Heath Bell, P (Padres)- With so much hype going into the final week of the deadline, Heath Bell was “the” man to be watching, but yet, on the final day with few hours left, he still has not been traded.

Expect teams such as the Yankees (Just joined in the talks on this day) Rangers, Cardinals, and the Phillies to be in serious trade talks over Bell.

B.J. Upton, OF (Rays)- Another big hype player, Upton has struggled this year with Tampa Bay. Most specifically, his offense where he sports a poor average (.226) but his power and speed makes up for it (16 HR, 54 RBI, 23 SB).

The main team after B.J. Upton right now would be the Braves, who are highly in need of an OF, even after the trade to acquire Michael Bourn from the Astros.

Denard Span, OF (Twins)- Denard Span is a fast, contact outfielder. With the Twins overflowing with OF’s, they can shop a lot of them.

Expect a team such as the Nationals to go after Span. The Nationals have relievers, which is exactly what the Twins are looking for. There is even a chance the Nationals trade their top closing pitcher Drew Storen and others for Span in the end.

Ian Desmond, SS (Nationals)- Ian Desmond has been the center of attention at some points in Washington the past two years, with such stellar defense through 2011 so far, many teams would be shopping to grab him.

Problems with Desmond include a low HR and average count (3 HR, .225 BA), so he’s not much of a hitter. SS Stephen Lombardozzi down in Triple A for the Nationals has been hitting .325, so this can be a big improvement for the Nationals team in general.

Jason Vargas, SP (Mariners)- He has put up great numbers the past two years being with Seattle (near 3.80 ERA, over 100 K per year so far with Seattle) and some feel they could take a chance with Vargas.

Expect teams that are seriously in need of some pitching (Red Sox, Etc.) to consider Vargas, but with Doug Fister being traded to Seattle, the Mariners might not be willing to give up Vargas in the first place.

Those are some of the notable players left in limbo on the 2011 MLB Trade Deadline. Who will really leave, and who will most likely stay will be determined very soon.

Cincinnati Reds 3 Houston Astros 1- Bronson Arroyo gave up one earned run on six hits in seven innings as he picked up his 13th victory of the season. Jay Bruce singled in two runs in the 7th while Brandon Phillips added a solo shot in the 8th to lift Cincinnati to Win #65 of the year. Carlos Lee doubled in the lone Houston run of the game in the 6th inning; the Astros fell to 70-74 on the season. Francisco Cordero worked the 9th inning for Cincinnati and picked up his 35th save of the year.

Chicago Cubs 2 Milwaukee Brewers 0- Ryan Dempster joined the MLB’s 10-win club after scattering four hits in eight shutout innings; Dempster walked one and struck out four. Derrek Lee blasted his 33rd long ball of the season in the 4th inning for Chicago, who improved to 74-68 on the year; Lee has now homered seven times in his last ten games. Kosuke Fukudome drove in the other run of the game in the 8th inning with a sacrifice fly. Carlos Marmol shut down the Brewers in the 9th inning to earn his 13th save in 17 chances. Milwaukee fell to 69-74 on the season.

Tampa Bay Rays 8 Baltimore Orioles 4- David Price improved to 8-7 as a starter after squandering four runs (three earned) on seven hits in seven innings. Rookie Reid Brignac went 4-for-4 with a home run and 3 RBIs to lift Tampa Bay to Win #73 of the season; it was Brignac’s first major league long ball. B.J. Upton, who scored on Brignac’s two-run blast in the 2nd inning, also went deep for the Rays, who registered 15 hits to snap an eleven-game losing streak. Melvin Mora, Matt Wieters, and Luke Scott each drove in a run in the 1st inning for Baltimore, but it was not enough as the Orioles suffered their 85th loss of the year.

Detroit Tigers 6 Toronto Blue Jays 5- Marco Scutaro’s second error of the game enabled Brandon Inge to score the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning and lift Detroit to its 77th victory of the season. The game would never have reached extra innings had Aubrey Huff not blasted a game-tying three-run home run in the bottom of the 9th inning. Ryan Raburn drove in the other runs for the Tigers: one on a solo shot in the 1st inning, and the other on an RBI single in the 5th. Adam Lind and Edwin Encarnacion homered in the 6th inning for Toronto, but the Blue Jays ended up losing their 79th game of the year.

New York Yankees 5 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 3- A throwing error by Angels catcher Mike Napoli enabled Brett Gardner to break a 3-3 tie and lift the Yankees to Win #93 of the season. Nick Swisher hit a solo home run in the 3rd inning while Mark Teixeira added a two-run triple in the 5th for New York, who improved to 42-15 since the All-Star break. Vladimir Guerrero belted a home run in the 2nd inning for the Angels, but it was not enough as Los Angeles fell to 86-57 on the year. Mariano Rivera joined the MLB’s 40-save club after shutting down the Angels in the 9th inning; it was Rivera’s first 40-save season since 2005.

Oakland Athletics 9 Texas Rangers 0- Brett Tomko pitched a complete-game five-hitter en route to Win #5 of the season. Ryan Sweeney drove in four runs while Adam Kennedy added 3 RBIs to lift Oakland to its 65th victory of the year. The Rangers were shut out for the second consecutive game, going scoreless in 19 innings. Texas fell to 80-63 on the season and is now 4.5 games behind Boston in the AL Wild Card.

Minnesota Twins 6 Cleveland Indians 3- Behind a six-run 8th inning, Minnesota climbed back up to .500 with Win #72 of the season. Michael Cuddyer hit a tying three-run home run to level the score at three. Delmon Young scored the go-ahead run on a Chris Perez wild pitch, and Jason Kubel blasted a two-run bomb to give the Twins a 6-3 lead. Cleveland scored all of its runs of home runs from Trevor Crowe and Shin-Soo Choo; it was not enough, however, as Cleveland fell to 61-82 on the year, clinching a losing season. Joe Nathan picked up his 39th save of the year after working the 9th inning for Minnesota.

St. Louis Cardinals 11 Florida Marlins 6- A pair of four-run innings lifted the St. Louis Cardinals to Win #85 of the season. Matt Holliday and Ryan Ludwick each hit a two-run single in the 1st inning. Holliday added an RBI double in the 8th inning to give him 102 on the season; it was Holliday’s third 100 RBI season in the MLB. Colby Rasmus blasted a three-run bomb in the bottom of the 8th inning for St. Louis, whose magic number for clinching the NL Central is ten. Nick Johnson hit a two-run home run in the 4th inning for Florida to break a 4-4 tie, but it was not enough as the Marlins fell to 76-68 on the year.

Arizona Diamondbacks 4 San Diego Padres 2- Brandon Allen’s RBI single in the 10th inning broke a 2-2 tie and lifted the Arizona Diamondbacks to Win #63 of the season. Diamondbacks starter Billy Buckner gave up two runs (only one was earned) on nine hits in six innings, but did not factor in the decision; he would have ended up with the loss, however, had he not singled in two runs in the 2nd inning for Arizona. Chase Headley drove in both runs for San Diego, who reached the 80-loss milestone. Juan Gutierrez worked the 10th inning for Arizona and picked up his 4th save in five chances.

Los Angeles Dodgers 6 Pittsburgh Pirates 2- Andre Ethier’s two-run blast in the 5th inning broke a 2-2 tie and lifted the Dodgers to their 86th victory of the season. Los Angeles starter Jon Garland joined the MLB’s 10-win club after scattering two earned runs on six hits in six innings. Orlando Hudson drove in three runs for the Dodgers, who won five of their last seven. Ramon Vazquez and Ryan Doumit each drove in a run for the Pirates, but Pittsburgh ended up losing its 87th game of the year.

San Francisco Giants 9 Colorado Rockies 1- Tim Lincecum improved to 14-5 as a starter after holding Colorado to one earned run on six hits in seven innings; Lincecum walked four and struck out eleven. Bengie Molina blasted his 18th home run of the season in the 3rd inning while Eugenio Velez added 4 RBIs to lift San Francisco to its 78th victory of the season. Carlos Gonzalez scored the lone Colorado run of the game in the 7th inning on a Tim Lincecum wild pitch, but the Rockies ended up suffering Loss #63 of the year. Colorado’s lead in the NL Wild Card is now down to 3.5 games over San Francisco.

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Chicago White Sox 4 Kansas City Royals 2- Jose Contreras gave up one earned run on three hits in seven innings as he improved to 5-11 as a starter. Gordon Beckham, Carlos Quentin, and Alex Rios all hit solo shots for the White Sox, who won their 62nd game of the season. It was the first time Royals starter Zack Greinke gave up three long balls since allowing four at U.S. Cellular Field on June 3, 2008. David DeJesus and Mark Teahen hit the long balls for Kansas City, who fell to 47-73 on the season. Bobby Jenks struck out the last two batters of the game and earned his 26th save of the season.

Colorado Rockies 5 Washington Nationals 4- Jason Marquis won his 14th game of the season after squandering three earned runs on nine hits in six innings. Clint Barmes and Carlos Gonzalez hit the long balls for the Rockies, who improved to 67-53 on the season. Huston Street gave up a solo shot to Josh Bard, but eventually shut the door on the Nationals to earn Save #31 of the year. Ryan Zimmerman drove in two runs for Washington, who suffered its 77th loss of the season.

Philadelphia Phillies 8 Arizona Diamondbacks 1- Cliff Lee pitched a complete game two-hitter, allowing just one unearned run. Jayson Werth homered twice while Ryan Howard and Chase Utley each went deep once for the Phillies, who improved to 68-49 on the season. Stephen Drew drove in the lone Arizona run on a sacrifice fly in the 4th inning.

Pittsburgh Pirates 3 Milwaukee Brewers 1- Paul Maholm gave up one earned run on eight hits in 7.2 innings as he improved to 7-7 as a starter. Ronny Cedeno hit a long ball for the Pirates, who won their 49th game of the season. Matt Capps pitched a 1-2-3 9th and earned his 22nd save of the season. Ryan Braun drove in the lone run for Milwaukee with a single in the 6th inning, but the Brewers ended up getting swept by Pittsburgh.

San Francisco Giants 1 Cincinnati Reds 0- Barry Zito, Sergio Romo, Jeremy Affeldt, and Brian Wilson combined for San Francisco’s MLB-leading 16th shutout of the season. The Reds mustered just two hits, both coming off Zito, as they fell to 50-69 on the year. Nate Schierholtz doubled in the only run of the game in the 8th inning to lift San Francisco to Win #66 of the season. Sergio Romo was credited with his fourth victory of the season, and Brian Wilson joined the MLB’s 30-save club.

Atlanta Braves 15 New York Mets 2- Behind an eight-run 2nd inning, during which Brian McCann hit a three-run blast, the Braves defeated their NL East rival and earned their 63rd victory of the season. Adam LaRoche and Matt Diaz also went deep for the Braves, who registered their highest-scoring game of the year. Jair Jurrjens gave up two earned runs on eight hits in six innings as he joined the MLB’s 10-win club. Luis Castillo and Angel Pagan drove in the runs for the Mets, who fell to 56-64 on the season.

Houston Astros 6 Florida Marlins 3- Sammy Gervacio was credited with his first victory of the season after striking out one batter in the 5th inning. Humberto Quintero hit his second home run of the season in the 4th inning for Houston, who improved to 58-62 on the year. The Marlins registered at least ten hits for the fifteenth consecutive game, matching the longest streak since the 1937 St. Louis Browns. However, three errors and sixteen men left on base contributed to Florida’s 56th loss of the season. Jose Valverde pitched a scoreless 9th and earned his 17th save of the season.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 3 Cleveland Indians 0- Jered Weaver pitched a complete game seven-hitter on his way to Win #13 of the season. His Angels offense mustered just four hits off Cleveland’s Jeremy Sowers, but Los Angeles scored three in the 5th to improve to 73-45 on the year. For Weaver, it was his second career shutout. Howie Kendrick was involved in all three runs of the game; Kendrick singled in two runs and scored on Bobby Abreu’s groundout.

Seattle Mariners 3 Detroit Tigers 1- Ian Snell outdueled Justin Verlander as the Seattle starter gave up one earned run on four hits in 5.1 innings; Snell improved to 1-1 on the year while Verlander fell to 13-7. Ichiro Suzuki’s two-run blast lifted the Mariners to Win #62 of the season. Carlos Guillen provided the only run for Detroit with a solo blast in the 6th inning. Josh Wilson singled in the other run for Seattle, who scored all three of its runs in the 5th inning.

Boston Red Sox 6 Toronto Blue Jays 1- David Ortiz, Jason Bay, and Victor Martinez all went deep for the Red Sox, who improved to 68-51 on the season. Clay Buchholz earned his second victory of the season after giving up one earned run on six hits in six innings. Vernon Wells drove in the only Toronto run of the game with a single in the 4th inning. Toronto starter Roy Halladay was issued his 6th loss of the season; Halladay gave up five runs (four earned) on eight hits in five innings.

Tampa Bay Rays 3 Baltimore Orioles 1- Home runs from Pat Burrell, Ben Zobrist, and B.J. Upton lifted the Tampa Bay Rays to their 65th victory of the season. Jeff Niemann earned his 11th win of the year, giving up one earned run on seven hits in 7.1 innings. Niemann gave up a solo shot to Brian Roberts in the 8th inning. The Orioles fell to 48-72 on the year.

Minnesota Twins 5 Texas Rangers 4- Down four after four, the Minnesota Twins stormed back with one in the 5th and four in the 6th to earn their 58th victory of the season. Scott Baker picked up his 11th win of the year after giving up four earned runs on nine hits in 5.1 innings. Denard Span tied the game in the 6th inning with an RBI double, and he scored the game-winning run on an Orlando Cabrera RBI single. Joe Nathan pitched a 1-2-3 9th inning and earned his 31st save of the year.

New York Yankees 3 Oakland Athletics 2- Alfredo Aceves earned his 8th win as a reliever, giving up two earned runs on four hits in 2.1 innings. Mark Teixeria drove in all three runs for the Yankees; one on an RBI groundout in the 1st inning, and two on a home run in the 4th inning. With this win, New York improved to 76-45 on the season. Jack Cust hit a long ball in the 6th inning for Oakland, who fell to 53-67 on the year. Mariano Rivera pitched a perfect 9th and earned Save #36 of the year.

Chicago Cubs 7 San Diego Padres 1- Rich Harden gave up just one hit in seven innings as he picked up his 8th victory of the season. Milton Bradley and Aramis Ramirez hit solo shots in the 6th inning for Chicago, who improved to 61-57 on the year. Chase Headley singled in the lone San Diego run in the 9th inning, but the Padres ended up losing their 71st game of the season.

St. Louis Cardinals 3 Los Angeles Dodgers 2- Matt Holliday’s sacrifice fly in the 9th inning broke a 2-2 tie and lifted the Cardinals to their 69th victory of the season. Yadier Molina and Brendan Ryan drove in the runs for St. Louis. Andre Ethier and Casey Blake both went deep for Los Angeles, but it was not enough as the Dodgers reached the 50-loss milestone. Los Angeles’ lead in the NL West is now down to 3.5 games.

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Colorado Rockies 4 Washington Nationals 3- Ubaldo Jimenez gave up two earned runs on seven hits in eight innings as he picked up his 11th victory of the season. Brad Hawpe, Carlos Gonzalez, and Clint Barmes all hit solo shots for the Rockies, who improved to 66-53 on the season; Hawpe ended the game with 2 RBIs. Craig Stammen, Nyjer Morgan, and Cristian Guzman drove in the runs for Washington, who suffered Loss #76 of the year.

Philadelphia Phillies 5 Arizona Diamondbacks 1- Jamie Moyer gave up two hits in six scoreless innings in relief as he picked up Win #11 of the year; Pedro Martinez started the game and went only three innings, allowing one earned run on two hits. Martinez gave up a long ball to Stephen Drew. Jayson Werth and Carlos Ruiz hit the long balls for Philadelphia, who improved to 67-49 on the year.

Pittsburgh Pirates 5 Milwaukee Brewers 2- Ross Ohlendorf squandered one earned run on five hits in seven innings as he improved to 11-8 as a starter. Delwyn Young and Lastings Milledge homered for the Pirates, who won their 48th game of the season. Prince Fielder went deep for the Brewers, who suffered their 61st loss of the year. Casey McGehee drove in the other run for Milwaukee.

San Francisco Giants 8 Cincinnati Reds 5- Tim Lincecum didn’t have a very impressive day at the mound, squandering five earned runs on six hits in six innings. Luckily for him, his Giants offense mustered enough runs to earn their 65th victory of the year. Juan Uribe homered for the Giants, and Ryan Garko drove in four runs to hand Cincinnati its 4th consecutive loss. Joey Votto went deep for the Reds, who fell to 50-68 on the season.

New York Mets 9 Atlanta Braves 4- Behind an eight-run 4th inning, the New York Mets earned their 56th victory of the season against their NL East opponent. Oliver Perez gave up four earned runs on five hits in five innings as he picked up his third victory of the season. Atlanta scored all of its runs off long balls from Matt Diaz and Adam LaRoche, but the Braves ended up losing their 57th game of the year.

Florida Marlins 6 Houston Astros 2- Ricky Nolasco pitched a complete game three-hitter en route to his 9th victory of the season; he gave up two earned runs in the 1st inning on a Carlos Lee long ball. Dan Uggla, Jorge Cantu, and Jeremy Hermida all homered for the Marlins, who improved to 64-55 on the season. The Marlins have now registered at least ten hits in each of their last fourteen games.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 5 Cleveland Indians 4- Trevor Bell gave up three earned runs on nine hits in 5.1 innings as he earned his first major league win. Brian Fuentes worked the 9th inning for Los Angeles and earned his 35th save in 40 chances. Jhonny Peralta singled in two runs for Cleveland, but it was not enough as the Indians fell to 51-67 on the year.

Detroit Tigers 5 Seattle Mariners 3- A four-run 8th inning lifted the Detroit Tigers to their 63rd victory of the season, denying Felix Hernandez a chance to earn his 13th win of the season. Alex Avila hit a solo shot to start off the scoring in the 8th inning for Detroit. Miguel Cabrera’s two-run single then gave Detroit a 4-3 lead. Ryan Raburn then stole home to score Detroit’s 5th run of the game. Josh Wilson hit a long ball for the Mariners, but it was not enough as Seattle fell to 61-58 on the season. Russell Branyan and Ken Griffey Jr. drove in the other Seattle runs with sacrifice flies in the 8th inning. Fernando Rodney worked the 9th inning and earned his 25th save of the year.

Boston Red Sox 10 Toronto Blue Jays 9- David Ortiz went 2-for-3 with 3 RBIs and 3 runs scored; he also hit a solo home run in the 4th inning. Jason Bay also went deep for Boston, who improved to 67-51 on the season. Hideki Okajima pitched a scoreless inning of relief and earned his 4th victory of the year. Randy Ruiz, Travis Snider, and Rod Barajas went deep for the Blue Jays, who fell to 55-62 on the season.

Tampa Bay Rays 5 Baltimore Orioles 4- David Price gave up two earned runs on seven hits in five innings as he picked up Win #6 of the year. Gabe Gross, Pat Burrell, and B.J. Upton went deep for the Rays, who improved to 64-54 on the year. Matt Wieters hit a long ball for Baltimore, but it was not enough as the Orioles fell to 48-71 on the season. J.P. Howell struck out the side in the 9th inning to earn his 13th save of the year.

Minnesota Twins 9 Texas Rangers 6- Joe Mauer went deep twice while Delmon Young hit a two-run blast for Minnesota to lift the Twins to their 57th victory of the season, spoiling Ivan Rodriguez’s return to Texas; Young ended the game with 4 RBIs. Ian Kinsler hit a three-run bomb in the 3rd inning for the Rangers, who suffered their 51st loss of the season. Joe Nathan joined the MLB’s 30-save club after shutting down the Rangers in the 9th inning.

Kansas City Royals 5 Chicago White Sox 4- Gil Meche gave up four earned runs on eight hits in five innings as he improved to 6-9 as a starter. John Buck hit a two-run blast in the 4th inning for Kansas City, who earned Win #47 of the year. Billy Butler had a pair of RBI doubles and scored the winning run on an Alberto Callaspo single in the 5th inning. Paul Konerko and Carlos Quentin went deep for the White Sox, who fell to 61-59 on the season. Joakim Soria pitched a 1-2-3 9th inning and joined the MLB’s 20-save club.

New York Yankees 7 Oakland Athletics 2- C.C. Sabathia gave up two earned runs on five hits in eight innings as he picked up his 14th victory of the season. For Sabathia, it was his first win in six years in Oakland. Derek Jeter registered his third consecutive three-hit game and drove in the go-ahead run to lift the Yankees to their 75th victory of the season. Kurt Suzuki and Tommy Everidge hit solo shots for Oakland, who fell to 53-66 on the year.

San Diego Padres 6 Chicago Cubs 3- Cesar Carrillo gave up three earned runs on seven hits in six innings as he earned his first major league victory. Kyle Blanks hit an inside-the-park home run while Adrian Gonzalez hit an outside-the-park home run to lift the Padres to their 51st victory of the season. Derrek Lee went deep for Chicago, who fell to 60-57 on the year. The Cubs have lost nine of their last twelve games.

Los Angeles Dodgers 7 St. Louis Cardinals 3- Chad Billingsley squandered two earned runs on three hits in six innings as he improved to 12-6 as a starter; Billingsley also drove in the first run of the game with a single in the 4th inning. Rafael Furcal, Manny Ramirez, James Loney, Orlando Hudson, Russell Martin, and Andre Ethier each drove in a run for the Dodgers, who won their 71st game of the season. Skip Schumaker, Brendan Ryan, and Khalil Greene drove in the runs for St. Louis, who suffered Loss #53 of the season.

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Chicago Cubs 8 Cincinnati Reds 5- Mike Fontenot, Aramis Ramirez, Jeff Baker, and Derrek Lee all homered for Chicago en route to their eighth win in eleven games. Randy Wells squandered three earned runs on seven hits in six innings as he improved to 6-4 as a starter; the three runs Wells gave up came off the bat of Aaron Harang, who hit his first long ball of the season in the 2nd inning. The Cubs scored four in the 8th inning on their way to their 49th victory of the season.

San Diego Padres 6 Washington Nationals 2- Mat Latos won his first career major league game after giving up two earned runs on five hits in 5.2 innings; Latos gave up solo shots to Cristian Guzman and Ryan Zimmerman. Luis Rodriguez homered for the Padres, who improved to 38-59 on the season. As for the Nationals, they fell to 28-68.

Detroit Tigers 5 Chicago White Sox 1 (Game 1)- Justin Verlander pitched the whole game, allowing one earned run on six hits en route to his 11th victory of the season; the only Chicago run was scored on a Gordon Beckham sacrifice fly in the 4th inning. For Verlander, it was his sixth career complete game.

Detroit Tigers 4 Chicago White Sox 3 (Game 2)- Clete Thomas drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the 8th inning to lift Detroit to a one-run victory. The Tigers, who swept the day-night doubleheader, improved to 51-44 on the year while the White Sox fell to 50-47. Chicago scored all three of their runs off long balls from Jim Thome and Jermaine Dye. Carlos Guillen went deep for Detroit in the 2nd inning.

New York Yankees 8 Oakland Athletics 3- Joba Chamberlain squandered one earned run on two hits in seven innings as he picked up Win #6 on the year. Jorge Posada went deep in the 8th inning for the Yankees, who improved to 59-37 on the year. Johnny Damon had three RBIs while Derek Jeter drove in two. The Athletics have lost eight straight to the Yankees and 17 of 26 overall.

Tampa Bay Rays 4 Toronto Blue Jays 2- Matt Garza gave up two earned runs on five hits in nine innings as he picked up his seventh victory of the season. With each team scoring two runs in the third inning, the game went to a 10th inning where Evan Longoria’s 2-run double scored B.J. Upton and Carl Crawford, lifting the Rays to their 53rd victory of the season. J.P. Howell worked the bottom of the 10th inning and earned his 11th save in 16 chances.

Boston Red Sox 3 Baltimore Orioles 1- Brad Penny allowed one unearned run on five hits in 6.1 innings en route to his seventh victory of the season. Jason Varitek, Jed Lowrie, and J.D. Drew each drove in a run for the Red Sox, who ended their five-game losing streak. Baltimore scored its only run on a Melvin Mora sacrifice fly in the 2nd inning. Boston improved to 56-39 on the year while Baltimore fell to 41-54.

St. Louis Cardinals 8 Philadelphia Phillies 1- Hours after being traded, Matt Holliday went 4-for-5 with 1 RBI and 1 run scored, lifting the Cardinals to their 53rd victory of the season. Julio Lugo went deep for St. Louis in the 8th inning. Joel Pineiro picked up Win #9 of the season after allowing four hits in six scoreless innings. The Phillies scored their only run when Jayson Werth scored on Kyle McClellan’s wild pitch in the 7th inning.

Houston Astros 5 New York Mets 4- If not for Mike Hampton’s two-run blast in the 4th inning, he would never have gotten his sixth victory of the season. Hampton squandered four earned runs on eight hits in 5.2 innings, striking out seven. Omir Santos hit a solo shot in the 6th inning for New York, but it was not enough as the Mets fell to 44-51 on the season.

Texas Rangers 2 Kansas City Royals 0- Scott Feldman allowed four hits in eight scoreless innings and picked up his ninth victory of the season. Feldman outdueled Zach Greinke, who allowed one earned run on three hits in seven innings. Marlon Byrd scored both Texas runs: one on a 4th inning solo home run, and one on a Hank Blalock RBI double in the 8th inning.

Atlanta Braves 9 Milwaukee Brewers 4- Javier Vazquez gave up four earned runs on seven hits in seven innings en route to his eighth victory of the season. Martin Prado, Chipper Jones, and Nate McLouth all homered for the Braves, who reached the 50-win milestone with this victory. Ryan Braun went deep for Milwaukee, but it wasn’t enough as the Brew Crew fell to 48-48 on the season.

San Francisco Giants 3 Colorado Rockies 1- Matt Cain gave up one earned run on three hits in seven innings as he became the MLB’s second 12-game winner. Nate Schierholtz went deep in the 4th inning for San Francisco, who improved to 52-44, which is also the Rockies’ record. Colorado scored its only run on a Garrett Atkins RBI double in the 6th inning.

Pittsburgh Pirates 10 Arizona Diamondbacks 3- Zach Duke squandered three earned runs on ten hits in 6.1 innings as he improved to 9-9 as a starter, winning his first game in a month. Garrett Jones went deep in the 5th inning for the Pirates, who improved to 43-53 on the season. Ryan Roberts hit a solo shot for Arizona, who fell to 41-56 on the year.

Cleveland Indians 9 Seattle Mariners 0- Aaron Laffey gave up just three hits in seven scoreless innings en route to his fourth victory of the season. Cleveland won its 39th game of the season behind home runs from Travis Hafner, Ben Francisco, Ryan Garko, and Jamey Carroll. The Mariners fell to 51-45 with this loss.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 6 Minnesota Twins 3- John Lackey gave up two earned runs on four hits in 7.2 innings as he improved to 6-4 as a starter; the two runs Lackey gave up came off two solo shots from Joe Mauer. The Angels scored all six of their runs off home runs: a two-run blast from Robb Quinlan, a solo homer from Jeff Mathis, and a three-run dinger from Mike Napoli. With this victory, Los Angeles won its 57th game of the season.

Florida Marlins 6 Los Angeles Dodgers 3- Josh Johnson allowed three earned runs on five hits in seven innings as he picked up Win #9 on the season. Chris Coghlan went deep in the 8th inning for the Marlins, who won their 50th game of the season. Leo Nunez pitched a 1-2-3 9th inning to earn his seventh save of the season.

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San Francisco Giants 7 Milwaukee Brewers 0- Ryan Sadowski allowed four hits in six innings as he went on to win his first Major League game as a starting pitcher. As a result of his effort, he was awarded not one, not two, but THREE game balls: one for his first pitch, one for his first strikeout, and one for his first hit. Matt Downs hit his first career long ball for San Francisco, who improved to 40-34 on the year. Nate Schierholtz went 4-for-5 and hit his third home run of the season.

Cincinnati Reds 8 Cleveland Indians 1- It was Brandon Phillips’ 28th birthday, and he celebrated by going 3-for-5 with 3 RBI and 3 runs scored to help Cincinnati climb back to .500 on the year. Micah Owings allowed just one earned run on five hits in six innings; he was credited with his fifth victory of the season. Jonny Gomes hit a solo shot in the 5th inning; it was his 4th home run of the year.

Atlanta Braves 2 Boston Red Sox 1- Tommy Hanson defeated the flu AND the Boston Red Sox, allowing just two hits in six innings; Hanson, who became the first NL rookie to beat the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in consecutive starts, improved to 4-0 as a starter. Atlanta scored their runs off solo blasts from Chipper Jones and Garret Anderson.

Philadelphia Phillies 5 Toronto Blue Jays 4- Jamie Moyer allowed four earned runs on five hits in five innings en route to his sixth victory of the season as a starter; Moyer has won back-to-back starts for the first time in over two months. Toronto scored all four of their runs off home runs: 2 solo shots from Aaron Hill, and a 2-run blast from Jose Bautista.

Kansas City Royals 3 Pittsburgh Pirates 2- Zach Greinke allowed two earned runs on seven hits as he went on to win his 10th game of the season; Greinke became the fourth AL pitcher to win ten games this year. David Dejesus hit a long ball and drove in another to lift the Royals to their 32nd win of the year.

Washington Nationals 5 Baltimore Orioles 3- Behind home runs from Adam Dunn and Willie Harris, the Washington Nationals defeated the Baltimore Orioles by a score of 5 to 3. With this win, the Nationals improved to 22-51 on the year while the Orioles fell to 34-41. John Lannan allowed three earned runs on six hits in 7.1 innings en route to his fifth victory of the season.

Detroit Tigers 4 Houston Astros 3- Brandon Inge’s 2-run blast in the 9th inning gave Detroit a 4-3 lead, and Fernando Rodney did the rest, shutting out the Astros in the bottom of the 9th to earn his 17th save of the season. Curtis Granderson also hit a long ball for the Tigers in the 6th inning.

Tampa Bay Rays 5 Florida Marlins 2- David Price allowed just one earned run on two hits in 6.1 innings of work on the mound as he improved to 2-2 as a starter. B.J. Upton homered for Tampa Bay, who completed a three-game sweep over their Florida rival.

Minnesota Twins 6 St. Louis Cardinals 2- Francisco Liriano allowed two earned runs on four hits in seven innings as he won his 4th game of the season. Mark DeRosa was held hitless in his debut with St. Louis. Justin Morneau hit a three-run blast in the 1st inning to help the Twins improve to 39-38 on the year.

Chicago White Sox 6 Chicago Cubs 0- John Danks pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing just four hits and striking out five in the process; he was credited with his 6th victory of the season. Alexei Ramirez and Jermaine Dye both went deep for the White Sox, who improved to 37-38 on the year.

Seattle Mariners 4 Los Angeles Dodgers 2- Garrett Olson allowed two earned runs on four hits in five innings of work on the mound as he went on to take his third victory of the season. Matt Kemp hit a long ball for Los Angeles in the 5th inning, but it wasn’t enough as the Dodgers fell to 48-28 on the year.

Colorado Rockies 3 Oakland Athletics 1- Aaron Cook allowed just one earned run on nine hits in eight innings as he went on to take his eighth victory of the season. With a 3-1 win over Oakland, Colorado has completed their first sweep of the Athletics. Chris Iannetta, Carlos Gonzalez, and Seth Smith each had 1 RBI for the Rockies.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 12 Arizona Diamondbacks 8- Behind nine unanswered runs in the 4th and 5th innings, the Angels completed a three-game sweep over Arizona, defeating the Diamondbacks by a score of 12 to 8. With this win, the Angels finish with an interleague record of 14-4. Gary Matthews Jr. stole home in the 4th inning. Jeff Mathis and Maicer Izturis both hit long balls in the 9th inning for the Angels.

San Diego Padres 2 Texas Rangers 0- Chad Gaudin allowed just one hit in eight innings as he improved to 4-6 as a starter; Gaudin struck out nine in the process. Heath Bell came on the mound in the 9th inning for San Diego and shut down the Rangers to earn his 21st save of the year. Scott Hairston drove in both runs for the Padres, hitting a solo shot in the 4th inning and an RBI single in the 6th.

New York Yankees 4 New York Mets 2- What’s better than getting your 500th career save? How about getting your 500th career save AND your first career RBI? That’s what Mariano Rivera accomplished as he helped his Yankees complete a Subway Series sweep over the New York Mets. Rivera drew a bases-loaded walk in the 9th inning to drive in Melky Cabrera.

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Milwaukee Brewers 5 San Francisco Giants 1- Matt Cain will have to wait another day to become the National League’s first 10-game winner as his Giants fell to the Brewers by a score of 5 to 1. Milwaukee starter Yovani Gallardo allowed just one earned run on four hits in 7.2 innings; the one run he allowed came in the 1st inning when Pablo Sandoval went deep for the 9th time this season. J.J. Hardy went deep for the Brew Crew in the 3rd inning.

Chicago Cubs 5 Chicago White Sox 4- Geovany Soto’s 3-run blast to center field propelled the Chicago Cubs to a one-run victory over their Windy City rival. Cubs starter Randy Wells allowed just two earned runs on five hits in seven innings of work on the mound; both earned runs came off solo shots from Jermaine Dye and Jim Thome. Cubs third baseman Jake Fox hit his second long ball of the year in the 4th inning.

Pittsburgh Pirates 5 Kansas City Royals 3- In his first start since August 31, 2007, Virgil Vasquez allowed two earned runs on four hits in six innings; home runs from Nyjer Morgan, Jason Jaramillo, and Jack Wilson helped Vasquez earn his first Major League victory. Mark Teahen went deep for Kansas City in the 9th inning.

Baltimore Orioles 11 Washington Nationals 1- Brad Bergesen allowed just one earned run on four hits in six innings as he went on to take his fourth straight victory as a starter. Melvin Mora drove in four runs to lift the Baltimore Orioles to their 33rd victory of the season.

New York Yankees 9 New York Mets 1- Alex Rodriguez hit his 564th career home run, passing Reggie Jackson into 11th for home runs all-time. After the game, Mr. October visited A-Rod and gave him a hug. Brett Gardner also went deep for the Yankees. The Mets scored their only run when Gary Sheffield hit a solo shot in the 5th inning; it was his 508th career long ball.

Cleveland Indians 9 Cincinnati Reds 2- In a battle of Ohio, Cleveland got the best of Cincinnati with blasts from Ryan Garko and Victor Martinez. Cleveland starter Jeremy Sowers allowed two earned runs on six hits in seven innings as he won just his second game as a starter.

Boston Red Sox 4 Atlanta Braves 1- Josh Beckett once again overpowered the Atlanta Braves, pitching seven innings of scoreless baseball; he went on to take his 9th win of the season. Boston’s David Ortiz homered in the 5th inning to start off the scoring. The lone Atlanta run came when catcher David Ross hit his 6th home run of the year.

Toronto Blue Jays 6 Philadelphia Phillies 1- Ricky Romero struck out seven and allowed just two hits in seven innings as he improved to 5-3 as a starter. Romero had a no-hitter going into the 7th inning, but it was broken up by Chase Utley.

Houston Astros 5 Detroit Tigers 4- The Tigers led 4-0 after two innings, but the Astros came back, scoring the last five runs of the game to earn their 34th victory of the season. The Tigers scored all of their runs on home runs by Miguel Cabrera and Placido Polanco.

Tampa Bay Rays 7 Florida Marlins 3- A four-run 8th inning propelled the Rays to a victory over their Floridian rival. With the game tied at 3, B.J. Upton doubled to deep right center field, scoring three runs for Tampa Bay. Hanley Ramirez went deep for Florida in the 7th inning.

Minnesota Twins 3 St. Louis Cardinals 1- Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer each went 2-for-4 with 1 RBI to lift the Twins to their 38th victory of the season. Twins starter Glen Perkins allowed one earned run on four hits in seven innings as he improved to 3-4 as a starter.

Texas Rangers 12 San Diego Padres 2- Kevin Millwood allowed two earned runs on four hits in six innings, winning his 5th straight decision to improve to 8-5 as a starter. David Murphy and Hank Blalock went deep for the Rangers, who improved to 40-32 on the season.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 12 Arizona Diamondbacks 3- Every Angels starter reached base as they hammered the Diamondbacks behind an eight-run 2nd inning, which was capped off by a two-run blast from Torii Hunter. Jered Weaver allowed three earned runs on four hits in six innings as he improved to 8-3 as a starter. Arizona scored all three of their runs off home runs from Stephen Drew and Tony Clark.

Colorado Rockies 4 Oakland Athletics 2- Jason Hammel ended Colorado’s seven-game losing streak in Oakland with a seven-game unbeaten streak of his own. Hammel allowed two earned runs on four hits in 7.1 innings as he went on to win his 5th game of the season. Kurt Suzuki went deep for Oakland in the 7th inning.

Los Angeles Dodgers 8 Seattle Mariners 2- Andre Ethier hit three home runs to lead his Dodgers to an 8-2 victory over the Mariners; Casey Blake also went deep for the Dodgers. Los Angeles starter Clayton Kershaw allowed two earned runs on five hits in six innings; he was issued his 5th victory of the season. Both Seattle runs came off two Jose Lopez RBI singles.

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St. Louis Cardinals 11 Detroit Tigers 2- Albert Pujols homered for the fifth time in as many games, helping the Cardinals improve their record to 35-30. Adam Wainwright allowed one earned run on six hits in seven innings for St. Louis. Tigers starter Justin Verlander allowed five earned runs on eight hits in just four innings of work; Verlander was issued his third loss of the season. Chris Duncan also homered for the Cardinals. For Detroit, their only runs were scored off solo shots from Brandon Inge and Miguel Cabrera.

Minnesota Twins 8 Pittsburgh Pirates 2- Right off the disabled list, Glen Perkins won his first start, going six innings while allowing just two earned runs on seven hits; Perkins struck out four in the process. Joe Mauer’s second four-hit game of the season brought the Twins back up to the .500 mark. Nyjer Morgan’s two-run blast to right field accounted for the only Pirate runs of the game.

Kansas City Royals 5 Arizona Diamondbacks 0- Gil Meche allowed just four hits en route to his third career shutout; he struck out six in the process. Meche, who threw a career-high 132 pitches, improved to 14-4 in interleague play; he has not allowed a run in his last two starts. Royals third baseman Mark Teahen went 3-for-4 with 1 RBI; he also scored one run for Kansas City.

Toronto Blue Jays 8 Philadelphia Phillies 3- Heading into the top of the 9th inning, the Phillies led 3-2 thanks to a two-run blast from Jayson Werth in the 6th inning. However, Ryan Madson walked Lyle Overbay with the bases loaded, allowing the Blue Jays to tie the game at three. In the 10th inning, Toronto exploded for five runs as the Blue Jays went on to win their 35th game of the season.

Texas Rangers 6 Houston Astros 1- Ivan Rodriguez tied Carlton Fisk’s record of most career MLB games behind the plate; Fisk and Rodriguez both stand at 2,226 games. However, Ian Kinsler’s pair of long balls helped the Rangers improve to 36-27 on the season. In his previous eight games, Kinsler had gone 4-for-33 with zero RBIs. Rangers starter Kevin Millwood allowed just one earned run on four hits in seven innings; the lone Astros run came off the bat of Ivan Rodriguez, who hit his 6th home run of the year. Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez allowed six earned runs on six hits in just four innings; he was issued his 6th loss of the year.

Boston Red Sox 8 Florida Marlins 2- 42-year old Tim Wakefield earned his 9th win of the season as his Red Sox improved to 39-25 on the season. Wakefield allowed just two earned runs on six hits in six innings of work on the mound; he struck out four in the process. David Ortiz hit his 5th home run of the year in the 4th inning. Chris Coghlan drove in both runs for the Marlins.

New York Yankees 5 Washington Nationals 3- Robinson Cano’s double in the 7th inning broke the 3-3 tie and propelled the Yankees to their 37th victory of the season. Yankees’ starter C.C. Sabathia allowed three earned runs on six hits in 7.2 innings; the three runs he allowed came off the bat of Anderson Hernandez, whose first long ball of the year gave the Nationals a 3-2 lead in the 5th inning. Derek Jeter left the game in the 8th inning with left ankle soreness.

Milwaukee Brewers 7 Cleveland Indians 5- The Brewers continued their winnings ways with another two-run victory over the Cleveland Indians. Yovani Gallardo allowed six walks, but his eight strikeouts in five innings helped him earn his 7th victory of the season. Mark DeRosa hit a solo home run in the 1st inning and drove in another run in the 6th inning. Travis Hafner’s two-run blast in the 9th inning cut the Milwaukee lead to two, but it wasn’t enough as the Brew Crew improved their record to 36-29.

New York Mets 6 Baltimore Orioles 4- Similar to how Luis Castillo’s dropped popup cost the Mets a game, Aubrey Huff’s dropped popup may have cost the Orioles this game. Huff’s 7th inning blunder allowed the Mets to score two unearned runs, which turned out to be the difference between the two baseball clubs after nine innings. Nick Markakis hit his 8th home run of the year in the 6th inning.

Tampa Bay Rays 12 Colorado Rockies 4- The Colorado Rockies couldn’t continue their winning ways as they fell victim to the Tampa Bay Rays. With an eight-run victory over the Rockies, the Rays ended Colorado’s 11-game winning streak. Gabe Kapler, Carlos Pena, B.J. Upton, Ben Zobrist, and Evan Longoria all homered for Tampa as they improved to 35-31 on the season.

Cincinnati Reds 7 Atlanta Braves 2- In the only non-interleague game of the day, the Cincinnati Reds, thanks to a four-run eighth inning, improved to 32-31 with a five-run victory over the Atlanta Braves. The Braves managed twelve hits against the Reds, but they left five runners in scoring position. Brandon Phillips and Laynce Nix each had three hits for the Reds.

Seattle Mariners 5 San Diego Padres 0- Felix Hernandez pitched a two-hit complete game shutout to lead his Mariners to their 31st win of the season; it was Hernandez’s third career shutout and sixth career complete game. Franklin Gutierrez and Adrian Beltre both hit solo blasts for the Mariners, who were only able to muster three hits off San Diego; the other hit came in the 9th inning when Ken Griffey Jr.’s RBI single scored Felix Hernandez and Russell Branyan. The two San Diego hits came from Kevin Kouzmanoff and Tony Gwynn.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 8 San Francisco Giants 1- For the second game in a row, the San Francisco Giants gave up at least eight runs to the Angels. Angels starter Sean O’Sullivan made his MLB debut, allowing just one run on five hits in seven innings; the one run allowed by O’Sullivan came from a Nate Schierholtz sacrifice fly in the 7th inning. Mike Napoli and Maicer Izturis went deep for the Angels, who improved to 34-29 on the season.

Los Angeles Dodgers 5 Oakland Athletics 4- Not even a four-run inning could help the Athletics get their 28th win of the season. Despite giving up long balls to Jason Giambi and Bobby Crosby in the top of the 8th inning, the Dodgers came back to tie the game at four in the bottom half of that inning. Matt Kemp then won the game for Los Angeles on an RBI single in the 10th inning.

The game between the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs was rained out. No make-up date has been announced yet.

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Going in to the 2008 MLB season, the AL East had been dominated by the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. However, in 2008, a new force came to battle these 2 historic rivals. The Tampa Bay Rays, who had finished dead last for the past 11 years, won an astonishing 97 games and won the AL East.  Ultimately however, the team ended up losing to the Phillies in the World Series. Despite their loss, the Rays proved to the bullying Yankee and Red Sox organizations that they are sick and tired of being pushed around, and they mean business. So who will win the AL East title in 09? Will it be perennial All Star organizations like Boston or New York? Maybe the Rays can make another run, or could the smaller market Blue Jays and Orioles turn the tide in their favor? Only time shall tell, but here is an in depth look at all 5 teams that make up what may be the best division in baseball.

The Baltimore Orioles finished 2008 with a 68-93 record, finishing in last place in the AL East. After failing out on signing Baltimore native Mark Teixeira, the Orioles still lack a real power threat in their lineup. Recently, the O’s traded catcher Ramon Hernandez to the Cincinnati Reds for right fielder Ryan Freel. Baltimore has high hopes for rookie catcher Matt Wieter,s making Hernandez expendable. The team however singed veteran backstop Gregg Zaun, just in case Wieters cannot perform. The O’s lost Daniel Cabrerea to free agency, but ended up signing Japaneese pitcher Koji Uehara. They also came to terms with shortstop Cesar Izturis, who is looking to revitalize his own career. Last week, the squad acquired promising prospect Felix Pie from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for lefty Garret Olson. Alongside, the O’s managed to sign Nick Markakis to a 6 year extension and still have Aubrey Huff, who is good for at least 30 homers a year. Huff will likely play at 1st base due to it appearing that the O’s do not want to resign 1B Kevin Millar. The Orioles projected 2009 starting lineup will be

2B-Brian Roberts

3B-Melvin Mora

RF-Nick Markakis

1B-Aubrey Huff

DH-Luke Scott

CF-Adam Jones

LF-Ryan Freel

SS- Cesar Izturis

C- Matt Wieters/ Gregg Zaun

The Baltimore Rotation is Projected to beL

Jeremy Guthrie, Radhemas Liz, Mark Hendrickson, Chris Waters, and Koji Uehara.

Prediction- 4th place. You have more upside this year. No shot at making the playoffs, but maybe in 10 years you can get there.

The Boston Red Sox finished 08 with a 95-67 record clinching the AL Wild Card. Boston thrashed the Angels in the ALDS, only to lose in 7 games to Tampa Bay in the ALCS. The Red Sox didn’t have to do much this off season, as they basically had all the parts in place. Team captain and catcher Jason Varitek is still a free agent, with contract negotiations seeming to be moving slowly. Boston signed San Diego catcher Josh Bard just in case they are not able to come to terms with Varitek. The Red Sox went hard after Mark Teixeira, only to see their arch rivals from New York sweep in and sign him at the 11th hour. After trading Manny Ramirez at the deadline in ’08, Boston lost a huge bat. However, Jason Bay was brought in and played like Babe Ruth. The team was hot and the Fenway faithful grew to say “Manny who?” and “Welcome to the Baystate!”, a pun on Bay’s name. With only minor re-tooling to do, Boston GM Theo Epstein went bargain hunting. He traded away fan favorite Coco Crisp to Kansas City for Ramon Ramirez in order to boost the Boston bullpen. He also signed free agent pitcher Brad Penny to a 1 year deal, hoping that Penny can return to his 16-win form from ’06 and ’07. A few weeks later, Epstein signed New England native Rocco Baldelli to be Boston’s 4th outfielder. Almost immediately after that deal, Epstein stunned the city of Atlanta by signing free agent John Smoltz, who had spent his last 20 seasons as a Brave. Epstein was not done however, as he singed Takashi Saito who could fit nicely into what is turning into one of the deepest bullpens in baseball. The Sox also resigned outfielder Mark Kotsay. Boston then locked up MVP Dustin Pedroia for the next 6 years, and then teammate Kevin Youkilis for 4 years. Boston has 1 more spot to fill,  as the question remains as to whether the captain will be back.

The 2009 Projected Red Sox lineup:

CF- Jacoby Ellsbury

2B- Dustin Pedroia

DH- David Ortiz

1B-Kevin Youkilis

LF-Jason Bay

RF-JD Drew

3B-Mike Lowell

SS-Jed Lowrie

C- Josh Bard

The Boston Rotation is projected to be:

Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Brad Penny, and Tim Wakefield.

PREDICTION- 1st place in AL East. Celebrate Boston fans, your depth will be your strength.

The New York Yankees finished the ’08 campaign with a 89-73 record and finishing 3rd in the division. Wait, the Yankees didn’t make the playoffs?  Shocking, but true folks. After their 1st absence from the postseason in 13 years, GM Brian Cashman had some serious pressure from owners Hank and Hal Steinbrenner. The Yankees had planned to dump the salaries of free agents Jason Giambi and Bobby Abreu. With the departure of Giambi, the Yanks needed a 1st basemen. Therefore,  the Yankees were able to trade Wilson Betemit to the Chicago White Sox for Nick Swisher. Additionally, the Bronx Bombers resigned Damaso Marte to sure up their bullpen. Finally, on the last day of the Winter Meetings, the Yankees were able to get their prize. They signed pitcher CC Sabathia to a 7 year contract. A few days later, the Yankees signed pitcher AJ Burnett to a 5 year deal, and just like that the Yankees had the 2 best free agent pitchers on the market. On December 23,  the Yankees dealt a crushing blow to arch rival Boston, and frankly to the entire baseball world. The teams had signed Mark Teixeira, who was reportedly heading to Boston to a 8 year/$180 million contract.  Longtime Yankee Andy Pettite is still a free agent, and the sides are still very far apart. With a surplus of outfielders still on the roster, the Yankees are listening to offers for Nick Swisher and Xavier Nady. Most experts believe it will be Nady who will be dealt. The Yankees had spent over $400 million this offseason, but got quality baseball players for it. Do not be surprised anyone to see the pinstripes back in October.

The 2009 Projected Yankee lineup:

LF-Johnny Damon

SS-Derek Jeter

1B-Mark Teixeira

3B-Alex Rodriguz

RF-Nick Swisher

DH- Hideki Matsui

2B-Robinson Cano

C-Jorge Posada

CF-Melky Cabrerea

The New York Rotation is projected to be:

CC Sabathia, AJ, Burnett, Chien Ming Wang, Joba Chamberlain, and Phil Hughes.

PREDICTION- 2nd place in the division and a wild card birth. Your very good but Boston is deeper, however its back to October with you.

The Tampa Bay Rays finished ’08 with a fantastic 97-65 record, winning the AL East. The Rays showed everyone that it is not necessary to have a huge payroll to be good. Tampa had so many talented youngsters, as they just kept fighting and scrapping their way through the season. Evan Longoria emerged as a superstar and also won Rookie of the Year. He, along with CF BJ Upton carried the offense for most of the season. Essentially, Tampa’s team concept was that they had no stars. but they had players who would go out and give their all every night. In the offseason. the Rays lost out on resigning Rocco Baldelli. but did make a pretty big splash in the free agent market by signing Pat “The Bat” Burrell. The team may have the best young nucleus of pitchers ever ranging from Scott Kazmir to the emerging of David Price.  Price who was called up towards the end of last season, proved in the postseason that he fears no one. In an attempt to fill in Rocco Baldelli’s shoes, the Rays picked up veteran Gabe Kapler. Tampa also traded away hard throwing Edwin Jackson to the Tigers for outfielder Matt Joyce. With stars like Carlos Peña and Carl Crawford still on the roster, look for the Rays to make some noise in ’09.

The 2009 Projected Rays lineup:

LF-Carl Crawford

CF-BJ Upton

1B-Carlos Peña

3B-Evan Longoria

RF-Pat Burrell

C-Dioner Navarro

2B-Akinori Iwamura

DH-Willy Aybar

SS-Jason Bartlett

The Tampa Bay Rotation is projected to be:

Matt Garza, James Shields, Scott Kazmir, David Price, and Andy Sonnanstine.

PREDICTION-3rd place in the division. Tampa Bay fans you may very well end up with over 90 wins, but teams know what to expect now. Once again you shall be looking up at Boston and New York.

The Toronto Blue Jays finished 2008 with a decent 86-76 record, coming in 4th place. Toronto still has the best pitcher in the division, Roy Halladay. The Blue Jays are a tough team, as they battle you for 27 outs a game. However, they have done almost nothing this offseason besides signing pitcher Matt Clement to a minor league contract. The Jays made a run at Rafael Furcal, but Furcal decided to sign with the Dodgers. Toronto was rumored to have talked with Manny Ramirez, but GM JP Ricciardi shot it down and said the team was most likely done with offseason moves. Toronto’s offense is sub-par, as no one besides possibly Alex Rios is a legit power threat. Vernon Wells’ play has diminished greatly in the last few years, and he isn’t the player he once was. Toronto’s pitching besides Halladay is nothing to make you glance. The Jays lost A.J. Burnett to the Yankees, and promising star Shaun Marcum is out for the year following Tommy John surgery. Righty Dustin McGown is also out until May with a labrum problem. Things do not look good for the Jays. Closer B.J. Ryan is very inconsistent, and that does not fly too well for the team north of the border.

The 2009 Projected Blue Jay lineup:

2B-Joe Inglett

SS- John McDonald/Marco Scutaro

CF-Vernon Wells

RF-Alex Rios

LF-Adam Lind

1B-Lyle Overbay

C-Rod Barajas

3B-Scott Rolen

DH-José Bautista

The Toronto Rotation is projected to be:

Roy Halladay, Jesse Litsch, David Purcey, Dustin McGown (out until May), and a pitcher to be named later.

PREDICTION-5th place.  Sorry to all you Blue Jays faithful, you have no shot. Good luck Mr. Halladay, because you have no support.

While the AL East boasts 3 super powers and 2 sub par teams, it is exciting to watch. Whether it is Sox-Yankees or Jays-O’s, the games are eventful. These teams and their fans do not like each other, but that is what makes it the greatest division in baseball. If you take players from each team and put them together, you have an all-star team. Congratulations to the AL East, you make baseball fun for everyone. Good luck to all in 2009!

If anybody has any objections the predictions or comments, please feel free to leave a comment!

On Thursday, the Boston Red Sox were nine outs away from being eliminated from World Series contention. On Saturday, behind solo home runs from Kevin Youkilis and Jason Varitek, the Boston Red Sox forced their 4th Game 7 in the ALCS in this decade alone, beating the Tampa Bay Rays by a score of 4 to 2. Boston starter Josh Beckett pitched 5.0 innings, allowing two earned runs off four hits. The only runs Beckett allowed were solo home runs from B.J. Upton and Jason Bartlett.

Tampa’s James Shields suffered his 2nd loss of this postseason, allowing 4 runs (3 were earned) on 9 hits in 5.2 innings.