4thebirds…: MiLB … Tapia, Murphy strong in Muckdogs win

Batavia Muckdogs : Won 5-3 over the Oneonta Tigers last night. Miguel Tapia recorded the win, now 4-2 with a 2.76 ERSA.

CC goes distance; Brewers win 7th straight

Milwaukee Brewers‘ Ryan Braun slides into third for a triple during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the St.

4thebirds…: MiLB … Jones’ blast puts Cards in front to stay

The Palm Beach Cardinals took the lead, lost the lead, re-took the lead, lost the laed again, re-took it again, and added one run for insurance in the ninth to overcome the Dunedin Blue Jays 5-3 at Knology Park …

Cardinals Team Report (Yahoo! Sports)

A homestand that had started so promisingly for the Cardinals—they beat San Diego four straight games to start it—could wind up at .500 if they don’t beat the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday night in the finale of a four-game series.

“We need this one (Thursday),” infielder Brendan Ryan said.

After letting mediocre pitchers Seth McClung and Jeff Suppan off the hook in the first two games of the series, the Cardinals had no chance with CC Sabathia on Wednesday. The Cardinals had just three singles, and only two runners reached second base.

“He’s got a great changeup and then a slider, and it seemed like with two strikes, he had that 95-96 (mph fastball) in his back pocket…

Sabathia’s 3-hitter leads Brewers past Cardinals

LOUIS - CC Sabathia threw a three-hitter, his third straight complete game for his new team, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the St.

Cubs activate OF Soriano from DL
The Chicago Cubs activated All-Star outfielder Alfonso Soriano before their game against Arizona on Wednesday night, batting him leadoff in the final game of the series.

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McRae makes a suggestion: Izturis to limit himself to right side of plate

Hal McRae’s suggestion was music to Cesar Izturis’ ears.

Sheets tries to lead scorching Brew Crew to huge sweep of Cards

Ben Sheets attempts to follow up CC Sabathia’s brilliant performance from Wednesday, while his Milwaukee Brewers try and complete their first-ever four-game sweep of the St.

Soriano’s return sparks Cubs‘ bats

Alfonso Soriano is back, and although he had one of the Cubs‘ 10 hits in a 10-6 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night, his return was a big boost.

Ballpark Village agreement reached
Ballpark Village agreement reached For 2 1/2 years, a gaping dirt hole has sat adjacent to Busch Stadium. But after countless hours of negotiations, Ballpark Village will come to fruition.

Schierholtz headed to Olympics

Nate Schierholtz admitted it has been tough to stay patient at Triple-A Fresno while watching 11 players make their major league debuts with the Giants this season.

Sabathia lives up to billing

After Tuesday night’s taut, one-run win over the Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers manager Ned Yost was asked what kind of shape his bullpen would be in for the next day’s game.

Navy pitcher sets sail for big leagues

There was no way Oliver Drake could turn down this offer. A month away from entering his junior year at Navy, Drake signed with the Baltimore Orioles and withdrew from the Naval Academy on Monday to focus on …

Hall homers in 9th to lift Brewers to 6th straight

Bill Hall homered to snap a late-inning tie for the second straight game and the Milwaukee Brewers also caught up with Kyle Lohse, beating the St.

Pedro’s father dies

Pedro Martinez ’s struggles on the mound took a backseat on Wednesday after the father of the New York Mets pitcher died.

Cardinals Team Report (Yahoo! Sports)

Although the Cardinals bullpen lost for the 22nd time Tuesday night, manager Tony La Russa is wearying of having the relievers taking most of the blame.

“You think the bullpen lost this game?” he said. “You think they lost the game (Monday, a 6-3 defeat in 10 innings)? It’s not the bullpen. Usually, I say it’s a team loss. But it’s on the offense. We need to score more runs.”

The Cardinals roughed up former Cardinal right-hander Jeff Suppan for three runs in the first three innings but stranded five runners in those innings. Then, they got only two singles off Suppan in the next four frames.

Kyle McClellan was the one in the eye of the storm this time, putting a fastball in the wheelhouse of Milwaukee’s Bill Hall with two outs in the ninth inning of a tie game.

Izturis switching to righty only
Izturis switching to righty only Cesar Izturis’ run as a switch-hitter has come to an end. After struggling at the plate from the left side, Izturis decided to abandon hitting left-handed.

Prospect Rasmus sprains knee ligament
Rasmus sprains knee ligament Cardinals top prospect Colby Rasmus has a Grade I medial collateral ligament sprain in his left knee. The outfielder will miss a month with the injury.

Yankees run home win streak to 10 with 5-1 triumph over Twins
Mike Mussina baffled the Twins for eight innings, Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run double and the New York Yankees beat Minnesota 5-1 Wednesday for their 10th straight home win. Justin Christian drove in two runs with a double, and Richie Sexson had a sacrifice fly and 13 putouts and three assists at first base as the Yankees completed a 6-0, post-break homestand with sweeps of Oakland and the Twins.

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Cardinals‘ top prospect to miss Olympics

Outfielder Colby Rasmus, one of the St. Louis Cardinals‘ top prospects, will not participate with Team USA in the upcoming Olympic Games because of a sprained left knee.

Sabathia’s 3-hitter leads Brewers past Cardinals 3-0

CC Sabathia threw a three-hitter, his third straight complete game for his new team, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the St.

Hall homers in 9th to lift Brewers to 6th straight

Bill Hall homered to snap a late-inning tie for the second straight game and the Milwaukee Brewers also caught up with Kyle Lohse, beating the St.

Reyes’ HR propels Mets to victory, tie with Phils in NL East
Jose Reyes’ three-run homer snapped a sixth-inning tie and the New York Mets, with closer Billy Wagner back, rebounded from a demoralizing defeat by beating the Philadelphia Phillies 6-3 on Wednesday night.

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Braves’ Jones, Hudson leave game with injuries
Atlanta slugger Chipper Jones and ace Tim Hudson left Wednesday night’s game against Florida with injuries, a pair of blows to the Braves‘ already slim playoff hopes.

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Scientists say breakthrough urine test for HGH developed
A team of scientists from the USA and Italy say they have developed a urine test that detects human growth hormone. The finding is a potential breakthrough in efforts to find a non-invasive way to screen for the performance-enhancing drug that is banned throughout the athletic world.

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Tough to watch what’s going on in National League West
Larry King, TV personality and baseball aficionado, tries watching National League West games as a Los Angeles Dodgers season-ticket holder, but sometimes he slams his eyelids in angst, unable to fathom what he’s seeing.

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Despite smuggling conviction, agent has no regrets

Despite smuggling conviction, agent has no regrets MIAMI Gus Dominguez negotiated the contract for the first Cuban player to defect to the United States.

Preview

The Milwaukee Brewers acquired CC Sabathia earlier this month with hopes of ending their 25-year playoff drought.

Cards announce Ballpark Village plan (AP)
With next year’s All-Star game fast approaching, the Cardinals on Wednesday announced a revised plan for Ballpark Village, a complex that will eventually replace the muddy eyesore left when the old Busch Stadium was torn down. The project is expected to cost up to $600 million. Phase 1 will include a mix of office, entertainment and retail space on the eight-acre site.

Jimenez tosses 4-hitter, Rockies rout Dodgers 10-1
Ubaldo Jimenez threw a four-hitter in his first career complete game and Ian Stewart homered and drove in four runs to lead the …

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Cards lack finishing touch vs. Brewers

For a while, it looked as if Kyle Lohse was going to entertain Busch Stadium to something special.

Milwaukee Brewers (57-43) at St. Louis Cardinals (57-45),

The St. Louis Cardinals are losing ground to the hard- charging Milwaukee Brewers in the playoff race.

Preview

The Milwaukee Brewers acquired CC Sabathia earlier this month with hopes of ending their 25-year playoff drought.

Hall homers in 9th to lift Brewers to 6th straight

Bill Hall homered to snap a late-inning tie for the second straight game and the Milwaukee Brewers also caught up with Kyle Lohse, beating the St.

4thebirds…: Redbird Randoms … Looper to take on CC

On-deck: The St. Louis Cardinals will attempt to keep the Brewers from continuing their sweeping ways tonight at Busch Stadium, game time, 7:15 p.m., CDT.

Diamondbacks acquire reliever Rauch from Nationals
The Arizona Diamondbacks made a major move to shore up their ailing bullpen on Tuesday, acquiring reliever Jon Rauch from the Washington Nationals for top infield prospect Emilio Bonifacio.

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A-Rod aims to broaden his brand recognition
Alex Rodriguez signed another big-league contract, joining the William Morris Agency in an attempt to extend his brand beyond the baseball diamond.

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Zito pitches Giants past Nationals

Prior to Tuesday night’s 6-3 victory over the Washington Nationals, Giants manager Bruce Bochy revealed that he sat down with Omar Vizquel and told the 41-year-old shortstop that he would yield time to younger …

Jimenez tosses 4-hitter, Rockies rout Dodgers 10-1
Ubaldo Jimenez threw a four-hitter in his first career complete game and Ian Stewart homered and drove in four runs to lead the Colorado Rockies to a 10-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night.

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Wainwright eyeing August return
Wainwright eyeing August return Unhappy with the speed of his recovery from a finger injury on his pitching hand, Adam Wainwright said Tuesday that he is looking to return to the Cards in August.

Cards lack finishing touch vs. Brewers
Cards lack finishing touch With the score tied at 3 in the ninth, Bill Hall hit a two-out homer off Kyle McClellan to give the Brewers a 4-3 win and hand the Cardinals their second straight loss at Busch Stadium.

Glaus has Sabathia’s number
Glaus has Sabathia’s number With CC Sabathia now in the NL Central, Cards hitters may want to check in with Troy Glaus, who’s hammered the reigning AL Cy Young over his career.

Cardinals place Duncan on disabled list (AP)
The St. Louis Cardinals placed Chris Duncan on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with a bulging disc in his neck. It’s the latest setback for a player who totaled 43 homers his first two major league seasons but has just six this year. Duncan, batting .248 with 27 RBIs in part-time duty, said the neck has been bothering him for a while but had been tolerable until after Monday night’s game when he…

Who’s next after Rauch, Wolf? (Yahoo! Sports)
The Diamondbacks find a closer, the Astros baffle everyone and other names are flying around the phone lines.

Cardinals OF Duncan placed on DL (PA SportsTicker)
The St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday placed outfielder Chris Duncan on the 15-day disabled list with a bulging disk in his neck.

Duncan heads to DL with neck injury
Duncan to DL; Mather rejoins Cards Chris Duncan’s disheartening year took another turn for the worse on Tuesday when the outfielder was placed on the 15-day disabled list.

Despite smuggling conviction, agent has no regrets (AP)

Gus Dominguez negotiated the contract for the first Cuban player to defect to the United States. He opened his home to prospects fresh from the communist island and taught them about bank accounts. Now he’s locked up in a federal prison, serving a five-year sentence as the first sports agent convicted of illegally smuggling a Cuban player into the United States.

Cardinals Team Report (Yahoo! Sports)

Although the Cardinals bullpen lost for the 22nd time Tuesday night, manager Tony La Russa is wearying of having the relievers taking most of the blame.

“You think the bullpen lost this game?” he said. “You think they lost the game (Monday, a 6-3 defeat in 10 innings)? It’s not the bullpen. Usually, I say it’s a team loss. But it’s on the offense. We need to score more runs.”

The Cardinals roughed up former Cardinal right-hander Jeff Suppan for three runs in the first three innings but stranded five runners in those innings. Then, they got only two singles off Suppan in the next four frames.

Kyle McClellan was the one in the eye of the storm this time, putting a fastball in the wheelhouse of Milwaukee’s Bill Hall with two outs in the ninth inning of a tie game.

Hall homers in ninth, Brewers beat Cardinals 4-3 (AP)

Bill Hall, stuck in a third base platoon much of the season because of troubles hitting right-handed pitching, is making his case to become a full-time player. Hall homered to snap a late-inning tie for the second straight game, both off right-handers, and the Milwaukee Brewers also caught up with Kyle Lohse, beating the St.

Hall sinks Cardinals again

Cardinals starter Kyle Lohse pitched dominantly enough to deserve better from the offense and to avoid a game decided by the bullpen.

Hall homers in ninth, Brewers beat Cardinals 43

Hall homers in ninth, Brewers beat Cardinals 4-3 Eds: APNewsNow. Brewers 4, Cardinals 3. AP Photo MOJR105 By R.B. FALLSTROM AP Sports Writer ST.

4thebirds…: MiLB … JC Cardinals edge Twins on Martinez basehit

Johnson City Cardinals : Won 3-2 at Howard Johnson Field in Tennessee yesterday against the Elizabethon Twins.

Scientists say breakthrough urine test for HGH developed
A team of scientists from the USA and Italy say they have developed a urine test that detects human growth hormone. The finding is a potential breakthrough in efforts to find a non-invasive way to screen for the performance-enhancing drug that is banned throughout the athletic world.

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Duncan heads to DL with neck injury
Duncan to DL; Mather rejoins Cards Chris Duncan’s disheartening year took another turn for the worse on Tuesday when the outfielder was placed on the 15-day disabled list.

VandenHurk, three Marlins relievers 1-hit Braves
Rick VandenHurk and three relievers combined on a one-hitter, and Mike Jacobs hit a three-run homer to help the Florida Marlins beat the Atlanta Braves 4-0 Tuesday night.

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Time to close on a closer

cardsfan said in the St. Louis Cardinals Forum:

Well are the Cards going to get a closer? With 22 blown saves for $8,000,000 it’s time to make a deal.

Wainwright eyeing August return
Wainwright eyeing August return Unhappy with the speed of his recovery from a finger injury on his pitching hand, Adam Wainwright said Tuesday that he is looking to return to the Cards in August.

Duarte helping Naturals keep pace

Center fielder Jose Duarte has been giving Northwest Arkansas plenty of opportunities to score runs.

Isringhausen awaits 300th save; Wagner to seek medical attention
Jason Isringhausen’s countdown to 300 saves has been on hold since early May. When or if it resumes with the St. Louis Cardinals, …

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Time to close on a closer

cardsfan said in the St. Louis Cardinals Forum:

Well are the Cards going to get a closer? With 22 blown saves for $8,000,000 it’s time to make a deal.

4thebirds…: MiLB … Pham homers for Bandits in 6-3 win

Quad-Cities River Bandits : Won at Modern Woodmen Park in Davenport, Iowa, doubling the Fort Wayne Wizards’ score in a 6-3 win.