ATLANTA (AP) – Freddie Freeman homered twice to drive in three
runs, and Tommy Hanson combined with two relievers on a four-hitter
as the Atlanta Braves beat the Colorado Rockies 4-1 on Monday
night. Freeman’s two-run shot in the first inning drove in Brian
McCann, who singled with two outs off Ubaldo Jimenez (oo-BAHL’-doh
hih-MEHN’-ehz) (3-8). The rookie first baseman hit his 11th homer
in the eighth off Matt Reynolds. Jimenez was facing the Braves for the first time since throwing a no-hitter at Turner Field on April 17, 2010. It was the first no-hitter in Rockies history. Hanson (10-4) gave up one run on four hits and one walk in seven innings. He had six strikeouts while lowering his ERA to 2.52. He ranks among the league leaders in wins and ERA but wasn’t
selected to the National League All-Star team.
ROCKIES-TULOWITZKI HURT
Troy Tulowitzki leaves game with injury
ATLANTA (AP) – Troy Tulowitzki (too-loh-WIT’-skee) left the
Rockies’ game against the Braves with an apparent leg injury.
Tulowitzki left Monday night’s game after grounding into a
double play to end the fourth inning. He pulled up after crossing
first base and leaned over in apparent discomfort before walking
slowly off the field. The team said after the game that he’d left with tightness in his right quadriceps. Tulowitzki said he felt the tightness about
halfway down the first-base line, and that he’d had problems with
the quadriceps before and didn’t want to risk a more serious
injury. Jonathan Herrera replaced Tulowitzki at shortstop.
ROCKIES-GONZALEZ HURT
Carlos Gonzalez held out, Rockies call up Carlos Garner
ATLANTA (AP) – The Colorado Rockies recalled outfielder Cole
Garner from Triple-A Colorado Springs to provide depth after Carlos
Gonzalez injured his right wrist. Gonzalez was with the Rockies on Monday but was not starting in the opener of a four-game series against the Braves. He has a bruised wrist and says he can’t grip a bat after he ran into the
center-field wall Sunday against Kansas City.
X-rays showed no fracture. Garner was hitting .340 with seven homers and 29 RBIs in 36 games with Colorado Springs. He’d never played in the major
leagues. The Rockies optioned right-hander Clayton Mortensen to Colorado
Springs. He was 2-4 with a 3.86 ERA in 16 games, including six starts,
with the Rockies.
UNDATED (AP) – Two All-Star pitchers will share the mound
tonight in Anaheim, when the Angels host the Tigers.
Detroit’s Justin Verlander has won nine straight decisions to
raise his record to 11-3. His 2.32 ERA is fourth best in the
American League.
Dan Haren gets the ball for the Halos. The veteran right-hander
is 8-5 with a 2.85 ERA.
Detroit begins play 1 1/2 games behind first-place Cleveland in
the Central race. Los Angeles has won three straight and is tied
for the West lead with Texas.
The Indians host the East-leading Yankees, who send 11-game
winner CC Sabathia to the mound to face 8-4 Carlos Carrasco, and
the Rangers entertain the Baltimore Orioles.
The rest of the AL schedule has Boston hosting Toronto, Kansas
City playing the White Sox in Chicago, Minnesota home to Tampa Bay
and Seattle at Oakland.
Albert Pujols (POO’-holz) could be back in the St. Louis
Cardinals’ lineup for tonight’s game against visiting Cincinnati.
The Redbirds slugger will be examined by team doctors today.
Pujols was expected to miss four to six weeks after he was
injured on June 19.
The Cards enter play with a one-game lead over Milwaukee and a
game and a-half up on Milwaukee in the NL Central standings. The
Brewers host Arizona and the Pirates are home to Houston.
East leader Philadelphia is at Florida and West-leading San
Francisco entertains San Diego.
Elsewhere tonight, Washington hosts the Chicago Cubs, Colorado
is at Atlanta and the L.A. Dodgers are home to the New York Mets.
OLYMPICS-LONDON SECURITY
Checking things out in London
LONDON (AP) – British police have begun a yearlong program of
Olympic security tests. They are conducting sweeping searches of
London 2012 venues and practicing defensive counterterrorism
tactics and lockdown techniques.
Security for next year’s games is a massive operation that
includes 11 police departments and up to 12,000 police officers on
duty a day.
British authorities have refused to comment on whether any
specific threat has been made to the London Games.
OLYMPICS-2018 BIDS
Time’s getting short
DURBAN, South Africa (AP) – It’s a frantic final day of
campaigning for the three cities vying for the 2018 Winter
Olympics. They are lobbying for votes in what shapes up as a choice
between the third-time Asian bid from South Korea and the European
challenger from Germany.
The International Olympic Committee will vote by secret ballot
Wednesday, in Durban, South Africa. The Korean resort of
Pyeongchang (pyahng-chang), the Bavarian capital of Munich and the
French lakeside town of Annecy (AN’-eh-see) are the contenders.
Pyeongchang is bidding for a third straight time after close
defeats for the 2010 and 2014 Games and remains the city to beat.
Munich is pushing hard and hopes to become the first city to host
both a Summer and Winter Olympics. Annecy is the outsider.
CYCLING-TOUR DE FRANCE
Fourth Stage today
MUR-DE-BRETAGNE, France (AP) – Thor Hushovd of Norway is wearing
the yellow jersey during today’s rainy fourth stage of the Tour de
France.
Hushovd took the race lead after his Garmin-Cervelo won Sunday’s
team time trial. The world champion held it Monday when teammate
Tyler Farrar of the U.S. won the third stage.
Defending champion Alberto Contador of Spain is in 69th place.
The three-time Tour champ trails his main rival Andy Schleck of
Luxembourg, last year’s runner-up, by 1 minute, 38 seconds.
