Key injuries impact playoff races

D.J. Carrasco, a 31-year-old right-hander who has pitched for six different franchises and in Japan, is Contreras' replacement unless the Sox can pull off a trade for someone like Seattle's Jarrod Washburn. The Sox start the week a half-game ahead of Minnesota in the AL Central.

• It has taken everything that the Diamondbacks have to keep their heads above .500 this season and maintain a hold on the National League West lead. Without Orlando Hudson, their veteran second baseman, that grip is suddenly more slippery than ever.

Hudson dislocated a bone in his left wrist on Saturday night in lunging to tag Atlanta's Brian McCann at second base. Doctors performed surgery that night, but the season is over for Hudson, who was hitting .305 with a .367 on-base percentage. He'll be replaced by light-hitting Augie Ojeda, who will get the bulk of the work, and Chris Burke.

Hudson, 30, has been one of the steadiest players on one of the most unsteady teams in the majors. Once 12 games over .500, in mid-May, the Diamondbacks slipped two games under in late July. They begin the week two games over .500, and 1 1/2 games ahead of the Dodgers, in first place in the West.

For a good stretch there, after his 9-0 start, Brandon Webb was not much more than just another guy. In seven mostly forgettable starts after his sizzling burst out of the gate, Webb was a No. 5-like 2-4, giving up 46 hits in 42 2/3 innings with a 4.22 ERA. Since then, though, the sinkerball specialist has been just what the D'backs have needed. He's 6-0 in nine starts with a 2.29 ERA. Two of those wins came last week in a complete game over the Pirates and a six-inning outing against the Braves on Sunday that snapped Arizona's four-game losing streak. Webb is now 17-4 with a 2.88 ERA, the definition of an ace. Can you say National League Cy Young winner?

From now on, you're liable to see some repeat winners under this headline. I don't care, for example, if the A's run off seven straight wins. They're not getting in here. Instead, say hello again to the Rays, who have won three straight, eight of their last 10, notched a franchise-record 71st win of the season on Sunday and opened up a 4 1/2 game lead over the Red Sox in the AL East. The Rays haven't exactly been bringing down Goliaths lately -- Detroit, Cleveland, Seattle -- but, heck, they didn't make the schedule. (If they had, they'd be on their 50th game with the Mariners right about now.) Here's what's huge for Tampa Bay: The Rays are 7-4 in their last 11 road games. That's a big turnaround for them, and critical considering that September road gauntlet (17 games away from the Trop) that everybody's been talking about.

Raul Ibanez, SEA vs. MIN, Aug. 4

3 for 5, 2 R, 1 HR, 6 RBIs

Ibanez is hitting .341 since not being traded by the sinking Mariners at the deadline. In one four-game stretch, Aug. 2-5, he had 15 RBIs.

Jeff Karstens, PIT at ARI, Aug. 6