Thursday, August 16th (All times eastern)
CHICAGO WHITE SOX (54-65) AT OAKLAND ATHLETICS (59-62), 3:35 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Chicago - Javier Vazquez (10-6, 3.65) Oakland - Dan Haren (13-4, 2.53)
The Oakland Athletics will send out their ace in an attempt to earn a three-game sweep of the visiting Chicago White Sox in this afternoon’s series finale from McAfee Coliseum.
After continuing the White Sox’s usual struggles in Oakland by winning the first two tests of this set, the Athletics go for their fourth consecutive overall victory today behind Dan Haren. The All-Star right-hander leads all American League pitchers with a 2.53 earned run average and has been nearly unbeatable at home this season, bringing an 8-1 record and a 2.53 ERA in 13 Coliseum starts into this afternoon’s tilt.
Haren is coming off a rare loss his last time out, however. In Saturday’s 5-2 setback to Detroit at Comerica Park, the 26-year-old allowed three runs and nine hits in 6 1/3 innings of work.
The Pepperdine product is also winless in two previous starts against the White Sox, having compiled an 0-1 mark and a 5.56 ERA over 11 1/3 total innings. Haren has not faced Chicago this season, though.
He’ll try to duplicate teammate Joe Blanton’s gem on Wednesday. Blanton shut Chicago out over the first seven innings and the Athletics survived a late Sox rally to hold on for a 3-2 victory.
Blanton, who had notched only one win over his last seven starts coming in, scattered five hits and struck out five without a walk to outduel Mark Buehrle.
Chicago drew within 3-2 after scoring a pair of eighth-inning runs off Alan Embree, but Huston Street shut the door in the ninth to earn his first save since May 6.
Buehrle held the A’s to one run over the first six innings, but surrendered a two-run homer to Kurt Suzuki in the seventh that staked Oakland to a 3-0 advantage.
Mike Piazza added an RBI single for Oakland, which has won five of its last seven games.
Chicago, which has dropped four in a row, received two hits and a RBI each from Josh Fields and Paul Konerko.
The White Sox also fell to 5-15 at the Coliseum since the beginning of the 2004 season, although Chicago has split eight overall meetings with the A’s this year.
The struggling club will send a red-hot pitcher to the mound this afternoon, however. Chicago’s Javier Vazquez is 7-1 with an impressive 2.97 ERA over his last nine starts and allowed three or less runs in seven of those outings.
Vazquez has won in each of his last two trips to the hill. The veteran righty defeated Detroit with seven innings of three-run ball on August 4, then limited Seattle to three runs over seven frames in a 5-3 Sox victory last Friday.
The 31-year-old has historically struggled when pitching in Oakland, where Vazquez has an 0-2 record with a 7.50 ERA in three previous starts. He is just 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA in four career games against the Athletics.
DETROIT TIGERS (66-54) AT NEW YORK YANKEES (67-53), 7:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Detroit - Justin Verlander (12-4, 3.58) New York - Mike Mussina (8-7, 4.50)
Two teams battling for position in the American League playoff race get together for a key four-game series which begins tonight in the Bronx, where the New York Yankees will host the defending AL champion Detroit Tigers.
Detroit comes in locked in a tie with Cleveland for the top spot in the AL Central standings, with both teams currently one game behind the Yankees and Seattle Mariners for the lead in the league’s wild card race.
New York is also five games behind rival Boston for first place in the AL East division.
These two powerhouses will be meeting for the first time since the Tigers downed the Yankees in four games during last October’s AL Division Series. Tonight’s matchup also marks the return to New York for controversial outfielder Gary Sheffield, who was traded from the Yankees to Detroit this past offseason.
Sheffield, who had spent the previous three years in pinstripes, hasn’t had pleasant things to say about his former organization since his departure. In particular, he ripped manager Joe Torre about his treatment of African American players in a television interview a few months back.
Things have also been rocky on the field for the Tigers as of late. The club has gone just 7-16 since July 24 and is presently dealing with a flu bug that kept All-Stars Placido Polanco and Ivan Rodriguez out of the lineup in Wednesday’s 5-2 loss to the Indians at Jacobs Field
Fausto Carmona tossed eight outstanding innings to allow Cleveland to earn a split of the important two-game series and pull even with Detroit in the Central standings.
The injury-plagued Tigers were forced to call up Jair Jurrjens from Double-A Erie to start last night’s contest. The 21-year-old pitched well in defeat, holding the Tribe to four runs on just five hits in seven innings of work.
Curtis Granderson and Mike Rabelo each knocked in a run for Detroit.
The Tigers hope to have Polanco and Rodriguez, as well as outfielder Craig Monroe, back in the lineup tonight. Justin Verlander has also been affected by the illness, but the reigning AL Rookie of the Year will make his assigned start this evening.
Verlander last pitched on Saturday, when he stopped a four-start winless streak by holding Oakland to two runs over six innings to notch his 12th victory of the season. The hard-throwing righty had gone 0-1 with a 5.25 ERA during his winless stretch.
The 24-year-old has made only one regular-season start against New York, which came at Comerica Park on June 1 of the 2006 campaign. Verlander received a no decision in that game despite yielding six runs over five innings.
Verlander did start Game 2 of last year’s ALDS at Yankee Stadium and allowed three runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings. He did not factor in the decision of Detroit’s 4-3 win.
While the Tigers have struggled lately, the Yankees have vaulted back into playoff contention by amassing a major league-best 24-10 record since the All- Star break. The Bronx Bombers are coming off two consecutive home losses to the Baltimore Orioles, however, including Wednesday’s 6-3, 10-inning defeat.
Baltimore spoiled a thrilling ninth-inning rally from New York by scoring three times off Mariano Rivera in the top of the 10th. The Yankee closer surrendered back-to-back doubles to Nick Markakis and Miguel Tejada and a two- run homer off the bat of Aubrey Huff.
New York was shut down by Orioles starter Erik Bedard through the first seven innings and trailed 3-0 until Shelley Duncan belted a dramatic three-run homer off Jamie Walker with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.
Duncan finished 2-for-4 on the afternoon, while Alex Rodriguez had four hits in four at-bats and scored once.
Streaking right-hander Mike Mussina gets the call for the Yankees in tonight’s opener. The veteran has won his last four starts and allowed just eight runs in 25 1/3 innings over that span, which amounts to a 2.84 ERA.
Mussina has also had terrific success when facing Detroit over the course of his lengthy career. In 29 lifetime starts against the Tigers, the 38-year-old is an outstanding 17-5 with a 2.50 ERA.
In his most recent mound trip, Mussina defeated Cleveland on Saturday after permitting just two runs on eight hits over 7 2/3 innings.
The Yankees won five of seven regular-season clashes with Detroit in 2006 and are 10-3 against the Tigers since the start of the 2005 campaign. Detroit has lost five of six at Yankee Stadium over that span.
LA ANGELS OF ANAHEIM (69-49) AT TORONTO BLUE JAYS (61-58), 7:07 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: LA Angels - Kelvim Escobar (12-6, 2.74) Toronto - Dustin McGowan (8-6, 4.12)
The Toronto Blue Jays try to move a bit closer in the American League wild card race and complete a three-game sweep in the process, as they wrap up their series with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim this evening at Rogers Centre.
The Blue Jays gained a game on the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners in the wild card chase on Wednesday, as Shaun Marcum followed up a no-hit bid from his last outing by allowing just one run over seven-plus innings to lead Toronto to a 2-1 win.
Marcum (10-4) scattered just four hits, walked a batter and fanned six before departing with a runner on and no outs in the eighth. He threw 97 pitches — 65 for strikes — to earn his fifth straight win and ninth overall since entering the rotation on May 13. He also lowered his ERA to 3.31.
The performance came just five days after Marcum carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning against Kansas City.
Alex Rios had three hits and Vernon Wells knocked in a run for the Blue Jays, who have won five of their last seven contests and now sit just 5 1/2 games back of the Yankees and Mariners, both of whom lost on Wednesday.
Dustin Moseley (4-2) allowed two runs and nine hits, walked a batter and struck out two in five innings of work for the Angels, who lost for only the third time in their last nine tries. Vladimir Guerrero knocked in the lone Anaheim run.
Heading to the hill tonight for the Jays will be 25-year-old right-hander Dustin McGowan, who is 8-6 with a 4.12 earned run average. McGowan was tagged with the loss on Saturday against the Kansas City Royals after he allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits in 6 1/3 innings.
McGowan, who is 5-1 with a 3.11 ERA in seven starts at Rogers Centre this season, will be making his first-ever start against the Halos. He has faced them twice previously out of the bullpen without recording a decision.
The Angels will counter with right-hander Kelvim Escobar, who has pitched to a 1.60 ERA over his last seven starts despite going just 3-3 over that span.
Escobar picked up a win on Friday against the Minnesota Twins, as he surrendered a run and five hits in six innings to run his season mark to 12-6 and lower his ERA to 2.74.
Escobar, who pitched for the Blue Jays from 1997-2003, is 2-3 lifetime against Toronto with a 2.12 ERA in five starts.
Toronto, which last swept the Angels from July 26-28, 2005, won six of 10 games in the season series with Anaheim a year ago and is 18-9 in the matchup since the start of the 2004 campaign.
The Angels have also struggled north of the border, where they have won just once in their last nine visits.
KANSAS CITY ROYALS (52-67) AT TEXAS RANGERS (53-66), 8:35 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Kansas City - Leo Nunez (2-0, 1.80) Texas - John Rheinecker (1-1, 6.75)
Leo Nunez tries to win his third straight decision this evening as his Kansas City Royals try to avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of the Texas Rangers at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
Nunez has been remarkable for the Royals, going 2-0 with a sparkling 1.80 earned run average in four games, three of which have been starts. The right- hander picked up a win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday, as he allowed a run on two hits in six innings.
The 24-year-old held the Rangers scoreless over six innings to defeat them on July 29 and is 2-0 lifetime against them with a 3.06 ERA in eight games (one start).
Texas will counter with left-hander John Rheinecker, who is 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA. Rheinecker was tagged with the loss on Saturday against Tampa, as he surrendered three runs and six hits in six innings.
Rheinecker will be making his first-ever start against the Royals, but did face them once in a relief role, allowing a hit in a 1 1/3 scoreless innings on July 28.
In the second game of this set on Wednesday, Ian Kinsler homered, Michael Young added a two-run double and Vicente Padilla pitched five solid innings to lead Texas to a 4-3 win.
Kinsler ended 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored, while Nelson Cruz also had a pair of hits and scored a run for the Rangers, who have won three straight and five of seven overall.
Padilla allowed just one run, four hits and fanned a season-high eight batters in his first start since June 22. He had been sidelined because of a right triceps strain.
Mike Wood (3-1) allowed two hits in one scoreless inning to earn the win.
Gil Meche (7-11) yielded three runs — two earned — on five hits, walked three and struck out four over 6 1/3 innings for the Royals, who have dropped four of six. John Buck and Joey Gathright each finished with an RBI.
Kansas City swept a three-game set with the Rangers earlier in the year and has won six of the last 11 matchups between the teams. The Royals, though, have lost seven of their last eight in Arlington.
Texas last swept Kansas City from May 24-26, 2005.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (57-60) AT MILWAUKEE BREWERS (62-58), 2:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: St. Louis - Adam Wainwright (10-9, 4.21) Milwaukee - Dave Bush (9-8, 5.07)
The National League Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers will try to avoid being swept by the St. Louis Cardinals this afternoon in the finale of a three-game series at Miller Park.
Milwaukee has lost three in a row and seven of its last nine games, but still leads the division by 1 1/2 games over the slumping Chicago Cubs. The Cubs have dropped four in a row. After dropping Tuesday’s series opener by a 12-4 margin, the Brewers suffered an 8-3 setback on Wednesday.
Bill Hall and Geoff Jenkins both homered for the Brewers, while rookie starter Yovani Gallardo took the loss after surrendering seven runs on nine hits through 5 2/3 innings of work.
Dave Bush will get the ball today and he is 9-8 with a 5.07 ERA in 24 games (22 starts) this season. Bush is unbeaten in his last four trips to the mound, going 1-0 with three no decisions.
In his last start on August 10 at the Houston Astros, Bush did not factor in the outcome after he was reached for four runs and 11 hits during six innings of a 5-4 win.
In two career starts against St. Louis, the right-hander is 0-2 with a 12.60 earned run average.
The Cardinals matched a season high with their fourth straight win last night, as Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds all homered to lead the way. Rolen went 4-for-5 with a two-run blast and three runs scored for the Cardinals, who pulled within 3 1/2 games of Milwaukee in the NL Central.
Joel Pineiro started for St. Louis and allowed just two runs on five hits in seven innings for the win.
St. Louis, which is aiming for its first series sweep since taking all three games against Pittsburgh from May 22-24 this season, will send Adam Wainwright to the mound on Thursday.
Wainwright is 10-9 with a 4.21 ERA in 23 starts this season and 1-2 over his last four outings. Wainwright went the distance his last time out on August 10 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, allowing two runs and six hits in a 2-1 loss.
The righty, who has lasted at least five innings in 15 consecutive outings, will make his first-career start against Milwaukee. Wainwright is 0-0 with a save and a 1.00 ERA in seven relief appearances against the Brewers.
St. Louis leads the 2007 season series with Milwaukee by a 6-5 count and has won the last five meetings.
CINCINNATI REDS (52-67) AT CHICAGO CUBS (60-59), 2:20 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Cincinnati - Bobby Livingston (3-2, 4.24) Chicago - Jason Marquis (9-7, 4.18)
The Chicago Cubs won’t have much time in which to rebound from another disappointing loss, as Lou Piniella’s reeling club completes its three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds with a matinee this afternoon from Wrigley Field.
The visiting Reds have claimed the first two encounters of this set and dealt Chicago its fourth consecutive overall defeat with Wednesday’s wild 11-9 victory. Josh Hamilton put Cincinnati ahead to stay with a pinch-hit two-run homer in the top of the eighth inninng.
Hamilton’s blast snapped a 9-9 deadlock and capped a back-and-forth night that featured a 1 1/2-hour rain delay preceding the game and four separate lead changes.
Chicago led 9-6 after Jason Kendall’s two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning, but the Reds scored three times against the Chicago bullpen in the sixth to draw even.
Jeff Conine, Ryan Jorgensen and Adam Dunn also hit home runs for Cincinnati, with Conine finishing with three RBI on the evening. Jorgensen went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and knocked in a pair of runners with his first major league homer.
Bill Bray, one of five Cincinnati pitchers used in relief of starter Phil Dumatrait, tossed two scoreless innings to pick up the win. Dumatrait lasted just two-plus frames and allowed five earned run on five hits and four walks.
Cincinnati has now won two in a row and seven of its last 10.
Bob Howry was saddled with the loss for the Cubs, who got little more out of their starter, Ted Lilly. The left-hander allowed six earned runs on six hits in five innings, striking out five and walking two.
Kendall ended 2-for-4 with three RBI while Ryan Theriot and Jacque Jones each had two hits and two RBI for the Cubs.
Chicago remained 1 1/2 games behind first-place Milwaukee in the National League Central standings despite the setback. The Brewers were beaten by St. Louis, which pulled within 3 1/2 games of the division lead with Wednesday’s 8-3 win.
The Cubs hope for a performance out of today’s starter Jason Marquis like the right-hander delivered his last time out. On Friday in Denver, Marquis limited the potent Colorado offense to one unearned run and just five hits over 6 2/3 innings to lead Chicago to a 6-2 triumph.
The 28-year-old has been terribly inconsistent lately, however. Marquis has alternated wins and losses over his last five starts, posting a 2.21 earned run average in the three victories and a 9.58 ERA in the two defeats.
Marquis is 4-3 with a 4.45 ERA in 11 lifetime starts against Cincinnati and pitched very well in a no decision at Great American Ball Park on April 5. In that game, the sinker specialist held the Reds to one run and four hits over six innings.
He’ll be opposed this afternoon by Bobby Livingston, who delivered a career- high 8 1/3 innings to defeat San Diego this past Saturday. The young left- hander surrendered three runs on just four hits and did not issue a walk in an impressive outing.
Livingston has been solid since earning a permanent spot in the Reds rotation since the All-Star break. The 24-year-old has given up three runs or less in five of his six second-half starts.
This will be Livingston’s first career appearance against the Cubs.
Cincinnati has won four of five times in Wrigley Field this season and is 7-4 against the Cubs so far in 2007.
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (68-53) AT FLORIDA MARLINS (56-64), 7:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Arizona - Livan Hernandez (8-7, 4.85) Florida - Daniel Barone (0-0, 3.86)
Young right-hander Daniel Barone makes the second start of his big-league career tonight when the Florida Marlins host the Arizona Diamondbacks in the final game of their three-game set at Dolphin Stadium.
The 24-year-old Californian made his debut on August 10 against the New York Mets, allowing five hits and two earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of Florida’s 4-3 triumph.
A former 11th-round pick of the Marlins in 2004, Barone walked four and struck out four in the triumph.
He posted a 3.86 earned run average in 74 2/3 Double-A innings this season and a 4.09 ERA in 61 2/3 Triple-A innings.
Veteran right-hander Livan Hernandez looks for a second win over Florida in 2007. The 32-year-old Cuban allowed seven hits and a run in seven innings of a 9-3 defeat of the Marlins on July 24 in Phoenix.
Hernandez has won his last two decisions, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington while allowing 11 hits and five earned runs over 13 innings.
He’s 11-7 in 24 career starts against Florida, posting a 3.32 ERA in 173 2/3 innings.
On Wednesday, Eric Byrnes had three hits, drove in two runs and scored twice, and Doug Davis lasted into the sixth inning to win his fifth straight decision as the Diamondbacks beat Florida, 9-6.
Davis (10-10) hasn’t lost since July 5 at St. Louis, a span of seven outings, all Arizona wins. He allowed seven hits and four runs, while walking three and striking out five over 5 1/3 innings.
Orlando Hudson also had three of Arizona’s 15 hits and scored twice for the NL West-leading Diamondbacks, winners in 18 of their last 23 games. Chris Snyder added a two-run homer for Arizona, which rebounded from a 14-5 loss in the opener of the three-game series on Tuesday.
Sergio Mitre (5-6) surrendered 10 hits and five runs through six frames to suffer the loss. The righty is 0-4 lifetime against Arizona.
Mike Jacobs went 4-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored for the Marlins, who have lost two of three. Cody Ross drove a three-run homer and Miguel Olivo had two RBI.
Arizona has won five of six meetings with the Marlins this year after going just 7-12 against them the previous three seasons.
NEW YORK METS (67-52) AT PITTSBURGH PIRATES (49-69), 7:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: New York - Brian Lawrence (1-0, 4.09) Pittsburgh - Tony Armas (2-3, 6.13)
The New York Mets will try and complete a three-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates this evening at PNC Park.
The Mets secured their first series win in the Steel City in over four years on Wednesday, as Moises Alou’s two-run homer highlighted a five-run first inning and his RBI single capped a five-run ninth that helped New York post a 10-8 win.
Alou ended 3-for-5 with three RBI, while David Wright had two hits and drove in a pair of runs for the Mets, who have won three straight and lead the Atlanta Braves by 3 1/2 games in the NL East.
John Maine (13-7) ended a personal two-game losing streak for New York. The right-hander allowed three runs on five hits, tied a season-high with eight strikeouts and walked three over five innings.
Nate McLouth and Jose Bautista each homered for the Pirates, who have dropped three straight to fall to 1-3 on their current eight-game homestand.
Pirates starting pitcher Matt Morris (7-8) received his first decision in three starts with Pittsburgh, but unfortunately it was a loss — his fifth in a row overall.
The Mets will pin their hopes tonight on veteran righty Brian Lawrence, who is 1-0 with a 4.09 earned run average in a pair of starts since being recalled from the minors.
After winning his season debut on August 2, Lawrence picked up a no decision against the Florida Marlins on Friday, as he allowed two runs and eight hits in six innings of a 4-3 loss.
Lawrence is 4-3 lifetime against the Pirates with a 4.30 ERA in eight games, seven of which have been starts.
Pittsburgh will counter with right-hander Tony Armas, who has won his last two starts. Armas defeated the San Francisco Giants on Saturday, giving up three runs and six hits in six frames to run his record to 2-3 and lower his ERA to a still lofty 6.13.
A win today would give Armas his first three-start win streak since he won his final three starts of the 2002 campaign while with the Montreal Expos.
Armas has faced the Mets 16 times (14 starts) and is 6-4 with a 2.81 ERA against them.
The Mets, who have not completed a three-game sweep of the Pirates in Pittsburgh since turning the trick from September 17-19, 2001, took two of three against the Bucs at Shea Stadium from July 24-26. However, the Pirates swept a three-game set from the Mets at home in September of last year and have won seven of the last 10 meetings in Pittsburgh.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (63-56) AT WASHINGTON NATIONALS (55-65), 7:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Philadelphia - Cole Hamels (13-5, 3.64) Washington - John Hanrahan (2-0, 2.76)
Right-hander John Hanrahan aims to remain unbeaten in his brief major-league career tonight, when the Washington Nationals host the Philadelphia Phillies in the finale of a three-game series at RFK Stadium.
A second-round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2002, Hanrahan made his debut on July 28 at Shea Stadium, getting a no-decision after working six innings in the Nationals’ 6-5 defeat of the New York Mets.
He earned his first victory with a 12-1 defeat of St. Louis on August 4, then improved to 2-0 after allowing seven hits and a run in 5 1/3 innings in a 3-1 win over San Francisco.
Overall, the 25-year-old has allowed 17 hits and five runs in 16 1/3 innings while walking eight and striking out 12.
Phillies lefty Cole Hamels looks for his fifth straight start without a loss this evening.
He defeated Atlanta, 5-4, his last time out after allowing five hits and four runs over seven innings.
The 23-year-old hasn’t lost since July 19 at San Diego, when he was touched for two hits and a run over seven strong innings before dropping a tough-luck 1-0 verdict.
He got a no-decision against Washington on July 25 in Philadelphia’s 7-5 win as he gave up six hits and two runs in seven innings.
On Wednesday, Tim Redding allowed just three hits over six-plus innings and drove in a pair of runs for the Nationals, who took the second game of a three-game set from the Phillies, 4-2.
Redding (2-3) was charged with two earned runs, striking out seven and walking three before being lifted during a seventh inning jam. Four relievers - Saul Rivera, Ray King, Luis Ayala and Chad Cordero - combined to preserve the win for Redding with three innings of scoreless work.
Ryan Zimmerman went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and Ryan Church homered and scored two runs to power the Nationals offense. Dmitri Young and Brian Schneider each went 2-for-3 on the night.
Washington has now won two of its last three and is 10-5 in its last 15 games.
Kyle Kendrick (5-3) took the loss for the Phillies, allowing four earned runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Philadelphia’s normally high-powered offense managed just five hits. A Jayson Werth home run and an RBI single by catcher Chris Coste accounted for the scoring last night.
The Phils continue an up-and-down stretch in which they have gone 7-6 since the start of August. They are in third place in the NL East, a half-game behind Atlanta and four off the Mets’ lead.
Philly has won six of 10 from the Nationals this season after dropping 10 of the 19 matchups a year ago.
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (50-70) AT ATLANTA BRAVES (64-56), 7:35 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: San Franscisco - Tim Lincecum (6-3, 3.88) Atlanta - Chuck James (9-8, 3.93)
Lefty Chuck James will try to continue a post-All-Star break run of success when the Atlanta Braves close out a three-game series with the San Francisco Giants tonight at Turner Field.
A former 20th-round draft pick, James has lost just once since the annual three-day intermission, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Giants on July 25 in which he gave up seven hits and two runs in six innings.
Lifetime against the Giants, he’s 1-1 in four appearances (two starts) and has allowed 14 hits and four runs in 17 innings.
The 25-year-old Atlanta native is 3-4 with a 3.62 earned run average in 11 home starts this season.
James is coming off a no decision Friday in Philadelphia in which he surrendered four runs over six innings.
Tim Lincecum will make his second career start against Atlanta tonight. The rookie right-hander downed the Braves, 4-2, in San Francisco on July 26.
In that game, the 23-year-old allowed six hits and two runs in six innings, walking two and striking out five.
He’s 0-1 with a pair of no decisions since, having allowed 16 hits and eight earned runs in 19 innings. Lincecum was hit hard in his last start, yielding six runs on nine hits over six frames in Saturday’s loss to Pittsburgh.
The 2006 first-round pick is 3-1 in nine road starts with a 3.41 ERA in 58 innings.
On Wednesday, Tim Hudson pitched eight strong innings to win his eighth straight decision and the Braves topped the Giants, 6-3.
Barry Bonds belted career homer No. 759, his 25th on the season, but his Giants still lost for the seventh time in eight games. As Bonds’ assault on the record books has heated up over the past three weeks, his team has plummeted, dropping 12 of 16 contests.
Hudson (14-5) held the Giants to three runs on eight hits while striking out five, and collected two hits of his own along with an RBI. He hasn’t lost since June 19 against Boston.
Andruw Jones had a clutch two-run double for the Braves, who have won three of four and again vaulted past Philadelphia and into second place in the NL East, 3 1/2 games behind the New York Mets. The Braves also climbed to within a half-game of San Diego for the top spot in the NL wild card race.
Braves manager Bobby Cox was ejected for arguing a balk call on Hudson in the third inning by first base umpire Angel Hernandez, a day after earning he broke John McGraw’s all-time record of 131 ejections.
Giants starter Russ Ortiz (2-3) gave up four runs — three earned — on three hits in five-plus innings, walking five and fanning four.
Atlanta and San Francisco split a four-game series at AT&T Park from July 23-26.
COLORADO ROCKIES (61-57) AT SAN DIEGO PADRES (64-54), 10:05 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Colorado - Elmer Dessens (1-1, 6.60) San Diego - Clay Hensley (1-3, 6.18)
The NL wild card-leading San Diego Padres will shoot for a series victory tonight, when they wrap up a three-game set versus the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park.
Despite being only 4-5 in their last nine games, the Padres still lead the wild card standings by a half game over Atlanta and a game ahead of Philadelphia. San Diego had a two-game winning streak stopped with Wednesday’s 3-0 loss in the second test of this series, as starting pitcher Chris Young hurled six shutout innings of three-hit ball before reliever Cla Meredith was charged with the loss for giving up two runs in the seventh inning.
Geoff Blum, Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Kouzmanoff each had a hit for San Diego, which is three games behind Arizona for the top spot in the National League West standings.
Taking the mound for the Padres tonight will be Clay Hensley, who is 1-3 with a 6.18 ERA in 10 games (seven starts) this season. Hensley has posted six straight no decisions and last pitched on August 4 against San Francisco, allowing two runs in 4 2/3 innings of a 3-2 win in 12 innings.
Hensley, whose last victory came on April 21 versus Colorado, is 3-2 with a 2.79 earned run average in nine career games (six starts) against the Rockies.
Colorado has won three of four and six of its last nine games, including last night’s 3-0 blanking. Ian Stewart had a two-run single and Kaz Matsui knocked in a run with a base hit to lead the Rockies, who are two games off the NL wild card lead and five games behind the D’backs in the NL West division.
Rookie Ubaldo Jimenez started for the Rockies and struck out a career-high nine batters over six innings for the win. Jimenez allowed one hit before Manny Corpas later collected his 10th save of the season.
Elmer Dessens gets the nod this evening for the Padres and will make his first start since the 2005 season. In 12 relief appearances with Milwaukee in 2007, Dessens is 1-1 with a 6.60 earned run average.
Dessens last pitched in a May 18 loss to Minnesota and gave up one hit in two shutout innings of an 8-1 setback at Miller Park. The right-hander is 2-6 with a 5.65 ERA in 26 career games (nine starts) against Colorado.
San Diego is 6-5 against the Rockies this season, including a 3-2 record at Petco Park.
HOUSTON ASTROS (54-66) AT LOS ANGELES DODGERS (61-59), 10:10 P.M.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Houston - Wandy Rodriguez (7-10, 4.34) Los Angeles - Derek Lowe (8-11, 3.61)
The Los Angeles Dodgers will try for a series split with the Houston Astros this evening in the finale of a four-game series at Chavez Ravine.
Los Angeles lost the first two tests of this series before halting a four-game slide with Wednesday’s 6-3 triumph. Russell Martin led the way with a pair of home runs and three RBI for Los Angeles, which sits 3 1/2 games off the NL wild card lead. Juan Pierre added three hits, two runs scored and drove in a run, while Matt Kemp went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for LA.
Brad Penny, who started the season 13-1, finally earned win No. 14 despite allowing three runs and 10 hits in six innings of work. Penny also struck out six and walked one batter.
Derek Lowe hasn’t won since June 22 against Tampa Bay and will take the ball for the Dodgers this evening. Lowe is 0-5 over his last nine starts and has dropped back-to-back outings, including an August 11 performance against St. Louis in which he yielded five runs — three earned — over six innings of a 6-1 loss at Busch Stadium.
The right-hander, who has lost three straight starts at Dodger Stadium, is 1-2 with a 2.70 earned run average in five career starts against Houston. Lowe gave up one run in four innings of a 2-1 loss to the Astros on July 25 this season at Minute Maid Park.
Houston starter Jason Jennings held the Dodgers to one run entering the sixth last night but eventually permitted seven hits and four runs in 5 2/3 innings for the loss. Ty Wigginton went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for the Astros, who saw their three-game winning streak come to an end.
Toeing the rubber for the ‘Stros tonight will be Wandy Rodriguez, who is 7-10 with a 4.34 ERA in 23 starts this season. Rodriguez is just 1-3 in his previous six starts and did not factor in the outcome in a loss against Milwaukee on August 11.
Rodriguez held the Brewers to one run and six hits in seven innings during a 7-4 setback at Minute Maid Park. The left-hander, who is only 1-8 in 11 away starts this season, owns a 2-0 record with a 1.84 ERA in three career games (two starts) against the Dodgers.
These two clubs met in Houston from July 23-25 of this season, with the Astros winning two of three. LA and Houston split six meetings last year.
