The Longest Streak Pt I – Chase Utley’s first inning single off of Jeff Suppan in the Phillies 5-3 win over St. Louis on Tuesday extended his hitting streak to 33 straight games, the seventh longest streak in baseball since Joe DiMaggio hit safely in a record 56 straight games in 1941. Pete Rose hit in 44 straight in 1978, Paul Molitor 39 in 1987, Jimmy Rollins 38 in 2005-06, Luis Castillo 35 in 2002, Benito Santiago 34 in 1987 and Dom DiMaggio 34 in 1949. Utley was 2-for-5 in the game, leaving him 57-for-141 (.404) during the streak. He is now tied for the 19^th longest streak in major league history with Hal Chase (1907) and Heinie Manush (1933). Utley has never faced Wednesday’s starter Jeff Weaver, but opposing hitters are batting .316 this season against him, including .353 in the National League. Rollins is 3-for-3 lifetime against Weaver.

 

Hit Streak Trivia Question Pt I – Joe DiMaggio set the major league record in 1941 by besting Wee Willie Keeler’s 45-game streak set over the 1896-97 seasons. In 1933, DiMaggio also hit safely in 61 straight games while playing for the San Francisco Seals in the Pacific Coast League. Can you name the only two players that had two major league streaks longer than Utley’s 33?

 

Hit Streak Trivia Question Pt II – DiMaggio’s 56-gamer was stopped (with considerable help from Ken Keltner) by Cleveland Indians pitcher Jim Bagby Jr., son of former major leaguer Jim Bagby Sr. Can you name the pitcher that snapped Mr. Coffee’s 61-game streak? (answers below)

 

The Longest Streak Pt IIa – Pittsburgh’s 5-game win streak came to an end on Tuesday despite Ian Snell’s 10-strikeout performance against the Braves. Adam LaRoche, who had 7 HR in July, hit two in his first game in August. In total, he’s hit 11 HR in his last 26 games. John Smoltz allowed just 1 run over 7 innings and newly acquired relievers Danys Baez and Bob Wickman closed it out to help snap Atlanta’s losing streak at 4 games. The win streak for the Pirates helped to give them a 13-12 record in July, the third best in the NL Central.

 

The Longest Streak Pt IIb – Pittsburgh’s loss leaves the Los Angeles Dodgers (9-17 in July, tied for the worst record in baseball) as the team with the longest current win streak in the majors. Just last Friday L.A. had the longest losing streak in the league at 8 games, but the Dodgers win streak now stands at 4 straight after battering the revamped Reds bullpen for 6 runs over the final three innings, including 5 in the 7^th on their way to a 10-4 win on Tuesday. Wilson Betemit homered for L.A. in the win and is now 5-for-9 as a Dodger. Rafael Furcal, continuing where he left off in July, had 3 hits and 4 RBI and is batting .352 (37-for-105) since July 4. Adam Dunn hit his 32^nd home run of the year in the loss for the Reds. Brad Penny (10-5) goes on Wednesday trying to continue the roll while Greg Maddux (9-11) will make his Dodger debut on Thursday in the series finale.

 

The Longest Streak Pt III – Matt Cain was strong, allowing just 2 runs on 4 hits in 7 innings, but Livan Hernandez, tossing up curveballs as slow as the number on his back (61 mph), kept the Giant hitters off balance all night and allowed just 1 run in 7 innings. He beat San Francisco for the second straight start and extended the Giants’ losing streak to 9 straight games. The streak is the Giants’ longest since May 26 through June 8 of last year when they lost 10 in a row. Shea Hillenbrand got the start at third for the Giants and went 0-for-4 as Pedro Feliz took his first day off of the season after having played in all 941 2/3 innings of San Francisco’s first 106 games. Feliz is in the midst of an 11-for-61 (.180) slide. Barry Bonds, 1-for-his-last-21, was out of the lineup with swelling in his knee. He will be re-evaluated today.

 

Juiced! – The Update – After missing the Long Beach Armada’s trip north to take on the Chico Outlaws due to back pain, Jose Canseco was back in the lineup against his former team the Surf Dawgs last Friday night. He was 1-for-3 with two walks, a double and two runs scored in the Armada’s 9-5 win over San Diego. On Saturday, Canseco again went 1-for-3, drew a walk, and hit his 3^rd home run of the season to fuel a 6-2 Long Beach win. He was 1-for-4 with a single in the finale as the Dawgs salvaged the series with a 3-2 win. Canseco and the Armada were then shut down by Chico at home on Tuesday 4-0 as the Outlaws extended their win streak to 8 straight games. Jose was 0-for-4 in the loss with two strikeouts and is now batting .256 (10-for-39) for Long Beach. Including a 3 strikeout performance in his only game with San Diego, Canseco has now struck out 18 times in 42 at bats.

 

The Washington National Infirmary

 

The Nationals placed Robert Fick on the disabled list for the second time this season. The move marked the 23^rd time this season the Nats have had a player sidelined by injury. Eighteen different players have spent time in the Washington infirmary and Fick becomes the fourth player to be disabled twice. He is one of 12 Nats currently on the DL, 8 of whom are pitchers. 7 players are on the 60-day list, while one other, Pedro Astacio, spent time there earlier this year as well.

 

Meanwhile, the Red Sox placed Jason Varitek on the DL Tuesday. Varitek will undergo surgery to repair a partially torn meniscus in his left knee and miss 4 to 6 weeks.

 

And Francisco Liriano was scratched from his start today against Texas with discomfort in his forearm. Boof Bonser has been recalled to make the start while Scott Baker, pounded for 8 runs (7 earned) on 7 hits in 3 1/3 on Tuesday, was demoted.

 

Quick Hits

 

Gerald Laird is batting .433 (13-for-30) since the all-star break.

 

Rod Barajas is batting .200 (8-for-40) since the all-star break.

 

Nick Markakis is batting .430 (40-for-93) since June 28

 

Arizona rookie reliever Tony Pena had a string of three straight appearances with a win snapped in the D’Backs loss to the Cubs on Tuesday. Pena now has 3 wins in 6 major league appearances.

 

Tomas Perez is 10-for-his-last-17 (.588)

 

Howie Kendrick, 3-for-26 (.115) in his first stint with the Angels, is batting .477 (21-for-44) since his July 14 recall, hitting safely in all 11 games he’s played in with 7 multi-hit games.

 

Rookies and Newcomers Welcome

 

Detroit beat Tampa Bay 10-4 to win their 71^st game of the year on Tuesday as rookie Justin Verlander won his 14^th game backed by Carlos Guillen’s cycle, and home runs by newcomer Sean Casey and rookie Brent Cleven. Casey hit his first home run as a Tiger – and just his second since April 7 – while Cleven hit his first two ML home runs. He is now 5-for-8 in the big leagues, while B.J. Upton was 2-for-4 for Tampa in his first major league game since the 2004 season. Upton was playing third while Ben Zobrist, acquired from Houston in the Aubrey Huff deal, made his big league debut at short. He was 0-for-4.

 

Hit Streak Trivia Answer Pt I – While DiMaggio owns the two longest hitting streaks in professional baseball, only George Sisler (41 – 1922, 34 – 1925) and Ty Cobb (40 – 1911, 35 – 1917) have had two major league hitting streaks longer than Utley’s current 33-gamer.

 

Hit Streak Trivia Answer Pt II – Jim Bagby Sr. won 127 games in a 9-year major league career, including 31 in 1920 for the Indians, the team that would eventually end Joe D’s streak. Jim Bagby Jr. was just 9-15 with a 4.04 ERA in 1941 for Cleveland but won 17 games each in ’42 and ’43 and made the all-star team both years. Ed Arthur Walsh, son of Hall of Famer Ed Augustine Walsh, was just 11-24 in a major league career that was over by the time he snapped DiMaggio’s 61-game streak in 1933.

 

On Deck – Wednesday’s most intriguing pitching match up pits two of the best young pitchers in the game going head to head with Felix Hernandez going for Seattle against Baltimore’s Erik Bedard. Hernandez started the season struggling but has pitched much better over the past two months, going from a 5.78 ERA in April and May (62.1 IP) to a 3.39 ERA since June (60.1 IP). He was 4-1 in June though only 1-2 in July despite a 2.75 ERA in his last three starts. Bedard, meanwhile, posted the third lowest ERA in the American League for the month of July at 1.54 while going 4-0. He has a 1.88 ERA since June 6 to go with a 7-1 record during that span.

 

Final July Leaderboard

 

Taking a look back at the month of July, we find the resurgent Angels were baseball’s hottest team during the month, going 19-7 (.731) while, led by Jered Weaver (1.65 ERA) and John Lackey (5 wins), also posting the best team ERA in the game at 3.43. The Mets led by Paul Lo Duca (.410), Carlos Beltran (10 HR) and believe it or not, John Maine (1.63 ERA) had the best record in the NL for the month at 19-9.

 

The Twins have not only pitched their way back in it led by Francisco Liriano (1.51) and Joe Nathan (9/9 SV), but had the third highest batting average in the game for the month as well. Similarly, the Diamondbacks have also used a good combination of team hitting (.272) and team pitching (4.24) to put Jason Grimsley behind them and get back into the NL West race. An old familiar face, Roger Clemens (2.00 ERA), helped the Astros lead the NL in pitching for the month.

 

Elsewhere on the leaderboard we find Chase Utley and Scott Hatteberg (.425) along with a surprising Nick Markakis (.403) and even some troubled relievers (Trevor Hoffman 9/12 and Armando Benitez 7/10). Here now is a closer look at the final July major league leaderboard.

 

AL Batting Leaders – July 3.1 AB/Tm G NL Batting Leaders – July

1. Derek Jeter - .412 (42-for-102) 1. Chase Utley - .425 (45-for-106)

2. Justin Morneau - .410 (41-for-100) 2. Scott Hatteberg - .425 (31-for-73)

3. Nick Markakis - .403 (31-for-77) 3. Paul Lo Duca - .410 (32-for-78)

4. Yuniesky Bettancourt - .374 (34-for-91) 4. Josh Barfield - .400 (40-for-100)

 

AL Home Run Leaders – July NL Home Run Leaders – July

1. David Ortiz – 14 1t. Carlos Beltran – 10

2. Juan Rivera – 11 1t. Aramis Ramirez – 10

3t. Jermaine Dye – 9 3t. Ray Durham – 9

3t. Richie Sexson – 9 3t. Jim Edmunds – 9

3t. Manny Ramirez – 9

 

AL ERA Leaders – July 1 IP/TmG NL ERA Leaders – July

1. Justin Verlander – 1.01 – 26.2 IP 1. John Maine – 1.63 – 27.2 IP

2. Francisco Liriano – 1.51 – 41.2 IP 2. Jeff Francis – 1.85 – 34.0 IP

3. Eric Bedard – 1.54 – 35.0 IP 3. Roger Clemens – 2.00 – 36.0 IP

4. Jared Weaver – 1.65 – 27.1 IP 4. Brandon Webb – 2.45 – 44.0 IP

 

AL Win Leaders – July NL Win Leaders – July

1. John Lackey – 5 1. Carlos Zambrano – 6

2t. 8 tied w/4 2t. 4 tied w/4

 

AL Saves Leaders – July NL Saves Leaders – July

1. Joe Nathan – 9/9 1. Trevor Hoffman – 9/12

2t. Todd Jones – 8/8 2. Ryan Dempster – 8/8

2t. Mariano Rivera – 8/8 3t. Billy Wagner – 7/7

2t. J.J. Putz – 8/11 3t. Armando Benitez – 7/10

 

AL Team Batting – July NL Team Batting – July

1. Toronto Blue Jays - .293 1. Los Angeles Dodgers - .277

2. Chicago White Sox - .286 2. St. Louis Cardinals - .274

3. Minnesota Twins - .285 3t. Atlanta Braves - .272

4. Cleveland Indians - .283 3t. Arizona Diamondbacks - .272

 

AL Team Pitching – July NL Team Pitching – July

1. Los Angeles Angels – 3.43 1. Houston Astros – 3.88

2. Minnesota Twins – 3.94 2. Arizona Diamondbacks – 4.24

3. Oakland A’s – 4.31 3. Pittsburgh Pirates – 4.31

4. Cleveland Indians – 4.43 4. Colorado Rockies – 4.37

 

Final July Standings

 

AL East	W	L	Pct.	NL East	W	L	Pct.
New York Yankees	16	9	0.640	New York Mets	19	9	0.679
Boston Red Sox	15	12	0.556	Atlanta Braves	14	10	0.583
Toronto Blue Jays	12	14	0.462	Washington Nationals	14	11	0.560
Baltimore Orioles	11	15	0.423	Philadelphia Phillies	13	12	0.520
Tampa Bay D'Rays	9	17	0.346	Florida Marlins	14	15	0.483
	63	67	0.485		74	57	0.565
AL Central	W	L	Pct.	NL Central	W	L	Pct.
Minnesota Twins	18	8	0.692	St. Louis Cardinals	15	11	0.577
Detroit Tigers	15	10	0.600	Chicago Cubs	14	12	0.538
Kansas City Royals	11	16	0.407	Pittsburgh	13	12	0.520
Chicago White Sox	10	15	0.400	Cincinnati Reds	11	14	0.440
Cleveland Indians	10	16	0.385	Houston Astros	11	14	0.440
	64	65	0.496	Milwaukee Brewers	10	15	0.400
					74	78	0.487
AL West	W	L	Pct.	NL West	W	L	Pct.
Los Angeles Angels	19	7	0.731	Arizona D'Backs	16	9	0.640
Oakland Athletics	14	13	0.519	San Diego Padres	13	13	0.500
Seattle Mariners	11	13	0.458	San Francisco Giants	12	16	0.429
Texas Rangers	11	15	0.423	Colorado Rockies	10	16	0.385
	55	48	0.534	Los Angeles Dodgers	9	17	0.346
					60	71	0.458

Questions or comments for Richard? Richard Van Zandt is a staff writer for Baseball Evolution who lives in San Francisco, California. You can reach him at richard@baseballevolution.com.