Newspaper Page Text
2B
♦ TUESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2006
STANDINGS, MORE
CURTAIN CALL
American League
EAST
W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK LIO
NY Yankees 77 52 .597 - 39-23 38-29 734 619 Won 1 6-4
Boston 71 59 .546 6.5 39-24 32-35 700 669 Lost 3 2-8
Toronto 69 61 .531 8.5 41-27 28-34 667 635 Won 1 5-5
Baltimore 59 71 .454 18.5 36-34 23-37 632 713 Won 3 7-3
Tampa Bay 52 79 .397 26 34-31 18-48 561 688 Lost 4 4-6
CENTRAL
W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK LlO
Detroit 82 49 .626 - 40-24 42-25 656 520 Won 1 3-7
Minnesota 76 53 .589 5 44-20 32-33 651 570 Lost 1 6-4
Chicago Sox 76 54 .585 5.5 42-25 34-29 726 624 Won 1 4-6
Cleveland 60 69 .465 21 34-31 26-38 707 646 Lost 1 7-3
Kansas City 47 85 .356 35.5 29-37 18-48 605 793 Lostl 4-6
WEST
W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK LlO
Oakland 74 56 .569 - 36-26 38-30 597 568 Lost 1 6-4
LA Angels 69 62 .527 5.5. 34-31 35-31 642 620 Lostl 7-3
Texas 67 65 .508 8 32-33 35-32 680 646 Won 1 5-5
Seattle 61 69 .469 13 36-30 25-39 592 618 Won 4 5-5
National League
EAST
W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK LlO
NYMets 79 49 .617 - 42-23 37-26 681 576 Won 1 8-2
Philadelphia 65 64 .504 14.5 33-35 32-29 682 673 Lostl 6-4 *
Florida 63 66 .488 16.5 34-30 29-36 603 612 Won 7 8-2
Atlanta 61 68 .473 18.5 28-34 33-34 674 646 Won 2 6-4
Washington 55 75 .423 25 30-30 25-45 596 695 Lost 2 2-8
CENTRAL
W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK LlO
St. Louis 69 60 .535 - 38-24 31-36 630 618 Won 3 6-4
Cincinnati 67 64 .511 3 35-33 32-31 645 668 Lost 3 5-5
Houston 63 68 .481 7 34-31 29-37 597 600 Won 3 5-5
Milwaukee 62 68 .477 7.5 39-26 23-42 592 666 Lost 3 5-5
Chicago Cubs 54 76 .415 15.5 27-36 27-40 544 666 Lost 3 2-8
Pittsburgh 50 81 .382 20 33-33 17-48 568 666 Lost 3 4-6
WEST
W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK LlO
LA Dodgers 68 62 .523 - 39-26 29-36 646 597 Won 2 4-6
San Diego 66 64 .508 2 33-36 33-28 576 573 Lostl 6-4
San Francisco 65 66 .496 3.5 38-31 27-35 605 596 Won 3 7-3
Arizona 63 67 .485 5 31-33 32-34 637 654 Lost 2 2-8
Colorado 61 69 .469 7 34-30 27-39 593 584 Won 1 3-7
Kenseth's wins, continues to
bund momentum for the Chase
By DON COBLE
Morris News Service
BRISTOL, Tenn. - Much
like the final 100 laps of
Saturday night’s Sharpie
500, Matt Kenseth has
been saving his best for the
stretch drive.
As the NASCAR Nextel
Cup Series draws clos
er to the Chase for the
Championship, Kenseth
is kicking his season into
overdrive. He led 99 of the
final 100 laps Saturday
night at the Bristol Motor
Speedway to win his second
consecutive race - and his
fourth top-two finish in his
last four races - to clinch a
spot in the championship
playoffs.
But Kenseth wants more.
He wants to hit the Chase
- which starts Sept. 17 at
New Hampshire - at full
speed.
“I feel like we’re definite
ly a contender, but in this
business you’ve got to prove
your worth each and every
week,” Kenseth said after
pocketing $336,516. “What
you did the first 26 races is
important, but it’s not as
important as what you’re
going to do the last 10 (dur
ing the Chase). I feel right
now like my team is operat
ing at a championship level.
That’s tonight; that’s last
week. We’ve had ourselves
a few weeks this year where
we didn’t, so it’s really
important to keep that up
each and every week.”
A year ago Kenseth used
up a lot of his emotional
and mechanical momentum
just to get into the Chase.
He jumped from 17th place
in the points to eighth in
the seven races leading up
to the Chase. But once he
got there, his surge ran out
of gas. He had three fin
ishes of 26th or worse in
the Chase and wound up
seventh.
This year, the focus is
building momentum head
ing into the playoffs and
keeping it.
CLEATS
( TORTUROUS! jf TROWCEP Ur>, \
j-t// but tmat was. a
S?ws?; y A sßeat workoui; /
“We have been taking
it one race at a time and
putting forth 100 percent
effort each and every race
and we’re going to continue
to do that the next two
weeks and continue to try
to do that throughout the
Chase,” Kenseth said.
“But, like I say, we’ve
got to do it. We’ve got to
do the work. We’ve got to
do it each and every week
and not make mistakes and
put together good runs like
that.”
Kenseth now is just seven
points behind series leader
Jimmie Johnson, who has
been the leader in the point
standings for all but two
weeks this year.
In fact, Johnson has been
the regular season points
leader in 57 of the last 76
non-Chase weeks, but he’s
never been able to carry
that momentum over into
the playoffs.
Jack Roush, Kenseth’s
car owner, said he’s going
to do his part to make sure
Kenseth stays on a roll in
the next two races, and
then through the 10-race
Chase.
“We’re going to look at all
of our resources, everything
that we’ve got,” he said.
“If we’ve got an engine
that we think would have
the best prospect for
durability and reliabil
ity - they’re all the same
- but if we’ve got the best
valve spring and the best
valve and the things that
we know the most about of
it in terms of part selection,
we’ll turn those things.
Robbie (Reiser, crew chief)
will look at his control arms
and all of his parts in his car
and he’ll think about the
minimum risk he can have.
You’ve got an infant mor
tality problem potential for
any part you put on the car,
so you have to weigh put
ting new parts on against a
part that’s been run just a
little bit. It may be the case
that some of the parts that
get run through some of
(c) 2006 Bill Hinds, Dist by Universal Press Syndicate H
Iv\-- -v V ' v, vrv}TXAy
these other cars may wind
up on the (No.) 17 car if
Robbie decides they’ve got
less risk as we head in, but
we’ve just got to work and
just be sure that we can’t
look at this thing after it’s
over in December and say,
“Man, if we’d only done
this or done that. We should
have thought of this other
thing.’ We’ve got to think of
it right now.”
Kenseth was a top-five
driver all night at the bull
ish half-mile short track,
but he waited until the final
100 laps to pour on the
pressure.
Once he got out front, he
drove away from second
place Kyle Busch and third
place Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Scott Riggs finished fourth,
while Jeff Gordon was fifth,
Denny Hamlin was sixth,
Carl Edwards was seventh,
Ryan Newman was eighth,
Jeff Burton was ninth and
Johnson was 10th.
The results help shape the
race for the Chase. Not only
did Johnson and Kenseth
clinch a spot in the playoffs,
Kurt Busch (finished 37th)
and Newman were officially
eliminated from champion
ship contention.
The Chase was created
after Kenseth easily won
the 2003 championship.
NASCAR decided it wanted
a point system that would
be exciting at the end of the
year.
“It feels like ‘O3 in a way
that we’re not making mis
takes,” he said. “They’re
really good on pit road. Our
car has been prepared good
at the shop. We haven’t
had stuff break. All of that
stuff compares, but our cars
have just been running so
much better. In ‘O3 we were
slightly disadvantaged aero
wise when we were transi
tioning over to a new car.
We were able to run in the
top five a lot and top 10 a
lot. We were real consistent,
real competitive. We were
in position to win a lot of
races.”
SPORTS
Weekend Sports
Transactions
By The Associated
Press
■ BALTIMORE ORIOLES - Traded
18-0 F Jeff Conine and cash to
Philadelphia for a player to be
named.
■ CHICAGO WHITE SOX - Recalled
OF Jerry Owens from Charlotte
of the IL and placed him on the
15-day DL.
■ CLEVELAND INDIANS - Optioned
RHP Fausto Carmona to Buffalo
of the IL. Recalled RHP Edward
Mujica from Buffalo.
■ DETROIT TIGERS - Optioned
RHP Colby Lewis to Toledo of the
IL and OF Brent Clevlen to Erie of
the EL.
SEATTLE MARINERS - Recalled
INF-0F Mike Morse from Tacoma
of the PCL Optioned OF T.J. Bohn
to Tacoma.
■ CHICAGO CUBS - Recalled LHP
Les Walrond from lowa of the PCL.
Optioned RHP Jae Kuk Ryu to lowa.
Transferred RHP Kerry Wood from
the 15-day to the 60-day DL.
■ LOS ANGELES DODGERS -
Designated RHP Giovanni Carrara
for assignment. Recalled LHP Tim
Hamulack from Las Vegas of the
PCL.
■ SAN DIEGO PADRES - Placed
RHP Scott Williamson on the 15-
day DL. Recalled RHP Jon Adkins
from Portland of the PCL Added
INF-OF Russell Branyan to the
25-man roster. Optioned OF Ben
Johnson to Portland.
Giles wonders about future with Braves
ATLANTA - The way
Atlanta Braves second base
man Marcus Giles sees it, he
might very well be audition
ing for his current job.
Hitting well lately to boost
his average to .273 has
helped that perceived cause
- he’s gone 3-for-5 in consec
utive games - but Giles said
there’s some writing plainly
visible on the wall that he
might be shopped in trades
this offseason.
“I’m probably on the top of
the list, I’m sure,” Giles said
before the team’s 13-6 win
Sunday against Washington.
Reason being, because of
his five-plus years of ser
vice time, Giles will com
mand between $5-6 million
to avoid salary arbitration
in his final season before he
obtains free agency status.
Even though it’s beyond
his control, Giles admitted
he’s already thought about
his near future with the
team.
“At this point in anybody’s
career, going into your fifth
year on the verge of being a
free agent and the talented
guys behind you, you’re not
blind,” Giles said. “You can
see the obvious.”
Giles was alluding to
youngsters Willy Aybar and
Martin Prado, a pair of play
ers that can play second and
are nearly ready for every
day action. And both Aybar,
23, and Prado, 22, are still
on the cheap.
“It’s the economics of it,”
he said.
“I think you’d be kidding
yourself if you try to think
around it. It’s not bad; it’s
•.' JL * A
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Weekend Major League
Llnescores
Detroit 102 011 020 - 7 13 0
Cleveland 100 000 000 -1 5 0
Rogers, Zumaya (8), TJones (9)
and IRodriguez ClLee, Sikrski
(6) Mujica (8), ABrown (9) and
VMartinez. W - Rogers 14-6. L
- ClLee 10-10. HFte - Detroit,
Granderson (131, Thames (23),
CGuillen (15), IRodriguez (10).
Kansas City 012 012 000 - 6
80
Toronto 014 030 02x -10 15 1
OPerez, Wellemeyer (5), Sisco
(61, JoPeralta (7) and Buck
Lilly, League (6), Accardo (9)
and BMoßna. W - Lilly 11-11.
L - OPerez 1-2. HRs - Kansas
City, MiSweeney (5). Toronto,
VWells (30), BMolina (14), Zaun
0).
Minnesota 100 000 000 - 1
101
Chicago 002 031 OOx - 6 13 1
CSilva, DReyes (7), JRincon
(8) and Redmond Buehrle,
MacDougal (8) and Pierzynski.
W -*• Buehrle 11 -11. L - CSOva 8-
12. HRs - Chicago, Pierzynski
(12), Crede (28), Oribe (16).
Tampa Bay 000 211 000 - 4
13 0
Baltimore 000 200 111 -5 13 0
Howell, RLugo (7), Switzer
(7) Miceli (8), McClung (8)
and Navarro Loewen, Hoey
(6), Byrdak (8), Williams (8),
Hawkins (9) and Widger,
RaHemandez (9). W - Hawkins
2-2. L - McClung 4-12. HR -
Tampa Bay, Witt (1).
New York 215 000 210 - 11
17 2
Los Angeles 002 100 131 - 8
11 0
just part of the game. It’s
just the way it works.”
That said, Giles was ada
mant in conveying the mes
sage that he wants to remain
a Brave. Giles debuted with
Atlanta in
2001.
“My first
choice of
places to play
is here, no
doubt about
it,” he said.
“I’m comfort
able here with
the staff, with
£*ss£lfc
IP
NOTEBOOK
R. Travis Haney
Morris News
Service
Bobby (Cox). When you’ve
got that kind of comfort
zone, you don’t want any
thing else.”
CAN’T HOLD
FRENCHY DOWN: He’s
still quite a ways from Cal
Ripken Jr.’s consecutive
games played streak - OK,
a couple thousand - but
Jeff Francoeur did man
age to talk his way into the
inish air rußir n:RS
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THE HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
Karstens, Proctor (7), Farnsworth
(8), MRivera (8) and Posada
Saunders, Gregg (3), Romero
(7), HCarrasco (8), Donnelly (9)
and Napoli. W - Karstens 1-0.
L - Saunders 4-2. HRs - New
York, Jeter 2 (12), BWilliams 2
(11).
Boston 000 012 000 - 3 2 2
Seattle 010 050 00x_6 10 1
Snyder, Tavarez (5), Delcarmen
(7) and JvLopez Baek, Green
(6) RSoriano (8), Putz (9) and
RRivera. W - Baek 1-0. L -
Snyder 3-3. Sv - Putz (27). HRs
- Boston, DOrtiz (47), Lowell
(15). Seattle, Ibanez (25).
Oakland 000 000 000_0 4 0
Texas 021 000 00x 3 7 0
Haren, Gaudin (8), Sauerbeck
(8) Witasick (8) and Kendall
Padilla, Otsuka (9) and Laird. W
-Padilla 13-8. L- Haren 12-10.
Sv - Otsuka (28). HR - Texas,
Stairs (10).
Milwaukee 000 020 001 -3
80
Florida 000 000 211 - 4 8 0
Capuano, Capellan (7), Kolb
(8), BShouse (9) and Rivera
Sanchez, Pinto (7), Mitre (8),
Borowski (9) and Olivo. W -
Borowski 2-2. L - BShouse 1-
1. HRs - Milwaukee, Daßell
(7) Florida, MiCabrera (23),
Willingham (19).
Washington 301 020 000 - 6
12 0
Atlanta 206 300 11x -13 16 2
Traber, SRivera (3), Bergmann
(6), CCo'rdero (8) and
Schneider Villarreal, Cormier
(4), Mcßride (7), Yates (9) and
McCann. W - Mcßride 4-1. L
-Traber 3-3. HRs - Atlanta,
CJones (21), AJones (30),
Francoeur (24).
lineup Sunday. Francoeur’s
left shoulder was banged
up after he induced a bone
crushing collision Saturday
with Washington’s Nick
Johnson.
“He called me at 8:30
(Sunday) morning and said,
dl’m in there, I’m in there.
Don’t count me out,”’ Cox
said.
“He wants to play them
all.”
Francoeur scored twice
and had a key three-run
homer, and the 22-year-old
is the only Brave to start
every game this season. He
would become the fourth
Atlanta Brave to do that,
the first since Andruw Jones
in 1999.
Prime Rib
Seasoned to Perfection
greggJtffry
1-7# ffxit 13® * 007-0077