Kuzul

News and notes from around Major League Baseball:

• Johnny Damon was claimed off waivers by the Boston Red Sox yesterday. Damon has a no-trade clause to Boston, so even if both teams can work out a deal, he would ultimately have to approve it. He has been quoted as wanting to stay in Detroit, but a move to Boston would make sense for Damon. He will be entering a pennant race, and he will be returning to a team and a city where he was once loved.  But all signs point to Damon staying in Detroit. “My teammates are making this decision easier by saying they want me to stay.” (ESPN)
• Ivan Nova (Yankees) made his first big league start yesterday, going 5.1 innings, allowing six hits, two earned runs while striking out three. He also the center of a little scuffle, as one of his pitches got very close to Jose Bautista’s head. Both benches cleared, but no punches were thrown.
• Yunel Escobar was thrown out between innings by the home plate umpire, while Escobar was standing at shortstop. Just another case of an umpire being overly sensitive. A professional hitter has the right to disagree with a call.
• Jose Bautista has 40 home runs this season, six coming against the Yankees. He leads the league in both home runs, and home runs against the Yankees.
• The Texas Rangers one hit the Minnesota Twins, carrying a combined no-hitter into the ninth inning. Rich Harden started the game lasting 6.2, while Matt Harrison and Darren O’Day pitched the rest of the seventh and eighth. Neftali Feliz recorded the first out in the ninth, surrendered a walk, and allowed the Twins only hit. The hitter: who else but Joe Mauer.
• The last combined no-hitter was back in 2003, when Roy Oswalt, Peter Munro, Kirk Saarloos, Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel, and Billy Wagner no hit the New York Yankees in Yankee Stadium.
• Buster Olney of ESPN expects the Los Angeles Dodgers to place Manny Ramirez on waivers at some point this week.  He mentions the Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays as potential suitors. Manny does have a no-trade clause, so he would have to approve any trade.