Marlins liking the road

The Chicago Cubs out-homered the Florida Marlins 2-1 at Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon, but it was Jeremy Hermida's ninth inning solo shot that propelled the visitors to a 3-2 victory. The loss, just the 13th of the season for the Cubs at home, brings the Milwaukee Brewers within a half-game of first place in the N.L. Central.

Chicago, dealt with the unavailability of Kerry Wood due to a blister and Carlos Marmol having thrown 38 pitches the night before, used two relievers outside of their customary roles. In his Major League debut rookie Jeff Samardzija allowed one run in two innings giving up the lead. Bob Howry pitched the ninth, serving up Hermida's home run.

The Marlins' win brings Florida within one of making it a .500 record on the road this season. Only three other National League teams have accomplished that feat thus far: Milwaukee, St. Louis and Philadelphia. In the American League only the Boston Red Sox (.500) and the Los Angeles Angels have played even or better baseball on the road. The Angels' 31-18 mark is better than their 31-21 home mark, making them the only team in MLB with better numbers away from home and a winning record in both columns.

Chipped Jones

Braves third baseman Chipper Jones is out of the lineup tonight with yet another injury. It looks like he'll miss his goal of playing in 150 games this year, which is a shame considering he's one of the elite hitters in baseball with a .369 average.

The return of Liriano

The Twins are getting close to bringing back Francisco Liriano. With him and a number of pitchers in the rotation possibilities to move to the Minnesota bullpen, it appears that Livan Hernandez would be most in danger of losing his starting job.

Hernandez, who has allowed a major league-high 178 hits, has dropped four straight road decisions since beating the White Sox on May 7. Despite reaching double-digit victories for the ninth consecutive season, he could be pitching to save his spot in the rotation with Francisco Liriano waiting in the minor leagues.

''He's one of my friends, but the situation is not easy right now,'' Hernandez said, adding: ''I think nothing is going to happen, because everybody is pitching good.''

Fantasy Impact: Expect Hernandez to be demoted sooner than later. Who cares if the Twins are 14-7 in his starts? He's 10-6, but his 5.29 ERA suggests it's run support that's getting him by.

Goodwill from Gotham?

Jayson Stark's latest says the Yankees are interested in Jarrod Washburn, but only in order to help Seattle, which can't afford the languishing lefty for the duration of his huge contract.

Sorry, but I don't think the Yankees do anything "goodwill," and this article from the New York Times would seem to suggest that there's a good deal of motive behind acquiring Washburn.

Fantasy Impact: With a series of strong starts Washburn is getting back to respectability after an awful start to his year. With an ERA at 4.75 (and falling) some Yankees offense would net him some extra wins. Consider him if a deal goes through.

Pedro's pain

Pedro Martinez left the Mets on Wednesday and will miss Friday's scheduled start as he returns home to the Dominican Republic following the death of his father.

While on the DL earlier this season Martinez went home to care for his ailing father. He hasn't pitched well this season, posting a 6.25 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP in 44 2/3 innings.

Fantasy Impact: You have to wonder if the gravity of having his father hurt Pedro's performance on the field. He's battle various injuries this year as well, but if he comes back inspired from the personal tragedy Martinez may still offer something special down the stretch.

Brewing victories

Milwaukee's got some good karma (or maybe just good players) after all their recent deals.

CC Sabathia had it humming in St. Louis tonight. Sabathia held the third-place Cardinals to three hits in a complete game 3-0 shutout. The win pulls Milwaukee within a half-game of the Cubs and one back in the loss column. The Brewers have won seven straight. The can sweep the Cardinals in four straight at Busch on Thursday, and the pitching match up is in Milwaukee's favor with Ben Sheets facing Todd Wellemeyer.

JJ Hardy homered for the 14th time while Ryan Braun hit his 25th off of Jason Isringhausen to start the ninth. The Brewers got hot at the start of 2007 but faded down the stretch. They're working in reverse to this point in 2008.

Soriano's worth

It would be hard to say Alfonso Soriano's return catalyzed the Cubs offense in the first at Arizona; Derrek Lee hit the home run to put the Cubs up 1-0. Soriano's presence, however, must help the Cubs in any regard. Save for a 9-0 win in Houston the Cubs have scored just four runs in four games since the All-Star break.

Cubs making moves

Alfonso Soriano is back in the lineup for the Cubs tonight in Arizona. He'll bat leadoff.

Meanwhile, the Cubs have Carlos Marmol in Kerry Wood's closer role and could bring Jeff Samardzija up from Triple-A. Samardzija would enter a long relief or setup role, not the closer job.

Fantasy Impact: Get Soriano active, and enjoy Marmol while Wood's blister heals. Watch Samardzija's progress for next year.

Hand it to Hanrahan

Baseball's newest closer is the Nationals' Joel Hanrahan, who inherits the job left vacant with Jon Rauch's trade to Arizona. He has the pedigree: striking out more than a batter per inning and yielding just 47 hits in 59 1/3 innings pitched.

Fantasy Impact: This is not necessarily a permanent move. Hanrahan has to prove he can handle the stress of closing out ballgames, but he's got room to make a few mistakes with the Nats out of the playoff race.

Gibbons to Milwaukee

The Milwaukee Brewers continue to acquire players in an attempt to make a run at the World Series. Jay Gibbons is their latest pick up.

Gibbons, 31, who was released by the Orioles at the end of spring training, is expected to spend the next 10-to-14 days at Double-A Huntsville before being promoted to Triple-A Nashville, if all goes according to plan. He had been playing with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League.

"He's a little rusty, self-admittedly rusty," Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash said according to MLB.com. "The idea is to get him some minor league at-bats and then evaluate as we go along."

It's a low-risk move by Milwaukee, and one that could prove important down the stretch as Gibbons provides pop from the left side. Gibbons was named in the Mitchell report, so we'll have to wait and see if the power comes back.

Urine test for HGH

A urine test is on the way for detecting Human Growth Hormone.

MLB spokesman Rich Levin said in an e-mail to the newspaper that MLB could move to include a urine HGH test as soon as scientists validate the test. Greg Bouris, spokesman for the MLB Players Association, told the paper the union had no comment.

NFL Spokesman Brian McCarthy told USA Today, "We are always open to reviewing any test but have yet to see a test that is available on a commercial basis." NFL players union officials couldn't be reached for comment. Use of an HGH test would have to be collectively bargained between the NFL and the union, USA Today notes

Scientists explained to the Washington Business Journal how the test works. It uses "nanoparticles, which work much like a crab net, filtering bodily fluids and using chemical bait to snare, isolate, compile and preserve some of the world's smallest matter to help detect diseases or toxins earlier, faster and cheaper."

At least they're trying, but as long as chemists can make new designer steroids they're capable of getting their way around or remaining one step ahead of the new technology.

Dominican Dandy

Johnny Cueto looked like a prodigy against San Diego striking out 10 in six innings. Cueto threw 78 of his 120 pitches for strikes, but failed to pick up his eighth win thanks to a shaky third inning. Cueto walked the leadoff man, then got the next two batters before allowing three straight hits that scored three runs. He earned a no-decision when the Reds forced extra innings.

Cincinnati wins the game 4-3 in the 11th on a Jeff Keppinger double that scored Jay Bruce. Bruce extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

Fantasy Impact: Cuteo continues to mix good and bad outings in his rookie season. He's a little big better at home, so take your chances when he's at the Great American Ballpark more often than when he's on the road.

Not even 17-thousand

Despite starting the night in first place, the Rays drew just 16,800 for a Tuesday night tilt with Oakland. Those not in attendance didn't miss much. Dallas Braden made his debut for the A's, giving up one earned run in five innings, and Jack Hannahan drove in four in an 8-1 Oakland win.

Andy Sonnanstine falls to 10-5 as he picks up the loss. Tampa's got both Boston and New York breathing down its neck.

Closing in on Tampa

The Yankees explode for seven runs in the sixth and seventh innings against Minnesota's Kevin Slowy and company en route to a comfortable 8-2 win. With first-place Tampa losing to Oakland, the Yankees are very much in the race in the AL East, standing just 3 1/2 games back.

Most encouraging for the Yankees tonight might have been the pitching of Darrell Rasner, who worked into the sixth before yielding two runs. He picks up his sixth win, though he couldn't pick up a quality start.

Fantasy Impact: Rasner tossed three quality starts in his first four outings of the season, but then lost his ability to get past the fifth. He almost broke the spell tonight. Keep an eye on him as a potent Yankees lineup can work wonders for any pitcher.

Six apiece, four each

Some similar numbers from the players that mattered most in Baltimore. Both starting pitchers, Shaun Marcum and Garrett Olson, worked 4 2/3 innings and yielded six earned runs. Neither figured in the decision.

Both players of the game, Adam Lind and Nick Markakis, went 4-5 with a home run. Despite Markakis knocking in five runs to Lind's three, the Blue Jays win the game, 10-8.

Fantasy Impact: Marcum, just off the DL after sitting out sine June 19th with an elbow strain, looked terrible in his return. He allowed eight hits and walked three. You may want to sit him until he's comfortable again. Olson is looking more and more like he needs a return to the minors. His ERA is an ugly 6.11.

Lind is intriguing at this time. Cito Gaston has handed him the reigns in left field, and Lind is hitting .289 with six home runs. Start both him and Markakis in all formats.

Blanton blasted

Joe Blanton's first start for the Phillies is not pretty: five earned runs, six innings, two home runs allowed against the Mets. This one wasn't even played in Philadelphia, where the experts believe Blanton's deep Oakland flyouts will turn into home runs. Mets beat the Phils, 8-6.

Fantasy Impact: If you own Blanton, bench him. He doesn't offer much unless his National League anonimity helps him get by. It didn't tonight. Carlos Delgado and Ramon Castro connected for the Mets' longballs. Neither of them inspire fear, although Delgado's been swinging a hot stick.

Ninth heaven

Down a run in the visitor's half of the ninth in Houston, the Pittsburgh Pirates grabbed the lead and then some. After Jose Valverde retired Ryan Doumit to begin the inning, Jason Bay blasted his 20th home run, a solo shot to knot things at three. The Pirates continued to pound away. After a Xavier Nady single, Adam LaRoche ripped his 12th home run for a 5-3 Pirates advantage. After Valverde exited the game, but before Pittsburgh batted around in the inning, Freddie Sanchez tallied a three-run inside-the-park home run.

Pittsburgh scored seven in the inning with Valverde posting six earned runs in 1/3 an inning of work. The Pirates prevail, 9-3.

Longoria goes long

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria went long for the 19th time this season in Tampa's 4-0 win over Oakland. Longoria finished the night 2-5 with a run scored and two RBI.

Fantasy Impact: Longoria is this year's Ryan Braun. His average dropped to .272 around the All-Star break -- and rookies are often slump-prone -- but he's certainly the one to have this year.

Kazmir rolls

No All-Star hangover for Scott Kazmir. The Rays starter, who wasn't supposed to pitch in the midsummer classic but ended up winning the game in the end, went seven innings against Oakland, striking out nine to pick up his eighth win.

Fantasy Impact: Kazmir's fought off arm troubles in recent seasons to become the dominant lefty in baseball. As his ERA drops to 2.80, his stock rises. Finally on a winning team, he's become a fantasy ace.

Pounce on Ponson?

Somehow Sidney Ponson is 6-1. For a guy who allows a high number of base runners (1.58 WHIP entering tonight), Ponson continues to get run support. First he got it in Texas. Now it's coming in New York, as the Yankees scored eight runs in the first three innings against Minnesota in a 12-4 victory in the Bronx. Ponson gave up three runs over 5 2/3 innings, pushing his ERA up to 4.02.

Fantasy Impact: It's hard to endorse Ponson. Since 2005 his WHIP is over 1.50, a tell-tale sign of a guy who is in over his head. Wins, however, may continue to drop in his owners' laps if the Yankees score runs like this. More often than not they will keep Ponson in the game, so if you can afford a guy who won't help you in any other category but victories, why not try Ponson?