Youk a Fierce Foe of the O's

Kevin Youkilis was 3-4 with 1 HR (his 18th), 2 RBIs, and 2 runs scored against the Orioles. He has 61 RBIs and 66 runs scored on the year.

Ryan Braun was 1-5 with 1 run scored against the Padres.

Ian Kinsler sat out once again with a strained left hamstring. I hope I don't wind up eating my words when I said I didn't think it was too serious.

Josh Whitesell was 0-2 with 1 BB against the Mets. The good news is even though he's been hitting around the Mendoza Line for the better part of the season, his OBP is still .363.

Sam Fuld was recalled to replace the injured Reed Johnson. He was 0-1 today against the Marlins.

John Grabow was very good in his debut with the Cubs. He pitched 1 inning of scoreless relief on 1 BB and 1 K against the Marlins.

Ryan Sadowski picked up his 4th loss of the season against the Phillies, although he didn't pitch too badly. He went 4 innings and gave up 1 run on 3 hits, 3 BBs, and 3 Ks. He lowered his ERA to 4.45. Other than the 3 BBs, the only concern I would have about the outing is it took him 83 pitches to get through those 4 innings. Not exactly efficient.

Here We Go Again: Poreda Traded For Peavy

In late May, the White Sox traded southpaws Aaron Poreda and Clayton Richard for former Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy. Peavy then proceeded to reject the trade. Two months go by. Final day of the trading deadline is upon us and lo and behold, Peavy is once again traded for Poreda, Richard, and two other pitching prospects. This time Peavy accepts the trade.

Which means that it's official: Aaron Poreda is now a member of the San Diego Padres. To answer your first question: no, the irony of a Jew playing for a team called the Padres is not lost on me. So much for what I said yesterday about there being three potential JMLs in Chicago...

Though it pains me that I will no longer be able to witness firsthand Poreda's development as a pitcher, I believe the pros of this trade definitely outweight the cons.

Let's start with the cons. Poreda loses valuable mentors in Mark Buehrle, John Danks, and Matt Thornton. He also loses run support. Additionally, San Diego is a much smaller market than Chicago, so Poreda won't be getting the same national attention he might have had with the Sox.

However, this could also be considered a pro, given how prominent athletes in Chicago are scrutinized by the media. Nothing like New York, of course, but still not for those without thicker skin. To say playing in San Diego comes with less pressure than playing Chicago is a vast understatement.

As far as the ballparks are concerned, Petco Park is best described as cavernous and is a pitcher's dream while U.S. Cellular Field has historically been a launching pad for home runs. So that will certainly help Poreda.

Also, pitching in the National League is obviously easier than pitching in the American League because you don't have to contend with the DH in the National League.

Finally, the White Sox are still very much in the hunt in the AL Central. For that reason, when Poreda was used, he was used sparingly and generally in non-pressure situations. That's a good way to break in a young pitcher. But at some point you have to cut the umbilical cord, so to speak.

Had Poreda been brought up again this year, I don't think Ozzie Guillen's approach would have changed. Not too many managers are going to rely heavily on unproven 22-year-old rookies in the middle of a division race.

The Nationals and the Padres are easily the two worst teams in baseball this year. So naturally they're throwing everything but the kitchen sink against the wall and hoping something sticks. The Padres have used 10 pitchers in the starting rotation this year. Mat Latos, a 21-year-old rookie is among them. I wouldn't be surprised if Poreda joined the ranks of that young rotation sometime in the near future.

Cubs Acquire Grabow

Looks like the fire sale in Pittsburgh isn't quite over yet. It was Jason Bay and Xavier Nady last year. This year it's practically been the whole team. To recap: Nate McLouth, Nyjer Morgan, Adam LaRoche, Jack Wilson, Ian Snell, Freddy Sanchez, and Sean Burnett have all said goodbye to The Steel City. The latest trade sends Tom Gorzelanny and John Grabow to the Cubs for Jose Ascanio, Kevin Hart, Josh Harrison. Chicago now boasts 3 potential JMLs in Grabow, Aaron Poreda, and Sam Fuld.

Kevin Youkilis was 2-4 with 1 double (his 26th) and 1 run scored against the A's.

Ryan Braun was 0-4 against the Nationals.

Ian Kinsler once again sat out with a strained left hamstring. It doesn't appear to be too serious.

Brad Ausmus was 2-5 with 1 run scored against the Cardinals.

Craig Breslow picked up his 5th loss and his 1st blown save of the season against the Red Sox. He gave up 1 run in 1/3 of an inning.

Feldman Mauled By Tigers

Scott Feldman picked up his 4th loss of the season today against the Tigers. He was hit uncharacteristically hard. Feldman pitched 2 1/3 innings and gave up 6 runs on 10 hits, 2 BBs, and 1 K.

His WHIP jumped from 1.14 to 1.22. His ERA went from 3.59 to 3.99. The rough outing snapped 6 consecutive quality starts from the Hawaiian native.

Ryan Braun was 1-3 with 1 BB, 1 triple (his 6th), 1 RBI, and 1 run scored against the Nationals. This marks the 3rd straight season where Braun has had 6 or more triples. He now has 70 RBIs on the year.

Kevin Youkilis had a miserable day at the plate against the A's. He was 0-4 with 1 BB, 1 run scored, and 4 Ks.

Ian Kinsler had the day off.

Josh Whitesell was 1-2 with 1 BB against the Phillies.

Craig Breslow picked up his 9th hold of the season against the Red Sox. He pitched 1/3 of an inning.

John Grabow pitched 2 perfect innings of scoreless relief against the Giants. He had 2 Ks. His ERA is now 3.42.

Rockies right-hander Jason Hirsh was traded to the Yankees for a player to be named later. Hirsh was 5-7 with a 4.81 ERA and a 1.344 WHIP in 2007. Those numbers aren't too bad when you consider that most of his starts took place at "that bandbox known as Coors Field," as one reader put it. Hirsh looked to be on the fast track to stardom after two dominant minor league seasons in 2005 and 2006.

However, since suffering from a slew of injuries in 2007 and 2008 (including rotator cuff inflammation), Hirsh hasn't been the same. His last two seasons in Triple-A Colorado Springs have been forgettable. It's sad but at 27, Hirsh can only be considered a reclamation project at this point. Hopefully, the Yankees' farm system will be up to the task of resurrecting this pitcher's once promising career.

Marquis Gets No Run Support Tonight

Jason Marquis picked up his 7th loss of the season as the Mets blanked the Rockies. Marquis went 6 innings and gave up 3 runs (2 earned) on 7 hits, 1 BB, and 3 Ks. It was his 4th consecutive quality start and 15th of the season. You'll recall the last time Marquis faced the Mets he hit a grand slam at Shea Stadium.

Kevin Youkilis was 3-5 with 1 double (his 25th), 2 RBIs, and 1 run scored against the A's.

Ryan Braun was 2-4 with 1 HR (his 21st), 1 triple (his 5th), 1 RBI, and 2 runs scored against the Nationals.

Ian Kinsler was 1-3 with 1 triple (his 3rd), 3 RBIs, and 1 run scored against the Tigers.

Gabe Kapler was 1-3 with 1 BB, 1 double (his 14th), and 1 run scored against the Yankees. He also had an assist from the outfield.

Craig Breslow picked up his 4th win of the season against the Red Sox. He pitched 1 inning of scoreless relief.

Scott Schoeneweis gave up 1 run in 1/3 of an inning against the Phillies on 1 hit, 1 BB, and 1 K.

On This Date In 1973

Richie Scheinblum was 5-5 for the California Angels against the Kansas City Royals, the team that had just dealt him after his All-Star season in 1972. Not a bad way to say, "You should have kept me."

Braun's Bat Packs a Punch

Ryan Braun was 3-4 with 1 BB, 1 double (his 23rd), 1 HR (his 20th), 2 RBIs, and 2 runs scored against the Nationals.

Kevin Youkilis was 1-4 with 1 BB and 1 run scored against the A's.

Ian Kinsler was 0-4 against the Tigers.

Josh Whitesell was 1-3 with 1 BB against the Phillies.

John Grabow pitched 1 inning of scoreless relief against the Giants, despite issuing 3 BBs and giving up 1 hit.