MLB Day 5 2012

Nine games of baseball today, meaning we're approaching full speed for the season. Our first stop of the day is in...

Arlington, Texas, as the Rangers host the Chicago White Sox. John Danks and Colby Lewis get the ball. Texas started with a Josh Hamilton sacrifice fly in the first inning, bringing in Ian Kinsler. Kinsler added on in the third inning for the Rangers with a solo home run. Chicago took one back with a sixth inning solo shot for Adam Dunn, and they tied the game later in the inning as Alexei Ramirez singled in Alex Rios. Texas answered as Michael Young hit a single to bring in Hamilton. The White Sox never recovered, falling 3-2 at the hands of the Rangers, with the win going to Lewis, the save coming from a close out job by Joe Nathan, and the loss being stuck on Danks.

Northeast of there, the Baltimore Orioles bring in the Minnesota Twins. Carl Pavano and Jake Arrieta will pace the game. Baltimore took little time in opening the scoring with a Nick Markakis two-run homer, also scoring J.J. Hardy in the first inning. The Orioles extended the lead on a Matt Weiters groundout in the fourth that allowed Markakis to score. Baltimore struck again in the sixth inning as Markakis tripled to score Hardy. Minnesota avoided being shut out with a two-run homer in the ninth inning by Josh Willingham, also scoring Joe Mauer, but they didn't tie the game, losing 4-2. Arrieta got the win, Jim Johnson picked up the save, and Pavano took the loss.

Down the coast, the Tampa Bay Rays host the New York Yankees. CC Sabathia and James Shields are the stud pitchers. Tampa Bay struck early with a first inning grand slam by Carlos Pena, helping to bring around Desmond Jennings, Evan Longoria, and Sean Rodriguez. New York started on the comeback trail with a second inning Raul Ibanez groundout allowing Alex Rodriguez safe passage home, followed by Marx Teixeira darting home on a wild pitch. The Yankees continued to claw back with Nick Swisher reaching on a fielder's choice, and Robinson Cano making it home safely, and they gained the lead when Ibanez went yard, scoring Rodriguez and Swisher too. The Rays got one back in the third inning on a solo Longoria home run. Tampa Bay tied it up in the ninth inning as Ben Zobrist tripled and knocked in Jennings, and then he crossed the plate as the winning run when Pena singled him in. The final was 7-6 Tampa Bay, and Fernando Rodney was the winning pitcher, while Mariano Rivera was stuck with the loss.

Towards the Midwest, the Milwaukee Brewers host the St. Louis Cardinals. Jaime Garcia and Yovani Gallardo will take their spots on the mound. Milwaukee began as Carlos Gomez tripled in Rickie Weeks and traveled the final ninety feet on an Aramis Ramirez groundout. St. Louis got one back with a second inning solo home run for Yadier Molina. The Cardinals followed this up with a third inning combo of Carlos Beltran and Matt Holliday going yard back to back, a solo shot for each, and the bombing continued as David Freese lifted a two-run special over the left field fence that drove in Lance Berkman as well. St. Louis padded the lead with a Freese single in the fourth inning to bring around Rafael Furcal. The Cardinals extended the lead again with a sixth inning Berkman double that allowed Beltran to score. St. Louis peppered another run on the board with pinch hitter Shane Robinson singling to drive in Jon Jay. The Cardinals stepped up the attack in the ninth inning with pinch hitter Matt Carpenter doubling Molina and Daniel Descalso home before finishing the trip when Furcal did the same. The Brewers showed a sign of life in the bottom of the inning when George Kotteras hit a pinch hit home run, also scoring Mat Gamel and Jonathan Lucroy. This made it 11-5 Cardinals, with the win going to Garcia and the loss to Gallardo.

We return to the state of Texas with the Houston Astros bringing in the Colorado Rockies. Jeremy Guthrie and Wandy Rodriguez will throw tonight. Houston began with a first inning Carlos Lee single to bring in Jose Altuve. Colorado answered in a big way in the third inning as Troy Tulowitzki hit a sacrifice fly to score Marco Scutaro, followed by a Todd Helton double that scored Dexter Fowler before he crossed home plate himself on a Michael Cuddyer single. The Astros pulled back and tied with back to back fourth inning solo shots from Lee and Brian Bogusevic. The Rockies broke the tie when pinch runner Eric Young darted home on a Jason Castro error. Colorado got a little separation with a Tulowitzki solo shot in the ninth inning. They held on from there for a 5-3 win, which was credited to Guthrie, while the save belonged to Rafael Betancourt. Fernando Rodriguez suffered the loss.

Farther west, the Arizona Diamondbacks welcome the San Francisco Giants. Tim Lincecum and Ian Kennedy have the manager's approval to pitch. Arizona stepped out to an early lead with first inning home runs by Chris Young, who brought in Willie Bloomquist as well, and Paul Goldschmidt's solo shot. San Francisco got two of them back when Melky Cabrera homered and drove in Angel Pagan. The Giants tied it in the sixth inning on a Brandon Crawford groundout that allowed Aubrey Huff to dart home. The Diamondbacks answered in the bottom of the same inning on a Ryan Roberts 2-RBI double, scoring Justin Upton and Goldschmidt. San Francisco attempted a ninth inning comeback as Pablo Sandoval doubled and Cabrera reached home to pull within one, but they never tied it, falling 5-4. Kennedy got the win, J.J. Putz converted a rocky save, and Lincecum was tagged with the loss.

Finally, we'll end the day in California for three games, beginning with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hosting the Kansas City Royals. Bruce Chen and Jered Weaver will be pitching. Los Angeles started scoring in the eighth inning on a Peter Bourjos single scoring Alexi Amarista, followed by an Erick Aybar 3-RBI triple forcing in Mark Trumbo, Chris Iannetta, and Bourjos, and he finished his trip around the bases on a Torii Hunter single. This was it for scoring, leaving the final at 5-0, with Weaver getting the win and Aaron Crow suffering the loss.

North a bit, as the Oakland Athletics take their rivalry with the Seattle Mariners back on American soil. Jason Vargas and Brandon McCarthy pace the game. Seattle got things started as Chone Figgins reached on an error that allowed Brendan Ryan to score, Jesus Montero hit a sacrifice fly to push in Figgins, and Kyle Seager knocked in both Dustin Ackley and Ichiro with a single, all in the third inning. Figgins added on for the Mariners in the fourth by singling in Michael Saunders. Oakland got some back in the bottom of the fourth with Yoenis Cespedes hitting a two run homer, also scoring Jonny Gomes. Seattle got them back as Figgins reached first on a bunt single to allow Saunders to score, followed by Ichiro's sacrifice fly to bring around Brendan Ryan in the sixth inning. The Athletics pulled to 7-3, a final, on an eighth inning Seth Smith single that scored Jemile Weeks. The win was credited to Vargas while McCarthy was stuck with the loss.

Finally, we go down to San Diego, where the Padres welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers. Chad Billingsley and Cory Luebke are the starting pitchers. Los Angeles started with a 2-RBI double for Andre Ethier, scoring Mark Ellis and Juan Rivera. The Dodgers upped the attack in the third inning as Matt Kemp provided passage for Ellis home before making it on a Rivera single. Los Angeles continued to run up the score when Ethier tripled in the fifth inning to score Kemp and Rivera, making it 6-0, where it would stay through the end of the game. Billingsley earned the win while Luebke was pinned with the loss.

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