Today's honorary bat boy: Ken Oberkfell
Astros 3, Cubs 1. Carlos Zambrano made his first start since April 20. Not too bad: 4 1/3 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, but Felipe Paulino was much better: 8 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 7 K. The win was the Stros' fourth straight, getting them to within one game of fifth-place Milwaukee in the race for 2nd-Smelliest NL Central team.
Quote of the night
Cubs' play-by-play man Len Kasper: "Lance Berkman told me (second baseman) Jeff Keppinger's personality is similar to Jeff Kent's (personality)."
Color commentator Bob Brenly: "Jeff Kent had a personality?"
Twins 5, Athletics 4 (11). Dallas Braden didn't recognize the 612 (Minneapolis area code) and the Twins made him pay for it, big willie style. Braden gave up four earned runs in 6 1/3 innings and is winless since his perfect game May 9. No word on whether Justin Morneau, a New Westminster, British Columbia native is going to have V3L 0A2 tattooed on his stomach after a 2-for-4, 2 RBI night.
Mets 4, Marlins 3. R.A. Dickey, left for squirrel meat after a miserable 2009 season with Minnesota, has been better-than-terrible for the Mets. The knuckleballer won his third consecutive start, pitching 6 1/3 innings of three-run ball, and also went 2-for-3 with an RBI at the plate.
Redsox 11, Orioles 0. Clay Buchholz, perhaps the ugliest man on the Boston roster, and that's saying a lot (see: Lackey, John; Youkilis, Kevin; Ortiz, David), pitched a five-hit shut out. Juan Samuel's first game as manager didn't go well, but in all fairness to the rookie skipper, neither will Saturday's game.
Diamondbacks 7, Rockies 6. There is a small sampling of joy in Phoenixville, mighty Ryan Roberts has just singled to center field. The pinch-hitter ripped a base hit off Manuel Corpas to cap a two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth and end Arizona's 10-game losing streak. Corpas pitched like he was auditioning for a spot in the Diamondbacks' bullpen: 10 pitches, 1/3 of a inning, 3 H, 2 ER.
