Remote patrol

FOOTBALL, SUN SPORTS, TONIGHT: First, it's the premiere of College Kickoff Live at 7 p.m., followed at 9 and 9:30 by FSU and Florida preview shows, followed by Saturday's postgame coverage of Florida's home game against Wyoming at 9:30 p.m., followed by Sunday's 8:30 a.m. replay of the Gator game, followed by Monday's 7 p.m. pregame show for the FSU-Miami game, followed by a live postgame report at 11:30. That enough football for you?
MLB 2005: A SEASON ON THE WIRE, FSN, SUNDAY, 4 P.M.: A bunch of major-leaguers were wired for this special, which promised entertaining behind-the-scenes dialogue between baseball's biggest names. The Devil Rays took part too, as Julio Lugo, Carl Crawford and hitting coach Billy Hatcher were wired during the July 31 game against Kansas City.
INSTANT CLASSIC, ESPN CLASSIC, 8 TONIGHT: Hawaii's win over defending champion Curacao was one of the best Little League championship games ever, with a dramatic comeback and the fun-to-watch antics of Vonn Fe'ao.
TOP 5 REASONS YOU CAN'T BLAME THE ATLANTA FALCONS FOR TRADING BRETT FAVRE TO THE PACKERS, ESPN CLASSIC, 9 P.M., MONDAY: Host Brian Kenny will explain why the Falcons should be absolved by their fans for sending Hall of Famer-to-be Favre to Green Bay for a first-round pick that became some guy named Tony Smith. If Chris Miller is a reason, this oughtta be good.NEWSMAKERS
OLN announced its NHL television schedule, which opens with the Oct. 5 meeting between the N.Y. Rangers and Philadelphia. The Rangers appear on the schedule eight times, same as Detroit. And your defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning? Five times.
ESPN Radio (1470 AM) will broadcast the Prep Sports Breakfast Hour at 8 a.m. Saturdays, as well as a Friday night Game of the Week. This week it's Chamberlain at Jefferson at 7:30 p.m.
The winner of Saturday's qualifier between the United States and Mexico in Columbus, Ohio, clinches a berth in the World Cup. ESPN Classic has the game at 7:25 p.m.
Lee Corso takes Ohio State over LSU, Kirk Herbstreit picks Ohio State over USC, Trev Alberts says Virginia Tech over USC and Mark May is the lone ESPN college football analyst taking USC (over Texas) to win the national title.RATINGS
ESPN's four NFL preseason telecasts were seen in an average of 3.048-million television homes, producing a 3.4 rating, a 28 percent increase over last year's 2.7 rating.THE LAST WORD
ESPN Classic replayed FSU at Florida (1995) and Florida-FSU (1997 Sugar Bowl) Thursday night. Just who does it think it is? Sun Sports?

Source: http://www.sptimes.com/

Devil Rays hope to complete sweep of Angels

Yesterday, Jorge Cantu and Pete Laforest each belted two-run homers as Tampa Bay defeated the Angels, 6-3, in the middle contest of the three-game set. Jonny Gomes added a two-run triple for the Devil Rays, who have won two straight games. Julio Lugo contributed four hits in the win. Doug Waechter (5-8) was the winner after permitting three runs on seven hits over 7 2/3 strong innings. He struck out five and did not walk a batter. Casey Kotchman hit a solo homer for the Angels, who have lost three straight games. The loss dropped the Angels' lead in the AL West to just one-half game over Oakland. Paul Byrd (9-9) took the loss after being touched for six runs on 11 hits over six innings. Byrd, who is 0-4 in his last seven starts, walked one and fanned one batter. Angels outfielder Steve Finley had two errors in a game for the first time in his career. The Angels have still won nine of the last 13 meetings between the two teams. Jarrod Washburn will take the hill for the Angels today, and he brings with him a 7-7 record and 3.29 ERA. It is certainly worth pointing out that he is 6-1 on the road this season with a 2.36 ERA. In his most recent outing, the lefty surrendered only one earned run on eight hits in 6 1/3 innings of action. Washburn, who has yet to face Tampa Bay this season, is 7-1 lifetime against the Devil Rays with a 3.11 ERA. Expect Tampa to send big lefty Mark Hendrickson to the mound this afternoon. This season has been a struggle for Hendrickson, as he is 7-7 with a 6.58 ERA. He pitched well last time out against Cleveland, but did not figure in the decision despite giving up only two earned runs on five hits in six innings. Hendrickson hasn't pitched against the Angels this season, and he is 3-2 with a 4.50 ERA lifetime against the franchise.

Source: http://www.wtev.com/

Notes: Piniella confirms callups

TORONTO -- Lou Piniella decided to turn the tables on Tampa Bay's reporters on Friday. The Devil Rays' skipper leaned back in his chair in the coaches office and immediately had a question for the small group of media that surrounded his desk.
"Where'd you all get the names of the people coming up?" Pineiella asked, referring to a report in the St. Petersburg Times that said Dewon Brazelton and Eric Munson were the most likely candidates to join the team as part of the September callups.
"Brazelton and Munson is not a guess," he added. "That's who's coming up. That's what I've been told."
The duo is expected to finish the Triple-A season with Durham, which plays its last game on Sept. 5, then head to New York to join Tampa Bay for the three-game series with the Yankees that begins on Tuesday.
Brazelton, who has started eight games for Tampa Bay and is 1-8 with a 6.85 ERA in 18 appearances with the big club, will head back to the bullpen. The 25-year-old right-hander could move into the starting rotation as needed, too.
"If something goes wrong, if we have a rainout like we did the other day or we have to rest somebody or whatever, we have a starter here," Piniella said.
In five Minor League starts, Brazelton has gone a combined 1-2 with a 3.76 ERA at Durham and Double-A Montgomery.
Munson has only appeared in four games in the Major Leagues -- going 2-for-7. Through 97 games with the Bulls, he's hit .283 with 24 home runs and 64 RBIs.
Piniella said that Munson, who is primarily a corner infielder, would come off the bench and serve as an emergency catcher behind Toby Hall and Pete Laforest.
"[Munson has] been catching a couple days a week from what I understand," Piniella said. "Of course, it gives me a left-handed bat sitting on the bench, too."
Piniella wasn't aware of any other players that would be getting the call in the next few weeks. When asked whether or not he would have liked to see top prospect Delmon Young in a Devil Rays uniform before the season's end, though, Piniella went silent.
"I'm just going to say, 'no comment,' and leave it at that," he said after a long pause.
McClung back: Right-hander Seth McClung wasn't in Tampa Bay's clubhouse prior to Friday's game against the Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre. Piniella said not to worry, though, McClung had just caught a later flight to Toronto and was still scheduled to start on Saturday.
McClung was placed on the bereavement list on Aug. 31 so he could attend his grandmother's funeral in Lewisburg, W. Va.
"He should be OK tomorrow," Piniella said.
After learning the news, McClung still went out and started on Aug. 29 against Boston. He gave up two home runs in just one inning before a one-hour, 43-minute rain delay following the first cut McClung's night short.
"With his grandmother passing away, I don't think it was conducive to his best concentration," Piniella said. "I think he learned a little bit from that experience. You just don't throw that get-me-over curveball, especially to a team that's swinging the bat as well as Boston."
Don't blame the bats: The Devil Rays scored 22 runs during their recent four-game series at Fenway Park, but were still swept out of Boston.
"We went in there and scored six, six, six, and four and we lose four ball games." Piniella said. "The problem in Boston wasn't really our offense, it was [our ERA].
"The secret is for the starters to get you into the sixth or seventh inning."
Actually, only McClung failed to pitch into at least the sixth inning during the series. Starters Casey Fossum and Doug Waechter each pitched into the seventh inning and Scott Kazmir lasted into the sixth.
But the starters' combined ERA was 7.78 in the series.
Laforest watch: Laforest could start in place of Hall against Toronto on Sunday, according to Piniella.
"It's a possibility," Piniella said. "We'll see how Toby feels. If we didn't have a day off on Monday, I'd play [Laforest] on Sunday for sure."
Quotable: "Then we go to California -- 'Calling all Angels.'" -- Piniella, on heading to Angel Stadium later this season after sitting through "New York, New York" at Yankee Stadium and "Sweet Caroline" at Fenway Park
On deck: McClung (5-8, 6.54 ERA) will take on Toronto's Josh Towers (10-10, 4.04 ERA) in the second game of a three-game series at the Rogers Centre.

Source: http://tampabay.devilrays.mlb.com/

Devil Rays 2, Angels 1

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Los Angeles Angels will begin a three-game set against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday in an unfamiliar position: second place.
The Angels lost their fourth straight on Sunday, falling 2-1 to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Meanwhile, Oakland defeated Baltimore 10-3 to take a half-game lead in the AL West.
Los Angeles had been in first place for 139 of 146 days this season.
"We're not paying attention to the scoreboard," manager Mike Scioscia said. "Our attention has to be on us. We're going through one of those funks. We need to get out of it before it is prolonged.
"The only way to overcome this is to grind it out," Scioscia said. "There's no easy fix. We're a good club and we'll get it back."
Mark Hendrickson extended his personal winning streak to four games and Aubrey Huff hit a two-run homer to power Tampa Bay.
Hendrickson (8-7) gave up one run and five hits in 7 2-3 innings. He is 4-0 in his last six starts. Danys Baez pitched the ninth for his career-best 31st save.
"This is our playoffs," Huff said. "We're a good team right now. Confidence is high right now. Hopefully we can keep this team together and see what happens next year."
Orlando Cabrera homered for the Angels, who finished 2-4 on their road trip.
Huff put the Devil Rays ahead 2-0 with a two-run shot off Jarrod Washburn (7-8) in the second. He has 11 homers and 35 RBIs since the All-Star break.
Tampa Bay finished its 13-game stretch at Tropicana Field with a 9-4 record - a franchise record for wins during any homestand.
"It's good to see these young kids get better and rewarded," Tampa Bay manager Lou Piniella said. "But what's really fun is winning baseball games. That's the fun."
Washburn allowed two runs and five hits over seven innings. He lost for the second time in eight decisions on the road this season.
"There's definitely no panic," Washburn said. "We're still coming to the park and having fun. The road trip didn't go like we wanted. We just need to find our groove."
Hendrickson retired nine in a row before Garret Anderson hit a two-out double in the fourth. The left-hander then got some help from center fielder Damon Hollins, who took an extra base hit away from Bengie Molina with a shin-high running catch near the warning track.
"I made pitches when I had to, and the defense made plays to help me out," Hendrickson said.
Los Angeles pulled within 2-1 on Cabrera's homer in the sixth. The Angels have only five homers over the past 12 games, scoring three runs or less in eight of the contests.
The Angels threatened in the eighth with a runner on third and two outs, but Joe Borowski retired the only batter he faced, getting Cabrera on a liner to first.
Borowski has not allowed a run in his last 21 2-3 innings.
Tampa Bay improved to 27-15 since the All-Star break. It was the Devil Rays' first sweep over Los Angeles.
"We have nothing to lose," Huff said. "Play baseball and relax. The other team, as far as I'm concerned, has everything to lose."
Notes: Bartolo Colon (17-6) will try to win his sixth consecutive decision when he goes against Oakland's Barry Zito (12-10) on Tuesday. ... Piniella turned 62 Sunday. His managerial record on his birthday is 7-11. ... Washburn is 7-2 in his career against Tampa Bay. He dropped to 4-1 at Tropicana Field. ... Anderson, sidelined Aug. 14-22 with a sore back and left knee, was the DH for the second time in the past three games. He started in left on Saturday. ... Tampa Bay 2B Jorge Cantu grounded into his 21st double play of the year in the first. Cantu and Baltimore's Miguel Tejada started the day as the only AL players with 20 or more.

Source: http://www.kentucky.com/

Willis earns franchise-record 19th win

MIAMI -- It was vintage D-Train, rolling along into the Marlins' record books by doing whatever it takes.
Dontrelle Willis gave up two runs on seven hits in 8 1/3 innings, collected two hits and scored a run with a head-first slide, leading the Marlins to a 4-2 win over the Mets in front of 25,916 on Friday night at Dolphins Stadium.
With his uniform caked in dirt, Willis has made pitching a skill position, sacrificing himself for the betterment of the team.
Now 19-8, the D-Train eclipsed the Marlins record for wins in a season, topping the 18 wins turned in by Carl Pavano last year. He's now tied with St. Louis' Chris Carpenter for the Major League lead in wins. And if not for two Mets hits in the ninth inning, Willis was in position for his seventh complete game. Instead, he was lifted after David Wright's single scored Carlos Beltran with an unearned run with one out. Todd Jones entered and completed his 33rd save, keeping the Marlins 1 1/2 games off the Wild Card pace held by the Phillies.
"[Willis] steps up," said Marlins manager Jack McKeon, who logged career win No. 999. "You talk about big-time winners. Here's a guy who steps up. He walks the walk, and talks the talk. He can field, he can hit. He can bunt -- most of the time. He holds the runners.
"He's the complete package. Why has he got 19 wins? He takes pride in the other things, that's what enables him to stay in the game for nine innings, or 8 1/3, and you don't have to pinch-hit for him. I thought he was very sharp tonight."
Victor Zambrano (7-11) gave up four runs on 12 hits in five-plus innings, suffering the loss for the Mets, who have lost three straight and are 3 1/2 games behind the Phillies.
A two-time All-Star, Willis has now won four straight decisions since Aug. 17. He's allowed four earned runs in 29 2/3 innings in those starts, an ERA of 1.21.
In his career, he is 7-1 against the Mets with a 1.93 ERA.
Primed to become the first 20-game winner in team history, the Alameda, Calif., resident is overwhelmed about reaching that benchmark.
"It's bigger than just me," Willis said. "For the most part, it's something that I can't fathom. Obviously, I'm close, but it's historical. I never thought I'd be in the history books as far as individual awards, and what have you."
The Marlins slapped out 12 hits and left 12 on base, and had numerous chances to break the game open. Still, they were able to manufacture four runs, and it was enough.
The Marlins went up, 2-1, in the third inning on Mike Lowell's sacrifice fly liner to center, scoring Carlos Delgado in a bases-loaded situation. And in the sixth inning, Florida padded its lead with a pair of runs on Juan Pierre's RBI single and Luis Castillo's fielder's choice RBI. Willis doubled and made a head-first slide home to score on Castillo's grounder to second base. Miguel Cairo didn't hesitate throwing home on the soft grounder, and Willis extended himself, swiping the plate with his left hand before being tagged by catcher Ramon Castro.
Seeing Willis airborne creates some tense moments for the Marlins, who have become accustomed to the left-hander's all-out style.
"I looked at the second baseman and I figured I'd go hard and give up my body to get in there," Willis said. "It was key. It was all about just putting pressure on their guy. I wasn't able to put down any bunts today. I'm upset about that, but I was able to get some key hits for the team."
Delgado calls Willis "phenomenal."
"It's like sweet and sour, because we get pumped up, and then we get a little panicked," Delgado said. "We're saying, 'Please get up and be all right.' You don't want him hurting his finger or his shoulder. That's his bread and butter.
"We want that run, too, but we want him to shut down the opposition today, and in five days and in 10 days. That's the way I look at it. He's fun to watch. He can put the bat on the ball. He's got energy. He's a good asset. He's an athlete out there."
McKeon has grown accustomed to Willis playing with dirt all over his uniform; the 74-year-old manager doesn't discourage it.
"I don't care about his slides, as long as he's ready to go the next time out," McKeon said. "He loves the game. He plays the game the way it's supposed to be played. There's a lot of kid in him. You can't take that away from him."
Juan Encarnacion's two-out RBI single gave the Marlins a first-inning lead. Castillo, who singled, scored from second. The Marlins had a scoring chance thwarted in the second inning when left fielder Cliff Floyd threw out Alex Gonzalez trying to score from second on Pierre's single to left.
The Mets tied it at 1 in the third inning when Castro doubled and scored on Jose Reyes' single to center.
New York managed little else until the ninth inning, when Beltran reached on an infield single and moved to second on Gonzalez's throwing error. With one out, Wright's RBI single produced the Mets' second run, causing Willis to exit after 111 pitches.

Source: http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/

Angels fall to D-Rays in three-game sweep

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Mark Hendrickson extended his personal winning streak to four games and Aubrey Huff hit a two-run homer to help the Tampa Bay Devil Rays sweep the Los Angeles Angels with a 2-1 victory Sunday.
Orlando Cabrera homered for Los Angeles, which started the day with a half-game lead over Oakland in the AL West. The Angels have lost four straight heading into a three-game series against the A's that begins Tuesday.
Hendrickson (8-7) gave up one run and five hits in 7 2-3 innings. He is 4-0 in his last six starts. Danys Baez pitched the ninth for his career-best 31st save.
Huff put the Devil Rays ahead 2-0 with a two-run shot off Jarrod Washburn (7-8) in the second. He has 11 homers and 35 RBIs since the All-Star break.
Tampa Bay finished its 13-game stretch at Tropicana Field with a 9-4 record - a franchise record for wins during any homestand.
Washburn allowed two runs and five hits over seven innings. He lost for the second time in eight decisions on the road this season.
Hendrickson retired nine in a row before Garret Anderson hit a two-out double in the fourth. The left-hander then got some help from center fielder Damon Hollins, who took an extra base hit away from Bengie Molina with a shin-high running catch near the warning track.
Los Angeles pulled within 2-1 on Cabrera's solo homer in the sixth. The Angels have only five homers over the past 12 games, scoring three runs or less in eight of the contests.
The Angels threatened in the eighth with a runner on third and two outs, but Joe Borowski retired the only batter he faced, getting Cabrera on a liner to first.
Borowski has not allowed a run in his last 21 2-3 innings.
Tampa Bay improved to 27-15 since the All-Star break.
Notes
Bartolo Colon (17-6) will try to win his sixth consecutive decision when he goes against Oakland's Barry Zito (12-10) on Tuesday. ... Devil Rays manager Lou Piniella turned 62 Sunday. ... Washburn is 7-2 in his career against Tampa Bay. He dropped to 4-1 at Tropicana Field. ... Anderson, sidelined Aug. 14-22 with a sore back and left knee, was the DH for the second time in the past three games. He started in left on Saturday. ... Tampa Bay 2B Jorge Cantu grounded into his 21st double play of the year in the first. Cantu and Baltimore's Miguel Tejada started the day as the only AL players with 20 or more.

Source: http://msn.foxsports.com/

Pick a baseball diamond off the waiver wire

FANTASY ISLAND: FANTASY BASEBALL COLUMN BY MATT SCHAUF
It’s a little tough for me to grasp this point, but apparently some people — maybe even a few among the hundreds of thousands who read this column — are actually still competing for fantasy baseball titles.
Well, although I’m still not sure I believe it, I guess it’s only fair that I turn this week’s focus back to this season after spending the past two talking about keeper junk.
If you’re fortunate enough (or, you know, good enough) to be in contention as the final month begins, you’ve clearly made smarter choices than I have all year. However, now that the championship’s within reach and your league’s trade deadline has likely passed, it’s no time to get complacent or necessarily rest on the group of players who got you there.

There’s plenty of baseball left, and some of the guys playing could be sitting on your waiver wire right now, waiting to give you a stretch-run boost.
For instance, need a spot starter? How about Texas’ Kameron Loe? He’s struck out eight, walked one and allowed two earned runs in his two starts. Even if he starts allowing a few more guys to score, something tells me the Rangers have enough offense to pick up the slack.
Or you could take a chance on Philly’s Robinson Tejeda. In 11 of his 13 starts, Tejeda has allowed fewer than two earned runs.
The Phillies continue to bounce him between starting and relieving, even though he’s clearly outperformed at least Vicente Padilla, if not others in the rotation.
Just like Loe, Toronto’s Dave Bush has allowed two earned runs in his last two starts, both victories.
He struck out seven Orioles on Tuesday and walked none, one outing after striking out seven in six shutout innings against the Yankees on the road. Bush has yet to walk more than two during any of his 18 starts this season.
If Atlanta’s Jorge Sosa is still available, pick him up and plug him in for road starts. His overall numbers look very good for the season, but the righty is 7-0 with a 1.92 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP on the road (he’s 2-3, 4.06 and 1.51 at Turner Field).
Some hitters are fighting for your attention, too.
Take Matt Holliday, for one, if it’s not too late.
The Rockies outfielder lost most of June and July to injuries, but he didn’t have any trouble in August. For the month, Holliday drove in one fewer run (21) than Boston’s Manny Ramirez and Texas’ Mark Teixeira. Holliday had two more RBIs than Gary Sheffield of the Yankees and three more than Florida’s Miguel Cabrera in August. Despite turning in a lower batting average, slugging percentage and OPS than he was on track for in the previous two months, Holliday knocked in those runs and hit six homers in August.
Farther west, is a guy whose steroid test baseball might want to check again. Oakland’s Jay Payton asked out of Boston earlier this summer, and apparently it was because he didn’t want to share any home runs with the Red Sox.
As of Wednesday, though, Payton had 12 homers and 35 RBIs since joining the Athletics. In addition, his .846 OPS with Oakland is .105 points higher than with the Sox this year.
But maybe you prefer a first baseman who’s been holding out even longer.
Travis Lee was supposed to be the face of the new Diamondbacks way back when the franchise began. Instead, the first baseman never panned out as a hitter and bounced around baseball for the past eight years.
Now, however, he’s a big part of an improbable Devil Rays run, hitting .368 with six homers and 16 RBIs in August in 76 at-bats. He’s definitely not a player to look at beyond this year, but at the moment, he’s outhitting stud rookie Ryan Howard, so why not give Lee a shot?
It’s easy to get antsy at this stage and make hasty moves for hot players. Don’t overhaul your lineup to add every guy who had a hot August, but there might be some help at a spot or two among the group I’ve presented here.

Source: http://www.thedailystar.com/

Hendrickson's gem gives D-Rays sweep of fading Angels

St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - Mark Hendrickson delivered 7 2/3 sparkling innings, Aubrey Huff belted a homer, and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays quieted the LA Angels of Anaheim, 2-1, to complete a three-game sweep at Tropicana Field. Hendrickson (8-7) allowed a run on just five hits for Tampa Bay, which has won three in a row and improved to 27-15 since the All-Star break. "I made pitches when I had to, and the defense made plays to help me out," Hendrickson said. A two-run blast by Huff in the second inning provided the Devil Rays' only scoring. Jarrod Washburn (7-8) was the tough-luck loser for the Angels, who have dropped four straight and tumbled out of first place in the AL West -- a half- game behind Oakland. They are also a half-game behind the Yankees for the American League wild card lead. Washburn went seven strong innings, surrendering two runs on five hits while striking out five. Danys Baez earned his 31st save with a scoreless ninth. Orlando Cabrera homered for Los Angeles' lone run. The Devil Rays got two quick runs in the second inning when Huff drilled a homer to right after Eduardo Perez was hit by a pitch. "I went up there (thinking), if he throws a fastball I'll swing," Huff said. "I got a fastball and fouled it back. I had a good swing so I wasn't expecting him to come back with the same pitch. I was fortunate to get a little bit under his slider." The Angels, who only had five baserunners all day, got on the board in the sixth on Cabrera's homer to left. Game Notes This was Tampa Bay's first-ever sweep of the Angels...For the first time ever, the D'Rays have won nine games on a homestand...They have hit 34 home runs this month, the most of any month in franchise history...This was the shortest game of the season at Tropicana Field (2 hours, 6 minutes)...Garrett Anderson has 643 extra-base hits in his career, tying Tim Salmon for the Angels' franchise record.

Source: http://www.wtev.com/

Marlins' Willis gets 19th victory

MIAMI -- Leading with his valuable left arm, Dontrelle Willis dived for the plate and slid across safely. That's why he was covered with infield dirt when he set a Florida Marlins record for wins in a season.Helping himself with his baserunning and his bat, Willis earned his 19th victory Friday night, pitching into the ninth inning of a 4-2 victory against the New York Mets.

He went 2-for-4, including a double in the Marlins' two-run sixth. He scored their final run, racing home from third on a grounder and beating the throw with a headfirst slide."He's the complete package," Manager Jack McKeon said. "He plays the game the way it's supposed to be played. There's a lot of kid in him."Willis (19-8), who should make at least five more starts, broke the franchise mark for victories that he shared with Carl Pavano, who went 18-8 last year. Willis won his fourth consecutive start and tied St. Louis' Chris Carpenter for the major league lead in victories."I never thought I'd be in a situation like this -- to get that many wins in a single season," Willis said. "I'm definitely rolling with it."David Wright's RBI single chased Willis with one out in the ninth, but Todd Jones finished for his 33rd save in 35 tries. Willis allowed seven hits and two runs, one earned.His gem came at the start of a key series between NL wild-card contenders. Florida remained 11/2 games behind wild-card leader Philadelphia while New York fell 31/2 games back.The Mets have lost five of six."I still think we have a pretty good chance to do what we want to do," said Victor Zambrano, who allowed 12 hits and four runs in five-plus innings.

Source: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/

Red Sox clobber Devil Rays 10-6

BOSTON - David Ortiz homered twice on Monday night, giving him four in the past three games, and Johnny Damon hit his first leadoff homer since Boston's World Series clincher to lead the Red Sox to a 10-6 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
On a day when the Red Sox lost left-handed ace David Wells to a six-game suspension, Matt Clement (12-3) won for the second time in eight starts since his All-Star game appearance. Clement allowed one run on three hits in five-plus innings, walking two and striking out three.
John Olerud had three of Boston's 13 hits. It was the 11th consecutive home game in which the Red Sox scored seven runs or more, but only a few thousand fans in the sellout crowd were around at the end thanks to a rain delay of 1 hour, 43 minutes.
Seth McClung (5-8) allowed two solo homers in the first and warmed up for the second before a pelting rain delayed the game. When it stopped, Tim Corcoran relieved him.
Damon's leadoff homer started an up-and-down night for him. He drove in another run on a sacrifice line drive, thanks to smart baserunning by Bill Mueller, but left the game after six innings when he took a pitch off his left hand; he had a bruise but X-rays were negative.
Damon also misplayed a popup for an error in the fifth that helped the Devil Rays make it 3-1 in the fifth. But Boston scored four times in the bottom half to chase Corcoran.
Boston turned four double plays in the first six innings, including one in the fourth when second baseman Alex Cora faked out Carl Crawford on a line drive to right. Cora convinced the runner that Jorge Cantu's ball was a grounder; by the time Crawford wised up, Trot Nixon had doubled him off first base.
After Damon greeted McClung with a homer, Edgar Renteria shot one to right - just foul - before grounding out to the pitcher. Ortiz made it 2-0 with his 34th of the year, then added No. 35 in the seventh to make it 8-2.
Damon's leadoff homer was the 16th of his career in the regular season. He also hit one to start Game 4 of the Series when the Red Sox swept the St. Louis Cardinals to win their first title in 86 years.
Eduardo Perez homered and Cantu had a run-scoring groundout in the ninth. Gabe Kapler made a diving catch of Aubrey Huff's liner to center to end the game.
Notes: Boston claimed RHP Chad Harville off waivers from the Houston Astros. ... RHP Keith Foulke is scheduled to make another rehab outing at Single-A Lowell and be activated on Sept. 1. ... McClung was attempting to become the first Tampa Bay pitcher to win five games in a month.

Source: http://www.kentucky.com/

AL Capsules

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Aaron Small replaced injured Mike Mussina and pitched his first career shutout, and Jason Giambi hit a three-run homer to help the New York Yankees move back into a tie for the AL wild-card lead with a 7-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Saturday.
Hideki Matsui drove in New York's first two runs without a hit to reach 100 RBIs, and Alex Rodriguez added a two-run single in a six-run seventh inning.
Small's five-hitter followed a 12-0 loss in the series opener and yet another team meeting called before the game by New York manager Joe Torre.
Making his first start since Aug. 10, the 33-year-old Small (6-0) struck out three, walked two and didn't allow a runner to reach third base. After going nine years between major league starts, Small is 4-0 in five starts this season.
The A's have been shut out an AL-worst 11 times this season and have lost three of four overall, scoring just one run in the losses.
Kirk Saarloos (9-7) held the Yankees in check through the first six innings.
Devil Rays 3, Blue Jays 2
TORONTO (AP) - Travis Lee hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the ninth inning that led Tampa Bay over Toronto and stopped a five-game losing streak.
Jorge Cantu singled off Josh Towers leading off the ninth. Scott Schoeneweis relieved and got Aubrey Huff to ground out, and Miguel Batista (5-6) came in and retired Jonny Gomes on a flyout.
Lee fell behind in the count 0-2, then homered to right to overcome a 2-1 deficit.
Seth McClung (6-8) allowed just two runs and two hits in eight innings, struck out six and walked three. He had just returned to the team after attending the funeral of his grandmother.
Danys Baez pitched a perfect ninth for his 32nd save.
Towers allowed two runs - one earned - in eight-plus innings.

Source: http://www.sportsline.com/

Olerud homers twice, drives in six runs in BoSox's win

BOSTON (AP) -- The Boston Red Sox keep bashing the ball around Fenway Park, and now they're getting some pitching, too.
John Olerud homered twice to back a solid performance by Bronson Arroyo on Thursday night and the Red Sox beat Tampa Bay 7-4 to complete a four-game sweep. It was the third consecutive game that Boston has rallied from an early deficit to beat the Devil Rays.
"I love the way it ends," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "I'd like the formula to change a little bit."
It was the 17th career multihomer game for Olerud, who added a run-scoring double in the eighth to give him six RBI on the night. The two-time All-Star and former AL batting champ has been competing for playing time with Kevin Millar, who homered twice on Wednesday.
"When you get some hits and you contribute to a team's win, it definitely makes you feel like you're part of the club," said Olerud, who signed with the Red Sox in May but has hit .467 since coming off the disabled list on Aug. 17. "I felt like I was going to fit in."
With the Yankees' 5-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners earlier Thursday, Boston moved 3½ games ahead of New York in the AL East. The Red Sox led by as many as 5½ and as few as 1½ games in August.
The Red Sox have won five in a row overall and 19 of 20 at home. They've also scored at least seven runs in each of their last 14 games at Fenway Park. But they've needed almost all of them -- in nine of those games, they've given up six runs or more.
Boston rallied from a 5-0 deficit on Tuesday and trailed 5-1 on Wednesday before winning both games 7-6. The Red Sox trailed 2-0 and 4-2 on Thursday night before scoring one in the fifth, and then Olerud hit a three-run shot in the sixth to give Boston its first lead of the game.
Arroyo (11-9) allowed four runs and nine hits. He struck out six in seven innings for his first win since Aug. 10.
"I just tried to stay focused, thinking about [Tim] Wakefield last night being able to come back from a five-run deficit and get a win," Arroyo said. "It's been like that for us for a while. The starting pitching hasn't locked it down like it did earlier in the year, so I just tried to hang in there."
Jonathan Papelbon worked a scoreless eighth before giving up consecutive singles to start the ninth. Mike Timlin got three outs for his fifth save.
Doug Waechter (5-9) allowed six runs -- five earned -- and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings.
"The last three games have all been carbon copies of themselves in a way. We took the lead and they came back. They added [runs], and for the most part we didn't," Tampa Bay manager Lou Piniella said.
"It's good, professional hitting, and that's what they have over there. They have a ton of it. Look at their bench. Their bench could play regularly on a lot of clubs. Thank God we don't come in here any more," he said.
When Waechter departed with one out in the seventh, the Devil Rays set a major-league record by going 135 games into the season without a complete game.
Jonny Gomes homered in the second to give the Devil Rays a 2-0 lead, but Olerud matched the two-run shot in the bottom half. Tampa Bay went up 4-2 in the fourth on Travis Lee's two-run homer.
Edgar Renteria hit a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to one run in the fifth. In the sixth, Trot Nixon hit a leadoff single, Jason Varitek walked and, one out later, Olerud hit his fifth homer of the season.
Game notesAfter the game, the Red Sox named Lenny DiNardo as Friday's starter. ... Mann Ramirez sat out because Francona said his legs looked tired. ... Tampa Bay recalled right-hander Lance Carter from Triple-A Durham. ... Boston activated right-hander Keith Foulke from the 15-day disabled list; recalled infielder Alejandro Machado from Triple-A; purchased the contract of left-hander Matt Perisho from Triple-A; and added right-hander Chad Harville to the active roster. ... Julio Lugo tried to steal second in the first inning -- just the third baserunner to try stealing against Arroyo. Only the Cubs' Corey Patterson has succeeded. ... Tampa Bay was swept for a club-record 13th time this season. ... Arroyo's 11 wins are a career high. ... The Red Sox are 26-26 against AL East foes.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/

Wild pitch brings home winning run

TORONTO -- Gregg Zaun didn't get a hit all night, but he still helped bring home the winning run.
Zaun unwittingly distracted Tampa Bay reliever Joe Borowski by trying to call time out with Shea Hillenbrand at third base in the eighth inning. Home plate umpire Larry Vanover didn't grant Zaun's request and Borowski uncorked a wild pitch that tipped off catcher Toby Hall's glove, allowing Hillenbrand to score the winning run as the Toronto Blue Jays rallied past the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 4-3 on Friday.
"That's a tough way to lose," said Borowski (1-2), who admitted Zaun had thrown him off. "I wasn't sure what it was but you have to keep going."
Zaun said he asked for time because he was having trouble seeing, not as a veteran ploy to distract Borowski, his one-time minor league roommate.
"Definitely not," he said. "I was having enough trouble up there just trying to put the barrel on the ball. With two strikes in that situation it's definitely not time to get tricky or anything like that. We just happened to get lucky.
"Thank goodness for us it worked out or we might still be playing."
Trailing 3-2, Vernon Wells and Hillenbrand opened the Toronto eighth with back-to-back singles. Pinch-hitter Russ Adams dropped down a bunt and Borowski looked at third before throwing late to first, allowing Adams to reach safely.
Scott Schoeneweis (3-3) picked up the win by retiring Aubrey Huff to leave two runners stranded in the eighth.
Miguel Batista earned his 25th save by getting Julio Lugo to pop out, leaving runners at the corners in the ninth.
"We really needed that win, especially coming from behind like that," Zaun said.
Toronto starter Scott Downs recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts over seven-plus innings. He struck out five of the game's first eight batters, including four straight at one point. The 29-year-old lefty allowed all three runs on five hits and walked two.
The 11 strikeouts are a Blue Jays season high. Roy Halladay struck out 10 on May 29 against Minnesota and Ted Lilly matched that on June 20 against Baltimore.
"I'm not a strikeout pitcher," Downs said. "There are just some days when things are going well and it just all falls into place."
Downs' only miscue came in the third when he surrendered a two-out, three run home run to Jorge Cantu, his 23rd.
"The one Cantu hit wasn't a bad pitch, he's just a strong kid," Downs said. "Tonight with the wind blowing out it didn't take a whole lot."
Toronto got one back in the bottom of the third when Alex Rios singled, went to third on a double by Frank Menechino and scored on Reed Johnson's ground-out.
Menechino pulled Toronto to within one with a solo home run to left in the fifth, his fourth. The blast snapped a streak of 69 innings without a homer for the Blue Jays, who averaged just 2.4 runs a game over that span.

Source: http://www.canada.com/

Braves use big innings to rout Reds

ATLANTA -- Looking at the Braves' schedule, an early September series against the Reds wouldn't seem nearly as vital as the remaining ones they have against their division opponents. But being a veteran of numerous pennant races, Chipper Jones saw importance in this weekend.
With the four teams that trail them in the National League East playing divisional games this weekend, Jones knew the Braves had a chance to push further away from at least a couple of them. His hustle, combined with Jeff Francoeur's latest homer and another Marcus Giles double, allowed them to move one step closer toward making a 14th consecutive division title a reality.
Francoeur's three-run homer highlighted a five-run third inning and Giles' two-run double capped a four-run sixth inning that allowed the Braves to cruise to a 9-3 win over the Reds at Turner Field on Saturday night.
"When everybody is clicking, we can put a lot of runs on the board," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "They've been clicking pretty good right now."
With their seventh win in nine games against the Reds this year, the Braves earned their first three-game winning streak since claiming victory in their final six July games, and they extended their division lead over the second-place Phillies to five games when Philadelphia lost to Washington in extra innings. When they attempt to sweep this three-game set on Sunday afternoon, they're hopeful that Francoeur will be in the lineup.
During the four-run sixth inning, Brian Shackelford threw pitches that hit Francoeur on the left ankle and Julio Franco on the left knee. Francoeur left the game after the inning. But after being examined, it was determined he didn't need X-rays and that he could possibly play in the series finale.
"I feel fortunate, getting out of here the way it was," Francoeur said. "When you get hit in the ankle, it could have been a whole lot worse. I'd like to [play on Sunday afternoon]."
Fortunately for the Braves, Francoeur had already done plenty of damage with his three-run homer off Reds starter Luke Hudson. The opposite-field shot landed in the Braves' bullpen in right-center field.
"It felt good," Francoeur said. "I feel like lately I've been able to see it a little better. I'm waiting for my pitches again. When you do that, most of the time you'll hit."
Francoeur wouldn't have had the opportunity to drill his 12th homer if Jones hadn't hustled to first base to beat out a potential inning-ending double play. His grounder scored Jorge Sosa and, more importantly, prolonged the inning long enough for four more runs to score.
After Jones reached, he raced from first to score on Andruw Jones' RBI double into the left-field corner. Two batters later, Francoeur sent Hudson's 2-0 delivery over the wall in right-center field.
The early advantage was gladly accepted by Sosa, who began Atlanta's third inning with his second career hit -- a broken-bat single. The right-hander allowed three runs -- two earned -- and four hits in five innings. Three of the four walks he issued came in Cincinnati's two-run fourth inning.
Sosa's control problems were partly due to a strained hamstring that he suffered when he tripped while running from second to third base in the third inning. He doesn't believe the ailment will force him to miss his next scheduled start. That's good news for the Braves, who have won 11 of the 15 games he's started.
"He did fine until the one inning, after he did the running," Cox said. "He wasn't wild wild. He was missing by just a tad."
After Sosa exited, the Braves' bullpen shut the Reds down for the second consecutive night. Blaine Boyer, John Foster, Macay McBride and Jim Brower combined to allow just one baserunner during the final four innings.
Unfortunately for the Reds, their bullpen didn't give them a chance to keep the game close. Shackelford walked Adam LaRoche to begin the sixth, and then he hit Francoeur. Two outs later, he loaded the bases by hitting Franco.
That prompted the entry of Todd Coffey, who allowed Rafael Furcal to deliver a two-run single that was followed by Giles' two-run double off the left-field wall. With 41 doubles, the veteran second baseman needs just eight more to match the Atlanta single-season record he set in 2003.

Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/

Devil Rays edge past Blue Jays 3-2

TORONTO - Travis Lee hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the ninth inning that led the Tampa Bay Devil Rays over the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 Saturday and stopped a five-game losing streak.
Jorge Cantu singled off Josh Towers leading off the ninth. Scott Schoeneweis relieved and got Aubrey Huff to ground out, and Miguel Batista (5-6) came in and retired Jonny Gomes on a flyout.
Lee fell behind in the count 0-2, then homered to right to overcome a 2-1 deficit.
Seth McClung (6-8) allowed just two runs and two hits in eight innings, struck out six and walked three. He had just returned to the team after attending the funeral of his grandmother.
Danys Baez pitched a perfect ninth for his 32nd save.
Towers allowed two runs - one earned - and in eight-plus innings.
McClung took a no-hit bid into the sixth, when he walked Gabe Gross and gave up an RBI triple to Orlando Hudson. Russ Adams followed with an RBI grounder to first. with Lee unable to throw out Hudson at the plate.
Tampa Bay scored its first run in the third in the third after Alex Gonzalez reached on shortstop Russ Adams' fielding error and Joey Gathright singled. One batter later, Carl Crawford hit an RBI single.
Notes: Baltimore's Bruce Chen and Chris Ray pitched a two-hitter against Toronto last Wednesday. ... The Devil Rays are in the midst of playing 22 straight games against the AL East. ... The Blue Jays have won just five of their last 15. ... The Devil Rays had won nine of 12 before the slide.

Source: http://www.kentucky.com/