Sporting News staff reports
Mets ace Johan Santana was accused of sexual battery last year, but prosecutors dropped the case due to lack of evidence, TMZ reports.
The website obtained a copy of a report filed by a woman with the Lee County, Fla., sheriff’s office on Oct. 28. In the report, the woman tells officials Santana sexually assaulted her when they were walking on a Fort Myers golf course the day before.
TMZ reports sheriff’s detectives met several times with the prosecutor from the State’s Attorney’s Office to review the case. Ultimately, "DNA evidence did prove there was intercourse, but, according to a Sheriff’s document, the prosecutor concluded, ‘There was not enough evidence to prove lack of consent, the alleged victim’s statement is not consistent with other witnesses.’ "
The case was closed out on Dec. 8.
"Johan denied the charges and was never charged with anything," a Santana representative tells the website. "As far as the law enforcement side of this goes, the case is closed."
Sporting News staff reports
Mets ace Johan Santana was accused of sexual battery last year, but prosecutors dropped the case due to lack of evidence, TMZ reports.
The website obtained a copy of a report filed by a woman with the Lee County, Fla., sheriff’s office on Oct. 28. In the report, the woman tells officials Santana sexually assaulted her when they were walking on a Fort Myers golf course the day before.
TMZ reports sheriff’s detectives met several times with the prosecutor from the State’s Attorney’s Office to review the case. Ultimately, "DNA evidence did prove there was intercourse, but, according to a Sheriff’s document, the prosecutor concluded, ‘There was not enough evidence to prove lack of consent, the alleged victim’s statement is not consistent with other witnesses.’ "
The case was closed out on Dec. 8.
"Johan denied the charges and was never charged with anything," a Santana representative tells the website. "As far as the law enforcement side of this goes, the case is closed."
In their first 12 seasons, the Rays owned the majors’ best record for just more than a month. Total. Those losing ways are history, of course. Tampa Bay has been one of the majors’ top teams for going on three seasons.
Wade Davis hasn’t won a game in June.
This season, in fact, the Rays had the majors’ best record for more than two months. Behind a strong rotation and the majors’ most athletic lineup, the Rays soared to 20 games over .500 on May 23 while building their lead to six games in baseball’s toughest division.
A month later, the Rays have been grounded. They have been caught not only by the Yankees but also by those other bullies in Boston. What’s going on? Glad you asked.
The pitching
The Rays own the AL’s best ERA but they won’t for much longer if the rotation continues to falter. Tampa Bay’s starters have posted a 5.76 ERA during the club’s 10-16 skid, after posting a major league-best 2.72 ERA through 44 games.
Rookie Wade Davis has led the struggles. Unable to locate his fastball, he walked five Padres and fell to 0-4 in four June starts in a 2-1 loss Tuesday night.
"Four and a third (innings) and 103 pitches," Rays manager Joe Maddon pointed out. "We have to do better than that. He’s got to reign in command of his fastball. We’ve talked about it all year."
Davis has had company. James Shields, the senior member of the rotation at 28, has lost five consecutive starts (he earned a win in relief Saturday), and Matt Garza has allowed 15 runs in his past three starts.
Only David Price and Jeff Niemann have managed to avoid a rough stretch.
The hitting
Theirs has been an erratic attack all season. Carlos Pena, the primary cleanup hitter, has a .198 batting average but 15 homers. B.J. Upton still is underachieving at .226/.316/.391. An All-Star last year, Jason Bartlett is at .232. The club hit .299 with runners in scoring position through their hot start but only .224 since. In the long season, such a disparity can be expected to eventually even out.
B.J. Upton has struggled at the plate.
"We need to regain the game of inches," Maddon said after a rally on Tuesday night was snuffed when a line drive hit baserunner John Jaso, preventing a first-and-third situation with the middle of the order coming up. "It’s one of those freaky moments that happen to everybody."
But with a lineup stocked with All-Stars, scoring hasn’t been much of a problem. The Rays still are tied for third in runs scored. Carl Crawford has been hot lately, Ben Zobrist has hit his stride and Evan Longoria has carried them all season.
The fans
OK, the Rays can’t blame their slump on a lack of support because they are used to playing inside of an echoing dome mostly full with empty seats. But the club has started to make its own noise about it.
Owner Stuart Sternberg held a news conference earlier this week to fire the first warning. As subtle as he was in saying that the club needs to explore potential stadium sites outside of St. Petersburg, his message was clear: If the situation doesn’t improve, there will be some kind of move long before the club’s lease at the Tropicana Field expires in 2027.
"The facts are too persuasive to ignore," Sternberg said at the news conference. "Baseball will not work long term in downtown St. Petersburg."
Though the club is winning and playing as entertaining a brand of ball as any team, about the only times it draws 20,000 fans are when the Yankees, Red Sox or Barenaked Ladies visit. As a result of the lack of support, the Rays likely won’t be linked to any of the big-name players who will be available before the nonwaiver trading deadline.
If a team is a contender and no one’s around to see it … ?
The division
As the Rays roared through the first six weeks, the Red Sox dealt with injury and pitching woes to the point that they were teetering on a lost season. The turnaround for both teams began when Boston swept three games in Tampa Bay in the last week of May.
Just like that it seems, the Red Sox are back in their accustomed spot of contending. No one in Tampa Bay is surprised. "You’re just waiting for them to get their stuff together and they have," Maddon says. "We’re almost at the All-Star break."
The Rays have plenty of chances to pay back the Red Sox. Beginning with a two-game set at Fenway Park next week, 11 of the Rays’ 18 dates with the Red Sox remain. Tampa Bay also has 13 games left with the Yankees on a schedule that continues to draw Maddon’s criticism.
"Playing four teams 80 times in a season is ridiculous," says the manager, in a slight exaggeration (they actually play each division rival 18 times, not 20). "I would prefer a more balanced schedule."
In such a deep division, Maddon knows the significance of a strong start. In 2008, the Rays vaulted into contention early and went all the way to the World Series. In ’09, they weren’t able to overcome their 9-14 April.
"When you don’t get off to a good start in this division, that’s when you can get buried," Maddon says. "We got the wonderful start but we’ve been scuffling a bit as of late. That’s going to happen. I really was pushing for a good start knowing something like this would eventually happen."
Indeed the Rays’ heads remain way above water. Getting them back to the top, however, will not be easy.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Sponsored link: Rays tickets available
In their first 12 seasons, the Rays owned the majors’ best record for just more than a month. Total. Those losing ways are history, of course. Tampa Bay has been one of the majors’ top teams for going on three seasons.
Wade Davis hasn’t won a game in June.
This season, in fact, the Rays had the majors’ best record for more than two months. Behind a strong rotation and the majors’ most athletic lineup, the Rays soared to 20 games over .500 on May 23 while building their lead to six games in baseball’s toughest division.
A month later, the Rays have been grounded. They have been caught not only by the Yankees but also by those other bullies in Boston. What’s going on? Glad you asked.
The pitching
The Rays own the AL’s best ERA but they won’t for much longer if the rotation continues to falter. Tampa Bay’s starters have posted a 5.76 ERA during the club’s 10-16 skid, after posting a major league-best 2.72 ERA through 44 games.
Rookie Wade Davis has led the struggles. Unable to locate his fastball, he walked five Padres and fell to 0-4 in four June starts in a 2-1 loss Tuesday night.
"Four and a third (innings) and 103 pitches," Rays manager Joe Maddon pointed out. "We have to do better than that. He’s got to reign in command of his fastball. We’ve talked about it all year."
Davis has had company. James Shields, the senior member of the rotation at 28, has lost five consecutive starts (he earned a win in relief Saturday), and Matt Garza has allowed 15 runs in his past three starts.
Only David Price and Jeff Niemann have managed to avoid a rough stretch.
The hitting
Theirs has been an erratic attack all season. Carlos Pena, the primary cleanup hitter, has a .198 batting average but 15 homers. B.J. Upton still is underachieving at .226/.316/.391. An All-Star last year, Jason Bartlett is at .232. The club hit .299 with runners in scoring position through their hot start but only .224 since. In the long season, such a disparity can be expected to eventually even out.
B.J. Upton has struggled at the plate.
"We need to regain the game of inches," Maddon said after a rally on Tuesday night was snuffed when a line drive hit baserunner John Jaso, preventing a first-and-third situation with the middle of the order coming up. "It’s one of those freaky moments that happen to everybody."
But with a lineup stocked with All-Stars, scoring hasn’t been much of a problem. The Rays still are tied for third in runs scored. Carl Crawford has been hot lately, Ben Zobrist has hit his stride and Evan Longoria has carried them all season.
The fans
OK, the Rays can’t blame their slump on a lack of support because they are used to playing inside of an echoing dome mostly full with empty seats. But the club has started to make its own noise about it.
Owner Stuart Sternberg held a news conference earlier this week to fire the first warning. As subtle as he was in saying that the club needs to explore potential stadium sites outside of St. Petersburg, his message was clear: If the situation doesn’t improve, there will be some kind of move long before the club’s lease at the Tropicana Field expires in 2027.
"The facts are too persuasive to ignore," Sternberg said at the news conference. "Baseball will not work long term in downtown St. Petersburg."
Though the club is winning and playing as entertaining a brand of ball as any team, about the only times it draws 20,000 fans are when the Yankees, Red Sox or Barenaked Ladies visit. As a result of the lack of support, the Rays likely won’t be linked to any of the big-name players who will be available before the nonwaiver trading deadline.
If a team is a contender and no one’s around to see it … ?
The division
As the Rays roared through the first six weeks, the Red Sox dealt with injury and pitching woes to the point that they were teetering on a lost season. The turnaround for both teams began when Boston swept three games in Tampa Bay in the last week of May.
Just like that it seems, the Red Sox are back in their accustomed spot of contending. No one in Tampa Bay is surprised. "You’re just waiting for them to get their stuff together and they have," Maddon says. "We’re almost at the All-Star break."
The Rays have plenty of chances to pay back the Red Sox. Beginning with a two-game set at Fenway Park next week, 11 of the Rays’ 18 dates with the Red Sox remain. Tampa Bay also has 13 games left with the Yankees on a schedule that continues to draw Maddon’s criticism.
"Playing four teams 80 times in a season is ridiculous," says the manager, in a slight exaggeration (they actually play each division rival 18 times, not 20). "I would prefer a more balanced schedule."
In such a deep division, Maddon knows the significance of a strong start. In 2008, the Rays vaulted into contention early and went all the way to the World Series. In ’09, they weren’t able to overcome their 9-14 April.
"When you don’t get off to a good start in this division, that’s when you can get buried," Maddon says. "We got the wonderful start but we’ve been scuffling a bit as of late. That’s going to happen. I really was pushing for a good start knowing something like this would eventually happen."
Indeed the Rays’ heads remain way above water. Getting them back to the top, however, will not be easy.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Sponsored link: Rays tickets available
BALTIMORE — Fredi Gonzalez was fired as manager of the Florida Marlins on Wednesday, with the team owner saying "we can do better and be better."
The Marlins are 34-36 following a win over Baltimore on Tuesday night. Florida began the day in fourth place in the NL East, 7 1/2 games behind first-place Atlanta.
Edwin Rodriguez, who has spent the past 1 1/2 seasons as manager of Triple-A New Orleans, takes over as manager on an interim basis.
Also fired were bench coach Carlos Tosca and hitting coach Jim Presley. They were replaced on an interim basis by Brandon Hyde and John Mallee.
"We owe it to our fans to put this team in the best possible position to win," owner Jeffrey Loria said in a statement. "Everyone knows how I feel about winning. That’s the reason we’re making this change."
Gonzalez did not immediately return a phone call or a text message seeking comment.
In three-plus seasons as the Marlins’ manager, Gonzalez was 276-279. Before the 2009 season, he received a contract extension through 2011.
Gonzalez is the third manager to lose his job this season. The others are Dave Trembley at Baltimore and Trey Hillman at Kansas City.
When last season ended, Gonzalez’s job was considered in jeopardy because Loria was upset that the Marlins failed to make the playoffs, although they finished 12 games above .500 with the smallest payroll in baseball. Several times this year Loria denied Gonzalez should be worried about his job security, most recently at the start of a trip May 7 in Washington.
But at the start of spring training, Loria had made it clear he had high hopes this season.
"I expect us to make the playoffs," he said. "We’ve got all the ammunition we need."
That comment ratcheted up expectations for a team that outscored opponents by six runs last season and made no major offseason additions. Payroll this season is about $45 million, the highest since 2005 but still third-lowest in the NL.
The firing could add to speculation that Gonzalez will be on the list of possible sucessors in Atlanta for Bobby Cox, who plans to retire after the season. Gonzalez was Atlanta’s third-base coach under Cox before getting hired by the Marlins, and remains very close with the longtime Braves’ skipper.
Gonzalez has kept his ties to Atlanta; his family still makes its year-round home in a suburb not far from the Braves’ ballpark.
Loria replaced Jeff Torborg with Jack McKeon in May 2003, when the Marlins began an improbable run to the World Series title. In 2006, Gonzalez was hired to replace Joe Girardi, fired after only one season shortly before he was chosen NL manager of the year.
Girardi brought a drill-sergeant approach to the job, while Gonzalez’s low-key personality made him more of a players’ manager. One possible replacement, Bobby Valentine, would be another drill sergeant.
In 2009, Valentine ended a six-year run as manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan’s Pacific League. He managed the Texas Rangers when Loria owned that organization’s Triple-A team in Oklahoma in 1989-92.
Valentine led the New York Mets to the World Series in 2000, where they lost to the Yankees. He reached the postseason twice in 15 years with the Rangers and Mets. His career record is 1,117-1,072. He’s currently working for ESPN.
Rodriguez is in his eighth season with the Marlins’ organization. Before his stay in New Orleans, he spent two years as manager of Single-A Greensboro and two seasons as manager of the GCL Marlins. He also was the hitting coach for the Double-A Carolina Mudcats.
While the Marlins seemed upbeat following their first two-game winning streak since June 10-11, second baseman Dan Uggla said the team is still coming together.
"We’re not necessarily concerned with the .500 mark because once we do get back to it we need to keep going," Uggla said after Tuesday night’s game. "Right now we’re all about winning and coming together as a team. We can’t waste any more time. We have to make a move."
The move came Wednesday, with Loria optimistic his Marlins, who missed the playoffs last year after finishing 12 games over .500 with the league’s smallest payroll, can make a run at the postseason.
"We still have a very long season in front of us, and plenty of time to turn things around," Loria said. "Everyone – our fans, our team, our organization, and myself – wants us to win. That continues to be, and will always be, the goal."
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
BALTIMORE — Fredi Gonzalez was fired as manager of the Florida Marlins on Wednesday, with the team owner saying "we can do better and be better."
The Marlins are 34-36 following a win over Baltimore on Tuesday night. Florida began the day in fourth place in the NL East, 7 1/2 games behind first-place Atlanta.
Edwin Rodriguez, who has spent the past 1 1/2 seasons as manager of Triple-A New Orleans, takes over as manager on an interim basis.
Also fired were bench coach Carlos Tosca and hitting coach Jim Presley. They were replaced on an interim basis by Brandon Hyde and John Mallee.
"We owe it to our fans to put this team in the best possible position to win," owner Jeffrey Loria said in a statement. "Everyone knows how I feel about winning. That’s the reason we’re making this change."
Gonzalez did not immediately return a phone call or a text message seeking comment.
In three-plus seasons as the Marlins’ manager, Gonzalez was 276-279. Before the 2009 season, he received a contract extension through 2011.
Gonzalez is the third manager to lose his job this season. The others are Dave Trembley at Baltimore and Trey Hillman at Kansas City.
When last season ended, Gonzalez’s job was considered in jeopardy because Loria was upset that the Marlins failed to make the playoffs, although they finished 12 games above .500 with the smallest payroll in baseball. Several times this year Loria denied Gonzalez should be worried about his job security, most recently at the start of a trip May 7 in Washington.
But at the start of spring training, Loria had made it clear he had high hopes this season.
"I expect us to make the playoffs," he said. "We’ve got all the ammunition we need."
That comment ratcheted up expectations for a team that outscored opponents by six runs last season and made no major offseason additions. Payroll this season is about $45 million, the highest since 2005 but still third-lowest in the NL.
The firing could add to speculation that Gonzalez will be on the list of possible sucessors in Atlanta for Bobby Cox, who plans to retire after the season. Gonzalez was Atlanta’s third-base coach under Cox before getting hired by the Marlins, and remains very close with the longtime Braves’ skipper.
Gonzalez has kept his ties to Atlanta; his family still makes its year-round home in a suburb not far from the Braves’ ballpark.
Loria replaced Jeff Torborg with Jack McKeon in May 2003, when the Marlins began an improbable run to the World Series title. In 2006, Gonzalez was hired to replace Joe Girardi, fired after only one season shortly before he was chosen NL manager of the year.
Girardi brought a drill-sergeant approach to the job, while Gonzalez’s low-key personality made him more of a players’ manager. One possible replacement, Bobby Valentine, would be another drill sergeant.
In 2009, Valentine ended a six-year run as manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan’s Pacific League. He managed the Texas Rangers when Loria owned that organization’s Triple-A team in Oklahoma in 1989-92.
Valentine led the New York Mets to the World Series in 2000, where they lost to the Yankees. He reached the postseason twice in 15 years with the Rangers and Mets. His career record is 1,117-1,072. He’s currently working for ESPN.
Rodriguez is in his eighth season with the Marlins’ organization. Before his stay in New Orleans, he spent two years as manager of Single-A Greensboro and two seasons as manager of the GCL Marlins. He also was the hitting coach for the Double-A Carolina Mudcats.
While the Marlins seemed upbeat following their first two-game winning streak since June 10-11, second baseman Dan Uggla said the team is still coming together.
"We’re not necessarily concerned with the .500 mark because once we do get back to it we need to keep going," Uggla said after Tuesday night’s game. "Right now we’re all about winning and coming together as a team. We can’t waste any more time. We have to make a move."
The move came Wednesday, with Loria optimistic his Marlins, who missed the playoffs last year after finishing 12 games over .500 with the league’s smallest payroll, can make a run at the postseason.
"We still have a very long season in front of us, and plenty of time to turn things around," Loria said. "Everyone – our fans, our team, our organization, and myself – wants us to win. That continues to be, and will always be, the goal."
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Sporting News staff reports
Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols has overtaken Phillies second baseman Chase Utley for first place among National League vote-getters in fan balloting for this year’s All-Star Game.
Results released Tuesday show Pujols with a lead of more than 200,000 votes over Utley.
The All-Star Game will be held July 13 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif.
First Base
1. Albert Pujols, Cardinals, 2,622,123
2. Ryan Howard, Phillies, 1,137,058
3. Prince Fielder, Brewers, 789,526
4. Troy Glaus, Braves, 753,249
5. Joey Votto, Reds, 691,075
Second Base
1. Chase Utley, Phillies, 2,409,027
2. Martin Prado, Braves, 1,170,897
3. Dan Uggla, Marlins, 775,319
4. Rickie Weeks, Brewers, 656,405
5. Brandon Phillips, Reds, 631,737
Third Base
1. Placido Polanco, Phillies, 1,157,196
2. David Wright, Mets, 1,026,658
3. Chipper Jones, Braves, 871,375
4. Casey McGehee, Brewers, 833,959
5. Scott Rolen, Reds, 812,450
Shortstop
1. Hanley Ramirez, Marlins, 1,501,056
2. Jimmy Rollins, Phillies, 1,205,832
3. Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies, 936,338
4. Jose Reyes, Mets, 681,774
5. Orlando Cabrera, Reds, 641,759
Catcher
1. Yadier Molina, Cardinals, 1,322,095
2. Brian McCann, Braves, 1,201,920
3. Ivan Rodriguez, Nationals, 1,084,146
4. Carlos Ruiz, Phillies, 902,790
5. Rod Barajas, Mets, 673,328
Outfield
1. Ryan Braun, Brewers, 1,816,052
2. Jason Heyward, Braves, 1,786,786
3. Andre Ethier, Dodgers, 1,723,266
4. Jayson Werth, Phillies, 1,345,798
5. Shane Victorino, Phillies, 1,252,792
6. Matt Holliday, Cardinals, 1,187,686
7. Matt Kemp, Dodgers, 943,962
8. Jason Bay, Mets, 868,059
9. Raul Ibanez, Phillies, 846,395
10. Manny Ramirez, Dodgers, 828,369
11. Alfonso Soriano, Cubs, 725,614
12. Justin Upton, Diamondbacks, 583,445
13. Ryan Ludwick, Cardinals, 564,005
14. Jonny Gomes, Reds, 547,681
15. Colby Rasmus, Cardinals, 537,126
Sporting News staff reports
Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols has overtaken Phillies second baseman Chase Utley for first place among National League vote-getters in fan balloting for this year’s All-Star Game.
Results released Tuesday show Pujols with a lead of more than 200,000 votes over Utley.
The All-Star Game will be held July 13 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif.
First Base
1. Albert Pujols, Cardinals, 2,622,123
2. Ryan Howard, Phillies, 1,137,058
3. Prince Fielder, Brewers, 789,526
4. Troy Glaus, Braves, 753,249
5. Joey Votto, Reds, 691,075
Second Base
1. Chase Utley, Phillies, 2,409,027
2. Martin Prado, Braves, 1,170,897
3. Dan Uggla, Marlins, 775,319
4. Rickie Weeks, Brewers, 656,405
5. Brandon Phillips, Reds, 631,737
Third Base
1. Placido Polanco, Phillies, 1,157,196
2. David Wright, Mets, 1,026,658
3. Chipper Jones, Braves, 871,375
4. Casey McGehee, Brewers, 833,959
5. Scott Rolen, Reds, 812,450
Shortstop
1. Hanley Ramirez, Marlins, 1,501,056
2. Jimmy Rollins, Phillies, 1,205,832
3. Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies, 936,338
4. Jose Reyes, Mets, 681,774
5. Orlando Cabrera, Reds, 641,759
Catcher
1. Yadier Molina, Cardinals, 1,322,095
2. Brian McCann, Braves, 1,201,920
3. Ivan Rodriguez, Nationals, 1,084,146
4. Carlos Ruiz, Phillies, 902,790
5. Rod Barajas, Mets, 673,328
Outfield
1. Ryan Braun, Brewers, 1,816,052
2. Jason Heyward, Braves, 1,786,786
3. Andre Ethier, Dodgers, 1,723,266
4. Jayson Werth, Phillies, 1,345,798
5. Shane Victorino, Phillies, 1,252,792
6. Matt Holliday, Cardinals, 1,187,686
7. Matt Kemp, Dodgers, 943,962
8. Jason Bay, Mets, 868,059
9. Raul Ibanez, Phillies, 846,395
10. Manny Ramirez, Dodgers, 828,369
11. Alfonso Soriano, Cubs, 725,614
12. Justin Upton, Diamondbacks, 583,445
13. Ryan Ludwick, Cardinals, 564,005
14. Jonny Gomes, Reds, 547,681
15. Colby Rasmus, Cardinals, 537,126
Sporting News staff reports
Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran (knee) will begin a rehab assignment Thursday, according to the New York Daily News.
At that point, the Mets will have 20 days to activate him from the disabled list.
After watching Beltran work out in Florida over the weekend, Mets general manager Omar Minaya told the team’s website that he was impressed. "I had not been here for a while, and we had been getting reports, but watching him, the leg seems to be getting stronger," Minaya said. "I can tell you that I’m pleased. Talking to the staff, watching him run and watching him run the bases, he was getting after it."
Beltran had arthroscopic surgery on his troublesome right knee in January, has progressed slowly and has yet to play for the Mets this season.
Sporting News staff reports
Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran (knee) will begin a rehab assignment Thursday, according to the New York Daily News.
At that point, the Mets will have 20 days to activate him from the disabled list.
After watching Beltran work out in Florida over the weekend, Mets general manager Omar Minaya told the team’s website that he was impressed. "I had not been here for a while, and we had been getting reports, but watching him, the leg seems to be getting stronger," Minaya said. "I can tell you that I’m pleased. Talking to the staff, watching him run and watching him run the bases, he was getting after it."
Beltran had arthroscopic surgery on his troublesome right knee in January, has progressed slowly and has yet to play for the Mets this season.
The Red Sox were one game under .500—and eight-and-a-half games behind the first-place Rays in the AL East—after an 11-9 loss the Yankees on May 17.
Big Papi is a big reason the Red Sox come in at No. 1.
Now, they’re the No. 1 team in SN’s power poll.
Since that ugly loss to the Yankees, the Red Sox are 24-8 and own series victories against the playoff-contending Twins, Phillies (twice), Rays and Dodgers. They’ve lost back-to-back games only twice (ironically, against the lowly Royals and Indians) in that stretch and they enter the week riding a six-game winning streak.
And, true, the Red Sox aren’t in first place in their division; they’re tied with the Rays and right behind the Yankees. But, as you know, the power poll isn’t based strictly on records—what fun would that be?—and the Red Sox have clearly been a stronger team than the Yankees and Rays. Since May 17, the Yankees are 18-13 and the Rays are 15-16. The Yankees and Rays both had three-game losing streaks last week; the Red Sox haven’t lost three in a row since the skid that ended, you guessed it, on May 17.
Anyway, on to the poll.
1. Red Sox (last week: 8). Some numbers since that loss on May 17: David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis each have 28 RBIs and Adrian Beltre has 27 and all three have eight homers. Victor Martinez has 14 doubles and is hitting .378. Jonathan Papelbon is 7-for-7 in save opportunities. Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester are a combined 11-1 with a 1.89 ERA. Most impressive.
2. Yankees (2). Taking two of three from the Mets—and besting Mike Pelfrey and Johan Santana in the process—took the sting out of losing two of three at home to the Phillies.
3. Braves (4). There must have been something in the water on May 17. The Braves lost to the other New York team on that day, and just like the Red Sox, they’re 24-8 since then.
4. Rays (1). The owners of baseball’s best record for most of the season, the Rays have lost seven of their past 10 games. Any momentum they might have gained after beating the Marlins in that crazy vuvuzelas game on Saturday was squashed by Marlins ace Josh Johnson the next day. After an off-day Monday, they host the Padres for three games.
5. Rangers (11). Josh Hamilton isn’t the best story in baseball like he was in 2008, but he’s been the game’s best hitter lately. During the Rangers’ sizzling eight-game winning streak, Hamilton is batting .528 with three homers and 10 RBIs. For the season, he’s batting .337 with 16 homers, 52 RBIs and a .981 OPS.
6. Padres (3). The key to the Padres’ stay atop the NL West? Avoiding losing streaks. They’ve lost more than two in a row just once this season—a three-game skid. At this point last year, the Padres already had four losing streaks of four games or more.
Carl Pavano has been solid for the Twins.
7. Twins (6). Carl Pavano is turning into an efficient workhorse for the Twins. He’s thrown at least seven full innings in each of his past six starts, and his pitch counts for those outings have been between 92 and 109. He’s 4-2 in those starts with a 3.13 ERA.
8. Mets (5). Has there been a more surprising catalyst than Mets starter R.A. Dickey? The knuckleballer is 5-0 with a 2.82 ERA and the Mets are 11 games over .500 since he made his season debut. Before he arrived, they were two games under .500.
9. Giants (9). The Giants enter the week in second place in the NL West, thanks largely to their performance against the NL Central. They’re 14-5 against the Central—including 6-0 against the Astros—and just 8-14 against the West. They play three more against the Astros this week before playing three at home against the Red Sox.
10. Tigers (13). Hard to imagine that the Tigers have had to send both Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello back to the minors this season. Even harder to imagine that, despite those performance-based demotions, the Tigers enter the week just a game-and-a-half behind the first-place Twins.
11. Cardinals (14). Small sample size, sure, but it appears that batting in the No. 2 slot agrees with Matt Holliday. In 53 games batting fourth (one spot behind Albert Pujols), Holliday hit .292 with just six homers and 23 RBIs. In six games since moving to the No. 2 spot, Holliday has hit .435 with four homers and eight RBIs.
12. Angels (12). In their three wins last week, the Angels outscored their opponents 24-7. In their three losses last week, the Angels were outscored 31-4. Yikes.
13. Dodgers (7). Interleague play has not been kind to the Dodgers. They were swept by the Angels June 11-13 and then they were swept by the Red Sox this weekend.
14. Blue Jays (15). The Blue Jays are first in the majors in homers, 27th in batting average, second in slugging percentage and 28th in on-base percentage.
15. Reds (10). When the division-rival Cardinals faced the Mariners last week, they missed both Cliff Lee and Felix Hernandez and took two of three. The Reds had to face the Seattle co-aces and were swept by the M’s; they scored just once in three games.
16. Rockies (17). So, do the Rockies make a move to try and replace Troy Tulowitzki, who’s out for six to eight weeks with his broken wrist, or do they try to find an in-house replacement? They should at least see what they have in Chris Nelson, a former first-round pick who was hitting .311 at Class AAA Colorado Springs.
Brad Lidge and the Phillies have been tough to figure.
17. Phillies (16). The Phillies have won exactly one series this month, and that was last week against the Yankees in Yankee Stadium. This is a hard team to figure out.
18. White Sox (21). Don’t look now but the White Sox have won nine of 10 and are only five-and-a-half games behind the Twins in the AL Central. All of a sudden, it’s not a given that they’ll be sellers as the trade deadline approaches.
19. Marlins (19). Yes, we talked about Josh Johnson in last week’s edition, but he tossed up two more gems this week and now has eight consecutive starts allowing fewer than two runs. His ERA is down to 1.80 for the season.
20. A’s (18). From 2007-09, 41 percent of Jack Cust’s hits went for extra bases (138 of 355). This season, it’s just 19 percent (five of 27).
21. Cubs (22). Since moving back into the starting rotation, Carlos Zambrano has a 3.63 ERA in four games. His career ERA as a starter? 3.53.
22. Nationals (20). Since Stephen Strasburg arrived in the majors, the Nationals are just 1-7 in games not started by the rookie ace.
23. Royals (23). In his past 34 games, David DeJesus is batting .402 with 19 RBIs and a .993 OPS. Those are the types of numbers that will make the veteran outfielder an attractive piece on the trade market.
24. Brewers (25). If the Brewers were thinking about trading Prince Fielder (he has one arbitration year left before he’s a free agent), the slugger isn’t making it easy for them to find proper value. Fielder has just 27 RBIs this season (fifth on the team) and is hitting just .164 with runners in scoring position. Oddly, he’s batting .458 when leading off an inning, though.
25. Diamondbacks (24). Of the 123 batters closer Chad Qualls has faced this year, 43 percent have reached base via hits (42) or walks (11).
26. Mariners (27). That sweep of the Reds has to be bittersweet for Mariners fans. Cliff Lee, Felix Hernandez and Ryan Rowland-Smith combined to shut down the Cincinnati lineup for three consecutive games, which is nice. But, all that sweep did was raise the Mariners’ record to 13 games under .500, which isn’t so nice.
27. Astros (26). Second baseman Jeff Keppinger and pitcher Felipe Paulino are the only two Astros (with more than one at-bat) with a batting average higher than .269 entering the week. And Paulino (.292 in 24 at-bats) has a better mark than Keppinger (.284).
28. Pirates (29). Taking two out of three from the Indians earned the Pirates a swap of spots in this week’s poll. Hey, little things count, too.
29. Indians (28). In his first nine games, superstar catching prospect Carlos Santana is batting .393 with a pair of homers, five doubles, eight RBIs and a 1.300 OPS.
30. Orioles (30). The frustration is palpable in Baltimore these days. Here’s hoping it gets better soon.
Ryan Fagan is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at rfagan@sportingnews.com, and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ryan_fagan.
The Red Sox were one game under .500—and eight-and-a-half games behind the first-place Rays in the AL East—after an 11-9 loss the Yankees on May 17.
Big Papi is a big reason the Red Sox come in at No. 1.
Now, they’re the No. 1 team in SN’s power poll.
Since that ugly loss to the Yankees, the Red Sox are 24-8 and own series victories against the playoff-contending Twins, Phillies (twice), Rays and Dodgers. They’ve lost back-to-back games only twice (ironically, against the lowly Royals and Indians) in that stretch and they enter the week riding a six-game winning streak.
And, true, the Red Sox aren’t in first place in their division; they’re tied with the Rays and right behind the Yankees. But, as you know, the power poll isn’t based strictly on records—what fun would that be?—and the Red Sox have clearly been a stronger team than the Yankees and Rays. Since May 17, the Yankees are 18-13 and the Rays are 15-16. The Yankees and Rays both had three-game losing streaks last week; the Red Sox haven’t lost three in a row since the skid that ended, you guessed it, on May 17.
Anyway, on to the poll.
1. Red Sox (last week: 8). Some numbers since that loss on May 17: David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis each have 28 RBIs and Adrian Beltre has 27 and all three have eight homers. Victor Martinez has 14 doubles and is hitting .378. Jonathan Papelbon is 7-for-7 in save opportunities. Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester are a combined 11-1 with a 1.89 ERA. Most impressive.
2. Yankees (2). Taking two of three from the Mets—and besting Mike Pelfrey and Johan Santana in the process—took the sting out of losing two of three at home to the Phillies.
3. Braves (4). There must have been something in the water on May 17. The Braves lost to the other New York team on that day, and just like the Red Sox, they’re 24-8 since then.
4. Rays (1). The owners of baseball’s best record for most of the season, the Rays have lost seven of their past 10 games. Any momentum they might have gained after beating the Marlins in that crazy vuvuzelas game on Saturday was squashed by Marlins ace Josh Johnson the next day. After an off-day Monday, they host the Padres for three games.
5. Rangers (11). Josh Hamilton isn’t the best story in baseball like he was in 2008, but he’s been the game’s best hitter lately. During the Rangers’ sizzling eight-game winning streak, Hamilton is batting .528 with three homers and 10 RBIs. For the season, he’s batting .337 with 16 homers, 52 RBIs and a .981 OPS.
6. Padres (3). The key to the Padres’ stay atop the NL West? Avoiding losing streaks. They’ve lost more than two in a row just once this season—a three-game skid. At this point last year, the Padres already had four losing streaks of four games or more.
Carl Pavano has been solid for the Twins.
7. Twins (6). Carl Pavano is turning into an efficient workhorse for the Twins. He’s thrown at least seven full innings in each of his past six starts, and his pitch counts for those outings have been between 92 and 109. He’s 4-2 in those starts with a 3.13 ERA.
8. Mets (5). Has there been a more surprising catalyst than Mets starter R.A. Dickey? The knuckleballer is 5-0 with a 2.82 ERA and the Mets are 11 games over .500 since he made his season debut. Before he arrived, they were two games under .500.
9. Giants (9). The Giants enter the week in second place in the NL West, thanks largely to their performance against the NL Central. They’re 14-5 against the Central—including 6-0 against the Astros—and just 8-14 against the West. They play three more against the Astros this week before playing three at home against the Red Sox.
10. Tigers (13). Hard to imagine that the Tigers have had to send both Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello back to the minors this season. Even harder to imagine that, despite those performance-based demotions, the Tigers enter the week just a game-and-a-half behind the first-place Twins.
11. Cardinals (14). Small sample size, sure, but it appears that batting in the No. 2 slot agrees with Matt Holliday. In 53 games batting fourth (one spot behind Albert Pujols), Holliday hit .292 with just six homers and 23 RBIs. In six games since moving to the No. 2 spot, Holliday has hit .435 with four homers and eight RBIs.
12. Angels (12). In their three wins last week, the Angels outscored their opponents 24-7. In their three losses last week, the Angels were outscored 31-4. Yikes.
13. Dodgers (7). Interleague play has not been kind to the Dodgers. They were swept by the Angels June 11-13 and then they were swept by the Red Sox this weekend.
14. Blue Jays (15). The Blue Jays are first in the majors in homers, 27th in batting average, second in slugging percentage and 28th in on-base percentage.
15. Reds (10). When the division-rival Cardinals faced the Mariners last week, they missed both Cliff Lee and Felix Hernandez and took two of three. The Reds had to face the Seattle co-aces and were swept by the M’s; they scored just once in three games.
16. Rockies (17). So, do the Rockies make a move to try and replace Troy Tulowitzki, who’s out for six to eight weeks with his broken wrist, or do they try to find an in-house replacement? They should at least see what they have in Chris Nelson, a former first-round pick who was hitting .311 at Class AAA Colorado Springs.
Brad Lidge and the Phillies have been tough to figure.
17. Phillies (16). The Phillies have won exactly one series this month, and that was last week against the Yankees in Yankee Stadium. This is a hard team to figure out.
18. White Sox (21). Don’t look now but the White Sox have won nine of 10 and are only five-and-a-half games behind the Twins in the AL Central. All of a sudden, it’s not a given that they’ll be sellers as the trade deadline approaches.
19. Marlins (19). Yes, we talked about Josh Johnson in last week’s edition, but he tossed up two more gems this week and now has eight consecutive starts allowing fewer than two runs. His ERA is down to 1.80 for the season.
20. A’s (18). From 2007-09, 41 percent of Jack Cust’s hits went for extra bases (138 of 355). This season, it’s just 19 percent (five of 27).
21. Cubs (22). Since moving back into the starting rotation, Carlos Zambrano has a 3.63 ERA in four games. His career ERA as a starter? 3.53.
22. Nationals (20). Since Stephen Strasburg arrived in the majors, the Nationals are just 1-7 in games not started by the rookie ace.
23. Royals (23). In his past 34 games, David DeJesus is batting .402 with 19 RBIs and a .993 OPS. Those are the types of numbers that will make the veteran outfielder an attractive piece on the trade market.
24. Brewers (25). If the Brewers were thinking about trading Prince Fielder (he has one arbitration year left before he’s a free agent), the slugger isn’t making it easy for them to find proper value. Fielder has just 27 RBIs this season (fifth on the team) and is hitting just .164 with runners in scoring position. Oddly, he’s batting .458 when leading off an inning, though.
25. Diamondbacks (24). Of the 123 batters closer Chad Qualls has faced this year, 43 percent have reached base via hits (42) or walks (11).
26. Mariners (27). That sweep of the Reds has to be bittersweet for Mariners fans. Cliff Lee, Felix Hernandez and Ryan Rowland-Smith combined to shut down the Cincinnati lineup for three consecutive games, which is nice. But, all that sweep did was raise the Mariners’ record to 13 games under .500, which isn’t so nice.
27. Astros (26). Second baseman Jeff Keppinger and pitcher Felipe Paulino are the only two Astros (with more than one at-bat) with a batting average higher than .269 entering the week. And Paulino (.292 in 24 at-bats) has a better mark than Keppinger (.284).
28. Pirates (29). Taking two out of three from the Indians earned the Pirates a swap of spots in this week’s poll. Hey, little things count, too.
29. Indians (28). In his first nine games, superstar catching prospect Carlos Santana is batting .393 with a pair of homers, five doubles, eight RBIs and a 1.300 OPS.
30. Orioles (30). The frustration is palpable in Baltimore these days. Here’s hoping it gets better soon.
Ryan Fagan is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at rfagan@sportingnews.com, and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ryan_fagan.
Sporting News staff reports
The Orioles will interview former Yankees, Diamondbacks and Rangers manager Buck Showalter for their managerial job on Wednesday, the Baltimore Sun reported Sunday.
Team president Andy MacPhail also plans to conduct a second interview with former Indians manager Eric Wedge as the club works to replace the fired Dave Trembley. MacPhail said he has yet to ask for permission to speak with anyone who’s working for another club.
"The first group that we’re talking to has experience, has had some success managing and they’re not affiliated with any team," MacPhail told the Sun. "That’s the first group we’re talking to. We’ll see how we are and how they feel, and then we’ll determine from there."
MacPhail also has spoken with former Rangers and Mets manager Bobby Valentine about the position. Valentine and Showalter currently are analysts for ESPN. Wedge is out of baseball for now.
Per the Sun, "MacPhail has said he would be surprised if a new manager is hired before the All-Star break."
The Orioles fired Trembley on June 4 and replaced him on an interim basis with Juan Samuel. Baltimore is 4-11 under Samuel and 19-50 overall.
Sporting News staff reports
The Orioles will interview former Yankees, Diamondbacks and Rangers manager Buck Showalter for their managerial job on Wednesday, the Baltimore Sun reported Sunday.
Team president Andy MacPhail also plans to conduct a second interview with former Indians manager Eric Wedge as the club works to replace the fired Dave Trembley. MacPhail said he has yet to ask for permission to speak with anyone who’s working for another club.
"The first group that we’re talking to has experience, has had some success managing and they’re not affiliated with any team," MacPhail told the Sun. "That’s the first group we’re talking to. We’ll see how we are and how they feel, and then we’ll determine from there."
MacPhail also has spoken with former Rangers and Mets manager Bobby Valentine about the position. Valentine and Showalter currently are analysts for ESPN. Wedge is out of baseball for now.
Per the Sun, "MacPhail has said he would be surprised if a new manager is hired before the All-Star break."
The Orioles fired Trembley on June 4 and replaced him on an interim basis with Juan Samuel. Baltimore is 4-11 under Samuel and 19-50 overall.
