Washington Nationals manager Jim Riggleman spoke for a franchise when asked about the latest exam to be performed on Stephen Strasburg's valuable right arm. "I'm very anxious about that," Riggleman said. Thursday was a day of suspense at Nationals Park as the 22-year-old right-hander underwent his second MRI in less than a week. Read more..
With three straight wins in Milwaukee, the Los Angeles Dodgers pulled themselves back into the NL wild-card race. Casey Blake hit a two-run homer and six Dodgers pitchers combined on a two-hitter as Los Angeles beat the Brewers 7-1 Thursday for a three-game sweep. "We've been saying all along, first let's try to put something together and then we'll see where we are," Dodgers... Read more..
Padres right-hander Chris Young has thrown another simulated game as he works his way back from a shoulder injury with the goal of pitching again this season. The 6-foot-10 Young threw 55 pitches in three innings Thursday before the NL West leaders hosted the last-place Arizona Diamondbacks. Young says he felt better as the simulated game progressed. Read more..
Jordan Zimmermann has been recalled by the Washington Nationals to make his first major league start of the season against the St. Louis Cardinals. Zimmermann returned to the big leagues Thursday, just more than a year after having elbow ligament replacement surgery. He last pitched for the Nationals on July 18, 2009, and had the operation on Aug. Read more..
There's something about the Phillies that brings out the best in the Houston Astros. Wandy Rodriguez pitched seven sharp innings, Carlos Lee homered and the Astros beat the Phillies 5-1 Thursday to complete their first four-game sweep in Philadelphia in 11 years. "Houston has been a team that for years has given us problems," Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins said. Read more..
After the Spring Season, West City is building toward Nationals
TE ATATU - At the exact halfway point of the season, the Wildcats are feeling good about where they stand.
With the Spring Shield season complete, they just reeled off a 5-game win streak and took out the Inaugural Auckland Premier League Spring Shield.
"It got a little blurry, when we went on the 5-game winning streak, but the bottom line is the Shield and we're at the top and playing good baseball right now," manager Ken Sommers said. "We went through a bad stretch at the start where we just got killed, but we played through that, which is a sign of a ballclub that can handle itself. To be able to bounce back like that, it's fun to watch and we've been having fun."
With a 7-3 record, the Wildcats are on pace to be once again to be the team to beat in the summer season, and the club is looking strong to retain their National Championship.
Injuries have plagued the team all year, but call-ups and bench players have stepped up to carry the Wildcats through tough times.
"We've had lots of changes. Spring season was one of those where we had so many different people and we were trying so many different things, and we haven't stopped trying them since the season began," Sommers said. "I think it's been trial and error all the way up to this point, trying to find the right matches and trying to find what's comfortable.
"Injuries have played a huge part. We were going pretty good and then we lost our outfield, then a few weeks later our infield. We've just had a lot of changes."
