ATS Consultants posted on April 30, 2012 11:52
Diamond Notes for Monday
Bryce Harper was called up for the Nationals, Andy Pettitte could be up in a couple of weeks for the Yankees and Jeremy Guthrie's biking days may be over.
*Rookie phenom Bryce Harper was called up for the Nationals and played well on Saturday and Sunday in Los Angeles. Unfortunately for the Nats, they were swept but the 19-year old showed great potential hitting a sac fly and singling in his third-at-bat. But the Dodgers won in the 10th on a Matt Kemp walk-off home run. Harper also displayed a great arm, nailing a runner at the play with a perfect throw from left field. The Nats have other issues especially in their bullpen as closers Brad Lidge and Drew Storen are currently on the DL.
*Jeremy Guthrie loves to ride his bike to help save the environment. The quirky pitcher from the Colorado Rockies was placed on the 15-day disabled listed on Friday after injuring his right shoulder in a bike accident earlier that day. He normally rides to the stadium (did it in Baltimore as well), but on Friday, the chain came off his bike sending him falling to the ground and hamming his right shoulder. He underwent an MRI that showed no structural damage to his throwing shoulder but there's pain in the AC joint. He should be back and miss 2-3 starts.
*Baltimore is now 14-8, leading the American League East. But they have issues with security as four fans have no run on the field during games in April. On Friday night, a shirtless man ran on the field when home plate umpire Jeff Kellogg tackled the intruder and wrestled him to the warning-track dirt in front of the backstop. That gave the Baltimore Police Department time to restrain the man during the seventh inning stretch just as the first notes of John Denver's Thank God I'm A Country Boy rang out from the PA address system.
*The New York Yankees could use another starter. They demoted Freddy Garcia to the bullpen after he got shelled in his last start against Detroit on Saturday. New York moved relief pitcher David Phelps to the starting rotation but help may be on it way. Andy Pettitte is pitching in the minors right now after is expected to join the Yankees rotation around May 10.
*Yu Darvish is bidding to become the second Japanese-born pitcher to start his major league career 4-0 when he pitches the opener of the Rangers' 10-game trip on Monday against Toronto. Back in 2002, Kaz Ishii won his first six starts for the Dodgers . Darvish has been flat-out nasty in his last three starts since allowing five earned runs in his first two innings of the season. Since then, he has held opponents to two earn runs in 24 innings.