Matsui activated from DL Tuesday
TORONTO -- Greeted by welcoming smiles, Hideki Matsui returned to the Yankees on Tuesday, activated and added to the roster following a rehabilitation process that many believed would not be successfully completed.
Hindered by inflammation in his left knee, Matsui had tried unsuccessfully to get back to the Major Leagues after going on the disabled list in late June, showing progress but forced to shut it down when the knee swelled more. This time, Matsui was more cautious -- and it clicked.
"There was some uncertainty whether I was going to be able to come back, so to be able to be here, I'm definitely happy," Matsui said through an interpreter.
The 34-year-old could be a valuable late-season addition to a Yankees lineup that has struggled to put runs on the board in numerous recent games. Matsui was hitting .323 with seven home runs and 34 RBIs in 69 games before being sidelined with the injury, which will almost certainly require surgery after the season.
"He's been a big part of the lineup over the years here," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "His at-bats are always good and he's a professional hitter. You don't worry about left-handers or right-handers against him. He makes your lineup deeper and we look forward to him staying healthy for the last month and a half here."
Matsui was put to an immediate test on Tuesday, dropping into the No. 7 spot in the lineup as the Yankees prepared to face Blue Jays right-hander A.J. Burnett. Matsui appeared in three Minor League games for the Class A Tampa Yankees last week and logged 15 simulated at-bats on Sunday leading up to his activation.
"Matsui brings consistency every day," Girardi said. "He usually does very well in the big spots. His at-bats are very good. I know he hasn't played in almost two months, but I'm a believer that it's not going to hurt him. I believe that he's going to come out and be strong for us."
Because Matsui is strictly a designated hitter from this point, the move makes Johnny Damon the Yankees' everyday center fielder. Rookie Brett Gardner will become a reserve outfielder, with Justin Christian having been optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in a corresponding move to Matsui's activation.
Matsui's place as the designated hitter is not ironclad, however, because Matsui will have days off here and there as the Yankees look to protect his left knee. Girardi said that he received good reports on Matsui's ability to run from first base to third base in Tampa, Fla., but said that would not incline him to try Matsui in left field except for the most dire of circumstances.
"It'd have to be quite an emergency," Girardi said.
Matsui said that he will not play wearing a brace on the left knee and admitted that he does not feel 100 percent, but said he believes he is good enough to play -- part of the reason he staved off surgery in favor of an attempt to make it back to face big league pitching again this season.
"I still wanted to contribute and be a strength of this team," Matsui said. "I want to be part of helping this team win a championship. There was part of me that believed I could still make it back. That controlled my decision."
Copyright 2001-2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Yanks halt skid with 12th-inning homers
MINNEAPOLIS -- Alex Rodriguez cracked open a tie game with a no-doubt solo home run in the top of the 12th inning on Tuesday, securing a 9-6 victory over the Twins and overcoming Mariano Rivera's first blown save of the season.
Facing right-hander Matt Guerrier, Rodriguez unloaded on an 0-1 offering and delivered the pitch an estimated 426 feet over the fence in straightaway center field. It was A-Rod's 27th home run and, as he later confirmed, his biggest hit of the season.
"It's huge," Rodriguez said. "You see things when we're going through struggles like we are right now that you really never see before. You really come to expect the unexpected. At that point, you know that you've just got to battle back."
Just to ensure there were no repeats of the lost lead, Xavier Nady connected for a two-run homer, his sixth blast since joining the Yankees in July. Provided the three-run cushion, Edwar Ramirez hurled the home half to record his first save of the year, preserving the win for Jose Veras after two perfect innings.
It was an example of the bullpen picking up Rivera for a change. The elder statesman of the relief corps has spent most of the year tutoring the younger arms -- Ramirez and Veras being especially prominent in that group.
"The bullpen just thinks about doing the job," Veras said. "We're one group. We work and we have a job to do -- win the games, keep the games close. Mariano helps everyone in the bullpen, so we just try to do the best for him."
Rivera was charged with his first blown save in 29 opportunities this season, surrendering a game-tying three-run homer to Delmon Young in the bottom of the eighth inning. Rivera came on after Damaso Marte struggled in relief of starter Mike Mussina, who had limited the Twins to three runs over seven innings.
Marte allowed a leadoff double to Mike Redmond and a one-out single to pinch-hitter Randy Ruiz before Rivera was summoned to try for a five-out save. Young erased those chances by belting a high arcing drive inside the right-field foul pole, drawing a raucous standing ovation from the Metrodome crowd.
"I made a mistake," Rivera said. "The ball caught too much of the plate. I couldn't make my pitch where it was supposed to go, and that was the result."
The late scoring change made for a second consecutive shaky appearance for Rivera, who also allowed Chone Figgins' ninth-inning walk-off single on Sunday in Anaheim in his first and only pitch of the game. This time, it cost Mussina a chance at what could have been his 16th victory of a resurgent campaign, having scattered eight hits in a 104-pitch performance.
"We haven't played very well for a while, and it's been a tough trip," Mussina said. "Finding a way to win a game is a big deal. It certainly wasn't pretty and it wasn't smooth and it wasn't easy, but we found a way to win a game."
Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that it was unfortunate that Mussina was denied the victory in what will go down as a very good no-decision, but Mussina said that he could not allow himself to be disappointed in the result.
"They've held the lead for me all year in every game," Mussina said. "I just go out and do what I'm supposed to do. Sometimes it doesn't work out the way you hope, but we won the game in the end and that's ultimately the most important thing."
One night after being shut out, the Yankees responded facing Twins starter Nick Blackburn. Held out of the lineup on Monday, Johnny Damon jumped back in with a bang, connecting off Blackburn for his 24th career leadoff home run.
Derek Jeter broke a 3-3 tie with a run-scoring single, and Nady tacked on a two-run double against Blackburn, who worked 4 2/3 innings, scattering six hits and four runs while walking three and striking out five.
Mussina's blemishes came with two runs in the second inning and one more in the fourth. Brian Buscher and Adam Everett brought Minnesota's first two runs home with consecutive sacrifice flies to center, and the Twins briefly knotted the game on Everett's RBI single up the middle.
Boof Bonser allowed Bobby Abreu's broken-bat fielder's choice in the seventh to score New York's fifth run, and Jesse Crain was touched for a run in the eighth on a Wilson Betemit single.
The victory snapped a season-high four-game skid for the Yankees, who moved within eight games of the first-place Rays in the American League East and remained five games behind the Red Sox in the Wild Card pursuit.
"It's a big win, the way we won," Girardi said. "To be able to fight back, this has been a tough road trip. We've got a chance to win a game tomorrow and win a series. We'll come back and try to do it."
Copyright 2008 Sporting Life UK Ltd, All Rights Reserved.
Bullpen continues to struggle for Cards
ST. LOUIS -- The non-waiver Trade Deadline has passed. The Cardinals' most glaring concern remains.
Late-inning chaos struck yet again on Tuesday night, as the bullpen cost Chris Carpenter what would have been his first win since September 2006. The Cardinals lost a 4-0 lead in the ninth, and, although they beat the Dodgers, 6-4, in 11 innings, an ongoing problem was once again exposed.
Jason Isringhausen, who officially received a hold, but not a blown save or a loss on Tuesday, nonetheless was the recipient of the brunt of the damage. Recently reinstalled as the Cards' closer, he struggled in only his second night back on the job. Now the Cardinals are left pondering their options once again.
General manager John Mozeliak minced no words following the game on Tuesday.
"It's disappointing," Mozeliak said. "To get a game pitched so well up until the ninth and then to have the outcome the way it did in terms of a home run, hit, walk, it's tough. I think it's something that [manager Tony La Russa], [pitching coach Dave Duncan] and I will talk about tomorrow, strategize and see what makes the most sense. We can't just keep giving games away like that.
"Obviously we're not in a situation where we can really go out and necessarily find someone to close. We're very supportive of Izzy and we've stood by him, but at some point we've got to get some results."
By now, Cardinals fans can recite the statistics like a mantra. St. Louis' 24 bullpen losses are tied for the most in the Major Leagues. The Cards' 27 blown saves are far and away the most in the bigs, and though it stings every time, few of those missed chances have smarted quite like the one on Tuesday, when Carpenter pitched beautifully but was deprived of career win No. 101.
Asked whether the possibilities included roster moves or merely different ways to use the current roster, Mozeliak left things wide open.
"I think everything is an option right now," he said. "We have to be open-minded and just try to make the best decision for this club. You look at how Carpenter pitched today, how outstanding he was ... he gave this team more than a chance to win, and it got down to the ninth and we just couldn't put it away."
Isringhausen left Busch Stadium without speaking to reporters after the game. La Russa seemed baffled by the latest pothole.
"I just have to stop and digest it," La Russa said. "One bad break, the roller that would have been two outs, that was a tough break. But there's no doubt they got some base hits before and after that. So I don't know. Got to think about it. But I guarantee there's nobody more disappointed than Izzy right now. He didn't get the save, Carp didn't get the win. There's nothing to be [gained] by piling on."
So in the light of day on Wednesday, they'll ponder.
"I just want to listen to Tony and Dunc about what all our available options are," Mozeliak said. "Someone brought up [rookie] Chris Perez. What's a change of strategy, with maybe a different formula, that might work? We're not going to be able to go out and necessarily trade for someone to be that closer.
"And Izzy may get that opportunity. That's for Tony and Dunc to let me know. I'm not ruling that out at all right now. I think right now people are answering things with more emotion than real thought. But it's something that, regardless of how you look at it, it's a frustrating situation when you think of how we've lost a lot of these games late in the game. A lot of them come to mind. It's unfortunate."
Copyright 2001-2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Bucs continue talks with Sox, Marlins
PITTSBURGH - After continuing to talk late into the night, the Pirates, Red Sox and Marlins continue to discuss a potential blockbuster trade that would send Pittsburgh's Jason Bay to Boston. The three clubs have until 4 p.m. ET this afternoon to get a deal done.
With baseball sources in all three cities having confirmed talks among the three teams, the prominent players on the move would be Bay, Boston's Manny Ramirez, who would be dealt to Miami, and Florida's Jeremy Hermida, who would end up in Pittsburgh. The Pirates' John Grabow would likely be a part of the deal as well.
There would be a number of prospects involved as well and cash likely changing hands, which adds to the complication of the deal. If the deal were to go through, the Pirates would land at least two other top prospects, along with the 24-year-old Hermida.
However, multiple reports on Thursday have suggested that getting the three clubs to agree on which prospects would be dealt could be a sticking point. Because the Pirates are not pressed to deal Bay or Grabow, both of whom the club has under its control for another year, they aren't expected to back down from their demands for a package with top prospects.
Then there's Ramirez's contract situation to work out as well. In order for him to go to Florida, Ramirez would have to waive his 10-and-5 rights before being dealt. With 10 years of Major League service time and five years with the Red Sox, Ramirez can veto any potential trade.
That, however, seems highly unlikely considering Ramirez's recent comments about wanting to part ways with the Red Sox, and the fact that he already has a home in South Florida.
Determining how much of Ramirez's current salary the Red Sox would pick up this year would also be a detail that would need to be worked out.
The scenarios, too, from the Pirates side remain complicated.
In addition to Bay, Jack Wilson's name is believed to have been discussed by all three teams. The Red Sox have inquired about the shortstop, though Boston's primary target remains Bay.
As for Grabow, the left-handed reliever could end up with either Florida or Boston. Sources in Pittsburgh have confirmed two different possibilities. One would have both Bay and Grabow headed to Boston. The other would involve Bay going to Boston and Grabow joining the Marlins.
Either way, packaging Grabow and Bay together for the Red Sox may potentially net the Pirates a little higher return than Bay alone.
There also remains the possibility of a two-team deal that would send Ramirez to Florida and Hermida to Boston. In that case, the Pirates would be left out. If so, look to the Pirates to rekindle talks with Tampa Bay, which still has Bay atop its wish list.
The Pirates and Rays were in discussions Wednesday, but those talks seem to have died down with the Pirates preferring the package of players that they would get from Florida and Boston. However, the Rays may be willing to offer a little more on Thursday in order to block Bay from going to an American League East rival. If so, the Pirates will listen.
Landing Hermida and some prospects would follow right in line with general manager Neal Huntington's rebuilding plans for the club. The Pirates would retain Hermida's rights for the next three seasons, as the corner outfielder would not be eligible for free agency until 2011. The club also continues to look to strengthen the pitching depth within the system, which has made garnering pitching prospects a recent priority.
Conversely, the Pirates are guaranteed just one more year of having Bay. The left fielder will make $7.5 million in 2009, which is the final year of a four-year contract. After that, he'd become eligible for free agency.
Copyright 2001-2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Dodgers withstand Astros' rally in win
HOUSTON -- Rafael Furcal won't be riding in to save the Dodgers any time soon and neither could three of their relievers Tuesday night, as a five-run lead disappeared against the Astros.
With things looking bleak, it was time for somebody to be clutch. It was time for Jeff Kent.
His home run with one out in the 11th inning off former Los Angeles farmhand Wesley Wright provided a 7-6 win for the Dodgers, who pulled back to within 2 1/2 games of first place when the alternative was unthinkable.
"[A loss] would have been devastating," manager Joe Torre said, after the Dodgers let 20-year-old rookie Clayton Kershaw's first Major League victory get away, then nearly did the same with the game.
"Sometimes it takes the big gun to step up, and our big gun stepped up big time," said Russell Martin. "Jeff's been swinging the bat well lately. He can carry a team, he's done it in the past. We can feed off what he's doing."
It says a lot about Martin's respect for Kent that he would talk that way after Martin had his ninth home run, a double, single, walk, stolen base, scored three runs and drove in three runs -- and all this after suffering a freak pregame injury, hyperextending his left knee playing long toss before batting practice.
"A throw was going over my head, and I turned and outran the ball and slammed on the brakes, and my heel slid on the grass and my knee hyperextended," said Martin. "It got right to the point of no return with the pain. Any time you hyperextend something, it's scary, But it ended up fine."
That's pretty much the way the whole night went for the Dodgers. Kershaw pitched into the sixth inning, but Brian Falkenborg allowed a three-run homer to Ty Wigginton and Jonathan Broxton served up a tying two-run double to Carlos Lee after Torre intentionally walked .361 hitter Lance Berkman, putting the tying run on base.
"Somebody hitting .360, I didn't need scouting reports," said Torre. "I did that in the '96 World Series. That scared me."
Chan Ho Park restored order for the win, Takashi Saito pitched a clean 11th for his 13th save and Kent put it in perspective when asked how important the victory was.
"We need hundreds of wins. One in particular is not more important than another," he said.
Kent and Torre both cited the enthusiasm that swept through the dugout in the later innings.
"As the game wore on," said Kent, "you could see more intensity. It reminds me of the days when I had that too."
Torre said Kent demonstrated what a professional at-bat is all about, as he sized up the left-handed Wright and rocketed his ninth homer into the short porch in left field. Kent, at age 40, was the only player in the Dodgers starting lineup older than 28. With 16 years of Major League service, he was the only player in the lineup with at least two full years of service when this year started. Four of the starters were rookies. Kent was a rookie in 1992, when Kershaw was 4 years old.
"We talk about the young kids having consistent at-bats," said Torre. "He goes up there looking for a home run. We didn't talk about that, but if you know the situation, he's looking to pull the ball. Earlier in the game, James Loney is 2-0 with a runner on second and needing to pull the ball and he flies to left. It's technique and it comes from experience. Jeff laid it out there tonight. It's hugely important to win this game in light of the five-run lead."
It also would have been nice to win it for Kershaw, who had allowed only one run when he left the game, but two of his inherited runners scored on Wigginton's homer. With Hiroki Kuroda returning to the starting rotation Wednesday and Brad Penny likely rejoining on Saturday, Torre conceded Kershaw's next assignment is unclear, a situation further clouded by Eric Stults, who flew home after the game to be with his wife for the birth of their second child.
Kershaw said this wasn't the time to worry about where or when his next start would take place. Torre said Kershaw was "a lot better, but he got a little excited at the end and was trying to overthrow it. I'm just sorry we couldn't get him the win."
Said Kershaw, still 0-for-2008: "I'm just glad I pitched good. The stats won't look good -- [5 2/3] innings pitched, [six] hits allowed. But I pitched the way I wanted to and we got the win. All the middle stuff might not look great, but that's just the way it goes."
Copyright 2001-2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
CWS notes: Fresno State is top 'dog'
OMAHA, Neb. -- Despite playing five games in five days, and playing their sixth elimination game in the NCAA Tournament, the Fresno State Bulldogs became the lowest-seed to win the College World Series, with a 6-1 win, over Georgia on Wednesday.
Fresno State rode its ace Justin Wilson for eight innings, getting all the run support he needed thanks to sophomore outfielder Steven Detwiler. The right-handed-hitter hit two home runs and had six RBIs, as well as collecting a hit in every turn at bat. He proved to be the offense, and was responsible for every Fresno State run.
After the game, Detwiler denied that he was a one-man wrecking crew, praising the good at-bats his teammates had around him all night. This drew a laugh from his coach and teammates, especially senior closer Brandon Burke. Burke brought out a box score and said, "Hey, this says that we scored six runs, and you had six RBIs."
A discouraged Dave Perno, Georgia's head coach, said after the game that the failure to stop Detwiler was the difference in the game.
"That's equally frustrating when it's one guy," Perno said.
Detwiler did so despite a badly torn ligament in one of his thumbs, and said earlier in the tournament that it hurt when he swung and missed. Luckily, there was not much of that for the outfielder.
Since the beginning of the Western Athletic Conference tournament on May 22, the Bulldogs have not been back to Fresno.
"We haven't left anywhere the last five weekends where we weren't empty and done," said head coach Mike Batesole.
The team banded together, and rallied around each other. Senior outfielder Steve Susdorf said he hoped they left a legacy.
"It's a great thing for college baseball," Susdorf said. "It just goes to show you that you don't need that first-round Draft pick on your team to win a national championship."
The lefty's last: After beating North Carolina on Sunday, Batesole said the pitching staff would be fine if they could make it to Wednesday. They barely held it together, but thanks to 19 runs from the offense on Tuesday, Batesole got his wish. He was able to start his ace, Wilson, albeit on just three days' rest.
Wilson responded with the best outing of his college career. The lefty threw 129 pitches over eight innings, with a solo home run to Georgia shortstop Gordon Beckham being his one mistake. He struck out nine batters, while walking just one.
"He was phenomenal," Susdorf said." They couldn't touch him, and that's a great hitting ballclub."
Georgia's Beckham and Ryan Peisel praised Wilson. Peisel called him "sharp as a tack," while Beckham said, "He did all the little things right,"
Wilson said the key was throwing strikes, which he did with 89 of his 129 pitches.
For Batesole, the key was Wilson's mentality.
"It was over when I saw the look in his eye in the first inning," Batesole said. "I had no doubt in my mind that it was over."
Wilson, a fifth-round pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the First-Year Player Draft, said that 129 pitches tied his career-high pitch count. The lefty said he felt fine after the game, though he was sore from the pile that followed the win. Wilson praised the defense behind him, a defense that Batesole said lightens the load on his pitchers.
"They truly trust each other. That's why we can pitch the way we can pitch," he said.
Wilson managed to strand four runners in scoring position during the outing, including a bases loaded situation in the second inning.
"He kept the ball down, worked both sides of the plate; changed speeds on us," Peisel said. "He came ready."
Award season: Following the game, the All-College World Series team, as voted on by the media, was announced. The Most Valuable Player from the tournament was Fresno State third baseman Tommy Mendonca, who tied a CWS record with four home runs. Mendonca's defense was another highlight of the tournament, as Perno called him "the best defensive third baseman I've seen in a long time."
Mendonca was joined on the All-CWS team by teammates Erik Wetzel (second base), Wilson and outfielders Susdorf and Detwiler. With the exception of Detwiler, a sophomore that set championship series records with three home runs and nine RBIs, the other players are likely to leave Fresno State after being taken in the First-Year Player Draft.
Two of the top 10 selections in the First-Year Player Draft, Beckham and Stanford catcher Jason Castro, also made the team. The final drafted member from the team was Peisel, who earned a DH spot on the team after his fantastic series in the leadoff spot. Peisel was a 12th-round pick by the Colorado Rockies.
Copyright 2001-2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Giambi coming on strong at the plate
NEW YORK -- With two consecutive at-bats Tuesday night, Jason Giambi showed Padres lefty Randy Wolf that there's no room for error when the Yankees slugger comes to the plate.
Giambi first sent a curveball soaring over the right-field wall, then made Wolf pay for a fastball right down the middle, knocking a two-run homer to left-center field.
Lately, Giambi's made a habit of punishing pitchers for making mistakes. Since May 4, Giambi is batting .355 with 12 home runs and 26 RBIs.
"When I'm getting that one mistake, I'm not missing it," he said following New York's 8-0 victory.
Giambi's recent success has helped pull him out of an early season slump. The veteran came out of Spring Training with high expectations, only to struggle with a .150 batting average through his first 26 games.
But something sparked the slugger.
Giambi said he's been keeping it simple, just seeing the ball and getting into a good routine. He also credited his teammates for getting him the right pitches.
Batting sixth behind Alex Rodriguez and Hideki Matsui -- who are hitting .326 and .325, respectively -- Giambi has been able to take advantage of his position in the lineup.
"It goes all the way down the line," Giambi said. "It definitely puts me in a good spot when those guys are on base and getting some pitches to hit."
And while Giambi was quick to note the accomplishments of his teammates, it's his own bat that's boosted the Yankees' offense.
"The last month, he's swinging the bat as well now as I've seen him swing in a long time," left-hander Andy Pettitte said. "I'm happy for him. I know that he was grinding the first month of the season and trying to get it right. He's worked extremely hard, and he's in the same boat as all of us. When you get it going, you want to ride it as long as you can."
Production at the plate has taken on even more importance for the Yankees, because the starting rotation took a blow when ace Chien-Ming Wang injured his right foot Sunday in Houston.
But Giambi doesn't appear to be slowing down, and manager Joe Girardi pointed to the slugger's health as an important bright spot.
"He's been healthy, he's been strong, he's running well, he's been playing good defense," Girardi said. "It's good to see guys come back when they've had some injury-plagued seasons -- to come back, rebound and do the things that you're used to seeing them do."
Giambi said it's because of Girardi's communication before camp that he's been able to stay in good shape. The manager told the veteran to come to camp prepared because he would play every day. And the hard work has paid off as Giambi's numbers continue to climb.
"I think Jason's just starting to play the way he's capable," the manager said.
Despite Girardi's high hopes for his first baseman during Spring Training, he said he's hesitant to set out limitations or numbers on what he thinks a player can do, because those predictions can be exceeded.
And good thing, because it's safe to say Giambi's performance during his past 34 games would have met those numbers and surpassed them as well.
Copyright 2001-2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
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