Around The Majors- Tuesday Tidbits

Tuesday Tidbits
-Another strong performance by Jair Jurrjens led the Braves past the Padres 5-3. Jones and Kotsay both went deep off of Chris Young as Jeff Bennett picked up his first save. Atlanta has won 4 straight, San Diego has dropped 7 of 10.
-The Red Sox have now won 5 in a row as Tim Wakefield threw 8 scoreless innings as Boston blanked the slumping Tigers 5-0. Ortiz and Ramirez both hit solo blasts as Detroit has lost 5 straight.
-A 3 run David Dellucci homer off of Joba Chamberlain in the 8th won it for the Indians in a 5-3 decision over the Yankees. Both Pettitte and Carmona registered solid outings but Rafael Perez won it, and Rafael Betancourt saved it for the Tribe.
-Nate McLouth homered twice and drove in 3 as the Pirates pillaged the Giants 12-6 at PNC. Zach Duke picked up the win as Sanchez, Nady, and LaRoche each drove in 2 for the Bucs.
-The Rays got 2 RBI from Aki Iwamura and 6 innings from Andy Sonnanstine in a 5-4 win over Toronto. AJ Burnett struck out 10 in his 6 innings of work, but got the loss. Lyle Overbay drove in 2 for the Jays, but Troy Percival was able to close the door for the Tampa win.
-Carlos Zambrano threw 8 shutout frames to outduel Aaron Harang, and Kerry Wood closed out a 3-0 Cubs win over the Reds. Ronny Cedeno drove in 2 for Chicago.
-Scott Olsen pitched 8 2/3 shutout innings as the Marlins blanked Jeff Suppan and the Brewers 3-0. Mike Jacobs hit a 2 run homer for Florida, Olsen had 8 k's, and Kevin Gregg pitched the final out with the bases loaded for his 6th save.
-A 2 run double by Carlos Lee over Luis Ayala in the 8th gave Houston a 6-5 win over the Nationals. Lance Berkman went 5-5 with 4 runs scored for the Astros as Doug Brocail won it, and Jose Valverde saved it.
-It was the Garrett Anderson show in KC. He homered and drove in all 5 Angels run as Los Angeles bested the Royals 5-3. Brian Bannister took the loss for KC.
-Gavin Floyd took a no-hitter into the 9th and got one out before allowing a Joe Mauer hit in a 7-1 win over the Twins. Quentin and Dye each drove in 2 as Nick Blackburn took the Minnesota loss.
-A Rick Ankiel homer in the 8th proved to be the game winnner, as 3 Rocky runs in the 9th weren't enough in a 6-5 loss to St Louis. Chris Ianetta drove in 3 in the loss, their 8th in 10 games.
-Arizona scored 5 in the 4th to give Randy Johnson and the D-Backs a 6-4 win over Philadelphia. Both SS's in the game, Stephen Drew and Eric Bruntlett homered and drove in 3 for their respective clubs. Brandon Lyon picked up the Arizona save.
-Justin Duchscherer allowed 2 runs over 7 as Oakland bested Baltimore 4-2. Alan Embree and Santiago Casilla closed the door on the win.
-Josh Hamilton and David Murphy each homered and drove in 3 in Texas' 10-1 stomping of Seattle. Sidney Ponson had another stellar start, allowing just a run in 7 innings.
-The Mets started off really well, taking Hiroki Kuroda out of the game in the 4th off 8 hits and Moises Alou's steal of home but the Dodgers bullpen was dominant. They allowed just 3 hits the rest of the way, and Blake DeWitt made sure to provide the offense. He drove in 4, including an inside-the-park homer off of loser Nelson Figeroa as Los Angeles defeated New York 5-4. Takashi Saito saved it for the Dodgers.

News, Notes & Rumors
-The MLB Players Association is looking into whether teams colluded into not signing players like Barry Bonds and Kenny Lofton. The chances of this working are slim to none, and this work being done on Bonds' behalf is unquestionably sickening to many a baseball fan. Worry about stopping steroids in baseball, not potentially reward someone who took them.
-Both Toronto Shortstops David Eckstein and John McDonald both got hurt in their 5-4 loss to Tampa, and both will miss at least a few days. Marco Scutaro will try to take advantage of this odd occurrance as he'll get more playing time.
-As expected, the Twins placed Scott Baker on the DL with a strained groin retroactive to Sunday, and brought up pitcher Kevin Slowey.
-The Mariners have denied going after Ken Griffey Jr, says the Seattle Times, but the Cincinnati Enquirer is convinced that KGJ wants out as a Red.
-Jacque Jones would be a good fit for the Marlins, according to the Ft Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel.
-The Rockies are interested in Josh Fogg, and were told by the A's that Joe Blanton is currently unavailable. (Cincinnati Enquirer, Contra Costa Times)
-The Indians will try to trade Jason Michaels, but will offer him a AAA assignment if they're unsuccessful. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
-Alexei Ramirez was activated by the White Sox as they ponder releasing a player like Juan Uribe.
-MLB talked to the White Sox about the infamous slump-busting blowup dolls, but no punishment is expected, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Wednesday On Tap
3 day games today has Lieber facing Volquez in Cincinnati, Maine and Penny in Los Angeles, and Guthrie facing Blanton in Oakland. 5-0 Cliff Lee will battle 6-0 Chien-Ming Wang at 7pm on ESPN. Clay Buchholz faces the Tigers, Tim Hudson goes against San Diego, and Barry Zito makes his return to the mound against Pittsburgh.

Around The Majors- Monday Memories

Monday Memories
-Dice-K walked 8 batters in his start against Detroit, but only gave up 1 run on 2 hits over 6 as Matsuzaka, (5-0) Papelbon and the Red Sox tamed the Tigers 5-3. Lowell and Youkilis each homered and drove in a pair for Boston.
-Dustin McGowan and Javier Vazquez were locked in a pitchers duel, but a Matt Stairs homer in the 7th gave Toronto a 1-0 win over Chicago who has lost their last six. The White Sox loaded the bases in the 9th, but BJ Ryan got a Pablo Ozuna double play to preserve the win.
-The Reds scored 3 in the 1st and 2 in the 3rd, which was enough to conquer the Cubs 5-3. Dunn and Keppinger each drove in 2 as Cueto defeated Dempster.
-Who knew that Ervin Santana would have a better first 5 weeks that his similarly surnamed counterpart Johan. The Angels hurler pitched a complete game shutout, allowing 4 hits and fanning nine as Los Angeles blanked KC 4-0. Brett Tomko had a very good start, but Joel Peralta allowed homers to Anderson and Brandon Wood.
-St Louis pushed a run across on Brian Fuentes in the 9th to edge Colorado 6-5. Joel Piniero only threw 3 innings, but drove in a pair of runs in the win. Brad Hawpe homered for hapless Colorado.
-Max Scherzer was minimized a bit by the powerful Phillies offense. The rookie phenom gave up 5 runs (2 earned) in 4 frames as the Phils dusted the Diamondbacks 11-4. Eric Bruntlett drove in 3 as Jaime Moyer allowed just 2 runs over 7 solid frames.
-Baltimore scored off of Huston Street in the 9th to tie it, but an Emil Brown single off of Jim Johnson in the 10th gave Oakland a 2-1 win over Baltimore. Garrett Olson and Dana Eveland both pitched well, but neither factored in the decision.
-Kevin Millwood allowed 7 runs over 3 as Seattle smoked Texas 7-3. Sexson and Balentien went deep for the Mariners.
-Oliver Perez allowed homers to Furcal, DeWitt, and Kemp as Chad Billingsley and the Dodgers downed the Mets 5-1.

Around The Majors- Monday

Sunday Scoreboard
-A Casey Blake throwing error in the 5th and a Miguel Olivo homer in the 9th gave Gil Meche and KC a 2-0 win over Aaron Laffey and the struggling Indians.
-Darrell Rasner 1, Hughes/Kennedy 0. After the prospect lefty was sent to AAA, Rasner allowed just a 2 run Adrian Beltre dinger over 6 innings as the Yankees shelled Carlos Silva and Seattle 8-2 for the 3 game sweep. Matsui and Cabrera each had 2 RBI.
-Roy Halladay struck out 7 over 7 1/3 of 3 run ball as Toronto edged Chicago 4-3. Matt Stairs drove in a pair for the Jays.
-Greg Maddux will need another try for 350, as he allowed 5 runs on 11 hits in just over 5 frames as Florida flushed the Padres 10-3. Dan Uggla drove in 3 as Andrew Miller threw 6 innings for the victory.
-Atlanta scored 7 in the 2nd off of Bronson Arroyo and routed the Reds 14-7. Chipper Jones homered and drove in 5, Mark Kotsay went deep with 3 RBI.
-Boston battered Scott Kazmir in his first start of the season, and the Red Sox got a homer and 4 RBI from Kevin Youkilis in a 7-3 win over Tampa.
-Tim Redding allowed one run over 6 1/3 innings and Aaron Boone homered in Washington's 5-2 win over Pittsburgh. Adam LaRoche homered in the loss.
-Carlos Ruiz homered in the 8th to tie it, and then a Eugenio Velez error allowed the winning run to score in the 9th as Philadelphia shocked the Giants 5-4. Brad Lidge got the win.
-Houston scored twice of Eric Gagne in the 9th to tie it, and then won it in the 12th on a walkoff two run Hunter Pence jack as the Astros beat the Brewers 8-6. Mike Cameron homered twice with 4 RBI in the loss, and Lance Berkman went deep with 4 driven in for the Astros.
-Detroit scored 6 times in the first off of Boof Bosner, but the Tiger couldn't hold on. Minnesota scored 4 times in the 7th, and Joe Nathan finished off a sweet 7-6 comeback win for the Twins. Mauer and Punto each drove home a pair for the Twins.
-Aaron Cook allowed just 2 runs over 7 2/3 as Colorado halted the Dodgers' 8 game winning streak 7-2 behind 2 Matt Holliday RBI. Derek Lowe allowed 5 runs in as many frames to take the loss.
-Joe Saunders improved to 6-0 as the Angels got a homer and 3 RBI from Torii Hunter in a 6-4 win over Baltimore. Steve Trachsel allowed those 6 runs in just 3 innings.
-Oakland scored 3 times in the 7th off a Ryan Sweeney single and a Jack Cust 2 run shot to tame Texas 3-1. Greg Smith struck out 10 over 6 innings, and allowed just a solo homer to German Duran in the win.
-The Mets became the first team to take a series from Arizona since the opening week as the Mets scored 3 in the 9th keyed by a Conor Jackson throwing error to defeat the Diamondbacks 5-2. David Wright homered in the New York win.
-Todd Wellemeyer allowed 2 runs over 5 as the NL Central leading Cardinals bested the Cubs 5-3 at Busch. Kennedy and Pujols each drove home a pair for St Louis.
Fantasy Studs & Duds (The best and worst over the last 7 days based on the SOS scoring system)
Hitting Studs

5) Geovany Soto, C, CHC
4) Dan Uggla, 2B, FLA
3) Rafael Furcal, SS, LAD
2) Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, SDG
1) Matt Kemp, OF, LAD
Hitting Duds (with at least 16 at bats)
5) Kenji Jojhima, C, SEA
4) Lyle Overbay, 1B, TOR
3) Jermaine Dye, OF, CWS
2) Eric Byrnes, OF, ARZ
1) Jacque Jones, OF DET
Pitching Studs
5) Dan Haren, SP, ARZ
4) Joe Saunders, SP, LAA
3) Jon Lester, SP, BOS
2) Aaron Cook, SP, COL
1) Roy Halladay, SP, TOR
Pitching Duds
5) John Lannan, SP, WSH
4) Jeff Suppan, SP, MIL
3) Steve Trachsel, SP, BAL
2) Brian Bannister, SP, KC
1) Rafael Betancourt, RP, CLE

News, Notes & Rumors
-Roger Clemens has now apologized for his "personal mistakes" to his family and to his ever dwindling group of public supporters. But he then stated that he never used performance enhancing drugs or had an affair with Mindy McCready. So then what the hell did you do wrong besides for being caught and then denying everything? Stay tuned, cuz the hits just keep on coming.

-Dontrelle Willis has returned to the Tigers. Usually, this would be good news. But the team said that they'd rather have him with the big club rather then make rehab starts for AAA Toledo. Apparently, the vastly overrated D-Trainwreck isn't ready for live game action which is odd, because I've been saying that for the last two years.

-Dustin Moseley has been pitching rather well for the LAA this season, but you can add him to the list of shelved Halos starters as he was put on the 15 day.

-Pittsburgh has designated Rule 5 pitcher Evan Meek for assignment, which means he could be sold to the Rays for 50,000 bucks. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Tampa Tribune are reporting that the Pirates may work out a deal with the Rays so that Meek could remain in the Pirates minor league organization.

-The Cardinals have sent down former top prospect Anthony Reyes to AAA, while calling up new prospect pitcher Mike Parisi.

-Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson is under fire for his handling of pitchers Mike Pelfrey and Oliver Perez, says the New York Post.

-Get ready for a shaken up Tigers lineup by manager Jim Leyland, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Monday On Tap

-Dice-K and Jeremy Bonderman will take the hill as the Red Sox and Tigers begin at 7 on ESPN. Other 7pm starts include Dempster and Cueto in Cincy and McGowan and Vazquez squaring off in Toronto. The 8pm hour games include the NL Central leading Cardinals opening up a series in Denver and red hot Ervin Santana and the Angels playing the Royals. Max Scherzer makes his first ever big league start against the Phillies and the Mets open up a series in LA against the Dodgers.

SprungOnSports Draft Spectacular

Player quotes assembled by yours truly, some inside scoop with Matt Williamson of Scouts' INC, and then my first round mock.


Player Quotes
-Purdue WR Dorien Bryant (5'9, 174) on how he'll make up for his lack of size in the pro's, and what current wideout he compares himself to:
"More or less with my speed and quickess, and my ability to think on my feet. I think I am pretty smart and that should help me. Plus I have played against a lot of zones, and I have had to read defenses since my freshman year, so I feel like I am good at finding space...There are alot of guys I have been compared to, from Steve Smith to Moss...but I think I am more like a Antoine Randle-El, minus the QB arm. I keep my eye on him. "
Bryant is a projected late 6th round pick.
-Cal WR and projected 5th round pick Lavelle Hawkins (5'11, 187) on how he separates himself from corners:
"Like I always do, I can get off the press coverage, and I will be fine."
-Top Delaware QB prospect Joe Flacco on the accuracy that goes with his cannon arm:
"You always want to be more accurate. But I do pride myself on my accuracy. I throw the ball a lot to get to the point of very being accurate, but you can always improve."
-UCLA OLB Bruce Davis (6'2 252) on his strengths and weaknesses:
"My greatest strength is speed and playnmaking ability. For weakeness, that is tough, I could always get stronger."
Davis is a projected 3rd rounder.
-Projected 3rd round Georgia Tech LB Phillip Wheeler (6'1, 248) defending his "tweener" label:
"I am very versatile, and with my speed, strength, and quickness that I am probably athletic enough to cover TE, RB, at any linebacking position."
-Projected 2nd round CB Patrick Lee of Auburn (6'0, 200, 4.41) talks about how the SEC prepared him well for the next level:
"They are the best of the best, so it really helped me. "
-Projected 4th round TE Martin Rucker (6'4, 250) of Missouri discusses his potential adjustment to the NFL:
"I will have to adapt like I have had to at all levels, such as the transition from high school to college. And once again focusing on in-line blocking."
-Arkansas' projected 6th round pick Robert Felton talked about taking the next step from the SEC to the NFL:
"I think it will help a lot. It is the SEC, and I have been told it is the nest step in the NFL, so it is great practice for the next level."
-LB Ali Highsmith of LSU (5'11, 230) is a projected 4th round pick who talked to SOS about his strengths and weaknesses:
"My greatets strength is my quickness and my speed, getting from one place to another. I need to work on getting off blocks better."
-Projected 3rd rounder LB Xavier Adibi (6'1, 232) of VaTech told me what maked him stand out from other college LB's:
"My constant motor. I am always going to get to the ball no matter where it is at. So my speed sets me apart."
-7th round CB prospect Justin Tryon (5'9, 190, 4.41) of Arizona State on what he can bring to the table:
"I guess what I can do is I can play nickel and I can play corner as well. And, if you really want me to, I can play safety like a Bob Sanders kind of guy. That's what I bring to the table. I do all of the special teams. It's fun for me to be out on the field."
-2nd round DE prospect Calais Campbell of Miami (6'7, 290) talked about how he can use his size to his advantage:
"Having the height, if you can stay low, it gives you great leverage against tackles. My long arms can keep offensive linemen off of me. And I can also bat down passes. I can cover a lot of ground with my long arms."
-Hampton DE Marcus Dixon is a 7th round prospect who told SOS what he'd be able to do if he got drafted:
"I would definitely be one of those players you can count on, a team guy. I'd put pressure on the back field. I would get free to make the tackle. I would be that guy that stays in the scheme. I wouldn't be that guy that is out there selfishly. In short, I guess you could say I'd be the dependable guy."
-3rd round QB prospect John David Booty talked with me about him being labeled as a west coast QB and perhaps some advice given by some of the former SC signal callers:
"Everybody has the right to their own opinion. But I do not think that is the case. I feel by knowing the West Coast offenswe that I can learn any other offense that may be different...Yes, me and Matt Leinart talk quite often. And the one piece of advice he has given me is just to enjoy it all and not get caught up in what round you may go, or to which team."


Draft Dish With Matt Williamson

-Miami is now interested in dealing DE Jason Taylor, and Williamson said that the Jaguars may be the only option:
"I do think there will be a market and I would give up my first rounder for JT if I were in charge of Jax. Outside of the Jags though, I doubt they can get a first rounder for him at his age. Still a force though."
-Williamson also said that the Jets are in a pretty good position at 6:
"While NYJ have drastically improved since the season ended, they still have their share of needs. I wouldn't trade down and would be quite happy with Gholston, McFadden or Ryan at #6. One will be there for sure."
-What are the chances that 2 QB's get selected in the first round?
"Very good. To whom and at what pick? I have no idea. But ATL has to be excited to come up to grab one. Several teams will make the move for one of the big 4. Just think, there are certainly more than 4 teams out there who would like a potential starting QB. More demand than supply."


SprungOnSports' First Round Mock

1- MIA- Jake Long- OT- Mich
2- STL- Glenn Dorsey- DT- LSU
3- ATL- Matt Ryan- QB- BC
4- OAK- Chris Long- DT- UVA
5- KC- Brandon Albert- OL- UVA
6- NYJ- Darren McFadden- RB- Arky
7- NE- Vernon Gholston- DE- OSU
8- BAL- Keith Rivers- LB- USC
9- CIN- Sedrick Ellis- DT- USC
10- NO- Leodis McKelvin- CB- Troy
11- BUF- Devin Thomas- WR- Mich St.
12- DEN- Chris Williams- OT- Vandy
13- CAR- Derrick Harvey- DE- Fla
14- CHI- Ryan Clady- OT- Boise St
15- DET- Rashard Mendenhall- RB- Illinois
16- ARZ- Mike Jenkins- CB- USF
17- KC- Jeff Otah- OT- Pitt
18- HOU- Johnathan Stewart- RB- Oregon
19- PHI- Aqib Talib- CB- KU
20- TB- Malcom Kelly- WR- OU
21- WSH- Phillip Merling- DE- Clemson
22- DAL- Felix Jones- RB- Arky
23- PIT- Gosder Cherilus- OT- BC
24- TEN- James Hardy- WR- IU
25- SEA- Limas Sweed- WR- Texas
26- JAX- Calais Campbell- DE- Miami
27- SDG- Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie- CB- Tenn St
28- DAL- DeSean Jackson- WR- Cal
29- SF- Jerod Mayo- LB- Tenn
30- GB- Antoine Cason- CB- Arizona
31- NYG- Tyrell Johnson- S- Ark St.

Around The Majors- Monday

The scores and stats along with the news, notes, and rumors will make up today's ATM.

-Cliff Lee allowed one run while striking out 8 over as many frames as Cleveland crushed Oakland 7-1 behind 3 RBI from Grady Sizemore. Dellucci and Hafner each had 2 RBI a piece as well as Chad Gaudin took the loss.

-The Mets hit into double plays in 5 consecutive innings as the Brewers came back to beat New York 9-7. Both Jeff Suppan and Oliver Perez had bad starts, as Salomon Torres picked up the win for Milwaukee. Gabe Kapler homered and drove in 3 in the victory as Rickie Weeks also went deep in the win.

-Tim Redding allowed 3 runs over 5 as Washington held on to beat Atlanta 5-4. Tom Glavine left the game in the first inning with a hamstring strain, and Jon Rauch relieved recently activated Chad Cordero to notch the save. Ryan Zimmerman drove in 2 for the Nats in the win.

-The Cubs scored the winning run in the 10th on a Carlos Zambrano fielders choice off of Rudy Seanez as Bob Howry closed the door on a 6-5 win in Philadelphia. Kerry Wood picked up the win as Derek Lee drove in 2 for the Cubbies.

-Jason Bay homered and drove in 3 as the Pirates got 6 1/3 innings of one run ball from Tom Gorzelanny to beat Johnny Cueto and the Reds 9-1. Ryan Doumit and Xavier Nady also homered for Pittsburgh.

-Tampa Bay scored all 6 of their runs in the 5th as they beat Baltimore 6-2. Jeff Niemann allowed one run over six for the win as BJ Upton hit a 3 run homer in that 5th frame. Nick Markakis hit a 2 run shot for the O's in the loss.

-The White Sox got grand slams from Konerko and Crede as they whitewashed the 2-10 Tigers 11-0 at The Cell. Javy Vazquez struck out 9 over 7 scoreless as Kenny Rogers was knocked around in the loss.

-Wandy Rodriguez allowed one run while striking out 7 in as many innings as Houston flushed Florida 5-1. JR Towles and Michael Bourn homered for the Astros as Burke Badenhop took the Marlins loss.

-Brian Bannister threw a complete game 3 hitter as the Royals defeated Francisco Liriano and Minnesota 5-1. Alex Gordon went deep in the KC win.

-BJ Ryan pitched a perfect 10th inning in his first game back for the save as Toronto edged Texas 5-4. Both starters pitched well, but an Alex Rios sac fly tied it in the 7th, and a Joe Inglett sac fly went on to win it in the 10th. Josh Hamilton homered and drove in a pair for the Rangers.

-John Bowker continues to amaze people for the Giants, he homered and drove in 4 yesterday giving him 2 homers and 7 RBI this season in 6 at bats. Tim Lincecum fanned 11 over 6 innings as the Giants chased the Cardinals 7-4. Ryan Ludwick homered and drove in 2 as Joel Piniero got roughed up for St Louis.

-Mathis, Matthews, and Guerrero each drove in 2 as the Angels doubled up the Mariners 10-5. Joe Saunders allowed 2 runs in 5 1/3 for the win. Raul Ibanez drove in 3 in defeat.

-Greg Maddux outdueled Chad Billingsley as San Diego got a Paul McAnulty sac fly in the 4th to defeat the Dodgers 1-0. Thatcher, Meredith, Bell, and Hoffman pitched shutout ball to preserve the win.

-Clint Barmes homered and drove in 4, as Holliday and Atkins each went deep with 3 RBI as Colorado smashed the Snakes 13-5. Jeff Salazar drove in 3 in the Arizona loss as Aaron Cook allowed 3 runs in 6 for the win.

-Phil Hughes got bombed for 7 runs in 2 innings as the Red Sox took two of three from the Yankees 8-5. Ellsbury and Drew drove in 2 each as Daisuke Mastsuzaka pitched 5 shaky frames for the win.

News, Notes, & Rumors

-Everyone loves Yankee drama, and with the digging up of the Ortiz jersey at the new Stadium there is plenty to go around. But it doesn't end there as AL doubles leader and backup catcher Jose Molina will be out for a little while with a hamstring injury and Chad Moeller has been brought up. Joba Chamberlain's father Harlen, is in critical condition in Nebraska, and the game's best 8th inning reliever will miss the 2 game set with Tampa Bay that begins today. Johnathan Albaladejo has been brought up, and Wilson Betemit is on the DL with pink eye., with Shelley Duncan coming up.

-Tom Glavine's hamstring injury has him at day-to-day for now but after tests today, he could go on the DL for the first time in his storied career.

-Erik Bedard was scratched from yesterday's start because of hip inflammation, it's probably not serious and he'll most likely come back next week. Arthur Rhodes and RA Dickey have been brought up, Eric O'Flaherty was sent down and Michael Morse was placed on the DL.
-Humberto Quintero was brought up by Houston, David Newhan was designated for assignment,

Monday Night Preview

-Lester and Westbrook hook up at The Jake as the Red Sox and Indians battle at 7pm on ESPN. McGowan goes for Toronto in Baltimore, Blackburn and Bonderman in Detroit, Kennedy in Tampa, Buehrle against Oakland, and Kuroda and Duke in LA.

Around The Majors- Wednesday

Yesterday's scores will be followed by inside analysis on the latest news and rumors of which there is a lot of today, and I'll preview today's matchups.

Tuesday In Review
-The Tigers are 0-7? Boston fans embrace Bill Buckner? It was certainly a weird day down Yawkey Way as Daisuke Matsuzaka threw 6 2/3 scoreless as the Red Sox blanked the Tigers 5-0. Kevin Youkilis drove in a pair for Boston.
-The Mets home opener didn't go as planned as the bullpen blew a 2-0 lead and lost to the rival Phillies 5-2. Chase Utley was hit by a pitch 3 times, as the Phils scored 3 in the 7th on a throwing error and a Jason Werth signle. Jaime Moyer threw 6 innings of 2 run ball for the win, and Tom Gordon got the save in for the tired Brad Lidge.
-Baltimore has the best record in the sport in this bizarro-baseball world. Aubrey Huff drove in 4 and Brian Burress allowed just 1 run over six as the Orioles roasted the Rangers 8-1. Jason Jennings picked up the loss for Texas.
-Both Brian Banniester and Phil Hughes labored through their starts, but the former persevered with a 2 run effort over 5 as the Royals won their home opener 5-2 over the Yankees. Ross Gload drove in 2 for KC as Joakim Soria threw a scorless 9th for his 4th save of the season.
-In Toronto, a Frank Thomas 2 run homer off of Alan Embree tied it at 8, but that didn't last very long. A 9th inning Ryan Sweeney triple scored a run as Huston Street was able to hold the Jays at bay for the 9-8 win. Vernon Wells homered and drove in 3 in the Toronto loss.
-In a wild game that featured a Joe Maddon ejection, a Matt Garza injury, and a steal of home by BJ Upton, a Richie Sexson RBI single in the 6th was the difference as Seattle edged Tampa Bay 6-5 in the opener at the Trop. Erik Bedard allowed 5 runs over 6 but still picked up the win, and in their closer-by-committee approach in JJ Putz's stead, Ryan Rowland-Smith pitched 1 2/3 for the save.
-Eric Gagne blew another Milwaukee save as he served up a Corey Patterson home run to tie the game at 2. But a Rickie Weeks single in the 10th off of David Weathers made it 3-2, and Salomon Torres set the Reds down in the bottom half to preserve the 3-2 win. Rookie Johnny Cueto all0wed just 2 runs over 6 2/3 while striking out 8, but was equally challanged by Jeff Suppan who allowed 1 run over 7.
-Troy Glaus' 2 run double in the 8th off of Geoff Geary gave the Cardinals a 5-3 win over Houston. Miguel Tejada drove in a pair for the Astros, but Jason Isringhausen sealed the deal in the 9th for his 4th save. Anthony Reyes picked up the win.
-Ubaldo Jimenez allowed 3 runs over 6 and outdueled Jair Jurrjens as the Rockies nipped the Braves 4-3. Matt Holliday drove in 2 for Colorado, as Fuentes and Corpas closed the door on the win. Mark Kotsay homered in the Braves loss.
-In his last start before cancer surgery, Doug Davis allowed 2 runs over 6 innings while striking out 7 as Arizona doubled up the Dodgers 10-5. Conor Jackson and Mark Reynolds both drove in 3 runs for the Snakes, and Reynolds hit his 5th homer of the year. Kent and DeWitt drove home 2 each in defeat.
-Travis Hafner's 2 run shot off of Justin Speier in the 9th gave the Indians a 4-3 win over the Angels. Jake Westbrook threw a complete game, allowing 3 runs and 7 hits on just 94 pitches. Vladimir Guerrero homered in the loss, and Asdrubal Cabrera drove in the other 2 Tribe runs.
-A Bengie Molina walkoff homer in the 11th off of Cla Meredith gave the Giants a 3-2 win over San Diego. Brian Wilson blew the save in the 9th on a Brian Giles sac fly, but SF prevailed for their 2nd win.

News, Notes, & Rumors
-The Mets placed Matt Wise on the DL, and they brought up Carlos Muniz who threw a scoreless inning yesterday.
-Michael Barrett, Justin Duchscherer, Dave Roberts, and Dmitri Young all landed on the DL yesterday and Johnny Estrada was activated by Washington.
-In a callous, irresponsible act, Braves top prospect CF Jordan Schaefer was suspended 50 games for HGH use. Schaefer has a lot of speed and good range, and was projected to start in CF for Atlanta by Opening Day 2009. He started out this year in AA Mississippi, and will likely need more time there to hone his game. This definitely pushes back the Braves' plan as they had traded for Mark Kotsay to just be the stopgap this year, but he may need to be there for longer unless Schaefer shows a lot of progress when he returns.
-I will now begin the Amy Winehouse portion of NN&R. Randy Johnson struck out 7 over 6 scorless inning in his rehab start for AAA Tuscon and should start on Saturday for Arizona. He did allow a homer to Angels top 'spect Brandon Wood. One team that may not have their rehabbing starter as soon as expected is the Twins. Francisco Liriano allowed 3 runs in 4 frames for AAA Rochester. "He got deep in counts," Red Wings manager Stu Cliburn said. "His fastball was good. The only thing good I saw is he's confident in his breaking ball." Scott Kazmir threw 42 pitches in BP as he looks to return.
-The San Francisco Chronicle reports that A's DH/1B Dan Johnson could be designated for assignment before tonight's game. It would mean a disappointing end to the former top prospect's tenure with the team.

Wednesday Preview
Paul Byrd pitches in day action in LA, and Kuroda and Owings will both make their 2nd starts of the season as Arizona gets some day baseball in at Chavez Ravine. Bonderman and Lester go in Boston, Zach Duke faces the Cubs, and McGowan battles the A's. Kyle Kendrick and Mike Pelfrey are the starters as the Mets and Phillies renew their rivalry at 7pm on ESPN2. I'll be in section 1 in the upper deck, by the way. I hope you enjoyed your trip around the majors, have a good day and don't climb up the Golden Gate Bridge, especially if you're afraid of heights. (or like China)

Comeback Kansas Captures Crown

There were two minutes and twelve seconds left in the national championship game in San Antonio, and Memphis had a nine point lead on Kansas and were well on their way to their first ever title. But then a funny thing happened, and it all fell apart for John Calipari’s Tigers. The nightmare ending didn’t finish until the buzzer sounded and the Jayhawks emerged in a 75-68 overtime classic at the Alamo Dome. In my last column, I wrote that Memphis’ free throw shooting “will cause their premature exit from the dance no matter how hard Calipari tries to spin their dangerous deficiency.” In the regular season, Memphis was 339th out of the 341 Division I teams in free throw shooting percentage. But then a funny thing happened along the way, and the Tigers started shooting for an excellent percentage from the charity stripe over the course of the tournament. With their biggest weakness seemingly non-existent, Memphis vanquished fantastic guard oriented teams in Michigan State, Texas, and UCLA on their way to Monday night’s title match with Kansas.
The backcourt duo of Derek Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts seemed unguardable in the games preceding the championship game, but for much of the game Kansas put the clamps on the freshman phenom Rose. Sherron Collins did a fantastic job on Rose for much of the game, as he seemed passive before he took the team on his back in the second half. The Jayhawks did most of their damage in the paint for much of the game, as Darrell Arthur had 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Sasha Kaun had 11 points off the bench. Their dominance in the paint, coupled with the solid defense on Rose were the major reasons why Kansas led by five at halftime.
As the second half began, Memphis went on a run to tie it and then began to take control of the game. The Tigers defense began to clamp down on defense inside, and then the future top five pick Derek Rose caught fire. He scrapped the passive style he employed in the first half and began using his immensely talented skillset to hit shots from the outside (even without the help of a ballscreen) and knife his way through the lane to score lay-ups and get to the line. They also got good performances from Douglas-Roberts, whose scored a game high 22 points and Robert Dozier got his production inside with 11 points and 10 rebounds. At one point, Rose scored 14 of Memphis 16 points they had during a stretch, and has banking jumper (correctly called a two rather then the three point shot they had originally deemed it) that went in with 4:15 left and the shot clock towards zero. That gave Memphis a 56-49 lead, and when the Tigers led 60-51 with 2:12 remaining, the prevailing thought that John Calipari and Memphis would hit their free throws and capture their first national championship. But then the sequence began that made this game one of the all time tournament classics. Kansas coach Bill Self realized that they only way his team would get back into the game was to foul Memphis and hope for the best. It was the last strategy that the Jayhawks had, and it didn’t look good considering that the Tigers had shot so well from the line during the tournament. But the worst fears of the Memphis fans began to be realized as shot after shot clanked off the rim, and the Jayhawks found themselves down only three with no time outs left and 10.8 seconds to play, and Kansas could have been winning if not for some poor block outs along the way that allowed Memphis to get offensive rebounds and waste more time off the clock. Rose and Douglas-Roberts missed four of five free throws over the last 1:12, and then Kansas brought the ball out with 10 seconds to play. As Sherron Collins brought the ball past halfcourt, the Tigers failed to foul him like Calipari had wanted, and then Mario Chalmers drained one of the biggest shots in tournament history to tie the game and send it into overtime, the first extra session title game since Miles Simon and Arizona upset Kentucky in 1997. The colossal 2nd half collapse ultimately was the end for the Tigers, because they looked deflated, as Kansas was upbeat and elated. The momentum at that point was irreversible, and Calipari put it best after the game:
"Ten seconds to go, we're thinking we're national champs, all of a sudden a kid makes a shot, and we're not," That “kid” Chalmers scored 18 points in the game, and hit the shot that will "probably be the biggest shot ever made in Kansas history," according to his head coach Self, who denied a rumor that he will leave the school to go to conference rival Oklahoma State.
The overtime period then seemed like a formality as Kansas scored the first six points of OT en route to their seven-point victory, as the buzzer sounded and “Rock Chalk Championship” was proclaimed by CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz, coronating the Jayhawks as national champs.
"We fought it out, and it's surreal.” Said KU Center Cole Aldrich. “It’s nuts.” In a tournament lacking a signature, great game this one provided that in as big of a way imaginable. It was one of those games that will be talked about for years to come, and Calipari and co certainly won’t forget it. It was the perfect storm of colossal collapse, clutch shots, and fantastic coaching by Self. It certainly was a great sendoff to a memorable college season, and games like this are part of what makes College Basketball my favorite sport, and in the final game of March Madness, it could not have been any better.