Starting Five: Happ Makes His Case to Stay in Phils Rotation

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That the Phillies are going to have a tough decision on their hands. J.A. Happ and Pedro Martinez, headed for a course to occupy the same spot in the Philadelphia rotation, both made strong statements on Wednesday night.

Happ pitched a four-hit shutout against the Rockies, while Martinez struck out 11 in six innings for the Phillies' Double-A team. The Phillies signed Martinez a few weeks ago and have had him working his way into big-league shape in the minors. Since the Phillies got Martinez, they also acquired Cliff Lee, leaving six pitchers -- including Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton and Jamie Moyer -- fighting for five spots.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel wasn't ready to address a problem that's not a problem until Martinez is deemed ready for the bigs.

"Let me answer that later on," Manuel said. "I don't feel like getting into that."

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From The Trainer's Room ...
Diamondbacks outfielder Justin Upton is likely headed to the disabled list after straining his right oblique in the ninth inning of Wednesday's game against the Pirates. Upton and the team were avoiding a prognosis until he is evaluated further.

"It makes for a tough night because he's obviously a key part of our lineup and it's tough to see him go down like that," D-backs manager A.J. Hinch said. "And those are tricky injuries where you don't how long they're going to be. We'll know more tomorrow, but it's a tough blow for this team."

Numbers Game ...
White Sox designated hitter Jim Thome hit his 19th and 20th homers of the season, becoming only the second active player to have 15 20-homer seasons. Ken Griffey Jr. is the other. Overall, Thome has 561 homers, just two shy of equaling Reggie Jackson for 12th on the all-time list.

In Their Own Words ...
"It's almost like winning the Word Series." Reds CEO Bob Castellini, after his team stopped an eight-game losing streak in unlikely fashion. Journeyman Justin Lehr, making his second big-league start, pitched a shutout against the Cubs.

Advance Scouting ...
The Yankees-Red Sox rivalrly resumes with John Smoltz taking the mound for Boston at Yankee Stadium (7:05 PM ET). A future Hall of Famer, Smoltz has had a forgettable start to Red Sox tenure since coming off the disabled list in June. In seven starts, he has yet to turn in a quality start. Joba Chamberlain gets the ball for the Yankees, coming off an eight-inning scoreless outing last time.