-Ryan Dempster was still not traded to the Atlanta Braves yesterday, but he did find time to pitch well and then throw a hissy-fit in the Cubs dugout, slamming Gatorade coolers and generally being a Ryan Dempster. Dempster was upset about being pulled from the game after just 6 innings. I’m sure his temper tantrum had nothing to do with him not actually wanting to be traded. Nothing at all.

-Tommy Hanson did something very bizarre last night. He got his 11^th win of the season, sure, but that’s not it. No, Hanson got his 11^th win and allowed only 1 run, while walking 7 and allowing 7 successful stolen bases in 5 innings. The Braves beat the AAA Miami Marlins 7-1 in Taxpayer Subsidized Flying Dolphins Park.

-The Oakland Athletics won their 7^th consecutive game and 9^th out of their previous 10 in spectacular fashion last night, blowing out the Toronto Blue Jays 16-0. Oakland was led, offensively, by Coco Crisp who went 3-5 at the plate with 2 homers. Meanwhile, starter AJ Griffin was able to not surrender 16 runs to the Blue Jays. Oakland is now in a tie with the Angels for AL Wild Card #1.

-Ever the motivated baseball player, Hanley Ramirez flew to St. Louis to suit up for his new Dodger teammates yesterday and delivered 2 hits, including a triple in his first at-bat. Hanley Ramirez: Always Putting Team First.

-The Colorado Rockies have followed through on their proclamation that they’ll relax the 75-pitch counts for their starters. Last night, Jeff Francis pitched his best game in nearly 3 years, which for other starting pitchers is commonly known as a “quality start.” Sure, 6 innings, 2 runs, and 4 strikeouts isn’t exactly Cy Young-like, but for a Rockies team that will take good pitching any way they can get it, a start like this had to be very welcomes. The Rockies won 4-2.

Dwight Howard would like to remind you that he would still like to be traded.

As the Washington Post’sAdam Kilgore pointed out on Twitter yesterday, the Nationals are now 5-1 since “the turning point loss that derailed their season.”

Stephen Strasburg was very Strasburg-y yesterday in Queens, as he struck out 11 Mets in 7 strong innings. Strasburg made just one mistake in the game (a flat fastball that Ike Davis lined over the right field wall). The Nats bullpen looked shaky in the 8^th (or, more accurately, looked “real Henry Rodriguez-y”), but held on to give the Nats a sweep.

Washington will now travel to the land of fitness and coconut water (Milwaukee) to take on the Brewers in a four-game set. Tonight’s pitching matchup sees Edwin Jackson and Yovani Gallardo squaring off. Game time is 8:10 in the East. The game can be found on a MASN.

A very condensed baseball schedule today, gives us few options. That said, let’s look to the Oakland A’s to see if they can keep their winning streak intact. Tommy Milone will take the hill for Oakland as they go for the sweep in Toronto. Milone will be opposed by Aaron Laffey (Taffy). Game time is 12:37 p.m. because Canada.