IT’S A MADD MADD WORLD...

Hearing that former Orioles, Padres and Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino is quietly putting together a group to hopefully buy the Nationals if and when the Lerner family decides to put the team up for sale . ... That was pretty heavy company Cardinals handyman Brendan Donovan found himself in Wednesday when he went 2-for-2 with two RBI, a pair of walks and three runs scored against the Orioles. The Wurzburg, Germany-born South Alabama grad became the first Cardinal rookie to log at least two hits, two walks and three runs in a game since Albert Pujols in May 2001 and joined Stan Musial(1942) as the only other Cardinals rookie to amass at least two doubles, two walks and three runs in a single game . ... We haven’t heard much from the much-traveled Jose Quintana in recent years, but last Monday the 33-year-old lefty whose been bothered by injuries and general ineffectiveness since 2019 broke two ignominious

streaks. It was his first win since Sept. 5, 2019, ending a drought of 20 starts and 42 appearances between victories while, for the Pirates, it was the first win of the season for a starting pitcher in their 28th game — a major league record to start a season. … New baseball book of the week: Former Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson and acclaimed baseball photographer Jean

Fruth have teamed up on another spectacular hardcover coffee table book — “Grassroots Baseball: Route 66” — in which they traveled cross country along the nation’s most famous highway capturing images of the game and its connection to the communities. Along the way, they hooked up with Hall of Famers George Brett, Johnny Bench and Jim Thome, who provided commentary on their own grassroots experiences in the towns along Route 66.