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MLB Capsules - NL: Astros' bullpen blows lead in loss to Boston
HOUSTON (AP) — Houston's bullpen blew it again, spoiling Bud Norris' gem.
Norris struck out 10 in six-plus innings, then watched the Boston Red Sox rally for a 7-5 win over the Astros on Friday night.
Hunter Pence drove in two runs, and Norris had an RBI single as Houston built a 5-1 lead.
J.D. Drew and Jarrod Saltalamacchia started the seventh with singles, the first hits given up by Norris since Marco Scutaro's leadoff homer. Josh Reddick blooped a double down the left-field line, scoring Drew and prompting Houston manager Brad Mills to replace Norris with left-hander Sergio Escalona (1-1).
The Astros' bullpen came in with an NL-worst 4.79 ERA and 17 blown saves, and couldn't shut down Boston's bats, either.
Saltalamacchia scored when Drew Sutton beat out a hard grounder to shortstop Clint Barmes. Escalona then hit pinch-hitter Darnell McDonald, loading the bases for Scutaro.
Wilton Lopez relieved and struck out Scutaro on a 3-2 fastball. But Dustin Pedroia chopped a two-run single down the right-field line to tie it, as Norris watched from the dugout.
"It's a little frustrating," Norris said, "but it happens quickly, unfortunately."
Adrian Gonzalez then doubled to left-center, scoring McDonald and Pedroia to cap the decisive six-run surge.
"We just couldn't stop that seventh inning," Mills said. "They got it started, and we just couldn't get it stopped."
The Red Sox bullpen, meanwhile, allowed only two hits over the final three innings, with Jonathan Papelbon finishing off Houston in the ninth for his 16th save in 17 opportunities.
The Astros have lost 12 of their last 16 games.
"You take the good and the bad, and try to get better, and learn," Norris said. "That's where this team is at right now, a lot of young guys, learning day in and day out. That's what it's all about."
Michael Bourn singled in the Houston first to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. He stole second, advanced on Angel Sanchez's groundout, then scored on Pence's tying sacrifice fly to center.
Barmes led off the Astros' second with a double to left-center. Houston came into the game leading the majors with 171 doubles.
Barmes was caught in a rundown on Carlos Corporan's grounder back to Boston starter Tim Wakefield, but Bourn singled again and Corporan scored on Sanchez's bunt up the third-base line. Pence knocked in Bourn with a ground-rule double down the left-field line to make it 3-1.
Norris breezed through the Boston lineup after the early mistake, allowing no other hits until the seventh. Gonzalez, Kevin Youkilis and Wakefield struck out in each of their first two at-bats.
"When you're in grooves like that, you've got to keep going," Norris said. "You just keep making pitches."
Sanchez singled and scored on Carlos Lee's double for a 4-1 lead in the fifth. Norris helped himself with an RBI single in the Houston sixth, and former Astros reliever Dan Wheeler (1-1) relieved Wakefield.
The Red Sox had been struggling offensively on their interleague road trip, scoring a total of 15 runs in the first six games. And Norris had them baffled in Houston until the seventh.
"We're just trying to find a way to score. It was kind of a weird game," Pedroia said. "He (Norris) was very good early on, so we were able to get him out of there and get some runs."
Houston's top five hitters had two hits apiece, but all the Astros could muster after the seventh were singles by Chris Johnson and Pence.
"We feel like we let one slip," Johnson said.
NOTES: Houston 2B Jeff Keppinger was out for the second straight day after experiencing nausea before Thursday's game. ... Youkilis returned after sitting out Thursday's game in Philadelphia with a bone bruise in his left foot. ... Red Sox manager Terry Francona says LF Carl Crawford is unlikely to return to the lineup when he's due to come off the disabled list on Sunday. Crawford strained a hamstring in a June 17 game against Milwaukee. "He needs some more time," Francona said. ... Francona says he may play DH David Ortiz at first base on Saturday to face LHP J.A. Happ. Ortiz is hitting .341 against left-handers this season, and .290 against right-handers.
Astros buyer moves on from discrimination case
HOUSTON (AP) — Businessman Jim Crane has stayed out of the spotlight since the announcement that his investment group had reached a deal to buy the Houston Astros for $680 million.
As he awaits word on approval from Major League Baseball, Crane says an almost decade-old discrimination settlement involving his company shouldn't factor into the decision.
In October 2001, Crane's former company, Eagle Global Logistics, agreed to a $9 million settlement of a lawsuit that alleged race, sex and age discrimination against employees and job applicants. It included $8.5 million in back pay and damages and a $500,000 fund to train women and minorities for leadership jobs at the company.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleged at the time that EGL had improperly failed or refused to promote or even find jobs for blacks, Hispanics and women. The EEOC also alleged that those three groups were paid less than whites and subject to disparate discipline and a hostile working environment.
Crane left EGL, an international freight company, in 2007 and founded Crane Worldwide Logistics the next year. At the time of the settlement, he described it as a commitment to a work environment free of discrimination.
"While we continue to deny the EEOC's allegations, we feel that it is in the best interest of our company and its future to resolve this matter at this time in a productive, forward-looking manner," he said in 2001.
In 2005, nearly $6 million of the settlement was returned to EGL by District Judge Lynn Hughes after it was found that 203 of 2,073 claims were with merit.
Crane did not respond to messages seeking comment on the issue, but addressed it in May during a news conference on the sale of the Astros.
"If you've done your homework on that, there really wasn't a problem there," Crane said. "We can address that later. But I don't think it's going to be a problem whatsoever."
Racial discrimination is a particularly sensitive subject for a league that celebrates diversity in a number of ways. The league marks Jackie Robinson Day annually in memory of the Brooklyn star who broke baseball's color barrier in 1947, and it backs youth programs to address the dwindling number of blacks in the majors.
The Houston chapter of the NAACP expressed concern about Crane, citing the EGL case.
"We are deeply concerned that someone that has a broad reach throughout the community and across the country regarding employment has such a dismal record in the area of discrimination," the NAACP said. "As such, this is someone that should be monitored very closely in the area of employment discrimination as it relates to minorities and women."
The president of the chapter, D.Z. Cofield, has reportedly since met with Crane. Cofield, who is also pastor of Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Houston, did not respond to requests for comment.
MLB spokesman Pat Courtney said the league would not comment on the issue while "in the midst of our due diligence" on Crane. He wouldn't give a specific timetable on the process.
Crane has made several unsuccessful attempts to buy a team. He attempted to buy the Astros in 2008, but McLane turned him down. In 2009, he was in the running to buy the Cubs and last summer teamed with Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban in an unsuccessful bid to buy the Texas Rangers.
Houston's outgoing owner, Drayton McLane, said he does not believe the case will keep Crane from receiving MLB approval.
"That's an old issue that goes back eight to 10 years that was ultimately cleared up," McLane said. "Very few of those claims were actually proven and that has long been solved. From what I've been hearing, it will not cause any problems in getting approval."
Crane is the chairman and chief executive of Crane Capital, a private equity fund company. If approved, Crane's investors will become the fifth ownership group in charge of a team founded in 1962. The team has made the playoffs six times since 1997 but currently has the worst record in baseball.
-- Kristie Rieken
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Kuroda, Miles carry Dodgers past Angels
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Hiroki Kuroda scattered three hits over seven innings, Aaron Miles went 4 for 4 and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Los Angeles Angels 5-0 on Friday night in the opener of the second Freeway Series.
Dee Gordon stole home on the front end of a double steal for the Dodgers, who lost two of three against the Angels last weekend at Chavez Ravine. Tony Gwynn Jr. went 3 for 3 with three walks.
Kuroda (6-9), who struck out four and walked one, had dropped a career-worst six consecutive decisions. He had a solid 3.54 ERA during the losing streak.
Rookie Tyler Chatwood (5-5) gave up 12 hits and four runs in five-plus innings for the Angels.
Yankees 5, Mets 1
NEW YORK (AP) — Mark Teixeira hit a two-run double, Eduardo Nunez had an RBI single among his career-high four hits and the Yankees took advantage of a generous call to help keep Jose Reyes off the basepaths.
Ivan Nova (8-4) pitched five effective innings to help the Yankees win their season-high sixth straight game.
Jonathon Niese (7-7) gave up three runs in six innings for the Mets.
Reyes electrified the Citi Field-record crowd of 42,020 when he tagged up from first on a fly to deep center. He took off for third when the relay bounced away from Nunez, but Nunez threw a one-hopper to third base and Alex Rodriguez made a sweep tag that on replay appeared to miss Reyes, who was sliding headfirst. Home plate umpire Jerry Layne was behind Rodriguez when he called Reyes out.
Giants 4, Tigers 3
DETROIT (AP) — Pablo Sandoval hit a tiebreaking double in the top of the ninth inning, then the Giants held on when Brennan Boesch lined into a double play with the bases loaded.
The Giants were coming off back-to-back losses to the Cubs — both in Chicago's last at-bat. They nearly fell again in wild fashion. After scoring three runs in the top of the ninth, San Francisco allowed two in the bottom half before shortstop Brandon Crawford caught Boesch's soft line drive and quickly stepped on second to double off Brandon Inge, ending the game.
Brian Wilson (6-1) got the win, but only after blowing a save for the second straight day. Jeremy Affeldt earned his third save.
Wilson slugged a cooler in the dugout with a bat after leaving the game.
Jose Valverde (2-3) took the loss.
Rangers 15, Marlins 5
ARLINGTON (AP) — Nelson Cruz homered and had six RBIs on his 31st birthday, powering Texas to the big win.
Adrian Beltre drove in four runs with three hits for the Rangers, and Alexi Ogando (8-3) had a career-high eight strikeouts.
Texas got its first seven runs in 3 2-3 innings off Anibal Sanchez (6-2), who saw the end of his Marlins season record of 14 consecutive starts without a loss.
Michael Young led off the second with a walk and put the AL West-leading Rangers ahead to stay when he scored on the first of Taylor Teagarden's two doubles.
Braves 4, Orioles 0
ATLANTA (AP) — Jair Jurrjens threw a one-hitter for his first career shutout, Jason Heyward ended a long home-run drought and the Braves earned their fourth consecutive win.
Jurrjens (11-3) became the first NL pitcher with 11 wins and lowered the NL's best ERA to 1.89.
Adam Jones ended Jurrjens' no-hit bid with his single up the middle with one out in the seventh. Jones stole second but was stranded there as Jurrjens struck out Matt Wieters and Derrek Lee.
Jeremy Guthrie (3-10) threw five scoreless innings, allowing only a walk and a hit, before giving up Heyward's first homer since April 29, a two-run shot in the sixth.
The Braves (48-35) have won nine of 11 overall to move a season-best 13 games over .500.
Twins 6, Brewers 2
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jim Thome hit a three-run drive for career homer No. 594th and Francisco Liriano worked seven strong innings for Minnesota.
After a two-hour rain delay, Liriano (5-7) gave up a first-inning homer to Carlos Gomez but allowed only three hits after that.
The Twins won their third straight and snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Brewers, who lost their fourth straight and fell out of a first-place tie with St. Louis in the NL Central.
Minnesota scored five runs — two unearned — off Yovani Gallardo (9-5), who has one win in his last five starts.
White Sox 6, Cubs 4
CHICAGO (AP) — Alexei Ramirez hit a two-run homer, leading the White Sox to the victory at Wrigley Field.
Ramirez connected in the seventh and Juan Pierre had a tiebreaking two-run triple later in the inning, sending the White Sox to their third straight win.
The Cubs came up short again in their quest to win three straight after pulling out dramatic victories the previous two days against San Francisco. They remain the only team in the majors without a three-game winning streak.
They were leading 4-2 after Aramis Ramirez hit his 300th homer — a solo shot — in the sixth off Edwin Jackson (5-6), but the White Sox immediately responded against Randy Wells (1-3).
Sergio Santos pitched the ninth for his 18th save.
Cardinals 5, Rays 3
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Colby Rasmus hit a three-run homer during a wild eighth inning that featured four ejections, leading the Cardinals to the victory.
Jake Westbrook gave up two hits in seven scoreless innings for St. Louis, which has won four straight.
Rasmus, who also had a run-scoring groundout during the second inning, connected against J.P. Howell for his fourth homer in the last seven games and No. 9 on the season.
Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon was ejected earlier in the inning, and three Rays — Howell, David Price and Elliot Johnson — were thrown out after Rasmus went deep.
Westbrook (7-4) struck out seven and walked three in his first victory since June 7 at Houston.
Wade Davis (7-6) allowed two runs and six hits in seven innings for Tampa Bay.
Indians 8, Reds 2
CINCINNATI (AP) — Grady Sizemore hit the first of Cleveland's three homers off Bronson Arroyo, and the Indians remained perfect against their intrastate rival.
Cleveland is 4-0 against Cincinnati, which has struggled mightily against the American League. The defending NL Central champs are 5-11 in interleague play.
Sizemore hit his first homer since June 8 off Arroyo (7-7). Asdrubal Cabrera and Carlos Santana also connected.
Justin Masterson (6-6) went eight innings for his first win since April 26. He allowed four hits, including the first of Brandon Phillips' two homers.
Phillies 7, Blue Jays 6
TORONTO (AP) — Ryan Howard hit a go-ahead two-run single in the ninth inning, helping Philadelphia rally for the win.
With the Phillies trailing 6-5, Placido Polanco led off the ninth with a walk against closer Frank Francisco and Chase Utley followed with a fly to left that Juan Rivera misplayed into a double, putting runners at second and third. Howard then singled to center, giving Francisco (1-4) his fourth blown save in 13 chances.
Danys Baez (2-3) pitched one inning of relief for the win, and Antonio Bastardo closed it out for his fourth save.
Philadelphia's late comeback overcame Jose Bautista's 25th home run and a mammoth two-run drive by rookie outfielder Eric Thames. The Blue Jays have homered in a season-high nine consecutive games, hitting 15 in that span.
Rockies 9, Royals 0
DENVER (AP) — Juan Nicasio allowed three singles over eight innings and Mark Ellis had three hits, including a two-run homer, in his Colorado debut.
Troy Tulowitzki connected on a two-run homer, Todd Helton added a two-run double and pinch-hitter Charlie Blackmon lined the first homer of his major league career — on his 25th birthday, no less — to help the Rockies snap a two-game slide.
Nicasio (3-1) struck out four and got the Royals to hit into 16 groundouts. Danny Duffy (1-3) got the loss.
The Rockies acquired Ellis, along with cash, from Oakland on Thursday for a minor league pitcher and a player to be named.
Athletics 5, Diamondbacks 4
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Rich Harden pitched six strong innings in his season debut and Hideki Matsui had two RBIs for Oakland.
Ryan Sweeney, Coco Crisp and Cliff Pennington each drove in a run for the Athletics. Crisp also robbed Gerardo Parra of a homer and Matsui picked up his first steal since Sept. 12, 2007, for the New York Yankees at Toronto.
Kelly Johnson and Wily Mo Pena homered for the Diamondbacks, who have dropped five of six. Josh Collmenter (4-5) lasted just 4 2/3 innings, yielding five runs and seven hits.
Harden allowed two runs and four hits in his first start for Oakland in three years. Andrew Bailey worked the ninth for his seventh save.
Mariners 6, Padres 0
SEATTLE (AP) — Jason Vargas held San Diego to six singles in his third shutout of the season, leading the Mariners to the victory.
Vargas (6-5) struck out seven and walked none in his fourth career complete game. He is the first pitcher ever to have three shutouts at Safeco Field in the same season.
Chase Headley had three of the Padres' six hits. Dustin Moseley (2-8) allowed five runs, two earned, in 4 2/3 innings.
National League
Nationals 2, Pirates 1
WASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Stairs drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth to give Washington the victory in a Davey Johnson home debut that looked much like any other game at Nationals Park this season — a nail-biter without much offense.
Stairs' drive off the right-field wall scored pinch-runner Alex Cora to give Johnson his first win as Washington's interim manager. Stairs began the day just 4 for 32 with no RBIs as a pinch hitter.
Alex Presley drove in Pittsburgh's only run with a groundout in the third. Tim Wood (0-3) got the loss.
Johnson improved to 1-3 since taking over for John McLaren, who had three games as the interim manager following Jim Riggleman's abrupt resignation last week. Drew Storen (5-2) pitched the ninth to get the win.
Other NL News
Johnson working on his wish list with Nationals
WASHINGTON (AP) — Near the top of Davey Johnson's wish list with the Washington Nationals: "a guy sitting over next to me with a big, hairy chest."
Johnson settled into his new office Friday for his first home game as the Nationals' interim manager, reflecting on what he's learned and what he'd like to have after a frenetic opening few days on the job.
"I love the ball club. I love the talent level. But I'm not really comfortable with the pieces and the way they fit together," Johnson said before the series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates. "I think it's wonderful being around a .500 club, but that doesn't win championships."
If nothing else, it's already clear he'll be no Jim Riggleman, whose abrupt resignation last week brought Johnson back to a major league dugout for the first time in 11 years. Johnson, who opened 0-3 in a Washington uniform after a road sweep by the Los Angeles Angels, already has a list of things that concern him:
— "I'd like to have a little more offense sitting on the bench, which causes more problems for the opposing manager and creates better matchups for us," he said. "I'm not real comfortable not having, as Frank Howard would say, a guy sitting over next to me with a big, hairy chest."
— Johnson says "there's some issues out of the bullpen." He wants to do a better job establishing long reliever and setup guys, and he's also uncomfortable not having a readily available sixth starter. "If something happened to my starter, I don't like to bring a guy out of the bullpen that's only capable of giving me a couple of innings," he said.
— He also wants more than one left-handed reliever. Right now, Sean Burnett is the only one.
— The Nationals have managed to get near .500 with pitching and defense. That's not how Johnson likes it. "My philosophy is basic: I want to get ahead, and then I'll defend. ... The strengths that they bring — speed, defense — that's good if we're ahead. If we're not always ahead, I want to get ahead."
— To that end, he's not a fan of having Laynce Nix bat fourth. "I am uncomfortable in hitting a mostly defensive specialist, utility-type player for my cleanup hitter." Nevertheless, Nix was still listed at cleanup Friday night.
— And Jayson Werth batting second? Maybe not too much longer. Werth hit only .154 in June batting in the leadoff and No. 2 spots, and Johnson wants him further down. "When I was in spring training, I really felt like Jayson would be a great five-hole hitter. He's had some problems this year. I think hitting in the two hole is not going to hurt him right now. Get him going. He's got a great hitter hitting behind him."
— Riggleman was hitting the pitcher eighth during the Nationals' winning tear in mid-June. For Johnson, that just doesn't make statistical sense. "I've never hit a pitcher eighth, and I don't plan on doing it in the near future. The pitcher's chances of getting on base are a lot less than the guy hitting behind him, so the more guys I can get up there before the pitcher hits, I'm going to do it."
— Even the setting for Johnson's meetings with reporters will change. He likes to talk in more relaxed settings — the dugout before the game, his office after the game — instead of the formal news conferences held by predecessors Riggleman, Manny Acta and Frank Robinson.
First, however, Johnson must deal with all the extracurricular duties associated with the manager's job, the sort of non-baseball stuff that takes up more time than it did when he was managing the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2000.
"I had a board meeting today and I had a promotions meeting and now I got this meeting. I'd like to have a meeting with the doctors," the 68-year-old Johnson said. "I'll be glad to get past the stuff off the field and spend more time with my guys."
-- Joseph White
Cubs place Zambrano on DL, activate Wood
CHICAGO (AP) — Carlos Zambrano doesn't understand the fuss.
The Chicago Cubs pitcher created a stir by honoring a charity commitment and throwing out the first pitch at a softball game on Thursday after he left his start against San Francisco because of lower back soreness.
One day later, he simply shrugged it off.
"What's the problem with that?" Zambrano asked Friday. "I was doing (the appearance) through my foundation. I support softball teams. I support baseball teams at Humboldt Park. ... It's not like I was in a wheelchair or I wasn't able to walk anymore."
Zambrano won't be throwing any pitches for a while — at least for the Cubs, anyway.
The right-hander was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday, and Chicago activated reliever Kerry Wood before Friday's 6-4 loss to the crosstown White Sox.
Zambrano's back had been bothering him lately. He showed up Thursday in pain and left to boos with the Cubs trailing 1-0 in the second inning. Chicago went on to win 5-2 in 13 innings thanks to a superb effort by the bullpen and a game-ending pinch-hit homer by Geovany Soto.
Later that day, Zambrano threw out the ceremonial first pitch as part of a charity event tied to a Chicago Bandits women's softball game and nearly got hit in the back by a foul ball during a TV interview.
"If I don't go, they criticize me, too," he said. "They say, 'He doesn't show up.'"
Zambrano's appearance didn't bother manager Mike Quade or general manager Jim Hendry, who called it "one of the biggest to-dos about nothing in his long history."
Quade called it "much ado about nothing" and said, "We've got people 85 years old throwing out first pitches here; they do a great job."
Zambrano said it was "just one single pitch."
"I didn't even throw it 20 miles per hour, I threw it like 10 miles per hour," he said. "Nice and easy. My arm didn't get hurt. My body stayed the same."
Zambrano has a long history of volatile behavior, including a fight with Michael Barrett and a run-in with Derrek Lee in the dugout at U.S. Cellular Field last season that led to the Cubs sending him for anger-management counseling, so he doesn't get the benefit of the doubt in Chicago.
"Chicago is a big town, but it's a small town," he said. "You can't hide in Chicago. That's why I don't go out. I stay home. ... That's why I keep myself at home — too many paparazzi in Chicago."
As for his back, Zambrano said he was feeling better on Friday. He was expected to make two more starts before the All-Star break, and Hendry said he probably could have pitched later next week. Instead, the Cubs decided to take a more cautious approach and place him on the DL after he was examined by a team physician and received an epidural painkiller.
"It's not fun to be on the DL," said Zambrano, who spent time on the DL because of back soreness two years ago. "I want to have a nice, clear season. Any time that I go to the DL, it makes me angry."
He wasn't angry at the Cubs, though. He understood why they made the move.
Triple-A pitcher Ramon Ortiz likely will take his spot in the rotation next week.
Wood had been sidelined by a blister on his right index finger.
-- Andrew Seligman
Rockies add 2B Ellis to active roster
DENVER (AP) — For nearly a decade, Mark Ellis dutifully followed the rules in Oakland by donning white shoes. Now with the Colorado Rockies, the veteran second baseman got a little more colorful with his cleat selection, borrowing a black-and-purple pair from Troy Tulowitzki.
The shoes, maybe even more than the purple pinstripe uniform, will take some getting used to as the longtime Oakland infielder settles into his new life in the Mile High City.
The Rockies acquired Ellis, along with cash, from the Athletics on Thursday for minor league pitcher Bruce Billings and a player to be named later.
Ellis made his debut with the Rockies on Friday night against the Kansas City Royals. He was playing second base and batting second in the order.
And looking snazzy in those colorful cleats.
"It's funny not seeing white shoes. You look down and you're always used to white shoes," Ellis said. "But it's nice."
He's hoping a change of scenery can break him out of a season-long slump. Ellis hit .217 with one homer and 16 RBIs in 62 games with the A's. He's off to a solid start, finishing a triple shy of the cycle Friday and driving in three runs.
"It's been a whirlwind couple of days," said Ellis, who hit a two-run homer in the fifth. "Just see the ball and hit the ball. That's what I try to do. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't."
The Rockies are counting on Ellis to bring stability at second base, something the team has lacked all season. They've trotted out Chris Nelson, Jonathan Herrera, Eric Young Jr. and Jose Lopez, who's since been let go.
On Friday, Colorado sent both Nelson and Young back to Triple-A Colorado Springs. The job belongs to Ellis.
"This is a proven major league player with a proven resume — a very, very capable guy," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. "I don't know how this is going to play out, but I do know this: For us to go out and make an acquisition like this as early as it has been done, I've seen situations like this play themselves out where it ends up being an incredible shot in the arm for a ballclub."
Colorado definitely needs a boost. The Rockies trail San Francisco by 6½ games. Ellis already has this in common this his teammates: Both share a passion to beat the Giants.
"That's my goal," Ellis said. "That's definitely a good team, and it will be fun to compete against them."
Venturing around the clubhouse Friday, Ellis ran into familiar faces everywhere he turned. He once was teammates in Oakland with closer Huston Street and first baseman Jason Giambi.
Any secrets he can reveal?
"I could give you a lot of dirt on Street, but Jason would probably tell you dirt on himself," Ellis chuckled.
Ellis had plenty of mixed emotions departing Oakland. But given all the stars who have left town in recent years, he wasn't completely surprised by the move.
"I kind of figured something was going to happen in Oakland. Somebody asked me yesterday if I expected to get traded, and when you don't get traded for 10 years, you don't really expect to get traded, but I kind of anticipated it a little bit," Ellis said. "It was a tough day. It was sad. You spend all that time with people and it's tough.
"I wanted to get here as soon as possible and start this new chapter. I was excited when I heard it was Colorado. If I had to leave Oakland, this was one of the spots, if not the spot, that I wanted to go."
-- Pat Graham
Putz goes on DL in one of flurry of Arizona moves
PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks placed closer J.J. Putz on the 15-day disabled list Friday with right elbow tendinitis after the right-hander struggled in recent appearances.
The move with Putz is retroactive to Wednesday. Following through on what manager Kirk Gibson announced after Wednesday night's loss to Cleveland, the Diamondbacks also released third baseman Melvin Mora. Right-handed reliever Sam Demel was activated from the disabled list and veteran infielder Sean Burroughs was promoted from Triple-A Reno.
Arizona begins a three-game interleague series at Oakland on Friday night.
Putz signed a $10 million, two-year contract as a free agent in the offseason and became the leader of a revamped bullpen, converting his first four save opportunities.
But the past month was a rough one. Gibson insisted Monday night that Putz was not hurt, but the reliever gave up a run in the ninth in a 5-4 loss Monday, then allowed a two-run homer on Tuesday to blow a save opportunity in Arizona's 6-4 victory.
Putz is 1-2 with 21 saves in 25 chances and a 3.21 ERA.
"He's going to rest it for a while," Gibson said before Arizona's game against the A's. "It came out after his second appearance. The ball wasn't coming out of his hand properly. We decided to put him on the DL so he can rest it before it turns into something serious."
Gibson said setup man David Hernandez would be the closer "and we'll see how it works out after."
Burroughs, who can move into Mora's backup third baseman role, will be in his second stint with the Diamondbacks. He hit .250 (6 for 24) with a double in 23 games from May 19-June 19, mostly as a pinch hitter. He hit .412 with two homers and 25 RBIs in his two stretches with Reno.
"We sent him down to play quite a bit," Gibson said. "We wanted him to play himself into shape at third base."
Demel had been on the DL since May 25 with right shoulder tendinitis. The 25-year-old reliever was 1-2 with a 1.72 ERA in 21 games before he was hurt.
"He didn't throw as much as we hoped because Reno had some weather issues," Gibson said. "He's healthy, for sure."
In other bullpen moves earlier this week, the Diamondbacks selected the contracts of right-hander Yhency Brazoban and lefty Alberto Castillo and optioned right-handers Esmerling Vasquez and Bryan Shaw to Reno.
Nationals place Hairston on DL with broken wrist
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jerry Hairston Jr. was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday with a broken bone in his right wrist, an injury that is expected to sideline him from two to four weeks.
Hairston was hurt when he was hit by a pitch from Dan Haren in Wednesday's loss to the Los Angeles Angels. Hairston said the twilight conditions kept him from seeing the pitch in time, and he knew right away his wrist was broken.
"Hopefully healthy in two weeks," he said. "It's one of those things where it's broke in a good area where it could heal pretty quick."
Hairston said he'll give the wrist a week or so to calm down and then try swinging a bat. The injury doesn't require surgery or a cast.
"If I can swing the bat and tolerate it, they'll let me go," he said.
Hairston is batting .260 with two home runs and 17 RBIs. His move to the DL is retroactive to June 30.
The Nationals also activated outfielder Rick Ankiel from the 15-day DL. Ankiel missed 14 games with a strained rib cage muscle. He was batting .204 with one home run and nine RBIs entering Friday's series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Jones back in Braves' lineup; Prado improves
ATLANTA (AP) — Chipper Jones is back in Atlanta's lineup after missing a game with a sore knee, and Martin Prado is moving closer to his return from a staph infection.
Jones is starting at third base as the Braves' cleanup hitter against Baltimore on Friday night. He missed Wednesday's game at Seattle. The Braves were off Thursday, giving Jones two days to rest the knee.
Prado, a 2010 All-Star, has been out since June 8 while recovering from a staph infection in his right leg. He took batting practice outdoors on Friday for the first time since surgery to remove the infection.
Manager Fredi Gonzalez says Prado could make a minor league rehabilitation assignment next week and might return for a series at Philadelphia next weekend.
Mets RHP Buchholz is out with depression, anxiety
NEW YORK (AP) — Mets right-hander Taylor Buchholz did not return from the disabled list after his pitching shoulder healed because he is being treated for depression and anxiety.
Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said the team has waited to disclose Buchholz's condition until he was comfortable with it becoming public.
Buchholz said in a statement the Mets released Friday before their game against the crosstown rival Yankees that he also suffered from depression and anxiety last season with the Colorado Rockies before he returned from Tommy John surgery.
Buchholz is taking new medication and says he is not supposed to pitch until he adjusts to the dosage. Buchholz went on the DL June 2, retroactive to May 30 with shoulder fatigue.
Burrell scratched with sore right foot
DETROIT (AP) — Pat Burrell has been scratched from the San Francisco Giants' lineup because of right foot soreness.
Burrell was initially listed as the designated hitter for Friday night's game at Detroit but didn't come up in his spot in the order in the second inning. His injury was announced after that.
Burrell is hitting .236 with seven homers for the Giants. He's played 71 games this year. Bill Hall replaced him as the DH.
