Redemption:

- Homer Bailey needed just 90 pitches to throw a complete game shutout against the Pirates, giving the Reds consecutive complete game shutouts against the Bucs. Just how much of this was Bailey and how much was it the Pirates having awful at-bats? As evidenced by the pitch-count, the Pirates weren't bothering to work the count, and it started in the first inning when Bailey needed just six pitches.
- Rick Porcello threw seven shutout innings against the Yankees despite getting just two strikeouts. He did so comfortably on my bench in AL Tout Wars because of his recent performances and the matchup.
- Javier Vazquez only allowed two runs against the Tigers in a losing effort, reaching the seventh inning for the first time all season. He struck out a season-high seven batters.

Lucky Loser?

- Gio Gonzalez was lucky to get away with allowing four runs in his four innings of work. The Rangers were hitting rockets against him all night - he gave up nine hits, including three doubles and a homer. Even many of the outs were hit hard - check out the game log from the first inning:

- E. Andrus doubled to right center
- E. Andrus caught stealing, pitcher to shortstop to third
- M. Young doubled to deep right center
- J. Hamilton flied out to deep left
- V. Guerrero lined out to shortstop

This was one of the innings where he didn't allow a run. I love Gio, but this was a bad outing.

Notables:

- Philip Hughes continued to fulfill post-hype sleeper expectations by throwing seven shutout innings in the nightcap of the Yankees' doubleheader against the Tigers, striking out eight while walking one. Hughes' ERA dropped to 1.38 and his WHIP is now a miniscule 0.92 in 39 innings.
- Rogearvin Bernadina hit his first two major league homers, including the game-winning one in the ninth against K-Rod. He's currently in a timeshare in right field for the Nats, but has started four of the last five games.
- Carl Pavano allowed two first-inning runs and then didn't allow a runner to get past first base.
- Shaun Marcum threw seven shutout innings against the Red Sox. Travis Snider knocked in all three Jays runs with a homer and a double.
- Roy Halladay's 6.1 innings in a no decision was his |STAR|shortest|STAR| outing of the year.
- Miguel Olivo went 5-for-5 and hit a walk-off homer in the 10th inning.
- Jered Weaver was done in by a wild first inning and by two passed balls by Ryan Budde, who was getting the start as the defensively superior catcher. Only one of his four runs allowed was earned, and he took advantage of the early start time and the twilight conditions that resulted to strike out 12 Rays.
- Derek Holland was dynamite in his 2010 debut, going six innings without allowing a run, giving up just five hits and a walk while striking out seven. The Rangers pretty much have to keep him in the rotation even when Matt Harrison returns, right?
- After a tough start, Josh Hamilton has heated up. He and Vlad Guerrero each hit their seventh homers of the season, and Hamilton is now hitting .285/.354/.531 with three stolen bases to boot.
- Fausto Carmona threw five shutout innings against the Royals before a rain delay knocked him out of the game. He only needed 70 pitches, so he could have gone much deeper.
- Russell Branyan hit his third homer in two days after getting shut out to start the season. It looks like his back is fully healthy.

Save Chances:

- Kevin Gregg, converted ... barely. Gregg gave up two ninth inning runs, despite benefiting from a widening strike zone that included a strike three call against David Ortiz that was significantly outside.
- Jose Valverde, converted (10). One walk, one strikeout - Nick Swisher, to end the game.
- Matt Capps, converted (14). Capps threw a perfect ninth, striking out one. He has a 18:6 K:BB over 19.1 innings to go along with his gaudy save total.
- Jon Rauch, converted (9). 1-2-3 inning, no strikeouts. A potential homer off the bat of Paul Konerko against Rauch just barely hooked foul.
- Carlos Marmol, converted (5). Marmol was asked to get the final four outs. He gave up a run on two hits and a walk but also struck out three, including Hanley Ramirez to end the game.
- Rafael Soriano, converted (9). 1-2-3 inning, no strikeouts.
- Alfredo Simon, converted (4). Simon pitched a perfect ninth, striking out one. Simon got the save chance only because Kojii Uehara allowed the first two runners to get on-base with a four-run lead in the ninth, putting the tying run on-deck.
- Matt Lindstrom, converted (8). This was a bit of a fluke. Lindstrom came on with two outs and two on with a four-run lead (tying run on deck, again). He gave up a run-scoring double before retiring Matt Holliday on a line drive to right.
- Jonathan Broxton, converted (4). One hit and one walk allowed, three strikeouts.
- Heath Bell, converted (10). One strikeout, one walk in a scoreless outing.
 
Other Closer Outings:

- Francisco Rodriguez gave the game-winning homer in a tie game in the ninth.
- Trevor Hoffman got hit hard in a "get work" outing, allowing three on two hits and two walks. It was his first outing since Friday.
- Billy Wagner threw a scoreless "get work" inning, allowing a hit and a walk and two strikeouts.
- Mariano Rivera mopped up with an eight-run lead in his first outing since getting sidelined with a sore side.
- Chad Qualls threw a shutout inning in a losing effort.

Non-Closer Outings:

- Tyler Clippard - It was a surprise that the Nats went back to the well and had Clippard pitch again after his recent results, but he rebounded to pitch a scoreless inning and garner yet another relief win. At least this one was a non-vulture win, as he came into a tie game. He's already pitched 25 innings - at some point the Nats are going to have to give him some rest or he's going to burn out.
- Sergio Santos pitched the eighth with the White Sox trailing by a run - it might still be awhile before he's asked to close.
- Manuel Corpas - With Franklin Morales going on the DL, we could list Corpas in the Closer section, but manager Jim Tracy suggested that he will mix-and-match in the ninth inning depending on who is up. Corpas started the ninth inning in a tie game on Wednesday, getting two hitters out before giving way to Joe Beimel to face the Phillies' lefties.
- Chris Perez in his new setup role came in with two outs in the seventh and then pitched the eighth inning. He allowed two hits and a walk but also struck out three.
- Mike Adams pitched a clean eighth in the win over the Giants. Between he and Luke Gregerson setting up Heath Bell, if the Padres get a lead going into the seventh, they're better off than most in ensuring the win.

Lineup-o-logy:

- Gordon Beckham hit eighth for the second day with A.J. Pierzynski batting second.
- After starting just twice last week, Ryan Hanigan started two of the three games behind the plate for the Reds in Pittsburgh. He already has more RBI (16) in 50 at-bats than he did all last year in 251 at-bats.
- With Nick Johnson out, the Yankees are using the DH slot as a way to give their regulars some rest from the field. A-Rod was the DH in Game 1 of the doubleheader and Derek Jeter DH'd Game 2.
- Eric Hinske once again started in left and went 2-for-4, including an RBI double.
- Starlin Castro was bumped up to the second spot in the lineup, going 2-for-4.
- Hideki Matsui was given a day off because of his 6-for-52 slump and because the Angels were facing lefty David Price. Michael Napoli got a rare start at DH.
- Neither Ken Griffey Jr. nor Mike Sweeney started at DH for the M's, with them instead giving Jose Lopez a day off there, and Matt Tuiasosopo starting at 3B.

Tough Days:

- Jeff Francoeur went 0-for-4 and is in a 12-for-84 slump. He's actually been more patient at the plate, though his contact rate is down a tick. He's just been slow to catch up to fastballs this year.
- The Brewers' bullpen gave up seven runs over the final three innings and is among the worst in the league. It doesn't help that the Brewers have a staff full of starters that don't work deep into games. Even Yovani Gallardo isn't all that pitch-efficient. Only twice in his eight starts has he gotten into the seventh inning.
- Brendan Ryan made two more errors (five the last two days) and went 0-for-3. Meanwhile, Kyle Lohse took another beating, allowing nine runs, but only four were earned. As most of the Cardinals scribes on Twitter suggested, though, Lohse deserved worse. He served up 10 hits and four walks in his five-plus innings of work, striking out two.

Injuries:

- Ronny Cedeno sat out at shortstop for the Pirates after getting hit on the wrist by a Johnny Cueto pitch on Tuesday.
- Alfredo Aceves became the latest Yankee to hit the DL, getting placed there due to the back injury that he suffered on Saturday.
- Jason Marquis needs surgery to remove bone chips in his elbow and won't be back before August.
- Chipper Jones (groin) didn't start but had a pinch-hit double off of Trevor Hoffman.
- Ryan Braun (elbow) once again didn't play. He's due back after Thursday's off-day.
- Yunel Escobar (leg) could return as early as Saturday.
- Andruw Jones was a late scratch with a stiff neck and might not play on Friday either.
- Aaron Hill was a late scratch due to a tight hamstring.
- Ryan Theriot sat out with hamstring tightness.
- Cameron Maybin hurt his wrist going into the Wrigley Field outfield brick wall on Tuesday and didn't start on Wednesday.
- Jack Wilson's hamstring injury landed him on the DL. Matt Tuiasosopo was called up and got the start at shortstop.
- Ty Wigginton suffered a bruised wrist when trying to break up a double play, getting hit by a thrown ball.

Stolen Bases

- Brett Gardner (15 - Game 1); Brett Gardner (16 - Game 2); Jason Heyward (2); Juan Pierre 2 (17); Alex Rios (11); Jason Bartlett (3); Bobby Abreu 2 (5,6); Derek Jeter (4); Erick Aybar (5); B.J. Upton (8); Ichiro Suzuki (10); Scott Podsednik (12); Jamey Carroll (2); Will Venable (9); Russell Martin (2); Jerry Hairston Jr. 2 (3, 4); Oscar Salazar (1).

Caught Stealing

- Brandon Phillips (4); Jody Gerut (1); Corey Hart (1); Gordon Beckham (2); Miguel Olivo (1); Elvis Andrus (6); Grady Sizemore (2); Scott Podsednik (3); Travis Hafner (1)