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Ex-Stripper Says She Spent Two Nights With Alex Rodriguez

A former Boston stripper has come forward saying she slept with Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez twice in 2004 — and that Cynthia Rodriguez “did the right thing” by filing for divorce.

“A leopard doesn’t change his spots,” Candice Houlihan told Boston Herald. “Good for her. I think she’s doing the smart thing. And she’ll probably get tons of cash.”

Houlihan, 31, says she shared two nights with A-Rod while he was on the road in 2004 after she met him during a Yankee-Red Sox clash at Fenway Park in July of that year.

“He introduced himself, asked me who I was, and if I wanted to meet up for drinks later. I was like, ‘Hell, yeah!’”

Then she and A-Rod, 32, went back to his suite at the Ritz Carlton hotel and had sex, she says.

Houlihan, a source told the paper, felt guilty when she found out Cynthia Rodriguez, 35, was pregnant with the couple’s first child.

“She realized his wife was having a baby, so that put a damper on any thoughts she had,” the source said.

But they got together again three months later, according to Houlihan.

Meanwhile, Us Weekly reports that A-Rod has been “in love” with Madonna since at least January.

At dinner with a friend in Miami that month, the Yankees third baseman “began tittering like a smitten schoolboy” over text messages with a woman, according to Us.

“He kept smiling, acting as if he was a little kid,” A-Rod’s friend reportedly told Us. “He told me it was Madonna. I was shocked.”

“He proceeded to say he was in love with her, but I thought he was kidding,” the friend said. “But he wasn’t.”

In February, the friend said, A-Rod told him, “She’s my f—ing soulmate, dude!”

Madonna denies having an affair with Rodriguez, and insists her own marriage to British director Guy Ritchie is not on the verge of ending, despite reports they both have consulted divorce lawyers.

In divorce papers filed Monday in Miami-Dade County Family Court, Cynthia accused A-Rod of “extramarital affairs” and called their six-year marriage “irretrievably broken.”

Cynthia did not name names in her six-page petition. Her lead lawyer, Earle Lilly, denied speculation that Rodriguez had a sexual relationship with Madonna, 49, calling it “an affair of the heart.”

It wasn’t “sexual infidelity,” Lilly told People.com.

Cynthia and A-Rod have been married for more than five years. She has asked for primary custody of their two children — Nathasha Alexander, 3, and 2-month-old Ella Alexander — as well as child support and alimony.

Rodriguez is in the first season of a $275 million, 10-year contract with the Yankees, a deal that allows him to earn up to $305 million. He made $185.45 million from 2001-7 from his contract with the Texas Rangers and Yankees.

Church’s Status, and His Ailment, Remain in Question

The Mets faced the sobering possibility Monday that outfielder Ryan Church, one of their key players, may miss an extended period of time. Church returned to New York late Sunday night and underwent neurological testing Monday afternoon to determine whether his recent episodes of dizziness and nausea were related to postconcussion syndrome or to the migraines that he said he had experienced for years.

General Manager Omar Minaya declined to comment on whether Church’s condition had worsened over the last day. He added that he was hopeful Church would not need to be placed on the disabled list for the second time in a month.

“You make the decision by how he’s feeling,” Minaya said Monday, before the Mets went over .500 (45-44) for the first time in more than a month with a 10-9 victory against the first-place Phillies. “If the doctor says that the symptoms are normal symptoms, which is what we’ve been told so far, we will continue to allow him to play if he feels well. If they’re not normal symptoms, then we’ll have to make a decision whether we wait around or we D.L. him.”

Church was examined in Manhattan by a concussion specialist at the Hospital for Special Surgery, the team’s medical provider. He had a magnetic resonance imaging test of the brain and the neck, and the results were negative. His status is day to day.

Six days after being activated from a 23-day stay on the disabled list, Church left Saturday’s game in the eighth inning with what he called normal symptoms of a migraine: intense pain down the right side of his face, throbbing behind his eyes and dizziness. He and the team’s head trainer, Ray Ramirez, consulted with one of his New York-based neurologists, who Church said assured him that those symptoms were not related to his previous two concussions.

“Based on the information we have so far, they are more migraine-related,” said Minaya, who added that he received that information either Saturday night or Sunday morning.

Before Sunday’s game, Church said he felt nauseated and sensitive to light, which are common recurring symptoms for migraines and postconcussion syndrome, and he did not improve over the course of the day. Citing team policy, the Mets have refused to disclose the names of the neurologists who have treated Church or permit reporters to speak with them.

“It’s one of those areas that you have to trust the medical experts,” Minaya said. “All the tests that are being done, CT scans, all that stuff, have come out great.”

This is the third instance since Church sustained his second concussion in less than three months, on May 20 in Atlanta, that he has told the Mets and reporters that he did not feel well. The first time, which came immediately afterward, in Denver, Church acknowledged his “killer” headache, and compared the sensation to being on a fishing boat in the Bering Sea. Last month in San Diego, Church said he felt “a heartbeat in my head” and complained of fatigue. When the Mets returned to New York, they placed him on the disabled list. Church said he was told that his prior concussions could trigger the onset of a migraine, but it remained unclear how closely the two are related.

After being removed from Saturday’s game, Church told reporters that he started getting migraines in his freshman year of high school. Minaya, who was the general manager in Montreal when Church played there in 2004, said he remembered Church having migraines. But Brian Schneider, in his fifth season as Church’s teammate, said he could not recall his complaining of migraines or leaving any games because of them.

The Mets were roundly criticized by medical experts for letting Church play within 48 hours of sustaining his second concussion, and the team has since acknowledged that it erred by exposing him to the pressurized air in an airplane and the high altitude in Denver. Since then, however, they have been more cautious in their approach, reviewing their protocol for handling concussions and not leaning on Church when deciding whether he would play.

“We took it out of his hands,” Minaya said.

Before Friday’s game, Church said that he felt fatigued and that he “welcomed” getting a day off after playing five consecutive games. On some level, the Mets have had to rely on his honesty in telling them how he has been feeling, and it is possible that, as he has acknowledged in the past, he felt obligated not to let down the team.

While the Mets await word on Church, they are no closer to getting back another injury-plagued outfielder, Moises Alou. Minaya said Alou may continue his minor league rehabilitation sometime this week. Minaya acknowledged that Alou, after playing in his only game in Florida last Tuesday, felt soreness in his left calf that impeded his progress.

With three weeks until the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline, Minaya said he would continue to evaluate whether he needed to add another outfielder. He ruled out Barry Bonds, who remains unsigned, and said he was hopeful that Alou and Church would return soon.

“If that changes, then you have to start re-evaluating and look at the market a little more aggressive than we have been looking at it,” Minaya said.

Pirates slug way past Astros

Pittsburgh lineup makes up for Dumatrait’s tough startLuckily for the Pirates, hitting is contagious, but pitching is not.

On a night when starter Phil Dumatrait gave up seven runs in 3 1/3 innings, the Pittsburgh offense pummeled Houston for 14 hits on its way to a 10-7 win at PNC Park on Monday.

Dumatrait, who was making his first start since June 19, was given a rude welcome by the Astros, who capitalized on several of his high pitches and missed spots.

Pirates manager John Russell said the lefty’s outing was due purely to rust, while Dumatrait said it couldn’t “get much worse.”

“I think he was trying to make things happen, rather than just pitch a little bit,” Russell said. “It affected his offspeed pitches, especially. I thought he was jumping toward the plate too much.”

Dumatrait gave up three runs in the first on Carlos Lee’s two-run blast to right field and Ty Wigginton’s RBI single.

Dumatrait shut down the Astros the next two innings before things got ugly again. Wigginton, a former Pirate, led off the fourth inning with a double, and he scored when Dumatrait misplayed Runelvys Hernandez’s bunt along the third-base line.

Lance Berkman then laced an RBI double to the left-field wall to score Darin Erstad. That play brought Russell out of the dugout. The Pittsburgh skipper pulled Dumatrait after 72 pitches, including 38 strikes.

“My arm felt good,” said Dumatrait, who was activated from the disabled list on Monday after suffering bursitis in his left shoulder. “I just didn’t get the job done tonight. It’s been 17 or 18 days, but I’m not going to make any excuses. I elevated everything and I got behind every guy. Obviously at this level you can’t do that.”

However, the Bucs offense had Dumatrait’s back each time the lefty had a tough inning. Pittsburgh answered Houston’s three first-inning runs with four of its own. All four were scored with two outs.

Xavier Nady, Adam LaRoche and Doug Mientkiewicz each had an RBI single, tying the game at 3. Then, with runners on first and third, Dumatrait helped his own cause with a bloop single. It was the pitcher’s first Major League hit and RBI.

Nate McLouth added a homer, and Nady connected on an RBI double to make the score 6-3 in the second.

When Dumatrait was taken out in the fourth, it could have gotten a lot worse for the Pirates, but reliever Denny Bautista settled things down.

The right-hander’s 2 2/3 scoreless innings were just the start to a near flawless performance from Pittsburgh’s bullpen. Bautista, Tyler Yates and Damaso Marte didn’t allow the Astros another hit, making the Pirates’ four-run fourth inning stand as the deciding factor.

“You couldn’t have asked for anything more,” said catcher Ryan Doumit, who gave the Pirates the lead for good at 8-7 in the fourth with his 11th home run of the season. Then Bautista, like Dumatrait, connected on his first career hit and RBI to put the Pirates up by two runs. Jack Wilson added an RBI single to close out the scoring.

“Both of them came in very big situations where you’re not really expecting it, but when we got it, it was really a big help for us,” Russell said of the singles from his pitchers.

Every Pirates batter, except pinch-hitter Jason Michaels, collected at least one hit. The offensive outburst gave Pittsburgh a much-needed win after a three-game sweep in Milwaukee this past weekend. The win also flip-flopped the Pirates and Astros in the bottom of the National League Central standings.

“After having a tough last three games and to come back and jump on the board and score some runs [was very good],” Russell said. “Guys just kept staying aggressive and driving in runs. Coming home, we knew this was going to be a big homestand for us. We got the first one out of the gate. We need to continue to push.”

Jimenez solid as Colorado wins on road

After watching a four-run lead almost disappear, manager Clint Hurdle was able to breathe a sigh of relief at the end.

A tremendous start by Ubaldo Jimenez, a steady effort from his offense and one very good inning from his closer gave Hurdle and the Rockies a 4-3 win on Monday night as they opened a four-game series against the Brewers at Miller Park.

“It was great, it was my first [road] win,” Jimenez said. “And it’s not only about me, the team won. We lost yesterday and we started with a good one tonight, we won.”

Jimenez, who has struggled mightily on the road this season, had a great outing in Milwaukee. The right-hander baffled the Brewers for seven scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and striking out seven.

He struggled with his control early on, walking four batters in the first two innings, but worked quickly and was able to keep his pitch count down the rest of the way. He faced just 16 batters to get 15 outs in his last five innings of work.

“[Jimenez] was very efficient three through seven,” Hurdle said. “Four walks in the first two innings, got himself in some jams but was able to get out of them. He settled down, he made pitches and used all of his pitches.”

Jimenez improved to 4-8 on the season and his ERA dropped to 4.21 with the performance. Seth McClung (5-4) struggled with his control and picked up the loss for the Brewers, allowing two runs on three hits and five walks over 4 2/3 innings.

“[Jimenez] was good. He fell behind, but he made pitches,” Brewers manager Ned Yost said. “When he’s in the strike zone, he’s going to do well. When he’s not, he’s going to get kind of like Seth did [on Monday].”

Jimenez faced the minimum three batters in four of his seven innings of work, even if he did it a little unconventionally. He allowed a single to Ryan Braun in the third inning and another to Corey Hart in the fourth, but was able to pick both off at first base.

“I was surprised when I got them,” Jimenez said. “That was my first pickoff. We’ve been working on that since I signed and tonight I got two. Probably [my first] since Double-A.”

“He threw a pretty good ballgame,” Hart said. “It didn’t help that we got picked off, but even with that, we didn’t have many baserunners. They were able to get the timely hits and got a pretty good lead.”

Colorado’s offense was never able to break through and put a crooked number up on the scoreboard, but it did manage to get just enough runs for the win.

The Rockies scored single runs in four straight innings. In each of the fourth and fifth innings, they managed to score against McClung, and the club kept it going in the sixth and seventh against Milwaukee reliever Carlos Villanueva.

“That’s the way the game is,” Hurdle said. “When you have opportunities [to score] you’d like to cash in, but you don’t always cash in. That has been one of the areas that has caused us some problems this year.

“But we had four straight innings with a run and went into the eighth inning with a four-run lead.”

The Brewers threatened in the eighth inning, roughing up Rockies reliever Taylor Buchholz following a couple of defensive miscues.

Joe Koshansky, who is filling in for injured Gold Glove first baseman Todd Helton, made an error that allowed the leadoff batter to get on, and then a pop fly by Craig Counsell dropped on the infield at the feet of three Colorado defenders.

“We just need to catch the ball,” Hurdle said. “That’s poor defense that really should not happen at this level, somebody needs to take charge on the play. It really wasn’t an issue of [Buchholz] pitching that bad tonight. The first two guys got on and they shouldn’t be on base.

“He had balls that should have been outs.”

After the first two runners of the inning reached base and Buchholz induced a double play that scored a run, Prince Fielder smashed a two-run homer to make the score 4-3.

“He would have liked to have put Fielder away and give up one, but he’s our guy and he deserved to face him. He’ll be alright,” Hurdle said.

The Rockies managed to kill the Brewers’ momentum as Manny Corpas came in to get the last out of the eighth inning and Brian Fuentes worked a perfect ninth to record his 14th save of the season.

“That’s as good a save as [Fuentes] has had all year,” Hurdle said. “It’s a tight situation, the game is swinging a little bit, and he’s able to come in and get three up, three down.

“We were able to add some drama to it and keep everybody in the ballpark,” he said with a chuckle.

Matt Holliday hit his 14th home run of the season in the seventh inning to wrap up the scoring for Colorado. He led the offense, reaching base three times, with two hits and two RBIs.

The All-Star extended his hitting streak to 11 games and is now batting .345 with 14 home runs and a whopping .426 on-base percentage on the season.

“I think he’s in as good a place as we’ve seen him in a long time,” Hurdle said. “He’s getting such better reads. He’s working good counts, seeing the ball so much better and using the whole field.

“It is fun watching him hit right now, he’s a very confident hitter.”

Utley latest Phillie to compete in Derby

One of the more enjoyable moments from Chase Utley’s first All-Star appearance in 2006 was him videotaping Ryan Howard’s long drives out of PNC Park.

Hopefully for Utley, who will participate in the 2008 State Farm Home Run Derby on July 14 at Yankee Stadium, he learned something from the big guy. Utley, however, readily admits he doesn’t consider himself a home run hitter, despite his Major League-leading 25 home runs.

“I have my work cut out for me,” said Utley, acknowledging that he never imagined himself in this type of competition. “I was in one in [Class] A ball, in the Florida State League, and that didn’t go so well. Nobody hit any home runs. Everybody was shut out, and the guys that advanced were the guys that had the league lead at the time.”

That likely won’t be the case this time, as confirmed participants Lance Berkman, Grady Sizemore, Josh Hamilton, Dan Uggla and Utley have quite a few home runs on their ledger. Utley likened the competition to a round of batting practice, and maintained his focus will be on hitting line drives.

He’ll bring catching instructor Mick Billmeyer with him to Yankee Stadium. Billmeyer threw to Jim Thome in Houston in ‘04, and the excited slugger didn’t get out of the first round.

Bobby Abreu and Ryan Howard won back-to-back titles in ‘05 and ‘06, respectively, and Howard returned in ‘07, but didn’t advance out of Round 1. Utley will give the Phillies five straight years with a Derby participant.

“Hit ‘em hard and hit ‘em far,” Howard said, with a laugh. “I’ll give him the rundown of what to do. I remember Lance Berkman told us not to swing at every pitch, then went out there and swung at the first four or five. I’m going to tell Chase to get in a rhythm. Don’t swing at every pitch, because you’ll get tired quick.

“You get as much time as you need. Just get a good rhythm and if it’s not a long ball, step out and regroup. Grab a Gatorade or whatever. I think he’ll be fine. There’s a short porch out there to right. Lefties have the advantage.”

Billmeyer agreed. Thome tired quickly after taking extra batting practice before the Derby, and swung at every pitch Billmeyer threw.

The key for Utley will be to think of it as a line-drive contest. In that case, he’ll win if he does.

“He’s like an assassin,” said Billmeyer, who joked that he’ll throw nothing but “splits and sinkers” to Utley. “He just stays through the middle of the field. He never tries to take one out in BP. Later this week he might try. He’s going to try to win it, but he doesn’t want a bagel.”

Utley’s compact, short stroke is perfect for Citizens Bank Park, and he often peppers line-drive homers to right-center field. Twice this season, he’s homered in five straight games, so he’s been streaky, too.

“Chase is a good line drive hitter,” manager Charlie Manuel said. “When he hits home runs is when he’s going though streaks where he’s getting the ball in the air. He hits home runs by hitting the baseball correctly and being a smart hitter.

“I’m not surprised he’s leading the league. He’s kind of slacking off. He hasn’t kept the pace up he was on. The Derby is kind of compliment to him.”

Howard reminded Utley of the most important thing.

“Enjoy yourself,” Howard said. “That’s what it’s there for. Just to go out and have fun. Hit some home runs. Nobody wants to go out there and put up the goose egg. Once you get the first one, you start to get into that rhythm and you’re good to go. Everything is downhill from there.”

If nothing else, he’ll be prepared. A voracious connoisseur of video of opposing pitchers, Utley was asked if he would study Billmeyer’s motion.

“He throws a lot of fastballs,” Utley said.

“I make a pretty good batter’s eye for him,” Billmeyer said, patting his broad chest.

Justin Masterson off to become reliever

The last time Justin Masterson pitched in relief, he salvaged a local college star’s dream. Now the Red Sox rookie will be out to help build back up a bullpen.

Manager Terry Francona confirmed yesterday that Masterson was being sent down to Triple-A Pawtucket in order to integrate in a new role, as a reliever. For the 24-year-old right-hander who posted a 4-3 record with a 3.67 ERA in nine major league starts this season, it will be the first time he has worked out of the bullpen since serving as the closer for the Cape Cod League’s Wareham Gatemen in the summer of 2005.

“He just dominated,” said former Babson College catcher Teddy Dziuba, who played against Masterson while with the Bourne Braves. “He was electric. Back then you couldn’t touch the kid.”

Yesterday’s announcement, which included the promotion of outfielder/first baseman Jeff Bailey from the PawSox, paves the way for the return of Clay Buchholz to the big league rotation. Masterson will pitch in relief in the International League tomorrow, Friday and Sunday before being re-evaluated at the All-Star break.

“In my mind I had thought about it,” said Masterson, who was informed of the move upon arrival at Fenway Park [map] prior to last night’s 1-0 Red Sox win in the homestand opener against the Minnesota Twins. “I was thinking maybe I would go down, keep starting and come back and maybe get another spot start. And maybe when we get to later in the season go to the bullpen.

“In my head I know we have a lot of good starters, so something is going to happen and I have to go somewhere. What it was I wasn’t sure. So when they brought me in it wasn’t like, ‘Oh, no!’ It was an opportunity. It was my chance to stick and help out any way I can help out.”

In his previous stint as reliever, Masterson not only was named to the Cape Cod League All-Star team, but only blew one save all summer.

As it turned out, the time Masterson struggled in was the final one of Dziuba’s 10-game contract. Dziuba’s homer off Masterson was the only one he surrendered all summer, and the catcher stuck around for not only the rest of that summer but all of the next, ultimately leading to him getting drafted by the New York Mets.

“Everybody has their moment of glory, and that was mine,” Dziuba said. “My bags were packed. I was heading home for my fiancee’s birthday, and the rest was history. A career was born.”

Masterson’s career path still appears to be trending toward that of a starter. Along with not giving up more than four runs while lasting at least six innings in all but one of his big league starts, Masterson showed an improved ability to get out left-handed hitters, previously thought to be his biggest struggle.

Lefty hitters managed just a .238 batting average against Masterson. He allowed opponents just a .220 average with men on base and just a .189 average with runners in scoring position.

“I think he has a chance to be really effective against some right-handed hitters. He can come up in a stretch against the middle of the order and he has a chance to be very effective,” Francona said of Masterson returning to help the ballclub in a relief role.

“I think sometimes a guy’s stuff out of the bullpen can play up (velocity) also, and we view him as somebody like that. When he first got here, or in big games or on extra rest, his velocity has been up a tick.”

Bullpen bails out Eveland, Athletics

After throwing his 100th and final pitch for a ball, walking the bases loaded with a one out in the sixth inning and his A’s nursing a one-run lead Monday night, Dana Eveland walked off the mound to polite, tepid applause from the home crowd.

Two pitches later, Brad Ziegler walked off the mound — to genuinely wild applause, and into history.

The routine double-play ball Ziegler coaxed from Jose Lopez wasn’t just the biggest of many big plays in Oakland’s 4-3 victory in the opener of a four-game series against the Mariners at McAfee Coliseum.

It also extended his career-opening streak of consecutive scoreless innings to 16 2/3, passing Steve Chitren’s Oakland record of 16 1/3, set in 1990.

“My job is to throw strikes, keep the ball down and get double plays when we need them,” said Ziegler, who was called up from Triple-A Sacramento on May 30. “So I guess that’s a really fitting way to get the record.”

Ziegler, 28, rolled another double-play ball in the seventh and retired the first batter of the eighth, pushing the record to an even 18 innings. With four more scoreless frames, Ziegler will tie the American League career-opening record set by Dave “Boo” Ferriss of the 1945 Red Sox.

“Ziggy is just ridiculous right now,” said Eveland, who put the A’s in an early hole when he gave up a three-run homer to Richie Sexson in the first inning. “Ziggy is a machine.”

So, for the time being, is another one of the five rookies the injury-ravaged A’s played Monday.

First baseman Wes Bankston, fresh off a four-game series in Chicago in which he went 7-for-16 (.438), doubled to the deepest part of the park in the third and scored on a Mark Ellis single to start Oakland’s comeback. Two innings later Bankston blasted his first career homer.

“I thought my first hit was a homer, too,” Bankston said of his double, which slammed the wall in center field. “But I’ve always been told this place is bigger, so I’ll definitely be running faster next time I hit it to center field like that.”

Seattle’s Willie Bloomquist needed to be running a little faster when he tried to extend the Mariners’ lead on Raul Ibanez’s second-inning single to center. Oakland rookie Carlos Gonzalez unleashed a no-hop dart to the plate that nailed Bloomquist a good two feet up the third-base line.

“That was perfect … just perfect,” said Gonzalez. “I feel really excited every time I make a play like that. It’s like hitting a home run.”

A solo homer, perhaps. Bankston’s was a two-run shot that knotted the score.

“That felt great,” Bankston said. “It was exciting, especially for it to tie the game. I was looking for something up so I could drive it.”

It was up — a first-pitch curveball from Seattle starter Jarrod Washburn — and Bankston drove it over the wall in left-center.

“I didn’t even go back and look at it,” Washburn said. “Obviously, it must not have been a very good pitch. Last thing I thought of was him being on a first-pitch backdoor breaking pitch. Right there is a perfect example of not knowing the hitters. I hadn’t faced him before.

“Usually, Oakland guys are very patient and take some pitches, and I thought I would get a nice first-pitch strike. I don’t know if he was guessing breaking ball or what.”

Washburn obviously didn’t know that Bankston, 24, isn’t really an “Oakland guy.” He signed as an 18-year-old with Tampa Bay, and this is his first year in the A’s organization. Prior to being called up from Sacramento last week, he’d had 2,508 Minor League at-bats.

“All the work you go through to get to this point makes it really special,” Bankston said. “Now I have to work even harder to stay here.”

Yet another A’s rookie, outfielder Ryan Sweeney, is no doubt in the big leagues to stay. He provided what proved to be the game-winning hit with a two-out single later in the fifth to score … wait for it … rookie Gregorio Petit, who had doubled with one out.

Sweeney is 9-for-27 with four multiple-hit games and five RBIs in seven games since missing a three-game series June 27-29 against the Giants with a sprained left ankle.

“He’s been swinging the bat great for about a month now,” A’s manager Bob Geren said. “The coaches and I have been talking about [how far he's come this year] and we all agree — he’s going to be a special player. He really is. He’s a very impressive player right now.”

Not so impressive Monday was Eveland, who improved to 7-5 despite allowing 14 baserunners (nine hits, four walks, a Petit error) while getting just 16 outs.

“I just couldn’t get locked in,” Eveland said. “I wasn’t sharp tonight at all.”

He pitched well in traffic, though, and got plenty of help from his teammates — including closer Huston Street, who wiggled out of a two-on, one-out trap in the ninth to lock down his 17th save of the season.

“I got pretty lucky tonight,” Eveland admitted. “A lot of guys did a lot of great things to pick me up.”

Kuroda lifts Dodgers, Mets bullpen hangs on in win

Hiroki Kuroda was nearly perfect in lifting the under-.500 Dodgers into a first-place tie in the NL West.

Pedro Martinez was sharp, too. The Mets bullpen, though, almost denied New York its first winning record in a month.

Kuroda took a perfect game into the eighth inning and settled for a one-hitter, leading Los Angeles to a 3-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Monday night.

The right-hander retired the first 21 batters before Mark Teixeira lined his 70th pitch into the right-field corner for a double.

“My main concern was that he was the leadoff hitter in that inning. It was a 2-2 count and I didn’t want to walk him because I didn’t have that big of a lead,” Kuroda said through a translator. “I was concentrating more on not allowing any runs. I wasn’t really nervous, but I felt the pressure from the fans because they were expecting something big.”

The win moved the Dodgers in a tie for first in the West with idle Arizona, although they are 44-45.

“It’s very strange,” said Dodgers manager Joe Torre. “But every year there’s always a division where the teams are flirting with .500. I mean, the National League Central was that way for a long time. Our division as we started spring training was going to be one of the strongest because of all the pitching up and down the division. And it’s been a little bit of a surprise, obviously, that we’re all sitting here under .500.”

Martinez pitched effectively into the sixth inning then watched the Mets give back nearly all of a nine-run lead before holding on for a 10-9 victory over the host Phillies.

Martinez allowed only five hits and two earned runs in 5 1-3 innings, and the Mets built a 10-1 lead going into the bottom of the sixth. But three relievers, including closer Billy Wagner, combined to nearly blow it.

“I was going, ‘Wow, what’s going on,’” Mets manager Jerry Manuel said.

In other NL games, it was: Pittsburgh 10, Houston 7; Colorado 4, Milwaukee 3; and Florida 3, San Diego 1.

Teixeira was the only baserunner for the Braves, who had flown across the country after a 7-6, 17-inning victory over Houston on Sunday — the longest game ever at Turner Field.

“We don’t want to have a perfect game thrown against us, but Kuroda was great tonight — probably the best pitching performance we’ve seen all year,” Teixeira said. “His stuff was great — a mid-90s fastball, putting it exactly where he wanted it, sinking his fastball at 90 to get you to ground out or miss. He probably made one mistake all night, and I just got lucky enough to put a good swing on it. It definitely was the most hittable pitch I saw all night.”

Kuroda (5-6) threw 91 pitches and struck out six in a game that lasted just 2 hours, 3 minutes.

Jose Campillo (3-4) took a one-hitter into the fifth before the Dodgers scored their runs.

Nomar Garciaparra hit his second homer of the season, a two-run shot, and Matt Kemp had an RBI single.

With only five games left before the All-Star break, the Braves (42-48) are assured of going into the break under .500 for only the third time in the last 18 seasons. It also happened in 1991 (39-40) and 2006 (40-49).

In Philadelphia, David Wright homered and drove in four runs for the Mets (45-44), who last had a winning record on June 5 (30-29). New York tied its season high with 17 hits and wound up taking three of the last four games from the Phillies to move within 2 1/2 games of the NL East leaders. The Mets haven’t been 2 1/2 games out of first place since May 20.

“We’re back in the race,” Manuel said.

The Mets had a 10-7 lead heading into the ninth, but Wagner, who blew a save in the Mets’ win Sunday, gave up a two-out RBI single to Pedro Feliz, scoring Shane Victorino. Eric Bruntlett, who had walked, also came around to score on a throwing error by center fielder Carlos Beltran. Jayson Werth hit a soft liner to right, ending the comeback and giving Wagner his 20th save in 26 opportunities.

“You can never let down with this team,” Wagner said. “They make you earn it.”

Chase Utley, Pat Burrell, Ryan Howard and Geoff Jenkins homered for the Phillies. Howard’s homer was initially called a ground-rule double because a fan reached over the right-field wall and touched the ball. The four umpires convened and ruled the ball would have left the park had the fan not interfered. Television replays were inconclusive.

Manuel disputed the reversal and was ejected.

“It was not a home run,” Manuel said. “It seemed like nobody really knew what it was.”

Rockies 4, Brewers 3

At Milwaukee, Ubaldo Jimenez (4-8) allowed three hits over seven innings and Colorado spoiled Milwaukee’s daylong welcome party for CC Sabathia.

Sabathia is scheduled to make his Milwaukee debut Tuesday night, a day after he was acquired in a trade with Cleveland.

Pirates 10, Astros 7

At Pittsburgh, Nate McLouth and Ryan Doumit both homered and were among 10 Pirates who had hits as Pittsburgh snapped a three-game losing streak.

Runelvys Hernandez (0-3) allowed 10 runs, 13 hits and four walks in four innings.

Marlins 3, Padres 1

At San Diego, Jorge Cantu hit a two-run homer off Greg Maddux, which was enough to carry Ricky Nolasco and Florida to the victory.

Nolasco (10-4) held San Diego to one run and five hits in eight innings. Kevin Gregg pitched a perfect ninth for his 16th save.

Maddux (3-7) became the ninth big league pitcher to reach 350 victories on May 10. Since then, he’s 0-4 with seven no-decisions.

Manny Ramirez delivers clutch hit in Red Sox win

All it took for the Red Sox [team stats] to reverse their disturbing trends on the 3-7 road trip that toppled them from first place was a return to the security blanket that is Fenway Park [map].

Less than 24 hours after passively watching three straight pitches from Mariano Rivera pass by for strikes with the game on the line at Yankee Stadium, Manny Ramirez [stats] slammed Brian Bass’ 95-mph, 2-and-2 fastball to right field for a run-scoring single that provided the Sox an exhale-inducing, 1-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

Ramirez, who left a runner at third base in the ninth inning of that 5-4, 10-inning loss in the Bronx, knocked in Dustin Pedroia [stats] with one out in the eighth this time, ending a maddening streak of one-run losses at six and cutting the Tampa Bay Rays’ AL East lead to four games.

Ramirez’ clutch hitting supported the effective pitching of Daisuke Matsuzaka [stats], Hideki Okajima [stats] and Jonathan Papelbon [stats], who combined to allow six hits and to send the surging Twins to only their fourth defeat in their last 22 games. Matsuzaka allowed six hits in 7 1/3 innings while striking out five.

Okajima (2-2), who had allowed 12-of-15 inherited runners to score, left the bases loaded in the eighth.

Papelbon, who was saddled with Sunday’s loss , rebounded in style, retiring the side in order in the ninth to earn his 26th save. The 1-0 win was the Sox’ second of the year. It also improved the club, which is 2-14 in one-run games on the road, to 10-2 in such affairs at home.

“We needed that,” Jason Varitek [stats] said. “I think our bats were a little slow, getting in late, and I think we needed a solid pitching performance, and we got that.”

Minnesota starter Scott Baker held the Sox to only five hits in seven shutout innings, while striking out seven before telling manager Ron Gardenhire that he’d had enough due to the oppressive humidity.

The Sox took full advantage in the eighth. Dustin Pedroia lined Bass’ first pitch off the Green Monster to extend his career-high hitting streak to 15 games, and moved up a base on J.D. Drew [stats]’s groundout. Gardenhire said that it made sense to pitch to Ramirez, who was two for his last 19.

“How’s Manny been doing lately?” he said. “We’ll take our chances.”

Ramirez didn’t hang around to express himself, but teammates were delighted for him.

“Manny hasn’t really been tearing the cover off the ball, but it just goes to show you, even when he’s not going well, he’s very dangerous in those situations, especially with the guy hitting behind him,” said Mike Lowell, joking about being on deck when Ramirez delivered.

Matsuzaka, who fell short in his bid to improve to 10-1, left the bases loaded in the first inning and cruised until the late frames. He marooned runners in scoring position in the sixth and seventh innings, but manager Terry Francona wasn’t going to take any chances in the eighth when he gave up a one-out bunt single to Alexi Casilla followed with a solid base hit to right to Joe Mauer.

Looking to stay away from relievers Javy Lopez and Manny Delcarmen due to frequent use, Francona called on Okajima and the beleaguered lefty belied his manager’s faith.

Okajima walked Justin Morneau to load the bases but got pinch-hitter Craig Monroe to foul out to Kevin Youkilis [stats] at first before ending the threat on a Delmon Young grounder.

“You could just see the energy in the ballpark and our dugout pick up after that,” Francona said.

Looking to Postseason, Brewers Trade for Sabathia

After the Milwaukee Brewers made a bold move by acquiring C. C. Sabathia from the Cleveland Indians on Monday, one team official mentioned the imminent “C. C. surge.” He was referring to sales of tickets and souvenirs, but the Brewers hope the biggest C. C. surge will come in victories and perhaps in their first playoff appearance since 1982.

More than three weeks before the July 31 nonwaiver trading deadline, the Brewers traded four minor leaguers for Sabathia, the 2007 American League Cy Young award winner. Sabathia, who went 19-7 last year, was 6-8 with a 3.83 earned run average in 18 starts for the struggling Indians this season. But Sabathia’s statistics are deceiving because he started slowly and has received scant run support.

By obtaining Sabathia, Milwaukee has turned the National League Central, which was already crowded at the top, into baseball’s most compelling division. The first-place Cubs lead the Cardinals by three and a half games and the Brewers by four. Before the Brewers lost, 4-3, to Colorado on Monday, they were ahead of St. Louis by a percentage point for the wild-card lead.

“We just felt that we needed to go for it at this point,” Brewers General Manager Doug Melvin said at a news conference. “We feel that this is a year that gives us a chance.”

The trade has reverberations beyond the N.L. Central. With Milwaukee and St. Louis tussling for the wild card, it seems probable that two playoff teams will hail from the Central division. That means clubs like the Mets, the Dodgers, the Marlins and the Diamondbacks, who are all vying for first, might have to win their divisions to play games in October.

For the Brewers, this move was about trying to erase their postseason futility. With Sabathia, a left-hander, joining Ben Sheets in the rotation, the Brewers have a tandem that could be as effective as any in the major leagues. Sabathia, who turns 28 this month, will make his debut against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday at Miller Park.

“I’m just going to try to come in here and fit in,” Sabathia said. “Go out and have fun and try to win ballgames.”

In adding Sabathia, the Brewers beat out the Phillies, who were also willing to make the trade without requiring a window to negotiate a contract extension. The Yankees had discussions with the Indians, but were unwilling to make a deal unless they could sign Sabathia beyond 2008. The Yankees will probably be serious players in trying to sign him when he becomes a free agent after the season.

Sabathia could ask for an extension that is close to what the Mets gave Johan Santana (six years, $137.5 million), so the chances that he will remain with the Brewers are slim. Melvin was realistic about the future and said, “Most trades in July are going to be rentals.”

Sabathia rejected a four-year, $72 million proposal from Cleveland in the spring.

Melvin knew Sabathia might be with Milwaukee only briefly, so he wanted to trade for him as soon as possible. Milwaukee can now start Sabathia twice before the All-Star break. He was 5-3 with a 1.93 E.R.A. in his last 11 starts.

“We’re trying to get four starts out of him before the break,” Melvin said playfully. “But we’ll settle for two.”

The Brewers dealt Matt LaPorta, a Class AA outfielder who is considered their top prospect; Zach Jackson, a Class AAA left-hander; and Rob Bryson, a Class A right-hander, to the Indians. A player to be named could be Taylor Green, a third baseman who was Milwaukee’s minor league player of the year in 2007. LaPorta, a first-round draft pick last year, was hitting .288 with 20 homers and 66 runs batted in 84 games for Huntsville.

“If we didn’t have a very deep farm system, we couldn’t really think about this,” Mark Attanasio, the Brewers’ principal owner, said at the news conference. “Let’s face it: this is still a calculated risk.”

Rick Schlesinger, the executive vice president for business operations, compared Sabathia’s acquisition to the team’s trade for pitcher Don Sutton in 1982. Sutton went 4-1 and helped the Brewers reach the World Series.

“We’re expecting, I call it, a C. C. surge because the phones have been ringing off the hook this morning already,” Schlesinger said.

Melvin said that after he spoke with Mark Shapiro, the Indians’ general manager, about two or three weeks ago, he told Attanasio that there was a chance the Brewers could snag Sabathia. The Brewers figured a package that included their best prospect would be enough; the Indians eventually agreed.

Melvin said LaPorta handled the news professionally and “wants us to win the World Series.” With Sabathia, the Brewers have a much better chance. The C. C. surge is just beginning.

Francoeur recalled, felt ‘betrayed’ after demotion

ATLANTA — Jeff Francoeur’s stay in the minor leagues barely lasted a weekend.

Now that Jeff Francouer is back in the big leagues after a three-day demotion to the minors, the whole scenario makes no sense, Rob Neyer writes. Blog Insider

Francoeur, who had four hits in his third game with Double-A Mississippi on Sunday, was recalled to the Atlanta Braves on Monday.

Francoeur was 7-for-13 (.548) with two RBIs at Mississippi.

The recall came after Francoeur, who hit .538 (7-for-13) with a triple and two RBIs in three games at Mississippi, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution he felt “betrayed” by the Double-A assignment.

“After three years, after playing hurt, playing every day, going in every day whether I got a hit and never complaining, I just played because Bobby [Cox] kept putting me in the lineup,” Francoeur told the newspaper. “But I just felt like a little three-minute thing — ‘Hey, you’re going down’ — I feel like after three years, I was owed a little more of an explanation. But that’s Frank’s deal and that’s what I guess they decided to do.

“My question is, what if I had hit a home run or had two hits [Thursday night]? Does it delay it one day, until I was 0-for-4? I was left standing outside in the dark on that. You almost felt like they had made [their minds] up before the game. That’s where I felt frustrated, where I felt a little betrayed,” he told the newspaper.

The timing of Francoeur’s four-hit game on Sunday was perfect for the Braves, who could recall the outfielder so quickly because they placed three other players on the disabled list — relief pitchers Jeff Bennett and Manny Acosta and infielder Omar Infante.

Infante, primarily an infielder, started in left field on Sunday but left with a strained hamstring following his first-inning double.

A player can be recalled after spending less than 10 days in the minors if replacing an injured player.

“Yes, the three guys going on the DL made it possible, but it really was Jeff’s performance down there that made this happen,” said Braves general manager Frank Wren. “Jeff’s performance made it something we could consider.”

Added Wren: “It wasn’t for need. We didn’t lose an outfielder. We lost two pitchers and Omar Infante, who plays all over.”

The Braves wanted to recall Francoeur on a high note. They seized the opportunity provided by his 4-for-5 game on Sunday.

Francoeur can enjoy a relatively quiet return to the team in Los Angeles on Monday night. The Braves believe Francoeur, from the Atlanta area, has placed added pressure on himself to perform well in his hometown. He would have caused a media stir if he returned to the team in Atlanta.

Francoeur was hitting only .234 when he was optioned to Mississippi on Friday. He was booed by Braves fans on Thursday night when he went 0-for-4, leaving him 1-for-12 in July. He hit only .206 in June.

Francoeur hit .293 with 19 homers and 105 RBIs last season, his second straight season with more than 100 RBIs. He also won his first Gold Glove in right field.

Francoeur has eight homers and 41 RBIs this year.

Wren hopes the short stay in the minors was enough to boost Francoeur’s confidence.

“We’re very happy,” Wren said. “What I said on Friday was we hoped it wouldn’t be too long.

“We told Jeff [on Thursday] night this could be a few days or it could be up to 20 days, just whatever it took for him to decompress and relax. We believe that has happened. We just said, ‘Relax and have fun again.’ Jeff was feeling good about things and relaxed and swinging the bat,” he said.

Bennett hurt his right arm throwing to first on Saturday. Acosta, the sixth of seven pitchers in Sunday’s 7-6 victory over Houston in 17 innings, strained his hamstring as he ran out a sacrifice bunt in the 16th.

The Braves have not had a full healthy outfield most of the season. Left fielder Matt Diaz has been on the DL since May 28 with a knee injury. Center fielder Mark Kotsay returned last week after missing 33 games since May 26 with a lower back strain.

Mongo Tickets: Sports, Concert, Theater … Wicked

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