Daily Dose: Pedro wins Phillies debut - MLB

Pedro Martinez was victorious in his Phillies debut Wednesday against the Cubs, allowing three runs in five innings. Martinez struck out five and walked one while giving up seven hits and showed pretty decent velocity while regularly getting his fastball into the low-90s. He certainly wasn’t great, but it was a solid outing given that he hadn’t faced big-league hitters in 10 months.
At this point in his career Martinez’s upside is limited, but his amazing changeup is still dangerous even when combined with a high-80s or low-90s heater and his ability to miss bats remains relatively intact. He seems unlikely to be much of an asset in mixed leagues, but if career win No. 215 is any indication he’ll have nice value in NL-only leagues down the stretch.
While the Phillies’ decision to dump Jamie Moyer for Martinez pays dividends for one night at least, here are some other notes from around baseball …

* Erik Bedard’s season and perhaps Mariners career came to an end Wednesday with news that he’ll undergo exploratory surgery on his ailing left shoulder. As an impending free agent Bedard’s future depends entirely on what Dr. Lewis Yocum discovers during the procedure and there’s little chance of Seattle re-signing him either way. They got a total of 11 wins for all those players and all that money.
* Tuesday night’s bean-balling, benches-clearing drama in Boston earned Kevin Youkilis and Rick Porcello matching five-game suspensions and neither player is appealing, so the clocks started ticking immediately. Youkilis will miss 10 percent of the Red Sox’s remaining schedule, while Porcello will just make his next start one day later. At least Mike Lowell homered again in Youkilis’ place Wednesday.
* Ubaldo Jimenez shut out the Pirates for eight innings Wednesday to pick up his 10th win and has another favorable matchup versus the Nationals next week. He went 1-3 with a 7.58 ERA in April, but Jimenez has a 2.91 ERA and 121/46 K/BB ratio in 139.1 innings since. Now that his control is merely bad rather than awful, the man with the hardest fastball of any MLB starter is capable of really thriving.
* John Smoltz refused an assignment to the minors Wednesday and told the Red Sox that he’s not interested in pitching out of their bullpen, so he’ll either be dealt or released shortly. Whether he’s willing to be a reliever for a different team isn’t clear, but Smoltz has given no indication that he plans to retire and there’s plenty of speculation about who might still be interested in giving him one last chance.
AL Quick Hits: Mariano Rivera was unavailable Wednesday because of shoulder soreness … Tommy Hunter tossed seven shutout innings Wednesday, slicing his ERA to 2.29 … Josh Beckett got his MLB-leading 14th win with seven innings of two-run ball Wednesday … Mike Scioscia said Wednesday that Kelvim Escobar (shoulder) is unlikely to pitch again this season … Joe Crede (shoulder) rejoined the lineup by going 3-for-3 with a three-run homer Wednesday … Oakland asked Justin Duchscherer (elbow) to make one more rehab start … Trevor Bell debuted by allowing four runs on nine hits in 5.1 innings Wednesday … Francisco Liriano had his best start of the season Wednesday, allowing just an early solo homer in seven innings … Armando Galarraga was scratched from Wednesday’s start with a sore throat and fever … Derek Jeter left Wednesday’s game after being hit on the foot, but X-rays were negative.
NL Quick Hits: Out since July 23 with a calf strain, Lance Berkman rejoined the lineup with two doubles and two walks Wednesday … Ricky Nolasco was rocked for 10 runs in 3.1 innings Wednesday … As expected, Jordan Zimmermann will undergo Tommy John elbow surgery next week … Jhoulys Chacin was demoted to Triple-A after struggling in his first career start Tuesday … Tim Lincecum gave up two runs in 8.2 innings Wednesday, but got stuck with a no-decision … Adam LaRoche homered twice and drew a bases-loaded walk Wednesday … Russell Martin made his season debut at third base Wednesday … Hunter Pence went deep twice and knocked in a career-high six runs Wednesday … Homer Bailey left Wednesday’s game after being hit on the foot by Albert Pujols’ line drive, but X-rays were negative … Ted Lilly (knee, shoulder) tossed five shutout innings in a rehab start Wednesday at Single-A.

CHICAGO (AP) Shohei Ohtani homered in consecutive innings, including a 459-foot drive that was the longest of his Major League Baseball career, and drove in four runs to lead the Los Angeles Angels over the Chicago White Sox 12-5 Wednesday.

Mike Trout put the Angels ahead 2-0 with a 476-foot home run in the first that was four rows shy of clearing the left field bleachers. Taylor Ward also went deep as the Angels hit four two-run homers plus a solo shot.

“Those are the guys you lean on,” manager Phil Nevin said. “They can certainly put the team on their backs and carry us and that’s what they did today.”

Ohtani drove a first-pitch fastball from Lance Lynn (4-6) just to left of straightaway center in the third, where the ball was dropped by a fan who tried to glove it. That 425-foot drive put the Angels ahead 4-1.

Lynn didn’t even bother to turn and look when Ohtani hit a full count fastball more than a dozen rows over the bullpen in right-center in the fourth. The two-way Japanese star is batting .269 with 15 homers and 38 RBIs to go along with a 5-1 record and 2.91 ERA.

“I’m feeling good right now,” Ohtani said through a translator. “I’m putting good swings on pitches I should be hitting hard.”

Ohtani increased his career total to 13 multihomer games with his first this season.

Trout pulled a hanging curve for his 13th home run. Ward hit a two-run homer against Jesse Scholtens in the seventh and Chad Wallach, pinch hitting for Ohtani, had a solo homer in the ninth off Garrett Crochet.

“Usually when that happens, we’re in a good spot to win,” Trout said.

Trout and Ohtani have homered in the same game for the fifth time this season. The Angels hit a pair of 450-foot or more home runs in the same game for the first time since Statcast started tracking in 2015.

Lynn allowed eight runs, eight hits and two walks while hitting two batters in four innings, raising his ERA to 6.55. He has given up 15 home runs, one short of the major league high of Kansas City’s Jordan Lyles. Lynn had won his previous three starts.

“It seemed like he didn’t get away with any today,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “Just one of those days, man.”

Jaime Barria (2-2) gave up one run and four hits in five innings with six strikeouts and two walks.

Los Angeles won two of three from the White Sox after being swept by Miami last weekend.

Jake Burger homered for Chicago, which has lost four of five. Burger hit his 11th homer in the ninth and Hanser Alberto had a two run double off Tucker Davidson.

Chicago’s Romy Gonzalez, who’d homered in three straight games, went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.

THE NATURALS

Twenty-three people became naturalized U.S. citizens during a pregame swearing-in behind home plate.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Angels: Trout fouled a pitch off his right leg in the fourth but remained in the game.

White Sox: INF Elvis Andrus (strained left oblique) and RHP Mike Clevinger (right wrist inflammation) are close to returning but Grifol wouldn’t elaborate on either player’s status.

UP NEXT

Angels: Reid Detmers (0-4, 4.93) starts Thursday’s series opener at Houston against fellow LHP Framber Valdez (5-4, 2.38).

White Sox: Have not announced a starter for Friday’s series opener against visiting Detroit, which starts RHP Reese Olson in his major league debut. Olson is 2-3 with a 6.38 ERA in 10 starts at Triple-A Toledo.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports