Battle of the Windy City

It would be the Civil War, Illinois style (maybe they'll make one of these neat replica chess sets). As we see it, the World Series won't be leaving the Windy City this year as the Cubs and White Sox will meet in the championship.

What better way for the Cubs to end their miserable streak of losing then to beat their hated crosstown rivals?

Here's our round by round break down.


ALDS

Red Sox vs. Angels - Wow this is tough. The defending champs are banged up. Josh Beckett may not be able to go. At the very least he won't start until game three. Mike Lowell (hip) and J.D. Drew (back) are also having lingering issues.

The Angels have had trouble beating the Red Sox in the past, but this year they should be able to handle them. Which is why we are picking the Red Sox in 5. Yes, you read that correctly. The Angels clinched the AL West very early, and their starting pitching hasn't looked so terrific the last month of the season. Being that we hate the Red Sox, we hope we're wrong, but we think Dice-K and Jon Lester make the difference in this one.
Red Sox in 5.

White Sox vs. Rays - The Rays are in their very first post-season while their opponent won the World Series just three years ago, and much of that team is still intact. We think the Rays starting pitching and bullpen will take on water in some of the cracks we've started to see. Dan Wheeler and company just are not that great, and Troy Percival is banged up.

Scott Kazmir is great, but isn't always on. Garza and Shields are good, but hittable. Sonnanstine and Jackson? Nah.

Mark Buerhle, Gavin Floyd, and John Danks should be the difference here, as well as the White Sox set up men to Bobby Jenks. The Sox also have a lot of momentum coming off of Monday's huge win and last night's one game playoff with the Twins.
White Sox in 4


NLDS

Brewers vs. Phillies - Unfortunately for Milwaukee, CC Sabathia cannot go every day. He is slated to come back on three days rest again for game two and is also scheduled for game 5. We don't see this going that long though.

The Phillies have tremendous hitting, good starting pitching, and a solid pen. They also have the experience of last year's playoff failure to build off of. The Brewers haven't been in the post-season since they won the World Series in 1982.
Phillies in 4

Dodgers vs. Cubs - We're sure Manny will have a huge series and Joe Torre will be the talk of the town...for a bit. We expect another first round exit by Torre, though it will be no fault of his own. The Cubs are just a better, deeper ball club than the Dodgers.

Carlos Zambrano and Rich Harden are the keys to the series. Their health and ability to pitch. And Ted Lilly is on a roll.
Cubs in 5


ALCS

Red Sox vs. White Sox - Sox it to me. Should be a well pitched game, but the number games will take its toll on the banged up Red Sox.
White Sox in 6

Phillies vs. Cubs - This should be a great one that could go the distance. We think it will come up just shy of that, however, with the Cubs sacrificing a goat and Bartman before game six.
Cubs in 6


World Series
White Sox vs. Cubs - Brother vs. Brother. This one goes the distance, with the Cubs winning by a knockout late.
Cubs in 7

World Series MVP Prediction - Aramis Ramirez

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The Pennant Race - 8/14

NL WEST

A couple of former Red Sox helped influence two National League races last night. Manny Ramirez hit another homer and Nomar Garciaparra hit the walk-off game winner when the Dodgers came from behind to beat the Phillies 7-6. It moved the Dodgers into a first place tie with Arizona in the NL West. It also allowed the Mets to move into a first place tie with the Phillies in the NL East.

Brad Hawpe's 2-run, eighth inning home run snapped a 4-4 tie and was the game winner in the Rockies 6-5 win over the Diamondbacks. Adam Dunn was 1-5 and left four men on base.


NL CENTRAL

Big day for the Cubbies as they swept a twin-bill from the Braves. They won the opener easily, 10-2 behind a combined 7 RBI from Geovany Soto and Jim Edmonds. Pitching took over the nightcap as Rich Harden and four relievers blanked the Braves 8-0.

The Cubs added a half-game to their lead since the Brewers played just one. That one game was another win for CC Sabathia, who improved to 7-0, 1.55 since being traded to Milwaukee. Corey Hart drove in 3 runs and Prince Fielder homered in the 7-1 Brewers rout.

Braden Looper pitched the Cards to a 6-4 win over the Marlins as they too dropped just a half-game in the standings. Troy Glaus was 4-4 and Jason LaRue and Adam Kennedy drove in two runs each.


NL EAST

The Mets drew 11 walks in a 12-0 blowout of the Nationals. More importantly, John Maine is back from the DL and threw 5 innings of 1-hit ball for the win. Rookie Dan Murphy continued to make a big impact with a home run and 3 RBI. He's hitting .467 with 8 RBI in 11 games.


AL EAST

The Rays and Red Sox both were winners and put themselves a game further away from the Yankees. Ben Zobrist's RBI double in the seventh inning snapped a 2-2 tie and gave the Rays a 3-2 win over the A's. Troy Percival walked two hitters in the ninth but escaped unscathed for the save.

The Red Sox pounded the Rangers 8-4 behind Jon Lester with a couple of RBIs each for Kevin Youkilis, Jason Bay, and Jed Lowrie.


AL CENTRAL

The White Sox blanked the Royals for the second straight game, winning 4-0 as Mark Buehrle won his 10th game. The win kept them one-half game ahead of the Twins.


AL WEST

The Angels' bullpen had a rare meltdown as they fell to the Mariners, 10-7. Francisco Rodriguez blew his 5th save of the season when he allowed 3 runs in the ninth inning. Mark Teixeira temporarily got him off the hook with his second home run of the game, but the M's tagged Justin Speier for three more in the twelfth. The Angels still maintain a 15 game lead over second place Texas.

Jarrod Washburn and Raul Ibanez were both claimed on waivers yesterday and the Mariners will try to work out a deal for both.

The Padres put pitcher Chris Young on the DL with a strained forearm.

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Trade Deadline Recap

This was one of the most active trade periods in recent memory. Not only were a number of deals that got done, but a number of high profile players exchanged places. Let's take a look at today's big deals and a couple of ones that had already taken place.

3 Hall of Fame Players - Manny Ramirez, Ivan Rodriguez, and Ken Griffey Jr. were all dealt today. There have been rumors of Jr. to the White Sox on and and off for a couple of months. He finally went today, after waving his no-trade clause, for infielder Danny Richar and pitcher Nick Masset. Richar was thought to be the starting 2nd baseman for the White Sox this season before injury stalled his year. Eventually Alexi Ramirez made Richar expendable. Masset is a mediocre reliever who will just add some depth to the Reds pen.

Ivan Rodriguez gives the Yankees much needed punch at catcher while the Tigers got some much needed help in their bullpen with the acquisition of Kyle Farnsworth.

By adding Manny Ramirez to their lineup, the Dodgers have an excellent shot at overtaking the Diamondbacks for the NL West crown. Who ever would have thought Joe Torre would be managing the Man-child, and for that matter, Nomar.

The Red Sox get back a very solid player in Jason Bay. He's not Manny, but he's still a good addition. The biggest difference will be no protection for David Ortiz.

The poor fans in Pittsburgh, those who actually pay attention to baseball, get back 4 prospects. Reliever Craig Hansen, who was once thought to be closer material, and outfielder Brandon Moss, who has tremendous upside. He's a good outfielder with a decent bat, and will be just 25 in September.

From LA, the Pirates got Andy LaRoche, who joins his brother Adam, and pitcher Bryan Morris. The younger LaRoche will see time at 3rd base and eventually could supplant his brother on the other side of the diamond. He's got good power and will finally get the chance to see if he can live up to his hype. Morris is in just his second minor league season after missing 2007 due to Tommy John surgery. The 21-yr old's best pitch is his curveball.

The Reigning AL Cy Young Winner - CC Sabathia has been outstanding since his trade to the Brewers, going 4-0, 1.82 in 5 starts. The Indians have the chance for an outstanding bat in Matt LaPorta who was hitting .288-20-66 in 84 games in Double-A. He's made a slow transition to the Indians team in Akron, hitting just .212-1-7 in 14 games. Last year he drove in 31 runs in 30 games.

The Stud - Rich Harden finally won his first game as a Cub today. And yes, we are being sarcastic. Harden hasn't given as many innings as Sabathia, but his arm has to be cared for a lot more. Nonetheless, he's been outstanding, putting together a 1.11 ERA in 4 starts. He's also struck out 39 batters in 24.1 innings. Sean Gallagher is in the A's rotation and projects to be a number 3 or 4 starter. The reports on outfielders Matt Murton and Eric Patterson are mixed. Murton, soon to be 27, did well in 2006, hitting .297-13-62 with an .809 OPS. But he's tailed off since. Patterson is getting a shot now after tearing the cover off the ball in 14 minor league games after the trade, and has the bigger upside.

The Big Bat - Mark Teixeira is playing in his second game in an Angels uniform tonight. After going 0-4 against Boston, he's 2-4 against the Yankees and drove in his first run in for the Halos. This was a great deal for the Angels. Casey Kotchman will be a very solid defender for the Braves, but the jury is still out on his bat. Pitcher Steve Marek is a hard thrower, but is pretty much a crap shoot.

So there you have it. Big names, big deals, big difference makers.

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Around the Horn - 7/22

Great pitching match up last night at the warehouse they call a ball park in Phoenix. The Cubs sent recently acquired Rich Harden up against Dbacks oldster Randy Johnson. Apparently the Big Unit still has something left in him. He tossed 2 hit ball over 7 innings to pick up his 291st win in the Dbacks 2-0 victory. Hard luck loser Harden allowed just 1 hit, a home run, in 7 innings and struck out 10.

Harden has thus far lived up to expectations - 1 earned run allowed in 12.1 innings pitched. He's yet to get a win though as the bullpen blew his first start and no offense spoiled his second time out.

CC Sabatha is also living up to expectations in Milwaukee. He's allowed just 5 earned runs in 24 IP (1.88 ERA), while winning 3 games, going the distance in 2 of them. He's also homered! After starting the season 1-5, 7.51, Sabathia has gone 8-3, 1.92.

Teammates Miguel Cabrera and Matt Joyce combined for 9 hits and 11 RBI last night in the Tigers 19-4 blow out of the Royals.

B.J. Upton's offensive numbers are down for the Rays, but he did reach 30 stolen bases for the first time in his career with a pair of swipes last night. Scott Kazmir was dominant in the Rays 4-0 win over the A's, striking out 9 and allowing just 2 hits over 7 innings.

Curt Schilling has been out, Dice-K hasn't been fantastic, and Clay Buccholz has not yet lived up to the hype, but the Red Sox are very much in the thick of things, in great part due to the performance of Jon Lester. Known more for his cancer battle and a no-hitter earlier this year, Lester has put together a very solid campaign, improving to 8-3 after 7 shutout innings against the Mariners last night. Boston won 4-0 with Lester lowering his ERA to 3.20.

The Dodgers and Rockies banged out 38 hits last night in the Dodgers 16-10 road win. James Loney drove in 5 runs in this horribly pitched game.

Watching him pitch, you wonder how he ever wins a game, but Paul Byrd did it again last night. He and the Indians out dueled All-Star Ervin Santana in the Tribe's 5-2 win against the Angels.

The Astros were on the brink of victory last night, leading the Pirates 3-2 in the 9th. Then Jason Bay, Adam LaRoche, and Freddy Sanchez each hit round-trippers. Sanchez's was a 3-run inside the parker that took a weird carom off the fence. Final score, Pirates 9 Astros 3.

You never expect pitching with the Rangers, but last night Scott Feldman and three relievers held the White Sox to one run in a 6-1 win. Josh Hamilton hit a 3-run home run to give him 98 RBI on the season. Carlos Quentin's 24th home run was the lone Chisox run.

The Brewers blew a 9th inning lead, but Bill Hall homered in the 10th and the Brewers added two more to beat the Cards 6-3. The victory moved Milwaukee into a tie for 2nd with the Cards in the NL Central, 2 games back of the Cubs.

Jose Campillo allowed just 2 hits over 7 innings in the Braves 4-0 blanking of the Marlins. The rookie is now 5-4, 2.83.

The Padres rallied for 3 runs in the 9th inning to overcome the Reds, 6-4. Kevin Kouzmanoff stroked the game winning 2-run double. Ken Griffey Jr. smacked career home run number 606.

Adam Jones and Ramon Hernandez both went deep in the Orioles 8-3 win over the Blue Jays. Toronto has lost 14 of 18 on the road.

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Hump Day Rumors - 7/9 Edition

We've already been wowwed by the fact that two rumors, concerning CC Sabathia and Rich Harden, were very true. So what else is being heard through the grapevine?

The Arizona Republic reports that the Diamondbacks are seriously considering taking a look at Barry Bonds. GM Josh Byrnes didn't deny it either when asked. Funny how Peter Gammons didn't bring up the Red Sox interest until Joe Morgan asked him about it. Hmmm.

The LA Times reports that Dodgers hitting coach Mike Easler is to be let go in favor of the man who was originally hired for the job. That's right Donnie Baseball himself. Reports are he would take over on July 18.

The Miami Herald reports that the Marlins are seriously looking for a catcher. Cincinnati's David Ross, Kansas City's Miguel Olivo and Colorado's Yorvit Torrealba are tops on the list.

And the Daily News reported yesterday that the Yankees are taking a look into Victor Zambrano. Why not just get Britt Burns back.

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Breaking News: Harden to the Cubs

The Cubs have countered the Brewers acquisition of CC Sabathia by trading for the A's Rich Harden. The Cubs will also receive pitcher Chad Gaudin and will pitcher Sean Gallagher, outfielder Matt Murton, infielder Eric Patterson and catcher Josh Donaldson to Oakland.

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Giese for Now, Who for Later?

Dan Giese will step into Chien-Ming Wang's cleats (don't hurt yourself) this Saturday (we erroneously reported Sunday yesterday) against the Cincinnati Reds. But the question remains, will it be a long term solution, will the Yankees look inside the organization, or elsewhere. Let's take a look at the option.

Dan Giese: Let's start right with the guy who gets the first crack. Giese was a journeyman who had only appeared in 8 games last season with the Giants. But he blossomed as a starter (4-2, 1.98 in 13 games, 10 starts) this season at Scranton and that earned him the right to be Joba Chamberlain's back up for his first two starts. Now that Joba is ready to go out and throw 90-100 pitches, the plan would have been for Giese to be the long man out of the pen. Wang's injury changed all that.

Internal Options:

That guy incredibly bad import from Japan: We so don't want him back here we won't even mention him by name. But you know who he is and how bad he is. 'nuff said.

Ian Kennedy: Kennedy was tremendous last season, dominating at 3 levels in the minors and getting the notice of fans with an impressive September debut. But this year he has been just plain awful. He already made one very brief trip down to Scranton and then was DL'ed with a Lat injury shortly after his return. This is guy whose confidence has to be shaken right now since he has never had anything other than success prior to this season. At the moment he's a number 5 starter. With Wang out, possibly for the season, the Yankees need better than a number 5.

Dan McCutchen: McCutchen has made just 5 starts at the Triple-A level and from Brian Cashman's comments yesterday, doesn't seem like a viable solution for that precise reason. His numbers at Scranton have been decent (1-4, 3.62 21 K/4 BB) after an outstanding start at Trenton (4-3, 2.55 52 K in 53 IP).

Alan Horne: Horne missed two months of the season with a bicep injury and has thrown only 18.1 innings this season. Cashman won't throw him into the fire.

Jeff Karstens: Karstens is a decent pitcher who can't seem to stay healthy. He looked like he was going to go north with the club out of spring training and got hurt. He was nearly done with his rehab and got hurt. Now he's coming back again, but we already know what he can do and its not fantastic.

Jason Jones: This would be a very long shot. Jones has spent a year and a half at the Double-A level and is having an outstanding season (8-2, 2.30), but Cashman doesn't like to rush the Yankees prospects and is unlikely to pull up a guy who hasn't pitched at Triple-A.

Outside Solutions:

Obviously the biggest name out there is the biggest guy out there, C.C. Sabathia. The left-hander is set to become a free agent after the season and, you would have to think, the Yankees would want a window to negotiate a new contract with him before approving a deal. Indians GM Mark Shapiro is also going to want a bundle for him. Brian Cashman would look foolish if he threw a package of Phil Hughes and others together to get him after turning down a deal for Johan Santana. At worst, the Indians will get 2 draft picks as compensation if Sabathia stays the season and leaves as a free agent.

Ben Sheets: Sheets will turn just 30 this summer, but has spent significant time on the DL. He hasn't made more than 24 starts since 2004. He's missed some time this season already with triceps stiffness. Sheets is off to a great start this season (7-1, 2.42), but the Brewers are scuffling after being in contention all of last season. Sheets will also be a free agent after the season.

Randy Wolf: Another pending free agent who will be starting tonight against the Yankees when the San Diego Padres come to town. The up side is that he's left-handed, the down side is that he's not fantastic. He's got a career ERA of 4.23 (5-4, 3.83 in '08) with all 10 years of major league service in the National League. We've seen how average NL pitchers do in the AL and so it doesn't make sense to us unless you can get him cheap. He also had Tommy John Surgery and missed significant chunks of 2005 and 2006. He also suffered from shoulder soreness last season.

Rich Harden and Joe Blanton: A pair of talented right-handers from Oakland. Harden is a free agent after the season while Blanton can't be a free agent until 2011. He is arbitration eligible. GM Billy Beane would surely command a king's ransom for either pitcher just as he has when he dealt Dan Haren, Mark Mulder, and Tim Hudson in the past. Harden, when healthy is fantastic (4-0, 2.53 67 K in 53.1 IP in '08), but that's a big if. He threw 72.2 innings combined in '06 and '07 and has spent time on the DL this year as well. Blanton has control trouble at times, but is still a very good pitcher. The biggest down side as we mentioned earlier is that Beane would want too many prospects back.

Freddy Garcia: Garcia is sitting at home right now, getting in shape for when the phone rings. He had 7 seasons of 200 or more innings and it seemed to catch up to him last year when he threw just 58 innings due to a shoulder injury. Whether he's got enough left in the tank remains to be seen.

A.J. Burnett: The much embattled, much injured right-hander has worn out his welcome in Toronto. GM J.P. Ricciardi publicly questioned his heart and guts and Burnett recently made comments that he wouldn't mind playing for the Cubs. He then threw grease on the fire by saying he didn't care what the fans reaction to his comments would be. The guy's got talent, no doubt, but his physical problems and mental toughness probably will make Cashman shy away (we already have Carl Pavano). He still has 2 years remaining on a 5-year, $55 million deal, but he can opt out of it after this season, which makes his departure from Toronto even more likely.

Gil Meche: He's in the 2nd year of a 5-year, $55 million deal with the Royals. After having an outstanding season in '07, he's been pretty mediocre this year and the Royals are floundering. His contract really isn't that bad by today's standards and the Royals need someone to put in the seats, so its not likely he would be available.

Erik Bedard: Would seem to be odd for him tobe on the market already, but the Mariners stink and there's a question of just how focused Bedard is on baseball. The Blue Jays were thought to be very interested in him, but have backed off.

There are other names (Jarrod Washburn, Livan Hernandez, Kevin Millwood, etc.) that we are sure will be bandied about, but none really intrigue us. We would give Giese the job for now, but would definitely take a look at how Garcia is progressing, and start making the rounds calling up about guys like Sabathia. With so many teams still in division and wild card hunts though, it's not likely that a major deal would get done too soon.


So what would you do? Please participate in our poll at the top of My Pinstripes.

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Around the Horn - 6/3

The Red Sox received shocking news when it was learned that David Ortiz will miss at least a month with a torn tendon in his hand. For now he's got his wrist immobilized in a cast for the next 2 weeks. According to the Boston Globe, it is unlikely that he'll need surgery.

Boston's first game without their big slugger didn't go to well due a rare blow up by Hideki Okajima. The Orioles reached him for 4 runs in the 8th inning for a 6-3 win. Jim Johnson won his first major league game.

Bobby Crosby's 9th inning single gave the A's a 3-2 win over the Tigers, sending Detroit to 9 games below .500. Rich Harden and Kenny Rogers both pitched well in their starts, but neither figured in the outcome. Harden has made 5 consecutive starts without interruption for the first time in over 2 years.

Casey Blake had the kind of night that hitters dream of. Two home runs, a 3-run double, and 7 RBI. The Indians out scored the Rangers 13-9, though not before blowing an 8-3 lead. Josh Hamilton celebrated his choice as AL Player of the Month for May with a home run in 3 consecutive games.

Jeff Mathis slugged a 2-run home run and Ervin Santana won his 8th game in the Angels 4-2 victory over the Mariners. Vlad Guerrero missed the game with a sore knee.

Brian Horwitz hit his first major league home run, and along with Ray Durham, drove in 3 runs as the Giants bombed the Mets 10-2. Mets starter Oliver Perez only retired one batter before being pulled in the 1st inning. Bengie Molina also picked up his 1,000th hit in the game.

John Smoltz's return from the DL to the closer role was an unsuccessful one, but the Braves beat the Marlins 7-5 in 10 innings. Smoltz allowed 2 runs in the top of the 9th, but Jeff Francoeur scored on a wild pitch to tie the game in the bottom of the 9th, and Yuniel Escobar hit a walk-off 2-run shot in extras.

Carlos Zambrano is doing it all these days. He went 3-3 yesterday to raise his average to .366 and pitched 5 innings for his 8th win. Zambrano's won his last 7 decisions. The Cubbies are now 15-2 against the NL West.

The Rockies (20-38) rocky season continued last night as the Dodgers pounded them 8-2. Matt Kemp had 3 hits and one of the Dodgers 3 hits to help Derek Lowe earn his 3rd win.

The Pirates came back from a 4-0 deficit to beat the Cardinals 5-4. Jason Michaels hit a game tying grand slam in the 7th and Jason Bay drove in the go ahead run in the 8th.

Prince Fielder homered for the 3rd time in 4 games to give the Brewers a much needed 4-3 win over the Diamondbacks. Doug Davis allowed just 1 earned in 6 innings for AZ.

Chase Utley hit his major league leading 21st home run and the Phillies held off the Reds 5-4. Pedro Feliz and Chris Coste each added home runs for the Phillies. Jay Bruce hit his 3rd home run for the Reds and went to 2-4 to "drop" his average to .577.

The Nationals have lost 3B Ryan Zimmerman indefinitely with a partial tear of the labrum in his left shoulder.

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Around the Horn - 5/29

Can things get much worse in Kansas City? The Royals looked like they would snap their 9 game losing streak. They lead the Twins 8-3 in the 9th. Before you could say George Brett, the Twins tied the game, the capper being a Craig Monroe 3-run homer, and then won it in the 10th on Justin Morneau's home run. Trey Hillman must have known he might have to endure a 10-game losing streak, no?

The White Sox blew one lead, but came back from two deficits to beat the Indians 6-5 and take 2 of 3 in their series. Carlos Quentin drove in 3 runs and has flown under the radar with an AL 2nd best 47 RBI on the season.

The Tigers salvaged the finale of their 3-game series with the Angels, 6-2. Marcus Thames belted a pair of 2-run HRs. Joe Saunders lost for just the 2nd time in 10 decisions.

The Rays topped the Rangers 5-3 in an afternoon contest. The game ended weirdly when closer Troy Percival collapsed on the mound with a hamstring injury as he was striking out Brandon Boggs for the 2nd out of the inning. Dan Wheeler got the final out for his first save of the season.

RH night in Oakland. Roy Halladay facing off against Rich Harden and both lived up to their reputations. Armando Rios' RBI double snapped a 1-1 tie in the 9th to give Halladay the victory. Harden allowed 1 run over 7 in getting a no decision.

Yuniesky Betancourt's home run was the lone run in the Mariners 1-0 victory over the Red Sox. Erik Bedard outdueled Tim Wakefield, who threw a complete game. The Red Sox have lost 5 of their last 6.

The Mets got a much needed win against the NL East leading Marlins. Endy Chavez hit a pinch-hit home run off of closer Kevin Gregg to tie it in the 9th, and down a run in the 12th, Fernando Tatis doubled in 2 to give the Mets a 7-6 win.

Adam Wainwright dominated the Astros, allowing just 3 hits over 8 innings in the Cardinals 6-1 win. Yadier Molina and Caesar Izturis drove in 2 runs each.

The Phillies completed a 3-game sweep of the Rockies with a 6-1 win. Chase Utley and Geoff Jenkins each homered and drove in 3 runs. Utley's 17 dingers leads the majors.

Jeff Suppan and Jo Jo Reyes hooked up in a great pitcher's duel in Milwaukee. Richie Weekes' 8th innings triple drove in the game lone run to give Suppan the victory. The two teams combined for just 7 hits.

The Reds pounded the Pirates 9-1 behind 4 RBI from David Ross. Jay Bruce was 1-3 with 2 more walks and his 2nd stolen base.

The Cubs rallied against the Far East to beat the Dodgers 2-1 in 10 innings. Geovanny Soto's sac fly against Japan's Takashi Saito tied the game in the 9th and Alfonso Soriano's single off of Korea's Chan-Ho Park won it in extras.

The Giants beat up on the division leading Diamondbacks for the 2nd straight night. Ray Durham homered and drove in 4 as the Giants won 11-3.

Jesus Flores hit a grand slam and Lastings Milledge added a solo shot in the Nationals 6-4 win over the Padres. Odalis Perez picked up the win after getting a root canal earlier in the day.

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Around the Horn - 4/29

Not too much action in the major leagues last night. The Orioles and White Sox had rain interrupt play at the start and the end of their game. It ended up a 3-3 tie with the game suspended after 12 innings. Since it was the end of 4-game series, there's no word on when it would be continued. Daniel Cabera (2 ER 6.1 IP) and Javier Vazquez (1 ER 8 IP) both turned in good starts.

The A's scored 8 runs in the 7th inning to blow away the Angels, 14-2. Frank Thomas was a HR short of the cycle when he left the game, and Daric Barton, Emil Brown, and Jack Hannahan each homered. Chad Gaudin has come back from injuries well to post a 3-1, 3.00 record. John Garland gave up 7 runs in 6 innings for the Angels.

The Mets and Pirates were rained out in Flushing. The Reds held off the Cardinals 4-3 as Bronson Arroyo finally picked up his first win. Rick Ankiel hit his 5th HR for the Cards.

Dan Haren improved to 4-1 in the Diamondbacks 5-3 triumph over the Astros. Mark Reynold's 2-run double gave him 24 RBI for the month.

The Giants moved Barry Zito to the bullpen, but Matt Cain and the pen gave them some relief last night. Cain was the victor in the Giants 4-0 win against the Rockies. Aaron Rowand knocked in a pair of run and is hitting .308.

News and Notes

After passing through waivers, Hideo Nomo was officially released by the Royals.

Mike Lieberthal will be signing a 1-day contract shortly with the Phillies, so that he can officially retire as a Phillie.

Rich Harden is scheduled for rehab start on Thursday as he tries to come back from yet another injury for the A's.

Scott Kazmir threw an 81-pitch rehab start on Monday and could be activated by the Rays this weekend.

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Around the Horn - 4/11

Mad Dog Russo must be having a wet dream, the Giants have won 3 in a row. Kevin Correia gave them 7+ shutout innings last night in a 5-1 win over the Cardinals.

Rookie of the Year candidate Geovany Soto had 4 hits, including a home run in the Cubs 7-3 win over the Pirates. Jon Lieber threw 4.1 innings of scoreless baseball to pick up the win.

The Marlins sent the Nationals to their 7th straight loss, 4-3. Jorge Cantu enjoyed a 3-hit, 2 RBI night.

Aaron Heilman and the Mets blew a 3-0 lead, but Angel Pagan saved the day with the game winning single in the bottom of the 12th for a 4-3 win over the Phillies. Heilman has allowed 6 runs in 6 innings this season.

Edwin Encarnacion's 2-run HR snapped a 1-1 in the 7th to lead the Reds over the Brewers 4-1.

The Braves-Rockies game was rained out and will be made up at a later date. The Braves did place closer Rafael Soriano on the 15-day DL with elbow tendinitis.

The Orioles 6-game winning streak came to a screeching halt, as the Texas Rangers swept them in a twi-night doubleheader. Kevin Millwood improved to 1-2, 1.29 in helping the Rangers take game 1, 3-1. Michael Young homered, and C.J. Wilson completed a two-save night as the Ranger took the nightcap, 5-4.

Travis Buck drove in all 3 A's runs, including the game winning 2-run double in the 12th, as Oakland topped the Blue Jays 4-3. Keith Foulke gave up a run in the bottom of the 12th, but picked up his first save since 2005. The A's lost Rich Harden to the DL once again, this time with a strained back.

The Tigers got offense for the 2nd straight night- 6 runs- but their pitching got pummeled in a 12-6 loss to the Red Sox. Mike Lowell was put on the DL with a sprained left thumb, but his replacement, Sean Casey, knocked in 3 runs.

2-0, 0.64 ERA. Looking at those stats, you wouldn't think we would be taking about Rays starter Edwin Jackson, but that's exactly what his numbers are so far. The normally erratic right-hander went 8 innings in the Rays 7-0 pasting of the Mariners. Backup catcher Mike DeFelice knocked in 3 runs.

The Twins and White Sox were rained out and we'll make it up at a later date.

The Indians had the day off, but rewarded Fausto Carmona with a 4-year, $15 million deal.

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Around the Horn - 4/3

Rich Harden and Jon Lester hooked up in a pitcher's duel in the A's-Red Sox series finale, but it was the A's bullpen that blinked first. David Ortiz had been 0-for the season before belting a 2-run HR off of Alan Embree in the 7th. Lester, Bryan Corey, and Manny Delcarmen combined on a 4-hitter in the 5-0 shutout.

The Rays have hopes of reaching .500 this season, but most of that will depend on their pitching. If last night was an indication they're in trouble. Starter Matt Garza and reliever Al Reyes blew a 6-3 lead to a weak Orioles team. Aubrey Huff homered and drove in 4 for the O's.

Seattle learned earlier in the day they would be without their closer J.J. Putz for at least 2 weeks due to mild costochondritis, an inflammation of the ribcage. For now, M's manager John McLaren is going with closer-by-committee, but last night one time Jays closer Miguel Batista finished off a 4-1 win with a scoreless ninth against the Texas Rangers.

Royals starter Brian Bannister was as good as it gets in a 4-0 win over the Detroit Tigers. Think the Mets could use the guy they mistakenly dealt for Ambiorix Burgos? Bannister is now 13-9, 3.71 in his 1 year and 1 start for the Royals.

Fausto Carmona walked 4 hitters in 7 innings, but the Indians starter pretty much picked up where he left off last season, limiting the White Sox to 1 run in the Tribe's 7-2 victory. Carmona lead the AL in inducing double play grounders last season and started off '08 with 3 more.

Nick Blackburn's wild pitch provided the only run in the Angels 1-0 win over the Twins. Blackburn was great, but Joe Saunders (8 IP) was even better as he and K-Rod combined on the shutout. Torii Hunter finally gave his old fans a treat with his first two hits of the season.

We picked Pedro Martinez to be our NL comeback player of the year, but we just know we are not a jinx like the Sports Illustrated cover (we think that's garbage anyway). Pedro was put on the DL with the hamstring he injured Tuesday night. He's expected to miss 4-6 weeks. The Mets took their frustration out on the Marlins last night in a 13-0 blow out.

Look at those Nats! The Washingtonians improved to 3-0 with a 1-0 blanking of the Phillies. Tim Redding went 7 innings and allowed 1 hit, the only hit the Phils would get on the night. Ryan Zimmerman hit his 2nd game winning home run of the season.

The Brewers pounded Ted Lilly and the Cubs 8-2 to improve to 2-0. Jeff Suppan picked up the win over the team many have picked to win the NL Central.

After a 72 minute rain delay the Giants finally got their first win, a 2-1 edging of the Dodgers. The Dodgers won't have 3rd Base coach Larry Bowa who was suspended 3 games for Tuesday night's ejection. Bowa is NOT happy!

It wasn't an important game, but there was Trevor Hoffman blowing another save for the Padres. After the Astros tied the game, Lance Berkman hit a game winning 3-run HR (Astros 9 Padres 6) off the all-time saves leader.

The Diamondbacks Brandon Lyon can empathize with Hoffman. He didn't retire any of the 3 Reds batters he faced in the 9th last night. The last one, Edwin Encarnacion, hit a walk-off 3-run HR to give the Reds a 6-5 win.

The Braves pounded the Pirates 10-2 for their first win of 2008. Pirates lefty reliever Damaso Marte was in much demand prior to the season. So far in 2 appearances he's allowed 6 runs and only recorded 2 outs.

The Cards picked up their first win too with an 8-3 win over the Rockies. Rick Ankiel, who heard off-season P.E.D. rumors, hit his 1st home run.

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Real Baseball

It's here this week...at last! Players begin reporting to camps this week. We'll be taking a look at each of the teams, but in a piecemeal fashion. First up, tomorrow will be the AL East rotations and then we'll go from there.

Joe Girardi is preparing for his 1st spring training as Yankees manager (and only the 2nd of his managerial career). Girardi had the unenviable task of replacing Mike Stanley when he came here as a player and now he's replacing the man who lead the Yankees to 4 World Series championships in his first 5 years as manager.

Girardi learned some valuable lessons when he replaced Stanley, and he will use it as he replaces Joe Torre.

Mike Piazza is still looking for a team as pitchers and catchers get ready to report. The former Met has looked into Japan, and may still opt for retirement.

With Johan Santana now in a Mets uniform, Willie Randolph will be under extra pressure to - at the very least - deliver a World Series appearance.

Rich Harden has been throwing and the A's pitcher is feeling good...for now. As baseball fans, we can only hope he returns to his dominant form. The same goes for Mark Prior in San Diego.

Manny Ramirez is entering what could be his final season in Boston. The Red Sox hold $20 million annual options for 2009 and 2010, but we can't imagine the Sox wanting to pay Manny 20 mill at ages 37 and 38. Manny will probably get a new restructured contract that will pay him less over a longer period of time.

Nothing is imminent, but the Cubs are still expected to deal for the Orioles' Brian Roberts.

The Denver Post reports that the Billy Beane is asking for Andre Ethier, Andy LaRoche and a prospect from the Dodgers for Joe Blanton.

The Orioles are expecting to have Adam Loewen ready for spring training. The O's are talking to free agent Steve Trachsel about a deal.

The Royals and Rangers have joined the Yankees in showing interest in Kevin Mench. Mench was a member of the Rangers from 2002-2005.

The Reds have signed Craig Wilson to a minor league deal and invited him to spring training.

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