Touch 'Em All: Former Phillies prospects pace Houston's win over Oakland

Ordinarily, we don't get too excited about a game like Tuesday's contest between the Astros and the Athletics, two teams headed in opposite directions in the AL West. But the match in which cellar-dwelling Houston rallied to beat division-leader Oakland, 5-4, was remarkable for several reasons:

Oakland's Grant Balfour's reign as the only closer in the bigs without a blown save this year ended when he couldn't hold a two-run lead in the ninth. He had a two-year streak of 44 games without a blown save before Tuesday.

The game snapped the Astros' six-game slide and the A's two-game streak.

And, most of all, the Astros were helped by two former Phils farmhands:

The winning run was scored by Jonathan Villar, who ended up with the Astros in the 2010 Roy Oswalt-J.A. Happ trade. In the ninth inning of just his second MLB game, Villar scored from second when catcher Derek Norris had a passed ball and then made a bad throw to first base. Villar finished with three hits, including the ninth-inning double that proved decisive.

The Astros also got another great performance from ex-Phils prospect Jarred Cosart, who went to Houston in the 2011 trade for Hunter Pence. In his first home start with his new team, the righty went seven innings and allowed just two runs (one earned), while throwing 115 pitches. The rookie, by the way, was the pitcher who nearly threw a no-hitter vs. the Rays in his debut on July 12, and was sent back to triple-A Oklahoma City the following day.

Chicago City Council gave final approval Wednesday to a $500 million renovation of historic Wrigley Field that includes its first massive Jumbotron, improved facilities for the players in the bowels of the 99-year-old ballpark, and a hotel across the street.

The plans calls for erecting a 5,700-square-foot electronic screen in left field above the ivy-covered outfield walls that is roughly three times as large as the iconic manual scoreboard in center field, as well as another large advertising sign in right field.

The Cubs, who waited decades to install lights at Wrigley, have been pushing for renovations since the Ricketts family bought the team in 2009.

After an effort to get public help for the project failed, the Cubs said the team would fund the entire renovation - but it needed the signs and the advertising revenue they would generate to help pay for it.

The Dodgers on Wednesday placed Matt Kemp on the 15-day DL with a sprained left ankle.

Mariners manager Eric Wedge was released from a hospital Wednesday after dealing with what doctors believe was a very mild stroke Monday, the team announced.

He had a dizzy spell before Monday's game and was sent to the hospital as a precaution. The 45-year-old Wedge will miss at least the next four games as well as a road trip to Boston and Baltimore, but is expected to make a full recovery.

- Wire reports