Tag Archive: New York Mets


Fans give Braves rookie Jason Heyward a thumbs-up

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July 13, 2010

ATLANTA (AP)—Hank Aaron expected Jason Heyward to make an immediate impact in a sport which needs young black stars.

The 20-year-old Heyward hasn’t disappointed.

He has become an overnight fan favorite, voted to start in Tuesday’s All-Star Game.

Is it because he’s young and talented? Yes, but it’s more than that. Is it because he’s a hometown kid who made it? Sure, but it’s more than that. It is because he is an African-American? No doubt, but it’s more than that.

It’s all those things—and more.

Heyward said fans identify with the way he plays.

“I look for excitement,” he said. “This is entertainment. I just go out there and have a good time and fit right in. I don’t put myself above the game. It’s a team game. I enjoy that part of it.”

Atlanta manager Bobby Cox agreed.

“I think they like watching him play, to be honest with you,” Cox said. “It doesn’t hurt to have a little hype. … The team is playing well, too, but a lot of it is seeing a young kid who plays hard.”

Heyward received more votes, about 2.7 million, than any other Atlanta player, including Martin Prado, the NL’s leading hitter. If not for a thumb injury, Heyward would have been the youngest All-Star starter since Ken Griffey Jr., who was two months younger when voted to start in 1990.

Though the Braves said Heyward won’t play Tuesday, he doesn’t plan to miss his first bow on a national stage.

“I don’t know exactly what I’m going into because I’ve never done it before, but I’m just looking forward to taking it all in and being able to tip my cap to the fans when they announce the names, if that happens,” he said.

Heyward’s start is especially strong considering he’s been playing with the injured thumb the last two months. He jammed it while sliding head-first into third base on May 14 and still has 11 homers and 45 RBIs.

Heyward can come off the 15-day disabled list on Monday and plans to take batting practice at the All-Star game in Anaheim, Calif.

“I just want to enjoy the players, enjoy the fans and that environment and the family and friends that I have with me,” he said. “I’m very appreciative of the fans’ voting. It’s very exciting for myself, for my teammates and for my friends and family.”

Heyward said he watched All-Star games on TV while growing up.

“That’s my only memories of them, watching on TV and seeing the home-run derby and watching the commentators on TV talking about everything and seeing all the players sitting down there with their families with their video cameras,” he said.

So will Heyward bring a video camera?

“I probably won’t,” he said. “I just don’t do much with video cameras. I’ll just watch and take it in.”

Aaron has been watching Heyward for some time. He was captivated by the young black star from the Atlanta area—a perfect for Aaron’s Braves and the sport.

Aaron, who is black, told The Associated Press after Heyward’s debut that he could bring excitement back to baseball. “Not only for Atlanta, but also for African-American players,” Aaron said. “We do need to have many, many more Jason Heywards.”

And though he has played well, Heyward could have a better second half.

The first-place Braves can’t wait to see what a healthy Heyward can do after the break. Heyward is a significant part of the Braves’ hopes of holding off the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East.

He hopes he will be able to grip a bat comfortably.

“If I can bend my thumb and move it all the way and bend it like I need to, I’ll be ready to play ball,” he said.

Heyward said he doesn’t worry about what his numbers might be if not for the injury.

“It is what it is,” he said. “I know we’re in first place. We have one of the best records. That’s what is most important.”

Cox said Heyward is genuine in his team-first approach.

“He’s concerned about winning and losing,” Cox said. “Kids that young aren’t always that way. They’re a little bit more interested most of the time in personal stats and things like that. I don’t think he thinks like that at all.”

Heyward’s stats took a beating when he tried to play through the injury. He was hitting .301 with 10 homers on May 30; he had only one more homer and his average had dropped 50 points when he was placed on the disabled list on June 27.

“He just comes out and battles,” said Braves hitting coach Terry Pendleton. “With that thumb sore, he still tried to battle every day. He tried to use what he has. It just got to a point where he couldn’t function.”

Heyward didn’t hesitate when asked if he should have been disabled earlier.

“No. Not at all. We made a big push in May,” Heyward said, referring to the team’s 20-8 record in the month. “We played really well in May and the beginning of June. … I was out there every day, just contributing.”

Fans will be watching to see how much more Heyward can contribute to the Braves, and baseball’s woes, in the second half.

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Cincinnati (48-37) at New York (47-37)

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July 7, 2010

Jonathon Niese has been very reliable for the New York Mets over the last month, but he could have a hard time duplicating the team’s most recent starting pitching performance.

After getting a shutout and a home run from Johan Santana, the Mets will hand the ball to Niese as they try for their seventh straight series win at home Wednesday night against the Cincinnati Reds.
Since his June 5 return from the disabled list, Niese (6-2, 3.62 ERA) has been New York’s most consistent starter, going 5-0 with a 2.43 ERA in six games – all Mets wins.

Niese, though, could struggle to match Santana’s outing from Tuesday night. The two-time Cy Young Award winner gave up three hits in the 3-0 victory and hit his first career home run to start the Mets’ scoring in the third inning.

“With the home run, I’d say that’s the best game for a starting pitcher this year,” catcher Rod Barajas told the Mets’ official website.

Santana put the Mets (47-37) in position to win a seventh straight home series with a victory in Wednesday’s finale. New York hasn’t dropped a series at Citi Field since losing two of three to Washington from May 10-12.

The Mets have to like their chances with Niese taking the mound. They’re 10-2 in his last 12 outings after he held the Nationals to one run and six hits in seven innings of a 5-3 win Friday. The left-hander struck out a season-high eight and didn’t issue a walk.

“I think if I’m able to throw all my pitches for strikes,” Niese said, “I think I have a good variety that keeps them off-balance.”

Niese gave up four runs and a career-high 12 hits in six innings of his only previous start against Cincinnati, a 5-4, 10-inning defeat on the road May 5. Jonny Gomes and Brandon Phillips are each 2 for 3 with a homer against him.

The Reds (48-37) got the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning Tuesday night, but Santana got out of the jam and handed Cincinnati its fourth loss in 15 games.

Bronson Arroyo (8-4, 4.25) will take the mound hoping to help the Reds avoid their first back-to-back losses since a three-game skid June 18-20.

The right-hander allowed two hits over six innings to beat the Chicago Cubs 12-0 on Friday, throwing 89 pitches before getting pulled so he could keep his arm fresh for Cincinnati’s push for its first division title since 1995.

“There was no reason for me to push it this time of year,” Arroyo, who’s 3-1 with a 2.42 ERA over his last four starts, told the Reds’ official website. “Obviously we’re in a different position now than we’ve ever been in before since I’ve been on this club. You have to think about further down the line. A little bit of rest could help in the future.”

Arroyo, who’s 6-2 with a 3.54 ERA in 10 career starts against the Mets, threw a shutout in his only previous game at Citi Field, yielding four hits in a 3-0 victory July 10.

Mets shortstop Jose Reyes, who had two hits in his return to the lineup Tuesday after missing a week because of tightness in his lower back, is 8 for 25 with a home run and four doubles in his career against Arroyo.

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San Diego (49-34) at Washington (37-47)

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July 7, 2010

Initially left off the NL All-Star roster, Ryan Zimmerman could still make the team in Internet voting.

The Washington Nationals third baseman is making a pretty good case for himself.
After hitting a dramatic game-winning home run in the series opener – his third homer in two games – Zimmerman looks to continue his torrid hitting against one of his favorite pitchers as the Nationals play the NL West-leading San Diego Padres on Wednesday night.

Zimmerman ranks in the top five in nearly every offensive category among NL third baseman, batting .293 with 16 home runs and 51 runs scored, and is one of the best defensively at his position. The reigning Gold Glove Award winner wasn’t selected Sunday to the All-Star team, but is one of five candidates to fill the final roster spot.

Although Cincinnati’s Joey Votto is the favorite to win the Internet vote, Zimmerman, named to his first All-Star team last year, is proving he’s also a worthy choice.

After going 3 for 5 with a home run and four RBIs in Sunday’s loss to the New York Mets, Zimmerman had three more hits Tuesday against the Padres. His second homer of the game leading off the bottom of the ninth lifted the Nationals to a 6-5 victory and snapped San Diego’s three-game winning streak.

“We all know Zim’s an All-Star. He’s playing like an All-Star, he’s always played like an All-Star. We all are just hoping that he gets in,” said Michael Morse, who matched a career high with three hits for Washington (37-47).

Zimmerman’s two-homer game was his first since hitting two off scheduled starter Jon Garland in a 3-2, 11-inning loss in San Diego on May 30. The slugger is hitting .386 with seven homers and 10 RBIs in his last 11 games against the Padres (49-34), and is 3 for 5 with three home runs lifetime against Garland.

“He’s a very good player – no doubt. I voted for him for the All-Star Game – that’s what I think of Zimmerman,” San Diego manager Bud Black said. “My write-in vote’s going to go to (San Diego closer Heath Bell), but that’s besides the point. Zimmerman’s a good player.”

Despite those two homers by Zimmerman, Garland (8-5, 3.24 ERA) pitched well in that start against the Nationals, allowing two runs and five hits in seven innings.

Against Houston on Thursday, Garland struggled with his command, yielding three runs, six hits and a season-worst six walks in a 6-3, 10-inning loss. The right-hander is 2-3 with a 4.85 ERA in his last seven starts after going 6-0 with a 1.60 ERA in his previous seven.

Washington counters with J.D. Martin (0-4, 3.38), who allowed three runs and six hits in five innings of a 4-1 loss in Atlanta last Wednesday.

The Nationals have lost all six of Martin’s starts since he was called up from the minors May 29, and the right-hander hasn’t won in nine starts since defeating the Mets on Sept. 18.

Martin can’t be blamed for all of the defeats, however, as Washington has backed him with two or fewer runs in five of his starts this year.

He is 0-2 with a 1.93 ERA in three career starts against the Padres, and gave up four runs – one earned – and four hits in six innings of a 4-2 loss in San Diego on May 29.

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Santana hits 1st career HR, pitches Mets over Reds

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July 7, 2010

NEW YORK (AP)—Eager for a sliver of run support, Johan Santana found a clever solution.

He provided his own.
Santana lined his first major league homer and that was plenty as he pitched a three-hit shutout and led the New York Mets past the Cincinnati Reds 3-0 on a blazing Tuesday night.

Santana’s solo shot in the third inning drew a huge cheer from the baked crowd and an even bigger reception from his teammates.

“They said it was enough, that was all I needed for the game,” he said.

On a day when it hit a record 103 degrees in the city, Santana steamed around the bases after capping a tenacious 12-pitch at-bat with his drive off the right-field foul screen.

Santana took off his batting helmet, saluted the crowd with his right hand and came out for a curtain call to acknowledge the ovation. He became the second Mets pitcher to homer while throwing a shutout, joining Pete Falcone, who did it in 1981.

The Mets ace made the early edge stand up, shutting down the team that led the NL in runs, homers and hitting. He struck out five and walked three in his seventh career shutout and first since 2008.

Santana (6-5) had won just once in his last seven starts, though Mets hitters shared the blame. The left-hander ranked among the bottom among big league pitchers in backing, evidenced by New York scoring only one run in his previous three outings.

Santana drew another cheer the next time up as the video board replayed the highlight—the first home run in 182 career at-bats for a lifetime .166 hitter. The only other homer he remembered hitting, he said, came “in video games.”

“I hit it and started running,” he said. “I didn’t believe it was out.”

Santana wound up with the souvenir ball, proof that he’d accomplished what all pitchers often wish for.

“I’m on the board,” he said. “At least I hit one.”

The NL Central-leading Reds lost for the second time in seven games.

It was still 96 degrees when Brandon Phillips led off the game with a double. Putting aside worries that he was tipping his pitches, Santana didn’t allow another hit until Orlando Cabrera singled in the sixth.

The Reds threatened in the ninth when Scott Rolen singled with one out and left fielder Jason Bay dropped Jay Bruce’s flyball for an error. Mets manager Jerry Manuel strolled to the mound and, as fans implored him to leave in Santana, he did.

What did Santana tell Manuel? “I’ll finish it. Simple.”

Santana rewarded his manager when he got Jonny Gomes on a lineout and Drew Stubbs grounded into a game-ending force. Santana matched the best low-hit game of his career.

“You guys are trying to get me to say that he was something special tonight,” Reds star Joey Votto said. “But frankly, what I saw was the same guy we always see. He just missed a few more barrels.”

Matt Maloney (0-1) lost in his first game for Cincinnati this season. He traveled in from Triple-A Louisville earlier in the day, promoted because the Reds put pitcher Aaron Harang on the disabled list with lower back spasms.

Maloney retired the first seven batters. After rookie Ruben Tejada singled but was caught stealing, Santana stepped up. He took a ball from the Reds lefty, then fouled off the next seven pitches. After a ball and two more fouls, Santana took another meaty cut and pulled a drive that hit halfway up the foul screen.

“He had some good swings,” Maloney said. “I don’t have much experience with pitchers who can swing the bat. It worked out for him. Twelve pitches? I threw him everything I had.”

Jose Reyes returned to the Mets lineup after missing a week because of tightness in his lower back. A week before he goes to the All-Star game, the speedy Reyes beat out an infield single, and later had a bunt hit that helped set up Bay’s two-run single in the sixth.

The heat took its toll on the players and fans. Not every Mets player was on the field for batting practice and the Reds did their pregame stretching in an indoor batting cage.

Extra emergency personnel were on duty and bags of ice were available at all fan assistance centers. Even so, many fans left early because of the weather.

NOTES: Santana’s last shutout was Sept. 27, 2008, against Florida. He pitched his first complete game of the season and 10th of his career. … John Maine was the last Mets pitcher to hit a home run. He did it on July 24, 2007. … Bay’s error ended a string of 263 games without a mistake. … Santana is 4-0 lifetime vs. the Reds.

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Mets’ Reyes returns to lineup after missing week

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July 7, 2010

NEW YORK (AP)—Jose Reyes returned to the New York Mets’ lineup Tuesday night and said he plans to play in next week’s All-Star game.

The speedy shortstop was batting leadoff against left-hander Matt Maloney and the Cincinnati Reds. The switch hitter said he will bat from the right side throughout the game to protect his balky back.

“It’s no problem with me,” Reyes said of batting right-handed. “I just want to be in the lineup.”

Reyes, who earned his third All-Star selection on Sunday, had been out since he was scratched from last Wednesday’s game against the Florida Marlins in Puerto Rico due to tightness in his lower back. He entered the game against the Reds with a .277 batting average, six homers and 32 RBIs.

Mets manager Jerry Manuel said he had no problems letting Reyes play with a nagging injury.

“He’s a natural right-handed hitter,” Manuel said. “I know he has more power there, and I know he’s anxious to play.”

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Mets put Tatis on DL, recall Valdes from Buffalo

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July 6, 2010

NEW YORK (AP)—The New York Mets still expect star outfielder Carlos Beltran to return after the All-Star break, while shortstop Jose Reyes plans to be back in the lineup Tuesday after missing nearly a week with a sore back.

Mets manager Jerry Manuel revealed the positive injury outlook Monday, just as the club was placing versatile Fernando Tatis on the disabled list with a sprained right shoulder.

Beltran has been out all season after having right knee surgery in January. He’s been making steady progress on a rehab assignment with Class-A St. Lucie, where he went 2 for 4 and played a full nine innings Monday in center fielder.

“We anticipate him to be a part of us right after the break,” Manuel said. “I think he had a couple of setbacks with the weather, as far as getting on the field and those types of things, but if all goes well we should see him in San Francisco.”

The Mets begin a difficult 11-game trip against the Giants on July 15.

“It’s like adding a guy before the (trade) deadline. You’re talking about a real good, five-tool player,” Manuel said. “A switch hitter who sits in the middle of the lineup, I would think that would be very good for us.”

Reyes was scratched from the lineup against the Florida Marlins last Wednesday in Puerto Rico because of tightness in his lower back and hasn’t played since.

The speedy shortstop, who was picked to his third All-Star team on Sunday, took some swings before the series opener against Cincinnati and should start Tuesday night.

“He can swing from the right side right now, as we speak,” Manuel said.

Tatis, meanwhile, had been hampered by his right shoulder since early in the season, one of the primary reasons he’s been mired in a significant slump. Tatis was hitting just .185 with two homers and six RBIs.

“He’s had some problems with it since spring training,” Manuel said. “That has a lot to do with the fact that he wasn’t able to get the bat into a position of strength with that shoulder. I guess the doctor looked at him today and decided it was the best thing.”

The Mets recalled left-handed reliever Raul Valdes from Triple-A Buffalo to take his place. They needed an extra arm in the bullpen anyway after using five relievers in a 9-5 win over the Washington Nationals on Sunday.

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San Diego (49-33) at Washington (36-47)

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July 6, 2010

Like the Washington Nationals, the San Diego Padres haven’t mustered much offense lately.

They’re just getting it at the right times – a key reason why the Padres are in first place – and the Nationals aren’t – a big part of why they’re in last.
Coming off three consecutive final at-bat wins, San Diego begins a six-game trip seeking its sixth win in seven road games Tuesday night in Washington.

The Padres (49-33), owners of the NL’s best record, have failed to score more than three runs in nine of their last 13 games but have only lost four. Washington (36-47) has not scored more than three in 12 of 18 but has gone 5-13.

San Diego, which won five of six at Tampa Bay and Florida in its last road trip, follows this set with three at Colorado before the All-Star break.

The Padres are coming off a 3-2 home win over Houston on Sunday, when Tony Gwynn Jr.’s bases-loaded single in the ninth inning provided the difference. The only runs they scored in the previous two games came in the eighth, winning 3-0 Friday and 1-0 Saturday.

Heath Bell closed both of those games and was the winning pitcher Sunday, helping give the Padres 11 victories in their final at-bat. Leading the majors with 23 saves, Bell has not given up a run in eight straight appearances but was left off the NL’s All-Star roster.

He still could make the team in Internet voting as one of five candidates for the final roster spot.

“He’s probably the No. 1 guy to go to whenever you need a shut-down inning,” starter Mat Latos told the Padres’ official Web site.

Bell could face another online candidate in this series – Ryan Zimmerman. The reigning Gold Glove Award winner at third base, Zimmerman is batting .320 with runners on base and has scored a team-high 49 runs while driving in 44.

He had a three-run homer among his three hits Sunday in a 9-5 home loss to the New York Mets.

“He is a special player. I think he is a perennial All-Star,” third-base coach Pat Listach told the Nationals’ official website.

Zimmerman is 1 for 5 off Clayton Richard (6-4, 2.74 ERA), who starts Tuesday, and current Nationals players have hit a combined .137 against him. The left-hander held Washington to four hits in seven innings May 29 but allowed four runs in a 5-3 loss.

Richard won his second straight start Wednesday, posting a career-high 10 strikeouts as he held Colorado to two runs in seven innings of a 13-3 win.

While Richard is 3-0 with a 1.33 ERA in his last four outings on the road, counterpart Livan Hernandez (6-4, 2.98) is 4-1 with a 1.75 ERA in nine home starts. Hernandez has tossed seven innings of one-run ball in his last two outings at Nationals Park.

He faced the Padres on May 30, giving up two runs in 6 1-3 innings of a 3-2, 11-inning loss. Hernandez is 0-2 in his last three starts against San Diego, and has a 6.63 ERA in the past 10.

Adrian Gonzalez, the Padres’ lone All-Star, has four homers among his eight hits in 30 at-bats against Hernandez. Gonzalez, though, is hitless in his last 16 at-bats overall.

Matt Capps, Washington’s only All-Star, has 22 saves this year, but is 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in his last eight appearances against the Padres.

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Diamondbacks fire manager Hinch, GM Byrnes

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July 2, 2010

PHOENIX (AP)—The Arizona Diamondbacks fired manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Josh Byrnes on Thursday night in a shakeup at the top of a team cemented in last place in the NL West for the second year in a row.

Diamondbacks bench coach and ex-major league slugger Kirk Gibson will take over as interim manager for a ballclub that was 31-48, 15 games back of San Diego.

Team president Derrick Hall called the dismissals “a first and major step in the re-evaluation of our team.”

The 35-year-old Hinch was promoted May 7, 2009. Despite having no managerial experience at any level, he was moved from the front office to manager following the firing of Bob Melvin. Hinch has two years remaining on his contract after this season.
Hinch is the fourth manager to lose his job this season. Florida’s Fredi Gonzalez, Baltimore’s Dave Trembley and Kansas City’s Trey Hillman have also been fired.

Byrnes, once considered a rising star among young baseball executives, has a whopping 5 1/2 years left on a deal that runs through 2015.

Former major league pitcher Jerry DiPoto, vice president for player development, will take over the GM duties on an interim basis.

In a statement issued Thursday night, Arizona managing partner Ken Kendrick called the firings “a significant decision, but one that we find necessary in order to achieve a direction of winning consistently on the field again.”

The team scheduled a Friday news conference to discuss the move.

Gibson’s name is as recognizable as Hinch’s was obscure, as much as anything for one of baseball’s most dramatic home runs.

He hit .268 with 255 home runs, 870 RBIs and 284 stolen bases in 17 seasons as a major league outfielder with Detroit, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kansas City and Pittsburgh.

He was the Dodgers’ team leader and NL MVP in the 1988 regular season, but injuries to both legs kept him on the bench when the World Series against Oakland began.

In Game 1, barely able to walk, Gibson came to the plate as a pinch hitter in the ninth and hit Dennis Eckersley’s 0-2 pitch into the right field seats of Dodger Stadium to give Los Angeles a 5-4 victory. He limped around the bases, pumping his fist in triumph, as broadcaster Jack Buck uttered his famous “I don’t believe what I just saw!”

Gibson was the Tigers’ bench coach from 2003-2005 and joined Melvin’s staff in the same capacity in 2007.

Byrnes was in his fifth season as general manager after being lured from the Boston Red Sox, where he was assistant to GM Theo Epstein. After the young Diamondbacks finished with the NL’s best record and made it to the NLCS in 2007, Arizona gave him an eight-year extension.

Hinch, who has a degree from Stanford, was vice president for player personnel when he was moved to the manager’s role, even though he had never even been a coach before. At the time, Byrnes touted Hinch’s “organizational advocacy.”

The team stumbled on to a last-place finish in the NL West (70-92), but Hinch confidently said “I like this team” coming out of spring training this year. Quickly, though, the Diamondbacks faded. At one time, they lost 10 in a row, including a franchise-worst 0-9 road trip. When the club returned from that awful journey, Hinch acknowledged, “This group hasn’t responded that well to me.”

Hinch had an 89-123 record in not quite 14 months as Arizona’s fifth manager.

DiPoto had a 27-24 record with 49 saves and a 4.05 ERA in 390 major league appearances in eight seasons with Cleveland, the New York Mets and Colorado. He worked for the Red Sox scouting department for two years before becoming Colorado’s player personnel director in 2005. He joined the Diamondbacks when Byrnes became general manager in 2006 and was in his second season and vice president/player personnel.

The Diamondbacks open a 10-game home stand Friday night with the first of a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The team is on pace to shatter the major league record for strikeouts in the season and its bullpen statistically is one of the worst the game has known.

“We have a number of talented players, obviously see great room for improvement,” Kendrick said. “This franchise has enjoyed tremendous success over the years and we want to get back to our winning ways. The loyal staff of this organization, as well as all of our fans, hopes for and deserves better results on the field.”

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Reunions: Torre and Yanks, Halladay and Jays

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June 26, 2010

The Yankees practically lined up to greet Joe Torre in Los Angeles. Roy Halladay treated his first start against the Blue Jays like any other. Justin and B.J. Upton’s mom didn’t know who to cheer for when her sons faced each other for the first time.

It was reunion night in major league baseball Friday.

The fun continues Saturday, too, when New York Mets ace Johan Santana goes up against his old team, the Minnesota Twins.
“That’s what makes kind of the interleague thing click and makes it fun is that, you know, you get guys like Halladay pitching against the Blue Jays and Johan pitching against the Twins,” Mets third baseman David Wright said. “You know, it makes for interesting story lines. So, I’m excited to go see it.”

Torre and the Yankees were together—if in different dugouts—again. The manager led New York to four World Series titles in 12 years but left after the 2007 season and was hired by the Dodgers.

Yankees captain Derek Jeter stretched at the same time he talked to Torre, who then hugged manager Yankees manager Joe Girardi. Torre hugged catcher Jorge Posada and kissed him on the cheek after chatting up reliever Mariano Rivera and Yankees fan Billy Crystal.

“The thing you realize being around him so much is how he treats people. He treats everyone fairly, he doesn’t treat them all the same, but he treats them fairly,” Jeter said. “He takes the time to get to know people.”

One player who didn’t talk to Torre was Alex Rodriguez, who was portrayed unfavorably in Torre’s 2009 book “The Yankee Years.”

Rodriguez hit a tiebreaking homer in the sixth inning, though, leading the Yankees to a 2-1 victory.

In Philadelphia, Halladay threw seven scoreless innings in his first start against his former team in a 9-0 win. He was wearing a road uniform but the series was moved from Toronto to Philly because of the G20 Summit.

“I did the best I could to take emotions out of it and go out and pitch,” Halladay said. “It’s something you look back on down the road.”

Halladay is glad he got this start out of the way and can spend the next two days catching up with his old teammates.

Halladay won the 2003 AL Cy Young Award and went 148-76 with a 3.43 ERA in 12 seasons with the Blue Jays. The Phillies pursued him aggressively last July, but ended up getting Cliff Lee. They finally acquired Halladay last December in a blockbuster trade hours before sending Lee to Seattle.

Santana had to wait more than two seasons to face the Twins, for whom he pitched from 2000-07 and won two AL Cy Young Awards while helping the Twins capture four division titles.

He had some fun Friday, getting reacquainted with his former teammates at Citi Field. He’ll be much more serious Saturday, though, when he starts for the Mets in the middle game of the interleague series against the Twins.

Edwin Jackson’s no-hitter overshadowed the first meeting between the Upton brothers, Tampa Bay’s B.J. and Arizona’s Justin, who despite being relatively close in age had never competed with or against each other at any level before Friday.

The Uptons have about 65 relatives and friends in town for the series, and their mother, Yvonne, wore a jersey bearing the names and numbers of both above the notation: “my sons.”

Diamondbacks manager A.J. Hinch joked with Justin before the game that he was tempted to post a mock lineup that didn’t include the right fielder.

“I said, ‘Would you have been in here (to protest)?”’ Hinch said. “And he said, `My mother would have been in here.”’

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Baseball Calendar

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June 26, 2010

June 28-30 — New York Mets vs. Florida Marlins at San Juan, Puerto Rico.
    July 13 — All-Star game, Anaheim, Calif.
    July 25 — Hall of Fame inductions, Cooperstown, N.Y.
    July 31 — Last day to trade a player without securing waivers.
    Aug. 16 — Last day to sign selections from 2010 amateur draft who have not exhausted college eligibility.
    Sept. 1 — Active rosters expand to 40 players.
    Oct. 6 — Playoffs begin.
    Oct. 27 — World Series begins.
    November — Free agent filing period, first 15 days after World Series ends.
    Dec. 1 — Last day for teams to offer salary arbitration to their former players who became free agents.
    Dec. 7 — Last day for free agents offered salary arbitration to accept the offers.
    Dec. 6-9 — Winter meetings, Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
    Dec. 12 — Last day for teams to offer 2011 contracts to unsigned players.
2011
    Jan 5-15 — Salary arbitration filing.
    Jan. 18 — Exchange of salary arbitration figures.
    Feb. 1-21 — Salary arbitration hearings.
    Feb. 17 — Voluntary reporting date for pitchers, catchers and injured players.
    Feb. 22 — Voluntary reporting date for other players.
    March 1 — Mandatory reporting date.
    March 2-11 — Teams may renew contracts of unsigned players.
    March 16– Last day to place a player on unconditional release waivers and pay 30 days termination pay instead of 45 days.
    March 30 — Last day to request unconditional release waivers on a player without having to pay his full 2011 salary.
    April 3 — Opening day, active rosters reduced to 25 players.
    July 12 — All-Star game, Phoenix.
    July 31 — Last day to trade a player without securing waivers.
    Aug. 15 — Last day to sign selections from 2011 amateur draft who have not exhausted college eligibility.
    Sept. 1 — Active rosters expand to 40 players.
    Dec. 5-8 — Winter meetings, Dallas.
    Dec. 11 — Collective bargaining agreement expires.
    Dec. 12 — Last day for teams to offer 2011 contracts to unsigned players.

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