Snell finds form, controls Cardinals bats
ST. LOUIS -- Ian Snell has waited most of the season to be the story behind a Pirates win. And despite an eventful ninth inning, he most assuredly earned that honor on Tuesday.
After battling through a season's worth of struggles up to this point, the right-hander finally saw the fruits of what can happen when he puts everything together.
Snell attacked hitters. He kept his pitch count low. He trusted his catcher, who called for Snell to pitch inside, something the Bucs starter has done minimally this year.
Snell refused to give in, even to the biggest of his big league nemeses, Albert Pujols. In essence, it was the pitcher that the club had been waiting for throughout most of the season.
"That was a big start for him," catcher Ryan Doumit said. "That's the Ian that I'm used to seeing in the past."
And Snell would be rewarded. The sum of those parts was an eventual 4-1 win over the Cardinals in the first game of an abbreviated two-game series at Busch Stadium.
Snell came into the game winless in four starts against St. Louis this year. But after allowing a leadoff single to Cardinals outfielder Skip Schumaker in the first, the outing would bear little resemblance to the 24 season starts that came before it.
Manager John Russell labeled it as the best start of the season for Snell. And yes, Russell said, it was better than Snell's 10-strikeout performance against Florida back in April.
"He was making good hitters not look comfortable," Russell said. "It's been getting better his last three or four and he put it all together tonight."
Snell (5-10) matched his season high with seven innings pitched, and allowed just three hits after the first. Really, the only serious challenges he faced came in the fifth and seventh frames when St. Louis put a runner on second with one out. Earlier in the year, those were the situations where he gave in. On Tuesday, Snell never flinched.
"It feels good to have my velocity back and not scaring away from challenging them," Snell said. "It's one of my favorite teams to pitch against just because they bring out the best in me."
The reasons behind Snell's success on Tuesday were multi-fold.
Russell credited Snell's fastball command, which the righty established early. From there, Snell was able to use his slider and changeup with ease. Of Snell's eight strikeouts, two came off changeups, two came off fastballs and four came off his slider. He walked just one.
"He threw some fastballs down in the zone and locked some good hitters up," Russell said. "His slider played off of that."
Doumit pointed to a slight tweak in the Snell's game plan. After going away from pitching inside all season, Snell revisited attacking the inside corner.
"He kind of went against his game tonight and threw inside a couple of pitches," Doumit said. "That's only going to make him more effective. As far as I'm concerned, he's heading in the right direction."
And interestingly enough, Snell credited CC Sabathia. Snell said he watched all of Sabathia's start for the Brewers on Monday and zeroed in on how the lefty's success played off his fastball, not his offspeed repertoire.
Snell then emulated that to Sabathia-like results.
This win, though, wouldn't be sealed until a bullpen -- which has continued to fill in exceptionally during the absence of closer Matt Capps -- escaped some tense moments late.
Staked to a 1-0 lead, Snell gave way to Sean Burnett in the eighth. After allowing a single in between getting two outs, Burnett was pulled. In came Denny Bautista to try to neutralize Albert Pujols' potential as the go-ahead run at the plate.
The two would have a nine-pitch showdown. Pujols drilled that ninth pitch, a 93-mph fastball to deep right-center field. Outfielder Nyjer Morgan pursued it all the way, calling off Steve Pearce to make a catch at the wall, well into the right fielder's territory.
"I just yelled my tail off," Morgan joked afterward.
After escaping the eighth, the Pirates found a little more offense than they had been able to muster against Cardinals starter Braden Looper earlier.
Doumit's RBI double off Looper back in the first staked the Pirates to a lead that would eventually hold through. The hit was the first of three that the catcher would finish with. As for Looper, he allowed just two other hits in his seven innings of work.
The Pirates tacked on three runs in the top of the ninth, though they had just two hits in the inning. Two St. Louis errors, as well as catcher Yadier Molina's decision to try to record a forceout at third on a sacrifice bunt -- which he wouldn't get -- all played in the Pirates' favor. By the end of the inning, the Pirates led, 4-0.
But there would still be a few hold-your-breath moments in the bottom half of the frame. John Grabow, the closer du jour, got the first two outs, but walked two. Russell then called on T.J. Beam to get the third.
Beam allowed one run, walked another, but eventually recorded a game-ending strikeout with the bases loaded. The save was the first of Beam's career.
"Every time we play these guys, it's never an easy win," Russell said. "That ninth inning has always been an adventure when we play these guys."
The Pirates improved to 7-6 against St. Louis this season. And as for Snell, the outing was the type he'd like to ride through the season's final six weeks.
"I had high expectations this year, and I really didn't know how to handle them," Snell said. "These guys on this team stuck by me through tough times. It's good to have these guys on your team that are good teammates."
Copyright 2001-2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Hawpe saves the day for Rockies
DENVER -- Brad Hawpe and the Rockies finally swung back at the D-backs on Wednesday night.
Hawpe's two-run homer in the eighth inning gave the Rockies just enough to defeat the National League West co-leading D-backs for just the second time in 11 games this season, 6-5, at Coors Field in front of 30,247. The Rockies still have a way to go to catch the D-backs and the Dodgers, each of whom have eight games on them. It's hard to brag much about a singular win when the Rockies have to make up for a disappointing (3-6) homestand that ends with the deciding game of this set Thursday afternoon.
"I don't think guys pay too much attention to it in here," said Hawpe, who improved his home run total to 19 and had two doubles and a walk in addition to his winning hit Wednesday. "We try to forget about it.
"I know our record hasn't been good. That being said, they're in first place for a reason."
The Rockies, playing their second straight game without first baseman Garrett Atkins (strep throat), avoided just enough of the problems that have put them closer to fourth place than first.
"We needed to win a ballgame, and we were able to do some things we've struggled to do with a lot of consistency," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said.
The Rockies benefited from solo shots off D-backs starter Doug Davis by Ian Stewart and Clint Barmes. Hurdle moved Barmes to the leadoff spot in place of Willy Taveras, who went 2-for-4 as the No. 2 hitter.
Early-season ace Jeff Francis, who has struggled through a shoulder injury and inconsistency all year, displayed the command of old most of the way while giving up three runs -- one on a Chad Tracy leadoff homer in the fifth -- and six hits in six innings.
"I felt I was getting a little further down the mound, making better quality pitches, hitting some spots and getting ahead in the count," said Francis, who made his second start since returning from the disabled list.
Manuel Corpas let an inherited runner score and also gave up Chris Young's RBI single to tie the game, 4-4. But Taylor Buchholz (5-3) pitched a scoreless eighth.
Chris Iannetta doubled off Jon Rauch (4-3), who suffered his first loss since arriving in a trade with the Nationals. Hawpe, figuring Rauch would stick to the D-backs' season-long plan of challenging him high and inside, drove a 1-0 fastball over the right-field wall for a two-run lead.
Hawpe is one of few Rockies displaying the spirit of 2007.
This year, as last, he has turned hot late in the year, with hits in 12 of his last 15 games and a .318 batting average and 15 homers since returning from a hamstring injury on June 6.
"He's a good hitter," Hurdle said. "He didn't get off to his cleanest shot, but he's responded well."
Brian Fuentes (22 saves) survived a ninth that saw him give up a Stephen Drew RBI single with one out, strike out Young with two on base. With the bases loaded and the count full, Fuentes worked a a grounder from the dangerous Adam Dunn.
"I'm going to pitch to my strengths 99 percent of the time," said Fuentes, who said he was unfazed by the fact Dunn entered with 32 home runs, tied for the Major League lead with the Phillies' Ryan Howard. "In that situation, I'm not going to get beat with my third-best pitch."
Copyright 2008 Sporting Life UK Ltd, All Rights Reserved.
Homers aside, Pedro happy with outing
NEW YORK -- Seconds after Pedro Martinez let go of his first pitch of the game against the Padres on Wednesday, he heard a familiar smack.
Martinez turned around to watch his 84-mph changeup fly off the bat of Jody Gerut and over the outfield wall -- a sight that's become all too familiar for him lately.
And it's one that he saw again just two batters later, when Brian Giles connected on a fastball to right-center for the second home run in three at-bats for the Padres.
But from that moment, Martinez seemed to settle down. He gave up just two more hits through 6 1/3 innings, and he worked himself out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning to keep San Diego from extending its lead.
The Padres went on to win, 4-2.
When Martinez has been hit in recent games, he's been hit hard. In his last 19 2/3 innings since July 2, the right-hander has given up 11 runs. All have scored on homers.
He attributes the trend to a combination of bad location and rust.
"When you miss location a lot in the big leagues, these guys at this time of the year are perfectly ready to just do what they have to do with a pitch that they see in the wrong area," Martinez said. "We're in August. Right now those guys are 100 percent sharp. When a guy like me that's rusty comes over and makes a mistake, to them it looks like a basketball out there, especially if I'm not throwing 96 [mph] like I used to."
Without consistent starts, Martinez said, he hasn't pitched the way he normally would. Injuries have kept him from making his regularly scheduled starts, and he also missed time after his father passed away on July 23 following a lengthy illness.
Wednesday marked just his second start since July 12, when he exited early with tightness in his right shoulder.
Despite the homers, manager Jerry Manuel was pleased at the way his starter attacked the strike zone, and Martinez felt good about most aspects of his performance.
"I can't be satisfied with a loss, but the results overall, I think, were positive," Martinez said. "Even though I got ambushed really early in the game, I managed to make adjustments and make better pitches."
With the Mets batting in the sixth inning, Martinez stood on deck while Brian Schneider stepped up to the plate. Martinez kept turning around, checking to see whether Manuel would pull him, but he was kept in the lineup.
Martinez didn't come away with a hit, but remaining in the batting order allowed him to pitch into the seventh inning and throw 102 pitches before he exited.
Though Martinez has been in and out of the rotation throughout the season, Manuel knows what he can expect from the veteran.
"I feel pretty good about what he can do," said Manuel. "I think what's going to be important for him now is to keep the ball in the ballpark. I think the last two outings, five home runs -- that's not Pedro-like, but he has bounced back in those particular games and performed very well. He'll probably have to come out with the expectation that these guys can be dangerous right off the bat."
For Martinez, the most important thing is to stay healthy and get better. His individual statistics don't matter. As long as when he leaves a game his team has a chance to win, he will feel satisfied with his performance.
"I just want to improve every day, keep the team in the fight during my games," he said. "And whatever I'm going to do as far as adjustments and getting better, improving, I think I should take care of it.
"I need to pitch. I need to get work under my belt and get used to being out there. But so far I think I'm making improvements, so that's what my main concern is going to be."
Copyright 2001-2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Murphy headed to DL after collision
ARLINGTON -- For the second night in a row, the Rangers announced one of their key players is headed to the disabled list. This time, it's David Murphy.
Murphy left Wednesday night's game against the Yankees after the third inning with a strained posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. He will be placed on the disabled list and is expected to be out two to four weeks. He will have an MRI on the knee on Thursday.
Jason Ellison, currently at Triple-A Oklahoma, is the most likely candidate to take Murphy's spot on the roster, and Brandon Boggs will likely start in place of Murphy.
"I am trying to be optimistic," Murphy said. "I'm getting an MRI tomorrow and we'll see how it is, but it doesn't feel great right now."
The injury occurred in the bottom of the second when Murphy was involved in a collision at home plate with Yankees catcher Ivan Rodriguez. In addition to the ligament strain, Murphy also took a black right eye away from the collision.
Murphy was trying to score from second base on an Ian Kinsler two-out single to right field. Bobby Abreu fielded the ball and came up throwing, forcing a play at the plate.
Rather than try to go over or around Rodriguez, Murphy slid feet first into Rodriguez's shin guards. Rodriguez held onto the ball for the out, but both players were on the ground for some time before they were able to walk off under their own power.
Rodriguez left the game immediately after the play, but Murphy remained in the game for an inning before leaving. Boggs replaced Murphy in the lineup.
So, on the same day that C.J. Wilson was placed on the disabled list, one of the Rangers' best hitters is following him. Murphy singled in his only at-bat Wednesday and is hitting .275 this season with 15 home runs and 74 RBIs.
"This hurts a lot," manager Ron Washington said. "He's been our hottest hitter the last 2 1/2 weeks. We will have to move on and play. We have to."
Copyright 2001-2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Manny may bring Freeway Series to LA
LOS ANGELES -- Asked and answered, seen and raised, whatever you can do we can do better.
Take your pick as the Dodgers launched a major volley cross town on Thursday by acquiring Manny Ramirez from the Red Sox in a three-team deal that also sent Jason Bay to Boston and Andy LaRoche to Pittsburgh.
If the Dodgers had appeared as a team with a little bit of momentum given their positive stretch in July, they now look like a team that is clearly motoring and the destination is straight to October.
It also may be a direct I-5 route to a head-on collision with the Angels, a team that had made a habit of stealing the baseball-related headlines in Southern California.
Just days ago, the Halos fired their own salvo by getting Mark Teixeira, a move that was seen by many as the last piece for a return trip to the World Series.
Now, the Dodgers have their own power bat and one that is capable of taking any lineup from average to productive. It came hastily packaged in a down-to-the-wire Deadline deal and was dropped into the framework of a Dodgers' batting order that is looking for any excuse to gel.
"Managers will tell you when he comes to the plate that they hold their breath and that is going to be the case here," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said.
Holding one's breath could also be advice for general managers, owners and fans who are tested by a unique perspective on life that has its own mantra -- Manny being Manny.
But the exhale is equally expressive and often is punctuated by the thrill of a decisive homer or a high-five-the-fan catch in the outfield.
"I guess we'll find out," said Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti, who has taken his share of criticism for expensive yet unproductive free agent signings like Andruw Jones and Jason Schmidt. "Manny being Manny could also mean he is going to hit a lot of home runs and drive in a lot of runs."
One thing for certain, Ramirez is pure theater and he just landed in the nation's entertainment capital.
"There aren't many hitters like Manny," said the Halos' Chone Figgins from the visiting clubhouse in Yankee Stadium.
The Angels have no reason to sink into a puddle of insecurity.
They own the best record in Major League Baseball, and have the largest advantage among all six division leaders.
Their starters rank second in the American League in ERA, a rotation that also leads the league in wins. No starter has fewer than nine victories and they have the Major League saves leader, Francisco Rodriguez, to handle the ninth. He has 44 saves in 47 opportunities.
They also flexed some muscle recently with two three-game sweeps of the Red Sox this month.
But a lineup that features Vladimir Guerrero and Garret Anderson in the middle and added Torii Hunter this past offseason has seemingly run out of gas in their last three trips to the postseason.
Last year in Boston, the Angels managed just four runs while the Red Sox plated 19 in a three-game sweep. In 2004, the Angels were also swept out of the playoffs by the Red Sox.
In both years, Boston won the World Series and each time the Angels could have used a power bat to protect Guerrero, et al, in the middle of the lineup.
Unable or unwilling to land that piece in past years, Angels general manager Tony Reagins swung the deal for Teixeira on Tuesday that cost him first baseman Casey Kotchman and Minor League pitcher Stephen Marek.
Teixeira was the key piece in a non-waiver Trade Deadline deal last year when he left Texas for Atlanta in a seven-player deal. Fewer personnel were involved this time, but the Angels are looking for similar results. Teixeira hit 17 homers and drove in 56 runs after joining the Braves last July.
Ramirez has been everyone's favorite Deadline deal. Rumored to be going to the Angels or Phillies the last few seasons, he appeared to be headed to Florida this week but the details fell flat.
Enter the Dodgers in a deal that Colletti said was completed with a minute to spare. Torre said earlier in the week he'd like to worry about pitching to Teixeira because that meant his club would be in the World Series.
The Angels would also like a shot at the Series and are well acquainted with Ramirez's ability to swing the bat.
"Manny's a guy who definitely has hurt us and was one of a one-two tandem that was one of the best ever in the game with David Ortiz," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.
Ramirez has played all of his 16 seasons in the AL, hitting 510 career homers with a .312 batting average, a .409 on-base percentage and a .590 slugging percentage.
He also presents a problem in finding playing time for an outfield that now has Matt Kemp, Juan Pierre, Andre Ethier, Jones and Ramirez. Colletti said a move was likely.
But don't look for Ramirez to spend much time in a platoon. He was brought in to play, and specifically, to push the team past the Diamondbacks in the NL West and into the postseason.
With Rafael Furcal sidelined with a bad back since early May, the Dodgers have struggled to find offensive consistency, if not an identity. In Ramirez, they now have both.
"He is one of, if not the best in baseball," Kemp said. "Anything to help this team to the playoffs and win games, I'm happy for it."
Teixeira and Ramirez will both be free agents at year's end.
The Dodgers' financial risk was much less -- the Red Sox picked up the $7 million remaining on Ramirez's contract and both option years were voided. They also were not forced to deal a much-coveted player like Kemp.
The Angels lost a valuable piece in Kotchman and still must face the task of re-signing Teixeira, who is expected to command a nine-figure deal.
But the focus in each deal was far more short-sighted with only the fall in mind and a Freeway Series could be the result.
Copyright 2001-2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Furcal slated for back surgery
HOUSTON -- Injured Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal waved the white flag Wednesday when it was announced he would undergo surgery Thursday for a bulging disc.
Dr. Robert Watkins will perform a microdiscectomy, a minimally invasive surgical procedure using microscopic magnification to remove all or part of a ruptured disc pressing on a nerve in Furcal's lower back.
Manager Joe Torre would not concede that Furcal will be lost for the rest of the season, but neither did he say he's holding his breath awaiting Furcal's return.
"From all the numbers I've heard, he'll probably miss a minimum of eight weeks," said Torre, meaning a return of September at the earliest.
That's probably overly optimistic. Watkins performed a similar procedure in 2002 on Dodgers pitcher Kevin Brown, whose disc was badly ruptured. Brown rushed back after two months, but quickly had to shut it down because he was not fully healed. Reliever Eric Gagne underwent a similar operation by Watkins at St. Vincent's Hospital on July 8, 2006. Like Brown, Gagne was also trying to return from elbow woes at the time and did not pitch again that season.
Furcal will be a free agent after this season. He attempted to rehabilitate the injury twice this year, nearly beginning a Minor League assignment a month ago before a relapse. He then underwent a strenuous core exercise program in an attempt to avoid this surgery, but after one game at Triple-A Las Vegas this week, he woke up the next day in pain again.
"It's a blow," said Torre. "It's reality. I got a little tempted Monday when he ran out there with no hesitation, but he woke up sore the next day. From what I understand, he wants to get it done and over with and start getting better. We anticipate this will solve everything."
Well, not exactly everything, because it does nothing to solve the hole created two months ago when Furcal reinjured his lower back, which also cost him the final 12 games of the 2007 season.
The Dodgers have been shopping for shortstops ever since Furcal went down in early May, but the only move they made was a relatively inexpensive pickup of Kansas City Minor Leaguer Angel Berroa, who is hitting .183 and has yielded to rookie utilityman Luis Maza, who is hitting .239. General manager Ned Colletti figures to step up efforts to find an established shortstop, however a club official said nothing is imminent.
Torre hedged when asked if he thought the Dodgers had a solution within the organization, saying any acquisition must be judged by its cost. Chin-lung Hu was the original replacement for Furcal, but his bat was overmatched and now he's sidelined with an eye problem that has not been definitively diagnosed.
Torre said Nomar Garciaparra, currently on a rehab assignment with Las Vegas before he returns from a lingering calf muscle problem, will be a part-time solution at shortstop, where he was a five-time All-Star while with Boston.
"I'll look at Nomar at shortstop, but I'm not thinking on an everyday basis," said Torre. "It's not fair to Nomar, considering how long it's been."
Copyright 2001-2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Ramirez lifts Rangers over Astros
HOUSTON -- Anybody who has been paying attention knows that Max Ramirez has a great reputation for being able to swing the bat, and he reaffirmed that on a humid night in Houston on Wednesday.
But manager Ron Washington, pleased as he was with that on a night when the Rangers really needed offensive help, saw something else in his catcher.
He saw Ramirez handle himself well behind the plate.
That thrilled Washington more than anything even after Ramirez's two-run home run proved to be the difference in the Rangers' 3-2 victory over the Astros at Minute Maid Park. Ramirez's home run came on a night when the Rangers were without both Josh Hamilton and Milton Bradley in the lineup for the first time this season.
The victory also all but clinches the Silver Boot Trophy for the Rangers for the second straight year and fourth time in the past five years. The Rangers are up 3-2 with one game to play. If the Astros win Thursday, the trophy is decided by run differential and the Rangers are already plus-11 in that category.
The Rangers aren't worried about that as much as trying to make it through until they can get Bradley and Hamilton back in the lineup. Ramirez helped much on Wednesday with both his bat and his glove.
"We certainly weren't at full strength but that kid behind the plate did a great job," Washington said. "Not only swinging the bat but handling our pitching staff. The kid knows how to swing the bat, but the thing I wanted to see was him handling the pitching staff and get them through nine innings. He did just that. That's what matters most and he did an excellent job."
Ramirez was playing in his second Major League game but his first behind the plate. He started at first base on Sunday in Washington. He was 0-for-3 on Sunday but singled in his first at-bat against Roy Oswalt on Wednesday, then followed that up with a two-run home run in the fourth.
"I can't believe it," Ramirez said. "It was so exciting. My first home run, my first game behind the plate, a really good game. I felt good behind the plate. I tried to do my best job."
"It doesn't surprise me at all," Rangers starter Scott Feldman said. "I saw him in Double-A and he was the best hitter I saw by far. I wouldn't be surprised if he has a lot more games like that. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised."
The Rangers trailed 2-1 going into the fourth when Ramirez came up with one on and two out against Oswalt. The count went to 3-1, then Ramirez jumped on a fastball and crushed it to deep left-center.
"I had one pitch that came back over the plate for a two-run home run, but other than that not too bad," Oswalt said. "It just kind of came back ... 3-1 ... I threw a fastball with a new guy on the plate. It took about three at-bats before I figured out what he was trying to do."
Feldman couldn't stay around long enough to get the full benefit of Ramirez's work. He gave up only two runs but came out after just four innings because he had thrown 99 pitches.
"I thought he was a little out of sync but he hung in there and battled," Washington said. "They worked him too hard in the fourth inning to send him out in the fifth, but he's a fighter."
Feldman wasn't particularly happy coming out so quickly, but Luis Mendoza took over and pitched three scoreless innings, retiring nine of 11 batters he faced, to get the victory. Eddie Guardado and C.J. Wilson finished it off, although both ran into trouble.
Guardado, taking over in the eighth, gave up a one-out double to Carlos Lee, but first baseman Frank Catalanotto made a terrific diving catch on Hunter Pence's line drive to start an inning-ending double play.
Wilson made it even more harrowing. He allowed a double to Ty Wigginton leading off the inning and walked Michael Bourn with two out. Third baseman Ramon Vazquez bobbled Mark Loretta's grounder for an error, but Wilson got Miguel Tejada on a grounder to short to end the threat.
"The main thing C.J. did was he kept throwing strikes," Washington said. "He kept trying to pound that strike zone."
Rangers pitchers allowed 10 hits and three walks, but with Ramirez leading them behind the plate, they held the Astros to 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position. That's what won the ballgame for the Rangers as much as Ramirez's home run.
"They've got a pretty good hitting club, too," Washington said. "That's not easy but the kid did great. He certainly received the ball well, he went down in the dirt and blocked the ball well, he framed the ball and caught it and he was in sync with his pitchers. Not once did I see them shake him off. He did an outstanding job."
Copyright 2001-2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
|
