 |
 |
 |
|
CINCINNATI -- Ben Sheets had so much ice tightly wrapped around his achy arm that it stuck out as he eased into the black, leather couch in the clubhouse, looking for a little relief.
| Advertisement |
|||
| |||
What a worrisome sight for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Sheets dominated for five innings before a tight pitching arm forced him from the game Friday night and left his immediate future in doubt. The bullpen held on for a 5-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds that will be remembered for something else.
Is Sheets hurt again?
"It's just sore," Sheets said, acknowledging he was a little worried. "It's really sore. It's kind of a crampiness in there."
Sheets (3-0) felt soreness in his right triceps last Monday, the day after his 5-3 win over the Mets and Johan Santana. The hard-throwing right-hander with a history of injuries retired 18 in a row in that one.
The soreness didn't go away all week. The arm was still bothering him Friday night, though no one could tell by the results. Sheets allowed only a pair of singles in five innings, looking very comfortable in a hitter-friendly ballpark where he has never lost.
Up 5-0, manager Ned Yost decided not to send him up to bat in the top of the sixth. Full story
Nationals 6, Marlins 4
MIAMI -- Nick Johnson hit a three-run double and drove in four runs, leading the Washington Nationals to a win over the Florida Marlins.
Johnson's two-out double in the seventh inning off reliever Taylor Tankersley helped the Nationals end a three-game skid. Washington, which had lost 12 of 13, scored only five runs in being swept by the Mets.
Tim Redding (3-1) pitched six innings, allowing four runs on three hits, while striking out a career-high 10.
Redding was cruising with a one-hitter until the sixth. With one out, he hit Hanley Ramirez with a pitch. Ramirez stole second and scored on a two-out single by Jeremy Hermida. Josh Willingham homered off the top of the left-field scoreboard to give the Marlins a 4-3 lead.
Cubs 3, Pirates 2
CHICAGO -- Earlier in his career, Rich Hill might never have regained control after beginning a game with a four-pitch walk.
Hill struggled at times with his command but won for the first time in three starts this season, helping the Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates for their ninth victory in 12 games.
"It wasn't anything mechanically that had to be adjusted, it was just the approach," Hill said. "I stayed aggressive. I always talk about that; staying aggressive and attacking. The game previous to this one, against the same team, I wasn't doing that. It's almost to prove something to yourself, to go out there and pitch like you know how to pitch."
Hill (1-0) combined with four relievers on a six-hitter, allowing one run, three hits and three walks in five innings with four strikeouts. Jon Lieber, Sean Marshall, Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood followed, with Wood pitching a perfect ninth for his fourth save in five chances.
Cardinals 11, Giants 1
ST. LOUIS -- Matt Cain absorbed the worst beating of his career from the same team he held hitless for six innings last weekend.
Albert Pujols hit a three-run homer to cap a six-run fourth inning, Skip Schumaker and Chris Duncan each had two hits and two RBI with a walk in their first three at-bats, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the San Francisco Giants.
St. Louis reached a season best for runs and tied its high for hits, also against the Giants a week ago, in a game that began in 53-degree chill.
The 23-year-old Cain (0-2), whose 3.65 ERA was 10th in the National League last year, allowed a personal-high nine runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings. The outing, which included Duncan's two-run homer in the third, surpassed the eight runs he allowed the Cubs in 5 1/3 innings on May 10, 2006.
Diamondbacks 9, Padres 0
PHOENIX -- Conor Jackson matched a career high with four hits, including two triples and a home run, and the Arizona Diamondbacks routed the weary San Diego Padres.
After losing a 22-inning game to Colorado and arriving in Phoenix at about 4 a.m. Friday, the Padres fell behind 6-0 in the first inning and offered little resistance to Arizona starter Dan Haren (3-0), who gave up three hits in seven innings, walking one and striking out three.
The Padres have now scored one run in their last 35 innings. They didn't score in the last four innings of a 10-2 loss to Colorado on Wednesday night.
Arizona extended its dominance of San Diego's Greg Maddux (2-1), who allowed nine runs and 13 hits, one shy of his career highs in both categories. He pitched seven innings, walking three and striking out four.
Rockies 11, Astros 5
HOUSTON -- The Colorado Rockies didn't look tired.
Troy Tulowitzki had two doubles and three RBI, Garrett Atkins had an RBI single and a two-run homer and the Rockies beat the Houston Astros less than 20 hours after winning a 22-inning marathon in San Diego.
Jeff Baker and Chris Iannetta had two RBIs apiece as Colorado won in Minute Maid Park for just the third time in its last 14 games here.
The Rockies arrived in Houston about 8:30 a.m. Friday after beating the Padres 2-1 in a game that lasted over six hours and ended about 3:30 a.m. Texas time. Colorado's team bus got caught in morning rush-hour traffic heading to the team hotel.
