Tuesday, June 5, 2012

MLB Day 65 2012

Back to the full slate of games again, beginning in...

Philadelphia, as the Phillies host the Los Angeles Dodgers. Chad Billingsley and Cliff Lee are the well-known starters. Philadelphia struck first in the first inning as Hunter Pence singled to score Jimmy Rollins. Los Angeles took the lead in the eighth on a 2-RBI Elian Herrera double, scoring both Bobby Abreu and Dee Gordon. This was held up for a 2-1 win, with Billingsley picking up the win, Kenley Jansen earning the save, and Lee taking a very unlucky loss.

West into Detroit, as the Tigers welcome the Cleveland Indians. Ubaldo Jimenez and Drew Smyly will pick up the starts. Detroit was first to score in the first inning as Miguel Cabrera doubled to knock in Quintin Berry. Cleveland tied it on a third inning Asdrubal Cabrera triple to force in Shin-Soo Choo. The Indians took the lead in the fifth inning with Lou Marson tripling in Lonnie Chisenhall before coming home on a Choo single. Cleveland added on in the sixth inning as Michael Brantley ripped a triple to drive in Shelley Duncan. The Tigers tried a ninth inning rally with a sacrifice fly by Brennan Boesch giving time for Gerald Laird to dash home, but this only made it 4-2, a final. Jimenez was credited with the win, Chris Perez turned the save, and Smyly was stuck with the loss.

East again into the Bronx, as the New York Yankees host the Tampa Bay Rays. James Shields and Andy Pettitte are the reliable pitchers. New York opened in the first inning as Raul Ibanez reached on an error, allowing both Curtis Granderson and Alex Rodriguez to dash home. The Yankees padded the lead in the fourth inning with a Russell Martin grand slam, sweeping in Ibanez, Nick Swisher, and Eric Chavez. New York got another in the fifth inning as Swisher doubled to drive in Robinson Cano. This made it 7-0, a final, as Pettitte earned the win while Shields was shelled in the loss.

Over to D.C., as the Washington Nationals host the New York Mets. Chris Young and Jordan Zimmermann will be pitching. Washington began with a third inning Bryce Harper single to drive in Danny Espinosa. The Nationals added on in the fifth inning with Ryan Zimmerman singling to score the pitcher Zimmermann, and also Steve Lombardozzi after an error. New York got on the board in the sixth inning with solo home runs by Jordany Valdespin and David Wright. The Mets got the lead in the eighth inning on a Andres Torres double scoring both Valdespin and Scott Hairston. Washington tied it up in the bottom of the eighth as Ian Desmond singled home Zimmerman. New York took the lead again in the tenth inning as Hairston scored on a wild pitch. The Nationals retied it in their half of the inning with Desmond reaching on an error, allowing safe passage home for Zimmerman. The Mets took the lead once again in the twelfth inning on a Hairston solo home run. Washington tied it back up with a Michael Morse solo shot in the bottom of the twelfth, and they won it on a Harper single to drive in Jesus Flores for a 7-6 victory, a hard-fought win. Ross Detwiler was in line for the win, while Elvin Ramirez suffered the loss.

Into Ohio, as the Cincinnati Reds host the Pittsburgh Pirates. A.J. Burnett and Homer Bailey are the veteran starters. Cincinnati led off in the first inning with Joey Votto singling in Zack Cozart, followed by a Jay Bruce sacrifice fly plating Drew Stubbs. Pittsburgh answered in the second inning as Casey McGehee singled to score Garrett Jones and Clint Barmes doubled home Rod Barajas. The Pirates added on with a third inning two-run home run by Neil Walker, also scoring Alex Presley, followed by a 2-RBI single from Barmes to knock in Matt Hague and McGehee. Pittsburgh extended the lead on a fifth inning McGehee solo home run. The Pirates got another in the sixth inning on a Presley solo shot. The Reds got one back in their half of the inning as Todd Frazier hit a sacrifice fly, allowing Bruce to come home. Cincinnati tried a ninth inning rally as Votto singled Cozart across the dish, but this only made it 8-4, a final score. Burnett was given the win, Joel Hanrahan turned his fifteenth save of the season, and Bailey was on the hook for the loss.

Down in Florida, the Miami Marlins host the Atlanta Braves. Tim Hudson and Anibal Sanchez are the staff aces set to start. Atlanta busted things open in the second inning as Jason Heyward grounded out to bring in Dan Uggla. The Braves struck again in the fourth inning with an Uggla solo home run and an Andrelton Simmons single to score Freddie Freeman. Atlanta kept going in the seventh inning as Simmons tripled Heyward across the plate before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Hudson, followed by Uggla singling in both Michael Bourn and Martin Prado. The Braves put some more runs on the board in the ninth inning as Uggla hit a two-run home run, also scoring Prado, followed by Simmons singling in Freeman and Hudson doing the same for Heyward. This made the final 11-0, with Hudson, who batted eighth tonight, getting a complete-game shutout while allowing just five hits and three walks, and Sanchez was drilled in the loss.

Back north, the Boston Red Sox host the Baltimore Orioles. Jason Hammel and Jon Lester have the green light to start. Baltimore started in the third inning as Adam Jones singled in Endy Chavez, followed by Matt Wieters singling to score Robert Andino. Boston tied it in the fifth inning as Scott Podsednik reached on a fielder's choice that combined with an error to bring home Daniel Nava, followed by Dustin Pedroia hitting a sacrifice fly to score Mike Aviles. The Orioles took the lead back in the sixth inning as Steve Pearce hit a sacrifice fly that got Wieters safely home. The Red Sox stole the lead again in the bottom of the sixth with Aviles singling Ryan Sweeney in, followed by a Podsednik sacrifice fly to allow Nava to get home. Baltimore went back ahead in the seventh inning as J.J. Hardy singled Chavez across the dish, Mark Reynolds singled to score Andino, and Pearce followed suit for Jones. Boston evened the score in the ninth inning as Jarrod Saltalamacchia went yard for a two-run homer, sweeping in David Ortiz. The Orioles won it 8-6 after a tenth inning Ronny Paulino single driving in Reynolds before he came home on a Chavez single, and the bullpen made it stand. Jim Johnson was in line for the win while Alfredo Aceves took another loss.

Southwest to Houston, as the Astros welcome the St. Louis Cardinals. Jaime Garcia and Lucas Harrell will be sent out to pitch. St. Louis got going with a first inning Matt Holliday groundout to score Rafael Furcal. Houston tied it in their half of the inning on a J.D. Martinez single scoring Jose Altuve, before he scored on a wild pitch, followed by Chris Snyder singling in both Chris Johnson and Brett Wallace. The Astros padded the lead in the second inning as Justin Maxwell hit a two-run home run, also scoring Altuve. The Cardinals got some back in the third inning with a three-run home run by Matt Adams, sweeping in Allen Craig and David Freese. Houston shot back in the fourth inning on a Brian Bogusevic solo home run. The Astros got some more in the sixth inning as Jed Lowrie reached on an error, bringing home Altuve. Houston struck again in the seventh inning as Wallace doubled to bring home Johnson. St. Louis tried to rally back in the ninth inning as Adron Chambers tripled to force in Adams and Tony Cruz before coming home on a two-run home run by Furcal, but they didn't get the equalizer, falling by a 9-8 score. Harrell got the win, Brett Myers turned the save, and Garcia was not able to avoid the loss.

Up in Kansas City, the Royals host the Minnesota Twins. Francisco Liriano and Bruce Chen are tabbed as the starters tonight. Kansas City began on a Brayan Pena single, scoring Eric Hosmer in the second inning. This was all the scoring we'd see, with Chen picking up the 1-0 win, Jonathan Broxton successfully converting the save, and Liriano getting no help in the loss.

Farther north, the Milwaukee Brewers host the Chicago Cubs. Ryan Dempster and Yovani Gallardo pace the game. Chicago wasted little time to open the scoring with a first inning three-run Alfonso Soriano home run, also scoring Starlin Castro and David DeJesus. The Cubs struck again in the fourth inning on a Bryan LaHair solo home run. Chicago kept going in the fifth inning as DeJesus sacrificed to bring home Tony Campana. The Cubs rallied to score some more in the eighth inning, as Steve Clevenger singled DeJesus home, followed by Darwin Barney singling to drive in Soriano, and Adrian Cardenas walking with the bases loaded to force in Clevenger. Chicago made it 10-0 in the ninth inning on a two-run home run by Jeff Baker, sweeping in DeJesus. This was a final, with Dempster pitching effectively in the win, while Gallardo had no help in the loss.

South to Chicago, as the White Sox host the Toronto Blue Jays. Ricky Romero and Philip Humber play from the mound. Toronto got started with a first inning bases-loaded walk drawn by David Cooper to force in Colby Rasmus. Chicago tied it up in their half of the inning on a Dayan Viciedo double, bringing in Alejandro De Aza. The Blue Jays added on with a pair of two-run home runs in the fifth inning, with Rasmus smacking a long ball to bring home Brett Lawrie before Cooper went yard and took Yunel Escobar with him. Toronto struck again in the sixth inning as Jose Bautista singled home Lawrie, followed by Kelly Johnson doing the same for Rasmus. The White Sox answered in the seventh inning with a two-run A.J. Pierzynski home run, also scoring Alex Rios, followed by a De Aza fielder's choice to score Orlando Hudson. The Blue Jays padded the lead in the eighth inning with a Rasmus double bringing home Lawrie, followed by Bautista hitting a sacrifice fly to finish his trip around. Chicago got one back in the bottom of the eighth as Adam Dunn hit a solo shot. This made it 9-5, a final, with Romero grabbing the win and Humber taking the loss.

Southwest to Arizona, with the Diamondbacks hosting the Colorado Rockies. Jeremy Guthrie and Ian Kennedy were on the hill. Arizona got going in the second inning with a two-run home run by Aaron Hill, also scoring Lyle Overbay. The Diamondbacks struck again in the third inning as Jason Kubel hit a two-run homer, sweeping in Gerardo Parra. Arizona added on in the fourth inning as Kubel singled in both Parra and Willie Bloomquist, before scoring on Chris Young single. The Diamondbacks extended the lead in the eighth inning as Parra hit a solo shot, followed by Kubel tripling to force in Bloomquist, and then he came home on a sacrifice fly by Miguel Montero. This made it 10-0, a final, with the win going to Kennedy and the loss to Guthrie.

Out in California, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim host the Seattle Mariners. Blake Beaven and Garrett Richards are the relatively unknown pitchers. Los Angeles got going in the second inning on solo home runs by Mark Trumbo and Torii Hunter. Seattle got one back in the third inning with a Michael Saunders solo shot. The Angels shot back in the bottom of the third as Albert Pujols singled in Maicer Izturis before scoring on a Trumbo single. Los Angeles padded the lead in the fifth inning with a two-run home run by Trumbo, also scoring Pujols. The scoring ended here, with the Angels winning 6-1, allowing Richards the win while Beaven was stuck with the loss.

Up the coast, the Oakland Athletics host the Texas Rangers. Derek Holland opposes a lesser foe in Travis Blackley. Texas opened in the third inning as Ian Kinsler doubled in both Mike Napoli and Yorvit Torrealba, before scoring on a Josh Hamilton double. The Rangers struck again in the fourth inning as Torrealba hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Nelson Cruz. Texas added on in the fifth inning when Michael Young tripled, forcing in Adrian Beltre. Oakland got some back in the bottom of the fifth as Collin Cowgill hit a two-run home run, also scoring Kurt Suzuki. The Athletics pulled closer in the sixth inning on a Yoenis Cespedes solo home run. The Rangers iced it at 6-3 in the ninth inning with Elvis Andrus singling Kinsler across the dish. The win was credited to Holland while Joe Nathan turned the save, and Blackley was pinned with the loss.

Finally, down in San Diego, the Padres host the San Francisco Giants. Tim Lincecum and Anthony Bass get the starting nods. San Diego was first on the board in the second inning with a Carlos Quentin solo home run, followed by Everth Cabrera singling in Chase Headley before coming home alongside Bass on a Cameron Maybin double. San Francisco got one back in the third inning as Ryan Theriot singled in Gregor Blanco. The Giants rallied to tie it in the sixth inning as Theriot doubled in Blanco, before coming home on a sacrifice fly by Buster Posey, and later on Brandon Belt hit a sacrifice fly to knock in Melky Cabrera. San Francisco took the lead in the seventh inning as Theriot singled Brandon Crawford home. The Padres tied it again in the eighth inning as Quentin hit another solo shot. San Diego completed the comeback with a ninth inning Logan Forsythe solo home run for a 6-5 win. Huston Street was welcomed back from the disabled list by picking up the win while Steve Edlefsen was dinged for the loss.

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Monday, June 4, 2012

MLB Day 64 2012

Travel day on the edge of the interleague weeks, with only seven games on today. Two of them are matinees, with the first in...

New York, with the Mets hosting the St. Louis Cardinals. Kyle Lohse and Dillon Gee make the starts. St. Louis began in the fourth inning as Allen Craig singled to score Matt Holliday. New York tied it in the bottom of the fourth with a Lucas Duda solo home run. The Cardinals took the lead again in the seventh inning as Daniel Descalso reached on an error, allowing Craig to get home, followed by a Rafael Furcal fielder's choice to bring home David Freese. The Mets tied it again with a two-run Scott Hairston home run, sweeping in David Wright in the bottom of the seventh. St. Louis shot back in the eighth inning on a two-run homer from Craig, also scoring Holliday. New York got one back in their half of the inning as Andres Torres hit a sacrifice fly, giving Josh Thole time to get home. They couldn't get another equalizer, falling 5-4. Marc Rzepczynski was in line for the win, Jason Motte got the save, and Jon Rauch was on the hook for the loss.

Out in California, the San Francisco Giants host the Chicago Cubs. Jeff Samardzija and Ryan Vogelsong are the underrated starters. Chicago opened in the second inning as Steve Clevenger singled in Bryan LaHair, followed by Samardzija doing the same for Darwin Barney. San Francisco got one back in the bottom of the second as Brandon Crawford doubled home fellow Brandon, Mr. Belt. The Giants tied it in the fifth inning as Crawford grounded into a fielder's choice, giving time for Buster Posey to dash home. San Francisco took the lead in the seventh inning Joaquin Arias grounded into a double play, which provided Posey time to come home again. This made it 3-2, a final, with Vogelsong named the winning pitcher, Jeremy Affeldt picking up a spot save, and Samardzija got stuck with the loss.

Back east, the Philadelphia Phillies host the Los Angeles Dodgers. Clayton Kershaw faces a lesser foe in Vance Worley. Los Angeles got going in the first inning as Juan Rivera singled home Elian Herrera before Bobby Abreu did the same for Andre Ethier. The Dodgers added on in the second inning with a Dee Gordon single to bring in Adam Kennedy. Philadelphia tied it up in the third inning as Freddy Galvis singled to drive in John Mayberry before scoring on a two-run home run by Placido Polanco. Los Angeles took the lead again in the ninth inning as Herrera singled Gordon home. This stood for a 4-3 win, with Ronald Belisario picking up the win, Kenley Jansen turning the save, and Jonathan Papelbon getting pinned with the loss.

Westward again, as the Kansas City Royals host the Minnesota Twins. Cole De Vries and Will Smith are the unknown starters. Minnesota struck early in the first inning with a two-run home run from Josh Willingham, also scoring Ben Revere. The Twins struck again in the second inning with a Jamey Carroll single to knock in Brian Dozier. Kansas City got on the board in the bottom of the second with a Mike Moustakas solo home run. Minnesota answered in the fourth inning as Carroll tripled, forcing in Alexi Casilla. The Royals tied it up in the bottom of the fourth as Moustakas doubled to plate Johnny Giavotella, followed by both Jeff Francoeur and Eric Hosmer reaching on errors, providing time for Billy Butler and Moustakas to score. The Twins gained the lead again in the fifth inning with a two-run home run by Justin Morneau, sweeping in Willingham, followed by Trevor Plouffe hitting a solo shot. Minnesota kept going in the sixth inning as Revere singled Carroll across the dish. Kansas City answered in the bottom of the sixth on a Hosmer sacrifice fly to provide Moustakas time to come home. The Twins padded the lead some more in the eighth inning as Revere singled to score Carroll before coming home himself on a Willingham single. The Royals attempted a rally in the bottom of the ninth as Brayan Pena hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Hosmer and Jarrod Dyson scored on a passed ball, but this only made it 10-7, which was the final. De Vries was in line for the win, Matt Capps completed the save, and Smith was dealt the loss.

Southwest to Arizona, as the Diamondbacks host the Colorado Rockies. Christian Friedrich and Joe Saunders are handed the ball. Colorado wasted no time in scoring first in the first inning with a Marco Scutaro sacrifice fly paving the way to bring home Dexter Fowler. The Rockies added on in the second inning when Willin Rosario singled in Todd Helton, followed by Jordan Pacheco scoring on a passed ball. Colorado got another in the fourth inning on a Rosario solo home run. This was it for the scoring, with 4-0 being the final. Friedrich got the win while Saunders suffered the loss.

Northwest to Oakland, where the Athletics host the Texas Rangers. Scott Feldman and Jarrod Parker take the mound. Oakland struck first with a second inning three-run home run by Brandon Inge, sweeping in Yoenis Cespedes and Seth Smith, followed by Cliff Pennington doubling in Kila Ka'aihue, Jemile Weeks hitting a 2-RBI single to score both Kurt Suzuki and Pennington, Smith singling to finish Weeks' trip around, and Inge singling, bringing home Josh Reddick, capping off an 8-run rally. The Athletics padded the lead in the fifth inning when Ka'aihue hit a two-run homer, also scoring Smith. Oakland extended the lead in the eighth inning as Cespedes doubled, driving in Pennington and Collin Cowgill. Texas got on the board in the ninth inning with a Mike Napoli solo home run, producing a 12-1 final. Parker was extremely dominant in the win, while Feldman was yanked early for his contributions to the loss.

Finally, in Anaheim, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim host the Seattle Mariners. Jason Vargas and Ervin Santana pace the game. Seattle got things going in the first inning with a Kyle Seager solo home run. Los Angeles quickly tied it in their half of the inning on an Albert Pujols sacrifice fly allowing Mike Trout to score. The Mariners got the lead again in the third inning as John Jaso singled in Dustin Ackley and Mike Carp grounded into a fielder's choice to knock in Seager. The Angels pulled back in the fourth inning as Kendrys Morales hit a solo shot. Seattle extended the lead in the fifth inning as Miguel Olivo singled to drive in Jaso, followed by a 3-RBI double from Munenori Kawasaki, plating all of Carp, Olivo, and Michael Saunders. Los Angeles answered in the sixth inning with another solo home run by Morales, followed by Trout singling to bring home Torii Hunter. The Marines shot back as Saunders doubled to score Olivo in the seventh inning. The Angels got some back in the eighth inning with Trout hitting a sacrifice fly to knock in Howie Kendrick and a Maicer Izturis double to drive in Erick Aybar. They never tied it, losing 8-6, with Vargas getting credit for the win, Tom Wilhelmsen closing the door for a save, and Santana not pitching effectively to take a loss.

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Fantasy Baseball All-Stars week 9 2012

Approaching the time of year where halfway stats are starting to be counted up for all-star time. In additon, interleague play is about to come into full swing. Here's who helped pace your teams last week.

1. Dexter Fowler
2. Carlos Gonzalez.
3. Chris Sale
4. Hanley Ramirez
5. James McDonald
6. Drew Hutchison
7. Jason Kipnis
8. Michael Cuddyer
9. Shaun Marcum
10. Curtis Granderson

Obviously, an honorable mention is in store for Johan Santana right now.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

MLB Day 63 2012

Full slate of Sunday baseball, what more can you ask for? I'd also like to thank the regular readers of this blog for our 5,000th view, achieved yesterday while I was out. Here's to another 5,000 and hopefully quicker than 18 months time for them too! For the baseball, we begin in...

Detroit, as the Tigers host the New York Yankees. Phil Hughes and Justin Verlander are the well-known starters. New York began with a first inning Derek Jeter solo home run, followed by a Mark Teixeira sacrifice fly scoring Curtis Granderson. The Yankees added on in the third inning as Alex Rodriguez hit a solo shot. Detroit got one back in the fourth inning as Prince Fielder lifted a solo home run. New York answered in the fifth inning as Robinson Cano tripled to force in Granderson before scoring on an error. The final was 5-1, with Hughes going the distance for the win, while Verlander was a bit off in the loss.

Up in Canada, the Toronto Blue Jays host the Boston Red Sox. Daniel Bard and Drew Hutchison will make the starts. Toronto opened early with a three-home run from Jose Bautista in the first inning, sweeping in Kelly Johnson and Yunel Escobar. The Blue Jays struck again in the second inning as Bautista drew a bases-loaded walk to force in Colby Rasmus, followed by Edwin Encarnacion being hit by a pitch that pushed home J.P. Arencibia. Boston got on the board with a solo home run by Kelly Shoppach in the fifth inning. This was it for the scoring, leaving the final at 5-1, with Hutchison collecting the win while Bard lasted a very short time in the loss.

Back stateside, the Philadelphia Phillies host the Miami Marlins. Carlos Zambrano and Joe Blanton will take the mound. Miami started with a third inning solo home run by the pitcher Zambrano. The Marlins struck again in the fourth inning with a Hanley Ramirez solo shot. Miami rallied onward in the seventh inning as Jose Reyes doubled in both John Buck and Chris Coghlan, followed by Zambrano scoring on a wild pitch. Philadelphia got on the board in the eighth inning as Juan Pierre singled, allowing Brian Schneider to cross home. This made it 5-1, a final, with Zambrano effective on both sides of the ball in the win, Heath Bell closing out for the save, and Blanton getting little help in the loss.

Over to Washington, as the Nationals welcome the Atlanta Braves. Tommy Hanson and Gio Gonzalez are the reliable starters. Washington quickly struck in the first inning as Steve Lombardozzi and Bryce Harper hit solo home runs. Atlanta got one back in the third inning on a Dan Uggla double to bring home Martin Prado. The Braves took the lead in the fifth inning with a 2-RBI single from Jason Heyward, knocking in both Michael Bourn and Uggla. The final stood from here at 3-2, with Hanson picking up the win, Craig Kimbrel tossing the save, and Gonzalez suffering an unlucky loss.

South to Tampa Bay, as the Rays host the Baltimore Orioles. Jake Arrieta and Matt Moore will try to fix their seasons with the starts. Baltimore got things going in the second inning on a Matt Wieters solo home run. Tampa Bay took the lead in the fourth inning as Matt Joyce hit a sacrifice fly, allowing Carlos Pena and B.J. Upton the score, with the latter getting home on an error. The Orioles retied it in the fifth inning as Mark Reynolds singled to drive in Endy Chavez. The Rays got the lead back in the bottom of the fifth with a 2-RBI Upton double, scoring Will Rhymes and Jose Molina. Tampa Bay rallied to extend the lead in the sixth inning as Ben Zobrist scored on an error, Elliot Johnson singled in Rich Thompson, Molina reached on an error to bring in Sean Rodriguez, and Pena hit a sacrifice fly to finish Johnson's trip around. Baltimore got another back in the eighth inning with a Reynolds solo shot. The Orioles tried a ninth inning rally as Wieters singled to drive in Robert Andino, but they got no further, falling 8-4. Moore was in line for the win while Arrieta was pinned with the loss.

Westward to Houston, as the Astros welcome the Cincinnati Reds. Bronson Arroyo and Jordan Lyles will handle the pitching duties. Houston was first to score with a second inning Jason Castro sacrifice fly bringing in Chris Johnson. Cincinnati took the lead with a two-run home run by Zack Cozart in the third inning, also scoring the pitcher Arroyo. The Astros took the lead again in the fifth inning as Marwin Gonzalez singled home Brett Wallace, followed by a Jordan Schafer sacrifice fly allowing safe passage home for Castro. Houston got some more in the seventh inning on a two-run home run by Justin Maxwell, sweeping in Gonzalez. The Reds got one back in the eighth inning as Joey Votto hit a sacrifice fly to allow Todd Frazier to dash home. This was as close as it got, with the final standing at 5-3, with Lyles earning the win, Brett Myers turning the save, and Arroyo getting stuck with the loss.

North to Kansas City, with the Royals hosting the Oakland Athletics. Tommy Milone and Vin Mazzaro are the relatively unknown pitchers. Kansas City took an early lead with an Eric Hosmer solo home run in the second inning. The Royals added on in the fifth inning as Johnny Giavotella singled to score Jarrod Dyson. This was it for the scoring, with Mazzaro grabbing the win, Jonathan Broxton converting the save, and Milone getting no run support in the loss.

Farther to the north, as the Milwaukee Brewers host the Pittsburgh Pirates. James McDonald faces a lesser foe in Michael Fiers. Milwaukee wasted little time in establishing a first inning lead as Taylor Green double home Nyjer Morgan before scoring on a Rickie Weeks single. Pittsburgh got one back in the second inning as Clint Barmes singled, plating Casey McGehee. The Pirates gained the lead in the fifth inning as Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run home run, also scoring McDonald, before Garrett Jones hit a solo home run. Pittsburgh added on in the sixth inning with a Rod Barajas solo shot. The Brewers got one back in the bottom of the sixth as Morgan hit a solo home run. Milwaukee pulled closer in the seventh inning as Martin Maldonado hit a solo shot. The Pirates got some breathing room with a ninth inning solo home run by Barmes. The Brewers tried a ninth inning rally on a Brooks Conrad solo shot, but they still fell by a 6-5 score. McDonald pitched well for the win, Joel Hanrahan converted a shaky save, and Fiers was on the hook for the loss.

Back south a tad, the Chicago White Sox host the Seattle Mariners. Kevin Millwood and Chris Sale are the veteran pitchers starting. Seattle opened in the second inning with a two-run Miguel Olivo home run, also scoring Justin Smoak. Chicago got one back in their half of the inning as Brent Lillibridge drew a bases-loaded walk to force in Kosuke Fukudome. The White Sox tied it in the third inning with Alex Rios singling to bring home Adam Dunn. Chicago gained the lead in the fourth inning as Gordon Beckham singled home Tyler Flowers, followed by Rios singling to score Eduardo Escobar. This was good enough for a 4-2 win, with Sale going the distance for the win, and Millwood taking the loss.

Into Ohio, as the Cleveland Indians host the Minnesota Twins. Scott Diamond and Justin Masterson are given the green light to start. Minnesota got things going as Joe Mauer singled Denard span across the plate. The Twins got another in the third inning as Justin Morneau singled in Mauer. Minnesota struck again in the fourth inning on an Alexi Casilla sacrifice fly to allow Brian Dozier to score. Cleveland got on the board in the bottom of the fourth as Jose Lopez hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Jason Kipnis, followed by a Shelley Duncan single to score Asdrubal Cabrera. The Twins extended their lead in the seventh inning as Josh Willingham doubled to plate Ben Revere, before coming home on a Ryan Doumit single. The Indians answered in the bottom of the seventh with Lou Marson doubling to plate Matt LaPorta. Minnesota struck again in the eighth inning as Casilla hit a sacrifice fly, bringing home Trevor Plouffe. This made it 6-3, a final, with the win going to Diamond, the save to Matt Capps, and the loss to Masterson.

Westward to Colorado, as the Rockies bring in the Los Angeles Dodgers. Nathan Eovaldi and Alex White will be on the hill. Colorado drew first blood in the first inning as Marco Scutaro grounded out to bring in Dexter Fowler. The Rockies added on in the sixth inning as Todd Helton singled in Scutaro, followed by Jordan Pacheco doubling to get Carlos Gonzalez home. Los Angeles got on the board in the seventh inning with a two-run home run by A.J. Ellis, also scoring James Loney. They couldn't tie the game, falling 3-2, with the win going to White, the save recorded by Rafael Betancourt as his tenth of the season, and Eovaldi was stuck holding the loss.

Out in California, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim host the Texas Rangers. Matt Harrison and Dan Haren will be on the mound. Texas got going in the third inning as Elvis Andrus doubled to knock in Mike Napoli. The Rangers added on in the fifth inning as Michael Young singled to score Ian Kinsler. Los Angeles got on the board in the bottom of the fifth as Erick Aybar doubled to drive in Mark Trumbo. Texas shot back in the sixth inning as Kinsler grounded out to provide David Murphy time to get home. The Angels replied with a Jon Hester solo home run in the bottom of the sixth. The Rangers padded their lead with a two-run home run by Nelson Cruz, sweeping in Young in the seventh inning. Los Angeles chipped away in their half of the inning as Mike Trout singled in Peter Bourjos. Texas struck again in the ninth inning as Napoli singled Craig Gentry safely home, before an Andrus single brought him the rest of the way home. This made it 7-3, which was later a final, with Harrison earning the win and Haren was dealt the loss.

Northward to San Francisco, as the Giants host the Chicago Cubs. Travis Wood and Barry Zito are the struggling starters. San Francisco opened in the fifth inning as Joaquin Arias singled home Angel Pagan. The Giants added on in the eighth inning as Melky Cabrera singled in Gregor Blanco. This made it 2-0, an eventual final, with Zito pitching effectively to earn the win, Sergio Romo collecting the save, and Wood having no help in the loss.

Down in San Diego, the Padres host the Arizona Diamondbacks. Trevor Cahill and Eric Stults will throw tonight. Arizona was first on the board in the second inning with a solo home run from Paul Goldschmidt. The Diamondbacks added on in the sixth inning with a Jason Kubel sacrifice fly to knock in Ryan Roberts, followed by a two-run home run from Miguel Montero, also scoring Justin Upton. Arizona struck again in the seventh inning as Gerardo Parra hit a two-run home run, sweeping in Josh Bell. This made it 6-0, a final, with Cahill going the distance for a complete game shutout, allowing just six hits and three walks in the process, while Stults was dinged for the loss.

Finally, we end in New York, as the Mets host the St. Louis Cardinals. Jake Westbrook and Jonathon Niese are the young arms pacing the primetime game. New York led off with a first inning Lucas Duda single, knocking Andres Torres. The Mets added on in the fourth inning as Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit a two-run home run, also scoring the pitcher Niese. New York padded the lead in the sixth inning as Nieuwenhuis singled to drive in Omar Quintanilla, before coming home alongside Josh Thole on a triple by Torres. St. Louis got on the board with an eighth inning Adron Chambers singled to plate David Freese. This made it 6-1, a final, with Niese solid in the win and Westbrook shaky in the loss.

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Saturday, June 2, 2012

MLB Day 62 2012

Full slate on the schedule today, and we begin in...

Canada, as the Toronto Blue Jays host the Boston Red Sox. Felix Doubront and Kyle Drabek are the young pitchers. Boston opened in the second inning with Will Middlebrooks singling to score Jarrod Saltalamacchia, followed by Nick Punto doubling in Ryan Sweeney, and Daniel Nava hitting a 2-RBI single to knock in both Middlebrooks and Punto. Toronto got on the board in the third inning with a Jeff Mathis solo home run. The Red Sox shot back in the fourth inning as Middlebrooks grounded into a double play allowing Kevin Youkilis to get home safely. The Blue Jays answered in the bottom of the fourth with Kelly Johnson singling in David Cooper. Toronto pulled closer with a fifth inning Jose Bautista solo shot. Boston padded their lead in the eighth inning as Sweeney singled, bringing home David Ortiz. The Blue Jays pulled closer in the bottom of the eighth as Brett Lawrie hit a single, which combined with an error plated Edwin Encarnacion. The Red Sox gained breathing room on a Punto solo home run in the ninth inning. This stood for a 7-4 win, with Doubront picking up the win, Alfredo Aceves turning the save, and Drabek taking the loss.

Stateside, the Kansas City Royals host the Oakland Athletics. Brandon McCarthy and Luke Hochevar draw the starts. Oakland quickly scored in the first inning as Collin Cowgill grounded out to score Jemile Weeks. Kansas City tied it in the bottom of the first with a Jeff Francoeur single to drive in Alex Gordon. The Athletics got the lead again in the fourth inning as Yoenis Cespedes scored on a wild pitch. Oakland added on in the fifth inning with a triple from Josh Reddick forcing in Kurt Suzuki and Weeks, followed by Cespedes singling to finish Reddick's trip around, and Kila Ka'aihue knocking Cespedes in with a double. The Royals got one back in the sixth inning as Eric Hosmer doubled to score Billy Butler. Kansas City got another in the seventh inning as Yuniesky Betancourt hit a sacrifice fly, allowing Jarrod Dyson safe passage home. The Athletics roared away in the eighth inning as Adam Rosales singled in both Suzuki and Cliff Pennington, before coming home as Reddick reached on an error. This was it for the scoring, leaving the final at 9-3, with McCarthy getting the win and Hochevar getting nailed with the loss.

Eastward to Washington, as the Nationals host the Atlanta Braves. Brandon Beachy and Stephen Strasburg show alliteration in the pitching battle. Washington started with a fifth inning Jesus Flores solo home run. The Nationals struck again in the seventh inning as Xavier Nady doubled in Danny Espinosa. This produced the 2-0 final, with Strasburg cruising to victory, while Tyler Clippard got the save, and Beachy took the loss with little support.

Over in Philadelphia, the Phillies host the Miami Marlins. Ricky Nolasco and Cole Hamels are the staff aces set to start. Philadelphia got things going in the first inning on a Carlos Ruiz groundout to bring in Juan Pierre. The Phillies added on with a second inning Jimmy Rollins single, driving in Placido Polanco. Philadelphia struck again with a third inning solo home run by Hunter Pence. Miami got on the board with a fourth inning Hanley Ramirez solo shot, before Justin Ruggiano doubled to score Logan Morrison. The Marlins took the lead in the sixth inning as Ramirez hit a two-run home run, sweeping in Omar Infante. Miami extended the lead with a seventh inning Jose Reyes double to knock in Chris Coghlan. The Phillies got one back in the eighth inning when Pence hit a sacrifice fly, paving the way home for Rollins. They couldn't tie it, falling 5-4, with Nolasco grabbing the win, Heath Bell converting the save, and Hamels was dealt the loss.

Way to the west, the Colorado Rockies welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers. Aaron Harang and Juan Nicasio are the middle-of-the-rotation starters. Los Angeles wasted little time in scoring in the first inning with an Andre Ethier single giving Tony Gwynn, Jr. time to dash home. Colorado tied it in the bottom of the first on a Michael Cuddyer double, scoring Dexter Fowler. The Dodgers took the lead back in the second inning as Elian Herrera singled home both Dee Gordon and Gwynn. Los Angeles added on in the fourth inning as Ethier drew a bases-loaded walk to force in Gwynn. The Dodgers struck again in the sixth inning with a Bobby Abreu solo home run, followed by Adam Kennedy singling to plate Ethier. The Rockies got one back in the seventh inning as Willin Rosario doubled to drive in DJ LeMahieu. This was as close as it got, with Harang picking up the win in the 6-2 game, and Nicasio suffering the loss.

Back to the Atlantic, as the New York Mets host the St. Louis Cardinals. Lance Lynn and R.A. Dickey are the underrated pitchers. New York struck first in the second inning as Dickey reached on an error to bring home Ike Davis, followed by Kirk Nieuwenhuis grounding out, providing time for Omar Quintanilla to get home safely, and then Andres Torres did the same thing for Josh Thole. The Mets got another in the seventh inning when Daniel Murphy scored on a wild pitch. New York made it 5-0 in the eighth inning, an eventual final, as David Wright hit a solo home run. Dickey went the distance for a complete game shutout, allowing just seven hits while striking out nine, and Lynn suffered a lack of run support in the loss.

To the Midwest, as the Chicago White Sox host the Seattle Mariners. Hector Noesi is mismatched with Gavin Floyd for pitching purposes. Seattle led off with an Ichiro solo home run in the first inning. The Mariners added on in the second inning with a Justin Smoak solo shot. Chicago tied it in the bottom of the second with A.J. Pierzynski hitting a two-run home run, also scoring Alex Rios. Seattle got the lead back in the third inning with another Ichiro solo home run. The White Sox pulled back in the bottom of the third as Gordon Beckham singled in Orlando Hudson. The Mariners kept up the power show in the fourth inning with a two-run home run from Michael Saunders, sweeping in Mike Carp. Chicago answered with a solo shot by Rios in their half of the inning. The White Sox took a lead in the fifth inning on a two-run home run by Beckham, bringing in Alejandro De Aza. Chicago struck again in the seventh inning as Beckham singled to drive in De Aza. Seattle shot back in the eighth inning as Brendan Ryan doubled in both John Jaso and Saunders before scoring on a throwing error. The White Sox retied it in the bottom of the eighth on a Dayan Viciedo solo home run. The Mariners took a 10-8 lead in the twelfth inning as Jaso doubled, knocking in Munenori Kawasaki, before finishing his trip on a Chone Figgins single. They held on for the win, with Tom Wilhelmsen in line for the win, Hisashi Iwakuma turning the save, and Addison Reed getting dinged for the loss.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Rays host the Baltimore Orioles. Brian Matusz and Jeremy Hellickson take their turns in the rotation. Baltimore got on the board in the third inning with an Endy Chavez solo home run. Tampa Bay tied it in the fifth inning as Drew Sutton reached on a fielder's choice, allowing Sean Rodriguez to dart home. The Orioles took the lead again in the seventh inning with Robert Andino reaching on an error, giving time for Mark Reynolds to get home. This was it for the scoring, with Matusz earning the win, Jim Johnson converting the save, and Hellickson pitching solidly but still taking the loss.

Northwest to Milwaukee, as the Brewers host the Pittsburgh Pirates. Erik Bedard and Shaun Marcum are the veteran pitchers. Milwaukee got things started in the second inning as Brooks Conrad hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Aramis Ramirez. Pittsburgh tied it with a fourth inning Garrett Jones solo home run. The Brewers got the lead back in the bottom of the fourth as Cody Ransom singled in both Ramirez and Rickie Weeks, before scoring on a two-run homer by Conrad. This was all for the scoring, as the final stood at 5-1 Brewers, with the win credited to Marcum and the loss handed to Bedard.

Over in Detroit, the Tigers host the New York Yankees. Hiroki Kuroda and Rick Porcello get the starting nods. Detroit finally opened things up in the fourth inning with a Miguel Cabrera solo home run. The Tigers got another in the fifth inning as Quintin Berry singled in Don Kelly. New York got on the board in the sixth inning as Raul Ibanez grounded out to bring home Robinson Cano. The Yankees struck again in the eighth inning as Nick Swisher singled to score Mark Teixeira. Detroit got the lead back in their half of the inning on another Cabrera solo shot. New York retied it in the ninth inning as Teixeira drew a bases-loaded walk to force in Dewayne Wise. The Tigers won it with a Omir Santos walkoff sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth that plated Brennan Boesch for the 4-3 final. Jose Valverde blew the save but got the cheap win, while Boone Logan was on the hook for the implosion in the loss.

Down in Houston, the Astros host the Cincinnati Reds. Mat Latos and Wandy Rodriguez are the well-known starters. Cincinnati quickly got going in the first inning as Drew Stubbs doubled to score Zack Cozart before coming home on a two-run home run by Joey Votto. Houston got some back in the bottom of the first on a two-run Jed Lowrie long ball, also scoring Jose Altuve. The Reds rallied ahead in the second inning with a solo home run from Todd Frazier, a three-run blast from Stubbs that brought in Ryan Hanigan and Cozart, and a Chris Heisey single to score Votto. The Astros answered in the third inning with J.D. Martinez grounding out to bring in Altuve, and Fernando Martinez hitting a 2-RBI double to drive in Lowrie and Chris Johnson. Houston rallied ahead in the fourth inning as Jordan Schafer singled, knocking in Jason Castro, followed by J.D. Martinez singling in both Schafer and Altuve, and Johnson singling to finish J.D. Martinez's trip around. Cincinnati retied it in the fifth inning with a Ryan Ludwick solo shot. The Reds got the lead in the sixth inning as Brandon Phillips doubled home Votto. Cincinnati roared away in the eighth inning as Phillips hit a 2-RBI single to knock in both Cozart and Stubbs. This stood up for a 12-9 win, with the win credited to Sam LeCure, while Aroldis Chapman turned the save and Fernando Rodriguez was pinned with the loss.

Northeast to Cleveland, as the Indians host the Minnesota Twins. P.J. Walters and Josh Tomlin are sent out to pitch. Minnesota rallied to an early first inning lead as Joe Mauer singled home Denard Span, followed by Justin Morneau doing the same for Ben Revere, and Trevor Plouffe hitting a 2-RBI single to drive in Morneau and Ryan Doumit. Cleveland got one back in their half of the inning as Michael Brantley grounded into a fielder's choice, bringing home Shin-Soo Choo. The Indians pulled closer in the third inning as Asdrubal Cabrera singled to score Jason Kipnis. Cleveland chipped away in the fourth inning on a Lou Marson groundout providing time for Johnny Damon to dash home. The Indians tied it in the fifth inning as Brantley singled, driving in Kipnis. The Twins got the lead again in the sixth inning on a Plouffe solo home run. Minnesota added on in the seventh inning with a two-run home run by Mauer, also scoring Revere. This made it 7-4, the final, with Brian Duensing in line for the win, Matt Capps successfully converting the save, and Tomlin getting stuck with the loss.

Out in California, the San Francisco Giants host the Chicago Cubs. Matt Garza and Matt Cain are the talented Matts taking the mound tonight. Chicago drew first blood with a fourth inning David DeJesus solo home run. San Francisco took the lead in the sixth inning as Aubrey Huff drew a bases-loaded walk to force in Ryan Theriot, followed by Joaquin Arias grounding into a fielder's choice that scored Melky Cabrera. This was good enough to give the Giants a 2-1 win, with Cain picking up the victory, Sergio Romo turning the save, and Garza getting no help in the loss.

Down in San Diego, the Padres host the Arizona Diamondbacks. Daniel Hudson and Edinson Volquez pace the game. Arizona got things going in the fourth inning with the pitcher Hudson hitting a sacrifice fly that allowed safe passage home for Miguel Montero. San Diego answered in the bottom of the fourth as Cameron Maybin singling to score Will Venable before coming home on a Yonder Alonso single. The Diamondbacks tied it again in the fifth inning on a Paul Goldschmidt solo home run. Arizona gained the lead in the seventh inning as Willie Bloomquist hit a single that combined with a balk to bring in Gerardo Parra. The Diamondbacks added on in the eighth inning as Parra drew a bases-loaded walk to force in Montero. This made the eventual final 4-2, with Hudson earning the win, J.J. Putz notching a sloppy save, and Joe Thatcher got stuck with the loss.

Finally, in Anaheim, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim host the Texas Rangers. Yu Darvish opposes C.J. Wilson on the hill. Los Angeles finally opened things up in the sixth inning as Mark Trumbo reached on an error, allowing Albert Pujols to get home. Texas tied it in the seventh inning on a sacrifice fly by David Murphy, knocking in Nelson Cruz. The Angels rallied back in the bottom of the seventh as Alberto Callaspo singled to score Erick Aybar and Kendrys Morales hit a sacrifice fly that brought in Mike Trout. The Rangers got one back in the eighth inning as Michael Young's single, combined with an error, plated Elvis Andrus, but it wasn't enough to avoid a 3-2 loss. The win was given to Bobby Cassevah, while Ernesto Frieri picked up the save and Darvish was left holding the loss.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion and got check out ultimatebaseballfantasytrip.blogspot.com for the upcoming baseball adventure of a lifetime.

Friday, June 1, 2012

MLB Day 61 2012

Originally we had a full slate waiting to be played, but rain around D.C. postponed the Washington Nationals game with the Atlanta Braves. With the games being played, we begin in...

Cleveland, with the Indians hosting the Minnesota Twins. Carl Pavano and Derek Lowe are given the starting nods. Cleveland got going in the second inning with a two-run home run by Lonnie Chisenhall, also scoring Johnny Damon. The Indians added on in the third inning with a Michael Brantley double to score Shin-Soo Choo. Cleveland kept going in the fourth inning with a Jason Kipnis grand slam, sweeping in all of Chisenhall, Lou Marson, and Choo. Minnesota found the scoreboard in the seventh inning as Brian Dozier singled to score Josh Willingham. This made it 7-1, a final score, with Lowe getting the win and Pavano taking the loss.

Up in Detroit, the Tigers host the New York Yankees. CC Sabathia faces a lesser foe in Casey Crosby. Detroit was first to score in the first inning as Danny Worth singled in Quintin Berry. New York tied it in the second inning with Derek Jeter drawing a bases-loaded walk to force in Robinson Cano, before Curtis Granderson cleaned the bases with a grand slam to bring in all of Nick Swisher, Jayson Nix, and Jeter. The Tigers pulled back in the third inning on a Ramon Santiago solo home run, followed by Prince Fielder singling in Berry. The Yankees got one back in the fourth inning when Chris Stewart singled in Berry. New York struck again in the eighth inning with Andruw Jones doubling home Swisher. Detroit got one back in the bottom of the eighth as Jhonny Peralta hit a sacrifice fly to score Miguel Cabrera. The Yankees iced it at 9-4 in the ninth inning with a two-run homer from Alex Rodriguez, also bringing in Granderson. This allowed Sabathia to get the loss, Rafael Soriano the save, and the loss went to Crosby.

Back east, the Philadelphia Phillies host the Miami Marlins. Mark Buehrle and Kyle Kendrick made the starts. Miami drew first blood in the first inning with Giancarlo Stanton doubling Omar Infante home. Philadelphia took the lead in the bottom of the first on a 2-RBI Hector Luna single, knocking in both Placido Polanco and Hunter Pence. The Phillies added on in the fifth inning with Pence hitting a two-run home run, also scoring Polanco. The Marlins got one back in the sixth inning when Jose Reyes grounded into a double play to allow safe passage home for Chris Coghlan. Philadelphia answered in the bottom of the sixth with a Jimmy Rollins groundout to score Freddy Galvis. The Phillies struck again in the seventh inning as Luna doubled in Pence. Miami pulled back in the eighth inning with back-to-back solo shots from Logan Morrison and Justin Ruggiano. The final stood at 6-4, with Kendrick getting the win, Jonathan Papelbon converting his fifteenth save of the season, and Buehrle was given the loss.

Up in Canada, the Toronto Blue Jays host the Boston Red Sox. Clay Buchholz and Henderson Alvarez will be taking their turns to pitch. Boston led off in the second inning with a David Ortiz solo home run. The Red Sox added on in the third inning as Adrian Gonzalez singled home Daniel Nava. Toronto got one back in the bottom of the third as Yunel Escobar hit a solo shot. Boston shot back in the sixth inning as Jarrod Saltalamacchia grounded into a fielder's choice to bring in Nava. The Red Sox extended the lead in the seventh inning when Scott Podsednik singled to drive in Ryan Sweeney before coming home on a Nava double, followed by Gonzalez singling to score Nava and Ortiz singling to finish Gonzalez's trip around. The Blue Jays got one back in the bottom of the seventh with a David Cooper solo home run. This was all for the scoring in the 7-2 game, as Buchholz grabbed the win and Alvarez was stuck holding the loss.

Back stateside, the Tampa Bay Rays host the Baltimore Orioles. Wei-Yin Chen and David Price are handed the ball. Tampa Bay rallied to a large first inning lead as Luke Scott singled in both B.J. Upton and Matt Joyce, followed by a Sean Rodriguez sacrifice fly allowing Ben Zobrist to score, and then Hideki Matsui hit a two-run home run to finish Scott's trip around. This was it for the scoring, leaving the final at 5-0, with Price getting the win, Fernando Rodney turning the save, and Chen getting no support in the loss.

North to New York, as the Mets host the St. Louis Cardinals. Staff aces Adam Wainwright and Johan Santana will play from the mound. New York got things started in the fourth inning with a Lucas Duda sacrifice fly to bring in Kirk Nieuwenhuis, followed by a Daniel Murphy triple that forced in David Wright. The Mets added on in the sixth inning as Duda hit a three-run home run, sweeping in Nieuwenhuis and Wright. New York padded the lead again in the seventh inning with a bases-loaded walk by Wright forcing in Omar Quintanilla, and Murphy singling in both Andres Torres and Nieuwenhuis. This made it 8-0, with Santana tossing a no hitter and allowing only five walks for the win, while Wainwright suffered from a lack of run support in the loss. The no-no is the first in Mets history.

Southwest to Texas, where the Houston Astros host the Cincinnati Reds. Mike Leake and J.A. Happ try to improve their season stats tonight. Cincinnati wasted no time in scoring in the first inning when Brandon Phillips doubled in Joey Votto before scoring on a Jay Bruce single. The Reds added on in the third inning with a Votto single scoring Zack Cozart. Houston got on the board in the sixth inning as Carlos Lee grounded into a double play, allowing Jose Altuve to come home. Cincinnati made it 4-1 in the ninth inning on a Bruce solo home run. Leake was in line for the win, Aroldis Chapman got the save, and Happ was stuck with the loss.

North a little to Kansas City, as the Royals host the Oakland Athletics. Bartolo Colon and Felipe Paulino are tabbed to start. Kansas City opened with a first inning Yuniesky Betancourt double knocking in Alex Gordon, before he came home on Mike Moustakas single. This was all there was in the scoring, leading the Royals to a 2-0 win, earned by Paulino, while Jonathan Broxton closed out for the save, and Colon was on the hook for the loss.

Farther north, the Milwaukee Brewers host the Pittsburgh Pirates. Kevin Correia and Randy Wolf are the veteran starters. Milwaukee got started with a Nyjer Morgan solo home run in the first inning. Pittsburgh went ahead in the third inning as Andrew McCutchen tripled to force in Josh Harrison, before coming the rest of the way home on a Neil Walker single, and then Walker scored on a Rod Barajas single, followed by a 3-RBI Jose Tabata double to bring home all of Barajas, Jordy Mercer, and Correia. The Brewers got one back in the sixth inning as Corey Hart hit a solo shot. The Pirates extended their lead on a McCutchen double, knocking in both Tabata and Harrison. The final was 8-2, with Correia getting the win while Wolf was dealt the loss.

Into Chicago, as the White Sox host the Seattle Mariners. Felix Hernandez and Jake Peavy will pace the game as a pair of aces. Chicago began with a two-run home run in the first inning off the bat of Gordon Beckham, also scoring Alejandro De Aza. The White Sox added on in the fifth inning as Beckham and Adam Dunn hit back-to-back solo home runs. Seattle got on the board in the seventh inning with a two-run home run by Kyle Seager, also scoring Dustin Ackley. The Mariners tied it in the eighth inning when Seager singled to score Ichiro, and Justin Smoak did the same for Ackley. Chicago took the lead again in the bottom of the eighth as Alexei Ramirez singled home Brent Lillibridge, followed by De Aza singling in both A.J. Pierzynski and Ramirez, making the eventual final 7-4. Jesse Crain was in line for the win, Addison Reed got the save, and Shawn Kelley was dealt the loss.

Out west, the Colorado Rockies host the Los Angeles Dodgers. Chris Capuano and Josh Outman will make the starts. Colorado got things going in the second inning as both Michael Cuddyer and Willin Rosario scored on an error. Los Angeles got on the board in the fourth inning with an Alex Castellanos triple forcing in Scott Van Slyke. The Rockies answered in the bottom of the fourth when Jordan Pacheco grounded into a double play, allowing Cuddyer to get home. Colorado added on in the fifth inning as Carlos Gonzalez singled, driving in Dexter Fowler. The Dodgers got one back in the sixth inning with a Castellanos sacrifice fly bringing in Jerry Hairston, Jr. The Rockies shot back in the bottom of the sixth as Rosario hit a two-run home run, also scoring Todd Helton, followed by Fowler reaching on an error that brought in DJ LeMahieu and a Marco Scutaro single finishing Fowler's trip around. Colorado extended the lead in the seventh inning as Rosario grounded into a fielder's choice to score Cuddyer, followed by LeMahieu singling Pacheco across the plate, and Fowler singling to finish Rosario's trip around. Los Angeles got one back in the eighth inning as Matt Treanor grounded into a fielder's choice to bring home Hairston. The Rockies replied in the bottom of the eighth inning with solo shots by Chris Nelson and Cuddyer. This made it 13-3, a final, with Carlos Torres snagging the win, while Capuano was stuck with the loss.

Out in San Diego, the Padres host the Arizona Diamondbacks. Wade Miley and Clayton Richard are on the hill. Arizona was first on the board with a third inning Miguel Montero single to knock in Aaron Hill. San Diego tied it in the bottom of the third as Richard grounded out to bring home Alexi Amarista. The Padres took the lead in the eighth inning as Jesus Guzman hit a two-run home run, also scoring Amarista, followed by Cameron Maybin tripling to force in Chris Denorfia before coming the final 90 feet when Carlos Quentin singled, and then both Yonder Alonso and Anthony Bass scored on an error, making the score 7-1. This became a final, with Andrew Cashner in line for the win while Miley was on the hook for the loss. 

Up in Anaheim, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim host the Texas Rangers. Colby Lewis and Jerome Williams pace the game. Texas struck first with a first inning Adrian Beltre single scoring Josh Hamilton. The Rangers added on in the fourth inning as Mike Napoli singled home Michael Young. Los Angeles tied it in the sixth inning as Mike Trout tripled to force in John Hester before coming the final 90 feet on an Albert Pujols sacrifice fly. The Angels took the lead in the seventh inning on a 2-RBI Trout single, scoring both Howie Kendrick and Erick Aybar. This was it for the scoring, leaving the final at 4-2, with Williams earning the win, Ernesto Frieri picking up the save, and Lewis being dealt the loss.

Finally, in San Francisco, the Giants host the Chicago Cubs. Paul Maholm and Madison Bumgarner man the mound. San Francisco drew first blood in the first inning as Ryan Theriot doubled in Gregor Blanco, followed by a Buster Posey sacrifice fly to finish his trip around. The Giants went back to work in the third inning with Melky Cabrera tripling to force in Theriot before scoring on a Posey single. Chicago got close in the ninth inning with a three-run Alfonso Soriano home run, sweeping in Starlin Castro and Joe Mather, but they couldn't get a tying run and fell 4-3. Bumgarner was credited with the win, while Javier Lopez notched a spot save and Maholm couldn't escape the loss.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion, and check out a new blog that I will be proud to contribute to, over at ultimatebaseballfantasytrip.blogspot.com.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

MLB Day 60 2012

Welcome to the 700th post on this blog in a little more than a year and a half, and it's a travel day in baseball. With 44 views tomorrow, we could break 1,000 for the monthly numbers, which would mean a lot to me, and I've greatly appreciated the recent surge in visitation. As for the games, there's only three of them, and we start in...

Boston, as the Red Sox host the Detroit Tigers. Max Scherzer and Josh Beckett pace the game. Boston got going in the second inning with a Jarrod Saltalamacchia solo home run followed by Scott Podsednik doubling to score Ryan Sweeney. Detroit rallied ahead in the third inning as Quintin Berry singled in Don Kelly, followed by a Brennan Boesch sacrifice fly to allow safe passage home for Danny Worth, and a single by Prince Fielder driving in Berry. The Red Sox retied it in the bottom of the third with a Saltalamacchia single knocking in Kevin Youkilis. The Tigers took the lead back in the fifth inning as Miguel Cabrera singled to score Berry. Detroit got another in the eighth inning on a Delmon Young solo home run. The Tigers made it 7-3 in the ninth inning as Fielder tripled to force in Cabrera, before he came the final 90 feet home on a Young single. Scherzer picked up the win by that score, while Beckett was pinned with the loss.

Out west, the Colorado Rockies host the Houston Astros. Bud Norris and Jeremy Guthrie are on the mound. Colorado busted out to an early lead with a first inning three-run home run by Carlos Gonzalez, also scoring Dexter Fowler and Marco Scutaro, followed by Todd Helton doubling in Michael Cuddyer and Jordan Pacheco hitting a ground rule double to force in Helton. Houston got on the board in the second inning with a J.D. Martinez solo home run. The Rockies shot back in the bottom of the second as Cuddyer doubled, scoring both Scutaro and Gonzalez, before he came home on a Willin Rosario single, and then Pacheco singled to finish Rosario's trip around. The Astros pulled back a bit in the fourth inning with a Jason Castro triple forcing in Brian Bogusevic before he scored on a double by Justin Maxwell, who then came home on a Jose Altuve single. Colorado answered in the bottom of the fourth as Cuddyer singled to drive in Gonzalez. The Rockies continued their dominance in the sixth inning with a Scutaro solo shot. Houston got one back in the seventh inning as Carlos Lee grounded into a double play that allowed Jordan Schafer to dart home. This was as close as it got, with the final standing at 11-5. Guthrie cruised to the win while Norris exited early from the loss.

Finally, we end in Los Angeles as the Dodgers welcome the Milwaukee Brewers. Zack Greinke and Chad Billingsley are on the hill. Milwaukee led off in the second inning with a Rickie Weeks single knocking in Aramis Ramirez and a Martin Maldonado fielder's choice allowing Taylor Green to score. Los Angeles answered in their half of the inning as Billingsley singled in Adam Kennedy. The Brewers added on in the third inning with a two-run home run by Ramirez, also scoring Nyjer Morgan. Milwaukee struck again in the ninth inning as Carlos Gomez hit a two-run homer, sweeping in Norichika Aoki. The Dodgers tried to rally back in the bottom of the ninth as James Loney singled, driving in Ivan De Jesus, but they still lost 6-2. Greinke was in line for the win while Billingsley was dealt the loss.

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