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Daily News and Notes
by Richard Van Zandt, BaseballEvolution.com



Notes through games of Thursday, August 10

Highly touted Phillies prospect Cole Hamels made his big league debut on Friday night and after having held opposing hitters to a

Milwaukee second baseman Rickie Weeks will undergo surgery to repair a tendon in his wrist and will miss the rest of the season.  Weeks injured himself on July 25 while swinging a bat in the dugout.  The Brew Crew’s leadoff hitter finishes the season with a .279 batting average, 19 stolen bases and 73 runs scored. In the field, Weeks committed 22 errors in 92 games, but just two after June 4.  He is expected to be fully recovered in time for spring training. 

 

The Longest Streak Pt I – The Mets on Thursday afternoon countered a 7th inning, game tying double by Josh Bard with four runs of their own against San Diego reliever Doug Brocail to beat the Padres 7-3.  That completed a 3-game sweep and extending their winning streak to 5 straight, the longest current streak in the majors.  Orlando Hernandez allowed 3 runs on just 4 hits over 7 innings to even his record at 8-8 and David Wright doubled home the go-ahead run to help raise the Amazin’s lead over the Phillies in the East to 14 games.  The last time the Mets woke up with a lead this large on August 11 was in 1986 – the year that they won their last World Series – when they had an 18 game advantage on the Montreal Expos in what was then a six-team NL East.  The Padres with the loss meanwhile, dropped a half a game behind the Dodgers in the West when L.A. overcame Takashi Saito’s first blown save of the year to beat the Rockies in a 4-3 walk-off on Thursday night. 

 

The Longest Streak Pt IIaRookie Tom Gorzelanny pitched well, allowing just 2 ER in 6 innings, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Pirates 5th straight loss as Roger Clemens allowed just 1 run on 4 hits in 6 innings to earn the 345th win of his major league career, leaving him 16 behind Kid Nichols for 7th all-time.  Gorzelanny was the 6th rookie starter Clemens has been matched up against in his 10 starts this year.   Brad Ausmus drove in the Astros’ first two runs and Morgan Ensberg sealed the win with a 7th inning, 3-run home run to help pull the Astros to within 2 ˝ games of Cincinnati in the Wild Card race. 

 

Clemens Trivia Question – Roger made his season debut against rookie Francisco Liriano on June 22.  Gorzelanny was the 6th rookie Clemens has been matched up against.  Can you name the other four rookies to pitch against the future HOFer this year?  (answer below)

 

Countdown to 3,000 – Craig Biggio was 1-for-4 for Houston in the win and is now 23 hits behind Al Simmons (2,927) for 33rd all-time and just 96 shy of the magic mark of 3,000 for his career. 

 

The Longest Streak Pt IIbThe Bucs’ losing skid is tied for the longest current streak in the majors with that of the Boston Red Sox, who were swept in Kansas City for the first time in 15 years, leaving them 3 games behind Yankees, who also lost on Thursday 5-4 to the White Sox.  Chicago’s win, keyed by another A-Rod throwing error, left the Red Sox 2 games back in the Wild Card race.  Curt Schilling, trying to become the majors’ first 15-game winner, was unable hold a two-run lead in the 8th, and instead watched the Royals score three times in the frame to win in their last at bat for the second night in a row and extend the Sox losing streak to five straight games.  Kansas City had 11 hits in the game, including 9 doubles and 1 HR, but it was Ryan Shealy’s 8th inning single – KC’s only one of the game – that was the game winner, bringing home Emil Brown with what would be the winning run.  Doug Mirabelli returned to the field and homered in the loss for the Sox and Wily Mo Pena hit his second moon shot home run in the series, this one measured at 429 feet.  His blast in the opening game of the series was listed at 451 feet.  David Wells gets the start on Friday, looking for his first win of the year, and 228th of his career.  He is one behind George Mullin for 64th all-time. 

 

The Longest Streak Pt III – Chasing DiMaggioIn the losing cause, Manny Ramirez’ first inning single extended his career best hitting streak to 25 straight games, the longest in the AL this year and tenth longest in Red Sox history.  Ramirez moved ahead of Nomar Garciaparra, who hit safely in 24 straight in 1998, and is now tied with George Metkovich (1944) and Wade Boggs (1987) on the club’s all-time list.  Dom DiMaggio holds the club record with 34 straight in 1949.  Ramirez was 2-for-4 in the loss and is now batting .402 (37-for-92) since the streak began.  The Sox return home on Friday to take on the Orioles who will send Adam Loewen (2-3, 5.72) to the mound.  Manny has never faced the rookie, but has hit .307 in his career against the Baltimore pitchers he has faced, including .348 (8-for-23) against reliever LaTroy Hawkins.  The pitcher he has faced most often and has had the most trouble against, Rodrigo Lopez (13-for-56, .232), is not scheduled to pitch in the series.  Against Kris Benson, however – Saturday’s starter for the O’s – Ramirez is 9-for-11 (.818) lifetime with 3 doubles.

 

Red Sox Hit Streak Trivia Question – Ramirez just passed Garciaparra’s 24-gamer and is now 1 behind Buck Freeman (1902), Johnny Pesky (1947) and Garciaparra (2003) for a tie for 7th in club history.  Nomar also tied Tris Speaker (1912) for the second longest hit streak in Red Sox history when he hit safely in 30 straight games in 1997.  Can you name the two Red Sox hitters other than Garciaparra who have had two hitting streaks of 25 games or longer?  (answer below)

 

Quick Hits

 

Aramis Ramirez is batting .336 (43-for-128) with 13 HR and 36 RBI over his last 34 games. 

 

Scott Hatteberg has continued his hot July hitting into August (12-for-32, .375) and is batting .397 (50-for-126) with 7 HR and 19 RBI in his last 36 games. 

 

Ichiro is batting just .157 (8-for-51) with just 3 doubles, 5 runs scored and 0 RBI in his last 12 games. 

 

Chris Duncan is batting .338 (27-for-80) with 7 HR and 14 RBI since July 14 (23 games). 

 

Shea Hillenbrand has 8 hits in his last 23 AB (.348) and has hit safely in 13 of 16 games as a Giant. 

 

Adrian Gonzalez has reached base safely in 30 straight games.

 

Split ‘em up!

 

Today DN&N gives you a look at how teams are doing against both right and left handed hitting as well as left and right handed pitching. 

 

Pitching

(Statistics through 8/9)

AL vs. LHB                                        NL vs. LHB

1. Detroit Tigers - .244              1t. New York Mets - .248

2. New York Yankees - .252               1t. San Diego Padres - .248

3. Chicago White Sox - .259                3. Chicago Cubs - .257

 

14. Cleveland Indians - .305                 16. Arizona Diamondbacks - .295

13. Minnesota Twins - .294                  15. Atlanta Braves - .292

12. Tampa Bay Devil Rays - .290         14. Washington Nationals - .289

 

AL vs. RHB                                       NL vs. RHB

1. Los Angeles Angels - .242                1. Chicago Cubs - .253

2. Detroit Tigers - .249             2. New York Mets - .257

3. Oakland A’s - .261                          3t. San Diego Padres - .259

                                                            3. San Francisco Giants - .259

 

14. Kansas City Royals - .307              16. Pittsburgh Pirates - .293

13. Tampa Bay Devil Rays - .283         15. Cincinnati Reds - .286

12. Baltimore Orioles - .280                 14. Philadelphia Phillies - .282

 

Hitting

(Statistics through 8/9)

AL vs. LHP                                        NL vs. LHP

1. Toronto Blue Jays - .304                  1. Los Angeles Dodgers - .302

2. Minnesota Twins - .294                    2. Pittsburgh Pirates - .282

3. Texas Rangers - .287                       3. Cincinnati Reds - .281         

 

14. Baltimore Orioles - .241                 16. Chicago Cubs - .240

13. Oakland A’s - .247                        15. Florida Marlins - .247

12. Seattle Mariners - .251                   14. San Francisco Giants - .252

 

AL vs. RHP                                        NL vs. RHP

1. Chicago White Sox - .293                1. Chicago Cubs - .278

2t. Baltimore Orioles - .289                  2t. Arizona Diamondbacks - .277

2t. Boston Red Sox - .289                    2t. Atlanta Braves - .277

 

14. Tampa Bay Devil Rays - .247         16. Houston Astros - .254

13. Oakland A’s - .250                        15. Washington Nationals - .256

12. Kansas City Royals - .265              14. Cincinnati Reds - .258

 

 

Clemens Trivia Answer – In addition to Francisco Liriano and Tom Gorzelanny, Roger Clemens this year has been opposed by rookies Carlos Marmol (7/3), Anthony Reyes (7/8), Anibal Sanchez (7/14) and Dustin Nippert (8/5). 

 

Red Sox Hit Streak Trivia Answer – If Manny Ramirez can extend his hitting streak on Friday night against rookie Adam Loewen, then he stands a good chance against Kris Benson on Saturday to tie club record holder Dom DiMaggio for 6th on the Red Sox career hit streak list.  DiMaggio hit safely in 34 straight to set the club record in 1949 and then 2 seasons later, did so in 27 straight.  At the time, it gave DiMaggio the third longest streak in club history.  He remained 3rd on the career list until 1985 when Wade Boggs hit safely in 28 straight, the first of his two career hitting streaks of 25 games or longer in a Red Sox uniform.  Johnny Damon is fourth on the all-time club list with his 29-gamer in 2005.

                                   

On Deck – The White Sox and Detroit meet again this weekend on the South Side in a huge series for the defending champs who enter the series in second place, 8 ˝ games behind the high flying Tigers.  Rookie Justin Verlander (14-4, 2.79) will take the ball for the Motown 9 on Friday night pitted against Jose Contreras (10-4, 3.75) in the evening’s marquee match up.  Verlander will be pitching on nine days rest after the Tigers opted to skip his last turn on Sunday.  He reported general arm fatigue after his start against Tampa Bay (5 IP, 3 ER) on August 1, but no injury. Verlander went 3-0 with a 1.01 ERA in July.  His 2.79 ERA is second only to Francisco Liriano’s 2.19 mark in the AL, and he will be attempting to become the majors’ first 15 game winner.  Contreras, meanwhile, has lost 4 of his last 5 decisions since winning a club record 17 straight, posting a 4.93 ERA during that span.  That 1-4 mark includes a tough 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Tigers in Detroit on July 20.  For the year, Contreras is 2-1 with a 2.05 ERA against the Tigers.  Verlander has faced the Wild Card leading White Sox twice this year and is 0-2 with an 11.41 ERA, including 7 ER in just 2 2/3 innings in his second start of the season. 

 

In The Hole – On Sunday, San Francisco ace Jason Schmidt (9-7, 3.15) will go for the struggling Giants against future HOFer Greg Maddux (10-11, 4.43) and the red hot Dodgers in the final game of a big weekend showdown between the two longtime rivals.  It’s a tale of two teams headed in different directions as the Giants have lost 13 of their last 16 games since taking over 1st place on July 22 to sink into last place, 4 ˝ games back in the West.   Meanwhile, since losing 13 of 14 after the all-star break, the Dodgers have been on fire, winning 12 of their last 13 to move out of last place and take a half game lead in the division over San Diego and Arizona.  Schmidt has a 2.40 ERA since April despite going 1-4 with a 4.97 ERA in July, while Maddux has a 1.50 ERA in his last three starts, including six no-hit innings in his Dodger debut on August 3.  He has won three straight decisions since losing 11 of 13 between May 3 and July 19.  Schmidt, in 3 starts against L.A. this year, is 0-2 with a 3.32 ERA.  Maddux, 24-14 lifetime against the Giants, has not faced San Francisco this season. 

 

DN&N On Vacation – I will be taking the next week off to celebrate my anniversary in style, but I’ll be back on the 22nd with more News and Notes from around the majors.  Until then, see you at the ballpark!




Questions or comments for Richard? Richard Van Zandt is a staff writer for Baseball Evolution who lives in San Francisco, California. You can reach him at richard@baseballevolution.com.


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