Rangers land pitcher Garza in trade with Cubs
The Texas Rangers finally have Matt Garza in their starting rotation. Texas acquired Garza from the Chicago Cubs in a trade completed Monday, getting a pitcher they had long coveted just more than a week before the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline and several days after it initially appeared that the two teams had a deal in place.
“He’s an extremely talented pitcher that’s had success in the toughest of divisions and the biggest of stages, who’s throwing the ball as well as anybody right now,” Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. “It’s a power repertoire, a little bit of a different look from what we’ve got, and he was available. … He was in our opinion the best guy on the market.”
The 29-year-old right-hander provides a boost to a starting rotation plagued by injuries and a team that slipped three games behind Oakland in the AL West after being swept in a three-game weekend series at home against Baltimore.
Texas sent the Cubs rookie right-hander Justin Grimm, top prospect third baseman Mike Olt and Class-A pitcher C.J. Edwards. There will also be at least one player to be named later, possibly two, depending on who is chosen by Chicago.
“We paid a steep price in talent to acquire Matt, but we did so knowing that we’ve got other guys in the system,” Daniels said. “What it comes down to, ultimately why we got him, beside the desire, is we had the players to do it.”
Atlanta 2, N.Y. Mets 1: Jason Heyward made a diving catch with runners on first and second and two outs in the ninth inning after pinch-hitter Reed Johnson hit a go-ahead single with two outs in a two-run top half, leading the Atlanta Braves to a 2-1, comeback victory over the New York Mets.
Texas 3, N.Y. Yankees 0: Yu Darvish allowed two singles over 6 1-3 scoreless innings in his first start in 16 days, combining with three relievers on a three-hitter as the Texas Rangers beat the New Yankees 3-0.
Tampa Bay 3, Boston 0: Matt Moore pitched a two-hitter for his first career shutout and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 3-0 on to move within a half-game of first place in the AL East.
Ben Zobrist had three hits and James Loney drove in two runs for the Rays, who earned their sixth consecutive victory and won for the 18th time in 20 games.
Seattle manager hospitalized: Mariners manager Eric Wedge suffered a dizzy spell during batting practice, had to be helped into the dugout by team personnel and has been taken to a hospital as a precaution. Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik said Wedge was doing much better and was checked out by team doctors at Safeco Field before Monday’s game against Cleveland. But Zduriencik said the team was being extra cautious and sent Wedge to the hospital for further evaluation.
A-Rod not ready to rejoin Yankees: Alex Rodriguez is not ready to rejoin the New York Yankees.
The team said Rodriguez has a strained left quadriceps and won’t be able to return this week in Texas, as had been planned. Instead, he will remain on the disabled list and go back to Tampa, Fla., “for rest and treatment,” the Yankees said in a statement issued before their game against the Boston Red Sox Sunday night.
“He’s going to be out for a while,” manager Joe Girardi said after the Yankees lost 8-7 in 11 innings. “So we’ll just deal with it and continue to play.”
Puig sued for $12 million: A lawsuit seeking $12 million from Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig says he and his mother lied to Cuban authorities about a plan to smuggle the player out of the country.
The suit filed in Miami by Miguel Angel Corbacho Daudinot lists Puig and his mother Maritza Valdes Gonzalez as defendants. Corbacho Daudinot is serving a seven-year sentence of “prolonged detention and torture,” which he alleges was caused by Puig and Gonzalez saying he was trying to hatch a plan to smuggle Puig out of Cuba.
Corbacho Daudinot was convicted in 2010.