MLB Capsules: Bench-clearing brawl as Marlins beat Nationals
MIAMI (AP) — Nyjer Morgan once again found himself in the middle of trouble.
The speedy Washington leadoff man charged the mound after a pitch sailed behind him Wednesday night, triggering a bench-clearing brawl during the Florida Marlins' 16-10 win over the Nationals.
"There's nothing good I can say about someone who doesn't play the game the right way and doesn't respect the integrity of the game," said Wes Helms, who drove in five runs for Florida. "We had to show we weren't going to put up with how he was treating us."
Morgan, recently suspended and criticized by his own manager for questionable acts on the field, left Florida catcher Brett Hayes with a separated shoulder Tuesday night after a home plate collision in the 10th inning.
Chris Volstad (9-9) hit Morgan with a pitch in the fourth inning this time. Morgan then stole two bases with his Nationals trailing 14-3.
"It's only the fourth inning, there's still a lot of game left," Morgan said. "If they are going to hold me on, I'm going to roll out."
Volstad threw his first pitch of the sixth behind Morgan, setting off a wild scene. Morgan took a big swing that appeared to graze Volstad's face — Marlins first baseman Gaby Sanchez clothes-lined Morgan, knocking off his batting helmet and sending him to the ground.
"I thought it was over after (the fourth inning), but once I saw the ball go right behind me, it's time to go," Morgan said "Once is good enough, but twice, no, it's time to go."
And go he went.
"I saw him running out. Obviously he's not coming out there to talk," said Volstad, who had an abrasion on his right cheek as a result of the melee."
"I was just trying to defend myself and not get hurt. Gaby had my back, the whole team had my back," he said.
The teams piled up, and managers Jim Riggleman of the Nationals and Edwin Rodriguez of the Marlins jawed at each other.
"My feeling has always been if you hit somebody, then you did what you set out to do. Now if he decides to run on you, that's his business," Riggleman said about Morgan's steals. "I got no problem with that and we decide when we run. The Florida Marlins will not decide when we run, we decide when we run."
Morgan, Volstad, Rodriguez and Marlins pitcher Jose Veras were ejected. Morgan was loudly booed when he raised his arms as he was escorted off the field.
Morgan is currently appealing a seven-game suspension for throwing a ball at a fan in the stands in Philadelphia on Aug. 21.
Last Saturday night, Morgan collided with St. Louis catcher Bryan Anderson, who had stepped a foot or two in front of the plate. Riggleman later called Morgan's actions "unprofessional."
"I have nothing to say about Morgan — that's their problem," Rodriguez said.
Washington reliever Doug Slaten and Riggleman were ejected after Sanchez was hit with a pitch with two outs in the seventh. Four batters were hit overall.
"They made the decision to throw at Nyjer — they did and then the question is do we throw at them," Riggleman said. "I got some of my veteran players together and said, 'It's your ballclub, if you want someone getting thrown at, I'll order it right now,' and everybody said, 'No, it's over.' That being the case, when they threw at him a second time, then it's not over."
Helms had three hits in the Marlins' highest-scoring game since scoring 17 against Colorado on July 4, 2008. Mike Stanton, Brad Davis and Cameron Maybin homered for Florida.
Logan Morrison and Hanley Ramirez each scored three times through the first three innings as the Marlins took a 14-3 lead. Florida scored five runs in the first, five more in the second and four times in the third.
Scott Olsen (3-8) lasted just 1 2-3 innings while losing his sixth straight start. He allowed nine runs and eight hits.
Craig Stammen relieved Olsen and was greeted by Stanton's 15th home run.
Morgan scored on Ian Desmond's short sacrifice fly in the fourth. Second baseman Donnie Murphy fell to the ground after catching the ball in short right-center and left the game with a dislocated right wrist.
Davis led off the Florida fourth with his first career home run.
NOTES: Washington 3B Ryan Zimmerman (right hip) was not in the lineup. "He's a little tender," said Riggleman, who added Thursday's off-day will give Zimmerman a two-day rest. ... Morgan's two steals increased his season total to 33. ... Marlins 2B Dan Uggla (right groin strain) was not in the lineup for the third straight game. ... LHP Andrew Miller will start in place of Ricky Nolasco on Friday against Atlanta. Nolasco (torn medial meniscus) likely is done for the season.
Commentary: Manny's gone, but Dodgers still a mess
Divorces can be such ugly affairs.
Take the one Frank and Jamie McCourt are going through right now in a Los Angeles courtroom. Just a few days into their trial, there have already been tales of tears and fears as they battle for control of what turns out to be one highly leveraged baseball team.
There's a lot at stake there, namely the future of what used to be a proud franchise. Once portrayed as the saviors of the Dodgers, the McCourts are now being exposed by their own lawyers as a dysfunctional couple with dreams of grandeur.
Thankfully, the child was spared all of this. Little Manny was sent off to spend the rest of the summer in Chicago, where uncle Ozzie promised to protect him from nasty things people were saying about him at home.
"You treat Manny with respect and he's fine," Ozzie Guillen said, somehow resisting the urge to playfully rub the dreadlocked head of his newest charge.
Ah, respect. Such a magical concept that Manny Ramirez can talk about it in English and Spanish.
Give Manny some and there's an outside chance he may respond by leading you to a World Series. Don't give him any, and there's a very good chance he's going to leave you with a broken heart and a busted wallet.
The White Sox obviously hope they're getting the good Manny, not the one who apparently was so disrespected by manager Joe Torre that he got himself ejected after only one pitch in what turned out to be his last at bat with the Dodgers. And maybe they did, at least for the month or so that he has to make his case for conning his new team into giving him a new contract.
Ozzie and Co. certainly aren't risking much, essentially renting Ramirez for the rest of the season. The Dodgers did the same thing two years ago and he responded by hitting .396 with 17 home runs in 53 games to carry his new team to the National League championship series.
Indeed, Ramirez almost had the chance to be a hero in his first two games with the White Sox. He was in the on deck circle Tuesday night when A.J. Pierzynski hit the game-winning three-run home run, and was there again Wednesday when Paul Konerko did the same thing in Cleveland.
But White Sox fans shouldn't start sporting fake dreadlocks at the ballpark just yet. Because the reality is that Manny simply isn't Manny anymore.
One look at this year's numbers certainly seem to indicate that. Ramirez was on the disabled list three times, missed 58 games, and had a meager eight home runs to show for his $20 million paycheck.
He's finishing like many players of the steroid era, breaking down frequently as he ages, swinging late on fast balls, and hitting balls to the warning track that used to easily carry the fence. He's pretty much been that way ever since he was suspended for 50 games last year for using a fertility drug that masks steroid use, and there is no real reason to believe going to Chicago will change that.
But the White Sox remember the big home runs and the clutch hits. They're desperate for a bat that will help them catch the Minnesota Twins and hoping that the pairing with Guillen will somehow rejuvenate Ramirez.
Best of all, the deal didn't cost them anything other than some salary. With the McCourts burning through cash with expensive lawyers, the Dodgers were equally desperate to dump Ramirez and the $3.8 million left on his contract.
In court on Wednesday, Frank McCourt was on the stand, trying to explain that he really never meant for his wife to have any ownership of the Dodgers despite the fact he was married to her and she was the team's chief executive officer.
Just a few miles from the courthouse the Dodgers were going through the motions in an afternoon game at home. The former Mannywood section now advertises an insurance company and there wasn't a set of dreadlocks in sight among the few fans still interested enough to show up.
While Torre insists the Dodgers haven't given up on the season, it's clear that by dumping Ramirez they have indeed. Soon Torre likely will be gone, too, if only because the team that brought him to the West Coast with so much fanfare is not about to pay the going rate for a manager of his stature.
Torre may be happy to get out, and not just because one of his teams will miss the postseason for the first time in 15 years. Even working all those years for George Steinbrenner couldn't prepare him for the mess that is the Dodgers today.
Manny being Manny was bad enough.
But for the Dodgers the McCourts being the McCourts is turning out to be even worse.
Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at tdahlberg@ap.org
American League
Tigers catcher gets call after 978 games in minors
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Max St. Pierre's perseverance has paid off. The Detroit Tigers have added an awfully happy backup catcher.
The 30-year-old rookie was brought up to the big leagues on Wednesday after 14 seasons — spanning 978 games — in the minors. His next at-bat — and manager Jim Leyland promised he'd get one — will be his first in the majors.
"I'm still like dreaming, I feel like," St. Pierre said in the visitors' clubhouse at Target Field before Detroit's game against the Twins. He was taken out of Tuesday's game with Triple-A Toledo and told of the long-awaited promotion.
He slept for one hour. That was one flight he didn't want to miss.
Oh, and all those messages on his cell phone?
"Out of control, and I'm enjoying it," St. Pierre said. "I feel important. I'm always feeling important with my friends, but there's so much support behind me."
Asked if he was eager to start using that big league meal per diem, St. Pierre looked as if he'd never considered it.
"It's never been about the money," he said. "It's always been about ... a dream. I want to get there, and I want everybody back home to see: 'Hey, you made it.'"
Back home is Canada, French-speaking Quebec to be exact, where St. Pierre didn't start playing baseball until he was 9 or 10 years old. He said it took him an entire year to make contact. But once he did, when that ball went scooting along the gravel, through the second baseman's legs and past the center fielder for a classic Little League home run, he was hooked.
He became a big fan of Tim Wallach and later Larry Walker of the Montreal Expos, channeling the passion into developing his game enough to get drafted as a 17-year-old in the 26th round by the Tigers in 1997.
His defense is what kept him going, with 11 homers and 54 RBIs for Double-A Erie in 2003 his most productive offensive season. He hit only .236 that year, and his career batting average is .250. But in the majors, of course, it's still .000.
"Everybody's happy for him. He's going to play at some point. I'll get him in there," Leyland said.
Leyland never made it to the majors after a six-year career in the minors that ended in 1970. It took him until 1986 to become a major league manager, with Pittsburgh. So he knows all about that perseverance stuff.
"If it works for Max like it worked out for me, it'll be all right," Leyland said.
English is St. Pierre's second language, so he had trouble fully communicating with pitchers earlier in his career. He's had plenty of ups and downs with his offense, too, until clicking this season. He batted .300 with five homers and 22 RBIs in 130 at-bats for Toledo.
He said he wasn't about to quit if the call didn't come this year, but he did acknowledge a desire to find another organization next season if he didn't make it this year. He's been in the Tigers' system the entire time, making it to Triple-A for one game in 2002 and then a full season in 2006. Since then, he's been back and forth between Double-A and Triple-A.
The Tigers also recalled right-handed reliever Robbie Weinhardt from Toledo. Weinhardt was 1-1 with a 1.57 ERA in 24 games for the Mud Hens. This is his second call-up of the season. Right-handed reliever Enrique Gonzalez, who was designated for assignment last week, was sent outright to Toledo.
-- Dave Campbell
Twins scratch Thome from lineup with tight back
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins have scratched designated hitter Jim Thome from the lineup because of tightness in his back.
Thome told manager Ron Gardenhire he felt fine swinging, but he felt tightness jogging before Wednesday's game. Jose Morales replaced Thome, who hasn't played since leaving Saturday's game due to discomfort.
Second baseman Orlando Hudson and right fielder Jason Kubel were also out. Kubel was hit on the left wrist by a pitch Tuesday and Hudson's foot is hurting. Hudson's MRI test showed no damage. Kubel's X-rays were negative. Both players are day to day.
Also, reliever Brian Fuentes reported improvement in his back after it locked up in the bullpen Tuesday.
Morales and shortstop Trevor Plouffe were recalled from Triple-A before the game.
Royals catcher Kendall to have shoulder surgery
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jason Kendall, who had been the Kansas City Royals starting catcher in 118 of their first 132 games, will undergo shoulder surgery Friday in Los Angeles for a torn right rotator cuff.
Royals manager Ned Yost said the recovery time is eight to 10 months, but the club is hopeful he would be back by the season opener next January.
Yost said a MRI Monday detected "extensive damage" to Kendall's throwing shoulder.
Kendall, who this season became the fifth player in major league history to catch 2,000 games, hit .256 with 18 extra-base hits, all doubles, this season, his first with the Royals.
Jennings, Navarro among Rays' September additions
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Desmond Jennings and Dioner Navarro are in the lineup for the Tampa Bay Rays after being recalled from Triple-A Durham when major league rosters expanded Wednesday.
Jennings is starting in left field and batting second against Toronto. Navarro is catching and batting eighth, one spot behind former Colorado Rockies All-Star Brad Hawpe, who was the designated hitter in his Tampa Bay debut.
Among other moves, reliever Grant Balfour was activated from the 15-day disabled list. Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson was recalled from Class-A Charlotte and will pitch out of the bullpen.
The Rays also purchased the contract of outfielder Rocco Baldelli from Durham, recalled catcher Jose Lobaton before placing him on the 15-day disabled list with a right foot injury, and sent right-handed reliever Dale Thayer outright to the Triple-A affiliate.
Hawpe signed a minor league contract last week and played two games at Charlotte. The Rays purchased his contract on Tuesday.
Orioles add OF Reimold, INFs Snyder and Andino
BALTIMORE (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles have fortified their bench by recalling three players from Triple-A Norfolk: outfielder Nolan Reimold and infielders Brandon Snyder and Robert Andino.
The moves were made Wednesday.
Reimold started the season with the Orioles but was optioned to Norfolk after batting .205 in 29 games. He was in the starting lineup Wednesday night against Boston as a designated hitter.
Snyder, Baltimore's first-round pick in the 2005 amateur draft, has yet to play in the big leagues.
Andino played with the Orioles last year but had spent all of this season with Norfolk after being designated for assignment by Baltimore in early April.
To make room for Andino on the 40-man roster, the Orioles designated outfielder Lou Montanez for assignment. Montanez batted .223 in 93 games over the past three years with Baltimore.
Yankees bring back Berkman, make Sept. callups
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees reinstated designated hitter Lance Berkman from the 15-day disabled list and called up three players from the minors to take advantage of expanded September rosters.
Right-handed reliever Jonathan Albaladejo and outfielder Greg Golson were recalled from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and catcher Chad Moeller's contract was purchased from the Triple-A club.
Berkman made two rehab starts with Double-A Trenton after spraining his right ankle. He was put on the DL on Aug. 18 with the move retroactive to Aug. 16.
Manager Joe Girardi says he plans to use Berkman mostly as a designated hitter and fill-in first baseman. He says Golson will most likely pinch-run and play defense.
Vazquez back in Yankees rotation
NEW YORK (AP) — Help is on the way for the Yankees' rotation.
Manager Joe Girardi says that Javier Vazquez will start on Saturday against Toronto, returning to the rotation after two successful appearances in long relief.
Vazquez was demoted after a streak of five straight starts without a win, though he won in relief Monday night.
Injured left-hander Andy Pettitte had another successful bullpen outing, and said he felt good after throwing a session that included pausing to sit down, simulating the breaks in a start.
Pettitte, who has been out since July 18 with a strained groin, is 11-2 with a 2.88 ERA. He says he can't pinpoint when exactly he'd return, but says he'll almost certainly make a minor-league rehab appearance.
Red Sox activate two from DL; call up Richardson
BALTIMORE (AP) — The Boston Red Sox have activated catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia and utility player Eric Patterson from the 15-day disabled list and recalled left-hander Dustin Richardson from Triple-A Pawtucket.
Saltalamacchia was sidelined since Aug. 19 with a right lower leg infection, and Patterson was out with a neck sprain.
Saltalamacchia played in only three games with Boston this season. Patterson was batting .224 when he went on the DL in mid-August. He had a 2.61 ERA in 19 appearances with Boston before being optioned to Pawtucket on Aug. 18.
Red Sox manager Terry Francona said there would likely be other callups once the team's minor league affiliates finish their seasons.
Blue Jays recall C Arencibia from Triple-A
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays have recalled catcher J.P Arencibia from Triple-A Las Vegas and reinstated left-handed pitcher David Purcey from the 15-day disabled list.
The moves were made before Wednesday night's game against Tampa Bay. Purcey had been sidelined with a right foot injury since Aug. 13.
Arencibia hit the first pitch he saw in the majors for a home run on Aug. 7 in a game against Tampa Bay. He was sent back to the minors two weeks later.
Seattle RHP Shawn Kelley gets good surgery news
SEATTLE (AP) — Mariners right-handed reliever Shawn Kelley received good news during exploratory elbow surgery and does not need to undergo a full Tommy John ligament replacement operation.
Seattle interim manager Daren Brown says Tuesday that Kelley's surgery showed the ligament in his right elbow that was previously repaired was fine, but there was some fraying and wearing at another spot. That damage was fixed.
Brown says Kelley can start his rehabilitation Thursday and could be throwing in four months.
Kelley was placed on the disabled list June 25 with right elbow inflammation. Before his injury, Kelley 3-1 with a 3.96 ERA in 22 appearances.
Oakland calls up two right-handers
NEW YORK (AP) — The Oakland Athletics have recalled pitcher Ross Wolf and purchased the contract of pitcher Justin James from Triple-A Sacramento.
Wolf was with Oakland during July and August, but went three weeks without playing before he was sent down Aug. 21.
James has yet to make his major league debut. He was drafted by Toronto in 2003 and played in the Reds organization, too. He was signed by Oakland to a minor league deal after playing in the independent Northern League, where he had six saves and an ERA of 1.69 in 11 games.
The Athletics also sent outright left-hander Cedrick Bowers to Sacramento.
Angels activate Bulger, Stokes from disabled list
SEATTLE (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels have added depth to their bullpen by activating right-handers Jason Bulger and Brian Stokes from the 15-day disabled list.
The Angels made the moves Wednesday before closing out a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners.
Bulger had been on the DL since June 12 with a right shoulder strain and missed 69 games. Before getting injured, he had a 3.74 ERA in 22 appearances.
Stokes went on the disabled list May 11 with fatigue in his right shoulder and missed 100 games. In the first month of the season, he had a 7.31 ERA in 15 appearances.
Twins send 7-footer to L.A. to finish Fuentes deal
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins have sent 7-foot-1 pitcher Loek Van Mil to the Los Angeles Angels to complete last week's trade for left-hander Brian Fuentes.
The Twins announced the move before Wednesday's game.
Van Mil is a right-hander from the Netherlands who turns 26 later this month. He was designated for assignment to make room for Fuentes when the deal was made last Friday.
Van Mil had a 6.37 ERA in 23 relief appearances for Double-A New Britain this season. Injuries have hindered his progress since he was signed by the Twins in 2006.
Meche, Fields off DL, May called up from Omaha
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have reinstated pitcher Gil Meche and infielder Josh Fields from the 60-day disabled list.
The Royals also said Wednesday they've called up catcher Lucas May from Omaha.
Pitcher Luke Hochevar and outfielder David DeJesus were moved to the 60-day DL to make room on the 40-man roster.
Meche has missed 86 games with right shoulder bursitis after going 0-4 with a 6.66 ERA in nine starts. He'll work out of the bullpen.
National League
LHP Chapman's 102 mph fastball a real weapon
CINCINNATI (AP) — Sometimes, left-hander Aroldis Chapman can't help but peek.
A murmur will go through the crowd when one of his express-lane fastballs smacks the catcher's mitt and the estimated speed is shown in triple-digits on the ballpark scoreboard. The 22-year-old Cuban hears the commotion and can't help but sneak a glance to see what big number has popped up.
"Once in a while, I take a look and yeah, I get surprised and really happy to see what it is," Chapman said.
From now on, scoreboard watching will take on a little different meaning every time he lets one fly.
Chapman made his big league debut with the NL Central-leading Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night and pitched a perfect inning. He threw eight pitches, half of them reaching at least 100 mph on the Great American Ball Park board. Two of them clocked in at 102.
He was even faster the second time around.
Pitching the seventh inning on Wednesday night, he hit 103 mph twice while throwing another perfect inning, fanning two on sliders. He threw 11 pitches, six of them clocking triple digits.
Still not his best.
At Triple-A Louisville, he hit 104 and 105 mph on the radar board, turning his fastball into an urban legend even before he arrived in the majors.
Fans love the big numbers — the crowd roared every time one popped up during the 8-4 win over Milwaukee on Tuesday night. But is there more to it than just the allure?
Sure is. Just ask a hitter.
"The old adage is that speed kills, and it does," Hall of Famer Joe Morgan said in an interview Wednesday. "Guys who throw hard are the most successful because there's an intimidation factor in there, too. If a guy throws real hard and the ball gets there quick, there is a slight fear factor."
The three Brewers who faced Chapman had trouble catching up with his best pitch.
He fanned Jonathan Lucroy by throwing a 98 mph fastball, an 86 mph slider, a 102 mph fastball and an 86 mph slider that tied him up. Craig Counsell got a 100 mph fastball and another at 102 — he grounded out to shortstop on that one. Pinch-hitter Carlos Gomez also went down on two pitches, a 101 mph fastball and another at 98 mph that he grounded to second base.
"I think he can be a weapon for them because, let's face it, people that throw that hard, there's an intimidation factor," Counsell said. "That's why closers are usually hard throwers."
A Louisville Slugger researcher pointed out on Wednesday that it takes little more than a third of a second for a ball to travel the approximately 55 feet to the plate once it leaves Chapman's hand at more than 100 miles per hour. That leaves a batter little time to make up his mind and start to swing. Better not blink.
"The speed bothers you because you have to rush your swing," Morgan said. "And the other (pitches) bother you because once you rush and something else happens, you've got to adjust to that."
Batters were so keyed to Chapman's fastball that his slider became tough to track in such a short time. Reds manager Dusty Baker noted that the dominant pitchers of any era have more than just a superior fastball.
"Fast didn't bother me — if they were around the plate," Baker said. "It's what they have to go with the 'fast' that bothers you. If they can put something in the back of your mind — curve, slider, changeup — it makes the fast look even faster. That's what bothers you."
Chapman didn't become overpowering at Louisville until the Reds moved him into a relief role in July. He had a 4.11 ERA as a starter, needing a lot of pitches to get through five innings. Throwing hard didn't translate into domination until he got his control and his other pitches in order.
"If he's throwing 103 and it's down the middle, guys are going to hit it," Counsell said. "There are guys that are going to hit it hard."
One thing working in Chapman's favor is that batters don't see the triple-digit pitch very often. The Society for American Baseball Research said that only three other major leaguers have thrown a pitch 102 mph in the last two years — Detroit's Joel Zumaya, the Dodgers' Jonathan Broxton and the Mets' Bobby Parnell.
By using Chapman out of the bullpen, the Reds give him another advantage. Batters won't get to face him more than once in any game, making it tougher for them to get acclimated to the heat.
"He's taken it to a level that's different, that we haven't seen in a while," Counsell said. "The guy's throwing really hard. The first time you face a guy, it's always a little tougher, especially a guy that's doing something you've never seen before."
And, there's always the allure. Baker remembered that when he was a youth, researchers used photoelectric cells to estimate the speed of major league pitches. Tests suggested that Cleveland's Bob Feller threw at triple-digits.
"I remember as a kid hearing about Bob Feller throwing 100 mph," Baker said. "I thought that was the most amazing thing I'd ever heard. I was like, 'Man, the guy's throwing 100?'"
Back then, it was big news. Same now. The number's just slightly bigger.
-- Joe Kay
Freeman to start in first game for Braves
ATLANTA (AP) — Freddie Freeman didn't make the same splash as Jason Heyward in his big league debut.
Still, the 20-year-old first baseman had no complaints about his first game with the NL East-leading Braves. He hit a couple of balls hard, made a nice scoop of a low throw and, best of all, Atlanta beat the New York Mets 4-1 on Wednesday night for its fifth straight win.
"I felt like the day went really, really slow," Freeman said. "But when the game started, it seemed normal."
Heyward and Freeman were Atlanta's top two hitting prospects coming through the minors, and Heyward locked down the right-field job in spring training. He homered on opening day, was voted a starter in the All-Star game and had his third four-hit game of the season Wednesday against the Mets.
Freeman spent the year at Triple-A Gwinnett, where he batted .319 with 18 homers, 35 doubles and 87 RBIs. He's expected to take over as the starting first baseman in 2011, and Braves fans are clearly looking forward to watching him team with Heyward in the middle of the batting order for years to come.
When Freeman came up for the first time, he received a big ovation from a crowd that included his dad, Fred, who hastily flew in from California to see his son's debut.
"It's kind of nice that the fans think you can be that guy," Freeman said. "Hopefully, I can keep up those expectations."
Freeman went 0 for 3 before he was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the eighth. The first time up, he hit a hard grounder up the middle — normally a hit — but the Mets had the shift on. Shortstop Ruben Tejada fielded the ball and threw to first.
The youngster stroked it hard again in the third, but third baseman David Wright grabbed the ball just above the dirt and threw to first to double off Brian McCann.
"I was like, 'That one's got to go through,' but it was right at David," Freeman said. "That's baseball. All you can ask for is to hit the ball on the barrel. You'll get some hits."
Freeman, who struck out swinging in his final at-bat, was among the players called up on the first day of expanded rosters. Braves manager Bobby Cox thought it was best to get that first start out of the way, though Derrek Lee will get most of the playing time at first base down the stretch.
As for Freeman, "he'll play once in a while when Derrek needs a day off, pinch-hit and drive in the winning run," Cox said with a smile.
Freeman was pleased to have his father in the stands — "he pretty much taught me the game of baseball" — and remembered his late mother, who died of cancer when Freddie was 10.
"I was talking to her all game," he said. "I was telling her I wished she could be here. But I know she was watching. She couldn't be here physically, but she was here spiritually."
-- Paul Newberry
Lowe can't throw, will miss next start for Braves
ATLANTA (AP) — Derek Lowe will skip his scheduled start Friday for the Atlanta Braves because of lingering pain in his right elbow.
Lowe received a cortisone shot and had hoped to go out for his regular off-day throwing session Wednesday, but his elbow was still too sore. The NL East-leading Braves decided to shut him down for a few days, hoping that will relieve his discomfort and allow him to finish out the season.
"It hadn't gotten any better," Lowe said. "I want to pitch, but you've got to be smart. I can struggle on my own. I don't need any help."
General manager Frank Wren said team doctors don't think it's the sort of injury that will require season-ending surgery. Lowe's pain is in the back of the elbow, usually not the sign of a problem that would require a major procedure such as Tommy John surgery.
"They think it's just irritated in the posterior part of the elbow and they just need to get it calmed down," Wren said.
The 37-year-old Lowe has never been on the disabled list. In fact, this will be the first time he's missed a scheduled start. Kenshin Kawakami, who began the season as Atlanta's fifth starter, will go Friday in the opener of a weekend series at Florida.
Kawakami was demoted to the bullpen after going 1-9. He was then shipped to Triple-A Gwinnett so he could resume a regular turn as a starter, just in case something like this happened.
"He's a veteran. He competes. Just having gone down and made the starts, gotten stretched out to where he's ready to go six innings, that's a big help," Wren said. "He's not going to be intimidated or in awe of pitching up here. We feel very comfortable about him making that start. Then we'll see where it goes from there. Hopefully Derek's fine after 10 days and he's ready to jump back in."
Lowe (11-12, 4.53 ERA) has been a bit of a disappointment for the Braves in the second season of a four-year, $60 million contract. But the team can't afford to lose another starter, having already called up rookie Mike Minor after Kris Medlen went down with a season-ending elbow injury.
"We're very hopeful that Derek will miss just one start and jump back into the rotation after that," Wren said.
-- Paul Newberry
Rockies reliever Corpas to have elbow surgery
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Colorado Rockies right-handed reliever Manuel Corpas will undergo reconstructive Tommy John elbow surgery.
Corpas, placed on the 15-day disabled list last Friday with a sprained ligament in his right elbow, received a second opinion Tuesday from Dr. Lewis Yocum. Corpas is set for surgery next Wednesday and could be sidelined for the entire 2011 season considering the typical recovery time from Tommy John surgery is 12 to 18 months. Team orthopedist Dr. Thomas Noonan will perform Corpas' surgery.
"The results basically confirmed what was said when he got the MRI done and what our doctors reported he had," manager Jim Tracy said.
Corpas has dealt with elbow trouble all season. He left his outing Aug. 25 against Atlanta after he felt pain in his pitching elbow. The 27-year-old Corpas was 3-5 with a 4.62 ERA and 10 saves in 56 outings and 62 1-3 innings for the Rockies this year, his fifth big league season, all with Colorado.
He had pitched in a variety of relief roles this year. Corpas has been dealing with elbow soreness and both the pitcher and his club knew the Tommy John procedure was a possibility to repair his worn ligament.
Also Wednesday, the Rockies activated reliever Taylor Buchholz from the 15-day disabled list and recalled infielder Chris Nelson from Triple-A Colorado Springs.
Both players were available for Wednesday night's series finale in San Francisco.
Buchholz had been out since mid-August with lower back stiffness. He has pitched 10 innings this season, going 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA. The right-hander started the season on the 60-day disabled list as he recovered from a strained elbow. Buchholz missed all of 2009 after having Tommy John surgery.
This will be Nelson's third appearance on the roster this season. He's 2 for 5 with two runs scored.
He was hitting .313 with 12 homers in 85 games for Colorado Springs this season.
Colorado could be closer to getting two other pitchers back, too.
Matt Daley, out since June 16 with an inflamed shoulder, is set to make rehab appearances for Colorado Springs on Friday and Sunday. Both Daley and Jeff Francis threw simulated games Tuesday.
The lefty Francis has been on the DL since Aug. 14 with shoulder soreness. He is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Thursday and Tracy said his rehab routine would be determined after that.
Francis, 4-4 with a 4.56 ERA in 16 starts, missed the 2009 season after having surgery to repair a torn labrum in his pitching shoulder in February 2009. He missed the start of this season after experiencing soreness in the shoulder in his final spring training start and went on the 15-day DL on March 26. He made his season debut May 16 and did not miss a start before going on the DL for a second time.
-- Janie McCauley
Florida C Hayes out, Nolasco done for year
MIAMI (AP) — Florida Marlins pitcher Ricky Nolasco is done for the season with a tear in his right knee and catcher Brett Hayes is out indefinitely with a separated left shoulder.
Nolasco (14-9, 4.51) was evaluated after experiencing some discomfort. He said he will undergo surgery next week.
"It's just not letting me do what I want to do," he said Wednesday.
Nolasco had been scheduled to start Friday against Atlanta. He will be replaced by left-hander Andrew Miller.
Hayes was injured on an inning-ending double play in the 10th inning Tuesday night when Washington's Nyjer Morgan slammed into him trying to score from second base on a groundball.
The Marlins called up catcher Chris Hatcher from Double-A Jacksonville. Florida also called up right-hander Jorge Sosa from Triple-A New Orleans.
Nats move Strasburg to 60-day disabled list
MIAMI (AP) — The Washington Nationals transferred rookie pitcher Stephen Strasburg to the 60-day disabled list Wednesday.
Strasburg, the hard-throwing No. 1 pick in last year's draft, will have the reconstructive elbow operation known as "Tommy John surgery" on Friday. He finished his rookie season with a 5-3 record and 2.91 ERA.
Washington also elevated shortstop Danny Espinosa to the 40-man roster from Triple-A Syracuse and recalled catcher Wilson Ramos from Syracuse.
Espinosa had 22 home runs and 25 stolen bases in the minors this season.
"He plays second and short, so he'll do both up here," National manager Jim Riggleman said, "but he'll get significant time at second base."
Giants activate SS Renteria, LHP Runzler
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Shortstop Edgar Renteria and lefty reliever Dan Runzler have come off the disabled list for the San Francisco Giants.
Renteria just completed his third stint on the DL this season. He wasn't in the starting lineup for the series finale with the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night, and manager Bruce Bochy said Juan Uribe would get most of the work at that spot the rest of the way.
Renteria missed 19 games with a left biceps strain during his most recent stint. Runzler had been sidelined since July 9 with a dislocated patella tendon in his left knee.
Also Wednesday, the Giants recalled outfielder Darren Ford from Double-A Richmond. Other September callups likely will happen after the Triple-A Fresno team's regular season is over this week.
Allen gets another shot with D-backs
PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks have recalled power-hitting first baseman Brandon Allen and added three others as September call-ups.
Infielder Tony Abreu and right-hander Carlos Rosa also were recalled from Triple-A Reno on Wednesday, and right-hander Leo Rosales was reinstated from the 60-day disabled list.
Allen had 25 homers and 86 RBIs in 107 games with the Aces, hitting .261. He hit .202 with 40 strikeouts in 32 games late last season with Arizona.
Abreu hit .237 in 60 games for Arizona this season before being optioned on Aug. 4.
Rosa pitched 15 games for the Diamondbacks, going 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA.
Rosales was 2-0 with an 8.10 ERA in nine games before going on the DL April 28 with a stress fracture in his right foot.
Luebke, 3 others called up by San Diego
PHOENIX (AP) — The San Diego Padres selected the contract of left-hander Cory Luebke from Triple-A Portland and designated former first-round draft pick Cesar Carrillo for assignment.
San Diego also recalled right-hander Ryan Webb, selected catcher Chris Stewart's contract and reinstated outfielder Oscar Salazar from the disabled list on Wednesday.
Leubke was a combined 10-1 with a 2.68 ERA between Portland and Double-A San Antonio this season.
Carrillo, a right-hander, went 1-2 in three starts last season with San Diego and was 5-14 with a 5.60 ERA at Portland this year.
Salazar hit .237 with 18 RBIs in 71 games this season before going on the DL with a strained right Achilles' tendon on July 30.
Brewers call up twice-suspended Jeffress
CINCINNATI (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers have called up right-hander Jeremy Jeffress, their top pick in the 2006 amateur draft who has been suspended twice for violating Major League Baseball's drug policy.
Jeffress was banned for 50 games in 2007 and 100 games last year for his repeat violation. The 22-year-old joined the team in Cincinnati on Wednesday, ready for his major league debut. Jeffress went 1-1 with three saves in 11 appearances at Double-A Huntsville.
The Brewers also called up right-hander Carlos Villanueva and third baseman Mat Gamel on Wednesday. Villanueva was optioned to Triple-A Nashville on July 28. Gamel batted .309 with 13 homers in 82 games at Nashville after missing two months with a torn muscle in his right shoulder.
Reds call up first-round pick Yonder Alonso
CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Reds called up first baseman Yonder Alonso to give them another power hitter on the bench for their September playoff run.
Alonso was the seventh overall pick in the June 2008 draft. He batted .296 with 12 homers and 56 RBIs in 101 games with Triple-A Louisville. Manager Dusty Baker says he'll be used primarily as a pinch-hitter and at first base if Joey Votto needs a day off.
The Reds recalled catcher Corky Miller from Louisville. Miller batted .246 with a homer in 24 games with the Reds earlier this season. They also called up right-handed reliever Carlos Fisher, who will be making his fourth stint in Cincinnati this season.
Elsewhere
McCourt resumes testimony in Dodger divorce trial
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Frank McCourt had trouble recalling some details involving his purchase of a professional baseball team, but he was certain of one thing: he's the sole owner.
On Wednesday, the 57-year-old Los Angeles Dodgers executive couldn't recall at his divorce trial if he had reviewed a business plan submitted to Major League Baseball, a newly minted publicity campaign or why he and his now-estranged wife hired a communications consulting firm.
But he was sure that he alone owned the team and that a draft of a postnuptial agreement that excluded the Dodgers from his assets was a mistake that was caught a day before he and his wife signed the paperwork.
McCourt and former Dodger CEO Jamie McCourt are locked in a costly divorce dispute that could decide ownership of the team purchased in 2004 for about $430 million. He contends the agreement gives him the Dodgers, the stadium and the surrounding property, while his wife believes the agreement should be thrown out and those assets should be split evenly under California's community property law.
Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon will have to decide whether the 10-page agreement is valid. He also could order the sale of the Dodgers.
McCourt testified for the second day under questioning from his wife's attorney David Boies and was expected to take the stand again Thursday. While the exchange between McCourt and Boies was far from contentious — the two even shared a few smiles together — it appeared McCourt's memory had escaped him.
McCourt said he didn't think he reviewed a business plan sent to baseball executives that laid out how he would turn the Dodgers fortunes around if he was approved as owner. In the document, there were plans to cut payroll, explore renaming Dodger Stadium and bolstering the team's farm system.
Boies asked McCourt how vital it was for the plan to get MLB approval.
"It was extremely important to me," McCourt said, but he added, "I thought it was a piece of the puzzle."
He also was lost for words when Boies presented records that showed McCourt had pocketed $2.5 million from the Dodgers transaction.
"Do you know what you did with those proceeds?" Boies asked.
"I do not," McCourt replied.
Wearing a charcoal black suit with a blue tie, McCourt had problems remembering events regarding the agreement, including whether his wife saw a copy before they signed it at their Massachusetts home.
Boies showed him documents from the family attorney that indicate he met only with Jamie McCourt that day, suggesting Frank McCourt may not have gone over the agreement with the family lawyer before signing it.
"We think he was at the house but not at the meeting," Boies said outside of court.
However, McCourt said the mistake that would have booted the Dodgers from his pool of separate assets was discovered at some point during a sitdown with the attorney. The document was changed to include the Dodgers, he testified.
"By the end of that meeting, it was clear that a correction needed to be made," McCourt said.
Three copies of the agreement list the Dodgers under McCourt's separate assets and three others that don't. McCourt's lawyers have said the one word that was changed was due to a typo, but Jamie McCourt's legal team claimed her husband and the family attorney engaged in fraud by making the correction without telling their client.
The couple decided to separate their assets — Jamie McCourt would receive six palatial homes under the agreement — in order to protect her share of their wealth from his creditors.
Toward the end of the day, Boies asked McCourt what sounded to be a simple question.
"Do you know what dodgers.com is?" Boies said of the team's website.
McCourt paused for an inordinate amount of time before trying to spell out what it is.
-- Greg Risling
Judge blocks alcohol evidence in Adenhart case
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — The attorney for a man accused of killing Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two others in a drunken driving crash cannot introduce evidence that the driver of Adenhart's car may also have been drinking, a judge ruled Wednesday.
The evidence is irrelevant in the triple-murder trial of Andrew Gallo, 23, Orange County Superior Court Judge Richard Toohey said during a motions hearing.
Defense attorney Jacqueline Goodman had argued that the woman driving with Adenhart on April 9, 2009, was also negligent because she had an elevated blood-alcohol level and may have run the red light instead of Gallo.
One test showed 20-year-old Courtney Stewart had a blood-alcohol content of .06, but a second test showed the level to be .16. The legal limit for drivers under 21 is .05.
Authorities said Gallo's blood-alcohol content was nearly three times the legal limit when he ran a red light and crashed into Stewart's car in a Fullerton intersection, killing her, the 22-year-old Adenhart and 25-year-old Henry Pearson. Hours earlier Adenhart had pitched six scoreless innings in his season debut in nearby Anaheim.
Stewart's mother said she was pleased with the judge's decision barring the alcohol evidence, noting that an expert witness testified during a grand jury hearing that Stewart was not impaired.
"It bothered me to hear (the defense attorney) say she was drinking because she was not impaired at all at the time of the crash," Courtney's mother, Carrie Stewart-Dixon, said. "We all know who's at fault in this. To hear her try to blame this accident on my daughter was really hard."
Stewart-Dixon said her daughter was a big advocate of not drinking and driving and would often act as a designated driver for her friends.
Gallo has pleaded not guilty. Opening statements in his second-degree murder trial are set for later this month.
Toohey also ruled that statements Gallo made to an Anaheim police officer during his arrest can be admitted as evidence, as well as a prior drunk driving conviction.
Officer John Roman testified briefly that he was searching Gallo's pockets when Gallo asked about the crash victims.
"He looked up at me and spontaneously said, 'Are they OK?' I said, 'Who?' He just stared at me and said nothing," Roman said.
Several seconds later, Roman said, Gallo again spoke.
"He looked at me and said, 'My bad,'" Roman recalled.
The judge will rule later in the week on whether a videotaped interview with Gallo by Fullerton police after his arrest can be used as evidence by the prosecution.
Photos and video will be banned during the trial, Toohey ruled, although he said he might reconsider for the verdict or sentencing.
Three of the four families who had loved ones in the crash object to photos and video during trial and have hired an attorney to represent their privacy interests.
-- Gillian Flaccus
Cubs rededicate statue of broadcaster Harry Caray
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs rededicated a statue of late broadcaster Harry Caray outside Wrigley Field on Wednesday.
The ceremony was held before Chicago's home game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Caray's wife, Dutchie Caray, was among those on hand.
The statue is located outside the entrance to Wrigley Field's bleachers and features the Hall of Fame announcer leading crowds in a rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."
Caray's statue was rededicated at Sheffield and Waveland Avenues. It previously was located at Sheffield Avenue and Addison Street, where a new statue of Cubs Hall of Famer Billy Williams will be placed.
"The statue looks wonderful and I'm very happy with the outcome," Dutchie Caray said. "To my knowledge, Harry was the first broadcaster to call a game from the bleachers, and for that matter the first — and probably the only — to ever take a shower out there."
Caray once broadcast for the Chicago White Sox, who had a shower installed in the center-field bleachers at old Comiskey Park.
Cards returning to longtime radio home KMOX-AM
ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals plan to reunite next year with their longtime radio partner, the powerful AM station KMOX.
Officials of the Cardinals and the 50,000-watt station announced Wednesday a multiyear agreement in principle for KMOX to resume its role as the team's flagship station beginning in 2011.
KMOX carried Cardinals games for 51 years, starting in 1954. But since 2006 the Cardinals' flagship station has been the smaller KTRS-AM, a move many fans saw as a break with history.
Terms of the return to KMOX weren't disclosed. Cardinals president Bill DeWitt III says KTRS has been "a great partner" but the case for going back to KMOX was "very compelling."
Announcers Mike Shannon and John Rooney will continue to handle play-by-play coverage.
Dibble off TV for Nats, had criticized Strasburg
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Nationals say Rob Dibble will no longer work as a TV analyst for the team's games, a split that comes after the former reliever made comments critical of rookie pitcher Stephen Strasburg.
Dibble lashed out at Strasburg last week for not pitching through pain. Dibble said on Sirius XM Radio that "You can't have the cavalry come in and save your butt every time you feel a little stiff shoulder, sore elbow."
Strasburg has since been diagnosed with a torn elbow ligament and will have surgery Friday. He will be sidelined 12 to 18 months.
Two days after making those comments, Dibble was absent from the broadcast both on MASN, the network that televises the games. At the time, MASN said Dibble had requested "a few days off."
