It is never too early to start talking about the trade deadline, especially when we can talk about would-be contenders that might unexpectedly end up being sellers rather than buyers at the deadline.  Over the next few weeks, we'll be taking a look at many of these such teams, and there is a surprisingly large amount, and what exactly they might be looking to sell if they don't turn around their season in a hurry.

Even with the upstart LA Dodgers coming back to earth in the NL West, the Arizona Diamondbacks, last year's NL West upstart, just can't seem to close the gap.  Sitting in third place nine games back of the division lead is a bad position to be in, even with two-thirds of the season still left to play.  At some point, Arizona management is going to have to start wondering if their NL West title last season wasn't the result of well-timed overachieving and that maybe this current roster is actually playing to its true level now.  If things don't turn around soon for the Snakes, they could very well end up being sellers at the trade deadline.

So, what can the Diamondbacks potentially offer to the rest of the league?

Big Chips: Joe Saunders

Yeah, I know, calling Saunders a "big chip" but as it currently stands, he is their biggest trade chip since Arizona had to go and lock up Miguel Montero to a long-term extension and totally throw off what I had planned for them in this article.  Considering that Saunders was non-tendered in the off-season and couldn't find anyone willing to give him a long-term deal, there obviously isn't a huge demand, but he is having another rock solid season and, at a minimum, can step in to the middle of a contender's rotation and chew up a whole lot of innings.  That sure sounds like the kind of pitcher contenders have been known to overpay for even if Saunders isn't a "sexy" name.

Money Moves: Jason Kubel

The Diamondbacks only just signed Kubel to a two-year deal this last off-season, but he could be a prime trade candidate if Arizona decides to blow things up.  Kubel has arguably been Arizona's best hitter this year, but he has always been a strange fit since his true destiny has always been to be a DH.  He gets on base and has solid power, so he should have plenty of suitors, especially since he won't be a short-term rental.  It certainly wouldn't be the worst idea for Arizona to unload Kubel and the $7.5 million he is owed next season while picking up a decent prospect at the same time.

Solid Pieces: Gerardo Parra

If Arizona holds on to Kubel, Parra could well be the one getting shipped out.  Several teams tried to pry Parra loose before the season since he was getting squeezed into a reserve role despite being a very good on-base guy and an elite fielder in left.  There is undoubtedly still plenty of interest in his services.  Given that Parra is still under team control through 2015, Arizona could hold out for a more tantalizing package than any other player they might be willing to part with.

X-Factor: J.J. Putz

The previous two season, J.J. Putz was one of the most effective and reliable closers in all of baseball, but this season, well, yuck.  His ERA is at an even 6.00 and there have been questions about his job security plaguing him for a month.  But even with his monumental struggles, all he really has to do is pitch like his old self for a few weeks before the deadline and teams will be more than happy to take him off Arizona's hands, especially given the massive amount of closer turnover we've seen throughout the league this year.  What could make Putz extra attractive is that he has a very reasonable $6.5 million club option for 2013, assuming he can get back to pitching well enough to merit the option being picked up.  For Arizona, moving Putz is a no-brainer if they think his struggles are a sign that the 35-year old closer is nearing the end of the line.

Warm Bodies: Ryan Roberts, Lyle Overbay

Roberts has been miserable this season and looking like a non-tender candidate.  However, given that he can play multiple positions, he could interest some teams looking to beef up their bench for the stretch run.  If so, Arizona would be wise to get something for him now rather than cutting him loose for nothing this winter.

Lyle Overbay was picked up off the scrap heap by Arizona last season, but he has turned out to be a surprisingly potent semi-platoon partner with Paul Goldschmidt since then.  He's been in this league too long for anyone to actually think he can sustain his current .987 OPS, but team's looking for a lefty bat off the bench that can work a count and show a little pop could do a lot worse than picking up Overbay on the cheap from the D'Backs.

But what they'll probably do is... spit polish Saunders and put him on the trading block.  One thing Arizona has an abundance of is pitching prospects, so they can easily afford to give away a starting pitcher and still make it look like they aren't raising the white flag on the season.  Other than that, Arizona doesn't have much impetus to start selling of spare parts.  They are a very young team and their payroll outlook for 2013 is strong, so holding the line and reloading in the free agent market after the season is the most sensible strategy.

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Let's just get right to it (my tally from my mock draft will follow each selection):

1. Houston Astros - Carlos Correa, SS, Puerto Rico Baseball Academy - It can't be understated enough about how much of an upset this was in the scheme of the actual selection process. On talent alone, Correa is said to rival Cleveland's top prospect Francisco Lindor, who forged a similar path to Correa, but many believed he would go to Pittsburgh at #8. In the end, his selection brought Astros fans back 20 years ago when Phil Nevin was picked #1 overall and the New York Yankees swiped some guy named Derek Jeter at #6. Perhaps new general manager Jeff Luhnow was not going to make the same mistake again by passing up a very talented shortstop. (WRONG: Appel, 0-for-1)

2. Minnesota Twins - Byron Buxton, OF, Appling County HS (GA) - This was pretty obvious, even with Appel not being taken #1 overall. Buxton had been Minnesota's guy basically from the get go, as him pairing up with Miguel Sano could form a potent duo, especially if Buxton can stay in center field. He immediately becomes the #1 prospect in the Minnesota system. (CORRECT, 1-for-2)

3. Seattle Mariners - Mike Zunino, C, Florida - This was also obvious, as Seattle was assuming that Buxton would be off the board, and even if Correa was there at #3, the Mariners were so desperate in need of catching depth that Zunino, the leader of the #1 Florida Gators in 2012, was the right choice. With Correa going #1 overall, at least Mariners fans have been spared the "What if?" question much like the selection of Danny Hultzen over Lindor in 2011. (CORRECT, 2-for-3)

Jarrod Parker nearly no-hit the Rangers last night, taking the no-no into the eighth inning before a Michael Young single broke it up. The A's went on to romp the Rangers 12-1, the third time they've allowed double digit runs in a game this week. Those three times have come against the Mariners (twice), and the A's, two of the worst offenses in baseball. Luckily for the Rangers, those same Mariners managed to beat the Angels, preventing them from picking up a game in the AL West.

Game of the Night: Giants 3, Cubs 2. The Cubs got a pair of runs in the second, but unbeknownst to them, that would be all they'd get. Brandon Crawford drove in a run in the bottom of the second with an RBI double, and another in the fifth on a fielder's choice. Joaquin Arias would give San Francisco the lead on a run-scoring double play in the seventh, and that would be it for the light-hitting Cubs offense.

Pitching Lines of the Night: Parker is the big story here, shutting out the Rangers over eight while allowing just one hit, three walks, and six strikeouts. Rockies rookie Christian Friedrich went seven shutout innings against the Diamondbacks, giving up four hits and two walks while striking out four in a 4-0 Rockies shutout. 

Hitting Lines of the Night: Mike Moustakas went 3/4 with three runs, two RBI, a pair of doubles, and a homer in the Royals 10-7 loss to the Twins. In the A's 12-1 blowout win over the Rangers, Seth Smith went 4/5 with two runs, one RBI, a double, and a triple. Kendrys Morales went 2/5 with a pair of solo homers, while his teammate Mike Trout went 4/4 with two RBI, one run, and a double in the Angels 8-6 loss to the Mariners.

Spotlight Series: Writeup coming later today...

Other Games: I think I touched on most everything here. The Cardinals beat the Mets 5-4 to avoid a four game sweep. The Phillies fell to the Dodgers 4-3, with LA scoring a run off of Jonathan Papelbon in the ninth.

Today's Games: Chris Young makes his season debut for the Mets against Jordan Zimmermann and the Nationals. James Shields takes on Andy Pettitte in the Bronx. Chad Billingsley taks on Cliff Lee in Philly. Orioles ace Jason Hammel will start against Jon Lester in Boston. Tim Hudson takes on Anibal Sanchez in a pivotal AL East matchup between the Braves and Marlins. The winless Ryan Dempster starts for the Cubs in Milwaukee against Yovani Gallardo. Tim Lincecum will start in San Diego.

Enjoy your day of baseball, everyone.

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The MLB Draft is the most unscientific of the professional sports drafts. But, hey, if you're gonna be unscientific, might as well try and go 31-for-31. Here's a look at who the teams might just pick when their time comes in the Rule 4 Amateur Draft today:

1. Houston Astros - Mark Appel, RHP, Stanford - It has actually been reported across the board that the Astros would take Appel simply due to him being as close to a sure thing as there is in this draft, and while Byron Buxton might have a higher ceiling as a true five-tool prospect, his time table is not as gauranteed as Appel's is, who at this point could craft his own path.

2. Minnesota Twins - Byron Buxton, OF, Appling County HS (GA) - The Twins already are long into the development of their young talent (Miguel Sano being the centerpiece) and having another guy with high end offensive capabilities to join with Sano would be a great thing to have. Buxton had really seen his stock rise over the past couple of weeks, but the Twins should be happy to see him here.

3. Seattle Mariners - Michael Zunino, C, Florida - There has been talk about Carlos Correa here due to the fact that the Mariners passed up on Francisco Lindor last year, but I like the idea of Zunino as a fast-rising catcher to solidify a spot of dire need for the Mariners relatively quickly.

4. Baltimore Orioles - Carlos Correa, SS, Puerto Rico - Yes, the Orioles have Manny Machado waiting in the wings, but if Machado has to move off shortstop and Correa is much like his Puerto Rican brethren in Lindor, the Orioles could have a left side of the infield that could be the best in baseball come 2016.

5. Kansas City Royals - Kyle Zimmer, RHP, University of San Francisco - This might as well be written in stone as well, as some have Zimmer above Appel in some mock drafts and the Royal are absolutely drooling over the prospect of Zimmer being here. Appel still has the better stuff, but Zimmer has a chance to advance quickly due to his repetoire and his control.

6. Chicago Cubs - Albert Almora, OF, Mater Academy (FL) - Both Kevin Gausman and Michael Wacha, two proven college starters, could be here for the taking, but knowing how much Theo Epstein likes to build up teams with young players, I think he'll take a chance on Almora, who has a shorter ceiling than Buxton but still a lot to offer.

7. San Diego Padres - Kevin Gausman, RHP, LSU - The Padres could use a pitcher to quickly solidify their rotation as they have a plethora of positional talent in the minors right now. Gausman has a chance to move quickly, as well.

8. Pittsburgh Pirates - Michael Wacha, RHP, Texas A&M - If Wacha can continue to improve like he showed this season as an Aggie, his arrival could coincide with both Gerrit Cole's and Jameson Tallion's meaning that the Pirates could have one hell of a rotation as soon as 2014. There's also a chance that he could be a quick sign, which could speed up the development process. The one name that could come up as well is Deven Marrero of ASU, but pitching is hard to come by, even in a weak draft like this one.

9. Miami Marlins - Max Fried - LHP - Harvard-Westlake HS (CA) - He's the other H-W pitcher in this draft, with Lucas Giolito getting a lot of ink coming into this season, but Giolito's arm issues have actually seen him out of the first round all together in some pundits' eyes. The Marlins are actually in desperate need of starting pitching talent, so a Chris Stratton might be someone Miami could go do for a quicker development, but a high school lefty with projection is hard to pass up.

10. Colorado Rockies - David Dahl, OF, Oak Mountain HS (AL) - The Rockies have a pretty decent young pitching staff to play with at this point, and investing in some talent to help out Carlos Gonzalez in the second half of his extension is always a good thing to bet on.

11. Oakland A's - Deven Marrero, SS, Arizona State - Like I said above, Pittsburgh will think long and hard about Marrero, but if he falls to Oakland, they'll have no choice, as Grant Green has moved to the outfield and the team is without a shortstop prospect. He could also move quickly, which might be good for the team if their move to San Jose ever gets finalized.

12. New York Mets - Courtney Hawkins, OF, Caroll HS (TX) - With a couple of strong arms on the up and up, the Mets could use an offensive charge to their farm system, and Hawkins is yet another toolsy outfield with potential.

13. Chicago White Sox - Marcus Stroman, RHP, Duke - I go with Stroman because Addison Reed's success might make Ken Williams think about doubling up on potential closers. (You see, I have to use the backwards logic here.)

14. Cincinnati Reds - Lance McCullers, Jr., RHP, Jesuit HS (FL) - The Reds could use a good pitching prospect after the Mat Latos trade and McCullers would be a great selection for them here.

15. Cleveland Indians - Andrew Heaney, LHP, Oklahoma State - This is a really good chance for the Indians to find a southpaw to put into that rotation, and Heaney might be able to develop somewhat quickly, albeit as a middle of the pack rotation guy. Those pitchers stay Major Leaguers for a long time to say the least.

16. Washington Nationals - Lucas Giolotio, RHP, Harvard-Westlake HS (CA) - This would be the most perfect pick in the draft by a long shot. Even if Giolito is having arm troubles, his talent is so great that with Washington's current team and Anthony Rendon waiting in the wings that they can be patient with Giolito as he comes up. And if it pays off? The Nationals get a potential Top 5 talent (some even had him as the #1 guy in this draft) as a steal in the middle of the first round. Being able to draft Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper in consecutive drafts has its perks.

17. Toronto Blue Jays - Gavin Cecchini, SS, Barbe HS (LA) - I'd copy word for word above for the Blue Jays when it comes to Giolito but they might get beaten to the punch. Toronto isn't afraid to take chances on high school talent and their development record is starting to churn out some pretty dynamic young arms. But Cecchini could solidify the shortstop position for the team if he comes through for them just in time for Yunel Escobar's contract to run up. This would be pitch perfect for Alex Anthopolous if Giolotio is there, because considering he has a pick at #22, getting a top-flight prospect on the cheap due to injury would match up incredibly well.

18. Los Angeles Dodgers - Chris Stratton, RHP, Mississippi State - Ned Colleti wants some immediate help considering the new ownership group and needs to address some holes in the rotation relatively quickly. He'll hope Stratton gets the job done.

19. St. Louis Cardinals - Corey Seager, 1B/3B, Northwest Carabbus HS (NC) - The Cardinals get this pick from Los Angeles due to the Albert Pujols signing and they might just use it on Seager, who could end up at an infield corner in case Mat Adams or David Freese don't re-sign.

20. San Francisco Giants - Richie Shaeffer, 3B, Clemson - The Giants might not be liking Pablo Sandoval long term at 3B after his most recent off the field troubles (even if it was somewhat minor) but Shaeffer gives them an insurance plan just in case.

21. Atlanta Braves - D.J. Davis, OF, Stone HS (MS) - Young outfield prospect that the Braves can bring along with one of the best development systems in baseball? Yes, please.

22. Toronto Blue Jays - Ty Hensley, RHP, Santa Fe HS (OK) - This pick stems from the Jays being unable to sign Tyler Beedle last year. Understanding their need for positional prospects, the Jays love developing pitching and have a knack for it. If they can figure out how to turn some of those prospects into either players or trade bait, they figure out a value for them. Hensley would just add to their stack of pitching prospects.

23. St. Louis Cardinals - Victor Roache, OF, Georgia Southern - This is the old trick of going with a sure thing as the #2 pick, as they can take a chance with someone like Seager and see what happens with Roache.

24. Boston Red Sox - Matt Smoral, LHP, Solon HS (OH) - Boston need to rebuild its farm system with projectable pitching talent and starting out with a lefty they can craft in the image of Jon Lester or Felix Dubrount is a good start.

25. Tampa Bay Rays - Richie Shaffer, 3B, Clemson - Let's be honest here: Evan Longoria's contract was the type that won't gaurantee him being a Tampa Bay Ray come the end of it, and if Shaffer is still here, the Rays might grab him just to use him as an insurance policy against Longoria walking once his contract is up in a few years.

26. Arizona Diamondbacks - Joey Gallo, 3B/RHP, Bishop Gorman HS (NV) - If that HS looks familiar, it should (Hi, Bryce) and the Diamondbacks need a guy who is athletic enough to play multiple positions. Letting Gallo figure out what he wants to do could either build up their extensive pitching collection or maybe see if his bat could play at the professional level.

27 and 28. Milwaukee Brewers - Stephen Piscotty, 3B/OF, Stanford and Addison Russell, SS, Pace HS (FL) - The Brewers get back-to-back picks thanks to the Prince Fielder signing, and can help bring along some talent on the left side of the infield. Piscotty lines up perfectly with Aramis Ramirez's current deal.

29. Texas Rangers - Lucas Sims, RHP, Brookwood HS (GA) - Nolan Ryan loves drafting pitchers. I repeat: Nolan Ryan loves drafting pitchers.

30. New York Yankees - Tanner Rahier, SS, Palm Desert HS (CA) - Here's your Derek Jeter heir apparent. (Yes, that was tongue-in-cheek) In all honesty, the Yankees will need a replacement for him in the next couple of years, and Rahier is a good candidate to at least be average at the position.

31. Boston Red Sox - Brian Johnson, 1B/LHP, Florida - Boston gets Philadelphia's pick thanks to the Jonathan Papelbon signing. Johnson played well for the top-ranked Gators this year and Boston likes those two-way players. They were all about Casey Kelly as a converted shortstop, but might want to see what Johnson can do on the mound first considering that Adrian Gonzalez will be there for a long time to come.

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 Ralph Kiner was a very unique ballplayer for his time in baseball. Kiner only played ten season in the majors, and hit a whopping 369 home runs in those ten years. Despite his brief career, Kiner was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975. His election was extremely unique, as not only was he elected in his final year of eligibility, but he also reached the required 75% of ballots by just a handful of votes, finishing with 273 of 362 votes for a total of 75.4% of voters approving of his election. If just two of those 273 voters in favor of Kiner's election changed their mind, he would have had to rely on the Veterans' Committee to gain election, though he probably would have gained election if it came to that. 

Even when looking at Kiner's statistics from a modern, sabermetrically-inclined standpoint, he stacks up well against not only the hitters of his time, but hitters of modern times. His 369 home runs are 72nd all-time, ahead of Hall of Famers like Joe DiMaggio, Johnny Mize, Yogi Berra, Ron Santo, and Hank Greenberg, among others. Kiner's .398 career on-base percentage is 65th all-time, just a hair behind DiMaggio, and a hair above Mize. Kiner's at bat per home run ratio is 14.11, the sixth best total of all-time. The five players ahead of him are Mark McGwire (one of the most prodigious home run hitters ever), Babe Ruth (the game's first true power hitter), Barry Bonds (possibly the best baseball player of all-time), Ryan Howard (who will likely fall behind Kiner once he gets more playing time), and Jim Thome (a player with skills very similar to Kiner). That's some pretty good company for a guy that most people don't even think of when talking about the best power hitters of all-time. In another testament to his power, Kiner's career ISO (isolated power, which is calculated by subtracting a player's batting average from his slugging percentage) is .269, which is the 12th highest mark of all-time. The names ahead of him are familiar ones: Ruth, Bonds, McGwire, Gehrig, Greenberg, Williams, and so on.

Past power, Kiner had other skills over his career. His career walk rate is 16.2%, which is 20th all-time among players with at least 1000 career games (roughly between six and seven full seasons in the league). As a comparison, Rickey Henderson (the best leadoff hitter of all-time) has a 16.4% walk rate, while Adam Dunn (who has had seven 100 walk seasons over his 12 year career) has a 16.3% walk rate. Over his ten year career, Kiner had six 100 walk seasons (all coming consecutively from 1948 to 1953. Kiner's OPS+, which is OPS, but adjusted to the league average of the years in question is 149, which ties him  for 34th all-time with a pair of modern day hitters you may have heard of: Miguel Cabrera, and Jeff Bagwell. That 149 mark is also immediately better than a trio of power-hitting Hall of Famers in Mike Schmidt, Willie Stargell, and Willie McCovey, along with being better than modern stars like Ryan Braun, Lance Berkman, Alex Rodriguez, and Prince Fielder.

In comparison to his peers at the time, there really wasn't much of one. Kiner has five straight top ten MVP finishes, made even more amazing by the fact that the highest the Pirates finished in the National League during his tenure with the club was fourth in 1948, the only year during Kiner's tenure with the club that they finished above .500. If Kiner was playing in a market like Brooklyn or St Louis during his career, he'd likely get a lot more respect from baseball fans throughout history. Today, Kiner is a beloved broadcaster for the New York Mets, with whom he has worked since their inception in 1962. Kiner is no longer working full-time with the Mets, and has transitioned to a part-time role, making guest appearances on occasion to join the crew of SNY. Despite not playing in a game with the Mets, he was elected to the team's Hall of Fame in 1984. Kiner's primary team during his playing career, the Pittsburgh Pirates, retired Kiner's number 4 in 1987.

Ralph Kiner was one of the best hitters of all-time during his brief, ten year career, and it's a shame that he didn't play longer and make more of a name for himself. 60 years later, Kiner almost remains lost in the annals of baseball history, but hopefully, you learned a little more about him today.

There are currently three teams tied for the lead in the NL East - the Nationals, Mets, and Marlins. What's so interesting about that? Well, none of these three teams finished at or above .500 last season. The Nationals came the closest, finishing 80-81 on the season. In fact, since both leagues realigned to a three division format in 1994, only one of these teams has actually WON the NL East: the Mets, in 2006. The Braves won the division in every year from 1995 to 2005, while the Phillies won the division in every year from 2007 to 2011. Perhaps ironically, only one NL East team has won multiple World Championships since the realignment...the Marlins, who won in 1997 and 2003, as wild cards each time. Neither of the dominant teams in the division over the nearly 20 years since the realignment have won multiple World Series, yet the lowly expansion team has a pair. Baseball is awesome.

Game of the Day: Pirates 6, Brewers 5. This was an interesting game. The teams combined for seven homers, and the final eight of the eleven runs scored in total all game were scored via the home run. The only pitcher to allow multiple homers however, was Brewers starters Michael Fiers. Each team struck out a double digit amount of hitters, with James McDonald and his eight K's leader the way. This is Pittsburgh's third straight series win over a NL Central foe, and it's their first outright road series win since mid-April in Arizona. Next up for the Pirates, they travel to division-leading Cincinnati for three. The Pirates took two out of three from the Reds just a week ago at PNC Park.

Pitching Lines of the Day: Phil Hughes threw a complete game against the Tigers in the Yankees 5-1 win, allowing one run on five hits, walking three and striking out eight. Barry Zito shut out the Cubs over 8 1/3 on five hits and two walks, striking out five as the Giants got a 2-0 win. Trevor Cahill threw a complete game shutout in Arizona's 6-0 win over the Padres, allowing six hits and walking three, striking out five in the process. The White Sox Chris Sale had another fantastic start in Chicago's 4-2 win over the Mariners, allowing two runs in a complete game on five hits, two walks, and eight strikeouts.

Hitting Lines of the Day: Kirk Nieuwenhuis of the Mets had a great game in New York's 6-1 win over the Cardinals, going 3/5 with two runs, three RBI, and a homer. In an 8-4 loss to the Rays, Orioles catcher Matt Wieters went 3/4 with two RBI, a walk, and his ninth homer of the year. Wieters's teammate Mark Reynolds went 3/5 with two RBI and a homer. 

Spotlight Series: Writeup for the new series coming on Tuesday. I want to shake things up a little bit, and the series that start on Monday don't make me smile.

Other Games: The Braves edged the Nationals 3-2 to earn their first win over Washington this year. The Blue Jays beat the Red Sox 5-1 on account of some terrible early control by Daniel Bard. The Marlins beat the Phillies 5-1 on account of Carlos Zambrano's arm as well as his bat. The Astros beat the Reds 5-3 behind an effective start from Jordan Lyles. The Royals shut out the A's 2-0 behind former Athletics starter Vin Mazzaro. The Rockies beat the Dodgers 3-2, and handed the NL West kingpins a rare series loss. The Twins beat the scuffling Indians 6-3, and Scott Diamond had another solid smoke and mirrors start. The Rangers avoided a sweep in SoCal and beat the Rangers 7-3.

Today's Games: The Mets look to hand the Cardinals a four game sweep, and a dip below .500, as Dillon Gee faces Kyle Lohse in the series finale. Jeff Samardzija of the Cubs will take on Ryan Vogelsong by the bay, as the streaking Giants look to sweep the Cubs and close the gap even further on the Dodgers. Speaking of the Dodgers, they're going east, and will start Clayton Kershaw in Philadelphia against Vance Worley in his return from the DL. On a related note, I'll be at the game to collect my Cliff Lee bobblehead giveaway. The rest of the day's schedule, including all of the American League matchups, aren't very inspiring.

Enjoy your day of baseball, everyone.

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Remember back in April, when the St Louis Cardinals had a hype train that was unmatched by any team in the league aside from the Rangers? The Cardinals went 14-8 in April with a +53 run differential, feasting on weak teams within their division. However, as the Cardinals have faced teams that have a pulse, their dominance has subsided. St Louis is 13-18 since that hot start, and they've fallen to 3.5 games back in the NL Central behind the Cincinnati Reds, who have turned on the jets since April and have taken control of the division. Cincinnati is 19-11 since a .500 start to the year, and their 3.5 game lead is just a half game behind the Dodgers for the largest in baseball. The Reds playoff odds now stand at 70.1%, nearly 10% higher than the Cardinals at 60.4%. One of these two teams is going to win the division, and right now, the Reds look like that team.

Game of the Night: Mariners 10, White Sox 8 (12 innings). Gavin Floyd left this game with a 6-5 lead, but it absolutely didn't end that way. The lead grew to 7-5 in the seventh on an RBI infield single by Gordon Beckham. The Mariners took the lead off of Jesse Crain in the eighth, with light-hitting Brendan Ryan doubling in a pair, and then scoring on an AJ Pierzynski throwing error. The Sox tied it up at eight in the bottom of the inning on a Dayan Viciedo homer. The game remained scoreless into the twelfth, when White Sox closer Addison Reed (in his second inning of work) gave up an RBI double to John Jaso, and followed it up with an RBI single allowed to Chone Figgins. Hisashi Iwakuma shut the Sox down in the bottom of the inning, and Chicago's nine game win streak was kaput. Of note: the White Sox used NINE starting pitchers (five of which pitched less than an innings), and the teams combined to hit eight homers, walk just five times, and strike out 26 times. Good god.

Pitching Lines of the Night: Just a day after Johan Santana, the Mets shut out the Cardinals again. This time, it was RA Dickey on the mound, throwing a complete game shutout while allowing seven hits, no walks, and punching out nine batters. Stephen Strasburg shut out the Braves over seven, giving up four hits without a walk and striking out nine hitters. Brian Matusz had an impressive start in Tampa Bay, going 7 1/3 while allowing just one run on two hits, walking three and striking out seven. And then there's Matt Cain, who won his fifth game in a row after allowing one run on five hits to the Cubs over eight innings, walking two and striking out seven.

Hitting Lines of the Night: Miguel Cabrera looked like the Cabrera of old against the Yankees, going 3/4 with a double and a pair of solo homers. Drew Stubbs of the Reds went 3/5 with three runs, four RBI, a double, and a homer. His teammate Joey Votto went 4/4 with three runs, two RBI, and a homer. Hanley Ramirez went went 2/4 with three RBI in Philly, homering twice. Michael Saunders had a good game for Seattle (in the eight spot...), giong 4/6 with two runs, two RBI, and a homer.

Spotlight Series: I was going to choose the Angels-Rangers series. I did not. Bad move, Joe.

Other Games: The Red Sox beat the Blue Jays 7-4, and Toronto has tumbled to last place in the division....three games out of first place. The Nationals shut out the freefalling Braves 2-0. The A's ended their losing streak by beating the Royals 9-3. The Marlins edged the Phillies 5-4. The Mets shut out the Cardinals 5-0. The Orioles nipped the Rays 2-1. The Dodgers got back on the winning track after beating the Rockies 6-2. The Twins beat the Indians 7-4. The Brewers beat a hot Pirates team 5-1. The Tigers walked off on the Yankees 4-3. The Reds beat the Astros 12-9 in a slugfest. The Angels edged the Rangers 3-2, and are within spitting distance of them in the AL West. The Diamondbacks shut down the Padres 4-2. The Giants beat the Cubs 2-1.

Today's Games: Justin Verlander starts against the Yankees in Detroit. Tommy Hanson and Gio Gonzalez will go at it in Washington. Jake Arrieta and Matt Moore will go at it in Tampa Bay, and hopefully one of them keeps their head on straight long enough to have a good start. James McDonald starts for the Pirates in Milwaukee against Michael Fiers, who allowed one run over seven innings to the Dodgers in his first career start on Tuesday. Matt Harrison and Dan Haren will go at it in Anaheim, as the Rangers look to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Angels. 

Enjoy your day of baseball, everyone.

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It's hard to fathom a sporting event that's taken place in the past century that's been more mythologized than last night's Mets-Cardinals regular season game at Citi Field.

Reading the media accounts of the game, you'd think Christ himself had made an appearance on the field, converted the heathens and hit a walkoff grand slam before ascending back into Heaven.

That didn't happen of course. Johan Santana allegedly threw the first no-hitter in the Mets' 50+ year history.

Except for the fact that he didn't.

We -- well, everyone who isn't a Mets fan -- all know the details by now. In the 6th inning of last night's game, Carlos Beltran doubled down the left field line. Or, he would have had a double, had umpire Adrian Johnson seen what literally everybody else who was watching that game did -- the ball ricocheting off the chalk which, according to the rules, means the ball was fair and not foul.

Beltran would of course wind up grounding out and none of his teammates would find a way to get a hit off of Santana, thus paving the way for the 36th one-hitter in Mets history. At least that's the way the narrative should have unfolded.

The human element is part of what makes our favorite sport so endearing. The fact that an umpire's call -- no matter how based in truth it actually is -- can determine the difference between a historymaking game and a mundane one is one of the more intriguing elements of the sport. 

It's also likely a part of said sport that is about to become extinct. So many people take things like this seriously, and with the amount of technology at our disposal, there's no need for egregious mistakes like this one to have any kind of impact on the history of sport. The Mets are able to say that their 8,000+ game no-hitterless streak (as nearly every. single. media account of this particular contest reminded us of) is over with, but based on the evidence that's been presented, that doesn't mean said statement is anymore true than someone asserting that the sky is pink.

Watching Mets fans defend this no-hitter on Twitter has been like watching a parent attempt to justify their kid's crayon scrawling as being museum worthy. "It still counts," they've cried like children holding on to the myth that Santa Claus will be sliding down their chimneys with a bag full of toys if only they can make it through the entire year without being a horrible person, their digital chests puffed out like a rooster's, conveniently forgetting the fact that were literally any other team but their own in a similar situation, they'd be leading the charge calling the accomplishment a fraud.

That's not to say Santana didn't pitch one hell of a game. One-hitting that Cardinals lineup is an accomplishment, especially for a guy not long off of major arm surgery. Santana deserved every bit of the whipped cream pie to the face that he got in the post-game interview.

But he didn't throw a no-hitter.

The Dodgers have lost five in a row, and last night was the cherry on top of that streak, a 13-3 loss to the Rockies. The first four games in the streak came to the Brewers, who came into the series in LA nine games under .500. Before last night's game, the Rockies were eight games under .500. Seriously, Dodgers? With Matt Kemp out at least a month, and the Dodgers already losing to bad teams....this might not end well for LA. Their once commanding lead in the NL West is down to four games. It's still the second largest in the league, but it's quickly dwindling.

Game of the Night: Angels 4, Rangers 2. The Rangers lead in the AL West is down to 4.5 games after the red-hot Angels picked up a win last night. The Rangers put two early runs on the board against Jerome Williams, but that would be all they would get after Williams and the Angels bullpen shut Texas down after the fourth. Then, the Angels began to fight back. Mike Trout tripled in catcher John Hester in the sixth inning to cut the lead to win, and an Albert Pujols sac fly brought in Trout to tie the game. In the seventh, Trout came up with the bases loaded, and *of course* he delivered, singling in a pair of runs to give the Angels a 4-2 lead. They'd hang on after that, and that would be curtains for the Rangers. Texas has lost three straight (including two drubbings at home by the MARINERS of all teams), while the Angels have won nine of ten. Yeah, the balance of power is shifting out west.

Pitching Lines of the Night: You all know Johan Santana threw a no-hitter, and was the best pitcher in the game on Friday night. Nine innings, no hits, five walks, and eight strikeouts = YAHTZEE! David Price of the Rays shut out the Orioles over 7 1/3, allowing four hits, two walks, and striking out five hittters. Madison Bumgarner completely confounded the Cubs, going eight innings and allowing eight hits, two runs, no walks, and striking out a whopping 11 hitters.

Hitting Lines of the Night: Daniel Nava of the resurgent Red Sox went 4/5 with three runs and an RBI, doubling three times for Boston. Gordon Beckham went 2/5 with three RBI and a pair of homers for the White Sox. Hunter Pence of the Phillies went 3/4 with three runs, two RBI, and a homer.

Spotlight Series: Honestly, I looked over the series this weekend...and nothing jumped out at me. The two best series were between teams that I've covered ad nauseum, so I decided to take the weekend off.

Other Games: Curtis Granderson hit a grand slam against his former team, and the Yankees beat the Tigers 9-4. A Jason Kipnis grand slam led the Indians to a 7-1 win over the Twins. The Red Sox beat up Henderson Alvarez and the Blue Jays 7-2. The Phillies edged the Marlins 6-4. The Rays shut out the Orioles 5-0. The Reds earned a 4-1 win over the Astros after a disappointing series in Pittsburgh. The White Sox hit three homers off of Felix Hernandez, but still had to rally to earn a 7-4 win. The Pirates stayed hot with an 8-2 win over the Brewers. The Royals shut out the slumping A's 2-0. The Padres used a six run eighth to beat the Diamondbacks 7-1. The Giants edged the Cubs 4-3. The Braves and Nationals were rained out in DC.

Today's Games: Brandon Beachy vs Stephen Strasburg is the matchup of the day in DC. Brandon McCarthy makes his first start in his return from the DL against the Royals. Ricky Nolasco takes on Cole Hamels in Philly. Lance Lynn and RA Dickey will go at it in New York. Brian Matusz and Jeremy Hellickson will duel in Tampa Bay. Erik Bedard vs Shaun Marcum is a good-looking matchup in Milwaukee. Mat Latos and Wandy Rodriguez is a solid matchup in Houston. Yu Darvish vs CJ Wilson is the runner-up in "matchup of the night". Matt Garza will take on Matt Cain in San Francisco.

Enjoy your day of baseball, everyone.

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The LA Angels and the Texas Rangers have one of the most intense budding rivalries in all of sports.  The two teams have spent the last few years slugging it out for supremacy in the AL West.  They've talked trash.  They've gotten in brawls.  And now... THEY ARE MILKING COWS!!!!

Yes, that's right, that was Angel rookie outfielder Kole Calhoun going up against Texas reliever Robbie Ross in a pre-game cow milking contest.  No, this was not an impromptu way for the two teams to take their rivalry to the next (very strange) level, but rather a little known annual Dairy Night tradition for the Angels.  It is supposed to be a promotional event for a dairy company of some sort, but it seems to mostly function as a way for the teams to embarrass their rookies, in case Ross' cowboy hat and vest get-up didn't tip you off (at least he wore the right jersey though, right?).

As the video shows, Calhoun came away victorious and, perhaps through no coincidence, so did the Angels with a 4-2 win on the back of a great night from Mike Trout.  Los Angeles of Anaheim has now cut Texas' lead in the division to 4.5 games despite starting May a whopping 9 games back.  Given the Angels' history of incorporating animals into their in-game superstitions and how big this win was for the club, the Rally Monkey might want to update his resume because the Rally Cow might be angling for his job.

(h/t Angels Win for the video)

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