Red Sox: Matsuzaka battled through six innings against Baltimore in his final start of the first half, throwing 115 pitches and walking five batters. But he also allowed no earned runs in that stretched and scattered four hits, proving once against that the right-hander's free passes do not correlate with the number of runs he gives up. He's been virtually unhittable in the first half, and if he wasn't touched up for seven runs against St. Louis just after he spent time on the disabled list, his ERA would be even lower.
Mariners: Dickey, a knuckleball specialist, is working on a seven-inning scoreless streak and has strung together four quality starts. Claimed from the Twins' Minor League system for $50,000, Dickey could be the best acquisition former GM Bill Bavasi made during his three-plus seasons with the Mariners. Dickey might not look flashy with his mid-70s pitches, but he gets the job done.
GO SOX



