Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead. You Oughta Know...
That Ryan Zimmerman just keeps getting hits. It's easy to forget about Zimmerman because the Nationals have been playing so poorly this year, but Zimmerman extended his streak to 27 games on Saturday.
Zimmerman was hitless until his eighth-inning solo homer, which turned out to be the deciding run in the Nats' 2-1 victory over the Diamondbacks, their third win in a row.
Zimmerman's streak is getting to the point that it's worth paying close attention. This doesn't hapen every day. The last player to have a hitting streak of at least 27 games was Moises Alou, who hit in 30 consecutive games for the Mets in 2007. The franchise record is 31 games, set by Vladimir Guerrero in 1999.
Zimmerman will face Arizona's Max Scherzer today. Zimmerman has never faced Scherzer. Starting on Monday, the Nats will be in San Francisco for a three-game series in which they'll face Randy Johnson, Matt Cain and Barry Zito.
From the Trainers' Room...
Angels righty John Lackey is scheduled to pitch today for Salt Lake City in what is expected to be his final rehab game before he's activated. Lackey, out with a strained right forearm, has missed at least a month to start the season two years in a row.
By The Numbers...
The Rangers' Omar Vizquel started at third base, the first time in 2,569 major league starts that he'd been at a position other than shortstop. An 11-time Gold Glove winner at shortstop, Vizquel had played two other games at third, two at second and two in the outfield, but he hadn't started at any of those spots.
In Their Own Words...
"He's supposed to be the guy who wins batting titles and I'm supposed to be the guy who hits homers. It's good to see. Anytime he's hitting homers, we're doing all right." -- Twins first baseman Justin Morneau, who combined with catcher Joe Mauer for homers in the fifth inning of an 11-0 victory over the Mariners. Mauer has hit .483 in his first eight games this season, after missing four weeks while on the disabled list.
Advance Scouting...
Roy Oswalt will be looking to avoid what would be longest winless streak of his career. Oswalt has started seven games this season, without a victory, equaling the longest such streak of his nine-year career. Oswalt, who will face the Padres in Houston (2:05 PM ET), is 0-2 with a 4.26 ERA. He came out of his last start with a bone bruise on his right index finger.
