Trachsel Tanks

C'mon Steve. Your career was over. Baltimore picked you up off the scrapheap and you've had a fairly decent year. Now, when we need you to showcase yourself, in your last start before the trading deadline, in your last chance to go to a contender this season, you throw that mess yesterday? We knew we wouldn't get much for you but who's going to want you now? Some gratitude...

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Brian Roberts hit a three-run shot to put the game away yesterday and preserve the sweep. Roberts is having a great year (obviously) and is on pace to hit .300, hit 10+ HR and steal 40+ bases. If he does so, he becomes only the 10th 2B in MLB history to hit for .300, steal at least 40 bases and hit at least 10 homers joining the like of Joe Morgan, Craig Biggio, Chuck Knoblauch (all did it twice), Alfonso Soriano, Ryne Sandberg and Roberto Alomar. Not too shabby.

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Nick Markakis' Rate Stats for 2006: .291 BA/.351 OBP/.448 SLG
Nick Markakis' Rate Stats for 2007: .291 BA/.354 OBP/.446 SLG

Scary, huh? How consistent had this guy been in his young career? And in nearly 100 less AB he has already surpassed his doubles, stolen base and RBI totals from last year. OK, he's only tied his RBI number but he's going to break that any day. Nice progress...

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According to the Elias Sports Bureau, if A-Rod hits a homer in the final two innings of the unfinished game from June 28th that will be completed today, his 500th homerun will be the one he hit in KC, and the one he hits in Baltimore will be retroactively credited as number 493. I wonder what other time warp oddites may occur today?