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Friday, July 1, 2011
Shaky Martinez wins in Cards debut
Shaky Martinez wins in Cards debut
Teen righty taking positives from first start for Palm Beach
06/30/2011 11:32 PM ET
 Carlos Martinez was 3-2 over eight Midwest League games. (Marty Morrow/Palm Beach Cardinals) |
Teenage pitching prospect Carlos Martinez ran in and out of trouble several times in his Florida State League debut Thursday, but he was generally pleased with the outcome.The 19-year-old native of the Dominican Republic allowed two runs on four hits over six innings as the Class A Advanced Palm Beach Cardinals beat the Bradenton Marauders, 9-3. He struck out seven, issued four free passes and hit a pair of batters for the victory.
"I felt good, but in the beginning I was a little bit anxious," the St. Louis farmhand said through a translator. "Once the game got going, I was able to relax and focus on my pitches and movement."It felt good to know that I could pitch in this league, and now I will work hard before my next start."
MLB.com's No. 3 Cardinals prospect loaded the bases in the first inning on a pair of singles to Robbie Grossman and Adalberto Santos and a walk to Pedro Alvarez, but he escaped unharmed when Evan Chambers grounded out to end the threat.
He stranded Elevys Gonzalez in scoring position in the second frame after the third baseman had drawn a one-out walk and advanced to second on an errant pickoff throw. He also worked around shortstop Ted Obregon's two-out fielding error in the third.
After a perfect fourth, Martinez yielded a leadoff single to Benji Gonzalez in the fifth, walked Robbie Grossman and hit Alvarez to load the bases for the second time. He extinguished the flames, however, by inducing Aaron Baker to hit a tapper back to the mound to start a 1-2-3 inning-ending double play.
"I was feeling the pressure a little in the first inning, but I kept the ball down and got out of the inning," Martinez explained. "In the fifth, I got the bases loaded, but I went back to my breaking ball and got the ground ball for the double play."
Martinez was not as fortunate in the sixth. He hit Adalberto Santos to start the inning, moved him to second on a wild pitch and walked Chambers. Carlos Paulino singled home Santos with a line drive to left field and Benji Gonzalez plated a second Marauders run on a groundout with one out in the inning.
"I felt good going into the sixth inning, but because I had struck a lot of people out, my pitch count was up," he explained. "The biggest difference between here and Quad Cities was that in Quad Cities I was using my fastball more, but here I am using my breaking balls -- my curve and my change-up -- more."
Martinez was 3-2 with a 2.33 ERA in eight starts with the the River Bandits of the Midwest League prior to his promotion. He allowed one run or fewer in six of his starts and he struck out 50 batters over 38 2/3 innings.
He threw four hitless innings in his pro debut -- Quad Cities' 1-0 win over Wisconsin on May 7, fanned nine batters over five three-hit frames in a 7-4 win against Cedar Rapids on May 20 and struck out eight over six shutout innings in a 5-0 blanking of Clinton on June 14.
Arquimedes Nieto, playing in just his third game of the season and second since returning from the disabled list, replaced Martinez in the seventh. He allowed a run on a hit and two walks over two innings before turning over the game to Keith Butler, who struck out the side in the ninth.
"This was just my second appearance of the year since coming back from my rehab, but I was feeling good," Nieto said. "I was able to set guys up with my fastball and then go to my best pitch, which was my change-up."
Former third-rounder Niko Vasquez paced the Cardinals with two homers -- including an eighth-inning grand slam -- and five RBIs.
Nathan Baker (4-5) took the loss for Bradenton, allowing three runs on four hits and a walk while striking out eight over six innings.
MLB.com's No. 3 Cardinals prospect loaded the bases in the first inning on a pair of singles to Robbie Grossman and Adalberto Santos and a walk to Pedro Alvarez, but he escaped unharmed when Evan Chambers grounded out to end the threat.
He stranded Elevys Gonzalez in scoring position in the second frame after the third baseman had drawn a one-out walk and advanced to second on an errant pickoff throw. He also worked around shortstop Ted Obregon's two-out fielding error in the third.
After a perfect fourth, Martinez yielded a leadoff single to Benji Gonzalez in the fifth, walked Robbie Grossman and hit Alvarez to load the bases for the second time. He extinguished the flames, however, by inducing Aaron Baker to hit a tapper back to the mound to start a 1-2-3 inning-ending double play.
"I was feeling the pressure a little in the first inning, but I kept the ball down and got out of the inning," Martinez explained. "In the fifth, I got the bases loaded, but I went back to my breaking ball and got the ground ball for the double play."
Martinez was not as fortunate in the sixth. He hit Adalberto Santos to start the inning, moved him to second on a wild pitch and walked Chambers. Carlos Paulino singled home Santos with a line drive to left field and Benji Gonzalez plated a second Marauders run on a groundout with one out in the inning.
"I felt good going into the sixth inning, but because I had struck a lot of people out, my pitch count was up," he explained. "The biggest difference between here and Quad Cities was that in Quad Cities I was using my fastball more, but here I am using my breaking balls -- my curve and my change-up -- more."
Martinez was 3-2 with a 2.33 ERA in eight starts with the the River Bandits of the Midwest League prior to his promotion. He allowed one run or fewer in six of his starts and he struck out 50 batters over 38 2/3 innings.
He threw four hitless innings in his pro debut -- Quad Cities' 1-0 win over Wisconsin on May 7, fanned nine batters over five three-hit frames in a 7-4 win against Cedar Rapids on May 20 and struck out eight over six shutout innings in a 5-0 blanking of Clinton on June 14.
Arquimedes Nieto, playing in just his third game of the season and second since returning from the disabled list, replaced Martinez in the seventh. He allowed a run on a hit and two walks over two innings before turning over the game to Keith Butler, who struck out the side in the ninth.
"This was just my second appearance of the year since coming back from my rehab, but I was feeling good," Nieto said. "I was able to set guys up with my fastball and then go to my best pitch, which was my change-up."
Former third-rounder Niko Vasquez paced the Cardinals with two homers -- including an eighth-inning grand slam -- and five RBIs.
Nathan Baker (4-5) took the loss for Bradenton, allowing three runs on four hits and a walk while striking out eight over six innings.
Ashley Marshall is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.
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Phillies get reality check with Hamels’ injury: A fan’s take
Phillies get reality check with Hamels’ injury: A fan’s take
The Philadelphia Phillies were having the time of their lives against the Boston Red Sox this week. As such, Phillies fans like myself were very confident going into the June 30 finale, with visions of a statement making sweep in our heads. Since the Red Sox were facing Cole Hamels(notes), and could only get one combined run off of Cliff Lee(notes) and Vance Worley(notes), it looked to be a very good afternoon.
But much of the time, when things look this good in Philadelphia, something has to bring us down. In this case, an injury to Hamels' glove hand in the fourth inning, and the 5-2 loss that followed, helped remind us that there's still a whole half season left to go.
With a 51-30 record going into the game, and two straight wins over the Red Sox, this was one of those times when the Phillies looked invincible. But this is still the same team that can't score more than three runs most of the time, needs the pitchers to bail them out—and can't afford to lose another one of the four aces.
The Phillies can survive the loss of Roy Oswalt(notes) for a while, since Hamels, Lee and Roy Halladay(notes) are still there. But if we ever lost one of those other three No. 1 starters, then we would be just like any other contender. Considering that the pitching-rich Atlanta Braves are stalking us in the NL East, and the San Francisco Giants upset us with their powerful staff last year, Philadelphia needs as many aces as possible to have the edge.
Once Hamels got injured, the well-rested Phillies bullpen turned out to be rusty, as the Red Sox finally got off for a few runs. Boston may have been due to get some production, and it may have been unrealistic to think Philadelphia could get a sweep. However, both the loss and the abbreviated start for Hamels helped put a damper on things.
Hamels is unlikely to miss his next start, and he can heal faster than Oswalt can. But if anything else, this serves as a reminder of how one injury to a superstar can derail everything. The Phillies survived a string of injuries to start the year, but doing so in October would be much more difficult. And if either Halladay, Lee or Hamels missed significant time, then we would have reason to fear.
CBS Sports' Larry Dobrow wrote in his power rankings that the Phillies were "a Halladay, Hamels or Lee injury away from being a below-average team." That was easier to ignore when they were dominating the Red Sox, but not when the loss of Hamels kept them from finishing a sweep. Despite their formidable record and staff, Philadelphia has lived on the razor's edge all year, which isn't the safest way to win a championship.
The defeat to the Red Sox was just one loss, and one us Phillies fans can brush aside after the past two wins. And the incident with Hamels can be brushed off as well, as long as it doesn't keep him from his next start. But it all provided a valuable perspective of how fragile everything is, right when we were about to get really carried away.
There are still many reasons to stay excited in Philadelphia, especially after this successful showdown with Boston. However, there are many twists and turns left in this season, and there's always the chance that we won't avoid the unpleasant twists forever. If we forgot that a few days ago, we just got a brief reminder- if not an outright warning.
Other stories from this contributor:
Phillies catching Red Sox at the right time
Phillies, Red Sox ready for showdown
Can Phillies stay powerful with just three aces?
Phillies and Red Sox best two teams in baseball
Phillies have biggest divisional lead in baseball
Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.
But much of the time, when things look this good in Philadelphia, something has to bring us down. In this case, an injury to Hamels' glove hand in the fourth inning, and the 5-2 loss that followed, helped remind us that there's still a whole half season left to go.
With a 51-30 record going into the game, and two straight wins over the Red Sox, this was one of those times when the Phillies looked invincible. But this is still the same team that can't score more than three runs most of the time, needs the pitchers to bail them out—and can't afford to lose another one of the four aces.
The Phillies can survive the loss of Roy Oswalt(notes) for a while, since Hamels, Lee and Roy Halladay(notes) are still there. But if we ever lost one of those other three No. 1 starters, then we would be just like any other contender. Considering that the pitching-rich Atlanta Braves are stalking us in the NL East, and the San Francisco Giants upset us with their powerful staff last year, Philadelphia needs as many aces as possible to have the edge.
Once Hamels got injured, the well-rested Phillies bullpen turned out to be rusty, as the Red Sox finally got off for a few runs. Boston may have been due to get some production, and it may have been unrealistic to think Philadelphia could get a sweep. However, both the loss and the abbreviated start for Hamels helped put a damper on things.
Hamels is unlikely to miss his next start, and he can heal faster than Oswalt can. But if anything else, this serves as a reminder of how one injury to a superstar can derail everything. The Phillies survived a string of injuries to start the year, but doing so in October would be much more difficult. And if either Halladay, Lee or Hamels missed significant time, then we would have reason to fear.
CBS Sports' Larry Dobrow wrote in his power rankings that the Phillies were "a Halladay, Hamels or Lee injury away from being a below-average team." That was easier to ignore when they were dominating the Red Sox, but not when the loss of Hamels kept them from finishing a sweep. Despite their formidable record and staff, Philadelphia has lived on the razor's edge all year, which isn't the safest way to win a championship.
The defeat to the Red Sox was just one loss, and one us Phillies fans can brush aside after the past two wins. And the incident with Hamels can be brushed off as well, as long as it doesn't keep him from his next start. But it all provided a valuable perspective of how fragile everything is, right when we were about to get really carried away.
There are still many reasons to stay excited in Philadelphia, especially after this successful showdown with Boston. However, there are many twists and turns left in this season, and there's always the chance that we won't avoid the unpleasant twists forever. If we forgot that a few days ago, we just got a brief reminder- if not an outright warning.
Other stories from this contributor:
Phillies catching Red Sox at the right time
Phillies, Red Sox ready for showdown
Can Phillies stay powerful with just three aces?
Phillies and Red Sox best two teams in baseball
Phillies have biggest divisional lead in baseball
Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.
Scoop Du Jour
Thu Jun 30 07:07am EDT
Braves' Chipper Jones hopes to avoid DL
The small meniscus tear in the right knee of Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones(notes) is "bugging" him, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports, but he's hoping to avoid surgery or a stint on the disabled list. Manager Fredi Gonzalez sat him Wednesday so that he would have two days off in a row, the paper notes, since Atlanta isn't playing Thursday.
"If you've got torn meniscus, you've got torn meniscus," Jones said, the paper reports. "There's not a lot you can do about it. Just have to stay on top of it [with treatment]. If I have to go on the DL for it, I'll probably get the surgery. But if I can avoid it, I'd rather not."
Surgery would cause the 39-year-old to miss three weeks. He is batting .252 with seven homers.
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Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thu Jun 30 06:56am EDT
Marlins' Josh Johnson won't be back until August
The Florida Marlins had hoped that ace Josh Johnson(notes) and his sore right shoulder could return fully healed just after the All-Star break, but that date has now been pushed back, according to the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. Johnson visited famed orthopedist Dr. James Andrews on Wednesday and was told not to throw a ball for a week to 10 days, the paper reports; he was also given a cortisone shot. The good news is that Andrews doesn't need to perform surgery.
The Sun-Sentinel notes, though, that now Johnson isn't expected back in the Marlins rotation till sometime in August.
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Source: Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
Thu Jun 30 05:52am EDT
Phillies' Lidge returning in a month?
With Brad Lidge(notes), Jose Contreras(notes) and Ryan Madson(notes) all on the disabled list, the Philadelphia Phillies turned to 25-year-old Antonio Bastardo(notes) in the ninth inning to close out the 2-1 game against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night. He faced Kevin Youkilis(notes), David Ortiz(notes) and Jarrod Saltalamacchia(notes), and put them down in order for his third career save. The Phils hope he can keep up that kind of performance for at least the next month. At that point, Lidge thinks he may be ready to return.
"Honestly, my shoulder right now feels like nothing ever happened," Lidge said, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Of course, what happened was a partially torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder as well as elbow problems in the same arm.
But Lidge, who is making $11.5 million this season, thinks he's headed for a rehab assignment in the minors next week, the paper reports. "I feel good enough to do it," he said.
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Source: Philadelphia Inquirer
Thu Jun 30 05:46am EDT
Jeter making rehab start Saturday?
The players on the roster of the Double-A Trenton Thunder may be getting a treat this weekend. The word is that New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter(notes) may be coming to town for a rehab start. The Newark Star-Ledger reports that Jeter did a few more things Wednesday than he had previously to test the left calf strain that he suffered June 13 against the Cleveland Indians. He remains six hits shy of 3,000.
"Derek had another good day, did a little more base-running today, a little defense with some lateral movements so he got tested pretty good," said Yankees GM Brian Cashman, the Star-Ledger reports. "We'll see how he feels tomorrow and we'll repeat that for the next day or two. If all goes well, we could see him on a rehab assignment as early as Saturday."
Cashman said if all goes well, Jeter could be back with the big club for the July 4-6 series against the Indians. The Yanks, by the way, are 11-3 without Jeter.
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Source: Newark Star-Ledger
Thu Jun 30 05:40am EDT
Orioles ready to talk extension with Hardy
Shortstop J.J. Hardy(notes) has only played 50 games for the Baltimore Orioles, but they'd like him to stick around. The Baltimore Sun reports that the O's want to start talks with Hardy's agent about a contract extension before the All-Star break. Hardy, who is a free agent at season's end, is hitting .307 with 11 home runs, 30 RBIs and 30 runs this season. Nine of those dingers came in the month of June. Last year, with the Minnesota Twins, he had only six homers and 38 RBIs.
"Talks haven't gotten serious to this point, but that should change as the Orioles get closer to the July 31 trade deadline," the Sun reports. "With the struggles of veterans Derrek Lee(notes) and Vladimir Guerrero(notes), Hardy has emerged as arguably the Orioles' biggest trade chip as several contenders, including the Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers and San Francisco Giants, could be looking for a shortstop upgrade."
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Source: Baltimore Sun
Wed Jun 29 08:21am EDT
Indians' Shin-Soo Choo out 8-10 weeks
Cleveland Indians right fielder Shin-Soo Choo(notes) underwent thumb surgery Tuesday that is going to have him off the field for 8-10 weeks, according to MLB.com. "It means that [the doctor] had to go inside and put the bone back in place," Indians head athletic trainer Lonnie Soloff said, according to the site.
Shin-Soo Choo is batting .244 this year with five homers, 11 stolen bases and 28 RBIs for the Indians, who are one game behind the division-leading Detroit Tigers in the American League Central.
Last year, he batted .300, stole 22 stolen bases, hit 22 homers and had 90 RBIs for Cleveland. Plus, he helped his South Korean teammates win the gold medal over Japan at the Asian Games last fall, which got him out of having to serve the usually mandatory military service of his home country.
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Source: MLB.com
Wed Jun 29 07:14am EDT
Marlins' Josh Johnson still having shoulder problems
Florida Marlins ace Josh Johnson(notes) is currently on the 60-day disabled list with an injured right shoulder. Soon, it may be decided that he'll need even more time before his next trip to the mound. The Miami Herald reports that Johnson will visit famed orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews on Wednesday.
"He threw a [bullpen session] on Friday and reported a little bit more stiffness and just didn't feel right," said Larry Beinfest, Marlins president of baseball operations, according to the Herald. "Obviously it's not what we were looking for in the progression."
Johnson started only nine games this season for the Marlins, going 3-1 with a 1.64 ERA. He's under contract for two more seasons in a four-year deal that pays him $39 million.
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Source: Miami Herald
Wed Jun 29 07:00am EDT
Mattingly: Bonus if Dodgers' Broxton pitches again this season
Jonathan Broxton(notes) was supposed to be back on the Los Angeles Dodgers roster this weekend. Instead, he and the sore elbow that put him on the DL in early May will need to take at least three more weeks off from pitching, according to the Los Angeles Times. The paper notes that Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said if the right-hander pitches again this season, he would consider it a bonus.
The Dodgers have sent three closers to the disabled list this season: Broxton, Vicente Padilla(notes) and Hong-Chih Kuo(notes).
In his time with the Dodgers this season, Broxton is 1-2 with a 5.68 ERA and seven saves. He's a free agent at season's end.
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Source: Los Angeles Times
Wed Jun 29 06:52am EDT
Ortiz to play first for Red Sox vs. Phils; Gonzalez moves to OF
Even before Cliff Lee(notes) and the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Boston Red Sox 5-0 Tuesday night, Boston manager Terry Francona had made his decision. The Boston Herald reports that Francona told designated hitter David Ortiz(notes) that he would get the start at first base Wednesday night for the second matchup between two of baseball's best teams, and he told first baseman Adrian Gonzalez(notes) that he would be moving to right field.
The Boston Globe tells Sox fans not to worry too much about Gonzalez, who is batting .357 with 16 homers and 71 RBIs: "He's smart enough not to run into a wall and slow enough not to hurt himself chasing down a ball," the Globe wrote.
The Red Sox will face rookie Vance Worley(notes) (2-1, 2.83 ERA) Wednesday while the Phils will go up against John Lackey(notes) (5-6, 7.36 ERA).
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Source: Boston HeraldBoston Globe
Tue Jun 28 07:30am EDT
Rangers debunk rumors they want Mets' Beltran or K-Rod
Rangers president Nolan Ryan "downplayed" rumors that the Texas Rangers are interested in trading for New York Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran(notes) or closer Francisco Rodriguez, according to ESPN. "I can't believe that we have an interest in either," Ryan told a local radio station, the site reports.
The Rangers lost two of three to the Mets this past weekend. While Beltran took the opportunity to showcase himself, going 4 for 12 with five RBIs, Rodriguez didn't do himself any favors by allowing two runs on two hits in Sunday's Mets win.
"I don't see that's an upgrade" on the relief front, Ryan said, according to ESPN. "And Beltran, you worry about his knee. And you're taking on an awful lot of salary." Beltran is making more than $19 million this year. "He's had so many medical problems and played so little at times, it's just a real risky situation," Ryan said.
Rodriguez is pulling in slightly more than $12 million this year.
However, Ryan did let on that his team has had trade talks with other teams already.
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MLB STATS JULY 1 2011
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