Memorial Day hats

Memorial Day was celebrated throughout baseball with a moment of silence at 3 o’clock throughout the country, pre-game celebrations of veterans and current armed forces members, and the annual wearing of commemorative baseball hats (with this year being white hats with a red brim).
The premium matchup of the day was in the National League West between the Colorado Rockies and the SF Giants.

The first day of the series pitted potential CY Young winner Ubaldo Jimenez of the Rockies against two-time CY Young award winner Tim Lincecum of the Giants. Jimenez was just as good as expected as he pitched a complete game shutout and allowed just four hits while striking out nine.

Jimenez lowered his ERA to 0.78 to improve to 10-1 on the season (only one of three players to have 10 wins and an ERA under 1.00 through May in the history of the game). Lincecum continues to struggle with his command as he walked five (his fourth straight start with at least five walks) in 5.2 innings. The Rockies scored four runs (three earned) off Lincecum on six hits.

The Cleveland Indians were down just 2-1 against the NY Yankees headed into the seventh inning. Indians starter Mitch Talbot was matching up well against Yankees veteran Andy Pettitte. Unfortunately for the Indians, Talbot ran out of gas in the seventh. The two relievers who followed for the Indians (Rafael Perez and Chris Perez) faced five batters without recording an out.

They allowed four hits and five runs, capped by Alex Rodriguez’ grand slam which was followed by Robinson Cano’s solo homerun. The Yankees blew the game open and won 11-2 on 18 hits. Offensively for the Indians, third baseman Jhonny Peralta continued his hot-hitting and hit his 100th homerun.

The Philadelphia Phillies offense had Atlanta Braves starter Tommy Hanson on the ropes by constantly putting runners on base. However the slumping Phillies could not muster any runs. They did however put together four straight doubles to score three runs off Hanson and Braves reliever Pete Moylan in the seventh, but the Phillies were already down 6-0.

After cutting the lead in half in the seventh, Phillies reliever Chad Durbin gave up a three-run homerun to Troy Glaus on the very first pitch Durbin threw in the game. Glaus has 28 RBIs in the month of May (which leads MLB). The Braves won 9-3 to move into first-place in the NL East and won their 20th game in the month of May.

With the game tied at 1-1 in Pittsburgh, Pirates pinch-hitter Bobby Crosby delivered a two-out RBI single off Chicago Cubs reliever Sean Marshall in the eighth inning. This gave the Pirates a 2-1 lead which they did not relinquish. The loss dampened the start of Randy Wells, who was coming off his six batter performance in his last start. Wells did not allow a run in five innings. Ross Ohlendorf of the Pirates allowed just one run on three hits while striking out six. The Cubs have lost 6-of-7 against the Pirates this season.

Roy Oswalt ejected

Houston Astros ace Roy Oswalt had his string of quality starts snapped at 11 as he was ejected from his start Monday after sort of arguing with the home plate umpire. Replays showed he was more yelling at himself for throwing another ball than at the umpire but was immediately ejected for saying “I wasn’t talking to you”.

At that point, the visiting Washington Nationals had a 4-1 lead. The Astros cut the lead to 4-2 on a Gustavo Chacin solo homerun (he relieved Oswalt in the third inning). It was Chacin’s first ML at-bat since 2005 and it was his first ML hit. After Chacin, Astros relievers Jeff Fulchino and Chris Sampson combined to allow nine runs in the seventh inning, capped by two two-run homeruns by Carlos Maldonado and Ryan Zimmerman.

The St. Louis Cardinals regained the tie in the NL Central by beating the Cincinnati Reds. Reds starter Bronson Arroyo struggled for the first time in more than five starts (was it because he was without personal catcher Ryan Hanigan?) as he allowed seven runs on ten hits in 4.1 innings. He also walked five as the Reds walked ten batters and allowed 16 hits.

Cardinals rookie starter Jaime Garcia allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits in six innings. He also collected two hits and two runs scored. Every Cardinals starter had at least one hit with Felipe Lopez, Ryan Ludwick, Albert Pujols, David Freese, Colby Rasmus, and Garcia all collecting two hits.

Tags:

Alex Rodriguez, Bobby Crosby, Chad Durbin, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros, Jhonny Peralta, Mitch Talbot, Philadelphia Phillies, Roy Oswalt, SF Giants, Tim Lincecum, Tommy Hanson, Ubaldo Jimenez

The NY Yankees decided to skip Javier Vazquez in the rotation again and went with Sergio Mitre to make the spot start. Mitre allowed just one run (on a homerun by Justin Morneau) in 5+ innings.

He allowed just four hits and struck out three. For the Minnesota Twins, Nick Blackburn pitched seven innings and allowed three runs on nine hits. It looked as though Blackburn would suffer the hard-luck loss, but the Twins offense came alive against the Yankee bullpen.

Joba Chamberlain left with the bases loaded and two outs for closer Mariano Rivera. Rivera had not given up a bases loaded walk since 2007 until the eighth inning on Sunday when he walked Jim Thome.

Jason Kubel grand slam

Two pitches later, Jason Kubel crushed a grand slam (the first Mo’s given up since 2002) to give the Twins a 6-3 lead. With the 6-3 lead, the Twins turned to closer Jon Rauch for the save.

However after back-to-back hits to the bottom two in the lineup (Randy Winn and Ramiro Pena), the Yankee Stadium crowd came to life. So did Rauch, as he struck out the side (Derek Jeter, Brett Gardner, and Mark Teixeira) to end the game and end their 12-game losing streak in NY.

Bronson Arroyo of the Cincinnati Reds pitched a complete game on Sunday as the Reds took over first place in the National League Central by beating the visiting St. Louis Cardinals 7-2.

Arroyo allowed two runs on seven hits and also contributed a two-run single in the Reds three-run fifth inning. The Reds collected 13 hits in the victory as Scott Rolen collected two hits, including a two-run homerun in the first inning.

In Baltimore, the Cleveland Indians took the three-game series with a 5-1 victory over the Orioles. Indians starter Jake Westbrook held the Orioles to one run (a homerun by Luke Scott in the eighth inning) on nine hits while striking out eight.

The Indians offense provided Westbrook with two homeruns by Matt LaPorta and Russell Branyan and each hitter collected at least one hit while Lou Marson and Mark Grudzielanek had two hits.

After being battered by the Arizona Diamondbacks offense on Saturday night, the Atlanta Braves returned the favor against Dbacks ace Dan Haren. It all started with Marin Prado’s leadoff homerun.

They hit four homeruns on the day, two by Prado and one each by Eric Hinske and Troy Glaus. Haren allowed seven runs (six earned) on eight hits in 4.1 innings. Prado collected four hits and Glaus delivered three hits.

Braves starter Tim Hudson scattered three hits over eight innings while striking out six and he also collected two hits.

The Detroit Tigers made a flurry of roster moves heading into their finale against the Boston Red Sox. Gone to the minors were starter Max Scherzer and rookie second baseman Scott Sizemore.

Arriving were starter Armando Galarraga and rookie infielder Danny Worth. Both would start on Sunday. Galarraga allowed just one run in 5.2 innings.

The Tigers offense got to Red Sox starter John Lackey as he allowed five runs on nine hits in seven innings while also walking four.

Magglio Ordonez continued his hot hitting as he collected two hits and Worth collected his first Major League hit (an infield single) and RBI in his first at-bat.

Jeff Francis

Former Colorado Rockies ace Jeff Francis returned to the mound for the Rockies on Sunday against the Washington Nationals. It was a pitcher’s duel between Francis and Scott Olsen.

A Brad Hawpe sacrifice fly off Nationals everyday reliever Tyler Clippard was the game-winner as the Rockies won 2-1 and have won three straight. Both runs the Rockies scored were on sacrifice flies.

Francis allowed one run on seven hits while striking out six and Olsen allowed one run on five hits in 6.2 innings as neither starter factored into the decision.

The LA Dodgers got a sweep of the San Diego Padres on Sunday as Chad Billingsley allowed just four hits in 7.1scoreless innings while striking out six.

Padres starter Wade LeBlanc allowed just two hits in seven innings while allowing a run on Russell Martin’s RBI single in the sixth inning. Unfortunately the Padres could not score and they lost 1-0.

Tags:

Arizona Diamondbacks, Armando Galarraga, Bronson Arroyo, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Jake Westbrook, Jason Kubel, Javier Vazquez, Jeff Francis, Joba Chamberlain, Jon Rauch, Justin Morneau, Nick Blackburn, Scott Rolen, St. Louis Cardinals

Ubaldo Jimenez fires no-hitter

In Atlanta, the Braves were treated to history as Colorado Rockies hurler Ubaldo Jimenez pitched a no-hitter, the first in Rockies history. Despite walking six, Jimenez struck out seven and was electric the entire outing. His last pitch of the game was to Brian McCann at 97 mph. Jimenez threw 128 pitches in the 4-0 win and got some great defense, especially from centerfielder Dexter Fowler in the seventh inning.

In St. Louis, the Cardinals and NY Mets battled all afternoon and into the night. For the second straight game, they were locked in a pitcher’s duel. Mets ace Johan Santana matched up with Cardinals rookie Jaime Garcia (who was making his third career start), who did not give up a hit until the sixth inning. The Mets did not collect their second hit until the 12^th inning with the game tied at 0-0. New Met first baseman Alex Cora (who just came into the game and had only played 3 games there in his career) kept the score tied at 0-0 in the 10^th when he jumped into the first row of seats with two outs and the bases loaded to keep Cardinals slugger Matt Holliday from getting a new life. The Cardinals threatened with the bases loaded three times (with the pitcher batting) and had men on base in just about every inning but could not score.

Felipe Lopez pitches in 18th

The Cardinals ran out of pitchers so third baseman Felipe Lopez (who started at shortstop) moved to the mound in the 18^th and sent the Mets down in order (after Mets pitcher Raul Valdes was thrown out at second base after an infield single). Joe Mather, who moved from the outfield to third base, came in to pitch the 19^th. The Mets scored on a sacrifice fly in the 19^th (with the deep fly ball by Jeff Francoeur going to new left fielder Kyle Lohse, who is a starting pitcher for the Cardinals). The Mets saved closer Francisco Rodriguez for a save situation and the Cardinals got to him. Albert Pujols ripped a one out double and went to third base on a ground out by Lohse. K-Rod chose to pitch to Yadier Molina instead of rookie Allen Craig and Molina ripped a game-tying RBI single to tie the game at 1-1. Into the 20^th they went, with Mather again taking the mound. Mather struggled with throwing strikes and the Mets again scored on a sacrifice fly. Though the Cardinals had their chances in the bottom of the 20^th, starter Mike Pelfrey collected the save. The Mets 2-1 win took 6 hours and 53 minutes to complete. If the Mets had lost to the Cardinals (who were using position players to pitch), manager Jerry Manuel may have gotten fired. He will hold onto his job for now.

Tim Lincecum hits

Reigning National League CY Young award winner Tim Lincecum of the SF Giants has so far showed that he is still the best pitcher in the NL. Against the LA Dodgers, Lincecum went six scoreless innings to improve to 3-0 with a 0.90 ERA. He struck out seven and gave up four hits. Lincecum also starred at the plate in the 9-0 victory as he went 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs.

Bullpen problems continue for the Baltimore Orioles as newly named closer Jim Johnson came in with a 3-2 lead in Oakland. The A’s loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth and Ryan Sweeney delivered a walk-off two-run single to improve the A’s record to 9-4. The O’s dropped to 1-11 (the worst team in baseball).

In Cleveland, the Indians Jake Westbrook battled the Chicago White Sox Jake Peavy. With the White Sox ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth, Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera blasted a solo homerun off of Peavy to tie the game and end his night. In came hard-throwing Matt Thornton and Indians right fielder Shin-Soo Choo delivered an RBI double to win it as closer Chris Perez used 15 pitches to get the White Sox 1-2-3 for his third save.

Tags:

Albert Pujols, Alex Cora, Asdrubal Cabrera, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Felipe Lopez, Francisco Rodriguez, Jaime Garcia, Jake Peavy, Jake Westbrook, Jeff Francoeur, Jim Johnson, Joe Mather, Johan Santana, Kyle Lohse, LA Dodgers, Matt Thornton, NY Mets, Oakland A's, Raul Valdes, Ryan Sweeney, SF Giants, Shin-Soo Choo, St. Louis Cardinals, Tim Lincecum, Ubaldo Jimenez, Yadier Molina

The Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies played to a football score, 14-7 with the Phillies taking another one from the Nats (the Phillies are 4-1 so far in 2010 against them). The Phillies, despite losing their leadoff hitter Jimmy Rollins to the DL, still have too much firepower and a better bullpen. Chase Utley homered twice (with 4 RBIs) for the Phillies and new leadoff man Shane Victorino hit out of his struggles going 4-for-5 with three runs scored and five RBIs. It was 7-7 in Philadelphia after three innings and the Phillies bullpen (Nelson Figueroa, Chad Durbin, Antonio Bastardo, and David Herndon) combined for six shutout innings while allowing just two hits.

Chris Iannetta's walk-off homerun

There were two more extra inning games on Wednesday. At Coors Field in Denver, the NY Mets scored an unearned run in the ninth inning off of Rockies closer Franklin Morales (his first blown save as a closer) to tie the game and send it into extra innings. However in the bottom of the tenth, Rockies catcher Chris Iannetta (who contributed to the Mets unearned run in the ninth) led off the inning with a walk-off solo homerun off of Mets rookie reliever Jenrry Mejia.

The other was in Los Angeles, as the Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks battled back and forth for nearly five hours with the Dodgers scoring a run in the bottom of the ninth off of Diamondbacks closer Chad Qualls to send the game into extra innings. In the top of the 11^th, the Diamondbacks scored two runs off of Dodgers reliever Ramon Ortiz to win the game 9-7. Diamondbacks outfielder Chris Young delivered an RBI single to left field and infielder Augie Ojeda contributed a sacrifice fly in the 11^th. The Diamondbacks overcame a 19-hit attack from the Dodgers.

One day after almost being no-hit by Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Ricky Romero, the Chicago White Sox jumped all over starter Brandon Morrow, which was capped by two four-run innings (the fifth and sixth). Andruw Jones and Carlos Quentin both homered off of Morrow, with Quentin hitting a grand slam. White Sox starter John Danks was dominant, while allowing just two hits and a run in seven innings.

Astros starter Brett Myers

In St. Louis, the Cardinals and the visiting Houston Astros were battling in a classic pitchers’ duel with the Cardinals Brad Penny facing off against new Astros hurler Brett Myers. After unearned runs scoring in the first inning to give the Cardinals a 2-1 lead, the score remained the same. Both starters went seven innings with Penny allowing just three hits while striking out four and Myers allowing four hits while striking out seven. However the Astros could not capitalize on chances, like with the bases loaded in the eighth. The Astros dropped to 0-8 on the season.

In Florida, Marlins third baseman Jorge Cantu set a Major League record by collecting at least one hit and an RBI in each of the Marlins first eight games. He hit a solo homerun in the fifth inning off of Reds starter Homer Bailey. The Marlins held onto the win 5-3 over the visiting Cincinnati Reds.

In Baltimore, Tampa Bay Rays left-hander David Price dominated the Orioles through seven innings. Price allowed a run (a homerun by Miguel Tejada) on four hits while striking out seven. Orioles starter Brad Bergesen struggled into the fourth inning, allowing eight runs (five earned) on seven hits. Carlos Pena continued his hot-hitting against the O’s as he connected on another three-run homerun in the first inning in helping the Rays improve to 6-3. The O’s dropped to 1-8 on the season and put closer Mike Gonzalez on the DL prior to the game. On the bright side for the O’s, converted reliever Jason Berken threw five innings while allowing just one run (he struck out five).

Tags:

Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, Brad Bergesen, Brad Penny, Brandon Morrow, Brett Myers, Carlos Pena, Carlos Quentin, Chad Qualls, Chase Utley, Chicago White Sox, Chris Iannetta, Chris Young, Colorado Rockies, Daivd Price, Florida Marlins, Franklin Morales, Houston Astros, Jason Berken, John Danks, Jorge Cantu, LA Dodgers, NY Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Shane Victorino, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals

Sabathia exists the game after giving up his first hit

On Saturday afternoon, NY Yankees ace CC Sabathia made quick work of the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. He got within four outs of a no-hitter. In the seventh with two outs catcher Kelly Shoppach (and a former teammate of Sabathia’s with Cleveland) ripped a single to left field on the very first pitch to break up the no-hitter. Sabathia threw 111 pitches and was helped out by great defense in the infield by Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, and Robinson Cano. The Yankees spanked the Rays 10-0.

Gaby Sanchez of the Florida Marlins hit his first big league homerun, a three-run shot, off of LA Dodger Vicente Padilla. In the bottom of the ninth and the Marlins down 6-4 (after the Dodgers came back against the Marlins bullpen to take the lead), pinch-hitter Ronny Paulino delivered a two-run double off of Dodgers reliever George Sherrill to tie the game. Hanley Ramirez was intentionally walked to load the bases to face Jorge Cantu. Cantu launched a fly ball to centerfield for a sacrifice fly to score Chris Coghlin for the game winner (the Marlins won 7-6).

Zach Duke of the Pittsburgh Pirates seems to have rediscovered his dominance of a few years back. Against the Arizona Diamondbacks he got 14 ground ball outs to go with his two strikeouts in his seven solid innings of work. Duke allowed just four hits and two runs, which scored on Mark Reynolds’ two-run homerun in the seventh inning. The Pirates bullpen held on for the 6-3 win.

Matsui tips hat to the fans after gw hit

New LA Angels ace Jered Weaver dominated in his second start against the hot-hitting Oakland A’s. Weaver went six innings allowing one run on four hits while striking out seven (to just one walk). However the A’s were happy to see Weaver exit the game as they scored single runs in the seventh and eighth innings to tie the game at 3-3. In the bottom of the ninth, the A’s elected to intentionally walk Torii Hunter after Bobby Abreu doubled. That brought up Hideki Matsui, who ripped a 2-0 fastball down the right field line to win the game 4-3, which broke the Angels four game losing streak.

The Colorado Rockies and the San Diego Padres battled into the 14^th inning with Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez coming through with an RBI double for the game winner. The Rockies could not muster any offense against the Padres bullpen and had just two hits after the sixth inning. Tim Stauffer of the Padres went three shutout innings out of the pen while allowing just one hit while striking out three.

The Philadelphia Phillies continue to put runs on the board and rack up hits. They have 10 or more hits in each of their first five games (they are 4-1). Last night, veteran left-hander Jamie Moyer was cruising along until a five run third inning gave the Houston Astros the lead (their first lead of the year). The Astros, who were the only team in baseball without a homerun, hit two on Saturday night in that third inning (both Jason Michaels and Hunter Pence homered). Unfortunately for the Astros, their bullpen could not hold the lead. Brandon Lyon, who was signed to bolster the pen, gave up four hits and three runs in the seventh inning to take the loss (two of the runs came on a Ryan Howard homerun). In the ninth, Astros closer Matt Lindstrom gave up a two-run homerun to Shane Victorino. Despite the Astros hitting homeruns and scoring a run in the ninth against Phillies closer Ryan Madson, they lost 9-6 and have lost all five games to open the season at home at Minute Maid Park.

In San Francisco, the Atlanta Braves halted the Giants four game winning streak with a 7-2 win. Braves starter Derek Lowe did not have his best stuff but gutted it out. He walked seven but gave up just one run and four hits. Offensively the Braves were led by rookie Jason Heyward, who snapped an 0-for-11 skid to go 3-for-3 with two walks, two RBIs, and two runs scored, and the league’s leading hitter in second baseman Martin Prado (he is batting .600) as he went 2-for-4.

Tags:

Adrian Gonzalez, Arizona Diamonbacks, Atlanta Braves, Bobby Abreu, Brandon Lyon, CC Sabathia, Chris Coghlin, Colorado Rockies, Derek Lowe, Florida Marlins, Gaby Sanchez, Hideki Matsui, Houston Astros, Jamie Moyer, Jason Heyward, Jered Weaver, Jorge Cantu, Kelly Shoppach, LA Angels, LA Dodgers, Martin Prado, Matt Lindstrom, NY Yankees, Oakland A's, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Ronny Paulino, Ryan Howard, San Diego Padres, SF Giants, Shane Victorino, Tampa Bay Rays, Tim Stauffer, Torii Hunter, Zach Duke

The National League West had been thought of as the weakest division in the game. However in 2009, the West garnered the division champion (LA Dodgers) and the wild card winner (Colorado Rockies). All of the teams in the division rely on young talent to win. The Dodgers have a young core of outfielders Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier, catcher Russell Martin, and first baseman James Loney. They also rely on hurlers Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley and closer Jonathon Broxton. The SF Giants have two-time CY Young award winner Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Jonathon Sanchez in the rotation and MVP-candidate Pablo Sandoval in the middle of the lineup. The Rockies core is all young with shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, catcher Chris Iannetta, outfielders Carlos Gonzalez, Dexter Fowler, and Brad Hawpe, and pitchers Jeff Francis, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Franklin Morales. The Arizona Diamondbacks have a young lineup with Stephen Drew, Conor Jackson, Mark Reynolds, Justin Upton, Miguel Montero, and Chris Young. The San Diego Padres, who are rebuilding, have young pitching with guys like Mat Latos, Chris Young, and Chris Richard. What young star will breakout in 2010 and help his team win? Here’s a few:

Blake DeWitt

Blake DeWitt, LA Dodgers (2B): For the second straight year, the Dodgers signed a veteran second baseman. Last year it was Orlando Hudson and this year is Jamey Carroll (though he is more of a utility man). So the 24 year old DeWitt has not earned a spot on the team, even though it looked like he inherited a starting job.

“I’m going to work hard, improve as much as possible and get to Spring Training ready to win a job and help this team win…I realize some things you can control and some things you can’t,” DeWitt said. He continued on to say, “There’s always somebody ready to fight for a job. He’s [Carroll] a good player and I look forward to playing with him and learning a lot from him…Nothing is given to you in this game. You’ve got to go out and earn it.” That is a good attitude to have as a young player.

Last year DeWitt was shuttled back and forth between Triple-A Albuquerque and LA after hitting .264 in his rookie year. GM Ned Colletti believes DeWitt needs to play everyday which is one of the reasons why DeWitt has become a utility player (he can play third, second, and shortstop).

2010 is a big year for DeWitt to see if he can win the second base job. If he can, he could provide another impact bat in the young Dodgers’ order.

Ian Stewart

Ian Stewart, Colorado Rockies (3B): Stewart hit 25 homeruns and drove in 70 in 2009. However in 147 games, he hit just .228. With the Rockies not re-signing Garrett Atkins, the soon-to-be 25 year old will need to make improvements offensively for the Rockies to be successful.

When the Rockies selected Stewart in the first round of the 2003 draft out of high school in California, they envisioned the power that Stewart has showed. However his career Major League average is just .238. The glaring issue for him is the strikeouts, as he struck out 138 times in 2009. He also must regain his stroke against left-handed pitching. In 2008 he hit .370 in 54 at-bats against lefties but it dropped to .178 in 101 at-bats in 2009.

No one talked about Stewart’s defense coming up through the minors, but he has been steady at third base. His .969 fielding percentage (seven errors) in 2009 was the third highest in Rockies history. His defense has become a source of pride for him.

If Stewart hits for a higher average, he will be a complete player. He is an important cog in the Rockies lineup and they need a breakout year from him.

Tags:

Blake DeWitt, Colorado Rockies, Ian Stewart, LA Dodgers, NL West

When Clint Hurdle was fired, the Colorado Rockies were floundering. Down 15 games in the National League West, new manager Jim Tracy guided the young Rockies into the playoff picture, capturing the NL Wild Card. In July, the Rockies added veteran slugger Jason Giambi (who thrived in Colorado), veteran pitcher Jose Contreras, and reliever Rafael Betancourt. All three proved huge in the Rockies push to the playoffs. They also got a lot of help from some of their young talent. Ubaldo Jimenez proved a formidable ace combination with sinkerballer Aaron Cook. Franklin Morales provided excellent lefty setup protection for closer Huston Street (and even closed when Street was hurt).

Tulo

At the top of the order are the young outfield speedsters, Dexter Fowler, and Carlos Gonzalez, who give way to the thunder in the lineup. Fowler had a solid season, batting .266 with 29 doubles, 10 triples, and 27 stolen bases in 135 games. Gonzalez, who came to Colorado with Street in the Matt Holliday deal, thrived in the second half by hitting .320 after the All-Star break. Overall he hit .284 with 13 homeruns and 16 stolen bases in 89 games. The thunder in the lineup consists of shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, first baseman Todd Helton, and rightfielder Brad Hawpe. Tulo thrived in the second half as well, hitting .344. In 151 games overall, he hit .297 with 25 doubles, 9 triples, 32 homeruns, 92 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases. Though he is a big shortstop, his offensive game is similar to Philadelphia’s Jimmy Rollins, a combination of speed and power. The veteran Helton rebounded from the worst year of his career in 2008 to play in 151 games in 2009 and put up his typical numbers: .325 with 38 doubles, 15 homeruns, 86 RBIs, and a .416 on-base percentage, while quietly leading the young Rockies. The All-Star Hawpe had a solid season, hitting .285 in 145 games with 42 doubles, 23 homeruns, and 86 RBIs. Garrett Atkins and Ian Stewart split time at third base, with Stewart taking over late in the year and into the future (Atkins signed with Baltimore). Despite hitting just .228, Stewart blasted 25 homeruns and drove in 70.

Once the Rockies offense starts clicking, they have one of the most dangerous lineups in the game. Winning NL Manager of the Year earned Tracy a contract extension. The Rockies should be the favorite to win the NL West if they fill a few holes. Here’s their wish list:

1. 

   Ubaldo Jimenez

   Another starting pitcher: With the loss of free agent pitcher Jason Marquis, the Rockies could use a veteran to surround young ace Ubaldo Jimenez, Aaron Cook, lefty Jorge De La Rosa, Jason Hammel, Jeff Francis, and rookie Jhoulys Chacin. The key is a healthy Francis, who missed all of 2009 with a shoulder injury and surgery. Another key is consistency. De La Rosa has been really good in some starts (like 8 shutout innings), but has had some really bad stretches throughout his career (6 runs in less than 3 innings in the next start). Hammel was a virtual unknown coming over from the Tampa Bay Rays. Despite a solid 2009 (10-8 with a 4.33 ERA and 133 Ks), Hammel will need another good season in 2010. Rookie Chacin struggled with his command in his 9 games in 2009. The Rockies had wanted to re-sign Marquis, but he just signed with the Washington Nationals. Rumors have them linked to Tim Redding.

2. A few relievers: With the re-signing of righty Rafael Betancourt, the back end of the bullpen is pretty solid with closer Huston Street, lefty Franklin Morales, and right-handers Manny Corpas and Taylor Buchholz. Corpas struggled a bit, but is the former closer and many are hoping he can get back to his 2007 days. Buchholz missed all of 2009 but was solid in 2008 before the elbow injury. There are a lot of question marks but they have experience. The Rockies would like to add another left-handed reliever to complement Morales, like re-signing Joe Beimel. They could use a swing guy that can pitch multiple innings if needed (which was Buchholz’ role before getting hurt). Maybe they will re-sign Jose Contreras, who was 1-0 with a 1.59 ERA in 7 games with 17 strikeouts late in the season.
3. Bench players: Outfielder Seth Smith may be one of the best hitters off the bench in the game. Though he got quite a few starts in 2009, he hit .293 in 133 games with 20 doubles, 15 homeruns, and 55 RBIs. Smith’s right-handed counterpart, Ryan Spilborghs, provides leadership and clutch hitting (remember his walk-off grand slam in 2009?). With Garrett Atkins’ departure to Baltimore, the Rockies need a right-handed corner infielder. They also are looking to re-sign catcher Yorvit Torrealba (or another catcher) to backup Chris Iannetta. They did re-sign Paul Phillips, who hit well in his brief time in Colorado in 2009. The Rockies struggled against left-handed pitching in 2009 because the lineup leans heavily to the left side (think of how Cliff Lee dominated them in the playoffs, but then who didn’t he dominate?) and could use right-handed bench players.

Tags:

Aaron Cook, Brad Hawpe, Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies, Dexter Fowler, Franklin Morales, Garrett Atkins, Huston Street, Ian Stewart, Jason Hammel, Jeff Francis, Jorge De La Rosa, Jose Contreras, Manny Corpas, Rafael Betancourt, Ryan Spilborghs, Seth Smith, Taylor Buchholz, Todd Helton, Troy Tulowitzki, Ubaldo Jimenez

Phillies 5, Rockies 4: Are the Philadelphia Phillies destined for World Series glory? After last night’s comeback victory, some may say so. With a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning, manager Charlie Manuel went to Ryan Madson with runners on in relief of starter Cliff Lee, who once again pitched brilliantly. After getting Troy Tulowitzki to fly out to newly inserted Ben Francisco in left on a great diving catch, Rockies pinch-hitter Jason Giambi singled in Dexter Fowler to tie the game. Madson then allowed a 2-run double to Phillies killer Yorvit Torrealba to give the Rockies a 4-2 lead. This was one of the only times the Rockies came through with runners in scoring position. With the lead, Rockies manager Jim Tracy gave the ball to closer Huston Street to close out the game and send the series back to Philly. Street, for the second straight night, could not put away the Phillies. Down to their final out, the Phillies Ryan Howard ripped a 2-run double to right to tie the game and Jayson Werth blooped an RBI single with two strikes scoring Howard to give the Phillies a 5-4 lead. The air was completely let out of Coors Field and the 50,000+ fans in attendance were in shock. In the bottom of the ninth when Scott Eyre got into trouble, Manuel called on Brad Lidge to close out the game. With the tying run on second Tulowitzki checked his swing on a low and outside slider from Lidge. With two strikes, catcher Carlos Ruiz went out to talk to Lidge saying “make sure you throw me the good one”. Lidge threw another slider low and outside, but this time “Tulo” couldn’t check his swing and he struck out to end the game. This set off the Phillies celebration and sent the Rockies into disbelief. Many Rockies players could be seen in the dugout hanging their heads or looking out onto the field in utter shock. Two straight nights and Lidge converted saves, looking more like the Lidge of 2008 than the Lidge of 2009.

Shane Victorino quickly gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead in the first on a solo homerun. The Rockies again put men on base against Lee in the first but could not drive in a run. Jayson Werth connected on an opposite field sole homerun in the 6th inning. Rockies starter Ubaldo Jimenez pitched well, just allowing the solo homeruns. Jimenez went 7 innings giving up the two runs on 6 hits, while striking out seven. Lee went into the 8th inning allowing three runs (1 earned) on five hits with five strikeouts. However that inning could have been more for the Rockies if Tulowitzki hadn’t been doubled off of second on a Garrett Atkins line drive out. Another base-running mistake cost a playoff team. The Rockies finally broke through when Lee walked Todd Helton and Tulowitzki ripped an RBI double to the left-centerfield gap, just scoring Helton. The Phillies had the bases-loaded and just one out in the 8th, but Rafael Betancourt came in and threw just four pitches to get out of the inning without allowing a run.

The Phillies head home to prepare for the NLCS against the LA Dodgers for the second straight season. The NLCS begins Thursday in Los Angeles.

Tags:

Brad Lidge, Colorado Rockies, Huston Street, Jayson Werth, NLDS, Philadelphia Phillies, Ryan Howard

The Colorado Rockies and Philadelphia Phillies are very similar. They were the top two power clubs in the National League. The Rockies had four players with at least 20 homers (Troy Tulowitzki, Ian Stewart, Clint Barmes, and Brad Hawpe) and the Phillies have four players with at least 30 homers (Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth, Raul Ibanez, and Chase Utley). They both have strong starting pitching.

The Phillies have been carried by Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, JA Happ, and late season additions Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez. The Rockies have been carried by Aaron Cook, Ubaldo Jimenez, Jason Marquis, Jorge De La Rosa, and Jason Hammel.

The Rockies don’t have any big names in their rotations, but these five get the job done and keep the high-powered Rockies offense in the game. The rotation has five guys with 10 or more wins. Both teams have World Series experience. In 2007, the Rockies and Phillies faced off in the NLDS and the Rockies swept on their way to the World Series.

Last year, the Phillies won it all. This year, the Phillies hope to redeem themselves on their way to repeating. During the season, the Phillies held a 4-2 edge, winning 2 out of 3 home and away. Both Lee and Happ dominated at home for the Phillies.

The Phillies were 2nd in the league in steals with the Majors’ highest success rate, led by Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, and Werth. However, their on-base percentages are not good. The Rockies had 8 walk-off hits and won 17 games in their final at-bat. They have a different hero every night and do not rely on one single player to dominate or produce.

A key matchup late in the game would be: Rockies lefty reliever Franklin Morales vs. Phillies lefty slugger Ryan Howard. Morales has a power fastball with a good breaking ball and Howard is relied on so heavily in the lefty-dominated Phillies lineup. Howard is 0-for-3 with 2 Ks in his career against Morales.

Rockies Strengths:
*Veteran leadership: Todd Helton and Jason Giambi provide leadership to the young guys on an everyday basis. Helton has been in Colorado for his entire career and is a consummate professional. Giambi, who struggled in his return to Oakland, came over in a late season deal and has been rejuvenated as a pinch-hitter in Colorado.

*Closers: The Rockies have two choices when it comes down to closing out games. Both Huston Street and Morales are capable of finishing the deal. Street, who came over in the off-season deal for Matt Holliday, has been great (35 saves, 2 blown saves). Morales, who took over as closer when Street was on the DL, also has been lights out. The Rockies are 83-1 when leading after 8 innings.

*Speed & versatility: The Rockies have speed with centerfielder Dexter Fowler leading off and a combination of Carlos Gonzalez, Ryan Spilborghs, and Seth Smith in left field. If the speed gets on in front of sluggers Helton, Hawpe, and Tulowitzki, the Phillies could be in trouble. They have about 5 guys who can get the job done in the outfield (Hawpe, Fowler, Gonzalez, Smith, & Spilborghs), along with 2 third baseman (Garrett Akins & Ian Stewart) and 2 catchers (Chris Iannetta & Yorvit Torrealba). Any one of these guys can be a difference maker in a game.

*Power: As I mentioned above, the Rockies have sluggers. With the series being played in hitter and homer friendly parks (Citizens Bank Park & Coors Field), this series could be a slugfest.

Rockies Weaknesses:
*Inconsistencies on offense: The Rockies offense has been up and down all year. They scored a ton of runs against the Brewers in the last week of the season, but followed that up by only scoring 7 runs in three games against the Dodgers.

*Inabilities to hit left-handed pitching: This has led to Phillies manager Charlie Manuel contemplating starting 3 straight lefties against the Rockies (Lee, Hamels, and Happ). Helton has the highest average against lefties (.311), with the nest best average being Tulowitzki’s .269. The Rockies lineup can be as lefty heavy as the Phillies.

*The rotation: I mentioned above that the Rockies rotation has been one of its strongest parts. It has also been a question mark. Cook has only made 2 starts since coming off of the DL. He says he feels good and the 2 starts showed how dominant he can be. There has been talk about Marquis again not making the playoff roster because of his second-half struggles.

Jimenez has been a workhorse, but how will the bright lights and pressure of pitching in Philly affect him? De La Rosa was injured in his last start and his health is up in the air. He won 16 games, but may have been the most inconsistent of them all. The latest news has him NOT on the NLDS roster due to that groin injury

Rockies Key Players:
*Seth Smith: From the left side of the plate, Smith has been clutch since coming up late in 2007. He has a .472 pinch-hitting batting average. 30 of his 54 RBIs this season have come in the 7th inning or later.
*Ryan Spilborghs: From the right side of the plate, Spilborghs has a .347 batting average in 2009 against the Phillies.

Phillies Strengths:
*Defense: The Phillies defense has the second fewest errors in MLB. With Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley up the middle in the infield, Shane Victorino (1 error) in center, and Carlos Ruiz (3 errors) behind the plate, the middle of the playing field is covered. Ryan Howard has worked hard at his defense and Pedro Feliz is a magnet at third.

Raul Ibanez (2 errors) and Jayson Werth are solid, with Werth having an outstanding arm (11 outfield assists). The Phillies will not hurt themselves by putting extra men on base by committing errors.

*The rotation (1-4): Manager Charlie Manuel hasn’t decided on the rotation yet, but he has named Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels as Game one and two starters respectively. If Manuel decides to take advantage of the Rockies inability to hit lefties, JA Happ would be the logical choice for Game three. If not, Joe Blanton, who has been a workhorse all year, would start Game three (or possibly Game four). Pedro Martinez, a late season acquisition who has been great when healthy, is also an option. As of late though, the rotation has struggled, especially Lee and Hamels.

*Offense: As I mentioned, the Phillies have sluggers and can put up huge offensive numbers. However, they tend to live and die by the homerun ball. If they can be consistent, it could be a slugfest.
*Experience: Except for Ibanez in the starting lineup, the rest of the Phillies were a part of the World Series winning team. The experience of playing in the pressure-packed atmosphere should help in calming any nerves.

Phillies Weaknesses:*Bullpen: This is their biggest glaring weakness. The questions include: Who will close? Who is healthy? Who is the lefty? Who makes the roster? Manuel had auditions all weekend in Philly to see what he had and what each pitcher had to offer. Both Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge are probably the 2 choices to close games, though neither has been “lights out”. Madson had 10 saves, with 6 blown saves, and Lidge, who didn’t blow a save all of 2008, blew 11 saves with an ERA over 7. The Phillies are 79-10 when leading after 8 innings.

*Pedro’s health (and everyone else’s): Pedro could be a huge asset if healthy. He has tons of playoff experience and could either start, be the long reliever, or maybe even close.
*The bull’s eye: The Phillies won the World Series last year and everyone all year wanted a piece of them. This postseason will be no different. Will the Phillies falter under the pressure of trying to repeat or will they succeed?
Phillies Key Player:

*Carlos Ruiz: Ruiz is the rock behind the Phillies pitching staff. Last year, Ruiz got hot offensively during the playoffs. He could put extra pressure on the Rockies pitching staff if he can hit in the number 8 hole. His defense behind the plate can be game-changing, especially when Lidge comes in burying the slider into the ground.

Tags:

Aaron Cook, Cole Hamels, Colorado Rockies, Ian Stewart, JA Happ, Jason Marquis, Jayson Werth, Joe Blanton, Jorge De La Rosa, Philadelphia Phillies, Raul Ibanez, Ryan Howard, Troy Tulowitzki, Ubaldo Jimenez

Has the National League Wild Card Race become a race again? The Atlanta Braves, Florida Marlins, and San Francisco Giants sure hope so. Heading into Saturday’s games, the Colorado Rockies still held a 3.5 game lead over the Braves, and 5 games over both the Marlins and Giants. The Giants still believe they are in the Wild Card race, as evidenced by holding off on getting second baseman Freddy Sanchez knee surgery.  The Braves believe they have a shot, as evidenced by not holding young starter Tommy Hanson back. Going into the final week of the regular season, the Rockies have allowed 3 other teams to hold out hope for the postseason.

The Rockies have struggled lately going 5-5 in their last ten, after being one of the hottest teams in baseball. The starting pitching, which was a strength during the hot streak, has cooled off. Jason Marquis, a potential CY Young hopeful at midseason, has only won once in his last 7 starts (1-4) and has seen his ERA rise to almost 4.00. Jorge De La Rosa has been inconsistent, one game pitching 8 shutout innings against the Giants and then the very next start only going into the 3^rd inning giving up 6 runs to the San Diego Padres. Aaron Cook has been out since August 22^nd with a right shoulder strain, though he returned Friday night to pitch 5 shutout innings against the Cardinals in a no-decision. Young starter Ubaldo Jimenez has been the surprise workhorse and has become the ace as of late. He’s won 7 out of his last 10, and has lowered his ERA to 3.47. The Rockies offense has also struggled, with a few key players battling injuries (Dexter Fowler, Carlos Gonzalez, Ian Stewart, and Troy Tulowitzki). If the Rockies are going to survive the last week of the season and enter the postseason, they are going to have to overcome the toughest schedule out of the remaining Wild Card contenders and become consistent across the board. Colorado has 2 more at home with St. Louis, 3 at home with Milwaukee, and the final 3 at the Dodgers. The walk-off win Friday night against the Cardinals didn’t hurt.

The Braves have won four in a row and 8 out of 10. They have the deepest pitching staff of the playoff contenders, with Derek Lowe, Jair Jurrjens, rookie Tommy Hanson, newly healthy Tim Hudson, and Javier Vazquez, who is quietly having a CY Young type season. Their bullpen is always a question mark, but if Pete Moylan, Mike Gonzalez, and Rafael Soriano can shut down the 7-8-9 innings, the Rockies are in trouble. The offense has been the most inconsistent for the Braves. They don’t have a ton of power and Chipper Jones is having a down year, but if shortstop Yunel Escobar comes up with men on base, be sure that they will score (he leads the NL in average with RISP). The Braves offense is built on gritty players like Nate McLouth, Matt Diaz, Brian McCann, and Martin Prado, and hoping that veterans Adam LaRoche, Chipper Jones, and Garrett Jones can drive them in. Atlanta has 2 more at Washington, 3 at home vs. Florida, and 4 at home with Washington.

The Marlins are young and gritty. It seems that every year they are wreaking havoc on the NL and this year is no exception. They have a young pitching staff led by CY Young candidate Josh Johnson, and an offense led by shortstop Hanley Ramirez, an MVP hopeful and soon-to-be batting champ. The only question is: can the Marlins sustain the success for an entire season? When they are going bad, they can’t beat anyone, but when they are going good, they can beat anyone. Florida has 2 more at home vs the Mets, 3 at Atlanta, and the final 3 at Philadelphia. Starting on Monday, they play the Braves in Atlanta to determine who will give the Rockies a run for the Wild Card going into the final weekend. The pitching matchups for the 3 games are:

Monday 9/28: Anibal Sanchez @ Jair Jurrjens

2-2, 4.15 ERA (4 starts)          4ER, 10H in 13 IP

vs. the Braves in 2009             vs. the Marlins in 2009

Tuesday 9/29: Rick VandenHurk @ Tim Hudson

0-0, 3.27 ERA (2 starts)          1-0, 3.39 ERA (1 start)

vs. the Braves in 2009             vs. the Marlins in 2009

Wednesday 9/30: Rickey Nolasco @ Javier Vazquez

1-0, 4.67 ERA (3 starts)          0-2, 5.68 ERA (4 starts)

vs. the Braves n 2009              vs. the Marlins in 2009

The Giants were so close not too long ago, but can the pitching staff carry them to the playoffs? As Mitch Williams said last night on MLB Tonight, the pitching staff has to pitch like a closer with no net; no one will pick them up. That puts tons of pressure on the entire pitching staff to put up zeros every inning to win a game. The pressure may also be felt on the lone consistent offensive force in the lineup, Pablo “Kung Fu Panda” Sandoval. He has seen his average drop into the .320’s when it hovered in the .330’s for most of the season. But someone around him needs to start hitting. If Eugenio Velez and Andres Torres can get on base and Bengie Molina, Juan Uribe, and Aaron Rowand can drive them in, the Giants have a chance. The Giants have 2 more left against Chicago, 3 at home vs. Arizona, and 3 at San Diego. The Giants may have the easiest schedule left, but being 5 games out and if the offense cannot generate some support for Lincecum & Co., their postseason chances are slim to none.

I think the Colorado Rockies will hold onto the Wild Card and make the postseason, but this final week will be exciting.

Tags:

Aaron Cook, Atlanta Braves, Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies, Dexter Fowler, Florida Marlins, Ian Stewart, Jorge De La Rosa, National League Wild Card Race, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Troy Tulowitzki, Ubaldo Jimenez

The Colorado Rockies are on a roll! Combining better-than-expected pitching with timely hitting, the Colorado Rockies have now won 17 of their last 18 games. Currently, the Rockies are on a six-game winning streak.

Nobody is hotter in Major League Baseball. The Rockies have clawed their way back to the National league West pennant race and have boosted their stock along the way. Monday night’s game in Anaheim drew 39,557 fans, many curious to see exactly what this team brings to the plate.

They left with a good sampling, as the home-standing Angels continue to find the NL West are not the patsies originally described. On Monday, the Rockies brought out their 7 game winner, veteran Aaron Cook, who has won 59 games since joining the Colorado franchise.

It was a typical performance for Cook. He challenged hitters in his seven innings of three hit, two walk, one run pitching. Cook has nearly perfected his sinker. The Rockies recorded 13 ground ball outs in Cook’s stint.

In his post game interview, Manager Jim Tracy applauded his lead pitcher, “It was quite a statement from Aaron. I think there is more top come from him, though, as he moves on through the course of his career.”

The development of the sinker has Cook looking like an All Star and like a pitcher with a future similar to Derek Lowe of the Braves. He gives the Rockies plenty of innings and keeps his defense in the game.

On Monday Cook was in charge from the outset. Seth Smith’s two run single and Ian Stewart’s RBI single gave the Rockies an early second inning lead they would not relinquish in the 11-1 victory.

Brad Hawpe added a thunderous insult to injury with a three-run homerun to straightaway center field in the fifth. That was it for ace Angel, Matt Palmer, whose perfect 6-0 start now has blemish.

The LA pitching problems continued as the pitchers were guilty of six wild pitches setting a new and dubious club record. Angels Manager Mike Scioscia paid tribute to the resurgence of the Rockies.

“They way they played tonight, we saw firsthand the way they’ve been playing the last few weeks. Their hitters were very disciplined. They made Matt get in the zone and when he did, they were ready for him.”

The Angels who just lost a series to the LA Dodgers must be wondering what is going ion in the NL West. The Rockies and the Dodgers are two of the most patient hitting teams in baseball. And, it is working. By forcing pitchers to throw more pitches and throw strikes for pitches, they are going deep into counts and getting pitches they can drive. The Angels, long known as a free swinging team, just might want to try it.

Tags:

Angel, Colorado Rockies, Cook, Derek Lowe, LA Dodgers, Major League Baseball, Matt Palmer, Mike Scioscia, MLB, Rockies