MLB Day 130 2012

Only eleven games on today, beginning in...

Pittsburgh, with the Pirates hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers. Aaron Harang and Jeff Karstens get the starting nods. Los Angeles began in the third inning as Shane Victorino doubled in A.J. Ellis before scoring on a Matt Kemp single. Pittsburgh tied it in their half of the inning as Garrett Jones doubled both Starling Marte and Andrew McCutchen home. The Dodgers took the lead back in the fifth inning as Victorino hit a two-run home run, also scoring Harang. Los Angeles padded the lead in the eighth inning when Juan Rivera singled to knock in Kemp. The Pirates shot back in the bottom of the eighth with Jones doubling to plate McCutchen, followed by Michael McKenry singling him the rest of the way home. They couldn't get the equalizer, falling 5-4, with Harang holding on to the win, Kenley Jansen tossing the save, and Karstens was not freed from the loss.

Over in New York, the Yankees host the Texas Rangers. Ryan Dempster faces a lesser foe in David Phelps. Texas started in the first inning on a Nelson Cruz single to drive in Elvis Andrus. The Rangers got another in the second inning on a David Murphy solo home run. New York took the lead in the third inning on a Nick Swisher grand slam, sweeping in Russell Martin, Raul Ibanez, and Derek Jeter, followed by a Curtis Granderson sacrifice fly to bring in Robinson Cano. The Yankees added on in the sixth inning as Eric Chavez hit a solo shot. New York padded the lead in the seventh inning as Jeter doubled Ichiro Suzuki safely home, before he scored on a single from Swisher. This made the final 8-2, with the win going to Phelps, the save to Derek Lowe and his four innings of relief work, and the loss to Dempster.

Up in Canada, the Toronto Blue Jays host the Chicago White Sox. Jake Peavy and Carlos Villanueva are penciled in to pitch. Toronto opened with a third inning Edwin Encarnacion single to get Anthony Gose home. Chicago answered in the fourth inning with an Adam Dunn solo home run. The Blue Jays took the lead back in the seventh inning as Moises Sierra hit a solo shot. The White Sox retied it in the ninth inning on another Dunn solo home run. Toronto won it in the eleventh inning as David Cooper singled to plate Kelly Johnson for a 3-2 final. Steve Delabar got the win and made history (four strikeouts in one extra inning) while Leyson Septimo was charged with the loss.

Back stateside, the Miami Marlins host the Philadelphia Phillies. Cole Hamels and Nathan Eovaldi are tabbed to pitch. Philadelphia led off in the third inning when Chase Utley doubled to knock in Jimmy Rollins, followed by John Mayberry reaching on an error that allowed Juan Pierre to get home. The Phillies got another in the fourth inning as Pierre tripled to force in Rollins. Philadelphia struck again in the seventh inning as Erik Krats hit a sacrifice fly that scored Domonic Brown. This was it for the scoring, leaving the final at 4-0, with Hamels going the distance for a complete game shutout and Eovaldi having no run support in the loss.

Back north again, the Atlanta Braves host the San Diego Padres. Eric Stults and Mike Minor will be handed the ball. San Diego was first to score in the second inning with a Cameron Maybin sacrifice fly allowed Chris Denorfia to come home. The Padres added on in the fifth inning as Chase Headley singled in Stults. San Diego padded the lead in the sixth inning as Yonder Alonso singled to knock in Denorfia. The Padres struck again with a seventh inning solo home run from Headley. Atlanta got on the board in the eighth inning when Martin Prado tripled to force in Michael Bourn. This was as close as it got, with the final standing at 4-1. Stults got the win, Dale Thayer turned the save, and Minor was handed the loss.

Northwest to Chicago, as the Cubs host the Houston Astros. Armando Galarraga and Jeff Samardzija have the most difficult pair of last names for any two starting pitchers. Chicago struck first with a second inning two-run home run by Darwin Barney, also scoring Starlin Castro. The Cubs got another in the third inning with Anthony Rizzo singling in Josh Vitters. Chicago struck again in the fifth inning on a two-run home run by Alfonso Soriano, sweeping in Rizzo. Houston got on the board in the sixth inning as Brandon Barnes hit a sole home run. The Cubs shot back in the seventh inning as Welington Castillo singled to knock in Soriano. Chicago extended the lead in the eighth inning on a Vitters sacrifice fly that allowed safe passage home for Barney. This produced the 7-1 final, with the win belonging to Samardzija, while Galarraga was dealt the loss.

Further north still, the Minnesota Twins host the Detroit Tigers. Anibal Sanchez and Samuel Deduno are the average pitchers. Minnesota opened in the third inning on a Justin Morneau single to score Joe Mauer. Detroit tied it in the fifth inning as Jhonny Peralta doubled in Brennan Boesch. The Twins took the lead again in the bottom of the fifth as Darin Mastroianni hit a solo home run. Minnesota got another the sixth inning on as Alexi Casilla doubled to drive in Ryan Doumit, followed by Mastroianni singling in both Jamey Carroll and Casilla. The Twins got more in the seventh inning as Doumit hit a three-run home run to sweep in Mauer and Josh Willingham. The Tigers shot back in the eighth inning with a Miguel Cabrera single to knock in Austin Jackson, followed by Delmon Young doing the same for Andy Dirks. Minnesota replied in their half of the eighth as Willingham hit a sacrifice fly to give Ben Revere time to score. They held on to win 9-3, with Deduno notching the win and Sanchez taking the loss.

Southwest to Colorado, with the Rockies hosting the Milwaukee Brewers. Mike Fiers and Jeff Francis are the little-known starters. Colorado got going in the first inning with Jonathan Herrera singling to get Eric Young home, before scoring on a Carlos Gonzalez groundout, followed by Willin Rosario hitting a sacrifice fly to bring around Dexter Fowler. The Rockies struck again in the second inning as Young grounded out to get Chris Nelson home. Colorado added on in the third inning as Gonzalez singled to plate Fowler, followed by Tyler Colvin doubling to finish Gonzalez's trip, Nelson singling to get Rosario in, and DJ LeMahieu followed suit for Colvin. Milwaukee got on the board in the fourth inning as Corey Hart grounded out, giving Aramis Ramirez time to dash home. The Brewers got some more in the sixth inning on a two-run home run by Carlos Gomez, also scoring Jonathan Lucroy. The Rockies replied in the seventh inning on a LeMahieu single that drove home Rosario. Milwaukee tried to rally in the ninth inning on a three-run home run by Rickie Weeks, sweeping in Gomez and Travis Ishikawa, but they still fell 9-6. Francis picked up the win while Fiers was shelled in the loss.

Into California, as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim host the Cleveland Indians. Justin Masterson is mismatched with C.J. Wilson. Cleveland took the lead in the third inning as Jason Donald singled in Brent Lillibridge, followed by Asdrubal Cabrera doing the same for Lou Marson. The Indians got another in the fourth inning on a Lillibridge solo home run. Los Angeles got on the board in the eighth inning as Albert Pujols hit a two-run home run, also scoring Mike Trout. Cleveland extended the lead in the ninth inning as Marson walked with the bases loaded to force in Ezequiel Carrera, followed by Jason Kipnis hitting a sacrifice fly to drive in Lillibridge, and Casey Kotchman scoring on a wild pitch to make the final 6-2. Masterson earned the win, Chris Perez mopped up a mess for a save, and Wilson was handed the loss.

Up in Seattle, the Mariners host the Tampa Bay Rays. Alex Cobb and Blake Beavan are the relatively unknown pitchers. Tampa Bay established a lead in the third inning as Desmond Jennings singled in Sam Fuld before scoring on a two-run home run by B.J. Upton, followed by Ben Zobrist doubling to score Matt Joyce. Seattle got on the board in the sixth inning when Eric Thames singled to plate Trayvon Robinson. They got no closer, losing 4-1, with Cobb getting the win, Fernando Rodney tossing the save, and Beavan suffered the loss.

Finally, in San Francisco, the Giants host the Washington Nationals. Gio Gonzalez and Ryan Vogelsong pace the game. Washington began in the first inning as Ryan Zimmerman doubled in Steve Lombardozzi. The Nationals rallied to extend the lead in the third inning as Adam LaRoche walked with the bases loaded to force in Lombardozzi, followed by Michael Morse singling in Bryce Harper, Danny Espinosa doing the same for Zimmerman, Roger Bernadina following suit to finish LaRoche's trip around, and then Kurt Suzuki doubled in all of Morse, Espinosa, and Bernadina. Washington added on in the fourth inning as Bernadina doubled in Zimmerman and Morse, followed by Suzuki singling to drive in Espinosa. The Nationals kept going in the fifth inning as Harper scored on a wild pitch, followed by a two-run home run by Espinosa, also scoring Tyler Moore. San Francisco got on the board in the seventh inning as Brandon Crawford hit a two-run home run, sweeping in Ryan Theriot. This ended the scoring at 14-2, with Gonzalez getting a ton of support in the win, while Vogelsong was tossed around in the loss, and fellow pitcher Brad Penny gets dishonorable mention for his struggles as well.

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