"EL HOMBRE", HAMILTON, and TROUT help route the NORTH Siders...NATS' jump on 'Phils LEE...O's needed CHEN to WIn...A CUP of JOE in the SHOW Report #HumpDayHardball

The Halos were introduced to the Long ball in the "Friendly Confines" on Tuesday Night as the Cubbies hit four bombs and win game one. Well tonight the Halos put on a Batting Practice/Souvenir Show of their own. Behind five bombs, in which Pujols aka "El Hombre" and Hamilton went back to back in the 5th, the Halos route the Cubbies 13-2 as ex-Notre Dame WR now Cubs on and off "Slinger on the Bump" took the hit. That would Cubs RHP Jeff Samardzija who lasted 4 2/3 innings giving up nine runs on nine hits and a whopping four bombs. He should have thrown B.P. and took the night off...or did in the 4 2/3 innings? Halos LHP C.J. Wilson gets the win as he goes seven innings allowing one run on four hits. The Halos creep up to the .500 mark and only two games under. Halos Outfielder Josh Hamilton had five ribbies in the contest.

The Washington Nationals were looking at getting swept in Philly and with 10-game winner Cliff Lee on the Bump for the Phightin' Phils those prospects look really good. Good thing for the Nats they had the left side of the "Potomac 2-Pack" going in LHP Gio Gonzalez. Both pitchers were on it as the game remained scoreless through four. Then the Nats jumped all over the Phils Lee with crooked two's in the 5th and 6th frame. Meanwhile Gio gave up one in the bottom half of the 7th as the Nats tacked on one more in the top half of the 9th to avoid the sweep as the Phils are breathing down the Nats neck 5-1. Zimmerman, Ramos, Werth, and Rendon all went Solo Jobs in the 5th and 6th for the Nats four piece in those two inning all off of Lee...Wow!

The Baltimore Orioles welcome back left-hander Wei-Yen Chin to the Bump and he went in on the rangers as the O's get one back 6-1. Chen was vintage Chen going seven innings allowing one run on three hits and striking out four. All-Star Starters Manny Machado and Adam Jones led the charge at the dish for the Orioles with a combined 5 for 9 with one run and one ribbie. Rangers RHP Josh Lindblom went 5 1/3 and gave up six runs on nine hits and one of those hits was a three-run shot from the O's DH Nolan Reimold. Game four will be on Thursday night with the Rangers scratching All-Star Yu Darvish and putting him on the D.L. with back issues.