Around the majors

-Joe Mauer, who received the most All-Star votes of any AL player, has just four home runs this season after hitting 28 last year. From 2006-2008, Mauer had 29 total, so perhaps last year's total was a bit of an aberration.

-Billy Butler of the Royals has already grounded into 21 double plays. No player has hit into more than 32 twin killings in the last 10 years.

-You know how much I love keeping track of the Cubs' strikeouts: they're second in the NL right now, just nine behind San Francisco's league-leading pace.

-Tampa Bay has blown 14 percent of their save chances; Arizona has blown 47 percent of theirs.

-The Orioles, Pirates and Diamondbacks have won a combined 33 road games; the Rays have won 28.

-The Pirates have a -189 run differential. To put that into perspective, the Nationals were the worst team in the majors last year and finished the season at -164. The Pirates are on pace to have the worst differential since 1899.

-If the season ended today, the NLDS would feature the Mets against the Padres and the Reds versus the Braves. Raise your hand if you predicted that.

-Joakim Soria leads the AL in saves despite the Royals' 39-46 record.

-Roy Halladay has seven complete games, more than the Pirates, Dodgers, Padres, Mets, Nationals, Astros, Cubs and Orioles combined.