Saunders, Angels salvage game with Twins
Baseball Betting Lines
07/22/2007 - Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Joe Saunders hurled seven solid innings, and Garret Anderson homered as the LA Angels of Anaheim downed Minnesota, 7-2, in the finale of a three-game set at the Metrodome.
Saunders (4-0), who was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake before the game to take the spot in the rotation previously held by Ervin Santana, allowed just two runs on six hits while walking one and fanning five.
Anderson was 2-for-4 for the Angels and his long ball snapped a 14-game homerless drought for the team. Meanwhile, Robb Quinlan and Casey Kotchman each drove in a pair of runs for LA, which avoided a sweep in the series and now stands two games ahead of Seattle in the AL West.
Jeff Cirillo and Justin Morneau each had an RBI for the Twins, who have lost four of six.
Matt Garza (1-2) allowed four runs -- three earned -- on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings of work en route to the loss.
The Angels jumped on top quickly with a run in the first. With runners at first and second and two down Garza lost the strike zone. The starter issued consecutive walks to Kotchman and Maicer Izturis to force in a run.
Los Angeles added another run in the second thanks to some shoddy fielding. Nathan Haynes reached second when Jason Bartlett threw away his ground ball and Chone Figgins followed by slapping an RBI single up the middle.
Anderson made it 3-0 in the third when he blasted a one-out solo homer to right, his fourth of the year.
The Twins got on the board in the home half of the third. Consecutive singles by Luis Rodriguez, Nick Punto and Bartlett loaded the bases before Cirillo lofted a sacrifice fly to left that made it a 3-1 game. Saunders averted any further damage by inducing Joe Mauer to hit into a 4-6-3 twin-killing.
The Angels got that run back in the sixth. Consecutive one-out singles by Kotchman and Izturis and a walk to Mike Napoli loaded the bases and chased Garza from the game. Juan Rincon entered and promptly issued a walk to Quinlan that made it a 4-1 game. The reliever did get Haynes to line into a double play after that to end the threat.
Minnesota made it a 4-2 game in the sixth. Cirillo laced a one-out double to left and came around to score on Morneau's two-out RBI single up the middle.
Los Angeles answered again in the seventh. Figgins singled and moved to third on an Orlando Cabrera base hit. Rincon managed to fan Vladimir Guerrero but Twins manager Ron Gardenhire went to Dennys Reyes from there. After Cabrera swiped second and Reyes intentionally walked Anderson to load the bases, Kotchman hit a sac fly to center to make it 5-2.
Consecutive doubles by Napoli and Quinlan in the eighth extended LA's advantage to four, 6-2.
Kotchman's run-scoring double in the ninth accounted for the final margin.
Game Notes
Saunders filled the hole on the roster created when catcher Jose Molina was traded to the New York Yankees for a minor league pitcher Jeff Kennard on Saturday...Saunders last threw at the major league level against Pittsburgh back on June 22, a game in which he allowed four runs on seven hits and fanned three in six innings of work.
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El Duque expected to throw Tuesday
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Orlando Hernandez, sidelined at spring training because of arthritis in his neck, is expected to resume throwing on Tuesday.
Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. The 41-year-old right-hander is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine.
El Duque's health is a major issue for the Mets, who won the NL East in 2007 and came within one victory of the World Series. Their aging and unsettled rotation is a big question mark this year.
MySportsbook.com has the Mets as -110 favorites to repeat as NL East champions odds.
Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. But he missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.
New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas, plus veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.
Notes: Mets manager Willie Randolph is excited about two new utility players he could have on his bench: Damion Easley and David Newhan. ''Their value is really all over the place,'' Randolph said. Easley can play anywhere in the infield and could be used as an emergency outfielder, though Randolph said he would prefer to keep the veteran in the infield. Newhan, meanwhile, can play second base, third or any outfield position for the Mets. ''I love versatility,'' Randolph said. ''I love guys that can give me options when I need them to step in.''
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