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 name in MLB history.
Josh Beckett became the first Red Sox pitcher to win his first six starts since Roger Clemens in 1991. The team record is eight, shared by Babe Ruth and two others. He retired the first 12 batters 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
Oakland DH Mike Piazza is expected to be sidelined four to six weeks with a strained right shoulder. He was hurt diving into third base in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid a tag. “It’s frustrating,” he said. “I felt like I was starting to swing the bat a little better.”
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.
