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| Arizona 2B Orlando Hudson has been enjoying his new-found health over the past weeks, ramping up the offense and helping the Snakes to a 4-3 win over Colorado. Hudson went 2-for-4 with his eighth double of the year and two RBIs on the night. |
Our View: Hudson earned a handful of days off to rest a bad hammy, and he gets to return just in time to hit the ball around Coors Field, now sitting at 4-for-8 on the series.
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| Colorado 1B Todd Helton is starting to round into form despite the 4-3 loss to Arizona this evening, going 3-for-4 at the dish with one walk and one run scored. |
Our View: He's still struggling in the power department, but that trademark Helton batting average is starting to come up (now residing at .284).
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| Colorado LHP Jorge De La Rosa lasted just 4 2/3 innings in taking the loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks this evening, 4-3. The lefty gave up all four runs, all earned, on seven hits with three walks and six stikeouts. |
Our View: It was just De La Rosa's third start of a young career, and his first without surrendering a home run.
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| The Arizona Diamondbacks nearly lost the effort to bad relief pitching, but RHP Micah Owings was on his mark and pitching well, earning his fifth win of the season. Owings went six innings of shutout ball, giving up just five hits with two walks and five strikeouts. |
Our View: By the way, Owings, known for his hitting as much as his pitching, went 0-for-3 at the dish, but his work with the arm was solid. He is now 5-1 and leading the way for the Snakes in the NL West.
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| The Cardinals didn't need much hitting this evening to pull the 5-1 victory over Pittsburgh, but SS Cesar Izturis finished as the top offensive performer on a night when the Cards racked up 15 total hits. Izturis went 3-for-5, all singles with an additional stolen base (his third of the season), with one RBI. |
Our View: Five different players posted multiple hits in this game for the Cards, but none earned more than one RBI. Give Izturis the nod for the swipe.
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| In the midst of the pitching clinic RHP Todd Wellemeyer was putting on against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the best hitter on the Pittsburgh team was falling well short of setting a standard for others to follow. LF Jason Bay went 0-for-4 with one strikeout and three men left on base. |
Our View: Bay is struggling to keep pace, but no one was hitting Wellenmeyer this evening. Don't read too much into it.
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| The Pirates managed to find just four hits in their bats this evening as they suffered the 5-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, all but dominated by RHP Todd Wellemeyer in earning his fourth win of the season. Wellemeyer pitched seven innings, giving up a lowly one run on an even lowlier two hits. He walked three, struck out five, and did so on 11 fly outs mixed with five grounders. |
Our View: Since hitting May, Wellemeyer is pitching as well as any hurler in the game. Including this evening, he has allowed just six runs (four earned) on 13 hits combined.
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| The Cubs used offense to get the win over San Diego, 8-5, this evening, but the work of LHP Ted Lilly was not without merit. Lilly pitched six innings, giving up four runs (all earned) on six hits with just one walk and 11 strikeouts on the night. |
Our View: Lilly entered May at 1-4 with 6.46 ERA. His ERA isn't going much lower, but he has three wins in a row to get his record to 4-4.
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| The Cubs put the hurt on the San Diego Padres this evening, winning 8-5 with the bat of OF Kosuke Fukudome doing much of the damage. Fukudome went 3-for-5 at the dish, hitting his 11th double with two runs scored. |
Our View: Fukudome's average has been falling a bit this month, coming into the month at .327 and now sitting at .312. However, his numbers are serving the Cubs well and he seems to hit rather well in clutch situations.
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| The Padres struggled to get the offense going as the Cubs put the 8-5 win on the board, leaving 2B Tadahito Iguchi as the primary man for San Diego on the night. Iguchi went 2-for-5 with three RBIs on the night, though his three strikeouts are reason for concern. |
Our View: Iguchi is hitting the ball well but rarely drives in runs and strikes out too often to garner too much confidence from fantasy owners.
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| The Chicago Cubs put eight runs on the board against Jake Peavy and the San Diego Padres tonight, an effort largely led by leadoff man LF Alfonso Soriano . Soriano went 2-for-5 at the dish with his sixth home run of the year, totaling three RBIs. |
Our View: Soriano has been red hot this month, going 17-of-51 at the plate with 13 RBIs.
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| San Diego ace Jake Peavy pitched well, but the Cubs still managed to score runs and handed Peavy his third loss of the season, winning 8-5. Peavy pitched just four innings, giving up four runs (all earned) on seven hits, walking just two with eight strikeouts. |
Our View: Peavy now has just one win in his last six outings and his ERA is steadily on the rise.
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| Craig Italiano allowed only two hits and two walks in six scoreless innings for Low-A Kane County to improve his record to 5-0 on Wednesday. He struck out four batters. |
Our View: Italiano’s ERA is down to 0.90. He has allowed only one earned run in his last seven starts. It’s safe to say that the 21-year-old is ready for a promotion.
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| Jeremy Hellickson improved to 4-0 for High-A Vero Beach on Wednesday after allowing two runs on five hits in six innings. He struck out nine batters. |
Our View: The 2005 fourth-round pick has an incredible 58/3 K/BB ratio in 46.2 innings this season, emerging as one of the top pitching prospects in the game. Not surprisingly, his ERA is down to 1.35. He is showing that he is ready for Double-A.
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| Mike Hessman hit his 18th home run of the season for Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday. |
Our View: Man or machine? Hessman has seven home runs in the past week and leads the minors in home runs. He should see the majors at some point, but that does not mean that the minor league veteran will actually see playing time.
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| It doesn't happen often, but tonight Milwaukee LHP Manny Parra was the force of reckoning both on the mound and at the plate this evening. Parra pitched 6 2/3 innings, giving up three runs (only one earned) on seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts, leaving with no decision. |
Our View: Parra was also the top hitter on the evening, going 1-for-3 with two RBIs.
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| Scott Downs picked up his fifth save of the season and secured Roy Halladay's fourth victory of the yar as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Minnesota Twins 6-5 on Wednesday night. |
Our View: Downs has taken over the role of the injured Jeremy Accardo, as the team's primary setup man and situational closer.
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| Justin Morneau his his seventh home run of the season but it wasn't enough as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Minnesota Twins 6-5 on Wednesday night. |
Our View: Morneau has been quietly consistent this year scoring 20 runs, recording 31 RBI and hitting .297 on the season.
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| Dodger RHP Derek Lowe walked off the mound with fourth no decision this season as hit team used a late surge to get the 6-4 win. Lowe pitched six innings to allow four runs (all earned) on six hits, walking three and striking out six. |
Our View: That's four consecutive starts for Lowe without a win.
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| Boof Bonser allowed five runs on five hits, walked three and struck out three in his fifth loss of the season. |
Our View: Bonser has allowed 17 runs in his past three starts and has twice allowed four or more runs in the first inning.
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| Roy Halladay, who has been the victim of poor run support all season getting only 3.14 runs per outing, got four runs from a Matt Stairs grand slam in the top of the first and held on for his fourth victory of the season. The Toronto horse allowed four runs on nine hits, didn't walk a batter and struck out eight in 6.2 innings of work. |
Our View: Halladay's ERA spiked to 3.49 and his workman like WHIP took a small bump north to 1.09.
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| It wasn't pretty, but the Dodgers scored three in the top of the ninth to emerge victorious over the Milwaukee Brewers 6-4. The catalyst for that surge came from leadoff man LF Juan Pierre , going 3-for-5 at the dish with his fifth double of the season, his 14th stolen base of the campaign thus far, and a total of three RBIs and one runs scored in the win. |
Our View: Pierre has had to fight for consideration but is showing well in May, already matching his hit total for April (13) through 11 games with seven stolen bases and just one strikeout this month.
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| Matt Stairs hit a grand slam to help the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Minnesota Twins 6-5 on Wednesday night. It was Stairs' sixth home run of the year. |
Our View: While Vernon Wells serves 6-8 weeks on the disabled list, Matt Stairs is the power threat for Toronto.
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| Light-hitting Joey Gathright accounted for all of the Royals' runs batted in helping the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 2-0 on Wednesday night. Gathright drove in two runs with a second inning single. |
Our View: Gathright who has 10 stolen bases on the season was caught stealing in the game. His third "caught-stealing" of the season.
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| The Cincinnati Reds emerged after 10 innings to put the Florida Marlins in the loss column, 7-6, with all seven runs attributed to different players. However, the work of SS Jerry Hairston Jr. was the saving grace of the effort. Hairston went 3-for-4 with a double (his fourth of the year) and a triple (his first) to total one RBI and two runs scored. |
Our View: Hairston gave way to oncoming SS prospect Paul Janish, moved to left field, but it was his offense that got him the start at short to begin with, a decision that proved valuable.
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| Joakim Soria picked up his 10th save in as many chances with a perfect ninth inning as the Royals scored a 2-0 win over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night. |
Our View: Soria has not allowed a run in 16.1 innings and 17 appearances this season. He's allowed just four hits while striking out 18 and walking one.
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| Justin Verlander allowed two runs on six hits, walked three and struck out three in a tough luck 2-0 loss to rookie Luke Hochevar and the Royals. The Tigers starter suffered his seventh loss of the season. |
Our View: It was Verlander's best performance of the season and while the loss stings, it was promising to see the hard-throwing right-hander have some success.
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| Review the work of the starting pitching for the Cincinnati Reds tonight and you'll wonder how they got to 10 innings to pull victory from the jaws of defeat. RHP Bronson Arroyo pitched seven innings, failing to allow a single run on five hits with three walks and five strikeouts. |
Our View: After going 1-3 with a 6.97 ERA in April, Arroyo has started to improve, going 1-1 with tonight's no decision in May, though he has surrendered eight earned runs overall.
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| Florida may have suffered the 7-6 loss in extra innings to the Cincinnati Reds, but 2B Dan Uggla has continued to swing well, going 2-for-4 with his 13th double of the season and one walk. |
Our View: Uggla failed to drive in any runs, but he now sits at 18-for-45 (.400) with eight homers in the month of May (we are just reaching the half-way point for the month).
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| Luke Hochevar allowed four hits, walked three and struck out five while pitching six scoreless innings for his third win of the season. |
Our View: The rookies ground ball to fly ball ratio (8:5) wasn't as good as it has been in recent outings, but the cool air at the "K" kept most of the air bound cowhide in the park on Wednesday night.
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| The battle lasted lasted 10 inning, but the Cincinnati Reds emerged victorious, winning 7-6 over the Florida Marlins. For the Marlins, it was newly-crowned leadoff man CF Cody Ross getting the job done on offense. Ross went 1-for-4, making the one hit good for a three-run homer in the 9th inning to help Florida surge with six total runs to tie it up late. |
Our View: Ross has been sharing time in the field but got the call tonight thanks to his hot bat, now sitting at 6-for-20 with four homers in the month of May.
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| Mariano Rivera earned his 11th save of the season as the Yankees ended the Rays' six-game winning streak with a 2-1 victory on Wednesday night. |
Our View: Rivera worked a perfect ninth inning striking out one.
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| Washington needed a strong outing off the mound from RHP Tim Redding with the offense struggling, and the hurler came through, pitching six innings to allow just one run on a lowly two hits, walking two and striking out four. |
Our View: Redding has shown flashes of greatness this season and tonight gives more indication of a bright future.
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| The Washington Nationals made the best of their six hits to pull a 5-3 win over the New York Mets. The charge was started by leadoff man 2B Felipe Lopez , going 2-for-2 with two walks, hitting his fifth double of the season to garner one RBI and one run scored. |
Our View: Lopez is enjoying good returns in May, going 14-for 48, though he has yet to steal a base after swiping four in April.
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| James Shields allowed two runs on six hits, walked two and struck out six, but took the 2-1 loss to the Yankees and Mike Mussina on Wednesday night. |
Our View: Shield's effort was plenty good enough to earn a win. The right-hander lowered his ERA to 3.05 in the loss.
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| The Mets managed to post just six hits on the evening with no player earning more than one, falling 5-3 to the Washington Nationals. Catcher Brian Schneider was the man of note from the New York offense, going 1-of-4 with his second home run of the season to total two RBIs. |
Our View: Schneider has been gaining momentum this month, going 10-of-30 with two home runs thus far.
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| Mike Mussina allowed one run on five hits, walked one and struck out four in 6.1 innings to win his fifth consecutive decision. He improved to 18-7 in 31 starts against Tampa Bay, which held on to its slender lead in the AL East. |
Our View: Mussina is finding a way to get hitters out. He's discovered how to use his slight velocity difference between his 87 mph fastball and his 82 mph change, and be successful.
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| Philadelphia RHP Brett Myers suffered through a horrendous outing in the Phillies 8-5 loss to the Atlanta Braves. Myers lasted just 4 1/3 innings, giving up eight total runs (six earned) on nine hits, walking three and striking out six. |
Our View: The bulk of the damage was done on three homers allowed, all in the first two innings of the game to surrender three total runs.
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| Atlanta LHP Tom Glavine has enjoyed better evenings, but his work against the Philadelphia Phillies was enough to earn the win. Glavine pitched 5 2/3 innings, giving up four runs (all earned) on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts. |
Our View: Glavine got his first win of the season, but we doubt he's terribly happy with the effort.
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| Joba Chamberlain struck out the side in the eighth to earn his 10th hold of the season as the Yankees held on to score a 2-1 victory over the Rays on Wednesday night.
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Our View: Chamberlain to Rivera is a nice option for a manager to have. When the Yankees have the lead after seven innings, they are nearly automatic.
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| The Atlanta Braves enjoyed a big night on the scoreboard, pulling the 8-6 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. Catcher Brian McCann led the way, going 2-for-4 with his 13th double of the season and three total RBIs on the evening. |
Our View: McCann is now hitting .395 for the month of May, touting 12 RBIs with six doubles on the month.
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| Robinson Cano went 4-for-4 and and drove in a run with an RBI single to help the Yankees end the Tampa Bay Rays' six-game winning streak with a 2-1 victory on Wednesday night. |
Our View: Cano, who has been in a major slump, need a night like this to get his engine started. The four hit performance raised his average from 1.83 to .205 on the season.
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| Atlanta 3B Chipper Jones is working as one of the hottest bats in the league and continued to work as such this evening as the Braves dismissed the Phillies 8-6. Jones went 2-for-4 at the plate with one walk, hitting his 11th home run of the season in the 1st inning to set the tone for an offensive surge by the Braves. |
Our View: Jones is now hitting .418 on the season, sitting at 20-for-46 (.435) with three homers and 11 RBIs.
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| The Phillies managed to suffer the 8-6 loss to the Atlanta Braves despite bombs from the power battery of the order. 2B Chase Utley went 1-for-4 at the plate, totaling two RBIs on his 14th homer of the season. 1B Ryan Howard brought a home run of his own, going 1-for-4 at the plate with his 8th home run of year. |
Our View: Those are the only hits those two players posted and the rest of the group failed to get the job done.
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| SS Jimmy Rollins did what he could to get the Phillies back in the hunt, but his team fell 8-6 to that Atlanta Braves. Rollins went 2-for-5 at the dish with his fifth double of the season, also adding his third stolen base of the season. |
Our View: Rollins totaled two RBIs and one run scored on the evening.
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| The Phillies came up short in their 8-6 loss to the Atlanta Braves this evening, but catcher Chris Coste tried his best to improve the effort. Coste went 4-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored. |
Our View: This is just the fourth game this season in which Coste has posted multiple hits, and his first this month.
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| Joe Blanton allowed two runs on four hits, walked two and struck out four in seven innings of work. Blanton pitched well enough to win, but he was facing C.C. Sabathia who pitched a complete game shutout in a 2-0 win over the A's. |
Our View: Blanton lost his sixth game of the season against two wins. His 3.69 AL ERA and 1.34 WHIP says he deserves a better record than 2-6 on the season.
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| Ryan Garko hit a solo home run, C.C Sabathia pitched a complete-game five-hit shutout and the Indians defeated the A's 2-0 on Wednesday night. |
Our View: Garko, who has been a major funk for the last month, was 1-for-3 on the day. The first baseman now has four home runs, 17 RBI, 15 runs scored and is hitting .234 on the season.
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| Grady Sizemore was half of the Cleveland offense as C.C. Sabathia shutout the Oakland Athletics 2-0 on Wednesday night. The Cleveland center fielder hit a solo home run that gave the Indians a 1-0 lead, all they would need with last year's Cy Young winner on the mound. |
Our View: Sizemore has 24 runs, 21 RBI, seven home runs, seven stolen bases and is hitting .274 on the season. Sizemore has three leadoff home runs this season and 14 in his career, the second-most in franchise history behind Kenny Lofton's 18
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| C.C. Sabathia pitched a five-hitter and struck out 11 in the Cleveland Indians' major league-leading seventh shutout, a 2-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday night. |
Our View: If there was any question about whether last year's Cy Young winner was back on track, this effort against the A's should answer any and all questions.
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| The Dodgers report RHP Jason Schmidt completed today's bullpen session and is scheduled to make his second minor league rehab appearance on Saturday, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Schmidt threw 38 pitches today, 11 months after undergoing shoulder surgery, and manager Joe Torre reports he will make the start for Class A Inland Empire on Saturday with plans to throw three innings or a pitch count between 30 to 45 pitches.
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| Warthogs first baseman Brandon Allen, the 22-year-old Texan in the White Sox farm system, hit for the cycle as part of a 5-for-5 ballgame. Allen scored four runs and drove in two, according to MILB.com.
"I'm disappointed we couldn't come out with the win, obviously," said Allen. "As for the cycle, the game's all about getting on base and scoring runs, and I was glad to be to be able to do that today."
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Our View: Allen bashed a solo homer in the second inning, singled in the fourth, and doubled in both the fifth and seventh before leading off the ninth with a triple.
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| John Lackey was officially taken off of the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday afternoon, which is where he’s been since the beginning of the season with a strained right triceps.
The Angels are hoping that he can quickly regain the form that led to his 19-win season from a year ago. Lackey faces off against the White Sox and Jose Contreras tonight in Los Angeles. |
Our View: The White Sox were one of the few teams to beat Lackey last season. Careerwise, Lackey is 3-4 against Chicago.
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| The Tigers team website reports that Gary Sheffield's days as a regular outfielder appear to be over.
After just over a week in left field, Sheffield was out of the lineup on Wednesday for a day off. When he returns on Thursday, however, he'll be back at designated hitter.
Manager Jim Leyland made the decision and talked with Sheffield about it prior to Wednesday's game. Leyland saw signs that Sheffield is still being bothered by his right shoulder, a sign Sheffield confirmed. |
Our View: Leyland believes that playing the field and hitting isn't going to help the healing process, despite Sheff's desire to be both in the field and the batters box with claims it makes him a better hitter.
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| The Rockies are struggling to find wins and, as a result, manager Clint Hurdle has made a few changes to the lineup, according to the Denver Post. Most notably, CF Ryan Spilborghs will bat leadoff, taking the place normally filled by Willie Taveras. |
Our View: Also, Omar Quintanilla has gotten the start at shortstop with Jonathan Herrera starting at second base. Quintanilla will bat second with Herrera batting eighth.
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| Los Angeles skipper Joe Torre told the LA Times that Chan Ho Park should be able to throw 85-90 pitches, who was announced the Dodgers Saturday starter. |
Our View: LA won't need a fifth starter after that until May 27 at the Cubs.
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| Mets LF Moises Alou has been ejected from tonight's matchup against the Washington Nationals, according to Yahoo Sports. |
Our View: Alou was ejected in the 5th inning for arguing balls and strikes after being called out looking at a third strike.
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| Updating an earlier story, Ryan Doumit is slated to miss at least four weeks as he nurses a fractured left thumb, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Today's examination by Dr. Mark Baratz in Pittsburgh suggests the Pirates catcher should refrain from any baseball activities for at least four weeks, and the team feels he is likely to miss significantly more time than that. "We'll give it four weeks, and then we'll see where we're at," said manager John Russell. To fill the void left by moving Doumit to the 15-day disabled list, the Pirates have recalled catcher Raul Chavez from Triple-A Indianapolis.
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| Jake Westbrook , who threw a 70-pitch simulated session on Tuesday, was originally scheduled to make a rehab start for Single-A Lake County on Saturday, but Soloff said it's likely the start might be pushed back to Sunday, according to MLB.com. Soloff was still waiting to gauge how Westbrook was feeling from Tuesday's effort. |
Our View: The Indians won't know how many rehab starts Westbrook will need before the staff witnesses his work at Lake County this weekend.
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| Mets 2B Luis Castillo may be headed for the disabled list, according to MLB.com. Nursing a strained left quad, Castillo hasn't been able t |
Our View: Nursing a strained left quad, Castillo hasn't been able to play since Sunday and the team anticipates he won't be able to hit the field until this coming weekend, at the earliest. As a result, both manager Willie Randolph and general manager Omar Minaya are suggesting the DL might be the best place for Castillo right now. Castillo has missed three games and received additional treatment for the quad on Wednesday, and while he reports he feels "better," he does not argue that it could be some time before he feels ready to play. We will update as news comes forth.
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| The Florida Marlins are seeking ways to keep their offense fresh and their first step came this evening as OF Cody Ross has been moved into the leadoff position in the batting order, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Ross has been platooning with switch-hitting Alfredo Amezaga, but Amezaga has failed to hit as hoped and now Ross is getting his chance to shine, getting the start this evening and looking to improve on his 3-for-11 numbers as the leadoff man thus far.
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| The New York Mets report RHP Pedro Martinez threw 55 pitches during a simulated game today in Florida, according to the Associated Press. |
Our View: Pedro pitched four innings against minor leaguers and fielded his position at the team's complex in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The three-time Cy Young Award winner is battling to return from a strained left hamstring, suffered during his only start this season (April 1st vs Florida). General manager Omar Minaya states the team is unwilling to release a timetable for his continued rehab and return, but he did reveal that Martinez is now going to be placed into a regular schedule, likely to start with a bullpen session in the coming days followed by another simulated game with a higher pitch count. If those go well, look for a minor league rehab assignment.
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| Jason Varitek hit his fourth home run of the season on Wednesday afternoon but it wasn't enough as Boston lost 6-3 to division rival Baltimore. |
Our View: Varitek has seen action 34 times this year. The left-handed batter has 15 RBI and 10 runs scored in 110 at bats.
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| The Cincinnati Reds have recalled SS Paul Janish to replace the injured Jeff Keppinger at the position, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Keppinger suffered a fractured left kneecap against the Florida Marlins. He has been placed on the 15-day disabled list, but he is expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks, thus giving Janish his first prolonged shot to play in the majors. This evening, manager Dusty Baker has inserted veteran Jerry Hairston Jr. at shortstop, hoping he can help the struggling offense back on track. Janish, viewed as a defensive gem, could be in the lineup as soon as this week.
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| St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina has been fined an undisclosed amount but will avoid suspension following his ejection from Monday's battle with Milwaukee, according to the St. Louis Post Dispatch. |
Our View: Molina was arguing calls with home plate umpire Paul Schrieber before being ejected, at which time Molina disrobed of his equipment and left his gear all over the field.
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| It appears the the Blue Jays will settle on their current lineup and wait for their injured to return. While Vernon Wells serves 6-8 weeks in DL confinement, Matt Stairs is the power threat for Toronto. Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi says he has faith in the manager and his staff and there's really nothing that he can see that would improve this team. "We're done. This is our team," said Ricciardi, notes the Toronto Star. |
Our View: It had been 47 innings between Vernon Wells' ninth-inning home run last Thursday and Stairs' sixth-inning shot last night, a five-game power outage.
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| Mariano Rivera gave up his the first run all season on Tuesday night when Gabe Gross hit an RBI single giving Tampa Bay a 2-1 victory over the New York Yankees sending the Rays into first place in the AL East. |
Our View: Rivera has been outstanding this year. His .056 ERA and 13 strikeouts to zero walks in 16 innings pitched, is as good as it gets. While most consider Jon Papelbon the best ninth inning option in baseball, one could argue that the Yankee veteran still reigns.
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| Updating an earlier story, Washington 1B Nick Johnson will in fact miss tonight's game against the New York Mets and is likely to miss tomorrow's game as well, according to the Associated Press. |
Our View: Johnson strained a tendon in his wrist on a swing made on Tuesday night. The MRI results suggest no prolonged concern is present, but Johnson was sent back to Washington and will undergo further testing. We will update with news as needed.
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J.J. Putz , the Seattle closer, worked two scoreless innings before starter Jarrod Washburn made his first relief appearance since 1999, and only his 11th in 265 games over 11 major league seasons. Putz, who earned his first win of the season, allowed one hit, walked one and struck out two.
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Our View: With Wednesday night's game in extra innings, Putz was asked to extend his work load and pitched himself into a win.
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