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Daily Clips July 26, 2014

LOCAL

Miley's early struggles sink D-backs in Philly Lefty allows five runs in first three innings; Marte hits pinch-hit slam By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2014_07_25_arimlb_phimlb_1&mode=recap_away&c_id=ari

Ziegler nursing sore ribs, but ready to go By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140725&content_id=86264686&notebook_id=86265618&vkey=notebook_ari&c_id=ari

Diamondbacks drop opener in Philadelphia By Associated Press / azcentral sports http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2014/07/25/arizona-diamondbacks-philadelphia-phillies-1/13189537/

Diamondbacks drop opener in Philadelphia By Zach Buchanan / azcentral sports http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2014/07/25/arizona-diamondbacks-philadelphia-phillies-1/13189537/

Mark Trumbo's troubles persist with struggles at plate By Zach Buchanan / azcentral sports http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2014/07/26/mark-trumbos-troubles-persist-struggles-plate/13201787/

Diamondbacks at Phillies on FOX Sports Arizona By Tyler Lockman / FOX Sports AZ http://www.foxsports.com/arizona/photos/diamondbacks-at-phillies-on-fox-sports-arizona-072514

La Russa's Hall of Fame mantra: Trust your gut By Jack Magruder / FOX Sports Arizona http://www.foxsports.com/arizona/story/la-russa-s-hall-of-fame-mantra-trust-your-gut-072514

Miley struggles in opener, Phillies top D-backs: By The Numbers By Dave Dulberg / Arizona Sports http://arizonasports.com/42/1753410/Miley-struggles-in-opener-Phillies-top-Dbacks-By-The-Numbers

NATIONAL

La Russa, Cox, Torre: An improbable Hall of Fame trio By Dan Schlossberg / Special for USA Today Sports http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2014/07/24/managerial-legends-tony-la-russa-bobby-cox-joe-torre-to-enter-hall-of-fame/13141353/

Instant Replay: Phillies 9, Diamondbacks 5 By Jim Salisbury / CSN Philly http://www.csnphilly.com/baseball-philadelphia-phillies/instant-replay-phillies-9-diamondbacks-5-0?p=ya5nbcs&ocid=yahoo

Phillies use team effort to down Diamondbacks By Jim Salsbury / CSN Philly http://www.csnphilly.com/baseball-philadelphia-phillies/phillies-use-team-effort-down-diamondbacks

Phillies 9, Diamondbacks 5 By Jordan Hall (Sports Xchange) / Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/news/phillies-9-diamondbacks-5-025042418--mlb.html

Phillies notes: Phillies back up Kendrick By Meghan Montemurro / The News Journal http://www.delawareonline.com/story/sports/mlb/phillies/2014/07/25/phillies-notes-phillies-back-kendrick/13199331/

MLB: Outfielders on a roll as Phillies down D-backs By Dennis Deitch / Times Herald http://www.timesherald.com/sports/20140725/mlb-outfielders-on-a-roll-as-phillies-down-d-backs

Rollins gets a bonus as Phils outlast Diamondbacks By Marc Narducci / philly.com http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/phillies/20140726_Rollins_gets_a_bonus_as_Phils_outlast_Diamondbacks.html

Syracuse Chiefs players put their heads together to support 8-year-old girl with cancer By Lindsay Kramer / syracuse.com http://www.syracuse.com/chiefs/index.ssf/2014/07/syracuse_chiefs_players_put_their_heads_together_to_support_8-year-old_girl_with.html

Diamondbacks trade rumors: D-Backs shopping Hill; prefers to hold onto Prado By Justin Millar / SB Nation http://www.mlbdailydish.com/2014/7/25/5937631/diamondbacks-trade-rumors-d-backs-shopping-hill-prefers-to-hold-onto

Which infielders could be on the move ahead of MLB trade deadline? By Cliff Corcoran / Sports Illustrated http://www.si.com/mlb/2014/07/25/trade-deadline-available-infielders-daniel-murphy-stephen-drew

Detroit Tigers' next move? A vote for Phillies lefty Antonio Bastardo By James Jahnke / Detroit Free Press http://www.freep.com/article/20140725/SPORTS02/307250124/detroit-tigers-antonio-bastardo-trade

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Debbie Castaldo Interview with Rip City Radio regarding trip to Hillsboro Rip City Radio

Tony La Russa: Let PED users in the Hall, but with an asterisk By Dayn Perry / CBS Sports http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/24637982/la-russa-let-ped-users-in-the-hall-but-with-an-asterisk

Questions and answers about the Baseball Hall of Fame By Chuck O'Donnell / myCentralJersey.com http://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/2014/07/26/questions-answers-baseball-hall-fame-museum/13132209/

Miley's Off Night Leads To 9-5 Loss To Phillies By Josh Garcia / Vavel http://www.vavel.com/en-us/mlb/373124-miley-s-off-night-leads-to-9-5-loss-to-phillies.html

Diamondbacks Bring Back Infielder Taylor Harbin From Sugar Land Skeeters By Anton Joe / Vavel http://www.vavel.com/en-us/milb/373184-diamondbacks-bring-back-infielder-taylor-harbin-from-sugar-land-skeeters.html

Arizona Diamondbacks - PlayerWatch By Reuters / Global Post http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/thomson-reuters/140726/arizona-diamondbacks-playerwatch

Brown, Sizemore lift Phillies past D-backs By Sports Network / The Province http://www.theprovince.com/sports/Brown+Sizemore+lift+Phillies+past+backs/10064081/story.html

RENO ACES

Aces can't overcome big deficit in loss to Albuquerque By Chad Seely / Reno Aces http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140726&content_id=86376702&fext=.jsp&vkey=recap&sid=t2310

Isotopes blast Aces By Staff / Reno Gazette-Journal http://www.rgj.com/story/sports/2014/07/26/isotopes-blast-aces/13202627/

MOBILE BAYBEARS

Wahoos Record 100th Sellout With Win Over Mobile’s Baybears NorthEscambia.com http://www.northescambia.com/2014/07/wahoos-record-100th-sellout-with-win-over-mobiles-baybears

VISALIA RAWHIDE

Glenn's 12th Inning Blast Lifts Rawhide to 9th Straight Visalia Rawhide http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140726&content_id=86384682&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_t516&sid=t516

Rawhide extend winning streak to 9 straight By Andrew Bettencourt / Visalia Times-Delta

http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/sports/baseball/minors/2014/07/26/rawhide-extend-winning-streak-straight/13202985/

SOUTH BEND SILVER HAWKS

HILLSBORO HOPS

Hillsboro Wins Nooner at The Nat Hops capture third game in four tries in Vancouver Hillsboro Hops http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140725&content_id=86291284&fext=.jsp&vkey=recap&sid=t419

MISSOULA OSPREY

O's Bats Explode In 22-5 Rout Of Helena Every Osprey In The Lineup Hit In The Team's 22 Total Missoula Osprey http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140726&content_id=86372614&fext=.jsp&vkey=recap&sid=t518

NATIONAL

MLB NEWS July 26, 2014 • MLB.com http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/news/mlb_news_index.jsp ASSOCIATED PRESS July 26, 2014 • Sports.yahoo.com http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/morenews MLB TRANSACTIONS July 26, 2014 • MLB.com http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/transactions

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LOCAL

Miley's early struggles sink D-backs in Philly Lefty allows five runs in first three innings; Marte hits pinch-hit slam By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2014_07_25_arimlb_phimlb_1&mode=recap_away&c_id=ari PHILADELPHIA -- Alfredo Marte made things interesting, but his pinch-hit grand slam was not enough for the D-backs to overcome a poor start by Wade Miley in Friday's 9-5 loss to the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Miley (6-7) entered the game riding a three-start winning streak, and over his last four starts he had a 1.88 ERA. Yet right from the get go it was clear that it was not going to be the left-hander's night. "I actually felt all right, but I just couldn't command the ball," Miley said. "I had no feel for the fastball at all, and the breaking ball was not very good, either. Just kind of bouncing everything and pulling off of everything." Miley fell behind hitters and walked three in the first inning as the Phillies scored a pair of runs. "I just didn't have it tonight," Miley said. "That one's on me. I have to do a better job of setting the tempo early in the game. I walked three guys in the first inning and right then it puts everyone on their heels, and it's just tough to come back from that." In the second, an RBI single by Chase Utley increased the Philadelphia lead, and the Phillies tacked on another two in the third and one in the fifth to go up 6-0. It was a lead that appeared insurmountable given the way the Arizona offense looked through the first five innings against Kyle Kendrick (5-10). While Miley may have been hot coming into this start, Kendrick was not, having allowed 18 earned runs in his previous three outings. It looked like the D-backs might get to Kendrick in the first, as they loaded the bases with one out, but the right-hander fanned Mark Trumbo and got Martin Prado to line out to end the frame. "Putting up the zero was big for him," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said of Kendrick. "He really rolled after that and pitched well. The runs on the board probably went a long way, which was good for the offense and for him to attack the zone and throw strikes." Arizona managed just two hits off Kendrick over the next four innings before finally breaking through in the sixth by loading the bases with two outs. With the left-handed-hitting Gerardo Parra due up, Sandberg brought in his left-handed specialist, Antonio Bastardo. D-backs

manager Kirk Gibson countered by pinch-hitting the right-handed-hitting Marte, and it looked like a genius move when Marte hit a 1-1 pitch into the left-field bleachers for a grand slam. "I just thought that was the way we could get back in the game," Gibson said. "I thought we had a better opportunity to hit one out of the park with Marte right there." It was the first home run of Marte's career, and he became the first player in franchise history to hit a grand slam for his first homer. "I'm really shocked," Marte said through a translator. "I wasn't looking for a home run in that at-bat, and getting that home run in that situation was huge for me." The slam cut the deficit to 6-4, and when the D-backs loaded the bases with one out in the seventh, it looked like they might have a chance to take the lead, but Miguel Montero and Trumbo struck out to end the inning. The Phillies then put the game away in the bottom of the frame when Domonic Brown hit a two-run homer off Evan Marshall. The D-backs, meanwhile, couldn't capitalize on their chances with the bases loaded. "We left the bases loaded two times with one out and didn't get any runs out of it, and that hurts," Gibson said. "We had our opportunities. Certainly in the seventh was another opportunity, and we didn't capitalize on it." Trumbo is now hitting .138 in 30 plate appearances since being activated off the disabled list after missing nearly three months with a stress fracture in his left foot. "He's just struggling right now," Gibson said of Trumbo. "Trying to do well for his teammates and trying to work it out and probably getting frustrated. It's just part of the game."

Ziegler nursing sore ribs, but ready to go By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140725&content_id=86264686&notebook_id=86265618&vkey=notebook_ari&c_id=ari PHILADELPHIA -- D-backs right-hander Brad Ziegler was available to pitch Friday for the first time since being hit in the ribs by a line drive on Tuesday night. Ziegler was still sporting a nasty bruise on his chest, but after playing catch prior to batting practice at Citizens Bank Park, he declared himself ready to go. "[My ribs are] sore and they probably will be for a while, but I'm good to go," Ziegler said. "If it's just a matter of pain tolerance, I'm fine -- I can tolerate almost anything. It was more a matter of, 'Is it going to force me to change my delivery because of it?' And throwing today I was fine, so I'll give it a go."

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Ziegler, who has been the team's most consistent reliever this year, was not available for Wednesday's game against the Tigers, and the D-backs had a scheduled off-day Thursday. Gosewisch happy to find home with D-backs PHILADELPHIA -- D-backs catcher Tuffy Gosewisch spent 7 1/2 years in the Phillies' organization and never made it to the big leagues. After a half-season in the Blue Jays' organization, Gosewisch signed as a free agent with the D-backs prior to the 2013 campaign and was in the big leagues later that year. "I never felt like I had a chance with the Phillies," Gosewisch said. "I didn't think I ever had a chance to make a big league roster. I don't know why they never gave me a real look. Whether it was because of offensive numbers or whatever it was." Gosewisch, 30, has found a niche with the D-backs as backup to Miguel Montero. "He had a great reputation for being a catcher that the pitchers like to throw to," D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said. "Good target, blocks the ball well, calls a good game, has enthusiasm, plays with energy every day and doesn't mope around when he doesn't play for an extended period of time. "He prepares himself. He keeps himself ready. You try to build guys up and show them that you have confidence in them, which we do, and he's responded very well to it and he's done a good job for us."

Diamondbacks drop opener in Philadelphia By Associated Press / azcentral sports http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2014/07/25/arizona-diamondbacks-philadelphia-phillies-1/13189537/ PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Domonic Brown homered, doubled and drove in three runs to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 9-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night. Grady Sizemore had three hits, including the 1,000th of his career, with a double and an RBI for Philadelphia, which had a rare offensive outburst. The Phillies, who entered 12th in the NL in runs, scored at least nine for the eighth time this season and improved to 10-0 when reaching eight runs. Kyle Kendrick (5-10) allowed three runs and six hits in 5 2-3 innings. It was the first win for Kendrick in his eighth career start against the Diamondbacks, giving the right-hander a victory over every NL team. Alfredo Marte hit his first career homer, a grand slam, and Aaron Hill had three hits for Arizona. UP NEXT D-Backs at Phillies

When: Saturday, 4:05 p.m. Where: Citizens Bank Park. TV/Radio: FSAZ/KTAR-AM 620, KMVP-FM 98.7, KSUN-AM 1400. Pitching matchup: RHP Josh Collmenter (8-5, 3.64) vs. LHP Cliff Lee (4-5, 3.67). Notable: Collmenter has been pitching well as of late, with a 4-1 record and 2.59 ERA in his past six games, which includes one relief outing. Against the Phillies, he is 1-2 with a 3.70 ERA over seven outings, including three starts. With 1111/3 innings under his belt, he's already passed his totals from each of the past two seasons. … Lee did not fare well in his first start back from a long stint on the disabled list, giving up 12 hits and six runs in 52/3 innings against the San Francisco Giants on Monday. Still, given his track record of a 2.93 ERA since 2008, many feel it's likely he'll be traded before Thursday's deadline. Upcoming pitchers: Sunday:At Philadelphia, 10:35 a.m., Diamondbacks LHP Vidal Nuno (0-1, 3.78) vs. Phillies RHP Roberto Hernandez (4-8, 4.22). Monday:At Cincinnati, 4:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Chase Anderson (6-4, 3.38) vs. Reds RHP Homer Bailey (8-5, 4.22). Tuesday: At Cincinnati, 4:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Trevor Cahill (1-7, 5.72) vs. Reds RHP Mike Leake (7-9, 3.73).

Diamondbacks drop opener in Philadelphia By Zach Buchanan / azcentral sports http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2014/07/25/arizona-diamondbacks-philadelphia-phillies-1/13189537/ The Diamondbacks had the bases loaded three times and converted just once, and starter Wade Miley struggled with his command as Arizona fell to the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday 9-5 at Citizens Bank Park. It was a night where everything seemed to go wrong for the Diamondbacks, who had several miscues in the field and also saw two of their more reliable relievers give up runs. "It was not a very good game for us (Friday)," manager Kirk Gibson said. "We had a couple errors as well. It was just too much to overcome." Arizona trailed 6-0 after five innings, but got to within two after Alfredo Marte hit a pinch-hit grand slam in the sixth. The Diamondbacks loaded the bases again with one out in the seventh, but both C Miguel Montero and LF Mark Trumbo went down swinging. Miley said he felt good, but his struggles were apparent early, as he walked three batters and gave up two runs in the first inning.

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It was only the second time in his career he's walked three or more batters in one inning. "He just couldn't put the ball where he wanted to," Gibson said. "He had no feel for it. He struggled. It was just one of those days." He lasted six innings and gave up six runs, five of which were earned. He struck out six, but didn't walk another batter the rest of the way. "That was on me," Miley said. "I have to a better job of setting the tempo early in the game." Kendrick strong: Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick entered the game with a 4.87 ERA, but seemed to have luck on his side Friday, wriggling off the hook when the Diamondbacks loaded the bases with one out in the first. He got Trumbo to strike out and then coaxed a flyout from 3B Martin Prado. Kendrick gave up just two hits over the next four innings, but was pulled after loading the bases in the sixth. His replacement, Antonio Bastardo, gave up a grand slam, charging Kendrick with three runs. He also struck out five and walked one. View from the press box: Lost in all the disappointing things going on in Friday's game was the continued strong play from 2B Aaron Hill, who went 3 for 5 with a pair of doubles. He's batting .428 with five doubles in the second half after hitting just .241 in the first. UP NEXT D-Backs at Phillies When: Saturday, 4:05 p.m. Where: Citizen's Bank Park. TV/Radio: FSAZ/KTAR-AM 620, KMVP-FM 98.7, KSUN-AM 1400. Pitching matchup: RHP Josh Collmenter (8-5, 3.64) vs. LHP Cliff Lee (4-5, 3.67). Notable: Collmenter has been pitching well as of late, with a 4-1 record and 2.59 ERA in his past six games, which includes one relief outing. Against the Phillies, he is 1-2 with a 3.70 ERA over seven outings, including three starts. With 1111/3 innings under his belt, he's already passed his totals from each of the past two seasons. … Lee did not fare well in his first start back from a long stint on the disabled list, giving up 12 hits and six runs in 52/3 innings against the San Francisco Giants on Monday. Still, given his track record of a 2.93 ERA since 2008, many feel it's likely he'll be traded before Thursday's deadline. Upcoming pitchers: Sunday: At Philadelphia, 10:35 a.m., Diamondbacks LHP Vidal Nuno (0-1, 3.78) vs. Phillies RHP Roberto Hernandez (4-8, 4.22).

Monday: At Cincinnati, 4:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Chase Anderson (6-4, 3.38) vs. Reds RHP Homer Bailey (8-5, 4.22). Tuesday: At Cincinnati, 4:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Trevor Cahill (1-7, 5.72) vs. Reds RHP Mike Leake (7-9, 3.73).

Mark Trumbo's troubles persist with struggles at plate By Zach Buchanan / azcentral sports http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2014/07/26/mark-trumbos-troubles-persist-struggles-plate/13201787/ PHILADELPHIA – Mark Trumbo's at-bat in the top of the seventh inning of the Diamondbacks' 9-5 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday at Citizens Bank Park may have been emblematic of his season so far. The bases were loaded with two outs, and the Diamondbacks trailed by two. Trumbo whiffed on the first pitch and then fouled off five straight. Down 0-2, he gutsily took a ball that just missed the outside of the plate. Then he went down swinging — his second strikeout with the bases loaded — and with him went Arizona's last real chance at a comeback. He slammed his bat to the ground, not only because the situation slipped away from him but because he's not performing up to his own expectations. Since returning from a stress fracture on July 11, Trumbo is batting .129 and is striking out in 31 percent of his plate appearances. "I'm not contributing at this point, at least any way that I'd like to," Trumbo said. "I had a couple huge chances (Friday) and didn't do anything with it. I'm disappointed. I'm here to do a job and I'm not doing it. It's pretty tough." Trumbo was hitting just .210 before landing on the disabled list in late April, but the Diamondbacks were still benefiting from his prodigious power. In his first 21 games in an Arizona uniform, he smacked seven homers and was slugging .506. Yes, he had 22 strikeouts to just five walks, but when he made contact it counted. Trumbo has hit some balls hard since returning, but they've seemed to make a beeline for someone's glove. He has yet to add to his seven homers. He finds himself at a loss for a solution. "I've thought long and hard about how I can become less of a sink-or-swim guy, if that makes sense," Trumbo said. "But there's not too much more I can come up with other than you are who you are. I wish I had the ability to get a few more knocks in situations just to keep the confidence up, but sometimes there are some valleys. There's peaks, too, but right now it's pretty tough." For manager Kirk Gibson, the solution is to let Trumbo work through it. Missing 2½ months of competitive baseball isn't easy to overcome, and while his .455/.500/1.273 line in seven rehab games was promising, returning to the big leagues is still an adjustment.

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"The way they disrupt your timing here is special," Gibson said. "It's a lot tougher." Part of the reason the power hasn't showed is Trumbo isn't exactly looking for it at the moment. When making contact is the issue, there's no need for a big swing. Instead, he's shortening his swing. Once he's connecting more, he'll worry about how far it travels. "I'm trying to keep it simple," he said. "I'm fouling pitches off. If there's a silver lining, it's that Trumbo is healthy and moving better. He didn't cop to it at the time, but his foot had been bothering him long before he was diagnosed with a stress fracture. In general, he's looked more comfortable in left, although he had a couple rough plays there Friday, fumbling a ball and coming up just short on a sliding catch. That may be more symptomatic of his struggles at the plate, though. "I feel better," Trumbo said. "Today it didn't really show up, but at least the pain's gone so I can get out there." Some players may benefit from a day off when mired in the type of slump Trumbo's in, but the 6-foot-4 left fielder feels strongly he isn't one of them. He'd rather push through until he reaches the other side. "That's all I know," he said. "Just keep going." Marte's bomb Alfredo Marte claimed he wasn't looking for a home run when he came to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the sixth. He was just looking to put it in play. Instead, he smacked the ball over the left-field fence. It was his first career home run, and it was a grand slam that brought the Diamondbacks to within two. "Getting that home run in that situation, it was huge for me," he said, translated from Spanish by teammate Ender Inciarte. It showed quite a bit of faith in Marte that he was in that situation to begin with. Manager Kirk Gibson pulled veteran rightfielder Gerardo Parra to insert Marte as a pinch-hitter to face lefthanded reliever Antonio Bastardo. Parra is hitting .198 against lefties this season. The Diamondbacks' bench isn't exactly filled with proven bats at this point, but plenty had more career at-bats than Marte's 67 entering the game. "I just thought that was a way we could get back in the game," Gibson said. "I thought we had a better opportunity to hit one out of the park with Marte right there. We did it and he did his job." The Diamondbacks clubhouse staff also did its job, retrieving the ball from the fan who caught it. That fan, a seven-year-old boy, got a signed baseball in return.

Ender's return Citizens Bank Park is familiar to Diamondbacks outfielder Inciarte, but barely so. Inciarte, 23, was a Rule 5 draft pick of the Phillies before the 2013 season and made the team's Opening Day roster that year. He lasted one game — and did not make an appearance — before he was designated for assignment and returned to the Diamondbacks. He remained in the minors until this season, earning a call-up as the Arizona outfield was depleted by injuries. He enjoyed his brief time with the Phillies, but is eager to show they shouldn't have given up on him so quickly. "Now I get to face them," he said. "It's something like I want to play against them and I want to show them that maybe they missed something." Perez's sleeves Back when the Diamondbacks hosted the Phillies in April, Arizona reliever Oliver Perez was forced to remove an undershirt mid-outing because the shirt had cut sleeves that distracted the batter. Perez doesn't know who called him out on the rule, and also didn't know it was a rule in the first place. "I've been using that since I was with the Mariners," Perez said. "I used it for like two years." Perez still wears an undershirt, but he's made sure the sleeves are cut off a little more cleanly.

Diamondbacks at Phillies on FOX Sports Arizona By Tyler Lockman / FOX Sports AZ http://www.foxsports.com/arizona/photos/diamondbacks-at-phillies-on-fox-sports-arizona-072514 (SLIDESHOW EMBEDDED)

La Russa's Hall of Fame mantra: Trust your gut By Jack Magruder / FOX Sports Arizona http://www.foxsports.com/arizona/story/la-russa-s-hall-of-fame-mantra-trust-your-gut-072514 (VIDEO EMBEDDED) PHOENIX -- Tony La Russa was not very far into his managerial career when baseball innovator Paul Richards had some advice that helped jump start La Russa on the road to Cooperstown. "Trust your gut," Richards said. "Don't cover your butt." With three World Series rings and 2,728 career victories, La Russa made it through with guts, imagination and an ability to get the most out of his roster. La Russa did it his way, and not always conventionally. Who consistently batted the pitcher eighth? Who pored over pitcher-hitter matchups before it was

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common practice? Who treated a hit batter as a tort, a wrongful act that required immediate satisfaction? "So the one thing I followed religiously, I was never afraid.," La Russa said. "I mean I made a lot of decisions that people would question and a lot of them didn't work. But I was never afraid to think about or make a decision." La Russa got his start with owner Bill Veeck, general manager Roland Hemond and the Chicago White Sox in the second half of the 1979 season and had more of his success with Oakland (1986-95) and St. Louis (1996-2011). His 1989 World Series ring sits on his left ring finger, while his 2006 and 2011 rings ride on his right ring finger and right pinkie. He feels a debt to all, and out of respect he has asked not to have an insignia on the cap on his Hall of Fame plaque. La Russa hopes that his allotted 10 minutes at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony Sunday will give him enough time to acknowledge all those who have helped along the way -- Richards, Hemond, long-time pitching coach and brother in arms Dave Duncan, twice general manager Walt Jocketty, White Sox minor league manager Loren Babe, former St. Louis coach George Kissell are among a long list. "It's a particular problem for me, because I have a lot of people to thank," said La Russa, who is in his third month as the Diamondbacks' first chief baseball officer. La Russa is the third-winningest manager in baseball history behind Connie Mack (3,731) and the New York Giants' John McGraw (2,763), retiring after the Cardinals beat Texas in the 2011 World Series. La Russa could have passed McGraw by the 2012 All-Star break had he wanted. Bobby Cox (2,504) and Joe Torre (2,326), who will be Sunday with La Russa, round out the top five. In a serendipitous twist, Jocketty fired Torre in St. Louis in 2005 and hired La Russa the following winter, while Torre was hired by the New York Yankees that same winter and won four World Series in the next five years. "He's highly intelligent, he asks a lot of questions, he listens well, and he puts it into practice," said Hemond, remembering Babe's evaluation of a young La Russa. "So he excelled in all that people should do." After a modest six-year playing career that started at age 18 with Kansas City in 1963, La Russa was a minor league coach and manager for several years, impressing Babe and others in the White Sox organization along the way, before taking over the White Sox as a midseason replacement in 1979. He loved baseball, but just in case he studied law at the University of South Florida in his home town of Tampa and got his degree when the passed the bar exam in one sitting -- no easy feat. La Russa won a league title as manager at Double-A Knoxville and was managing the White Sox' Triple-A team in Iowa when asked to take over for Don Kessinger. His wife Elaine was pregnant with their first child. "I remember the anxiety that the two of us went through," La Russa said. "Do we accept this . . . the pregnancy was so close. I had the law degree and I loved managing, but I wasn't going to penalize the family by staying in a long time. And if you say no

to this, you would probably never get another shot. I got there and I felt totally unprepared. You know, I wasn't a good player. In fact I was a lousy player, and I had only managed a little bit." Even after five winning seasons in his six full years with the White Sox, La Russa was fired by general manager Ken Harrelson -- White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf has said that his biggest mistake was putting Harrelson in that post in the first place. Instead of the end, however, it a springboard, and La Russa gladly dove in when Jocketty scooped him up in 1986 shortly after the White Sox let him go. La Russa had 11 90-win seasons and only six non-winning seasons over the next 25 years. "I was always a reader," La Russa said, "and I have learned that if you're given an opportunity and you have the fear of failure so you don't take it, it haunts you the rest of your life. I love the game. Being close to the game and staying a part of it when I wasn't good enough as a player, I really enjoyed it. "And I was challenged by it because one of the things that my mentors were teaching me was that the thing that most of his players thought, what the lineup is and do you hit-and-run, that that's only a part of it. "You know, there's a whole frame of mind that you try to create with your club about team and professionalism and excellence and competing. And I was fired up about it. And I was really challenged that there was a lot to that job that I didn't realize. But I didn't have any expectation that we could have enough success that I would survive very long." Thirty-five years later, the survivor is in the Hall of Fame.

Miley struggles in opener, Phillies top D-backs: By The Numbers By Dave Dulberg / Arizona Sports http://arizonasports.com/42/1753410/Miley-struggles-in-opener-Phillies-top-Dbacks-By-The-Numbers It might have been 'Christmas in July' night at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, but there was nothing cheerful about Wade Miley's outing Friday. Heading into the National League affair, the Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander had a 3-0 record with a 1.88 ERA in four prior July starts. Those numbers meant little to the unwelcoming Philadelphia Phillies. Ryne Sandberg's squad struck for two quick runs in the opening inning and added to its lead with three more runs over the next two frames. While Miley made it through five frames, his early woes were enough to plague Arizona in the series opener. It didn't help matters, though, that the D-backs' offense was an absolute no-show against right-hander Kyle Kendrick until the sixth inning.

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Alfredo Marte clubbed a grand slam off of reliever Antonio Bastardo to cut the deficit to two, but Arizona was unable to get closer than that, as Philadelphia claimed the contest by a comfortable 9-5 margin. Here's a look back at the four-run loss by the numbers: 1: Marte became the first D-back in team history to hit a grand slam for his first career home run. 2: For just the second time in 11 road starts this season, Miley allowed more than three earned runs. His last such performance came in a 5-4 loss at Houston back on June 12. 4: Marte's grand slam in the sixth was the fourth of the pinch-hit variety in D-backs' history -- and first since 2009. 4-for-33: Since his return from the disabled list on July 11, outfielder Mark Trumbo has hit a woeful .121 (4-for-33) at the plate. Trumbo struck out twice Friday, including an at-bat in the seventh inning with the bases loaded. 6: Miley allowed six runs (five earned) in the loss -- the same total he had allowed in his four previous July starts combined. 9: Second baseman Aaron Hill extended his hitting streak to a season-high nine games Friday. And in that nine-game span, Hill has had at least two hits on five different occasions. On the night, he went 3-for-5 at the dish with two doubles. 10.80 Kendrick entered the evening with a 10.80 ERA in the first inning of games this season. But despite loading the bases with one out in the opening frame Friday, the 29-year-old left unscathed as Mark Trumbo struck out swinging and Martin Prado flied out to right. 11: Left-hander reliever Oliver Perez's 11-game scoreless streak came to an end in the bottom half of the eighth. Perez allowed two hits in the inning, including an RBI double by Grady Sizemore. 1,000

Speaking of Sizemore, the three-time All-Star recorded his 1,000th career hit with a single up the middle to lead off the bottom half of the first. 4/27/2013: Philadelphia's two first-inning runs were largely the result of Miley's three free passes. The left-hander had only issued three walks or more an inning once prior in his career -- April 27, 2013 against the Colorado Rockies.

NATIONAL.

La Russa, Cox, Torre: An improbable Hall of Fame trio By Dan Schlossberg / Special for USA Today Sports http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2014/07/24/managerial-legends-tony-la-russa-bobby-cox-joe-torre-to-enter-hall-of-fame/13141353/ During its 75-year history, the Baseball Hall of Fame has never enshrined three living managers at once. Until now. Tony La Russa, Bobby Cox and Joe Torre rank third, fourth and fifth on the all-time wins list and will be recognized for their work July 27. "I was on the (Expansion Era) Committee down in Florida when we voted on those guys," says Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro, who played for Cox and Torre with the Atlanta Braves. "Every time Bobby's name came up, we said, 'Let's go to the next guy.' It was the same thing with Torre's name and LaRussa's. There wasn't any debate about it." The Hall of Fame has only had one induction class that included three managers. That happened in 1996, when Earl Weaver was joined by the late Ned Hanlon, a 19th-century manager, and Negro Leagues standout Rube Foster. Even including this year's electees, the Hall of Fame is home to only 23 managers. "When you look at the entire history of baseball, the fact that so few managers have plaques shows you how exclusive that club is — and the standards to which managers are held," Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson says. Even this year's trio could once have been considered improbable stories. La Russa and Cox were light-hitting infielders who found success as strategists. Torre, a career .297 batter primarily as a catcher, had mixed success in three stops as manager (894-1,003 for the New York Mets, Braves and St. Louis Cardinals) before striking gold with the New York Yankees. He finished as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers for three years. "The greatest compliment I could ever give a manager is to say I would have loved playing for him," longtime Braves broadcaster and Hall of Fame pitcher Don Sutton says. "All three of the guys going in this year fit that category. They have three different personalities and three different ways of doing things." The trio managed in the same era, beginning in the late 1970s and ending within a year of each other in 2010 and 2011. "When I was in Chicago and Jim Leyland was one of my coaches, we faced Sparky (Anderson), Earl, Billy Martin and

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Gene Mauch," La Russa says of his days managing the Chicago White Sox. "All of a sudden this new guy goes to Toronto. And after a series or two, Jim and I looked at each other and said, 'This guy's pretty good.' It turned out to be Bobby Cox. "When I got to the NL in 1996 for the first time, the Braves were the world champs and Bobby was on that incredible run of division championships. I had known him during the winter — he's a terrific guy, sociable and fun. We went to play him, and I was looking forward to saying hello. I was expecting a big greeting, hug and nice conversation. He waved, but that was it. "He made it really clear that it was his team against your team. ... He and his team competed, and they were trying to beat you." La Russa's early struggles La Russa gets credit for perfecting the use of specialized relievers and one-inning closers such as future Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley with the Oakland Athletics. La Russa would win an American League West title with the White Sox in 1983 and four with the A's, three leading to pennants and one to a World Series title. He reached three more Series, winning two, with the Cardinals. His style evolved from old school to high tech with advances in computer technology. "The truth is that I am devoted to learning information," says La Russa, now chief baseball officer for the Arizona Diamondbacks. "There's a perception with how technical I am, but I've never carried a laptop. I got an iPad because it's easier to follow baseball games and do e-mail that way. I know there are a lot of sophisticated measures and analytics. There is value to quite a few of them, but in their place, which means before the game starts." Hired at 34 to manage Bill Veeck's White Sox, La Russa survived early skepticism. "I was a lousy player and had only managed a little bit," says La Russa, whose team went 27-27 in his first year (the latter half of the 1979 season) but finished 20 games below .500 a year later. "That could have been it, since Bill sold the club. I told (owner) Jerry Reinsdorf for years that if he had bought the club sooner, I believe he would have brought in a veteran manager. "But it was January, so they hung in there. I was fighting for my life. Until 1983, when we won, my wife and I felt if things didn't work out in Chicago I probably wouldn't get another shot." La Russa's mentors included Al Lopez, a Hall of Fame manager with the White Sox, and Chicago executive Roland Hemond, who hired him. "I never imagined managing so long," says La Russa, whose career lasted 33 years. "The club was really struggling, so I got the last 54 games of (1979). Veeck was intrigued by my law degree, but Roland looked at it more from a baseball perspective. When I got that job, I learned not to be afraid to extend myself when I took a shot at something."

Two other Hall of Fame managers, Anderson and Dick Williams, also influenced La Russa. He relied on Anderson as a sounding board. "He was a tremendous resource who was available at any time of day," says La Russa, 69. "He believed in sharing, so he gave me everything he knew. He talked, and I listened. "I played for Dick with the 1971 A's and watched him use the bullpen quite often. He had Catfish Hunter, Blue Moon Odom and Vida Blue, but the last outs were often recorded by the bullpen. I saw that a starting pitcher who is tired is not as effective as the fresh specialty reliever. "As you get deep into a game, you look at the hitters coming up and the bullpen you have. You make it as hard to score as you can in that inning. That's what (pitching coach) Dave Duncan and I did from 1983 to 2011." When he started his 16-year St.Louis tenure in 1996, La Russa listened to broadcasters Jack Buck and Mike Shannon. "In Chicago and the Bay Area, there are divided loyalties," La Russa says, "but St. Louis is all about the Cardinals. It's the only place the fans are with you, win or lose. Other places, it's win or die. Jack and Mike helped me understand the Cardinal culture." *** Torre and 'The Boss' Torre's success in New York also required adjustments. He won just one division title (with Atlanta in 1982) while managing the Mets, Braves and Cardinals. Recommended to George Steinbrenner by adviser Arthur Richman, Torre was greeted in New York by the Daily News tabloid headline "Clueless Joe." But the Brooklyn native, who broke in with the Milwaukee Braves and caught Warren Spahn's 300th win, calmed the caldron with his cool personality. Over the next 12 years, he won six pennants and four World Series championships, cementing his niche in baseball history. "I learned from every managing job," says Torre, 74. "There are certain things you don't care for but you have to do. You just have to learn how to do them. "I don't like confrontation — probably from my childhood. It was never something I looked forward to. But I realize that as a manager, it's necessary. I always tried to find a positive way to get a message across to a player. So I had to hone my communication skills. "I also learned a lot by having to address the media every day. When you do it in New York, it's a good test. As Frank Sinatra said, 'If you can do it there, you can do it anywhere.'" According to Pinstripe Empire: The New York Yankees from Before the Babe to After the Boss author Marty Appel, there are six reasons Torre compares favorably to Hall of Fame Yankees managers Miller Huggins, Joe McCarthy and Casey Stengel:

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He had to finish ahead of 13 other teams, rather than seven, to win the pennant. To win the World Series, he had to win three rounds in the postseason, rather than one. He had to manage multinational, multicultural players with huge long-term contracts. He had to deal with a demanding owner who had little margin for error. He had to deal with sports talk radio and social media that second-guessed every move. He had to do live pregame and postgame news conferences. "Huggins, McCarthy and Stengel never had to do those things," says Appel, a historian and onetime Yankees publicist. "They might have succeeded under those circumstances, but that was Joe Torre's reality. "Joe also won four World Series in five years— almost what Stengel did from 1949-53 — and came within a Luis Gonzalez bloop of possibly winning five World Series in six years." Torre has always been fast to credit those around him, such as shortstop Derek Jeter, who won the AL Rookie of the Year Award during the manager's first season with the Yankees. A significant early influence was manager Red Schoendienst, for whom he played with the Cardinals from 1969 to 1974. "The thing I learned early on was never to forget what it was like to be a player," Torre says. "(Schoendienst) was a good player, a Hall of Fame player. But as a manager, he never forgot what it was like to be a player. I tried to stay the same person as a manager that I was as a player." Like La Russa and Cox, Torre also relied on his coaching staff. "You have to surround yourself with good ballplayers and people who can watch your back," says Hall of Famer Hank Aaron, Torre's onetime teammate and baseball's home run king from 1974 to 2007. "Tony had the same pitching coach (Duncan) all the time; Bobby had Leo Mazzone. And Joe always had Don Zimmer. You need somebody who knows what the game is all about and has your best interests in mind. "You also need someone to rely on when things are not going well. That person has to be honest — that's the most important thing — and not say 'yes' all the time. Managers appreciate coaches who are honest and even critical." La Russa says there was another secret to his success: "In all the years I managed, I never had a day where a decision I made was not supported by the front office. They might have disagreed, but they gave me the opportunity and the authority." Cox counted on pitching Cox, 73, says the route to the Cooperstown, N.Y., shrine starts with the front office. "You've got to have good players to compete," says Cox, who also was Braves general manager from 1985 to 1990, "so you need good scouts and farm system people. It's up to the player development people to get those players ready."

Cox won five National League pennants, a World Series and a record 14 division titles in a row during his two stints with Atlanta. He also won the 1985 AL East title managing the Toronto Blue Jays in the final season of a four-year stint. "To become a Hall of Fame manager, you not only have to be there a long time but have to be able to adjust," says MLB Network analyst John Smoltz, who won 210 games for the Braves under Cox. "He did it with every type of team he was given. He won with teams that were in transition, with teams that didn't have speed, with teams that had no bullpen." There was one constant. During the run of division titles, Atlanta was almost always near the top of the NL in ERA. "When I started in baseball at age 18, the Dodgers had Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale and won pretty consistently," Cox says. "I understood quickly that the team with the best pitching was going to come out the winner. So pitching was on my mind my whole life." Cox not only holds the record for consecutive division titles but also for ejections. "That's because we had good teams," he says. "The game could change with one pitch, one missed call or one swing. I never got thrown out much when we were on a losing streak, only when we were winning. The games were always tight. We were always in them." Cox narrows his personal highlights to three seasons. "My first taste of victory in Atlanta came in 1991," he says. "We had been bad for so many years. We were 91/2 games out at the All-Star break but started to play well. We caught the Dodgers, won the playoff and then went to Game 7 of the World Series against Minnesota. "The 1993 season went down to the last day. We won 104 games; the Giants won 103, and they went home for the winter. "Two years later we won the World Series when Tom Glavine and Mark Wohlers pitched a one-hitter in the last game." Glavine and Greg Maddux, both 300-plus-game winners who pitched for Cox, also will be inducted this weekend. "He respected his players and trusted his players more than anybody else I played for," says Maddux, who won 194 games for the Braves, 133 for the Chicago Cubs and 28 between the Dodgers and San Diego Padres. Maddux arrived in Atlanta when the Braves were coming off their first two in the string of division titles. Glavine's career with Atlanta began with four seasons in which he lost a combined 41 games. "He made everybody understand that whether you were the superstar or the 25th man coming out of spring training you

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would be an important piece of the puzzle," Glavine says of Cox. The Braves averaged almost 100 losses in Glavine's first three seasons. "To go from there to running off division titles and a World Series while I was there is something you could never have imagined in a million years," he says. Perhaps it will take that long for another managerial class like this one to arrive in Cooperstown.

Instant Replay: Phillies 9, Diamondbacks 5 By Jim Salisbury / CSN Philly http://www.csnphilly.com/baseball-philadelphia-phillies/instant-replay-phillies-9-diamondbacks-5-0?p=ya5nbcs&ocid=yahoo The Phillies unleashed some offense Friday night in beating the Arizona Diamondbacks, 9-5, at Citizens Bank Park. The Phils had 12 hits and were 6 for 15 with runners in scoring position. They are 45-58 on the season. Arizona is 44-49. Starting pitching report Kyle Kendrick (5-10) opened the game with five shutout innings, but allowed a double, a walk and a two-out single in the sixth. All three of those runners scored when reliever Antonio Bastardo gave up a grand slam to pinch-hitter Alfredo Marte. Kendrick walked one and struck out five in 5 2/3 innings. Arizona lefty Wade Miley (6-7) allowed six runs over five innings. Bullpen report Bastardo faced four batters and allowed three hits, one the grand slam to Marte. The left-hander’s tough night came with scouts from Toronto and Detroit on hand. Both those clubs have been watching Bastardo throughout this homestand. Good work by Justin De Fratus, who struck out three, including two with the bases loaded, to get out of trouble and preserve a two-run lead in the seventh. At the plate Domonic Brown had a good night with an RBI groundout, a double, a two-run homer and two runs scored. Darin Ruf drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. He also doubled and scored a run. Grady Sizemore had a single, two doubles and a stolen base. He is 14 for 41 (.341) with four doubles in 11 games with the Phillies.

Ryan Howard sat out for the third straight game. The Phillies face a right-hander on Saturday night, so Howard could return to the lineup. Milestone Sizemore reached 1,000 big-league hits with his first-inning single. One more year Jimmy Rollins’ plate appearance in the second inning was his 1,100th since the start of the 2013 season and that guaranteed his contract for $11 million next season. Up next Cliff Lee (4-5, 3.67) makes his second start since coming off the disabled list Saturday night. He will face Arizona right-hander Josh Collmenter (8-5, 3.64).

Phillies use team effort to down Diamondbacks By Jim Salsbury / CSN Philly http://www.csnphilly.com/baseball-philadelphia-phillies/phillies-use-team-effort-down-diamondbacks On the final night of being the only game in town for a good long while, the Phillies got a solid start from Kyle Kendrick, clutch relief work from Justin De Fratus and a whole bunch of offense from a whole bunch of guys. The result was a 9-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park Friday night (see Instant Replay). On Saturday, the Eagles open training camp across the street and that’s where the region’s sporting attention will turn, save for a few glances at the Ryan Howard soap opera and what will happen at next week’s trade deadline. Speaking of Howard, it looks like his three-game benching will come to an end Saturday night against Arizona right-hander Josh Collmenter. “We have a right-handed pitcher throwing,” manager Ryne Sandberg said. “I’ll make the lineup up. We’ll go forward. But I want him -- with a little bit of rest and some tweaking of his mechanics like he’s done the last couple of days -- to have a big game for us.” Several Phillies hitters had big games Friday night. Jimmy Rollins went 0 for 5, but still had a big (money) night. His second plate appearance of the game was his 1,100th since the start of 2013 and that guaranteed his 2015 contract for $11 million. Darin Ruf, getting his third straight look at first base in place of the struggling/platooning Howard, had a double, a sacrifice fly, a walk and scored a run. Domonic Brown swung the bat well. He drove in three runs with a groundout and a two-run homer in the seventh. The longball into the right-field seats made it a four-run game after the Diamondbacks had pulled to within two runs in the sixth inning.

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Grady Sizemore batted leadoff for the Phillies and played center field. He had a single, two doubles, scored two runs and stole third base. Sizemore is making the most of his tryout in Philadelphia -- and that’s exactly what it is as team decision makers try to determine if he can be a fit on this team next year after missing the previous two seasons with a myriad of injuries. In 11 games with the Phils, Sizemore is 14 for 41 (.341) with four doubles. “Everybody here has been very welcoming,” Sizemore said. “The more I play, the stronger I get. I just want to be in the lineup.” Sizemore’s first-inning single was the 1,000th hit of his career and the Philadelphia fans gave him a nice ovation when it was announced on the video board. “It’s exciting,” Sizemore said. “Hopefully there’s a lot more.” Kendrick opened the game with five shutout innings, but allowed a double, a walk and a two-out single in the sixth. All three of those runners scored when reliever Antonio Bastardo gave up a grand slam to pinch-hitter Alfredo Marte. Bastardo continued to struggle in the seventh when he allowed a pair of singles to open the inning. The left-hander’s tough outing (he retired just one of the four batters he faced) came with scouts from Toronto and Detroit behind the backstop. Both teams are looking for relief help and have been gathering intelligence on Bastardo. Bastardo left with two men on base and the Phillies up by two runs. In came De Fratus. He struck out Aaron Hill for the first out then walked dangerous Paul Goldschmidt (.312/18/66) in a long, 12-pitch showdown to load the bases before striking out Miguel Montero and Mark Trumbo to end the threat. “I wasn’t going to let Paul Goldschmidt beat us -- or beat me -- tonight,” De Fratus said. De Fratus struck out Trumbo on the eighth pitch, a 93 mph fastball. He left the mound pumping his fist. “That was a game-saving moment right there,” Sandberg said. “He had three strikeouts in the inning, but the big one was with the bases loaded. He showed the emotion and it was right for the moment. It was a big out.” De Fratus earned the right to be fired up. “Giving the team a chance to win and keeping the lead,” he said. “That’s really what I was excited about.” The Phillies had 12 hits in the game and were 6 for 15 with runners in scoring position. “A good win all the way around,” Sandberg said.

Phillies 9, Diamondbacks 5 By Jordan Hall (Sports Xchange) / Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/news/phillies-9-diamondbacks-5-025042418--mlb.html

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Phillies raced out to an early lead and added plenty of insurance to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-5 on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies battered Diamondbacks starter Wade Miley (6-7) for six runs in five innings and then pushed across three more to trump a pinch-hit grand slam by Arizona outfielder Alfredo Marte in the sixth. Philadelphia starter Kyle Kendrick (5-10) threw 5 2/3 innings of three-run ball to earn his first win since July 8. The right-hander exited with the bases full, two outs and a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth. Reliever Antonio Bastardo came in to finish the job, but promptly surrendered the slam to Marte, his first career homer. Left fielder Domonic Brown re-padded the lead with a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh, helping the Phillies (45-58) secure their second straight win, while Arizona (44-59) dropped its second in a row. Phillies reliever Justin De Fratus inherited a first-and-second, no-out jam from Bastardo in the top of the seventh, and impressively struck out the side. De Fratus overcame a 12-pitch walk to Diamondbacks All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt that loaded the bases. Brown finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs and center fielder Grady Sizemore went 3-for-5 with two runs scored to lead Philadelphia. Arizona second baseman Aaron Hill had three hits and Marte knocked in four of the Diamondbacks' five runs. Both teams loaded the bases in the first inning with one out, but only the Phillies capitalized. Miley had difficulty finding his command in the opening frame, and it cost him a 29-pitch, two-run first inning. Miley surrendered two singles and a walk to load the bases before issuing a free pass to catcher Carlos Ruiz to force in the game's first run. Brown then plated Philadelphia's second run with an RBI groundout. Miley walked three batters in that inning. The Phillies tacked on a run in the bottom of the second inning, two more in the third and another in the fifth. Second baseman Chase Utley knocked in Sizemore with a single to give Philadelphia a 3-0 cushion in the second inning before first baseman Darin Ruf (sacrifice fly) and third baseman Cody Asche (RBI single) stretched it to 5-0 in the third. Miley attempted to throw out Asche on an infield single in the fifth, but instead fired an errant throw down the first-base line, allowing Ruf to score from second. Miley needed 97 pitches to get through five innings. It looked as if Kendrick's first-inning ERA of 10.80 was going to take another hit when he loaded the bases with one out in the first, but the righty wiggled out of trouble by striking out left

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fielder Mark Trumbo and retiring third baseman Martin Prado on a fly out. NOTES: Phillies 1B Ryan Howard was out of the team's starting lineup Friday for the third consecutive game. Before the game, manager Ryne Sandberg continued to say he wants to see 1B Darin Ruf get some work at the position while giving the struggling Howard a break. "Ryan has some time to work out some mechanical things and have an approach but also have a break from the daily grind, along with Darin Ruf getting at-bats," Sandberg said. "Like I always say, the lineups for me are day to day." ... Diamondbacks RHP Brad Ziegler (sore ribs) is fine and good to go after leaving Tuesday's game in the eighth inning when he was struck in the rib cage by a line drive. Ziegler was given Wednesday's game off and manager Kirk Gibson said Friday that Ziegler is very bruised but back and ready to pitch. "It looks bad ... oh, man," Gibson said. "It's good to have him back." ... In the Diamondbacks' last visit to Philadelphia, they beat the Phillies 12-7 in 18 innings on Aug. 24, 2013. The game lasted 7 hours, 6 minutes, the second longest game in MLB history.

Phillies notes: Phillies back up Kendrick By Meghan Montemurro / The News Journal http://www.delawareonline.com/story/sports/mlb/phillies/2014/07/25/phillies-notes-phillies-back-kendrick/13199331/ PHILADELPHIA – Phillies right-hander Kyle Kendrick and the first inning of his starts have not been a good combination this season. Kendrick carried a 10.80 first-inning ERA into his start Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks and found himself yet again in a precarious situation. Kendrick had to work out of a bases-loaded jam with one out of the first, and this time he did it without allowing a run. Kendrick struck out Diamondbacks slugger Paul Goldschmidt and forced Miguel Montero to pop out to end the threat. The offense gave him plenty of offensive support, led by Domonic Brown's two-run homer and three-RBI game, en route to a 9-4 win against the Diamondbacks. "Putting up the zero was big for him," manager Ryne Sandberg said of Kendrick. "He really rolled after that and pitched well. The runs on the board probably went a long way, which was good for the offense and for him to attack the zone and throw strikes." Arizona made the game close in the sixth, cutting the Phillies' lead to 6-4 on Alfredo Marte's grand slam off reliever Antonio Bastardo. But Brown's homer in the seventh and Grady Sizemore's RBI double in the eighth provided insurance runs. Reliever Justin De Fratus limited the damage in the seventh with a bases-loaded chance for Arizona. After walking Goldschmidt, he struck out Montero and Mark Trumbo to end the inning to maintain the two-run lead. "That was the whole goal there," De Fratus said. "I wasn't going to let Paul Goldschmidt beat me – or beat us – tonight." Challenging season

Taking over for a long-time manager who guided the Phillies to a World Series title has not been the easiest transition for the first-time manager Sandberg. Following Charlie Manuel, who managed the Phillies from 2005-13, has made it tough for Sandberg to implement changes with so many key veterans on the team who had been used to Manuel's style. "That's a challenge and it's also players making adjustment," Sandberg said. "It's also myself as a manager knowing the players and getting messages across or dealing with situations and for the betterment of the team for the betterment of the players. But yeah, those are all challenges of the jobs." Asked if wishes he had handled anything differently from the past year, Sandberg sidestepped the question. "I come to the ballpark everyday to learn something," Sandberg said. "So I've learned a lot. No question about that." Sandberg expects improvement from Lee Left-hander Cliff Lee will make his second start Saturday following his stint on the disabled list, and Sandberg believes there will be better results against the Diamondbacks. Lee took the loss Monday after allowing six runs on 12 hits in 52/3 innings during his first start since May 18. Lee is 4-5 with a 3.67 ERA this season. "Knowing Cliff, a guy that knows about making adjustments from one outing to the next, sometimes making adjustments within a game, but one outing to the next, I see him make those adjustments," Sandberg said. "Also, he'll probably add a little bit of stamina since his last outing, from what he's done, conditioning-wise and just having that initial outing of the way." Extra innings Grady Sizemore recorded his 1,000th career hit with a single to start the first inning Friday. Of Sizemore's 1,000 hits, 861 came between 2004-09 as health issues have hampered him in recent years. … Cole Hamels has been the model of consistency for the Phillies. Thursday's outing marked the seventh time in Hamels' last 15 starts in which he pitched at least seven innings and did not allow more than one run. … With his second-inning plate appearance Friday, shortstop Jimmy Rollins' $11 million vesting option for 2015 went into effect. He must not end the season on the disabled list for that option to remain guaranteed.

MLB: Outfielders on a roll as Phillies down D-backs By Dennis Deitch / Times Herald http://www.timesherald.com/sports/20140725/mlb-outfielders-on-a-roll-as-phillies-down-d-backs PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies have decided to phase out one disappointing left-handed hitter whose power and production from the left side of the plate has been lackluster. They were pretty much ready to do it with another one, as well. But Domonic Brown — who followed up a breakthrough, All-

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Star-Game-worthy first half of 2013 with a dud opening three months in 2014 — seems to be coming out of his malaise. Even though the birth of his first child and the arrival of Grady Sizemore has cut into Brown’s playing time a bit, there has been a better sound to the contact that Brown has been making in recent weeks. Friday night, Brown scorched a double off the wall in right to start a rally in the third inning and belted a two-run homer in the seventh that helped the Phillies pull away for a 9-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park. “He looks a little more free up there, a little more level swing, more relaxed,” Ryne Sandberg said of Brown, who is batting .322 (28-for-87) with runners in scoring position even though his overall average is a meager .231. “He had a good swing of the bat with the home run. It should really build some confidence.” Brown raised his average to .281 for July and has 11 RBIs in 17 games (13 starts) for the month. But it has been where and how he has been hitting the ball of late that has rekindled some hope in Brown. For months he was struggling to drive the ball to right field, as many of his hits tended to be slaps to left. That has changed, and the healthy crack that resounded to the tune of 27 homers and a .494 slugging percentage is returning. Considering Brown is 26, will enter his first year of arbitration in 2015, and the fact that the Phillies frankly don’t have many options when it comes to power-hitting outfielders in the system, there is reason for the organization to hope Brown got over that ugly phase. “There’s a lot of time left in the season,” manager Ryne Sandberg said. “It might be right on time for him to have nights like this and to put together some at-bats and to get hot. Now’s a good time to do that.” As for Sizemore, he continues to produce, as he had three more hits, including the 1,000th of his career, and scored twice to raise his average with the Phillies to .341 (14-for-41) since they signed him following his being unceremoniously dumped by the Red Sox. Between those two and the steady performance of Marlon Byrd (2-for-5, run), the Phillies are getting as much of a heartbeat from their outfielders as they have in a couple of years. Not everything went as planned Friday. While Kyle Kendrick left the game in the sixth with a 6-0 lead, he handed the ball to Antonio Bastardo with the bases loaded and two outs. The southpaw reliever, who has been mentioned amid trade rumors this month, didn’t help his exchange rate when rookie pinch-hitter Alfredo Marte took him 20 rows deep in left field for a grand slam as his first big-league homer. Bastardo had more trouble in the top of the seventh, but Justin De Fratus came to the rescue and struck out Mark Trumbo with the bases loaded to get out of the jam. De Fratus, who lowered his ERA to 2.78, has struck out 30 and given up just six non-intentional walks in 32 1/3 innings. DeFratus struck out Aaron Hill before walking Paul Goldschmidt after a long battle, but rallied to whiff both Miguel Monteroo and Trumbo, enough for the right-hander to let out a yell and a fist pump. “I knew if I kept making pitches there was a chance for me to get out of it,” De Fratus said. “Antonio has picked me up a few

times this year, so to get out there and pick him up is huge. A ‘thank you’ almost.” Even though Bastardo’s dud outing made the game more of a sweat, Brown’s bomb gave the bullpen some leeway and allowed Jonathan Papelbon to take the night off.

Rollins gets a bonus as Phils outlast Diamondbacks By Marc Narducci / philly.com http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/phillies/20140726_Rollins_gets_a_bonus_as_Phils_outlast_Diamondbacks.html The Phillies billed Friday's game at Citizens Bank Park against the Arizona Diamondbacks as Christmas in July, and the person getting the perfect stocking stuffer was shortstop Jimmy Rollins. With his second plate appearance in Friday's 9-5 win, Rollins guaranteed his $11 million option for 2015, so long as he is not on the disabled list at the end of the year. He now has 437 plate appearances after going 0 for 5. While Rollins reached a financial incentive, a number of his teammates came up big in helping the Phillies earn their second consecutive win. Grady Sizemore led off the Phils' first inning with a single to center field, his 1,000th career hit. Sizemore would add hits Nos. 1,001 and 1,002, both doubles. "It is exciting," Sizemore said of reaching the milestone. "I am happy to have a chance to get there, and I hope there's a lot more." Domonic Brown had a double, his seventh home run and three RBIs. Darin Ruf, starting for the third straight game at first base for slumping Ryan Howard, produced a sacrifice fly RBI to deep center field, scored a run, and crushed a double to left. There were a few rough patches. Kyle Kendrick, who entered the game with a 10.80 ERA in the first inning, was coasting until the sixth inning. Holding a 6-0 lead with two outs and the bases loaded in the sixth inning, Kendrick was lifted for Antonio Bastardo. The lefthander yielded a grand slam to pinch-hitter Alfredo Marte, his first major-league home run. After Bastardo allowed singles to the first two batters in the seventh inning, he was replaced by Justin De Fratus. The righthander struck out three of the four batters he faced while allowing a walk to keep the score 6-4. "Antonio has picked me up a few times this year, so to be able to pick him up was huge," DeFratus said. As for Rollins, this has surely been a bounce-back season on a personal scale and a major disappointment for his last-place team. Earlier this season, Rollins became the Phillies' all-time hits leader, breaking Mike Schmidt's mark of 2,234.

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For the 35-year-old Rollins, it has been a rebirth after his worst statistical season last year. In 660 plate appearances in 2013, he hit .252 with career lows in home runs (6), RBIs (39) and OPS (.667). While Rollins' average remains low this year, he is up in many other areas. He entered the game batting .243 with 13 home runs, 45 RBIs and a .724 OPS. "I see a lot of improvement," manager Ryne Sandberg said of Rollins before the game. "I think he's playing shortstop about as good as I would expect." And Sandberg says Rollins has benefited from more patience in the batter's box. "He's added a good eye to his approach at home plate," Sandberg said. ". . . Overall, he has been a consistent threat and force at the top of the order." Rollins has appeared in 99 of the Phillies' 103 games this season and this durability has impressed general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. "When we made that part of the contract, we were hopeful he would be able to be durable enough to vest," Amaro said. "To his credit, he has been a very durable player." And for at least another year, a secure player as well. BY THE NUMBERS 1,103 Plate appearances over the last two seasons for Jimmy Rollins. He needed 1,100 to trigger his contract for next year. $11M The value of Rollins' contract next season. .320 Rollins' on-base percentage over the last two years.

Syracuse Chiefs players put their heads together to support 8-year-old girl with cancer By Lindsay Kramer / syracuse.com http://www.syracuse.com/chiefs/index.ssf/2014/07/syracuse_chiefs_players_put_their_heads_together_to_support_8-year-old_girl_with.html Syracuse, N.Y. — Nine Syracuse Chiefs joined a new team on Friday. Team Ellie Grace Hommel. Outfielder Steven Souza Jr. and pitcher Daniel Stange have organized a group of teammates to get mohawk haircuts in support of Hommel, an 8-year-old girl battling cancer. Hommel's father, Brian, is team chaplain of the Arizona Diamondbacks and friends with the two Chiefs players.

Souza said Ellie Grace was recently diagnosed with Wilms' tumor, a cancer of the kidneys that typically afflicts chiildren. Ellie Grace is losing her hair during her chemotherapy treatments, and Brian told her he'd get a haircut in any style she picked. She choose a mohawk. When Souza and Stange heard about it, they held an informal team meeting to try and round up other Chiefs players to temporarily carve out the same style. Seven were on board, oddly enough all pitchers: Taylor Hill, Matt Grace, Aaron Laffey, Rafael Martin, Josh Roenicke, Blake Treinen and Zach Jackson. "She's no different than us. Hair doesn't matter,'' Souza said. "Any way we can encourage her would be great.'' The players took a group picture before Friday's game, and Souza then tweeted it out. "The first thing you think about is what you are going to look like in the mirror. But it's not about that. It's not about us,'' Jackson said. "It's about what it's for and what it represents.'' (TWEET EMBEDDED)

Diamondbacks trade rumors: D-Backs shopping Hill; prefers to hold onto Prado By Justin Millar / SB Nation http://www.mlbdailydish.com/2014/7/25/5937631/diamondbacks-trade-rumors-d-backs-shopping-hill-prefers-to-hold-onto The Arizona Diamondbacks appear to be willing to move second baseman Aaron Hill, but are "barely listening" on third baseman Martin Prado, sources tell CBS Sports' Jon Heyman. The 32-year-old Hill is in the midst of a down season, hitting just .251/.285/.381 with a 84 OPS+ and -0.5 WAR. However, he has been one of the better (albeit inconsistent) second basemen in the league over the past eight years, with three 5.0+ WAR seasons and a 103 OPS+ since 2007. He has been especially strong offensively over the past couple years, hitting .298/.359/.501 with a 130 OPS+ and 6.2 WAR in 243 games during the 2012 and 2013 seasons, missing nearly half the season last year. Hill is making $11 million this year, and is owed $12 million annually over the next two years. If truly available, Hill should have a sizable market due to the large number of contending teams in need of second base help. The Giants, Braves, Orioles, and Athletics all make sense as possible landing spots. Meanwhile, Arizona plans to hold onto the 30-year-old Prado, prizing him due to his versatility and leadership qualities. The Diamondbacks seem to view Prado as part of their core going forward, along with first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, shortstop Chris Owings, catcher Miguel Montero, and left-hander Wade Miley. Like Hill, Prado is locked up through the 2016 season, though he will make $2 million less at $24 million total over the next two years on what remains of the four-year, $40 million extension Prado agreed to shortly after being acquired from the

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Atlanta Braves in the Justin Upton trade. Prado is hitting .274/.319/.369 with a 91 OPS+ and 1.4 WAR this year. He has averaged 3.4 WAR per season since becoming a regular in 2009, and has spent time at every position except pitcher, catcher, and center field. Per Heyman, the Diamondbacks could also deal relievers Oliver Perez, Addison Reed, and Brad Ziegler, though Arizona seems to be more inclined to deal Reed than the other two.

Which infielders could be on the move ahead of MLB trade deadline? By Cliff Corcoran / Sports Illustrated http://www.si.com/mlb/2014/07/25/trade-deadline-available-infielders-daniel-murphy-stephen-drew We wrap our look at the top trade targets around the league this week with a trip around the infield and the top targets at second, third, short, and catcher, taken below position-by-position. One re-occurring theme below is a discrepancy between the level of interest in a player around the league and his team’s desire to trade him. That shouldn’t come as a huge surprise: The more valuable players are the ones that are more difficult to part with. But with the deadline now less than a week away, one wonders to what degree a team’s professed desire to hang on to its most desirable trade chip is merely a negotiating tactic. The Rays’ success on the field (seven-game winning streak and 4 1/2 games out of the wild card) may be taking Ben Zobrist and Yunel Escobar (not to mention David Price) off the trading block. But another team seeing some recent success, the Mets, would do well to listen to what is reportedly significant interest in their own All-Star middle infielder in Murphy. The Mets have gone 11-6 since July 4 and have a positive run differential on the season, but they are still seven games out of the second National League wild-card spot and 8 1/2 games out in the NL East. Murphy, meanwhile, is a poor defensive second baseman who is a good but unexceptional hitter (.287/.327/.408, 106 OPS+ over the last three years). He’ll also be 30 next year, a free agent next fall and coming off a $5.7 million salary and an All-Star selection this year. Heading into his final year of arbitration, Murphy is about to become quite expensive. To a contender in need of help at second base, such as the Giants, Athletics or Yankees, however, Murphy would be a major get. Aaron Hill, 2B, Diamondbacks With their two veteran infielders signed through 2016 and having down years, the Diamondbacks are apparently far more interested in trading the older and less versatile Hill than the 30-year-old Martin Prado. Hill is owed $24 million for the next two years plus what’s left of his $11 million salary for this year (roughly $3.7 million). That’s a lot of scratch for a 32-year-old with a .285 on-base percentage who is nothing special in the field. However, the last time Hill was traded mid-season, he went from posting a 58 OPS+ with the Blue Jays to a 137 OPS+ for the Diamondbacks over the season’s final 33 games. Even with his poor 2014 included, he has hit .287/.343/.470 (119 OPS+) over parts of the last four years for Arizona. Stephen Drew, SS, Red Sox

Drew has gone 0-for-5 since I pointed out on Tuesday night that his bat is heating up, but he did draw a pair of walks amid that 0-fer, a continuation of the impressive patience and power he has shown this month. Even with a measly .204 batting average (due in large part to an unlucky .207 average on balls in play), Drew has a .350 on-base percentage and .510 slugging percentage on the month for an .860 OPS in 60 plate appearances. Here are the shortstops with a higher OPS in 50 or more PA this July: Jhonny Peralta (.900) and Ian Desmond (.966). That’s it. Drew is on a one-year deal, and the Red Sox, who haven’t had a winning record in any month this season, just lost three in a row to the Blue Jays to sink back to 9 1/2 games out in their division. The rumor mill has been quiet regarding the slick-fielding Drew, but teams in need of shortstop help, such as the Pirates, Mariners and Brewers, would do well to change that immediately. Casey McGehee, 3B, Marlins McGehee may be the most perfect trade candidate in baseball. After establishing himself as a major leaguer in his late twenties with two solid seasons at third base for the Brewers in 2009 and 2010, McGehee hit .221/.282/.351 in 952 plate appearances in 2011 and 2012 and had to go to Japan to find work in 2013. Playing third base for Masahiro Tanaka’s Rakuten Golden Eagles, McGehee had an impressive year hitting Nippon Professional Baseball’s new juiced-up ball, and in December, landed a one-year, $1.1 million deal to play third base for the Marlins. McGehee’s power (he hit 28 home runs and slugged .515 in Japan) didn’t translate back to the States, but he has nonetheless been valuable, hitting .312/.380/.387 (113 OPS+) while playing solid defense. He was even a Final Vote candidate for the All-Star Game, losing out to the far more deserving Anthony Rizzo. The 31-year-old McGehee was a scratch-off ticket that paid off, and now the Marlins, who are a half-game ahead of the Mets in the standings, can cash him in at the Kwik-E-Mart that is the trading deadline, where teams pick up items they forgot to pack for their trip to the postseason. Teams are asking about him, but McGehee has one year of arbitration left before becoming a free agent again and the Marlins say they want to keep him. That’s crazy talk. McGehee’s value will likely never be higher. Here’s hoping they’re just playing hard-to-get. Kurt Suzuki, C, Twins The Twins and Suzuki have been talking extension this past week, and the timing of those talks would seem to indicate that if a deal is not struck in the next few days, the Twins will opt to trade him instead. Suzuki is 30, will be a free agent this fall and is in the midst of his finest offensive season, hitting .308/.367/.393 (113 OPS+) and netting his first All-Star selection. Per local ESPN reporter Darren Wolfson, Suzuki, who is making $2.75 million this year, is seeking an annual salary comparable to those that Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Carlos Ruiz received on their three-year deals this past offseason ($7 and $8.67 million, respectively). Given Suzuki’s potential to regress at the plate and his poor pitch-framing, committing that kind of money to a 30-year-old catcher having a career year seems far less wise than selling high on him.

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Then again, the Twins could do both, trading Suzuki now, then signing him back in the offseason. Suzuki is no stranger to mid-season trades, having been dealt in August of each of the last two seasons when his stock was much lower. Nor is he a stranger to reunions, as the first of those trades sent him away from the A’s and the second brought him back.

Detroit Tigers' next move? A vote for Phillies lefty Antonio Bastardo By James Jahnke / Detroit Free Press http://www.freep.com/article/20140725/SPORTS02/307250124/detroit-tigers-antonio-bastardo-trade The Detroit Tigers have Joakim Soria. But they’re probably not done pursuing relievers as next week’s MLB nonwaiver trade deadline approaches. Jim Bowden, espn.com’s chief trade dreamer-upper, went through the entire AL Central today, identifying the deals he’d like to see made by each team by July 31. For the Tigers, he name-dropped left-handers Antonio Bastardo of the Philadelphia Phillies, Neal Cotts of the Texas Rangers (couldn’t they have just thrown him in the Soria trade?), Mike Dunn of the Miami Marlins, Andrew Miller of the Boston Red Sox (remember him?), James Russell of the Chicago Cubs, Oliver Perez of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tony Sipp of the Houston Astros. “The Tigers know, by the time they get to late September and October, that they can move left-hander Drew Smyly from the starting rotation back to the bullpen. But they still would like to acquire another lefty,” wrote Bowden, the former general manager of the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals. “The poor performances of Phil Coke and Ian Krol have forced their hand.” Bowden identified Bastardo as option No. 1. The Tigers reportedly have interest in him, and Bowden says he could be had in exchange for pitching prospects Melvin Mercedes and Zac Reininger. “Left-handed hitters are batting just .140 against (Bastardo) this year, and he would be the final piece for the Tigers,” Bowden wrote. We’ll see ... Note: Tigers starter Max Scherzer has created the Showdown in Motown fantasy football challenge. Fans can join Scherzer and other Tigers in Big League Impact’s Charity Fantasy Football League. For a minimum donation of $3,000, fans can take part in “a draft-day experience that includes special guest appearances, a behind-the-scenes stadium tour, brunch and happy hour, special batting-practice access, tickets to that night’s game against the Seattle Mariners, goodie bags and more.” For more information, visit bigleagueimpact.com.

Debbie Castaldo Interview with Rip City Radio regarding trip to Hillsboro Rip City Radio (MP3 ATTACHED)

Tony La Russa: Let PED users in the Hall, but with an asterisk By Dayn Perry / CBS Sports http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/24637982/la-russa-let-ped-users-in-the-hall-but-with-an-asterisk Decorated skipper Tony La Russa is set to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, and the topic of performance-enhancing drugs/banned substanced and how they relate to Hall standards has naturally been broached. La Russa, of course, presided over Athletics and Cardinals teams that featured Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire, among others. So La Russa has at least some proximity -- knowing or unknowing -- to the issue at hand. Here, via Bill Madden of the New York Daily News, is what La Russa had to say about all of that: “It's my two cents, but I think you should let them in, but with an asterisk. You can't place these guys ahead of Hank (Aaron) and (Babe) Ruth. It was a bad period. But if a player has Hall of Fame credentials, I think they should be allowed in — a lot of them had Hall of Fame credentials before all this stuff came out.” Personally, I think asterisks are silly -- everything that happens on a baseball diamond is beholden to context, and singling out a very specific group of PED users is arbitrary at best. That said, an asterisk seems an improvement over scrubbing out of existence an entire generation of the game's best players. Going back and adding an asterisk to the amphetamine users of the 1960s and 1970s who are already in the Hall isn't going to happen, but, again, I'll settle for allowing a baseball history museum to, you know, tell the history of baseball. Asterisk? Facile, but, sure, whatever. Just put the best players in. It strikes me as absurd to penalize the likes of Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro and Roger Clemens for failing a moral litmus that was failed by many inducted players of prior generations, albeit on "softer" terms (i.e., "greenie" users proved they had a willingness to cheat, but they had fewer such implements at their disposal). I've all but given up on agitating for any kind of consistency when it comes to our treatment of PED users across generations, but La Russa seems to have a better perspective on it than many Hall voters.

Questions and answers about the Baseball Hall of Fame By Chuck O'Donnell / myCentralJersey.com http://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/2014/07/26/questions-answers-baseball-hall-fame-museum/13132209/ Here are some questions and answers about the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, with information provided by the institution: So why Cooperstown? This sleepy hamlet nestled between the Adirondacks and the Catskills in Central New York was chosen as the home for The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum after a commission published a report stating that Abner Doubleday — a decorated Union Army officer who directed the first shot from Fort

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Sumter at the start of the Civil War and later served at the Battle of Gettysburg — invented baseball in Cooperstown in 1839. And the truth is … Doubleday was at West Point in 1839. It’s widely accepted that Alexander Cartwright developed rules in the 1840s that are the basis for the modern game. So while Cooperstown may not be the birthplace of the game, it represents the living, breathing spirit of the game for the 300,000 or so visitors who visit each year. So what’s there? Think of it as a giant warehouse for the historic, the notable, even the obscure. You will find everything from the helmet Hank Aaron was wearing when he hit his then-record 715th homer on in 1974 to the scorebook from a 33-inning Triple-A game between Pawtucket and Rochester to the jersey that 3-foot, 7-inch Eddie Gaedel wore for his only appearance for the St. Louis Browns in 1951. Even Joe DiMaggio’s locker from the 1941 season when he put together his 56-game hitting streak is on display. So what’s new? The Hall collected several items from the Dodgers-Diamondbacks season-opening series in Sydney, including the spikes worn by pitcher Wade Miley, who started the March 22 game for the Diamondbacks. More recently, the Hall acquired the spikes worn by the Angels’ Albert Pujols when he hit his 500th career home run on April 22, a game-used ball from Dodger pitcher Clayton Kershaw’s perfect game and hats worn by the Yankees’ Derek Jeter and the Angels’ Mike Trout from the All-Star Game earlier this month. About Sunday’s induction ceremony Fifty-six of the 66 living members of the Hall of Fame are expected to be in attendance, including former Yankee greats Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford, and Mets great Tom Seaver. Willie Mays, Johnny Bench, Sandy Koufax, Hank Aaron and Cal Ripken are just some of the others heading to Cooperstown to bear witness as Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Frank Thomas, Joe Torre, Tony La Russa and Bobby Cox are inducted.

Miley's Off Night Leads To 9-5 Loss To Phillies By Josh Garcia / Vavel http://www.vavel.com/en-us/mlb/373124-miley-s-off-night-leads-to-9-5-loss-to-phillies.html The Philadelphia Phillies jumped on Wade Miley for six runs --five earned-- en route to a 9-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night. Miley was having a stellar run of it as of late, winning his last three starts while hurling to a 1.88 ERA, that all came to a screeching halt on Friday. Wade Miley had no command of any of his pitches in the five innings he was able to get through and it showed early on. The first run of the game came on a walk drawn by Carlos Ruiz, the second of three walks in the first inning for Miley. Dominic Brown's RBI groundout made it a 2-0. Chase Utley hit a RBI single in the second and two more runs scored in the third

inning from a Darin Ruf sacrifice fly and a Cody Asche RBI single. The Phillies got one more off Miley in the fifth inning on another RBI single from Cody Asche. The D-backs made it interesting after Alfredo Marte hit a pinch hit grand slam in the sixth inning, but the blast proved to not be enough. Dominic Brown hit a laser two run homer in the seventh and Grady Sizemore had a RBI double in the eighth to push the league back to five at 9-4. Paul Goldschmidt hit a RBI double to finish the game at 9-5. Josh Collmenter and Cliff Lee will face off in the second game of the series on Saturday.

Diamondbacks Bring Back Infielder Taylor Harbin From Sugar Land Skeeters By Anton Joe / Vavel http://www.vavel.com/en-us/milb/373184-diamondbacks-bring-back-infielder-taylor-harbin-from-sugar-land-skeeters.html The Arizona Diamondbacks purchased the contract of infielder Taylor Harbin from the Sugar Land Skeeters of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball on Friday. Harbin, 28, was drafted in the eighth round by the Diamondbacks back in 2007 and signed for $97,500. He batted .272/.335/.467 while launching ten homers and driving in 43 RBI in 285 plate appearances split between Rookie ball and Low-A ball in his rookie season. The following season in 2008, he batted .276/.314/.414 in 589 plate appearances and once again launched ten homers. Given the fact the number of Harbin's plate appearances substantially increased from his rookie season, he was able to drive in 85 RBI in his 2008 campaign. In 2009, Harbin spent the majority of the season in High-A Visalia -- where he batted .259/.305/.401 while blasting 14 homers and driving in 60 RBI. He also spent a brief time in Triple-A Reno that season. He only made 24 plate appearances in Triple-A that year and batted .381/.435/.619 while driving in six RBI. Harbin spent the next two seasons in Double-A Mobile. In his 2010 and 2011 seasons, he hit a combined .240/.290/.353 along with 14 homers and 103 RBI. In 2011, he was rated as the Best Defensive Shortstop in the Southern League by Baseball America. Harbin would spend the next two seasons in Triple-A Reno. After a solid 2012 season, he struggled in 2013 -- hitting just .231/.268/.343 along with five homers and 36 RBI. He was granted free agency by the Diamondbacks last fall. Harbin signed with the Miami Marlins organization last December. He played poorly in his 14 games with the club's Triple-A affiliate. After hitting just .133/.170/.222 along with a homer and four RBI in 48 plate appearances, Harbin was released by the Marlins in late May. Less than a week later, Harbin signed with the Sugar Land Skeeters of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. In 175 plate appearances with the squad, he hit .276/.318/.395 along with a homer and a couple of RBI.

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Harbin was assigned to the Arizona Diamondbacks' Double-A affiliate -- the Mobile Bears. He began his second stint with the organization by going 1-for-4 in last night's 9-1 loss to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Cincinnati Reds).

Arizona Diamondbacks - PlayerWatch By Reuters / Global Post http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/thomson-reuters/140726/arizona-diamondbacks-playerwatch RHP Josh Collmenter is scheduled to start Saturday night against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The right-hander has a 1.29 ERA over his last two starts with 10 strikeouts and two walks. Collmenter's first win of the season came against the Phillies on April 25, when he pitched six shutout innings and struck out five. In his career against the Phillies, Collmenter is 1-2 with a 3.70 ERA in seven appearances (three starts). LHP Wade Miley (6-7), Friday's starter, struggled early with his command and allowed six runs over five innings in the Diamondbacks' 9-5 loss to the Phillies. Miley issued three walks in the first inning and needed 97 pitches to finish five frames. Miley entered Friday 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA in his last four starts. "I just couldn't command the ball," Miley said. "I just didn't have it tonight. That one's on me. I have to do a better job of setting the tempo early in the game." 2B Aaron Hill went 3-for-5 with two doubles and a run scored in the Diamondbacks' loss. Hill is hitting .416 (15-for-36) since July 12, to go along with two home runs and five RBIs. RHP Brad Ziegler (sore ribs) is fine and good to go after leaving Tuesday's game in the eighth inning when he was struck in the rib cage by a line drive. Ziegler was given Wednesday's game off and manager Kirk Gibson said on Friday that Ziegler is very bruised, but is ready to pitch. "It looks bad ... oh, man," Gibson said. "It's good to have him back." Ziegler did not appear in Friday's loss.

Brown, Sizemore lift Phillies past D-backs By Sports Network / The Province http://www.theprovince.com/sports/Brown+Sizemore+lift+Phillies+past+backs/10064081/story.html Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Domonic Brown hit a two-run homer, drove in three runs and crossed the plate twice to help the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 9-5, in the opener of a three-game series on Friday. Grady Sizemore went 3-for-5 with two doubles, one RBI and two runs scored for the Phillies, who are now 15-4 at home against the Diamondbacks since 2008. "Some big offense, up and down the lineup. Sizemore was very good against the left-handed pitcher with his three hits," said Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg. Alfredo Marte entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the sixth and hit the first home run of his career, a two-out grand slam that brought the Diamondbacks back into the game after being down 6-0.

Kyle Kendrick (5-10), who was 0-2 in his last two starts, threw 5 2/3 innings in the win, striking out five and surrendering three runs on six hits and a walk. Diamondbacks starter Wade Miley (6-7) gave up six runs -- five earned -- eight hits and walked three, while also striking out six. "I just couldn't command the ball," Miley said. "No feel for the fastball at all. Breaking ball wasn't very good either." Kendrick got in trouble early. After Aaron Hill doubled to left and Paul Goldschmidt hit an infield single, Kendrick hit Miguel Montero to load the bases. He was able to get out of the jam, however, getting Mark Trumbo to strike out and Martin Prado to line out. The Phillies were more successful in their half of the first. With the bases loaded, Miley walked Carlos Ruiz to score Sizemore and a ground out by Brown put Chase Utley across. Utley extended the Phillies' lead to three in the second. Sizemore doubled then stole third and Utley hit a line drive to left that sent him home. The runs kept coming for the Phillies in the third. Ruiz was hit by a pitch and Brown doubled. After a Darin Ruf sacrifice fly scored Ruiz and moved Brown to third, Cody Asche plated Brown with a single to right. Miley's troubles continued in the fifth. After Ruf hit a double, Miley fielded a soft ground ball by Asche, but made an errant throw past Goldschmidt at first, allowing Ruf to score. Down by six runs, the Diamondbacks loaded the bases again in the sixth. Antonio Bastardo relieved Kendrick on the mound and the Diamondbacks countered, bringing in Marte to pinch-hit. The move paid off as Marte sent one over the wall in left field to clear the bases. Arizona loaded the bases for the third time in the seventh, but Justin De Fratus struck out Montero and Trumbo to end the inning. The Phillies stretched their lead to four with two runs in the next half inning. After Marlon Byrd doubled to left, Brown hit the first pitch he saw deep to right for a home run. Sizemore put the Phillies up 9-4 in the eighth. Andres Blanco led off with a double and Sizemore hit a double of his own to put Blanco across the plate. Arizona scored one run in the ninth on a double by Goldschmidt. Game Notes Sizemore hit a single in the bottom of the first inning for his 1,000th career hit ... The Phillies sat first baseman Ryan Howard for the third straight game, in favor of Ruf, who went 1-for-2 with a run scored and one RBI ... Arizona reliever Oliver Perez gave up one run in the eighth inning, ending his streak of 11 appearances without allowing a run.

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RENO ACES

Aces can't overcome big deficit in loss to Albuquerque By Chad Seely / Reno Aces http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140726&content_id=86376702&fext=.jsp&vkey=recap&sid=t2310 RENO, Nev. - The Albuquerque Isotopes put on an offensive display on their way to a 16-7 win over the Aces Friday night at Aces Ballpark. The 'Topes sent ten to the plate in a six-run sixth inning to break open a scoreless game. Aces starter Bo Schultz struck out his counterpart Carlos Frias to begin the inning but ran into trouble shortly after. A single by Chone Figgins and three straight doubles gave Albuquerque a 3-0 lead. Schultz struck out Brock Peterson for the second out of the inning, then allowed run-scoring hits by Jamie Romak and Mike Baxter to make it 5-0. The 'Topes were back at it again in the fourth when Tim Federowicz blasted a two-run homer and Baxter singled in another run. Erisbel Arruebarrena launched a three-run homer in the sixth to put the Aces in an 11-0 hole. Reno got on the board in the sixth in a big way. Hits by Blake Lalli and Dustin Martin, followed by a walk by Andy Marte loaded the bases for Roger Kieschnick. The left-fielder laced a two-run single to right to get the Aces on the board. Mike Jacobs walked and Mike Freeman hit an RBI-groundout to trim the lead to 11-3. Bobby Wilson followed with a two-run single and Ronny Cedeno hit a triple into the gap in right-center to score Wilson and cut the lead to 11-6. The offense kept coming from the Isotopes as they plated three more in the eighth, and two in the ninth. Brock Peterson hit the third home run of the night for Albuquerque in the ninth. Albuquerque collected 21 hits, tying the largest output against Aces in 2014. Romak led the charge with four hits and Federowicz had three hits and four RBI. The Aces remain 4.5 games behind the Sacramento River Cats in the Pacific Northern Division. Game two of the four-game series is set for Saturday night. Right-hander Mike Bolsinger (5-1, 3.30) starts for the Aces against right-hander Zach Lee (6-8, 4.98). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Only 16 home games remain this season for the Aces, and single-game tickets for those contests are on sale now. For more information, or to purchase an Aces ticket plan, call (775) 334-4700. For up-to-date news and notes throughout the offseason, visit www.RenoAces.com, follow the club on Twitter (@aces) or like the team on Facebook.

Isotopes blast Aces By Staff / Reno Gazette-Journal http://www.rgj.com/story/sports/2014/07/26/isotopes-blast-aces/13202627/

The Albuquerque Isotopes put on an offensive display on their way to a 16-7 win over the Reno Aces on Friday night at Aces Ballpark. The 'Topes sent 10 to the plate in a three-run sixth inning to break open a scoreless game. Aces starter Bo Schultz struck out his counterpart Carlos Frias to begin the inning, but ran into trouble shortly after. A single by Chone Figgins and three straight doubles gave Albuquerque a 3-0 lead. Schultz struck out Brock Peterson for the second out of the inning, then allowed run-scoring hits by Jamie Romak and Mike Baxter to make it 5-0. The 'Topes were back at it again in the fourth when Tim Federowicz blasted a two-run homer and Baxter singled in another run. Erisbel Arruebarrena launched a three-run homer in the sixth to put the Aces in an 11-0 hole. Reno got on the board in the sixth. Hits by Blake Lalli and Dustin Martin, followed by a walk by Andy Marte loaded the bases for Roger Kieschnick. The left-fielder laced a two-run single to right to get the Aces on the board. Mike Jacobs walked and Mike Freeman hit an RBI-groundout to trim the lead to 11-3. Bobby Wilson followed with a two-run single and Ronny Cedeno hit a triple into the gap in right-center to score Wilson and cut the lead to 11-6. The offense kept coming from the Isotopes as they scored three more in the eighth and two in the ninth. Brock Peterson hit the third home run of the night for Albuquerque in the ninth. Albuquerque collected 21 hits, tying the largest output against Aces this season. Romak led the charge with four hits and Federowicz had three hits and four RBIs. Today's Game Albuquerque Isotopes at Reno Aces TIME/RADIO: 7:05 p.m./630 AM PITCHERS: Aces RHP Mike Bolsinger (5-1, 3.30) vs. Isotopes RHP Zach Lee (6-8, 4.98)

MOBILE BAYBEARS

Wahoos Record 100th Sellout With Win Over Mobile’s Baybears NorthEscambia.com http://www.northescambia.com/2014/07/wahoos-record-100th-sellout-with-win-over-mobiles-baybears On a historic night when the Pensacola Blue Wahoos recorded their 100th sellout in only its third season, Michael Lorenzen became the team’s first pitcher to hit a home run. It wasn’t just any home run, it was a two-out grand slam that broke a 1-1 tie and vaulted Pensacola to a 7-1 lead over the

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Mobile BayBears, who have the best record in the Southern League. Pensacola never looked back and went on to win its fourth straight game – tying its longest streak of the season – with a 9-1 victory in front of 5,038 fans at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium. Lorenzen said he wished it was his pitching, not his hitting, that fans gave him a standing ovation for during a curtain call. “It was one of the best feelings ever,” he said afterward. “It stunk that I had to do it as a batter instead of a pitcher. But everyone loves playing here and we want to make the fans happy.” Lorenzen came to the plate with the bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the third inning. The BayBears highly touted Archie Bradley, who is the Arizona Diamondbacks No. 1 pitching prospect, intentionally walked Brodie Greene to pitch against Lorenzen. Greene had doubled in Kyle Waldrop to tie the game at 1 in the second inning, which extended his hitting streak to eight games. Pensacola Manager Delino DeShields knows what Lorenzen can do at the plate from jacking balls out of the ballpark during batting practice. Lorenzen, who played outfield for Cal State Fullerton last year before being drafted by Cincinnati, hit .335 with seven homers and 35 RBI in college. For the Wahoos this season, Lorenzen leads all pitchers with a .227 average and five of his hits now include three doubles and a grand slam. “I was not expecting a home run but I knew if he got a strike he would do something with it,” DeShields said. “Mike’s a good hitter.” Lorenzen’s last grand slam came for Cal State Fullerton in 2013 when he knocked one out in the first inning after coming straight from his brother’s wedding. The Wahoos bullpen also put up another good outing, allowing no hits in five innings. James Walczak who relieved Lorenzen in the fourth inning, pitched three innings, allowed one hit and struck out six, including five in a row. Walczak entered the game having given up four runs in 1.1 innings in his last outing. Both Lorenzen and Walczak emphasized how much they enjoy playing in front of sellout crowds at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium that’s on the scenic waterfront in downtown Pensacola. “I love this Pensacola atmosphere,” Lorenzen said. “It’s been fun all year, even though, it has not been a good season for us. We enjoy making everyone go wild.” Walczak said he feeds off the energy of the Pensacola fans. “It’s energizing for us,” he said. “We know the fans are there for us whether we win or lose. I love how Pensacola takes care of us.” DeShields said on Blue Wahoos owner Quint Studer’s 63rd birthday, he was happy to get the 100th sellout and the win. It was the 29th sellout in 55 home games this year and puts the

Wahoos on pace to surpass 300,000 fans total for the third year in three seasons. “A big shoutout needs to go to the staff and Quint Studer for all they do,” DeShields said. “It’s a credit to them. This is an excellent venue for the fans.” The Pensacola Blue Wahoos start a five-game series with Atlanta Braves Double-A affiliate Mississippi Braves at 6 p.m. Saturday. RHP Ben Lively (0-4, 3.52) takes the mound for the Wahoos and is scheduled to be opposed by the Braves RHP Jason Hursh (8-6, 3.70).

VISALIA RAWHIDE

Glenn's 12th Inning Blast Lifts Rawhide to 9th Straight Visalia Rawhide http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140726&content_id=86384682&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_t516&sid=t516 VISALIA--Alex Glenn blasted a 3-run homer in the bottom of the 12th inning Friday Night, leading the Visalia Rawhide to a thrilling 4-2 win over the visiting San Jose Giants. The Rawhide remained red-hot, as they were victorious for a 9th consecutive time. The Giants took a 2-1 lead in the top of the 12th, pushing across the go-ahead run with the help of a Visalia error. Visalia second basemen Ryan Gebhardt started the winning rally with a bouncing single just over San Jose third basemen Mitch Delfino. Center fielder Breland Almadova singled with one out, setting the stage for Glenn's heroics. The round tripper was Glenn's 19th of the season, and delighted the festive crowd awaiting the Fireworks Extravaganza to follow. Daniel Gibson (2-1) picked up the win in relief, while Tyler Mizenko (3-3) suffered the loss, and his 2nd blown save in as many nights. Starter Braden Shipley struggled early, but settled in nicely, and finished retiring 10 of the last 11 batters he faced. Shipley pitched 7 innings, fanning 5 Giants batters. This game might have ended earlier if it were not for some great defensive plays by San Jose outfielders Jesus Galindo and Chuckie Jones. Additionally, Rawhide third basemen Brandon Drury nearly ended the game--twice--in the bottom of the 10th. Drury drove a ball just foul of the right field pole, then hit one to the base of the wall in deep right center, holding off the fireworks celebration for a little longer. These two teams will be back at it tomorrow, when the Rawhide host another All-American Saturday. Saturday is Military Appreciation Day--half price tickets are available for active and former military personnel--along with Buffalo Wild Wings Weekend. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Rawhide extend winning streak to 9 straight By Andrew Bettencourt / Visalia Times-Delta http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/sports/baseball/minors/2014/07/26/rawhide-extend-winning-streak-straight/13202985/ After a disastrous start to the second half of the California League season, the Visalia Rawhide have vaulted themselves

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back into playoff contention by becoming the hottest team in the circuit. The Rawhide extended their winning streak to nine straight games with a dramatic 4-2 12-inning win over the San Jose Giants Friday night at Recreation Park. With the Rawhide down 2-1 after the Giants scored a run in the top of the 12th, Alex Glenn made sure the Rawhide faithful went home happy by clubbing a walk-off, three-run home run over the right-field wall. It was Glenn’s team-leading 19th home run (he ranks sixth in the league). Rawhide right-hander Braden Shipley, regarded as one of the top 50 prospects in all of the minors by Baseball America, had a sharp seven-inning start. Shipley allowed just six hits and a run to go with five strikeouts. Rawhide third baseman Brandon Drury went 3-for-5 with an RBI. Glenn finished 2-for-6, and center field Breland Almadova also went 2-for-6. Once sporting a 5-15 second-half record, the Rawhide have improved to 17-17, four games behind first-place Stockton. If Stockton was to win the second half, the North Division would have one wild-card team, and that race is separated by just one game between San Jose (54-50 overall) and the Rawhide (53-51 overall). The Rawhide complete their series with San Jose over the weekend. Saturday’s game begins at 7 p.m. at Recreation Park, and first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Sunday. After the homestand concludes on Sunday, the Rawhide visit the Bakersfield Blaze for three games before they begin a four-game home series against the Modesto Nuts Thursday at Recreation Park.

SOUTH BEND SILVER HAWKS

HILLSBORO HOPS

Hillsboro Wins Nooner at The Nat Hops capture third game in four tries in Vancouver Hillsboro Hops http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140725&content_id=86291284&fext=.jsp&vkey=recap&sid=t419 VANCOUVER, B.C. --- Hillsboro starting pitcher Ryan Doran combined with three relievers --- Cody Geyer, Luis Ramirez and Zac Curtis --- to shut down the Vancouver Canadians in a Friday day game at sold-out Nat Bailey Stadium. Hillsboro won 6-3, their third win in four tries in the five-game series. The Hops are the first visiting team since August 2012 to win a five-game set at Vancouver. Blue Jays pitching prospect Jairo Labourt, a 20-year-old left-hander, had his start moved from Thursday to Friday so he could pitch with Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos in attendance. Labourt struggled, walking five, hitting two batters and allowing four hits and four runs (three earned) in four innings.

Doran, meanwhile, was... well, Doran. He allowed three runs (two earned) in six innings, the eighth time in nine starts he's gone between six and seven innings, each time allowing between zero and three earned runs. (In the other game, he allowed one earned run in 5.2 innings.) Vancouver notched eight hits off Doran, but as usual, he minimized the damage, allowing no walks while striking out two. Geyer, Ramirez and Curtis each worked a hitless, scoreless inning, with Curtis earning his league-leading 11th save in 12 chances. The Hops got on the board in the top of the first, loading the bases with no one out. Grant Heyman grounded into a double play to bring home a run, but that's all they would get in the inning. After Vancouver tied it 1-1 on an RBI hit by Ryan McBroom in the bottom of the first, Hillsboro regained the lead in the top of the third. Steve Nyisztor doubled, Taylor Ard was hit by a pitch, Grant Heyman singled home a run and Jake Mayers brought home another with a ground-out to third. Ard added a run-scoring single in the fourth to increase the Hops' lead to 4-1. Vancouver scored single runs in the fifth and sixth --- the second one unearned --- off Doran to cut the Hops' lead to 4-3. But Hillsboro opened it up again in the top of the seventh. Ard walked, Heyman brought him home with a majestic double to center, and Mayers' single scored Heyman. The Hops are 5-2 on the trip, 3-1 in the second half and 25-17 overall. Vancouver is 1-3 in the second half, 26-16 overall. In the series finale on Saturday, Hillsboro will try to become the first visiting team since Spokane from July 9-13, 2008 to take four of five at Nat Bailey Stadium (there have been 26 five-game series at The Nat since it last happened). Right-hander Austin Platt (1-2, 4.03 in five games, four starts) will take the hill for the Hops. Righty Miguel Castro (5-2, 2.52 in eight starts) will oppose him. Pregame airtime on Rip City Radio 620 AM and www.foxsportsradio620.com will be 6:35. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05.

MISSOULA OSPREY

O's Bats Explode In 22-5 Rout Of Helena Every Osprey In The Lineup Hit In The Team's 22 Total Missoula Osprey http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140726&content_id=86372614&fext=.jsp&vkey=recap&sid=t518 HELENA, Mont. - Every Osprey in the lineup had a hit, Fernery Ozuna and Kevin Cron finished a hit short of the cycle, and Justin Williams pushed his hitting streak to 20 games in Missoula's 22-5 thrashing of Helena. Eight runs off seven hits in the seventh inning and ten runs off eight hits in the eighth highlighted the scoring for the Osprey. In addition to the team's 22 hits, Brad Keller earned his first win of the year to move to 1-4 with two earned runs in five innings. He gave up four hits, four walks, and had four strikeouts. Missoula (17-21) saw production all over the lineup including a grand slam in the eighth inning by Fernery Ozuna, who finished

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a double short of hitting for the cycle. He finished with a career-best seven RBI. Justin Williams went 4-5 and now owns a league-best 20 game hit streak. Kevin Cron went 4-6 with 3 RBI and was just a triple shy of the cycle. Dane McFarland, Tyler Clark, Tyler Humphreys, and Damion Smith each tallied two hits in the victory, with Clark and Smith each driving in two runs. Bennie Robinson came on as a pinch-hitter for Trevor Mitsui and singled in his first at-bat as an Osprey. Mitsui doubled in a pair of runs in his lone hit of the night, As a team, Missoula went an astounding 16-26 with runners in scoring position and only left seven runners on base. Will Landsheft, Holden Helmink, and Lawrence Pardo combined to pitch four innings of relief for Missoula, with Helmink and Pardo each pitching one shutout inning. Devin Williams (2-5) took the loss for Helena (13-25) despite setting down eleven batters in a row at one point before the O's roughed him up for three runs in the fifth inning. Williams lasted five innings and gave up six hits, three earned runs, one walk, and had four strikeouts. A trio of Helena relievers took the pounding from Missoula's bats. Brandon Woodruff gave up five earned runs in 2/3 of an inning, Wesley Cox surrendered seven runs in 1/3 of an inning, and Ryan Deeter gave up five runs in two innings. The Osprey close the first-half with a 17-21 record and tie Billings for second-place in the North Division. Missoula continues its series with Helena tomorrow for a 7:05 p.m. start. Tickets for all Osprey games are available at the MSO Hub Box Office, by phone at (406) 543-3300 and online at MissoulaOsprey.com.

NATIONAL

MLB NEWS July 26, 2014 • sports.yahoo.com/mlb/morenews http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/morenews July 26, 2014

Red Sox trade Jake Peavy to Giants 11:58 am EDT (Comcast SportsNet New England)

Hall of Fame changes eligibility requirements 11:47 am EDT (Comcast SportsNet Mid Atlantic)

Cardinals officially add A.J. Pierzynski; designate George Kottaras for assignment 11:40 am EDT (NBC Sports)

Giants bolster rotation, acquire Peavy from Red Sox 11:29 am EDT (Comcast SportsNet Bay Area)

Phightin' Words: Is Sizemore an everyday player? 11:29 am EDT (Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia)

UPDATE: Giants to acquire Jake Peavy from Red Sox 11:15 am EDT (NBC Sports)

Baseball HOF cuts election eligibility to 10 years 10:59 am EDT (The Associated Press)

Maximum stay on Hall of Fame ballot changed from 15 to 10 years 10:32 am EDT (NBC Sports)

Ailing Matsuzaka to have elbow examined 10:20 am EDT (Comcast SportsNet New England)

Orioles looking for winning road trip 10:16 am EDT (Comcast SportsNet Mid Atlantic)

Week Ahead: Premium Quality 10:10 am EDT (Rotoworld)

Jon Lester is willing to return to the Red Sox as a free agent even if they trade him 10:09 am EDT (NBC Sports)

Jose Abreu is third-fastest in MLB history to reach 30 career home runs 9:31 am EDT (NBC Sports)

Settling the Score: Friday’s results 8:55 am EDT (NBC Sports)

Rewind: A night of second-guessing for Lincecum, Giants 3:26 am EDT (Comcast SportsNet Bay Area)

Dodgers-Giants Preview 3:25 am EDT (The Associated Press)

Orioles-Mariners Preview 3:19 am EDT (The Associated Press)

Davis homers in 10th, Orioles edge Mariners 2-1 3:18 am EDT (The Associated Press)

Triple-threat Puig hit three in 8-1 win 3:12 am EDT (The SportsXchange)

Tigers-Angels Preview 2:59 am EDT (The Associated Press)

Puig, Dodgers go triple-crazy, beat Giants 8-1 2:54 am EDT (The Associated Press)

Davis' blast lifts Orioles to 2-1 win in 10 2:50 am EDT (The SportsXchange)

Hector Sanchez 'out awhile' with mild concussion, roster move likely 2:36 am EDT (Comcast SportsNet Bay Area)

Angels' Navarro cleans up after Hamilton 2:35 am EDT (The SportsXchange)

Smyly dominates early, but Tigers fall 2-1 to LAAs 2:31 am EDT (The Associated Press)

Pirates-Rockies Preview 2:29 am EDT (The Associated Press)

Hand, Mathis send Marlins to 2-0 win over Astros 2:25 am EDT (The Associated Press)

Duda's HR leads Mets over Brewers, 3-2 2:23 am EDT (The Associated Press)

Rookie road king Hahn hurls Padres past Braves 5-2 2:23 am EDT (The Associated Press)

Brown powers Phillies over Diamondbacks 9-5 2:22 am EDT (The Associated Press)

Nationals send Reds to 7th straight loss 4-1 2:22 am EDT (The Associated Press)

Cubs hand Cardinals 4th straight loss, 7-6 2:21 am EDT (The Associated Press)

Angels slip past Tigers 2-1 with 6th-inning rally 2:18 am EDT (The Associated Press)

Baseball-Highlights of Friday's MLB games 2:17 am EDT (Reuters)

Butler's pinch-hit HR lifts Royals over Indians 2:17 am EDT (The Associated Press)

Rangers use record 31st pitcher, beat A's 4-1 2:16 am EDT (The Associated Press)

Anderson leads Rockies over Pirates 8-1 2:14 am EDT (The Associated Press)

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Hernandez hard on himself after loss 1:59 am EDT (Comcast SportsNet Houston)

Instant Replay: Lincecum rocked, Giants routed by Dodgers 1:45 am EDT (Comcast SportsNet Bay Area)

Marlins-Astros Preview 1:41 am EDT (The Associated Press)

Mets-Brewers Preview 1:38 am EDT (The Associated Press)

Davis' 10th inning home run gives Orioles 2-1 win 1:35 am EDT (Comcast SportsNet Mid Atlantic)

Keuchel bounces back strong 1:31 am EDT (Comcast SportsNet Houston)

Indians-Royals Preview 1:27 am EDT (The Associated Press)

Reinsdorf hospitalized in Cooperstown 1:14 am EDT (The SportsXchange)

Big seventh inning propels Rockies 1:10 am EDT (The SportsXchange)

White Sox-Twins Preview 1:06 am EDT (The Associated Press)

Diamondbacks-Phillies Preview 1:00 am EDT (The Associated Press)

Pierzynski to sign with Cardinals 1:00 am EDT (The SportsXchange)

Athletics-Rangers Preview 12:58 am EDT (The Associated Press)

Rewind: A's Hammel searching for silver lining 12:56 am EDT (Comcast SportsNet Bay Area)

Report: Cardinals in process of signing Pierzynski 12:51 am EDT (Comcast SportsNet New England)

Tazawa's rare misfire sinks Red Sox 12:40 am EDT (Comcast SportsNet New England)

Abreu hits 30th HR, White Sox beat Twins 9-5 12:38 am EDT (The Associated Press)

White Sox: Reinsdorf hospitalized in Cooperstown 12:37 am EDT (The Associated Press)

Game roundup: Greinke, Puig power Dodgers past Giants 12:37 am EDT (The SportsXchange)

Team Report - BOSTON RED SOX 12:34 am EDT (The SportsXchange)

Team Report - SAN DIEGO PADRES 12:34 am EDT (The SportsXchange)

Team Report - CLEVELAND INDIANS 12:34 am EDT (The SportsXchange)

Padres-Braves Preview 12:29 am EDT (The Associated Press)

The Dodgers are going bananas with triples against the Giants 12:28 am EDT (NBC Sports)

Butler's pinch-hit homer lifts Royals over Indians 12:27 am EDT (The SportsXchange)

Marlins get a helping Hand in 2-0 win 12:26 am EDT (The SportsXchange)

Duda homer caps Mets rally vs. Brewers 12:26 am EDT (The SportsXchange)

Phillies' offense comes to life in win 12:26 am EDT (The SportsXchange)

Team Report - LOS ANGELES DODGERS 12:23 am EDT (The SportsXchange)

Team Report - SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS 12:23 am EDT (The SportsXchange)

Lester: Willing to return if traded 12:19 am EDT (Comcast SportsNet New England)

Abreu powers White Sox past Twins 12:15 am EDT (The SportsXchange)

Red Sox-Rays Preview 12:14 am EDT (The Associated Press)

Blue Jays-Yankees Preview 12:13 am EDT (The Associated Press)

Williams, Feliz pitch Rangers past A's 12:10 am EDT (The SportsXchange)

Wood gives up 12 hits, Braves fall to Padres, 5-2 12:09 am EDT (The Associated Press)

Nationals-Reds Preview 12:03 am EDT (The Associated Press)

Sanchez takes foul tip to mask, leaves game 12:01 am EDT (Comcast SportsNet Bay Area)

Phillies use team effort to down Diamondbacks 12:00 am EDT (Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia)

July 25, 2014

Video: Watch Ichiro Suzuki end his homerless drought 11:55 pm EDT (NBC Sports)

SportsNet Central Update: Sox offense strikes early in win 11:55 pm EDT (Comcast SportsNet Chicago)

Team Report - BALTIMORE ORIOLES 11:50 pm EDT (The SportsXchange)

Team Report - PITTSBURGH PIRATES 11:50 pm EDT (The SportsXchange)

MLB TRANSACTIONS July 26, 2014 • MLB.com http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/transactions

LAST UPDATED: SAT, JULY 26, 2014, 11:15 EDT

SATURDAY, JULY 26, 2014

TEAM PLAYER TRANSACTION

Minnesota Twins

Logan Darnell Called Up from Minors

St. Louis Cardinals

A.J. Pierzynski

Signed as Free Agent, ( 2014)(one-year contract)

St. Louis Cardinals

George Kottaras

Designated for Assignment

FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2014

TEAM PLAYER TRANSACTION

Atlanta Braves

Tyler Pastornicky

Sent to Minors

Atlanta Braves

Anthony Varvaro

Reinstated from Paternity Leave List

Atlanta Braves Gus Schlosser Sent to Minors

│

25

Houston Astros

Matt Albers

Transferred to 60-Day DL, (Right shoulder tendinitis)

Houston Astros

Anthony Bass Sent to Minors

Houston Astros

Gregorio Petit Purchased From Minors

Miami Marlins

Anthony DeSclafani

Sent to Minors

Miami Marlins J.T. Realmuto Called Up from Minors

Minnesota Twins

Jorge Polanco Sent to Minors

New York Yankees

Chris Capuano

Purchased From Minors

New York Yankees

Chris Leroux Designated for Assignment

New York Yankees

Bruce Billings Outrighted to Minors

Philadelphia Phillies

Jeff Manship Outrighted to Minors

San Diego Padres

Jace Peterson Sent to Minors

San Diego Padres

Jesse Hahn Called Up from Minors

San Francisco Giants

Nick Noonan Designated for Assignment

San Francisco Giants

Ehire Adrianza

Placed on 15-Day DL, (Strained right hamstring)

San Francisco Giants

Tony Abreu

Signed to a Minor League Contract

San Francisco Giants

Tony Abreu Purchased From Minors

San Francisco Giants

Dan Uggla Purchased From Minors

San Francisco Giants

Marco Scutaro

Placed on 15-Day DL, (Strained lower back)

Seattle Mariners

Jesus Montero

Sent to Minors

Seattle Mariners

Blake Beavan

Removed From 60-Day DL, (Right shoulder tightness)

Seattle Mariners

Blake Beavan

Recalled From Minors, Rehab Assignment

Seattle Blake Beavan Sent to Minors

Mariners

Texas Rangers

Jerome Williams

Purchased From Minors

Texas Rangers

Jake Smolinski

Placed on 15-Day DL, (Bone bruise, left foot)

Texas Rangers Justin Marks Released

Washington Nationals

Matt Purke

Placed on 60-Day DL, (Recovery from left elbow surgery)

Washington Nationals

Eury Perez

Recalled From Minors, Rehab Assignment

Washington Nationals

Eury Perez

Removed From 60-Day DL, (Fractured left toe)

Washington Nationals

Matt Purke Called Up from Minors

Washington Nationals

Eury Perez Sent to Minors