Posted by Bill Chuck on Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at 5:37 pm

WALKOFFS…
Jody Gerut hit a two-run two out walkoff homer off Jon Rauch and the San Diego Padres stopped their seven-game losing streak by beating the Arizona Diamondbacks, 4-2. For Gerut it’s 14 homers for the season and seven in August. He also has 17 RBI in 21 games this month. Luis Rodriguez singled with two down and Gerut slam dunked the next pitch from the 6-foot-11 Rauch (4-5) into the right-field bleachers. Trevor Hoffman (2-6) pitched a scoreless 9th for the win. Acquired from Washington last month, Rauch has given up home runs in back-to-back outings. Dan Haren started and went seven innings, allowing two runs and nine hits striking out a season-high 11 and he walked one. Jake
Peavy pitched six innings, yielding two runs and four hits, while striking out seven and walking two.

There have been very few positive moments for the Mariners or their fans this season, but Adrian Beltre provided one last night as he hit a walkoff two-run homer with one out in the 11th inning propelling the Mariners to a 4-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins at Safeco Field. Minnesota dropped to 2-3 on its current 14-game road trip — its longest since 1969.

SWEEP
Turn about is fair play. Brett Myers threw seven scoreless innings, Jimmy Rollins had three hits and two RBI, and the Philadelphia Phillies completed their first four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 23 years with a 5-0 win. Myers (7-10) ran his scoreless innings streak to 16. The Phillies demoted their opening-day starter on July 1 after he went 3-9 with a 5.84 ERA in his first 17 starts. Since returning, Myers is 4-1 with a 1.66 ERA in seven starts. He allowed nine hits, struck out eight and walked three. The Dodgers had 13 hits. Only two teams have had more hits without scoring a run in a nine-inning game: The New York Giants got 14 hits in a 7-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 14, 1913, and the Cleveland Indians had 14 hits in a 9-0 loss to the Washington Senators on July 10, 1928. It was the Phillies’ first four-game sweep over the Dodgers since Aug. 29 to Sept. 1, 1985, at Los Angeles. Philadelphia had never swept the Dodgers in a four-game series at home. Manny doesn’t have an RBI in the last seven games.

THEY’RE THE PITTS
The Cubs showed why they are one of the best, and the Pirates showed why they are one of the worst as Chicago won, 12-3. Aramis Ramirez homered and Kosuke Fukudome, hitting .161 in August when the game began, drove in four runs with a sacrifice fly, a two-run single and an RBI double. He has six RBI in five at-bats in two games following a pregame hitting session Sunday with manager Lou Piniella, who was a .291 career hitter.

PELFREY COMPLETELY GRAND
Carlos Delgado hit a pair of three-run homers and helped turn three double plays as Mike Pelfrey pitched his second successive complete game to give the New York Mets a 9-1 victory against the Houston Astros. It was Delgado’s 46th multi-homer game and fourth this year. Jose Reyes had a two-run triple among his three hits, and Pelfrey’s six-hitter followed his first career complete game, when he allowed three hits in a 6-3 victory against Atlanta last Wednesday. Pelfrey (13-8) became the first Mets pitcher with back-to-back complete-game victories since Bret Saberhagen in 1995.

WHITE SOX PLAY A “HOME” AND HOME
It took four months and 14 innings and two cities but the Baltimore Orioles beat Chicago, 4-3 in Baltimore to conclude the game suspended after 11 innings by rain on April 28 in Chicago. With the score 3-3 in the finale of a four-game series in Chicago, play was stopped with the infield unplayable. It was the Orioles’ final scheduled visit, so baseball officials ruled that the game would be completed in Baltimore. Lance Cormier, who started the 12th for the Orioles, was playing for Triple-A Norfolk in April. The White Sox went with Ramirez, who was in Kansas City’s minor league system when the game began. The last road team to hit in the bottom of an inning was Cleveland on Sept. 26, 2007, in the first game of a doubleheader at Seattle. That was the last of four games to be made up from an April series in Cleveland that was snowed out.

In the regularly scheduled game, the White Sox topped the Orioles, 4-3.

WHEELIN’ AND HEALIN’
• Minnesota has re-acquired former Twins closer Eddie Guardado from the Texas Rangers. The 37-year-old Guardado was 3-3 with a 3.65 ERA in 49 1-3 innings for Texas. Opponents are batting .220 against the left-hander this season. Guardado has 187 career saves, 116 with Minnesota — where he played from 1993-03.
• John Maine was put on the 15-day disabled list because of a bone spur in his right shoulder yesterday, leaving the Mets without a key starting pitcher. Maine had a cortisone shot last Thursday then pitched Saturday, way too soon.
• The Mets activated Luis Castillo. The Mets have gone 31-16 without Castillo, who is in the first year of a four-year, $25 million contract, and Manuel has been happy with the platoon of Damion Easley and rookie Argenis Reyes.
• Erik Bedard, still trying to work through shoulder problems that have sidelined him since July 4, threw 50 pitches at 90-foot distance on Monday. There is no timetable for Bedard to throw off a mound.
• Padres RHP Chris Young will throw a simulated game Tuesday at Petco Park and could rejoin the rotation next week.
• Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki admits the torn tendon in his left quadriceps that sidelined him in May won’t be fully healed until next season.
• First baseman Todd Helton began playing catch last week, and ran in the outfield prior to last night’s game with the Giants.
• Chicago activated 3B Joe Crede from the DL
• Johnny Cueto only has a right elbow strain and is expected to miss only a start or two.
• The Orioles optioned RHP Kam Mickolio to Triple-A Norfolk and recalled LHP Brian Burres.
• The Pirates received Triple-A catcher Robinson Diaz from Toronto as the player to be named in the Aug. 21 trade involving third baseman Jose Bautista.
• According to Brian Cashman, Joba Chamberlain “threw well” during his bullpen session

PROBABLE PITCHERS
AL
Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees, 7:05 pm
(R) Tim Wakefield (7-8) vs. (L) Andy Pettitte (13-9)
The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees begin their final regular-season series at Yankee Stadium tonight. In the words of the King, for the Yanks, “It’s now or never.”
Chicago White Sox at Baltimore Orioles, 7:05 pm
(R) Gavin Floyd (13-6) vs. (L) Brian Burres (7-7)
The ChiSox must take advantage of these games
Cleveland Indians at Detroit Tigers, 7:05 pm
(L) Cliff Lee (18-2) vs. (R) Chris Lambert (0-0)
Last night, Grady Sizemore became the second member of the Indians to have at least 30 homers and 30 stolen bases in a season. Joe Carter did it for Cleveland in 1987.
Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays, 7:10 pm
(R) Roy Halladay (15-9) vs. (R) James Shields (11-7)
Texas Rangers at Kansas City Royals, 8:10 pm
(R) Kevin Millwood (7-7) vs. (R) Zack Greinke (9-9)
Still don’t care.
Oakland Athletics at LA Angels of Anaheim, 10:05 pm
(L) Greg Smith (6-12) vs. (R) John Lackey (10-2)
How low will the A’s go?
Minnesota Twins at Seattle Mariners, 10:10 pm
(R) Scott Baker (7-3) vs. (L) Ryan Rowland-Smith (2-2)
The first four batters in the Twins lineup are all hitting over .300.

NL
Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates, 7:05 pm
(R) Carlos Zambrano (13-5) vs. (R) Ian Snell (5-10)
The Cubs are 12-4 against the Pirates.
New York Mets at Philadelphia Phillies, 7:05 pm
(R) Pedro Martinez (4-3) vs. (L) Jamie Moyer (11-7)
Playoff baseball in August.
Los Angeles Dodgers at Washington Nationals, 7:10 pm
(R) Derek Lowe (10-10) vs. (R) Collin Balester (2-6)
Are the Dodgers fading away?
Florida Marlins at Atlanta Braves, 7:10 pm
(L) Scott Olsen (6-8) vs. (R) Jair Jurrjens (11-9)
The Marlins are hitting just .230 the second half with 35 home runs, compared to a .256 batting average with 135 home runs the first half.
Cincinnati Reds at Houston Astros, 8:05 pm
(R) Bronson Arroyo (11-10) vs. (L) Wandy Rodriguez (7-6)
Don’t care.
Milwaukee Brewers at St. Louis Cardinals, 8:15 pm
(R) Ben Sheets (11-7) vs. (R) Todd Wellemeyer (11-4)
Huge series for both teams.
Arizona Diamondbacks at San Diego Padres, 10:05 pm
(R) Brandon Webb (19-4) vs. (R) Chad Reineke (1-1)
Going win #20 tonight
Colorado Rockies at San Francisco Giants, 10:15 pm
(L) Jorge De La Rosa (6-7) vs. (R) Matt Palmer (0-1)
I can’t get excited about this one.

Bill Chuck is the creator of Billy-Ball.com (www.Billy-Ball.com) and, with Jim Kaplan, is the author of the book, “Walk-Offs, Last Licks, and Final Outs – Baseball’s Grand (and not so Grand) Finales,” with a Foreword by Jon Miller, published by ACTA Sports, and available worldwide. Autographed first editions are available by contacting, Bill@billy-ball.com or order directly from Acta Sports or from your favorite bookstore.