Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.You Oughta Know ...
That Zack Greinke and Trevor Hoffman are human.
Greinke took the loss Wednesday as Kansas City fell 12-5 to Arizona, allowing six runs (four earned) on eight hits in 6 2/3 innings.
And since Greinke went 8-1 in his first 10 starts he has gone winless in four straight starts. Over his past 26 innings, he has given up 31 hits and 20 runs (five of them unearned).
"You go through streaks like that throughout the year," Greinke said. "I'm better than what I've done the past couple of starts. I felt like I started pitching better today. I just didn't finish it. For some reason, I'm having trouble doing that lately when usually I can finish off innings real good. That's what's really been the problem the last four starts is getting two outs and then not getting the last guy out."Hoffman, meanwhile, has had two clunkers this week. The 41-year-old holder of the career saves record started the season with 18 straight scoreless outings for the Brewers. Then on Sunday he entered a tie game and gave up the winning run to the White Sox.
On Wednesday, Hoffman came in with two on and one out and a four-run lead in the ninth at Cleveland. A single, a walk and a double later, Hoffman had his first blown save of the year.
Not that the Indians won the game; the Brewers scored in the top of the 11th for a 9-8 victory.
"Not very efficient on my part," said Hoffman, who blew his first save in 17 chances since signing with Milwaukee as a free agent. "They have aggressive hitters and I left a lot of balls up in the zone. They did what they're supposed to do."From the Trainer's Room ...
Tampa Bay lefty Scott Kazmir began a minor-league rehabilitation assignment by allowing three hits and striking out five in 4 2/3 scoreless innings in Single-A.
Numbers Game ...
Adam and Andy LaRoche became the first brothers to homer for the Pirates in the same game since Hall of Famers Paul ("Big Poison") and Lloyd ("Little Poison") Waner on Sept. 15, 1938.
In Their Own Words ...
"You know, it's getting to the point here where I'm going to have to start making some tough decisions and get different people in the lineup. I've been real patient with it. But I tell you, it's getting to that point." – Cubs manager Lou Piniella, whose team has scored 10 runs in its past six games and 72 runs in its past 25 games
Advance Scouting ...
Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano is 5-2 in his career against the White Sox, and he gets the nod today (2:20 PM ET) at Wrigley Field. But Zambrano has a 4.45 ERA in the Crosstown Rivalry, and he has had particular trouble with Paul Konerko (7-for-22, four homers). Sox starter Gavin Floyd has never faced the Cubs.
