Masterson finally wins, Indians beat White Sox

Baseball

Justin Masterson repeatedly escaped trouble to snap an 11-decision losing streak and Jhonny Peralta hit a pair of two-run doubles as the Cleveland Indians beat the Chicago White Sox 10-1 on Friday night.

Masterson (1-5), acquired from Boston last July 31 in the Victor Martinez trade, hadn't won in 17 starts since beating the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 20. He came within two of the club-record 13 straight losses set by Guy Morton in 1914.

His streak-buster wasn't pretty — five hits, six walks and two hit batters in 5 2-3 innings — but it finally gave the last-place Indians some good news.

They would have had a perfect game pitched against them Wednesday if not for an umpiring mistake. They were routed by Detroit the next day. And a few hours before Friday's game, All-Star center fielder Grady Sizemore underwent season-ending knee surgery.

The trip to Chicago came along at just the right time. The Indians are 7-3 against the White Sox, 13-30 against everybody else.

In losing for the ninth time in its last 13 home games, Chicago fell to 23-31.

John Danks (4-5) took a 1-0 lead into the sixth but couldn't get out of the inning. Shin-Soo Choo led off with a double, Austin Kearns walked and Russell Branyan singled to load the bases before Peralta drove a 3-2 pitch off the left-field wall to put Cleveland ahead.

After Branyan was thrown out at home on Travis Hafner's grounder, Shelley Duncan hit an RBI double and Luis Valbuena chased Danks with a run-scoring single to make it 4-1.

Danks, who allowed four runs on nine hits in 5 1-3 innings, is 1-5 with a 5.05 ERA since going 3-0 with a 1.55 ERA in April. He has a 3-6 career record against the Indians, including 0-4 at home.

The only run off Masterson came on Alexei Ramirez's fourth-inning homer, but the White Sox had multiple baserunners every inning against him. Duncan's diving catch in left saved two runs in the second.

In the sixth, Masterson walked Mark Kotsay on four pitches and hit Carlos Quentin with a 2-1 delivery, but A.J. Pierzynski grounded into a double play on the next pitch. After Ramirez walked, reliever Frank Herrmann made his major league debut and got Gordon Beckham to fly out.

Herrmann was called up earlier in the day from Triple-A Columbus, where he had a 0.31 ERA and finished with a scoreless streak of 27 1-3 innings.

The 26-year-old right-hander immediately helped the AL's most-generous bullpen (5.58 ERA entering Friday), retiring all four batters he faced. Jensen Lewis and Rafael Perez followed with a scoreless inning each.

Peralta made it 6-1 in the seventh with another two-run double. In the eighth, Kearns had a two-run homer and Trevor Crowe added a two-run triple.

Peralta also singled twice, while Kearns and Valbuena had three hits apiece.

NOTES: To make room for Herrmann, the Indians designated RHP Jamey Wright for assignment. The 35-year-old righty was 1-2 with a 5.48 ERA in 18 relief appearances. ... White Sox 1B Paul Konerko got the night off. Going into Friday, he was tied for the AL lead with 16 HRs but he has a career .182 average against Masterson. Kotsay, his replacement, drew three walks.

Kendall helps Royals beat Tigers 7-3

Baseball

Jason Kendall had three hits and three RBIs to help Bruce Chen and the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 7-3 on Friday night.

Scott Podsednik went 2 for 3 and scored three times for the Royals, who finished with 13 hits. David DeJesus drove in two runs.

Chen (2-0) gave up two runs and four hits in five-plus innings to earn his first win as a starter since Aug. 6. Chen, subbing for injured right-hander Gil Meche, made his second start after 10 relief appearances.

Chen walked Magglio Ordonez and gave up a single to Miguel Cabrera before being replaced by Kyle Farnsworth. Brennan Boesch, who leads all rookies with 25 RBIs, hit Farnsworth's first pitch over the wall in right to cut Kansas City's lead to 4-3.

The Royals responded with three runs in the bottom half. Podsednik singled in Alberto Callaspo with two out and Kendall followed with a base hit to right, scoring Yuniesky Betancourt and Podsednik.

Max Scherzer (2-5), who struck out over 5 2-3 innings in his previous start, gave up five runs and nine hits in five-plus innings. He struck out three and walked two.

The Royals scored three times in the second inning. Kendall and DeJesus each singled in a run, and Betancourt had a sacrifice fly.

DeJesus added a sacrifice fly in the fifth to make it 4-0.

NOTES: Tigers 2B Carlos Guillen has a sore big left toe after fouling a pitch off his foot Thursday and was held out of the starting lineup. Royals LHP John Parrish (shoulder inflammation) threw batting practice. He likely will start a minor league rehab assignment early next week. Royals 2B Mike Aviles, who was dropped from second to seventh in the batting order, snapped an 0-for-12 skid with a second-inning single.

Wainwright goes distance as Cards top Brewers 8-0

Baseball

Adam Wainwright threw a complete game and Colby Rasmus drilled a two-run homer to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to an 8-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night.

Wainwright (8-3), in his 98th career start, gave up two hits in the first complete-game shutout of his career. He struck out eight, walked one, and retired the last 18 hitters he faced after a leadoff walk to Prince Fielder in the fourth inning.

Wainwright is 5-0 at home and has allowed just two earned runs in his last three starts covering 21 innings.

St. Louis won for the sixth time in eight games and broke a four-game home losing streak against the Brewers, who have won 13 of their last 17 at Busch Stadium.

Milwaukee lost for the fifth time in six games.

Rasmus pounded his ninth homer of the season in the sixth to put St. Louis up 4-0.

Albert Pujols drove in two runs, one on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the third — his 152nd career RBI with the bases loaded.

Milwaukee starter Randy Wolf (4-5) sent the first six batters down in order on 20 pitches before running into trouble in the third. Rasmus drew a leadoff walk and Brendan Ryan followed with a single up the middle. One out later, Rasmus scored on a grounder to third by Felipe Lopez.

Wolf gave up five earned runs in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out four and walked four.

Matt Holliday added an RBI double in the seventh and Ryan Ludwick had a two-run double in a three-run eighth inning.

Brendan Ryan improved to 6-for-10 lifetime against Wolf with two of the Cardinals' nine hits.

NOTES: St. Louis Rams QB Sam Bradford, the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, threw out the first pitch with fellow Oklahoman Matt Holliday on the receiving end. ... Cardinals RHP Kyle Lohse had a soft cast removed from his surgically repaired forearm Friday, although the arm is still wrapped until stitches dissolve, and expects it'll be another week until there's a better idea of a timetable for his rehab. ... A representative for major league baseball visited with Brewers manager Ken Macha before the game about pace issues. Macha said the team's two young catchers have occasionally crossed signals with pitchers. ... Milwaukee SS Alcides Escobar made a pair of fine defensive plays in the fifth inning. He robbed Ryan Ludwick of a hit with a diving catch. ... The Cardinals recorded their seventh sellout of the season (43,261).

Astros beat Cubs, Zambrano for fourth straight win

Baseball

Felipe Paulino struck out seven in eight effective innings, outpitching Carlos Zambrano and helping the Houston Astros beat the Chicago Cubs 3-1 on Friday night for their fourth straight win.

Michael Bourn had three hits and scored twice as the Astros finally provided enough offense to get Paulino his first win. Lance Berkman drove in two runs.

Houston was averaging 1.97 runs in games started by Paulino (1-7) this season, the lowest support in the majors for any regular starter.

Matt Lindstrom pitched a perfect ninth to earn his 12th save after blowing his previous two chances.

The Cubs have lost four in a row and scored only one or two runs in six of their last seven games.

Zambrano (1-4) allowed three runs and six hits over 4 1-3 innings in his first start since April 20. The $91.5 million right-hander was moved to Chicago's shaky bullpen after opening the season with a 1-2 record and a 7.45 ERA in four starts.

Zambrano was 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA in four previous starts against the Astros, including a no-hitter in September 2008, but he struggled with his control early on, leading to a short outing.

Bourn led off the first with a single, advanced on Jeff Keppinger's groundout and scored on Berkman's drive to the left-field corner. Left fielder Alfonso Soriano threw the ball to the infield in time for the Cubs to catch Berkman in a rundown between first and second.

Houston loaded the bases when Zambrano gave up a double to Carlos Lee and two-out walks to Cory Sullivan and Geoff Blum. Pitching coach Larry Rothschild visited the mound, and Pedro Feliz popped up to end Zambrano's 34-pitch inning.

Paulino escaped a bases-loaded jam in the third when Aramis Ramirez fouled out to Berkman to end the inning.

The Cubs had a scare in the fifth when rookie shortstop Starlin Castro was shaken up sliding into third on Zambrano's bunt up the third-base line. Third baseman Feliz threw out Zambrano and catcher Humberto Quintero ran to third to take the throw from first.

Quintero and Castro collided, and Castro stayed down as manager Lou Piniella and the Cubs' medical staff came out to check on him. Castro remained in the game and scored on Marlon Byrd's double to the left-field corner.

Bourn singled in the bottom half, stole second and scored on Keppinger's single. Bourn leads the NL with 18 stolen bases.

Piniella then replaced Zambrano with left-hander Tom Gorzelanny, who was making his first relief appearance after nine starts this season. Berkman drove Gorzelanny's first pitch off the left-field scoreboard for a double to give Houston a 3-1 lead.

Paulino struck out at least one hitter in every inning between the fourth and the eighth. Bourn helped Paulino with a sharp defensive play in the seventh, chasing down Mike Fontenot's drive to the warning track in left-center.

Paulino retired the last seven batters he faced.

NOTES: The Cubs are 3-23 when scoring three runs or less. ... Sullivan started in right field in place of Hunter Pence. Pence was hitting .395 with three homers in his last 11 games, but had a .227 lifetime average against Zambrano. "The matchup, I thought, really wasn't in his favor," manager Brad Mills said. Pence replaced Sullivan in the fifth to face Gorzelanny. ... Piniella adjusted his upcoming rotation after Wednesday's game in Pittsburgh was postponed until Monday. RHP Ryan Dempster (3-5, 3.72 ERA) will start Saturday's game and RHP Randy Wells (3-3, 4.40 ERA) is slated to start Sunday's finale. Carlos Silva (7-0, 3.12 ERA) will start the makeup game against the Pirates.

Desmond has winning RBI, is thrown out as Nats win

Baseball

Ian Desmond hit a RBI single to break a seventh-inning tie, and was then in the center of a wild sacrifice-fly double-play two plays later as the Washington Nationals beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-2.

Josh Willingham led off the seventh with a single, and Roger Bernadina reached on an error when centerfielder Drew Stubbs collided with left fielder Jonny Gomes. Desmond's RBI single gave Washington a 3-2 lead, and a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third with one out.

Willie Harris lifted a short fly ball to center field. Stubb's throw home bounced off the mound and high in the air, allowing Bernadina to score and Desmond took off for third. Desmond beat the throw, but his foot appeared to momentarily come off the bag at the end of his slide. Third base umpire Paul Schrieber ruled Desmond safe. Dusty Baker came out to argue the call and crew chief Joe West, who was working first base, overturned the call. As the Nationals argued the reversal, West threw Desmond out of the game.

Tyler Clippard (8-3) earned the win for working a scoreless seventh inning, allowing one hit. Matt Capps closed the ninth for his 18th save in 21 chances.

Enerio Del Rosario (1-1) took the loss for Cincinnati, who have lost four of their last five games.

Cincinnati starter Aaron Harang, who had lasted at least six innings in his past seven starts, had his shortest outing of the season, giving up two runs on eight hits in four innings.

Washington starter Livan Hernandez gave up two runs on eight hits in six innings. Hernandez got a helping hand by Bernadina's diving catch to end the sixth inning and preserve a 2-all tie.

Ramon Hernandez's RBI single gave the Reds a 1-0 lead in the second inning. The Nationals tied the game in the bottom of the inning on Cristian Guzman's bloop run-scoring single into left field.

In the third inning, Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn led off with back-to-back singles, and Bernadina put the Nationals ahead 2-1 with an one-out RBI single. Brandon Phillips tied the game at 2 in the fifth inning with an RBI single.

NOTES: Nationals C Ivan Rodriguez, on the disabled list since May 24 (lower back strain), could return by Tuesday, according to manager Jim Riggleman. Riggleman said Rodriguez would first make a rehab appearance with Single-A Potomac and the schedule for his return would be set this weekend. ... Cincinnati RHP Homer Bailey threw a bullpen session Friday. Bailey, who has been on the DL since May 24 (right shoulder) said he felt good after throwing. ... Several Reds, including Harang, visited wounded troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center Friday morning. ... The crowd of 33,774 was the largest at Nationals Park since opening day. Ticket sales had been fueled by widespread speculation 2009 No. 1 draft choice Stephen Strasburg would make his Washington debut against the Reds until the Nationals announced Monday he would debut on June 8.

Halladay leads Phillies past Padres

Baseball

Roy Halladay pitched seven innings in his first start since his perfect game, working out of trouble to help the Philadelphia Phillies beat the San Diego Padres 3-2 on Friday night.

Shane Victorino homered and scored the go-ahead run on Jayson Werth's two-out, bases-loaded walk against Mat Latos in the fifth.

Halladay (8-3) allowed 10 hits and walked one, but held San Diego to two runs in his first game since his gem at Florida last Saturday. The right-hander received a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 45,080 as he walked in from the bullpen.

Jose Contreras and J.C. Romero combined to pitch the eighth, and Brad Lidge tossed a perfect ninth inning for his second save.

Latos (5-4) issued a season-high four walks in five innings, yielding three runs and four hits. The righty entered with a 1.29 ERA in his previous five outings.

The Phillies managed only five hits and struck out 11 times. They were coming off a 2-7 trip to NL East rivals New York, Florida and Atlanta.

Halladay singled with one out in the third and scored on Victorino's homer to right field.

Tony Gwynn Jr. hit an RBI single in the second and Adrian Gonzalez added a sacrifice fly in the fifth for NL West-leading San Diego, which lost right fielder Will Venable in the fifth inning when he jammed his neck sliding into third. He was replaced by Chris Denorfia.

Halladay singled with one out in the third and scored on Victorino's ninth homer.

Umpire Jim Joyce, whose blown call at first base cost Detroit pitcher Armando Galarraga a perfect game on Wednesday, was at third for the first game of the series. He was greeted with a smattering of boos during pregame introductions.

NOTES: Phillies LHP J.A. Happ (left forearm strain) pitched two innings in an extended spring training game, throwing 28 pitches. General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Happ felt "comfortable," and is scheduled to pitch three innings for Single-A Clearwater on Tuesday. ... Phillies reliever Ryan Madson (broken right big toe) had the walking boot removed from his foot. ... Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins (strained right calf) took batting practice. ... San Diego reinstated C Yorvit Torrealba from the restricted list, and optioned Dusty Ryan to Triple-A Portland. ... Padres SS Everth Cabrera, (strained hamstring), took grounders before the game.

Buchholz, Red Sox top Orioles 11-0 in Samuel debut

Baseball

Clay Buchholz pitched a five-hitter for his second career shutout, Marco Scutaro homered and scored three runs, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 11-0 Friday night to ruin the managerial debut of Juan Samuel.

Kevin Youkilis and Adrian Beltre also homered for the Red Sox, who have won six straight on the road.

Buchholz (8-3) walked one and struck out two in his third career complete game and first shutout since he no-hit the Orioles on Sept. 1, 2007. The right-hander is 5-0 with a 0.99 ERA in his last five starts and has won nine successive starts on the road, a streak that began last August.

Samuel was hired as Baltimore's interim manager Friday morning after the team fired Dave Trembley. In explaining the move, president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said he was "hoping to ignite a spark."

It didn't happen against the Red Sox, who led 3-0 after one inning and 7-0 after four.

Orioles starter Chris Tillman (0-1) allowed seven of the 11 batters he faced to reach base. The right-hander yielded four runs, five hits and two walks in 1 1-3 innings, the shortest outing by an Orioles starter this season.

Despite the change in managers, the Orioles experienced a familiar sensation in the top of the first. After Boston used a single and two walks to load the bases with no outs, Victor Martinez hit a run-scoring grounder and J.D. Drew followed with a two-run double.

Baltimore has been outscored 40-18 in the first inning this season.

The second inning wasn't much better. Dustin Pedroia hit an RBI single to chase Tillman and make it 4-0.

Youkilis connected off Mark Hendrickson with two on and two outs in the fourth. All the runs were unearned because Orioles catcher Matt Wieters let a third strike slip through to the screen, a passed ball that allowed Bill Hall to reach first.

Beltre greeted Matt Albers by hitting his seventh homer leading off the fifth, and Scutaro hit a solo shot in the eighth to make it 9-0.

NOTES: Jon Lester, 10-0 lifetime against Baltimore, will start for Boston on Saturday night. ... Baltimore 3B Miguel Tejada has gone 127 at-bats without a homer, the second-longest drought of his career. ... Boston OF Jeremy Hermida left the game with a bruised left forearm. ... Orioles first base coach John Shelby missed the game to attend his daughter's high school graduation. He was replaced by bench coach Jeff Datz. ... Boston starters have gone at least six innings in six straight games. ... One-fourth of Buchholz's 20 career wins have come against Baltimore.

Dickey, K-Rod and Mets hold off Marlins 4-3

Baseball

R.A. Dickey won his third straight start and the New York Mets improved their impressive record at Citi Field, beating the Florida Marlins 4-3 on Friday night.

After the Mets fought back from a three-run deficit, Francisco Rodriguez retired slugger Hanley Ramirez with runners at second and third for his 11th save in 14 chances. Ramirez hit a chopper up the third base line and David Wright bounced an off-balance throw to first that easily beat Ramirez for the final out.

Mets reliever Elmer Dessens retired Ramirez on a foulout to end the seventh with runners at the corners.

Ruben Tejada provided an immediate offensive spark after coming up from the minors and Dickey delivered two hits and an RBI, pushing the Mets to 20-9 at home with their sixth consecutive victory here.

New York, 8-18 on the road, has won 16 of 20 at spacious Citi Field, which opened last year.

Jason Bay had an RBI double and Jeff Francoeur hit a tying single to help the Mets rally against Anibal Sanchez (5-3), who had won four starts in a row.

Chris Coghlan (three hits) had his fifth straight multihit game for the Marlins, who opened a tough nine-game road trip that also takes them to Philadelphia and Tampa Bay.

Florida had won six consecutive meetings with the Mets after losing to Johan Santana on opening day in New York, a streak that included a four-game sweep May 13-16 in Miami.

Making his fourth start since coming up from the minors, Dickey (3-0) yielded three runs and seven hits in 6 1-3 innings. The 35-year-old knuckleballer was coming off consecutive wins over Philadelphia and Milwaukee. His two hits were a career high.

Sanchez beat the Mets 7-2 on May 14 and had gone eight straight outings without giving up more than two earned runs. He was 5-1 with a 1.97 ERA during that stretch.

The right-hander yielded four runs and nine hits over 5 2-3 innings in this one.

Wright drew a one-out walk from Sanchez in the sixth and went to third on Rod Barajas' double off the left-field wall. Francoeur lined the next pitch to left for a tying single, extending his recent resurgence at the plate following a prolonged slump.

Tejada hit a fielder's choice grounder into the shortstop hole and crossed first without a relay throw. His first major league RBI gave New York a 4-3 lead.

Wright made a diving play on Brett Hayes' sharp grounder to third to open the seventh. Shortstop Jose Reyes was shaken up after Coghlan took him out on a force play at second later in the inning, but remained in the game.

New York was trailing 3-0 when Tejada opened the third with a double for his second career hit. With the infield creeping in to defend a bunt, Dickey pulled the bat back and hit a butcher-boy liner off first base for an RBI single.

Bay added a run-scoring double with two outs.

The 20-year-old Tejada was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo before the game and will be the starter at second base in the absence of Luis Castillo, placed on the 15-day disabled list with a bruised right heel.

Cody Ross tripled with two outs in the second for Florida and Cameron Maybin followed with a single.

Sanchez singled leading off the third and came home on a fielder's choice grounder by Ramirez. Another run scored on the play when first baseman Ike Davis muffed the relay throw from second for an error.

The Marlins had a chance to add more, but center fielder Angel Pagan threw out Ramirez at the plate on Jorge Cantu's single for his sixth outfield assist.

NOTES: Rodriguez blew a save opportunity in his previous outing, Wednesday at San Diego. ... Sanchez has allowed one home run in 11 starts. ... LHP Jonathon Niese will come off the disabled list to start Saturday against Marlins LHP Nate Robertson.

Bautista hits 2 homers as Blue Jays beat Yanks 6-1

Baseball

Jose Bautista hit two towering home runs, Edwin Encarnacion also connected and the slugging Toronto Blue Jays beat the New York Yankees 6-1 on Friday night.

Brett Cecil (6-2) pitched eight innings for Toronto, matching a career high. The left-hander allowed one run and five hits while improving to 4-0 with a 1.52 ERA in his past four starts.

Bautista led off the second with a drive off A.J. Burnett that went off the facing of the third deck in left, his career high 17th. He went deep again in the fourth, finding the same area again for a two-run shot.

Encarnacion led off the fifth with his eighth homer, a drive to left-center that gave Toronto a 4-0 lead.

Burnett (6-3) allowed six runs and six hits in six innings, walked four and struck out two against his old team. The right-hander had allowed just four homers in his first 11 starts this season and never more than one in a game.

Burnett has struggled in two starts in Toronto since opting out of his contract with the Blue Jays and signing with the Yankees after the 2008 season. He allowed five runs over 7 2-3 innings in a 5-1 loss to Roy Halladay on May 12, 2009.

Bautista leads the majors with 18 homers, and the Blue Jays have a major league-high 94 longballs.

Toronto added two more runs in the sixth. Bautista drew a leadoff walk and went to second on Alex Gonzalez's single before both runners moved up on a grounder. Bautista scored on a wild pitch and Gonzalez came home on John Buck's sacrifice fly.

Bautista, who also had a leadoff double in the eighth, went 3 for 3 with three RBIs.

New York scored its only run in the sixth. Chad Moeller hit a leadoff double, went to third on Derek Jeter's single and came home when Nick Swisher grounded into a double play.

Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano, who came in leading the majors with a .373 average, went 0 for 4, ending his hitting streak at 17 games. He flied out to left for the final out of the game.

NOTES: Yankees pitching coach Dave Eiland is taking a leave of absence and will be away for the team for an unspecified time, manager Joe Girardi said. ... Blue Jays CF Vernon Wells reached on an infield single in the fourth, extending his hitting streak to a season-high 12 games. ... Attendance was 30,089, Toronto's biggest since opening day.

Ump impressed with support after blown call

Baseball

Umpire Jim Joyce, who blew a call that cost a Detroit pitcher a perfect game, says he's grateful for all of the support he's gotten since his blunder.

From the White House to the State Department to the ballparks to casual fans, Joyce and Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga have been praised for their sportsmanship in the aftermath of Wednesday's call.

"Dealing with the public has been fantastic. I walked into the Detroit airport today and people were patting me on the back. I had a police officer say, 'Thank you.' I said, 'No, thank you.' This guy puts his life on the line every day. I call balls and strikes. Those are the people you should thank. The support has been phenomenal," Joyce said Friday night in Philadelphia.

Joyce drew slight boos when the umpire crew was introduced before the San Diego-Phillies game. He teared up again during a 15-minute interview at Citizens Bank Park, prior to working at third base.

"I was expecting the dark side, what am I going to do with my family?" he said. "It hasn't happened. It happened for a couple of hours on Wednesday night, then all of a sudden everything flipped. I couldn't be more thankful that it did. The biggest thing in my life is my family and I'm so grateful that this has turned to the positive."

"I believe this happened for a reason," Joyce said. "I'm trying to figure out what that reason is, but I think it's playing out. This isn't talking about baseball. It's honesty, sportsmanship, how we portray each other. Those are all good things. None of this was intended. It just happened."

Joyce mistakenly called Cleveland's Jason Donald safe at first base on what would've been the final out. While many Tigers argued, Galarraga merely smiled at his misfortune at went back to the mound.

"I have replayed that play so many times, my head hurts," Joyce said. "All I can see is Armando Galarraga's face. He didn't say a word to me. I can see his face and him not saying anything. When that happens, you think you're right."

Replays later showed he missed the call, and Joyce admitted he blew it.

He was devastated, and apologized to Galarraga in person and hugged him after the Tigers' 3-0 win. Galarraga was also supportive, saying he respected Joyce for apologizing and admitting his mistake.

Joyce said he received support from former umpire Don Denkinger, who missed a similar call in the 1985 World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals. Joyce declined to elaborate on his feelings for renewed calls for enhanced instant replay, saying he would defer to the commissioner's office.

Indians CF Sizemore has knee surgery, out for year

Baseball

Grady Sizemore sacrificed one season for what he hopes are many more.

The Indians' All-Star center fielder, and face of Cleveland's franchise, will miss the remainder of this season after having microfracture surgery on his left knee.

Sizemore underwent a 90-minute operation on Friday in Vail, Colo. The team said Dr. Richard Steadman found unstable cartilage in the knee, and having discussed the options prior to the operation, Sizemore preferred the microfracture surgery, which involves small holes being drilled into the kneecap to stimulate cartilage growth, as opposed to facing more future procedures.

Steadman couldn't determine the extent of the damage in Sizemore's knee until he began operating.

"It's tough because we were hoping he wouldn't have to get the microfracture surgery but this is what is best for him," Indians manager Manny Acta said before the start of a three-game series in Chicago. "It's going to give him the best chance to play longer and be as healthy as he can. What's good for him is good for us."

The Indians said Sizemore will need six to nine months to recover. Providing there are no setbacks, he is expected to participate in exhibition games next March when the Indians open training camp in Goodyear, Ariz.

The loss of Sizemore is another major blow to the Indians, who are in last place in the AL Central and struggling to sell tickets. Cleveland fans are enduring yet another rebuilding project and many are still bitter about the team's decisions to trade Cy Young winners CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee as well as All-Star catcher Victor Martinez in the past two years.

"Life without Grady here is not easy," Acta said. "We're suffering through that right now and we're going to have to be prepared for that for the rest of this season. It's an opportunity for some of these young kids to step up and contribute."

Sizemore injured his knee diving back to a base in April and re-injured it sliding May 16 at Baltimore.

He could have opted for a clean-out of his knee, but felt the microfracture surgery would produce better long-term results.

"Grady made it clear that he's only 27 and wanted to play for 10 more years and wanted to do what was best for him and didn't want to mess up his career," Acta said.

Sizemore will return to Cleveland on Thursday to begin rehab.

This is the latest medical setback for Sizemore, who was limited to 106 games last season before he had surgery on his elbow and groin. It could be that Sizemore's aggressive style of play is catching up to him. The 27-year-old is known for his all-out hustle, diving for balls and crashing into walls to make catches.

Before injuries cut short his 2009 season, Sizemore played in at least 157 games in each of the previous four seasons. He played in 382 straight games from 2005-08.

Trevor Crowe has taken Sizemore's spot in center and the Indians are likely to recall Michael Brantley from Triple-A Columbus.

Girardi: Galarraga had 'an Ernie Harwell moment'

Baseball

New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi saw a flash from the past in the classy way Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga handled umpire Jim Joyce's blown call.

Girardi said Galarraga's sporting gesture to take the lineup card out and shake hands with Joyce the day after losing a perfect game with two outs in the ninth inning reminded him of late broadcaster Ernie Harwell.

"I was thinking about that today and the class Galarraga showed," Girardi said Friday before the Yankees played the Toronto Blue Jays. "You could obviously see the remorse on Jim Joyce. I started thinking about it more and it was almost like it was an Ernie Harwell moment. He was one of the best guys to ever walk onto a field, one of the true gentlemen of the game. It was almost like the Detroit organization, the fans, were reacting the way Ernie Harwell would have reacted. I can't tell you how Ernie would have reacted, but knowing Ernie the little bit that I knew him, that's his personality."

Harwell died of cancer May 4 at age 92.

Girardi said he sympathized with Joyce, and understands how easy it is to miss a play.

"There's a lot of times I watch a call at first base and I think a guy is definitely safe or out," Girardi said. "Then I go look at it and go 'What was I thinking? It's not what I thought.'"

Girardi said he's resistant to expanded use of replay or a challenge system like the NFL's, saying it could disrupt the rhythm of players, especially pitchers.

"There's always been the human element in the game," Girardi said. "I don't think we should take that away. You could actually do everything from a video tape or a robot. I don't want to see that. I like keeping everyone in the rhythm of the game. If we've got a red flag and we're able to throw it out, it's going to change the dynamic of the game a little bit.

"I like the consistency and keeping the pitchers on the mound," Girardi added. "Even when there's a home run (review), think about it. A lot of times, it only takes 45 seconds to a minute or a minute and a half, but it's a lull."

Those delays can lead to fans losing interest if they're watching at home, Girardi said, saying television viewers "might go and get something to eat."

A fan of the Chicago Bears, Girardi said he does watch when NFL referees review a call.

"As a fan, I think it's fun to look at all the replays," Girardi said. "It's interesting to watch them. Some of them are very difficult to tell."

Girardi also joked that this is the wrong time to be replacing human umpires with machines.

"The way unemployment is right now, I don't think we need to lose all those people," he said.

Your call, Bud: Time for more replay in baseball?

Baseball

A bouncing ball to the right side of the infield, a flip to the bag, a surprising safe call by the umpire, and a furious manager.

Nah, not the play in Detroit. We've seen that enough. This one came a few hours later in Seattle, far from the eye of a sports media storm.

"The replays showed he's out, bottom line," Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire fumed after the winning run on that disputed play Wednesday night. "It's all out there for you, just go watch the replays."

Which is exactly what Major League Baseball intends to do. Stung by the blown call that cost Armando Galarraga a perfect game, commissioner Bud Selig said he would look at the big picture — the possibility of expanding the use of video reviews.

The subject is certain to get addressed when Selig's blue-ribbon panel holds its next meeting on Thursday.

"I guarantee it," said Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre, part of the specially picked committee. "I'm sure it's going to be added to the agenda."

And so starts another great debate in baseball.

"There are so many close calls in a game, so where do you draw the line?" Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle wondered. "Stolen bases, guys tagged out at home, so many plays at first base that are bang-bang plays, where do you draw the line?"

Added New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter: "When does it stop, when does it start? Do you have a flag that you throw from the bench for challenges?"

Heck, how about having a computer-simulated box call balls-and-strikes, like they do on TV?

"I don't know about that instant replay stuff. We might as well just build robots and put 'em out there," Washington slugger Adam Dunn said.

Remember, it was a rash of missed calls in the middle of the 2008 season that prompted baseball to join the electronic-eye age within a few months — the NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAA, NASCAR and Grand Slam tennis already used replay in some form by then.

For now, only questionable home run calls get a second look. But after a postseason filled with umpiring mistakes, the admission by Jim Joyce that he botched what should've been the final out in Galarraga's gem might spur more action.

"I think that's going to be the play that brings instant replay into baseball," fan Jeff Corr said at Fenway Park.

A day after the Twins lost on that 10th-inning play at second base, Gardenhire had calmed down.

"I'm not going to get involved in that stuff. Can't do anything about it. It is what it is. If they want to make changes to help the game then that's fine," he said.

Deciding what to do and getting it done are different issues. Any additional replay needs approval from the unions representing players and umpires.

Locking down the technical aspects could take more time. As it stands, camera angles are different at each park, limiting the looks that umpires get.

Paul Hawkins, who designed the Hawk-Eye replay system that's been well received in tennis, said baseball would need to make adjustments.

"This could be done using dedicated officiating technology rather, than solely piggybacking on television replays which are sometimes slow and inconclusive," he wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

Then, it would come down to who makes the call. Could be the crew chief on the field, could be an NHL-style central review room, could be a replay official at the ballpark.

"I've heard a lot of different thoughts. Having a guy upstairs, another umpire ... seems the most logical, rather than stopping play all the time," Torre said. "To have somebody looking at it at the same time that folks at home are. Maybe have some kind of headset to communicate with them. That's good until it's that one day where he's going, 'Huh? Huh?'"

Yanks pitching coach Eiland takes leave of absence

Baseball

New York Yankees pitching coach Dave Eiland is taking a leave of absence and will be away for the team for an unspecified length of time, manager Joe Girardi said Friday.

"Dave Eiland took a personal leave of absence and will be gone as long as he needs and that's all I'm going to share," Girardi said before the Yankees played the Blue Jays.

Bullpen coach Mike Harkey will serve as pitching coach while Eiland is away with batting practice pitcher Charlie Wonsowicz taking over in the bullpen.

"Obviously Dave is very valuable to us," Girardi said. "We're going to miss him. Just like when you have a player go down, people have to pick up and help out. Everyone will help out and we'll make it work."

This is Eiland's third year as New York's pitching coach and his eighth year with the organization. The 43-year-old pitched 10 seasons in the major leagues with the Yankees, San Diego and Tampa Bay. His last season was 2000.

Harkey is in his third season as bullpen coach and previously worked as Girardi's bullpen coach in Florida. He spent six seasons as a minor league pitching coach with San Diego.

Stumbling Orioles fire manager Trembley

Baseball

The Baltimore Orioles, off to their worst start in more than two decades and sitting at the bottom of the Major League Baseball standings, fired manager Dave Trembley, the team said on Friday.

Trembley, who had a 187-283 record since being hired as the Orioles' manager in June 2007, will be replaced on an interim basis by the team's third base coach Juan Samuel.

The Orioles' 15-39 start to the season is the franchise's worst start since the 1988 team opened the season with 21 consecutive losses.

"Nobody believes the reason we have the record we do is somehow Dave Trembley's fault, or that making a change will magically change everything," Orioles president Andy MacPhail said at a press conference. "But we reached a point we felt this was the appropriate thing to do."

MacPhail said Trembley had been asked to stay with the Baltimore organization but had not yet responded.

Trembley, who was named the team's interim manager in June 2007 before being named manager two months later, is the second MLB manager to be fired this season. Kansas City fired manager Trey Hillman in May.

"The results on the field were not what any of us would have hoped for, and I understand that the organization felt the time was right to move in a different direction," Trembley said in a statement.

Samuel, 49, played in the majors for 16 seasons, primarily as a second baseman. He was a three-time National League All-Star.

In his 27th year in professional baseball, Samuel has been the Orioles' third base coach for four seasons.

"I hope to inject some spark into these players," Samuel said at the press conference. "It's an opportunity I do not take lightly, and have full intention of taking advantage of it."

(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina; Editing by Frank Pingue)

Last-place Orioles fire manager Dave Trembley

Baseball

Desperate to rejuvenate a team drained by losing, the Baltimore Orioles fired manager Dave Trembley on Friday.

The Orioles (15-39) owned the worst record in the major leagues entering Friday night's game against Boston. They had lost eight straight and were coming off an 0-6 road trip in which they were outscored 34-8 in Toronto and at Yankee Stadium.

Third base coach Juan Samuel was appointed interim manager by president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail.

"What you're hoping to accomplish when you make a change like this is, you're hoping to ignite a spark, give everybody a clean slate," MacPhail said. "Sort of get out of that drumbeat of what's going to happen day-to-day."

After getting off to a 2-16 start — second-worst in franchise history — the Orioles appear to be staggering toward a 13th consecutive losing season.

"The results on the field were not what any of us would have hoped for, and I understand that the organization felt the time was right to move in a different direction," Trembley said in a statement. "While I am disappointed at the outcome, I feel it was a privilege to wear the Orioles uniform each day."

Trembley seemed to know what was coming.

"When Dave came up to see me, I hadn't even gotten a sentence out, he just waved me off and said: 'Don't worry about it,'" MacPhail said. "He was fine. He was gracious. I didn't even need to go into any kind of speech."

Trembley is the second major league manager to be fired this season. Trey Hillman was dismissed by Kansas City on May 13.

"Dave has been a great guy," third baseman Miguel Tejada said. "He respected everybody, gave everybody an opportunity to speak. I'm sorry for him because he's a great man in and outside the room."

Starting pitcher Kevin Millwood said, "It (stinks) that we as a team didn't play well and he takes the fall for it. In some ways, we have to feel somewhat responsible."

The 58-year-old Trembley had a 187-283 record with the Orioles. As caretaker to MacPhail's massive rebuilding project, Trembley never had much talent at his disposal, and his job was made tougher this season by an expansive injury list, a lackluster offense and an ineffective bullpen.

"This is a negative reflection on the entire baseball operations department, starting with me," MacPhail said. "Nobody believes the reason we have the record we have is somehow Dave Trembley's fault or that making this change is going to magically solve all the issues and problems we have.

"But we did reach a point where we thought this was the appropriate thing to do."

Samuel, 49, was a three-time All-Star during a 16-year playing career that ran through 1998. His only managerial experience came in 2006, when he led Binghamton of the Eastern League to a 70-69 record and a second-place finish.

Before that, Samuel served seven years with the Detroit Tigers as a coach. This is his fourth season with the Orioles.

Samuel becomes Baltimore's sixth manager since 1997, the last time the team had a winning season. He follows Ray Miller, Mike Hargrove, Lee Mazzilli, Sam Perlozzo and Trembley.

"It's an opportunity that I'm not taking lightly," Samuel said. "We're going to turn the page. We're going to let these guys know, hey, the season starts today. The past is the past. What we do from now on is what we will be judged on."

MacPhail said he will "talk to other people" in the weeks ahead about taking over the job on a full-time basis.

"We need to find the right fit here," he said.

Gary Allenson, previously the manager of the Orioles' Triple-A affiliate in Norfolk, was appointed interim third base coach.

Trembley became a major league manager for the first time on June 18, 2007, taking over on an interim basis after Perlozzo was fired. Trembley became the seventh man in baseball history to manage in the majors without having played professionally.

In August 2007, the interim label was removed.

When MacPhail announced last October that the club would exercise the 2010 option on Trembley's contract, the stipulation was that the team must improve.

Unfortunately, the offseason acquisitions of closer Mike Gonzalez and first baseman Garrett Atkins did not pan out, and standout players in 2009 such as Adam Jones, Matt Wieters, Nolan Reimold and Brad Bergesen failed to perform up to expectations.

"Maybe most disappointing of all to me, and most distressing, is the fact that we've had some of our young players go backward from where they were the year before," MacPhail said.

Trembley never really had a chance after early season injuries claimed leadoff hitter Brian Roberts, outfielder Felix Pie, Gonzalez and late-inning relievers Jim Johnson and Koji Uehara.

Through Thursday, the Orioles were 6-25 on the road, 6-21 within the division and 21 games behind first-place Tampa Bay.

Baltimore ranks near the bottom in virtually every AL offensive category, including batting average, runs and stolen bases. The pitching staff has allowed more home runs than any team in the majors except for Arizona and ranked 12th in the AL with a 4.70 ERA.

The makeshift bullpen had more blown saves (10) than saves (9). Alfredo Simon, who followed Gonzalez and Johnson in the closer's role, had six saves in seven tries before being placed on the disabled list on May 25 with a strained left hamstring.

"Alfredo Simon gets hurt and then you get to the tough part of your schedule, and things start to cascading down again," MacPhail said. "Which led to, in some respects, the announcement we're making today."