De Jesus is unlikely hero as LA wins sixth straight
(Wed, 23 May 2012 03:00:00 -0400)
The Dodgers pulled off another one of those you-must-be-joking wins on Tuesday night, rallying repeatedly to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 8-7, and extend the win streak to six.

Pujols homers to back Wilson's stellar outing
(Wed, 23 May 2012 02:45:00 -0400)
Albert Pujols hit his fourth home run of the year, C.J. Wilson gave up only one hit in eight innings and the Angels snapped their fourth three-game losing streak of the year with a 5-0 win over the Athletics at Oakland Coliseum on Tuesday night.

Parker looks to turn the page vs. Angels, Weaver
(Wed, 23 May 2012 02:25:00 -0400)
Jarrod Parker doesn't need to look far for a template of how to respond from a dreadful outing. His last time out, Jered Weaver bounced back from one of the worst starts of his career.

Rangers ask Feldman to fill in for finale in Seattle
(Wed, 23 May 2012 02:25:00 -0400)
Scott Feldman makes a spot start for the injured Neftali Feliz as the Rangers face the Mariners and Kevin Millwood in Wednesday's series finale in Seattle.

Adams helps Harrison, Texas hold on for win
(Wed, 23 May 2012 02:09:00 -0400)
Backed by stellar relief from Mike Adams, starter Matt Harrison survived a treacherous first inning and pitched the Rangers to a 3-1 victory over the Mariners on Tuesday night.

LA seeks seventh straight win behind 5-0 Lilly
(Wed, 23 May 2012 02:00:00 -0400)
In the eyes of Dodgers manager Don Mattingly, the difference between his club's slow start last season and its Major League-best start this year isn't much.

MLB.com Stars of the Game: Tuesday, May 22
(Wed, 23 May 2012 01:48:00 -0400)
Each day, MLB.com selects one player from each game whose performance stands out.

Cubs hope Samardzija can halt skid vs. Astros
(Wed, 23 May 2012 01:45:00 -0400)
The Cubs' struggles have followed them on their six-game road trip as they look to avoid their third consecutive sweep when they close out a three-game set with the Astros on Wednesday. Jeff Samardzija gets the ball opposite Houston lefty Wandy Rodriguez.

Big Z, Marlins looking to put brooms on Rockies
(Wed, 23 May 2012 01:05:00 -0400)
The Marlins are 4-0 in May with right-hander Carlos Zambrano on the hill, as they look to continue their winning ways in the series finale against Alex White and the Rockies on Wednesday.

Twins look to mine another gem against White Sox
(Wed, 23 May 2012 01:04:00 -0400)
Two young lefties, Scott Diamond and Chris Sale, will take the mound for the Twins and White Sox on Wednesday as the AL Central rivals meet up in Chicago.

Melky, Posey help Giants topple Brewers
(Wed, 23 May 2012 00:59:00 -0400)
It's premature to speculate which Giants should make the National League All-Star team. But if the subject must be raised, any discussion of San Francisco's top candidates for the Midsummer Classic should begin with Melky Cabrera and Buster Posey, who excelled in Tuesday night's 6-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.

Shields and Romero battle in rubber match
(Wed, 23 May 2012 00:49:00 -0400)
Tampa Bay will look to win its 11th straight series against Toronto, and 15th consecutive at home, when the two teams clash on Wednesday afternoon for the rubber match of a three-game set.

Solid Happ, timely hitting give Astros victory
(Wed, 23 May 2012 00:44:00 -0400)
J.A. Happ delivered his second consecutive strong outing, holding the Cubs to five hits and one run in six innings, and J.D. Martinez delivered a tiebreaking RBI single in the sixth inning to send the Astros to a 2-1 win at Minute Maid Park on Tuesday.

Wainwright throws first shutout since 2010
(Wed, 23 May 2012 00:41:00 -0400)
Behind Adam Wainwright's first shutout since Aug. 6, 2010, the Cardinals took the second game of a three-game series from the Padres with a 4-0 win Tuesday night before 39,151 at Busch Stadium.

Walters goes the distance for Twins in rout
(Wed, 23 May 2012 00:33:00 -0400)
The Twins, led by Justin Morneau's three-run homer and P.J. Walters' stellar complete-game effort, drubbed the White Sox, 9-2, on Tuesday in the series opener at U.S. Cellular Field.

Leach: Royals strengthened by hiccup
(Wed, 23 May 2012 00:30:00 -0400)
Even after a brutal run of cruelty from the baseball gods, the Royals are hanging in. They remain eight games under .500, but after a 3-14 start, that doesn't sound so bad. They've stopped taking on water, at least, and there's reason to think things will get better as the season goes on.

Francoeur leads Royals on jaunt to Fan Cave
(Wed, 23 May 2012 00:27:00 -0400)
Tuesday was the second straight day of Fan Cave fun Royals style, as several of Kansas City's best ballplayers visited MLB's 15,000 square foot social media center in New York.

Time traveler: Matusz twirls gem vs. Red Sox
(Wed, 23 May 2012 00:26:00 -0400)
Left-hander Brian Matusz turned in his best start of the year and No. 8 batter Steve Tolleson hit his first homer since Sept. 26, 2010, to help the Orioles capture a 4-1 series-evening win over the Red Sox on Tuesday night.

Rollins becomes father; replacement homers
(Wed, 23 May 2012 00:25:00 -0400)
Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins has been placed on the paternity leave list after his wife, Johari, gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Camryn Drew Rollins, late on Sunday.

With fans' support, Perez escapes jam in win
(Wed, 23 May 2012 00:20:00 -0400)
The Indians overcame an early deficit and Ubaldo Jimenez struggled with control, but posted a quality start in a 5-3 victory over the Tigers on Tuesday, snapping a 10-game losing streak to their division rivals.

Zito, Estrada clash as Giants seek sweep
(Wed, 23 May 2012 00:17:00 -0400)
It will be Giants pitcher Barry Zito and Brewers pitcher Marco Estrada getting the ball for their respective teams in Wednesday's three-game series finale.

Suppan takes hill against former team in St. Louis
(Wed, 23 May 2012 00:09:00 -0400)
Jeff Suppan was a big part of the Cardinals' World Series championship back in 2006, and Wednesday he'll be back at Busch Stadium, albeit in the other dugout. Suppan, now pitching for the Padres, will face his old team Wednesday as part of his comeback season.

Nolasco sets club wins mark against Rockies
(Wed, 23 May 2012 00:05:00 -0400)
Right-hander Ricky Nolasco struck out six and helped himself with a two-run double as he became the Marlins' all-time wins leader with Tuesday's 7-6 victory over the Rockies at Marlins Park.

Nats finally get over hump against Phils ace
(Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400)
The Nationals showed they could handle right-hander Roy Halladay on Tuesday night, as they defeated the Phillies, 5-2, at Citizens Bank Park.

Orioles look to keep Red Sox below .500
(Tue, 22 May 2012 23:50:00 -0400)
The Orioles momentarily halted the Red Sox's hot streak on Tuesday, but Wednesday brings another chance for Boston to get back to .500 and draw closer in the American League East.

Moore: Making sense of the standings
(Tue, 22 May 2012 23:50:00 -0400)
We've reached the Alice In Wonderland stretch of the baseball standings, where up is down and down is up.

Johnson ejected after slamming helmet
(Tue, 22 May 2012 23:42:00 -0400)
Astros third baseman Chris Johnson was ejected in the fourth inning of Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Cubs after slamming his helmet following a close call at first base.

Phillips, Latos lead Reds to fourth straight win
(Tue, 22 May 2012 23:37:00 -0400)
The Brandon Phillips-Mat Latos dual contributions flowed during the Reds' 4-3 victory over the Braves, which gave them four consecutive wins. Phillips knocked out two home runs, while Latos worked seven innings in one of his best outings of the season.

With just enough from bats, Yankees hold on
(Tue, 22 May 2012 23:35:00 -0400)
The Yankees acknowledged it might take a few breaks to snap their slump with runners in scoring position, and they got three on Tuesday to load the bases and finally push across a few runs. The rally gave New York a lead and ultimately a 3-2 win over the Royals at Yankee Stadium.

Dickey cranks up to 11 as Mets drop Bucs late
(Tue, 22 May 2012 23:33:00 -0400)
R.A. Dickey delivered his most dominant performance of the season, striking out a career-high 11 batters over seven innings of the Mets' 3-2 victory over the Pirates on Tuesday at PNC Park.

Halladay speaks to Phils' struggles after loss
(Tue, 22 May 2012 23:30:00 -0400)
Roy Halladay strives to eliminate every variable around him and concentrate simply on trying to make the best pitch he can, one pitch at a time.

Homers propel Rays to victory over Blue Jays
(Tue, 22 May 2012 23:22:00 -0400)
The Rays powered their way to an 8-5 victory on Tuesday night thanks to home runs from Luke Scott, Carlos Pena and B.J. Upton.

Yankees will give Smith first taste of Majors
(Tue, 22 May 2012 23:10:00 -0400)
As newly promoted lefty Will Smith makes his first career start for the Royals at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night, lefty Andy Pettitte will make career start No. 482.

Ruiz thrown out after dispute at home plate
(Tue, 22 May 2012 22:58:00 -0400)
Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz was ejected in the top of the third inning Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park.

Hamels-Harper is undercard of Phils-Nats finale
(Tue, 22 May 2012 22:57:00 -0400)
The Phillies' Cole Hamels faces the Nationals on Wednesday for the first time since he was suspended for intentionally hitting Bryce Harper. Washington won the first two games of the series.

Fister hoping for more run support vs. Tribe
(Tue, 22 May 2012 22:55:00 -0400)
Doug Fister has pitched well since returning, but is 0-2 due to some shoddy run support. He will look for better against Zach McAllister and the Indians in the second game of their division series Wednesday at Progressive Field.

Justice: Give them time, Yankees will be fine
(Tue, 22 May 2012 22:54:00 -0400)
There's hope, plenty of it. Even though the American League East looks different than it was supposed to look at this time, the Yankees are still positioned to make the playoffs.

Feast for Niese? Lefty can rebound against Bucs
(Tue, 22 May 2012 22:52:00 -0400)
The Pirates are 6-0 against left-handed starters at PNC Park this season, with the Mets' Jon Niese the latest challenger as Charlie Morton starts for Pittsburgh.

Milestone ahead as Arroyo, Reds host Braves
(Tue, 22 May 2012 22:51:00 -0400)
Wednesday, Bronson Arroyo will make his 300th career start, 210 of which have come in a Reds uniform. The Braves will counter with Tommy Hanson.

Castrovince: Tigers consistently inconsistent
(Tue, 22 May 2012 22:24:00 -0400)
Tigers manager Jim Leyland doesn't believe in momentum when it comes to baseball, and the way his charges have played this season, it's easy to understand why.

Mattingly waiting to set Kemp's return date
(Tue, 22 May 2012 22:12:27 -0400)
Matt Kemp is running nearly full speed and doing almost all baseball activities, but Dodgers manager Don Mattingly wouldn't commit to the injured outfielder returning by May 29, the day he's eligible to be activated.

Vlad improving at extended spring training
(Tue, 22 May 2012 21:21:00 -0400)
A healthy and mobile Vladimir Guerrero is starting to make waves at the Blue Jays' Minor League complex in preparation for another year in the big leagues.

Nats activate Wang, place Mattheus on DL
(Tue, 22 May 2012 21:08:00 -0400)
The Nationals have activated right-hander Chien-Ming Wang from the 15-day disabled list and placed reliever Ryan Mattheus on the 15-day DL on Tuesday.

Cespedes swings bat in rehab for first time
(Tue, 22 May 2012 20:22:09 -0400)
Yoenis Cespedes took some swings in the batting cage with three different sizes of fungo bats and reported no pain or discomfort.

Gonzalez gets outfield start as Youk returns
(Tue, 22 May 2012 20:15:00 -0400)
Kevin Youkilis was activated prior to Tuesday night's game against the Orioles and inserted into the lineup at first base instead of the hot corner. First baseman Adrian Gonzalez moved to right field, where he played two games last weekend in Interleague games at Philadelphia.

Braun bounces back, returns to lineup
(Tue, 22 May 2012 20:12:40 -0400)
When Ryan Braun left Monday night's game against the Giants in the 10th inning with a tight right groin, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke missed his powerful slugger. Fortunately for Roenicke and Milwaukee, the reigning National League MVP was back to his usual spots in left field and third in the batting order for Tuesday's game against San Francisco at Miller Park.

Cherington: Sox have a lot of respect for Ortiz
(Tue, 22 May 2012 20:05:00 -0400)
If David Ortiz truly believes, as he told ESPNBoston.com, that he gets "no respect from the media, no respect from the front office," general manager Ben Cherington could not disagree more.

Roberts to start rehab assignment Wednesday
(Tue, 22 May 2012 19:49:00 -0400)
Brian Roberts, who hasn't played in a Major League game in more than a year, will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Bowie on Wednesday.

Zimmerman sits because of sore shoulder
(Tue, 22 May 2012 19:46:17 -0400)
Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman was scratched from the lineup on Tuesday because of a sore right shoulder, the same ailment that forced him to the disabled list late last month.

Marlins Park becomes 50th venue for Moyer
(Tue, 22 May 2012 19:45:00 -0400)
Veteran Rockies left-hander Jamie Moyer knows a thing or two about Major League ballparks, after all, he has pitched in 50 of them during his career.

Specialist confirms Worley has bone chip
(Tue, 22 May 2012 19:21:05 -0400)
Phillies right-hander Vance Worley rejoined the team Tuesday after visiting orthopedist James Andrews on Monday in Florida.

McClellan to avoid surgery on right elbow
(Tue, 22 May 2012 19:07:00 -0400)
Kyle McClellan returned to the Cardinals' clubhouse after a Monday trip to have his right elbow examined by Dr. James Andrews in Pensacola, Fla. During that visit, McClellan received confirmation of the original diagnosis, which does not call for surgery.

Mo walking well without crutches
(Tue, 22 May 2012 19:01:59 -0400)
The Yankees have yet to set a date for surgery on the torn anterior cruciate ligament in Mariano Rivera's right knee, as he first must treat a blood clot in his right calf and attempt to strengthen his knee.

CC, Hall of Famers to be Draft representatives
(Tue, 22 May 2012 12:15:00 -0400)
Four Hall of Famers, several former managers and one current Cy Young Award contender will be among the familiar faces who serve as club representatives at the annual First-Year Player Draft.

Prosecutors seek to add McNamee statements
(Tue, 22 May 2012 11:49:00 -0400)
With the federal perjury trial of Roger Clemens in recess Tuesday, the government filed a motion to introduce some of Brian McNamee's prior statements to others about saving items he claims he used to inject Clemens with performance-enhancing drugs.