The NY Yankees win their 27th World Series title

Yankees 7, Phillies 3: The Yankees celebrated their 27th World Series victory by jumping up and down like little kids. Even closer Mariano Rivera was jumping around in jubilation on the podium after hoisting the World Series trophy. It never gets old, as four of the Yankees have now won 5 World Series titles (Jeter, Rivera, Posada, and Pettitte). It is sort of surreal because every little kid who plays baseball dreams of winning the World Series. That’s the goal every year when spring training begins for all 30 MLB clubs.

Pedro Martinez of the Phillies began the game with a max fastball of 85 mph. It was not a good sign. After issuing a leadoff walk to Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui battled Pedro, with Matsui winning the battle by crushing a 2-run homerun into the right field upper deck seats. The Yankees held an early 2-0 lead. With one out in the top of the third, Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz ripped the pitch from Andy Pettitte off of the left centerfield wall for a triple. Jimmy Rollins followed with a sacrifice fly to cut the Yankees lead to 2-1. After a misplay in centerfield by the Phillies Shane Victorino on a ball hit by Derek Jeter, Pedro then walked Johnny Damon and hit Mark Teixeira to bring up A-Rod. Pedro struck him out looking, but it brought up Matsui with the bases loaded. Instead of going to the bullpen, manager Charlie Manuel decided to stick with Pedro, which blew up in his face. Matsui was 8-for-18 against Pedro in the postseason before this at-bat. On a 0-2 pitch, Matsui laced a single back up the middle to drive in two more runs, increasing the Yankees lead to 4-1.

The NY Yankees hoist their 27th World Series trophy

The Yankees increased the lead to 7-1 in the fifth inning off the Phillies bullpen combination of Chad Durbin and JA Happ, highlighted by a 2-run double by Matsui. Matsui finished the game 3-for-4 with 6 RBIs, which tied a Major League World Series record for a single game). Ryan Howard tried to get the Phillies back into the game by hitting an opposite field 2-run homerun off of Pettitte to cut the lead to 7-3. This ended Pettitte’s night, yet the Phillies could do nothing against the Yankees bullpen. Damaso Marte continued his postseason mastery of lefties as he struck out both Chase Utley and Howard on just 6 pitches. Howard struck out 13 times in the World Series, which set a World Series record. This meant the Phillies would have to score against closer Mariano Rivera, who came in to record the final five outs. Though it took Rivera 41 pitches to get those final outs, he was the one on the mound in the celebratory moment when Victorino grounded out to end the game.

Hideki Matsui wins mvp

As the Yankees players ran around the new stadium celebrating with their teammates, coaches, fans, and family, the Phillies players looked on from the dugout in disbelief. Matsui, deservedly so, earned the World Series MVP. In the World Series, Matsui, the free-agent to be, was 8-for-13 with 3 homeruns and 8 RBIs. “They’re partying in Tokyo tonight,” teammate Nick Swisher said. “I know that. What a great job Matsui did for us, coming up in clutch situations all year long. He deserved that MVP trophy, no doubt about it.”

Tags:

Andy Pettitte, Carlos Ruiz, Damaso Marte, Hideki Matsui, Mariano Rivera, Pedro Martinez, Phillies, Ryan Howard, World Series Game 6, Yankees

Phillies shake hands following the Game 5 victory

Phillies 8, Yankees 6: Jimmy Rollins’ prediction of the Philadelphia Phillies winning in five games will not come true, but at least the Phillies seem to be back in the series after being down 3 games to 1. As a baseball fan, I have been hoping for a seven-game series since the teams were set. It has the potential to be a battle to the very end.

However, Game 5 did not start out well for the Phillies or their ace starter Cliff Lee. The Yankees scored first in the top of the first, capped by an RBI double from Alex Rodriguez. The Phillies returned the favor in the bottom of the inning, capped by the 3-run homerun by Chase Utley with no one out. In this game, unlike in his Game 2 start, the wild AJ Burnett appeared early and often. In the third inning, Burnett walked both Utley and Ryan Howard, leading to an RBI single back up the middle by Jayson Werth and an RBI single from Raul Ibanez, giving the Phillies a 5-1 lead and ending Burnett’s night. So much for Burnett’s stellar history of pitching on short rest (4-0, with a 2.33 ERA).

Brett Gardner crashes into wall to make the catch

Dave Robertson came in to give the Yankees two shutout innings, followed by Alfredo Aceves. Werth ripped a pitch from Aceves to center into the quirky crevices of Citizens Bank Park. Werth was running as if he hit another HR because he crushed it, but centerfielder Brett Gardner made a great running catch while crashing into the wall. Aceves then gave the Yankees 2 shutout innings before handing the ball over to lefty Phil Coke. Coke however could not keep the Phillies offense off of the scoreboard (specifically the left-handed hitters). Utley homered again on a 3-2 pitch, tying Hall-of-Famer Reggie Jackson for the most homeruns in a single World Series with 5. Ibanez came up with 2 outs and blasted a homerun off a second deck billboard, increasing the Phillies lead to 8-2.

Ryan Madson reacts to saving Game 5

The Yankees finally chased Lee from the game on a 2-run double by A-Rod. Lee wasn’t his dominant self as he struggled with his command (3 walks), yet kept the Yankees from taking control of the game. Heading into the ninth, the Phillies held an 8-5 lead and manager Charlie Manuel handed the ball over to Ryan Madson, rather then closer Brad Lidge, to close out the game. No matter who closes out the games for the Phillies, it is a nail-biting experience for fans. Madson quickly got into trouble as Jorge Posada and pinch-hitter Hideki Matsui ripped him for hits putting runners at first and second with nobody out and the captain Derek Jeter stepped to the plate as the tying run. The moans and groans could again be heard at Citizens Bank Park. Jeter could not get the clutch hit, as he grounded into a double play, though Posada scored to make the game 8-6. After Damon got another hit (he reached base 4 times in the game), Madson bared down and struck out Mark Teixeira to end the game, sending the nervous Philly fans into a state of euphoria. There will be a Game 6 in the Bronx on Wednesday night.

Tags:

AJ Burnett, Alfredo Aceves, Brett Gardner, Chase Utley, Cliff Lee, Dave Robertson, Jayson Werth, Phil Coke, Phillies, Raul Ibanez, Ryan Madson, World Series Game 5, Yankees

Yankees 7, Phillies 4: Game 4 was a game with a full rage of emotions. For the Phillies, the fans were fired up at the start, but were quickly quieted by the Yankees early offense. Late in the game, the Yankees were shocked by the homeruns hit by the Phillies to tie the game. Phillies fans and players who were back into the game were thrown for a loop when the game quickly slipped from their fingertips.

Things didn’t start out well for the Phillies Joe Blanton. He gave up a leadoff infield hit to Derek Jeter and a double to Johnny Damon. Mark Teixeira then ripped a ground ball down the first base line, but Ryan Howard gloved it to get Teixeira out at first. However, Jeter scored on the play. Blanton then hit Alex Rodriguez, in which umpires issued warnings to both teams. Jorge Posada followed with a sacrifice fly to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead. The Phillies got to CC Sabathia in the bottom of the first. A bloop hustle double by Shane Victorino followed by a wall-banger double for Chase Utley, cut the Yankees lead to 2-1. Yet Sabathia limited the damage by striking out both Howard and Raul Ibanez. Sabathia never seemed comfortable all night, constantly shaking off pitches and stepping off the mound. Howard singled to lead off the fourth inning and then stole second. With two outs, Howard was still standing on second base with Pedro Feliz up to bat (who was hitting under .100 against left-handed pitching since the end of August. Feliz singled to left and Damon came up throwing to the plate (which was actually a strong throw) to try and get Howard. Howard crashed into Posada, jarring the ball loose, and was ruled safe to tie the game at 2-2, though replays showed he never touched the plate. This score didn’t last long, as Blanton gave the run back in the top of the fifth, when Jeter softly singled through shortstop, scoring Nick Swisher (who walked to leadoff the inning) from second base. The Yankees scored another run on a base hit by Damon when Melky Cabrera ran through his third base coach’s stop sign.

Utley homered off of Sabathia in the bottom of the seventh, his third homerun of the World Series and third off of Sabathia. This ended Sabathia’s evening and brought on the Yankees bullpen. With a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth, the Yankees went to Joba Chamberlain to setup for closer Mariano Rivera. After blowing away both Jayson Werth and Ibanez on 96 mph fastballs, Joba tried to throw a 95 mph fastball by the now hot-hitting Feliz, who quickly deposited the pitch into the left field seats to tie the game at 4-4. Feliz ended the inning with 3 hits, after only having six hits in 42 postseason at-bats this year. The jubilation and expectations of another comeback victory at Citizens Bank Park quickly came to an end in the top of the ninth as the Phillies pitching yet again couldn’t keep the Yankees scoreless after the offense tied the game. This time it was Brad Lidge, who hadn’t pitched yet in the World Series and hadn’t pitched in a game since Game 5 of the NLCS. After getting two quick outs, Damon got another hit, stole second, and then third because no one went to cover the third base bag as Ruiz threw to second and Feliz was shifted to second base with Teixeira at the plate. This play proved to be costly (and will forever be remembered) as Lidge hit Teixeira and A-Rod followed with a RBI double to retake the lead. Posada followed with a 2-run single to give the Yankees a commanding 7-4 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth. Chamberlain was seen in the dugout hugging Posada and A-Rod, thanking them for saving him and giving the Yankees the lead back.

The electric crowd at Citizens Bank Park turned to moans and groans as the inning was disastrous. Lidge got fastball happy after getting the two quick outs in the ninth, going away from his signature pitch (the slider) which had worked against Hideki Matsui and Jeter. When all was said and done, it took 30 pitches for Lidge to hobble through the 9th. Now the Phillies were down with Rivera coming in to close out the game instead of the game being tied and facing Phil Coke. Rivera quickly dispatched the Phillies hitters, throwing just 8 pitched to finish them off.

The Yankees need one more win to celebrate their 27th World Series title. The Phillies, who were so good the last 2 years in the postseason at home (11-1), have now lost 2 straight at home. To stave off elimination and send the series back to NY, the Phillies will send ace Cliff Lee to the mound to hopefully dominate the Yankees lineup as he did in Game 1. The Phillies will also need to hit Yankees starter AJ Burnett or a great performance by Lee may be negated.

Tags:

Alex Rodriguez, Brad Lidge, CC Sabathia, Chase Utley, Joba Chamberlain, Joe Blanton, Johnny Damon, Jorge Posada, Mark Teixeira, Pedro Feliz, Phillies, World Series Game 4, Yankees

Yankees 8, Phillies 5: Game 3 in Philly began just like it did in last year’s World Series, in a rain delay. The only difference this year was that it was warmer and the delay wasn’t as long (1hour and 20 minute delay and a new 9:17 start time). The Yankees Andy Pettitte looked rattled early on, needing 51 pitches to get through the first two innings. In the second inning, left-handed pitcher killer Jayson Werth blasted a solo homerun to left field near the MasterCard “Hit It Here” sign to give the Philadelphia Phillies a 1-0 lead. After loading the bases, Jimmy Rollins walked to force in a run and Shane Victorino (after swinging at two bad pitches) drove in a run on a sacrifice fly to give the Phillies a 3-0 lead. Pettitte ended the damage by striking out Chase Utley (for the second time) to end the inning. Utley’s postseason on-base streak ended at 27 games. Cole Hamels was cruising along like he did in the 2008 postseason until walking Mark Teixeira (though replays showed ball four was strike three) in the 4th inning, before giving up his first hit-a double turned homerun by replays to Alex Rodriguez (his first World Series hit). That cut the Phillies lead to 3-2. And now the 2009 version of Hamels was fully back, getting hit around in the 5th inning. After not throwing a curveball all night, he threw three straight to the struggling Nick Swisher with the third being hit for a double. After getting Melky Cabrera to strike out on a changeup, Hamels hung another curveball to the pitcher Pettitte, who flared it into centerfield for an RBI single. Derek Jeter followed with another flare to center before Johnny Damon ripped a 2-run double to give the Yankees a 5-3 lead. After walking Teixeira again, manager Charlie Manuel came out to remove Hamels, who left the game to boos from the Philly fans. It wasn’t much better with the Phillies bullpen. Each reliever (JA Happ, Chad Durbin, and Brett Myers) gave up a single run in their inning of work until Ryan Madson worked a scoreless ninth.

Phillies pitching wasted an offensive effort from Werth, who belted another homerun off of Pettitte in the 6th, this time hitting the Geico sign, which was about 20 feet from the MasterCard sign. If he had of hit it, MasterCard would have donated $1 million to the Stand Up To Cancer initiative. The theme for the World Series so far for the Phillies has been a lack of offense from anyone other than Werth and catcher Carlos Ruiz. Pedro Felix got his first hit in Game 3. Ryan Howard had struck out 6 straight times before finally making contact (though also making an out). The top four batters in the Phillies order is hitting .200 or below, not giving Werth a chance to drive anyone in. The Yankees however, showed no signs of needing the designated hitter in Game 3, even getting a pinch-hit homerun from their DH, Hideki Matsui, in the 8th inning. Sure the Yankees aren’t tearing the cover off of the baseball, but they are getting clutch hits and have 5 homeruns in the three games. The Yankees are also getting excellent starting pitching, with Pettitte winning his ML record 17th postseason game. The Yankees hope to continue the trend of great starting pitching when they send ace CC Sabathia to the mound in Game 4 on short rest.

Rollins predicted that the World Series would actually feel like a World Series when the games moved to Philadelphia. Philly fans are known to be passionate, yet hostile to opposing teams and their fans. I was disappointed in the Phillies fans last night. Sure, they were into the game early on and into each of Werth’s blasts. But while watching on TV, I should not have been able to hear Yankee chants and cheers over the Phillies fans. Late in the game, I could hear “Let’s go Yankees!” and “Hip-hip Jorge!” when Posada was batting. And the Phillies fans sat in silence, allowing the hated Yankees to hear support. Not what I had expected, especially when they are considered to be fans that hang onto every moment and cheer for every hit and opposing teams’ hitters’ strikeouts.

Tags:

Andy Pettitte, Cole Hamels, Hideki Matsui, Jayson Werth, Nick Swisher, Phillies, World Series Game 3, Yankees

Another World Series in Philadelphia Phillies means rain in the forecast. Unlike last year, at least the temperatures are warm and not freezing. Game 3 was still set to begin on-time, despite the darkening clouds and rain incoming on the radar. As many of the Phillies players’ stated, the real World Series begins now, meaning the Philly fans are going to be electric, like nothing the Yankees have ever seen. Game 3 pits the Yankees Andy Pettitte against the Phillies Cole Hamels. Pettitte is hoping to increase his all-time postseason wins to 17, which would continue to put him in first place in that category. However, Pettitte isn’t averaging more than seven innings in a postseason start, so that means manager Joe Girardi will need to use more than closer Mariano Rivera out of the bullpen. It will be interesting to see how Pettitte approaches the Phillies lineup with the two switch-hitters at the top (Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino) and the lefties after them (Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Raul Ibanez). I suspect Howard will not see many fastballs. Hamels was last year’s NLCS and World Series MVP, though in 2009, he has not been very consistent. The Phillies need Hamels to pitch like he did in 2008 for them to be successful in Game 3. Hamels will need to keep the Yankees hitters adjusting and off-balance all night to be successful. The key to this game will be Pettitte versus the Phillies running attack and the Phillies Jayson Werth. Werth has one of the best batting averages against left-handed pitching over the last two years.

The Phillies have announced their Game 4 starter as Joe Blanton and the Yankees are leaning towards the three-man rotation, meaning Game 1 starter CC Sabathia would pitch in Game 4. Blanton had been the Phillies most consistent starter throughout the 2009 season. Blanton pitched mostly out of the bullpen so far this postseason, though he made the Game 4 start in the NLCS against the Dodgers. Many of the Yankee hitters are familiar with Blanton from his days with the Oakland A’s. Sabathia was good in his first start of the World Series, but was out-pitched by his former teammate. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts his game plan and how the Phillies hitters adjust to him. A key to Game 4 is how long Blanton goes in the game. It could be a game that is determined by the bullpens. Another key will be Carlos Ruiz. It will be Blanton’s first go-round against the Yankees in the playoffs and he’ll need to rely on Ruiz. Ruiz will also need to be big at the plate to turn the lineup over to the speed and power.

Game 5, and the final World Series game in Philly, has the Phillies sending Game 1 starter Cliff Lee probably up against Yankees Game 2 starter AJ Burnett. Will Burnett be just as dominant as he was in Game 2 or will his wild side re-emerge? The Phillies hitters need to adjust and jump on the fastball early in the count. How will the Yankees hitters react to seeing Lee a second time? A key will be Yankees catcher Jose Molina. He will need to keep Burnett’s emotions in check and to keep everything in the dirt in front of him. Molina will also need to produce at the plate or he may be the first move Girardi makes in terms of pinch-hitting. However, Girardi could go with Jorge Posada as the catcher to get more offense, but it would be sacrificing defense and stability with Burnett.

It will be interesting to see if Girardi gets Hideki Matsui some playing time in the outfield with the 3 games in Philly. He has been one of the Yankees best hitters of late (3-for-6 in the World Series so far) and I find it hard to believe that Girardi would only get him 3 at-bats as a pinch-hitter in the 3 games. We will find out how good of a manager Girardi really is as he’ll have to manage pinch-hitters and game situations, along with double-switches.

Tags:

AJ Burnett, Andy Pettitte, Carlos Ruiz, CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Hideki Matsui, Jayson Werth, Joe Blanton, Joe Girardi, Jose Molina, Phillies, World Series, Yankees

Late in the game, Phillies fans sit on the edge of their seats, eyes covered, and holding their breath. It takes awhile to breathe a sigh of relief (if at all). Why should the playoffs be any different?
Phillies 8, Dodgers 6: In the bottom of the 2nd inning, James Loney homered to give the Los Angeles Dodgers an early 1-0 lead. Dodger killer Carlos Ruiz hit a 3-run homer in the 5th inning to give the Phillies a 3-1 lead. Ruiz is continuing his hot hitting against the Dodgers (.600 average). Still in the 5th inning, Ryan Howard pulled a 2-run double into the right field corner to up the lead to 5-1. All of this came against Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw, who didn’t finish the 5th while walking five and giving up the five runs. With a four run lead, Phillies starter Cole Hamels got into trouble, but seemed to get out of it by inducing a double-play grounder by Andre Ethier. However, it was botched by Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley, allowing Russell Martin to score and Ethier advanced to second on Utley’s throwing error. Three pitches later, Manny Ramirez homered to make it 5-4. Hamels left with one out in the bottom of the 6th with two men on base, giving the ball to Chad Durbin, who got Martin to fly out. JA Happ came on to face the pinch-hitter Jim Thome, who walked to load the bases. Happ then got Rafael Furcal to ground out to end the inning. Chan Ho Park, who hadn’t pitched since September 16th, pitched a perfect 7th, getting Manny, Matt Kemp, and Casey Blake, after Antonio Bastardo gave up a leadoff double to Ethier. In the top of the 8th, the Dodgers went to lefty George Sherrill, who wasn’t very sharp. After two walks in the inning, Raul Ibanez connected on a 3-run homer to increase the Philadelphia Phillies lead to 8-4. These were huge insurance runs, as Ryan Madson again imploded in the bottom of the 8th, giving up 2 runs on 4 hits. However, the Dodgers could not get to Phillies closer Brad Lidge in the 9th, giving the Phillies a 1-0 series lead.

Dodgers 2, Phillies 1: Did anyone expect a pitcher’s duel between the two veterans, the Dodgers Vicente Padilla and the Phillies Pedro Martinez? That is exactly what happened in Game 2 in sunny, hot LA. Padilla reached his first 3-ball count with one out in the 8th inning. Padilla left after his one-out walk to Carlos Ruiz to a standing ovation from the home Dodger crowd. Padilla’s one mistake was an opposite field homerun to Ryan Howard to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead, which held up until the 8th. Dodger reliever Hong-Chih Kuo threw just two pitches, getting pinch-hitter Ben Francisco to ground into a double play to end the inning. The rust didn’t show for Pedro (he hadn’t pitched since September 30th), as he went 7 shutout innings, limiting the Dodgers to just two hits. However, the Phillies bullpen let him down in the 8th inning. Another botched double play by Chase Utley cost Pedro the win (and Chan Ho Park a run), tying the game at 1-1. JA Happ came in to face the lefty hitting Andre Ethier (Mr. Clutch), who coaxed a bases-loaded walk, driving in the winning run. The fifth pitcher of the inning, Chad Durbin threw one pitch, in on Manny Ramirez’ hands, getting him to pop up to finally end the bottom of the 8th inning. During the 8th inning, Phillies relievers combined to throw just 16 of their 31 pitches for strikes. Dodgers closer Jonathon Broxton made quick work of the Phillies in the top of the ninth. The Dodgers and Phillies are now tied at 1-1 heading to Philadelphia for Games 3-5 beginning on Sunday night.

Tags:

Andre Ethier, Carlos Ruiz, Clayton Kershaw, Cole Hamels, George Sherrill, LA Dodgers, NLCS, Pedro Martinez, Phillies, Raul Ibanez, Ryan Madson, Vicente Padilla

Angels 7, Red Sox 6: Angels players talked during the first days of the postseason that they’re a different club than years past and they don’t think about always losing to the Boston Red Sox in the postseason. Whether they thought about it or not, the monkey is off their backs as the Angels swept the Red Sox 3-0 to head to the league championship series.

Down by 3 heading into the 8th inning and facing the Red Sox combination of Billy Wagner and Jonathon Papelbon, the Angel came within one run, scoring three in the inning. They could have had more, but Papelbon picked off pinch-runner Reggie Willits to end the threat.

However, Angels reliever Kevin Jepsen allowed a run to score in the bottom of the 8th, increasing the lead to 6-4. With closer Jonathon Papelbon in the game, both players and fans were pretty confident there would be a Game 4. After getting two quick outs, Papelbon got into trouble.

After a single to Erick Aybar, he walked Chone Figgins, bringing up the most patient hitter in the game, Bobby Abreu. After fouling off pitches, Abreu ripped an RBI double off the Green Monster getting the Angels within a run.

The Red Sox chose to walk Torii Hunter intentionally and face Vladimir Guerrero. Guerrero ripped the first pitch he saw into centerfield for a 2-run single, giving the Angels a 7-6 lead, and ending Papelbon’s day. The three runs were the first postseason earned runs Papelbon had given up in his career. Los Angeles Dodgers closer Brian Fuentes pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, shocking Red Sox Nation and completing the Angels three game sweep.

Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz pitched well until the sixth inning, when he loaded the bases, but Daniel Bard and his 100 mph fastball got out of the inning. Angels starter Scott Kazmir pitched well in the 1st, 2nd, 5th, & 6th innings, but struggled in the 3rd &4th, giving up 5 runs. The Angels scored 5 runs off of Wagner and Papelbon, and scored 5 runs with 2 outs. The Angels will face the NY Yankees in the ALCS beginning on Friday.

Yankees 4, Twins 1: The baseball career of the Metrodome ended after Game 3 of the ALDS. The Twins, hoping for home-field advantage while playing the middle games at the Metrodome, got surprisingly dominant starting pitching from Carl Pavano, who matched Andy Pettitte zero for zero.

The announcers talked about who would be the first to falter, and Pettitte was, giving up a run in the bottom of the sixth. However the Yankees stormed back, getting solo homeruns by Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada in the top of the seventh, which proved to be the game winners.

The Twins had their chance to score in the bottom of the 8th inning, but Nick Punto went through his third base coach’s stop sign and then was thrown out at third while trying to scamper back. The Twins bullpen could not keep the game at 2-1, as 4 relievers combined to give up 2 runs in the 9th. The difference in the series was that the Yankees could get quick runs with the homerun (they hit six); while the Twins had to scratch and claw to get a run across (they had zero homeruns). The Yankees will meet the Angels in the ALCS beginning on Friday.

Phillies 6, Rockies 5: After the Saturday postponement, both teams were primed to break through the blistery cold weather. The Phillies scored first, off a 1st inning homerun by slumping Chase Utley. The Rockies answered in the bottom of the 1st with 2 runs on four hits, highlighted by a Garrett Atkins RBI single. Neither starting pitcher factored into the decision as the Phillies JA Happ only went 3 innings and allowing 3 runs, while Rockies starter Jason Hammel went into the 4th innings, allowing 4 runs as the Phillies had a 3-run 4th highlighted by a Carlos Ruiz RBI single.

In the bottom of the 4th off of Joe Blanton, the red-hot Carlos Gonzalez (who had another 3 hits in the game) crushed a homerun to tie the game at 4. Ruiz hurt the Rockies again by getting an RBI single in the 6th, giving the Philadelphia Phillies a 5-4 lead. The Rockies in the 7th got a sacrifice fly from Troy Tulowitzki, as he just missed a 3-run homer off of Ryan Madson, to tie the game at 5.

This could have been a big inning for the Rockies as Madson entered with runners on first and third with no one out. He came in to strike out Todd Helton, gave up the sacrifice fly, and struck out Yorvit Torrealba to end the inning. In the top of the 9th inning, the Phillies got to Rockies closer Huston Street, as he was not sharp, giving up a sacrifice fly to Ryan Howard, giving the Phillies a 6-5 lead. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel elected to go with Bad Lidge to close out the game. After getting the first hitter to ground out, he walked Gonzalez, who proceeded to steal second base.

However, Lidge came back to strike out pinch-hitter Jason Giambi, but then walked Todd Helton. With the winning run on first base, Lidge got Tulowitzki to fly out to end the game. It was a hard fought win for the Phillies, as their bullpen outlasted the Rockies. The walks (eight of them) by Rockies pitchers came back to haunt them as three of them scored and a bases-loaded walk forced in a run in the 4th inning. Game 4 will be Monday night in Denver, with Phillies Game 1 starter Cliff Lee going up against Rockies Game 1 starter Ubaldo Jimenez.

Tags:

Andy Pettitte, Angels, Billy Wagner, Bobby Abreu, Brian Fuentes, Carl Pavano, Carlos Gonzalez, Clay Buchholz, Garrett Atkins, Jason Hammel, Jonathon Papelbon, Kevin Jepsen, Phillies, Red Sox, Reggie Willits, Rockies, Scott Kazmir, Torii Hunter

Yesterday, the stars were aligned just right.  Every now and then when picking MLB, that happens.  Our 9-3 Monday will be hard to duplicate tonight, but if you had played our card, you would be smiling this morning!

Today’s card is a bit more difficult.

Check our How To Bet MLB page.

Phillies @ Atlanta – 1900 – Blanton v Lowe – Lowe getting rocked lately and the Phillies still have some punch.  Phillies win.

Red Sox @ Orioles – 1905 – Smoltz v Hill -  A tough one.  Smoltz is a wild card.  Don’t believe he is recovered.  Hill gives up some runs, but take the O’s.

Chisox @ Indians – 1905 – Richard v Lee – Chisox on roll, Indians falling hard.  Stick with White Sox.

Seattle @ NY Yankees – 1905 – Morrow v Chamberlain – Seattle does not go down easily.  Yankee bats prevail.

Cubs @ Pirates – 1905 – Lilly v Ohlendorf – Two teams that are not very good.  Fighting Cubs are less bad.  Take Chicago.

Tampa @ Toronto – 1910 – Garza v Richmond – Garza stuff gets it done tonight.  Tampa surging.  Bet the Rays.

Arizona @ Cincy – 1910 – Haren v Arroyo – Not sure why but it feels like a Reds night.  Arroyo bounces back.  Take Reds.

Nats @ Marlins – 1910 – Stammen v West – Marlins in drive mode.  Moving up the ladder.  Too much for Nats.  Marlins win.

Mets @ Brewers – 2005 – Santana v Burns – As bad as the Mets are, it is tough to bet against Santana.  Go with Mets.

Angels @ Rangers – 2005 – Saunders v Feldman – Rangers sinking, Angels rocking.  Stick with LA Angels.

Twins @ Royals – 2010 – Baker v Bannister – Royals get another one.  Three in row.  Royals win at home.

Giants @ Cards – 2015 – Johnson v Carpenter – day’s best game.  Carpenter is better than Johnson.  Cards win.

Tigers @ A’s – 2205 – Galarraga v Gonzalez – Tigers are floundering.  The do not seem to know how to win.  Tigers back on track tonight.  Detroit wins.

Astros @ Padres – 2205 – Hampton v Banks – Hampton has good outing.  Astros win.

Rockies @ Dodgers – 2210 – Marquis v Billingsley – Time for Billingsley to show he is Grade AAA beef.  Needs to throw less pitches.  Dodgers bullpen getting worn down.  Stick with Dodgers until Rockies show they can get the job done.

Tags:

Arizona, Astros, Atlanta, Chisox, Cubs, Dodgers, Indians, Marlins, Mets, NY Yankees, Orioles, Padres, Phillies, Pirates, Rangers, Red Sox, Rockies, Seattle

Milwaukee Brewers Prince Fielder reacts after hitting a game-winning hit during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants.jpg

Yesterday 9-6.

A tough slate today. AL still dominating. In close games, we stay with form until a reversal shows.

Looking to put a little spice into today’s game? Check out Oddsmaker.com. Americans welcome! At Oddsmakers, it is all sports all the time.

Reds @ Indians – 1300 – Owings v Huff – Should be high scoring game. Go with the home tea. Indians is slugfest.

Phillies – Jays – 1300 – Moyer v Tallett – Phillies hitting, Jays have better pitcher today. Take the Jays.

Bosox – Braves – 1330 – Penny v Hanson – Hanson throwing hard – Bosox hitting, Penny getting it done – Go with pitching – Braves in surprise.

Nats – O’s – 1335 – Lannan v Hernandez – Nats put their ace out today but O’s on roll. Take O’s at home.

Royals – Pirates – 1335 – Greinke v Morton – You cannot bet against the ERA king. Take Royals and make some hay.

Marlins – Rays – 1338 – Miller v Price – Two 6 foot 7 inch hurlers go at it in Tampa. We like the Rays but a close one.

Cubs – Chisox – 1405 – Zambrano v Danks – No wonder Pinella’s a wreck. Zambrano and Bradley combo? Get rid of one, better yet, both! If everyone feels like playing, Cubs win.

Giants – Brewers – 1405 – Sadowski v Suppan – Two teams playing hard. Going to stay with hometeam. Brewers again.

Tigers – Astros – 1405 – Jackson v Ortiz – Good pitching matchup here. Going with the younger chucker. Jackson outduels Ortiz. Tigers win.

Twins – Cards – 1405 – Liriano v Pineiro – Twins get good pitching. Twins snap back.

Rockies – A’s – 1605 – Cook v Mazzaro – Rockies refusing to lose. Picking the upset today. Taking A’s but a tough one.

Mariners – Dodgers – 1610 – Olson v Kuroda – Kuroda settles things down out west. Dodgers backtracking a bit. LA starts another run with win here.

Angels – Diamondbacks – 161- – Palmer v Scherzer – Light hitting Diamonmdbacks need some clutch hits. Angels too much for Arizona. Take Angels.

Padres – Rangers – 2005 – Gaudin v Hunter – Rangers snap out of it in big way today.

Yankees – Mets – 2005 – Wang v Hrenandez – Can Wang record a win? This could be best chance. Yankees outscore Mets.

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The American league East Reigns

Major League Baseball’s best division, The AL East, continues its mastery of the National League and paved the way to the American League’s 10 wins Wednesday night. It was “Happy Days are Here Again” for the AL and especially for the American League East with four of the division’s five teams registering decisive wins before the big crowds that follow the division wherever they travel.

Red Sox 3, Nationals 2

Nationals Park has 41, 530 fans there but the majority were rooting for the league leading Red Sox (44-27) as the visitors rode a three run home run by David Ortiz and a 2 run shot by Jason Varitek to outscore Washington 6-4.

John Lester recorded the win and Jonathon Papelbon recorded his 17th save.

Ortiz flagged a 2 out changeup with 2 on in the fourth to ignite the Red Sox offense. The Bosox now lead the AL East by 5 games.


Yankees 4, Braves 2

The Yankees (39-32) ended a string of 14 scoreless innings after Manager Joe Girardi was tossed from the game when rookie catcher Francesco Cervelli hit his first major league homerun in the sixth inning. The slumping A Rod (.210) finally got a clutch hit, smashing an 0-2 pitch from Kris Medlen (2-3) in to right center and plating 2 runs.

Jaba Chamberlain pitch 6.1 strong innings, striking out 5 and walking nine in recording his 4th win (402). All Star reliever Mariano Rivera notched his 16 save to seal the win. In a rare appearance at the plate, Rivera lined out in the 9th.

Blue Jays 8, Reds 2

Toronto (40-33) took the mystery out of this early as Aaron Hill, Adam Lind and Vernon Wells all homered in the first inning off shell-shocked Bronson Arroyo. It was Toronto’s third straight win.

Scott Richmond recorded his 6th win for the homestanding Jays.

Rays 7 – Phillies 1

In another faceoff between last year’s league winners, the homestanding Rays (38-35) chalked up a 5-run 8th inning to boost Matt Garza (5-5) past the Champion Phillies.

Ex-Phillie slugger Pat Burrell got Tampa started with a 2 run shot in the second and Quniton McCracken extend his 18 game hitting streak with an RBI single in the 8th.

Marlins 5, Orioles 2

On a hot night in Miami, Ricky Nolasco continued to show winning form after two weeks in the minors with his 4th consecutive strong outing. The Marlins have now won four straight and have handed the Orioles (32-39) their second loss following a five game winning streak.

Nolasco only surrendered tow unearned runs. Dan Meyer notched his first save in relief. Cody Ross had three hits for Miami.

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Tags:

American League, Blue Jays, Braves, Marlins, Nationals, Orioles, Phillies, Rays, Red Sox, Reds, Yankees