The Marlins’ four-hit game Thursday in Houston ended a stretch of 15 straight games with at least 10 hits, a feat not achieved in either league since 1937 (St. Louis Browns) and in the NL since 1929 (New York Giants). The 1925 Indians and ’22 Browns hold the record at 18. Hanley Ramirez and Chris Coghlan, a Rookie of the Year candidate, were the hottest Marlins during that stretch. … The Cubs were 27th in spending on their first 10 draft picks, ahead of only the Phillies, Rangers and Mets. The White Sox, according to Baseball America, were 19th on the list and the third-most compliant in staying within MLB’s slotting guidelines. Only the cash-strapped Rangers (43 percent) and Blue Jays (81 percent) stayed below the slot recommendations more than the White Sox (84 percent). … The biggest spenders, compared with slots, were the Tigers (214 percent), Red Sox (191 percent), Athletics (190 percent) and Yankees (177 percent). Look for firm slotting guidelines to be an issue in the next labor negotiations. … Ubaldo Jimenez remains the best pitcher with an undersized reputation. He has worked at least six innings in 21 consecutive starts and has 11 wins, helping the Rockies make their run into playoff position. Don’t count them out of catching the Dodgers. … The Dodgers made a nice move by signing Vicente Padilla after losing Hiroki Kuroda to a head injury. Kuroda continues to deal with headaches after being struck on the right side of his skull by a Rusty Ryal liner, which bounced into the seats for a ground-rule double. Padilla wasn’t popular with his teammates in Texas but was pitching well enough to help a contender, especially in the NL. … Albert Pujols’ latest distinction: He equaled Lou Gehrig’s big-league record by posting nine seasons in which he has batted .300, hit 30 doubles and 30 homers and driven in 100 runs. … In his two most recent starts for Triple-A Charlotte, White Sox prospect Daniel Hudson has beaten hyped Orioles prospect Jake Arrieta and Andy Sonnanstine, who won 15 games for the Rays last year, including two in the playoffs. … It’s almost unfair the Phillies were able to trade for Cliff Lee. He’s 4-0 with an 0.82 ERA since the deal, allowing only 18 hits and six walks in 33 innings.
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