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.

Photo Source: Photobucket

St. Louis Cardinals 14 Pittsburgh Pirates 7- Adam Wainwright becomes the first member of the MLB’s 17-win club after holding the Pirates to six earned runs on nine hits in five innings; if not for Albert Pujols’ three-run blast in the top of the 6th inning, Wainwright would not have earned the win. Ryan Ludwick homered twice while Matt Holliday went deep once for St. Louis, who reached the 80-win milestone. Pittsburgh scored six runs in the bottom of the 5th inning, but it was not enough as the Pirates reached the 80-loss milestone.

New York Mets 6 Chicago Cubs 2- Fernando Tatis’ RBI single in the bottom of the 8th inning broke a 1-1 tie and lifted the New York Mets to their 61st victory of the season. Cory Sullivan hit his first long ball of the season and made a diving catch in left field for New York. Bobby Parnell shut down the Cubs, holding them to five hits in seven innings; despite the strong start, Parnell did not factor in the decision. Francisco Rodriguez recorded the last two outs for New York and earned his 29th save of the year.

Cincinnati Reds 3 Atlanta Braves 1- Bronson Arroyo improved to 12-12 as a starter after limiting the Braves to one earned run on six hits in seven innings. Jonny Gomes blasted his 17th long ball of the season while Brandon Phillips and Scott Rolen each drove in a run for Cincinnati, who improved to 61-73 on the season; the Reds extended their winning streak to five games with this win. Nate McLouth scored the lone Braves run of the game on a solo home run in the 6th inning. However, it was not enough as Atlanta suffered Loss #65 of the year; the Braves have now lost three consecutive games. Francisco Cordero earned Save #31 of the season after shutting down Atlanta in the 9th inning.

Texas Rangers 5 Baltimore Orioles 1- Scott Feldman joined the MLB’s 15-win club, squandering one earned run on four hits in 6.2 innings; Feldman tied a franchise record with 11 road wins this year. Nelson Cruz homered in the 6th inning for Texas, who improved to 76-58 on the season. Brian Roberts drove in the only Baltimore run of the game in the 6th inning, but the Orioles ended up clinching a non-winning season by suffering their 81st loss of the year.

Florida Marlins 9 Washington Nationals 6- Jorge Cantu and John Baker each hit a two-run bomb to lift the Florida Marlins to Win #71 of the season; Baker finished the game with 4 RBIs. Burke Badenhop earned his 6th win of the year after pitching three scoreless innings of relief. Josh Willingham blasted his 22nd home run of the season in the 3rd inning for Washington, but it was not enough as the Nationals fell to 46-89 on the year. Leo Nunez worked the 9th inning for Florida and earned his 18th save of the season.

San Francisco Giants 3 Milwaukee Brewers 2- Bengie Molina’s solo home run in the 8th inning broke a 2-2 tie and lifted San Francisco to Win #74 of the season. The Giants scored two unearned runs in the 6th inning to level the score at two. Prince Fielder and Mike Cameron each drove in a run for Milwaukee, but it was not enough as the Brewers fell to 65-69 on the year. Brian Wilson earned his 33rd save of the season after shutting down Milwaukee in the 9th inning.

Houston Astros 7 Philadelphia Phillies 0- Wandy Rodriguez picked up his 13th victory of the season, giving up seven hits and striking out as many in as many scoreless innings; Rodriguez also doubled in the first two runs of the game in the 2nd inning. Kazuo Matsui also hit a two-run double in the 2nd inning for the Astros, who improved to 64-70 on the year. Hunter Pence and Carlos Lee drove in the other three runs for Houston off long balls. Philadelphia fell to 77-55 on the season.

Cleveland Indians 5 Minnesota Twins 2- Jeremy Sowers improved to 6-9 as a starter, scattering two earned runs on six hits in six innings. Jhonny Peralta drove in two runs while rookie Michael Brantley registered his first career RBI to lift the Indians to Win #59 of the season. Brendan Harris and Justin Morneau each drove in a run for the Twins, but it was not enough as Minnesota fell to 67-67 on the year. Kerry Wood shut down the Twins in the 9th inning to earn his 18th save of the season.

Toronto Blue Jays 6 New York Yankees 0- Roy Halladay pitched a complete-game one-hitter against the AL East-leading Yankees, lifting Toronto to the 60-win milestone; Ramiro Pena was the only Yankee to get a hit off Halladay, who improved to 14-8 on the season. Aaron Hill led all batters with 2 RBIs for Toronto, who handed the Yankees their 49th loss of the year.

Detroit Tigers 4 Tampa Bay Rays 3- Justin Verlander joined the MLB’s 16-win club after holding Tampa Bay to one earned run on four hits in eight innings; Verlander struck out seven and walked one. Miguel Cabrera blasted his 28th home run of the season in the 6th inning for the Tigers, who improved to 73-61 on the year. Detroit scored 3 in the top of the 9th inning to take a 4-1 lead, but Tampa Bay stormed back, scoring two runs off Tigers closer Fernando Rodney before Rodney was able to earn his 32nd save of the season. Evan Longoria drove in two runs for Tampa Bay, who fell to 72-62 on the year.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 2 Kansas City Royals 1- Jered Weaver earned his 14th victory of the season after allowing one earned run on nine hits in seven innings; Weaver would not have earned the win had Vladimir Guerrero not hit a two-run single in the top of the 8th inning for Los Angeles, who improved to 79-54 on the year. Alberto Callaspo tripled in the only Royals run of the game in the 4th inning; Kansas City fell victim to its opponent for the 83rd time this season. Brian Fuentes closed the door on the Royals in the 9th inning and earned his 38th save of the year.

Chicago White Sox 12 Boston Red Sox 2- Chicago got the upper hand in the battle of colored Sox. Mark Kotsay hit a two-run blast and drove in another run to lift Chicago to Win #67 of the season. White Sox starter Freddy Garcia won his first game of the season after giving up one earned run on seven hits in six innings. Kevin Youkilis and George Kottaras drove in the runs for Boston, who fell to 78-56 on the year.

Seattle Mariners 6 Oakland Athletics 3- Ryan Rowland-Smith squandered three earned runs on four hits in eight innings as he improved to 3-2 as a starter. Jose Lopez blasted his 21st long ball of the season in the 9th inning for Seattle, who improved to 72-64 on the year. Ichiro Suzuki registered two hits and is now 4 shy of 2,000 career hits. Nomar Garciaparra blasted a two-run bomb in the 7th inning for Oakland, but it was not enough as the Athletics suffered their 76th loss of the season. Mark Lowe worked the 9th inning for Oakland and earned his second save in eight chances.

Colorado Rockies 5 Arizona Diamondbacks 4- Jason Giambi’s pinch-hit RBI single in the 8th inning broke a 4-4 tie and lifted the Colorado Rockies to their 75th victory of the season. Ian Stewart hit a solo home run in the 2nd inning and Seth Smith drove in two runs in the 7th inning for Colorado, who remained one game ahead of San Francisco in the NL Wild Card. Miguel Montero drove in two runs for Arizona, who fell to 61-75 on the season. Franklin Morales shut down the Diamondbacks in the 9th inning to earn his second save in three chances.

San Diego Padres 2 Los Angeles Dodgers 0- A run in each of the first two innings for San Diego was all Wade LeBlanc needed to earn his first victory of the season. LeBlanc held the Dodgers to just two hits in six innings. Kevin Kouzmanoff had the only RBI of the game for San Diego, who reached the 60-win milestone. Heath Bell recorded the last four outs for the Padres and recorded his 34th save of the year. Clayton Kershaw gave up two runs (only one was earned) on four hits in six innings; Kershaw was issued his eighth loss of the season.

Photo Source: Photobucket

Milwaukee Brewers 12 San Diego Padres 9- Prince Fielder and Mike Rivera each hit two long balls while Ryan Braun went deep once, lifting the Brewers to Win #56 of the year. Brewers starter Manny Parra gave up six earned runs on thirteen hits in 5.2 innings, but it was good enough for him to improve to 8-8 on the year. Oscar Salazar and Adrian Gonzalez both homered for the Padres, but it wasn’t enough as San Diego fell to 49-67 on the year.

Philadelphia Phillies 6 Chicago Cubs 1- Cliff Lee gave up one earned run on six hits in eight innings as he won his third straight start with Philadelphia, who swept the Cubs at Wrigley Field for the first time in 25 years. Ryan Howard and Pedro Feliz hit long balls for the Phillies, who improved to 64-48 on the season. Ryan Theriot singled in the only run for Chicago, who suffered its 55th loss of the year.

Colorado Rockies 10 Pittsburgh Pirates 1- Jason Marquis gave up one earned run on three hits in seven innings as he picked up his 13th victory of the season. Troy Tulowitzki and Clint Barmes both homered for the Rockies, who increased their Win count to 64. Dexter Fowler registered more hits than the Pirates (4 vs. 3), scoring three times. Andrew McCutchen drove in the only Pittsburgh run of the game with a sacrifice fly in the 5th inning.

Cincinnati Reds 7 Washington Nationals 0- Bronson Arroyo threw a complete-game two-hitter en route to his 11th victory of the season; Arroyo walked one and struck out three. Jonny Gomes homered in his first three at-bats of the game while Ryan Hanigan added a solo shot to lift the Reds to the 50-win milestone; Gomes finished the night with 5 RBIs. Brandon Phillips doubled in the other Cincinnati run in the 7th inning.

Florida Marlins 9 Houston Astros 2- Sean West squandered one earned run on five hits in six innings as he improved to 4-4 as a starter. Jorge Cantu and Ronny Paulino homered for the Marlins, who earned their 61st victory of the season. Mike Hampton and Darin Erstad singled in the only Houston runs of the game; Hampton gave up three earned runs on six hits in five innings as he was issued his 10th loss of the year.

Texas Rangers 4 Cleveland Indians 1- Scott Feldman gave up on earned run on seven hits in six innings as he improved to 12-4 as a starter. Elvis Andrus hit a solo home run in the 4th inning for the Rangers, who won their 64th game of the season. Josh Hamilton was 4-for-4 with 2 RBIs and one run scored. The lone Cleveland run came off the bat of Shin Soo-Choo, whose sacrifice fly in the 1st inning gave the Indians a 1-0 lead.

Kansas City Royals 5 Minnesota Twins 4- Gil Meche gave up four earned runs on seven hits in five innings as he picked up his fifth victory of the season. Alex Gordon’s third home run of the season proved to be the winning run of the game as it gave Kansas City a 5-1 lead in the 4th inning. Joe Mauer drove in all the runs for Minnesota: one on an RBI double in the 1st, and three on a long ball in the 5th. It was not enough, however, as the Twins fell to 55-59 on the year.

Detroit Tigers 2 Boston Red Sox 0- Justin Verlander gave up four hits in eight scoreless innings as he won his 13th game of the season. Ryan Raburn drove in all the runs of the game: one on an infield single in the 4th, and one on a solo home run in the 7th. Fernando Rodney pitched a 1-2-3 9th inning and earned his 24th save of the season. With this win, Detroit reached the 60-win milestone while Boston is one loss away from the 50-loss mark.

New York Yankees 11 Seattle Mariners 1- C.C. Sabathia gave up one earned run on three hits in eight innings as he picked up Win #13 of the season; the lone Seattle run was scored on a Jack Wilson solo shot in the 5th inning. Hideki Matsui homered twice while Derek Jeter hit one long ball for the Yankees, who improved to 72-43 on the year; Matsui ended the night going 4-for-5 with 5 RBIs and 4 runs scored.

Photo Source: www.photobucket.com

Breaking news coming across the news wire at the current moment, as we at SportsFullCircle have learned from Jeff Fletcher of AOL Fanhouse that the New York Yankees are nearing a deal in which they would acquire Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo.  However, members of the Yankees staff are now claiming the rumor not true.

As mentioned in an earlier article, the Yankees have been in hot pursuit of Arroyo, potentially to fill in as the fifth starter.  The Reds had reportedly been near a deal earlier this afternoon, and it appears this is the deal that was being discussed.

Details are sketchy at this point, as we are unaware as to whom the Yankees will be sending to Cincinnati.  The only road block remaining is as to how much of Arroyo’s large salary will the Reds eat up.

One major league source went as far as calling it a deal, stating, “It will get done.”

Bronson is 10-9 this season for the Reds, and has won a World Championship with New York rival Boston.  As mentioned, the reports are unconfirmed, and have even been denied by the team officials.

Stay tuned on SportsFullCircle for more news as it breaks.

Photo Source: Getty Images

With just days left until the MLB Trade Deadline, rumors have been running swiftly across the wire about some of the game’s biggest names.  Teams have been proposing deals left and right, and with the exception of a few small deals and the Matt Holliday trade, little has occurred.

Who exactly can the fans expect to be dealt this year?  Better yet, who will get these players?

Roy Halladay, P

As of Sunday, Halladay has been the most talked about trade candidate going into the latter half of the season.  With an 11-3 record and a 2.62 ERA, why should he not be? Toronto’s General Manager J.P. Ricciardi is beginning to realize that his team’s playoff hopes are faltering, and that the 32-year old Halladay will not likely resign after the 2010 season.

Suitors-Phillies, Angels, Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox, Brewers, White Sox, Mets.

Will he be traded?

The issue that remains with a potential Halladay deal is the price that comes along with it.  The Phillies had reportedly been close to a deal with Toronto, but pulled their offer temporarily off the table after learning that it would take J.A. Happ, Kyle Drabek, and Dominic Brown to acquire the All-Star.  They will attempt to bring the asking price down as the days go on.

The Angels and Dodgers have both intensified their interest in Halladay, yet the Angels initial offer of Jered Weaver and prospects was rejected.  The Yankees will have to present Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, Jesus Montero, and Austin Jackson if they wish to bring him in, and the Red Sox are yet to submit a formal proposal.

With all these factors included, do not expect a Roy Halladay trade by his July 28 deadline.  However, do not be surprised if someone decides to go all in and make a serious play for him either.

Victor Martinez, C/1B

Coming off of a horrific 2008 season, Martinez has greatly bounced back in ’09.  Sporting a .287 AVG and 14 home runs, V-Mart has been one of the few bright sides to the Indians current campaign.  Victor adds the versatility of playing both catcher and first base, making him very useful to several teams.

Suitors-Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, San Francisco Giants

Will he be traded?

If his status remains as it is currently, a Martinez deal is most certainly not out of the question.  The Red Sox, just days after acquiring the already-productive Adam LaRoche, are said to be the most interested in Martinez’s services.  The team has offered two deals according to MLB Trade Rumors, each involving some of their brightest players such as Clay Buchholz and Justin Masterson.  Cleveland has rejected both proposals however, and expect only the best in return.  This could come down to the deadline itself.

Cliff Lee, P

Lee is coming off a year in which he completely dominated the American League Central.  He is the reigning Cy Young, and is an exceptional weapon to have at the top of the rotation for any squad.  However, he has been streaky in his career, having been sent down to the minors on a few different occasions.  He is 7-9 on a mediocre Cleveland team, with an ERA just above three.

Suitors-New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays

Will he be traded?

Do not anticipate a Cliff Lee trade this year.  His cost is simply way too much, as some top prospects would have to be involved in this mid-season deal.  While few other players withhold the same value that Lee presents, it ultimately may not be worth a large amount of Grade-A prospects.  While the Phillies may look to him instead of Halladay, again, do not expect Cliff Lee to leave Cleveland by the 31st.

Jarrod Washburn, P

Washburn has been one of the oddest stories to come out of baseball in the past few years.  He is seemingly the ideal pitcher to have to anchor a rotation, yet with coming from the AL West it becomes rather difficult to obtain a strategic hold on the respective division.   Sporting a 2.71 ERA for the surging Mariners, a large package would be needed to obtain him.

Suitors-New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit Tigers

Will he be traded?

Other than the Yankees and Brewers, not many teams are looking at Jarrod.  It is possible that another squad could swing by on Friday, but do not expect it.  The Yankees were asked to include veteran Melky Cabrera and rookie Bret Gardner in a potential deal, which could turn the team elsewhere.  Unless someone miraculously comes out of nowhere, a deal for Washburn is unlikely.

Orlando Cabrera, SS

Cabrera had been one of the most decorated shortstops throughout the majors over the past few seasons.  He’s also been one of the biggest nomads, traveling to several teams over a short span of time.  Orlando has surprisingly flourished in Oakland this season, with an average just under .280.  His defense has been solid, as well as his liability.

Suitors-Minnesota Twins

Will he get traded?

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire is heavily in to Cabrera.

“I’m not allowed to talk about players, but yes I like Cabrera.  It’s a direct question.  I can answer a direct question.  I think he’s a great player.”

It would not be surprising if a deal got done between the two squads, as it is believed that the Twins have the prospects that Billy Beane is looking for.  It would be logical to state that the Twins have about a 75% chance of acquiring the veteran shortstop.

Bronson Arroyo, P

Being one of the most inconsistent players in baseball over the past few years, Arroyo could find himself dealt at the trade deadline.  The Reds have not been an effective team in over a decade, and will likely not be this year.

Suitors-New York  Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers

Will he be traded?

The Reds would love to move either Arroyo, Aaron Harang, or Francisco Cordero prior to the deadline.  It will be left up to the other teams, however, as if to acquire them.  It would not be surprising at all if one of them got dealt, especially rather sooner than later.  Arroyo would likely be the first to leave.

Ian Snell, P

Snell has been one of the most watched young guns in the majors over the past few years, but has struggled greatly this year.  He is currently pitching well in Triple-A however.

Suitors-New York Yankees

Will he be traded?

The Yankees are the only team thus far to express any interest in Snell, and have been told a trade will not be taken lightly.  With about a 50% chance of being dealt, the Yankees must be willing to part with some of their better prospects to obtain the Pirates former ace.

Heath Bell, P

One of the best relievers this season, Bell has shut down opponents left and right.  He was handed the loss in this year’s All-Star game, but pitched well outside of exhibition.

Suitors-Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees

The Yankees remain the favorite to acquire him, if a deal is done of course.  The Padres appear ready to deal him, but once again, will come with a cost.

Several other players will be on the market, and one can expect for many other suitors to emerge.   An interesting note should be taken, as most of the potential buyers are American League teams.  Is this the year of American League?

Perhaps the baseball world will know by this Friday.

This article can also be found on Bleacher Report.

Photo Source: Getty Images

Chicago Cubs 3 Washington Nationals 1- Carlos Zambrano allowed one unearned run on four hits in five innings as he improved to 6-4 as a starter; Zambrano also hit a 2-run double in the 2nd inning to lift the Cubs to their 45th victory of the season. Aramis Ramirez went deep for Chicago in the 3rd inning.

Cincinnati Reds 4 Milwaukee Brewers 0- Bronson Arroyo won his 10th game of the season after allowing six hits in seven scoreless innings. Edwin Encarnacion went 4-for-4 with 2 RBI, hitting his fourth long ball of the year in the 8th inning for Cincinnati, who improved to 43-46 on the year.

Atlanta Braves 11 New York Mets 0- Brian McCann went 3-for-4 with 4 RBI and 3 runs scored to help Atlanta get back to .500 on the season; McCann’s long ball in the 3rd inning was his 9th of the season. Braves starter Jair Jurrjens allowed just two hits in six scoreless innings as he picked up his 8th victory of the season; the Atlanta bullpen allowed no hits the rest of the way. Martin Prado also went deep for the Braves, who won their 45th game of the season.

St. Louis Cardinals 6 Arizona Diamondbacks 1- Albert Pujols went deep not once, but twice to help the Cardinals win their 50th game of the season; Pujols leads the league with 34 home runs and 89 RBIs. Nick Stavinoha also went deep for St. Louis. The only Arizona run came off the bat of Miguel Montero, who hit a solo shot in the 9th inning.

Pittsburgh Pirates 2 San Francisco Giants 1- Garrett Jones went deep in the 1st inning, and he went deep in the 14th inning to lift the Pirates to their 39th victory of the season. San Francisco scored their only run of the game when Paul Maholm’s wild pitch allowed Randy Winn to score in the 7th inning.

Philadelphia Phillies 6 Florida Marlins 5- A 78-minute rain delay in the 6th inning forced Cole Hamels to leave the mound; Hamels allowed just one earned run on four hits in five innings before the delay. Florida forced extra innings by scoring three runs off RBI singles from Ross Gload, Ronny Paulino, and Wes Helms. However, Chase Utley and Jayson Werth hit RBI singles of their own to lift the Phillies to their 50th victory of the season.

Seattle Mariners 6 Cleveland Indians 2- Felix Hernandez allowed two earned runs on five hits in eight innings as he won his tenth game of the season; Hernandez is now 9-2 in starts following a Mariners loss. Franklin Gutierrez’s 11th home run of the season gave Seattle a 1-0 lead in the 2nd inning.

New York Yankees 5 Detroit Tigers 3- Mark Teixeira’s three-run blast off Joel Zumaya in the 7th inning lifted the Yankees to their 52nd victory of the season. Curtis Granderson went deep for Detroit in the 5th inning, but it was not enough as the Tigers fell to 48-40 on the season.

Boston Red Sox 4 Toronto Blue Jays 1- Clay Buchholtz was called up from AAA Pawtucket and made his season debut against Toronto, allowing one earned run on four hits in 5.2 innings en route to the victory. After the game, Buchholtz was sent back to Pawtucket. Kevin Youkilis’ two-run blast in the 1st inning and David Ortiz’s two-run double in the 5th inning was all the offense Boston needed to improve to 55-34 on the year.

Minnesota Twins 5 Texas Rangers 3- Jason Kubel’s three-run blast in the 3rd inning broke a 2-2 tie and propelled the Twins to their 46th victory of the season. Carlos Gomez drove in the other two runs for Minnesota. Josh Hamilton hit a long ball in the first inning for the Rangers, who fell to 48-40 on the season; Hamilton also drove in the other Texas run with an RBI single in the 5th inning.

Tampa Bay Rays 8 Kansas City Royals 7- Down 7-4 heading into the 7th inning, Pat Burrell and Evan Longoria each hit a two-run blast for Tampa Bay to win their 49th game of the season. Mike Jacobs hits a three-run home run for the Royals, but it wasn’t enough as Kansas City fell to 37-52 on the season.

Chicago White Sox 12 Baltimore Orioles 8- Jim Thome hit a grand slam and a three-run home run, good for a career-high seven RBIs as he helped the White Sox improve to 46-43 on the year. Chicago starter John Danks allowed three earned runs on seven hits in five innings as he picked up his eighth victory of the season. Paul Konerko also went deep for the White Sox. Nick Markakis and Adam Jones both went deep for the Orioles, who lost their 49th game of the season.

Colorado Rockies 5 San Diego Padres 3- Clint Barmes went deep in the 1st inning to help the Rockies win their 49th game of the season. Ian Stewart and Chris Iannetta each drove in two runs for Colorado, who improved to 29-9 since June 4. As for San Diego, they fell to 36-54 on the year and are 11-29 since June 1. Colorado’s Ubaldo Jimenez allowed three earned runs on three hits in seven innings as he picked up his seventh victory of the season.

Houston Astros 8 Los Angeles Dodgers 1- Roy Oswalt pitched the whole game, allowing one earned run on four hits en route to his sixth victory of the season. Miguel Tejada and Ivan Rodriguez both went deep for Houston, who improved to 46-44 on the year. The Dodgers scored their only run of the game in the 3rd inning when Orlando Hudson scored on a Russell Martin groundout.

Oakland Athletics 7 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 3- Bobby Crosby hits a three-run blast in the 4th inning to help the Athletics improve to 38-50 on the year, the antithesis of the Angels’ record. The Angels tied the game at 3 with two runs in the 5th inning, but Oakland scored one in the 6th, one in the 7th, and two in the 8th to earn the W.

Photo Source: www.photobucket.com

Cincinnati Reds first baseman, Joey Votto, explained to the media on Tuesday why exactly he left the team on May 30^th. He revealed that he has been suffering depression and anxiety attacks after the sudden death of his 52-year-old father, Joseph, in August. He went on the bereavement list from August 9^th-15^th.

Some of Votto’s issues led to “panicky” moments, and even two hospital visits, “They were overwhelming me to the point where I needed to go to the hospital on two separate occasions — once in San Diego and once that nobody had been told about, I went to the hospital in Cincinnati when the team was on the road [in early June]. It was a very, very scary and crazy night where I had to call 911 at three or four in the morning. It was probably the scariest moment I ever had dealt with in my life, and I went to the hospital that night.”

While living by himself during this tough time in his life, Votto had his mother and three younger brothers to help him out. He was also under doctor’s care. “There were nights that I couldn’t be alone,” Votto explained. “The one night I was alone, the very first night I was alone, was when I went to the hospital. I couldn’t take it. It just got to the point where I felt I was going to die, really.”

“The first day back, I put that all on the back burner and just played baseball until the end of September. He was in my thoughts and I was dealing with it on a daily basis, but as powerful a moment that was to lose your father so young, in a way, I did suppress it. From the beginning of the offseason until Spring Training, I was pretty severely depressed and dealing with the anxieties of grief, sadness and fear and every single emotion you can imagine everyone goes through,” Votto confessed. “I had a really difficult time with it. I was by myself down in Florida. I just was really looking forward to baseball. And when baseball started back up in February, I kind of did the same thing I did last August and threw it all on the side, threw all of my emotions on the backburner and just played baseball again.”

“Baseball was my refuge. When I came on the field, I did my job, and did the best I could and focused on that. Then I went home and I was miserable. That was pretty much my routine every day,” said Votto.

When Votto didn’t have baseball as something to get his mind off of his troubles, his world seemed to fall apart. He missed several games in early May with a stint of the flu. A few weeks later, he started suffering from dizzy spells, which were later diagnosed as an inner-ear infection.

“It was taking the time away from baseball, and recovering from being sick was when the first time all my emotions I had been pushing to the side — that I had been dealing with and really struggling with on a daily basis in the winter — they all hit me. And they hit me 100 times harder than I had been dealing with all offseason,” Votto said.

A few times, Votto even had to leave the game before it was over: once in Arizona on May 12^th, another time in San Diego on May 16^th, and the last in Milwaukee on May 29^th.

“I literally couldn’t stand up,” Votto said. “The way you saw me in Arizona where Dusty [Baker] had to walk me off was similar to the two other occurrences in Milwaukee and San Diego. Although Arizona was a pretty rough time, Milwaukee was by far the worst. I thought I was going to go crazy.”

After the game in Milwaukee, Votto, Baker, GM Walt Jocketty, and head trainer Mark Mann spent more than 40 minutes in a closed-door meeting. They never revealed anything specific to the public, but they did say that Votto’s problems and reasons for leaving were from a “stress-related issue.”

“We told the team as much as we could tell them at the time. The rest of it was for Joey to tell, because it was his business,” said Baker. “I talked to them once or twice and explained as much as I could without betraying his confidentiality to me and Walt.”

Last week, Votto addressed the team in a clubhouse meeting before he left for his Minor League rehab obligation, and revealed his periods of depression that he was having.

Bronson Arroyo, a Reds pitcher, understood Votto, “He said his piece. I think he wanted to let us know the problems he was having were significant enough that he feels bad about not being here with the team. But it was so severe that he had to walk away from the game for a while.”

Now that Votto is back in Cincinnati, he feels like he has to make up for lost time. “Honestly, we could play in Timbuktu for all I care, just as long as I’m playing all nine innings and contributing. There’s nothing like health. I look forward to feeling healthy on a consistent basis.”

“I was having such a difficult time getting through the night that once I felt like I could get through two or three nights of sleep without having the phone beside me and worrying about having to call the hospital,” Votto said, “I felt like I could start playing ball again.”

Votto will always have great memories of his father, and how they used to share their love for baseball and the Reds. “He was a very important person. He would watch every single Reds game. He was the first one to teach me how to play baseball. I played catch with him on a daily basis when I was really young. He was a big fan. He was just in love with what I did and me. He was a great father to me.”

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Chicago Cubs 8 Cleveland Indians 7- For the second day in a row, the Chicago Cubs came back from a multi-run deficit to win in walk-off fashion. Down 7-0 heading into the 5th inning, the Cubs scored one in the 5th, one in the 6th, four in the 8th, one in the 9th, and one in the 10th to improve their record to 32-31. Derrek Lee homered twice while Reed Johnson went deep once for Chicago.

Atlanta Braves 8 Boston Red Sox 2- Kenshin Kawakami got the better of fellow countryman Daisuke Matsuzaka in a battle of Japanese starting pitchers. Nate McLouth went deep on the very first pitch of the game, helping the Braves improve to 32-34. Kawakami allowed just two earned runs on two hits in six innings of work on the mound; the two Boston runs were scored in the 6th inning off a two-run blast from Jason Bay.

Washington Nationals 2 Toronto Blue Jays 1- The Blue Jays left 13 men on base and ended up on the short end of an eleven-inning marathon against the Nationals, who have won their 19th game of the season. Adam Dunn’s bases-loaded single in the 11th inning lifted Washington to their third consecutive victory; the Nationals have not had a three-game winning streak since May 7-9.

St. Louis Cardinals 10 Kansas City Royals 5- Ryan Ludwick hit a grand slam as he helped the Cardinals improve their record go 37-31. Rick Ankiel and Khalil Greene also went deep for St. Louis. Cardinals starter Brad Thompson allowed four earned runs on five hits in seven innings as he went on to take his second win of the season.

Baltimore Orioles 7 Philadelphia Phillies 2- Baltimore starter Rich Hill gave up a 2-RBI double to Jayson Werth in the 1st inning. Nevertheless, his offense, as well as Hill himself, provided the necessary offense to get him his third victory of the season. Hill’s RBI single in the 2nd inning drove in the winning run of the game as he gave the Orioles a 3-2 lead. Nolan Reimold went deep for Baltimore in the 9th inning.

Minnesota Twins 5 Houston Astros 2- Kevin Slowey became the second pitcher in the MLB to win ten games this season. Slowey allowed just one earned run on three hits in six innings of work on the mound. Houston’s Jeff Keppinger hit the only long ball of the game in the 8th inning.

Cincinnati Reds 4 Chicago White Sox 3- Brandon Phillips hit a two-run blast and drove in another run to lift the Reds to their 34th victory of the season. Cincinnati starter Bronson Arroyo allowed just two earned runs on two hits in 6.2 innings; the two runs came in the 4th inning when Chris Getz blasted a two-run home run to right field. Paul Konerko hit a long ball in the 9th inning to bring the Sox to within one run, but it wasn’t enough as Francisco Cordero went on to record his 17th save of the season.

New York Mets 5 Tampa Bay Rays 3- Brian Schneider’s three-run blast in the 2nd inning helped the Mets win their 34th game of the season. New York starter Fernando Nieve allowed just one earned run on three hits in six innings as he went on to take his second victory of the season. Tampa Bay’s Andy Sonnanstine allowed four earned runs on seven hits in six innings; he was issued his 7th loss of the year.

New York Yankees 5 Florida Marlins 1- Andy Pettitte pitched seven innings, allowing one earned run on three hits as he improved to 7-3 as a starting pitcher; the only Florida run was scored when Cody Ross hit a solo shot to left field. Melky Cabrera hit his 7th home run of the year in the third inning to help the Yankees win their 38th game of the season.

Colorado Rockies 7 Pittsburgh Pirates 3- Jason Marquis pitched all but 1/3 of an inning to lift the Rockies to their 14th win in their last 15 games. Marquis struck out seven while allowing just three earned runs on eight hits. Troy Tulowitzki and Brad Hawpe both went deep for the Rockies as they improved to 34-33 on the season.

Detroit Tigers 10 Milwaukee Brewers 4- Marcus Thames hit two two-run home runs to lead his Tigers to their 36th victory of the season. Miguel Cabrera and Curtis Granderson also went deep for the Tigers. The game was actually delayed for 123 minutes in the 4th inning because of rain. Mother Nature eventually cut the game short with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Seattle Mariners 4 Arizona Diamondbacks 3- Down 3-0 heading into the bottom of the 8th inning, the Mariners hit a 4 spot on the scoreboard and improved their record to 33-34. Russell Branyan hit a solo shot to start the Seattle rally. Then, Ken Griffey Jr. hit a pinch-hit two-run blast to tie the game at 3. Rob Johnson’s RBI triple to left field scored Chris Woodward and completed the comeback.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 5 Los Angeles Dodgers 4- James Loney and Rafael Furcal hit long balls to give the Dodgers a 4-1 lead after 5 innings. However, the Angels came back with three in the 6th inning to tie the game. Juan Rivera’s solo shot in the bottom of the 8th inning lifted the Angels to their 36th victory of the season.

San Francisco Giants 6 Texas Rangers 4- Randy Johnson failed to get his 302nd victory, but his Giants managed to get their 35th victory of the season behind Fred Lewis’ go-ahead two-run blast to right field. Travis Ishikawa and Aaron Rowand also went deep for the Giants.

Oakland Athletics 7 San Diego Padres 5- Trailing 5-3 heading into the 8th inning, the A’s scored 3 in the 8th and added an insurance run in the 9th to pull even with the Padres in terms of records; both teams are now 29-37 on the year. Trailing 5-4 in the 8th, Oakland’s Orlando Cabrera’s 2-RBI double gave the Athletics a lead that they would never give up.

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