Games from the 28th:

Red Sox 7 - Angels 3
Hideki Matsui started in left and batted fifth.  He went 0-for-2: walk, ground out to first, ground out to first.  Matsui was lifted in the 7th on defense.

White Sox 6 - Mariners 5
Ichiro Suzuki started in right and batted first.  He went 2-for-5: single to right, single to left, E5, ground out to second, foul out to third.

Blue Jays 5 - Orioles 0
Koji Uehara entered the game in the 8th, with the Orioles down 1-0, and gave up a run over 0.2 innings of work.  Final line: 0.2 IP, 3 BF, 1 H, 0 SO, 0 BB, 1 R, 1 ER.

Astros 8 - Cubs 1
Kosuke Fukudome started in right and batted sixth.  He went 0-for-2: walk, strikeout looking, fly out to left, walk.

Padres 6 - Dodgers 1
Hiroki Kuroda started a the game and gave up 3 runs over 6 innings of work for his 9th loss of the year.  Kuroda is now 8-9 on the year.  Final line: 6 IP, 25 BF, 4 H, 5 SO, 3 BB, 3 R, 3 ER.

Cardinals 8 - Mets 7
Hisanori Takahashi entered the game in the 7th and tossed a shutout inning in relief.  Final line: 1 IP, 3 BF, 0 H, 2 SO, 0 BB, 0 R, 0 ER.

Takahashi is also scheduled for a start on the 31st.

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Kei Igawa gave up 2 runs (both earned) in a 3 inning relief outing (that began in the 4th inning) against the triple-A Norfolk Tides on the 28th.  He did not factor into the final decision.  Final line: 51 (34) NP (S), 13 BF, 4 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0 HR.

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Kazuo Matsui went 1-for-5 with a strikeout and an RBI against the triple-A Sacramento River Cats on the 28th.  He started at short and batted second.

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Akinori Iwamura went 1-for-1 against the triple-A Syracuse Chiefs on the 28th.  Iwamura started at third and batted second.  He was replaced by a pinch-runner after he ran into one of the fielders while legging out an infield single in his first at bat.

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The Red Sox announced on the 28th that Junichi Tazawa had his right elbow examined on 26th to check on his progress.  Seems everything was good and Tazawa will likely begin a throwing program early next month (August).

Games from the 22nd:

Rangers 3 - Angels 2
Hideki Matsui was the starting DH and batted sixth.  He went 1-for-3: fly out to center, double to left-center, ground out to the pitcher.

Red Sox 8 - Mariners 6
Ichiro Suzuki started in right and batted first.  he went 1-for-5: fly out to left, line out to the pitcher, strikeout looking, fly out to left, IBB, infield single.

Hideki Okajima entered the game in the 11th for Boston, with the score tied at 6-6, and picked up his third win by tossing two shutout inning in relief.  Okajima is now 3-4 on the year.  Final line: 2 IP, 9 BF, 2 H, 1 SO, 1 BB, 0 R, 0 ER.

Twins 5 - Orioles 0
Koji Uehara entered the game in the 8th, with the Orioles down 5-0, and tosses two shutout innings in relief.  Final line: 2 IP, 7 BF, 1 H, 2 SO, 0 BB, 0 R, 0 ER.

Dodgers 2 - Mets 0
Hiroki Kuroda started the game for the Dodgers and tossed 8 shutout innings for his 8th victory of the year.  Kuroda is now 8-8.  Final line: 8 IP, 28 BF, 5 H, 4 SO, 1 BB, 0 R, 0 ER.

Hisanori Takahashi started the game for the Mets and took the loss after allowing 2 runs over 7 innings of work.  Takahashi is now 7-5 on the year.  Final line: 7 IP, 25 BF, 3 H, 5 SO, 2 BB, 2 R, 2 ER.

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A day after making his first appearance since injuring his right shoulder, Takashi Saito told reporters that his shoulder was feeling great and that he needed to remind himself to pitch with authority and not get too caught up in possibility of hurting himself again.

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Kazuo Matsui entered the game in the top of the 7th as a defensive replacement and went 0-for-2 against the Sacramento River Cats on the 22nd.  Matsui took over Troy Tulowitzki's spot in the line-up and took over at second.

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Akinori Iwamura went 1-for-4 with a homer, a run scored, an RBI, and 2 strikeouts against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on the 22nd.  Iwamura started at second and batted second.

Games from the 17th:

Angels - Mariners
Ichiro Suzuki started in right and batted first.  He went 1-for-4: ground out to short, single to center, ground out to second, ground out to second.

Phillies 4 - Cubs 1
Kosuke Fukudome entered the game in the 9th inning as a defensive replacement in right and walked in his only at bat in the bottom half of the inning.

Cardinals 2 - Dodgers 0
Hiroki Kuroda started the game and allowed 1 run over 6 innings of work.  Kuroda took the loss and is now 7-8 on the year.  Final line: 6 IP, 24 BF, 4 H, 8 SO, 2 BB, 1 R, 1 ER.  Kuroda also threw 2 wild pitches.

Giants 8 - Mets 4
Hisanori Takahashi started the game and surrendered 6 runs on 7 hits over 2.2 innings of work for his 4th loss of the season.  He also gave up 2 homers in the game (3-run and solo).  Takahashi is now 7-4 on the year.  Final line: 2.2 IP, 16 BF, 7 H, 2 SO, 1 BB, 6 R, 6 ER.

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Kei Igawa gave up 3 runs (all earned) on 5 hits over 3.2 relief innings against the triple-A Toledo Mud Hens on the 17th.  Final line: 67 (40) NP (strikes), 16 BF, 3.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO, 3 HR.

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Kazuo Matsui went 0-for-4 with one strikeout against the triple-A Portland Beavers on the 17th.  Matsui started at second and batted first.

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Akinori Iwamura went 0-for-3 with 2 walks against the triple-A Rochester Red Wings on the 17th. Iwamura started at third and batted second.  Iwamura was also caught stealing in the 1st.

Games from the 16th:

Angels 3 - Mariners 2
Hideki Matsui was the starting DH and batted fifth.  He went 1-for-4: double to right, fly out to left, GIDP, fly out to left.  The double in the second was Matsui's first extra-base hit since a homer that he hit on 6/26.

Ichiro Suzuki started in right and batted first.  He went 0-4 and end his hitting streak at 14 games: foul out to short, ground out to third, strikeout swinging.

Rangers 8 - Red Sox 4
Hideki Okajima entered the game in the 7th, with the Red Sox down 7-4, and tossed an shutout inning in relief.  Final line: 1 IP, 4 BF, 1 H, 1 SO, 0 BB, 0 R, 0 ER.  It was Okajima's first outing since 7/6 when he gave up 1 run in 0.2 innings of work.

Blue Jays 4 - Orioles 2
Koji Uehara entered the game in the 8th with 2 outs and the Orioles down, 4-2.  Final line: 1 IP, 4 BF, 1 SO, 1 BB, 0 R, 0 ER.

Cubs 4 - Phillies 3
Kosuke Fukudome entered the game in the bottom of the 7th as a pinch-hitter and struck out.  He did not return to the game on defense in the top of the 8th.

Brewers 9 - Braves 3
Kenshin Kawakami entered the game in the 8th, with the Braves down 6-3, and gave up 3 runs over an inning of work.  Final line: 1 IP, 7 BF, 5 H, 0 SO, 0 BB, 0 R, 0 ER.  It was Kawakami's first appearance since a start on 6/26 against the Tigers where he gave up a run over 7 innings of work.

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Seems Hisanori Takahashi's next start will be moved up from the 19th to the 17th (vs Giants) because Mike Pelfrey slept on his neck wrong during the team's flight into San Francisco.

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Former NPBer Nathan Minchey visited forner Hiroshima Carp teammate Hiroki Kuroda the other day.  Minchey is currently employed as a scout for the Yomiuri Giants.

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Akinori Iwamura went 2-for-4 with a walk, a run scored, and an RBI against the triple-A Rochester Red Wings on the 16th.  Iwamura started at second and batted second.

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Ryota Igarashi gave up 3 runs (all earned) over 1.2 innings in relief against the triple-A Gwinnett Braves on the 16th.  Final line: 45 (28) NP (S) 11 BF, 1.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO, 2 HR.

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A limited edition Hideki Matsui vs Ichiro Suzuki t-shirt apparently went on sale at Angels Stadium and quickly sold out at $25 a pop (seems they had about 30 of them in stock).

Games from the 15th:

Angels - Mariners
Hideki Matsui was the starting DH and batted fifth.  He went 1-for-4: ground out to second, strikeout swinging, infield single, foul out to the catcher.

Ichiro Suzuki started in right and batted first. He went 1-for-4 and extended his hitting streak to 14 games: ground out to short, ground out to second, 3-run double to right-center, line out to third.

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Akinori Iwamura went 1-for-4 with a double, a run scored, and a walk against the triple-A Rochester Red Wings on the 15th.  Iwamura started at third and batted second.

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Junichi Tazawa could begin playing catch again before the end of the month.  Tazawa has been working out at Fort Myers and is scheduled to get his right elbow checked out by Dr. James Andrews some time later this month.  Depending on the outcome of those results, Tazawa could begin a throwing program before the end of the month.

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Hiroki Kuroda held a bullpen session on the 15th in preparation for his next scheduled start on the 17th (vs the Cardinals).  Kuroda kept his bullpen session brief and stopped after 35 pitches.  Seems the fielding practice beforehand, coupled with the heat, was too much for Kuroda.

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Sounds like the Mets think Ryota Igarashi is ready for the triple-A and will be sending him to Buffalo to continue his workouts.

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Commissioner Ryozo Kato returned to Japan yesterday after holding a meeting with MLB commissioner Bud Selig.  Seems the two sides will be working on putting together a group of people (by some time in August) to look into the what it will take in order to hold a US-Japan World Series.  Jim Small (MLB Japan) will likely heads things up for the MLB.

Kato also apparently spoke to Robert DuPuy (MLB COO) about the importance of cooperation between the NPB and MLB in getting baseball back into the Olympics in 2020.

Games from the 9th:

Yankees 6 - Marines 1
Ichiro Suzuki started in right and batted first.  He went 2-for-4 and extended his hitting streak to 11 games: strikeout swinging, single to right, fly out to short, single to center.

Angels 6 - Athletics 5
Hideki Matsui was the starting DH and batted fifth.  He went 0-for2: walk, fly out to right, sac fly to center, ground out to second, intentional walk.

Orioles 7 - Rangers 6
Koji Uehara entered the game in the 7th inning, with the Rangers up 4-2, and allowed an unearned run over 1 inning of work. Final line: 1 IP, 5 BF, 1 H, 1 SO, 0 BB, 1 R, 0 ER.

Dodgers 9 - Cubs 7
Kosuke Fukudome started in right and batted first.  He went 1-for-5: ground out to the pitcher, strikeout looking, strikeout swinging, ground out to first, single to center.

Braves 4 - Mets 2
Takashi Saito entered the game in the 8th inning, with the Braves up 4-2, and tossed a shutout inning in relief.  Final line: 1 IP, 5 BF, 1 H, 1 SO, 1 BB, 0 R, 0 ER.  He also threw two wild pitches.

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Ryota Igarashi was sent down to the minors (single-A St. Lucie) on the 9th in order to get in some extra work.  Igarashi will probably spend about two weeks down in the minors.

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Daisuke Matsuzaka spent about 30 minutes playing catch on the 9th in preparation for his last start before the All-Star break (on the 11th).

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Hiroki Kuroda's first start after the All-Star break could come on the 17th vs the Cardinals.  Kuroda will not be starting in any until then and will therefore hold bullpen sessions on the 11th and 15th.

Games from the 7th:

White Sox 5 - Angels 2
Hideki Matsui was the starting DH and batted fifth.  He went 0-for-2: catcher interference, ground out to first, walks, fly out to center.

Royals 7 - Marines 3
Ichiro Suzuki started in right and batted first.  He went 1-for-5: fly out to center, infield single, fly out to center, ground out to short, fly out to left.

Cubs 8 - Diamondbacks 3
Kosuke Fukudome started in right and batted first.  He went 0-for-4: ground out to first, walk, ground out to second, ground out to short, fly out to left.

Marlins 4 - Dodgers 0
Hiroki Kuroda started the game and gave up 4 runs (including a 3-run homer) over 7 innings of work.  Kuroda took the loss and is now 7-7 on the year.  Final line: 7 IP, 28 BF, 6 H, 4 SO, 0 BB, 4 R, 4 ER.

Braves 7 - Phillies 5
Takashi Saito entered the game in the 8th with one out and the Braves up, 7-4.  And while Saito was able to protect the lead, he did give up a run in his .2 innings of work.  Final line: .2 IP, 5 BF, 3 H, 0 SO, 0 BB, 1 R, 1 ER.

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Akinori Iwamura went 0-for-4 with 2 strikeouts against the triple-A Louisville Bats on the 7th.  Iwamura started at third and batted second.

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Kazuo Matsui went 5-for-5 with two doubles, a run scored, and 2 RBI against the triple-A Fresno Grizzlies on the 7th.  Matsui started at second and batted first.

Games from the 5th:

White Sox 9 - Angels 2
Hideki Matsui started in left and batted fifth.  He went 0-for-3: ground out to second, fly out to left, ground out to second, walk.

This is the first time this season that Matsui has started in left two games in a row.

Royals 6 - Mariners 4
Ichiro Suzuki started in right and batted first.  He went 1-for-5: infield single, ground out to second, ground out to second, ground out to second, ground out to the pitcher.  Ichiro has now hit safely in 7 straight games.

Rays 6 - Red Sox 5
Daisuke Matsuzaka started the game and gave up 5 runs (4 earned) over 5 innings of work.  He was not involved in the final decision.  Final line: 5 IP, 27 BF, 8 H, 4 SO, 4 BB, 5 R, 4 ER.

Tigers 12 - Orioles 9
Koji Uehara entered the game in the 5th, with the Orioles down 8-7, and gave up 2 runs over an inning of work.  Uehara did not factor into the final decision.  Final line: 1 IP, 7 BF, 3 H, 1 SO, 1 BB, 2 R, 2 ER.

Cubs 9 - Diamondbacks 4
Kosuke Fukudome started in right and batted first.  He went 2-for-3: solo homer, strikeout looking, single to left, walk, walk.

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Terry Francona told reporters after Monday's game that Hideki Okajima had been feeling tightness in his back and was not in any condition to pitch.  Okajima's last appearance was on 6/29.  He was able to pitch in the bullpen on Monday without any problems and should be able to start pitching again beginning on the 6th.

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After his shortest outing of the season, Hiroki Kuroda did some shadow pitching on the 5th in order to check on his form.

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It seems Hisanori Takahashi will spend the rest of his time before the All-Star break pitching out of the bullpen.

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Akinori Iwamura went 0-for-1 with 2 walks in the first game of a double-header against the triple-A Louisville Bats on the 5th.  He started at third and batted second.  Iwamura went 0-for-2 with a walk in the second game of the double-header; he started at third and batted second.

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Kazuo Matsui entered the game as a pinch-hitter (for the pitcher) in the 7th inning of a triple-A game against the Fresno Grizzlies on the 5th and flied out to left.

Games from the 2nd:

Royal 2 - Angels 1
Hideki Matsui was the started DH and batted fifth.  He went 2-for-4: strikeout looking, single to right, single to left, walk, strikeout swinging.

Tigers 7 - Mariners 1
Ichiro Suzuki was the starting DH and batted first.  He went 1-for-4: ground out to second, ground out to second, ground out to first, single to left.

Reds 12 - Cubs 0
Kosuke Fukudome started in right and batted sixth.  He went 0-for-2: walk, ground out to the pitcher, ground out to first.

Diamondbacks 12 -  Dodgers 5
Hiroki Kuroda started the game and gave up 6 runs over 1.2 innings of work for his 6th loss of the season.  Kuroda is now 7-6 on the year.  Final: 1.2 IP, 14 BF, 8 H, 3 SO, 2 BB, 6 R, 6 ER.

Braves 4 - Marlins 3
Takashi Saito entered the game in the 8th, with the Braves up 2-1, and tossed a scoreless inning in relief. Final line: 1 IP, 4 BF, 1 H, 1 SO, 0 BB, 0 R, 0 ER.

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Kazuo Matsui went 1-for-5 with a run scored against the triple-A Salt Lake Bees on the 2nd.  Matsui started at second and batted first.

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Akinori Iwamura went 2-for-3 with a double, a triple, a walk, one strikeout, and 2 RBI against the triple-A Columbus Clippers on the 2nd.  He started at third and batted second.

Iwamura has also appeared in a couple of rumors involving the Phillies (with both Chase Utley and Placido Polanco on the DL, they need some infield help).  Nothing really concrete though.

Games from the 26th:

Angels 4 - Rockies 2
Hideki Matsui started in left and batted fifth.  He went 1-for-4: grand slam, ground out to second, walk.  Matsui was replaced by a pinch-runner after his walk in the 7th.

Matsui finally knocked out his 150th career MLB homer (took him 16 games).

Mariners 5 - Brewers 4
Ichiro Suzuki started in right and batted first.  He went 1-for-4: fly out to right, HBP, ground out to second, single to left, strikeout looking.

Red Sox 4 - Giants 2
Hideki Okajima entered the game in the 7th with the Red Sox up 4-2 and tossed a shutout inning in relief.  Final line: 1 IP, 4 BF, 1 H, 2 SO, 0 BB, 0 R, 0 ER.

White Sox 3 - Cubs 2
Kosuke Fukudome started in right and batted first.  He went 1-for-4: ground out to first, single to center, ground out to the pitcher, ground out to second.

Dodgers 9 - Yankees 4
Hiroki Kuroda started the game and gave up 4 runs over 5.1 innings of work and improved to 7-5 on the year.  Final line: 5.1 IP, 27 BF, 7 H, 5 SO, 3 BB, 4 R, 4 ER.

Braves 4 - Tigers 3
Kenshin Kawakami started the game and gave up 1 runs over 7 innings of work for his first victory in his 15th start of the year.  Kawakami is now 1-9 on the year.  Final line: 7 IP, 26 BF, 2 H, 6 SO, 3 BB, 1 R, 1 ER.

Takashi Saito entered the game in the 9th with the Braves up 4-1 and gave up 2 runs in .2 innings of work.  Final line: .2 IP, 5 BF, 1 H, 1 SO, 2 BB, 2 R, 2 ER.

Twins 6 - Mets 0
Ryota Igarashi entered the game in the 7th with the Mets down 5-0 and tossed a shutout inning in relief.  Final line: 1 IP, 3 BF, 0 H, 1 SO, 1 BB, 0 R, 0 ER.

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It seems the Orioles won't be activating Koji Uehara just yet.  Uehara tossed situational BP on the 24th and hasn't experienced any troubles with his right elbow since.

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For Nippon Ham pitcher Brian Sweeney recorded his first MLB victory on the 26th since 5/2006.  The victory came in a relief appearance (Sweeney entered the game in the 5th inning).  Final line: 4 IP, 13 BF, 1 H, 4 SO, 0 BB, 0 R, 0 ER.