Chasing the Hammer – Barry Bonds, on Friday night, hit the 720^th home run of his career off of Dodgers rookie Chad Billingsley, leaving the slugger 35 shy of tying Hank Aaron for the most in major league baseball history.  Bonds’ three-run shot in the 3^rd inning gave the Giants a 5-4 lead, a lead the team would squander as they would end up losing the game 9-7.  The Giants are just 5-7 when Bonds homers.  Billingsley, in giving up the towering blast, entered Bonds’ book as the 426^th pitcher he has homered against. 

 

Streak Snapped – Orlando Cabrera failed to reach base on Friday night against the A’s in the Angels 3-0 win, snapping his streak of reaching base safely at 63 consecutive games.  It was the fifth longest streak in major league history.  Ted Williams holds the major league record, reaching base safely in 84 games. In 1941, Joe DiMaggio not only hit safely in 56 straight games, but also reached base safely in 71 straight, the second longest streak.  Williams also had the 3^rd and 4^th longest streaks at 69 and 65 games apiece. 

 

Canseco Update – Jose Canseco made his debut with the Long Beach Armada this weekend, going 1 for 6 with a run scored and leaving him 1 for 9 in his return to the game.  He did not play on Sunday and has not yet had a chance to break out the knuckler. 

 

The Longest Streak Pt I – The San Diego Padres came streaking into the All Star break with 5 wins in a row after beating the Nationals 10-9 on Sunday, giving the Friars the longest current winning streak in the majors.  Future HOFer Mike Piazza capped the thrilling come from behind victory with a 9^th inning pinch-hit home run – the 409^th HR of his career – off of Washington closer Chad Cordero.  Just three batters earlier, Khalil Green had tied the game with his 12^th home run of the year, a two-run shot, as the Pads battled back after trailing early in the game 7-1.  The Padres go into the break 48-40 and 2 games ahead of the Dodgers (46-42) for first place in the West. 

 

The Longest Streak Pt IIa – The Reds, on Friday, scored 9 runs in the first two innings, including an 8-run 2^nd, and snapped their losing streak at six games.  It had been the longest current streak in the majors.  Following that win, Cincinnati then went on to lose the final two games of the series and go into the break just a game over .500 at 45-44.  Nevertheless the Reds begin the second half in second place, just four games behind the Cardinals (48-39). 

 

The Longest Streak Pt IIb – With the streak broken, however, the Reds no longer claim the longest current losing streak in the majors.  Heading into the break, no fewer than 5 teams can lay claim to that dubious feat, all having lost three straight games: Colorado 44-43 (tie 3^rd, 3.5 GB), Milwaukee 44-46 (3^rd, 5.5 GB), Houston 43-46 (4^th, 6GB), Washington 38-52 (5^th, 15.5 GB) and Oakland 45-43 (tied for first place).  

 

At the All Star Break…

 

The majors’ best record at the All Star break belongs to the Detroit Tigers, of course.  Despite just losing to Seattle, they finished up at 59-29 (.690).  The best record in the National League belongs to the Mets at 53-36 (.596).  The Mets’ 12 game lead over Philadelphia is the largest lead over a 2^nd place team in the majors, while on the flip side, the Tigers’ lead over Chicago is just 2 games, tying them San Diego, Oakland and Texas for the smallest leads in the majors.

 

The Royals, meanwhile, with their late push (13-7 in their last 20, including 5-4 so far in July), and with help from the Pirates’ recent collapse (4 wins in their last 24 games), have pulled out of last place in the majors.  Pittsburgh, at 30-60 (.333), now holds that distinction.  Nevertheless, the Royals do still have the worst mark in the AL at 31-56 (.356) and trail Detroit in the Central by 27.5 games, the largest deficit in baseball.  The last place Mariners, meanwhile, trail in the AL West by just 2.5 games, the smallest last place deficit in the majors.

 

All Star Break leaders (and losers):

 

Highest Batting Average – AL – Joe Mauer - .378 – NL – Garciaparra/Sanchez - .358

Lowest Batting Average – AL – Richie Sexson - .218 – NL – Clint Barmes - .208

 

Highest OBP – AL – Travis Hafner - .461 – NL – Bobby Abreu - .447

Lowest OBP – AL – Juan Uribe - .264 – NL – Clint Barmes - .246

 

Highest SLG – AL – Jim Thome - .651 – NL – Albert Pujols - .706

Lowest SLG – AL – Jason Kendall - .314 – NL – Willy Taveras - .308

 

Highest OPS – AL – Travis Hafner – 1.112 – NL – Albert Pujols – 1.142

Lowest OPS – AL – Angel Berroa - .616 – NL – Clint Barmes - .564

 

Lowest ERA – AL – Francisco Liriano – 1.83 – NL – Brandon Webb – 2.65

Highest ERA – AL – Carlos Silva – 7.00 – NL – Mark Mulder – 6.09

 

Most Wins – AL – Roy Halladay – 12 – NL – Glavine/Marquis – 11

Most Losses – AL – Johnson/Weaver/Lopez/McClung – 10 NL – Sosa/Perez – 10

 

Lowest WHIP – AL – Francisco Liriano – 0.97 – NL – Pedro Martinez – 1.00

Highest WHIP – AL – Carlos Silva – 1.62 – NL – Paul Maholm – 1.78

 

Most Saves – AL – Jenks/Papelbon – 26 – NL – Jason Isringhausen – 26

Most Blown Saves – AL – Cordero/Burgos – 8 – NL – Isringhausen/Baez – 7

 

On Deck – David Ortiz, Ryan Howard, Lance Berkman, Jermaine Dye, Troy Glaus, Miguel Cabrera, Miguel Tejada and David Wright will compete on Monday in the 21^st All Star Home Run Derby at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park.  Bobby Abreu, of course, won last year’s contest, belting out a record 41 home runs at Comerica Park in Detroit.  Dave Parker won the very first Home Run Derby back in 1985 at the Metrodome in Minnesota.  Parker hit 6 home runs.  Only three players (Garrett Anderson, Cal Ripkin Jr. and Frank Thomas) have ever won the derby and then gone on to hit a home run in the game and only one player has ever won the derby more than once, that player being 3-time winner Ken Griffey Junior. Tejada won the 2004 derby at Minute Maid Park in Houston.