'Your papers, please' must never be heard in America
The San Diego Padres signed pitcher Cory Luebke to a four-year contract worth $12 million on Friday night.
Clint Barmes hit a three-run homer and J.A. Happ pitched six solid innings against his former team as the Houston Astros beat Philadelphia 5-2 on Tuesday night, preventing the Phillies from wrapping up a playoff spot.
Heath Bell spun around and pumped his fist after the final out, finishing off four hitless innings by the proud Padres bullpen.
One by one, a train of more than two dozen faces emerged from a players-only dining room and into the open expanse of the Pittsburgh Pirates clubhouse about 20 minutes after the team's ninth consecutive loss.
"This has swept me off my feet a little these last three weeks," Luebke said. "I tried to wrap my head around it. It was kind of a whirlwind."
"We got ahead tonight," Luebke said, "and with me and (Johnson) on the same page all night, when you get that kind of flow with your catcher, it just makes things easier for everybody."
