MLB Day 131 2012

Full slate once again, beginning in...

The Bronx, as the New York Yankees host the Texas Rangers. Matt Harrison and Hiroki Kuroda are the underrated pitchers. New York finally started the scoring in the seventh inning as Nick Swisher hit a two-run home run, also scoring Derek Jeter, followed by a solo home run from Mark Teixeira. This was all they needed for a 3-0 win, with Kuroda tossing a two-hit and two-walk complete game shutout while Harrison had little help in the loss.

West a touch to Pittsburgh, with the Pirates hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers. Chad Billingsley and Kevin Correia are set to start. Los Angeles got going in the third inning as Shane Victorino grounded out to bring in Luis Cruz. The Dodgers got another in the fourth inning as James Loney grounded out to knock in Matt Kemp, followed by Cruz singling both Andre Ethier and Hanley Ramirez home. Los Angeles struck again in the sixth inning as Cruz singled Ramirez across the dish, followed by an A.J. Ellis sacrifice fly to bring around Loney. The Dodgers extended the lead in the ninth inning as Kemp singled to drive in Adam Kennedy, Ethier singled both Victorino and Juan Uribe home, and then Ramirez doubled to plate both Kemp and Ethier. This made the final 11-0, with Billingsley getting the win and Correia having no help in the loss.

Back to the east, the Baltimore Orioles host the Boston Red Sox. Josh Beckett and Wei-Yin Chen get the starting nods. Baltimore opened in the third inning as Omar Quintanilla hit a solo home run. Boston tied it in the fourth inning on a Carl Crawford single allowing Cody Ross to get home. The Orioles took the lead back in the fifth inning as Mark Reynolds hit a solo shot. Baltimore padded the lead in the sixth inning as Matt Wieters singled home J.J. Hardy and Chris Davis did the same for Adam Jones, followed by Reynolds hitting a three-run home run to sweep in Wieters and Davis. This was it for the scoring, leaving the final at 7-1. Chen was given the win while Beckett was handed the loss.

Up in Canada, the Toronto Blue Jays host the Chicago White Sox. Jose Quintana and Henderson Alvarez are the relatively unknown pitchers. Toronto began in the first inning on a Yunel Escobar single to plate Mike McCoy. The Blue Jays got another in the third inning as McCoy grounded out, allowing Rajai Davis to get home. Chicago rallied ahead in the fifth inning when Alejandro De Aza singled to knock in A.J. Pierzynski, followed by Dewayne Wise doing the same for Dayan Viciedo, and then De Aza came home on an error. The scoring ended here at 3-2, with Quintana getting the win, Addison Reed tossing the save, and Alvarez suffered the loss.

Back stateside, the Cincinnati Reds host the New York Mets. Chris Young is mismatched with Mat Latos. Cincinnati opened and closed the scoring in the ninth inning on a three-run home run by Jay Bruce, sweeping in Brandon Philips and Ryan Ludwick for a 3-0 final. Jose Arredondo got the win while Manny Acosta was on the hook for the loss.

South to Atlanta, with the Braves hosting the San Diego Padres. Clayton Richard and Tim Hudson are the well-known pitchers. Atlanta led off with a first inning Freddie Freeman groundout, giving Michael Bourn time to dash home. The Braves struck again in the fifth inning on a Dan Uggla solo home run. Atlanta padded the lead in the sixth inning when Chipper Jones singled home Martin Prado. The Braves struck again in the seventh inning as Prado hit a three-run home run, sweeping in Jason Heyward and Bourn. This made it 6-0, a final, with Hudson getting the win and Richard taking the loss.

Further south, the Miami Marlins host the Philadelphia Phillies. Kyle Kendrick and Josh Johnson show alliteration in the pitching match. Philadelphia started in the first inning as Jimmy Rollins hit a leadoff solo home run.

Northwest to Chicago, as the Cubs host the Houston Astros. Lucas Harrell and Chris Volstad are the back-of-the-rotation pitchers. Houston was first on the board in the first inning as Scott Moore doubled in Jose Altuve. The Astros padded the lead in the third inning with a three-run home run by Brett Wallace, sweeping in Tyler Greene and Altuve. Houston got another in the sixth inning as Brandon Barnes reached on an error that allowed Moore to dash home, followed by a three-run home run by Fernando Martinez, also scoring Brian Bogusevic and Barnes, and then Altuve doubled home Harrell. The Astros got some more in the seventh inning on a Moore solo home run. Chicago got on the board in the bottom of the seventh as Darwin Barney grounded out to bring in Starlin Castro. They got no closer, losing 10-1, with Harrell picking up the win while Vosltad was pinned with the loss.

Down in Kansas City, the Royals host the Oakland Athletics. Jarrod Parker and Jeremy Guthrie will be sent out for the starts. Kansas City got things going in the fifth inning with an Eric Hosmer single to plate Salvador Perez, followed by a Chris Getz sacrifice fly to bring in Jeff Francoeur, Alex Gordon singling to finish Hosmer's trip around, Alcides Escobar reaching on an error to allow Lorenzo Cain to score, and Billy Butler hitting a sacrifice fly to finish Gordon's trip. This was it for the scoring with the final being 5-0. Guthrie notched the win and Parker was dealt the loss.

North to Minnesota, where the Twins host the Detroit Tigers. Doug Fister faces a lesser foe in Brian Duensing. Detroit opened in the first inning as Jhonny Peralta singled in both Austin Jackson and Omar Infante. The Tigers added on in the second inning as Gerald Laird tripled to force in Andy Dirks before scoring on a Jackson double. Minnesota rallied to tie in the third inning as Darin Mastroianni reached on an error that allowed Jamey Carroll to get home, followed by a three-run home run by Josh Willingham, sweeping in Ben Revere and Mastroianni. Detroit took the lead again in the sixth inning as Dirks hit a solo home run. The Tigers struck again in the seventh inning when Miguel Cabrera singled to knock in Infante. Detroit padded the lead in the ninth inning as Cabrera doubled Infante safely home before scoring as Delmon Young reached on an error. This made it 8-4, the final, with Fister notching the win and Duensing was pinned with the loss.

Back in Missouri again, as the St. Louis Cardinals host the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ian Kennedy and Joe Kelly are the solid starters. St. Louis led off in the fourth inning as Matt Holliday hit a two-run home run, also scoring Allen Craig. The Cardinals got another in the sixth inning as Jon Jay hit a solo home run. Arizona shot back in the seventh inning as Miguel Montero hit a two-run home run, sweeping in Justin Upton. St. Louis answered in the bottom of the seventh as Shane Robinson reached on an error that allowed Skip schumaker to dash home, followed by Craig grounding out to get Rafael Furcal across the dish. The Cardinals struck again in the eighth inning on a Matt Carpenter double that plated both Yadier Molina and Schumaker, before he scored on a Jay single. This was it for the scoring, with the final standing at 8-2, giving Kelly the win and Kennedy suffered the loss.

Westward to Colorado, as the Rockies welcome the Milwaukee Brewers. Randy Wolf and Tyler Chatwood are the uninspiring pitchers. Colorado established a lead in the first inning as Carlos Gonzalez singled in both Eric Young and Josh Rutledge, followed by Willin Rosario doubling Gonzalez in, and then he scored on a Jordan Pacheco single. Milwaukee got on the board in the third inning as Norichika Aoki laid down a bunt single that got Carlos Gomez home. Colorado answered in their half of the inning when Pacheco singled to get Fowler home. The Brewers shot back in the fifth inning as Martin Maldonado hit a solo home run. Colorado answered in their half of the inning on a Rosario solo shot. The Rockies got some more in the sixth inning on a two-run home run by Young, also scoring Chris Nelson. Milwaukee replied in the seventh inning as Maldonado grounded into a double play that gave time for Aramis Ramirez to come home. The Brewers struck again in the ninth inning on a Maldonado double that knocked in Corey Hart, before scoring on a single from Jonathan Lucroy, followed by Aoki doing the same for Gomez, but they still fell short and lost 8-6. Chatwood got the win, while Rafael Betancourt turned a sloppy save, and Wolf was not freed from the loss.

Into California, with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hosting the Cleveland Indians. Ubaldo Jimenez and Zack Greinke are pacing the game. Los Angeles rallied to a lead in the first inning as Torii Hunter singled in Mike Trout, followed by Kendrys Morales singling Hunter home, Mark Trumbo doing the same for Albert Pujols, and Chris Iannetta following suit for Trumbo. Cleveland got on the board in the fourth inning with a two-run home run by Michael Brantley, also scoring Carlos Santana. The Angels shot back in the bottom of the fourth as Erick Aybar hit a solo home run, followed by Pujols hitting a three-run home run, sweeping in Iannetta and Trout. Los Angeles added on in the sixth inning with Pujols doubling Hunter across the dish. The Indians got one back in the seventh inning on an Ezequiel Carrera single, knocking in Brantley, followed by a Jason Kipnis groundout to bring around Jason Donald. Cleveland pulled closer with a two-run home run by Casey Kotchman in the eighth inning, bringing around Brantley. They got no closer, losing 9-6, with Greinke notching the win, Ernesto Frieri tossing the save, and Jimenez was pinned with the loss.

North to Seattle, as the Mariners host the Tampa Bay Rays. Matt Moore and Kevin Millwood take the mound. Tampa Bay opened with B.J. Upton tripling to force in Desmond Jennings and then he came the final 90 feet home on a sacrifice fly by Evan Longoria. Seattle shot back in the second inning with Miguel Olivo doubling to knock in Justin Smoak. The Mariners tried a ninth inning rally, tying the game as Smoak hit a sacrifice fly to get Kyle Seager home, and they won 3-2 as Eric Thames singled to knock in Chone Figgins. Stephen Pryor was in line for the win, while the reasonably consistent Fernando Rodney slipped up for a blown save and loss.

Finally, we end in San Francisco, as the Giants host the Washington Nationals. Jordan Zimmermann and Madison Bumgarner are on the hill. San Francisco led off with a second inning Brandon Belt double to drive in Hunter Pence. The Giants added on in the sixth inning as Belt singled to plate Pablo Sandoval. Washington got on the board in the seventh inning as Adam LaRoche singled to knock in Jayson Werth. San Francisco extended the lead in the eighth inning when Pablo Sandoval hit a sacrifice fly to score Melky Cabrera, followed by Belt singling Buster Posey in, Brandon Crawford doing the same for Hunter Pence, and Angel Pagan singling to finish Belt's trip around. This made the final 6-1, with Bumgarner going the distance for the win while Zimmermann was stuck with the loss.

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