Jack Morris pitched eight strong innings to move to 3-0 as the independent league St. Paul Saints beat the Sioux City Explorers 8-4 Thursday. He allowed three earned runs and eight hits on a sunny, steamy afternoon that saw temperatures in the low 90s.
“The heat is my friend now,” the 41-year-old Morris said. “The older you get, the more that becomes the case. It hardly takes any time at all to warm up.”
Morris, whose 2.97 earned-run average is among the league leaders, was named pitcher of the week in the Northern League last week.
Morris’ teammate, Darryl Strawberry, went 2 for 5 with his league-leading 13th home run in just 24 games. His .880 slugging percentage and .391 batting average are among the league leaders.
Rockies add veteran: The Colorado Rockies claimed veteran outfielder Milt Thompson off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Thompson will give the Rockies a left-handed bat off the bench during the absence of Larry Walker, who is out with a broken collarbone. Thompson, 37, hit .118 in 48 games (6 for 51) while being used almost exclusively as a pinch hitter.
Pitching change: The Milwaukee Brewers called up reliever Kevin Wickander from Triple-A New Orleans and designated starter Brian Givens for assignment. Givens was 1-3 with a 12.86 ERA in four starts this season.
