Times wires
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Gearhead stats
Winner's average speed: 127.841 mph
Time of race: 1 hour, 10 minutes, 24 seconds
Margin of victory: 0.443 seconds
Caution flags: Five for six laps
Lead changes: Eight among four drivers
Lap leaders: Ky. Busch 1-3; Biffle 4-25; Ky. Busch 26; Biffle 27-50; Edwards 51-62; Johnson 63-68; Edwards 69-70; Ky. Busch 71-85; Edwards 86-100
Up next
Coca-Cola 600, 6 p.m. May 29, Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. TV: Ch. 13
By Eduardo A. Encina, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, May 22, 2011
TAMPA — They took different paths to this point, but Tampa Bay's top two high school baseball players have the same goal this week: to bring home a state title.
Jesuit junior Lance McCullers comes from major-league lineage. Alonso senior Jose Fernandez came to the United States from Cuba three years ago with little more than a dream.
Fernandez has already won a Class 6A state title as a sophomore after beginning that season as a virtual unknown. McCullers' 10th-grade season ended less poetically, with him on the mound in a Class 4A state title loss to Archbishop McCarthy.
On Monday, they return to a familiar place, Digital Domain Park in Port St. Lucie, for their respective classification state semifinals.
In a lot of ways, this week is just the beginning for both players. They just might possess two of the most talented right arms to come out of the bay area, their fastballs on the cusp of registering three digits on a radar gun. Fernandez, a USF recruit, is expected to be a first-round pick in next month's MLB first-year player draft. McCullers, a Florida commitment, should follow suit next summer.
But aside from sharing great physical talent, they're both dedicated to living up to their potential.
• • •
Fernandez wants to talk about his third state tournament. He really does. But nothing comes before his daily workout.
So about 45 minutes later, Fernandez returns, doused in sweat. He was just running, hurling a medicine ball and throwing a bullpen session that included an offering of low-90s fastballs.
Fernandez's training, which often takes four hours a day, also includes swimming. His shoulders broad, his legs thick, the 6-foot-2 Fernandez is now 225 pounds, more than 40 pounds heavier than when he was a sophomore.
"When you work hard, the result will pay off," Fernandez said. "That's what I'm seeing right now. Every time I go out there I feel like I'm getting better. … I'm confident. That's 90 percent of it. You can throw 125, but if you can't throw it inside, you can't do anything. I have confidence in all of my pitches. It's great to be able to go out there knowing you can do a lot of stuff."
Fernandez fled Cuba three years ago, going through Mexico en route to the United States, and landed at Alonso. At one point, he saved his mother, who had fallen out of the speedboat they were riding in, by jumping into the sea. This past week, Baseball America ranked Fernandez the 19th-best draft prospect in the nation.
The national attention started exactly two years ago in the state final, when Fernandez retired 18 straight Miami Columbus hitters at one point in a 4-3 win. Fernandez boasts a 10-0 record in the postseason.
"I think it gives him so much confidence, knowing he's been there before, that he can shut down teams there," Alonso catcher Mike Fahrman said. "Nothing really fazes him."
• • •
The image of McCullers, the son of the former major-league pitcher of the same name, walking off the field after the final out of last year's 4A title game as Archbishop McCarthy players celebrated, stays in his mind.
"That picture said it all," McCullers said of a St. Petersburg Times photo that appeared the next day. "Determination, vengeance, whatever you want to call it. I just wanted to get back there to get another chance at it. Hopefully we make the best out of it this time."
Jesuit's last two seasons have ended with McCullers on the mound, including an eight-inning region semifinal walk-off loss to Plant when McCullers was just a 14-year-old freshman. In last year's loss, Archbishop McCarthy scored three runs on passed balls and another on a wild pitch in the sixth inning to break open a tie game.
But this year McCullers, who was the closer the past two seasons, will have a different role. He has primarily been a starter, which the Tigers believe will allow him to take more control of an entire game.
"He came out with a starting pitcher mentality, realizing that if we want to get back there, we need someone to step up," catcher Nolan Schultz said. "The difference is this year he's accurate right off the bat. Last year, because he played more shortstop, he was a little less accurate."
McCullers admits he would love another shot at Archbishop McCarthy — the Tigers could play the Mavericks in the final — but it's still unclear whether Jesuit coach Richie Warren would save McCullers for the championship.
But that's the way McCullers would want it.
"You don't understand how much it's going to mean until you lose in the last inning or two," McCullers said. "If a couple things go this way or that way, we're the ones going back down there with a state ring. I think to get back there and to possibly face the same team, I think it's going to be a different ball game. We have a different attitude going down this time."
Times wires
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Mariners 4, Padres 0
SAN DIEGO — Rookie Michael Pineda allowed only two hits while striking out nine in seven innings and Mike Wilson had two run-scoring hits for the Mariners. The Padres were shut out for the ninth time, the most in the majors. San Diego's home record of 8-17 also is the worst in the bigs. The Padres have totaled one run, eight hits and 22 strikeouts in the first two games of this series.
Times wires
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Brewers 3, Rockies 1
MILWAUKEE — Ryan Braun hit a two-run triple off Ubaldo Jimenez and scored on a throwing error, lifting the Brewers to a three-game sweep. Jimenez pitched his seventh career complete game but walked four and hit a batter. He also received little support from the Rockies, who finished a 1-4 road trip and scored 16 runs in that span. Randy Wolf struggled at times with his command but got key double plays in the fourth and fifth innings before settling down.
Times wires
Sunday, May 22, 2011
White Sox 8, Dodgers 3
CHICAGO — Alexei Ramirez homered and drove in a career-high five runs for the White Sox, who have won 11 of 15. Ramirez hit a two-run homer in the first, an RBI double in the third, an RBI single in the fourth and another RBI double in the eighth for Chicago, which took two of three from the Dodgers and is 5-0-1 in its past six series.
Times wires
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Yankees 9, Mets 3
NEW YORK — Derek Jeter hit a tying two-run single that sparked an eight-run seventh, Alex Rodriguez drove in the go-ahead run with a hit after an intentional walk to Mark Teixeira and the Yankees won the finale of the weekend series. Rodriguez improved to 6-for-11 (.545) with two homers and 19 RBIs in 16 career plate appearances following intentional walks, including 6-for-8 with 15 RBIs after intentional walks to Teixeira.
Times wires
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Orioles 2, Nationals 1
BALTIMORE — Vladimir Guerrero's two-run homer in the seventh spoiled Jordan Zimmermann's stellar outing and lifted the Orioles. Through six innings, Zimmermann allowed only a walk and a double in the second. Nick Markakis singled to start the seventh and Guerrero sent an 0-and-2 curveball into the leftfield stands for a 2-1 lead. It was only the third homer Zimmermann has allowed in 541/3 innings this season.
Times wires
Sunday, May 22, 2011
CLEVELAND — Asdrubal Cabrera went 5-for-5 with two homers and a career-high five RBIs as the Indians completed a three-game sweep, beating the Reds 12-4 on Sunday to grab bragging rights as Ohio's best team.
Cabrera hit a two-run homer in the first off Edinson Volquez as the Indians did early damage after winning the series' first two games with late comebacks. Cabrera added a solo homer in the sixth for an 8-4 lead.
"He was a one-man show at the plate," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "He was unbelievable. He was on every pitch, and he has played like an All-Star for us since Day 1."
Cleveland moved 14 games over .500 for time since 2007 with its first sweep of Cincinnati in seven years. The Indians are a majors-best 29-15 overall, 18-4 at Progressive Field, tying the best home start in franchise history.
"They are tough at home," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "They are playing good baseball. Whatever they needed, they got this series."
By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, May 22, 2011
MIAMI — The dominant three-hit complete game was the third, and the most impressive, of his thus-far remarkable bounceback season, and the second with nary a run. The 13 strikeouts were one more than he'd ever had in 161 big-league starts and matched the team record, and the 126 pitches the most he'd ever thrown in a game at any level.
But what James Shields — naturally — was most pleased about in the Rays' 4-0 sweep-avoiding Sunday win over the Marlins was the hard ground ball he hit to third that was misplayed by Greg Dobbs and knocked in their first run.
"I definitely liked the rib-eye," Shields said. "That was real nice. It got me going, got me the lead. And that's all I needed."
As much as the Rays (26-21, and tied with the Yankees for first) have been scuffling for runs, it was oddly appropriate that their pitcher sparked the offense. They scored their second run on a fielder's choice grounder, then two more when slumping Evan Longoria and Matt Joyce hit back-to-back doubles and Casey Kotchman tripled, but still fell short of 10 hits for a 10th straight game.
Shields, though, was so dazzling that one would have been enough. Featuring a changeup that simply baffled the Marlins and a curveball that was nearly as good, Shields allowed only three singles (in the second, seventh and eighth) and his lone walk with two outs in the ninth.
"Unbelievable," Joyce said. "Just another day he went out there and was absolutely dominant."
"He was money today," David Price said. "That was awesome."
"As good as the numbers," admitted Florida slugger Mike Stanton.
What made it better was how badly the Rays, having lost three straight and six of their past eight while in the middle of a rugged road trip that takes them to Detroit tonight, needed it.
"He wants to be that guy," manager Joe Maddon said. "He wants to be that guy. He doesn't run away from it.
"I know he's somewhat disappointed this year that he was moved to the second slot in the rotation. Not as a slight to David, he understood that, but I'm sure in the back of his mind he wants to work back to the top of a rotation. And I really respect him for that."
Shields, 29, has a lot to prove, coming off a 13-15, 5.18 season and being in the last guaranteed year of his contract (making $4.25 million, with a $7 million option for 2012), and he has been tremendously impressive, improving to 5-2 while lowering his ERA to 2.00.
"It feels really good," Shields said.
Sunday was just the latest example, and Shields was so good the only real question was whether Maddon would let him finish for the third time in his past seven starts as he entered the ninth with 105 pitches.
Maddon reasoned that his last three outings were in the reasonable 101-103 range, he hadn't been tested much Sunday except by the heat (87 degrees at first pitch) and, most of all, he deserved the opportunity.
So when Shields got the first two out, and was at 115, then walked Logan Morrison (and swiped the ground in frustration), Maddon gave in and gave him one more batter. And Shields struck out Gaby Sanchez to end it, tying Scott Kazmir's 2007 team mark of 13 in the process.
"I wanted to finish it bad," Shields said.
In the initial aftermath, his arm wrapped in ice and his cheeks flushed from the heat, Shields made a big deal about getting his first career RBI (to go along with six hits, and what is now a .214 average).
Informed later it was actually his second (he had one here in 2008, on a ground ball similarly misplayed by the shortstop), he responded via text message, "Oh well. Then 13Ks was my favorite thing."
Either way, it was a very good day.
Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@sptimes.com.
Times wires
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Rangers 2, Phillies 0
PHILADELPHIA — Matt Harrison took a five-hitter into the ninth to help the Rangers avoid a three-game sweep. Harrison finished two outs shy of his first shutout since 2009 in his longest outing of the season. He struck out Ryan Howard to open the ninth but was lifted after walking Ben Francisco. Mitch Moreland had an RBI double off Phillies starter Roy Oswalt and Craig Gentry added a suicide squeeze. Texas entered batting .196 in its past five games and has scored four runs or fewer in 11 straight games.
Times wires
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Astros 3, Blue Jays 2
TORONTO — Hunter Pence hit a two-run homer, Wandy Rodriguez pitched six solid innings and the Astros won a series for the first time since April 29-May 1, when they took two of three from the Brewers. Houston had lost 11 of 14 going in. Rodriguez lost all three interleague starts last season while posting a 10.93 ERA. But the left-hander continued his strong stretch; the Astros have won four of the past five games he has started.
Times wires
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Tigers 2, Pirates 0
PITTSBURGH — Rick Porcello pitched eight one-hit innings and the Tigers snapped a five-game skid. Porcello took a no-hitter into the sixth before giving up Ronny Cedeno's leadoff double. Jose Valverde worked out of a two-on, none-out jam in the ninth for the save. Porcello's previous start was wiped out by rain, but he hardly looked rusty, keeping the Pirates off balance and adding a single during a rare plate appearance.
By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, May 22, 2011
. UP NEXT
at Tigers
Tonight-Wednesday
What's new: The Tigers have been running hot and cold in the past month with a seven-game losing streak, a seven-game winning streak and a five-game losing streak that they snapped Sunday afternoon. … 1B Miguel Cabrera (despite his spring DUI issues), SS Jhonny Peralta and DH/C Victor Martinez have been their top hitters, but their strength is a rotation led by Justin Verlander. … Closer Jose Valverde is 11-for-11 in saves, but the rest of the bullpen is a mess, with former Ray Joaquin Benoit a big part of the problem with a 7.47 ERA that cost him his setup job. … INF Carlos Guillen and OF Magglio Ordonez are on the disabled list.
Key stat: The Tigers have at least one extra-base hit in each of their first 46 games.
Connections: Tigers OF Ryan Raburn is a Durant High product, Benoit a former Ray. … Rays DH Johnny Damon, RHP Kyle Farnsworth and OF Matt Joyce are ex-Tigers.
Series history: Rays lead 50-46 overall and 25-24 in Detroit but are 19-21 at Comerica Park.
Marc Topkin, Times staff writer
By Rick Frazier, Times Correspondent
Sunday, May 22, 2011
What's hot: Normally, a cloudy and windy day is a recipe for failure, unless you're drifting the shallow grass flats for speckled trout. That's what 11-year-old Jordin Webert and her grandparents, Guy and MaryJo, found out recently off Pinellas Point.
The trio caught plenty of fish using a simple but effective trout rig: a 3-foot section of 20-pound fluorocarbon leader, a long-shank 1/0 hook and a clip-on 4-inch weighted cigar float.
Using a long leader is crucial for this rig because of the clip-on float. Placing the float on the leader instead of the main line will prevent the float from chaffing the main line. The float will also aid in casting distance. Longer casts equals more bites. Another important function of the float is to keep your bait from hiding in the grass.
Technique: Cast downwind with this rig and slowly collect the line while drifting toward it. When the float goes down, quickly reel the line tight and set the hook.
Results: On this day, we used live shrimp, hooked under the horn so they could swim naturally.
"Look at your shrimp jumping out of the water, Jordin," I shouted. "Something is going to get 'em!"
The float went down and the blond-haired girl was pulling in another keeper trout.
Rick Frazier runs Lucky Dawg Charters out of St. Petersburg and can be reached at (727) 510-4376.
Times wires
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Cardinals 9, Royals 8
10 innings
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Colby Rasmus drew a bases-loaded walk, his fifth free pass of the day, that forced in the go-ahead run in the 10th, and the Cardinals walked 13 times.
Times wires
Sunday, May 22, 2011
D'backs 3, Twins 2
PHOENIX — Juan Miranda homered, Daniel Hudson had an RBI single and pitched eight strong innings and the Diamondbacks completed a three-game sweep. Arizona won its sixth straight, its longest run in three seasons, and eighth in nine games to climb to .500 (23-23) for the first time since April 20. Miranda, 9-for-18 on the homestand with five RBIs, left in the eighth inning after being hit in the right wrist by a pitch.
Times wires
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Mariners 6, Padres 1
SAN DIEGO — Felix Hernandez tied his career high with 13 strikeouts in eight innings for the Mariners, who won their fifth straight and completed a three-game sweep. Seattle outscored the Padres 14-2, outhit them 32-14 and struck out 35 batters in the series. The Mariners have allowed two runs or fewer in their past seven games. They held the Padres to six hits or fewer in all three games. San Diego is 8-18 at home, worst in the NL.
By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, May 22, 2011
MIAMI — The Rays will be without SS Reid Brignac until Friday as he went home to Louisiana following the death of his grandfather on Saturday.
The Rays placed Brignac on the bereavement list, which provides for a three- to seven-game absence, and called up INF Felipe Lopez to replace him.
Lopez would appear to be just a temporary fill-in, though the switch-hitter is likely to be in the lineup tonight at first base against Tigers LHP Phil Coke.
The Rays had to re-add him to the 40-man roster to make the move and would risk losing him on waivers again if they seek to send him back down when Brignac returns. They were in the same situation on May 3, when they designated him for assignment after he'd filled in during Evan Longoria's month on the DL, and Lopez cleared waivers and accepted the assignment to Triple-A Durham.
The Rays' options were limited because they don't have any other infielders on the 40-man roster but liked the idea of having Lopez, a switch-hitting veteran, available.
Lopez, hitting .347 in 11 games for the Bulls, was glad to be back: "This smile says it all."
Brignac got the news before Saturday's game but wanted to play. "Of course I honored that," manager Joe Maddon said. "He had a heavy heart (Saturday). He was very upset. It sounds like they were pretty close."
On his Twitter account (@reidbrignac), Brignac posted: "Thanks to everyone sending your support it means a lot to me and my family … my grandfather was a good man and he lived a long great life."
Elliot Johnson, who already had earned a share of the starting shortstop job, will play in Brignac's absence.
A BAT AND A HARD PLACE: Matt Joyce found himself in a tough spot during a fifth-inning sequence: He was trying to score on Sean Rodriguez's bunt to extend their 4-0 lead, but the bat was in his path, so he didn't slide and instead was tagged out.
"I didn't really know what to do," Joyce said. "It's probably a different situation in the playoffs or World Series or something and I have to slide. But man, that's such a tough situation with the bat there and you realize there's a possibility of injury. I felt terrible about it."
Maddon said there wasn't much Joyce could do. Unless, Maddon then joked, he wanted to channel the old M*A*S*H show and be like Col. Flagg, who would do things to intentionally hurt himself. "I don't think Matt has any of that in him," he said.
FEELING BETTER: Longoria didn't want to make too much out of his two-hit game, but after going 3-for-30 in his previous eight, the smile on his face said plenty. "I got some results today, which is great for confidence going forward," he said. "I've got to continue to have good at-bats, and hopefully that plan and that approach will keep carrying over from day to day."
HAPPY RETURNS: DH Johnny Damon said he enjoyed playing in Detroit last season and expects a warm welcome from the fans tonight. "When everybody was saying Detroit was a depressed town I was like, no, it's great," he said. "The fans supported us. There's great areas to live. I think Detroit is just a place that wanted hope, and they have some."
MISCELLANY: Joyce finished the day leading the majors in hitting at .355. … The Rays tonight can match the record-holding 2010 Twins by going 48 games into the season without a multi-error game. … RHP Jeremy Hellickson will have his road-warrior family in the stands tonight, making the nearly 10-hour drive from their Des Moines, Iowa, home.
By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, May 22, 2011
BOSTON — In an Eastern Conference final that has included several unexpected twists, there's now bulletin-board material.
With the best-of-seven series tied entering tonight's Game 5 at the TD Garden, Bruins G Tim Thomas guaranteed his team would advance in the end.
"We're going to win," Thomas told the Boston Herald on Saturday.
Those words weren't lost on the Lightning. The story with Thomas' quote was posted in its locker room Sunday.
"We might as well stay home," coach Guy Boucher quipped. "It's going to cost us a lot less money. And we can go home and get some sleep and watch some movies.
"Their people are allowed to think what they think, and we're not going to pay attention to that. Hopefully, our players are staying focused."
Thomas got the Lightning worked up last week, saying after a 2-0 win in Game 3 he felt comfortable in net. Tampa Bay players took Thomas' comments as if he meant they were easy to play against. RW Teddy Purcell said they used that as "fuel" in a 5-3 come-from-behind victory in Game 4 on Saturday.
"You hear it, and you make notice of it. Obviously, he's pretty confident over there," Lightning D Randy Jones said of Thomas. "We don't make too much of it. We worry about what we have to do.
"I'm confident in our group. I'm not going to go out and start making predictions. But I am definitely confident in our group, yes. We believe in ourselves, and we know we can beat them. But am I going to come out and tell you we're going to beat them and it's guaranteed? That's not how I work."
MEDICAL MATTERS: Lightning RW Steve Downie's status for tonight is uncertain, Boucher saying he's still "day to day."
Downie left Saturday's game with 2:35 left in the second period, hitting his head on the glass and ice following a hit by Bruins RW Nathan Horton. Horton, who was called for roughing, hovered around Downie (who was called for diving) for a few moments after the play, appearing to give him an earful.
But Boucher said that didn't bother him.
"There's a lot of things that go on in a playoff game, and they are trying to win. We're trying to win," he said. "Everybody is trying to fight for the little space they got. That's a situation that right now we have no control (over)."
BATTLING THE "BEAR:" There was still a lot of talk about LW Ryan Malone's big hits on Bruins giant D Zdeno Chara during Game 2, including knocking the 6-foot-9, 255-pound captain down and forcing a turnover that set up a second-period goal.
Purcell said you can probably count on both hands the number of times Chara has been felled in his career and Malone's hit provided momentum.
"He's been a guy all year that we're a different team when he's in the lineup," Purcell said of Malone. "He was out for a little bit (injured earlier this season), and we didn't really have that much grit and sandpaper. Him and Chara have been having good battles all series, so it definitely inspires us."
Malone shrugged it off, saying he wasn't necessarily targeting Chara but pointed out there's a benefit to checking him from time to time.
"He's a big, big man. I think I'm feeling a little bit of that today," Malone said. "He's a force out there. Any chance you have to put the body on him, even if you don't knock him over, you might take the brunt of it. But you try to tire him down. He's a big bear. He's a big guy, so you try to make it as hard as you can."
Times staff writer Damian Cristodero contributed to this report. Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@sptimes.com.
Times wires
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Angels 4, Braves 1
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Torii Hunter ended a 28-game home run drought with a go-ahead shot off Derek Lowe, rookie Tyler Chatwood pitched seven strong innings and the Angels won the rubber game. Chatwood allowed one run for the third time in four starts, including no-decisions at Angel Stadium against the Indians and White Sox. On Tuesday, Chatwood lasted 21/3 innings in a 14-0 loss at Oakland after giving up seven runs, five earned. Los Angeles got back to .500 after losing six of seven.
