Game 1: Honda Center, Anaheim, California. In net: Pekka Rinne for Nashville and Dan Ellis for Anaheim. Nashville opened with Shea Weber on the power play, powered by Mike Fisher and Ryan Suter. Steve Sullivan added on for the Predators, gathering steam from Cody Franson and Blake Geoffrion. Fisher got the next goal for Nashville, with help from Patric Hornqvist and Kevin Klein. Fisher struck again with his second of the game in the third period, this time with a lone assist by Jonathon Blum. This prompter Anaheim to replace Ellis with Ray Emery. The Ducks avoided a shutout as Teemu Selanne made it 4-1 with a power play goal, guided in by Saku Koivu and Ryan Getzlaf. This would be a final score, with Fisher, Rinne (27 for 28 saves), and Koivu taking the three stars.
Game 2: Honda Center, Anaheim, California. In net: Pekka Rinne for Nashville and Ray Emery for Anaheim. Anaheim opened with a Corey Perry power play goal, made possible by Saku Koivu and Lubomir Visnovsky. Thirty-eight seconds later, the Ducks extended the lead with another power play goal, Teemu Selanne's second of the playoffs, with Cam Fowler and Ryan Getzlaf providing the assistance. Nashville got on the board in the second period with Shea Weber on the power play, his second of the postseason fueled by Sergei Kostitsyn and Mike Fisher. Bobby Ryan replied for Anaheim, getting help along the way from Getzlaf and Francois Beauchemin. Getzlaf continued for the Ducks with his goal, and assists came from Perry and Beauchemin. The Predators answered back again in the third period with Patric Hornqvist on the power play, powered by Weber and Kostitsyn. Nashville pulled to within a goal on Joel Ward's tally, courtesy of Martin Erat and David Legwand. Ryan solidified a 5-3 victory for Anaheim with an empty net goal, his second tally of the game, with helpers provided by Fowler and Perry. Getzlaf, Emery (31 for 34 saves), and Ryan were the three stars. The series was tied at 1.
Game 3: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee. In net: Ray Emery for Anaheim and Pekka Rinne for Nashville. Martin Erat put Nashville ahead first with a power play goal powered by Cody Franson and Joel Ward. Thirty-eight seconds later, Jordin Tootoo extended the lead for the Predators, with help from Jerred Smithson. Anaheim tied it in the second period with Teemu Selanne netting his third and fourth of the playoffs, both from Corey Perry alone, with the earlier on the power play. The goals came thirty seconds apart. David Legwand put Nashville back in front with the help of Ryan Suter and Erat. The Ducks tied it again with Matt Beleskey's goal off of Saku Koivu. The Predators went ahead 4-3 on Mike Fisher's third of the postseason, guided in by Sergei Kostitsyn and Suter. The score would be a final, and the three stars went to Fisher, Selanne, and Erat. The Predators took a 2-1 series lead.
Game 4: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee. In net: Ray Emery for Anaheim and Pekka Rinne for Nashville. Anaheim opened with a Cam Fowler goal, a power play goal off of Corey Perry. Thirty-three seconds later, the Ducks tacked on a Saku Koivu goal via Jason Blake. Thirty-one seconds after that, Nashville got on the board with Patric Hornqvist putting away his second of the postseason, courtesy of Sergei Kostitsyn and Shea Weber. The Predators tied it in the second period on a Joel Ward power play goal, his second of the playoffs powered by Cody Franson and Steve Sullivan. Anaheim regained the lead with Teemu Selanne netting his fifth of the postseason, also on the power play, made possible by Ryan Getzlaf and Fowler. Nashville replied to tie with Matt Halischuk's goal, thanks to Kevin Klein and Jonathon Blum. The Ducks regained the lead again with the second of the playoffs by Perry, a shorthanded goal fueled by Brnadon McMillan. Getzlad added on for Anaheim with his second of the postseason, guided in by Perry. McMillan made it 6-3 Ducks, the eventual final, with his goal, aided by Todd Marchant and Lubomir Visnovsky, causing Anders Lindback to relieve Rinne for the remainder of the game, which was scoreless. The three stars went to Perry, Getzlaf, and Fowler. This evened the series at 2.
Game 5: Honda Center, Anaheim, California. In net: Pekka Rinne for Nashville and Ray Emery for Anaheim. Nashville struck first with a Kevin Klein goal made possible by Jordin Tootoo and Nick Spaling. Anaheim replied in the second period with Jason Blake on the power play, powered by Saku Koivu and Luca Sbisa. The Ducks took the lead in the third period with an unassisted Bobby Ryan goal, his third of the postseason. Joel Ward retied it with his own third of the playoffs for the Predators, gathering steam from David Legwand. Blake put Anaheim back on top with his second of the game, guided in by Teemu Selanne and Koivu. Nashville found another equalizer with Shea Weber's third of the postseason, helped out by Cody Franson and Mike Fisher with just thirty-six seconds left in regulation. The tie was broken by the Predators in overtime as Jerred Smithson's goal gave them a 4-3 victory, thanks to Tootoo and Spaling. Smithson, Blake, and Ryan took the three stars. The win puts Nashville up 3-2 in the series.
Game 6: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee. In net: Ray Emery for Anaheim and Pekka Rinne for Nashville. Anaheim opened with a Teemu Selanne goal, his sixth of the postseason, with Saku Koivu providing an assist. Nashville answered with a Nick Spaling goal, assisted by Jordin Tootoo. The Predators got the lead on the second of the playoffs by Steve Sullivan, guided in by J.P. Dumont and Blake Geoffrion. The Ducks retied it with the third of the postseason by Jason Blake, a power play goal powered by Bobby Ryan Lubomir Visnovsky. Spaling took the lead back for Nashville with his second of the game, fueled by Tootoo and the goalie Rinne. The Predators secured the game at a 4-2 score with an empty netter by David Legwand, his second of the playoffs, coming via Joel Ward. Spaling, Tootoo, and Rinne (25 for 27 saves) were the three stars. The Predators took the series by a 4-2 margin.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Eastern Conference Quarterfinal 1Washington Capitals VS. 8New York Rangers
Game 1: Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. In net: Henrik Lundqvist for New York and Michal Neuvirth for Washington. Matt Gilroy opened the scoring in the third period for the Rangers, with assists from Wojtek Wolski and Brandon Prust. Washington tied it with Alex Ovechkin, courtesy of Alexander Semin and Mike Green. The tie lasted into overtime, where Semin was the hero for the Capitals, with Jason Arnott providing the help. Semin, Ovechkin, and Gilroy were the three stars.
Game 2: Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. In net: Henrik Lundqvist for New York and Michal Neuvirth for Washington. Washington opened with Jason Chimera in the second period, with assists by Marcus Johansson and Brooks Laich. Jason Arnott added on as well for the Capitals, with a power play goal powered by Mike Green and Alex Ovechkin, to make it 2-0. This was a final, with Neuvirth (22 save shutout), Chimera, and Arnott taking the three stars. Washington leads the series 2-0.
Game 3: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York. In net: Michal Neuvirth for Washington and Henrik Lundqvist for New York. Erik Christensen opened the scoring for New York with a second period power play goal via Wojtek Wolski and Bryan McCabe. Washington replied with Alex Ovechkin potting his second of the postseason, courtesy of Jason Arnott and Mike Green. The Rangers retook the lead in the third period as Vinny Prospal introduced puck to twine, with help coming from Marc Staal and Brandon Dubinsky. The Capitals retied it with Mike Knuble on the power play, thanks to Nicklas Backstrom and Ovechkin. New York struck late with Dubinsky's goal, an unassisted goal, making the final 3-2 Rangers. The three stars went to Lundqvist (23 for 25 saves), Dubinsky, and Prospal.
Game 4: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York. In net: Michal Neuvirth for Washington and Henrik Lundqvist for New York. New York opened the scoring in the second period on an Artem Anisimov goal, courtesy of Chris Drury and Mike Sauer. The Rangers extended their lead on a Marian Gaborik goal, coming off of Ruslan Fedotenko and Brandon Dubinsky. Seven seconds later, New York tallied again as Dubinsky potted his second of the playoffs with the help of Fedotenko. Washington got on the board in the third period with Alexander Semin's second of the postseason, an unassisted goal. The Capitals tied it with a pair of Marcus Johansson goals, assisted by Brooks Laich and Mike Green the first time and John Carlson and Karl Alzner later on. This tie lasted throughout the end of regulation and the whole first overtime until the second extra frame, where Washington won the game 4-3 with an unassisted Jason Chimera goal, although give Gaborik the credit for shooting it right to Chimera. Johansson, Fedotenko, and Chimera took the three stars. Washington gained a 3-1 series lead.
Game 5: Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. In net: Henrik Lundqvist for New York and Michal Neuvirth for Washington. Washington led off the scoring with a Mike Green goal, courtesy of Alex Ovechkin and Brooks Laich on the power play. Ovechkin tallied for the Capitals in the second period, his third of the postseason produced by Scott Hannan and Laich. Washington extended the lead again in the third period with Alexander Semin netting his third of the playoffs, with help from Marcus Johansson and Marco Sturm. Wojtek Wolski allowed New York to avoid being shut out by notching a goal in the last minute of regulation, assisted by Bryan McCabe and Sean Avery. Neuvirth (26 for 27 saves), Ovechkin, and Laich were the three stars. The win gave Washington a 4-1 series victory, eliminating the Rangers from the playoffs.
Game 2: Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. In net: Henrik Lundqvist for New York and Michal Neuvirth for Washington. Washington opened with Jason Chimera in the second period, with assists by Marcus Johansson and Brooks Laich. Jason Arnott added on as well for the Capitals, with a power play goal powered by Mike Green and Alex Ovechkin, to make it 2-0. This was a final, with Neuvirth (22 save shutout), Chimera, and Arnott taking the three stars. Washington leads the series 2-0.
Game 3: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York. In net: Michal Neuvirth for Washington and Henrik Lundqvist for New York. Erik Christensen opened the scoring for New York with a second period power play goal via Wojtek Wolski and Bryan McCabe. Washington replied with Alex Ovechkin potting his second of the postseason, courtesy of Jason Arnott and Mike Green. The Rangers retook the lead in the third period as Vinny Prospal introduced puck to twine, with help coming from Marc Staal and Brandon Dubinsky. The Capitals retied it with Mike Knuble on the power play, thanks to Nicklas Backstrom and Ovechkin. New York struck late with Dubinsky's goal, an unassisted goal, making the final 3-2 Rangers. The three stars went to Lundqvist (23 for 25 saves), Dubinsky, and Prospal.
Game 4: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York. In net: Michal Neuvirth for Washington and Henrik Lundqvist for New York. New York opened the scoring in the second period on an Artem Anisimov goal, courtesy of Chris Drury and Mike Sauer. The Rangers extended their lead on a Marian Gaborik goal, coming off of Ruslan Fedotenko and Brandon Dubinsky. Seven seconds later, New York tallied again as Dubinsky potted his second of the playoffs with the help of Fedotenko. Washington got on the board in the third period with Alexander Semin's second of the postseason, an unassisted goal. The Capitals tied it with a pair of Marcus Johansson goals, assisted by Brooks Laich and Mike Green the first time and John Carlson and Karl Alzner later on. This tie lasted throughout the end of regulation and the whole first overtime until the second extra frame, where Washington won the game 4-3 with an unassisted Jason Chimera goal, although give Gaborik the credit for shooting it right to Chimera. Johansson, Fedotenko, and Chimera took the three stars. Washington gained a 3-1 series lead.
Game 5: Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. In net: Henrik Lundqvist for New York and Michal Neuvirth for Washington. Washington led off the scoring with a Mike Green goal, courtesy of Alex Ovechkin and Brooks Laich on the power play. Ovechkin tallied for the Capitals in the second period, his third of the postseason produced by Scott Hannan and Laich. Washington extended the lead again in the third period with Alexander Semin netting his third of the playoffs, with help from Marcus Johansson and Marco Sturm. Wojtek Wolski allowed New York to avoid being shut out by notching a goal in the last minute of regulation, assisted by Bryan McCabe and Sean Avery. Neuvirth (26 for 27 saves), Ovechkin, and Laich were the three stars. The win gave Washington a 4-1 series victory, eliminating the Rangers from the playoffs.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Western Conference Quarterfinal: 3Detroit Red Wings VS. 6Phoenix Coyotes
Game 1: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan. In net: Ilya Bryzgalov for Phoenix and Jimmy Howard for Detroit. Phoenix opened with Kyle Turris in the first period, getting help from Ray Whitney and Shane Doan. Detroit answered on a Pavel Datsyuk goal, fueled by Johan Franzen and Tomas Holmstrom. Franzen put the Red Wings on top with his goal, an unassisted tally. Brian Rafalski kept Detroit going with a power play goal powered by Valtteri Filppula. The Red Wings added on again with a Jiri Hudler goal assisted by Drew Miller. The Coyotes cut the deficit to 4-2 with Radim Vrbata netting a goal from Martin Hanzal and Lauri Korpikoski. This would be the final, with Franzen, Howard (26 for 28 saves), and Datsyuk taking the three stars.
Game 2: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan. In net: Ilya Bryzgalov for Phoenix and Jimmy Howard for Detroit. Please note that all goals in this game are on the power play unless otherwise mentioned. Detroit opened with the second of the playoffs by Pavel Datsyuk, with help from Nicklas Lidstrom and Todd Bertuzzi. The Red Wings added on with Brian Rafalski netting his second of the postseason, assisted by Datsyuk and Tomas Holmstrom. Darren Helm also scored for Detroit at even-strength, with Datsyuk and Lidstrom taking the assists. The Red Wings made it 4-0 in the second period with Holmstrom's even-strength goal, aided by Valtteri Filppula and a sock trick completing assist from Datsyuk. Phoenix got on the board with Radim Vrbata notching his second of the postseason, with Shane Doan and Keith Yandle providing the helpers. The Coyotes pulled within a goal at a 4-3 score on Doan's first two playoff goals, with Yandle finishing his sock trick by recording two assists and Martin Hanzal and Vrbata doing the rest of the assistance. This score would be final, though, and the three stars went to Datsyuk, Doan, and Holmstrom. The Red Wings took a 2-0 series lead.
Game 3: Jobing.com Arena, Glendale, Arizona. In net: Jimmy Howard for Detroit and Ilya Bryzgalov for Phoenix. Detroit opened with Ruslan Salei's goal, assisted by Darren Helm and Niklas Kronwall. Drew Miller extended the Red Wings lead, helped by Kronwall. Valtteri Filppula also tallied for Detroit, and he got aided by Jiri Hudler. Phoenix got on the board with David Schlemko on the power play, guided in by Mikkel Boedker and Kyle Turris. Johan Franzen answered in the third period for the Red Wings with his second of the postseason, fueled by Jonathan Ericsson. The Coyotes made it 4-2 with another power play goal, Ray Whitney's tally being powered by Radim Vrbata and Keith Yandle. This was a final, and Howard (28 for 30 saves), Turris, and Kronwall were the three stars. Detroit extended their series lead to 3-0.
Game 4: Jobing.com Arena, Glendale, Arizona. In net: Jimmy Howard for Detroit and Ilya Bryzgalov for Phoenix. Detroit opened with Tomas Holmstrom netting his second of the postseason, courtesy of Pavel Datsyuk and Mike Modano. Phoenix answered with Taylor Pyatt's goal, thanks to Ed Jovanovski. Shane Doan put the Coyotes in front with his third of the playoffs, made possible by Kyle Turris and Keith Yandle. The Red Wings tied it back up with Patrick Eaves' goal, assisted by Darren Helm. Phoenix retook the lead with a power play goal by Martin Hanzal, powered by Radim Vrbata and Ray Whitney. Detroit also had a power play goal, as Niklas Kronwall tied the game at 3 with his tally, helped along by Danny Cleary and Jiri Hudler. Cleary tallied in the third period to put the Red Wings in front, guided in by Valtteri Filppula and Todd Bertuzzi. Bertuzzi tacked on his own goal for Detroit, with assistance coming from Cleary and Filppula. The Red Wings finished it up with Eaves' second goal in the game, an unassisted tally to make it a 6-3 final. The three stars went to Cleary, Doan, and Filppula. Detroit's win completed a 4-0 sweep and advanced them to the semifinals, whereas the Coyotes now face an uncertain future for the franchise as the go golfing.
Game 2: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan. In net: Ilya Bryzgalov for Phoenix and Jimmy Howard for Detroit. Please note that all goals in this game are on the power play unless otherwise mentioned. Detroit opened with the second of the playoffs by Pavel Datsyuk, with help from Nicklas Lidstrom and Todd Bertuzzi. The Red Wings added on with Brian Rafalski netting his second of the postseason, assisted by Datsyuk and Tomas Holmstrom. Darren Helm also scored for Detroit at even-strength, with Datsyuk and Lidstrom taking the assists. The Red Wings made it 4-0 in the second period with Holmstrom's even-strength goal, aided by Valtteri Filppula and a sock trick completing assist from Datsyuk. Phoenix got on the board with Radim Vrbata notching his second of the postseason, with Shane Doan and Keith Yandle providing the helpers. The Coyotes pulled within a goal at a 4-3 score on Doan's first two playoff goals, with Yandle finishing his sock trick by recording two assists and Martin Hanzal and Vrbata doing the rest of the assistance. This score would be final, though, and the three stars went to Datsyuk, Doan, and Holmstrom. The Red Wings took a 2-0 series lead.
Game 3: Jobing.com Arena, Glendale, Arizona. In net: Jimmy Howard for Detroit and Ilya Bryzgalov for Phoenix. Detroit opened with Ruslan Salei's goal, assisted by Darren Helm and Niklas Kronwall. Drew Miller extended the Red Wings lead, helped by Kronwall. Valtteri Filppula also tallied for Detroit, and he got aided by Jiri Hudler. Phoenix got on the board with David Schlemko on the power play, guided in by Mikkel Boedker and Kyle Turris. Johan Franzen answered in the third period for the Red Wings with his second of the postseason, fueled by Jonathan Ericsson. The Coyotes made it 4-2 with another power play goal, Ray Whitney's tally being powered by Radim Vrbata and Keith Yandle. This was a final, and Howard (28 for 30 saves), Turris, and Kronwall were the three stars. Detroit extended their series lead to 3-0.
Game 4: Jobing.com Arena, Glendale, Arizona. In net: Jimmy Howard for Detroit and Ilya Bryzgalov for Phoenix. Detroit opened with Tomas Holmstrom netting his second of the postseason, courtesy of Pavel Datsyuk and Mike Modano. Phoenix answered with Taylor Pyatt's goal, thanks to Ed Jovanovski. Shane Doan put the Coyotes in front with his third of the playoffs, made possible by Kyle Turris and Keith Yandle. The Red Wings tied it back up with Patrick Eaves' goal, assisted by Darren Helm. Phoenix retook the lead with a power play goal by Martin Hanzal, powered by Radim Vrbata and Ray Whitney. Detroit also had a power play goal, as Niklas Kronwall tied the game at 3 with his tally, helped along by Danny Cleary and Jiri Hudler. Cleary tallied in the third period to put the Red Wings in front, guided in by Valtteri Filppula and Todd Bertuzzi. Bertuzzi tacked on his own goal for Detroit, with assistance coming from Cleary and Filppula. The Red Wings finished it up with Eaves' second goal in the game, an unassisted tally to make it a 6-3 final. The three stars went to Cleary, Doan, and Filppula. Detroit's win completed a 4-0 sweep and advanced them to the semifinals, whereas the Coyotes now face an uncertain future for the franchise as the go golfing.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Sunday link and Monday recaps
We'll open this post immediately with a procrastinator's link, showing the Sunday scores here. Now, regarding Monday's games, here's how they went down...
The Boston Red Sox opened by hosting the Toronto Blue Jays, and blowing them out 9-1. Daisuke Matsuzaka had the win, while Ricky Romero took the loss. Yunel Escobar (1 for 4, 1 RBI) and Jed Lowrie (4 for 5, 4 RBIs) were the top batters. Boston took the series 3-1.
This was followed by another blowout, with the Tampa Bay Rays defeating their guests, the Chicago White Sox 5-0. Edwin Jackson was the losing pitcher, while opponent David Price had a dominating win. Ramon Castro (1 for 3) and Felipe Lopez (3 for 4, 3 RBIs) took top batting honors.
Just to keep it interesting, the Philadelphia Phillies did not smash the visiting Milwaukee Brewers. Shaun Marcum and Joe Blanton did the pitching. Philadelphia opened with a Ryan Howard single to knock in Placido Polanco. Milwaukee replied in the third inning with Carlos Gomez's single and eventual reach to second base on an error, while Jonathan Lucroy scored, followed by Ryan Braun hitting a single to finish the trip around for Gomez. The Phillies retied it in the seventh on Shane Victorino's reaching on a fielder's choice, forcing around Wilson Valdez. The Brewers took the lead back as Yunieskey Betancourt's groundout provided safe passage for Braun to reach the plate. Philadelphia retied it at 3 with Pete Orr's single, scoring Carlos Ruiz. The tie lasted until the 12th inning, where Milwaukee got busy with a Braun sacrifice fly to bring around Rickie Weeks, Betancourt also hitting a sacrifice fly to do the same for Gomez, and Lucroy singling in Prince Fielder. After the Phillies failed in the bottom of the inning, the final had Milwaukee up 6-3. They had holds from Sean Green and Kameron Loe, but matching blown saves by Sergio Mitre and John Axford, before Brandon Kintzler got the win. Kyle Kendrick's implosion took the loss. Braun and Howard were the best batters.
To Baltimore, with the Orioles hosting the Minnesota Twins. Francisco Liriano and Chris Tillman were on the mound. Minnesota opened with a two-RBI double by Drew Butera to knock in both Michael Cuddyer and Danny Valencia. Valencia scored in Delmon Young with a groundout in the fourth inning for the Twins. Baltimore found the scoreboard with a pair of solo shots in the seventh inning, as both Adam Jones and Matt Wieters went yard. Minnesota got back a cushion with Butera's single scoring Jason Repko, and a later wild pitch brought in Valencia again. The Orioles cut the deficit to 5-3 with a Luke Scott solo home run, but they would lose by that score with a lack of runs. Tillman had the loss, Liriano took the win, holds went to Jose Mijares and Jim Hoey, and new closer Matt Capps had the save. Butera and Jones were the top batters.
Westward a bit, to Cincinnati, with the Reds hosting the Pittsburgh Pirates, the latter beating the former 9-3 in a blowout. Kevin Correia won against Travis Wood in the pitching column. Steve Pearce (2 for 4, 2 RBIs) and Chris Heisey (1 for 2, 2 RBIs) were the top batters. As a sidenote, Correia had a complete game.
Onward to Chicago, with the Cubs hosting the San Diego Padres. Tim Stauffer opposed Carlos Zambrano from the mound. The game had no score until Chicago's Tyler Colvin had a pinch-hit double in the tenth inning to bring in Geovany Soto and win the game 1-0 for the Cubs. Chad Qualls was the unlucky loser, and Carlos Marmol got the win. Jason Bartlett (2 for 4) and Colvin (1 for 1, 1 RBI) were the game's best batters in a pitching heavy duel.
South to Texas, where the Rangers blew out the Los Angeles Angels 7-1. Ervin Santana suffered the loss, while C.J. Wilson had the win. Howie Kendrick (2 for 4, 1 RBI) and Adrian Beltre (2 for 4, 3 RBIs) were the best hitters.
To Missouri, where the Kansas City Royals hosted the Cleveland Indians. Carlos Carrasco and Kyle Davies got the ball for the starts, although they did not feature in the 7-3 Indians victory decision. Joe Smith was the winner, Jeremy Jeffress blew a save, and Tim Collins completed the failure with the loss. Grady Sizemore (3 for 5, 1 RBI) and Melky Cabrera (1 for 5, 1 RBI) were the best of the batters.
Westward farther to Colorado, where the Rockies welcomed the San Francisco Giants, who proceeded to smash them 8-1. Tim Lincecum and Esmil Rogers played from the mound, and they were the winner and loser in that order. Nate Schierholtz (3 for 4, 2 RBIs) and Todd Helton (2 for 3, 1 RBI) were the top hitters.
Up to Seattle, where the Mariners got pounded 8-3 by the Detroit Tigers. Max Scherzer and Jason Vargar were the pitchers, and Scherzer did get the win, while Vargas had a no-decision, placing the loss on Josh Lueke's mitt. Jhonny Peralta (2 for 5, 3 RBIs) and Milton Bradley (2 for 3, 2 RBIs) were the best hitters.
Down the coast to Los Angeles, where the Dodgers hosted the Atlanta Braves. Tim Hudson opposed Ted Lilly in the pitching. Los Angeles opened in the first inning on a Matt Kemp single bringing in Aaron Miles before James Loney did the same thing for both Kemp and Casey Blake. Jerry Sands added on for the Dodgers in the third inning with a sacrifice fly bringing in Juan Uribe. Atlanta got on the board in the ninth inning with Freddie Freeman's groundout allowing passage home for Brian McCann and Nate McLouth doubling in Dan Uggla. This made the score 4-2, the final. Hudson took the loss and Lilly got the win. McLouth and Loney were the top batting recipients.
That's all for now. More procrastinating and then some real coverage later in the week.
The Boston Red Sox opened by hosting the Toronto Blue Jays, and blowing them out 9-1. Daisuke Matsuzaka had the win, while Ricky Romero took the loss. Yunel Escobar (1 for 4, 1 RBI) and Jed Lowrie (4 for 5, 4 RBIs) were the top batters. Boston took the series 3-1.
This was followed by another blowout, with the Tampa Bay Rays defeating their guests, the Chicago White Sox 5-0. Edwin Jackson was the losing pitcher, while opponent David Price had a dominating win. Ramon Castro (1 for 3) and Felipe Lopez (3 for 4, 3 RBIs) took top batting honors.
Just to keep it interesting, the Philadelphia Phillies did not smash the visiting Milwaukee Brewers. Shaun Marcum and Joe Blanton did the pitching. Philadelphia opened with a Ryan Howard single to knock in Placido Polanco. Milwaukee replied in the third inning with Carlos Gomez's single and eventual reach to second base on an error, while Jonathan Lucroy scored, followed by Ryan Braun hitting a single to finish the trip around for Gomez. The Phillies retied it in the seventh on Shane Victorino's reaching on a fielder's choice, forcing around Wilson Valdez. The Brewers took the lead back as Yunieskey Betancourt's groundout provided safe passage for Braun to reach the plate. Philadelphia retied it at 3 with Pete Orr's single, scoring Carlos Ruiz. The tie lasted until the 12th inning, where Milwaukee got busy with a Braun sacrifice fly to bring around Rickie Weeks, Betancourt also hitting a sacrifice fly to do the same for Gomez, and Lucroy singling in Prince Fielder. After the Phillies failed in the bottom of the inning, the final had Milwaukee up 6-3. They had holds from Sean Green and Kameron Loe, but matching blown saves by Sergio Mitre and John Axford, before Brandon Kintzler got the win. Kyle Kendrick's implosion took the loss. Braun and Howard were the best batters.
To Baltimore, with the Orioles hosting the Minnesota Twins. Francisco Liriano and Chris Tillman were on the mound. Minnesota opened with a two-RBI double by Drew Butera to knock in both Michael Cuddyer and Danny Valencia. Valencia scored in Delmon Young with a groundout in the fourth inning for the Twins. Baltimore found the scoreboard with a pair of solo shots in the seventh inning, as both Adam Jones and Matt Wieters went yard. Minnesota got back a cushion with Butera's single scoring Jason Repko, and a later wild pitch brought in Valencia again. The Orioles cut the deficit to 5-3 with a Luke Scott solo home run, but they would lose by that score with a lack of runs. Tillman had the loss, Liriano took the win, holds went to Jose Mijares and Jim Hoey, and new closer Matt Capps had the save. Butera and Jones were the top batters.
Westward a bit, to Cincinnati, with the Reds hosting the Pittsburgh Pirates, the latter beating the former 9-3 in a blowout. Kevin Correia won against Travis Wood in the pitching column. Steve Pearce (2 for 4, 2 RBIs) and Chris Heisey (1 for 2, 2 RBIs) were the top batters. As a sidenote, Correia had a complete game.
Onward to Chicago, with the Cubs hosting the San Diego Padres. Tim Stauffer opposed Carlos Zambrano from the mound. The game had no score until Chicago's Tyler Colvin had a pinch-hit double in the tenth inning to bring in Geovany Soto and win the game 1-0 for the Cubs. Chad Qualls was the unlucky loser, and Carlos Marmol got the win. Jason Bartlett (2 for 4) and Colvin (1 for 1, 1 RBI) were the game's best batters in a pitching heavy duel.
South to Texas, where the Rangers blew out the Los Angeles Angels 7-1. Ervin Santana suffered the loss, while C.J. Wilson had the win. Howie Kendrick (2 for 4, 1 RBI) and Adrian Beltre (2 for 4, 3 RBIs) were the best hitters.
To Missouri, where the Kansas City Royals hosted the Cleveland Indians. Carlos Carrasco and Kyle Davies got the ball for the starts, although they did not feature in the 7-3 Indians victory decision. Joe Smith was the winner, Jeremy Jeffress blew a save, and Tim Collins completed the failure with the loss. Grady Sizemore (3 for 5, 1 RBI) and Melky Cabrera (1 for 5, 1 RBI) were the best of the batters.
Westward farther to Colorado, where the Rockies welcomed the San Francisco Giants, who proceeded to smash them 8-1. Tim Lincecum and Esmil Rogers played from the mound, and they were the winner and loser in that order. Nate Schierholtz (3 for 4, 2 RBIs) and Todd Helton (2 for 3, 1 RBI) were the top hitters.
Up to Seattle, where the Mariners got pounded 8-3 by the Detroit Tigers. Max Scherzer and Jason Vargar were the pitchers, and Scherzer did get the win, while Vargas had a no-decision, placing the loss on Josh Lueke's mitt. Jhonny Peralta (2 for 5, 3 RBIs) and Milton Bradley (2 for 3, 2 RBIs) were the best hitters.
Down the coast to Los Angeles, where the Dodgers hosted the Atlanta Braves. Tim Hudson opposed Ted Lilly in the pitching. Los Angeles opened in the first inning on a Matt Kemp single bringing in Aaron Miles before James Loney did the same thing for both Kemp and Casey Blake. Jerry Sands added on for the Dodgers in the third inning with a sacrifice fly bringing in Juan Uribe. Atlanta got on the board in the ninth inning with Freddie Freeman's groundout allowing passage home for Brian McCann and Nate McLouth doubling in Dan Uggla. This made the score 4-2, the final. Hudson took the loss and Lilly got the win. McLouth and Loney were the top batting recipients.
That's all for now. More procrastinating and then some real coverage later in the week.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Fantasy Baseball All-Stars Week 2
The season is still young, and some of those early slumpers are busting out now. Let's take a look at who's doing fine this past week.
Catcher: Buster Posey, 4 runs, 7 hits, 2 home runs, 6 RBIs, 2 stolen bases, .318 batting average, .400 on base percentage
First Base: Albert Pujols, 10 runs, 11 hits, 3 home runs, 6 RBIs, 0 stolen bases, .344 batting average, .364 on base percentage
Second Base: Jonathan Herrera, 6 runs, 9 hits, 1 home run, 4 RBIs, 3 stolen bases, .375 batting average, .464 on base percentage
Third Base: Michael Young, 5 runs, 12 hits, 0 home runs, 6 RBIs, 2 stolen bases, .522 batting average, .500 on base percentage
Shortstop: Troy Tulowitzki, 7 runs, 14 hits, 4 home runs, 8 RBIs, 0 stolen bases, .519 batting average, .606 on base percentage
Outfield: Lance Berkman, 9 runs, 10 hits, 6 home runs, 12 RBIs, 0 stolen bases, .417 batting average, .462 on base percentage
Starting Pitcher: Dan Haren, 15.2 innings pitched, 2 wins, 14 strikeouts, 1.17 earned run average, 0.65 WHIP
Relief Pitcher: Brian Wilson, 3.1 innings pitched, 0 wins, 4 saves, 5 strikeouts, 0 holds, 0.00 earned run average, 0.30 WHIP
Those are your studs over the last week. Expect more of the same from a lot of these guys, they should remain fairly solid throughout the year.
Catcher: Buster Posey, 4 runs, 7 hits, 2 home runs, 6 RBIs, 2 stolen bases, .318 batting average, .400 on base percentage
First Base: Albert Pujols, 10 runs, 11 hits, 3 home runs, 6 RBIs, 0 stolen bases, .344 batting average, .364 on base percentage
Second Base: Jonathan Herrera, 6 runs, 9 hits, 1 home run, 4 RBIs, 3 stolen bases, .375 batting average, .464 on base percentage
Third Base: Michael Young, 5 runs, 12 hits, 0 home runs, 6 RBIs, 2 stolen bases, .522 batting average, .500 on base percentage
Shortstop: Troy Tulowitzki, 7 runs, 14 hits, 4 home runs, 8 RBIs, 0 stolen bases, .519 batting average, .606 on base percentage
Outfield: Lance Berkman, 9 runs, 10 hits, 6 home runs, 12 RBIs, 0 stolen bases, .417 batting average, .462 on base percentage
Starting Pitcher: Dan Haren, 15.2 innings pitched, 2 wins, 14 strikeouts, 1.17 earned run average, 0.65 WHIP
Relief Pitcher: Brian Wilson, 3.1 innings pitched, 0 wins, 4 saves, 5 strikeouts, 0 holds, 0.00 earned run average, 0.30 WHIP
Those are your studs over the last week. Expect more of the same from a lot of these guys, they should remain fairly solid throughout the year.
Song of the Week XV
This week, we have a song that I think I may have previously covered. It comes from a band called Green Day. The song is When I Come Around. This song was originally released on the album Dookie, and was also featured on International Superhits. The song has a very consistent rhythm, both in guitar and drum parts. This blend of sounds leads to one of the top songs on the 1990s in my opinion. That's all for this week's song, and we will run this again next week.
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.
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