Derek Lee

This week there were a few moves made that could impact playoff contending teams (and that is precisely why these moves were made). Derek Lee of the Chicago Cubs agreed to be traded to the Atlanta Braves, who are currently in first place in the National League East. Lee has struggled this season and maybe a move to a contender will rejuvenate the veteran. Lee was expected to see time at first base and off the bench as a pinch-hitter. However Troy Glaus has struggled as of late (both offensively and with his health) and was placed on the DL to make room for Lee. Lee’s defense is a huge step above Glaus’ and his presence in the clubhouse should be great.

The key will be to regain his stroke and help the Braves to the postseason, something he did in 2003 with the Florida Marlins. Lee’s first game will come…against his former team in his former home, against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Friday afternoon was his first go-round with the Braves. Lee commented after the deal “…it’ll be different, but it’ll be exciting. Sometimes it’s more fun to compete with your friends because you can talk a little trash with them.” Lee went 0-for-4 (the first three at-bats came against one of his closest friends, Ryan Dempster) with a strikeout in the 9th inning off Carlos Marmol.

The St. Louis Cardinals found out that rookie third baseman David Freese, a sure contender for the National League Rookie of the Year award, would not be returning to the team due to right ankle surgery. Freese had been on the DL since June 27th and tore the tendon in his ankle during a rehab assignment. In Freese’s absence, super utility-man Felipe Lopez has taken over at third base. As of late though, Lopez has struggled at the plate (a .137 average in August) and has committed ten errors at the hot corner this season.

Pedro Feliz

So the Cardinals made a waiver trade with the Houston Astros for veteran Pedro Feliz (who won a World Series in 2008 with the Philadelphia Phillies). Feliz was acquired mainly to sure up the defense in the infield, though Feliz has struggled this season with his defense (eight errors in 63 games). Feliz is also having his worst season of his career at the plate, hitting just .221. The Cardinals are hoping that putting Feliz in a winning environment and a playoff atmosphere will motivate Feliz and his offensive numbers will climb. Lopez will move back into his super-utility role and get a few days off. The Cardinals played at their best with Lopez playing all over the field. Feliz was inserted into the lineup on Friday night, batting fifth, and he went 2-for-4 with two runs scored against his former team (the SF Giants).

Brad Hawpe

Brad Hawpe of the Colorado Rockies was designated for assignment on Thursday, thus ending his time with the Rockies (a team he has spent his entire career). The outfielder (who was an All-Star last season) should be a hot commodity in the coming days though he is owed a little over $2 million for the rest of the season. Hawpe has one of the best arms in right field, has a sweet left-handed stroke, and looked good at first base when Todd Helton was on the DL (thus adding to his resume). Plus he is a class act, which could help any team’s clubhouse.

The Chicago White Sox coveted Washington Nationals first baseman Adam Dunn but could not make the deal. They could use Hawpe at first base and move Paul Konerko to the everyday DH. The Texas Rangers would also be a good fit, with hitting coach and former Rockies manager Clint Hurdle there, and with all of the injuries the Rangers are dealing with. Hawpe would fit well in right field while Nelson Cruz is on the DL. Every team in contention should have interest in Hawpe as he is just 31 years old and is a career .280 hitter. Plus he could re-sign with that team instead of electing free agency (he is a free agent at the end of the season).

Will these three help contenders into the playoffs? We shall see as the next month and a half finishes.

Tags:

Atlanta Braves, Brad Hawpe, Chicago Cubs, Derek Lee, Florida Marlins, Pedro Feliz, St. Louis Cardinals

Strasburg's first pitch

Tuesday was the day of two long awaited arrivals. In Washington DC, 2009’s first overall pick Stephen Strasburg made his Major League debut versus the Pittsburgh Pirates. With a sellout crowd at Nationals Park (around 44,000), fans arrived early to get a glimpse of the highly touted pitcher warming up.

MLB Network aired his first ever big league game with veteran Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez returning from the DL to catch the phenom. Strasburg throws 95+ mph with his fastball, a devasting curveball, a 90 mph sinker, and a changeup (all of which he commands for strikes). Andrew McCutchen, the Pirates centerfielder, wore a microphone for the game and repeatedly made comments like “I never saw the same pitch twice. He keeps throwing different pitches”. To each hitter the first time through, he threw a different first pitch. He was around a 90 pitch limit for the game and set for just 150 innings for the season.

This debut was one of the most hyped debuts in the history of the game. Strasburg has one of the top selling player items in the game since he was drafted and his jersey was seen throughout the ballpark being worn by thousands of fans. If you are interested in this debut, game-used items are up for auction on MLB.com/auction.

All the fans in DC

Fans in the stadium and watching across the country were not disappointed. Though his first pitch of the game was a 97 mph inside pitch for a ball, he began to dominate from there. Lastings Milledge was his first Major League strikeout, as the final out in the first inning. In the second inning, he struck out the side while also allowing a hit to Andy LaRoche.

The hit came on a 100 mph fastball, though he struck out Delwyn Young on a 100 mph fastball in which the fans cheered in unison. In the third inning, he struck out two more. The fourth inning was his toughest, as he did not strike out a batter and surrendered three hits and two runs, coming on a Young two-run homerun. However the next three innings were completely dominant, as he struck out 8 out of the next 9 batters with seven coming in a row.

He was removed after seven innings and 94 pitches (65 for strikes). Strasburg allowed two runs on four hits, no walks, and 14 strikeouts. The 14 strikeouts were the third most in a debut in MLB history and are tied for the most strikeouts this season. He won his first big league start as Tyler Clippard and Matt Capps worked two quick innings of relief (the game lasted just 2 hours and 19 minutes).

After the game, Strasburg was pied in the face by John Lannan while being interviewed by dozens of reporters and there was a press conference with Pudge following that. Strasburg was the talk of the day and his performance on the field was the stuff legends are made.

Mike Stanton

The second debut came in Philadelphia as Florida Marlins power-hitting outfielder Mike Stanton made his debut against the Phillies. Stanton mashed 21 homeruns and collected 52 RBIs with a .311 average in Double-A Jacksonville before his promotion (the homeruns and RBIs led the Double-A Southern League).The 20 year old batted seventh in the lineup against the Phillies Kyle Kendrick. He started the game out in right field.

In his first at-bat of his career (in the second inning), Stanton collected his first Major League hit, an infield single. He then scored on a Ronny Paulino double. In his second at-bat in the fourth inning, Kendrick struck him out. His third at-bat of the game came in the sixth inning against Phillies reliever Chad Durbin, who got Stanton to fly out to right field.

His fourth at-bat came in the eighth inning against reliever Jose Contreras and he singled to right field. He later scored the go-ahead run on a Wes Helms pinch-hit triple. His final at-bat of the game came against Phillies closer Brad Lidge and he collected another infield single to load the bases. However Lidge got Paulino to pop up to end the game, with the Phillies winning 10-8.

Tags:

Andrew McCutchen, Andy LaRoche, Chad Durbin, Florida Marlins, Lastings Milledge, Matt Capps, Mike Stanton, Pittsburgh Pirates, Stephen Strasburg

Drew Stubbs' high-fives orlando cabrera

The Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals were matched up in another pitcher’s duel on Sunday afternoon. Reds starter Bronson Arroyo allowed two runs on six hits in eight innings while striking out five. Arroyo also went 2-for-2 at the plate. Craig Stammen of the Nats allowed one run on seven hits in 6.2 innings. With the Nationals leading 2-1 in the ninth inning, closer Matt Capps came in to record the save with one out in relief of Tyler Clippard. Unfortunately, Capps continues to struggle. He allowed a double to Drew Stubbs and pinch-hitter Jonny Gomes followed with an RBI double.

Pinch-hitter Scott Rolen followed with a two-run homerun to give the Reds a 4-2 lead. The Reds brought in closer Francisco Cordero, but he allowed the Nationals to tie the game at 4-4 on a pinch-hit two-run double with two outs by Mike Morse. With two outs in the top of the tenth, the Reds delivered three straight singles with Stubbs delivering the game winner.

NY Yankees starter Javier Vazquez worked into the sixth inning with a no-hitter but Toronto Blue Jays starter Brandon Morrow was also keeping the Yankees offense scoreless. In the sixth with a man on base, Vernon Wells broke up the no-hitter and shutout as he crushed an 0-2 pitch into the left field seats to give the Blue Jays a 2-0 lead.

Morrow exited the game in the eighth inning after hitting Francisco Cervelli. However reliever Scott Downs hit Brett Gardner and Derek Jeter hit an RBI double. In came Jason Frasor, who struck out Nick Swisher, intentionally walked Mark Teixeira, but threw a wild pitch to allow the tying run to score.

Jeff Francoeur's 3-run homer

After getting Alex Rodriguez to strike out, he allowed a two-run double to Robinson Cano for the game winner as the Yankees avoided the sweep.
After being down 5-0 to the Florida Marlins, the NY Mets came back to win the game 7-6. The Mets scored three runs in the sixth inning and three more in the seventh on a Jeff Francoeur three-run homerun.

They scored the winning run on the bottom of the eighth off Marlins reliever Clay Hensley. For the Mets, David Wright collected three hits and Angel Pagan, Rod Barajas and Francoeur each went 2-for-4. For the Marlins, both Dan Uggla and Cody Ross homered.

The Philadelphia Phillies had the opportunity to sweep the visiting San Diego Padres on Sunday afternoon. After being down 3-0 after the top of the first inning (two runs coming on Adrian Gonzalez’ 11th homerun of the season), the Phillies scored a run in the first and four more in the second inning.

However Phillies starter Joe Blanton allowed single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to tie the game at 5-5. The game stayed tied until the 10th when pinch-hitter Oscar Salazar delivered an RBI infield single for the game winner.

The SF Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates battled to a 3-3 tie until the ninth inning. The Giants scored two unearned runs off left-handed reliever Javier Lopez in the top of the ninth on a Juan Uribe RBI double and pinch-hitter Pat Burrell’s sacrifice fly. The Pirates scored two runs on a Delwyn Young pinch-hit two-run homerun off Giants closer Brian Wilson to tie the game at 5-5.

In the top of the tenth, Andres Torres led off the inning with a double and went to third base on an Octavio Dotel wild pitch. Torres would score on a Freddy Sanchez sacrifice fly. The Pirates put runners at second and third with two outs but Jeff Clement struck out to end the game.
The Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles also battled into extra innings.

The Orioles actually held a short-lived 3-2 lead but new closer Will Ohman allowed a run in the top of the ninth to tie the game at 3-3. The Orioles made a winner out of reliever Dave Hernandez, who pitched two shutout innings, when Nick Markakis collected his first hit of the game, a walk-off RBI single off Red Sox reliever Hideki Okajima, to avoid the sweep.

Tags:

Alex Rodriguez, Andres Torres, Cincinnati Reds, Drew Stubbs, Florida Marlins, Javier Vazquez, Jeff Francoeur, Matt Capps, Mike Morse, Scott Rolen, Toronto Blue Jays

The NY Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays battled into extra innings on Saturday afternoon. Both teams’ starters were solid. For the Yankees, Andy Pettitte allowed two runs on five hits in 7.2 innings while striking out ten.

Aaron Hill is mobbed by teammates

Pettitte’s only mistakes were the two solo homeruns to Vernon Wells and Alex Gonzalez. For the Blue Jays, Ricky Romero allowed just two runs on five hits in eight innings while striking out seven. Romero allowed a two-run homerun to Derek Jeter in the fifth inning. The score would stay tied 2-2 until the 14th inning when with one out Aaron Hill delivered an RBI single for the 3-2 walk-off victory.

Jon Niese returned to the NY Mets rotation and was solid against the Florida Marlins. Niese allowed just one run on six hits in seven innings of work. He struck out six. The Mets won the game 6-1 as David Wright hit a two-run homerun in the third inning. Rookie Mets first baseman Ike Davis went 4-for-4 with three runs scored.

Colby Rasmus is mobbed by teammates

The St. Louis Cardinals scored four runs in the first inning off Milwaukee Brewers starter Chris Narveson, but could not muster anymore runs off him. The Brewers chipped away to tie the game at 4-4 in the sixth inning. Cardinals rookie starter Adam Ottavino allowed two runs on five hits in five innings. The game would stay tied until the 11th inning when the Cardinals Colby Rasmus delivered his third hit of the game for a walk-off victory (it was the Cardinals third straight hit in the 11th inning).

In Washington, the Nationals faced the Cincinnati Reds as both teams were throwing rookie pitchers. Luis Atilano took the mound for the Nationals and Mike Leake took the mound for the Reds. The game was a pitcher’s duel as both rookies pitched like seasoned veterans.

Atilano allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits in seven innings while striking out six. Leake, who has yet to lose a game in his short professional career, allowed an unearned run in seven innings while striking out five. Leake also went 2-for-3 at the plate to raise his average to .417. Leake improved to 5-0 on the season as the Reds scored three runs in the eighth inning to win 5-1.

The Cleveland Indians are 8-3 against the Chicago White Sox this season but are just 13-30 against the rest of MLB. Mitch Talbot of the Indians allowed one run on six hits in seven innings to improve to 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA against the White Sox in three starts this season. White Sox starter Jake Peavy also pitched well as he allowed just two runs (one scoring on a controversial balk call) in seven innings.

Jon Lester of the Boston Red Sox continues his dominance. Last night against the Baltimore Orioles he pitched 6.1 scoreless innings. Lester allowed just four hits. The Red Sox offense did not get going until late in the game. The game was scoreless until the seventh inning as Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie was just as good as Lester. Guthrie ended up allowing two runs on five hits in 7.1 innings.

He allowed a solo homerun to Kevin Youkilis in that seventh inning. Newly recalled outfielder Josh Reddick delivered a triple and then scored on a Marco Scutaro single in the eighth. The Red Sox busted out in the ninth inning off the Orioles bullpen for six runs, capped by pinch-hitter Darnell McDonald’s two run double. The Red Sox are now 11-0 versus the Orioles this season.

Dontrelle Willis in first dbacks game

Newly acquired starting pitcher Dontrelle Willis made his Arizona Diamondbacks debut on Saturday night versus the Colorado Rockies. Willis’ wildness was still there, but he was effective. He did not allow a run in six innings though he walked four and gave up five hits. Willis also went 1-for-2 at the plate. The Diamondbacks scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 4-0 lead capped by a pinch-hit two-run double from Ryan Roberts. The Diamondbacks held on for the 4-3 victory as they have now won two in a row after losing 10 in a row.

Tags:

Aaron Hill, Adam Ottavino, Alex Gonzalez, Chris Narveson, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Colby Rasmus, Dontrelle Willis, Florida Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Vernon Wells

Armando Galarraga and his new car

Even though MLB Commissioner Bud Selig announced he would not reverse the call to give Armando Galarraga a perfect game, Galarraga was presented with a red Chevy Corvette before the game. Tigers manager Jim Leyland thought that yesterday would be a day for the city of Detroit to shine, and it did (I am not sure many ballparks would have been that classy).

When the umpires walked out onto the field, the fans gave a sympathetic applause for Joyce (who was set to be the home-plate umpire). Leyland had Galarraga deliver the lineup card so that fans could see Galarraga and Joyce interact. They shook hands.

“That was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen,” said Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge, who watched from the dugout. “What sets that apart from anything that’s probably happened in a long time in our sport is the absolute sportsmanship of it. I’ll tell you what, Galarraga and Joyce are two true gentlemen, period, in the way that they handled themselves. People will always remember that. I’ll never forget it.”

Jim Joyce and Armando Galarraga shake hands

Miguel Cabrera and Gerald Laird (two of which let Joyce know that his call was wrong) gave him a friendly pat on the back when walking by. Laird, the catcher for Thursday’s game, apologized to Joyce before the game.

All of the outpouring of support made Joyce emotional but there was a game to be played. The other big event of the game was the return of Indians starter David Huff to the mound after being struck on the side of the head by an Alex Rodriguez line drive. Huff did not miss a start though he only lasted three innings on Thursday.

The game went back and forth between the Tigers and the Cleveland Indians. The Tigers held a 5-1 lead only to see the Indians take a 6-5 lead. However the Tigers bullpen shut down the Indians by going 3.2 hitless innings.

The Indians bullpen imploded again, capped by a five-run seventh inning. Magglio Ordonez hit a three-run homerun followed by a Miguel Cabrera homerun. Ordonez finished the game a single away from the cycle, and rookie outfielders Austin Jackson was 4-for-6 and Brennan Boesch went 3-for-4.

Carlos Lee celebrates with teammates

The Washington Nationals again took the lead against the Houston Astros and closer Matt Lindstrom, this time on a Willie Harris RBI triple (that was played poorly in left field by Carlos Lee) and a Cristian Guzman RBI single. Guzman quickly went from hero to goat, as he did not catch a fly ball off the bat of Lance Berkman in right field (he is normally a shortstop), who reached second base and Michael Bourn scored to tie the game at 4-4.

Lee followed with a two-run walk-off to turn from goat to hero. Nationals closer Matt Capps allowed the three unearned runs in less than an inning to drop to 0-3 on the season.

Josh Johnson for the Florida Marlins was again dominant in his start against the Milwaukee Brewers. He allowed just one run on seven hits in seven innings while striking out eight. Marlins catcher Ronny Paulino delivered two RBIs in the 3-2 win. For the Brewers, starter Chris Capuano returned to the big league mound for the first time since 2007. Capuano allowed three runs on seven hits in 3.2 innings.

The Atlanta Braves won again (their 9th in a row) this time defeating the LA Dodgers at Chavez Ravine. Braves starter Kris Medlen was dominant until the eighth inning when he got into trouble (reliever Pete Moylan came in with the bases loaded and allowed all three runs to score). Medlen even delivered an RBI double. The Braves held on for the 4-3 lead on the back of one of the hottest hitters in the game, Troy Glaus, who went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

LA Angels ace Jered Weaver pitched a gem against the KC Royals and their ace Zack Greinke. Weaver pitched seven shutout innings while striking out nine. However he had to hold his breath as he watched his bullpen bend but not break (they allowed four runs). The Angels held on for the 5-4 victory. Greinke dropped to 1-7 as he allowed four runs on ten hits while striking out six in six innings.

Tags:

Alex Rodriguez, Armando Galarraga, Carlos Lee, Cleveland Indians, David Huff, Florida Marlins, Gerald Laird, Jered Weaver, Jim Leyland, Josh Johnson, Matt Lindstrom, Miguel Cabrera

Felipe Paulino of the Houston Astros has yet to win a game this season. He was facing the Cincinnati Reds and rookie Mike Leake, who has yet to lose a game. Unexpectedly, this was a pitcher’s duel as the game went into the tenth inning with the score 0-0. Paulino went eight scoreless innings and allowed just four hits and struck out five (though he walked four).

Lance Berkman's two-run double

He also went 2-for-3 at the plate to raise his average to .389. Leake went six scoreless innings and allowed seven hits. He also went 1-for-2 to keep his average at .381. It was probably the game of two of the best hitting pitchers. The Astros Lance Berkman hit a two-run double in the tenth for the 2-0 victory to snap their three-game losing streak.

The Philadelphia Phillies continue to struggle offensively. Following Roy Halladay’s perfect game, veteran left-hander Jamie Moyer provided great pitching yet the lineup could not muster any runs. Moyer allowed just one run on four hits in six innings. Florida Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez got a base hit, stole second, and scored on Ronny Paulino’s two-out single in the sixth inning.

Marlins starter Anibal Sanchez pitched into the seventh inning and allowed just three hits. Marlins closer Leo Nunez pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 10th save with two strikeouts. The Phillies have lost six of their last eight games and have been shut out in five of their last eight games, with three earned runs scored in that stretch.

The Atlanta Braves have crept to just a ½ game behind the first place Phillies in the National League East. On Sunday, the Braves came back against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates. With the game tied at 2-2 in the eighth inning, Chipper Jones came off the bench to deliver an RBI single and rookie Jason Heyward delivered a two-run triple to give the Braves a 5-2 lead. Braves closer Billy Wagner shut down the Pirates in the ninth with just ten pitches to record his 7th save.

one of Pujols' 3 homeruns

The Chicago Cubs could not figure out St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols at all on Sunday. Pujols homered in the first inning with two outs off Cubs starter Ryan Dempster. In the fifth inning off Dempster, Pujols hit a two-run homerun. In the ninth inning off reliever John Grabow, he hit a solo homerun (and two batters later David Freese followed with a two-run homerun).

Pujols’ offense alone was enough for Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright, who allowed just one run on seven hits in seven innings while striking out eight. The lone run came on a Geovany Soto solo homerun in the seventh inning. Pujols and Freese collected three hits (with Pujols also walking twice), Matt Holliday collected four hits, and Ryan Ludwick contributed two hits.

The visiting Baltimore Orioles jumped on Toronto Blue Jays ace Ricky Romero for a run in the first inning. However that was the only run the Orioles could muster on the day. The Blue Jays also scored in the first inning, with a three-spot off Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie.

That was enough for Romero, who pitched a complete game and allowed one run on six hits while striking out seven. Offensively the Blue Jays hit three more homeruns, from Lyle Overbay, Jose Bautista (his MLB-leading 16th), and Alex Gonzalez (who also collected three hits).

The Boston Red Sox Jon Lester continued his dominance through the month of May. Lester dominated the visiting KC Royals by allowing just one run on four hits while striking out five (though he walked four). Royals spot-starter Bruce Chen allowed just one run on two hits in four innings, but his bullpen fell apart.

Reliever Brad Thompson allowed six runs in just a little over one inning, capped by a David Ortiz two-run homerun. The bottom three in the Red Sox order (Jason Varitek, Bill Hall, and Mike Cameron) combined to go 6-for-11 with seven runs scored.

Howie Kendrick's walk-off

The LA Angels had their second walk-off in as many days. This time they did not lose a slugger in the celebration. Down 7-6 in the bottom of the ninth, Howie Kendrick hit his second homerun of the game, a three-run shot off Seattle Mariners closer David Aardsma for the Angels 9-7 victory. The walk-off shot was the culmination of the Angels comeback as they were down 7-3 after five innings.

Tags:

Albert Pujols, Anibal Sanchez, Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, Felipe Paulino, Florida Marlins, Jamie Moyer, Lance Berkman, Mike Leake, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals

There were just four games on the MLB slate for Monday. The Chicago White Sox, who were battered on Sunday against the Florida Marlins, jumped all over Cleveland Indians starter Justin Masterson for four runs in the first inning. All in all, Masterson allowed five runs on nine hits in just four innings. White Sox starter John Danks allowed two runs on six hits in five innings.

The White Sox offense collected 14 hits with Mark Teahen collecting three and three RBIs while Juan Pierre, AJ Pierzynski, Omar Vizquel, and Gordon Beckham collected two hits a piece.

Clay Buchholz against the rays

The Boston Red Sox continued their hot streak as they beat the best team in baseball, the Tampa Bay Rays. David Ortiz homered off Rays rookie starter Wade Davis in the second inning (one of his two hits). Davis allowed five runs on seven hits and three walks in just 3.2 innings. The Rays had their chances early on against Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz.

They loaded the bases in the first inning, but catcher John Jaso grounded into a double play. In the second, the Rays had runners at second and third, but Reid Brignac and Jason Bartlett struck out to end the inning. Carlos Pena homered for the only run off of Buchholz. He allowed six hits while striking out eight in six innings of work. Red Sox relievers Hideki Okajima and Daniel Bard combined for three perfect innings. On offense, Dustin Pedroia and Adrian Beltre collected three hits while Jeremy Hermida and Ortiz collected two hits.

The LA Angels were completely shut down by the Toronto Blue Jays and starter Brett Cecil. He allowed just two hits in 7.1 innings. The first hit was a two out single in the third inning and the second hit came in the eighth inning. Angels starter Joe Saunders allowed three runs on four hits in 6.1 innings but he walked five. It wasn’t until the seventh inning that the Blue Jays broke the game open. They scored four runs off of Saunders and reliever Jason Bulger.

The Pittsburgh Pirates took an early 2-0 lead over Aaron Harang and the Cincinnati Reds on a two-run homerun from Ronny Cedeno. The Reds made it 2-1 in the bottom of the second but then seemed to break the game open with five runs in the fourth inning and another in the sixth. However the Pirates came back to score three runs in the seventh inning and chased Harang from the game.

The Pirates could not mount a comeback against Reds relievers Arthur Rhodes and Francisco Cordero as they lost 7-5. Pirates starter Brian Burres only lasted into the fourth inning and allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits and four walks. Delwyn Young collected three hits (all doubles) for the Pirates while Cedeno and Ryan Doumit each had two hits. For the Reds, Drew Stubbs and Orlando Cabrera collected three hits a piece, with Stubbs also hitting a solo homerun.

Stephen Strasburg for Syracuse

The game that seemed to be the most attractive on the night came in Syracuse as the Triple-A Chiefs (Washington Nationals) faced off against the Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers). Over 13,000 fans turned out for the matchup but what everyone wanted to see was Stephen Strasburg.

Unfortunately the soon-to-be Nationals starter allowed his first runs in Triple-A and seemed to get knocked around a bit by the Mud Hens hitters. He threw just 52 pitches in five innings but was pulled after allowing five hits. He was not as sharp as in past outings. Rumors have him starting on June 4th for the Nationals against the Cincinnati Reds.

Tags:

Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Clay Buchholz, Cleveland Indians, David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Florida Marlins, Jason Bartlett, Justin Masterson, Reid Brignac, Stephen Strasburg, Wade Davis

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

Jody Gerut hits for the cycle

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jody Gerut hit for the cycle on Saturday night in Arizona against the Diamondbacks. He was making only his fourth start of the season and he made the most of it.

By the fifth inning, Gerut had already collected a single, triple, and homerun. However he had to wait until a long ninth inning for him to collect the double (while driving in two in the inning). Gerut became the sixth player in Brewers history to hit for the cycle (and first since 2004). Gerut became a part of history as the Brewers pummeled the Diamondbacks 17-3. He also drove in four, as did outfielder Ryan Braun.

After being rained out in Minnesota Friday night, the Twins and Baltimore Orioles were set for two on Saturday. Game 1 went to the Orioles as they pounded out 12 hits and seven runs against Twins starter Francisco Liriano (and reliever Alex Burnett).

O’s starter Jeremy Guthrie capitalized on the run support as he picked up his first win of the 2010 season. He allowed three runs (on homeruns hit by Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer) on five hits in 6.2 innings. The top of the order for the O’s (Julio Lugo, Adam Jones, and Nick Markakis) was a combined 7-for-14 with five RBIs.

Game 2 went to the Twins as starter Scott Baker limited the O’s to one run on three hits in eight innings (he allowed a Luke Scott homerun) while striking out eight. O’s starter Kevin Millwood dropped to 0-4 after allowing three runs on seven hits in seven innings. Twins DH Jim Thome went 2-for-3 and Delmon Young went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.

The LA Angels and Seattle Mariners were battling it out in Seattle on Saturday night. It was a matchup of the struggling Angels starter Joe Saunders against the Mariners surprisingly dominant starter Doug Fister. Both pitchers gave up three runs and the game stayed tied into the ninth inning. In the ninth inning, Fernando Rodney walked three batters but was an escape artist and did not allow a run.

Hideki Matsui's 1500th RBI

However in the top of the tenth inning, the Angels would score a run off of Mariners closer David Aardsma. Hideki Matsui would drive in the game winner as he collected his 1,500th RBI in professional baseball. Angels closer Brian Fuentes pitched a perfect tenth with two strikeouts to pick up his fourth save.

The Washington Nationals are slowly beginning to surprise everyone throughout baseball. Last night, the Nationals received solid pitching from spot starter Matt Chico (who was called up to start in place of the injured John Lannan). For five innings, Chico outdueled Florida Marlins ace Josh Johnson as Chico gave up just two runs to Johnson’s three runs.

Matt Capps

After the Marlins took a 4-3 lead off of Nationals reliever Tyler Clippard on a Gaby Sanchez two-run homer, Josh Willingham came up in the seventh inning and hit a solo homerun to tie the game. In the eighth inning with the bases loaded, Marlins lefty reliever Renyel Pinto (who came in to face the left-handed hitting Adam Dunn) hit Dunn to drive in the winning run. Matt Capps came in to collect his 12th save in a perfect ninth inning.

The Chicago Cubs were pummeled by the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday night. Despite collecting 12 hits, the Cubs could only muster two runs. The Reds on the other hand, scored 14 runs on 15 hits. The game was close until the seventh inning before the Reds scored five runs and another six runs in the eighth inning.

The Reds Brandon Phillips, Jonny Gomes, and Ryan Hanigan collected three hits a piece and Hanigan drove in five runs (four coming on his first career grand slam). Also good for the Reds was the pitching performance by Aaron Harang. Harang pitched into the seventh inning and allowed two runs on seven hits while striking out nine. This was the Harang that Reds fans want to see every start.

Tags:

Baltimore Orioles, Diamondbacks, Doug Fister, Florida Marlins, Francisco Liriano, Hideki Matsui, Jody Gerut, Kevin Millwood, Matt Capps, Milwaukee Brewers, Ryan Braun

April has ended and baseball season is in full swing. What have we learned after the opening month? There seems to be parity this season (at least in the beginning). The only team that has dug themselves a hole that will probably be too deep to climb out of are the Baltimore Orioles (who are 5-18 and 12 games back in the American League East). If you take a look at the standings in the National League East, you would be surprised.

Many expected the Philadelphia Phillies to have a lead over the Atlanta Braves and Florida Marlins. However it is the NY Mets leading the division by a game. The Phillies have struggled as of late to score runs, their starting rotation has been inconsistent, and their bullpen has been bad. The Braves cannot score runs and find themselves in last place at 9-14. The Marlins have been up-and-down.

Mike Pelfrey

Yes the oft-injured Mets with an inconsistent pitching staff lead the NL East. They started out slow but seemed to come alive when injured shortstop Jose Reyes returned. Starter Mike Pelfrey has been outstanding with a 4-0 record and a 0.69 ERA in five games (four starts). Opponents are hitting just .200 against him. Right fielder Jeff Francoeur seems to have figured it out this season. He has just one more strike out than walks and is hitting .284. Ike Davis, the rookie first baseman, has cemented himself into the middle of the lineup.

The Mets have a one-game lead over…the Washington Nationals. The same Nationals that were assumed to have a subpar pitching staff but an offense that any team would be afraid of. Closer Matt Capps has been a perfect 10-for-10 in save opportunities after having a disastrous season in Pittsburgh in 2009. In 12 games, Capps has allowed just one earned run (on a homerun) with 15 strikeouts.

Starter Livan Hernandez has been a breath of fresh air for a pitching staff that was one of the worst in 2009. Hernandez is 3-1 with a 0.87 ERA in four starts. Opponents are hitting just .167 against him.

In the NL Central, the St. Louis Cardinals have opened up a three game lead over the Cincinnati Reds. The Cardinals have been led by the usual suspects of Albert Pujols and the starting pitching of Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. Rookie third baseman David Freese (.324 with 14 RBIs) and centerfielder Colby Rasmus (.323 with 6 homeruns and 12 RBIs) have been excellent protection behind Pujols and Ryan Ludwick (.291 with four homeruns and 10 RBIs) has slid into the two-hole admirably in front of Pujols.

Brad Penny (3-1 with a 1.56 ERA in five starts with 18 strikeouts) and rookie Jaime Garcia (2-1 with a 2.04 ERA in four starts with 17 strikeouts) have been just as good as Carpenter and Wainwright in the rotation. The bullpen has also been solid with just one blown save.

Wade Leblanc

In the NL West, the San Diego Padres have been the surprise. Many expect All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez to be traded but the team is in first place and one of the hottest teams in baseball. The starting pitching has been excellent, as has the bullpen. They have only one starter with an ERA over 4.00. Wade LeBlanc has been stellar in his three starts (2-0 with a 0.52 ERA) and Kevin Correia is 4-1 with a 3.86 ERA.

The best team in baseball also leads the American League East. The Tampa Bay Rays are 17-6 and have been excellent in all facets of the game. Their starting pitching has been excellent (with ERAs all under 3.70) and their bullpen has been solid (except for the loss to the KC Royals on Friday night). Matt Garza is 4-1 with a 2.06 ERA in five starts with 34 strikeouts and David Price is 3-1 with a 2.20 ERA in four starts with 26 strikeouts.

Closer Rafael Soriano has been a perfect 5-for5 in save opportunities. Their offense continues to be the best in baseball. First baseman Carlos Pena is second in the AL in RBIs with 22 (though his overall offense is struggling). Third baseman Evan Longoria is hitting .341 with five homeruns and 18 RBIs and left fielder Carl Crawford is hitting .337. Second baseman Reid Brignac has taken over (pushing Ben Zobrist to right field) and is hitting .286.

Joe Mauer

The AL Central has been led by the Minnesota Twins and they have been led by the M&M boys (Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, who are both hitting better than .330). Michael Cuddyer and Orlando Hudson are also hitting over .300. Starter Francisco Liriano has been virtually untouchable in 2010 (3-0 with a 0.93 ERA in four starts with 27 strikeouts) and Carl Pavano has been solid (3-2 with a 3.73 ERA with 22 strikeouts in five starts).

The bullpen, for the most part, has been solid even without closer Joe Nathan. New closer Jon Rauch has blown just one save and has a 1.80 ERA in nine games. The Detroit Tigers have climbed into second place, and though it is early, this division may be a two-team race. Even with Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello struggling, the Tigers right now have had enough offense and a good bullpen.

The Chicago White Sox have been disappointing, though Paul Konerko leads baseball in homeruns with 11 and has 21 RBIs (he is also the only regular hitting better than .277). Starter John Danks has been the lone bright spot in the pitching staff. Danks is 3-0 with a 1.55 ERA in four starts with 26 strikeouts.

Starter Jake Peavy is 0-2 with a 7.85 ERA in five starts and seems to be struggling with the transition to the AL. Opponents have hit .276 against him, he has walked 20 in 28.2 innings, and has allowed four homeruns. Rookie reliever Sergio Santos has been good as he has yet to give up a run in 8.2 innings. Santos has struck out 11 while opponents have hit just .077 against him.

The AL West is up for grabs. Just a ½ a game separates the four teams. The Seattle Mariners hope to pull ahead with starter Cliff Lee making his debut last night (seven scoreless innings while allowing just three and he struck out eight). The Texas Rangers have been without slugging right fielder Nelson Cruz.

The Oakland A’s have been putting runs on the board, but their pitching has had a hard time keeping the opposing team from scoring (as the Toronto Blue Jays won last night 10-2). The LA Angels have moved into first place and it will be interesting to see how their new team will progress.

Tags:

Adam Wainwright, Baltimore Orioles, Chris Carpenter, Florida Marlins, Jeff Francoeur, Livan Hernandez, Matt Capps, Mike Pelfrey, Philadelphia Phillies, Rafael Soriano, St. Louis Cardinals

Yovani Gallardo

Monday was a day for runs to be scored, as lots of runs were put up on the board throughout baseball. Last week, the Milwaukee Brewers beat the host Pittsburgh Pirates 20-0 and battered the Pirates throughout that series. Monday was no different. So far this season (in four games) the Brewers have outscored the Pirates 53-4!

That’s like a football score when the best team plays a no-name team. On Monday night in Milwaukee, the Brewers won the game 17-3 behind the solid pitching of ace Yovani Gallardo. The game was capped by a 9-run eighth inning off of two Pirates relievers (Octavio Dotel and Brendan Donnelly), highlighted by Brewers third baseman Casey McGehee’s grand slam.

Prince Fielder went 3-for-5 with three runs scored, Gallardo went 2-for-2 with three RBIs, and catcher Greg Zaun (who had trouble in the first inning throwing the ball back to the pitcher’s mound) went 4-for-4 with five RBIs. Pirates starter Zack Duke lasted just four innings while allowing eight runs on nine hits and four walks.

In Toronto, the visiting Boston Red Sox and Blue Jays went back and forth for most of the game. Every time one team would score, the other would score in the next half inning. Red Sox starter Josh Beckett lasted just three innings while allowing eight runs (six runs in the third inning) on nine hits, which was capped by Jose Bautista’s three-run homerun in the third inning. Blue Jays starter Dana Eveland did not fare any better as he lasted just three innings while allowing seven runs on eight hits.

The top of the order for the Red Sox (Marco Scutaro, Dustin Pedroia, and Kevin Youkilis) combined to go 9-for-15 with nine runs scored and four RBIs. The middle of the order for the Blue Jays (Adam Lind, Vernon Wells, Lyle Overbay, and Alex Gonzalez) combined to go 11-for-19 with seven runs scored and seven RBIs.

The Blue Jays scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to cut the Red Sox lead to 13-12 but could not score against Red Sox closer Jonathon Papelbon.

Josh Johnson

The Florida Marlins played host to the red-hot San Diego Padres and were looking to get ace Josh Johnson back on track. The Marlins offense jumped on Padres starter Mat Latos in the first inning on a Hanley Ramirez solo homerun. The Marlins scored two more in the second, four more in the third, and two more in the fourth inning (on a Dan Uggla homerun).

Latos lasted into the third inning while allowing seven runs on seven hits. Johnson, on the other hand, was solid. He pitched a complete game three hitter, allowing just a single run in the eighth inning while striking out 12. Johnson also went 3-for-4 with three RBIs.

In Arlington, both the Texas Rangers and visiting Detroit Tigers had their offenses rolling but both starters struggled. The Rangers Matt Harrison lasted six innings while allowing six runs on right hits. The Tigers Jeremy Bonderman lasted into the sixth inning while allowing four runs on six hits. The game was tied into the ninth inning and the Rangers went to rookie closer Neftali Feliz and his 100+ mph fastball. Unfortunately for the Rangers, his fastball stayed in the 90s and Miguel Cabrera and Brandon Inge took him deep.

Tigers closer Jose Valverde had a perfect ninth (he threw just ten pitches) to hold onto the 8-6 victory. Despite the loss, there was a bright spot for the Rangers. Rookie Justin Smoak collected his first Major League hit, a double off of Bonderman in the fifth.

In Chicago, the Cubs collected a walk-off victory against the Washington Nationals as reliever Brian Bruney walked third baseman Aramis Ramirez with the bases loaded in the bottom of the tenth for the Cubs 4-3 victory and their fourth win in a row.

KC Royals starter Kyle Davies carried a no-hitter into the sixth against the Seattle Mariners and ace Felix Hernandez before giving up an infield single to Ichiro Suzuki with one out in the sixth. Davies and the Royals bullpen held on for the 3-1 win with Bruce Chen recording his first save in his 12-year playing career.

In San Francisco, the Giants Jonathon Sanchez outdueled Philadelphia Phillies ace Roy Halladay. Halladay allowed five runs (one on a homerun to Eli Whiteside) on ten hits in his first loss of the season. Sanchez allowed one run on three hits in five innings while striking out six (though he walked five). Whiteside went 2-for-3 while Edgar Renteria and Pablo Sandoval both went 2-for-4 for the Giants.

Tags:

Boston Red Sox, Casey McGehee, Florida Marlins, Josh Beckett, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, Yovani Gallardo

The grounds crew in NY

Rain played a major part in games played Friday night. In New York, the Yankees and Texas Rangers completed just six innings when the game was finally called. The Yankees won 5-1 as CC Sabathia dominated in the complete game win. CJ Wilson of the Rangers was hurt by poor defense and infield hits (four of the Yankees seven hits did not leave the infield) in his complete game loss.

The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays played to a 1-1 tie at Fenway Park, as rained halted the game in the bottom of the ninth inning. Play will resume prior to their start tonight. The Red Sox Josh Beckett and the Rays rookie Wade Davis were involved in a great pitcher’s duel, despite the rain, though the Rays stole four bases off of catcher Jason Varitek (who hit a solo homerun).

In Pittsburgh, rookie Mike Leake of the Cincinnati Reds matched up against the Pirates Zack Duke. Though Leake was not stellar (he walked five and gave up seven hits in seven innings), he limited the damage by allowing just three runs. Duke on the other hand was outstanding. He gave up six hits and one run in seven innings. However the Pirates bullpen gave away the lead by allowing three runs (one of which was Duke’s as he started the eighth inning) in two innings. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, centerfielder Andrew McCutchen collected a single. He immediately stole second base and scored on left fielder Lastings Milledge’s RBI single to center to send the Pirates home happy.

Felipe Lopez greeted by teammates after grand slam

In St. Louis, the Cardinals were dominated all night by NY Mets starter Oliver Perez (even though Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter was just as dominant by striking out 10 in 6.1 innings). In the seventh, Mets manager Jerry Manuel pulled Perez after he allowed an infield single and a sacrifice bunt. Reliever Fernando Nieve came in and hit pinch-hitter Skip Schumaker and walked pinch-hitter Matt Holliday to load the bases. In came Raul Valdes to face Cardinals infielder Felipe Lopez, who deposited a 2-1 hanging curveball over the left field wall for a grand slam (which gave the Cardinals a 4-1 lead). Though the Cardinals bullpen almost blew the lead, they held on for a 4-3 win.

In Philadelphia, the Florida Marlins Jorge Cantu extended his hitting streak to 11 games but could not collect an RBI. He came up in the ninth inning after the Marlins had already scored four runs off of the Phillies bullpen with two men on base, but closer Ryan Madson induced a ground ball to end the rainy and cold game (8-6). The Marlins were dominated all night by Phillies new ace Roy Halladay, as he allowed two runs on eight hits in eight innings.

In Minnesota, the Twins seemed to have the bases loaded every inning against the KC Royals ace Zach Greinke and the Royals bullpen as they won 10-3. Greinke, last year’s CY Young award winner, did not have his usual command as he walked five in his five innings of work while allowing four runs (though only two were earned). The Twins on the other hand, received solid pitching from Scott Baker, who went seven innings while striking out six.

Andre Ethier greeted by teammates after grand slam

In LA, the Dodgers jumped all over SF Giants starter Todd Wellemeyer in the first two innings as he allowed seven runs, capped by Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier’s back-to-back homeruns in the first inning and  Ethier’s grand slam in the second. There was a scary moment for the Giants in the fifth as Dodgers starter Vicente Padilla hit Aaron Rowand in the face, causing a cheek injury and a concussion. The Giants stormed back against the Dodgers bullpen as they scored five runs in the ninth, but could not overcome the lead (they lost 10-8).

In Toronto, the LA Angels almost wasted a gem thrown by starter Jered Weaver, as the Blue Jays scored four times in the eighth inning to cut the Angels lead to 7-5. However new Angels closer Fernando Rodney came in and quickly shut the door on the Blue Jays, as he threw just 9 pitches to pick up his second save of the season. Weaver went into the eighth inning (he was pulled after allowing a Randy Ruiz solo homerun) and gave up just two runs on five hits while striking out eight (he did not walk a batter).

Tags:

Aaron Rowand, Andre Ethier, Boston Red Sox, CC Sabathia, Chris Carpenter, Cincinnati Reds, CJ Wilson, Felipe Lopez, Fernando Rodney, Florida Marlins, Jason Varitek, Jered Weaver, Jorge Cantu, Josh Beckett, KC Royals, LA Angels, LA Dodgers, Lasting Milledge, Matt Kemp, Mike Leake, Minnesota Twins, NY Mets, NY Yankees, Oliver Perez, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Roy Halladay, Ryan Madson, Scott Baker, SF Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Vicente Padilla, Wade Davis, Zach Greinke, Zack Duke