All pitchers are liars or crybabies.
-- Yogi Berra
Alas, the schedule and pitching matchups didn't co-operate. Toronto fans won't be enjoying a Chacon-Chacin matchup this weekend. But at Shea Stadium, we have Zambrano-Zambrano going today, which is a nice consolation prize.
Yesterday, Greg Maddux held the Mets to 4 hits and 2 runs over 7 strong innings. He also singled for the Cubs first hit of the day, and stole a base (7th of his career.) So you can all guess what happened...
Cubs lose! Cubs lose!
The A's beat Jose Lima and the Royals senseless, while the Angels were losing to (gulp!) Mark (Lurch) Hendrickson and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. And so we now have a dead heat atop the AL West.
San Diego has gone and won three in a row, crawling back to .500 - they go for the sweep tomorrow over Washington and their best pitcher (Jake Peavy) will be taking the ball against Lord Voldemort himself. Don't the Padres realize that they have a chance to make history?
Having come charging from the gates of oblivion into the NL Wild Card lead, the Astros have suddenly lost three straight. The other contenders, however, are not taking advantage - instead they seem to be rearranging their own places in the race. The Cubs are fading as the Mets come on; the Nats are falling while the Phillies charge... well, not charge so much as stumble ahead.
Roger Clemens will try to break off the current Astro skid tomorrow, while the NL's other clear Cy Young candidate, Chris Carpenter, goes for his 17th win in the Cards' rubber match with the Braves.
The Marlins are still hanging around the edges of the race, as well. Carlos Delgado went on the DL yesterday but as he's already missed nine games with his bad elbow, he's actually eligible to return as early as this Friday. Of course, Miguel Cabrera is practically an offense all by himself.
Today's games
AL
Cleveland (Elarton 7-5, 4.54) at Detroit (Johnson 7-9, 4.19) 1:05
New York (Leiter 1-3, 6.03 or Mussina 10-7, 4.05) at Toronto (Towers 8-8, 4.53) 1:07
Baltimore (Ponson 7-10, 6.12) at Texas (Young 8-7, 4.94) 2:05
Oakland (Haren 9-7, 4.27) at Kansas City (Hernandez 8-9, 4.49) 2:10
Boston (Wakefield 10-9, 4.23) at Minnesota (Mays 5-6, 4.62) 2:10
Seattle (Harris 0-0, 0.00) at Chicago (Garland 15-5, 3.40) 3:05
Tampa Bay (McClung 2-6, 7.08) at Los Angeles (Colon 13-6, 3.61) 4:05
NL
San Diego (Peavy 9-4, 3.31) at Washington (Loaiza 6-7, 3.62) 1:05
Florida (Willis 14-7, 3.03) at Cincinnati (Ortiz 6-7, 6.30) 1:15
Milwaukee (Ohka 6-6, 4.07) at Philadelphia (Padilla 5-10, 5.19) 1:35
Los Angeles (Weaver 9-8, 4.52) at Pittsburgh (Wells 6-12, 4.86) 1:35
Atlanta (Sosa 7-1, 2.57) at St.Louis (Carpenter 16-4, 2.26) 2:15
Houston (Clemens 10-4, 1.45) at San Francisco (Tomko 7-11, 4.75) 4:04
Colorado (Wright 6-11, 5.75) at Arizona (Vargas 4-6, 5.09) 4:40
Chicago (Zambrano 8-4, 3.24) at New York (Zambrano 5-9, 4.19 ERA) 8:05
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