Win: Tony Watson (2-1)
Loss: Francisco Rodriguez (1-1)

HR: None

MVP: Brandon Kintzler (.350 WPA)
LVP: Francisco Rodriguez (-.267 WPA)

Fangraphs Win Expectancy Graph

Boxscore

Two big, big positives from this game.

1. Tyler Thornburg pitched five innings in the Brewers' second start. I say second start because there was a two hour delay due to rain in Pittsburgh that ended Kyle Lohse's night after 1.2 innings. Thornburg started after the delay and pitched five innings of two-hit ball. He struck out four batters and walked just one. That is truly so encouraging. With no prior knowledge he would be making this outing, Thornburg dominated the best team in the major leagues.

Thornburg has had his share of struggles in the minor leagues, but man, sometimes you just need something to give you a little hope, right? That was this outing. It'll boost both the Brewers and Thornburg's spirits, and it makes you see that he still has a shot to be really good in the majors. It's only one outing, yeah, but it's a glimmer of possibility. Thornburg did that once, he can do it again. Perhaps he can do it again a whole bunch of times.

Brewers pitching prospects do not have a good track record. Wily Peralta, Johnny Hellweg, Thornburg...Ben Hendrickson, Manny Parra, Mark Rogers...Brewers pitching prospects are forever in a state of "iffy at best", even more so than normal pitching prospects. At least it seems that way. Obviously Peralta, Hellweg, and Thornburg have so much time left to prove that they can be successful. But the slightest struggles or setbacks and I think we, as Brewers fans, are conditioned to panic and wonder what Milwaukee's minor league system did this time.

Besides, guys like Thornburg give a reason to watch the Brewers the rest of the way. Which is good, because otherwise it's like a two-month longer offseason except even more nothing happens.

So this one five inning pseudo-spot start by Thornburg is nice to see. Maybe it's not indicative of what he'll end up being in his career, but I'm going to take it and cherish it. At least until the next time he pitches.

2. Well, I guess we're one loss closer to Carlos Rodon or whatever top prospect will be in the top five of the MLB draft. The Brewers have the third worst record in the major leagues. I accept that at this point. In a way, I sort of like it. Everybody probably could have seen that the Brewers were on a downturn and it was only a matter of time before they started slipping back towards the cellar before a rebuild.

I'm glad it all happened at once. It would be worse if this were dragged over the next five years and we got to watch the Brewers slowly fall apart with Doug Melvin and Co. making trades and signing more Kyle Lohses to keep the Brewers around .500. We don't have to suffer that.

We, as Brewers fans, aren't getting constantly pecks to the face over and over, slowly tipping over from the pain. We get one big wallop to the jaw and get knocked down. Now, the team has to dust itself up and work on getting back up. The draft is how the Brewers became a playoff contender from 2007-2012 (RIP). Now they have to do it again. They haven't had the advantage of high draft picks since they drafted Rickie Weeks and Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun.

They'll get that opportunity again. Those picks in the top five are no guarantees, but they're a hell of a lot safer than those in the 20s. This loss always brings them one step closer to trading away everyone sensible as the deadline approaches. You know Doug Melvin needs to be about 20 games out of the race to make trades for prospects, so hopefully we're at that point.

Outside of those two points, the game was shit. The rain delay was just the start of it, costing the Brewers what, early on, looked like would be a very good start for Kyle Lohse. Then the game started again, and it got more and more frustrating as the Brewers offense was, well, useless. Vin Mazzaro and the Pirates bullpen managed to hold the Brewers to just two hits for 12 innings.

The Brewers scored their only run off of original Pittsburgh starter Charlie Morton. On a sacrifice bunt. They probably wouldn't have scored at all if not for an error by Clint Barmes that allowed Yuniesky Betancourt to reach first base. Betancourt bowled into third on a Martin Maldonado single, then scored on a Logan Schafer bunt. That's Brewers baseball.

It almost looked like enough to win the game thanks to Tyler Thornburg and a strong Brewers bullpen that held the Pirates scoreless until the eighth. Jim Henderson allowed an RBI two-out single to Andrew McCutchen during that frame.

That would send the game into extra innings, where Francisco Rodriguez gave up a walk-off single to Russell Martin in Rodriguez's second inning of work. Rodriguez had not pitched more than one inning since 2011.

So the Brewers lost, and the Pirates continue to be good and I'm happy for them.

But I'm also sort of happy for the Brewers, because hopefully this team will take steps to move forward and look to the future. Hopefully.

Or they could just chalk the season up to bad luck and sign another Kyle Lohse and re-sign Corey Hart in the offseason and do this all again.

The Brewers start a series against the Nationals tomorrow. Milwaukee faces Jordan Zimmerman, Stephen Strasburg and Ross Detwiler. It should be fun to see those first two, at least.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were shut out by the Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals), 3-0.

Starter Brooks Raley had the textbook "quality start," but that obviously wasn't good enough today. Raley allowed three runs on seven hits over six innings. He walked two and struck out two.

Iowa managed five hits, all singles.

Memphis lost to Albuquerque, so Iowa kept their two game lead in the division.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies got burned by the Montgomery Biscuits (Rays), 4-3 in ten innings.

Another good start for Alberto Cabrera, who gave up two runs on seven hits over 6.1 innings. He walked two and struck out three.

Kevin Rhoderick was one out away from his third save, but he couldn't keep the save. After retiring the first two batters of the ninth inning, he walked a batter who went to third on a single and then scored on a wild pitch. Rhoderick then came out to pitch the tenth, but he faced four batters and failed to retire any of them.

Rhoderick's final line was 1+ innings, allowing two runs on four hits, a walk and a hit batsman. He did not strike anyone out.

Shortstop Arismendy Alcantara gave the Smokies a 3-2 lead with a solo home run in the sixth inning. It was his eleventh homer this season. Alcantara went 1 for 4 with a walk and two runs scored.

Left fielder John Andreoli had two doubles in a 2 for 4 game. Right fielder Rubi Silva was 2 for 4.

Daytona Cubs

Looks like the rainy season is coming to Florida early this year.

Kane County Cougars

The Kane County Cougars skinned the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers), 4-3.

Starter Brian Smith allowed three runs on five hits over 4.1 innings. He walked one and struck out three.

Lendy Castillo got the win with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief. He only allowed one hit, but he had control issues as he walked three. He did not have a strike out.

Michael Hamann got the save in his Kane County debut. He pitched 1.1 innings and issued a walk, but no hits and no runs. Hamann struck out one.

Left fielder Reggie Golden provided the winning margin with a solo home run to lead off the top of the eighth. It was Golden's third homer of the year. Golden was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Right fielder Kevin Encarnacion was 3 for 5 with a double and a stolen base. He scored two runs.

Shortstop Marco Hernandez was 2 for 4 with a hit by pitch. Catcher Willson Contreras went 2 for 5 with an RBI. Center fielder Oliver Zapata was 2 for 4 with an RBI.

Boise Hawks

The Boise Hawks scored three times in the bottom of the eighth to win their fourth game in a row, 6-5 over the Eugene Emeralds (Padres).

The Hawks went to a pitching staff by committee today. Carlos Martinez-Pumarino threw the first three innings and allowed two unearned runs on three hits. He walked two and struck out two.

Jasvir Rakkar pitched the next three innings and he gave up one run in each of them. His final line was three runs, two earned, on four hits. He walked two and struck out one.

Andrew McKirahan got the win in his first game in Boise this season. McKirahan threw two scoreless innings, allowing only one hit. He walked one and struck out one.

After Scott Frazier loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth inning, Matt Iannazzo got a groundout to end the game and get his first save.

Right fielder Yasiel Balaguert hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the third inning to give Boise a temporary 3-2 lead. It was his fourth home run of the season. Balaguert was 2 for 4 and scored two runs.

Jose Dore 2 for 4 with a double. He scored once.

AZL Cubs

Beat the Indians, 6-4.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Frequent BCB readers may recall that a few months ago I reviewed one of my favorite new baseball books, Chris Jensen's Baseball State by State. After reading the book I've asked Chris to join us for a 12-part series in 2013 on the best players born in Wisconsin. What follows is part seven of that series. - KL

Clarence "Ginger" Beaumont is the answer to a pretty good trivia question-who was the first batter in modern World Series history? Beaumont, who batted leadoff for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1903 World Series, went on to collect 1,759 career hits over a 12-year career in the Deadball Era. The Rochester native (born July 23, 1876) earns the distinction as Wisconsin's best July-born player and he holds down one of the outfield spots on the All-Time Wisconsin team listed in Baseball State by State.

Beaumont was discovered by Connie Mack, who signed the lefty-swinging catcher for the Milwaukee Brewers of the Western League in 1898. He shifted to outfield when he debuted in the majors with the Pittsburgh Pirates the next year, and his speed was an asset in the field and on the bases. Although he looked like a bowling ball, with 190 pounds packed onto his 5-foot-8 frame, he ran like a thoroughbred. Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss gave Beaumont the "Ginger" nickname due to his red hair.

The center fielder batted .352 his rookie season with 31 stolen bases. One of his career highlights came on July 22 that year, when he collected six hits (all in the infield) and scored six runs in six at-bats, an amazing feat that was not duplicated until Shawn Green did it more than a century later in 2002.

He posted four straight seasons of at least 100 runs and led the National League in batting with a .357 average in 1902. Beaumont also led the league in hits four times, including a career high 209 in 1903. He wound up with a .311 career average and 254 stolen bases. He batted .265 in the 1903 World Series as the Pirates lost the 1903 Series to the Red Sox.

Knee problems robbed him of his speed later in his career, and Beaumont batted between .263 and .267 his last three seasons before retiring at age 33 after the 1910 season. He became a charter member of the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1951, five years before he passed away at the age of 79.

Other July birthdays include Shane Rawley (born July 27, 1955 in Racine), who won 111 games over a 12-year career. Rawley was an All-Star for the Phillies in 1986, a year in which he went 11-7 with a 3.54 ERA. The next season he led the NL with 36 starts and won a career-high 17 games despite allowing 250 hits in 229-2/3 innings. He is ranked as Wisconsin's fifth-best lefty starter in Baseball State by State.

Chris Jensen is the author of Baseball State by State: Major League and Negro League Players, Ballparks, Museums and Historical Sites,which was published in July 2012 by McFarland. It features a chapter on each state covering state baseball history, an all-time team, stats leaders, historic baseball places to see, future stars, player nicknames and the state's all-time best player.

Nationals 13, Mets 2: Washington roughed up Zack Wheeler, tagging the starter for five runs in 4 2/3 innings to give the right-hander his first major-league loss. Gio Gonzalez countered with seven scoreless innings, only allowing three hits while fanning seven Mets.

The Mets brought in backup catcher Anthony Recker to pitch the ninth inning, which did not impress Ian Desmond, who blasted a homer off the windows of the stadium club seats.

Royals 9, Twins 8: David Lough went 4-for-4, hitting three doubles and the go-ahead solo home run in the top of the eighth inning. Lough became just the fifth Royals player in history to collect four extra-base hits in a single game. Johnny Giavotella collected three hits in his first game of the 2013 season.

A Royals fan made an impressive catch during the fourth inning, falling over backwards to snare a foul-ball with his glove.

Indians 4, White Sox 0: Justin Masterson threw his league-leading third complete game shutout of the season, allowing six hits while striking out eight White Sox. The victory moved Cleveland into a virtual tie with Detroit for first place in the AL Central.

Marlins 6, Padres 2: Jeff Mathis clubbed a walk-off grand slam for Miami, his second home run of the season and the second grand slam in the catcher's career:

Nathan Eovaldi tossed six scoreless innings for the Marlins for his third quality start in June.

Braves 6, Diamondbacks 2: Freddie Freeman hit a three-run homer off Arizona starter Trevor Cahill, while Brian McCann and Dan Uggla also smacked homers off the right-hander. The Braves improved to a major league-best 28-11 at home, while the Diamondbacks have gone 22 straight games without a win from a starting, the longest streak in the majors since the Padres went 25 games without a win in 2009, according to STATS Inc.

Athletics 7, Cardinals 5: Oakland battered Jake Westbrook for six runs on ten hits in four innings. Jed Lowrie went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI, while Seth Smith, Yoenis Cespedes and Josh Donaldson all had multi-hit games. Carlos Beltran, Alan Craig and Matt Carpenter all hit homers for St. Louis.

Red Sox 5, Blue Jays 4: Toronto first baseman Josh Thole committed an error on a Shane Victorino groundball in the ninth inning, which allowed Jonathan Diaz to score the game-winning run.

Thole entered the game in the second inning as a replacement for Adam Lind, who left with a mid-back injury. Jose Bautista had tied the game for the Blue Jays in the top of the ninth inning with a solo homer off Koji Uehara, his fourth game-tying home run in the ninth inning or later this season, per ESPN Stats & Info.

Angels 3, Astros 1: Josh Hamilton drove in the go-ahead run with an eighth-inning double, extending the Angels winning streak to six games. C.J. Wilson threw seven innings to earn his fourth straight victory, striking out 10 for this third double-digit strikeout game of the season.

Rays 3, Tigers 1: Jeremy Hellickson recorded his fifth win in the month of June, tying Matt Moore, David Price and Scott Kazmir for most victories in a month in Rays history. Both benches were warned early in the game, when Rick Porcello hit Ben Zobrist with a pitch in the first inning. Miguel Cabrera yelled at Fernando Rodney in the tenth inning of last night's game after the closer threw up-and-in against the third baseman.

Rays manager Joe Maddon handled the situation in his own way, sending out the following Tweet after the game.

For those looking for a response as to why we didn’t retaliate today, please read Mario Puzo.

— Joe Maddon (@RaysJoeMaddon) June 30, 2013

Puzo wrote a number of novels and screenplays about the Mafia, and is best known for writing The Godfather.

Rangers 3, Reds 2: Yu Darvish out-dueled Mat Latos, allowing no runs on four hits while striking out eight over 6 2/3 innings to earn his first victory since May 16. Texas scored their first two runs on an Elvis Andrus squeeze bunt; Devin Mesoraco could not handle the Latos throw after Adrian Beltre slid into the catcher, which allowed Leonys Martin to score.

Dodgers 6, Phillies 0: Yasiel Puig went 4-for-5 at the plate, scoring two runs and finishing a homer shy of the cycle. Puig finished with 44 hits in June, breaking Steve Sax's Dodgers' record for most hits in a single month. Puig's 44 hits rank as the second most hits in the first month of a player's career:

Puig will likely finish the month of June with 44 H. The 2nd most all-time by a player in their first-career calendar month (DiMaggio, 48).

— Dodgers PR (@DodgersPR) June 30, 2013

Pirates 2, Brewers 1: The Pirates' winning streak is still alive, thanks to Russell Martin. The catcher came in as a pinch-hitter and singled home the winning run in the 14th inning to beat the Brewers, 2-1, and extend the Pittsburgh winning strak to nine games. The Pirates will now head into July with the most wins in the majors as they go in search of their first winning season in 21 years.

Giants 5, Rockies 2: The Giants may be in fourth place in the NL West, but they are just three games out of first place after beating the Rockies. Colorado will be disappointed not to have won to move within one game of first-place Arizona, but Madison Bumgarner's seven innings of four-hit, one-run ball was enough to snap San Francisco's six-game losing streak. The only good news for the Rockies is that Michael Cuddyer extended hitting streak to 27 games.

Cubs 7, Mariners 6: True to Cubs form, Chicago almost blew a six-run lead on Sunday. True to Mariners form, they couldn't finish the comeback. The Cubs led 7-1 after four innings, but the Mariners started to chip away at Edwin Jackson, then they really beat up the Chicago bullpen that has blown 16 saves this season. It wasn't enough, though, The Cubs held on. Barely.

Orioles 4, Yankees 2: The Orioles rode the long ball to upend the Yankees as Manny Machado, Chris Davis and Nate McLouth all hit solo homers. That, along with six solid innings by Chris Tillman and three shutout innings from the bullpen was all Baltimore needed to stay within 2.5 games of Boston for the AL East lead.

More from SB Nation:

• The ins and outs of Yasiel Puig

• Mets may limit Harvey’s innings

• Scherzer’s 12-0 start best since 1986

• Yankees, Red Sox interested in Michael Young

• MLB trade rumors | MLB Daily Dish

This week's Brew Crew Ball Tracking Poll will remain open through the day on Tuesday, with results scheduled to be posted on Wednesday. As always, please vote once.

To help you get ready for this week's adventure, I asked Patrick Reddington of Federal Baseball five questions about the Nationals. His answers are below.

BCB: For a team with pretty high expectations, the Nationals have bobbed right around .500 for more or less the entire season. What's gone wrong to cause them to disappoint?

FB: Aside from injuries, which every team has to deal with, the problem for the Nationals so far this season has been the offense. The Nationals' .236/.294/.384 line as a team has them 13th in AVG, 14th in OBP and 12th in SLG in the NL. They've continued to get strong pitching from their starters, though Dan Haren's struggled, but the offense has failed to support the pitching far too often. The team has been unable to string together wins with the inconsistent offensive output and so they've been stuck right around .500 for over a month now. Getting Bryce Harper and Wilson Ramos back in the next week or two should make them a much more formidable offensive threat.

BCB: Everything I've seen suggests the Brewers will see Bryce Harper this week in his first games back after missing over a month with knee bursitis. How important is his health to this club's playoff aspirations?

FB: All signs point to Harper being back in the lineup tonight, yes, unless there's an unexpected setback with his knee today. With Harper in the lineup the Nationals have gone 25-18. They're 16-22 without him playing. It's hard to believe how much the Nats have relied on the offensive output from both Harper and 23-year-old rookie Anthony Rendon this season, but the two of them have made a huge impact with Rendon, in particular, filling in nicely once the Nationals finally sent Danny Espinosa to the DL. In addition to the offense, Harper settles things in the outfield too. Without him in the lineup, the Nationals have tried a number out outfielders in left, but it just doesn't work as well as when Harper's in there, obviously. If they have any chance of making a run this season the Nationals will need Harper on the field, in my opinion, and it won't hurt to have Wilson Ramos back sharing the catching duties in the next week or so.

BCB: The series opens on Monday with Wisconsin native Jordan Zimmermann on the mound against Yovani Gallardo. I know Stephen Strasburg gets more hype, but has Zimmermann been this team's best pitcher?

FB: Without a doubt, Zimmermann's been the most consistent starter in the Nats' rotation so far this season. Especially at home, where he's unbeaten this summer and over his last 20 starts going back to the middle of last May with the Nationals 17-3 with him on the hill over that stretch. It's no slight on Strasburg, who's been up and down and dealing with injuries and some inconsistency, but Zimmermann's got a few years on Strasburg and is just more of a complete pitcher right now. Zimmermann's also fearless on the mound, pounds the strike zone and challenge hitters, who have a .209/.243/.315 line against the right-hander so far this season and he doesn't walk many batters at all either, with his 1.33 BB/9 currently the second-lowest BB/9 amongst starters in the NL. It's been really interesting watching Zimmermann develop into the pitcher he is now over the last couple seasons, but there were signs of his talent from the start. The people of Auburndale, WI should be proud.

BCB: Rookie Taylor Jordan made his major league debut on Saturday and is scheduled to start against the Brewers again in the series finale on Thursday. What can you tell us about him?

FB: Mid-90's heater, diving mid-80's change. Scouting reports say his slider is still a work in progress. I've only seen him pitch three times (once in ST, once in Double-A and in his debut), but what I've read in scouting reports was pretty clearly evident. He's another tall, hard-throwing, sinker ball pitcher who is successful when he's able to keep the ball down in the zone and get groundouts. A full 77% of the outs he's recorded this season have been groundouts. The reports also focus on the deception in his delivery. All of his pitches come out of the same arm slot and he hides the ball well throughout his delivery so hitters don't seem to get a good read on the ball and then he has late movement (sink) that makes it even more difficult to barrel him up. He might not be up for long, with the Nationals continuing to say they expect Dan Haren to come back, but Jordan's going to get another start or two with the major league team including this week's against the Brewers. Looking forward to seeing him settle in now that he's gotten his debut out of the way.

BCB: What's the trade deadline look like for this team? Will they be buyers, and if so, what might they be looking for?

FB: From what the Nationals say, they're looking for the returning players like Bryce Harper and Wilson Ramos to bolster the offense, but one of the biggest problems offensively has been the offensive output, or lack of it they've received from their bench bats this season. Last year, Steve Lombardozzi, Tyler Moore, Roger Bernadina and Chad Tracy all exceeded expectations, but they've come back down to earth this season. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see the Nationals go out and get a bench bat that could fill in around the field at first and in the outfield. I think a lot of what the Nats do at the deadline will also depend on how Dan Haren pitches when he returns. Taylor Jordan, who's filling in for Haren now, is in the second year back from Tommy John, so he's not seen as a long-term solution this season. If Haren falters upon returning, the Nationals might go for a starter, but I think they believe the roster they started the season with is capable of making a run, so I think they're going to look at the production over the next month when they have the ideal lineup back on the field and see how things go. Not expecting anything big, but the Nationals have generated a good deal of excitement in the last two seasons, so they might surprise me and do something big if things don't go well over the next few weeks.

Thanks again to Patrick for taking the time, and check out Federal Baseball for more on the Nationals!

Yes, that pun was terrible. Let's move on.

Tonight at 6:05 the Brewers see the Nationals for the first time this year and will face Wisconsin native Jordan Zimmermann (2.28 ERA, 3.09 FIP), who might be a candidate for NL Cy Young. Zimmerman beat the Diamondbacks on Wednesday, allowing two runs on just three hits over seven innings. He's pitched seven innings or more in ten of his last twelve starts.

The cornerstone of Zimmermann's arsenal is a very good fastball: It sits in the mid 90's, he throws it around two thirds of the time and FanGraphs estimates it's been worth around +1.68 runs per 100 pitches. He's also got a good slider and will mix in some curves. He doesn't record a lot of strikeouts, but about half of all balls put in play against him are hit on the ground.

Zimmermann beat the Brewers twice a year ago, posting a 1.42 ERA against them over 12.2 innings of work with 13 strikeouts. Aramis Ramirez is the only current Brewer who has seen him ten times or more, and is hitting .375/.375/.750 over 16 plate appearances.

He'll face Yovani Gallardo (4.20 ERA, 3.94 FIP), whose strong month of June ended with a whimper last time out. He completed just four innings against the Cubs on Wednesday and allowed five runs (three earned) on eight hits, walking four and striking out five.

Here's a fun fact: Gallardo, who has been a big leaguer since 2007, is only three months older than Zimmermann. He's also roughly the same age or younger than Donovan Hand (27), Alfredo Figaro (28) and Marco Estrada (29).

Gallardo got roughed up by the Nationals in a pair of starts a year ago, posting an 8.10 ERA over ten innings. Five current Nats have faced him ten times or more:

As of this writing (8:11 pm Sunday, so this isn't really a surprise) the Brewers lineup for today has not been posted. If you've seen it, please drop it in the comments.

And the mess in the bullpen:

• Brandon Kintzler pitched three innings (38 pitches) yesterday, and also pitched on Saturday.
• Jim Henderson pitched one inning (eleven pitches) yesterday, and also pitched on Saturday.
• John Axford pitched .1 innings (six pitches) yesterday, and also pitched on Saturday.
• Tyler Thornburg pitched five innings (82 pitches) yesterday.
• Francisco Rodriguez pitched 1.1 innings (39 pitches) yesterday.
• Michael Gonzalez pitched one inning (31 pitches) yesterday.
• Burke Badenhop pitched two innings (32 pitches) on Saturday.

For the second straight day, rain could be a factor in tonight's game. The forecast for tonight calls for a chance of scattered thunderstorms with a game time temperature around 80 and winds blowing out to left.

A recap of today's minor league transactions:

Rays sign Ramon Ramirez, Evan Frey; release Will Inman

The Tampa Bay Rays have signed right-hander Ramon Ramirez and outfielder Evan Frey, according to Marc Topkin of Tampa Bay Times. Both players were assigned to Triple-A Durham, and pitcher Will Inman was released to create roster space.

Ramirez, who has eight years of major league experience with the Rockies (2006-2007), Royals (2008), Red Sox (2009-2010), Giants (2010-2011, 2013) and Mets (2012), was designated for assignment by San Francisco on June 13th and released four days later. In 5.2 innings in the majors this season, he posted a 11.12 ERA and 2.471 WHIP. The 31-year old is best known for his stellar pitching in 2010, when his 0.67 ERA in 25 innings with the Giants helped lead the team to a World Series championship.

Frey, who has spent seven seasons in the Arizona Diamondbacks' system, was released from Triple-A Reno on Wednesday. In 61 games with Reno, the 27-year old hit .282 with 8 RBI.

Inman, who signed a minor league deal with the Rays in November, is 0-2 with a 6.47 ERA in 21 relief appearances on the season. He has previously spent time in the Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, and Boston Red Sox organizations.

Phillies release Andy Gonzalez

The Philadelphia Phillies have released infielder Andy Gonzalez from Double-A Reading, according to a tweet from Reading's PR director Eric Scarcella. The 31-year old has hit .143 with 1 RBI since signing with the Phillies on May 30th, and may return to the York Revolution of the Atlantic League, where he spent the first part of the season. Gonzalez has major league experience with the Miami Marlins, Chicago White Sox, and Cleveland Indians.

Lancaster Barnstormers sign Rich Rundles

Ex-major leaguer Rich Rundles will sign with the Lancaster Barnstormers of the Atlantic League this week, MLBDailyDish's Chris Cotillo has learned. Rundles, 32, was released from the Baltimore Orioles' system in April and will return to Lancaster, where he spent part of the 2012 season. He appeared in nine games with the Cleveland Indians in 2008 and 2009, posting a 1.50 ERA in six innings of work.

With a win tonight in his 16th outing of 2013, Auburndale, Wisconsin-born, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point-educated 2007 2nd Round pick Jordan Zimmermann, (W, 12-3), matched his overall win total from 2012 when he was (12-8) in 32 starts for the Washington Nationals. The Nats' 27-year-old right-hander entered the first game of the four with the visiting Milwaukee Brewers with a 20-start unbeaten streak at home in Nationals Park going back to last May 17th, when he dropped a decision to the Pittsburgh Pirates, and a (13-0) record over that stretch with the Nats 17-3 when he took the mound in D.C. over the course of the streak. The Nationals were 18-3 in Zimmermann's last 21 starts at home and Zimmermann was (14-0) in Nats Park since last taking a loss in the nation's capital when the Nats won tonight, 8-5, to improve to 42-40 overall on the year.

Here's how it happened:

Zimmermann threw a 10-pitch, 1-2-3 frame against his home state team in the first, striking Carlos Gomez out with a brutal 1-2 curve to end the opening inning of tonight's contest.

In the Nationals' first, in his first major league at bat since May 26th, 20-year-old Nats' outfielder Bryce Harper hit an opposite field home run off Brewers' starter Yovani Gallardo on a 1-0, two-seam fastball outside that landed in the visitor's bullpen for a one-out solo home blast that cleared the 377ft sign on the wall to give the Nationals the lead after an inning in Nationals Park.

Milwaukee backstop Jonathan Lucroy lined to center on a 94 mph 0-2 fastball from Jordan Zimmermann, connecting for a one-out single in the second, but a pop to center by Rickie Weeks and swinging K from Juan Francisco followed in an 11-pitch inning that had Washington's starter at 21 pitches after two scoreless. Yovani Gallardo needed just nine pitches to retire the side in order in Nationals' second, leaving the Brewers' right-hander at 31 total after two.

Sean Halton had no clue what happened as he K'd swinging at a 78 mph 1-2 curve from Jordan Zimmermann on the fifth pitch of the third. An 0-2 curve to Yovani Gallardo got a grounder to third that Ryan Zimmerman backhanded before firing a strike to Adam LaRoche at first. Norichika Aoki threw his bat at an 0-1 fastball outside and lined it to left for a two-out single and the Brewers' second hit, but Jean Segura grounded out to first to end Milwaukee's third after 13 pitches from Zimmermann. 34 total.

Jordan Zimmermann picked up a bat in the bottom of the inning and ripped a grounder by a diving Aramis Ramirez at third on a knee-high 1-1 fastball inside. A wild pitch from Yovani Gallardo moved the opposing pitcher to third. Denard Span worked an eight-pitch walk to put runners on the corners for Jayson Werth, whose two-run double to left-center scored two runs to make it 3-0 Nationals. Ryan Zimmerman took a 2-2 curve from Gallardo back up the middle for an RBI single that scored Werth, 4-0. Zimmerman stole second with Adam LaRoche at the plate, then scored himself on an opposite field ground-rule double by the Nats' first baseman. Ian Desmond's double to right and off the out-of-town scoreboard brought LaRoche around, and it was 6-0 Nationals with one out in the third. Gallardo got the next two outs without a run scoring, but the Brewers' right-hander was up to 69 pitches after a 38-pitch frame.

Aramis Ramirez singled with one down for the Brewers' third hit the game off Jordan Zimmermann in the fourth. Ian Desmond and Anthony Rendon tried to turn an inning-ending 6-4-3 on a Jonathan Lucroy grounder to third, but the catcher beat the 4-3 throw to first, at least according to first base ump, Brian Knight. Rickie Weeks' groundout to third ended the top of the fourth, though, and Zimmermann was up to 45 pitches after an 11-pitch frame.

6-0 Nats.

Zimmermann was 2 for 2 at the plate after he singled to center on a first-pitch fastball in the Nationals' fourth. Denard Span doubled off the out-of-town scoreboard on a 2-0 fastball from Gallardo, sending Zimmermann around to third with no outs, and both Zimmermann and Span scored when Jayson Werth lined to left on a full-count curve that ended up being Gallardo's last pitch of the night. 8-0 Nationals in the fourth.

Burke Badenhop took over for Milwaukee and retired three straight. 8-0 Nats after four.

Juan Francisco lined a first-pitch fastball from Jordan Zimmermann to left for a leadoff single in the fifth. Sean Halton lined to center on an 0-1 heater. Badenhop squared to bunt, but pulled back and watched an 0-2 fastball come in for a called strike three and out no.1. Norichika Aoki's one-out single to right brought Francisco around to get the Brewers on the board and a Jean Segura groundout scored Halton to make it 8-2 after four and a half in D.C. 14-pitch inning for Zimmermann, 59 pitches overall.

Anthony Rendon lined to right for a one-out single in the Nationals' fifth. Jordan Zimmermann was 3 for 3 tonight when he hustled down the line to beat Aramis Ramirez's throw from first on a grounder to third. Both runners were stranded, however, when Denard Span popped out to Ramirez in foul territory off third to end the bottom of the inning. 8-2 Nats after five.

Jordan Zimmermann had two down in the Brewers' sixth when he left a 1-2 slider inside up to Rickie Weeks and gave up a solo home run that landed 20 rows back in the left field seats. Juan Francisco got hold of a 1-2 fastball in the next at bat and hit the second of back-to-back home runs over the out-of-town scoreboard in right to make it an 8-4 game in the top of the sixth. A double to right by Sean Halton got the Nationals' bullpen buzzing, but Logan Schafer stepped in for Burke Badenhop with two down and grounded back to the mound to end a 29-pitch inning by the Nats' starter. 88 overall.

Bryce Harper walked with one down in the Nationals' sixth, taking a five-pitch free pass from former teammate Tom Gorzelanny. but he was doubled up on an inning-ending DP grounder to third by Ryan Zimmerman.

• Jordan Zimmermann's Line: 6.0 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 5 Ks, 2 HRs, 88 P, 67 S, 10/3 GO/FO

Craig Stammen took over for Jordan Zimmermann in the seventh and gave up a two-out RBI double to right by Aramis Ramirez that scored Carlos Gomez from second. 8-5. Drew Storen took over there and got Jonathan Lucroy to pop up to second for the final out of Milwaukee's seventh. Gorzelanny set the Nationals down in order in the bottom of the inning for his second scoreless inning in relief. Still 8-5 Nats.

Tyler Clippard threw a 1-2 change by Rickie Weeks for the first out of the eighth. A first-pitch change got a line drive to Ian Desmond at short out of Juan Francisco and a 1-0 fastball got a long fly to left that Bryce Harper caught on the track to end an eight-pitch inning by Clippard with the score still 8-5. Brewers' right-hander Johnny Hellweg took over for Milwaukee in the bottom of the inning. Chad Tracy hit a pinch hit double to right with one down in the eighth and his pinch runner, Roger Bernadina, advance to third on a wild pitch, and scored after a Denard Span walk when Jayson Werth grounded to short and Jean Segura misplayed it. 9-5. Aramis Ramirez misplayed a two-out grounder by Ryan Zimmerman to let in another run, 10-5.

Fernando Abad came out for the ninth and walked the first pitcher he faced, Jeff Bianchi. Norichika Aoki grounded to second for out no.1. Jean Segura did the same, two down. Carlos Gomez K'd looking to end it. Ballgame!

Nationals now 42-40

Today is International Signing Day. Here is an open discussion thread to share news and signing information. Here are some informative links for you:

Matt Garrioch's International Signings Preview
TheAncientMariners's International Prospects Report. WARNING: slow loading, but chock full of information and videos.
Jonathan Mayo's 2013 Top 30 International Prospects List

Toolsy outfielder Eloy Jimenez, Venezuelan shortstop Gleyber Torres, and third baseman Rafael Devers may command the largest bonuses, but there are three other players I am keeping a particular eye on:

Luis Barrios, LHP: From Colombia. Very projectable but already throws fairly hard with a clean delivery. Linked to the Braves like many Colombian prospects often are.

Lewin Diaz, 1B-OF: From the Dominican Republic, a left-handed bat with explosive, if raw, power potential and good hitting skills for his age. Reportedly linked to the Twins.

Joan Mauricio, SS: From the Dominican Republic, a left-handed bat with athleticism and projectability. Unclear who he is linked to although today's Baseball America Bed Badler report indicates it may be the Houston Astros.

Those three would be key targets for me if I were running a team.

International Bonus Pools for 2013-2014

Less than half of the league hit the field on Monday, but plenty of highligh ensued in the seven games that took place. Below are the MLB scores and highlights from Monday.

Nationals 10, Brewers 5: Remember when Bryce Harper was on the disabled list? It sure seems like Harper doesn't because he hit a home run on his first swing since coming off the disabled list over the weekend. Harper missed all of June with a left knee injury and, after letting the first pitch go by, the slugger hit his 13th home run into left field while sending the Brewers to their sixth-straight loss.

Yankees 9, Twins 4: Andy Pettitte entered the game needing two strikeouts to become the Yankees' franchise leader in the category and the lefty eventually fanned Justin Morneau in the fifth inning to surpass Whitey Ford for his 1,958 strikeout as a New York Yankees pitcher. Robinson Cano had two home runs to help make Pettitte's record-breaking night a good one as the Yankees snapped a five-game losing streak.

Mets 5, Diamondbacks 4: Andrew Brown hit a two-run single to left-centerfield in the bottom of the 13th inning to give the Mets the win in a game that lasted an incredible five hours and 13 minutes. Cody Ross opened the top of the 13th with a home run to give the Diamondbacks a 4-3 lead, but Josh Collmenter struggled with his location in the bottom of the 13th, walking two and giving up two en route to the eventual loss.

Marlins 4, Padres 0: Marlins rookie Jose Fernandez pitched a career-high eight innings and tied a career-high 10 strikeouts as Miami shutout the Padres. Jeff Mathis had a three run double for his seventh RBI in two games as the Marlins won their sixth of seven games.

Reds 8, Giants 1: The Giants recent slump continued after the Reds pounded rookie Michael Kickham for seven earned runs. Todd Frazier did much of the damage, leaving no doubts about his 10th home run before finishing the game with four RBIs. Heavy rain began in the sixth inning and, after a nearly two hour rain delay, the game was called.

Blue Jays 8, Tigers 3: Toronto had a happy Canada Day as R.A. Dickey pitched seven innings and Jose Reyes hit a three-run home run to send Detroit home with a loss, putting them a half-game behind the Cleveland Indians for the AL Central lead. Dickey started off the season a bit up and down, but has increased the velocity on his knuckleball and put up his third-straight quality start in this outing.

Rays 12, Astros 0: After a rough go around in June, Matt Moore was definitely looking for the calendar to change over. It worked, too, as he shut out the Astros for seven innings while striking out nine. Virtually everyone on the Rays got in on the party as the team finished with 17 hits and eight different players driving in a run. The Astros couldn't get any offense going against Moore, either, collecting just two hits in the game.

More from SB Nation:

• Royals discuss trade for Chase Utley

• Will the Pirates' best record in baseball be enough?

• Bryce Harper returning from disabled list

• The ins and outs of Yasiel Puig

• MLB trade rumors | MLB Daily Dish

Some things to consider while brainstorming movie ideas.

Kyle is taking a short vacation, so I will be providing your daily dose of Brewers news and links today. Going back to last night, the current slide for the Brewers continued as they fell to the Nationals 10-5, marking their sixth straight loss. Noah has the recap, if you missed it. The Brewers needed a longer start from Gallardo with an exhausted bullpen, but he could only pitch into the fourth as he allowed eight runs on nine hits, forcing Roenicke to further exhaust his bullpen to cover some innings.

On the offensive side, Rickie Weeks and Juan Francisco hit back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning. Joe Block notes that this was the sixth time this season that the Brewers hit back-to-back home runs. Jaymes Langehr also notes that at his current pace, Juan Francisco will lead the Brewers in home runs by the end of the season.

Johnny Hellweg came on in relief last night and pitched the eighth inning. He allowed two runs in the inning, but only one earned after an error by Jean Segura allowed a run to score. Earlier in the day, the Brewers announced they would bump back Hellweg's next start so he could help in relief. With the Brewers bullpen overworked, the rotation had to be rearranged. As of now, Wily Peralta is scheduled to start today, with Kyle Lohse going tomorrow and the rest of the rotation TBD.

Other notes from the field:

• Gallardo has now allowed thirteen runs over his last seven innings, covering two starts.
• Bryce Harper's home run in the first inning was the 100th home run the Brewers have allowed this season. That puts them on pace to allow 200 home runs in 2013.
• The Brewers first run came thanks to three consecutive singles in the fifth inning.
• Jeff Bianchi took over in left field for the eighth inning.
• Yuniesky Betancourt didn't play in last night's game. It was the first time this season that the Brewers lost a game in which he didn't make an appearance.

Game two of the series between the Nationals and the Brewers is tonight. Wily Peralta and Stephen Strasburg meet in what appears to be a big mismatch. The game is at 6:05 pm today, and Quinn Roberts of MLB.com has the preview.

One of the Brewers that has generated a lot of discussion about trade potential is Norichika Aoki. It had been reported before that the Brewers owned Aoki's rights through his arbitration years once his current contract was finished. However, a double-check of the contract yesterday revealed that Aoki will be a free agent at the end of the contract. There is still a team-friendly option for next year that will most likely be exercised, but this changes the conversation on his trade value drastically.

The most discussion from yesterday may have come from a report released by TMZ. The report said that MLB will interview Porter Fischer this week, who claims to have evidence of players (such as Ryan Braun and Alex Rodriguez) who purchased performance-enhancing drugs. He will be paid a "consultant fee" for his interview. I would like to remind everyone that this isn't really any new information in the case, and we don't know what evidence Fischer will be bringing. Also, the source is TMZ, so it's hard to say how credible it is, sometimes they're accurate and sometimes they're not. For now, it's the same situation, that we should just wait and see what happens next.

In his notes on Monday, Ken Rosenthal posted an observation from a MLB scout, who said that, "There's a lot of quit on that team."Ron Roencike offered a response to that comment, saying that he didn't see it in his team. He also criticized the scout for making an anonymous observation, saying he didn't know what he was talking about.

Here's your daily reminder about how bad first base has been for the Brewers in 2013. Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs took a look at the Brewers situation and compared it to some of the worst seasons by a position for a team in MLB history. The Brewers first base situation has been so bad that there are eight pitchers in MLB this season that have a higher OPS than the Brewers first basemen (min 20 PA).

In the minors:

• The affiliates went 4-2 last night, with Nashville, Huntsville, Brevard County, and Wisconsin all getting wins. Brevard County was going to play a double-header yesterday, but rain shortened game one and canceled game two. As usual, morineko has these notes and more in her daily minor-league notes.
• The Timber Rattlers rallied from a two-run deficit last night to win 4-3. Chris Mehring of Rattler Radio has some postgame coverage for the game.
• Huntsville cancelled a planned gun raffle for Wednesday's game after Minor League Baseball officials advised that it "was likely not in the franchise's best interests". They will still hold their Second Amendment Night and will offer free admission for members of the National Rifle Association.

The Brewers haven't had a lot of success in the international market, and they hope to change that soon. Ryan Topp notes that today is international signing day, which is the start of the signing period for international players. The rules on signing players are changing this year, with the amount of money that teams can spend based on their records from last year.

Around baseball:

Diamondbacks: Placed Trevor Cahill on the 15-day DL with a right hip contusion and selected the contract of Chaz Roe from Triple-A Reno.
Nationals: Activated Bryce Harper from the 15-day DL and optioned Erik Davis to Triple-A Syracuse.

If you've been paying attention to the news in the last few days, you've seen the stories about the nineteen firefighters that died while battling the wildfires in Arizona. Yesterday, all of the teams in action observed a moment of silence in memory of these firefighters, and the Diamondbacks and Mets had a jersey in their dugouts to honor these firefighters as well. The Diamondbacks are also planning more memorials for when they return home on Friday.

Taking a look around the NL Central:

• The Reds scored seven runs off of Giants starter Mike Kickham in 2 2/3 innings, and then the rain came a few innings later. A downpour in Cincinnati resulted in the game being called early, giving the Reds an 8-1 win in six innings. Bronson Arroyo got the complete game win, allowing one run in those six innings. (Manny Parra also tweeted a picture of the rain.)
• The Brewers lost in Washington 10-5.
• The Pirates, Cubs, and Cardinals all had the day off.

Today's standings and probables:

Finally, some historical notes for you. First, today is the anniversary of one of the most famous pitching duels of all time. Chris Jaffe of The Hardball Times chronicles a sixteen inning pitcher's duel between Warren Spahn and Juan Marichal, where both pitchers went the distance in a 1-0 win by the San Francisco Giants. The game finally came to an end in the bottom of the sixteenth, when Willie Mays hit a walk-off solo home run. Also, today in Brewers history covers a seven RBI game by Damien Miller back in 2007.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to find this game.

Summer in D.C. means oppressive heat, tourists, a pretty cool fireworks show on Independence Day, and apparently the waking of the Nats' offense, with a healthy Bryce Harper leading the charge. Tonight, the Nats try to make it three in a row as they take on the Milwaukee Brewers. Wily Peralta takes the ball for the Brew Crew.

Early Career to Present

Peralta was signed by the Brewers as an amateur free agent from the Dominican Republic in 2005. Shortly after signing, the team converted him from outfielder to pitcher, a move which appears to have paid off so far.

Peralta has pitched at nearly every level of the minor leagues, from rookie ball to Single-A to Double-A to Triple-A. In 2007, the righty underwent Tommy John surgery. After returning to the bump in 2008, he showed flashes of strikeout potential (rates of 30%, 23.6%, and 32.8% at three different levels over four years), and ended up striking out 21.8% of minor leaguers he faced before being promoted to the Show in 2012. His debut was a success: Over 29 innings and five starts, Peralta pitched to a 2.65 FIP.

The top Brewers prospect at the time of his promotion, John Sickels wrote of Peralta in late September 2012 that

Scouts used to see him as a future reliever due to his health history, impressive fastball/slider combination, and occasionally spotty control. However, he's made enough progress that most now see him as a starter, ready to contribute in 2013. I like him quite a bit, being a big fan of the strikeout/grounder combination, and he's usually looked very good when I've seen him in person.

Further development of his command and the changeup will determine if he develops into a number three-type inning eater, or into something more. Assuming that his arm is OK, I tend to optimism with Peralta.

Other minor league evaluators were on board, too. At the beginning of 2013, Project Prospect teased at Peralta's potential:

If you want to see one of the game’s better sinkers (especially for a starting pitcher), look no further than Wily Peralta. This pitch is what has caused Peralta to be heralded as Milwaukee’s top pitching prospect, and it is also what will allow him to be successful at the major league level—if he can command it consistently. He throws it 91-97 MPH and gets plenty of ground balls, which is especially beneficial since he pitches half of his games in hitter-friendly Miller Park.

Because his secondary pitches still need refinement, he won’t be posting large strikeout numbers—at least not yet. His slider is his second best pitch, which he will eventually learn to use more effectively in two-strike counts. While his control will likely remain an issue, Peralta has the stuff to be a very good pitcher.

Some outlets were high on Peralta as a breakout candidate this year. However, he hasn't yet lived up to his promise -- admittedly more modest than that of say, Shelby Miller or Matt Harvey -- just yet (4.59 FIP, +0.2 fWAR over 92 IP). And his strikeout rate (12%) and walk rate (8.7%) aren't all that great, either.

Pitches, Velocity, Usage, Value

Peralta checks in with a four seam fastball, sinker, change up, and slider. He's bread and butter usage-wise is a 95 MPH sinker, but you'll see that no pitch really jumps out on a value basis.

On specific pitches:

• The four seam is one of the least valuable fastballs in the major leagues (17th worst of 93 qualified starters), and batters are hitting .362 and slugging .535 on the pitch;
• The sinker -- one of his more touted offerings -- is 8th worst by value among 44 qualified hurlers; and
• He often goes to the slider against both lefties and righties when he has two strikes, and his whiff rate with the pitch (34%) isn't all that bad.

For some reason Peralta is throwing his sinker to lefties more often than righties. This is not general practice because lefties hit sinkers on the whole better than righties when a right-hander (like Peralta) is pitching. Anyway, it's not fooling lefties, because they have a sterling .400 wOBA against the pitch. Hopefully he'll continue pumping them in there tonight.

Batted Ball Profile

You'll note that Peralta is seeing a good number of ground balls this year, consistent with his scouting reports. But check out the home run/fly ball rate and left on base percent columns on the right of the chart, which are each above the average major league values (in a bad way) this year.

Yea, Peralta's stranding just over half of all base runners. For context, the average major league pitcher strands close to 75% of all players who reach base. This performance has to be cited as one reason why the Dominican has had a bit of a rough start.

Additional Analysis

Considering the scouting reports and his numbers so far this year, I looked more in-depth at Peralta's LOB% and his sinker command.

LOB%

Of all qualified big league twirlers, Peralta is dead last in strand percentage this year.

But if you look at his numbers, Peralta actually isn't pitching much worse (by most mesaures) with runners on base. His triple slash line with runners on is .286/.348/.440, good for a tOPS+ of 103. tOPS+ measures how a player performed in certain splits relative to his overall performance, with 100 being the player's overall average and lower being better. Basically, the 240-pounder has performed just 3% worse than he normally does with runners on.

The BABIP gods aren't punishing Peralta, either. With men on base, the major league BABIP is .301. The 24-year-old is rocking a .299 number. Therefore, it doesn't seem like this is accounting for the bulk of his issues; this is particularly true considering his .284 BABIP with runners in scoring position.

And then you get to the home runs, which are sailing out of the park when men are on base. Peralta's HR/FB rate of 18.2% with runners on is the 7th highest mark in the majors this year, and he's given up the majority of his homers with guys on. Overall, ESPN's Home Run Tracker has just 3 of Peralta's 10 home runs as "just enough" to clear the fence, although only one of those was hit less than 400 feet.

I didn't watch much video of Peralta with runners on base, and it's possible he's having problems here; a quick review of his home runs with runners on base shows poor location as a culprit (then again, that's often the case regardless whether runners are on). But it does seem in part that he just needs to see some better fortune on fly ball results, particularly with runners on base, and his run metrics may follow in a better direction.

Sinker Command

Sickels and Project Prospect both remarked on Peralta's command, and how an improvement in that area of his game could mean more consistent results.

Before jumping into Peralta's present command -- and if anyone has somehow made it this far -- I wanted to ask the commentariat and readers what they think "command" means. There's plenty of disagreement. Many (most?) refer to it as a subset of control, that is, whether a pitcher can consistently locate pitches where he wants them. Others insist that command means a pitcher's ability to get reliable movement on pitches. If you care to, leave your thoughts with the poll or in the comments section. I think there's probably a need for some third term to describe whichever feature doesn't represent command, so please make suggestions on that too if you like.

If you're in the "precise location" camp, here's where and how often Peralta has thrown his sinker to lefties this year (who, remember, are seeing more sinkers and performing better against the pitch). It's not perfect, because we can't know where Peralta meant to throw the pitch, but it's close enough:

You'll see most sinkers are outside to lefties, and low as well. Not too bad, I'd venture, but then again lefties are lighting his sinker up. So maybe he's just locating poorly at bad times (as the quick glance at his home runs suggests).

If you favor command equaling reliable movement, Peralta appears not terrible here. This is best shown when we view his home starts -- the advantage here is that we see the same PITCHF/x system tracking movement. Below charts all starts, with one point per game:

The cluster in the center shows most of Peralta's home starts, where his sinker has seen consistent movement. At the same time, his horizontal movement with the pitch has steadily decreased as the season has gone on. In sum, if looking at movement to determine command, Peralta has shown some signs of reliable results, but still appears to be maturing in this respect.

Conclusions

How is Peralta different from Justin Masterson, who was right-handed, sinker-focused, threw in the 90's, and was projected as a tough assignment? In a sentence: Peralta walks more, strikes out less, and his sinker isn't as effective. Combine that with the Nats' offensive prowess lately, add in slightly below-average Milwaukee fielders, and this looks a lot like a game where Washington should have some scoring opportunities. Hopefully, they make it three in a row this evening.

Enjoy the game!

Big thanks to Baseball Prospectus, Baseball Reference, Brooks Baseball, and Fangraphs for data, and Crashburn Alley for the wOBA calculator.

July 2 marks the beginning of the international free agent signing period, where athletes from outside the United States can sign with MLB teams as long as they are 16 years of age. Teams now need to stick to slotted pool space when allocating money for their signings so that bad teams get to spend more and good teams have to spend less. The Yankees have one of the lower pools in baseball this season with only $1.8 million allotted to them in 2013. They can trade for more pool space, like the Rangers, Orioles, and Dodgers did, in order to spend more money, but so far that hasn't happened and it looks like they're going to miss out on the international market as teams have already snatched up many of the best prospects from the Caribbean, South America, and Central America.

Baseball America's top 30 international prospects:

1. Eloy Jimenez, of, Dominican Republic
2. Gleyber Torres, ss, VenezuelaCubs for $1.7M
3. Rafael Devers, 3b, Dominican RepublicRed Sox for $1.5M
4. Luis Encarnacion, 3b, Dominican Republic
5. Leonardo Molina, cf, Dominican Republic
6. Marcos Diplan, rhp, Dominican RepublicRangers for $1.3M
7. Yeyson Yrizarri, ss, Venezuela/Dominican Republic Rangers for $1.35M
8. Yeltsin Gudino, ss, Venezuela
9. Micker Zapata, of, Dominican RepublicWhite Sox for $1.6M
10. Jose Herrera, c, Venezuela Diamondbacks for $1M
11. Carlos Herrera, ss, VenezuelaRockies for $1M
12. Marten Gasparini, ss, ItalyRoyals for $1.3M
13. Erick Julio, rhp, ColombiaSigned by Rockies
14. Jesus Lopez, ss, NicaraguaAthletics for $960K
15. Lewin Diaz, of/1b, Dominican Republic
16. Erling Moreno, rhp, Colombia Cubs for $800K
17. Carlos Hiciano, ss, Dominican Republic Athletics for $750K
18. Freddy Rodriguez, of, Venezuela
19. Mayky Perez, rhp, Dominican Republic
20. Nicolas Pierre, of, Dominican RepublicBrewers for $800K
21. Greifer Andrade, of, Venezuela
22. Cristhian Vasquez, of, Venezuela
23. Jen-Ho Tseng, rhp, Taiwan
24. Wilson Amador, ss, Dominican Republic
25. Ali Sanchez, c, VenezuelaMets for $690K
26. Michael de Leon, ss, Dominican Republic
27. Ricardo Sanchez, lhp, Venezuela
28. Carlos Talavera, of, Venezuela Cardinals for$500K
29. Anderson Franco, 3b, Dominican Republic
30. Luis Carpio, ss, Venezuela

Those listed as some of the top talent over at Minor League Ball:

14. The Rangers signed outfielder Jose Almonte (DR) for $1.8M

36. The Astros signed shortstop Joan Mauricio (DR) for $600K

38. The Astros signed outfielder Nestor Tejada (VZ)

44. The Cardinals outfielder Carlos Talavera (VZ) for $500K

48. The Yankees signed shortstop Yonauris Rodriguez (DR) for $575K

49. The Red Sox signed left-handed pitcher Emmanuel DeJesus (VZ) for $780K

Other Signings:

The Padres signed shortstop Ruddy Girón (DR) for $600K

The Mets signed right-handed pitcher Luis Silva (VZ) $275K

The Diamondbacks signed outfielder Francis Martinez (DR) for $350K and third baseman Josue Herrera for $150K

The Indians signed outfielder Junior Soto (DR) $600K

The Tigers signed catcher Elys Escobar (VZ) for $350K

The Brewers signed catcher Johel Atencio (PAN) for $130K

The Cardinals signed right-hander Sandy Alcantara (DR) for $150K

The Cubs signed right-handed pitcher Jefferson Mejia (DR) for $850K

The Tigers signed shortstop Hector Martinez (DR) for $400K

The Mets signed shortstop Yeffry de Aza (DR) for $475K

The Cardinals signed shortstop Hector Linares (DR) for $400K

The Cardinals signed left-handed pitcher Kerrion Bennett (NIC) for $30K

The Astros signed shortstop/outfielder Osvaldo Duarte (DR)

The Astros signed shortstop/catcher Jonathan Matute (VZ)

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun will likely be out until after the All-Star break, manager Ron Roenicke told MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.

Braun was scheduled to take some swings to test his injured right hand prior to the Brewers' game against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday. He hasn't played since June 9 and landed on the disabled list five days later with a nerve injury between his right thumb and index finger.

Roenicke doubts Braun is healthy enough to accomplish the tasks that would be required of him to be back on the field in the next couple of weeks.

"Unless things change in a hurry, where he swings and the next day there's no pain, and he swings again and now we can accelerate that. But it doesn't look like it's going to be that way."

The Brewers have lost six straight games and are 7-12 overall since their star outfielder was sidelined. Heading into their game on Tuesday, the Brewers were 32-49 overall.

Braun was hitting .304/.380/.509 with nine home runs and 36 runs batted in at the time of the injury.

More from SB Nation:

• O's acquire Scott Feldman from Cubs

• Why do baseball ratings continue to trend downward?

• Stephen Strasburg on prospect hype

• A new Yankees strikeout king

• MLB trade rumors | MLB Daily Dish

W: Jim Henderson (3-2)
L: Drew Storen (2-2)

HR: None

MVP: Wily Peralta (+.302 WPA)
LVP: Sean Halton (-.257)

Box Score
Win Expectancy Graph

This did not look like a likely win, which makes it all the more fun.

Despite a depleted bullpen and Wily Peralta on the mound, the Brewers and Nationals were still scoreless in the eighth inning, giving the Brewers the chance to take advantage of some bad Washington defense and run away with a 4-0 victory.

Juan Francisco had the game's biggest hit, a two-run double that plated the game's first runs. Francisco later scored when Bryce Harper dropped a Martin Maldonado fly ball (ruled a double), and Maldonado also scored when Jeff Bianchi singled past third base as part of a hit-and-run.

The Brewers needed an extended outing from Wily Peralta tonight and, while he was effective, he also had to make a premature exit. He pitched 5.1 innings tonight and did not allow a run, giving up just three hits and two walks while striking out five, but left in the sixth inning with what was later diagnosed as a strained left hamstring. John Axford, Jim Henderson, Michael Gonzalez and Francisco Rodriguez followed him to the mound and preserved the shutout, although K-Rod did his part to make it interesting in the ninth.

Tonight's win snapped a six-game losing streak and ends a stretch where the Brewers won just one of eight road games. They'll get a chance for another road win tomorrow when Kyle Lohse takes on Ross Detwiler at 5:05.

Fly to left. Bryce Harper has it. Fly to center. Denard Span's there. Ground ball to short. Grounder. [Ian] Desmond. Out. Washington Nationals' right-hander Stephen Strasburg threw a seven-pitch, 1-2-3 first against the Milwaukee Brewers in the Nats' '09 no.1 overall pick's first career start against the NL Central franchise from Wisconsin. Span improved to 13 for 35 in the last 10 games with hits in nine of the last ten when he took an 0-1 fastball from Brewers' right-hander Wily Peralta to center for a leadoff single in the bottom of the first. Jayson Werth walked to put two on for Bryce Harper. Harper popped a 2-2 fastball up behind second for out no.1. Ryan Zimmerman grounded into what would have been a 6-4-3 inning-ending DP had Rickie Weeks' throw from second not pulled first baseman Juan Francisco off the bag. Adam LaRoche walked on Peralta's 22nd pitch of the the home-half of the frame, but Ian Desmond grounded out on a 2-0 fastball to leave the bases loaded at the end of a 25-pitch inning by Milwaukee's starter. 0-0 in D.C.

Aramis Ramirez K'd swinging at a 2-2 curve that hit a bird in front of the plate for out no.1 of the second and the fourth straight out to start the game for Stephen Strasburg. Juan Francisco walked with one down on Strasburg's 13th pitch of the inning, but Sean Halton popped out to the infield and Martin Maldonado was fooled by an 0-2 curve in the dirt. Called strike three. Two scoreless on 24 pitches by Strasburg after a 17-pitch second. Wily Peralta threw a diving 97 mph full-count fastball by Anthony Rendon to get a swinging K in the first at bat of the Nats' second. Kurt Suzuki lined a 1-1 fastball to third that went in and out of Aramis Ramirez's glove for what was ruled a hit. Strasburg bunted his catcher over/gave up an out, but Denard Span hit a soft liner to left that a sliding Sean Halton caught for out no.3 of the Nationals' second. 0-0 after two.

Jeff Bianchi lined out to first on the third pitch of the third inning. Stephen Strasburg dropped a cruel 0-2 curve on the opposing pitch for a called strike three, out no.2 and K no.3 in 2.2 IP, but Norichika Aoki beat out a soft grounder to short when he arrived at first ahead of a strong throw by Ian Desmond. Appeared to be out. Dan Iassogna disagreed. A force at second on a Logan Schafer grounder ended a 15-pitch frame with Strasburg at 39 total after three scoreless in D.C. Jayson Werth and Bryce Harper popped out to start the Nats' third, but Ryan Zimmerman reached on a two-out infield single to get Adam LaRoche to the plate. A 2-2 slider got LaRoche swinging to end Peralta's third scoreless frame.

Stephen Strasburg's 1-2 curve to Rickie Weeks was otherworldly, dropping out of the air at the last possible second to get a swinging strike three. The 97 mph fastball he threw to Aramis Ramirez in the second at bat of the fourth ended up in center field for a one-out single, making Dan Iassogna's missed call at first in the third a little easier to accept. Strasburg missed with four pitches to walk Juan Francisco for the second time tonight, but a nine-pitch battle with Sean Halton ended with a grounder to first that started an inning-ending 4-6-3. 19-pitch inning, 57 overall. Ian Desmond flew to right on the second pitch he saw. Anthony Rendon took a low 98 mph 0-2 heater for a called strike three. Kurt Suzuki grounded out to short to end a nine-pitch frame by Wily Peralta.

Brewers' catcher Martin Maldonado flew out to center on an 0-1 fastball from Stephen Strasburg. Jeff Bianchi rolled an 0-1 pitch out to Ryan Zimmerman. Two down. Wily Peralta K'd chasing a 1-2 bender. Eight-pitch frame for Strasburg, 65 total in five scoreless. Strasburg K'd swinging after battling for six pitches. Denard Span lined out to first. Jayson Werth took a 97 mph 0-2 heater for a called strike three. 14-pitch inning for Peralta. 75 overall after five by the Brewers' right-hander.

Norichika Aoki grounded out to second on the first pitch of the sixth. Logan Schafer took a 3-2 fastball up high for ball four and a one-out walk from Stephen Strasburg. Ryan Zimmerman dropped a sharp grounder to third from Rickie Weeks after backhanding it and starting the exchange. Strasburg went to a 3-1 count with Aramis Ramirez, and missed inside to issue a base-loading walk. Strasburg missed inside with 1-2 heater to Juan Francisco, but caught the outside corner with a backdoor bender that was called strike three for out no.2. Sean Halton fell behind 1-2 and K'd on a check-swing strike three when he couldn't lay off a 1-2 curve. Strike three swinging. 22-pitch inning, 87 overall.

Bryce Harper tried to bunt his way on, but was thrown out by Brewers' catcher Martin Maldonado. With a 2-2 count against Ryan Zimmerman, Wily Peralta reaggravated something that seemed to be bothering him earlier in the game and ended up exiting the game (with a hamstring issue) in favor of right-handed reliever John Axford. Axford took a while to warm up, but eventually retired Zimmerman on a groundout to third when he got loose. Adam LaRoche took a high 3-1 curve to walk with two down, but was thrown out trying to steal second on a 1-2 fastball to Ian Desmond. 2 for 3 in SB attempts this season for LaRoche. 0-0 after six innings in the nation's capital.

A 1-2 curve got Martin Maldonado swinging for K no.8 of the night for Stephen Strasburg, all eight with the curve. Jeff Bianchi popped out to short on a 2-2 curve for out no.2. Yunkiesky Betancourt got to a 2-2 count and sent a dribbler toward third that Kurt Suzuki just pocketed when he got to it. Two-out single for Betancourt, but Anthony Rendon dove for a grounder up the middle off Norichika Aoki's bat and tossed it from his stomach to Ian Desmond at second for the force. Seven scoreless for Strasburg on 105 pitches after an 18-pitch inning.

Anthony Rendon lined an 0-1 slider from right-hander Jim Henderson to center for a one-out single in the Nationals' seventh. Kurt Suzuki popped up to the infield for out no.2. Pinch hitter Chad Tracy came on to end Stephen Strasburg's night, but popped out to end the Nationals' seventh. Still 0-0.

• Stephen Strasburg's Line: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 8 Ks, 105 P, 66 S, 7/3 GO/FO

Drew Storen gave up a leadoff single to right by Logan Schafer, who promptly stole second. Storen missed with a 3-1 slider inside to Rickie Weeks to put two runner on with no outs. Storen missed inside with a 2-2 slider to Aramis Ramirez to go to a full count, but popped the Brewers' third baseman up to short-center. Juan Francisco got a 1-1 fastball he liked and lined it to right for a two-run double and a 2-0 lead. Sean Halton flew to center for out no.2, but a Martin Maldonado fly to left pushed Bryce Harper back to the wall where he missed making the catch and allowed in a run. 3-0. Maldonado swiped third without so much as a look from Storen and when Ryan Zimmerman went to third to cover, Jeff Bianchi singled into the hole at third that was created. 4-0 Brewers after seven and a half.

Denard Span singled off Brewers' lefty Michael Gonzalez to center to start the Nats' eighth, but Jayson Werth flew out to center and Bryce Harper K'd swinging over a 2-2 slider for out no.2. Ryan Zimmerman took a 1-2 slider through short for a two-out single off Gonzalez, but Adam LaRoche grounded out to second to end the eighth. 0 for 5 with RISP on the night.

Ian Krol came on for the top of the ninth. Norichika Aoki tested Ryan Zimmerman's arm. Zimmerman's arm passed the test. Logan Schafer popped to Ian Desmond on the grass in center. Rickie Weeks... singled on a low liner that got by a diving Desmond at short, but Aramis Ramirez flew out to left to end the Brewers' ninth. Francisco Rodriguez came on in the ninth and gave up a leadoff single to center by Ian Desmond. Kurt Suzuki K'd looking at a 2-2 change for out no.1. Pinch hitter Roger Bernadina K'd swinging over a 1-2 change that ended up in the dirt. Denard Span stepped in with two on and two out and fell behind 0-2 quickly and sent a weak pop to short to end the game. 4-0 Brewers final.

Nationals now 42-41

I'm leaving the voting for the BCB Minor League Player of the Month open for another day because all the stuff that went down this morning kind of drowned it out. So you can still vote for the Player of the Month here. I'll announce both winners in tomorrow's wrap.

My award, my rules. So now it's time to choose the BCB Minor League Pitcher of the Month. Same rules apply.

The candidates are:

Iowa CubsBrian Schlitter: I know a lot of you don't realize that Brian Schlitter is still pitching for the Cubs. After he pitched in the majors in 2010, he was claimed on waivers by both the Phillies and Yankees before it was discovered he needed Tommy John Surgery and was returned to the Cubs. He missed all of 2011 and went back to Daytona in 2012. Schlitter took over the closing duties in Iowa when Blake Parker was promoted to Chicago, and has converted all eight of his save opportunities. In June, Schlitter threw 11.1 innings in 11 games and had a 2.38 ERA and seven saves. Most impressively, Schlitter struck out ten batters in June and did not walk anyone.

Tennessee Smokies Kyle Hendricks: There's something about Smokies Park that turns Hendricks into Greg Maddux. In three home starts in June, Hendricks pitched 22 innings and allowed one run. He struck out 16 and walked only two. He wasn't quite as good on the road, but his overall line for June was 3-0 with a 1.64 ERA over five starts and 33 innings. Hendricks struck out 23 and walked only eight.

Daytona Cubs Ben Wells: A lot has been expected of Wells since the Cubs gave him $530k to sign in 2010, and in June he finally started to live up to that promise. In four starts in June, Wells was 2-2 with a 2.61 ERA. In 20.2 innings he struck out 19 and walked five.

Kane County Cougars Michael Heesch: Not a lot was expected out of the native Chicagoan when the Cubs took him as a senior signing in the 8th round of the draft last season to save cap space. But the left-hander has surprised everyone with his good results and good control. In five starts in June, Heesch was 1-2 with a 2.59 ERA. Over 31.1 innings, he struck out 17 and walked eight.

Boise Hawks Paul Blackburn: Before tonight, which is July so it doesn't count, Blackburn hadn't allowed an earned run yet this season. (He has allowed four unearned runs) In three starts since the Boise season started, last year's first round supplemental has pitched 15 innings and had an amazing 20 strikeouts to only two walks.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs grounded the Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals), 6-2.

Guillermo Moscoso evened his record at 5-5 with 6.1 quality innings. He allowed two runs on only four hits. Moscoso walked four and struck out five.

Iowa gave Redbirds starter Michael Wacha his worst start of the season, and he allowed four runs for the first time this season. (In the minors. The Diamondbacks knocked him around a bit.) Shortstop Donnie Murphygave Iowa a 2-1 lead when he connected off Wacha for his ninth home run of the year with a man on. Murphy also doubled in a 2 for 4 game. He scored twice.

In the seventh inning, first baseman Brad Nelson closed out the scoring when he connected for a two-run home run off Mitchell Boggs. It was Nelson's 14th home run of the season and he was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Third baseman Junior Lake loved hitting off Wacha, as he connected off him for two triples and a double. Lake was 3 for 4 and scored twice.

Left fielder Ty Wright went 2 for 4 with a double. He had the other two Iowa RBI.

The win now extends Iowa's lead over Memphis to four games.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies outlasted the Montgomery Biscuits (Rays), 4-3 in thirteen innings.

Even though the game was in Montgomery, starter Kyle Hendricks pitched five shutout innings. He surrendered six hits. Hendricks struck out five and didn't walk anyone.

Frank Batista blew the save when shortstop Elliot Soto made a run-scoring error with two out in the bottom of the ninth. Batista's final line was one unearned run on no hits over two innings. Batista walked one (also with two out in the ninth) and struck out four. He also had one big wild pitch after the walk.

Yeiper Castillo got the win in relief with three perfect innings. Castillo struck out two.

Third baseman Christian Villanuevaput the Smokies ahead in the top of the 13th with an RBI double. Earlier, Villanueva hit a solo home run in the fifth inning for the first run of the game. It was his ninth home run this year. Villanueva was 2 for 6.

The other two Smokies runs came off the bat of catcher Rafael Lopez, who hit a two-run home run later in the fifth. It was his fifth home run. Lopez was 2 for 5.

With Ronald Torreyes off to the Astros, Arismendy Alcantara played second base. He was 1 for 4 with a double, two walks and a stolen base. It will be interesting to see if Alcantara stays at second.

Daytona Cubs

With a dry day in Daytona Beach, the Cubs naturally had a scheduled off-day. Thunderstorms in the forecast for tomorrow, naturally.

Kane County Cougars

The Kane County Cougars were poisoned by the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers), 5-3.

Tayler Scott started and took the loss. He allowed five runs, three earned, on five hits over 6.1 innings. Scott walked four and struck out only two.

Third baseman Jeimer Candelario gave Kane County an early 2-0 lead with a home run in the top of the first. It was Candelario's fourth home run. He went 1 for 4 and scored twice.

Boise Hawks

The Boise Hawks beat the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes (Giants), 10-5.

Starting pitcher Paul Blackburn allowed his first earned runs of the season tonight in his fourth start. Blackburn pitched three innings and allowed three runs, two earned, on two hits. He had real control issues as he walked four and didn't strike anyone out.

Orbandy Rodriguez was awarded the win because Blackburn didn't go five. He threw two scoreless innings, allowing two hits. He struck out two and didn't walk anyone.

Fourth-round pick Tyler Skulina made his professional debut tonight, pitching the seventh inning. He walked the first batter he faced, but retired the next three.

Jacob Rogers had one at-bat in this game and it was a three-run home run in the ninth inning. It was his second home of the year.

Second baseman David Bote hit a solo home run in the fifth inning, also his second of the year. Bote was 1 for 4 with a walk and two runs scored.

Catcher Lance Rymel went 1 for 3 with two walks. He scored three runs and had a two-run single in the top of the first inning.

AZL Cubs

Beat the Brewers, 6-4.

Dae-Eun Rhee allowed two unearned runs in a two-inning rehab appearance. Yes, minor leaguers can go on rehab assignments too.

Do you have some trade offers you are consider, but need to bounce them off of someone? Are you pondering a roster move and want a second opinion? Feel free to post your questions in the Fantasy Baseball Questions thread.

Fake Teams Podcast, Episode 14: Super Duper American

Andrew and Zack hosted their twice weekly Fake Teams podcast on Sunday night, and discussed Matt Adams, Brad Miller, Bartolo Colon and much more. You can listen to the podcast via MP3 or ITunes:

MP3

ITunes

Homer Bailey no hits the Giants

Reds starter Homer Bailey tossed his second no-hitter in the last four months, going back to September of 2012 when he no hit the Pirates. Bailey needed 109 pitches to complete the no-no, and was one walk away from a perfect game. He struck out nine Giants, and is now 5-6 with a 3.57 ERA, 2.66 FIP, 1.06 WHIP and a 111-26 strikeout to walk rate in 111 innings this season. He owns a 9.00 K/9, a 2.21 BB/9 and an excellent 48.6% ground ball rate, and is approaching #HolyTrinity status.

In his no-hitter vs the Pirates on September 28, 2012, Bailey struck out 10 and walked one, so he was one strikeout away from duplicating that feat last night. I assume the Giants don't want to see Homer Bailey any time soon. Here is a tweet from MLB:

Giant among Giants? Homer Bailey’s last 2 starts vs @SFGiants: 16 IP, 19 Ks, 1 hit.

— MLB (@MLB) July 3, 2013

Bailey seems to be having his way with the Giants lately eh?

Jose Fernandez dominates the Padres

I realize Jose Fernandez pitched on Monday night, but he was so dominant that I had to post my thoughts. I watched some of this game and saw him throwing 95-97 mph into the 8th inning, and if I remember correctly, he reached 98 mph in the 8th inning as well. That is Justin Verlander-ish, right? And he is only 20 years old.

Fernandez needed only 100 pitches to shutout the Padres on 2 hits, a walk and struck out a season high 10 batters in 8 innings of work. Fernandez is now 5-4 with a 2.72 ERA, 3.00 FIP, 1.06 WHIP and a 94-33 strikeout to walk rate in 92.2 innings. He has made 16 starts this season, giving up two runs or less in twelve of them, and his 2.72 ERA ranks 13th in MLB, right behind a couple guys named Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee. If he's not an ace right now, I don't know what one looks like. 20 years old.

Round'em Up

Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg is back to his old self after some early season struggles and a DL stint. Strasburg shut out the Brewers on 3 hits, 4 walks and 8 strikeouts last night, but once again got zero run support. Strasburg has given up two runs or less in 10 of his last 11 starts, and is now 4-6 with a 2.24 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and a 98-31 strikeout to walk rate in 100.1 innings of work this season. The Nationals have scored two runs or less in seven of his last eleven starts.

Is John Lackey back to being the ace he was with the Angels a few years back? I think he is. Last night, Lackey limited the Padres to just one run on 6 hits, a walk and 6 strikeouts in the Red Sox 4-1 win. Lackey moved his record to 6-5 with a 2.81 ERA, 3.61 FIP, 1.17 WHIP and a 79-18 strikeout to walk rate in 86.1 innings this season. He has now given up two runs or less in 10 of his 14 starts this season.

Braves catcher Brian McCann will be a free agent at the end of the season, and I am wondering what the Braves will do with him. Will they resign him if they go far into the playoffs, or will they let him walk to allow Evan Gattis to catch every day? Last night, McCann went 3-5 with a run and 2 RBI, and is now hitting .262-.360-.489 with 9 HRs, 15 runs, 26 RBI and an excellent 26-20 K-BB rate in 141 at bats this season.

Marlins first baseman Logan Morrison recently returned from the DL and has been on fire ever since. Morrison went 204 with a run and 2 RBI and is now hitting .321-.387-.554 with 2 HRs, 10 runs, 7 RBI and a 8-6 K-BB rate in just 56 at bats this season. He is owned in just 4.8% of ESPN leagues for some reason, so go pick him up if you need a bat.

Yankees starter Phil Hughes had his second straight excellent start on Tuesday night, limiting the Twins to just one runs on 6 hits, 2 walks and 3 strikeouts in the Yankees win over the Twins. Hughes is now 4-7 with a 4.55 ERA and 1.34 WHIP. Hughes has been mentioned in trade rumors recently and I think he could benefit with a change of scenery.

Blue Jays outfielder Colby Rasmus is quietly having a pretty good season at the plate. He isn't hitting for average, but he is showing some power this season. Last night, Rasmus went 2-4 with a HR, 2 runs and 4 RBI, raising his triple slash line to .244-.316-.465 with 15 HRs, 36 runs and 42 RBI. He still strikes out way too much, but is on pace for 29 HRs and 80+ RBI so far.

Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig just keeps amazing me with his performance this season. I keep wondering when he will begin his regression, and he appears to be from another planet. Puig went 3-5 with a HR, double, 2 runs and an RBI, and is now hitting .443-.473-.745 with 8 HRs, 21 runs, 17 RBI, 4 stolen bases and a 22-4 K-BB rate in just 106 at bats thus far. He has to regress at some point, right? I mean, his BABIP is .513 right now.

Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw dominated the Rockies on Tuesday night, tossing a complete game 4 hit shutout in the Dodgers 8-0 win. Kershaw gave up 4 hits, walked none and struck out 8, and ended Michael Cuddyer's 27 game hitting streak to boot. Kershaw is now 7-5 with a 1.93 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and a 126-33 strikeout to walk rate in 130.1 innings on the mound this season. He has given up two runs or less in 13 of his 18 starts this season.

More from Fake Teams

Don't Stop Believing: Nick Swisher and Adam LaRoche

Coming Soon to A Stadium Near You: Noah Syndergaard, RHP, New York Mets

Complete SP Rankings: Week 14

Fantasy Baseball: Two-Start Pitchers for Week 14

Minor League Level Review (AAA): Singleton and Walker Debut, Middlebrooks and Wacha Back

Around the League - N.L.

Low Level Prospect Review: Miguel Almonte, RHP, Kansas City Royals

Waiver Wire: 10 Under 10%

Deep league advice -- We're a go for LoMo

The Unexpected Competence of Adam Lind

Here are your MLB scores and highlights from an exciting first Tuesday in July:

Reds 3, Giants 0:Homer Bailey threw a no-hitter and has now recorded baseball's last two no-no's. The last guy to have that distinction was Nolan Ryan in 1975. Bailey struck out nine Giants and was perfect until he walked Gregor Blanco to start the seventh inning. That was the only baserunner Bailey would allow during his magical performance, which garnered a game score of 95.

Dodgers 8, Rockies 0:Yasiel Puig went 3-for-5 and hit his eighth home run of the year, but Clayton Kershaw's complete-game shutout was the most impressive performance in this game. Kershaw allowed just four hits and ended Michael Cuddyer's 27-game hitting streak en route to conquering Coors Field. The Dodgers are now just two-and-a-half games out of first place in the NL West. You know times are good in L.A. when you don't get penalized for doing this:

Mets 9, Diamondbacks 1: New York handed Patrick Corbin his first loss of the season by scoring seven runs in the seventh inning. The Diamondbacks are now 2-8 in their last ten games, but they're still clinging to first place thanks to all of the other teams in the division not named the Dodgers combining for a 5-21 record over the past ten days (hat-tip to Eric Stephen).

Rays 8, Astros 0:David Price struck out ten batters and allowed just three hits in seven innings of work in his return from the disabled list. Desmond Jennings had three hits, including a two-run homer in the sixth inning, and drove in four runs.

Tigers 7, Blue Jays 6:Torii Hunter capped off a four-hit day with a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning. Miguel Cabrera homered and drove in three before leaving the game in the ninth inning with back stiffness. The injury isn't considered serious and the reigning AL MVP should be ready to play on Wednesday, according to MLB.com's Jason Beck.

Phillies 3, Pirates 1: Pittsburgh's nine-game winning streak was snapped thanks to the 4-5-6 hitters in Philadelphia's order, which combined for five hits and three RBIs. The Phillies used seven pitchers to preserve Jonathan Pettibone's win. Pettibone allowed a run on three hits while striking out six batters in 5 ⅔ innings.

Athletics 8, Cubs 7: Derek Norris hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the A's sole possession of first place in the AL West. Oakland also got deep flies from Josh Donaldson and Chris Young. Alfonso Soriano hit a three-run homer as part of the Cubs' five-run fourth inning.

Red Sox 4, Padres 1:John Lackey continued his resurgence, lasting eight innings and allowing a run on six hits. He struck out six and lowered his ERA to 2.81. The Red Sox scored three times in the bottom of the fourth inning to provide Lackey with all the run support he would need.

Braves 11, Marlins 3:Justin Upton, Brian McCann and Chris Johnson had three hits apiece for the Braves, who racked up a total of 16 hits against Miami pitching. First-place Atlanta has won four straight games, and six of its last seven, to climb to 15 games over .500.

Yankees 7, Twins 3:Robinson Cano hit his 20th homer of the season, a three-run shot in the seventh inning, to break the game open. Phil Hughes lasted seven innings and allowed a run on six hits to pick up the win. Mariano Rivera earned the save, his 27th of the year.

Indians 6, Royals 5:Alex Gordon hit a game-tying grand slam off of Corey Kluber in the bottom of the fifth inning, but the Tribe answered with two runs in the seventh to win their fifth consecutive game. Nick Swisher finished with three hits and Carlos Santana drew three walks and collected a pair of RBIs.

White Sox 5, Orioles 3:Adam Dunn hit his 22nd homer of the year, a two-run shot off of Jason Hammel in the seventh inning, and Conor Gillaspie added a long ball to power Chicago to a win over the O's. John Danks allowed a pair of runs on six hits in seven innings, picking up just his second win of the year.

Mariners 9, Rangers 2: Kendrys Morales homered twice and drove in six runs and 41-year-old Raul Ibanez hit his 20th home run of the year. Joe Saunders limited the Rangers to two runs -- one earned -- in 6 ⅔ innings despite scattering ten hits.

Brewers 4, Nationals 0: Milwaukee scored all four of its runs in the eighth inning, the first two of which came on a double by Juan Francisco to break a scoreless tie. Stephen Strasburg exited after seven shutout innings. He allowed three hits and four walks and struck out eight.

Angels 5, Cardinals 1: The Angels scored five times in the second inning and Jered Weaver kept St. Louis off-balance for seven frames, allowing a run on six hits while racking up five strikeouts. Howie Kendrick led the Angels with three hits. Albert Pujols went 0-for-3 with a walk and a pair of strikeouts against his former team.