Another 5-1 week has given us one of the more intriguing groups of BotW nominees I've ever seen:

Norichika Aoki had ten hits this week, including at least one in all six games and four consecutive games with two. Four of his ten hits were for extra bases and he stole four bases. He hit .417/.483/.667 this week and was worth +.463 WPA.

Ryan Braun reached base safely in all six games this week, including three multi-hit games and a multi-HR game. He stole five bases this week and hit .348/.444/.652 for +.152 WPA.

Marco Estrada pitched seven scoreless innings against the Pirates on Wednesday, holding them to three hits and a walk while striking out four. He was worth +.399 WPA this week.

Wily Peralta pitched eight scoreless innings against the Mets on Sunday, allowing just two hits and a walk while striking out five. He was worth +.426 WPA this week.

Jean Segura reached base safely in all six games this week, including three two hit games and five walks. He hit .421/.542/.579 this week and was worth +.361 WPA

Honorable mentions: Yovani Gallardo, Aramis Ramirez, Rickie Weeks

The Brewers are winners of five straight games for the first time this season, and tonight they have a chance to extend the streak.

They'll do it against frequent team-changer Edwin Jackson (3.89 ERA, 3.83 FIP), who has been a Ray, Tiger, Diamondback, White Stocking, Cardinal and National since 2008 and will be a free agent again at the end of this season. Jackson has made 28 starts this season for Washington and his 8 strikeouts per nine innings are a career best. He faced the Braves on Saturday and allowed four runs on four hits over 5.1 innings.

Jackson is pitching his tenth major league season as a member of his seventh team, so it's easy to forget that he only turned 29 this month. He's one of just 14 active pitchers to make 200 starts before the end of his age 28 season - some of the others are CC Sabathia, Felix Hernandez (who is still only 26), Zack Greinke and Jeff Suppan.

Jackson beat the Brewers on July 26, pitching seven shutout innings in a game the Nationals eventually won 8-2. Six current Brewers have faced him ten times or more:

Hart and Weeks are two of six players with three career homers against Jackson.

If Shaun Marcum (3.91 ERA, 4.07 FIP)'s recent work is any indication, the Brewers are going to need some run support tonight. Marcum has recorded an out in the sixth inning just one time in five starts since coming off the DL and is carrying a 5.70 ERA over that time. He lasted four innings against the Mets on Saturday and allowed four runs on seven hits, walking two and striking out three.

I think it's fair to wonder how effective Marcum can be when his fastball sits in the mid 80's and he seems reluctant to use it. FanGraphs says he's throwing his fastball just 30% of the time this season, down from 34% last season and 45 two years ago. His velocity is also down for the second straight year, from an average of 87.1 mph in 2010 to 86.6 this season.

Marcum hasn't seen the Nationals since facing them as a member of the Blue Jays in 2007. The only current National with 10 PAs against him is Kurt Suzuki, who is 1-for-11 with three strikeouts.

I wrote this early so I could go to a wedding rehearsal, and as of this writing I haven't seen today's lineup. If you have, please drop it in the comments.

And in the bullpen:

John Axford pitched one inning (19 pitches) yesterday and also pitched on Wednesday.
Brandon Kintzler pitched two innings (34 pitches) yesterday.
Manny Parra pitched one inning (14 pitches) yesterday.
Francisco Rodriguez pitched one inning (14 pitches) yesterday.
Kameron Loe pitched .1 innings (13 pitches) yesterday.
Jose Veras pitched .2 innings (10 pitches) yesterday.
Jim Henderson pitched one inning (18 pitches) Wednesday.
Tyler Thornburg, Josh Stinson and Livan Hernandez are co-winners of the "Just Here For The Food" Award, as all haven't pitched in a week.

It looks like a nice night for baseball tonight with temperatures in the low 70s and no rain in the forecast.

• 31sts: The Milwaukee Brewers' perennial MVP candidate, Ryan Braun, took a 96 mph fastball outside from Edwin Jackson the other way to right field, 334 ft from home and just inside the line in front of the 335 ft sign on the outfield wall for a two-out double, his 31st of 2012. Braun was stranded at second one out later, however, when Aramis Ramirez grounded out and E-Jax completed a scoreless 14-pitch first in Nats Park. Ryan Zimmerman singled with two down in the Nats' first, then scored the easy way on Adam LaRoche's 31st HR of 2012. The Nationals' first baseman flat crushed a 1-1 change from Brewers' right-hander Shaun Marcum and gave the Nationals a 2-0 lead after one with a towering blast that bounced off the back wall of Washington's bullpen.

• DestLucroyed: Three pitches into the second, Brewers' catcher Jonathan Lucroy cut the Nats' lead in half with one swing, taking an 0-2 slider from E-Jax to left for the backstop's 10th HR of 2012. The solo blast landed 20 rows back in the left field seats and made it 2-1 Nats. Not a good 0-2 pitch. 15 pitches later Jackson had an 18-pitch second in the books and a 2-1 lead on the scoreboard. Aramis Ramirez made a strong throw from third that arrived at first in time to get Jesus Flores for the third out of a 15-pitch, 1-2-3 2nd by Shaun Marcum. Two weak grounders, one to the mound and one to first, and a fly to center by Rickie Weeks ended Edwin Jackson's third after 11-pitches with the 29-year-old right-hander at 43 pitches overall. E-Jax showed off his speed in the bottom of the inning, grounding to Brewers' shortstop Jean Segura and hustling down the line for a leadoff infield single. Jayson Werth battled Marcum for six pitches, but K'd chasing a 1-2 slider outside. Bryce Harper got the greenlight on a 3-0 pitch, but popped it up for out no.2 and Ryan Zimmerman grounded weakly to first to end the third. 2-1 Nats after three in D.C.

• DON'T RUN ON HARP!!!: Ryan Braun doubled to right-center and over Bryce Harper's head on a 2-1 slider, bouncing his 32nd two-base hit of the year off the out-of-town scoreboard in right where Harper retrieved it. Braun then tried to score from second on a single by Aramis Ramirez in the next at bat, but Harper came up throwing and sent a one-hop laser to Nats' catcher Jesus Flores that beat Braun home by at least two steps. Flores blocked the plate and made the tag for the first out of the inning and Harper's 8th OF assist of the year. Ramirez took second on the play, but didn't bother trying to score when Jonathan Lucroy hit a grounder up the middle in the next AB. First and third with one down, but Travis Ishikawa grounded back to the mound on a first-pitch fastball from E-Jax, and the Nats' pitcher wisely let it go so Danny Espinosa, Ian Desmond and Adam LaRoche could turn a slick inning-ending 4-6-3 to get Jackson through a long fourth. Just seemed long I guess. 12 pitches by E-Jax. Michael Morse went back up the middle with a one-out single in the Nationals' fourth. Two outs later he was stranded on the basepaths after Ian Desmond and Danny Espinosa both popped out to the left side of the infield. 17-pitch inning for Marcum, who was at 68 pitches after four.

• Harper's Arm vs Braun's Speed:

• Rolling Through Six: A grounder to third by Carlos Gomez, a grounder to second by Jean Segura and a swinging K from the opposing pitcher ended a quick nine-pitch 5th by Edwin Jackson. After collecting his fourth K in 5.0 IP, E-Jax went down looking for the second out of the bottom of the inning and Jayson Werth, after battling Marcum for nine pitches, chased a full-count fastball up high for out no.3 of a 17-pitch frame by the Brewers' right-hander. Jackson got two outs with two pitches in the top of the sixth when Norichika Aoki and Rickie Weeks grounded to first and flew to left, respectively, to start the inning. E-Jax was careful with Braun in the Brewers' slugger's third at bat, and he got him swinging with a filthy full-count slider that ended Milwaukee's half of the inning. 6 Ks for Edwin Jackson. After Bryce Harper grounded out to second, Ryan Zimmerman stroked a line drive right to Braun in left for the second out of the Nats' sixth, and Adam LaRoche's weak roller to first ended a nine-pitch frame by the Brewers' starter. 94 pitches by Marcum after six. Still 2-1 Nats.

• E-Jax Retires 10-Straight: Aramis Ramirez flew to left on the sixth pitch of his inning-opening AB. Three pitches later, Jonathan Lucroy flew to right for the second out of the Brewers' seventh. Travis Ishikawa saw seven pitches and got good wood on 3-2 slider from Jackson, but Milwaukee's first baseman flew out to right to end a 16-pitch inning that had Edwin Jackson at 88 pitches overall after 7.0 IP, having set ten-straight Brewers down and allowed just five hits and one earned run through. Still 2-1. Jim Henderson took over for Marcum in the seventh and retired the Nationals in order in a 14-pitch frame that ended with Danny Espinosa striking out swinging. Still 2-1 Nationals. On to the eighth.

• Don't Run On Jesus Either!!: Brewers' shortstop Jean Segura broke E-Jax' streak of 11-straight set down with a sliced one-out single to center in the top of the eighth. Jackson got up on PH Corey Hart and struck the outfielder out as Segura tried for second and got thrown out by Jesus Flores. Strike'em out, throw'em out, inning ending DP. 13-pitch frame by Jackson. 101 pitches overall after eight. Brewers' right-hander Jose Veras retired Jesus Flores and pinch hitter Chad Tracy for the first two outs of the eighth with Tracy's pinch hit appearances ending E-Jax' night. Jayson Werth singled through short with two down for Washington's fifth hit of the night, but he got thrown out trying to steal second in the next AB. 2-1 Nats after eight.

• Edwin Jackson's Line: 8.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 Ks, 1 HR, 101 P, 64 S, 8/7 GO/FO.

• Ready Or Not: Tyler Clippard entered the game in the ninth looking for save no. 33 of 2012. Norichika Aoki squared to bunt late and dropped a perfect one down the third base line that not even Ryan Zimmerman could handle. Leadoff runner on. With Rickie Weeks up, a passed ball moved the tying run into scoring position. A fly to deep center by Weeks moved Aoki to third. [Ed. note - "Of course Harper tried to throw the advancing runner out from the track and actually made it close."]

Ryan Braun lined to left in the next at bat and it was tied at 2-2 in the top of the ninth. "MVP! MVP!" Apparently there were some Brewers fans in D.C. Braun stole second in the next at bat, taking his 29th SB of the season, and an Aramis Ramirez double to right gave Milwaukee the lead. 3-2 Brewers. A wild pitch moved Ramirez over to third with one down. Jonathan Lucroy flew to left for out no.2. Travis Ishikawa grounded to short for what should have been out no.3, but Ian Desmond's throw pulled LaRoche off the bag and the Brewers took a 4-2 lead. E:6. Craig Stammen took over for Clippard and struck Carlos Gomez out to end the top of the inning...

• Comeback?: Brewers' closer John Axford came out for the bottom of the inning. Bryce Harper grounded back to the mound. One down. Ryan Zimmerman took a 3-1 pitch outside for ball four and a one-out walk in front of Adam LaRoche, whose first inning HR accounted for the Nats' only runs tonight. LaRoche K'd swinging for out no.2, leaving it up to Michael Morse. Zim took second on defensive indifference. Morse... grounded out to second. Brewers win. 4-2 final.

• Miss The Game? The D.C. Faithful Were Watching...

• Doghouse's Post Game WPA Graph: COMING SOON!! W00T!!!

Nationals now 91-59.

News and notes from around the Wild Card race:

• St. Louis is hoping to give some of their regulars rest as they go down the stretch. David Freese got a day off on Friday as he plays through his first full healthy season. Jason Motte and Mitchell Boggs also got days off in the bullpen.
• Los Angeles may get Clayton Kershaw back soon. He threw a bullpen session on Friday, and if he is pain-free and bounces back well, he might start on Sunday.
• San Diego got a boost to their bullpen on Friday. They activated Huston Street off the DL prior to their game against San Francisco.

Looking at yesterday's results:

• Milwaukee got into a pitcher's duel with Washington. Both sides scored early, then the pitching locked down and kept it at 2-1 through eight innings. However, the Brewers rallied in the ninth inning, adding three runs on to take a late 4-2 lead, and they held on to win by that margin. Kyle has the recap if you missed it. (Box Score)
• St. Louis got Chris Carpenter back from injury yesterday. He gave them a solid start, and the Cardinals offense had a solid overall performance to give them a lead. It came down to the ninth inning, where the Cubs were down to their last out and last strike twice. However, David DeJesus and Darwin Barney came through with a single and home run to send it into extra innings. In the 11th, Welington Castillo singled to lead-off the inning, then Brett Jackson pinch-ran and went base to base to get to third with two outs. David DeJesus then hit the game-winning single to give the Cubs a 5-4 win. (Box Score)
• Philadelphia hit four home runs to account for their offense, and it was more than enough to back Kyle Kendrick, who allowed two runs over 6 2/3 innings. The end result was a 6-2 win over Atlanta. (Box Score)
• Los Angeles held the party up in Cincinnati for one more night. The Reds were on the verge of clinching the NL Central after the Cardinals loss, and had a pitchers duel going through nine innings as Bronson Arroyo, Joe Blanton, and the bullpens kept it at 1-1. However, Matt Kemp came through with a two out 2-RBI single in the 10th inning to give the Dodgers a 3-1 win. (Box Score)
• Pittsburgh is playing their way out of Wild Card contention quickly. They had hoped to get back on track in Houston, but those plans were derailed early as Jed Lowrie hit a three-run home run in the first inning. That was more than enough for Houston, who tacked on four more runs on route to a 7-1 win. (Box Score)
• Arizona had its way offensively in Colorado, scoring in eight of nine innings and racking up fifteen runs and nineteen hits. Wade Miley had a rough day but gave the Diamondbacks what they needed, as every pitcher Colorado used gave up at least one run. The end result was a 15-5 win. (Box Score)
• San Diego's chances at the postseason are nearly out. Ryan Vogelsong led a strong day of pitching for San Francisco, allowing one run in six innings. Pablo Sandoval led the offense with a 3-for-3 day and a home run, and the Giants closed in on clinching the NL West with a 5-1 win. (Box Score)

Here's the updated Wild Card standings:

Pressure mounted on St. Louis a little as they lost and the four teams behind them won. Milwaukee, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Arizona all won to gain a game in the standings. Pittsburgh and San Diego are playing their way out of the playoffs as they both lost, putting themselves in a big hole.

With the Brewers winning and the Cardinals losing, the Brewers playoff chances got a good jump. Here are the updated standings from CoolStandings.com:

Here is what is on tap for today:

Milwaukee vs. Washington - 12:05 PM CDT
Wily Peralta (2-0, 2.14 ERA) vs. Gio Gonzalez (19-8, 2.95 ERA)

St. Louis vs. Chi. Cubs - 12:05 PM CDT
Adam Wainwright (13-13, 3.97 ERA) vs. Travis Wood (6-12, 4.25 ERA)

Atlanta vs. Philadelphia - 3:05 PM CDT
Mike Minor (9-10, 4.31 ERA) vs. Roy Halladay (10-7, 4.03 ERA)

LA Dodgers vs. Cincinnati - 3:05 PM CDT
Stephen Fife (0-1, 2.49 ERA) vs. Mat Latos (12-4, 3.76 ERA)

Pittsburgh vs. Houston - 6:05 PM CDT
Kevin Correia (11-9, 4.09 ERA) vs. Dallas Keuchel (2-7, 4.97 ERA)

Arizona vs. Colorado - 7:10 PM CDT
Patrick Corbin (6-7, 4.02 ERA) vs. Jhoulys Chacin (2-5, 4.58 ERA)

San Diego vs. San Francisco - 8:05 PM CDT
Andrew Werner (2-1, 3.68 ERA) vs. Madison Bumgarner (15-10, 3.26 ERA)

The Milwaukee Brewers acquired catcher Yorvit Torreabla from the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday afternoon for cash considerations. Manager Ron Roenicke believes the move will provide the Brewers with flexibility at the backstop position for the final two weeks of the season, reports Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:

"We need a third catcher," said Roenicke. "Our guys (Jonathan Lucroy and Martin Maldonado) are both good offensively. There are times where I want to use them as a pinch-hitter...

"Now, I have the option to hit one of those guys when I want to and know I've got it covered.

Torrealba, 34, spent most of the season as the Texas Rangers' back-up catcher but was released in early August and signed to a minor-league deal by the Toronto Blue Jays. The veteran catcher .233/.297/.339 with four home runs in fifty-nine games between the two AL teams.

Because Torrealba was acquired after August 31, if the Brewers manage to make a miraculous run into a wild card spot, he will not be eligible for a playoff roster spot.

News and notes from around the league:

• Injuries have been flaring up in St. Louis. On Satuday, Yadier Molina was removed from the game with back spasms. On Sunday, Carlos Beltran was out of the starting lineup due to illness, and Matt Holiday was removed from the game early for the second straight game with back tightness.
• In Los Angeles, Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez had to leave the game early after fouling a ball off of his shin. X-rays were negative and he's expected to return to the lineup Tuesday.
• Chris Johnson of Arizona also left his game early after taking a pitch in the left hand. X-rays on his hand were negative, and he's day-to-day.
• Pittsburgh GM Neal Huntington has his own perspective on why his players are struggling. He believes that they are struggling because they have a "survivor" mentality now.

Looking back at yesterday's games:

• In the Milwaukee-Washington game, it came down to the bullpens as both starters had short starts and both allowed two runs. It was the Nationals bullpen that broke, as Ryan Mattheus loaded the bases and then allowed three straight hitters to record RBIs and take a 5-2 lead. The Brewers bullpen held strong and got them a critical 6-2 win. Noah has the recap if you missed it. (Box Score)
• A pitcher's duel broke out in Philadelphia. Tim Hudson of Atlanta pitched 7 1/3 innings of two-hit baseball, while Cliff Lee of Philadelphia struck out eleven. In the end, it all came down to the runs as Cliff Lee's two runs were too much, and Atlanta won 2-1. (Box Score)
• Pittsburgh desperately needed to end their losing stream, and was able to finally do that. They got multi-hit games from six players, led by a 4-for-6 performance from Josh Harrison. They put together eighteen hits as they win 8-1 over Houston. (Box Score)
• St. Louis used a balanced attack in Chicago to start a new winning streak. Multi-hit games from Matt Carpenter, Allen Craig, and Pete Kozma led the Cardinals to a 6-3 win. (Box Score)
• It was an offensive explosion in Colorado, though not the typical one of multiple home runs. The teams combined for seventeen runs and thirty-two hits. The big runs came from a three-run home run by Aaron Hill of Arizona, which started a rally than ended with a 10-7 win. (Box Score)
• San Diego kept their chances alive for one more day while San Francisco rested some starters. Led by a 4-for-4 day from Everth Cabrera, the Padres got a big 6-4 win. (Box Score)
• Los Angeles got Clayton Kershaw back after a hip scare. It was a short but effective start from Kershaw, as Homer Bailey got roughed up for five runs and the Dodgers kept pace with a 5-3 win. (Box Score)

Here are the updated Wild Card standings:

Everyone except Philadelphia won yesterday, so it was a day of holding on in the standings. San Diego is off today, but could be eliminated from contention with a St. Louis win.

With St. Louis, Milwaukee, and everyone else winning, the Brewers playoff chances barely changed. Here are the updated playoff odds from CoolStandings.com:

Monday is here and it's an odd Monday, with some teams starting new series and others ending wraparound series. Here are today's matchups:

Milwaukee vs. Washington - 12:05 PM CDT
Marco Estrada (4-6, 3.56 ERA) vs. Jordan Zimmermann (11-8, 2.96 ERA)

Pittsburgh vs. NY Mets - 6:10 PM CDT
Kyle McPherson (0-1, 2.25 ERA) vs. Jenrry Mejia (0-1, 9.00 ERA)

St. Louis vs. Houston - 7:05 PM CDT
Lance Lynn (16-7, 3.79 ERA) vs. Fernando Abad (0-5, 5.511 ERA)

Arizona vs. Colorado - 7:40 PM CDT
Trevor Cahill (12-11, 3.89 ERA) vs. Tyler Chatwood (4-5, 5.73 ERA)

Idle: Atlanta, LA Dodgers, Philadelphia, San Diego

Good morning! The Mug will be off today due to the early start on the East Coast

Any other game I'd be cheering for Jordan Zimmermann. A native of Auburndale, WI and an alum of UW-Stevens Point, Zimmerman is a story of local boy done good. Today though, he's got to go down.

He's 11-8 with a 2.96 ERA in 30 starts this season.

Despite getting the win in his last outing, he struggled with finding his groove and put a lot of guys on base. He pitched on seven days' rest due to an off day and a rainout and that change in his schedule seemed to have an effect on him. He'll be pitching on normal rest tomorrow, but the Brewers can only hope he's still off his game.

That start was part of a resurgence the Nationals have to be hoping show the middle of his season was more blip than sign of times to come. From August to mid-September, his ERA was over five and he had a hard time getting past the fifth inning. Rock bottom was a 3.2 innings, eight earned run outing against the Cardinals on September 1.

His last outing against the Dodgers was an upswing from there, but clearly one outing does not a comeback make. His strikeout numbers are up, but are slightly inflated by nine and 11 strikeout games against the Astros and Cubs. But his ratio of 39 walks to 141 strikeouts is pretty impressive.

His splits have to give the Brewers hope, as his ERA is higher both at home (3.70 vs 2.23) and during day games (4.34 vs 2.47). Add to that the defensive struggles the Nationals had with the sun yesterday, and Brewers fans have to be feeling pretty good about their chances.

As for Marco Estrada, he seems to have hit his stride as we entered September. After failing to put a win on the board until August 21, he's won four of his last six outings and posted a 1.23 ERA over that time. In the Brewers most recent stretch of success, the team is 12-1 when either Gallardo or Estrada is the starter.

He had a dominant seven-inning, 10 strikeout outing against Pittsburgh to start September and also went 6.2 against Atlanta and another seven in Pittsburgh his last time out. After a string of short starts, the ability to take it deeper into games has allowed the bullpen to rest and right it's ship.

Estrada also had seven days between his last two starts and it took him an inning or two to settle in, but for a guy not used to starting a full season, the extra rest likely did way more good than harm. He retired the final ten batters he faced.

One of the factors in Estrada's success is the almost a full run difference in both his BB/9 (2.8 down to 1.9) and K/9 (8.5 up to 9.2).

Brewers lineup:

Aoki RF
Weeks 2B
Braun LF
Ramirez 3B
Hart 1B
Lucroy C
Gomez CF
Segura SS
Estrada P

26-year-old Nats' right-hander Jordan Zimmermann gave up just one run on five hits in 6.0 IP when the Auburndale, Wisconsin-born, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point-educated starter faced his homestate Milwaukee Brewers for the first time back on July 28th in Miller Park. That outing was the final start of a strong month of July which earned the Zimmermann the NL Pitcher of the Month Award. Though Zimmermann struggled in August in what was his worst month (statistically) of the year and his first start of September against St. Louis, the Nats' '07 2nd Round pick has given up two runs or less in each of his last three starts, going (2-0) with a 2.50 ERA, six walks (3.00 BB/9) and 19 Ks (9.5 K/9) in his last 18.0 innings on the mound. At home in Nationals Park this year, Zimmermann has a 3.70 ERA, a 4.00 FIP, 20 walks (2.00 BB/9) and 64 Ks (6.40 K/9) in 15 starts and 90.0 IP.

Zimmermann makes his 31st start of 2012 this afternoon in today's 1:05 pm EDT start. He'll have a little less thunder in the lineup supporting him, however, as it appears Michael Morse is out of today's game with Roger Bernadina playing left in the finale of the four-game set with the visiting Brewers who throw former Nats' starter Marco Estrada this afternoon in Nationals Park. Here's the Nats' lineup:

The pregame press conference with Nats' skipper Davey Johnson is at 11:00 am this morning, check back for updates and any comments on Michael Morse, whether it's a day off or some other issue... More to follow...

Rookie Review: Jake Odorizzi, RHP, Kansas City Royals

Kansas City Royals pitching prospect Jake Odorizzi made his major league debut against the Cleveland Indians Sunday afternoon. It was a qualified success: he threw five shutout innings to begin the game, but yielded three runs in the sixth inning on the way to a bullpen-mutilated 15-4 loss. Odorizzi is expected to make one more start before the season ends, positioning himself for a shot at the starting rotation in 2013. Let's see what the Royals have here.

Odorizzi was originally drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the supplemental first round in 2008, the 32^nd overall pick, from high school in Highland, Illinois. An outstanding athlete, he was a multi-sport star in high school who also played shortstop when he wasn't pitching. After a couple of workload-cautious summers in rookie ball, the Brewers assigned him to Low-A Wisconsin in 2010, where he thrived with a 3.43 ERA and an excellent 135/40 K/BB in 121 innings.

Odorizzi was a key component of the December 2010 Zack Greinke trade. He got off to a great start in 2011, posting a 2.87 ERA with a 103/22 K/BB in just 78 innings for High-A Wilmington. Promoted to Double-A Northwest Arkansas by the Royals, he scuffled at times, seeing his ERA elevate to 4.72 in 69 innings, with a 54/22 K/BB ratio. Excessive home runs where the main problem: he gave up 12 dingers.

The Royals sent him back to the Texas League to begin 2012. He fixed his home run problems, giving up just two in 38 innings with a 47/10 K/BB and a 3.32 ERA. Promoted to Triple-A Omaha, he was a rotation mainstay for the Stormchasers all summer, going 11-3, 2.93 with an 88/40 K/BB in 107 innings. Overall this year, he went 15-5, 3.03 with a 135/50 K/BB in 145 innings, allowing 132 hits and 14 homers.

Odorizzi is a 6-2, 180-pound right-handed hitter and thrower, born March 27, 1990. He actually resembles a young Zack Greinke physically, although Jake's stuff isn't as good.




Zack Greinke in 2005; Jake Odorizzi in 2012


Jake's fastball tops out at 94 MPH; it maxed at 92.7 in his major league debut but I've seen him as high as 94 (rarely 95) in the minors. He is aggressive with the fastball and not afraid to use it; he usually doesn't shy away from hitters. He has three secondary pitches with a curveball, changeup, and slider arsenal. The curve is his best secondary, the slider the weakest, with the changeup occupying a middle position in both quality and frequency of use.

Check out this Royals Review piece by Craig Brown regarding Odorizzi's debut and how he located his pitches.

Odorizzi is an excellent athlete with a clean and easy delivery, and he's had no problems holding up to a professional workload so far. His makeup and clubhouse presence are considered positives. His biggest weakness is a tendency to work high in the strike zone: he is a definite fly ball pitcher, and vulnerable to home runs when he makes a mistake.

With little left to learn in the minors, Odorizzi should be considered a favorite to earn a rotation spot in 2013. Although I don't think he will be a genuine ace, he should be an efficient and effective number three starter. I have liked him since his high school days, and nothing he's done has changed that.

W: Jordan Zimmermann (12-8)
L: Marco Estrada (4-7)

HR: Corey Hart (28), Ryan Zimmerman (24)

MVP: Corey Hart (+.098 WPA)
LVP: Marco Estrada (-.387)

Win Expectancy Graph

You know you're in a tough spot when splitting a four game series on the road against arguably the National League's best team isn't good enough, but that's where the Brewers are.

Today's early start was also over early when the Brewers surrendered eight runs in the fourth and fifth innings. The turning point of the game was a Jayson Werth fly ball to center that Carlos Gomez lost in the sun. It would have been the third out of the inning but five runs scored afterward to turn a 2-1 disadvantage to 7-1.

Werth's fly ball was ruled a double, so six of those seven runs against Marco Estrada were earned. He pitched just four innings today and allowed those runs on eight hits and two walks, striking out three. Despite Werth getting credited with a hit, the Brewers still committed three errors today.

The bright side of today's game was Corey Hart, who homered for the first time since September 5th. He now has 28 on the season. Jean Segura also had multiple hits, including his third triple. Aramis Ramirez doubled in the eighth and now is the second Brewer ever to have 50 in a season.

The Brewers are now three games back of the final Wild Card spot, pending St. Louis' game tonight. They move on to Cincinnati tonight and open a series with the Reds tomorrow. Mike Fiers will take on Johnny Cueto at 6:10.

As seen on FS Wisconsin:

Yeah, that led to some things but really the fly ball in the sun was the difference. It helped us yesterday on a couple of balls and they got five runs because of it today. It would have been a good game, if that ball's caught it's still a 2-1 game, we gave them the run in the first but it would've been a good ball game.

On a difficult sun today:

There's nothing you can do. They lost two yesterday and they play in it all the time. There are things you can do to try to keep it out of the sun but sometimes there's nothing you can do.

On Gomez's lost ball in the sun:

Yeah, as soon as the ball went up he was ten feet off. I was watching the ball and watching where he was and I could tell he was off line. No, once it got up there he didn't see it.

On Marco Estrada:

He just made some pitches that he hadn't been making and lost his command. And when he loses his command he gets hit pretty hard. And the pitcher's hits were tough, he got a hit on a fastball and a hit on a hanging curveball. And then we didn't play well the rest of the game. We didn't pitch well, we didn't play well.

1) Jayson Werth's two run "double" in the fourth: -.174 WPA

This was the beginning of the end in this one, as Carlos Gomez lost Werth's fly ball in the sun and two runs scored. If Gomez had caught the ball there would have been three outs, but instead five runs scored during and after this play.

2) Jordan Zimmermann's RBI single in the fourth: -.149 WPA

The Brewers allowed two singles to the opposing pitcher today, and the second one gave Washington a 2-1 lead.

3) Corey Hart's second inning solo home run: +.116 WPA

The Brewers allowed a run in the bottom of the first but tied it back up in the second on this long home run to right center for Corey Hart.

4) Bryce Harper's stolen base in the first, scoring on an error: -.102 WPA

Harper was on second with two outs in the first inning when he stole third and came around to score on Jonathan Lucroy's throwing error.

5) Roger Bernadina's fourth inning fielders' choice, Danny Espinosa out at home: +.097 WPA

Marco Estrada gave up a double to Danny Espinosa in the fourth and balked him to third, but he was erased on his way to the plate when Corey Hart threw him out.

The next five:

6) Ryan Zimmerman's three-run homer in the fourth: -.090 WPA
7) Jayson Werth's third inning single: -.063 WPA
8) Bryce Harper's third inning fly out: +.060 WPA
9) Danny Espinosa's fourth inning double: -.053 WPA
10) Marco Estrada strikes out Ryan Zimmerman in the third inning: +.049 WPA

One of the few silver linings in today's game was Corey Hart, whose solo home run in the second inning was his first in over two weeks and briefly tied the game at 1.

Hart now has 28 home runs on the season, and if he can hit two more in the Brewers' last nine games he'll become just the ninth Brewer ever to hit 30 in multiple seasons:

Right now Hart (who hit 31 home runs in 2010) is one of nine Brewers with exactly one 30 HR season. The others are Bill Hall (2006), Carlos Lee (2005), Geoff Jenkins (2000), John Jaha (1996), Rob Deer (1986), Larry Hisle (1978), George Scott (1975) and Tommy Harper (1970).

Hart is eleventh on the Brewer all time list with 152 home runs. He needs eight more to tie Paul Molitor for tenth place.

• Zimmermann's 31st: "[Jordan Zimmermann] is as strong as a bull," Washington Nationals' skipper Davey Johnson told reporters before this afternoon's series finale with the Milwaukee Brewers. "You guys were worried about him because he had a couple not Jordan-esque type starts, but he had a little bit too much rest in between. But last time out he was outstanding." In his last outing, Zimmermann held the LA Dodgers' batters to a run on six hits in 6.0 IP in a 3-1 win over Los Angeles, improving to (11-8) on the year with a 2.96 ERA, 3.55 FIP, 39 walks (1.92 BB/9) and 141 Ks (6.95 K/9) in 30 starts and 182.2 IP. "He knows what he needs to do to be successful out here," Zimmermann's manager said, "and I like where he's at." This afternoon in Nationals Park, the 26-year-old right-hander held Milwaukee to one run on four hits in 6.2 IP as the Nats earned the split in the four-game series with a 9-1 win over the visiting Brewers.

• Here's how it happened...

• Pride Of Auburndale: Zimmermann's 31st start of the season began with a 14-pitch first in which he gave up a one-out walk to Rickie Weeks, but got help from Nats' center fielder Bryce Harper, who caught a line drive to center from Ryan Braun, then tracked a fly ball off Aramis Ramirez's bat to the track and made a nice catch as he slammed hard into the center field wall. 0-0 after a half. Harper reached on a swinging bunt with one down in the home-half of the first, then moved up when Ryan Zimmerman drew a walk in the next at bat. Brewers' right-hander Marco Estrada got behind Adam LaRoche, 3-0, but the Nats' first baseman got the green light and popped up to the infield. With Ian Desmond up, Harper caught the Brewers napping, swiping third on a pitch in the dirt and then scoring when catcher Jonathan Lucroy threw past an empty base and into left. #RUNHARP! Harper's 15th SB of 2012. 1-0 Nationals after one in D.C.

• Make that 1-1: Brewers' first baseman Corey Hart got hold of the first pitch Jordan Zimmermann threw in the second and launched an opposite field blast to right and over the out-of-town scoreboard to tie it with one swing. 1-1 on Hart's 28th. Two outs later, 22-year-old former Angels' infield prospect Jean Segura tripled off the right field scoreboard, collecting his third three-base hit of the year, but Zimmermann got the opposing pitcher looking to end the second after 22 pitches. Danny Espinosa, Roger Bernadina and Kurt Suzuki went down in order in a 14-pitch second by Marco Estrada and it was still tied at 1-1 after two.

• 0 for 2 In 3-0 Counts: A swinging bunt by Norichika Aoki on a 1-1 pitch bounced off the runner and gave Jordan Zimmermann a quick out in the top of the third. Rickie Weeks worked the count full, but sent a grounder to short. Grounder. Desmond. Out. and two down. Zimmermann got up 1-2 on Ryan Braun and threw a 96 mph four-seamer by the Brewers' slugger, who fouled it into Kurt Suzuki's mitt to end a 17-pitch, 1-2-3 3rd for the Nats' right-hander. Zimmermann put down the glove, picked up a bat and singled to center off Marco Estrada to lead off the Nationals' half of the third. Jayson Werth pulled a 3-1 fastball through the left side of the infield for the second-straight single off Estrada. With two runners on, Bryce Harper was first-pitch swinging and flew out to left. Ryan Zimmerman took a 1-2 fastball outside for a called strike three and out no.2 and Adam LaRoche popped out behind home to strand two runners after three straight outs. [ed. note - "LaRoche popped up on another 3-0 pitch. That's 0-2 on 3-0 pitches today for LaRoche."]

• FBb Jumps The Gun, Sorry Jordan: A lineout to short and a grounder to third got Jordan Zimmermann two quick outs in the fourth from Aramis Ramirez and Corey Hart, respectively. Jonathan Lucroy? Grounder. Desmond. Out. 10-pitch, 1-2-3 4th for Zimmermann, and seven-straight Brewers' retired after Segura's triple in the second. Danny Espinosa lined a double to right with one down in the Nationals' fourth, collecting his 37th two-base hit of the season. A balk moved the Nats' second baseman to third, but Espinosa was thrown out at home trying to score on a weak grounder to first by Roger Bernadina. Ill-advised attempt. 2 outs. Kurt Suzuki singled to center with two down and cleared the pitcher's spot. 1-1 after four. I shouldn't have written that ahead of time, Jordan Zimmermann came through with his second hit of the game, lining to center with two down to score Roger Bernadina and make it 2-1 Nationals with two down in the fourth. 2 for 2 on the day for the Nats' right-hander. Jayson Werth flew to center to end the four--- I did it again! Werth flies to center and Carlos Gomez loses it in the sun. 2-run double when the Brewers' CF dives desperately but misses it. 4-1 Nats on Werth's 19th double of 2012. So it would be Ryan Zimmerman who would end the fourt-- NOPE! THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!! THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!!! After a double steal puts both runners in scoring position, Ryan Zimmerman hits his 24th HR of 2012 over the GEICO sign on the right-center wall. 7-1 #Nats after four.

• Zimmermann Rolling: Danny Espinosa tried to barehand a one-out grounder from Jean Segura but came up empty on what was ruled an infield single. Travis Ishikawa hit for Estrada with one down in the fifth, or more accurately, K'd looking at a low 94 mph 3-2 slider from Zimmermann. K no. 4 for the Nats' right-hander, who then threw a 79 mph 1-2 curve by Norichika Aoki for K no.5 to end a 19-pitch inning at 82 pitches overall. Ian Desmond took a six-pitch walk from Brewers' right-hander Kameron Loe to start the Nationals' fifth, then stole his 20th base of the season with Danny Espinosa at bat. Espinosa singled to left, then took second when Braun bobbled the ball on the outfield grass. Second and third for the Shark, but a grounder to short resulted in another out at home, at least according to home plate ump Marvin Hudson, who got an earful from Davey Johnson after punching Desmond out. Kurt Suzuki made Loe pay anyway, however, with a sharp grounder by third that drove both runners in and made it 9-1 Nationals. Suzuki's 19th double of 2012.

• 13 of 15: A 2-2 slider got Rickie Weeks swinging for out no.1 of the sixth and Jordan Zimmermann's 6th K. Ryan Braun reached safely on an infield single neither Ryan Zimmerman or Ian Desmond could get to. Aramis Ramirez hit a chopper to third that allowed Zimmerman to cut the lead runner down at second for out no.2 and Corey Hart flew to right to end a 13-pitch frame by the Nats' right-hander. 13 of the last 15 set down by Zimmermann, who was at 95 pitches after he finished the sixth. Ryan Zimmerman singled to center to start the Nats' sixth, but Adam LaRoche flew to left and Ian Desmond grounded into and inning 6-4-3 DP. 9-1 after six.

• Zimmermann's Done: Jordan Zimmermann gave up a four-pitch walk to the first batter in the seventh, Jonathan Lucroy, but got Carlos Gomez looking with a front door 0-2 bender that was called strike three for the Nats' right-hander's 7th K in 6.1 IP. Jean Segura grounded to Ryan Zimmerman at third, who made an underhand toss to second for the force and out no.2, at which point Jordan Zimmermann was lifted in favor of left-hander Sean Burnett, who got pinch hitter Martin Maldonado swinging to end the seventh. Still 9-1 Nats. Danny Espinosa singled to start the Nats' seventh, but he was erased on a DP grounder off Tyler Moore's bat, and Kurt Suzuki grounded to third to end a 14-pitch inning by Brewers' lefty Manny Parra.

• Zimmermann's Line: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 7 Ks, 106 P, 72 S, 6/5 GO/FO.

• Ready Or In the 8th?: Tyler Clippard got a fly to left from Norichika Aoki for the first out of the eighth. Rickie Weeks K'd swinging at a 93 mph full-count fastball for out no.2, but Ryan Braun reached safely on a pop to short right that neither Danny Espinosa or Jayson Werth could reach. A two-out double by Aramis Ramirez scored Braun and made it a 9-2 game before Corey Hart flew to right to end Milwaukee's eighth. Mark DeRosa walked to start the Nats' eighth, and one out later took second on an infield single by speedy Eury Perez. Ruled an E:3. Poor Eury. Ryan Zimmerman singled to right in the next at bat and the Nats took an 11-2 lead. Two runs score, one on the error. [Ed. note - "Perez's hit changed back to a hit, his first in the majors."] The Nats loaded the bases with one down and added another run when Danny Espinosa grounded into a force at second, 12-2.

• DRUUUUUUU!!!: Nats' right-hander Drew Storen came out for the ninth. Jonathan Lucroy reached safely on a grounder up the middle to start the inning, but Jean Segura grounded into a 4-6-3 DP and Yorvit Torrealba grounded to third to end it. Ballgame. Nats win, 12-2 final.

• Miss The Game? The D.C. Faithful Were Watching...

• Doghouse's Post Game WPA Graph: "Game 153: WOOOOOOOOP!*":

Via FanGraphs

• Where's the power? Jordan Zimmermann (+10.1 pitching, +18.9% hitting) gives up 1 run over 6.2 IP with 7 Ks and 2 BBs. He's 2-3 at the plate with a go-ahead RBI single in the 4th (+14.9%).
  
• AAaaarrrrooOOOOOO! Jayson Werth (+22.2) is 2-4 with a walk and a two-run double to pad the lead after J-Z gets it started in the 4th (+17.4%).
• Step it up, scrub: Ryan Zimmerman (+7.8%) barely makes it into the WPA leaderboard by going 3-4 with a walk and a three-run bomb (+9.0%).

*I had the dOOOOOOOOM post all ready to go.

Nationals now 93-60.

All things considered they'd probably rather be back in the NLCS, but the Milwaukee Brewers' long-awaited Zack Greinke trade came through Friday, and it actually looks like a solid move for them. The Los Angeles Angels are the surprise winners, and they had to give up a lot for a half-season of Greinke, starting with top shortstop prospect Jean Segura. (AA pitchers Ariel Pena and Johnny Hellweg round the trade out.)

Segura is a replacement for the shortstop-of-the-future the Brewers traded to get Greinke back in 2010, Alcides Escobar, but he's a different kind of player, an odd combination of speed, line-drive power, and average defense. His AA numbers haven't been extremely impressive, thanks to a development delayed by injuries, but at 22 he has some time to unlock the doubles-and-triples potential prospect watchers have seen in him for a few years now.

In any case he's a major improvement on Cesar Izturis, the Brewers' improvised starter for most of the season, who's managed an on-base percentage of just .236; Segura could easily take over for the rest of the season, if the Brewers think he's learned all he can in the minors.

The pitchers are works in progress, but useful ones. Ariel Pena's best known for his awful performance in the Futures Game this year, but he's also a 23-year-old starter with a live fastball and a strikeout an inning in AA; John Hellweg, another 23-year-old AA starter, is a hulking ex-closer with a mid-90s fastball who might end up back in the bullpen if he can't get his walk rate down.

It's not the Herschel Walker deal, exactly, but trades rarely are anymore; teams are increasingly valuing prospects for their affordability prior to free agency, and rentals just aren't worth as much as they used to be. I think this is a solid haul.

Some players can't seem to catch a break. Others have no problem finding a job. Even though Humberto Quintero hits around the Mendoza line and cannot even seem to stay healthy with back issues, he continues to find job after job in the Major Leagues even as a fringe player. The Milwaukee Brewers are reportedly the latest to sign him after being cut loose from the Kansas City Royals. This comes after he was traded to KC by the Houston Astros. Three teams in 2012 for such a veteran catcher. Go figure.

#Brewers sign catcher Humberto Quintero to minor league deal, source says.

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 28, 2012

The Royals initially traded for Quintero along with Jason Bourgeois to help make up for the half-season loss of Salvy Perez at catcher. Once Perez came back, it wasn't long before Quintero was placed on waivers and ultimately released.

Quintero owns a .232 batting average this season with 1 home run and 19 RBI.

We were flipping back and forth between the Olympics and the Nationals game on MASN2 shortly after 8:20 p.m. Saturday when these scenes below the jump came to our eyes.

OK, not exactly a blue screen of death. More like a blue screen of complete and utter confusion. (For the record, a quick flip to the Orioles game showed that MASN proper wasn't having this problem.)

Play-by-play man Bob Carpenter noted that the crack technical staff was aware of the situation (something to do with the video feed), and frankly, we felt a little sorry for him. After all, it's a TV personality truism that if the show looks bad, you look bad, even if it's not your fault.

Luckily, the problem was quickly fixed. And whereas in past years, this might have been cause for more eye-rolling, this year, it's just a delightfully quirky part of what has been a delightful Washington baseball season.

Photos via @recordsANDradio.

With all that has gone wrong for the Arizona Diamondbacks this season with the pitching rotation, Wade Miley has been a blessing. Ian Kennedy has struggled, Daniel Hudson went down for the year and Trevor Cahill has been inconsistent. Wade Miley came out of nowhere and became the staff ace.

He was Rookie of the Month in April and made the All-Star team as the only representative of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

At 12-6 with a sub-3.00 ERA, could Miley be a contender or even a favorite in the Rookie of the Year race?

AZ Snakepit seems to think so.

Of all the possible choices, which include the very popular Bryce Harper, Cincinnati's Todd Frazier and Milwaukee's Michael Fiers, Miley kills them with his WAR stat (wins above replacement, a pretty solid overall stat that gauges the value of the player -- how many more wins is that player worth over the guy to replace him). Miley sits at 3.0, while Fiers is next at 2.75.

Harper? 1.60.

At this point, it would seem to be Miley's award to lose, based on WAR. He has thrown more innings than any contender bar Houston's Lucas Harrell, and the results have been much better, even playing in a hitters' park like Chase. I have been impressed by the numbers put up by Fiers, however: if he can maintain that level of performance over another dozen or so starts, he could well be in the running. When Dontrelle Willis won Rookie of the Year in 2003, he did so with only 160.2 innings of work, and Fiers should end up with approaching 150, if he remains healthy and doesn't get shut down by the Brewers.

Miley is the best choice, He is a rookie, has the best numbers and is the ace of a team contending for its division.

If he keeps up his success, will he get it? That's a different story.

Miley will deserve it. But he isn't Bryce Harper.

So will he win it? As much as he will deserve it, I have a feeling he gets snubbed for one of the more popular names and the Miley will get lost competing for the playoffs, which, in the end, is not a bad tradeoff. And I think Miley would say the same thing.

Get more Diamondbacks coverage over at AZ Snakepit.

For the latest AZ sports, follow us on Twitter @SBNArizona and "Like" us on Facebook.

The Cubs' 129th game of the year last night, a 3-1 home loss to the Brewers, will go down as the best moment of the season-that-cannot-end-soon-enough. There hadn't been much competition for the coveted 'Best Moment' category. The promotions of Anthony Rizzo, et al. comes to mind, and even the now fizzling excitement surrounding their call-ups had more to do with the super positive, probably unrealistic expectations of things to come, as opposed to any actual on-field results. What else is there? Well, if you remember all the way back to April 13th, the second week of the season, the 8th game of the year, you'll remember the Cubs defeated the Cardinals on the day they received their World Series rings. But that moment is too stale, too inconsequential, and Marlon Byrd was still starting in centerfield.

Darwin Barney's errorless streak it is then to act as the one truly joyous moment in an otherwise brutal season. Barney passed David Eckstein to become the new record-holder for most consecutive errorless games for a NL second baseman, now at 114 and counting. The streak did not come without a scare, however. Third baseman Luis Valbuena dropped a throw at the bag from Barney, who was backing up a botched throw to second. Even Little Leaguers, and not even the ones on ESPN, routinely make the play Valbuena whiffed on. The error was initially charged to Barney and then rightly changed. We all went back to not giving a shit.

To celebrate, the Cubs players threw a 114th Errorless Streak party for Barney after the game. Alcohol was consumed, cake devoured, and party whistles blown long into the night. What follows is some of the gifts Barney received on his special day.

Darwin: Thanks for coming, Skip. I know you must be busy.

Sveum: Not really.

Darwin: Well, with the remainder of the season and all.

Sveum: It doesn't matter at this point. Nothing matters.

[Awkward silence]

Sveum: Anyway, I wanted to give you something.

Darwin: You shouldn't have.

Sveum: Sometimes whiskey ain't enough. I've found punching a bag really relieves stress. Better than driving off a cliff, I guess. I took the liberty of taping a picture of Luis Valbuena's face to the bag. He almost cost you the streak. I personally have a print out of everyone's face so I can easily change them from game to game.

[Darwin grabs a small present from the table, clearly shaped like a book. "I wonder what this is?" he jokes]

Corpas: Oooh, that one's from me.

Darwin: Great! Look at this. On the Origin of Species. I presume because the author's last name is the same as my first name.

Corpas: Hilarious coincidence, isn't it? I haven't really gotten the opportunity to know much about you yet, so I thought to go with the gag gift.

Darwin: The cross dangling from my neck every game must not be visible from the bullpen.

[Starlin Castro pulls Darwin aside]

Starlin: Buddy, I'm sorry. I forgot a gift.

Darwin: It's no big deal.

Starlin: No, it is a big deal. I want to get you something.

Darwin: Really, you don't have to.

Starlin: I know! Hitting lessons. One free session. Your defense is good, but your defense doesn't get you a 7-year extension. Let me help. I'll tell you the pitches to swing at. Pretty much all of them.

[Darwin returns to the table and grabs another small gift]

Soriano: You're going to be very happy with this one. Very happy. Go ahead. Open it!

Darwin: Wow. . . you . . . you autographed a copy of the movie I starred in.

Soriano: Yes I did. I saw this movie and immediately thought of you. Enjoy.

Darwin: Dont' you think that's a little weird?

Soriano: What?

Darwin: Autographing something you are not affiliated with.

Soriano: No.

[The guests begin to head home after Darwin opens his remaining presents. He does the dishes, scrubs the floor, and recycles the empty bottles. Nestled beneath one of the styrofoam plates is an envelope]

[Darwin opens the envelope and reads the handwritten note]

Dearest Darwin,

Around you, my heart skips like a bad hop.

My stomach flurries like a swarm of pigeons in centerfield.

Joe Mather shaves his head to a chorus of nothing.

Bryan LaHair has been on hold since 9 AM. Surely, someone can take his call?

O Darwin -- the dirt is but a minor roadblock to greener pastures.

Chalk-white lines confine us to box scores.

And what's worse, we do it to ourselves.

My love for you is as tender and clumsy as this poem.

My intentions purer than the 5-year-old child cupping a foul ball.

It is this love, this most maddening love for an unfair game that compels me to honesty.

You wont' be here much longer.

Don't you see? You've outgrown your cage.

Spread your wings, youngish Darwin, and fly. Far away from here where the poets sing, the cobblers cry, and the fleeting, victorious feeling exists outside of the books of yesteryear.

XOXO,

Jed (Hoyer, if you're nasty)

P.S. I've enclosed a $50 Best Buy gift card.

September belongs to football. Pennant races be damned. Last night, the Cubs and Nationals manufactured some drama for the specific purpose of earning suspensions, thereby allowing them to watch this weekend's NFL games. It all started with Nationals third base coach Bo Porter and Cubs bench coach Jamie Quirk. "Why are you stealing bases up 7-2 in the 5th inning?" Quirk appeared to yell out to Porter. "You've already doubled the amount of runs needed to beat us."

"That's how we play, clown," Porter may have responded. "We score runs and win games. Don't matter the situation." Overcome by emotion and his team's unholy offensive output, Porter practically walked into the Cubs' dugout. Benches cleared. Quirk, not Porter, was ejected.

The following inning, Lendy Castillo, in typical Lendy Castillo fashion, threw at Bryce Harper and missed his spot. Harper stared and pointed his bat and the benches cleared again. Members of the Cubs bullpen made their second run across the field with smiles on their faces, apparently of the mistaken belief that this would count towards tomorrow's pregame workout. Darwin Barney calmly stood on the infield grass, discussing his expectations of the Democratic National Convention with Drew Storen. Steve Clevenger loudly proclaimed that this season of Louie was much weaker than the first two. Michael Morse took issue and needed to be subdued by teammates and coaches. It was an embarrassing scene for a sport that needs no help embarrassing itself. It had me pining for a basketball fight and there hasn't been a good basketball fight in 15 years.

September belongs to football and I would never try to suggest otherwise. Baseball, the spruced up summer placeholder, once again takes a back seat. But what, may I ask, do you watch Tuesday through Friday night? Don't try and tell me CBS sitcoms or Big East football or that you go go out on Fridays. Sure, baseball takes a back seat, but it's on in September when football isn't. For that reason alone, it deserves your attention. September call-ups are now sprinkled across MLB rosters, many of whom you've never seen before and will never see again. On bad teams like the Cubs, they sometimes see significant playing time. Who's that swinging at a 3-0 pitch with runners on first and second, no outs? Who's that on the mound making Adam LaRoche look like '04 Barry Bonds? Here's a quick primer on the Cubs' September call-ups, featuring some new and familiar faces.

Adrian Cardenas - World renowned, around these parts anyway, for breaking up A.J. Burnett's no-hitter in the 8th inning of a meaningless July game. He hasn't been heard from since. Rumors of Vermont and a $10,000 organic farming grant are unfounded. Cardenas will back-up 2nd base and rearrange all of Alfonso Soriano's equipment in the dugout until it's time to break up another no-hitter.

Tony Campana - They said he would never again make a 25-man roster. So he waited around until September. They said he didn't deserve to crack a 40-man roster. So he became a member of the Cubs organization. It's time to acknowledge that a) Tony Campana will never die and b) Everyone, especially your girlfriend, likes Tony Campana more than you do. Campana will mostly pinch-run, maybe even take a few at-bats if Dale Sveum is feeling especially cynical that day.

Dave Sappelt - The Sean Marshall trade keeps on giving! First Travis Wood, a solid no. 2 starter on a 60-win team, and now Sappelt. He was the Reds' minor-league hitter of the year in 2010, which translates to about .180 in the pros. He'll serve mostly as a reserve outfielder, with a few starts thrown in. Listens to 50 Cent unironically.

Anthony Recker - You can never have too many catchers, as the Cubs found out earlier this season when a string of injuries to the position ended with Koyie Hill and a near mass ritual suicide of the Cubs blogosphere. Acquired from the Athletics, Recker is of clear mind and broad shoulders. Challenge him at the plate and he will (w)reck you, son. Unfortunately, he'll mostly pinch-hit because THREE CATCHERS!

Miguel Socolovich - Pitched (poorly) in six games for the Orioles this year. The Cubs claimed him off waivers two weeks ago hoping some of that hot fire the O's bullpen has spit all year would rub off on him. You know the drill - it hasn't. Only Venezuelan distinguished for his bravery in the Battle of Stalingrad.

Chris Rusin - Rusin was so impressive in his start against the Brewers, on the mound (5 IP, 1 H, 1 ER), and at the plate (1-2), that Cubs fans clamored for him to be the ace of the staff and hit 6th in the lineup. Predictably, he surrendered 8 hits and 5 runs in an inning of work on Tuesday. We can realistically expect something in between those two performances. Let's say a 3-inning start with 3 or 4 earned runs.

Rafael Dolis - It seems like the opening of an unforgiving joke now, but Rafael Dolis was once the Cubs' closer. The options were slim: Shawn Camp, James Russell, and Dolis. Sveum chose the worst of the three. Dolis is back in the pen to throw 1-0 fastballs down the middle -- in the 5th or 6th inning instead of the 9th this time around.

Jaye Chapman - Reminds me a little of Aroldis Chapman. Relief Pitcher. Last name Chapman. The similarities end there.

BONUS: LATE AUGUST ROSTER MOVES

Jeff Beliveau - This marks Beliveau's second stint with the team, as he was recalled in place of starting pitcher Brooks Raley, who has reached his innings limit for the year. Beliveau will be used as the early inning lefty specialist, with James Russell appearing in the games of consequence. Beliveau also specializes in turning a 2-run deficit into a 6-run deficit.

Blake Parker - Was recently activated from the 60-Day DL. He'll appear in the games that look like football scores. And yes, this is the same 'Blake Parker' who works part-time as the shirtless model in front of your local Abercrombie & Fitch.