…Former Atlanta Braves and New York Mets pitcher Jorge Sosa has been suspended 50 games under Major League Baseballs drug policy. He had been pitching for the Seattle Mariners Triple A club the Tacoma Rainiers (Sosa was Designated for Assignment by the Mets and the Mariners signed him to a minor league deal.). He tested positive for amphetamines. His suspension starts immediately.

…Steven Krasner of the Providence Journal is reporting the Red Sox have signed former Yankees and Astros Outfielder Jason Lane to a minor league deal. He’s been assigned to Pawtucket of the International League and may get a call up when the rosters expand.

…Speaking of the Red Sox/PawSox, Bartolo Colon (remember him?) threw four no-hit innings in his latest rehab start. He’s been on the disabled list since June 17th with a lower back sprain. 23 of his 40 pitches were thrown for strikes.

…And the saga rolls on regarding instant replay. It seems now that everyone has come to an agreement the bickering wont stop. WUA President John Hershbeck is complaining now that replay will lengthen the game.

“Major League Baseball and the media, they want instant replay, and we’re going to have instant replay, so if it delays the game, then there’s nothing we can do about it,” World Umpires Association president John Hirschbeck said.

I’m sure this isn’t the last we’re going to hear about this subject. It seems that the Umpires are the ones that still have their shorts in a tight knot. The players are for it, most of the general managers are on board - but the Umpires I think see this as some sort of slight on them.

…Due to having two starters go on the disabled list (Justin Duchscherer and Sean Gallagher) the Oakland A’s have recalled Dana Eveland and Dan Meyer. Which means the A’s will be sporting a all Left Handed five man rotation.

“It’s a beautiful thing, ain’t it?” left-handed reliever Alan Embree said. “Kind of an alien invasion.”

The last time something like this happened it was 1973 and the A’s fielded a four man rotation featuring all left handers.

…Doug Padilla of the LA Daily News is reporting that when Brad Penny returns from the disabled list he will be pitching out of the bullpen. According to the report, Penny is the one that volunteered to go out to the bullpen.

“When we were putting him on the DL, I think he realized the time of the year,” Torre said. “He said just throw me out of the bullpen. I said let’s get well first and then we’ll talk about that.”

The players to watch and what to watch for this weekend:

CARLOS QUENTIN, Chicago White Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays (8/22-8/24)

Will the White Sox still be in first place in the American League Central when Carlos Quentin turns 26 next Thursday?  A lot hinges on their three-game series with the surprising Tampa Bay Rays.  Quentin has a lot in common with this weekend’s opponent.  If you predicted the Tampa Bay Rays would be distancing themselves from the pack in the American League East and Quentin would lead the AL in home runs, there might have been a chuckle or two heard after the bold statement.  This weekend, Quentin looks to join Josh Hamilton and pass 100 RBI.  Currently, at 97 RBI and a Major League leading 35 homer runs, Chicago’s left fielder is on one of the biggest tears of the season.  Quentin is 20-for-49 (.408) with seven home runs, 13 RBI, 15 runs scored and a 1.452 OPS in his last 14 games.  The Sox are 71-49 when Quentin starts and just 2-4 on his rare days off.  To keep their distance from the pesky Minnesota Twins (just a half game behind Chicago), the Sox need Quentin to keep up his production especially with the Twins having their hands full with the Los Angeles Angels this weekend.

KEVIN YOUKILIS, Boston Red Sox at Toronto Blue Jays (8/22-8/24)

There’s been a recent ground swell of support for Kevin Youkilis for MVP in the American League in 2008.  The case for Youkilis has merit.  He’s reached base for 31 straight games and during that stretch is hitting .342 with 10 home runs and 31 RBI.  Youkilis is second in the American League in batting with a .321 average, fourth in slugging percentage (.577), fourth in OPS (.965), fourth in extra-base hits (61), sixth in total bases (255), sixth in RBI (88), ninth in on-base percentage (.388), ninth in doubles (33), 10th in triples (4) and 10th in home runs (24).  The 2007 Gold Glove winner lost his record errorless streak earlier this season but is an excellent fielding first baseman who also filled in at third base with the injury to Mike Lowell.  Youkilis is not eligible for free agency at the end of 2008 but is helping his case if he goes to arbitration.  However, with the Red Sox in a dead heat with the Twins for the Wild Card spot and 4 1/2 games behind the Rays in the East, it is doubtful Youkilis is concerned with his 2009 contract. 

DANIEL MURPHY, New York Mets vs. Houston Astros (8/22-8/25)

Maybe GM Omar Minaya knew something those of us who thought the New York Mets needed a corner outfielder didn’t.  Enter Daniel Murphy.  Since his call-up on August 2, the 23-year-old Murphy has been used mostly as a left fielder and pinch hitter which differed from his role where he played mostly third base at Double-A Binghamton.  In 18 games, Murphy is hitting .404 with a 1.108 OPS.  In 11 starts, he has four multi-hit games and has two home runs, 11 RBI and 10 runs scored.  The Mets are 8-3 in 11 starts and since he joined the roster on August 2, the Mets have overtaken both the Marlins and Phillies and currently own a 2 1/2 game lead over Philadelphia.  The Mets expect Ryan Church back this weekend but expect Murphy to continue in his role as a part-time outfielder and a left-handed pinch hitter.  This weekend, the Mets look to exact revenge on the Astros who completed a sweep of the Mets spoiling Murphy’s Major League debut.

JODY GERUT, San Diego Padres at San Francisco Giants (8/22-8/24)

The San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants are a combined 48 games under .500 in 2008.  Greg Maddux was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chris Young and Jonathan Sanchez are on the DL and Jake Peavy is not scheduled to start during the series.  Other than Tim Lincecum, it is tough to find a reason to watch this three-game set.  One of those reasons is outfielder Jody Gerut.  Gerut was called up from Triple-A Portland when San Diego released Jim Edmonds in May and has filled in well enough to get a majority of the time in center field and in the lead-off role.  The 30-year-old Gerut dropped his season average to .299 with an 0-for-4 performance on Thursday but is 21-for-56 (.375) with six homers and 14 RBI since August 3.  The journeyman Gerut — he’s played in five different Major League organizations — has played four games at AT&T Park and the park treated him well.  In his two trips to San Francisco, Gerut is 9-for-18 with two RBI and seven runs scored.

JIMMY ROLLINS, Philadelphia Phillies vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (8/22-8/25)

Since everyone in the baseball world has deemed the Phillies’ pitching staff not playoff-ready, the Phillies’ bats have gone ice cold.  Recently, on an appearance on FOXSports’ Best Damn Sports Show Period, 2007’s National League MVP Jimmy Rollins found a way to bring heat on himself by calling Phillies’ fans “front runners”.  After a heavy backlash, Rollins tried a little damage control by making a second appearance where he explained his comments.  The Phillies returned home for a three-game series with the last place Nationals and Rollins responded to the mixed fan reaction by going a dismal 1-for-12 in the series.  J-Roll’s Phillies trail the Mets by 2 1/2 games going into their four-game series with the Dodgers before an important two-game series with the Mets on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Rollins is a key player in the Phillies’ success — they are 41-27 when Rollins gets a hit and 22-23 when he goes 0-for-the game — and the team needs a couple of their star players to step up and contribute.  That’s especially true with their lead-off hitter.

MIKE MUSSINA, New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles (Friday, 8/22)

During his first 10 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, Mike Mussina won at least 15 games six times and 19 games twice.  In 2000, Mussina left Baltimore and headed to the Yankees where he continued to post double-digit win seasons.  As a Yankee, including 2008, Mussina won 15 or more games five times.  He is the only player in Major League history to win 15 or more games 11 times without a 20-win season.  On Friday, Mussina faces his old team with a chance to notch his 17th win of 2008 and 267th win of his career.  With 35 games remaining, Mussina should make at least seven starts before the end of the year.  Winning four of seven is not an easy task but a quick look through Mussina’s ‘08 performance shows only one stretch of seven games where he failed to post four wins — from June 20 to July 28 — which ended with a loss at Yankee Stadium to his former team.  At 16-7, Mussina looks to avoid dropping a third decision — he also lost to the Orioles on May 20 in his shortest outing of the season — on Friday and continue his quest for a 20-win season.

KYLE LOHSE, St. Louis Cardinals vs. Atlanta Braves (Saturday, 8/23)

In order for Kyle Lohse to keep his spot in the rotation, he needed to appeal a suspension handed down by the league for allegedly throwing at Cincinnati’s Edinson Volquez earlier this week.  Lohse denies the allegation but was handed a five-game suspension and an undisclosed fine from Bob Watson, the league’s disciplinarian.  More frustrating for Lohse is his recent run of three consecutive losing starts.  After starting the season 12-2, Lohse is just 1-4 with a 6.06 ERA in his last six starts.  The first-year Cardinal looks to return to the win column against the Atlanta Braves, a horrible ‘08 road team.  Lohse has the upper hand on the Braves.  He beat them twice last September as he helped the Phillies to the playoffs.  Lohse hopes to do the same thing this year as the Cardinals trail the Brewers by 2 1/2 games in the race for the National League Wild Card.

RICKY NOLASCO, Florida Marlins at Arizona Diamondbacks (Sunday, 8/24)

Earlier this week, Ricky Nolasco did something a Florida Marlin starting pitcher had not done since September 16, 2006 — pitch a complete game.  On Sunday, Nolasco attempts to keep an unusual streak alive.  Since his debut in 2006, Nolasco is a perfect 7-0 against ’90s expansion teams including a perfect 3-0 against his Sunday opponent, the D-Backs.  In eight games and seven starts, Nolasco owns a stingy 2.29 ERA and 0.91 WHIP against Arizona, Colorado and Tampa Bay.  Nolasco and the Marlins are watching their playoff hopes slip away as the Mets stay hot at the top of the East and the Brewers distance themselves from the pack as the front runners for the Wild Card.  This year, they are 5-1 against the Diamondbacks and need a big series this weekend to keep their names mentioned as a National League playoff contender.

JOSH RUPE, Texas Rangers vs. Cleveland Indians (8/22-8/24)

In 25 of his 35 relief appearances in 2008, Josh Rupe has worked more than one inning out of the bullpen.  Rupe, a member of the hardest working bullpen in the league, has pitched 73 of the Major League-high 465 2/3 innings pitched by Rangers’ relievers.  Rupe, who also turns 26 along with the previously mentioned Carlos Quentin next Thursday, is a respectable 3-1 with a 3.95 ERA and has more outings of two innings or more than any other reliever in the Majors.  His 24 two-plus inning outings is four more than the 20 outings by Rays’ reliever J.P. Howell and eight more than any other player currently on a 25-man roster.  The streaky Rupe gave up at least one run in his last four appearances after five consecutive scoreless appearances from July 23 to August 5.  Earlier in the season, Rupe went seven consecutive appearances without allowing a run followed by six appearances where he allowed a run. 

SWEEP…
Brandon Webb set a personal mark by notching his 19th win, against juts four losses, as he dealt the Padres a 4-1 defeat, which wrapped up first-place Arizona’s three-game sweep of last-place San Diego. Webb threw seven scoreless innings and lowered his ERA to 2.74. Webb allowed just three hits and three walks over seven shutout innings while striking out eight to become the majors’ first 19-game winner. This is the eighth time this season that the Padres have lost at least four straight games. The NL hasn’t had a 20-game winner since Chris Carpenter of St. Louis, Roy Oswalt of Houston and Dontrelle Willis of Florida in 2005. Adam Dunn, who leads the league with 34 homers, walked thrice, boosting his major league lead to 94. He had seven walks, two home runs and five RBIs in the series for Arizona.

WALKOFF SWEEP
Omar Infante lost Carlos Delgado’s game-ending one-out, opposite-field shot in the left field lights in what was scored his fifth hit of the game, allowing David Wright to score the winning run as the Mets swept the Braves with a 5-4 victory. Delgado’s other five-hit game was when he was with Toronto at Seattle on May 7, 1998, when he had four RBI, including a homer off Jamie Moyer. Pedro Martinez couldn’t continue the success produced by Mets starting pitchers, who entered the game 7-0 and with a 1.83 ERA in the previous eight games. Martinez allowed four runs and seven hits while striking out six and walking one in a 101-pitch effort.

WILD PITCH WALKOFF
San Francisco Giants rookie Emmanuel Burriss drew a one-out 9th inning walk off Marlins closer Kevin Gregg, stole second, and took third on Randy Winn’s routine fly out to left. After pinch-hitter Bengie Molina was intentionally walked, Gregg’s second pitch to Fred Lewis skipped past catcher John Baker, Burriss to scored standing up to give the Giants a 4-3 victory over the Florida Marlins. Brian Wilson (2-2) pitched a scoreless 9th for San Francisco, which has won 4 of 5. Gregg (6-6) took the loss for the second time in three appearances. Giants starter Matt Palmer allowed two runs and six hits over six innings and lowered his ERA from 23.14 to 8.64. Florida’s Josh Johnson worked six surrendering for nine hits and three runs. San Francisco improved to 19-13 against the NL East, the only division the Giants have a winning record against this season. San Francisco won for the sixth time in nine games at home. The Marlins lost their second straight to San Francisco and dropped to 7-12 in August.

THE GREAT REPUBICAN ROAD TRIP
The Twins are off to a good start on their extended road trip as Nick Punto tripled off Torii Hunter’s glove leading off the 12th inning and scored on a single by rookie Denard Span, helping the Twins top the Angels 2-1. Jesse Crain (5-2) pitched a perfect 11th for the victory, and Joe Nathan got the Angels 1-2-3 in the 12th for his 35th save in 38 chances. Minnesota right-hander Scott Baker allowed a run and four hits in eight innings and striking out six in his fifth consecutive no-decision. John Lackey allowed a run and five hits in eight innings and struck out six in his 200th big league start. His 3.29 ERA since the start of the 2005 season is the third lowest in the AL behind Johan Santana (2.99) and Roy Halladay (3.07). The Angels have lost six of eight as the kill time waiting for the post-season. Garret Anderson was 0-for-5 with three strikeouts, ending his 23-game hitting streak on the one-year anniversary of his 10-RBI game against the Yankees at Angel Stadium. The Twins are now 1-0 on their 14-game road trip through Anaheim, Oakland, Seattle and Toronto. It’s the club’s longest since 1969, when they had stretches of 15 straight and 16 straight away from home.

CARLOS DOES IT ALL   
Carlos Zambrano gave himself a lecture, overcame a sore tooth, and hit a home run as he picked up his 13th victory as Chicago beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-2. Zambrano (13-5) allowed a run and six hits in seven innings, including a solo homer by Jay Bruce. He had had two no-decisions and a loss in his previous three starts, giving up 17 hits and 15 earned runs in 15 1/3 innings. “I went out to the mound many times to check pitcher’s injuries but never for a cracked molar. We needed a dentist,” Piniella said. “That was a little Cubbie occurrence. … That was a first for me, first for the umpire.” The switch-hitting Zambrano hit his fourth home run of the season, the fifth of his career against the Reds, and his 16th career homer. Joey Votto’s 15th homer (seventh of the season against the Cubs), homered off reliever Carlos Marmol in the 8th brought the Reds to within 3-2 but Kerry Wood worked a perfect 9th for his 26th save in 31 chances.

HELL FREEZES OVER
Maybe it’s global warming but Austin Kearns hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the 8th and the Nationals snapped a 12-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory against the Philadelphia Phillies. Ryan Madson (3-2) couldn’t protect a one-run lead after Carlos Ruiz put Philadelphia ahead with a solo home run in the 7th. The Phillies wasted another strong outing from 45-year-old Jaime Moyer. The left-hander gave up two runs (one earned) and five hits in 6 2/3 innings. Moyer has allowed three runs or fewer in 14 consecutive starts, but has only five victories in that span. Chris Short was the last Phillies pitcher to do that in at least 13 consecutive starts. Short’s streak reached 23 in 1967. The Phillies, who led the NL in runs the past two seasons, have scored three runs or fewer in 40.9 percent of their games. They are 10-42 in those games. Ryan Howard is in a 3-for-35 slump with 18 strikeouts. He is on pace for 213 strikeouts, which would break the single-season record of 199 he set last year.

MANNY BEING MAURY
Derek Lowe held Colorado to one run in 6 1/3 innings, James Loney homered and drove in two runs, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Rockies 3-1 as the Dodgers completed their 10-game homestand with a 7-3 record. Lowe (10-10) allowed four hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. Jonathan Broxton worked the 9th for his 10th save in 11 chances. The Dodgers scored their first run in the 4th when Manny Ramirez reached on an error stole second without a throw and scored on a single. The stolen base was Ramirez’s first with the Dodgers and second of the season. “Juan Pierre told me to go, so I went,” Ramirez said afterward with a smile. Pierre, who has 38 stolen bases to rank third in the NL, denied the claim. The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the Rockies, who scored 36 runs in three wins in Washington and two more at Dodger Stadium. It also ended Colorado’s four-game winning streak against the Dodgers. Jeff Kent was given the game off. The 40-year-old Los Angeles second baseman is hitting .429 (30-for-70) since Manny started hitting behind him, but the idiot denies any correlation. The Dodgers begin a 10-game roadtrip tonight in Philadelphia, with Greg Maddux getting his first start since being acquired Tuesday from San Diego.

WHY WE LOVE JEFF IDELSON
There are do-overs in baseball after all. The Baseball Hall of Fame has reversed one of the most egregious decisions the institution ever made. Five years ago, then-Hall of Fame President Dale Petroskey canceled a 15th anniversary celebration of Bull Durham. His Bushian reasoning simply rooted itself in Bushian politics: Two of the movie’s stars, couple Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon, were vocal opponents of the Iraq War.

Now since Petroskey has been relieved of his duties due to fiduciary hijinks, the Hall of Fame will salute the film Sept. 19 as part of its three-day Film Festival. Petroskey, a former Republican official, said earlier this year he wish he could have had a do-over but he resigned in the spring under pressure, replaced by Jeff Idelson.

“This 20th anniversary event is all about celebrating the film’s impact in a comedic exploration of minor league baseball,” Idelson said in a statement. “To partner it with our fledgling Film Festival is a great fit in fulfilling our educational mission.”

The Hall will salute “Bull Durham” at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19 with appearances by writer-director Ron Shelton, Robbins (Nuke LaLoosh), Sarandon  (Annie Savoy) and Robert Wuhl (coach Larry Hockett). A moderated discussion led by noted film critic Jeffrey Lyons will be held in the museum’s Grandstand Theater.

Tickets will be available first to Hall members, then the general public beginning Sept. 15.

HURTIN’ AND DEALIN’
• Erik Bedard, sidelined since July 4 with a sore shoulder, has apparently had a setback in his efforts to pitch again this season.
• Ken Rosenthal reports that the Red Sox, needing catching help for the stretch drive, have signed David Ross to a minor-league contract. Ross, 31, drew interest from the Red Sox and Phillies after getting released by the Reds. He will report to Class AAA and eventually become the Sox’s third catcher behind Jason Varitek and Kevin Cash. In 52 games with the Reds this season, Ross batted only .231 but produced a.381 on-base percentage.
• Kansas City outfielder Mitch Maier’s right eye was swollen shut and his nose still bleeding yesterday, less than 24 hours after being hit in the face with a pitch. The Royals placed Maier on the 15-day disabled list with multiple facial fractures.
• Terry Francona revealed that Josh Beckett will attempt to throw tomorrow before the Sox’ scheduled game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Beckett remains scheduled to pitch on Tuesday in New York, though it will be dependent on how his arm responds to throwing.
• Jason Schmidt threw a bullpen session Wednesday and is looking to start a rehab assignment in Triple-A sometime next week, according to Dodgers.com.
• Oakland All-Star right-hander Justin Duchscherer was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Wednesday, because of a pain in the same hip on which he had surgery last summer.
• Oakland also placed right-handed starter Sean Gallagher on the 15-day DL, also retroactive to Wednesday, due to shoulder fatigue.
• Rays LF Carl Crawford, on the 15-day disabled list after undergoing surgery to correct a tendon problem in his right middle finger, returned to St. Petersburg from his home in Phoenix and will see a therapist on Thursday. He hopes to return before the end of the regular season.
• Ryan Church could be back in the Mets’ outfield for the opener of a series against the Astros on tonight.
• Billy Wagner has more pain and swelling in his pitching elbow, and the New York Mets’ All-Star closer is out indefinitely.
• The American Idle returns to New York tomorrow night as Carl Pavano is expected to start.
• Utilityman Jose Bautista was acquired by the Blue Jays from the Pirates for a player to be named. The 27-year-old hit .242 with 12 homers and 44 RBI in 107 games for Pittsburgh this season, then was demoted to Triple-A this month.
• Paul Maholm will not be shut down by the Pirates according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Maholm is nearing his career high in innings pitched, which was 177.2 last season. He is currently at 168.
• Andruw Jones missed two games on his rehab assignment after he stepped into a hole on the field, leading to soreness in his knee, according to Dodgers.com.
• Andrew Miller is getting closer to returning to the big leagues as he continues to recover from patella tendinitis in his right leg, according to FloridaMarlins.com.
• Atlanta Braves pitcher Tom Glavine underwent surgery on his left elbow and shoulder and is expected be ready for spring training. Glavine’s partially torn tendon in his elbow was repaired by Dr. James Andrews, who also cleaned up Glavine’s shoulder. The Braves said the 42-year-old left-hander should be able to start a throwing program by January. Glavine isn’t under contract for next season and only wants to pitch for Atlanta, close to his home and family.
• First baseman Greg Norton was scratched from the Atlanta lineup due to a stiff left shoulder.
• To the relief of many, SS Julio Lugo, who has been on the DL since July 12 with a strained left quadriceps, suffered a setback Wednesday,
• Former major league pitcher Jorge Sosa, who had been pitching for the Mariners’ Triple-A team in Tacoma, was suspended 50 games yesterday for testing positive under baseball’s minor league drug program. The 31-year-old right-hander, who began this season with the New York Mets, tested positive for an amphetamine. The suspension is effective immediately. Sosa was 1-0 with a 3.68 ERA for Tacoma and last pitched Wednesday. Sosa was 4-1 with a 4.10 ERA in 20 games for the Mets this season after going 9-8 with New York in 2007.

DID YOU KNOW?
Cliff Lee is now 18-2 for the less than mediocre Cleveland Indians. Lee leads the AL in wins, winning percentage (.900) and ERA (2.43) for a team that’s 59-67 and, until recently, was fighting to get out of last place in the Central Division.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND
Rumor has it that I will be on WFAN sometime between 9 and 11 Sunday morning, but I’m still waiting for confirmation. In the meantime, let’s all wish Carl Yastrzemski a happy and healthy 69th birthday today in his recovery room at Massachusetts General Hospital.

See you Monday with oh, so much more.

     
Bill Chuck is the creator of Billy-Ball.com (www.Billy-Ball.com) and, with Jim Kaplan, is the author of the book, “Walk-Offs, Last Licks, and Final Outs – Baseball’s Grand (and not so Grand) Finales,” with a Foreword by Jon Miller, published by ACTA Sports, and available worldwide. Autographed first editions are available by contacting, Bill@billy-ball.com or order directly from Acta Sports or from your favorite bookstore.