Boston Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra was scratched from the lineup 30 minutes before Saturday’s game against the Seattle Mariners because of lower-back spasms.
The problem was unrelated to a minor injury Garciaparra sustained Friday night, when Willie Bloomquist’s hard grounder struck him in the right collarbone. He stayed in the game.
Garciaparra, a two-time AL batting champion, was hitting .320 with 22 homers and 82 RBIs. He was listed as day-to-day.
Meanwhile, Red Sox reserve Jeremy Giambi will have season-ending surgery next week to repair a torn ligament in his left shoulder. The procedure is scheduled for Tuesday in Los Angeles.
Giambi has been on the disabled list since Aug. 5. He played in 50 games this season, hitting .197 with five home runs and 15 RBIs.
Royals’ DiFelice litters field
Kansas City catcher Mike DiFelice threw coolers and a trash can onto the field Saturday after being ejected following a wild play in the first inning against Minnesota.
With two runs in and two runners on base, Minnesota’s A.J. Pierzynski lifted a high pop fly into shallow left.
The first runner scored easily when the ball dropped between left fielder Dee Brown and shortstop Angel Berroa. Then DiFelice took Berroa’s throw to the plate just as Torii Hunter crashed into him.
Although DiFelice held on to the ball as he tumbled backward, plate umpire Jerry Layne called Hunter safe, triggering an animated argument from DiFelice, who was almost immediately tossed.
Once he reached the dugout, DiFelice began throwing items onto the field and raging at the umpire. Royals manager Tony Pena, who was still on the field arguing with Layne, ran back to the dugout and herded DiFelice into the tunnel.
SATURDAY’S GAMES
RESULTS, SYNOPSIS
Minnesota 14 at Kansas City 5
W: Lohse (10-9)
L: Hernandez (7-5) Torii Hunter drove in three runs for the second straight game. Luis Rivas scored three runs for the Twins. Doug Mientkiewicz, Corey Koskie, Jacque Jones and A.J. Pierzynski each had two RBIs.
Boston 5 at Seattle 1
W: Martinez (9-3)
L: Pineiro (13-8)
Pedro Martinez pitched three-hit ball for seven innings and improved to 11-0 lifetime against Mariners. Kevin Millar hit a solo homer and drove in 2 runs. Bill Mueller added 3 singles for Red Sox.
Toronto 4 at Oakland 6
W: Hudson (12-4)
L: Hendrickson (7-9)
S: Foulke (30)
Tim Hudson won his 5th straight decision and Jose Guillen homered twice. Mark Ellis hit 3-run homer for A’s. Hudson bruised right hand after getting hit by liner in 7th and was taken for X-rays.
Tampa Bay 5 at Cleveland 3
W: Malaska (2-1)
L: Lee (0-1)
S: Carter (21)
Jared Sandberg hit 2-run homer and Aubrey Huff had 2 RBIs. Indians left fielder Jody Gerut robbed Julio Lugo of extra bases with a diving catch, and later in the 7th threw out Huff at the plate.
N.Y. Yankees 5 at Baltimore 4
W: Hammond (3-1)
L: Carrasco (1-4)
S: Nelson (8)
Jason Giambi hit his 35th home run with two outs in the 12th inning. Yankees’ Derek Jeter’s single in the fifth inning was his 1,500th hit in his major-league career.
Detroit 7 at Anaheim 11
W: Glover (2-0)
L: Ledezma (3-7)
Garret Anderson got three singles to tie the Angels franchise record for career hits–Brian Downing, 1,588–and Scott Spiezio’s bases-loaded triple capped a six-run fifth inning.
