Thursday baseball

What you missed, in a nutshell:

- The story should have been Chien-Ming Wang no-hitting the Red Sox until the 7th inning or Robinson Cano's two homeruns against Curt Schilling. Instead, it's whether or not Joba Chamberlain meant to throw behind Kevin Youkilis in the 9th inning. Twice. Just another day in the rivalry. Yankees def. Red Sox 5-0.

- Team rallies late, Wagner blows the save. Remember when the Mets were good...oh...a week or so ago? Phillies def. Mets 11-10.

- Why are the Orioles still playing at this point? Just concede every game until you face the Yankees again and roll over them like a championship-caliber team. Devil Rays def. Orioles 8-6.

- No final yet on the Diamondbacks-Padres game, but the D-backs are leading 6-0 in the 6th inning. Seems like a done deal unless Arizona's bullpen pulls a Baltimore. Bad night for Chris Young, who lasted just 4.1 innings coming off a missed start due to back problems. His ERA is up to 2.38 now, giving his teammate Jake Peavy the title of "Lowest ERA in the Majors" with 2.18.

Other results of note: Tigers def. Royals (6-1), Indians def. Mariners (6-5), Astros def. Cardinals (2-1), Cubs def. Brewers (5-4)

Some Friday action to kick back with at the end of your work week...

Huge series this weekend begins as RHP John Maine (13-8, 3.68 ERA) looks to lift the slumping Mets against RHP Tim Hudson (15-6, 3.23 ERA) and the Braves. Maine is coming off a loss against the Dodgers on August 26th. He allowed three earned runs over 5.2 innings (six total) on nine hits with one walk and six strikeouts. Maine took the loss in his August 9th start against the Braves. Not a good outing in that one, as Maine allowed six runs on seven hits (2 HR - C. Jones, Teixeira) with three walks and four strikeouts.

Hudson is coming off a loss against the Cardinals on August 25th. He was roughed up in that one, allowing five runs in five innings on nine hits with three walks and no strikeouts. Hudson is 2-0 in two starts against the Mets this season. He faced Maine back on August 9th and went six innings while allowing three runs on nine hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Back in April, he pitched eight shutout innings against the Mets.

Check out this match-up: rookie RHP Jack Cassel (0-0, 6.00) joins the Padre rotation to take over for Tim Stauffer, who was laughable in his start last week. He'll face the triumphantly returning LHP David Wells (6-8, 5.46 ERA) and the division and wild card-rival Dodgers, who just finished a sweep of the Nationals. Cassel is making his first major league appearance since August 10th, in which he was held on a short leash. He worked just three innings and allowed two runs on two hits with one walk and one strikeout.

Wells won his Dodger debut on August 26th against the Mets. He went five innings in that one and allowed two runs on seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Obviously, this will be Wells' first start against his old team this season.

Fresh off a sweep of the Red Sox, it's up to rookie RHP Phil Hughes (2-2, 5.35 ERA) to keep the momentum going as he and the Yankees take on RHP Andy Sonnanstine (3-9, 6.38 ERA) and the Devil Rays. Hughes made some mistake pitches that cost him against the Tigers on August 26th. He lasted six innings while giving up five runs on four hits (3 HR) with one walk and six strikeouts. This will be his first start against the Devil Rays.

Sonnanstine won his August 26th start against the Athletics. He went five innings and allowed two runs on five hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. Sonnanstine lost his July 14th start against the Yankees. In that one, he went 6.1 innings and allowed five runs on nine hits (2 HR - Matsui, Abreu) with one walk and three strikeouts.

How's this for a random match-up? Rookie RHP Radhames Liz (0-1, 7.50) makes his second major league start as he and the Orioles take on RHP Tim Wakefield (16-10, 4.16 ERA) and the Red Sox. Is Wakefield the most underappreciated sixteen game winner in recent memory? Geez. Liz's first major league start was against the Twins on August 25th. The line doesn't look pretty - five runs on four hits (1 HR) with three walks and five strikeouts. But the majority of the damage was handed down in the 6th inning on a mistake pitch to Torii Hunter that was hit out for a three-run homer. Considering it was his first major league game and the rain delay beforehand, that's not bad. It will, obviously, be Liz's first time facing the Red Sox. The Orioles probably hope he can show a bit more control than Olson did in his game against the Red Sox. Olson, by the way, will be taking Bedard's place this weekend as Bedard sits with a strained oblique.

Amazing as it seems, Wakefield has the opportunity to beat out teammate Josh Beckett as the first pitcher in the majors to reach 17 wins. (Beckett, Wakefield, Lackey, and Wang are tied at the top with 16. Hudson has the chance to join them Friday) He's coming off a win against the White Sox on August 25th, pitching seven shutout innings with just three hits and three walks, while striking out seven. Wakefield has not allowed a run in his last three starts. Wakefield's one start against Baltimore this season was a win. Back on August 2nd, he allowed three runs on six hits with one walk and five strikeouts.

After a brutal three game sweep by the Dodgers, the Nationals look to pick it up again as RHP Tim Redding (3-4, 3.10 ERA) takes on RHP Kevin Correia (2-6, 3.84 ERA) and the Giants. Redding is coming off of his worst outing since being called up by the Nationals on July 3rd. He lasted just four innings in a loss to the Rockies, allowing five runs on six hits (2 HR) with five walks and one strikeout. Redding's August 8th start against the Giants was a loss. He went seven innings in that game and allowed four runs on six hits (2 HR - Bonds, Cain) with three walks and one strikeout.

Correia has been in the bullpen for most of the season with the Giants, but I believe this will be his third start. He started on August 25th against the Brewers and took the win with 5.2 innings, two runs on five hits with no walks and four strikeouts. He's had two relief outings against the Nats this season. He took the loss against them on August 7th, unable to record an out before giving up two runs on three hits with one walk. In his August 9th outing, Correia allowed only one hit against the Nats over two innings.

Other games of note:
Astros @ Cubs (Rodriguez vs. Marshall)
White Sox @ Indians (Buehrle vs. Carmona)
Phillies @ Marlins (Kendrick vs. Mitre)
Mariners @ Blue Jays (Washburn vs. Marcum)
Pirates @ Brewers (Armas vs. Gallardo)
Reds @ Cardinals (Shearn vs. Reyes)
Rockies @ Diamondbacks (Jimenez vs. Hernandez)
Tigers @ Athletics (Vasquez vs. Blanton)
Rangers @ Angels (Padilla vs. Saunders)

Game of the day looks to be Maine vs. Hudson with the sudden tightness of the NL East race. Buehrle vs. Carmona could be a decent pitching match-up if the White Sox remember how to not stink. And I like Cassel vs. Wells, more for the possible crowd reaction when Wells takes the hill in Petco. Then again, they're all polite in San Diego. Go back to #755 if you don't believe me. Ah well, I'll hope for fun anyway. Over-under on how many runs the Orioles' bullpen coughs up against the Red Sox?