The Closer: Santana Rocks

Notes from a day in baseball:

• 1. Objects In Mirror May Be Larger Than They Appear. The Twins will not go away. Nope. They're two games behind the first-place Tigers after Sunday's 12-1 win over Detroit, as Johan Santana struck out 11 on a two-hitter over seven-plus. Santana (18-5) is 15-0 in home starts since Aug. 6, 2005 and hasn't lost a game since the All-Star break. Oh, and let us just add, "Torii Hunter."

• 2. Oh, Baltimore, Man It's Hard, Just To Live. Derek Jeter extended his hitting streak to 20 games (the longest for the Yankees since 1993, if you can believe that), with a home run and four RBI, as New York beat Baltimore 9-4 on Sunday. We're afraid the next six days are going to be more fresh hell, Orioles fans.

• 3. Fish Are Game. Freakin' Marlins! Dontrelle Willis' three-hitter carried Florida to a 3-0 win over the Phillies, as both teams can continue to place "wild-card hopeful" next to their names.

• 4. There's A Bad Moon Rising On The Cuyahoga River. C.C. Sabathia; the name you say when you want other people to think you have a cold. The White Sox are feeling genuinely ill, as Sabathia threw a four-hitter, leading the Indians to a 5-2 win. Chicago fell 1 1/2 games behind Minnesota in the AL wild card race.

• 5. Yeah, But Who Won The Sausage Race? Dave Bush struck out 10 and went the distance as the Brewers beat the Astros 4-0.