Hiroki Kuroda started off his second half by performing just as he did for much of the first half. And this time he was the recipient of some run support. Kuroda threw seven innings, allowing five hits and one walk, while striking out four. And with the offense adding some runs to that, the Yankees came away with a 5-2 win.

Both teams failed to capitalize on early run-scoring chances. The Red Sox's came in the top of the first. With one out, Daniel Nava was hit by a pitch. He nearly came around to score on David Ortiz's single, but he stumbled a little and Vernon Wells' throw got him at the plate for the third out.

In the top of the second, the Yankees had a chance of their own. Wells hit a one-out single. Two batters later, with two outs, Eduardo Nunez doubled. Wells couldn't score on the play, having to stop at third. Chris Stewart ended up just grounding out to end the inning. They wasted another chance two innings later. Lyle Overbay hit a one-out double, but both Wells and Travis Hafner did nothing and stranded Overbay.

In the fifth inning, the Yankees finally pushed across a run on their third major chance. Nunez led off with a single, stole second, and moved to third on a bunt by Stewart. Luis Cruz came up and grounded one to short. Nunez tried going home, but was easily out at the plate. However, Cruz reached first on the fielder's choice. Nunez's gamble looked especially bad when John Lackey threw a wild pitch. Nevertheless, Cruz moved to second on the wild pitch. Because of that, the Yankees were able to get a run anyway, when Gardner singled. Cruz scored and the Yankees took a 1-0 lead.

After the first inning, Kuroda retired the next nine Red Sox hitters, but got into trouble in the fifth. Mike Carp and Jonny Gomes led off with two straight singles. Jarrod Saltalamacchia then struck out, and Stephen Drew grounded out, but moved the runners up a base with two outs. With Jose Iglesias batting, a Kuroda pitch got past Stewart. Carp went home, but Kuroda got to the plate and Stewart got he ball to him in enough time to tag out Carp to end the inning. The Yankees and Kuroda got out of the inning with the lead still intact.

Kuroda got into and out of another difficult spot in the sixth and was rewarded with a couple more runs to work with. Nunez led off the seventh with a double. Stewart then grounded out but Nunez was able to move over to third. Cruz managed to drop a single into center, scoring Nunez to make it 2-0. Gardner then singled, putting two on with one out. Ichiro Suzuki grounded into a force out at second, but that put runners on the corners. Robinson Cano then singled to score Cruz and Overbay then got his third hit of the day. He lined one off the Green Monster which scored Ichiro. Wells grounded out to end the inning but the Yankees lead was up to 4-0.

However, the Red Sox cut into that lead in the bottom half of the seventh. Ortiz led off with a single. Carp hit one off the Monster. Ortiz moved to third and Carp slid into second with a double after Cano couldn't handle the throw in from the outfield. Gomes popped out to center for the first out but Ortiz tagged up and scored to make it 4-1. Saltalamacchia grounded one to Kuroda for the second out, but Carp moved over to third. With Stephen Drew hitting, Kuroda threw a wild pitch to allow Carp to score, cutting the lead to 4-2. Kuroda then walked Drew to keep the inning alive. But Iglesias lined out to Cano to finally end the inning.

David Robertson came in for Kuroda in the eighth inning. Nava hit a one out single to bring up Dustin Pedroia. Chris Stewart then stepped up and made a phenomenal play to end the inning. Pedroia popped one up into foul territory. Stewart had to go into the stands to make the play, but he did and made the catch. Nava then tried to move over to second but Stewart made a great throw to get him out. That ended the inning with the Yankees lead still intact.

They added an insurance run in the top of the ninth. Cruz reached again when he was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Gardner then got on as well, when Pedroia couldn't handle the slow roller hit to him. Ichiro was at bat when Cruz stole third. Ichiro popped out in the infield, which did nothing, but Cano then flied out to center. It was deep enough to score Cruz, making it 5-2. Gardner was thrown out trying to steal second, which ended the inning, but Mariano Rivera had an extra run to work with.

Ortiz flied out in foul territory on the first pitch Mo threw for out number one. Carp reached when he blooped one just over Cano's head. Rivera then struck out Gomes for out number two. Mo struck out Saltalamacchia, as well, to end the game and give the Yankees the 5-2 win.

The Yankees and Red Sox close out their series tomorrow night at 8:05 eastern. CC Sabathia gets the start for the Yankees and Ryan Dempster goes for the Red Sox.

Box score.Graph thingy.

More from Pinstriped Bible:

• GIF of the Game: Chris Stewart is pumped about his double play
• Alex Rodriguez injury: Tight quad forces switch from third base to DH
• Caption this Yankee #5: Robinson Cano
• Yankees prospects: 2013 mid-season #16-20
• Yankees injury updates: Zoilo Almonte to the DL, both Thomas Neal and Melky Mesa recalled

Call-Ups

Junior Lake is worth a pickup if you need a SS or MI. He's hit well at AAA this year and has above average speed. Despite playing mostly infield throughout his minor league career he'll play center-field for the Cubs until David DeJesus returns in about week. After that Lake's status will be up in the air.

Henry Urrutia was called up by the Orioles and is worth a pickup in AL-only leagues. He should hit for a decent average and has potential for about 10 HR the rest of the way with regular at-bats.

Notes

Francisco Rodriguez is likely to be traded. I think that Jim Henderson will return to his closer role if K-Rod is shipped out. John Axford has been much better since his early season blowup and would also be an option to close.

Donovan Hand has pitched well this season and will get a start on Tuesday vs. the Padres. I like him as a streaming option in NL-only leagues.

Chris Carpenter is pitching at AAA right now and will likely be an impact fantasy SP if he's deemed healthy enough to return to the Cardinals rotation. I suggest picking him up right now if he's un-owned in your league and you have the bench or DL space.

Pick up Blake Parker and/or Pedro Strop if you want to speculate on saves. There's a good chance Kevin Gregg will be traded. I prefer Parker.

Brad Miller hit 2 HR yesterday and is arguable a top 12 guy at 2B and SS, respectively. If he is somehow un-owned in your league then you should change that.

Tom Wilhelmsen's hold on the Mariners closer job is shaky and Yoervis Medina should be picked up because he's probably within one blown save by Wilhelmsen from taking over.

Injuries

Matt Holliday was placed on the DL today but will probably only miss about a week due to the filing being retroactive. It sounded like he could be ready to rock this weekend so he should be fine when he's eligible to come off the DL on July 27^th.

Peter Bourjos could still miss another 3 weeks with his wrist injury and it's possible that his hitting will be affected upon his return.

Tommy Hanson should return within the next 2 weeks.

If you own Yoenis Cespedes, then like me you may have been excited after his impressive HR derby showing but now the excitement has turned into worry. He's been dealing with pain in his left wrist and even if he returns in a few days which is what they're saying this could affect his power stroke.

J.A. Happ could be ready to rejoin the Blue Jays rotation in about 3 weeks.

Paul Maholm sprained his left (throwing) wrist today against the White Sox and will likely need to be placed on the DL. Brandon Beachy should be ready to replace Maholm in the Braves rotation if needed. Either way, Beachy could be activated within the next 10 days.

Aramis Ramirez will miss at least another couple weeks with his knee injury.

Ryan Vogelsong is set to return to the Giants rotation in about 3 weeks.

Curtis Granderson is about 2-3 weeks away from returning the Yankees lineup.

Alex Rodriguez will probably make his season debut on Monday.

Paul Konerko will likely be activated from the DL by next weekend.

Rafael Betancourt will miss about two weeks after getting his appendix removed. Rex Brothers will take over at closer during that time. Betancourt is a trade candidate and Brothers is worth hanging on to even after he returns.

Thanks to a terrific catch and a heads-up throw to second to nail a mysteriously running Daniel Nava, Chris Stewart completed a huge double play in today's 5-3 victory over the Red Sox.

It's a friggin' good day to be Chris Stewart, and oh the wonderful captions that could be used with this GIF in the future. Insert your own, I suppose.

More from Pinstriped Bible:

• Yankees 5, Red Sox 2: Offense is alive, Kuroda is good
• Alex Rodriguez injury: Tight quad forces switch from third base to DH
• Caption this Yankee #5: Robinson Cano
• Yankees prospects: 2013 mid-season #16-20
• Yankees injury updates: Zoilo Almonte to the DL, both Thomas Neal and Melky Mesa recalled

Midseason Fantasy Position Rankings

In case you missed our Midseason Fantasy Position Rankings, here are links to each of our rankings published thus far:

• 2013 Midseason Position Rankings: Second Base
• 2013 Midseason Position Rankings: First Base
• 2013 Midseason Position Rankings: Catcher

Fake Teams Podcast, Episode 19: Sticking to our guns

I had the pleasure of joining Zack and Andrew on Thursday night's podcast to discuss our Midseason First Base Rankings, where we discussed Chris Davis and his pursuit of 60 home runs, Albert Pujols, Michael Cuddyer andYonder Alonso, among others. You can listen to our thoughts as follows:

MP3

ITunes

Desmond Jennings: Starting to reach his potential

A few years ago, Rays outfielder Desmond Jennings burst onto the fantasy scene hitting 10 home runs and stealing 20 bases in just 63 games. That two month stretch caused many fantasy writers, including me, to overvalue him heading into 2012 fantasy drafts. We all know what happened last year, as he was a bit of a disappointment, hitting just .246, but he did steal 31 bases. He started this season slowly, but has picked things up at the plate when spring turned to summer.

Yesterday, he went 3-4 with a walk and two runs scored, raising his triple slash line to .271-.329-.452 with 11 HRs, 65 runs, 37 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 22 attempts. After hitting .245-.297-.461 in June, Jennings has heated up in July, hitting .339-.426-.542 with 2 HRs, 15 runs, 10 RBI and 6 stolen bases in just 59 at bats. He is currently on pace for 18 HRs and 25 stolen bases, and fantasy owners should be happy with that. But, I have to say that I expected him to steal more bases this season, and maybe we are seeing him focus on stealing more bags here in July.

Alex Rios: Responds after being benched

Current trade target Alex Rios did not help his trade value on Friday night, as he was benched after not running out a ground ball. He rebuilt his trade value on Saturday, though, going 3-5 with a HR, 2 runs and 5 RBI in the White Sox 10-6 win over the Braves. Rios is now hitting .275-.330-.442 with 12 HRs, 48 runs, 47 RBI and 19 stolen bases in 25 attempts. He is quietly on pace for a 20 home run and 30+ stolen base season.

The Pirates, Red Sox and Rangers are rumored to be interested in Rios. His fantasy value will increase if he is dealt to either the Red Sox or Rangers, but should Rios get dealt to the Pirates, I think his fantasy value drops a little as PNC Park is a pretty good pitchers park.

Round'em Up

Another player mentioned in trade rumors a few weeks ago, Phillies second baseman Chase Utley, had a big game on Saturday, going 2-4 with a HR and 3 RBI in the Phillies 5-4 loss to the Mets. Utley isn't the top fantasy second baseman anymore, but he is still pretty productive. Thus far in 2013, Utley is hitting .278-.336-.521 with 13 HRs, 44 runs, 36 RBI and 7 stolen bases in 9 attempts. Utley is a free agent at the end of the season, and I could see him landing in Los Angeles.

I have been saying it for awhile now, but Yankees starter Hiroki Kuroda is one of the more underrated fantasy starting pitchers. Yesterday, he limited the Red Sox to 2 runs on 5 hits, a walk and 4 strikeouts in the Yankees 5-2 win. Kuroda is now 9-6 with a 2.65 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and a 88-25 strikeout to walk rate in 125.2 innings. Kuroda has given up 2 runs or less in 7 of his last 10 starts, and in 13 of his 20 starts overall.

I recently wrote about Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy, opining that he is an underrated fantasy catcher. He made me look good last night, going 4-4 with a HR, double and 2 RBI, and is now hitting .286-.330-.493 with 14 HRs, 28 runs and 54 RBI. He is on pace to put up a 24 HR, 91 RBI season. Pretty damn good for a catcher.

Is it time to remove the ace label from Justin Verlander? Verlander stepped on the mound to face a young Royals team which he has owned in his career. In 25 career starts, he owns a 15-2 record with a 2.56 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. Last night, his pitching line was full of crooked numbers, as he gave up 6 runs, 5 of which were earned on 8 hits, 4 walks and just 3 strikeouts. Verlander is now 10-7 with a 3.69 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and a 128-49 strikeout to walk rate in 131.2 innings. His 3.69 ERA and 3.35 walk rate is his worst since 2008.

Angels starter C.J. Wilson is quietly putting up a pretty solid season on the mound. Last night, he shutout the A's on 3 hits, 2 walks and 8 strikeouts over 8.1 innings in the Angels 2-0 win. Wilson is now 10-6 with a 3.15 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and a 118-49 strikeout to walk rate in 128.2 innings.

More from Fake Teams:

• Keith Law's Midseason Top 50 Prospects
• Coming Soon To A Stadium Near You: Eddie Gamboa, RHP, Baltimore Orioles
• Waiver Wire: 10 Under 10%
• Waiting in the Wings: Taijuan Walker
• Low Level Prospect Revisited: Victor Sanchez, RHP, Seattle Mariners
• Roto Roundup: Brad Miller, Will Myers, Brandon Barnes, and Others

Yesterday on Pinstriped Bible

• Yankees 5, Red Sox 2: Offense is alive, Kuroda is good
• GIF of the Game: Chris Stewart was quite pleased about his double play
• Alex Rodriguez injury: Tight quad forces switch from third base to DH
• Caption this Yankee #5: Robinson Cano
• Yankees lineup vs. Red Sox: Overbay batting cleanup, Alberto Gonzalez cut
• Yankees prospects: 2013 mid-season #16-20
• MLB Trade Rumors: Tigers have interest in Joba Chamberlain (maybe)
• Yankees injury updates: Zoilo Almonte to the DL, both Thomas Neal and Melky Mesa recalled
• Baby Bomber Recap 7/19/13: Greg Bird homers three times and drives in seven

Around the Internet

• New York Daily News | Anthony McCarron: Brian Cashman can't wait for the injuries to subside, he needs to make a deal for a bat.
• Wall Street Journal | Brian Costa: The Yankees are running into trouble because the trade market is changing and the extra wild card won't allow them to take advantage of their deep pockets.
• CBS Sports | Danny Knobler: The Yankees are hoping that their 39-year-old shortstop and 38-year-old third baseman can help the team.
• LoHud | Chad Jennings:Vernon Wells will replace Zoilo Almonte in the outfield, while Melky Mesa and Thomas Neal will play off the bench.

Quick Hits

Questions of the Day

• What will be the Yankees' run differential at the end of the season?
• What position will the Yankees upgrade at the deadline?
• What movie world would you most like to live in?
• Who is your favorite non-baseball sports player?

Coming Up Today

• Baby Bomber Recap 7/20/13: RiverDogs win third straight behind DBJ's big day @ 10 am
• Yankees Prospect Interview: Nestor Cortes @ 11 am
• Why Alex Rodriguez's return is crucial for the Yankees @ 2 pm
• Yankees Contracts: Baseball's funny money - pitchers @ 5 pm
• New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox at 8:05 pm (Game Thread at 7:30 pm)

With a little more than a week until the trade deadline, contending teams like the Pirates, Braves, Tigers, Rangers, A's and Dodgers crunch the numbers, deploy the scouts, and jam the phone lines (Or cell phone towers) conducting research and negotiations in order to make the final touches before beginning the home stretch. At the same time, teams with losses piling up and veterans to sell do their best to attain shining pieces to add to their organizations for present and future use.

All the while, a team such as the Boston Red Sox, or should I say, the first place Red Sox, have not only been focusing

Sabermetrics and Diminishing Returns

Andrew wonders what's next for Sabermetrics, and if the golden age is already gone.

on making additions for the playoff push, but have also been exerting effort into making another significant move. The Red Sox have been in negotiations with star second baseman Dustin Pedroia on a possible extension since the offseason, and it seems that those talks have hit full throttle, with numerous news outlets reporting that the Sox have made a significant offer to Pedroia and his agent. While the team waits for a response, and we wait for a decision, let's take some time to examine the theoretical implications of such a move.

Why Extend Pedroia?

Any follower of baseball can tell you that Pedroia's name belongs in a list of the top second basemen in the Majors, let alone the entire league. The Red Sox second baseman entered 2013, his 7^th full MLB season, with great numbers for any player, let alone a top defensive position that lends itself more so than others to hampering injuries. He averaged 138 games played per season from 2006 to 2012, and currently stands on pace to play in at least 150 games this season.

Pedroia has always been an elite hitter, especially for a player without so many of the natural physical gifts bestowed upon so many MLB players. Despite his small stature and lean frame, Pedroia has remarkable bat speed, generated from his quick hands, strong forearms, and willingness to swing quite hard at most pitches he fancies. Speaking of swinging, Dustin has a very good eye, but also a knack for fouling lots of pitches off, allowing him to see more pitches, and thus find the one he likes best to put into play.

The results follow the approach with Pedroia putting up a career wRC+ of 120 while boasting a modest yet respectable career ISO of .154. Since 2009, the Red Sox second baseman has walked in well over 10% of his plate appearances, while simultaneously putting up a career K% of less than 10%. At the plate, Pedroia shows consistency from year to year, getting hits, taking walks, smacking some home runs, and scoring runs. He has also been a reliable base runner, compiling almost 20 stolen bases a season when healthy, which, combined with his otherwise average base running skills, makes Pedroia a positive force while on base.

Defensively, one only has to watch Pedroia play for a game or two to understand his value. Pedroia is one of the smartest baseball players in the league, seemingly always in the right place, making every play, and doing so for the most part flawlessly. Baseball Prospectus' Fielding Runs Above Average estimates Pedroia as a defensive asset in 4 out of his 7 seasons thus far. Using UZR and DRS, we see more striking numbers, including with a career UZR/150 of 9.6 and saving a run (according to DRS) about every 110 innings played in the field. Pedroia's defensive numbers at second base in his career fall short to only Chase Utley and Brandon Phillips, two outstanding defensive second basemen. Between his hitting, base running, defensive abilities, and consistency Pedroia constitutes one of the game's best players, and thus one the Red Sox would not want to let get away, hence the extension.

So, Dustin Pedroia'sstatistics back up the talk of an extension, but how does the business end look? Pedroia will enter the offseason at 30 years old, not out of his prime, but at a point in his career where his best years are most likely behind him. Players that make their livings using speed and quickness can often prolong their production for longer, and while Pedroia is no Kenny Lofton, he utilizes his speed and agility often.

Pedroia's current contract keeps him under team control for 2014, with a team option for 2015 at very reasonable prices ($10 million in 2014 and $11 million in 2015). Any extension proffered by the Red Sox would encompass those seasons, either by restructuring the money in 2014 and then adding on beyond that, or by taking on an extension to the 2015 season. The former move favors Pedroia a bit in that the average annual value of the overall contract would go up, but depending on the Red Sox financial situation in the upcoming years, the AAV and total dollar amount matter less than the number of years total.

In Yahoo! Sports' report of the extension talks, Jeff Passan mentions a figure:

"The Boston Red Sox and Dustin Pedroia are discussing a contract extension that could exceed $100 million, make him the game's highest-paid second baseman and could keep him with the team he has come to embody into the next decade, major league sources told Yahoo! Sports."

Passan goes on to discuss the matter of how many years the extension might include:

"The general framework of the contract could call for an annual salary in the $20 million range for a contract lasting five or six years - somewhere in the vicinity of the six-year..."

While $20 million per season might seem expensive for a somewhat beat up (his injury list isn't short, but it includes fewer DL stints than would seem probable at first glance) almost 30 year old second baseman, it actually might be just right. First of all, no matter how hard we hope front offices will base contracts around potential productivity, when veterans receive deals, those contracts also pay them somewhat for services rendered. Pedroia has won an MVP while a member of the Red Sox, he's helped the team win a World Series, and has made the club what I'm sure is a considerable amount of money. He's an icon in New England, with only David Ortiz rivaling his status amongst Red Sox fans on the club.

Using Fangraphs' calculation of dollars/WAR, which is based on how much money a player would be worth on the free agent market given his value, we can estimate that one fWAR is worth about $5 million. If Pedroia's deal falls out to about $20 million AAV, he'll need to be worth on average at least 4 fWAR per season over the course of the deal for the Sox to get the value of their checks. So far in 2013, Pedroia has almost eclipsed the 4 WAR threshold already, and 2+ months of baseball lay ahead. He's compiled 32.5 fWAR already in his career, only failing to reach 4 WAR in 2 seasons, one of which he only played in 75 games. Even with some attrition in overall production, Pedroia could easily be worth the money. More importantly, due to numerous other economic variables, one win could be worth less in the coming seasons, causing the contract to look only better from the team's perspective.

Why Resign with the Red Sox:

The first act of this piece discussed the extension from the team's point of view, but what about the player's standpoint? Why would Dustin Pedroia resign with the Red Sox, forgoing what will most likely be the best chance he has to make the most money at one time in his entire life? Other great players have shrugged off their teams once their contracts elapsed, only to find huge piles of cash to deposit in their bank accounts courtesy of antsy rich owners.

First, as was already stated, Pedroia is a New England icon. "The Laser Show," as numerous Red Sox fans refer to Pedroia, embodies everything Sox fans love about their team and none of what they dislike. Red Sox fans have been treated well by the baseball gods in the last decade plus, but those New Englanders remain hard-nosed, cautious, hustle-loving fans that want to see wins without the rest. This is a fan base that dealt with Manny Ramirez, Fried Chicken and Beer in the clubhouse, and the contracts, albeit not for long, of Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, and Josh Beckett.

These fans loved that 2004 World Series winning team not only for breaking the curse, but also for doing it in their own way, in a different manner than the Yankees who buy every shiny toy in sight, complain or gloat about every loss and win, and somehow, although not always, put up with insane personalities. Unfortunately, some of that culture crept into the Sox roster, but with recent purges, the team has come out on top, back in first place, with a team the fans can fall in love with all over again. Pedroia has remained a rock, a mainstay, the keystone of the Red Sox, ever since he laced up the spikes in the Majors. He represents everything Sox fans want in their baseball team, his teammates respect him in the clubhouse, and he has the support of the organization. Basically, the Red Sox second baseman is the trifecta, productive, loved, and respected, which usually makes for a solid extension candidate. I would compare him in this manner to Evan Longoria, Derek Jeter, or Yadier Molina.

Sure, Pedroia could probably eek out some more money from a different team, but the Red Sox have deep pockets, the potential for a very solid roster mixed with veterans and young talent, and fellow second baseman Robinson Cano already set to hit free agency this offseason, remaining in Boston fits Pedroia's current situation best. If he extends now, he forgoes any speculation going forward, basically sets a plan for the rest of his career, and will most likely end up going down as one of the greatest players of an iconic franchise. Overall, the positives of signing an extension, whether it now or at the end of the season, far outweigh the negatives of waiting and possibly signing for more money down the road. There aren't many better second basemen in baseball, and with the Red Sox change in baseball ops styles over the last year or so, all the pieces have fallen into place. I don't know exactly what an extension will look like, but if the team decides not to pick up the 2015 option, but instead to add on 5 years at $21 million per season with an option for a 6^th, that would fit. In the coming days we should find out more, but for now, it seems like the Red Sox and Pedroia are a perfect extension match.

. . .

Thanks to Fangraphs and Baseball Prospectus for statistics used in this piece, as well as Baseball-Reference for contract information.

Ben Horrow is a writer for Beyond the Box Score, That Balls Outta Here and Summerpastime.

You can follow him on twitter @Summerpastime.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:L 1-2 (10 innings) vs. Louisville Bats

2B David Adams 1-5
DH Alex Rodriguez 0-4, 3 K
CF Adonis Garcia 1-4, 2B - second double of the season
3B Dan Johnson 1-4, 2 K, 2 E5 - fielding and throwing error
1B Randy Ruiz 2-4, 2B, HR, RBI - 11th homer with SWB
RF Ronnier Mustelier 0-4, K
LF Corey Patterson 1-4, K
C Bobby Wilson 0-3, BB
SS Walter Ibarra 0-3, BB, 2 K

David Huff 6 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K - three groundouts, six flyouts
Jim Miller 2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Matt Daley 2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, K, HB

Both teams got on the board with a run in the second inning before being held scoreless through the remainder of nine innings. The Bats broke the scoreless streak with a run in the tenth that the RailRiders failed to match.

Double-A Trenton Thunder:L 4-7 vs. New Hampshire Fisher Cats

LF Ramon Flores 0-4, BB, 2 K
CF Slade Heathcott 2-5, 2B, 3B, RBI, K - batting .304/.319/.478 over his last 10 games
2B Jose Pirela 1-4, RBI, BB, K
1B Kyle Roller 0-5
RF Yeral Sanchez 0-4, 2 K
DH Andrew Clark 1-3, BB, K - batting .282 with Trenton
SS Reegie Corona 2-4, 2B, EBI
3B Casey Stevenson 0-3, BB
C Jeff Farnham 1-3, RBI, BB, K

Nik Turley 5 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 BB - three groundouts, five flyouts
Graham Stoneburner 1 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, K, HB
Francisco Rondon 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Rigoberto Arrebato 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, BB, K

A four-run inning in the fourth helped the Thunder rally from a 3-0 deficit, but Stoneburner imploded for four runs in the sixth inning that would give the Fisher Cats the lead and the win.

High-A Tampa Yankees:L 4-9 vs. Jupiter Hammerheads

CF Mason Williams 1-5, OF assist
RF Taylor Dugas 2-5
3B Peter O'Brien 3-4, HR, RBI, E5(9) - sixth homer since his promotion
C Gary Sanchez 0-2 - left game with an injury
1B Saxon Butler 0-3, BB
2B Rob Refsnyder 1-2, 2 BB - batting .261 this season
SS Dan Fiorito 1-4, K
LF Jose Toussen 1-4, RBI, K
DH Fu-Lin Kuo 0-4, 2 K

Rafael De Paula 3 IP, 4 H, 4 R/3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, WP - 7.13 ERA with Tampa
Diego Moreno 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, K
Manny Barreda 2 IP, 4 H, 4 R/2 ER, BB, 2 K, HB
Taylor Garrison 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K

Despite not being the most ineffective pitcher for Tampa, Moreno took his fourth loss of the season out of the pen. Barreda compounded the problem with a four-run inning allowed in the seventh for Tampa's 53rd loss of the year.

Low-A Charleston RiverDogs:W 9-5 vs. Hickory Crawdads

CF Jake Cave 2-5, BB
SS Cito Culver 1-3, 3 BB, K - batting .293/.396/.439 over his last 10 games
DH Greg Bird 0-3, RBI, 2 BB, 3 K
3B Dante Bichette Jr. 2-4, 2 2B, 4 RBI, BB - batting .250/.318/.550 over his last 10 games
2B Angelo Gumbs 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, K
1B Reymond Nunez 3-4, BB, K
RF Danny Oh 1-4, BB - batting .296 this season
C Nick McCoy 0-5, RBI, 4 K
LF Daniel Aldrich 0-5, 2 K

Jose Campos 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K - two groundouts, four flyouts
Luis Niebla 3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
Adam Smith 1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, K
James Pazos 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, K

For the second game in a row, the RiverDogs got some early offense to sustain the bullpen making the game much closer late. Charleston scored two runs in the first and tacked on four runs in the fourth for the bulk of their offense.

Short Season-A Staten Island Yankees: Postponed for rain

Notes from the Gulf Coast League:

GCL Yankees 1:

DH Tyler Wade 1-4, 2 K - batting .339 this season
SS Abiatal Avelino 2-4
2B Gosuke Katoh 1-4, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 K - batting .314 this season
RF Austin Aune 0-4, 3 K

Chaz Hebert 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, BB, 9 K - five groundouts, zero flyouts
Eric Ruth 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

GCL Yankees 2:

2B Bryan Cuevas 2-4, SB
3B Miguel Andujar 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, K - first homer of the season
C Luis Torrens 1-4, K
1B Renzo Martini 2-4, 2B, K - batting .315 this season
SS Thairo Estrada 0-4, K

Mark Montgomery 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K, HB
Dallas Martinez 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Felipe Gonzalez 5 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K

Yesterday on Pinstriped Bible

• Yankees 7, Red Sox 8: Deflating
• Yankees Contracts: Baseball's funny money - pitchers
• Why Alex Rodriguez's return is crucial for the Yankees
• Alex Rodriguez injury: MRI reveals Grade 1 quad strain
• Yankees Prospect Interview: Nestor Cortes
• Baby Bomber Recap 7/20/13: RiverDogs win third straight behind Dante Bichette Jr's big day

Around the Internet

• New York Post | Joel Sherman: Since Travis Hafner can't play the field and isn't producing with the bat, he could get cut when Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter finally return.
• LoHud | Chad Jennings: Injury updates on Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson, Francisco Cervelli, and Jayson Nix.
• New York Post | Joel Sherman: Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez will essentially be day-to-day for the rest of their careers as their bodies continue to age to break down.
• LoHud | Chad Jennings:CC Sabathia spent the All-Star break on vacation and didn't hear about Robinson Cano being hit by a pitch.
• ESPN New York | Andrew Marchand:Mariano Rivera got a standing ovation in Boston.

Quick Hits

Questions of the Day

• Of the Yankees' top three outfield prospects, who makes it to the majors first?
• Who is the most overrated player on the Yankees?
• What room in your house are you currently in?
• What brand laptop do you own?

Coming Up Today

• Baby Bomber Recap 7/21/13: Greg Bird stays hot in Charleston win @ 9 am
• Yankeeography: Chris Stewart @ 11 am
• Yankees Prospect Interview: Charley Short @ 3 pm
• New York Yankees @ Texas Rangers at 7:05 pm (Game Thread at 6:30 pm)

Nifty little weekend there, Birds. And a decent way to start off the 2nd half as well. With a sweep of a fellow A.L. playoff contender in their own park the O's have put a game and a half between them and Texas for the 2nd Wild Card slot, and now have a 3.5 game cushion over the Yankees and Cleveland. And while the O's go to face a struggling K.C. squad, the Yankees travel to Texas while simultaneously the two teams ahead of the O's in the A.L. East, Tampa and Boston square off. Look at the schedule, Chatters. The O's have a month long stretch here where they should be able to compile a significant number of wins. Series vs. K.C., Boston, Houston, Seattle, San Diego, San Francisco, Arizona, and Colorado comprise the O's next 24 games. Let's get some predictions on their record after that stretch. They currently sit 56-43. I'll go with 74-49, meaning I think they'll manage an 18-6 record of that span. Enough dreaming. Onto some linkage.

Grading the weekend series: An 'A' for the O's - CBSSports.com
There was a lot of great action this weekend, but the Orioles take home the highest grade for their work against the Rangers.

School of Roch: Cleaning out my notebook
Your Monday Morning Roch-pile of notes.

Baseball Prospectus | Overthinking It: Second-Half Risers and Fallers for Every Team, AL Edition
Ben Lindbergh foresees Matt Wieters' bat as resurgent during the 2nd half. While also speculating on rougher times for Tommy Hunter and Miguel Gonzalez.

Wieters wielding hot bat out of second-half gate | orioles.com
Guess who's OBP has finally eclipsed the .300 mark? Hint: it ain't JJ Hardy. I'll gander Matty will end up with an OBP in the .315-.320 range by season's end. Which is pretty good when accounting for a) how bad it was not too long ago and b) the current run-environment in MLB.

A Baltimore Without Matt Wieters | Baltimore Sports and Life
A lot of kvetching about Wieters in the not so distant past. To which I always wonder, but who are you going to replace him with? Crawdaddy somewhat attempts to answer that question.

Orioles Tommy Hunter going through rocky spell | Comcast SportsNet Baltimore
Perhaps the aforementioned Mr. Lindbergh knows a thing or two about a thing or two.

Could Chris Davis Match Roger Maris? | FanGraphs Baseball
Note before clicking: there will be maths.

Chris Davis is chasing the single-season home run record, but is it 61 or 73? - Yahoo! Sports
Hey Joey Votto, don't hate.

Weekend Buzz: These guys a deal away from stretch-run stardom - CBSSports.com
Mr. Miller opines that Raul Ibanez and Baltimore are a perfect fit for each other. And he might not be wrong. But last year's playoffs skew my thoughts on such a fit.

Dr. Frank Jobe, Tommy John and the Surgery That Changed Baseball Forever | Bleacher Report
Okay, okay. Yes. It's from Bleacher Report. But it's a really, really superb piece and worth your page view.

Better data offers few clues to Tommy John surgery. | SportsonEarth.com : Chris Cwik Article
More on the eponymous surgery.

On this date in 1996, EDDIE! EDDIE! Murray returned to the Birds after a trade with Cleveland. He hits a 2-run HR in his 3rd AB.

More from Camden Chat:

• Around the Minors: July 21st, 2013

• RECAP: Orioles 4, Rangers 2: Tillman pitches a gem, Orioles get first road sweep of the season.

• Camden Chat Roundtable: Looking ahead to the second half (part 2)

Is Matt Garza still a Cub?

• As the trade deadline nears, more rumors start flying. Francisco Rodriguez has revived his career in Milwaukee and now three teams, the Dodgers, Tigers and Red Sox, are interested in acquiring him for the stretch drive.
• Brewers and former Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez comes off the DL on Monday, and the Red Sox and Yankeesare both interested in trading for him.
• Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholzis going to see Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion on his shoulder. That's bad news for Boston. Remember my rule of thumb: no baseball player ever gets a second opinion if the first one was good. That's especially true if the second opinion is from Dr. Andrews.
• What does this have to do with trades? Well, if Buchholtz is healthy, the Red Sox aren't interested in picking up another pitcher. But if he's not . . .
• I try to stay away from Cubs news, but Jay Jaffe lists six Cubs not named Matt Garza who are likely to be dealt. I think he has some sort of quota of names that he had to list and ran out early because he names five sensible names and then mentions Starlin Castro. OK, he does admit he's the least likely name on the list to be dealt.
• Ken Rosenthal thinks the Philliesneed to face reality and sell off their high-priced veterans. The Phillies are where the Cubs were three years ago. Except the Cubs didn't have a World Series Championship six years previous.
• Rosenthal also says that the Red Sox are rushing to get Dustin Pedroia signed to a long-term deal (even though he's under contract until 2015) because they don't want Robinson Cano's next contract to set the market for Pedroia.
• Alex Rodriguez was supposed to come off the DL today, but instead he has a grade 1 quad strain.
• Jon Paul Morosi thinks this is bad for ARod. Not just because he's hurt, but because this may have been Rodriguez's last chance to get back in the good graces of the Yankees and their fans.
• The Marlinshaven't scored in 37 innings, the longest streak since the 1985 Astros. Surprisingly, the '85 Astros won 83 games and were second in the NL in scoring that season. The Astros ran into Ed Lynch, Doc Gooden, Joe Hesketh, Jeff Reardon, Bryn Smith and Bill Gillickson at the Astrodome and Olympic Stadium. One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just doesn't belong. . .
• The Mariners only got one hit yesterday, but they still managed to score four runs off the Astros and win 4-2.
• Erik Bedard started that game and pulled himself from the game after 6.1 innings without allowing a hit. Bedard's reasoning was that he was at 109 pitches and with his injury history, it just wasn't worth it to risk his health for a no-hitter in a pretty meaningless game in the larger scheme of things. I actually think that shows some intelligence and courage, although I'm sure he'll be criticized for it. As far as pitch counts go, more on that later. Bedard ended up getting the loss.
• More bad Astros news: Center fielder Brandon Barneshit for the cycle on Saturday. The Astros still lost.
• The Astros DFA'd a couple of ex-Cubs: Carlos Pena and Ronny Cedeno.
• Tommy Rancel thinks RaysChris Archeris a pitcher on the verge of a breakout. He also mentions Jeff Locke and Tyler Chatwood in similar terms. Boy, that Archer kid sounds like the type of guy we'd like to trade Garza for. OK, it's not like Garza hasn't been good for the Cubs.
• Baseball's reigning ironman is Prince Fielder, who has played 440 straight games. He only missed one game in the past 767 games because of a bad case of the flu. He explains that it was a stern look from his dad as a kid that makes him never take a day off.
• Matt Harveythinks ESPN embarrassed him. And not for posting naked pictures of him. He's OK with that. And apparently not because they let Around the Horn on the air, either.
• Blue Jays hurler Mark Buehrle says "Maybe we were overrated."
• Expos fans attended Sunday's game at the Rogers Centre to campaign for a return of baseball to Montreal. I'd be a lot more supportive of them (and I do support them) if I wasn't positive that they would want a return of the name "Expos" and their "ELB" logo.
• Christina Kahrl notes that Mike Troutis having just as good a season this year as last. There can be no doubts about his talent anymore.
• The Twins owners are arguing that they're team is worth a lot less than people claim. Of course, the people who they're arguing with are the IRS and they've just gotten a big tax bill. But does anyone seriously think that controlling interest in the Twins in 2009 was only worth $24 million like the Pohlads claim? Certainly the IRS isn't buying it. MLS teams sell for more than that.
• Wrigley Field isn't the only park with a bird problem. In fact, they don't even have the worst problem. The seagulls at AT&T Park have become a real problem. There is no legal way to get rid of them short of hiring a falconer, and that would cost around $8000 a game. (But seriously. Falconers get $8000 a day? I went into the wrong profession.)
• Terry Francona is not moving Nick Swisher out of the cleanup spot. At least not for now.
• The Diamondbacks are slumping. They're not getting the clutch hitting that they were earlier this season. Wow. All those guys who were clutch before aren't anymore. It's almost like it's not a real skill.
• Scott Miller looks back at the life of Bud Selig and the impact he's had on the game.
• Yoenis Cespedeshasn't played since winning the HR derby. He has a sore wrist. He might take batting practice today and see how he feels.
• Finally, the next time you scream at Dusty Baker for ruining Mark Prior's career (and honestly, we don't know that he did that), consider the case of Tomohiro Anraku. Last year, the 16-year-old Japanese phenom threw 772 pitches in five games over nine days. Then his arm gave out. It's a long article worth reading from ESPN the Magazine that illustrated the differences between American and Japanese culture. Not just baseball culture, but a lot more than that. For Americans, the solution to his arm problems are rest and maybe surgery. For the Japanese, the answer is that he needs to throw some more.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:L 1-4 vs. Louisville Bats

2B David Adams 0-3, BB
C JR Murphy 1-3, 2B, RBI, BB - batting .308/.341/.410 over his last 10 games
RF Adonis Garcia 1-3, 2B, SB, HBP
1B Dan Johnson 0-3, BB, K
DH Randy Ruiz 0-3, BB, K
3B Ronnier Mustelier 1-4, 2B, K - only one hit since returning from injury
CF Cody Grice 1-4, K
LF Corey Patterson 0-4, K
SS Walter Ibarra 0-3, 2 K

Jose Ramirez 5 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, WP, HB - four groundouts, five flyouts
Josh Spence 2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, BB, 4 K
Dellin Betances 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K

Ramirez ran into trouble with a 30-pitch first inning but escaped allowing only one run. He's give up two more in the third which would be more than the RailRiders, who notched four hits, could manage to overcome.

Double-A Trenton Thunder:W 8-2 vs. New Hampshire Fisher Cats

LF Ramon Flores 1-5, 2B, RBI, K - batting .263/.364/.342 over his last 10 games
3B Reegie Corona 1-3, 2 RBI, BB, K
2B Jose Pirela 1-3, RBI, BB, K
DH Kyle Roller 0-3, BB, 3 K
RF Yeral Sanchez 0-3, BB, 2 K
1B Andrew Clark 3-4, 3 2B, RBI - batting .289/.357/.526 over his last 10 games
SS Carmen Angelini 1-3, RBI, BB
C Jose Gil 0-3, 2 K, HBP
CF Mikeson Oliberto 2-4, K

Fred Lewis 4 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K - five groundouts, one flyout
Jeremy Bleich 3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
Danny Burawa 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Tom Kahnle 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K

The Thunder offense was led by two big innings in the fifth and seventh that gave them a win on the afternoon and an even 50-50 record for the season. Lewis was a reliever that the team is trying to convert into a starter.

High-A Tampa Yankees:L 4-9 vs. Palm Beach Cardinals

CF Mason Williams 1-5, RBI - batting .386/.413/.500 over his last 10 games, hit safely in all 10
2B Rob Refsnyder 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, K
RF Taylor Dugas 1-3, 2B, 2 BB
C Peter O'Brien 0-5, 2 K
DH Tyson Blaser 0-5, 2 K - batting .184 with Tampa
1B Saxon Butler 1-4, 2 K, E3 - throwing error, eighth of the season
3B Dan Fiorito 2-4, K - batting .279 this season
LF Jose Toussen 1-4
SS Ali Castillo 1-4, 2 K

Dietrich Enns 4 IP, 7 H, 8 R/1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K - five groundouts, three flyouts
Branden Pinder 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K
Charley Short 2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, K

An error and a disastrous seven-run inning in the fourth for Enns put the game fairly out of reach for the Yankees. Tampa tried to close the gap some with three runs in the seventh, but the deficit was far too much to overcome at that point.

Low-A Charleston RiverDogs:W 3-0 vs. Hickory Crawdads

CF Jake Cave 0-4, K, HBP
SS Cito Culver 1-5, 2 K, E6 - throwing error, 14th of the season
1B Greg Bird 3-4, RBI, BB - batting .405/.532/.946 over his last 10 games
3B Dante Bichette Jr. 1-5, K - batting .203 this season
2B Angelo Gumbs 2-4, BB, SB - batting .279/.319/.442 over his last 10 games
DH Reymond Nunez 1-4, 2 RBI
RF Danny Oh 1-4, K - batting .294 this season
C Nick McCoy 0-3, BB
LF Ericson Leonora 3-4, 2 SB, CS

Brett Gerritse 5 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, WP - one groundout, four flyouts
Eric Wooten 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HB
Ben Paullus 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, BB, 3 K

Charleston out-hit Hickory 12-4, all of which were singles. The RiverDogs got some exceptional pitching that kept the Crawdads from turning any of their four hits into a run for their 55th win of the season.

Short Season-A Staten Island Yankees:W 3-0, L 3-7 vs. Mahoning Valley Scrappers

Game One:

2B Derek Toadvine 0-3, K
CF Brandon Thomas 0-3, 2 K
3B Eric Jagielo 1-2, 2B, K
RF Yeicok Calderon 1-2, BB, K
DH Jose Rosario 0-3, K
LF Daniel Lopez 0-2, BB, K
1B Bubba Jones 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI
C Trent Garrison 0-3, 2 K
SS John Murphy 0-2

Conner Kendrick 3 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, HB - four groundouts, one flyout
Charles Haslup 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, BB, 2 K
Kelvin Castro 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Both teams managed to tally four hits, but a three-run (one of which was earned) fourth inning for the Yankees gave them the game.

Game Two:

LF Brandon Thomas 3-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, K - third homer of the season
CF Michael O'Neill 0-4
DH Eric Jagielo 0-3, K - batting .333 this season
RF Yeicok Calderon 1-3, 2B, 2 K
3B Kale Sumner 1-3, K
SS Jose Rosario 1-3, E6 - throwing error, sixth of the season
1B Bubba Jones 0-2, 2 K, HBP
C Isaias Tejeda 0-3
2B Jerison Lopez 1-3, RBI, K, E4 - fielding error, second of the season

Rookie Davis 4 IP, 7 H, 5 R/3 ER, 0 BB, 6 K - three groundouts, three flyouts
Dillon McNamara 2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Andury Acevedo 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K, 2 WP

Staten Island didn't get on the board until they put up three runs in the bottom of the ninth despite picking up seven hits in the game.

Notes from the Gulf Coast League:

GCL teams have Sundays off.

Mike Napoli has had a weird season at times, but nothing from his short Red Sox career might be stranger than Sunday night's contest against the Yankees. Napoli hit two homers, including a walk-off solo shot in the bottom of the 11th, but he also struck out three times and grounded into a double play. This combination made Napoli the first ever player to do so in recorded baseball history, according to Baseball-Reference's extensive archives.

Yup, baseball is older than anyone reading this, and by a whole lot, but Napoli actually managed to accomplish something that no one else ever has.

Everything he did had serious weight to it, too, even if it didn't work out. The first homer, which came off of Yankees' starter CC Sabathia in the bottom of the third, put the Red Sox up 4-3 after it cleared the Monster in left. Now, some Monster shots are unique homers to Fenway, but there was nothing Fenway-related about this one: Hit Tracker says that this blast would have left all 30 parks, and it's hard to argue with that as you watch it enter the upper atmosphere:

Napoli's next significant plate appearance would be that double play, which, according to win probability, was the second most important play of the entire game. Boston had the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth in what was then a 7-7 game, and Napoli's ground out ended the threat and took the Sox' chances of winning down by 27 percent, or by just slightly more than his earlier home run had added to their chances.

He would make up for it in the bottom of the 11th, however, on the seventh pitch of his plate appearance against Yankees' reliever Adam Warren.

This one would travel nearly 30 feet further than his first homer, though, granted, it didn't have a giant sign get in its path. It capped Napoli's strange night, and kept the Red Sox 1.5 games up on the Rays in the East heading into their four-game set. The importance of that is obvious enough that we can skip explanation.

Aside from the homers, Napoli also did his part to contribute to Boston's victory in his other at-bats. He might have grounded into a rally-killing double play and struck out three times on the evening, but he also saw 33 pitches in his six plate appearances, or 5.5 per trip to the plate. He helped wear down the Yankees' starter and bullpen on a night where the game went to extras, and this eventually set up a situation where Napoli faced a reliever who has had homer issues in the majors, and in a pivotal moment to boot.

Not a bad evening, all things considered, even if it was a weird one.

Read more Red Sox:

• Red Sox, Dustin Pedroia talking record extension
• Red Sox trade rumors: Sox could be "major threat" in Matt Garza sweepstakes
• Five Red Sox prospects in Fangraphs mid-season top-50
• Red Sox position prospects, in word cloud form
• Now is not the time for Xander Bogaerts

The Yankees currently have no first basemen on their depth chart behind Lyle Overbay, a fact that is quite appalling. The first base trade market is not looking great, but according to MLB Pipeline, one name just became a mostly-free option:

.@Astros call up @okcredhawks SS Jonathan Villar, designate Carlos Pena and Ronny Cedeno for assignment: http://t.co/zNEsmyzuHT

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 22, 2013

I briefly profiled Pena in a post shortly after the Yankees lost Mark Teixeira for the season, when I examined some possible external options for first base. I've edited it a little to adjust for stat changes since June 26.

Pena still hits for low average and whiffs like a bandit, but he draws plenty of walks and has lefty power. The 35-year-old Pena's defense has never been a problem, and after struggling against lefties for the past few years, he has turned it around and now has a weird reverse-split like Brennan Boesch. This year, Pena has hit .231/.355/.481 with a 133 wRC+ against lefties and .204/.317/.320 with a 77 wRC+ against righties. Those numbers represent the best platoon split out of this quartet, and his statistics against righties probably won't stay around that level given his career trends. Of course, that also means his numbers against lefties will regress since it's likely just small sample size noise in 62 plate appearances, but the fact that he doesn't appear helpless offers some hope anyway.

The Astros are only paying Pena $2.9 million this year, and since they are in complete scorch-the-earth mode, they will almost certainly deal him away for prospects at the trade deadline. Unlike Morneau, Pena offers consistency and decent assurance that he will stay on the field, as he has never missed much playing time due to injury. However, since the Astros are rebuilding, don't really need salary relief, and are hoping to add decent prospects to their future squads, they might ask for more than the White Sox or Twins would for their first basemen. Brian Cashman will have to carefully evaluate which, if any, prospects he would be willing to deal for a rental.

The last couple sentences no longer apply to the situation. The Astros are cutting ties with Pena, so they have 10 days to either trade or release him. Since they no longer have any real leverage for prospects, should the Yankees try to pick him up on the cheap with their first base situation as dire as it is?

Overall, Pena is hitting .209/.324/.350 on the season with an 88 wRC+ and -0.4 fWAR/-0.5 rWAR. (Yes, the Yankees have fallen so far that we can discuss sub-replacement level players as legitimate options. Yikes.) The immediate reaction is "Stay away from the scary strikeout man, Mr. Cashman," but considering the filth on the Yankees' roster right now, it might not be the worst idea to try Pena, if not only to actually give Overbay a backup. Overbay has only missed nine games this year, and he's on pace to play his most games in a season since 2010. Last night's disastrous game notwithstanding, he is hitting .253/.307/.440 with a 102 wRC+ and 0.6 fWAR & rWAR on the season. He's probably playing over his head since he hasn't approached those levels for a full season in three years, and wearing him down is likely just going to make him worse. Acquiring Pena could help give him a breather.

Another factor in the decision on Pena is Mr. Travis Hafner, the designated hitter who can't hit. Since his sensational April, Pronk has come crashing down to Earth at a pace that would make Phaëton jealous with startlingly bad numbers: .174/.255/.299 and just 11 extra-base hits. The logic behind the Hafner signing was that if he could somehow stay healthy, he could certainly at least come close to replicating his numbers while healthy in the past four years (.268/.361/.453, 125 OPS+). No one thought that his 1.104 OPS in April was sustainable, but his precipitous fall to a 92 wRC+ on the season has called his role on the team into question. If he is incapable of playing the field, then what does he add to this team if he can't hit anymore? It is unclear if he can break out of his nearly-three month slumber, and with the opportunity to add at least a comparable bat who can play the field, perhaps it is time to bring the Pronk era to a close.

Even if Pena can only put up the numbers Pronk has posted since the beginning of May, he would at least be able to play the field and give Overbay some days off. If the Astros will just accept cash or a nothing prospect in return, maybe the Yankees should try to make the minor improvement. It is unlikely to make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things, but if it can help a little, then why not take a flyer?

Or just sign Quills, as Matt Ferenchick suggests.

More from Pinstriped Bible:

• Yankeeography: Chris Stewart
• Baby Bombers 7/21/13: Greg Bird stays hot in Charleston win
• Yankees 7, Red Sox 8: Deflating
• Yankees Contracts: Baseball's funny money - pitchers
• Why Alex Rodriguez's return is crucial for the Yankees

New York Yankees infielder Alex Rodriguez is "all but assured" of receiving a suspension for his involvement in MLB's Biogenesis case, sources told CBS Sports' Jon Heyman. It's likely that Rodriguez will be issued the standard 50-game ban for first-time offenders.

Like the Milwaukee Brewers' Ryan Braun, Rodriguez refused to speak with MLB investigators when interviewed regarding the scandal involving performance-enhancing drugs. Players have likely been cautioned by their representatives to remain quiet as to give them the upper hand for any appeal if they are charged.

According to CBS, Biogenesis-related appeals are only possible if players were charged without receiving positive tests for performance-enhancing substances.

The foundation of MLB's investigation comes from testimony from Biogenesis' former proprietor, Tony Bosch, who is informing the league of the case's details. It's expected that around 15 players could be suspended.

As the scandal has been ongoing, Rodriguez has reached another setback in his attempt to return for the Yankees. He was planning to play Monday but an MRI showed a left quad strain that will keep him out of action.

More from SB Nation:

• Cubs, Rangers talking Matt Garza trade

• Erik Bedard, the Astros and losing a one-hitter

• 50 baseball-related metal names | #HotCorner

• MLB trade deadline: Why we might see less action than usual

• Tigers looking to trade for bullpen help

The endless back and forth continues as CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reports that Alex Rodriguez is "all but assured", at the very least, a 50-game suspension for his connection to steroids through the Biogenesis clinic in Miami that MLB has been investigating for months. Despite the fact that MLB Players Association director Michael Weiner previously said that suspensions would not be coming in 2013, Heyman hears that the suspension could be announced within a couple weeks.

Yankees cannot void Alex Rodriguez's contract

Even if Alex Rodriguez is suspended for his Biogenesis connection, there is no language in his contract that allows the Yankees to get out of his contract.

That doesn't seem to take into consideration that any suspension will likely be appealed, which is a lengthy process on its own. Weiner did not expect those appeals to begin taking place until September, but if suspensions are announced in the near future, those could begin before the end of the 2013 season. Whether or not that means there will be time left to suspend players remains to be seen, but it seems almost guaranteed that the suspensions will spill over into 2014 at this point.

Like Ryan Braun, Alex Rodriguez declined to answer MLB's questions during their interview with him a couple weeks ago. There is a rule in baseball called the Jenkins Rule that allows players to refuse questioning on the grounds that it might incriminate them in their appeal, according to Heyman. More sources tell Heyman that Rodriguez expects to be suspended and that he may not make it back to the field before his punishment is carried out after suffering a quad strain in his rehab from hip surgery.

The basic structure of suspensions is 50 games for a first offense, 100 games for a second offense, and a lifetime ban for a third offense. The belief is that MLB could tag A-Rod as more than a first time offender because of his connections to steroids in the past despite never having tested positive under the current testing and suspension policy. Michael Weiner, however, said that the basic suspension guidelines would not apply to Biogenesis suspensions because of the lack of analytical positives. Without a positive test, Weiner says that the length of suspension would be up for discussion.

Either way, this story is still far from over, unfortunately. Maybe we'll know something more definitively soon, but if the pattern holds, it will likely just be the opposite of whatever was just reported.

More from Pinstriped Bible:

• MLB Trade Rumors: Should the Yankees pick up the recently-cut Carlos Pena?
• Yankeeography: Chris Stewart
• Baby Bombers 7/21/13: Greg Bird stays hot in Charleston win
• Around the Empire: New York Yankees News - 7/22/13
• Yankees 7, Red Sox 8: Deflating

Dave Cameron recently listedJason Heyward as the 43rd most valuable contract in MLB, trade value wise. Now, before people freak out, let's read the pertinent part of what he had to say regarding Heyward:

Despite his youth, the Braves only control Heyward's rights for two more seasons after this one. He may very well bounce back and once again show that he can be a franchise building block, but by the time he put his inconsistency behind him, he'd be a free agent. Right now, Heyward finds himself in the slightly awkward position where both his present value and his future value have been diminished.

Cameron then softened his stance slightly with:

All that said, we're still talking about a 23-year-old who already has accumulated +15 WAR in his career, and projects as a +4 win player going forward. Guys who can hit Major League pitching their early twenties often go on to become superstars. Heyward's defense and baserunning give him a high floor even if the bat never does develop the way it looked like it might have earlier on, and if it does, then he's got a shot at being one of the most complete players in the sport. But there's just so many ifs here.

Regardless of how much merit we ascribe to the harsher parts of Cameron's evaluation, I don't think we can make the argument that it's totally unreasonable. Heyward may well be a generational talent, but by the time that he grows into that, he might not be a Brave any longer. While Heyward has already brought a lot of value to the team, is it possible that the Braves spent up (and are spending up) his team control years on seasons where he was just building to his ultimate potential?

Jason Heyward joined the Atlanta Braves as a precocious 20-year-old with mountains of talent. He immediately became a force in the Braves' lineup and put up one of the greatest seasons by a 20-year-old in MLB history. He was an incredible defensive outfielder, one of the best baserunners in the league, and hit for power and OBP. Then came a series of injuries, some bad luck, and some flat out under-appreciation of his talents. At one point Heyward found himself being platooned with Jose Constanza. Willie Mays was never platooned with Jose Constanza.

Be Heyward's slumps due to injury or inconsistentcy, or some of both, it might make some sense to wonder about his age and the role it might have played. Most 20-year-olds are still suckling the soft teat of low minors pitching, not playing nearly as many games, and not enduring nearly as grueling of a road schedule as their older, more mature MLB counterparts. And while by all accounts Heyward is as mentally mature as anybody, and his body sure looks physically mature, it might be reasonable to wonder if the increased workload, compared to his similarly aged peers, might have played a role in his injuries and inconsistencies.

Further, even if his age had nothing to do with those issues, let's just consider what we essentially traded off by having Heyward in MLB as a 20-year-old, instead of AAA. From all indications Jason Heyward is not going to take a discounted extension, and if the Braves do manage to extend him past 2015 (when his team control years run out), they'll be doing so at at least close to the market rate.

The primary key to winning with a budget south of the Yankees' budget is getting the most of your team controlled players. Free agents are generally worth the same amount they cost, so you don't really gain by buying free agents on the open market; you gain in benefit exactly what you gave up. If the Braves had waited a couple of years with Heyward, they would be getting his age 22-27 seasons under team control (and thus prior to free agency); instead they're getting his 20-25 year old seasons. In a manner of speaking, you can look at it as if the Braves traded a 20-year-old Jason Heyward with two years left on his contract for a 26-year-old Jason Heyward with two years left on his contract. Which Jason Heyward do you think would be better?

Now, ultimately, we don't get the chance to play out these alternate realities. We can't see how things might have worked out had the Braves kept Heyward down for a year or two longer. It may well have been the case that he would have grown frustrated with AAA, or developed bad habits while feasting on subpar pitching, or any number of scenarios. But I think the question is worth asking. When you have a superstar like Heyward, who isn't going to sign an Evan Longoria-like contract into the distant future for well below market rate, when is the best time to bring him up? As Dave Cameron notes, us bringing him up at such a young age may very well end up meaning that he will be just hitting his prime right as we lose him to free agency (or only slightly better, pay him a bank truck load of money to stay in Atlanta). With a budget like the Braves', these questions must be asked, even if they don't have easy answers.

The impatient part of me is glad I've gotten to witness his talent as soon as possible. The parts of me more prone to delay gratification wonder if we didn't give up more than we received in doing so. Ultimately it's difficult to question the Braves' decision too harshly. Heyward has been, after all, worth 15 WAR already and may well end up with 27-ish WAR by the time he finishes up his team controlled years and either starts his extension or free agency years. 27 wins under team control is in no way, shape, or form something to under-appreciate. But we may find ourselves left wondering what might have been, especially if 2016 finds Heyward donning the uniform of another franchise.

Series Schedule:

Monday, July 22 6:05: RHP Ivan Nova vs. RHP Yu Darvish

Tuesday, July 23 7:05: RHP Phil Hughes vs. RHP Alexi Ogando

Wednesday, July 24 7:05: LHP Andy Pettitte vs. LHP Derek Holland

Thursday, July 25 1:05: RHP Hiroki Huroda vs. TBD (Maybe Justin Grimm, Probably Ross Wolf)

The Rangers need a win. Luckily for them, Yu Darvish is back. If that doesn't work out, Alexi Ogando will return on Tuesday after being out for six weeks. Should Plan B fail, Derek Holland will take the mound and he's been the best pitcher on the staff. If Holland can't get it done, then...well, there's Ross Wolf. *ahem*

It's great seeing Darvish live up to his word that his DL stint was nothing serious. It's a huge sigh of relief to see that Ogando has rejoined the rotation. It's nice to read about Colby Lewis feeling good and Matt Harrison being ahead of schedule in his rehab. But even as the starting staff is repairing itself, there's this dreadful sense of foreboding that it doesn't matter who starts the games as long as the Rangers continue to be terrible at stringing together baserunners, driving in runs, running the bases, fielding the ball, and being coached successfully.

The point being, while having to rely on a Ross Wolf, Justin Grimm, or Josh Lindblom in the rotation is a problem, it's just one of a whole bunch of problems for the Rangers right now and they don't have terribly long to figure them out. The Rangers, as it stands now, would not be in the American League playoffs. The Rangers are currently a season high three games out of first place in the American League West and a game and a half behind Baltimore for the second wild card spot.

The Yankees are like an older, more expensive version of the 2013 Texas Rangers. They are terrible offensively but have remained in the race for a playoff spot thanks to a decent rotation and an excellent bullpen. So while the Rangers face a grotesque version of themselves over the next few days, the Oakland A's will be playing a Houston Astros team that they've gone 9-0 against this season.

The simple fact is, a continuation of this current slide puts the Rangers ability to contend this season in question. Therefore, this team can't afford to lose the ball in the sun or boot a tailor-made double play. This team can't afford to leave ten men on the bases each night or be indecisive when a hit with a man in scoring position actually comes. This team simply doesn't have the margin for error to, well, error.

The Rangers need a win, but, more importantly, they need to stop beating themselves.

Here's a breakdown of the pitching match-ups against the fourth place New York Yankees:

• Yu Darvish: 8-4, 11.84 K/9, 3.09 BB/9, .260 BABIP, 80.7% LOB, 3.21 FIP, 2.74 xFIP, 3.0 WAR - Last three starts: 8 runs allowed in 18.0 innings
• Ivan Nova: 4-2, 9.34 K/9, 2.77 BB/9, .340 BABIP, 75.6% LOB, 2.99 FIP, 3.18 xFIP, 1.2 WAR - Last three appearances: 5 runs allowed in 22.2 innings

Advantage: Ivan Nova has bounced between the rotation, the bullpen and Triple-A this season before figuring things out just before the All-Star break in the Yankee rotation. In his only two starts in July, Nova has gone 17 innings and has allowed only three runs while striking out a batter per inning. Even though Nova hasn't made many starts this season, the Rangers are catching him while he's red hot. It's basically exactly what the Rangers don't need right now.

The last time Yu Darvish pitched, he gave up five runs while losing to the Houston Astros and then he found himself on the disabled list. That's maybe the low point of Darvish's entire career. But, with a two week break, Darvish should be rested up for the second half. He's the Rangers' ace and they sort of need him to go historic on the league. No pressure or anything.

• Alexi Ogando (First start since June 5): 4-2, 6.99 K/9, 3.58 BB/9, .256 BABIP, 81.5% LOB, 4.26 FIP, 4.57 xFIP, 0.7 WAR - Last three starts: 5 runs allowed in 17.1 innings
• Phil Hughes: 4-9, 7.74 K/9, 2.29 BB/9, .298 BABIP, 73.8% LOB, 4.47 FIP, 4.27 xFIP, 0.9 WAR - Last three starts: 7 runs allowed in 18.1 innings

Advantage: Welcome back, Alexi Ogando! We have missed you. Welcome back, Phil Hughes! The Rangers have missed facing you.

• Derek Holland: 8-5, 8.55 K/9, 2.63 BB/9, .318 BABIP, 75.0% LOB, 2.92 FIP, 3.48 xFIP, 4.0 WAR - Last three starts: 7 runs allowed in 21.2 innings
• Andy Pettitte: 7-7, 6.45 K/9, 2.41 BB/9, .309 BABIP, 68.2% LOB, 3.90 FIP, 3.95 xFIP, 1.6 WAR - Last three starts: 10 runs allowed in 18.2 innings

Advantage: This is the passing of the torch game. Derek Holland will defeat Andy Pettitte and then absorb all of his unbeatable left-handed postseason powers which Holland will unleash on the league this October. Or, Holland will give up an ill-timed three run home run and then Rangers won't score at all in any of Holland's remaining starts. These are the only two possibilities that I can foresee.

• (Assuming) Ross Wolf: 1-3, 2.78 K/9, 2.78 BB/9, .288 BABIP, 72.7% LOB, 4.54 FIP, 4.70 xFIP, 0.2 WAR - Last three appearances: 9 runs allowed in 8.1 innings
• Hiroki Kuroda: 9-6, 6.30 K/9, 1.79 BB/9, .251 BABIP, 81.9% LOB, 3.56 FIP, 3.73 xFIP, 2.5 WAR - Last three starts: 2 runs allowed in 19.0 innings

Advantage: This is likely either going to be Wolf, Justin Grimm or Josh Lindblom, and either way, it doesn't make much difference. They're basically the same pitcher. And they're all pitching poorly right now. Hiroki Kuroda isn't pitching poorly and hasn't pitch poorly against the Rangers in his career. Hopefully the Rangers will have already won the series by this point.

New York Yankees (52-46, 4th Place in AL East)

Rangers' Record vs. New York: 2-1 (All at Yankee Stadium)

New York's Recent Results: 1-2 road series loss against the Boston Red Sox

New York's 2013 Road Record: 24-23

Ballpark in Arlington Park Factors (LHB/RHB): HR: 109/111 - Runs: 111/115

SB Nation Yankees' Blog: Pinstriped Bible

Questions to Answer:

• On a scale of 1 to 10: How much do you respect Mariano Rivera?
• Who is your Return of the McLemore Approved Player to Watch in this series? (They'll never see Ross Wolf's no-hitter coming.)
• Over/Under: 8.5 strikeouts by Yu Darvish in his first start of the second half?
• What's your guess for line (IP/H/K/BB/ER) by Alexi Ogando as he makes his first start since June 5 on Tuesday?
• Yea or Nay: The Rangers win a game in this series?

Arguably the deadline's biggest trade piece, Matt Garza, was finally dealt to the Rangers on Monday in exchange for three prospects and a couple of players who will be named later. While Garza's off the table, there are still plenty of trade rumors swirling about. So let's get up to date, shall we? Here's a quick wrap of Monday's rumor dirt:

Yankees close to acquiring Alfonso Soriano

Once again desperate for help in the outfield corners, the New York Yankees are "close" to acquiring Alfonso Soriano from the Cubs. The price to reunite with their former second baseman is reportedly a mid-level prospect, with Chicago sending a good amount of money the Yankees' way to help with the roughly $24 million left on Soriano's contract this year and next. The Yankees were tied to Soriano in the winter, but his name was thought to be off the table after the club acquired the similarly-overpriced Vernon Wells from the Angels. Well... apparently not.

Red Sox, Tigers, Dodgers scouting K-Rod

The market for Brewers right-hander Francisco Rodriguez is heating up, with the Red Sox, Tigers, and Dodgers all sending scouts to watch the reborn closer. No deal is close at the moment for the right-hander, reportedly, but he will likely be on the move before next's week deadline. An afterthought on the free-agent market this winter, K-Rod has regained his form this season and established himself as one of the best relief options on the summer market. The former All-Star closer owns a stellar 1.09 earned-run average in 24⅔ innings this season.

Orioles done with deadline dealing?

The Baltimore Orioles have made just one move to shore up their roster this month, acquiring starter Scott Feldman from the Chicago Cubs, but may be done making moves on the trade market. Reportedly, the move to not make any more moves has more to do with being "tapped out" in terms of available money than a desire to stand pat. For instance, when asked about possible interest in Twins first baseman Justin Morneau, the club said that his roughly $6 million salary is "too expensive." While this may not put them out of the trading game completely, it certainly hurts their chances of making any big moves in the next week.

More from SB Nation:

• Ryan Braun suspended for rest of season | Rob Neyer on Braun | Steven Goldman on Braun

• A-Rod may be next superstar to be suspended

• Cubs, Rangers complete Matt Garza trade

• 50 baseball-related metal names | #HotCorner

• MLB trade deadline: Why we might see less action than usual

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez is "trying to make a deal" with Major League Baseball regarding the punishment for his involvement in the Biogenesis PED scandal, sources have told Wallace Matthews of ESPN New York.

In the wake of the 65-game suspension handed to Ryan Braun on Monday, it appeared as though A-Rod's suspension could come any day, but the Yankees (and Matthews' source) do not expect the punishment to be doled out right away. The evidence against A-Rod is said to go "far beyond" what the league had on Braun, which could indicate that it will take much longer for the two sides to negotiate a suspension that both parties feel is fair.

Braun and the Brewers: A Primer

Brewers fans are still going to cheer when Ryan Braun does baseball-related things. This will seem confusing. Maybe this will help.

The league is reportedly looking to punish A-Rod not only for his PED transgressions, but also for allegedly interfering with its investigation into Biogenesis. In the end, MLB could hand A-Rod as long a suspension as it wants because it's not bound by the Joint Drug Agreement's regular three-strike punishment system in this case, but without his concession they run the risk of a drawn-out appeals process.

MLB Players Association director Michael Weiner said last week that their guidance for players like A-Rod -- i.e. those who have overwhelming evidence against them -- would be not to appeal their punishments, but that doesn't necessarily mean he won't.

Rodriguez, 37, is currently on the disabled list with a strained quad. The veteran was supposed to come off the DL on Monday following his 20-day rehab assignment, but an MRI taken over the weekend revealed the muscle pull. After five days from the recurrence, he can begin a new 20-day rehab assignment.

More from SB Nation:

• Ryan Braun suspended for rest of season | Rob Neyer on Braun | Steven Goldman on Braun

• A-Rod may be next superstar to be suspended

• Cubs, Rangers complete Matt Garza trade

• 50 baseball-related metal names | #HotCorner

• MLB trade deadline: Why we might see less action than usual

UPDATE 1:00 pm ET: The Chicago Cubs are denying that their discussions with the Yankees about Alfonso Soriano are anything more than preliminary, reports Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. General manager Jed Hoyer spoke on MLB Network Radio Tuesday morning and called the New York Post's report of the two sides nearing a deal "very premature."

Hoyer added that the club has had discussion with "multiple teams" about Soriano, but that no deals are close.

ORIGINAL: The New York Yankees are "close" to reuniting with Chicago Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano, reports George King of the New York Post.

The Cubs want a mid-level prospect in return for the veteran outfielder, and are likely to send New York a not insignificant sum of money to cover much of the roughly $24 million owed Soriano through next season. Like the acquisition of Vernon Wells over the winter, King expects that the Yankees would pay most of the $6 million left on Soriano's contract this year so that they can put the money from the Cubs towards his 2014 salary and keep their goal of getting under the $189 million luxury tax threshold alive.

Let's Make A Deal

A-Rod is reportedly trying to broker a deal with the league similar to Ryan Braun's. Unlike Braun, however, A-Rod's suspension is not expected to be imminent.

Soriano had a bit of a renaissance at the plate last year, but hasn't really aged well through his 30s. The righty slugger still has a bit of pop in his bat, but whatever little on-base skills he had as a younger player have completely evaporated. He's batting .256/.286/.471 with 17 home runs in 92 games on the year, which looks really bad until you compare it to the Yankees' production in left field this season (.224/.268/.337)

Soriano, 37, owns a full no-trade clause -- which he used to block a deal to the Giants last season -- but he'll reportedly waive it for the opportunity to return to New York. Originally purchased by the Yankees from the NPB's Hiroshima Carp in September 1998, Soriano quickly worked his way into the starting second base gig in the Bronx, manning the position full-time from 2001-2003.

In a bit of coincidence, the Yankees sent Soriano to the Texas Rangers after the 2003 season in exchange for Alex Rodriguez, whom Soriano will now likely supplement in the lineup (sort of) if he returns to the Pinstripes.

More from SB Nation:

• Ryan Braun suspended for rest of season | Rob Neyer on Braun | Steven Goldman on Braun

• A-Rod may be next superstar to be suspended

• Cubs, Rangers complete Matt Garza trade

• 50 baseball-related metal names | #HotCorner

• MLB trade deadline: Why we might see less action than usual