National League notebook -- Thursday, April 26, 2012
Arizona: 3B Cody Ransom was 5-for-13 and reached base eight of 16 times in four consecutive starts while taking over for the slumping Ryan Roberts early in the week. Ransom, whose contract was purchased from Class AAA Reno on April 18, has played while waiting for a kidney stone to pass. "Adrenaline is a good thing, it really is," he said. ... The D-backs went 3-7 and lost series to Pittsburgh (1-2), Atlanta (1-3) and Philadelphia (1-2) on their most recent stay at home. It was their worst three-series homestand since Kirk Gibson became interim manager in 2010.
Atlanta: 2B Dan Uggla has been charged with five errors in 19 games, many of them on low throws to first base. His defense appears to translate to his offense. His clean fielding game Wednesday came in conjunction with two RBI on a 2-for-3 night with a walk. ... RHP Brandon Beachy's homer-less streak ended at 42 2/3 innings when he gave up one to Dodgers CF Matt Kemp in the sixth inning Wednesday. The streak dated to Sept. 7, when Raul Ibanez, then with the Phillies, got him.
Chicago: RH closer Carlos Marmol pitched a mop-up inning Wednesday after blowing a save chance the previous night. Manager Dale Sveum said he would not hesitate to come back with Marmol in a save situation, but he added that because of Marmol's tendency to throw a lot of pitches, he'd likely come in to get no more than four outs in any save opportunity. ... Despite being the backup catcher, Steve Clevenger has a team-high five doubles in just 22 at-bats.
Cincinnati: 3B Scott Rolen, who wasn't in the starting lineup, came in late and homered for the second consecutive game, extending his hitting streak to five games. "I've always said it takes an older player longer," manager Dusty Baker said. "Those bones and muscles need heat. They don't need cold and wet. I'm not even playing and I know wherever I was hurt is aching. We certainly need him. He's a prideful guy." ... RH reliever Nick Masset's hopes of being cleared to throw by the end of the week were dashed when an MRI showed that his right shoulder is only about halfway healed. He remains out indefinitely.
Colorado: The Rockies' third basemen (Chris Nelson, Jonathan Herrera and Jordan Pacheco, who was optioned to Triple-A on April 15) have combined for four RBI; only the Phillies' third baseman have fewer (three). The Rockies' third basemen have no home runs (Herrera hit one while playing second), tied with the Phillies, Dodgers and Astros. ... RF Michael Cuddyer had two late game-winning hits in Milwaukee last weekend. But he went 1-for-11 at Pittsburgh to finish the trip at 3-for-20 (.150) with six strikeouts.
Houston: RF Brian Bogusevic was called in for a talk with the manager before his 2-for-4 game Wednesday. "I want him to be a little bit more aggressive," Brad Mills said. "I may be completely wrong here, but I think a lot of it (the weak outs) comes from not being real aggressive to where he's getting behind in the count and now he tries to make contact instead of being able to stay aggressive and let it fly. So what happens is you make the contact but it's just a little groundball." ... RH Brett Myers, who has returned to the closer role for the first time in five years, is 3-for-3 in save opportunities and has a 1.80 ERA. Myers gave up a home run in one of his two non-save situations.
Los Angeles: RH closer Javy Guerra passed concussion tests Wednesday after he took a line drive to the face off the bat of Braves C Brian McCann. Guerra remained in the game to give up the final three of his five consecutive singles in the loss to Atlanta. His jaw was swollen afterward. ... CF Matt Kemp hit his 10th home run Wednesday, tying Gary Sheffield (2000) for the franchise record for homers in April. Kemp accomplished the feat in 19 games, two games faster than the previous club-record holder in that category, Roy Campanella in 1953.
Miami: SS Jose Reyes went 1-for-12 in his return to Citi Field, where he was booed in all three games. Reyes is batting .205. "I don't think it was weird at all. It was still the same game but with a different team," said Reyes, who signed a six-year, $106 million contract with the Marlins in December after leaving the Mets as a free agent. ... RHP Carlos Zambrano said he is not frustrated that he has pitched so well this year but doesn't have any wins to show for it. He is 0-1 with a 2.84 ERA in his first three starts. His next start is tonight. "This year I feel like a free bird. I've felt good. I'm enjoying the game. Everything is working," he said. "I'm at peace."
Milwaukee: 2B Rickie Weeks is still looking to get going in the leadoff spot. He is batting .189 with a .302 on-base percentage and is among the league leaders with 24 strikeouts. Weeks does lead the team with 11 walks. ... Despite the loss of 1B Prince Fielder to free agency, the Brewers lead the NL with 27 home runs. "I'm probably surprised that we're leading, but I still thought that we'd hit a lot of home runs," manager Ron Roenicke said. "Our lineup, when everybody is swinging right, is a dangerous lineup."
New York: RHP Mike Pelfrey almost certainly will undergo season-ending Tommy John ligament-replacement surgery, the Mets announced. Pelfrey, who will fly to Alabama today to meet with Dr. James Andrews, estimated that there is a "99 percent" chance he will undergo the procedure on his right elbow. RHP Chris Schwinden will replace Pelfrey in the rotation, beginning tonight. Schwinden was called up from Class AAA Buffalo, and LH reliever Robert Carson was optioned to Class AA Binghamton (N.Y.). ... IF Jordany Valdespin, a natural shortstop, made his first major league start in left field. Although Valdespin had trained in the outfield during spring training and earlier this month in Class AAA, those reps all came in center. "I'm trying to get him in the lineup," manager Terry Collins said.
Philadelphia: 1B Laynce Nix might have hit his way into more playing time. Nix batted .467 (7-for-15) on the Phillies' recent 10-game trip. In six starts this season, Nix is batting .368 (7-for-19) with four extra-base hits. ... The Phillies' No. 3 hitters ranked last in the majors through Wednesday in on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) with a mark of .522 and in slugging percentage with a .263. SS Jimmy Rollins has batted third in 18 of the Phillies' 19 games this season.
Pittsburgh: LF Alex Presley has a 10-game hitting streak, but the Pirates are pressing him to reach base more often. They need all they can get out of the top of their order, given that their 35 total runs are the fewest in the majors by a wide margin. The next lowest team, the A's, have 59. ... 1B Jeff Clement could become an option in the majors again. Coming off two knee surgeries, he's batting .327 with a .408 on-base percentage and seven doubles for Class AAA Indianapolis.
St. Louis: The battle at second base hasn't turned out the way the Cardinals had hoped. Left-handed Daniel Descalso is at .208 and right-handed Tyler Greene is batting .206. Look for Skip Schumaker, the regular there for the last two seasons, to get increasing time at the position. ... 3B David Freese, considered among the Cardinals' best two-out clutch hitters, has done little to dissuade that opinion. Freese, leading the club with 18 runs batted in, is batting .360 with men in scoring position.
San Diego: RH reliever Micah Owings (forearm) was put on the disabled list, and RH reliever Dale Thayer was called up from Class AAA Tucson, where he did not allow a run in 8 1/3 innings. Owings has a 2.79 ERA this year. ... RHP Joe Wieland is the first Padres starting pitcher to lose each of his first three major league starts since Jake Peavy in 2002. In his two starts at Petco Park, Wieland has given up three runs on 10 hits in 12 innings for a 2.25 ERA. The Padres have scored one run in those 12 innings.
San Francisco: 3B Pablo Sandoval extended his season-opening hitting streak to 19 games, breaking the franchise record of 18 set by Johnny Rucker with the 1945 New York Giants. Earlier, Sandoval had passed Willie Mays, whose 16-game streak to begin the 1960 season had been the longest in San Francisco history. "I think it's great for the ballclub, great for our history and great for Sandoval because he's playing every day and keeping his mouth closed and doing the job," Mays said. ... Giants manager Bruce Bochy seemed annoyed when he was told that RHP Eric Hacker's agent Tweeted that Hacker would start tonight's game. Hacker was called up after going 4-0 with a 2.19 ERA at Class AAA Fresno. The Giants need an extra starter because they played a doubleheader Monday.
Washington: 1B Adam LaRoche, a career .216 hitter in April, was leading the team's starters with a .313 batting average through Wednesday and was tops on the team with 14 RBI. What has he done differently this year? "Nothing," he told The Washington Post. "Nothing at all." ... RHP Chien-Ming Wang (left hamstring) is scheduled to make a rehab start and throw about 65 pitches for high-A Potomac (Woodbridge, Va.) on Saturday. Wang is expected to need three more minor league outings after that before he's ready to return, manager Davey Johnson told mlb.com.
