No quit in Jays as late rally wins it
TORONTO -- Speaking to reporters prior to Tuesday's game against the Yankees at Rogers Centre, Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston did not understate the importance of his team's current homestand in relation to a possible playoff berth.
With three games each against the Yankees and Red Sox -- both teams that sit ahead of Toronto in the standings -- Gaston conceded that this week was the most important for the Jays since he took over as manager on June 20.
"You can't look ahead until you look at this week," Gaston said. "Either this week will make you or break you. ... You have got to play well. You can't afford to get swept. You have got to win some series here, otherwise you can start thinking of next year."
On Tuesday, the Jays proved that next year is far from their thoughts. Behind a strong pitching performance from A.J. Burnett, the Toronto offense was able to stage a late rally to defeat New York, 2-1. The victory for the Jays (65-60) brought them to within one game of the Yankees, who are in third place in both the American League East and Wild Card standings.
Though Burnett suffocated New York's (66-59) hitters for most of the night, the Jays entered the seventh inning trailing, 1-0. Entering that frame, Toronto had mustered just two hits off Yankees starter Darrell Rasner.
Nonetheless, right fielder Adam Lind managed to tie the game when he launched a 3-2 offering from Rasner over the left-field wall for his ninth home run of the season. Lind has now hit a home run in three straight games for the Jays.
An inning later, the Jays were able to take the lead when Joe Inglett lined a two-out single to left field off Yankees reliever Jose Veras (3-2). The next batter, Marco Scutaro, lifted a fly ball deep to center field.
New York center fielder Johnny Damon was able to catch up to the ball and, while inching closer to the outfield wall, he made a slight leap. The ball then deflected off Damon's glove as it dropped to the ground, which allowed Inglett to score the go-ahead run to give Toronto the lead.
As the Jays gained the lead, it also allowed Burnett (16-9) to capture his sixth straight victory. The right-hander was grateful for the late rally.
"They don't [give up]," Burnett said of the Toronto hitters. "[Rasner] threw a good, quality start. He pitched great out there and shut us down for a while. But our guys kept digging. That's what this team has. I've been saying it all along, they've got heart and that's one big positive thing about us."
Burnett was able to display many positives of his own on Tuesday, as he plowed through the Yankees' lineup, allowing just five hits over his eight innings. More impressively though, Burnett managed to strike out a season-high 13 batters, increasing his AL-leading total to 178.
Burnett credited the strikeouts to his curveball, which seemed to be more effective than usual.
"It was just on tonight," said the starter. "I told Cito, I'd like to have that hook every night. It would be nice."
Burnett's only real mistake came in the first inning, when, after walking Damon to lead off the game, he surrendered an RBI double to Bobby Abreu that scored the game's first run.
After the first inning, though, Burnett settled down considerably, as he retired 15 of the next 18 batters he faced. Against the Yankees this season, the hard-throwing right-hander is now 3-0 with a 1.61 ERA.
"I was just really focused on executing my pitches after that first inning," he said. "I wasn't going to allow another one to leave the strike zone and have them capitalize on it."
Tuesday's game was also not without great defense, as the Jays made several highlight reel plays in the field, the most important of which came in the ninth inning, when Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez blooped a pitch from Jays closer B.J. Ryan into shallow right field.
Jays first baseman Lyle Overbay ran into no-man's land and chased the ball down. The first baseman slid on the turf to scoop the ball, then turned and fired it to second base, all in one motion. Overbay's throw to shortstop John Mcdonald was perfect, and caught Rodriguez, who was trying to stretch his hit into a double, by surprise.
"He has that kind of arm," Gaston said of Overbay. "He got there and knocked that ball down, and got up and threw a strike to second base. That was a big play for us."
With Rodriguez making the first out of the inning and damaging a potential rally in the process, Ryan was able to easily retire the next two hitters to seal the victory, which put Toronto five games over the .500 mark for the first time since May 30.
"That's what we have to do," said Ryan, who notched his 24th save of the year. "It was a great win to come back like that late, and to finish off for A.J. We'll just come back and see what we can do tomorrow."
Copyright 2001-2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Byrd enjoys new team, old number
BOSTON -- There was a new No. 36 in the Red Sox clubhouse on Wednesday, worn on the frame of a 37-year-old right-hander feeling for the first time the adoration of fans flocking to Fenway Park.
Paul Byrd, acquired from the Cleveland Indians in a trade on Tuesday, arrived at the ballpark and took hold of the number he's rather familiar with from backup catcher Kevin Cash, who will wear No. 30 from now on.
"I've just grown to like it over the years," Byrd said of the number he's worn through his Major League career, covering 13 years and seven teams. "It's involved in some of my passwords on the computer, so if I changed numbers, I'd have to change all that. No good."
Byrd took the move to Boston in stride on Wednesday, spending time with a slew of reporters and signing autographs for fans outside the dugout pregame.
Byrd's scheduled to start on Friday against Toronto, working with catcher Jason Varitek. The two worked together during offseasons in years past, prompting Byrd to joke that that's the reason Varitek has such good numbers in head-to-head battles. The Sox captain is a career .389 hitter vs. Byrd.
"Hopefully, it gives us quality starts," Varitek said of Byrd's arrival. "You can't expect him to throw shutouts, but just do quality starts and give this team a chance to hit."
The 37-year-old right-hander went 7-10 with a 4.53 ERA with the Indians this season, but he's 4-0 with a 1.24 ERA since the All-Star break.
In putting on a Boston uniform, Byrd will have the opportunity to forge toward the postseason with a viable contender in the defending World Series champions. He said he's handling the pressure of working with a contending team.
"I want to be counted on," he said. "The alternative of that is taking the mound when games don't count and you're not in anything. And that's not fun at all. So I love the pressure."
He's taken the hill in pressure situations before, even doing so against Boston. In last year's American League Championship Series, with the Indians, Byrd pitched five innings of two-run baseball in a Game 4 win over the Red Sox at Jacobs Field. He was also part of a 3-1 series lead that turned into a heartbreaking Game 7 loss to the Red Sox at Fenway.
"I wasn't a big Red Sox fan in the offseason," he joked. "[I was] up 3-1 and had a chance to win the World Series. So I had to work through some forgiveness issues there, and it took about five minutes, because I couldn't wait to get over here, put on this jersey and have a chance to make the playoffs."
A jersey that bears No. 36, no less.
"He's got 12 or 13 years in the league, and he wants the number," Cash said. "I wasn't married to it by any means. ... He definitely thanked me and everything, and was very appreciative."
Still, Byrd plans to compensate Cash for giving up the number he cherishes.
"I hear he's a boots guy, so I might have to get him a couple pairs of boots, maybe a watch," he said. "It was really nice. I didn't know if the number was important to him or not, but it's been my number for a while, so it was nice of him to give it up."
Copyright 2008 Sporting Life UK Ltd, All Rights Reserved.
Youkilis suffers right hand contusion
KANSAS CITY -- Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis had to leave Wednesday night's game against the Royals in the bottom of the first inning after suffering a contusion on his right hand. This, thanks to a 92-mph fastball from Royals starter Luke Hochevar.
Fortunately for the Red Sox, X-rays were negative. Youkilis is day-to-day. There's a chance Youkilis will be back in the lineup on Friday night, when the Red Sox open a four-game series in Chicago against the White Sox.
"It's a pretty good bruise," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "The good news is there's no break. By the time I got out there, it was already turning black. I think the trainers feel there's a decent chance he'll play Friday. So that's good news. It sounds like it's a matter of a day or two, as opposed to something that looked like it had a chance to be bad."
It happened in the top of the first inning, though Youkilis originally stayed in the game and took first base. But once the Red Sox came out for defense in the bottom of the inning, Sean Casey took over for Youkilis at first base.
Youkilis has been an invaluable member of the Red Sox, so much so that Francona moved him to the cleanup spot on Monday.
In the five games before Wednesday, Youkilis was on a certifiable tear, hitting .435 (10-for-23) with three doubles, two homers and six RBIs.
"Tomorrow is an off-day, that's all I know," said Youkilis. "Hopefully, I'll play [Friday]. That's the bottom line."
Copyright 2001-2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Pudge says being a Yankee a 'dream'
NEW YORK -- Even before his first news conference as a Yankee, Ivan Rodriguez had already been wearing his No. 12 pregame jersey and Yankees cap. He arrived in New York at 10 a.m. ET on Thursday but went to the clubhouse first, chatting with his new teammates and coaches.
"I love to play in New York," said Rodriguez, who'll catch Andy Pettitte during Thursday's series opener against the Angels. "I love it. This is a dream for me to be here."
The Yankees acquired the 14-time All-Star catcher from the Tigers on Wednesday in exchange for right-handed reliever Kyle Farnsworth. Rodriguez, also a 13-time Gold Glove winner, was batting .295 with five home runs and 32 RBIs in 82 games with Detroit. A career .302 hitter, the 36-year-old is in his 18th Major League season.
Before the news conference, Pudge met with pitching coach Dave Eiland, first-base coach and former catcher Tony Pena, and Jose Molina, who became the regular catcher after Jorge Posada's injured right shoulder limited him and, ultimately, resulted in season-ending surgery on Wednesday.
"This is a learning process right now," Rodriguez said. "I'm a very simple catcher behind the plate. I just want the pitchers to feel good when I'm behind the plate."
Rodriguez waived a no-trade clause to approve the deal after he was told by the Tigers that they planned to use Brandon Inge more. Even so, Rodriguez was surprised by the deal, for two reasons:
Detroit isn't out of it in the American League Central, sitting six games behind the White Sox entering Thursday's action. In addition, Molina has one of the best arms in the game, and he leads the Majors with a 46.3 caught-stealing percentage.
"It's still hard to believe I'm talking to you guys here in Yankee Stadium with a Yankee uniform," Rodriguez said. "But I'm happy, and I'll do my best."
And he has Molina's blessing.
"How many All-Stars does he have? How many Gold Gloves does he have?" said Molina, who has known Rodriguez for years. "People think because he's 36 he's losing it. I don't think so. I think he still has game. He still has his arm, his glove. We'll have to see if it's going to be better or worse, hopefully, for good. I don't want to lose."
Rodriguez will plenty of support on Thursday, as his parents, wife and three children will be attendance. He'll also have the backing of manager Joe Girardi.
"He understands what it's like, in a sense, to be a Yankee," Girardi said. "He's excited about being a Yankee and what lies before us and the challenges. He's caught two World Series and was a champion in one of them. He's excited for that opportunity."
Copyright 2001-2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Myers gets start in Triple-A
ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- Everybody had advice for Brett Myers during his struggles in the first half of 2008.
"You try one thing," the right-handed starter said, "then everybody gives you different types of things and you try to do it all at once. It just kind of explodes right in your face."
It was like a computer's hard drive overheating, Myers said. But on Wednesday night, the Phillies pitcher was able to tune out the critics, brush aside his 3-9 record, 5.84 ERA and Major League-leading 24 home runs allowed and start from square one.
Myers made the first of what team officials expect to be about three starts for Triple-A Lehigh Valley after being optioned there Tuesday afternoon. He was credited with a loss after working five innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits, issuing two walks and striking out six as the IronPigs fell to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, 5-3.
Despite the loss, a look of relaxation was evident on Myers' face as he laughed and joked with reporters after his outing ended. One of Myers' goals during his stint with the IronPigs is to get the fun back in the game.
"It kind of got taken away because I was getting beat up so much," he said.
Myers worked smoothly through his first four innings Wednesday night at Coca-Cola Park before running into trouble in the fifth. Through the fourth, Myers allowed one walk and two hits. He retired nine batters in a row between the second and fourth innings.
But Myers allowed a leadoff walk in the fifth to JD Closser, who advanced to third on a passed ball and throwing error by IronPigs catcher Jason Jaramillo. Closser scored on a base hit by Greg Porter, who then scored on an infield single by Chris Basak. The Yankees tacked on their third run of the inning on another passed ball.
Myers threw 100 pitches, 60 of them for strikes. His fastball hovered around the high 80s and into the low 90s, and he relied on his curveball in deep counts.
"He couldn't throw his split for strikes," pitching coach Rod Nichols said. "He tried different things -- kept trying to make adjustments. Because he wasn't able to throw his split for strikes, it kind of got him into deep counts, and the only thing he had in deep counts was his curveball."
Assistant general manager Mike Arbuckle watched Myers' start Wednesday night, calling it "solid." He acknowledged that Myers may make "roughly" three or four starts for Lehigh Valley, but stressed that there was no definite timetable for the 27-year-old's return to the Phillies.
Myers also said he did not know when he would be back, adding that he expected to earn his way back onto the team.
"If I'm not pitching good, I'm not going," Myers said.
Myers, the Phils' first-round pick in the 1999 First-Year Player Draft, won 14 games in 2003, his first full season in the Major Leagues. The right-hander was a mainstay of the Phils' rotation each year thereafter until the beginning of the 2007 season, when he was moved to the bullpen. The team pointed to Myers' grit and mental toughness as evidence that he would thrive in the bullpen, and he did not disappoint. He saved 21 games in 2007, earning a 2.87 ERA in the process.
The acquisition of closer Brad Lidge in the offseason, however, meant Myers would begin 2008 back in the rotation. Manager Charlie Manuel pegged Myers as the team's Opening Day starter, and he did well in his first four starts, recording a 2-1 record with a 3.96 ERA.
His season began to unravel, however, when he earned one victory in a span of 13 starts from April 22 through June 27. During that time, Myers posted a 1-8 record and his ERA ballooned to 5.84. He has allowed 24 home runs this year, the most in the Major Leagues.
Myers credits the success he had as a starter earlier in his career to having a plan each time he took the mound and being able to recognize details, such as hitters' swings. Pitching out of the bullpen last year, Myers said, may have diminished those abilities.
"I didn't have to watch what was going on with hitters," he said. "I was just like, 'Here's my stuff. Hit it.' As a starter, you have to prepare."
This became evident to Myers on Wednesday when he was talking with Nichols, who pointed out that one Scranton/Wilkes-Barre hitter had a slow bat.
"I couldn't see it," Myers said. "I couldn't tell. In the past, when I was doing well as a starter, I could see pretty much everything that was going on."
Nichols was the pitching coach for the Piedmont Boll Weevils of the South Atlantic League in 2000 when Myers pitched there.
"I kind of saw him getting some swagger as the game went on," Nichols said. "I thought he got more comfortable out there."
When the Phillies optioned Myers here on Tuesday afternoon, they became the last team in the Majors to make a roster move regarding their pitching staff. They are the only team in the Major Leagues to rely on only five starters this season.
But that will change soon. Cole Hamels will start in place of Myers Thursday in Atlanta. The team has not decided who will start in Myers' place during his stint with the IronPigs, Arbuckle said.
Arbuckle pointed to Myers' past success as a sign that the right-hander is capable of helping the Phillies' rotation this season.
"We're going to move forward," Arbuckle said, "and try to get him on track as a starting pitcher. We need him in our rotation."
Copyright 2001-2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Astros' offense backs gem by Rodriguez
HOUSTON -- Two shining stars emerged in the Astros' 7-2 series-clinching win over Texas on Thursday.
Pitcher Wandy Rodriguez threw a five-hit game through eight innings, allowing just one run, while the newest Astros member, second baseman David Newhan, went 3-for-5 in his first start for Houston with a double and two RBIs.
Rodriguez said he felt "very, very good," finding his grove in the second inning.
"I thought tonight was really all about Wandy. He had it going on tonight," Astros manager Cecil Cooper said. "He really kind of baffled them. His breaking ball was real good, particularly in the middle and late innings, and he used his fastball effectively early."
Rodriguez fanned nine, including three Rangers twice each.
The Astros finally backed a winning performance by one of their pitchers as every batter in Houston's starting lineup got a hit. They scored seven runs in the first two innings.
Although the Astros stranded eight runners and had a few more good chances to score, Cooper said he was pleased with the offensive performance.
"It's great to get up on top early and get [Rodriguez] a big lead," Newhan said. "I know he's kind of notorious for working quick, and especially with that lead he had he just got out there and had great stuff and great command. With the lead, that made it hard on their hitters. He was able to go right after them with the stuff he had and was able to keep them off balance all night."
The Astros' scoring started with a leadoff single to center by Michael Bourn, followed by walks to Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee. Hunter Pence came up big with a bases-clearing triple to Tal's Hill in center field in the next at-bat.
"It happened so fast," Pence said. "There were just a lot of runners on and I was trying to get a good pitch to hit, and I happened to get one over the middle. I had kind of nightmares running through my mind after I hit it of several balls I've hit out there as hard as I can that have been caught. I wasn't too sure about anything, but whenever I finally saw it go over his head I was pretty relieved."
Humberto Quintero led off the second inning with a single, and Rodriguez followed with a single to right field. Bourn's sacrifice bunt advanced the two and a double by Newhan scored both.
Newhan reached third on a fielder's choice by Miguel Tejada and scored on a single to third by Berkman, who reached second on a balk. Berkman then scored on a double by Carlos Lee before the inning ended.
"In this game you've got to prove yourself every single night," Newhan said of his performance. "What you did tonight is just tonight, and it's just one of those things you've got to stay with every day."
Cooper said he had hoped Rodriguez could put up another zero in the eighth and try to pitch the whole game, but when Rodriguez gave up a single followed by a triple to score a run, Cooper knew that would be his last inning.
"I told Coop, 'Hey, give me one more inning.' But he said, 'No, you have 105 pitches, that's OK,'" Rodriguez said of the decision.
Despite the loss, the Rangers still took home the Silver Boot. The Astros needed six more runs to take control of the trophy.
The win is Houston's second series victory in a row, a sign the team hopes means it is getting back on track.
"That's the bottom line, we've got to start taking advantage of every series right now," Pence said. "To get two in a row is a pretty good confidence booster."
Copyright 2001-2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Trades could be hard to find this year
June typically brings with it a certain level of anticipation in big league ball.
Nearly three months are in the books, and a quick scan of the standings frequently lures the fans of teams in contention to wait with bated breath for the kind of blockbuster trades that will make their summers that much sunnier.
Alas, it could be a long wait. In fact, it might be a wait unrewarded.
For a variety of reasons, the trade market simply isn't what it used to be. So, as was the case last summer, we're far less likely to see a deal that moves the needle nationally -- Mark Teixeira to the Braves in a six-player deal on the July 31 non-waiver deadline, for instance -- than we are to see a series of below-the-radar swaps.
Think catcher Rob Bowen being moved from the Padres to the Cubs for fellow backstop Michael Barrett last June 20, then being sent to Oakland for catcher Jason Kendall three weeks later.
Or outfielder Kenny Lofton going from the Rangers to the Indians for a Minor League catcher a few days before the July 31 deadline.
Or the classic salary dump that was the Giants shipping Matt Morris' $9.5 million salary for 2008 to the Pirates for fourth outfielder Rajai Davis at the deadline.
Not exactly the kinds of moves that make a fan base demand to know when postseason tickets will be made available. Of the aforementioned six players, only Bowen remains with the team he was with after last year's deadline. Morris has retired, and Lofton is unemployed.
What's the holdup? Let's start at the top -- both of the standings and within front offices across both leagues.
Three days after Memorial Day, which has in years past signaled the unofficial start of the swap season, 21 of the game's 30 teams were no more than six games out of first place in their respective divisions, including all but three in the American League. Over in the National League, only two teams were as far out as eight games.
And as July approaches, 17 of 30 clubs were no more than 8 1/2 games out.
"Take a look at the standings," said White Sox general manager Kenny Williams, one of about 20 GMs with whom MLB.com recently spoke in an effort to break down the various trade-market influences. "There's a lot of parity in both leagues, not to mention the fact that there are teams contending that perhaps didn't expect to be in this position of contending. There also are teams on the bottom who expect to contend in the second half.
"That combination will compress the market in such a way we haven't seen before."
Ah, the "P-word." Parity. It's long been a dream of baseball's big-wigs, and consider it a dream achieved.
The Rays, who had the worst record in the game a year ago, have been at or near the top of the AL East all spring. The no-name Marlins have made names for themselves in the big-name NL East. And the revamped A's, who conducted what everybody outside general manager Billy Beane's inner circle viewed as stunning fire sale over the winter, have been quite warm in the AL West.
"Parity, as much as anything, makes it difficult to move players at the trade deadline," Braves GM Frank Wren said. "You've got so many teams now that are unwilling to give up."
Adds Indians GM Mark Shapiro: "The reality is there's a tremendous amount of parity in the game. There are not a lot of teams clearly out of it."
Even teams that appear to be out of it don't think they are.
"The teams that have come on late and made a late playoff push has made it hard for teams to say that they are truly out of the race in July," said Pirates GM Neal Huntington, whose club was 11 out in the NL Central as of Wednesday morning. "As a result, teams will be more hesitant to let go of players if the possibility is still there for a late push."
The reigning NL champion Rockies were 19 games under .500 and eight games back in the NL West as of Wednesday morning. Perhaps emboldened by their white-hot finish to the 2007 regular season, they're far from ready to wave the white flag, shop their pricier wares and start re-tooling for 2009.
"We have an idea of when that point comes, but I will tell you we're not at that point yet," said Colorado GM Dan O'Dowd, whose banged-up club is currently trying to make do without infielders Troy Tulowitzki and Clint Barmes and made due for a stretch without outfielders Matt Holliday and Brad Hawpe. "Collectively, we've played about as badly as we can play in every area, and our injuries are no excuse for how we've played. But I do think there is a run in this club."
And the Rox know a little something about runs. See: September/October, 2007.
"I don't have a crystal ball or else I'd never make a mistake in this job and I'd be the best general manager there ever was, but I don't believe in flukes," O'Dowd said. "I believe we were a good ballclub last year. I believe there's too much talent and there's too much experience in big games and pressure situations for us not to collectively put things together and go on a run."
Another undeniable market influence is the increasing value placed on younger players. A trend started more than a decade ago with low-revenue teams locking up some semblance of cost certainty by signing their blossoming first- and second-year studs to contract extensions that took them through their arbitrations years.
Now that trend has expended to the point that teams are signing such stars in the making earlier and for more years, often through what would have been their first forays into free agency. See: Longoria, Evan.
"My view," said Dodgers GM Ned Colletti, "is that there are fewer impact players available because many of the impact players are locked up."
Many of the GMs who chimed in felt the market might pick up as the non-waiver deadline draws closer. Some clearly -- very clearly -- didn't.
"It's getting tougher to make trades," said Reds GM Walt Jocketty. "I get a sense in talking with clubs that a lot of them are frustrated with the way they're playing. The time to put the club together is in the offseason. It's very hard to make adjustments during the season.
"I don't know if it will be any different this year or not. There are more clubs that are underachieving than what we've seen in the past."
Added Melvin: "There is no market. It's still too early for any of that."
Copyright 2001-2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
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