Sports Briefs

Red Sox call up Kapler; Giambi on DL

BOSTON The Boston Red Sox purchased the contract of outfielder Gabe Kapler from Double-A Portland on Saturday and put Jeremy Giambi on the disabled list with left shoulder bursitis.

Kapler was in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Florida Marlins, batting seventh and playing right field.

He went 3-for-6 in two minor league games after being signed Tuesday. He was released by the Colorado Rockies on June 19.

Kapler is a career .270 hitter with 51 homers, 101 doubles, 225 RBIs and 57 stolen bases in parts of six major league seasons with Detroit, Texas and Colorado. He hit .224 with 10 runs, two doubles, four RBIs and two stolen bases in 39 games with the Rockies this season.

Mets send Shinjo to minors, recall Gonzalez

NEW YORK The New York Mets optioned outfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo to Triple-A Norfolk and recalled outfielder Raul Gonzalez between games of a day-night doubleheader Saturday against the New York Yankees.

Shinjo, a solid defensive player, was batting only .193 with one home run and seven RBIs in 114 at-bats this season.

''I know what I have to do down there,'' Shinjo said in a statement read by an interpreter. ''I will do my best to get the results, and I'll be back.''

Mets interim general manager Jim Duquette said the move was made primarily to give Timo Perez a shot at playing regularly in center field.

''It's really going to be up to Timo, what he does with the opportunity and if he takes advantage of it,'' Duquette said.

Gonzalez hit .235 with two homers and seven RBIs in 31 games for the Mets this year before being sent to Norfolk on June 10.

The outfielder was batting .358 with three home runs and 19 RBIs in 32 games at Triple-A. He started the second game of Saturday's two-ballpark doubleheader in center field.

''Raul has played center a little bit,'' Duquette said. ''Since he went down, Raul's really been swinging the bat well.''

Roger Clemens beat the Mets 7-1 for his 301st victory in the opener at Yankee Stadium. The teams then bused over to Shea Stadium with police escorts to play the nightcap at 8:10 p.m.

Womack put on DL, Hillenbrand activated

DETROIT Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Tony Womack was placed on the 15-day disabled list after spraining his right knee in a 7-0 win over Detroit on Saturday night.

Shea Hillenbrand was activated off the DL to take Womack's place. He is expected to arrive in Detroit on Sunday morning. Hillenbrand had an aggravated oblique muscle.

Womack was carried off the field in the sixth inning Saturday night after spraining his right knee.

He fielded a chopper by Detroit's A.J. Hinch near the mound and threw Hinch out at first, then fell to the ground writhing and screaming in pain and grabbed the back of his knee.

The Diamondbacks announced that Womack will return to Phoenix for an MRI on Sunday.

Morel retains WBA title

BAYAMON, Puerto Rico Puerto Rican Eric Morel won a unanimous decision Saturday night over Mexican Isidro Garcia and retained his WBA flyweight championship.

Morel attacked from the opening bell and outclassed an overmatched Garcia, who lost points in the fourth and eighth rounds for low blows.

There were no knockdowns.

Hometown favorite Morel, who remained unbeaten in 33 fights, was cheered loudly throughout the 12 rounds.

Two judges scored the fight 115-111, and the third had it 116-110.

Garcia's record fell to 22-3-2.

Pirates release Kevin Young for second time

PITTSBURGH Kevin Young, once the cornerstone of the Pittsburgh Pirates' rebuilding efforts in the post-Barry Bonds era, was released by the team for the second time in his career Saturday night.

Young, who spent most of 10 seasons in Pittsburgh but never played on a winning team after playing a few games in 1992, was told of the move minutes after the Pirates' 5-4 loss to Colorado.

Fighting back tears as he talked with reporters, Young said he understood the move but promised to land with another team before the season ends.

The Pirates released the 34-year-old first baseman in the final year of his $24 million, four-year contract that, when he signed it, was the richest in club history. Bothered by persistent knee problems, his power numbers declined every season after he signed the deal.

Young, who lost his starting job after the Pirates traded for Randall Simon before this season, was hitting .202 with two homers and seven RBIs in 84 at-bats in 52 games.

General manager Dave Littlefield said the Pirates must start giving more at-bats not only to Simon, who is currently on the disabled list, but younger players Craig Wilson and Carlos Rivera.

''We're trying to get as much production as we can,'' Littlefield said. ''His salary was not a concern. He had some productive years here ... but we're trying to get better every day and we have to make decisions that will make us better right now.''

As the Pirates' senior player, Young was popular in the clubhouse and many of his teammates hugged him as he tried to keep his composure. He promised to call several on Sunday and clearly was moved by their show of support.

Young said his biggest regret is, in 2003, the Pirates are exactly where they were in 1993 trying to rebuild. They haven't had a winning season since winning a third consecutive NL East title in 1992.

''To leave it in the same situation it was in 10 years ago is the most disturbing thing to me,'' he said. ''That's the hardest part.''

Young didn't initially develop into the power-hitting threat the Pirates envisioned when he became their starting first baseman in 1993 and they released him in spring training 1996. After playing that season with Kansas City, he returned to the Pirates and was a major surprise in 1997, hitting .300 with 18 homers and 74 RBIs in 333 at-bats.

He went on to drive in 108 runs in 1998 and 106 in 1999, with a combined 53 homers those two seasons, but his knee problems began in 2000, when his average dropped to .258 with 20 homers and 88 RBIs.

''It's been tough ... to have been a productive player, then (not be) due to injury, it's hard. But it happens.''

Despite his dwindling statistics he hit .232 in 2001 and .246 in 2002 he remained a fan favorite until this season, when he criticized the fans for their lack of support at home. He was booed constantly after that.

Any team that picks up Young would be responsible only for paying him the major league minimum salary the rest of the season, with the Pirates owing the rest.

''I'll be somewhere before the year is over,'' Young said. ''You don't play 10 years in the big leagues and not have something to offer.''