OVEREXTENDED?

Arguably one of the best pitchers in the Central, Josh Johnson (1-3, 5.05) has fallen on hard times after an epic 10-inning outing two starts ago, raising concerns that he may need to go on the DL after being routed in the first half of a doubleheader in Anaheim.

In the first game, Johnson sailed through the first two innings against visiting St. Francis unscathed, but seemingly became unnerved after Alexei Ramirez and Kelly Johnson hit back-to-back doubles in the third. A wild pitch scored Ramirez, and a Kevin Youkilis single plated Johnson, and the Friars was just getting started. Jose Bautista knocked Johnson out with a two-run single, and Vernon Wells hit a three-run bomb off reliever Kevin Gregg, and the rout was on. Ramirez would later add an RBI triple off Gregg, and Youkilis a two-run belt off Hideki Okajima. All of this made easy pickings for LHP Clayton Richard (1-1, 7.16), who (as his ERA suggests) had been pretty worthless for much of the year. The fact that a hurler like Richard could've exploited their suddenly-vulnerable ace had to make Alex Coffman's Ball Club more than a little concerned.

AC/BC rallied in the nightcap, however, getting a complete game effort from their other ace, LHP Clayton Kershaw (3-3, 2.09), handing a previously-undefeated Jorge De la Rosa (4-1, 2.84) his first loss, with a little help from underperforming OF Milton Bradley, whose .075 batting average had him earmarked for a possible early release.

In other BARB action:

FROSTBITE FALLS 5, BROOKLYN 2

WP: Tim Lincecum (3-0, 1.96)
LP: Justin Verlander (1-1, 4.40)
SV: Soria (5)

IF Michael Young led off the fourth with an epic triple, then scored on Jose Reyes's RBI double to snap a 2-2 tie and help Tim Lincecum remain undefeated in front of the home folks at Frostbite Falls. Squirrels 1B Albert Pujols hit an insurnance home run, his 7th of the year, against reliever Daniel Bard.

WORCESTER 3, SIN CITY 2

WP: Ryan Dempster (1-2, 4.91)
LP: Travis Wood (1-3, 3.09)
SV: Rivera (5)

Mark Teixeira had four hits, including a two-run insurance double in the eighth, while Ryan Dempster took a shutout into the eighth before needing help, as the defending world champs held on to win on the road in Sin City. In the only bright spot for the Cowboys, 2B Brandon Philips hit a two-run bomb on Dempster's 113th pitch to make the game close for the home team.

YUMA 3, CASSELTON 2

WP: Rafael Soriano (1-1, 2.30)
LP: Carlos Zambrano (2-2, 2.91)

Bidding for a shutout, Matt Cain surrendered a two-run single to Travis Hafner in the top of the ninth, but reliever Rafael Soriano became the pitcher of record after the Horned Toads let 'Big Z' come out to work the bottom of the frame in a 2-2 tie. Zambrano allowed back-to-back singles to lead off the inning, then could only stare in disgust as reliever Joe Nathan coughed up a walkoff double to Denard Span. The bullpen such a strength for the defending Central champs last season, continues to betray Landon Bolt's club in 2011.

POTTSYLVANIA 7, CENTRAL CALIFORNIA 5

WP: Aroldis Chapman (3-1, 1.93)
LP: Hiroki Kuroda (2-2, 4.75)
SV: Pena (1)

Matt Kemp went deep twice for the second time in three games, and Hideki Matsui and Ryan Ludwick also both took the .45's starter deep, while unheralded Tony Pena bailed out Carlos Marmol after the Creepers' regular closer let the opposition back in the game with five baserunners in six at-bats.

NEW ENGLAND 6, PHILADELPHIA 3

WP: Gio Gonzalez (2-2, 4.98)
LP: Ricky Nolasco (1-1, 4.58)
SV: Papelbon (6)

Streaking New England kept pace with defending Eastern champ Yuma with another explosion of offense, with both Curtis Granderson and Miguel Cabrera collecting three hits at the expense of the Rebels pitching staff. Tim Stauffer, a potential future starter for the Yankee Stompers, earned his first hold with a pair of scoreless innings to hold Philadelphia in check.