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After days upon days of talking and trying to work out a million different ideas, it seems the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies have finally settled on a trade that will send ace starter Roy Oswalt to Philadelphia. Says Mark Berman:

Major League baseball sources told FOX 26 Sports the Houston Astros have a deal in place to trade pitcher Roy Oswalt to the Philadelphia Phillies if Oswalt agrees to waive his no-trade clause.

Sources told FOX 26 the Astros have approached Oswalt. He is aware of the deal that is on the table and the club is waiting for his response.

The Astros and Phillies have, according to the report, agreed on both players and how much of Oswalt's hefty contract each team will cover, leaving the fate of the deal in Oswalt's hands. And, just as Oswalt requested, he's got some time to mull it over before Saturday afternoon's deadline.

Oswalt has posted a 3.42 ERA over 129 innings in 20 starts, striking out 120 while walking 34. One of the top arms in the National League, he's no stranger to pitching in a hitter-friendly environment similar to Philadelphia's home ballpark, and he'd serve as an enormous upgrade to the Phillies rotation betwteen Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels. Halladay has been an ace and Hamels has pitched like a legitimate second starter, but the team has had trouble getting consistency from anyone else, and with Jamie Moyer likely out for the rest of the year, they really needed a move.

The Phillies beat the Diamondbacks on Wednesday, and currently stand 3.5 behind Atlanta in the NL East, and 2.5 behind San Francisco for the Wild Card. Oswalt's next start was scheduled for Friday, so if he makes a fast decision and approves the trade, he could make an immediate impact.

Stay tuned to this StoryStream for updates, and also keep an eye on The Crawfish Boxes, The Good Phight, SB Nation Houston, and SB Nation Philly for more.

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San Francisco, CA (Sports Network) - Andres Torres capped his four-hit day with a deep bases-loaded single in the 10th inning, lifting the Giants to a 10-9 win over the Florida Marlins at AT&T Park.

Torres added a two-run homer and Juan Uribe had three hits and drove in four runs for San Francisco, which is putting pressure on NL West-leading San Diego by winning six of its last seven games. Buster Posey extended his hitting streak to 21 games for the Giants, who won despite blowing a 9-2 lead after six innings.

Dan Uggla homered for the sixth time in as many games and tied the contest with an RBI double with two outs in the ninth inning. He has 143 homers for his career, tying the Marlins team record set by Mike Lowell. Pinch-hitter Donnie Murphy added a three-run homer and Ronny Paulino clubbed a solo shot for the Marlins.

Hanley Ramirez singled and Logan Morrison doubled with one out in the ninth inning. A groundout by Gaby Sanchez scored Ramirez with two outs. Uggla, facing a 3-2 count against closer Brian Wilson, slugged a ground-rule double to the gap in left-center field. Pinch-hitter Wes Helms struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Giants had a rally thwarted in the bottom of the ninth after putting two men on base, but capitalized in the 10th against Clay Hensley (1-4). Aaron Rowand singled to left field and Edgar Renteria followed by hitting a ball that bounced off the chest of third baseman Murphy. Nate Schierholtz singled sharply to right field and Torres followed by taking the first pitch deep to left-center field to end the game.

Jonathan Sanchez was charged with seven hits and five runs over six-plus innings, but fanned seven batters in the start for the Giants. Chris Ray (2-0) picked up the victory by retiring the side in order in the top of the 10th.

Florida's Alex Sanabia was shelled for nine hits and seven runs over two-plus innings.

The Giants totaled six hits in the first inning, including RBI singles from Aubrey Huff and Rowand, and a two-run base hit from Uribe.

Morrison doubled in Ramirez in the third, but the Giants got a two-run triple from Uribe in the bottom of the frame, and he then scored on a Jorge Sosa wild pitch.

Paulino homered in the fourth, but Torres went deep in the sixth to provide the 9-2 margin.

Murphy homered off Sanchez in the seventh, and Uggla went deep against Denny Bautista later in the inning to get the visitors within 9-7.

The Giants have won 18 games so far this month and with two more victories, they'll have their first 20-win month since September 2000...Posey's streak is the second-longest by a rookie in San Francisco-era history behind Hall of Famer Willie McCovey's 22-gamer in 1959. Benito Santiago holds the major league rookie record for hitting safely in 34 straight games in 1987. The longest consecutive game hitting streak in San Francisco era history (since 1958) is held by Jack Clark, who hit safely in 26 games in 1978...San Francisco swept a three-game set from the Marlins earlier in the year and has won seven of the last nine meetings in the series.

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Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Marco Scutaro's grand slam in the eighth inning helped the Boston Red Sox to a three-game sweep of the LA Angels of Anaheim with a 7-3 win in the finale.

Kevin Youkilis, Adrian Beltre and Bill Hall each hit solo homers for the Red Sox, who have won five of their last seven. Josh Beckett (2-1) went seven innings in the start and was charged with three runs on five hits with a walk and five strikeouts.

"I had to manifest some energy today," said Beckett. "I felt better today than last time out. I did some good things and made some good adjustments. The most important thing is for our team to win now."

Reggie Willits went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored while Maicer Izturis and Bobby Wilson each drove in a run for the Angels, who have dropped four straight and seven of eight.

The team suffered a blow before the game started as pitcher Joel Pineiro strained a muscle in his left side while warming up and will miss the next 6- to-8 weeks. Scot Shields started in Pineiro's place and was charged with two runs over 1 2/3 innings. Fernando Rodney (4-1) got the loss for giving up the grand slam.

"Halfway through my warmup I threw a curveball and it felt like a cramp," said Pineiro. "Just a freak thing to happen, I can't explain it. It's really frustrating and when I heard how long I'll be out my heart sunk to the ground."

With the score tied in the eighth, Boston went ahead. Rodney started on the mound and promptly loaded the bases on a pair of walks and a bunt single. Scutaro then stepped to the plate and smacked a 1-2 pitch just inside the left field pole for a 7-3 lead.

"After two strikes I was just trying to see the ball and I got a changeup," said Scutaro. "I got lucky today."

With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Alberto Callaspo doubled and Bobby Abreu followed with a walk. Juan Rivera then lofted a soft blooper to shallow center that appeared to be over the head of Hall, but he was able to make a diving catch to preserve the four-run lead.

Ramon Ramirez then set the Angels down in order in the ninth to close the win.

Boston jumped on top in the second as Beltre clubbed a solo homer and, two batters later, Hall smacked a solo shot for a 2-0 lead.

The Angels, though, tied the game in the bottom of the frame on back-to-back RBI singles from Wilson and Willits.

Anaheim went ahead in the fifth as Willits led off with a double, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from Erick Aybar and came home on a sac fly off the bat of Izturis for a 3-2 lead.

In the sixth, the Red Sox got a two-out triple from Eric Patterson. Scutaro followed with a walk, but Darnell McDonald flied out to end the threat.

Boston did tie the game in the seventh when Youkilis led off the frame with a blast over the left field wall.

Boston returns home to face Detroit for three games starting on Friday...The Angels host Texas for three games beginning Friday...The Red Sox are 15-9 versus the AL West this season...Boston has won all seven games against the Angels this season...Scutaro has two grand slams in his career...The Angels had not been swept at home in 79 series prior to this series. It was the longest active stretch in the majors...Boston's last sweep on the road against the Angels was July 31-August 2, 1998.

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Scott Podsednik rumors popped up a little while ago and really started gathering steam, as NL West rivals San Diego, San Francisco, and Los Angeles all inquired as to his availability and cost. The winner of this B-level sweepstakes? The LA Dodgers.

#Royals get C Lucas May and RHP Elisaul Pimentel from #Dodgers for Podsednik.

Podsednik, 34, has sustained the gains he made a year ago with the White Sox, having batted .309/.352/.400 for the Royals from the top of the order, with a red-hot July. With the Dodgers, he's expected to start in left field until Manny Ramirez returns from the DL, at which point he'll serve as the fourth outfielder. Even behind Ramirez, Matt Kemp, and Andre Ethier, Podsednik figures to get plenty of playing time down the stretch.

May is a 25 year old catcher who's posted an .848 OPS on the year in a hitter-friendly AAA ballpark. Pimentel is a 22 year old right-handed starting pitcher who's shown a live arm in his first exposure to A-ball.

What remains to be seen is how the Giants and Padres choose to respond to this addition, if they respond at all. Be sure to check out more at Royals Review, SB Nation Kansas City, SB Nation Los Angeles, and True Blue LA.

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(Sports Network) - Roy Halladay tries to extend the Philadelphia Phillies' season-high win streak to seven games this evening when they continue their three-game set at Citizens Bank Park against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Halladay won for the first time in three starts on Friday against Colorado, as he held the Rockies to five hits over eight scoreless innings, while striking out nine to improve to 11-8 on the year to go along with a 2.28 earned run average.

"I thought we did a good job of mixing pitches," Halladay said. "We did a good enough job of keeping them off balance."

Halladay, who has completed at least six innings in all but one of his starts this season, had tossed nine scoreless innings without getting a decision in his previous start at home, where he is 7-4 on the year with a 1.71 ERA in 12 starts.

He has beaten the Diamondbacks both times he has faced them, while pitching to a 3.86 ERA.

The Phillies continued to gain ground in the National League East on Tuesday, as Ryan Howard finished 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, three RBI and two runs scored in a 9-5 win in the opener with Arizona.

"It was a see-saw game, but we felt pretty good," said Howard. "We just felt like we'd win this game."

Cody Ransom and Jayson Werth also both hit two-run blasts for the Phillies, who have also won nine straight at home. With Atlanta's loss to Washington the Phils now trail the Braves by 3 1/2 games in the division.

David Herndon (1-2) gave up two runs and coughed up a lead during the sixth inning in relief of starter Cole Hamels but picked up his first major-league win.

Philadelphia played the game without Jimmy Rollins, who fouled a pitch off his foot on Monday, and then lost Shane Victorino to a strained oblique. Rollins may miss this series, while Victorino could be headed towards the disabled list, paving the way for top-prospect Domonic Brown to be called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Mark Reynolds homered and drove in a pair, while Adam LaRoche and Stephen Drew knocked in a run apiece for the Diamondbacks, who have dropped five in a row.

Jordan Norberto (0-1) took the loss after being charged with two runs and two hits while not recording an out.

"We know we are playing a good club, a club that is hot," said Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson. "We had opportunities, just didn't convert them."

Heading to the hill for the Diamondbacks this evening will be righty Edwin Jackson, who has lost his last three starts. Jackson was defeated by San Francisco on Friday, allowing six runs (four earned) and eight hits in six innings to fall to 6-9 on the season, while raising his ERA to 5.01.

Jackson has faced the Phillies nine times and is 3-4 against them with a 4.25 ERA.

The Diamondbacks took two of three from Philly earlier in the year, but the Phils are 8-3 in their last 11 against Arizona and 26-16 against the D-backs since the 2004 season.

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Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Outfielder Domonic Brown stroked an RBI double on his first major league swing and Roy Halladay tossed his major league-leading eighth complete game of the season, as the surging Philadelphia Phillies defeated Arizona, 7-1.

One of the most heralded prospects in baseball, Brown was summoned from Triple-A Lehigh Valley after the Phillies disabled center fielder Shane Victorino, who suffered a left abdominal strain during Tuesday's series opener.

The 22-year-old Brown was in the starting lineup for his big league debut, playing right field, and narrowly missed hitting a home run in his first at- bat in the second inning. He went 2-for-3 with a sacrifice fly and scored two runs.

Carlos Ruiz doubled twice and knocked in three runs for the Phillies, who have won a season-best seven games in a row and 10 straight at Citizens Bank Park.

Philadelphia remains 3 1/2 games behind first-place Atlanta in the NL East standings after the Braves beat Washington on Wednesday.

Miguel Montero's two-out RBI double in the ninth inning spoiled the shutout bid for Halladay (12-8), who recorded nine strikeouts and did not issue a walk.

Arizona's Edwin Jackson (6-10) gave up five runs on eight hits and walked two in five-plus innings to absorb the loss, the sixth in a row for the Diamondbacks.

The Halladay-Jackson matchup was the first in nearly 19 years of two pitchers who tossed a no-hitter in the current season. The last occurrence took place on September 6, 1991, when Wilson Alvarez was opposed by Nolan Ryan.

After Jayson Werth led off the second inning with a double, Brown received a rapturous welcome from the 45,000-plus fans as he was introduced at the plate. The ballpark erupted again when he smashed a 1-1 pitch off the right-field wall to give Philadelphia the early lead. Brown eventually scored on a Wilson Valdez groundout to make it 2-0.

The Phillies blew the game open with a three-run sixth. Werth and Brown hit consecutive singles to begin the inning before Ruiz drove both runners home by hooking a double down the left-field line. A two-out single by Placido Polanco off Arizona reliever Sam Demel plated Ruiz.

Raul Ibanez singled to start the seventh for Philadelphia, advanced to third on a Werth double and came home on Brown's fly ball to right. Ruiz then doubled to center to give the Phillies a seven-run cushion.

Halladay, who gave up six hits, had his scoreless streak at home snapped at 33 2/3 innings, the longest such stretch by a pitcher this season...It's the Phillies' longest winning streak at home since 1991, when they won 16 straight at Veterans Stadium...Brown was the first Phillie to have an RBI in his first at-bat since Marlon Anderson in 1998...Jackson has lost his last four starts...Philadelphia shortstop Jimmy Rollins missed his second straight game with a bruised left foot.

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The Angels, who recently acquired Dan Haren and Alberto Callaspo and have been poking around for even more help, clearly aren't prepared to throw in the towel for 2010. Today, though, Joel Pineiro was a late scratch from a start against the Red Sox, and the outlook isn't so good:

Pineiro suffered a left oblique strain while warming in the bullpen.
...
Pineiro out 6-8 weeks.

Pineiro has posted a 4.18 ERA and 2.6 K/BB over 20 starts, working as part of an Angels rotation that, with Haren, looked like one of the better rotations in the league. Unfortunately, a 6-8 week absence is a big deal, and the team doesn't really have anyone who could step in as a suitable replacement.

With the Angels at 8.5 behind Texas in the division and 11 behind Tampa Bay for the Wild Card, this could and should be the news that convinces everyone that, hey, 2010 just isn't Anaheim's year. Find more over at Halos Heaven.

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Breaking away from the usual all-rumor/no-activity cycle of the lead-up to the deadline, the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers have agreed to a trade that will send Jhonny Peralta to Michigan.

The #Indians have traded 3B Jhonny Peralta to the Tigers for LHP Giovanni Soto. Indians.com. #mlb

The Indians are also sending some cash to Detroit to help cover at least some of what remains of Peralta's $4.6m 2010 salary. The 28 year old third baseman has hit .246/.308/.389 on the year with passable defense at the hot corner, and will fill in for Brandon Inge, who is sidelined for the time being with a broken hand. He is by no means an impact addition, but he is an improvement over recent fill-ins like Don Kelly, and would become a useful part of the bench upon Inge's return.

As far as Giovanni Soto is concerned, he's a 19 year old southpaw who's spent the year in A-ball, striking out 76 and walking 25 in 82.2 innings. He doesn't have much in the way of fastball velocity, but he has a complete repertoire and pretty good command, giving him the potential to rise through the system.

Be sure to look for more at Bless You Boys, Let's Go Tribe, SB Nation Cleveland, and SB Nation Detroit. After Peralta, we may now begin seeing a number of other bench bats start getting moved.

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First, the bad news for the Phillies: Shane Victorino is headed to the disabled list, according to CSNPhilly's Jim Salisbury. Victorino left Wednesday's game in the seventh inning after injuring his left oblique while diving back to first base, and later made it worse fielding a fly ball a half-inning later. He was scheduled to undergo an MRI on Wednesday.

Now, for the good news: Victorino to the 15-day DL means the Phillies have a roster spot to fill ... which means that, yes: the Domonic Brown era is set to begin in Philadelphia.

Brown, the Phillies' uber-prospect (rated by some as the top prospect in the minor leagues), has been promoted to the big leagues.

In 28 games for Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season, the 22-year old Brown, a 2006 draft pick, has hit .346 with a .390 OBP and .951 OPS to go along with five home runs in 107 at-bats.

Brown is expected to start in right field Wednesday night, when the Phillies host the Diamondbacks.

Expect more reaction at The Good Phight.

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The Giants, who beat the Marlins Tuesday night for their seventh win in 10 games and currently sit in second place in the N.L. West, just 2.5 games back from the Padres (and lead the Wild Card by just 1.5 games over the Reds), are gearing up for a playoff push before July 31's trading deadline.

According to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal, San Francisco has "stepped up" their effort for Florida's Jorge Cantu, and they may now be the front-runners to land the 1B/3B, ahead of the Rangers and Rockies, all of whom are looking for a right-handed bat. With the Marlins wanting a young left-handed pitcher in return, and the team to pay roughly $2 million of salary still owed to Cantu this season, he may just be too expensive for the Rangers.

Cantu is hitting .260 with a .308 OBP and an 89 OPS+ with 10 home runs this season, all down numbers by his standards.