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August 1 update
With another good month we are now 70-42 and in sole possession of first place. We finished 18-10 in July. John McCants has been on fire and hit .349 with nine home runs on the month. Alvin Clark popped six home runs in part-time duty. Al Brooks and Brent Powell both saw their averages dip below .300, but we now rate 4th overall in offense.
But the pitching staff has really shined. Matt Johnson had a 1.98 ERA to lead the way, and the top four starters have all reached ten wins. Manuel Ruiz has put together a great season in the bullpen.
Our budget constraints ($9M in the red) made maneuvering difficult, but we did send struggling swingman Augusto Gomez (6.21 ERA) to New Orleans for backup catcher Ron Messer, who is a better bat off the bench. The deal also provides us with $500K in salary relief, though neither player figures in next year's plans. Larry Cantrell was called up again to fill the vacant bullpen role, but we extended an offer to 36-year-old free agent Jorge Gonzalez, a former closer with 174 career saves.
One of the biggest factors in our success this year has been the relative health of our players- we have had no one on the DL for the last two months. Hopefully noting this will not jinx us.
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