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

Throughout baseball, Jackie Robinson was celebrated on Thursday. Fans, players, coaches, and umpires, young and old, regardless of race joined in the annual celebration. Robinson was a pioneer for African-American players and for all athletes who have fought for a dream. All players and coaches wore his retired number 42 and the umpires wore number 42 on their sleeves.

NY Yankees honor Jackie Robinson

The biggest celebration came in NY at Yankee Stadium as Robinson’s wife and daughter were in attendance for the pre-game festivities and his grandson threw out the first pitch. Phil Hughes made his first start of the season for the Yankees and was backed by three homeruns off of LA Angels Scott Kazmir, who was also making his first start.

The LA Dodgers always request to play home on Jackie Robinson day so that they can honor their former player. On Thursday, Tommy Lasorda, Frank Robinson, and Don Newcombe (among others) were on hand for the pre-game festivities. The Dodgers came back for the second straight day against Arizona Diamondbacks closer Chad Qualls, but this time won the game in the bottom of the tenth on Andre Ethier’s walk-off hit (his 10^th walk-off hit of his career).

The Cleveland Indians (in the bottom of the American League Central) received great starting pitching from David Huff, who threw a complete game four-hitter in the Indians 3-2 win over the Texas Rangers. He threw just 104 pitches and his only blemish was the two-run homerun he allowed to Michael Young in the fourth inning. Shin-Soo Choo took Huff off of the hard luck loss by blasting a three-run homerun in the bottom of the eighth inning (the homerun was preceded by two men reaching base on errors).

Phillies NL champions ring

In Philadelphia on Thursday was also the ring ceremony for the 2009 National League Champions. Even though Phillies pitcher JA Happ struggled into the sixth inning (he walked six), they held a 4-1 lead. However the Phillies bullpen, which has been stellar so far this season, gave up six runs in relief of Happ (three runs by Danys Baez and two more by closer Ryan Madson). Washington Nationals Ryan Zimmerman delivered a pinch-hit go-ahead two-run homerun in the eighth inning off of Baez to seal the win for the Nationals. Zimmerman had not played since Saturday due to an injured hamstring.

The Houston Astros finally won a game in the 2010 season. They beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1 with a three-run eighth inning. The top of the order for the Astros (Michael Bourn and Jeff Keppinger) combined to go 4-for-8 with three runs scored and three RBIs. Astros starter Bud Norris went five innings allowing one unearned run on four hits while striking out nine.

Minnesota Twins honor Jackie Robinson

In Minnesota, Twins starter Francisco Liriano dominated the visiting Boston Red Sox with seven shutout innings. He allowed just four hits and struck out 8. The Twins offense battered Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield through five innings (he allowed 10 hits and five earned runs).

Ben Sheets, an expensive signee this offseason for the Oakland A’s, won his first game since 2008 as he dominated the now 1-9 visiting Baltimore Orioles. Sheets went six shutout innings and allowed five hits. He walked three and struck out four. The A’s improved to 7-4 on the season.

Tags:

Andre Ethier, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, Ben Sheets, Boston Red Sox, Bud Norris, Chad Qualls, Cleveland Indians, Danys Baez, David Huff, Francisco Liriano, Houston Astros, JA Happ, Jackie Robinson, Jeff Keppinger, LA Angels, LA Dodgers, Michael Bourn, Michael Young, Minnesota Twins, NY Yankees, Oakland A's, Phil Hughes, Philadelphia Phillies, Ryan Zimmerman, Scott Kazmir, Shin-Soo Choo, St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers, Tim Wakefield, Washington Nationals

Sabathia exists the game after giving up his first hit

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

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

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

Matsui tips hat to the fans after gw hit

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

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

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

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

Tags:

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

Rays walk-off win

Baltimore Orioles fans have been looking forward to the 2010 season because of the hopes that management put into them. They have good young talent in the pitching staff, the outfield, and behind home plate. The Orioles added veterans at the corner infield spots, to anchor the starting rotation, and a closer. Opening Night for the Orioles came a day later than everyone else in Tampa. Kevin Millwood, the veteran signed to anchor the rotation and who struggled throughout spring training, allowed just two runs in his five innings of work. He left with a 3-2 lead courtesy of three Orioles homeruns (Adam Jones, Luke Scott, and Matt Wieters). However the veteran brought in to close out games, Mike Gonzalez, gave up a walk-off two-run single to the Rays Carl Crawford to lose the game 4-3. Prior to Crawford’s game-winning hit, Gonzalez gave up a hit to Sean Rodriguez and a double to pinch-hitter Kelly Shoppach before intentionally walking Jason Bartlett to lead to the heroics. Gonzalez said he was “disgusted” by his outing, but complimented the Rays by saying, “They grinded.”

The NY Yankees, despite a subpar performance from AJ Burnett, held on to beat the Boston Red Sox 6-4 in Game Two of their opening series. Reliever Alfredo Aceves picked up where he left off in 2009 (he won 10 games out of the bullpen) and picked up his first win of the 2010 season.

Angels fans wearing snuggies

In LA, the Angels set the Guinness Book of World Records of most people wearing a fleece (or snuggie as they are now called) for five minutes. The Angels gave out Hideki Matsui snuggies to all fans and even TV and radio guys like the Angels’ Victor Rojas and the Minnesota Twins’ Bert Blyleven were wearing them. However the Angels could not convert the fans’ energy into a win. Starter Joe Saunders gave up homeruns to Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and JJ Hardy. Newly named Twins closer Jon Rauch worked a 1-2-3 ninth to record his first save. He struck out two while throwing 11 of his 16 pitches for strikes.

In Oakland, A’s second baseman Mark Ellis delivered a walk-off two out RBI single in the bottom of the tenth inning off of Seattle Mariners rookie reliever Kanekoa Texeira, who was making his Major League debut. The A’s won the game 2-1 as Dallas Braden provided a solid starting pitching performance. He went seven innings of four hit baseball. He also struck out ten, using a great changeup. The A’s bullpen also pitched solid with new reliever Edwar Ramirez earning the win with a perfect tenth inning. For the Mariners, Ian Snell gave up just one run (a homerun by catcher Kurt Suzuki) on three hits through six innings.

In Houston, the SF Giants pitching continued its dominance over the Astros hitters. In the first game, it was Tim Lincecum. Last night it was Barry Zito (and the bullpen). Zito pitched six shutout innings while allowing just three hits and he struck out five. The Giants offense put up three runs in the sixth inning off of Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez to win 3-0. Closer Brian Wilson picked up his second save in as many chances, while throwing just 13 pitches.

Tags:

Alfredo Aceves, Baltimore Orioles, Barry Zito, Boston Red Sox, Brian Wilson, Carl Crawford, Dallas Braden, Houston Astros, Joe Saunders, Jon Rauch, Kanekoa Texeira, Kevin Millwood, LA Angels, Mark Ellis, Mike Gonzalez, NY Yankees, Oakland A's, Seattle Mariners, SF Giants, Tampa Bay Rays

The American League West has been a hot bed for young talent for quite a few years. To win the World Series in 2002, the LA Angels relied on Francisco Rodriguez in the bullpen and John Lackey in the rotation. The Oakland A’s have been known to develop young pitching from the Big Three (Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, and Barry Zito) to Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill to their two Rookie of the Year closers (Huston Street in 2005 and Andrew Bailey in 2009). The Seattle Mariners had Ken Griffey Jr, then Alex Rodriguez and now ace Felix Hernandez. The Texas Rangers have begun to develop young pitching through Nolan Ryan. The AL West figures to be a division up for grabs so young breakout players figure to be the reason one team wins the division and the others three teams don’t. Here’s a look at some AL West breakout players:

Maicer Izturis

Maicer Izturis, LA Angels, (utility man): Most Angels fans remember his throwing error to end Game 2 of the ALCS at Yankee Stadium. However one errant throw does not explain the magnitude of how much Izturis means to the Angels. That is why they rewarded him with a three year, $10 million contract. The contract is something Izturis is happy about. “…they want to have me around,” he said. “I hope to play a lot, and I’ll do whatever they want me to do.”

Former teammate Chone Figgins was envious of Izturis’ relaxed approach to the game. He called him “The Natural”. “He can do anything,” Figgins said. “It’s like he came out of his crib playing baseball. That’s why I call him ‘The Natural’.” The soft-spoken infielder would smile at Figgins’ comments, saying that his father taught him (and his Major League brother Cesar) to play the game right.

Manager Mike Scioscia, who is an Izturis fan, plans on getting him at least 97 starts, which is how many starts he received in 2009. While primarily diving time with Howie Kendrick at second base and getting some time at shortstop and third base, Izturis hit .300 with a .359 on-base percentage. Scioscia said “we are a much stronger team with his versatility…and he has the ability to lead off or hit down in the order.” He is expected to share Figgins’ leadoff duties with shortstop Erick Aybar. In recent season, Izturis has hit everywhere but fourth in the order. Scioscia said that “Izzy developed that part of his game, as far as being patient, earlier in his career…It’s not just taking pitches, it’s fighting off pitches, fouling them off, keeping an at-bat alive.”

Izturis is a rare player that is gifted enough to handle second base, shortstop, and third base at close to a Gold Glove level. “As long as I’m on the field, I’m happy,” he said. In 2009, he made 68 starts at second base, making just two errors (.993 fielding percentage). In 28 games at shortstop, he made two errors (.977 fielding percentage) and he made five errorless starts at third base. Figgins said that Izturis “has the best hands and most accurate arm you’ll see.” Now Figgins will have to watch him as an opponent.

2009 was the first season that Izturis spent zero days on the DL. “Staying healthy is the most important thing for me.” Being healthy showed in his overall numbers. In 114 games, he had 22 doubles, 3 triples, 8 homeruns, and 65 RBIs. He also walked 35 times compared to 41 strikeouts. Izturis stole 13 bases in 2009 but could steal more in 2010 if he is leading off and batting in front of the patient Bobby Abreu. Izturis has always hit in the clutch as he is a career .327 hitter with runners in scoring position (he hit .302 in 2009).

Izturis is close to indispensable in the Angels lineup and in the field on defense. For the Angels to continue their dominance in the AL West, they will need Izturis to fill the gap that Figgins’ signing with Seattle left.

Tags:

AL West, Chone Figgins, LA Angels, Maicer Izturis

Bengie Molina

First the Carlos Beltran drama. Now the two free agents the NY Mets coveted signed with other teams. First was catcher Bengie Molina. The Mets were rumored to have offered Molina a multi-year contract. However he signed for just one year for a lot less money with the SF Giants, the team he spent the past three years with. The move is great for the Giants as he can continue to guide the young, dominant pitching staff and groom rookie catcher Buster Posey (instead of throwing him into the fire by having him as the starting catcher when he is not ready). Molina hit .265 in 132 games with 20 homeruns and 80 RBIs in 2009. Now the Mets will have to go with the combination of Omir Santos and veteran Henry Blanco until prospect Josh Thole (who performed well in his 2009 September call-up) is ready.

Joel Pineiro

Second was right-handed starter Joel Pineiro. Pineiro thrived under the tutelage of St. Louis Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan. He was looking for a long-term deal similar to the one Randy Wolf received from the Milwaukee Brewers (three years and close to $30 million).  Unfortunately for the Mets, Pineiro received a two-year, $16 million contract offer from the LA Angels that he could not turn down. If Pineiro can continue to pitch like he did in St. Louis, the Angels will have one of the best rotations in the game with Jered Weaver, Joe Saunders, Scott Kazmir, Ervin Santana, and Pineiro. The Mets still have major holes in their rotation due to injuries to ace Johan Santana, John Maine, Fernando Nieve, and Jonathon Niese, and inconsistency in Mike Pelfrey and Oliver Perez.

With Pineiro’s signing brought another free agent pitcher to sign a deal. This was Vicente Padilla, who decided to re-sign with the LA Dodgers for one year. Despite shooting himself in the leg in November, he is expected to be healthy at the start of spring training. Padilla, after being released in 2009 by the Texas Rangers, pitched very well for the Dodgers and their push through the playoffs (4-0 with a 3.20 ERA in the regular season plus 1-1 with a 3.63 ERA in 3 postseason starts).

Free agent left-handed starter Doug Davis decided to return to the Milwaukee Brewers, signing a one year deal with an option for 2011. This deal is great for the Brewers as they are getting a pitcher who provides durability. Davis has made at least 33 starts and pitched in 190 innings in five of the past six seasons (the only season being 2008 when he battled thyroid cancer). Adding Davis leaves the Brewers with seven starting pitchers heading into spring training, with one probably moving to the bullpen. Those with spots include ace Yovani Gallardo, Wolf, and Davis, with Manny Parra, Dave Bush, Jeff Suppan, and Chris Narveson battling for the final two spots.

Free agent right-handed reliever Octavio Dotel signed a one year deal with an option for 2011 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, who continue to stabilize their bullpen this offseason. Pirates GM Neal Huntington announced that there now is no competition for the closer’s job as it is not Dotel’s to lose. Dotel noted that the opportunity to step back into a closer’s role was the main determinant in his decision to join the Pirates as Pittsburgh was the only team able to guarantee him that opportunity.

Tags:

Bengie Molina, Doug Davis, Joel Pineiro, LA Angels, LA Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, NY Mets, Octavio Dotel, Pittsburgh Pirates, Vicente Padilla

Manager Mike Scioscia guided the LA Angels through a season of adversity, starting in early April with the loss of young pitcher Nick Adenhart, just a few hours after his dominant outing against Oakland. In keeping his players together through injuries and tragedy to make the playoffs, Scioscia was named American League Manager of the Year.

Jered Weaver (16-8 with a 3.75 ERA in 33 starts with 174 Ks) carried the Angels through the season until the injured starters returned. Veteran John Lackey, Joe Saunders, and Ervin Santana rounded out the rotation until management traded for lefty Scott Kazmir to bolster the staff (2-2 with a 1.73 ERA in 6 starts). Nine other pitchers made starts for the Angels in 2009.

Many questioned the signing of lefty closer Brian Fuentes, as he has not been the most consistent closer in the game. It became more of a concern when setup man Scot Shields went down with a knee injury (and missed the entire season) and Jose Arredondo struggled. However Fuentes got the job done (1-5 with a 3.93 ERA and he converted 48 of 55 save opportunities) and unknowns such as Jason Bulger, Matt Palmer, and Kevin Jepsen stepped up. Veteran lefty Darren Oliver was dominant all season long (5-1 with a 2.71 ERA in 73 innings), surprising many.

The addition of free agent rightfielder Bobby Abreu proved genius (and he re-signed for two more years) as his veteran leadership and patience at the plate rubbed off on all of his teammates. All Angels starters batted better than .272 on the season and even fellow veteran Torii Hunter credited Abreu for his batting average increase (.299 in 2009, .278 in 2008).

Unfortunately this offseason has not been as flashy as some of the other teams in the AL. Sure Abreu re-signed and World Series MVP Hideki Matsui signed, but the Angels lost veteran Lackey and super utility man Chone Figgins. Losing Lackey loses a bulldog and Figgins was one of the best leadoff hitters in the game. Can the Angels offense repeat their 2009 and be as productive? Can the bullpen be consistent? 2010 could be another challenging managerial season for Scioscia if he can guide them to the playoffs. Here’s their wish list:

1. Starting pitching: Going into spring training, the top four spots in the rotation appear to be filled by Jered Weaver, Scott Kazmir, Joe Saunders, and Ervin Santana. However the fifth spot is wide open. The Angels could fill the spot in-house with Matt Palmer, Sean O’Sullivan, Trevor Bell, or Anthony Ortega. Or they could sign a free agent pitcher or make a deal for one (they were front-runners for Roy Halladay but the Phillies pulled the trigger). The Angels have a solid rotation and the final piece could make them one of the best.
2. 

   Fernando Rodney

   Bullpen depth: The loss of veteran lefty Darren Oliver leaves a large hole in the bullpen as they do not have another left-hander in the pen. Veteran setup man Scot Shields should be healthy in 2010, but will he be as effective as in the past? Closer Brian Fuentes needs to be consistent for the Angels to be successful. If Palmer wins a rotation spot, he will be missed in the bullpen (2-1 with a 2.74 ERA in 46 innings). The addition of Fernando Rodney and his explosive fastball and changeup should help. He closed the last few years with the Detroit Tigers (he blew just one save in 2009) and could be an option if Fuentes struggles or Scioscia could rotate Fuentes and Rodney in the eighth and ninth innings based on the situation and hitters coming to bat.

3. A power bat: Most would think that the Angels would re-sign DH Vladimir Guerrero. Instead they signed Hideki Matsui, who carried the NY Yankees in the World Series. If Matsui can stay healthy, he should add to an already potent lineup. Rumors have the Angels linked to free agent outfielder Jason Bay, but it doesn’t look like he will be signing with anyone anytime soon.

Tags:

Bobby Abreu, Brian Fuentes, Darren Oliver, Fernando Rodney, Hideki Matsui, Jered Weaver, LA Angels, Matt Palmer, Mike Scioscia, Scot Shields, Scott Kazmir, Torii Hunter

Every postseason, there are disappointing players and teams and thus those teams usually end up losing. Last year, the Tampa Bay Rays were the talk of the baseball world. They hit 16 homeruns against the Red Sox in the ALCS. However in the World Series, the power was zapped from the players and many struggled to just hit the ball. Thus the Rays lost the World Series to the Philadelphia Phillies. For 14 seasons, the Atlanta Braves won their division, yet only once did the team come away with a World Championship.

This season, like every other postseason, there have been disappointments. First have been the first two opponents of the NY Yankees: the Minnesota Twins and the LA Angels. Both teams were lacking the fundamentals and is the main reason they are home and the Yankees are in the World Series. Both teams were victimized by fielding errors, baserunning blunders, and too many walks by the pitching staffs. The Twins made 2 errors in the Yankees three-game sweep. Poor baserunning plagued the Twins in the three games, like Nick Punto’s base running gaffe of trailing too far away from third base (and getting thrown out). The Twins combined to walk 9 batters in the ALDS. The Angels made 5 errors combined in Games 1 and 2, costing them both games in NY. They also had 2 errors in the 8^th inning of Game 6. In the two games the Angels won, they committed zero errors. The Angels also had a few baserunning blunders, including Vladimir Guerrero getting picked off of first on a shallow pop fly to right field and Bobby Abreu rounding second base too far. The Angels pitchers also walked too many, including the nine in the deciding Game 6. The Angels pitchers combined to walk 38 batters in the ALCS. The St. Louis Cardinals also had their problems: Matt Holliday’s error (dropping a fly ball to left) in Game 2 of the NLDS, which led to the Dodgers comeback win; 11 walks by Cardinals pitchers in 3 games; and the Cardinals inability to come up with a clutch hit.

Second, the Angels offense in the ALCS against the Yankees was meager. Except for Guerrero, Jeff Mathis (who didn’t play in every game), Erick Aybar, Howie Kendrick (who also didn’t play in every game), and Torii Hunter, the offense was nonexistent. The top of the order (Chone Figgins and Bobby Abreu) combined to hit around .146 with just 3 RBI and 4 runs scored. They also struck out 11 times. If the top of the order is not getting on base, the middle of the order (Guerrero and Hunter) will not have anyone to drive in. When the Angels did get men on base, like in Game 2 of the ALCS, they could not drive them in, stranding 16 runners in Game 2 alone.

Third, most of the closers throughout the postseason have been disappointing. Despite the Holliday miscue in left, Cardinals closer Ryan Franklin still had 2 outs with just one runner on base in Game 2 of the NLDS. He could not get the job done, resulting in a blown save and loss. Joe Nathan of the Twins came in the bottom of the 9^th in Game 2 of the ALDS and imploded, giving up a game-tying 2-run homerun to Alex Rodriguez. The game went into extra innings and the Twins lost a game they seemed to have in the bag going into the 9^th inning. In both Games 3 and 4 of the NLDS, Colorado Rockies closer Huston Street could not finish the game. In Game 3 of a tie game, Ryan Howard hit a sacrifice fly to give the Philadelphia Phillies a 6-5 lead. In Game 4 and handed a 4-2 lead in the 9^th, Street gave up a Howard 2-run double to tie the game and a bloop single to Jayson Werth to give the Phillies a 5-4 lead, sending the Phillies to the NLCS. In Game 3 of the ALCS, Red Sox closer Jonathon Papelbon was handed a 6-4 lead in LA. However, he could not get the third out without giving up the lead, sending the Angels to the ALCS. After the Angels had taken the lead in 11^th inning of Game 2 of the ALCS, Angels closer Brian Fuentes quickly gave up the lead as A-Rod homered off of him to tie the game at 3-3 and sending the game to further extra innings…a game later won by the Yankees.

This leads to the fourth disappointment, the Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen versus the Phillies. Yes closer Jonathon Broxton blew another game (Game 4) to the Phillies in the NLCS but he was hardly the only one. Broxton yet again had to face pinch-hitter Matt Stairs but this time walked him, leading to Jimmy Rollins’ walk-off hit in the bottom of the 9^th. Dodgers setup man George Sherrill couldn’t repeatedly get hitters out. In his two innings pitched, Sherrill walked 3 and gave up 2 hits and 3 runs. Ronald Belisario pitched 3.1 innings, giving up 5 hits and four runs. Ramon Troncoso was the only solid member that came out of the bullpen, pitching 3 shutout innings, though he walked 3. Chad Billingsley pitched out of the bullpen and gave Joe Torre a solid 3+ innings, though he gave up 2 runs. Even starter Clayton Kershaw, who pitched poorly in Game 1 of the NLCS, was victimized out of the bullpen in Game 5 (2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP).

The final disappointment so far has been the offense from the Yankees’ Mark Teixeira and Nick Swisher. Yes the two have been playing great defense at first base and right field, respectively. Teixeira has saved many errors with his stretching for throws at first base and Swisher has made some diving catches, even doubling off the Angels Guerrero at first base. The offense from the two, especially in the ALCS, has been virtually nonexistent. Teixeira was 6-for-27 with 4 RBI, 3 of which came in Game 5 on a 3-run double. Teixeira also struck out 8 times. Swisher had just 3 hits in 20 at-bats and 0 RBI, along with 7 strikeouts. Swisher had been so clutch for the Yankees all season but has not been able to come up with a big hit in the postseason. These two guys will be needed if the Yankees are to win another World Series title.

Tags:

Bobby Abreu, Brian Fuentes, Chad Billingsley, Chone Figgins, Clayton Kershaw, George Sherrill, Huston Street, Joe Nathan, Jonathon Broxton, Jonathon Papelbon, LA Angels, LA Dodgers, Mark Teixeira, Matt Holliday, Minnesota Twins, Nick Swisher, NY Yankees, Ramon Toncoso, Ronald Belisario, Ryan Frankline, St. Louis Cardinals

Yankees 5, Angels 2: After getting an extra day off due to the rainy Saturday night, the Yankees seemed to be the fresher team from the start. The Angels however struck first. Jeff Mathis, the hot-hitting catcher who was receiving another much-deserved start, doubled to lead off the top of the third. With 2 outs and Mathis still on base, Bobby Abreu drove him in with a base hit up the middle. The RBI was just his second RBI of the series. With runners on base in almost every inning, the Yankees finally broke through against Angels starter Joe Saunders with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth. Johnny Damon came through with a 2-run single to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead and Alex Rodriguez walked to drive in the third run and that was all for Saunders. Darren Oliver came on in relief to get Jorge Posada to hit into a double-play, ending the inning and keeping the game at 3-1. Oliver held the Yankees scoreless through his 2.2 innings. Yankees manager Joe Girardi chose to go with closer Mariano Rivera for a six out save, bringing him in to start the 8^th inning. Rivera may be one of the best pitchers in postseason history and had not given up a postseason run at home since 2001…until Game 6 of the 2009 ALCS. Vladimir Guerrero drove in Chone Figgins in the inning to make it a 3-2 game. The Angels had their chances in the inning, but great defense and positioning by the Yankees kept their lead. However the Angels defense failed them in the bottom of the 8^th inning. After Ervin Santana walked Robinson Cano, lefty Scott Kazmir came in and got Nick Swisher to sacrifice bunt but Howie Kendrick dropped the throw at first base. So now with 2 men on base, Melky Cabrera laid down a sacrifice bunt, but Kazmir sailed the throw over Kendrick’s head, allowing a run to score. Kazmir got Derek Jeter to groundout, but then walked Damon to load the bases, leading to a Mark Teixeira sacrifice fly. Kazmir was out and Jered Weaver was in. Weaver walked A-Rod but struck out Posada to finally end the inning. The bottom of the 8^th inning completely deflated the Angels. With the Yankee fans on their feet, Rivera went quickly through the Angels order in the 9^th inning, highlighted by a strikeout of Gary Matthews, Jr. to end the game…and the celebration began. “It feels good,” Sabathia said. “We came in with the goal in Spring Training of winning the championship, and we’re one step closer. It’s a close team, and we have a lot of fun together. It just feels good to be able to celebrate with those guys in there.” But the celebration cannot last too long as Game 1 of the World Series begins on Wednesday, as A-Rod will be making his first World Series appearance.

Major League Baseball awarded the ALCS MVP award to the Yankees CC Sabathia. Sabathia made two starts against the Angels in the ALCS, Game 1 and 4. He won both starts with a 1.13 ERA. Sabathia pitched in 16 innings with 12 strikeouts. “He’s been huge,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “To shut their team down twice and really give our bullpen almost a whole day off when he pitched, he’s been able to do that in almost each one of his games — he’s been incredible.” Every Yankee felt that Sabathia deserved the award as he completely shutdown the Angels and to win in the postseason, a team needs great starting pitching. Sabathia is most likely to start Game 1 of the World Series on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium.

Tags:

ALCS Game 6, CC Sabathia, Darren Oliver, Jeff Mathis, Joe Girardi, Joe Saunders, Johnny Damon, Jorge Posada, LA Angels, Mariano Rivera, NY Yankees

Angels 7, Yankees 6: At the start of Game 5 of the ALCS, it looked like the Angels were going to blow away the Yankees. Yankees starter AJ Burnett walked leadoff hitter Chone Figgins and allowed a double to Bobby Abreu. Torii Hunter followed with a 2-run single, Vladimir Guerrero followed with a RBI double, and Kendry Morales followed with a RBI single before Burnett got the first out. The three straight hits by Abreu, Hunter, and Guerrero were on three straight pitches. After the first inning, the Angels led 4-0. After the first, both starting pitchers, Burnett and John Lackey, were cruising along until the Yankees finally got to Lackey in the 7th inning. Lackey gave up a double to Melky Cabrera and walked Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter, before getting Johnny Damon for the second out. This would end Lackey’s night, without some argument from him with his manager Mike Scioscia, and began Darren Oliver’s night. On his first pitch to Mark Teixeira, Tex ripped a 3-run double to the left-centerfield gap to close the Angels lead to 4-3. The 3 RBIs were the first for Teixeira in the ALCS. Oliver had been great all season and in the postseason for the Los Angeles Dodgers (6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB in the postseason prior to the 7th inning of Game 5). After an intentional walk to Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui drove in Teixeira to tie the game at 4-4, thus ending Oliver’s night. Kevin Jepsen came in and gave up a 2-run triple to Robinson Cano. A six-run 7th inning for the Yankees gave them a 6-4 lead. The fans at Angel Stadium had become quiet (except for the Yankees fans in attendance) and so did the Thunderstix.

The Angels battled back against the combination of Burnett, and relievers Damaso Marte and Phil Hughes. Morales got a base hit off of Hughes with two outs to give the Angels a 7-6 lead. In the 3-run seventh, Abreu had an RBI groundout, his first RBI of the ALCS. Yankees manager Joe Girardi was again second-guessed for not taking out Burnett sooner (like not sending him out for the 7th inning), though in Game 3 he was second-guessed for having too quick of a hook with the relievers. Scioscia went to Game 3 starter Jered Weaver in the 8th inning, and he threw just 11 pitches, striking out both Cabrera and Jeter. The 9th inning was a bit of an adventure for Angels closer Brian Fuentes and the Angeles  fans, but Fuentes managed to go unscathed with the bases loaded, sending the ALCS back to NY for at least Game 6. The Angels Jeff Mathis yet again provided the offense at the bottom of the order, going 3-for-4, and having a hit in 6 straight postseason at-bats.

Game 6 will pit Joe Saunders of the Angels against Andy Pettitte of the Yankees. In his Game 2 start, Saunders pitched 7 innings, giving up just 2 runs. He was the recipient of 3 double plays, which neutralized the 6 hits he gave up. He received a no-decision as the game went into extra innings, a game the Yankees won. In his Game 3 start, Pettitte went into the 7th inning, giving up 3 runs, but received a no-decision as the game went into extra innings, with the Angels winning 5-4. Game 6’s weather forecast is dreary and the Philadelphia Phillies are hoping for the ALCS to go as long as possible to give them an advantage in terms of the pitching staff.

Tags:

AJ Burnett, ALCS, Bobby Abreu, Brian Fuentes, Darren Oliver, Hideki Matsui, Jeff Mathis, Jered Weaver, John Lackey, Kendry Morales, Kevin Jepsen, LA Angels, Mark Teixeira, Melky Cabrera, NY Yankees, Phil Hughes, Robinson Cano, Torii Hunter, Vladimir Guerrero

Phillies 11, Dodgers 0 (Game 3): The Dodgers arrived in Philadelphia and knew they would have to deal with the weather and hostile crowds. They also had to deal with the buzz saw that is Cliff Lee. The Phillies received another dominant pitching performance from Lee (8IP, 3H, 0BB, 10K). The Phillies also got outstanding offensive performances from everyone up and down the lineup and it came early an often. The Phillies jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the 1st inning, highlighted by a Ryan Howard 2-run triple and a Jayson Werth 2-run homer. In the 2nd, the Philadelphia Phillies jumped out to a 6-0 lead, knocking Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda out of the game. Despite the overall solid bullpen performance from the Dodgers, Lee was virtually unhittable for the entire Dodgers lineup, except for Manny Ramirez. Carlos Ruiz continued his hot-hitting against the Dodgers, collecting 2 hits, an RBI, and 2 runs scored. The exclamation point to the game came in the bottom of the 8th when Shane Victorino blasted a 3-run homer to right field on an inside fastball.

Angels 5, Yankees 4 in 11 innings (Game 3): The Yankees and Angels yet again battled into extra innings. Against Angels starter Jered Weaver, the Yankees got 3 solo homeruns from Derek Jeter (whose HR led off the game), Alex Rodriguez, and Johnny Damon. The Angels battled back against starter Andy Pettitte, getting a solo homerun from Howie Kendrick and a 2-run homerun from Vladimir Guerrero (his first RBIs of the ALCS). After Pettitte was lifted for Joba Chamberlain in the 7th, the Angels offense went to work and finally scored a run to take the lead at 4-3 on a Kendrick triple and a pinch-hit sacrifice fly from Maicer Izturis. This lead was short-lived as Angels reliever Kevin Jepsen gave up a solo homerun to Jorge Posada to tie the game in the 8th. This could have been worse, but pinch-runner Brett Gardner was thrown out trying to steal second while Posada was batting. The game then became a battle of the bullpens. In the bottom of the 11th, newly inserted catcher Jeff Mathis led off the inning with a double off of Phil Hughes. The Angels then loaded the bases against Mariano Rivera, but could not get a run across with the heart of the order up. In the bottom of the 11th after Dave Robertson got two quick outs, manger Joe Girardi decided to go to Alfredo Aceves to face Kendrick. Kendrick singled and Mathis followed with another double off the left field wall, scoring Kendrick from first base to win the game. Mathis is a career .200 hitter and only had 8 doubles all season, but now has 3 doubles in the ALCS. The Angels needed the win in LA to get back in the series and they celebrated on the field accordingly. The Angels will send lefty Scott Kazmir to the mound in Game 4 against the Yankees CC Sabathia on 3-days rest.

Phillies 5, Dodgers 4 (Game 4): The Phillies capped the night of postseason games by providing more late-inning drama. Phillies starter Joe Blanton was cruising along through the Dodgers order with an early 2-0 lead thanks to a Ryan Howard first inning 2-run blast. However in the 4th, Blanton struggled giving up three hits and two walks, with 2-out RBIs from James Loney and Russell Martin. Meanwhile Los Angeles Dodgers starter Randy Wolf pitched well after the 2-run first inning. Matt Kemp belted a solo homerun to dead center on an elevated 2-0 pitch to give the Dodgers a 3-2 lead. Casey Blake delivered another 2-out RBI in the next inning to give the Dodgers a 4-2 lead. Blake had been 1-for-25 against Blanton in his career. The Phillies finally started to get to Wolf in the 6th, ending his night. Shane Victorino tripled, Chase Utley hit an RBI single, and Howard walked. Ronald Belisario came in and got Jayson Werth to ground into a force out, and Hong-Chih Kuo got Raul Ibanez to line out to left field to end the inning. The 4-3 lead for the Dodgers held up until the bottom of the ninth inning. With one out, closer Jonathon Broxton walked pinch-hitter Matt Stairs and hit Carlos Ruiz. After getting pinch-hitter Greg Dobbs to line out, Jimmy Rollins came up and ripped a 99 mph fastball into the right-center field gap, driving in the tying and winning runs. All of this sent both the Phillies players and their fans into a frenzy. In Game 5 and the possible clincher for the Phillies, they will send Cole Hamels to the mound hoping to rebound from his Game 1 loss. The Dodgers will counter with former Phillies Vicente Padilla, who stifled the Phillies in Game 2.

Tags:

ALCS, Andy Pettitte, Cliff Lee, Howie Kendrick, Jeff Mathis, Jered Weaver, Jimmy Rollins, Joe Blanton, Jonathon Broxton, LA Angels, LA Dodgers, NLCS, NY Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Randy Wolf, Ryan Howard

Yankees 4, Angels 1: Another dominant pitching performance from Yankees starter CC Sabathia (8 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 7 K) and some timely hitting, to go along with poor defense and starting pitching from John Lackey, allowed the NY Yankees to come away with the Game 1 victory in the cold, rainy start to the ALCS. Expecting a good outing from Lackey, instead the Angels only received 5.2 innings. Lackey also gave up all four runs and walked three batters. The Yankees went ahead 2-0 in the 1st inning with a sacrifice fly from the hot hitting Alex Rodriguez and an RBI single from Hideki Matsui. However, Matsui’s hit was an infield popup that fell in between third baseman Chone Figgins and shortstop Erick Aybar. Matsui made Lackey pay for walking A-Rod in the 5th, ripping an RBI double and increasing the lead to 3-1. In the 6th (the end for Lackey), the defense did in the Angels, after two errors lead to another Yankee run. The two runs in the first were more than enough for Sabathia, who threw just 113 pitches in 8 innings (compared to the 114 thrown by Lackey into the 6th).

Yankees 4, Angels 3 (13 innings): The weather forecast for NY was grim for a second straight night, but for the most part the rain held out until the late innings. It was really a well-played game (for the conditions) and both pitching staffs were excellent. It took 13 innings in a hard fought battle for the Yankees to take a 2-0 series lead, heading out to warm and sunny LA for Games 3-5. The Yankees got to Angels starter Joe Saunders early (2 runs) and it looked like he was going to put together another lackluster performance like Lackey did the night before. However, he settled in to go 7 innings giving up just the 2 runs on 6 hits. He was helped out by the double play ball, as the Yankees hit into 3 of them. AJ Burnett was on early (allowed just one hit through four innings) while also being helped out by great defense at first by Mark Teixeira, repeatedly stretching for full extension to make the catches at first. However, Burnett’s wildness took over in the 5th. He gave up a leadoff double to Maicer Izturis and then an RBI single to Erick Aybar. Aybar stole second and Burnett then hit Chone Figgins. After getting Bobby Abreu out, he walked Torii Hunter to load the bases. Burnett threw a wild pitch, scoring Aybar and tying the game at 2-2. Again in the 6th, the Angels loaded the bases against Burnett, reliever Phil Coke (who also struck out Abreu), and Joba Chamberlain. But Chamberlain struck out Vladimir Guerrero on 3 pitches to get out of the inning without giving up a run. A leadoff walk by the 5th Yankees reliever Alfredo Aceves led to the Angels finally scoring another run and taking the lead in the 11th. Figgins delivered the bloop RBI double into left, giving the Angels a 3-2 lead. Aceves escaped further trouble by inducing an inning ending double play from Hunter. The lead was short-lived for the Angels as closer Brian Fuentes gave up a leadoff homerun to Alex Rodriguez in the bottom of the 11th, which just cleared the right field fence and just out of the reach of rightfielder Abreu. In the bottom of the 12th, Angels reliever Ervin Santana walked Teixeira to load the bases to face A-Rod. Make sense? Well it paid off, as Santana got A-Rod to pop up to end the inning. Both teams’ defenses weren’t exceptionally sharp as the Yankees committed 3 errors (2 by Cano) and the Angels committed 2. The Angels second error ended up costing the Angels. With runners on first and second in the bottom of the 13th and the clutch-hitting Melky Cabrera at the plate, Santana got Cabrera to hit a grounder towards second. Izturis gloved it and tried to throw the runner out at second (instead of the possible sure out at first). However, he threw it away, allowing Jerry Hairston to score…and the Yankees win.

Tags:

AJ Burnett, ALCS, Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, Joe Saunders, John Lackey, LA Angels, Maicer Izturis, Mark Teixeira, NY Yankees