MLB Weekly: View From The Press Box

[EdsHalo]

I've been wanting to try my hand at writing some reports but rather than writing about my team, I thought I might write on a game of the week along with some other notes. The bonus is that I get a better feel for what's going on the league (I usually manage Anaheim). So I'm simming a week at a time and reporting on a Saturday game that interests me. Thread title's lame, I know, but I hope the thread interests anyone else.

If anyone has a suggestion, wants to know a player is doing or anything else, let me know. I'm using the CBL 1.3 rosters. Next post has the first game of the week but I'm also including standings, some news, some hot and cold players and more. This is inspired by some threads by InRepair and AZTarHeel but hopefully I will be able to do somethings to differentiate this one from theirs. You've done some great work gentlemen.

[EdsHalo]

Bullpen Spoils A Good Start

ATLANTA--Kenny Nelson won't be buying Armando Almanza drinks anytime soon.

In a game where many expected the Braves youngster to be outpitched by Mark Prior, Nelson performed wonderfully only to see his work fall apart in the bullpen's hands.

Almanza took over in top of the eighth with a one-run lead and gave up a pinch-homer to Aramis Ramirez for the tying run. Worse yet, he was charged with the winning run in the 9th giving up a double to Mark Grudzielanek and seeing him cross the plate as Moises Alou singled off John Smoltz.

"I know I could have gone another inning or two," Nelson said. "But I won't question coach's decision since (Marrero) was able to get the go-ahead run pinch-hitting for me."

Nelson, who threw 71 pitches in seven innings, giving up one run, four hits and two walks, said, "It's just hard to see a good performance go to waste against these guys."

Prior was no slouch with similar numbers also over seven innings. In his case though, the bullpen held up.

Mike Remlinger and Latroy Hawkins pitched a scoreless eighth. Joe Borovski gave up a hit in the ninth but struck out two to notch his third save of the young season. Hawkins got the win but it was Prior who was named player of the game.

The Cubs remain undefeated while Atlanta has stumbled to a 2-3 start.

MLB Roundup

2000 Hits For Larry Walker
Colorado's Larry Walker cracked a double in the 5th off Dodger pitcher Wilson Alvarez to collect his 2000th hit. "I hoped I would get it soon," Walker said. "I'm just pleased I've been playing well and got it so early." Walker is off to a blistering .476 start with 1 home run and 8 RBI, all away from Coors Field.

Reds Manage One Hit On Cubs Ace
Cincinnati's offense is struggling and Kerry Wood didn't help. The right-hander managed a shutout in his first game of the season, a 1-hitter in Cincinnati. Wood, 1-0, was overpowering, striking out 11 while walking none and throwing 106 pitches. Sammy Sosa provided Chicago with the offense with two home runs and 7 RBI. Wood went the whole nine and finished off the Reds 11-0. "We're off to a good start," Wood said. "I hope I can keep it up and get the same run support."

HOT! (Minimum 15 AB)
Thome (PHI) .706/1/6
Loretta (SDN) .565/0/5
LoDuca (LAN) .563/0/1
Miller (OAK) .563/0/3
Ibanez (SEA) .526/3/6

COLD! (Minimum 15 AB)
Castilla (COL) .000/0/0
R. White (DET) .048/0/0
B. Hall (MIL) .048/0/0
Bigbie (BAL) .050/0/0
Hafner (CLE) .050/0/2

First week injuries:
TEX: Chan Ho Park (Pulled Tricep Muscle, out 4 weeks)
SEA: Ben Davis (Broken hip from collision at home plate, out for season)
TOR: Josh Phelps (Strained Back Muscle, out 4 weeks)
BAL: Sidney Ponson (Tender Shoulder, out 1-2 weeks)
SEA: Rich Aurilia (Ruptured Bicep Tendon, out 3 weeks)

Standings

AL East
Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10
Toronto 4 1 .800 - 4-1 0 2-1 2-0 1-0 1-0 157 W4 4-1
New York (A) 5 2 .714 - 5-2 0 2-1 3-1 1-0 1-0 156 W1 5-2
Boston 3 3 .500 1.5 3-3 0 0-2 3-1 0-0 0-0 - L2 3-3
Baltimore 2 4 .333 2.5 2-4 0 1-3 1-1 0-0 0-0 - W1 2-4
Tampa Bay 2 4 .333 2.5 2-4 0 2-4 0-0 0-0 0-0 - L1 2-4

AL Central
Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10
Minnesota 4 1 .800 - 3-2 1 2-1 2-0 1-0 2-1 157 W4 4-1
Kansas City 3 2 .600 1.0 2-3 1 3-2 0-0 0-0 2-0 - L1 3-2
Chicago (A) 2 3 .400 2.0 3-2 -1 0-0 2-3 0-1 0-2 - L1 2-3
Cleveland 2 4 .333 2.5 3-3 -1 0-0 2-4 0-0 1-3 - W1 2-4
Detroit 1 4 .200 3.0 2-3 -1 0-2 1-2 0-2 0-1 - L4 1-4

AL West
Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10
Oakland 4 1 .800 - 4-1 0 4-1 0-0 1-1 0-1 157 W4 4-1
Anaheim 3 2 .600 1.0 3-2 0 0-0 3-2 0-0 1-1 - L1 3-2
Texas 2 3 .400 2.0 2-3 0 1-1 1-2 1-0 1-1 - W1 2-3
Seattle 1 4 .200 3.0 1-4 0 1-2 0-2 0-1 1-0 - L3 1-4

NL East
Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10
Philadelphia 4 1 .800 - 3-2 1 0-0 4-1 0-0 2-0 157 L1 4-1
Montreal 3 2 .600 1.0 4-1 -1 0-2 3-0 1-0 0-0 - L2 3-2
New York (N) 3 2 .600 1.0 3-2 0 0-0 3-2 0-0 0-1 - W2 3-2
Atlanta 2 3 .400 2.0 3-2 -1 2-3 0-0 0-0 1-2 - L2 2-3
Florida 1 4 .200 3.0 1-4 0 1-4 0-0 0-1 0-1 - W1 1-4

NL Central
Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10
Chicago (N) 5 0 1.000 - 5-0 0 0-0 5-0 0-0 2-0 157 W5 5-0
St. Louis 5 1 .833 .5 4-2 1 3-1 2-0 1-0 0-0 - W2 5-1
Milwaukee 3 3 .500 2.5 3-3 0 2-0 1-3 1-0 1-0 - W3 3-3
Pittsburgh 2 3 .400 3.0 2-3 0 0-3 2-0 0-0 1-1 - W2 2-3
Houston 1 4 .200 4.0 1-4 0 1-2 0-2 0-1 1-1 - L3 1-4
Cincinnati 0 5 .000 5.0 0-5 0 0-5 0-0 0-0 0-1 - L5 0-5

NL West
Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10
San Diego 4 1 .800 - 4-1 0 2-0 2-1 0-0 0-0 156 W2 4-1
Arizona 2 3 .400 2.0 3-2 -1 2-3 0-0 0-1 0-0 - L2 2-3
Colorado 2 3 .400 2.0 2-3 0 0-0 2-3 1-0 1-1 - L1 2-3
Los Angeles 2 3 .400 2.0 2-3 0 2-3 0-0 0-1 1-1 - W1 2-3
San Francisco 2 3 .400 2.0 2-3 0 0-0 2-3 0-0 0-1 - L2 2-3

4/17 Game of the Week
NYA v. BOS (Wakefield v. Contreras)
or OAK v ANA (Mulder v. Washburn)

[EdsHalo]

Yanks Manufacture Ninth Inning Victory Over Sox
Alex Rodriguez sent a ball 448 feet and over the centerfield wall, but it was a little small ball that gave the Bombers a go-ahead run in the ninth inning at Fenway Park.

Bronson Arroyo walked Bernie Williams and new pitcher Keith Foulke saw him steal second and move to third on a Ruben Sierra groundout. That was enough for Hideki Matsui as the left-fielder's two-out single plated Williams.

Mariano Rivera closed out the ninth for his third save and the Yankees beat Boston 4-3. Tom Gordon pitched a perfect eighth inning and got his first win of the season. Jose Contreras started and struck out four while giving up three runs on seven hits and one walk in seven innings of work.

Arroyo faced just one batter, Williams, and got the loss after Tim Wakefield pitched the first eight, giving up three runs on six hits and two walks.

"It's always good to see that you can win a game in a variety of ways," Manager Joe Torre said. "We will win plenty of games with the long ball but we'll need to scratch some runs like these too."

"The guys came through tonight to push the run across."

Ellis Burks, Trot Nixon and Jason Varitek led the Red Sox, combining for four hits and three RBI but Boston only had one hit after the sixth inning.

"Neither starter had a lot of baserunners tonight," Varitek said. "We knew it would come down to a late run and which team had the stronger bullpen."

"Gordon and Rivera really shut us down when the game was on the line."

The two rivals meet again next weekend at Yankee Stadium.

4/11 Player of the Week
Raul Ibanez (SEA) and Jim Edmonds (STL) were named players of the week Monday from their respective leagues. Ibanez batted .500 for the week including three home runs and seven RBI. Edmonds didn't match that batting average, hitting .375 for the week. He did make an impression though homering in seven straight games (he now has nine on the season) and knocked in 15 runners for the week. "I just want to do whatever I can to get us on top of the division," Edmonds said. The Cards have come out to an 8-4 start but can't match the red-hot 10-1 Chicago Cubs.

Milton Shuts Down The Reds
It's becoming a theme this year. Pitcher comes to Cincinnati. Reds offense puts up no fight. Pitcher looks like a world beater. Eric Milton's first outing saw him give up 10 hits in 6 innings. This time, though, Milton mowed down the Reds Thursday giving up just four hits and one run in eight innings and striking out nine. Milton is scheduled to start again Wednesday against the second-place Florida Marlins

Career Ended By A Torn Tricep
Todd Ritchie won 15 games in 1999 for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Since then, though, it's been a downward spiral and a series of stumbles. Unfortunately, he stumbled again this week pitching for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. After starting the season in the minors, Ritchie made his second start of the season Friday. This time, though, it wasn't the results that were stumbling, it was Ritchie who fell to the ground in a game against the Chicago White Sox at Tropicana Field. A few hours after the game, doctors determined he had torn his tricep muscle and feared the worst, that his career was over. "I hope I can find a job with the Devil Rays or somewhere in the business," Ritchie said. "I can't imagine that this is it for me and baseball."

The Houston Astros also got some bad news as starting shortstop Adam Everett had to leave the game yesterday against the Brewers. Everett tore his hamstring when he smashed a double to left-center off Chris Capuano. Everett started a two-run rally but could not cross the plate himself as he had to be removed from the game. Astros doctors have given a bad prognosis and told Everett that he has probably played his last game for the 2004 season.

Off to a Good Start:
Matt Morris (STL) 3.33/3 GS/3-0
Kurt Ainsworth (BAL) 5.49/3 GS/3-0
Scott Baker (MIN) 2.70/2 GS/2-0
John Lackey (ANA) 1.10/2 GS/2-0
Jason Isringhausen (STL) 4 SV/5 G/0 ER
Joe Nathan (MIN) 4 SV/5 G/0 ER

April is Not Your Month:
Jarrod Washburn (ANA) 0-3/9.95
Jeremi Gonzalez (TB) 1-3/6.98
Kenny Rogers (TEX) 0-3/6.89
Greg Bruso (MIL) 3 Blown Saves/0-3 SVO
Aquilino Lopez (TOR) 3 BS/1-4 SVO
Scott Stewart (CLE) 3 BS/3-6 SVO

Race To Watch:

NL Central
Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10
Chicago (N) 10 1 .909 - 9-2 1 4-1 6-0 0-0 3-0 149 W4 9-1
St. Louis 8 4 .667 2.5 7-5 1 5-4 3-0 1-0 2-2 - W1 6-4
Milwaukee 6 7 .462 5.0 7-6 -1 3-0 3-7 2-1 2-2 - L1 6-4
Houston 4 8 .333 6.5 4-8 0 2-4 2-4 0-2 2-2 - W1 3-7
Cincinnati 3 8 .273 7.0 3-8 0 1-5 2-3 0-0 1-1 - L2 3-7
Pittsburgh 3 8 .273 7.0 4-7 -1 0-3 3-5 0-0 1-1 - L4 3-7

Injuries To Note
ARI: Randy Johnson: Strained Elbow Ligament (DTD, 6 weeks)
NYA: Javier Vazquez: Bone Chips Shoulder (6 weeks)
CHA: Magglio Ordonez: Pulled Back Muscle (3 weeks)
TB: Todd Ritchie: Torn Tricep Muscle (Career ending)
HOU: Adam Everett: Torn Hamstring Muscle (Out for season)

4/24 Game Of The Week
Mets at Cubs (Jae Weong Seo vs. Greg Maddux)

[Mel_Ott]

Nice approach, Eds!

[EdsHalo]

Pinch Hitter Chases Maddux, Brings Down Cubs
Karim Garcia, Todd Zeile and the Mets lineup battered Greg Maddux. Second baseman Jose Reyes got a rare night off but finished Maddux's night pinch-hitting in style.

Maddux kept the game close for six and a third innings, down 4-2. With men on second and third, Reyes' number was called and he answered with a triple to right, scoring Zeile and Timo Perez and bringing in reliever Juan Cruz. Reyes went on to score on a Mike Piazza single and the Mets brought another run home to bring the score to 8-2. Mets starter Jae Weong Seo gave up two runs in six innings to get the win. Dave Weathers, John Franco and Mike Stanton each pitched scoreless innings in relief and New York left Wrigley Field with a 9-2 victory.

"This is definitely one game I will try to forget," Maddux said. "Up and down the order, it seemed like each of them had a base hit or two."

"When I kept the ball down I got results but I left too many up tonight."

Maddux was right. Except Seo, each Met hit or reached base and the starters hit .382 with 11 hits and seven runs charged to Maddux. Garcia's four-for-four night, with a double, homer and two RBI, gave him player of the game honors. Zeile also homered and knocked in two RBI including the game-winner.

Zeile, leading the Mets with 17 RBI, said, "Some of the guys have been struggling a little so this was a good night for the batting averages."

Seo's win was his first of the season. His ERA dropped a little to 2.66. He's had two one-run performances but lost to Atlanta and one and didn't get a decision in the other against Montreal. Maddux's record drops to 2-2 and his ERA to 5.79. Each team lead their respective divisions.

Players of the Week
The AL West and NL Central are keeping the hardware as the weekly awards are staying in the divisions. Oakland's Eric Chavez took the award home Monday batting .400 for the week, carrying a 10-game hitting streak and driving in nine runs. Chavez has powered the A's this month, batting .366 with seven homers and 17 RBI. Sammy Sosa is piling up the RBI this year with 26 in 17 games. He was given the honor after hitting .682 during the week including three bombs and eight RBI. His 1.273 slugging during the week brought his season percentage up to .905.

Schmidt Strikes Out Ten, Dominates Padres
Jason Schmidt may have given up a run but he faced just 29 batters in a three-hit complete game win over the San Diego Padres Wednesday. The Giants walked all over Padre starter Ben Howard, winning 5-1, and then watched as Schmidt shut down San Diego. Schmidt started strong retiring the first 12 batters and ended just as strong, striking out the side in the 9th inning. The right-hander's ERA dropped to 3.30 and brought his record to 2-0.

Green Goes Coors Field On Rockies
The Denver air was kind to Dodger right-fielder Shawn Green Tuesday. Green singled twice, doubled and homered twice, knocking in six runs to help Los Angeles beat the Rockies 14-10. Green's two-run single in the eighth inning off Jason Young gave the Dodgers a couple insurance runs and Colorado couldn't close the gap. Following a year where his power numbers dropped, Green is off to a .361 start with four homers and 11 RBI. Green is a leading contender for player of the week, to be annouced Monday, after hitting .688 with his two Coors Field homers accounting for his power numbers.

Marlins Ride Early Season Roller Coaster
The Florida Marlins can't decide which team they're going to be. They start the season with four losses including an impressive 9-0 loss against the powerhouse Expos. Then they win seven of eight against the Phillies, Expos and Braves including a 17-3 smoker at Turner Field. And now they've lost four straight again and were swept by the Phillies. Josh Beckett and Dontrelle Willis have pitched well but Armando Benitez and the bullpen have a 5.86 ERA. Marlin fans are hoping the trip West will help bring back the team that won seven and had Florida sitting in second place.

Curse Gets To Curt
Boston fans could only shake their heads as Curt Schilling went down against the Blue Jays Wednesday and the evil Torn Tricep Muscle reared its ugly head. Schilling is gone for the season after a difficult April. He started four with an ERA of 4.98 and a record of 1-2. At age 37, Schilling had already taken a hit on duration and range. With the injury, his homer and walks ratings fell. Schilling had hoped to join Pedro Martinez in leading the Red Sox to the top of the AL East. Instead, Boston has stumbled to an 8-10 start and Schilling will only be able to watch the rest of the year.

Get Out Of My Way:
Rafael Furcal (ATL): 9 SB/0 CS
Luis Castillo (FLO) 9 SB/1 CS
Orlando Cabrera (MON): 8 SB/0 CS
Ichiro Suzuki (SEA): 7 SB/3 CS
Bobby Abreu (PHI): 7 SB/3 CS
(Cameron, Damon, Jeter and Beltran also with 7 SB)

Don't Run On Me:
Charles Johnson (COL) 9/18 Runners Thrown Out (50%)
Paul LoDuca (LAN) 6/13 (46.2%)
Ramon Hernandez (SDN) 8/18 (44.4%)
Gerald Laird (TEX) 7/16 (43.8%)
Brian Schneider (MON) 9/21 (42.9%)
(Mirabelli and Matheny have better percentages but haven't been tested as much)

Race To Watch: AL Central
Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10
Minnesota 11 5 .688 - 11-5 0 7-2 4-3 2-0 4-3 145 L1 7-3
Kansas City 9 7 .563 2.0 8-8 1 5-2 4-5 2-1 4-2 - W2 5-5
Detroit 8 9 .471 3.5 7-10 1 4-3 4-6 1-3 4-3 - W1 5-5
Chicago (A) 7 9 .438 4.0 7-9 0 2-5 5-4 2-3 1-3 - W1 4-6
Cleveland 6 12 .333 6.0 7-11 -1 4-6 2-6 1-1 4-6 - L2 4-6

Injuries and Transactions
CHA: Shingo Takatsu: Ruptured Disc (Out for season)
MIN: Cristian Guzman: Inflamed Hamstring (5 weeks)
ARI: Brandon Webb: Torn Bicep (5 weeks)
Trade: NYA sent Jon Lieber/Eric Duncan to TEX for Eric Young.
PHI signs Ugueth Urbina

A whole bunch of players have been released including Dan Miceli, Mike DiFelice, Jaret Wright and Roberto Hernandez to name a few. I wonder if that's because the roster set/league setup is set on "Favor Prospects".

5/1 Game of the Week
Florida @ San Francisco (Josh Beckett vs. Jason Schmidt)

[EdsHalo]

Thanks Mel!!

[EdsHalo]

Giants Tee Off, Chase Beckett

An error in the third innings helped the Giants score four runs and chase Florida ace Josh Beckett. But you won't hear him criticizing the defense behind him.

Of Beckett's 73 pitches thrown, there were 45 strikes but his only wild throw of the night let Neifi Perez reach safely on what should have the second out of the inning. The play put two runners on and gave the next batter, Giants ace Jason Schmidt, an opening to try tosacrifice and keep the inning going.

Schmidt reached safely on a fielder's choice and Beckett walked Michael Tucker to load the bases for Edgardo Alfonzo. It was Alfonzo's two-run single that chased Beckett and started a four-run rally to put the game out of reach. Barry Bonds was walked by new pitcher Nate Bump and Rey Durham singled home two more runs.

While rumors of outbursts and equipment destruction in the Marlin locker room were all dismissed, Beckett said, "It's a complete disappointment."

"I was really looking forward to going head to head with these guys," he said. "Start to finish, I just didn't do anything right tonight." Beckett gave up eight hits and walked three in two and two-thirds innings to get his third loss of the season (2-3). His ERA took a hit and rose to 4.41.

Schmidt, also given two runs in each of the first two innings, slammed the door on the Marlins with a masterful four-hit complete game shutout. Schmidt, now 3-1 with a 2.31 ERA, finished strong by retiring 17 out of his last 18 batters. He walked none and struck out six.

"The guys came through tonight early," Schmidt said. "They all hit the ball well and really gave me a cushion to do my job right tonight."

Alfonzo and Durham led San Francisco with three hits and three RBI each. Centerfielder Jeffrey Hammonds also had three hits and two RBI off a first inning double.

The Hardware
Chicago took home Pitcher of the Month honors in both leagues and a former Cub walked off with Player of the Week and Batter of the Month awards.

Scott Schoeneweis is off to a great start this season with a 3-0 record for the White Sox. The southpaw has given up just three earned runs in over 27 innings of work. Also in Chicago, Cubs right-hander Matt Clement took home the other Pitcher of the Month award winning his first four games, striking out 24 in 24 innings and keeping his ERA down at 1.59. The White Sox have struggled in April but Clement is clearly one of the reasons the Cubs sit atop the NL Central.

Dodger Jose Hernandez has his hands full after a scalding-hot finish this month. He won Player of the Week by hitting .583 with five homers and 14 RBI propelling him to a Batter of the Month award. He finished April with a .425 batting average along with nine home runs, 26 RBI and an .836 slugging percentage. Gary Sheffield just has the one trophy but still holds it proud after a .393 April including seven dingers and 31 RBI.

Bernie Williams took AL Player of the week and finished it with an 18-game hitting streak. He hit .400 for the week, cracking five homers and knocking in 12 runs.

Gem In St. Louis as Morris, Wolf Duel
Matt Morris battled out of jams all night and gave up just one run in eight innings. But it was a three-hit complete game by Randy Wolf, including seven strikeouts, that gave Philadephia a 2-0 win in St. Louis Tuesday at Busch Stadium. Placido Polanco singled off Wolf in the first and the Cardinals didn't get another hit until the eighth inning. Morris got touched for a run in the fourth when Jimmy Rollins singled in Bobby Abreu. Polanco added an insurance run in the ninth with a solo shot off Ray King.

Oh-for-April (Worst Starts, minimum 51 AB)
Eric Young (NYA): .137/1 HR/8 RBI
Brian Schneider (MON): .143/0 HR/9 RBI
Troy Glaus (ANA): .160/1 HR/8 RBI
J.T. Snow (SFN): .160/1 HR/5 RBI
Khalil Greene (SDN): .167/0 HR/6 RBI

We Like These April Showers
Larry Walker (COL): .446/4 HR/25 RBI
Jose Hernandez (LAN): .425/9 HR/26 RBI
Vernon Wells (TOR): .410/4 HR/18 RBI
Manny Ramirez (BOS): .395/9 HR/23 RBI
Gary Sheffield (NYA): .393/7 HR/31 RBI

Race To Watch
NL East
Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10
New York (N) 15 8 .652 - 14-9 1 6-4 9-4 3-0 2-3 140 L1 7-3
Philadelphia 14 8 .636 .5 13-9 1 6-4 8-4 1-0 3-3 - W2 8-2
Montreal 12 12 .500 3.5 12-12 0 2-7 10-5 1-2 5-3 - W3 4-6
Florida 11 12 .478 4.0 12-11 -1 3-6 8-6 1-2 4-4 - W1 4-6
Atlanta 10 12 .455 4.5 11-11 -1 2-7 8-5 0-1 4-5 - W2 6-4

Injuries/Transactions
DET: Warren Morris: Torn Calf Muscle (4-5 weeks)
PIT: Brian Boehringer: Inflamed Bicep Tendon (3 weeks)
COL: Adam Bernero: Pulled Bicep Muscle (3-4 weeks)
John Franco (NYN) and Felix Jose (ARI) refused assignment to the minors and were released.

5/8 Game of the Week
Anyone have a preference for one of these games for next week's game of the week?
NYA (24-6) @ SEA (11-19) -- Mussina (3-1) v. Moyer (1-3)
MIN (15-13) @ OAK (17-12) -- Baker (4-0) v. Harden (3-1)
HOU (12-18) @ ATL (14-14) -- Pettitte (1-1) v. Hampton (2-1)
STL (15-15) @ MON (17-13) -- W. Williams (1-2) v. Vargas (2-3)
COL (11-17) @ CHN (19-11) -- Tollberg (2-0) v. Clement (4-0)
SFN (16-14) @ CIN (17-13) -- Tomko (0-2) v. Acevedo (2-1)
PHI (19-9) @ ARI (13-15) -- Wolf (2-2) v. Reynolds (0-1)

If not, I'll choose. Just thought I'd offer it up. I'm leaning towards MIN/OAK or one of the last two.