The San Francisco Giants issued the following statement regarding the 100-game suspension of pitcher Guillermo Mota for testing positive for a substance in violation of the Major League drug policy.
“The Giants are disappointed to learn of Guillermo Mota’s suspension. We support Major League Baseball’s Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.”
Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman has been named National League Player of the Week for the period of April 30-May 6, 2012. The announcement was made earlier today on MLB Network. In seven games last week, the left-handed hitting slugger hit .367 (11-for-30) while tying for the Major League lead with 23 total bases. His 11 hits tied for first in the National League, while his 10 RBI tied for second and his three home runs tied for third. Freeman hit safely in six of seven games during the week and also ranked among league leaders with a .767 slugging percentage and six runs scored. On Sunday, the 22-year-old went 2-for-4 with two runs, three RBI, a home run and his first career triple as the Braves completed a three-game sweep of Colorado with a 7-2 victory at Coors Field. It marked Freeman’s third multi-hit effort of the week and his third consecutive game with two-or more RBI. On Friday, May 4th, the Southern California native collected a career-high four hits, surpassing his previous best of three (done 16 times). Freeman was 4-for-6 on the day, blasting a home run with a double and two runs scored en route to a 9-8, 11-inning victory over the Rockies. Atlanta’s second round selection in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft currently ranks third in the National League in RBI (26) and is tied for third in runs scored (21). Freddie, who now has two career weekly awards, has collected both of his weekly honors in the last three weeks (also April 16th-22nd).
Other noteworthy performances last week included Freeman’s Atlanta teammate Chipper Jones (.429, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 9 H); Pittsburgh’s Pedro Alvarez (.364, 3 HR, 8 RBI, .773 SLG, .464 OBP, 7 R) and James McDonald (2-0, 2.57 ERA, 17 SO, 14.0 IP); Carlos Beltran (.389, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 7 H, .722 SLG, .476 OBP), Matt Holliday (.391, HR, 6 RBI, 9 H, .481 OBP) and Adam Wainwright (2-0, 3.21 ERA, 13 SO, 14.0 IP) of the St. Louis Cardinals; Colorado’s Carlos Gonzalez (.391, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 9 H, .826 SLG, .500 OBP, 7 R); Houston’s Chris Johnson (.389, 3 HR, 10 RBI, .889 SLG, .421 OBP), Jed Lowrie (.476, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 10 H, .857 SLG, .560 OBP) and Brett Myers (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 SV, 3.0 IP); Philadelphia’s Hunter Pence (.333, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 10 H, 7 R, .733 SLG) and Carlos Ruiz (.333, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 8 H, .667 SLG); and Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton (.333, 4 HR, 6 RBI, 9 H, .852 SLG, .438 OBP) and Ricky Nolasco (2-0, 1.88 ERA, 14.1 IP).
In recognition of his National League Player of the Week Award, Freddie Freeman will be awarded a watch courtesy of Game Time, the leader in licensed sports watches, available at MLB.com.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitcher Jered Weaver, who tossed the first no-hitter of his career on Wednesday and the second in the Majors this season, has been named American League Player of the Week in recognition of his accomplishment for the period ending May 6th. The announcement was made earlier this afternoon on MLB Network.
Weaver, a two-time A.L. All-Star, needed 121 pitches to shut down the Minnesota Twins, 9-0, in the ninth individual no-hitter in Angels history and the 10th overall. It was the first no-no for the Angels since Ervin Santana blanked the Cleveland Indians on July 27, 2011 at Progressive Field, and it was the first gem by an Angels starter at home since Mark Langston and Mike Witt combined to no-hit the Seattle Mariners on April 11, 1990. Incidentally, the Northridge, California native was involved in holding a club hitless once before when Weaver and reliever Jose Arredondo no-hit the Los Angeles Dodgers over eight innings at Dodger Stadium on June 28, 2008, but lost the game 1-0 when Matt Kemp of the Dodgers reached on a fifth-inning error and came around to score on a sacrifice fly. By rule, it is not considered an official no-hitter. Heading into Wednesday’s outing, the 29-year-old had allowed just three runs in his previous three starts, all of which came in his first complete game of the season on April 21st, a 6-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles (9.0 IP, 3R, 5 H, 0 BB, 5 SO). Against Minnesota, the 6’7” right-hander threw 16 first-pitch strikes en route to a season-high nine strikeouts while issuing his lone walk to Josh Willingham in the seventh inning. The Twins’ only other baserunner came in the second when Chris Parmelee reached first base safely on a passed ball following a strikeout. The victory helped the Long Beach State product improve to 4-0 with a 1.61 ERA on the season as he extended his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 17 heading into today’s play. The win also gave the Angels a three-game sweep of the Twins. Combined with teammate Jerome Williams’ sterling pitching performance the night before – a complete-game, three-hit shutout in which Williams didn’t allow a hit in his final six innings of work – the Twins were held hitless for the final 15 innings of the series. This is Jered’s first career Player of the Week honor.
Other noteworthy performances last week included Williams (2-0, 1.15 ERA, 15.2 IP, 1 SHO, 10 SO); Seattle Mariners infielder Kyle Seager (.346, 1 2B, 3 HR, 10 RBI) and starter Felix Hernandez (1-0, 0.56 ERA, 16.0 IP, 18 SO); Cleveland Indians infielders Jason Kipnis (.455, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 2 SB, .909 SLG) and Asdrubal Cabrera (.429, 3 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI); and Toronto Blue Jays right-handers Brandon Morrow (1-0, 0.00 ERA, three-hit SHO at LAA on May 3rd) and Henderson Alvarez (1-0, 0.00 ERA, six-hit SHO at LAA on May 4th). In recognition of his American League Player of the Week Award, Jered Weaver will be awarded a watch courtesy of Game Time, the leader in licensed sports watches, available at MLB.com.
Pitcher Cole Hamels of the Philadelphia Phillies has received a five-game suspension and an undisclosed fine for intentionally throwing a pitch at Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals during the bottom of the first inning of last night’s game at Nationals Park. Joe Garagiola, Jr., Senior Vice President of Standards & On-Field Operations for Major League Baseball, made the announcement.
Unless appealed, Hamels is scheduled to begin serving his suspension tonight, when the Phillies are to host the New York Mets. If appealed, Hamels’ suspension will be held in abeyance until the process is complete.
The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced today that San Francisco Giants pitcher Guillermo Mota has received a 100-game suspension after testing positive for Clenbuterol, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
The suspension of Mota, who received a 50-game suspension for a performance-enhancing substance violation on November 1, 2006, is effective immediately.
Atlanta Braves a tuma e desishon pa manda Jair Jurrjens pa nan ekipo di Tripel A Gwinnett ku e speransa ku Jurrjens lo bolbe bek den e forma eksitoso ku e tabata aña pasa promé ku All-Star game.
“Tabata un desishon hopi difísil pero opviamente no ta e JJ ku nos a mira den pasado,” Fredi Gonzalez manager di Braves a bisa. “ Ma bis’é promé ku e bai, bo no ta e promé hungadó ku ta bai liga menor, regresá bek despues di un kantidat di wega habri pa drecha loke ta robes i logra un karera largu i eksitoso den liga grandi. Ta keda na dje i nos komo organisashon lo hasi tur loke ta posibel pa hañ’é bek i yuda nos gana wega.”
Jurrjens ta plania pa habri e partido di djasabra na Toledo. “Nos trabou ta pa hinka konfiansa bek den dje,” manager di Gwinnett, Dave Brundage a komentá.
Coach di picheo di Gwinnett, Marty Reed, Brundage, Gonzalez i coach di picheo di Braves, Roger McDowell a formulá un plan i e lo ta ekstensivo.
Gonzalez a bisa: “E lo ta grandi, kasi un kambio total. Jurrjens mester hasi tur loke nos pidié pa e pro regresá bek. Konfiansa, forsa den brasa, forsa den pia, entrenamentu físiko, traha riba kondishon, tur kos. E mester hasi lo ke nos pidié.”
Segun Jurrjens no tin èksküs pa su problema nan. “Awor aki, mi no ta e mesun persona ku mi tabata.” Jurrjens a yama esaki un “reality check”. “Si bo ta honesto ku bo mes, mi no tin niun hende pa tira falta riba dje ku no ta mi mes.”
“E ta duru,” Jurrjens a bisa. “Speshalmente ora bo tin un par di aña den liga grandi i tur kos ta mustra fásil anto diripiente bo ta haña kontra tèmpo i ta difísil pa bo saka afó kiko ta pasando.”
E temporada aki Jurrjens a habri 4 partido for di kua e la pèrdè 2 i tabata tin un promedio di kareda pèrmití di 9.37.
Atlanta Braves a tuma e desishon pa manda Jair Jurrjens pa nan ekipo di Tripel A Gwinnett ku e speransa ku Jurrjens lo bolbe bek den e forma eksitoso ku e tabata aña pasa promé ku All-Star game. E mènedjer general di Braves, Frank Wren a bisa: “Nos a baha Jair awe nochi pa e haña un chèns pa traha riba su difikultatnan den Tripel A i ku e speransa ku e lo regresá den bon forma pa yuda nos kompetí. E no tin problema di salú òf leshon, solamente e mester regresá den forma.”
Promé ku risibí e notisia, Jurrjens a bisa: “Mi no ta entrega. Mi ta bai sigui Sali i hasi mi bèst. Ora mi Sali eifó, mi ta purba di hasi mi bèst. Esei ta e úniko kos ku mi por hasi. Awor aki mi no ta e mesun persona ku mi tabata. Lo mi sigui lucha.” E temporada aki Jurrjens a habri 4 partido for di kua e la pèrdè 2 i tabata tin un promedio di kareda pèrmití di 9.37.
Awe e temporada di beisbòl liga grandi ta kuminsá na Merka. E promé wega ta entre Miami Marlins i e kampion nan mundial di aña pasa San Luis Cardinals. Miami Marlins ta batisá nan stadion nobo nobo awe. Tira un bista riba e stadion nobo di Miami Marlins.
Roger Bernadina ta bandoná kampamentu di Washington Nationals na Florida mañan pa por atendé entiero di su tata. Bernadina a informá manager Davey Johnson na kuminsamentu di e siman aki ku e lo tin ku regresá kas pa entiero di su tata. Johnson a bisa Bernadina ku e ta liber pa bai, pero Bernadina tabata ke algun turno na bate den Spring Training. Bernadina lo biaha mañan djaweps pa Kòrsou i lo regresá bek djasabra nèt na tempu pa e wega kontra Cardinals.
Andrelton Simmons a pasa su promé temporada profeshonal lagando hopi ku e impreshon ku e ta e mihó shortstop den liga menor. E hóben shortstop yu di Kòrsou ta lagando hopi boka habri den e kampamentu di Braves den e último siman nan aki.
“E mucha tin tur kos,” segun Chipper Jones, tersera base di Braves. “Ora bo no a hunga ni un dia mas haltu ku klase A i tur hende ku wak bo ta bisa ku bo ta kla pa liga grandi defensivamente, esei ta bisa algu di bo.”
Simmons sigur a hasi un gran impreshon riba hopi kompañero di ekipo, skout nan i miembro nan di prensa ku a mir’é pa promé biaha na spring training. E impreshon aki a trese kuné, ku hopi ta sugeriendo pa Atlanta Braves kambia nan plan di kuminsá e temporada ku Tyler Pastornicky komo shortstop prinsipal i duna Simmons e trabou.
Ora a puntra e coach di bulpen di Braves, Eddie Perez i Chipper Jones pa kompará Simmons ku un otro hungando, mesora tur dos a menshoná Rafael Furcal. Furcal tambe 12 aña pasa a forsa Braves pa promové di klase A pa liga grandi.
Miéntras hopi ta di opinion ku Simmons mester pasa algun tempu mas den liga menor promé ku hasi e pase pa liga grandi, su manager den klase A, Luis Salazar tin otro opinion. Segun Salazar, Simmons ya tin e abilidat pa haña éksito na nivel di liga grandi.
Segun Simmons, “ainda mi tin algun kos di siña. Mi ta purbando di siña mas lihé ku mi por.”