Baseball – Page 43 – North Platte Post Archive

Culberson, De La Rosa Help Rockies Beat Reds 7-3

Posted on August 14, 2014

DENVER (AP) — Charlie Culberson hit his first homer in more than a month — a three-run shot in the fifth — and Jorge De La Rosa pitched seven effective innings to lift the Colorado Rockies over the Cincinnati Reds 7-3 on Thursday night.

De La Rosa (12-8) allowed three runs and five hits. He improved to 8-2 at Coors Field this season.

Reds All-Star Alfredo Simon (12-8) is winless in six starts since the break. He allowed seven runs — five earned — and a season-high 10 hits in five innings.

Culberson broke the game open by lacing a 95 mph fastball from Simon into the left-field bleachers. It was his first homer since June 29.

The shortstop also showed some nifty moves in the field by sidestepping a piece of Todd Frazier’s shattered bat to field the ball and throw out Frazier by a few steps.

Carlos Gonzalez May be Shut Down for Season

Posted on August 14, 2014

DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Rockies may shut down injury-riddled outfielder Carlos Gonzalez for the rest of the season.

Gonzalez is on the disabled list with left knee tendinitis and a sprained right ankle. He was out earlier this season after doctors found and removed a small tumor in his left index finger.

Colorado manager Walt Weiss said before the game Thursday that Gonzalez will meet with the trainer and doctors to decide the best course of action. Weiss said that “it’s gotten to the point you have to do something.”

Gonzalez said he might try platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment. Asked if he will be back this season, he simply said, “hopefully.”

The last-place Rockies are already missing All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who will undergo season-ending hip surgery Friday in Vail, Colorado.

AP Source: Manfred Elected Next MLB Commissioner

Posted on August 14, 2014

BALTIMORE (AP) — Rob Manfred has been elected baseball’s 10th commissioner and will succeed Bud Selig in January.

A labor lawyer who has worked for Major League Baseball since 1998, Manfred beat out Boston Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner on Thursday in the first contested vote for a new commissioner in 46 years.

The 55-year-old, who grew up in Rome, New York, must address issues that include decreased youth interest and the longer games. He has served as MLB’s chief operating officer for the past year.

Selig turned 80 last month and has ruled baseball since September 1992, when he was among the owners who forced Commissioner Fay Vincent’s resignation. He said he intends to retire in January.

Surging Royals Rally past A’s for 7-3 Win

Posted on August 14, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nori Aoki and Billy Butler each drove in two runs in a five-run seventh and the surging Kansas City Royals rallied to defeat the Oakland Athletics 7-3 Thursday.

The Royals have won 18 of 22 to move 12 games above .500 for the first time since July 20, 2003.

The Royals took the season series, winning five of seven against the Athletics, who have the best record in the majors.

Aoki’s two-run triple put the Royals ahead 5-3. Butler’s single scored Aoki and Alcides Escobar. Jarrod Dyson fouled off four consecutive pitches before hitting an RBI single to right for the first run of the inning.

Right-hander Jeff Samardzija (3-2) took the loss, giving up four runs, three earned, and eight hits in 6 2-3 innings.

He left with a 3-2 lead, but Ryan Cook failed to hold it, facing three batters and all scored. Cook’s streak of 21 consecutive scoreless innings ended.

Rockies: Tulowitzki to Have Season-Ending Surgery

Posted on August 13, 2014

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Colorado Rockies say All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki will have surgery on his left hip Friday in Vail, Colorado, and miss the rest of the season.

The team announced the news following their 5-3 loss to the Padres on Wednesday.

Tulowitzki, whose .340 batting average remains tops in the big leagues, was placed on the 15-day disabled list on July 22, three days after he was hurt running out a grounder at Pittsburgh.

While it was Tulowitzki’s first trip to the DL this season, he had taken days off to rest his chronically tight legs. The leg issues date to 2008 when he tore the left quadriceps tendon.

Vargas Tosses 3-Hitter as Royals Beat A’s 3-0

Posted on August 13, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jason Vargas tossed a three-hitter for his sixth career shutout, Omar Infante hit a two-run homer and the Kansas City Royals beat the Oakland Athletics 3-0 on Wednesday night.

Vargas (9-5) retired the final 23 batters he faced in only his third start since an emergency appendectomy. The left-hander also helped Kansas City bounce back from having an eight-game winning streak snapped and maintain a half-game lead over Detroit in the AL Central.

Salvador Perez drove in the Royals’ other run off Scott Kazmir (13-5), who lost to Kansas City for the second time in 10 days. He has won just once in 10 starts at Kauffman Stadium.

Liriano’s First Homer Helps Padres Beat Rockies

Posted on August 13, 2014

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Rymer Liriano’s first big league homer was a two-run shot in the fourth inning and Abraham Almonte also went deep to help the San Diego Padres beat the Colorado Rockies 5-3 Wednesday to tie their season-high with their fifth straight win.

Jedd Gyorko tied his career-high with four hits for the Padres, who are 16-8 since the All-Star break, including winning 11 of 14. The Padres swept a series for the third time this year, all at home.

The Rockies, who have the worst record in the majors at 18-44, struck out 13 times against Ian Kennedy and Joaqin Benoit, giving them 66 in their last six games.

Liriano was called up from Triple-A El Paso on Monday. His homer off left-hander Tyler Matzek (2-8) went an estimated 427 feet.

MLBPA to Launch ‘Strikeout Cancer’ Initiative

Posted on August 13, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball players will raise money for cancer-related charities by wearing T-shirts with a backward “K” on Sept. 2.

Each team will support a different charity as part of the ” initiative launched by St. Louis reliever Jason Motte, the Major League Baseball Players Association said Wednesday. Players will wear the shirts in clubhouses and batting cages. The backward “K” is baseball’s scoring symbol for a called third strike.

Additional shirts will be available for purchase at www.108stitches.com, and proceeds will be split between the Jason Motte Foundation and charities selected by each team’s player representative.

The union will contribute its licensing fee to Brain Tumor Center at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center in memory Michael Weiner, the former union head who died in November from a brain tumor.

MLB Owners Meet to Elect Next Commissioner

Posted on August 13, 2014

BALTIMORE (AP) — Major League Baseball owners have begun two days of meetings that could lead to the election of Commissioner Bud Selig’s successor.

MLB Chief Operating Officer Rob Manfred, Boston Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner and MLB Executive Vice President of Business Tim Brosnan were picked by the seven-man succession committee as candidates and were slated to make presentations Wednesday to the delegations from the 30 teams.

Selig has ruled baseball since September 1992, first as chairman of baseball’s executive council and since July 1998 as commissioner. He announced last fall that he plans to retire in January 2015.

Balloting is planned for Thursday and a three-quarters majority — 23 — is needed for election. Owners have estimated Manfred has the support of 20-21 teams headed into the meetings.

Despaigne’s Pitching Lifts Padres to 4-1 Win over Rockies

Posted on August 13, 2014

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Odrisamer Despaigne pitched five-hit ball for seven innings, leading the San Diego Padres to a 4-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night for their fourth straight win.

Despaigne (3-3) struck out eight and walked two for San Diego, which has won 10 of 13. Chris Nelson drove in two runs in the eighth inning for the Padres.

Alexi Amarista and Abraham Almonte also drove in runs. Yasmani Grandal had two of the Padres’ six hits.

Yohan Flande (0-5) went six innings and gave up four hits and two runs as Colorado lost for the fifth time in six games.