Jon Garland Might be on the Move...

Update 9:17: Jon Garland to the Rockies, is most likely not going to happen due to the asking price the Diamondbacks want for him. The Rockies said they will take on the contract but that was not enough. The Dodgers are still in the running for Garland.

Update 9:03: Buster Olney is reporting the Yankees are not that serious about Jon Garland.

Jon Heyman is reporting that the Yankees and the Rockies are the 2 teams that inquired about pitcher Jon Garland. He also states that the Rockies are the favorites of the Yankees but will most likely stay in Arizona.I will keep you updated.

Marlins DFA Luis Ayala...

Tonight the Marlins DFA relief pitcher Luis Ayala to make room for 1 of there top prospects OF Cameron Maybin on the 40 man roster.

Ayala had a era in the 11 for the Marlins in 10 games this year.

Yanks Acquire Freddy Guzman

The Yankees have acquired speedy outfielder Freddy Guzman from the Orioles for the famous PTBNL.

Teams Interersted in Cameron

There has been interest in Brewers center-fielder Mike Cameron, and Heyman believes that the Tigers may be one of the teams that checked in on him. Yo may remember that Cameron cleared trade waivers last week.

Around the MLB on Monday...

Cubs pitchers Rich Harden and Aaron Heilman are staying put and not getting traded.

The Royals extend GM Dayton Moore though 2014.

The Giants are strongly pursuing pitcher Brad Penny and are the favorites to land him.

More to come...

B & G's 8/30/09

Baseballs:

**Sean West, Florida Marlins- Sean threw 6 strong innings, giving up 3 runs (1 earned), he walked 2, struck out 7. Sean won his 6Th game and now has a 4.22 ERA.

**Matt Kemp,Los Angeles Dodgers- Matt finished the day 1-4 with a walk and a sacrifice fly, he hit his 21st Home Run to give the Dodgers the lead in the 12Th inning, he drove in 2 runs, which gives him 85 RBIs. He is hitting .315.

**Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees- Mark went 1-3 with a sacrifice fly, he hit his 32Nd Home Run, drove in 4 runs, giving him 101 RBIs and is now hitting .284.

**Placido Polanco, Detroit Tigers- Polanco went 1-4 and hit a big 3 run Home Run to give the Tigers the lead in the 8Th inning. It's his 8Th shot of the year and now he has 58 RBIs and is hitting .268.

**Brian Matusz, Baltimore Orioles- The young rookie dominated Indians hitting, throwing 7 innings, giving up 1 run (1 earned), he walked 1, and struck out 8. Brian now has a 5.28 ERA with 3 wins.

**Paul Byrd, Boston Red Sox- Byrdman came back and pitched for the Sox and the guy was brilliant. He worked 6 shutout innings, walking 3 men, and striking out 1. Paul starts his 2009 year with a 0.00 ERA and winning his 1st game.

**Jeff Suppan, Milwaukee Brewers- Jeff threw 6 strong innings, giving up 1 run (1 earned), he walked 3 men and struck out 1 lowering his ERA to 5.20, winning his 6Th game of the year.

**Adam Wainwright, St. Louis Cardinals- Adam won his 16Th game by throwing 6 strong innings, giving up 1 run (1 earned), he walked 3 men and struck out 7. Adam now has a 2.47 ERA.

**Nelson Figueroa, New York Mets- Came in and threw 7 strong innings, giving up 1 run (1 earned), he walked 2, and struck out 10. Nelson also went 1-3 and drove in a run, his 3rd RBI. Nelson is hitting .333 and now has a 4.50 ERA.

**Jason Kubel, Minnesota Twins- Jason went 2-3 with a walk, he hit his 21st Home Run of the season, drove in 2 runs, giving him 75 RBIs. Jason is hitting .301 on the season.

**John Lackey, LA Angels- John threw 8 strong innings, giving up 1 run (0 earned), he walked 2 and struck out 6. Lackey won his 100Th career win, 9Th of the season. John has a 3.92 ERA.

**Edgar Renteria, San Francisco Giants- Edgar went 3-4 and hit the game winner, a grand slam Home Run, his 4Th of the season. Edgar drove in 5 runs, giving him 47 RBIs and is now hitting .264.

**John Hester, Arizona Diamondbacks- John went 2-3 at the plate and drove in his 3rd run. John is now hitting .750.

**Zack Greinke, Kansas City Royals- Zack threw a 1 hit shutout, only had 2 base runners reach base with 1 walk and 5 strikeouts. Zack now has a 2.32 ERA, winning his 13Th game.

**Joe Blanton, Philadelphia Phillies- Joe threw 7 strong innings, giving up 1 run (1 earned), he walked 4 and struck out 7. Joe won his 9Th game and now has a 3.77 ERA.

Goofballs:

**Padres Offense- 4 runs on 10 hits, 4 walks, and 8 strikeouts, leaving 9 men on base.

**Reds Offense- Even in a 12 inning game, they only had 2 runs, 8 hits, 4 walks, and 20 strikeouts. Joey Votto struck out 4 times himself.

**Randy Williams, Chicago White Sox- Randy threw 1/3 of an inning, giving up 4 runs (4 earned), he walked 2, didn't strike anyone out and now has a 7.84 ERA.

**Grant Balfour, Tampa Bay Rays- Lost his 3rd game, giving up 1 inning, surrendering 2 runs (2 earned), he walked 1, struck out 1 and now has a 4.45 ERA.

**Indians Offense- 2 runs on only 7 hits, they walked 2 times and struck out 9, leaving 6 men on base.

**Blue Jays Offense- Were shutout, only getting 5 hits, they left 4 men on base.

**Pirates Offense- 1 run on 9 hits, they walked 4 and struck out 3. The Pirates left 8 men on base.

**Nationals Offense- 1 run on 4 hits, they walked 5, and struck out 10.

**Carlos Zambrano, Chicago Cubs- Carlos threw 3 1/3 innings, giving up 11 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), he didn't walk anyone and struck out 3. Carlos lost for the 6Th time and now has a 3.91 ERA, committed his 3rd error of the season.

**C.J. Wilson, Texas Rangers- Wilson blew the lead, throwing 1 inning, giving up 3 runs (3 earned), he walked 1 and struck out 1. C.J. now has a 3.30 ERA, losing his 6Th game.

**Jay Marshall, Oakland Athletics- Jay gave up 5 runs (5 earned) in 1 2/3 innings. Marshall now has a 12.27 ERA.

**Juan Rincon, Colorado Rockies- Rincon didn't retire anyone, he gave up 3 runs (3 earned), he walked 1 and didn't strike anyone out. Juan now has a 6.28 ERA.

**Astros Offense- 3 runs on 7 hits, 2 walks, and 8 strikeouts, leaving 6 men on base.

**Mariners Offense- Only 2 base runners reach base, so they had no answers for Zack Greinke.

**Braves Offense- 2 runs on 5 hits, 4 walks, and 8 strikeouts, leaving 6 men on base. They couldn't get that big clutch hit to change the game.

Rich Harden Rumors

Some believe that the Cubs will trade Rich Harden to the Twins for prospects, as Phil Rodgers explains:

"The guess here, is that Twins GM Bill Smith is going to wake up on Monday, consider how catchable the Detroit Tigers remain, and pay the price."

The twins stand 4.5 games out of the Central, while the Cubs are still in it at 5.5 games back of the wildcard with only 4 back in the loss column.

B & G's 8/29/09

Baseballs:

**Sergio Mitre, New York Yankees- Mitre threw a 1 hitter for 6 1/3 innings, his team gave him some runs to work with, but he also was working it. He walked 1 and struck out 2, now has a 5.65 ERA with 3 wins.

**Jake Fox, Chicago Cubs- Jake went 2-4 and hit his 10Th Home Run of the season, driving in 5 runs, giving him 39 RBIs. Jake is now hitting .300

**Jeff Weaver, Los Angeles Dodgers- Jeff came in when Charlie Haeger wasn't effective, he threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings, he walked 1 and struck out 4. Jeff earned his 6Th win of the season and now has a 3.52 ERA.

**David Price, Tampa Bay Rays- David threw 7 1/3 innings, giving up 1 run (1 earned), he walked 1 and struck out 4 and now has a 4.63 ERA with 7 wins.

**Andy Marte, Cleveland Indians- Andy gave the Indians the lead for good again, this time hitting a 3 run shot, his 3rd of the year and it now gives him 15 RBIs. Marte has a 10 game hitting streak going and is now hitting .289.

**Tony Gwynn Jr, San Diego Padres- Tony hit the winning triple, driving in 2 run after a 1-4 evening. Tony is hitting .273 with 13 RBIs.

**Clay Buchholz, Boston Red Sox- Clay threw 8 1/3 innings, giving up 1 run (1 earned), he walked 2 and struck out 9. Clay won his 3rd game and has a 4.38 ERA.

**Craig Counsell, Milwaukee Brewers- Craig went 3-4 at the plate with a triple and score a run. He is hitting .288.

**Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers- Ian went 2-3 with a walk and he drove in his 74Th run of the year. Kinsler is hitting .250 on the season.

**Garrett Anderson, Atlanta Braves- Garrett went 3-4 with his 12Th Home Run of the season, a 3 run shot, giving him 50 RBIs. Garrett is now hitting .292.

**Colby Rasmus, St. Louis Cardinals- The Young rookie went 2-4 with a 3 run Home Run, giving him 14 Home Runs on the season, driving in 3 runs, giving him 44 RBIs. Colby is now hitting .252.

**Jon Garland, Arizona Diamondbacks- Garland threw 7 shutout innings, giving up 5 hits, walked 1 and struck out 5. Garland now has a 4.29 ERA, winning his 8Th game of the year.

**Barry Zito, San Francisco Giants- Barry threw like a Cy Young award winner when his team needed it the most. 8 1/3 innings, giving up 1 run (1 earned), he walked 1 and struck out 7. Zito now has a 3.94 ERA, he won his 9Th game of the year.

**Rajai Davis, Oakland Athletics- Davis had a big night, going 3-5 and driving in 2 runs, including the go ahead run in the 8Th inning. Davis now has 29 RBIs and is hitting .294.

**Mike Sweeney, Seattle Mariners- Mike set the tone with a 2 run double in the 1st inning. Mike finished the night 2-4 and he now has 26 RBIs, with a .266 average.

Goofballs:

**White Sox Offense- Had no answers, more errors (3) than hits (1). Ozzie Guillen went nuts after the game, and I don't blame him.

**Bobby Parnell, new York Mets- Bobby threw 4 2/3 innings, giving up 8 runs (8 earned), he walked 2 and struck out and now has a 5.81 ERA.

**Carlos Fisher- Carlos gave up 5 runs (5 earned) in 0 innings, he walked 1 and didn't strike anyone out and he now has a 3.94 ERA.

**Adam Everett, Detroit Tigers- Committed 2 errors, giving him 14 on the season.

**Chris Ray- Gave up 3 runs (3 earned) in 1 inning, losing his 2Nd game and now has a 6.10 ERA.

**Luis Ayala, Florida Marlins- Luis threw 1/3 of an inning, giving up 3 runs (3 earned), he walked 1 and didn't strike anyone out. Luis lost his 5Th game and now has a 5.63 ERA.

**Blue Jays Offense- Made things interesting towards the end, but they still could only score 2 runs on 5 hits, they walked 2 times and struck out 9.

**Brian Bixler, Pittsburgh Pirates- Struck out 3 times in 3 at bats.

**Twins Offense- Didn't give Carl Pavano any run support, was shut out on 4 hits, they walked 4 times and struck out 7, leaving 6 men on base.

**Cliff Lee, Philadelphia Phillies- A rare bad start for Cliff, he threw 5 innings, giving up 6 runs (6 earned), he didn't walk anyone, struck out 5, and gave up 3 Home Runs. Cliff now has a 2.83 ERA.

**Nationals Offense- 4 runs on 11 hits, leaving 8 men on base.

**Bud Norris, Houston Astros- Bud threw 5 innings, giving up 6 runs (6 earned), he walked 4, struck out 3 and gave up 2 Home Runs. Bud has a 6.61 ERA.

**Rockies Offense- 3 runs on 12 hits, leaving 8 men on base and failing to get that big hit when they needed it.

**Chone Figgins, LA Angels- Figgins was on base with 1 out in the 9Th inning. he was the tying run, Bobby Abreau hit a pop fly ball to Scott Hairiston and Chone thought it would be nice to tag up and he was out instead. I am all for being aggressive, but when your team is down by 1 run and the 3...4...5 hitters are due up, I wouldn't do that, especially with one swing at the bat could win the game for you. Just a dumb decision in my opinion.

**Gil Meche, Kansas City Royals- Gil lost his 10Th game, he threw 4 innings, giving up 7 runs (7 earned), he didn't walk anyone and struck out 1. Meche has a 5.09 ERA.

B & G's 8/28/09

Baseballs:

**Alfonso Soriano, Chicago Cubs- Soriano finished the day 3-3 with a walk and he hit a big, key 3 run Home Run, his 20Th of the season to lift the Cubs over the Mets. With the 3 runs, it gives him 55 RBIs and Alfonso is now hitting .246.

**Matt Wieters, Baltimore Orioles- Matt went 3-4 with a career high 4 runs driven in, giving him 26 RBIs. Matt is hitting .272.

**Robinson Cano, New York Yankees- Cano went 1-5 but that 1 hit was a walk off 3 run Home Run, his 21st shot of the year, giving him 68 RBIs. Cano is now hitting .313.

**Rick Porcello, Detroit Tigers- He had an early lead and Rick was able to work with that, he threw 5 2/3 innings, giving up 1 run (1 earned), he walked2, struck out 5 and now has a 4.27 ERA.

**Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies- Ryan went 3-3 with a walk, he hit 2 Home Runs, giving him 37 on the year. He drove in 3 runs, giving him 111 RBIs. Ryan is now hitting .272.

**Chase Headley, San Diego Padres- Chase went 3-4 at the plate, he drove in his 47Th RBI and is now hitting .259.

**Jason Varitek, Boston red Sox- He didn't do much at the plate, but he still helped the Red Sox win the game. He blocked a play at the plate and was able to tag out the go ahead run in the 8Th inning. Then the Sox came back in the bottom half and won the game.

**Homer Bailey, Cincinnati Reds- Homer threw 8 shutout innings, he walked 1 and struck out 7. The reds scored enough runs for him and Bailey won his 4Th game. He now has a 6.04 ERA.

**Jason Bourgeios- Jason went 2-4 and hit his 1st Major League Home Run, driving in 2 runs, giving him 3 RBIs and Jason is now hitting .313.

**Brian Duensing, Minnesota Twins- Brian worked 7 strong innings against a playoff contender. He gave up 1 run (1 earned), he walked 1 and struck out 8 and he now has a 4.37 ERA.

**Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals- Albert finished the night with a walk off Home Run, his 41st shot of the year and he now has 108 RBIs. Albert is now hitting .316.

**Brandon Allen, Arizona Diamondbacks- Brandon finished the night 3-4, scored 3 runs and is now hitting .333.

**Tim Linecum, San Francisco Giants- Tim threw 8 shutout innings, helping his team close the gap on the Rockies a bit more. He walked 3 and struck out 8, winning his 13Th game and now has a 2.33 ERA.

**Mike Sweeney, Seattle Mariners- Mike finished the night 2-3 with a walk, driving in his 24Th RBI of the season. Mike is hitting .261.

**Kendry Morales, LA Angels- Kendry went 5-5 at the plate with 2 doubles and 2 Home Runs, giving him 29 Home Runs, and he drove in 6 runs, giving him 91 RBIs, hitting .307.

Goofballs:

**Brian Stokes, New York Mets- Brian worked 1/3 of an inning, giving up 4 runs (4 earned), he walked 1 and didn't strike anyone out. Brian now has a 3.34 ERA.

**Fausto Carmona, Cleveland Indians- Fausto threw 4 2/3 innings, giving up 6 runs (6 earned), he walked 3, struck out 4, now has a 6.20 ERA with his 9Th loss.

**Randy Williams, Chicago White Sox- Randy threw 2/3 of an inning, giving up 3 runs (3 earned), he walked 2, struck out 1 and now has a 4.50 ERA.

**Rays Offense- 2 runs on 6 hits, 3 walks, and 9 strikeouts. The Rays left 9 men on base and they couldn't get that big clutch hit to help them out.

**Braves Offense- 2 runs on 8 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts, leaving 8 men on base.

**Chris Volstad, Florida Marlins- Chris only lasted 1 2/3 innings, giving up 6 runs (6 earned), he walked 2, didn't strike anyone out and now has a 5.03 ERA.

**Travis Snyder, Toronto Blue Jays- Travis struck out 4 times and the entire Blue Jays team struck out 17 times in a losing effort to the Red Sox.

**Andre Either, Los Angeles Dodgers- Andre struck out 3 times, going 0-4 with a walk. Andre is now hitting .285.

**Zach Duke, Pittsburgh Pirates- Zach had a tough game, he lasted 3 innings, giving up 7 runs (7 earned), he walked 1, didn't strike anyone out and gave up 2 Home Runs. Duke now has a 3.68 ERA.

**Rangers Offense- 2 runs on 7 hits, they walked 2 times and struck out 9. The Rangers left 6 men on base.

**Jason Bergman, Washington Nationals- Jason gave up the Home Run to the Cardinals without retiring anyone. Jason lost his 4Th game and now has a 5.86 ERA.

**Yorman Bazardo, Houston Astros- Bazardo had a tough time, he lasted 2 innings, giving up 8 runs (8 earned), he walked 3 men and didn't strike anyone out. He has a 9.75 ERA, losing his 1st game.

**Rockies Offense- Had no answers for the Giants, they walked 3 times and struck out 10.

**Royals Offense- 3 runs on only 6 hits, they walked 1 time and struck out 7.

**Brad Ziegler, Oakland Athletics- Brad blew the save, he worked 2/3 of an inning, giving up 4 runs (4 earned), he didn't walk anyone and struck out 1. Brad now has a 3.32 ERA, losing his 4Th game.

Marlins Hard After Penny

According to Jon Paul Morosi; the Marlins are "among the most serious suitors" for Brad Penny. Penny was released by the Red Sox last week, and is apparently set to clear release waivers sometime soon.

Angels Aquire Kazmir

The LA Angels acquired the Tampa Bay Ray's best statistical pitcher of all-time in Scott Kazmir. Rays are sending Kazmir west for prospects Alexander Torres, Matthew Sweeney, and the famous PTBNL.

Kazmir has had a rough year with a 5.92 ERA with a 8-7 record, the southpaw owns an impressive 3.92 ERA and 9.8 K/9 while honing his craft in the tough AL East, and he even has playoffs and World Series experience.

Around the MLB on Friday...

The Angels are close to acquiring P Scott Kazmir of the Rays for prospects Alexander Torres and Matthew Sweeney.

The Twins acquire RP Joe Rauch of the Diamondbacks for a PTBNL.

The Twins acquire P Ron Mahay from the Royals. The Royals will pay most of his contract. Mahay was DFA by the Royals last week.

Jason Kendall, Craig Counsell, Mike Cameron and Braden Looper of the Brewers all cleared waivers yesterday.

The Giants claimed P Trevor Hoffman of the Brewers but a trade in unlikely.

Victor Martinez is open to an extension with the Red Sox while the Royals are considering a extension for GM Dayton Moore.

More to come

B & G's 8/27/09

Baseballs:

**Angel Pagen, New York Mets- Pagen went 2-4 at the plate with 2 walks. He hit his 6Th Home Run of the season, driving in his 26Th run. Angel is now hitting .290.

**Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers- Ian went 2-4 with 2 Home Runs, he now has 28 on the year, he drove in 4 runs, giving him 73 RBIs. Ian is now hitting .247.

**Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds- Joey went 3-4 at the plate and hit his 20Th Home Run of the season, driving in 2 runs, giving him 64 RBIs. Joey is hitting .314.

**Jeff Keppinger, Houston Astros- Jeff hit his 4Th Home Run of the season, driving in his 22Nd RBI, despite going 1-5. Jeff is hitting .263.

**Adam Dunn, Washington Nationals- Adam went 1-3 with a walk and he hit his 34Th Home Run of the season, he drove in his 90Th run. Adam is now hitting .283.

**Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers- Matt went 3-5 and hit his 19Th Home Run of the season, he drove in 2 runs, giving him 80 RBIs. Kemp is hitting .313 on the season.

**Andy Marte, Cleveland Indians- Andy finished the evening 2-4 and he hit his 2Nd Home Run of the season. He drove in 2 runs, to give him 11 RBIs. Andy is now hitting .275.

**Jayson Nix, Chicago White Sox- Jayson went 2-4 with 3 RBIs, giving him 29 RBIs. Nix is now hitting .229.

**Andrew McCutcheon, Pittsburgh Pirates- Andrew went 2-4 with his 9Th Home Run of the season, driving in his 39Th RBI. McCutcheon is now hitting .290.

**Javier Vazquez, Atlanta Braves- Javier threw 7 shutout innings, didn't walk anyone and he struck out 6. Vazquez now has a 3.02 ERA, winning his 11Th game.

**Trevor Cahill, Oakland Athletics- Trevor threw 7 shutout innings, he walked 2, struck out 2 and now has a 4.64 ERA with his 7Th win.

**Brandon Allen, Arizona Diamondbacks- Brandon finished up 2-5 and he hit his 1st Major league Home Run, driving in 4 runs, giving him 5 RBIs. Brandon is now hitting .235.

Goofballs:

**Cristhian Martinez, Florida Marlins- He put the game out of reach, throwing 3 1/3 innings, giving up 4 runs (4 earned), he walked 1 and struck out 2. Martinez now has a 5.71 ERA.

**Yankees Offense- 2 runs, on 6 hits, they walked 8 times and struck out 10. The Yankees left 12 men on base.

**Dave Bush, Milwaukee Brewers- Dave threw 4 2/3 innings, giving up 5 runs (5 earned), he walked 3 and struck out 3. Bush now has a 5.88 ERA, losing his 5Th game.

**Kyle McClellan, St. Louis Cardinals- Kyle threw 1 2/3 innings, giving up 2 runs (2 earned), he walked 1, didn't strike anyone out and he now has a 3.06 ERA, losing his 3rd game.

**Cubs Offense- 4 runs on 6 hits, they walked 4 times, struck out 7 and left 6 men on base, not getting that big clutch hit to get them over Washington.

**Rockies Offense- 2 runs on 11 hits, they walked once and struck out 11 men. The Rockies lost 2 of 3 to the Dodgers.

**Jim Johnson, Baltimore Orioles- Jim blew the save, his 4Th of the season. Jim threw an inning, giving up 2 runs (2 earned), he now has a 3.17 ERA.

**Junichi Tazawa, Boston red Sox- Junichi went 4 innings, giving up 9 runs (9 earned), he walked 1, struck out 2 and now has a 6.65 ERA, losing his 3rd game.

**Raul Ibanez, Philadelphis Phillies- Struck out 3 times and finished up 0-4. He is hitting .281.

**Clayton Richard, San Diego Padres- Clayton threw 2 1/3 innings, giving up 6 runs (6 earned), he walked 2, struck out 2. Clayton now has a 4.79 ERA, losing his 4Th game.

**Angels Offense- They were shutout with 3 hits, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts.

**Joe Martinez, San Francisco Giants- Joe threw 4 1/3 innings, giving up 8 runs (8 earned), he walked 2, struck out 5 and now has a 4.72 ERA.

B & G's 8/26/09

Baseballs:

**David Huff, Cleveland Indians - David threw 6 solid innings, while his offense gave him enough runs to win the game. Huff gave up 2 runs (2 earned), he walked 1, struck out 2 and now has a 6.57 ERA.

**Torii Hunter, LA Angels- Torii went 2-3 with a walk, he hit his 18Th Home Run of the season, driving in 2 runs, giving him 70 RBIs. Hunter is now hitting .318.

**Andy Pettitte, New York Yankees- Andy threw 7 strong innings, giving up 2 runs (2 earned), he walked 3, struck out 7 and won his 11Th game of the season. Andy has a 4.18 ERA and now is tied for 3rd place on the Yankees career win list.

**Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies- Ryan finished the evening 2-5 and hit his 37Th Home Run of the season, giving the Phillies the lead and he now has 107 RBIs, hitting .269.

**David Eckstein, San Diego Padres- David finished the night 3-5 with a walk and he drove in 2 runs, giving him 41 RBIs. Eckstein is now hitting .260.

**Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins- Hanley went 3-3 with 2 walks and he is hitting .365.

**Marco Scutaro, Toronto Blue Jays- Marco went 0-3 with 2 walks, but he slid into home plate safely for the walk off win after the wild pitch. Scutaro is hitting .291.

**David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox- Papi ended the game with a walk off Home Run, he hit 2 of them, giving him 22 and now has 77 RBIs. Ortiz went 2-4 and is now hitting .227.

**Koyie Hill, Chicago Cubs- Hill went 3-3 with a walk and he drove in 2 runs, giving him 18 RBIs and Koyie is hitting .242.

**Darnell McDonald, Cincinnati Reds- Darnell got a pinch hit, driving in his 2Nd run and winning the game for the Reds. He is hitting .205.

**Jeremy Guthrie, Baltimore Orioles- Jeremy threw 7 strong innings, stopping the Twins offense, he gave up 1 run (1 earned), he didn't walk anyone and struck out 5. Jeremy now has 9 wins and a 5.26 ERA.

**Joel Pinerio, St. Louis Cardinals- Joel threw 8 innings, giving up 2 runs (2 earned), he didn't walk anyone, struck out 5. Joel now has a 3.12 ERA and won his 13Th game.

**Andre Eithier, Los Angeles Dodgers- Andre went 3-4 and hit 2 Home Runs, giving him 27 on the season. He drove in 3 runs, giving him 87 RBIs and is hitting .290.

**Bengie Molina, San Francisco Giants- Bengie came in as a pinch hitter, and he responded by hitting a 3 run Home Run, his 16Th of the season and now has 67 RBIs. Bengie is hitting .263.

**Jose Lopez, Seattle Mariners- Jose finished the night 2-4 and hit his 19Th Home Run, he drove in 2 runs, giving him 78 RBIs. Jose is now hitting .273.

Goofballs:

**Royals Offense- 2 runs, 8 hits, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts and they left 6 men on base.

**Tigers Offense- 2 runs on 7 hits, they walked 2 and struck out 9.

**Rangers Offense- 2 runs against Pettitte and the Yankees. They only had 7 hits, leaving 6 men on base.

**Steven Jackson, Pittsburgh Pirates- He didn't throw an inning, giving up 2 runs (2 earned), he walked 1 and didn't strike anyone out. Steven lost his 3rd game and now has a 4.08 ERA.

**Eric O' Flaherty, Atlanta Braves- With the game on the line, Eric gave up 2 more runs (2 earned) in 1/3 of an inning. Eric walked 1 and didn't strike anyone out, he has a 3.59 ERA.

**Mets Offense- 3 runs on 10 hits, with 1 walk and 12 strikeouts. They couldn't get the big clutch hit to help them win.

**J.P. Howell, Tampa Bay Rays- He blew his 7Th save attempt and lost the game due to a wild pitch. In 1 inning, he gave up 2 runs (2 earned), he walked 3 and struck out 1. Howell now has a 2.52 ERA.

**Tony Pena, Chicago White Sox- Pena threw 1/3 of an inning, giving up the Home Run, he didn't walk anyone, and struck out 1. Pena now has a 4.50 ERA.

**Jorge Sosa, Washington Nationals- Jorge threw 1/3 of an inning, he gave up 5 runs (5 earned), he walked 2 and struck out 1, putting the game out of reach and he now has a 7.13 ERA.

**Mike Burns, Milwaukee Brewers- Mike lost the game, giving up 1 run (1 earned) in 1 inning. He now has a 6.10 ERA.

**Twins Offense- They only scored 1 run on 6 hits, walked just once and struck out 7. The Twins left 5 men on base.

**Astros Offense- 2 runs on 8 hits, leaving 4 men on base.

**Josh Fogg, Colorado Rockies- 3 innings, giving up 6 runs (6 earned), he gave up 3 Home Runs, walking 4 and struck out 3. Fogg has a 3.35 ERA.

**Chad Qualls, Arizona Diamondbacks- Chad gave up the Home Run, he threw 1/3 of an inning, giving up 1 run (1 earned), he now has a 3.73 ERA.

**Athletics Offense- 3 runs on 9 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts, and they left 7 men on base.

Around the MLB on Thursday...

11:00: The Marlins and Rockies both have interest in pitcher Brad Penny. Brad Penny was released by the Red Sox last night after he asked to be.

10:45: Matt Holliday hopes he can get an extension from the Cardinals and stay for years to come. Holliday is 30 years old and will be a class A free agent after the season.

10:30: The Rangers designated pitcher Jason Jennings for assignment.

9:00: Phillies GM said we will keep an eye on the waiver deadline but we probably made are last move this season.

More to come...

Hunt for the Postseason 8/26

AL East

New York Yankees
Record: 78-47
GB: First
WC: -
Opponent: VS Texas Rangers
Game Time: 7:05 ET, ESPN2
Pitching Matchup: Halland (7-7, 4.72 ERA) VS Pettitte (10-6, 4.25 ERA).
Yesterday: Rangers won 10-9
Notes:
* The Yankees will have 4 guys in the AFL including Ian Kennedy.

Boston Red Sox
Record: 72-53
GB: 6
WC: First
Opponent: VS White Sox
Game Time: 7:10 ET
Pitching Matchup: Floyd (10-8, 3.98 ERA) VS Wakefield (11-3, 4.31 ERA).
Yesterday: Red Sox win 6-3
Notes:
* The Boston Red Sox bolstered their bullpen yesterday by ending lefty Billy Wagner in a waiver trade with the Mets. The Mets get 2 minor leaguers to be named.
* The Bo-Sox activated Tim Wakefield from the DL today and sent pitcher Enrigue Gonzalez to AAA.

Tampa Bay Rays
Record: 69-56
GB: 9 GB
WC: 3rd place, 3 back of Boston
Opponent: @TOR
Game Time: 7:07 ET
Pitching Matchup: Kazmir (8-7, 6.17 ERA) VS Rzepczynski (2-3, 3.65 ERA)
Yesterday: Rays 7, Jays 3, Pena went deep twice in the win.

AL Central

Minnesota Twins
Record: 63-63
GB: 4.5
WC: 9.5 GB
Opponent: VS BAL
Game Time: 8:10 ET
Pitching Matchup: Guthrie (8-12, 5.45 ERA) VS Blackburn (8-8, 4.27 ERA)
Yesterday: The Twins scored up run in the 9th to win and get back up to .500.
Notes:
* The Twins are excited about Target Field, which will open on April 12, the Twins 2009 Home Opener.

Chicago White Sox
Record: 63-63
GB: 4.5
WC: 6th, 9.5 GB
Opponent: @BOS
Game Time: 7:10 ET
Pitching Matchup: Floyd (10-8, 3.98 ERA) VS Wakefield (11-3, 4.31 ERA)
Yesteday: Boston won 6-3.
Notes:
* Reinsdorf won't bid for NHL Coyotes.
* Today Chris Getz and Dewayne Wise were sent to AAA Charlotte for rehab assignments.

AL West

Texas Rangers
Record: 70-54
GB: 4
WC: 2nd, 1.5 GB of Boston
Opponent: NYY
Game Time: 7:05 ET, ESPN2
Pitching Matchup: Halland (7-7, 4.72 ERA) VS Pettitte (10-6, 4.25 ERA)
Yesterday: Rangers out-slugged the Yanks 10-9.
Notes:
* Pudge will be used as a DH.
* The Rangers will have to make a decision this off season about whether or not to re-sign Paul Byrd.

AL East

Philadelphia Phillies
Record: 72-51
GB: First Place
WC: -
Opponent: @PIT
Game Time: 7:05 ET
Pitching Matchup: Hamels (7-8, 4.78 ERA) VS Maholm (7-7, 4.74 ERA)
Yesterday: Pirates won 6-4 on a walk-off by Andrew McCutchen.
Notes:
* Brad Lidge blew his 9th save yesterday, but he's still the closer.

Florida Marlins
Record: 66-59
GB: 7, tied for second
WC: 5.5 GB, 4th place
Opponent: VS NYM
Pitching Matchup: Pelfrey (9-8, 4.67 ERA) VS Johnson (12-3, 2.99 ERA)
Yesterday: The Marlins won the pitchers' duel 2-1.
Notes:
* Last night the Marlins placed 1B Nick Johnson on the 15-day DL.
* The corresponding move will be announced before today's game.

NL Central

St. Louis Cardinals
Record: 73-54
GB: First
WC: -
Opponent: VS HOU
Pitching Matchup: Oswalkt (7-4, 3.83 ERA) VS Pieiro (12-9, 3.15 ERA)
Yesterday: The Cardinals won 1-0 as Wainwrigt pitched a gem.
Notes:
* The Cardinals are starting to run away with the division. They have been red hot while other teams like the Brewers and Cubs have really struggled as of late.
* First round draft pick Shelby Miller threw in the Cardinals' bullpen yesterday at Busch Stadium. He is headed for Class A Quad City.

Will update with West division later if possible.

Around the MLB on Wednesday...

The Brewers placed Trevor Hoffman, Mike Cameron, Craig Counsell, Jason Kendall, Braden Looper and Felipe Lopez on waivers but they don't expect to become sellers.

The Angles had interest in Bill Wagner before he was traded and are still looking for relief pitching.

The Diamondbacks placed RP Chad Qualls on waivers but are unlikely to trade him.

More to come hopefully.

B & G's 8/25/09

Baseballs:

**Andrew McCutcheon, Pittsburgh Pirates- Andrew went 2-4 with a walk off Home Run, his 8Th of the season, driving in 2 runs, giving him 38 RBIs. Andrew is now hitting .287.

**David Eckstein, San Diego Padres- David went 2-6 with a double and he drove in his 39Th run of the season. David is now hitting .255

**Shane West, Florida Marlins- Shane threw 6 strong innings, giving up 1 run (1 earned), he walked 3, and struck out 2. West won his 5Th game and he now has a 4.44 ERA.

**Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers- Josh finished the evening 4-6 and drove in 2 runs, giving him 43 RBIs and he set the tone on an offensive night between two playoff contending teams. Josh is now hitting .270.

**Carlos Pena, Tampa Bay Rays- Carlos hit 2 Home Runs, giving him 37 Home Runs on the year. He drove in 4 runs, giving him 91 RBIs and he now is hitting .223.

**Victor Martinez, Boston Red Sox- Came into the game as a pinch hitter and Victor responded by going 2-2, he drove in the tying run and he later drove in an insurance run, with those 2 RBIs, it gives him 85 RBIs. Victor is now hitting .294.

**Josh Willingham, Washington Nationals- Josh couldn't get out, he finished up 4-4 with a walk and 2 Home Runs, giving him 21 on the year and he drove in a career high 6 runs, giving him 56 RBIs. Josh is now hitting .301 on the season.

**Zack Greinke- Zack was cruising for 8 innings, giving up 2 runs (2 earned), he walked 1, and struck out a new career high 15 Indians. It also was a new franchise record, breaking Mark Gubicza's record of 14 strikeouts.

**Laynce Nix, Cincinnati Reds- Laynce went 2-7 with 2 Home Runs, giving him 12 on the year, he drove in 3 runs 36 RBIs. Laynce is now hitting .253.

**Delmon Young, Pittsburgh Pirates- Delmon had 4 hits, going 4-5, including hitting a walk off single to win the game, his 42Nd RBI. Young is now hitting .266 on the season.

**Adam Wainwright, St. Louis Cardinals- Adam threw 8 shutout innings, winning his NL leading 15Th win, he didn't walk anyone and struck out 5. Adam now has a 2.50 ERA.

**Troy Tulowitski, Colorado Rockies- Troy delivered a walk off single to drive home the winning run. On the night, he finished up 2-5 with driving in 2 runs, giving him 69 RBIs. Troy is now hitting .276.

**Placido Polanco, Detroit Tigers- Polanco drove in the game winning triple and finished up 2-5 with his 55Th RBI. He is now hitting .273 on the year.

**Travis Ishikawa, San Francisco Giants- Travis hit a big 3 run Home Run to give the Giants the lead for good, it's his 9Th Home Run of the season and with the 3 runs he drove in, it gives him 35 RBIs. Travis is hitting .262.

**Ryan Langerhans, Seattle Mariners- Ryan came into the game as a defensive replacement, and his only at bat was a dozy, a 2 run walk off Home Run, his 3rd of the season and with the 2 runs, he has 9 RBIs. Ryan is hitting .221 on the year.

Goofballs:

**Brad Lidge, Philadelphia Phillies- Blew his 9Th save, he didn't retire a hitter, giving up 3 runs (3 earned). Brad has a 7.33 ERA.

**Kris Melden, Atlanta Braves- Kris threw an inning, gave up 1 run (1 earned), he walked 2, struck out 3 and now has a 4.10 ERA.

**Mets Offense- 1 run on 7 hits, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts and they left 9 men on base.

**Joba Chamberlain, New York Yankees- Joba only lasted 4 innings, giving up 7 runs (7 earned), he walked 3, struck out 5 and he now has a 4.34 ERA, losing his 4Th game.

**Brett Cecil, Toronto Blue Jays- Brett lasted 3 1/3 innings, giving up 5 runs (5 earned), he walked 3, struck out 3, and he now has a 4.96 ERA, losing his 3rd game of the season.

**Scott Linebrink, Chicago White Sox- Scott gave up 3 runs (3 earned) in 1 inning, he didn't walk anyone and struck out 1. Scott now has a 3.97 ERA.

**Carlos Zambrano, Chicago Cubs- Carlos lasted 4 1/3 innings, giving up 8 runs (8 earned), he walked 3, struck out 4 and Carlos now has a 3.80 ERA with his 5Th loss.

**Shin-Soo Choo & Kelly Shoppach- They both struck out 3 times and the entire Indians offense struck out 16 times.

**Todd Coffee, Milwaukee Brewers- Threw 3 innings, giving up 2 runs (2 earned), he didn't walk anyone and struck out 3. Todd now has a 2.66 ERA, losing his 3rd game.

**Brian Bass, Baltimore Orioles- Brian gave up the lead early in the game, he didn't retire anyone and gave up 3 runs (3 earned), he walked 2, and didn't strike anyone out. Brian now has a 5.01 ERA.

**Astros Offense- They were shutout, only had 3 hits, 1 walk, and 5 strikeouts, leaving 4 men on base.

**James McDonald, Los Angeles Dodgers- Gave up the single to lose the game, he threw 1/3 of an inning, giving up 1 run (1 earned), walked 2, struck out 1 and he now has a 4.20 ERA.

**Angels Offense- They had their chances to at least tie the game late, but couldn't get that big clutch hit. They left 11 men on base.

**Jon Rauch, Arizona Diamondbacks- Lost the game for the D-Backs, his 2Nd game. Jon threw 1 inning, giving up 3 runs (3 earned), he walked 2, didn't strike anyone out and now has a 4.14 ERA.

**Craig Blewsow, Oakland Athletics- Lost his 7Th game, he threw 1 1/3 innings, giving up 2 runs (2 earned), he walked 1 and struck out 2. Craig now has a 4.14 ERA.

MLB Hunt For the Postseason 8/25

AL East

New York Yankees
GB: 1st Place
Wildcard:-
Opponent: Home against the Rangers (69-54)
Game Time: 7:05 ET
Pitching Matchup: TEX: Millwood (9-8, 3.48 ERA) NYY: Chamberlain (8-3, 3.98 ERA)
Yesterday: The Yanks had the day off
Notes
*Joe Girardi sees no reason to split up battery-mates A.J. Burnett and Jorge Posada despite some heated miscommunication between the duo during a 14-1 loss to the Red Sox on Saturday.
*The Yankees are 41 and 18 at home

Boston Red Sox
GB: 7 games behind the Yankees
WC: 1st place
Opponent: Home against the White Sox (63-62)
Game Time: 7:10 ET
Pitching Matchup: CHW: Garcia (0-1, 10.38 ERA) BOS: Lester (10-7, 3.58 ERA)
Yesterday: They beat the White Sox 12-8
Notes:
*An unknown team claimed Brad Penny earlier in the month, only to see the Red Sox pull him back.
*Red Sox acquire Billy Wagner

Tampa Bay Rays
GB: 10 games behind the Yankees
Wildcard: 3 games behind the Red Sox
Opponent:@ Blue Jays (57-66)
Game Time: 7:07 ET
Pitching Matchup: TAM: Shields (7-10, 3.81 ERA) TOR: Cecil (5-2, 4.58 ERA)
Yesterday: They beat the Jays 12 to 7, while giving Doc Halladay his worst loss in 2 years.
Notes
*Carl Crawford left Monday night's 12-7 win over the Blue Jays prior to the bottom of the third inning with tightness in his lower back, will be re-evaluated

AL Central

Detriot Tigers
GB: 1st place
Wildcard:-
Opponent: @ Angels (74-49)
Game Time: 10:05 ET
Pitching Matchup: DET: Washburn (8-7, 3.18 ERA) LAA: Lackey (8-6, 4.00 ERA)
Yesterday: they beat the Angels 10 to 7

Chicago White Sox
GB: 3.5 games behind the Tigers
Wildcard: 8.5 games behind the Red Sox
Opponent: @ Boston (71-53)
Game Time: 7:10 ET
Pitching Matchup: CHW: Garcia (0-1, 10.38 ERA) BOS: Lester (10-7, 3.58 ERA)
Yesterday: the pounced on the White Sox 12 to 8
Notes
*Peavy "OK" after taking a liner off the elbow in a rehab start

AL West

LAA Angels
GB: 1st place
Wildcard:-
Opponent: at home against the Tigers (66-58)
Game Time: 10:05 ET
Pitching Matchup: DET: Washburn (8-7, 3.18 ERA) LAA: Lackey (8-6, 4.00 ERA)
Yesterday: They lost 10 to 7 to the Tigers
Notes
*The Angels are 36 and 23 at home this season

Texas Rangers
GB: 5 games behind the Angels
Wildcard: 1/2 games behind the Red Sox
Opponent: @ Yankees (78-46)
Game Time: 7:05 ET
Pitching Matchup:TEX: Millwood (9-8, 3.48 ERA) NYY: Chamberlain (8-3, 3.98 ERA)
Yesterday: The Rangers had the day off yesterday
Notes
*Marlon Byrd said that he wants Texas to be his "last stop," though he understands that GM Jon Daniels has to do what's best for the organization.

NL East

Philadelphia Phillies
GB: 1st palce
Wildcard:-
Opponent: Pittsburgh Pirates (51-71)
Game Time: 7:05 ET
Pitching Matchup: PHI: Blanton (8-6, 3.86 ERA) PIT: Ohlendorf (11-8, 4.15 ERA)
Yesterday: They beat the Mets 6-2
Notes
*Lee (5-0) did not allow an earned run in seven innings, lowering his ERA with the Phillies to 0.68 in five outings since he was acquired in a July 29 trade with Cleveland.

Atlanta Braves
GB: 7 games behind the Phillies
Wildcard: 4.5 games behind the Rockies
Opponent: Home against the Padres (52-74)
Game Time: 7:00 ET
Pitching Matchup: SDG: Latos (4-3, 4.82 ERA) ATL: Jurrjens (10-8, 2.99 ERA)
Yesterday: They had the day off
Notes
*Will Hanson be the rookie of the year? Or will a guy like Randy Wells steal the honors?

NL Central

St. Louis Cardinals
GB: 1st place
Wildcard:-
Opponent: Houston Astros (61-63)
Game Time: 8:15 ET
Pitching Matchup: HOU: Rodriguez (12-7, 2.89 ERA) STL: Wainwright (14-7, 2.61 ERA)
Yesterday: The Cards had the day off
Notes
*Have pitchers found a way to pitch to Albert Pujols?

Red Sox Acquire Billy Wagner...

Update 12:39: The Red Sox acquire RP Billy Wagner, while the Mets get 2 players to be named later.

Update 12:28: Heyman reports that Wagner is on the verge of accepting a trade to Boston and has 10 minutes to decide and this is also the deadline.

Update 12:27: Buster Olney expects the Red Sox to complete a deal for Wagner.

Update 12:25: It looks like the deal will go through, with an announcement coming shortly.

Update 12:15: The Red Sox and Mets still have not completed a deal for Bill Wagner but one can be completed soon.

Update 12:05: Bill Wagner is now considering a deal to the Red Sox

9:33: Bill Wagner blocked the trade to the Red Sox because of his health. He wants to rest his arm for the rest of the season and come back close to full strength next season. The Mets are out of the playoffs and will be able for him to rest his arm but in the other hand the Red Sox are still in and will need to use him in the bullpen as a late inning guy.

Stay tuned...

B & G's 8/24/09

Baseballs:

**Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies- Ryan is heating it up at the right time, he hit 2 Home Runs, giving him 34 Home Runs, driving in 5 runs, which gives him 104 RBIs. Ryan, after going 2-5 is hitting .268.

**Jody Gerut, Milwaukee Brewers- Jody appeared late in the game and was partly responsible for the 6 run 6Th inning, he went 2-2, hitting his 5Th Home Run of the season, driving in 3 runs, giving him 23 RBIs. Jody is now hitting .214.

**Ben Zobrist, Tampa Bay Rays- Ben went 3-4 with a walk, he hit his 23rd Home Run, driving in 2 runs, giving him 69 RBIs. Ben is now hitting .293 on the season.

**Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox- Dustin went 3-4 with 2 doubles and he drove in 2 runs, giving him 55 RBIs and is now hitting .303.

**Luis Valubuena, Cleveland Indians- Luis hit another game winning Home Run, his 8Th of the year and now he has 24 RBIs after driving in 3 runs. Luis went 1-3 with a walk and is now hitting .249.

**Scott Baker, Minnesota Twins- 7 strong innings for the right hander, he gave up 1 run (1 earned), walked 1, and struck out 5. Scott won his 12Th game and now has a 4.47 ERA.

**Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers- Cabrera went 3-5 at the plate, hit his 26Th Home Run of the season, driving in 5 runs, giving him 80 RBIs. Miguel is now hitting .341.

**Ken Griffey, Jr- Seattle Mariners- Griffey hit his 14Th Home Run of the season, 625Th in his career. He drove in 2 runs, giving him 43 RBIs and he got hit by a pitch. Griffey is now hitting .225.

**Ryan Spilborghs, Colorado Rockies- Ryan hit a walk off grand slam Home Run to give the Rockies the win. He finished the evening 2-7 with his 7Th Home Run of the season, driving in 4 runs, giving him 44 RBIs. Ryan is now hitting .252

Goofballs:

**Mets Offense- The Mets had no answers for Cliff Lee, scoring 2 runs on 6 hits. They didn't walk, and struck out 6, leaving 3 men on base.

**Nationals Offense- 1 run, 6 hits, they walked 5 times, and struck out 11. They left 11 men on base, couldn't get the big clutch hit.

**Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays- Roy threw his worst start in quite some time. He survived 6 innings, giving up 8 runs (7 earned), he walked 1, struck out 8 and he now has a 3.03 ERA.

**Jose Contreras, Chicago White Sox- Jose threw 2 2/3 innings, giving up 7 runs (1 earned), he walked 3, struck out 1 and lost his 12Th game and now has a 5.09 ERA.

**Joakim Soria, Kansas City Royals- Joakim blew his 3rd save opportunity, throwing 2/3 of an inning, giving up 3 runs (3 earned), he lost his 2Nd game of the year and now has a 2.97 ERA.

**Orioles Offense- 1 run on 4 hits, 3 walks, and 9 strikeouts. They left 5 men on base.

**Jose Arredondo, LA Angels- Jose threw 2/3 of an inning, giving up 4 runs (4 earned), he walked 1, and struck out 1. Jose now has a 5.97 ERA.

**Athletics Offense- Had no answers for Ian Snell or the Mariners. 1 run on 5 hits, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts.

**Justin Miller, San Fracisco Giants- Came in to try and save the game, but he gave up 3 runs (3 earned), while not retiring anyone and he took the loss, his 3rd of the season. He has a 2.96 ERA.

Around the MLB on Tuesday...

11:31: Marlon Byrd hopes to stay in Texas when he hits free agency for the first time after the season. As of right now Byrd is expected to get a raise in free agency.

9:33: Bill Wagner blocked the trade to the Red Sox because of his health. He wants to rest his arm for the rest of the season and come back close to full strength next season. The Mets are out of the playoffs and will be able for him to rest his arm but in the other hand the Red Sox are still in and will need to use him in the bullpen as a late inning guy.

9:30: The Astors placed RP Latroy Hawkins on waivers and Rosenthal speculates the Dodgers, Rockies and Cardinals could be interested.

8:45: An unknown team claimed P Brad penny off waivers before the Red Sox pulled him back. Penny can not be dealt now because the deadline to the claiming team has passed.

More to come.

MLB Hunt for the Postseason: 8-24

6 weeks left in the regular season. Tonight there is a light schedule, especially in the NL.
AL East

Boston Red Sox
Record: 70-53
GB: 7.5
WC: 1st place
Opponent: VS CWS
Game Time: 7:10 ET
Pitching Matchup: Contreras (5-11, 5.13 ERA) VS Buchholtz (2-3, 3.99 ERA)
Yesterday: Fell to the Yankees 8-4.
Notes:
* Jonathan Papelbon is not sure if he would like a Billy Wagner to the Red Sox trade or not.
* According to Buster Olney, the Red Sox are concerned with the health of Wagner.

Tampa Bay Rays
Record: 67-56
GB: 10
WC: 3rd place,
Opponent: @TOR
Game Time: 7:07 ET
Pitching Matchup: Niemann (11-5, 3.71 ERA) VS Halladay (13-6, 2.78 ERA)
Yesteday: Lost to Texas 4-0
Notes:
*The roof is closed at the Rogers Centre tonight.
* The Rays have selected the following minor leaguers to play on the Phoenix Desert Dogs in the Arizona Fall League: Nevin Ashley-C, Cody Cipriano-IF, Matt Gorgen-RHP, Shawn O'Malley-IF, Pual Phillips-RHP, and Heath Rollins-RHP.

AL Central

Minnesota Twins
Record: 61-63
GB: 4.5 behind the Tigers, 3rd place
WC: 10 games behind Boston, 6th place
Opponent: VS BAL
Game Time: 8:10 ET
Pitching Matchup: Tillman (1-1, 4.80 ERA) VS Baker (11-7, 4.62 ERA)
Yesterday: Win in KC 10-3
Notes:
* The Twins are waiting on word about Justin Morneau's recovery from a right inner ear infection.
* Now is the time for the Twins to take care of business, they are playing the O's while the top teams in the division are facing tough opponents.

Detroit Tigers
Record: 65-58
GB: First
WC: -
Opponent: @LAA
Game Time: 10:05 ET, ESPN2
Pitching Matchup: Verlander (13-7, 3.29 ERA) VS Weaver (13-4, 3.89 ERA)
Yesterday: Lost 9-4 in Oakland.
Notes:
* The Tigers have not lost a game ALL Season in which they've led in the 9th inning.

Chicago White Sox
Record: 63-61
GB: 2.5
WC: 4th, 8 back of Boston
Opponent: @BOS
Game Time: 7:10 ET
Pitching Matchup: Contreras (5-11, 5.13 ERA) VS Buchholtz (2-3, 3.99 ERA)
Yesterday: Fell to the O's by a score of 5-4.
Notes:
* White Sox second baseman Chris Getz will start a rehab assignment Wednesday at AAA Charlotte. He has missed the last 2 weeks with a oblique injury.
* The tarp has been pulled over the infield as dark clouds are in the area in Boston.

AL West

LA Angels
Record: 74-48
GB: First
WC: -
Opponent: VS DET
Game Time: 10:05 ET
Pitching Matchup: Verlander VS Weaver
Yesterday: Lost 8-3 to the Jays.
Notes:
* Today would have been Nick Adenhart's 23rd birthday.
* The Angels have a 90% chance of making the playoffs according to Sam Miller.

NL West
The only NL night game is between the Giants and Rockies:
Records: Giants 67-57, Rockies 70-54
GB: Colorado 3.5 back of the Dodger, SF in 3rd, 6.5 back
WC: The Rockies lead the Wild Card, the Giants are in second 3 games off the pace
Game Time: 8:40 ET
Pitching Matchup: Zito (8-11, 4.26 ERA) VS Marquis (14-8, 3.58 ERA)
Notes:
* Former Giants Jeff Kent spoke for 53 minutes today with reporters.

A small schedule today, but there's still some big games! Enjoy!

Around the MLB on Monday...

2:40: The Rockies confirm the signing of Jason Giambi to a minor league contract. Giambi will report to Triple A Colorado.

The Reds are unlikely to make any more trades before the non waiver deadline.

If the Red Sox want to trade for RP Billy Wagner, they are going to have to guarantee they will turn down his option at the end of the season. Wagner wants to close and the Red Sox have a closer in Papelbon.

The Rangers want to bring back OF Marlon Byrd back next season.

The Yankees plan on bringing OF Johnny Damon back next season. Damon is a free agent after the season.

More to come, I guarantee.

B & G's 8/23/09

Baseballs:

**Fausto Carmona, Cleveland Indians- Fausto won for the first time in over 3 months, he finally showed dominance in this game against a contending team. 7 innings, giving up 1 run (1 earned), walked 1 man and struck out 8. Fausto now has a 5.92 ERA with 3 wins.

**Eric Bruntlett, Philadelphia Phillies- Forget offense, Eric made history with his defense. He became the 2Nd man in baseball history taking part an unassisted triple play ending the game. He caught the liner, and because the Mets had sent their runners, he stepped on 2Nd base for the 2Nd out, and tagged Daniel Murphy on the 3rd out. What was more incredible is the score at the time...Philadelphia 9, New York 7. Wow.

**Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves- Brian had a great day, going 3-4, hitting his 16Th Home Run of the season. He also drove in 5 runs, giving him 67 RBIs, Brian is now hitting .287.

**Ryan Zimmermann, Washington Nationals- Ryan finished the day 2-4 with his 26Th Home Run, driving in 3 runs, giving him 85 RBIs and he is now hitting .301.

**Homer Bailey, Cincinnati Reds- Homer threw 7 quality innings, giving up 1 run (1 earned), he walked 4, and struck out 4. Bailey won his 3rd game and now has a 6.82 ERA.

**Travis Snyder, Toronto Blue Jays- Travis went 3-3 with a walk, including hitting his 5Th Home Run, a solo shot, which now gives him 14 RBIs. Travis is now hitting .256.

**Scott Feldman, Texas Rangers- Scott threw 7 shutout innings, he walked 2, struck out 11 and won his 13Th game. Scott now has a 3.87 ERA.

**Brian Roberts, Baltimore Orioles- Brian finished the day 3-4 with 2 runs scored, a stolen base, and a walk. Brian is now hitting .295 leading the Orioles to the victory.

**Ryan Roberts, Arizona Diamondbacks- Ryan went 4-5 with a double, he drove in his 15Th run and now is hitting .291.

**Michael Cuddyer, Minnesota Twins- Michael helped his Twins win by hitting 2 Home Runs, now he has 22 on the year. He drove in 3 runs, which gives him 63 RBIs. After finishing up 3-5, he is hitting .276.

**Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado Rockies- Jimenez threw 8 strong innings, giving up 2 runs (2 earned), he walked 2, and struck out 9. He has a 3.36 ERA, winning his 12Th game.

**Jack Cust, Oakland Athletics- Jack finished the day 3-3 with a walk, he hit 2 Home Runs, giving him 19 on the year and he drove in 4 runs. Jack has 56 RBIs and is hitting .240.

**John Smoltz, St. Louis Cardinals- Making his first Cardinals start, John threw 5 shutout innings, even more impressive, 0 walks, and 9 strikeouts, winning his 3rd game of the year. Smoltz now has a 7.40 ERA.

**Jake Fox, Chicago Cubs- Jake went 4-4 with his 9Th Home Run of the season, driving in 2 runs, giving him 34 RBIs. Jake is now hitting .305.

**Hedeki Matsui, New York Yankees- Matsui went 2-4 with 2 Home Runs, he now has 23 on the season, driving in 2 runs, giving him 68 RBIs. Matsui is now hitting .265.
Goofballs:

**Mariners Offense- Defense and offense have been the weakness for the Mariners all season long. Today, they scored 1 run on 6 hits, 1 walk, and 11 strikeouts.

**Mets Offense- Now the Mets have joined the Cleveland Indians as the only team in baseball history to end the game hitting into an unassisted triple play. It tells you how many wrong things have happened to the Mets.

**Kiko Calero, Florida Marlins- Kiki lost the game, his 2Nd of the season. He threw 1 inning, giving up 2 runs (2 earned), he walked 1, struck out 1 and now has a 2.15 ERA.

**Manny Parra, Milwaukee Brewers- Manny lost his 10Th game, he lasted only 3 1/3 innings, giving up 8 runs (5 earned), he walked 1, and didn't strike anyone out. Parra raised his ERA to 6.54.

**Pirates Offense- 1 run today on 5 hits, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts, and left 7 men on base.

**Trevor Bell, LA Angels- Trevor survived 1 2/3 innings, giving up 6 runs (6 earned), he walked 4, struck out 2. Trevor lost his 1st game and now has a 9.49 ERA.

**Rays Offense- They were shut out this afternoon, with 5 hits, 2 walks, and 15 strikeouts.

**Mark Buerhle, Chicago White Sox- Ever since the perfect game, Mark has been struggling. Today, he threw 5 1/3 innings, giving up 5 runs (5 earned), he didn't walk anyone, struck out 4 and gave up 2 Home Runs. Buerhle now has a 3.92 ERA, losing his 7Th game.

**Bud Norris, Houston Astros- The young rookie had a tough start, throwing 1 inning, giving up 6 runs (6 earned), he walked 3, struck out 1 and now has a 5.86 ERA.

**Kyle Farnsworth, Kansas City Royals- Kyle threw an inning, giving up 5 runs (5 earned), he didn't walk anyone, struck out 1 and now Kyle has a 5.88 ERA.

**Giants Offense- They scored 2 runs, 6 hits, 2 walks, and 11 strikeouts. They left 5 men on base.

**Ryan Perry, Detroit Tigers- Ryan threw 1 inning, giving up 2 runs (2 earned), he walked 1, struck out 2, and gave up 2 Home Runs. Ryan now has a 3.89 ERA.

**Cesar Carrillo, San Diego Padres- Cesar lasted 2 innings, giving up 4 runs (4 earned), he walked 6 men, and struck out 1. Cesar lost his 2Nd game and he now has a 13.06 ERA.

**Dodgers Offense- 1 run on 3 hits, they walked 2 times and struck out 7, leaving 2 men on base.

**Josh Beckett, Boston Red Sox- Josh gave up 5 Home Runs, in 8 innings, he surrendered 8 runs (8 earned), he didn't walk anyone and struck out 5. Josh lost his 5Th game and now has a 3.65 ERA.

B & G's 8/22/09

Baseballs:

**Vladimir Guerrero, LA Angels- Vlad gave the Angels the lead for good, hitting his 11Th Home Run of the season, he finished up 2-5 and now has 32 RBIs. Guerrero is hitting .303 on the season.

**Charlie Haeger, Los Angeles Dodgers- Threw 7 shutout inning, floating that knuckle ball, he walked 4 and struck out 7. Haeger now has a 1.93 ERA, winning his 1st game of the season.

**Junichi Tazawa, Boston Red Sox- The rookie came in to a very tough situation, his team had lost 5 straight games to the Yankees, but he shut them out for 6 scoreless innings, he walked 2, struck out 2 and now has a 3.57 ERA.

**Luis Valbuena, Cleveland Indians- Luis had 1 hit and that hit counted the most, walk off style. He hit his 7Th Home Run of the season in the 11Th inning, giving the Indians the win, he has 20 RBIs and is now hitting .244 after going 1-5.

**Carlos Lee, Houston Astros- Carlos went 2-2 with a walk and a sacrifice fly, driving in his 79Th run of the season. Carlos is now hitting .313 on the year.

**Mike Cameron, Milwaukee Brewers- Mike went 4-6 at the plate, driving in 3 runs, giving him 54 RBIs, hitting his 18Th Home Run, and he hit a double. Mike is now hitting .262.

**A.J. Pierzynski, Chicago White Sox- A.J. went 2-2 with 2 walks and is now hitting .314.

**Ryan Doumit, Pittsburgh Pirates- Ryan paced the Pirates going 3-5 with his 7Th Home Run of the season, driving in 3 runs, giving him 25 RBIs. Ryan scored 3 runs and is now hitting .225.

**Carlos Pena, Tampa Bay Rays- Pena hit a walk off single to give his Rays the win, but he 2 Home Runs earlier in the game. Carlos has 34 Home Runs, he drove in 4 runs, giving him 84 RBIs. After a 3-4 evening, Carlos is now hitting .219.

**Tommy Hanson, Atlanta Braves- Tommy threw 7 strong inning, earning his 9Th win of the year. Tommy gave up 3 runs (3 earned), he walked 3, struck out 7 and now has a 3.12 ERA.

**J.A. Happ, Philadelphia Phillies- Happ won his 10Th game of the year by throwing 7 effective innings, giving up 1 run (1 earned), he walked 2, and struck out 1. J.A. now has a 2.59 ERA.

**Jason Kubel, Minnesota Twins- Jason drove in 3 runs, went 2-5 with a double and gave his Twins a big lift. Kubel now has 71 RBIs and is hitting .307.

**Dexter Fowler, Colorado Rockies- Dexter went 2-3 with 2 triples and 2 walks. He drove in 2 runs, giving him 33 RBIs and Dexter is now hitting .277.

**Kurt Suzuki, Oakland Athletics- Hit the walk off single to win the game. He finished up 2-5, driving in his 56Th RBI. Kurt is now hitting .276.

**Chris Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals- Chris threw 7 shutout innings, he walked 3, struck out 6 and now has a 2.14 ERA, winning his 14Th game.

Goofballs:

**Brian Tallet, Toronto Blue Jays- Brian threw 1 inning, giving up 3 runs (3 earned), he walked didn't walk anyone, struck out 2 and he now has a 5.06 ERA.

**Cubs Offense- Was shutout, only collecting 5 hits, they walked 5 times and struck out 11, leaving 10 men on base.

**AJ Burnett, New York Yankees- AJ threw 5 innings, giving up 9 runs (9 earned), he walked 2, struck out 6 and gave up 3 Home Runs. Burnett now has a 4.08 ERA.

**Randy Messenger- Lost the game, giving up the Home Run to Valbuena, he threw 2/3 of an inning and now has a 13.50 ERA.

**Diamondbacks Offense- The offense didn't have many answers, scoring 2 runs on just 7 hits, they walked 2 times and struck out 7, leaving 7 men on base.

**John Lannan, Washington Nationals- He didn't get the loss, but he also didn't help matters. John lasted 1 2/3 innings, giving up 7 runs (7 earned), he walked 2, and didn't strike anyone out. John now has a 4.03 ERA.

**David Hernandez, Baltimore Orioles- David only lasted 4 innings, giving up 3 runs (3 earned, he walked 3, struck out 4, losing his 6Th game and now has a 4.35 ERA.

**Reds Offense- Only scored 2 runs, 9 hits, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts and left 7 men on base.

**Jason Grilli, Texas Rangers- Lost the game in the 10Th inning without retiring anyone, giving up 1 run (1 earned), he walked 1 and didn't strike anyone out. Jason lost his 3rd game and now has a 4.14 ERA.

**Marlins Offense- Scoring 3 runs on only 4 hits, walked 3 times and struck out 9.

**Patrick Misch, New York Mets- Patrick blew the lead and lost the game. He threw 1/3 of an inning, giving up 2 runs (2 earned), he walked 1 and didn't strike anyone out. Patrick now has a 5.00 ERA.

**Kyle Davies, Kansas City Royals- Kyle threw 5 2/3 innings, giving up 6 runs (6 earned), he walked 3 men and struck out 6. Kyle now has a 6.12 ERA and lost his 9Th game.

**Justin Miller, San Francisco Giants- Justin lost his 2Nd game of the year, giving up 4 runs (4 earned) in 2/3 of an inning, he walked 2, didn't strike anyone out and now has a 2.47 ERA.

**Zach Miner, Detroit Tigers- Zach threw 1/3 of an inning, losing his 4Th game and give up the winning run. Zach now has a 4.91 ERA.

**Padres Offense- They were shut out, only collecting 4 hits, walked 4 times, and struck out 9. They left 6 men on base.

Around the MLB on Sunday...

12:45: Reds P Aaron Harrang is out for the remainder of the season after an emergency appendectomy.

10:02: The Rockes are going to sign veteran P Russ Ortiz. Ortiz opted to be a free agent after the Yankess never called him up after 3 stsrts. That is right after they sign veteran Jason Giambi.

9:50: Mets GM Omar Minaya and manager Jerry Manuel will be back for the 2010 season, that is according to the owner.

9:30: The Rockies sign utility man Jason Giambi. Giambi will join there Triple A team and get call up when rosters expand in September. He was release by the A's earlier this month.

More to come.

Around Baseball

• Jason Giambi is getting close to signing with a contender to be add some bench power, Rockies a possible fit?
  
• The Padres will officially extend 2B David Eckstein through 2010 today.
  

Stay tuned.....

MLB Hunt For The Postseason 8/22

AL East

Tampa Bay Rays
GB: 10.5 games behind the Yankees
Wildcard: 3 games behind Boston
Opponent:Vs the Rangers (68-53)
Start Time: 7:08 ET
Pitching Matchup: TEX: Hunter (6-2, 2.64 ERA) TAM: Garza (7-8, 3.73 ERA)
Yesterday: They beat the Rangers 5-3
Notes:
*At seasons end Akinori Iwamura or Ben Zobrist at second base?

The Yankees (77-45) @ Red Sox (69-52) today on Fox (4:10 ET)
Pitching Matchup: NYY: Burnett (10-6, 3.69 ERA) BOS: Tazawa (1-2, 5.40 ERA)
Notes:
*The Red Sox are 38-19 at home while the Yankees are 36-27 on the road.

AL Central

Detriot Tigers
GB:-
Wildcard:-
Opponent: @ Oakland A's (53-68)
Start Time: 9:05 ET
Pitching Matchup: DET: Galarraga (6-10, 5.16 ERA) OAK: Cahill (6-12, 4.97 ERA)
Yesterday: They Beat the A's 3-2
Notes:
*Curtis Granderson will be back in the line-up after a 2 day breather

Chicago White Sox
GB: 3.5 games behind teh Tigers
Wildcard: 7.5 games behind the Red Sox
Opponent: Vs Orioles (50-72)
Start Time: 7:05 ET
Pitching Matchup: BAL: Hernandez (4-5, 4.20 ERA) CHW: Danks (10-8, 3.96 ERA)
Yesterday: They lost to the O's 5-1
Notes:
*The White Sox say they are pushing Jake Peavy back, and the right-hander will pitch Monday in Charlotte
*While Jim Thome made history on Friday, he was frustrated by the Sox's loss to the O's

AL West

The Angels are playing the Blue Jays in a day game, I'll keep you updated!

Texas Rangers
GB: 5.5 games back of the LAA
Wildcard: 1 game back of the Red Sox
Opponent: @ Tampa Bay Rays (66-55)
Start Time: 7:08 ET
Pitching Matchup: TEX: Hunter (6-2, 2.64 ERA) TAM: Garza (7-8, 3.73 ERA)
Yesterday: The Rays won 5-3
Notes:
*The Rangers are poor on the road (27-29)

NL East

Philadelphia Phillies
GB:-
Wildcard:-
Opponent: @ New York Mets (57-65)
Start Time: 7:10 ET
Pitching Matchup: PHI: Happ (9-2, 2.66 ERA) NYM: Redding (1-4, 6.53 ERA)
Yesterday: The Mets won 4-2
Notes:
*Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Brett Myers struck out three in his first rehab appearance since having hip surgery nearly three months ago, an outing pushed back five days because of a fall

Florida Marlins
GB: 5.5 games behind the Phillies
Wildcard: 3 Games back of the Rockies
Opponent: @ Atlanta braves (64-58)
Start Time: 7:00 ET
Pitching Matchup: FLA: Volstad (9-9, 4.61 ERA) ATL: Hanson (8-2, 3.05 ERA)
Yesterday: They beat the Braves 5-3
Notes:
*The Florida Marlins have recalled right-hander Anibal Sanchez from Double-A Jacksonville to start Friday's game in Atlanta

Atlanta Braves:
GB: 6.5 games behind the Phils
Wildcard: 4 games behind the Rockies
Opponent: Vs Florida Marlins (65-57)
Start Time: 7:00 ET
Pitching Matchup: FLA: Volstad (9-9, 4.61 ERA) ATL: Hanson (8-2, 3.05 ERA)
Yesterday: The Marlins beat the Braves 5-3
Notes:
*The Braves are missing outfielder Garret Anderson and infielder Martin Prado for the start of a very key weekend series against the Florida Marlins.

NL Central

St. Louis Cardinals
GB:-
Wildcard:-
Opponent: @ San Diego Padres (52-72)
Start Time: 10:05 ET
Pitching Matchup: STL: Carpenter (13-3, 2.27 ERA) SDG: Correia (8-9, 4.32 ERA)
Yesterday: The Cards lost 4-0 to the Padres
Notes:
*Cardinals pitcher Kyle Lohse was removed from Friday night's game against the Padres due to an apparent left leg injury

NL West

The Dodgers (73-50) host the Chicago Cubs (61-59) on fox at 4:00 ET
The Pitching Matchup: CHC: Lilly (9-7, 3.42 ERA) LAD: Haeger (0-1, 3.86 ERA)

Colorado Rockies
GB: 4.5 games behind the Dodgers
Wildcard:-
Opponent: Vs Giants (67-55)
Start Time: 8:10 ET
Pitching Matchup: SFO: Martinez (3-1, 4.76 ERA) COL: De La Rosa (11-8, 4.58 ERA)
Yesterday: The Giants beat the Rockies 6-3
Notes:
*Colorado right-hander Aaron Cook was removed from the game against San Francisco in the fourth inning Friday night with a sore left shoulder

San Fransico Giants
Gb: 5.5 games behind the Dodgers
Wildcard: 1 game behind the Rockies
Opponent: @ Rockies (68-54)
Start Time: 8:10 ET
Pitching Matchup: SFO: Martinez (3-1, 4.76 ERA) COL: De La Rosa (11-8, 4.58 ERA)
Yesterday: The Giants won 6-3 over the Rockies
Notes:
*Catcher Buster Posey, who needed a few days off to nurse a minor injury, returned to Triple-A Fresno's lineup Tuesday and went 2-for-5 with an RBI single and a run scored

Brewers Not to Sell?

Tom Haudricourt got a few words from Brewers GM Doug Melvin:

"Teams aren’t interested in giving up good players at this point on waiver claims...I don’t see getting anything back in return that would make it worth doing."

B & G's 8/21/09

Baseballs:

**Russell Branyan, Seattle Mariners- Russell went 2-3 with 2 walks and he hit his 29Th Home Run of the season, driving in 2 runs, giving him 74 RBIs. Russell is now hitting .257.

**Braden Looper, Milwaukee Brewers- Braden threw 6 solid innings, giving up 2 runs (2 earned), he walked 2, struck out 4, and now has a 4.95 ERA.

**Charlie Morton, Pittsburgh Pirates- Charlie bounced back from a bad performance to throw 6 1/3 innings, giving up 2 runs (2 earned), he walked 3 and struck out 3. Charlie now has a 5.21 ERA and won his 3rd game.

**Jeff Francoeuer, New York Mets- Jeff had a good night, he went 3-4 and hit his 11Th Home Run of the season, a solo shot, giving him 58 RBIs on the season. Jeff is now hitting .269.

**Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins- Ramirez went 3-4 at the plate to extend his hitting streak to 16. He hit his 19Th Home Run of the season, driving in 3 runs, giving him 85 RBIs. But more importantly, his Marlins won the game. Hanley is now hitting .360.

**Marc Rzepczynski, Toronto Blue Jays- Marc won for the first time in a month, he pitched 6 1/3 innings, giving up 1 run (1 earned), he walked 1, struck out 6, and won his 2Nd game of the season. Marc now has a 3.65 ERA.

**Hedeki Matsui, New York Yankees- The Yankees exploded for 20 runs and Hedeki Matsui is partly responsible for that. He went 2-6 with 2 Home Runs, giving him 21 on the season and he drove in 7 runs, giving him 66 RBIs. Matsui is now hitting .266.

**Scott Kazmir, Tampa Bay Rays- Scott worked 7 1/3 innings, giving up 3 runs (3 earned), he walked 2, struck out 4 and now has a 6.17 ERA, winning his 8Th game of the season.

**Roy Oswalt, Houston Astros- Toy threw 7 shutout innings, he didn't walk anyone and struck out 2. Roy won his 7Th game and now has a 3.83 ERA.

**Brian Roberts, Baltimore Orioles- 2 Home Runs for Brian, he went 2-5, giving him 14 on the season. Brian drove in 3 runs, giving him 59 RBIs and Roberts is hitting .293.

**Aaron Rowand, San Francisco Giants- Aaron went 3-4, hit his 11Th Home Run of the season, driving in 3 runs, giving him 51 RBIs. Aaron is now hitting .280 and he helped give him team a big lift in the win.

**Ryan Rayburn, Detroit Tigers- Ryan gave his Tigers a big lift by hitting 2 Home Runs, giving him 10 Home Runs, with his 2 RBIs, it gives him 34 on the season and after going 2-4, he is hitting .273.

**Clayton Richard, San Diego Padres- Clayton threw 6 shutout innings, he walked 3, struck out 6, earned his 7Th win of the season and he now has a 4.42 ERA.

**Randy Wolf, Los Angeles Dodgers- Randy threw 7 innings, giving up 1 run (1 earned), on 1 hit, he walked 2, struck out 5. Randy won his 8Th game and has a 3.34 ERA.

Goofballs:

**David Huff, Cleveland Indians- David was awful again, only lasting 3 2/3 innings, giving up 5 runs (5 earned), he walked 4 and didn't strike anyone out. The walks is what killed Huff and he now has a 6.80 ERA.

**Josh Willingham, Washington Nationals- Struck out 3 times, going 0-4. Josh is now hitting .299

**Reds Offense- 2 runs on 9 hits, 4 walks, and 4 strikeouts. The Reds left 10 men on base.

**Phillies Offense- The offense was a bit flat against Mike Pelfrey and the other Mets pitchers. They scored 2 runs, 10 hits, 2 walks, and 10 strikeouts, leaving 11 men on base.

**Braves Offense- The only one to contribute was Adam Larouche. They scored 3 runs on just 6 hits, walked 2 times, and struck out 10.

**Sean O' Sullivan, LA Angels- Sean lasted 1 inning, he gave up 4 runs (4 earned), walked 3 and struck out 1. Sean lost his 2Nd game and now has a 6.60 ERA.

**Michael Bowden, Boston Red Sox- Yes, Brad Penny was bad, but Michael was worst. He worked 2 innings, giving up 7 runs (7 earned), he walked 3, and didn't strike anyone out. Michael now has a 15.75 ERA.

**Rangers Offense- They didn't score until the 8Th inning and could only get 6 hits with 3 runs. They left 5 men on base.

**Diamondbacks Offense- They were shutout on just 4 hits.

**White Sox Offense- They only scored 1 run on 7 hits, they walked2, struck out 3, and left 7 men on base.

**Aaron Cook, Colorado Rockies- The Giants got to him early, lasting just 3 innings, giving up 4 runs (4 earned), he walked 2, didn't strike anyone out. Aaron now has a 4.47 ERA, losing his 6Th game of the season.

**Athletics Offense- Didn't have many answers for the Tigers. They scored 2 runs on 8 hits, they walked 2 times, struck out 8 and left 8 men on base.

**Cardinals Offense- They were shut out, they only could get 5 hits, walked 3 times and struck out 11.

**Cubs Offense- They could only get 1 hit, on 1 run, they never really gave themselves a chance to score. They struck out 7 times too.

MLB Hunt for the Postseason: 8-21

AL East

NY Yankees
Record: 76-45
GB: First Place
WC: -
Opponent: @ Red Sox
Start Time: 7:10 ET
Pitching Machup: Pettitte (9-6, 4.09 ERA) VS Penny (7-7, 5.22 ERA)
Yesterday: Off Day
Notes:
* A big series for both teams this weekend.
*Derek Jeter was asked if you could see himself as a DH 6 year from now (at the age of 41) and said, "You'll see me at short still."
* The Yankees fished a stretch of 33 games in 34 days in Oakland on Wednesday.

Boston Red Sox:
Record: 69-51
GB: 6.5
WC: First
Opponent: VS NYY
Game Time/Pitching Matchup: Listed above
Yesterday: Beat the Blue Jays 8-1
Notes:
* Today the Red Sox made a series of roster moves:
-Rocco Baldeilli activated
- Mike Bowden called up from AAA
-Brian Anderson sent back to AAA Pawtucket
- Fernando Cabrera was DFA

Tampa Bay Rays
Record: 65-55
GB: 10.5
WC: 3rd place, 4 games back of Boston
Opponent: VS Tex
Game Time: 7:38 ET
Pitching Matchup: Nippert (4-1, 3.52 ERA) VS Kazmir (7-7, 6.36 ERA)
Yesterday: Lost to Baltimore 8-7.
Notes:
* The Rays are looking to bring defense and intensity the rest of the way. They are still very much alive in the Wild Card race.
*Carlos Pena is back in the lineup at first base tonight for the Rays.

AL Central

Detriot Tigers
Record: 64-56
GB: First Place
WC: -
Opponent: @Oak
Game Time: 10:05 ET
Pitching Matchup: Jackson (9-5, 2.85 ERA) VS Gonzalez (4-3, 5.88 ERA)
Yesterday: Beat Seattle 7-6
Notes:
* Dontrelle Willis is still out with soreness in his right hip that occurred in his rehab start on Wednesday.
* The Orioles claimed Chris Lambert off waivers from the Tigers yesterday.

Chicago White Sox
Record: 62-59
GB: 2.5
WC: 7.5 back of Boston
Opponent: VS BAL
Game Time: 8:11 ET
Pitching Matchup: Guthrie (7-12, 5.66 ERA) VS Floyd (10-7, 3.94 ERA).
Yesterday: had an off day
Notes:
* Kenny Williams, the White Sox GM, is happy with his team.
* Jake Peavy will make at least 2 more rehab starts before his return.

AL West

LA Angels
Record: 73-46
GB: First place
WC: -
Opponent: @TOR
Game Time: 7:07 ET
Pitching Matchup: O'Sullivan (3-1, 5.91 ERA) VS Rzepczynski (1-3, 3.98 ERA)
Yesterday: Lost 11-3 to the Indians
Notes:
* Torii Hunter is regaining strength in his right adductor muscle, and will sit out tonight. He also sat out last night's contest against the Tribe.
* Check out the top 50 greatest moments in Angels Baseball.

Texas Rangers
Record: 68-52
GB: 5.5
WC: 2nd place, 1 game back
Opponent: @TB
Game Time: 7:38 ET
Pitching Matchup: Nipper VS Kazmir
Yesterday: Rangers win 11-1 over Twins
Notes:
* The Rangers current stealing bases success rate of 85.1% is the second highest since 1975.
*Opponents are hitting just .183 off C.J. Wilson since the all star break.
* Young has a 22 game hit streak at home, 1 short of the club record.

NL East

Philadelphia Phillies
Record: 69-49
GB: First
WC: -
Opponent: @NYM
Game Time: 7:10 ET
Pitching Matchup: Hamels (7-7, 4.69 ERA) VS Pelfrey (8-8, 4.75 ERA)
Yesterday: Crushed Arizona 12-3 to sweep the series
Notes:
* Raul Ibanez has been struggling with his timing.
* Jose Velandia is a player-coach for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Read more.

NL Central

St. Louis Cardinals
Record: 70-53
GB: First place
WC: -
Opponent: @SD
Game Time: 10:05 ET
Pitching Matchup: Lohse (5-7, 4.58 ERA) VS Richard (6-3, 4.66 ERA)
Yesterday: Picked up a 5-1 win in game one against the Padres.
Notes:
* Yesterday Jamie Garcia was activated from the DL and sent to AAA.
* Smotlz was officially added to the roster, Mitchell Boggs was optioned yesterday.

Chicago Cubs
Record: 61-58
GB: 7
WC: 5th place, 6 back of Colorado
Game Time: 10:10 ET
Pitching Matchup: Wells (9-5, 3.01 ERA) VS Wolf (7-6, 3.43 ERA)
Yesterday: Dodger took game 1 by a score of 7-2.
Notes:
* The Rickets Family has signed a definitive agreement to purchase the Chicago Cubs.
* Carlos Zambrano is in line to return to the Cubs rotation on Tuesday.

NL West

LA Dodgers
Record: 72-50
GB: First
WC: -
Opponent: VS Cubs
Pitching Matchup/Game Time/Yesterday: Listed above
Notes:
* The Dodgers are 2 games ahead of the Phillies for the best record in the National League.
* With the win last night, LA now leads the all time series with the Cubs, they are 1,015-1,014.

Colorado Rockies
Record: 68-53
GB: 3.5
WC: Leaders
Opponent: VS Giants
Game Time: 9:10 ET
Pitching Matchup: Sanchez (5-10, 4.49 ERA) VS Cook (10-5, 4.31 ERA)
Yesterday: The Rockies beat the Nationals 4-1 to sweep the series.
Notes:
* A big series for both clubs because the Rockies lead the by just 2 games in the Wild Card.

It will be an interesting weekend in Boston, Colorado, and Tampa Bay especially!

Bill Wagner claimed...

3:15: John C. Rodriguez says it is "almost inconceivable" that the Marlins would commit to about $3.5MM for a six week rental.

2:25: An unknown team has claimed relief pitcher Billy Wagner and now the Mets has 3 days to make a move.

More to come.

B & G's 8/20/09

Baseballs:

**Drew Stubbs, Cincinnati Reds- Drew struck out 3 times in the game, but he connected with his 1st Home Run of the season, driving in 1 run and giving the Reds the win. Drew is now hitting .222.

**Clete Thomas, Detroit Tigers- Drove in the winning run for the Tigers in the 9Th inning. He finished up 2-4 with his 34Th RBI of the season, he also walked and is now hitting .246.

**Matt Laporta, Cleveland Indians- Matt just got called up and he responded going 1-3 with a sacrifice fly, driving in a career high 3 runs, giving him 7 RBIs on the season. Matt is hitting .200 and should get to play everyday.

**Jason Hammel, Colorado Rockies- Jason threw 7 strong innings, giving up 1 run (1 earned), he walked 2 and struck out 3. Jason now has a 4.54 ERA and won his 8Th game.

**Joe Blanton, Philadelphia Phillies- What is up with the Phillie pitchers hitting? Cliff Lee had 2 hits the other night, and now it's Joe Blanton's turn. He went 2-4 with driving in his 1st RBI. Joe is hitting .100 on the year, and oh yeah, he went 8 innings, giving up 3 runs (3 earned), he didn't walk anyone and struck out 4. Joe now has a 3.86 ERA and won his 8Th game of the season.

**Kenshin Kawakami, Atlanta Braves- Kenshin threw 7 strong innings, facing off against Johan Santana, he gave up 1 run (1 earned), he walked 2, struck out 5, won his 6Th game and he now has a 3.97 ERA.

**J.D. Drew, Boston red Sox- Drew finished the night 4-4 with 2 Home Runs, giving him 15 Home Runs, he drove in 3 runs, giving him 48 RBIs. J.D. is hitting .260.

**Brian Roberts, Baltimore Orioles- Brian went 2-5 including hitting a grand slam Home Run, his 12Th of the season, with the 4 RBIs, it gives him 56 on the season and now Brian is hitting .292.

**Wandy Rodriguez, Houston Astros- Wandy won his 12Th game of the season by throwing 8 strong innings, giving up 1 run (0 earned), he walked 2, struck out 7 and now has a 3.89 ERA.

**Marlon Byrd, Texas Rangers- Marlon had a great night at the plate, hitting 2 Home Runs, giving him 14 on the year, he drove in 4 runs, 1 of which was on a sacrifice fly. Marlon now has 64 RBIs and .287 average after a 2-3 with a walk evening.

**Joel Pinerio, St. Louis Cardinals- Joel threw 7 2/3 innings, giving up 1 run (1 earned), he walked 2, struck out 7, and he now has 12 wins, with a 3.15 ERA.

**Russell Martin, Los Angeles Dodgers- Russell went 1-3 with a walk and hit a grand slam Home Run, his 4Th of the season. He drove in 4 runs, giving him 38 RBIs. Russell is hitting .262 on the year.

Goofballs:

**Giants Offense- Didn't have many answers for the Reds pitching. They scored 1 run, 11 hits, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts. The Giants left 10 men on base.

**David Aardsma, Seattle Mariners- David blew the save, working 2/3 of an inning, giving up 2 runs (2 earned), he walked 2 and didn't strike anyone out and now has a 2.43 ERA, losing his 5Th game of the year.

**John Lackey, LA Angels- John threw 5 1/3 innings, giving up 6 runs (6 earned), he walked 4, and struck out 3. John lost his 6Th game and now has a 4.00 ERA.

**Nationals Offense- 1 run on only 4 hits, 2 walks, and 7 strikeouts.

**Doug Davis, Arizona Diamondbacks- Doug survived 5 innings, giving up 6 runs (5 earned), he walked 4 and struck out 6. Doug lost his 11Th game and he now has a 3.77 ERA.

**Mets Offense- They only scored 2 runs, 9 hits, walked 3 times, and struck out 6 times. The Mets left 10 men on base and couldn't get the big clutch hits.

**Blue Jays Offense- They could only get 1 run on 3 hits off of John Lester, putting the game out of reach early.

**Lance Cormier, Tampa Bay Rays- Lance only threw 1/3 of an inning, giving up 3 runs (3 earned), he walked 2, didn't strike anyone out, and gave up a Home Run. Lance now has a 3.11 ERA.

**Marlins Offense- Just 1 run on hits, 2 walks, and 9 strikeouts, leaving 4 men on base.

**Anthony Swarzak, Minnesota Twins- Anthony threw 5 1/3 innings, giving up 6 runs (6 earned), he walked 2, struck out 4, and gave up 4 Home Runs. Anthony now has a 6.25 ERA.

**Padres Offense- 1 run on 4 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts, and they left 4 men on base.

**Angel Guzman, Chicago Cubs- Guzman threw an inning, gave up the grand slam to Martin, giving up 4 runs (4 earned), he walked 1 and struck out 1. Angel now has a 3.33 ERA, losing his 3rd game.

Around the MLB on Friday...

* San Francisco Giants C Bengie Molina wants the Giants to offer him a 2 year contract after the season because he is a free agent. The Giants have Buster Posey who is a catcher in Triple A and he is rated the 6th best prospect in the majors.

* The Padres sign 16 year old Dominican OF Fabel Filpo for 450K.

* Bobby Abreu said he wants to return to the Angles next year. The Angles have a lot of big time free agents after this season like Figgins, Guerrero, Lackey along with Abreu.

* The Mets OF Gary Sheffield ask GM Omar Minaya to be released or traded to the Florida Marlins.

More to come.