Saturday, September 29, 2012

MLB Day 177 2012

The playoff races are heating up in the American League, while the National League is all but decided. Fourteen games should add to the mix today, as the Rangers and Angels were rained out and will play two tomorrow, Today, we are beginning in...

Canada, as the Toronto Blue Jays host the New York Yankees. Andy Pettitte and Ricky Romero are the well-known starters. New York led off in the first inning with Robinson Cano hitting a sacrifice fly to bring in Derek Jeter, followed by Curtis Granderson doing the same for Ichiro Suzuki. Toronto got on the board in their half of the inning as Rajai Davis hit a solo home run. The Blue Jays tied it in the fifth inning as Davis singled home Jeff Mathis. Toronto took the lead in the sixth inning as Adeiny Hechavarria doubled in Yunel Escobar. This stood for a 3-2 win, earned by Shawn Hill, while Casey Janssen threw the save, and Pettitte was stuck with the loss.

Down in the States, the Chicago White Sox host the Tampa Bay Rays. Matt Moore and Chris Sale are on the mound. Tampa Bay began in the third inning on a Ben Zobrist double to score B.J. Upton, followed by a two-run home run by Jeff Keppinger, also scoring Zobrist. The Rays added on in the fourth inning as Upton singled home Sean Rodriguez, followed by Evan Longoria doing the same for Chris Gimenez. Tampa Bay got another in the sixth inning on a Gimenez solo home run. The Rays struck again in the seventh inning as Matt Joyce hit a solo shot. Tampa Bay padded the lead in the eighth inning as Joyce hit a three-run home run, driving in Zobrist and Longoria. Chicago got on the board in the bottom of the eighth when Orlando Hudson hit a grand slam, sweeping in Jordan Danks, Ray Olmedo, and Dan Johnson. This only made it 10-4, a final, with the win going to Moore and the loss to Sale.

North a bit to Minnesota, as the Twins welcome the Detroit Tigers. Justin Verlander faces a lesser foe in P.J. Walters. Detroit got going in the second inning with a Prince Fielder solo home run, followed by Jhonny Peralta doubling to score Andy Dirks. The Tigers extended the lead in the eighth inning on a three-run Miguel Cabrera home run, also scoring Austin Jackson and Quintin Berry, followed by a Dirks solo shot. Minnesota got on the board in the bottom of the eighth when Ryan Doumit hit a grand slam to sweep in Denard Span, Joe Mauer, and Justin Morneau. They got no closer, losing 6-4, with the win going to Verlander, the save tossed by Jose Valverde, and the loss pinned on Walters.

West to Oakland, with the Athletics hosting the Seattle Mariners. Jason Vargas and Daniel Straily are the underrated pitchers. Seattle was first to score in the second inning when Justin Smoak grounded out, which combined with two errors to bring in John Jaso. The Mariners padded the lead in the fourth inning as Kyle Seager hit a solo home run, followed by a two-run home run from Michael Saunders, also scoring Smoak. Oakland got on the board in their half of the fourth as Brandon Moss singled to knock in Yoenis Cespedes. The Athletics chipped away in the eighth inning as Moss doubled to plate Coco Crisp. Oakland tied the game in the ninth inning on a two-run Josh Donaldson home run, bringing in Josh Reddick. The Athletics completed the comeback with a tenth inning three-run homer by Moss, sweeping in Crisp and Cespedes for a 7-4 final. Grant Balfour was in line for the win, and Oliver Perez was responsible for the loss.

Back east, the Cleveland Indians host the Kansas City Royals. Jake Odorizzi and Jeanmar Gomez are the completely unknown pitchers. Cleveland started in the first inning when Lonnie Chisenhall doubled home Jason Kipnis. Kansas City pulled ahead in the third inning with Billy Butler singling to knock in Irving Falu before scoring alongside Alex Gordon on a Mike Moustakas double, and then Jeff Francoeur hit a three-run home run, sweeping in Salvador Perez and Moustakas. The Indians tied the game in the ninth inning as Asdrubal Cabrera doubled both Carlos Santana and Chisenhall across the dish. The Royals took the lead in the fourteenth inning on a Tony Abreu single to drive in Moustakas. This was good for a 7-6 win, with Vin Mazzaro in line for the win, Kelvin Herrera working from a jam for a save, and Scott Maine was pinned with the loss.

Further east, the Baltimore Orioles host the Boston Red Sox. Felix Doubront and Steve Johnson are the back-of-the-rotation starters. Baltimore led off in the second inning on a Manny Machado single to drive in Chris Davis. The Orioles padded the lead in the fourth inning with a two-run home run from Davis, also scoring Adam Jones. Boston got on the board in the fifth inning as Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a two-run home run, driving in Mauro Gomez. The Red Sox tied it in the sixth inning when Cody Ross reached on an error that allowed Jacoby Ellsbury to dash home. Baltimore took the lead again in the seventh inning as Machado hit a solo home run. This stood up as a decisive run, with the final being 4-3. Tommy Hunter notched the win, Jim Johnson finished off the save, and Doubront was stuck with the loss.

Backtracking to Pittsburgh, where the Pirates welcome the Cincinnati Reds. Mike Leake and Kyle McPherson are penciled in to pitch. Pittsburgh was first to score in the seventh inning as Alex Presley singled home Chase d'Arnaud. Cincinnati tied it in the eighth inning on a Scott Rolen single to knock in Denis Phipps. The Pirates won 2-1 in the ninth inning after Andrew McCutchen hit a solo home run to end the game. Joel Hanrahan picked up the cheap win while Jonathan Broxton was dealt the loss.

Northwest into Milwaukee, as the Brewers host the Houston Astros. Dallas Keuchel and Marco Estrada take their turns in the rotation. Milwaukee began in the second inning with solo home runs by Aramis Ramirez and Corey Hart, followed by Norichika Aoki singling both Jonathan Lucroy and Jean Segura around. The Brewers added on in the third inning as Hart hit a three-run home run, sweeping in Ryan Braun and Ramirez. Milwaukee padded the lead in the fourth inning as Ramirez singled to drive in Aoki. The Brewers extended the lead in the eighth inning on a Logan Schafer sacrifice fly to allow Aoki to dash home. Houston got on the board in the ninth inning as Fernando Martinez hit a two-run home run, also scoring Scott Moore, followed by Brian Bogusevic going yard on a two-run home run and taking Jason Castro with him, and Tyler Greene hitting a solo shot, but this only made it 9-5 in the end. Estrada held on to a win that was much stronger than the final indicates, while Keuchel was shelled in the loss.

Way southeast to Miami, as the Marlins host the Philadelphia Phillies. Roy Halladay and Ricky Nolasco are on the hill. Miami opened in the first inning as Giancarlo Stanton singled both Bryan Petersen and Donovan Solano home, followed by Rob Brantly doing the same for Jose Reyes. Philadelphia got on the board in the second inning with a Pete Orr double to knock in both Domonic Brown and Nate Schierholtz. The Marlins replied in the third inning as Stanton hit a solo home run. The Phillies pulled even in the fifth inning when Chase Utley singled both Halladay and Jimmy Rollins across the dish, before taking the lead as Brown tripled to force in Utley. Philadelphia extended the lead in the seventh inning with a 2-RBI Carlos Ruiz double, plating both Rollins and Utley. The Phillies got another in the eighth inning on an Utley single to get Rollins safely home. Miami replied in the bottom of the eighth as Gil Velazquez singled, which gave time for Stanton to score. Philadelphia made it 9-5 in the ninth inning as Kevin Frandsen singled Darin Ruf in for the final run. Halladay picked up the win and Nolasco was handed the loss.

A touch to the north, the Atlanta Braves host the New York Mets. Chris Young and Mike Minor draw the starts. Atlanta quickly scored in the first inning as Jason Heyward grounded out to get Martin Prado home. The Braves added on in the eighth inning when Prado doubled Andrelton Simmons in. This was it for the scoring, leaving the final at 2-0. Minor earned the win, Craig Kimbrel closed out for the save, and Young had no help in the loss.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Cardinals host the Washington Nationals. Jordan Zimmermann and Kyle Lohse pace the game. Washington struck first in the first inning as Michael Morse hit a grand slam, sweeping in Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman, and Adam LaRoche. St. Louis pulled back in the seventh inning as Pete Kozma doubled both Carlos Beltran and Skip Schumaker across the dish, before scoring on a Jon Jay single. The Cardinals tied it in the ninth inning with a Jay sacrifice fly to bring in Kozma. The Nationals took the lead in the tenth inning with Kurt Suzuki ripping a double to plate both LaRoche and Danny Espinosa. This was good for a 6-4 win, picked up by Drew Storen, while Craig Stammen finished off for a spot save, and Sam Freeman was given the loss.

Southwest to Arizona, as the Diamondbacks welcome the Chicago Cubs. Justin Germano is mismatched with Trevor Cahill. Arizona established a lead in the first inning as Aaron Hill doubled in Adam Eaton before scoring on a Justin Upton single, and then Upton came home as Matt Jacobs singled. The Diamondbacks added on in the second inning as Hill singled Eaton around. Arizona extended the lead in the fifth inning on a two-run home run by Upton, also scoring Hill, followed by Cahill walking with the bases loaded to force in Miguel Montero. The Diamondbacks got another in the seventh inning on a Cahill single to drive in Jacobs. Chicago got on the board in the ninth inning as Alfonso Soriano hit a two-run home run, sweeping in Anthony Rizzo. This produced the 8-2 final, with Cahill going the distance in the win while Germano was pinned with the loss.

Westward to San Diego, where the Padres host the San Francisco Giants. Madison Bumgarner and Eric Stults have the green light to pitch. San Francisco began in the first inning as Hunter Pence hit a three-run home run, sweeping in Pablo Sandoval and Buster Posey. San Diego pulled back in their half of the inning as Chase Headley grounded into a fielder's choice to bring in Chris Denorfia before scoring on a Yonder Alonso sacrifice fly. The Padres took the lead in the third inning when Headley hit a two-run home run, also scoring Denorfia, followed by a solo home run from Jesus Guzman. San Diego extended the lead in the fifth inning on a Yasmani Grandal single to drive in Logan Forsythe, followed by a Guzman double to plate Headley. This was all for the scoring, with the final being 7-3. Stults picked up the win and Bumgarner took a tough loss.

Finally, we end in Los Angeles, with the Dodgers hosting the Colorado Rockies. Tyler Chatwood and Joe Blanton are called on to pitch. Los Angeles opened in the fourth inning as Matt Kemp hit a solo home run, followed by A.J. Ellis singling home Hanley Ramirez. The Dodgers padded the lead in the eighth inning as Kemp hit another solo shot. This made it 3-0, the final, with Blanton earning the win, Brandon League closing out for the save, and Chatwood was handed the loss.

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Friday, September 28, 2012

MLB Day 176 2012

Fifteen games again, with the second to last series of year going on. We begin in...

Cleveland, as the Indians host the Kansas City Royals. Will Smith and David Huff are the unknown pitchers. Kansas City got going in the second inning when Adam Moore doubled home Salvador Perez. Cleveland took the lead in the bottom of the second as Ezequiel Carrera singled home Lonnie Chisenhall, followed by Shin-Soo Choo doubling to score Brent Lillibridge, and Cord Phelps singling to finish Carrera's trip around. The Indians added on in the third inning as Chisenhall doubled to knock in Russ Canzler. Cleveland padded the lead in the fourth inning when Choo doubled Carrera in before scoring on a Jason Kipnis fielder's choice. The Indians got some more in the fifth inning on a 2-RBI Kipnis single, driving in both Lillibridge and Carrera. The Royals took some back in the sixth inning on a two-run home run by Billy Butler, also scoring Alex Gordon. Kansas City chipped away in the eighth inning with a Perez single that plated both Gordon and Butler. They got no closer, falling 8-5, with the win belonging to Huff, the save tossed by Chris Perez, and the loss pinned on Smith.

East to Baltimore, as the Orioles host the Boston Red Sox. Aaron Cook and Chris Tillman are the back-of-the-rotation pitchers. Boston opened in the first inning as Dustin Pedroia hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Scott Podsednik. Baltimore rallied ahead in their half of the inning as Chris Davis hit a two-run home run, also scoring Nate McLouth, followed by a Ryan Flaherty grand slam to sweep in Jim Thome, Mark Reynolds, and Manny Machado. The Orioles struck again in the fifth inning as Machado doubled home Reynolds, followed by Flaherty doing the same to finish Machado's trip around, and Taylor Teagarden singling to knock in Flaherty. This made it 9-1, a final, with Tillman getting the win and Cook getting crushed in the loss.

Back west to Pittsburgh, with the Pirates hosting the Cincinnati Reds. Homer Bailey and A.J. Burnett get the starts. Cincinnati began in the first inning as Todd Frazier hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Brandon Phillips. This held up nicely, as Bailey tossed a no-hitter (allowing just one walk) for the 1-0 win, while Burnett was stranded alone in this game, taking an unlucky loss.

Up north, the Toronto Blue Jays host the New York Yankees. Hiroki Kuroda faces a lesser foe in Chad Jenkins. New York led off in the first inning as Nick Swisher doubled to drive in Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano. The Yankees got another in the second inning as Derek Jeter grounded into a double play to allow Raul Ibanez to come home. Toronto got on the board in the fifth inning on a Colby Rasmus solo home run. New York extended the lead in the sixth inning as Russell Martin hit a three-run home run, sweeping in Cano and Swisher, followed by Ichiro Suzuki singling Eric Chavez across the dish. The Blue Jays got one back in their half of the inning as Anthony Gose grounded into a fielder's choice to bring in Kelly Johnson. The Yankees shot back in the seventh inning as Ibanez reached on a fielder's choice that got Swisher in. Toronto replied in the bottom of the seventh on a two-run home run by Adam Lind, also scoring Edwin Encarnacion. New York kept going in the eighth inning as Cano singled Suzuki around. The Yankees padded the lead again in the ninth inning with Chavez going yard on a two-run homer, and he took Chris Dickerson with him. This made it an 11-4 final, with Kuroda getting the win and Jenkins suffering a brutal loss.

Way south to Miami, where the Marlins host the Philadelphia Phillies. Cliff Lee and Mark Buehrle are on the mound. Miami was first to score with a fourth inning Giancarlo Stanton solo home run. Philadelphia tied it in the eighth inning as Jimmy Rollins singled to plate John Mayberry. The Marlins won in the ninth inning by a 2-1 score as Carlos Lee singled Bryan Petersen home. Steve Cishek was in line for the win and Josh Lindblom was dealt the loss.

A touch north, the Atlanta Braves host the New York Mets. Jonathon Niese and Tim Hudson are the reliable starters. Atlanta got going in the fourth inning with Freddie Freeman hitting a solo home run. New York pulled ahead in the seventh inning as Lucas Duda hit a three-run home run, sweeping in Daniel Murphy and Ike Davis. This stood as a 3-1 win, earned by Niese, while Bobby Parnell turned the save, and Hudson was stuck with the loss.

Out west, the Texas Rangers host the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Jered Weaver and Ryan Dempster are the veteran starters. Los Angeles quickly opened on a Mike Trout solo home run to lead off the first inning. The Angels added on in the third inning as Chris Iannetta hit a solo shot. Los Angeles got another in the fourth inning with Mark Trumbo doubling to plate Erick Aybar. Texas got on the board in the bottom of the fourth with Nelson Cruz hitting a sacrifice fly to bring in Josh Hamilton. The Angels replied in the sixth inning as Trumbo doubled to knock in Howie Kendrick. Los Angeles kept going in the seventh inning with Kendrys Morales doubling to score Torii Hunter before scoring on a Kendrick single, followed by Trumbo singling Kendrick across the dish. The Rangers answered in the bottom of the seventh as Cruz hit a solo home run. Texas got closer in the eighth inning on a two-run home run by Adrian Beltre, also scoring Ian Kinsler. This only made it 7-4, a final, with Weaver getting the win, Ernesto Frieri tossed the save, and Dempster was dinged for the loss.

Way north to Minnesota, as the Twins host the Detroit Tigers. Drew Smyly and Scott Diamond are the young pitchers. Minnesota finally opened in the seventh inning with Ryan Doumit hitting a two-run home run, also scoring Justin Morneau. Detroit tied it in the eighth inning on a two-run home run by Omar Infante, sweeping in Austin Jackson. The Twins took the lead back in the bottom of the eighth as Doumit doubled to drive in both Denard Span and Joe Mauer. This was good for a 4-2 win, earned by Jared Burton, while Glen Perkins finished off the save, and Brayan Villarreal was on the hook for the loss.

A little to the east, the Milwaukee Brewers host the Houston Astros. Edgar Gonzalez is mismatched with Yovani Gallardo. Houston started with a second inning Matt Dominguez single to plate Jason Castro. Milwaukee tied it in the third inning on a Carlos Gomez solo home run. The Astros took the lead in the fourth inning with Dominguez reaching on an error that allowed Brett Wallace to dash home, followed by Gonzalez laying down a bunt single to bring in Fernando Martinez. Houston struck again in the fifth inning as Wallace and Castro hit solo shots. The Brewers pulled back in the sixth inning as Ryan Braun doubled both Travis Ishikawa and Weeks in. The Astros padded the lead in the eighth inning on another Castro solo home run. Milwaukee shot back in the bottom of the eighth as Aramis Ramirez tripled to force in Braun. Houston answered in the ninth inning as Jose Altuve hit a solo shot. The Brewers tried a ninth inning rally on a ninth inning Segura double to knock in Logan Schafer, followed by Jonathan Lucroy reaching on an error to give time for Segura to finish his trip, but they couldn't tie the game and lost 7-6. Gonzalez was in line for the win, Wilton Lopez notched the save, and Gallardo was stuck holding the loss.

Down in Chicago, the White Sox host the Tampa Bay Rays. Jeremy Hellickson and Gavin Floyd receive the starting nods. Tampa Bay struck first with a first inning Ben Zobrist solo home run. Chicago tied it in the third inning as Kevin Youkilis singled in Gordon Beckham. The White Sox took the lead in the fourth inning as Alex Rios hit a solo shot. Chicago extended the lead in the sixth inning on an Alexei Ramirez single to drive in Rios. This gave them a 3-1 lead, which stood as a final, with Floyd picking up the win, Addison Reed converting the save, and Hellickson was stuck holding the loss.

Farther south, the St. Louis Cardinals host the Washington Nationals. Edwin Jackson and Adam Wainwright are on the hill. Washington began with a first inning Adam LaRoche single to score Bryce Harper. St. Louis shot back in their half of the inning as Allen Craig singled home Jon Jay, followed by Yadier Molina reaching on an error to get Matt Carpenter home, Carlos Beltran walking with the bases loaded to force in Matt Holliday, Daniel Descalso hitting a sacrifice fly to bring in Craig, and Pete Kozma singling to finish Molina's trip. The Cardinals kept going in the second inning as Holliday grounded out to give time for Jay to score, followed by Craig singling Carpenter around, and Molina hitting a two-run home run, also scoring Craig. The Nationals got one back in the seventh inning on a Roger Bernadina solo home run. St. Louis padded the lead in the eighth inning with Carpenter doubling Tony Cruz around before scoring on a two-run home run by Shane Robinson. This produced the 12-2 final, with Wainwright cruising to an easy win while Jackson was torched in the loss.

Southwest to Arizona, with the Diamondbacks hosting the Chicago Cubs. Travis Wood and Ian Kennedy are the staff aces pitching. Arizona opened with a first inning A.J. Pollock single to knock in Adam Eaton. The Diamondbacks added on in the fourth inning as Cody Ransom hit a solo home run. Chicago tied it in the fifth inning on a two-run home run by Dave Sappelt, also scoring David DeJesus. Arizona took the lead in the bottom of the fifth as Aaron Hill doubled Kennedy across the dish, followed by a two-run home run by Justin Upton, also scoring Hill. The Cubs replied in the sixth inning as Starlin Castro doubled to plate Alfonso Soriano. The Diamondbacks padded the lead in the eighth inning as Upton singled, which combined with an error to bring in Hill, followed by John McDonald singling Upton the rest of the way home, and Eaton did the same for Matt Jacobs. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 8-3. Kennedy picked up the win and Wood was dealt the loss. 

Into California, as the Oakland Athletics host the Seattle Mariners. Blake Beavan and A.J. Griffin are called on to start. Oakland led off with a first inning Coco Crisp solo home run. Seattle tied it in the second inning with a Trayvon Robinson solo shot. The Athletics took the lead back in the third inning on a two-run home run by Stephen Drew, also scoring Cliff Pennington. Oakland got another in the fifth inning as Crisp scored on a passed ball. The Mariners took one back in the seventh inning on a Michael Saunders solo home run. The Athletics extended the lead in the bottom of the seventh as Yoenis Cespedes walked with the bases loaded to force in Pennington, followed by Josh Reddick reaching on an error that allowed Crisp to dash home, and Josh Donaldson singled to plate both Drew and Cespedes. This ended the scoring at 8-2, with the win belonging to Griffin, while Beavan was roughed up in the loss.

South to San Diego, as the Padres host the San Francisco Giants. Ryan Vogelsong and Andrew Werner are penciled in to pitch. San Francisco got going in the second inning when Hunter Pence singled home Buster Posey. The Giants added on in the third inning with Pablo Sandoval doubling both Vogelsong and Marco Scutaro across the dish. San Diego got on the board in the sixth inning with a Yonder Alonso single scoring Will Venable. The scoring ended here at 3-1, with Vogelsong turning in a strong win, Santiago Casilla turning his twenty-fifth save of the year, and Werner had little help in the loss.

Finally, in Los Angeles, the Dodgers host the Colorado Rockies. Jeff Francis and Clayton Kershaw pace the game. Los Angeles established a lead in the second inning as Andre Ethier doubled to plate Adrian Gonzalez, followed by a three-run home run by Shane Victorino, sweeping in Hanley Ramirez and Ethier. The Dodgers got another in the fourth inning as Kershaw grounded into a double play to knock in Ethier. Los Angeles padded the lead in the eighth inning with A.J. Ellis doubling to score Ethier before scoring on a two-run home run by Bobby Abreu. This made it 8-0, a final, with Kershaw dominating in the win and Francis was crushed in the loss.

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Thursday, September 27, 2012

MLB Day 175 2012

Twelve games on for the last noticeable travel day of the year, beginning with...

The Cincinnati Reds hosting the Milwaukee Brewers. Wily Peralta is mismatched with Mat Latos. Milwaukee began in the third inning as Carlos Gomez hit a solo home run. Cincinnati tied it in the ninth inning as Todd Frazier hit a solo shot, before winning 2-1 as Dioner Navarro tripled to force in Jay Bruce. Jonathan Broxton was in line for the win, while John Axford as on the hook for the loss.

Up in Detroit, the Tigers host the Kansas City Royals. Luis Mendoza and Doug Fister are the solid starters. Detroit got going in the first inning when Prince Fielder singled to score Quintin Berry, followed by a Delmon Young sacrifice fly to bring in Miguel Cabrera. The Tigers struck again in the second inning when Berry tripled to force in Omar Infante and Austin Jackson. Kansas City pulled back in the eighth inning when Jeff Francoeur doubled to knock in Mike Moustakas before scoring on a groundout by Johnny Giavotella, followed by Tony Abreu singling David Lough across the dish. The Royals tied it in the ninth inning with Billy Butler hitting a solo home run. Detroit won it in the bottom of the ninth by a 5-4 score as Alex Avila grounded out to give Don Kelly time to dash home. Joaquin Benoit was in line for the win and Tim Collins was responsible for the loss.

Back east, the New York Mets host the Pittsburgh Pirates. Kevin Correia and R.A. Dickey are on the mound. Pittsburgh started in the second inning with Rod Barajas hitting a ground rule double to force in Garrett Jones, followed by James Mercer singling Travis Snider home. New York answered in their half of the inning as Ike Davis hit a solo home run. The Pirates shot back in the fourth inning on a Barajas solo shot. The Mets replied in the bottom of the fourth with Scott Hairston singling Daniel Murphy around. New York took the lead in the fifth inning when Murphy singled to drive in Andres Torres, followed by a three-run David Wright home run, sweeping in Ruben Tejada and Murphy. Pittsburgh tried a ninth inning rally as Alex Presley hit a two-run home run, also scoring Mercer, but they still fell 6-5. Dickey earned the win, Bobby Parnell closed out the save, and Correia was given the loss.

Southwest to Texas, as the Rangers host the Oakland Athletics. Travis Blackley is mismatched with Matt Harrison. Texas quickly opened in the first inning as Ian Kinsler hit a solo home run, followed by Michael Young singling home both Adrian Beltre and Nelson Cruz, and Mike Napoli hitting a two-run home to finish Young's trip around. Oakland got on the board in the second inning on a Josh Reddick solo shot. The Rangers replied in the bottom of the second as Josh Hamilton doubled to drive in Elvis Andrus. The Athletics shot back in the third inning on a Jonny Gomes double that scored Adam Rosales. Texas answered in the bottom of the third when Napoli singled Cruz across the dish. Oakland chipped away in the fourth inning with a two-run home run by Derek Norris, also scoring Josh Donaldson. The Rangers padded the lead in their half of the fourth with Andrus singling home Kinsler before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Cruz. The Athletics pulled back in the eighth inning with a trio of solo shots from Yoenis Cespedes, Brandon Moss, and Reddick. This only made it 9-7, a final, with the win belonging to Harrison, the save turned by Joe Nathan, and the loss stuck on Blackley.

Out west, the Colorado Rockies host the Chicago Cubs. Chris Volstad and Jhoulys Chacin are the struggling starters. Colorado led off in the first inning on a three-run home run by Jordan Pacheco, sweeping in Josh Rutledge and Charlie Blackmon. Chicago got on the board in the second inning as Brett Jackson singled in Luis Valbuena. The Rockies padded the lead in the bottom of the second as DJ LeMahieu hit a two-run home run, also scoring Matt McBride. The Cubs shot back in the third inning on an Anthony Rizzo solo home run. Colorado answered in their half of the inning when Chris Nelson singled Pacheco across the dish, followed by McBride hitting a sacrifice fly to get Tyler Colvin safely home. Chicago chipped away in the fourth inning on a Bryan LaHair single to drive in Starlin Castro. The Cubs tried a ninth inning rally as Rizzo singled David DeJesus around, followed by Alfonso Soriano doubling in Darwin Barney, but this only made it 7-5. Chacin notched the win, Rafael Betancourt tossed the save, and Vosltad was dealt the loss.

West some more, as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim host the Seattle Mariners. Hisashi Iwakuma and Dan Haren are on the hill. Los Angeles began in the second inning as Vernon Wells singled Erick Aybar home. Seattle took the lead in the fourth inning as John Jaso hit a two-run home run, also scoring Franklin Gutierrez. The Angels replied in the bottom of the fourth as Alberto Callaspo singled to drive in Kendrys Morales. The Mariners took the lead again in the fifth inning as Gutierrez grounded into a fielder's choice to allow Casper Wells to come home. Seattle rallied to extend the lead in the seventh inning on a Trayvon Robinson bases-loaded walk to force in Michael Saunders, followed by Kyle Seager singling Casper Wells around, Jesus Montero hitting a sacrifice fly to bring in Dustin Ackley, and Jaso doubling to finish Robinson's trip around. Los Angeles took one back in the eighth inning when Howie Kendrick doubled both Albert Pujols and Callaspo across the dish. The Mariners shot back in the ninth inning with Robinson reaching on an error that gave time for Ackley to come home, and then Montero hit a double to finish Robinson's trip home. This made it 9-4, a final, with Iwakuma picking up the win and Haren was handed the loss.

Up north, the San Francisco Giants host the Arizona Diamondbacks. Patrick Corbin and Barry Zito are the back-of-the-rotation pitchers. San Francisco established a lead in the second inning as Hunter Pence hit a two-run home run, also scoring Buster Posey, followed by Hector Sanchez doubling in Brandon Belt before scoring on a passed ball, and then Marco Scutaro hit a two-run home run, sweeping in the pitcher Zito. Arizona got on the board in the fourth inning as Chris Young singled home both Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Ransom. The Diamondbacks pulled closer in the sixth inning on a Jake Elmore ground rule double to force in Ransom. The Giants shot back in the eighth inning as Sanchez hit a solo home run. This produced the 7-3 final, with the win going to Zito and the loss was pinned on Corbin.

To the east, the Philadelphia Phillies host the Washington Nationals. Gio Gonzalez faces a lesser foe in Tyler Cloyd. Washington started in the first inning with a Bryce Harper solo home run. Philadelphia took the lead in the bottom of the first as Darin Ruf doubled to sweep in all of Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and John Mayberry. The Nationals pulled back in the second inning as Michael Morse hit a solo shot. Washington tied it in the fourth inning as Morse grounded out to bring in Ryan Zimmerman. The Nationals took the lead in the fifth inning with Harper singling to drive in Danny Espinosa. Washington got some more in the sixth inning on a two-run home run by Morse, also scoring Adam LaRoche. The Nationals got another in the seventh inning when Eury Perez scored on a wild pitch. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 7-3. Gonzalez got the win and Cloyd was dinged for the loss.

Up in Canada, the Toronto Blue Jays host the New York Yankees. Ivan Nova and Brandon Morrow are the uninspiring pitchers. Toronto opened in the third inning with a two-run home run by Brett Lawrie, also scoring Anthony Gose. The Blue Jays added on in the fifth inning when Edwin Encarnacion doubled to score Gose and Colby Rasmus. Toronto got another in the seventh inning as Encarnacion grounded out to bring in Lawrie. The Blue Jays struck again in the eighth inning as J.P. Arencibia hit a solo home run. This produced a 6-0 final, with Morrow earning the win and Nova getting roughed up in the loss.

Back in the States, the Atlanta Braves host the Miami Marlins. Jacob Turner and Tommy Hanson are handed the ball. Miami led off in the third inning with Carlos Lee doubling home Bryan Petersen. The Marlins struck again in the fourth inning as Gil Velazquez doubled to drive in Scott Cousins. Atlanta rallied ahead in the bottom of the fourth with Dan Uggla doubling Freddie Freeman across the dish, followed by Andrelton Simmons doing the same to finish Uggla's trip around, and Martin Prado reaching on an error that allowed both David Ross and Simmons to dash home. The Braves padded the lead in the seventh inning with Uggla singling both Prado and Jason Heyward across the dish. This made the final 6-2, with the win belonging to Hanson and the loss pinned on Turner.

Northwest to Chicago, where the White Sox host the Tampa Bay Rays. James Shields and Jake Peavy pace the game. Tampa Bay was first to score with a fourth inning Carlos Pena sacrifice fly to drive in Ben Zobrist. Chicago tied it in the bottom of the fourth as Dayan Viciedo was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in Adam Dunn. The Rays took the lead back in the fifth inning on a Luke Scott solo home run. The White Sox tied it again in their half of the fifth as Paul Konerko grounded into a double play that allowed Alejandro De Aza to dash home. Tampa Bay won 3-2 in the ninth inning on an Evan Longoria solo home run. Joel Peralta was in line for the win, Fernando Rodney closed out for the save, and Brett Myers was on the hook for the loss.

Finally, we end in San Diego, as the Padres host the Los Angeles Dodgers. Chris Capuano and Casey Kelly are penciled in to pitch. Los Angeles got going in the fourth inning as A.J. Ellis singled to drive in Adrian Gonzalez. The Dodgers added on in the fifth inning as Shane Victorino was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in Matt Kemp, followed by Luis Cruz singling home both Gonzalez and Hanley Ramirez, and Ellis singling to finish Victorino's trip around. Los Angeles kept going in the sixth inning with a Gonzalez single to plate Kemp. San Diego replied in the bottom of the sixth as Carlos Quentin was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, pushing in Chase Headley. The Dodgers shot back in the eighth inning with Kemp reaching on an error to allow Elian Herrera to score. The Padres pulled closer in their half of the inning as Mark Kotsay doubled to plate both Yonder Alonso and Everth Cabrera. Los Angeles iced it off at 8-4 in the ninth inning with Victorino scoring on a wild pitch. Capuano picked up the win and Kelly was stuck with the loss.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Thursday Night Football Week 4 2012

Tonight's game welcomes back the regular officials, with the Baltimore Ravens hosting the Cleveland Browns. Baltimore started in the second quarter as Joe Flacco threw an 18 yard touchdown pass to Torrey Smith, but they failed on the two-point conversion attempt. The Ravens padded the lead as Justin Tucker made a 45 yard field goal. Cleveland got on the board as Trent Richardson ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Phil Dawson was there with the extra point. Baltimore shot back in the third quarter as Flacco ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Tucker made the PAT. The Browns replied as Dawson booted a 51 yard field goal. The Ravens answered with Cary Williams intercepting Brandon Weeden and returning the ball 63 yards for a touchdown, allowing Tucker another extra point. Cleveland got some back in the fourth quarter on a Dawson field goal from 50 yards. The Browns pulled closer as Dawson was true on a field goal from 52 yards away. They failed to tie the game, losing 23-16, with Baltimore moving to 3-1 and Cleveland dropping to 0-4.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

MLB Day 174 2012

We're slowly closing in on the end of the season everyone! After this, there is just one week left for the regular season. I must say, this has been quite a difficult run for me, with baseball taking up a lot more time than football or hockey. Please keep an eye out in the coming weeks for the playoffs and a personal surprise I have in order. Today, we begin our baseball adventure in...

Minnesota, as the Twins host the New York Yankees. CC Sabathia and Scott Diamond are the staff aces pitching. Minnesota got going in the second inning with a Matt Carson single to bring in Ryan Doumit. New York rallied ahead in the third inning when Robinson Cano doubled in both Chris Dickerson and Ichiro Suzuki, followed by a Nick Swisher single to plate Derek Jeter, a Curtis Granderson triple forcing in both Cano and Swisher, and then Granderson came the final 90 feet on a wild pitch. The Yankees added on in the sixth inning as Dickerson hit a two-run home run, also scoring Raul Ibanez. The Twins replied in the seventh inning with Pedro Florimon singling to knock in Jamey Carroll. This only made it 8-2, a final, with the win going to Sabathia, while Brian Duensing was given the loss.

Out in California, the San Diego Padres host the Los Angeles Dodgers. Aaron Harang and Clayton Richard are the solid pitchers. Los Angeles began in the first inning as Adrian Gonzalez singled in Nick Punto, followed by Hanley Ramirez doing the same for Matt Kemp. The Dodgers added on in the third inning as Gonzalez singled Punto around again. Los Angeles padded the lead in the fourth inning with a Juan Rivera solo home run, followed by Kemp doubling to drive in both Matt Treanor and Punto. The Dodgers kept going in the sixth inning with Kemp hitting a two-run home run, also scoring Punto. San Diego got on the board in the seventh inning with Chase Headley doubling to plate Logan Forsythe, followed by Yasmani Grandal singling him the rest of the way home. This was as close as it got, with the final being 8-2. Harang picked up the win and Richard was dealt the loss.

Back in the east, the Philadelphia Phillies host the Washington Nationals. John Lannan and Kyle Kendrick are the back-of-the-rotation starters. Washington led off in the first inning as Bryce Harper hit a two-run home run, also scoring Jayson Werth. The Nationals padded the lead in the second inning on an Ian Desmond solo home run and a two-run blast from Kurt Suzuki, sweeping in Steve Lombardozzi. Philadelphia got on the board in the third inning as B.J. Rosenberg reached on an error to bring in Kevin Frandsen. The Phillies got another in the fourth inning when Rosenberg singled Frandsen home. Philadelphia pulled closer in the seventh inning on a Jimmy Rollins solo shot. The Phillies chipped away in the eighth inning on a Domonic Brown sacrifice fly to bring in Chase Utley. Washington extended the lead in the ninth inning as Werth singled in both Desmond and Suzuki before being forced in by a Harper triple. This produced the 8-4 final, with the win going to Lannan and the loss pinned on Kendrick.

Backtracking to Detroit, with the Tigers hosting the Kansas City Royals. Jeremy Guthrie and Rick Porcello are the sub-average starters. Detroit was first to score in the second inning as Andy Dirks singled in Delmon Young. Kansas City replied in the third inning when David Lough doubled home Irving Falu, followed by Alex Gordon doing the same for Lough, and Billy Butler singling to finish Gordon's trip around. The Royals got another in the fourth inning on a Jeff Francoeur solo home run. The Tigers pulled even in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run home run by Alex Avila, also scoring Jhonny Peralta, followed by an Austin Jackson solo shot. Detroit took the lead in the eighth inning when Peralta grounded into a fielder's choice to allow Don Kelly to score. This stood up for a 5-4 win, with Joaquin Benoit in line for the win, Jose Valverde tossing the save, and Kelvin Herrera was handed the loss. 

Eastward to Baltimore, as the Orioles host the Toronto Blue Jays. Carlos Villanueva and Miguel Gonzalez are the relievers-turned-starters. Toronto started in the first inning on an Edwin Encarnacion solo home run. Baltimore tied it in the bottom of the first as Nate McLouth hit a solo shot. The Blue Jays took the lead in the fifth inning when Anthony Gose singled in J.P. Arencibia. The Orioles pulled ahead in their half of the fifth with solo home runs by Jim Thome and Manny Machado, followed by a three-run Chris Davis home run, sweeping in McLouth and J.J. Hardy. Baltimore extended the lead in the sixth inning as Mark Reynolds hit a two-run home run, also scoring Matt Wieters. The Orioles added on in the seventh inning as Davis went yard for a two-run home run, taking Hardy with him. Baltimore got some more in the eighth inning as Machado hit a two-run homer, driving in Reynolds. This made it 12-2, the final, with Gonzalez doing well in the win and Villanueva getting shelled in the loss.

South to Atlanta, with the Braves hosting the Miami Marlins. Josh Johnson and Paul Maholm take the hill. Atlanta opened in the first inning as Martin Prado hit a solo home run. The Braves added on in the third inning when Prado singled to knock in Jose Constanza. Atlanta struck again in the sixth inning when Dan Uggla stole home. This ended the scoring at 3-0, with Maholm notching the win, Craig Kimbrel striking out four for his fortieth save of the year, and Johnson had no help in the loss.

Back north to Boston, as the Red Sox host the Tampa Bay Rays. Alex Cobb and Jon Lester take their turns in the rotation. Boston struck first in the second inning when Daniel Nava singled Jarrod Saltalamacchia in. Tampa Bay took the lead in the fifth inning with a two-run home run by Carlos Pena, also scoring Jeff Keppinger, followed by a Ben Francisco solo home run. The Red Sox shot back in the sixth inning on a Jamey Loney sacrifice fly to allow Dustin Pedroia to score. The Rays answered in the seventh inning with a Jose Lobaton ground rule double to force in Keppinger. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 4-2. Cobb got the win Fernando Rodney finished off the save, and Lester was dinged for the loss.

West to Cincinnati, as the Reds host the Milwaukee Brewers. Shaun Marcum and Bronson Arroyo are the veteran pitchers. Cincinnati got going in the first inning when Joey Votto doubled in Zack Cozart. Milwaukee replied in the third inning as Norichika Aoki hit a solo home run, followed by Aramis Ramirez singling to knock in Rickie Weeks and Corey Hart doing the same for Ryan Braun. The Brewers added on in the sixth inning as Jeff Bianchi hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Jonathan Lucroy. Milwaukee padded the lead in the seventh inning when Braun hit a two-run home run, also scoring Aoki. The Brewers kept going in the eighth inning with Aoki doubling to plate Bianchi. Milwaukee got another in the ninth inning on a Lucroy solo shot. This produced the 8-1 final, with Marcum dominating in the win and Arroyo suffering the loss.

East again into New York, where the Mets host the Pittsburgh Pirates. Jeff Locke and Jeremy Hefner are the prospects pitching. New York rallied to a lead in the third inning as Daniel Murphy singled in Ruben Tejada, followed by David Wright singling, which combined with an error to finish Murphy's around, a Scott Hairston double to drive in Wright, and a Kelly Shoppach single to finish Hairston's trip around. The Mets struck again in the fourth inning as Tejada singled to knock in Andres Torres. New York got another in the sixth inning as Tejada singled Torres across the dish again. There were no more runs, with the final being 6-0, giving the win to Hefner, while Locke was pinned with the loss.

Southwest to Houston, with the Astros hosting the St. Louis Cardinals. Chris Carpenter and Bud Norris are penciled in to pitch. Houston led off in the fourth inning with a Jose Altuve solo home run, followed by Brett Wallace singling to knock in Justin Maxwell. This was the only scoring in the game, leaving the final at 2-0, with the win belonging to Norris, while Wilton Lopez picked up the save, and the loss was unluckily stuck on Carpenter.

Staying in the state, the Texas Rangers host the Oakland Athletics. Jarrod Parker faces a lesser foe in Martin Perez. Oakland busted out in the first inning as Yoenis Cespedes tripled to force in Stephen Drew before scoring on a Chris Carter single, followed by Josh Donaldson singling to finish Carter's trip around, and later score Brandon Moss after an error, and Derek Norris tripling to push in Donaldson. Texas got on the board in their half of the inning as Elvis Andrus doubled Ian Kinsler safely home. The Rangers got some back in the second inning as Mitch Moreland grounded into a fielder's choice that got Michael Young home, followed by Andrus hitting a sacrifice fly to bring in David Murphy. The Athletics shot back in the third inning as Drew singled both Donaldson and Josh Reddick across the dish. Oakland padded the lead in the fourth inning when Norris singled Moss home. The Athletics got another in the ninth inning as Norris hit a sacrifice fly to allow Moss to dash home. This made it 9-3, the final, with Parker earning the win and Perez getting roughed up in the loss.

North to Chicago, where the White Sox host the Cleveland Indians. Justin Masterson and Hector Santiago are the inconsistent pitchers. Cleveland opened in the first inning as Russ Canzler singled in Jason Kipnis. Chicago replied in the bottom of the first as Paul Konerko walked with the bases loaded to force in Alejandro De Aza, followed by Alex Rios hitting a sacrifice fly to bring in Kevin Youkilis, and A.J. Pierzynski doubling to plate Adam Dunn. The Indians tied it in the fourth inning as Kipnis singled both Lonnie Chisenhall and Ezequiel Carrera across the dish. The White Sox took the lead in the fifth inning as Alexei Ramirez doubled to score Pierzynski. Cleveland retied it in the sixth inning on a Carlos Santana bases-loaded walk, pushing in Shin-Soo Choo. The Indians took the lead in the seventh inning when Choo grounded out to give Lou Marson time to dash home. Cleveland got another in the eighth inning on a Vinny Rottino solo home run. This gave them a 6-4 lead, the final, with Tony Sipp in line for the win, Chris Perez closing out for the save, and Matt Thornton was handed the loss.

West to Colorado, as the Rockies host the Chicago Cubs. Jason Berken and Drew Pomeranz are the unknown starters. Colorado was first on the board as Jordan Pacheco doubled in Charlie Blackmon, before scoring on a single by Tyler Colvin. The Rockies padded the lead in the third inning with Blackmon hitting a solo home run, followed by Chris Nelson singling both Pacheco and Wilin Rosario across the dish, and Andrew Brown grounding into a double play that allowed Colvin to dash home. This ended the scoring at 6-0, with Pomeranz getting the win and Berken taking the loss.

Out in California, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim host the Seattle Mariners. Felix Hernandez and C.J. Wilson are on the mound. Los Angeles began in the second inning as Erick Aybar doubled in both Kendrys Morales and Alberto Callaspo. Seattle tied it in the third inning when Brendan Ryan singled Casper Wells home and Franklin Gutierrez hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Chone Figgins. The Mariners took the lead in the fourth inning on a Justin Smoak solo home run. The Angels retied it in the seventh inning as Torii Hunter singled to plate Peter Bourjos. Los Angeles walked off by a 4-3 score in the ninth inning as Hunter singled to plate Maicer Izturis. Ernesto Frieri was in line for the win and Stephen Pryor was dealt the loss.

Finally, up in San Francisco, the Giants host the Arizona Diamondbacks. Wade Miley and Matt Cain pace the game. San Francisco started in the third inning with Pablo Sandoval singling in Cain, followed by Buster Posey doing the same for Angel Pagan. The Giants added on in the fourth inning as Marco Scutaro singled to drive in Brandon Belt and Sandoval grounded into a fielder's choice to allow Brandon Crawford to dash home. San Francisco struck again in the fifth inning when Cain singled to drive in Hunter Pence. The Giants got another in the eighth inning as Scutaro scored on a wild pitch. This made it 6-0, the final, with the win going to Cain (who also was two for two at the plate) while Miley had no help in the loss.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Fantasy Football All-Stars Week 3

Quarterback: Ben Roethlisberger
Running Backs: Jamaal Charles and Maurice Jones-Drew
Wide Receivers: A.J. Green and Torrey Smith
Tight End: Heath Miller
Kicker: Ryan Succop
Team Defense: Arizona and Chicago
Defensive Players: Chris Clemons, Justin Houston, and Michael Johnson

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

MLB Day 173 2012

Last stretch everyone, with fifteen games coming back up today. We begin with...

The Chicago White Sox hosting the Cleveland Indians. Corey Kluber and Francisco Liriano draw the starts. Cleveland got going in the second inning as Russ Canzler hit a solo home run. The Indians added on in the fourth inning as Thomas Neal grounded into a fielder's choice to get Carlos Santana home, followed by Ezequiel Carrera singling to knock in Canzler, and Shin-Soo Choo doing the same to finish Neal's trip around. Chicago got on the board in the fifth inning with solo shots by A.J. Pierzynski and Dayan Viciedo. The White Sox pulled closer in the ninth inning with a Paul Konerko solo home run, but they couldn't avoid the 4-3 loss. Kluber picked up the win, Chris Perez tossed a messy save, and Liriano was not freed from the loss.

Up in Detroit, the Tigers host the Kansas City Royals. Bruce Chen and Anibal Sanchez are the struggling pitchers. Detroit began in the first inning with Prince Fielder singling in Austin Jackson and Delmon Young doing the same for Omar Infante. This was all they needed to win 2-0, with Sanchez throwing a three-hit and one-walk shutout, while Chen had no help in the loss.

Over in Philadelphia, the Phillies host the Washington Nationals. Ross Detwiler and Cole Hamels pace the game. Washington was first to score in the second inning on a Kurt Suzuki single, scoring Danny Espinosa. Philadelphia tied it in the bottom of the second as Darin Ruf hit a solo home run. The Phillies added on in the third inning with Ryan Howard singling home John Mayberry, followed by a three-run Carlos Ruiz home run, sweeping in Chase Utley and Howard. The Nationals replied in the fifth inning on a Bryce Harper single to get Suzuki home, followed by Ryan Zimmerman singling to finish Harper's trip around. Philadelphia answered in the sixth inning on a Domonic Brown solo shot. This ended the scoring at 6-3, with the win going to Hamels, the save turned by Jonathan Papelbon, and the loss stuck on Detwiler.

Staying close by, the Baltimore Orioles welcome the Toronto Blue Jays. Aaron Laffey and Joe Saunders will make the starts. Toronto started in the first inning as Yan Gomes singled Brett Lawrie in. The Blue Jays added on in the fourth inning as Adeiny Hechavarria doubled to knock in Rajai Davis. Toronto struck again in the seventh inning when Colby Rasmus singled home J.P. Arencibia, followed by Edwin Encarnacion doing the same for Anthony Gose. This made it 4-0, a final, with Laffey picking up the win and Saunders taking the loss.

South to Atlanta, with the Braves hosting the Miami Marlins. Nathan Eovaldi and Kris Medlen are the young pitchers. Miami opened in the second inning with a Donovan Solano solo home run. Atlanta tied it in the bottom of the second as Dan Uggla singled to knock in Chipper Jones. The Braves took the lead in the sixth inning on a Jones sacrifice fly that allowed Jason Heyward to score. The Marlins took the lead in the seventh inning with Solano hitting a two-run home run, also scoring Greg Dobbs. The Braves walked off in the ninth inning as Freddie Freeman hit a two-run home run, sweeping in Jones for a 4-3 final. Craig Kimbrel was in line for the win and Mike Dunn got the loss.

Back north, the Boston Red Sox host the Tampa Bay Rays. David Price and Clay Buchholz are on the hill. Tampa Bay established a lead in the second inning on a three-run home run by Jeff Keppinger, sweeping in Evan Longoria and Luke Scott. Boston got on the board in the bottom of the second as Danny Valencia singled to plate Cody Ross. The Red Sox answered in the third inning as Daniel Nava scored on a balk. The Rays extended the lead in the sixth inning as Jose Molina singled to knock in Keppinger and also Carlos Pena after an error. This was good for a 5-2 win, with Price going the distance for the win and Buchholz was on the hook for the loss.

Moving along to New York, with the Mets hosting the Pittsburgh Pirates. Wandy Rodriguez faces a lesser foe in Collin McHugh. Pittsburgh led off in the first inning as Gaby Sanchez grounded into a fielder's choice to bring in Josh Harrison, followed by a three-run home run by Pedro Alvarez, sweeping in Andrew McCutchen and Sanchez. New York replied in their half of the inning as Justin Turner hit a two-run home run, also scoring Ruben Tejada, followed by David Wright hitting a solo home run. The Pirates replied in the second inning with Harrison tripling to force in Rodriguez and Alex Presley, before scoring as Garrett Jones reached on an error. Pittsburgh struck again in the fifth inning as Alvarez walked with the bases loaded to force in McCutchen. The Mets shot back in the seventh inning on a Jordany Valdespin single combining with an error to get Andres Torres home, followed by Wright singling to score both Valdespin and Tejada. The Pirates padded the lead as Jones hit a two-run home run, also scoring Presley. This made it 10-6, a final, with Rodriguez getting the win and McHugh was pinned with the loss.

Out west, the Cincinnati Reds host the Milwaukee Brewers. Mike Fiers and Johnny Cueto are penciled in to pitch. Cincinnati got going in the second inning as Dioner Navarro singled both Jay Bruce and Chris Heisey in. Milwaukee got on the board in the fifth inning with Jean Segura singling Carlos Gomez around. The Reds shot back in the bottom of the fifth as Joey Votto doubled to knock in Zack Cozart before scoring on a double by Bruce. The Brewers replied in the seventh inning with Aramis Ramirez hitting a solo home run. They got no closer, losing 4-2, with the win belonging to Cueto, the save finished off by Aroldis Chapman, and the loss was stuck on Fiers.

Down in Texas, the Rangers host the Oakland Athletics. Tommy Milone and Scott Feldman received the starting nods. Texas was first to score as Josh Hamilton singled, which combined with an error to get both Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus home in the first inning. Oakland got on the board in the second inning as Daric Barton doubled in Brandon Moss. The Athletics tied it on a fourth inning Chris Carter solo home run. Oakland took the lead in the tenth inning as George Kotteras hit a solo shot. This was good for a 3-2 win, picked up by Evan Scribner, while Grant Balfour converted the save, and Mark Lowe was responsible for the loss.

Staying in the state, the Houston Astros welcome the St. Louis Cardinals. Jaime Garcia and Lucas Harrell are the underrated pitchers. St. Louis began as Yadier Molina hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Jon Jay in the first inning. The Cardinals added on in the second inning with Jay singling Garcia around. St. Louis struck again in the eighth inning when Pete Kozma doubled to drive in Daniel Descalso, before scoring as Jay grounded into a fielder's choice. The final stood from here at 4-0, with Garcia pitching well for the win and Harrell was dealt the loss.

North to Minnesota, as the Twins host the New York Yankees. Phil Hughes faces a lesser foe in Esmerling Vasquez. New York finally opened the scoring in the fourth inning with Nick Swisher hitting a two-run home run, also scoring Robinson Cano. Minnesota got on the board in the bottom of the fourth with Chris Parmelee doubling Joe Mauer safely home. The Yankees replied in the seventh inning on a Russell Martin solo home run. The Twins took the lead in their half of the inning with Ryan Doumit scoring on a wild pitch, followed by Denard Span doubling both Parmelee and Jamey Carroll across the dish, and Mauer singling Span the rest of the way home. This gave them a 5-3 lead they would hold to the end, with the win assigned to Casey Fien, while Glen Perkins notched his fifteenth save of the year, and Hughes was stuck holding the loss.

Southwest to Colorado, as the Rockies host the Chicago Cubs. Chris Rusin and Jorge De La Rosa are the little-known pitchers. Chicago quickly scored in the first inning on a Dave Sappelt solo home run, followed by Starlin Castro reaching on an error that allowed Alfonso Soriano to dash home, and then Welington Castillo doubled Castro home. Colorado got on the board in the second inning when Wilin Rosario hit a solo shot. The Cubs answered in the third inning when Castro hit a solo home run. The Rockies pulled back with Tyler Colvin tripling in the bottom of the third to force in DJ LeMahieu and Josh Rutledge. Chicago responded in the fourth inning as Darwin Barney singled to knock in Joe Mather. Colorado replied in their half of the inning as LeMahieu doubled to drive in Chris Nelson, followed by a 2-RBI Rutledge double to plate both Andrew Brown and LeMahieu. The Rockies padded the lead in the fifth inning on a three-run home run by Matt McBride, sweeping in Rosario and Nelson. Colorado kept going in the sixth inning when Nelson singled Colvin across the dish. The game was called on account of rain in the seventh inning, with the Rockies winning 10-5. Carlos Torres was in line for the win and Rusin was dealt the loss.

Into California, as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim host the Seattle Mariners. Erasmo Ramirez and Zack Greinke are called on for the starts. Los Angeles began in the first inning as Albert Pujols singled in Mike Trout and Alberto Callaspo hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Torii Hunter. Seattle got on the board in the fourth inning as Justin Smoak hit a solo home run. The Angels shot back in the fifth inning as Hunter hit a two-run home run, also scoring Trout. Los Angeles got another in the sixth inning as Erick Aybar hit a solo shot. The Mariners replied in the seventh inning with Franklin Gutierrez doubling to knock in Dustin Ackley, before scoring on a two-run home run by Smoak. They couldn't get the equalizer, falling 5-4, with the win going to Greinke, the save finished off by Ernesto Frieri, and the loss stuck on Ramirez. 

Down in San Diego, the Padres host the Los Angeles Dodgers. Josh Beckett and Edinson Volquez are the solid starters. San Diego began in the fourth inning as Yasmani Grandal grounded out to bring in Logan Forsythe. The Padres added on in the fifth inning with Everth Cabrera reaching on a bunt single that combined with an error to score Will Venable. Los Angeles tried a ninth inning rally with A.J. Ellis doubling to knock in Luis Cruz, but they failed to tie the game and lost 2-1. Volquez earned the win, Huston Street turned a messy save, and Beckett was not freed from the loss.

Finally, the San Francisco Giants host the Arizona Diamondbacks. Josh Collmenter and Tim Lincecum will be handed the ball. Arizona led off in the first inning with Paul Goldschmidt hitting a sacrifice fly to get Adam Eaton home and Aaron Hill scoring on a wild pitch. The Diamondbacks padded the lead in the third inning as Goldschmidt hit a three-run home run, sweeping in Hill and Miguel Montero. San Francisco got on the board in the fourth inning as Buster Posey doubled in Marco Scutaro. Arizona shot back in the fifth inning as Goldschmidt hit a sacrifice fly that provided time for Hill to score and Justin Upton then scored on a wild pitch. The Giants got one back in the eighth inning as Ryan Theriot doubled to plate Xavier Nady. This only made it 7-2, the final, with Collmenter getting the win and Lincecum taking the loss.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Monday, September 24, 2012

Monday Night Football Week 3 2012

This week, the Seattle Seahawks host the Green Bay Packers. Seattle opened in the second quarter as Russell Wilson tossed a 41 yard touchdown to Golden Tate, and Steven Hauschka made the extra point. Green Bay got on the board in the third quarter as Mason Crosby kicked a 29 yard field goal. The Packers pulled closer as Crosby nailed a 40 yard field goal. Green Bay took the lead in the fourth quarter as Cedric Benson ran 1 yard for a touchdown, but they failed on the two-point attempt. The Seahawks won it on the most bizarre play of the century when Wilson found Tate again for a 21 yard touchdown pass, and Hauschka finished off the game with an extra point. Seattle goes to 2-1 and the Packers are 1-2.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

MLB Day 172 2012

Ten games on today, with the first in...

Washington, as the Nationals host the Milwaukee Brewers. Marco Estrada and Jordan Zimmermann are on the mound. Washington started in the first inning as Bryce Harper scored on an error. Milwaukee tied it in the second inning on a Corey Hart solo home run. The Nationals rallied ahead in the fourth inning as Zimmermann singled to drive in Roger Bernadina, before scoring alongside Kurt Suzuki on a Jayson Werth doubled, followed by a two-run home run by Ryan Zimmerman, also scoring Werth. Washington padded the lead in the fifth inning as Suzuki doubled Danny Espinosa and Bernadina around. The Brewers replied in the eighth inning with Aramis Ramirez doubling around Ryan Braun. The Nationals shot back in their half of the inning as Zimmerman singled to score Mark DeRosa, and later Eury Perez on an error, followed by Espinosa grounding into a fielder's choice that allowed Zimmerman to finish his trip around. This produced the 12-2 final, with Zimmermann getting the win and Estrada suffering the loss.

Over to Baltimore for a doubleheader, as the Orioles host the Toronto Blue Jays. Henderson Alvarez and Steve Johnson are the little-known pitchers. Baltimore began in the fourth inning on a two-run home run by Adam Jones, also scoring Chris Davis. The Orioles added on in the fifth inning as Ryan Flaherty hit a solo home run. Baltimore padded the lead in the sixth inning as Mark Reynolds grounded into a double play that got Jones home. Toronto got on the board in the eighth inning with Rajai Davis doubling home Edwin Encarnacion. They got no closer, losing 4-1, with Johnson getting the win, Jim Johnson tossing the save, and Alvarez was dinged for the loss.

In game two, Ricky Romero and Wei-Yin Chen take the hill. Toronto got going in the first inning as Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run home run, also scoring Brett Lawrie. The Blue Jays added on in the second inning as J.P. Arencibia hit a sacrifice fly to knock in Moises Sierra, followed by Anthony Gose singling in Omar Vizquel. Baltimore got on the board with Robert Andino singling to score both Mark Reynolds and Manny Machado. The Orioles pulled closer in the fifth inning on a Nate McLouth solo home run. Toronto extended the lead in the sixth inning as Sierra hit a solo shot. Baltimore replied in the sixth inning as J.J. Hardy singled Andino across the dish. The Blue Jays padded the lead with a seventh inning Arencibia grand slam, sweeping in Yunel Escobar, Adam Lind, and Sierra. The Orioles tried to rally in the ninth inning with Reynolds grounding into a double play that allowed Hardy to dash home, but this only made it a 9-5 final. Romero got the win and Chen was on the hook for the loss.

Back west, the Detroit Tigers host the Kansas City Royals. Luke Hochevar is mismatched with Justin Verlander. Detroit led off in the second inning as Prince Fielder hit a solo home run and Alex Avila doubled in Jhonny Peralta. Kansas City got on the board in the fourth inning with an Alex Gordon solo shot. The Tigers replied in the fifth inning as Austin Jackson doubled to plate Avila, and also Omar Infante on an error. Detroit padded the lead in the sixth inning on an Andy Dirks sacrifice fly to bring in Miguel Cabrera. The Royals took one back in the eighth inning as Billy Butler singled to drive in Alcides Escobar. The Tigers replied in the bottom of the eighth as Dirks singled to score Fielder. This was the final run, with the final score being 6-2. Verlander cruised to the win and Hochevar was stuck with the loss.

Eastward to New York, as the Mets welcome the Pittsburgh Pirates. Kyle McPherson and Jenrry Mejia are the completely unknown starters. New York opened with a fourth inning two-run home run by Ike Davis, also scoring David Wright. The Mets padded the lead in the fifth inning as Wright singled around Josh Thole, followed by Davis going yard again, this time a three-run home run to sweep in Fred Lewis and Wright. Pittsburgh got on the board in the eighth inning with Garrett Jones singling home Andrew McCutchen. The Pirates tried a ninth inning rally with Jose Tabata singling to score Michael McKenry, but they still lost 6-2. Mejia picked up the win and McPherson was pinned with the loss.

Down in Texas, the Rangers host the Oakland Athletics. Daniel Straily and Derek Holland are the young starters. Oakland got going in the second inning as Josh Donaldson hit a two-run home run, also scoring Brandon Moss. Texas took one back in their half of the inning as Mitch Moreland singled to plate Michael Young. The Athletics replied in the third inning on a Yoenis Cespedes solo home run. The Rangers shot back in the fifth inning on a Josh Hamilton solo shot. Oakland answered in the sixth inning with Cliff Pennington singling to knock in Moss. Texas tied it in the eighth inning with Adrian Beltre hitting a two-run home run, sweeping in Hamilton. The Rangers won 5-4 in the ninth inning as Beltre singled Craig Gentry around to end the game. Joe Nathan picked up the win and Tyson Ross was given the loss.

Across the state, the Houston Astros host the St. Louis Cardinals. Lance Lynn and Fernando Abad are the relievers turned starters. St. Louis was first to score in the second inning as Daniel Descalso tripled to force in Matt Carpenter before scoring on a two-run home run by Pete Kozma. Houston replied in the bottom of the second as Scott Moore singled in Jason Castro. The Cardinals shot back in the fourth inning on a Yadier Molina solo home run. St. Louis extended the lead in the seventh inning as Matt Holliday doubled both Kozma and the pitcher Lynn across the dish. This produced a 6-1 final, with Lynn earning the win and Abad taking the loss.

North to Chicago, as the White Sox host the Cleveland Indians. Zach McAllister and Chris Sale take their turns in the rotation. Cleveland started in the third inning as Asdrubal Cabrera doubled home Jason Kipnis. Chicago tied it in the fifth inning as Alexei Ramirez grounded into a fielder's choice to bring in Alex Rios. The Indians took the lead back in the sixth inning as Russ Canzler hit a two-run home run, also scoring Carlos Santana. The White Sox answered in the bottom of the sixth as Adam Dunn hit a solo home run. Chicago took the lead in the eighth inning as Dunn hit a three-run home run, sweeping in Jordan Danks and Kevin Youkilis. Cleveland tried a ninth inning rally when Shin-Soo Choo doubled Ezequiel Carrera in, but they still lost 5-4. Brett Myers picked up the win, Donnie Veal got the spot save, and Vinnie Pestano was responsible for the loss.

Farther north to Minnesota, with the Twins welcoming the New York Yankees. Andy Pettitte and Liam Hendriks are penciled in to pitch. New York began in the first inning as Robinson Cano grounded out to bring in Derek Jeter, followed by a two-run home run by Nick Swisher, also scoring Ichiro Suzuki. The Yankees added on in the fourth inning as Curtis Granderson hit a solo home run. New York struck again in the seventh inning as Raul Ibanez and Eric Chavez hit solo shots. Minnesota got on the board in the eighth inning as Pedro Florimon hit a solo home run. The Twins tried a ninth inning rally as Chris Parmelee tripled to force in both Justin Morneau and Ryan Doumit, but they still lost 6-3. Pettitte got the win and Hendriks was stuck with the loss.

Finally, out west, the Colorado Rockies host the Arizona Diamondbacks. Trevor Cahill and Tyler Chatwood have the green light to start. Colorado struck first with a first inning Tyler Colvin single to knock in Charlie Blackmon. Arizona got on the board in the fourth inning with a two-run home run by Jason Kubel, also scoring Paul Goldschmidt. The Rockies took the lead back in their half of the inning as Andrew Brown grounded into a fielder's choice to bring in Colvin, followed by DJ LeMahieu singling to plate Chris Nelson. Colorado got another in the eighth inning as Brown hit a solo home run. This held up for a 4-2 win,
earned by Chatwood, while Rafael Betancourt closed out for his thirtieth save of the year, and Cahill was stuck with the loss.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Fantasy Baseball All-Stars week 24

Pressure's on for the leagues that still play this week. Championships are at stake, and these players helped get you there.

Batters: Ichiro Suzuki, Pablo Sandoval, Miguel Cabrera, Desmond Jennings, Ryan Braun, Carlos Santana, B.J. Upton, Wilin Rosario, Ryan Howard, Adam Jones.

Pitchers: Jason Motte, Cliff Lee, Ervin Santana, Nate Jones, Tom Wilhelmsen, Kris Medlen, Yu Darvish, Kevin Correia, Mat Latos, CC Sabathia.

Good luck this week. I've got 15 of my teams fighting for medals, that's 50% in the top four.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

NFL Week 3 Afternoon/Night Games 2012

Here's the second chunk of games. These begin in...

San Diego, as the Chargers host the Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta opened in the first quarter as Matt Ryan tossed an 8 yard touchdown pass to Jacquizz Rodgers, but they failed to convert a two-point attempt. The Falcons added on in the second quarter as as Ryan tossed a 7 yard touchdown to Tony Gonzalez, and Matt Bryant made the extra point. Atlanta kept going as Ryan tossed a 9 yard touchdown pass to Julio Jones, and Bryant supplied another PAT. San Diego got on the board in the third quarter as Nate Kaeding kicked a 41 yard field goal. The Falcons replied in the fourth quarter with Michael Turner rushing 7 yards for a touchdown, and Bryant made his extra point. This ended the scoring at 27-3, with the Atlanta going to 3-0 and San Diego dropping to 2-1.

A little east to Arizona, as the Cardinals host the Philadelphia Eagles. Arizona got going in the first quarter as Jay Feely kicked a field goal of 47 yards. The Cardinals added on with Kevin Kolb tossing an 8 yard touchdown pass to Michael Floyd and Feely kicked in the extra point. Arizona struck again in the second quarter as Kolb threw 37 yards to Larry Fitzgerald, and Feely supplied another extra point. The Cardinals padded the lead as James Sanders recovered a fumble and ran it in 93 yards for a touchdown, with Feely icing the play off by making his extra point. Philadelphia got on the board in the third quarter as Alex Henery kicked a field goal of 36 yards. The Eagles got some more as Henery booted a 40 yard field goal. Arizona shot back in the fourth quarter as Feely nailed a field goal of 27 yards. This made it 27-6, the final, with the Cardinals going to 3-0 while the Eagles dropped to 2-1.

Back in California, the Oakland Raiders welcome the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh led off in the first quarter with Ben Roethlisberger tossing a 4 yard touchdown pass to Heath Miller, and Shaun Suisham booted the extra point. Oakland tied it with Darren McFadden running 64 yards for a touchdown, and Sebastian Janikowski supplied the extra point. The Steelers took the lead back as Roethlisberger and Miller connected on another 4 yard touchdown play, and Suisham made another extra point. The Raiders replied in the second quarter as Carson Palmer tossed a 3 yard touchdown pass to Darrius Heyward-Bey, and Janikowski knocked in the extra point. Pittsburgh replied with a Suisham field goal of 33 yards. The Steelers padded the lead with Roethlisberger throwing 22 yards to Mike Wallace for a touchdown in the third quarter, and Suisham tacked on the PAT. Oakland answered as McFadden ran in a touchdown of 5 yards, and Janikowski was true with the extra point. Pittsburgh shot back with Roethlisberger finding Antonio Brown for another touchdown, this time from 11 yards, which he fumbled but recovered to preserve the score, and Suisham had the extra point. The Raiders pulled closer as Palmer tossed a 6 yard touchdown to Denarius Moore, and Janikowski again handled the extra point. Oakland tied it up as Janikowski booted a 32 yard field goal. The Raiders won 34-31 on a last-second Janikowski field goal of 43 yards. Both teams are now 1-2.

Over in Denver, the Broncos host the Houston Texans. Denver started in the first quarter as Elvis Dumervil sacked Matt Schaub for a safety. The Broncos added on as Matt Prater kicked a 32 yard field goal. Houston took the lead as Schaub tossed a 60 yard touchdown pass to Andre Johnson, and Shayne Graham made the extra point. The Texans added on in the second quarter as Schaub found Arian Foster for a 3 yard touchdown pass, and Graham was there with the extra point. Houston extended the lead as Schaub tossed a 52 yard touchdown pass by Kevin Walter, and Graham again provided the PAT. Denver shot back as Prater made a 22 yard field goal. The Broncos chipped away as Prater booted a 53 yard field goal. The Texans replied in the third quarter with Graham kicking a field goal of 41 yards. Houston added on as Schaub threw a 14 yard touchdown pass to Owen Daniels, and Graham was there with the extra point. Denver replied with a fourth quarter touchdown pass of 38 yards from Peyton Manning to Brandon Stokely, and Prater iced the play with an extra point. The Broncos pulled closer as Manning found Joel Dreessen on a 6 yard touchdown pass, and Prater made another extra point. They failed to tie the game, losing 31-25, with Houston going to 3-0 while dropping Denver to 1-2.

Finally, for the prime time game, the Baltimore Ravens host the New England Patriots. New England led off with a first quarter Stephen Gostkowski field goal of 37 yards. The Patriots added on as Brandon Bolden ran 2 yards for a touchdown, and Gostkowski tacked on the extra point. New England kept going as Gostkowski made a 49 yard field goal. Baltimore got on the board in the second quarter as Joe Flacco threw a 25 yard touchdown pass to Torrey Smith, and Justin Tucker was there with the extra point. The Ravens took the lead as Flacco threw a 20 yard touchdown to Dennis Pitta, and Tucker had the go-ahead PAT. New England took the lead back as Tom Brady found Julian Edelman for a 7 yard touchdown, and Gostkowski kicked the extra point. Baltimore responded in the third quarter as Ray Rice ran 7 yards for a touchdown, with Tucker adding the extra point. The Patriots shot back as Danny Woodhead ran 3 yards for a touchdown, and Gostkowski nailed the extra point. New England struck again in the fourth quarter as Gostkowski kicked a 20 yard chip shot field goal. The Ravens pulled back with Flacco passing another touchdown to Smith, this time from 5 yards away, and Tucker again booted the extra point. Baltimore won 31-30 as Tucker nailed a 27 yard field goal as time expired. Baltimore went to 2-1 while New England fell to 1-2.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

MLB Day 171 2012

Sixteen games on in the third of four super sports weekends. This is the post for baseball, football will arrive in two additional posts throughout the day. We begin today with...

The New York Yankees hosting the Oakland Athletics. A.J. Griffin and Hiroki Kuroda are on the mound. Oakland started in the first inning as Stephen Drew scored on a wild pitch. The Athletics added on in the second inning as Cliff Pennington hit a two-run home run, also scoring Josh Donaldson. New York got on the board in the fourth inning as Nick Swisher went yard on a two-run home run, bringing Robinson Cano with him, followed by Raul Ibanez doubling in Curtis Granderson, and then they took the lead as Eduardo Nunez grounded out to get Russell Martin home. Oakland tied it in the fifth inning on a Yoenis Cespedes single to drive in Pennington. The Athletics took the lead in the sixth inning as Pennington singled to knock in Donaldson. This was it for the scoring, with the win going to Jerry Blevins, while Grant Balfour turned his twentieth save of the season, and Kuroda was stuck with the loss.

Next up, the Detroit Tigers host the Minnesota Twins for two. The first game pits solid starters Scott Diamond and Max Scherzer against each other. Detroit was first to score in the fourth inning as Miguel Cabrera doubled to plate Omar Infante before scoring on a single by Delmon Young. Minnesota rallied ahead in the sixth inning as Joe Mauer singled home Ben Revere before scoring on a single by Justin Morneau, followed by Trevor Plouffe singling Josh Willingham around, Morneau finishing his trip on a wild pitch, and Pedro Florimon grounding into a fielder's choice that allowed Ryan Doumit to dash home. The Twins struck again in the seventh inning as Mauer hit a sacrifice fly to allow Revere to score. Minnesota padded the lead in the eighth inning on an Eduardo Escobar single that provided time for Doumit to get safely home, before scoring on a single by Revere, and then Mauer tripled to force in both Florimon and Revere. The Tigers tried a ninth inning rally when Avisail Garcia singled both Don Kelly and Andy Dirks home, but this only made it 10-4 as a final. Diamond picked up the win and Scherzer took a rough loss.

In the late game, the pitchers are youngsters P.J. Walters and Drew Smyly. Detroit got going with a first inning Miguel Cabrera double to score Austin Jackson. Minnesota replied in the fifth inning as Jamey Carroll grounded into a fielder's choice that allowed Pedro Florimon to come home after an error. On that same play, two other runs were out at the dish. The Twins took the lead in the tenth inning on a Carroll single scoring Denard Span. This held up for a 2-1 win, with Jared Burton picking up the win, Glen Perkins throwing the save, and Jose Valverde was on the hook for the loss.

Back in New York, the Mets host the Miami Marlins. Ricky Nolasco and Chris Young are the embattled starters. New York began in the first inning as David Wright hit a two-run home run, also scoring Daniel Murphy. Miami tied it in the fifth inning when Bryan Petersen hit a sacrifice fly to get Rob Brantly home, followed by Gorkys Hernandez stealing second, which combined with an error to allow Gil Velazquez to dash home. The Mets won 3-2 in the ninth inning on a Ruben Tejada single to bring in Scott Hairston. Bobby Parnell got the win and Ryan Webb was responsible for the loss.

Over in Philadelphia, the Phillies host the Atlanta Braves. Tim Hudson and Cliff Lee take the hill. Atlanta got going in the second inning on a David Ross solo home run. The Braves got another in the third inning with Dan Uggla hitting a sacrifice fly to get Reed Johnson home. Philadelphia got on the board in the sixth inning as Chase Utley hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Jimmy Rollins. They failed to tie it, losing 2-1 with Hudson getting the win, Craig Kimbrel tossing the save, and Lee suffered the loss.

Moving along to Washington, as the Nationals host the Milwaukee Brewers. Yovani Gallardo faces a lesser foe in Chien-Ming Wang. Milwaukee led off in the fourth inning when Jonathan Lucroy singled in Ryan Braun and Logan Schafer doubled to knock in Corey Hart. Washington tied it in the fifth inning Chad Tracy singling home Ian Desmond and Jayson Werth hitting a sacrifice fly to bring in Danny Espinosa. The Brewers took the lead in the seventh inning with Lucroy again singling Braun in, Carlos Gomez doing the same for Aramis Ramirez, and Jean Segura grounding out to allow Hart safe passage home. Milwaukee padded the lead in the eighth inning on a Braun sacrifice fly that brought in Norichika Aoki. This produced the 6-2 win, as Brandon Kintzler picked up the win, John Axford notched the save, and Ryan Mattheus was dinged for the loss.

To Boston, as the Red Sox host the Baltimore Orioles. Chris Tillman and Felix Doubront receive the starting nods. Boston was first to score in the fourth inning as Danny Valencia grounded into a fielder's choice, which combined with an error to bring in Cody Ross. Baltimore tied it in the fifth inning as Manny Machado singled to knock in Lew Ford. The Red Sox took the lead in the eighth inning on a Ross double to knock in Dustin Pedroia. This stood up for a 2-1 win, with Junichi Tazawa picking up the win, Andrew Bailey turning the save, and Luis Ayala was dinged for the loss.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Rays host the Toronto Blue Jays. Chad Jenkins is mismatched with Jeremy Hellickson. Tampa Bay led off with a first inning B.J. Upton solo home run. The Rays added on in the eighth inning with Evan Longoria doubling in both Desmond Jennings and Ben Zobrist. This was good for a 3-0 win, earned by Hellickson, while Fernando Rodney closed out for the save, and Jenkins had no help in the loss.

Westward to Houston, as the Astros host the Pittsburgh Pirates. A.J. Burnett and Jordan Lyles will take their turns in the rotation. Pittsburgh finally got things going in the fifth inning when Gaby Sanchez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in Alex Presley, followed by Jose Tabata walking to push in Josh Harrison, Clint Barmes singling Andrew McCutchen around, and Rod Barajas did the same for Sanchez. The Pirates struck again in the sixth inning with McCutchen doubling Harrison around. Houston got on the board as Scott Moore hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth.Pittsburgh padded the lead in the eighth inning on a Pedro Alvarez single to plate Sanchez before scoring on a Tabata single himself, followed by Burnett singling Tabata the rest of the way home. They cruised from here to an 8-1 win, earned by Burnett, while Lyles was knocked around in the loss.

North into Kansas City, as the Royals host the Cleveland Indians. David Huff and Jake Odorizzi are the completely unknown pitchers. Kansas City began with a third inning Adam Moore solo home run. Cleveland answered in the sixth inning as Asdrubal Cabrera singled in Jason Kipnis before scoring on a two-run home run by Carlos Santana. The Indians added on with a seventh inning double steal, as Shin-Soo Choo swiped third while Kipnis swiped second, and an error let Choo score, followed by Santana singling, which combined with an error to bring in Kipnis, and Casey Kotchman singling Cabrera around, Jack Hannahan doing the same for Santana, and Ezequiel Carrera grounding out to bring home Michael Brantley. The Royals got one back in the bottom of the seventh as Tony Abreu hit a sacrifice fly to get Jeff Francoeur in. Kansas City got another in the eighth inning on a Billy Butler double, plating Irving Falu, followed by Francoeur singling Butler the rest of the way home. Cleveland shot back in the ninth inning with Carrera singling Brantley across the dish, followed by Choo walking with the bases loaded to force in Hannahan, Kipnis grounding into a fielder's choice to complete Carrera's trip around, and Cabrera singling Lou Marson in, before capping the rally on a three-run home run by Santana, sweeping in Kipnis and Cabrera. This capped the 15-4 drubbing as well, with the win belonging to Huff while Odorizzi was shelled in the loss.

Edging north a little more to Chicago, where the Cubs host the St. Louis Cardinals. Kyle Lohse and Justin Germano have the green light to pitch. St. Louis opened in the third inning as Allen Craig doubled both Jon Jay and Matt Holliday in, before scoring on a David Freese single. Chicago got some back in the fourth ining with Welington Castillo doubling to plate Starlin Castro before coming home on a wild pitch. The Cardinals added on in the sixth inning with a Pete Kozma solo home run. The Cubs took one back in the bottom of the sixth as Alfonso Soriano hit a solo shot. St. Louis extended the lead in the eighth inning as Kozma hit a sacrifice fly to allow Adron Chambers to dash home, followed by Carlos Beltran singling to drive in Skip Schumaker. This made it 6-3, a final, with Lohse notching the win, Jason Motte converting his fortieth save of the year, and Germano was dealt the loss.

Out west, the Colorado Rockies host the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ian Kennedy and Jeff Francis are penciled in to pitch. Arizona quickly started in the second inning with a Cody Ransom single to score Jason Kubel, followed by Wil Nieves doing the same for Ryan Wheeler. The Diamondbacks added on in the fifth inning as Wheeler walked with the bases loaded to force in Aaron Hill. Colorado got on the board in the bottom of the fifth as Charlie Blackmon singled, which combined with an error to get Matt McBride in, followed by Jordan Pacheco singled to knock in Josh Rutledge and Wilin Rosario doubling to bring in Charlie Blackmon. The Rockies gained the lead in the sixth inning as Blackmon singled around DJ LeMahieu. Arizona took the lead in the eighth inning on a Mike Jacobs single to plate John McDonald, followed by a three-run home run by Hill, sweeping in Nieves and Jacobs. The Diamondbacks padded the lead in the ninth inning as Jake Elmore hit a 2-RBI single to drive in both Paul Goldschmidt and Kubel before scoring on an A.J. Pollock groundout. Colorado replied in the bottom of the ninth with Tyler Colvin doubling to get both Jordan Pacheco and Chris Nelson across the dish before scoring on a single by LeMahieu. This only made it 10-7, a final, with the win going to Matt Albers, the save finished off by J.J. Putz, and the loss was pinned on Matt Belisle.

Out in California, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim host the Chicago White Sox. Gavin Floyd and Jered Weaver are the veteran pitchers. Los Angeles finally got going in the sixth inning as Albert Pujols doubled in both Mike Trout and Torii Hunter home, before scoring on a two-run home run by Kendrys Morales. Chicago got on the board in the seventh inning with Dayan Viciedo hitting a sacrifice fly to allow A.J. Pierzynski to score. This was as close as it got, with Weaver picking up the win and Floyd was handed the loss.

Up the coast, the San Francisco Giants host the San Diego Padres. Eric Stults and Yusmeiro Petit are the back-of-the-rotation starters. San Diego led off in the second inning as Stults sacrificed, which combined with an error to bring in Alexi Amarista. San Francisco tied it in the fourth inning on a Xavier Nady double to get Ryan Theriot in, before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Eli Whiteside. The Padres tied it in the fifth inning with Yasmani Grandal singling in Logan Forsythe. San Diego took the lead in the seventh inning when Yonder Alonso singled both Everth Cabrera and Forsythe around. The Giants answered in their half of the inning with Emmanuel Burriss grounding into a fielder's choice that gave time for Francisco Peguero to dash home. The Padres shot back as Mark Kotsay hit a solo home run, followed by Cabrera scoring on an error in the eighth inning. San Francisco tried a ninth inning rally as Buster Posey grounded into a fielder's choice to allow Brandon Crawford to score, but they still lost 6-4. Stults was given the win, Huston Street finished off a messy save, and Clay Hensley was stuck holding the loss.

Farther north, the Seattle Mariners host the Texas Rangers. Ryan Dempster and Jason Vargas pace the game. Texas began in the fourth inning as Mike Napoli hit a solo home run, followed by Geovany Soto hitting a two-run home run, also scoring David Murphy. Seattle got on the board in the seventh inning as both Eric Thames and Brendan Ryan hit solo shots. They failed to tie it, losing 3-2, with Dempster getting the win, Joe Nathan finished off the save, and Vargas took an unlucky loss.

Finally, in Cincinnati, the Reds host the Los Angeles Dodgers. Clayton Kershaw and Homer Bailey are set to pitch. Los Angeles started in the second inning with an Adrian Gonzalez solo home run. Cincinnati tied it in the third inning as Todd Frazier singled in Wilson Valdez. The Dodgers took the lead back in the seventh inning on a Gonzalez solo shot, followed A.J. Ellis sacrificing to knock in Dee Gordon, Mark Ellis doubling Luis Cruz around, and Andre Ethier singling to drive in Bobby Abreu. The Reds got some back in the eighth inning as Denis Phipps hit a two-run home run, also scoring Miguel Cairo. This was as close as it got, with the final being 5-3. Shawn Tolleson got the win, Brandon League notched the save, and Bailey was dinged for the loss.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NFL Week 3 Morning Games 2012

Nine games on the early wave of games. The first is in...

Indianapolis, as the Colts host the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jacksonville opened with a first quarter Josh Scobee field goal of 44 yards. Indianapolis pulled ahead as Andrew Luck threw a 40 yard touchdown to T.Y. Hilton, and Adam Vinatieri was there with the extra point. The Colts added on in the second quarter with Luck passing 4 yards to Mewelde Moore for a touchdown, and Vinatieri made another PAT. The Jaguars replied in the third quarter as Maurice Jones-Drew ran 59 yards for a touchdown, and Scobee kicked the extra point. Jacksonville got closer as Scobee nailed a 47 yard field goal. The Jaguars took the lead in the fourth quarter with Scobee kicking a 26 yard field goal. Indianapolis took the lead as Vinatieri booted a 37 yard field goal. Jacksonville took the lead back as Gabbert tossed an 80 yard touchdown pass to Cecil Shorts, but the two-point attempt was unsuccessful. This ended the scoring at 22-17, with both teams moving to 1-2.

Over in Ohio, the Cleveland Browns host the Buffalo Bills. Buffalo began in the first quarter as Ryan Fitzpatrick found T.J. Graham for a 9 yard touchdown pass, and Rian Lindell tacked on the extra point. The Bills added on as Fitzpatrick passed 32 yards to C.J. Spiller for a touchdown, allowing Lindell to make another extra point. Cleveland got on the board as Trent Richardson ran 6 yards for a touchdown, and Phil Dawson kicked the PAT. Buffalo got some more in the third quarter as Lindell kicked a 37 yard field goal. The Browns replied with Brandon Weeden passing 22 yards to Travis Benjamin for a touchdown, and Dawson made the extra point. The Bills extended their lead in the fourth quarter as Fitzpatrick passed 9 yards for a touchdown to Stevie Johnson, and Lindell booted the extra point. This made it 24-14, a final, with Buffalo going to 2-1 and Cleveland dropping to 0-3.

Down in Florida, the Miami Dolphins welcome the New York Jets. Miami started in the first quarter with Daniel Thomas running 1 yard for a touchdown, and Dan Carpenter was there with the extra point. The Dolphins added on in the second quarter as Carpenter kicked a 21 yard field goal. New York got on the board with a 33 yard Nick Folk field goal. The Jets tied it in the third quarter with LaRon Landry intercepting Blaine Gabbert and returning the ball 18 yards for a touchdown, with Folk's PAT being the equalizer. Miami took the lead again as Jorvorskie Lane ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Carpenter made the extra point. New York got some back in the fourth quarter with Folk kicking a 20 yard field goal. The Jets took the lead as Mark Sanchez threw a 7 yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Kerley, and Folk was true with the extra point. The Dolphins tied it as Carpenter made a 41 yard field goal. New York won in the fifth quarter as Folk kicked in a 33 yard field goal. The Jets are now 2-1, while Miami moves down to 1-2.

A bit west, the New Orleans Saints bring in the Kansas City Chiefs. New Orleans began with Drew Brees passing 9 yards to Lance Moore for a touchdown in the first quarter, and Garrett Hartley kicked in the extra point. Kansas City got on the board as Ryan Succop nailed a 25 yard field goal. The Saints added on in the second quarter with a field goal of 40 yards by Hartley. The Chiefs replied with a Succop field goal from 45 yards away. New Orleans extended the lead when Brees tossed a 1 yard touchdown pass to Jimmy Graham in the third quarter, and Hartley was there with the extra point. The Saints got some more when Brees tossed a 6 yard touchdown pass to Jed Collins, and Hartley supplied another extra point. Kansas City quickly responded when Jamaal Charles belted out a 91 yard touchdown run, and Succop tacked on the extra point. The Chiefs got closer in the fourth quarter with Succop's field goal from 34 yards out. Kansas City chipped away as Succop made a field goal of 38 yards. The Chiefs got some more as Justin Houston sacked Brees for a safety. Kansas City pulled even as Succop made a field goal from 43 yards. The Chiefs took the lead in the fifth quarter on a 31 yard Succop field goal. This was made the final 27-24, with Kansas City going to 1-2 while New Orleans dropped to 0-3.

Northeast to Washington, as the Redskins host the Cincinnati Bengals. Cincinnati quickly opened in the first quarter as Mohamed Sanu connected with A.J. Green for a 73 yard touchdown, and Mike Nugent made the extra point. Washington tied it when Rob Jackson picked off Andy Dalton in the end zone for a touchdown, and Billy Cundiff's extra point was the equalizer. The Bengals replied as Dalton found his own man, Armon Binns for a 48 yard touchdown connection, and Nugent tacked on the extra point. Cincinnati got some more in the second quarter on a 47 yard field goal by Nugent. The Bengals padded the lead as BenJarvus Green-Ellis ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Nugent made the PAT. The Redskins got some back as Cundiff booted in a 36 yard field goal. Washington got closer in the third quarter as Alfred Morris ran 7 yards for a touchdown, and Cundiff made the extra point. The Redskins pulled even as Robert Griffin III passed 3 yards to Santana Moss for a touchdown, and Cundiff again tied the game with an extra point. Cincinnati reclaimed the lead in the fourth quarter as Dalton sent a 6 yard touchdown to Jermaine Gresham, and Nugent was true on the extra point. The Bengals extended the lead as Dalton threw a 59 yard touchdown to Andrew Hawkins, and Nugent kicked in another extra point. Washington pulled back as Griffin ran 2 yards for a touchdown, and Cundiff made the extra point. They failed to tie it, losing 38-31, with the Bengal moving to 2-1 and the Redskins falling to 1-2.

Backtracking to Tennessee, where the Titans bring in the Detroit Lions. Detroit got on the board in the first quarter as Jason Hanson booted a 47 yard field goal. The Lions added on with a Hanson field goal from 53 yards out. Tennessee got on the board as Rob Bironas kicked a field goal of 31 yards. The Titans took the lead as Darius Reynaud fielded a punt and lateraled to Tommie Campbell, who ran 65 yards for the touchdown, with Bironas kicking the extra point. Tennessee padded the lead as Jake Locker threw a 61 yard touchdown pass to Jared Cook, and Bironas made another extra point. Detroit chipped away as Hanson kicked a field goal in from 33 yards. The Titans shot back as Bironas made a field goal of 38 yards. The Lions pulled closer in the third quarter as Mikel LeShoure ran 1 yard for a touchdown, with Hanson supplying the extra point. Detroit got within one in the fourth quarter as Hanson kicked in a field goal from 26 yards. The Lions took the lead when Matthew Stafford tossed a 3 yard touchdown pass to Nate Burleson, before the two of them combined for the two-point conversion. Tennessee tied it as Reynaud returned the ensuing kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown, and Bironas had the equalizer with the extra point. The Titans took the lead as Locker connected with Nate Washington for a 71 yard touchdown, and Bironas made the extra point cleanly. Tennessee extended the lead as Brandon Pettigrew fumbled, and the ball was returned 72 yards by Alterraun Verner for a touchdown, with Bironas icing the play with an extra point. Detroit pulled back as Shaun Hill threw a 3 yard touchdown to Calvin Johnson, and Hanson was good with the extra point. With only 18 seconds remaining, the Lions completed their comeback as Hill uncorked a 46 yard touchdown pass to Titus Young, and Hanson kicked the extra point, tying the game and sending it to overtime. The Titans took the lead again in the fifth quarter as Bironas made a 26 yard field goal. This was enough for a 44-41 win, and both teams moved to 1-2.

North to Minnesota, with the Vikings welcoming the San Francisco 49ers. Minnesota led off in the first quarter as Christian Ponder tossed a 1 yard touchdown pass to Kyle Rudolph, and Blair Walsh supplied the extra point. San Francisco got on the board in the second quarter as David Akers kicked a 29 yard field goal. The Vikings padded the lead as Ponder ran 23 yards for a touchdown, and Walsh booted in the PAT. Minnesota struck again as Walsh nailed a 52 yard field goal. The 49ers got some back in the third quarter as Akers kicked a field goal of 29 yards. San Francisco got closer as Alex Smith found Vernon Davis for a 1 yard touchdown pass, and Akers was there to make the extra point. The Vikings extended the lead in fourth quarter as Ponder and Rudolph connected for another touchdown, this time for 2 yards, and Walsh made another extra point. This produced the final score of 24-13, and both teams are now 2-1.

South to Chicago, where the Bears host the St. Louis Rams. Chicago got going in the first quarter as Robbie Gould kicked a 54 yard field goal. The Bears extended the lead in the second quarter as Michael Bush ran 3 yards for a touchdown, and Gould was there with the extra point. St. Louis got on the board with a Greg Zuerlein 56 yard field goal. The Rams pulled closer in the third quarter as Zuerlein kicked a 46 yard field goal. Chicago replied in the fourth quarter as Gould nailed a field goal of 22 yards. The Bears padded the lead as Major Wright picked off Sam Bradford and took it 45 yards to the house for a touchdown, allowing Gould to make the PAT. Chicago got a few more as Gould kicked a 37 yard field goal. This held up for a 23-6 with, with Chicago improving to 2-1 while St. Louis dropped to 1-2.

Finally, we end this wave in Dallas, with the Cowboys hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa Bay was first on the board in the first quarter as Josh Freeman tossed a 1 yard touchdown pass to Luke Stocker, and Connor Barth was there with the extra point. Dallas tied the game when DeMarco Murray ran 11 yards for a touchdown, and Dan Bailey supplied the extra point. The Cowboys took the lead as Bailey nailed a 32 yard field goal. Dallas extended the lead in the fourth quarter with a 26 yard field goal by Bailey. The Cowboys got more as Bailey made a 22 yard field goal. The Buccaneers replied as Barth made a 28 yard field goal. They failed to tie the game, losing 16-10, with Dallas moving to 2-1 and Tampa Bay going down to 1-2.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.