Even though he has pitched in the World Series before, Jose Contreras confessed he was nervous before his first start for the Colorado Rockies. He didn't look it once he took the mound. Acquired on Monday from the Chicago White Sox for minor league pitcher Brandon Hynick, Contreras pitched 6 2-3 solid innings to lead the Rockies to a 4-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Florida Marlins keep putting pressure on the teams ahead of them in the NL wild-card race. Hanley Ramirez homered, Josh Johnson earned his 14th victory and the Marlins beat Washington 9-5 on Saturday night, handing the woeful Nationals their season-high eighth consecutive loss. "Yeah, that's what you've got to do.
The Detroit Tigers dug themselves out of an early hole for a satisfying victory. Pinch-hitter Marcus Thames came through with a tiebreaking single during a two-run eighth inning and Alex Avila had a two-run homer to lead the streaking Tigers past the Tampa Bay Rays 8-6 on Saturday night. Detroit, which overcame a three-run deficit, went ahead 8-6 when Thames hit a bases-loaded single and Adam…
Kaz Matsui's patience brought the Houston Astros back after they'd blown a late lead. His bases-loaded single off Brad Lidge drove in two runs in the bottom of the ninth to give the Houston Astros a 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday. "You think you've always got a chance," manager Cecil Cooper said.
The way Ross Ohlendorf was pitching, once needing only nine pitches to strike out the side, the Cardinals knew they needed something special to win. Few are better at supplying something special than Albert Pujols. Pujols led off the 10th inning with his second career pinch-hit home run, and St. Louis withstood Ohlendorf's dominating start to beat Pittsburgh 2-1 on Saturday night and leave the…
Matt Cain bullied his way through the Brewers for seven innings. Brian Wilson simply overpowered them. Cain outpitched Yovani Gallardo for his first win in more than six weeks and Wilson earned a five-out save, lifting the San Francisco Giants over the Milwaukee Brewers 3-2 on Saturday. Cain (13-4) scattered four hits and pitched into the eighth inning, matching his career high for wins after going…
Derrek Lee's 6-year-old daughter, Jada, is always asking him to hit a home run, so the first baseman was a little worried when he left to rejoin the Chicago Cubs after his wife gave birth to their second child. "I told her, 'Man, now I've got to hit a home run for you and Dylan. It's going to be tough,"' Lee said.
Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt has left a game against the Philadelphia Phillies in the seventh inning because of tightness in his lower back. Oswalt was working on a shutout Saturday night for Houston before giving up two hits in the seventh and leaving with one out. The right-hander was charged with two runs and four hits.
Royals outfielder Jose Guillen will miss the rest of the season because of a right knee injury. That was just the beginning of the bad news Saturday for the Royals, who have the worst record in the American League. Gil Meche and Brian Bannister will miss their next scheduled starts with right shoulder fatigue, and left-handed reliever John Bale is likely through for the season with a hamstring…
Scott Baker has no secret formula to explain his success against Cleveland. Baker, who has won seven straight decisions, held the Indians to one run in six innings and beat them for the fourth time this season Saturday, pitching the Minnesota Twins to a 4-1 victory. Baker is 4-0 with a 0.93 ERA in four starts against the Indians this year, but if the right-hander knows the reason for his dominance,…
