Cincy Sporting News » Florida

Bartlett, Rays defeat Indians 6-5 in 10

admin — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:16:51 +0000

Associated Press

Jayson Nix #12 of the Cleveland Indians turns a double play as Matt Joyce #20 of the Tampa Bay Rays attempts to break it up at Tropicana Field

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays ended the first half of the season on a roll.

Jason Bartlett hit a game-ending single over a drawn-in outfield in the 10th inning, giving the Rays a 6-5 win over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday.

“It’s a nice way to walk off into the All-Star break,” Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said.

Ben Zobrist opened the 10th with a single off Kerry Wood (1-4) and later was forced out at second on Carl Crawford’s grounder. After Crawford stole second, Evan Longoria was intentionally walked. Bartlett then won it with a long single to right center on an 1-2 pitch.

“He’s a strikeout pitcher, so I was just trying to battle, put the bat on the ball,” Bartlett said.

Crawford homered for the Rays, who are 9-2 in July after going 11-14 during June. Andy Sonnanstine (2-0) pitched a perfect 10th.

Cleveland got two RBIs from Austin Kearns. The Indians, who walked 10 batters Sunday, lost three of four in the series and are 17-32 on the road this season.

“We battled really hard against this good ballclub,” Indians manager Manny Acta said. “You can’t be expecting to walk 10 people and stay in the game. You have to work some magic just to not get buried.”

Tampa Bay’s Jeff Niemann left after five innings with back stiffness, but expects to make his next scheduled start Saturday at the New York Yankees. The right-hander, who threw just 70 pitches, gave up three runs and six hits.

“A little bit of tightness,” Niemann said. “It really wasn’t anything big and it shouldn’t affect the second half.”

The Rays loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth against Hector Ambriz, but failed to score when B.J. Upton flew out to short center, Reid Brignac struck out and Sean Rodriguez hit a grounder.

“A lot of good things took place,” Cleveland starter Justin Masterson said. “Hector Ambriz is out there getting out of that jam. That’s pretty cool. We came close.”

Masterson allowed five runs and eight hits in five innings.

Crawford hit a two-run homer off Masterson and Upton had a sacrifice fly to put the Rays ahead 5-3 in the fifth. Crawford hit a pair of two-run shots in Thursday’s 5-2 win over the Indians.

Cleveland tied it at 5 during the sixth when Trevor Crowe had a run-scoring single and another run scored when Anderson Hernandez hit into a double play.

Kearns drove in two runs with a single and Matt LaPorta hit an RBI double as the Indians went up 3-0 in the first.

The Rays got one run back in the bottom of the first when Crawford scored from third on a botched rundown after Carlos Pena hit a grounder back to Masterson, who then threw the ball to third base. Andy Marte chased Crawford toward the plate before being charged with an error for a bad throw to catcher Chris Gimenez.

“Actually, I think had that ball not been caught by Masterson, it would have been a routine double play up the middle,” Maddon said. “He makes a wonderful play and we get a run out of it, so I guess it was meant to be.”

Brignac’s RBI single got the Rays to 3-2 in the fourth.

Game notes

Crawford said his left shoulder is sore and was the DH for the second consecutive game. … Acta said OF Shin-Soo Choo, who has been on the disabled list since July 3 with a sprained right thumb, could return by the end of the month. … Indians DH Travis Hafner (left upper back stiffness) underwent treatment and was available in an emergency situation. … Cleveland LHP Aaron Laffey said he is fine although his velocity was down in Saturday’s start. Acta plans to monitor the matter.

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Crawford, Rays beat Indians 5-2

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:13:47 +0000

Associated Press

Tampa Bay Rays' Carl Crawford, right, high-fives teammate Ben Zobrist after Crawfrod hit a two-run, third-inning home run off Cleveland Indians pitcher Jake Westbrook during a baseball game Thursday, July 8, 2010, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Crawford also hit a two-run home run in the first inning.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Indians were nearing yet another defeat when Cleveland found out it lost its NBA superstar.

Carl Crawford hit a pair of two-run homers, Wade Davis stopped his six-game winless streak and the surging Tampa Bay Rays beat Cleveland 5-2 on Thursday night.

The game was in the top of the eighth when LeBron James announced he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat as a free agent. While there was no noticeable reaction in the Indians’ dugout, pitchers in the bullpen were getting updates from fans via BlackBerry.

“I’m sure Cleveland is not very happy about it … a hometown guy leaving,” Indians reliever Chris Perez said. “I’m sure it was a very hard decision. He grew up around there. He left money on the table, so obviously it’s not all about the money. It’s about winning.”

Tampa Bay went ahead 2-1 on Crawford’s two-run shot in the first inning off Jake Westbrook. His second two-run drive and Carlos Pena’s solo homer made it 5-2 in the third.

“He is a rare combination of speed and power. … It doesn’t surprise me at all,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said about Crawford. “I watch him in BP every day. I know what he’s capable of doing.”

Davis (6-9) gave up two runs and four hits in seven innings.

“Pitching set the tone as usual,” Cleveland manager Manny Acta said. “Davis threw the ball very well. Jake made a couple mistakes on Crawford.”

Davis had gone 0-5 in six starts since beating the Chicago White Sox on May 29.

“It’s been a while,” Davis said. “That was awesome, getting that out of the way, especially before the All-Star break.”

Tampa Bay has won six in a row and is 7-1 in July. The Rays were 11-14 during June.

“Happy with the win. Happy that the team is winning again,” Crawford said. “It’s been a good week for us.”

Michael Brantley hit his first major league homer for the Indians, who have lost 23 of their last 35 road games. Westbrook (5-5) allowed five runs and eight hits over six innings.

Dan Wheeler pitched 1 2/3 innings for his first save.

It was Crawford’s fifth career multihomer game and first since June 25, 2008, at Florida. Pena has 23 career homers against Cleveland, his most against any opponent.

Brantley put the Indians ahead on a first-inning leadoff homer. Andy Marte tied it at 2 in the second with his first homer since April 22.

It was the first time Westbrook pitched against Tampa Bay since Aug. 18, 2007. The right-hander, who had gone 5-0 in his six previous outings against the Rays, watched James’ announcement on a clubhouse television.

“Because I didn’t pitch very well I got in early to see him,” Westbrook said. “Guys leave in free agency all the time. It’s the nature of sports. He made that decision and I guess he feels like it’s best for him and his family.”

Game notes

Indians first baseman Matt LaPorta (head bruise and sore neck) could return to the lineup Friday or Saturday. He was accidentally elbowed in the head by Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus on Monday. … The Rays anticipate right-hander Matt Garza will start on Saturday. Garza made his first relief appearance in three years and recorded his first career save by getting two outs to close Wednesday’s 6-4 win over the Boston Red Sox. He was cast in that role because All-Star closer Rafael Soriano had worked the previous four days and Garza lasted just three innings in his start Monday. … Cleveland shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera (broken left forearm) could start a minor league rehab assignment next week.

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Rays beats Indians 6-2

admin — Wed, 19 May 2010 00:50:16 +0000

Associated Press

Rays' Jason Bartlett lines a sixth inning, RBI single off Cleveland Indians pitcher Hector Ambriz.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Baseball’s best record in hand, the Tampa Bay Rays are looking forward to their next challenge.

The AL East leaders begin a two-game series Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, where they’re likely to field plenty of questions about whether their franchise-best 28-11 start is for real.

New York entered play Tuesday with the second-best mark in the majors, and the defending World Series champions won two of three between the division rivals the opening week of the season at Tropicana Field.

“It’s going to be fun going up there, as it should be,” manager Joe Maddon said Tuesday, when Evan Longoria drove in three runs and David Price became the AL’s first six-game winner with a 6-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians.

“You want to be on the top. You want to play the best teams. You want to play in the best division. I think it’s great,” Maddon added. “Our guys will be ready for it. Our game’s a pretty good game right now. We haven’t hit to our potential yet, but we’ve been doing everything else.”

Longoria, who has 21 RBIs in his past 19 games, had a run-scoring double off David Huff (1-6) in the third and a two-run triple off Hector Ambriz that was the biggest blow in a four-run sixth.

Price (6-1) won his fourth straight decision, lowering his ERA to 1.81 and improving to 9-1 over his last 12 starts dating to last season.

The 24-year-old left-hander, the first pick in the 2007 draft, held the Indians to an unearned run and four hits before turning over a 5-1 lead to the bullpen.

“If you probably would have asked me at the beginning of the season, I’d have took it,” said Price, who’s 4-0 with a 1.03 ERA in his last five starts.

“I feel like there’s still room for improvement. I feel like I’ve left some stuff out there that I shouldn’t have,” he added. “That’s part of it. Our team is playing good right now. Let’s keep it going.”

Four relievers combined to limit the Indians to one run and two hits over the last three innings.

Cleveland shortstop Jason Donald went 2-for-3 with a walk and scored a run in his major league debut, filling in for the injured Asdrubal Cabrera. Shin-Soo Choo and Matt LaPorta had the other hits off Price, who walked three and struck out five.

“We found out what everybody else has found out, these guys have a very good pitching staff,” Indians manager Manny Acta said. “They’re the team to beat, obviously, in that division. When you have that type of pitching, you’ll win a lot of ballgames.”

The Indians put men on base in each of the first six innings. But they went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position against Price, with Choo driving home Donald from third base by grounding out in the fifth.

Travis Hafner’s RBI double off Grant Balfour trimmed Cleveland’s deficit to 5-2 in the eighth.

The Rays struggled with runners in scoring position, too, going 1-for-7 in key situations before breaking through against Huff and Ambriz in the sixth. Pinch-hitter Reid Brignac snapped a 1-all tie with an RBI grounder, and Jason Bartlett added a run-scoring single before Longoria’s triple put Tampa Bay up by four runs.

Now it’s on to New York. The Rays’ start is the best in the majors through 39 games since Boston was 28-11 in 2002.

Maddon smiled when ask about the questions his team may hear in New York.

“28-11′s a pretty good start. They can ask all the questions they like. I don’t think we have to answer any,” the manager said.

“I just want us to play the same kind of game we’ve been playing to this point. … I don’t like to say, ‘We’re playing the Yankees, you’ve got to play a better game.’ I’m really not into that stuff. Regardless of who we’re playing, and regardlesss of the date, I want the same kind of effort and intensity. That’s what we’ve been getting,” he said.

Game notes

Price improved to 11-3 at Tropicana Field. He’s 5-5 on the road. … The Rays went 4-1 on their five-game homestand. Cleveland was 4-4 with series wins over the Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles on an eight-game road trip. … Indians center fielder Grady Sizemore was not in the lineup for the second straight day because of a bruised left knee. He’s scheduled for an MRI exam on Wednesday. … Acta said it’s likely Cabrera will need surgery on his broken left forearm. Cabrera, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list, was injured Monday when he collided with third baseman Jhonny Peralta while diving for a ground ball. … Rays left-hander J.P. Howell, who hasn’t pitched this season because of a left shoulder strain, will be examined by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala. The reliever shut down a simulated game due to discomfort in the shoulder on Monday.

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Rays put away Indians in 11th

admin — Tue, 18 May 2010 10:31:15 +0000

Associated Press

Tampa Bay Rays' John Jaso scores past Cleveland Indians catcher Mike Redmond on an 11th-inning suicide squeeze by Jason Bartlett.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — John Jaso and the Tampa Bay Rays may have gotten a break on an 11th inning call. Baseball’s top team took advantage of it en route to another victory.

Jason Bartlett laid down a sacrifice bunt to drive in the winning run in the 11th as the Rays beat the Cleveland Indians 4-3 on Monday night.

Jaso hit a one-out infield single against Jamey Wright (1-2) and went to third on Gabe Kapler’s hit-and-run single to right.

“I was hustling down to first base and seeing if something good would come out of it,” said Jaso, who was called safe on a close play. “Luckily it paid off.”

Indians manager Manny Acta left the dugout to argue with first base umpire Jerry Layne about Jaso’s hit.

“He had the runner beating the throw, which I was thought was absurd,” Acta said. “I hate to see the human element being taken out of the game, but I see why so many people ask about instant replay about everything. We played so hard and that guy had no business being on base.”

Bartlett placed the bunt on the first base side of the mound that Wright fielded and was forced to make a desperation toss from his glove hand toward the plate that went over catcher Mike Redmond’s head.

“A tough loss for our team, a tough loss for me,” Wright said.

Andy Sonnanstine (1-0), the sixth Tampa Bay reliever, struck out two during a perfect 11th, helping the Rays improve to a major league-best 27-11 this season.

Trevor Crowe, filling in for injured center fielder Grady Sizemore, put the Indians up 3-2 with an RBI single during the sixth. The Rays pulled even at 3 on Hank Blalock’s two-out, run-scoring single off reliever Chris Perez in the eighth.

Crowe just missed making a diving catch on Blalock’s game-tying hit.

“When I was in the air I felt it go in clean and I never felt it pop out,” Crowe said. “When I went to look, the ball was rolling on the side.”

Tampa Bay took a 2-0 lead in the first when Carl Crawford had an RBI triple and later scored on Evan Longoria’s single. Longoria has driven in 18 runs in his last 18 games.

Jhonny Peralta pulled the Indians within 2-1 on second-inning run-scoring single. Luis Valbuena tied it at 2 with an RBI single in the fourth.

Fausto Carmona allowed two runs and five hits over 6 2/3 innings for the Indians. The right-hander allowed just one baserunner — a fourth-inning walk to B.J. Upton — from the second through the sixth.

Tampa Bay’s Jeff Niemann gave up three runs and 10 hits in six-plus innings.

“I was lucky I had the team pick me up,” Niemann said.

Cleveland loaded the bases with two outs in the third, but failed to score when Russell Branyan popped out. The Indians also hit into double plays during the fourth and the fifth.

Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera left in the first with a broken left forearm. The infielder was hurt when he dove for Blalock’s grounder up the middle and Peralta, who also was attempting to make a play, tumbled into him.

Trainers placed a protective wrap on Cabrera’s forearm. Cabrera will go on the disabled list and will be re-examined Wednesday.

Cabrera was on the first base side of second, while third baseman Peralta was positioned at short as part of a defensive shift.

Game notes

Sizemore, who bruised his left knee Sunday, was available off the bench. “Grady’s doing a lot better,” Acta said. … Tampa Bay LHP J.P. Howell (strained left shoulder) shut down his simulated game after 12 pitches due to shoulder discomfort. “It’s a setback, no question,” manager Joe Maddon said. Howell will be re-evaluated by the team medical staff. … Rays RHP Joaquin Benoit struck out all five batters he faced.

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Sizemore not in lineup

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 21:26:18 +0000

Associated Press

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)—Cleveland Indians center fielder Grady Sizemore was out of the starting lineup for Monday night’s game against Tampa Bay, one day after he bruised his left knee.

Cleveland Indians Grady Sizemore

Trevor Crowe replaced Sizemore, who had started in 31 of the Indians’ first 35 games this season.

Sizemore has struggled offensively this year, hitting .211 with no homers and 13 RBIs in 33 games.

Crowe was recalled from Triple-A Columbus on Saturday when infielder Andy Marte was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a non-baseball medical issue.

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Cleveland (15-20) at Tampa Bay (26-11) Preview

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 17:13:32 +0000

STATS LLC

Starting Pitchers Cleveland: Carmona (4-1, 3.43 ERA) Tampa Bay: Niemann (3-0, 2.27 ERA) 7:10 PM ET, May 17, 2010 Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida

ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. —Since his first start of the season was cut short, Jeff Niemann has logged plenty of innings for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Niemann looks for another quality outing when the Rays open a two-game home series against the resurgent Cleveland Indians on Monday night.

Niemann (3-0, 2.27 ERA) lasted just 1 1/3 innings after being hit on the right shoulder by a line drive May 8 in his 2010 debut, but has pitched at least seven innings in five of his six starts since.

“That’s been hammered into our heads since spring training, that the starters go deep into the game,” Niemann said after surrendering two runs over 7 1/3 innings of a 7-2 win over Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Opponents are batting .203 and are 0 for 12 with two outs and runners in scoring position against the right-hander.

Despite leading the AL East, the Rays (26-11) may need Niemann to turn in another dominant outing with the way they have struggled to score runs.

Tampa Bay hit .193 and scored eight times against visiting Seattle over the weekend, but took two of three with consecutive comeback wins. After scoring three unanswered runs in the final two innings of a 3-2 victory Saturday, the Rays scored in the seventh and eighth for a 2-1 win Sunday.

“We’re coming through when we need to,” said left fielder Carl Crawford, who led off the eighth with a triple and scored the winning run on Gabe Kapler’s sacrifice fly in the finale. “We’ll take that, but we’re definitely going to have to help (the starters) out at some point.”

While the Rays are trying to get their offense in gear, the Indians (15-20) are showing some pop at the plate. Matt LaPorta and Russell Branyan hit two-run homers and the Indians won 5-1 at Baltimore on Sunday.

Cleveland has taken back-to-back series for the first time since August.

“We definitely need to win some series, and this is a step in the right direction,” manager Manny Acta said.

Cleveland has scored 5.3 runs per game in winning five of seven. The Indians will try to give that kind of support to Fausto Carmona (4-1, 3.43), who is looking to match his win total from last season.

The right-hander improved to 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA on the road Wednesday, giving up five hits in five innings of a 4-0 win over Kansas City. Carmona stranded seven runners through four innings, and opponents are batting .196 against him with men in scoring position.

“You’ve got to give credit to Fausto,” Acta told the Indians’ official website. “He had good life on his fastball, and he kept it in on those guys and was able to get popups.”

Carmona is 2-1 with a 7.56 ERA in four starts against the Rays.

Tampa Bay has won three straight and five of six at home against Cleveland.

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Marlins beat Reds 10-2

admin — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 03:39:33 +0000

Associated Press

Florida Marlins' Jorge Cantu prepares to bat during the third inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds.

MIAMI — Jorge Cantu saw the pitch bounce in the dirt, giving Hanley Ramirez plenty of time to move up to second base and into scoring position.

He instantly felt relaxed.

One pitch later, Cantu extended his major league season-opening record to 10 games with a hit and an RBI by lofting a double to right-center, and the Florida Marlins went on to salvage a four-game series split by beating the Cincinnati Reds 10-2 Thursday night.

“Hopefully I can continue to ride this, see where it takes me,” Cantu said. “I don’t know when it’s going to come to an end. But right now, I’m happy.”

So were a slew of other people in the Florida clubhouse.

Josh Johnson struck out 10 in six innings of easy work, Cody Ross was 3 for 5 with two doubles and three RBIs, and Cameron Maybin — who typically wears No. 24 in part to honor Jackie Robinson — hit his first homer of the season and the sixth of his career for Florida.

All players and coaches wore jerseys with No. 42 on the back Thursday, part of baseball’s annual tribute to Robinson.

“It’s nice, it’s really nice just to play well,” Maybin said. “But to get a win and a split was even bigger.”

Chris Dickinson and Jonny Gomes each had two hits and scored a run for Cincinnati. The Reds struck out 14 times, and starter Aaron Harang (0-2) allowed eight runs and 10 hits in four-plus innings.

“I thought I made some good pitches and they hit them,” Harang said.

So far, Cincinnati‘s starters are 0-3 with a 5.43 ERA.

“Somebody’s got to find a horseshoe around here,” Harang said. “We’ve been fighting every night. You can’t overlook that.”

Johnson (1-1) allowed five hits in six innings and missed tying a career high by one strikeout.

Harang got into big trouble in the fifth, thanks in part to a wild pitch.

Ramirez led off with a single and the Reds were determined to keep him on first, throwing over and then calling a pitchout on the second offering to Cantu. On a 2-2 count, Harang’s fastball was in the dirt, squirting away from catcher Ramon Hernandez and allowing Ramirez to get to second.

Cantu made the mistake a costly one.

“You’ve got to pull out a fire hose to cool him off right now,” Harang said. “It’s unbelievable.”

Ramirez scored easily and another meager Florida crowd — announced at 12,912, clearly about one-fifth that many — stood and cheered Cantu, who waved from second while umpire Jeff Kellogg threw the ball toward the Marlins’ dugout for safekeeping.

“He drives them in, but you need people on base for that to happen,” Florida manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “That’s not easy. So the guys in front of him are getting on base and we’re running the bases well. It’s an RBI thing because he’s getting the RBI, but there’s the team out there getting bases.”

Harang allowed eight runs and 10 hits in four-plus innings, his ERA soaring from 4.50 to 7.88.

Before Cantu’s run to open 2010, the previous major league record for having at least one hit and one RBI in every game to start the season had been eight, set back in 1921 by George Kelly of the New York Giants, a year after RBIs became an official statistic.

Cantu tied the Marlins’ single-season record for consecutive games with a hit and an RBI, set last season by Ramirez. Including last season, Cantu has 14 consecutive games with a hit and an RBI, the longest string since Mike Piazza went 15 straight from June 14-July 2, 2000.

He had a chance earlier in Thursday’s game to extend the streak, coming up with one out and runners on first and second in the third inning. Harang was super-cautious on that trip, going outside with three straight fastballs, catching the corner with another for strike one, then walking Cantu on a pitch low and away.

There was a smattering of boos from the small crowd then, all forgotten when Cantu got the hit two innings later.

“It’s fun to watch,” Johnson said.

Ross followed with a two-run double, John Baker added an RBI single to make it 8-1, and Ross knocked in Cantu again with another double in the sixth.

Game notes

Uggla already has two games this season with three hits or more. It took him until July 9 last season to have two of those. … Harang had allowed only nine hits in his first two starts this season. … Two-time Olympic beach volleyball gold medalist Misty May-Treanor threw out one of the ceremonial first pitches. May-Treanor, the wife of former Marlins catcher Matt Treanor and still a South Florida resident, returns to the AVP Tour when its season opens this weekend in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Cantu extends hit and RBI streak to lead Marlins

admin — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 04:04:41 +0000

Associated Press

Florida Marlins' Jorge Cantu bats during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Wednesday, April 14, 2010, in Miami. Cantu hit a home run in the fifth inning, making him the first player in major league history to have at least one hit and one RBI in each of his team's first nine games, and the Marlins defeated the Reds 5-3.

MIAMI — A hit and an RBI. Jorge Cantu has gotten at least one of each in every game of this young season to put together a unique streak.

Cantu homered Wednesday night, making him the first player in major league history to have at least one hit and one RBI in each of his team’s first nine games, and the Florida Marlins beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-3.

Cantu’s mark dates to 1920, when RBIs became an official statistic. Including last season, Cantu has 13 consecutive games with a hit and an RBI, the longest string since Mike Piazza went 15 straight from June 14-July 2, 2000.

Cantu hit a solo home run in the fifth inning. He entered the game tied with George Kelly of the 1921 New York Giants with at least one hit and RBI in the opening eight games, based on research by the Elias Sports Bureau.

“It’s a great honor,” Cantu said. “I’m going to keep pushing myself and get hungrier for more.”

Cantu had hit into a double play and struck out in his two previous at-bats before coming up with nobody on and one out in the fifth. He drove Homer Bailey’s slider over the wall in left field.

“It’s like, wow, I accomplished something very big,” Cantu said. “It hit me when I was running the bases.”

Brett Carroll homered in his first game of the season for Florida. The Marlins activated him from the 15-day disabled list before the game after his left oblique strain healed. Carroll finished with three hits, including a double and a single, in four at-bats.

“It’s just one game, but it’s humbling,” Carroll said. “Yesterday I’m playing in a rehab game, not knowing what the next move is, and tonight I’m playing left field and exciting things are happening.”

Chris Volstad (1-1) pitched 6 2/3 innings, giving up five hits and three runs while striking out five. Burke Badenhop was successful in his first save opportunity of the season. Volstad threw 117 pitches.

“It didn’t feel like 117,” Volstad says. “Maybe because it wasn’t as hot and humid as it usually is. It felt good to get over that hump and get that pitch count up there.”

Bailey (0-1) allowed five runs on eight hits and four walks in 5 1/3 innings.

“I just couldn’t locate where I wanted to,” Bailey said. “Later (in the game) I started to feel a little better but I made a couple of mistakes and they cost me.”

John Baker singled home Carroll in the sixth for a 5-1 lead. The Reds drew closer in the seventh when Paul Janish hit a two-out, two-run homer off Volstad.

“It pulled us closer but in the end we didn’t get the result we wanted,” Janish said.

The Marlins took a 1-0 lead in the first when Cameron Maybin led off with a single and scored on Baker’s double. Florida added another run in the second when Volstad singled in Gaby Sanchez.

The Reds closed to 2-1 in the fourth when Jonny Gomes singled in Brandon Phillips, who walked to open the inning. It was the first hit given up by Volstad and it came on his 71st pitch.

Game notes

Marlins LF Chris Coghlan missed Wednesday’s game with sore ribs. Last year’s NL Rookie of the Year, he is struggling with a .132 average. He sustained the injury when he made a diving catch of a fly ball in Tuesday’s game. … Marlins RHP Jose Veras was designated for assignment on Wednesday. The Marlins recalled RHP Chris Leroux from Triple-A New Orleans. INF Emilio Bonifacio was optioned to New Orleans.

Cincinnati (5-3) at Florida (4-4) Preview

admin — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 20:50:27 +0000

STATS LLC

7:10 PM ET, April 14, 2010 Sun Life Stadium, Miami, Florida

MIAMI, FL — Another game, another hit, another RBI.

Florida Marlins third baseman Jorge Cantu has been on a roll at the plate. His team would like to follow suit.

With Cantu looking to accomplish something no other player has since the RBI became an official statistic in 1920, the Marlins will try to snap a two-game losing streak Wednesday when they host the Cincinnati Reds.

After grounding out and striking out in his first two at-bats in Tuesday’s 10-8, 11-inning loss, Cantu had an RBI single off Reds right-hander Bronson Arroyo during the Marlins’ four-run fifth. The hit made Cantu the first player since George Kelly of the 1921 New York Giants to have at least one hit and one RBI in the first eight games of the season.

“Wow,” said Cantu, who is batting .303 with two homers and 13 RBIs. “I didn’t know that. Wow. I’m speechless. What a great accomplishment.”

Dating back to last season, the 28-year-old has a hit and an RBI in his last 12 games. His streak to open 2010 is the longest overall in the NL since Mike Piazza’s 15-game stretch with the New York Mets from June 14-July 2, 2000.

While Cantu is on the verge of history, the Marlins (4-4) are looking to get back on track after dropping two straight in extra innings to the Reds (5-3).

“I don’t know about the team, but I have a couple of headaches,” said Florida manager Fredi Gonzalez, whose team lost 6-5 in 10 innings Monday.

Right-hander Homer Bailey (0-0, 5.40 ERA) will try to give the Marlins’ skipper another one Wednesday when he gets the ball for Cincinnati, which is trying to win for the sixth time in seven games as this four-game series continues.

Bailey, though, struggled in Friday’s 5-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs. The 23-year-old gave up three runs and seven hits over five innings and also had two walks, two hit batters and a balk.

“No matter what was going on, there were times I felt like I couldn’t buy an out,” Bailey told the Reds’ official Web site after his 106-pitch outing.

In his only career start against Florida, Bailey matched a career high with eight strikeouts in a 4-3 home loss Sept. 18.

The Marlins counter with Chris Volstad (0-1, 2.84), who will try to slow down a Reds team that’s won all five of its games in its final at-bat.

“We’re the type of team that’s not going to give up,” said second baseman Brandon Phillips, who went 4 for 6 on Tuesday and followed Joey Votto’s go-ahead RBI single in the 11th with another run-scoring single.

Volstad will try to prevent Cincinnati from winning its second straight series. The 6-foot-8 right-hander, who allowed a team-high 29 home runs last season, held the Los Angeles Dodgers scoreless before allowing three seventh-inning runs in a 7-3 loss. Volstad went 6 1/3 innings, striking out two while giving up five hits.

In his only career start against Cincinnati, Volstad was tagged for four runs and seven hits in a 7-0 home loss May 5.

Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez had a season-high three hits Tuesday to improve his batting average to .387. He is hitting .438 with six homers and 15 RBIs in 15 career home games versus the Reds.

Votto went 3 for 5 on Tuesday and is batting .500 during a five-game hitting streak at Sun Life Stadium.

Reds beat Marlins 10-8 in 11

admin — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:44:48 +0000

Associated Press

Cincinnati Reds' Joey Votto watches his ball after hitting during the 11th inning of a baseball game against the Florida Marlins, Tuesday, April 13, 2010 in Miami. Votto drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out single as the Reds defeated the Marlins 10-8 in 11 innings.

MIAMI — Dusty Baker was in mid-sentence, discussing the Cincinnati Reds‘ second successive extra-inning victory, when he lost his train of thought and stammered to a halt.

“I can’t even think,” he said with a chuckle. “I’m so tired.”

So far the Reds’ season has been exhausting but exhilarating, with all five wins coming in their final at-bat. Joey Votto drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out single in the 11th inning Tuesday, and Cincinnati outlasted the Florida Marlins, 10-8.

The Reds won despite blowing a 6-1 lead. They beat the Marlins 6-5 in 10 innings in the series opener Monday.

“Winning games like this late hasn’t happened for us a whole lot since I’ve been on this team, man, so it’s definitely refreshing,” said pitcher Bronson Arroyo, who joined the Reds in 2006. “You look back five months from now, and those are huge wins that can really change the standings for us.”

As for the Marlins: “I don’t know about the team, but I have a couple of headaches,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said.

Jonny Gomes and Ryan Hanigan hit three-run homers to aid the Reds’ latest victory. Brandon Phillips had four hits, including a single to drive in an insurance run in the 11th.

Hanigan singled to start the inning against Dan Meyer (0-1). He advanced on a sacrifice and Drew Stubbs walked. After left fielder Chris Coghlan robbed Orlando Cabrera with a lunging catch on the warning track, Votto’s soft liner on a 2-2 pitch just eluded a leaping Hanley Ramirez at shortstop.

The ball ticked off Ramirez’s glove. That’s how close the series has been.

“I just tried to put the ball in play,” Votto said. “I broke my bats. That’s the way the game works sometimes.”

Jorge Cantu of Florida singled home a run and became the first player since 1921 to have at least one hit and one RBI in the first eight games of a season.

“Wow,” Cantu said. “I didn’t know that. Wow. I’m speechless. What a great accomplishment.”

Cantu also mishandled a grounder at third base for an error that led to three unearned runs in the fourth inning. They scored when Hanigan hit his first homer of the year with two out.

“It just ate me. I misplayed it,” Cantu said.

The Marlins are last in the majors in fielding.

Micah Owings (2-0) struck out three in two scoreless innings. Francisco Cordero pitched a perfect 11th for his fourth save in four chances.

“Winning the close games, that’s big,” Owings said. “All the great teams, that’s what they do. We’re having a lot of fun right now.”

Gomes, who entered batting .125, hit his second homer of the season in the second inning and added an RBI single in the eighth. Phillips, who began the night batting .185, went 4 for 6 with two RBIs and scored twice. Votto had three of the Reds’ 13 hits.

Florida trailed 8-5 when Ramirez led off the eighth with a single. Ronny Paulino walked with two out, and Cody Ross followed with his first homer of the year. Daniel Ray Herrera struck out Cameron Maybin with the bases loaded to end the inning.

The Marlins’ Nate Robertson gave up six runs, three earned, in five innings. He allowed two home runs, and the Reds’ Jay Bruce lost a homer in the second inning on a replay review.

Arroyo allowed five runs in six innings.

Announced attendance was 10,681, but the actual crowd was about 2,500. Even so, there were plenty of cheers when Cantu extended his streak in the fifth inning.

The Marlins said that since the RBI became an official statistic in 1920, the only other player with such a streak was George Kelly of the New York Giants in 1921, based on research by the Elias Sports Bureau.

Including the end of last season, Cantu has both a hit and an RBI in 12 consecutive games, the longest such streak in the NL since Mike Piazza had a 15-game streak in 2000.

Gomes’ home run came after Phillips doubled and Scott Rolen walked. Bruce followed with a drive down the right-field line and was ruled a homer by first base umpire Larry Vanover, but a replay review determined the ball went foul.

Game notes

Coghlan went 0 for 5 and is in a 1-for-23 slump. … RHP Homer Bailey, scheduled to start Wednesday for the Reds, matched a career high with eight strikeouts in his only previous start against Florida. … Robertson came up with the second pickoff of his career when he got Votto in the first inning.