White Sox

The addition of Ken Griffey Jr. is a thoroughly puzzling one. The Sox didn't give up much for him, but it's hard to see how he fits into Chicago's plans without hurting the team. He's potentially useful so long as he's in the lineup only against right-handed pitchers and never, ever allowed to man center field (at this stage of his career, his defense in center a€" a position he hasn't played since 2006 and hasn't played adequately since long before that a€" can charitably be described as "sub-Swisher"), but what are the odds that Ozzie Guillen is willing to make Griffey into a strict platoon player confined to the outfield corners, first base, and DH? Not high, we'd say.

Everybody wins.

The Red Sox, by purging Manny Ramirez and acquiring Jason Bay as a legitimate right-handed hitting replacement.

Milestone tracker:

Follow Randy Johnson's quest for 300 wins and Gary Sheffield's chase for 500 HR in the AT&T Milestone Tracker. The Pirates, by obtaining four young players for Bay, three of whom will contribute immediately, the fourth of whom could develop into a mid-rotation starter.

And finally, the Dodgers. Yes, the Dodgers. For once, the Dodgers were the biggest winners of all.

Commissioner Bud Selig might want to ask why one of the game's jewel franchises is unable to add payroll at the non-waiver deadline.

The Dodgers sure will look funny with outfielders Andruw Jones and Juan Pierre sitting on the bench, their combined salaries higher than the Marlins' entire payroll.

But at least general manager Ned Colletti turned it loose, acquiring Ramirez for a two-month burst in which everyone's favorite 8-year-old should be more motivated than at any point in his career.

Ramirez deserves scorn for pushing and limping and bad-mouthing his way out of Boston, for viewing his $20 million club option as a form of incarceration and not part of a signed contract.

Jeff Kent will love him, don't you think?

Of course, the Dodgers will overlook all of Manny's faults once he starts mashing, just as the Red Sox tolerated him when he formed the game's most dynamic 3-4 combination with David Ortiz.

For the Dodgers, locked in a tight race with the Diamondbacks in the mediocre NL West, there was everything to gain and little to lose.

The Dodgers weren't all that enamored of third baseman Andy LaRoche; otherwise, they would have passed on trading for Casey Blake. Class A right-hander Bryan Morris, the other player they sent to the Pirates, is at least two years away.

Meaningful losses, but replaceable with the two premium draft picks the Dodgers will receive if they decline to re-sign Ramirez as a free agent. Combine that with the payment they will receive from the Red Sox to cover the rest of Ramirez's salary, and they're getting a future Hall of Famer almost for free.

For months, weeks, years, the Dodgers have been a bane to rival clubs, exasperating them with their inscrutable front-office dynamics, their shifting trade offers, their inability to close deals.

An hour before Thursday's blockbuster, I sent a text message to an executive with one of the teams involved in the three-way discussions and asked the chances of the Dodgers landing Ramirez.

His response: "You know that process ..." And I could almost hear his sigh come through my cell phone.

Earlier this month, the Dodgers had a chance to land left-hander CC Sabathia, Blake and infielder Jamey Carroll from the Indians, but owner Frank McCourt rejected the deal because it would have added more than $7 million in payroll, according to major-league sources.

Well, give Colletti credit a€" he kept plugging. As it turns out, the Dodgers were better off passing on CC; Ramirez will make a greater impact on their offense than even Sabathia would have made on their rotation.

Never mind that the deal only happened because the Red Sox were utterly desperate to move Ramirez, and because the Marlins ultimately declined to pay the necessary price for him.

No one cares at the end.

Consider the Red Sox, who effectively traded two months of Ramirez, the approximately $7 million remaining on his contract, outfielder Brandon Moss and reliever Craig Hansen for a year plus two months of Bay.

"A steep price," one rival GM called it, but only in strict baseball terms. For the Red Sox, this deal goes far beyond baseball. Ramirez was a distraction, a drain on the franchise. His departure could give the team the same type of psychological lift that the trade of Nomar Garciaparra did for the 2004 club that won the World Series.

Bay is not Ramirez, not even close a€" that is, when Ramirez is trying. But Ramirez, at times, had stopped trying, stopped even playing, perhaps because his right knee was indeed injured. Without him, the Red Sox's offense still will be one of the league's best. Defensively, Bay will need to learn how to play the Green Monster, but c'mon, he's only replacing Manny.

A few days ago, I wrote that a Ramirez blockbuster was just the type of mountain that Red Sox GM Theo Epstein loves to climb. He essentially climbed it twice, first coming close on a three-way with the Marlins, then completing it with the Dodgers. Sure, the Red Sox's resources give Epstein an immense advantage. But he did what he had to do.

The Pirates, too, made the right call, trading Bay when his value was at its peak, rather than last offseason, after it had plummeted. True, none of the players they acquired looks like a future star. But in this trade and the much-maligned Xavier Nady/ Damaso Marte deal, the Pirates added eight young players. Some are bound to succeed.

LaRoche should be a solid major-league third baseman. Moss, in the Red Sox's own opinion, could start for many clubs. Hansen hasn't shown he can throw consistent strikes, but he might thrive outside of Boston, where he faced the pressure of being a former No. 1 pick. Morris already has had his Tommy John surgery a€" a good thing these days a€" and joins former Yankees Ross Ohlendorf and Daniel McCutchen as potential members of the Pirates' future rotation.

Pirates president Frank Coonelly and GM Neal Huntington already have taken a markedly different approach than their predecessors, demonstrating a willingness to make tough decisions and big deals. Whether Huntington chose the right players remains to be seen, but at least the Pirates were in there swinging with the Yankees and Red Sox.

The deadline is not for the faint of heart, and three-way negotiations only add to the stress. Epstein, Colletti and Huntington can breathe easier, at least for the moment.

Everybody wins.

Min

4 FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E

Twins 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 4 9 1

Indians 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 x 5 12 0

TV: FSN North-MN



Cle

5



Recap | Game Trax | Box Score | Play by Play | Depth Chart | Head-to-Head |

Minnesota Twins

BATTER GAME SEASON

AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR SB CS TB BB K LOB AVG OBP SLG

D Span RF-CF 4 1 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 0 .344 .432 .469

A Casilla 2B 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 .317 .355 .430

J Mauer C 4 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 .321 .416 .460

J Morneau 1B 4 1 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 0 1 .316 .388 .514

D Young LF 4 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 1 0 .293 .335 .397

C Monroe DH 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .199 .273 .404

a-M Lamb PH 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .229 .264 .304

b-M Redmond PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .284 .316 .338

B Harris 3B 4 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 1 .261 .315 .371

N Punto SS 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 .292 .349 .425

C Gomez CF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .248 .282 .347

J Kubel RF 3 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 .260 .327 .453

Totals 35 4 9 4 5 0 1 1 0 17 0 10 8 - - -

a-was announced for Monroe in 9th

b-lined out for Lamb in 9th

BATTING

2B: D Span (6), J Mauer (25), D Young (18), B Harris (16), J Kubel (11)



HR: J Morneau (16, 9th inning off Kobayashi 1 on, 0 out)

RBI: D Span (8), J Mauer (45), J Morneau 2 (75)

2-out RBI: D Span, J Mauer

Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: J Morneau, N Punto 2

Team LOB: 4

Scoring Opportunities: 2/8

BASERUNNING

SB: D Young (12)

FIELDING

E: A Casilla (8)

DP:

B.Harris to A.Casilla to Morneau

Punto to A.Casilla to Morneau





PITCHER GAME SEASON

IP H R ER BB K HR PIT B-S BFP ERA Opp AVG

L Hernandez (L, 10-7) 8.0 12 5 5 3 6 1 119 42-77 38 5.31 .336

Ground Balls: L Hernandez 13

Fly Balls: L Hernandez 8

Cleveland Indians

BATTER GAME SEASON

AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR SB CS TB BB K LOB AVG OBP SLG

G Sizemore CF 4 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 0 .274 .380 .544

J Carroll 2B 4 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 .278 .353 .348

A Cabrera 2B 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .185 .281 .247

B Francisco LF 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 .281 .341 .454

J Peralta SS 4 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 .270 .313 .490

S Choo DH 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 .256 .353 .450

C Blake 3B 4 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 2 .289 .365 .465

K Shoppach C 4 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 4 .253 .318 .456

R Garko 1B 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 .239 .313 .354

F Gutierrez RF 3 1 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 6 1 1 0 .223 .270 .352

Totals 33 5 12 5 3 0 1 0 0 18 3 6 15 - - -

BATTING

2B: J Peralta (28), K Shoppach (13), F Gutierrez (14)



HR: F Gutierrez (4, 2nd inning off Hernandez 0 on, 0 out)

SF: B Francisco, S Choo

RBI: B Francisco (37), S Choo (24), K Shoppach 2 (26), F Gutierrez (20)

2-out RBI: K Shoppach 2

Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: A Cabrera, B Francisco 2, K Shoppach, R Garko 2

GIDP: B Francisco, K Shoppach



Team LOB: 9

Scoring Opportunities: 3/11

FIELDING

DP:

Sizemore to Garko





PITCHER GAME SEASON

IP H R ER BB K HR PIT B-S BFP ERA Opp AVG

C Lee (W,---2) 8.0 6 2 2 0 10 0 108 28-80 29 2.29 .238

M Kobayashi 0.0 3 2 2 0 0 1 10 3-7 3 3.69 .254

R Perez (S, 1) 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 3-10 3 3.11 .243

Intentional Walks: G Sizemore (by L Hernandez)

Ground Balls: C Lee 12, M Kobayashi 1, R Perez 2

Fly Balls: C Lee 2, M Kobayashi 1, R Perez 0

Umpires:

Time of game: 2:37

Attendance: 33,512

Cleveland's Derek Anderson: A year ago, nobody with the Browns would have bet that Anderson would have started 15 of 16 games, winning 10 of them. Yes, he choked in Cincinnati when he fired four interceptions, causing the Browns to miss the playoffs. But Anderson is definitely the starter while poster boy Brady Quinn watches and waits. What makes Anderson's life all the easier is a great young tackle in Joe Thomas to protect him and two of the game's finest young receivers in Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow Jr.

Jacksonville's David Garrard: A backup to Byron Leftwich for years, Garrard was promoted by Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio and never looked back. He won Jacksonville's first playoff game since Tom Coughlin and had an NFL-low three interceptions for any quarterback with at least 12 starts. Garrard is hurt by the lack of big-game receivers, but he has a great feel in the pocket and rarely makes a mistake. Garrard holds all the keys to a franchise that is breathing down Peyton Manning's neck in the AFC South.

Denver's Jay Cutler: Cutler has the best deep-arm of the young guns, but for some reason Mike Shanahan hasn't been able to find enough quality receivers to suit his talents. Ex-Panther Keary Colbert is a starter and oldtimers like Sammi Parker and Darrell Jackson are on the roster. Yes, the Broncos are always going to run, but even there the stable looks bare after Selvin Young. If they ever re-do the roster, Cutler could win and put the Broncos back in the playoffs.

Indians weekly injury update

Cleveland Indians

Name Injury Status

Josh

Barfield, 2B Surgery, left finger - out 6-8 weeks on 15-day DL

(6/12)

Fausto

Carmona, P Left hip strain on 15-day DL

(5/24)

Scott

Elarton, P Non-baseball medical condition on 60-day DL

(6/30)

Travis

Hafner, DH Right shoulder strain on 15-day DL

(5/26)

Victor

Martinez, C Right elbow surgery - out 6-8 weeks on 15-day DL

(6/12)

Jake

Westbrook, P Right elbow surgery - out for season on 60-day DL

(5/29)

Cle

11 FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E

Indians 2 0 0 2 2 0 1 3 1 11-- 0

Angels 0 2 0 3 5 2 2 0 x-- 19 2

TV: FSN West



LAA

14



Recap | Game Trax | Box Score | Play by Play | Depth Chart | Head-to-Head |

Cleveland Indians

BATTER GAME SEASON

AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR SB CS TB BB K LOB AVG OBP SLG

G Sizemore CF 5 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 4 1 2 3 .272 .377 .544

D Dellucci DH 5 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 3 .225 .293 .386

B Francisco RF 5 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 .284 .346 .459

J Peralta SS 5 3 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 1 .267 .311 .488

S Choo LF 4 1 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 1 .252 .349 .449

R Garko 1B 5 2 3 4 0 0 1 0 0 6 0 1 3 .243 .317 .359

A Marte 3B 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 3 .186 .233 .278

a-C Blake PH-3B 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .287 .364 .464

S Fasano C 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 .300 .391 .350

b-J Carroll PH 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .274 .351 .345

A Cabrera 2B 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 .186 .282 .249

Totals 41 11-- 11 3 0 2 0 0 23 3 9 21 - - -

a-flied out for A.Marte in 8th

b-singled for Fasano in 9th

BATTING

2B: D Dellucci (14), B Francisco (21), S Choo (11)



HR: G Sizemore (25, 8th inning off O'Day 0 on, 1 out), R Garko (8, 4th inning off Lackey 1 on, 0 out)

RBI: G Sizemore (56), D Dellucci (33), J Peralta (52), S Choo 2 (23), R Garko 4 (49), A Marte (4), S Fasano (1)

2-out RBI: D Dellucci, R Garko 2, A Marte, S Fasano

Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: D Dellucci, B Francisco, A Marte, C Blake, S Fasano, A Cabrera

Team LOB: 10

Scoring Opportunities: 5/17

FIELDING

DP:

A.Marte to A.Cabrera to Garko





PITCHER GAME SEASON

IP H R ER BB K HR PIT B-S BFP ERA Opp AVG

A Laffey (L, 5-7) 4.0 12 8 8 2 2 0 77 31-46 25 4.23 .281

T Mastny 1.1 3 4 4 2 2 1 34 17-17 9--.90 .348

J Lewis 1.2 4 2 2 0 2 0 35---21 9 4.71 .288

J Rincon 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 15 7-8 3 6.15 .284

Wild Pitches: A Laffey

Hit by Pitch: A Cabrera (by J Lackey), D Dellucci (by D O'Day), B Francisco (by D O'Day)

Ground Balls: A Laffey 11, T Mastny 1, J Lewis 3, J Rincon 1

Fly Balls: A Laffey 4, T Mastny 3, J Lewis 2, J Rincon 1

Los Angeles Angels

BATTER GAME SEASON

AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR SB CS TB BB K LOB AVG OBP SLG

C Figgins 3B 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 .269 .368 .317

C Kotchman 1B 5 1 5 1 1 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 .289 .331 .433

E Aybar SS 5 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 2 .286 .315 .402

V Guerrero DH 5 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 6 .283 .342 .484

J Rivera RF 4 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 3 .248 .313 .376

R Willits RF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .185 .308 .231

H Kendrick 2B 5 3 4 3 3 0 0 0 0 7 0 1 1 .341 .361 .514

G Anderson LF 4 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 1 .266 .305 .398

G Matthews Jr. CF 3 2 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 2 .233 .311 .346

J Mathis C 5 2 4 6 1 0 1 0 0 8 0 0 0 .228 .304 .389

Totals 42-- 19 13 7 0 1 0 0 29 4 7 20 - - -

BATTING

2B: C Kotchman (24), E Aybar (11), H Kendrick 3 (23), G Anderson (15), J Mathis (5)



HR: J Mathis (8, 5th inning off Mastny 3 on, 0 out)

RBI: C Kotchman (48), E Aybar (25), H Kendrick 3 (32), G Matthews Jr. 2 (36), J Mathis 6 (34)

Runners moved up: E Aybar, J Rivera, G Anderson2

2-out RBI: C Kotchman, E Aybar, H Kendrick 2, J Mathis 2

Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: C Figgins 2, V Guerrero, J Rivera

GIDP: E Aybar



Team LOB: 8

Scoring Opportunities: 7/19

FIELDING

E: J Lackey (3), J Rivera (3)

DP:





PITCHER GAME SEASON

IP H R ER BB K HR PIT B-S BFP ERA Opp AVG

J Lackey (W, 8-2) 5.0 8 6 6 2 5 1 99 32-67 27 3.02 .245

J Speier 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 12 4-8 3 5.09 .248

D O'Day 1.1 3 4 4 0 1 1 30 12-18 9 3.89 .285

J Arredondo 1.1 3 1 1 1 2 0 27 9-18 8 1.33 .186

F Rodriguez (S, 42) 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0-1 1 2.18 .176

Intentional Walks: G Anderson (by A Laffey)

Ground Balls: J Lackey 5, J Speier 0, D O'Day 2, J Arredondo 1, F Rodriguez 1

Fly Balls: J Lackey 7, J Speier 2, D O'Day 3, J Arredondo 1, F Rodriguez 0

U.S. forward LeBron James likely will miss Friday's exhibition against Canada as he recovers from a mild right ankle sprain.

"If the gold medal game was tomorrow, he'd play," coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "But we're not playing the gold medal game, or a medal round game right now. So we would rather be cautious right now.

"I would say right now LeBron wouldn't play on Friday," Krzyzewski said. "I don't think that's a wise decision, especially if he hasn't practiced."

James injured his ankle when he landed on Kevin Durant's foot during a Tuesday scrimmage between Team USA and a select squad of young NBA players. James said it improved overnight, and he moved without a limp after reporters were admitted to the gym at the end of practice.

"It's a lot better today than it was yesterday," he said.

Asked if he thought he could play against Canada, James said, "Right now it's probably a 'no,' just for precautionary reasons. But I will be ready once we hit the road."

James has had problems with both ankles.

In January, James missed a game with the Cleveland Cavaliers because of an ankle sprain. He returned to score 28 points in a victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 2.

A few weeks later, James left a game against Boston late in the first half with an ankle injury. X-rays were negative and James returned for the start of the second.

"I've done it so many times, I don't know if it's right or left (ankle)," James said with a chuckle.

The Americans were relieved to learn that James' ankle responded well on Wednesday. Although they're heavily favored to bring home the gold medal for the first time since 2000, injuries could upset the fragile balance of a team that is still learning to play together.

"The team that can stay injury-free throughout these games, that's a very good team that's going to have the best chance of winning," James said. "So we need all 12 guys. No one can get hurt."

The U.S. has already dealt with an injury to another starter, center Dwight Howard, who is returning from a stress fracture to his sternum.

Meanwhile, Dwyane Wade, one of the top reserves, is coming back from left knee surgery. Krzyzewski said Wade has performed well this week.

"I think Dwyane has been terrific," Krzyzewski said. "The stuff he and (trainer) Tim Grover have done together in coming back shows that he's made an amazing commitment to being in topflight shape and getting over his injury. He's been kind of the most pleasant surprise of our three days because he didn't know what to expect because he was out the last portion of the season."

Players had at least a month off a€" and in some cases several months off a€" between the end of their NBA seasons and the start of training camp. But given the length of the regular season and the playoffs, it's no surprise that many players are coping with aches and pains.

Starting guard Kobe Bryant, for example, has a torn ligament in his right pinkie, which could require surgery after the Olympics. But the injury didn't stop Bryant from winning the NBA MVP award and leading the Los Angeles Lakers to the NBA finals.

"These guys are never 100 percent, and you know what, neither are the guys we're playing against, because they're either in the NBA or they're playing in the top league in Europe," Krzyzewski said. "I think that equals out. So for us to even talk about it, I think it shows a little weakness on our part.

"Although we're not making excuses, if we're always talking about injury, or recovering from injury or whatever, it's almost like, 'Feel sorry for us.' This is the way it is. A lot of people go to work sick and aching."

No more bronze medals for LeBron James. This time he's coming home with gold a€" and that's a guarantee.

James made his guarantee in a Time magazine story that hits newsstands Friday. The Cleveland Cavaliers superstar is featured on one of the covers of the Olympic preview issue.

After comparing the feeling of receiving a gold medal on the podium to opening a prized gift on Christmas morning, James was asked if that meant he would lead the Americans to the title.

"Absolutely," James responded.

Asked if he guaranteed it, he repeated, "Absolutely."

The Americans are the favorites, but they haven't won a major title since the 2000 Olympics. James was on third-place teams in the '04 games and the '06 world championships.

James has a mild sprained right ankle and likely won't play Friday when the Americans face Canada in an exhibition game before leaving for China.

My next Cleveland Indians report will not be as long as the firs one was

thank you

Cle

2 FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E

Indians 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 7 0

Angels 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 x 3 8 1

TV: FSN West



LAA

3



Recap | Game Trax | Box Score | Play by Play | Depth Chart | Head-to-Head |

Angel Stadium of Anaheim - Anaheim, California

Matt Ginter

Ht: 6' 1"

Wt: 220

Throws: Right

Bats: Right



Darren Oliver

Ht: 6' 2"

Wt: 200

Throws: Left

Bats: Right



L (1-1)

IP H ER BB K ERA

6.0 7 3 0 1 2.45

W (4-1)

IP H ER BB K ERA

2.2 1 0 0 1 3.30



Francisco Rodriguez

Ht: 6' 0"

Wt: 195

Throws: Right

Bats: Right



S (41)

IP H ER BB K ERA

1.0 0 0 1 2 2.20







K-Rod hits career saves mark for Angels

Francisco Rodriguez isn't pitching like someone moping around after losing $2.5 million in arbitration. If anything, he's pitching like someone who wants to break the bank when he becomes a free agent at season's end. Rodriguez recorded his 41st save Tuesday night, surpassing last season's total with 62 games remaining and securing a 3-2 victory for the Los Angeles Angels over the Cleveland Indians. "He obviously likes it here and wants to pitch here, but he also understands he's on the brink of what most players dream about - as far as leverage," manager Mike Scioscia said.

Full Story

Team Page: Indians | Angels

Scoring Summary

Top of 1st

- Sizemore homered to right on a 3-1 count.



Top of 2nd

- Gutierrez tripled to center, Shoppach scored.



Bottom of 2nd

- Mathis grounded into fielder's choice, third baseman Marte to second baseman Carroll, Kendrick scored, Rivera out.

- Willits singled to center, Mathis scored.



Bottom of 5th

- Mathis homered to left on a 2-2 count.



Season Series

Date Home Score Pitchers

Mon 4/7 LAA CLE 4 at

LAA 6 W: Shields

L: Borowski

Tue 4/8 LAA CLE 4 at

LAA 3 W: Westbrook

L: Speier

Wed 4/9 LAA CLE 5 at

LAA 9 W: Moseley

L: Byrd

Mon 7/21 LAA CLE 5 at

LAA 2 W: Byrd

L: Santana

Tue 7/22 LAA CLE 2 at

LAA 3 W: Oliver

L: Ginter

Date Home Time (ET)

Wed 7/23 LAA 3:35 pm

Fri 8/15 CLE 7:05 pm

Sat 8/16 CLE 3:55 pm

Sun 8/17 CLE 1:05 pm

Box Scores

Indians (44 - 55)

Season Stats | Roster | Tickets

Angels (61 - 39)

Season Stats | Roster | Tickets



Lineup

Name AB R H RBI BB

1. G Sizemore, CF 4 1 1 1 1

2. J Carroll, 2B-3B 4 0 1 0 0

2. R Garko, PH 1 0 0 0 0

3. B Francisco, DH 3 0 0 0 1

4. C Blake, 1B 3 0 1 0 1

5. S Choo, LF 4 0 0 0 0

6. K Shoppach, C 2 1 1 0 1

7. A Marte, 3B 3 0 0 0 0

7. J Peralta, PH-SS 1 0 0 0 0

8. F Gutierrez, RF 3 0 1 1 0

8. D Dellucci, PH 1 0 0 0 0

9. A Cabrera, SS-2B 4 0 2 0 0

Totals 33 2 7 2 4

Lineup

Name AB R H RBI BB

1. C Figgins, 3B 4 0 0 0 0

2. C Kotchman, 1B 4 0 0 0 0

3. M Izturis, SS 4 0 2 0 0

4. V Guerrero, RF 3 0 0 0 0

5. G Anderson, DH 3 0 0 0 0

6. H Kendrick, 2B 3 1 2 0 0

7. J Rivera, LF 3 0 1 0 0

7. G Matthews Jr., CF 0 0 0 0 0

8. J Mathis, C 3 2 1 2 0

9. R Willits, CF-LF 3 0 2 1 0

Totals 30 3 8 3 0





Pitcher

Name IP H R ER BB K ERA*

M Ginter

(L, 1-1) 6.0 7 3 3 0 1 2.45

R Betancourt 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 5.86

J Rincon 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 6.34

Pitcher

Name IP H R ER BB K ERA*

J Weaver 3.0 3 2 2 2 4 4.08

D Oliver

(W, 4-1) 2.2 1 0 0 0 1 3.30

J Arredondo

(H, 9) 1.1 3 0 0 0 1 1.05

S Shields

(H, 21) 1.0 0 0 0 1 2 2.95

F Rodriguez

(S, 41) 1.0 0 0 0 1 2 2.20



* = Season Stat



BATTING

2B: C Blake (24)

3B: F Gutierrez (2)

HR: G Sizemore (24)



BASERUNNING

SB: G Sizemore (24)CS: J Carroll (2), A Cabrera (2)

BATTING

HR: J Mathis (7)



BASERUNNING

SB: H Kendrick (7), J Mathis (2)



Complete Box Score

Player News

Indians

Fausto Carmona (CLE - P)

News: Carmona (hip) has been cleared to rejoin the rotation on Saturday after a side session on Tuesday went well, the team's official site reports. (RotoWire - Tue. Jul 22, 2008)

Joshua Rodriguez (CLE)

News: Rodriguez went 2-for-7 in a doubleheader on Monday for Double-A Akron. (RotoWire - Tue. Jul 22, 2008)

J.D. Martin (CLE)

News: Martin has been sent down from Triple-A Buffalo to Double-A Akron, The Buffalo News reports. (RotoWire - Tue. Jul 22, 2008)

Angels

Jered Weaver (LAA - P)

News: Weaver left Tuesday's game against the Indians after three innings due back tightness. (RotoWire - Tue. Jul 22, 2008)

Sean Rodriguez (LAA - 2B)

News: Rodriguez was recalled from Triple-A on Tuesday. (RotoWire - Tue. Jul 22, 2008)

Torii Hunter (LAA - CF)

News: Hunter has been placed on the bereavement list after leaving the team on Tuesday to be with his ailing grandmother, the Orange County Register reports. (RotoWire - Tue. Jul 22, 2008)



Injury Report

Indians

Name Injury Status

S Elarton Non-baseball medical condition on 60-day DL

J Barfield Surgery, left finger - out 6-8 weeks on 15-day DL

V Martinez Right elbow surgery - out 6-8 weeks on 15-day DL

J Westbrook Right elbow surgery - out for season on 60-day DL

T Hafner Right shoulder strain on 15-day DL

F Carmona Left hip strain on 15-day DL

Angels

Name Injury Status

J Weaver Left game - Tightness in back day-to-day

G Matthews Jr. Small tear in patella tendon, left knee day-to-day

M Napoli Right shoulder inflammation on 15-day DL

K Escobar Torn right labrum on 60-day DL

LAS VEGAS (AP) - As Team USA's practice ended, LeBron James reclined on a table with trainers tending to his sprained right ankle.

A horde of television cameramen surrounded James and the trainers before team officials shooed them away.

View more photos >>The Americans described the injury as minor. It occurred Tuesday when James landed on Kevin Durant's foot during a closed scrimmage between Team USA and a select squad of young NBA players at Valley High School.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski said he would know more on Wednesday, after James has had a chance to rest.

"He thinks it's a mild sprain," Krzyzewski said. "Our trainers think it's a mild sprain. So we'll find out tomorrow. But I don't think it's anything serious. Obviously, we'll look and see what happens tomorrow."

Until more is known, James' injury raises questions about whether the forward will be full-speed as the Olympics approach.

The U.S. has already dealt with an injury to another starter, center Dwight Howard, who is returning from a stress fracture to his sternum. And Dwyane Wade, one of the top reserves, is coming back from left knee surgery.

Team officials have been encouraged by Howard and Wade during training camp this week. They seemed equally optimistic about James.

"You never want to see anyone hurt, but he's had this sprain before," managing director Jerry Colangelo said. "We're being told it's a minor deal. Obviously, he's got to take care of it."

In January, James missed a game with the Cleveland Cavaliers because of an ankle sprain. He returned to score 28 points in a victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 2.

A few weeks later, James left a game against Boston late in the first half with an ankle injury. X-rays were negative and James returned for the start of the second.

On Tuesday, trainers wrapped the ankle in a black brace, and James hobbled off the court without speaking to reporters.

Several teammates spoke to James, but none seemed very concerned that he'll miss much time.

"I ain't concerned about that guy," Wade said. "That guy is a professional. I've seen that guy get hurt one time in the NBA and come back in the second half and score 30-something. I'm not worried about him. He's going to get healthy and it'll take care of itself."

The Americans have two more workouts before facing Canada in an exhibition on Friday. Then the squad leaves for Macau, where it opens a four-game exhibition tour. The Olympic opener is Aug. 10 against host China in Beijing.

The U.S. can replace injured players until a final roster is submitted Aug. 7. But no one was talking about James being left off the squad.

"We got time," teammate Carmelo Anthony said. "I think it's just a little mild ankle sprain. We got time. We need him to rest. We don't need him right now. We need him on Aug. 10."

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Packers talk with multiple teams on Brett Favre trade and at least one of those teams are from the NFC

Indians 5, Angels 2 Here comes our Tribe?

So, all it takes is a twelve-day rest?

Paul Byrd notched his first win since June 6th, despite a less-than stellar outing (9H, 2BB, 5.1 IP). In fact, Byrd's outing against the Tigers during his last appearance (which was later blown by a seven-run inning against the bullpen) was waybetter than last night's. Couple that with the fact that Ervin Santana struck out eight and walked none (in fact, no walks were given during the entire game) in seven innings and this was a bit of a bizzaro game.

I guess it helps when 33 percent of your hits are home runs, eh?

Said contributors to the long ball were Andy Marte (who went 2-for-4 on the evening), Casey Blake (also 2-for-4), and Jhonny Peralta. Given that the team only had six other hits, it comes as little surprise that only Blake's came with a runner on. Franklin Gutierrez and Asdrubal Cabrera combined to go 0-for-8 with three strikeouts, but aside from that disaster, every other member of the Tribe was on base.

A quick aside: LA's seventh batter last night was Howie Kendrick, the much-heralded yet oft-injured second baseman. He is batting .325a€¦and is batting seventh. Our seventh hitter was Marte, who just upped his average to .187. Though Marte is batting .278 for the month, I think this speaks volumes for this year's team.

Don't look now, but Grady Sizemore (.273), Casey Blake (.287) and Ben Francisco (.289) are all within sniffing distance of the .300 mark. Granted, Blake could be gone within the next 10 days, but at least some of our team has improved their hitting for average. And while he is frustrating the heck out of us in the field, Jhonny Peralta is 10-for-25 with three home runs and 10 RBI over the last seven days. I actually had to look at that twice myself, so I don't blame you for re-reading it.

Fausto Carmona has officially been penciled in to start Saturday's game against the Twins. It will be his first appearance on the hill since the May 23rd hip injury. Let's hope he regains his control and can continue to roll the Twins like he did last season (3-1, 1.45 ERA). Until then, two more against the Halosa€¦

Hi since i am a huge!Indians fans and they arent doing particularly well i am going to break down every game with the score and the stats so come to my page if you wanna hear about the tribe or any other Northeastern ohio teams

thank you

With the 2008 All-Star game behind us, the second half of the season is upon us. This is where the contenders show their worth and the pretenders fade away. The Yankees have been known as a good second half team over the past few seasons but this might very well be the toughest second half of recent memory.

The Yankees are 51-45 and 5.5 games out of first place. 66 games to go. Now granted this is no reason to be alarmed, BUT do you really think Sidney Ponson is going to continue to pitch effectively throughout the second half? Do you think Richie Sexson will be that much of a help in the lineup? Those two are replacing ace Chien-Ming Wang and slugger Hideki Matsui. Mighty big shoes to fill. How much longer is Mike Mussina going to pitch like its 1999? All of these are BIG questions going into the second half. How about Melky Cabrera in CF? When the heck is he going to hit? Robinson Cano, when does he show us that talent that makes him so untouchable? My friends, I think these Yanks are in serious trouble.

The Yankees were 49-46 after 95 games last season. They ended up winning 94 games. I am a fan and sometimes that alters my thinking of the team and what's realistic but this time, this year I don't see the fight in this team. I don't sense it. I want to believe the Yankees will be playing October baseball but I just don't believe they have it in them. I will admit despite all the injuries (Wang-September, Matsui-Out for the year?, Phil Hughes- September?, Ian Kennedy- ?, A-Rod- 3 weeks, Jorge Posada- 6 weeks, Johnny Damon- a few weeks) the Yanks have done a good job in staying in the race. The Tampa Bay Rays will give the Yanks and Red Sox a run for their money this summer but will eventually fade out. It's the Yanks job to gain ground as the end of the season approaches.

The reason for concern is the .254 hitting with runners in scoring position (heading into last night's game). They hit .293 in similar situations last season.

"It's something that's hard to make sense of," general manager Brian Cashman said. "I have to have belief that these guys will hit because that is what they have done in the past. I have to go on what their track records have been."

But again, these are not Joe Torre's Yankees, it's Joe Girardi's team now. We will now see how much of the last few season was Torre's doing or was it the players? The Bombers have 35 games left on the road, 43 games against teams with a record over .500. Things have to get going now. I've said it all season that I will wait until at least the All-Star break to look at where the Yanks are and what their situation is and what lies ahead of them. Well, at this time, things don't look good in the Bronx. I don't want to count them out just yet, but they're not showing me anything worth believing October baseball is in the future.

In order to reach 94 wins the Yankees will have to go 44-23. It's possible and I hope they do make it. But I predict a 39-27 second half. The result of injuries, inconsistent play and lack of clutch hitting. This will leave them with a 90-72 record. I honestly think even that is a stretch for this team but I'm trying to be as realistic as possibe. The Yanks don't take the divison, the wild card is certainly a possiblity because how many AL teams are going to finish with 90 wins?

"I think we can get it done with the players we have," Derek Jeter said. "There's enough talent on this team to get it done."

Is the captain speaking out of confidence or is he speaking like someone who just happens to always say the right thing?

"It's time for us to get going" Girardi said.

I couldn't agree more. I hope the Yanks prove me wrong.