Tony Jackson, of The Los Angeles Daily News, reports Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre played part of the Wednesday, Aug. 6, game against the St. Louis Cardinals under formal protest. The protest revolves around a disagreement between umpires Chris Guccione and Tim Welke; Guccione had told Torre that 1B Mark Sweeney was not officially in the ballgame because he had not entered the batter's box and Torre had not pointed at him that Sweeney was a pinch-hitter. Sweeney stepped into the box, in fact, which Welke noticed; once a player is in the box he is officially in the game.

News: Los Angeles INF Mark Sweeney singled in the eighth inning and now has hit safely in his past two pinch-hitting appearances after going hitless in his previous 16 such at-bats, reports The Sports Xchange.

Analysis: Sweeney is now hitting .132 (7-for-53) as a pinch hitter this season, with two doubles and five walks. Sweeney is an NL-only type of hitter when healthy