NL West race: September 8, 2010

SDP 79-59 [3-4 in SEPT] 
SFG 78-62 [5-2 in SEPT] (2 GB)
COL 75-64 [6-2 in SEPT] (4.5 GB)

MLB.com: Luebke wins first as Padres pad West lead

[Cory] Luebke tossed a gem of his own, giving up two hits in six shutout innings to earn his first Major League victory while helping the Padres complete the three-game sweep of the Dodgers with a 4-0 win on Wednesday before a crowd of 20,851 at PETCO Park.

MLB.com: Zito outdueled by [Daniel] Hudson in Arizona

Barry Zito pitched six solid innings, but the D-backs’ Daniel Hudson pitched seven better ones in Arizona’s 3-1 win, snapping San Francisco’s four-game winning streak.

MLB.com: Rockies’ streak hits six, but Cook injured

Tulowitzki homered twice, a three-run shot in the third inning and a leadoff home run in the fifth—in the Rockies’ sixth straight victory, 9-2, over the Reds at Coors Field.

MLB.com: Halos need extras, but snap home skid

Mega-long games aren’t quite as fun post-roster expansion, as you’re less likely to see the goofy stuff like people playing odd positions.

Jeff Mathis’ sacrifice fly to right field in the 16th inning didn’t even draw a throw and the Angels outlasted the Indians, 4-3, Wednesday night at Angel Stadium.

The 4 p.m. P.T. start took four hours, 57 minutes and 16 pitchers. Matt Palmer pitched three innings of two-hit ball for the win. It was only the 19th time in club history that the Angels had played a game of 16 innings or more, and it tied the Major League season high for the second-longest game. The Astros and Phillies went 16 innings on Aug. 24, and the Mets and Cardinals went 20 on April 17.

NL Wildcard race: September 8, 2010

ATL 80-60 [3-5 in SEPT] 
SFG 78-62 [5-2 in SEPT] (2 GB)
COL 75-64 [6-2 in SEPT] (4.5 GB)

MLB.com: Braves batter Bucs, remain half-game out
MLB.com: Zito outdueled by [Daniel] Hudson in Arizona
MLB.com: Rockies’ streak hits six, but Cook injured

AL East race: September 8, 2010

NYY 87-53 [5-3 in SEPT] 
TBR 84-55 [3-4 in SEPT] (2.5 GB)

MLB.com: Swisher’s walk-off denies O’s of sweep

Nick Swisher belted a game-winning two-run homer off Koji Uehara in the bottom of the ninth inning on Wednesday, lifting the Yankees to a 3-2 victory over the Orioles at Yankee Stadium

MLB.com: Rays suffer rout, lose ground to Yanks

Don’t count the Red Sox out just yet. That seemed to be their message Wednesday night as they erased a four-run deficit to take an 11-5 win over the Rays at Fenway Park with 37,756 watching.

NL East race: September 8, 2010

PHI 81-60 [6-2 in SEPT]
ATL 80-60 [3-5 in SEPT] (0.5 GB)

MLB.com: Hamels, Howard stay hot for first-place Phils

[Cole Hamels] allowed just four hits in seven scoreless innings Wednesday in a 10-6 victory over the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park to keep the Phillies a half-game ahead of the Braves in the National League East. Hamels has thrown 25 consecutive scoreless innings, which is the longest scoreless streak for a Phillies starting pitcher since Randy Wolf threw 27 consecutive scoreless innings in 2002.

MLB.com: Braves batter Bucs, remain half-game out

The Braves got a solid outing from right-hander Derek Lowe and snapped a three-game skid with a 9-3 victory over the Pirates on Wednesday night at PNC Park.

Yahoo: Passan - As La Russa goes, so might Pujols

So as the fallout from La Russa and Rasmus unfolds, it’s important to view the issue through the Pujols prism. He isn’t going to bolt town if Colby Rasmus leaves. He damn sure might if Tony La Russa does.

“I hope he can continue to be my manager for the rest of my career,” Pujols said. “But that’s not my job, and I don’t make those decisions. I think this city should be appreciative of the things he has accomplished in his 15 years as manager in this organization. Hopefully, he’ll be here next year and for the rest of my career.”
...
“He cares about winning, and he cares about this organization,” Pujols said. “That’s something he has shown since the moment I got to the big leagues – to be able to help us players, young players, and give us trust and let us play. That’s something you need to appreciate from your manager.”
...
If Pujols wants eight years, is that too many? And if he asks for more than $25 million a year, is that too much? And if the Cardinals get the sense in this integral offseason that they might not be willing or able to match his demands, how does that affect La Russa, who looks at Pujols like a son as much as Pujols regards him a father figure?

The issues bubbling to the surface go far beyond Rasmus’ future with the Cardinals or La Russa’s legacy with the team. This is about Albert Pujols. It always will be. And those who love him so can only pray the web being woven in St. Louis won’t ensnare him.

MSR: Twins’ ‘commitment to diversity’ not reflected in all-White stadium concessions

Since its opening in April, the Minnesota Twins organization has proclaimed that its new downtown Minneapolis stadium is “uniquely Minnesotan in all respects.” Many of the “local favorites” among the venues and concessions there are named for local downtown establishments and former Twins players such as Tony Oliva.

However, the Twins have confirmed the MSR’s determination that no products offered in the new stadium or businesses operating there are provided or owned exclusively or primarily by Blacks or other persons of color. The Twins hired Delaware North Companies Sportservice, a Buffalo, NY company that provides concession and merchandising services for many pro teams around the country, to do the same in the Minneapolis ballpark.

The MSR recently asked Twins President Dave St. Peter to respond to several questions related to why there are no businesses of color, and specifically no Black businesses, represented among the Target Field concessions and products. We asked, for example, how the organization solicited the exclusively White-owned companies doing business at the ballpark and the products being sold there.

In a written response, St. Peter explained that hundreds of businesses and vendors sought to be part of the new ballpark. He said most either offered redundant products or were unable to meet the requirements necessary to service fans for 81 home games.

Thanks to Wilk.

Billy Crystal to Headline 2010 HOF Baseball Film Festival

I think I’d rather see Hilly Kristal introduce Jon Tiven & The Yankees at some filmy festival.

On October 1, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will celebrate Billy Crystal’s 2001 classic film 61* to open the fifth annual Baseball Film Festival in Cooperstown, with an evening reception and discussion, moderated by Bob Costas, followed by a showing of the film, in an exclusive Hall of Fame event, presented in conjunction with HBO® Sports.

Crystal’s appearance leads off the Hall of Fame’s Baseball Film Festival, Oct. 1-3, as the Museum honors the tradition of baseball at the movies. As part of the three-day event, Crystal – the legendary actor who directed and executive produced 61* – will be on hand as the Hall of Fame celebrates his 2001 production that told the story of the 1961 New York Yankees and chronicled the efforts of Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle to break Babe Ruth’s single-season home run record. As part of the celebration, Crystal will donate to the Museum the bound shooting script from June 2000 of 61*, and the Museum will feature a special exhibit opening of artifacts from the film.

A discussion of the film will follow in the Grandstand Theater with Crystal, Costas and Ross Greenburg, President of HBO Sports participating from 7-8:30 p.m. The Museum will screen the film beginning at 8:30 p.m. on October 1.

SI: Heyman: DAILY SCOOP

Hey, man… leave me alone, yknowwhatimsayin?

Mets GM Omar Minaya remains extremely likely to be re-assigned. There are rumors in the game that ex-Padres GM Kevin Towers could be in line for that job. But people inside the organization still see Towers winding up somewhere on the West Coast at some point and view John Ricco, currently the Mets assistant GM, as the most likely successor.
...
The fate of Mets manager Jerry Manuel was probably sealed with two defeats in his old stomping ground of Chicago to the lowly Cubs… Wally Backman, who appears to be a candidate, seemed a bit anxious when he told the New York Post he’s thinking about the job and feels he can do better. Bob Melvin and Bobby Valentine are also seen as candidates. [Joe] Torre is an intriguing name but would seem to be a longer shot than Valentine as the Mets are planning to have a lot of young players in key roles and are said to be looking for a “high energy” guy. Melvin earlier looked like the favorite but that doesn’t appear to be the case now.
...
Marlins interim manager Edwin Rodriguez has done a nice job, but they probably want someone more high-profile going into next year if they can.
...
Fredi Gonzalez was already the overwhelming favorite for the Braves job. But word of the Cubs’ serious interest only enhances his chances to replace Bobby Cox in Atlanta.

FanGraphs: Cameron: Carlos Gonzalez And The Value Of Runs

Do Colorado splits really Strittmatter? (0-1/0-3)

When Joe Posnanski, Jayson Stark, and Rob Neyer all weigh in on a topic within a few days, odds are pretty good that there’s something of interest there. Odds are also good that most all of the points worth making have already been spoken for, as those three are among the best on earth at discussing issues relating to baseball. And so, when they all tackled Carlos Gonzalez over the last few days, I figured they’d touch all the bases. However, while they did a good job of discussing most of the issues, they left out one pretty important piece of the discussion, and that’s where I’m going to throw my hat into the ring.

Gonzalez is having a great year, certainly. No one will argue otherwise. His .423 wOBA is among the best in the league, and he’s spent a significant amount of time in center field this year. Offense from an up the middle position is extremely valuable, and his bat has been more than adequate even when he’s playing one of the corner spots. Of course, when discussing Gonzalez’s performance, it is impossible to talk about the numbers without also mentioning Coors Field. Posnanski tackles the issue of his home/road splits with quite a bit of depth, and does a good job of explaining why you shouldn’t just look at his road numbers and treat them as his true talent level, assuming that the entirety of the difference should be attributed to the park.

However, there’s another piece to park effects that goes beyond trying to figure out what a guy would have done in a neutral environment, and for the purposes of MVP votes, I’d argue that it’s even more important – the value of a run in a specific environment. Put simply, a run in Colorado is worth less than a run in other places.

Waterloo football player makes doping history

Matt Socholotiuk made history Wednesday – the wrong kind. He is now the first athlete to test positive for human growth hormone in all of North America.

The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports revealed further test results taken from the University of Waterloo football team and announced Socholotiuk, a first-year running back from Waterford, ON., was found with HGH in his blood sample. The CCES issued a four-year suspension; Socholotiuk appealed.

An appeal hearing was set for Aug. 16 but Socholotiuk failed to appear. Arbitrator Ed Ratushny upheld the appeal but altered the suspension to three years.

Baseball-KBO set to launch targeted drug testing

South Korean baseball officials could introduce drastic anti-doping protocols next year with a plan to target specific players for drug tests.

The Korean Baseball Organisation (KBO) said players who showed marked statistical improvement would be targeted in a clampdown on drug cheats, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday.

The KBO currently tests five local players randomly selected from each of the eight ballclubs, plus all foreign players.

League officials said they would begin examining the new testing procedures at the end of the season with players exceeding their career averages set to be selected for testing.

Something that would never happen in MLB, but even if it did, I’m sure WADA would find something about it to complain about.

Image of the day: Kids in Cleveland Unis

From the Library of Congress comes this image:

Walkoff Walk: Michael Kay Eats Like An Insolent Five-Year-Old

Stay Out/Stay Alive…Please pop those condomints people.

But if you’re like me and you want a more tangible reason to dislike someone (not saying I need it, but it’s nice), then peep this New York Post article about Kay, his fiancee and his disgusting eating habits.

  Yankee announcer Michael Kay is a real meathead.

  And now that local TV anchor Jodi Applegate is about to marry him, she’s desperately trying to figure out how to please a man wedded to only three foods: steak, bacon, and chicken parmesan.

  That’s all her fiancé ever wants to eat.

  “He will eat a salad, but only if it’s iceberg lettuce, and nothing else, no dressing. So it’s basically frozen water served with a fork,” says Applegate, a self-described foodie wannabe.

How’s that for a lede? He is a meathead! Give the New York Post a moronic story about two local semi-celebs and they’re pumping out Pulitzer quality stuff.

Steak, bacon and chicken parm? I hope when these two get married he gets his own bathroom, because when he’s been in there for 25 minutes and then strolls out with the funny pages tucked under his arm it’s gonna smell like a dead Arby’s employee buried under a pile of fertilizer. It’s gonna make Dr. Atkins’ movements smell like a Glade Plug-In.

Roberto Clemente honor humbling for Young

Two years ago, Texas Rangers third baseman Michael Young won the Marvin Miller Man of the Year award for his on-field play and off-the-field philanthropic work.

He’s in line to add another piece of hardware this year. For the second consecutive year, Young is the recipient of the Rangers’ Roberto Clemente Award.

What’s in a Win? MLB FanHouse’s 2010 AL Cy Young Award Roundtable

Fletcher Lives…to vote another day.

Jeff Fletcher: I’m living proof that voting is evolving. I had always considered myself an enlightened voter, but I voted for Barry Zito over Pedro Martinez in 2002, my first year with a Cy Young ballot. I also voted for Bartolo Colon over Johan Santana in 2005 under similar circumstances. In both cases, I voted for the guy who eventually won, but in both cases, I now believe I picked the wrong guy.

We, as a group, are getting smarter, but we’re not there yet. Although Zack Greinke and Tim Lincecum both won Cy Youngs with modest victory totals last year, the guy in the NL who actually got the most first-place votes was Adam Wainwright. Wainwright’s only significant edge over Lincecum or Chris Carpenter was victories.

Are wins meaningless? Of course not. Some pitchers rack up more victories simply by staying on the mound longer, long enough for his team to take the lead, or long enough to reduce the number of relievers who could blow it. However, it’s tough to find the specific case in which two pitchers are roughly equal in terms of their effectiveness, but one has thrown significantly more innings per start (not just more starts), and ends up with more wins. That is certainly not the case this year. Felix Hernandez is actually averaging more innings per start than CC Sabathia.

Tim Marchman: La Russa: Supergenius

At E Rasmus Hall High School, we used to harmonize
Me and Buzz and Moz and one Italian guy…

Here, it might not be. I understand why no one likes Tony La Russa: You can’t drive drunk, hang out with Buzz Bissinger and Glenn Beck, wear highwaters, play as many scrubs with names like Chip and Scoot as possible and speak in a tone of sneering condescension and righteous belief in your own genius more suiting someone convinced he’s minutes away from mastering cold fusion than a baseball manager without rousing well-earned ire. What’s irritating is that by making a dispute between a great ego and a seemingly jerky young ballplayer out to be high drama the press is doing a bit to paint La Russa as a sour old bastard who lives to make the kids drink, deservedly or not, from the cup of wrath. Which is wrong only so far as it’s demonstrably untrue.

...Tony La Russa wants, more than anything else, to win ballgames, and knows about as much about how to do that as anyone alive. Colby Rasmus is a really talented young player who can’t hasn’t hit lefties and strikes out too much, and if he wants to make as much money as possible he’d probably be reasonably well served to listen to whatever La Russa is telling him and do whatever he asks him to do. I don’t much like the idea of defending La Russa—I’m willing to believe that pumps his fist to Creed, that he roots for Michael Bisping and the Indiana Pacers, that he reads David Brooks columns and nods at the penetrating insights to be found there—but a young player who won’t listen to him probably isn’t the sort of young player who’s going to be all that he could be, which makes him a bit of an overvalued commodity. All of which is to say that if I were Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak, I’d be making some phone calls.

Seamheads: Aquilera: Steve Phillips vs Omar Minaya

And here I thought Zak Smith’s Illustrations For Each Page of Gravity’s Rainbw was detailed!

If we’re keeping score of verdicts and notes, it would look like this:

Steve Phillips
4 big wins
1 big, Big win
1 Epic fail
1 fail
1 jury’s out
25 losses
8 pushes
6 slight wins
22 wins

Omar Minaya
1 bunch of terrible
2 big losses
1 Big Win
1 doesn’t matter
2 jury’s out
1 looks good
23 losses
1 not looking good
15 wins

The formula for calculating this data is too complicated to share.  No, check that.  It’s actually too silly to even exist, but these abstract results prove my hypothesis false.  Although appearances can be deceiving, it sure seems that Steve Phillips was a more successful General Manager for the Mets than Omar Minaya.

Remington: Jason Heyward has been a better rookie than Henry Aaron was

BZZT~~BZZT~~Someone alert kim pinson~~BZZT~~BZZT~~Thank You~~BZZT~~BZZT

That one player would be compared to the greatest player in his franchise’s history before ever playing a big league inning seems ridiculous. No one in Chicago said Starlin Castro was going to be the next Ernie Banks, and for all the hype Stephen Strasburg received, the only high-profile figure who suggested a parallel to Walter Johnson was Bob Costas.

But for some reason, Heyward kept drawing comparisons to not only the greatest Brave ever, but one of the best baseball players in the history of the game.

Here’s the really crazy thing, though. Heyward hasn’t been Henry Aaron this season. He’s actually been better. Just take a look at a comparison of their stats at age 20 years:

...Rookie status aside, Heyward is putting together one of the best seasons by any 20-year-old, period. If we expand that last list to include non-rookies, there have been only 35 players in baseball history who recorded an OPS of at least .750 in at least 400 plate appearances at the age of 20 or younger. Aaron is 29th of the 35 while Heyward is 11th. Of the 10 players ahead of him, seven are in the Hall of Fame. Of the other three, Alex Rodriguez will be in, Vada Pinson should be in, and Tony Conigliaro was on a Cooperstown path when his career was cut short by injury.

Not to put any additional pressure on Jason Heyward, but all those people predicting a Hall of Fame-style start to his career were right on the money. His rookie season has proven that all of those Aaron comparisons weren’t as silly as they first sounded. 

Sullivan: Latos must be part of any Cy Young conversation

and Verducci Effect contrivance.

If this kid is not part of the conversation for the Cy Young Award, it can only be because the voters place more emphasis on a man’s workload than on the quality of his work. If Colorado’s Ubaldo Jimenez , St. Louis’ Adam Wainwright and Philadelphia’s Roy Halladay have been more prolific than Latos, none of them have been more impressive.

Consider: Latos leads both major leagues in earned-run average (2.21) and opponents’ batting average (. 191). He has won 14 out of 19 decisions for a team that has scored the fewest runs in its division. He has done what aces do, and what 22-year-old kids rarely do, grabbing the game of baseball by the scruff of the neck and reminding it of who’s boss.

“Wow,” Padres’ outfielder Ryan Ludwick said. “To be doing what he’s doing at his age is super-impressive. Ever since I’ve been here, it’s been lights-out every time.”

It wasn’t supposed to happen this fast. The Padres wanted to protect Latos from the so-called “Verducci Effect,” the troubling tendency of young pitchers to incur injuries after significant year-over-year increases in their innings. Management had spoken in the spring of limiting Latos’ appearances, possibly even shutting him down in September, in order to ensure a long and fruitful career.

Edes: Jason Varitek eyes 2011 and beyond

Tek System: Player you can trust. Results you can count on!

“I definitely want to play another year. I’d like to play a few more years. We’ll just have to see if things go the other direction. If I wasn’t healthy, I’d have to really evaluate, but I’ve made some drastic improvements. I’m almost rejuvenated, so to speak.”

Varitek has played in just 35 games this season, but in his limited action he is batting .258 with seven home runs and 16 RBIs in just 97 at-bats. He also has thrown out six of 32 runners who have attempted to steal, a success rate of 18.7 percent.

“I’ve probably thrown the ball as good or better than I ever have in my entire life,” he said. “A lot of things I take pride in, being able to block the ball and move, so I think at some level I’m doing things better than I have.”

He has some good baseball left in him, he said.

“At the plate, you better make some pitches,” he said. “Behind the plate, I’m moving and doing things very well. We’ll see.”

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 9-8-2010

New York Times, September 9, 1916:

23 SEE YANKS DISGRACED.

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 8.—Shibe Park has seen few fans pass through its gates during the last two seasons, but it was most certainly a few who were in attendance today when Umpire Silk O’Loughlin started the Yankees and Athletics on their way after a delay of forty-five minutes.  The loyal twenty-three, safe in the protection of the covered stand…watched the Mackmen down the Yankees by 8 to 2.

Suddenly the “crowd” of 460 fans in Griffith Stadium on September 7, 1954 doesn’t seem quite so small.

NYT: As Stadiums Vanish, Their Debt Lives On

It seems that finally people in high places are catching on:

It’s the gift that keeps on taking. The old Giants Stadium, demolished to make way for New Meadowlands Stadium, still carries about $110 million in debt, or nearly $13 for every New Jersey resident, even though it is now a parking lot.

And:

With state and local budgets stretched by the recession, politicians are only now starting to look askance at privately held teams trying to tap the public till.

Although there are no sources to support this last assertion, one hopes that it is true.

NL West race: September 7, 2010

SDP 78-59 [2-4 in SEPT] 
SFG 78-61 [5-1 in SEPT] (1 GB)
COL 74-64 [5-2 in SEPT] (4.5 GB)

MLB.com: Latos fans 10 as Padres keep NL West lead

[Mat] Latos tied his career high with 10 strikeouts and allowed one run over seven innings to lead the Padres to a 2-1 victory over the Dodgers on Tuesday before 20,071 at PETCO Park.

MLB.com: Lincecum strong early as Giants muscle up

Lincecum was nearly perfect through six innings before giving up three runs in a shaky seventh, but, aided by some slugging, San Francisco preserved its sixth straight win at Chase Field, a 6-3 victory over the D-backs.

MLB.com: CarGo’s early blast nets Rox fifth straight

Rookie hurler Jhoulys Chacin gave the Rockies a fourth straight strong outing and streaking outfielder Carlos Gonzalez hit an early three-run homer to propel the Rockies to a 4-3 win over the Reds on Tuesday night at Coors Field.

N.Y. Times: “Showalter Has Orioles Racing to the Finish”

Showalter deflected credit for the Orioles’ turnaround, citing better health for players like Brian Roberts and Felix Pie. But the same starting pitchers who struggled for four months have thrived lately.

When Showalter arrived, the rotation of Kevin Millwood, Jeremy Guthrie, Matusz, Brad Bergesen and Jake Arrieta had a combined record of 15-45 with a 5.50 earned run average. Under Showalter, those pitchers are 15-11 with a 3.23 E.R.A.

N.Y. Times: Orioles Foil Sabathia in His Bid for No. 20

NL Wildcard race: September 7, 2010

ATL 79-60 [2-5 in SEPT] 
SFG 78-61 [5-1 in SEPT] (1 GB)
COL 74-64 [5-2 in SEPT] (4.5 GB)

MLB.com: Braves fall out of first after loss to Pirates

MLB.com: Lincecum strong early as Giants muscle up

MLB.com: CarGo’s early blast nets Rox fifth straight

MLB.com: Hoffman gets 600th save

Major League Baseball’s all-time saves leader notched No. 600 in the Brewers’ 4-2 win over the Cardinals on Tuesday night at Miller Park, a milestone that meant so much more considering how difficult the final few were to get.
...
“It’s hard to describe this moment,” Hoffman said after the game. “Just… thank you. Thank you to everybody that stuck around. Thanks for enduring a long season. Thank you to my family on the field and the family off the field. What tremendous support I’ve been given by everyone. ... I appreciate every one of you guys. I hope we all remember this forever.

“I think you could feel the energy tonight. ... These fans have been behind me the entire way, and I really appreciate it.”

MLB.com: Ejections aplenty on, off field in Milwaukee
Yahoo: Umpires eject four—including a fan

AL Central race: September 7, 2010

MIN 82-57 [6-1 in SEPT] 
CHW 77-61 [5-1 in SEPT] (4.5 GB)

MLB.com: Twins increase lead with offensive onslaught

So on Tuesday night when the White Sox finally stumbled in a loss against the Tigers, it provided an opportunity for the Twins to gain another coveted game. And they took advantage with a 10-3 victory over the Royals that put them 4 1/2 games ahead of Chicago.

Delmon Young went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a season-high four RBIs and Jim Thome belted career home run No. 586 as the Twins picked up their 10th win in their last 12 games.

MLB.com: White Sox seven-game win streak snapped

Behind staff ace Justin Verlander, facing the White Sox for the first time this year, the Tigers cruised to a 9-1 victory before 24,905 at Comerica Park.

AL East race: September 7, 2010

NYY 86-53 [4-3 in SEPT] 
TBR 84-54 [3-3 in SEPT] (1.5 GB)

MLB.com: CC stuck on 19 wins as O’s prevail

CC Sabathia’s initial bid to become the first 20-game winner in the Majors this season was denied on Tuesday, as the Orioles pushed the ace around early and held on to post a 6-2 victory over the Yankees.

MLB.com: With blowout victory, Rays gain on Yankees

After falling behind by two runs, the Rays began scoring and didn’t quit until they had punished Red Sox pitchers in a 14-5 blowout win at Fenway Park.

NL East race: September 7, 2010

PHI 80-60 [5-2 in SEPT]
ATL 79-60 [2-5 in SEPT] (0.5 GB)

MLB.com: Phillies edge Marlins, move into first place

The Phillies beat the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park, 8-7, while the Pirates beat the Braves in Pittsburgh, 5-0, giving the Phils a half-game lead in the division. It’s Philadelphia’s first time in first place since May 30.

MLB.com: Braves fall out of first after loss to Pirates

Right-hander James McDonald won a pitching duel with Braves ace Tim Hudson as the Pirates continued to play the spoiler role and downed the Braves, 5-0, at PNC Park on Tuesday night. The loss was the third in a row for the Braves, who fell into second place in the National League East after the Phillies defeated the Marlins.