MLB News and Rumors

MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Brewers and closer John Axford have agreed to a one-year, 5 million contract to avoid salary arbitration.
According to Axford’s agents at the Beverly Hills Sports Council via Twitter, the right-hander who will be 30 years old on Opening Day, will have incentives in his contract, as well.
The 5 million is a significant pay raise from the 525,000 Axford made last season.
“BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! So pumped right now! ILoveMilwaukee,” Axford tweeted.
Signed by the Brewers as a minor league free agent on Nov. 8, 2008, Axford first was called up for a short stint in 2009 but took over for Trevor Hoffman as the team’s full-time closer in May 2010.
Axford, 29, saved 24 games in 2010 and posted a 2.48 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 58 innings. In 2011, he set a franchise record with 46 saves and blew only two save chances. He had a 1.95 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 73 23 innings, helping the Brewers to the National League Championship Series. His dominance continued into the playoffs as

Related Posts:

• Brewers sign INF Betancourt to 1-year deal
• Kyle Lohse signs with Brewers
• Brewers trim roster, send Morris to minors
• Brewers sticking with Alex Gonzalez at first
• Brewers GM stung by scorpion

Ian Kennedy ended a career-long losing streak with a career-long outing Wednesday while keeping San Francisco two-time NL Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum in his personal funk.

Neither staff ace had won in May until Kennedy ran his winning streak over the Giants to five games in the Diamondbacks’ 4-1 victory at AT&T Park, which included Paul Goldschmidt’s tie-breaking, bases-empty home run in the sixth inning. It was Goldschmidt’s fourth home run in 13 career at-bats against Lincecum.

Kennedy threw 122 pitches, six more than his previous high in 87 major league starts, before leaving with two outs in the eighth. Kennedy, 21-4 last season, had not won since April 22 and had struggled in May, giving up 20 earned runs in 30 innings in losing his previous five starts.

Kennedy (4-5) also beat Lincecum (2-6) on Opening Day, 5-4. Lincecum, who has not won since April 28, has lost his last five decisions against the D-backs.

“It was just a great performance from Ian,” D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said. “We had some (bullpen) guys down. He felt fine, and he was the best we had out there. He’s going to get a sixth day” until his next start because of an off day Thursday.

Kennedy gave up one earned run in seven innings and was at his best late in the game. After walking the first two batters in the seventh inning, Kennedy bounced off the mound to force a runner at third base on an attempted sacrifice bunt attempt before striking out the Giants’ 3-4 hitters, Melky Cabrera on a 3-2 fastball and Buster Posey on a 3-2 changeup.

“He had better command, more confidence and conviction with his pitches. He struck out their best two hitters” in the seventh, Gibson said.

Nursing a 2-1 lead, Kennedy struck out two more batters in the eighth after giving up a leadoff single to Angel Pagan.

NOTES, QUOTES

–1B Paul Goldschmidt’s fourth career home run off Giants RHP Tim Lincecum came with two outs in the sixth inning, when he lined a curveball into the first row of the left-field bleachers to break a 1-1 tie. “I can’t tell you,” Goldschmidt said about why he handles Lincecum so well. “I’m lucky I’ve gotten into hitter’s counts and he’s made some mistakes. He’s punched me out a few times, too.”

–RHP David Hernandez recorded his first save of the season by getting four outs, the biggest a flyball to right field by C Buster Posey with two on to end the eighth inning with a 4-1 lead. It was his first save since Aug. 14, 2011. He had a career-high 11 saves in his first full season in the bullpen in 2011.

–LF Jason Kubel was placed on the paternity list Wednesday, when he returned to Phoenix to be with his wife, Blake, for the birth of their second child and first daughter. Kubel can miss between one and three days while on the list. He has a six-game hitting streak, during which he is 9 for 22 with two doubles, a triple, a home run and five RBI.

–OF A.J. Pollock was recalled from Class AAA Reno on Wednesday to take Kubel’s place on the roster. It is the rookie’s second stint with the team this year — he hit .229 with a home run and four RBI in 48 at-bats from April 18 to May 18, when he was promoted while Chris Young was on the disabled list. Pollock was 10 for his last 30 with two doubles and a homer in his previous stay.

–The D-backs won only two of their 10 series in May, taking two of three games in Kansas City on May 18-20 and two of three from Milwaukee at home May 25-27. They also split two-game series with Colorado and the Los Angeles Dodgers. After sweeping San Francisco on the opening weekend, the D-backs have dropped the next two series between the two.

BY THE NUMBERS: .538 — 1B Paul Goldschmidt’s career batting average against Giants RHP Tim Lincecum in his 13 career at-bats.

QUOTE TO NOTE: “He had better command, more confidence and conviction with his pitches.” — D-backs manager Gibson after on Kennedy’s fifth straight victory over the Giants.

Related Posts:

• D-backs notebook: Kennedy avoids 0-for-May

Ian Kennedy ended a career-long losing streak with a career-long outing Wednesday while keeping San Francisco two-time NL Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum in his personal funk.

Neither staff ace had won in May until Kennedy ran his winning streak over the Giants to five games in the Diamondbacks’ 4-1 victory at AT&T Park, which included Paul Goldschmidt’s tie-breaking, bases-empty home run in the sixth inning. It was Goldschmidt’s fourth home run in 13 career at-bats against Lincecum.

Kennedy threw 122 pitches, six more than his previous high in 87 major league starts, before leaving with two outs in the eighth. Kennedy, 21-4 last season, had not won since April 22 and had struggled in May, giving up 20 earned runs in 30 innings in losing his previous five starts.

Kennedy (4-5) also beat Lincecum (2-6) on Opening Day, 5-4. Lincecum, who has not won since April 28, has lost his last five decisions against the D-backs.

“It was just a great performance from Ian,” D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said. “We had some (bullpen) guys down. He felt fine, and he was the best we had out there. He’s going to get a sixth day” until his next start because of an off day Thursday.

Kennedy gave up one earned run in seven innings and was at his best late in the game. After walking the first two batters in the seventh inning, Kennedy bounced off the mound to force a runner at third base on an attempted sacrifice bunt attempt before striking out the Giants’ 3-4 hitters, Melky Cabrera on a 3-2 fastball and Buster Posey on a 3-2 changeup.

“He had better command, more confidence and conviction with his pitches. He struck out their best two hitters” in the seventh, Gibson said.

Nursing a 2-1 lead, Kennedy struck out two more batters in the eighth after giving up a leadoff single to Angel Pagan.

NOTES, QUOTES

–1B Paul Goldschmidt’s fourth career home run off Giants RHP Tim Lincecum came with two outs in the sixth inning, when he lined a curveball into the first row of the left-field bleachers to break a 1-1 tie. “I can’t tell you,” Goldschmidt said about why he handles Lincecum so well. “I’m lucky I’ve gotten into hitter’s counts and he’s made some mistakes. He’s punched me out a few times, too.”

–RHP David Hernandez recorded his first save of the season by getting four outs, the biggest a flyball to right field by C Buster Posey with two on to end the eighth inning with a 4-1 lead. It was his first save since Aug. 14, 2011. He had a career-high 11 saves in his first full season in the bullpen in 2011.

–LF Jason Kubel was placed on the paternity list Wednesday, when he returned to Phoenix to be with his wife, Blake, for the birth of their second child and first daughter. Kubel can miss between one and three days while on the list. He has a six-game hitting streak, during which he is 9 for 22 with two doubles, a triple, a home run and five RBI.

–OF A.J. Pollock was recalled from Class AAA Reno on Wednesday to take Kubel’s place on the roster. It is the rookie’s second stint with the team this year — he hit .229 with a home run and four RBI in 48 at-bats from April 18 to May 18, when he was promoted while Chris Young was on the disabled list. Pollock was 10 for his last 30 with two doubles and a homer in his previous stay.

–The D-backs won only two of their 10 series in May, taking two of three games in Kansas City on May 18-20 and two of three from Milwaukee at home May 25-27. They also split two-game series with Colorado and the Los Angeles Dodgers. After sweeping San Francisco on the opening weekend, the D-backs have dropped the next two series between the two.

BY THE NUMBERS: .538 — 1B Paul Goldschmidt’s career batting average against Giants RHP Tim Lincecum in his 13 career at-bats.

QUOTE TO NOTE: “He had better command, more confidence and conviction with his pitches.” — D-backs manager Gibson after on Kennedy’s fifth straight victory over the Giants.

Related Posts:

• D-backs notebook: Kennedy avoids 0-for-May

Jason Motte has already received a public vote of confidence from his manager.

Motte, who played a prominent role in the Cardinals’ run to the 2011 World Series title, never could get former manager Tony La Russa to publicly acknowledge his role as the closer.

La Russa’s intention was to avoid heaping undue pressure on Motte. New St. Louis manager Mike Matheny believes it’s time for the hard-throwing righty to seize the role, and said early in camp that Motte was his closer.

”Jason’s our closer, there’s not a question about that right now,” Matheny said. ”And that’s how we’re setting this up for this spring.”

Matheny said he understood ”why things were handled as they were before,” but he is not going to overlook Motte’s success on the biggest stage.

”You just run off the momentum that happened at the end of that season last year and letting somebody know you have confidence in him,” Matheny said. ”Jason deserved that. You saw a bullpen come together. Why would you come in and do anything differently?”

Knowing the role is secured will not change Motte, not after watching the uncertainty last season. Eight different Cardinals recorded at least one save.

”It really doesn’t change what I do,” Motte said. ”I still have to go out there and get people out. I got to prepare myself the same way.”

The 29-year-old Motte was 5-2 with a 2.25 ERA and nine saves in 2011. He had eight saves in September and followed that with five saves and a 2.19 ERA in the postseason.

The right-hander has the right makeup for the role, Cardinals pitching coach Derek Lilliquist said. He also has closer’s stuff with a cut fastball, four-seamer and sinker.

”Motte’s a unique individual,” Lilliquist said. ”He’s always been a kid that no matter what happened during the course of that day he’d always come to the park the next day and it was like nothing ever happened.”

Motte had 16 holds last season and had a streak from June 23 to Sept. 6 in which he did not allow a run, a span of 26.1 innings.

”When the phone rang the first time and it was the ninth inning, it was like, `OK, here we go,”` Motte said.

Motte, who was converted from a catcher to a pitcher in 2006, had three saves in 184 career appearances prior to last August.

But the biggest moments came in October. For Motte, there was that memorable trip from the bullpen to the mound in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the World Series.

”Walking down the ramp coming out of the bullpen, I did slow down to look around and take it all in a little bit,” Motte said.

Motte pitched a perfect inning against Texas to close out a 6-2 win, touching off a wild celebration.

”It was crazy,” Motte said. ”Looking back on it now, it was ridiculous. I wasn’t really thinking I got to get the last out of the World Series. It was like, `What do I have to do? Make my pitch, let’s go. Next pitch.”’

Related Posts:

• Decision to pull Carpenter backfires for Cards
• Cards show who’s boss, hire Matheny
• Cards name Mike Matheny manager
• Carpenter starting Game 7 for Cards on short rest
• Lohse delivers yet another gem for Cards

The Rangers eliminated another of their arbitration cases on Thursday, signing right fielder Nelson Cruz to a two-year, 16 million contract, according to a major-league source.

Cruz, 31, asked for 7.5 million in arbitration; the Rangers offered 5.5 million. His new deal covers his final two years of arbitration. After that, he is eligible for free agency.

Earlier this week, the Rangers signed shortstop Elvis Andrus to a three-year, 14.4 million contract. Catcherfirst baseman Mike Napoli is their only remaining arbitration case. He asked for 11.5 million. The Rangers offered 8.3 million.

Cruz, 31, batted .263.312.509 with 29 home runs and 87 RBI last season, then hit eight more homers in the postseason, including a record six in the American League Championship Series.

“Nelson is a cornerstone of our team for what really marks the whole turnaround of the franchise. He been part of the winning core, he’s a huge part of that,” assistant general manager Thad Levine said. “He’s been big-time performer in the postseason. He’s part of the personality of this team, he plays the game with a ton of energy, a very dynamic player, true five-tool athlete.”

The deal, negotiated for Cruz by agents Sam and Seth Levinson, came eight days before a scheduled arbitration hearing. It includes another potential 500,000 in performance bonuses and takes him through his final two season of salary-arbitration eligibility.

Cruz and Levine both said there were talks of a longer deal going into his first seasons of potential free agency. They said there could be further conversations, but that the two-year agreement was the best way to settle things at this point.

“This was the priority right now,” Cruz said. “Like I’ve said before, I would like to stay with the Rangers.”

In 33 career playoff games, all over the past two years when the Rangers made their first two World Series appearances, Cruz has hit .270 with 14 homers and 27 RBI.

Cruz is also a .270 career hitter over seven major league seasons and has hit 84 of his 106 career homers over the past three years despite six stays on the disabled list during that span. Most of the DL stints have been because of leg issues, but he said he is feeling good after changes in his offseason routine, including his workouts and diet.

“I’ve been working a lot in the offseason to ensure I stay healthy the whole season,” said Cruz, whose workouts the past month have been at a Miami facility with teammate Mike Napoli and college players preparing for the NFL combine. “It’s definitely different from what I’ve done before. I feel like it’s a better situation and I’m in better shape.”

Cruz missed 29 games last season because of two DL trips caused by a left hamstring strain and a strained right quadriceps muscle.

That was after he missed 51 games with three separate DL stints in 2010 because of problems with both hamstrings. Even though he played only 108 games in 2010, he matched a major league record with five extra-innings homers, three being game-ending shots. In the playoffs that year, he had 13 extra-base hits (six homers), a record for a single postseason.

The Rangers acquired Cruz in a trade deadline deal in July 2006, when he came from Milwaukee with Carlos Lee.

At the end of spring training in 2008, the Rangers put Cruz on waivers. But he cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A Oklahoma, where he had an MVP season in the Pacific Coast League. He rejoined the Rangers for the final six weeks, hitting .330 with seven homers and 26 RBI in 31 games.

Texas, which hasn’t had an arbitration hearing since winning its case against Lee Stevens in 2000, still is in talks with Napoli.

Napoli set career highs by hitting .320 with 30 homers and 75 RBI in 113 games in his first season with Texas, when the catcher made 5.8 million after spending his first five seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. He asked for 11.5 million, and Texas offered 8.3 million.

“Clearly at this juncture, we’re going to turn 100 percent of our attention toward working with Napoli and explore all the alternatives there to avoid going to a hearing if possible,” Levine said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Related Posts:

• Rangers sign Nelson Cruz to two-year deal?
• Napoli signs 1-year deal with Rangers
• Dodgers ink Kershaw to two-year, 19-million deal
• Cardinals close to two-year deal with Furcal
• Rangers sign Lewis to deal for 2013