Reyes races toward record

Only four games in the DMBL yesterday, so let's get to it.

Arkansas finally got a win against Newark yesterday, scraping out a 6-5 win as the series shifted to the Natural State. Newark held the lead until Lance Berkman hit a three-run homer to tie things up. Berkman was brought in to pinch-hit for catcher Henry Blanco. The game ended as Cla Meredith hit Chris Coste with the bases loaded in the ninth to end the game. A walkoff hit by pitch? "He was crowding the inside of the plate and I own the plate" said Meredith after the game. "I don't care if we lost as long as he got the message."

Derek Jeter and Matt Diaz each had three hits and Wily Mo Pena drove in 3 RBIs as Marietta breezed by the Mudcats 7-3. Woody Williams earned his second straight win after a dismal start. "My first three starts are really a test" said Williams. "If the team sticks with me after three bad games, then I start to pitch well." Vancouver benched Williams after three dreadful starts and later traded him to Marietta. Williams' ERA now stands at 7.43 for the season. Marietta has now won seven straight.

Kelvim Escobar and the Bushslappers had no problems with the Rat Pack yesterday, easily winning 7-1. Escobar contributed 8 innings en route to his 12th win of the season. Jose Reyes hit his 20th triple of the season and continues to ascend the all-time mark. In only his third season, Reyes is already eighth on the all-time chart with 51, only 24 shy of the all-time mark of 75 set by Deion Sanders. "I must erase the stain of Deion from the record books" said Reyes.

South Boston pounded out a 12-2 win over the Straphangers yesterday. Garrett Atkins, Prince Fielder, and Vladimir Guerrero each had three RBIs in the victory.

Hit the road, Eck

Today is your last chance to vote for the All-Star game. If you haven't voted yet, what are you waiting for?

Hoboken's Vicente Padilla was impressive in a 4-hit shutout of the South Boston Gang. Padilla improved to 8-2 and lowered his ERA to 3.93. Padilla also struck out 9 in the game. Also impressive yesterday was Carolina's Roy Halladay, who also 4-hit the Straphangers. Halladay only managed a mere 5 strikeouts.

Philadelphia activated David Eckstein off the disabled list and promptly handed his walking papers. After trying to trade the shortstop over the weekend and getting no bites, Eck was sent packing. Eckstein was batting a respectable .287, though somewhat empty (.693 OPS), but became superfluous when the club acquired Jimmy Rollins from Newark.

Newark blew a 9-8 lead in the bottom of the ninth when Cla Meredith gave up a three-run walk-off home run to Frank Thomas. In the game, Newark also survived a 6-run seventh inning that chased starter Chien-Ming Wang from the game. Newark felt that someone had to be "punished" for this embarrassing loss. So who would you think paid the price? Wang for giving up 7 runs? Meredith for blowing the lead in the final inning? Nick Johnson or Marlon Anderson for each going 0-5? Nope, it was obviously Tim Wakefield's fault! Wakefield was cut to make room for former Sugar Bear Alex Cora. "What the-- I wasn't even on the active roster?" reacted Wakefield after receiving the news. "It's not Tim" said GM Butch Garretson after the game "we just wanted to get Alex on the team again. That guy is a real sparkplug!"