| Show Sports Editor ! 625-426- 1 www 2C standard net Standard-Examine- Fnday April 20 2001 r iSSSSESiBKsa Damon settles in as Athletics5 leader The Awotktfod Pn?sS Surprising slugger set to snap HR record MioicjuiiEian Texas - The Oakland Athletics are finally beginning to see the real Johnny Damon Damon had two hits for the second straight night includhomer as the ing a three-ruAthletics beat the Texas Rangers Thursday night "He’s starting to get in a grove" said Oakland manager Art Howe Damon led off the game with a single and put Oakland ahead to stay when he scored on a sacrifice fly by Olmedo Saen His first homer of the season a three-rushot off Rogers in the sixth gave the A's a lead After hitting 292 in his six seasons with Kansas City Damon was traded to Oakland during the offseason and hit in his first just 175 ( 14 games with the A’s He got over 2(H) for the first time this season (212) with another two-hi- t game “Hopefully the bat comes alive and I can help produce some runs” Damon said ‘Tve just thrown everything out of my head gone back to no hatting gloves and the old gritty style of ploy und just go up there und swing the bat" Damon also drove in a run with a groundnut in the fourth ARLINGTON Associated Press The the Red Sox a 6-- 9-- 5 n n ll In Arizona's first 14 games Gon- zalez nected Oakland pitcher Barry Zito throws to Texas’ Chad Curtis Thursday night during the Athletics' win over the Rangers in Texas inning Jason Giambi also humored ' off Texas starter Kenny Rogers who lost to Oakland for the first time since 1°94 the second-yea- r Harry Zito ) (2-1- Oakland pitcher matched career high with 10 strikeouts in his six innings Six of Zito's strikeouts were on called third strikes The only runs he allowed were on a two-ruhomer by Alex Rodrigue - his first for the Rangers at The Ballpark in Arlington "Maybe it was my eurveball Johnson Red Sox 8 Devil Rays 3: Brian Daubach honicred for the third Htroighl game us Boston dropped the Devil Rays to 0 2 under new manager Hal McRae Murtincv (2 0) left alter giving up leadofl double to John Hnherty and 3-- 0 n RBI single to Felix Mart me with no outs in the seventh lie allowed nine hits Derek I owe pitched the Inst three innings for his second suve Duubach hit his seventh homer of the season in the eighth nlf Doug Creek Shea llillebrand hud a two-ruto give double off Paul Wilson ) Yankees 6 10 two games slower than Schmidt’s 1976 record In his re- cord season in 1998 Mark McGwire didn’t hit his 10th homer until his 23rd game Three more homers in the next 10 games and he’ll tie the major league mark for April set by Ken Griffey Jr for Seattle in 1997 “It’s been fun for us to watch" Diamondbacks first basentan Mark Grace said As recently 1997 Gonzalez totaled 10 homers in 550 in an entire season with the Astros He says going to an open stance a few years ago is a big factor in his increased production but also knows he can’t possibly keep at his present pace of one homer every 57 “I’m not trying to figure it out" Gonzalez said "I’m just having fun” For now National League pitchers beware "I don’t see anything different in his swing" said the Cardinals' Dustin Hermanson hovictimized for a two-rumer on Tuesday “He’s just SeIs- mael Vuldcs for the second time in a week and the Seattle Murmers topped tlie Anaheim Angels On a night when the Mariners matched their best start at 12-they played before a crowd of 25016 - the smallest ut Safeco Field since it opened on July 15 1999 Ichiro Suuki extended his hitting streak to 14 games a Mariners’ rookie record with a leudotf single In the first inning At St l’ctcrsburg IVilro Martinez struck Out 1J in just six innings Sox Boston the Red and swept lunipa Buy for the second time this month n a Meriners 3 Angels 2: At attle Freddy Garcia oulpitched Rangers reliever Jonathan The guys said it was better than normal but 1 didn't think it was any better" said Zito who gave up eight runs in six innings against Texijs last Saturday "Hut I'm refocusing every inning and approaching every hitter like a new game" homer in Giambi's two-ruthe third gave Oakland a lead Frank Menechino had just tripled on a ball that fell about 20 feet behind right fielder Ruben Mateo who never saw it in the lights Menechino added a solo homer and Adam Piatt hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth off con- times That’s only since 1W8 It was the fifth career game tor Cordova who gave Cleveland a 3 2 leud with u solo drive in the lourth inning and then added a three-rushot in the fifth lunar Dm also homered and C C Sabatlna (2 0) allowed two runs in six innings for the Indians who have their first three-gam- e winning streak leveland outscored ol the season 7 23 in its first tliice game the Orioles sweep in Baltimore since the Orioles' season opening 0 21 start 13 years ago Sabatlna 20 gave up six hits in his third major league start lie struck out three und walked two Chuck Mchlroy (0 1 ) took the loss Newark Bears bringing bashin’ brothers to town: The Newark Bears an independent minor league team struggling to fill the seats in its $30 million downtown bullpark signed former major league star Jose Canseco and his brother Ozzie who hit 48 home runs for the Bears lust season “I urn 100 percent healthy and in evaluating the scenurio I felt it was in my best interest to sign with the Atluntic lcague where 1 could showcase my abilities for every major league team" said Canseco Canseco signed with the Anaheim Angels in the but was released shortly before the season begun Ozie Canseco was just released from a South Korean team He led the Atluntic League lust year in slugging percentage ( 644) home runs (48) and RBI (129) ts at-ba- Blue Jays 5 At Toronto l’uul O'Neill hit an RBI single in the 17th inning and the (17)t New York Yankees beat Toronto in a game that took live hours 57 minutes the longest in Blue Juys' history Thu longest game in the motors this season ended at 1 06 a m EDT Williams to return to Yankees Friday or Saturday Berme Williams will rejoin the New York Yunkees toduy or Saturday after missing 10 games to be with his ailing father in I’uerto Rico Bernube Williums Sr has pulmonary fibrosis a lung condition Torre said Williams' father has been moved from intensive care n Rockies’ pitching staff blanks Padres again The Associated Press SAN DIKCiO - NTIONU'liACUUi So much for the theory that the Colorado Rockies ploy rotten on the Hampton held the Padres to four hits in eight innings in an win Wednesday night The Padres failed to advance a runner past’ second both Wednesday und Thursday Todd Hollandsworth und rood Look what they just did the San Diego Padres Denny Neagle and three relievers combined on a und the Rockies shut out the l’adres for the second straight game winning Thursday It was the first time in their six-hitt- light-hittin- g 4-- 0 Rockies had consecutive shut- Padres have lost four in a row Hollandsworth hit his fourth homer in the fourth inning his 10th RBI in his last four games Petrick snapped his slump with a double and homer off Woody Williams ) Petrick hadn’t gotten a hit since singling in his first of the season Jeff Cirillo singled in two runs in the fifth both unearned because of second baseman Damian Jackson’s fielding error on Juan Pierre's catcher Hen homered giving the Pe-trie- k at-b- "Hut we're playing the type of baseball we need to play” he said "If we keep playing like this we're going to be tough to beat" And it just so happened that the starters were both big offseason free agent acquisitions Neagle and fellow lefty Mike Hampton gMUlLE Em! Division ami Charles Johnson hit a pair of home runs and Florida's bullpen held the leud m a close gume for just the third time this season as the Marlins beat Montreal Johnson Ini solo homers in the second und the sixth before the Marlins pulled uheud for good with a three-rueighth inning Antonio Allonsecu pitched a scoreless ninth for his third save Braden Isiper ) struck out three m two perfect Innings Mike I dwell led off Ihe eighth with a single und later scored the go uheud run on a wild pilch by Scott Slricklund (0 1) (1-2- said outs scored on Cirillo’s hit Williams allowed four runs two earned on 1 1 hits in seven innings He struck out six and walked two Marlins 5 Expos 2: At Mi- Neagle also doubled and scored a run as the Rockies won their fifth straight The Rockies six in three games "Right now I'm not going to get too carried away with it because it’s so early" Neagle history that the nine-yea- r ) all 8-- 0 4 3 0 0 2 11 11 10 13 0 17 0 10 0 Taiadaw Chavez 3b Hernandez c 4 ad 39 9 IS Rodrigue Rodriguez Galarraga Mato rt Porter d Greer oh 4 0 5 Tot A 4 7 2 7 tt 4 dh 102 110 2 0 2 10 11 SIM 34 070 -- 103 6 HR -- Salmon (3) (7) SB I Anderion -- Suzuki tP (1) 06 McElrov (Branvan) HBP-- dvee Balk 7 304 T - Saba'h a A -- 34 ' 40 100 190) 0 7)40 13 0 ba'to in the 0th Maynanto pitched HBP-- Rogert (Hernandez) A - J3311 E )0) - H Nenorand Bev tek McGnft (3) (4) F LOB -- Bolton ooo '? 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( 970 Manager Gevvv Crevafh of the PM adefphta Pfumet mer ted htmte! at a Pnch hitter and beat the New York Gantt with a thraaruf - 0 30 wet tot tott to the melon Gee Weber hit for h cveto od to leed the Detroit Ttgert to a 43 w d opening dev over Cleveland Wefcar mi the cvcto to revert order horn run trtptf double knob 1931 Ctovetend'i Bob Fetor pitched th 1937 (7) HR 096 (46 510) 15 Add nohtto homer Oavdend Bafftmare 6 -- Branvan 2 Baltimore LOB Neagto - Kolandt worth Dego - Petr Sox in Chicago White -- 24 604 (50 516) (WEDNESDAY’S LATE box SCORE) RANGERS 9 MARINERS - 19 K) tecond S - 5 57 - San THIS DAT! IN BASEBALL 5 abrhd SO) I 3 120 2 -- 43 023 (47 116) MARUNS 5 EXPOS 2 M) at KantaiOtv Texei 2 Paniagua (Mato) bv Mlnnatota (Hadka 3 0) at Chicago Whitt Sox (Parttua 01) 606 om Anahatm (Hpo 07) at Saattto (Haiama H) 106 om Oakland I National League SMS 72 026 (44 445) INDIANS 11 ORIOLES -3 00 10 - H HBP-- 6123 bv Wilton P- Taxai (Otlvtr ATHLETICS 9 RANGERS 11 2 0 4 0 fa IP Worn Toronto (Car pantar 606 Dm (Suzuki 23 SO BB 10 7 5 Father - 7 at 113 Ltovd Strickland L Florida Clement Looper W AHonteca S 3 HBP-- (Gonzalez) (Rek ar 01)S15pm Oakland (Heredia RER 2 5 H 001- -1 010- Montreal Reamet M Johnton 3170 Simmont ! Gonzalez tl Mondev rf Delgado 1b Cruz d Fullmer dh Ba'it'e 3b 201 070 000 000 000 01- -6 005 000 000 000 000 00- -5 '3) DP -- New York? Toronto 3 LOB New York 19 Toronto 16 ?B O Ne 2 Brovut (41 Smmont (1) (5) Jutce(4) (1) (3) (4) Bat (3) SB -- Knoblauch (5) Cruz (3) C- S- Knob- - It - 200 13) 002-- 11 300 000 00- 3(3) RipkanO) DP -- Cleveland Gonzalez (5) I (7) (5) I Baltimore 4 Burki (6) Cor I 4 7 67 421 HBP-- American League 3 2 3 abrhbi Stewart! New York Toronto 070- -0 200 000 Martinez (3) Bet toff H d Totad 1 9 3 4 7 6 0 3 0 0 0 ? 1 0 2 0 0 0 10 5 0 0 0 McDonald Batton Tampa Bay P Neill Bellinger to (49 116) WHITE SOX 3 TIGERS 0 rl Jut'ice dh Potada c Martinez 1b Sonano 7b Bronut 3b first gome wnt 9 win 44 Durham Toronto abrhbt -3 0 YANKEES 6 BLUE JAYS 5 (17) Knoblauch! Jeto tt NATIONA 0 0 0 0 Be" 3b Widon c (3) Porter (1) Nelton (I) A Texas 13 Seattle! Rodrguez (5) Gaiarrava (3) Cammlti (3) Bel (?) Wdon (7) HR -- PaimeTO (4) Curtd (3) Suzuki (2) Otoud A (7) Be! (2) SB -- Mato (1) Rod guez Mato McLemore H IP RER BB SO Texet Ten New York to was LOB -- 030- -5 (3) (1) HR -- Damon (3) A Rodf yuez (1) Porter (?) r Triple-- Lampkinc Saattto SO 11 - 2 2 Taxai Seat'd Boone (6) 5 AER Devil Rays recalled Travis l’helps who in four relief appearances ut The right-hunde- H 1110 Porto d Matort Javto (2) H In five appearances for the Devil Rays he went 1 with a 12 27 ERA He allowed 11 runs 10 hits and four homers In 7 13 innings (?) (3) Mclemore! Anaheim Thursday 2- Totad LOB Ken Hill's stmt in the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' bullpen is over Hill a longshot to make the roster as a reliever after being qitart-e- r for most of a career with six other teams was released Thursday as general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers ending a - Gioton -- Devil Rays release veteran Hill recall Phelps: Right hunder h CtoveUnd DP - Anaheim tions Last year Gonzalez hit a 47 doubles but he didn’t hit his 10th homer until May 27 He finished with a 31 homers career-higMalone resigns as Dodgers GMt Kevin Malone resigned 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 spine consultant examined Crabtree on Wednesday night and said the pitcher doesn't need surgery -he needs medicine and rehab work because of two small disc hernia- career-bes- t 10 4 007 000 Rodryuez (4) LOB -- Oakland 9 Texat Chavez 7 (5) (1) Menechnol?) Ja Gemb (5) (3) SF Saenz P aft Porter as 2 0 0 5 2 Ce'aiano"o3b Toted 0 10 4 ID MIratxHIl c StoWon 3b Oakland Texat 7 5 who has converted all four save chances in his new role as Texas' y closer was put on the disabled list Thursday with lower back problems Dr Drew Dossett the Rangers' proach” Kmkade(l) Rpken(2) HR -- Cordova 3 (4) Dez (1) Alomar (2) Contne(l) IP H HER BB SO dero Ja 0arrttt lb Saen dh Pipit rf Long ct Gonzalez 33 is a late bloomer having found stardom in Arizona after knocking around for years with the Astros Cubs and Tigers He’s coming off the first two 100-Rseasons of his career and he batted 336 and 311 the last two years "For some guys the light bulb just goes on a little bit later" manager Bob Brenly said “He’s gotten to a stage in his life where he's very comfortable with his ap- grounder Neagle doubled leading off the inning advanced on the error and allowed three Neagle hits in six innings struck out five and wulked three for his 100th NL win He has 107 over(2-0- Rangers place closer Crabtree on DLi Tim Crabtree fire" on NOTESSi year tenure in which his mouth and questionable baseball decisions kept embarrassing the team Malone quit five days after threatening a I’adres fan who heckled Dodgers outfielder Gary Sheffield in San Diego "I absolutely refuse to allow mv-sel- f to become a distraction" Malone said at a news conference reading from a letter addressed to Dodgers chairman Bob Daly "I le really believed he was a distraction and we agreed with that" Duly luter told reporters Smiling briefly before he began reading Malone finished the letter refused to take questions and drove away from Dodger Stadium “I regret only that those who huve judged me harshly didn't get to know me better" Malone said "I regret I couldn't convince them how y much I care I hope my actions will give them some indication" Assistunt general manager Dave Wulluce will oversee basebull operations while the team searches for a permanent GM name doesn’t seem to belong Mike Schmidt Willie Star-geBarry Bonds Gary Sheffield and Larry Walker all have hit 11 home runs in April tied for the NL record Luis Gonzalez is one long fly ball away from joining that Cleveland Indians completed their first three game sweep in Baltimore 7-- BASEBALL the list of starts in fastest home-rumajor league history one White sox 3 Tigers 1: At Detroit David Wells needed only 100 pitches including an incredible 81 for strikes in a complete game that led the Chicago White Sox over the Detroit Tigers Wells (2 2) avenged a loss April 8 to the I igers in which he allowed five runs in eight innings This time he worked around eight hits walked none and struck out six It was his tftth career complete game Jeff Weaver (l-t- ) took the loss giving up three runs on It hits und two walks in seven innings Indians 11 OriolefS: At Baltimore Marty Cordova homered twice and drove in four runs as the n - On ST LOUIS lead in the third LOS -- Montreal 5 Florida 9 Lowel (6) HR -- Stover U) (2) ftnl oil? career Brown 0 C (I) Joffnton 7 Wiiamt Sox ton - beetle the St Louto In tot flrtt motor league gam Nf a 400 toot double at the Botion 20 to New York al Yankee Stedfum 1919 T(fc R4 tt |
