Red Sox 14 - Indians 2

- Jon Lester pitched 6 shutout innings en route to his 7th win.  He allowed 3 hits with 1 walk and 7 strikeouts.  After three straight rough starts (14 ER in 17.1 IP), this was more like it.  Lester was able to get ahead of batters early in the count with first pitch strikes to 16 of the 22 batters he faced.  Getting a 7 run lead before you ever take the mound doesn't hurt either.
- Mitch Talbot got tarred and feathered by the Red Sox.  He gave up 7 runs in the first inning on a 2-run homer, a series of singles, and a sac fly.  In the end the damage report read 3 innings and 8 earned runs on 12 hits and 2 walks.  You want some hard hitting analysis? The Red Sox have a good lineup.
- All the Red Sox hitters went off, especially Carl Crawford who went 4-4 for his 3rd homer.  Crawford hit two doubles and a homer to go with 2 RBI.  He now has 7 RBI in his last 7 games.
- W: Jon Lester (7-1), L: Mitch Talbot (1-1)
- HR: Dustin Pedroia (3), David Ortiz (10), Carl Crawford (3), Jarrod Saltalamacchia (4)
- SB: Jacoby Ellsbury (17)

Yankees 7 - Blue Jays 3

- Freddy Garcia held the Blue Jays to 3 runs over 6.1 innings.  He allowed 8 hits, but issued no walks and struck out 4.  Maybe most importantly, Jose Bautista didn't hit a home run off of Garcia.  That's Garcia's first game in six that he has not allowed a homer. 
- Jo-Jo Reyes' streak of winless starts continues.  This one was mostly his fault as he allowed 5 earned runs in 3 innings.  An Andruw Jones 2-run homer and Teixeira 2-run homer in the 3rd did him in.  He'll win a game one day… One day.
- Aaron Hill, Eric Thames, and Rajai Davis all wrapped out 2 hits.  Thames was the only one to register a RBi.  Thames has sweet, sweet facial hair.
- Andruw Jones might not know how to spell his first name, but he hit two homers and registered 4 RBI.
- W: Freddy Garcia (3-4), L: Jo-Jo Reyes (0-4)
- HR: Mark Teixeira (13), Andruw Jones (3, 4)
- SB: Rajai Davis (13), Alex Rodriguez (2), Robinson Cano (4), Russell Martin (4); CS: Jose Bautista (2)

Rays vs Tigers was postponed due to weather.

Mariners 3 - Twins 0

- Erik Bedard continued his comeback tour with 6 shutout innings.  He allowed 6 hits with 1 walk and 4 strikeouts.  His command has been much improved this season with 47 strikeouts to just 18 walks.  The real question is, can he stay healthy?  The Mariners are just 1.5 games out of the AL West lead.
- Brian Duensing had a quality start with 7 innings and 3 earned runs, but it wasn't enough.  He took the loss and fell to 2-5.  Duensing allowed 2 runs in the 2nd and another in the 3rd and saw no run support.  Coming off his last four outings, this should be considered a success.  In those games he allowed 15 earned runs in just 13 innings.
- Franklin Gutierrez hit his first homer and got caught stealing his first base of the season.  After his digestive issues, it's encouraging to see him him so active.
- W: Erik Bedard (3-4), L: Brian Duensing (2-5), SV: Brandon League (12)
- HR: Franklin Gutierrez (1)
- CS: Franklin Gutierrez (1)

Rangers 2 - White Sox 1

- C.J. Wilson improved to 5-3 after he held the White Sox to just 1 run over 6.1 innings. It wasn't until the 7th that he allowed a run, from a Paul Konerko single.  It was Wilson's second consecutive quality start.  It'll be interesting to see how he holds up in his second season as a starter in Arlington.
- Gavin Floyd took the loss, but not for lack of effort/performace as he threw 7 innings of 1-run ball.  It's tough to win when your team only gives you 1 run to work with.  It's his second consecutive game allowing only 1 run.  It really seems as if his and John Danks' luck have flip-flopped this season.
- Gordon Beckham went 2-3, but it still hitting just .236/.294/.354. (sigh)
- W: C.J. Wilson (5-3), L: Gavin Floyd (5-4), SV: Neftali Feliz (10)
- SB: Ian Kinsler (10)

Orioles 9 - Royals 2

- Jake Arrieta bounced back from a rough start against the Nationals with 6 innings pitched and just 2 earned runs allowed.  He walked 3 and struck out 7, which is his routine these days.  His strikeout rate has doubled from last season and is near his minor league figures.  Unfortunately, he allowed a homer for his 7th straight game.
- Luke Hochevar was bombed for 8 runs (7 earned) in his 7 innings.  He allowed all the runs in the 4th, in what went from a bad inning to out of hand, in no time.  He struck out 7, a season high, so there's that.
- The Orioles batted around and then some in the 4th inning.  In the end, none of the O's were left with an OBP higher than .350. 
- W: Jake Arrieta (6-2), L: Luke Hochevar (3-5)
- HR: Melky Cabrera (6), Mark Reynolds (6)

Angels 4 - A's 1

- Ervin Santana held the A's to 1 run over 6 innings for his 3rd win.  He walked 2 and struck out 6, in what was a low scoring affair though 4th innings.  The Angels broke through in the 5th with back-to-back homers.  Big Erv might not get to the 17 wins he posted in '10, but he's actually pitching better than he did last season, at least so far.
- Trevor Cahill registered another quality start with 6 innings and 3 earned runs.  He allowed 10 hits and 5 walks with 4 strikeouts and 2 homers, which is pretty uncharacteristic.  It's the most base runners he's allowed all season.  His 2.02 ERA is evidence of how well he's pitched thus far.
- I really don't understand Peter Bourjos leading off, considering he has a .302 OBP.  He's in the game for defensive purposes, am I wrong?  Bobby Abreu, despite his old age, seems at least a better alternative with his .393 OBP.  It's not like he's going to drive in runs with his .354 slugging percentage, which was 3rd lowest in this lineup.  Why not move Mark Trumbo up from his 6th slot?  At this point, he has more pop than Torii Hunter.
- W: Ervin Santana (3-4), L: Trevor Cahill (6-2), SV: Jordan Walden (10)
- HR: Torii Hunter (6), Alberto Callaspo (3)
- SB: Josh Willingham (3), Ryan Sweeney (1); CS: Erick Aybar (1), Mark Trumbo (3)

Braves 4 - Pirates 2

- James McDonald pitched well enough to win this game, allowing 2 earned runs through 6 innings, but took a no-decision instead.  He walked 1 and struck out 6, continuing a thread of improved command in his last three starters.  This is a vast improvement in comparison to his start to the season.  Unfortunately, he also gave up a homer for his third straight game.  The long ball has become something of a bug-a-boo for McDonald.
- Mike Minor came up from the minors to make his 2nd start of the season.  He lasted 5.2 innings and allowed just 1 run in a no-decision.  He walked 2 and struck out 5, before giving way to the bullpen with a 1 run lead.  They couldn't make it stand up, but ultimately won the game in extra innings.  Minor tore through triple-A this season, prior to his call-up and probably would have been up before Teheran, had it been his turn through the rotation.  I'm quite bullish on the youngster.
- Jonny Venters with 2 more scoreless innings putting his ERA an absurd 0.59.  He and Kimbrel have become quite the late inning tandem.
- Jordan Schafer played CF and got his first two hits of the season.  You might remember him from his '09 debut when he homered.  He'll be up till Heyward comes back.
- W: George Sherrill (1-0), L: Jeff Karstens (3-3), SV: Craig Kimbrel (14)
- HR: Erik Hinske (5), Brooks Conrad (1), Steve Pearce (1)
- SB: Jose Tabata (12); CS: Jose Tabata (3)

Brewers 6 - Nationals 4

- Zack Greinke struck out 10 and homered in the win, his third.  He allowed just 3 earned runs over 7 innings with 5 hits and 1 walk allowed.  His command has been nothing short of outstanding this season  with 3 walks to 39 strikeouts.  Don't mind his 5.79 ERA, Greinke is on a roll right now.
- Jason Marquis pitched 6 innings and allowed 4 earned runs on 5 hits and 4 walks.  It was a tied game, until Greinke went deep off of him in the 5th.  The 1 strikeout was a season low and indicative of his loose command lately.
- Prince Fielder went 2-2 with 4 RBI and a walk.  The slugger has a batting line of .285/.380/.548 and is doing all the right things in this, his contract year.
- Michael Morse went 1-4 with a 3-run homer and 3 strikeouts.  With Adam LaRoche out for a possible extended period of time, the position is his to lose.
- W: Zack Greinke (3-1), L: Jason Marquis (5-2), Kameron Loe (1)
- HR: Mike Morse (5), Zack Greinke (1)
- SB: Roger Bernadina (6)

Astros 2 - Dodgers 1

- Aneury Rodriguez kept the Dodgers scoreless for 5 innings, till the 6th came around an Matt Kemp homered.  The 6th inning as been something of a challenge for Rodriguez this season as he's usually faltered or been gassed out in the inning.  In the end, he went 6 with 1 earned run, 1 walk, and 5 strikeouts.  He left with a no-decision, but should hold his head up, after this performance, his longest on the season.
- Ted Lilly allowed 1 run over his 6 innings with 1 walk and 2 strikeouts, also in a no-decision.  Michael Bourn homered off of him in the 1st, but after that it was smooth sailings.  You'd like to see him miss more bats, especially against this punchless lineup, but what are you going to do?
- J.R. Towles stopped an 0-32 slide with a 3-4 day at the plate and the game winning hit.  As an Astros fan, I was happy to see him end his streak at the plate and play hero.  Chances are he's not relevant to you, in whatever format you're playing in.  If he is, seek help.
- Matt Kemp went 3-4 with a solo shot.  With Andre Ethier out of the lineup, he's the only hitter worth a you-know-what in this lineup.  He's hitting .317/.398/.561 on the season.
- Matt Guerrier took the loss after getting 2 outs and giving up a run in the bottom of the 9th.  Rubby De La Rosa has only pitched 1 inning and looks like the team's best reliever by default.  This bullpen and team are a mess.
- W: Mark Melancon (4-1), L: Matt Guerrier (2-3)
- HR: Matt Kemp (12), Michael Bourn (1)
- SB: James Loney (2)

Padres 3 - Cardinals 1

- Mat Latos showed his 2010 form with 8 innings of 1-run ball, against a very active Cardinals lineup.  He walked none and struck out 7 for his 2nd win of the season.  It looked like he might be in for a long day after giving up a run in the first, but he buckled down.  He didn't give up a homer, something he'd done for three straight games coming in.  His 4.08 ERA might sound bad, but he really hasn't pitched all that bad this season.  I'm bullish on him for the remaining of the season.  He has a 3.45 ERA and 25/8 K/BB ratio this month.
- Chris Carpenter pitched 8 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned), in a loss, his fifth.  For those asking what's wrong with him this season, I'd say, not much.  His strikeout rate is in line with his career line and his walk rate is better than his last few seasons.  I'm really not that worried, despite his 4.58 ERA.
- Brad Hawpe went 2-4 with a solo homer.  Anthony Rizzo is coming for him.
- Jon Jay went 2-4 with a run.  He played right field as Allen Craig played 2B.  I'm convinced Tony LaRussa just draws names out of a hat for his defense.
- W: Mat Latos (2-6), L: Chris Carpenter (1-5), SV: Heath Bell (10)
- HR: Brad Hawpe (4)
- CS: Lance Berkman (3)

Phillies 5 - Reds 4

- How often do you see an infielder as the winning pitcher?  Wilson Valdez was just that in this 19th inning marathon.  He got Joey Votto to fly out, hit Scott Rolen, and then got Jay Bruce and Carlos Fisher to fly out to end things, before the team won it in the bottom of the inning.  Oh and he went 3-6 at the plate.  He'll tell his kids about this one.
- Roy Halladay started this game with 7 innings of 3-run ball.  He allowed 11 hits with 1 walk and 6 punchouts.  He cruised through 6 innings, but Jay Bruce evened the game with a 2-run single in the 7th.
- Travis Wood gave a quality start with 6 innings and 3 runs allowed.  He gave up 3 runs through the first two innings, before letting things get a little hairy in the 4th and 6th innings.  It wasn't the pitchers duel from last season, but an entertaining game none the less.
- Jay Bruce is on a tear.  He went 3-8 with 3 RBI and hit his 13th homer in this one.  That's 9 homers and 25 RBI this month to go with a .337/.400/.721 batting line… he's slugging .721 this month.  Jose Bautista thinks that's hot.
- Danys Baez threw 5 shutout innings with 3 strikeouts, 1 walk, and 1 hit.  He came on in the 14th and gave the Phillies all that they could dream of.  Considering the circumstances, he was the best pitcher of this game.
- W: Wilson Valdez (1-0), L: Carlos Fisher (0-1)
- HR: Jay Bruce (13), Ben Francisco (6), Ryan Howard (11)
- SB: Drew Stubbs (15), Brandon Phillips (3), Edgar Renteria (2)

Mets 7 - Cubs 4

- Dillon Gee allowed 4 earned runs over his 6 innings, but came away with the win.  He allowed only 4 hits and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts.  It was rain shortened, much to the Cubs dismay, but what can you say about the weather these days?  Gee gets the complete game as a result. 
- Casey Coleman was pretty, pretty... pretty bad.  He got 4 outs and allowed 6 earned runs as the starter for the Cubs.  He only gave up 1 run in the first, before the hit parade started in the 2nd.  He was actually pitching with a 3-run lead when the 2nd started, but that was gone in a matter of no time.  Justin Berg did him no favors walking everyone he faced, literally.  Berg threw 12 pitches, none of which were strikes.
- Reed Johnson played CF and went 1-2 with a double and 2 RBI.  With Marlon Byrd out for the foreseeable future, Johnson should continue to see playing time.
- W: Dillon Gee (4-0), L: Casey Coleman (2-4)

Diamondbacks 2 - Rockies 1

- Ian Kennedy pitched 8 innings of 1-run ball for his 6th win of the season.  In Coors, things can and almost did get a little homer friendly, but the wind and Chris Young prevented that.  Kennedy allowed 7 hits with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts.  He now has a 3.01 ERA and is looking like a very smart trade for the team.
- Jason Hammel pitched 7 innings and allowed 2 runs (0 earned), in the loss.  He allowed 5 hits with 2 walks and 5 strikeouts.  He held the D-Backs scoreless through 5, but 2 runs in the 6th was the difference.  He's going to need to start missing more bats before I start trusting him.
- J.J. Putz nailed down his 14th save with a perfect 9th.  He's become almost automatic at this point.
- Xavier Nady went 1-4 with a stolen base.  He continues play 1B as Juan Miranda deals with a hand issue.  It must be at least mildly serious if Nady is seeing at-bats vs a righty.
- W: Ian Kennedy (6-1), L: Jason Hammel (3-4), SV: J.J. Putz (14)
- SB: Kelly Johnson (7), Justin Upton (8), Chris Young (4), Xavier Nady (2)

Marlins 7 - Giants 6

- Buster Posey got blown up by Scott Cousins at home plate and Posey's ankle got caught underneath him.  This is a potentially serious injury.  Cousins shouldn't feel bad though, he did his job and scored the run.  These things just happen sometimes (see Carlos Santana from last season.)  The NL West has got alot more interesting in the last few days.
- Madison Bumgarner had a quality start with 6 innings and 3 earned runs.  He allowed 8 hits with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts.  He gave up 2 runs early in the first, but settled in after that and was in line for the loss, till the bullpens got involved.  He's really not that far off from where he was last season, if he can show a little bit better control. 
- Chris Volstad allowed 2 earned runs over 6 innings, also in a no-decision.  He struck out 6 with 2 walks and 6 hits allowed.  In his last four starts he's had so-so results, but he's shown much better command of his pitches.  If he can keep that going and start to curb his appetite for homers, which he did in this game, his results should improve.
- Mike Stanton, no one man should have all that power.  He went 4-6 with 2 doubles and 4 RBI.  His 3-run double in the 9th put the team in line for a win, before Leo Nunez poo-poo'd things.  Stanton is hitting .306/.347/.694 this month with 9 homers and 19 RBI.  In batting practice he hit one over 500 feet near the Coke bottle.
- Aubrey Huff went 1-6 with a game tying 2-run single in the 9th.  He's hitting .200/.277/.345 on the season.  That's code for bring Brandon Belt back and give him my job.
- W: Ryan Webb (1-3), L: Guillermo Mota (2-1), SV: Burke Badenhop (1)
- SB: Chris Coghlan (2), Hanley Ramirez (10), Andres Torres (4)