Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.You Oughta Know ...
That Cole Hamels is starting to look like the World Series MVP.
The left-hander, who was one of the biggest reasons the Phillies won a title last season, tossed eight innings of one-run ball and struck out 10 in a 4-2 win over the Nationals.
Hamels hasn't looked like the ace he was for Philadelphia last year, but his last five starts suggest he could be rounding into form at exactly the right time.
Hamels is 3-1 with a 1.43 ERA in those five turns and he has 38 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings.
"I think you have to enjoy it," Hamels said. "Sometimes, the games get a little bit more meaningful. The fans know it, we know it. It's just going out there and doing what we know best."From the Trainer's Room ...
Cubs right fielder Milton Bradley came out of Chicago's 7-4 loss to Milwaukee in the sixth inning with what he described as "knee inflammation." Bradley has had two surgical procedures on his left knee. So will he be back in the lineup Friday when the Cubs open a series with the rival Cardinals? The surly Bradley was little help.
"I got knee inflammation," he said. "I got two knee surgeries. That happens when you got knee surgery, in case you don't know. What else you got?"Numbers Game ...
How long will you be out?
"What else you got? Anything significant?"
This went on and on until Bradley turned his back, ending the interview.
Since the Angels called up Howie Kendrick after a month-long stint in the minors, the second baseman is hitting .379. Kendrick homered and drove in the game-winning run as Los Angeles avoided a sweep in Fenway Park.
In Their Own Words ...
"By no means do I think we're tight -- you've got to give credit where credit is due," -- Tigers center fielder Curtis Granderson after his team lost 9-2 to the Royals, trimming their lead over the Twins in the AL Central down to four games ahead of a critical weekend series in Minnesota. Detroit has six games left against the Twins, but, perhaps more fortunately, none with Kansas City. The Royals have beaten the Tigers in six of their last seven meetings.
Advance Scouting ...
The Rangers sit 6 1/2 games back of the Angels in the AL West, but still have six games left with the division leaders before the end of the season, starting Friday night (8:05 PM ET). In other words, Texas needs to be nearly perfect against Los Angeles to have any hope of reaching the playoffs. Tommy Hunter goes for the Rangers against Scott Kazmir, who has a 1.86 ERA in three starts for the Halos.
