Home Forums Skybox Sports Bar Around the Horn Series Notes 5/9 to 5/11

PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS

May 9, 10:15 p.m. - Mark Redman (1-2) vs. Brett Tomko (2-4)

May 10, 10:15 p.m. - Dave Williams (2-3) vs. Brad Hennessey (1-0)

May 11, 3:35 p.m. - Oliver Perez (1-4) vs. Noah Lowry (1-3)

2005 SEASON SERIES: San Francisco leads, 3-0.

PITTSBURGH (13-17)

Pittsburgh will have lefthander Mark Redman on the hill in the opener. Redman is 0-2 over his last four starts, including a no-decision against Houston last Wednesday. The southpaw surrendered seven hits and three runs over six innings, while fanning three and walking two. Redman has allowed three or less runs in all of his six starts on the season.

Redman has not been successful against the Giants in his career, posting an 0-3 mark with a 7.56 ERA.

Pittsburgh has won five of its first seven on its road swing, including a 16-2 thumping of the Arizona Diamondbacks at Bank One Ballpark on Sunday. Matt Lawton hit a grand slam and finished 3-for-5 with five RBI and three runs scored, as Pittsburgh took three of four in the set.

Ty Wigginton homered and scored four times in the contest, while Daryle Ward added a three-run blast for the Pirates. Jason Bay, Humberto Cota and Ward tallied two hits apiece. Bay extended his hitting streak to seven games.

Prior to the contest, the Pirates placed outfielder Craig Wilson on the DL and called up Ray Sadler from Double-A Altoona. Sadler went 0-for-3 in the winning effort.

The Pirates have been a solid road team this season, going 10-8 in foreign ballparks. On the other hand, Pittsburgh is just 3-9 in its friendly confines.

SAN FRANCISCO (15-15)

Toeing the rubber for San Francisco in the opener will be veteran righthander Brett Tomko. The 32-year-old has lost four of his six starts this season, including a defeat to Arizona last Wednesday. Tomko was tagged for nine hits and four runs over six innings, while fanning three in the contest.

Tomko has tallied a 5-5 record with a 4.60 ERA in his lifetime against the Pirates.

San Francisco snapped a four-game losing streak on Sunday, registering a 4-3 win in 13 innings over the Washington Nationals. Omar Vizquel drove in the game-winning run with a double in the bottom of the 13th inning for the Giants. Vizquel, who has a 10-game hitting streak, ended 3-for-6 with three runs batted in.

Edgardo Alfonzo added two hits in the contest, notching his 10th multi-hit game of the year. The Giants are 3-0 in extra-inning games this season.

Jason Christiansen (2-0) tossed 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to pick up the win. San Francisco starter Kirk Rueter allowed three runs in seven frames.

The Giants, who are in the midst of a six-game homestand, are 9-8 in their friendly confines this season.

PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS

May 9, 8:35 p.m. - Tim Hudson (3-1) vs. Jamey Wright (1-2)

May 10, 8:35 p.m. - John Thomson (3-2) vs. Jason Jennings (1-3)

May 11, 3:05 p.m. - John Smoltz (3-3) vs. Joe Kennedy (1-4)

2004 SEASON SERIES: Atlanta won, 4-2


ATLANTA (20-11)

The Atlanta Braves try to follow-up Sunday's explosion in the series opener. Turner Field might as well have been the hitter-friendly Coors Field on Sunday, as the Braves pounded the Houston Astros, 16-0, to complete a four- game sweep. Rookie Ryan Langerhans belted a pair of two-run homers and drove in six runs to lead the effort as Atlanta put up five spots in both the third and seventh innings.

Andruw Jones added a three-run homer and Eddie Perez hit a two-run blast for the Braves, who have won five straight and 13 of their last 16 games. Atlanta outscored Houston 38-8 in the series for its first four-game sweep of the Astros since July 16-19, 1992. Pitcher Mike Hampton pitched a two-hit shutout and stroked a solo home run. Just three Astros reached base against Hampton (4-1), who faced the minimum until Orlando Palmeiro reached on an infield single in the ninth inning.

Tonight the Braves will go with righthander Tim Hudson, who bounced back from a rough outing last time out. After getting shelled for six runs on nine hits against the Cardinals on April 29, Hudson settled back in against Florida on Wednesday. The former Athletics star allowed two runs (1 earned) on five hits in 7 1/3 innings, striking out five and walking one during the 5-2 win. Hudson has been as-advertised this season after coming from Oakland in a winter trade. He currently ranks eighth in the majors with a 2.18 ERA.

Atlanta is 8-3 this season when Rafeal Furcal scores a run. Since 2000, his rookie season, the Braves are 250-87 when he touches the plate.


COLORADO (7-21)

In the series opener, the Rockies will counter with Jamey Wright, who got a no-decision last Tuesday in San Diego. Wright allowed on run on right hits in 6 1/3 innings, striking out nine and walking two. However, the Rockies lost, 2-1, as the Padres put up an eighth-inning run to break a 1-1 tie. Wright has been horrible at home this season, going 0-2 with a 13.94 ERA in two outings. Lifetime against the Braves he is 6-2 with a 5.95 ERA in 10 starts.

On Sunday, Aaron Miles belted a grand slam and Clint Barmes hit a three-run inside-the-park homer as Colorado snapped a 10-game losing streak with an 8-3 victory over Florida at Dolphins Stadium. Barmes finished 2-for-5 with two runs scored and Jeff Francis gave a strong performance on the mound for the Rockies, who also broke a nine-game slide on the road and won for just the second time in 17 outings away from home this year.

Barmes currently leads the majors in hitting with a .404 average.

A loss on Sunday would have given the Rockies the worst road trip in franchise history.

PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS

May 9, 9:40 p.m. - Livan Hernandez (4-2) vs. Brandon Webb (4-0)

May 10, 9:40 p.m. - Tony Armas (0-0) vs. Shawn Estes (2-3)

May 11, 6:10 p.m. - Tomo Ohka (2-3) vs. Javier Vazquez (4-2)

2005 SEASON SERIES: Washington leads, 3-0.

WASHINGTON (17-14)

Washington will have righthander Livan Hernandez on the mound looking for his 100th career win in the opener. Hernandez has won three consecutive starts, including an impressive effort against the Los Angeles Dodgers last Wednesday. The rubber-armed veteran went the distance against the Dodgers, allowing seven hits and two runs in the winning effort. Hernandez has registered 41 career complete games.

Hernandez has been pretty good against the Diamondbacks in his career, going 8-6 with a 3.66 ERA. The veteran defeated Washington on Apr. 14, allowing just three hits and three runs over 8 1/3 innings of a win.

Washington had a three-game win streak come to an end on Sunday, falling 4-3 in 11 innings to the San Francisco Giants at SBC Park. Jon Rauch (1-2) was handed the loss despite yielding just one run and two hits in three innings of relief.

Jamey Carroll set a career-high with four hits for the Nationals, who had a four-game winning streak halted and lost for just the third time in 10 games. Carroll finished 8-for-13 in the series.

Jose Guillen added a homer, while Nick Johnson and Gary Bennett posted two hits each. The Nationals finished the game with 11 hits, giving them 10 or more hits in six straight games.

Washington second baseman Jose Vidro did not play in Sunday's game due to a bad ankle. Vidro is out indefinitely, as he said he would decide by Friday whether or not to go on the disabled list.

With Vidro on the shelf, the Nationals outrighted outfielder J.J. Davis to Triple-A New Orleans and called up infielder Henry Mateo following Sunday's contest.

The Nationals, who are in the midst of a nine-game road trip, are 10-8 in foreign ballparks this season.

ARIZONA (18-14)

Arizona righthander Brandon Webb will try to remain unbeaten in the opener. Webb is 1-0 over his last three starts, including a victory over San Francisco last Wednesday. The 26-year-old surrendered just four hits and two runs over six innings, while fanning seven and walking four. Dating back to last season, Webb has won five consecutive decisions and hasn't lost since Sept. 23.

Webb has not been successful against the Nationals/Expos in his career, going 0-1 with a 9.45 ERA.

Arizona is coming off a disappointing 16-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates at home on Sunday. The Diamondbacks lost just their second home series this season, dropping three of four in the set.

Diamondbacks starter Brad Halsey (2-1) was charged with the loss after allowing four runs in 6 2/3 innings. Arizona's bullpen was tagged for 12 runs in 2 1/3 innings of work. Kerry Ligtenberg was blasted for seven hits and seven runs in one inning.

Luis Gonzalez registered a homer for the Diamondbacks in the losing effort. No Arizona player posted more than one hit in the contest.

Arizona has committed 13 errors in the first 31 games of the season. Last year, the Diamondbacks committed 29 errors in their first 31 games.

Arizona, which is in the middle of a 10-game homestand, is 12-7 in its friendly confines for the season.

PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS

May 9, 8:05 p.na on Sunday, as J.J. Hardy delivered a pinch-hit RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Brewers. Mike Cameron hit a two-run homer and Carlos Beltran had three hits for the Mets, who had won the first two games of this series and four straight overall.

Mike Piazza's 383 career home runs place him 49th on the all-time list. He is one shy of moving into a tie for 48th with Harold Baines.

The Mets lead the National League with 40 home runs this season.


CHICAGO CUBS (7-21)

In the opener the Cubs will counter with Jon Leicester, who replaces Ryan Dempster in the rotation. Dempster was officially moved into the bullpen to be the Cubs' closer on Sunday.

Leicester, who is expected to be called up from Triple-A in time for tonight's contest, has made five relief appearances this season, his last coming on April 26 during an 11-9 loss to Cincinnati. Leicester appeared in 32 games out of the bullpen in 2004, going 5-1 with a 3.89 ERA. This will be his first big league start.

On Sunday, Carlos Zambrano threw a complete game and Neifi Perez and Aramis Ramirez each homered to give the Cubs a 2-1 victory over Philadelphia in the finale of a three-game series at Wrigley Field. Zambrano (3-1) allowed just five hits and struck out five with three walks to help the Cubs snap a seven- game skid.

Chicago has won three series this season, split three and lost five. All three sets they have won have been against NL Central opponents.

PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS

May 9, 7:10 p.na, Wolf is 3-2 with a 3.na (15-15)

In the opener the Brewers will counter with Victor Santos, who recorded a no- decision last Wednesday against the Cubs.na.na is ranked 19th in the majors with a .252 batting average.

Brewers pitchers have combined for the seventh-best ERA in the big leagues, 3.93.

PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS

May 9, 7:05 p.m. - Roger Clemens (1-1) vs. A.J. Burnett (3-2)

May 10, 7:05 p.m. - Brandon Backe (2-2) vs. Brian Moehler (1-1)

May 11, 7:05 p.m. - Roy Oswalt (4-3) vs. Dontrelle Willis (6-0)

2004 SEASON SERIES: Tied, 3-3


HOUSTON (11-19)

In the series opener, Roger Clemens once again tries to get back on track. Clemens picked up his 329th career win back on April 8, tying him with Hall of Famer Steve Carlton for ninth place on the all-time list. However, since then he has recorded four no-decisions and a loss. This is despite the fact that he has allowed only five runs on 22 hits in 35 innings of work in the last five outings. Last Wednesday against Pittsburgh, Clemens allowed two runs on four hits in seven innings, striking out eight and walking five. The Astros lost the game, 6-4, as the Pirates scored four runs after Clemens was hooked to take the win.

Lifetime against the Marlins, Clemens is 3-0 with a 3.55 ERA in five starts. His last appearance in Miami was for Game 4 of the 2003 World Series while with the Yankees, which at that time was believed to be the final start of his career. Of course, he shunned retirement and signed with Houston before the '04 campaign.

The Astros were hammered, 16-0, by the Braves on Sunday. Atlanta slapped 17 hits on the day, and erupted with five spots in both the third and seventh innings. Atlanta outscored Houston 38-8 in the series for its first four-game sweep of the Astros since July 16-19, 1992.

The Astros have lost 11 straight away games, and are just 1-14 on the road this season. The team mark for a road slide is 13 games, set twice (most recently June 1-29, 1990.

Houston is 9-8 when scoring first this season.


FLORIDA (17-11)

In the opener The Marlins will go with A.J. Burnett, who had a three-decision winning streak snapped in last Wednesday's 5-2 loss at Atlanta. He allowed three runs on nine hits in six innings during a 5-2 loss. Burnett struck out eight and walked just two. Burnett has averaged nearly 10 strikeouts in his last three starts, including a 13-K effort on April 22 against Cincinnati.

On Sunday the Marlins dropped an 8-3 contest to lowly Colorado, which snapped a 10-game losing slide. The Marlins failed to sweep the three-game series but did receive a 5-for-5 performance at the plate from Juan Pierre, who stole three bases and drove in a run as well. Florida starter Al Leiter (1-3) gave up all eight Colorado runs and lasted just four innings.

The Marlins were denied their first three-game sweep of 2005.

Florida has had three pitchers toss a combined six complete games. Dontrelle Willis leads the way with three, while Josh Beckett and A.J. Burnett have one apiece under their belts.

Willis will take the hill in the third game of this series. On Friday he pitched seven scoreless innings and continued his sizzling start to the season by becoming the first six-game winner in the majors, as Florida defeated Colorado, 7-0. Willis allowed only five hits to lower his major league- leading ERA to a miniscule 1.07. Willis, the reigning National League Pitcher of the Month for April, also struck out 10 and walked two.

May 9, 8:10 p.m. - Odalis Perez (4-2) vs. Mark Mulder (4-1)

May 10, 8:10 p.m. - Scott Erickson (1-3) vs. Matt Morris (2-0)

May 11, 8:05 p.m. - Brad Penny (2-0) vs. Jeff Suppan (2-3)

May 12, 1:10 p.m. - Derek Lowe (2-3) vs. Chris Carpenter (4-2)

2004 SEASON SERIES: St. Louis won, 4-2.

LOS ANGELES (19-11)

Lefthander Odalis Perez will be on the hill this evening for the Dodgers. Perez has dropped two of his last three starts, including a defeat to Washington last Wednesday. The southpaw surrendered seven hits and five runs over 6 1/3 innings, while fanning four and not walking anyone. Perez has struck out 11 and walked just one in his last two starts.

Perez has struggled a bit against the Cardinals in his career, going 2-1 with a rather sizeable 9.64 ERA.

The Dodgers took two of three in Cincinnati over the weekend, including a 9-3 victory on Sunday at Great American Ball Park. Jason Phillips belted his first career grand slam and Milton Bradley went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in the contest.

Phillips went 4-for-5 with a career-high five runs batted in and three runs scored for the Dodgers, who have won six of their last nine games.

Dodgers All-Star closer Eric Gagne made his first rehab appearance with Triple-A Las Vegas and struck out the side in the ninth inning. Gagne could return by next weekend.

Los Angeles outfielder J.D. Drew will return to Busch Stadium for the first time tonight. Drew spent six of his first seven big league seasons with the Cardinals.

The Dodgers, who are in the middle of a seven-game road trip, are 10-6 in foreign ballparks this season.

ST. LOUIS (19-11)

St. Louis will have lefthander Mark Mulder on the hill in the opener. Mulder has won four consecutive starts, including a sterling effort against Cincinnati last Wednesday. The 27-year-old held the Reds to just three hits over seven scoreless frames, including three strikeouts. Mulder has allowed no earned runs in three of his last four starts.

Mulder went the distance in his only other career start against the Dodgers, allowing just six hits in a victory.

The Cardinals avoided being swept in a four-game set over the weekend, recording a 15-5 win over the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium on Sunday. David Eckstein keyed an 11-run first inning with a pair of hits and two runs scored in the contest. The Cardinals last scored 11 first-inning runs on August 7, 1998 against the Cubs.

Eckstein finished 3-for-6 with three runs scored and two runs batted in for the Cardinals, who had lost the first three games of this series. Larry Walker was 3-for-3 with a homer, three runs scored and two runs batted in, while Scott Rolen drove in four runs -- all in the first inning.

Jason Marquis (5-1) was the beneficiary of the offensive explosion, as the St. Louis starter earned his second straight win. He gave up four runs on six hits in six innings, walked one and struck out three for his 20th win in just over a season as a Cardinal.

St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina suffered a left ankle injury running out a grounder in the seventh. Molina will likely miss tonight's game, opening a spot for Triple-A call-up Mike Mahoney.

The Cardinals, who are in the midst of an eight-game homestand, are 9-8 in their friendly confines this season.

PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS

May 9, 7:10 p.m. - Jake Peavy (2-0) vs. Aaron Harang (1-2)

May 10, 7:10 p.m. - Brian Lawrence (2-3) vs. Brandon Claussen (1-3)

May 11, 12:35 p.m. - Darrell May (0-0) vs. Paul Wilson (1-3)

2004 SEASON SERIES: San Diego won, 4-2.

SAN DIEGO (17-15)

Jake Peavy will attempt to win his third consecutive decision to start the season in the opener. Peavy has pitched well over his last three starts, but hasn't gotten a decision since Apr. 18. The hurler surrendered five hits and four runs over seven innings in a no-decision against Colorado last Wednesday. Peavy, who has gone at least seven innings in each of last five starts, fanned eight and walked two in the contest.

Peavy has been terrific against the Reds in his career, going 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA.

San Diego took three of four from NL Central-leading St. Louis at Busch Stadium over the weekend, but fell 15-5 in the series finale. Tim Redding (0-5) got the start for San Diego, but lasted only two-thirds of an inning. Coming off his best outing of the year, a seven-inning no-decision against Colorado, he was shelled for eight runs on five hits and three walks. Redding left the contest with a sore shoulder.

Jesse Garcia, Ryan Klesko, Brian Giles and Robert Fick homered for the Padres, who were trying for their first-ever four-game sweep at St. Louis and had a six-game winning streak stopped. The Padres have hit a power surge, belting 10 homers in their last five contests.

Klesko and Giles registered two hits apiece for San Diego in the losing effort.

San Diego should get a big lift this evening with the return of talented shortstop Khalil Greene, who has been out since April 17 with a fractured ring finger. Greene finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting in 2004, hitting .273 with 15 homers and 65 RBI while flashing an impressive glove.

The Padres, who are in the midst of a seven-game road trip, are 7-11 in foreign ballparks this season.

CINCINNATI (11-19)

Cincinnati righthander Aaron Harang will be on the mound for the Reds in the opener. Harang is 0-1 over his last four starts, including a tough luck defeat to St. Louis last Tuesday. The San Diego, CA native, who hasn't won since Apr. 7 against the New York Mets, surrendered just six hits and two runs over seven innings, while fanning two and walking one in the contest.

Harang has never lost to the Padres, going 2-0 with a 4.63 ERA against them.

The Reds have lost 13 of their last 16 games and five consecutive series, including dropping two of three to the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend. Cincinnati's woes continued on Sunday as it fell 9-3 to Los Angeles.

Eric Milton (2-3) was saddled with the loss, surrendering six runs and nine hits in 6 2/3 innings. He also connected on his first career homer at the plate.

Ken Griffey Jr. homered for the Reds, who have dropped nine of their last 10 games. The home run was the 504th of Griffey's career, tying him with Eddie Murray for 19th place on the all-time list. Griffey extended his hitting streak to 12 games, four short of his career long (16) set in 1999.

Ryan Freel and Felipe Lopez registered two hits apiece in the losing effort. Freel has hit safely in five consecutive games, while Lopez is 7-of-17 with three doubles, a homer and seven RBI in his last four contests.

Cincinnati, which is in the midst of a nine-game homestand, is just 8-8 in its friendly confines this season.

PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS

May 9, 10:05 p.m. - Kevin Millwood (0-3) vs. John Lackey (3-1)

May 10, 10:05 p.m. - C.C. Sabathia (2-1) vs. Paul Byrd (2-3)

May 11, 4:05 p.m. - Cliff Lee (3-1) vs. Kelvim Escobar (1-1)

2005 SEASON SERIES: Angels lead, 2-0


CLEVELAND (12-18)

Millwood has started six games this season and has gone nine starts (0-3) since his last win, July 31, 2004 versus the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. The righthander had two inconsistent seasons in Philadelphia, and last year went 9-6, but still hasn't found the win column this season despite pitching in close games. The Indians have lost in five of his six starts, but all six of those games have been decided by two runs or less.

Millwood, who is just two wins shy of 100 for his career, allowed a season-high 11 hits along with four runs -- three earned -- in five innings of a no- decision at Minnesota last Wednesday. This will be his second career appearance against the Angels.

The Indians suffered a 7-2 loss at Texas yesterday. Victor Martinez finished 3- for-4 with a run-scoring double for the Indians, who have dropped three of their last four. The Rangers roughed up Tribe starter Jake Westbrook for six runs in 3 1/3 innings.

The Indians went 5-4 versus the Angels last season.

Sabathia is 3-3 with a 4.60 ERA in eight career games against the Angels.


LA ANGELS OF ANAHEIM (18-13)

The Angels lost the final two contests of a three-game set at home versus Detroit, falling 10-1 yesterday. The Angels, who had won five in a row before Saturday's 2-1 loss to Detroit, received a solo home run from Robb Quinlan and the shortest home start of Jarrod Washburn's career. Washburn, who had surrendered only one run over his last two starts coming in, was tagged for seven on eight hits and lasted just 2 1/3 innings.

The Angels remain in first place in the AL West, as they lead Texas by 1 1/2 games.

Lackey has won his last two starts. He is unbeaten in his last three outings, during which time he's given up one earned run in each contest. Lackey won at Seattle last Tuesday, giving up six hits in 6 2/3 innings. He's 2-2 in five career games versus the Indians.

Darin Erstad is a career .315 hitter against the Indians.

Garret Anderson is hitting just .254 at home this year, compared to .339 on the road.

PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS

May 9, 8:05 p.m. - Nate Robertson (0-2) vs. Chris Young (3-2)

May 10, 8:05 p.m. - Jason Johnson (2-2) vs. Chan Ho Park (3-1)

May 11, 2:05 p.m. - Wilfredo Ledezma (1-3) vs. Pedro Astacio (1-4)

2004 SEASON SERIES: Texas won, 5-4


DETROIT (14-16)

The Tigers captured the final two contests of a three-game set at Anaheim, winning 10-1 yesterday. Mike Maroth threw eight stellar innings and Detroit erupted for seven runs in the third inning. Ivan Rodriguez laced a three-run triple and Brandon Inge went 2-for-4 with a home run and pair of RBI to help the Tigers to their second straight win off a four-game slide. Dmitri Young added three hits and Rondell White finished 2- for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored in the triumph.

Robertson is 0-2 in five outings this season and hasn't won (0-5) in his last 11 appearances going back to last year. His last win came August 30 when he tossed a complete game at Kansas City. He is 1-2 in four career games against the Rangers.

Rodriguez returns to Ameriquest Field to face his former club. He has hit safely in 12 of his last 14 games for Detroit, hitting .379 (22-for-58) with three doubles, four home runs and 16 RBI.

The Tigers catchers are second among all American League clubs by throwing out 43.5 percent of runners attempting to steal. Rodriguez tops all league catchers by nailing 50 percent of runners attempting to steal.

Carlos Guillen has hit safely in a season-high seven straight games and 13 of his last 14.


TEXAS (17-15)

Mark Teixeira has been hot at the plate lately and the Texas Rangers are inching their way toward first place in the AL West. They have won five of their last six contests.

Teixeira has a career-high 12-game hitting streak, during which time he's hitting .333 (17-for-51). The first baseman has watched his average rise from .229 to .269 in that time.

The Rangers won two of three games from Cleveland this past weekend and come into tonight's action trailing the Angels by 1 1/2 games in the division. Yesterday, Kenny Rogers threw seven shutout innings and Gary Matthews Jr. went 4-for-4 at the plate as Texas earned a 7-2 victory. David Dellucci had two hits, including an RBI single, and scored twice while Michael Young and Richard Hidalgo homered for the Rangers.

Alfonso Soriano drove in eight runs during the series and has racked up five homers 13 RBI over his last five games.

Rogers scattered six hits and four walks and has not allowed a run over his last three starts, spanning 21 innings.

Young 3-1 over his past four outings. He last pitched on Tuesday at Oakland and picked up a win by allowing seven hits and no runs over 5 2/3 innings. This will be his first career appearance against Detroit.

May 9, 7:15 p.m. - Freddy Garcia (3-1) vs. Hideo Nomo (2-3)

May 10, 7:15 p.m. - Jose Contreras (1-0) vs. Mark Hendrickson (1-1)

May 11, 2:15 p.m. - Orlando Hernandez (4-1) vs. Dewon Brazelton (1-6)

2004 SEASON SERIES: Chicago won, 4-2


CHICAGO WHITE SOX (24-7)

The White Sox have won eight in a row and 16 of their last 19 contests. Chicago also won eight straight, April 18-25 this year, but the Sox haven't won nine in a row since July 1-9, 1977.

Not since 1919, the year the White Sox lost the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds, has the team gotten off to a better start. That year, eight players from the White Sox, including the great "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, were charged with conspiring with gamblers to fix games in what's known as the Black Sox scandal. It led to strict rules prohibiting gambling in baseball.

The White Sox were also 24-7 that season, but lost their next game, June 1, 1919 to the Cleveland Indians. Never has the team been 25-7.

Garcia can pitch the White Sox into history tonight, as he takes the mound, trying for his fourth win. Chicago starting pitchers are 19-3 this season, and Garcia has a 3-1 mark. The righthander is 2-0 over his last three outings, including a victory versus Kansas City last Wednesday. He's 6-1 with a 3.03 ERA in 11 lifetime games versus Tampa Bay.

Yesterday, Jermaine Dye clubbed a two-run homer and Juan Uribe added a solo shot, leading the White Sox to a 5-4 win and a three-game sweep of the Blue Jays in Toronto.

The White Sox have led in all 31 games this season, extending their major league record. With the exception of an 11-5, 11-inning loss to Cleveland on April 7, the Sox have not trailed by more than three runs in any game this season.

The White Sox are 10-1-0 in their 11 series this season, including two-game sweeps of Minnesota and Detroit and a pair of three-game sweeps against Kansas City. Chicago's only series loss came on April 25-27 at Oakland when they dropped two of three. They are a combined 20-2 in the first two games of a series. They have also won nine of their last 11 road games.


TAMPA BAY (11-21)

The Devil Rays were swept in a three-game set at home by Minnesota, falling 9-6 yesterday. Jorge Cantu hit a three-run homer and Chris Singleton drove in two runs for the Devil Rays, who have dropped 11 of their past 14 contests.

Nomo is 0-2 over his last three outings and in that time has given up 22 hits and 14 earned runs in 17 innings.

Nomo has made two career starts against the White Sox and is 1-0 with a 2.63 ERA. He last faced them July 21, 2001 for Boston, and Nomo won that contest.

Tampa Bay has allowed a major league-high 48 homers.

The White Sox went 4-2 versus Tampa Bay last season. Tampa Bay won the first two series ever played against these two teams in 1998, but the Devil Rays are 1-11-4 in 16 series since then with their lone series win coming at Tropicana Field, July 4-6, 2003.

PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS

May 9, 7:05 p.m. - Runelvys Hernandez (1-4) vs. Josh Towers (3-1)

May 10, 7:05 p.m. - Zack Greinke (0-3) vs. Roy Halladay (4-2)

May 11, 12:35 p.m. - Denny Bautista (2-2) vs. David Bush (0-3)

2004 SEASON SERIES: Tied, 3-3


KANSAS CITY (8-23)

The Royals broke a five-game skid with a 10-8 victory at Baltimore yesterday. Angel Berroa hit a three-run homer, while Matt Stairs also homered and drove in three runs. Mike Sweeney homered and scored three times for the Royals, who own the worst record in the American League.

Hernandez will attempt to snap a career-long four-game losing streak. After starting the season with a 7-2 victory at Detroit on April 6, Hernandez has gone 0-4 over his last five outings and he's given up at least four runs in all of those five appearances. The righthander is coming off a 4-2 loss at Chicago, where he allowed six hits and four runs in 7 1/3 innings. Hernandez is 0-1 with a 3.29 ERA in two starts versus Toronto.

Of the Royals' last 14 losses, 11 have been by two runs or less, including eight one-run defeats. KC is 0-22 when scoring five or less.

Sweeney has an eight-game hitting streak, during which time he's hitting .517 (15-for-29) with six homers and 11 RBI.

Sweeney has struggled against Halladay, going 4-for-25 (.160) lifetime against the 2003 AL Cy Young Award winner.


TORONTO (16-16)

Towers aims to win his third consecutive start. He allowed three hits in eight shutout innings of his last start, a 1-0 win at Baltimore last Tuesday. The righthander has never faced the Royals.

The Blue Jays are struggling with four straight defeats, including a sweep at the hands of the Chicago White Sox over the weekend. Toronto lost 5-4 yesterday at home.

Reed Johnson finished with three hits, while Alex Rios, Gregg Zaun and John McDonald each drove in a run for Toronto. Zaun was carted off the field in the bottom of the ninth inning with a head injury and was then put on the 15-day disabled list. He suffered a concussion when he was kneed in the head by Chicago second baseman Pedro Lopez while breaking up a double play in the ninth inning.

The Blue Jays have lost eight of their last 11 home games.

Halladay is 5-2 in nine career games versus the Royals.

PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS

May 9, 7:05 p.m. - Gil Meche (2-2) vs. Randy Johnson (2-2)

May 10, 7:05 p.m. - Aaron Sele (2-3) vs. Chien-Ming Wang (0-1)

May 11, 1:05 p.m. - Jamie Moyer (4-1) vs. Carl Pavano (2-2)

2004 SEASON SERIES: New York won, 6-3


SEATTLE (13-18)

The Mariners snapped a seven-game slide with a 6-4 victory over the Red Sox in game two of a doubleheader yesterday at Fenway Park. Seattle lost the opener, 6-3. Richie Sexson's seventh-inning grand slam lifted the Mariners to the victory in the second contest. Adrian Beltre had two hits and an RBI for Seattle in game two.

Meche suffered a loss to the Angels last Tuesday, when he allowed eight hits and five runs in eight innings. He is 3-2 in seven career games versus the Yankees.

Beltre is a career .212 hitter versus Johnson with 16 strikeouts in 52 at-bats.

Moyer is 10-9 in 34 games (32 starts) against the Yankees.

Beltre is a career .292 (7-for-24) hitter against Pavano.


NEW YORK YANKEES (13-19)

The Yankees come into tonight's action in fourth place in the AL East, eight games behind the front-running Baltimore Orioles. However, back-to-back shutouts of Oakland has injected confidence into a team that is still six games under .500. Mike Mussina tossed a four-hit shutout (5-0) on Saturday, while Kevin Brown blanked the A's for seven innings on Sunday in a 6-0 final.

Johnson missed his scheduled start last Wednesday due to stiffness in his left groin. The towering lefthander is 1-1 in his last two starts, but has pitched well both times. Johnson threw a complete-game versus Toronto in his most recent outing, April 29, but the Yankees lost 2-0 to Roy Halladay.

Johnson pitched for the Mariners from 1989-98 and during that time captured the first (1995) of his now five Cy Young Awards. He has faced the Mariners once, while with Arizona in 1999. That game came at Seattle on July 20, 1999, and Johnson tossed a shutout in a 6-0 Diamondbacks triumph. He allowed eight hits, walked one and struck out 10 in that contest.

Coming into tonight's game, Johnson is two wins shy of becoming the 42nd pitcher in big league history to compile 250 wins. He has allowed only one first-inning base runner in his first six starts this season and has not allowed a first-inning run in his last 14 starts, dating back to last season.

Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada hit solo homers in the victory yesterday for the Yankees. Tino Martinez belted a three-run shot. New York has tied a season- high with two straight wins after a four-game slide. They won a series for just the third time this season to give Joe Torre his 900th victory as Yankee manager.

PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS

May 9, 7:05 p.m. - Dan Haren (1-4) vs. Tim Wakefield (3-1)

May 10, 7:05 p.m. - Kirk Saarloos (1-2) vs. Bronson Arroyo (4-0)

May 11, 1:05 p.m. - Barry Zito (1-4) vs. Matt Clement (4-0)

2004 SEASON SERIES: Boston won, 8-1


OAKLAND (14-17)

The A's were been shut out in each of their last two games versus the New York Yankees. They fell victim to Mike Mussina on Saturday and Kevin Brown on Sunday. Oakland has dropped five of its last six games and has been blanked a major league-high six times this season. Erubiel Durazo had three hits yesterday for Oakland, which left nine runners on base.

Haren has lost three straight starts, and it got ugly for the righthander in his last outing, Wednesday versus Texas. In that game, Haren surrendered seven hits and seven runs in 3 2/3 innings of a 16-7 defeat. This will be his first regular season appearance versus the Red Sox.

The A's have made five errors in the last six games and now have 19 for the season. They committed just 91 errors last season, which tied for the second fewest in the AL and was the second fewest in franchise history in a non-strike season.

Oakland starters are 5-15 this season with a 4.38 ERA. The victories are the second fewest in the AL (Kansas City - 4) and the ERA ranks seventh.

The A's have the third lowest batting average in the majors at .236 and have scored 108 runs in 31 games (3.5 per game), the fewest in baseball.


BOSTON (18-13)

Johnny Damon has hit safely in a team season-best 14 consecutive games. He's batting .454 (30-for-66) in that span with 13 RBI and 12 runs scored. It's the longest active streak in the American League. Damon's career-high hitting streak is 18 games in 2002.

Damon went 4-for-9 with two runs scored yesterday, as the Red Sox split a doubleheader with the Seattle Mariners, winning the opener, 6-3, before losing the second game, 6-4. That snapped Boston's five-game winning streak.

Wakefield picked up a win at Detroit on Wednesday, allowing 10 hits and three runs in seven innings. He's won both his home starts this season to go along with a 0.69 ERA (1 ER, 13 IP). Wakefield is 3-6 in 21 games (11 starts) lifetime against the Mariners.

Designated hitter David Ortiz has homered in two of his last three games after failing to hit a long ball in his previous nine contests. Each of his last seven hits have gone for extra bases and he's 7-for-16 (.438) in his last four games. Ortiz finished Sunday 4-for-7 with three RBI.

Red Sox leftfielder Manny Ramirez is closing in on a number of milestones. He needs three homers for 400, three RBI for 1,300 and five walks for 900 in his career. Ramirez left the first game of yesterday's doubleheader after being hit on his left thigh by a pitch. He didn't start the second game, but came in as a pinch-hitter.

Arroyo has won his last nine decisions dating to August 21, 2004. That's the longest winning streak by a Red Sox pitcher since Pedro Martinez won nine straight, June 20 - August 10, 2002. Since his last loss, August 15, 2004 against the White Sox, Arroyo has gone 9-0 in 15 starts, 14 of which have been Red Sox victories. The righthander's run of 15 starts without a loss is the longest active streak in baseball.

Arroyo and Clement will also try to become the first Red Sox starters to open a year 5-0 since Martinez and John Burkett both went 7-0 to open the 2002 campaign.

PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS

May 9, 7:05 p.m. - Carlos Silva (2-0) vs. Daniel Cabrera (1-2)

May 10, 7:05 p.m. - Brad Radke (3-3) vs. Erik Bedard (3-1)

May 11, 3:05 p.m. - Johan Santana (5-1) vs. Sidney Ponson (4-1)

2004 SEASON SERIES: Minnesota won, 5-4


MINNESOTA (19-11)

Silva is 2-0 over his first four starts this year. The righthander has given up 23 hits and eight earned runs over his last two outings, but has escaped with a win and a no-decision. He allowed 12 hits and four runs in eight frames without factoring into the decision of a 5-4 loss to Cleveland on Wednesday. Silva is 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA in seven career games (1 start) against the Orioles.

The Twins swept a three-game set at Tampa Bay over the weekend, winning 9-6 yesterday. Matthew LeCroy hit a three-run homer and Justin Morneau went 4-for-4 with three RBI. Juan Castro added a two-run single while Joe Mauer hit a solo homer for the Twins, who have won nine of their last 12 games overall. Centerfielder Torii Hunter missed the game due to a groin injury.

The Twins have homered in eight straight games and have double-digit hits in six consecutive contests. They have scored 33 runs in their last four games.

Morneau has hit safely in 11 of 13 games since returning from the disabled list and is batting .434 (23-for-51) with six homers and 19 RBI in that span.

Mauer is 13-for-25 with five RBI over his last five games.


BALTIMORE (20-10)

Ponson is 8-2 in 12 games (11 starts) lifetime against the Twins.

The Orioles had their three-game win streak broken yesterday with a 10-8 home loss to Kansas City, but still remain in first place in the AL East, as they lead Boston by 2 1/2 games. Geronimo Gil hit a three-run homer for Baltimore. Melvin Mora homered and drove in three runs and Javy Lopez had a two-run blast in the loss.

Orioles outfielder Sammy Sosa missed the series with an absess in his right foot, but he could return to the lineup tonight. He is five homers shy of Mark McGwire (583) on the all-time home run list.

Cabrera didn't get any run support in a 1-0 loss to Toronto on Tuesday. He allowed four hits and a run in eight innings. Baltimore has been outscored 10-0 in his two losses this season. He is 2-1 with a 5.40 ERA in three career games versus the Twins.

The Orioles, who are in the midst of a 12-game homestand, are 6-3 during the stretch and are 11-8 at Camden Yards this season.