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Baseball Today

SCOREBOARD

Thursday, July 9

Toronto at Tampa Bay (12:08 p.m. EDT). How's this for a nice matinee? Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay is scheduled to face talented left-hander David Price in the finale of Toronto's three-game series at Tampa Bay.

STARS

Tuesday

-Luke Scott, Orioles, had a career-high seven RBIs to power Baltimore to a 12-4 victory over Seattle.

-Paul Konerko, White Sox, hit a career-high three home runs, including a go-ahead grand slam in the sixth inning, to lead Chicago to a 10-6 win over Cleveland.

-Brandon Phillips, Reds, homered twice and drove in three runs to power Cincinnati to a 4-3 victory at Philadelphia.

-Josh Beckett, Red Sox, became Boston's second 10-game winner and improved to 5-0 at Fenway Park this season with 6 2-3 solid innings in a 5-2 victory over Oakland.

-Mark Teixeira, Yankees, had four hits to help New York beat Minnesota 10-2 for its 16th win in the last 22 meetings with the Twins.

-Ryan Ludwick and Colby Rasmus, Cardinals, each homered to lead St. Louis to a 5-0 victory at Milwaukee.

-Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers, struck out seven in six innings to help Los Angeles blank the New York Mets 8-0.

-Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals, hit a three-run homer in Washington's 5-4 loss to Colorado.

-Javier Vazquez, Braves, pitched seven strong innings in Atlanta's 2-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

-Jack Wilson, Pirates, hit a two-run homer and an RBI single to lead Pittsburgh to a 6-3 win against Houston.

-Pat Burrell, Rays, hit a two-run homer in the 11th inning to give Tampa Bay a 3-1 victory over Toronto. He had been mired in a 4-for-34 slump.

NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT

Alan Embree earned the win in Colorado's 5-4 victory over Washington without throwing a pitch. He entered with two outs in the eighth and picked off Austin Kearns, who had singled off Joel Peralta. According to STATS LLC, it was the first time a major leaguer had gotten a win without throwing a pitch since B.J Ryan for Baltimore at Detroit on May 1, 2003.

SIDELINED

Right fielder Vladimir Guerrero left the Angels' 8-5 loss to the Rangers in the eighth inning with a strained muscle behind his left knee. Guerrero fielded a single by Elvis Andrus and was about to make a throw when it looked like he stepped awkwardly on his left leg. Guerrero fell to his hands and knees, but got up and walked around before trainers came out to look at his leg. He eventually walked off the field on his own and was replaced by Gary Matthews Jr.

OH MANNY

Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez was ejected in the fifth inning of Los Angeles' game against the Mets for arguing a called third strike. The slugger, who returned from a 50-game drug suspension last week, dropped his bat, tossed his helmet and flung his elbow pad. Booed for much of the game, Ramirez then heard his departure cue from plate umpire John Hirschbeck. Ramirez drove in three runs with two singles before being ejected.

SHOPPING AROUND

Roy Halladay wants to keep pitching for Toronto, but is willing to consider accepting a trade if approached by the Blue Jays. Halladay is 10-2 with a 2.79 ERA in 16 starts. He'll be paid $14.25 million this year and his contract, which has a no-trade clause, expires after the 2010 season, when he's set to earn $15.75 million.

STRIKEOUT MACHINE

Justin Verlander struck out 11 to run his majors-best total to 141, the most by a Detroit pitcher before the All-Star game in 37 years. The last Tiger to have as many strikeouts as Verlander before the break was Mickey Lolich, who had 152 before the 1972 All-Star game.

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

CC Sabathia continues to baffle the Twins. The lefty is 6-1 with 1.70 ERA in his last seven starts in the Metrodome after giving up one run in the Yankees' 10-2 victory Tuesday night.

WORTH NOTING

Seattle slugger Ken Griffey Jr. wore a single white batting glove in his first at-bat as a tribute to Michael Jackson. ... Doug Davis earned his first win since June 5, allowing two runs over 6 1-3 innings to lead Arizona to a 4-3 victory against San Diego.

SPEAKING

"It really woke us up. We came in, said we have to wake up, do the little things and we can't let the same things happen." -- Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips on Cincinnati's 22-1 loss at Philadelphia on Monday night. Phillips hit a pair of homers and drove in three runs to help the Reds to a 4-3 victory against the Phillies on Tuesday night.

SEASONS

July 9

1902 -- Rube Waddell beat Bill Dinneen 4-2 in 17 innings when light-hitting Monte Cross hit a two-run homer for Philadelphia.

1932 -- Ben Chapman of the Yankees hit three homers, including two inside the park, as New York beat the Detroit Tigers 14-9 at Yankee Stadium.

1940 -- The NL recorded the first shutout in All-Star play, with a 4-0 win at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. Five pitchers -- Paul Derringer, Bucky Walters, Whit Wyatt, Larry French, and Carl Hubbell -- held the AL to three hits. Max West hit a three-run homer.

1946 -- After a one-year break due to war travel restrictions, the Americans trounced the Nationals 12-0 at Fenway Park, the most one-sided of the All-Star games. Ted Williams of the Red Sox didn't disappoint the hometown fans. He hit two homers and two singles for five RBIs.

1968 -- Willie McCovey hit into a double play, scoring Willie Mays with the only run of the 39th All-Star game, played at the Houston Astrodome. It was the first game of this series played indoors and the first 1-0 contest in All-Star history.

1976 -- Houston's Larry Dierker pitched a no-hitter as the Astros beat Montreal 6-0. Dierker struck out eight and walked four.

1991 -- Cal Ripken hit a three-run homer to lead the AL over the NL 4-2 in the All-Star game for the AL's fourth straight victory in the contest.

1996 -- Mike Piazza launched an upper-deck home run in his first at-bat and lined an RBI double next time up, leading the National League to a 6-0 victory in the All-Star game in Philadelphia.

2000 -- Tyler Houston hit three home runs, tying his career-high with six RBIs, in Milwaukee's 10-2 rout of Detroit.

2002 -- Despite Barry Bonds hitting a home run and Torii Hunter making a spectacular catch, the All-Star game finished in a 7-7 tie after 11 innings when both teams ran out of pitchers.

2005 -- It took 847 regular-season games at Coors Field, the most any stadium needed, before hosting its first 1-0 game. The lowest total runs scored in a game at Coors Field before Colorado's 1-0 win over San Diego was 2-0. There had been three 2-0 games at the 11-year-old stadium.

2007 -- Los Angeles Angels slugger Vladimir Guerrero won the Home Run Derby, hitting 17 homers and beating Toronto's Alex Rios 3-2 in the final round of the All-Star competition.

Today's birthday: Miguel Montero 26.