Saturday, June 18, 2011
2011 MLB STANDINGS SATURDAY JUNE 18,2011
| Regular Standings | Expanded Standings | Wild-Card Standings | |||||||||||
| American League | |||||||||||
| East | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Cent | West | Streak | L10 |
| Boston Red Sox | 42 | 27 | .609 | -- | 20-13 | 22-14 | 18-9 | 10-9 | 11-8 | Won 3 | 9-1 |
| New York Yankees | 39 | 29 | .574 | 2.5 | 23-17 | 16-12 | 13-12 | 11-10 | 13-5 | Lost 1 | 6-4 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 37 | 33 | .529 | 5.5 | 16-18 | 21-15 | 15-12 | 14-10 | 6-9 | Won 1 | 6-4 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 35 | 35 | .500 | 7.5 | 17-18 | 18-17 | 13-18 | 13-9 | 7-6 | Won 1 | 5-5 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 31 | 36 | .463 | 10.0 | 20-18 | 11-18 | 10-18 | 11-9 | 8-7 | Lost 1 | 5-5 |
| Central | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Cent | West | Streak | L10 |
| Cleveland Indians | 37 | 31 | .544 | -- | 21-12 | 16-19 | 12-10 | 13-12 | 8-9 | Won 1 | 4-6 |
| Detroit Tigers | 38 | 32 | .543 | -- | 22-14 | 16-18 | 12-12 | 15-7 | 10-10 | Lost 1 | 5-5 |
| Chicago White Sox | 33 | 38 | .465 | 5.5 | 16-17 | 17-21 | 11-12 | 6-11 | 14-13 | Lost 3 | 5-5 |
| Kansas City Royals | 31 | 39 | .443 | 7.0 | 21-20 | 10-19 | 6-7 | 9-16 | 14-14 | Won 1 | 5-5 |
| Minnesota Twins | 29 | 39 | .426 | 8.0 | 12-16 | 17-23 | 6-18 | 13-10 | 9-8 | Won 5 | 8-2 |
| West | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Cent | West | Streak | L10 |
| Texas Rangers | 37 | 34 | .521 | -- | 20-13 | 17-21 | 10-12 | 16-11 | 9-9 | Won 1 | 3-7 |
| Seattle Mariners | 36 | 34 | .514 | 0.5 | 20-17 | 16-17 | 11-8 | 12-17 | 9-9 | Won 2 | 5-5 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 34 | 37 | .479 | 3.0 | 15-20 | 19-17 | 9-13 | 13-12 | 9-11 | Won 1 | 4-6 |
| Oakland Athletics | 31 | 40 | .437 | 6.0 | 17-16 | 14-24 | 5-12 | 13-15 | 12-10 | Won 3 | 4-6 |
| National League | |||||||||||
| East | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Cent | West | Streak | L10 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 44 | 27 | .620 | -- | 28-12 | 16-15 | 23-13 | 11-8 | 8-4 | Lost 1 | 8-2 |
| Atlanta Braves | 39 | 32 | .549 | 5.0 | 18-16 | 21-16 | 16-14 | 15-7 | 7-8 | Lost 1 | 6-4 |
| Washington Nationals | 34 | 36 | .486 | 9.5 | 18-12 | 16-24 | 13-19 | 9-7 | 10-8 | Won 7 | 8-2 |
| New York Mets | 34 | 36 | .486 | 9.5 | 15-18 | 19-18 | 15-15 | 10-10 | 8-8 | Lost 2 | 5-5 |
| Florida Marlins | 32 | 38 | .457 | 11.5 | 15-22 | 17-16 | 11-17 | 9-10 | 10-9 | Lost 8 | 1-9 |
| Central | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Cent | West | Streak | L10 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 39 | 32 | .549 | -- | 25-9 | 14-23 | 13-11 | 17-16 | 9-4 | Lost 2 | 5-5 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 38 | 33 | .535 | 1.0 | 18-13 | 20-20 | 8-7 | 16-13 | 12-11 | Lost 7 | 2-8 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 37 | 34 | .521 | 2.0 | 20-16 | 17-18 | 3-7 | 24-14 | 10-9 | Lost 1 | 6-4 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 35 | 34 | .507 | 3.0 | 15-18 | 20-16 | 8-12 | 16-10 | 9-10 | Lost 1 | 6-4 |
| Chicago Cubs | 29 | 40 | .420 | 9.0 | 16-20 | 13-20 | 5-4 | 11-22 | 11-12 | Won 2 | 6-4 |
| Houston Astros | 26 | 45 | .366 | 13.0 | 13-25 | 13-20 | 5-13 | 13-22 | 6-9 | Won 1 | 3-7 |
| West | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Cent | West | Streak | L10 |
| San Francisco Giants | 39 | 31 | .557 | -- | 19-12 | 20-19 | 5-11 | 11-8 | 20-11 | Lost 2 | 5-5 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 39 | 32 | .549 | 0.5 | 22-15 | 17-17 | 11-8 | 12-10 | 12-14 | Won 2 | 6-4 |
| Colorado Rockies | 34 | 35 | .493 | 4.5 | 18-18 | 16-17 | 7-5 | 9-9 | 17-21 | Won 3 | 6-4 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 31 | 40 | .437 | 8.5 | 15-20 | 16-20 | 8-8 | 10-15 | 12-15 | Lost 4 | 3-7 |
| San Diego Padres | 30 | 41 | .423 | 9.5 | 14-26 | 16-15 | 6-11 | 13-15 | 11-11 | Lost 3 | 3-7 |
| x-Clinched Playoff Spot; y-Division Champ Last updated Saturday, Jun 18, 2011 2:04 am EDT | |||||||||||
Crawford, Youkilis leave game for Red Sox
Crawford, Youkilis leave game for Red Sox
BOSTON (AP)—Carl Crawford(notes) will be evaluated after straining his left hamstring in the first inning of the Boston Red Sox’s 10-4 win over theMilwaukee Brewers on Friday night.
Crawford left the game after being hurt while reaching first base on an infield single just ahead of the throw from third baseman Casey McGehee(notes). Boston manager Terry Francona and a trainer went out to check on the speedy left fielder, who held the back of his left leg above the knee.
An MRI taken during the game showed a Grade I strain, the least serious kind, Francona said. It was unclear how much time Crawford, who has played 67 of the team’s 69 games, would miss.
There will be additional conversations with Crawford and medical personnel to “see what we need to do,” Francona said.
He said he thought Crawford was hurt “when he kind of lurched for the bag at the end there. I didn’t ask him. He wasn’t feeling too good.”
Darnell McDonald(notes) pinch ran and took second on a walk to Marco Scutaro(notes) that loaded the bases. But J.D. Drew(notes) grounded out, ending the inning with the score tied at 2. McDonald stayed in the game in left field.
Crawford, who got off to a very slow start in his first season with Boston, is batting .243 with six homers, 31 RBIs and eight stolen bases.
Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis(notes) also left, because of a stomach illness and was replaced by Drew Sutton(notes) in the top of the fifth.
“He didn’t feel too well,” Francona said.
Crawford left the game after being hurt while reaching first base on an infield single just ahead of the throw from third baseman Casey McGehee(notes). Boston manager Terry Francona and a trainer went out to check on the speedy left fielder, who held the back of his left leg above the knee.
BOSTON, MA - JUNE 17: Carl C…
Getty Images - Jun 17, 10:19 pm EDT
Getty Images - Jun 17, 10:19 pm EDT
Yankees baffled by Davis in 3-1 loss
Yankees baffled by Davis in 3-1 loss
CHICAGO (AP)—Alex Rodriguez(notes) really enjoyed his first game at Wrigley Field in nine years. Except the part involving Doug Davis(notes).
Rodriguez and the New York Yankees managed just three hits against the soft-tossing Davis, losing 3-1 on Friday in the opener of a rare series at theChicago Cubs.
“It was pretty amazing. It’s definitely a great stadium, great atmosphere, great crowd and it was a perfect day, for the Cubs,” said Rodriguez, who went 0 for 4, including a key strikeout against closer Carlos Marmol(notes).
Davis pitched into the eighth inning and Aramis Ramirez(notes) hit a pair of RBI singles for Chicago, which has won four of five after dropping a season-high 14 games under .500. Starlin Castro(notes) doubled twice and is batting .458 (11 for 24) in the last six games.
A season-high crowd of 42,219 packed Wrigley for the Bronx Bombers’ first trip to the neighborhood ballpark in eight years. There was a smattering of“Let’s go Yankees!” chants but the mostly red-and-blue clad fans were firmly behind the Cubs on a sunny, breezy afternoon.
It was a homecoming of sorts for Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who was born in Peoria, went to college at nearby Northwestern and rooted for the Cubs when he was a kid. He also played six seasons for the Cubs during two stints with the club that drafted him in 1986.
“Whenever I come back here, I see people that I know,” Girardi said, “so I mean that part was nice.”
Girardi and the Yankees rolled into Chicago coming off a three-game sweep against AL champion Texas and winners of six of seven overall. But they were never able to solve Davis, who entered with an 0-5 record and a 5.90 ERA in six starts this season.
“He did a great job of locating all his pitches to both in and out of the plate, and definitely down in the zone,” Yankees center fielder Curtis Granderson(notes) said. “Didn’t really get too many balls hit hard.”
Robinson Cano(notes) and Eduardo Nunez(notes) had the Yankees’ only hits off Davis beforeNick Swisher(notes) doubled with one out in the eighth to chase the left-hander.
Davis (1-5) received a thunderous ovation as he left the mound following his longest start since he pitched eight innings in a 5-2 victory for Arizona at Wrigley Field on Oct. 4, 2009. It also was his first victory since May 5, 2010, for Milwaukee at the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“I was able to get ahead a lot,” Davis said. “I was throwing strikes with all of my pitches, except for my curveball. For the most part, I was able to keep them off balance and execute pitches when I had to.”
Sean Marshall(notes) struck out Granderson before Mark Teixeira(notes) lined an RBI single into center field to trim Chicago’s lead to 3-1. Cubs manager Mike Quade then went to Marmol, who struck out Rodriguez to end the inning and closed it out for his 14th save.
Marmol got a boost in the ninth when defensive replacement Reed Johnson(notes) made an outstanding sliding catch along the left-field line to take away an extra-base hit away from Cano.
“I take pride in my defense and work hard at it over the years,” Johnson said. “Especially the leadoff hitter in an inning, that’s always a key out for a pitcher.”
The Yankees went on to put runners on first and second, but Marmol struck out pinch-hitter Chris Dickerson(notes) to end the game.
“You just got to have a quick memory,” Swisher said. “You’ve got to forget about this and move on to tomorrow.”
Freddy Garcia(notes) (5-6) went to his fastball more after getting off a slow start and worked seven solid innings for New York, allowing three runs and six hits. The right-hander struck out three and walked two.
Chicago got to Garcia for two in the first and one in the third. Ramirez had an run-scoring single in each inning, and Castro doubled in Kosuke Fukudome(notes) in the first.
Ramirez also made one of his best plays in the field, charging in to barehand Russell Martin’s(notes) slow roller to third before making a strong throw to first.
NOTES: The game was delayed for a couple minutes before the third inning. Girardi said there was a light either on the corner of camera well in center field or just beyond it. … Former Yankees manager Joe Torre, now an executive with Major League Baseball, was on the field before the game and spent some time with Girardi and Quade. Torre’s right arm was in a sling after undergoing rotator cuff surgery. … Girardi said he might give regular designated hitterJorge Posada(notes) a start at first base during New York’s six-game trip to Chicago and Cincinnati. Posada was batting .457 (16 for 35) in his last nine games heading into Friday, and Girardi is hoping he can stay sharp during the stint at NL parks. … Seth Meyers, the head writer of “Saturday Night Live,” led the singing of “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” during the seventh-inning stretch
Rodriguez and the New York Yankees managed just three hits against the soft-tossing Davis, losing 3-1 on Friday in the opener of a rare series at theChicago Cubs.
“It was pretty amazing. It’s definitely a great stadium, great atmosphere, great crowd and it was a perfect day, for the Cubs,” said Rodriguez, who went 0 for 4, including a key strikeout against closer Carlos Marmol(notes).
CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 17: Alex Ro…
Getty Images - Jun 17, 5:49 pm EDT
Getty Images - Jun 17, 5:49 pm EDT
A season-high crowd of 42,219 packed Wrigley for the Bronx Bombers’ first trip to the neighborhood ballpark in eight years. There was a smattering of“Let’s go Yankees!” chants but the mostly red-and-blue clad fans were firmly behind the Cubs on a sunny, breezy afternoon.
It was a homecoming of sorts for Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who was born in Peoria, went to college at nearby Northwestern and rooted for the Cubs when he was a kid. He also played six seasons for the Cubs during two stints with the club that drafted him in 1986.
“Whenever I come back here, I see people that I know,” Girardi said, “so I mean that part was nice.”
Girardi and the Yankees rolled into Chicago coming off a three-game sweep against AL champion Texas and winners of six of seven overall. But they were never able to solve Davis, who entered with an 0-5 record and a 5.90 ERA in six starts this season.
“He did a great job of locating all his pitches to both in and out of the plate, and definitely down in the zone,” Yankees center fielder Curtis Granderson(notes) said. “Didn’t really get too many balls hit hard.”
Robinson Cano(notes) and Eduardo Nunez(notes) had the Yankees’ only hits off Davis beforeNick Swisher(notes) doubled with one out in the eighth to chase the left-hander.
Davis (1-5) received a thunderous ovation as he left the mound following his longest start since he pitched eight innings in a 5-2 victory for Arizona at Wrigley Field on Oct. 4, 2009. It also was his first victory since May 5, 2010, for Milwaukee at the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“I was able to get ahead a lot,” Davis said. “I was throwing strikes with all of my pitches, except for my curveball. For the most part, I was able to keep them off balance and execute pitches when I had to.”
Sean Marshall(notes) struck out Granderson before Mark Teixeira(notes) lined an RBI single into center field to trim Chicago’s lead to 3-1. Cubs manager Mike Quade then went to Marmol, who struck out Rodriguez to end the inning and closed it out for his 14th save.
Marmol got a boost in the ninth when defensive replacement Reed Johnson(notes) made an outstanding sliding catch along the left-field line to take away an extra-base hit away from Cano.
“I take pride in my defense and work hard at it over the years,” Johnson said. “Especially the leadoff hitter in an inning, that’s always a key out for a pitcher.”
The Yankees went on to put runners on first and second, but Marmol struck out pinch-hitter Chris Dickerson(notes) to end the game.
“You just got to have a quick memory,” Swisher said. “You’ve got to forget about this and move on to tomorrow.”
Freddy Garcia(notes) (5-6) went to his fastball more after getting off a slow start and worked seven solid innings for New York, allowing three runs and six hits. The right-hander struck out three and walked two.
Chicago got to Garcia for two in the first and one in the third. Ramirez had an run-scoring single in each inning, and Castro doubled in Kosuke Fukudome(notes) in the first.
Ramirez also made one of his best plays in the field, charging in to barehand Russell Martin’s(notes) slow roller to third before making a strong throw to first.
NOTES: The game was delayed for a couple minutes before the third inning. Girardi said there was a light either on the corner of camera well in center field or just beyond it. … Former Yankees manager Joe Torre, now an executive with Major League Baseball, was on the field before the game and spent some time with Girardi and Quade. Torre’s right arm was in a sling after undergoing rotator cuff surgery. … Girardi said he might give regular designated hitterJorge Posada(notes) a start at first base during New York’s six-game trip to Chicago and Cincinnati. Posada was batting .457 (16 for 35) in his last nine games heading into Friday, and Girardi is hoping he can stay sharp during the stint at NL parks. … Seth Meyers, the head writer of “Saturday Night Live,” led the singing of “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” during the seventh-inning stretch
Valencia’s 3-run homer helps Twins top Padres 6-5
Valencia’s 3-run homer helps Twins top Padres 6-5
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)—Joe Mauer(notes) was home again, back in Minnesota. He looked as normal as could be, crouching behind the plate and batting third for the Twins. For Mauer, though, this was no ordinary game.
Danny Valencia(notes) welcomed an admittedly nervous Mauer back with a three-run home run in the first inning Friday, and the Twins held on to beat the San Diego Padres 6-5 for their fifth straight win.
“I was running on all adrenaline,” Mauer said.
He played for the first time since April 12, the leg problems finally behind him. Greeted with a standing ovation before his first at-bat, Mauer hit an RBI single, though he later grounded into a double play and left five men on base.
“That really meant a lot to me. I was trying to concentrate so hard on the at-bat and all that, but it meant a lot,” Mauer said. “I’ve put in a lot of hard work to get back here, and to get that support, it was awesome.”
The Twins have won 12 of their past 14 games.
Brian Duensing(notes) (4-6) picked up the victory with six effective if inefficient innings, and the Padres lost for the sixth time in seven games despite a 4 for 5 performance by Chase Headley(notes). He drove in two runs, and Ryan Ludwick(notes) hit a three-run homer in the seventh.
Clayton Richard(notes) (2-9) lost his fifth straight decision, a career-long streak. He gave up five runs in the first inning.
Glen Perkins(notes), making his first appearance for the Twins since May 21, struck out two in a scoreless eighth. Matt Capps(notes) followed with a perfect ninth for his 10th save, in 15 attempts this season.
Mauer, the three-time American League batting champion and ever the patient hitter, predictably took the first pitch he saw from Richard. He drove in the game’s first run with a bouncer up the middle and scored on Michael Cuddyer’s(notes)broken-bat bloop ground-rule double, before a walk by Delmon Young(notes) and the big hit by Valencia gave the Twins a 5-0 advantage.
That hit raised Mauer’s batting average 22 points, a strange sight for a June night.
“When you put yourself in a big hole early, it’s tough to come all the way back,” Headley said.
The last-place Padres had two errors, a wild pitch and a passed ball in that ugly half-inning, but Richard recovered enough to work two batters into the sixth. Pat Neshek(notes), the native of nearby Brooklyn Park, a few miles from Target Field, relieved Richard with two on and none out and finished the frame unscathed by retiring Mauer on a routine fly to left with the bases loaded.
Ben Revere(notes) stretched the lead to 6-1 with an RBI single in the fourth after providing a big play an inning earlier in center field. Revere lunged forward and nearly made a diving catch of Chris Denorfia’s(notes) sinking liner, an effort so intense he broke his belt. He smiled as he jogged to fetch a new belt from the bat boy, and the fans cheered and laughed.
Duensing sweated through the fifth, giving up an RBI double to Headley. The left-hander finished with 106 pitches, seven hits, one walk, five strikeouts and a 6-2 lead. But after a pair of two-out singles against Alex Burnett(notes) in the seventh, Ludwick launched a first-pitch fastball into the second deck to pull the Padres within one, his first home run in a month.
Though Richard was already out of the game, this was unfamiliar support for the struggling left-hander. The Padres scored only five runs—total—in his past five starts. The former Chicago White Sox prospect, who came to the Padres in the Jake Peavy(notes) trade two years ago, has a 6.33 ERA on the road.
“I’m sure he’d like to have the at-bat to Valencia back,” Padres manager Bud Black said, adding: “But he hung in there without his best stuff.”
The Twins would like to have the first two months of the season back, but they’ve been slowly returning to full strength and quickly catching up in the division race.
“Everything’s kind of coming around where we’re getting things done when we need to,” Duensing said. “That’s what we needed all season, and hopefully we’ll keep it together. Everyone in the lineup is contributing, and everyone defensively is contributing also. We’ve just got to keep it going.”
Notes: Twins SS Tsuyoshi Nishioka(notes) made his fourth error of the season. He’s played in only eight games. … Neshek was cheered when he reached the mound.“I couldn’t believe it,” he said afterward. … Said Valencia: “I feel like I’m hitting. 300, you know? It’s unfortunate, because it isn’t showing up. The reality is I’m hitting .216, and those lineouts are just outs.”
Danny Valencia(notes) welcomed an admittedly nervous Mauer back with a three-run home run in the first inning Friday, and the Twins held on to beat the San Diego Padres 6-5 for their fifth straight win.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JUNE 17: Cha…
Getty Images - Jun 18, 12:07 am EDT
Getty Images - Jun 18, 12:07 am EDT
He played for the first time since April 12, the leg problems finally behind him. Greeted with a standing ovation before his first at-bat, Mauer hit an RBI single, though he later grounded into a double play and left five men on base.
“That really meant a lot to me. I was trying to concentrate so hard on the at-bat and all that, but it meant a lot,” Mauer said. “I’ve put in a lot of hard work to get back here, and to get that support, it was awesome.”
The Twins have won 12 of their past 14 games.
Brian Duensing(notes) (4-6) picked up the victory with six effective if inefficient innings, and the Padres lost for the sixth time in seven games despite a 4 for 5 performance by Chase Headley(notes). He drove in two runs, and Ryan Ludwick(notes) hit a three-run homer in the seventh.
Clayton Richard(notes) (2-9) lost his fifth straight decision, a career-long streak. He gave up five runs in the first inning.
Glen Perkins(notes), making his first appearance for the Twins since May 21, struck out two in a scoreless eighth. Matt Capps(notes) followed with a perfect ninth for his 10th save, in 15 attempts this season.
Mauer, the three-time American League batting champion and ever the patient hitter, predictably took the first pitch he saw from Richard. He drove in the game’s first run with a bouncer up the middle and scored on Michael Cuddyer’s(notes)broken-bat bloop ground-rule double, before a walk by Delmon Young(notes) and the big hit by Valencia gave the Twins a 5-0 advantage.
That hit raised Mauer’s batting average 22 points, a strange sight for a June night.
“When you put yourself in a big hole early, it’s tough to come all the way back,” Headley said.
The last-place Padres had two errors, a wild pitch and a passed ball in that ugly half-inning, but Richard recovered enough to work two batters into the sixth. Pat Neshek(notes), the native of nearby Brooklyn Park, a few miles from Target Field, relieved Richard with two on and none out and finished the frame unscathed by retiring Mauer on a routine fly to left with the bases loaded.
Ben Revere(notes) stretched the lead to 6-1 with an RBI single in the fourth after providing a big play an inning earlier in center field. Revere lunged forward and nearly made a diving catch of Chris Denorfia’s(notes) sinking liner, an effort so intense he broke his belt. He smiled as he jogged to fetch a new belt from the bat boy, and the fans cheered and laughed.
Duensing sweated through the fifth, giving up an RBI double to Headley. The left-hander finished with 106 pitches, seven hits, one walk, five strikeouts and a 6-2 lead. But after a pair of two-out singles against Alex Burnett(notes) in the seventh, Ludwick launched a first-pitch fastball into the second deck to pull the Padres within one, his first home run in a month.
Though Richard was already out of the game, this was unfamiliar support for the struggling left-hander. The Padres scored only five runs—total—in his past five starts. The former Chicago White Sox prospect, who came to the Padres in the Jake Peavy(notes) trade two years ago, has a 6.33 ERA on the road.
“I’m sure he’d like to have the at-bat to Valencia back,” Padres manager Bud Black said, adding: “But he hung in there without his best stuff.”
The Twins would like to have the first two months of the season back, but they’ve been slowly returning to full strength and quickly catching up in the division race.
“Everything’s kind of coming around where we’re getting things done when we need to,” Duensing said. “That’s what we needed all season, and hopefully we’ll keep it together. Everyone in the lineup is contributing, and everyone defensively is contributing also. We’ve just got to keep it going.”
Notes: Twins SS Tsuyoshi Nishioka(notes) made his fourth error of the season. He’s played in only eight games. … Neshek was cheered when he reached the mound.“I couldn’t believe it,” he said afterward. … Said Valencia: “I feel like I’m hitting. 300, you know? It’s unfortunate, because it isn’t showing up. The reality is I’m hitting .216, and those lineouts are just outs.”
Updated 2 hours, 41 minutes ago
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