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Posted 5/15/12 at 7:30 PM

Strasburg's ointment takes unexpected detour

Stephen Strasburg had a rough day on the mound Tuesday, but we may have found the cause behind his shaky start.

Nationals manager Davey Johnson offered that his ace may have had a pain-relieving cream mishap.

"Somehow it got in the wrong place," Johnson said. "I don't know all the details. Not an ideal way to start -- all kinds of little things going against us."

Strasburg, who looked uncomfortable in the first inning and gave up four runs in four innings, declined to comment.

"Yeah, let's keep that in the clubhouse," Strasburg said.

Posted 5/16/12 at 1:30 AM

Buzz the Tower: Will Rhymes Edition

Kathy Anderson catches up with players when they visit Rogers Centre, located underneath the CN Tower in Toronto. The latest victim: Rays second baseman Will Rhymes.

People have been saying you're a Sam Fuld lookalike, but you actually have an identical twin brother. What does he think about this? Is Jonathan [Rhymes] being replaced?
No, no. Well, I haven't talked to him about it, but no. No one could replace my brother, he's a pretty awesome dude.

But can he play baseball?
Yeah, he's a good baseball player actually, he played in college.

Has he seen you play yet this year?
He hasn't yet; I used to see him last year every time we played Oakland, he'd come up.

Click headline for full interview.

Posted 5/15/12 at 7:30 PM

Lucas Duda, philosophizer

First, there was Yogi Berra, but now there’s another ballplayer in New York spreading his wisdom.

Mets outfielder Lucas Duda has now had one of his deep thoughts emblazoned on a T-shirt in conjunction with the Mets' T-Shirt Tuesday promotion.

Fans who purchased tickets in select locations were given this shirt with the following quote: “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field." Duda-ronomy 28:3.

It might not be “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over,” but it’s a start for the young philosopher.

Posted 5/16/12 at 12:10 AM

All the freaks come out for a Tim Lincecum start

"The Freak" has built himself quite the following in San Francisco, and why not? The two-time Cy Young Award winner with the flowing locks is a sight to see. But when you're in the ballpark for a Lincecum start, keep your eyes open because there's plenty else to be in awe of.
Posted 5/15/12 at 8:15 PM

Meet Ron Washington: The puppet

You know you've made it when you become available in puppet form.

This Rangers fan built a mini version of Ron Washington. The project took nearly two weeks.

On top of looking like Washington, Puppet Ron also channels some of his personality traits too.

Posted 5/15/12 at 5:49 PM

Doug Mirabelli knows how to make an entrance

It was Tim Wakefield's day. Boston was honoring his career.

Wake was throwing out the first pitch!

But it was Doug Mirabelli, Wakefield's former personal catcher, who made the memorable entrance. Almost reenacting the scene from when he was reacquired from the Padres in 2006, Mirabelli entered Fenway Park escorted by the Boston Police Dept.

Posted 5/15/12 at 6:30 PM

Good luck finding a more bizarre inning of baseball than this one

A pop fly lost in the Bermuda Triangle. A rain delay shorter than some Dustin Pedroia at-bats. An at-bat starting with a 3-2 count. Three umpires missing in action ...

Things got more than a little weird during the first inning in Washington on Tuesday.

Posted 5/15/12 at 5:02 PM

No "Dilemma" for Nelly, Busch Stadium is the place to be

At first glance, you might overlook a certain Grammy Award-winning rapper in attendance at Tuesday's Cubs-Cardinals game in St. Louis.

But that's probably just because you were blinded by his earrings.

Nelly -- the Gateway City's unofficial mayor -- loves his Redbirds!

Posted 5/15/12 at 4:23 PM

The bigger they are, the harder they fall -- Carlos Lee edition

Carlos Lee came off the top turnbuckle with a flying body slam at the opening bell, but it was Hunter Wendelstedt's old-school eye gouge that won this bout.

Both the ump and the Astros first baseman remained in Tuesday's game after colliding accidentally, so expect a rematch sooner rather than later.

Posted 5/15/12 at 3:15 PM

Remember that week when Mike Piazza was a Marlin?

Fourteen years ago today, the Marlins and Dodgers completed possibly the most late-90's trade of the late 90's. Mike Piazza (already a five-time All-Star at age 29) headed east along with Todd Zeile in exchange for Gary Sheffield, Bobby Bonilla, Charles Johnson, Jim Eisenreich and Manuel Barrios. Piazza's stay in Miami was brief, as the Fish shipped him to the Mets just seven days later for Preston Wilson and a pair of prospects.
Posted 5/15/12 at 10:45 AM

The Question: How many homers for Bryce?

Bryce Harper hit the first of what could be many homers on Monday night, punishing a no-doubter into the center field berm at Nationals Park.

Harper's power is eye-popping, and he has a history of coming on strong after his introduction to a new level of competition.

So we want to know:

How many more will he hit this year? With about 80 percent of the season left, how high can Harper fly? Ten more homers? 15? 20? More? Let us know.

Posted 5/15/12 at 8:40 AM

Sophia Grace meets Magic -- in a tutu, of course ...

Nine years old and already a British singing phenom, Sophia Grace Brownlee and her six-year-old cousin Rosie McClelland have gone from YouTube sensations to the Grammys to The Ellen DeGeneres Show -- where they rapped with Nicki Minaj.

The next stop on their tour de force was Dodger Stadium -- in tutus, of course -- to visit Magic Johnson and throw out the first pitch before Monday's game against the D-backs.

As Ellen herself so neatly put it, "1, tutu, 3 strikes you're out at the ol' ballgame."

Posted 5/15/12 at 12:25 AM

Josh Hamilton is not terribly fond of his new lumber

Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton had a close, personal relationship with his old bat.

They traveled to Cleveland and Baltimore together, hit nine home runs in a week together ... heck, Hamilton even called the boomstick "she" after it finally cracked on Sunday night.

But now that Louisville Slugger is going to the Hall of Fame, leaving The Natural to find a replacement. And if the early results are any indication, he is none too pleased.

Posted 5/15/12 at 2:38 AM

American Idol star Adam Lambert rocks the MLB Fan Cave

"Funk was the centerpiece of all this." -- Adam Lambert, who performed seven songs Monday during the MLB Fan Cave Concert Series.
Posted 5/14/12 at 7:00 PM

David Price's home run trot is in midseason form

With Interleague Play beginning this weekend, David Price will look to follow in the footsteps of (Devil) Rays legend Esteban Yan.

No, not on the mound -- Yan went 26-30 with a 5.01 ERA during five seasons in Tampa. But his homer off Bobby J. Jones on June 4, 2000 remains the only long ball ever hit by a Rays pitcher.

Posted 5/14/12 at 4:45 PM

Hamilton's bat is headed to the Hall

There's usually a ten-year career minimum for enshrinement in Cooperstown. Josh Hamilton's bat only needed one week.

Hamilton agreed to donate the lumber to the Hall of Fame following his four-homer game against the Orioles last Tuesday, and will now make good on that promise after breaking the bat on a seventh-inning RBI single Sunday night.

"She died a hero," Hamilton said. "She was tired, she was getting a little weak."

Wrap your mind around this: The Rangers center fielder launched nine long balls in a six-game stretch from May 7-12, including eight with the same bat. Hall of Fame second baseman Johnny Evers (of "Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance" fame) went yard 12 times in his 18-year career.

Posted 5/14/12 at 3:00 PM

Mo's journey back: Don't Stop Relievin'

"Closer with the cold blood stare. Stricken by meniscus tear ..."

Mariano Rivera is sidelined for the rest of 2012, but his Major League journey isn't over. At least, that's what they're saying on NOC's new hit single, Don't Stop Relievin'.

Posted 5/14/12 at 10:00 AM

The Question: Best week ever?

Josh Hamilton was so hot this week that the word hot doesn't really begin to do it justice.

He amassed nine home runs - nine! - along with 14 hits and 18 RBIs. The power numbers are an excellent month even for a power hitter, and 14 hits in six games isn't bad either.

So we have a simple question for you:

Is this the best week anyone has ever had? Did Josh Hamilton just have the most dominant week at the plate that anyone has ever seen?

Posted 5/14/12 at 7:08 AM

Rangers taunt Jered Weaver as he sings along

Angels ace Jered Weaver allowed eight runs on 10 hits over just 3 1/3 innings on Sunday night against the Rangers, so he was pulled from the game, and he didn't come back no more, no more.

"That's exactly what I needed to do was hit the road," Weaver said. "It was obviously not what you want to do going out into a game. I wasn't pitching to my capabilities and it was definitely time for me to hit the road at that point."

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