Hey, it was Dog Day at Sox Park on Wednesday. If you happend to see Kaduk and his Teacup Yorkie, we hope you said hello. Her name is Karkovice. So adorable. We're getting right to the bullets tonight because there are other dogs to discuss ...

• You can't trust Scott Kazmir(notes) right now. You may want to, but you can't. He was started in 82 percent of PLUS leagues tonight and that will need to change. Kazmir couldn't make it out of the fifth inning in the Rays' 7-6 loss to Oakland, and his ERA climbed to 7.29. His fastball was 90-92 mph in the first inning, but only 87-89 in his final frame.

Kazmir has given up 29 earned runs in his last 23 innings. His K/9 has declined from 9.81 last season to 6.97 in 2009, and his average fastball is two miles an hour slower than it was in '08.

Is he injured? Kazmir says no.

“It’s really frustrating,” Kazmir said. “Words can’t explain it. You’re completely healthy, feel good and you’re just kind of fighting yourself.”

He's a very dangerous two-start pitcher next week (at CLE, vs. MIN). The Tribe just put up seven runs in 3.1 innings against him last Friday. Kazmir is not an obvious buy-low, unless you're buying very low. The Rays have replacement options if he needs to be shelved.

• Brad Ziegler(notes) picked up his first save for the A's since April 25, but it took a beautiful game-ending catch by centerfielder Ryan Sweeney(notes) to close the deal. Highlight here.  Don't assume that Ziegler has the ninth inning all to himself; Andrew Bailey(notes) threw 44 pitches over two innings on Tuesday. 

• Arizona and Florida played a unbelievably useful fantasy double-header on Wednesday: 22 innings, 34 runs, nine homers, 10 steals. You really can't ask for more. Matt Lindstrom(notes) and Kiko Calero(notes) were the only pitchers to escape undamaged. Here's a sampling ...

So that's a decent night's work. Note the five steals by Mark Reynolds(notes). Hopefully you were helped by the binge, not ruined.

• Kerry Wood(notes) tried his best to blow another save, but Mark Teahen(notes) and David DeJesus(notes) wouldn't hear of it. Those two struck out after Wood walked the bases loaded in the ninth in KC, and Cleveland escaped with a 6-5 win.

• Chris Sampson(notes) got the save for Houston on Wednesday, not LaTroy Hawkins(notes). The Astros led 6-1 entering the ninth, but Alberto Arias(notes) loaded the bases and Sampson came on to shut the door (only after allowing three runner through the door). Mat Gamel(notes) had a two-run pinch-hit double in the ninth for Milwaukee.

Hawkins has dealt with hip soreness, but he's OK according to recent reports:

“The chiropractor said I was jammed up,” he said. “And he yanked on me.”

See, it's just a little jamming and yanking. No big deal. Don't drop. 

• Apparently we jinxed Cristian Guzman(notes). His streak of consecutive games with a walk ended at two. The Nats' bullpen fell to 1-15 on the year, but at least they found a new way to lose. Joel Hanrahan's(notes) wild pitch allowed Freddy Sanchez(notes) to score in the ninth. Video here. Stick around for the next clip, too. Not a web gem.

• You know, you don't have to drop Elijah Dukes(notes). You can just DL him. Or you can shop him to a team with an open DL spot. The guy isn't worthless.

• Check out the video of Gerald Laird(notes) lining into a triple play against Texas. And while we're reviewing things that don't usually happen in threes, here's a highlight of a triple-steal starring Eric Patterson(notes). 

• Wilkin Ramirez(notes) homered in his debut for Detroit on Wednesday. He was batting third, because that's where Magglio Ordonez(notes) usually hits. (At least we think that's why Ramirez was there. Anyway, he homered). Mags is on the bereavement list, expected back Thursday.

• Rockies manager Clint Hurdle chose to bench shortstop Troy Tulowitzki(notes) on Wednesday in order to send a message to his ballclub. If the intended message was, "We aren't competitive with or without Troy," then you'd have to say Hurdle's move was a success. The Rockies rolled over for Atlanta, allowing nine runs in the fourth inning of a 12-4 loss. Jorge De La Rosa(notes) either walked or hit everyone he saw. I watched too much of that sad, sad game.

Let's revisit the Tulowitzki situation. According to the Denver Post, he was "benched for swinging at a first pitch in his last at-bat Tuesday night. He grounded into a doubleplay in the 8-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves."

There's the pitch over on the left, via Gameday. It was a 90 mph fastball and Tulowitzki didn't have the take sign. These were Hurdle's comments:

"I don't want to be a little-league manager and tell every guy who steps up there to take a strike. ... But we need to be smarter with our at-bats." 

The result was terrible, of course. The priority is to not make an out, and instead Tulowitzki made two. But he obviously got a pitch he thought he could drive. Is it really better to quietly go 0-1? Do I sound too much like a Tulowitzki owner, and not enough like an objective observer? Perhaps.

Anyway, it's not at all clear that Tulo thinks he committed a benchable offense. Here's what he told MLB.com:

"I thought it was the best, or I wouldn't have done it," Tulowitzki said. "I wasn't trying to hit into a double play. I was trying to extend the inning. [Hurdle's] point was I should be more patient in that situation."

We assume that Tulowitzki will be back in the lineup tomorrow for the debut of Kris Medlen(notes). Hurdle may not have much time remaining as Tulo's manager, though. Here's the Post's summary of his situation from tonight's recap:

These are the types of performances that get bosses fired, employees professing to care, but their results suggesting otherwise. Hurdle has received votes of confidence from general manager Dan O'Dowd and owner Dick Monfort in recent weeks, but nothing has changed. If anything, the Rockies have played worse. 

• This is all we know about Joey Votto's(notes) condition right now (and it isn't much):

All tests on Joey Votto have been completed, with results expected tomorrow. We will have an update at that time.

That's from the Cincinnati Enquirer's Reds' blog. Votto's troubles began on May 7 with the flu (we think); dizziness is now the issue.

• Jose Reyes aggravated his calf injury, and the DL seems like a possibility. Worry about the categories, not the position.

• Chris Carpenter(notes) pitched five scoreless innings against the Cubs in his return from the DL, not that you can do anything with that information. He's 96 percent owned. Moving on...

• Phil Hughes(notes) earned a win against the O's, and he rewarded anyone who might have streamed him with nine Ks in five innings of work. Chien-Ming Wang's(notes) return limits Hughes' short-term fantasy relevance, however, and neither would be a safe play at Texas next Monday. 

• Aaron Rowand(notes) went 3-for-4 and hit leadoff, but he accounted for half of the Giants hits in yet another 2-1 loss to San Diego.

• David Aardsma(notes) earned his fifth save, closing out a three-hitter against the Angels. He preserved the win 1-0 for Chris Jakubauskas(notes), who has more Ks in his name than he had in six innings on Wednesday.

If you're looking for Howie Kendrick(notes), check Mike Scioscia's doghouse. Kendrick left the bases loaded in the fourth. That might've been a benchable offense. Bobby Abreu(notes) injured his left big toe, and it sounds like he'll need a couple days off. 

• With apologies to commenter Erik Archer, who specifically asked for an Ortiz-free Closing Time, we need to direct your attention to an unexpected event:

And we're not talking about Kevin Youkilis'(notes) return. Papi finished 2-for-5 with a double and the homer. (Not the most impressive blast, but he's not giving it back). This is either the beginning of the surge, or it's your last chance to sell. I don't own him and I'm not quite ready to buy.

Again, sorry Erik.

---

Photo via AP Images

Related: Closing Time, Fantasy Baseball