The Twins have won the rights to negotatie with Japanese Superstar Tsuyoshi Nishioka.
The Twins will have 30 days to work out a contract with the switchhitting middle infielder. Nishioka will be represented by the Beverly Hills Sports Council from the United States. Nishioka who plays both shortstop and second base, led Japan’s Pacific League in hitting this year with a .346 average.

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Just very recently, I happened to write a column about the MLB trade deadline and at the bottom I mentioned that I thought Roy Oswalt would be staying with the Houston Astros.  Apparently, I was wrong.. very, very wrong. 

It now appears that Oswalt is on the move to the Phillies, who traded for and then traded ace Cliff Lee last year.  In return, the Astros are rumored to be getting young left hander, JA Happ and at least two more minor league players.  Happ busted into the MLB scene last year going 12-4 with a 2.93 ERA including 3 complete games and 2 shutouts.  This year, he's been fighting the injury bug and had walked a lot of guys in the few innings he's pitched. 

One rumor has one player being, Jonathan Singleton, a 19 year old 1B that is in A ball.  Looking at Singleton's stats he appears to be have a good eye and developing power with 12 HR's and 18 doubles so far this season.  I'd assume the other player would be a pitcher, but we all already know how accurate my assumptions can be. 

With Lee and Oswalt already moved, Cubs SP Ted Lilly might be the next best starting pitcher known on the market. 

The Angels were looking to bolster their rotation and managed to land an All-Star. The Arizona Diamondbacks agreed to send right-hander Dan Haren to Angels for three pitchers and a player to be named.

The Diamondbacks will receive left-hander Joe Saunders and right-hander Rafael Rodriguez, along with minor leaguer Patrick Corbin.

Haren is 7-8 with a 4.60 ERA in 21 starts this year, but has averaged 15 wins over the past five seasons. He is known as a strike out pitcher and leads the National League in Ks as of Saturday.

Saunders was 6-10 with a 4.62 ERA in 20 starts for the Angels. Rodriguez has a career 4.54 ERA in nine minor league seasons for the Angels, but has appeared in only one MLB game this season, allowing a run and a hit in two innings.

Corbin, a 21-year-old left-hander, has played two professional seasons for the Angels A and high A minor league affiliates.  He's accrued a 17-5 professional record with an ERA of 4.20.

Hitter of the Day:

Brian Dozier – Ft. Myers Miracle

2-4, 2R, HR, 2 RBI

Pitcher of the Day:

Ryan O’Rourke- Elizabethton Twins

5IP, 5 H ,1 ER, 4K, 2BB

Rochester Rundown:

Rochester 3, Columbus 5

Matt Fox started the game for the Wings and got roughed up early. He pitched three innings and allowed three earned on seven hits. He walked three and struck out one. Jose Lugo came on in relief in the fourth and allowed two solo home runs while striking out three and walking two. Kyle Waldrop and Anthony Slama pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth. The Wings got thirteen hits tonight but it wasn’t enough to sail past the Clippers. Toby Gardenhire was 3-4 with an RBI. Jacque Jones was 2-4 with an RBI. Dustin Martin continues his hot streak with 2-5 game including a double.

RockCats Chronicle:

New Britain 1, Binghamton 5

Michael McCardell started for New Britain against Binghamton. He pitched 6 innings, allowing four runs on six hits. He struck out four and walked one. All in all, he picked up the loss dropping him to 0-8. Cole DeVries allowed a solo home run in an inning of work. Tony Davis pitched a scoreless 8^th, walking and striking out one. Joe Benson scored the team’s only run on a solo homerun.

Ft. Myers Flashbacks:

Ft. Myers 4, Charlotte 1

After coming off a great performance last night, Brian Dozier topped it off with another great game tonight. Dozier went 2-4, with a HR , two RBIs and two runs. Estarlin De Los Santos went 2-4 with an RBI. Drew Thompson had a double and scored a run.  Bobby Lanigan took the hill for the Miracle. He pitched four scoreless innings allowing only one hit. He was relieved by Bruce Pugh in the fifth, who got the win after pitching 2.2 innings of two-hit ball. He struck out three while walking one. Jose Gonzales pitched a scoreless 1.1 innings. Billy Bullock allowed one run in one inning but still got the save.

Beloit Brief:

- All Star Break-

Brad Stillings will start tomorrow against Clinton.

E-Town Examiner:

Elizabethon 5, Bristol 4

Ryan O’ Rouke started for Elizabethon and pitched great! In his first appearance as a Twins uniform, he pitched five innings and only allowed one run on five hits. He fanned four and walked two. O’Rourke was the pitcher of record until the 8^th inning when Zach See allowed two earned runs in 1.1 innings. The offense however kept E-town in the game and David Gutierrez got the save after recording two outs. At the plate, Brian Burke knocked in two runs in a 2-5 day. Oswaldo Arcia had another great game tonight going 2-5 with another HR. This brings his total to three in as many games. Daniel Ortiz went 2-4 with two doubles.

Coastal Check-Up:

GCL Twins 1, GCL Rays 7

The GCL Twins lost in a blowout to the GCL Rays. Justin Parker, 2010 draft pick, started for the Twins and allowed one run in three innings.  Luis NunezTravyone Johnson allowed four runs in the inning he pitched. Hein Robb pitched a scoreless seventh. Richard Calcano allowed one run in the inning he pitched. Nick Lockwood, In Kyun Kang , and Yorby Martinez all went 2-4 tonight. Max Kepler went 0-3 with a walk. pitched two scoreless innings.  The wheels fell off in the sixth when

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