American League team-by-team notebook -- Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Baltimore: RHP Jason Hammel (sore right knee) is scheduled to throw a side session today. The Orioles might have Hammel go through one more workout before they send him on a rehab assignment. ... LH reliever J.C. Romero made his Orioles debut Tuesday and pitched a scoreless inning, allowing one hit but needing just 14 pitches. He was acquired from Cleveland on Sunday.
Boston: RHP Josh Beckett is winless in his last five starts. His last win, July 15 against Tampa Bay, also is his only victory since May 20. The Red Sox are only 7-13 in his 20 starts. ... CF Jacoby Ellsbury went into Wednesday with a 37-game hitting streak against Baltimore. That's the longest streak ever by a Red Sox player against any team.
Chicago: C A.J. Pierzynski said he's not surprised by his power surge this season (career-high 23 home runs through Tuesday). "I've always had power," he said. "I've always hit home runs in batting practice but just couldn't translate it to a game because things would get in the way, whether it was emotional or mental, trying too hard to do this or that." ... 3B Brent Morel went on the disabled list at Class AAA Charlotte (Fort Mill, S.C.) because of an eye infection. Morel is still a candidate for a September call-up.
Cleveland: RHP Ubaldo Jimenez absorbed another beating Tuesday, giving up eight runs in four innings in a 9-6 loss to the Angels. "He didn't have command of his fastball, and they took advantage of it," manager Manny Acta said. Since the All-Star break, Jimenez is 1-5 with an 8.83 ERA. ... RF Shin-Soo Choo's double Tuesday snapped an 0-for-16 slide.
Detroit: 3B Miguel Cabrera hit his 30th home run of the season, making him the only Tiger ever to reach 30 in five consecutive seasons. The night before, he drove in his 100th and 101st runs of the season to make it nine straight years with 100 or more RBI. ... The next start of RHP Anibal Sanchez, struggling in three of his four starts with Detroit since being obtained in a trade with Miami, was pushed back from Sunday to Wednesday so RHPs Doug Fister and Max Scherzer can work on regular rest.
Kansas City: RHP Jeremy Guthrie can be a free agent after this season, but he is interested in remaining with the Royals. "Absolutely, this is a place when I came, I thought it would be a good fit for me," said Guthrie, acquired from Colorado on July 20. "When I got traded here, if I could have handpicked a team, this was one of two or three that I would have handpicked." ... LH reliever Tim Collins faced three batters Tuesday and struck out all three looking. That ran his strikeout total to 77, a Royals single-season record for a left-handed relief pitcher. Andrew Sisco set the previous mark with 76 in 2005.
Los Angeles: When 1B Albert Pujols had a home run and four RBI on Tuesday, that made the Angels 19-3 when he drives in two or more runs and 19-6 in games when he hits a home run. Pujols had home runs in back-to-back games Monday and Tuesday and was leading the majors with 12 home runs since July 15. ... SS Erick Aybar had reached base in each of the eight games through Tuesday since he returned from the disabled list on Aug. 6 and had hits in seven of the eight. Aybar had scored nine runs in those eight games.
Minnesota: RH relievers Jeff Manship and Luis Perdomo were optioned to Class AAA Rochester (N.Y.) after the game. RH reliever Anthony Swarzak (rotator cuff) will be activated from the disabled list and a position player will be called up by Friday, the Twins announced. ... OF Denard Span (neck) missed his third consecutive game though he was able to swing off a tee and play catch. He hopes to return this weekend but won't know how he feels until he takes batting practice.
New York: 2B Robinson Cano was scratched from the lineup because of a stiff neck. He entered the night hitting .311 on the season but had just one hit in his last 13 at-bats. ... 3B Alex Rodriguez said Tuesday's X-ray on his fractured left hand looked good and he was scheduled for another one Sunday, the results of which were expected to help determine whether Rodriguez can begin swinging a bat again.
Oakland: OF Josh Reddick was a late scratch because of complications from a tooth extraction performed Monday. Manager Bob Melvin said he believes a day off, even unplanned, might not be a bad thing for Reddick, who was batting .134 with three walks and 26 strikeouts in his last 15 games through Tuesday. ... 2B Jemile Weeks, batting .244 in August through Tuesday after hitting .206 in July, was not in the lineup. IF Adam Rosales got his fourth start of the season at second base.
Seattle: OF Trayvon Robinson is among the fastest players in the Seattle organization, but only recently are the Mariners seeing it -- a couple of steals and his first career triple. "I think he trusts himself a little bit more," manager Eric Wedge said. "I think he's out there with a little bit more confidence." ... RF Eric Thames' ninth-inning game-winning single Tuesday was the first walk-off hit of his career. It was the fifth walk-off hit of 2012 for Seattle.
Tampa Bay: DH Luke Scott (strained right side) will be kept on his rehab assignment through the weekend, manager Joe Maddon said. Scott hit an opposite-field homer and a single Tuesday in his fourth rehab game for high-A Charlotte (Port Charlotte, Fla.). ... LHP Matt Moore threw 90 pitches Tuesday, and only 25 were called balls. In his last four starts, Moore has allowed two runs in 24 2/3 innings for a 0.73 ERA.
Texas: 1B Michael Young was not in the lineup after he had one hit in his last 13 at-bats entering the game. Manager Ron Washington said the day off was to rest and wasn't related to performance. ... RH reliever Koji Uehara (lat muscle) threw 20 pitches of batting practice at Class AA Frisco (Texas) and is scheduled to throw 30 on Saturday. If all goes well, he would then appear in two rehab games and return from the disabled list on Aug. 26.
Toronto: CF Colby Rasmus returned to the lineup, but as the designated hitter. Rasmus singled as a pinch-hitter Tuesday in his first game action since aggravating a groin injury Friday. To allow Rasmus to DH and 1B David Cooper to start at first base, Edwin Encarnacion made his second start of the season in left field. ... OF Moises Sierra had at least one hit in seven of his first nine career starts and was batting .368 (7-for-19) with two strikes in the count.
