-The highly-pursued Cliff Lee is receiving the most interest from the Yankees and Rangers as expected, but MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch is reporting that several other teams are interested. Lee and his agent Darek Braunecker intend to sign this week, though will wait for a six-year deal. It is expected the Yankees will be the only ones to match that request as of now.

-Dodgers catcher Russell Martin is gaining a significant amount of interest from many clubs. The Yankees had supposedly had a deal in place to acquire him just yesterday, in which they would have sent current catcher Francisco Cervelli out west in return for Martin. Both New York teams,  Boston, and Toronto are front-runners as of now.

-The Baltimore Orioles added a big bat in Mark Reynolds from the Diamondbacks, sending relievers David Hernandez and Kam Mickolio in return. Reynolds, who hit .198 last season but with 32 home runs, will fit nicely in the hitter-friendly Camden Yards.

-Tony Jackson of ESPN is claiming that the Dodgers and Brewers are discussing a blockbuster that would send star first baseman Prince Fielder to Los Angeles in return for James Loney and closer Jonathan Broxton. Despite an array of southpaws and middle relievers, the Brewers are in desperate need of a closer, and Fielder would utilize the strengths of Dodger Stadium to his advantage under new skipper Don Mattingly. No news on how close the two teams are, however.

-Many reports suggest the Mets will listen to offers on José Reyes, David Wright, and Carlos Beltran. While it is unlikely Wright will be dealt, many teams are said to be highly intrigued by Beltran and Reyes.

-After a nice 2010 campaign, Paul Konerko is drawing significant interest from clubs such as Arizona and Texas. White Sox GM Kenny Williams is determined to keep the 1B/DH, however, and claims “[Konerko] belongs in Chicago.” The two are getting closer to a deal, according to ESPN’s Pedro Gomez.

-The Yankees and Mariners are interested in outfielder Matt Díaz. New York would look to utilize him in the platoon with Curtis Granderson and Brett Gardner. The Dodgers and Phillies also have been thrown around as possible destinations.

-The Arizona Diamondbacks are close to locking up reliever J.J. Putz on a two-year deal, with a club option for 2013.

-There is no news on Carl Crawford at this point, but he is expected to meet with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Boston Red Sox this week.

That does it for now, keep it with the SportsFullCircle Twitter for up-to-the-minute updates on any potential news!

Cincinnati Reds 7 Chicago Cubs 5- Drew Sutton’s two-run double in the 9th inning broke a 5-5 tie and lifted Cincinnati to Win #64 of the season. Drew Stubbs, Brandon Phillips, Darnell McDonald, Joey Votto, and Scott Rolen each drove in a run for Cincinnati, who jumped out to a 5-0 lead after four innings. Geovany Soto led all batters with 2 RBIs for the Cubs, but it was not enough as Chicago fell to 72-68 on the year. Francisco Cordero worked the 9th inning for Cincinnati and picked up his 34th save in 37 chances.

Baltimore Orioles 7 New York Yankees 3- Behind a six-run 2nd inning, the Baltimore Orioles improved to 58-83 on the season after defeating the Yankees for the second straight day. Brian Matusz gave up one earned run on four hits in seven innings as he picked up his 5th victory of the year; Matusz struck out three as he won his third straight start. Brian Roberts blasted a grand slam while Nolan Reimold hit a solo shot in the 2nd inning for Baltimore. Mark Teixeira, Melky Cabrera, and Jorge Posada each drove in a run for New York, who fell to 91-52 on the season.

Oakland Athletics 4 Minnesota Twins 2- Brett Anderson improved to 9-10 as a starter after holding Minnesota to two earned runs on five hits in seven innings. Five of the six runs scored in the game were scored off sacrifice flies; Cliff Pennington’s RBI double drove in the other run of the game for Oakland, who earned Win #64 of the season. Eric Patterson, Rajai Davis, and Kurt Suzuki each hit a sacrifice fly for the Athletics. Denard Span and Jason Kubel hit the sacrifice flies for Minnesota, who fell to 70-72 on the year. Andrew Bailey worked the 9th inning for Oakland to earn his 23rd save in 27 chances.

New York Mets 10 Philadelphia Phillies 9- Down 9-8 in the top of the 9th inning, David Wright blasted his second two-run home run of the game to lift the Mets to their 63rd victory of the season; Wright finished the game with 6 RBIs. Carlos Beltran also hit a two-run blast for New York in the 1st inning. Pedro Feliz, Chase Utley, and Raul Ibanez each homered for the Phillies, but it was not enough as Philadelphia reached the 60-loss milestone. Ryan Madson blew his sixth save and fell to 5-5 on the season. Francisco Rodriguez, however, earned his 31st save of the year after shutting down the Phillies in the 9th inning.

Atlanta Braves 7 St. Louis Cardinals 6- Trailing 5-4 in the middle of the 8th inning, St. Louis scored two to take a 6-5 lead. However, in the top of the 9th inning, Atlanta answered back when Brian McCann hit a two-run double to lift the Braves to their 74th victory of the season. Ryan Franklin, who gave up the two runs in the 9th inning, blew his second consecutive save and his fourth of the year; Franklin fell to 2-3 on the season. Tim Hudson blasted his first career long ball in the 2nd inning to give Atlanta a 3-2 lead; on the mound, however, he squandered four earned runs on ten hits in five innings. Mike Gonzalez was credited with his 4th victory of the season despite giving up the two runs in the 8th inning, and Rafael Soriano worked the 9th inning for his 24th save in 28 chances.

Chicago White Sox 4 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 3- Kevin Jepsen’s wild pitch in the 10th inning enabled Scott Podsednik to score the go-ahead run for Chicago, who ended up winning its 71st game of the season. Podsednik also scored on an inside-the-park home run in the 3rd inning. Gordon Beckham also hit a home run for Chicago, but of the outside-the-park variety. Vladimir Guerrero, Torii Hunter, and Maicer Izturis each drove in a run for Los Angeles, but it was not enough as the Angels fell to 85-56 on the year. Tony Pena picked up the save after recording the final two outs for the White Sox.

Houston Astros 4 Pittsburgh Pirates 2- Carlos Lee and Miguel Tejada each blasted a two-run shot to lift Houston to the 70-win milestone; Tejada’s long ball in the 7th inning broke a 2-2 tie and enabled Jeff Fulchino to pick up his sixth victory of the season. Ramon Vazquez and Andy LaRoche each drove in a run for the Pirates, but it was not enough as Pittsburgh fell to 54-86 on the year. Jose Valverde picked up his 23rd save of the season after shutting down the Pirates in the 9th inning.

Cleveland Indians 13 Kansas City Royals 6- David Huff joined the MLB’s 10-win club after scattering three earned runs on seven hits in six innings. Shin-Soo Choo homered in the 5th inning while Jhonny Peralta added 4 RBIs for Cleveland, who improved to 61-80 on the season. Willie Bloomquist and Mike Jacobs each drove in two runs for the Royals, but Kansas City ended up suffering Loss #86 of the year.

Toronto Blue Jays 8 Detroit Tigers 6- Aaron Hill’s two-run blast in the top of the 9th inning broke a 6-6 tie and lifted the Blue Jays to their 65th win of the season. Rod Barajas, Vernon Wells, and Marco Scutaro also went deep for the Blue Jays. Detroit scored all of its runs off home runs from Curtis Granderson, Alex Avila, and Miguel Cabrera; nevertheless, the Tigers suffered their 5th consecutive loss and fell to 75-66 on the year. Jason Frasor recorded the final out of the game for Toronto and earned his 10th save in 12 chances.

Florida Marlins 11 Washington Nationals 3- Jorge Cantu drove in the first five runs for Florida via a three-run blast and a two-run double to lift Florida to Win #76 of the season. Gaby Sanchez added his first career long ball for Florida, who won four of its last five games. Justin Maxwell homered twice for the Nationals, but it was not enough as Washington fell to 49-93 on the year. Tim Wood pitched 1.1 scoreless innings of relief and earned his first major league victory.

Milwaukee Brewers 9 Arizona Diamondbacks 2- Dave Bush earned a win for the first time in almost four months, squandering one earned run on five hits in seven innings; Bush struck out eleven en route to his fourth victory of the season. Casey McGehee blasted two long balls to lift Milwaukee to Win #68 of the year; McGehee finished the game with 6 RBIs. Gerardo Parra and Chris Young each drove in a run for the Diamondbacks; it was not enough, however, as Arizona fell to 62-81 on the year, clinching a non-winning season.

Los Angeles Dodgers 9 San Francisco Giants 1- Vincente Padilla held San Francisco to one unearned run on three hits in six innings, picking up his third victory of the season in a Dodgers uniform. Russell Martin and James Loney went deep for Los Angeles, who improved to 85-58 on the year. The Giants, who are now 76-66, have lost their fourth consecutive game and five of their last six games.

Boston Red Sox 9 Tampa Bay Rays 1- Josh Beckett won his first game in a month, and the game didn’t even last six innings; the game was called in the top of the 6th inning due to rain. Beckett pitched the whole five innings for Boston, giving up one earned run on four hits in five innings; Beckett struck out four before joining the MLB’s 15-win club. Boston scored eight in the 3rd inning en route to Win #82 of the year, clinching a winning season for the Red Sox. Kevin Youkilis added his 25th home run of the year in the 4th inning. Jason Bartlett singled in the lone Tampa Bay run of the game; the Rays, who fell to 72-69 on the season, have now lost nine consecutive games.

Seattle Mariners 8 Texas Rangers 3- Brandon Morrow picked up his first victory since September 26, 2008 after allowing three earned runs on five hits in five innings. Ichiro Suzuki homered and added another hit to lift the Mariners to their 73rd win of the season; Ichiro now needs two more hits for a record 9th consecutive 200-hit season. The game actually ended in the bottom of the 9th inning due to rain. Julio Borbon drove in all three runs for the Rangers: two on a 3rd inning home run, and one on a 5th inning groundout. It was not enough, however, as Texas fell to 79-61 on the year.

San Diego Padres 3 Colorado Rockies 2- A walk-off walk drawn by Nick Hundley lifted the San Diego Padres to their 64th victory of the season. Adrian Gonzalez and Chase Headley each drove in a run in the 1st inning for San Diego. Troy Tulowitzki went deep in the 6th inning for Colorado, but it was not enough as the Rockies fell to 82-61 on the season. The loss snaps Colorado’s eight-game winning streak. Yorvit Torrealba forced extra innings when his RBI single in the 9th inning drove in Dexter Fowler; it was the second straight night San Diego closer Heath Bell blew a save.

Photo Source: Photobucket

Chicago Cubs 8 Pittsburgh Pirates 5- Carlos Zambrano picked up his 1st win since July 22 after holding the Pirates to two earned runs on five hits in six innings; Zambrano struck out 8 as he earned Win #8 of the season. Micah Hoffpauir hit a solo home run and drove in another to lift Chicago to its 71st victory of the year. Ronny Cedeno hit a three-run blast in the 8th inning while Andrew McCutchen added a two-run double in the 4th for Pittsburgh, but it was not enough as the Pirates fell to 54-84 on the season. Pittsburgh has now lost 12 of its last 13 games. Carlos Marmol picked up his 11th save in 15 chances after shutting down the Pirates in the 9th inning.

Texas Rangers 10 Cleveland Indians 0- Five runs in the first inning and five more in the last propelled Texas to Win #79 of the season. Scott Feldman improved to 16-4 as a starter after scattering five hits in seven scoreless innings; Feldman walked two and struck out five. The Rangers scored their five runs in the first inning off long balls from Marlon Byrd and Ivan Rodriguez; Byrd and Rodriguez drove in a combined seven runs for Texas. Texas completed a three-game sweep over Cleveland in a 24-hour period; the Indians fell to 60-79 on the year.

St. Louis Cardinals 5 Milwaukee Brewers 1- Adam Wainwright picked up his league-leading 18th victory of the season after giving up five hits in seven scoreless innings; Wainwright walked one and struck out six. Albert Pujols homered not once, but twice to propel the Cardinals to their 84th victory of the year; Pujols finished the day with 3 RBIs. Felipe Lopez scored the lone Milwaukee run of the game in the 8th inning on a solo home run; the Brewers ended up suffering their 73rd loss of the season.

San Diego Padres 4 San Francisco Giants 2- Wade LeBlanc improved to 2-1 as a starter, squandering two earned runs on four hits in seven innings. Adrian Gonzalez and Oscar Salazar each hit a long ball to lift the Padres to their 63rd victory of the season; Gonzalez finished the game with 3 RBIs. Andres Torres drove in both San Francisco runs of the game on a home run in the 3rd inning. However, the Giants fell to 76-64 on the year. Heath Bell picked up his 37th save in 40 chances after working the 9th inning for San Diego.

Philadelphia Phillies 6 Washington Nationals 5- Cliff Lee improved to 6-2 as a starter after scattering five runs (four earned) on ten hits in seven innings. Jayson Werth and Pedro Feliz each homered in the 8th inning to lift Philadelphia to its 79th win of the season. Adam Dunn and Cristian Guzman each drove in two runs for the Nationals, but it was not enough as Washington fell to 47-92 on the year. Ryan Madson earned his 6th save in as many chances after working the 9th inning for Philadelphia.

Florida Marlins 6 New York Mets 3- Ricky Nolasco picked up his 11th victory of the season after scattering three earned runs on four hits in 6.1 innings. Cody Ross and Dan Uggla went deep for Florida, who improved to 74-65 on the season; Ross and Uggla combined for 5 RBIs. Daniel Murphy, Jeff Francoeur, and Fernando Tatis each drove in a run for the Mets, who suffered their 77th loss of the year. Leo Nunez joined the MLB’s 20-save club after shutting down New York in the 9th inning.

New York Yankees 4 Tampa Bay Rays- Good news for Yankees fans: Derek Jeter is now tied with Lou Gehrig on the Yankees’ all-time hit list. Even better news for Yankees fans: The Yankees won their 91st game of the season. Jeter went 3-for-4 to match Gehrig with 2,721 hits as a Yankee, and Jorge Posada’s three-run blast in the bottom of the 8th capped a four-run inning for New York. Jason Bartlett hit a long ball in the 1st inning for Tampa Bay, but the Rays ended up losing their 68th game of the year. Posada’s 21st home run of the season enabled Jonathan Albaladejo to earn his 5th victory of the season and Phil Coke to pick up Save #2 of the year.

Minnesota Twins 4 Toronto Blue Jays 1- Justin Morneau’s solo home run in the 8th inning broke a 1-1 tie and lfited the Minnesota Twins to the 70-win milestone. Orlando Cabrera also hit a long ball, and Michael Cuddyer added a two-run double for Minnesota. Twins starter Carl Pavano picked up his 12th victory of the season after giving up one earned run on six hits in 7.1 innings. Travis Snider drove in the only Toronto run of the game in the 5th inning; the Blue Jays suffered Loss #77 of the year. Joe Nathan picked up his 38th save in 43 chances after shutting down the Blue Jays in the 9th inning.

Houston Astros 2 Atlanta Braves 1- Down 1-0 in the middle of the 9th inning, Houston rallied to score two in the bottom half to improve to 68-71, the antithesis of Atlanta’s record. Miguel Tejada’s two-run single in the 9th enabled Jose Valverde to pick up his 4th victory of the season. Matt Diaz singled in the lone Atlanta run of the game in the 2nd inning, but it was not enough as the Braves have lost six of their last seven games. Tommy Hanson pitched eight solid innings for Atlanta, giving up five hits and striking out seven; however, Rafael Soriano was unable to close it out for Atlanta as the Braves closer fell to 1-5 on the year.

Colorado Rockies 4 Cincinnati Reds 3- Seth Smith’s two-out, two-run single in the 9th inning lifted the Colorado Rockies to the 80-win milestone; Smith ended the game with 3 RBIs. Garrett Atkins also drove in a run for the Rockies, who extended their winning streak to six games as well as their NL Wild Card lead to four games over San Francisco. Scott Rolen hit a go-ahead home run in the top of the 9th inning for Cincinnati, but the Reds ended up suffering their 76th loss of the season.

Boston Red Sox 7 Baltimore Orioles 5- Billy Wagner earned his first win in a Red Sox uniform after pitching a perfect 7th inning; it was Wagner’s first win in over two years and his first decision in the American League. Victor Martinez hit a three-run double in that 7th inning to break a 4-4 tie and lift Boston to Win #81 of the year, clinching a non-losing season. Cesar Izturis, Nolan Reimold, Brian Roberts, Felix Pie, and Luke Scott each drove in a run for Baltimore, who fell to 56-83 on the year. Jonathan Papelbon recorded the last four outs for the Red Sox and earned his 35th save of the season.

Kansas City Royals 5 Detroit Tigers 1- Robinson Tejada improved to 2-1 on the season after scattering three hits in six scoreless innings. Billy Butler drove in two runs for Kansas City, who earned Win #54 of the year. Alex Avila’s sacrifice fly in the 9th inning drove in the only Detroit run of the game; the Tigers fell to 75-63 on the season. Joakim Soria recorded the final two outs for Kansas City to earn his 24th save in 27 chances.

Chicago White Sox 4 Oakland Athletics 3- A.J. Pierzynski’s walk-off double in the 13th inning lifted the Chicago White Sox to the 70-win milestone. Alexei Ramirez, who scored on Pierzynski’s RBI double, drove in two runs for the White Sox, who have won six of their last eight games. Octavio Dotel pitched three scoreless innings to pick up Win #3 of the season. Scott Hairston, Ryan Sweeney, and Kurt Suzuki each drove in a run for Oakland, but it was not enough as the Athletics fell to 62-77 on the year.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 6 Seattle Mariners 3- Jered Weaver joined the MLB’s 15-win club after scattering two earned runs on seven hits in 6.1 innings. Kendry Morales hit a three-run double in the 1st inning while Juan Rivera blasted a two-run shot in the 8th to lift Los Angeles to Win #83 of the season. Kenji Johjima and Jose Lopez each hit a solo home run for Seattle, but it was not enough as the Mariners fell to 72-68 on the year. Brian Fuentes earned membership in the MLB’s 40-save club after shutting down Seattle in the 9th inning. The Angels’ lead in the AL West remains at 4.5 games over Texas.

Arizona Diamondbacks 4 Los Angeles Dodgers 3- Mark Reynolds is known for his home-run hitting, but he may also be known for his drawing bases-loaded walks (at least for this game). Reynolds’ walk-off walk lifted Arizona to its 62nd victory of the season. Juan Gutierrez, who pitched 1.2 scoreless innings of relief, earned his 4th win of the year. Miguel Montero and Chris Young hit back-to-back home runs in the 2nd inning for the Diamondbacks. Manny Ramirez and James Loney hit back-to-back long balls of their own in the 3rd inning, but it was not enough as the Dodgers fell to 83-58 on the season. Los Angeles’ lead in the NL West is now down to 2.5 games over Colorado.

Photo Source: Photobucket

Chicago Cubs 4 Pittsburgh Pirates 2- The Pirates suffered their 82nd loss of the season, clinching their 17th consecutive losing season in the MLB; no other professional sports team in North America has accomplished that feat. Cubs starter Ted Lilly scattered two earned runs on as many hits in six innings, picking up his 11th victory of the season. Derrek Lee homered not once, but twice to lift the Cubs to their 69th win of the year; Lee’s long balls drove in three of Chicago’s four runs. Milton Bradley drove in the other run for the Cubs on an RBI infield single in the 5th inning. Andy LaRoche blasted his 8th home run of the season in the 3rd inning, but he was not able to help Pittsburgh suffer its milestone loss.

St. Louis Cardinals 3 Milwaukee Brewers 0- Chris Carpenter pitched a complete-game one-hitter as he improved to 16-3 on the season; Carpenter walked two and struck out ten. Albert Pujols doubled in two runs in the 5th inning while Matt Holliday singled in another run in the 8th to lift St. Louis to its 82nd win of the year, clinching a winning season for the NL Central leaders. Jody Gerut registered the only hit of the game for Milwaukee in the 5th inning; the Brewers ended up suffering their 71st loss of the year.

Houston Astros 4 Philadelphia Phillies 3- Michael Bourn drew a bases-loaded walk in the 7th inning to break a 3-3 tie and lift Houston to Win #67 of the season, completing a three-game sweep over Philadelphia. Hunter Pence drove in the other three runs for Houston: two on a 2nd inning long ball, and one on a 7th inning RBI double. Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez hit back-to-back solo home runs in the 4th inning, but it was not enough as the Phillies suffered their 58th loss of the year; Howard finished the game with 2 RBIs. Jose Valverde earned his 22nd save in 26 chances after pitching a perfect 9th inning for Houston.

Colorado Rockies 4 Cincinnati Reds 3- Ian Stewart’s solo home run in the 8th inning broke a 3-3 tie and lifted Colorado to its 78th victory of the season, extending its winning streak to four games; Stewart has gone deep four times in his last five games. However, the win for the Rockies came at the expense of Troy Tulowitzki, who left in the game in the 7th inning; Tulowitzki suffered a strained lower back after tying the game with an RBI single. Todd Helton drove in the other two runs for Colorado. Jonny Gomes hit a two run home run in the 4th inning for Cincinnati, who scored all three of its runs in that inning. Scott Rolen, who scored on Gomes’ 18th home run of the season, singled in the other run for the Reds, who fell to 63-74 on the year. Franklin Morales worked the 9th inning to earn his 4th save in five chances.

Los Angeles Dodgers 7 Arizona Diamondbacks 2- Vincente Padilla won his second game in a Dodgers uniform after squandering two earned runs on six hits in six innings. Manny Ramirez, James Loney, and Ronnie Belliard all homered for Los Angeles, who improved to 82-57 on the season. Ramirez was actually tossed out of the game in the 3rd inning; Ramirez threw hit bat and helmet after striking out. Chris Young drove in both runs of the game for Arizona on a long ball in the 5th inning; it was not enough, however, as the Diamondbacks suffered their 78th loss of the year. Jonathan Broxton earned his 33rd save in 38 chances after recording the final four outs for Los Angeles.

San Francisco Giants 9 San Diego Padres 4- Brad Penny made his debut in San Francisco, holding San Diego to two earned runs on three hits in seven innings; Penny struck out six en route to his second win of the season in a Giants uniform. Juan Uribe homered twice while Edgar Renteria went deep once to lift San Francisco to its 76th victory of the year. Nick Hundley and Adrian Gonzalez each hit one ball out of the park for San Diego, but the Padres ended up losing their 78th game of the season; Hundley finished the day with 3 RBIs.

Kansas City Royals 6 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 3- Kyle Davies picked up his 7th win of the season after allowing one earned run on five hits in five innings. Billy Butler homered twice and drove in four runs to lift Kansas City to its 52nd victory of the year. Mike Jacobs and Alberto Callaspo each singled in a run in the 1st inning for the Royals, who snapped their nine-game losing streak. Bobby Abreu blasted his 13th home run of the season in the 5th inning while Torii Hunter and Kendry Morales each added a 7th inning RBI single for the Angels, who were unable to clinch a winning season. Los Angeles fell to 81-55 on the year.

Chicago White Sox 5 Boston Red Sox 1- Mark Buerhle won his first game since the perfect game, scattering one earned run on eight hits in seven innings to earn his 12th victory of the season. Carlos Quentin hit a two-run blast in the 8th inning for Chicago, who improved to 69-70 on the year. Kevin Youkilis singled in the only run of the game for Boston in the 1st inning; the Red Sox fell victim to their opponent for the 58th time this season.

Minnesota Twins 6 Toronto Blue Jays 3- Behind a five-run 1st inning, the Minnesota Twins defeated the Toronto Blue Jays to earn Win #69 of the season. Jesse Crain earned the win for Minnesota after pitching 1.1 innings of scoreless relief. Jose Bautista blasted his 4th long ball of the year in the 5th inning for Toronto, who fell to 61-76 on the season. Twins catcher Joe Mauer led all batters with 2 RBIs, both of which were earned in the 1st inning. Joe Nathan picked up his 37th save of the season after shutting down the Blue Jays in the 9th inning.

New York Yankees 4 Tampa Bay Rays 1 (Game 1)- Robinson Cano’s sacrifice fly in the 8th inning broke a 1-1 tie and lifted the Yankees to their 88th victory of the season. Jorge Posada, Eric Hinske, and Alex Rodriguez each drove in a run for New York, whose fans will have to wait another day to see Derek Jeter become the Yankees’ all-time hits leader. Jeter went 0-for-4 and remains three hits behind Lou Gehrig. Evan Longoria scored the only run of the game for Tampa Bay on a solo home run in the 2nd inning; the Rays ended up losing their 65th game of the year. In addition to the game, the Rays lost Carlos Pena, who broke two fingers on his left hand after getting hit by a pitch in the first inning; Pena actually swung his bat on that play, so he was not even awarded first base.

New York Yankees 11 Tampa Bay Rays 1 (Game 2)- Again, Derek Jeter failed to register a hit against Tampa Bay, but again, the Yankees won, completing a day-night doubleheader sweep against the Rays. A.J. Burnett allowed one earned run on four hits in six innings as he picked up his 11th victory of the season. Mark Teixeira homered twice to lift the Yankees to Win #89 of the year. Evan Longoria doubled in the only Tampa Bay run of the game in the 1st inning; the Rays ended up suffering their 66th loss of the season.

Photo Source: Photobucket

Chicago Cubs 5 New York Mets 2- Alfonso Soriano’s three-run blast in the 8th inning broke a 2-2 tie and lifted the Chicago Cubs to Win #64 of the season. Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez singled in the other runs for Chicago. Carlos Marmol shut down the Mets in the 9th inning to earn his 6th save of the year. Omir Santos and Fernando Tatis drove in the runs for the Mets, but it was not enough as New York fell to 58-71 on the season.

Cincinnati Reds 4 Los Angeles Dodgers 2- Homer Bailey scattered seven hits in eight scoreless innings as he picked up his 4th victory of the season. Jonny Gomes blasted his 16th long ball of the year in the 6th inning for Cincinnati, who improved to 56-71 on the season; Gomes finished the game with 2 RBIs. Los Angeles scored both of its runs in the 9th inning: one on a James Loney solo home run, and the other on an Andre Ethier RBI strikeout. However, the Dodgers ended up losing their 53rd game of the year.

San Diego Padres 9 Florida Marlins 5- Behind a six-run 2nd inning, the San Diego Padres won their 55th game of the season. Kevin Correia improved to 9-10 as a starter after squandering four earned runs on eleven hits in 6.2 innings. Kyle Blanks went deep in the 2nd inning for the Padres; it was Blanks’ 10th home run of the year. Wes Helms drove in two runs for the Marlins, but Florida ended up suffering Loss #61 of the season.

Milwaukee Brewers 8 Pittsburgh Pirates 6- Manny Parra won his 9th game of the season, allowing six earned runs on ten hits in six innings; Parra also drove in a run with an infield single in the 1st inning. Prince Fielder, Jason Bourgeois, and Ryan Braun all homered for the Brew Crew, who earned Win #62 of the season. Andrew McCutchen hit his 10th home run of the year in the 6th inning, but it was not enough as the Pirates fell to 53-73 on the season; McCutchen ended the game with 4 RBIs.

St. Louis Cardinals 3 Washington Nationals 2- Albert Pujols’ 41st home run of the season was a walk-off solo shot that lifted the Cardinals to their 75th victory of the season. Khalil Greene tied the game in the bottom of the 8th inning when his solo home run leveled the score at two. Jason Motte, who pitched a scoreless 9th inning for St. Louis, earned his 4th victory of the season. Pete Orr and Josh Bard drove in the runs for the Nationals, but Washington ended up losing its 83rd game of the year.

Philadelphia Phillies 4 Atlanta Braves 2- Ryan Howard blasted two home runs to lead the Phillies to their 74th victory of the season. The game was delayed for 63 minutes due to rain in the bottom of the 2nd inning; after seven minutes of baseball, the game was delayed for an additional 45 minutes. Matt Diaz and Chipper Jones drove in the runs for Atlanta, but it was not enough as the Braves fell to 67-61 on the year. Brad Lidge pitched a perfect 9th and earned his 26th save of the season.

Baltimore Orioles 13 Cleveland Indians 4- Jason Berken won his second straight start, giving up two earned runs on five hits in five innings; Berken was credited with his 4th victory of the season. Felix Pie and Nick Markakis blasted long balls for the Orioles, who improved to 53-76 on the year; Pie ended the game with 3 RBIs. Matt Wieters led all batters with 4 RBIs for Baltimore. Matt LaPorta went deep for Cleveland in the 6th inning, but the Indians ended up losing their 71st game of the season.

Detroit Tigers 6 Tampa Bay Rays 2- Behind a five-run 4th inning, the Detroit Tigers earned Win #68 of the season. Brandon Inge hit a long ball in the 2nd inning and scored another run in the 4th for Detroit, who held Tampa Bay to six hits. Rick Porcello was credited with his 11th win of the year after scattering one earned run on four hits in 5.2 innings. Gabe Kapler hit a solo home run in the 9th inning for Tampa Bay, but the Rays ended up on the short side of an MLB baseball game for the 58th time this year.

New York Yankees 5 Chicago White Sox 2- Robinson Cano’s three-run blast in the 10th inning lifted the Yankees to the 80-win milestone. Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon also homered for New York, who stranded nine men on base. Chicago scored both of its runs in the 7th inning on an Alex Rios RBI double and a Gordon Beckham RBI single; it was not enough, however, as the White Sox suffered their 65th loss of the season. Brian Burney, who worked the 10th inning for New York, earned his 4th victory of the year.

Minnesota Twins 3 Texas Rangers 2- Three runs in the 1st inning were all Brian Duensing needed to earn Win #2 of the season. Duensing gave up one earned run on three hits in seven strong innings for Minnesota, striking out eight batters in the process. Joe Mauer, Jason Kubel, and Michael Cuddyer each drove in a run for Minnesota, who improved to 64-64 on the year. Joe Nathan gave up a run in the 9th inning, but managed to earn his 33rd save of the season. Josh Hamilton and David Murphy drove in the runs for Texas, who fell to 71-56 on the year.

Arizona Diamondbacks 14 Houston Astros 7- John Hester hit a big-time long ball in his first major league at-bat, lifting the Arizona Diamondbacks to their 57th win of the season. Miguel Montero and Alex Romero also went deep for Arizona, who won three of its last twelve games. Jeff Keppinger and Hunter Pence homered for Houston, but it was not enough as the Astros fell to 62-66 on the year. Max Scherzer scattered six runs (five earned) on five hits in six innings as he picked up his 8th victory of the season.

San Francisco Giants 2 Colorado Rockies 0- Tim Lincecum ended a four-start winless streak, striking out eight in as many innings to improve to 13-4 on the season; Lincecum gave up four hits and three walks. Pablo Sandoval hit a solo home run in the 5th inning for the Giants, who reached the 70-win milestone. Eugenio Velez drove in the other run for San Francisco, who pulled to within two games of Colorado in the NL Wild Card.

Seattle Mariners 6 Kansas City Royals 3- Felix Hernandez squandered three earned runs on five hits in seven innings as he picked up his 13th victory of the year. Josh Wilson registered his first 3-RBI game in over two years to lift the Mariners to their 67th win of the season. Mitch Maier hit a two-run home run in the 5th inning for Kansas City, but the Royals ended up losing their 79th game of the season. David Aardsma earned Save #31 of the year after shutting down the Royals in the 9th inning.

Boston Red Sox 6 Toronto Blue Jays 5- Jason Varitek’s play at the plate prevented Toronto from scoring the go-ahead run in the top of the 8th inning. In the bottom half, Casey Kotchman broke the 5-5 tie with a fielder’s choice that scored David Ortiz; Boston went on to win its 74th game of the season. Jason Bay blasted his 29th home run of the season in the 5th inning to level the score at five. Josh Beckett allowed five earned runs on as many hits in as many innings, but did not factor in the decision; Beckett allowed a three-run home run to Aaron Hill in the 2nd and two-run bomb to Rod Barajas in the 5th. Jonathan Papelbon struck out the side in the 9th inning to earn his 31st save of the year.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 11 Oakland Athletics 7- Behind seven runs in the seventh inning, the Angels improved to 76-51 on the season. Kendry Morales went 5-for-5 with 6 RBIs, hitting two long balls for Los Angeles. Scott Hairston went deep for the Athletics in the 3rd inning, but Oakland ended up suffering its 72nd loss of the year. Brian Fuentes earned Save #37 of the season after recording the final two outs of the 9th inning.

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Cleveland Indians 4 Kansas City Royals 2- David Huff squandered two earned runs on seven hits in six innings as he picked up his 8th victory of the season. Grady Sizemore scored three runs, and Matt LaPorta hit a solo home run for the Indians, who improved to 56-70 on the season; it was LaPorta’s second long ball of the season. Mark Teahen and Miguel Olivo drove in the runs for Kansas City, who suffered Loss #78 of the year. Kerry Wood shut down the Royals in the 9th inning to earn his 16th save in 21 chances.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 4 Detroit Tigers 2- Joe Saunders allowed two earned runs on four hits in five innings as he joined the MLB’s 10-win club; Saunders gave up a two-run blast to Adam Everett, but managed to strike out six. Torii Hunter hit a two-run home run of his own in the 1st inning to lift the Angels to their 75th win of the season. Kendry Morales and Chone Figgins each drove in a run for Los Angeles, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Detroit fell to 67-59 on the year as Brian Fuentes earned his 36th save of the season.

Boston Red Sox 3 Chicago White Sox 2- David Ortiz’s second home run of the game lifted the Boston Red Sox to their 73rd victory of the season; it was Ortiz’s 10th career walk-off long ball and a franchise-record 9th with Boston. Alex Gonzalez also went deep for the Red Sox. Tim Wakefield, fresh off the disabled list, gave up one earned run on six hits in seven innings, but did not factor into the decision because Ramon Ramirez gave up a solo home run to Chicago’s Scott Podsednik in the 8th inning. Instead, it was Daniel Bard who earned his first victory of the season after pitching 1.1 innings of scoreless relief. Paul Konerko tripled in the other run for Chicago, who fell to 63-64 on the year.

San Diego Padres 12 Atlanta Braves 5- Behind a six-run 6th inning, the San Diego Padres won their 54th game of the season. Tim Stauffer squandered three earned runs on six hits in five innings as he improved to 2-6 as a starter. Kevin Kouzmanoff added a two-run bomb in the 7th inning for San Diego, who will attempt its first series sweep since May 22-24 when the Padres downed the Chicago Cubs. Brian McCann hit a three-run blast for Atlanta, but it was not enough as the Braves reached the 60-loss milestone; McCann ended the game with 4 RBIs.

Philadelphia Phillies 4 Pittsburgh Pirates 1- Ryan Howard’s three-run home run in the 10th inning lifted the defending World Series champions to their 73rd victory of the season. Chase Utley also went deep for Philadelphia, who won thirteen of its last sixteen games. Pittsburgh forced extra innings when Brandon Moss hit a pinch-hit home run in the bottom of the 9th inning. Despite blowing the save, Ryan Madson got credit for his 5th victory of the season. Pittsburgh fell to 52-72 on the year.

Florida Marlins 5 New York Mets 3- Josh Johnson scattered three earned runs on nine hits in six innings as he picked up his 13th win of the season; Johnson is now 19-2 in his career against the NL East. Ronny Paulino’s two-run blast in the 5th inning broke a 2-2 tie and lifted Florida to Win #67 of the year. Fernando Tatis, Anderson Hernandez, and Cory Sullivan drove in the runs for New York, who reached the 70-loss milestone. Leo Nunez shut down the Mets in the 9th inning to earn his 16th save of the season.

Chicago Cubs 9 Washington Nationals 4- Behind six runs in the 8th inning, the Chicago Cubs won their 63rd game of the season. Milton Bradley hit a home run and drove in three runs for Chicago. Angel Guzman was credited with his third victory of the season after pitching a scoreless inning of relief. Josh Willingham, Cristian Guzman, Wil Nieves, and Willie Harris drove in the runs for Washington, who fell to 45-82 and clinched a losing season.

St. Louis Cardinals 3 Houston Astros 2- Joel Pineiro allowed two earned runs on seven hits in eight innings as he improved to 13-9 as a starter. St. Louis scored all of its runs in the 1st inning on a Matt Holiday RBI single and a Mark DeRosa two-run double; the Cardinals improved to 74-54 on the season. Houston scored all of its runs in the 4th inning on Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee RBI singles. However, it was not enough as the Astros suffered their 65th loss of the year.

Los Angeles Dodgers 6 Colorado Rockies 1- Randy Wolf scattered one earned run on five hits in 7.1 innings as he picked up his 9th victory of the season; Wolf gave up a solo home run to Ryan Spilborghs. Los Angeles scored all of its runs off long balls as well: Andre Ethier drove in three runs with a pair of home runs while James Loney hit a three-run blast. The Dodgers improved to 75-52 on the season while the Rockies fell to 72-55. Los Angeles now has a three-game lead over Colorado in the NL West.

New York Yankees 9 Texas Rangers 2- Andy Pettitte tied Lefty Gomez for third place on the Yankees’ career win list, squandering two earned runs on five hits in seven innings; it was Pettitte’s 11th win of the year. Jorge Posada and Jerry Hairston Jr. hit the long balls for the Yankees, who won their 79th game of the season. The win, however, came at the expense of Jorge Posada, who left the game in the 8th inning after taking a foul ball off his hand. Daniel Murphy drove in both runs of the game for Texas, including one on a home run in the 7th inning. However, it was not enough as the Rangers fell to 70-55 on the season.

Toronto Blue Jays 3 Tampa Bay Rays 2- Trailing 2-1 in the middle of the 9th inning, Toronto scored two runs in the bottom half to earn Win #58 of the season. Rod Barajas tied the game on a pinch-hit home run off J.P. Howell, and Marco Scutaro won the game by touching home plate on a Howell wild pitch. It was Howell’s 7th blown save and 4th loss of the year. Two umpires got injured during this game: Jerry Crawford took a foul ball off his face mask while replacement Tom Hallion took a strikeout pitch on his chest. The Jays improved to 58-67 on the season while the Rays fell to 69-57.

Baltimore Orioles 5 Minnesota Twins 1- Jeremy Guthrie earned his 9th victory of the season after scattering one earned run on six hits in seven innings. Felix Pie hit a solo home run for the Orioles, who improved to 52-75 on the season. Justin Morneau doubled in the only Minnesota run of the game in the 4th inning; the Twins ended up losing their 64th game of the season.

Cincinnati Reds 4 Milwaukee Brewers 3- Darnell McDonald’s RBi double in the 10th inning lifted the Cincinnati Reds to their 54th victory of the season. McDonald also gunned down Ryan Braun at the plate in the bottom of the 9th inning. Laynce Nix hit a long ball for the Reds, who won their second straight game in extra innings. Milwaukee scored all three of its runs off home runs from Jody Gerut and Prince Fielder. It was not enough, however, as the Brewers fell to 61-65 on the season. Francisco Cordero recorded Save #27 of the year for Cincinnati.

San Francisco Giants 4 Arizona Diamondbacks 3- Bengie Molina’s three-run home run in the bottom of the 8th inning lifted the San Francisco Giants to their 69th win of the season. Juan Uribe also went deep for the Giants, who extended their winning streak to two games. Ryan Roberts hit a solo home run in the 1st inning for Arizona, but the Diamondbacks ended up suffering their 72nd loss of the year. Brandon Medders earned his first save of the season after shutting down the Diamondbacks in the 9th inning.

Seattle Mariners 5 Oakland Athletics 3- Luke French squandered three earned runs on six hits in 5.2 innings as he improved to 4-3 as a starter. Jose Lopez hit a two-run blast in the 1st inning for Seattle, who won its 66th game of the season. Oakland scored all three of its runs off long balls from Jack Cust and Kurt Suzuki, but it was not enough as the Athletics suffered Loss #71 of the year.

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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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Atlanta Braves 9 Arizona Diamondbacks 4- Tommy Hanson gave up two earned runs on six hits in six innings as he improved to 8-2 as a starter; it was Hanson’s third consecutive win. Garret Anderson and Adam LaRoche went deep for the Braves, who improved to 62-56 on the season. Stephen Drew and Mark Reynolds hit the long balls for the Diamondbacks, who suffered their 65th loss of the season. Atlanta scored six runs in the third inning.

Pittsburgh Pirates 9 Milwaukee Brewers 5- Kevin Hart earned his first win as a Pirate after giving up four earned runs on nine hits in six innings; Hart improved to 4-2 as a starter. Andy LaRoche, Garrett Jones, and Ronny Cedeno all homered for the Pirates, who earned their 47th win of the season and 2nd win in their last 14 games. Prince Fielder and Mike Cameron hit the long balls for Milwaukee, who reached the 60-loss milestone.

San Francisco Giants 10 New York Mets 1- Joe Martinez picked up his third victory of the season after squandering one earned run on five hits in five innings. Aaron Rowand hit a solo shot in the 4th inning for San Francisco, who improved to 64-54 on the season; Rowand ended the game going 4-for-5 with 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Gary Sheffield singled in New York’s only run of the game in the 3rd inning.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 8 Baltimore Orioles 5- Ervin Santana gave up three earned runs on seven hits in six innings as he improved to 6-6 as a starter. The Angels scored all of their runs off long balls: two from Vladimir Guerrero, and one each from Kendry Morales and Maicer Izturis. Los Angeles improved to 71-45 on the year while Baltimore reached the 70-loss milestone. Nick Markakis and Melvin Mora hit home runs for the Orioles.

Texas Rangers 8 Minnesota Twins 5- Tommy Hunter gave up four earned runs on as many hits in 5.2 innings, picking up Win #6 of the season. Marlon Byrd went 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs and one run scored, helping the Rangers win their 67th game of the season. With this win, Texas improved its Wild Card lead to one game over Boston. Joe Mauer hit a solo shot in the 1st inning for Minnesota, who fell to 56-62 on the year.

Chicago White Sox 8 Kansas City Royals 7- Scott Podsednik’s RBI single in the 8th inning broke a 7-7 tie and lifted the White Sox to their 61st victory of the season. Jayson Nix and A.J. Pierzynski went deep for Chicago. Bobby Jenks pitched a 1-2-3 9th inning and earned his 25th save of the season. Yuniesky Betancourt and Mike Jacobs hit the long balls for Kansas City, but it was not enough as the Royals fell to 46-72 on the year.

St. Louis Cardinals 3 Los Angeles Dodgers 2- Chris Carpenter gave up two earned runs on five hits in eight innings as he joined the MLB’s 13-win club. The Cardinals scored all of their runs off long balls: Albert Pujols hit a solo shot in the 4th inning, and Rick Ankiel’s two-run blast in the 7th inning lifted St. Louis to Win #68 of the year. Casey Blake and James Loney drove in the runs for Los Angeles, who fell to 70-49 on the season. Ryan Franklin recorded the last two outs and earned his 30th save of the season.

Oakland Athletics 3 New York Yankees 0- Brett Tomko gave up five hits in as many innings against his former team, winning his second game of the season. Oakland scored all three of its runs in the 4th inning and improved to 53-65 on the year. Kurt Suzuki and Mark Ellis drove in the runs for Oakland; Suzuki also scored on a balk by A.J. Burnett, who pitched all eight innings for New York. Burnett gave up three earned runs on six hits, but was issued his sixth loss of the season.

San Diego Padres 4 Chicago Cubs 1- The game stayed scoreless until the top of the 8th inning when Aramis Ramirez singled in Derrek Lee to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead. The Cubs still led by one run until the bottom of the 9th inning when Chase Headley tied the game with an RBI double that scored David Eckstein. Kyle Blanks then won the game for San Diego with a walk-off three-run blast. The Padres reached the 50-win milestone while the Cubs fell to 60-56 on the year.

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Chicago Cubs 8 Milwaukee Brewers 2- Ted Lilly allowed two earned runs on nine hits in 6.1 innings as he improved to 8-6 as a starter. Derrek Lee and Jake Fox both homered for the Cubs, who won their 40th game of the season. Prince Fielder went deep for Milwaukee in the 4th inning.

Philadelphia Phillies 2 New York Mets 0- Joe Blanton pitched 7.1 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and striking out five en route to his fifth victory of the season. Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley both went deep for the Phillies, who improved to 42-37 on the season. Brad Lidge worked the 9th inning for Philadelphia and earned his 16th save of the season.

Minnesota Twins 6 Detroit Tigers 2- Behind a six-run 4th inning, during which Justin Morneau hit a two-run blast, the Minnesota Twins defeated the Detroit Tigers to improve to 43-40 on the year. Nick Blackburn pitched the whole game, allowing two runs (only one was earned) on seven hits. The only Detroit runs came off the bat of Brandon Inge, whose two-run home run in the 9th inning ended Blackburn’s bid for a shutout.

Washington Nationals 5 Atlanta Braves 3- Scott Olsen allowed three earned runs on eight hits in 8.2 innings as he improved to 2-4 as a starter. Newly acquired National Nyjer Morgan went 3-for-5 with 1 RBI and 1 run scored. Braves outfielder Nate McLouth hit a two-run blast in the 9th inning.

Kansas City Royals 6 Chicago White Sox 3- Brian Bannister improved to 6-6 as a starter, allowing two earned runs on five hits in six innings of work on the mound. Miguel Olivo hit a two-run long ball for the Royals, who improved to 35-46 on the season. Chicago’s Jermaine Dye hit a solo shot in the 8th inning; it was Dye’s 20th homer of the season.

Florida Marlins 5 Pittsburgh Pirates 0- Ricky Nolasco struck out twelve and allowed just three hits in eight scoreless innings as he won his sixth game as a starter. Florida’s Leo Nunez pitched a scoreless 9th inning to give the Marlins their second shutout victory of the year. Pittsburgh’s Ross Ohlendorf allowed five earned runs on nine hits in five innings; he was issued his seventh loss of the season.

Boston Red Sox 8 Seattle Mariners 4- Behind long balls from Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz, and Jacoby Ellsbury, the Boston Red Sox avoided their first sweep at home, defeating the Seattle Mariners by a score of 8 to 4. Boston scored five runs in the bottom of the 7th inning to improve to 49-32 on the season.

St. Louis Cardinals 10 Cincinnati Reds 1- Chris Carpenter allowed one earned run on five hits in seven innings as he went on to win his sixth game of the season. Colby Rasmus hit a two-run blast for the Cardinals in the 1st inning; it was his tenth long ball of the season.

New York Yankees 10 Toronto Blue Jays 8- Not even eight unanswered Toronto runs could help the Blue Jays take down the Yankees. Behind home runs from Hideki Matsui and Derek Jeter, the Yankees defeated the Blue Jays by two runs to improve to 48-33 on the season, staying one game behind the Boston Red Sox for first in the AL East. Adam Lind and Aaron Hill went deep for the Blue Jays, who suffered their 41st loss of the season.

Oakland Athletics 5 Cleveland Indians 2- Gio Gonzalez allowed two earned runs on six hits in six innings as he won his first game of the season. Oakland’s Orlando Cabrera hit a solo shot in the 9th inning; it was his third long ball of the season. Jhonny Peralta homered for the Indians, who fell to 33-50 on the year.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 9 Baltimore Orioles 6- Vladimir Guerrero hit a two-run home run to lift the Angels to their 45th victory of the season; Guerrero, who played outfield for the first time this season, hit long balls in back-to-back games for the first time since July 19-20, 2008 against the Boston Red Sox.

Arizona Diamondbacks 4 Colorado Rockies 3- Dan Haren allowed three runs (only one was earned) on seven hits in six innings as he improved to 8-5 as a starter. With his team up 2-0 in the 4th inning, Troy Tulowitzki hit a solo shot to give Colorado a 3-0 lead. However, Mark Reynolds tied the game with a three-run blast to left field in the 6th inning. Felipe Lopez drove in the winning run for Arizona with an RBI single in the 7th inning.

Houston Astros 7 San Francisco Giants 1- Roy Oswalt allowed one earned run on three hits in eight innings as he was credited with his fifth victory of the season. Giants starter Randy Johnson left the game in the top of the 4th inning with a left shoulder strain after committing a throwing error; Johnson allowed four runs (only three were earned) on five hits in 3.2 innings as he fell to 8-6 as a starter. Miguel Tejada, Hunter Pence, and Jason Michaels all homered for the Astros, who won their 39th game of the season.

Los Angeles Dodgers 7 San Diego Padres 6- Andre Ethier, Casey Blake, and Chad Billingsley all homered for the Dodgers, who took a 6-0 lead in the middle of the 5th inning. In the bottom half of that inning, Kevin Kouzmanoff hit his 11th long ball of the season to give San Diego its first run of the game. The score stood at 6-1 heading into the bottom of the 9th inning, where the Padres scored five runs to force extra innings; Chase Headley started off the San Diego scoring in the 9th with his 8th home run of the season. The game went to a 13th inning, where James Loney’s solo shot to right field gave Los Angeles a 7-6 lead; Jeff Weaver, who had been pitching since the 11th inning, closed out the game to earn his fifth win of the season.

Texas Rangers 5 Tampa Bay Rays 2- Scott Feldman allowed two runs (only one was earned) on three hits in six innings as he won his seventh game of the season. With a 5-2 victory over Tampa Bay, the Texas Rangers completed a three-game sweep of the Rays and extended their winning streak to five games. Rangers outfielder David Murphy went 3-for-3 with 1 RBI.

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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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