Key Injuries: Denard Span, Mark Teixeira, Brad Lidge

Indians 1, Twins 0

- This was the first of four shutouts on the night, and one of two 1-0 games.
- This marked the first time since April that Carlos Carrasco has gone beyond the sixth inning in a game and the first time all year that he worked into the eighth, let alone the ninth. He allowed just three hits and a walk while shutting the Twins out over 8.1 innings.
- Francisco Liriano looked good in his return from the DL, allowing just one unearned run over five innings while striking out seven.
- The Twins started the following luminaries in their lineup: Luke Hughes (3B), Brian Dinkelman (DH), Rene Rivera (C), Matt Tolbert (2B). So let's not get too crazy in promoting Carrasco as a result of this game.
- Denard Span's neck injury sounds suspiciously like a concussion - he's experiencing lightheaded symptoms similar to the ones that he had when he had an inner ear infection in 2009. He has gone back to Minnesota for further exams.
- SB: Michael Brantley (8); CS: Lou Marson (1); SV: Chris Perez (15).

Red Sox 6, Yankees 4

- Mark Teixeira got plunked on the right knee by a Jon Lester pitch in the first inning and had to be helped off the field. Initial x-rays were negative, and while he's doubtful for Wednesday, it looks like he might not need to go on the DL. Obviously how his knee reacts overnight will be hugely important.
- Lester was just ok after getting a couple of extra days of rest before this start, hitting two batters, walking one and allowing eight hits against the Yankees over six innings. Then again, it was against the Yankees' potent lineup and he still allowed three runs for the win, so it could have been much worse.
- Freddy Garcia demonstrated that you still need to spot him - he's not someone you can rely upon for every start. He gave up four runs while not being able to get out of the second inning.
- Jonathan Papelbon recorded his 200th career save despite allowing a run and two baserunners.
- Bobby Jenks left a relief outing with tightness in his back. Right now he's day-to-day, but hopefully this doesn't portend future back problems.
- Marco Scutaro came off the DL and batted ninth - the timing was perfect with Jed Lowrie getting banged up.
- HR: Jacoby Ellsbury (7), David Ortiz (14); CS: Ellsbury (8!); SV: Papelbon (12).

Orioles 4, A's 0

- Who had Chris Jakubauskas in the shutout pool yesterday? Granted, he only went five innings, but he allowed just three hits and a walk while striking out five. He barely got through the fifth inning after getting hit by a line drive above the left ankle. He stayed in to get one more out.
- Jemile Weeks hit leadoff in his major league debut, going 0-for-4 with a strikeout. Meanwhile, Coco Crisp was out of the lineup, and his OBP is down to a paltry .297.
- Brett Anderson (elbow) and Mark Ellis (hamstring) went on the DL, which created the room for Weeks (as well as Bobby Cramer) to get the call.
- The O's moved J.J. Hardy up to the leadoff spot, and he hit a leadoff homer off of Guillermo Moscoso.
- Luke Scott, who has been dealing with a bad shoulder, hit his first homer since May 3.
- Koji Uehara continues to pitch well in a setup role - he's now at a 2.36 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 34:5 K:BB in 26.2 innings. Kevin Gregg continues to clos because, well, for reasons uncertain, but Uehara is the O's best reliever.
- HR: J.J. Hardy (5), Adam Jones (8), Luke Scott (7).

Dodgers 6, Phillies 2

- Rubby De La Rosa was able to dodge bullets against the Phillies, putting nine runners on over five innings (four hits, five walks), but allowing just one run.
- Matt Kemp remained on fire, hitting his 17th homer of the year to put the game out of reach (and to continue to keep the Dodgers' closing situation a bit of a mystery, though it looks as if Javy Guerra is kinda/sorta the guy right now.).
- Scott Elbert has been really solid since his callup, throwing 7.2 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and three walks while striking out eight. He's not often being used in high-leverage roles, but that could change, given the attrition in the Dodgers' bullpen.
- Dee Gordon went 3-for-5 and stole a base while batting leadoff in his first start with Rafael Furcal on the DL. If they stick with him in that spot in the order, he could score quite a few runs and steal a bunch of bags.
- Jimmy Rollins (kinee) didn't start but pinch-hit in the ninth inning, lining out. That eliminates the possiblity of back-dating any potential DL move.
- Brad Lidge had a cortisone shot for his sore elbow but the exam on it revealed no serious damage.
- HR: Matt Kemp (17); SB: Devaris Gordon (1), Shane Victorino (9).

Pirates 8, Diamondbacks 5

- Last year the Diamondbacks' bullpen was their Achilles' heel, but this year it had been vastly improved, between both David Hernandez and J.J. Putz. Putz is still fine, but Hernandez blew up in a big way Tuesday, giving up five runs on four hits and a walk without retiring a batter. His ERA jumped up from 1.65 to 3.29 with the bad outing.
- Kelly Johnson continues to break out of his early-season doldrums, hitting his 12th homer of the year.
- Dan Hudson allowed three runs, but only one of them was earned and he held the Bucs to three hits and a walk while K'ing seven.
- Juan Miranda had a huge game in defeat, too, hitting a homer among his four hits.
- The Pirates were remarkably efficient, scoring eight runs despite getting just seven hits and two walks.
- HR: Kelly Johnson (12), Chris Young (11), Juan Miranda (6); CS: Justin Upton (5).

Reds 8, Cubs 2

- Edinson Volquez became a reverse Samson, doing better after getting freshly-shorn. Granted, he was facing the major league equivalent of Chico's Bail Bonds (NL version - the Twins' lineup is more pathetic). But he walked only two batters and made it through seven innings for the first time all year. Working with Reds guru Mario Soto didn't hurt, either.
- The Reds probably should have scored more runs than they did, but then made up for that variance and more with Miguel Cairo's unexpected grand slam.
- Doug Davis did his usual Doug Davis impersonation, putting the leadoff runner on in four of his five innings, allowing seven hits and three walks in just 4.1 innings. You have to wonder just how much longer the Cubs will tolerate him in the rotation. Then again, the alternatives are pretty grisly, as the Cubs just have no depth in the upper levels of their farm system.
- HR: Miguel Cairo (2).

Braves 1, Marlins 0

- Brad "Mr." Hand allowed just one hit over six innings in his major league debut, but that one hit was a solo homer by Alex Gonzalez, good enough to give him the loss.
- That's because Tommy Hanson was excellent was well, throwing six shutout innings, allowing two hits and five walks while striking out six.
- The Marlins are in the middle of a nightmare homestand, having lost all five games while stranding 49 runners.
- Craig Kimbrell has been great and all, but Jonny Venters has been the really sick reliever for the Braves. After Tuesday's scoreless inning, he's now down to a 0.49 ERA and 0.76 WHIP. He hasn't yet allowed a homer this year.
- The Marlins hope Hanley Ramirez (back) can start up baseball-related activities again by Friday. I'm awfully wary of what's going to happen with Ramirez even when he returns - back injuries can be so tricky.
- HR: Alex Gonzalez (6); SB: Jordan Schafer (2), Martin Prado (2), Chris Coghlan (7); SV: Craig Kimbrell (18).

Tigers 8, Rangers 1

- Rick Porcello remains on a roll, winning for the sixth time in his last seven decisions. He's still not striking anyone out (2 on Tuesday), but is inducing a ton of grounders (11). I think he'll be a lot like Trevor Cahill last year: good stuff, starting to get better results, and the strikeouts will eventually come. He's still just 22 years old.
- Matt Harrison was decent (he would have gotten out of the four-run fourth having allowed only two runs but for an umpire's missed call on a potential strikeout) despite pitching with a kidney stone. He hopes to be able to pass it in the next day or two - otherwise, he might have to miss his next start.
- Elvis Andrus collapsed down the stretch last year, so the Rangers are taking extra pains to rest him occasionally, including last night, when Andres Blanco started in his place.
- SB: Ian Kinsler (12).

Cardinals 7, Astros 4

- Albert Pujols hit a tape-measure shot onto the tracks in left field, his fifth homer in his last five games.
- Lance Berkman homered yet again against his former teammates, a two-run shot in the first inning.
- Allen Craig left with a bruised knee after crashing into a fence while chasing a fly ball. X-rays were negative.
- Because Eduardo Sanchez couldn't find the strike zone (12 pitches, three strikes), Fernando Salas had to throw 44 pitches over two innings to get the save.
- Brett Myers had yet another stinker. He has given up 16 homers over 80.2 innings and has a 5.02 ERA. This is your gentle reminder, Houston, to not sign guys with outlier seasons to long-term extensions, particularly when you're nowhere near ready to compete.
- HR: Albert Pujols (14), Lance Berkman (13), Carlos Lee (5); CS: Brett Wallace (1); SV: Fernando Salas (11).

Blue Jays 8, Royals 5

- Kyle Drabek did his usual WHIP-killing performance, giving up nine hits and three walks while not striking anyone out to give up five runs over 5.1 innings. But because he was facing the Royals and Vin Mazzaro, that was good enough for the "win."
- In the faint-praise department, Mazzaro's six runs on eighth hits over five innings represents "progress," lowering his ERA on the season to 17.47.
- Adam Lind has homered thrice in four games since coming off the DL.
- Jon Rauch and not Frank Francisco got the save, after the latter had really struggled in his last few save chances.
- Kyle Davies and Bruce Chen will start rehab assignments at Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Wednesday.
- HR: Adam Lind (10), J.P. Arencibia (10); Yunel Escobar (2), Alcides Escobar (7); CS: Rajai Davis (8); SV: Jon Rauch (7).

Mets 2, Brewers 1

- Chris Capuano held his own against the red-hot Brewers and stuck around long enough to get the win when the Mets rallied in the seventh, once Shaun Marcum left the game. Marcum didn't allow a run, but because he walked four he worked his pitch count up to 108 and was pulled after six innings.
- Jose Reyes hit his league-leading 11th triple of the season. If you're in a points league, that could do some serious damage in your favor. If you're in a categorical league that has a special category for triples, shame on you.
- Carlos Beltran returned to action after leaving Sunday's game thanks to a foul ball off his shin. He still has some soreness, but appeared to move around better as the game went on.
HR: Prince Fielder (15); SB: Angel Pagan (7); SV: Francisco Rodriguez (17).

White Sox 5, Mariners 1

- Phillip Humber keeps rolling along. He held the Mariners to a run over 7.2 innings, lowering his ERA to 2.87 on the season. If/when Jake Peavy next returns, he's probably going to keep that spot in the rotation, forcing the White Sox to either stick with the six-man rotation or move someone else like John Danks.
- Both Adam Dunn and Alexis Rios were benched against Felix Hernandez, with Brent Lillibridge (CF) and Mark Teahen (1B) getting starts. Both were given the day off to clear their heads.
- Ichiro Suzkui went 0-for-4 and has three hits in his last 27 at-bats; he's down to .260 on the year. His OPS is down to a paltry .616. If he's not hitting for average, then what's he doing batting leadoff? Then again, if you're the Mariners, who else should hit there?
- HR: Carlos Quentin (15), Paul Konerko (14); CS: Brent Morel (4).

Padres 2, Rockies 0

- Tim Stauffer threw eight shutout innings, striking out eight while allowing four hits and a walk. He also knocked in one of the two runs scored in the game.
- Ubaldo Jimenez wasn't much worse than Stauffer, striking out eight while walking none in giving up two runs over seven innings. He once again looked more like the Ubaldo of the first half of 2010.
- The Anthony Rizzo situation is a little confusing. According to some, a callup to the Padres is imminent - perhaps this week. But he's also going for an MRI on his sore thumb. Granted, the MRI is precautionary, but wouldn't you want your start prospect to be 100|PERCENT| when he's facing big league pitching for the first time?
- HR and SB: None; SV: Heath Bell (17).

Rays 4, Angels 1

- Dan Haren (back) pitched seven innings in a losing effort Tuesday, allowing three runs on eight hits and a walk, striking out six.
- With Vernon Wells back, Peter Bourjos sat. The Angels had Wells in center, Bobby Abreu in left field and Russell Branyan as the DH. Wells went 0-for-3 and Branyan 0-for-2 while getting pinch-hit for by Maicer Izturis in his final at-bat. The defensive downgrade was noticed on two of the Rays' runs - Johnny Damon hit a triple between Wells and Abreu in the first inning, and then later hit a double over Wells' head in center field that might have been caught by Bourjos, according to the Orange County Register.
- Alexander Cobb picked up his first major league win Tuesday against the Angels, holding them to one run over 6.1 innings. He struck out three while allowing seven hits and no walks. The Rays can afford to take their time in bringing Jeff Niemann back from the DL with Cobb pitching well. Cobb will probably lose his rotation spot then, but watch the tea leaves carefully to see what they decide between Cobb and Wade Davis.
- Johnny Damon went 3-for-5 with two doubles and a triple and has now reached base in 33 consecutive games. Despite the on-base streak, Damon still has just a .329 on-base percentage while spending his time in the leadoff spot.
- HR: B.J. Upton (8); SV: Kyle Farnsworth (12).

Nationals 2, Giants 1

- Jordan Zimmermann came up huge again Tuesday night, holding the Giants to one run over seven innings on five hits and a walk, striking out three. Zimmermann's performance was especially timely, given how much the bullpen had been stretched the previous two days with extra-inning games.
- Jerry Hairston Jr. left with back spasms. With Ryan Zimmerman close to returning from the DL, Hairston's run as the third baseman is about to end. Zimmerman had two hits in his second rehab game Tuesday. He's likely to come off the DL at the end of the week.
- Jonathan Sanchez struggled badly with his command again Tuesday, walking five over five innings and needing 97 pitches to get through that stretch. Even though he gave up only two runs, that he couldn't work deeper into the game really hurt the Giants, given that they played 13 innings the night before. He has walked 15 batters in his last three outings.
- SB: Roger Bernadina (8); CS: Brandon Crawford (1); SV: Drew Storen (12).