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Tuesday National League Capsules.
ATLANTA 3, PHILADELPHIA 2

PHILADELPHIA Mike Hampton won his first game in over a month and helped the Atlanta Braves take care of a nemesis in the process.

Hampton pitched six effective innings as the Atlanta Braves edged the Philadelphia Phillies, 3-2, to even the best-of-three series.

Casey Kotchman hit a solo home run for the Braves, who defeated the Phillies for just the third time in 17 meetings this season.

Philadelphia (89-68) lost for only the second time in its last 12 games and saw its lead dwindle to 1 1/2 games over the New York Mets (87-70) for first place in the National League East after the Mets defeated Chicago, 6-2.

Cole Hamels (14-10) suffered his first loss against Atlanta this season. The lefthander had entered the contest with a 3-0 mark against the Braves and was a major reason for the Phillies domination against the division rivals this season.

Hampton (3-3) went six innings and allowed two runs and six hits with three walks and four strikeouts in recording his first victory since August 16.

Mike Gonzalez earned his 14th save by getting Carlos Ruiz to ground into a game-ending double play in the ninth.

Johnson gave the Braves a 1-0 lead in the first inning when he blooped a run-scoring single to center after Martin Prado doubled with one out. The base hit extended Johnsons hitting streak to 21 games.

Atlanta had a chance to extend its lead, but left two runners on in both the first and second innings. Philadelphia then tied it in the bottom of the second on a two-out, RBI single by Pedro Feliz.

The Braves regained the lead in the third, thanks to Hamels. With runners on first and second and two outs, Johnson broke for third and would have been out easily except Hamels threw wildly past the bag, allowing Johnson to score to make it 2-1.

The Phillies threatened in the bottom half by loading the bases with two outs, but Prado made a fine catch of Pat Burrells foul pop over the railing in front of the Braves dugout.

Hamels settled down and retired 10 in a row, but with two outs in the sixth, Kotchman blasted a first-pitch offering into the right-field seats for a solo home run to increase Atlantas margin to 3-1.

Philadelphia cut the deficit to one in the bottom half after Ryan Howard led off with a triple and scored on Burrells double.

Hamels tossed seven frames and surrendered three runs - two earned - on eight hits. The lefthander walked one and struck out seven in his 116-pitch outing.

NY METS 6, CHICAGO CUBS 2

FLUSHING, New York Johan Santana and the New York Mets halted a three-game losing streak, rallying to beat the Chicago Cubs, 6-2.

Santana (15-7) allowed two runs and struck out 10 in eight innings to continue his impressive second half. The two-time Cy Young Award winner is 7-0 with a 2.38 ERA in 14 starts since the All-Star break.

With the win, New York (87-70) got back on track in its push toward the playoffs, opening a 1 1/2-game lead in the National League wild card over the Milwaukee Brewers (85-71), who are hosting the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Mets also pulled within 1 1/2 games of the NL East Division-leading Philadelphia Phillies (89-69), who dropped a 3-2 decision to the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday.

The lefthanded Santana gave up the first two runs of the game, but the Mets were able to rally thanks to big hits from two of their top players. David Wright hit a two-run single in the fifth inning to tie the contest at 2-2 and Jose Reyes capped a four-run sixth with a three-run triple.

WASHINGTON 9, FLORIDA 4

WASHINGTON Ryan Zimmerman belted a two-run homer and Lastings Milledge drove in three runs as the Washington Nationals recorded a 9-4 victory over the Florida Marlins.

Zimmerman connected for his 14th homer in the first inning and Milledge lifted a sacrifice fly in the third against Florida starter Scott Olsen (8-11) to hand Washington a 3-2 lead it wouldnt relinquish.

Milledge added an RBI single in the fifth. Anderson Hernandez and Alberto Gonzalez each had two RBI for the Nationals, who tacked on four runs in the eighth.

Washington starter Shairon Martis (1-3) yielded three runs and five hits over 5 1/3 innings to notch his first career victory.

MILWAUKEE 7, PITTSBURGH 5

MILWAUKEE Prince Fielder hit a game-winning, two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning as the Milwaukee Brewers edged the Pittsburgh Pirates, 7-5.

With the win, the Brewers (86-71) remained a game behind the New York Mets in the National League wild-card scramble. The Mets (87-70) took a step closer to the postseason with a 6-2 win over the Chicago Cubs earlier, but Milwaukee responded in dramatic fashion.

Falling behind by a 5-4 score after rookie Steve Pearce hit a two-run homer for Pittsburgh in the eighth, Milwaukee was able to keep its playoff hopes alive as Jason Kendall delivered an RBI double over the head of Pearce in right field in the bottom half to tie the score.

The see-saw contest remained tied until Fielder drilled his 34th homer of the season off T.J. Beam (2-2) after Ryan Braun had delivered a two-out single.

ST. LOUIS 7, ARIZONA 4

ST. LOUIS Ryan Ludwick belted a three-run homer in the first inning as the St. Louis Cardinals jumped on Randy Johnson and surged to a 7-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Albert Pujols drove in Cesar Izturis, who had singled, to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead in the first. After Troy Glaus lined out, Ludwick bashed his 35th home run to left-center field to make it 4-0. The three RBI raised his season total to 106.

Arizona cut the deficit in half in the fourth, when Justin Upton led off with a double and came home on a blast by Chris Young, his 21st.

The teams traded runs before the Cardinals added insurance in the seventh on RBI singles by Pujols and Glaus to make it 7-3.

Kyle Lohse (15-6) gave up three runs and seven hits in six innings with three strikeouts and a walk for St. Louis, which officially was eliminated from playoff contention when the New York Mets defeated the Chicago Cubs earlier in the day.

Johnson (10-10) went six innings, allowing five runs and seven hits while walking two and striking out one.

CINCINNATI 2, HOUSTON 1

HOUSTON Joey Votto and Jolbert Cabrera plated first-inning runs and Edinson Volquez tossed 7 1/3 solid frames as the Cincinnati Reds dealt a devastating blow to the Houston Astros slim playoff hopes with a 2-1 victory.

Votto opened the scoring with a one-out RBI triple in the first and scored three batters later on Cabreras single, giving Cincinnati a 2-0 lead.

Kaz Matsui halved the deficit with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the inning, but that was all the Astros were able to muster against Volquez (17-6), who allowed six hits and a walk with nine strikeouts. The righthander, who is second in the National League behind San Franciscos Tim Lincecum with 206 strikeouts, also hit a batter.

Bill Bray and David Weathers bridged the gap to Francisco Cordero, who worked around a leadoff single by Geoff Blum to notch his 34th save.

Wandy Rodriguez (8-7) lasted five innings, surrendering two unearned runs and six hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.

Matsui and Miguel Tejada each had two hits for Houston (82-74), which fell 4 1/2 games behind New York (87-70) in the NL wild card race with five contests remaining.

LA DODGERS 10, SAN DIEGO 1

LOS ANGELES The Los Angeles Dodgers made quick work of the San Diego Padres, posting six runs in the first inning en route to a 10-1 victory.

The win bumped the Dodgers lead in the National League West to three games over the Arizona Diamondbacks (79-78), who lost to the St. Louis Cardinals. Los Angeles (82-75) has a magic number of three to clinch the division.

The Dodgers hope to wrap up the title before heading on the road to San Francisco for the final three games of the season.

Los Angeles got to losing pitcher, Wade LeBlanc (1-2) immediately. Leadoff batter Matt Kemp walked before Russell Martin doubled and Manny Ramirez hit the first pitch from LeBlanc into left-center field for a double that drove in Kemp and Martin.

They added three more runs when Nomar Garciaparra hit his seventh home run, scoring Ramirez and Andre Ethier.

Starting pitcher Chad Billingsley (16-10) capped the big inning with a sacrifice bunt that plated Casey Blake to make it 6-0.

Billingsley added an RBI single in the third to make it 7-1.

DeWitt belted his eighth home run in the fifth, a three-run shot to make it 10-1. Los Angeles pounded out 14 hits.

Billingsley pitched six innings, allowing one run and nine hits. He struck out five and walked two.

COLORADO 9, SAN FRANCISCO 4

SAN FRANCISCO Seth Smith homered and drove in two runs while fellow rookie Joe Koshansky added two RBI as the Colorado Rockies posted a 9-4 rout of the San Francisco Giants.

After Colorado fell behind by two runs early, Smith stroked his seventh home run - a solo shot - off Tim Lincecum (17-5) in the third inning to narrow the deficit to 3-2. The 25-year-old helped put the Rockies on top for good in the fourth, when he ripped a ground-rule double to center field and came home on a fielding error by third baseman Rich Aurilia that allowed two runs to score.

Koshansky sealed the victory in the fifth, giving Colorado a 6-3 lead with a two-run double and scoring three batters later on Smiths single to center.

Lincecum did not help his cause for the National League Cy Young Award, surrendering six runs - four earned - and five hits in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out nine to raise his major league-leading total to 252 but walked five en route to his second loss in as many starts.

Derek Jeter was scratched from the Yankees game against Toronto because of a sore left hand on Tuesday night.
Johnny Damon dropped from first to second and Brett Gardner moved up from ninth to bat leadoff. Cody Ransom started at shortstop and batted eighth.

The Yankees used Jeter as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning of their 3-1 win over the Blue Jays.

On Saturday, Jeter was replaced by a pinch runner after being hit in the hand by a pitch from Baltimore reliever Jim Miller in the ninth inning. The shortstop was asked after the game whether anything could keep him out of Sunday’s Yankee Stadium finale.

“Probably not,” Jeter said. “Regardless, I could probably just go out there and do something, stand there and take some pitches. But no, I’m going to play tomorrow.”

Jeter started and went 0-for-5 Sunday, grounding out to third to end the eighth for the final New York out. He was replaced in the ninth inning, then delivered a speech to fans after New York’s 7-3 victory.

Jeter, who was hit on the left hand by Baltimore’s Daniel Cabrera on May 20, is batting .301 with 11 homers and 69 RBIs in 148 games. He finished with 1,274 hits at Yankee Stadium, the most in team history. He set the mark by passing Lou Gehrig (1,269) on Sept. 16.

Right-hander Phil Hughes will make his second start Wednesday since being recalled from Triple-A Scranton Sept. 13. Hughes started the season winless in six starts before suffering a stress fracture in his rib in late April. He missed most of the season.

“I really felt like I would have gotten out of it, it’s just the injury held me back,” Hughes said. “I never really got an opportunity to dig myself out of that hole.”

Hughes, 0-4 with a 7.96 ERA, allowed one run and four hits in four innings against the Chicago White Sox on Sept. 17, his first start since April 29.

“It would be great to get him a win because we need wins,” manager Joe Girardi said, “but I don’t think it’s going to change his mind set.”

Hughes is expected to pitch in the Arizona Fall League following the end of the regular season.

Brewers 2B Durham hurts hamstring.

Brewers second baseman Ray Durham strained his right hamstring and left a game against the Cincinnati Reds in the fourth inning Friday night.

Durham singled in the first inning and was caught stealing. He also struck out.

The infielder has been one of the few Brewers hitting consistently lately. The single extended his hitting streak to six games.

The Brewers opened the weekend series in a deep swoon, having lost 13 of their 17 games in September along with their lead for the NL wild card. The slump prompted the Brewers to fire manager Ned Yost on Monday.

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Orioles place Cabrera on DL.

The Baltimore Orioles placed right-hander Daniel Cabrera on the disabled list Friday and said Brian Burres will start Saturday against the New York Yankees.

Cabrera, 8-10 with a 5.25 ERA in 30 starts, experienced pain and tingling in his elbow during a side session Wednesday. An MRI on Thursday revealed no damage and the team said he has a sprained elbow.

Cabrera is done for the year but his DL stint was made retroactive to Sunday. He won’t need surgery.

“Just rest, six to eight weeks I believe,” manager Dave Trembley said.

Cabrera was originally slated to start Friday but Radhames Liz was moved up to start on regular rest in the opener of the three-game series.

Burres has been in and out of the rotation this year, going 7-9 with a 6.32 ERA in 28 games, 21 starts.

“He started before and he’s probably the most stretched-out guy,” Trembley said.

Chris Waters is scheduled to start the final regular-season game at Yankee Stadium on Sunday night.

Friday National League Capsules.

FLORIDA 14, PHILADELPHIA 8

MIAMI The Philadelphia Phillies found out the hard way that there was a team hotter than them in the National League.

Mike Jacobs drove in four runs and Cameron Maybin went 4-for-5 and scored three times as the Florida Marlins remained the hottest team in the major leagues with a 14-8 triumph over the Phillies, who had their seven-game winning streak snapped.

Dan Uggla, Alfredo Amezaga and Jorge Cantu homered and combined for eight RBI for the Marlins (81-72), who have won nine in a row and inched closer to a playoff spot. Florida is five games behind the New York Mets (86-67) for first place in the NL East Division and trails Philadelphia (86-68) by 4 1/2 in the race for the wild card.

The Mets jumped one-half game ahead of the Phillies for the division lead with a 9-5 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

Cantu and John Baker scored three runs apiece for the Marlins, who rallied from a pair of deficits to improve to 10-6 against the Phillies this season.

Josh Johnson (6-1) benefited from Floridas offensive surge, picking up the win despite yielding six runs and seven hits in five innings.

Greg Dobbs, Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino belted homers for Philadelphia.

The Phillies took a lead in the top of the first inning for the third straight night as Chase Utley scored on an error by first baseman Jacobs and Jayson Werth trotted home on a wild pitch by Johnson. But the advantage did not last long as the Marlins scored five times in the bottom half before Brett Myers (10-12) was able to record an out.

Maybin led off the frame with an infield single, stole second and scored on Bakers single. Following a base hit by Cantu, Jacobs delivered a two-run double to give the Marlins a 3-2 edge.

Uggla then belted a 3-2 offering over the left field wall for his 31st homer of the season and a 5-2 advantage.

Philadelphia managed to come back and take the lead against Johnson, however. Dobbs opened the second with a blast to right field and Utley made it a one-run game later in the inning with a sacrifice fly.

Three frames later, Howard completed a nine-pitch at-bat with his major league-leading 46th homer, a two-run shot that gave the Phillies a 6-5 lead.

Again, it did not last long as the Marlins erupted for six runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth to seize control.

Myers, who had retired the side in order each of the previous two innings, allowed a leadoff single by Maybin in the fifth. After another stolen base and a walk to Baker, the righthander yielded an RBI double by Cantu that evened the game.

Jacobs was walked intentionally to load the bases for Uggla, who delivered a run-scoring single. That spelled the end for Myers, whose only loss in his previous six decisions also came against Florida.

Rudy Seanez came on and allowed an RBI groundout by Luis Gonzalez and got Cody Ross to pop out before Amezaga deposited an 0-1 pitch into the seats in right field for a three-run homer and 11-6 bulge.

Jacobs increased the advantage with a two-run single in the sixth and Cantu launched a solo shot in the eighth, his 29th, to cap the scoring. With his next blast, third baseman Cantu would complete Floridas feat of having all four infielders reach the 30-homer plateau.

Second baseman Uggla, Jacobs (32) and shortstop Hanley Ramirez already have eclipsed the mark.

Myers lasted four-plus innings, surrendering 10 runs and nine hits with two walks and three strikeouts.

NY METS 9, ATLANTA 5

ATLANTA Rookie Daniel Murphys pinch two-run double sparked a four-run eighth inning as the New York Mets reclaimed first place in the National League East with a 9-5 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

Jose Reyes hit his second leadoff homer in three games and David Wright drove in a pair of runs for New York (86-67), which moved one-half game ahead of Philadelphia (86-68). The Phillies dropped a 14-8 decision to the Florida Marlins on Friday.

With the game tied at 5-5, Carlos Delgado led off the eighth with a single. Argenis Reyes reached when second baseman Kelly Johnson dropped a throw at first on a sacrifice and, two batters later, Murphy plated both runners with a double to left-center field.

Jose Reyes and Wright each added RBI singles in the frame.

Omar Infante drove in a pair of runs for Atlanta, which had won its previous six home meetings with New York.

ST. LOUIS 12, CHI CUBS 6

CHICAGO A day after saying he wanted out of St. Louis, Adam Kennedy put his money where his mouth is, hitting a grand slam and driving in five runs to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 12-6 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

Kennedy capped a five-run first inning with his second career slam and added an RBI single an inning later, helping the Cardinals snapped out of their recent funk with eight runs in the first two innings off Carlos Zambrano.

In his first start since no-hitting the Houston Astros last Sunday, Zambrano (14-6) failed to get out of the second inning. He gave up eight runs and six hits, walking three and striking out one.

Cardinals righthander Adam Wainwright (10-3) went five innings, giving up two runs and four hits while striking out five and walking three. Ryan Ludwick homered and scored three runs for the Cardinals, who have won two straight after dropping seven in a row.

CINCINNATI 11, MILWAUKEE 2

CINCINNATI Rookies Joey Votto and Jay Bruce both homered twice as the Cincinnati Reds matched a season-high with seven home runs en route to an 11-2 triumph over the slumping Milwaukee Brewers.

Jerry Hairston Jr. had a two-run shot and Jolbert Cabrera and Andy Phillips added solo homers for Cincinnati, which belted seven home runs on two previous occasions this season. The Reds accomplished the feat in a 9-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs on May 7, and did so again against the Cubs in a 12-7 triumph on July 10.

The loss was the seventh in the last eight games for Milwaukee (84-70), which fell two games behind the New York Mets (85-67) in the race for the National League wild card. The Mets were still playing the Atlanta Braves on Friday.

Votto belted a three-run home run in the first and a solo shot in the third to stake the Reds to a 6-0 advantage. For his part, Bruce had a two-run homer to cap a five-run first inning and then added a solo shot in the seventh.

That was more than enough offense for rookie Ramon Ramirez (1-0), who allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings to pick up his first career victory.

Ramirez also fared well in a previous start against the Brewers, surrendering one run and one hit while walking and striking out four in six innings on September 9.

Jeff Suppan (5-7) allowed five runs and five hits in two innings before departing. The 33-year-old righthander has surrendered 29 home runs this season, including 19 in his last 14 starts.

SAN FRANCISCO 7, LA DODGERS 1

LOS ANGELES Barry Zito pitched 7 2/3 strong innings, leading the San Francisco Giants to a 7-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Zito (10-16) allowed one run and six hits while walking one and striking out six to avoid his major league-leading 17th loss of the season. The 2002 American League Cy Young Award winner surrendered his only run when Pablo Ozuna belted his first home run of the season with one out in the eighth inning.

The Giants provided Zito with plenty of support early, forging a 3-0 in the second inning before erupting for four runs in the fifth to seal the win.

Pablo Sandoval had a two-run double in the decisive frame and Bengie Molina followed with his 15th home run - a two-run blast.

COLORADO 3, ARIZONA 2

DENVER Jorge De La Rosa tossed six strong innings and Garrett Atkins collected three hits and an RBI as the Colorado Rockies hung on for a 3-2 triumph over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Chris Iannetta and Clint Barmes belted solo home runs for the Rockies, who have won three in a row and four of five.

De La Rosa (9-8) limited Arizona to one run and three hits in posting his third win in four decisions. The righthander walked two and struck out six.

Adam Dunn and Mark Reynolds homered for the Diamondbacks (76-77), who had their four-game winning streak snapped and remained 3 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West.

HOUSTON 5, PITTSBURGH 1

PITTSBURGH Hunter Pence had two hits and three RBI as the Houston Astros snapped a five-game losing streak with a 5-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Astros (81-72), whose skid has made a once-promising, wild-card run seem highly unlikely, took the lead on Pences fourth-inning RBI single and never relinquished it. Pence added a two-run double in the eighth to give the Astros a bit of insurance.

Astros lefthander Randy Wolf (11-12) tossed seven strong innings, allowing one run and three hits while striking out seven and walking one.

Pittsburgh righty Ian Snell (6-12), gave up two runs - one earned - and three hits over six innings, but issued five walks while striking out three.

SAN DIEGO 11, WASHINGTON 6 (14 INNINGS)

WASHINGTON Chase Headley laced a go-ahead RBI triple in the top of the 14th inning to spark a five-run rally as the San Diego Padres recorded an 11-6 victory over the Washington Nationals.

Nationals reliever Levale Speigner (0-1) hit Kevin Kouzmanoff with a pitch to lead off the frame to set up Headleys decisive hit. Nick Hundley followed with an RBI single, Brian Giles later walked with the bases loaded and Adrian Gonzalez hit a two-run single to cap the outburst.

Justin Hampson (2-1), who was one of eight relievers utilized by San Diego, tossed a scoreless 13th inning to earn the victory and Trevor Hoffman pitched a perfect 14th to end the game.

Will Venable, who went 3-for-7 with a homer and three RBI, smacked a run-scoring single in the eighth to give the Padres a 6-5 lead, but Cristian Guzmans sacrifice fly in the bottom of the frame knotted the score.

Oakland Athletics designated hitter Jack Cust struck out, for the 186th. And 187th time this season Friday night to break the American League record.

Cust struck out on a checked swing against Seattle right-hander Felix Hernandez leading off the second inning and he fanned again with one out and a runner on second in the fourth.

Rob Deer of Milwaukee previously held the AL record when he struck out 186 times in 1987.

Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard set the major league last season with 199 strikeouts.

Cust went into the game with a league-leading 101 walks. Since 1986 only two players - Jim Thome of Cleveland in 1999 and Jason Giambi of the New York Yankees in 2003 - have led their respective leagues in strikeouts and walks.

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Rangers Young out with finger injury.

Texas Rangers shortstop Michael Young left in the third inning of Friday night’s game against the Los Angeles Angels after irritating his fractured right ring finger.

It was the second game in a row that Young left early because of the finger that the All-Star shortstop broke July 28 in Seattle. Young has still started 45 of 46 games since, and appeared in the other as a pinch-hitter.

Young had an RBI single in the top of the third, but apparently aggravated his injury that at-bat. German Duran pinch-hit for Young later in the inning, when the Rangers scored nine runs on nine hits - the most runs and hits against the Angels in an inning since May 2006.

Young was 2-for-2, pushing his season total to 173 hits. With only eight games left, his streak of five consecutive 200-hit seasons will likely end.

Mike Lowell is expected to miss Boston weekend series against the Toronto Blue Jays because of a sore hip. Leaving the Red Sox without their third baseman as they close in on a playoff berth.

In other news Friday, the Red Sox suspended right-hander Bartolo Colon without pay.

Colon was given permission to leave the team Wednesday and return home to the Dominican Republic to attend to a private matter. The 2005 AL Cy Young Award winner informed the Red Sox on Friday that he wasn’t coming back.

Boston had intended to use Colon out of the bullpen, a role he was not happy with, manager Terry Francona said Friday.

“He got home for the personal stuff and decided he wasn’t real comfortable,” Francona said.

Colon can become a free agent after the season. He went 4-2 with a 3.92 ERA in seven starts for Boston. He is still eligible to return for the playoffs, but Francona said that was unlikely.

Lowell needs four or five more days to rest his sore hip, Francona said.

Outfielder J.D. Drew (back) and shortstop Julio Lugo (quad) are also still nursing injuries, Francona said.

Boston entered the day with a 6 1/2-game lead in the wild-card race. Boston also entered the day trailing Tampa Bay by 1 1/2 games in the AL East.

Lowell first felt soreness and stiffness in his hip - which could require offseason surgery - while making a barehanded pickup and throw on a slow roller in Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to Tampa Bay and was held out of the lineup Wednesday. Lowell had hoped to return Friday, but the Red Sox decided further rest was needed during a conference call with doctors Friday.

“The plan of attack here is we’ll kind of let this thing cool down, let him get on some medication and do his stuff with the trainers,” Francona said. “We just want him to be as healthy as we can, so we’ll take the next four or five days to see if we can get him there.”

Lowell is batting .275 with 17 homers and 73 RBIs in 112 games.

“They want to see, in the next couple of days, how things go,” Lowell said. “I would like to be available (after four or five days.)

Kevin Youkilis made his second straight start at third base Friday, with Sean Casey starting at first.

Outfielder Jason Bay returned to the lineup Friday after missing the previous two games to be with his wife as she gave birth to a daughter.

Drew, who is batting .280 with 19 home runs and 64 RBIs, has not played since Aug. 18, but is feeling “slightly better,” Francona said.

“We’ll just continue to monitor where he’s at,” Francona said. “I don’t know if this weekend is realistic or not. When I’m watching him hit, he hits the ball out of the ballpark, so it doesn’t look like his swing is affected that much. But then, if it grabs at him when he’s out there, I don’t know how we can play him.”

Lugo, out since July 12 with a strained left quad, suffered a setback last month and has struggled to regain his health.

“He’s trying so hard to get in a game before our regular season is over,” Francona said. “I don’t know if it’s realistic or not. He’s trying.”

Lugo is batting .268 with one homer and 22 RBIs.

Blue Jays right-hander Shaun Marcum needs ligament replacement surgery. In his right elbow, and is expected to miss the entire 2009 season.

“It’s going to be tough,” the 26-year-old Marcum said of the long layoff ahead of him. “It’s tough just to sit there, you want to be part of the team so bad, it’s going to be tough next year when spring training rolls around and I’m not going to be one of the guys.”

Marcum, 9-7 with a 3.39 ERA in 25 starts, left Tuesday’s game against Baltimore after two-plus innings with soreness and numbness from his elbow to his pinky. An MRI on Thursday revealed the injury.

“It’s terrible, absolutely awful,” Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston said. “I feel so bad for him. We’re going to miss him. He probably won’t be in spring training until 2010, so that’s a big blow to us, that’s really tough.”

No date has been set for the surgery, which will be performed by Dr. James Andrews.

Marcum said he didn’t think the injury was related to a sore elbow that sidelined him for 27 games in June and July.

“The feeling that I had right now is completely different from the one I had earlier this season,” Marcum said. “I think it’s just wear and tear from pitching and throwing as much as I do.”

Marcum’s injury means Toronto may have to fill several holes in its rotation this winter.

The Blue Jays, who lead the major leagues with a 3.54 ERA, lost right-hander Dustin McGowan to shoulder surgery in July and don’t expect him back at full strength until May. Right-hander A.J. Burnett, who has won a career-high 18 games, can opt out of the final two years of his contract at the end of the season.

With Marcum’s status unknown Thursday, Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi said he would “think about adding some years” to Burnett’s contract to try and keep him in Toronto, but said he wasn’t willing to get into a “bidding war” with other teams if Burnett decides to opt out.

Otherwise, Ricciardi repeated Friday that he’s prepared to head into 2009 with Casey Janssen, who missed all of 2008 because of shoulder surgery, and minor leaguers Ricky Romero and Brett Cecil as candidates to round out the rotation behind holdovers Roy Halladay, Jesse Litsch and David Purcey.

“I don’t feel like we have to do anything,” Ricciardi said. “I feel like we’ve got young pitchers here who we’re pretty much convinced can come up and pitch. We’ll go with those guys.

“We’ve got confidence in our young guys,” Ricciardi added. “Sometimes you’ve got to run them out there. The great thing is we got the anchor - Doc (Halladay). That’s a big plus, having a guy like that at the top of the rotation.”

A third-round pick in 2003, Marcum is in his fourth season with the Blue Jays. He struggled after returning July 22 from his elbow injury, going 3-2 with a 6.19 ERA in seven starts before being optioned to Triple-A Syracuse on Aug. 22 to work on his location. He was recalled Sept. 2 and went 1-0 with a 1.26 ERA in two starts before the injury.

Carlos Quentin, who had surgery on his right wrist after breaking it in frustration on Sept 1. Did some range of motion exercises and took some practice swings before the Chicago White Sox game against the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.

“It felt tight,” Quentin said. “It’s been in a soft cast, immobilized for about a week. The pain is minimal”

Quentin, who still leads the American League with 36 home runs and has 100 RBIs in 130 games, struck his bat head with a closed right fist after fouling off a pitch from Cleveland’s Cliff Lee. He had surgery to repair the wrist, which included inserting a screw. He had a soft cast removed Wednesday.

“It’s good for right now,” Quentin said. “There will be some pain I assume. I went to the doctor and he took X-rays and liked what he saw. The wire in there is very stable and very strong. He was happy with that.”

While there is very little chance Quentin could play before the regular season ends on Sept. 28, he is hopeful he could be ready in October if the White Sox, who lead the American League Central, reach the postseason.

“My goal is to get back as soon as possible,” Quentin said. “I will be extremely happy to make it back for the playoffs. We’re not going to put a time frame on it. Today and tomorrow are building blocks to try to get back to perform and have my health without question as far as re-injuring it.

“We’re doing everything we can. I’ve called several nutritionists and dietitians for vitamins, using every source possible. I can’t watch the games. I check the scores. I want to be out there with them.”

Friday American League Capsules.

BOSTON 4, TORONTO 3

TORONTO Jason Varitek snapped a tie in the eighth inning by plating Jason Bay with a fielders choice as the Boston Red Sox recorded a 4-3 triumph over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday.

Kevin Youkilis plated Varitek with a run-scoring single in the fifth inning and Sean Casey followed with a two-run double for Boston (90-63), which remains 1 1/2 games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays (91-61) in the American League East. The Rays cruised to an 11-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

After getting the final out of the seventh inning, Manny Delcarmen (0-2) quickly retired the first two batters in the bottom of the eighth to pick up the win. Delcarmen left in a favor of Hideki Okajima, who induced Lyle Overbay to fly out to left field to end the inning.

Jonathan Papelbon made it interesting in the ninth by committing a throwing error that advanced leadoff hitter Adam Lind to second base, but the righthander settled down and retired the next three batters to pick up his 39th save of the season.

Gregg Zaun and Travis Snider belted back-to-back run-scoring doubles in the second inning and Marco Scutaro added one of his own in the fifth for Toronto, which was mathematically eliminated from winning the division. Another loss - or Red Sox win - would also bring an end to the Blue Jays wild-card aspirations.

Brian Tallet (1-2) allowed one run and one hit in one-third of an inning to take the loss.

A.J. Burnett allowed three runs and eight hits in seven innings while tossing a season-high 121 pitches.

TAMPA BAY 11, MINNESOTA 1

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida Carlos Pena hit a replay-aided three-run home run and rookie Evan Longoria drove in three runs as the Tampa Bay Rays rolled to an 11-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

Penas 31st home run of the season was originally ruled a two-run double. However, it turned out to be a historic night as his hit produced the first reversal using instant replay.

Penas blast off Boof Bonser appeared to be touched by a fan before bouncing over the right field wall. First base umpire Mike DiMuro signaled fan interference, which brought both managers out of their respective dugouts.

The umpires convened and decided to look at the video. Following a delay of 4 minutes, 10 seconds, crew chief Gerry Davis signaled a home run.

Edwin Jackson (12-11) allowed one run and seven hits in 7 2/3 innings to pick up his first win in four starts.

Joe Mauer drove in the lone run for Minnesota.

NY YANKEES 3, BALTIMORE 2

BRONX, New York Robinson Cano belted a solo homer and Johnny Damon collected two hits in support of Carl Pavanos strong effort as the New York Yankees recorded a 3-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

In the third inning, Cano connected for his 14th homer of the season and Brett Gardner laced an RBI double to even the score at 2-2 against Baltimore starter Radhames Liz (6-6).

In the fifth, the Yankees took the lead for good when Damon scored on a wild pitch from Liz with two outs and Alex Rodriguez at the plate. Damon had reached on a one-out single and promptly stole second before Derek Jeter singled to set up the clinching run.

Pavano (4-1) surrendered two runs and six hits over five innings. Four relievers bridged the gap for Mariano Rivera to pick up his 37th save of the season.

CLEVELAND 6, DETROIT 5

CLEVELAND Jamey Carrolls RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning capped a wild night at Jacobs Field as the Cleveland Indians rallied to edge the Detroit Tigers, 6-5.

Shin-Soo Choo erased a 5-2 deficit in the eighth, belting a three-run homer into the right field stands for his second blast of the night.

An inning later, Kelly Shoppach was hit by a pitch to lead off and pinch runner Josh Barfield advanced to third on Ryan Garkos single. Carroll followed with a single to deep right field, plating the winning run.

Rafael Perez (4-3) combined with Rafael Betancourt to pitch a perfect ninth, striking out the only batter he faced.

Earlier in the game, four players were ejected after a benches-clearing brawl in the seventh inning. Tigers slugger Gary Sheffield was hit by a pitch and trotted to first, only to take issue with Indians righthander Fausto Carmona tossing a pickoff throw to first.

The two had words and Sheffield charged the mound, sparking a fight and a slew of minor scuffles as the benches and bullpens cleared. Sheffield, Carmona, Detroit second baseman Placido Polanco and Cleveland catcher Victor Martinez all were ejected.

CHI WHITE SOX 9, KANSAS CITY 4

KANSAS CITY, Missouri Alexei Ramirez belted a grand slam and Dewayne Wise added two solo home runs as the Chicago White Sox toppled the Kansas City Royals, 9-4.

Ramirezs blast sparked a six-run rally in the fourth inning against Royals starter Brian Bannister (8-16), who surrendered seven runs and eight hits in five frames. Nick Swisher scored on a wild pitch and Orlando Cabrera laced an RBI single to cap the outburst.

Jim Thome hit a homer in the fifth and Wise followed suit in the seventh and ninth to secure the victory for White Sox starter Mark Buehrle (14-11), who allowed three runs and six hits in six effective innings.

Mark Teahen hit a three-run shot in the fourth and David DeJesus had a run-scoring single in the seventh for the Royals.

LA ANGELS 15, TEXAS 13

ARLINGTON, Texas The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim erupted for season highs in runs and hits as they survived a battle with the Texas Rangers, 15-13.

Garret Anderson collected four hits and Torii Hunter added a home run and four RBI as the Angels won despite blowing a 7-0 lead and allowing the Rangers to score nine runs in the third inning.

After falling behind, 9-7, the Angels scrambled back with a run in the fourth and five in the fifth to move ahead for good.

Former Ranger Darren Oliver (6-1) picked up the victory despite allowing two runs in 2 1/3 innings.

Jamey Wright (7-7) took the loss, allowing five runs and six hits in just one inning.

OAKLAND 2, SEATTLE 0

OAKLAND, California Dana Eveland pitched seven solid innings as the Oakland Athletics stifled the Seattle Mariners, 2-0.

Eveland (9-8) allowed seven hits while striking out seven to pick up the win. Joey Devine didnt allow a hit in the eighth and Brad Ziegler worked around a pair of hits in the ninth to record his 10th save of the season.

Travis Buck led off the fourth with his fourth home run to give Oakland a 1-0 lead. Kurt Suzuki added an RBI single later in the frame.

Felix Hernandez (9-11) took the loss despite throwing eight effective innings, allowing two runs on eight hits while striking out eight and walking one.

The Mariners have lost nine in a row and been outscored, 49-17, in the process.

All-Star Evan Longoria picked up where he left off in his return to the Tampa Bay lineup. And the AL East-leading Rays also fortified their pitching staff Saturday, recalling highly touted prospect David Price from Triple-A Durham.

Longoria went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and made an outstanding play at third base to help the Rays beat the New York Yankees 7-1 in the opener of a day-night doubleheader. It was the rookie slugger’s first action since he was hit by J.J. Putz’s pitch on Aug. 7, breaking his right wrist.

Longoria hit a bases-loaded single off Mike Mussina in the fifth inning and made an outstanding diving stop on Xavier Nady’s two-out grounder with two on in the sixth.

“I can’t complain,” Longoria said. “I mean for a first day back I felt as good as I expected and more.”

Rays manager Joe Maddon stuck to his plan despite Longoria’s impressive return, leaving him out of the starting lineup for the second game but remaining open to a pinch-hitting appearance. Depending on how he feels Sunday, Longoria could start the series finale against the Yankees.

“With any kind of injury there’s always going to be some kind of lingering soreness and that’s just the way it is,” Longoria said before the game. “It’s nothing that really hinders me from doing any of my normal stuff but, like I said, that soreness is going to be there probably until I can rest it in the offseason.”

Longoria was one of the leading candidates for AL Rookie of the Year before the injury. He is batting .280 with 22 homers and 73 RBIs, and could give Tampa Bay a big boost if he can quickly return to form.

“That’s kind of unique,” Maddon said. “To be gone that long, and you can talk about the hits all you want but the play down the line versus Nady to me was maybe a turning point in that game. Few guys make that play, and then to throw that accurately, that was a big moment in today’s game.”

Price and outfielder Jonny Gomes joined the team after the Bulls lost to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the International League championship Friday night. Right-handers Mitch Talbot and Jeff Niemann also were promoted and will join the team on Monday in Florida.

Price was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft out of Vanderbilt and got a $5.6 million signing bonus and six-year, $11.25 million deal with Tampa Bay last August. He breezed through the Rays’ minor league system, going 12-1 with a 2.30 ERA over three levels this season.

“I don’t expect anything different now,” the lanky left-hander said. “Every day I go out there I expect the best of myself. That’s what everybody in this clubhouse does and that’s why they’ve had so much success this year.”

Price and Gomes flew into New York early Saturday morning and dropped their luggage off at the team hotel before traveling to Yankee Stadium.

“We got here early and I took him onto the field. He was taking pictures with his phone,” Gomes said. “It was awesome to see a guy have that much money and that talented but yet still so excited to be in the big leagues.”

The 23-year-old Price throws in the upper 90s and has a terrific slider, and Maddon said he plans to use him in the bullpen. There’s also a chance he could make a spot start Wednesday against the Red Sox. Tampa Bay has another doubleheader at Baltimore on Sept. 23.

Price didn’t seem too concerned about his role as he explored the visitors’ clubhouse at Yankee Stadium and greeted his teammates Saturday morning.

“There’s no level higher than this right here,” he said with a grin. “This is it.”