leads the major leagues with 65 stolen bases. ... The Giants have been shut out 11 times in 2008.




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Oswalt allows four hits, blanks Cubs through eight-plus as Astros win again
Associated Press

CHICAGO -- Roy Oswalt is pitching like an ace again and the Houston Astros are on a roll headed into the final month of the season.

Oswalt allowed four singles -- all the Chicago Cubs seem to able to hit these days -- and came within two outs of a shutout as the Astros won their sixth straight with a 3-0 victory Monday at Wrigley Field.

"I didn't do anything different from the beginning of the year. I'm just having better results," said Oswalt (13-9), who's won seven of his last eight decisions after an 0-3 start this season.

Oswalt ignored a torn finger nail to shut down the Cubs, who have struggled to score during a three-game losing streak. They hadn't dropped three straight at home since August of last year.

"I kind of tore the finger nail off the side," Oswalt said. "I could feel it when I threw breaking pitches more than anything. It wasn't something to come out over, it just started splitting a little worse."

Chicago's last 27 hits are all singles, and the Cubs haven't had extra base hit since Alfonso Soriano homered in the seventh inning of Friday's game against the Phillies.

"There is still a long way to go. We're not relaxing or anything. We just haven't scored for a few days here," said Chicago's Derrek Lee. "It's happened to us a couple of times before and we'll turn it around."

The Cubs remained 4 1/2 game ahead of the Brewers in the NL Central after Milwaukee lost 4-2 to the Mets.

"We didn't do much today. I'll tell you that," Chicago manager Lou Piniella said, hinting he might make some changes to his lineup.

Oswalt was mainly responsible for the Cubs' woes.

He took a two-hit shutout into the ninth. But pinch-hitter Daryle Ward and Soriano hit back-to-back singles with one out before Jose Valverde was summoned from the bullpen.

Valverde got his 38th save in 44 chances when Kosuke Fukudome hit into a forceout and Lee flied out to the right field warning track to end the game.

Manager Cecil Cooper wanted Oswalt to finish but saw enough after the two hits.

"When we got to the ninth, I said, 'I'm going to give him a chance to close it out.' When they got a couple guys on, I didn't want to leave him in past that. I thought he did a good job at that point and decided to go to the big boy," Cooper said.

Miguel Tejada tripled to start the fourth against Jason Marquis (9- when he hit a line drive off the ivy-covered left-field wall and Soriano couldn't retrieve the ball before it rolled toward the infield and into the bullpen. Lance Berkman walked and Geoff Blum hit a liner to center for a sacrifice fly with Berkman alertly taking second on the throw. Berkman then stole third and scored on Hunter Pence's RBI single for a 2-0 lead.

"I was thinking two. When I put my head up at second base, I saw the ball kept going and I just took my chance and took third," Tejada said. "You never see something like that, especially here when you have the ivy on the wall."

Soriano was also surprised by the carom in what became a key play.

"I've seen that a couple of times in practice, but never in the game," he said.

The Tejada/Berkman combination struck again in the seventh when Tejada singled and went to third on Berkman's single. Tejada scored on rookie Jeff Samardzija's wild pitch and Berkman made it all the way to third on an error by Cubs catcher Geovany Soto, who threw wildly past Samardzija as he covered the plate.

But the rally fizzled when Hunter Pence walked and was thrown out trying to steal.

Marquis went six innings and allowed five hits and two runs with a season-high eight strikeouts.

Game notes
The Astros lead the season series 7-6. ... Houston has the fewest errors in the majors this season (58). ... Carlos Zambrano, scratched from his Sunday start to get extra rest for a tired arm, will pitch Tuesday night against Houston's Brandon Backe. ... Houston 2B Kaz Matsui, on the 15-day disabled list since August 13 with an irritated disk in his back, went through pregame drills. Cooper is optimistic Matsui can return in the next few days. ... Battling the sun, Astros right fielder Pence made a great sliding catch of Mark DeRosa's sinking liner in the eighth.





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Diamondbacks ride Drew's cycle past Cardinals
Associated Press

PHOENIX -- In black magic marker, a scuffed baseball told the details of the biggest game of Stephen Drew's career.

Five hits and a cycle -- the first in Chase Field history.

The Arizona Diamondbacks needed every hit in an 8-6 comeback victory over St. Louis on Monday.

"I'm kind of in shock right now," said Drew, who carried his keepsake baseball into the postgame interview room. "I'm just trying to put good ABs together. It was meant to be."

Drew wasn't the only Arizona player who had a big day. Newly acquired David Eckstein singled home the winning run, and Adam Dunn, Chris Young and Mark Reynolds also homered as Arizona overcame a poor start by Randy Johnson.

The Diamondbacks needed a lift after losing two out of three over the weekend to NL West rival Los Angeles. Arizona entered Monday with a shaky 2½-game lead over the Dodgers.

"To hit for the cycle, it's fun, but it wouldn't have really meant anything to me if we didn't win," Drew said.

Batting leadoff, the 25-year-old shortstop singled in the first, tripled in the third and homered in the fifth against St. Louis Cardinals starter Joel Pineiro. He hit a ground-rule double in the seventh against reliever Kyle McClellan (2-7) as the Chase Field crowd rose for a standing ovation.

Drew added another double in the eighth for his fifth hit, matching a career high and a franchise record.

"It seems like he gets a good at-bat every time up," Arizona manager Bob Melvin said. "Five hits, cycle, the whole bit -- it's certainly going to be a day that he's going to remember. You don't get too many like this. It'll be one of the most exciting offensive days of his life."

Later Monday, Mariners third baseman Adrian Beltre also hit for the cycle. It was the first time two players hit for the cycle on the same day since Sept. 17, 1920, when Bobby Veach of the Detroit Tigers and George Burns of the New York Giants did it, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Drew is 10-for-17 with a homer, three doubles and a triple in the first four games of a six-game homestand.

"The ball just comes off his bat like lightning," Eckstein said.

Drew also became the third Diamondbacks player to hit for the cycle in the franchise's 11-year history. Luis Gonzalez did it on July 5, 2000, at Houston and Greg Colbrunn did it on Sept. 18, 2002, at San Diego.

It wasn't such a big deal in the St. Louis clubhouse. Asked to comment on Drew's performance, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa replied, "Let Melvin talk about him."

La Russa wasn't very happy after watching his team cough up a 5-1 second-inning lead on its way to its fourth straight loss. The Diamondbacks chipped away at Pineiro, who allowed four runs and six hits in five innings.

Arizona tied it at 6-6 in the sixth, when Reynolds hit a two-run shot on the first pitch from McClellan.

"You can't lose a game like this," La Russa said. "But every time we got the ball where we shouldn't, they hit it out of the park. We made to many mistakes to win a game like this."

Pineiro said he struggled to put hitters away.

"I had guys 0-2, 1-2," he said. "Sometimes you've got to tip your cap to the hitters, but I've still got to make a better pitch to finish them off, and I wasn't able to do that."

The Diamondbacks took the lead for the first time in the seventh on a single by Eckstein, who was acquired from Toronto on Sunday and started at second base. Another run scored on a wild pitch by Russ Springer.

"We just kept pecking away and pecking away," Eckstein said. "No one let up or gave up."

The Diamondbacks' rally spared Johnson his 10th loss.

One day after ace Brandon Webb lasted only 3 1/3 innings, the Diamondbacks needed a lengthy outing from Johnson. But the Big Unit lasted only 3 2/3 innings, matching his shortest start of the season.

Johnson, who has 294 career victories, is winless in his last four starts.

Johnson gave up four homers, matching a career high, and they traveled an estimated 1,598 feet, combined.

Yadier Molina led off the second with a 404-foot shot to left center. One batter later, Joe Mather hit a 380-foot homer into the bullpen down the left field line.

In the third, Albert Pujols hit a 416-foot bullet deep into the left field bleachers with a man aboard to give the Cardinals a 4-1 lead. Two batters later, Felipe Lopez hit a 398-foot solo homer to left, and St. Louis led 5-1.

Chad Qualls (3- pitched the seventh to earn the win. Brandon Lyon pitched the ninth for his 26th save in 31 chances.

Game notes
Upton left the game after being hit in the head with a pickoff attempt by St. Louis pitcher Adam Thompson in the eighth. Upton stayed on the ground for several minutes before walking off under his own power. "I was a little dizzy," Upton said. "It was definitely a scary moment." He said he expects to play on Tuesday night. ... Arizona right-hander Jon Rauch was ejected by home plate umpire Dan Iassogna as Rauch walked off the mound in the middle of the sixth. ... Mather left after four innings with a sprained left wrist. Mather said he would see a hand specialist on Tuesday, and he wasn't optimistic about returning this season. "Hopefully, it's not as bad as it looks," Mather said.






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Maddux shuts down former team to get 354th win, tied with Clemens
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- Greg Maddux regrets not having spent more time talking shop with Roger Clemens at the five All-Star Games when they were in opposing dugouts.

Maddux tied Clemens for eighth place on the career list with his 354th victory on Monday night, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 5-2 win over the San Diego Padres.

"I didn't talk about pitching as much as I would have liked to, I know that, but I've always respected what he's done," Maddux said. "He did it in the American League, and that's a lot tougher over there. I think everybody knows that. But I've always considered him the best in the game because of the way he threw a baseball, how he set up hitters and how he competed."

Maddux (7-11) allowed two runs and six hits, struck out four and walked none. It was the four-time Cy Young winner's third start with the Dodgers since the Padres traded him back to Los Angeles on Aug. 19, after Brad Penny went on the disabled list with a shoulder injury.

Maddux, an eight-time All-Star, has made 736 starts compared to 707 by Clemens -- a seven-time Cy Young winner and 11-time All-Star -- and his 225 losses are 41 more than the Rocket had during his 24-year career.

"I know when interleague first started, I made sure I watched his games," said Maddux, who has spent his entire career in the NL. "I think we pitch a lot alike. He just did it a lot faster and at higher speeds. For the most part, we do a lot of things the same. He just did it at 95 [mph], while I've been doing it at 85."

The 42-year-old Maddux has 109 complete games, 35 shutouts, 3,361 strikeouts and a 3.15 career ERA over 23 seasons. Clemens had a 3.12 lifetime ERA with 118 complete games, 46 shutouts and 4,672 strikeouts, which is third on the all-time list.

"Roger obviously was blessed with more explosive stuff," said Joe Torre, the only man to manage both Maddux and Clemens. "When I came up as a 20-year-old kid with the Braves and Warren Spahn was in his 40s, he told me: 'Hitting is timing, and a pitcher's job is to upset that timing.' And that's what Greg's all about. He just seems to never beat himself.

"Watching him pitch, I've admired what he's done," Torre added. "He has never been overpowering, but he's always managed to keep the game at a manageable speed for himself. And when other guys maybe rear back and throw harder, he goes the other way. He tries to do it with finesse and feel, really plays on the hitter's emotion."

Maddux was 6-9 with a 3.99 ERA in 26 starts for San Diego this season, including a 14-game winless streak in which he was 0-5 with a a 4.48 ERA.

"I think more than anything, it was probably run support. He was pitching on the wrong nights," Padres manager Bud Black said. "We just didn't score a lot of runs when he was out there, but he pitched well enough to win the majority of those games for us. I think I can echo what every other manager who's had him has probably said about him: He was great when he was here."

In his first two starts after returning to the Dodgers, Maddux gave up nine runs and 17 hits in road losses to Philadelphia and Washington.

Hong-Chih Kuo pitched two perfect innings, striking out three, and Jonathan Broxton got three outs for his 11th save.

Chris Young (4-5) gave up four runs and six hits in five innings after being activated from the disabled list. The right-hander hadn't pitched since Aug. 10 at Colorado, when he left after four innings with a strain in his forearm.

"It was really nice to be back out there. I missed it," Young said. "Even though we didn't win, it was still fun going out there and competing. I was a little bit rusty."

The Dodgers, who trail Arizona by 2½ games in the NL West, took a 3-1 lead in the second on a bloop RBI double by Angel Berroa and a run-scoring single by Maddux -- his 84th career RBI and third this season.

Casey Blake made it 4-1 in the third with his 18th homer and seventh since coming to the Dodgers in a trade with Cleveland on July 26. Manny Ramirez added a sacrifice fly in the seventh for his 26th RBI in 30 games with Los Angeles.

San Diego second baseman Matt Antonelli, recalled from Triple-A Portland on Monday, started and went 1-for-4 in his major league debut with a single in his first plate appearance.

Game notes
Maddux, just 15 2/3 innings shy of 5,000, is one of five pitchers with more than 3,000 strikeouts and fewer than 1,000 walks (997). The others are Ferguson Jenkins, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz and Curt Schilling. ... LHP Wade LeBlanc will make his big league debut Wednesday night, becoming the 13th Padre to do so -- three fewer than the club record set in 2002, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. ... Padres CF Jody Gerut missed his fourth straight game. He took swings in the cage for the first time since last Wednesday, when he sprained the middle finger on his left hand while stealing a base and finished the game.






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