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Indians - DFAed Herges

Transaction Oracle - 0 sec ago

Cleveland Indians - Designated P Matt Herges for assignment.

It's not often that teams, especially ones already having problems, designate their reliever with the lowest ERA for assignment. One would think that it's an indication that the Indians are getting "over" 2009 and looking forward. The player they add, Winston Abreu, picked up in exchange for Meloan, is hardly a prospect at 32 (a Dominican 32, at that), but Abreu has very little service time, was quite good for Chiba Lotte last year and absolutely ridiculous for Durham (32 IP, 14 H, 10 BB, 49 K, 1.41 ERA) this season. That's good enough for a 2.93 translation, though he's unlikely to keep that up.

Herges will turn up elsewhere. The Indians won't get some great prospect for him, but they should probably get someone at least on the level of the guys in the Hinske trade.

Categories: Baseball Analysis

Howie Kendrick Recalled To Angels

MLB Fanhouse - 24 min 18 sec ago

by Matt Snyder

Filed under: Angels, AL West, MLB Transactions

While he doesn't have much power or a ton of base-stealing speed, one thing Howie Kendrick has always been able to do is hit the baseball. His career batting average in the minor leagues is an absurd .360 -- with a .972 OPS, which is even more impressive considering his lack of home run power. In the majors, he's generally been a .300 hitter as well. Thus, entering 2009 as a 25-year-old with a firm grasp of the everyday second base job, expectations were a bit high. Kendrick flopped.

He was demoted to the minors after hitting only .231 with an abominably low .636 OPS through 51 games. After about three weeks in Triple-A, though, the Angels feel confident Kendrick is ready to come back, as he's been recalled.

Howie Kendrick Recalled To Angels originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 04 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Categories: Baseball Blogs

Brewers 11, Cubs 2

Brew Crew Ball - 37 min 19 sec ago

W: Braden Looper (7-4)
L: Rich Harden (5-5)

MVP: Casey McGehee (+.180)
LVP: Jason Kendall (-.021)

Win Expectancy Graph
SB Nation Coverage

The Brewers came out swinging today, scoring five runs in the first inning. After Ryan Braun doubled to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out, Prince Fielder was intentionally walked to load the bases. Casey McGehee followed with a two-run single that bounced off the second base bag. Mike Hammerin' promptly made it 5-0 with a three-run shot to left center. It was the first time Rich Harden allowed five runs in an inning since August 9, 2005. The Brewers kept scoring, knocking Harden out in the 3rd with a 7-0 lead. It was Harden's shortest major league start.

Casey McGehee had four hits, falling a double short of the cycle. His home run in the sixth inning was a mammoth blast that traveled out of the park over left center. J.J. Hardy also homered. Corey Hart and Ryan Braun chipped in doubles while the team combined for fourteen hits and five walks.

Braden Looper was shaky to start and his defense didn't help. A Corey Hart error in the first led to a bases loaded situation that wound up scoreless after an Alfonso Soriano groundout. Double plays and conservative basecoaching by Cubs 3rd base coach Mike Quade kept the Cubs scoreless in the 2nd and 3rd innings. Milton Bradley hit a two-run homer in the fourth to put the Cubs on the board, but Looper then settled down and went six for his third straight quality start. Carlos Villanueva, Todd Coffey, and Chris Narveson each pitched a scoreless inning to finish the victory.

Have a happy rest of the Fourth, party safe, and enjoy fireworks tonight.

Categories: NL Central Blogs

Padres Set to Extend Bud Black

MLB Fanhouse - 54 min 19 sec ago

by Matt Snyder

Filed under: Padres, NL West

It's not often you hear of a contract extension to a manager who is 11 games under .500 and 16 1/2 games out of first place on July 3. The San Diego Padres, however, aren't in position to complain about the job done by Bud Black up to this point. Thus, the Padres are planning to extend his contract in the coming weeks, though there is no word for how long.

Heading into the season, expectations were at a probable all-time low in San Diego. Under new ownership, management has been ordered to trim payroll, which led the expectation that ace pitcher Jake Peavy would be traded. The team, notably the back-end of the pitching rotation, seemed to be a patchwork group.

Padres Set to Extend Bud Black originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Categories: Baseball Blogs