Mark Buehrle is a machine. The White Sox lefthander is on a roll that most pitchers in the game today have no chance of matching.
He won on Thursday in Baltimore, his 18th game in a row in which he's given up three or fewer runs. It's the longest run by a White Sox pitcher since 1909.
But this is what Buehrle does. He's been a lock for at least six innings every start. He does damage control, makes adjustments and thrives. He has won at least 10 games in 11 consecutive seasons and is on pace for his 11th season in a row of at least 200 innings pitched.
The Twins know this all too well. They took a 3-1 lead off Buehrle in the first inning Aug. 5, but Buehrle found a groove, shut the Twins down and Chicago rallied to win.
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Detroit's Jose Valverde last week converted his 33rd consecutive save opportunity to set a club record. The old record of 32 was held by Willie Hernandez -- when times were different. Valverde threw 33 innings as he got 33 saves. Hernandez pitched 57 innings during his 32-save streak in 1984.
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The Royals released righthander Kyle Davies on Wednesday. He was arrested for disorderly intoxication early Tuesday morning in suburban Tampa, but the Royals claim they weren't aware of the charge until Thursday and that the move was based on a 1-9 record and 6.75 ERA.
