Duchscherer leaves with hip pain
MINNEAPOLIS -- Justin Duchscherer, Oakland's All-Star right-hander, had to leave the opener of a three-game series against the host Twins at the Metrodome on Monday with pain in his right hip.
Duchscherer, who had a Major League-best opponents' batting average of .208 and the second-best ERA (2.59) in the American League entering Monday's game, had thrown 2 2/3 shutout innings when he stepped off the mound after striking out Nick Punto in the bottom of the third. Duchscherer summoned A's manager Bob Geren and head athletic trainer Steve Sayles while slightly shaking his right leg.
After a brief conversation, Duchscherer (10-8) was escorted off the field and replaced by righty Kirk Saarloos.
"I'm just trying to stay positive," Duchscherer said. "They think I might just have irritation in the joint. Hopefully that's all it is."
The A's are sending Duchscherer back to the Bay Area, where he'll be examined by team orthopedist John Frazier on Tuesday.
"I'm very concerned," Geren said. "It's obviously a big concern. He's our ace and our All-Star."
Duchscherer, who suffered a strained right hip in May 2007 and had season-ending surgery in early July, worked exclusively out of the A's bullpen from 2004-2007 but was moved into the starting rotation this spring in hopes that a more predictable workload would keep him healthier.
He suffered a strained right biceps in his first start of the season, however, and spent three weeks on the disabled list.
If Duchscherer's most recent injury lands him on the DL, it will mark the 22nd time the A's have used the list, tying the Oakland record set in 1992 and matched last season.
Copyright 2001-2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Dickerson leaves impression in debut
PITTSBURGH -- Chris Dickerson's bags weren't even unpacked yet on Tuesday, but he noticed that his Major League debut was imminent.
The lineup sheet had Dickerson leading off for the Reds and playing left field against the Pirates.
"I'm right into the fire tonight," Dickerson said.
"Well, he came here to play," Reds manager Dusty Baker said of the decision to get Dickerson in right away.
The Reds called up Dickerson from Triple-A Louisville to take the roster spot vacated when Adam Dunn was traded.
Dickerson's big league career got off to a nice start. In a 5-1 Reds win, he walked in his first plate appearance, stole a base and scored on Brandon Phillips' two-run homer. Dickerson's first Major League hit was a double to left field in the seventh.
A Bats homestand was concluding on Monday when Louisville manager Rick Sweet informed Dickerson he was getting his first big league promotion.
"It's an indescribable feeling," Dickerson said. "I literally had no words, no thoughts going through my head -- just, 'Holy cow!' It didn't start sinking in until he told me to go home and start packing. When I started looking at all my stuff and actually packed my bags, my heart started to race a little bit."
In 97 games for Louisville this season, the 26-year-old Dickerson batted .287 with 11 home runs and 53 RBIs with 26 stolen bases. He also owned a .384 on-base percentage.
Baker had the benefit of watching Dickerson play for him during Spring Training, and was impressed with what he saw.
"There are a few things most young guys have to work on," Baker said. "It looked like he's improved quite a bit, especially with his bat. You can tell there is some improvement left to do, like most guys. He is better than he was last year."
Although not known for his offensive prowess as he moved through the system, Dickerson has been surging lately. Over his previous seven games, he was 14-for-31 (.419) with six RBIs. He credited Louisville hitting coach Adrian "Smokey" Garrett.
"I kind of modeled my swing after Jay [Bruce] a little bit," Dickerson said. "I got more upright and got my hands up and batted in a vertical position, which allowed me stay up on top of the ball. From there, I started to see huge improvements and the ball started jumping and getting a lot more backspin instead of topspin."
Dickerson was a 16th-round pick by the Reds in the 2003 First-Year Player Draft and was rated by Baseball America in 2007 as the organization's fastest baserunner and best athlete. He played primarily center field during his career, but is in left field for now, since Baker prefers Corey Patterson in center field.
There were some challenges for Dickerson in left field. In the third inning, he misplayed Chris Gomez's drive to the warning track and it went off his glove for a double.
"The past couple of years, it's been really emphasized to move around and take balls from different positions," Dickerson said. "I've played left quite a bit when Jay was here. We rotated and got our fair share of experience. I should be fine. It's not my favorite position in the world -- I don't think it's any outfielder's favorite position -- but I'll be fine. I've done a lot of work and got a lot better the past year or so."
Copyright 2008 Sporting Life UK Ltd, All Rights Reserved.
Reports: Rockies claim Hernandez
DENVER -- The Rockies' most glaring need this season has been for a proven fifth starter. On Tuesday, they reportedly finally got one.
According to the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News, Colorado claimed veteran right-hander Livan Hernandez off trade waivers before its game against Washington. By claiming Hernandez, the Rockies could be forced to pay the roughly $1.6 million left on his contract, unless the Twins try to work out a trade, the reports said. In addition, the Twins have the option of pulling Hernandez off waivers if a deal cannot be met.
FOXSports.com has reported that another National League team has claimed the veteran righty, but the Rockies were reportedly awarded Hernandez because it had the worst record of any claiming teams.
The move indicates that the Rockies' front office feels that the team still has a realistic shot at winning the National League West, despite trailing Arizona by eight games with 47 left to play.
"It shows that we're still trying," shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said. "We're not giving up. I know no one was, even if we didn't acquire him, but now there's an extra guy that can definitely help us."
In 23 games with Minnesota this season, Hernandez went 10-8 with a 5.48 ERA. However, Hernandez went 2-4 in his last six starts and was designated for assignment after Minnesota called up Francisco Liriano on Friday.
The Rockies are very familiar with Hernandez. He spent a year and a half pitching for the Diamondbacks before signing with Minnesota in the offseason. Hernandez was tagged for the loss against the Rockies in last year's NL Championship Series and is 7-9 with a 4.34 ERA in his career against Colorado.
"I've always been impressed with him," Tulowitzki said. "He hits his spots better than anybody. He's always given me fits, personally."
Most importantly, Hernandez, 33, provides the Rockies with something they've been desperately searching for out of the back end of their rotation: consistency. Hernandez has won at least 10 games in 10 of his 13 big league seasons.
Ironically, the move comes on the same day that on-and-off-again pitcher Jorge De La Rosa started against the Nationals. De La Rosa (5-6) has shown flashes of tremendous talent, but he has also been maddeningly inconsistent.
Against Washington, De La Rosa was the former. He gave up just two runs on six hits in a season-high seven innings. But his bold performance may have come too late. Before Tuesday's game, manager Clint Hurdle hinted that De La Rosa's time in the starting rotation was running out.
"Eventually, things aren't going to stay the same way," Hurdle said. "There's got to be some understanding that what you're doing isn't good enough to hold onto your position. And we'll find other options."
If the Rockies complete the deal, they would suddenly have a formidable rotation featuring All-Star Aaron Cook, Ubaldo Jimenez, Glendon Rusch and Hernandez. In addition, Jeff Francis, who won 17 games last season, is expected be activated and start on Wednesday, after missing more than a month with shoulder inflammation.
"It's exciting," Tulowitzki said. "We're still in it."
Copyright 2001-2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Neither age nor Nats can stop Moyer
WASHINGTON -- After nearly every round of bringing his 45-year-old body from the dugout to the pitching mound for another display of fooling hitters half his age, Jamie Moyer is asked: "How do you still do it?"
The query is often met with a knowing glint in Moyer's eye, not that he'll reveal his secret. Instead, he'll revel in the deception that has served him well for 22 seasons and counting.
"Fourteen years ago I was told to retire," Moyer said. "But this is too much fun."
No one suggests retirement to Moyer anymore, at least no one who has watched him befuddle and frustrate, as he did in Wednesday's 8-5 win over Washington at Nationals Park. He shook off a rough first inning and allowed two hits in his next five frames, then watched his teammates retake first place in the National League East, after a five-day hiatus in second.
The Mets lost to the Marlins on Wednesday, separating the three teams by 1 1/2 games.
"We're hanging on," manager Charlie Manuel said. "We got to claim it and keep it. We got to run off a string, but we have to win tomorrow first."
They won on Wednesday because they finally scored off Tim Redding, ruining his 13 1/3-inning scoreless streak against them this season. After retiring Jimmy Rollins to start the game, the Phillies recorded four straight hits to build a 2-0 lead.
Washington took the lead in the bottom of the first, denting Moyer with a three-run outburst on the lefty's first 16 pitches. With a changed game plan, the Nationals appeared to have figured out the wily vet's arsenal of off-speed pitches.
Willie Harris clubbed Moyer's first pitch of the game into the seats and catcher Jesus Flores followed on pitch No. 16 with a two-run shot. That was it.
"It forced me to make a change early," Moyer said. "I think I made some good pitches in the first, but they hit them. It seemed like everything I threw over the plate they hit. I threw my breaking ball more. I worked inside more."
Moyer recognized the need to adjust.
"If I don't, I'm sitting back [in the clubhouse] in the second inning," Moyer said. "It's really not much of a choice."
The Phillies erupted for five runs while batting around in the fifth. Redding didn't retire anyone that inning and left after surrendering Chase Utley's second homer in two days.
Shane Victorino clubbed his seventh July home run -- and ninth overall -- leading off the seventh. Amid trade rumors, he's batting .327 this month,
"Go in there and tell him not to get so nervous," Manuel said.
Where does Victorino's power come from?
"I don't know," Manuel said. "It might be coming from his lips. He's got a lot of wind to him."
"That's funny," Victorino said.
Pitching some of his best baseball, Moyer has allowed three or fewer runs in 10 straight starts, going 4-3 with just 31 runs of support in those outings.
Since Moyer appears further from retirement with each start, he'll focus more on earning a World Series ring. The streaking Phillies have won four in a row and 10 of their past 16.
By scoring runs for him, Victorino and friends helped Moyer secure at least 10 wins for the 11th time in the past 12 seasons. He also became the fourth pitcher in history to secure 10 wins after his 45th birthday, joining Phil Niekro, Jack Quinn and Satchel Paige.
"Didn't play with any of them or against any them," Moyer said, with a laugh. "I've been healthy enough to win 10 games this year. It's cool, but I'm here to do my job. You've heard it from me before and you'll hear it from me again: You get caught up in things like that, you may lose focus in what you have to do.
"There'll be plenty of time for me to look back at the end of the season or at the end of my career, and go, 'That was kinda cool.' The opportunity to have the longevity that I've had is probably the most special thing for me. When you're around long enough, those things are going to start to happen. It's nice to be thrown in with those names."
Manuel added: "He's a battler, man. When he puts pitches where he wants he gets outs. He defies gravity."
And the laws of aging.
Copyright 2001-2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Sox to activate Timlin for Yanks series
ST. PETERSBURG -- The Red Sox will activate veteran reliever Mike Timlin from the 15-day disabled list in time for Thursday's opener of a four-game series at Yankee Stadium.
Though Timlin has struggled mightily this season, the Red Sox could use a fresh arm considering the way the bullpen has been roughed up in the first five games of this 10-game road trip.
Timlin had been out since June 17 with left knee tendinitis. In three rehab outings at Triple-A Pawtucket, he didn't give up a hit.
The Red Sox hope that is a sign of things to come. Timlin is 3-3 with a 7.06 ERA in 24 outings this season.
In order to make room for Timlin on the roster, the Sox will option right-hander Chris Smith to Pawtucket. Smith went 1-0 with a 2.84 ERA in three outings for Boston.
Copyright 2001-2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Sheff delivers satisfying walk-off single
DETROIT -- Todd Jones provided the best relief of the night for the Tigers on Wednesday. Then he came out and provided the best actual relief early Thursday morning.
With the tarp on the field during a 2-hour, 25-minute rain delay, Jones provided the fans who stuck around Comerica Park with some on-field entertainment. He tossed packs of sunflower seeds and gum to fans hanging outside the Tigers dugout in the rain, then he provided his best impression of Magglio Ordonez's walk-off home run in the postseason two years ago, adding a small slide along the tarp for flair.
A couple hours later, his scoreless ninth inning set up the Tigers' latest walk-off heroics. Gary Sheffield's fourth hit of the night plated Clete Thomas in the bottom of the inning, sending the Tigers and some drenched, yet dedicated fans home with an 8-7 Detroit victory over St. Louis.
It was a night in which the Tigers bullpen outlasted the Cardinals relief staff in a game that featured nine lead changes, five of them in the final three innings. Jones' work made sure the Tigers had the last laugh, well after he gave his teammates the biggest laughs.
"You don't realize until you're in a rain delay how regimented baseball is," Jones told reporters afterwards. "You get to this time of the night and you sit for 2 1/2 hours and it throws the whole program off. I think rain delays like this when you win are great. When you don't, it's rough. Hopefully we can get some momentum from this and try to win a series [Thursday]."
The rain had already been coming down steadily for a while once Rick Ankiel's second home run of the night off of Tigers starter Armando Galarraga tied the game with one out in the top of the fifth. A heavy dose of drying compound, a single and a fielder's choice later, heavy downpours halted the baseball game and started the waiting game.
The teams headed for cover in their respective clubhouses, but once the first batch of showers eased, Jones emerged from the dugout with a giant bucket of goodies to give to fans.
After he and Nate Robertson pretty much emptied the bucket, Jones took off his pullover to reveal an Ordonez jersey on his back and a dark-haired wig tucked inside a cap. From there, Jones went into the act -- the swing, the trip around the bases, the high-five to an imaginary third-base coach -- as a handful of teammates watched from the dugouts, fans roared from the seats and the concourse, and a live audience watched once the local broadcast cut in.
"I never had a chance to go on the tarp because, you know, it's kind of taboo," Jones said. "You don't really do it. But I figured, what the hey, have a little fun. It was pretty cool. I'm glad everybody got it."
Eddie Bonine and Joel Zumaya did. They were among the fellow Tigers watching and cracking up in the dugout.
"That's awesome," Bonine said. "He's a great guy to have around. That's just an extension of what he does around the clubhouse."
Once the game resumed just after 11 p.m. ET, it became a battle of relievers and their command. Both teams took advantage of walks to change leads in a nip-and-tuck affair.
Zach Miner closed out the fifth inning and worked a scoreless sixth before a two-out walk and a single in the seventh put the Cardinals in position to take the lead with back-to-back walks off Zumaya.
Back and forth they went from there. Two singles and a walk off Jason Isringhausen loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh, but Detroit managed a lone run out of it when Miguel Cabrera scored on Edgar Renteria's double play. Aaron Miles' bloop single off Zumaya in the eighth put St. Louis back on top. Ordonez tied it back up when he singled in Placido Polanco off Kyle McClellan.
"It wasn't the best game, in the sense that we walked too many people from the seventh inning on," Leyland said, "but we survived it. Both teams battled hard, and it looked like it was one of those games where whoever hit last would win the game."
Indeed, they did, but only after Jones (3-0) kept the Cardinals from taking back the lead by retiring the side in order with help from his defense. Carlos Guillen made a sliding stop and throw across the infield to retire Troy Glaus for the first out, then Clete Thomas' running catch on Yadier Molina's liner to left-center ended the inning.
Thomas, who entered the game in the fourth inning once Marcus Thames was ejected for arguing a called third strike, took his heroics to the plate to lead off the bottom of the ninth once McClellan (0-3) fell behind on a 3-0 count. The count went full before Thomas slashed a sharp line drive off the left-field fence and rolled into second with a leadoff double.
"I was just a leadoff guy trying to get something, trying to hit a single or draw a walk, do something to get on base and have the guys behind me drive me in," Thomas said. "I got lucky and hit a double."
It looked somewhat similar to Sheffield's second-inning double that started Detroit's first run-scoring rally. Sheffield pulled two more singles after the rain delay, but McClellan didn't want to give him anything to hit again.
"He kept pounding me in," Sheffield said, "so I said, 'Forget trying to get him over.'"
All six pitches were fastballs, three in a row inside to work a 3-1 count and force McClellan back over the plate. He went to the outside corner on a sinking fastball, and Sheffield showed how much better his shoulder feels after resting it on the disabled list.
Earlier this season, when he battled shoulder pain, "I would try to pull that pitch to protect myself," Sheffield said. "But now I can swing like I want to swing and do what I need to do with it."
Sheffield sent it into the gap in right-center field. And at just before 1 a.m. ET, he sent everybody home entertained, and not just from the rain delay entertainment.
Copyright 2001-2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Tucker's good start backed by power
SEATTLE -- With Ryan Tucker on the mound, the Marlins have a chance to match power with power. They did so on Wednesday night.
The hard-throwing Tucker worked a career-long six innings, and Florida parlayed a couple of big home runs to claim an 8-3 win over the Mariners in front of 24,163 at Safeco Field.
Mike Jacobs and Dan Uggla each delivered two-run home runs, increasing Florida's Major League-leading home run total to 106. Tucker, armed with a 96-mph fastball, showed maturity and poise in his third Major League start.
Since being promoted from Double-A Carolina, the 21-year-old right-hander is 2-1, and he's given the rotation a boost. By taking two of three in Seattle, the Marlins moved to two games behind the Phillies in the National League East.
"[Tucker] has done a great job for us since he's been brought up," Uggla said. "Everybody knows he's just got some kind of nasty stuff. He's [throwing] 94-97 [mph] with a nasty whatever off-speed pitch he throws. I don't even know what he throws, a slider, split or whatever. He gets ahead, works quick, throws strikes. He's going to be around for a long time."
Uggla connected on a two-run homer in the sixth inning, No. 21 on the season. A year ago, he belted 31.
It was a contrast in nights for Uggla, who homered in back-to-back games at Seattle. On Tuesday, he took a 97-mph fastball from Felix Hernandez deep to left. Afterwards, he called the shot "lucky" and said he didn't see the ball.
He had a better view on Wednesday. It was a couple of days of contrasting styles for the Marlins' hitters. After experiencing Hernandez's heat, they faced R.A. Dickey's knuckleball.
"You're approach against the knuckleball has got to be, hopefully he gets one up and you put a good enough swing on it to hit it," Jacobs said. "Obviously, knuckleball pitchers aren't easy to hit. He just left one up, and I was able to put a good swing on it.
"I think you just have got to slow yourself down, and not be so aggressive."
In his first two big league starts, Tucker went five innings in both contests. He got into trouble in the fourth inning, but induced a 5-4-3 double play out of Richie Sexson. Jeremy Reed did deliver a two-out RBI single that inning, but Tucker avoided the big inning.
Tucker had a simple game plan on Wednesday, using his fastball to get ahead and work inside. He felt in his previous start, a loss at Tampa Bay, he relied too heavily on his changeup.
"I felt I did a better job tonight in working off what is my best pitch, the fastball," Tucker said. "I feel like I paced myself off the fastball. In my last game, I threw a lot of changeups, and that's not my game. I felt I got ahead better tonight. It's easier to pitch against these hitters ahead in the count.
"In the Minor Leagues, you might get away with it from time to time. Here you can't."
The fact he was able to go six full innings was a big step, because he worked through the Seattle lineup three times.
"It gives me a lot of confidence that I can face these lineups two and three times," Tucker said. "That, as a starter, I'm going to have to learn to do, to work through the game, and work through situations of the game."
Jacobs matched his home run total of a year ago when he deposited a first-pitch Dickey offering in the third inning into the right-field seats. It was the first baseman's 17th homer. His career high is 20, set in his rookie 2006 season. The two-run shot scored Jorge Cantu, who doubled.
Showing patience at the plate, the Marlins drew 10 walks, their highest total since they drew 11 on June 8, 2007 at Tampa Bay.
"It was very uncharacteristic," Uggla said of the high walk total. "We were kind of laughing about that in the dugout about how many walks we had tonight. It was just one of those things. I guess everybody just had extra good eyes tonight."
The Marlins struck quickly off the Seattle knuckleball pitcher. Hanley Ramirez opened the game with a double, and he scored on Cantu's RBI single to center.
Seattle countered in the first. Ichiro Suzuki singled off Tucker. After Jose Vidro's infield single, Raul Ibanez slapped a run-scoring single to right.
The Marlins pushed two more across in the fourth inning, leading to Dickey exiting with five earned runs allowed. Jacobs slapped an RBI single and Luis Gonzalez walked with the bases loaded.
The early run support gave Tucker some breathing room in the early innings.
"He's been steady," manager Fredi Gonzalez said of Tucker. "We forget sometimes this guy is a 21-year-old making his third start. I liked the composure. I like the way he competes on the mound."
Copyright 2001-2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
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