Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • 53

BASEBALL DNESDAY, AUG. 1,2007 7C DETROIT FREE PRESS WWW.FREEP.COM BY THE NUMBERS Standing pat pumps up Zumaya Tigers schedule Home games shaded. sfj-i 'A- -Sir sun ImowI TUE I WED THU FRI I SAT 30 31 1 2 3 i LAA Det. Oak. CWS CWS 13, 5, inc.

3:35 7:05 7:05 DeUOakJ FSN FSN FSN 6 7 10 11 CWS T.B. T.B. T.B. T.B. Oak.

Oak. 1:05 7:05 7:05 7:05 1:05 7:05 7:05 Ch. 2 FSN FSN FSN FSN FSN FSN 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Oak. Oak. Cle.

Cle. NYY NYY NYY 1:05 7:05 7:05 7:05 7:05 7:05 3:55 Ch. 2 FSN FSN FSN FSN FSN Fox ELAINE THOMPSONAssociated Press rehab assignment soon. "We don't have a lot of needs," Dombrowski said after he didn't make any deals leading up to the deadline. "We have a good club.

And we're in a position where Rodney is one more outing away from joining us. Zumaya feels great. "I think perhaps if we didn't feel we were going to get them back, there might have come a time where you just said, 'I don't like this move at all, but we've got to do it because this looks like a hole for us that we don't have a chance to But I don't feel that way at this point." Dombrowski also said he hopes leftfielderfirst baseman Marcus Thames and left-hander Kenny Rogers will be back next week from the 15-day disabled list. "So we could get a major influx of reinforcements," Dom-. browski said.

RECORD MAN: Tigers second baseman Placido Polanco set a record Tuesday night that reflects his steadiness. Polanco, who hadn't made an error in more than a year, A chance is any fielding play in which a player, in the official scorer's judgment, has an opportunity to record a putout or to field the ball and make a throw that should result in an out (not counting a wild throw on a potential double plays or an infield hit, unless a runner gets an extra base on the wild throw). Polanco also is closing in on Castillo's major league record of 143 straight games without an error at second base. Polanco was at 133 entering Tuesday. MORE MILESTONES: Another milestone was reached by a Tiger on Tuesday night.

Gary Sheffield singled off Dan Haren in the third inning for his hit. He is the 85th player in major league history to get that many. Tigers catcher Pudge Rodriguez is 47 hits shy of 2,500. But he didn't add to his hit total Tuesday night; he dropped his appeal and served his one-game suspension from Major League Baseball for an argument in which he made contact with umpire Mike Winters a few weeks ago in Seattle. 8 Teams Seattle Mariners right-hander Miguel Batista has pitched for in his 13-year career.

16 Round in which right-hander Jordan Tata was drafted by the Tigers in 2003. broke the major league record for consecutive errorless fielding chances by a second baseman. The record belonged to Luis Castillo, the pending free agent traded Monday from the Twins to the Mets. Castillo this season finished a streak in which he went 646 chances without an error. When Polanco was the pivot man on a first-inning double play Tuesday night against Oakland, he recorded the two chances (the putout at second and the throw to first) that allowed him to tie and pass Castillo.

Pen-rich Bosox add Gagiie; Dotel a Brave Standing pat risky for Tigers Reliever takes it as a compliment TIGERS CORNER By JOHN LOWE FREE PKESS SPORTS WRITER OAKLAND, Calif. Joel Zumaya, who has been out nearly three months following finger surgery, takes it as a compliment that the Tigers didn't acquire a reliever in the hours or days before Tuesday's trading deadline. "Absolutely," Zumaya said. "That tells you that our general manager and our skipper believe that Rodney and I are going to be able come back and be healthy enough to compete and help this team again and take some weight off our bullpen." Fernando Rodney made the third appearance of his rehabilitation assignment Tuesday at Triple-A Toledo. If Rodney feels good in his scheduled appearance tonight, he could rejoin the Tigers as early as Friday, president and general manager Dave Dombrowski said.

Zumaya hopes to begin a MOROSI I From Page 1C pen ERA in baseball entering Tuesday, added arguably the best reliever available, Texas closer Eric Gagne. Tigers presidentgeneral manager Dave Dombrowski said Tuesday night that Gagne would not have waived his no-trade rights in a deal with the Tigers unless they planned to make him their closer. "That's what they told us," Dombrowski said of Gagne, a Scott Boras client. "It sounds like Boston was very creative." Dombrowski said he made an offer for Kansas City closer Octavio Dotel. Royals GM Dayton Moore, however, opted to accept Atlanta's bid of righthander Kyle Davies.

Moore's background in the Braves organization appeared to be a factor in the decision. "It became a real simple situation," Dombrowski said. "They knew that player. Dayton Moore used to be with the Atlanta organization, so he had the advantage of knowing he personally liked some guys. We were prepared to give up a quality player talent-wise, we think, who might have been better (than Davies).

That's why it takes two to make a deal. "Dayton Moore, in conversations I've had with him during this period, has been as straightforward as you can be." When asked if he was happy Dotel joined a club outside the division, Dombrowski said, "Sure. I wish everybody gets traded out of our division. "The only club in our league that jumped up and made a big trade was Boston with Gagne." 7, Seattle's Miguel Batista pitched seven innings to win his 11th game Monday night -tying a career high in a 2-0 victory over the Angels, who were fresh off a three-game sweep of the Tigers in which they scored 34 runs. 175 At-bats between home runs for Devil Rays leftfielder Carl Crawford, who homered Monday.

8198 Tony Clark homered from both sides of the plate as the Tigers beat Tampa Bay, 8-0. Davies was 4-8 with a 5.76 ERA. BALTIMORE: Dave Trembley, named interim manager after Sam Perlozzo was fired June 18, will stay as manager at least through the rest of this sea- son. The O's were 29-40 when Perlozzo was fired. They are 21-15 for Trembley.

BOSTON: Right-hander Brendan Don- nelly will have season-ending surgery to replace a tendon in his pitching elbow. Donnelly, out since June 17, was 2-1 with a 3.05 ERA in 27 games. N.Y. YANKEES: Right-hander Scott Proctor was traded to the Dodgers for infielder Wilson Betemit, who hit .231 with 10 homers and 26 RBIs. Proctor was 2-5 with a 3.81 ERA in 52 games.

PHILADELPHIA: Right-hander Julio Mateo was acquired from Seattle for Double-A Reading infielder Jesus Merchan. Mateo hasn't pitched in the majors since May, when he was 1-0 with a 3.75 ERA in nine games. He was suspended by the Mariners after a May 5 arrest for allegedly assaulting his wife. Merchan hit .330 with seven homers and 44 RBIs in 81 games. Former Tigers right-hander Gary Knotts was called up from Newark of the independent Atlantic League, where he was 7-S with a 7 65 FRA in 16 starts Knotts.

30. was 13-16 with a 5.45 ERA for the Marlins and Tigers in 2001-04. PITTSBURGH: Right-hander Matt Morris was acquired from San Francis- wiui iuumc vuuiciueri tavia anu a player to be named. Morris, who will be 33 on Aug. 9, was 7-7 with a 4.35 ERA.

Davis is hitting .271 with no homers and two RBIs in 24 games. SAN DIEGO: The Padres acquired infielder Morgan Ensberg from Houston, outfielder-infielder Rob Mackowiak from the White Sox and former Tigers left-hander Wil Ledezma from Atlanta. The Astros got a player to be named for Ensberg; the White Sox got pitcher Jon Link; and the Braves dealt Ledezma and minor league pitcher Will Startup for reliever Royce Ring. Ensberg was hitting .232 with eight homers and 31 RBIs. Mackowiak hit .278 with six home runs and 36 RBIs.

Link was 2-1 with 13 saves and a 3.07 ERA at Class A Lake Elsinore. Ledezma was 0-2 with a 7.71 ERA in 12 games and designated for assignment Sunday. Ring was 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA. Batting coach Merv Rettenmund, a Flint native and Tigers batting coach in 2002, was fired. Wally Joyner, a special instructor in spring training, is the new batting coach.

ST. LOUIS: Right-hander Joel Pineiro was acquired from Boston for a minor league player to be named. More transactions, 4C. to Ransers mer team for the visiting Blue Jays. Litsch (4-4) has allowed one earned run or less in four of five starts since being recalled from Triple-A.

NEW YORK 16, CHICAGO 3: On a night the host Yankees tied a franchise record by hitting eight home runs in a rout of the White Sox, Alex Rodriguez had none. Instead, he stayed stuck at 499 after going 0-for-5 and extending his hitless streak to 0-for-16. Hideki Matsui homered twice, and Jorge Posada, Bobby Abreu, Melky Cabrera, Johnny Damon and Robinson Cano hit one apiece for New York, which pulled within three games of Cleveland, the AL wild-card leader. MINNESOTA KANSAS CITY 3: Torii Hunter homered and Carlos Silva (9-11) cruised through eight innings as the host Twins won their fourth straight. Hunter's homer, his 22nd, led off the second against Jorge De La Rosa (8-11).

Three hits and two errors later, the Twins had a 4-0 lead. BALTIMORE 5, BOSTON 3: Erik Bedard (11-4) allowed two hits over six innings in winning his seventh straight decision for the visiting Orioles, who -have won six of their last seven. David Ortiz hit a two-run homer in the third that accounted for the only runs off and a solo shot in the eighth that made it 5-3. Brian Roberts homered on the first pitch from Josh Beckett (13-5) and added an RBI double in the Orioles' three-run third. Beckett allowed five runs, nine hits and two walks, striking out six in losing consecutive starts for the first tirre this year.

FRANK FRANKLIN llAssociated Press The Tigers were unable to pluck shortstop Jack Wilson from Wilson is owed more than $14 million after this year, a barrier to a deal. AROUND THE HORN FREE PRESS NEWS SERVICES CLEVELAND Eric Gagne, pitching like his old self after two elbow operations and back surgery, was acquired by the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday from the Texas Rangers. Gagne, a right-hander, waived a no-trade clause to join a bullpen with two All-Stars: right-handed closer Jonathan Papelbon and left-handed setup man Hideki Okajima. Gagne will be Papelbon's top setup man and will close when Papelbon needs a day off. Boston's bullpen has a 2.74 ERA best in the majors.

The Red Sox sent left-hander Kason Gabbard and minor league outfielders David Murphy and Engel Beltre to Texas. After eight years in Los Angeles, Gagne signed a one-year contract with Texas, going 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA and 16 saves. Gagne, 31, is a three-time All-Star and won the National League Cy Young Award in 2003 when he notched 55 saves. He had 45 saves in 2004 but was limited to 14 in 2005 because of elbow problems that eventually needed surgery. He pitched in two games last year as he tried to come back from another elbow operation as well as surgery for a herniated disk.

In 2002-04, Gagne set a ma jor league record by converting 84 consecutive saves. Gabbard went 4-0 with a 3.73 ERA, taking Curt Schilling's spot in the rotation while the right-hander was on the DL. Murphy batted .280 with nine homers and 47 RBIs at Triple-A Pawtucket. Beltre hit .215 with five homers and 13 RBIs for the Gulf Coast Red Sox. ATLANTA: Right-hander Octavio Dotel was acquired from Kansas City for right-hander Kyle Davies.

Dotel was 2-1 with a 3.91 tKA and 11 saves. Indians fall AMERICAN LEAGUE I HI I PRESS NEWS SERVICES CLEVELAND Brandon McCarthy won for the first time in more than two months, beating 13-game winner Fausto Car-mona and leading the Texas Rangers to a 3-1 victory Tues day night over the Indians. McCarthy (5-7) had been winless since May 27, with three losses and four no-decisions. But the right-hander, who made just one start in June and went on the disabled list because of a blister on his middle finger, baffled the Indians and took a shutout into the seventh before Ryan Garko homered. Carmona (13-5) was unbeat en in five July starts and was bidding to become the majors' second pitcher with 14 wins.

He allowed three runs two earned and five hits in seven innings. Nelson Cruz homered for the Rangers. TORONTO TAMPA BAY 0: Former Tampa Bay bat boy Jesse Lltsch threw 62-3 shutout innings against his for A chance to address both of the Tigers' primary needs an infielder and a veteran reliever came and went when talks with Pittsburgh failed to produce a deal for shortstop Jack Wilson and Shawn Chacon, Da-maso Marte or Salomon Torres. Wilson is owed more than $14 million after this season, likely the biggest barrier to completing a deal Tuesday. His gers first baseman Sean Casey, who played with Wilson while with the Pirates last year, called him to discuss the possibility.

(Dombrowski, however, declined to acknowledge that talks had taken place.) "It would excite anybody," Wilson told the Post-Gazette, when asked about the Tigers' interest. "Obviously, I signed on here to be a Pirate, and that's something I hold dear. But when your name is being discussed to go to a contender, you can't help but be a little ex cited. Dombrowski acknowledged that, in light of injuries at the upper minor leagues, infield depth has become a concern. The Tigers asked Houston about shortstop Eric Bruntlett, and made two separate offers first Jason Grilli, and then pitching prospect Dallas Trah- ern in an attempt to acquire Triple-A shortstop Clint Barmes from Colorado.

The Tigers must now hope that shortstop Carlos Guillen, nagged by injuries all year, will remain healthy. The Tigers best defensive shortstop in the minor leagues, Ramon Santiago, likely will be out at least two more weeks because of a broken finger. Dombrowski said he would be willing to call up Michael Hollimon from Double-A Erie in the event of an injury at the major league level. Contact JON PAUL MOROSI at 313-223-4097 or Check out his Tigers Hog at www.freep.comsports. John Lowe contributed.

expires gers were justified in suggesting that Rangers management immediately submit a urine sample for inspection. But it's difficult imaging that a package including a second- or third-tier quality prospect possibly highly regarded center-fielder Gorkys Hernandez wouldn't have enticed the Rangers. Problem is, Gagne didn't want to come here. The Tigers' success has garnered more national attention. They're becoming regular fixtures on national games of the week.

They had five Ail-Star representatives. Mike Hitch has laid to rest any notions that the quarters in his pocket possess the weight of manhole covers. Yet the Tigers remain a tough sales pitch when you're competing against the lure of the Yankees-Red Sox universe. There wasn't much distinguishing the Tigers from the Red Sox before Tuesday's deadline. Flip a coin and there's your favorite in a bestof-seven series.

But Gagne is a difference-maker. One who got away. Contact DREW SHARP at 313-223-4(Kio or dihurp afreepressxvm. SHARP I No deals as salary might enable him to clear waivers this month, raising the possibility the Tigers could acquire him before the Aug. 31 deadline to set postseason rosters although one executive with knowledge of the talks said that was not like- Wilson seemed genuinely excited at the prospect of joining the Tigers, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Ti deadline EVERY PITCHER HAS HIS PRICE: Surprise! Eric Gagne is going from Texas to Boston and not as the Red Sox's closer. The now-former Rangers reliever told potential suitors he wasn't interested in becoming a setup man, but Boston found a way to get it done, improving its chances of winning the American League pennant. change the way he grips the ball, making his return as much a mental obstacle as a physical one. But the Tigers will take their chances. They feel there was no cause for panic.

There was rampant speculation that the Rangers insisted that Cameron Maybin be part of any package involving Gagne and, if that's accurate, the Ti From Page 1C to win the American League pennant, leaving the Tigers with fingers crossed that a healthy Fernando Rodney and Joel Zumaya will prove to be bigger acquisitions than anything consummated before Tuesday's 4 p.m. deadline. It may prove to be the correct gamble, but Gagne's decision to accept a lesser role with the Red Sox only further affirmed that New York and Boston remain the axis on which the baseball world revolves. If it doesn't happen there, there's no interest anywhere. Despite the Tigers' extraordinary competitive and financial advances over the last year, the gravitational pull still isn't here.

The Tigers will ha ve a payroll for 2008 that will rank among the top 25 in baseball. They're playing before regular sellouts at Comerica Park, yet their margin for error remains significantly smaller than it is for the Yankees and Red Sox. The Tigers' inactivity was more than a little disappointing because it's no longer about merely making the playoffs here. It's about winning the TONY GUTIERREZAssociated Press World Series. The addition of Gagne to a Red Sox bullpen that already included two All-Stars provides Boston with an end-of-game dominance that made the Tigers so effective last year in the playoffs, pretty much reducing the game to seven innings.

Rodney seems ready to return perhaps as early as this weekend but the Tigers can't count on Zumaya, who must.