Memorial Day Baseball

Another full slate of baseball on tap for today, starting at 10:05 AM Pacific and wrapping up around 7:30 or 8:00 PM.

Nationals Park: The Washington Nationals open the day against the Philadelphia Phillies. Roy Halladay and Livan Hernandez get the nods. Washington opened the scoring in the second with a solo home run by Michael Morse, followed by Hernandez sacrificing to score Jerry Hairston, Jr. Philadelphia got in the game with back to back solo shots by Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez, followed up later by Dominic Brown singling in Carlos Ruiz. The Nationals tied it in the fifth with a solo home run by Danny Espinosa. Washington took the lead back with a solo shot in the sixth from Laynce Nix. The Phillies got some back with Howard singling in Placido Polanco and Ibanez hitting a sacrifice fly to knock in Chase Utley. Philadelphia would hold on for a 5-4 win, with Halladay collecting the decision, Sean Burnett taking the loss, and Ryan Madson converting the save. Howard and Morse were the best batters.

Comerica Park: The Detroit Tigers host the Minnesota Twins. On the mound are Nick Blackburn and Brad Penny. Detroit led off with Brennan Boesch's groundout leading to Austin Jackson scoring, and a Miguel Cabrera solo home run. The Tigers added on in the third inning with Andy Dirks' double to score Brandon Inge. Minnesota got on the board with Michael Cuddyer's single to knock in Jason Kubel. The Twins added a barrage in the fifth with Rene Rivera singling in Danny Valencia, Kubel eventually doing the same for Rivera, Justin Morneau hitting a sacrifice fly to score Denard Span, and Cuddyer singling in Alexi Casilla. Detroit retied it with a two-run homer by Victor Martinez, also scoring Dirks. The Tigers took the lead in the eighth with Alex Avila's ground rule double to knock in Jhonny Peralta, the decisive run in a 6-5 Detroit win. Al Alburquerque got the win, Alex Burnett took the loss, and Jose Valverde converted the save. Cuddyer and Martinez were named best hitters.

Turner Field: The Atlanta Braves welcome the San Diego Padres. Aaron Harang and Tim Hudson are set to pitch. San Diego led off with Ryan Ludwick grounding out to score Eric Patterson. Atlanta replied with a Brian McCann double to knock in Martin Prado. The Padres retook the lead in the third with Ludwick singling in Harang. The Braves replied back with McCann singling in Prado. San Diego got the lead again in the tenth with Kyle Phillips hitting a solo home run, leading to the 3-2 final for the Padres. Chad Qualls got the win, George Sherrill lost, and Heath Bell converted the save. Ludwick and McCann were the top hitters.

Wrigley Field: The Chicago Cubs host the Houston Astros. Aneury Rodriguez and Rodrigo Lopez are given the starts. Houston led off with Hunter Pence doubling in Michael Bourn before being scored himself with a Jeff Keppinger double. Chicago answered on a Starlin Castro single to knock in Darwin Barney, and took the lead with Carlos Pena's two run homer to finish Castro's trip. Tony Campana scored for the Cubs in the second after stealing third and then dashing home after an error. The Astros got a run back with Carlos Lee's RBI single to score Bourn. Chicago replied again with a Blake DeWitt triple to bring around Aramis Ramirez. The Cubs tacked on another in the fourth as Pence committed an error that led to Kosuke Fukudome dashing home safely. Houston got back to business and gained runs back with a two-run homer by Clint Barmes, also scoring Bourn, and a later solo shot to even the score by Pence. The Astros grabbed the lead with J.R. Towles hitting a solo home run. Houston also recorded a run in the seventh with Brett Wallace singling to score Pence, and Chris Johnson's double to finish the trip for Wallace. The Astros added on a three-run Keppinger homer, also scoring Pence and Lee. Chicago cut the game to 12-7 with Pena grounding out to score Castro. Sergio Escolona got the win and the loss was given to Jeff Samardzija. Keppinger and DeWitt were the best hitters.

Overstock.com Coliseum: The Oakland Athletics kick off the second wave by hosting the New York Yankees. Bartolo Colon and Trevor Cahill will pitch. New York opened with Mark Teixeira hitting a two-run homer to score Derek Jeter, followed by Robinson Cano doubling in Alex Rodriguez. The Yankees added on another in the seventh as Jeter's sacrifice fly allowed Brett Gardner to dash home. New York piled a little more on in the ninth with Francisco Cervelli's sacrifice fly to score Chris Dickerson, making the final 5-0. Colon pitched a 4-hitter win, and Cahill suffered the loss. Cano and Josh Willingham were the top batters.

Safeco Field: The Seattle Mariners welcome the Baltimore Orioles. Jake Arrieta and Doug Fister get the starts. Seattle struck first with Brendan Ryan's groundout to score Ichiro, and Jack Cust ripping a triple to bring home Justin Smoak. Baltimore got on the board in the third with a solo home run by Mark Reynolds. In the bottom of the inning, bases-loaded walks by Adam Kennedy and Miguel Olivo scored two runs for the Mariners, Ichiro and Ryan. The Orioles got a run back with Nick Markakis' single to score Robert Andino, and Felix Pie dashing home on a Chone Figgins error that Vladimir Guerrero reached base on, but it wouldn't be enough, and Seattle won 4-3. Fister won, Arrieta lost, and Brandon League made the save. Reynolds and Cust were the top hitters for the game.

Kauffman Stadium: The Kansas City Royals host the Anaheim Angels. Ervin Santana and Luke Hochevar get to play on the mound. Anaheim started off by getting a Bobby Abreu single to bring around Maicer Izturis. Kansas City replied with an Alex Gordon solo home run, followed by a two-run blast from Eric Hosmer to bring in Melky Cabrera. The Royals extended their lead again with Hosmer doubling in both Chris Getz and Alcides Escobar, and Jeff Francouer's sacrifice fly to bring in Gordon all in the second inning. The Angels get some back in the third with Abreu doubling in Izturis and Alberto Collaspo singling to score Erick Aybar. Anaheim cut into the lead a bit more with Torii Hunter singling to score Abreu. The Angels added on with a seventh inning solo home run by Hunter. Kansas City replied with a Wilson Betemit triple to bring in Billy Butler and Chris Getz singling to finish the trip around by Betemit. Anaheim snagged another couple of runs with Mark Trumbo and Peter Bourjos hitting a solo shot each in the eighth. The Angels got the lead with Hunter's two run homer, also knocking in Abreu, and they extended it as Trumbo reached on an error that allowed Collaspo to dash home, making it 10-8, a score the Angels would hold. Kevin Jepsen got the win, Joakim Soria took the loss, and Fernando Rodney converted the save. Hunter and Hosmer were the best hitters.

Busch Stadium: The St. Louis Cardinals bring home the San Francisco Giants. Madison Bumgarner and Kyle McClellan will pitch. San Francisco got on the board first with a second inning solo home run by Cody Ross. The Giants continued in the third with Miguel Tejada singling in Bumgarner. St. Louis tied it in the bottom of the third with Allen Craig doubling Ryan Theriot, and Albert Pujols singling Craig the rest of the way home. San Francisco retook the lead with Brandon Crawford singling to score Ross before a grand slam home run by Andres Torres, scoring Aaron Rowand, Crawford, and Bumgarner. The Cardinals got one back with a solo home run by Pujols in the eighth. The final would keep San Francisco up 7-3, and Bumgarner got the win while McClellan took the loss. Torres and Pujols were the best of the hitters.

Tropicana Field: The Tampa Bay Rays lead off the evening games by hosting the Texas Rangers. Derek Holland and Wade Davis are on the mound. Texas opened with a Josh Hamilton double to score Elvis Andrus, and Adrian Beltre's single completing Hamilton's trip around the bases. The Rangers were back at it in the third with a three run homer from Mike Napoli, also scoring Beltre and Mitch Moreland, a solo home run by Endy Chavez, and Hamilton's sacrifice fly to get Andrus around. Texas added on again in the fourth with Moreland going yard for an extra run. Tampa Bay got on the board with Matt Joyce's single to drive home B.J. Upton. The Rangers took a run back with Napoli blasting a solo home run. The Rays got a run back with a solo home run by Ben Zobrist, and three more on the homer from Justin Ruggiano, also scoring Felipe Lopez and Kelly Shoppach. Texas got one more run back with Napoli doubling to score Nelson Cruz, and Chavez singling to bring Moreland home again. Holland took the win and Davis suffered the loss. Napoli and Ruggiano were named best hitters.

Rogers Centre: The Toronto Blue Jays welcome the Cleveland Indians. Fausto Carmona and Jo-Jo Reyes were called to start. Toronto opened the scoring in the third with a two-run homer by Jayson Nix, also scoring Rajai Davis. Shelley Duncan replied for Cleveland in the fourth with a solo shot. The Blue Jays replied back in the bottom of the inning, beginning with Davis doubling in both J.P. Arencibia and Aaron Hill, Corey Patterson reaching on an error to score both Eric Thames and Davis, Jose Bautista doubling in Yunel Escobar and Patterson, and Arencibia finishing the scoring barrage by doubling to finish Bautista's trip. Toronto was back at it again in the fifth with Escobar's single knocking home Thames and Patterson hitting a sacrifice fly to score Davis. The final would be 11-1, with Reyes finally getting a win, and Carmona suffering the loss. Duncan and Davis were the best hitters.

Citi Field: The New York Mets host the Pittsburgh Pirates. Charlie Morton and Dillon Gee get the starting nods. Chris Snyder started the scoring for Pittsburgh with a two-run home run, also bringing in Lyle Overbay. New York answered with Ruben Tejada singling in Angel Pagan, after Daniel Murphy had scored on a passed ball. The Mets took the lead with Pagan singled to score Justin Turner. The Pirates retied it with Ronny Cedeno grounding into a fielder's choice, leading to Overbay crossing the plate again. New York got the lead back again with Josh Thole doubling Carlos Beltran and Murphy around the horn to home. Turner doubled in another run for the Mets as well, an eighth inning crossing by Nick Evans, followed up by Murphy's fielder's choice allowing Turner safe passage to the plate. New York would cruise to a 7-3 victory, with Gee winning and Daniel McCutchen taking the loss. Snyder and Pagan were the top hitters.

Great American Ball Park: The Cincinnati Reds host the Milwaukee Brewers. Chris Narveson and Travis Wood have the ball. Cincinnati opened with Jonny Gomes hitting a sacrifice fly in the second to score Jay Bruce. Bruce got the Reds going again in the fourth with a three run tater, also bringing around Joey Votto and Scott Rolen, followed later by a Paul Janish single to bring in Gomes. Milwaukee got on the board with back-to-back solo home runs in the fifth, from Carlos Gomez and Josh Wilson, and pulled closer with Ryan Braun doubling home Nyjer Morgan. Cincinnati got some room to breathe as Fred Lewis singled in Ryan Hanigan, and Janish reached home after Jonathan Lucroy misfielded the ball. This made it 7-3, the eventual final, with Wood winning and Narveson losing. Prince Fielder and Bruce were the top batters.

Fenway Park: The Boston Red Sox welcome the Chicago White Sox. Jake Peavy and Jon Lester played from the mound. Chicago opened with A.J. Pierzynski singling in both Alexei Ramirez and Carlos Quentin. Boston replied with a solo home run by Adrian Gonzalez. The White Sox took that run back with a third inning solo home run from Paul Konerko. The Red Sox would tie it on Dustin Pedroia's two-RBI single, scoring both Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jacoby Ellsbury. Chicago retook the lead with Ramirez's two-RBI double, scoring in both Alex Rios and Gordon Beckham, followed by Quentin singling in Juan Pierre and Ramirez. The final had White over Red 7-3, with Peavy winning and Lester losing. Konerko and Gonzalez were the top hitters.

Chase Field: The Arizona Diamondbacks host the Florida Marlins. Chris Volstad and Joe Saunders are pitching. Florida opened the scoring in the third with a Gaby Sanchez single to score Emilio Bonifacio and a Mike Stanton fielder's choice that led to Omar Infante reaching home safely. Arizona got on the board with a third inning solo home run from Gerardo Parra, tied it with Kelly Johnson's solo shot, took the lead with Chris Young singling in Justin Upton, and added on with Miguel Montero's single to bring in Stephen Drew. The Diamondbacks tacked on with an Upton single leading to a Parra run. The Marlins pulled within one on a Sanchez two run tater, driving home Logan Morrison. Arizona got another run off a fielder's choice by Montero, driving in Drew. The Diamondbacks added on with the second solo shot by Johnson of the game, an Upton and Drew double steal leading to an error and Upton run, and Montero's three run bomb to score Drew and Young. In the seventh, Arizona added on with a Johnson triple knocking in Xavier Nady, Melvin Mora singling to bring home Johnson, and Upton's two run homer finishing Mora's trip around. The Diamondbacks easily handled a 15-4 win with Saunders winning and Volstad losing. Top batters were Sanchez and Johnson.

Dodger Stadium: The Los Angeles Dodgers wrap up the slate today by hosting the Colorado Rockies. Jason Hammel and Chad Billingsley are the pitchers. Los Angeles opened the scoring in the third with an Andre Ethier single, knocking in both Chad Billingsley and Rafael Furcal, a Matt Kemp fielder's choice allowing Jamey Carroll safe passage, and a James Loney single scoring Kemp. Colorado found the scoreboard in the fourth with a solo home run by Ty Wigginton. The Dodgers collected a run in the fifth, an Ethier single to score Carroll, followed by Loney's longball to finish Ethier's trip. The final would be 7-1 Dodgers, with Billingsley collecting the win and Hammel taking the loss. Todd Helton and Loney were the top batters.

Fantasy Baseball All-Stars week 8

Here's the studs this week, decimated a bit by the loss of Buster Posey for the year, and various other injuries such as David Wright and Howie Kendrick going onto the DL.

Catcher: Chris Iannetta, 5 runs, 8 hits, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 0 SB, .364 average, .462 on base
First Base: Mark Teixeira, 4 runs, 8 hits, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 0 SB, .320 average, .414 on base
Second Base: Kelly Johnson, 7 runs, 8 hits, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 SB, .364 average, .417 on base
Third Base: Ty Wigginton, 5 runs, 8 hits, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 0 SB, .348 average, .400 on base
Shortstop: Jose Reyes, 8 runs, 14 hits, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 2 SB, .519 average, .536 on base
Outfield: Broken down into all three, due to 7 of top 10 players this week playing outfield positions
Left Field: Carl Crawford, 9 runs, 11 hits, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 1 SB, .423 average, .464 on base
Center Field: Jacoby Ellsbury, 7 runs, 8 hits, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 4 SB, .320 average, .485 on base
Right Field: Jay Bruce, 6 runs, 12 hits, 4 HR, 13 RBI, 0 SB, .353 average, .405 on base
General Outfield: Corey Hart, 5 runs, 6 hits, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 1 SB, .400 average, .471 on base
Utility: Michael Morse, 5 runs, 9 hits, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 0 SB, .375 average, .400 on base

Starter: Clayton Kershaw, 15 IP, 1 win, 17 Ks, 0.60 ERA, 0.60 WHIP
Reliever: J.J. Putz, 4 IP, 4 saves, 1 K, 0 holds, 0.00 ERA, 0.25 WHIP

Song of the Week XXI

This week, our song comes from the band Switchfoot. The song is Happy is a Yuppie Word. The song also inspired the title of the album, Nothing is Sound. The song follows a fairly anthem-style sound. It is very song with strong drum and guitar riffs throughout the piece. Lyrically, the song is deep as is the norm for Switchfoot work, providing a message about the modern world. That's all for this week, and we'll run this again next week.

5/29 Baseball

Today we have a full slate on the schedule, as well as an additional game with the Red Sox and Tigers playing a pair. We lead off with the first half of the doubleheader, and the second will be near the end.

Comerica Park: Detroit Tigers hosting the Boston Red Sox in the first game of the doubleheader. On the mound are Clay Buchholz and Andy Oliver. Boston drew first blood with Adrian Gonzalez's sacrifice fly leading to Jacoby Ellsbury scoring. The Red Sox added on in the second inning with a solo home run by Mike Cameron. Boston got another solo shot in the third, this time by Dustin Pedroia. Detroit got on the board with a solo home run by Andy Dirks in the fourth. Brennan Boesch tacked on his own solo shot in the sixth for the Tigers, and they tied it with a Jhonny Peralta single to score Miguel Cabrera. The Red Sox took a 4-3 lead in the ninth with a pinch-hit solo shot by David Ortiz, enough to win the game. Matt Albers got the win, Jose Valverde took the loss, and Jonathan Papelbon closed out for the save. Cameron and Dirks were the top batters. Scroll down for the second game in the doubleheader.

Rogers Centre: Toronto Blue Jays welcome the Chicago White Sox. Pitching today are John Danks and Ricky Romero. Chicago struck first with a solo home run by Carlos Quentin. Toronto replied with a Jose Bautista single to tie it as Yunel Escobar crossed the plate, took the lead on a grand slam by Aaron Hill, also scoring Corey Patterson, Bautista, and J.P. Arencibia, and supplementing the lead with Edwin Encarnacion's solo shot. The White Sox got one back with Paul Konerko's single driving in Juan Pierre. The Blue Jays added on with Escobar singling home Rajai Davis before Patterson lifted a two-run homer to finish Escobr's trip. Toronto kept it up in the fifth as Jayson Nix doubled Encarnacion and Davis in, before Patterson singled to finish his trip. Arencibia helped the Blue Jays cause in the sixth on a single to bring in Juan Rivera. Chicago added on a two-run homer by Ramon Castro, also scoring Alex Rios. The final would have the Blue Jays up 13-4, with Romero taking the win and Danks taking the loss. Castro and Patterson are the top batters. The Blue Jays took the series 3-1.

Citi Field: The New York Mets host the Philadelphia Phillies. Vance Worley and Jonathon Niese take the ball to pitch. New York replied with a Justin Turner groundout that allowed Jose Reyes to reach home, followed by Angel Pagan reaching base and Jason Bay scoring on a Jimmy Rollins error, Josh Thole singling in Daniel Murphy, and Ruben Tejada's single to finish the trip by Pagan. The Mets added on with Murphy singling home Carlos Beltran, Pagan doing the same for Bay and Thole doubling in both Murphy and Pagan. Philadelphia answered in the third with Placido Polanco singling in Dane Sardinha. New York went back at it with Reyes tripling Thole home in the fifth. The Phillies got another run with a solo shot by Raul Ibanez, followed by Sardinha doubling in Ben Francisco, and Dominic Brown finishing Sardinha's trip with a single. In the ninth, Philadelphia cut the score to 9-5 with a Francisco double scoring Ibanez, but it wouldn't be enough and Worley would suffer the loss while Niese grabbed the win. Sardinha and Reyes were the top hitters. The Phillies still took the series 2-1.

Nationals Park: The Washington Nationals host the San Diego Padres. The starters today are Dustin Moseley and Yunesky Maya. Washington opened with Jayson Werth singling in Roger Bernadina, and followed with Laynce Nix's sacrifice fly to score Ian Desmond. San Diego started scoring in the fourth with a Ryan Ludwick single to knock in Jason Bartlett. The Padres added on with the fifth inning single by Brad Hawpe to force in Logan Forsythe and Bartlett both, and Chase Headley doubling in Ludwick. The Nationals replied with Bernadina doubling in Rick Ankiel. Washington tied it with Michael Morse reaching on a fielder's choice and Werth coming home to score. San Diego took a 5-4 lead with Ludwick's single allowing Jorge Cantu to come home. This was the final, and Luke Gregerson got the win, Drew Storen suffered the loss, and Heath Bell closed out for a save. Ludwick and Werth were the best batters. The Padres took the series 2-1.

Tropicana Field: The Tampa Bay Rays welcome in the Cleveland Indians. Justin Masterson and Jeremy Hellickson will oppose each other. Tampa Bay opened the scoring in the third with Johnny Damon singling in Reid Brignac and Evan Longoria dashing home on a passed ball. The Rays added on with a two-run homer from John Jaso in the fourth, also scoring B.J. Upton. Tampa Bay kept going in the fifth on a Ben Zobrist groundout to score Longoria, and Sam Fuld singling in Damon, followed by Sean Rodriguez coming home on an error. The final was 7-0, with Hellickson winning and Masterson losing. The top hitters were Travis Buck and Jaso. Tampa Bay took the series 2-1.

Minute Maid Park: The Houston Astros hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks. Josh Collmenter and J.A. Happ go to the mound today. Houston opened with Jeff Keppinger scoring on a balk. In the fifth, Astros pitcher Happ added on with a solo home run. Arizona entered the scoring in the sixth on a Chris Young sacrifice fly to bring in Justin Upton. The Diamondbacks got the lead in the eighth with Xavier Nady doubling in both Ryan Roberts and Young, followed by Juan Miranda's single to finish the trip around for Nady. The final would be 4-2 Arizona, with Aaron Heilman winning, Jeff Fulchino taking the loss, and J.J. Putz converting the save. Nady and Happ were the best hitters. The Diamondbacks swept 3-0 for the series.

Miller Park: The Milwaukee Brewers host the San Francisco Giants. Aces Matt Cain and Yovani Gallardo will pitch. Milwaukee opened with Ryan Braun singling in Rickie Weeks, and Casey McGehee doing the same for Nyjer Morgan. The Brewers added on with a third inning Prince Fielder single, scoring Braun. Weeks helped Milwaukee out in the sixth with a two-RBI double to bring in Yuniesky Betancourt and Gallardo. The Brewers kept it up in the seventh with Fielder's single allowing Braun to score. The final would be 6-0, with Gallardo winning and Cain losing. Freddy Sanchez and Weeks were the best hitters. The Brewers took the series 2-1.

Target Field: The Minnesota Twins play host to the Anaheim Angels. Dan Haren will oppose Carl Pavano. Minnesota opened with a single by Jason Kubel to drive home Denard Span. Anaheim got the lead in the third with Erick Aybar's two-RBI triple to knock home Alexi Amarista and Jeff Mathis, and he scored on a Trevor Plouffe error. Minnesota replied with Justin Morneau singling in Alexi Casilla. The Angels answered back with a fifth inning Aybar single to score Mathis. The Twins pulled closer with a Casilla groundout leading to Plouffe scoring. Anaheim replied with a Bobby Abreu double to score Aybar. Mark Trumbo added one more run for the Angels with a solo home run. The Twins got a run back with Span singling in Matt Tolbert, followed by Morneau singling in Span, but it would only wind up creating a 6-5 loss. Haren won, Pavano lost, and Jordan Walden picked up a sloppy save. Aybar and Morneau were the best hitters. The Angels took the series 2-1.

Wrigley Field: The Chicago Cubs welcome the Pittsburgh Pirates. Jeff Karstens and Ryan Dempster are pitching. Pittsburgh led off after a long delay with Lyle Overbay doubling in both Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker. Chicago answered with a solo home run by Aramis Ramirez and Koyie Hill sacrificing to score Carlos Pena. The Cubs took the lead with Starlin Castro sacrificing himself to score Kosuke Fukudome. The final was 3-2 Chicago, with Karstens losing, Dempster winning, and Carlos Marmol converting the save. Overbay and Ramirez were deemed best hitters. Pittsburgh took the series 2-1.

Rangers Ballpark in Arlington: The Texas Rangers play host to the Kansas City Royals. On the mound are Danny Duffy and Alexi Ogando. Texas got going in the second with Mike Napoli doubling in Michael Young. The Rangers added on with a solo home run by Ian Kinsler in the third inning. Kansas City got on the board with Wilson Betemit doubling in the fourth to drive in Melky Cabrera, Mitch Maier singling in Billy Butler, and Brayan Pena wiping the bases clean with a three run shot, scoring Betemit and Maier. Texas got a run back with Napoli launching a solo shot. The Rangers tied it in the eighth on a two-run homer from Young, also driving in Andres Blanco. The Royals retook the lead as Alcides Escobar hit a sacrifice fly to bring around Chris Getz. Texas tied it back up with a solo home run by Nelson Cruz, and won it 7-6 on Elvis Andrus single that brought home Napoli. Greg Holland had a hold before Aaron Crow and Joakim Soria both blew saves, Soria's being the loss. Arthur Rhodes picked up the win. Pena and Napoli were the top batters. Texas took the series 2-1. 

Coors Field: The Colorado Rockies host the St. Louis Cardinals. Kyle Lohse and Jhoulys Chacin get the ball to pitch. St. Louis led off with Jon Jay's two run homer to score Ryan Theriot, and Yadier Molina singling home Lance Berkman. Colorado got on the board with Eric Young's sacrifice fly to bring home Chris Iannetta. The Cardinals replied in the fourth with a solo home run by Cobly Rasmus.The Rockies got a run back as Ty Wigginton doubled in Todd Helton. Young snagged another run for Colorado by singling to knock around Ryan Spilborghs, but St. Louis held on to win 4-3. Lohse picks up the win, Chacin takes the loss, and Fernando Salas converts the save. Rasmus and Wigginton were the top hitters. The Cardinals took the series 2-1.

Overstock.com Coliseum: The Oakland Atheltics play host to the Baltimore Orioles. Zach Britton and Guillermo Moscoso are pitching. Oakland led off with a Josh Willingham single to bring around Daric Barton. Baltimore opened the floodgates with Felix Pie singling in J.J. Hardy, Nolan Reimold walking to force in Mark Reynolds, Nick Markakis grounding out to score Robert Andino, and Vladimir Guerrero doing the same to finish Pie's trip. The Athletics got one back with Conor Jackson singling home Cliff Pennington, followed by Willingham's three-run homer to score Coco Crisp and Jackson as well in the bottom of the fifth. Oakland added on to their lead with Barton's sacrifice fly to bring home Mark Ellis. The final would be 6-4 for the Athletics, giving Moscoso the win, Britton the loss, and Brian Fuentes collected the save. Oakland swept the series 3-0.

Safeco Field: The Seattle Mariners welcome the New York Yankees. CC Sabathia and Jason Vargas get the starts. New York opened in the second with a solo home run by Nick Swisher. The Yankees added on with a third inning Robinson Cano single knocking in Curtis Granderson, Andruw Jones' three-run double to score Alex Rodriguez, Cano, and Swisher, and Eduardo Nunez tripling in Jones. New York added on in the fourth with Mark Teixeira singling in Granderson. Seattle got on the board in the sixth with a solo home run by Justin Smoak. The final stood 7-1 New York, with Sabathia winning and Vargas losing. Granderson and Smoak were the best batters. Seattle took the series 2-1.

Dodger Stadium: The Los Angeles Dodgers host the Florida Marlins. On the mound are aces Ricky Nolasco and Clayton Kershaw. Los Angeles opened with a two-run homer by Rafael Furcal, also scoring Kershaw, followed by Jay Gibbons singling in Andre Ethier, and Dioner Navarro doing the same for Matt Kemp, all in the third inning. The Dodgers added on with Kershaw's fielder's choice leading to a Gibbons run, and Furcal singling in Navarro, followed by Casey Blake's two-RBI single to score Kershaw and Furcal. The 8-0 score would be the final, with Nolasco losing and Kershaw throwing a two-hit complete game for the win. Logan Morrison and Furcal were the top batters. The Dodgers took the series 2-1.

Comerica Park: The Detroit Tigers set up for game two of the day against the Boston Red Sox. Aces Josh Beckett and Justin Verlander will get the ball. Detroit led off with Brennan Boesch doubling in Andy Dirks before coming full circle on a Miguel Cabrera single. Don Kelly padded the Tigers lead with a single to score Cabrera, producing the 3-0 final that gave Verlander the win, Beckett the loss, and Jose Valverde the save. J.D. Drew and Cabrera were the best hitters. Boston took the series 3-1.

Turner Field: The last game of the day has the Atlanta Braves hosting the Cincinnati Reds. Johnny Cueto and Jair Jurrjens are on the mound. Cincinnati struck first with a second inning solo home run by Jay Bruce. Atlanta took the lead with a two-run Martin Prado homer, also scoring Jordan Schafer. This would decide the game, with the Braves winning 2-1, Jurrjens picking up the win, Cueto taking a complete game loss, and Craig Kimbrel making the save. Bruce and Prado were the top hitters.

Eastern Conference Final: 3 Boston Bruins VS 5 Tampa Bay Lightning

Game 1: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts. In net: Dwayne Roloson for Tampa Bay and Tim Thomas for Boston. Tampa Bay led off with Sean Bergenheim potting his eighth of the postseason, courtesy of Dominic Moore and Victor Hedman. Nineteen seconds later, the Lightning got another goal, as Brett Clark notched his first of the playoffs, an unassisted goal. Tampa Bay kept going as Teddy Purcell netted his second of the postseason, also requiring no help. Boston got on the board with Tyler Seguin scoring his first of the playoffs, with helpers provided by Michael Ryder and Rich Peverley. After a scoreless second period, the Lightning got back to work with a power play goal by Marc-Andre Bergeron, his second of the postseason powered by Clark and Martin St. Louis. Tampa Bay added an empty netter by Simon Gagne, his third of the playoffs guided in by Teddy Purcell. The Bruins made it 5-2 with Johnny Boychuk registering his third of the postseason, with the lone assist by Seguin. Moore, Clark, and Roloson (31 for 33 saves) were the three stars. Tampa Bay got out to an early 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts. In net: Dwayne Roloson for Tampa Bay and Tim Thomas for Boston. Tampa Bay opened the scoring thirteen seconds into the game with Adam Hall netting his first of the postseason, with help from Vincent Lecavalier and Nate Thompson. Nathan Horton tied it for Boston on the power play with his sixth of the playoffs, thanks to Dennis Seidenberg and Tomas Kaberle. The Lightning took the lead back with seven seconds left in the first period as Martin St. Louis notched his seventh of the postseason, helped along by Steven Stamkos and Lecavalier. The Bruins tied it in the second period on Tyler Seguin's second of the playoffs, coming off of Michael Ryder. Boston took the lead with David Krejci potting his sixth of the postseason, courtesy of Seidenberg and Horton. Seguin tallied again later in the period for the Bruins, his third of the playoffs and second of the game guided in by Horton and Adam McQuaid. Tampa Bay got one back as Lecavalier put away his sixth of the postseason on the power play, powered by St. Louis and Stamkos. Ryder answered back with a pair of goals, his third and fourth of the playoffs, the first coming on the power play via Seguin and Kaberle and the latter aided by Chris Kelly and Seguin at even strength. Mike Smith relieved Roloson for the third period. The Lightning got back to work in the third with Stamkos registering his fifth of the postseason, assisted by Victor Hedman and Hall. Tampa Bay made it 6-5 with Dominic Moore sinking his third of the playoffs, made possible by Lecavalier, who completed a sock trick, and Sean Bergenheim. This was the final, with Seguin, Lecavalier, and Ryder taking the three stars. The series heads south tied at 1.

Game 3: St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa Bay, Florida. In net: Tim Thomas for Boston and Dwayne Roloson for Tampa Bay. Boston led off with a David Krejci goal, his seventh of the postseason coming via Milan Lucic and Johnny Boychuk. The Bruins made it 2-0 in the third period with Andrew Ference potting his second of the playoffs, assisted by Michael Ryder and Chris Kelly. This was the final, with Thomas (31 save shutout), Krejci, and the returning-from-injury Patrice Bergeron getting the three stars. Boston took a 2-1 series lead.

Game 4: St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa Bay, Florida. In net: Tim Thomas for Boston and Dwayne Roloson for Tampa Bay. Boston led off with the third of the postseason by Patrice Bergeron, an unassisted goal. Michael Ryder added on for the Bruins with his fifth of the playoffs, with Chris Kelly and Tomas Kaberle adding on assists. Bergeron soon struck again, his second of the game and fourth of the postseason coming shorthanded with no help. Mike Smith relieved Roloson after this goal. Teddy Purcell got two goals back for Tampa Bay, his third and fourth of the playoffs, with Simon Gagne taking the lone assist on the first, and Mattias Ohlund and Vincent Lecavalier helping out on the second. The Lightning tied it with Sean Bergenheim netting his ninth of the postseason, courtesy of Dominic Moore. Gagne put Tampa Bay in front with his fourth of the playoffs, coming off of Ryan Malone. Martin St. Louis solidified the win at 5-3 with an empty netter, his eighth of the postseason, guided in by Gagne and Victor Hedman. Malone, Purcell, and Smith (21 saves in relief) were the three stars. The series goes back north tied at 2.

Game 5: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts. In net: Mike Smith for Tampa Bay and Tim Thomas for Boston. Tampa Bay led off with a Simon Gagne goal, his fifth of the postseason, assisted by Steven Stamkos. Boston tied it in the second period with a Nathan Horton tally, his seventh of the playoffs coming off of Milan Lucic and David Krejci. The Bruins took the lead on a Brad Marchand marker, his sixth of the postseason, courtesy of Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara. Boston finished it off 3-1 with an empty net goal by Rich Peverley, his second of the playoffs, made possible by Chris Kelly. The three stars were awarded to Thomas (33 for 34 saves), Bergeron, and Dennis Seidenberg. Boston takes a 3-2 series lead with the win.

Game 6: St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa Bay, Florida. In net: Tim Thomas for Boston and Dwayne Roloson for Tampa Bay. Teddy Purcell led off for Tampa Bay with his fifth of the postseason, coming via Vincent Lecavalier. Boston tied it with a Milan Lucic tally, his third of the playoffs, courtesy of Nathan Horton and Johnny Boychuk. The Bruins took the lead with David Krejci netting his eighth of the postseason, thanks to Daniel Paille. The Lightning retied it in the second period with a power play goal by Martin St. Louis, powered by Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos for his ninth of the playoffs. Tampa Bay took the lead on another power play goal, the sixth of the postseason by Purcell, also his second of the game, made possible by Steve Downie and Brett Clark. Stamkos added on for the Lightning in the third period with his sixth of the playoffs, fueled by Eric Brewer and St. Louis, once again on the power play. Boston answered with a power play goal of their own, the ninth of the postseason by Krejci, also his second of the game, helped in by Horton and Tomas Kaberle. St. Louis replied with his second of the game and tenth of the playoffs, assisted by Downie and Stamkos. Krejci finished his hat trick, making it 5-4 with his tenth of the postseason, with helpers provided by Lucic and Kaberle. The Bruins would fall short though, and they lost by that aforementioned score. St. Louis, Krejci, and Purcell were the three stars. This tied the series at 3, forcing a game 7.

Game 7: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts. In net: Dwayne Roloson for Tampa Bay and Tim Thomas for Boston. The game went scoreless through two periods, until Nathan Horton redirected the puck home, his eighth of the postseason made possible by David Krejci and Andrew Ference. This would be the final score, putting Boston on top 1-0. Horton, Thomas (24 save shutout), and Roloson (37 for 38 saves) were the three stars. With the win, the Bruins take the series 4-3 and will represent the east in the Stanley Cup.

Western Conference Final: 1 Vancouver Canucks VS 2 San Jose Sharks

Game 1: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia. In net: Antti Niemi for San Jose and Roberto Luongo for Vancouver. San Jose led off with Joe Thornton notching his third of the postseason, an unassisted goal. Vancouver tied it with Maxim Lapierre netting his first of the playoffs, thanks to Jannik Hansen and Raffi Torres. The Sharks retook the lead on a power play goal from Patrick Marleau, his fourth of the postseason powered by Dan Boyle and Thornton. The Canucks tied it again in the third period as Kevin Bieksa registered his second of the playoffs, courtesy of Alexandre Burrows and Henrik Sedin. Henrik put Vancouver in the lead 3-2 with his second of the postseason, a power play goal fueled by Christian Ehrhoff and Ryan Kesler. This was the final, with Henrik, Niemi (35 for 38 saves), and Bieksa getting the three stars. Vancouver's win gives them a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia. In net: Antti Niemi for San Jose and Roberto Luongo for Vancouver. Please note that all goals in this game are power play unless explicitly mentioned otherwise. San Jose led off with Logan Couture's seventh of the postseason, courtesy of Dany Heatley and Ian White. Vancouver answered with Daniel Sedin potting his seventh of the playoffs, thanks to Henrik Sedin and Dan Hamhuis. The Canucks took the lead with Raffi Torres netting his second of the postseason, at even strength from Christian Ehrhoff and Jannik Hansen. The Sharks retied it with Patrick Marleau recording his fifth of the playoffs, powered by Joe Thornton and Dan Boyle. Vancouver retook the lead on Kevin Bieksa's third of the postseason, an even strength goal from Chris Higgins and Hamhuis. Bieksa would drop the gloves with Marleau later in the period. Higgins tallied his fourth of the playoffs for the Canucks in the third period, with helpers provided by Mason Raymond and Bieksa, the latter finishing his Gordie Howe hat trick for the game. Daniel notched his second of the game and eighth of the postseason for Vancouver shortly after, with Henrik and Alexander Edler droing the rest of the work. The Canucks added on again with and Aaron Rome goal, the even strength tally being his first of the playoffs, coming via Alexandre Burrows and Henrik Sedin, the latter finishing up a sock trick. Vancouver tacked on another as Raymond sank his second of the postseason, assisted by Higgins and another sock trick earner, Hamhuis at even strength. San Jose cut the damage to 7-3 with Ben Eager registering his first of the playoffs, fueled by Joe Pavelski and Marc-Edouard Vlasic at even strength. Bieksa, Higgins, and Henrik were the three stars. Vancouver lead the series 2-0.

Game 3: HP Pavilion, San Jose, California. In net: Roberto Luongo for Vancouver and Antti Niemi for San Jose. San Jose struck first with a power play goal by Patrick Marleau, his sixth of the postseason powered by Joe Thornton and Devin Setoguchi. The Sharks extended their lead with Ryane Clowe potting his fifth of the playoffs on the power play, courtesy of Dan Boyle and Ian White. San Jose kept rolling with Marleau notching his second of the game and seventh of the postseason, with the lone assist by Thornton. Vancouver got on the board in the third period with Alexandre Burrows netting his fifth of the playoffs, unassisted. The Sharks got the goal back with Boyle's third of the postseason made possible by Marleau and a sock-trick completing assist from Thornton. The Canucks answered with the first of the playoffs by Dan Hamhuis, assisted by Henrik Sedin on the power play. Vancouver pulled within one on another power play goal, registered by Kevin Bieksa as his fourth of the postseason, guided in by Mason Raymond and Jannik Hansen. They would fall 4-3 in the end, with the three stars going to Thornton, Marleau, and Douglas Murray. The Canucks lead has been cut to 2-1.

Game 4: HP Pavilion, San Jose, California. In net: Roberto Luongo for Vancouver and Antti Niemi for San Jose. Vancouver opened the scoring in the second period with a power play goal by Ryan Kesler, his sixth of the postseason, powered by Sami Salo and Henrik Sedin. Salo added on a pair of power play goals for the Canucks, his second and third of the playoffs, with Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin collecting a pair of assists each, Henrik completing a sock trick with his. Vancouver struck again in the third period with the sixth of the postseason by Alexandre Burrows, and Henrik and Daniel again provided assists, with Daniel finishing a sock trick. San Jose got on the board with an Andrew Desjardins goal, his first of the playoffs, assisted by Kent Huskins and Jamie McGinn. Ryane Clowe made it 4-2 with his sixth of the postseason for the Sharks, helped along by Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau. This was the final, with the three stars going to Henrik, Salo, and Daniel. Vancouver now has a 3-1 series lead.

Game 5: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia. In net: Antti Niemi for San Jose and Roberto Luongo for Vancouver. Vancouver opened the scoring with Alexandre Burrows' seventh of the postseason, coming off of Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. San Jose tied it on the power play with the eighth of the playoffs by Patrick Marleau, powered by Dan Boyle and Joe Pavelski. Devin Setoguchi put the Sharks in front in the third period with his seventh of the postseason, guided in by Pavelski and Kent Huskins. The Canucks retied it with 14 seconds remaining in regulation on a Ryan Kesler goal, his seventh of the playoffs, finding twine thanks to Henrik and Alexander Edler. In the second overtime, Kevin Bieksa gave Vancouver the 3-2 win with his fifth of the postseason, a strange goal from Edler and Burrows. Luongo (54 for 56 saves), Bieksa, and Joe Thornton took the three stars. Vancouver's win gave them a 4-1 series victory and a shot at the Stanley Cup.

Fantasy Baseball All-Stars, Week 7

This week's top players are:

Catcher: Yadier Molina, 3 runs, 13 hits, 0 home runs, 4 RBIs, 0 stolen bases, .565 batting average, .615 on base percentage.
First Base: Jason Giambi, 4 runs, 5 hits, 4 home runs, 8 RBIs, 0 stolen bases, .417 batting average, .417 on base percentage
Second Base: Adam Kennedy, 3 runs, 8 hits, 1 home run, 2 RBIs, 4 stolen bases, .421 batting average, .455 on base percentage
Third Base: Alex Rodriguez, 7 runs, 13 hits, 3 home runs, 4 RBIs, 0 stolen bases, .419 batting average, .438 on base percentage
Shortstop: Asdrubal Cabrera, 9 runs, 11 hits, 3 home runs, 7 RBIs, 3 stolen bases, .379 batting average, .419 on base percentage
Outfield: Jay Bruce, 5 runs, 10 hits, 3 home runs, 4 RBIs, 0 stolen bases, .455 batting average, .500 on base percentage
Starting Pitcher: Michael Pineda, 14 innings pitched, 2 wins, 16 strikeouts, 0.00 earned run average, 0.43 WHIP
Relief Pitcher: Fernando Salas, 5 innings pitched, 1 win, 4 saves, 6 strikeouts, 0 holds, 1.80 earned run average, 0.80 WHIP