Monday, April 18, 2011
Sandwich Showdown XIV
The sandwiches were in full swing again this weekend, with a Subway Melt on Italian opposing an Italian BMT on Herbs and Cheese. The Melt had a toasty advantage, and was not too crispy. The bread came in very nicely to compliment the meaty goodness inside and was a delicious sandwich. Meanwhile, the BMT also brought its normal punch in taste. But an average BMT was not going to cut it this weekend, giving the advantage to the Melt in a very good battle. That's all for this week, we'll do this again next weekend.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Saturday baseball
Another set of games at the Ballparks. We begin with...
The Cleveland Indians blowing out their guests, the Baltimore Orioles, by an 8-3 score. Jeremy Guthrie had the loss, and Josh Tomlin took the win, both of them being the starters. Jake Fox and Orlando Cabrera were the top batters.
To New York City, where the Yankees hosted the Texas Rangers. Derek Holland and Freddy Garcia took the mound. New York opened with Mark Teixeira's two run homer to score Nick Swisher. Teixeira kept the Yankees going in the third inning with a sacrifice fly, allowing Derek Jeter to score. Texas got on the board in the eighth inning with Elvis Andrus singling in Mitch Moreland, followed by Michael Young doing the same for Ian Kinsler. New York replied with a two run tater from Robinson Cano's bat, knocking in Teixeira. Holland was stuck with the loss, Garcia got the win, Joba Chamberlain and Rafael Soriano grabbed holds, and Mariano Rivera converted the save in the 5-2 Yankee victory. David Murphy and Teixeira were the best batters.
In Washington, D.C., the rain postponed the Nationals hosting the Milwaukee Brewers, resulting in a Sunday doubleheader.
Into Kansas City, where the Royals shut down the Seattle Mariners with a 7-0 score. Felix Hernandez took the loss, while Sean O'Sullivan had the win. Brendan Ryan and Alex Gordon were the top batters.
Back east, the Boston Red Sox hosted the Toronto Blue Jays. Jo-Jo Reyes and Josh Beckett pitched. Boston got off to some early work in the first inning, with Adrian Gonzalez singling in Jed Lowrie, followed by Kevin Youkilis' RBI-double to score Dustin Pedroia. Toronto got a run back the next inning with Travis Snider's single to score Aaron Hill. The Red Sox answered back with Lowrie's two-run shot knocking in Jacoby Ellsbury. This 4-1 score would last for another 7 innings, allowing Reyes the loss, Beckett the win, a hold for Daniel Bard, and Jonathan Papelbon made the save. Hill and Lowrie were the best hitters.
Into Cincinnati, where the Reds dominated the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-2. James McDonald got pounded, while Mike Leake had it fairly easy on the mound. Garrett Jones and Ramon Hernandez were the best of the hitters.
Down south to Atlanta, with the doubleheader between the Braves and their guests, the New York Mets. D.J. Carrasco opposed Derek Lowe in game one. Atlanta had three solo shots, one each in the first, second, and fourth innings, with Chipper Jones doing the first, and Alex Gonzalez responsible for the latter two. New York woke up with a fifth inning fielder's choice by Jose Reyes, allowing Josh Thole to score. The next inning, the Mets struck again with Willie Harris' double to bring around Carlos Beltran. In the bottom of this inning, The Braves answered with a solo home run from Freddie Freeman to make it 4-2, the eventual final. Carrasco was stuck with the loss, while Lowe got the win, Eric O'Flaherty, Scott Linebrink, and Johnny Venters had the holds, and Craig Kimbrel converted the save. Harris and Gonzalez were the best hitters. Game two saw Mike Pelfrey pitch against Jair Jurrjens. Atlanta opened with Dan Uggla singling to score Jones. In the third inning, Jones added on for the Braves with his single, bringing around Martin Prado. Prado was brought home again in the fifth inning with Eric Hinske's RBI-single. Atlanta finished off a 4-0 win in the sixth inning with David Ross' single to knock around Jason Heyward. Pelfrey had the loss, and Jurrjens took the win. Daniel Murphy and Hinske were the top batters this time around.
South a little further, to Tampa Bay, with the Rays hosting the Minnesota Twins. Scott Baker and Jeff Niemann had their turn in the order. Minnesota led off in the second inning with Jason Kubel going yard for a solo home run. The Twins added on with a double play groundout by Luke Hughes, ridding himself and Denard Span of the basepaths, but scoring Alexi Casilla. Sam Fuld got Tampa Bay going later in the third inning with a sacrifice fly to score Casey Kotchman. Span responded back for Minnesota with a triple in the fifth inning, bringing Casilla in again. Matt Joyce got the Rays another run in the eighth by knocking in Reid Brignac with a single. Tampa Bay did some more work in the ninth with Ben Zobrist's solo shot, and they won the game 4-3 with a bases loaded single by Johnny Damon forcing in B.J. Upton. Matt Capps had a hold before Joe Nathan blew the save and took the loss, while Juan Cruz picked up the win. Span and Joyce had top batting honors.
Up to Chicago, where the White Sox suffered a 7-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. Tyler Chatwood won the game, while Gavin Floyd was pinned for the loss. Hank Conger and Carlos Quentin were the best batters.
Eastward, to Philadelphia, where the rain forced a postponement for the Phillies hosting the Florida Marlins.
Down south again, to Houston, with the Astros hosting the San Diego Padres. Mat Latos and Nelson Figueroa played on the mound. San Diego led off with a two-RBI double from Chase Headley, scoring both Will Venable and Orlando Hudson. Houston answered in the bottom of the first with Hunter Pence's double, which brought around Michael Bourn. The Padres got back to work in the fourth with Brad Hawpe's single, knocking in Headley. The Astros tied it with a two run tater by Chris Johnson, bringing in Carlos Lee. Houston broke the tie with Joe Inglett's pinch hit single to bring around Johnson, followed by Angel Sanchez's RBI-single to score Humberto Quintero in the seventh, producing the eventual 5-3 final score. Latos was stuck with the loss, while Mark Melancon grabbed the win, Jeff Fulchino had a hold, and Brandon Lyon closed out for the save. Top batters were Headley and Johnson.
Westward to Arizona, with the Diamondbacks hosting the San Francisco Giants. Barry Zito and Joe Saunders had the ball for the starts. San Francisco opened with a Buster Posey home run in the first inning, knocking around Aaron Rowand. Arizona tied it with a Miguel Montero double, which provided safe passage for both Chris Young and Xavier Nady. The Diamondbacks grabbed the lead with a fourth inning Melvin Mora double to score Montero, but the greedy baserunner was out at third. The Giants retied it with Freddy Sanchez doubling Rowand home. In the seventh, Sanchez provided another big hit, a two-RBI single to score Mark DeRosa and Brandon Belt. This brought up a 5-3 final for the Giants victory. Guillermo Mota was the winner, holds went to Jeremy Affeldt and Sergio Romo, and Brian Wilson converted the save. Saunders was the losing pitcher. The best of the batters were Sanchez and Mora.
Onward to Colorado, with the Rockies getting beaten 8-3 by their visitors, the Chicago Cubs. Casey Coleman had the win, and James Russell had a hold before the game got out of hand, while Jason Hammel was stuck with the loss. Starlin Castro and Chris Iannetta took top batting status.
Westward to Oakland, with the Athletics smashing the Detroit Tigers 6-2. Dallas Braden had the win, and Brad Ziegler, Craig Breslow, and Grant Balfour had the holds before an Oakland run explosion. Justin Verlander suffered the loss. Victor Martinez and Hideki Matsui were the best hitters.
Down the California coast to Los Angeles, with the Dodgers suffering a 9-2 defeat at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals. Kyle McClellan had the win, while Clayton Kershaw took the loss. Allen Craig and Andre Ethier were the best hitters.
That's all for Saturday at the diamond. Sunday should come out soon enough.
The Cleveland Indians blowing out their guests, the Baltimore Orioles, by an 8-3 score. Jeremy Guthrie had the loss, and Josh Tomlin took the win, both of them being the starters. Jake Fox and Orlando Cabrera were the top batters.
To New York City, where the Yankees hosted the Texas Rangers. Derek Holland and Freddy Garcia took the mound. New York opened with Mark Teixeira's two run homer to score Nick Swisher. Teixeira kept the Yankees going in the third inning with a sacrifice fly, allowing Derek Jeter to score. Texas got on the board in the eighth inning with Elvis Andrus singling in Mitch Moreland, followed by Michael Young doing the same for Ian Kinsler. New York replied with a two run tater from Robinson Cano's bat, knocking in Teixeira. Holland was stuck with the loss, Garcia got the win, Joba Chamberlain and Rafael Soriano grabbed holds, and Mariano Rivera converted the save in the 5-2 Yankee victory. David Murphy and Teixeira were the best batters.
In Washington, D.C., the rain postponed the Nationals hosting the Milwaukee Brewers, resulting in a Sunday doubleheader.
Into Kansas City, where the Royals shut down the Seattle Mariners with a 7-0 score. Felix Hernandez took the loss, while Sean O'Sullivan had the win. Brendan Ryan and Alex Gordon were the top batters.
Back east, the Boston Red Sox hosted the Toronto Blue Jays. Jo-Jo Reyes and Josh Beckett pitched. Boston got off to some early work in the first inning, with Adrian Gonzalez singling in Jed Lowrie, followed by Kevin Youkilis' RBI-double to score Dustin Pedroia. Toronto got a run back the next inning with Travis Snider's single to score Aaron Hill. The Red Sox answered back with Lowrie's two-run shot knocking in Jacoby Ellsbury. This 4-1 score would last for another 7 innings, allowing Reyes the loss, Beckett the win, a hold for Daniel Bard, and Jonathan Papelbon made the save. Hill and Lowrie were the best hitters.
Into Cincinnati, where the Reds dominated the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-2. James McDonald got pounded, while Mike Leake had it fairly easy on the mound. Garrett Jones and Ramon Hernandez were the best of the hitters.
Down south to Atlanta, with the doubleheader between the Braves and their guests, the New York Mets. D.J. Carrasco opposed Derek Lowe in game one. Atlanta had three solo shots, one each in the first, second, and fourth innings, with Chipper Jones doing the first, and Alex Gonzalez responsible for the latter two. New York woke up with a fifth inning fielder's choice by Jose Reyes, allowing Josh Thole to score. The next inning, the Mets struck again with Willie Harris' double to bring around Carlos Beltran. In the bottom of this inning, The Braves answered with a solo home run from Freddie Freeman to make it 4-2, the eventual final. Carrasco was stuck with the loss, while Lowe got the win, Eric O'Flaherty, Scott Linebrink, and Johnny Venters had the holds, and Craig Kimbrel converted the save. Harris and Gonzalez were the best hitters. Game two saw Mike Pelfrey pitch against Jair Jurrjens. Atlanta opened with Dan Uggla singling to score Jones. In the third inning, Jones added on for the Braves with his single, bringing around Martin Prado. Prado was brought home again in the fifth inning with Eric Hinske's RBI-single. Atlanta finished off a 4-0 win in the sixth inning with David Ross' single to knock around Jason Heyward. Pelfrey had the loss, and Jurrjens took the win. Daniel Murphy and Hinske were the top batters this time around.
South a little further, to Tampa Bay, with the Rays hosting the Minnesota Twins. Scott Baker and Jeff Niemann had their turn in the order. Minnesota led off in the second inning with Jason Kubel going yard for a solo home run. The Twins added on with a double play groundout by Luke Hughes, ridding himself and Denard Span of the basepaths, but scoring Alexi Casilla. Sam Fuld got Tampa Bay going later in the third inning with a sacrifice fly to score Casey Kotchman. Span responded back for Minnesota with a triple in the fifth inning, bringing Casilla in again. Matt Joyce got the Rays another run in the eighth by knocking in Reid Brignac with a single. Tampa Bay did some more work in the ninth with Ben Zobrist's solo shot, and they won the game 4-3 with a bases loaded single by Johnny Damon forcing in B.J. Upton. Matt Capps had a hold before Joe Nathan blew the save and took the loss, while Juan Cruz picked up the win. Span and Joyce had top batting honors.
Up to Chicago, where the White Sox suffered a 7-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. Tyler Chatwood won the game, while Gavin Floyd was pinned for the loss. Hank Conger and Carlos Quentin were the best batters.
Eastward, to Philadelphia, where the rain forced a postponement for the Phillies hosting the Florida Marlins.
Down south again, to Houston, with the Astros hosting the San Diego Padres. Mat Latos and Nelson Figueroa played on the mound. San Diego led off with a two-RBI double from Chase Headley, scoring both Will Venable and Orlando Hudson. Houston answered in the bottom of the first with Hunter Pence's double, which brought around Michael Bourn. The Padres got back to work in the fourth with Brad Hawpe's single, knocking in Headley. The Astros tied it with a two run tater by Chris Johnson, bringing in Carlos Lee. Houston broke the tie with Joe Inglett's pinch hit single to bring around Johnson, followed by Angel Sanchez's RBI-single to score Humberto Quintero in the seventh, producing the eventual 5-3 final score. Latos was stuck with the loss, while Mark Melancon grabbed the win, Jeff Fulchino had a hold, and Brandon Lyon closed out for the save. Top batters were Headley and Johnson.
Westward to Arizona, with the Diamondbacks hosting the San Francisco Giants. Barry Zito and Joe Saunders had the ball for the starts. San Francisco opened with a Buster Posey home run in the first inning, knocking around Aaron Rowand. Arizona tied it with a Miguel Montero double, which provided safe passage for both Chris Young and Xavier Nady. The Diamondbacks grabbed the lead with a fourth inning Melvin Mora double to score Montero, but the greedy baserunner was out at third. The Giants retied it with Freddy Sanchez doubling Rowand home. In the seventh, Sanchez provided another big hit, a two-RBI single to score Mark DeRosa and Brandon Belt. This brought up a 5-3 final for the Giants victory. Guillermo Mota was the winner, holds went to Jeremy Affeldt and Sergio Romo, and Brian Wilson converted the save. Saunders was the losing pitcher. The best of the batters were Sanchez and Mora.
Onward to Colorado, with the Rockies getting beaten 8-3 by their visitors, the Chicago Cubs. Casey Coleman had the win, and James Russell had a hold before the game got out of hand, while Jason Hammel was stuck with the loss. Starlin Castro and Chris Iannetta took top batting status.
Westward to Oakland, with the Athletics smashing the Detroit Tigers 6-2. Dallas Braden had the win, and Brad Ziegler, Craig Breslow, and Grant Balfour had the holds before an Oakland run explosion. Justin Verlander suffered the loss. Victor Martinez and Hideki Matsui were the best hitters.
Down the California coast to Los Angeles, with the Dodgers suffering a 9-2 defeat at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals. Kyle McClellan had the win, while Clayton Kershaw took the loss. Allen Craig and Andre Ethier were the best hitters.
That's all for Saturday at the diamond. Sunday should come out soon enough.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Wednesday MLB games, +links for Thursday and Friday
Another day for baseball, and we begin in...
Detroit, where the Tigers host the Texas Rangers. Dave Bush and Max Scherzer pitched to start the game. Texas led the scoring in the sixth inning with Nelson Cruz's single to score Adrian Beltre before completing his trip around on a David Murphy single. Detroit replied in the bottom of the inning with Brennan Boesch's RBI-double driving in Victor Martinez, and coming home on a Brandon Inge sacrifice fly. Inge secured a 3-2 victory for the Tigers in the bottom of the ninth with a solo home run. Mark Lowe blew the save and Darren Oliver took the loss, while Jose Valverde picked up the win. Cruz and Inge were the best batters. Detroit took the series 2-1.
A blowout in Minnesota, with the Twins hosting the Kansas City Royals. The Royals would take the game 10-5, dinging Minnesota starter Francisco Liriano with the loss, securing Kyle Davies with a win, giving holds to Kanekoa Texeria and Tim Collins, and Jeremy Jeffress converted the save. Mike Aviles and Denard Span took top batting honors. The short series was split 1-1.
To Chicago, where the White Sox hosted the Oakland Athletics. Brett Anderson and John Danks threw the spheres. Oakland opened the scoring in the fourth inning with a solo home run by Hideki Matsui. Chicago replied in the fifth inning with Gordon Beckham's double to bring in Juan Pierre. The White Sox added on the next inning with Ramon Castro reaching on a fielder's choice, pushing Carlos Quentin in, followed by Brent Morel's sacrifice to the pitcher providing time for Alex Rios to dash home. Rios made it home again as Morel reached on Kevin Kouzmanoff's eighth inning throwing error. The Athletics found a rally in the ninth inning with Josh Willingham singling to knock in Conor Jackson, before Cliff Pennington had a two-RBI single, which brought around both Willingham and Coco Crisp. The tie at four lasted into the tenth inning, where Oakland set up a similar inning to the one just past as Crisp singled Jackson in, before Daric Barton's two-RBI single to score Willingham and Crisp, winning the game 7-4. Grant Balfour got the win and Brian Fuentes got the save, while Jesse Crain had a hold before Matt Thornton blew a save and got tacked for the loss as well. Matsui and Pierre had the top bats. Oakland took the series 2-1.
To the Pacific Northwest, where the Seattle Mariners hosted and were blown out by the Toronto Blue Jays. Kyle Drabek and Jason Vargas took the mound, although neither was a factor in the decision that saw Marc Rzepczynski get the win while Chris Ray had a blown save and a loss. Jamey Wright did record a hold previous to the Ray's meltdown. Jose Molina and Justin Smoak were the top batters. Seattle took the series 2-1.
Onward to San Diego, where the Padres hosted the Cincinnati Reds. Travis Wood opposed Tim Stauffer from the mound. Cincinnati opened on Juan Francisco grounding into a fielder's choice, bringing around Joey Votto. The Reds added on with a fifth inning double by Votto that scored Drew Stubbs. San Diego got on the board with a seventh inning sacrifice fly by Nick Hundley, bringing in Chase Headley. The Padres added on with Jorge Cantu's game tying groundout that brought in Orlando Hudson. Hudson finished it up by scoring Hundley in the ninth to win the game 3-2 on the RBI-single. Jordan Smith and Aroldis Chapman had holds before Nick Masset blew the save and also got stuck with the loss, and Heath Bell snagged the win. Votto and Hundley had the hot bats. Despite the loss, the Reds did take the series 2-1.
To New York, with the Yankees hosting the Baltimore Orioles. Chris Tillman and A.J. Burnett were the pitchers. New York got the early lead with a three-run homer from Alex Rodriguez, also scoring Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira. The Yankees added on in the second with a Jeter single knocking in Russell Martin before accompanying Teixeira again at the plate after Robinson Cano's double. New York added another run with Jorge Posada hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning. Baltimore finally found the scoreboard in the seventh on a pair of two-run homers, the first with Matt Wieters scoring Mark Reynolds and the second had Brian Roberts bringing in Robert Andino. This made the score 7-4, which was a final. Tillman took the loss, Burnett hung on for a win, David Robertson and Rafael Soriano had holds, and Mariano Rivera closed out the game. Wieters and Rodriguez were the top batters.
Into Pittsburgh, where the Pirates suffered a 6-0 blowout by the Milwaukee Brewers. Starters Shaun Marcum and Kevin Correia took the win and loss, respectively. Prince Fielder and Matt Diaz were the best hitters.
Over to Washington, D.C., with the Nationals hosting the Philadelphia Phillies. Roy Halladay and John Lannan pitched. Philadelphia opened the scoring in the fourth inning with Ben Francisco's groundout allowing passage for Jimmy Rollins. The Phillies added on in the fifth inning with Placido Polanco singling to knock in Wilson Valdez, and Ryan Howard getting beaned by Lannan, forcing Halladay across the plate. Washington got on the board in the ninth, with Laynce Nix singling in Rick Ankiel and Danny Espinosa doing the same for Jayson Werth, but the Nationals fell short by a 3-2 margin. Halladay tossed a complete game in the win, while Lannan was stuck with the loss. Polanco and Adam LaRoche were the top batters.
To Los Angeles, where the Angels hosted the Cleveland Indians. Carlos Carrasco and Ervin Santana were throwing the spheres. Cleveland opened with Shin-Soo Choo sacrificing his at-bat to score Asdrubal Cabrera. Los Angeles got back into the game in the fourth inning as Howie Kendrick doubled and then scored as Asdrubal failed to field the ball correctly, followed by Torii Hunter's two-run homer bringing in Bobby Abreu. The Indians found a run in the fifth as Michael Brantley hit an RBI-double to score Adam Everett. Choo tied it in the eighth inning with a groundout to the pitcher, which allowed passage for Brantley to come home. The tie lasted into the twelfth inning, as the Angels took a 4-3 win with Jeff Mathis' sacrifice fly to score Vernon Wells. Chad Durbin ended up with the loss, and Scott Downs had a blown save, but Hisanori Takahashi did get the win. Brantley and Hunter were the best batters. The Angels took the series 2-1.
To Atlanta, where the Braves took a 5-1 loss to the Florida Marlins. Josh Johnson had the win and Tim Hudson was stuck with the loss. Chris Coghlan and Chipper Jones were the best hitters.
Up in Boston, the Red Sox were ready to play the Tampa Bay Rays, but the rain won. The game has been postponed.
Back into New York again, as the Mets hosted the Colorado Rockies. Esmil Rogers and Jonathon Niese played on the mound. New York was first on the board in the first inning with Carlos Beltran doubling to score Daniel Murphy. The Mets added on in the second with Angel Pagan dashing home on a wild pitch. Colorado found the scoreboard in the fourth inning with Todd Helton's single driving home Troy Tulowitzki. New York replied with Murphy's double to bring in Jose Reyes. The Rockies took a lead with a three-run bomb by Tulowitzki in the fifth inning, bringing around Seth Smith and Jonathan Herrera. Colorado added on in the sixth with Ryan Spilborghs solo shot. The Mets tried to close in, making it 5-4 with a Pagan sacrifice fly to score David Wright, but they mustered no further offense and took that margin as a loss. Niese had the loss, Rogers had the win, holds went to Matt Reynolds, Felipe Paulino, and Matt Lindstrom, and Huston Street made the save. Tulowitzki and Murphy were the top batters for the game.
Down to Houston, where the Astros were beaten 9-5 by the Chicago Cubs. Carlos Zambrano and Wandy Rodriguez, the starters, had the win and loss, respectively. Holds were given to Marcos Mateo, Sean Marshall, and Kerry Wood before the Cubs had built up enough of a lead to avoid a save chance. Alfonso Soriano and Matt Downs were the best of the hitters. Chicago took the series 2-1.
West to Arizona, where the Diamondbacks were dealt a 15-5 loss by the St. Louis Cardinals. Jake Westbrook had the win and Ian Kennedy had the loss. Colby Rasmus and Russell Branyan were the top hitters. The Cardinals took the series 2-1.
Finally for Wednesday, the San Francisco Giants hosted the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ted Lilly took on Jonathan Sanchez. San Francisco opened in the first inning with Aubrey Huff hitting a sacrifice fly to score Aaron Rowand. The Giants added on with Mike Fontenot's double to score Brandon Belt in the second. Los Angeles got on the board in the fourth with a two-run tater by Rod Barajas, bringing around Marcus Thames. The Dodgers got some more runs as Aaron Miles drilled a double to knock in Thames again, and he advanced to third on an error. San Francisco answered in the bottom of the sixth with a pair of home runs, solo shots from Pablo Sandoval and Fontenot. This made the score 4-3, with Sanchez taking the win, holds being awarded to Ramon Ramirez, Sergio Romo, Jeremy Affeldt, and a save going to Brian Wilson. Lilly was the losing pitcher. Miles and Fontenot were the top hitters. The win gave the Giants a 2-1 series victory.
For Thursday scores click here, and for Friday, click here. Hockey posts are up for the quarterfinals, with each series getting its own post. Remember to look for those posts, as they will contain all the games as they are played. I am still attempting catch-ups, which is the explanation for the links, and I should get a hold of it this weekend, at least for awhile.
Detroit, where the Tigers host the Texas Rangers. Dave Bush and Max Scherzer pitched to start the game. Texas led the scoring in the sixth inning with Nelson Cruz's single to score Adrian Beltre before completing his trip around on a David Murphy single. Detroit replied in the bottom of the inning with Brennan Boesch's RBI-double driving in Victor Martinez, and coming home on a Brandon Inge sacrifice fly. Inge secured a 3-2 victory for the Tigers in the bottom of the ninth with a solo home run. Mark Lowe blew the save and Darren Oliver took the loss, while Jose Valverde picked up the win. Cruz and Inge were the best batters. Detroit took the series 2-1.
A blowout in Minnesota, with the Twins hosting the Kansas City Royals. The Royals would take the game 10-5, dinging Minnesota starter Francisco Liriano with the loss, securing Kyle Davies with a win, giving holds to Kanekoa Texeria and Tim Collins, and Jeremy Jeffress converted the save. Mike Aviles and Denard Span took top batting honors. The short series was split 1-1.
To Chicago, where the White Sox hosted the Oakland Athletics. Brett Anderson and John Danks threw the spheres. Oakland opened the scoring in the fourth inning with a solo home run by Hideki Matsui. Chicago replied in the fifth inning with Gordon Beckham's double to bring in Juan Pierre. The White Sox added on the next inning with Ramon Castro reaching on a fielder's choice, pushing Carlos Quentin in, followed by Brent Morel's sacrifice to the pitcher providing time for Alex Rios to dash home. Rios made it home again as Morel reached on Kevin Kouzmanoff's eighth inning throwing error. The Athletics found a rally in the ninth inning with Josh Willingham singling to knock in Conor Jackson, before Cliff Pennington had a two-RBI single, which brought around both Willingham and Coco Crisp. The tie at four lasted into the tenth inning, where Oakland set up a similar inning to the one just past as Crisp singled Jackson in, before Daric Barton's two-RBI single to score Willingham and Crisp, winning the game 7-4. Grant Balfour got the win and Brian Fuentes got the save, while Jesse Crain had a hold before Matt Thornton blew a save and got tacked for the loss as well. Matsui and Pierre had the top bats. Oakland took the series 2-1.
To the Pacific Northwest, where the Seattle Mariners hosted and were blown out by the Toronto Blue Jays. Kyle Drabek and Jason Vargas took the mound, although neither was a factor in the decision that saw Marc Rzepczynski get the win while Chris Ray had a blown save and a loss. Jamey Wright did record a hold previous to the Ray's meltdown. Jose Molina and Justin Smoak were the top batters. Seattle took the series 2-1.
Onward to San Diego, where the Padres hosted the Cincinnati Reds. Travis Wood opposed Tim Stauffer from the mound. Cincinnati opened on Juan Francisco grounding into a fielder's choice, bringing around Joey Votto. The Reds added on with a fifth inning double by Votto that scored Drew Stubbs. San Diego got on the board with a seventh inning sacrifice fly by Nick Hundley, bringing in Chase Headley. The Padres added on with Jorge Cantu's game tying groundout that brought in Orlando Hudson. Hudson finished it up by scoring Hundley in the ninth to win the game 3-2 on the RBI-single. Jordan Smith and Aroldis Chapman had holds before Nick Masset blew the save and also got stuck with the loss, and Heath Bell snagged the win. Votto and Hundley had the hot bats. Despite the loss, the Reds did take the series 2-1.
To New York, with the Yankees hosting the Baltimore Orioles. Chris Tillman and A.J. Burnett were the pitchers. New York got the early lead with a three-run homer from Alex Rodriguez, also scoring Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira. The Yankees added on in the second with a Jeter single knocking in Russell Martin before accompanying Teixeira again at the plate after Robinson Cano's double. New York added another run with Jorge Posada hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning. Baltimore finally found the scoreboard in the seventh on a pair of two-run homers, the first with Matt Wieters scoring Mark Reynolds and the second had Brian Roberts bringing in Robert Andino. This made the score 7-4, which was a final. Tillman took the loss, Burnett hung on for a win, David Robertson and Rafael Soriano had holds, and Mariano Rivera closed out the game. Wieters and Rodriguez were the top batters.
Into Pittsburgh, where the Pirates suffered a 6-0 blowout by the Milwaukee Brewers. Starters Shaun Marcum and Kevin Correia took the win and loss, respectively. Prince Fielder and Matt Diaz were the best hitters.
Over to Washington, D.C., with the Nationals hosting the Philadelphia Phillies. Roy Halladay and John Lannan pitched. Philadelphia opened the scoring in the fourth inning with Ben Francisco's groundout allowing passage for Jimmy Rollins. The Phillies added on in the fifth inning with Placido Polanco singling to knock in Wilson Valdez, and Ryan Howard getting beaned by Lannan, forcing Halladay across the plate. Washington got on the board in the ninth, with Laynce Nix singling in Rick Ankiel and Danny Espinosa doing the same for Jayson Werth, but the Nationals fell short by a 3-2 margin. Halladay tossed a complete game in the win, while Lannan was stuck with the loss. Polanco and Adam LaRoche were the top batters.
To Los Angeles, where the Angels hosted the Cleveland Indians. Carlos Carrasco and Ervin Santana were throwing the spheres. Cleveland opened with Shin-Soo Choo sacrificing his at-bat to score Asdrubal Cabrera. Los Angeles got back into the game in the fourth inning as Howie Kendrick doubled and then scored as Asdrubal failed to field the ball correctly, followed by Torii Hunter's two-run homer bringing in Bobby Abreu. The Indians found a run in the fifth as Michael Brantley hit an RBI-double to score Adam Everett. Choo tied it in the eighth inning with a groundout to the pitcher, which allowed passage for Brantley to come home. The tie lasted into the twelfth inning, as the Angels took a 4-3 win with Jeff Mathis' sacrifice fly to score Vernon Wells. Chad Durbin ended up with the loss, and Scott Downs had a blown save, but Hisanori Takahashi did get the win. Brantley and Hunter were the best batters. The Angels took the series 2-1.
To Atlanta, where the Braves took a 5-1 loss to the Florida Marlins. Josh Johnson had the win and Tim Hudson was stuck with the loss. Chris Coghlan and Chipper Jones were the best hitters.
Up in Boston, the Red Sox were ready to play the Tampa Bay Rays, but the rain won. The game has been postponed.
Back into New York again, as the Mets hosted the Colorado Rockies. Esmil Rogers and Jonathon Niese played on the mound. New York was first on the board in the first inning with Carlos Beltran doubling to score Daniel Murphy. The Mets added on in the second with Angel Pagan dashing home on a wild pitch. Colorado found the scoreboard in the fourth inning with Todd Helton's single driving home Troy Tulowitzki. New York replied with Murphy's double to bring in Jose Reyes. The Rockies took a lead with a three-run bomb by Tulowitzki in the fifth inning, bringing around Seth Smith and Jonathan Herrera. Colorado added on in the sixth with Ryan Spilborghs solo shot. The Mets tried to close in, making it 5-4 with a Pagan sacrifice fly to score David Wright, but they mustered no further offense and took that margin as a loss. Niese had the loss, Rogers had the win, holds went to Matt Reynolds, Felipe Paulino, and Matt Lindstrom, and Huston Street made the save. Tulowitzki and Murphy were the top batters for the game.
Down to Houston, where the Astros were beaten 9-5 by the Chicago Cubs. Carlos Zambrano and Wandy Rodriguez, the starters, had the win and loss, respectively. Holds were given to Marcos Mateo, Sean Marshall, and Kerry Wood before the Cubs had built up enough of a lead to avoid a save chance. Alfonso Soriano and Matt Downs were the best of the hitters. Chicago took the series 2-1.
West to Arizona, where the Diamondbacks were dealt a 15-5 loss by the St. Louis Cardinals. Jake Westbrook had the win and Ian Kennedy had the loss. Colby Rasmus and Russell Branyan were the top hitters. The Cardinals took the series 2-1.
Finally for Wednesday, the San Francisco Giants hosted the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ted Lilly took on Jonathan Sanchez. San Francisco opened in the first inning with Aubrey Huff hitting a sacrifice fly to score Aaron Rowand. The Giants added on with Mike Fontenot's double to score Brandon Belt in the second. Los Angeles got on the board in the fourth with a two-run tater by Rod Barajas, bringing around Marcus Thames. The Dodgers got some more runs as Aaron Miles drilled a double to knock in Thames again, and he advanced to third on an error. San Francisco answered in the bottom of the sixth with a pair of home runs, solo shots from Pablo Sandoval and Fontenot. This made the score 4-3, with Sanchez taking the win, holds being awarded to Ramon Ramirez, Sergio Romo, Jeremy Affeldt, and a save going to Brian Wilson. Lilly was the losing pitcher. Miles and Fontenot were the top hitters. The win gave the Giants a 2-1 series victory.
For Thursday scores click here, and for Friday, click here. Hockey posts are up for the quarterfinals, with each series getting its own post. Remember to look for those posts, as they will contain all the games as they are played. I am still attempting catch-ups, which is the explanation for the links, and I should get a hold of it this weekend, at least for awhile.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Tuesday MLB and coverage adjustment
As the title would imply, I am adjusting my recaps to fit in my schedule better. Only games that feature pitching stats beyond a win and a loss (in other words: saves, holds, and blown saves), will be covered. Blowouts will be mentioned but not put in excessive detail. With that, we begin with...
Detroit Tigers hosting the Texas Rangers. C.J. Wilson and Brad Penny took the mound. Texas opened in the first with a Josh Hamilton triple to score Michael Young. This was answered by a Ramon Santiago groundout to get Detroit on the board as Austin Jackson crossed the plate. The Rangers retook the lead with Young's sacrifice fly to bring in Mitch Moreland. The Tigers kept pace with the same thing for Victor Martinez, knocking in Ryan Raburn in the fourth inning. Texas regained the lead again in the sixth inning as Adrian Beltre grounded out but gave space for Elvis Andrus to come home. Detroit responded in the bottom of the inning on Raburn's double to score Santiago before coming in himself on a Brennan Boesch single. The Rangers tied it with Nelson Cruz singling and scoring Young. The Tigers made it 5-4 in the ninth inning with Miguel Cabrera's bases loaded single to bring around Brandon Inge. This was a final score, with Darren O'Day getting pinned with a loss. Brayan Villarreal had a hold, although Joaquin Benoit blew the save, setting up a winning situation for Jose Valverde. Young and Raburn were the top batters.
The New York Yankees hosting the Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates hosting the Milwaukee Brewers were both postponed prior to starting.
Onward to Washington, where the Nationals hosted the Philadelphia Phillies. Joe Blanton and Livan Hernandez got the starts. Philadelphia got out to a second inning lead with Ryan Howard's solo home run, but Washington answered in the bottom of the inning on Danny Espinosa's sacrifice fly to bring in Wilson Ramos. The Nationals added on in the fourth with a Ramos double bringing around Jayson Werth, before he was bumped in by Jerry Hairston, Jr.'s, followed by Hernandez sacrificing to the pitcher but giving time for Lance Nix to come around. Werth added a solo shot in the fifth inning. Washington kept going with a Ramos walk with the bases loaded, forcing in Rick Ankiel. The Phillies learned how to score again with Raul Ibanez grounding into a fielder's choice, providing safe passage for Jimmy Rollins, and Howard scored and Ibanez got on second with a wild pitch. The Nationals padded their lead with Alex Cora singling to knock in Espinosa. Philadelphia made it a 7-4 defeat with Placido Polanco singling to score Wilson Valdez, which would not be enough. Blanton was the losing pitcher, Hernandez was the winner, Tyler Clippard recorded a hold and Sean Burnett made the save. Howard and Werth were the top hitters.
Also postponed in New York was the Mets game at Citi Field against the Colorado Rockies.
The Atlanta Braves hosted the Florida Marlins in a 5-0 Atlanta victory. Tommy Hanson picked up the win, defeating Chris Volstad. Mike Stanton and Jason Heyward were the top batters.
Up to Boston, where the Red Sox hosted the Tampa Bay Rays. David Price and Jon Lester were the starters. Boston opened with a Darnell McDonald solo home run in the third inning. Tampa Bay replied in the fifth inning with Sam Fuld's fielder's choice to score Kelly Shoppach. The Rays continued with Johnny Damon bringing in a pair of Johnsons, Dan and Elliot. The Red Sox made it 3-2 in the sixth inning with Jed Lowrie doubling to score Dustin Pedroia. It would not be enough to save Boston, who lost by that score. Lester got stuck with the loss, while Price picked up the win, Joel Peralta got a hold, and Kyle Farnsworth had the save. Damon and Lowrie were the best batters.
Down to Houston with a blowout, where the Astros defeated their guests, the Chicago Cubs, 11-2, behind the arm of Brett Myers. He picked up the win while opposing James Russell. Tyler Colvin and Hunter Pence were the best of the hitters.
Up to Minnesota, where the Twins hosted the Kansas City Royals. Jeff Francis and Brian Duensing got the ball. Minnesota opened up the scoring in the third on Joe Mauer's sacrifice fly that brought in Alexi Casilla. Kansas City answered quickly with Wilson Betemit singling to knock in Billy Butler, followed by Mike Aviles sacrificing his at-bat for Jeff Francoeur to score. The Twins got back into it with a two-RBI single by Luke Hughes, scoring both Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel. The Royals tied it with Melky Cabrera singling and driving in Alcides Escobar. The game lasted to the tenth inning, where Minnesota clinched a 4-3 victory with a Danny Valencia single bringing around pinch-runner Jason Repko. Robinson Tejada was dealt the loss, while Dusty Hughes picked up the win. Betemit and Cuddyer took top batting status.
To Chicago, where the White Sox hosted the Oakland Athletics. Trevor Cahill opposed Edwin Jackson. Oakland got the first run in the second inning with Mark Ellis doubling for Ryan Sweeney's sake. Chicago answered in the bottom of the inning with Alexei Ramirez blasting a three-run homer, scoring Alex Rios and A.J. Pierzynski, followed by a Paul Konerko fielder's choice that allowed passage home for Juan Pierre. The Athletics got back into the game with Hideki Matsui producing two runs, a third inning sacrifice fly bringing around Daric Barton and a fifth inning single scoring Coco Crisp. Oakland took the lead with a two run tater from Kevin Kouzmanoff's bat, also bringing in Ellis. Pierre answered for the White Sox with a single, driving in Ramirez. The game lasted to the tenth inning, where Chicago got a home run from Ramirez, the solo shot giving them a 6-5 win. Tony Pena had a blown save, but teammate Chris Sale got the win later anyway, while the loss went to Bobby Cramer. Top batters were Matsui and Ramirez.
To Arizona, with a 13-8 blowout victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Chris Carpenter had the loss, while Armando Galarraga had a win, and Joe Patterson recorded a hold at a close point in the game. Lance Berkman and Chris Young were the best of the good hitters in the offense-filled game.
To San Diego, with another blowout, as the Cincinnati Reds pummeled the Padres 8-2, most of which came in the eleventh inning. Sam LeCure and Clayton Richard pitched, but they both did not factor in the decision. Aroldia Chapman had a hold before Nick Masset blew the save, although Logan Ondrusek still picked up a win for the Reds side of the ledger, while Cory Luebke was stuck with the loss after blowing up his duty. Drew Stubbs and Alberto Gonzalez were the top batters.
Down to Angels Stadium in Anaheim, with the Angels hosting the Cleveland Indians. Fausto Carmona and Dan Haren played on the mound. Los Angeles/Anaheim opened with a Peter Bourjos solo home run. The Angels made it 2-0 with Mark Trumbo going yard himself, also a solo shot. This was the final, with Carmona taking a loss, and Haren taking a 1-hit, 2-walk, complete game shutout. Shin-Soo Choo and Bourjos had the top batting.
Up north to Seattle, where the Mariners hosted the Toronto Blue Jays. Ricky Romero and Michael Pineda were the pitchers. The scoring opened with Seattle in the third inning a two-run Ryan Langerhans home run, also scoring Brendan Ryan, followed by Jack Wilson making it home at some undefined point in the inning according to my sources. I apologize for the lack of specificity. Toronto got on the board in the eighth with Corey Patterson hitting a two-RBI single to drive in both Edwin Encarnacion and Yunel Escobar. They would lose 3-2, with Romero taking the loss despite pitching a complete game, while Pineda got a win, Chris Ray took a hold, and Brandon League converted the save. Patterson, a former Mariner, and Langerhans got the top batting honors.
Lastly, to San Francisco, with the Giants hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers. Chad Billingsley and Tim Lincecum took the starts. Los Angeles opened in the fourth inning on a Matt Kemp double to bring in Jamey Carroll, followed by James Loney reaching on a Brandon Belt error, allowing Andre Ethier time to find the plate, before Kemp's trip was finished on a Juan Uribe double. San Francisco answered in the bottom of the inning with Buster Posey drilling a single to knock in Freddy Sanchez before coming around on Pablo Sandoval's double. The Giants added on in the fifth with Aaron Rowand's single driving in Belt, before Posey did the same for Rowand. The Dodgers replied in the seventh with a solo shot from Marcus Thames. San Francisco capped a 5-4 victory with Rowand finding a way home on a wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh. Blake Hawksworth took the loss, Guillermo Mota had a hold, Jeremy Affeldt blew the save but picked up the win, Sergio Romo had another hold, and Brian Wilson's beard converted a save. Kemp and Posey took top batter status.
That's all for Tuesday. I'm still a tad behind, but I'm working on it. Stanley Cup Quarterfinal posts will be out tonight.
Detroit Tigers hosting the Texas Rangers. C.J. Wilson and Brad Penny took the mound. Texas opened in the first with a Josh Hamilton triple to score Michael Young. This was answered by a Ramon Santiago groundout to get Detroit on the board as Austin Jackson crossed the plate. The Rangers retook the lead with Young's sacrifice fly to bring in Mitch Moreland. The Tigers kept pace with the same thing for Victor Martinez, knocking in Ryan Raburn in the fourth inning. Texas regained the lead again in the sixth inning as Adrian Beltre grounded out but gave space for Elvis Andrus to come home. Detroit responded in the bottom of the inning on Raburn's double to score Santiago before coming in himself on a Brennan Boesch single. The Rangers tied it with Nelson Cruz singling and scoring Young. The Tigers made it 5-4 in the ninth inning with Miguel Cabrera's bases loaded single to bring around Brandon Inge. This was a final score, with Darren O'Day getting pinned with a loss. Brayan Villarreal had a hold, although Joaquin Benoit blew the save, setting up a winning situation for Jose Valverde. Young and Raburn were the top batters.
The New York Yankees hosting the Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates hosting the Milwaukee Brewers were both postponed prior to starting.
Onward to Washington, where the Nationals hosted the Philadelphia Phillies. Joe Blanton and Livan Hernandez got the starts. Philadelphia got out to a second inning lead with Ryan Howard's solo home run, but Washington answered in the bottom of the inning on Danny Espinosa's sacrifice fly to bring in Wilson Ramos. The Nationals added on in the fourth with a Ramos double bringing around Jayson Werth, before he was bumped in by Jerry Hairston, Jr.'s, followed by Hernandez sacrificing to the pitcher but giving time for Lance Nix to come around. Werth added a solo shot in the fifth inning. Washington kept going with a Ramos walk with the bases loaded, forcing in Rick Ankiel. The Phillies learned how to score again with Raul Ibanez grounding into a fielder's choice, providing safe passage for Jimmy Rollins, and Howard scored and Ibanez got on second with a wild pitch. The Nationals padded their lead with Alex Cora singling to knock in Espinosa. Philadelphia made it a 7-4 defeat with Placido Polanco singling to score Wilson Valdez, which would not be enough. Blanton was the losing pitcher, Hernandez was the winner, Tyler Clippard recorded a hold and Sean Burnett made the save. Howard and Werth were the top hitters.
Also postponed in New York was the Mets game at Citi Field against the Colorado Rockies.
The Atlanta Braves hosted the Florida Marlins in a 5-0 Atlanta victory. Tommy Hanson picked up the win, defeating Chris Volstad. Mike Stanton and Jason Heyward were the top batters.
Up to Boston, where the Red Sox hosted the Tampa Bay Rays. David Price and Jon Lester were the starters. Boston opened with a Darnell McDonald solo home run in the third inning. Tampa Bay replied in the fifth inning with Sam Fuld's fielder's choice to score Kelly Shoppach. The Rays continued with Johnny Damon bringing in a pair of Johnsons, Dan and Elliot. The Red Sox made it 3-2 in the sixth inning with Jed Lowrie doubling to score Dustin Pedroia. It would not be enough to save Boston, who lost by that score. Lester got stuck with the loss, while Price picked up the win, Joel Peralta got a hold, and Kyle Farnsworth had the save. Damon and Lowrie were the best batters.
Down to Houston with a blowout, where the Astros defeated their guests, the Chicago Cubs, 11-2, behind the arm of Brett Myers. He picked up the win while opposing James Russell. Tyler Colvin and Hunter Pence were the best of the hitters.
Up to Minnesota, where the Twins hosted the Kansas City Royals. Jeff Francis and Brian Duensing got the ball. Minnesota opened up the scoring in the third on Joe Mauer's sacrifice fly that brought in Alexi Casilla. Kansas City answered quickly with Wilson Betemit singling to knock in Billy Butler, followed by Mike Aviles sacrificing his at-bat for Jeff Francoeur to score. The Twins got back into it with a two-RBI single by Luke Hughes, scoring both Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel. The Royals tied it with Melky Cabrera singling and driving in Alcides Escobar. The game lasted to the tenth inning, where Minnesota clinched a 4-3 victory with a Danny Valencia single bringing around pinch-runner Jason Repko. Robinson Tejada was dealt the loss, while Dusty Hughes picked up the win. Betemit and Cuddyer took top batting status.
To Chicago, where the White Sox hosted the Oakland Athletics. Trevor Cahill opposed Edwin Jackson. Oakland got the first run in the second inning with Mark Ellis doubling for Ryan Sweeney's sake. Chicago answered in the bottom of the inning with Alexei Ramirez blasting a three-run homer, scoring Alex Rios and A.J. Pierzynski, followed by a Paul Konerko fielder's choice that allowed passage home for Juan Pierre. The Athletics got back into the game with Hideki Matsui producing two runs, a third inning sacrifice fly bringing around Daric Barton and a fifth inning single scoring Coco Crisp. Oakland took the lead with a two run tater from Kevin Kouzmanoff's bat, also bringing in Ellis. Pierre answered for the White Sox with a single, driving in Ramirez. The game lasted to the tenth inning, where Chicago got a home run from Ramirez, the solo shot giving them a 6-5 win. Tony Pena had a blown save, but teammate Chris Sale got the win later anyway, while the loss went to Bobby Cramer. Top batters were Matsui and Ramirez.
To Arizona, with a 13-8 blowout victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Chris Carpenter had the loss, while Armando Galarraga had a win, and Joe Patterson recorded a hold at a close point in the game. Lance Berkman and Chris Young were the best of the good hitters in the offense-filled game.
To San Diego, with another blowout, as the Cincinnati Reds pummeled the Padres 8-2, most of which came in the eleventh inning. Sam LeCure and Clayton Richard pitched, but they both did not factor in the decision. Aroldia Chapman had a hold before Nick Masset blew the save, although Logan Ondrusek still picked up a win for the Reds side of the ledger, while Cory Luebke was stuck with the loss after blowing up his duty. Drew Stubbs and Alberto Gonzalez were the top batters.
Down to Angels Stadium in Anaheim, with the Angels hosting the Cleveland Indians. Fausto Carmona and Dan Haren played on the mound. Los Angeles/Anaheim opened with a Peter Bourjos solo home run. The Angels made it 2-0 with Mark Trumbo going yard himself, also a solo shot. This was the final, with Carmona taking a loss, and Haren taking a 1-hit, 2-walk, complete game shutout. Shin-Soo Choo and Bourjos had the top batting.
Up north to Seattle, where the Mariners hosted the Toronto Blue Jays. Ricky Romero and Michael Pineda were the pitchers. The scoring opened with Seattle in the third inning a two-run Ryan Langerhans home run, also scoring Brendan Ryan, followed by Jack Wilson making it home at some undefined point in the inning according to my sources. I apologize for the lack of specificity. Toronto got on the board in the eighth with Corey Patterson hitting a two-RBI single to drive in both Edwin Encarnacion and Yunel Escobar. They would lose 3-2, with Romero taking the loss despite pitching a complete game, while Pineda got a win, Chris Ray took a hold, and Brandon League converted the save. Patterson, a former Mariner, and Langerhans got the top batting honors.
Lastly, to San Francisco, with the Giants hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers. Chad Billingsley and Tim Lincecum took the starts. Los Angeles opened in the fourth inning on a Matt Kemp double to bring in Jamey Carroll, followed by James Loney reaching on a Brandon Belt error, allowing Andre Ethier time to find the plate, before Kemp's trip was finished on a Juan Uribe double. San Francisco answered in the bottom of the inning with Buster Posey drilling a single to knock in Freddy Sanchez before coming around on Pablo Sandoval's double. The Giants added on in the fifth with Aaron Rowand's single driving in Belt, before Posey did the same for Rowand. The Dodgers replied in the seventh with a solo shot from Marcus Thames. San Francisco capped a 5-4 victory with Rowand finding a way home on a wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh. Blake Hawksworth took the loss, Guillermo Mota had a hold, Jeremy Affeldt blew the save but picked up the win, Sergio Romo had another hold, and Brian Wilson's beard converted a save. Kemp and Posey took top batter status.
That's all for Tuesday. I'm still a tad behind, but I'm working on it. Stanley Cup Quarterfinal posts will be out tonight.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Sunday NHL finale and MLB action (Sun./Mon.) (cop-out)
Sunday would put a wrap on the NHL regular season with the final five games, beginning with the...
Chicago Blackhawks hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Corey Crawford played in goal. Chicago led off with a Michael Frolik tally, his eleventh of the season coming from Patrick Kane. Detroit answered with a Tomas Holmstrom goal, his 18th of the year going down unassisted. Pavel Datsyuk put the Red Wings in front with his 23rd of the season, with help from Danny Cleary and Todd Bertuzzi. Detroit extended their lead with Drew Miller sinking his tenth of the campaign, assisted by Valtteri Filppula and Jiri Hudler. The Blackhawks replied on a Brent Seabrook marker, his ninth of the year, fueled by Niklas Hjalmarsson and Viktor Stalberg. Cleary got the goal back for the Red Wings with his 26th of the season, guided in by Bertuzzi and Brian Rafalski. Chicago made it 4-3 with a Duncan Keith goal, his seventh of the year, helped in by Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa, but the lack of further offense stuck them with a loss. Datsyuk, Seabrook, and Cleary were the three stars.
Next up, the New Jersey Devils hosted the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Johan Hedberg took to the blue paint. New Jersey took the early lead with Patrik Elias sinking his 21st of the season, courtesy of Brian Rolston and Henrik Tallinder. Boston tied it with Rich Peverley recording his 18th of the campaign, assisted by Michael Ryder and Andrew Ference. The Devils retook the lead in the third period with Vladimir Zharkov recording his second of the year, with help from Anssi Salmela. New Jersey extended the lead with Alexander Urbom netting his first of the season, helped along by Jacob Josefson and David Clarkson. The Bruins made it 3-2 with a Chris Kelly goal from Dennis Seidenberg and Johnny Boychuk, but they only had four seconds left in the game, thus they lost. Zharkov, Urbom, and Hedberg (24 for 26 saves) were the three stars.
Out to Colorado, with the Avalanche hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Nikolai Khabibulin and Peter Budaj took to the nets. Edmonton opened up with Teemu Hartikainen netting his third of the season on the power play from Linus Omark and Kurtis Foster. Colorado answered with Ryan O'Reilly sinking his 13th of the year, thanks to David Jones and Daniel Winnik. Fifty seconds later, the Avalanche took the lead with the unassisted sixth of the season by Philippe Dupuis. The Oilers retied the game in the second period with Foster's eighth of the year, a power play goal powered by Magnus Paajarvi and Omark. Edmonton got in front with Lian Reddox sinking his first of the season, assisted by Ryan O'Marra. Milan Hejduk retied it for Colorado in the third period on his 22nd of the year, a power play goal made possible by Matt Duchene and Jones. The tie lasted into overtime, where the Avalanche took the 4-3 win over the Oilers with a power play goal by Jones, his 27th of the campaign getting help from Duchene and Hejduk. Longtime Av Adam Foote, Hejduk, and Jones were the three stars. Congratulations to Foote on a good career and may he enjoy retirement.
South and east to Atlanta, where the Thrashers hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins. Brent Johnson and Chris Mason went out and blocked pucks. Atlanta opened with Andrew Ladd's 29th of the season on the power play, with assists by Bryan Little and Nik Antropov. Pittsburgh tied it with a second period power play goal by Tyler Kennedy, his 21st of the year powered by Matt Niskanen and Ben Lovejoy. The Penguins got the lead on the 17th of the season, thanks to Max Talbot and Lovejoy. Michael Rupp kept Pittsburgh going with his ninth of the year, assisted by Eric Godard and Lovejoy, the latter wrapping up a sock trick. Mark Letestu also scored for the Penguins, with his 14th of the season gathering steam off Eric Tangradi and Alex Kovalev. The Thrashers got a goal back with Tim Stapleton sinking his fifth of the campaign on the power play via Antropov and Ron Hainsey. Pittsburgh wrapped it up 5-2 with Mike Comrie scoring his first of the year into the empty twine, helped in by Pascal Dupuis and Niskanen. The three stars went to Lovejoy, Dupuis, and Ladd.
The last game of the regular season was in Minnesota, with the Wild hosting the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Jose Theodore played in the creases. Minnesota opened on a Brad Staubitz goal, his fourth of the season made possible by Brent Burns and Carson McMillan. Dallas answered with Brad Richards' 28th of the year, with help from Loui Eriksson and Jamie Benn. The Stars took the lead with a Brenden Morrow power play goal, his 33rd of the season powered by Eriksson and Alex Goligoski. The Wild retied it with Jared Spurgeon on the power play, his fourth of the year guided in by Andrew Brunette and Mikko Koivu. Minnesota took the lead with the first of the season by Colton Gillies, thanks to Kyle Brodziak and Chuck Kobasew. Dallas tied it yet again with another power play goal, Goligoski's 14th of the year, assisted by Eriksson and Richards. The Wild gained the lead again with Antti Miettinen netting his 16th of the season, helped along by Brunette and Koivu. Pierre-Marc Bouchard netted the last goal of the year, his 12, into an empty net, with assistance from Cal Clutterbuck and Greg Zanon. With the 5-3 final for Minnesota, Gillies, Spurgeon, and Eriksson took home the three stars.
Baseball scores on Yahoo! scores and schedules page because I'm pressed for time. Here's what Sunday and Monday look like. Sunday and Monday are in the links.
Chicago Blackhawks hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Corey Crawford played in goal. Chicago led off with a Michael Frolik tally, his eleventh of the season coming from Patrick Kane. Detroit answered with a Tomas Holmstrom goal, his 18th of the year going down unassisted. Pavel Datsyuk put the Red Wings in front with his 23rd of the season, with help from Danny Cleary and Todd Bertuzzi. Detroit extended their lead with Drew Miller sinking his tenth of the campaign, assisted by Valtteri Filppula and Jiri Hudler. The Blackhawks replied on a Brent Seabrook marker, his ninth of the year, fueled by Niklas Hjalmarsson and Viktor Stalberg. Cleary got the goal back for the Red Wings with his 26th of the season, guided in by Bertuzzi and Brian Rafalski. Chicago made it 4-3 with a Duncan Keith goal, his seventh of the year, helped in by Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa, but the lack of further offense stuck them with a loss. Datsyuk, Seabrook, and Cleary were the three stars.
Next up, the New Jersey Devils hosted the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Johan Hedberg took to the blue paint. New Jersey took the early lead with Patrik Elias sinking his 21st of the season, courtesy of Brian Rolston and Henrik Tallinder. Boston tied it with Rich Peverley recording his 18th of the campaign, assisted by Michael Ryder and Andrew Ference. The Devils retook the lead in the third period with Vladimir Zharkov recording his second of the year, with help from Anssi Salmela. New Jersey extended the lead with Alexander Urbom netting his first of the season, helped along by Jacob Josefson and David Clarkson. The Bruins made it 3-2 with a Chris Kelly goal from Dennis Seidenberg and Johnny Boychuk, but they only had four seconds left in the game, thus they lost. Zharkov, Urbom, and Hedberg (24 for 26 saves) were the three stars.
Out to Colorado, with the Avalanche hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Nikolai Khabibulin and Peter Budaj took to the nets. Edmonton opened up with Teemu Hartikainen netting his third of the season on the power play from Linus Omark and Kurtis Foster. Colorado answered with Ryan O'Reilly sinking his 13th of the year, thanks to David Jones and Daniel Winnik. Fifty seconds later, the Avalanche took the lead with the unassisted sixth of the season by Philippe Dupuis. The Oilers retied the game in the second period with Foster's eighth of the year, a power play goal powered by Magnus Paajarvi and Omark. Edmonton got in front with Lian Reddox sinking his first of the season, assisted by Ryan O'Marra. Milan Hejduk retied it for Colorado in the third period on his 22nd of the year, a power play goal made possible by Matt Duchene and Jones. The tie lasted into overtime, where the Avalanche took the 4-3 win over the Oilers with a power play goal by Jones, his 27th of the campaign getting help from Duchene and Hejduk. Longtime Av Adam Foote, Hejduk, and Jones were the three stars. Congratulations to Foote on a good career and may he enjoy retirement.
South and east to Atlanta, where the Thrashers hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins. Brent Johnson and Chris Mason went out and blocked pucks. Atlanta opened with Andrew Ladd's 29th of the season on the power play, with assists by Bryan Little and Nik Antropov. Pittsburgh tied it with a second period power play goal by Tyler Kennedy, his 21st of the year powered by Matt Niskanen and Ben Lovejoy. The Penguins got the lead on the 17th of the season, thanks to Max Talbot and Lovejoy. Michael Rupp kept Pittsburgh going with his ninth of the year, assisted by Eric Godard and Lovejoy, the latter wrapping up a sock trick. Mark Letestu also scored for the Penguins, with his 14th of the season gathering steam off Eric Tangradi and Alex Kovalev. The Thrashers got a goal back with Tim Stapleton sinking his fifth of the campaign on the power play via Antropov and Ron Hainsey. Pittsburgh wrapped it up 5-2 with Mike Comrie scoring his first of the year into the empty twine, helped in by Pascal Dupuis and Niskanen. The three stars went to Lovejoy, Dupuis, and Ladd.
The last game of the regular season was in Minnesota, with the Wild hosting the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Jose Theodore played in the creases. Minnesota opened on a Brad Staubitz goal, his fourth of the season made possible by Brent Burns and Carson McMillan. Dallas answered with Brad Richards' 28th of the year, with help from Loui Eriksson and Jamie Benn. The Stars took the lead with a Brenden Morrow power play goal, his 33rd of the season powered by Eriksson and Alex Goligoski. The Wild retied it with Jared Spurgeon on the power play, his fourth of the year guided in by Andrew Brunette and Mikko Koivu. Minnesota took the lead with the first of the season by Colton Gillies, thanks to Kyle Brodziak and Chuck Kobasew. Dallas tied it yet again with another power play goal, Goligoski's 14th of the year, assisted by Eriksson and Richards. The Wild gained the lead again with Antti Miettinen netting his 16th of the season, helped along by Brunette and Koivu. Pierre-Marc Bouchard netted the last goal of the year, his 12, into an empty net, with assistance from Cal Clutterbuck and Greg Zanon. With the 5-3 final for Minnesota, Gillies, Spurgeon, and Eriksson took home the three stars.
Baseball scores on Yahoo! scores and schedules page because I'm pressed for time. Here's what Sunday and Monday look like. Sunday and Monday are in the links.
Fantasy Hockey All-Stars finale and Fantasy Baseball All-Stars Week 1
This period of time here is the overlap between the two seasons of hockey and baseball. We'll start with the just concluded hockey season and the championship week all stars:
Center: Jason Spezza, 2 goals, 5 assists, +3, 2 penalty minutes, 3 power play points, 10 shots on goal
Left Wing: Alex Ovechkin, 2 goals, 2 assists, +2, 0 penalty minutes, 2 power play points, 18 shots on goal
Right Wing: Loui Eriksson, 3 goals, 4 assists, +2, 0 penalty minutes, 3 power play points, 13 shots on goal
Defenseman: Brent Seabrook, 2 goals, 3 assists, +1, 0 penalty minutes, 1 power play point, 13 shots on goal
Goaltender: Jaroslav Halak, 2 wins, 0.50 goals against average, 50 saves, .980 save percentage, 1 shutout
As you can see, a bit lower than recent weeks on the scoring and such. Right wing was a productive area especially, while defenseman was very weak, as Seabrook was the 32nd best player of the last week. As an added bonus, your top performers both overall and by category follows:
Center: Steven Stamkos, 45 goals, 46 assists, +3, 74 penalty minutes, 36 power play points, 272 shots on goal
Left Wing: Daniel Sedin, 41 goals, 63 assists, +30, 32 penalty minutes, 42 power play points, 266 shots on goal
Right Wing: Corey Perry, 50 goals, 48 assists, +9, 104 penalty minutes, 31 power play points, 290 shots on goal
Defenseman: Dustin Byfuglien, 20 goals, 33 assists, -2, 93 penalty minutes, 24 power play points, 347 shots on goal
Goaltender: Tim Thomas, 35 wins, 2.00 goals against average, 1699 saves, .938 save percentage, 9 shutouts
Goals: Corey Perry (50), Steven Stamkos (45), Jarome Iginla (43)
Assists: Henrik Sedin (75), Martin St. Louis (68), Daniel Sedin (63)
+/-: Zdeno Chara (33), Toni Lydman, David Backes, Kevin Bieksa (32)
Penalty Minutes: Zenon Konopka (307), Chris Neil (210), Theo Peckham (198)
Power Play Points: Daniel Sedin (42), Martin St. Louis (41), Nicklas Lidstrom (39)
Shots on Goal: Alex Ovechkin (367), Dustin Byfuglien (347), Jeff Carter (335)
Wins: Roberto Luongo and Carey Price (38), Cam Ward, Jimmy Howard, and Miikka Kiprusoff (37)
Goals Against Average: Tim Thomas (2.00), Roberto Luongo (2.11), Pekka Rinne (2.12)
Saves: Cam Ward (2191), Carey Price (1982), Ilya Bryzgalov (1957)
Save Percantage: Tim Thomas (.938), Pekka Rinne (.930), Cory Schneider (.929)
Shutouts: Henrik Lundqvist (11), Tim Thomas (9), Carey Price (8)
A lot of data there to process for you all, but that would be like a huge all-star list, except for penalty minutes which is irrelevant in the real game. Now for the baseball in its first week
Catcher: Russell Martin, 5 runs, 9 hits, 3 home runs, 8 RBIs, 2 stolen bases, .300 average, .344 on base percentage
First Base: Joey Votto, 12 runs, 15 hits, 2 home runs, 6 RBIs, 1 stolen base, .455 average, .548 on base percentage
Second Base: Howie Kendrick, 9 runs, 14 hits, 4 home runs, 4 RBIs, 0 stolen bases, .389 average, .488 on base percentage
Third Base: Scott Rolen, 9 runs, 9 hits, 2 home runs, 10 RBIs, 0 stolen bases, .290 average, .314 on base percentage
Shortstop: Willie Bloomquist, 8 runs, 13 hits, 1 home run, 5 RBIs, 6 stolen bases, .394 average, .429 on base percentage
Outfield: Jose Tabata, 11 runs, 13 hits, 2 home runs, 3 RBIs, 5 stolen bases, .342 average, .457 on base percentage
Starting Pitcher: Jered Weaver, 20.2 innings pitched 3 wins, 27 strikeouts, 0.87 earned run average, 0.87 WHIP
Relief Pitcher: Neftali Feliz, 5.1 innings pitched, 3 saves, 4 strikeouts, 0 holds, 0 earned run average, 0.19 WHIP
That's a lot more for baseball. I wish you all well on your seasons. In hockey, I ended up taking four first places, four second places, and two third places. Half of my teams in the top three is a beautiful thing.
Center: Jason Spezza, 2 goals, 5 assists, +3, 2 penalty minutes, 3 power play points, 10 shots on goal
Left Wing: Alex Ovechkin, 2 goals, 2 assists, +2, 0 penalty minutes, 2 power play points, 18 shots on goal
Right Wing: Loui Eriksson, 3 goals, 4 assists, +2, 0 penalty minutes, 3 power play points, 13 shots on goal
Defenseman: Brent Seabrook, 2 goals, 3 assists, +1, 0 penalty minutes, 1 power play point, 13 shots on goal
Goaltender: Jaroslav Halak, 2 wins, 0.50 goals against average, 50 saves, .980 save percentage, 1 shutout
As you can see, a bit lower than recent weeks on the scoring and such. Right wing was a productive area especially, while defenseman was very weak, as Seabrook was the 32nd best player of the last week. As an added bonus, your top performers both overall and by category follows:
Center: Steven Stamkos, 45 goals, 46 assists, +3, 74 penalty minutes, 36 power play points, 272 shots on goal
Left Wing: Daniel Sedin, 41 goals, 63 assists, +30, 32 penalty minutes, 42 power play points, 266 shots on goal
Right Wing: Corey Perry, 50 goals, 48 assists, +9, 104 penalty minutes, 31 power play points, 290 shots on goal
Defenseman: Dustin Byfuglien, 20 goals, 33 assists, -2, 93 penalty minutes, 24 power play points, 347 shots on goal
Goaltender: Tim Thomas, 35 wins, 2.00 goals against average, 1699 saves, .938 save percentage, 9 shutouts
Goals: Corey Perry (50), Steven Stamkos (45), Jarome Iginla (43)
Assists: Henrik Sedin (75), Martin St. Louis (68), Daniel Sedin (63)
+/-: Zdeno Chara (33), Toni Lydman, David Backes, Kevin Bieksa (32)
Penalty Minutes: Zenon Konopka (307), Chris Neil (210), Theo Peckham (198)
Power Play Points: Daniel Sedin (42), Martin St. Louis (41), Nicklas Lidstrom (39)
Shots on Goal: Alex Ovechkin (367), Dustin Byfuglien (347), Jeff Carter (335)
Wins: Roberto Luongo and Carey Price (38), Cam Ward, Jimmy Howard, and Miikka Kiprusoff (37)
Goals Against Average: Tim Thomas (2.00), Roberto Luongo (2.11), Pekka Rinne (2.12)
Saves: Cam Ward (2191), Carey Price (1982), Ilya Bryzgalov (1957)
Save Percantage: Tim Thomas (.938), Pekka Rinne (.930), Cory Schneider (.929)
Shutouts: Henrik Lundqvist (11), Tim Thomas (9), Carey Price (8)
A lot of data there to process for you all, but that would be like a huge all-star list, except for penalty minutes which is irrelevant in the real game. Now for the baseball in its first week
Catcher: Russell Martin, 5 runs, 9 hits, 3 home runs, 8 RBIs, 2 stolen bases, .300 average, .344 on base percentage
First Base: Joey Votto, 12 runs, 15 hits, 2 home runs, 6 RBIs, 1 stolen base, .455 average, .548 on base percentage
Second Base: Howie Kendrick, 9 runs, 14 hits, 4 home runs, 4 RBIs, 0 stolen bases, .389 average, .488 on base percentage
Third Base: Scott Rolen, 9 runs, 9 hits, 2 home runs, 10 RBIs, 0 stolen bases, .290 average, .314 on base percentage
Shortstop: Willie Bloomquist, 8 runs, 13 hits, 1 home run, 5 RBIs, 6 stolen bases, .394 average, .429 on base percentage
Outfield: Jose Tabata, 11 runs, 13 hits, 2 home runs, 3 RBIs, 5 stolen bases, .342 average, .457 on base percentage
Starting Pitcher: Jered Weaver, 20.2 innings pitched 3 wins, 27 strikeouts, 0.87 earned run average, 0.87 WHIP
Relief Pitcher: Neftali Feliz, 5.1 innings pitched, 3 saves, 4 strikeouts, 0 holds, 0 earned run average, 0.19 WHIP
That's a lot more for baseball. I wish you all well on your seasons. In hockey, I ended up taking four first places, four second places, and two third places. Half of my teams in the top three is a beautiful thing.
Song of the Week XV
This week we pull off a heavy metal song from the band Drowning Pool. This song comes from their album Desensitized, and the track is called Hate. As the title implies, there is a strong amount of anger in the song. The vocals are screamed as opposed to the cleaner singing found throughout the rest of their works. This is because of the singer at the time, Jason Jones, who brought his own style for the one album he worked on. This album is generally considered to be their weakest one, but it's simply unique, which fits with the dynamic transformations the band has gone through during their career. This feature will run again next week.
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