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MLB Capsules - NL: Myers retires 17 in row in win over Dodgers
LOS ANGELES (AP) — All Brett Myers wanted was to get back to his old form and give Houston's bullpen some well-deserved rest.
He did both against the reeling Los Angeles Dodgers.
Myers pitched a four-hitter and retired 17 consecutive batters in the first complete game by Houston's staff this season, leading the Astros to a 7-3 victory on Friday night.
"I know our bullpen has been throwing a lot this past week," Myers said. "Tonight I was able to keep my pitch count down and get a chance to go out and pitch in the ninth. We scored some runs and that made it a lot easier to pitch. I went right after those guys and didn't worry about giving up hits. I just let them swing. It's a lot better to pitch ahead in the count than behind."
Facing the Dodgers for the first time since the 2008 NL championship series with Philadelphia, Myers (3-6) threw 98 pitches and went the distance for the 11th time in 231 career starts — after going 1-6 with a 6.16 ERA in his previous 10 outings.
The right-hander struck out six, allowing a first-inning sacrifice fly by Matt Kemp and a two-run homer in the ninth by Andre Ethier after an error by first baseman Brett Wallace.
"They were really aggressive tonight, and I was able to hit my spots and not make too many mistakes," Myers said. "I made good pitchers in hitters' counts and they made quick outs. That's the key to pitching."
It was the first complete game victory by an Astros pitcher since Aug. 30, 2010, when J.A. Happ beat St. Louis 3-0 with a two-hitter at Houston. And it came in just their fourth game since pitching coach Brad Arnsberg was fired and replaced with Doug Brocail, who began the season as a special assistant to general manager Ed Wade.
"I think he was a man on a mission today," Brocail said. "It had nothing to do with Doug Brocail. When he left the bullpen, I was like, 'Man, our bullpen might not have to get up tonight.' And he proved it. He got a lot of first-pitch swings. It was awesome to see him work as fast as he did and as confident as he was.
"I saw a lot of the Brett Myers we saw last year — working down in the zone, throwing his sinker, pitching off of his fastball, going right at guys and making the hitter aggressive. That can only lead to success."
Myers' streak of consecutive outs was sandwiched by a pair of James Loney singles, one in the first and the other in the seventh. Aaron Miles singled for the other Los Angeles hit. The Dodgers lost their fourth straight and are nine games under .500 for the first time since 2005, when the team finished with a 71-91 record.
"We need to turn it around, that's for sure," manager Don Mattingly said. We are definitely not going to concede anything. These things can snowball. I've been on a couple of clubs where we just didn't seem to put anything together. But it's going to be up to us not allow that to happen."
Ted Lilly (5-6) was charged with six runs — five earned — and eight hits over 5 1-3 innings in his 300th major league start. The 35-year-old left-hander, pitching on five days rest after an 11-7 victory at Colorado last Saturday, has yet to win consecutive starts this season.
"I was throwing the ball as well as I have all year, I thought," Lilly said. "But I made a couple of mistakes with some fastballs, especially to (Keppinger) to lead off the inning, and it kind of snowballed from there."
The Astros snapped a 1-1 tie with five runs in the sixth. Carlos Lee had a go-ahead RBI single and Clint Barmes drove in two more with an opposite-field double that landed just inside the right field line with the bases loaded.
Rookie John Lindblom relieved Lilly with the bases full after an intentional walk to Carlos Corporan, and two more runs scored when second baseman Miles smothered Jason Bourgeois' single toward the middle and tried for the force at second, but threw wildly past shortstop Dee Gordon as Barmes scored behind Wallace.
Myers walked his first batter on four pitches, and Dee Gordon scored on Kemp's sacrifice fly. The Astros tied it in the fourth on Chris Johnson's RBI double. Johnson also singled during Houston's big sixth inning. Johnson came in with only one hit in 18 at-bats against Dodgers pitching — a go-ahead, three-run homer against Lilly in a 3-2 Astros win over Los Angeles on Sept. 9, 2010 at Houston.
Notes: Myers' last complete game was on July 27, 2010 — against Lilly in Lilly's final start with the Chicago Cubs. ... Both teams were swept in their previous series, the Dodgers by Cincinnati and the Astros by Pittsburgh. ... Mattingly planned to huddle with struggling RHP Chad Billingsley and pitching coach Rick Honeycutt to discuss the reasons for Billingsley's 11.19 ERA over his previous three starts. "There's too many balls in the middle of the plate," Mattingly said. "The other day, he was just firing — and that's what I was upset about. Bills is one of those guys who throws harder and harder when he's struggling instead of throwing quality pitches. But there's days when you don't have that good stuff, so you've got to make an adjustment and pitch a little differently. I mean, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result." ... Lee and Bourgeois both stole second against Dodgers backup C Dioner Navarro, improving the Astros' major league-best stolen base percentage to 85.9 (61 for 71). Opponents are 5 for 16 against Navarro, who threw out Lee in the seventh.
Pence working to bring Astros out of cellar
HOUSTON (AP) — Hunter Pence ranks in the top five in the National League in batting average, RBIs, doubles and hits. His recent 23-game hitting streak is the second longest in the majors this season.
So why is Houston's star right fielder unhappy? Simple. His success hasn't translated into more wins for the Astros, who have the worst record in baseball.
"We're professional competitors," he said. "The burden is, we as a team feel like we're letting the city down. I owe everything and I'm very grateful for all the blessings that baseball has brought me, and I'm not going to do anything other than give everything I have every day. That's who I am at the core."
The Astros haven't made the playoffs since reaching their first World Series in 2005. Pence began his major league career in 2007 and hates that he hasn't been able to get Houston to the postseason.
"I feel guilty that we haven't been in the playoffs since I've been here and I have to take that personal," he said. "It just motivates me further to go harder, to be more persistent, to learn more, to focus more and in the end it's going to make me a better person."
It would be difficult for the 28-year-old Pence to do more for the team than what he's done this season. Going into Friday's games, his .326 batting average was fourth in the NL, his 93 hits ranked second and he was tied for fourth with 51 RBIs.
He dislikes talking about personal success and seemed to cringe each time he was asked about extending his hitting streak. Manager Brad Mills said that attitude is one of the many reasons he's successful.
"He's going to give everything he has to help the ball club win and when the ball club isn't winning, it bothers him," Mills said. "Him always keeping faced forward and working on getting going in this direction rather than reflecting back is probably one of the qualities that keeps him playing so well and doing so well."
Pence had 91 RBIs and 173 hits last season, both career highs. If he continues at his current pace he'll significantly outdo those numbers this season.
"He's just continued to build on what's already been a very significant big league career," general manager Ed Wade said. "I think he's turned some very significant corners this year. We see longer at bats. We see him laying off pitches he had trouble laying off of in the past. I just think he's getting more comfortable in his surroundings and I think the results speak for themselves."
With Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell retiring in recent years, Pence truly became the de facto face and leader of this young team last July when longtime stars Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt were traded.
It's a role the fifth-year player from Arlington, Texas, had to grow into.
"My role and what I feel on the inside and what I want to do is everything I can to help this team win," he said. "I know that it entails helping some of the young guys."
Wade said he and Pence talked about leadership two offseasons ago and at that time the player told him he knew his time would eventually come. Wade told him if he saw a void, then maybe it was his turn to fill it.
To that end, Pence spent much of this offseason at Minute Maid Park working out with younger players including Brett Wallace and Chris Johnson.
"I think Hunter's interested in spending that extra time that it takes not only to make himself better individually, but the team also," Wade said. "He has a great passion for us to get this thing straightened out and headed in the right direction."
Wallace said Pence has been a major factor in helping him adjust to the majors. His .316 batting average in his first full season in the big leagues ranks fifth in the NL.
"Working out with him this offseason we saw the way he goes about his business, how hard he works, the energy he plays with and he just kind of instilled that in us and I think it carried into this season," Wallace said. "We are all really comfortable with him and he can give us pointers along the way, but he also just leads by example with his energy and passion."
Pence has missed just one game this season, to rest a sore back. He didn't want to sit out that day and campaigned to pinch hit.
"He wants to be out there," Mills said. "You love guys like that and if you have nine guys like that it would be pretty special."
Two straight seasons of finishing near the bottom of the NL Central hasn't dampened Pence's attitude. He tends to remind his teammates that baseball has a long season, with room to get better.
"We're going to continue to try to win together," Pence said. "It's not all about today, it's about learning the process and growing and by the end of the season maybe everyone looks at it like: 'Whoa, what just happened? Where did they come from?' The Astros have had a history of doing that and we've got to get the young guys on board to see that that's going to happen if they stick to the process of doing the right thing."
-- Kristie Rieken
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Valencia powers Twins as Mauer returns
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Danny Valencia welcomed Joe Mauer back to Minnesota with a three-run home run in the first inning Friday, and the Twins held on to beat the San Diego Padres 6-5 for their fifth straight win.
Mauer played for the first time since April 12, the leg problems finally behind him. Greeted with a standing ovation before his first at-bat, Mauer hit an RBI single, but he later grounded into a double play and left five men on base. The Twins have won 12 of their last 14 games.
Brian Duensing (4-6) picked up the victory with six effective if inefficient innings, and the Padres lost for the sixth time in seven games despite a 4-for-5 performance by Chase Headley. He drove in two runs, and Ryan Ludwick hit a three-run homer in the seventh.
Clayton Richard (2-9) lost his fifth straight decision, a career-longest streak. He gave up five runs in the first inning.
Glen Perkins, making his first appearance for the Twins since May 21, struck out two in a scoreless eighth. Matt Capps followed with a perfect ninth for his 10th save, in 15 attempts this season.
Mauer, the three-time American League batting champion and ever the patient hitter, predictably took the first pitch he saw from Richard. He drove in the game's first run with a bouncer up the middle and scored on Michael Cuddyer's broken-bat bloop ground-rule double, before a walk by Delmon Young and the big hit by Valencia gave the Twins a 5-0 advantage.
That hit raised Mauer's batting average 22 points, a strange sight for a June night.
Rockies 13, Tigers 6
DENVER (AP) — Chris Nelson hit his first major league home run during a six-run second inning and Carlos Gonzalez homered and doubled to drive in four runs for Colorado.
Rookie Charlie Blackmon added four hits and two RBIs, helping to fuel the Rockies' second-highest scoring output of the season and improve their winning percentage in interleague competition to .620 (49-30) since 2006, tops in the NL in that span.
Jason Hammel (4-6) weathered Jhonny Peralta's grand slam in the sixth to win for the first time since April 30, snapping a string of five consecutive losing decisions. He allowed six runs on eight hits in 6 1-3 innings and walked four with two strikeouts.
The Rockies, who won their third in a row, did most of their damage against Detroit starter Rick Porcello (6-5), who allowed nine runs — six earned — in three innings. He walked two and struck out none.
Nationals 8, Orioles 4
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jerry Hairston doubled in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning and Washington extended its winning streak to seven games despite giving up a season-high 18 hits.
Roger Bernadina homered and Ian Desmond had two hits and two RBIs for the Nationals, whose seven-game run is their longest since the final week of the 2009 season. Hairston had three hits and scored twice.
Derrek Lee went 5 for 5, and Adam Jones and Nick Markakis had four hits apiece for the Orioles. But Baltimore stranded 12 and went 4 for 14 with runners in scoring position.
The game, dubbed the Battle of the Beltways, attracted a crowd of 35,562. The Nationals entered the weekend averaging 21,735 per contest.
Washington went up 7-4 with a three-run sixth. Wilson Ramos drew a leadoff walk off Jeremy Accardo (3-3) and Hairston followed with an RBI double. Accardo then walked pitcher Sean Burnett (3-3) on four pitches, and Jayson Werth singled in a run before Desmond hit a sacrifice fly.
That was enough to dispatch the Orioles, who got at least one hit in every inning.
Royals 5, Cardinals 4
ST. LOUIS (AP) — First baseman Albert Pujols made a fielding error with two outs in the eighth, allowing the tiebreaking run to score from second base and St. Louis lost its seventh straight.
Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter appeared to have pitched around a walk to Mike Moustakas leading off the inning when he induced Alcides Escobar to hit a grounder to Pujols. But the ball went under Pujols' glove. Moustakas, who had advanced to second on a sacrifice by Matt Treanor, scored to break a 4-all tie and spoil manager Tony La Russa's 2,500th game with the Cardinals.
Blake Wood (3-0) pitched a scoreless seventh inning for Kansas City. Joakim Soria worked the ninth for his 11th save in 16 chances.
Carpenter (1-7) allowed 10 hits and four runs over eight innings. He struck out seven and walked one. Lance Berkman drove in three runs for the Cardinals with a bases-loaded double in the third.
Angels 4, Mets 3
NEW YORK (AP) — Peter Bourjos hit a tiebreaking double and turned in a sensational catch to help Joel Pineiro nail down his 100th major league win.
Hard-throwing rookie Jordan Walden walked his first two batters in the ninth inning, then struck out the next three to hold on.
Torii Hunter had three hits, including an RBI single, while Maicer Izturis and Howie Kendrick each scored twice. The Angels, who had lost seven of 10, used some slick defense to improve to 27-10 in interleague road games since 2007 — the best mark in the majors.
Los Angeles has won 28 of its last 40 overall against National League teams.
Pineiro (3-3) had failed six times to earn win No. 100 since his previous victory May 10 against the Chicago White Sox. But he ran into the right opponent Friday, pitching 6 1-3 solid innings to up his record against the Mets to 4-0 with a shutout in seven career starts.
The right-hander, who allowed two runs and six hits, shook off an early line drive to his leg and held nemesis Jose Reyes in check.
Rangers 6, Braves 2
ATLANTA (AP) — Colby Lewis and Nelson Cruz shook off slumps, Josh Hamilton hit a two-run homer and Texas protected its lead in the AL West.
Cruz, who had been 0 for 18 with 10 strikeouts in his last five games, drove in three runs with two doubles. Hamilton had four hits and drove in three runs, including a run-scoring single in the ninth.
Lewis (6-7) recovered after two ugly losses in which he gave up a combined 15 runs on 17 hits in only 4 2-3 innings. The right-hander gave up two runs on five hits in 6 2-3 innings while matching his career high with 10 strikeouts.
Lewis gave up homers to Brian McCann in the fourth and Freddie Freeman in the sixth.
Texas began the night with a half-game lead over Seattle in the AL West. The Rangers snapped a five-game losing streak with their first win in four tries at Turner Field.
Right-hander Randall Delgado (0-1), recalled from Double-A Mississippi, gave up seven hits and four runs, three earned. He was knocked out without recording an out in the Rangers' four-run fifth, when Hamilton hit his fifth homer.
Red Sox 10, Brewers 4
BOSTON (AP) — John Lackey retired 15 straight batters after a shaky start, Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz had three hits each and Boston won for the 12th time in 13 games.
Tied at 4 in the fifth inning, the Red Sox went ahead to stay on Gonzalez's leadoff homer. They added two runs in the sixth and three in the seventh.
Boston increased its AL East lead to 2½ games over the New York Yankees, who lost 3-1 to the Chicago Cubs. Milwaukee's lead in the NL Central was cut to a half game over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Lackey (5-5) improved to 3-0 since coming off the disabled list. He gave up four runs before getting an out in the third. Then second baseman Dustin Pedroia started a double play, starting Lackey's hitless streak that ended when Nyjer Morgan singled in the eighth.
Milwaukee starter Shaun Marcum left the game after the first with a strained left hip flexor and was replaced by Marco Estrada (1-4).
Indians 5, Pirates 1
CLEVELAND (AP) — Carlos Santana homered and Travis Hafner had an RBI double in his return to Cleveland's lineup.
Josh Tomlin (8-4) bounced back from three consecutive rocky starts, giving up six hits but no walks over 6 2-3 innings, striking out five.
Vinnie Pestano struck out Michael McKenry with two on to end the seventh, then worked a perfect eighth. Tony Sipp pitched the ninth.
Santana broke a 2 for 26 slump by hitting his eighth homer of the season. With two outs in the fourth, he connected for a solo shot off Kevin Correia (8-6) that made it 2-0. He added a bases-loaded RBI single in a three-run eighth.
Pittsburgh had a four-game winning streak snapped and failed to move three games over .500 for the first time since being 40-37 on July 1, 1999.
Hafner had been out since May 18 with a strained right oblique muscle. Cleveland went 10-18 without him, including 5-11 in June.
Rays 5, Marlins 1
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Sean Rodriguez and Kelly Shoppach homered, Wade Davis pitched six solid innings and Tampa Bay beat Florida.
Rodriguez finished with four RBIs. He put the Rays ahead with a two-run homer during the second off Brad Hand (0-3), and added a two-run double in the eighth.
Shoppach made it 3-0 on a third-inning solo shot.
Davis (6-5) allowed one run, six hits, two walks and had two strikeouts.
The Marlins, who have lost eight in a row and are 1-16 in June, got a homer from John Buck.
Before the game, Florida optioned outfielder Chris Coghlan to Triple-A New Orleans.
Blue Jays 3, Reds 2
CINCINNATI (AP) — Adam Lind homered for the fourth straight game, hitting a tiebreaking two-run shot in the seventh inning, and Toronto held on for a victory that featured bothersome birds.
Lind's homer off Mike Leake (6-3) marked the 11th time in Blue Jays history that a player homered in four straight.
Jo-Jo Reyes (3-5) gave up a pair of solo homers, including Drew Stubbs' inside-the-park dash off a misplayed fly.
The Jays weren't the only birds on the field. Three pigeons roamed the infield together most of the game. At one point, Leake left the mound and tried to shoo them away — they didn't go far.
Frank Francisco gave up a single in the ninth before finishing for his seventh save in 10 chances.
Cubs 3, Yankees 1
CHICAGO (AP) — Doug Davis pitched into the eighth inning in easily his best start of the season and Chicago began a rare series against New York with a victory.
Aramis Ramirez hit a pair of RBI singles and made a couple nice plays in the field for Chicago, which has won four of five after dropping a season-high 14 games under .500. Starlin Castro doubled twice and is batting .458 (11 for 24) in the last six games.
A season-high crowd of 42,219 packed Wrigley Field for the Bronx Bombers' first trip to the neighborhood ballpark in eight years. There was a smattering of "Let's go Yankees!" chants but the mostly red-and-blue clad fans were firmly behind the Cubs on a sunny, breezy afternoon.
It was a homecoming of sorts for Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who was born in Peoria, went to college at nearby Northwestern and rooted for the Cubs when he was a kid. He also played six seasons for the Cubs during two stints with the club that drafted him in 1986.
Robinson Cano and Eduardo Nunez had the Yankees' only hits off Davis before Nick Swisher doubled with one out in the eighth to chase the left-hander.
Davis (1-5) received a thunderous ovation as he left the mound following his longest start since he pitched eight innings in a 5-2 victory for Arizona at Wrigley Field on Oct. 4, 2009.
Diamondbacks 4, White Sox 1
PHOENIX (AP) — Daniel Hudson threw a three-hitter in his first career complete game and the Arizona beat his old team, the Chicago White Sox.
Hudson (8-5) earned his eighth win in nine decisions since starting the season 0-4. The 24-year-old right-hander, in his second major league season, outpitched the player he was traded for last July 30, Chicago's Edwin Jackson. Hudson's RBI double with two outs in the seventh ended the night for Jackson (4-6), who gave up four runs on eight hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Paul Konerko's leadoff homer in the seventh ended a string of 18 scoreless innings for the White Sox, who have two runs total in their last three games.
Mariners 4, Phillies 2
SEATTLE (AP) — Michael Pineda took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, Ichiro Suzuki had three hits and the Mariners ended Philadelphia's season-high seven-game winning streak.
Shane Victorino singled to right with two outs in the sixth inning for the first hit against Pineda (7-4). Utley followed with an RBI single.
Suzuki, the two-time batting champion, had his six straight multihit game, raising his batting average from .252 to .275.
Dustin Ackley, the second pick in the 2009 draft, called up before the game, stroked his first big league hit — a single through Roy Oswalt's legs — in his first at-bat in the second inning.
Oswalt (4-5), who has won just once since April 21, went 6 1/3 innings, allowing four runs and eight hits. He walked two and struck out three.
Athletics 5, Giants 2
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Josh Willingham hit an RBI double and also scored on a throwing error, and the Athletics ended their winless streak against San Francisco ace Tim Lincecum.
Conor Jackson had three hits and an RBI, and Graham Godfrey pitched seven innings to win in just his second major league start for Oakland.
The A's ended a six-game losing streak against the Giants and have won three straight under interim manager Bob Melvin.
The A's hadn't defeated Lincecum (5-6) in six previous interleague games between the two teams and were shut out by the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner on May 21.
Godfrey (1-0) allowed six hits and gave up both San Francisco runs. He had three strikeouts.
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McCourt faces obstacles in order to retain Dodgers
LOS ANGELES (AP) — To retain ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers, owner Frank McCourt must overcome two formidable obstacles laid out in a binding settlement he and his ex-wife Jamie reached Friday in their contentious divorce.
Frank McCourt must first receive Major League Baseball's approval of a 17-year television contract with Fox reported to be worth up to $3 billion. Under the settlement, McCourt would receive $385 million upfront, most of which would be used for Dodger-related expenses.
Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig has given no indication if he would approve the deal, but McCourt said MLB officials have asked him to meet select criteria.
"Baseball has been very clear," McCourt said outside court. "They wanted to see this divorce settled, and all this white noise gone, or they wanted Jamie's consent for the Fox transaction or they wanted a judge to give them an order to move forward. Today we have achieved all three."
MLB spokesman Pat Courtney declined comment. Dennis Wasser, an attorney for Jamie McCourt, hopes the TV deal will be finalized early next week. If MLB doesn't approve the TV transaction, the settlement is null and void.
"I am just hoping for resolution, and I hope this is a step in that resolution," Jamie McCourt said.
Some observers said the settlement gives Frank McCourt the legal firepower he needs to get MLB to sign off on the TV transaction.
"There are now no impediments and if the TV deal isn't approved, it's for other reasons than what (MLB) has stated before," said Los Angeles family law attorney Lisa Helfend Meyer, who is not involved in the McCourts' case. The decision to reject the deal would then be "personal" on MLB's behalf and serves as a springboard for Frank McCourt to sue the league, she added.
In addition to the TV deal, the settlement called for a one-day "characterization" trial Aug. 4 to determine if title to the Dodgers is in Frank McCourt's name or if the team should be considered community property and sold.
If Jamie McCourt prevails at trial, the team, stadium and surrounding property — worth hundreds of millions of dollars — would be split between the former couple and "be sold by the parties in an orderly manner under the court's supervision," according to the settlement.
If the Dodger assets are deemed to belong to Frank McCourt, he would give his ex-wife $100 million and she would retain six luxurious homes. He also will continue to pay monthly spousal support up to $650,000, the agreement said.
Frank McCourt said all other issues in the divorce were settled, and a hearing set for Wednesday where Jamie McCourt was expected to ask Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon to order the sale of the team was canceled.
In April, Major League Baseball took the extraordinary step of assuming control of the troubled franchise. Former Texas Rangers President Tom Schieffer was appointed to monitor the team on behalf of Selig, who said he took the action because he was concerned about the team's finances and how the Dodgers are being run.
"I've been saying it all along, but I don't think guys really pay that much attention," manager Don Mattingly said before Friday night's game against Houston. "We've got enough troubles of our own, trying to put some wins together. Guys are focused on what we're trying to do here."
Frank McCourt also has had to contend with meeting team payroll. He's managed several times since the beginning of the season to pay the team's bills — he took a $30 million loan from Fox earlier this year — but has to account for deferred compensation for some former players by the end of June.
Among them is retired slugger Manny Ramirez, who is owed nearly $7 million on June 30 as part of a two-year, $45 million contract he signed with the Dodgers.
The former couple's lavish lifestyle was exposed in court documents where it was revealed that they took out more than $100 million in loans from Dodgers-related businesses. Their spending habits were likened to using the money from the team as though it was their personal ATM or credit card.
When pressed by a reporter about whether he has enough money to cover team expenses without MLB's approval of the TV deal, McCourt sounded confident.
"We're going to proceed and do and meet all of our obligations as we always have, yes," he said.
In December, Gordon deemed invalid a postnuptial marital agreement that gave Frank McCourt sole ownership of the Dodgers. That cleared the way for Jamie McCourt, who served as the team's CEO and was fired by her ex-husband two years ago, to seek half the team under California's community property law.
The McCourts' lawyers had spent several sessions in front Gordon to reach an agreement and they worked throughout the night before striking a deal shortly before Friday's hearing began.
Despite Frank McCourt's earlier pledge that none of the upfront TV money would be used toward his divorce, the settlement terms show otherwise.
About $50 million would be placed in an account subject to Gordon's orders, while another $10 million would be used for attorneys' fees, the agreement said.
About $80 million would go toward paying off debt and each of the McCourts would receive $5 million for their own personal use. The remainder of the money — about $235 million — would be used for the Dodgers, including repayment to McCourt for money the agreement says he advanced to the team this year that is not to exceed $23.5 million.
"I don't think anybody's worried about getting paid," Mattingly said. "It really shouldn't have an effect. If it does, it's really an excuse that's kind of useless. There's a lot of things that are going on in everybody's lives that they've got to put behind them when they get here."
-- Greg Risling
Former Cubs player Girardi returns to Wrigley with Yankees
CHICAGO (AP) — When he was just a little kid, Joe Girardi dreamed of playing for the Chicago Cubs. He grew up rooting for the forlorn franchise, often making the trip to Wrigley Field with his father, Jerry.
So, yes, this is more than just another interleague series for the New York Yankees manager.
"My father taught me to be a Cub fan when I was a little boy," Girardi said hours before the Yankees lost 3-1 on Friday at the Cubs' cozy neighborhood ballpark. "I had a chance to play in the playoffs here, had a chance to watch them play in the playoffs here. It's a great franchise. It has a lot of history, and the fans have always been wonderful."
Two of baseball's most popular teams are playing this weekend for the first time in six years, and the timing is perfect for Girardi, who was born in Peoria and went to college at nearby Northwestern. The series finale is a nationally televised night game, allowing Girardi to make a quick trip out of town to visit his dad on Father's Day.
"I'm hoping on Sunday morning that 55 (Interstate 55), that there's no traffic, even though there's a little construction," said Girardi, whose father suffers from Alzheimer's disease. "Hoping they're not working on Sunday."
Girardi played six seasons for Chicago during two stints with the club that drafted him in 1986 — just one of several strong links between the Yankees and Cubs. There's a rich history that connects the teams, even while the results have been vastly different on the field.
The Yankees swept the Cubs in the World Series in 1932 and 1938, two of New York's record 27 world championships. The '32 Series included Babe Ruth's storied called shot at Wrigley Field in Game 3.
Chicago famously hasn't won it all since 1908.
Then there are the smaller connections. The father of Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher played for the Cubs for four seasons. Chicago outfielder Alfonso Soriano played for New York for five seasons and was traded to the Texas Rangers in the 2004 deal that sent Alex Rodriguez to New York.
"I think about back in the day when I used to play for them," said Soriano, who was one of the Yankees' biggest stars during their last trip to Wrigley Field in 2003. "It gives me more motivation because back in the day they opened my doors to the big leagues."
The pitching coach during Girardi's last season in Chicago in 2002 was Larry Rothschild, who left the Cubs in November to take the same job with the Yankees.
"It's different walking into this locker room but it's good to see the people that I've gotten to know here through the years," Rothschild said.
With Rothschild's help, the Cubs made it to the NL championship series in 2003 and also won consecutive NL Central titles from 2007-08. He said he still keeps in touch with some of his old players and he reminisced briefly with Cubs general manager Jim Hendry before the series opener.
"I've been around some really good pitching coaches — understand, he's a friend, not just a pitching coach — he's one of the best I've ever been around," Cubs manager Mike Quade said. "I've learned a great deal from him. So much that we do in this job involves handling pitching. To have somebody with that kind of experience, both to handle it and to learn from, is huge."
Rothschild's bullpen coach in New York is Mike Harkey, who was selected by the Cubs with the fourth overall pick in the 1987 draft and won 26 games in five years with Chicago.
Girardi was back in uniform at Wrigley Field for the first time since April 26, 2006, when he managed the Florida Marlins to a 7-5 victory in the finale of a three-game series. He went on to win NL Manager of the Year, but was fired anyway after his only season in Miami.
He sure seemed to be enjoying this trip as he sat in the cramped visitor's dugout while fans found their seats at the ballpark of his childhood.
"There's something about Wrigley Field," he said. "It's just special."
-- Jay Cohen
Braves place righty Hanson on DL, hold out Jones
ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Braves placed right-hander Tommy Hanson on the 15-day disabled list on Friday with inflammation in his right shoulder.
The Braves recalled right-hander Randall Delgado from Double-A Mississippi to start in Hanson's place Friday night against the Texas Rangers. The 21-year-old Delgado will be making his first appearance in the major leagues.
Hanson said an MRI on Friday revealed the inflammation but no structural damage.
Hanson is 8-4 and ranks second in the NL with a 2.48 ERA, trailing only teammate Jair Jurrjens' 2.13 mark. He is 3-0 with a 1.42 ERA in June despite lingering discomfort in the shoulder.
"It was really just between starts when I felt it more," Hanson said, adding he agreed with the decision to be placed on the disabled list, retroactive to Monday.
"I don't want to go on pitching with inflammation and mess something up," he said.
"If my shoulder is a little off, I guess it's best to give it a rest. ... Hopefully I don't get too out of sync in the next 10 days or so."
Delgado may be with the Braves for only one start. Manager Fredi Gonzalez said right-hander Brandon Beachy, recovering from an oblique injury, may be ready to return to the rotation for Hanson's next scheduled start.
Beachy gave up four hits and one run in five innings in a rehab start for Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday night. He had eight strikeouts.
Atlanta also optioned infielder Brandon Hicks to Gwinnett on Friday and recalled right-hander Jairo Asencio from Gwinnett. Asencio, a reliever, has a 4.70 ERA in four appearances with Atlanta this season.
Third baseman Chipper Jones is not starting after leaving Thursday night's game against the New York Mets with a strained adductor muscle in his right leg.
Gonzalez said Jones felt discomfort when he took swings in the batting cage on Friday and may return Sunday or Monday.
"I'm not going to push him," Gonzalez said.
Brooks Conrad, who hit a pinch-hit homer in the ninth inning of the Braves' 10-8 win over the Mets in 10 innings on Thursday night, is starting in Jones' spot at third.
-- Charles Odum
Rockies place backup catcher Morales on DL
DENVER (AP) — Jose Morales went on the 60-day disabled list with a fractured right thumb on Friday, two days after the Colorado Rockies' backup catcher was hurt when a foul ball struck his hand while he worked behind the plate.
Colorado purchased the contract of catcher Matt Pagnozzi from its Triple-A affiliate in Colorado Springs to replace Morales on the roster. Pagnozzi was in uniform Friday night and available for Colorado's game against Detroit.
Morales, a switch-hitter, was batting .267 with three doubles and seven RBIs in 22 games while backing up regular catcher Chris Iannetta. Morales was hurt on a fifth-inning foul tip Wednesday against the San Diego Padres but remained in the game until the finish and even threw out a runner attempting to steal.
"He played the final four innings with a broken thumb," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. "I think it says an awful lot about the kid."
Morales was expected to undergo surgery on the damaged thumb on Monday. Doctors were expected to insert two screws into the thumb, Tracy said.
Pagnozzi was in the big leagues for the first time since finishing last season with the St. Louis Cardinals. He was with the Rockies in spring training and was among their final cuts before the start of the season.
Tracy said Pagnozzi excelled defensively in the spring and has previously worked with the team's pitching staff.
"He's very familiar with our system and how we do things," Tracy said.
In a separate development, Tracy said injured right-hander Esmil Rogers has backed off his rehabilitation work after aggravating the right oblique muscle strain that sent him to disabled list last month. It's unclear when Rogers will resume his rehab program.
Marlins send OF Coghlan to Triple-A
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Florida Marlins have optioned outfielder Chris Coghlan to Triple-A New Orleans. Coghlan, the 2009 NL rookie of the year, was hitting .230 with five homers and 22 RBIs in 65 games this season.
"I really believe and we believe that Chris Coghlan needs to work on his swing," Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez said. "We all know he's a way better hitter than he's been showing. I think he will be fine. Whenever he's fine, then he can come back here and help us."
Rodriguez said Coghlan took the news hard.
"He knows he belongs here. Just having a bad start," Rodriguez said. "What we've seen from Chris Coghlan, he's going to be the first one to tell you that's not him swinging the bat."
Florida also purchased the contract of outfielder Dewayne Wise from New Orleans as part of a series of moves announced before Friday night's game at Tampa Bay.
"I feel very comfortable putting him into the starting lineup," Rodriguez said. "He's a good defender and he knows how to handle the bat."
Wise and Emilio Bonifacio will both get playing time in center field.
Left-hander Dustin Richardson was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for Wise.
Brewers RHP Marcum leaves game with hip injury
BOSTON (AP) — Shaun Marcum has a strained left hip flexor but hopes to make his next scheduled start after leaving the Milwaukee Brewers game with a hip injury.
The right-hander threw 44 pitches in the first inning of the Brewers' 10-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Friday night. He was replaced at the start of the bottom of the second by Marco Estrada. It was announced late in the game that Marcum had a strained left hip flexor.
Manager Ron Roenicke said Marcum, 7-2 with a 2.85 ERA, told him the hip hurt. Marcum tried to stretch it after the top of the first. He left the game after allowing two runs and four hits, with one strikeout, one walk and a wild pitch. He also allowed a leadoff homer to Jacoby Ellsbury.
Elsewhere
Reds minor-leaguer suspended after drug test
NEW YORK (AP) — Cincinnati Reds minor leaguer Jose Raga has been suspended for 50 games after he tested positive for steroids.
Raga is a catcher for Cincinnati's Venezuelan summer league team. The commissioner's office announced his positive test for stanozolol and the ban, which is effective immediately.
