Baseball Capsules: Yanks' Pettitte goes 4 neat innings in rehab start
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New York Yankees left-hander Andy Pettitte pitched four shutout innings in a minor league rehab start Thursday night and said it felt good to be back on the mound.
Pettitte allowed two hits and struck out four in Double-A Trenton's Eastern League playoff game against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. He had 37 strikes among his 51 pitches.
"I want to get back," he said after detouring to the bullpen for an additional 14 pitches. "I want to pitch in the big leagues as soon as I can and help my club. I feel I can give us a pretty decent four or five innings my next time out if I have to make a big league start."
A healthy Pettitte is considered crucial to the Yanks' chances of repeating as World Series champions. The 38-year-old is 11-2 with a 2.88 ERA in 18 starts with New York this year.
The location of Pettitte's next outing could depend on how well Trenton does in the postseason. The Thunder won 1-0 Thursday night on Rene Rivera's homer in the 12th inning and lead 2-0 in the best-of-five playoff series.
Pettitte hasn't appeared in a major league game since July 18 because of a strained left groin and said he still needs to build stamina.
But he was generally happy with his control, particularly his ability to locate his fastball down and away for strikes. He also was pleased with his curveball, but not so much with his changeup, which accounted for one of his two wild pitches.
"It was a step in the right direction," he said. "I feel my stuff will get better each time I get out there."
The Yankees are closely watching Pettitte's progress in light of the continued ineffectiveness of starters A.J. Burnett and Javier Vazquez, and the recent inconsistency of Phil Hughes.
Pettitte bought steaks for his new teammates in keeping with a tradition of rehabbing major leaguers treating the minor leaguers to a clubhouse feast. He said he wasn't displeased that his well-fed squad failed to score for him.
"The other guy threw the ball pretty well, too," he said, referring to New Hampshire right-hander Zach Stewart.
A season-high crowd of 8,072 watched the game at Mercer County Waterfront Park.
Pettitte said he's anxious to return to the Yankees.
"You feel like a zero when you're not contributing, and you're on the DL," he said.
Tigers' Galarraga says Joyce reunion not big deal
DETROIT (AP) — Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga is ho-hum about being on the mound for the first time with umpire Jim Joyce since their infamous moment together.
"It will be no big deal," Galarraga said Thursday morning.
Galarraga is the probable pitcher and Joyce is scheduled to be behind the plate Friday night when Detroit hosts Baltimore.
"Apprehensive, but also kind of excited about it," Joyce said Wednesday night in Pittsburgh.
Joyce cost Galarraga a perfect game on June 2 when blew a call at first base, signaling Cleveland's Jason Donald safe on what should've been the game-ending out.
The veteran and respected umpire acknowledged he made the wrong call after the game and sought out Galarraga to apologize.
Joyce and Galarraga hugged the next day on the field and both have been praised for how they handed an unfortunate situation.
The Venezuelan right-hander doesn't expect anything special to happen between him and Joyce before, during or after the series opener against the Orioles.
"I'll probably say, 'Hi,' like I do to everybody," Galarraga said.
Joyce said he wasn't aware Galarraga was pitching Friday until being told by The Associated Press.
"I've seen him since, I've talked to him," he said. "The only difference is I'm not going to be at first base, I'm going to be at home plate."
-- Larry Lage
Blue Jays claim RHP Buchholz from Colorado
TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays have claimed right-hander Taylor Buchholz off waivers from the Colorado Rockies.
The 28-year-old Buchholz was designated for assignment on Tuesday. He was 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in seven relief appearances with the Rockies.
Buchholz started the season in the minors while recovering from elbow ligament replacement surgery in 2009. He has a career record of 19-21 with one save and a 4.42 ERA over four seasons with Houston and Colorado.
The Blue Jays also moved righty Jesse Litsch to the 60-day disabled list on Thursday. He had season-ending hip surgery in early August and won't be ready until spring training.
Red Sox claim Matt Fox off waivers from Twins
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Boston Red Sox have claimed right-hander Matt Fox off waivers from the Minnesota Twins.
The Twins announced the news on Thursday.
Fox made only one appearance for Minnesota, an emergency start last Friday after the Twins exhausted their bullpen and used three starting pitchers the previous night. It was quite the appearance, too, a major league debut of 5 2-3 innings, four hits and two runs allowed in a game the Twins won 4-3. He left the mound to a standing ovation.
Fox was designated for assignment on Sunday and removed from the 40-man roster to make room for outfielder Ben Revere, who was brought up from Double-A the same day.
Fox went 6-9 with a 3.95 ERA in 123 innings for Triple-A Rochester.
Silicon Valley leaders endorse A's San Jose move
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — In an open letter to baseball commissioner Bud Selig, some 75 Silicon Valley leaders have endorsed moving the Oakland Athletics to San Jose.
The two-page letter assembled by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group is designed as a show of unity and corporate might. Signatures include such chief executives as Cisco Systems' John Chambers, Yahoo's Carol Bartz, eBay's John Donahoe and SunPower's Tom Werner.
Mayor Chuck Reed told the San Jose Mercury News that it's good to remind Selig of the corporate support in the area.
While the San Francisco Giants hold the territorial rights to San Jose, Selig could soon make recommendations on how to proceed. He formed a committee to study the issue and has regularly said the run-down Oakland Coliseum isn't a viable long-term option for the small-market A's.
White Sox activate Putz from disabled list
DETROIT (AP) — The Chicago White Sox activated reliever J.J. Putz from the disabled list before Thursday's game against the Detroit Tigers.
Putz had been sidelined since Aug. 25 with tendinitis in his right knee. He is 6-5 with a 2.88 ERA in 50 games this season. He has struck out 55 in 47 innings.
National Leagues
Phillies sitting in a familiar spot — first place
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Charlie Manuel scoffed every time someone mentioned the Philadelphia Phillies and wild card in the same breath.
When others thought the Phillies may have to settle for a wild-card spot this season, their skipper never wavered. He insisted his team would never concede the division until it ran out of games.
Here they are now sitting atop the NL East standings with 21 games left. The Phillies have erased a seven-game deficit and have a one-game lead over the Atlanta Braves, who lost 11-4 to St. Louis on Thursday night.
Just as he cautioned that the race wasn't over when the Phillies were trailing Atlanta by a big margin on July 22, Manuel isn't ready to start setting up his formidable postseason rotation until they've clinched.
"We haven't made the playoffs yet," Manuel said. "We definitely want to win our division and we'd like to have home-field advantage. Our ultimate goal is to get to the World Series, but first we've got to get in."
The Phillies' pursuit of a fourth straight division title and third consecutive NL championship has been a struggle mainly because they've had to overcome numerous injuries. They've also had major problems on offense with several players producing below their usual standards. Part of that inconsistency can be blamed on so many guys being out of the lineup.
Six of Philadelphia's eight regulars have spent time on the disabled list, including former MVPs Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins. Five-time All-Star Chase Utley was sidelined for a significant stretch, and Shane Victorino, Placido Polanco and Carlos Ruiz also missed time.
Polanco said Thursday he is playing with a small break in his left elbow, but is postponing surgery until after the season because of the pennant race.
Rollins, a three-time All-Star shortstop, had two stints on the DL because of a calf injury and left Wednesday night's game with tightness in his right hamstring. He's played in just 82 games, and is day to day heading into a weekend series at the New York Mets.
Utley missed 43 games because of a thumb injury, Howard missed 16 with an ankle sprain, and closer Brad Lidge was on the DL twice and currently has a sore elbow. The Phillies have missed a total of 511 man games to injury, according to STATS LLC. Overall, they've had 17 players out.
During a nearly two-week stretch in August, Howard, Utley and Victorino were absent. Still, the Phillies found ways to win. They're 33-14 since opening the second half with six losses in seven games.
"You have to attribute that to the guys we have on the roster and the guys we had available," Manuel said. "They stepped up and did the job when called upon. The guys we had that filled in for the injured players got big hits and made big plays in the right moment and they definitely played a big part in where we're at."
The key reason for Philadelphia's success has been pitching, especially their top three starters.
Roy Halladay has lived up to enormous expectations. He's 17-10 with a 2.36 ERA and eight complete games, including a perfect game against Florida on May 29. Cole Hamels has been outstanding despite a 10-10 record. The 2008 World Series MVP has a 3.06 ERA and hasn't allowed a run in his last 25 innings. Roy Oswalt, acquired from Houston before the trade deadline, is 5-1 with a 2.30 ERA in eight starts for the Phillies.
If the Phillies hang onto first place or even if they have to sneak into the playoffs as the wild-card winner, they'll be tough to beat because the Halladay-Hamels-Oswalt trio might be the best threesome in the majors.
"I compare it to '04 and '05 with Roger (Clemens) and Andy (Pettitte)," Oswalt said of his days with Houston. "It seems like it pushes you more when you have guys go out there and throw seven (innings) every time out. It's kind of an in-house competition to push each other and see how good each other can be."
-- Rob Maaddi
Phillies 3B Polanco playing with broken elbow
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Phillies third baseman Placido Polanco is playing with a small break in his left elbow, but is postponing surgery until after the season because Philadelphia is in a pennant race.
Polanco is batting .308 with six homers and 47 RBIs for the surging Phillies, who lead the NL East by a game over the Atlanta Braves.
"I have a broken elbow, but it is rather small and will be operated on at the end of the year," Polanco told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "It is something minor, less than half an hour (the surgery), and rehabilitation will take only a month. I have not been operated on before because I would have lost the season if I did it."
The 34-year-old Polanco spent time on the disabled list earlier this season with elbow inflammation.
"Sometimes I don't have the same power to swing and as I have been compensating for the elbow I have caused a bit of tendinitis in my forearm," he said.
Phillies claim RHP Carrillo off waivers
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies have claimed right-hander Cesar Carrillo off waivers from San Diego and designated left-hander Nate Robertson for assignment.
The NL East leaders also placed right-hander Scott Mathieson on the 15-day disabled list with a back strain on Thursday. He appeared in two games this season.
Carrillo was 5-14 with a 5.60 ERA in 27 starts for Triple-A Portland. He made three starts for the Padres last year.
Padres' Hairston Jr. optimistic after throwing
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Padres infielder Jerry Hairston Jr. threw for the first time since going on the disabled list and said he's optimistic about getting back on the field.
Hairston was pleased after making 30-40 throws at about 80 percent velocity.
"I wouldn't be smiling, believe me," Hairston said. "I can't hide my emotions. If I didn't feel good, I'd probably be sulking somewhere right now. It felt pretty good. I'm a little bit shocked, to be honest with you, but it's a good thing.
"When you're young, you heal fast, right?" the 34-year-old joked.
He's eligible to be activated on Sunday.
A key contributor for the NL West-leading Padres, Hairston has been on the DL with a sprained right elbow since Aug. 28. Thursday was the first time he picked up a ball since going on the DL.
"I've never had arm problems before in my life, and I've been throwing since I was probably 2 years old," he said. "To have this issue come up, I was a little bit surprised. But I guess when you play a long time, not just up in the big leagues, but when you've been playing since Little League, high school, whatever, sometimes the unusual arises. I'm hoping it's past me and we'll be careful with it and hopeful I'll be ready to go."
Hairston filled in at shortstop while Everth Cabrera was on the DL twice, and at second base when David Eckstein was hurt.
Hairston is hitting .249 with 10 homers and 50 RBIs.
-- Bernie Wilson
Cook leaves game after being hit in leg by liner
DENVER (AP) — Colorado Rockies manager Jim Tracy says he's not sure whether injured Aaron Cook will be able to pitch again this season.
Cook sustained a fracture in his lower right leg when he was hit by a line drive off the bat of Cincinnati's Joey Votto on Wednesday night.
It is a non-displaced fracture, and Tracy says that Cook is not necessarily done for the year.
Tracy says Jeff Francis will start Monday in place of Cook when the Rockies play San Diego. Francis has been out since Aug. 11 with soreness in his left biceps. He made one rehab start at Triple-A.
The Rockies went into Thursday trailing San Diego by 4½ games in the NL West and also 4½ games behind Atlanta for the wild card.
Both Leagues
Minor league pitcher Gorgen goes to Arizona
PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks have acquired right-hander Matt Gorgen from Tampa Bay to complete the trade that sent reliever Chad Qualls to the Rays.
Qualls was traded to Tampa Bay on July 31 for a player to be named.
Gorgen, a 23-year-old right-hander, was 3-2 with a 1.65 ERA and tied for the Southern League lead with 22 saves for Class Double-A Montgomery. He struck out 47 and walked 21 in 42 appearances.
Over three seasons in the Tampa Bay farm system, Gorgen is 11-4 with 54 saves and a 1.45 ERA. Opponents hit .167 against him.
College
Miami baseball player found with marijuana, HGH
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — A Miami baseball player was arrested and charged with trying to sell marijuana to undercover officers on university grounds, and police later found 19 vials of human growth hormone at his apartment.
Frank Ratcliff, 19, of Key West, Fla. was charged Thursday with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana and possession of a controlled substance, police said.
Ratcliff was freed on bond Thursday afternoon. It was not immediately known if he retained an attorney, and court records did not indicate if his next court appearance has been scheduled.
Ratcliff was suspended indefinitely from all athletic activities, the university said in a release, declining further comment.
Acting on a tip, undercover Coral Gables police officers allegedly arranged to purchase 21 grams of marijuana from Ratcliff for $220 on Wednesday, said Officer Kelly Denham. After Ratcliff went to retrieve the marijuana, he was placed under arrest without incident and later consented to a search of his apartment.
There, Denham said, officers found another 101 grams of marijuana, plus 19 vials of Hygetropin, a synthetic form of HGH.
Denham said the most serious charge is the one relating to selling marijuana on school grounds, which under Florida law carries a minimum three-year prison sentence if found guilty.
"When you sell on school grounds, any school grounds, you're going away for three years minimum," Denham said. "People need to think about what they do."
The officers did not go to Ratcliff's apartment expecting to find any performance-enhancing drugs, Denham said. The tip police received only was related to marijuana sales on campus.
"That was a shock," Denham said.
Ratcliff appeared in 57 games for the Hurricanes as a freshman infielder last season, 52 of them as a starter. He batted .276 with six homers and 29 RBIs, plus led the team with six triples.
Miami does not open fall practice for the 2011 season until mid-October.
-- Tim Reynolds
