Category: MLB

There were a couple of important performances this weekend that didn’t involve Ubaldo Jimenez and his no-hitter, or the Mets and Cardinals and their 20-inning marathon.

Two contenders went on the road and took key series. The Marlins won two of three from the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, and the Rays went into Boston and swept the Red Sox in a four-game set at Fenway Park.

The Yankees move up in this week’s Power Poll, thanks in part to Nick Swisher’s hot bat.

Early, but nonetheless impressive showings from the two Florida teams. Anyway, on to the poll.

1. Yankees (last week 5). The Yankees just keep mowing down the top teams in the A.L. And that’s with three starters — Mark Teixeira, Nick Swisher and Nick Johnson — all hitting .200 or worse entering the week. Those slumps will end soon enough.

2. Rays (11). Matt Garza won his third consecutive start on Sunday, shutting out the Red Sox at Fenway. His ERA for the season is 0.75, his WHIP 0.88 and he’s pitched eight innings in all three starts.

3. Phillies (1). The powerful Phillies lineup managed just one run over the final two games of the home series against the Marlins.

4. Twins (4). The 3-4-5 hitters in the Minnesota lineup are doing quite well, thank you. Joe Mauer is hitting .378, Justin Morneau is batting .319 and Michael Cuddyer is at .340.

5. Athletics (6). Here are the ERAs for Oakland starting pitchers entering the week — 2.41, 2.65, 2.65, 2.70 and 3.38. That’s the biggest reason the A’s have a two-and-a-half game lead in the A.L West.

6. Giants (2). Across the bay, the ERAs for the Giants’s starters aren’t too shabby either — ace Tim Lincecum is at 0.90, Barry Zito is a 1.86 and Jonathan Sanchez is at 2.19.

7. Cardinals (7). The Cardinals have played four series entering the week, and they’ve won two of three in each one.

8. Marlins (8). After Ricky Nolasco earned a complete-game victory Saturday against the Phillies — he allowed one run and five hits — Nate Robertson shut out the Phillies for 6 1/3 innings, and the bullpen took care of the rest.

9. Braves (13). The brake pads on the Jason Heyward hype machine are wearing thin. In fact, after his game-winning based-loaded hit with two outs in the ninth inning Saturday against the Rockies — he has 15 RBIs and a .302 average for the 7-5 Braves — those pads might be completely gone.

10. Tigers (9). The Tigers enter the week with six regulars posting an on-base percentage of .385 or higher, including rookie starters Austin Jackson and Scott Sizemore.

11. Blue Jays (3). Bad week for the Jays, who dropped five of seven games to fall into third place in the A.L. East.

12. Pirates (19). The Pirates finished off a three-game sweep of the Reds on Sunday, and despite being negative-22 in run differential, they’re 7-5 and one game back in the N.L. Central.

13. Rockies (14). That Ubaldo Jimenez guy is pretty good.

14. Indians (28). Things are looking up in Cleveland this week. Not only have the Indians won four in a row, but uber-prospect Carlos Santana is crushing Class AAA pitching — he has a .414 average and four home runs in eight games.

15. Dodgers (18). Manny delivered a signature Mannywood moment on Sunday. His pinch-hit two-run homer in the eighth inning lifted the Dodgers past the rival Giants and lifted his season average to .375.

16. Nationals (20). Overall, this has been a solid start to the season for the Nats. Jason Marquis, though, has been horrible. Through three starts, he’s 0-3 with a 20.52 ERA (which means the Nats are 6-3 in games Marquis does not start).

17. Padres (29). What are the odds the Padres, Pirates and Indians would all sweep a series in the same weekend? San Diego took three from the Diamondbacks.

18. Mariners (22). After a horrible start to the season, the Mariners took two of three this week at home against the A’s and the Tigers.

The Angels are liking Joel Piniero on the mound so far.

19. Angels (23). Free agent acquisition Joel Piniero turned in a stellar start in Yankee Stadium this week, limiting the home team to just one run in seven innings.

20. Royals (27). The Royals enter the week with a team batting average above .300. The Royals enter the week with a team batting average above .300. The Royals enter the week with a team batting average above .300. Yep.

21. Rangers (15). The Rangers were swept in New York, and a three-game series in Fenway Park starting Tuesday is never an easy assignment.

22. Brewers (16). They were shut out on Saturday in Washington, then scored 10 runs in the first inning on Sunday against the Nationals.

23. Cubs (21). Geovany Soto hit .133 in his first five games, then .546 in his next four.

24. Diamondbacks (12). The D-backs have lost four of five, and they enter the week in the same spot they ended last season — in last place in the N.L. West.

25. Reds (17). Different players lead the Reds in runs (Drew Stubbs, 8), homers (Scott Rolen, 3), batting average (Joey Votto, .283) and RBIs (Johnny Gomes/Orlando Cabrera, 8).

26. Red Sox (10). Boston went 1-5 last week. The Red Sox will try to reverse that slide with home games against the Rangers and Orioles this week.

27. Mets (25). Crazy series in St. Louis this weekend, but the bottom line is the Mets lost two of three to stay in last place in the N.L. East.

28. White Sox (26). Gavin Floyd (three starts, 9.00 ERA), Freddie Garcia (two starts, 8.10 ERA) and Jake Peavy (three starts, 6.00 ERA) have struggled, and the Sox are last in the A.L. Central.

29. Orioles (24). Rookie starter Brian Matusz is 2-0 for the Orioles, who enter the week with a 2-11 record.

30. Astros (30). The Astros have hit just three home runs as a team entering the week. Fifty players have at least three home runs this season.

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.

According to the St. Petersburg Times, Rays catcher Kelly Shoppach is considering having surgery on his right knee next week, a procedure that could keep him out of the lineup until the All-Star break.

Shoppach has been sidelined with what the Rays have labeled a sprain of the MCL, but upcoming tests might show the injury includes torn cartilage.

The team also has received bad news about outfielder Matt Joyce, who was recalled from his rehab assignment at Triple-A Durham because of lack of progress in recovery from an elbow problem. Joyce has been sidelined since spring training with a strain that prohibits him from throwing hard. He will return to St. Petersburg and continue his rehab at Tropicana Field.

Cubs left fielder Alfonso Soriano, distraught over his shaky defense and a routine fly ball he dropped in Saturday’s loss to the Astros, has promised to eliminate the hop that accompanies every ball he catches.

Soriano received both boos and cheers from the Wrigley Field faithful, who obviously disliked his defensive lapse but welcomed his 2-for-4 effort at the plate.

"No, not hop," Soriano told the Chicago Tribune. "Just more concentration when I catch the ball and not do the hop. Sometimes when (I hop) I move my head. So I have to get routine fly balls, I have to make those plays."

Cubs manager Lou Piniella endorses his decision to stop the hop, a habit that has no redeeming value.

"We’ve talked about that in the past. All it can do is make your head bob and your eyes move and the ball flutter," Piniella told the paper. "It’s like catching a knuckleball. So if you can keep stable and catch it conventionally, I think it will help him, I really do."
 
But Piniella also said he’s more concerned about Soriano’s offense than his defense.

"We need Soriano to swing the bat, that’s the whole key," he told the paper. "We know he’s not going to win the Gold Glove in the outfield. Make the routine plays and swing the bat and we’re very, very happy."

CSNPhilly.com reports Phillies left-hander J.A. Happ might miss his next scheduled start, Wednesday in Atlanta, due to discomfort in his pitching forearm.

"He’s a little stiff," manager Charlie Manuel told beat writer Jim Salisbury on Saturday. Asked whether Happ would be ready for Wednesday, Manuel said, "It’s up in the air. We’ll know more in the next couple of days."

Happ declined to comment.

Salisbury speculates right-hander Nelson Figueroa could replace Happ. Salisbury doesn’t believe the Phillies would activate right-hander Joe Blanton from the disabled list next week.

Happ has not allowed an earned run in 10 1/3 innings this season, but his control has been spotty and, according to Salisbury, his velocity is down.

With the Angels carrying three catchers on their 25-man roster, the Los Angeles Times speculated the team could explore the option of trading one. Upset by his lack of playing time, No. 2 receiver Mike Napoli recently spoke with manager Mike Scioscia about his frustration.

The newspaper noted that Napoli’s bat (20 homers in 2008 and 2009) and salary ($3.6 million in 2010) make him attractive to other teams.

"You’re always looking at your club, your depth chart and other clubs’ needs," Scioscia told the newspaper. "Not that anyone is out there being shopped, but Tony (Reagins, Angels general manager) is constantly in contact with other GMs to see if there are things that can help us. That doesn’t mean anything is imminent, though."

Napoli told the Times that Scioscia cited Napoli’s defense for his reduced role. Starter Jeff Mathis is considered the better receiver, and he has gotten off to a hot start at the plate. No. 3 catcher Bobby Wilson rarely plays.

"It’s always the defensive part. I thought I made some strides in spring training," Napoli told the Times. "I guess I have to be better. … I haven’t played much. It caught me by surprise."

Napoli started Saturday’s Angels victory over Toronto. It was his fourth start season (in 12 games) and his second start in the past three days.

L.A. is the only big-league team to regularly carry three catchers.

Former Mets manager Bobby Valentine told Sirius XM radio that he doesn’t expect to manage the Mets this season.

With the team off to another slow start and with Valentine admittedly interested in managing again, speculation arose that he could replace Jerry Manuel in the dugout for New York.

"The Mets are 3-6. It’s nine games," Valentine told Sirius XM radio before the team lost Friday to fall to 3-7. "I mean, let’s not get crazy here. I think Jerry — I talked to him a few times during spring training — Jerry Manuel is up for the task."

Added Valentine: "You know, I think that (Manuel) has a tough row to hoe, there’s no doubt about it, and he’s got to keep his head above water until his center fielder (Carlos Beltran) comes back. And obviously he has to get that pitching staff in shape. But I don’t see that as being part of my future as we’re speaking here."

According to the Baltimore Sun, Orioles closer Mike Gonzalez (shoulder) is expected to miss at least three weeks.

Gonzalez was placed on the disabled list Wednesday. An MRI exam on his shoulder revealed no new damage, matching the team’s diagnosis of a strain.

Manager Dave Trembley told the newspaper that Jim Johnson likely will handle most of the team’s save opportunities.

Gonzalez notified Trembley on Tuesday night that he wasn’t available to pitch against Tampa Bay because he couldn’t get his shoulder loose in the bullpen. Gonzalez was examined Wednesday.

Gonzalez has blown two saves in three tries, and in his only converted opportunity he loaded the bases before getting the final out. The left-hander is 0-2 with an 18.00 ERA and has allowed five hits and four walks in only two innings.

He was signed as a free agent in December.

Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Amid rumors that the Cubs could release struggling outfielder Alfonso Soriano, general manager Jim Hendry told MLB Network radio that such a move never has been considered.

"Never been a thought to it. No. Those things are speculated by probably people in your profession, not ours," Hendry said.

Soriano batted .258/.281/.452 in his first 10 games this season, with a home run and two RBIs. Injuries have limited him to 109 and 117 games the previous two seasons. He is in the fourth year of an eight-year, $136 million contract. He is due $18 million a year though 2014.

Royals DH/outfielder Jose Guillen, who is off to a strong start this season, told the Kansas City Star that he nearly died last year from blood clots in his legs.

"I had to stay in St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City for 20 days (in the offseason) just lying in bed," Guillen said. "My legs were so big, so swollen up. They were purple. I couldn’t even walk on them. I couldn’t feel my legs."

Guillen said he was down to 180 pounds, had no strength and doubted he ever would play baseball again.

Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston has named Kevin Gregg his new closer, in place of Jason Frasor.

Frasor is 3-for-5 in save opportunities this season, while is Gregg 3-for-3, including a 1-2-3 inning Tuesday night against the White Sox.

"Just had a talk with them, just going to reverse the roles a little bit until Frasor can get back to where we think he should be," said Gaston before Wednesday’s game against the Chicago White Sox. "You can blow a save, you just don’t want to lose a game. That’s a short rope."

Frasor inherits Gregg’s former eighth-inning setup role.