I wonder if Maroth's 86 is due to the injury, or if he's always been at that level.

Two pick offs, no real facial change all year, a sac bunt, and a hit...where you been hiding MM? Good point that we had to wait half a year to get him, but wow, how bout a contract extension for him?

Does anyone think we'll be seeing a rotation with 3 LHP next year?

From what I could see, Maroth really had 3 pitches last night - the fastball (81-85 on the stadium gun) and the change-up (73-75) both of which he seemed to have decent command of last night...and the slider, which seems to be his out pitch (and works especially well on lefties - he made Delgado look silly) as it tails out of the zone (not sure any of the ones he threw last night would have actually been strikes).  He seemed to work both sides of the plate, and I liked to see that he went inside on the first pitch to a number of batters.  From above, it looked like he was being pretty aggressive, and I liked it.  I will note that I was pretty disappointed with the Gomez HR.  The first meaty, hanging fastball that Maroth threw was hit for a LONG just-foul ball...I was surprised that Maroth would throw it again only 2 pitches later as Gomez was likely waiting for it, and he took it deep.  That pitch selection really bothered me (as it did again when Russ Springer had almost the exact same interaction with Green - HUGE foul ball, 2 pitches later he goes back to the fastball, and the waiting Green takes it deep to win).  Anyone think that Yadi would have called it slightly differently - or was it just bad pitching...couldn't see where Bennett was set-up.

So Taguchi looked good even though he KOd twice, surprisingly.  His first AB of the game lasted 10 pitches, and he really looked comfortable at the plate (until his last at bat).

Ryan Franklin looked really good, not letting a batter reach base in just under 3 innings.  Perhaps it was the velocity increase in fastball that threw the Mets off a bit (10mph faster than Maroth) but he did look good.

That's about it.  Looking forward to being at the next 3 games, even if I do have to see Wellemyer tonight.

It's sciatica.  And if they're shooting him up with cortisone, he very well may have a herniated lumbar disc.  Hopefully the disc is just bulging and irritated.

...but I could really picture Percival after Franklin last night.

I feel a little sorry for that Cubs fan who snapped... many's the time I've yelled the same thing at the TV when it's my team foulin' up! I'd never charge the field, however... with my "speed", it'd take me at least two full innings just to get there!!!

And good for Jeff Weaver... I don't wish the guy ill, although I think he (or Scott "Evil Genius" Boras) made a mistake by not re-upping with the Cards. Last night's Mariners game showed "Spicoli's" competitive spirit that we Cardfans saw in October!

I love how the guy blames the fan's drunkenness on the team....

Keith Law, on ESPNEWS yesterday, reported that the Mark Buehrle-to-Boston rumor is bogus and almost certainly planted by the White Sox front office. Couldn't hurt to try, unless the plant damages relations with the Red Sox in the future. This type of practice is probably more common than we realize, though.

Furthermore, Tony Massarotti of the Boston Herald says the Red Sox are out of this thing (if they were ever really in it). By the way, the reason for the refusal to allow a 72-hour negotiating window: Buehrle's likelihood of signing with St. Louis after the season.

Now the thought of a rotation in 2008 with Carp, Buerhle and Wainwright (whom I still expect big things from), DOES get me excited.

...okay, back to writing proposals...

If Maroth is just in the same ballpark as Suppan, he's a nice plug-in for Supp's "spot."  He's younger and eligible for arbitration next year - yet another in a great line of mid-season acquisitions.

What Walt (& Tony) do a great job of is managing the entire season.  9.5 games will be a lot to make up in the division, but even if we come up short, we'll be in a better position than if we'd poured resources into a Jason Schmidt type.

Jamie (Olney, MD): So this Terry Evans dude, think he can stick with the Halos long-term? What do you think of him?

Joe Sheehan: I think he had a ten walks and 60 strikeouts in 257 ABs at Triple-A, and as nice as the power was, that tells me most of what I need to know about him as a hitter.

He's kind of the opposite of Reggie Willits in a lot of ways, and I guess I could see the two as a supercheap platoon in left field for a few seasons, with both serving as d-reps for Vladimir Guerrero and Gary Matthews as those two age.