GLENDALE — The following are updates on the area’s Major League Baseball players.
Freddy Sanchez (Glendale Community College, 1998) infielder, Pittsburgh Pirates: Winning the 2006 National League batting championship last season turned out to the main highlight of Sanchez’s young career.
Now, he’s shown that he can hit home runs.
Through Friday’s road game against the Houston Astros, Sanchez is batting .307 (150 for 489) with nine home runs and 60 runs batted in.
Sanchez’s highest home run total came last year when he hit six.
The 29-year-old Sanchez hit his ninth home run Wednesday to help the Pirates earn an 11-2 road win against the Colorado Rockies. He’s hit safely in eight of his last 11 contests, picking up multiple hits in five of those games.
He collected four hits Wednesday, including two singles and one double.
The two-time All-Star has registered 35 doubles this season.
On Friday, Sanchez went one for seven in Pittsburgh’s 8-3 win against the Astros in 15 innings.
The Pirates (56-71) are in fifth place in the Central Division.
Jason Botts (Glendale Community College, 2000) outfielder/designated hitter, Texas Rangers: The former Vaquero standout continues to struggle since being called up from Triple-A Oklahoma on Aug. 1.
The 27-year-old Botts is batting .216 (16 for 74) with one home run and eight runs batted through Friday’s game against the visiting Seattle Mariners.
Botts did collect three hits and scored a pair of runs to help Texas earn a 30-3 victory against the host Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday in the first game of a doubleheader.
The Rangers became the first team in 110 years to score 30 runs in a game, setting an American League record.
Texas (56-72) is in last place in the Western Division.
Doug Slaten (Glendale Community College, 1999) pitcher, Arizona Diamondbacks: The Diamondbacks (72-57) started a three-game home series Friday against the Chicago Cubs in first place in the National League’s West Division.
In 49 appearances this season, the 27-year-old Slaten is 3-1 with a 2.30 earned-run average.
He’s allowed 11 runs in 31 innings.
Slaten, a left-hander, has struck out 37 and walked 10, in addition to yielding four home runs.
Slaten hasn’t pitched since Sunday, when he worked a scoreless inning in Arizona’s 6-2 road loss to the Atlanta Braves.
