Defeat the Empire

Above is the 2005 New York Mets gravestone. Last night, they died.

Take this quote from me on July 24th: "I wouldn't have sent Benson out there for the eighth...if he struggles to get through the fifth inning Friday at Houston because of his high pitch count today (125?) those are much bigger pitches than 4-0 in the eighth against LA."

Damn, do I look smart today. Benson struggled through 5.1 innings at Houston and gave up three home runs as the Mets lost to surging Houston for the second straight night, 5-2, to fall games behind Houston with a sweep being a realistic possiblity.

The only real bright spot for the Mets was more success from journeyman reliever Juan Padilla, who contributed two more scoreless relief innings. He hasn't allowed a run in 7.1 innings since being recalled from Norfolk, where he dominated International League batter to the tune of a 1.44 ERA. This guy's looking like quite a find.

The hot rumor last night had Manny Ramirez go to the Mets in a three way deal involving Tampa and Boston. Here was the supposed trade:

Mets Get

OF Manny Ramirez from BOS
RP Danys Baez from TB

Red Sox Get

1B Aubrey Huff from TB
OF Mike Cameron from NYM
RP Aaron Heilman from NYM

Devil Rays Get

SP Yusmiero Petit from NYM (AA)
OF Lastings Milledge from NYM (AA)
C Kelly Shoppach from BOS (AAA)
SP Anibel Sanchez from BOS (AA)

I don't like this trade form either a Mets or a Red Sox perspective. I will break down the trade later on and give my opinions the deal.

Ownage

The Angels are the true 'daddies'. In eight games against the Yankees this year, Anaheim is 6-2. Even last night, with a rookie starting, off of a bullpen-depleting 18-inning loss to Toronto, facing the Yanks most consistent starter Mike Mussina, Los Angeles still dominated. They took the lead in the second inning and never coughed it up.

Johnny O Heroics

Even when he was a Yankee, I had a hard time disliking John Olerud. As a matter of fact, I still loved him in pinstripes, like I do with Al Leiter right now. But it certainly sweeter to see my old favorite Mets hitting Grand Slams in a Red Sox uniform than it was watching him seemingly put the nail in Boston's coffin during Game 2 of last year's ALCS.

Curt Schilling nailed down his fourth save but retiring two consecutive batters in the ninth to end the game. He finally looks like he can contribute in 2005.

Boston won, and the Yankees lost. "Doesn't get better than that." With the win, Boston moved 2.5 games ahead of the Yankees in the AL East, and is two up in the loss column.

Today's Schedule

Angels (Byrd, 9-7, 4.10) @ Yankees (Chacon, 1-7, 4.09), 1:20 PM

Twins (Lohse, 7-9, 4.45) @ Red Sox (Wells, 8-5, 4.57), 7:05 PM

Mets (Glavine, 7-8, 4.69) @ Astros (Pettitte, 8-7, 2.73), 7:05 PM

Other Notes

-Two trades went down yesterday: the Orioles shipped OF Larry Bigbie to Colorado for OF Eric Byrnes, and the Padres sent 1B Phil Nevin to Arlington for Texas SP Chan Ho Park.

-The Jets opened camp yesterday, and two keys remain unsigned: rookie K Mike Nugent, and DE John Abraham, who's holding out for a new contract. The Jets have tendered him a franchise tag, which he has yet to sign.

-Twins CF Torii Hunter injured an ankle and is out for 4-6 weeks. This hurts the Twins, who are already struggling for runs.

When you send Pedro Martinez to the mound, you expect to win. When you face a rookie with an 8.25 ERA, you expect to win. When you send Pedro the the mound against a guy with an 8.25 ERA...

...you lose.

Last night's loss probably signals the Mets squandered their final chance to be contenders in 2005, as they now fall 3 behind Houston while facing unfavorable pitching matchups twice come the weekend. If the Mets fall further behind Houston, there's very little chance of Houston being caught. They're on the same roll they got on last year, and seem destined for greater things than the 2005 Mets have in store.

You can't blame it on Pedro. Petey went 8 innings of 2 run ball, and threw 117 pitches on four days rest. (Remember, Pedro's only an 100 pitch pitcher? He can't pitch on normal rest?) While Martinez has proven the critics wrong, myself included, the Mets have made the skeptics look quite smart on this road trip, validating the opinions of those that say this is just a .500 team.

Trade rumors were swirling about Alfonso Soriano throughout the late afternoon last night and into the evening, and Aaron Heilman, Victor Zambrano, and Mike Cameron were mentioned as possible bait along with top prospects Lastings Milledge and Yusmiero Petit. I know this sounds crazy, but if the Mets had won last night, I'd do the deal to get Soriano into Houston tonight. Since the Mets lost, though, I'd forget it and stay put at the deadline.

1-9, 7.11; 1-7, 4.09

Those are the numbers on the newest Yankee, Shawn Chacon, over the past two seasons.

Impressive, huh? Well, the Yankees are so pitching starved a warm body would do, and they hope an escape from the thin air of Colorado and some more run support can turn Chacon into a viable option. He'll be a starter in the short term, and probably a bullpen guy down the road when Carl Pavano and Jaret Wright return.

The Yanks beat Minnesota behind Aaron Small yesterday. Small's had two good starts with the Yankees, and retired the last 12 batters he faced. Odds are, however, this guy implodes like Darrell May and Tim Redding did. Give him one more start before the wheels come off the track.

Today's Schedule

Twins (Silva, 7-4, 3.38) @ Red Sox (Miller, 3-4, 4.57)

Angels (Santana, 5-4, 5.64) @ Yankees (Mussina, 10-5, 3.83)

Mets (Benson, 7-3, 3.14) @ Astros (Rodriguez, 5-4, 6.18)

If you have to lose 2 of 3 to the worst team in baseball, preferably, you win the third game to get out of town on a high. That's what the Mets did last night with a 9-3 thumping of the Rockies.

After falling asleep for the whole series, the bats were awakened in the fifth and sixth innings. The leaders of the offense were two backups, Ramon Castro and Marlon Anderson, who went a total of 4-for-8 with 3 home runs and 5 RBI's while filling in for Mike Piazza and Mike Cameron, respectively. Everybody in the starting lineup had a hit, even Carlos Beltran, who sucks and doesn't seem to care, either. (Although the latter is admittedly an unfair accusation.)

Zamby (5-9, 3.78) finally got some runs and won for the first time since June 28th against Philadelphia. He threw 112 pitches and walked just 3 through seven innings.

Now it's off to Houston. This is, somewhat arguably, the biggest series the Mets have played since the walked out of Turner Field defeated on September 28-30, 2001.

Gaining Ground

Boston won, and the Yankees lost. It doesn't get much better than that.

Oh, but it does. Curt Schilling was able to pitch for the third straight day and be effective. After going 1.2 innings on Monday and 2 on Tuesday, Schilling was able to get the final out for Boston in their 4-1 win over Tampa on Wednesday. Schilling notched his 3rd save in Tim Wakefield's 9th victory.

Meanwhile, at the Stadium, two high-profile lefties regained last year's form. Al Leiter pitched like he did so often last year for the Mets, allowing 12 baserunners and throwing 115 pitches in five innings, en route to a early exit. Despite throwing an staggering average of 23 pitches per inning, Leiter kept the Yankees in the game by allowing just one of those baserunners to score. He exited the game losing 1-0.

Johan Santana, on the other hand, looked like pitcher who went 13-0 in the 2004 second half and won the Cy Young Award. Going 7 strong, Santana allowed no runs on seven hits in winning his tenth game for the Twins. He has been a disappointment so far this year, but a second half remotely like last year's no doubt would quiet the critics.

The Yankee bullpen let the game get out of hand in the later innings. After a scoreless 6th by Felix Rodriguez, Tanyon Sturtze, Scott Proctor, and Alex Graman allowed a combined 6 runs over 3 innings. Joe Nathan delievered his 28th save in a 7-3 Twins wins.

But rest easy, Yankee fans, as help is on the way. The Yankees claimed Hideo Nomo off waivers from Tampa yesterday, and signed him to a minor league contract. Nomo has looked completely washed up over the past two seasons, posting an 8.25 ERA last year with the Dodgers and a 7.24 with the Rays this year. Unlike the move of acquiring Al Leiter, who is a New York guy with pennant push heroics under his belt in the Big Apple, the adding of Nomo has little apparent upside.

Today's Schedule

Twins (Mays, 5-5, 4.46) @ Yankees (Small, 1-0, 4.26), 1:05 PM

Mets (Martinez, 12-3, 2.79) @ Astros (Astacio, 1-4, 8.24), 8:05 PM

The Red Sox have a scheduled off day today.

Other Notes

-The Knicks are introducing living legend Larry Brown to coach the team today. Brown has signed a 5-year deal worth nearly 60 million dollars to come to New York.

-Zach Duke, the Pirates phenom favorably viewed here at Defeat the Empire, went two scoreless innings in Miami last night before rain delay force him to leave the game. Duke extended his scoreless streak to 24 consecutive innings, however, and lowered his ERA to 0.87.

Ouch.

Matt Clement took a liner off the head from Carl Crawford, in what looked like a continuation of last night's bad luck. But after a seasaw battle, the Sox rallied for two in the ninth off Danys Baez and another two in the tenth off Baez to win the game. Curt Schilling got the win to improve to 3-4 after taking the loss last night.

Clement is said to be okay, and the results of tests were negative, but he's still being held in the hospital for precautionary measures. He's likely headed to the DL, and who knows if he'll be effective when he comes back. Many pitchers, such as Billy Taylor, Kaz Ishii, and Jerrod Riggan haven't been as effective after returning from getting hit with a line drive.

The Yankees won easily last night against the popgun Twins, and the Red Sox keep a one-game lead in the AL East by holding two more wins than the Yanks. The teams are equal in the loss column.

Just When They Get on a Roll...

...they start to suck again.

After a great homestand, the Mets go in to Colorado and promptly drop the first two. Granted, the Rockies are a decent home team, but this kind of performance is so typical of the 2005 Mets. If the Rockies complete a sweep tonight, I won't be at all surprised. And if the Mets get shut out tonight, I can't say as I'll be shocked.

The big goat of Tuesday's game is Mike Cameron, who went 0-for-5 with 4 strikeouts. We know Mike is going to strike out 140 times, but it's the way he's does it lately. With the bases loaded and the Mets down two in the seventh, he takes a 3-2 pitch right down the middle for strike three and the third out. And with a chance at redemption in the ninth, and Jose Reyes on second as the tying run, Cameron once again takes strike three, this time to end the game. After this, listening on the radio, I scream "swing the f***ing bat!" and knock the radio to the floor.

I hope to God Willie dropps the struggling Cameron down in the lineup tonight. But he's too stupid, that isn't happening.

Today's Schedule

Red Sox (Wakefield, 8-9, 4.42) @ Devil Rays (McClung, 1-5, 7.07), 4:15 PM

Twins (Santana, 9-5, 3.89) @ Yankees (Leiter, 4-8, 6.43), 7:05 PM

Mets (Zambrano, 4-9, 3.86) @ Rockies (Wright, 5-10, 5.30), 9:05 PM

Other Notes

-The Knicks have reportedly agreed on a 5 year, $50 million contract with Larry Brown. There may be a press conference tomorrow to announce the hiring.

-Zach Duke makes his fifth start for Pittsburgh today. The highly touted 22-year-old lefthander has gone 3-0, 0.93 since being called up from Triple-A Indianapolis.

-The Jets open camp in two days. They signed second round pick CB Justin Miller to a contract earlier today.

It seemed like every time I looked at the Boston game or the Met game last night, either team was getting a bad break. Guys were getting thrown out at home. There were 3-4-1 putouts. A bad call cost the Mets a run. Cliff Floyd throws to the wrong base. Fly balls die at the track. Among other things.

After Curt Schilling pitched a great ninth in Tampa, he gives up an infield single to Crawford (another bad break,) and eventually a game-winning double to Aubrey Huff to end it. Curt's 2-4 in 2005.

And the Mets, in their only good pitching matchup of the series in Colorado, can't touch Jose Acevedo through six, outside of one inning, and fall asleep in game 1 at Coors after a long rain delay. Tom Glavine pitched well enough to win, and three runs against the likes of Acevedo and Mike DeJean (remember him?) is unacceptable. My guess is the Mets were tired after a long flight without the benefit of an off day.

The Mets can't afford to get swept out of Colorado, which is now what I think will happen. That could spell disaster once they head to Houston. Tonight's game is huge for the Mets, and the key is the offense. It's time to throw up a ten-spot and smack these guys around the ballpark.

Trade Winds

Alot of reports suggest the Mets may be on track to get Alfonso Soriano. He has really struggled outside of Arlington since the Rangers got him, and I'd be very leery of trading for him. Texas reportedly wants both of the Mets top prospects, Lastings Milledge and Yusmiero Petit, and that alone would have me hanging up the phone. I wouldn't give up either for any player on the market currently.

The Mets are also interested in relievers Jose Mesa of Pittsburgh and Danys Baez. I love Baez, he always converts the big save, and can get 4 outs if you need him to. He was very impressive in Tampa's late June series at Yankee Stadium, saving all three of Tampa's wins in the four-gamer. Mesa isn't too bad, either, but he's old and can fold under pressure. If he comes cheap I'd add him, but an upper-tier prospect or even Aaron Heilman or Heath Bell is too high and asking price.

Welcome to NY, Larry

It seems as if Larry Brown's headed to the Knicks. I hope so. He got Chauncey Billups to be a great clutch player, who knows what he might be able to do with Stephon Maurbury. The Knicks do have talent on the roster and Brown's the guy to exercise it. The Knicks lost a whopping 22 games by 6 points or less in 2004-5, and Brown's coaching savvy no doubt wins a bunch of those games. With Brown, I think the Knicks are easily a 45-win team.

Two afternoon game wins + One Washington Loss + One Atlanta Loss = 3.5 games out of Wild Card and Division lead. Yesterday the hero was Jose Reyes, today it's Kris Benson.

Everybody whined about the trade last year (although not nearly as much as they did for the Kazmir deal) that sent Matt Peterson, Ty Wigginton, and Justin Huber away to get Benson and Jeff Keppenger. Peterson has a 6.11 ERA at AA, Wiggy's toiling in Indianapolis, and Huber has been moves to first base, thus killing his value. Kepp was killing the ball at Norfolk before hurting his knee, and Benson has become one of the most consistent starters in the National League.

Benson might be one of the only guys who has experienced a decrease in pressure in coming to New York. In Pittsburgh, he was regarded as the savior to a struggling organization after being drafted first overall in 1996. Despite promising flashes, mainly in his rookie season of 1999, Benson battled injuries and never busted out of mediocrity. Now in New York, he's settled in as a no. 2 starter behind the 12-3 Pedro Martinez and started to reach his potential at age 30.

Benson has improved 7-3, 3.14 this year after his 125-pitch, 8 inning shutout performance today, and the Mets have won 12 of his 16 starts (which favorably compares to Pedro's 13 wins in 20 starts.) While much of that is due to very good run support, he still has turned in 11 quality starts in his last 13 appearances. He's been worth every penny of his widely criticized $22.5 million contract. Mets fans have come to love Benson (and his wife.)

Mike Piazza hit another homer today, no. 12 on the year and no. 390 of his career. I'm pulling more than anyone for 10 more this year from Mike so he can retire in a Met uniform, with 400 dingers.

Colorado's up next. We send Glavine against a relief pitcher tomorrow, Ishii (ick) on Tuesday, and then Victor Zambrano against Jamey Wright. I'd certainly take 2 of 3 with tomorrow being a must-win as it's our only decidedly favorable pitching matchup. I'm going to say the Mets drop 2 of three, however, losing the final two games after a blowout Monday. Depite Colorado's terrible record, they have played 1 game over .500 in Coors this year.

Pessimism aside, the Mets play a bad team now in what's shaping up as a red-shot second half. If the Mets take advantage of a bad team in Colorado, which is never a given due to the nature of the Mets 2005 season, the four-gamer in Houston becomes the biggest series the Mets have played since dropping 2 of 3 in heartbreaking fashion to Atlanta, September 28-30 of 2001.

Anna + Kris Benson say...

Lets Go Mets!!!!!!!!

Victor Zambrano has been a victim of poor run support this year, but today, he just plain sucked. He looked a little like the old Zambrano who walked everyone in sight, but today, those walks were replaced with 10 hits. He left after just 4.2 innings, having allowed just 6 runs.

I figured the game was over, so I left the TV and came downstairs. After about a half hour, I gave in to impulse and checked the score on Sportsline. And...wham! Carlito smacks one out and it's 6-5.

Being a Met fan for 8 years now, you get to know certain things. One being when you're going to lose a ball game. On the phone with my dad today, I told him the Mets were losing tonight, and tomorrow. Even though Carlos gave us false hope, I knew better.

Yet, I was disappointed when the Mets squandered an oppurtunity in the seventh and went down without a peep to the likes of Alvarez, Schmoll, and Brazoban in the last two innings. Hell, we got Pedro tomorrow against a rookie. We should win. (Although I predict a loss.)

One thing about the broadcast today: Dave O'Brien wouldn't stop praising Yhency Brazoban. When he was in the bullpen warming, O'Brien said "Brazoban has done quite an admirable job for Jim Tracy's Dodgers in Eric Gagne's absence...", or something to that effect. And then, when Brazoban entered the game, O'Brien called the rookie closer "a revelation." Huh? Yhency entered tonight's game with a 5.87 ERA and four blown saves, plus five losses. Granted, Brazoban shut the Mets down in the ninth, but he certainly hasn't been all that in Chavez Ravine come 2005.

AL East

Boston won the opener in Chicago, 6-5, on Thursday. After Curt Schilling blew a one-run lead in the top of the eighth, Manny Ramirez got that run back with a long shot to left in the top of the ninth. Schilling returned to shut down the Chisox in the bottom of the ninth to earn his second win on the year after blowing a save. Curt was able to throw 39 pitches without tiring, which is encouraging.

Unfortunately, they got blown out tonight by a 6-run sixth that included two three-run home runs off of Tim Wakefield; one by AJ Pierzynski, the other by Juan Uribe.

The Yankees lost a nice one last night. Taking a three-run lead into the seventh when Randy Johnson had to leave with an apparent injury. Tanyon Sturtze was unavailable, so Joe Torre has to go to Scott Proctor and Buddy Groom instead and they promptly loaded the bases. After Darrin Erstad was retired by Groom, Torre summoned Tom Gordon to face Vladimir Guerrero. And in the immortal words of John Madden...

...boom. Vladi goes yard, Angels go up 6-5 and hold it to defeat the Yanks.

Tonight, Al Leiter looks like the guy who pitched for the Marlins this year, throwing tons of pitches and giving up even more runs. Too bad the Yanks can hit the livin' shit out of the ball, so no lead is safe. Alex Graman is warming in the bullpen...his ERA with the big club last year was 19.80 in two starts. Good luck, Alex!

The Duke of Pittsburgh, Part II
Zach Duke has been favorably mentioned here before. Yet, he won't stop dominating.

After outdueling Greg Maddux at the Wig in his last start, Duke went back home to Pittsburgh and picked up where he left off. He allowed just an unearned run on eight hits, four walks, and five strikeouts, going seven innings for his third win in four major league starts. He lowered his ERA to a stellar 0.93.

Dukey's still very young at 22, but we'll keep track of him as this heralded prospect tours the majors. The Pirates have a keeper.

When Kaz Ishii outduels Jake Peavy, you know it's something special. Or, it should be. Peavy is an All-Star who won the ERA crown in the National League last year; Ishii shouldn't be in the Mets rotation. Peavy entered the game with 8 wins; Ishii with 8 losses. It had the mark of disaster.

It was anything but.

The Mets completed the sweep today, and won their fourth straight, with a 12-0 win over the Padres. Ishii went six shutout innings, pitching his way out of numerous james, and collected just his third victory against 8 losses. Pavy got bombed, giving up 7 runs in 5+ innings, raising his ERA by .39 and falling to 8-4. Peavy hadn't given up seven earned runs in a start since July 4, 2003.

So what's next? The Los Angeles Dodgers, who should be an easy target for the red-hot Mets. The Dodgers did beat the Phillies twice this week, but have gone a pitiful 31-50 since starting 12-2. The Mets will send their best three starters, Victor Zambrano, Pedro Martinez, and Kris Benson to the hill this weekend, and another sweep should be the goal.

After this, it's off to Coors Field to face the lowly Rockies. It's not impossible that the Mets could be only two or three games out of the wild card when they head to Houston for what's shaping up to be a huge 4-game set with the Astros.

The AL East

Boston remained a half-game ahead of the Yankees last night, as both teams pulled home victories. Boston has to play the juggernaut White Sox in the upcoming series, but the Yankees also get a good team, the Los Angeles Angels. Tonight's schedule:

Red Sox (Clement, 10-3, 4.21) @ White Sox (Buehrle, 11-3, 2.58)

Yankees (Johnson, 10-6, 4.23) @ Angels (Colon, 11-6, 3.64)

I hate to say it, but come 1:00 AM, the Yanks will be back in first place.

I usually open up with something about the AL East. Not today.

I attended my first walf-off homer victory last night, watching Chris Woodward smack one into the night off soft-tossing Chris Hammond, ending three-plus hours of good baseball and sending 37, 945 home happy.

Many things went well on this night, one of them being Kris Benson. He seems to be worth the money we gave him in the offseason, any maybe even the prospects we sent away to acquire him. With seven stellar innings last night, he lowered his ERA to 3.40. He allowed just two hits and no runs if you eliminate Padres shortstop Khalil Greene.

Another thing that went right was the changing of the lineup by the stubborn and clueless Willie Randolph. After ninety-plus games of watching David Wright slug 70 points higher (!) than Mike Piazza, he finally moved Wright ahead of Mike in the lineup. Now, I love Mike, and he's probably my favorite current Met, and I'm the first to defend him, but it was time. Wright responded with two hits, including a double.

Willie's lone bonehead move was bringing in Dae-Sung Koo in the eighth. Koo has held lefties to a respectable .243 average here in 2005, but that number is incredibly misleading. In addition to nine hits by lefties off Koo, Koo has hit 2 left-handed batters and walked 8, meaning an on-base percentage of .475. True to form, Koo walked two lefties and gave up a base hit to another in his outing, and the only hitter he retired was right-handed hitting Mark Loretta. The other out came on Mike Piazza's caught stealing of ALCS hero Dave Roberts. Luckily for Koo and the Mets, the amazing Robbie Hernandez came on and stranded two runners to get the Mets out of a jam.

All-in-all, it was a fun night. I might be back to Shea for Pedro's upcoming start, and I have tickets to see them take on the Cubs come August. Cheers to Woody for smacking the first walk-off homer in games I've attended.

Just like that...

Boston's back in first place.

I truly do hope that the Yankees enjoyed their 24 hours of fame, but hey, maybe they'll never see first place again. The above Curt Schilling certainly agrees, and he did his part last night with a nine-pitch, three-out, solid outing, earning the save in Boston's 51st win of the season.

Meanwhile, in Arlington, the Yankees engaged in a pitching duel involving Mike Mussina and Chan Ho Park. Mussina pitched six shutout innings before exiting, and Park posted seven scoreless frames before allowing a one-out RBI single to Robinson Cano in the eighth. The lead what short lived, however, as Hank Blalock would go yard in the eighth to put Texas ahead two to one. In the words of John Sterling:

"That ball is lined by Blalock...in between the outfielders, and off the wall... (Pause) ...And Gone! That ball is gone! It went over the wall!"

No doubt Mike and the Dog will make fun of Sterling over that one. It was laugh-out-loud funny for the Yankee hater, in the car ride home from a walk-off victory at Shea.

The Burnett Sweepstakes

Was last night AJ Burnett's last start in a Marlins uniform? If it he, he went out in style. He gave up three runs through six innings, en route to his sixth win.

That said, the Baltimore rumors are dying down a little, and Pittsburgh seems no longer interested in being involved. Florida may have to take Sidney Ponson or pay part of Mike Lowell's salary if they want to dump Lowell on the Orioles.

Today's Schedule

Boston plays a day game at Fenway. It's Wells (7-5, 4.73) v. Hendrickson (4-6, 6.35).

San Diego (Williams, 5-5, 4.15) @ Mets (Glavine, 6-7, 4.71)

Yankees (Small, season debut) @ Rangers (Benoit, 1-0, 0.69)

The New York Yankees are in first place. What a nightmare.

We were all ecstatic when they hit 11-19, when they dropped three of four to the Devil Rays, whent he Mets led 4-1 in the seventh inning in a bid to sweep the Yanks out of the stadium, and whent he Red Sox handed a 17-1 beatdown to the Yanks (twice). But now, it's just like it always is. First place for the Bombers.

Last night's game was a disaster for the Yankees pitching and defense. Kevin Brown gave up 10 hits and 6 runs in 4.1 innings. Scott Proctor and Wayne Franklin had to pitch in a close game. And Bernie dropped yet another flyball that ended up costing the Yanks 3 runs. But in the end, thanks to 3.1 innings of stellar relief from Sturtze and Rivera plus 11 runs, New York won an ugly one and now are in first place due to the Boston Red Sox 3-1 loss to Tampa. Boston now has gone 1-6 in their last seven games.

The AL East is extremely tight right now. With the Yankees in first at 50-41, both Boston and Baltimore are a half-game back with matching 50-42 records. Plus, rumor has it Baltimore is about to get some help.

Burnett to Camden

AJ Burnett has some of the best pure stuff in major league baseball, with his blistering fastball and knee-buckling breaking pitches. Despite this, He has struggled in his career with Florida at times with numerous arm injuries and command issues. He remains the top pitcher on the market, and Baltimore is expected to snatch him up within 24 hours.

Many trade rumors have circulated involving Burnett-to-Baltimore, but the latest one is a 3-team deal that involves the Pittsburgh Pirates in addition to Florida and Baltimore. Here is the current hot rumor:

Baltimore Orioles get

SP AJ Burnett from FLA (5-6, 3.64 ERA, 118.2 IP, 114 K, 44 BB)
1B Daryle Ward from PIT (.258 BA, 11 HR, 52 RBI, .322 OBP, .435 SLG)

Pittsburgh Pirates get

3B Mike Lowell from FLA (.232 BA, 4 HR, 37 RBI, .284 OBP, .356 SLG)
Cash

Florida Marlins get

RP Jorge Julio from BAL (3-2, 3.95 ERA, 43.1 IP, 39 K, 14 BB, 0 SV)
OF Larry Bigbie from BAL (.257 BA, 4 HR, 19 RBI, .319 OBP, .380 SLG)
SP Mark Redman from PIT (4-9, 4.01 ERA, 121.1 IP, 64 K, 36 BB)
SP Hayden Penn from BAL (2-2, 6.75 ERA, 33.1 IP, 14 K, 19 BB in MLB; 3-4, 4.04 ERA, 62.1 IP, 67 K, 23 BB in AA)

Analysis: If Florida has to give Burnett up, this is probably the best deal they can get. With Lowell moving to Pittsburgh, the Marlins can move Miguel Cabrera back to third base and plug Larry Bigbie into the hole in left field. Mark Redman, who was on Florida's 2003 World Series team, is a somewhat suitable replacement for Burnett, and Jorge Julio might be able to close out games for the bullpen-hungry Marlins. Hayden Penn is Baltimore's top prospect, is only 20, and in a year or two could be just as good as Burnett. While the Orioles clearly get a talented pitcher in Burnett, he is prone to pitching below his capability. In addition, he is from the National League, which hasn't been a formula for success for Carl Pavano, Jaret Wright, and Randy Johnson. He could dominate for Baltimore, or he could be a maddening disappointment. Likely the latter. Pittsburgh gets to deal a problem in Redman, and acquires Lowell while losing Daryle Ward. Lowell had heated up in recent weeks, but still is hitting with no power. He won't cost Pittsburgh too much financially as alot of his salary will be paid by Florida.

Today's Schedule

I'll be at Shea tonight to see the Mets and the Padres. I'll see Kris Benson (6-3, 3.57) v. Brian Lawrence (5-9, 4.27).

New York Yankees (Mike Mussina, 9-5, 4.15) @ Texas Rangers (Chan Ho Park, 8-4, 5.64)

Tampa Bay Devil Rays (Casey Fossum, 4-7, 4.02) @ Boston Red Sox (Bronson Arroyo, 7-5, 4.14)

PS: Forgive me if any of the colors are off. I battle colorblindness every day of my life.

Al Leiter in a Yankee uniform.

I remember him as the Mets ace for seven years, the heart and soul of the Mets for seven years, and the guy who cried in the dugout after Game 5 of the 2000 World Series. It hurts me to see him as a Yankee. That said, part of me was pulling for him tonight.

Al was classic Al, throw lots of pitches but racking up the K's, and in the end, pitching well enough to win. The only run Leiter gave up though 6.1 innings was on a bloop double by Papi Ortiz.

I thought we had them in the ninth, though. I thought we had them. When Cano threw the ball into left field, I could feel it, the same thing I felt on July 24 last year when Bill Mueller hit a walk-off homer off Rivera to get the Sox rollin' in '04. This is where my beef with Terry Francona comes in.

Why the hell do you let Alex Cora, a .200 hitter with no power, hit when John Olerud is on the bench? Tito can look to game two of the ALCS last year if he needs to know what Olerud does in big games. As I expected, Cora hit into a double play to kill the rally (even though he was safe at first.)

Now the Yankees tied with Boston in the loss column. Guess what folks...this is going to be one hell of a ride, right through the last series of the year in Boston come early October.

Pedro's Show


Petey dominated again today at Shea. It took him just 61 pitches to mow through six innings and pick up his eleventh victory of the year. Some reports said Pedro's toe was hurting, and that was the reason for his early absence. Others believe it was just a plan to get his fragile arm more rest.

Juan Padilla, Heath Bell, and Dae-Sung Koo combined for three innings out of the bullpen without an earned run. Why can we shut people down when we're up 8-0, but not in a tie game? And why does Willie go to Heath Bell (4.50) in an 8-0 game, but Danny Graves (7.85) in a 2-0 game?

The Mets are at .500 now for what seems like the millionth time this season. Something tells me we're sitting with 81 wins in October.

Tomorrow's Schedule

Mets are off tomorrow.

Tampa Bay (Kazmir, 3-7, 4.59) @ Boston (Miller, 2-3, 5.03)
Yankees (Brown, 4-6, 5.48) @ Texas (R. Rodriguez, 2-1, 3.48)

Matt Clement looked real good until all hell broke loose with two outs in the bottom of the third. A fastball behind the back of Gary Sheffield was the precursor to what turned out to be a nightmarish afternoon at Fenway.

After the six-spot was posted in the third by the Yanks, that included a John Flaherty two-RBI double, the Sox would score and score again. But mistakes did us in.

First, Dale Sveum screwed up again by holding Kevin Millar at third on a single to centerfield. Who's in centerfield for the Yankees? These days, it's either Melky Cabrera or Bernie Williams. Cabrera looks like a deer-in-the-headlights in the outfield, with seemingly no instincts whatsoever, and Bernie has lost his job due to an exceedingly poor throwing arm that can't reach the pitcher's mound from medium-deep CF. This resulted in Doug Mirrabelli having no place to go, and getting tagged out between second and third. It's time for Sveum to go.

Another is the error by David Ortiz in the seventh that put the game out of reach. Tito was trying to get as many righthanded bats in the lineup as possible, so he put Doug Mirrabelli at DH and Ortiz at first. I think we all learned last year, on July 1 at Yankee Stadium, that Papi shouldn't be at first base. John Olerud would have easily had that grounder, and in addition, he has handled Randy Johnson well throughout his career.

Al Leiter will start for the pitching-starved Yankees tomorrow, making his first start for an AL team since September 30, 1995 with the Toronto Blue Jays. Wakey is to go for the Sox, gametime 6:00.

Can't Touch This

The Mets can't touch Atlanta Braves pitching. After scoring only on a David Wright solo shot last night, the Mets get shut out tonight by Tim Hudson, Jim Brower, Dan Kolb, and Chris Reitsma.

Getting dominated by John Smoltz and Hudson isn't what bothers me. What bothers me is that the Mets failed to score the last two nights against Kolb and Brower, who both have ERA's well in to the fives. A lineup that sports the names of Piazza, Beltran, Floyd, etc. has to beat up on mediocre pitching. At least once, anyway.

Willie Randolph showed his cluelessness once again tonight in three capacities. The first was, for a second straight night, holding Jose Reyes on first base with Mike Cameron at the plate. Cameron hasn't been able to hit a beachball this July, and Reyes is second in the National League in steals. Why the hell he isn't running is anyone's guess.

Another is that Danny Graves comes into a 2-0 game in the ninth. Why? The game is still in play, due to the bloop-and-a-blast theory. But Graves and his 7.81 ERA enters the game, and by the time he threw four pitches, a run had scored. Heath Bell hasn't pitched since the Pittsburgh series, and he clearly has been the better option this season.

The last is all the bunts. Victor Zambrano and Marlon Anderson both were presumably instructed to bunt for base hits, Zambrano with two outs and Anderson with nobody on base. Zamby has handed the bat well this year, and although he isn't a slugger, no doubt he has a far better chance of getting on base and driving in a run with swing the bat. And Anderson, who has been the NL's best pinch hitter so far in 2005, is told to drag one down the line? Please Willie, grow a brain.

The Duke of Pittsburgh


Ever heard of Zach Duke? Last year, he dominated the minor leagues at two stops and became heralded as one of the best pitching prospects in baseball. This year, after doing more of the same in AAA, he's gobbling up major league hitters.

Now in three starts in the big leagues, Duke has gone at least seven innings in any appearance, and hasn't yield a run in his last 15. After picking up his first win against the Phillies on July 7, Duke outdueled Greg Maddux at Wrigley Field today to move to 2-0. Over eight innings today, he allowed just six hits and two walks, struck out four, and didn't allow a run in lowering his ERA to to a staggering 1.23.

It's very early in this 22-year-old's career, but he certainly looks like something special. Stay tuned.

To put it in the words of my dad, "It's nice when you expect the Yankees to get killed, and then they get killed." That's exactly what happened last night, as Tim Redding got rocked just like he was supposed to left the Yankees searching for starting pitching answers.

The look to have found one, possibly, in the form of Al Leiter. Newsday is reporting that the Yankees have acquired Leiter from the Marlins in exchange for cash, and he will start tomorrow night at Fenway Park. Despite his 6.64 ERA, don't be surprised if Al has enough to contribute to one more pennant push in New York.

July 15th at Shea

I was at the Mets game last night, and I admittedly was expecting a loss to Atlanta. I'd seen it too many times before. But, the way the Mets lost was disappointing.

Tom Glavine came into last night's game a career 1-8, 8.81 against Atlanta since signing with the Mets in 2003. Surprisingly, he pitched extremely well last night, going seven strong and allowing just one run. He pitched into trouble in some of the later innings, but was able to pitch out of jams with some clutch outs. Robbie Hernandez came on to pitch the final two innings, but Jose Reyes misplayed yet another ground ball en route to allowing the go-ahead run to score in the eighth.

John Smoltz was just as good, however. The Mets didn't mount a threat against him the whole game, and the only run was scored on a David Wright shot to left that I knew was gone off the bat. Wright seemingly had hit another blast in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, but Jeff Francoeur caught it at the wall.

Willie Randolph's most questionable desicion of the game came in the eighth inning when Reyes led off with a single to left. Instead of letting Reyes steal a base, which has been Jose's only consistent attribute since August 2003, Willie has Mike Cameron hit early in the count and predictably, Cameron hits into a 6-4-3, rally-killing double play.

The good news was that we finally found another usher to let us sit in the field level. The best usher in the world, Lee, retired after last season. Our tickets were for upstairs, but the new guy on the first base line gave us great seats 15 rows from the field. I came close to a John Smoltz foul ball, but it was just a bit out of my reach.

I'll be back at Shea for July 19th v. San Diego. It's time to score some runs for Zamby (4-7, 3.58) against Tim Hudson (6-5, 3.78).

Curt looks like he's either still hurting, or done. Maybe both. All indications are, Curt-in-the-pen isn't gonna work. This one hurts.

The saving grace for Boston is that Tim Redding pitches today, and Darrell May on Sunday. A split should be relatively easy to get.

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One for the Ages

Mike's shot to right field was just classic Piazza. He took a fastball outside and eye-level and smacked it out with a vintage swing.

And more importantly, the Mets beat the Braves. We only get to say that about four times a year. Tom Glavine and John Smoltz go at it tonight it what appears to be a surefire Braves victory.

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The End of an Al?

That's Al Leiter's rookie card with the Yankees from 1988. Could his career end where is started, 17 years ago?

Leiter was designated for assignment by the Marlins yesterday, and some reports (and common sense) suggest that Leiter could be on his way to help the starting pitching-weak Yankees. Although his ERA is in ths high 6's, I wouldn't be surprised if Al can suck it up and contribute to one last pennant drive in New York.

American League East
Preseason Pick: New York Yankees
Midseason Pick: Boston Red Sox

I thought the Yankees would be a juggernaut with their offseason free-agent singings and the trade for Randy Johnson. The moves in the starting rotation certainly haven't panned out, and the saving grace for them on this current win streak has been the offense. The Yanks have proved too streaky for my tastes, and while they'll come close, Boston has proven themselves to be a better team. And, they're yet to get Curt Schilling back.

American League Central
Preseason Pick: Minnesota Twins
Midseason Pick: Chicago White Sox

I'll be honest, I didn't see the White Sox coming. They have been impressive, and it seems that every move manager Ozzie Guillen employs turns to gold. They will cool off a tad in the second half, but the Twins sit nine games back and too far away to mount a serious charge.

American League West
Preseason Pick: Los Angeles Angels
Midseason Pick: Los Angeles Angels

The Angels struggled a bit in the beginning of the year, especially offensively, but have gotten on a roll and now boast the American League's second best record. Texas might have a chance, but their pitching is too weak and inconsistent to bank on. Plus, the forthcoming suspension to Kenny Rogers will further deplete the Rangers' starting rotation.

American League Wild Card
Preseason Pick: Boston Red Sox
Midseason Pick: Minnesota Twins

I still have the Red Sox in the postseason as the AL East winner. Minnesota has struggled with injuries on the infield and a subpar Johan Santana, but they're about to get help as some of the wounded heal and Santana embarks on what should be a spectacular second half. They will have face face a charge from as many as four teams, but the Twins have the experience and the leadership to get to the postseason for the fourth straight year.

American League Champion
Preseason Pick: Los Angeles Angels
Current Pick: Boston Red Sox

Boston would be approaching 55 wins if they had even an average bullpen. Rumors have them picking up Eddie Guardado, Chad Qualls, Ricky Bottalico and Chad Bradford. I have faith in Theo Epstein to go out and get some help in the pen, to put the finishing touches on what looks like the American League's best all-around team. The White Sox can't be counted out, however, but chances are they aren't as good as they have shown. Los Angeles lacks the starting pitching to get it done in October, outside of Bartolo Colon.

National League East
Preseason Pick: Atlanta Braves
Midseason Pick: Atlanta Braves

I hate the Braves, I really do, but they win every year. This season is following a similar blueprint to many past pennant wins. Despite placing rookie after rookie in the starting lineup, and inserting relief pitchers into the starting rotation, Bobby Cox and Leo Mazzone have kept this team afloat. Once Chipper Jones, John Thomson, Mike Hampton, and Tim Hudson return from their ailments, Atlanta should go on a tear and blow away the surprising Nationals as well as the rest of the division.

National League Central
Preseason Pick: St. Louis Cardinals
Midseason Pick: St. Louis Cardinals

I thought the Cards would win this divison, but I doubted they would be this good. With a solid rotation and fearsome lineup, St. Louis is poised for another runaway win in the Central. Plus, they haven't even gotten Scott Rolen rollin' yet. The Astros have a shot to mount an impressive charge, but in the Wild Card race and not against the Cardinals. The team that has disappointed me in this division is Cincinnati. I thought they could challenge St. Louis, but instead, they're challenging Milwaukee and Pittsburgh for the cellar.

National League West
Preseason Pick: San Diego Padres
Midseason Pick: San Diego Padres

This division is so weak, San Diego could play ten games under .500 from here on in and still likely win the divison with around 77-80 wins. The Giants look old, the Dodgers are plagued by injuries, Arizona has faded fast, and the Rockies just plain suck and are about to host "Fire Sale 2005." San Diego is the most complete team of the bunch, and nobody is good enough to even challenge them for the divison.

National League Wild Card
Preseason Pick: Florida Marlins
Midseason Pick: Florida Marlins

It's tough to stick with Florida, but I don't see enough of an obvious alternative to warrant deserting them. On the law of averages, you have to bet that Mike Lowell and Juan Pierre come back with good second halves, and if they keep A.J. Burnett and get Josh Beckett back soon, the rotation is as solid as there is in the NL. I have a feeling Washington is about to fall off the proverbial cliff, so the main charge to Florida should be Houston. They pulled it off last year, and if they find a first baseman at the deadline (Sean Casey? Aubrey Huff?) the 'Stros could pull it off once again.

National League Champion
Preseason Pick: Florida Marlins
Midseason Pick: St. Louis Cardinals

I have faith in Florida to win the Wild Card, but they aren't good enough to beat Atlanta or St. Louis in a head-to-head matchup. St. Louis is obviously the most complete team in the National League and they have the potential to walk over the field en route to another World Series Berth.

World Series Champion
Preseason Pick: Los Angeles Angels
Midseason Pick: St. Louis Cardinals

I have St. Louis beating Boston in a measure of revenge from last year. The pitching was a big problem in October 2004 for St. Louis, and now they have they squared away with getting Matt Morris and Chris Carpenter healthy and acquiring Mark Mulder. I can't see any reason not to go with the Cardinals to win it all.

****

My preseason picks can be viewed here.

Last season, David Ortiz took home the ALCS MVP award, and he is Defeat the Empire's First Half AL MVP. Here are our Midseason Awards:

American League

MVP: David Ortiz, Boston. Ortiz has anchored the Boston lineup since opening day of 2005. Ortiz was the main power threat for the first two months of the year until Manny Ramirez began to heat up. 'Big Papi' lives for the big moment, and his .389 batting average with runners in scoring position and less than two outs sums up David's season.
Runner-up: Vladimir Guerrero, Los Angeles

Cy Young: Roy Halladay, Toronto. Despite taking the midseason Cy Young, Halladay has no shot to win it come November because of his recently broken leg that has him sidelined over a month. Nevertheless, his 12-4, 2.41 line is the most impressive in the AL considering he faces the hard-hitting Orioles, Yankees, and Red Sox on a regular basis.
Runner-up: Mark Buehrle, Chicago

Rookie of the Year: Chris Young, Texas. Young has quietly gone 8-5, 3.80 in a bandbox to end all bandboxes. Behind Kenney Rogers, he's been the Rangers' most consistent starter, and takes home the midseason AL Rookie of the Year.
Runner-up: Tadihito Iguchi, Chicago

Least Valuable Player: Jason Kendall, Oakland. Billy Beane brought Kendall in in a rare salary-adding move for the small-market A's. He's hitting .277, but he has no home runs and a meager .322 slugging percentage.
Runner-up: Jaret Wright, Yankees

Manager of the Year: Ozzie Guillen, Chicago. No contest here. While most had the White Sox in third or fourth place in the Central, Guillen's brash style has the Chisox a whopping 9 games above Minnesota in the AL Central.
Runner-up: Lee Mazzilli, Baltimore

National League

MVP: Andruw Jones, Atlanta. While the stat lines of Derrek Lee and Albert Pujols may be more impressive, nobody has been more valuable to their team than Jones. In a lineup minus Chipper Jones and surrounded by six rookies at time, Jones has finally realized his offensive potential in carrying the Braves offensively.
Runner-up: Derrek Lee, Chicago

Cy Young: Roger Clemens, Houston. Clemens has just seven wins due to extremely poor run support, but his 1.48 ERA is .91 better than his nearest competetor, Dontrelle Willis of Florida. And keep in mind, Clemens makes 60% of his starts in the hitter-friendly Minute Maid Park, but Willis pitches in spacious Dolphins stadium. This would be the eighth Cy Young Award for Clemens, who sports an 0.20 ERA on the road in 2005.
Runner-up: Dontrelle Willis, Florida

Rookie of the Year: Willy Taveras, Houston. It would be impossible to replace what Carlos Beltran did for the Astros last October, but Taveras has done his part and then some, with a .293 batting average and 22 stolen bases. Keep in mind that Taveras had never played a game above AA before this year, so he could get even better in the second half.
Runner-up: Clint Barmes, Colorado

Least Valuable Player: Jim Thome, Philadephia. Thome has been hurt for nearly half the season, and when he's been on the field, hitting only .207. Thome looks washed up at age 34, which is bad news for the Phillies, who owe him another 43.5 million dollars after this year. Rookie Ryan Howard has hit .371/16/54 in AAA this year, so Thome's job may not be completely safe.
Runner-up: Mike Lowell, Florida

Manager of the Year: Bobby Cox, Atlanta. Everybody's picking Frank Robinson, who's no doubt done a great job with the Nats, but Atlanta's roster is even younger and more unproven than Washington's. Kyle Davies, Roman Colon, and Jorge Sosa have been mainstays in the Braves' rotation, and Atlanta remains 11 games over .500. Once John Thomson, Mike Hampton, Tim Hudson, and Chipper Jones get healthy, Atlanta will run away with the NL East yet again.
Runner-up: Frank Robinson, Washington.

Second Half Preview coming tomorrow or Tuesday.

Pedro Fans Nine, Wins Tenth in Victory Over Pirates

The first half of this 2005 season has been mildly disappointing in Queens, but none of the blame can be assessed to Pedro Martinez. He dominated again today, going 7 innings in reaching double digits in wins for the twelth time in thirteen seasons dating back to 1993.

Pedro stands at 10-3, but it easily could be even better; the Mets bullpen has blown three wins for Martinez. He has gone seven innings or more in 14 of 18 starts, and has gone at least six in all appearances for the Mets.

Carlos Beltran has been a major disappointment in 80% of games, but when Pedro pitches, he's been stellar. He continued that trend today with his ninth home run in 18 Pedro starts.

So the Mets finish the first half at 44-44. They play like a .500 team, and right now, the record reflects that. Something tells me the record come October 3rd will be 81-81.

Yankees, Orioles Tighten AL East Race

Baltimore beat Boston today, 4-1, and the Yankees won for the seventh time in eight games by rolling over Cleveland, 9-4. The O's stand in second place and 2 games back, and the Yanks are 2.5 games behind Boston going into next week's series at Fenway.

In other words, the Empire is too close for comfort. If they take 3 of 4, they draw even with Boston in the loss column.

I'm sure Bill Mueller has something to say about that. He did last year in the midsummer series in Boston:

From July 24, 2004. I can't wait for Thursday.

The Globe: Schilling Makes Quick Work of Outing


That's good news. Some reports say he will return for the series against New York. Talk about Baptism by fire.

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First half MLB awards coming later today or tomorrow.

That describes the Mets tonight. Which is predictable, after the debacle last night. I predicted a sweep in Pittsburgh after Lawton tied the game with the 'double' on Friday.

David Wright looks tired. He hasn't had a day off since May in Chicago. I'd send him home tonight and tell him to come prepared after the break. Four days off can't hurt the kid.

Cliff Floyd hit his 22nd homer in the sixth inning. Yet somehow, Jimmy Rollins (.269/7/23) is going to the All-Star Game and Cliff isn't. Cliff and Morgan Ensberg (.283/23/63) should throw a snubber party on Tuesday.

Atlanta is going to lose tonight, though. Still, we're not catching them in a million years. They're on their annual "let's win 50 of 65" streak at midsummer. It's only a matter of time before they catch Washington, probably as soon as mid-August.

Tom Seaver is saying now how the Mets made a mistake calling up Wright in July last year, because now he has no chance at winning the rookie of the year. Maybe Tom should realize baseball is a team game, and the when the Mets brought Wright up last year, he was the best player on the team from that day forward. Letting him smack the shit out of the ball at Norfolk would stunt Wright's development and hurt the Mets in the long run.

The New York Post says the Mets will consider bringing Al Leiter back next year as a commentator for the new television network. God, I hope so. Another guy I'd like to see in the booth as a color man next year is Mike Piazza, assuming he retires. Piazza has already help out John Miller and Joe Morgan on the Home Run Derby multiple times, and may again this year. Piazza/Leiter as color guys and your token Ted Robinson/Dave O'Brien multi-network hack as the play-by-play man, and you're building a solid booth. Certainly an improvment from Fran "hit Jose and get a teddy" Healy and Tom "crusty veteran" Seaver.

The Boston Red Sox lost this afternoon at Baltimore, 9-1. The game was within reach until John Halama and Scott Cassidy (who?) gave up 5 runs in 1.1 innings. Man, those poor bastards need some bullpen help. I already see Hideki Matsui smacking Alan Embree around Fenway next weekend. And Gary Sheffield teeing off on Scott Cassidy. Auto Eddie Guardado and Danys Baez could work wonders for Boston.

Speaking of the Yankees, they lost a nice ball game today to Cleveland. Darryl May (4.1 IP, 7 ER, 8 H) already has Yankee fans reminiscing about those long lost-days of Paul Quantrill. Bob Wickman made me sweat it out in the ninth, but he got A-Rod to ground out with the tying run on third to end the game.

Tommorrow's the last day of action before the Midsummer "Classic." Boston sends Wakey out there against Daniel Cabrera, the Mets deal Petey against Kip Wells, and the Empire has Randy Johnson.

For some reason some idiot is lighting fireworks right now outside. It sounds like WWIII.

Can't wait for Yankees-Sox at Fenway next week. Just can't wait. Last year, it produced this:


Can you wait? July 14-17. Don't miss it.

Bucs Rally for Four in Ninth, One in Tenth to Stun Mets

The picture tells the whole story. No words necessary.

After a slew of roster moves, the Red Sox lost a 3-1, rain-shortened game to the second place Orioles last night in Baltimore. After six innings, umpires called for a rain delay as precipitation worsened. An hour later, with the rain unwavering, the game was called.

The Sox' only run came on a wild pitch by Orioles starter Daniel Cabrera in the third inning. As the ball went to the backstop, Mark Bellhorn sprinted home from third base to give Boston a 1-0 lead.

David Wells soon coughed up the lead, however. Two solo home runs in the bottom of the third by Eli Marrero (who's hitting .185) and Melvin Mora put Baltimore ahead for good. Another run was added by the O's on Sammy Sosa's RBI single in the sixth, a run that proved unnecessary in what was a six-inning game.

The Orioles retained second place with the win, and now stand 3 games behind first-place Boston in the AL East. The Yankees defeated Cleveland, 7-2, in Yankee Stadium, and now move to 3 1/2 games behind the Sox.

Weather permitting, tonight's matchup pitts Bronson Arroyo (6-5, 4.15) against Sidney Ponson (7-6, 5.80) at 7:35.

Payton Heading to Oakland

Several Boston-area newspapers are confirming that disgrunted outfielder Jay Payton, who was designated for assignment before last night's game, will be traded to Oakland for reliever Chad Bradford when Bradford comes off of the disabled list, likely after the All-Star break.

Bradford has not pitched in 2005 due to back surgery. Last season, in what was his worst season since becoming a regular for Oakland out of the bullpen, he went 5-7 with a 4.42 ERA. His submarine-style delivery to tough for righthanded batter to pick up, and he held them to a .202 batting average in 2004.

Payton has begged the Boston front office for two months to move him to another city, and he finally has gotten his wish. The former Mets first-round pick out of Georgia Tech hit .263 with 5 homes runs in a reserve role this season. He could become Oakland's starting center fielder if Mark Kotsay is moved before the deadline.

When Payton was designated for assignment, outfielder Adam Stern was activated off of the sixty-day disabled list and made his first major league start last night. Lenny DiNardo was optioned back to Pawtucket. The Sox also made a trade, exchanging utility infielders with the Indians. The trade sent Ramon Vazquez to Cleveland for Alex Cora.

Schilling Stumbles in Pawtucket

Curt Schilling, in a rehab relief appearance for AAA Pawtucket, allowed two runs, one earned on two hits in a 7-3 loss to Ottawa. Schilling pitched the ninth inning, and the earned run raised his Pawtucket ERA to 7.41 on the season.

Despite the struggles, Schilling and the Pawtucket coaching staff seem to have few concerns. He seems to remain on schedule to return to Boston after the All-Star Break.

Huge win for the Mets today, winning 3 of 4 in Washington to move to within 8 of the first-place Nats. There is still a long ways to go, but picking up two games in RFK is certainly a start, especially considering the Nats were 29-10 going into this series at home.

Jose Reyes got it started in the first with only his second walk to lead off a game this season. He then stole second, advance to third on a bunt, and scored on a Carlos Beltran RBI groundout. That kind of smallball, National League-style run is a fabric for success. If Reyes can simply get on base to lead off a game, with his speed, he'll score more often than not.

The only mistake Kris Benson made all day was to Jose Vidro, who doubled in two runs in the third. Other than that, Benson was stellar allowing just two runs and seven hits over seven innings. The Mets retaliated in the top of the fourth, as Mike Piazza doubled in Beltran to knot the game at two.

Roberto Hernandez and Heath Bell combined for three shutout innings to hold the score even until the Mets built a rally in the eleventh. Beltran got it started once again, doubling with one out off of Luis Ayala. After Cliff Floyd was intentionally walked, Piazza struck again, flaring a single into short right field to plate Beltran. The Mets instantaneously ran themselves out of the inning, as Piazza was tagged out trying to go to second base on the throw home from Jose Guillen, and then Floyd was tagged out going home on Brian Schnieder's throw back to second that nailed Piazza. Despite the two baserunning blunders, the Mets got the lead going into the bottom of the eleventh.

Braden Looper came on to pitch the eleventh, and quickly got two outs. Marlon Byrd extended the game with a walk, but Floyd made a running grab on Wil Cordero's flyout to end the game. Looper notched his third save of the series, and twentieth of the season.

The Mets face the lowly Pittsbugh Pirates in their last series before the All-Star break. The suddenly reliable Victor Zambrano (4-7, 3.80) faces Josh Fogg (4-4, 4.42) in tomorrow's 7:05 start.

The View From Boston

The Red Sox won last night over Texas, 7-4, behind Matt Clement. Clement went 8 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on nine hits while improving his record to 10-2. The talk out of Boston is that Clement could be in line for an All-Star spot if Kenny Rogers backs out of his.

Not all is good in beantown, however. Johnny Damon has said that many members of the clubhouse feel that Terry Francona is panicking by moving Curt Schilling into the closer's role due to the injury to Keith Foulke, and that he instead should go with Mike Timlin. (I tend to agree with Johnny on this point.) I also said that the Red Sox have been trying to move struggling first baseman Kevin Millar since the beginning of the season. John Olerud is getting more of the reps at first now, with Olerud hitting well over .300 since being activated by Boston. Also, Olerud is the superior defense player.

Tonight, the Sox head in to Baltimore. David Wells (6-4, 5.04) will square off with Daniel Cabrera (6-7, 5.07) as the Orioles try to stay afloat in the AL East. Boston leads second-place Baltimore by 4 games heading into tonight's action.

A shaky outing by Tom Glavine, strong relief by Aaron Heilman, and solid run production meant a win today for the Mets in RFK. Glavine gave up 9 hits in 5.2 innings, but that translated into just three runs for the Nationals. Heilman came in with the bases loaded in the sixth, and promptly got Jose Guillen to ground out to second base. Heilman carried the game through the seventh and eighth innings as well, and didn't allow a hit in his 2.1 innings of relief. Braden Looper shut the door, pitching a 1-2-3 ninth inning to earn his 19th save in 22 chances.

Mike Cameron got the Mets offense going in the first inning, clubbing his eighth home run of 2005 to left field to put the Mets ahead 1-0. The Nats retaliated in the fourth, however, as singles by Jamey Carroll and Brad Wilkerson plated three runs. Carlos Beltran's leadoff double, his twentieth two-bagger of the season, in the sixth inning got the Mets rally started off of Livan Hernandez, and the Mets knocked in three runs to go ahead for good on Marlon Anderson and Ramon Castro singles. A sacrifice fly by Anderson in the eighth made the score 5-3, adding insurance to the benefit of the sometimes shaky Looper.

Glavine got the win to improve to 6-7. Hernandez took the loss to fall to 12-3, earning his first loss since April 19th. Kris Benson (6-3, 3.75) will face Tony Armas, Jr. (4-4, 5.27) in the series finale as the Amazins try to take three of four from the first-place Nats.

Schilling to work out of bullpen for more rehab


This is one of the dumbest moves I've ever seen in baseball. Curt Schilling in the bullpen? He hasn't come out of the bullpen regularly in 13 years, and has been one of the most dominating righthanded starters in the majors over the past decade.

Curt isn't the answer to Boston's bullpen problems. The guy who might be, though, is Bronson Arroyo. Why? He's help right-handed hitters to a .188 average this year. He could be the righthanded half of a middle relief tandem, setting up closer Mike Timlin (or Keith Foulke.) Then all you have to acquire at the deadline is an Eddie Guardado or a Brian Fuentes.

If Schill isn't ready, give him a few more starts at Pawtucket. But don't put him in a tie game in the eighth in Fenway.

London got the 2012 games. I thought only Paris had a shot. Tony looks happy anyway.


Not a particularly good day for baseball on 7/5. The Yanks beat the Orioles, and the Mets lost to f*cking Esteban Loaiza with Pedro on the mound. But, the Sox did pull one out in Arlington. Keith Foulke officially blows, so he decided to get MRI's on both knees. Supposedly he's had a bad leg for years. Time to get Brad Lidge to Boston. That's not going to happen though, he's not on the market.

More realistic targets are Seattle's Shigetoshi Hasegawa and Eddie Guardado, and also Milwaukee's Ricky Bottalico.

Today's schedule:

Mets @ Washington Nationals, 7:05
Glavine (5-7, 4.95) @ Livan Hernandez (12-2, 3.32)

Red Sox @ Texas Rangers, 8:05
Clement (9-2, 3.82) @ Chan Ho Park (8-2, 5.50)