These Are Clapping Dogs, Rhythmic Dogs, First-Pitching Dogs, House Dogs, Street Dogs

Uno, who I believe was named for the card game I never bothered to learn, continues to blaze trails for doggykind. Back in February, he became the first beagle ever to win the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show (though Snoopy remains the first to be a World War I flying ace). Yesterday, he "threw" out the first pitch at the Brewers-Reds game yesterday. Nice mouthball, pooch. Sidney Ponson's gotta try that one. It was " believed to be the inaugural first pitch by a dog in Brewers history." You mean people aren't tracking these things? Shake a leg, Elias Sports Bureau!

Uno's antics didn't do much to buoy the Brewers in the face of two Adam Dunn homers and Edinson Volquez striking out 10 in seven innings of work in the Reds' 8-2 win.

Rich Gives Cubbies Fans a Harden - And then the Chicago bullpen took over and softies abounded. The former Athletic made his first start for the North Siders, striking out 10 and leaving the game with a 7-0 lead in the 6th. The Giants knotted it up with two in the 8th and five in the 9th, but the Cubs pulled it out in extra innings. Jim Edmonds homered and drove in four runs.

Rays Not Even Waiting For All-Star Break For Collapse - The Indians hand the Rays their sixth loss in a row and look to complete the four-game sweep today. Tampa is 0-12 in Cleveland since knocking the Tribe out of the 2005 AL Central race. Grady Sizemore hit his AL-leading 23rd jack, but the Indians relied on performances by starter Matt Ginter, winning his first game in four years, and Ryan Garko, getting his first extra-base hit in more than a month en route to 5 RBIs.

The Mets Have a Bullpen Now? - Apparently so, as they haven't allowed a run in 18 1/3 innings and stayed strong yesterday after Pedro was pulled in the 5th with tightness in his shoulder, going on to one-hit the Rockies.

More Saves Record Drama! - K-Rod, the Rod not sticking it to Madge (I assume), continues his ever-compelling march to the single-season saves record. He notched his 37th yesterday, putting him five ahead of Bobby Thigpen's 1990 pace and blah blah blah the save is an overrated stat.

Bobby Murcer 1946-2008 - The Yankees' longtime outfielder and broadcaster passed away yesterday of complications from a malignant brain tumor he was diagnosed with in 2006. He had surgery late that year and returned in May 2007 and continued covering games into this year. The five-time All-Star played most of his career in New York, hitting 252 homers to go with 1,862 hits and a .277 career batting average.