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Strop to act as Cubs' closer down the stretch

Pedro Strop will serve as the Cubs' closer for the remainder of the 2013 regular season.

Kevin Gregg will operate in a setup role. "It’s going to be an opportunity [for Strop]," manager Dale Sveum said Thursday. "We want to see what he does in that role. Kevin [Gregg] has been one of the better closers in all of baseball. God knows where we’d be without him."

Source: MLBlogs.com

Thu, Sep 19, 2013 01:13:00 PM

Kershaw strikes out 11 in CG victory over SDP

Clayton Kershaw rolled into the All-Star break with another dominant performance in Thursday's complete game victory over the Padres, racking up 11 strikeouts and allowing only one run.

Kershaw's only mistake came in the form of Chase Headley's sixth inning solo homer, one of three San Diego hits; they also drew one walk. But it wasn't all good news: Kershaw's scoreless innings streak ended at 41 2/3 when Headley's drive left the yard, the first run the left-hander had allowed since June 13 against Arizona. It was the longest single-season scoreless streak since Brandon Webb hurled 42 straight in 2007. Orel Hershiser has the most in the major league divisional era with 59. Kershaw is on his way to another Cy Young award with a 10-2 record and 1.83 ERA in 14 outings.

Jul 11 - 12:56 AM

Hunter has another big game in rout of Royals

Torii Hunter finished 3-for-6 with two RBI singles and a solo home run as the Tigers walked all over the Royals in a win on Thursday.

Hunter has turned his season around with a hot start to July. Thursday's three-hit performance marked his sixth multi-hit game in nine games this month. The outfielder now has 12 home runs, 52 RBI, and a .276/.298/.455 slash line.

Jul 10 - 11:52 PM

Trout logs 4 hits, 4 RBI as Angels rout TEX

Mike Trout went 4-for-5 with a home run, four RBI, and three runs scored as the Angels routed the Rangers on Thursday.

Trout singled in a run in the second, then blasted a three-run home run in the third inning. Shortly into the season's fourth month, Trout has been making a strong case to win his first career AL MVP award. The 22-year-old has 21 home runs, 68 RBI, 10 stolen bases, and a .310/.401/.602 slash line.

Jul 10 - 11:24 PM

Cabrera's bases-clearing 3B helps Tribe win

Asdrubal Cabrera ripped a game-tying three-run triple in the seventh inning, helping the Indians come from behind and win against the Yankees on Thursday.

He would later score the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly. Cabrera also walked and singled in five plate appearances on the evening. The shortstop has a mediocre .251/.312/.398 slash line with eight home runs and 37 RBI on the season.

Jul 10 - 10:42 PM

McCutchen fills up the box score as PIT wins

Andrew McCutchen did a little of everything on Thursday, logging two hits, knocking in two runs, scoring twice, and stealing two bases as the Pirates trampled the Cardinals in a 9-1 victory.

The cornerstone of the Pirates' franchise showed why he's now a five-time All-Star and the defending NL MVP. McCutchen singled, then stole second and third base before scoring in the first inning. He singled in a run and later scored in the fifth, and drove in another run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth. McCutchen owns an impressive .318/.415/.539 slash line with 14 home runs, 18 RBI, and 15 stolen bases.

Jul 10 - 10:38 PM

Volquez pitches complete game gem vs. Cards

Edinson Volquez pitched a complete game gem against the Cardinals, allowing just one run en route to a win on Thursday.

It's only the second complete game of the veteran's career and his first since July 19, 2012. The right-hander has been nearly untouchable in his last four starts, having posted a 0.90 ERA over 30 innings. On this night, Volquez allowed six hits, walked two, and struck out five. In what has been a renaissance season, Volquez will carry a 3.65 ERA, a 1.21 WHIP, and a 73/37 K/BB ratio into the All-Star break.

Jul 10 - 10:25 PM

Harang limits Mets to one run to grab 9th win

Aaron Harang earned win number nine after limiting the Mets to one run over seven innings of work in Thursday's start.

Harang has now won four consecutive contests. Thursday's start was the 14th out of 19 in which Harang has allowed two or fewer earned runs as well. Overall, the right-hander allowed only four hits while walking four and striking out two. The 36-year-old right-hander owns a 3.53 ERA, a 1.38 WHIP, and a 95/44 K/BB ratio heading into the All-Star break.

Jul 10 - 10:09 PM

X-rays on Desmond's hand come back clean

X-rays on Ian Desmond's right hand came back clean.

Desmond had to leave Thursday's game after being hit on the hand by a pitch, but it appears he's dodged a bullet. He could sit out a game or two due to soreness, but the shortstop will avoid the disabled list.

Source: Dan Kolko on Twitter

Jul 10 - 10:06 PM

Pearce blasts 11th homer in win vs. Nats

Steve Pearce singled and hit a solo home run in four at-bats as the Orioles defeated the Nationals on Thursday.

Pearce hasn't logged a hit since Sunday, as he only had one at-bat when the O's were in Washington playing without the DH and was held hitless on Wednesday at home. The homer got the scoring started in the bottom of the first. In only 198 plate appearances, Pearce has 11 home runs, 31 RBI, and a .322/.379/.583 slash line.

Jul 10 - 9:55 PM

Masahiro Tanaka has partially torn UCL

Masahiro Tanaka has been diagnosed with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament.

Oh boy. The Yankees are saying that the tear is small and Tanaka could return after six weeks following a platelet-rich plasma injection. The club noted that the right-hander has seen three doctors and none of them have recommended surgery at this point. However, general manager Brian Cashman also isn't ruling out an operation eventually being required. Tanaka is in the first year of a seven-year, $155 million contract.

Source: Bryan Hoch on Twitter

Jul 10 - 9:01 PM

Cliff Lee scheduled to return on July 19

Phillies transferred LHP Cliff Lee from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list.

It's a paper move, as Lee will be eligible to return on July 18 and is slated to rejoin the Phillies' rotation on July 19. The veteran left-hander allowed three earned runs over four innings Wednesday at High-A Clearwater in his second rehab start. He'll make one more rehab appearance before returning.

Source: Matt Gelb on Twitter

Jul 10 - 8:48 PM