Arkansas, Carolina heat up

Arkansas once again unleashed their offensive might on Team Buddah. After pounding on them Tuesday 12-1, the Falcons scored another dozen in a 12-3 final. Adam Dunn, returning to the lineup after a weeklong injury, hit two homers and drove in four runs. Newcomers Ryan Ludwick (2-4) and Yorvit Torrealba (2-4, 3 RBI) also factored into the scoring. The Falcons scored early in the game, tallying 7 runs in the first inning.

Lefty Barry Zito has been struggling to get wins despite pitching fairly well this year, but that changed yesterday. Zito held the first-place Rat Pack to three hits in 7.2 innings, giving up only one run, to improve his record to 2-3. Travis Hafner started the scoring in the first inning with a 3-run dinger. The Cats have now won 4 of their last 5 and are only one game under .500.

D.C.'s John Maine outduelled Mark Buehrle in a 2-1 nailbiter against Tampa Bay. Maine held the Plunkers to one hit in 6.2 innings and struck out 8. The Bushslapper scored all their runs in the first inning on back-to-back RBI singles by Carlos Beltran and Paul Lo Duca.

Poor Cole Hamels had his fifth straight start in which he gave up 2 runs or less and yet his team could not provide enough run support. Hamels pitched six innings and struck out 10, giving up only two runs on four hits and four walks. But the Sardines could only muster three runs in support and ended up losing 4-3 after the Endzone Animals rallied to score two runs in the ninth. In his last three games, the Straphangers have scored seven runs combined for Hamels.

Randy Johnson's win over the Bombers yesterday put him in a tie with Pedro Martinez for second overall at 206. He's got a ways to go to catch all-time leader Greg Maddux at 221.

David Ortiz's 6 RBIs powered Vancouver to a 15-3 thrashing of Marietta. Chad Billingsley improved to 4-0 with a 6 inning, 3-hit performance, in which he surrendered 2 runs and struck out 6. Vancouver has now won 7 straight and nine of their last ten.