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Stay For a Nightcap! - Heavy Lumber Saturday Edition

Yankees 8, Rockies 3



- C.C. Sabathia cruised through eight innings, allowing just one run on seven hits with a 9:1 K:BB ratio, to become the majors' first 10 game winner. With his 50th win in 85 games as a Yankee, Sabathia matches Chien-Ming Wang as the quickest pitcher to 50 wins in pinstripes in the last 30 years. Hopefully that's not a bad omen for the big man.

- Aaron Cook got messed up, getting smacked around for six runs (five earned) on 12 hits and a walk in 5.2 innings, striking out one.

- despite the fact that the game wasn't exactkly a blowout, both managers were emptying their benches in the later innings. Carlos Gonzalez, Todd Helton, Troy Tulowitzki and Alex Rodriguez all hit the showers after seven innings.

W: Sabathia (10-4) HR: Ty Wigginton (10), Mark Teixeira (22) SB: Brett Gardner (15)





Giants 1, Indians 0



- to say these two teams were offensively-challenged would be an understatement. The game's only run scored on a Tony Sipp balk.

- Matt Cain lasted just long enough to get the win, giving up just four hits and a walk over seven shutout innings while striking out six.

- Justin Masterson lasted just long enough to take the loss, getting charged with the game's only run (unearned, naturally) on four hits and two walks over 6.2 innings with five K's

- Michael Brantley was the only guy on either team who seemed to really understand what to do with that piece of wood in his hands, going 3-for-4 with a double. He was stranded on 2nd, 3rd and 3rd, respectively.

W: Cain (7-4) SV: Brian Wilson (23)





Angels 6, Dodgers 1



- Tyler Chatwood allowed only one run on four hits and three walks over seven innings while striking out five. A solid outing, but he was helped by the fact that the only big-time power source in the Dodgers lineup, Matt Kemp, got tossed in the fifth inning for arguing balls and strikes.

- Hiroki Kuroda wasn't bad either, giving up two runs on just three hits and a walk over five innings while K'ing two.

- Torii Hunter missed his second straight game with sore ribs.

- Hong-Chih Kuo continues to do his best to avoid being trusted with the closer role, giving up a three-run home run to Vernon Wells to send his ERA up to 12.79

W: Chatwood (5-4) HR: Mark Trumbo (13), Wells (8) SB: Howie Kendrick (8)





Mets 14, Rangers 5



- Alexi Ogando got beat up again, lasting just three innings and giving up six runs (only three earned) on eight hits, striking out one without walking anyone. Ogando had a 1.81 ERA a month ago following a complete game shutout of the White Sox. He's added more than a full run to it in six starts since.

- Jon Niese left the game with an irregular heartbeat but not before getting the win, allowing two runs (both on solo shots) on six hits and two walks over 5.2 frames while striking out seven. The Mets say they aren't worried, but Niese will be sent for tests just to be sure.

- the Mets managed 17 hits, and Angel Pagan was the guy driving his owners nuts by going 0-for-4, although he at least drew a walk and scored a run. Jason Pridie may have had a worse fantasy day, going 1-for-5 and being the only Met without a run or an RBI.

- their big bats belonged to Carlos Beltran (3-for-5, three runs scored, three RBI) and Lucas Duda (4-for-5 with three doubles, two runs scored and four RBI).

- the Rangers' offense did OK too, with Josh Hamilton being the only guy not to get a hit, but they couldn't keep up with the Mets pop guns.

W: Niese (7-6) HR: Adrian Beltre (14), Michael Young (6), Nelson Cruz (18) SB: Willie Harris (3), Jose Reyes (27)





White Sox 3, Nationals 0



- it was not a good afternoon to be a starting pitcher. John Danks left after just five outs with a strained oblique, but that just opened the door for Jake Peavy to come out for his first career relief appearance and blow through the Nats lineup, giving up a single hit over four shutout innings while striking out seven. Brian Bruney and Sergio Santos filled in the other 3.1 innings, striking out four between them.

- Tom Gorzelanny looked very good too, getting touched for a single run on seven hits in seven innings with an impressive 8:1 K:BB ratio.

- Brent Morel and Alexis rios each had three hits for Chicago, with Rios chipping in a steal too.

W: Peavy (4-1) SV: Santos (15) SB: Danny Espinosa (9), Rios (5) CS: Roger Bernadina (1), Rios (5)





Tigers 6, Diamondbacks 0



- the wheels are coming off the Josh Collmenter bus. He got hammered for six runs on 10 hits in six innings, striking out four and walking two, and now has a tidy ERA of 7.00 over his last three starts. Looks like the league is figuring out his delivery, and deceptiveness is about all he has going for him.

- nobody's figuring out Justin Verlander though. He struck out 14 and walked one over eight shutout innings to join the 10-win club.

- Alex Avila provided more than enough offense to supprt verlander, going 3-for-4 with a double, home run and four RBI.

W: Verlander (10-4) HR: Avila (10)





Pirates 6, Red Sox 4



- the clubs combined for five home runs but only 10 total runs, which probably didn't hurt the Pirates' chances any. If you get into a slugfest with the Sawx, you want them to be solo shots.

- to wit, Jeff Karstens got the win after allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits (including three solo shots) and three walks over 6.2 innings while striking out two.

- Tim Wakefield couldn't get his knuckler to dance, and as a result got tagged for five runs on seven hits and four walks over six inings, striking out two.

- Lyle Overbay was the one guy on either team smart enough to hit his home run with men on base, launching a three-run shot off Wakefield in the fourth. It was his first home run in nearly a month.

- Joel Hanrahan got the save in his usual fashion: throwing 23 straight fastballs, then getting Adrian Gonzalez to flail weakly at a slider to end the game.

W: Karstens (5-4) SV: Hanrahan (22) HR: Gonzalez (16), Josh Reddick (1), Jacoby Ellsbury (9), Overbay (6), Garrett Jones (8) SB: Dustin Pedroia (14), Andrew McCutchen (15) CS: Jose Tabata (6)





Reds 10, Orioles 5



- something is not right with Brian Matusz. He couldn't break 90 mph with his fastball Saturday and got crushed for six runs on nine hits (including three home runs) in just 4.2 inings before being mercifully yanked with what was called cramps in his hamstring. he did manage a 5:1 K:BB, but that's small comfort.

- nothing much was right for Bronson Arroyo either, but it was at least less wrong than Matusz. Arroyo got lit up for four home runs in 6.1 innings, but they led to just five runs and a win. He struck out six while walking three.

- Joey Votto almost single-handedly bludgeoned the O's into submission, going 3-for-5 with a pair of home runs and five RBI.

- Aroldis Chapman struck out the side (all swinging strikeouts) in a perfect ninth inning, topping out at 101. I think it's safe to say he's OK.

W: Arroyo (7-6) HR: Jonny Gomes (10), Votto 2 (11), Scott Rolen (4), Drew Stubbs (11), Adam Jones (13), Nick Markakis (6), Matt Wieters (7), J.J. Hardy (10) SB: Mark Reynolds (5) CS: Stubbs (3)





A's 4, Phillies 1



- Trevor Cahill outdueled Cole Hamels in a matchup that mostly lived up to the hype. Cahill gave up a single run on three hits and three walks over 7.2 innings, striking out six, while Hamels got touched for two runs on eight hits and two walks over eight innings, striking out five.

- Jemile Weeks went 3-for-5 with a run scored out of the leadoff spot for the A's, and is hitting .328/.377/.500 with six steals through his first 17 big league games.

- Scott Sizemore went 1-for-4 with an RBI, and is hitting .327/.400/.449 in 15 games with Oakland. The A's still don't have much home run power in their lineup, but if they can just find that one guy to play the Jack Clark role, they have enough speedy gap hitters to make the Herzogian game plan work. Chris Carter might yet be that guy, but they don't seem inclined to give him a chance just yet.

- Michael Stutes is adapting quickly to his new co-closer role, in that he gave up two runs in a non-save situation.

W: Cahill (8-5) SV: Andrew Bailey (5) HR: Adam Rosales (2) SB: Coco Crisp (23) CS: Mark Ellis (2)





Rays 7, Astros 2



- Wade Davis cruised through seven innings, giving up just one run on five hits with a 3:1 K:BB ratio. After posting an ugly 6.31 ERA through May and the first two weeks in June, Davis has now given up just a single run in each of his last two starts. Mind you, those starts were against the Astros and the tanking Marlins, so don't assume he's turned any kind of corner just yet.

- Bud Norris was pulled for a pinch-hitter after just five mediocre innings, allowing three runs on six hits and three walks with five K's.

- Evan Longoria went 2-for-4 with two doubles, two runs and two RBI, while Casey Kotchman went 3-for-5 with two RBI. Kotchman is now hitting .342 on the year. Seriously.

W: Davis (7-5) SV: Kyle Farnsworth (16) HR: B.J. Upton (10)





Royals 3, Cubs 2



- Danny Duffy and Carlos Zambrano were evenly matched, both giving up two runs over seven innings with iffy K:BB ratios (Zambrano walked three and struck out two, while Duffy walked one and struck out two).

- whatever was wrong with Joakim Soria, it ain't wrong no more. He struck out the side Saturday, and now has an 11:2 K:BB ratio in 11 June innings without allowing a run.

- Aramis Ramirez and Geovany Soto accounted for all the Cubs' runs with two solo shots off Duffy.

W: Greg Holland (2-1) SV: Soria (12) HR: Ramirez (6), Soto (6) SB: Reed Johnson (1), Jeff Francoeur (11)





Brewers 11, Twins 1



- you knew Francisco Liriano was on his way to a bad night when he served up a gopher ball to Carlos Gomez. Liriano wound up lasting just 3.2 innings, getting roughed up for six runs (five earned) on eight hits and two walks while striking out three, breaking a streak of five solid starts in a row.

- not that Yovani Gallardo needed the help, but Gomez was joined in the homer parade by usual suspects Prince Fielder, Corey Hart and, uhh... Yuniesky Betancourt.

- Gallardo, incidentally, gave up just the one run on six hits and three walks while striking out six over seven frames.

- to add injury to insult for Minnesota, Delmon Young left the game after injuring his ankle tracking down a fly ball. Ben Revere, whose spot in the lineup looks a lot safer even when Denard Span returns, went 2-for-5 with an RBI out of the leadoff spot.

W: Gallardo (9-4) HR: Gomez (5), Betancourt (5), Fielder (21), Hart (8) SB: Alexi Casilla (12)





Blue Jays 6, Cardinals 3



- Carlos Villanueva turned in his third straight quality start, giving up two runs on five hits and a walk over six innings and kicking off a third inning rally by drawing a walk off Jaime Garcia.

- Garcia walked three other guys too, and was hit for five runs on five hits over seven innings while striking out four. His ERA got bailed out by a Daniel Descalso error though, which made four of the runs unearned.

- Matt Holliday had a tough night, going 0-for-4 and getting tossed after striking out in his fourth at-bat and arguing balls and strikes.

W: Villanueva (5-1) HR: Juan Rivera (6), Edwin Encarnacion (3)





Braves 10, Padres 1



- Jair Jurrjens became the NL's first 10-game winner despite fighting his control, allowing just one run on three hits and four walks over six innings, striking out two.

- Dustin Moseley was only a little worse as the Braves did most of their damage off the Padres' bullpen. Moseley gave up three runs (two earned) on five hits over 5.2 ininngs with a 3:4 K:BB ratio.

- Dan Uggla had a monster night, going 2-for-3 with two walks, a home run, three runs scored and four RBI. Jason Heyward and Nate McLouth each hit two doubles.

W: Jurrjens (10-3) HR: Uggla (11), Alberto Gonzalez (1) SB: Jason Bartlett (14), Cameron Maybin (9) CS: Chipper Jones (2)





Marlins 4, Mariners 2



- this was a rare game in which Chris Volstad actually looked like a sinkerball pitcher. He held the Mariners to two runs on five hits, no walks and two K's over 6.2 innings with an outstanding 15:2 GB:FB ratio.

- Jason Vargas allowed four straight hits to start the game, capped by a Hanley Ramirez ground rule double, and never really recovered, finishing with four runs allowed on eight hits and two walks over six frames with four K's.

- Logan Morrison, stuck in a month-long slump, got the night off and was sent to his room with his Twitter privileges revoked.

W: Volstad (3-7) SV: Leo Nunez (21) HR: Carlos Peguero (6)