5/29 Baseball

Today we have a full slate on the schedule, as well as an additional game with the Red Sox and Tigers playing a pair. We lead off with the first half of the doubleheader, and the second will be near the end.

Comerica Park: Detroit Tigers hosting the Boston Red Sox in the first game of the doubleheader. On the mound are Clay Buchholz and Andy Oliver. Boston drew first blood with Adrian Gonzalez's sacrifice fly leading to Jacoby Ellsbury scoring. The Red Sox added on in the second inning with a solo home run by Mike Cameron. Boston got another solo shot in the third, this time by Dustin Pedroia. Detroit got on the board with a solo home run by Andy Dirks in the fourth. Brennan Boesch tacked on his own solo shot in the sixth for the Tigers, and they tied it with a Jhonny Peralta single to score Miguel Cabrera. The Red Sox took a 4-3 lead in the ninth with a pinch-hit solo shot by David Ortiz, enough to win the game. Matt Albers got the win, Jose Valverde took the loss, and Jonathan Papelbon closed out for the save. Cameron and Dirks were the top batters. Scroll down for the second game in the doubleheader.

Rogers Centre: Toronto Blue Jays welcome the Chicago White Sox. Pitching today are John Danks and Ricky Romero. Chicago struck first with a solo home run by Carlos Quentin. Toronto replied with a Jose Bautista single to tie it as Yunel Escobar crossed the plate, took the lead on a grand slam by Aaron Hill, also scoring Corey Patterson, Bautista, and J.P. Arencibia, and supplementing the lead with Edwin Encarnacion's solo shot. The White Sox got one back with Paul Konerko's single driving in Juan Pierre. The Blue Jays added on with Escobar singling home Rajai Davis before Patterson lifted a two-run homer to finish Escobr's trip. Toronto kept it up in the fifth as Jayson Nix doubled Encarnacion and Davis in, before Patterson singled to finish his trip. Arencibia helped the Blue Jays cause in the sixth on a single to bring in Juan Rivera. Chicago added on a two-run homer by Ramon Castro, also scoring Alex Rios. The final would have the Blue Jays up 13-4, with Romero taking the win and Danks taking the loss. Castro and Patterson are the top batters. The Blue Jays took the series 3-1.

Citi Field: The New York Mets host the Philadelphia Phillies. Vance Worley and Jonathon Niese take the ball to pitch. New York replied with a Justin Turner groundout that allowed Jose Reyes to reach home, followed by Angel Pagan reaching base and Jason Bay scoring on a Jimmy Rollins error, Josh Thole singling in Daniel Murphy, and Ruben Tejada's single to finish the trip by Pagan. The Mets added on with Murphy singling home Carlos Beltran, Pagan doing the same for Bay and Thole doubling in both Murphy and Pagan. Philadelphia answered in the third with Placido Polanco singling in Dane Sardinha. New York went back at it with Reyes tripling Thole home in the fifth. The Phillies got another run with a solo shot by Raul Ibanez, followed by Sardinha doubling in Ben Francisco, and Dominic Brown finishing Sardinha's trip with a single. In the ninth, Philadelphia cut the score to 9-5 with a Francisco double scoring Ibanez, but it wouldn't be enough and Worley would suffer the loss while Niese grabbed the win. Sardinha and Reyes were the top hitters. The Phillies still took the series 2-1.

Nationals Park: The Washington Nationals host the San Diego Padres. The starters today are Dustin Moseley and Yunesky Maya. Washington opened with Jayson Werth singling in Roger Bernadina, and followed with Laynce Nix's sacrifice fly to score Ian Desmond. San Diego started scoring in the fourth with a Ryan Ludwick single to knock in Jason Bartlett. The Padres added on with the fifth inning single by Brad Hawpe to force in Logan Forsythe and Bartlett both, and Chase Headley doubling in Ludwick. The Nationals replied with Bernadina doubling in Rick Ankiel. Washington tied it with Michael Morse reaching on a fielder's choice and Werth coming home to score. San Diego took a 5-4 lead with Ludwick's single allowing Jorge Cantu to come home. This was the final, and Luke Gregerson got the win, Drew Storen suffered the loss, and Heath Bell closed out for a save. Ludwick and Werth were the best batters. The Padres took the series 2-1.

Tropicana Field: The Tampa Bay Rays welcome in the Cleveland Indians. Justin Masterson and Jeremy Hellickson will oppose each other. Tampa Bay opened the scoring in the third with Johnny Damon singling in Reid Brignac and Evan Longoria dashing home on a passed ball. The Rays added on with a two-run homer from John Jaso in the fourth, also scoring B.J. Upton. Tampa Bay kept going in the fifth on a Ben Zobrist groundout to score Longoria, and Sam Fuld singling in Damon, followed by Sean Rodriguez coming home on an error. The final was 7-0, with Hellickson winning and Masterson losing. The top hitters were Travis Buck and Jaso. Tampa Bay took the series 2-1.

Minute Maid Park: The Houston Astros hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks. Josh Collmenter and J.A. Happ go to the mound today. Houston opened with Jeff Keppinger scoring on a balk. In the fifth, Astros pitcher Happ added on with a solo home run. Arizona entered the scoring in the sixth on a Chris Young sacrifice fly to bring in Justin Upton. The Diamondbacks got the lead in the eighth with Xavier Nady doubling in both Ryan Roberts and Young, followed by Juan Miranda's single to finish the trip around for Nady. The final would be 4-2 Arizona, with Aaron Heilman winning, Jeff Fulchino taking the loss, and J.J. Putz converting the save. Nady and Happ were the best hitters. The Diamondbacks swept 3-0 for the series.

Miller Park: The Milwaukee Brewers host the San Francisco Giants. Aces Matt Cain and Yovani Gallardo will pitch. Milwaukee opened with Ryan Braun singling in Rickie Weeks, and Casey McGehee doing the same for Nyjer Morgan. The Brewers added on with a third inning Prince Fielder single, scoring Braun. Weeks helped Milwaukee out in the sixth with a two-RBI double to bring in Yuniesky Betancourt and Gallardo. The Brewers kept it up in the seventh with Fielder's single allowing Braun to score. The final would be 6-0, with Gallardo winning and Cain losing. Freddy Sanchez and Weeks were the best hitters. The Brewers took the series 2-1.

Target Field: The Minnesota Twins play host to the Anaheim Angels. Dan Haren will oppose Carl Pavano. Minnesota opened with a single by Jason Kubel to drive home Denard Span. Anaheim got the lead in the third with Erick Aybar's two-RBI triple to knock home Alexi Amarista and Jeff Mathis, and he scored on a Trevor Plouffe error. Minnesota replied with Justin Morneau singling in Alexi Casilla. The Angels answered back with a fifth inning Aybar single to score Mathis. The Twins pulled closer with a Casilla groundout leading to Plouffe scoring. Anaheim replied with a Bobby Abreu double to score Aybar. Mark Trumbo added one more run for the Angels with a solo home run. The Twins got a run back with Span singling in Matt Tolbert, followed by Morneau singling in Span, but it would only wind up creating a 6-5 loss. Haren won, Pavano lost, and Jordan Walden picked up a sloppy save. Aybar and Morneau were the best hitters. The Angels took the series 2-1.

Wrigley Field: The Chicago Cubs welcome the Pittsburgh Pirates. Jeff Karstens and Ryan Dempster are pitching. Pittsburgh led off after a long delay with Lyle Overbay doubling in both Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker. Chicago answered with a solo home run by Aramis Ramirez and Koyie Hill sacrificing to score Carlos Pena. The Cubs took the lead with Starlin Castro sacrificing himself to score Kosuke Fukudome. The final was 3-2 Chicago, with Karstens losing, Dempster winning, and Carlos Marmol converting the save. Overbay and Ramirez were deemed best hitters. Pittsburgh took the series 2-1.

Rangers Ballpark in Arlington: The Texas Rangers play host to the Kansas City Royals. On the mound are Danny Duffy and Alexi Ogando. Texas got going in the second with Mike Napoli doubling in Michael Young. The Rangers added on with a solo home run by Ian Kinsler in the third inning. Kansas City got on the board with Wilson Betemit doubling in the fourth to drive in Melky Cabrera, Mitch Maier singling in Billy Butler, and Brayan Pena wiping the bases clean with a three run shot, scoring Betemit and Maier. Texas got a run back with Napoli launching a solo shot. The Rangers tied it in the eighth on a two-run homer from Young, also driving in Andres Blanco. The Royals retook the lead as Alcides Escobar hit a sacrifice fly to bring around Chris Getz. Texas tied it back up with a solo home run by Nelson Cruz, and won it 7-6 on Elvis Andrus single that brought home Napoli. Greg Holland had a hold before Aaron Crow and Joakim Soria both blew saves, Soria's being the loss. Arthur Rhodes picked up the win. Pena and Napoli were the top batters. Texas took the series 2-1. 

Coors Field: The Colorado Rockies host the St. Louis Cardinals. Kyle Lohse and Jhoulys Chacin get the ball to pitch. St. Louis led off with Jon Jay's two run homer to score Ryan Theriot, and Yadier Molina singling home Lance Berkman. Colorado got on the board with Eric Young's sacrifice fly to bring home Chris Iannetta. The Cardinals replied in the fourth with a solo home run by Cobly Rasmus.The Rockies got a run back as Ty Wigginton doubled in Todd Helton. Young snagged another run for Colorado by singling to knock around Ryan Spilborghs, but St. Louis held on to win 4-3. Lohse picks up the win, Chacin takes the loss, and Fernando Salas converts the save. Rasmus and Wigginton were the top hitters. The Cardinals took the series 2-1.

Overstock.com Coliseum: The Oakland Atheltics play host to the Baltimore Orioles. Zach Britton and Guillermo Moscoso are pitching. Oakland led off with a Josh Willingham single to bring around Daric Barton. Baltimore opened the floodgates with Felix Pie singling in J.J. Hardy, Nolan Reimold walking to force in Mark Reynolds, Nick Markakis grounding out to score Robert Andino, and Vladimir Guerrero doing the same to finish Pie's trip. The Athletics got one back with Conor Jackson singling home Cliff Pennington, followed by Willingham's three-run homer to score Coco Crisp and Jackson as well in the bottom of the fifth. Oakland added on to their lead with Barton's sacrifice fly to bring home Mark Ellis. The final would be 6-4 for the Athletics, giving Moscoso the win, Britton the loss, and Brian Fuentes collected the save. Oakland swept the series 3-0.

Safeco Field: The Seattle Mariners welcome the New York Yankees. CC Sabathia and Jason Vargas get the starts. New York opened in the second with a solo home run by Nick Swisher. The Yankees added on with a third inning Robinson Cano single knocking in Curtis Granderson, Andruw Jones' three-run double to score Alex Rodriguez, Cano, and Swisher, and Eduardo Nunez tripling in Jones. New York added on in the fourth with Mark Teixeira singling in Granderson. Seattle got on the board in the sixth with a solo home run by Justin Smoak. The final stood 7-1 New York, with Sabathia winning and Vargas losing. Granderson and Smoak were the best batters. Seattle took the series 2-1.

Dodger Stadium: The Los Angeles Dodgers host the Florida Marlins. On the mound are aces Ricky Nolasco and Clayton Kershaw. Los Angeles opened with a two-run homer by Rafael Furcal, also scoring Kershaw, followed by Jay Gibbons singling in Andre Ethier, and Dioner Navarro doing the same for Matt Kemp, all in the third inning. The Dodgers added on with Kershaw's fielder's choice leading to a Gibbons run, and Furcal singling in Navarro, followed by Casey Blake's two-RBI single to score Kershaw and Furcal. The 8-0 score would be the final, with Nolasco losing and Kershaw throwing a two-hit complete game for the win. Logan Morrison and Furcal were the top batters. The Dodgers took the series 2-1.

Comerica Park: The Detroit Tigers set up for game two of the day against the Boston Red Sox. Aces Josh Beckett and Justin Verlander will get the ball. Detroit led off with Brennan Boesch doubling in Andy Dirks before coming full circle on a Miguel Cabrera single. Don Kelly padded the Tigers lead with a single to score Cabrera, producing the 3-0 final that gave Verlander the win, Beckett the loss, and Jose Valverde the save. J.D. Drew and Cabrera were the best hitters. Boston took the series 3-1.

Turner Field: The last game of the day has the Atlanta Braves hosting the Cincinnati Reds. Johnny Cueto and Jair Jurrjens are on the mound. Cincinnati struck first with a second inning solo home run by Jay Bruce. Atlanta took the lead with a two-run Martin Prado homer, also scoring Jordan Schafer. This would decide the game, with the Braves winning 2-1, Jurrjens picking up the win, Cueto taking a complete game loss, and Craig Kimbrel making the save. Bruce and Prado were the top hitters.