Break out those brooms as the Marlins sweep the Devil Rays in Tampa.  A game in which they trailed until the 8th showcased a fine pitching duel between James Shields and Sergio Mitre.  Carlos Pena started things off with a 2-run home run one batter after Dukes hits a lead off triple.

Shields was dealing early and late.  I couldn’t help by say "don’t swing at the change up in the dirt". Too bad James Shields was throwing his curve
ball low as well. His fast balls couldn’t
find the strike zone either yet he struck out 8 in 7 innings of work.  Both starters held the opposition to 5 hits each over 7
innings before making way for the pen. Stokes and Camp let up 3 runs and blow the lead for the D-Rays.

Gonzalez went to Matt Lindstrom in the 8^th to
hold it for Kevin Gregg in the bottom of the 9^th for the save. Lindstrom struck out Dukes swinging, then
throw a 101mph fastball passed Harris. Kevin Gregg looked good to earn his second save of the year.

Next game is Tuesday at home against Philadelphia and Cole Hamels.

Back to back home runs in a wild 6^th inning reels
in a win for D-Train and the Marlins. Hermida
and Boone both hit jacks off Seo making it 6-1 Marlins at that point.

Before the 6th would end another run would score as Oliva crashes into fellow back stop Josh
Paul with his spikes up nipping him in the catching forearm.

D-Rays would answer back with a solo home run by Gomes as Willis would come out after 7 strong innings pitched.  D-Train’s 6th win of the year would lower his era to 4.86.  His line, 7IP 5H 2ER 3BB  7SO and gave up 2 home runs.

With heavy rains beating down on the roof of my apartment I
spent the afternoon watching the Braves in

Boston

and the Yankees play at Shea Stadium. I
couldn’t have picked two more sloppier games to watch as water over flowed from
my gutters and flooded my deck.

After pulling Lerew in the second frame Bobby Cox went on to
pitch 5 more arms in what should have been a much anticipated contest against
Daisuke Matsuzaka and the Boston Red Sox. The Braves would get to him late but it’ll go down as an after thought
as Boston’s 6^th inning shelling lasted 26 minutes and their 7^th
frame last another 25 minutes in which they touched home 9 times. After the Sox’ 51 minute assault Jeff
Francoeur smacked his 7^th home run of the season.

In the day’s second game ugly was cranked to 11 on the dial
as the Yankees pitching woes would continue with yet another pitching
injury. This time the injury was to
Darrell Rasner’s fingers. He was taken
from the game, already giving up 2 runs and no outs in the first inning. Torre would march out Myers, Vizcaino,
Villone and Bruney for the first 7 innings.

And even as I write this the Yankees have rallied against
the Mets to trail by two runs with Jeter at the dish. Two out, two on, down by two and the
pitch…ground out to Wright.

Cano boots his 4^th ball of the day. He literally boots it as the ball hits his
shoe upon throwing it to first.

I can’t wait to flip over to either the back end of the day
night games between Boston and that will feature John Smoltz’s first start since dislocating his pinky finger
on his pitching hand or Florida’s game against their state rival.

Either the rain or the pitching parade will stop I hope. Bad
baseball is still baseball.