Another day of relatively live baseball coverage. We start back east in...
Baltimore, with the Orioles hosting the Tampa Bay Rays. Jeremy Hellickson and Jeremy Guthrie pitched. Tampa Bay opened early with a first inning Evan Longoria double to bring in Ben Zobrist. Longoria added a three-run tater in the third inning which scored both John Jaso and Zobrist. The Rays added on three more runs when B.J. Upton went yard to bring around Johnny Damon and Matt Joyce. Damon knocked Zobrist in with a double in the sixth inning for Tampa Bay. Baltimore got on the board with a Nick Markakis single driving in Mark Reynolds. The Orioles got an extra run to make it an 8-2 loss with Markakis' sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth, scoring Robert Andino. Guthrie took the loss, and Hellickson picked up the win. The top batters were Upton (3-5, 1 HR, 3 RBI) and Markakis (3-4, 2 RBI)
Over to Boston, with the Red Sox hosting the Minnesota Twins. Brian Duensing and Clay Buchholz started, but Duensing was replaced by Kevin Slowey after a rain delay in the second inning. Boston struck first with a Jed Lowrie single in the first inning to bring around Jacoby Ellsbury. The Red Sox tacked on a run in the third inning with Kevin Youkilis singling home Adrian Gonzalez. Boston did some more in the eighth inning with Ellsbury hitting a two-RBI single to score both Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Carl Crawford. The final would stand at 4-0, giving Buchholz the win and Duensing the loss. Michael Cuddyer (2-4) and Ellsbury (2-5, 2 RBI) would be the top hitters.
Over to Chicago, with the Cubs hosting the Cincinnati Reds. Bronson Arroyo and Casey Coleman played from the mound. Chicago was on the board first with a fourth inning solo home run by Blake DeWitt. Cincinnati got on the board in the seventh inning with pinch-hit by Fred Lewis, grounding into the fielder's choice to bring home Chris Heisey. Lewis would go on to score when Drew Stubbs singled later that inning. The Cubs took the lead back after a Carlos Pena solo home run and Kosuke Fukudome single to bring around DeWitt. The 3-2 win had Logan Ondrusek of the Reds get a hold, before Francisco Cordero blew the save and lost, which came after Kerry Wood previously blew a save, allowing Marcos Mateo to take the win. Stubbs (1-3, 1 RBI) and Pena (3-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI) were the top hitters.
North to Toronto, with the Blue Jays hosting the Detroit Tigers. Aces Justin Verlander and Ricky Romero are opposing each other. Detroit opened the scoring in the third inning with a bases-loaded walk to Scott Sizemore, forcing in Alex Avila, followed by Brandon Inge coming in on a wild pitch, and Magglio Ordonez's groundout allowing time for Austin Jackson to cross home. The Tigers added on in the fourth inning with Jhonny Peralta nailing a solo home run, followed by a two-run shot from Avila, also scoring Ryan Raburn. Detroit kept it up in the fifth with a Victor Martinez single knocking in Miguel Cabrera. The Tigers added on in the ninth with Martinez singling in Inge, followed by Peralta doing the same for Sizemore. The final stood at 9-0 with Verlander turning in a no-hitter, 1 walk victory, sticking a loss on Romero. Peralta (2-5, 1 HR, 2 RBI) was the lone best batter, as everyone sucked equally for Toronto.
Back to the Midwest, with the St. Louis Cardinals hosting the Milwaukee Brewers. Yovani Gallardo and Kyle Lohse took to the mound. Milwaukee opened the scoring in the top of the third with Casey McGehee's double to drive home Prince Fielder. The Brewers added on in the ninth with a triple by Carlos Gomez, bringing around both McGehee and Mark Kotsay, before finishing his trip around on a Yunieskey Betancourt sacrifice fly. This made it a 4-0 game, giving Gallardo a win and Lohse the loss. Gomez (2-3, 2 RBI) and Daniel Descalso (1-2) were the top hitters.
To Philadelphia, with the Phillies hosting the Atlanta Braves. Julio Teheran and Kyle Kendrick are designated to pitch. Philadelphia got on the board first with Pete Orr hitting a fielder's choice to bring in Ben Francisco. The Phillies added on with a solo home run by Ryan Howard. Shane Victorino also helped Philadelphia's cause with a triple to knock in Jimmy Rollins. The final was 3-0 Phillies, with Kendrick taking the win, Ryan Madson converting the save, and Teheran being stuck with the loss.
Staying in Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Pirates host the Houston Astros. Bud Norris and Charlie Morton are handed the ball. Pittsburgh led off in the second with Lyle Overbay's solo shot and an Andrew McCutchen double that scored both Chris Snyder and Ronny Cedeno. Houston got on the board in the eighth with Carlos Lee's single, driving home Michael Bourn. The Pirates replied in the bottom of the inning with a Brandon Wood double scoring Jose Tabata and Neil Walker, followed by Snyder scoring on a wild pitch. Pittsburgh would take the game 6-1. Norris was the loser, while Morton got the win and Jose Veras grabbed a hold. Bourn (2-4) and McCutchen (2-4, 2 RBI) were the best batters.
Down the coast to Florida, with the Marlins hosting the Washington Nationals. Tom Gorzelanny and Chris Volstad are the pitchers. Washington opened with Adam LaRoche singling in both Roger Bernadina and Ian Desmond. Florida tied it in the second with a two-run John Buck homer, bringing in Mike Stanton. The Nationals regained the lead in the fifth with Jayson Werth hitting a sacrifice fly, allowing Desmond to dash home. Washington added another run when Matt Stairs reached on an error, and Jerry Hairston, Jr. dashed safely home, followed by a Desmond sacrifice fly to score Danny Espinosa. This would make the final 5-2, with Gorzelanny getting the win, Drew Storen converting the save, and Volstad taking the loss. Desmond (2-4, 1 RBI) and Buck (1-3, 1 HR, 1 RBI) got the top hitter awards.
Westward to Kansas City, with the Royals bringing in the Oakland Athletics. Brandon McCarthy and Luke Hochevar are on the mound. Kansas City drew first blood in the sixth inning with Melky Cabrera singling in Matt Treanor, Alex Gordon doing the same for Alcides Escobar, and Billy Butler sacrificing himself for Cabrera to come home. Oakland tied it with a three-run homer by Cliff Pennington, driving home Andy LaRoche and Ryan Sweeney. The Royals snagged the win at 4-3 with a sacrifice fly by Mike Aviles, allowing Jarrod Dyson safe passage home. McCarthy was stuck with a complete game loss, Aaron Crow was designated with a blown save, but Joakin Soria came in and snagged the win. Pennington (1-3, 1 HR, 3 RBI) and Cabrera (1-4, 1 RBI) took the top hitting honors.
Into New York City, with the Mets hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jon Garland and Chris Young will be pitching. New York opened with Josh Thole's sacrifice fly to score Ike Davis, followed by Jason Pridie reaching home on a Jose Reyes single. Los Angeles replied with Dioner Novarro hitting a solo home run. The Dodgers tied it with an Aaron Miles single to knock in Jamey Carroll. The Mets took the lead with pinch-hitter Justin Turner's two run single, driving in both Jason Bay and Pridie. New York would hold on to down the Dodgers 4-2, giving the loss to Mike MacDougal, the win to Tim Byrdak, and the save to Francisco Rodriguez. Carroll (3-3) and Pridie (3-3) were the top hitters.
Down to Texas, with the Rangers hosting the New York Yankees. Bartolo Colon and Derek Holland get the starting nods. Texas opened with a solo home run in the first inning by Michael Young. The Rangers added on with another solo shot, from David Murphy, a Julio Borbon triple bringing in Mitch Moreland and Chris Davis, and Ian Kinsler sacrificing himself for Borbon to come home all in the second inning. New York got in the game with a single by Mark Teixeira, knocking in Derek Jeter before a 3-RBI triple from Robinson Cano, scoring Curtis Granderson, Teixeira, and Alex Rodriguez. A solo home run by Nick Swisher in the sixth tied it for the Yankees. Texas got back to work in the bottom of the sixth, as Borbon sacrificed himself to score Moreland, followed by Young's single, allowing safe passage for Davis to come home. The Rangers held on after this to win 7-5, handing Boone Logan the loss, securing a win for Arthur Rhodes, a hold for Darren Oliver, and a save was converted by Neftali Feliz. Cano (1-4, 3 RBI) and Young (4-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI) were the best of the batters.
Westward some more to San Diego, where the Padres host the Arizona Diamondbacks. Daniel Hudson and Dustin Moseley will be the pitchers. Arizona led off with Stephen Drew singling and a subsequent error by Eric Patterson leading to Ryan Roberts scoring in the first. The Diamondbacks added on in the third with Drew singling in Chris Young, Melvin Mora doing the same for Roberts, and Juan Miranda grounding out but allowing Drew passage to the plate. Arizona continued in the fourth with a two-run Justin Upton homer, benefiting Roberts once again. This would give the Diamondbacks the edge over the Padres, by a 6-0 margin. Hudson got the win and Moseley took the loss. Upton (1-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI) and Brad Hawpe (1-3) were the best hitters.
Out west to Anaheim, with the Angels hosting the Cleveland Indians. Alex White and Jered Weaver were given the ball to pitch. Anaheim opened with a two-run blast by Vernon Wells, bringing around Howie Kendrick. Cleveland answered in the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly by Orlando Cabrera, bringing in Carlos Santana. The Indians took the lead with a fifth inning, two-RBI double by Shin-Soo Choo, knocking in both Grady Sizemore and Asdrubal Cabrera, followed by Choo scoring on a Santana single. The Angels got within one on a Wells sacrifice fly, allowing passage for Torii Hunter, but managed no more runs and lost 4-3. White picked up the win, Tony Sipp and Vinnie Pestano had holds, and Chris Perez converted the save, while Weaver was dinged for the loss. Choo (2-4, 2 RBI) and Wells (1-3, 1 HR, 3 RBI) were the best hitters.
North to San Francisco, with the Giants welcoming the Colorado Rockies. Clayton Mortenson and Madison Bumgarner were given the starting nods. San Francisco opened with a Buster Posey groundout that allowed Aaron Rowand time to score. Freddy Sanchez added on for the Giants with a double that brought around Miguel Tejada. Colorado tied the game in the seventh with a Todd Helton two-RBI single, the two runs being Alfredo Amezaga and Carlos Gonzalez. San Francisco would take the game in the bottom of the ninth with a Mike Fontenot sacrifice fly, scoring Rowand for a 3-2 win. Felipe Paulino was stuck with the loss, while Brian Wilson was credited with the win. Helton (1-4, 2 RBI) and Sanchez (3-5, 1 RBI) were named top hitters.
We wrap up Saturday in Seattle, with the Mariners hosting the Chicago White Sox. Gavin Floyd and Doug Fister were the pitchers. Chicago got the first runs in the first inning with a Paul Konerko single, knocking in Adam Dunn before getting caught at second base. The White Sox struck again in the fifth inning with Juan Pierre getting beaned, forcing in Alex Rios, followed by a sacrifice fly by Dunn, which drove home Gordon Beckham. Beckham drove in the next run, a sixth inning single that allowed Rios to come home, and this was followed by Brent Morel's double, which finished the trip around for Beckham. Chicago wrapped the game up 6-0 in the ninth with Mark Teahen's single, scoring the speedy Pierre. Floyd got the win and Fister was pinned with the loss. Morel (3-4, 1 RBI) and Ichiro (2-4) were the best hitters.
For those of you looking for the Sunday games, they will not get a full post due to time constraints, but can be found here.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
Baseball 5/6
Another day of me actually covering baseball has to be a surprise for anyone still reading here. But we do start off with a bunch of fresh, new series today, which begin in the...
Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field, Chicago, where the Cubs host the Cincinnati Reds. Edinson Volquez opposes Matt Garza from the mound. Chicago opened with Garza scoring on a passed ball. Cincinnati replied with a three-run tater from Jay Bruce, also bringing in Edgar Renteria and Joey Votto. The Cubs came back with Geovany Soto's grounding into a double play, allowing Alfonso Soriano to reach home. The Reds replied once more with Votto singling to score Paul Janish and Brandon Phillips doing the same for Renteria. Chicago got one run back with Aramis Ramirez singling in Darwin Barney. The Cubs made it 5-4 in the sixth inning with Soto's RBI single driving in Marlon Byrd, but the game was scoreless from there on and Cincinnati held on to win. Volquez had the win, Sam LeCure and Nick Masset had holds, and Francisco Cordero closed out for a save, while Garza suffered another loss. Bruce (1-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI) and Byrd (2-4) took the honors of top hitting.
Over to Pittsburgh, with the Pirates hosting the Houston Astros. Wandy Rodriguez and Paul Maholm are the starters. Houston led off the first inning with a Hunter Pence sacrifice fly to drive in Jason Bourgeois. Pittsburgh got on the board in the fifth with a Brandon Wood double knocking in Lyle Overbay. The Pirates took the lead with a seventh inning Neil Walker solo home run. The Astros tied it back up with a Pence double to score Michael Bourn, followed by a Carlos Lee single to finish Pence's trip around the bases. The final would have the Astros up 3-2, giving Rodriguez a win and Mark Melancon a save, while Chris Resop took the loss. Pence (2-4, 2 RBI) and Wood (2-3, 1 RBI) were the best batters.
Into Maryland, where the Baltimore Orioles host the Tampa Bay Rays. James Shields and Zach Britton oppose each other from the mound. Tampa Bay opened the scoring in the second inning with B.J. Upton's RBI double bringing in Evan Longoria, before Brandon Guyer went over the wall for a two-run shot, completing Upton's trot around the bases. Baltimore got on the board with a sixth inning solo home run by Derrek Lee. Casey Kotchman got the run back for the Rays with his single that brought in Longoria. Tampa Bay extended the lead with a two-run homer by Johnny Damon, also scoring Ben Zobrist. The Orioles added on a run with Luke Scott's double to score Vladimir Guerrero, but they would lose 6-2. Shields was the winner and Britton had the loss. Guyer (1-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI) and Lee (1-3, 1 HR, 1 RBI) had top batter status.
Back to Pennsylvania, with the Philadelphia Phillies hosting the Atlanta Braves. Derek Lowe and Cliff Lee got the starting orders. Atlanta opened the scoring in the third inning with a Chipper Jones single to score Alex Gonzalez, Brian McCann doubling in Jones, and Dan Uggla bringing McCann back around home. The Braves stuck in the dagger with a Martin Prado single to score Jason Heyward and Gonzalez singling in Prado before getting caught trying to make it to second. This produced a 5-0 Atlanta victory, with Lowe snatching the win, Eric O'Flaherty and Johnny Venters getting saves, and Lee taking the loss. Gonzalez (3-5, 1 RBI) and Placido Polanco (1-3) took top batting honors.
Going north of the border, the Toronto Blue Jays host the Detroit Tigers. Phil Coke and Jesse Litsch get the nod. Toronto opened with a first inning Adam Lind single knocking in the speedy Rajai Davis, followed by Juan Rivera batting in Yunel Escobar with a single, and J.P. Arencibia doing the same for Lind. The Blue Jays did some more damage in the third with Arencibia's double scoring Rivera. Jhonny Peralta put Detroit on the board with a groundout to allow Victor Martinez safe passage home. Toronto got a boost with a solo home run by Lind in the seventh inning. The Blue Jays padded their lead with a two-RBI double from Corey Patterson, knocking in Edwin Encarnacion and Mike McCoy. The Tigers got to work in the top of the ninth with Brandon Inge doubling in both Ryan Raburn and Peralta, before Scott Sizemore's single allowed Inge to come home. This would not be enough, as Toronto got a 7-4 win, with Litsch earning the win, Frank Francisco converting the save, and Coke taking the loss. Inge (1-4, 2 RBI) and Patterson (3-5, 2 RBI) were the best batters.
Into Manhattan, with the New York Mets hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers. Hiroki Kuroda and Jonathon Niese take to the mound. Los Angeles struck in the first inning with a Matt Kemp single scoring Jerry Sands. New York replied with a Carlos Beltran sacrifice fly to bring in Jose Reyes. The Dodgers retook the lead in the second with a solo shot by Rod Barajas. The Mets retied it on a solo shot by Ike Davis. Los Angeles regained the lead again with Juan Uribe grounding out to provide a way home for Jamey Carroll. New York grabbed the lead with a three-run tater off Jason Pridie's bat, bringing in Beltran and Davis. The Mets added on with a Jason Bay single knocking in Reyes. New York would hold on for the 6-3 win, and Ryota Igarashi took the win while Francisco Rodriguez converted the save and Kuroda was stuck with the loss. Barajas (2-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI) and Pridie (1-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI) were the best hitters.
Over to Massachusetts, where the Boston Red Sox welcome the Minnesota Twins to Fenway Park. Scott Baker and Tim Wakefield have the pitching honors. Minnesota struck in the first with a Trevor Plouffe solo home run. The Twins added on with a second inning Denard Span single, scoring two runs as Michael Cuddyer and Danny Valencia crossed home, before Ben Revere came home via a balk. Boston replied with a J.D. Drew solo home run in the bottom of the inning. The Red Sox also had a solo shot from Adrian Gonzalez's bat in the fourth inning. In the fifth, Minnesota got some runs back with Valencia's single knocking in a pair of runs, Plouffe and Justin Morneau. The Twins added on with Jed Lowrie's error allowing both Cuddyer and Valencia to come home. Minnesota kept going with a fluky strikeout by Morneau, another error by Lowrie allowing Plouffe to get to third and then score on a balk. This made it 9-2, which would be a final score. Baker got the win and Wakefield was stuck with the loss. Valencia (2-5, 2 RBI) and Drew (1-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI) took the top batting title for the game.
Down the coast to Florida, with the Marlins hosting the Washington Nationals. Jordan Zimmermann and Ricky Nolasco get the starts. Washington opened in the second inning with a double by Jerry Hairston, Jr., providing a safe route home for Ivan Rodriguez. The Nationals extended their lead in the fourth inning with Ian Desmond hitting a sacrifice fly for Adam LaRoche. Florida got on the board in the fifth inning with an Omar Infante sacrifice fly to score Greg Dobbs. The Marlins tied it in the sixth inning with a Gaby Sanchez single bringing around Emilio Bonifacio. Florida won the game 3-2 with a ninth inning solo home run by Mike Stanton. Drew Storen was pinned with the loss and Leo Nunez was the winning pitcher. Hairston, Jr. (3-3, 1 RBI) and Stanton (1-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI) took the top hitters status.
Westward to Texas, with the Texas Rangers hosting the New York Yankees. Ivan Nova and Matt Harrison are starting. New York started off with a first inning two-run home run by Curtis Granderson, also scoring Derek Jeter. The Yankees tacked on another run with an error by the pitcher Harrison leading to Russell Martin finding a way home. New York added another run with Granderson hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning. Texas finally got on the board with a Julio Borbon single to score Mike Napoli in the eighth inning. This would bring the game to its 4-1 New York final, with Nova grabbing the win, Rafael Soriano taking a hold, Mariano Rivera converting the save, and Harrison being stuck with the loss. Granderson (2-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI) and Borbon (1-3, 1 RBI) were the best hitters.
North into Missouri, with the Kansas City Royals hosting the Oakland Athletics. Gio Gonzalez and Sean O'Sullivan are pitching. Kansas City started the scoring in the first with a solo home run by Alex Gordon.The Royals extended their lead with a Mike Aviles triple, allowing time for Matt Treanor to score. Oakland got busy in the fifth, as Andy LaRoche singled to bring in Kurt Suzuki, Kevin Kouzmanoff's grounding into a fielder's choice brought in Ryan Sweeney, and Coco Crisp doing the exact same for LaRoche. Oakland would hold on for the 3-2 win, Gonzalez getting the win, Grant Balfour picking up a hold, Brian Fuentes converting a save, and O'Sullivan being left with the loss. LaRoche (1-3, 1 RBI) and Gordon (1-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI) were named best batters.
Also in Missouri, the St. Louis Cardinals hosted the Milwaukee Brewers. Randy Wolf and Jaime Garcia were handed the ball for the game. St. Louis struck first with a Matt Holliday double bringing around Ryan Theriot. The Cardinals added on with Theriot scoring on a Colby Rasmus triple before Albert Pujols finished Rasmus' trip off with a sacrifice fly. St. Louis added on again in the fourth with a solo home run by Yadier Molina and a two-RBI single from Pujols that scored Tyler Greene and Daniel Descalso. This finished off a 6-0 Cardinals win. Garcia threw a 2-hit shutout victory while Wolf was pinned for the loss. Rickie Weeks (1-4) and Molina (2-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI) were the best batters.
Out to the west coast, with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hosting the Cleveland Indians. Justin Masterson and Tyler Chatwood were the starting pitchers. Cleveland opened with a Travis Hafner groundout that brought in Asdrubal Cabrera. Anaheim answered in the sixth inning with Maicer Izturis doubling in Bobby Abreu. The tie lasted until the eleventh inning, where the Angels got a single from Torii Hunter to score Erick Aybar and win the game 2-1. Justin Germano was stuck with the loss, while Fernando Rodney picked up the win. Carlos Santana (2-5) and Izturis (2-5, 1 RBI) were the top batters.
Down to San Diego, with the Padres welcoming the Arizona Diamondbacks to Petco Park. Armando Gallaraga and Tim Stauffer opposed each other on the mound. San Diego opened the scoring in the third inning with Eric Patterson coming home on the successful suicide squeeze by Stauffer, who reached second base on subsequent errors, before Will Venable hit a sacrifice fly to knock in Rob Johnson. The Padres tacked on some more in the fifth inning with a Chase Headley single to score Venable. Arizona tied it with Gerardo Parra doubling in Ryan Roberts and Kelly Johnson reaching on an error to push in Juan Miranda and Parra. San Diego would take the win in the eleventh inning however, with the tie-breaking run coming on a walk of Headley, forcing in Chris Denorfia. Sam Demel was the losing pitcher, Luke Gregerson and Mike Adams had holds before Heath Bell imploded, but Chad Qualls was available for the win. Parra (2-4, 1 RBI) and Venable (3-5, 1 RBI) were the best of the hitters.
North to Seattle, with the Mariners hosting the Chicago White Sox. Phil Humber and Felix Hernandez got the starting nods. Chicago scored first in the fourth inning with a Paul Konerko sacrifice fly that drove home Juan Pierre. Seattle tied it on Milton Bradley double that allowed Ichiro to score, followed by a Justin Smoak ground rule double to take the lead as Bradley made it home. The White Sox retied it with a solo home run by Carlos Quentin. The Mariners took the win in the bottom of the ninth with Brendan Ryan singling to score Adam Kennedy for a 3-2 win. Hernandez went the distance for the win, and Matt Thornton got stuck with the loss. Quentin (1-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI) and Ryan (2-4, 1 RBI) were the top batters.
Back down to San Francisco, with the Giants hosting the Colorado Rockies. Aces Ubaldo Jimenez and Matt Cain were on the mound. Colorado struck first in the second inning with a solo shot from Troy Tulowitzki. The Rockies added on in the third with a Jonathan Herrera single scoring Chris Iannetta and a Carlos Gonzalez sacrifice fly to drive in Dexter Fowler. San Francisco got on the board with a Buster Posey groundout to bring in Mike Fontenot. The Giants tied it with a 2-RBI double by Nick Schierholtz, knocking in Posey and pinch-runner Darren Ford. San Francisco took a 4-3 lead and win with a Freddy Sanchez single, scoring Cody Ross for a 4-3 final. Matt Lindstrom had a hold before Rafael Betancourt blew the save, and Felipe Paulino finished off the loss, while Brian Wilson grabbed the win. Tulowitzki (1-3, 1 HR, 1 RBI) and Schierholtz (1-4, 2 RBI) were the best hitters.
That's all from Friday. Going to try and do this again on Saturday, but no guarantees.
Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field, Chicago, where the Cubs host the Cincinnati Reds. Edinson Volquez opposes Matt Garza from the mound. Chicago opened with Garza scoring on a passed ball. Cincinnati replied with a three-run tater from Jay Bruce, also bringing in Edgar Renteria and Joey Votto. The Cubs came back with Geovany Soto's grounding into a double play, allowing Alfonso Soriano to reach home. The Reds replied once more with Votto singling to score Paul Janish and Brandon Phillips doing the same for Renteria. Chicago got one run back with Aramis Ramirez singling in Darwin Barney. The Cubs made it 5-4 in the sixth inning with Soto's RBI single driving in Marlon Byrd, but the game was scoreless from there on and Cincinnati held on to win. Volquez had the win, Sam LeCure and Nick Masset had holds, and Francisco Cordero closed out for a save, while Garza suffered another loss. Bruce (1-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI) and Byrd (2-4) took the honors of top hitting.
Over to Pittsburgh, with the Pirates hosting the Houston Astros. Wandy Rodriguez and Paul Maholm are the starters. Houston led off the first inning with a Hunter Pence sacrifice fly to drive in Jason Bourgeois. Pittsburgh got on the board in the fifth with a Brandon Wood double knocking in Lyle Overbay. The Pirates took the lead with a seventh inning Neil Walker solo home run. The Astros tied it back up with a Pence double to score Michael Bourn, followed by a Carlos Lee single to finish Pence's trip around the bases. The final would have the Astros up 3-2, giving Rodriguez a win and Mark Melancon a save, while Chris Resop took the loss. Pence (2-4, 2 RBI) and Wood (2-3, 1 RBI) were the best batters.
Into Maryland, where the Baltimore Orioles host the Tampa Bay Rays. James Shields and Zach Britton oppose each other from the mound. Tampa Bay opened the scoring in the second inning with B.J. Upton's RBI double bringing in Evan Longoria, before Brandon Guyer went over the wall for a two-run shot, completing Upton's trot around the bases. Baltimore got on the board with a sixth inning solo home run by Derrek Lee. Casey Kotchman got the run back for the Rays with his single that brought in Longoria. Tampa Bay extended the lead with a two-run homer by Johnny Damon, also scoring Ben Zobrist. The Orioles added on a run with Luke Scott's double to score Vladimir Guerrero, but they would lose 6-2. Shields was the winner and Britton had the loss. Guyer (1-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI) and Lee (1-3, 1 HR, 1 RBI) had top batter status.
Back to Pennsylvania, with the Philadelphia Phillies hosting the Atlanta Braves. Derek Lowe and Cliff Lee got the starting orders. Atlanta opened the scoring in the third inning with a Chipper Jones single to score Alex Gonzalez, Brian McCann doubling in Jones, and Dan Uggla bringing McCann back around home. The Braves stuck in the dagger with a Martin Prado single to score Jason Heyward and Gonzalez singling in Prado before getting caught trying to make it to second. This produced a 5-0 Atlanta victory, with Lowe snatching the win, Eric O'Flaherty and Johnny Venters getting saves, and Lee taking the loss. Gonzalez (3-5, 1 RBI) and Placido Polanco (1-3) took top batting honors.
Going north of the border, the Toronto Blue Jays host the Detroit Tigers. Phil Coke and Jesse Litsch get the nod. Toronto opened with a first inning Adam Lind single knocking in the speedy Rajai Davis, followed by Juan Rivera batting in Yunel Escobar with a single, and J.P. Arencibia doing the same for Lind. The Blue Jays did some more damage in the third with Arencibia's double scoring Rivera. Jhonny Peralta put Detroit on the board with a groundout to allow Victor Martinez safe passage home. Toronto got a boost with a solo home run by Lind in the seventh inning. The Blue Jays padded their lead with a two-RBI double from Corey Patterson, knocking in Edwin Encarnacion and Mike McCoy. The Tigers got to work in the top of the ninth with Brandon Inge doubling in both Ryan Raburn and Peralta, before Scott Sizemore's single allowed Inge to come home. This would not be enough, as Toronto got a 7-4 win, with Litsch earning the win, Frank Francisco converting the save, and Coke taking the loss. Inge (1-4, 2 RBI) and Patterson (3-5, 2 RBI) were the best batters.
Into Manhattan, with the New York Mets hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers. Hiroki Kuroda and Jonathon Niese take to the mound. Los Angeles struck in the first inning with a Matt Kemp single scoring Jerry Sands. New York replied with a Carlos Beltran sacrifice fly to bring in Jose Reyes. The Dodgers retook the lead in the second with a solo shot by Rod Barajas. The Mets retied it on a solo shot by Ike Davis. Los Angeles regained the lead again with Juan Uribe grounding out to provide a way home for Jamey Carroll. New York grabbed the lead with a three-run tater off Jason Pridie's bat, bringing in Beltran and Davis. The Mets added on with a Jason Bay single knocking in Reyes. New York would hold on for the 6-3 win, and Ryota Igarashi took the win while Francisco Rodriguez converted the save and Kuroda was stuck with the loss. Barajas (2-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI) and Pridie (1-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI) were the best hitters.
Over to Massachusetts, where the Boston Red Sox welcome the Minnesota Twins to Fenway Park. Scott Baker and Tim Wakefield have the pitching honors. Minnesota struck in the first with a Trevor Plouffe solo home run. The Twins added on with a second inning Denard Span single, scoring two runs as Michael Cuddyer and Danny Valencia crossed home, before Ben Revere came home via a balk. Boston replied with a J.D. Drew solo home run in the bottom of the inning. The Red Sox also had a solo shot from Adrian Gonzalez's bat in the fourth inning. In the fifth, Minnesota got some runs back with Valencia's single knocking in a pair of runs, Plouffe and Justin Morneau. The Twins added on with Jed Lowrie's error allowing both Cuddyer and Valencia to come home. Minnesota kept going with a fluky strikeout by Morneau, another error by Lowrie allowing Plouffe to get to third and then score on a balk. This made it 9-2, which would be a final score. Baker got the win and Wakefield was stuck with the loss. Valencia (2-5, 2 RBI) and Drew (1-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI) took the top batting title for the game.
Down the coast to Florida, with the Marlins hosting the Washington Nationals. Jordan Zimmermann and Ricky Nolasco get the starts. Washington opened in the second inning with a double by Jerry Hairston, Jr., providing a safe route home for Ivan Rodriguez. The Nationals extended their lead in the fourth inning with Ian Desmond hitting a sacrifice fly for Adam LaRoche. Florida got on the board in the fifth inning with an Omar Infante sacrifice fly to score Greg Dobbs. The Marlins tied it in the sixth inning with a Gaby Sanchez single bringing around Emilio Bonifacio. Florida won the game 3-2 with a ninth inning solo home run by Mike Stanton. Drew Storen was pinned with the loss and Leo Nunez was the winning pitcher. Hairston, Jr. (3-3, 1 RBI) and Stanton (1-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI) took the top hitters status.
Westward to Texas, with the Texas Rangers hosting the New York Yankees. Ivan Nova and Matt Harrison are starting. New York started off with a first inning two-run home run by Curtis Granderson, also scoring Derek Jeter. The Yankees tacked on another run with an error by the pitcher Harrison leading to Russell Martin finding a way home. New York added another run with Granderson hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning. Texas finally got on the board with a Julio Borbon single to score Mike Napoli in the eighth inning. This would bring the game to its 4-1 New York final, with Nova grabbing the win, Rafael Soriano taking a hold, Mariano Rivera converting the save, and Harrison being stuck with the loss. Granderson (2-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI) and Borbon (1-3, 1 RBI) were the best hitters.
North into Missouri, with the Kansas City Royals hosting the Oakland Athletics. Gio Gonzalez and Sean O'Sullivan are pitching. Kansas City started the scoring in the first with a solo home run by Alex Gordon.The Royals extended their lead with a Mike Aviles triple, allowing time for Matt Treanor to score. Oakland got busy in the fifth, as Andy LaRoche singled to bring in Kurt Suzuki, Kevin Kouzmanoff's grounding into a fielder's choice brought in Ryan Sweeney, and Coco Crisp doing the exact same for LaRoche. Oakland would hold on for the 3-2 win, Gonzalez getting the win, Grant Balfour picking up a hold, Brian Fuentes converting a save, and O'Sullivan being left with the loss. LaRoche (1-3, 1 RBI) and Gordon (1-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI) were named best batters.
Also in Missouri, the St. Louis Cardinals hosted the Milwaukee Brewers. Randy Wolf and Jaime Garcia were handed the ball for the game. St. Louis struck first with a Matt Holliday double bringing around Ryan Theriot. The Cardinals added on with Theriot scoring on a Colby Rasmus triple before Albert Pujols finished Rasmus' trip off with a sacrifice fly. St. Louis added on again in the fourth with a solo home run by Yadier Molina and a two-RBI single from Pujols that scored Tyler Greene and Daniel Descalso. This finished off a 6-0 Cardinals win. Garcia threw a 2-hit shutout victory while Wolf was pinned for the loss. Rickie Weeks (1-4) and Molina (2-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI) were the best batters.
Out to the west coast, with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hosting the Cleveland Indians. Justin Masterson and Tyler Chatwood were the starting pitchers. Cleveland opened with a Travis Hafner groundout that brought in Asdrubal Cabrera. Anaheim answered in the sixth inning with Maicer Izturis doubling in Bobby Abreu. The tie lasted until the eleventh inning, where the Angels got a single from Torii Hunter to score Erick Aybar and win the game 2-1. Justin Germano was stuck with the loss, while Fernando Rodney picked up the win. Carlos Santana (2-5) and Izturis (2-5, 1 RBI) were the top batters.
Down to San Diego, with the Padres welcoming the Arizona Diamondbacks to Petco Park. Armando Gallaraga and Tim Stauffer opposed each other on the mound. San Diego opened the scoring in the third inning with Eric Patterson coming home on the successful suicide squeeze by Stauffer, who reached second base on subsequent errors, before Will Venable hit a sacrifice fly to knock in Rob Johnson. The Padres tacked on some more in the fifth inning with a Chase Headley single to score Venable. Arizona tied it with Gerardo Parra doubling in Ryan Roberts and Kelly Johnson reaching on an error to push in Juan Miranda and Parra. San Diego would take the win in the eleventh inning however, with the tie-breaking run coming on a walk of Headley, forcing in Chris Denorfia. Sam Demel was the losing pitcher, Luke Gregerson and Mike Adams had holds before Heath Bell imploded, but Chad Qualls was available for the win. Parra (2-4, 1 RBI) and Venable (3-5, 1 RBI) were the best of the hitters.
North to Seattle, with the Mariners hosting the Chicago White Sox. Phil Humber and Felix Hernandez got the starting nods. Chicago scored first in the fourth inning with a Paul Konerko sacrifice fly that drove home Juan Pierre. Seattle tied it on Milton Bradley double that allowed Ichiro to score, followed by a Justin Smoak ground rule double to take the lead as Bradley made it home. The White Sox retied it with a solo home run by Carlos Quentin. The Mariners took the win in the bottom of the ninth with Brendan Ryan singling to score Adam Kennedy for a 3-2 win. Hernandez went the distance for the win, and Matt Thornton got stuck with the loss. Quentin (1-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI) and Ryan (2-4, 1 RBI) were the top batters.
Back down to San Francisco, with the Giants hosting the Colorado Rockies. Aces Ubaldo Jimenez and Matt Cain were on the mound. Colorado struck first in the second inning with a solo shot from Troy Tulowitzki. The Rockies added on in the third with a Jonathan Herrera single scoring Chris Iannetta and a Carlos Gonzalez sacrifice fly to drive in Dexter Fowler. San Francisco got on the board with a Buster Posey groundout to bring in Mike Fontenot. The Giants tied it with a 2-RBI double by Nick Schierholtz, knocking in Posey and pinch-runner Darren Ford. San Francisco took a 4-3 lead and win with a Freddy Sanchez single, scoring Cody Ross for a 4-3 final. Matt Lindstrom had a hold before Rafael Betancourt blew the save, and Felipe Paulino finished off the loss, while Brian Wilson grabbed the win. Tulowitzki (1-3, 1 HR, 1 RBI) and Schierholtz (1-4, 2 RBI) were the best hitters.
That's all from Friday. Going to try and do this again on Saturday, but no guarantees.
Eastern Conference Semifinal: 2Philadelphia Flyers VS 3 Boston Bruins
Game 1: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In net: Tim Thomas for Boston and Brian Boucher for Philadelphia. Boston led off the scoring with David Krejci sinking his second of the postseason, with helpers provided by Nathan Horton and Dennis Seidenberg. Philadelphia replied with the seventh of the playoffs by Danny Briere, assisted by Braydon Coburn and Ville Leino. The Bruins retook the lead on Horton's fourth of the postseason, helped in by Krejci and Seidenberg. Boston added on in the second period with Mark Recchi sinking his second of the playoffs, courtesy of Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Krejci sank another goal for the Bruins shortly after, his second of the game and third of the postseason, guided in by Adam McQuaid. Boston rolled on with Marchand's second of the playoffs, made possible by Bergeron and Andrew Ference, prompting Sergei Bobrovsky to relieve Boucher. The Flyers finally made a response with the fifth of the postseason from James van Riemsdyk's tape, fueled by Sean O'Donnell and Claude Giroux. Philadelphia added on with a power play goal by Mike Richards, powered by Kimmo Timonen and Giroux. The Bruins got back on track with Marchand sinking his second of the game and third of the playoffs, and Bergeron completed a sock trick with the lone assist. Boston wrapped it up 7-3 with a Gregory Campbell tally, coming off of Krejci and Daniel Paille. The three stars were awarded to Krejci, Marchand, and Bergeron. Boston took a 1-0 series lead.
Game 2: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In net: Tim Thomas for Boston and Brian Boucher for Philadelphia. Philadelphia opened with a pair of James van Riemsdyk goals, his sixth and seventh of the postseason coming from Claude Giroux and Nikolay Zherdev on the earlier even strength tally and Danny Briere and Kimmo Timonen on the later power play goal. Boston got on the board with the fourth of the playoffs by Chris Kelly, coming off of Michael Ryder and Tomas Kaberle. The Bruins tied it with a goal by Brad Marchand, his fourth of the postseason, made possible by Patrice Bergeron and Mark Recchi. The tie lasted through the second and third periods, into the overtime frame, where Boston defeated Philadelphia on a David Krejci goal, his fourth of the playoffs powered by Nathan Horton. The three stars went to Krejci, van Riemsdyk, and Thomas (52 for 54 saves). This put the Bruins in front 2-0 for the series.
Game 3: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts. In net: Brian Boucher for Philadelphia and Tim Thomas for Boston. Boston opened early in the game with a Zdeno Chara goal, coming off of Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins extended the lead with David Krejci netting his fifth of the postseason, courtesy of Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton. Boston added on with a Daniel Paille goal in the second period, with help from Gregory Campbell and Johnny Boychuk. The Bruins got another goal, this time the fifth of the playoffs by Horton, which was guided in by Krejci and Chara, and prompting Sergei Bobrovsky to relieve Boucher once again. Philadelphia finally found the scoreboard with Andrej Meszaros netting his second of the postseason, thanks to Darroll Powe and Dan Carcillo. Boston wrapped it up with Chara's seocnd of the game, a power play goal powered by Krejci and Dennis Seidenberg. Chara, Thomas (37 for 38 saves), and Marchand took the three stars. This puts Boston in the eerily familiar 3-0 series lead over the Flyers.
Game 4: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts. In net: Sergei Bobrovsky for Philadelphia and Tim Thomas for Boston. Boston led off with Milan Lucic's goal off of Nathan Horton and David Krejci on the power play. Philadelphia replied with a Kris Versteeg goal, assisted by Mike Richards. The Bruins retook the lead with the second of the postseason by Johnny Boychuk, fueled by Michael Ryder. Boston added on with Lucic's second of the game and of the playoffs, made possible by Horton. The Bruins tacked on again with an empty-netter from Brad Marchand's stick, his fifth of the postseason going in thanks to Mark Recchi and Rich Peverley. Boston secured a 5-1 victory with another empty net goal, Daniel Paille's second of the playoffs, helped in by Gregory Campbell and Shawn Thornton. Lucic, Thomas (22 for 23 saves), and Horton were the three stars. This marked the end of the series that the Bruins took 4-0.
Game 2: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In net: Tim Thomas for Boston and Brian Boucher for Philadelphia. Philadelphia opened with a pair of James van Riemsdyk goals, his sixth and seventh of the postseason coming from Claude Giroux and Nikolay Zherdev on the earlier even strength tally and Danny Briere and Kimmo Timonen on the later power play goal. Boston got on the board with the fourth of the playoffs by Chris Kelly, coming off of Michael Ryder and Tomas Kaberle. The Bruins tied it with a goal by Brad Marchand, his fourth of the postseason, made possible by Patrice Bergeron and Mark Recchi. The tie lasted through the second and third periods, into the overtime frame, where Boston defeated Philadelphia on a David Krejci goal, his fourth of the playoffs powered by Nathan Horton. The three stars went to Krejci, van Riemsdyk, and Thomas (52 for 54 saves). This put the Bruins in front 2-0 for the series.
Game 3: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts. In net: Brian Boucher for Philadelphia and Tim Thomas for Boston. Boston opened early in the game with a Zdeno Chara goal, coming off of Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins extended the lead with David Krejci netting his fifth of the postseason, courtesy of Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton. Boston added on with a Daniel Paille goal in the second period, with help from Gregory Campbell and Johnny Boychuk. The Bruins got another goal, this time the fifth of the playoffs by Horton, which was guided in by Krejci and Chara, and prompting Sergei Bobrovsky to relieve Boucher once again. Philadelphia finally found the scoreboard with Andrej Meszaros netting his second of the postseason, thanks to Darroll Powe and Dan Carcillo. Boston wrapped it up with Chara's seocnd of the game, a power play goal powered by Krejci and Dennis Seidenberg. Chara, Thomas (37 for 38 saves), and Marchand took the three stars. This puts Boston in the eerily familiar 3-0 series lead over the Flyers.
Game 4: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts. In net: Sergei Bobrovsky for Philadelphia and Tim Thomas for Boston. Boston led off with Milan Lucic's goal off of Nathan Horton and David Krejci on the power play. Philadelphia replied with a Kris Versteeg goal, assisted by Mike Richards. The Bruins retook the lead with the second of the postseason by Johnny Boychuk, fueled by Michael Ryder. Boston added on with Lucic's second of the game and of the playoffs, made possible by Horton. The Bruins tacked on again with an empty-netter from Brad Marchand's stick, his fifth of the postseason going in thanks to Mark Recchi and Rich Peverley. Boston secured a 5-1 victory with another empty net goal, Daniel Paille's second of the playoffs, helped in by Gregory Campbell and Shawn Thornton. Lucic, Thomas (22 for 23 saves), and Horton were the three stars. This marked the end of the series that the Bruins took 4-0.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Cinco de Mayo baseball
This is the first baseball post in awhile, as I have been quite busy with various tasks and problems all around. I'm going to try and keep this simpler than the previous ones. We start off in...
Cincinnati, with the Reds hosting the Houston Astros. Brett Myers and Homer Bailey were on the mound. They also factored in the decision, with Myers losing and Bailey winning in the 10-4 Cincinnati victory. Holds were awarded to Bill Bray and Nick Masset. The top hitters were Hunter Pence (2-4, 3 RBI) and Jay Bruce (3-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI). This was a series finale, giving the Reds a 2-1 series win.
To Detroit, where the Tigers hosted the New York Yankees. A.J. Burnett started and took the loss, while Rick Porcello opposed him and picked up the win as the Tigers won 6-3. Daniel Schlereth had the only hold. Eduardo Nunez (2-4, RBI) and Brennan Boesch (2-3, 1 HR, 3 RBI) took top hitting honors. Detroit took the series by a 3-1 margin.
Over to New York, where the Mets welcomed the San Francisco Giants. Jonathan Sanchez opposed Mike Pelfrey, with the latter picking up the win and the former taking the loss. Francisco Rodriguez also grabbed the save in the Mets 5-2 victory. Mike Fontenot (1-2, 1 HR, 1 RBI) and Carlos Beltran (1-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI) were the top batters. With the win, New York only lost the series by a 2-1 margin against San Francisco.
South to Tampa Bay, where the Rays hosted the Toronto Blue Jays. Kyle Drabek and David Price took to the mounds. Tampa Bay won 3-1, giving Price the win, Drabek the loss, and Kyle Farnsworth the save. Mike McCoy (1-3) and Johnny Damon (2-4, 1 RBI) were the best hitters in the game. The Rays would take the series 2-1 with the victory.
Back up the coast, with the Boston Red Sox hosting the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and surrounding Southern California, etc. Joel Pineiro pitched against and won versus John Lackey with the 11-0 rout the Angels came out on top of. Erick Aybar (4-6, 1 RBI) and David Ortiz (3-3) were the top hitters. With the win, Los Angeles split the series at 2 with Boston.
Westward to St. Louis, where the Cardinals welcomed the Florida Marlins. Josh Johnson was on the mound, as was Jake Westbrook. The final had the Cardinals up 6-3, pinning Johnson with the loss, giving reliever Jason Motte the win, and the save was converted by Eduardo Sanchez. Omar Infante (2-3, 2 RBI) and Lance Berkman (1-2, 1 HR, 4 RBI) were the best of the batters. This series was also split at 2 games apiece.
Across the state, the Kansas City Royals hosted the Baltimore Orioles, whom they proceeded to pound 9-1. Starters Chris Tillman and Bruce Chen took the win and loss respectively. Nick Markakis (2-4) and Melky Cabrera (3-4, 1 HR, 4 RBI) were the best hitters. The win gave the Royals a 2-1 series victory.
Back west farther to Oakland, with the Athletics hosting the Cleveland Indians. Jeanmar Gomez opposed Brett Anderson but neither pitcher was in the decision. Cleveland's Joe Smith and Rafael Perez had holds but fellow reliever Vinnie Pestano blew the save, forcing extra innings, where Chad Durbin got the win and Chris Perez closed out the game. Craig Breslow was stuck on the losing side of the Indians 4-3 win. Lou Marson (3-5, 1 RBI) and Ryan Sweeney (5-6, 2 RBI) were the best of the hitting. The win gave Cleveland the 2-1 series win.
Heading east to Philadelphia, where the Phillies hosted the Washington Nationals. John Lannan and Roy Halladay played from the mound, and Halladay was the winner with the 7-3 victory by the Phillies, also giving Lannan the loss. Adam LaRoche (2-4) and Raul Ibanez (3-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI) were the top batters. Philadelphia ended up sweeping the Nationals 3-0 for the series.
Farther south, the Atlanta Braves welcomed the Milwaukee Brewers. Shaun Marcum and Brandon Beachy were the starting pitchers, but neither factored in the 2-1 Braves win. Instead, Kameron Loe had the loss, while Johnny Venters grabbed the win and Craig Kimbrel converted the save. Jonathan Lucroy (1-2, 1 RBI) and Martin Prado (2-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI) took top batting honors. With the win, Atlanta completed a 4-0 series sweep over Milwaukee.
Westward once again, with the Arizona Diamondbacks hosting the Colorado Rockies. Jason Hammel and Ian Kennedy were the starters, but were not in the decision for the 11-inning 3-2 win by Arizona. On Colorado's side, Rafael Betancourt had a hold before Huston Street blew the save and Matt Belisle completed the implosion later. This left David Hernandez as the winner. Dexter Fowler (3-4) and Chris Young (3-6, 1 HR, 1 RBI) were the top hitters. The Diamondbacks victory also put them in front 2-1 for the series win.
Wrapping the day's games up, the Seattle Mariners welcomed the Texas Rangers to Safeco Field. Colby Lewis opposed Jason Vargas. They had the loss and the win in that order, with Seattle's Jamey Wright getting a hold and Brandon League converting a save. Ian Kinsler (1-4, 1 RBI) and Justin Smoak (3-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI) took the honors as top hitters. The Mariners edged the Rangers 2-1 for the series.
Cincinnati, with the Reds hosting the Houston Astros. Brett Myers and Homer Bailey were on the mound. They also factored in the decision, with Myers losing and Bailey winning in the 10-4 Cincinnati victory. Holds were awarded to Bill Bray and Nick Masset. The top hitters were Hunter Pence (2-4, 3 RBI) and Jay Bruce (3-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI). This was a series finale, giving the Reds a 2-1 series win.
To Detroit, where the Tigers hosted the New York Yankees. A.J. Burnett started and took the loss, while Rick Porcello opposed him and picked up the win as the Tigers won 6-3. Daniel Schlereth had the only hold. Eduardo Nunez (2-4, RBI) and Brennan Boesch (2-3, 1 HR, 3 RBI) took top hitting honors. Detroit took the series by a 3-1 margin.
Over to New York, where the Mets welcomed the San Francisco Giants. Jonathan Sanchez opposed Mike Pelfrey, with the latter picking up the win and the former taking the loss. Francisco Rodriguez also grabbed the save in the Mets 5-2 victory. Mike Fontenot (1-2, 1 HR, 1 RBI) and Carlos Beltran (1-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI) were the top batters. With the win, New York only lost the series by a 2-1 margin against San Francisco.
South to Tampa Bay, where the Rays hosted the Toronto Blue Jays. Kyle Drabek and David Price took to the mounds. Tampa Bay won 3-1, giving Price the win, Drabek the loss, and Kyle Farnsworth the save. Mike McCoy (1-3) and Johnny Damon (2-4, 1 RBI) were the best hitters in the game. The Rays would take the series 2-1 with the victory.
Back up the coast, with the Boston Red Sox hosting the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and surrounding Southern California, etc. Joel Pineiro pitched against and won versus John Lackey with the 11-0 rout the Angels came out on top of. Erick Aybar (4-6, 1 RBI) and David Ortiz (3-3) were the top hitters. With the win, Los Angeles split the series at 2 with Boston.
Westward to St. Louis, where the Cardinals welcomed the Florida Marlins. Josh Johnson was on the mound, as was Jake Westbrook. The final had the Cardinals up 6-3, pinning Johnson with the loss, giving reliever Jason Motte the win, and the save was converted by Eduardo Sanchez. Omar Infante (2-3, 2 RBI) and Lance Berkman (1-2, 1 HR, 4 RBI) were the best of the batters. This series was also split at 2 games apiece.
Across the state, the Kansas City Royals hosted the Baltimore Orioles, whom they proceeded to pound 9-1. Starters Chris Tillman and Bruce Chen took the win and loss respectively. Nick Markakis (2-4) and Melky Cabrera (3-4, 1 HR, 4 RBI) were the best hitters. The win gave the Royals a 2-1 series victory.
Back west farther to Oakland, with the Athletics hosting the Cleveland Indians. Jeanmar Gomez opposed Brett Anderson but neither pitcher was in the decision. Cleveland's Joe Smith and Rafael Perez had holds but fellow reliever Vinnie Pestano blew the save, forcing extra innings, where Chad Durbin got the win and Chris Perez closed out the game. Craig Breslow was stuck on the losing side of the Indians 4-3 win. Lou Marson (3-5, 1 RBI) and Ryan Sweeney (5-6, 2 RBI) were the best of the hitting. The win gave Cleveland the 2-1 series win.
Heading east to Philadelphia, where the Phillies hosted the Washington Nationals. John Lannan and Roy Halladay played from the mound, and Halladay was the winner with the 7-3 victory by the Phillies, also giving Lannan the loss. Adam LaRoche (2-4) and Raul Ibanez (3-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI) were the top batters. Philadelphia ended up sweeping the Nationals 3-0 for the series.
Farther south, the Atlanta Braves welcomed the Milwaukee Brewers. Shaun Marcum and Brandon Beachy were the starting pitchers, but neither factored in the 2-1 Braves win. Instead, Kameron Loe had the loss, while Johnny Venters grabbed the win and Craig Kimbrel converted the save. Jonathan Lucroy (1-2, 1 RBI) and Martin Prado (2-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI) took top batting honors. With the win, Atlanta completed a 4-0 series sweep over Milwaukee.
Westward once again, with the Arizona Diamondbacks hosting the Colorado Rockies. Jason Hammel and Ian Kennedy were the starters, but were not in the decision for the 11-inning 3-2 win by Arizona. On Colorado's side, Rafael Betancourt had a hold before Huston Street blew the save and Matt Belisle completed the implosion later. This left David Hernandez as the winner. Dexter Fowler (3-4) and Chris Young (3-6, 1 HR, 1 RBI) were the top hitters. The Diamondbacks victory also put them in front 2-1 for the series win.
Wrapping the day's games up, the Seattle Mariners welcomed the Texas Rangers to Safeco Field. Colby Lewis opposed Jason Vargas. They had the loss and the win in that order, with Seattle's Jamey Wright getting a hold and Brandon League converting a save. Ian Kinsler (1-4, 1 RBI) and Justin Smoak (3-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI) took the honors as top hitters. The Mariners edged the Rangers 2-1 for the series.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Eastern Conference Semifinal: 1Washington Capitals VS 5Tampa Bay Lightning
Game 1: Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. In net: Dwayne Roloson for Tampa Bay and Michal Neuvirth for Washington. Tampa Bay opened the game with a Sean Bergenheim goal, his fourth of the postseason, courtesy of Steve Downie and Mike Lundin. Washington answered with Alexander Semin potting his fourth of the playoffs, with help from Marco Sturm. The Capitals took the lead with an Eric Fehr goal, helped along by Jason Chimera and Marcus Johansson. The Lightning tied the game back up with Downie notching his second of the postseason, thanks to Vincent Lecavalier and Teddy Purcell. Tampa Bay got ahead with a power play goal off Steven Stamkos' stick, his third of the playoffs made possible by Eric Brewer and Lecavalier. The Lightning iced the game off with the second of the postseason by Dominic Moore, assisted by Adam Hall and Victor Hedman to find the empty twine. Stamkos, Downie, and Bergenheim were the three stars. Tampa Bay took an early 1-0 series lead.
Game 2: Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. In net: Dwayne Roloson for Tampa Bay and Michal Neuvirth for Washington. Tampa Bay took the early lead with a power play goal from Vincent Lecavalier, his third of the postseason, powered by Martin St. Louis and Ryan Malone. Washington answered with a second period goal from Brooks Laich, courtesy of Nicklas Backstrom and John Erskine. The Lightning retook the lead as St. Louis potted his fifth of the playoffs, helped along by Teddy Purcell. The Capitals found another equalizer as Alex Ovechkin netted his fourth of the postseason, thanks to Jason Arnott and Laich. The tie lasted into overtime, where Tampa Bay defeated Washington on Lecavalier's fourth of the playoffs and second of the game, assisted by Purcell and Randy Jones. Lecavalier, Ovechkin, and Roloson (35 for 37 saves) were the three stars. The win gave the Lightning a 2-0 series lead to take home.
Game 3: St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa Bay, Florida. In net: Michal Neuvirth for Washington and Dwayne Roloson for Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay opened the scoring with Sean Bergenheim netting his fifth of the postseason, courtesy of Dominic Moore and Steve Downie. Washington answered with Mike Knuble notching his second of the playoffs, with help from Alex Ovechkin. John Carlson gave the Capitals the lead, thanks to Jason Chimera and Marcus Johansson. The Lightning retied it on a Vincent Lecavalier marker, his fifth of the postseason, assisted by Martin St. Louis and Teddy Purcell. Ovechkin answered back for Washington, regaining the lead with his fifth of the playoffs, a power play goal powered by Alexander Semin and Mike Green. Tampa Bay tied it again as Steven Stamkos potted his fourth of the postseason, with an assist from Victor Hedman. The Lightning took a 4-3 lead on Ryan Malone's second of the playoffs, fueled by Nate Thompson and Adam Hall. This would go on to be a final, with Bergenheim, Ovechkin, and Hedman grabbing the three stars. The win put Tampa Bay up 3-0 in the series.
Game 4: St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa Bay, Florida. In net: Michal Neuvirth for Washington and Dwayne Roloson for Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay got the early lead with Ryan Malone potting his third of the postseason, a power play goal powered by Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis. Washington answered with Marco Sturm on the power play, and his goal was made possible by Jason Arnott and Alex Ovechkin. The Lightning got two goals in a row from Sean Bergenheim, his sixth and seventh of the playoffs, with Dominic Moore assisting twice and Steve Downie adding one secondary assist. The Capitals got one back with John Erskine's unassisted goal. Marc-Andre Bergeron made it 4-2 for the Lightning with a power play goal produced by Downie and Teddy Purcell. Tampa Bay tacked on another goal, St. Louis' sixth of the playoffs, with Purcell providing the lone assist. Washington made it 5-3 with John Carlson recording his second of the postseason, from Brooks Laich and Jason Arnott. This was the final, with the three stars going to Bergenheim, Moore, and Downie. Tampa Bay completed a 4-0 series sweep with the victory.
Game 2: Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. In net: Dwayne Roloson for Tampa Bay and Michal Neuvirth for Washington. Tampa Bay took the early lead with a power play goal from Vincent Lecavalier, his third of the postseason, powered by Martin St. Louis and Ryan Malone. Washington answered with a second period goal from Brooks Laich, courtesy of Nicklas Backstrom and John Erskine. The Lightning retook the lead as St. Louis potted his fifth of the playoffs, helped along by Teddy Purcell. The Capitals found another equalizer as Alex Ovechkin netted his fourth of the postseason, thanks to Jason Arnott and Laich. The tie lasted into overtime, where Tampa Bay defeated Washington on Lecavalier's fourth of the playoffs and second of the game, assisted by Purcell and Randy Jones. Lecavalier, Ovechkin, and Roloson (35 for 37 saves) were the three stars. The win gave the Lightning a 2-0 series lead to take home.
Game 3: St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa Bay, Florida. In net: Michal Neuvirth for Washington and Dwayne Roloson for Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay opened the scoring with Sean Bergenheim netting his fifth of the postseason, courtesy of Dominic Moore and Steve Downie. Washington answered with Mike Knuble notching his second of the playoffs, with help from Alex Ovechkin. John Carlson gave the Capitals the lead, thanks to Jason Chimera and Marcus Johansson. The Lightning retied it on a Vincent Lecavalier marker, his fifth of the postseason, assisted by Martin St. Louis and Teddy Purcell. Ovechkin answered back for Washington, regaining the lead with his fifth of the playoffs, a power play goal powered by Alexander Semin and Mike Green. Tampa Bay tied it again as Steven Stamkos potted his fourth of the postseason, with an assist from Victor Hedman. The Lightning took a 4-3 lead on Ryan Malone's second of the playoffs, fueled by Nate Thompson and Adam Hall. This would go on to be a final, with Bergenheim, Ovechkin, and Hedman grabbing the three stars. The win put Tampa Bay up 3-0 in the series.
Game 4: St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa Bay, Florida. In net: Michal Neuvirth for Washington and Dwayne Roloson for Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay got the early lead with Ryan Malone potting his third of the postseason, a power play goal powered by Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis. Washington answered with Marco Sturm on the power play, and his goal was made possible by Jason Arnott and Alex Ovechkin. The Lightning got two goals in a row from Sean Bergenheim, his sixth and seventh of the playoffs, with Dominic Moore assisting twice and Steve Downie adding one secondary assist. The Capitals got one back with John Erskine's unassisted goal. Marc-Andre Bergeron made it 4-2 for the Lightning with a power play goal produced by Downie and Teddy Purcell. Tampa Bay tacked on another goal, St. Louis' sixth of the playoffs, with Purcell providing the lone assist. Washington made it 5-3 with John Carlson recording his second of the postseason, from Brooks Laich and Jason Arnott. This was the final, with the three stars going to Bergenheim, Moore, and Downie. Tampa Bay completed a 4-0 series sweep with the victory.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Song of the Week XVII
The song we have this week is a classic from the band The Cars. The song is called Since You're Gone. Very similar to many of their other songs, there is a very rhythmic feel about the song. It details the feelings of the singer presumably after a breakup with a girlfriend, and how he is struggling with life alone. This really helps express some human nature things, after losing someone close to a person. This song is pretty good in my opinion. This feature will run again next week.
Fantasy Baseball All-Stars Week 4
Another week, another set of players: Here's last week's top performers.
Catcher: Miguel Olivo, 8 runs, 9 hits, 2 home runs, 4 RBIs, 0 stolen bases, .346 batting average, .333 on base percentage
First Base: Adam Lind, 7 runs, 12 hits, 4 home runs, 10 RBIs, 0 stolen bases, .429 batting average, .438 on base percentage
Second Base: Ben Zobrist, 8 runs, 11 hits, 2 home runs, 13 RBIs, 2 stolen bases, .440 batting average, .444 on base percentage
Third Base: Mike Aviles, 4 runs, 6 hits, 2 home runs, 7 RBIs, 2 stolen bases, .286 batting average, .304 on base percentage
Shortstop: Elvis Andrus, 7 runs, 10 hits, 0 home runs, 1 RBI, 4 stolen bases, .333 batting average, .375 on base percentage
Outfielder: Matt Joyce, 7 runs, 10 hits, 2 home runs, 6 RBIs, 1 stolen base, .526 batting average, .591 on base percentage
Starting Pitcher: Ian Kennedy, 16.2 innings pitched, 1 win, 16 strikeouts, 1.62 earned run average, 0.60 WHIP
Relief Pitcher: Kevin Gregg, 3 innings pitched, 0 wins, 3 saves, 3 strikeouts, 0 holds, 0.00 earned run average, 0.67 WHIP
Utility Special: Jose Bautista (best 3B eligible, but primarily a right fielder, and not the highest ranked outfielder) 6 runs, 7 hits, 2 home runs, 6 RBIs, 2 stolen bases, .350 batting average, .594 on base percentage
Those are the top players for the week. This will run again next week.
Catcher: Miguel Olivo, 8 runs, 9 hits, 2 home runs, 4 RBIs, 0 stolen bases, .346 batting average, .333 on base percentage
First Base: Adam Lind, 7 runs, 12 hits, 4 home runs, 10 RBIs, 0 stolen bases, .429 batting average, .438 on base percentage
Second Base: Ben Zobrist, 8 runs, 11 hits, 2 home runs, 13 RBIs, 2 stolen bases, .440 batting average, .444 on base percentage
Third Base: Mike Aviles, 4 runs, 6 hits, 2 home runs, 7 RBIs, 2 stolen bases, .286 batting average, .304 on base percentage
Shortstop: Elvis Andrus, 7 runs, 10 hits, 0 home runs, 1 RBI, 4 stolen bases, .333 batting average, .375 on base percentage
Outfielder: Matt Joyce, 7 runs, 10 hits, 2 home runs, 6 RBIs, 1 stolen base, .526 batting average, .591 on base percentage
Starting Pitcher: Ian Kennedy, 16.2 innings pitched, 1 win, 16 strikeouts, 1.62 earned run average, 0.60 WHIP
Relief Pitcher: Kevin Gregg, 3 innings pitched, 0 wins, 3 saves, 3 strikeouts, 0 holds, 0.00 earned run average, 0.67 WHIP
Utility Special: Jose Bautista (best 3B eligible, but primarily a right fielder, and not the highest ranked outfielder) 6 runs, 7 hits, 2 home runs, 6 RBIs, 2 stolen bases, .350 batting average, .594 on base percentage
Those are the top players for the week. This will run again next week.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Sandwich Showdown XVI and More News
This weekend, in our Showdown, we had a Turkey and Ham on Wheat go against a Spicy Italian on Herbs and Cheese. The Turkey and Ham was very flavorful, with the dual-meat action doing very well. The bread added a healthy and tasty touch, and the blend together was nearly seamless. The Spicy Italian, also a dual-meat sandwich, had its own common blend of flavors. With the breads being top-notch, it comes down to the meat, and that's where the Turkey and Ham had a surprising advantage. In other news, our 1,500th view came today. There has been a large downturn on views as I have struggled to keep up with the NHL Playoffs and MLB action in general. If you ever need quick scores ahead of time, Yahoo! Sports is a good source while you wait for me to catch up. This feature runs again next weekend.
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