Three & out...

1. R-A-U-LLLLLLLLLLL! At various times during the last two years, we have screamed that Raul Ibanez flat out sucks.  But The Man has come to play in 2011 (well, not counting the first two months of the season).  Today, he clubbed two home runs (giving him 17 for the year), as well as a walk-off single in the 10th inning of today's 6-5 win against the Pirates.  Ibanez' two run dinger in the bottom of the 8th inning tied the score.  Great game to watch today.  (Though we bailed for innings 5 and 6, as we got disgusted with Rookie of the Year pitcher Vance Worley).  Nice to see Hunter Pence get a double in the 10th and score the winning run. 

2. Lockout?!?  There was one?!? It seems almost as if the lockout never even happened.  Has there EVER been a more exciting five day period (Tuesday - Saturday) during an off-season?!?  If you love the NFL, this past week as been damn near as entertaining as the playoffs.  No lie.

3. E-A-G-L-E-S ... Eagles!  Eagles!  Eagles! Normally the Philadelphia Eagles are frugal, if not down right cheap when it comes to free agency.  In the aforementioned past week, however, they have gone ALL IN.  Needing help for Trent Cole (as well as the injured Brandon Graham), they signed defensive end Jason Babin (12.5 sacks last season).  Then they dealt Kevin Kolb (resume: 2 good games, 4 bad ones in four years) to Arizona for starting cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a 2nd round pick in the 2012 draft.  With DRC in the fold, 100 percent of the world assumed they were out of the Nnamdi Asomugha Sweepstakes.  WRONG.  They signed him Friday night.  Finally, 24 hours later, they signed signed defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins away from Green Bay.  He will give them their first legitimate inside pass rush since the days of the late Jerome Brown and Reggie White.  (He had 7 sacks in 10 games last year.)  Take a look at this week's Sports Illustrated.   It ranks the top 30 free agents.  Asomugha is 1, Jenkins 3, Babin 7.  That's a frigging QUALITY haul.