- The Pirates are 7-32 when a left-hander starts against them this year.
- When David Bush singled to center on Monday night, it snapped an 0-for-43 streak by Milwaukee pitchers.
- Greg Maddux threw 64 warm-up pitches against the Giants last week. He threw 68 real ones during his eight shutout innings. The Los Angeles Times noted that Maddux “Does no doctoring but knows how to work a ball that comes to him scuffed or nicked.” Curiously, a Rockies coach noted that against Colorado a couple weeks ago, after Maddux’s last warm-up toss, catcher Russell Martin’s throw to second base bounced in the dirt. Every time.
- Carlos Zambrano leads the NL in both strikeouts (167) and walks (96).
- Matt Diaz tied an NL record with hits in 10 straight at-bats before grounding out Monday.
- Despite playing in the same division and 19 times a year, Adam Loewen Thursday became the first Baltimore pitcher since Sidney Ponson in 1998 to beat the Yankees twice in a season.
- Edgerrin James’ take on the end of Matt Leinart’s 15-day holdout: “He’s cool. I only deal with cool people.”
- Ron Artest’s take on the Malice at the Palace: “Someone started trouble and I ended it,” Artest told about 50 children Wednesday at a panel on black empowerment in Detroit.
- David DeJesus and Pablo Ozuna both hit leadoff homers in the contest between the Royals and White Sox Thursday. Emil Brown and Jermaine Dye also hit homers as the first batters of both halves of the second inning. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was the first time the first four half-innings of a game have ever started with homers.
- Bobby Abreu drew two walks Wednesday to reach 100 for the eighth straight year. The streak matches the longest in major league history
- In 21 August starts for Johan Santana dating back to 2002, all he’s done is go 18-1 with a 1.80 ERA and 174 Ks. And at home, Santana is now 12-0 over his last 19 Metrodome starts since August 6 of last year.
- It appeared I sufficiently jinxed the Angels after I recommended betting on them, as they were six full games back of the A’s entering Friday. Now down to 4.5 games, I still have faith, but Oakland certainly gets it done post All-Star breaks year in and year out. Anaheim also faces a pretty daunting schedule ahead of them. It’s a shame two teams out of the White Sox, Yankees, Red Sox and Twins won’t make the playoffs. Not to mention a solid Angels or Athletics club. At least the Reds have a shot!
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