Manny sits as Dodgers rout Brewers 7-1. Is he headed for Sox next? Galardo robbed after loss

Milwaukee Brewers logo
MILWAUKEE—The Los Angeles Dodgers,still hoping to make a playoff run, used six pitchers to two hit the Milwaukee Brewers for a 7-1 win.Many eyes were here at Miller Park to be on Manny Ramirez who had doubled twice Wednesday night,but with this being a day game after a night contest, Joe Torre always sits him out. The possible future White Sox DH was replaced instead by two time former Sox and ex Brewer Scott Podsednik. Many other former Chicagoans also were in this one as Ryan Theriot batted second for L.A. and Reed Johnson replaced the ejected Andre Ethier in RF in the bottom of the 6th. Casey McGehee,whom the Cubs gave away, continues to be a mainstay for the Crew. Podsednik led off the ballgame with a single to right off Yovani Gallardo and Theriot followed with a long ground rule double that one hopped the wall in center field,sending Podsednik to third. One out later,Matt Kemp grounded to short to score Podsednik. In the Brewers 4th, Price Fielder,whom most folks up here feel is on his “farewell tour”(He’s signed through next year,but is expected to be traded this off season),lifted his 26th homer to right field to tie the game 1-1. That lasted until Podsednik put the Dodgers back in front with a two out single off the glove of Rickie Weeks in the top of the 5th which allowed Brad Ausmus to score. In the top of the 6th, with two gone, James Loney walked,and Casey Blake homered to right field to up the L.A. lead to 4-1. Gallardo was knocked out as the Dodgers broke it open in the 7th. Pitcher Kenley Jensen walked,then three straight former Chicagoans singled.Podsednik got his third hit of the day.Theriot then singled in Jensen and when CF Chris Dickerson’s throw got past catcher Jonathan Lucroy,the two runners advanced to second and third on the error.Johnson singled home Podsednik and Theriot scored on a wild pitch to cap the inning and extend the Los Angeles lead to 7-1.So the question now is, will Ramirez be leaving “MannyWood” and heading for “U.S.MANullar Field”?
 
NOTES—The weekday crowd on a perfect day was 32,333.The roof was open…..The Sausage race was won by the Chorizo in a runaway…..Gallardo and a clubhouse attendant were robbed at gunpoint early Friday, hours after the loss to LA.Brewers spokesman Tyler Barnes confirmed that Gallardo and Alex Sanchez were robbed, but both were doing fine and did not want to discuss the incident.A police spokeswoman did not immediately return messages seeking details.According to a report, an armed man approached the two in a supermarket parking lot demanding money and jewelry and that Sanchez was hit in the head, but not seriously injured.Gallardo signed a $30.1 million, five-year contract extension earlier this year. He’s now 11-6 with a 3.50 ERA after the Thursday loss.
 
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O’s Matusz shuts down Sox bats 4-2

Brian Matusz pitched seven impressive innings and Brian Roberts homered as the Baltimore Orioles beat the White Sox 4-2 on Wednesday night.Matt Wieters doubled and drove in two runs for the Orioles.Mark Buehrle (12-10) was wilder than usual, and the White Sox lost for the 11th time in 16 games. Their lone run off Matusz came on a solo homer by Gordon Beckham in the sixth.With two outs in the Sox ninth, Paul Konerko singled and Carlos Quentin tripled — left fielder Corey Patterson tried to make a leaping catch, but the ball glanced off his glove and hit the wall hard.Koji Uehara rebounded by striking out A.J. Pierzynski for his second save of the season.Matusz (6-12) held the White Sox to one run on three hits. He struck out five and walked one.The left-hander backed up a fine outing in his last start on Aug. 19. In 4-0 win over Texas, he allowed five hits over a career high-tying eight innings, walking one and striking out six.Buehrle (12-10) was lifted after pitching seven innings. He allowed four runs on six hits. He normally commands the strike zone, but this time walked four.The Orioles took the lead in the fifth. Buehrle hit Felix Pie with a pitch, Wieters hit an RBI double and Patterson singled home a run.Buehrle gave up a leadoff walk to Ty Wigginton in the sixth, and Pie’s single and Wieters’ sacrifice fly gave the Orioles a 3-0 lead.Roberts tagged Buehrle for a home run in seventh. In 125 bats this season, Roberts has hit three home runs, two of them coming against White Sox, including a game-winner on Aug. 9.

  

NOTES—Before the game, the White Sox put relievers Matt Thornton and J.J. Putz on the 15-day disabled list, leaving their bullpen a bit short on experience. They recalled right-hander Lucas Harrell from Triple-A Charlotte and reinstated lefty Erick Threets from the disabled list following a rehab assignment in the minors. Threets pitched two scoreless innings. … Beckham homered in his second straight game. 

Cubs make it 3-0 under Quade, beat Nationals again.

 
WASHINGTON—Starlin Castro hit a run-scoring double in the eighth inning to break a scoreless tie and Aramis Ramirez hit a two-run homer to lift the Cubs to a 4-0 win over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday.Ryan Dempster (12-8) threw seven scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out eight.Washington’s Jason Marquis (0-7) remained winless this season despite his best pitching performance of the year. He gave up one run on four hits in 7 1/3 innings, walking three and striking out two.
Alfonso Soriano led off the ninth inning with a home run to left-center field, his 21st homer of the season.The Cubs improved to 3-0 under interim manager Mike Quade, who took over when Lou Piniella unexpectedly retired after Sunday’s game. Quade is the first Cubs manager to win his first three games since Jim Riggleman, now the Nationals’ skipper, started 4-0 in 1995.Entering the game Dempster hadn’t lost any of his four starts in the month of August, and Marquis had lost each of his six starts this season.The two right-handers didn’t allow any offense for the first seven innings before a leadoff walk in the eighth to Tyler Colvin, pinch-hitting for Dempster.Marquis was relieved by Tyler Clippard with one out in the inning and Colvin on first base. Colvin quickly stole second and was doubled home by Castro to leave Marquis on the hook for the loss.Marquis was making his fourth start since returning from a nearly four-month stint on the disabled list and having surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow and he ended up with by far his best performance of the year. It was the first time this season Marquis had pitched more than five innings. He lowered his ERA from 11.39 to 8.79.Dempster has now won four of his five starts this month. He had a no decision in his last outing against Atlanta on Friday, giving up two runs on four hits in eight innings.Ramirez game the Cubs a 3-0 cushion with his two-out home run to left field in the eighth, scoring Castro. It was Ramirez’s 20th homer of the season.Marquis became the game’s first base runner to reach third base in the sixth inning. He singled, advanced on a sacrifice and moved to third on a wild pitch with two outs but was stranded when Ian Desmond grounded out to end the inning.

NOTES—Nationals RHP Stephen Strasburg, on the DL with a right strained forearm tendon, will have a second MRI Thursday to determine the extent of the injury. His scheduled spot in the rotation Thursday will be filled by RHP Jordan Zimmermann. Zimmermann has not pitched in the majors since undergoing Tommy John surgery last August. … OF Nyjer Morgan was suspended seven games for hitting a fan with a ball thrown into the stands at Philadelphia Saturday. Morgan appealed the suspension and played Wednesday. … OF Josh Willingham had left knee surgery Wednesday and is unlikely to play again this season. …Soriano is one of five players to have at least 20 home runs in each of the nine seasons. The others are Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, Adam Dunn and David Ortiz.

Sox take big lead, hold on vs O’s, Putz and Thornton headed for DL

With limited options left in his bullpen, Ozzie Guillen had to call on closer Bobby Jenks again.Gordon Beckham hit a three-run home run in the seventh, Gavin Floyd pitched seven strong innings and the White Sox held on to beat the Baltimore Orioles 7-5 on Tuesday night.The Sox won for just the fifth time in 15 games, moving within 3 1/2 games of first-place Minnesota in the AL Central.But the win came at a cost for the Sox bullpen. The White Sox will lose relievers Matt Thornton (sore left forearm) and J.J. Putz (right knee inflammation) to the disabled list. The team will call up a pair of relievers from the minors Wednesday to replace the two veterans.Leading 7-2 in the ninth inning, reliever Sergio Santos did not record an out and gave up a pair of RBI singles to Brian Roberts and Nick Markakis. Putz inherited runners at first and third with no outs but left after throwing three straight balls to Ty Wigginton. Guillen called for Jenks, who got Wigginton to hit a comebacker to start a double play.Roberts scored on the double play, but Jenks then got Scott to fly out for his 24th save in 27 opportunities.Jenks pitched three scoreless innings in Sunday’s loss to the Royals.The White Sox bullpen is 1-5 with four blown saves and a 6.17 ERA over the last eight games, allowing six home runs. Luke Scott homered and Felix Pie had three hits for the Orioles, who have lost eight of 12.A.J. Pierzynski opened the bottom of seventh with a single off Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie. One out later, Mark Teahen hit a double down the right-field line, moving Pierzynski to third. Beckham followed with his eighth homer to break a 2-all tie.Paul Konerko added an RBI single off Baltimore reliever Matt Albers, and Juan Pierre hit an RBI single in the eighth to give the White Sox a 7-2 lead.Guthrie’s night ended after he hit Alex Rios in the back later in the inning.Floyd (9-10) allowed two runs and scattered seven hits. He struck out six and walked two and also conserved some of the work for the bullpen.The Orioles wasted several scoring chances against Floyd.Guthrie (7-13) was tagged for six runs on 10 hits in 6 2/3 innings.Trailing 2-1 in the fifth, the White Sox loaded the bases with no outs. Pierre hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game, but that’s the only run they would get in the inning. Omar Vizquel popped out and Beckham was picked off by catcher Matt Wieters to end the inning.Scott led off the fourth with a drive to right on a 1-1 pitch for his 25th homer of the season. Adam Jones reached first after getting hit by a pitch and went to third on Pie’s single. Jones scored on Wieter’s fielder’s choice.Jones led off the second inning with a walk and advanced to third on Pie’s single. But Jones was left stranded at third. He wasn’t able to score on Wieters’ double play ball, and the inning ended on Cesar Izturis’ infield groundout.Rios singled in the bottom of the fourth and took third on Konerko’s single. Rios then scored on Carlos Quentin’s double play ball.Pie made a diving catch on Pierre’s ball in left field and threw to first to double up Beckham in the third inning.

  

NOTES—Jones left the game after the top of the fourth with a contusion on his left shoulder. … Both teams were issued warnings after Guthrie hit Rios in the seventh. … The White Sox have had 10 or more hits in 10 straight games. … Pierre extended his hitting streak to 12 games and finished with three hits. 

Marmol almost blows another one,but Cubs hang on for Z in D.C.

 
WASHINGTON—With every pitch he threw against the Washington Nationals, Carlos Zambrano thought of his critically ill 11-year-old nephew, who is hospitalized in Venezuela with a serious infection.Alfonso Soriano and Tyler Colvin homered, Zambrano continued his resurgence since rejoining the Cubs rotation and he beat the Nationals 5-4 on Tuesday night.After dispatching Washington, Zambrano was scheduled to board an overnight flight to his homeland so he can visit the youngster in intensive care. The kid was on Zambrano’s mind frequently Tuesday night.The Cubs improved to 2-0 under interim manager Mike Quade, who took over when Lou Piniella unexpectedly retired after Sunday’s game. Quade is the first Cubs manager to win his first two games since Jim Riggleman, now the Nationals’ skipper, started 4-0 in 1995. Zambrano (5-6) yielded a run on five hits over 7 1/3 innings, his longest outing of the year. He walked one and struck out eight. In four starts since returning from the bullpen, the right-hander is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA.The Nationals have lost three straight games and dropped a season-worst 20 games under .500.Carlos Marmol fanned Ian Desmond on three sliders to escape a bases-loaded jam in the eighth and got his 23rd save in 28 chances, despite allowing a three-run double by Adam Kennedy in the ninth.Ryan Zimmerman lined out to right for the game’s final out with the tying run on second base.Soriano’s three-run homer put the Cubs ahead in the second. Jeff Baker and Geovany Soto singled before Soriano sent an 0-1 John Lannan pitch into the left-field stands for his 20th. It was his first homer since Aug. 1 and gave him nine straight seasons of 20 or more home runs. Zimmerman’s RBI single got the Nationals within 3-1 in the third. Alberto Gonzalez led off with a single and beat the throw to second on Lannan’s sacrifice attempt. Zimmerman then singled to center.A two-run shot by Colvin made it 5-1 in the fourth. Soriano reached on shortstop Gonzalez’s throwing error and Colvin homered to right-center on Lannan’s first pitch.Lannan (5-6) was pulled after allowing five runs on seven hits in five innings. He struck out three.

NOTES—Colvin’s 19 homers lead major league rookies and are the fourth-most by a rookie in Cubs history. … Before the game, the Nationals placed RHP Stephen Strasburg on the 15-day disabled list with a right forearm strain and recalled RHP Collin Balester from Triple-A Syracuse. …The Cubs optioned Justin Berg to Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday and selected the contract of LHP Scott Maine. … Before the third, Zambrano had not allowed an earned run at Nationals Park in 14 2/3 innings. He is 3-0 with a 0.47 ERA in four career starts at Nationals Park. … With runners on first and second and the Cubs in an exaggerated shift against Washington’s Adam Dunn in the eighth, Nyjer Morgan jogged to third uncontested. It was ruled defensive indifference, not a stolen base.

Quade wins first game as Interim Mgr as Cubs beat Nats

 
WASHINGTON—There were two baseballs in the wooden tray that sits on the desk in the visiting manager’s office at Nationals Park. One was the last ball thrown in the game, a swinging strikeout that finished off an eight-run victory. The other was a game ball saved by the home plate umpire.They were souvenirs from Mike Quade’s first game as a major league manager, the Cubs’ 9-1 victory over the Washington Nationals on Monday night.The post-Piniella Cubs are off to quite a start. Not only did Quade, the interim skipper, win his first game following the sudden resignation of Lou Piniella on Sunday, but so did Casey Coleman. The rookie right-hander took a one-hitter into the seventh inning, and the Cubs had 15 hits to open a six-game road trip.Quade was promoted from third base coach after Piniella’s resignation and considers the rest of the season an audition for the permanent job. He inherited a club that started the day 23 games below .500 and that had lost six of its previous seven, but his debut produced Chicago’s first comfortable victory in nearly three weeks.Coleman helped make the manager’s job much easier. Making his second start and sixth major league appearance, he allowed one run and three hits with three strikeouts and two walks.Coleman (1-1) faced only three batters above the minimum until the seventh, when he gave up consecutive hits followed by Ivan Rodridguez’s RBI groundout. Coleman even collected his first major league hit, a single punched through a drawn-in infield in the fifth that also produced his first RBI.The Cubs scored five runs in the third inning and two more in the fifth against Livan Hernandez (8-9), who was left to toil for 121 pitches until he was finally removed with one out in the fifth. The third inning included a leadoff home run by Blake DeWitt, two hit batters, one walk, a two-run single by Tyler Colvin and a two-run bloop triple by Alfonso Soriano that landed just inside the line and barely out of reach of sprawled outfielder Willie Harris.The Cubs had eight players get at least one hit — DeWitt and Xavier Nady led the way with three each. Andrew Cashner and Thomas Diamond pitched 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief for the Cubs, who hadn’t won a game by more than two runs since a 15-4 rout of Milwaukee on Aug. 4.The day was already a long one for a Nationals team that was coming off two shutout losses in a three-game series with Philadelphia. Before Monday’s game, the team announced that rookie ace Stephen Strasburg will be placed on the 15-day disabled list and will undergo a second MRI on a strained tendon in his right forearm.

NOTES—Marlon Byrd was hit on the right wrist by Hernandez in the third inning. He stayed in the game to run the bases but was removed in the bottom of the inning. X-rays were negative, and Byrd is day to day with a bruise….In a pregame ceremony, the Nationals unveiled a plaque featuring Piniella on a Washington Senators rookie baseball card from 1964. The Senators drafted Piniella in 1962, but he never played for the franchise. The plaque will be given to Piniella.

Piniella leaves NOW, Cubs blown out by Braves

An emotional Lou Piniella waves to the Wrigley Field faithful as he bows out as he brings an end to his career.  (AP)
An emotional Lou Piniella waves to the Wrigley Field faithful as he bows out as he brings an end to his career. (AP)

Lou Piniella waved goodbye Sunday, bowing as out the Cubs manager and ending a career that spanned five decades after the Atlanta Braves routed the sinking Northiders 16-5.Piniella, 66, announced before the game that he leaving to be with his ailing mother. Third base coach Mike Quade was promoted to interim manager.He joins the likes of Jim Essian and Bruce Kim who were past Cub interim skippers.The disappointing Cubs weren’t able to send Piniella out as a winner. Omar Infante and Jason Heyward each hit a pair of home runs, and the Braves scored 11 times in the last three innings to break away.Former Cub Derrek Lee had a bases clearing double as part of the blowout.Piniella was in the dugout when the game was over, and he waved his hat to longtime Braves manager Bobby Cox across the field. Cox plans to retire after the season.Piniella hugged Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez before heading down the dugout tunnel to the clubhouse.After contemplating the decision for several days and discussing it with Cubs general manager Jim Hendry, Piniella decided to walk away from baseball after 48 years as a player, manager and executive.The surprising announcement came in a team handout in the morning, and after Piniella had repeatedly insisted he would finish the season. “My mom needs me home and that’s where I’m going,” Piniella said. The loss left the Cubs at 51-74. Atlanta held its lead in the NL East.Piniella and Cox were honored before the game as they exchanged lineup cards at home plate.Piniella and the umpiring crew posed for a picture. He shook hands with Cox, and they hugged each other and exchanged back slaps as Piniella’s No. 41 was posted on the center-field scoreboard.Cox made his last trip as a manager to Wrigley Field. He was announced to the crowd and took his cap off and waved it to the fans.Braves starter Mike Minor (2-0) set a team rookie record by striking 12 in six innings. The lefty allowed three runs and six hits.Heyward and Infante each finished with four hits, drove in four runs and scored four times. It was 5-3 before the Braves scored four runs in the seventh, five more in the eighth and twice in the ninth.The Cubs have lost six of their last seven. Randy Wells (5-12) took the loss.Rookie Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro finished 4 for 5 with two doubles.The teams each had 13 hits despite the lopsided final score. … The Cubs have lost 12 of their last 14 at Wrigley.

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Lou Piniella’s long and colorful career has spanned 48 years, from an aggressive outfielder with a sharp batting eye to a successful manager whose highlight-reel base-throwing tantrums sometimes overshadowed his baseball acumen.His family, from his relatives to his teammates and players, always has come first. And that’s why the leader of the Cubs decided to step down after Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Braves — he wants to spend more time with his ailing mother.”My mom needs me home and that’s where I’m going,” Piniella said before one last game in the dugout.The Cubs couldn’t send Piniella out a winner, playing some sloppy baseball and losing to the Braves 16-5 to fall 23 games under .500. After Sam Fuld grounded into a game-ending double play, Piniella took off his cap and shook it in the direction of the Atlanta dugout, apparently to say goodbye to fellow retiring manager Bobby Cox. Many in the crowd of 37,518 had already left Wrigley Field. Piniella said last month he planned to retire at the end of the season and reiterated his plans just Saturday. But he missed four games in August to be with his mom in Florida and decided this weekend his divided attention wasn’t helping anyone. “She hasn’t gotten any better since I’ve been here,” said Piniella, who turns 67 on Saturday. “She’s had a couple other complications, and rather than continue to go home, come back, it’s not fair to the team, it’s not fair to the players. So the best thing is just to step down and go home and take care of my mother.” The surprising announcement — made in a team handout Sunday morning after Piniella had repeatedly insisted he would finish the season — led to a memorable scene when Piniella brought the lineup card to home plate and greeted Cox who empathized with his counterpart. “It’s in your blood that long, but Lou’s mom is in ill health,” Cox said before the game. “It’s a sad day for me because I kept on thinking that Lou would be back, not here but somewhere else.” Piniella and Cox shook hands after they reached the plate, hugged each other and exchanged back slaps as Piniella’s No. 41 was posted on the center-field scoreboard.Cox was announced to the crowd and took his cap off and waved it to the fans.Then the public address announcer ran down Piniella’s achievements as he stood at the plate, and scattered cheers of “Louuu” could be heard throughout the crowd.After Piniella and Cox posed for a picture with the umpires, the managers hugged each other again. Piniella then headed to the dugout and, as the cheers got louder, took off his cap, waved it to the crowd and began to clap for the fans.When Piniella made the first of three trips to the mound in the seventh inning to change pitchers, fans behind the dugout gave him a standing ovation as he came off the field and he acknowledged them with a little wave of his hand.Third base coach Mike Quade was promoted to interim manager, getting the nod over bench coach Alan Trammell, who was thought to have been a candidate to succeed Piniella next season. But general manager Jim Hendry said Trammell was not going to be considered for the job, so Quade was selected to finish out the season.Piniella met with his team to let them know he was leaving and it was very emotional, despite the Cubs’ terribly disappointing season – two years after they had the best record in the NL.”I wish we would’ve played better for him,” reliever Sean Marshall said. “You hate to see stuff like that. You hate to see a grown man kind of tear up like that, it just shows his heart for winning and his drive for baseball and his family.” Piniella finished with an overall record was 1,835-1,713. He trailed only Tony La Russa, Cox and Joe Torre in victories among active managers. Piniella’s record with the Cubs was 316-293. Under the mellowed skipper, the Cubs won consecutive NL Central titles in 2007-08, but missed the playoffs last year and slipped back even further this season with a new owner, Tom Ricketts, in charge. “I’ve enjoyed it here,” Piniella said. “In four wonderful years I’ve made a lot of friends and had some success here, this year has been a little bit of a struggle. But, look. Family is important, it comes first.” In 18 years in the majors as a player — he had a .291 career batting average — and another 22 as a manager, Piniella made five trips to the World Series and has three championship rings. He began his professional playing career in 1962. “It’s a very tough day for him, very emotional,” Hendry said of the man he hired four years ago to replace Dusty Baker. “There has been some times the last couple of months where he knew his family was possibly going to need him. He certainly didn’t want to go out before the end of the year, but it’s just at the point now where he need to be home with his mother and his family.” Piniella began managing in 1986 with the Yankees and lasted three years, including a stint as general manager. He managed the Reds from 1990-92, leading them to a World Series championship in his first season. He also got national attention during his time there for a clubhouse wrestling match with reliever Rob Dibble, who downplayed the incident and said “we’ve been family ever since.” After Cincinnati, Piniella had a long run in Seattle, where his teams won at least 90 games four times and 116 in 2001. The three-time manager of the year also spent three seasons in Tampa Bay’s dugout, but he questioned his hometown team’s commitment to winning at the time before the team bought out the final year of his four-year contract. The Cubs won 97 games under Piniella in 2008, but were swept out of the playoffs for the second straight year and it’s been mostly downhill since that successful run.What Cub fans saw for the most part was a more reserved Piniella, although he did have one dirt-kicking meltdown with umpire Mark Wegner early in his first season and soon thereafter the Cubs took off and eventually overtook the Milwaukee Brewers to win the NL Central in 2007.Piniella joined the Cubs after doing some TV work, looking for a final challenge and hoping — like so many before him — that he would be the manager to bring the Cubs a long-awaited championship. The Cubs’ last World Series appearance came in 1945, their last World Series winner in 1908. It didn’t happen, despite the promising first two seasons. “It’s a tough job. But, look. I mean. They’re going to win here. They’ve got a family owned business now,” Piniella said.”The Ricketts family is going to do what they need to do to get this thing to where it can win. They’re going to give it the care that it deserves. When I took this job I didn’t call anybody. I came here and did the best I could for as long as I’ve been here. That’s all you can do,” he added.Piniella said he would look back later.”I’ll have plenty of time to reflect, I will,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed it. It’s a wonderful place to work and wonderful people to work with and for. To end a career in a place like Wrigley in a city like Chicago with these wonderful fans, I couldn’t be more appreciative to the Cub organization.”

Sox go extras with Royals,lose again

KANSAS CITY—Jason Kendall hit a game-ending single with two outs in the 10th inning, giving the Kansas City Royals a 3-2 victory over the White Sox on Sunday in the teams’ third extra-inning game in less than 24 hours.Gregor Blanco walked with two outs and stole second and third before Kendall delivered the hit to left-center off Scott Linebrink (1-1).The Royals and White Sox played three games totaling 9 hours, 32 minutes and 31 innings. They split a doubleheader Saturday night, the first game going 11 innings and the second 10, that did not end until 1:11 a.m. CT on Sunday morning.The last time the Royals played three consecutive extra-innings game was June 9-11, 2000, against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Bears lose to Raiders,now 0-2 in Pre-Season, Cutler sacked 5 times,all in 1st half


The Bears and Oakland Raiders both played their starters for the most part for most of the first half.The Bears know they still have some work to do,mostly on the offensive line. Oakland won the game 32-17 as Jay Cutler again had to run for his life and Brian Urlacher hurt his calf muscle.The Raiders won the toss,and unlike the Bears of the past couple of seasons, they chose to take the ball. Oakland,as they have done in their long time tradition had a quick holding penalty and a false start,but they recovered and Jason Campbell picked the Bears number one defense apart, driving them 81 yards in ten plays, using 8:27 off the clock. TE Zach Miller and RB Michael Bush did much of the work before Campbell broke the plane of the goal line on a third down after he had been stopped by Julius Peppers on second down.The Raiders thus led 7-0.Oh yes, to make things worse,Urlachler suffered a calf strain and was ruled out for the game. The Bears first offensive series was awful against Oakland’s three man front. After a two yard gain by Matt Forte, Cutler was sacked by Tommy Kelly for a nine yard loss and then by Kamerlon Wimbley for 11 more yards leaving it fourth and 28 at the 4.Following an incomplete pass,Bush ran up the middle for 15 to the Bears 24.From there the Bears forced a Janikowski 43 yard field goal which he drilled to make it 10-0 with 4:58 left in the quarter.On the Bears second possession,Forte ran for a first down,but Brad Maynard had to punt the Raiders back to their 19. On first down,Peppers was shaken up while tackling Bush but went off on his own power.Campbell hit Marcell Reece for 40 yards to the Bears 26 on a screen pass.Campbell then lobbed a pass that was nowhere near Miller and went right into the hands of Charles Tillman for the interception at the Bears 11.Forte then brought the crowd to it’s feet with an 89 yard run down the West sideline with :22 left to make it 10-6 as a bad snap from Desmond Clark (who was filling in for injured Patrick Mannelly)bounced to Maynard who simply fell on it.The first quarter ended with Oakland on the midfield stripe.The Bears drove into field goal range thanks to a nice Cutler to Devin Hester pass and a Hester end around,but again Clark’s snap was a “ground ball” that Robbie Gould picked up a threw away for what was intentional grounding and Oakland took over at their own 33 but went three and out as did the Bears as Cutler was sacked for the third time of the half. The next time Oakland got the ball,they took over at midfield and went 25 yards to set up another 43 yard Janikowski field goal,this one with 4:24 left in the half to make it 13-6 Raiders. After another Bears punt, Campbell couldn’t handle a snap and Isreal Idonije fell on it at the Oakland 25.Four plays later,Cutler avoided a rush on third down and hit a wide open Johnny Knox in the end zone and this time they they went for two points and Chester Taylor ran around right end and got in easily to give the Bears their first lead 14-13 with 1:40 left.The half ended that way with Cutler getting sacked five times on the night.Dan LeFevour started the second half for the Bears and the first series ended with a punt as did Oakland’s,but Swayze Waters punt was muffed by Eric Peterman into the Bears end zone and recovered by Norris for a touchdown as the Raiders regained the lead 20-14.Norris also later blocked a Maynard punt out of the end zone for a safety.

NOTES—Cutler completed 7 of 15 for 99 yards with a 22-yard TD pass to Johnny Knox and was sacked five times – four of them credited to Raiders’ linebacker Kamerion Wimbley…..Oakland’s Campbell was 10-for-20 for 170 yards with the short TD run and one interception…..Next Saturday the Bears host the Arizona Cardinals.

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Sox split Twi-Nighter with Royals, both in extras

Yuniesky Betancourt came up with clutch hits to help the Kansas City Royals split a doubleheader with the White Sox.Juan Pierre’s two-out RBI double in the 10th lifted the Sox to a 7-6 victory over the Royals in the second game after Betancourt tied it with a two-out single in the ninth.In the first game, Betancourt hit a grand slam in the seventh inning, then delivered a two-out single in the 11th that gave the Royals a 6-5 win over the White Sox. His two-out RBI single in the ninth inning of the second game scored Mitch Maier, who had tripled, to tie it.Gordon Beckman led off the 10th inning with a single, advanced to second on Ramon Castro’s sacrifice bunt and scored the game-winning run on Pierre’s double to right.The two teams played 21 innings, lasting 6 hours, 31 minutes, plus a five-minute delay in the second game when a bank of lights went out.J.J. Putz (6-5) picked up the victory, despite blowing a save. Greg Holland (0-1) took the loss.Tony Pena, who had not started since 2005 in the minors, was pushed into an emergency start for the White Sox after a rain out Friday. He went a career-high seven innings, retiring the last 12 batters he faced, and allowed four runs on five hits.Once he left, however, the bullpen could not hold a two-run lead.Gregor Blanco homered off Scott Linebrink in the eighth to cut the White Sox lead to one run. It was Blanco’s first home run since May 27, 2008, a span of 492 at-bats without a homer.Castro homered with Beckham aboard in the three-run sixth. Alex Rios singled home Brent Lillibridge with the final run of the inning.Bryan Bullington, who held the New York Yankees to two hits in eight scoreless innings to win his previous start, was roughed up for six runs on 11 hits in five-plus innings.The Royals began the fourth with five straight hits for a four-run inning. Billy Butler had a two-run single, while Wilson Betemit’s double scored Gregor Blanco with the first run. Mitch Maier’s sacrifice fly scored Butler with the final run of the inning.The White Sox jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Rios and Mark Kotsay had RBI in the first innings. Alexei Ramirez’s sacrifice fly scored Mark Teahen in the fourth.Betancourt’s third grand slam of the season tied a Royals record set by Danny Tartabull in 1988. Betancourt and Alex Rodriguez are the only major leaguers with three slams this season. Wilson Betemit drew a leadoff walk from rookie Chris Sale (0-1) in the 11th, moved up on Alex Gordon’s sacrifice and stopped at third on Mike Aviles’ two-out single. Betancourt’s single to center won it.Jesse Chavez (2-1), the fourth Kansas City pitcher, worked two scoreless innings to earn the victory.Freddy Garcia held the Royals to four hits and one run — Betemit’s leadoff homer in the fifth — through six innings.In the seventh, Garcia walked Billy Butler and gave up two-out singles to Willie Bloomquist and Aviles. Sergio Santos relieved Garcia and gave up Betancourt’s grand slam on his second pitch. The White Sox threatened in the 10th, but pinch-runner Lillibridge was thrown out at the plate trying to score on Carlos Quentin’s double to right-center.Royals right-hander Phil Humber, making his first big league start since Sept. 26, 2007, with the New York Mets, allowed five runs on nine hits, while striking out six in 5 2/3 innings.Humber had not pitched since a relief appearance on Aug. 10. He was primarily a starter this season with Triple-A Omaha.Juan Pierre, who leads the majors with 49 stolen bases, led off the White Sox third with an infield single, swiped second and scored on Omar Vizquel’s single. The White Sox made it 2-1 in the fifth when Pierre’s single scored A.J. Pierzynski.The White Sox upped their lead to 5-1 in the sixth with Gordon Beckham driving in two runs with a two-out single.
 
NOTES—Ozzie Guillen opted against bringing back RHP Edwin Jackson, who threw seven pitches Friday before the game was rained out, to start the second game of the doubleheader. “He wanted to go, but the smartest thing is not to pitch him,” Guillen said. “I’d rather lose a game than lose a pitcher. I’m not going to risk a career or a year just cause we want to win a game.