B & G's 7/31/09

Baseballs:

**Lastings Milledge, Pittsburgh Pirates- Lastings had 2 hits tonight against his former team, and he drove in 2 runs, giving him 3 RBIs on the season. Lastings is hitting .214 after a 2-3 evening.

**Kevin Youkilis, Boston Red Sox- Kevin went 3-4 at the plate and hit his 18th Home Run of the season, drove in 2 runs, giving him 61 RBIs. Kevin is hitting .301.

**Wes Helms, Florida Marlins- Wes hit a pinch hit double that drove in 2 key runs in the 8th inning to stretch the Marlins lead to 3 runs. Wes has 20 RBIs and is now hitting .273.

**Chris Iannetta, Colorado Rockies- Chris had a hit, but that hit gave his Rockies the win in the 8th inning, his 12th Home Run of the season. Chris went 1-3 with 2 RBIs and a sacrifice fly, giving him 40 RBIs. Chris is hitting .226 on the season.

**Cleveland Indians- The toughest day for any of the players because their heart and soul, Victor Martinez was traded to the Boston Red Sox for Justin Masterson and 2 prospects. Did they feel sorry for themselves? No, they found a way to win against the first place Detroit Tigers. It's going to be tough to find a leader that Victor was, but for tonight, it's enough to win.

**David Price, Tampa Bay Rays- 7 strong innings, giving up 1 run (1 earned), he walked 2 and struck out 3. David won his 4th game and he now has a 5.10 ERA.

**Mark Reynolds, Arizona Diamondbacks- Mark went 2-3 tonight with a walk, a double and his 29th Home Run of the season. Mark is now hitting .278 with 69 RBIs.

**Jason Schmidt, Los Angeles Dodgers- Jason threw 6 fantastic innings, giving up 1 hit, he did walk 5, but he limited the damage, he struck out 3 too and Jason has a 4.50 ERA.

A.J. Pierzynsky, Chicago White Sox- A.J. went 4-5 with a double and drove in his 30th run of the season, A.J. is now hitting .311.

**Bobby Abreau, L.A. Angels- Bobby finished the game 3-5 and hit his 8th Home Run of the season, driving in 4 runs, giving him 72 RBIs. Bobby is hitting .321.

**Matt Holliday, St. Louis Cardinals- Matt finished the night off at 4-4 and drove in 2 runs, giving him 62 RBIs, Matt is hitting .309 on the year.

**Marlon Byrd, Texas Rangers- Marlon hit his 11th Home Run of the season, a 3 run shot to give the Rangers the lead for good. Marlon now has 51 RBIs and he is hitting .278 after his 1-4 evening.

**Cliff Lee, Philadelphia Phillies- Cliff made a great first impression to the National League and to his new teammates. A complete game, giving up 1 run (1 earned), he walked 2 and struck out 6. Cliff had a no hitter into the 6th inning, and he had 2 hits, including a dobule in the game. Cliff now has a 3.02 ERA and is hitting .222 on the year.

**Rajah Davis, Oakland Athletics- Rajah went 2-3, drove in 2 runs, giving him 20 RBIs. Davis walked 2 times and he is now hitting .275.

**David Eckstein, San Diego Padres- David went 2-3 at the plate, he hit a double and drove in 3 runs, giving him 36 RBIs, and David is now hitting .267.

Goofballs:

**Adam Dunn, Washington Nationals- Struck out 3 times tonight.

**Jeremy Guthrie, Baltimore Orioles- Jeremy had a tough ending to the night, giving up the winning run. He worked 6 2/3 innings, giving up 6 runs (6 earned), he walked 2 and struck out 4. Jeremy now has a 5.37 ERA.

**Carlos Marcol, Chicago Cubs- Gave up 3 runs (3 earned) in 2/3 of an inning, he walked 2 and didn't strike anyone out. Carlos now has a 3.60 ERA, losing his 2nd game.

**David Weathers, Cincinnati Reds- David gave up back to back Home Runs to lose his 3rd game. David threw 1 inning, giving up 2 runs (2 earned), he didn't walk anyone and struck out 1. David now has a 3.46 ERA.

**Casey Fen, Detroit Tigers- Casey came in and couldn't retire an Indians, giving up the losing run. He have up 1 run (1 earned) in 0 innings and now has a 5.40 ERA.


**Sidney Ponson, Kansas City Royals- Sidney was awful, only lasting 4 1/3 innings, giving up 7 runs (7 earned), he walked 3 and struck out 2. Sidney now has a 7.36 ERA and is 1-7 this year.

**Mets Offense- 2 runs on 4 hits tonight, 7 walks and 4 strikeouts. The Mets left 8 men on base, they needed this win tonight.

**Braves Offense- Was shutout tonight, they could only get 3 hits, walked 6 times, struck out 8 and left 10 men on base.

**Alfredo Aceves, New York Yankees- Alfredo gave up 4 runs in the 7th inning to put the game out of reach. So, he did work 1 2/3 innings, giving up 4 runs (4 earned), he walked 2 and didn't strike anyone out. Alfredo now has a 3.54 ERA.

**Bobby Keppel & Jessie Crain, Minnesota Twins- Both pitchers couldn't retire anyone in the 11th inning, Keppel gave up 3 runs (3 earned), he walked 1 and didn't strike anyone out. Keppel lost the game and he now has a 4.58 ERA. Crain gave up 3 runs (3 earned), he walked 1 and didn't strike anyone out. Jessie has a 7.58 ERA.

**Astros Offense- 3 runs on 10 hits tonight, they walked 5 times and struck out 8. The Astros left 11 men on base.

**Jason Vargas, Seattle Mariners- Jason threw 5 innings, giving up 5 runs (5 earned), he walked 1 and struck out 2. Jason lost his 5th game and now has a 4.71 ERA.

**Giants Offense- Had no answers for Cliff tonight, 1 run on just 4 hits, 2 walks and 6 strikeouts.

**Scott Richmond, Toronto Blue Jays- Scott threw 3 innings, giving up 6 runs (4 earned), he walked 3 and struck out 2. Scott now has a 3.97 ERA.

**Braden Looper, Milwaukee Brewers- Braden lasted 5 innings, giving up 6 runs (6 earned), he 1 walk and 3 strikeouts. Braden now has a 7.03 ERA.

Trade Discussions

• D'Backs GM Josh Burns thinks that It'll will be a busy August around the leagues. The D'Backs could be very busy this upcoming month.
  
• The Scott Rolen deal is very shocking with the Reds 9.5 games out of first place.
• Thank god the Roy Halladay saga is over! Wait, Wait, its not over! Expect it to get even bigger this off-season.
• It's great that the White Sox got Jake Peavy, but he's still injured. He's coming of a 2008 season with elbow issues, and 2009 with an ankle problem that is still inured. Peavy is owed $56MM through 2012, or $74MM through 2013 if the Sox exercise his option. "Frankly I am flabbergasted that the White Sox would want to make this deal with him in his physical condition," Axelrod said.

Peavy to the White Sox

Jake Peavy, out of the clear blue, has been traded to the White Sox for the second time. Sources are saying that this time Peavy approved the trade. Aaron Poreda, Clayton Richard, Adam Russell, and Dexter Carter, all pitchers, are going to the Padres in this trade.

More later...

Heath Bell Rumors

We've passed the 4:00 Eastern Trade Deadline, but there are still some trades that could be completed that have not been announced yet. One of them could be Heath Bell, but The Twins talks for Bell are dead according to FOX Sports. We'll see if there are any last minute trades, and if so, I'll pass them along to you.

Reds Acquire Scott Rolen, Trade Hairston

Update 3:00 PM CT The Blue Jays will get Edwin Encarnacion and a minor leaguer in this deal. Rolen is expected to approve the deal.

According to Jon Heyman, the Reds have added third baseman Scott Rolen. The next step is Rolen approving the trade.

In another minor trade, the Yankees have acquired infielder Jerry Hairston Jr. from the Reds.

Will there be any more last minute deals? Stay tuned!

Marlins Closer to Getting Nick Johnson?

3:03 PM CT: Wow a total twist, right after I heard the Johnson was not headed to Miami, we've heard that the Marlins have acquired Nick Johnson from the Nationals for AA pitcher Aaron Thompson.

2:54 PM CT: The Marlins are no longer pursuing Johnson or Heath Bell.

11:29 AM: The Marlins have increased there offer for Nick Johnson, adding another minor leaguer to the package that already includes Ryan Tucker.

11:07 AM:Peter Gammons reports that the Marlins "appear to be moving closer" to acquiring Nick Johnson. We heard earlier that the Fish offered Ryan Tucker to the Nats and had asked them to pay the remaining of his contract (2 million remaining.) With Johnson OBP, he'd be perfect in front of Hanley.

Rockies Looking for Bullpen Help

Update 2:50 CT The Rockies have acquired Joe Beimel from the Nationals. The Nats received 2 minor leaguers.

Update 2:00 PM CT: The Rockeis are still interested in acquiring Nationals lefty Joe Beimel. The Nats asked for Eric Young Jr. in return, but the Rockies quickly said "no thanks" according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com.

The Rockies haven't closed the dooer on their attempts to add Orioles LHP Mark Hendrickson or Nationals lefty Joe Beimel to fill their bullpen need. Both teams have asked for Eric Young Jr. Scott Downs of the Jays is also a possibility according to MLB.com.

Braves Interested in LaRoche

Updated 2:40 PM CT The Red Sox have traded LaRoche to the Braves, Casey Kotchman has been traded to the Bo-Sox in return.

The Boston Red Sox could trade Adam LaRoche if they complete the deal for Victor Martinez. The Braves are interested according to Jon Heyman.

We're less than an hour away...

Adrian Gonzales Rumors

Here's the Latest on Adrian Gonzales:

1:55 PM CT: According to Ken Rosenthal, the Dodgers are making a run at both Gonzalez and Heath Bell. James Loney could go to the Padres in that deal.

12:26 PM: A Jayson Stark source says the asking price for Gonzalez is "astronomical, three times the asking price on Halladay."

12:05 PM: Jon Heyman is reporting that the Red Sox are still in the mix for Gonzales while the Padres asking for Westmoreland and Anderson.

11:35 AM: According to Jonathen Mayo: "I'm hearing odds of Padres dealing Gonzalez are very low at this point."

The Latest: According to Jayson Stark the Red Sox still "have pokers in the fire" on Gonzalez, Martinez, and Roy Halladay. Stark suggest the the Red Sox could use a 3rd team to facilitate one of those deals.

Earlier Today: The Red Sox are in "full pursuit" of Gonzales and could get Heath Bell if they're willing to include phenom Daniel Bard.

Martinez to Boston, other trades, and more

• The Red Sox are close to trading for Indians first baseman/catcher Victor Martinez. Ed Price says the trade is looking good. This might kill the Adrian Gonzalez to Boston talks. Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports that Nick Hagadone and Justin Masterson, both pitchers, are in the deal for Victor.
• Orlando Cabrera was traded to the Twins today. The A's will get SS prospect Tyler Ladenorf, and the Twins will also get cash.
• The Brewers acquired pitcher Claudio Vargas from LA today. In return, catcher Vinny Rottino was sent to the Dodgers.
• The Pirates are most likely done dealing, but not necessarily. They will listen to offers for pitcher like Paul Maholm, Zach Duke, and Matt Capps.
• The Angles and Dodgers are battling for Heath Bell.
• Jayson Stark has heard that the asking price for Adrian Gonzalez is way too high.

80 minutes to the deadline... More on the way!

B & G's 7/30/09

Baseballs:

**Johan Santana, New York Mets- Johan shut down the Rockies in game 1 of the double header. He threw 7 innings, walked 1 and struck out 8. Santana lowered his ERA to 2.96.

**Brad Bergesen, Baltimore Orioles- 7 strong innings, giving up just 1 run (1 earned), he walked 2 and struck out 6. Brad won his 7th game and he has a 3.43 ERA.

**Will Veneble, San Diego Padres- Will finished the day 4-5, including hitting his 2nd Home Run of the season, he drove in 4 runs, giving him 9 RBIs. Will is now hitting .235.

**David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox- Found out the news earlier he had failed a 2003 test, but it didn't matter. He still delivered a winning hit, finishing up 2-3 with a walk and hit his 14th Home Run. David drove in 3 runs, giving him 58 RBIs, and is now hitting .228.

**Yovanni Gallardo, Milawaukee Brewers- 7 strong innings, giving up 3 runs (3 earned), he walked 1 and struck out 11. Yovanni won his 10th game of the season and he has a 3.13 ERA.

**Michael Young, Texas Rangers- Michael finished up 3-4 and hit 2 Home Runs, hitting his 15th and 16th of the season, drove in 2 runs, giving him 47 RBIs and Young is now hitting .326.

**Kosuke Fukodome, Chicago Cubs- Kosuke finished the day perfect, he went 3-3 with 2 walks. He hit a double and a triple plus drove in 4 runs, giving him 35 RBIs. Fukodome is now hitting .274 on the season.

**Dewayne Wise, Chicago White Sox- Delivered the walk off single to drive in his 8th run of the season and help the Sox win the game. Dewayne is now hitting .193.

**Jorge De La Rosa- Winning his 7th game in a row is nice, but winning the 2nd game to avoid being swept in a double header was better. Jorge threw 6 1/3 innings, giving up 2 runs (2 earned), he walked 3 and struck out 5. De La Rosa now has a 4.68 ERA.

**Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves- Brian had a great night at the plate, going 3-5 with his 12th Home Run of the season, driving in 3 runs, giving him 52 on the year. That Home Run gave the Braves a 6-3 lead in the 10th and the lead stayed. McCann is now hitting .303.

**Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers- Kemp finished the night 3-5 and he drove in 3 runs, giving him 59 RBIs. Matt is hitting .316 on the season.

**Pablo Sandival, San Francisco Giants- Pablo finished up 2-4 with 4 RBIs, giving him 63 RBIs and he now has 16 Home Runs. Pablo is now hitting .331.

Goofballs:

**Jason Hammel, Colorado Rockies- Jason just threw 1 1/3 innings, giving up 5 runs (5 earned), he didn't walk anyone and struck out 1. Jason now has a 4.66 and lost for the 6th time.

**Royals Offense- 3 runs on 10 hits, they left 9 men on base and despite scoring 3 runs, they couldn't get the big hit to turn things around.

**Johnny Cueto, Cincinnati Reds- Johnny lasted 5 innings,giving up 6 runs (6 earned), he walked 2 and struck out 3. Johnny now has a 4.06 ERA.

**Craig Breslow, Oakland Athletics- Craig only threw 1/3 of an inning, he gave up the winning runand lost his 5th game. Craig now has a 4.57 ERA.

**Nationals Offense- 3 runs on only 5 hits, they walked 2 times and struck out 13. Had some bad at bats.

**Mariners Offense- 1 run on 3 hits, 2 walks and 10 strikeouts. They might now give up on the rest of the season.

**Russ Ortiz, Houston Astros- Russ was awful, only lasted 2 1/3 innings, giving up 9 runs (9 earned), he walked 2 and struck out 2. Russ was now released from his contract and he finished up with a 5.57 ERA.

**Yankees Offense- 3 Yankees struck out 3 times, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixara, and Nick Swisher. As a collective unit, they struck out 14 times and could only get 6 hits with 2 runs.

**Mets Offense- 2 runs on just 6 hits, 3 walks, and 7 strikeouts. They left 6 men on base and when De La Rosa left the game, the Mets couldn't score on their bullpen either.

**Luis Ayala, Florida Marlins- Luis lost the game, he threw 1 inning, giving up 3 runs (3 earned), he walked 2 and struck out 1. Ayala now has a 4.42 ERA.

**Dennys Reyes, St. Louis Cardinals- Lost the game for the Cards, throwing 1/3 of an inning, giving up 2 runs (2 earned), he walked 1 and struck out 1. Dennys now has a 4.50 ERA.

**Phillies Defense- 4 unearned runs, so errors did hurt them. Pedro Feliz (10th), Chase Utley (8th), and Jayson Werth (3rd) all contributed to the errors.

Victor Martinez Rumors

12:25 PM: Jayson Stark says "The Rays continued to talk with Cleveland about Martinez Friday afternoon, but clubs they've spoken with say they're more focused on "under-the-radar" bullpen arms." They discussed Heath Bell but balked at the Padres asking price.

11:48 AM:Jonathan Mayo reports that the chances of a Victor Martinez trade is 50-50 as of right now.

M's Reject Offers for the King

12:12 PM: Jon Heyman says the Red Sox and Tigers inquired on the King.

11:14 AM:According to ESPN; the M's rejected offers from six different teams involving Felix Hernandez. M's GM Jack Zduriencik admitted he listened, but didn't find anything even worth discussing.

Twins Acquire O-Cap

12:08 PM: Tim Brown reports it was a done deal, with the Twins sending shortstop prospect Tyler Ladenorf to Oakland for Cabrera.

11:56 AM:Susan Slusser kills any trade talk that O-Cap will not be traded. When in-fact Cabrera to the Twins is "very close."

Pirates Done?

The Pirates are probably done, but could possibly deal away pitchers Paul Maholm, Zach Duke, and Matt Capps (not necessarily shopping them.)

Tigers like Luke Scott

Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Tigers may not be done dealing, they "have remained in contact with the Orioles about outfielder Luke Scott." While the Tigers have the prospects to pull it off, the O's are asking for a lot, and hes under team control through 2012.

Tigers Acquire Washburn

The Tigers have acquired M's pitcher Jarrod Washburn for prospects Luke French and Mauricio Robles. Somehow Washburn has managed a 2.64 ERA in 133 innings for the M's, with Washburn as a free agent at seasons end (Type B) look for him to make some change this off-season especially as a Boras client.

MLB Network Updates

The first guest today on the MLB Network Trade Deadline Special was Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.

• Bastian, a Blue Jays writer, says that the closer we get to the deadline, the less likely it is that Roy Halladay will be moved.
• Once the Phillies traded for Lee, Jordan thought the chances of Halladay being moved were much less likely, because the Phillies were the best fit.
• The Blue Jays are looking for major league ready pitching, and a short stop prospect in return for Roy.
• The Rangers were in the mix earlier today, and they are the most likely to get Halladay if he is traded. However, the Red Sox, Yankees, and Dodgers are still there.

Tom Verducci doesn't think the Blue Jays will end up trading Halladay.

More Updates:

• The M's are still not sure if they will trade Jarrod Washburn.
• The Rangers bid for Halladay is over according to Paul Morosi and Rosenthal.
• The Brewers made an offer for Brian Bannister of the Royals yesterday, but the Royals are not motivated to move him.

MLB Corner Deadline Coverage!

Phil and I will have you covered today leading up to the MLB Trade Deadline at 4 PM ET. We'll post ALL rumors that we hear as always! Let's jump right into it today:

• We heard yesterday that the Red Sox and Padres were talking Adrian Gonzalez. According to Mark Feinsand and Bill Madden, the Bo-Sox are in full pursuit of Gonzalez. Boston could also get Heath Bell if they are willing to include pitcher Daniel Bard.
• Jon Heyman thinks Boston prefers Gonzalez to Victor Martinez.
• Ken Rosenthal says that the chances of the Indians trading Martinez are not good.
• The Orioles will keep lefty Mark Hendreson according to Rosenthal.
• Roy Halladay talks are heating up with the Rangers according to some sources. However, Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi says the talks are almost dead about Halladay.
• The Padres wanted Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller from the Marlins for Heath Bell.
• Juan C. Rodrigez says the best thing for Florida might be to bring Carl Pavano back.
• From the great MLB Blog by FOX Sports: The Tigers are trying to improve bon't don't have enough trade bait. They could use a starting pitcher.
• The Angles, Marlins, Red Sox, and Tigers are 4 teams to watch today.

There's plenty more to come, so stay tuned!

Jarrod Washburn to the Yanks?

Jon Heyman is reporting that the M's are interested in some of the Yankees prospects excluding Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Austin Jackson, Austin Romine and Jesus Montero. Could something come about?

Thursday Halladay Rumors

The Latest: Jordan Bastian reports that there is "nothing to" the reports that the Rangers are going hard after Halladay.

Ricciardihttp://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4367359 "not saying definitively" but the GM believes Halladay will remain a Jay.

8:11 PM: The Rangers are willing to take on hallaays contract if they can work out the prospects. The Rangers can create space for Halladay's 15.75 million dollar salary by letting the trio of veterans walk after the season.

The Latest; After false reports, here's whats new: FOX Sports hears that the Rangers have a legitimate chance of trading for Halladay. Rangers have "significant ongoing communications" with the Blue Jays, and money won't be an issue (I thought they had money issues?)

12:21 PM: The Dodges are now in the lead for Halladay with the Rangers in the mix, and the Red Sox calming down.

9:09 AM: Tony Massarotti is reporting that the chances of the Red Sox acquiring Halladay is unlikely since the Red Sox won't amp of there bid for him, theirs also been no contact between the two teams in the last three days.

8:35 AM: Bob Elliott finds it "unlikely" the Halladay will be traded.

Brewers not after arms?

Brewers GM Doug Melvin said that he doesn't expect to make a move for an arm before tomorrow's deadline.

"We're just not a match for anybody right now," Melvin said.

He also thinks the M's will hold on to Jarrod Washburn.

Earlier Notes

With the next 19 hours and 36 minutes and currently 51 seconds (50, 49,48....) it will be hectic, so lets do quick hits:

• Ken Gurnick reports that the Dodgers acquired George Sherrill for Josh Bell and righty Steve Johnson.
• The Astros released pitcher Russ Ortiz.
• Rockies are interested in Nick Johnson as a bench player.
• The Dodgers after acquiring George Sherrill are looking for relievers, as well as the Angels. The Dodgers could be interested in David Weathers, Matt Capps, Arthur Rhodes and Jason Frasor. While the Angels have eyed Heath Bell and Chad Qualls.
• According to Buster Olney teams are inquiring on righty Brian Bannister of the Royals. Olney also mentiosn that Willie Bloomquist is also drawing interest.
• The Mets are buyers, but they don't want to give up prospects (that's hard).
• The Braves granted righty Jeff Bennett his release after asking for it.
• Giants seem done dealing, for now!
  

Marlins "Making Strong" Push for Johnson?

According to Ken Rosenthal the Marlins are making a "strong push" for Nationals first baseman Nick Johnson. They're still discussing players, suck as Aaron Thompson and Ryan Tucker of the fish.

Cubs Acquire Grabow, Gorzelanny

The Cubs have sent pitchers Kevin Hart (who won today for the Cubs, giving up 3 runs in 6 innings of work), Jose Ascanio, and third baseman Josh Harrison to the Pirates for John Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny. Tom Gorzelanny will head to Triple A Iowa.

Thursday Afternoon Updates

Here's the latest:

• Jarrod Washburn of the Mariners has been involved in some rumors today. The Yankees are in the mix, but the Brewers are no longer interested. Jon Heyman says the Yanks are indeed the favorite to land Washburn.
• According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pirates and Cubs are close to finalizing a deal that would send both John Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny to Chicago. Lots of sources are saying that a deal that sends Grabow to the Cubs in on the horizon.
• The Dodgers acquired Orioles closer George Sherrill in the big trade of today. Josh bell and Steve Johnson went to the O's in that trade.
• The Blue Jays are talking Scott Rolen with the Reds. The Jays would get Edwin Encarnacion if this deal does get done according to CBS Sports.
• The Marlins are in series talks for Heath Bell, the Padres closer.
• The Texas Rangers aren't in on Bell or Matt Capps according to Ken Rosental of FOX.
• The Astros are looking for pitching after Roy Oswalt went down.
• All is quiet on the Kevin Kouzmanoff front.
• The Cubs are looking to add a backup outfielder in addition to the reliever.

The Major League Baseball Trade Deadline is tomorrow at 4 ET, and we'll have you covered all the way up to the deadline here at the MLB Corner!

Cubs Want a Bat? Reliever?

11:59 AM: Jayson Stark is reporting that the Cubs are "strictly mining the lefthanded reliever market" and not looking for a bat.

10:51 AM: According to Ken Rosenthal the Cubs prefer John Grabow of the Buc's over Joe Biemal of the Nat's. He mentions that the Cubs will stay in-house for Reed Johnson's replacement, Sam Fuld? Grabow is a type A free agent, so the Bucs would probably want two decent prospects.

9:00 AM:According to Gordon Wittenmyer; the Cubs are looking for a left-handed hitter who can play right field, with guys like Mark Teahen of the Royals and Jeremy Hermida of the Marlins on their radar. Gordon says the Cubs have abut 2-3 Million dollars to spend. The good news is that the Cubs can get one of these players and still get a reliever to be under that 3 million dollar mark. Teahen has approximately $1.37MM left on his contract while Hermida has $847K remaining.

Victor Martinez Rumors

One of the best remaining players on the trading block is Victor Martinez catcher/first baseman of the Indians. While the Red Sox and Rays had initial interest, the Rays seem don't seem anxious with Cliff Lee out of the picture. Ken Rosenthal is reporting that "other, unidentified teams are believed to be interested in Martinez as well."

Blue Jays Rumors

Bob Elliott is reporting that the Twins are still interested in Jays shortstop Marco Scutaro, especially with Freddy Sanchez already traded. Elliott mentions that the Reds "met last night to decide to come up with a package to land third baseman Scott Rolen."

B & G's 7/29/09

Baseballs:

**Randy Wells, Chicago Cubs- Randy threw 8 strong innings, not giving up a run, walking 2 and struck out 1. Randy won his 7Th game of the season and now has a 2.84 ERA.

**Howie Kendrick, LA Angels- Howie had a great day, he went 3-4 and hit his 6Th Home Run of the season, drove in 5 runs, giving him 36 RBIs. Howie is hitting .267.

**Jose Lopez, Seattle Mariners- Jose went 3-4 at the plate with a double and a Home Run, his 13Th of the season. Lopez drove in 1 run, giving him 53 RBIs and he is hitting .266.

**Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants- Matt threw 9 shutout innings and didn't get the win, but his team did, and that is all that matters. Matt walked 2 and struck out 4. Cain now has a 2.12 ERA.

**Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles- Adam went 2-5, drove in 3 runs and hit his 17Th Home Run of the year. He now has 59 RBIs and is hitting .298 on the season.

**Josh Johnson, Florida Marlins- He doesn't get a baseball because of his pitching, he did fine there too (6 IP, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K), but he gets one because of his bat. Josh hit a 3 run Home Runs, his 2Nd shot of the year, with 3 RBIs, he now has 8 and is hitting .150. Oh yeah, Josh also has a 2.87 ERA.

**Joba Chamberlain, New York Yankees- Joba was superb tonight, throwing 8 shutout innings, he walked 2 and struck out 5. Joba has a 3.58 ERA and earned his 7Th win.

**Adam Kennedy, Oakland Athletics- Adam picked right up where he left off last night, he started the 1st inning with a Home Run, his 8Th of the season and he now has 38 RBIs. After his 2-5 evening, Adam is hitting .296.

**Mat Latos, San Diego Padres- Mat threw 7 fantastic innings, just giving up 1 run (1 earned) on 1 hit, he walked 1 and struck out 4. Mat now has a 2.70 ERA, winning his 2Nd game of the season.

**Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers- 7 strong innings, but he struck out a career high 13 men. His offense wasn't too bad either, giving him 13 runs to work with. Justin gave up 4 runs (3 earned), he didn't walk anyone either. Justin won his 12Th game of the season and he now has a 3.16 ERA.

**Alexi Casilla, Minnesota Twins- His 2 RBIs hurt the White Sox, especially the one that drove in the winning run in the 6Th inning. Casilla went 2-3 and with those 2 RBIs, he now has 8 and is now hitting .171.

**Casey McGehee, Milwaukee Brewers- Casey hit a pinch hit Home Run, giving the Brewers the lead for good. Casey now has 8 Home Runs, 33 RBIs and is now hitting .316.

**Justin Upton, Arizona Diamondbacks- Justin went 3-4 and hit his 19Th Home Run of the season, he drove in 3 runs, giving him 63 RBIs. Justin is now hitting .301 on the season.

**Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals- Albert drove in the walk off run in the 15Th inning. Albert finished up 3-7 with a double and he now has 92 RBIs and now is hitting .323.

Goofballs:

**Mike Hampton, Houston Astros- Mike gave up 6 runs in the 1st inning, and he was more or less done. He did work 3 more innings, but at the end of the day, 9 runs (9 earned) in just 4 innings. Mike walked 4 and struck out 1. He now has a 5.68 ERA.

**Aaron Laffey, Cleveland Indians- Aaron has to pitch better than this, but today he was awful. He worked 4 innings, giving up 7 runs (6 earned), he walked 2 and struck out 2. Aaron now has a 4.40 ERA.

**Blue Jays Offense- 2 runs on just 3 hits today, not giving much offense for Roy Halladay. They walked 1 time and struck out 7.

**Pirates Offense- The offense could just gather 3 hits, while being shutout for 10 innings. They walked 2 times and struck out 6, leaving 5 men on base.

**Royals Bullpen- The Royals had a 3-2 lead for Zack Greinke, but the bullpen blew the lead, they gave up 5 runs in 2 innings. The combination of Robinson Tejada (2 ER) in 0 innings, John Bale (1 ER) in 1/3 of an inning, and Juan Cruz (2 ER) in 1 1/3 innings. Tejada, who lost the game now has a 6.31 ERA, Bale has a 6.16 ERA, and Cruz with a 6.54 ERA.

**Kenshin Kawakami, Atlanta Braves- Kenshin wasn't good tonight, he threw 4 2/3 innings, giving up 6 runs (6 earned), 3 Home Runs didn't help either. He walked 3 and struck out 4. Kenshin now has a 4.37 ERA and lost his 8Th game.

**Rays Offense- Tonight they had no answers against Joba, 2 runs, 6 hits, 3 walks and 7 strikeouts. They left 6 men on base too.

**Brad Penny, Boston Red Sox- Brad didn't do his team any favors, putting a 5 spot in the 1st inning. He lasted 5 innings, giving up 7 runs (7 earned), he walked 4 and struck out 3. Brad now has a 5.07 ERA.

**Reds Offense- Yes, Adam Harang was bad, but the Reds offense was worst. 1 run on 1 hit. They walked 2 times and struck out 4.

**Rangers Offense- Yes, Scott Feldman had a rough night, but so did the Rangers offense, 18 strikeouts as a team.

**White Sox Offense- 2 runs on only 6 hits tonight, they walked 2 times and struck out 4. Had nothing after the 6Th inning when the Twins scored the winning run.

**Tyler Clippard, Washington Nationals- Blew the save opportunity, throwing 1 1/3 innings, giving up 2 runs (2 earned), he walked 2 and struck out 1. Tyler now has a 2.70 ERA.

**Phillies Offense- Maybe they were just so excited that Cliff Lee was coming aboard they forgot they had a game? Okay a bit of a stretch, I know, but 0 runs, 7 hits, 2 walks, and 12 strikeouts. That can happen sometimes.

**Dodgers Offense- 2 runs 13 hits, they had 7 walks, and 13 strikeouts. They had chances to drive in winning runs, but they eventually made the 3rd out before anyone else could.

Teams After Bell

According to Ken Rosenthal, 10 to 15 teams are hot after heath bell, and the frontrunner is the Marlins. The Padres are asking for the Marlins top pitching prospects in Andrew Miller and Sean West if a deal were to happen.

Dodgers Rumors

UPDATE: Nothing to do with George Sherrill.
--------------------
Ken Gurnick reports that the Dodgers pitching-prospect Scott Elbert was scratched for his start in Albuquerque. Barring any injury hes either been dealt or called up. George Sherrill to the Dodgers?

Rangers Ready?

Ron Washington talked to T.R. Sullivan and to him apparently the team is "ready to buy."

"We'll make a deal," Washington said. "I don't know who we'll make a deal with, but we'll probably do something."

Phillies Acquired Lee

6:05 PM: According to a press release the deal is now official that sends Cliff Lee and Ben Francisco to the Phils for Jason Knapp, Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald and Lou Marson.

1:00 PM: Rosenthal adds that their will be no cash involved. Remember its not yet official.

12:42 PM: Ken Rosenthal is breaking the news of the Phillies acquiring Cliff Lee and Ben Francisco in exchange for Jason Knapp, Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald, and Lou Marson. Medical procedures will be done to complete the deal.

12:38 PM: According to Todd Zolecki; right-handed outfielder Ben Francisco would also go to Philly in a deal.

12:28 PM: Joel Sherman is now reporting that the two sides are "very close" to completing a deal.

12:03 PM: Gordon Edes is reporting that the Phillies appear to be "on the verge" of acquiring Cliff Lee from the Indians for Carrasco, Knapp, and at least two of either Donald, Marson, and Michael Taylor.

11:36 AM: Rob Maadi is reporting hat the Phils offered the Indians a package of players for Cliff Lee, but that did not include Kyle Drabek in the proposal.

11:09 AM: According to Ken Rosenthal; the Phillies are discussing a trade for Cliff Lee (and possibly another player) for Knapp, Carrasco, Jason Donald and Lou Marson. Did not offer Drabek.

10:53 AM:According to Buster Olney; the Phillies may try to acquire George Sherrill If they can't trade for Halladay or Lee.

Gaints Acqurie Freddy Sanchez

The Pirates traded Freddy Sanchez to the Giants for AA pitcher Tim Alderson. The deal is great for the Pirates when in fact they were looking for a salary dump, and got the Giants number 4 prospect.

The Latest!

Here's the latest Rumors on this Wednesday:

• The Pirates, who traded Wilson and Snell today, are still busy. They have talked to the Giants and Twins about Freddy Sanchez, who is considered day-to-day with a knee injury right now.
• The Blue Jays are looking to trade Lyle Overbay according to FOX Sports.com.
• The Rays are no longer pursuing Roy Halladay.
• The Reds acquired outfielder Wladimar Balentien from the Mariners for RHP Rober Manuel in a minor deal today.
• Adrian Gonzalez is most likely staying put according to Padres CEO Jeff Moorad.
• With Cliff Lee traded to the Phillies today, Roy Halladay could gain more interest from other teams that are looking to add an ace. Halladay would consider the Rangers according to MLB sources.
• The Giants have added Ryan Garko, and could look to add more bats including Freddy Sanchez of the Pirates, or Josh Willingham of the Nationals.
• As I mentioned in the first bullet, the Pirates sent Jack Wilson and Ian Snell to the M's today for SS Ronny Cedeno, C Jeff Clement, and 3 minor league pitchers.

That's it for now, but there's much more to come!

Wednesday Roy Halladay rumors

Halladay Rumors:

1:32 PM: Ken Rosenthal hears that Hallady may accept a deal to the Rangers but would definitely accept deals to Boston, the Dodgers, the Angels or the Yankees.

12:37 PM: Ed Price is reporting that the Phillies are doing "nothing" with the Blue Jays right now.

11:54 AM: Rosenthal points out that the Blue Jays would lose leverage if the Phils acquire Cliff Lee. The Jays would then have to accept an offer from Boston or consider other proposals. The Yanks, Rangers, and Dodgers are still "on the periphery" of the Halladay talks.

10:23 AM: Todd Zolecki reports that Marson and Donald were scheduled to get the day off. While Carrasco's absence from the game has nothing to do with Halladay.

10:05 AM: Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald, and Lou Marson are not in the lineup for the Phillies' Triple-A team today. Carlos Carrasco was expected to start but Michael Taylor is batting fifth this afternoon. So is all of this coincidence? Maybe, but we'll see.

Pirates Acquire Jeff Clement

11:43 AM: The Mariners acquire Wilson and Ian Snell for Clement, Ronny Cedeno, Aaron Pribanic, Brett Lorin and Nathan Adcock.

11:41 AM: Mariners acquire Jack Wilson in the deal.

11:40 AM:According to Ed Price; the Pirates are getting Jeff Clement from the Mariners along with other minor leaguers.

More details to come.....

B & G's 7/28/09

Baseballs:

**Ross Gload, Florida Marlins- Gave his team a lift with a walk off Home Run, his 4Th Home Run of the season, a 2 run shot, giving him 18 RBIs. Ross is now hitting .276.

**Kevin Kouzmanoff, San Diego Padres- Kevin went 2-3 with 2 doubles and 2 RBIs, giving him 56 RBIs on the season. Kevin is now hitting .247.

**Willie Bloomquist, Kansas City Royals- Willie went 3-5, scored 2 runs and he drove in his 20Th run with his 3rd Home Run of the season. Bloomquist is hitting .276.

**Mike Pelfrey, New York Mets- Mike threw 6 1/3 innings, did not give up any runs, he walked 3 and struck out 5. Mike won his 8Th game of the year and he now has a 4.72 ERA.

**Scott Kazmir, Tampa Bay Rays- Scott shut down the Yankees offense for 7 innings, giving up 1 run (1 earned), he walked 1 and struck out 4. Scott now has a 6.22 ERA.

**Adam Kennedy, Oakland Athletics- Adam went 5-7 at the plate with a double and he drove in 3 runs, giving him 37 RBIs. Adam is now hitting .295 on the season.

**Miguel Tejada, Houston Astros- Miguel went 2-4 and drove in 5 runs, giving him 60 RBIs. Miguel hit his 9Th Home Run and he is now hitting .328.

**Colin Balester, Washington Nationals- Came in and threw 6 solid innings, giving up 2 runs (2 earned), he didn't walk anyone and struck out 3. Colin won his 1st game of the year and he now has a 4.00 ERA.

**Elvis Andrus, Texas Rangers- Elvis went 3-4, including hitting his 4Th Home Run of the year, he drove in 2 runs, giving him 19 RBIs. Elvis is now hitting .263.

**Adam Wainwright, St. Louis Cardinals- 8 shutout innings, giving up 8 hits. He walked 1 and struck out 5. Adam won his 12Th game and he now has a 2.80 ERA.

**Nick Plunto, Minnesota Twins- Nick had the big hit that eventually ended Mark Buehrle's night, he drove in 2 runs, giving him 23 RBIs. Nick is hitting .211 after a 1-3 evening.

**Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies- Cole threw 8 fantastic innings, giving up 1 run (1 earned), he didn't walk anyone and struck out 9. Cole won his 7Th game and he now has a 4.42 ERA.

**Eugenio Valez, San Francisco Giants- Eugenio finished the night 2-3 with a walk and hit his 1st Home Run of the season, giving him 2 RBIs on the year. Valez is now hitting .238.

**Gary Matthews, Jr, L.A. Angels- Gary got the big hit, driving in 3 runs in the 8Th inning giving the Angels a much needed win. Gary finished the night 2-4 with 2 doubles and he now has 35 RBIs. Gary is now hitting .238.

**Ichiro, Seattle Mariners- Ichiro finished the night 3-4 with a walk and he drove in his 26Th run, a walk off single to win the game. Seattle needed this win since they have been sliding lately. Ichiro is now hitting .366 on the year.

Goofballs:

**Rafael Soriano, Atlanta Braves- Rafael blew the save, giving up that 2 run shot to Gload, he worked 1/3 of an inning, giving up 2 runs (2 earned), he walked 1 and didn't strike anyone out. Rafael now has a 1.91 ERA.

**Reds Offense- Just 2 runs on 6 hits, 2 walks and 12 strikeouts. The Reds have lost their 13Th game in their last 17 games.

**Orioles Offense- Leaving 11 men on base, 3 runs, 11 hits, 4 walks, and 5 strikeouts. No clutch hitting, or else the outcome could have been different.

**Rockies Offense- Got shut out and only delivered 7 hits, just 2 doubles, 3 walks and 8 strikeouts. They had no answers for Pelfrey or the Mets.

**C.C. Sabathia, New York Yankees- C.C. was rocked a bit, he only lasted 5 2/3 innings, giving up 6 runs (5 earned), he walked 2 and struck out 6. C.C. lost for the 7Th time and he now has a 3.83 ERA.

**Jonathan Papelbon, Boston Red Sox- Blew his 3rd save opportunity, he threw an inning, giving up 3 runs (2 earned), he walked 1 and struck out 1. Papelbon had a no decision and he has a 2.09 ERA.

**Cubs Offense- The Astros silenced the Cubs bats, they scored 6 runs and just connected on 5 hits, they walked 6 and struck out 10.

**Tim Dillard, Milwaukee Brewers- Tim gave up 3 runs (3 earned) in the 8Th inning, throwing 4 innings, what hurt him was 5 walks and 1 strikeout. Tim raised his ERA to 6.75.

**Tigers Defense- 3 errors were the key as 2 unearned runs scored. Miguel Cabrera (6Th), Adam Everett (10Th), and Ramon Santiago (5Th) all contributed.

**Chad Billingsley, Los Angeles Dodgers- Chad threw 5 scoreless innings, but gave up 6 runs in the 6Th. He gave up 6 runs (6 earned) in 5 2/3 innings, he walked 6 and struck out 5. Chad lost for the 6Th time and has a 3.96 ERA.

**White Sox Offense- 3 runs on 7 hits, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts. I can't give the goofball to Mark Buerhle because he retired the first 17 hitters he faced, which means he breaks the record for the most consecutive betters with 45. Just amazing, it's ashame the offense couldn't give him more runs to work with.

**Diamondbacks Offense- 3 runs, 5 hits, 1 walk, and 10 strikeouts. Couldn't get the big hit to give them runs except in the 9Th inning.

**Pirates Offense- 2 runs on 10 hits, 3 walks and 10 strikeouts. The Pirates couldn't get the big clutch hit, they left 11 men on base.

**Tony Sipp, Cleveland Indians- Came in and gave up the double to Matthews, Jr. He finished up with 1/3 of an inning, giving up 2 runs (2 earned), he walked 2 and didn't strike anyone out. Tony now has a 4.11 ERA.

**Scott Downs, Toronto Blue Jays- Lost his 3rd game and gave up the walk off single. Scott gave up 1 run 91 earned) in 2/3 of an inning and he now has a 3.18 ERA.

More Interest in Davis, Garland

Ken Rosenthal reports that Diamondback starters Doug Davis and Jon Garland have gain a slight amount of interest. The team still wants to move both players before the deadline.

Brewers not after Washburn

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Brewers are NOT seriously discussing Jarrod Washburn. Since losing 16 of 23 the Brewers are reluctant to give up prospects.

Josh Fields asks to be Traded

According to Joe Cowley Josh Fields has asked to be traded. He did have a productive talk with GM Kenny Williams, but still want to be traded. It worked for Brian Anderson, maybe it will work for him to.

Cliff Lee Rumors

10:42 PM: According to Todd Zolecki; the Phillies' leanings toward Lee over Halladay. Kyle Kendrick is a potential target for the Tribe.

4:50 PM: Phillies and Indians are doing extensive background work on minor leaguers to prepare for a possible Cliff Lee trade. Kyle Drabek interests the Tribe, but other Phils prospects could sway over Drabek (as you knw the Phils don't want to trade him.)

10:55 PM:Ken Rosenthal hears that there's a 25-50% chance the Indians trade Cliff Lee. The Phillies, Dodgers, Angels, Rays and Rangers are among the teams pursuing Lee.

Dodgers to go After Sherrill?

According to Gordon Edes; the Dodgers may be shifting gears from Cliff Lee to George Sherrill of the O's. Edes suggest that the Dodgers could package Elbert as well as third baseman Blake DeWitt to fill in needs for them O's. He also mentions that the Phillies are a player for Sherrill.

Tuesday Halladay Rumors

Tuesday Halladay Rumors:

9:11 PM: Gordon Edes reports that It appears the Red Sox have juiced up their efforts to obtain Halladay, and they're willing to include Buchholz, one of either Lars Anderson, Justin Masterson or Michael Bowden, and lesser prospects to fill out the rest of the offer.

6:44 PM: According to T.R. Sullivan he Rangers are reluctant to part with their top prospects for Halladay. The Blue Jays reportedly asked for the big whoppers in Derek Holland, Justin Smoak and Julio Borbon.

5:02 PM: Keith Law reports that the Red Sox have no intention of including Westmoreland in any deal.

4:40 PM: According to Jayson Stark; the Blue Jay scouts that watch Kyle Drabek pitch will also watch shortstop Jason Donald as he comes off the DL.

3:58 PM: Dan Roche head the Red Sox did not offer Buchholz, Bowden and Westmoreland for Halladay.

1:56 PM: Gordon Edes reports the Red Sox have offered Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden and Ryan Westmoreland to the Blue Jays for Halladay. Edes says Daniel Bard and Casey Kelly "have been declared off-limits by the Red Sox.

1:30 PM: The company that owns the Jays want to cut cost, even though the GM has said we don't need to trade Halladay.

12:53 PM: Joel Sherman says the Rangers turned down an offer from the Rays about Scott Kazmir. While The Jays want three of the Rangers' best prospects, for Halladay. GM Jon Daniels is unwilling to give the prospects, and take on that much salary.

10:55 AM: Jeff Blair says top Blue Jays people are deciding whether to trade Halladay. It's not just Ricciardi's (GM) decision. Interesting!

10:07 AM: Joel Sherman reports that the Jays consider Happ a middle-to-back-of-the-rotation starter. They still would want Happ, but may relent if the Phillies give up Drabek. The Phillies remain favorites to add Roy Halladay, but the Red Sox and Rangers could still acquire him.

Mariners Sellers?

8:30 PM: The Brewers and Mariners have talked about Washburn. As well as scouts from the Phillies, Rangers, Yankees and Brewers are all checking out Washburn's start tonight; writes Ken Rosenthal.

6:06 PM: Ken Rosenthal reports that Washburn is "officially available," in-which they informed the Yanks and expect an offer soon.

12:27 PM:According to Ken Rosenthal; the M's are shifting to seller mode. Jarrod Washburn has
already been made available, as Mark Lowe, Sean White and Brandon Morrow could be pried away.

Braves Want a Reliever

8:12 PM: Rosenthal now thinks the Braves may be backing off their hunt for a reliever. Reason? Tim Hudson is on the verge of returning, and may be put in the bullpen to lighten the load.

10:24 AM: According to Ken Rosenthal the Braves would still like to add a reliever. Atlanta did talk to the A's about Michael Wuertz and the club is also in hot pursuit of an under-the-radar arm.

Rangers Searching for Starters

T.R. Sullivan reports that the recent health issues with Vicente Padilla and Kevin Millwood have the Rangers "scrambling" to add a starting pitcher before the Friday's deadline. The Rangers are also in the mix for Halladay, even though they don't like the Jays asking price. It has also been made public that the Rangers have had recent financial troubles.

Padres to Deal Bell?

Jon Heyman reports; that the Padres are listening to offers on reliever Heath Bell. The price may be overwhelming to other teams though, but if you want him, your gonna have to break the farm.

Cards to go After Relievers?

According to Joe Strauss the Cardinals are in hot pursuit of right-handed relievers. It's been said that they tried to acquire (former Cardinal) Russ Springer, but said forget about it when the A's asked for another prospect. The Cards definitely have bullpen problems.

Sanchez and Wilson to be Dealt

5:35 PM: Dejan Kovacevic reports that "primary" talks about Sanchez have been with the Giants, and they "were believed to have intensified last night." But Kovacevic says the Twins are also in the mix as well.

3:28 PM: The Pirates will only trade Sanchez and Wilson if a good deal comes across; writes Dejan Kovacevic.

1:33 PM:According to Jayson Stark; the Pirates intend on dealing Freddy Sanchez and Jack Wilson before this Friday's deadline. The Giants could be suitors for Sanchez and the Red Sox have considered Wilson in the past.

Red Sox Block Buster with Indians

4:30 PM: According to Ken Rosenthal; the Rays could be shying away from a blockbuster deal. They're 5.0 games behind (the favorite) Boston in the Wild Card race, so their next few games against the Yankees could determine the team's direction. They could be sellers?

12:58 PM: The Rays have tried to shop Kasmir with the Mets and Rangers, while the Rangers turned the offer off, with the Mets only having had initial interest. The Rays would consider dealing Kazmir, Carlos Pena and even Carl Crawford to free up enough salary to make a blockbuster deal for Martinez and Lee. WOW!

11:25 AM:According to Ken Rosenthal; the Red Sox, Rays are still interested in trading for both Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez. The thought has been considered in Cleveland but is considered very unlikely due to the magnitude of prospects required. While the Red Sox could pull it off, the Rays wouldn't have the payroll space.

Red Sox Aquire Brian Anderson

The Red Sox have traded Mark Kotsay and cash to the White Sox for outfielder Brian Anderson. Anderson will report to Triple-A Pawtucket.

Dan haren WILL NOT be Traded

According to Ken Rosenthal; the Diamondbacks ace Dan Haren will not be traded. As a D'Back official said "We're not trading him. We don't want to change our core."

Reds Still in on Rolen

Jon Paul Morosi reports that the Reds "haven't ruled out" a trade for Scott Rolen, but must wait to see what the Jays do with Roy Halladay first.

B & G's 7/27/09

Baseballs:

**Jonny Gomes- Jonny hit 2 Home Runs tonight, giving him 10 on the season. They were both solo shots, and with the 2 runs he now has 23 RBIs. Gomes went 2-3 with a walk and he is now hitting .294 on the season.

**Nick Swisher, New York Yankees- Nick hit 2 Home Runs, his 15Th and 16Th, drove in 3 runs going 2-5. Nick now has 53 RBIs and is hitting .237.

**Billy Butler, Kansas City Royals- Billy went 5-5 at the plate with 2 doubles and he drove in 3 runs. Billy now has 45 RBIs and a .295 average.

**Chris Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals- Chris threw 7 solid innings, giving up 1 run (1 earned), he walked 2 and struck out 2. Chris now has a 2.19 ERA, and finished July at 4-0.

**Josh Beckett, Boston Red Sox- Josh won a Major League leading 12Th win tonight, by throwing 7 innings, giving up 3 runs (3 earned), he walked 1 and struck out 10. Josh was awesome tonight and he now has a 3.44 ERA.

**Fernando Tatis, New York Mets- Gave the Mets a lift by hitting a grand slam, his 5Th Home Run of the season, drove in 4 runs, giving him 24 RBIs. Tatis is now hitting .243.

**Tommy Hunter, Texas Rangers- Tommy threw 7 dominating innings, giving up 1 run (1 earned), he walked 2 and struck out 6. Tommy won his 3rd game of the season and now has a 2.00 ERA.

**Glen Perkins, Minnesota Twins- Glen gave the Twins some quality innings, throwing 7 innings, giving up 3 runs (3 earned), he walked 1 and struck out 3. Glen won his 6Th game of the season and now has a 5.42 ERA.

**Alfonso Soriano, Chicago Cubs- Despite striking out 3 times, Soriano had 1 hit, but that hit mattered at the end of the night. A walk off Grand Slam Home Run, his 18Th of the season, driving in 4 runs, giving him 45 RBIs. Soriano is now hitting .253 after a 1-6 evening.

**Josh Willingham, Washington Nationals- Josh went 3-5 at the plate and hit 2 Grand Slam Home Runs, he now has 16 Home Runs and has 39 RBIs. Josh is hitting .298 on the year.

**Jamie Moyer, Philadelphia Phillies- Jamie threw 6 2/3 innings of shutout ball, he did walk 4 and struck out 5. Jamie won his 10Th game of the season and now has a 5.32 ERA.

**Tim Linecum, San Francisco Giants- Tim Linecum is a stud. I know you knew that, but coming into this season, there was so much hype for him to repeat his Cy Young award season last year. He has surpassed that in my opinion. Tim threw a complete game, giving up 2 runs (0 earned), he walked 3 and struck out a career high 15 men. Tim won his 11Th game of the year and he now has a 2.30 ERA.

**Marco Scutaro, Toronto Blue Jays- Marco had a career high 4 hits tonight, finishing up 4-5 and drove in a run, his 46Th RBI of the season. Marco is hitting .295 on the season.

**Jhonny Peralta, Cleveland Indians- The Indians before the game traded Ryan Garko to the Giants, so Jhonny gave the Indians that offensive charge they needed , leading to the team winning their 5Th game in a row, highest of the season. 4-5 evening with a double and he hit his 8Th Home Run of the season, driving in 3 runs. Jhonny has 50 RBIs and is hitting .271.

Goofballs:

**Josh Greer, San Diego Padres- Josh lasted 4 innings, giving up 5 runs (4 earned), he walked 1 and struck out 1. What did him in tonight were 3 Home Runs he gave up. Josh now has a 5.96 after losing his 7Th decision.

**Brian Shouse, Tampa Bay Rays- When the game was still relatively close at 8-3, he gave up 4 runs (4 earned) in 1 inning, while giving up 2 Home Runs. Brian walked 1 and didn't strike anyone out. He has a 5.87 ERA.

**Orioles Offense- They got to Chen a bit to avoid giving him the win, but they also left 8 men on base. 3 runs, 8 hits, 2 walks, and 8 strikeouts. They just couldn't get to the Royals bullpen tonight.

**Dodgers Offense- 1 run on 11 hits will never get you many victories, no clutch hitting for the Dodgers.

**Trevor Cahill- Trevor lasted just 5 inning, he gave up 6 runs (6 earned), he walked 2 and struck out 5. Trevor lost his 9Th decision and he now has a 4.77 ERA.

**Juan Rincon, Colorado Rockies- Rincon lost his 2Nd game of the season, without giving up a hit. He walked 3 and all 3 runners scored. Rincon now has a 6.35 ERA.

**Tigers Offense- 10 strikeouts as a team, 2 runs and 7 hits just does not cut it and now Detroit is starting to lose a few games too.

**White Sox Defense- 3 errors spoiled this game for the White Sox tonight. Paul Konerko (3rd), Jayson Nix (2Nd), and Alexi Ramirez (13Th) all were responsible.

**Chris Sampson, Houston Astros- Chris gave up the Grand Slam Home Run, he threw 1 inning of work, gave up 4 runs (4 earned), he walked 2, didn't strike anyone out and now has a 3.45 ERA, losing his 2Nd game of the season.

**Jeff Suppan, Milwaukee Brewers- Wow, was he off tonight. He threw 5 1/3 innings, giving up 10 runs (10 earned), he walked 4 and struck out 4. Jeff now has a 5.27 ERA.

**Diamondbacks Offense- They left 11 men on base, 2 runs, 9 hits, 5 walks, and 8 strikeouts. Errors did not help the cause either with Jon Garland giving up 3 unearned runs, but still if you can't get the big hit, you can't win many games.

**Pirates Offense- 2 runs on just 4 hits tonight. They struck out 15 and has no answers against Tim Linecum.

**Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners- This was the worst start of the season for King Felix, and it happened at the worst time of the season. Felix threw 5 2/3 innings, he gave up 7 runs (7 earned), walking 1 and struck out 2. Felix now has a 2.79 ERA.

**Brian Fuentes, L.A. Angels- Brian blew the save in the 9Th inning, giving up 4 runs (4 earned) without retiring anyone. He wound up losing the game and he now has a 3.79 ERA.

Angels to Focus on Lee

According to Tim brown; the Angels were frustrated when talking to the Jays about Halladay, so now their attention is being focused on Cliff Lee. There also interested in getting a power arm for the pen.

Yanks, Red talking Arroyo

9:12 PM: According to Jon Heyman; the Yankees said a deal was "not realistic at this point," insisting the contract was overpriced.

5:00 PM:According to Jeff Fletcher; the Yankees and Reds are seriously discussing a Bronson Arroyo trade, Arroyo has 4 million left this year, and 11 million in 2010 and 2011 if his team doesn't buy him out for $2MM (11').

Monday Halladay Rumors

8:58 PM: According to Joe Christensen; the Twins inquired about Halladay, but the Jays said that there not on the list he'd approve to.

7:27 PM: According to Joe McDonald Ricciardi wanted pitchers Clay Buchholz, Casey Kelly, and another top prospect from the Red Sox in exchange for Halladay.

6:10 PM: A tweet from Todd Zolecki; "Phillies spokesman said from their point of view there is no animosity between themselves and any team they're talking to."

5:34 PM: Joel Sherman; says that the Jays will go right to the 4pm deadline on Friday if needed. Ricciardi wasnts a player that can make an impact right away.

4:33 PM: Ed Price says the Rays have backed off Halladay for now, Jays asking price is extreme.

3:47 PM: Ed Price talked to a Blue Jays person who said the Jays want "every last good guy" in
a team's system if they're going to part with Halladay.

3:18 PM: Jayson Stark reports; talks are "not going well" between the Blue Jays and Phillies.

1:48 PM: According to Jon Heyman, a high-ranking official involved in talks between the Jays and Phillies says a deal happening are about a 5% chance. Neither side seems willing to modify its proposal.

1:15 PM: Todd Zolecki heard from sources at the Blue Jays' demands are reasonable. The Phillies are reluctant to give up Brown, Happ, and Drabek.

1:07 PM: According to Jon Heyman he Phillies and Blue Jays are at an "impasse" right now. There's still over 4 days to work out a deal.

1:03 PM: Buster Olney hears that dialogue between the Phils and Jays has become angry as they discuss prospects.

12:28 PM: Gordon Edes says the Red Sox could potentially offer the Jays Clay Buchholz and Daniel Bard plus minor leaguers such as Michael Bowden, Junichi Tazawa and Casey Kelly. But won't relinquish the farm.

12:19 PM: According to Jon Heyman; the Phillies remain the frontrunners for Halladay. But he mentions; don't completely rule out the Red Sox, Yankees and Dodgers, but a trade to any of those clubs seems highly unlikely.

10:10 AM: Bob Elliott talked to Vernon Wells and Aaron Hill; and they said that they expect Halladay to remain a Blue Jay. According to Elliott the Phillies, Red Sox and Angels have the best chance of obtaining Halladay.

More Halladay rumors on the way.....

Dodgers like Sherrill

According to Ed Price; the Dodgers "are in hard on" Orioles closer George Sherrill. The O's want to premium prospects.

Rays Talking Blockbuster

Ed Price hears that the Rays are still "in on" Victor Martinez and Cliff Lee of the Indians. There's also a chance the Kazmir is traded to the Angels.

Reds Sellers?

3:57 PM: Danny Knobler reports that the Reds are not sellers and have continued their discussions with the Blue Jays about Scott Rolen.

2:30 PM:Jeff Fletcher reports that Reds are close to making a deal after top team officials spoke on a conference call this morning. The Reds could offer Bronson Arroyo, Aaron Harang, and Francisco Cordero to teams that seek pitching.

Giants after Major Bats

GM Brian Sabean says the team is considering "six to eight scenarios or names," some of which involve players on teams in the fringes of the playoff race; according to Andrew Baggarly.

Henry Schulman says the Indians have scouted the Giants' system lately.

Tigers Want Arms Over Bats?

The Tigers may shift gears from hitters to pitchers this week to stabilize their rotation, according to Danny Knobler. They won't pursue Halladay, but guys like lefty Jarrod Washburn might be a nice fit.

A's Rumors

Fox Sports:

• Regarding Justin Duchscherer the A's could real in/accept a "modest prospect" who is currently rehabbing. He's a free agent at season end with about $1.3MM remaining on his contract.
  
• Michael Wuertz is getting interest from many teams, in which the Angels are one of. He's under team control through 2011 and strikes out 11.8 batters per nine innings, so the A's would need a great deal to move him.
  

Mets Fire Tony Bernazard

The Mets will announce the firing of executive Tony Bernazard, within the past hour, according to Joel Sherman. Bernazard was involved in a confrontation with Mets minor leaguers last week, bringing up controversy.

Publish Post

First Round Draft Picks Updates: AL East

This June the 2009 MLB First Year player draft took place. Here's a team-by-team look at what the signed first round picks have done in the minors since reporting to their teams.

Baltimore
The Orioles selected Matt Hobgood with the 5th overall pick. He is on the roster of The Bluefield Orioles, the O's Rookie club. Hobgood, a right handed pitcher, has tossed 3 innings and allowed 4 runs so far with Bluefield, but only 2 of the runs were earned.

Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox have signed their top draft pick (28th overall), Reymon Fuentes. Fuentes, an outfielder, has is playing for the GCL Red Sox and has a .333 batting average (21-63) with 1 HR and 10 RBIs.

Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays selected Levon Washington with the 30 overall selection. The Rays have yet to sign Washington, the deadline to do so is Aug. 17.

Yankees
The NY Yankees had the 29th pick in the first round and took Slade Heathcott. Heathcott and the Yanks are close but have not reached a deal yet.

Jays
The Blue Jays had the 20th pick and took Chad Jenkins. I cannot find any info on him, it appears he has not signed.

Up Next: AL West
I'll update you on the picks as the season moves along.

Pirate Rumors

According to Dejan Kovaceevic:

• The Cubs are having regular talks with the the Bucs.
• The team is discussing trading Matt Capps and John Grabow. Grabow is getting more attention.
  
• Triple A starters Ian Snell and Tom Gorzelanny are drawing interest. We know that yesterday the Yanks watched him throw.
  
• The Tigers are interested in the Bucs Triple -A catcher Robinzon Diaz.
• Freddy Sanchez and Jack Wilson are available and the Pirates are entertaining offers.
• The Twins and Red Sox scouted the Pirates Vs. D'Backs game yesterday.
  

B & G's 7/26/09

Baseballs:

**Austin Kearns, Washington Nationals- Austin hit the walk off single to drive in his 17Th run. He came into the game for defensive purposes in the 9Th, yet he winds up being the hero. Austin is now hitting .201.

**Brett Cecil, Toronto Blue Jays- Brett was fantastic today, he threw 7 innings, just giving up 1 run (1 earned), he walked 3 and struck out 7. Brett earned his 4Th win and he now has a 4.27 ERA.

**Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies- Ryan finished the day perfect, going 3-3 with a Home Run, his 25Th of the season, and he drove in 3 runs, giving him 75 RBIs. Ryan is hitting .266.

**Derek Jeter, New York Yankees- The Yankee captain went out there and did what he does best, lead. He finished up 2-4 and drove in the winning run, driving in 2 runs to give him 43 RBIs. Derek is hitting .321 on the season.

**David Hernandez, Baltimore Orioles- The young rookie threw 7 strong innings against one of the best offenses in the Major Leagues, Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Very impressive, he gave up 1 run (1 earned), he didn't walk anyone and struck out 2. David has 3 wins and a 3.20 ERA.

**Livan Hernandez, New York Mets- Livan gave his club a great start, going 7 innings, giving up 3 runs (3 earned), he walked 1 and struck out 7. Livan now has a 4.87 ERA.

**Atlanta Braves Offense- They gave Derek Lowe some runs, and he responded by giving them a Quality Starts. 10 runs, 12 hits, and 8 walks. Led by Brian McCann and Kelly Johnson both went 3-4 with a walk, a Home Run each and drove in 2 runs. Nice production.

**Rich Harden, Chicago Cubs- Rich pitched a day game and he was almost unhittable. He threw 6 innings, giving up 1 hit, 1 run (1 earned), he didn't walk anyone and struck out 8. Rich won his 7Th game and he has a 4.55 ERA.

**Dustin Nippert, Texas Rangers- Dustin came into the game in a tough situation. Kevin Millwood only lasted 2 innings because of an injury, so Dustin came in and threw 4 1/3 innings, just gave up 1 run (1 earned), he walked 2 and struck out 1. Dustin won his 3rd game of the season and he now has a 3.54 ERA.

**Aaron Cook, Colorado Rockies- Aaron won his 10Th of the season and his 7Th consecutive win. He threw 7 innings, giving up 2 runs (2 earned), he didn't walk anyone and struck out 2. Aaron also helped his own cause by going 1-3 at the plate, a double, his 1st of the season. Aaron is hitting .135 and more importantly, Aaron has a 3.87 ERA.

**Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins- Justin hit 2 Home Runs, his 25Th and 26Th of the season and drove in 3 runs, giving him 82 RBIs. Both lead the league in Home Runs and RBIs. After his 2-4 day, Justin is now hitting .315.

**Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins- Hanley went 2-4 at the plate, and he drive in 3 runs, giving him 65 RBIs. He is hitting .348.

**Gerardo Parra, Arizona Diamondbacks- Parra had a great day at the plate, going 3-5, with a Home Run and driving in 4 runs. Para has 5 Home Runs and 37 RBIs, he was a triple short of hitting the cycle. Gerardo is now hitting .270.

**Jhonny Peralta, Cleveland Indians- The Indians completed their sweep, the 2Nd time this season they had done so and Jhonny set the tone. He hit a grand slam, his 7Th Home Run of the season, giving him 47 RBIs. Jhonny is hitting .263 after his 2-4 afternoon.

**Clayton Richard, Chicago White Sox- His team was on the verge of being swept in a 4 game series against the 1st place team in the AL Central, and this kid responded by going 8 strong inning, giving up 1 run (1 earned), he walked 2 and struck out 3. Clayton now has a 4.65 ERA.

Goofballs:

**Padres Offense- They only scored 2 runs, but they also just delivered 7 hits and 1 walk. If you can't have base runners, you can't have much of a chance to win.

**Rays Offense- They got overwhelmed today, striking out 11 times. 1 run on 5 hits, 3 walks.

**Todd Wellemeyer, St. Louis Cardinals- Not good today, he threw 5 2/3 innings, giving up 7 runs (5 earned), he walked 1 and struck out 3. Todd lost his 9Th game and now has a 5.79 ERA.

**Dallas Braden, Oakland Athletics- Pitched 5 2/3 innings today, he gave up 7 runs (7 earned), but he walked 6 and struck out only 2. Dallas lost his 9Th game and now has a 3.74 ERA.

**John Smoltz, Boston Red Sox- His velocity was there, but the location was not, and it showed. John threw 5 innings, giving up 6 runs (6 earned), he walked 1 and struck out 6. John now has a 7.04 ERA.

**Astros Offense- 3 runs on 10 hits, no clutch hitting. They also struck out 9 times and didn't give themselves many good at bats.

**Brewers Bullpen- Braden Looper didn't help much, but the bullpen didn't give the Brewers a chance to come back. The combination of Mark Difelice (1 run in 1 inning), Mike Burns gave up 2 runs (1 earned) in 1 inning, and Chris Smith gave up 2 runs (2 earned) in 1 inning. S a combined 5 runs (4 earned) in 3 innings. Difelice has a 1.83 ERA, Burns has a 6.30 ERA, and Smith with a 4.18 ERA.

**Reds Offense- They could only get 2 runs, 4 hits, 2 walks, and 10 strikeouts. The Reds are struggling right now and getting swept by your division rival doesn't make things better either.

**Juan Cruz, Kansas City Royals- Only lasted 2/3 of an inning, giving up 4 runs (4 earned), he walked 1 and didn't strike anyone out. Juan raised his ERA to 6.31.

**Giants Offense- 2 runs on 9 hits, they had their chances, but they couldn't get the hits that counted against Cook.

**Ervin Santana, L.A. Angels- Ervin threw 3 2/3 innings, he gave up 6 runs (6 earned), walked 2 and struck out 4. I wonder if Ervin still is healthy because this year, he just isn't having a good season. He has 6 losses, and a 7.29 ERA.

**Jason Schimdt, Los Angeles Dodgers- Jason didn't help matters, he threw 3 innings, giving up 5 runs (4 earned), he walked 1 and struck out 1. Jason has a 7.88 ERA.

**Pirates Offense- They were shutout and only collected 5 hits. The Pirates didn't walk and struck out 9 today.

**Jason Vargas, Seattle Mariners- Jason didn't help his team much, he only lasted 4 innings, giving up 6 runs (6 earned), he walked 1 and struck out 2. Jason raised his ERA to 4.39 and lost for the 4Th time.

**Tigers Offense- 1 run on just 5 hits. The pitching did fine after the first 2 innings, giving the Tigers a chance to come back, but they were shut down by the White Sox pitching instead.

Jarrod Washburn to Milwaukee?

9:15 PM: Tom Haudricourt:

"I know for a fact that the Brewers have been discussing Washburn, even though he is a free agent after the season. Because Washburn is a Wisconsin native, maybe the Brewers think they could convince him to stay with another contract after this year."

Haudricourt notes the M's would probably ask for a shortstop in return, naming J.J. Hardy and Alcides Escobar as possible trade chips. I doubt that Alcides Escobar is going anywhere.

"The Brewers probably would want more than Washburn in return for either shortstop," Haudricourt adds, "considering his pending free agent status."

9:06 PM:Geoff Baker thinks the Brewers might trade for Jarrod Washburn.

"Brewers pitcher Seth McClung went on the 15-day DL on Saturday and today, the Brewers called up Tim Dillard from Class AAA Nashville. But here's the wierd thing: the Brewers are refusing to name Dillard as their Tuesday starter." Might it be Washburn? Or someone else?

Sunday Roy Halladay Rumors

Roy Halladay rumors:

8:00 PM: Ken Rosenthal heard from Ricciardi that the chances of Halladay leaving Toronto at this point are "very slim."

"We've said that we would listen, but that we would have to be motivated and 'wowed. Right now we haven't been. I've said all along my gut tells me I won't be. I still stand by that."

"If we get to the last week and haven't really made any progress with anybody, I'm not going to say it's 100 percent certain, but I would have to pretty much think it's not going to get done."

7:18 PM: Christian Caple passes this along:

[Halladay is] scheduled to pitch on Wednesday, but whether he makes that start is up in the air. Toronto general manager J.P. Ricciardi said last week he wants Halladay assured of his future when he takes the hill for that outing -- in other words, if Halladay does pitch on Wednesday, supposedly, he won't be traded before the deadline.

5:21 PM: The Rangers are still interested, but can't take on that type of salary; writes T.R. Sullivan.

4:54 PM: Fox Sports reports that the Red Sox are still in the mix for Halladay. Jays prefer not to deal within division.

2:07 PM: According to Jon Heyman; the Phils are starting to consider Cliff Lee as an alternative to Roy Halladay. Toronto is scouting Dominic Brown today.

11:16 AM: The Jays rejected the Phillies offer of Carrasco, Donald, J.A. Happ and outfielder Michael Taylor. The Jays are now telling the interested teams that their only gonna trade Doc if there "wowed," writes Jayson Stark.

9:45 AM: Tim Brown reports that the Angels were lose to removing themselves from the Halladay sweepstakes, they couldn't believe the asking price was Joe Saunders, Erick Aybar, Brandon Wood and a prospect such as outfielder Peter Bourjos.

Indians Acquire Jess Todd

Derrick Goold reports that the Indians have acquired Jess Todd as the player to be named later from the Mark DeRosa trade.

He'll be added to the 40-man roster, and be assigned to Triple-A Columbus. Coming into the season Jess Todd was the 4th overall prospect for the Cards.

Dodgers Serious about Martinez and Lee

According to Ken Rosenthal:

4:30ish PM: Kevin Baxter quotes a Dodgers executive saying there is "less than zero truth" to the rumors regarding the trade.

Both clubs have "strongly denied" the previous reports that the teams were in serious talks about Martinez and Lee (Rosenthal).

3:40 PM: Rosenthal now suggests that the young starter could indeed be one of Billingsley or Kershaw:

"Lee would replace either left-hander Clayton Kershaw or right-hander Chad Billingsley — it is not known which the Dodgers would part with in the package — giving manager Joe Torre the more experienced starter that he covets."

3:21 PM: The Dodgers and Indians are in serious talks that would send Victor Martinez and Cliff Lee to the Dodgers for James Loney, a young starting pitcher, and prospects.

Would the Dodgers relinquish Chad Billingsley or Clayton Kershaw in a deal to acquire the Indians' superstars.

Brewers to make a Splash?

3:07 PM: Jeff Fletcher reports that the Brewers have a scout in attendance for Justin Duchscherer's rehab start tonight. He should be ready in two weeks.

2:15 PM:Adam McCalvy reports that Brewers manager Ken Macha may have hinted at an upcoming acquisition of a starter before the deadline for the Brewers.

"The trading deadline is coming and Doug [Melvin, Milwaukee's general manager] is trying to help the club," Macha said. "I don't want to try to create expectations, but he's trying to make the club better and I'm sure if he finds a starting pitcher who can help out, it's something he would do."

Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Doug Davis, Jon Garland, Jarrod Washburn, and Brian Bannister are name of interests for the Brewers.

Yankees Scouting Snell

According to Jenifer Langosch the Yanks have scouts at the triple-A affiliate of the Pirates to watch Ian Snell throw. The Yankees are still looking for a replacement for Chien-Ming Wang, while Snell has dominated in Indianapolis.

Mets Release Brandon Knight

Mets have released righthander Brandon Knight from Triple-A Buffalo so he can play in Korea; writes Bart Hubbuch.

Brewers Sign Jesus Colome

Adam McCalvy reports that the Brewers signed Jesus Colome {reliever) to a minor league deal. The Nats DFA'd him earlier this month, Colome will report to rookie ball to gain arm strength.

Cards want to lock up Holliday

Joe Strauss talked to Cardinals chairman that he hopes to sign Holliday to an extension: "We're not looking at this as a one-year deal, I assure you."

B & G's 7/25/09

Baseballs:

**Kevin Hart, Chicago Cubs- The Cubs gave him enough runs, but he threw 6 innings, giving up 1 run (1 earned), he walked 1 and struck out 4. Kevin earned his 2Nd win of the season and he has a 2.08 ERA.

**Gio Gonzales, Oakland Athletics- Gio went against a team that had won 8 in a row and did absolutely nothing wrong for quite some time, but he completely shut the team down. He threw 6 2/3 innings, giving up 1 run (1 earned), he walked 3 and struck out 6. Gio won his 2Nd game of the season and now has a 7.75 ERA.

**Carlos Pena, Tampa Bay Rays- Pena helped his team come back from 8 runs down. He responded by going 2-6, including hitting his 25Th Home Run of the season, he hit a triple and drove in 4 runs, giving him 64 RBIs. Carlos is now hitting .227 on the year.

**Carlos Guillen, Detroit Tigers- Walk off single to drive in the winning run in the 10Th inning. Carlos went 2-5 and drove in 2 runs, giving him 9 RBIs on the season. Carlos is now hitting .225.

**Jimmy Rollins, Philadelphia Phillies- Jimmy went 2-5, he hit his 9Th Home Run of the season, a grand slam and drove in 5 runs, giving him 43 RBIs. Jimmy is hitting .237 on the year.

**Jeremy Sowers, Cleveland Indians- Jeremy got the call up and started today, he responded by throwing 7 shutout innings. He walked 2 and struck out 2. Jeremy needed that for his team, but he also needed that for his confidence and it should be interesting to see if he can throw 2 straight Quality Starts back to back because he has yet to do that for the Indians. He now has a 5.15 ERA.

**Jon Lester, Boston Red Sox- Jon dominated the Orioles tonight, by throwing 7 1/3 innings, giving up 2 runs (2 earned), walking 2 and struck out 9. Jon now has a 3.79ERA.

**Chone Figgins, Los Angeles Angels- Chone got the ball rolling in the 4Th inning with his 3rd Home Run of the season, he finished the day 2-4 with a walk and 3 runs scored. Chone now has 36 RBIs and is hitting .312.

**Jonathan Nieve, New York Mets- Nieve threw 7 solid innings, giving up 1 run (1 earned), walked 2 and struck out 3. Nieve got some help from his offense by scoring 10 runs, but he'll take that. Nieve won his 2Nd Major League start and has a 4.08 ERA.

**Yovani Gallardo, Milwaukee Brewers- Yovani gave the Brewers a quality outing, blanking the Atlanta Braves. He threw 7 1/3 innings, he didn't give up a run, he walked 4 and struck out 6. Yovani now has a 3.08 ERA.

**Adam Dunn, Washington Nationals- Adam finished 2-3 with a sacrifice fly, driving in 5 runs, giving him 70 on the season. Adam hit his 25Th Home Run of the season and he is hitting .275.

**Luke Hochevar, Kansas City Royals- Worked 7 strong innings, giving up 3 runs (2 earned), he didn't walk anyone and struck out 13. Luke now has a 4.80 ERA.

**Tory Tulowitsky, Colorado Rockies- Troy drove in a key career RBIs, he now has 45 RBIs. Troy was a triple away from hitting the cycle. Troy is now hitting .253.

**Doug David, Arizona Diamondbacks- Doug threw 6 scoreless innings, he walked 3 and struck out 8. Doug now has a 3.76 ERA.

**Casey Blake, Los Angeles Dodgers- Picked up the walk off single, giving his Dodgers a 4-3 win. Casey went 1-4 with a walk and drove in his 58Th RBI and Casey is now hitting .275 on the season.

Goofballs:

**Reds Offense- Had no answers for the rookie Hart, and didn't threaten until the end of the game. 3 runs on 7 hits, 1 walk, and 8 strikeouts.

**Alfredo Aceves, New York Yankees- Alfredo didn't help Andy Pettitte, or the Yankees. He only threw 1/3 of an inning, gave up 2 runs (2 earned), Aceves now has a 2.89 ERA.

**Scott Downs, Toronto Blue Jays- Blew his 3rd save of the season, 2Nd this week. He gave up 2 runs (2 earned), did not walk a batter and struck out 1. Scott now has a 3.06 ERA.

**Bobby Jenks, Chicago White Sox- Even though he did not lose the game, he blew his 4Th save. He threw 1 1/3 innings, but gave up 1 run (1 earned), he didn't walk anyone, but struck out 2. Bobby now has a 4.33 ERA and the White Sox have to win tomorrow to avoid being swept by the Tigers in a 4 game series.

**Jason Motte, St. Louis Cardinals- Blew the lead for the Cardinals and gave up the grand slam to Jimmy Rollins. He only lasted 1/3 of an inning, gave up 5 runs (5 earned), he walked 2 and didn't strike anyone out. Jason now has a 5.70 ERA.

**Chris Jakubauskis, Seattle Mariners- Chris came in and did not give his Mariners a chance to come back. He threw 1 2/3 innings, giving up 6 runs (4 earned), he gave up 2 Home Runs and now has a 5.59 ERA.

**Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles- The young Centerfielder had a tough night, he went 0-5 with 3 strikeouts. His offense didn't help either, scoring 2 runs, 10 hits, and 10 strikeouts. Adam is now hitting .302.

**Nick Blackburn, Minnesota Twins- He was fine through his first 3 innings, but had a very troubled 4Th inning that he couldn't survive. In all, he threw 3 2/3 innings, giving up 6 runs (6 earned), he walked 1 and didn't strike anyone out. Nick now has a 3.75 ERA.

**Russ Ortiz, Houston Astros- Russ was bad, he only lasted 4 1/3 innings, giving up 6 runs (6 earned), he walked 4 and struck out 3. Russ has a 4.75 ERA.

**Atlanta Braves Offense- no runs, 4 hits, walked 4 and struck out 8. Just not a good night in the office.

**Luis Perdomo, San Diego Padres- Luis threw 3 innings, giving up 5 runs (5 earned), he walked 4 and struck out 7. Luis now has a 4.42 ERA this year.

**Rangers Offense- 3 runs, 6 hits, 1 walk, 16 strikeouts. 3 players struck out 3 times. Hank Blalock, Andreuw Jones, and Josh Hamilton all did the deed.

**Jonathan Sanchez, San Francisco Giants- Not exactly a perfect outing, but he still struggled, throwing 5 innings, giving up 5 runs (5 earned), he walked 4 and struck out 5. Jonathan now has a 4.92 ERA.

**Evan Meek- Evan threw 1 inning, he gave up 4 runs (4 earned), he walked 1 and struck out 1. Evan now has a 4.36 ERA.

**Dan Meyer- Dan only pitched 1/3 of an inning, he did give up 1 run (1 earned), Dan now has a 2.13 ERA.