MLB Day 29 2012

Eleven games on today after a rainout for the Detroit Tigers game against the Kansas City Royals. The first game today was early, in...

Miami, as the Marlins host the Arizona Diamondbacks. Patrick Corbin and Mark Buehrle will throw this morning. Arizona started off with a second inning Cody Ransom two-run home run, also scoring Paul Goldschmidt. The Diamondbacks struck again in the fourth inning as Willie Bloomquist doubled in both Gerardo Parra and A.J. Pollock, followed by Ryan Roberts hitting a sacrifice fly to score the pitcher Corbin, and a Justin Upton two-run homer, finishing Bloomquist's trip around. Miami got on the board with a two-run blast from Donnie Murphy in the fifth inning, knocking in John Buck. The Marlins pulled closer in the sixth inning as Gaby Sanchez hit a sacrifice fly, providing time for Omar Infante to score. Miami struck again in the seventh inning as Austin Kearns lifted a two run home run, forcing in Hanley Ramirez. Arizona secured victory by a 9-5 margin in the ninth inning on a Parra groundout to bring in Upton and a Pollock sacrifice fly to give time for Goldschmidt to score. Corbin got the win while Buehrle was handed the loss.

Up in Philadelphia a few hours later, the Phillies hosted the Chicago Cubs. Chris Volstad and Vance Worley are set to pitch. Philadelphia rallied to an early first inning lead when Hunter Pence singled in Jimmy Rollins, Carlos Ruiz scored both Shane Victorino and Pence with a single of his own, and Pete Orr dropped a single to get Laynce Nix home. Chicago finally got on the board in the seventh inning as Geovany Soto grounded into a double play that gave time for Alfonso Soriaon to dart home. The Cubs pulled closer with an eighth inning Starlin Castro single, scoring Tony Campana, before he came home on a two-run home run by Bryan LaHair. The Phillies took their lead back in the bottom of the eighth as Placido Polanco doubled in Juan Pierre and Rollins, and they held on for a 6-4 win. The win went to Chad Qualls, while Jonathan Papelbon picked up the save and Scott Maine was stuck with the loss.

Into New York, as the Yankees host the Baltimore Orioles. Jason Hammel opposes Hiroki Kuroda from the mound. Baltimore drew first blood with a Chris Davis sacrifice fly to drive in Adam Jones in the second inning. New York answered in their half of the inning as Eric Chavez hit a two-run home run, also scoring Mark Teixeira. This held through the rest of the game for a 2-1 win, with Kuroda earning the win, Mariano Rivera converting the save, and Hammel wondering where the run support was in the loss.

In Canada, the Toronto Blue Jays host the Texas Rangers. Yu Darvish opposes Kyle Drabek pitching. Texas began with a second inning Nelson Cruz double, scoring Adrian Beltre. The Rangers added on in the third inning as Elvis Andrus doubled, bringing around Ian Kinsler. Toronto got on the board with a fourth inning Edwin Encarnacion solo home run. Texas extended the lead in the seventh inning with back to back solo shots by Mitch Moreland and Craig Gentry. This held up for a 4-1 win, earned by a studly Darvish, while Joe Nathan successfully converted the save and Drabek was pinned with the loss.

Back stateside, the Boston Red Sox host the Oakland Athletics. Tommy Milone and Clay Buchholz are the middle-rotation starters. Oakland was first on the board with a second inning Cliff Pennington single that brought in Kurt Suzuki. Boston rallied to a bottom of the second lead beginning with a David Ortiz solo home run, followed by Marlon Byrd and Mike Aviles singling in Darnell McDonald and Byrd, respectively, before Adrian Gonzalez reached on an error that gave time to bring home Aviles. The Red Sox added on in the third inning as McDonald hit a two-run home run, sweeping in Ortiz. Boston struck again with another Ortiz solo shot in the fifth inning, followed by Byrd doubling in McDonald before coming home alongside Nick Punto when Aviles lifted a three-run home run. The Athletics rallied in the seventh inning as Coco Crisp singled in both Anthony Recker and Pennington before coming home alongside Jemile Weeks when Josh Reddick went yard with a three run blast. This was as close as it got, giving the Red Sox an 11-6 victory, with the win going to Buchholz and the loss to Milone.

To the south, the Atlanta Braves host the Pittsburgh Pirates. James McDonald and Mike Minor take their turns in the rotation. Atlanta was first to score with a Freddie Freeman first inning two-run home run, also scoring Martin Prado. Pittsburgh answered in the third as Josh Harrison singled in Rod Barajas and Andrew McCutchen tied it on a sacrifice fly that brought home Jose Tabata. The Pirates grabbed the lead when Pedro Alvarez hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning, sweeping in Yamaico Navarro. The Braves replied in the bottom of the fourth with Eric Hinske's single, giving Dan Uggla time to score. Pittsburgh extended the lead with a sixth inning Navarro two-run bomb, forcing in Neil Walker. The Pirates struck again in the seventh inning with Tabata scoring on a passed ball, Walker singling McCutchen across the plate, and Navarro grounding into a fielder's choice that allowed Casey McGehee safe passage home. This concluded the scoring, leaving McDonald with the win in the 9-3 Pittsburgh win, while Minor was dealt the loss.

In Florida, the Tampa Bay Rays host the Seattle Mariners. Aces Felix Hernandez and Jeremy Hellickson were given the ball. Seattle opened with a second inning Miguel Olivo solo shot. Tampa Bay tied it in the bottom of the second as Sean Rodriguez singled in Brandon Allen. The Mariners got the lead again in the eleventh inning as Jesus Montero hit a solo home run. The Rays retied it in their half of the eleventh as B.J. Upton singled to drive in Jeff Keppinger. Tampa Bay won it in the twelfth inning as Elliot Johnson singled to score Ben Zobrist. J.P. Howell got the win in the 3-2 game, while Brandon League choked for a loss.

Westward to Houston, where the Astros host the New York Mets. R.A. Dickey and Bud Norris are the pitchers with awesome monikers. Houston broke open the scoring in the sixth inning as Travis Buck grounded into a fielder's choice, providing time for Jordan Schafer to score, before Matt Downs knocked in Buck with a two-run home run. New York answered in the seventh inning as Andres Torres singled in David Wright before coming home alongside Ike Davis after a Kirk Nieuwenhuis single. The Astros reclaimed the lead in the eighth inning as Jed Lowrie singled Schafer across the plate. This held for a 4-3 win, earned by Fernando Rodriguez, while Brett Myers picked up the save and Manny Acosta was stuck with the loss.

Up in Colorado, the Rockies host the Los Angeles Dodgers. Aaron Harang and Juan Nicasio take the hill. Los Angeles wasted little time in scoring, with a first inning solo home run by Matt Kemp. Colorado tied it in their half of the inning as Carlos Gonzalez grounded out, giving time for Marco Scutaro to get home. The Rockies got the lead in the fourth inning when Troy Tulowitzki doubled in both Jonathan Herrera and Gonzalez before coming home himself on a Ramon Hernandez sacrifice fly. The Dodgers got one back in the sixth inning as Juan Uribe singled, driving in James Loney. Colorado shot back in the bottom of the sixth as Hernandez doubled, knocking in Gonzalez. The Rockies extended the lead in the seventh with a Gonzalez single, giving time for Michael Cuddyer to get home safely. The final stuck at 6-2, with Nicasio earning the win and Harang taking the loss.

Southwest to San Diego, with the Padres hosting the Milwaukee Brewers. Randy Wolf and Joe Wieland received the starting nods. San Diego got things going in the second inning as Yonder Alonso singled in Cameron Maybin. Milwaukee answered in the fourth inning on a Ryan Braun solo home run and an Alex Gonzalez double that scored both Aramis Ramirez and Mat Gamel. The Padres got one back in their half of the fourth as Jason Bartlett doubled, driving in Orlando Hudson. The Brewers extended the lead again in the fifth with a two-run home run by Braun, sweeping in Rickie Weeks. San Diego got another back as Bartlett grounded into a double play that gave time for Maybin to come home in the sixth inning. Milwaukee replied as Braun went yard for the third time tonight, another solo shot in the seventh inning. The Brewers iced it at 8-3 with a Braun triple in the ninth inning, forcing in Weeks and Nyjer Morgan. Wolf got the win while Wieland was stuck with the loss.

Up a tad to the finishing point in Anaheim, where the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim host the Minnesota Twins. Nick Blackburn and C.J. Wilson pace the game. Los Angeles began with a Torii Hunter first inning single, pushing in Albert Pujols. The Angels added on as Hunter went yard in the fourth inning, also scoring Kendrys Morales with the two-run homer. Los Angeles padded the lead as Chris Iannetta lifted a solo home run in the seventh inning. Minnesota got some back in the eighth inning when Alexi Casilla doubled in Chris Parmelee and then came home on a Denard Span single, followed by Danny Valencia singling in Jamey Carroll. This was as close as it got, with the Angels holding on to win 4-3, with the W going to Wilson, the save to Scott Downs, and loss to Blackburn.

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