Don't look now but the Yankees are two games out of the wild card. This fact will make everyone ignore the fact that Brian Cashman refused to part with any of the likes of Jeff Karstens, Chase Wright, Darrell Rasner or anything else that positions itself 60-and-a-half feet from the plate. Was it a good decision that worked out or a bad one that worked out?
The Rangers brought Joaquin Benoit in to pitch the 8th inning in a tie game, and he successfully threw another inning and a two-thirds for the victory. C.J. Wilson got the last out for his second consectuvie save for the Rangers post-Gagne.
The Rangers also recalled 27-year-old AAA masher Jason Botts and installed him at DH. As a result, a feel-good story of 2007, Sammy Sosa, is out of a job. Expect him to be on another team as qucikly as he can clear waivers/get claimed. The question in deep AL-only leagues is whether Sosa can contrubte with his spots for success picked for him.
The Royals gave the first save opportunity post-Dotel to Joakim Soria just as the team said it would. While Wilson was not as obvious a choice to close post-deadline, Soria was and is likely unavailable in any free agent pools. However, those in keeper leagues should consider grabbing Zach Greinke. He throws gas and will be a closer-in-waiting in off-season closer specualtion.
Interestingly, Alan Embree picked-up the save because "closer' Huston Street cannot pitch on consecutive days yet. Given the A's have nothing to gain, and a lotto lose, by using Street in a more traditional manner, fantasy teams relying upon Street to make-up ground in Saves will be disappointed.
Phillies closer Brett Meyers didn't blow a save, but he pitched awfully in the 9th inning of a tie game by walking three batters. I am unable to shake the uneasy feeling his inexplicable move from the rotation to the bullpen and then a two month DL stint have caused.
The Giants latest effort to get younger, outfielder Rajai Davis, announced he pronounces his first name "rah-ZHAY." The Giants started him in CF, and he gathered a hit and a stolen base in four at-bats. If he produces, the Matt Morris trade becomes even worse. It'll be analogous to the USC football team keeping its starters on the field in the 4th quarter of a 98-0 game against Western Connecticut State university. (ed: Could the Trojans get more than 14 scoring drives by the 4th quarter? If so, then you've under-estimated the score.)