MLB Day 27 2012

Rain claims another game as a victim today, with a postponement for the Minnesota Twins-Kansas City Royals game. As for the rest of the games...

We start in St. Louis, with the Cardinals hosting the Milwaukee Brewers. Marco Estrada and Kyle Lohse will be pitching. St. Louis started in the third inning as Jon Jay singled in the pitcher Lohse, and Matt Holliday grounded into a fielder's choice, providing time for Rafael Furcal to dart home. Milwaukee replied in the fourth inning as Aramis Ramirez hit a solo home run. The Cardinals got it back in the bottom of the fourth with a David Freese solo shot. The Brewers answered with a fifth inning Alex Gonzalez solo shot. Milwaukee tied it as George Kotteras drew a bases loaded walk in the sixth inning, forcing in Ramirez. St. Louis regained the lead as Yadier Molina went yard with a two-run homer, sweeping in Carlos Beltran in the bottom of the sixth. The Cardinals made it 7-3 in the eighth inning as Skip Schumaker doubled in both Molina and Matt Carpenter. This was all for the scoring, giving Lohse a win and Estrada a loss.

Into Cleveland, with the Indians hosting the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Dan Haren and Jeanmar Gomez were sent out to pitch. Los Angeles struck first with a first inning Kendrys Morales single to drive in Howie Kendrick. The Angels added on in the fourth inning with a Torii Hunter solo home run. Cleveland answered in their half of the fourth with a Jack Hannahan single, giving Jason Kipnis time to get home. This was it for scoring in the game, with Los Angeles winning 2-1. The win went to Haren, Scott Downs converted the save as the newly-named closer, and Gomez was stuck with a hard luck loss.

East to New York, as the Yankees host the Detroit Tigers. Drew Smyly and Freddy Garcia take their turns in the rotation. Detroit led off with a first inning Andy Dirks three-run home run, also scoring Austin Jackson and Prince Fielder. New York replied with a Nick Swisher solo shot in their half of the inning. The Tigers extended the lead in the second inning when Brennan Boesch doubled in Alex Avila before coming home alongside Jackson on a Miguel Cabrera single. The Yankees got one back in the seventh on a Curtis Granderson solo home run. Detroit answered in the eighth inning as Cabrera blasted a solo shot. New York tried to rally back in the ninth beginning when Swisher went yard again, his second solo home run of the game, followed by Granderson singling in Alex Rodriguez, and then coming home on a Raul Ibanez double, but they only got to 7-5 before they fell. Smyly got the win and Garcia was stuck with the loss.

Up north, the Toronto Blue Jays welcome the Seattle Mariners. Kevin Millwood and Brandon Morrow will be the starting pitchers. Toronto led off in the third inning as Jose Bautista reached on an error that allowed Yunel Escobar to score, followed by a ground rule double from Adam Lind, forcing in Kelly Johnson, and Edwin Encarnacion hitting a sacrifice fly to bring around Bautista. The Blue Jays made it 7-0 in the eighth inning as Encarnacion hit a grand slam, cleaning the bases of Johnson, Bautista, and Lind. This was good for a win, earned by Morrow, while Millwood took the loss.

Back stateside, the Cincinnati Reds host the Houston Astros. Lucas Harrell and Johnny Cueto are tabbed as the starting pitchers. Cincinnati was first on the board with a first inning triple off the bat of Brandon Phillips, knocking in Joey Votto, and Phillips came home on a Scott Rolen single. The Reds padded the lead in the third inning as Jay Bruce doubled in both Zack Cozart and Votto. Cincinnati struck again in the fifth inning on a two-run home run by Bruce, also scoring Phillips. This made it 6-0, a final, with the win going to Cueto and the loss to Harrell.

To the east, the Baltimore Orioles host the Oakland Athletics. Tyson Ross and Wei-Yin Chen are the relatively unknown pitchers. Baltimore began in the second inning as Chris Davis singled to bring home Adam Jones, before coming home himself on a Ronny Paulino double that also gave time for Wilson Betemit to score, followed by Robert Andino singling in Paulino and J.J. Hardy hitting a sacrifice fly to give time for Andino to dash home. The Orioles struck again in the third as Betemit doubled, and as he tried to go for three bases, Jones scored while Betemit was unsuccessful. Baltimore kept at it in the fifth inning on a Jones single, knocking in Hardy, followed by a 2-RBI single from the bat of Davis, bringing in Nick Markakis and Jones. Oakland got on the board in the sixth inning as Jonny Gomes hit a solo home run. Davis replied for the Orioles in the seventh inning by hitting a solo shot of his own. This made it 10-1, a final, with the win going to Chen and the loss to Ross.

Into Pennsylvania, as the Philadelphia Phillies host the Chicago Cubs. Randy Wells and Joe Blanton are the veteran starting pitchers. Chicago was first on the board in the first inning with a Bryan LaHair single, scoring Starlin Castro. Philadelphia replied in the fourth inning as Carlos Ruiz singled in both Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino before coming home alongside Laynce Nix on a double from Jimmy Rollins. The Phillies extended the lead in the sixth inning as Ruiz went yard on a solo home run. The Cubs got one back in the eighth inning as Castro grounded into a fielder's choice, giving Tony Campana time to dash home. This made it 5-2, a final, with the win going to Blanton, the save to Jonathan Papelbon, and the loss to Wells.

To the south, the Atlanta Braves host the Pittsburgh Pirates. Erik Bedard and Randall Delgado were given the ball today. Pittsburgh struck first with a first inning Garrett Jones sacrifice fly, giving time to score Alex Presley. The Pirates added on in the second inning with Presley doubling in Rod Barajas before coming home himself when Jose Tabata singled. Atlanta got on the board in the third inning with a Dan Uggla single, driving in Martin Prado. Pittsburgh answered in the fifth inning as Pedro Alvarez knocked in Neil walker with a double. The Braves got one back in the sixth inning as Juan Francisco grounded out, giving time to score Jason Heyward. This was as close as it got, with the Pirates winning 4-2 on the back of Bedard, while Joel Hanrahan converted the save, and Delgado took the loss.

Northwest in Chicago, the White Sox hosted the Boston Red Sox. Jon Lester and Jake Peavy were the pair of aces on the hill. Boston scored first with a fourth inning Adrian Gonzalez single, scoring Ryan Sweeney. This was it for the scoring, giving the Red Sox a 1-0 win, earned by Lester, while Alfredo Aceves pitched a clean ninth for the save, and Peavy went the distance in the loss.

Back southeast, the Miami Marlins host the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ian Kennedy and Anibal Sanchez were given the green light to start. Arizona wasted little time in scoring, as Gerardo Parra doubled home Willie Bloomquist in the first inning, before coming home himself on a Miguel Montero single. Miami answered in the seventh inning as Jose Reyes singled to score Omar Infante. The Marlins tied it in the eighth inning as Logan Morrison lifted a solo home run. Miami completed the comeback in the ninth inning, winning 3-2 as Hanley Ramirez singled in Giancarlo Stanton. Steve Cishek was in line for the win while Brad Ziegler was hung with the loss.

Out west, the Texas Rangers host the Tampa Bay Rays. Jeff Niemann and Colby Lewis are the middle-of-the-rotation starters. Texas drew first blood in the first inning when Josh Hamilton singled in Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus. Tampa Bay answered in the second inning as Matt Joyce crushed a solo home run. The Rangers added on in the sixth inning with Nelson Cruz reaching on an error, providing time for Hamilton to score. Texas padded the lead in the seventh inning as Mitch Moreland scored on an error by catcher Jose Molina, and then Adrian Beltre went yard for a three-run home run, sweeping in Kinsler and Hamilton. The Rays got one back in the eighth inning as Evan Longoria doubled, driving in Desmond Jennings, which made the score 7-2, which was a final. The win went to Lewis, while Niemann suffered the loss.

Up in Colorado, the Rockies host the New York Mets. Dillon Gee and Guillermo Moscoso take to the mound today. Colorado was first to score with a first inning Troy Tulowitzki fielder's choice paving the way for Marco Scutaro to get home. New York answered in the second inning as Lucas Duda hit a two-run home run, also scoring David Wright. Wright added on for the Mets in the third by doubling in Ruben Tejada. The Rockies rallied to a lead in the fourth inning as Todd Helton doubled in Carlos Gonzalez, Michael Cuddyer singled to bring around Tulowitzki, and the pitcher Moscoso singled to finish Cuddyer's trip around. New York retook the lead in the fifth inning as Wright singled to drive in Tejada, before coming home alongside Daniel Murphy when Duda lined a single. The Mets got another one as Mike Baxter scored on a passed ball in the ninth inning. Colorado tried to rally in the bottom of the ninth, but they only got a solo shot off the bat of Dexter Fowler, cutting the eventual loss to a 7-5 score. Gee got the win, Frank Francisco picked up the save, and Moscoso took the loss.

Out in California, the San Francisco Giants host the San Diego Padres. Anthony Bass and Tim Lincecum pace the game. San Diego was first on the board as Nick Hundley's third inning sacrifice fly gave time for Will Venable to score. San Francisco got the lead in the fifth inning when Brandon Belt doubled, knocking in both Melky Cabrera and Nate Schierholtz. The scoring ended here, with the Giants winning 2-1, giving Lincecum a win, Santiago Casilla a save, and Bass throwing a complete-game loss.

Finally, we end in Los Angeles, where the Dodgers host the Washington Nationals. Stephen Strasburg opposes Chad Billingsley on the mound. Washington got on the board in the seventh inning with an Adam LaRoche solo home run. Los Angeles tied it in their half of the inning on an A.J. Ellis single, scoring Jerry Hairston, Jr. The Nationals got the lead back in the ninth inning on a Bryce Harper sacrifice fly, bringing in Rick Ankiel and a Wilson Ramos single that drove in Danny Espinosa. The Dodgers answered in the bottom of the ninth with a ground rule double by Juan Uribe, forcing in Mark Ellis, and then Uribe scored on a wild pitch to tie the game again. Los Angeles claimed victory in the tenth inning with a Kemp solo home run for a 4-3 win. The win went to Jamey Wright while Tom Gorzelanny was pinned with the loss.

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