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It wasn’t a good day for a few of the better starters in the league.  Let’s take a look at their struggles, plus all the other noteworthy performances from yesterday’s games—

American League—

Whether you are fighting to make the playoffs or sitting atop the standings, it is always good to know a few quiet players making a little noise this year. These guys will help your team down the road and get you that extra stat here and there to bolster your starting lineup come playoff time. After each name is the player’s team, position, and percent owned in CBS Fantasy Baseball leagues to help you go right to the waiver wire and snatch these diamonds in the rough.

I'd like you to think back about seven years ago, remember when everyone was hailing Alex Rodriguez as the modern hero of baseball.

Having finished the 2003 season with the Texas Rangers, everything was perfect in Rodriguez's world; he was 28, had just collected his first of seemingly many MVPs and had become the youngest player in history to hit 300 home runs.

The Phillies' offense continued to struggle Friday night as they were only able to muster one run off a Raul Ibanez double in the third inning. But, fortunately for them, it was Roy Halladay's turn to take the mound, so it didn't matter.

Halladay scattered eight hits, walked three, and struck out five in seven scoreless innings to earn his sixth consecutive win. And during that six-game stretch, Halladay has allowed one earned run or less in five of them.

Over the season, I've had to hear the media lament over key injuries. Surprisingly, when the unlucky injury-bugged teams are mentioned, the Atlanta Braves are normally overlooked.

For most baseball fans, they would look at you as if you were crazy if you mentioned that Braves have battled through several key injuries.  The Braves are believed to be lucky when it comes to the injury bug, with the exception of Chipper Jones.

Yes, this is an incredibly bold conclusion. Actually, I haven't concluded anything, I've just posed a question.

The fact of the matter is, the Giants have an incredibly fickle nature. Remember in July, when they won 20 games for the first time since September of 2000? Well, right before that month, they had a seven-game losing streak. Are they going to once again bounce back?

Face it. The Colorado Rockies are not good.

Relievers are often called upon when a strikeout is necessary to prevent the other team from scoring. Here are the five relievers that are best at striking hitters out, based on their K/9 rate. 

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The New York Mets have 40 games remaining in their 2010 season. Their elimination number from playoff contention stands at 33, as they trail the Phillies by 8.5 games in the NL Wild Card race.

If you ask manager Jerry Manuel, he'll tell you his team still has a shot. Not once during any press conference, even after a rough loss, has Manuel declared his team dead.

But realistically, the Mets would have to pull off a 2007 Rockies-like effort to reach the postseason, and that happens once in a generation.