SB Nation - Jerry Hairston Jr.

Is Jeremy Hermida on the Move?

Ben Buchanan — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:09:14 -0000

More photos » by Lenny Ignelzi - AP

5 months ago: Florida Marlins' Jeremy Hermida watches his sacrifice fly to left field that scored Emilio Bonifacio from third in the fifth inning in a baseball game Tuesday, July 21, 2009, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

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Jeremy Hermida might be gone before playing a single game in a Red Sox uniform.

WEEI's Alex Speier reported that when the Red Sox traded for Hermida, they mentioned they were likely to trade him if they were to re-sign Jason Bay. While they will almost certainly not do that, the Cameron signing may well have created the same situation. Cameron is unlikely to be a platoon player, and Hermida's splits are not strong enough to warrant giving him time in the field over Cameron. And at a cost of $3 million, Hermida is an odd choice for a defenseless 4th outfielder.

Hermida will not bring a significant bounty, but there are teams that could use a young outfielder with potential. If the Sox do trade Hermida, they would likely have to look at free agency to replace him, as they will want to get Josh Reddick and eventually Ryan Kalish plenty of at bats in AAA. Darnell McDonald could also serve as a warm body in Fenway to avoid getting caught unaware in case of a sudden injury, but he's not good enough to slot in on any given day. A more ideal solution might be to sign a guy like Jerry Hairston Jr. While he's just as bad offensively, he would bring defensive versatility to the Sox' bench at an affordable price.

Cashman clear on Joba, Phil

Ed Valentine — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:16:08 -0000

We have all winter to debate whether Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes should be in the starting rotation or the bullpen for the New York Yankees next season. But, let's come at the debate I am sure we will have for the next several months knowing exactly where General Manager Brian Cashman stands.

"I look at them as starters that can relieve," he said. "But I look at them as starters."

The Yankees will likely have lots of options for the back of the rotation, and no one knows for sure how it will play out. But, we know the organization seems steadfast in its belief that both guys are long-term rotation corner stones.

Let's look at some other stories making the rounds of the Inter-Google today that affect our World Champion Bronx Bombers.

More reasons to hate Scott Boras

Boras, we know, is the egotistical super-agent. Unfortunately for us, he represents Johnny Damon. Despite Damon' oft-stated desire to stay with the Yankees, Boras is not going to make that easy.

The Yankees were hoping all the joy associated with being a champion Yankee would motivate Johnny Damon to accept a one- or, at the most, two-year deal to return. However, his representative, Scott Boras, flushed the notion of a hometown bargain. Instead, he compared his client to Derek Jeter and sounded as if he wants a three- or four-year deal for Damon.

Oh, and if you want to replace Damon with free-agent Matt Holliday Boras represents him, too. And he wants Mark Teixeira money for Holliday.

WFAN's Sweeny Murti praises Brian Cashman

We have heard a lot of praise for Cashman recently, and will likely continue to hear it throughout the off-season. Here is WFAN's Sweeny Murti weighing in.

Did any of us really see this coming two years ago? Remember when Hank Steinbrenner was running amok, Joe Girardi was replacing Joe Torre, A-Rod was opting out and back in, and Johan Santana was on his way to Flushing instead of the Bronx?

Brian Cashman sat in front of the media last October and had what I called his "You can't handle the truth" moment, telling us all that he was going to re-write the story. None of us knew that he would be proven right only a year later.

Who's in Center Field? Gardbrera, and the Yanks are in good hands

The outstanding River Avenue Blues is looking at what went right for the Yankees in 2009. Here is their take on center field.

Across the board, the performance in centerfield improved in 2009. The Gardbrera duo (plus a two game cameo from Jerry Hairston Jr.) hit .273-.338-.400, as Melky once again carried most of the load. Not only was the offensive upgrade welcome, but the defense also improved immensely thanks to Gardner. The team’s UZR/150 in center jumped to +7.5, third best in the AL. The league average offense and well-above average defense gave the Yankees the most production out of the centerfield position since Bernie Williams was in his heyday.

Baseball GMs pass on expanding instant replay - MLB - Yahoo! Sports

Not a Yankee story, but I had to mention it.

Upon further review … baseball general managers like instant replay the way it is. GMs failed to take a vote Tuesday on expanding instant replay following a postseason filled with blown calls by umpires. "I know there are some who have talked off line about the expansion of instant replay," said Jimmie Lee Solomon, executive vice president of baseball operations in the commissioner’s office. "Right now, the commissioner doesn’t see any reason to consider it."

My take: i think it's stupid that baseball, with the technology already in place to improve the game, refuses to use it. Especially after the poor post-season umpiring we just witnessed.

Other Notes

Monday Bird Droppings

Camden Chat — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:09:35 -0000

via Your Daily Off-Season O of the Day: Cla Meredith

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Phils rock Dodgers, take 2-1 series lead

I'm pretty sure the Dodgers gave up a run on the ceremonial first pitch. -duck

Another Canadian blog says the O's want John McDonald

"At short, there are the likes of Orlando Cabrera, Alex Cora, Bobby Crosby, Adam Everett, Alex Gonzalez, Khalil Greene, Miguel Tejada, Jack Wilson and the Jays' own John McDonald, whom both the Baltimore Orioles and the Philadelphia Phillies have an interest in." Say it with me - We don't want John McDonald. -duck

Yankees' Hairston right at home at game's end

Jerry Hairston Jr., playing in the postseason for the first time in his career, likes the playoffs. Who could have seen that coming? -duck

Astros take 2nd look at Garner

Phil Garner wants a second chance in Houston. He was fired there two years ago. Some guys are just gluttons for punishment. -duck

Look, Buttermaker, you're not my father and I'll not move an inch to play baseball for you any more. So why don't you get back into that sardine can of yours and go, go vacuum the bottom of the Pacific Ocean? I've got business to take care of. You're blocking my customers with your Open Thread.

A Postseason To Remember: NLCS Game 3 Preview, Dodgers vs. Phillies, Sunday 10/18, 7:07 CT

Al — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 18:00:20 -0000

More photos » by Julie Jacobson - AP

Um, Maicer? Wrong decision.

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Regardless of how this postseason ends up (please, not the Yankees winning, please), we have already had more than our share of exciting, close games, with controversial umpiring calls, clutch hitting by various players, and misplays at the worst possible time.

There's absolutely no doubt that Maicer Izturis made the wrong decision late last night (if you missed it, it was shortly after midnight Chicago time) in trying to turn a double play with Yankees on first and second and one out in the 13th inning. It had been raining for a while, conditions were poor, and the ball was likely wet when Izturis, trying for a throw to 2B, flung the ball in the general direction of short left field, where Chone Figgins picked it up with no chance to get Jerry Hairston Jr., who scored the winning run.

Jerry Hairston. Winning run. In a league championship series game. Yes, the same Jerry Hairston who, as one of Dusty Baker's "horses" in 2006, hit an Aaron-Miles-like .207/.253/.244 in 82 at-bats before being exiled to Texas (for Phil Nevin), where he hit a not-much-better .206/.270/.253 in 88 AB. And now, he's two wins from being in the World Series.

Anyway, had Izturis made the proper choice and thrown to first for an easy out, the Yankees would have had runners on second and third with two out and Jorge Posada at bat -- the game had a chance, at least, to go to the 14th inning. Nevertheless, even with the crushing loss, the Angels will have a shot at evening up the series at home starting tomorrow. Many teams have come back from 0-2 deficits to win a seven-game series.

Meanwhile, if you liked watching baseball with players wearing hats with earflaps and rain pouring down, you'll love tonight's forecast for the Philadelphia area. I'm guessing many people here won't be watching the game tonight, instead tuned to some other game in some other sport on some other channel.

Dodgers at Phillies, 7:07 pm CDT. Series tied 1-1. TV: TBS. Announcers: Chip Caray, Buck Martinez and Ron Darling.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

SB Nation game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Dodgers site True Blue LA and Phillies site The Good Phight.

Yankees 5, Orioles 1: It could have been worse?

Stacey — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 02:29:54 -0000

More photos » by Rob Carr - AP

This picture of Guthrie was the only O's pic provided by the AP from tonight's game. The rest was all Yankees. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

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Andy Pettitte took a perfect game into the 7th inning before a two out Jerry Hairston Jr. error and a Nick Markakis single took both away, causing Andy Pettitte to have to settle for his 26th career win against the Orioles.

There's not much to say about the offense tonight. They hacked and flailed at Pettite's pitches all night, looking wholly incompetent. In the 7th inning, with 20 straight Orioles retired, Adam Jones hit a ground ball to 3B Jerry Hairston. The ball with right through Hairston's legs, and Pettitte's perfect game was history. Nick Markakis followed that with an opposite field single and there went the no-hitter. For the first time the Orioles were in business, but Nolan Reimold grounded out to end the inning. The O's only run came when Melvin Mora hit his 6th HR in the 8th inning, making Pettite's final line: 8 IP, 2 H, 1 R 0 BB, 8 K.

Not as effective but still rather impressive all things considered was Jeremy Guthrie's game. Guthrie allowed just two hits through the first four innings, but unfortunately one of those was a home run to Nick Swisher. Guthrie really struggled in the 5th, as the inning started off with back-to-back doubles by Robinson Cano and Swisher to give the Yankees their second run of the game. Guthrie then hit Jerry Hairston to put runners at first and second with zero outs, but escaped with a Melky Cabrera groundout and GIDP by Derek Jeter. Guthrie came back for the 6th with a 1-2-3 inning but his pitch count didn't allow him to go any deeper into the game.

With Guthrie out, Mark Hendrickson came in to try and hold the deficit at 2 runs. He was unsuccessful, giving up three runs in the 8th on four hits. Brian Bass relieved Hendo and finished the game.

The Yankees sent Bruney to the mound in the 9th to close it out, but he couldn't do his job. He walked Brian Roberts and gave up a single to Adam Jones. Just like in a game earlier this year, Mariano Rivera had to come in to clean up Bruney's mess. He retired Markakis and Reimold to end the game and earn his 37th save of the year.

You can put this one in the loss column. O's and Yanks face off again tomorrow, David Hernandez vs. A.J. Burnett.

Poll

Who was tonight's Most Birdland Player (MBP)?

Nick Markakis (broke up the no-hitter)

37 votes

Melvin Mora (HR for the O's only run)

30 votes

Jeremy Guthrie (6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 K)

72 votes

Nobody

81 votes

220 votes | Poll has closed

Who Feels Like Believing?

Jeff — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 01:57:33 -0000

To be fair, I didn't get to watch the game today. It's entirely possible that Doug Fister's results were all voodoo and black magic, and that he wasn't nearly as good as someone in my position would be led to believe. But when you come home to a performance like this against a team like New York...

7 IP, 65% strikes, 10% swinging strikes, 0 walks, 4 strikeouts, 1 homer

...and you see that the Yankees slotted in six left-handed bats, you've no choice but to be impressed. That's a hell of a lineup that Fister was facing, and he managed to do something few other starting pitchers have been able to do all season long.

What does it mean? I don't know that it means much of anything. It's important to remember that Fister posted one of the lowest swinging strike rates in AAA this year, and that his repertoire isn't the least bit overwhelming. However, the difference between Fister and someone like, say, Chris Jakubauskas is that at no point was Jak able to do what Fister's done so far as a starter, which is throw strikes and miss some bats. Just look at this list of players who've swung and missed at least once against Fister so far:

Nick Swisher
Paul Konerko (2)
Jerry Hairston Jr.
Jim Thome (2)
Alexei Ramirez
Derek Jeter (3)
Alex Rodriguez
Johnny Damon (4)
Jermaine Dye
Carlos Quentin

That's nothing but quality and Jerry Hairston Jr. in there, and you have to give Fister his due. Out of nowhere, he's come up and really impressed, throwing four pitches for strikes and showcasing what in the early going has been a remarkably effective changeup.

	pfx_x	pfx_z
Fastball	-7.8	10.0
Changeup	-8.1	4.0

Change:

Result	#
Strike	34
Ball	18
StS	8
GB	8
FB	4
LD	0

Good swinging strikes, good location, and weak contact against a pitch that looks a lot like his fastball coming out of his hand. I didn't know a whole lot about Fister prior to his promotion, but he's wasted little time in making a name for himself. An actual name. A name that isn't a vulgar novelty name.

Doug Fister may very well go on to find that his Major League career peaked this afternoon. It is impossible to ignore the fact that he has a rather pedestrian repertoire that didn't miss a lot of bats in AAA, and by no means do I think we should start penciling his name into the 2010 Mariner rotation. On the other hand, though, he did have a 7.2 K/BB in Tacoma before getting the call, and given this organization's history of guys getting called up and going on to struggle, Fister's two starts have been a breath of fresh air. Who am I to tell you not to get excited? Fister's been terrific, and when you've got a guy this easy to root for, there's no sense in holding yourself back. I'll be pulling for Fister up until he washes out, be that in ten days or ten years.

In 7-5 win, who needs to manufacture runs when the short porch is on our side?

CrazyYankeeChick — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 03:37:36 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

At Melky's 25th birthday party, he treated his guests to 2 RBIs, while Kevin Long makes his case for a hefty bonus.

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"Greatness's New Home" (TM Michael Kay) may soon be giving Fenway a run for its money in the Ultimate Home Field Advantage Showdown. For the third game in a row, the Yankees' offense featured back-to-back long balls. But what's even more significant is that in each b2b incident, the one of those shots was to tie the game.

(Robinson Cano's blast yesterday brought the game within 1 and Jerry Hairston Jr. was the one who tied it. Today and Sunday's first blast of the one-two punches were to tie the game, with the second shot putting the Yankees ahead.)

I like manufacturing runs as much as the next guy, but tonight's win over the Blue Jays was the 8th Yankee win in the last 9 games, and it looks like our boys are bringing the balance of offense and defense down to a formulaic science.

After the first 3 innings, the Yankees convinced us they were going to spend the rest of the night batting Scott Richmond around, like he's one of the half dead field mice my parents' cat drags home for his amusement. He'll swat it around the house for a few hours, get bored with it, and when the mouse tries to limp out the door, the cat'll deliver the final blow, which could range from biting his head off to just beating it into flatlined submission. I guess the Yankees are a little like that cat these days.

They tagged Richmond for 3 runs in the first 2 innings RBIs from Mark Teixeira and Jorge Posada, and a sac fly off Melky Cabrera's bat. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: there's no bottom of the order on this team, and any pitcher that goes up against this lineup is no less terrified than a new freshman shakily gripping his lunch tray as he walks into the cafeteria, completely dumbfounded with respect to his next move.

Richmond was dealing after the 3rd inning, though, and stifled the Yanks long enough for the Jays to come back with 4 runs of their own. Lyle Overbay's 3-run double in the 3rd tied it up, and Ruiz took Joba Chamberlain deep shortly thereafter to put NY in a 5-4 deficit. Joba's outing fell somewhere in between his most recent starts and his earlier ones, as he gave up 5 hits and settled for the no-decision.

When the game was on the line, to a certain degree, the Yankees capitalized on their new Bronx home. Hideki Matsui and Posada's consecutive blasts, of course, fell right over the now notorious right field wall. People can complain about this all they want, but the fact remains that the wall stays the same height whether the home team or visitors are batting.

But here's what this game really spotlighted for me: as voracious as their offense has been, their defense has been just as good--but more than this, it's that both have been at their best when their best is what was needed. A bullpen that's had a worse reputation than Courtney Love has been virtually flawless. To put things in perspective, our pitchers have the lowest ERA in the American League since the ASB, at 3.62.

Our offense has the 2nd best BA in the entire league.

Every team has holes in their game. But the Yankees have been doing something that I haven't seen from them in years--they're tailoring their game to the situation at hand. And when you play like that, any discernible vulnerability progressively diminishes.

The Yankees aren't just winning.

They're becoming harder and harder to beat.

-CYC

Around the Yankee Universe: Mitre madness

Ed Valentine — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 12:45:14 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

GET USED TO THIS: Sadly, it looks like Yankee fans might have to get used to seeing Sergio Mitre for a while.

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If you have pitching experience -- Little League, American Legion, backyard wiffle ball -- please contact New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman immediately.

After Friday night's putrid start by Sergio Mitre, and considering the 7.90 ERA he has in three starts, I'm sure nobody wants to see him start another game. But, right now the Yankees might be stuck with him

Peter Abraham summarized the situation nicely.

Sergio Mitre to date:

3 starts
13.2 innings
24 hits
13 runs
12 earned runs
3 walks
6 strikeouts

That looks like a one-way ticket back to Scranton. But the Yankees have Kei Igawa, Josh Towers, Jason Hirsh, Romulo Sanchez and young Ivan Nova in Scranton. When the K-Man is your ace, that’s trouble.

"I’m not sure that we have a lot of options at this point," Joe Girardi said, quite correctly. "(Mitre) has got to get it done for us."

Thing is, after three less than inspiring starts, it's pretty obvious Mitre can't get it done. So, if you can pitch -- even a little -- get those resumes to Cashman ASAP.

Here are a few other stories floating Around the Yankee Universe today.

ESPN's Jayson Stark puts the Yankees firmly in the 'loser' category when assessing the trade deadline.

If everything in life comes down to Yankees-Red Sox, then any deadline when the Red Sox pull off a major coups and the Yankees trade for a utility guy (Jerry Hairston Jr.) has to dump the Yankees in the old "losers" column, even though they're obviously not exactly a team in need of a major overhaul.

"The one thing you have to say in their defense," one AL exec said, "is they're rolling. It's hard to find their fault right now." But if this is a team without a hole, how come the Yankees made a run at Jarrod Washburn and Kansas City's Brian Bannister? Because they know themselves that they're one rotation injury from a potentially serious pitching crisis. If they can unearth a little pitching depth in August, we'll call off the Trouble Watch.

But for now, any Deadline Day that passes without a significant Yankees move will be considered by the proper authorities to be an official "loss."

Interestingly, Gordon Edes of Yahoo! Sports has the Yankees in the 'winners' column. Here is his reasoning.

Why do they get a "W" when all they did was pick up utilityman Jerry Hairston Jr.? Because their big moves in the offseason have left them in a position where they didn’t have to do more than that.

NY Baseball Digest thinks that Friday may turn out to be an important day for the Yankees -- for 2009 and beyond.

The Red Sox closed the gap last night on and off the field. They beat the Orioles and acquired Victor Martinez. Jim Duquette told us Thursday that the Yankees are one of the team’s best positioned to win now and in the future.

We will see, starting August 6th, if "winning now" includes beating the Boston Red Sox. If not, all the Yankees can hope for is that they continue to hit the jackpot with their deep farm system. July 31st might become the day that the 2009 season, and how business is conducted in the future, changed for the New York Yankees.

After Friday's trade deadline passed, Mark Teixeira expressed confidence that the Yankees were fine without a major pitching acquisition.

"I don't think anyone can complain about bringing in CC (Sabathia), A.J. (Burnett) and myself," Teixeira said. "Guys are stepping up for us this year. Joba (Chamberlain) is stepping up, Phil (Hughes) is stepping up. We've got everything we need here."

My take: I had no real issue with Cashman refusing to part with top prospects. Something has to get done, though, because the Yankees can't keep sending Mitre out there.

Yankees defy mathematical logic, lose 10-5 in 12-hit game

CrazyYankeeChick — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 04:24:02 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

Yeah, it doesn't look good, does it? 0-5, Jorge? Really?

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What exactly happened here? As I'm still in the nascent stages of a move and hence sans cable, I'm relying on the CBS 880 power couple to deliver my games. So at baseline, the chances of me getting a handle on the game are already compromised, but I don't think Stephen Hawkings and his fantasy actuary team could get a bead on how the entire Yankees order--save Melky Cabrera and Jorge Posada--could get at least one hit, and still lose to the White Sox.

Tonight's game moved like a NYC subway with a rookie conductor, jerking forward and then awkwardly plugging along. Sergio Mitre got knocked around early, and pitched like he was just phoning it in. Maybe he figured he didn't stand to be too embarassed seeing as his opposing hurler also got tagged for 5 runs. The difference is, Sergio Mitre is supposed to be our rationale for not picking up a &*(* 5th starter at the deadline, and D.J. Carrasco was just the equivalent of the P.E. teacher filling in for the history teacher out sick. Plus he sounds like he should be talking in thinly veiled euphenisms while cracking his knuckles and checking to see if the room is bugged.

To recap the offensive hemorrhage that occured at the Cell tonight would mean I'd be wrapping up this post sometime around dawn. The highlights, so to speak:

The Yankees opened up with a 3-0 lead that gave all us fans some breathing room. I was sad to discover that the Yankees' days of inexplicably squandering leads like that to teams like this were not, in fact, over.
A.J. Pierzynski went 4-5. I hope to God I started him today. (Yeah, that's right, I have 2 catchers on my fantasy roster. 2009 has got to be some record for the most useless pool of catchers ever. They're either injured or miserably slumping at any given point.)
Eric Hinske comes to bat for the first time in 7 games to sail a game-tying 2-run homer. With Shelley Duncan having been just called back up, I wonder if the two of them will have Kelly-Brenda on 90210 types of competitiveness over who's the better hit-a-homerun-every-time-you-get-up guy. Cody Ransom will look on wistfully while no one talks to him.
Both Scott Podsednik and Carlos Quentin nailed 2 hits. One of Quentin's was a homerun, one of Podsednik's was a BUNT that broke an 0-16 slump. The Yankees are to struggling players what the Pirates are to teams hungry for acquisitions. They're like soup kitchens for baseball.
David Robertson got pinned with the loss. That sucks. He strikes out 2 and gives up 1 run, leaving it at a manageable 6-5 game. Alfredo Aceves comes in determined and wearing his best "You want to see deficit? I'll SHOW you deficit" suit. To be fair, the Yanks never scored after that, which must have disappointed Sterling who didn't get to say "And now the 4-run 7th is really looming large..."
Although I predicted in my preview the game would be decided by their bullpen, I don't think it's fair to make that claim now, since neither team put anything on the mound that really resembled pitching tonight. The game was decided by 2-out hits and RISP. Chicago had 4 two-out ribbies and went 6-13 with RISP. The Yankees posted numbers a little different: 0 two-out ribbies. 2-10 with RISP. Not good. You guys had 12 hits. Do you know how hard it is to hit like that and be 2-10 with RISP? It's like Hideki Matsui not learning English. You have to almost make a concerted effort to do that.
The White Sox pulled a double steal and successfully stole home. As if this in it of itself wasn't cringe-inducing enough, imagine having to listen to Sterling narrate this as it's going down. Or, imagine a clown freebasing. And that still doesn't come close.
The Yankees just lost 2 in a row, and if you look at the bright side, maybe it says good things about this team that I can't remember the last time they did that. It's like I told my sister tonight who's turning 23 and says of her potential new guy, "Ugh, he can't come to my party. He just texted and says he's being held at a police station." While I'm crushed this young pillar of society won't be cavorting with my youngest sister tonight, I stayed positive: "Well, I think it's sweet he texted you in the middle of being interrogated!"

They'll get tomorrow's game. And the Yankees can play with their brand new Jerry Hairston Jr. toy all over the field. Everywhere except the mound anyway. Sigh. JH-II is such a parents' consolation-type gift. Like you're dying for Call of Duty for the X360. And your parents can't find it sold anywhere and refuse to mortgage the house so they can buy it on ebay, so they get you Grand Theft Auto because all the kids seem to like that. And yeah, it's a great gift, but you don't have PlayStation, so it's ultimately useless. But it's the thought that counts.

Here's to taking the next 2 and leaving the south side with a series tie.

Ladies & Gentlemen, Presenting Your First Place Chicago Cubs: 5-2 Win Over Reds Moves Cubs Atop NL Central

Al — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 22:14:59 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

Rich Harden was lights-out today.

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My friend Mike has always said, when unexpected or unusual things happen in baseball, "Anyone who tells you they have this game figured out, laugh in their face!"

That phrase is certainly true this afternoon. After Rich Harden had thrown poorly in day games -- and at Wrigley Field in general this year -- who figured he could throw six innings and allow only one hit, only one baserunner? That hit was a home run by Cub-killer Joey Votto, but that's all Harden gave up -- he was outstanding today, striking out eight in six excellent innings, throwing only 90 pitches (61 strikes).

Hypothetical question: let's say Votto doesn't hit that home run and Harden throws six perfect innings. Do you let him continue? (I say emphatically, yes.)

In any case, the offense also produced today and the 5-2 win over the Reds, combined with the Phillies' 9-2 blowout of the Cardinals, put the Cubs alone in first place in the NL Central for the first time this season (they were tied for the top spot five other dates, all in April, the last time April 21, when the team record was 8-4). It also put the Cubs three games ahead of St. Louis in the loss column -- and I know we had a long discussion about that earlier this year, but that really is important. Those are three wins that don't have to be made up later, and the Cubs still have five games in hand -- they have played 96 games, the Cardinals 101. Today's paid crowd of 41,528 was, by 19 people, the largest crowd of the 2009 season to date. And after struggling at home earlier this year, the 30-18 home record is third-best in the NL (behind the Dodgers and Giants).

The offense was also outstanding today -- and I'll give kudos to Milton Bradley, who drew two walks, scoring both times, and singled in four at-bats (and who might have gotten jobbed on a called third strike in the 7th inning). Since Kosuke Fukudome is doing a good job leading off, why not consider batting Bradley second? (Or, maybe not fool around at all with a lineup that's produced eight wins in ten games since the All-Star break.) Fukudome also made an outstanding throw after catching a fly ball, to nail Edwin Encarnacion trying to score. Dusty Baker came out to argue -- that's probably more animated than we saw him the entire four years he managed the Cubs. That throw saved Angel Guzman from what could have been a bad inning -- he walked two, uncharacteristic for him, and Fukudome's throw kept the inning scoreless. Bradley was waiting for Fukudome at the dugout to congratulate him -- Milton seemed really fired up about the play and that's the kind of thing I do love to see. It does seem as if this team is, at last, after 96 games, finding its identity.

Alfonso Soriano continued his hot streak with two hits and even though he hit into a double play to end the seventh-inning rally, that ball was laced hard right at Edwin Encarnacion. Soriano may be beginning one of those "carry the team" streaks -- only right now, there are different heroes every day. Raise your hand if you thought Koyie Hill was going to hit both a double and triple this afternoon.

Here's the only negative about today's game -- Jeff Samardzija had a shaky ninth inning, forcing Lou to summon Kevin Gregg to close things out. Samardzija has to be a prime candidate to go back to Iowa when Ryan Dempster is activated to start on Tuesday. It seems the tinkering they've done with his mechanics simply isn't working -- I think the Shark should go back to what he was doing last year, when he pitched well in relief down the stretch. Gregg threw four pitches -- same as Saturday -- to notch his 21st save, which is only four off the league lead.

Trade rumors were quiet today -- it seems as if the Cubs are going to wait & see what happens over the next few days, particularly with B.J. Ryan due to report to Iowa tomorrow. If Ryan is healthy and throwing the way he did last year, that might be a better acquisition than any other relief pitcher the Cubs could acquire (and would allow Sean Marshall to take over Ted Lilly's rotation slot), and the cost is only a pro-rated portion of the minimum salary.

Keep the faith, everyone. The Cubs are in first place and playing well. Onward to defeating the Astros this week.