THT Daily: All-Star Pitchers Win Again

Major League News for August 17

Yesterday’s Results
Today’s Games
Standings
Game of the Day
Yesterday’s Home Runs
Top Minor League Performances
Player News
Stats

Yesterday’s Results

American League
BOS     6  DET     4    (Recap and Boxscore) Ortiz: HR, 3 BB; Verlander: 2 K, 7 BB
BAL     3  NYA     2    (Recap and Boxscore) Loewen: 5.2 IP, 2 R
TB      8  TOR     3    (Recap and Boxscore) Shields: 6 IP, 3 R, 1 ER
KC     10  CHA     4    (Recap and Boxscore) Grudzielanek: 3B, HR, 4 RBI; Bernero: 6 IP, 0 R
MIN     7  CLE     2    (Recap and Boxscore) Cuddyer: 3-5, HR, 3 RBI; Silva: 5 IP, 2 R
OAK     4  SEA     0    (Recap and Boxscore) Haren: 6 IP, 0 R; OAK: 15 straight over SEA
TEX     9  LAA     3    (Recap and Boxscore) Eaton: 7 IP, 2 R; Both teams: 7 ejections

National League
PHI     3  NYN     0    (Recap and Boxscore) Lieber: CG shutout; Coste: 3-3, 2B, HR
WAS     9  ATL     6    (Recap and Boxscore)
CHN     1  HOU     0    (Recap and Boxscore) O’Malley: 8 IP, 0 R; Never heard of him
MIL     5  PIT     2    (Recap and Boxscore) 13 innings; Bell: 4-5; GW hit
CIN     7  STL     2    (Recap and Boxscore) Encarnacion: 2 HR; Arroyo: 7 IP, 1 R
ARI     9  COL     5    (Recap and Boxscore)
FLA    15  LAN     4    (Recap and Boxscore) Cabrera: 2 HR, 5 RBI
SF      7  SD      5    (Recap and Boxscore) 13 innings; Bonds: HR 724

Today’s Games

Visitors                          Home                               Starts
NYM - Maine J. (2-3, 2.64)        PHI - Mathieson S. (1-3, 6.48)      1:05
ATL - Villarreal O. (8-1, 4.48)   WAS - Bergmann J. (0-0, 7.62)       1:05
BAL - Lopez R. (8-12, 6.20)       NYY - Wright J. (9-6, 4.24)         1:05
CLE - Byrd P. (7-6, 4.72)         MIN - Garza M. (0-1, 23.63)         1:10
KC - Perez O.* (0-0, 5.40)        CWS - Buehrle M.* (9-10, 4.87)      2:05
CIN - Lohse K. (0-0, 2.92)        STL - Weaver J. (2-3, 6.60)         2:10
ARI - Webb B. (13-4, 2.77)        COL - Fogg J. (8-7, 4.59)           3:05
SF - Cain M. (8-9, 4.89)          SD - Peavy J. (6-11, 4.58)          3:35
TEX - Volquez E. (1-1, 3.00)      DET - Rogers K.* (11-6, 4.36)       7:05
TOR - Burnett A. (4-5, 4.46)      TB - Kazmir S.* (10-8, 3.43)        7:15
HOU - Hirsh J. (0-1, 9.00)        MIL - Sheets B. (3-4, 4.98)         8:05
SEA - Moyer J.* (6-11, 4.40)      LAA - Escobar K. (8-10, 3.89)      10:05

Standings

The graphics next to each team are called “sparklines.” They depict each team’s performance over the last month. Each “up” bar is a victory and a “down” bar is a loss. There are horizontal lines for home games and red bars represent games decided by two runs or less. “PWins” is short for Projected Wins, based on each team’s Run Differential, and is often a better measure of a team’s true strength. Other team graphs and stats can be found on our Team Page.

American League East        Pwins  Diff
NYA     70  47 .598    0.0   68      2      
BOS     69  50 .580    2.0   65      4      
TOR     64  56 .533    7.5   64      0      
BAL     52  68 .433   19.5   51      1      
TB      48  72 .400   23.5   49     -1      
American League Central
DET     78  42 .650    0.0   74      4      
CHA     71  48 .597    6.5   69      2      
MIN     70  49 .588    7.5   67      3      
CLE     53  66 .445   24.5   64     -11     
KC      43  78 .355   35.5   44     -1      
American League West
OAK     68  52 .567    0.0   62      6      
TEX     62  59 .512    6.5   64     -2      
LAA     62  59 .512    6.5   62      0      
SEA     56  64 .467   12.0   58     -2      

National League East         Pwins Diff
NYN     71  48 .597    0.0   67      4      
PHI     59  60 .496   12.0   61     -2      
FLA     56  64 .467   15.5   58     -2      
ATL     55  64 .462   16.0   60     -5      
WAS     53  67 .442   18.5   54     -1      
National League Central
STL     63  56 .529    0.0   60      3      
CIN     62  58 .517    1.5   57      5      
MIL     57  63 .475    6.5   52      5      
HOU     57  63 .475    6.5   59     -2      
CHN     52  68 .433   11.5   49      3      
PIT     46  75 .380   18.0   53     -7      
National League West
LAN     64  57 .529    0.0   65     -1      
ARI     61  59 .508    2.5   60      1      
SD      60  60 .500    3.5   60      0      
COL     58  62 .483    5.5   62     -4      
SF      57  63 .475    6.5   59     -2      

Wildcard Standings
American League
CHA     71  48 .597    0.0
MIN     70  49 .588    1.0
BOS     69  50 .580    2.0
TOR     64  56 .533    7.5
TEX     62  59 .512   10.0
National League
CIN     62  58 .517    0.0
ARI     61  59 .508    1.0
SD      60  60 .500    2.0
PHI     59  60 .496    2.5
COL     58  62 .483    4.0

Game of the Day

Somebody named Ryan O’Malley made his major league debut for the Cubs and pitched shutout ball for eight innings, leading the Cubs to a 1-0 win over the Astros. Michael Barrett, who is having as good a year as any cathcer in the National League, hit a solo home run off Andy Pettitte for the Cubs’ only run.

O’Malley is a 26-year-old lefthander who was called up from AAA when Rich Hill was deemed unavailable after throwing 28 pitches at the end of Chicago’s 18-inning win over the Astros on Tuesday night. Over the last 25 years, only two other pitchers threw eight innings or more to win their debut by a 1-0 score: Steve Woodard of the Brewers in 1997 and Rick Reed of the Pirates in 1988. The loss was a blow to Houston, whose playoff hopes appear to be dwindling.

CHICAGO CUBS (1) VS HOUSTON (0) - FINAL

CHICAGO CUBS           ab  r  h rbi bb so lob   avg
J Pierre cf             4  0  3  0   0  1   0  .284
R Theriot 2b            2  0  0  0   0  0   1  .333
M Barrett c             3  1  1  1   1  1   1  .325
A Ramirez 3b            3  0  0  0   0  1   1  .279
P Nevin 1b              4  0  0  0   0  1   3  .245
 B Howry p              0  0  0  0   0  0   0 1.000
A Pagan rf              3  0  0  0   0  1   3  .282
M Murton lf             3  0  0  0   0  0   0  .293
N Perez ss              3  0  0  0   0  0   0  .252
R O'Malley p            3  0  0  0   0  2   0  .000
 J Mabry 1b             0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .221

Totals                 28  1  4  1   1  7   9

BATTING: 2B - J Pierre (27, A Pettitte). HR - M Barrett (14, 6th inning off A 
Pettitte 0 on, 1 Out). S - R Theriot 2. RBI - M Barrett (45). Runners left in 
scoring position, 2 out - A Ramirez 1, A Pagan 2. GIDP - R Theriot. Team LOB - 
4. 
 
HOUSTON                ab  r  h rbi bb so lob   avg
W Taveras cf            4  0  1  0   0  0   0  .270
 c-A Huff ph            1  0  0  0   0  1   0  .264
C Burke 2b-ss           5  0  2  0   0  1   1  .286
L Berkman 1b            2  0  0  0   2  0   2  .317
L Scott lf              3  0  0  0   1  0   4  .419
M Ensberg 3b            3  0  0  0   1  0   4  .234
J Lane rf               3  0  0  0   1  0   1  .206
A Everett ss            2  0  1  0   1  0   1  .240
 a-C Biggio ph-2b       1  0  1  0   0  0   0  .266
B Ausmus c              3  0  0  0   0  0   3  .227
 b-M Lamb ph            1  0  0  0   0  0   1  .312
 E Munson c             0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .206
A Pettitte p            3  0  0  0   0  1   4  .174
 d-O Palmeiro ph        1  0  0  0   0  0   0  .226

Totals                 32  0  5  0   6  3  21

a-singled to left for A Everett in the 8th;  b-flied out to center for B Ausmus 
in the 8th;  c-struck out swinging for W Taveras in the 9th;  d-lined out to 
shortstop for A Pettitte in the 9th.

BATTING: Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - A Pettitte 1, M Ensberg 2. 
Team LOB - 11. 
 
FIELDING: E - C Burke (5, catch). DP: 1 (A Everett-C Burke-L Berkman). 
 
----------------------------------------------------
    CHICAGO CUBS    - 000 001 000   --   1
    HOUSTON         - 000 000 000   --   0
----------------------------------------------------

CHICAGO CUBS                 ip       h   r  er  bb  so  hr    era
R O'Malley (W, 1-0)           8       5   0   0   6   2   0   0.00
B Howry (S, 4)                1       0   0   0   0   1   0   3.05

HOUSTON                      ip       h   r  er  bb  so  hr    era
A Pettitte (L, 11-13)         9       4   1   1   1   7   1   4.65

HBP - A Ramirez (by A Pettitte). Pitches-strikes: R O'Malley 109-60; B Howry 
18-10; A Pettitte 105-75. Ground balls-fly balls: R O'Malley 5-17; B Howry 1-1; 
A Pettitte 10-10. Batters faced: R O'Malley 35; B Howry 3; A Pettitte 32. 
 
UMPIRES: HP--Jerry Meals. 1B--Andy Fletcher. 2B--Mike Reilly. 3B--Jeff 
Kellogg. 

T--2:18. Att--38,989. 
Weather: INDOORS

The following graph tracks the game’s Win Probability, courtesy of Fan Graphs.

Yesterday’s Home Runs

The following stats are provided by Hit Tracker, which logs the projected distance of each home run (if it were to land uninterrupted at field level) and its “standard” distance, which is corrected for weather conditions.

Hitter                      Pitcher                       True Dist  Std. Dist.  HR #
LaRoche, Adam       ATL     Rauch, Jon         WAS           398         423      24
Kinsler, Ian        TEX     Saunders, Joe      LAA           411         420       9
Clevlen, Brent      DET     Wells, David       BOS           419         419       3
Johnson, Ben        SD      Benitez, Armando   SF            409         419       4
Ortiz, David        BOS     Verlander, Justin  DET           389         417      42
Greene, Todd        SF      Park, Chan Ho      SD            404         414       1
Johnson, Ben        SD      Lowry, Noah        SF            403         414       3
Cruz, Nelson        TEX     Gregg, Kevin       LAA           418         413       2
Zimmerman, Ryan     WAS     Smoltz, John       ATL           407         410      16
Cuddyer, Michael    MIN     Betancourt, Rafael CLE           412         407      18
Markakis, Nick      BAL     Lidle, Corey       NYY           413         405       6
Ordonez, Magglio    DET     Wells, David       BOS           402         405      17
Izturis, Maicer     LAA     Eaton, Adam        TEX           398         404       4
Helms, Wes          FLA     Carrara, Giovanni  LAD           422         400       8
Green, Shawn        ARI     Cook, Aaron        COL           446         398      11
Aurilia, Rich       CIN     Reyes, Anthony     STL           428         396      17
Bonds, Barry        SF      Park, Chan Ho      SD            408         396      16
Molina, Bengie      TOR     Shields, James     TB            395         394      11
Encarnacion, Edwin  CIN     Reyes, Anthony     STL           425         393      12
Dunn, Adam          CIN     Sosa, Jorge        STL           407         392      36
Schneider, Brian    WAS     Ray, Chris         ATL           369         387       4
Hollins, Damon      TB      Lilly, Ted         TOR           383         382      14
Coste, Chris        PHI     Glavine, Tom       NYM           375         382       5
Cabrera, Miguel     FLA     Carrara, Giovanni  LAD           399         381      20
Cabrera, Miguel     FLA     Sele, Aaron        LAD           401         379      19
Shealy, Ryan        KC      Contreras, Jose    CWS           363         369       2
Ellis, Mark         OAK     Meche, Gil         SEA           365         368       8
Grudzielanek, Mark  KC      Contreras, Jose    CWS           363         368       5
Giles, Marcus       SD      Lowry, Noah        SF            376         364       9
Encarnacion, Edwin  CIN     Reyes, Anthony     STL           395         362      13
Griffey Jr., Ken    CIN     Sosa, Jorge        STL           366         356      24
Cintron, Alex       CWS     Dohmann, Scott     KC            371         355       4
Barrett, Michael    CHC     Pettitte, Andy     HOU           340         339      14
Bellhorn, Mark      SD      Lowry, Noah        SF            331         318       8

Top Minor League Games

The following list, provided by First Inning, includes the top minor league batting (based on Runs Created) and pitching (based on Game Score) performances from yesterday.

ORG LVL PLAYER            POS AB  H 2B 3B HR BB SO  Notes
CIN A+  Paul Janish        SS  6  4  2  1  0  0  0   
CIN AA  Chris Dickerson    CF  3  2  0  0  2  1  1   
FLA AA  JC Muniz           RF  3  2  0  0  2  0  0   
HOU AAA Joe McEwing        3B  4  3  1  0  2  0  0   
HOU A+  Drew Sutton        2B  3  2  0  0  2  2  0  3 runs scored
KC  AA  Mitch Maier        CF  5  5  0  0  0  0  0   
NYM A+  Caleb Stewart      RF  4  3  0  1  1  0  0  4 RBI
NYY AA  Omir Santos         C  4  4  1  0  0  0  0   
SEA AAA Jose Morban        LF  3  3  1  1  0  0  0   
SEA AA  Jason Bourgeois    DH  4  3  1  0  1  1  1  4 runs scored
 
ORG LVL PLAYER             IP   H  R ER SO BB HR  Notes
BAL AA  James Johnson      7.0  2  0  0  4  1  0   
CLE AAA Brian Slocum       6.2  2  2  0  8  1  0   
DET AAA Corey Hamman       8.0  6  1  1  4  0  1   
DET AA  Jonathan Connolly  7.0  2  0  0  6  3  0   
MIL AAA Zach Jackson       9.0  4  2  2  2  3  2   
MIN A+  Kyle Aselton       6.0  4  0  0  7  0  0  1.38 ERA over past month
MIN AAA Scott Baker        6.2  4  0  0  6  1  0   
NYY A+  Chase Wright       7.0  3  0  0  2  1  0   
NYY AAA Kris Wilson        9.0  6  1  1  5  0  0   
SF  AA  Chris Begg         9.0  5  1  1  2  0  0 

Player News

Player news items are provided by CBS SportsLine.com.

The Reds acquired left-hander Scott Schoeneweis from Toronto on Wednesday for a player to be named or cash. The move came two days after the Reds learned left-handed reliever Kent Mercker will need reconstructive surgery on his left elbow. The Reds transferred Mercker to the 60-day disabled list Wednesday.

Bad feelings had been brewing between the Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers for 10 days. A volatile series finally turned violent when Adam Kennedy charged the mound after being hit by a pitch from Texas’ Scott Feldman, triggering a bench-clearing brawl in the Rangers’ 9-3 victory over the Angels. The melee came a night after Rangers starter Vicente Padilla was ejected for hitting two Angels with pitches and nearly plunking a third. And Kennedy was hit an inning after the Angels had two pitchers and manager Mike Scioscia ejected because two Rangers’ hitters were nailed. Feldman threw his glove down as Kennedy charged the mound and Feldman hit Kennedy in the armpit with a punch.

Ryan Zimmerman homered and singled to raise his rookie-leading RBI total to 78, and the Washington Nationals handed John Smoltz his first loss in more than two months by beating the Atlanta Braves 9-6 Wednesday night. Zimmerman was 2-for-5 in the game with three RBI.

Livan Hernandez took the game ball as a trophy from his first win with the Arizona Diamondbacks. “I saved the ball and I will put it in the house with all the other stuff I have,” he said. “I don’t keep every ball, just the first ones (with a new team).” Hernandez pitched into the seventh and benefited from a five-run fourth inning to earn his first win since being acquired in a trade by Arizona, and the Diamondbacks defeated the Colorado Rockies 9-5 Wednesday night. Hernandez (10-9) went 6 2/3 innings and gave up five runs and 11 hits in his second start since coming over from Washington on Aug. 7.

Todd Helton went 3-for-4 against Hernandez, raising his career totals vs. Hernandez to 27 hits in 51 at-bats (.529). According to Elias, Helton is the first player to hold a batting average above .500 in at least 50 at-bats against a pitcher since Bruce Bochy had 27 hits in his first 53 at-bats against Paul Splittorff (1974-1984).

If only Adam Loewen could pitch against the New York Yankees all the time. Loewen beat the Yankees for the second time in August, and four relievers combined for shutout relief in a a 3-2 victory Wednesday night that stopped the Orioles’ five-game losing streak. Nine hours after the groundbreaking across the street for the new Yankee Stadium, Loewen made a memorable debut in the old one. In his 14th major league appearance, Loewen (3-4) threw a career-high 107 pitches, allowing two runs and four hits with five strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. On Aug. 5, he yielded one hit over 6 1/3 innings during a 5-0 win over New York at Camden Yards.

St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Jim Edmonds was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome Wednesday, one day after leaving a game because of dizziness and blurred vision. Edmonds underwent an MRI on Tuesday night that showed normal brain function, then had a battery of tests Wednesday to rule out other possibilities such as diabetes, nutrition deficiencies or an infection. Trainer Barry Weinberg said all the tests were normal. “We’re just going to keep it under the category of post-concussion syndrome and we’ll just go day by day and see how he feels,” Weinberg said. “He’s got to just give me the input every day.”

Twins starter Carlos Silva retired 10 of the first 11 batters he faced before getting into trouble in the fourth inning on Wednesday against Cleveland. Silva lasted five innings, yielding two runs and five hits in the no-decision.

Mark Kotsay extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a seventh-inning double on Wednesday against Seattle.

The A’s tied a major league mark with their 15th straight win over Seattle, getting six shutout innings from Dan Haren in a 4-0 victory over the Mariners on Wednesday night. Haren (11-9) struck out eight and didn’t walk a batter to win his fifth straight start for the first-place A’s.

Adam Eaton (3-2) allowed two runs and four hits on Wednesday against the Angels in his fifth start since returning from a torn tendon in his right middle finger that landed him on the disabled list on April 1. He struck out five and walked two on a 101-degree night. Eaton retired 14 straight until a sixth-inning walk to Chone Figgins. Maicer Izturis, who had three RBI, followed with a homer to end Eaton’s shutout bid.

Angels rookie left-hander Joe Saunders (4-1) was beaten for the first time in his seventh major league start on Wednesday at Texas. He had won all four of his starts this season with a 1.67 ERA since being called up from Triple-A Salt Lake on Aug. 1. He allowed eight runs and five hits in 2 2/3 innings against Texas. He walked five and struck out one.

Alex Cintron hit a grand slam Wednesday in the ninth for the White Sox, who set a franchise record with nine slams this season.

Mark Grudzielanek hit a three-run homer and finished with three hits only hours after agreeing to a one-year extension. Grudzielanek was nearly traded before signing the deal. “The actuality was, if they didn’t see me as part of the team in the next few years, then it would have probably happened,” Grudzielanek said. “With both sides liking each other and being happy with the situation … I believe we can put together a very solid year and a playoff-contending team very soon.” Grudzielanek hit his fifth home run of the season, a triple and a single and drove in a season-high four runs. He missed the cycle by a double.

Ken Griffey homered and he now has 560 in his career, three behind Reggie Jackson for 10th place on the career list. The homer was his first since Aug. 6, a stretch of 42 at-bats.

All-Star closer Tom Gordon had an MRI on his ailing right shoulder. It showed just inflammation and no structural damage, but he hasn’t pitched in the Mets series.

James Shields threw six solid innings to stop his six-game losing streak and the Devil Rays ended their seven-game skid with an 8-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night. “You can’t really get frustrated because you’ve got to keep fighting through it,” Shields said. “Every outing is a grind. You’ve just got to roll with the punches.” Shields (5-6) allowed three runs — one earned — and four hits in his first win since June 21.

Ivan Rodriguez led off on Wednesday at Boston and went 2-for-4. Regular leadoff hitter Curtis Granderson got the day off against a lefty, David Wells, and Brent Clevlen got the start in center and batted eighth. Granderson pinch hit for Clevlen late in the game and finished 0-for-1. Clevlen went 1-for-3 and hit his third homer in the game.

Jon Lieber (5-9) was terrific Wednesday vs. the Mets, putting together his third consecutive solid start since an awful outing against Florida on the day of the trade deadline. He scattered five hits, walked none and struck out four for his second complete game this season and first shutout since May 24, 2001, with the Chicago Cubs. “This is probably the strongest our rotation has been this year,” manager Charlie Manuel said.

Octavio Dotel returned to the major leagues 14 months after a ligament was replaced in his right elbow, and the hard-throwing righty threw 13 pitches in a relief appearance for the New York Yankees against the Baltimore Orioles. Dotel, operated on in June 2005, spent most of this year rehabilitating his elbow at the Yankees’ complex in Tampa, Fla. He started by striking out Melvin Mora on eight pitches starting the seventh inning, his fastball reaching as high as 97 mph, then gave up a single to Miguel Tejada and walked Jay Gibbons on four pitches. To open a roster space, the Yankees optioned reliever Jose Veras to Triple-A Columbus of the International League.

Barry Bonds hit his 724th career home run Wednesday night, a solo shot leading off the second inning against San Diego’s Chan Ho Park. Bonds is now 31 shy of tying home run king Hank Aaron’s record of 755.

Seattle selected the contract of left-hander Eric O’Flaherty from Triple-A Tacoma to add another arm in the bullpen on Wednesday and optioned infielder Greg Dobbs to Tacoma.

On Wednesday, the Mariners indefinitely moved Joel Pineiro to the bullpen and promoted left-hander Jake Woods to take Pineiro’s starting spot. Woods will start Sunday against the Angels. He has pitched three or more innings 10 times this season — including his last three outings after Tuesday’s 3 1/3 innings or work — and should be able to go five or six innings Sunday.

Placido Polanco can only hope his stay on the disabled list doesn’t last long. The Detroit Tigers second baseman went for X-rays on his separated left shoulder Wednesday and was waiting for the results before his team played the Boston Red Sox. Polanco was injured while making a tumbling catch Tuesday night at Fenway Park – a costly blow to the surprising Tigers, who have the best record in the major leagues. Detroit put him on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday and recalled infielder Ramon Santiago from Triple-A Toledo. “It’s 15 days at the least. Maybe on the 16th I’ll be ready to go,” Polanco said.

Pedro Martinez was placed on the 15-day DL on Wednesday with a minor strain in his right calf. The three-time Cy Young Award winner was examined in New York on Tuesday, one day after the injury forced him out of his start against the Phillies following the worst first inning of his career. Right-handed reliever Heath Bell was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk to take Martinez’s spot on the roster. The Mets’ No. 5 starter replacement could be Brian Bannister off the DL and a Triple-A rehab assignment or Darren Oliver.

The Rangers recalled outfielder Freddy Guzman from Triple-A Oklahoma on Wednesday.

Texas Rangers outfielder Brad Wilkerson is scheduled to have season-ending surgery on his right shoulder next week and was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday. Wilkerson has been bothered by his ailing shoulder all season and hasn’t played since Aug. 9. The Rangers hoped rest would help, but the injury hasn’t improved. “Leaving a team for the first time during the season is disappointing,” Wilkerson said. He is slated to have surgery in California on Tuesday, Texas general manager Jon Daniels said Wednesday. “It’s best to get his shoulder healthy for next year,” Daniels said.

Francisco Cordero picked up his eighth save in eight opportunities since being traded by the Rangers to the Brewers on Aug. 9 on Wednesday at Pittsburgh.

Astros CF Willy Taveras beat out a bunt in the seventh inning Wednesday to extend his hitting streak to 19 games.

C Matt Treanor was activated from the DL before Wednesday’s game — the finale of a nine-game road trip. Treanor, hitting .213 in 50 games, has been sidelined since Aug. 1 with a strained left shoulder. The Marlins optioned C Paul Hoover to Triple-A Albuquerque of the PCL.

The Cubs placed Scott Eyre on the 15-day DL after he strained his right hamstring in Tuesday’s game.

The A’s are 34-10 with Marco Scutaro in the lineup, but he will likely lose his job once Bobby Crosby returns Wednesday.

Toronto LHP Gustavo Chacin (sore left elbow) will make one more minor league start Saturday — possibly with Triple-A Syracuse — before rejoining the rotation.

The Indians assigned UTL Ramon Vazquez to Triple-A Buffalo if the IL after he cleared outright waivers.

The Reds optioned LHP Brian Shackelford to Triple-A Louisville of the IL and outrighted UTL William Bergolla to Triple-A Louisville on Wednesday. He had been designated for assignment.

The Red Sox sent C Corky Miller outright to Triple-A Pawtucket of the IL. He had been designated for assignment. The Red Sox also sent LHP Lenny DiNardo to the Gulf Coast Legaue for a rehab assignment.

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