Jose Molina battles through injury
by Chris Towers | CBSSports.com
(1:54 am ET) Rays catcher
Jose Molina went 2 for 4 with a run scored Wednesday against the Blue Jays in his return to the starting lineup. Molina missed three starts with a hamstring injury. He scored the team's second run in a 4-3, 10-inning loss.
Molina has multiple hits in three of his last four games to raise his batting average to .235.
Brett Myers struggles with control in rehab start
by Chris Towers | CBSSports.com
(1:49 am ET) Indians pitcher
Brett Myers made his second rehab start for Double-A Akron Wednesday, as he continues to recover from right elbow soreness.
Myers struggled, allowing three runs in 4 1/3 innings on two hits and four walks. He struck out two, while throwing 74 pitches. He is expected to make at least one more rehab start before potentially being activated from the disabled list.
Padres send Burch Smith down
by Chris Towers | CBSSports.com
(1:32 am ET) After his third straight poor outing, the Padres optioned pitcher
Burch Smith to
Triple-A Tucson Wednesday. A corresponding move will be made Friday prior to the team's next game.
Smith had an 18.41 ERA in three starts, after failing to get out of the second inning for the second time Wednesday against the Cardinals.
Giancarlo Stanton begins swinging
by Chris Towers | CBSSports.com
(1:25 am ET) Marlins outfielder
Giancarlo Stanton took part in batting practice Wednesday for the first time since going on the disabled list. He took swings before the game, but it is not clear how extensive his participation was. He hopes to begin running next week as he continues to recover from a strained hamstring.
Jedd Gyorko continues to heat up
by Chris Towers | CBSSports.com
(1:18 am ET) Padres infielder
Jedd Gyorko continued his strong play Wednesday against the Cardinals with his fifth home run of the season.
Gyorko had a solo homer off Cardinals starting pitcher Tyler Lyons in the seventh inning for the first Padres' run. He added a single and a run scored in the ninth inning of a 5-3 loss. He finished with an RBI and two runs scored, while raising his batting average to .284.
Gyorko is hitting .424 with two home runs and four RBI over the last nine games.
Yadier Molina strings together four singles
by Chris Towers | CBSSports.com
(1:13 am ET) Cardinals catcher
Yadier Molina snapped out of a mini-slump Wednesday against the Padres, going 4 for 5 in a 5-3 win.
Molina hit four singles to left field, one of which accounted for an RBI. He raised his batting average 14 points, to .333, after going 1 for 11 in his previous three games.
Molina is batting .360 in May with six RBI, but he has no home runs in 20 games.
Burch Smith struggles again
by Chris Towers | CBSSports.com
(1:06 am ET) Padres starting pitcher
Burch Smith could not make it out of the second inning Wednesday in his third major-league start.
He surrendered three runs in the first inning on three hits and three walks, then gave up singles to the first two hitters in the second before being pulled. One of those runners would score, leaving Smith with four earned runs on five hits and three walks in one inning.
This is the second time in three starts Smith has been unable to get out of the second inning. He threw 42 pitches as his ERA rose to 18.41. Smith took the loss in the 5-3 defeat.
Smith is not assured another turn in the rotation with how poorly he has pitched, although he is scheduled to start Tuesday against the Mariners.
Tyler Lyons silences Padres in major-league debut
by Chris Towers | CBSSports.com
(12:57 am ET) Recently recalled Cardinals pitcher
Tyler Lyons made his first career start Wednesday at pitcher-friendly Petco Park against the Padres.
He held the Padres to a run on a Jedd Gyorko solo home run in the seventh inning, while scattering four hits and a walk. He struck out four and needed just 81 pitches to finish his seven innings of a 5-3 win.
Lyons' win was the 11th by a Cardinals' rookie pitcher this season. He is expected to make his second start Tuesday against the Royals in Kansas City.
Jason Castro gets three hits
by Chris Towers | CBSSports.com
(12:52 am ET) Astros catcher
Jason Castro raised his batting average nearly 15 points Wednesday with a three-hit effort against the Royals.
Castro went 3 for 4 with an RBI double and a run scored in a 3-1 victory. He is hitting .252 with two multi-hit games in his last four.
J.D. Martinez powers Astros to win
by Chris Towers | CBSSports.com
(12:49 am ET) Astros outfielder
J.D. Martinez continued to turn his season around Wednesday against the Royals, as he hit his fourth home run in a 3-1 win.
Martinez went 2 for 4 with a two-run home run in the first-inning for his second multi-hit game in as many nights. He finished with two RBI and a run scored.
He is batting .255 since being recalled from Triple-A at the beginning of May, with two home runs and seven RBI in 13 games.
