Taveras’ hitting streak ends after 30 games
Houston Astros outfielder Willy Taveras’ hitting streak ended at 30 games on Tuesday night against the Milwaukee Brewers in Houston.
Taveras went 0 for 3 and was hit twice by Tomo Ohka’s pitches. The second one plunked him in the back and sent him to the dirt in the seventh inning. He stayed down for a couple of minutes and was tended to by trainers before slowly trotting to first base.
In the first inning, Taveras was hit in the shoulder by a pitch and then thrown out when he tried to steal second. He flied out to right field in the third.
In the sixth, he hit a line drive to Ohka and struck out swinging in the eighth.
Taveras’ hitting streak is the longest in Astros history, surpassing Jeff Kent’s 25-game run in 2004.
The streak also was the second-longest in the majors this season behind Chase Utley’s 35-game streak for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Pavano’s season may be over
Carl Pavano was scratched from a scheduled rehabilitation start today, and New York Yankees manager Joe Torre isn’t counting on having the oft-injured pitcher return to the major leagues this year.
The decision was made Tuesday, a day after a scan revealed Pavano broke two ribs in an Aug. 15 car crash he didn’t disclose to the team until after he made three minor league starts. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman hasn’t ruled out disciplinary action.
“I’m sure we’ll see him sooner or later, but I don’t think we can count on him for this year,” Torre said before New York’s game against Detroit was rained out.
Marlins skipper stays with wife
Florida manager Joe Girardi missed the game in St. Louis, choosing to remain at home with his pregnant wife and brace for a possible hurricane.
Girardi, whose surprising Marlins are on a nine-game winning streak and are in the thick of the National League wild-card race, said owner Jeffrey Loria made the suggestion during batting practice Monday before a home game against Milwaukee.
Ortiz, Ramirez, Pena out for Sox
Red Sox slugger David Ortiz was hospitalized in Boston for the second time this month, checking into Massachusetts General for further tests on his heart. Manny Ramirez has played in only one of Boston’s last five games because of a sore right knee, and Wily Mo Pena has missed the last three games due to soreness in his left wrist for ailing Boston.
Clearing the bases
Roy Oswalt and the Houston Astros agreed to a $73 million, five-year contract extension. …Delmon Young homered in his major league debut for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Chicago, two months after serving a 50-game suspension in the minors for throwing his bat at an umpire. …Texas Rangers pitcher Kip Wells will miss the rest of the season with a foot injury. … A player in the Los Angeles Dodgers minor league system, Chales Dasni, was suspended for 50 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. …The Detroit Tigers have called up their first-round pick, 21-year-old Andrew Miller, from Class A. …The Hennepin County Board approved a countywide sales tax increase to help pay for a new open air stadium for the Minnesota Twins.