Jered Weaver is pitching as well as he ever has, and the Los Angeles Angels will need him to continue striking out people at his current pace — because their rotation is again showing signs of decay. Weaver pitched into the eighth inning for the first time in his last 10 starts and matched a career high with his second straight 11-strikeout performance, leading the Angels to a 3-2 victory over…
Lou Piniella rolled out another new lineup as the Chicago Cubs manager searches for the right combination. This one may just be to his liking. Kosuke Fukudome and Derrek Lee homered, leading the Cubs past Jason Marquis and the Colorado Rockies 6-5 on Saturday night. The win allowed the Cubs to remain a game behind the St.
Willie Mays and Hank Aaron didn't drive in runs at the start of their careers like Albert Pujols has done. Stan Musial and Barry Bonds didn't, either. Pujols hit a three-run double to reach the 100 RBIs mark for the ninth consecutive season and Adam Wainwright limited Pittsburgh to one run over 6 2-3 innings, leading the Cardinals past the Pirates 5-3 on Saturday night.
The Florida Marlins aren't ready to let the Philadelphia Phillies cruise to another division title. Cody Ross hit a go-ahead two-run homer off Cole Hamels in the sixth inning and Florida beat the Phillies 6-4 on Saturday night. The Marlins moved within five games of the NL East-leading Phillies and try to complete the three-game sweep with ace Josh Johnson on the mound Sunday.
The Minnesota Twins got just what they needed from Carl Pavano and the usual from Denard Span and Joe Mauer. He allowed only five hits over seven innings in his Minnesota debut, Span went 5-for-5 and Mauer homered and drove in three runs to lift the Twins to a 11-0 win over the Detroit Tigers on Saturday night.
Chicago Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez left the game in the fifth inning Saturday night against Colorado with soreness in his left shoulder. Jake Fox replaced Ramirez in the field in the bottom of the inning. Ramirez was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts. He also bobbled a hard grounder in the fourth, an error that contributed to a four-run inning for the Rockies.
CC Sabathia shut down the Boston Red Sox just like A.J. Burnett did, putting the New York Yankees in position for a pivotal four-game sweep. Sabathia didn't allow a runner past second base while pitching into the eighth inning and New York beat Boston 5-0 for its sixth consecutive win. Derek Jeter hit an opposite-field, two-run homer in the eighth for the Yankees, who extended their AL East lead…
Houston Astros' left-hander Mike Hampton left Saturday's start against Milwaukee after two innings with a right knee sprain. Hampton gave up three runs on five hits in 48 pitches. The Brewers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and J.J. Hardy led off the second with an infield single. Houston catcher Ivan Rodriguez then visited the mound to check on Hampton and was joined by athletic trainer…
Barry Zito may take the same approach as always but it's producing better results. Zito pitched six strong innings and Bengie Molina homered among his three hits and drove in three runs, helping the San Francisco Giants beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-2 on Saturday. "He's been throwing better than his record indicates," Giants' manager Bruce Bochy said.
Boston pitcher Ramon Ramirez was ejected in the seventh inning against the New York Yankees after hitting Alex Rodriguez with a pitch. A day after the Yankees won 2-0 in 15 innings to open a 4 1/2 -game AL East lead, Ramirez replaced Clay Buchholz to start the inning and nearly hit Mark Teixeira with a pitch before walking him with one out in the seventh Saturday.
