Oswalt Draws Five-Game Suspension

Houston starter Roy Oswalt was suspended for five games Friday for throwing a pitch that hit Chicago’s Alex Gonzalez on Aug. 12.

Bob Watson, baseball’s vice president in charge of discipline, said Oswalt intentionally threw at Gonzalez after Oswalt had been given a warning by umpires.

Oswalt, who also was fined, was to start serving the suspension today. If the Players’ Assn. appeals, the penalty would be delayed until after a hearing before Bob DuPuy, baseball’s chief operating officer.

During the game at Wrigley Field, Oswalt hit Fred McGriff with a pitch in the second inning, then hit Gonzalez in the back with a pitch in the seventh inning.

Oswalt (16-6) defeated the Cubs on Thursday night in Houston, improving to 5-0 with a 1.47 earned-run average in August.

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Fred Wilpon completed his buyout of New York Met co-owner Nelson Doubleday, ending their acrimonious partnership after 16 years.

Wilpon sued Doubleday in July, trying to force a buyout at the price set by an appraiser. Doubleday countered with accusations of misconduct between Commissioner Bud Selig and the appraiser. The sides settled last week.

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Major league baseball will offer video coverage of an entire game on the Internet for the first time Monday, showing the Texas Rangers’ game against the New York Yankees.

The game will be available at www.mlb.com for free, baseball said Friday, but the Internet coverage can’t be accessed in the home television markets of the teams.

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The Cleveland Indians put catcher Einar Diaz, injured when he got stepped on by Oakland’s David Justice on a play at the plate during Thursday night’s 9-3 loss, on the 15-day disabled list.

Diaz got hurt in the second inning when he tried to tag Justice, who accidentally stepped on Diaz’s right hand, then sent him sprawling as he ran across the plate. The Indians said Diaz has a strained right elbow and strained triceps. He also had three spike marks on his hand.