National League notebook -- Thursday, June 7, 2012
Arizona: LHP Wade Miley extended his streak of consecutive innings without a walk to 19 when he went a career-high eight innings Wednesday. "He's very efficient, and it keeps his pitch count down," manager Kirk Gibson said. Miley also had a walk-free start at San Diego on June 1, when he threw 63 strikes in 81 pitches. ... 1B Paul Goldschmidt not only has a career-long 14-game hitting streak, he also has an extra-base hit in each of his last six games. He has home runs in four of his last 23 at-bats.
Atlanta: X-rays on 1B Freddie Freeman's left index finger were negative, but he is expected to miss a day or two after being knocked out of Wednesday's game when he was hit on his left hand by a thrown ball as he slid into second base on a double play. Freeman had to wait until Thursday morning to have his hand X-rayed because there is no X-ray machine in the Marlins' new ballpark. ... RHP Lucas Sims, the Braves' first-round draft pick, was signed to a $1.65 million bonus, $175,000 less than the slot suggested by Major League Baseball. Sims is scheduled to join the Braves' Gulf Coast League rookie team on Tuesday.
Chicago: LF Alfonso Soriano is expected to be the DH for all three interleague games this weekend. Soriano has been nursing a sore left knee, which has hampered him in the outfield, where it takes him several steps to stop running because he can't plant the leg properly. "(Interleague play is) coming right at the right time," manager Dale Sveum said. ... C Geovany Soto (left knee surgery) is not ready to start a rehab assignment, as the Cubs had hoped. He traveled with the team from Milwaukee to Minnesota to continue working out.
Cincinnati: CF Drew Stubbs said his strained side muscle felt better. "It's hard to say how much better," he said. "I laid low (Wednesday) and got treatment. But the doctor said my symptoms are improving." ... The Reds have made it through 56 games using only five starting pitchers, the deepest they have gone into a season using only five since 1992. "That's the secret of any winning team," manager Dusty Baker said. "You have a tremendous amount of depth and there isn't that much around, especially in the pitching department."
Colorado: LHP Jeff Francis agreed in principle to a contract with his former team and likely will start Saturday's game, the Denver Post reported. Francis pitched for the Rockies for six seasons before his career was sidetracked by shoulder problems, and he most recently was pitching in Class AAA in the Cincinnati organization before opting out of his contract. ... C Wilin Rosario has a career-high nine-game hitting streak in which he has two doubles, three homers, 10 RBI and eight runs scored. He's also 5-for-10 with runners in scoring position during the streak.
Houston: CF Jordan Schafer was back in the lineup after missing two games because he was ill. Schaferhas battled illness on at least two different occasions and also has had injuries to his toe and hand. ... OF Fernando Martinez, claimed off waivers this offseason and then called him up Saturday, went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts and seven left on base Wednesday. That left him at 1-for-15 with nine strikeouts.
Los Angeles: Longtime baseball executive Bob Wolfe was hired as executive vice president. Wolfe worked with Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten in both Washington and Atlanta, serving as executive vice president of the Nationals from 2006 to 2011 and having various roles with the Braves, including senior vice president of administration, from 1992 to 2003. ... Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda was released from a New York hospital, three days after he suffered what was termed a "mild" heart attack. ... IF/OF Jerry Hairston Jr. batted cleanup for the second time in his career -- both in the last week. Hairston has at least one hit in each of his last six starts, and since returning from the disabled list on May 25 he has hit .415 (17-for-41) in 13 games.
Miami: OF Austin Kearns was hit on the elbow by a pitch in a rehab game with high-A Jupiter (Fla.) on Wednesday, and his return from the disabled list was delayed for a day or two. He originally was out because of a strained right hamstring. ... SS Jose Reyes went 0-for-4 Wednesday, snapping his 15-game hitting streak. Reyes who played in his 56th game and still was looking for his first home run of the year. That's the deepest he has gone in his career to start the year without a homer. He went 43 games without a home run in 2010 for the Mets.
Milwaukee: 3B Aramis Ramirez missed his fourth consecutive start with a left quadriceps strain. Ramirez did some running drills before the game against the Cubs but still felt some discomfort and was not allowed to start but was used as a pinch-hitter in the eighth. He was walked intentionally, and RHP Zack Greinke pinch-ran for him. ... 3B Cody Ransom's error in the seventh inning was the Brewers' first in 10 games. The Brewers have only two errors over their last 16 games.
New York: LF Jason Bay was a late scratch when he became violently ill about an hour before the first pitch. The Mets activated Bay before Wednesday's game but did not play him, citing his sinus infection and the rigors of a long travel day. ... SS Omar Quintanilla bruised his left index finger diving for a ball Wednesday but managed to start Thursday and reach base three times. Quintanilla has been starting at shortstop only because of injuries to Ruben Tejada, Ronny Cedeno and Justin Turner. Quintanilla is scheduled for an X-ray today.
Philadelphia: 2B Freddy Galvis (lower back) was placed on the disabled list, but his replacement, 2B Mike Fontenot, has hit safely in each of his six starts this season. Fontenot went 3-for-4 with an RBI on Thursday and is hitting .450 with two walks, two RBI and two runs scored in his starts since joining the Phillies. ... IF Michael Martinez was recalled from Class AAA Lehigh Valley (Allentown, Pa.) to take Galvis' roster spot. Martinez was at Lehigh Valley for only two games. He missed the first two months of the season after breaking a bone in his right foot during a spring training game on March 20.
Pittsburgh: 3B Pedro Alvarez was back in the lineup after being given four days off to work on his approach after yet another long drought. His pinch-hit single Wednesday snapped an 0-for-18 streak. The difference now is that he'll be batting fifth after a month-plus at cleanup. ... RF Jose Tabata also was back in the lineup after two games off. Although Tabata has talked about being slowed by a sore hamstring, manager Clint Hurdle said Tabata isn't hurt and there's no reason for him to go on the disabled list.
St. Louis: LHP Jaime Garcia (shoulder) was placed on the disabled list, and RH reliever Fernando Salas was recalled from Class AAA Memphis. Salas, who led the Cardinals with 24 saves last year, had appeared in four games in relief at Memphis after being sent out with a 6.32 ERA for 18 games with the Cardinals. ... Rookie 1B Matt Adams had five multi-hit games in his first nine starts, went hitless in his next four starts plus two pinch-hitting appearances, then hit a 440-foot homer Tuesday. He subsequently fanned three times Wednesday and committed a throwing error.
San Diego: LHP Eric Stults (shoulder) was placed on the disabled list to make room on the roster for RHP Jason Marquis, who was activated to start Thursday's game. SS Jason Bartlett was transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day DL to create a 40-man roster spot. ... RHP Andrew Cashner, who has been used exclusively as a reliever this year, is scheduled to start Saturday in place of Stults. Cashner, who has been plagued by walks (16 in 26 innings), said he is excited about the start, which will be his first since last April, when he was a No. 5 starter for the Cubs.
San Francisco: SS Brandon Crawford, whose defensive miscues early in the season raised questions about whether he could play every day, has made several outstanding plays the last two days. "Like some shortstops, he thrives on those plays. He likes making them," manager Bruce Bochy said. ... 2B Freddy Sanchez, still trying to come back from a severe shoulder injury he sustained a year ago and more recently bothered by a bad back, threw from 105 feet and hit off a tee.
Washington: RH closer Brad Lidge (hernia surgery) was activated from the disabled list, and RH reliever Henry Rodriguez was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right index finger, retroactive to June 6. Lidge, who missed 38 games rehabbing from hernia surgery, had a 5.14 ERA in seven appearances for the Nationals prior to the injury. ... 1B-OF Tyler Moore was called up from Class AAA Syracuse, and C Carlos Maldonado was placed on the disabled list, retroactive to May 30, because of a lower back strain.
