Soriano rips three homers as Cubs end six-game slide in Cincy.
September 6, 2008
Something about September gets Alfonso Soriano going.
Soriano homered three times at the top of Chicago’s retooled batting order, and the first-place Cubs emerged from their longest losing streak of the season by keeping their composure and beating the Cincinnati Reds 14-9 on Saturday night to end a six-game slide.
Soriano was the Cubs’ Mr. September last season, leading their final surge toward the NL Central title by hitting a club-record 14 homers in the month. He’s been in a slump — along with much of the lineup — this time around.
No longer.
He hit two solo homers off rookie Johnny Cueto (8-13), then connected for a three-run shot off Jared Burton, sending a two-strike pitch deep into the seats in left field. Soriano resisted tens of thousands of Cubs fans who wanted him to take a curtain call — bad form on the road — but briefly tipped his cap when he went back to left field.
“I remember last September I hit 14 home runs, but that’s in the past,” said Soriano, who has 27 for the season. “It’s a new September.”
It’s starting to look a lot like the last one.
“It’s amazing,” manager Lou Piniella said. “When he hits, our team seems to really respond and do well. I hope he gets another big September because we need it.”
The third three-homer game of Soriano’s career got the Cubs’ offense rolling. Mark DeRosa added a three-run drive and Jason Marquis (10-8) had a solo shot as Chicago piled up a season-high five homers. Derrek Lee had four hits on his 33rd birthday.
In one game, the Cubs scored as many runs as they did in the six losses combined.
“It was too much Soriano tonight,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said. “A couple of (pitches) were down; that’s where he likes them. A couple were out over the plate. When he gets hot, he hits everything.”
The Cubs pulled ahead 9-1, substituted for many of their starters, then held on. Cincinnati’s Jolbert Cabrera hit his first career grand slam in the ninth off Carlos Marmol.
Sensing a need for change, Piniella shook up the lineup, benching slumping All-Star right fielder Kosuke Fukudome and center fielder Jim Edmonds. He made the right choice by leaving Soriano in the No. 1 spot even though he’s been struggling as well.
“That’s part of the game,” Soriano said. “I come to the park every day with the same energy. I don’t lose any confidence.”
Piniella also provided a calming presence at a potential meltdown moment. Marquis angrily yelled at plate umpire Brian Runge after Chris Dickerson walked with the bases loaded in the fourth inning, cutting the Cubs’ lead to 2-1. The right-hander thought Runge had missed the last two pitches.
“I was a little emotional,” Marquis said. “That was a big spot in the game. I meant no disrespect to the umpire. I got caught up in the moment.”
Out of the dugout came Piniella, who walked very slowly to the mound, giving his pitcher time to regain his composure. After a soothing chat with Marquis, Piniella also had a few even-tempered words for Runge, making sure the situation didn’t escalate.
“I told Marquis, ‘Look, don’t get the umpire upset,”‘ Piniella said. “That was really the tone of the conversation.”
A refocused Marquis escaped further damage and gave up two runs in 7 1/3 innings, a much-needed boost for a rotation left threadbare by injuries to Carlos Zambrano and Rich Harden.
The crowd of 41,204 represented the Reds’ fifth sellout of the season. Most of the fans were wearing blue and rooting for the Cubs, who got their 86th win on Saturday, one more than last season. The Cubs have been in first place since May 11, and lead Milwaukee by four games.
Hookscenter.com wire report.
Reds rookies hand first place Cubs their sixth consecutive loss.
September 6, 2008
The first-place Cubs have lost their way.
Jay Bruce hit his first career grand slam and Joey Votto added a two-run homer Friday night, an all-rookie power display that sent the Cincinnati Reds to a 10-2 victory on a day when nothing went right for Chicago.
Manager Lou Piniella got lost on his way to the ballpark. Starter Ted Lilly lasted a season-low two innings. And the Cubs’ losing streak reached a season-high six games against a team already eliminated from the race.
“That’s not what we expected,” Piniella said.
It’s how the week has gone.
Lilly (13-9) gave up five runs, including Votto’s 18th homer, before his quick exit. The left-hander has started four times against the Reds this season and lost all four.
“For one reason or another, one way or another, they’ve found a way to beat me,” Lilly said. “A couple of games, I’ve thrown the ball OK. That wasn’t the case tonight. That was probably my most disappointing start of the year. I had much more motivation to win this one, given the circumstances of the last few days.”
Bruce hit his 16th homer off Jon Lieber for a 9-0 lead in the fourth inning, silencing the thousands of blue-shirted Cubs fans in the stands. By that point, the Cubs knew they were finished, given the way their offense has struggled in the past week.
“I know at some point we’re going to break out and score runs and play like we’re capable of playing,” Lilly said. “I think everybody else in this clubhouse knows that, regardless what’s happened the last six games.”
Bruce and Votto have the most homers by any rookie duo in the NL, providing a little long-range hope for a franchise that hasn’t been to the playoffs since 1995.
“We’re pushing each other,” Bruce said. “Hopefully, we’re giving the fans something to watch and getting on a roll for next year.”
Right-hander Bronson Arroyo (14-10) won his fourth straight start, allowing one run in 6 1/3 innings. Afterward, he taped the Spanish phrase for his No. 61 on the back of his jersey, making fun of Bengals receiver Chad Johnson’s name change to Ocho Cinco.
“My father’s Cuban, so I’m half,” Arroyo said. “I was at home watching that today. It was unbelievable. He was on every talk show.”
The Cubs kicked off their longest road trip at the scene of one of their best moments. They clinched the NL Central title at Great American Ball Park last season, when they won 85 games and got knocked out of the playoffs in the first round. They’ve had the World Series — something they haven’t won in 100 years — in the back of their minds all season long.
Until the past week, they’ve played like they could very well get there. They’ve already won 85 games — most in the NL — and have been in first place since May 11.
September has been disastrous. Ace Carlos Zambrano got an injection in his sore pitching shoulder on Thursday and will miss at least one start. Right-hander Rich Harden also will miss a start because of a bothersome arm.
The Cubs can’t even get to the ballpark without losing their way.
Piniella and first base coach Matt Sinatro left Chicago at 8 a.m. for a five-hour drive to Cincinnati. With Sinatro driving and Piniella napping, they missed a turnoff and wound up in northeast Ohio — the wrong end of the state.
They stopped at a gas station, bought a map and backtracked along two-lane roads, arriving at the ballpark only two hours before the first pitch. Travel time: eight hours.
The Cubs’ chances of winning went by in a blink. After Bruce’s homer made it 9-0, Piniella removed his cap and shook his head a few times in disbelief. By the sixth inning, he was freely substituting for his starters, already looking ahead to the next game.
“The truth of the matter is, you’ve got to get it done,” Piniella said. “And it’s been a struggle over the past half-a-dozen games or so to put runs on the board. And when you’re pitching is not good, it gets ugly like it did tonight.”
Hookscenter.com wire report.
Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano has rotator cuff tendinitis.
September 5, 2008
Ryan Dempster stepped out in front of the team’s headquarters at the beginning of spring training nearly seven months ago and made a bold statement: He said he thought the Chicago Cubs would win the World Series.
Dempster’s optimism remains intact, despite a recent funk that has seen the first-place Cubs drop five straight games for the first time this season.
And not only are the Cubs trying to weather the losing skid, they learned Thursday that ace Carlos Zambrano has rotator cuff tendinitis, a condition that required an injection of anti-inflammatory medication.
Zambrano, who will miss his turn Sunday in Cincinnati, hopes to begin throwing in St. Louis when the Cubs go there next Wednesday. And if all goes well, he could rejoin the rotation for a series in Houston and pitch against the Astros.
“It’s a relief knowing Z doesn’t have anything more significant than what we thought. And hopefully he’ll pitch in Houston, which means he will only miss one turn,” general manager Jim Hendry said Thursday.
So, in the 100th anniversary year of their last World Series win, the Cubs are sorting out some major issues. They have 22 games remaining and just six are at Wrigley Field, where they are 51-24.
“Obviously you lose five in a row and don’t play as well as you are capable, it’s frustrating for everybody,” said Dempster, who has 15 wins after being converted from a closer. “There are better times ahead. I promise that.”
But will those days ahead include Zambrano?
Big Z left his start Tuesday night after five innings, telling pitching coach Larry Rothschild he didn’t feel well and wanted to be taken out. He had been slated to pitch last Sunday but got two days extra rest for what was described as a tired arm.
His right arm was more than just weary.
Zambrano, on the disabled list in June with a sore shoulder, was examined by team orthopedist Dr. Stephen Gryzlo and then had an MRI on Thursday that confirmed the original diagnosis.
“Dr. Gryzlo has been right-on with all his evaluations this year, and he felt this was not going to be a significant problem,” Hendry said. “It was not like the situation where he had to be put on the DL after Tampa. And Carlos never felt it was going to be that serious either.”
Chicago also is taking a cautious approach with hard-throwing Rich Harden — who will go 12 days between starts because he has some discomfort in his arm. Sean Marshall will start for Zambrano on Sunday.
“There’s no good time when people are out,” Hendry said. “We have a lot of confidence in Marshall, Dempster’s had a great year, Ted Lilly’s as tough as they come and (Jason) Marquis has been throwing the ball real well.”
Sore arms, bad luck and strange occurrences are part of the Cubs’ lore, especially since their 2003 collapse in the NLCS, when they were five outs from their first World Series appearance since 1945. In the ensuing seasons, repeated arm problems for Kerry Wood and Mark Prior sidetracked the Cubs and eventually led to the departures of both manager Dusty Baker and chief executive officer Andy MacPhail. Wood has since returned as a top closer.
Manager Lou Piniella established a “Cubbie Swagger” as he called it last season, leading the team to the NL Central title before the Diamondbacks swept the Cubs out of the playoffs.
This season, Cubs have been solid in most phases throughout and at one point last month had the best record in the majors — overcoming two disabled list stints for star leadoff hitter Alfonso Soriano and one in June for Zambrano, when his shoulder was sore.
Zambrano is 13-5, but just 1-1 in his last six starts, when he’s made it past the fifth inning only twice.
“Can we win without him?” second baseman Mark DeRosa said Thursday, repeating a question. “Of course we can. You don’t want to have to do it.”
Chicago began the day with a 4 1/2-game lead over Milwaukee in the division, but the stretch ahead includes a trying final week, when the Cubs play four at the New York Mets and three at Milwaukee. Chicago is 34-31 on the road.
“Do I feel we are going to be in postseason? Yeah, you’re darn right I do,” Piniella said. “But at the same time, we got to go do it on the field.”
The Cubs’ trip that starts at Cincinnati on Friday also takes them to St. Louis and Houston.
“We’re in a tough little stretch now, where things aren’t going our way and we’ve had some injuries,” Piniella said. “No team is immune from a little struggle, and we’re struggling some now. But look, all we need is to win a baseball game and get back on track.”
Hookscenter.com wire report.
White Sox’ get out of Cleveland with one win against Indians.
September 3, 2008
Nick Swisher and Alexi Ramirez homered to help the Chicago White Sox avert a sweep with a 4-2 win over the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday.
Javier Vazquez (11-12) allowed two runs in six innings and Bobby Jenks recorded the final five outs for his 28th save in 31 opportunities.
The victory came at an opportune time for the White Sox, who, despite losing five of six, entered the game tied with Minnesota for first place in the American League Central. Chicago lost the first two games of the series with the Indians.
After one-out singles by Ben Francisco and Shin-Soo Choo off Matt Thornton in the eighth put runners on first and third, Jenks came on and got Ryan Garko to hit into a double play. Jamey Carroll led off the ninth with a single, but Jenks got Kelly Shoppach to hit into a double play and struck out Asdrubal Cabrera to end the game.
Due to injuries and scheduled days off, manager Ozzie Guillen was forced to go with a lineup that resemebled a spring training game. Left fielder Carlos Quentin (sore right forearm), center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. and third baseman Joe Crede (both with back tightness) were unavailable. Designated hitter Jim Thome was on the bench until pinch-hitting in the ninth and catcher A.J. Pierzynski was given the day off.
Vazquez and the makeshift lineup came through. The right-hander (11-12) didn’t give up a hit until Shin-Soo Choo singled with one out in the fifth. Shortstop Orlando Cabrera nearly made a diving stop of the hard ground ball up the middle, but it was just beyond his reach and went into center field.
Vazquez retired the first eight hitters and didn’t allow a baserunner until Asdrubal Cabrera drew a one-out walk in the third. He held the Indians scoreless until Jhonny Peralta’s two-run double in the fifth.
Jeremy Sowers (2-8) retired the first nine bitters before walking Orlando Cabrera on a 3-1 pitch to begin the fourth. Brian Anderson hit a ground ball single past third baseman Andy Marte for Chicago’s first hit.
After managing one hit in the first four innings, the White Sox scored four runs on five hits in the next two innings before Sowers was pulled with one out in the fifth.
Swisher led off the fifth with a homer into the porch in left field on a 2-1 pitch. Josh Fields, starting at DH, singled with one out and scored on Orlando Cabrera’s double off the wall in left-center.
Jermaine Dye singled with one out in the sixth. Ramirez, moved to fifth in the batting order, hit a 3-2 pitch into the left-center bleachers, making it 4-0.
Hookscenter.com wire report.
Indians’ Cliff Lee becomes MLB first 20-game winner in 2008.
September 2, 2008
Once inside the clubhouse, Cliff Lee’s teammates popped open champagne and toasted his latest win, his biggest win.
Exactly one year after being brought back from the minor leagues, Lee had something major to celebrate: He’s Cleveland’s first 20-game winner in 34 years.
“Has a nice ring to it,” Lee said. “I like the sound of that.”
Lee, who was sent back to Triple-A last season to work on his mechanics and his mental approach, pitched a five-hitter for his second career shutout and led the Indians to a 5-0 win over the Chicago White Sox on Monday night.
Lee (20-2) is the first Indian to reach 20 wins since Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry went 21-13 in 1974. The left-hander’s milestone win was his ninth straight victory.
“I never lost confidence,” Lee said. “I never got down on myself or questioned my abilities. I never once doubted what I could do.”
With a chance to also join Hall of Famers Bob Feller and Bob Lemon as Cleveland’s 20-game winners, Lee shut down the hard-hitting, Central-leading White Sox. He gave up two singles to open the first before retiring 21 straight and finishing his fourth complete game.
“That’s the best I’ve seen him throw against us in some time,” said Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen, whose club dropped into a tie for first in the Central with Minnesota. “He’s a 20-game winner for a reason. We got to him early and had an opportunity. Then he shut us down, just dominated us.”
After he got Carlos Quentin to ground into a game-ending double play, Lee punched his fist into his glove and hugged catcher Kelly Shoppach as fireworks boomed above Progressive Field. And as he has done 19 other times this season, Lee got in line to exchange handshakes with his teammates.
First baseman Ryan Garko flipped the ball to Lee, and he headed to the dugout as a video tribute from Perry and Feller was shown on the stadium scoreboard.
“It’s nice to get this behind me and not have to answer questions about matching Gaylord Perry,” Lee said in a typically stoic tone. “I’m glad I got it over with on the first try. It’s a good feeling, especially not giving up any runs.”
Lee’s 20 wins put a resounding stamp on his turnaround season.
Ineffective for the first fourth months of 2007, Lee had been sent back to the minors last July, a startling downfall for a pitcher who had won 46 games over the previous three years. In his final start before the demotion, Lee was booed off the field and sarcastically tipped his cap at fans who were sick of seeing him.
Now, they can’t get enough of Lee.
Since the first day of spring training in ‘08, he has been in a groove.
“It’s a tremendous tribute to him and the work and the commitment he made,” Indians manager Eric Wedge said. “These things don’t happen by accident.”
He went 5-0 in April and was 12-2 when he took the mound as the AL’s starter at the All-Star Game in Yankee Stadium. He went 5-0 with a 1.86 ERA in August.
He leads the majors in wins and ERA, and no pitcher has meant more than the laid-back 30-year-old, who has accounted for 30 percent of Cleveland’s 66 victories.
The Indians’ three-decades-plus drought without a 20-game winner was the longest among non-expansion teams. Tampa Bay, Colorado and Florida have never had a pitcher get to 20 wins, and it’s been 30 years since the Montreal/Washington franchise and San Diego had a 20-game winner.
Lee has refused to put emphasis on any start but his next one, and has shrugged off his success with a hey-this-is-my job nonchalance. For weeks, he has downplayed any significance of reaching the 20-win barrier, insisting all he wants to do is give the Indians a chance to win.
Lee has been remarkably consistent, pitching at least five innings in all 27 starts. He has allowed two or fewer runs in 21 of them and hasn’t walked a batter 10 times. He has been nearly as good on the road (11-2) as at home (9-0).
His approach has been simple.
“You’ve got to locate. You’ve got to work ahead. You’ve got mix and change speeds,” Lee said. “That’s the key to pitching.”
Orlando Cabrera and A.J. Pierzynski opened the first with singles. But Lee struck out Quentin and then got Jermaine Dye to hit a hard liner to second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera, who snagged the drive and stepped on the bag for the double play.
Lee gave up two singles in the ninth before he got Pierzynski to fly to left. Chicago’s fiery catcher, who slammed his bat down after popping out in the fourth, then stared in Lee’s direction. Lee stared back.
“He was chirping from the dugout,” said Lee, who couldn’t recall if he yelled anything back at Pierzynski. “He gave me a little extra energy. I appreciate that, him giving me a little extra edge.”
Pierzynski denied yelling at Lee.
“I didn’t say anything to him the whole game,” he said. “I yelled something when I popped up. He pitched a great game and has had a heck of a season. Give the guy credit. Winning 20 games is pretty darn good.”
As the Indians celebrated Lee’s win, many of the White Sox remained in their dugout, perhaps upset by the left-hander’s posture.
“I don’t care,” Lee said.
The Indians scored three earned runs off Chicago starter Clayton Richard (2-3).
Hookscenter.com wire report.
Roger Clemens’ son, Koby, arrested after fight in Salem.
September 1, 2008
Three Astros prospects, including catcher Koby Clemens, were arrested early Sunday morning, Astros assistant general manager Ricky Bennett confirmed Monday morning.
Clemens, first baseman Mark Ori and catcher Jeremy Goethals were arrested after several members of the Salem Avalanche baseball team spent Saturday night at a popular Salem restaurant, according to the Roanoke Times, which first reported the story.
Clemens and Ori were charged with disorderly conduct and Goethals with assault and battery. All three were taken to the Roanoke County-Salem Jail before being released on bond, according to the Roanoke Times, reciting a release from the Salem police.
The players have a scheduled court appearance on Tuesday, at which time Bennett said the team will take disciplinary action.
“I’m still in the process of trying to gather information of what took place,” said Bennett, who is with the Astros in Chicago. “I talked to the players and the staff. The feedback and information we get from the court appearance will decide what disciplinary action we’ll take.”
The Avalanche ends its season today with an afternoon game in Lynchburg. The players arrested did not play Sunday and will not play today, either.
The Avalanche commutes to nearby Lynchburg for games, so they were home after Saturday’s game. Several players, according to the Roanoke Times, went to Mac and Bob’s Restaurant on East Main Street.
The news release said police were dispatched to a disturbance in the restaurant’s parking lot at 2 a.m. on Sunday and found approximately 50 people in the lot.
The release did not give details about the events that led to the arrests. It stated that Clemens and Ori were arrested on the scene, and Goethals was charged “after an employee of the restaurant obtained a warrant for his arrest” from the Roanoke County/Salem magistrate’s office.
Clemens is the son of Roger Clemens, who pitched for the Astros from 2004-06 and is currently under investigation by the Department of Justice for claims he made regarding the use of performance-enhancing drugs during his 24-year career.
Hookscenter.com wire report.
Werth, Moyer help Phillies’ salvage split at Wrigley against Cubs.
August 31, 2008
Jayson Werth hit another home run against the Chicago Cubs and 45-year-old Jamie Moyer got his 12th win, leading the Philadelphia Phillies to a 5-3 victory that salvaged a split of their four-game series at Wrigley Field.
Werth hit a two-run double in the first and a solo drive in the fifth for his 21st homer of the season. Werth, who went deep twice and drove in four runs in Philly’s 5-2 win Saturday, is 11-for-21 with four homers and 10 RBI against the Cubs this season.
Chicago was without ace Carlos Zambrano, who was scratched to give him some time to rest his tired arm.
The Phillies remained a game behind the NL East-leading Mets, who won 6-2 against the Florida Marlins. The Cubs’ NL Central lead was trimmed to four games over Milwaukee, which blanked Pittsburgh 7-0 on Sunday.
Moyer (12-7), who started his career with the Cubs in 1986, gave up eight hits and two runs in 5 1/3 innings, and the Phillies bullpen worked its way out of a couple of jams.
Moyer left after Kosuke Fukudome singled and Ronny Cedeno walked in the sixth. Chad Durbin entered and struck out pinch-hitter Ryan Theriot before Alfonso Soriano popped out to end the inning.
In Chicago’s eighth, pinch-hitter Henry Blanco delivered a two-out RBI single against J.C. Romero to make it 5-3 and another pinch-hitter, Daryle Ward, greeted Ryan Madson with another single. But Madson struck out Soriano with two on to end the threat.
Brad Lidge then worked a perfect ninth for his 33rd save in as many chances.
Sean Marshall (3-4), subbing for Zambrano, allowed three of his five runs in the first inning. He walked two and surrendered nine hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Marshall walked Chase Utley in the first and the Phillies came through with three straight two-out hits — singles by Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino and the two-run double by Werth.
Making just his fifth start of the season and first in two weeks, Marshall gave up Werth’s long homer with two outs in the fifth that made it 4-2. After a leadoff double by Carlos Ruiz and a sacrifice by Moyer in the sixth, Jeff Samardzija relieved and Jimmy Rollins greeted him with a sacrifice fly.
A bright sun helped the Cubs score twice in the third.
After Mark DeRosa and Geovany Soto opened with singles, a fielder’s choice grounder left runners at first and third. Cedeno hit a high fly to center that Victorino lost in the sun at the last minute as the ball dropped for an RBI single. With the Phillies playing for a bunt, Marshall grounded an RBI single to center, trimming the lead to 3-2.
Hookscenter.com wire report.
Cubs’ Zambrano is a scratch for Sunday’s game against Phillies.
August 31, 2008
Chicago Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano was scratched from his start Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies to give him some time to rest his tired arm.
Zambrano, a 13-game winner this season, is 1-1 over his past five starts and twice failed to get out of the fifth inning. He has seen a drop-off at times in his velocity.
Leading the NL Central and with the best record in the majors, the Cubs want a fresh Zambrano for the final month. He went through a similar tired arm period a year ago when he was winless in August before rebounding to go 4-1 in his final five regular-season starts.
Pitching coach Larry Rothschild said Zambrano isn’t in any pain and his arm feels good.
“It’s just that he’s gone through this every year the last four or five years, at a point in time where his arm feels a little bit heavy, tired,” Rothschild said. “I think everybody goes through that, I think it’s a little bit of a dead arm period.
“He has felt a lot better the last couple of days. … As he sees everything coming back, he’ll get better. He’ll get on his stride.”
Sean Marshall started the finale of a four-game series Sunday against the Phillies at Wrigley Field.
Zambrano’s next start probably will come Tuesday or Wednesday at Wrigley Field against the Houston Astros. Jason Marquis will face the Astros on Monday and Ryan Dempster will go either Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on which day Zambrano pitches.
By giving Marshall the start and moving Zambrano back, the Cubs also will give right-hander Rich Harden — who pitched only five innings in his previous start Friday against the Phillies — extra rest. Harden had been slated to start Wednesday and the team has an off day on Thursday.
The Cubs’ staff will be bolstered by callups when major league rosters expand on Monday. They also will activate veteran Jon Lieber off the disabled list.
Zambrano, who got a $91.5 million, five-year contract last August, played long toss Sunday but didn’t comment after the workout.
On Saturday he said he was in no pain, unlike when he went on the disabled list in June with a sore shoulder.
“I just have to wait until my arm strength and power come back,” he said Saturday. “Not only me. It happens to other pitchers, especially when you are a power pitcher. The most important thing and the thing to learn here is to know how to pitch with this. … I think this is the time when you have 170 innings, close to 180 innings, you have to do whatever it takes to rest your arm.”
Rothschild said Sunday’s switch should set up the Cubs’ rotation for the final month’s playoff push.
“We’re looking at this over the long haul,” he said. “It’s the right thing to do, no matter what.”
Hookscenter.com wire report.
Ramirez hits 2 HR’s as Dodgers end 8-game losing streak.
August 31, 2008
Manny Ramirez is trying to get the Los Angeles Dodgers into the playoffs, and looking forward to his future at the same time.
Ramirez homered twice and the Dodgers ended an eight-game losing streak with a 6-2 victory over Dan Haren and the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night.
“I play the game, go have fun,” said Ramirez, who could become a free agent after this season. “I’m on vacation. I don’t got nothing to lose. I got one more month left, you know, go to the house, relax and see what my situation is going to be.”
Ramirez, who is 18-of-33 (.545) in his career against Arizona, went deep in the third for the Dodgers’ first run off Haren (14-7) and hit the right-field foul pole in the seventh for his ninth homer with Los Angeles. He reached base in nine straight plate appearances before grounding out in the ninth.
“As far as how we pitch him, we’re missing our location on him is what we’re doing right now,” Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin said. “We’re just not making good pitches.”
The Dodgers, who dropped the first eight of their 10-game road trip, moved with 3½ games of the NL West-leading Diamondbacks, losers of six of eight.
After being intentionally walked in the first inning Friday, Ramirez got eight consecutive hits, including his 500th career double Saturday.
“He’s pretty remarkable,” Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. “But again, I’ve watched this for a number of years, he’s one of the best right-hand hitters that has played the game in my lifetime. He doesn’t give an at-bat away.”
Ramirez went 4-for-5, scored three runs and drove in two, but downplayed his performance.
“For us, every day is a big game,” Ramirez said. “The other side is the best team in the National League. We play everybody hard.”
Chad Billingsley (13-10) allowed two runs and nine hits in seven innings for Los Angeles, getting his first win since Aug. 15.
“I struggled a little bit in first inning and didn’t get into a good rhythm,” Billingsley said. “I kind of found it and started pounding the zone with all my pitches.”
Ramirez doubled and scored on Mayy Kemp’s 16th homer to put the Dodgers ahead 5-1 in the fifth. Ramirez, who is hitting .419 since being acquired from Boston on July 31, has six doubles and seven RBI in his career against the Diamondbacks.
“All I’m doing now is extra,” Ramirez said. “I’ve already did what I am going to do in my career.”
Kemp and Casey Blake each had two hits off Haren, who has given up at least seven hits in each of his last seven outings, although he has won five of those.
“Even though I’m not walking guys, my command just isn’t there,” Haren said. “I’m throwing plenty of strikes but the strikes just aren’t as quality as they’ve been in the past.”
Chris Young went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs for Arizona, which finished with 10 hits.
Hong-Chih Kuo struck out five in two scoreless innings for Los Angeles.
After Arizona’s Brandon Webb and Derek Lowe meet on Sunday, the two teams have three more games in California next weekend, the last time they will see each other in the regular season.
Hookscenter.com wire report.
Werth hits a pair of dingers to lift Phillies by red-hot Cubs.
August 30, 2008
Jayson Werth homered twice, Ryan Howard hit his major league-leading 37th homer and the Philadelphia Phillies ended the Chicago Cubs’ seven-game winning streak with a 5-2 victory Saturday.
Werth also hit a tiebreaking two-run single in the sixth for the Phillies, who got a nice effort from their bullpen and ended a three-game skid.
Howard and Werth connected against Neal Cotts in the eighth to make it 5-1, and reliever J.C. Romero cut off a Cubs rally in the bottom half by striking out the side — including Geovany Soto with the bases loaded.
The NL Central-leading Cubs, who rallied to win Thursday and Friday, opened the bottom half of the eighth with consecutive singles from Ryan Theriot, Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez to trim the lead to 5-2.
Romero replaced starter Brett Myers and struck out pinch-hitters Reed Johnson and Ronny Cedeno before walking Kosuke Fukudome to load the bases. He then got a called third strike past Soto to end the threat.
Brad Lidge pitched a perfect ninth for his 32nd save in as many chances.
Myers (8-10) allowed 11 hits and two runs in seven-plus innings with no walks and eight strikeouts. He is 5-1 in eight starts since being recalled from the minors on July 20.
The 6-foot-4 right-hander didn’t given up a run in his two previous starts and had his scoreless inning streak snapped at 17 when the Cubs got three straight singles from Mark DeRosa, Fukudome (a bunt) and Soto with one out in the second to take a 1-0 lead.
Ted Lilly (13-8) retired 12 straight before Werth led off the fifth with his 19th homer. Lilly lost another matchup with Werth in the sixth, surrendering a two-out single that scored Chase Utley easily and Howard on a nice slide around Soto.
Home plate umpire Chris Guccione, who was in the middle of a disputed call at first Friday, was involved in another in the fourth inning Saturday when the Cubs had runners at the corners. When Howard picked up Lilly’s bunt down the first-base line and tried to tag him, Guccione initially ruled Lilly safe at first.
After Howard protested, crew chief and first base umpire Tim Welke met with Guccione and ruled Lilly was out — even though replays were inconclusive on whether Howard tagged him. Cubs manager Lou Piniella came out to argue after the call was reversed.
On Friday, Guccione had called Howard out at first on a close play with runners also on the corners. Replays showed he beat the throw and if he’d been ruled safe, the Phils would have taken a seventh-inning lead in a game they eventually lost 3-2.
Hookscenter.com wire report.