PHILADELPHIA -- Add catcher to the Philadelphia Phillies needs this off-season. All-Star Carlos Ruiz was suspended Tuesday for the first 25 games of next season following a positive test for an amphetamine. The 33-year-old catcher had a career year in 2012, hitting .325 with 16 homers and 68 RBIs in 114 games. "I am sincerely regretful for my mistake in taking a prohibited stimulant," Ruiz said in a statement issued by the Major League Baseball Players Association. "I apologize to my teammates, the Phillies organization and the Philadelphia fans. I will serve the imposed 25-game suspension to begin the season and I look forward to returning to the field and working toward bringing a championship back to Philadelphia in 2013." Ruiz will be eligible to participate in spring training, including exhibition games. "The Phillies fully support Major League Baseballs drug program," the team said. "We are disappointed by the news of this violation of the program. We will support Carlos in an appropriate manner and move forward to achieve our goal to play championship-calibre baseball in 2013." Erik Kratz will likely begin the 2013 season as Philadelphias starting catcher while Ruiz serves his suspension. Kratz, a career minor-leaguer, filled in nicely when he finally got a chance after Ruiz went down with a foot injury. Kratz hit .248, but had nine doubles, nine homers and 26 RBIs in only 141 at-bats. Kratz also threw out 45 per cent of base-stealers (15 of 33). Still, losing Ruiz hurts a lineup that struggled mightily last year. Ruiz moved up from his usual No. 8 spot and took over for an injured Ryan Howard as the teams cleanup hitter for a chunk of the season. He batted fifth after Howard returned in July. The Phillies, who finished 81-81 after winning five straight NL East titles, have several holes to fill. Only Howard, Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins are certain regulars. Utley, though, didnt play until late May in 2011 and late June in 2012 because of chronic knee injuries. General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. hopes to add a starting centre fielder, another starting outfielder and a third baseman either through free agency or trades. Now hell also need a backup catcher for Kratz for the first month. Brian Schneider served as the teams primary backup the last three seasons, but only batted .212 in 122 games. The Phillies have two top prospects catching in the minors. Sebastian Valle hit .253 with 17 homers and 58 RBIs in 80 games at Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Tommy Joseph, acquired in the trade that sent Hunter Pence to San Francisco, hit .257 with 11 homers and 48 RBIs for the Giants and Phillies Double-A affiliates. Ruiz became the eighth player suspended this year under the major league testing program, the second for amphetamines following Baltimore shortstop Ryan Adams. The eight suspensions are the most since 2007. This had to be Ruizs second positive test for a stimulant. An initial positive for a stimulant does not trigger a suspension, only that the player must undergo follow-up testing. There have been 102 suspensions this year under the minor league testing program. cheap jerseys . So far this season, Baltimores centre fielder appears to be putting it all together. Jones continued his consistent play with three hits and his 14th home run, Nick Markakis added a two-run homer and the Orioles matched a season high with their fifth straight win, 6-5 over the Washington Nationals on Saturday night. cheap nfl jerseys china . After his 100-meter jump, Gruber pulled away from Wilhelm Denifl of Germany who won the jumping section, and cruised to his third career World Cup victory, covering the 10-kilometre distance in 27 minutes, 29. http://www.chinawholesalejerseysnf... ., won the gold medal Saturday in the womens 100-metre butterfly to open the third and final stop on the Mare Nostrum swimming circuit. [url=http://www.chinawholesalejerseysnfl.com/]nfl jerseys china . Toronto lost two of three games in Milwaukee and is coming off Wednesdays 8-3 setback to the Brewers at Miller Park. The Blue Jays rotation has been hit hard by the injury bug and Joel Carreno was the latest to take the mound. jerseys from china . The Canadiens will see the return of Max Pacioretty tonight, after serving his three game suspension. Rookie Louis Leblanc will make his NHL home debut tonight, after recording his first NHL point on the game winning goal in Los Angeles on Saturday. BALTIMORE -- It would have taken quite a performance for Jason Hammel to improve upon his previous start, so the Baltimore Orioles right-hander happily settled for going deep into the game and earning another victory. Hammel pitched eight innings of five-hit ball and had a career high-tying 10 strikeouts to lead the Orioles past the Washington Nationals 2-1 on Friday night. Coming off a one-hit shutout against Atlanta, Hammel (8-2) allowed an unearned run in improving to 5-0 lifetime against Washington. He didnt top his outing against the Braves, but at least he built on it. "It cant really get much better than that for me," Hammel said of his gem in Atlanta. "Obviously a no-hitter or a perfect game, but that didnt happen. I did basically the same thing, just come at them with two-seamers, aggressive in the zone, make them swing and put it in play." Hammel, who did not issue a walk, has gone 19 straight innings without giving up an earned run. "His outings the last two times out, and really most of the year, have been fun to watch," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "When you have command of that many pitches in your repertoire and you put him and (catcher Matt) Wieters on the same team, you like your chances. And he probably should have had eight shutout innings. He was outstanding." Showalter removed Hammel after 96 pitches, ruining his chance to become the first Oriole to throw two straight complete games since Sidney Ponson in May 2004. "I was surprised I didnt go back out in the ninth," Hammel said. Jim Johnson got three outs for his 21st save. "Hammels leaking a little oil there toward the end," Showalter said. "You feel a lot more confident about turning a game over to someone like (Johnson)." Mark Reynolds homered, and J.J. Hardy contributed offensively and defensively in helping Baltimore end a three-game losing streak. Hammel outpitched Washingtons Ryan Zimmermann (3-6), who allowed two runs and eight hits over seven innings. Zimmerman is 0-2 in his last five starts since May 22. "Hes pitched great, we just havent been scoring for him," Nationals manager Davey Johnson said. "We hit the ball hard today with runners on, got zilch." Baltimore took a 2-1 lead in the fifth on a two-out RBI double by Hardy, who stepped too the plate mired in a 1-for-25 slump.dddddddddddd In the Washington seventh, with two on and two outs, Hardy leaped high to snare Jesus Flores liner to shortstop. "I jumped as high as I could and it just went into my mitt," said Hardy, who made a similar catch on Steve Lombardozzis hard-hit ball in the eighth. Davey Johnson last watched a game in the dugout at Camden Yards in 1997, when he guided the Orioles to the AL East title. He was fired after the season by owner Peter Angelos, and Baltimore hasnt had a winning season since. "Managers are hired to get fired. All the times I was here were fun times for me," Johnson said before the game. "I really enjoyed playing here and learning the game of baseball here. It was fun to come back and manage in the town where I had played in. Played in a bunch of World Series here. My only regret was that I didnt get to manage the team in a World Series here. All my memories of Baltimore and baseball are nothing but great memories." After the start was delayed 61 minutes by the threat of rain, Hammel pitched a perfect first inning and struck out the side in the second around a double by Michael Morse. In the bottom of the second, Reynolds lined a 1-1 fastball into the seats in left to end an 0-for-11 skid. It was one of precious few mistakes by Zimmermann, but it proved costly. I just try to keep the team in it as long as I can and stay out there as long as I can and save the bullpen," he said. "I didnt have my best stuff tonight, but it was good enough to get through seven." Washington tied it in the fifth. Ian Desmond singled, rounded second base and took off for third on a groundout and scored on Reynolds errant throw from first to third. NOTES: The game drew a crowd of 45,891, the fourth sellout of the season at Camden Yards. ... Orioles LF Nolan Reimould will have neck surgery Monday and is likely lost for the season. Hes been on the DL since May 4. ... Orioles RF Nick Markakis (hand) hasnt swung a bat since undergoing surgery three weeks ago, but says he expects to return to action before the All-Star break. .. Edwin Jackson (3-4) starts for Washington on Saturday against the Orioles, who will send rookie Wei-Yin Chen (7-2) to the mound. Chen is 4-0 at home but lost to the Nationals on the road last month. ' ' '