Nine innings, nine items to get you going. Ladies and gentleman of the Stew, take a sip of morning Juice.
1. Reflections in a fish tank: Joe Maddon never pushed the panic button ? at least in public ? when the Tampa Bay Rays started the season 1-8 while losing Evan Longoria (for a while) and Manny Ramirez (forever) along the way. Maddon even reminded the world that the Rays intended to win the AL East again. Sure, Joe, surrre.
Well, they've gone 8-1 since to get back to .500 after a 4-1 victory against the White Sox on Wednesday. John Jaso Jingleheimerschmidt hit a two-run homer, and right-hander Wade Davis allowed a run and six hits against the admittedly anemic Sox, who have been outscored 11-2 in the first three games of the four-game set at Tropicana.
Chicago's dropped seven straight overall, but it can look to the Rays as inspiration. Only two teams since 1900 (the 1991 Seattle Mariners being the other) have reached .500 in April after starting the season with a six-game losing streak.
2. OMGtheRedSoxwonaroadgame! Boston improved to 1-7 away from Fenway after breaking through with a 5-3 victory against the Oakland Athletics. Not that Bobby Jenks and Jonathan Papelbon didn't make it interesting...
3. A pair of nines: Did you know that 9-9 is the official record of the NL Central? Four teams lead the way ? the St. Louis Cardinals, the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers ? after Wednesday's play.
4. No tornado warnings at Busch: The Cards split a doubleheader with the Nationals, losing 8-6 (though Albert Pujols hit his fifth homer) before rebounding to take the nightcap 5-3. Left-hander Jaime Garcia got the win and Mitchell Boggs the save, after Ryan Franklin was righteously booed out of the closer's job for the St. Lunatics.
5. Short leash: The Cubs split a twin bill as well, edging the Padres 2-1 in 11 innings on Reed Johnson's solo home run, and falling 5-4 to right-hander Aaron Harang after Chris Denorfia, Cameron Maybin and Ryan Ludwick each hit a homer.
ESPN's Jayson Stark points out that the Cubs have been the ultimate .500 team, going 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, 5-5, 6-6, 7-7, 8-8 and 9-9.
It's enough to make Carlos Zambrano go "wheeeeee!"
6. Desert blahs: The Reds have lost six of seven after Ian Kennedy and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat them 3-1 at Chase Field. It's been, like, forever since the Reds were at .500. (Actually, it's since they were 15-15 last year).
Willie Bloomquist is still batting over .300 for Arizona (which is .500 too!) and Kennedy bounced back like a champ after getting hit in the ankle with a comebacker in the fifth inning.
"It hurt really bad," Kennedy said.
But he rubbed some dirt on it and continued pitching. He allowed a run and four hits over 5 1/3 innings. A champ!
7. Cheesesteak >> Cheese: The Brewers missed sweeping the Philadelphia Phillies, who got a tying three-run homer by Placido Polanco in the sixth and a go-ahead solo shot by Shane Victorino in the eighth inning of a 4-3 victory.
"That was huge," Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel said. "Games like this keep you from going in a tailspin."
I guess it was serious!
8. You're a mile high if you think you Giants think you're sweeping this series: The Colorado Rockies weren't going to let the San Francisco Giants come into THEIR HUMIDOR and sweep an early season series. Jorge De La Rosa bested Mark DeRosa in the Rox's 10-2 thumping.
9. Charlie Morton career update: His strikeout-to-walk ratio improved (6-3) but the Florida Marlins knocked him about the ears in a 6-0 victory against your Pittsburgh Pirates.
Philadelphia Phillies Vernon Wells PGA Torii Hunter New York Giants
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