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Ben Sheets started for the Brewers, but he did not have a good outing. It seems like he’s not been as dominant as usual since C. C. Sabathia came over. Is it possible that one team simply cannot contain two pitchers of such awesome abilities? Or is Sheets just tired? I’m definitely leaning towards the former.

In 6 innings, Sheets allowed 5 runs. He was bested by Brian Moehler, of all people, who allowed 2 runs (1 earned) in 5 1/3 innings.

The loss drops the Milwaukee back another game, thanks to the Cubs win, and they now sit in 2nd place, 6 games back. The Astros improved their record to 2 games over .500, but sit a whopping 13.5 games back.

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Dusty Baker returned to the world-class city that gave him the platform to display his vast managing incompetence to everyone not named Bob Castellini. And guess what? Baker’s still got it. He showed he hasn’t forgotten a thing about losing at Wrigley.

Johnny Cueto was good for the Reds, striking out 6 and allowing only 1 run in 7 innings. And that one run wasn’t exactly earned. Edwin Encarnación failed to look back a runner at third before throwing to first. Looks like EdE’s trying to work his way out of the infield.

As for the Cubs, Rich Harden started and was even better than Cueto. Of course, the Reds follow Baker’s “Swing First, Ask Where the Ball Was Later” approach that the Cubs have finally gotten rid of, so it really wasn’t that much work for Harden.

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C. C. Sabathia pitched another complete game for the Brewers yesterday, improving his Brewers record to 8-0, which looks a lot like the emoticon for the reaction to how awesome Sabathia has been for Milwaukee.

The complete game was his 5th in the NL, moving him one ahead of teammate Ben Sheets. Sheets will try to match that next.

Sabathia also drove in a couple runs to help his offense in scoring 9 runs. Sabathia has been the best mid-season pickup I’ve ever seen. He’s been so good, I don’t doubt that he’ll be in the running for the Cy Young voting, despite having less than half a season.

Dottie Collins, star pitcher of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball league in the 1940s, has died at the age of 84. Collins was portrayed by Geena Davis in the movie A League of Their Own.

The New York Times has a lot of good information on Ms. Collins’ career, but I think that at least this quote is worth reprinting:

“I pitched and won both games of a doubleheader once pitching underhand,” she told Susan E. Johnson in “When Women Played Hardball.”

“I think I could have pitched a doubleheader overhand, too,” she said. “I don’t think it would be that hard. Nowadays, the men can’t do it, but hell, they can’t do nothin’.”

So true.

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The Cardinals were hoping to sweep the Reds yesterday, but that failed when they ran into the awesome might of young Edinson Volquez. Not even the wizardry of Kyle Lohse could save them.

Volquez had a no-hitter going for a while, so powerful were his pitches. He left the game after allowing 3 in 7 innings. He struck out 4 and allowed no runs, lowering his ERA to 2.73. Even the suckitude of the Reds was no match for Volquez today.

You know I think Edinson himself might keep the Reds from losing 100 games this year.