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September 08 2010

Mat Latos quickly answered any lingering questions about his health. For extra measure, the 22-year-old San Diego Padres ace ended up with a big league record. Latos bounced back from stomach flu to strike out 10 for the third time in four starts, pitching the NL West leaders to a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night.

David Price got plenty of support when Tampa Bay hit five homers. The way he was pitching, he didn't need much of it. The left-hander allowed two hits over six innings and the Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 14-5 on Tuesday night to move 1 1/2 games behind the first-place New York Yankees in the AL East.

Jim Thome has found a band of brothers in Minnesota. He's showing off his big swing like the oldest sibling. Thome hit another towering homer, Delmon Young drove in four runs and the Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 10-3 on Tuesday night to take their largest AL Central lead in 10 days. Francisco Liriano (13-7) raised his second-half record to 7-0 in 10 starts, giving up seven hits and two runs in seven easy innings. J.J. Hardy had three RBIs for the Twins, who scored six times in the third against Brian Bannister (7-12) and moved 4 1/2 games ahead of Chicago in the division race. "You hope the good times last as long as they can," Thome said. The White Sox lost to Detroit 9-1, ending their seven-game winning streak. The Twins have won five straight, 10 of their last 12 and 33 of 45.

Florida shortstop Hanley Ramirez was held out of the starting lineup against Philadelphia because of a sore back. Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez says Ramirez could pinch hit Wednesday night. Ramirez was hit by a pitch on Monday and complained of pain in Tuesday's game. He was 0 for 5 in Tuesday in an 8-7 loss to the Phillies. He is batting .300 with 21 home runs and 75 RBIs. Rodriguez says there is no update on pitcher Joe Johnson. The All-Star right-hander was in Florida to have his shoulder and back checked out. Rodriguez hadn't heard of Johnson's shoulder problems until Tuesday. Johnson's back had been bothering him for about two or three weeks.

Minus their star catcher, the New York Yankees waited at home plate in a merry pack of pinstripes as Nick Swisher circled the bases following his game-winning home run. Jorge Posada was missing, but he could be back soon. Swisher hit a two-run homer off Koji Uehara in the bottom of the ninth inning Wednesday to give New York a 3-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles that was soon tempered by news of Posada's aching head. Following the game, Yankees manager Joe Girardi revealed that Posada felt concussion symptoms Tuesday night after getting hit by a foul ball. The switch-hitting slugger sat out Wednesday and was sent to New York-Presbyterian Hospital during the game to see a neurology specialist. "Obviously, it's a concern," Swisher said. A little while later, the Yankees announced tests came back negative and Posada was cleared to play.

In a season that didn't go as planned for Trevor Hoffman, baseball's career saves leader added another milestone to his illustrious career. Hoffman earned his 600th save Tuesday night, closing out the Milwaukee Brewers' 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. A few months ago, Hoffman couldn't have been sure this day would come. The 42-year-old reliever lost his job as the Brewers' closer in May after a string of bad outings. "Unfortunately, I was part of the problem this year in not getting my job done early and getting some momentum going," he said. Hoffman has pitched better of late with a 2.63 ERA in his last 29 appearances and has been getting ninth-inning work as the team tried to help him reach No. 600.

Injured relievers Damaso Marte and Alfredo Aceves are not expected back in the New York Yankees' bullpen this season. New York manager Joe Girardi said Wednesday he thinks both pitchers will miss the rest of the year. Marte has been sidelined since July 8 with inflammation in his left shoulder. Aceves has been out since May 12 with a strained lower back. In other news, the AL East leaders will skip Phil Hughes' next turn in the rotation this weekend at Texas, part of their plan to limit the 24-year-old's innings in his first full season as a major league starter.

San Francisco's push to make the playoffs has gained some serious momentum, Tim Lincecum is back to his old self. The ultra-lanky right-hander was almost perfect through six innings and three Giants homered Tuesday night in a 6-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. San Francisco has won four straight and six of seven, keeping up the pressure on San Diego in the NL West. The Giants remained a game behind the first-place Padres, who beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1, and moved within one game of Atlanta, which leads the wild-card standings. Lincecum, winner of the NL Cy Young Award the last two seasons, struck out 11 in 6 2-3 innings. He gave up three runs in the seventh, but before that he was, as teammate Freddy Sanchez said, "electric.

A defamation lawsuit against Roger Clemens should be thrown out because the seven-time Cy Young Award winner was merely trying to defend himself against his former personal trainer's doping allegations, Clemens' lawyers argued Wednesday. Clemens should be able to respond to claims "that are disastrous to his reputation without being subject to a lawsuit," attorney Rusty Hardin said at a hearing in federal court in Brooklyn. Lawyers for the trainer, Brian McNamee, responded by branding Clemens a liar. "Mr. Clemens has a right to defend himself, but not when he's lying and he knows he's lying," said attorney Richard Emery. U.S. District Judge Sterling Johnson Jr. reserved decision on a motion to dismiss the suit.

A little more than a year ago, Carlos Gonzalez looked like he needed more seasoning in Triple-A. Now, he's a contender for the Triple Crown. "I would say that's rapid development," Colorado Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. Gonzalez's remarkable 2 1/2 -week tear has put the Rockies back into the thick of the pennant race and placed him squarely in the hunt to become the first hitter to lead his league in homers, RBIs and batting average since Boston's Carl Yastrzemski did it in 1967.