Jarrod Saltalamacchia got quite a birthday present: his first big-league game. The Braves called up the catcher, and he caught a runner stealing, got hit by a pitch and walked. “I’m overwhelmed,” said Saltalamacchia, 22, who has the longest last name in MLB history.
Josh Beckett became the first Red Sox to win his first six starts since Roger Clemens in 1991. “Roger Clemens, probably over the long haul, has been the best pitcher on the planet,” said Beckett, who retired the first 12 in a 6-4 win over the A’s and is the majors’ only 6-0 pitcher.
Gary Sheffield is putting the worst slump of his stellar career behind him. He went 4-for-4 with a home run and an RBI single as the Tigers beat the Orioles 3-2. Sheffield, who hit .119 in the first 17 games, said, “I never slumped like that in my life.”
THREE DOWN
Tough times for ex-Chicago pitchers on the Phillies. Freddy Garcia failed to get an out in the sixth as the Braves beat him 4-3. He has given up 26 hits and 13 runs in 19 1/3 innings. And Tom Gordon, with three blown saves, was sent home to have his sore shoulder checked.
Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda, who works as a Giants community liaison telling children about the dangers of drugs and alcohol, was arrested in Sacramento on suspicion of felony possession of a controlled substance. Cepeda, 69, was stopped for speeding.
As the Cardinals prepared to remember a lost teammate, they’d like to forget their last three games. Their 4-0 loss to the Brewers left them swept and dazed in their first series since Josh Hancock’s death. The team will go to Tupelo, Miss., for a memorial service Thursday.
