Ground ball lands in sean rodriguez' shirt

There were not many games on the docket for Monday as many teams had the day/night off. The big matchup of the night was the battle of two potential playoff teams with the two best left-handed pitchers in the American League facing off. The Texas Rangers visited Tampa Bay throwing Cliff Lee against David Price. Lee was dominant early on as he was economical with his pitches.

Price was also dominant, though it took him over 100 pitches to get through six innings. The Rays scored two runs in the 5th inning and another four in the 8th inning as the Rangers defense fell apart behind Lee (after the Rangers had taken a 4-2 lead). Though no errors were recorded there were misplays on ground balls and a shallow pop up. The Rangers have now lost five of Lee’s eight starts with them, while the Rays have handed Lee three of his six losses. With the victory the Rays moved to a tie in the AL East.

The NY Yankees again struggled against the visiting Detroit Tigers in Johnny Damon’s return to the Bronx. Javier Vazquez allowed a two-run homerun to Ryan Raburn in the 2nd inning and lasted just four innings as he threw over 100 pitches. Tigers starter Max Scherzer was dominant in his six innings as he allowed just two hits. Miguel Cabrera hit a solo homerun in the 9th inning off Joba Chamberlain. In the bottom of the 9th and after walking in a run, Tigers closer Jose Valverde got Derek Jeter to hit into an game-ending double-play with the bases loaded to finish off the Yankees for a 3-1 victory. In the game, the Yankees lost both Alex Rodriguez and Nick Swisher to injuries.

Melky Cabrera congratulated by Bobby Cox

Tommy Hanson of the Atlanta Braves has not won a game since the beginning of July and on a rainy night in Atlanta, he pitched well enough to gain a victory. He allowed one run on five hits through seven innings, but LA Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley was just as solid. The Dodgers took a 3-1 lead in the 8th inning on a two-run error by Brooks Conrad on a ground ball to third base.

However the Dodgers bullpen again failed them, this time being the newly-named closer Hong-Chih Kuo. With runners at second and third, Kuo got Troy Glaus to pop up for the first out. He then walked Conrad to load the bases. With David Ross pinch-hitting for the left-handed hitting Rick Ankiel, Dodgers manager Joe Torre decided to go to Octavio Dotel (instead of Jonathon Broxton) to close out the game. Dotel walked Ross to drive in a run and Melky Cabrera followed with a two-run walk-off single. The Braves increased their lead in the National League East to 2.5 games over idle Philadelphia.

In Houston, two young left-handers matched up as Wandy Rodriguez took on Jon Niese of the NY Mets. The Mets scored first, on a Carlos Beltran 4th inning solo homerun. The Astros would tie the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the 6th inning off Niese. The game would stay tied until the 9th inning when the Mets scored two runs off closer Matt Lindstrom, one coming on a Jeff Francoeur triple. With Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez likely out for the season (and all the ramifications of his thumb injury), the Mets turned to Hisanori Takahashi for the save. He closed out the Astros for the 3-1 victory.

This season, it seems as if the Rays are always involved in a no-hitter or the Toronto Blue Jays’ pitchers are always on no-hitter alert. Last night was no different. Shaun Marcum of the Blue Jays carried a no-hitter into the 7th inning before just activated off the DL Conor Jackson of the Oakland A’s broke up the no-hitter and shutout by hitting a solo homerun. Marcum would allow just that one hit in his complete game effort. Jose Bautista hit his ML leading 37th homerun off A’s losing pitcher Brett Anderson.

Tags:

Alex Rodriguez, Cliff Lee, David Price, Detroit Tigers, Melky Cabrera, Nick Swisher, Ryan Raburn, Texas Rangers

Kevin Slowey

Kevin Slowey of the Minnesota Twins was skipped in his last start due to tendonitis and made his first start in 10 days on Sunday. He dominated the Oakland A’s as he pitched 7 no-hit innings. However due to concerns over his arm and the need for him to hopefully pitch into the playoffs, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire pulled Slowey after 7 innings and went to the bullpen. In came Jon Rauch, to an array of boos, who allowed a double to Cliff Pennington with one out in the 8th inning. The A’s would score two runs, but Matt Capps would close out the game and the win for Slowey.

With the Twins victory, the Chicago White Sox were playing the Detroit Tigers. There was a fracas in the Tigers dugout in the first inning between starting pitcher Armando Galarraga and starting catcher Alex Avila. However the Tigers stormed back for the second straight game against White Sox reliever JJ Putz, scoring three runs in the 8th inning, and then four more runs in the 9th inning off Tony Pena to win 13-8. The loss in the slugfest for the White Sox dropped them to three games back in the American League Central.

Jair Jurrjens wins

After two straight pitcher’s duels in Atlanta between the Braves and the LA Dodgers, Sunday’s third game was all about the Braves offense. They pummeled Dodgers starter Vicente Padilla for 8 runs into the 5th inning and they scored four more runs in the 8th inning. Jair Jurrjens was dominant for the Braves by allowing one run on six hits in seven innings. Offensively for the Braves, Troy Glaus contributed two hits (one being a three-run homer) and Omar Infante went 3-for-5 with three runs scored.

With the Braves win, the Philadelphia Phillies needed to keep pace in the division. At rainy and soggy Citi Field on Sunday night, Kyle Kendrick of the Phillies and Mike Pelfrey of the NY Mets were locked in a pitcher’s duel. Unfortunately for Pelfrey, the Phillies used their speed to manufacture their three runs in a Phillies 3-1 victory. Jimmy Rollins stole two bases and Shane Victorino stole another as they scored two of the Phillies runs. Jose Reyes drove in the Mets lone run on a solo homerun in the 3rd inning off Kendrick. That was the final hit the Mets would collect the rest of the way. The Phillies win put them in a tie for the wild card lead with the SF Giants (who go to Philly to start a three-game series on Tuesday).

The San Diego Padres jumped all over Giants starter Tim Lincecum early and often in their 8-2 rout of the Giants to take 3.5 game lead in the National League West. Miguel Tejada of the Padres collected three hits while Yorvit Torrealba and Chase Headley each collected two hits.

Homer Bailey

The Cincinnati Reds moved into first place in the NL Central as they won 2-0 over the Florida Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals lost another game to the Chicago Cubs (despite scoring five runs in the bottom of the 9th to lose 9-7). The Reds received six shutout innings from Homer Bailey (who was starting in place of the suspended Johnny Cueto). Anibal Sanchez was the hard-luck loser for the Marlins as he allowed five hits in six innings, with the big hit being a two-run homerun to Miguel Cairo.

The 2002 number one overall pick in the MLB draft Bryan Bullington earned his first ML victory as he and the KC Royals shutout the NY Yankees 1-0. Bullington allowed just two hits in 8 innings while Joakim Soria collected his 33rd save. AJ Burnett took the complete game loss, as he allowed just four hits and the lone run in the 1st inning. The Yankees loss took just over two hours to complete and dropped them to just one game ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Rays received another quality pitching performance from rookie Jeremy Hellickson, who has now gone 3-0 in his first three starts of his career as a fill-in for injured starters Jeff Niemann and Wade Davis. Hellickson allowed just one run on three hits in six innings. The Rays increased their wild card lead to five games over the Boston Red Sox.

The Red Sox were once again dominated by CJ Wilson of the Texas Rangers. Despite receiving a good pitching performance from Daisuke Matsuzaka (until he allowed four runs in the 7th inning), the Red Sox offense could not muster anything against Wilson. Wilson was removed after allowing a single to Eric Patterson with two outs in the 8th inning. The Red Sox would score three runs off Rangers reliever Pedro Strop, but the Red Sox bullpen allowed two runs of their own and Neftali Felix shut the door in the 9th inning.

Toronto Blue Jays starter Ricky Romero received a five-year extension on Saturday and rewarded his team with a 4-1 victory over the LA Angels on Sunday. Romero allowed one run and six hits through seven innings, with the lone run coming on a Mike Napoli solo homer in the 5th inning. Aaron Hill drove in two runs, while Adam Lind went 2-for-2 with a solo homer.

Tags:

Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, Jair Jurrjens, Kevin Slowey, Philadelphia Phillies

Mark Buehrle after ejection

It’s not often that you see Chicago White Sox ace Mark Buehrle angry, let alone being ejected from a game. However it happened on Wednesday afternoon in Cleveland after a second balk was called against him in the third inning. Manager Ozzie Guillen had already been ejected after the first balk was called in the second inning. White Sox reliever Tony Pena came into the game in the fourth inning and pitched four scoreless innings (a career high) to earn the victory.

The Philadelphia Phillies were shut out for the second consecutive night, this time by a NY Mets right-hander (and spot starter). Hisanori Takahashi allowed five hits in six scoreless innings while striking out six (and not walking a batter). The Mets bullpen followed with three scoreless innings. The Phillies offense collected just seven hits in the 5-0 loss.

Mets shortstop Jose Reyes hit a homerun (his first of the season) off Phillies starter Joe Blanton in the third inning. The National League East division is now separated by just three games from top to bottom.

Luke Hochevar of the KC Royals spun together his second straight gem as he pitched eight innings and allowed two runs on six hits while striking out four (and did not walk a batter) against the visiting Texas Rangers. Hochevar gave up single runs in the second and sixth innings. Joakim Soria pitched a perfect ninth for his 11th save.

Royals first baseman Billy Butler continued his hot-hitting as he hit a solo homerun off Rangers starter Scott Feldman in the sixth inning (he improved his batting average to .348 as he collected two more hits). Royals shortstop Mike Aviles also continues to hit as he also collected two hits.

The Detroit Tigers held a 4-1 lead into the eighth inning, but reliever Ryan Perry could not contain the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners scored four runs in the inning off Perry, capped by a Mike Sweeney two-run homerun. This after Tigers starter Jeremy Bonderman allowed just an unearned run in seven innings.

Sweeney, Josh Wilson, and Franklin Gutierrez collected two hits a piece for the Mariners. For the Tigers, rookies Austin Jackson and Brennan Boesch each collected two hits while Magglio Ordonez had three hits.

Cincinnati Reds starter Bronson Arroyo pitched another gem, following up rookie Mike Leake’s solid showing on Tuesday. Arroyo lasted into the eighth inning as he allowed five hits and no runs. Arroyo has won four straight starts and retired 11 straight hitters to begin the game after the leadoff walk. The Reds Miguel Cairo, Drew Stubbs, and Ryan Hanigan all collected two hits.

In San Diego, there was a pitcher’s duel between the Padres Kevin Correia and St. Louis Cardinals rookie Jaime Garcia. Correia did not allow a run in six innings, though he walked six. Garcia also did not allow a run in six innings to lower his ERA to 1.14. Cardinals reliever Kyle McClellan allowed a run in the eighth inning (on a Matt Stairs pinch-hit RBI double), only to see the Cardinals come back to tie the game at 1-1 in the top of the ninth on a two-out RBI single from Ryan Ludwick off Padres closer Heath Bell.

Jerry Hairston walk-off

Into the 13th inning the game would go. With two outs, Padres shortstop Jerry Hairston delivered a walk-off homerun to win the game 2-1. It was Hairston’s second game-winning homerun in the last two days.

Out in San Francisco, the Giants faced Washington Nationals rookie Luis Atilano as they were throwing their ace Tim Lincecum. Lincecum struggled against the Nationals lineup as he last just two outs into the fifth inning. He allowed six runs on six hits and five walks. Atilano, on the other hand, allowed just two runs on four hits in 5.1 innings.

His lone blemish was the homerun to Juan Uribe. On offense for the Nationals, Adam Dunn, Josh Willingham, and Ian Desmond collected two hits a piece.

The NY Yankees and Minnesota Twins played two on Wednesday. The first was a completion of Tuesday’s suspended game which started after the fifth inning. The Yankees scored a run in the sixth inning (or first inning of Wednesday) on a Derek Jeter homerun. The Yankees bullpen of Dave Robertson, Joba Chamberlain, and Mariano Rivera made that lone run stand up.

Nick Swisher's game-winner

In the second game, both team’s starters were solid as the Yankees Andy Pettitte allowed two runs on eight hits in eight innings and Twins starter Francisco Liriano allowed two runs on eight hits in seven innings. With the game tied at 2-2 in the ninth inning, Twins closer Jon Rauch allowed a solo homerun to Nick Swisher for the game-winner.

Rivera came in for his second save of the day and pitched a perfect bottom of the ninth. On offense for the Yankees, Swisher, Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, and rookie Kevin Russo all collected two hits a piece. On offense for the Twins, Denard Span, Michael Cuddyer, and Delmon Young all collected two hits a piece.

Tags:

Detroit Tigers, Franklin Gutierrez, Hisanori Takahashi, Jaime Garcia, Jerry Hairston, Luke Hochevar, Mark Buehrle, Nick Swisher, Philadelphia Phillies, Scott Feldman, St. Louis Cardinals, Tony Pena

With the rainout on Tuesday night, the NY Yankees and Detroit Tigers were set for a day-night doubleheader. In the day game, the Tigers Rick Porcello regained his rookie season form. Porcello pitched seven scoreless innings while allowing just four hits. The Yankees Javier Vazquez, who has struggled and had his last start skipped, pitched well in the loss.

He allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings while striking out seven. In the night cap, the Yankees offense woke up against Tigers starter Jeremy Bonderman and the bullpen (which consisted of former Yankee Phil Coke). Bonderman allowed two runs on five hits while striking out seven. The Yankees scored six runs in the top of the ninth to blow the game open.

Phil Hughes improves to 5-0

The pitching performance again went to the Yankees Phil Hughes, who lowered his ERA to 1.38 (best in the American League) and improved to 5-0. Hughes pitched seven scoreless innings and allowed five hits while striking out eight.

The Cincinnati Reds Homer Bailey allowed just four hits in his complete game shutout against the Pittsburgh Pirates to complete the three-game sweep. Bailey also struck out six while not walking a batter. The red-hot Reds have won five in a row. Joey Votto hit his eighth homerun of the season (a two-run shot in the first inning) and Drew Stubbs hit s solo shot in the fourth inning.

Tim Wakefield returned to the Boston Red Sox starting rotation to give Josh Beckett a little extra rest. Wakefield pitched well enough to win, though Toronto Blue Jays starter Shaun Marcum pitched better. Wakefield struck out five in seven innings while allowing three runs (two of which came on Travis Snider’s homerun) on five hits. Marcum pitched seven shutout innings and allowed just two hits while striking out six.

The Red Sox offense came alive against Blue Jays closer Kevin Gregg (scoring two runs on three hits) but Gregg struck out two in the inning and held off the Red Sox for the 3-2 win.

With the Washington Nationals and NY Mets game tied at 4-4 in the ninth inning, Mets manager Jerry Manuel went to closer Francisco Rodriguez. K-Rod could not close out the game as Nationals outfielder Roger Bernadina hit a two-run homerun (his second homerun of the game) to take a 6-4 lead.

Nationals closer Matt Capps threw just 11 pitches for his 14th save. The win again went to reliever Tyler Clippard (his 7th) as he now leads Major League baseball in wins.

Roy Halladay was on the mound at Coors Field for the first game of the Philadelphia Phillies-Colorado Rockies day-night doubleheader. Halladay, who was born and raised in Colorado, was making his first appearance there and looking for his seventh victory of the season. Halladay did not have his best stuff as he allowed ten hits and two walks into the seventh inning.

Miguel Olivo walk-off homer

Despite not having his best stuff, Halladay held a 3-1 lead into the seventh before giving up a two-run triple to Rockies right fielder Brad Hawpe. The game would stay tied into the tenth when Rockies catcher Miguel Olivo hit a solo homerun to lead off the inning off Phillies reliever Chad Durbin for a Rockies 4-3 walk-off. Olivo went 5-for-5 in the game and was a triple short of the cycle. The night game was rained out.

Derek Holland

There was a one-sided slugfest in Arlington last night as the Texas Rangers battered the Oakland A’s. The Rangers crushed five homeruns (Josh Hamilton, Vladimir Guerrero, Max Ramirez, Michael Young, and Justin Smoak) along with their 17 hits as they won 10-1. The Rangers called up Derek Holland to start for the injured Matt Harrison and he was stellar.

He pitched six scoreless innings and allowed five hits while striking out seven. The Baltimore Orioles are beginning to receive consistently good pitching performances. Brad Bergesen, who has been great since his return from Triple-A Norfolk, has now won three straight starts. Bergesen pitched into the eighth inning before allowing any runs (on five hits). Luke Scott of the Orioles hit a solo homerun in the fourth inning against the Seattle Mariners Ryan Rowland-Smith in the Orioles 5-2 win.

Tags:

Blue Jays, Chad Durbin, Cincinnati Reds, Derek Holland, Detroit Tigers, Jeremy Bonderman, Kevin Gregg, Matt Capps, Miguel Olivo, Phil Hughes, Rick Porcello, Roy Halladay, Shaun Marcum

Tribute to Ernie Harwell

With the Detroit Tigers return home, the team and the fans honored the late Ernie Harwell. The long-time and great broadcaster of the Tigers passed away from cancer last Tuesday. The game brought the NY Yankees to town and the first time Johnny Damon (and Austin Jackson and Phil Coke) would have an opportunity to face their former team.

Both teams were forced into spot starts from their bullpen (due to injury and illness) and both starters gave their respective teams a chance to win. Damon connected on a solo homerun in the fifth inning off of Yankees starter Sergio Mitre and the Yankees Mark Teixeira delivered a two-run homerun (his 6th of the season) off of Tigers starter Brad Thomas (the only runs he allowed in three innings).

Miguel Cabrera and Brennan Boesch of the Tigers collected two hits a piece and Boesch drove in three runs in the Tigers 5-4 victory.
The Philadelphia Phillies used ninth inning magic again in Colorado. With the game tied at 5-5, catcher Carlos Ruiz drove in a run against Rockies reliever Manny Corpas with a one out single.

Ross Gload high-fives teammates

The next batter, pinch-hitter Ross Gload, connected on a three-run homer to give the Phillies a 9-5 lead. It was Gload’s first homerun of the year and really the first time that the pinch-hitter has come up with a big hit for the Phillies. Ruiz collected four hits, two RBIs, and two runs scored to up his average to .354 (the fifth-best batting average in baseball).

Bronson Arroyo of the Cincinnati Reds rebounded from a lackluster beginning of the season to dominate the Pittsburgh Pirates. Arroyo pitched into the eighth inning and allowed five hits and one run, a solo homerun by Ronny Cedeno in the eighth. Reds third baseman Scott Rolen collected two hits and an RBI in the 2-1 win. Ross Ohlendorf of the Pirates returned from the DL to pitch four innings and allowed a run on three hits and four walks.

The Washington Nationals have moved into second place in the National League East after a 3-2 win over the NY Mets. Nationals rookie Luis Atilano was solid again as he went 5.1 scoreless innings and allowed five hits while striking out five. He was aided by solo homeruns from Adam Kennedy and Ryan Zimmerman. That was all the scoring Mets starter John Maine would allow through six innings.

The Atlanta Braves offense has been nonexistent for much of the 2010 season. On Monday night, they broke out to score six runs in the sixth inning off of Milwaukee Brewers starter Doug Davis (and reliever Manny Parra). The Braves struggled against Davis until the sixth. Braves first baseman Troy Glaus led off the inning with a solo homerun.

With the bases loaded, Brewers manager Ken Macha decided to relieve Davis with Parra, who gave up a grand slam to Braves second baseman Martin Prado (his first career grand slam). Prado delivered five RBIs. Braves starter Tommy Hanson pitched eight scoreless innings and allowed just four hits while striking out eight in the 8-2 win.

Cody Ross steals home

Florida Marlins outfielder Cody Ross stole home on a double steal attempt in the Marlins 4-2 win over the Chicago Cubs. The Marlins were held hitless through five innings against Ted Lilly but broke out in the seventh inning, which was highlighted by catcher Ronny Paulino’s two-run homerun and Ross’ steal of home.

Marlins starter Nate Robertson picked up his first win since April as he went six innings and allowed two runs on seven hits.

After being held scoreless by LA Angels starter Joel Pineiro (6+ innings and allowed five hits while striking out seven), the Tampa Bay Rays offense awoke against the Angels bullpen. They scored one run off of Fernando Rodney and scored three runs off of closer Brian Fuentes.

Willy Aybar contributed a solo homerun in the ninth along with Evan Longoria’s two-run double to tie the game at 4-4. However in the bottom of the 11th, Juan Rivera lifted a sacrifice fly for an Angels walk-off victory.

Tags:

Brennan Boesch, Cody Ross, Detroit Tigers, Doug Davis, Ernie Harwell, Florida Marlins, Manny Corpas, Philadelphia Phillies, Ross Gload

Magglio Ordonez after his 2000th hit

The Detroit Tigers Magglio Ordonez collected his 2,000th career hit on Thursday, a single in the fourth inning off of the Minnesota Twins Carl Pavano. In a battle of the top two teams in the American League Central, the Tigers outlasted the Twins 3-0. The Tigers Dontrelle Willis scattered four hits through six innings while striking out six.

Relievers Joel Zumaya and Jose Valverde pitched hitless relief as the Tigers have the best bullpen ERA in baseball. The Twins Pavano was on the hard luck losing end as he pitched a complete game seven-hitter. The Tigers rookie centerfielder Austin Jackson continued his offensive tear as he collected two more hits to give him 31 for the month of April (tops in the AL) and increased his batting average to .330.

Justin Smoak of the Texas Rangers “smoked” his first Major League homerun off of Chicago White Sox starter Gavin Floyd. Smoak’s homerun on a fastball into the right field seats gave the Rangers a 3-1 lead in the fourth inning.

Rangers starter Scott Feldman pitched well, but miscues by the Rangers in the seventh inning and two late inning homeruns by the White Sox Paul Konerko (the leader in baseball in homeruns as he now has 10) doomed the Rangers as the White Sox won 7-5.

David Freese homerun

St. Louis Cardinals rookie third baseman David Freese also connected on his first big league homerun on Thursday. However his was a three-run shot with two outs in the first inning off of Atlanta Braves starter Jair Jurrjens. Freese also went 3-for-3 with six RBIs in the Cardinals 10-4 victory and three-game sweep of the Braves.

The Braves, who dropped to 8-14, have lost nine in a row and have had very little offensive production (outside of Martin Prado). Jurrjens left the game after the first inning due to a hamstring injury and the bullpen had to gut it out for eight innings (the Braves also lost shortstop Yunel Escobar to an injury).

Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright was not at his best but did make it through six innings and allowed three runs on six hits as the Cardinals improved to 15-7 (the best record in the National League).

The Braves are not the only eight game winners. The Houston Astros were in action against the visiting Cincinnati Reds with ace Roy Oswalt on the mound (who had only lost one game to the Reds in his career).

Unfortunately for the Astros, Reds starter Bronson Arroyo was on his game as he went into the seventh inning allowing just two runs on six hits (it was not until the seventh that the Astros got to Arroyo). Oswalt allowed a two-run homerun to Joey Votto in the seventh inning and left-handed reliever Tim Byrdak allowed a homerun to Jay Bruce (who struggles against lefties) on his very first pitch of the eighth inning. This was enough for the Reds as the bullpen held on for a 4-2 win.

The Pirates shut out Dodgers

The LA Dodgers are the other eight win team in the NL. The Dodgers returned home after an abysmal East-coast road trip. The Pittsburgh Pirates were in town yet the Dodgers could do nothing against Brian Burres. Burres allowed four hits into the sixth inning and the Pirates bullpen pitched three perfect innings.

Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw allowed two runs in the first inning on Ryan Doumit’s two-run triple (that was misplayed by centerfielder Matt Kemp) and that was it. The Pirates won 2-0.

The Tampa Bay Rays continue to be the class of baseball. With the best record in the game (17-5), the Rays continue to be the best offensive team and receive excellent pitching. Thursday night was no different. Starter Matt Garza held the KC Royals to one run (a solo homerun by Alberto Callaspo) on five hits while striking out nine.

The Rays offense battered Royals starter Luke Hochevar as he allowed nine runs on 11 hits in 2+ innings. Carl Crawford went 4-for-5 with two doubles and a triple to improve his batting average to .341. Evan Longoria, Pat Burrell, and Reid Brignac collected two hits a piece.

Tags:

Adam Wainwright, Austin Jackson, Bronson Arroyo, Clayton Kershaw, David Freese, Detroit Tigers, Joel Zumaya, Jose Valverde, Justin Smoak, Luke Hochevar, Magglio Ordonez, Scott Feldman, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers

Joey Votto's RBI single

The Cincinnati Reds and Florida Marlins went into extra innings for the second straight night and the Reds won it again. The game went back and forth all night with the Reds scoring two in the top of the eighth and the Marlins countering with three in the bottom half to tie the score. The game went to the 11^th where Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips hit back-to-back RBI singles with two outs. Francisco Cordero worked a perfect 11^th to earn the save and win it for reliever Micah Owings who worked two scoreless innings. The Reds have won five of their last six and all five wins have come in their final at-bat. Jorge Cantu of the Marlins became the first player since 1921 to have a hit and RBI in his first 8 games.

Tampa Bay and Baltimore also went into extra innings. After the Rays were dominated for seven innings by rookie left-hander Brian Matusz, they finally got to him and the O’s bullpen in the eighth, scoring five runs. The resilient Orioles scored two runs in the bottom of the inning to tie the game up. It stayed tied until the tenth when Rays slugger Carlos Pena blasted a three-run homerun off of Matt Albers to take an 8-5 lead. The O’s did score a run off of Rays closer Rafael Soriano (a solo homerun by Ty Wiggington) but could do no more damage. The hopeful Orioles dropped to 1-7 on the season and attendance is dropping quickly (they had just a little over 13,000 for Tuesday night and just 9,000 on Monday).

Resilient is the best way to describe the 2010 Detroit Tigers (at least early on). On Sunday, ace Justin Verlander was battered by the Cleveland Indians, but the Tigers stormed back to win the game in their final at-bat. On Tuesday, it was more of the same but this time the KC Royals did the battering to Dontrelle Willis. The Royals held a 5-0 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh, but the Tigers scored six runs in the inning, finally chased starter Brian Bannister (who gave up just three singles through six innings), and again ripped the Royals bullpen (just as they did during the first series of the season as it took three relievers to get out of the inning). It was the Tigers fifth comeback of the season.

Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox had the best defensive play on Opening Day (most likely one of the best of the season). On Tuesday night in San Francisco, Pittsburgh Pirates starter Paul Maholm made a play to rival Buehrle’s. On a ball hit by the Giants’ Aubrey Huff, Maholm dove to stop the ball as it was rolling by him, rolled over, and flipped the ball over his head (from inside his glove) to first base for the out. Check out this site to see the play in real time (http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=7432519). The Pirates also held on in a nail-biter, 6-5.

Ricky Romero

In Toronto, the Blue Jays had another no-hitter watch, this time from second year left-hander Ricky Romero (they also had one from Double-A New Hampshire prospect Luis Perez at the same time and last week Shaun Marcum had one). Romero went into the 8^th inning while no-hitting the White Sox, but he hit AJ Pierzynski and former Blue Jay Alex Rios sent a 2-1 changeup into the left field seats for a two-run homerun. Romero finished the inning with three straight ground outs and he struck out 12 on the night as the Blue Jays won 4-2. “We were just in awe,” Blue Jays center fielder Vernon Wells told reporters after the game. “It was one of the most dominant performances I’ve seen as a Blue Jay. It was fun to be a part of.”

NY Yankees ring

The NY Yankees began the second season at new Yankee Stadium with the ultimate pre-game festivities: the unveiling of the World Series champion’s banner and the ring ceremony. Yankee greats Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford were on hand to present the Yankees with their World Series champion rings. Former Yankee Bernie Williams threw out the first pitch. The Yankees received stellar starting pitching from veteran Andy Pettitte (6 innings of shutout baseball), though the LA Angels came back against reliever Dave Robertson to make the game close (the Yankees won 7-5).

Tags:

Alex Rios, Andy Pettitte, Baltimore Orioles, Brian Bannister, Brian Matusz, Carlos Pena, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, Joey Votto, Jorge Cantu, KC Royals, Matt Albers, NY Yankees, Paul Maholm, Pittsburgh Pirates, Ricky Romero, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, Vernon Wells

Friday was a big day for home openers. It started in Detroit as the Cleveland Indians traveled to a packed Comerica Park. The game was all about pitching early on between the Indians David Huff and the Tigers Rick Porcello. With the bases loaded of Tigers in the fifth, Magglio Ordonez hit a sharp grounder to third base that Jhonny Peralta threw away and three unearned runs scored to give the Tigers a 4-2 lead. The Tigers held on to win the game 5-2 before the second largest crowd in Comerica Park history. Rookie second baseman Scott Sizemore of the Tigers collected his first Major League hit and Tigers rookie centerfielder Austin Jackson swiped his first base.

The SF Giants opened up AT&T Park against the Atlanta Braves in a game that was dominated by the Braves Tim Hudson. Hudson went seven innings while allowing two runs on just three hits. However in the bottom of the ninth against Braves closer Billy Wagner, Giants shortstop Edgar Renteria continued his hot-hitting by blasting a two-run homerun to tie the game at 4-4. In the 13^th inning, Braves manager Bobby Cox was ejected for the 154^th time for arguing a checked swing called third strike from the dugout. Juan Uribe stole second base and Braves catcher Brian McCann’s throw sailed into centerfield (with Uribe moving up to third base). The umpires could have called interference on the batter as Aaron Rowand’s back swing caught McCann as he was throwing the ball. With two outs, Rowand hit a ball into the hole at shortstop but Yunel Escobar could not throw him out, thus driving in the game-winning run from third base. The Giants won the game 5-4 in 13 innings to improve to 4-0.

Mike Gonzalez hands off the ball after another blown save

The Orioles opened up Camden Yards against the Toronto Blue Jays with second year pitcher Brad Bergesen making the start. However both he and Blue Jays starter Brandon Morrow struggled. Miguel Tejada returned to Baltimore to blast a two-run homerun in the fifth inning to tie the game at 5-5 (Tejada had three hits and four RBIs). After the Orioles took the lead in the bottom of the eighth, manager Dave Trembley went to new closer Mike Gonzalez to earn the save. Unfortunately the record breaking home opening crowd of O’s fans did not like what they saw out of Gonzalez. His struggles continue this season as he went just 2/3 of an inning while allowing two runs. He left to a loud array of boos from the fans that had high hopes for the 2010 team. The O’s lost yet another game by one run and another blown lead to drop to 1-3 (they lost the game 7-6).

The Colorado Rockies opened Coors Field against the San Diego Padres, who continued their poor-hitting (which is worst in the Majors). Jorge De La Rosa of the Rockies gave up just one hit in seven innings while striking out nine. The Rockies won 7-0 with everyone other than De La Rosa in the lineup collecting a hit (with the 4-6 hitters combining to go 6-for-11).

Then there were the late inning heroics. In Chicago, Minnesota’s JJ Hardy grounded a ball past the diving Alexei Ramirez at shortstop for an RBI single in the top of the eleventh to give the Twins a 4-3 lead. Closer Jon Rauch came on in the bottom of the inning and retired the White Sox, despite giving up two singles, to record his third save. The White Sox lost their second straight 11 inning game.

In Milwaukee, St. Louis Cardinals pinch-hitter Nick Stavinoha hit a two out 1-2 changeup from All-Time saves leader Trevor Hoffman into the left field bleachers to give the Cardinals a 5-4 win. It was Stavinoha’s first at-bat of the season. It was a tough loss for the Brewers, who kept the Cardinals in check with starter Dave Bush who gave up just four hits in 5.2 innings while striking out six (though he gave up three runs).

Drew Stubbs hits a grand slam

The Cincinnati Reds won in dramatic fashion for the second straight day. This time the hero was Drew Stubbs and the victim was the Chicago Cubs. Stubbs hit a grand slam in the bottom of the eighth off of Cubs reliever Esmailin Caridad to give the Reds a 5-4 win. The centerfielder hit his first Major League grand slam 421 feet into the Reds’ bullpen in centerfield.

The Kansas City Royals came back to defeat the Boston Red Sox once knuckleballer Tim Wakefield left the game after seven innings. Against reliever Daniel Bard with two men on base, centerfielder Rick Ankiel deposited a broken bat double into left field to drive in the two runners. Ankiel collected a career high four hits in the Royals 4-3 win.

Tags:

Aaron Rowand, Atlanta Braves, Austin Jackson, Baltimore Orioles, Billy Wagner, Bobby Cox, Boston Red Sox, Brian McCann, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Coloado Rockies, Daniel Bard, Detroit Tigers, Drew Stubbs, Edgar Renteria, Jhonny Peralta, JJ Hardy, Jon Rauch, Jorge De La Rosa, KC Royals, Magglio Ordonez, Miguel Tejada, Mike Gonzalez, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, Nick Stavinoha, Rick Ankiel, San Diego Padres, Scott Sizemore, SF Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Tim Hudson, Tim Wakefield, Toronto Blue Jays, Trevor Hoffman

The talk around baseball has been that the Toronto Blue Jays do not have a chance to compete in the American League East, especially if highly paid centerfielder Vernon Wells continues his trend of subpar seasons. Well 2010 is a new year and Wells became the first player in Blue Jays history to homer in Toronto’s first three games (he has four homeruns total and his homerun Thursday tied the game in the ninth inning). Wells is 6-for-10 in three games with six runs scored and seven RBIs. Not a surprise that the Blue Jays won 2 out of 3 in Texas.

Tyler Colvin rounds third after hitting first homerun

It took the third game of the season for the Chicago Cubs to record their first victory, a 2-0 win at Atlanta. The Cubs have struggled so far to put everything together. The Cubs had solo homeruns from Marlon Byrd and rookie Tyler Colvin (his first Major League homer), though they only had four hits in the game. They got dominant pitching from Randy Wells in a matchup of two of last year’s best rookie pitchers (Tommy Hanson pitched for the Braves). Wells went six innings allowing six hits.

In Tampa, it was a scary moment for the Rays as starter Jeff Niemann was hit in the shoulder with a ball off the bat of Baltimore’s Miguel Tejada in the second inning of a game he seemed to be cruising through. He is day-to-day with a shoulder contusion. The Rays loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth down 5-4 against O’s closer Mike Gonzalez, but Ben Zobrist flied out to right to end the game. The O’s avoided the three-game sweep to win their first game.

The Cleveland Indians won their second straight game by the score of 5-3 over the Chicago White Sox. This one took 11 innings to finish through the cold (the game began at 38 degrees) and a hail storm (in which the game was not delayed). With the game tied at 3-3, the Indians got to reliever JJ Putz. Second baseman Luis Valbuena led off with a bunt single but with two outs he was only standing on second base. Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera then blooped an RBI single to right field and Grady Sizemore (who went 3-for-6) drove an RBI double to right to give closer Chris Perez some insurance. Sizemore has five RBIs in his last two games and Perez has saved the Indians two wins.

Jonny Gomes hits a walk-off homerun

In Cincinnati, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Reds received stellar starting pitching from Brad Penny and Bronson Arroyo (who pitched through pain as he took a line drive off his calf from Colby Rasmus). The game headed to the bottom of the ninth tied at 1-1 until the Reds Jonny Gomes deposited a one-out fastball from Jason Motte into the seats to give the Reds their first win and send the fans home happy.

The Detroit Tigers again battered the KC Royals bullpen scoring three runs a piece in the eighth and ninth innings to give the Tigers a 7-3 win. After the Tigers Dontrelle Willis and the Royals Brian Bannister were involved in a pitcher’s duel and with the Royals leading 2-1 when both pitchers left after the sixth inning, the Tigers scored the tying run off of Royals reliever Dusty Hughes. They then scored five runs off of Luis Mendoza, capped by a three-run homerun from Miguel Cabrera.

Tags:

Asdrubal Cabrera, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Ben Zobrist, Brad Penny, Brian Bannister, Bronson Arroyo, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chris Perez, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Dontrelle Willis, Grady Sizemore, Jason Motte, Jeff Niemann, JJ Putz, Jonny Gomes, Luis Valbuena, Marlon Byrd, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Gonzalez, Randy Wells, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Tommy Hanson, Toronto Blue Jays, Tyler Colvin, Vernon Wells

Opening Day for Major League Baseball had beautiful weather across the entire country. This was something completely different than in years past when players, umpires, and fans were constantly watching the Weather Channel to see if rain or snow will impact the game and how cold it will be at game time. Outside of the night game in Oakland, it was warm all over. With the warm weather brought high scoring games and lots of balls leaving the ballpark for homeruns.

Albert Pujols

The reigning National League MVP Albert Pujols started where he left off from last year. In the St. Louis Cardinals 11-6 win over host Cincinnati, Pujols collected four hits (two singles and two homeruns).

The reigning NL Champs continued their dominance over the Washington Nationals and continue to score runs in bunches. The Philadelphia Phillies scored five runs in the fourth, two runs in the sixth, and four runs in the seventh. The opener for the Nationals drew more Phillies fans than Nats fans. The Nationals were dominated by newly acquired ace Roy Halladay. Though he struggled in the first inning (allowing a run on two hits), he settled in to pitch six more shutout innings while allowing just four more hits. Halladay also struck out nine. The Phillies dominated, winning 11-1.

The LA Dodgers traveled to PNC Park in Pittsburgh, where the Pirates probably had their biggest crowd of the entire season. The Pirates hitters rudely greeted Dodgers pitching. Garrett Jones, coming into his sophomore season, clubbed two homeruns (one of which touched down in the river beyond the ballpark) off of Dodgers ace Vicente Padilla. The Pirates won 11-5.

There were two grand slams hit on Opening Day. One was hit by the Phillies Placido Polanco and the other was hit by Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina.

The NY Mets, who were not expected to have a strong offense without Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, and Daniel Murphy, poured on runs against Florida Marlins ace Josh Johnson and the rest of the Marlins bullpen. The Mets won the game 7-1, led by a two-run homerun from David Wright and great pitching from ace Johan Santana.

Jason Heyward

There was a welcome to the big leagues moment for the top rookie heading into the 2010 season. The Atlanta Braves Jason Heyward hit a mammoth three-run homerun in his first Major League at-bat. He hit a low breaking ball into the right field seats. When a rookie hits his first homerun, the players usually greet him with the silent treatment and completely ignore that player when he returns to the dugout. Not with Heyward. The Braves were going as nuts as the packed house of fans. Who was the first Brave to greet him with open arms outside the dugout? Chipper Jones. The fans even greeted Heyward with a curtain call. Not bad for your first game. He also contributed an RBI single to give him four RBIs in the Braves 16-5 thrashing of the Chicago Cubs. Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano lasted just 1.1 innings while allowing 8 runs.

The other welcome to the big leagues moment came for Detroit Tigers centerfielder Austin Jackson. He saw 19 of the Royals Zack Greinke’s 96 pitches. He came alive once Greinke left to drive in a run off reliever Robinson Tejeda and scored the go-ahead run in the Tigers 8-4 win. Jackson also threw a runner out at the plate. So in his first Major League game, he totaled his first hit, RBI, run scored, and assist.

Despite some high scoring games, there was some really good pitching. Shaun Marcum of the Toronto Blue Jays made the Opening Day start, his first start since 2008. Marcum went into the seventh inning without giving up a hit or walk to the powerful Texas Rangers lineup. With one out in the seventh, he walked Josh Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrero collected the first hit (a single to right field). Nelson Cruz then followed with a three-run homerun to tie the score. The Blue Jays did come back to take the lead, but newly named closer Jason Frasor gave up a game-tying RBI double to Cruz and a walk-off RBI single to Jarrod Saltalamacchia, giving the Rangers a 5-4 win.

Chicago White Sox ace Mark Buehrle pitched another outstanding game for the White Sox, as he blanked the Cleveland Indians 6-0.  Buehrle went seven innings while allowing just three hits. Plus he made the best defensive play of the day, and possibly one of the best of the season: a between the legs scoop throw to first to get Indians catcher Lou Marson out (after he kicked saved it from going up the middle for a hit).

Dan Haren

Dan Haren of the Arizona Diamondbacks dominated against the San Diego Padres, going seven innings while allowing just one run on three hits and he struck out four (he threw just 92 pitches and 63 were for strikes). On offense, third baseman Mark Reynolds clubbed a two-run homerun and shortstop Stephen Drew hit a two-run inside-the-park homerun.

The reigning American League CY Young award winner also pitched well but ended the game with the same results as in 2009. An error behind the KC Royals Zack Greinke led to the Detroit Tigers first run, though Greinke left the game after six innings with a 4-2 lead. Greinke outpitched fellow ace Justin Verlander. However after the seventh inning (and three Royals relievers later) the Tigers led 8-4 as they batted around in the seventh.

The reigning NL CY Young award winner was back at it on Opening Day. Tim Lincecum of the SF Giants dominated the Houston Astros. In his seven innings of work, he was only in trouble in the sixth inning when the Astros put two men on (though they did not score). Lincecum threw 98 pitches in his shutout innings while striking out seven and he did not walk a batter.

Tags:

Albert Pujols, Atlanta Braves, Austin Jackson, Carlos Zambrano, Chicago Cubs, Dan Haren, David Wright, Detroit Tigers, Garrett Jones, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Jason Heyward, Johan Santana, KC Royals, LA Dodgers, Mark Buehrle, Mark Reynolds, NY Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Placido Polanco, Roy Halladay, SF Giants, Shaun Marcum, St. Louis Cardinals, Stephen Drew, Texas Rangers, Tim Lincecum, Vicente Padilla, Vladimir Guerrero, Washington Nationals, Yadier Molina, Zack Greinke

In 2009, the Rookie of the Year winners were not big names heading into the season and were usually overlooked throughout the season. Oakland A’s Andrew Bailey did not take over as closer until May when he earned his first save. Chris Coghlan of the Florida Marlins did not emerge until May at a new position.

2010 is a different story. There are three big favorites: Jason Heyward of the Atlanta Braves, Aroldis Chapman of the Cincinnati Reds, and Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals. And that is just three in the National League. Chapman and Strasburg will start the season in the minors, but that does not mean they cannot claim the award. However Heyward is the overall favorite and with him starting the season as the Braves right fielder, he will have the advantage (more on Heyward later).

Austin Jackson making a game saving catch during the 2008 Eastern League Championship

Let’s take a look at some American League ROY candidates. The Detroit Tigers will have rookies playing major roles in 2010. First will be the centerfielder and leadoff hitter Austin Jackson. Jackson, who was acquired from the NY Yankees for Curtis Granderson, was immediately inserted into that role as soon as he was acquired. Many were concerned about his bat, but he has hit over .300 this spring and showed good plate discipline that he never showed in the Yankees system (he went back to a leg kick in his swing that the Yankees made him ditch). Manager Jim Leyland praised his defense as being Major League ready before he even arrived to camp. With veteran Johnny Damon joining the Tigers in left field, he should help his rookie teammate. Another way that Damon helps is that he will bat second in the Tigers lineup. This allows the second rookie, second baseman Scott Sizemore, to bat towards the bottom of the order. Sizemore, who split time in 2009 between Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo, has received rave reviews from the Tigers.

With a rebuilding team, rookies are bound to play roles. That will be true in 2010 with the Cleveland Indians. Catcher Lou Marson, who was acquired last July for Cliff Lee, will be the starting catcher (at least until top prospect Carlos Santana is ready). Marson will be counted on to guide a pitching staff that is considered to be the Indians weakest link. The starting left field job was won (for now) by Michael Brantley. Brantley had a good September callup in 2009 and could take over in centerfield if the Indians were to trade Grady Sizemore.

Wade Davis

The two favorites to win the award in the AL would be two pitchers from the AL East that had a taste of the big leagues in 2009. Left-hander Brian Matusz of the Baltimore Orioles is slated to start third in the rotation as he flew through the O’s minor league system in just one season. Right-hander Wade Davis of the Tampa Bay Rays dominated in his six game September callup. Davis moved slowly through the Rays system, going level by level, which allowed his innings to mount and become a workhorse. “I’ll throw 300 [innings] if I have to, whatever I have to do,” Davis said. “I feel comfortable pitching eight months, nine months in a row.”

With the season set to begin Sunday night, it will be interesting to see what rookies excel right away at the big league level and what rookies burst onto the scene later in the season.

Tags:

American League, Austin Jackson, Baltimore Orioles, Brian Matusz, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Lou Marson, Michael Brantley, Scott Sizemore, Tampa Bay Rays, Wade Davis

Brad Lidge

With spring training coming to an end and teams making cuts to finalize their roster, a few teams are dealing with the injury bug. The defending National League champions, the Philadelphia Phillies, were pretty sure that closer Brad Lidge and lefty specialist JC Romero would not be ready for Opening Day. Romero has been said to be further behind Lidge in his recovery. However Lidge has just received a cortisone shot in his surgically repaired right elbow. This sets him back to at least mid-April. Lidge says it is no big deal because his elbow usually hurts in the spring. Anytime a player receives a cortisone shot there is concern and it seems to be worse that he received the shot in March rather than in August or September. It seems the elbow will continue to be a problem for Lidge throughout the season which is not good news for someone who struggled mightily in 2009.

Joe Blanton

The Phillies had just 12 healthy pitchers left in camp this week when veteran left-hander Jamie Moyer was named the fifth starter and Kyle Kendrick was moving to the bullpen. The move seemed to bolster their bullpen with key pitchers out (Lidge & Romero) and two unknowns (David Herndon, a Rule V pick, and left-hander Antonio Bastardo) set to fill key roles. There has also been concern with the way new acquisitions Danys Baez and Jose Contreras have pitched this spring.

Then came another blow. Starter Joe Blanton strained his oblique in a bullpen session on Wednesday, which could keep him out 6 weeks. The logical move would be to have Kendrick slot into Blanton’s spot in the rotation (which the Phillies have announced). Problem is, the bullpen (which is the team’s biggest question mark) has another hole. I think the Phillies will seriously miss Clay Condrey and his ability to pitch early or late in games and could pitch multiple innings. Word is that Drew Carpenter (a starter in Triple-A Lehigh Valley) will take Kendrick’s spot in the bullpen. I would like to see hard-throwing right-hander Scott Mathieson take the open spot in the bullpen. Expect to see the starting pitchers to take on a heavier workload early in the season.

Daniel Murphy

The NY Mets have already been dealt blows with two key offensive and defensive players set to start the season on the DL (shortstop Jose Reyes and centerfielder Carlos Beltran). Now they will be without starting first baseman Daniel Murphy. Murphy hurt his knee and could miss 2-5 weeks. Mike Jacobs, who was fighting just to make the team, is now slated to take over at first base while Murphy is out. The Mets have adamantly stated that they will not promote top prospect Ike Davis. The Mets pitching staff figures to struggle, but early in the season, the Mets lineup figures to struggle to score runs.

The Mets are also hoping to have closer Francisco Rodriguez back for Opening Day. With an emergency back home in Venezuela, K-Rod has left the team and the hope is that he returns when the season starts. Mets fans are hoping he is back when the season starts.

Other teams with major injuries are the Houston Astros, with first baseman Lance Berkman to miss part of April and ace Roy Oswalt who is battling a back injury; the Texas Rangers with second baseman Ian Kinsler to miss part of April and catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia still dealing with a shoulder injury and muscle spasms; the Seattle Mariners and newly acquired Cliff Lee who is dealing with another abdominal injury and a suspension when he returns; the Florida Marlins and outfielder Cody Ross who is a major contributor; and the Detroit Tigers who have lost key relievers Bobby Seay and Zach Miner for some time ad position players Clete Thomas, Carlos Guillen, Gerald Laird, and Ryan Raburn are dealing with injuries that could prove nagging throughout the season.

Tags:

Antonio Bastardo, Bobby Seay, Brad Lidge, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Guillen, Clete Thomas, Cliff Lee, Cody Ross, Daniel Murphy, Danys Baez, David Herndon, Detroit Tigers, Drew Carpenter, Florida Marlins, Gerald Laird, Houston Astros, Ian Kinsler, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, JC Romero, Joe Blanton, Jose Contreras, Jose Reyes, Kyle Kendrick, Lance Berkman, Mike Jacobs, NY Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Roy Oswalt, Ryan Raburn, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Zach Miner