Doug Brocail’s line at Triple-A Round Rock: 1 IP, no hits, runs or walks. One K. 14 pitches, 9 for strikes.

One thing I was surprised to see in this game was how little Valverde went to his heater. Threw a lot of pitches in the mid-80’s.

Lance Berkman to undergo MRI on his left calf Tuesday. He played all 9 innings Monday, but only because he refused to come out in 1st inning

Justice, via Twitter.

In the previous series between these two teams, Pirates pitcher Jeff Karsten hit Ryan Braun, who became so incensed that he made a velled threat of retalation, saying, “tell Mr. Selig we will see what happens.” Braun thought that he was hit because of a HR he hit in the previous inning. Karsten came up to bat in Monday’s game and was hit by the Brewers. Karsten was ready to go after the pitcher but was held back by Brewers catcher Jason Kendall, who was jawing with him at the same time. The benches emptied and Kendall and Pirates’ pitching coach Kerrigan had to be restrained from going at it with each other. Braun hit a key HR in a 3 run Brewers’ rally in the 9th, which turned a blow out into a closer game than the Pirates wanted.

There was something that felt different about it, and I couldn’t put my finger on it. But I think Richard Justice comes close with this line from today’s profile on Lee:

His three-run home run provided the offense on a night when the pitching and defense were superb, when they played a game that had a dozen nooks and crannies, the kind of game you roll around in your mind for hours afterward. This is the way summer baseball is supposed to feel, when two good teams are playing with something important at stake.

Campbell really was liberal on the low strike tonight. Moehler saw this and exploited it early. Lohse couldn’t quite hit it consistently.

Add to DQ’s list: Miguel Tejada’s flying diving catch of a screamer late in the game.

just a long out and I don’t remember it making Tal’s Hill. The Ludwick shot in the 5th I think after they IBB’d Pujols was a lot more scary.