Ooooh.

Hey, did you know Alex Rodriguez might opt out after this season??? Because it's not like anyone ever talks about this possibility. Nope, I've got 'em scooped.

Nice to see a full slate of baseball games scheduled for tonight! Not that I'll have the chance to see many of them, but it's the thought that counts.

Roger Clemens, RHP (2-3, 3.63 ERA) vs. Scott Kazmir, LHP (5-6, 4.41 ERA)

Left-handed pitching? Run!! Kazmir has pitched twice against the Bombers so far this season. The first was Opening Day at Yankee Stadium. Remember those days, when this team was expected to score 1,000 runs? When Carl Pavano was the Opening Day starter and had turned a new page in his Yankee career?

Carl Pavano as the Yankees' Opening Day starter doesn't even seem real, does it? Maybe it was a dream? Who knows.

Kazmir gave up five runs in five innings that day, including a homerun to Jorge Posada. He had a no decision in his first start of the season.

A-Rod also hit his first homerun of the season in the 8th inning of that game. It was just the beginning.

Kazmir's start against the Yankees was back on April 24th, another no decision after 6 2/3 IP. He gave up one earned run that outing (three total), on a solo homerun to Matsui in the 2nd inning. The Devil Rays went on to win that game, thanks in large part to a grand slam hit by Carl Crawford off of lefty reliever Mike Myers.

With the Yankees swinging some hot bats lately, it should be interesting to see how the team handles lefty pitching, which has given them issues all season.

Other match-ups tonight:

LHP Erik Bedard (7-4, 3.40 ERA) is coming off of that 15 K complete game in Texas as he faces Mark Buehrle and the White Sox. Buehrle has been pitching well of late also, coming off eight shutout innings against the Twins. Should be a nice pitching match in Baltimore tonight.

I say that, and watch. It'll be a 20-15 final.

RHP Jason Bergmann (1-5, 3.47 ERA) and the Nationals are in Florida tonight to take on Dontrelle Willis and the Marlins. With those two teams playing, I'd imagine the atmosphere in Florida will be electric. And by electric, I mean hopefully 50 people will show up. I would say that Bergmann is trying to return to his winning ways after coming back from injury, but he didn't even win when he had a sub-3.00 ERA early in the season. Hooray hooray?

RHP John Maine (10-4, 2.71 ERA) is too good for the All-Star Game! He'll aim to prove that tonight as the Mets host Aaron Harang and the Reds at Shea. The Reds are terrible, but Harang has had a good season. Should be another nice pitching match-up tonight.

Finally, RHP Greg Maddux (7-6, 4.19 ERA) will attempt to lower that ERA tonight as he and the Padres face Doug Davis and the Diamondbacks in Arizona tonight. Maddux is coming off a rough outing against the Braves from last weekend's Sunday Night Baseball. That outing raised his ERA over 4.00 for the first time since May 31, when he lowered his ERA to 3.92 with a one-run game against the Pirates.

~~~

Quick bit from the farm: Chase Wright wasn't great against Louisville (Reds AAA-affiliate), giving up 4ER over six innings. But he was good enough to win, as Homer Bailey of the Reds struggled, giving up 6ER in 3 1/3 IP. Shelley Duncan, maybe inspired after not doing much in the AAA All-Star Game, came back with two homeruns in this game. Justin Christian (RF) also had a good night. 3-5, with a triple off of Bailey and 3 RBI. Jim Brower picked up his 15th save of the season with one inning of work, one hit and three strikeouts. Final score: S/WB 9, Louisville 6.

Tonight, Scranton is scheduled to continue their series against Louisville. Steven White (3-2, 4.13 ERA) will go for the Yankees against Thomas Shearn of the Bats.

Baseball, it's a beautiful thing.