Maybe Interleague Isn’t So Bad
- Greinke wins! He bats 2 for 3 and scores, too! KC vs Florida 9-3
- How cool — in an intra-state interleague ERA staredown in Ohio, Cleveland’s bounding LHP Cliff Lee (6-0.067) faces RHP Edinson Volquez (6-1.112) at Cincinnati.
- Lefty Shawn Estes (1-0, .257) starts his 2nd game since 2006 vs Seattle’s RHP Felix Hernandez (2-4 3.38) at 1:10pm. (His 1st game was his 100th win! May 13, 2008, at Wrigley) He’s a Padre, and that makes me feel good. Did you wonder where he was? As he comes back from a long recovery from Tommy John surgery and works on some of his old trouble spots, I am hoping that being this inspired pitching-focused team — home of former Angels pitching coach Bud Black as Manager and Coach of last year’s MLB-leading pitching staff Darren Balsey — will make his return a welcoming one. Otherwise, maybe Dave Duncan on the Cardinals would be a good match. Not that they can just choose their locations like that. I’ve enjoyed him since his presence on the Mets, where, like Steve Trachsel‘s, his record did not always reflect what happened on field, For awhile the easiest way to keep track of him was to follow Dusty Baker. It was nice to see that.
Out of the Bullpen 
I know the Rays pitcher take pride in their batting during the Inter-League games. Maybe because most of them have not hit since high school and it was something they loved to do back then….or it might just be for bragging rights on the staff.
For whatever reason, it is fun to watch pitchers hit. In the A L , if you hit a guy you do not have to worry about facing the other pitcher and getting one in the ribs, except during the Inter-League schedule. Then for some reason people pitch better from the A L .
Rays Renegade
http://raysrenegade.mlblogs.com
Right, go figure, Renegade! Then again, look how careful Pedro Martinez became, as soon as he became a Met!