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Indians take on flock

A gull flies to the outfield at Cleveland’s Progressive Field. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Associated Press
A gull flies to the outfield at Cleveland’s Progressive Field. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

There were two sets of birds at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Friday – the St. Louis Cardinals and the Lake Erie gulls.

The Cardinals will leave on Sunday. No one knows when the gulls will.

Flocks of the seabirds have become a growing problem at Indians games this season. It culminated Thursday night when Shin-Soo Choo’s single in the 10th inning struck one, allowing the winning run to score without a throw in a win against Kansas City.

After spending Friday contacting a number of wildlife and animal organizations, the Indians concluded that increased nesting on flat rooftop buildings in Cleveland’s Flats district has led to the ballpark’s problems.

During the game against the Cardinals Friday night, the team set off fireworks to scare the birds away and the flocks were noticeably smaller.

Girardi accuses Penny

New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi accused Boston’s Brad Penny of deliberately hitting Alex Rodriguez with a pitch.

Rodriguez was hit in the back in the first inning Thursday night at Fenway Park, prompting umpires to warn both teams.

In the sixth inning on Tuesday night, Yankees reliever Jose Veras hit Boston’s Jason Bay.

“Penny’s control was pretty good, and I thought it was on purpose,” Girardi said. “You know, that’s all part of baseball, I guess. You know, we hit Bay, and I know Jose did not hit him on purpose.”

Clearing the bases

San Diego ace Jake Peavy, the 2007 N.L. Cy Young Award winner, is expected to miss a month because of his injured ankle, meaning he may not return until after the All-Star break. … Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon has been fined by Major League Baseball for slow play. … Detroit placed right-hander Jeremy Bonderman on the 15-day disabled list just four days after activating him for his first start of the season. … Pittsburgh has agreed to terms with Boston College catcher Tony Sanchez, selected in the first round of the amateur draft earlier in the week. Sanchez, the fourth overall pick Tuesday, will receive a signing bonus of $2.5 million. … Cleveland pitcher Anthony Reyes is expected to miss 12 to 18 months after having surgery on his right elbow.