Reid Ryan, MLB Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan’s son, has been named the president of the Houston Astros.

The younger Ryan, 41, a former minor league pitcher, has been the CEO of Ryan-Sanders Baseball Inc., a group that owns the two minor league teams: the Round Rock Express (the Rangers’ Triple A affiliate) and the Christi Hooks (the Astros’ Double-A affiliate), both of which are owned by Nolan Ryan and Houston businessman Don Sanders. These teams are said to be two of the most successful minor league franchises in the country. Reid Ryan takes over for George Postolos who resigned last Monday.

The Astros, who moved over from the National League to the American League this season, go into today’s action with a record of 11-31, last place in the AL West. Ryan has his worked cut out for him: “Reid Ryan takes over a job where he will be tasked with helping increase attendance and win back disillusioned fans to a team that has finished with 100 losses in each of the last two seasons and has the worst record in the majors again this year. He acknowledged that Houston’s problems are complex and that there’s no way he could know how he will work to get things back on track on his first day.” Reid Ryan pitched in the minors in 1994 and 1995.

Nolan Ryan, currently the president and CEO of the Texas Rangers, pitched for the Astros from 1980 to 1988, and Reid Ryan grew up as an Astros Fan.

Upon being named president of the team, Reid Ryan summarized his philosophy. “I kind of look at what my vision is. It’s really two things. It’s one, putting the fans first in everything we do … And we also have to take care of the players. We have to make sure that we’re doing everything in our power to be able to develop the best players, attract the best players and to retain the best players we can because it’s all about the best players.”

Do you think Reid Ryan will be able to perform a turnaround for the Houston Astros?

[Image via Eric Broder Van Dyke / Shutterstock.com]

Nolan Ryan’s Son Reid Ryan Named Houston Astros President is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Boston Red Sox new closer role will be filled by Junichi Tazawa as Joel Hanrahan was placed on the disabled list for the second time this season on Tuesday. Hanrahan was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to a strained right forearm.

The 31-year-old has struggled with the Red Sox since coming to the team from the Pittsburgh Pirates this offseason. In nine appearances this season, Hanrahan has blown two of his six save opportunities while his earned run average has skyrocketed to 9.82.

Right-hander Junichi Tazawa is expected to take on the Red Sox’s new closer role as manager John Farrell plans on keeping Koji Uehara in the setup spot for the eighth inning. Pitcher Allan Webster will replace Hanrahan on the roster after being called-up from Triple-A Pawtucket.

Andrew Bailey originally replaced Joel Hanrahan as the Red Sox’s new closer after Hanrahan’s first stint on the disabled list in mid-April. Bailey’s time as the closer didn’t last long, as he also fell to injury and was placed on the DL before Monday’s game with strained right biceps.

Manager John Farrell spoke with MLB Network Radio on Tuesday and he believes Tazawa is the right choice to close out ballgames for the Red Sox.

“I think what we’d love to do is close Tazawa,” Farrell said. “We’d keep Koji in that eighth inning role that he’s been in.”

He also added that the Red Sox have a lot of options in their bullpen that could step-up and close out games as they move forward without Hanrahan.

“Fortunately we do have some depth to turn to internally and we know that we’ve got to get through these next couple of days to kinda regroup,” Farrell added. “So we’re kind of breathing a little thin ice down there right now and just trying to manage the best we can to get through these next couple of days to regroup.”

The Boston Red Sox will look to avoid a sweep by the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park on Thursday. The Twins had the bats going on Wednesday as 15 runs crossed the plate before it was all said and done. With two straight losses, the Red Sox have allowed the Baltimore Orioles to climb the AL East standings.

The Orioles and Red Sox are tied atop the division while the New York Yankees are just one-game behind with their roster working it’s way back from the disabled list.

Will the Boston Red Sox new closer, Junichi Tazawa, get the job done, or is the AL East now up for grabs?

[Image via Keith Allison]

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Red Sox New Closer: Hanrahan Out, Tazawa In is a post from: The Inquisitr

The New York Yankees rode Phil Hughes’ strong start to a 4-2 win over the Oakland Athletics Saturday afternoon. Hughes shutout the A’s over eight innings of work for his first win of the season.

The 26-year-old was off to a slow start in 2013 and lost his first two starts before receiving a no decision in his next three. He found a rhythm early Saturday at Yankee Stadium and held the A’s to just four hits during his best outing of the season.

The California native struck out nine and the A’s stranded 13 runners while failing to scratch a run across the plate against Hughes.  The Yankees ran away from the A’s with a pair of solo home runs before extended their lead to four by the seventh inning.

Catcher Chris Stewart hadn’t seen much playing time before Francisco Cervelli was placed on the disabled list with a fractured right hand on April 27th. Stewart got the Yankees on the board in the third inning Saturday as he launched a fastball from Bartolo Colon into the left field seats.

Colon pitched for the Yankees during the 2011 season but he didn’t have his best stuff in his return to the Bronx on Saturday. He failed to make it out of the six inning after giving up three runs on six hits.

Lyle Overbay found the cheap seats with a solo shot to right field to make it 2-0 Yankees in the fifth and Travis Hafner drove in another run with a single in the sixth before Colon was relieved. Jerry Blevins came into the game and didn’t give up a hit to hold the Yankees lead at three.

Righthander Chris Resop came in to pitch the seventh and the Yankees added to their lead when Eduardo Nunez scored on an infield hit by Brett Gardner. Evan Scriber took over in the eighth and held the Yankees scoreless to end their streak of three straight innings with a run.

Shawn Kelley took the mound to start the ninth for the Yankees but he gave up a single to Yoenis Cespedes and was immediately relieved. Mariano Rivera, the MLB’s all-time saves leader, then came into the game to close out the A’s.

He did just that, but not before the A’s scratched across two runs. Rivera walked the first hitter he faced and Seth Smith drove in a run with a single two batters later. Another run scored on a fielder’s choice before Rivera finished off the A’s.

The Yankees are now just two games back of the Boston Red Sox who face the Texas Rangers later on Saturday. The Rangers crushed the Red Sox 7-0 in Game 1 of their three-game set at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

The Yankees will look to win the rubber match of their three-game series with the A’s on Sunday afternoon as Oakland took Game 1 with a shutout on Friday.

Will the New York Yankees beat the Oakland A’s on Sunday for their third straight series win?

[Image via Keith Allison]

Phil Hughes’ Great Outing Leads Yankees Past Athletics is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Chicago Cubs won’t be moving out of Wrigley Field anytime soon despite threats and rumors to the contrary.

Cubs owner Tom Ricketts on Wednesday told a group at the City Club of Chicago that he was “taking a look at moving” if the city of Chicago and surrounding cities don’t approve his plans for renovating the rapidly aging ballpark.

Ricketts might be throwing around his weight, but his love for Wrigley Field can’t be understated. Ricketts at one point lived in an apartment on Addison, and he met his wife while sitting in the ballpark’s famous bleachers. When he bought the Cubs, Ricketts promised to keep the team’s legacy alive and pass the club through generations of his family.

The biggest opposition to Ricketts’ plans is the addition of a scoreboard and advertising that would be placed in the outfield. Critics worry the sign would take away from the field’s ivy aesthetics.

As has been the case for years, the owners of the rooftop decks that offer views of the playing field are adamantly against any changes that would hurt their businesses. The Wrigleyville Rooftops Associations is big business, which combines for $25 million per year. The owners of Wrigleyville Rooftops and Beyond the Ivy are the most likely to “possibly” be impacted by the advertising move.

In the end, money will ultimately win out. In the 1980s, the Cubs installed lights to help bring in extra revenue. When the franchise needed more money, a Toyota advertisement was placed in left field. Now with massive renovations planned, Ricketts will likely win his argument for advertising.

As a Chicago Cubs fan who has attended numerous games, I can attest to the rapidly declining state of Wrigley Field. While the ambiance is magical, the building is in growing decay.

The Cubs have one of the larget operating incomes in the MLB with $32.1 million; however, Ricketts is using a large portion of that money to service the debt on his purchase of the franchise.

Fixing Wrigley is expected to cost $500 million and includes a nearby hotel and plaza. Ricketts is hoping to finish the project without touching even a single penny of public funds.

The Cubs could earn some of the money for the renovations when the team works out a new contract with superstation WGN at the end of next season. The team is already saving money with payroll cuts. In 2010, the Chicago franchise spent $144.4 million on player contracts, a number that has fallen to $106.8 million this season.

Ultimately, what Chicago Cubs fans want is a team that can snap a 100+ year losing record, and that takes money and the comfort creatures of home, which means a better clubhouse and other vast improvements to Wrigley Field.

Do you think the Chicago Cubs will ever leave Wrigley Field?

Wrigley Field Will Remain The Home Of The Chicago Cubs As Tom Ricketts Flexes His Muscles is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Washington Nationals beat the Atlanta Braves 3-1 to split a four-game series at Turner Field as Dan Haren pitched eight strong innings for his third win of the season. Haren was nearly perfect on the night outside of giving up a solo home run to Dan Uggla in the seventh inning.

The Nationals’ lineup supplied all the runs Haren would need in the first two innings. Utility player Steve Lombardozzi opened up the scoring by driving in Denard Span with a single to left field in the first inning. Span was in the mix again in the second as the Nationals extended their early lead to three.

Span reached base safely after a throwing error by third baseman Chris Johnson with two outs in the inning. Anthony Rendon and Wilson Ramos scored on the error and Dan Haren took over from there.

Haren didn’t give up a hit until the fourth inning as he got out of a jam with runners on first and second. The 32-year-old right-hander went on to hold the Braves hitless over the next two innings before Dan Uggla’s blast to deep left.

Haren left a 3-2 pitch over the center of the plate and Uggla launched it into the left field stands to get the Braves on the board. The Nationals’ starter immediately settled back down and got B.J. Upton to pop out to end the inning.

He finished off his great pitching performance by making quick work of the Braves in the eighth. Russ Johnson singled with one out in the inning but never made it to second base as Jordan Schafer and Chris Johnson failed to make anything happen.

The Nationals gave the Braves another scare in the top of the ninth but reliever Jordan Walden managed to hold Washington’s lead at two. Haren didn’t return in the bottom half as Rafael Soriano came in for the save.

Soriano closed out the heart of the Braves order for his ninth save of the season. Justin Upton led off the inning by grounding out to short as the league’s hottest hitter went o-for-4 on the day. Freddie Freeman made it two away with another groundout but rookie Evan Gattis kept the Braves alive with a single up the middle.

Dan Uggla, who homered two innings earlier, stepped to the plate after Gattis and flied out to end the game. Here’s full highlights of the Nationals 3-1 win over the Braves Thursday night.

The Nationals now trail the Braves by 2 1/2 games in the National League East and move on to face Pittsburgh Pirates on the road Friday. The Braves welcome the New York Mets to Turner Field for a three-game series before hitting the road as well.

Have the Washington Nationals finally cooled off the Atlanta Braves after a hot start to the 2013 season?

[Image via Keith Allison]

Dan Haren Lifts Nationals Past Braves At Turner Field [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Tampa Bay Rays‘ ace David Price and umpire Tom Hallion have been fined by Major League Baseball after a dispute last week that began on the ball field and ended on Twitter. Price didn’t agree with Hallion’s call on a pitch to Dewayne Wise in a game against the Chicago White Sox on April 28th.

Along with Price and Hallion, Rays’ pitchers Jeremy Hellickson and Matt Moore were also fined. All three Rays’ pitchers were fined 1,000 a piece and Hallion’s fine is believed to be the same, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

It all started when Price had Wise in a jam at the plate in the seventh inning and made a great pitch on the outside corner that he believed was strike three. Hallion thought otherwise and called it a ball before Wise grounded out back to the mound on the next pitch.

While walking off the field, Price and Hallion exchanged words before the Rays’ dugout got involved. While players form the bench continued to yell, Jeremy Hellickson was tossed from the game.

Hallion ejected Hellickson, who had pitched three days earlier and wasn’t going to see the field anyways. After the game, Price told the Times that his Rays’ teammates started yelling from the dugout after Hallion told him to “throw the ball over the f—– plate.”

Hallion responded to Price’s comments by telling the Times, “I’ll come right out bluntly and say he’s a liar.”

The umpire’s comments led to each pitcher addressing the situation on Twitter. David Price wasn’t too happy with being called a liar.

1. I am not a liar 2. I would not make that stuff up 3. My own dad doesn’t speak to me that way 4. Again I am not a liar #accountability

— David Price (@DAVIDprice14) April 28, 2013

Matt Moore completely agreed.

Lies! lies i tell you! RT @tbtimes_rays: Umpire Hallion said to Price:”I said, “Just throw the ball.” That’s all I said to him’ — Matt Moore(@MattyMoe55) April 28, 2013

And Jeremy Hellickson used a little humor.

There’s only one person lying about all this and his name starts with a T and rhymes with pom

— Jeremy Hellickson(@JHell58) April 28, 2013

Now they each will pay a $1,000 fine, though you can compare that to a trip to Taco Bell based on the contracts these players have.

[Image via Creative Commons]

Rays’ David Price, Umpire Tom Hallion Fined By MLB For Twitter War is a post from: The Inquisitr

Chris Parmelee gave the Minnesota Twins an extra boost Wednesday afternoon as they beat the Detroit Tigers 6-2 to avoid a three-game sweep. Parmelee went 2-for-4 on the day with a home run and two runs batted in as the Twins stole a game from the Tigers at Comerica Park.

The Twins jumped out to an early lead after first baseman Justin Morneau drove in Josh Willingham with a double in the first inning.  One batter later, Morneau crossed the plate on Parmelee’s first hit of the day to give the Twins a 2-0 lead.

Minnesota struck again in the top of the second when Jamey Carroll hit an RBI-double to left that extended the Twins’ lead to three. Scott Diamond got the start for the Twins and had enough run support after two innings to hold off a strong Tigers’ lineup.

Diamond started off with five scoreless innings before the Tigers cut the Twins lead to one in the sixth. Austin Jackson hit a one out double to get the Tigers going before Torii Hunter drove him in with a single to shallow right.

Last season’s Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera was next to face Diamond and followed Hunter’s single with an RBI-double to make it 3-2 Twins after six innings. Minnesota quickly responded in the seventh as Pedro Florimon drove in Aaron Hicks who tripled to start the inning.

Chris Parmelee was at it again in the eighth and hit a solo home run to deep right field to put away the Tigers for good. Parmelee’s second home run of the year gave the Twins a 6-2 lead and gave way to Minnesota’s bullpen to close it out.

Jared Burton pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the Twins before Glen Perkins came in for the save. Perkins didn’t have his best stuff and gave up two hits before finishing off the Tigers for his seventh save of the season.

The Twins have Thursday off before returning to the field on Friday for the start of a three-game set with the Cleveland Indians. The Tigers immediately turn to Houston for a four-game series with the Astros .

The Twins are even with a 12-12 record and are only two games back of the Kansas City Royals for first place in the American League Central. The Tigers are a fraction behind the Royals in winning percentage and won’t face Kansas City until early-June.

With the AL Central up for grabs early in the season, can the Minnesota Twins position themselves atop the division or is this the start of a two-team race between the Royals and Tigers?

[Image via Keith Allison]

Chris Parmelee Lifts Twins Past Tigers To Avoid Sweep is a post from: The Inquisitr

The New York Mets have ended a six-game skid after beating the Miami Marlins 7-6 Wednesday afternoon. Jordany Valdespin led a late Mets’ rally with a pinch-hit, three-run home run in the sixth inning that gave New York the lead for good.

Dillon Gee got the start on the mound for the Mets, and he struggled early before settling down to get the win. Gee gave up three runs in the first inning after Chris Vailaka followed a Justin Ruggiano RBI-single with a two-run double to make it 3-0 Marlins after one.

Lefthander Wade LeBlanc got the nod for the Marlins and pitched three shutout innings to start the game before giving back a run in the fourth. David Wright smashed his third home run of the season off LeBlanc as the first batter in the top of the inning.

The Marlins immediately responded in the bottom half and got LeBlanc’s run back when Juan Pierre drove in the pitcher with a single to shallow center. Pierre advanced into scoring position before Donovan Solano grounded out to end the inning.

The New York Mets went on to do most of their damage in the sixth. Wright started off the inning with a double to left field, but back-to-back groundouts by John Buck and Lucas Duda made it look like another scoreless inning was in the works.

Outfielder Marlon Byrd had other ideas and drove in Wright with an opposite field single to cut the Marlins lead to two. A.J. Ramos then came into the game in relief of LeBlanc after Ike Davis followed Byrd’s RBI-single with a single of his own.

The move to the bullpen gave Mets’ manager Terry Collins a chance to use Jordany Valdespin in a pinch-hit situation. Valdespin came through in the clutch with one of the biggest hits during his young career.

Valdespin launched a three-run shot over the right field wall to give the Mets their first lead of the day at 5-4. National League RBI-leader John Buck increased the lead an inning later with a two-run double that put away the Marlins for good.

The win helped the Mets avoid their second straight sweep as they have fallen to fourth place in the NL East with an 11-15 record. They will have Thursday off before beginning a three-game series at Turner Field against the division-leading Atlanta Braves.

Are the New York Mets back on track after they rallied to beat the Miami Marlins Wednesday afternoon?

[Image via Creative Commons]

New York Mets End Six Game Losing Streak, Beat Miami Marlins 7-6 is a post from: The Inquisitr

David Ortiz had two hits and three RBIs as he helped the Boston Red Sox claim a win over the Houston Astros on Saturday night. The win marks the best start to a season for Boston since 2002.

After the game Ortiz was asked once again about his impressive MLB return to which he replied:

“I ain’t talking about that anymore. You make up a new question, I’ll answer it. Otherwise, copy what I said yesterday and the day before.”

In his last seven games Ortiz has racked up a very impressive .519 (14 of 27) alongside two home runs and nine RBIs. Last season Ortiz missed 71 of 72 games last season after suffering from a heel injury.

Speaking of his All-Stars return Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell said:

“He’s doing things that look to him to be very easy, but its hard to imagine or even script out that he’d have this kind of performance considering the layoff.”

The Red Sox are now holding a 17-7 record thanks in large part to a four-game sweep over Houston.

Boston was also helped along by a two-run single from Jacoby Ellsbury, while Dustin Pedroia and Daniel Nava both added two hits and an RBI.

Also impressive was Doubront (3-0) who walked three in the first, hit a batter, and threw a wild pitch before holding the Astros to three runs while striking out eight and walking four. Doubront completed 6 2/3 innings. After the game Doubront said of his performance:

“Seriously, I don’t know what happened in the first inning. I was feeling like I was using more of my arm than my body. I was frustrated because I was thinking a little too much. But overall, after the first inning, I was really focused and I wasn’t thinking about my mechanics at all. I was throwing the ball. I was so happy I did that.”

Do you think David Ortiz has helped inject some much needed energy into the Boston Red Sox franchise.

Boston Red Sox Have Best Opening Streak Since 2002, Ortiz Continues Impressive Comeback is a post from: The Inquisitr

New York Yankees’ captain Derek Jeter hoped to be fully recovered from last year’s broken ankle in the playoffs by the start of this season but has yet to return after facing setbacks late in spring training. The aging superstar has been rehabbing at the Yankees’ training facilities in Tampa, Florida but was in the Bronx last night as his team took on the Toronto Blue Jays.

This was Jeter’s first appearance at Yankee Stadium this season and he sat in the dugout with his teammates throughout the game. The Yankees went on to beat the Blue Jays 5-3 after erasing a 3-0 deficit with three home runs before the fifth inning.

Before the game, Jeter addressed the media about his ankle injury and assured everyone he would return to the field as soon as he could, though he didn’t give a target date.

“I’ve been told this bone will heal, and when it heals, I’ll be ready to go,” Jeter said before the game. “It’s frustrating that I can’t magically make it heal sooner than it’s taking, but I have no doubt I’ll be back.”

The clutch shortstop is set to turn 39-years-old in June, but he believes his injury had nothing to do with his aging or the aches and pains that go along with it.

“”Me breaking my ankle wasn’t just because I was getting older,” he added. “I played on something that I probably shouldn’t have played on and it ended up breaking. It wasn’t because of my ‘advanced’ age that my ankle broke.”

Jeter went on to make it clear that he has no plans of discussing the injury after he returns to the team. It was believed that Jeter would return by May 1st, but that date has since been pushed back and only Jeter knows when he will take the field.

The Yankees have fared quite well without their captain and are currently 2 1/2 games back of the Boston Red Sox for first place in the American League East. The season is still early and the Yankees have over $80 million in salary on the disabled list, though Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira are expected to return within the next few weeks.

Jeter is coming off one of the best seasons of his career after leading the MLB in hits and finishing with a .316 batting average in 2012. The king of New York City has never missed more than 43 games in a season while leading the Yankees.

He’s the type of player that can never be told when to retire as his illustrious career has given him that right. Talking retirement with Jeter is like talking small ball with manager Joe Girardi; the discussion rarely comes up and Jeter dismisses any thought once it does.

Can Derek Jeter return to the Yankees and make an immediate impact as the ball club fights to remain in contention in the AL East?

[Image via Keith Allison]

Derek Jeter Back In The Bronx, Anxious To Return is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Los Angeles Dodgers ended a six-game losing streak on Sunday after beating the Baltimore Orioles 7-4 in interleague play. The Orioles won both games of a double-header against the Dodgers on Saturday after Friday’s game was postponed but couldn’t hold on to an early lead Sunday to finish off a sweep.

The Orioles jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning after J.J. Hardy drove in two runs with a single to shallow right. Baltimore’s lead remained at three runs until the third when Mark Ellis drove in A.J. Ellis with a sacrifice fly to bring the Dodgers within two.

The Orioles quickly regained their three-run lead after Adam Jones hit a solo home run in the bottom half of the third inning. A sweep was in the works and the Orioles had their bats going before the Dodgers broke out for four runs in the fifth.

Jake Arrieta got the start for the Orioles and was solid through the first four innings before blowing up in the fifth. The 27-year-old walked Skip Schumaker to start the inning before hitting Justin Sellers with a pitch and walking Carl Crawford to give the Dodgers a bases-loaded chance with no outs.

Mark Ellis capitalized with a two-run single before Arrieta was relieved with two runners still on base. T.J. McFarland came into the game and was immediately touched up for two runs off an Adrian Gonzalez double before Matt Kemp’s RBI-single made it 5-4 Dodgers.

Stephen Fife was on the mound for the Dodgers and struggled through the first couple innings in his first start this season. Fife was relieved after giving up four runs off seven hits in four innings of work.

Left-hander J.P. Howell came into the game in relief of Fife and got the Dodgers out of the fifth inning without any harm done. Howell only faced two hitters in the game but walked away with the win after the Dodgers held on late.

After both teams went scoreless in the sixth, A.J. Ellis drove in Matt Kemp for his second RBI of the game in the seventh to bring the Dodgers lead to two. Paco Rodriguez and Kenley Jansen went on to hold the Dodgers lead at two runs through the eighth inning and Jerry Hairston Jr. added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly to give way to Brandon League for the save.

League has been lights out to start the year outside of giving up two runs in a save against the San Diego Padres on April 10th and he was impressive once again on Sunday. The 30-year-old induced a groundball from Manny Machado to end the Dodgers’ losing streak.

The save was League’s fifth of the early season and it couldn’t have come at a better time. The powerful Dodgers’ lineup hasn’t produced early on and they have quickly fallen to the bottom of the NL West with the Padres.

Are the Los Angeles Dodgers finally out of their slump at the plate? Can they climb back into contention in the NL West after taking game three over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday?

[Image via Dirk Hansen]

Struggling Dodgers Hold Off Orioles For 7-4 Win is a post from: The Inquisitr

Rookie Evan Gattis has received a lot of attention as the Atlanta Braves’ newest phenom and proved he’s worth the spotlight Thursday with a pinch-hit two-run home run that lifted Atlanta past the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-4. The Braves have now won 13 of 15 games to start the season as Gattis came through when they needed it most in game one against the Pirates.

The 26-year-old wasn’t always expected to make a name for himself on the diamond as he struggled in college with drug abuse and eventually gave up the game. He wasn’t gone for long and returned in 2010 to finish his college career at the University of Texas-Permian Basin.

After college, Gattis was drafted in the 23rd round of the 2010 MLB draft by the Braves and has spent each year since fighting his way through the minor leagues. An injury to Brian McCann gave Gattis an opportunity to step up in spring training this year, and he did just that.

The Texas native hit .358 in the spring for the Braves and was named to the opening day roster to share the catching duties with Gerald Laird. It didn’t take long for Gattis to make waves throughout Major League Baseball as he homered off Phillies superstar Roy Halladay in his second career at-bat.

The Braves have since jumped out to an early lead in the NL East, and Gattis is hitting .279 with five home runs and 12 RBIs. His five homers is tied for fourth in the National League with the likes of Bryce Harper.

The Braves didn’t have Gattis in the starting lineup on Thursday, but he still came through with the biggest hit of the ballgame. With the two teams tied at 4-4, Gattis pinch-hit for pitcher Anthony Varvaro and delivered a go-ahead two-run shot.

Varvaro would get the win as starter Julio Teheran was relieved after six innings of work and the ballgame still tied. Both Upton brothers found the cheap seats before Gattis’ huge blast in the eighth as the Braves went on to hit four homer runs on the day.

B.J. Upton started it off with a solo shot to deep left in the top of the first. With the Braves down 2-1, Chris Johnson hit a two-run homer in the third to give the Braves a one-run lead.

The Pirates would tie it up in the fourth when Pedro Alvarez hit a solo home run to deep center. In the next half inning, Justin Upton went yard for his league-leading ninth homer of the season.

With five innings in the books, both teams had combined to hit five home runs with four innings left to play. Neither team scored throughout the next two innings before Gattis’ pinch-hit power came into play.

Pirates relief pitcher Jared Hughes left a pitch over the center of the plate and Gattis took advantage. In his first MLB pinch-hit opportunity, Gattis ripped Hughes’ pitch over the left field wall to give the Braves a 6-4 lead.

After Eric O’Flaherty pitched a scoreless bottom half  in the eighth, closer Craig Kimbrel came in to close out the Pirates. Kimbrel struck out the side for his seventh save of the early season.

Braves’ manager Fredi Gonzalez was very impressed with Gattis’ big homer and made it known after the game.

” He got a good pitch to hit,” Gonzalez said after the 6-4 win. “He didn’t hit it real well. It got in on him a little bit but he’s such a big strong guy he hit it out.”

The Braves now hold a four-game lead over the Washington Nationals for first place in the NL East and have been taring the cover off the ball of late. The Pirates split two games with the St. Louis Cardinals earlier this week before losing game one to the Braves on Thursday.

Pittsburgh is now two-games back of the Cardinals for first place in the NL Central and will need a lot more offensive production if they hope to take a game from the Braves in the four-game set.

Can the Atlanta Braves continue their hot-hitting as they take on the Pirates in game two on Friday?

[Image via Doug Anderson]

Braves Beat Pirates 6-4 Off Gattis’ Pinch-Hit HR is a post from: The Inquisitr

R.A. Dickey hasn’t lived up to expectations with the Toronto Blue Jays after his NL Cy Young season in 2012, but he had the knuckleball going on Thursday before leaving the game early due to injury. The Blue Jays went on to beat the Chicago White Sox 3-1 as Dickey left after the sixth inning due to soreness in his back.

The 38-year-old knuckleballer shut down the White Sox before the Blue Jays made a precautionary move and took him out of the game before the seventh inning. Dickey had the White Sox in tangles and was on the way to his first complete game of the season before the setback.

Dickey’s six strong innings was still enough as the Blue Jays bullpen held of the White Sox over the final three innings. Rajai Davis made the difference at the plate and went two-for-four with a key RBI in the fifth inning.

Edwin Encarnacion got the Blue Jays on the board in the first when he drove in Davis with a single to shallow left. The score remained 1-0 until the fifth when the Blue Jays extended their lead to three runs.

Munenori Kawasaki got the bats going with an RBI-single before Davis drove him in with a double later in the fifth inning. A 3-0 lead was more than enough for Dickey, who gave up no runs on two hits and seven strikeouts before leaving with back soreness.

Esmil Rodgers came into the game in relief of Dickey and pitched a scoreless seventh inning. Rodgers then struck out John Danks to start the eighth before giving up a single to Alexi Ramirez.

Rodgers was pulled after the single for left-hander Aaron Loup who gave up a double to Tyler Flowers that drove in Ramirez. The earned run was given to Rodgers as he gave up the single to Ramirez before being relieved.

With the Blue Jays lead down to two runs, Cam Janssen came in to close out the White Sox in the ninth. He wouldn’t have any problems as he shut down the White Sox in order for his fifth save of the season.

Manager John Gibbons gave Dickey all the credit for his big performance but noted that he didn’t want to push his ace after tightness became an issue in his back.

“It was a gutsy performance,” Gibbons told the press after the game. “It’s been bothering him for a couple days. Going into tonight we didn’t know what we were going to get.”

Gibbons got everything he needed from Dickey and wouldn’t have used his bullpen if it wasn’t for the muscle spasms. Dickey’s toughness was apparent and the team has high hopes that he will return for his next start in five days.

Will R.A. Dickey’s back soreness affect his pitching over the next few starts for the Toronto Blue Jays?

[Image via Creative Commons]

Blue Jays Beat White Sox, R.A. Dickey Leaves Early Due To Soreness is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Arizona Diamondbacks avoided a sweep at Yankee Stadium on Thursday with a 6-2 win in 12 innings over the New York Yankees. Eric Chavez returned to face his former team and led the Diamondbacks with three RBIs to erase J.J. Putz second blown save of the season.

Chavez spent each of the last two seasons as a member of the Yankees, but he signed with Arizona over the offseason. His return to Yankee Stadium started off on the wrong foot as he combined to go 0-for-5 in the first two games.

The Yankees won both games but the Diamondbacks got the spark they needed on Thursday to avoid the sweep. Chavez finished off his return in style and went 3-for-5 at the plate in game three.

Chavez wasn’t the only Diamondbacks starter to shine on Thursday, as rookie Didi Gregorius homered on the first pitch he saw in his major league career. The Diamondbacks’ shortstop took a Phil Hughes’ first-pitch fastball and lined it over the right field wall to give Arizona a 1-0 lead after three innings.

Gregorius went on to strike out twice in the game but proved his potential early on with the solo shot in the third. At 23-years-old, Gregorius began the season in Triple-A with the Reno Aces where he hit .387 with two home runs in seven games before being called up.

Patrick Corbin got the start on the mound for Arizona and pitched seven strong innings before being relieved. Corbin gave up one run on two hits while striking out seven. His only run allowed came off the bat of Robinson Cano in the bottom of the sixth.

Cano has been on fire of late and launched a ball into the right-center bleachers to cut the Diamondbacks lead to one. Arizona’s Martin Prado hit a solo home run in the top half of the inning before Cano hit his fifth of the year.

Corbin pitched a scoreless seventh inning before David Hernandez did more of the same in the eighth. Trouble came in the ninth as J.J. Putz blew the save opportunity when Francisco Cervelli went deep to tie the game at two.

Cervelli solo shot gave Putz his second blown save in four chances and kept Patrick Corbin from getting the win after a great outing. Putz settled down and got through the inning without anymore harm done but didn’t return for the 10th inning.

The game remained scoreless in extra innings until the 12th when the Diamondbacks blew up for four runs. Cody Ross drove in Gerard Parra with a single to left to start the Diamondbacks’ big inning.

Eric Chavez then cleared the bases with a 3-RBI double to deep center to seal the win for the Diamondbacks as Tony Sipp came in to close out the Yankees in the bottom half.

With the loss, the Yankees have dropped to 2 1/2 games back of the Boston Red Sox for first place in the AL East. The loss wasn’t the only bad news for Yankees’ fans on Thursday, as captain Derek Jeter faced another setback and isn’t expected to return to the field until the All-Star break.

Manager Joe Girardi will have to adjust as injuries continue to dampen the mood in New York. Nevertheless, the Yankees will move forward with the players they have and Girardi made it known that they have a lot of work to do without Jeter.

“It’s something that we’re gonna have to fight through,” Girardi said after the game. “Some guys are really gonna have to step up in his (Jeter) absence.”

Girardi’s team is off to a pretty good start this year considering it began with over $80 million on the disabled list. Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira are expected to return to the team soon, but Jeter and Alex Rodriguez will continue to rehab and could miss more than half of the season.

Can the New York Yankees regroup after losing to the Arizona Diamondbacks in game three or will Jeter’s bad news be the beginning of the end for the Yankees?

[Image via Keith Allison]

Diamondbacks Avoid Sweep, Top Yankees 6-2 In Extra Innings is a post from: The Inquisitr

A.J. Burnett took a no-hitter into the seventh inning Wednesday as the Pittsburgh Pirates went on to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-0. Burnett was dominant on the way to his first win of the season after only allowing one hit.

Cardinals’ outfielder Carlos Beltran broke up Burnett’s no-hit bid with a double in the seventh inning. Burnett then got Yadier Molina to fly out to center for his final out of the game before being relieved.

The 34-year-old struck out eight in the game and walked none as the Pirates have now won four of their last five. Outside of almost completing a no-hitter, Burnett recorded his 2,00oth strikeout of his career in the second inning.

The Pirates jumped out to an early lead when Travis Snider drove in Starling Marte with a single in the first inning. Cardinals’ starting pitcher Shelby Miller settled down after the first and pitched four consecutive scoreless innings before the Pirates added to their lead.

Neil Walker made it 2-0 Pirates with an RBI-single in the sixth and Russell Martin scored in the seventh off a throwing error from Cardinals’ third baseman David Freese. The gap grew larger in the eighth when Gaby Sanchez doubled in Andrew McCutcheon and Pedro Alvarez followed by driving in Sanchez.

With a 5-0 lead, the Pirates bullpen shut down the Cardinals and didn’t give up a hit over the final two innings. Mark Melancon pitched a scoreless eighth inning before Tony Watson and Jason Grilli finished off the Cardinals in the ninth.

The Pirates win Wednesday brings them back to .500 baseball with a 7-7 record. Pittsburgh is currently in third place in the NL Central and only a game back of the Cardinals for the top spot.

The Pirates now move on to a four-game series with the Atlanta Braves at home before embarking on a 10-game road trip. The Braves are the hottest team in the MLB right now, though their 10-game winning streak was snapped by the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday.

A.J. Burnett’s career has had it’s ups and down after he came into the league as one of the most promising young pitchers at the time. Burnett spent seven years with the Marlins before making a name for himself with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Burnett’s success with the Blue Jays led to a lucrative contract with the New York Yankees. He struggled at times with the Yankees but managed to win a World Series in 2009.

The Arkansas native has returned to true form after signing with the Pirates last season. He posted a 16-10 record as the Pirates’ ace last year for his most wins in a season since 2008 with the Blue Jays.

The Pirates are off to decent start in 2013 but Burnett hasn’t received run support in his first few starts. Pittsburgh scored a total of one run in his first two outings and he received a no-decision in his third start before the win on Wednesday.

Can A.J. Burnett carry the Pittsburgh Pirates’ pitching staff throughout the season as they look to keep pace in the NL Central?

[Image via Keith Allison]

Pirates Ride A.J. Burnett’s Strong Start To 5-0 Win Over Cardinals is a post from: The Inquisitr

Robinson Cano began 2013 with one of his worst droughts to start a season but has since found his swing. The four-time All-Star led the New York Yankees to a 4-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night. Cano hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning as Ivan Nova got his first win of the year on the mound.

Nova has been haunted by giving up big-innings in his previous starts, but he found a way to limit the Diamondbacks on Tuesday. Arizona left runners in scoring position in the first two innings before getting to Nova for two runs in the third.

Nova failed to command the strike zone early on, but he settled down and got out of the bases-load jam in the third after giving up the two runs. The score remained 2-0 Diamondbacks until Cano opened up the scoring for the Yankees in the fourth.

Lyle Overbay and Chris Stewart led off the inning with back-to-back singles before Brett Gardner struck out swinging. Manager Joe Girardi decided against playing small ball and gave Gardner the chance to hit instead of advancing the runners with a bunt. The decision seemed to not make a difference as Cano followed Gardner’s strikeout with his fourth home run of the season.

Cano got a pitch low and out over the plate from Diamondbacks’ starter Brandon McCarthy that he launched into the right-center bleachers. Here’s video of Cano’s long ball if you missed it:

It turns out that Girardi’s decision to let Gardner hit was simply protection for Cano. By not advancing the runners to second and third with a bunt, the Diamondbacks were forced to pitch to Cano instead of having the option of intentionally walking him with an open base at first.

Girardi’s genious payed off as the Yankees never gave back the lead. Ivan Nova went on to pitch five innings with the two runs he allowed in the third before being relieved by left-hander Boone Logan.

Logan pitched a scoreless sixth inning and got Gerard Parra to groundout before Joba Chamberlain took the mound in the seventh. Chamberlain finished off the seventh before David Robertson pitched a scoreless eighth.

Mariano Rivera took the mound with a 4-2 lead in the ninth and the greatest closer of all-time made his 611th career save look like a walk in the park. Rivera set down the Diamondbacks in order for his third save of the year.

The Yankees and Diamondbacks will play two more games at Yankee Stadium as Arizona looks to regroup after the 4-2 loss on Tuesday. The Yankees are currently 1 1/2 games back of the Boston Red Sox for the top spot in the AL East.

Can Robinson Cano continue driving in runs as the DL-ridden Yankees look to keep pace in the AL East?

[Image via Keith Allison]

Robinson Cano’s 3-Run HR Leads Yankees Past Diamondbacks 4-2 [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Atlanta Braves are swinging the bats as well as anyone in the MLB right now and they proved it again Tuesday in a 6-3 win over the Kansas City Royals. The Braves hit five home runs in the game, including three homers in the eighth inning to beat the Royals for their 10th straight win.

Kris Medlen got the start for the Braves and received a no decision after giving up two runs off six hits in seven innings of work. Medlen struck out five in the contest before handing the ball over to Eric O’Flaherty to start the eighth in a 2-2 tie.

The Braves trailed 2-1 until the seventh when Juan Francisco hit his second homer of the game off Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie. Francisco’s third homer of the year tied it at two before the Braves broke out with four runs in the eighth.

Kelvin Herrera took over for Guthrie in the eighth for the Royals and couldn’t make it out of the inning. After getting B.J. Upton to groundout to start the eighth, Herrera gave up back-to-back solo shots to Jason Heyward and Justin Upton.

Evan Gattis then fouled out to first before Dan Uggla hit the third homer of the inning with a big fly to deep left. Herrera then walked Juan Francisco before being relieved by Aaron Crow. First baseman Chris Johnson padded the Braves lead with an RBI-single to shallow right to make it 6-2.

Luis Avalan came in to close out the Royals but was shaky in the ninth and left a runner at third for closer Craig Kimbrel after a wild pitch and a balk. Kimbrel stepped in and gave up an RBI-single to Alex Gordon before Alcides Escobar grounded out to end the game.

Kimbrel has yet to give up a run in seven appearances this season as Gordon’s RBI-single was credited to Avalan. Atlanta is now 12-1 to start the season and hold a 4.5 game lead over the Washington Nationals for first place in the NL East.

The Braves meet the Royals again Wednesday before hitting the road for a four-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates swept the Cincinnati Reds over the weekend and are currently just two games back of the St. Louis Cardinals for the top of the NL Central.

Can the Atlanta Braves’ bats stay hot as they look to finish off the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday?

[Image via Keith Allison]

Braves Win 10th Straight, Beat Royals 6-3 is a post from: The Inquisitr

According to Drew Olson of ESPN Wisconsin, Milwaukee Brewers starting pitching Yovani Gallardo was arrested for drunken driving early Tuesday morning . Milwaukee County Sheriffs Department spokesperson Fran McLaughlin told ESPN Wisconson that Gallardo was pulled over at 2:10 a.m. on Interstate 94.

Gallardo was originally pulled over for driving slowly and deviating lanes before failing a field sobriety test. The 27-year-old later registered a blood-alcohol level of .22 while Wisconsin’s legal limit is .08.

The Mexican right-hander is a first offender and will not spend time in jail, though his blood-alcohol level was almost three-times the legal limit. Gallardo could pay upwards of $800 for the offense which is only a citation.

In Wisconsin, a first-offender of drunken driving receives a citation instead of a misdemeanor or a felony. The six-year veteran won’t be so lucky if he gets behind the wheel drunk again and the Brewers aren’t taking any chances.

“We have been made aware of the situation with Yovani and we take this matter very seriously,” the Brewers said in a statement Tuesday morning. “We have expressed our disappointment to him and know he understands that behavior of this nature is of great concern to everyone in the organization.”

Gallardo is already off to a slow start this season with an 0-1 record and a 6.61 earned run average. He most recently lost to the St. Louis Cardinals after giving up five earned runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings pitched.

The 2010 All-Star won 16 games last season and has struck out 200 or more hitters in each of the last four seasons. Gallardo only has nine strikeouts in three starts this year as the Brewers have dropped to the bottom of the NL Central.

The Cardinals posted back-to-back shutouts against the Brewers on Friday and Saturday before the Brewers avoided the sweep in a 4-3 win on Sunday. The Brewers next take on the San Francisco Giants in a three-game set at Miller Park.

Gallardo is expected to pitch in game three on Thursday and that won’t change after the DUI early Tuesday. He’ll have to move past his drunken escapade if he hopes to get his first win of the season against the defending champs.

Will Yovani Gallardo stay focused in his next start after being arrested for a DUI on Tuesday?

[Image via Creative Commons]

Brewers’ Yovani Gallardo Arrested For DUI Early Tuesday Morning is a post from: The Inquisitr

The San Diego Padres beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-3 just five days after the two teams benches cleared in the sixth inning of a Dodgers 3-2 win. Zack Greinke hit Carlos Quentin with a pitch, and Quentin charged the mound a few moments later and collided with Greinke.

After the brawl ended and the Dodgers went on to win, Greinke was diagnosed with a fractured collarbone while Quentin was suspended for eight games. Since the brawl, the Padres were swept by the Colorado Rockies before beating the Dodgers Monday.

Starting pitcher Eric Stults led the way for the Padres with a three-run homer in the second inning while giving up three runs off nine hits in six innings of work on the mound. Stults struck out four and walked one on the way to his second win of the season.

Stults’ home run in the second inning gave the Padres a 3-0 lead early in the contest. The Dodgers fought back and scored three runs over the next three innings to tie the game.

Adrian Gonzalez started it off with a ground-rule double in the third that drove in Carl Crawford. The following inning, Crawford drove in Luis Cruz with a single to right field before A.J. Ellis hit an RBI-single to tie the game in the fifth.

Stults settled down in the sixth after giving up a run in three straight innings and got the Dodgers in order. The sixth would be Stults last inning of work, but he managed to get the decision after the Padres took the lead in the top half of the seventh.

Chris Denorfia walked with the bases loaded to make it 4-3 Padres before Yonder Alonso grounded into a double-play that brought in Jesus Guzman. San Diego then looked to their bullpen to shut down the Dodgers and end their five-game losing streak.

Brad Bach kept the lead at two with a scoreless seventh inning before Luke Gregerson got out of a jam in the eighth. Padres outfielder Kyle Blanks hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth to add to the Padres lead before Huston Street took the mound for the save.

Street hasn’t received many save opportunities to start the season but he got the job done on Monday against a powerful Dodgers lineup. Street gave up a single to Jerry Hairston Jr. to start the inning before Crawford lined out to left field for the first out.

Mark Ellis followed with a fielders choice before Matt Kemp flied out to end the game. The key save was Street’s second of the early season for the struggling Padres.

There wasn’t a benches-clearing brawl on Monday, and Carlos Quentin was already serving his suspension and didn’t appear in the game. Not one batter was hit by a pitch in the match-up, and any sort of tension seemed to disappear within the first few innings.

Will the benches-clearing brawl last week affect the final two games of the Dodgers-Padres series after San Diego took the first game 6-3 on Monday?

[Image via Jim Ellwanger]

Padres Beat Dodgers 6-3 In First Meeting Since Brawl is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Milwaukee Brewers rallied past the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3 Sunday night as catcher Jonathan Lucroy hit the go-ahead home run in the 10th inning. The Brewers trailed the Cardinals by three going into the eighth inning and stormed back to avoid their second sweep in just over a week.

Marco Estrada got the start on the mound for the Brewers and didn’t get a decision for the second time in three starts. Estrada gave up three earned runs off seven hits in six innings of work on Sunday.

Matt Holliday opened up the scoring for the Cardinals with an RBI-single in the third inning. Allen Craig followed up Holliday with a single to center before Yadier Molina stretched the Cardinals lead to three.

Molina doubled to left center off Estrada as both Craig and Holliday crossed the plate. The Brewers couldn’t get anything going over the next four innings as Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia was tremendous on the mound.

Garcia held the Brewers scoreless through seven innings of nonstop pressure with five strikeouts. The Brewers stranded 21 runners on base and had plenty of chances to drive in runs against Garcia.

The 26-year-old left-hander gave up seven hits to the Brewers but left the game with a 3-0 lead. Trevor Rosenthal came into the game in relief of Garcia in the eighth inning and allowed the Brewers to climb back in the game.

After shortstop Jean Segura singled, outfielder Ryan Braun hit an opposite-field home run to cut the Cardinals lead to one. The Cardinals went down in order in the bottom half, giving way to Mitchell Boggs for the save.

The Cardinals new closer failed to do his job for the second time this year as Yuniesky Betancourt drove in Carlos Gomez to tie the game with a double to right center. Boggs didn’t get one out in the ninth inning and was relieved after giving up the tying-run off two hits to the first two batters he faced.

Randy Choate and Edward Mujica kept the game tied at 3-3 as Betancourt was thrown out at home on a fielder’s choice later in the inning. The Cardinals seemed to have lost all momentum, and it showed in the bottom half as Brandon Kintzler shut down the Cardinals in order to head to extra innings.

After Fernando Salas got Rickie Weeks to foul out, Jonathan Lucroy gave the Brewers the lead with a solo home run to deep left center. It would be enough to get the win after a shaky start to the bottom of the 10th for the Brewers.

Kintzler walked David Freese who advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt to start bottom of the 10th. Kintzler was then relieved by Mike Gonzalez, who got Matt Carpenter to fly out before intentionally walking Matt Holliday.

With runners on first and second, Burke Badenhop came into the game to close out the Cardinals and got Carlos Beltran to groundout to short to end the game. Kintzler got his first win of the season in the Brewers’ comeback while Badenhop got his first save of the year.

The Brewers rally came at the right time, as Milwaukee has only won three games to start the year and are currently in fifth place in the NL Central. Can the Milwaukee Brewers climb up the division after a slow start to April and contend in the National League this season?

[Image via Jon Konrath]

Brewers Rally Past Cardinals 4-3 In Extra Innings is a post from: The Inquisitr

The New York Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-0 Sunday night as Hiroki Kuroda pitched a complete game shutout. Kuroda returned to form and only gave up five hits while striking out five against the Orioles.

The Yankees rotation has struggled to start the season, but Kuroda turned the page Sunday and shut down the Orioles as the Yankees took  two-of-three games to win the series. The 38-year-old right-hander induced 18 groundballs in the contest and baffled Chris Davis at the plate.

Davis is considerably the hottest hitter in the MLB right now, but Kuroda got the best of him in the rubber match Sunday. The Orioles’ first baseman went 0-for-4 at the plate with three strikeouts against Kuroda, though he is still tied for the league lead in home runs and RBIs.

The Yankees didn’t get on the board until the fifth inning when Jayson Nix drove in Brennan Boesch on a sacrifice fly.  Brett Gardner followed Nix’s at-bat with a two-run homer to deep right that extended the Yankees lead to three.

Orioles’ starting pitcher Wei-Yin Chen threw a fastball up and in to Gardner that he would quickly regret. Gardner turned on the pitch and hit the foul pole down the right field line for his second home run of the season.

Hiroki Kuroda took over from there and held the Orioles to one hit over the last four innings for his fifth major league shutout. Yankees manager Joe Girardi was very pleased with Kuroda’s performance after the game.

“I think he’s got outstanding command,” Girardi said. “I think he really knows how to pitch.”

The Yankees are now back above .500 baseball with the win and are just one-game back of the Boston Red Sox for first place in the AL East. The Orioles are 1 1/2 games back in third place and will now return home for a three-game set at Camden Yards against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Yankees move on to their first interleague series of the season as they take on the Arizona Diamondbacks at Yankee Stadium. The Diamondbacks are coming off a series win at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers and are only a half-game back of the San Francisco Giants in the NL West.

Andy Pettitte will not pitch against Arizona as his next start has been pushed back to next weekend against the Toronto Blue Jays. Pettitte experienced back spasms last week and was scheduled to return against the Orioles before being pushed back again.

With Pettitte’s back problems and Phil Hughes’ rough outing on Saturday, the Yankees needed a little relief and they got it from Kuroda. The Japanese pitcher has always been consistent and came through when the Yankees needed it most Sunday.

Can the New York Yankees’ rotation settle down after Kuroda’s huge performance?

[Image via Creative Commons]

Kuroda Returns To Form, Yankees Beat Orioles 3-0 is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Chicago White Sox beat the Cleveland Indians 3-1 Sunday afternoon to avoid their second straight sweep. Starting pitcher Jake Peavy had his best outing in the early season as Paul Konerko hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning that sealed the win for the White Sox.

Peavy pitched seven strong innings and struck out 11 on the way to his second win of 2013. The 31-year-old right-hander gave up one run against the Indians as Michael Bourn homered to start the game.

Peavy didn’t walk a single Indians’ hitter that came to the plate and went on a stretch of 12-straight batters without giving up a hit. The Indians held a 1-0 lead off Bourn’s solo homer in the first inning until Konerko’s two-run shot in the sixth.

Konerko’s second homer of the year gave the White Sox a 2-1 lead off Indians’ starter Brett Myers. Myers was much better Sunday against the White Sox after giving up 11 hits and three home runs to the New York Yankees in a 14-1 loss last Tuesday.

The 32-year-old was relieved by Bryan Shaw after giving up two runs off six hits in six innings of work. Shaw pitched a scoreless seventh before Vinnie Pestano gave up an insurance run in the eighth. Alejandro De Aza hit a solo homer to deep right off Pestano as the White Sox’s lead grew to 3-1.

Matt Thornton came into the game in relief of Peavy in the bottom half of the eighth and shut down the Indians to keep the White Sox’s lead at two. After the White Sox went down easily in the top of the ninth, Addison Reed came into the game to close out the Indians.

Reed got the job done as Jason Giambi flew out to center with Carlos Santana on second base to end the game. Santana managed a walk after Michael Brantley and Nick Swisher failed to reach base to start the inning.

Swisher hit his first home run in an Indians’ uniform on Saturday, but went 0-for-4 on Sunday in the loss. The Indians now hold a 5-6 record to start the season and are currently a game back in the AL Central.

Here are the highlights of Sunday’s match-up between the Indians and White Sox courtesy of ESPN :

Cleveland now moves on to a three-game set with the Boston Red Sox while the White Sox will play four in Toronto against the Blue Jays. The White Sox are just behind the Indians in the AL Central and Jake Peavy will have to keep pitching well if they hope to take control of the division early in the season.

Will Jake Peavy’s great outing Sunday help the struggling White Sox’s rotation rebound as they move on to face the Blue Jays?

[Image via Joe Bielawa]

Jake Peavy Strikes Out 11, White Sox Top Indians 3-1 [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres 3-2 Thursday night in a game that was overshadowed by a benches-clearing brawl in the bottom of the sixth. Dodgers’ starting pitcher Zack Greinke hit Padres’ outfielder Carlos Quentin on the left arm with a pitch, causing the benches to clear after Quentin charged the mound.

Quentin’s frustration got the better of him as he collided with Greinke near the mound and ended up at the bottom of the scrum after both teams charged the field. Greinke lowered his shoulder while taking the hit from Quentin and fractured his collarbone in the process.

After both teams had separated, Dodgers’ star Matt Kemp got into an altercation with Padres’ manager Bud Black while teammate Jerry Hairston Jr. had to be restrained after running across the field towards the Padres’ dugout. Both players were ejected from the game, but Kemp didn’t stop there.

Kemp confronted Quentin after the game near the players’ exit before it was broken up by security and police. The Padres’ Clayton Richard did his best to separate the two while they jawed back-and-forth at each other but was unsuccessful as frustration took over for both players.

After the game, the Dodgers announced that Greinke will not be back on the mound anytime soon as he fractured his collarbone in the sixth inning  scuffle. The injury comes after Greinke signed a six-year, $147 million contract this past offseason.

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly was not pleased with the situation after the game and made it known that his pitcher had no intentions of hitting Quentin on purpose.

“You know he’s not throwing at you 3-2 (full count), in a 2-1 game,” Mattingly said. “That’s zero understanding of the game of baseball.”

The reasoning behind Quentin’s rampage was not immediately clear, but, according to ESPN Stats & Information, Quentin has been hit by a pitch 42-times since 2011, more than any other major leaguer. To cap it off, Quentin has also been hit three times by Greinke, more than any other player Greinke has faced.

Here’s video of the benches-clearing brawl that ended with Greinke’s injury and a brand new feud between the two ball clubs:

Once both teams separated and order was restored, the ball game resumed as Chris Capuano took over on the mound for the injured Greinke. With a 2-1 lead, Capuano gave up the tying run off an RBI-single to Yonder Alonso in his first batter of the game.

Capuano got out of the inning without any more harm done and pitched the first two outs of the seventh inning before Matt Guerrier came in and got Jesus Guzman to fly out.

Guerrier would end up getting the win as Juan Uribe came in to pinch-hit in the top of the eighth and homered to left to give the Dodgers a 3-2 lead. Ronald Belisario then pitched a scoreless eighth for the Dodgers before Kenley Jansen took the mound for the save.

Jansen struck out Cody Randsom and got his first save of the season after back-to-back fly balls ended the Padres’ chances. The Padres have lost two straight  and dropped to the bottom of the NL West.

The Dodgers have now won two straight games but trail the San Francisco Giants by a half-game for the division lead. The Dodgers and Padres will meet again next week for a three-game series in Los Angeles, and tensions will be high after the benches-clearing brawl on Thursday.

No suspensions or fines have been passed out yet, but the MLB will more than likely address the situation Friday and discuss any repercussions. Will any players be suspended or receive a fine for their involvement in the Dodgers-Padres’ brawl on Thursday?

[Image via Keith Allison]

Dodgers Win: Greinke Injured In Brawl [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

David Ortiz hasn’t served as the Boston Red Sox’s designated hitter since suffering an Achilles injury eight month ago. Now the MLB All-Star is finally getting his chance to play ball.

Ortiz joined the Pawtucket Red Sox on Thursday night for a positive minor league rehab assignment.

Speaking about his chance to rehab, Ortiz told reporters:

“Come down here and get the engine going. It’s been good lately. I’m finally seeing good results.”

Ortiz tried to get healthy during spring training but was ultimately shut down by the Red Sox:

“Right after they shut me down and treating everything differently, I started to feel better. I had a lot of inflammation down there, so the main key was to get rid of it and it’s working pretty good.”

Ortiz took part in a simulated game Monday in Fort Myers, Florida and took part in an extended spring training game on Tuesday.

Ortiz was showing no ill effects from his injury as he took part in batting practice on Thursday. When asked about getting his timing back, Ortiz explained:

“I wasn’t worried about that, to be honest with you. Down there, I was more afraid about getting hit. The kids getting excited down there. I remember those days when I played down there, when you see a Major League Baseball player you get excited and sometimes you try to do too much, but everything went well and everybody was under control. When I was down there, I wanted to just put the ball in play and try to run — that was my goal down there. My idea was to put the ball in play and take off running just to see how it feels.”

Do you think David Ortiz has what it takes to make a big comeback after eight months out of service?

David Ortiz Begins Minor League Rehab Assignment Following Achilles Injury is a post from: The Inquisitr

The San Francisco Giants held off the Chicago Cubs for a 7-6 win Thursday after trailing by five runs after three innings. Angel Pagan and Pablo Sandoval led the Giants’ rally, as the defending World Series champions have now won four straight games after coming back against the Cubs.

Ryan Vogelsong got the start for the Giants and gave up four runs off eight hits in six innings pitched. Vogelsong wasn’t consistent Thursday, but got his first win of the season after losing to the St. Louis Cardinals last Saturday.

The Cubs jumped out to a big lead early in the game after Anthony Rizzo homered to deep left and Brent Lillibridge hit a two-run single in the bottom of the third.

The Giants matched the Cubs’ four-run third inning with four runs of their own in the fourth. Hunter Pence scored on a fielding error by shortstop Starlin Castro before Angel Pagan drove in Nick Noonan with a single to right field.

Pablo Sandoval followed Pagan’s RBI-single with a two-run double to cut the Cubs lead to one after four innings. It didn’t take long for the Giants to gain the lead, as Pagan drove in Gregor Blanco with a sacrifice fly to take the lead after Brandon Belt scored off a bases-loaded walk by Hisanori Takahashi.

Right-hander Scott Feldman got the nod for the Cubs, and lost his second start of the season after giving up two earned runs on seven hits in just over four innings of work. Feldman didn’t receive much help from the defense behind him, as four of the Giants’ runs came off errors.

The Cubs cut the Giants 7-5 lead to one run in the eighth inning when Alfonso Soriano scored on a double-play, but Sergio Romo came into the game in the ninth and shut down the Cubs for his sixth save of the season.

Romo has only given up two hits in his first six appearances for the Giants this season after closing out the Detroit Tigers in the World Series last year.

The Cubs and Giants will meet again in game two of their three-game set on Friday as the Giants’ Matt Cain will take the mound. The Giants are now a half-game ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks for first in the NL West after the 7-6 win Thursday.

Can the San Francisco Giants stay hot in April as they continue their seven-game road trip on Friday?

[Image via Creative Commons]

Giants Rally Past Cubs For Fourth Straight Win is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Detroit Tigers cruised to an 11-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday afternoon to win the series two games to three. Prince Fielder led the way for the Tigers, going two-for-two at the plate with two walks and four runs batted in.

The Tigers used a five-run second inning to cruise past the Blue Jays Thursday, ending Josh Johnson’s start much earlier than expected. Johnson didn’t make it out of the second inning, and was relieved by Edgar Gonzalez after giving up six runs off seven hits.

Gonzalez pitched well in relief until the fifth inning when he walked shortstop Johnny Peralta and gave up a single to Alex Avila. Esmil Rodgers came into the game to clean up Gonzalez’s mess, but couldn’t hold off the Tigers as four more runs crossed the plate.

Prince Fielder doubled home Austin Jackson and Torii Hunter in the fifth, and added another RBI in the seventh to cap off the Tigers’ 11-1 win over the Blue Jays. Last season’s Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera scored twice in the  Tigers’ win while going one-for-four at the plate with one run batted in.

Doug Fister got the start for the Tigers and gave up one run in eight strong innings of work. Fister stuck out five on the way to his second win of the season, as he won his first outing against the New York Yankees last Friday.

The Blue Jays left 17 runners on base on against the Tigers Thursday, and have now lost each of their first three series to start the season. The Blue Jays made a major splash in the trade market this offseason by acquiring Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson, and Jose Reyes from the Miami Marlins, but haven’t played up to expectation to start the season.

With only three wins in their first nine games, the Blue Jays have dropped to the bottom of the competitive American League East. The Blue Jays next face the Kansas City Royals in a three-game series starting Friday, while the Tigers move on to face the red-hot Oakland Athletics.

The Tigers are projected to win the AL Central this season and are currently just one game back of the Royals for first place. After a solid start to April, the Tigers now head West for a nine-game road stand starting Friday with the A’s.

Can the Detroit Tigers play well enough on the road to keep pace with the Kansas City Royals in the AL Central?

[Image via Keith Allison]

Prince Fielder Leads Tigers In 11-1 Rout Of Blue Jays is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Oakland A’s cruised past the Los Angeles Angels 11-5 Wednesday night for their seventh straight win after losing the first two games of the season. The A’s were led by first baseman Brandon Moss, who went three-for-four at the plate with a home run and five RBIs.

Left-hander Tommy Milone got the start for the A’s and received plenty of run support in his second straight outing. Milone gave up four runs off seven hits in five innings pitched.

The A’s got on the board early, as Jed Lowrie drove in Coco Crisp with a groundout in the top of the first. The Angels’ Josh Hamilton followed with a sacrifice fly to tie the game in the bottom half, but it didn’t take long for the A’s to respond again.

In the top of the third, John Jaso drove in Eric Sogard with a single before Brandon Moss laced a two-run triple to right field. The A’s gave a run back in the bottom of the third when a Jed Lowrie throwing error allowed Albert Pujols to score.

After a scoreless fourth inning, Moss found the cheap seats in deep right center off Angels’ starter Joe Blanton for his second home run of the season. The A’s got to Blanton for 10 hits and six runs before he was relieved after giving up a a single to start the sixth inning.

Mark Lowe came into the game in relief of Blanton, and was touched up for three runs while only getting one out. Lowe gave up a single and walked in a run with the bases loaded before Dane De La Rosa became the Angels third pitcher of the inning.

De La Rosa wasn’t much better, and walked Moss to bring in another run before back-to-back singles made it 10-4 A’s. Moss wasn’t done yet, and drove in his third run in three straight innings with a single to shallow center in the seventh.

Moss’ three-hit night brought his average up to .400 on the season with two homers and 10 RBIs. His 10 runs batted in is third in the American League behind the Baltimore Orioles’ Chris Davis and the Kansas City Royals’ Billy Butler.

The loss for the Angels was their third straight as they have dropped to the bottom of the AL West. With the win, the A’s now stand alone atop the division as the Texas Rangers fell a game back after losing 2-0 to the Tampa Bay Rays Wednesday.

The A’s look to finish off a sweep of the Angels Thursday night as A.J. Griffin takes the mound. The Angels will give Jason Vargas the nod in hopes of avoiding the sweep in their home opening series. Can the Oakland A’s bats stay hot and finish off the Los Angeles Angels in game three on Thursday?

[Image via Keith Allison]

A’s Cruise Past Angels 11-5 On Moss’ Big Night is a post from: The Inquisitr

Adam LaRoche returned to the Washington Nationals lineup Tuesday and hit two home runs in an 8-7 win over the Chicago White Sox. LaRoche missed the last two games with a back problem but returned to end an 0-for-15 drought with consecutive homers late in the game.

Gio Gonzalez got the start for the Nationals after hitting a home run in his first outing of the season but didn’t get the decision on Tuesday. Gonzalez pitched five innings against the White Sox and gave up one run on four hits in the Nationals first interleague game of the year.

Gonzalez struck out seven in the contest, but the Nationals bullpen fell apart in relief and let the White Sox back in the game. Craig Stammen got the win for the Nationals after giving up the tying-run in the top of the sixth when Paul Konerko drove in Alex Rios with a sacrifice fly.

Stammen got out of the inning with no more harm done, and the Nationals Jayson Werth and LaRoche hit homers in the bottom half to regain the lead for good. After Tyler Clippard struggled through the seventh inning, Drew Storen pitched a scoreless eighth, giving way to closer Rafael Soriano.

Soriano had 42 saves in 2012 with the New York Yankees and is now in charge of holding down the ninth inning for the Nationals. The 33-year-old made a few bad pitches Tuesday including a two-run homer to Alex Rios that cut the Nationals lead to one.

Soriano settled down after the home run and got Paul Konerko to fly out to center to end the ball game. Soriano is now three-for-four in save opportunities to start the year after blowing the save Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds.

Jake Peavy got the start for the White Sox and gave up six runs off nine hits in 5.1 innings pitched. Peavy struck out seven in the game but gave up three home runs on the way to his first loss of the year.

One of LaRoche’s two homers was off Peavy in the sixth, and Nationals manager Davey Johnson praised the 33-year-old after the game for finding his swing and recognized his importance at first base.

“I like the way he was swinging,” Johnson said during a press conference after the game. “He’s so valuable on a ball club.”

The Nationals and White Sox meet again Wednesday for game two of the three-game series. Jordan Zimmermann will take the mound for the Nationals while Gavin Floyd gets the start for the White Sox.

Washington is currently a game and a half back of the Atlanta Braves for first in the NL East, as the Braves have won five straight games with the help of the Upton brothers. Will the Washington Nationals make a move in the standings early, or will they watch the Atlanta Braves run away with the NL East?

[Image via Keith Allison]

LaRoche Ends Slump, Leads Nationals To 8-7 Win Over White Sox is a post from: The Inquisitr

The New York Yankees used the long ball to cruise past the Cleveland Indians 14-1 Tuesday and have now won three straight games after losing four of their first five. The Yankees hit five home runs on the day, including Robinson Cano’s third homer in two games.

Cano led the Yankees in the 14-1 rout, finishing four-for-six at the plate with five RBIs and two runs scored. With the huge day at the plate, Cano raised his average to .303 through the first eight games.

Andy Pettitte got the start for the Yankees and gave up one run on five hits in seven innings of work. Pettitte struck out four in the contest on his way to his second straight win to start the season.

Pettitte helped the Yankees avoid a sweep by the Boston Red Sox in the opening series at Yankee Stadium in a 4-2 win last Thursday. After the win over the Indians Tuesday, Pettitte is now three wins away from 250 in his career and just seven starts away from 500.

The Yankees gave Pettitte all the run support he would need Tuesday and then some as Cano wasn’t the only Yankees player to find the outfield bleachers. Ichiro hit a solo home run in the third, and Kevin Youkilis hit a two-run shot in the sixth before Lyle Overbay and Brennan Boesch both homered in the eighth.

Every Yankees starter had a hit in the game outside of designated hitter Travis Hafner as they handed the Indians their second straight loss. Carlos Carrasco was on the mound for the Indians and didn’t make it out of the fourth inning after giving up the home run to Cano.

Brett Myers came into the game in relief of Carrasco, and the Yankees were all over him too as he gave up seven runs over the next five innings. Carrasco and Myers combined to give up 18 hits in the game as the Yankees bats came alive for the second straight night.

The Indians only run came in the sixth inning when Asdrubal Cabrera hit a solo homer off Pettitte. Ex-Yankee Nick Swisher had two hits for the Indians after going 1-for-3 with a run scored in game one against his old team.

The two teams face again Wednesday in game three of a four-game set and Ivan Nova will take the mound for the Yankees. The Indians have yet to announce their starter, but the Yankees won’t stress it too much with the way their swinging the bats.

The Yankees have scored 25 runs in the past two games and are now just a game and a half back of the Red Sox in the American League East. Can the Yankees hold their ground in the AL East after multiple setbacks in the spring?

[Image via Keith Allison]

Yankees Hit Five Home Runs, Beat Indians 14-1 is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Texas Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 Monday night in a game that was overshadowed by the last pitch. Rangers closer Joe Nathan struck out Ben Zobrist with a full-count and two outs in the bottom of the ninth to end the game, which was immediately viewed as a terrible call by home plate umpire Marty Foster.

Nathan’s pitch was well outside and nearly in the dirt, but Foster rung up Zobrist anyways to end the ball game. Rays manager Joe Maddon was furious after the call and rushed out of the dugout to confront Foster.

The strikeout wasn’t changed, nor could it be as the crucial call gave the Rangers their fifth win in six games to start the season. Foster admitted to making the terrible strike call after the game, but Maddon was still upset when talking to the media.

“That call cannot be made in a Major League baseball game,” Maddon said after the game. “It takes away our opportunity to come from behind.”

Zobrist was also frustrated with the final at-bat but understood it’s part of the game while shaking his head in the locker room. Zobrist went one-for-four on the day including the final strikeout by Joe Nathan.

The Rangers were led by first baseman Mitch Moreland, who went three-for-three with a solo home run in the fourth inning. Alexi Ogando got the start for the Rangers and gave up one run in 5.1 innings pitched to start the season with two key wins.

Jeremy Hellickson got the start for the Rays and gave up two home runs with only one strikeout for his first loss of the year. Hellickson  received a no-decision in his first start in an 8-7 win over the Baltimore Orioles last Wednesday.

Joe Nathan was credited with his second save of the year after the controversial call by Marty Foster. Here’s video of Foster’s call along with a little bit of the postgame interview with Rays manager Joe Maddon:

The pitch was clearly a ball and should have ended in a walk for Zobrist and potentially give the Rays another shot to win. That’s the beauty in baseball, as there is no replay and Maddon knew the game was over before he even came out to argue.

The Rangers and Rays will face-off again Tuesday in game two of the three-game series and Roberto Hernandez will take the mound for the Rays. Nick Tepesch will make his MLB debut as the starting pitcher for the Rangers.

Will the Tampa Bay Rays rebound from the controversial game one call against the Texas Rangers in game two on Tuesday?
[Image via Creative Commons]

Rangers Beat Rays 5-4 In Wild Finish [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The San Francisco Giants held off the Colorado Rockies 4-2 late Monday night to end a two-game losing streak. Outfielder Hunter Pence hit a three-run home run in the first inning and helped the Giants end the Rockies five-game winning streak.

Madison Bumgarner was on the mound for the Giants and pitched 5.2 innings while giving up two runs on five hits. Bumgarner struck out five in the contest but walked five as well and gave up a home run to Carlos Gonzalez in the third inning.

In the top of the sixth, Chris Nelson drove in Michael Cuddyer to cut the Giants lead to one, which led manager Bruce Bochy to relieve Bumgarner on the mound. Santiago Casilla and Jeremy Affeldt came in and pitched two scoreless innings to give Sergio Romo a chance for the save.

Last season’s National League MVP, Buster Posey, hit an RBI-single in the eighth inning to give Romo some breathing room in the ninth. Romo entered the game and gave up a double to Josh Rutledge before striking out the side.

The save was Romo’s fourth of the year in as many attempts, which is good enough for best in the MLB. With the win, the Giants are now back on track after being crushed 14-3 by the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.

The Giants are currently one-game back of the Rockies for first place in the NL West and can take over the division lead if they win the final two games of the series. The Rockies are off to a great start this year and swept the San Diego Padres after taking two-of-three from the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Giants are now 2-2 at home but haven’t looked like the reigning World Series champions. They are expected to win the NL West this season but will have to play better at home if they hope to live up to expectation.

Hunter Pence hit the big home run Monday that held up as the game-winner, and he has been one of a few Giants’ players who have hit the ball well to start the season.

Pence has three home runs with five RBIs in the first seven games while hitting a respectable .280. Pablo Sandoval leads the team with a .360 average and is also tied with Pence for the team lead in RBIs with five.

Outside of Sandoval, Angel Pagan is the only other starter hitting above .300 at .321 in 28 at-bats. The Giants are known for small ball and manufacturing runs to compliment their great rotation but are still settling into the season and have yet to get going on the bases.

Can the San Francisco Giants pick up the pace after the big win over the Colorado Rockies on Monday? Is the NL West going to be the toughest division to win in 2013?

[Image via Creative Commons]

Giants Hold Off Rockies, End 2-Game Skid is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Atlanta Braves spoiled the Miami Marlins home opener on Monday night with a 2-0 win for their fourth straight victory. Justin Upton led the Braves in game one in Miami with his sixth home run in seven games, which is good enough for the MLB lead.

Upton came over to Atlanta this spring to join his brother, B.J. Upton, who signed with the club this offseason after eight seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays. Justin Upton joined the Braves in January after the Arizona Diamondbacks traded their star outfielder for the Braves’ Martin Prado and a bevy of prospects.

Though B.J. Upton is hitting just .118 to start the season, his brother has been on a roll and kept it going Monday with a solo shot in the sixth inning.

Paul Maholm got the start for the Braves and went on to win his second straight start after pitching seven strong innings. Maholm gave up just one hit while walking three and striking out seven before being relieved.

Maholm didn’t get much run support Monday, and he didn’t need it, as the 30-year-old failed to give up a hit after the third inning. In the top of the fourth, Justin Upton double to right field and was driven in by Dan Uggla on a groundout that gave the Braves a 1-0 lead.

Two innings later, Upton homered to deep left to extend the Braves lead to two, which ended up being enough as the Braves bullpen shut down the Marlins.

Eric O’Flaherty came into the game and pitched a scoreless eighth inning for his second hold of the season before Craig Kimbrel came in for the save. With runners on the corners and two outs, Kimbrel struck out shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria to spoil the Marlins home opener.

Kimbrel now has three saves, second to Sergio Romo of the San Francisco Giants in the National League. Kevin Slowey got the start for the Marlins and pitched quite well against the surging Braves, though run support never showed.

Slowey went seven innings on six hits and two earned runs while striking out three in the game. The Marlins have yet to score a run for Slowey this season, as they lost 3-0 to the Nationals in his first start.

The Marlins will look to rebound on Tuesday with Wade LeBlanc on the mound. The Braves Kris Medlen will start opposite of LeBlanc, and both pitchers are currently 0-1 with a 3.60 earned run average. The Braves have given up less runs than any team in the MLB this season outside of the Los Angeles Dodgers and, with Justin Upton’s help, have moved into first in the NL East.

Are the Atlanta Braves the best team in the NL East? Will Justin Upton continue his tear at the plate in game two on Tuesday?

Braves Win: Justin Upton Homers In Marlins Opener is a post from: The Inquisitr

The St. Louis Cardinals jumped all over Matt Cain, and used a nine-run fourth inning to beat the San Francisco Giants 14-3 Sunday night. Utility player Matt Carpenter drove in two runs with a single in the nine-run fourth, and led the Cardinals with three RBIs after going three-for-five at the plate.

Giants starter Matt Cain cruised through the first three innings without giving up a hit before the Cardinals opened the flood gates in the fourth. The Giants took a 2-0 lead into the inning after Angel Pagan and Pablo Sandoval drove in runs in the bottom of the third, but the Cardinals followed with an outburst of runs that led to Cain’s early exit from the game.

After Carpenter got his second hit of the inning and drove in Ty Wiggington and Pete Kozma, the Giants brought in left-handed relief pitcher Jose Mijares as Cain fell apart after a good start. The Cardinals nine runs in the fourth came off of eight hits and two walks and gave St. Louis a 9-2 lead.

The huge inning stopped the Giants in their tracks, as San Francisco had just three hits over the next four innings. The Giants were led by Pagan who finished two-for-four at the plate with an RBI while Sandoval was the only other Giants’ player with multiple hits.

Adam Wainwright got the start for the Cardinals in the rubber-match, and benefited from his teams big inning on the way to his first win of the season. Wainwright pitched seven innings Sunday and gave up two runs on seven hits with six strikeouts before being relieved.

With the 14-3 beat down, the Cardinals won two-of-three in San Francisco and now will go back to St. Louis for their first home series of the season. The Cardinals will face the Cincinnati Reds in a three-game set, who gave the Washington Nationals their first loss of the season this past Friday.

The Cardinals currently trail the Reds by a game in the NL Central, and have scored 20 runs in two games after being shut out by Barry Zito in game one against the Giants. Jaime Garcia will get the start on the mound Monday for the Cardinals in search of his second win after pitching 5.2 strong innings in a 6-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 2.

Can the St. Louis Cardinals take care of business at home against the Cincinnati Reds and take the lead in the NL Central?

[Image via Creative Commons]

Cardinals’ Bats Come Alive, Beat Giants 14-3 is a post from: The Inquisitr

Toronto, ON — The John Lackey injury could be just a cramp in his right arm rather than something more serious that is related to his surgically repaired elbow. Time will tell, however.

Lackey and the Boston Red Sox are cautiously optimistic after the pitcher had to leave the game this afternoon in the fifth inning after throwing his 76th pitch. As Red Sox Nation held its collective breath, initial testing suggested no serious injury.

Lackey’s 2-2 pitch that was way out of the strike zone nearly hit Jose Reyes of the Toronto Blue Jays. Lackey — who missed the entire 2012 season following Tommy John surgery on his elbow — immediately grabbed his arm in pain and had to leave the game without facing another batter.

Lackey admitted that the pain scared him and he added that it was “A pretty good cramp. It’s all in the biceps. It’s not the elbow. It’s frustrating, scary, when it happened, for sure. … It’s sore, but hopefully not too serious … The test they ran on me here today looked pretty good. Hopefully we’ll get a picture of it tomorrow and get after it. Hopefully it’s nothing too crazy.”

The righty is flying from Toronto back to Boston tomorrow for more tests on his arm, including an MRI

In his first MLB start after the 2011 surgery, Lackey had eight strikeouts in 4.1 innings, but gave up a two-run homer to J.P. Arencibia. Toronto prevailed over the Red Sox by a final score of 5-0.

After the game, Red Sox manager John Farrell also expressed optimism that it was only a right biceps strain: “[Lackey] felt kind of a cramping sensation. Obviously, we talked him out immediately, but once he was in the clubhouse, and iced it down, that cramping went away. The strength test, at least in the training room, showed to be positive in terms of full strength.”

In Lackey’s last full season (2011) with the Red Sox, he seriously underperformed with a 12-12 record and a 6.41 ERA.

[Top image credit: Brandon Vincent / Shutterstock.com]

Watch the John Lackey right arm injury at the Rogers Centre:

John Lackey Injury May Not Be As Bad As It Looked [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Andy Pettitte was spectacular on the mound as the New York Yankees avoided an opening series sweep with a 4-2 win over the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees lost back-to-back games to start the season for the second straight year but received 8 strong innings of work from Pettitte to hold off the Red Sox in game three.

Pettitte contemplated retirement once again this past offseason but decided to return to the Yankees his 15th season with the ball club. The 40-year-old lefthander is off to a greart start and gave up just one run on eight hits and three strikeout on Thursday.

According to ESPN’s Mark Simon, Pettitte is the first Yankee at 40 to pitch eight innings and give up one run or less against the Red Sox since Bobo Newsom in 1947. Pettitte sported a 5-4 record last year with the Yankees after coming out of retirement.

The five-time World Series champion retired before the 2011-12 season after posting an 11-3 record in 21 starts in 2010. Pettitte will turn 41 three-months into the season this year but proved Thursday he can still win ballgames.

First baseman Lyle Overbay opened up the scoring with a single to shallow center that drove in Travis Hafner and Eduardo Nunez in the second inning. This was the Yankees first lead in an official ballgame since game five of the American League Division Series last year.

Brett Gardner followed by leading off the third inning with his first home run of the season, which you can see here:

Pettitte kept the Red Sox off the board until the seventh inning, when Jackie Bradley Jr. doubled in Will Middlebrooks and cut the Yankees lead to 3-1. It wouldn’t take long for the Yankees to regain their three-run lead, as Francisco Cervelli led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo shot to make it 4-1 Yankees.

Pettitte finished his night after inducing two key groundballs from Jacoby Ellsbury and Shane Victorino, giving way to the greatest closer of all-time. “Enter Sandman” by Metallica was played for the first time this season, as Mariano Rivera took the field for his first save in 2013.

Rivera walked Dustin Pedroia to open up the ninth before Mike Napoli flied out to right. After Jonny Gomes doubled, Will Middlebrooks drove in Pedroia with a groundout to first.

Then came Jackie Bradley Jr., the talk of the Red Sox in spring training who is off to a hot start in his rookie season. Rivera got the best of him, as Bradley jr. struck out looking to end the game.

The Yankees now move on to Detroit for a three-game set with the Tigers, who lost 2-of-3 to the Minnesota Twins to open the season. The Red Sox will go across the Canadian border to face Jose Bautista and the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Yankees are without Curtis Granderson, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Mark Teixeira to start the season, but don’t count them out just yet. A year ago the Yankees were criticized for their lack of youth and depth in the bullpen, but still managed to win the AL East before falling apart in the postseason.

Can the Yankees hold it together until their stars return, or will the overpowering AL East get the best of MLB’s most historic franchise in 2013?

[Image via Keith Allison]

Yankees Avoid Sweep In 4-2 Win Over Red Sox [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers wasn’t the only starting pitcher to hit a home run in his first outing of the season, as Gio Gonzalez slugged his second career home run in the Washington Nationals 3-0 win over the Miami Marlins.

Gonzalez found the left field seats with a solo shot in the fifth inning, giving the Nationals a 1-0 lead. Gonzalez pitched six strong innings as well, giving up no runs on two hits, along with five strikeouts.

The Nationals have now started the 2013 season with 18-consecutive scoreless innings pitched, as Stephen Strasburg shut down the Marlins on Opening Day in a 2-0 win that featured two home runs by Bryce Harper.

Harper’s bat stayed hot in game two, as he finished 2-for-4 at the plate with one run. Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman also had two hits for the Nationals, and drove in Harper for their third run in the eighth inning with a single up the middle.

Ryan Mattheus and Drew Storen pitched back-to-back scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth before Rafael Soriano came in to close out the Marlins for the second straight game. Soriano gave up a single and a walk before getting out of the jam for his second straight save.

The Marlins followed up a three-hit performance on Monday with just four hits on Wednesday. Miami is led by Giancarlo Stanton, who is off to a slow start and has just one hit in his first seven at-bats.

Kevin Slowey got the start on the mound for the Marlins, and gave up one run on four hits in just over five innings pitched. He gave up the home run to opposing pitcher Gio Gonzalez, which you can watch here if you missed it.

Gonzalez belted an inside breaking ball just over the left field wall and had a pretty big grin on his face while rounding the bases to an ovation from the Nationals crowd. The 27-year-old hit his first career home run last season against the Houston Astros on August 8.

Gonzalez spent his first four seasons in the MLB with the Oakland A’s before moving to the Nationals last year and finishing third in the NL Cy Young race. He has become a critical starter behind Strasburg in one the deepest rotations in the majors.

The Nationals and Marlins square off again Thursday in the final game of a three-game set. The Nationals will then hit the road and take on the Cincinnati Reds in a three-game series before returning home to meet the Chicago White Sox.

Can the Washington Nationals take hold of the National League early in 2013 and post the best record in baseball once again?

[Image via Creative Commons]

Gio Gonzalez Leads Nationals To 3-0 Win Over Marlins [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The New York Yankees star second baseman Robinson Cano has fired well-known agent Scott Boras to join Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and CAA Sports. The change in agencies for Cano comes just one day after the slugger began the last year of his contract with the Yankees against the Red Sox on Opening Day.

According to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, Cano’s baseball activities will be led by CAA Sports’ Brodie Van Wagenen, but the four-time All-Star’s marketing endeavors will be handled by Roc Nation, which is founded by Jay-Z.

Cano, 30, is set to cash in on the biggest contract a second baseman has ever received in the MLB, and the move to CAA Sports with Jay-Z  has given the Yankees a much better chance of re-signing their best player.

Scott Boras is known to test teams with the free agent market and find more money for his players elsewhere, but Jay-Z has always been a Yankees supporter which should help keep the upcoming free agent off the market.

Cano will without a doubt be asking for top-dollar when he becomes a free agent at the end of the season, and the Yankees are in a battle with the $189 million salary cap. Though the Yankees will have to fight to stay below the cap, they should be able to compel Cano to sign a huge deal after freeing up some cap space.

Roc Nation posted a photo of Cano signing his new contract next to Jay-Z on Instagram, which later made its way to twitter as you can see below in a post by ESPN’s Darren Rovell.

Photo of @robinsoncano signing his representation contract with Jay Z twitpic.com/cggjbu

— darren rovell (@darrenrovell) April 2, 2013

The deal with CAA Sports and Jay-Z is as real as it gets, and don’t expect Jay-Z to negotiate for any less money than Scott Boras. Cano will ask for a long-term deal that is worth anywhere from $20 to $25 million a year, and it should take care of itself if he puts together another great season.

It was reported early in spring training that contract talks between the Yankees and Cano’s former agent Scott Boras had stalled when the Yankees made a “significant offer” in late February. No deal has been made, and shouldn’t be made anytime soon as the season is now underway.

Cano will join his teammates on the field Wednesday in the second game of a three-game series with the Yankees arch-rival, the Boston Red Sox. Cano went 1-for-4 on Opening Day with two strikeouts in an 8-2 loss.

Only time will tell how much of an impact Jay-Z will have while representing Robinson Cano. The famous rapper’s new sports agency will have their full attention on Cano, as he is the first and only client at Roc Nation Sports.

Cano has one of the most lucrative contacts in MLB history in his bright future and has put it in the hands of Jay-Z. Will firing Scott Boras and hiring Jay-Z and CAA Sports turn out to be a good decision by Yankees star Robinson Cano?

[Image via Creative Commons]

Yankees Star Robinson Cano Leaves Scott Boras’ Agency, Signs With Jay-Z is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Boston Red Sox got to C.C. Sabathia early and beat the New York Yankees 8-2 on Opening Day at Yankee Stadium. Jacoby Ellsbury led the Red Sox, going 3-for-6 at the plate and driving in two runs in the win.

Jose Iglesias got the Red Sox on the board with an RBI-single with one out and the bases loaded in the second inning. After Ellsbury grounded into a force play, Shane Victorino drove in two with a single to shallow left and Dustin Pedroia followed with another RBI-single to give the Red Sox a 4-0 lead.

The Yankees responded in the bottom of the fourth when catcher Francisco Cervelli drove in two runs with a line drive down the left-field line to bring the Yankees within two of the Red Sox. John Lester settled down and got through the fifth inning before giving way to the bullpen.

Lester struck out seven and walked two in the win over the Yankees. The Red Sox bullpen followed Lester’s performance with four scoreless innings, capped off by a 1-2-3 ninth by new closer Joel Hanrahan, who struggled this spring but made quick work of the Yankees.

C.C. Sabathia struck out five and walked four in the loss to the Red Sox. Sabathia’s fastball velocity was down as he gave up eight hits over five innings before being relieved.

The Red Sox added to their lead in the seventh inning when rookie Jackie Bradley Jr. drove in Will Middlebrooks with a groundout. Bradley Jr. made the Red Sox roster out of spring training after a long debate within the organization, and walked three times in his first major league game.

Joba Chamberlain came into the game in the top of the ninth inning and gave up back-to-back singles to Ellsbury and Victorino to give the Red Sox an 8-2 lead. Hanrahan finished off the Yankees in the bottom half as a majority of the fans had already left Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees have high expectations this season, though they have been ranked near the bottom of many preseason rankings. The Yankees went into Opening Day without $88 million of their payroll on the field, including Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson, Alex Rodriguez, and Mark Teixeira.

In hopes of fielding a decent ballclub, the Yankees picked up Lyle Overbay and Vernon Wells during the last week of spring training, but neither had a hit Monday as the Yankees lost their first Opening Day home game since 1982 against the Chicago White Sox.

The Red Sox are coming off a horrific start to the 2012 season that turned into a rebuilding year after there was no hopes for the playoffs. Boston now has their rotation in position to make a run for the AL East title in 2013, and proved they can drive in some runs with the big win over the Yankees.

Are the Red Sox a playoff team in 2013? Are the Yankees doomed with so many star players out due to injury?

[Image via Creative Commons]

Red Sox Ride 4-Run Second Inning To 8-2 Win Over Yankees is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Washington Nationals won 2-0 over the Miami Marlins on Opening Day as Bryce Harper’s solo home runs in his first two at-bats of the season were enough to beat the Marlins. Stephen Strasburg was very effective in seven innings of work, giving up no runs on three hits, though he finished with only three strikeouts.

Harper had a great spring, hitting .478 in 67 at-bats before becoming the youngest player in MLB history to hit two home runs on Opening Day. The 20-year-old outfielder lined a Ricky Nolasco breaking ball over the right field wall in the first inning and hit another to right in the fourth, which was good enough for a curtain call and a 2-0 lead that never changed.

Tyler Clippard came in the game in relief of Strasburg in the 8th inning and pitched a scoreless inning before Rafael Soriano closed out the Marlins in the ninth. Soriano had 42 saves with the New York Yankees last season as Mariano Rivera was injured and struck out two in his first appearance with the Nationals Monday for his first save.

The Marlins traded away a majority of their best players over the offseason including  Jose Reyes, and aren’t expected to contend in the National League. The Marlins struggled against Strasburg, who retired 19 in a row at one point and failed to walk a single batter in his 2013 debut.

Harper won the NL Rookie of the Year last season, and is as hot as anyone in baseball coming out of spring training and proved it Monday. The Nationals had the best record in baseball in 2012 and have the rotation and talent to run away with the NL East again.

A record crowd of 45,274 attended Opening Day at Nationals Park and were on their feet for most of the game, though Harper’s two homers were the only big moments. In the big picture, Strasburg tied his career-high with seven innings pitched of scoreless baseball and shouldn’t be placed on an innings limit this season.

The Marlins and Nationals have Tuesday off before the second game of a three-game series Wednesday night in Washington, D.C., as the Marlins look to get their offense going.  Ricky Nolasco pitched well enough for a win, but didn’t get the run support he needed as Strasburg shutdown the Marlins. The Nationals win 2-0 and Bryce Harper goes deep twice in his first Opening Day as Major League Baseball’s regular season has finally arrived.

Nationals Win: Bryce Harper Hits 2 Home Runs On Opening Day is a post from: The Inquisitr

Jackie Bradley Jr. has been added to the Boston Red Sox’s 25-man Opening Day roster. Bradley earned his spot on the roster after an impressive offensive push among Grapefruit league leaders. Bradley will take to left field for Monday’s season opener against New York at Yankee’s stadium.

The move to push Bradley Jr. onto the team’s opening day roster was announced by manager John Farrell on Sunday afternoon.

After pushing Bradley onto the 40-man roster, infielder Mauro Gomez was designated for assignment.

The Jackie Bradley Jr. debate has been ongoing for the Red Sox. Had Bradley stayed in the minors until April 12, he could not accrue a year of major league service this season. That move would have pushed Bradley Jr’s first year of free agency through the 2019 season.

Bradley’s service time-clock could still be delayed if he spends 20 or more days cumulatively in the minors through the course of the 2013 MLB season.

Jackie Bradley Jr. has been a very productive Grapefruit league leader, finishing the spring with a .419 batting average, .507 on-base percentage, and a .613 slugging percentage.

With Bradley taking left field on Monday, Jonny Gomes will be pushed into the designated hitter spot.

Other roster moves from the Red Sox include putting pitchers Craig Brewslow and Franklin Morales on the 15-day disabled list. Joining that list is designated hitter David Ortiz (right Achilles tendinopathy). Ortiz was retroactively placed on the disabled list as of March 22.

Do you think the Boston Red Sox made the right decision in pushing Jackie Bradley Jr. onto the 25-man opening day roster for the Boston Red Sox?

Jackie Bradley Jr. Added To Boston Red Sox Opening Day Roster is a post from: The Inquisitr

Buster Posey, the San Francisco Giants superstar catcher, is the latest pro athlete to cash in on a huge contract extension.

The 2012 Most Valuable Player in the National League, Posey has inked a nine-year, $167 million contract reportedly with a full no-trade clause, a deal which incorporates the 2013 season for which he is already under contract.

Under the new contract, Posey will be a member of the Giants — the defending World Series champions — through 2021, with a club option for 2022. He made his debut with the Giants in September 2009, and now is in line to receive “the most money ever guaranteed to a player with fewer than three years of service time.” It’s also the fattest contact the Giants have ever handed out to a  player.

Posey was the NL Rookie of the Year in 2010, the same year his team won the World Series. Last year, when the team again won the Fall Classic, he captured the NL batting title with a .336 average  (plus 24 home runs with 103 RBI). Along with 2012 MVP honors, he was named the Comeback Player of the Year. You’ll may recall that in May 2011, Posey’s second full MLB season season ended abruptly when Florida Marlins outfielder Scott Cousins bowled him over crossing home plate. Posey’s ankle was shattered, and major surgery was required.

Posey, 26, is a (so far) a lifetime .314 hitter with 46 home runs and 350 hits and 191 RBI going into the 2013 season. The details of the new contract are said to be as follows:

“Posey will receive a $7 million signing bonus, according to the source. Having previously settled for $8 million this year, Posey now will receive $3 million in 2013, $10.5 million in ’14, $16.5 million in ’15, $20 million in ’16 and $21.4 million per year from 2017-21. The 2022 club option is worth $22 million, with a $3 million buyout. Posey also will contribute $50,000 per year to Giants charities.”

Apart from the historic contract itself, Posey’s tenure as a big leaguer is also historic because he “and Stan Musial are the only players to win two World Series rings and an MVP in their first three full seasons.”

Buster Posey is pretty happy about the outcome of the contact negotiations (and wouldn’t you be?):

“It’s a surreal feeling to know that I’ll be here for the next nine years. … I’m thrilled.”

Buster Posey and Giants Agree To 9-Year, $167 Million Deal is a post from: The Inquisitr

Anyone would definitely pay big money to see this epic game.

Dock Ellis & The LSD No-No [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Johan Santana, the New York Mets ace, may be done for the 2013 baseball season because he has apparently reinjured his shoulder.

An MRI has revealed a probable re-tear of the anterior capsule in Santana’s left shoulder, and Mets management believes that season-ending surgery is likely. “If this diagnosis proves to be correct, I think in all likelihood Johan will be lost to the Mets for the season,” Mets GM Sandy Alderson said today.

A two-time Cy Young Award winner, Santana, 34, has suffered with shoulder weakness during Spring Training in Florida, and several doctors have apparently confirmed the injury diagnosis. The lefty is in the final year of his huge $137.5 million contract with the Mets, which would mean his career with the team is over if he goes under the knife. Santana is back in New York considering his options. The Mets still owe him somewhere in the range of $25-$31 million pursuant to the contract.

Santana had the same surgery in September 2010, which required approximately 19 months of rehabilitation. It would be unprecedented for an MLB pitcher to undergo the same anterior capsule surgical procedure twice.

Santana pitched the Mets’ first no-hitter on June 1, 2012, in which he threw 134 pitches, and was never the same afterward; his ERA ballooned to 8.27 over the next 10 starts, and he wound up finishing the season on the disabled list. The no-hitter was somewhat controversial in that Carlos Beltran’s sixth inning line drive down the third base line was ruled a foul ball but replays showed that the ball landed in play.

Santana has a career win-loss record of 139-78, with nearly 2,000 strikeouts and an overall ERA of 3.20. He pitched for the Minnesota Twins from 2000 to 2007 before being traded to the Mets in February 2008 after he basically priced the Twins out of the market for his services. He subsequently agreed to the big, six-year extension with New York.

Interestingly enough, back in 2008, a Minneapolis sportswriter appeared on the Dennis & Callahan radio show on WEEI in Boston and declared in no uncertain terms that the Mets made a bad deal because Santana would break down. So it appears that the writer’s prediction may have been on target.

Johan Santana flew to NY yesterday to be seen by Dr. Altchek. MRI on shoulder shows probable re-tear of anterior capsule.

— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinESPN) March 28, 2013

That surgery takes a year or more to recover from. It took Johan almost 2 years last time. My take: probably career-ending.

— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinESPN) March 28, 2013

For his Mets career, Johan Santana made $1.25 million per start and $191,771 per inning.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 28, 2013

[Image credit:David W. Leindecker / Shutterstock.com]

Johan Santana Out For The Season With Shoulder Injury [Report] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The New York Yankees have finalized a trade with the Los Angeles Angels for veteran Vernon Wells after two days of negotiations. It was reported Sunday that the Yankees had a trade in the works, and it is now a done deal as the Angels will receive a pair of minor leaguers from the Yankees.

Outfielder Exircado Cayones and left-handed pitcher Kramer Sneed will be sent to the Angels in exchange for Wells. Cayones hit .228 in 47 games in 2012 while Sneed finished with an 0-7 record and a 5.37 earned run average.

The trade for the veteran should fill a gap in the Yankees outfield caused by a forearm injury to Curtis Granderson early in spring training. The Angels will pay around $28.5 million of Vernon Wells’ $42 million contract that ends after the 2014 season. According to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times, the Yankees will pay $11.5 million of Wells’ contract this season and $2.4 million in 2014.

Wells is in the lineup for the Yankees against the Houston Astros on Tuesday night and will play left field. The 34-year-old will wear the No. 56 and bat sixth in the lineup during his first appearance with the team.

Wells’ performance has dropped off drastically over the past two seasons, but the slugger has shown signs of his old self in 2013. Wells hit .361 with four home runs and 11 RBIs with the Angels this spring before the trade and looks to be a solid pickup for the Yankees.

The Yankees have also been rumored to be interested in recently released first baseman Lyle Overbay, who could fill-in for the injured Mark Teixeira. Opening day is less than a week away and the Yankees still aren’t sure who will be penciled into the lineup card when they face the Red Sox on April 1. Curtis Granderson, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Mark Teixeira will all start the season on the disabled list, forcing the Yankees to test their $189 million payroll goal.

The deal for Wells will cost the Yankees over $13 million during the next two seasons no matter how Wells’ performs. Is the trade for Vernon Wells a desperation move by the Yankees, or will the three-time All-Star make an immediate impact in pinstripes?

[Image Credit: Keith Allison]

Yankees Finalize Trade For Vernon Wells is a post from: The Inquisitr

According to Alex Speier of WEEI.com, the Boston Red Sox have granted first baseman Lyle Overbay his release to pursue other opportunities before Opening Day on April 1. Overbay struggled this spring with the Red Sox, but was in the hunt for the backup position behind Mike Napoli at first base before being released Tuesday.

Overbay has played for three different teams in the past two seasons before signing with the Red Sox in January as a non-roster invitee to spring training. He hit .220 this spring with seven RBIs and no home runs which led to his release by the Red Sox as he failed to crack the roster. The Red Sox are expected to use a combination of Mike Carp and Daniel Nava

The Red Sox acquired Mike Carp from the Seattle Mariners in February for a player to be named later and cash considerations and will be the primary backup to Napoli. Daniel Nava has played well this spring, hitting .310 in 20 games and will also get spot starts in the outfield.

Ryan Sweeney could be the next odd-man out at Red Sox camp as there is no room for three first baseman on an MLB roster. Sweeney’s contract includes an opt out clause on March 28, forcing the Red Sox to make a decision on him before the end of the week.

The New York Yankees could be a possible suitor for Lyle Overbay, as ESPN’s Buster Olney tweeted, though he says it’s unlikely. Bryan Hoch, who covers the Yankees for MLB.com, also tweeted about Overbay, hinting to the idea that the Yankees could go after him.

Targeting Overbay wouldn’t be a bad idea for the Yankees, who could use a first baseman after losing Mark Teixeira to a wrist injury earlier this spring. Overbay would be a pretty cheap investment for the Yankees, which they could use after agreeing to eat $13 million of Vernon Wells’ contract in a trade with the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.

Overbay, 36, hits from the left-side of the plate, and could fair well with the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees have a knack for signing older players to short-term contracts and anything will help as $88 million of their payroll will start the season on the disabled list.

Would a move for Lyle Overbay give the Yankees more production while Teixeira is out and could possibly miss the rest of the season?

Lyle Overbay Granted Release From Red Sox, Possibly Targeted By Yankees is a post from: The Inquisitr

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported early Monday that free-agent starting pitcher Kyle Lohse had signed with the Milwaukee Brewers pending a physical. Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel added that Lohse agreed to a three-year, $33 million contract with the Brewers, that also includes up to another million in bonuses.

The deal will become official after Lohse takes his physical at Brewers camp. The 34-year-old has been keeping in shape this offseason and is expected to pass the examination this afternoon.

Lohse has spent the past five seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals and posted the best numbers of his career in 2012. Lohse finished the 2012 season with a 16-3 record, accompanied by a career-best 2.86 earned run average. The Brewers will lose the 17th overall pick in the First-Year Player Draft in June and the Cardinals will receive the 28th pick after Lohse officially signs.

The deal for Lohse will finalize the Brewers rotation going into the season, as projected fifth starter Mark Rogers should fall out while everyone else moves back a spot. Lohse will compliment a pitching staff that is led by Yovani Gallardo, but most likely won’t be ready to play for the first  few series of the season, though he has been pitching simulated games this spring.

Lohse finished seventh in the NL Cy Young race last season, and is a major upgrade for the inexperienced Brewers rotation. The Brewers will feature Lohse as their No. 2 starter behind Gallardo in their hopes of returning to the playoffs after falling five games short of a Wild Card spot in 2012.

Milwaukee opens the season at home for a three-game set with the Colorado Rockies starting April 1, but Lohse will have to be evaluated before a timetable can be set on his return. His experience should work wonders once he’s ready to play as the Brewers projected staff includes Wily Peralta and Mike Fiers, two talented young pitchers who spent time in the minor leagues in 2012.

Does signing Kyle Lohse make the Brewers a better contender in the NL Central as Opening Day approaches?

Kyle Lohse Signs 3-Year Deal With Brewers is a post from: The Inquisitr

Vernon Wells may be heading to the New York Yankees.

The Yankees are apparently attempting to shore up their lineup by trading for Vernon Wells given injuries to outfielder Curtis Granderson,  first baseman Mark Teixeira, and third baseman Alex Rodriguez, along with Derek Jeter being on the DL. Wells would apparently become the everyday left fielder if the deal goes through

The underperforming Wells, 34, has been with the Los Angeles Angels for the past two seasons, hitting .222 for Anaheim with just 36 home runs and 95 RBI. In the 2012 MLB campaign, the right-hander hit .230 with 11 homers and 29 RBI.  Wells is still working off the seven-year, $126 million contract (of which $42 million remains) that he originally signed with the Toronto Blue Jays, and which contains a no-trade clause. The Yankees (a.k.a. the Evil Empire) reportedly would pick up most of that salary.

As things stand right now, the three-time All Star has been described as MLB’s highest paid bench player.

Wells has been doing quite well in Spring Training action, however, with a .361 mark and four home runs and 11 RBI.

Wells is the odd man out with the loaded Angels: “Wells has no real spot with the Angels, as they have Josh Hamilton, Peter Bourjos and Mike Trout set in the outfield with the Mark Trumbo-Albert Pujols duo locked in at designated hitter and first base.”

Wells made his Major League Baseball debut in 1999 with the Blue Jays and has a career batting average of .273 with 259 homers, 908 RBI, and nearly 1,700 hits. He was traded to the Angels in 2011 in exchange for Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera. You may have noticed that Wells has an respectful ritual of tipping his batting helmet to the pitcher when he comes up to bat.

Vernon Wells is said by a teammate to be excited about the possibility of a trade to the Yankees. ‘Strong chance’ it happens, source said.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) March 24, 2013

Do you think it would be a good move for the Yankees to trade for Vernon Wells?

[Image credit: Keith Allison]

Vernon Wells To The Yankees Trade Reportedly In The Works is a post from: The Inquisitr

During a spring training game on Monday between the Angels and Brewers, an umpire called the game from behind the mound. The unusual situation occurred after the home plate umpire left with an injury.

Tim McClelland was forced to call the game from behind the mound after home plate umpire Seth Buckminster was hit by a ball, breaking his left hand. Another umpire, Anthony Johnson, had to leave with Buckminster to change into the home plate gear.

The Angels and Brewers didn’t wait to continue the match. Because there were only two umpires on the field, McClelland was forced to call the game from behind the mound until Johnson returned.

Brewer’s starting pitcher Wily Peralta was facing Josh Hamilton at the time of the injury. He recalls hearing a ball called from behind him, “When he called ‘ball’ behind me, I just looked behind me,” in what had to be a strange moment.

McClelland made the decision to umpire from behind the mound so the crowd wouldn’t have to wait. He says, “Both managers agreed to it, and I knew it wasn’t going to be long. This way we didn’t have to sit and could keep the game going.”

Josh Hamilton grounded out quickly to the end the inning. Three batters into the bottom of the first inning and Johnson returned in home plate gear. The game resumed normally after that.

The Angels beat the Brewers 6-1 in one of the stranger games of spring training this year. Here is a video of the incident:

Besides an umpire calling the game from behind the mound, the game was also Albert Pujols first playing defense. He has been the Angels’ designated hitter while recovering from an injury. He says he is not ready to be a full time designated hitter though.

Do you think this would happen in a real game? Do you think this should this have been allowed in a spring training game?

Umpire Calls Game Behind Mound During Spring Training Game is a post from: The Inquisitr

According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the Pittsburgh Pirates have acquired shortstop John McDonald from the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday for a player to be named later. The Pirates made the move just one day after shortstop Chase d’Arnaud had surgery on a partially torn thumb ligament.

McDonald played in less than half of Arizona’s games in 2012, hitting .249 with six home runs and 22 RBIs. The 38-year-old should serve as the Pirates backup to Clint Barmes as short, as d’Arnaud is expected to miss the next six-to-eight weeks.

Barmes numbers drastically dropped off last season as he hit .229 with 8 homers and 45 RBIs in 144 games with the Pirates. Neither Barmes nor McDonald have hit well this spring, as both sport averages around .250, though Barmes has hit two homers and driven in five runs.

The Pirates finished fourth in the NL Central in 2012 and didn’t make too many moves this past offseason, outside of picking up catcher Russell Martin. Pittsburgh is led by centerfielder Andrew McCutchen, who is coming off an MVP-type season. McCutchen finished 2012 with a .327 average, 31 homers and 96 RBIs, good enough for third in the NL MVP voting.

Pittsburgh opens up the season at home against the Chicago Cubs on April 1. A.J. Burnett is set to take the mound that day, and is coming off his best season since 2009 with the New York Yankees. Burnett posted a 3.51 earned run average and a respectable 16-10 record with the Pirates in 2012.

John McDonald isn’t that much of an offensive upgrade for the Pirates, but it does add some depth to their young infield. If Barmes struggles early in the season, McDonald should see a lot more playing time based on his experience and glove at short.

Pedro Alvarez will be the every day third baseman for the Pirates, while Neil Walker will play second. Garrett Jones and Gaby Sanchez will split time at first base, but the real question comes at shortstop.

Clint Barmes spent the majority of his career with the Colorado Rockies before a stint with the Houston Astros in 2011. His hitting has steadily dropped over the past three seasons, so the trade for McDonald can only help.

The Pirates are not projected to be a playoff team in 2013, but anything can happen in the long major league season. Winning a lot of games early always seems to be the best formula to have a chance at the pennant, but the Pirates depth makes you wonder if they have enough for a run at the MLB playoffs.

Does the trade for John McDonald make the Pirates a better team and ready to make a run at the playoffs in 2013?

Pirates Acquire John McDonald From Diamondbacks is a post from: The Inquisitr

The San Diego Padres will have to start the 2013 season without their gold glove third baseman, as Chase Headley is out after breaking the tip of his left thumb against the Los Angeles Angels Sunday. Headley was trying to break up a double play in the first inning of the game but will now miss four to six weeks.

The Padres have some depth in the infield and could go with Logan Forsythe while Headley is out. Forsythe played in 91 games for the Padres last season, hitting .273 with six home runs and 26 RBIs.

Losing Headley is more than just losing a third baseman, especially with the young Padres’ lineup.  Headley hit .286 with 31 homers and 115 RBIs for the Padres in 2012, good enough for fifth in the NL MVP voting. He also won an NL Silver Slugger Award though the Padres finished well out of playoff contention in the West.

The 28-year-old was hitting .448 this spring in 29 at-bats before breaking his thumb, forcing the Padres to find a replacement within their system. There is no way the Padres will look to trade for a new third baseman, as Headley should be back two weeks into the new season.

Outside of Forsythe, the Padres could go with Jedd Gyorko at third. Gyorko spent most of the 2012 season in the minor leagues but  has hit .298 this spring with 3 homers and 10 RBIs. Gyorko and Forsythe will more than likely both start on Opening Day, the question is who will play second and who will play third.

James Darnell, who is listed as third on the Padres’ depth chart at third base behind Forsythe and Headley, will miss the next two weeks due to an oblique strain, so you can count him out for the starting job. The Padres open the season on the road against the New York Mets at Citi Field on April 1.

Chase Headley’s out with a broken left thumb, and Opening Day is a little less than two weeks away, making every decision an important one for manager Bud Black as spring training comes to an end.

Chase Headley Out With Broken Thumb, Will Miss Up To Six Weeks is a post from: The Inquisitr