Matt Harrison walked one and struck out seven as he pitched a 7 2/3 innings short shutout, the Rangers defeating the Athletics 2-0. After walking 27 batters in 60 2/3 innings in the first two months of the season, he’s walked 10 in 43 innings since the start of June. It doesn’t seem to have helped his ERA much as he’s traded walks for hits, but I’d rather see a pitcher do well in things he can control, and walks are a big element of that.

Adrian Beltre homered for the only runs in the game. His value at the plate this year lies almost entirely in his .499 slugging percentage.

At 14 games under .500 and 12 games back in the standings, it appears this is another lost season for the Oakland Athletics. The are averaging 3.4 runs per game for the season, and 3.0 runs per game in July.