MLB NOTEBOOK: Sizemore hits 30th HR

Grady Sizemore hit his 30th home run, becoming the second Cleveland player to have at least 30 homers and 30 stolen bases in a season. Joe Carter also accomplished the feat with Cleveland in 1987, when he had 32 homers and 31 steals.

The Cascade High School alum is the first American League player to join the 30-30 club since Alfonso Soriano did it for Texas in 2005. Sizemore, who began the day with 34 stolen bases, led off Monday’s game and hit the second pitch from Detroit’s Armando Galarraga into the visitors’ bullpen at Comerica Park to become the first 30-30 player in the majors this season.

The three-time All-Star added his 31st home run leading off the third inning. It was his fifth multihomer game of the year. With more than a month left in the season, Sizemore has a chance to become the fifth major league player to reach the 40-40 plateau.

BLUE JAYS: Toronto optioned outfielder Kevin Mench to Class AAA Syracuse and sent minor league catcher Robinzon Diaz to Pittsburgh to complete last week’s trade for utilityman Jose Bautista. Toronto will fill the vacant spot on its roster before opening a three-game series at Tampa Bay today. Mench was traded from Texas to Toronto for cash on May 9 and appeared in 42 games with the Blue Jays, batting .253 with nine RBI.

RANGERS: Frank Francisco does not have a career save and is 0-for-6 in save opportunities this season, but he will be Texas’ closer for the remainder of this season. With the Rangers trading closer Eddie Guardado to Minnesota on Monday for minor league right-hander Mark Hamburger, Francisco was moved from the set up role to closer.

TWINS: Eddie Guardado was acquired by Minnesota in a trade with the Texas Rangers for a minor league pitcher. The 37-year-old Guardado was 3-3 with a 3.65 ERA in 49 innings for Texas, which recently made him its closer after an injury to C.J. Wilson. Opponents are batting .220 against the left-hander this season. Guardado has 187 career saves, 116 with Minnesota.

TIGERS: Detroit third baseman Carlos Guillen left the game against the Cleveland Indians because of lower back spasms. The team said Guillen is day-to-day.

WHITE SOX: Chicago activated All-Star Joe Crede from the disabled list and he took over at third base for the completion of a suspended April 28 game against the Baltimore Orioles. After the 4-3, 14-inning loss to the Orioles, Chicago added a fresh arm to its bullpen, recalling right-hander Lance Broadway from Class AAA Charlotte, where he was 11-7 with a 4.66 ERA in 24 games, including 23 starts. In two games with the White Sox this year, Broadway was 1-0 with a 3.18 ERA.

METS: New York pitcher John Maine was put on the 15-day disabled list because of a bone spur in his right shoulder. Shelving Maine allowed New York to activate second baseman Luis Castillo from the DL, two days after the team said he asked for more time to rehabilitate a left hip flexor.

REDS: Johnny Cueto has a strained right elbow and will miss at least one start for Cincinnati. Cueto is 8-12 with a 4.65 ERA in 27 starts.

BONDS: Barry Bonds asked a federal judge to toss out most of the government’s case against him that charges the slugger lied to a federal grand jury about his alleged steroids use. In a filing made in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, lawyers for baseball’s home run king argue that many of the charges stem from ambiguous answers to ambiguous questions posed by prosecutors. Bonds is charged with 14 counts of making false declarations to a grand jury in December 2003 and one count of obstruction of justice. His lawyers on Monday asked a judge to toss out 10 charges. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts and is scheduled for trial on March 2.

HALL OF FAME: Allie Reynolds, Joe Gordon and Vern Stephens are among 10 players whose careers began before 1943 who will be considered by the Hall of Fame’s constituted Veterans Committee when it meets on Dec. 7 . Bill Dahlen, Wes Ferrell, Sherry Magee, Carl Mays, Mickey Vernon, Bucky Walters and Deacon White also will be on the ballot, the Hall said Monday. The 10 finalists were selected by a committee of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America that considered pre-1943 players. A 12-member committee of Hall of Famers, media and historians will vote. Players must appear on 75 percent of the ballots to gain election. Results will be announced Dec. 8 at the winter meetings in Las Vegas, and anyone elected will be inducted July 26.

Associated Press