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By Larry Barnes | Yankees 'n More
It might sound strange to say this on a night when Mariano Rivera just successfully closed out a 3-2 win in a shutout 9th inning on the road for his 21st save in 23 chances, but... I'm concerned about Mariano Rivera.

Matt Garza pitched the first no-hitter in Tampa Bay Rays history and the fifth in MLB this season, defeating the Detroit Tigers 5-0.

Garza faced the minimum 27 batters, giving up a second-inning walk to Brennan Boesch, but then forcing the next batter Ryan Raburn into a double play.

Garza threw 120 pitches, 80 of which were for strikes, striking out six.

The San Diego Padres and New York Mets are now the only MLB teams that have never had a pitcher throw a no-hitter.

The Padres and Mets are now the only Major League Baseball teams that have never had a pitcher throw a no-hitter.

Matt Garza threw the first no-hitter in Tampa Bay Rays history as they beat the Detroit Tigers 5-0. Garza completed the fifth no-hitter in Major League Baseball this year.

You knew eventually the tide would turn for the Rays, who had been on the wrong side of phenomenal pitching outings this season.

Garza only allowed a second-inning walk out of the 27 batters he faced.

Ben Zobrist sealed the game, catching a routine fly ball to right field.

When Omar Minaya was brought to New York to take over as general manager of the Mets, New York was divided equally into two sections: lovers and haters. 

The San Diego Padres are 58-39.  With a winning percentage of .598, San Diego stands atop the National League, and are behind only the Yankees and Rays in the league as a whole.

Peter Gammons predicted in March that come mid-season the Padres would have the best record in the NL.

Crucial. Pivotal. Momentous.

Call it what you will, but this Dodgers vs. Padres series holds as much importance as any other this season for the Los Angeles Dodgers who are looking to oust the Padres from solidifying the top spot in the NL West while proving that they are genuine playoff contenders.

Who legitimately has the momentum heading into this series?

NOTE: team and player statistics updated through Sunday morning, July 4 11:00 AM CT

1. New York Yankees (62-35)
Two pitchers who deserve to be in the AL Cy Young Award conversation (Andy Pettitte and C.C. Sabathia) and arguably the league’s best offense. Things are looking pretty good in the Bronx.

2. Tampa Bay Rays (59-38)
The Rays should start getting comfortable in the second-place seat in the AL East. They could be in that seat for a while.

3. San Diego Padres (58-41)

Bobby Valentine is said to be a solid strategist in the dugout, which would be a refreshing change from asleep-at-the-wheel Lou Piniella. And he is a winning manager.

So what's not to like, right?

Wrong.

Simply put, Valentine reportedly has an ego-driven personality and is much more interested in himself than the team he's managing.

Instead of "Bobby-V," he should be known as "Bobby-Me!"

But how can a manager be successful on the field if he doesn't care about winning?

The Mets went on an 11-game road trip to try to fortify themselves as a contender in the National League.

After losing four of six on their last home stand before the All-Star break to the Reds and first-place Braves respectively, the Mets and everyone affiliated with them knew that this West Coast trip would be their toughest challenge of the season.

Over the past week, the prospect of the Arizona Diamondbacks trading staff ace Dan Haren went from being highly unlikely to becoming imminent. A good indication of the likelihood of a trade occurred from a rather unconventional source.