The Texas Rangers avoided a letdown after winning a big weekend series over their closest playoff competitor. Marlon Byrd drove in three runs and the Texas Rangers extended their lead in the AL wild-card race, beating the slumping Minnesota Twins 8-5 Monday night. After taking two of three over the weekend from Boston, the Rangers stretched their advantage to one game over the Red Sox atop the…
The most frightening moment for David Wright came an instant before he got hit in the head. It was the moment he braced for impact, knowing he had no time to dodge that 94 mph fastball. "For the most part I remember everything," Wright said. "I think it was more scary than anything. You see the ball coming, you know what's going to happen before it happens." Wright returned to…
Even though Vladimir Guerrero can't sprint around the basepaths the way he used to, the oft-injured slugger never has any trouble with his home run trot. Guerrero hit two homers and had five RBIs, Kendry Morales and Maicer Izturis also connected, and the Los Angeles Angels pulled away to an 8-5 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night.
Tommy Hanson isn't worried about how many innings he pitches as long as he can keep helping the Braves win. Hanson gave up two runs in six innings for his third straight win and Ryan Church hit a three-run double in a six-run third inning that lifted the Atlanta Braves past Max Scherzer and the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-4 on Monday.
John Smoltz has been released by the Boston Red Sox. Now the question remains: Will he pitch again? The 42-year-old right-hander signed with the Red Sox last January after two decades with Atlanta, where he was a Cy Young Award winner and eight-time All-Star. Smoltz was particularly memorable in the postseason, going 15-4 with four saves and 2.65 ERA.
The Detroit Tigers bolstered their offense for a pennant drive by obtaining first baseman Aubrey Huff from the Baltimore Orioles on Monday for a minor leaguer. "I've been in last place basically my whole career, so this is an exciting time for me," Huff said. "I'm looking forward to it." The Tigers began Monday leading the Chicago White Sox by 2 1/2 games in the AL…
The Tampa Bay Rays say they're not optimistic about signing their top two picks in this year's draft. The AL champions took Florida high school outfielder LeVon Washington as the 30th overall pick in the first round in June. The Rays selected California prep infielder Kenneth Diekroeger in the second round.
They're first in thriftiness and last at the turnstiles — again. They've never won a division title, and their roster turns over with the frequency of a college team. Yet as the playoff race heats up, look who's in the mix: those perennially overlooked, underrated Florida Marlins. The Marlins began the week two games behind NL wild-card leader Colorado, and they're 4 1/2 games…
Ryan Howard likes what he's seen so far from J.A. Happ. "He's not a rookie any more," Howard said. "He's proven himself to be a very poised pitcher." Howard homered twice and drove in four runs to back Happ's strong start, and Brad Lidge earned an easy save as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves 4-1 on Sunday night.
