Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.You Oughta Know ...
All everyone could talk about earlier this week was the stunning manner in which the Rockies nearly closed the gap on the Dodgers in the NL West. Of course, they still only got within two games of the wire-to-wire Dodgers, and it's now back up to a 4-game deficit for the Rox after consecutive home losses to the boys in blue. Vicente Padilla followed up Randy Wolf's Wednesday gem with a nice outing of his own. It was his Dodgers debut, as he just signed Wednesday.
From the Trainer's Room ...
Nyjer Morgan broke a bone in his left hand Thursday and will likely miss the remainder of the season. The 28-year-old outfielder was enjoying a breakout season on two of baseball's worst teams. He was traded from the Pirates to the Nationals after 71 games and had a .307 average with 74 runs, 7 triples, 42 stolen bases and a .368 on-base percentage. He especially took off for Washington, as he hit .351 and stole 24 bases in his 49 games for the Nationals.
By the Numbers ...
Apparently Ian Kinsler is content with being a power hitter. The speedy, 27-year-old second baseman, who used to be the Rangers' leadoff hitter, has lost 56 points of his OBP and 72 off his batting average since last season. After his slugging in the Bronx Thursday afternoon, though, he established a new career high with 74 RBI and increased his already-career-high home run total to 28. He's hitting a homer every 15.7 at-bats in 2009.
In Their Own Words ...
When asked if his Cubs still have a chance at the postseason, Alfonso Soriano replied: ''[St. Louis] has to play like we're playing right now, and we've got a chance. But they're playing very good baseball.'' Yeah, good luck with that, Sori. The Cardinals are 21-7 in the past month, while the Cubs have won just five of their last 19. Add it up, and you have a St. Louis 9-game lead in the Central. Translation: Game over.
Advance Scouting ...
The Rockies need to refocus on their wild-card lead, because it is only three games over the Giants -- and the Rockies travel to San Francisco this weekend for a pivotal three-game series. The pitching matchup Friday night is an absolute dandy. You know Tim Lincecum, and he squares off against Ubaldo Jimenez, who is becoming a legitimate ace in his own right. His August ERA -- in five starts -- is a minuscule 1.63, which is more than enough to better Lincecum's 2.95 in the same stretch. This is a must-watch, old school pitcher's duel.
