MLB Day 137 2012

Only twelve games on as my busiest week begins. We start the games in...

Philadelphia, as the Phillies host the Cincinnati Reds. Mike Leake and Roy Halladay will be sent out to pitch. Cincinnati struck first in the first inning as Jay Bruce doubled home Zack Cozart, followed by Scott Rolen grounding out to bring in Brandon Phillips. Philadelphia answered in the bottom of the first on a Ryan Howard single to knock in Juan Pierre. The Phillies tied it with a third inning Howard solo home run. Philadelphia gained the lead in the fourth inning on an Erik Kratz solo shot. The Reds retied it in the fifth inning as Chris Heisey doubled to plate Devin Mesoraco, before taking the lead as Bruce singled to finish Heisey's trip around, and then Phillips scored as Bruce was caught stealing. The Phillies replied in their half of the fifth as Chase Utley doubled Pierre across the dish before scoring on a John Mayberry single, followed by a 2-RBI Domonic Brown double to knock in both Howard and Mayberry. Philadelphia extended the lead in the sixth inning as Utley hit a sacrifice fly to allow Jimmy Rollins to dart home, followed by Mayberry hitting a two-run home run that also scored Pierre. The Phillies padded the lead in the seventh inning as Pierre singled to get Placido Polanco safely home. Philadelphia got another run in the eighth inning with Kratz's sacrifice fly to bring around Mayberry. This was good for a 12-5 win, picked up by Halladay, while Leake suffered the loss.

Into DC, as the Washington Nationals host the Atlanta Braves. Tim Hudson and Jordan Zimmermann are on the mound. Atlanta was first on the board after a rain delay, as Jason Heyward singled to drive in Martin Prado. Washington answered in the bottom of the first as Bryce Harper singled home Jayson Werth, followed by an Adam LaRoche groundout to plate Harper and a two-run Ian Desmond home run that also scored Ryan Zimmerman. The Braves got one back in the fourth inning on a Paul Janish single allowing Freddie Freeman to score. Atlanta tied it in the fifth inning on a two-run home run by Heyward, sweeping in Prado. The Nationals won it 5-4 in the thirteenth inning as Chad Tracy reached on an error that gave time for Danny Espinosa to get home. Craig Stammen was in line for the win while Cristhian Martinez was stuck with the loss.

South to Tampa Bay, as the Rays host the Kansas City Royals. Will Smith is mismatched with Jeremy Hellickson. Tampa Bay started in the second inning on an Elliot Johnson single to drive in Sean Rodriguez. Kansas City tied it in the third inning when Alex Gordon singled to knock in Johnny Giavotella. The Rays took the lead back in the bottom of the third as Desmond Jennings scored on a wild pitch. Tampa Bay got some more in the fourth inning as Jose Lobaton singled in Rodriguez, followed by Jennings doubling to finish Lobaton's trip around. The Rays struck again in the fifth inning as Jeff Keppinger hit a solo home run. This made the final 5-1, with Hellickson earning the win while Smith was given the loss.

Back north to Flushing, with the New York Mets hosting the Colorado Rockies. Alex White opposes R.A. Dickey in pitching. New York began with a first inning Daniel Murphy single to score David Wright. Colorado tied it in the fifth inning on a Tyler Colvin solo home run. The Rockies gained the lead in the eighth inning as Jonathan Herrera scored on a passed ball. Colorado extended the lead in the ninth inning on a Ramon Hernandez single to plate Dexter Fowler. This made it 3-1, a final, with Rex Brothers notching the win, Rafael Betancourt tossing the save, and Josh Edgin was pinned with the loss.

Down in Texas, the Rangers host the Baltimore Orioles. Miguel Gonzalez and Ryan Dempster receive the starting nods. Baltimore opened with a first inning Adam Jones single to knock in Nate McLouth. Texas tied it in the fourth inning as David Murphy singled to score Adrian Beltre, before taking the lead with Geovany Soto singling in Nelson Cruz, and Ian Kinsler hit a sacrifice fly to finish Murphy's trip around. The Rangers added on in the fifth inning as Cruz doubled to get Josh Hamilton home. Texas struck again in the eighth inning on a Murphy singled to bring around Michael Young. This made it a 5-1 final, with Dempster notching the win and Gonzalez took the loss.

Well to the north, the Milwaukee Brewers host the Chicago Cubs. Justin Germano and Mark Rogers are the unknown pitchers. Chicago got going in the first inning as Anthony Rizzo hit a ground rule double to force in David DeJesus. The Cubs got another in the second inning as DeJesus hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Welington Castillo. Milwaukee got on the board in the bottom of the second as Jonathan Lucroy hit a solo home run. Chicago shot back as Josh Vitters hit a fifth inning solo shot. The Brewers tied it in the bottom of the fifth as Travis Ishikawa singled to plate Carlos Gomez and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Norichika Aoki, followed by Corey Hart singling both Rickie Weeks and Ryan Braun home, Lucroy hitting a three-run home run to sweep in Aramis Ramirez and Hart, and Gomez hit a solo home run. The Cubs shot back in the seventh inning on a DeJesus groundout that gave time for Darwin Barney to get home. Chicago got another in the ninth inning as Castillo scored on a wild pitch, but they still lost 9-5. Rogers picked up the win and Germano was shelled in the loss.

Back south to Chicago, where the White Sox host the New York Yankees. Freddy Garcia and Gavin Floyd are the struggling pitchers. New York led off in the first inning with Mark Teixeira singling in Derek Jeter and
Eric Chavez grounding into a fielder's choice to bring in Robinson Cano. The Yankees added on in the second inning with Curtis Granderson singling to plate Nick Swisher. Chicago got on the board in the fifth inning with a two-run home run by Dewayne Wise, also scoring Gordon Beckham, before tying it as Alex Rios grounded into a fielder's choice that allowed Kevin Youkilis to get home, and then taking the lead as A.J. Pierzynski single, knocking in Adam Dunn, followed by Dayan Viciedo singling to finish Rios' trip around. New York pulled closer in the sixth inning on a Jeter solo home run, and they tied it as Teixeira singled in Swisher, before taking the lead on a Casey McGehee single to drive in Cano. The White Sox retied with a Beckham solo shot in the bottom of the sixth inning. Chicago took the lead back in the seventh inning as Alexei Ramirez hit a two-run home run, sweeping in Pierzynski. The White Sox got another in the eighth inning on a Dunn solo home run. This gave them a 9-6 lead, which was good for a win, with Brett Myers in line for the win, Addison Reed tossing the save, and Boone Logan was responsible for the loss.

Southwest to Arizona, as the Diamondbacks host the Miami Marlins. Mark Buehrle and Joe Saunders are the veteran pitchers. Arizona started in the first inning on a Jason Kubel solo home run. Miami tied it in the fourth inning on a Carlos Lee single to drive in Donovan Solano, followed by a three-run Giancarlo Stanton home run to sweep in Jose Reyes and Lee, and a Justin Ruggiano solo shot, a Solano single plating John Buck, and a 2-RBI Reyes double to knock in both Emilio Bonifacio and Solano, and Lee singling Reyes the rest of the way home. The Diamondbacks got one back in the bottom of the fourth as Chris Johnson singled to drive in Paul Goldschmidt. The Marlins replied in the fifth inning as Donnie Murphy tripled to force in Buck. Miami shot back in the sixth inning when Stanton and Buck hit solo home runs. Arizona got one back in the eighth inning on a Kubel groundout to allow Chris Young safe passage home. They only made it 12-3, with Buehrle getting the win and Saunders getting shelled in the loss.

Out in San Diego, the Padres host the Pittsburgh Pirates. Kevin Correia faces his former team, with Edinson Volquez opposing him. San Diego began with a first inning Will Venable single to drive in Everth Cabrera, before scoring on a Yasmani Grandal groundout. The Padres added on with a second inning Venable single to score Cameron Maybin. Pittsburgh got on the board in the sixth inning as Neil Walker singled home Andrew McCutchen. This was as close as it got, with the final being 3-1. Volquez notched the win, Dale Thayer shut the door for a save, and Correia was handed the loss.

Up into Oakland, with the Athletics hosting the Minnesota Twins. Brian Duensing and Brandon McCarthy receive the starting nods. Minnesota opened with a first inning Josh Willingham double to plate Darin Mastroianni, and then Trevor Plouffe drew a bases-loaded walk to force in Willingham. The Twins got more in the second inning on a Mastroianni single to knock in Pedro Florimon, followed by Willingham singling Mastroianni the rest of the way home. Oakland got on the board in the bottom of the second as Josh Donaldson doubled to plate Yoenis Cespedes. The Athletics got another in the third inning on a Josh Reddick groundout providing time for Coco Crisp to dash home. Minnesota added on in the fourth inning as Joe Mauer singled in both Florimon and Ben Revere. The Twins padded the lead in the eighth inning with a Mastroianni sacrifice fly to allow safe passage home for Florimon. This made it a 7-2 score, which was a final, giving Duensing the win and McCarthy the loss.

Further north, the Seattle Mariners welcome the Cleveland Indians. Ubaldo Jimenez and Kevin Millwood are on the hill. Cleveland got going with a first inning Jason Kipnis solo home run. Seattle took the lead in the third inning as Michael Saunders hit a two-run home run, also scoring Dustin Ackley. The Indians tied it as Kipnis singled to plate Casey Kotchman, followed by Asdrubal Cabrera doing the same for Ezequiel Carrera. The Mariners retied it in the sixth inning on an Eric Thames solo shot. Seattle took the lead again in the seventh inning as Saunders hit another two-run home run, sweeping in Brendan Ryan. This produced the 5-3 final, with Charlie Furbush being credited with the win, Tom Wilhelmsen turning the save, and Joe Smith was dealt the loss.

Finally, the Los Angeles Dodgers host the San Francisco Giants. Madison Bumgarner and Clayton Kershaw are the staff aces pacing the game. San Francisco led off with a first inning Pablo Sandoval sacrifice fly to plate Angel Pagan. The Giants got another in the sixth inning on a Sandoval single to knock in Pagan. Los Angeles tried a ninth inning rally as Hanley Ramirez hit a solo home run, but they still fell 2-1. Bumgarned earned the win with a dominant performance, while Javier Lopez cleaned up a mess for the save and Kershaw was not freed from the loss.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Fantasy Baseball All-Stars week 19 2012

These may not be official, but they will give you a good idea of who had good weeks last week.

Batters: Nick Swisher, Mike Trout, Jay Bruce, Todd Frazier, Albert Pujols, Hanley Ramirez, Danny Espinosa, Garrett Jones, Aaron Hill, Miguel Cabrera.

Pitchers: Kyle Kendrick, Hiroki Kuroda, Felix Hernandez, Jeremy Guthrie, Chad Billingsley, Cole Hamels, Adam Ottavino, Greg Holland, Kris Medlen, Jim Johnson.

MLB Day 136 2012

Another full slate of games to add to my busy weekend, starting in...

Detroit, with the Tigers hosting the Baltimore Orioles. Wei-Yin Chen and Doug Fister are the solid starters. Detroit established a first inning lead with an Omar Infante solo home run, a three-run blast by Jhonny Peralta, sweeping in Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder, and a Jeff Baker double to plate Delmon Young. Baltimore shot back in the second inning as Chris Davis hit a solo shot, Nick Markakis doubled to knock in Omar Quintanilla, and J.J. Hardy doubled both Taylor Teagarden and Markakis across the dish. The Orioles took the lead in the fourth inning as Nate McLouth tripled to force in Markakis and Hardy before scoring on an Adam Jones single. The scoring ended here, with Chen notching the win, Jim Johnson converting the save, and Fister was dealt the loss.

Up in Canada, the Toronto Blue Jays host the Texas Rangers. Matt Harrison and Henderson Alvarez will be sent out to pitch. Toronto was first to score in the second inning on a Mike McCoy groundout, bringing in Yunel Escobar. Texas answered in the third inning as Geovany Soto singled in David Murphy before scoring on a single by Mitch Moreland. The Rangers got another in the fourth inning as Murphy doubled to plate Michael Young. Texas rallied to extend the lead in the fifth inning on a Josh Hamilton double scoring Elvis Andrus, a Nelson Cruz single to finish Hamilton's trip around, and a three-run home run by Michael Young, sweeping in Adrian Beltre and Cruz. The Blue Jays got one back in the bottom of the fifth as McCoy hit a solo home run. The Rangers padded the lead in the sixth inning with a ground rule double by Young, forcing in Hamilton and Cruz. Texas got one more in the ninth inning on a Murphy solo shot. This made it 11-2, a final, with Harrison earning the win and Alvarez getting crushed in the loss.

Back stateside, the Cincinnati Reds host the Chicago Cubs. Chris Volstad is mismatched with Mat Latos. Cincinnati opened with a first inning Jay Bruce single scoring Brandon Phillips. Chicago tied it in the third inning as David DeJesus hit a ground rule double to force in Steve Clevenger. The Reds took the lead back in the fourth inning when Wilson Valdez singled Bruce home, followed by Ryan Hanigan hitting a sacrifice fly to allow Todd Frazier to score, and Latos singling to finish Valdez's trip around. The Cubs pulled closer in the sixth inning as Alfonso Soriano hit a sacrifice fly that got DeJesus home, followed by Starlin Castro singling to drive in Darwin Barney. Chicago tied it in the eighth inning as Soriano grounded out to give DeJesus time to dash home. Cincinnati won 5-4 in the ninth inning as Hanigan singled to plate Xavier Paul. Aroldis Chapman was in line for the win while Shawn Camp was responsible for the loss.

To the east, the Washington Nationals bring in the New York Mets. Jeremy Hefner and Gio Gonzalez are given the green light to pitch. Washington started with a second inning Danny Espinosa two-run home run, also scoring Michael Morse after a long rain delay. The Nationals added on in the third inning as Bryce Harper tripled to force in Jayson Werth before coming the final 90 feet on a single by Ryan Zimmerman. Washington extended the lead with a fifth inning Harper solo home run. New York got on the board in the sixth inning with Jason Bay grounding out to provide Ike Davis time to score. The Mets got another as Kelly Shoppach singled home Ronny Cedeno in the eighth inning. This wasn't enough to avoid the 5-2 loss, with the win belonging to Gonzalez, the save tossed by Tyler Clippard, and the loss pinned on Hefner.

South to Atlanta, with the Braves hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers. Chad Billingsley and Mike Minor draw the starts. Los Angeles began with a fifth inning Luis Cruz solo home run. The Dodgers added on in the eighth inning as Mark Ellis singled home Juan Uribe. The Dodgers padded the lead with a ninth inning 3-RBI Mark Ellis double to sweep in A.J. Ellis, Adam Kennedy, and Shane Victorino. This gave them a 5-0 lead and win, which went to Billingsley, while Minor pitched well but had no support in the loss.

West to Houston, as the Astros host the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ian Kennedy faces a lesser foe in Armando Galarraga. Arizona rallied to a fourth inning lead as Aaron Hill hit a solo home run, followed by Chris Young singling in Jason Kubel, Ryan Wheeler walking with the bases-loaded to force in Paul Goldschmidt, Kennedy hitting a sacrifice fly to finish Young's trip around, and Gerardo Parra doubling Stephen Drew across the dish. Houston got on the board in the sixth inning as Jason Castro singled to knock in Tyler Greene. The Diamondbacks replied in the seventh inning as Miguel Montero hit a 2-RBI single to get Hill and Goldschmidt across the plate. Arizona added on in the eighth inning with another Hill solo shot. This gave them an 8-1 lead, which was the final, giving Kennedy the win and Galarraga the loss.

North to Kansas City, with the Royals hosting the Chicago White Sox. Jose Quintana and Jeremy Guthrie will take the hill. Kansas City got going in the second inning on a Salvador Perez double to plate both Lorenzo Cain and Alcides Escobar. Chicago tied the game in the eighth inning when Dewayne Wise reached on an error that allowed safe passage home for Dayan Viciedo and Ray Olmedo. The Royals took the lead back in their half of the inning on a Perez single to drive in Jarrod Dyson, followed by Johnny Giavotella grounding into a fielder's choice that combined with an error to allow Mike Moustakas to come home and a Cain single to finish Eric Hosmer's trip around. This gave them a 5-2 lead, a final, with the win belonging to Greg Holland and the loss pinned on Jesse Crain.

Further north, the Milwaukee Brewers host the Philadelphia Phillies. Kyle Kendrick and Randy Wolf are the back-of-the-rotation starters. Philadelphia led off with a two-run home run by Michael Martinez, also scoring Domonic Brown. The Phillies extended the lead as Brown hit a 3-RBI double in the third inning, sweeping in Kevin Frandsen, Ryan Howard, and Ty Wigginton. Philadelphia added on in the eighth inning with a Brian Schneider double to drive in both Brown and Martinez. The Phillies padded the lead in the ninth inning as Brown singled John Mayberry across the dish. This paced them to an 8-0 win, picked up by Kendrick, while Wolf was dealt the loss.

Back in Missouri, the St. Louis Cardinals host the Pittsburgh Pirates. Jeff Karstens welcomes Jaime Garcia back from the disabled list. St. Louis struck first in the fourth inning as Carlos Beltran doubled both Allen Craig and Matt Holliday home. Pittsburgh got on the board in the sixth inning with Josh Harrison hitting a sacrifice fly to bring in Clint Barmes, before tying the game as Andrew McCutchen singled Karstens safely home. The Pirates took the lead in the seventeenth (yes, that is 17th) inning on a Garrett Jones single giving James McDonald (normally a pitcher, used as a pinch-hitter here) time to come home. The Cardinals tied it in the bottom of the seventeenth as Tony Cruz hit a sacrifice fly that brought in Ryan Jackson. Pittsburgh took the lead again in the nineteenth inning on a Pedro Alvarez solo home run and a 2-RBI McCutchen single to plate Barmes and Jose Tabata. This made it 6-3, and mercifully this was the final. Normally a starting pitcher, Wandy Rodriguez worked as a last resort to record the win, while Barret Browning was dealt the loss.

West to Colorado, as the Rockies host the Miami Marlins. Josh Johnson and Drew Pomeranz will be taking the mound. Miami got going as Carlos Lee grounded out to score Emilio Bonifacio. The Marlins got another in the fourth inning on a John Buck solo home run. Colorado rallied ahead in the bottom of the fourth as Dexter Fowler doubled to plate Josh Rutledge before scoring on a two-run home run by Jordan Pacheco. This ended the scoring at 3-2, with Adam Ottavino notching the win, Rafael Betancourt turning the save, and Johnson was stuck with the loss.

Out in California, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim host the Tampa Bay Rays. Matt Moore and Zack Greinke are penciled in to pitch. Tampa Bay got things going in the second inning when Elliot Johnson was hit by a pitch and B.J. Upton walked with the bases loaded to force in Ryan Roberts and Sean Rodriguez, respectively, followed by Matt Joyce singling both Jose Molina and Johnson in. Los Angeles got on the board in the fourth inning as Mike Trout hit a solo home run. The Rays added on in the fifth inning as Roberts hit a two-run home run, also scoring Evan Longoria. The Angels shot back in the sixth inning as Albert Pujols hit a solo shot. Tampa Bay padded the lead in the ninth inning as Carlos Pena doubled both Upton and Sam Fuld across the dish. Los Angeles tried a ninth inning rally as Erick Aybar singled to drive in Alberto Callaspo, but they lost 8-3 and scored no more. Moore was given the win and Greinke had a rough loss.

Down in San Diego, the Padres host the San Francisco Giants. Ryan Vogelsong and Clayton Richard pace the game. San Diego began as Carlos Quentin singled in Will Venable, followed by Cameron Maybin singling both Quentin and Yonder Alonso across the dish. San Francisco got on the board in the second inning with Hunter Pence hitting a sacrifice fly to allow Buster Posey to score.The Padres extended the lead in the fifth inning with Maybin singling Alexi Amarista home before scoring alongside John Baker on a double from Everth Cabrera. San Diego got another in the eighth inning on a Venable solo home run. This gave them a 7-1 lead, good for the win, earned by Richard, while Vogelsong struggled in the loss.

North to Oakland, where the Athletics host the Cleveland Indians. Justin Masterson and Jarrod Parker are the inconsistent pitchers. Oakland was first on the board as Coco Crisp singled to plate Cliff Pennington.The Athletics added on in the fourth inning with a Brandon Moss solo home run. Oakland padded the lead in the fifth inning with a three-run home run by Crisp, sweeping in Pennington and Jemile Weeks. The Athletics got some more in the sixth inning as Weeks doubled to score Pennington and then finished his trip around on a Crisp single. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 7-0, giving Parker a dominant win and Masterson had no help in the loss.

Further north, the Seattle Mariners welcome the Minnesota Twins. Samuel Deduno and Blake Beavan are the young starters. Minnesota started with a second inning Trevor Plouffe sacrifice fly to bring in Josh Willingham. Seattle answered in the third inning as John Jaso drew a bases-loaded walk to force in Dustin Ackley, and Jesus Montero grounded into a double play that allowed Michael Saunders to come home. The Mariners added on in the seventh inning as Saunders hit a two-run home run, also scoring Ackley, followed by Eric Thames doubling Jaso across the dish. The scoring ended here at 5-1, with Beavan earning the win, Josh Kinney tossing the save, and Deduno was handed the loss.

Finally, back east, the New York Yankees host the Boston Red Sox. Josh Beckett is mismatched with Hiroki Kuroda. New York opened with a first inning Curtis Granderson double, scoring Derek Jeter. The Yankees got another in the third inning with Jeter scoring on a wild pitch. New York padded the lead in the fourth inning as Ichiro Suzuki hit a solo home run. The Yankees got another in the sixth inning on another Suzuki solo shot. Boston got on the board in the seventh inning with an Adrian Gonzalez solo home run. This was as close as it got, with the final being 4-1, giving Kuroda the win, Rafael Soriano the save, and Beckett was pinned with the loss.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

MLB Day 135 2012

Sixteen game schedule today, beginning in...

Toronto, as the Blue Jays host the Texas Rangers. Roy Oswalt and Carlos Villanueva will make the starts. Toronto got going in the third inning on an Adeiny Hechavarria single to knock in Anthony Gose. Texas took the lead in the fifth inning as Nelson Cruz hit a two-run home run, also scoring Adrian Beltre. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 2-1. Michael Kirkman was in line for the win, Joe Nathan turned the save, and Villanueva was stuck with the loss.

Down into Cincinnati for a doubleheader. The game 1 pitchers are aces Jeff Samardzija and Johnny Cueto. Chicago opened in the first inning on a two-run Alfonso Soriano home run, also scoring David DeJesus. Cincinnati answered in the second inning as Xavier Paul hit a two-run homer, bringing in Todd Frazier. The Reds gained the lead in the fourth inning with solo shots from both Frazier and Miguel Cairo. Cincinnati padded the lead in the eighth inning as Frazier hit a sacrifice fly that allowed Jay Bruce tome come home. The Cubs tried a ninth inning rally as Welington Castillo singled to drive in Soriano, but they didn't tie the game and lost 5-3. Cueto earned the win, Aroldis Chapman turned a messy save, and Samardzija was given the loss.

In game two, the pitching star power faded, as Brooks Raley and Todd Redmond will have the ball. Chicago began with a second inning solo home run by Brett Jackson. Cincinnati tied it as Ryan Ludwick hit a solo shot in the bottom of the second. The Cubs took the lead back in the fourth inning when Anthony Rizzo singled in Luis Valbuena, Starlin Castro doubled to drive in Joe Mather, and Bryan LaHair reached on a fielder's choice that allowed Rizzo to finish his trip around. The Reds answered in the bottom of the fifth with a Chris Heisey single to bring around Jay Bruce. The Cubs extended the lead in the sixth inning on a Castro triple to force in Rizzo, before he scored on a LaHair single, and then Adrian Cardenas doubled LaHair across the dish. Cincinnati shot back in the bottom of the sixth with a Todd Frazier single to bring around Brandon Phillips, followed by Scott Rolen's double to give Ludwick time to dash home. The Reds chipped away in the seventh inning on a two-run Ludwick home run, also scoring Wilson Valdez. Cincinnati got closer in the eighth inning as Miguel Cairo tripled to get Bruce across the plate. Chicago got an insurance run in the ninth inning with a David DeJesus solo home run. This made it 9-7, a final, where Raley got the win, Carlos Marmol notched his fifteenth save of the season, and Redmond was given the loss.

East to New York, with the Yankees hosting the Boston Red Sox. Jon Lester and David Phelps are penciled in to pitch. Boston quickly opened with a two-run home run by Adrian Gonzalez in the first inning, also scoring Carl Crawford. New York got one back in the fourth inning as Curtis Granderson hit a solo home run. The Red Sox shot back in the fifth inning with a Nick Punto double to plate Pedro Ciriaco. Boston got another in the ninth inning when Scott Podsednik scored on a wild pitch. This made it 4-1, a final, with Lester picking up the win, Alfredo Aceves converting his twenty-fifth save of the season, and Phelps was dinged for the loss.

West again, as the St. Louis Cardinals host the Pittsburgh Pirates. Erik Bedard and Lance Lynn will be sent out to pitch. St. Louis led off in the first inning as Matt Carpenter singled in Rafael Furcal. Pittsburgh answered in the third inning with Jordy Mercer singling to score Clint Barmes. The Cardinals took the lead back in the fourth inning with Shane Robinson doubling to plate both David Freese and Yadier Molina. The Pirates retied it in the fifth inning as Mercer doubled home Starling Marte before scoring on a Garrett Jones sacrifice fly. St. Louis took the lead back in the bottom of the fifth as Molina hit a ground rule double to force both Furcal and Allen Craig in. Pittsburgh got one back in the ninth inning when Andrew McCutchen grounded into a fielder's choice, scoring Gaby Sanchez, but they failed to tie it and fell 5-4. Barret Browning was credited with the win, Jason Motte tossed the save, and Bedard was handed the loss.

Down into Houston, as the Astros host the Arizona Diamondbacks. Patrick Corbin and Jordan Lyles are the young pitchers. Arizona began in the second inning as Chris Young doubled in Miguel Montero. Houston shot back in the third inning as Tyler Greene singled home Jose Altuve. The Astros gained the lead in the fourth inning on a two-run Chris Snyder home run, also scoring Brett Wallace. The Diamondbacks rallied ahead in the fifth inning, beginning as Justin Upton singled to drive in Gerardo Parra, followed by Paul Goldschmidt doing the same for Aaron Hill, Young following suit to finish Upton's trip around, Stephen Drew drawing a bases-loaded walk to force in Goldschmidt, Ryan Wheeler reaching on an error to bring in both Montero and Young, and then Hill cleared the bases with a three-run home run to sweep in Drew and Wheeler. Houston got one back in the bottom of the fifth as Greene hit a solo home run. Arizona answered with a seventh inning Wheeler solo shot. The Diamondbacks got another in the eighth inning as Young hit a solo home run. This finished the scoring at 12-4, with Corbin getting the win while Lyles was shelled in the loss.

Northeast to Washington, as the Nationals welcome the New York Mets. Jonathon Niese and Edwin Jackson are the reliable pitchers. New York started in the seventh inning on a two-run home run by Ike Davis, also scoring David Wright. This was all they needed for a 2-0 win, with Niese getting the win, Frank Francisco turning his twentieth save of the season, and Jackson had no run support in the loss.

Over in Michigan, the Detroit Tigers host the Baltimore Orioles. Zach Britton and Rick Porcello are the struggling starters. Baltimore opened in the seventh inning with a three-run home run by Chris Davis, also scoring Adam Jones and Matt Wieters. Detroit got on the board in the eighth inning as Jhonny Peralta hit a 2-RBI single, scoring both Austin Jackson and Miguel Cabrera. They couldn't tie the game, falling 3-2, with Britton earning the win, Jim Johnson turning the save, and Porcello was not freed from the loss.

South to Kansas City, where the Royals host the Chicago White Sox. Jake Peavy and Bruce Chen receive the starting nods. Kansas City was first to score in the first inning as Alex Gordon doubled home Alcides Escobar. The Royals added on in the third inning as Billy Butler singled to knock in Gordon and Mike Moustakas did the same to finish Butler's trip around. Kansas City struck again in the fifth inning with a Butler single to plate Escobar. Chicago got on the board in the sixth inning as Paul Konerko hit a two-run home run, also scoring Adam Dunn. The Royals answered in their half of the inning as Eric Hosmer hit a solo home run. The White Sox pulled closer in the eighth inning as Dunn hit a two-run home run, sweeping in Kevin Youkilis. Kansas City padded the lead in the bottom of the eighth as Butler again singled to drive in Escobar, before he and Gordon scored on a three-run home run by Moustakas. This made it 9-4, a final, with the win going to Chen and the loss to Peavy.

Southeast into Atlanta, as the Braves welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers. Aaron Harang and Ben Sheets are the veteran pitchers. Atlanta led off with a first inning Martin Prado double, plating Michael Bourn. Los Angeles shot back with back-to-back-to-back solo shots in the second inning, as Hanley Ramirez, James Loney, and Luis Cruz all went yard. The Dodgers padded the lead in the sixth inning as Ramirez hit a three-run home run, sweeping in Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier. The Braves tried a ninth inning rally as Prado hit a solo home run, but this wasn't enough to avoid a 6-2 loss. Harang was given the win, Kenley Jansen turned his twenty-fifth save of the season, and Sheets was dealt the loss.

Up in Milwaukee, the Brewers host the Philadelphia Phillies. Cole Hamels and Mike Fiers take the hill. Philadelphia got going in the second inning with a two-run home run by John Mayberry, also scoring Laynce Nix, followed by an Erik Kratz solo home run. Milwaukee got on the board in the bottom of the second as Aramis Ramirez hit a solo shot. The Phillies shot back in the third inning as Ryan Howard doubled to score Chase Utley. The Brewers took some back in the eighth inning as Ryan Braun hit a two-run home run, sweeping in Jonathan Lucroy. It wasn't enough to avoid a 4-3 loss, with the win belonging to Hamels, the save turned by Jonathan Papelbon, and Fiers was pinned with the loss.

Out to Colorado, with the Rockies hosting the Miami Marlins. Nathan Eovaldi and Tyler Chatwood are the relatively unknown pitchers. Miami began with Jose Reyes singling home Bryan Petersen, followed by a three-run Giancarlo Stanton home run, sweeping in Gorkys Hernandez and Reyes. The Marlins struck again in the second inning as Reyes tripled to force in Eovaldi and Petersen. Colorado got on the board with a fourth inning Tyler Colvin double to knock in Dexter Fowler. The Rockies pulled closer in the eighth inning as Jordan Pacheco singled in Willin Rosario, followed by a Chris Nelson sacrifice fly to bring in Colvin. Colorado tried a ninth inning rally on a 2-RBI Colvin single to plate Fowler and Rosario, but they lost 6-5. Eovaldi got the win, Steve Cishek turned the save, and Chatwood was not freed from the loss.

Into California, as the San Diego Padres host the San Francisco Giants. Barry Zito and Eric Stults are the back-of-the-rotation pitchers. San Francisco opened with a second inning Joaquin Arias solo home run. San Diego tied it in their half of the inning as Cameron Maybin grounded into a fielder's choice to get Carlos Quentin home. The Padres took the lead in the third inning as Chase Headley hit a three-run home run, sweeping in Stults and Logan Forsythe. The Giants answered in the fifth inning on a Marco Scutaro sacrifice fly to bring in Ryan Theriot, followed by Pablo Sandoval reaching on a fielder's choice to get Angel Pagan in, a Hunter Pence sacrifice fly allowing Sandoval to finish his trip around, and an Arias single providing Buster Posey safe passage home. San Diego retied it in the sixth inning on a Quentin solo shot. San Francisco took the lead back in the seventh inning as Posey's sacrifice fly gave Scutaro time to get home, followed by Arias singling to drive in Sandoval. The Giants extended the lead in the ninth inning on a Pence double that drove in Posey. The Padres tried a rally in the bottom of the ninth as Alexi Amarista singled to score Yonder Alonso, before scoring on a Chris Denorfia single, but they lost 8-7 after failing to get the equalizer. Jose Mijares picked up the win, Clay Hensley got out of a jam for a save, and Brad Brach was responsible for the loss.

North to Oakland, with the Athletics hosting the Cleveland Indians. Corey Kluber and Bartolo Colon will take their turns in the rotation. Oakland established a lead in the third inning as Josh Donaldson grounded out to bring in Cliff Pennington, followed by Josh Reddick doubling home Coco Crisp before scoring on a two-run home run by Yoenis Cespedes. The Athletics struck again in the sixth inning on a George Kotteras single to plate Chris Carter. Cleveland got on the board in the seventh inning as Carlos Santana hit a solo home run. Oakland replied in the bottom of the seventh on a Cespedes single to knock in Jemile Weeks. The Athletics got some more in the eighth inning as Coco Crisp tripled to force in both Kotteras and Weeks. The Indians got some back in the ninth inning as Shin-Soo Choo hit a two-run home run, also scoring Asdrubal Cabrera, followed by another two-run blast from Brent Lillibridge that also plated Michael Brantley, but this only made it 8-5. Colon was given the win, Grant Balfour finished off for a save, and Kluber was stuck with the loss.

Back south, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim host the Tampa Bay Rays. Alex Cobb is mismatched with C.J. Wilson. Los Angeles rallied to a first inning lead as Mike Trout hit a solo home run, followed by Kendrys Morales singling Torii Hunter in and Mark Trumbo doing the same for Albert Pujols. The Angels padded the lead in the second inning when Trout singled Erick Aybar in before scoring on a double by Hunter, and then Pujols hit a two-run home run to finish Hunter's trip around. Los Angeles got another in the third inning as Trout singled Aybar home again. Tampa Bay rallied close in the fifth inning as Sam Fuld singled to plate Sean Rodriguez, followed by Desmond Jennings walked with the bases loaded, forcing in Ryan Roberts, a 3-RBI Ben Zobrist double, sweeping in Jose Lobaton, Fuld, and Jennings, and Evan Longoria hit a two-run home run, plating Zobrist. The Rays tied it in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly by Lobaton, allowing Roberts to dash home. Tampa Bay took the lead in the eighth inning as Carlos Pena hit a two-run home run, bringing around Jeff Keppinger. This completed the comeback, with the Rays winning 10-8, which left the win with Jake McGee, while Fernando Rodney tossed the save, and Kevin Jepsen was on the hook for the epic collapse.

Finally, we end in Seattle, as the Mariners host the Minnesota Twins. Scott Diamond and Jason Vargas pace the game. Minnesota quickly got on the board with a first inning Justin Morneau single, knocking in Jamey Carroll. Seattle tied it in the third inning as Dustin Ackley singled home Michael Saunders. The Twins took the lead back in the seventh inning when Joe Mauer grounded into a fielder's choice to get Pedro Florimon home. The Mariners tied it in the bottom of the seventh on a Justin Smoak solo home run. Seattle won it in the ninth inning as John Jaso hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Saunders for the 3-2 final. Tom Wilhelmsen was in line for the win, while Tyler Robertson was dealt the loss.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

MLB Day 134 2012

Back to the full slate, and just as a heads-up, I will be at the Sounders game tomorrow, so the post will be a bit late, as well as a Mariners game on Tuesday to help celebrate King Felix's perfect game, and fantasy football drafts over the course of the next week that could make my schedule even more interesting. Besides that, I will try my best to keep up with everything here and keep providing the recaps for every game in the season as I have done successfully so far. Today's games begin in...

Detroit, as the Tigers host the Baltimore Orioles. Tommy Hunter is mismatched with Justin Verlander. Detroit opened with a first inning Miguel Cabrera solo home run. Baltimore tied it in the third inning as Nick Markakis doubled to knock in Omar Quintanilla. The Orioles took the lead in the fifth inning on a two-run home run by Matt Wieters, also scoring J.J. Hardy. The Tigers tied it in the sixth inning with a two-run home run by Prince Fielder, sweeping in Cabrera. Detroit took the lead in the eighth inning as Fielder hit another two-run home run, again scoring Cabrera. This was good for a 5-3 win, with the win going to Joaquin Benoit, while Jose Valverde turned the save and Darren O'Day was on the hook for the loss.

Back east, the Washington Nationals host the New York Mets. Johan Santana and Ross Detwiler get the starting nods. New York gained the lead in the first inning as Daniel Murphy singled both David Wright and Scott Hairston home. Washington gained the lead in the fourth inning with a Michael Morse grand slam, sweeping in Jayson Werth, Bryce Harper, and Ryan Zimmerman. The Nationals added on in the fifth inning as Harper hit a two-run home run, also scoring Werth. The Mets got one back in the sixth inning as Ronny Cedeno grounded out to get Hairston across the dish. New York pulled closer in the seventh inning when Kelly Shoppach hit a solo home run. They got no closer, falling 6-4, with the win going to Detwiler, the save to Tyler Clippard, and the loss was stuck on Santana.

Over in New York, the Yankees host the Boston Red Sox. Franklin Morales and Phil Hughes are the average pitchers. New York led off with a first inning Nick Swisher solo home run. The Yankees added on in the second inning as both Curtis Granderson and Russell Martin hit solo shots. Boston shot back in the third inning as Pedro Ciriaco grounded into a fielder's choice that brought in Mike Aviles, followed by a three-run Dustin Pedroia home run, sweeping in Ciriaco and Jacoby Ellsbury. New York tied it in the fifth inning as Derek Jeter hit a solo home run. The Yankees gained the lead in the sixth inning with Jayson Nix singling to plate Casey McGehee. New York struck again in the seventh inning on a Swisher solo shot. This gave them a 6-4 win, with Hughes notching the win, Rafael Soriano picked up the save, and Morales was on the hook for the loss.

Up in Canada, the Toronto Blue Jays welcome the Texas Rangers. Yu Darvish faces a lesser foe in J.A. Happ. Toronto got going in the first inning on a two-run Edwin Encarnacion home run, also scoring Kelly Johnson. Texas got one back in the fifth inning on a Craig Gentry groundout to bring in Michael Young. The Blue Jays replied in the bottom of the fifth as Rajai Davis singled to knock in Anthony Gose. The Rangers pulled back in the seventh inning as Mike Olt reached on an error to get Adrian Beltre home. They couldn't tie it, losing 3-2, with Happ getting the win, Casey Janssen tossing the save, and Darvish took the loss.

Back stateside, the Cincinnati Reds host the Chicago Cubs. Travis Wood and Bronson Arroyo are the inconsistent pitchers. Chicago started with a second inning Luis Valbuena solo home run. Cincinnati tied it in the bottom of the second as Ryan Hanigan reached on an error to bring in Todd Frazier. The Cubs took the lead back in the fourth inning with Starlin Castro scoring on a wild pitch, followed by the pitcher Wood singling Brett Jackson home. The Reds answered in their half of the inning on a Ryan Ludwick solo shot, followed by a two-run home run from Frazier, also scoring Jay Bruce, a Zack Cozart double to knock in the pitcher Arroyo, and a Drew Stubbs triple to force in Cozart. Cincinnati got another in the fifth inning as Bruce hit a solo home run. This ended the scoring at 7-3, with Arroyo getting the win and Wood taking the loss.

South further to Atlanta, with the Braves hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers. Chris Capuano and Tommy Hanson draw the starts. Atlanta began with a second inning Chipper Jones solo home run. Los Angeles took the lead in the sixth inning with a two-run home run by Andre Ethier, also scoring Mark Ellis. The Dodgers extended the lead in the seventh inning as Shane Victorino doubled in Luis Cruz. The Braves tied it in the eighth inning as Martin Prado grounded out to get Paul Janish home, followed by Jason Heyward singling to plate Reed Johnson. Atlanta won it 4-3 in the eleventh inning as Juan Francisco singled David Ross across the dish. Jonny Venters was credited with the win, while Brandon League was dealt the loss.

West into Houston, as the Astros host the Arizona Diamondbacks. Wade Miley and Dallas Keuchel are the young starters. Arizona got going in the fifth inning as Miley sacrificed to get Gerardo Parra home, followed by Chris Young doubling to score Wil Nieves. Houston got on the board in the bottom of the fifth as Tyler Greene hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Marwin Gonzalez. The Diamondbacks got another in the eighth inning on a Paul Goldschmidt double to plate Aaron Hill. This was good for a 3-1 win, picked up by Miley, while J.J. Putz tossed the save, and Keuchel was given the loss.

Up in Milwaukee, the Brewers host the Philadelphia Phillies. Vance Worley and Yovani Gallardo are the reliable pitchers. Philadelphia led off in the fourth inning with Ryan Howard doubling to knock in Chase Utley. Milwaukee took the lead in the bottom of the fourth as Nyjer Morgan tripled to force in Corey Hart and Martin Maldonado, followed by Gallardo singling both Morgan and Jean Segura across the dish. The Brewers extended the lead with a two-run home run by Ryan Braun, also scoring Norichika Aoki. The Phillies tried a ninth inning rally as Kevin Frandsen singed to score Laynce Nix, but this only made it a 6-2 final. Gallardo was given the win while Worley was pinned with the loss.

Back to the south, the Kansas City Royals host the Chicago White Sox. Chris Sale and Luis Mendoza get the starting nods. Kansas City struck first in the second inning as Lorenzo Cain hit a solo home run. Chicago tied it in the fourth inning on a Paul Konerko solo shot. The White Sox took the lead in the fifth inning with a Gordon Beckham single to drive in Alexei Ramirez. The Royals tied it in the sixth inning on a Billy Butler solo home run. Kansas City took the lead in the seventh inning on a Salvador Perez double plating both Mike Moustakas and Alcides Escobar. This gave them a 4-2 lead, which they held for a win, picked up by Mendoza, while Greg Holland notched the save and Sale was stuck with the loss.

Across the state the St. Louis Cardinals host the Pittsburgh Pirates. James McDonald and Jake Westbrook are the above-average starters. Pittsburgh gained the lead in the fourth inning as Travis Snider scored on a wild pitch and Andrew McCutchen scored on a passed ball. St. Louis got on the board in the seventh inning on a Tony Cruz groundout to knock in Carlos Beltran. They failed to tie, losing 2-1, with McDonald earning the win, Joel Hanrahan converting the save, and Westbrook was charged with the loss.

Westward to Colorado, as the Rockies host the Miami Marlins. Wade LeBlanc and Jeff Francis are the relatively unknown pitchers. Miami quickly started in the first inning as Carlos Lee doubled home Gorkys Hernandez. Colorado rallied ahead in the fourth inning as Willin Rosario singled in Josh Rutledge, followed by Jordan Pacheco doing the same for Dexter Fowler. The Marlins took the lead again in the fifth inning on a three-run home run by Jose Reyes, sweeping in John Buck and Hernandez. The Rockies got one back in their half of the inning on a Rutledge single to bring in Jonathan Herrera. Miami tied it again in the sixth inning on a Giancarlo Stanton solo home run, followed by Buck doubling to plate Donovan Solano. This held up for a 6-5 win, earned by LeBlanc, while Steve Cishek tossed the save, and Josh Roenicke was pinned with the loss.

Into California, where the San Diego Padres host the San Francisco Giants. Matt Cain and Ross Ohlendorf have the green light to pitch. San Francisco opened with a first inning Marco Scutaro solo home run. The Giants added on in the third inning as Angel Pagan tripled to force in Brandon Crawford before scoring on a Scutaro single, followed by Pablo Sandoval singling Scutaro home, a Hunter Pence double driving in Sandoval, Buster Posey scoring on a passed ball, Gregor Blanco singling to knock in Pence, the pitcher Cain singling to get Brandon Belt in, and Pagan singling Crawford across the dish again. San Diego got on the board in the fifth inning as Everth Cabrera singled home Yonder Alonso. San Francisco replied with a ninth inning Belt single to bring around Posey for a 10-1 win. Cain earned the win with a strong outing, while Ohlendorf was shelled early in the loss.

A bit north, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim host the Tampa Bay Rays. James Shields and Jered Weaver pace the game. Tampa Bay was first on the board with a B.J. Upton solo home run. The Rays got another in the second inning as Ben Zobrist hit a solo shot. Los Angeles got on the board in the third inning as Erick Aybar hit a solo home run. Tampa Bay answered in the fourth inning with Sean Rodriguez singling to knock in Evan Longoria, followed by Ryan Roberts doing the same for Zobrist, Jose Molina following suit to get both Jeff Keppinger and Rodriguez home, Desmond Jennings doubling to drive in Roberts, and Upton hitting a 2-RBI single to plate Molina and Jennings. The Angels got some back in the bottom of the fourth, as Howie Kendrick hit a two-run home run, also scoring Alberto Callaspo. The Rays shot back in the fifth inning as Rodriguez grounded out to get Zobrist safely home. Tampa Bay got another in the eighth inning on a Molina solo shot. The Rays padded the lead with a ninth inning Elliot Johnson sacrifice fly to bring home Sam Fuld, making the final 12-3. Shields notched the win, while Weaver was pinned with an ugly loss.

Further north, the Oakland Athletics host the Cleveland Indians. Zach McAllister and Tommy Milone are penciled in to pitch. Cleveland began in the fourth inning on a Shelley Duncan grand slam, sweeping in Carlos Santana, Michael Brantley, and Jason Donald. Oakland got one back in the bottom of the fourth inning as Josh Donaldson doubled to knock in Chris Carter, followed by Derek Norris grounding out to bring in Brandon Moss, and Cliff Pennington singled to finish Donaldson's trip around. Oakland took the lead in the eighth inning on a Donaldson single scoring Adam Rosales and a Pennington sacrifice fly allowing Moss to dash home. They held on to win 6-4, with the win going to Jordan Norberto, while Grant Balfour tossed the save, and Joe Smith was responsible for the loss.

Finally, we end in Seattle, as the Mariners host the Minnesota Twins. Nick Blackburn and Hisashi Iwakuma will be on the hill. Seattle began in the first inning as John Jaso hit a two-run home run, also scoring Michael Saunders. The Mariners got another in the second inning as Miguel Olivo hit a solo home run. Minnesota got going in the fifth inning as Matt Carson singled to drive in Justin Morneau. Seattle replied in the sixth inning as Eric Thames doubled in Trayvon Robinson before scoring on a Dustin Ackley single. The Twins took some back in the eighth inning on Joe Mauer and Josh Willingham solo shots. They got no closer, losing 5-3, with Iwakuma earning the win, Tom Wilhelmsen turning the save, and Blackburn was handed the loss.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

MLB Day 133 2012

Two matinees on today, with only eleven games total for travel day. We begin in...

New York, as the Yankees host the Texas Rangers. Derek Holland and Ivan Nova are the overrated pitchers. Texas got on the board in the first inning as Adrian Beltre singled both Michael Young and Josh Hamilton home. The Rangers added on in the sixth inning when David Murphy singled home Hamilton and Craig Gentry grounded into a fielder's choice that allowed Beltre to get home. New York answered in their half of the inning when Derek Jeter singled to knock in Ichiro Suzuki, followed by Nick Swisher singled to plate Jeter, Andruw Jones hitting a two-run home run that also scored Swisher, and Russell Martin singling to bring around Casey McGehee. Texas took the lead back in the seventh inning as Murphy doubled home Young, before scoring alongside Beltre on a Gentry single. The Yankees got one back in the bottom of the seventh as Mark Teixeira grounded into a fielder's choice to give Raul Ibanez time to come home. The Rangers extended the lead in the eighth inning as Beltre hit a sacrifice fly to give time for Elvis Andrus to come home, followed by Geoveny Soto singling to drive in Hamilton. Texas got one more in the ninth inning on an Andrus single that got Nelson Cruz in, making it a 10-6 final, with the win going to Tanner Scheppers while Boone Logan was handed the loss.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Pirates hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers. Joe Blanton and A.J. Burnett will be handed the ball. Pittsburgh established a first inning lead on a three-run home run by Garrett Jones, sweeping in Jordy Mercer and Andrew McCutchen. Los Angeles got on the board in the second inning with a James Loney solo home run. The Dodgers got another in the fourth inning as Elian Herrera reached on a bunt single that combined with an error to bring around Mark Ellis, followed by a two-run home run from Hanley Ramirez, also scoring Andre Ethier. The Pirates retied it in the bottom of the fourth on a Clint Barmes triple forcing in Rod Barajas. Pittsburgh took the lead again in the fifth inning with another three-run Jones home run, again scoring Mercer and McCutchen, followed by a Pedro Alvarez solo shot. Los Angeles shot back in the seventh as Mark Ellis singled Loney across the dish, followed by Juan Rivera being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in A.J. Ellis. The Pirates shot back in the bottom of the seventh with a 2-RBI Barmes single to bring in Gaby Sanchez and Alvarez. This was it for the scoring at 10-6, with Burnett getting the win and Blanton suffering the loss.

Back east into Baltimore, as the Orioles host the Boston Red Sox. Clay Buchholz and Chris Tillman receive the starting nods. Baltimore got going in the second inning with a 2-RBI Adam Jones double to plate Nick Markakis and J.J. Hardy. Boston replied in the second inning as Scott Podsednik singled to drive in Nick Punto. The Orioles answered in the bottom of the second with a Mark Reynolds solo home run. The Red Sox tied it in the fifth inning as Carl Crawford scored on a wild pitch, followed by an Adrian Gonzalez sacrifice fly to bring in Dustin Pedroia. Boston rallied ahead in the sixth inning as Pedroia singled home Podsednik, followed by Gonzalez doing the same for Crawford, and Cody Ross singling to finish Pedroia's trip around. They made this stand for a 6-3 win, earned by Buchholz, while Alfredo Aceves turned the save and Luis Ayala was handed the loss.

Up in Canada, the Toronto Blue Jays host the Chicago White Sox. Francisco Liriano and Aaron Laffey are the back-of-the-rotation pitchers. Toronto opened in the second inning with a two-run home run by Moises Sierra, also scoring David Cooper. Chicago answered in the third inning with a Dewayne Wise solo home run. The White Sox took the lead in the fifth inning with Dayan Viciedo and Tyler Flowers solo shots. Chicago padded the lead in the eighth inning with a three-run Alex Rios home run, sweeping in Kevin Youkilis and Adam Dunn, followed by an Alexei Ramirez solo home run. This gave them a 7-2 win, with Liriano earning the win while Laffey was pinned with the loss.

Back in the States, the Atlanta Braves host the San Diego Padres. Jason Marquis and Kris Medlen are the little-known pitchers. Atlanta started in the first inning as Chipper Jones hit a two-run home run, also scoring Michael Bourn. The Braves added on in the fifth inning with solo shots by Jason Heyward and Jones, followed by Paul Janish singing in Freddie Freeman. This made it 6-0, with Medlen throwing a five-hit complete game shutout, while Marquis had no help in the loss.

North to Cincinnati, as the Reds host the New York Mets. Matt Harvey and Homer Bailey will take the mound. New York began in the fourth inning with an Ike Davis solo home run, followed by a double from the pitcher Harvey, scoring both Jason Bay and Kelly Shoppach. The Mets added on in the sixth inning with a Jason Bay solo shot, followed by Ruben Tejada doubling in Shoppach, before scoring on a Mike Baxter single. Cincinnati got on the board in the seventh inning as Jay Bruce doubled to drive in Brandon Phillips. New York shot back in the ninth inning as Davis doubled in David Wright before scoring on an error as Justin Turner reached first. The Reds got some back in their half of the inning on a Ryan Ludwick solo home run, followed by Miguel Cairo singling to knock in Bruce, Zack Cozart doubling to get Todd Frazier across the dish, but this only made it 8-4. Harvey got the win, Jon Rauch tossed a spot save, and Bailey was stuck with the loss.

Up to Milwaukee, as the Brewers hosted the Philadelphia Phillies. Cliff Lee opposes a lesser foe in Marco Estrada. Milwaukee was first on the board with first inning solo shots by Ryan Braun and Aramis Ramirez. Philadelphia got one back in the third inning as Ryan Howard reached on an error, allowing Jimmy Rollins to dash home. The Brewers replied in the fourth inning with a Braun solo home run. The Phillies took the lead on a 3-RBI Kevin Frandsen double, sweeping in Ryan Howard, Domonic Brown, and Laynce Nix. Milwaukee took the lead back in the eighth inning on a grand slam from Corey Hart, plating Rickie Weeks, Braun, and Ramirez. This gave them a 7-4 lead, with Livan Hernandez getting the win, Jim Henderson converting the save, and Josh Lindblom was dealt the loss.

Down in Kansas City, the Royals host the Oakland Athletics. Daniel Straily and Luke Hochevar will make the starts. Oakland got things going in the sixth inning on a Coco Crisp solo home run. The Athletics got another in the seventh inning as Yoenis Cespedes hit a solo shot. Oakland struck again with an eighth inning Jemile Weeks single to plate Derek Norris. This stood as a 3-0 win, picked up by Straily, while Grant Balfour tossed the save, and Hochevar had no help in the loss.

Across the state, the St. Louis Cardinals host the Arizona Diamondbacks with a side of rain. Trevor Cahill and Kyle Lohse are the talented pitchers. St. Louis busted things open in the fifth inning as Allen Craig singled in the pitcher Lohse. Arizona took the lead in the ninth inning on solo shots by Paul Goldschmidt and Chris Young. They held on to win 2-1, with David Hernandez getting the win, J.J. Putz converting the save, and Jason Motte blew his save chance and took the loss.

Westward to Colorado, as the Rockies host the Miami Marlins. Ricky Nolasco and Alex White are the uninspiring starters. Miami led off in the second inning as Carlos Lee hit a solo home run. Colorado tied it in the bottom of the second as DJ LeMahieu scored on a wild pitch. The Marlins took the lead back in the fourth inning as Lee scored on a wild pitch. Miami got another in the sixth inning on a Giancarlo Stanton solo shot. The Rockies tied it in the bottom of the sixth as Michael Cuddyer hit a two-run home run, also scoring Carlos Gonzalez. Colorado took the lead in the seventh inning on a Josh Rutledge triple to force in LeMahieu, followed by Eric Young reaching on a fielder's choice to finish Rutledge's trip around. This gave them a 5-3 lead they would not let go of, with Adam Ottavino getting the win while Nolasco went the distance in the loss.

Finally, we end with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hosting the Tampa Bay Rays. David Price and Dan Haren pace the game. Tampa Bay started with a second inning Ben Zobrist solo home run. The Rays added on in the fourth inning with a B.J. Upton solo shot, followed by Jeff Keppinger singling both Evan Longoria and Zobrist home, and Ryan Roberts hit a sacrifice fly to finish Keppinger's trip around. Tampa Bay struck again in the fifth inning as Longoria hit a two-run home run, also scoring Matt Joyce. This paced them to a 7-0 win, with Price pitching well for a win while Haren was stuck with the loss.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

MLB Day 132 2012

Full slate with six matinees on, beginning in...

Miami, as the Marlins host the Philadelphia Phillies. Roy Halladay and Mark Buehrle are the veteran pitchers. Miami started in the fourth inning as Greg Dobbs singled in Carlos Lee, followed by Donovan Solano hitting a sacrifice fly to bring in Giancarlo Stanton. Philadelphia answered with a fifth inning Ty Wigginton solo home run. The Phillies tied it in the sixth inning as Wigginton singled to knock in Kevin Frandsen. The Marlins took the lead back in the bottom of the sixth on a Dobbs solo shot. Miami extended the lead in the eighth inning on a Stanton single to plate Jose Reyes, followed by a 2-RBI Austin Kearns single, driving in Lee and Stanton, before he scored alongside Solano on a Bryan Petersen double, and then Petersen scored on a Gorkys Hernandez single. This made it 9-2, a final, with Buehrle getting the win and Halladay taking the loss.

Up in Minnesota, the Twins host the Detroit Tigers. Max Scherzer and Cole De Vries are the inconsistent pitchers. Detroit led off with a first inning Miguel Cabrera solo home run. The Tigers added on in the fourth inning as Delmon Young hit a two-run home run, also scoring Alex Avila. Detroit struck again in the fifth inning on a Cabrera single, plating Andy Dirks. The Tigers padded the lead in the eighth inning as Omar Infante singled to knock in Jhonny Peralta. Minnesota got on the board in the bottom of the eighth on a Joe Mauer single to bring in Ben Revere. They got no closer, falling 5-1, with Scherzer getting the win while De Vries was stuck with the loss.

Back south to Chicago, as the Cubs host the Houston Astros. Bud Norris and Justin Germano are the little-known starters. Houston got going in the second inning on a Scott Moore solo home run. Chicago answered in the bottom of the second when Brett Jackson tripled to force in Starlin Castro. The Cubs added on in the third inning as David DeJesus hit a solo shot, followed by a two-run Castro home run, also scoring Alfonso Soriano. Chicago struck again in the fourth inning as DeJesus hit a two-run home run, sweeping in Germano. The Cubs got another in the sixth inning as Jackson scored on a passed ball. The Astros took one back in the seventh inning as Brandon Barnes grounded into a fielder's choice that gave Moore time to dash home. This was as close as it would get, with the final sitting at 7-2, giving Germano the win while Norris was dinged with the loss.

West to Colorado, as the Rockies host the Milwaukee Brewers. Mark Rogers and Guillermo Moscoso are the complete unknown pitchers. Colorado started in the first inning as Ramon Hernandez hit a single to knock in Tyler Colvin, followed by Chris Nelson singling both Carlos Gonzalez and Hernandez in. The Rockies got another in the second inning when Eric Young hit a solo home run. Milwaukee got on the board in the fifth inning with Rickie Weeks doubling to bring in Carlos Gomez, before he scored on a Corey Hart double, followed by Nyjer Morgan singling both Aramis Ramirez and Hart home, and a Jean Segura sacrifice fly to give Jonathan Lucroy time to dash home. Colorado retied it in the sixth inning with Nelson singling to drive in Gonzalez. The Brewers regained the lead in the seventh inning as Morgan singled to bring around Hart. The Rockies won it 7-6 in the ninth inning with a walkoff 2-RBI Colvin double, getting both Willin Rosario and Young across the dish. Will Harris was in line for the win while Jim Henderson took the loss.

Northwest to Seattle, as the Mariners host the Tampa Bay Rays. Jeremy Hellickson and Felix Hernandez take the mound. Seattle struck first in the third inning as Jesus Montero singled to plate Brendan Ryan. This was the game's only run, with Hernandez twirling the 23rd perfect game in the history of Major League Baseball, while Hellickson had literally no support at all in the unlucky loss.

Down in San Francisco, the Giants host the Washington Nationals. Stephen Strasburg and Tim Lincecum are on the hill. Earlier today, there was a bombshell that broke about Melky Cabrera using an illegal substance, and as such he has been suspended for the rest of the regular season (45 games left, with the last 5 coming whenever they are able to). Washington opened the scoring in the first inning as Jayson Werth singled home Steve Lombardozzi and Adam LaRoche. San Francisco tied it in the second inning when Brandon Crawford hit a 2-RBI single, plating Buster Posey and Hunter Pence. The Nationals took the lead back in the third inning as Danny Espinosa hit a two-run home run, also scoring LaRoche. Washington got another in the fifth inning as Werth singled to knock in Michael Morse. The Nationals struck again in the seventh inning as Kurt Suzuki hit a sacrifice fly allowing Werth to dash home. The Giants got one back in the eighth inning on a Gregor Blanco single to knock in Pablo Sandoval. San Francisco tried a ninth inning rally when Sandoval reached on an error, which gave Hector Sanchez time to come in, but they still lost 6-4. Strasburg was credited with the win, Tyler Clippard got his twenty-fifth save of the season, and Lincecum suffered the loss.

Back to the east, as the Pittsburgh Pirates host the Los Angeles Dodgers. Clayton Kershaw and Wandy Rodriguez are the reliable pitchers. Los Angeles started with Matt Kemp grounding into a fielder's choice to get Shane Victorino home. Pittsburgh answered in the second inning on a Garrett Jones sacrifice fly to bring in Gaby Sanchez. The Dodgers reclaimed the lead in the third inning as Juan Rivera hit a sacrifice fly that gave time for Mark Ellis to score. Los Angeles extended the lead in the fourth inning on a Kemp single plating both Kershaw and Victorino, before he scored as Hanley Ramirez ripped a double. The Pirates got one back in the bottom of the fourth on an Andrew McCutchen solo home run. The Dodgers extended the lead in the seventh inning as James Loney singled home Ramirez before a Luis Cruz ground rule double forced in Andre Ethier, and then Loney scored on an A.J. Ellis sacrifice fly, followed by Kershaw doing the same for Cruz. Pittsburgh took one back in the eighth inning as Clint Barmes singled Travis Snider across the dish. This was as close as it got, with the final standing at 9-3, with the win belonging to Kershaw while Rodriguez was responsible for the loss.

Over in Baltimore, the Orioles host the Boston Red Sox. Aaron Cook and Miguel Gonzalez are the underrated pitchers. Boston got things going in the fifth inning as Jacoby Ellsbury hit a ground rule double to force in Scott Podsednik, followed by a Carl Crawford sacrifice fly to bring in Nick Punto. Baltimore answered in the sixth inning as Nate McLouth singled home Nick Markakis, followed by Adam Jones reaching on an error to get J.J. Hardy home, Matt Wieters hitting a ground rule double to plate McLouth, and then Mark Reynolds doubled both Wieters and Chris Davis in. The Red Sox shot back in the seventh inning as Crawford grounded out to bring in Punto. This wasn't enough to avoid the 5-3 loss, giving Gonzalez the win, Jim Johnson his thirty-fifth save of the season, and Cook was on the hook for the loss.

Into New York, with the Yankees hosting the Texas Rangers amidst rain showers. Scott Feldman and Freddy Garcia are the back-of-the-rotation starters. New York opened in the third inning after a long delay on a Nick Swisher doubled home Jayson Nix, followed by Curtis Granderson hitting a sacrifice fly to get Derek Jeter home, and Eric Chavez singling to finish Swisher's trip around. Texas got on the board in the fourth inning with a Josh Hamilton solo home run. The Rangers pulled closer in the sixth inning with another Hamilton solo shot. They couldn't tie it, losing 3-2, with Garcia notching the win, Rafael Soriano turning the save, and Feldman was dealt the loss.

Up in Canada, the Toronto Blue Jays host the Chicago White Sox. Gavin Floyd and Ricky Romero are the struggling pitchers. Chicago led off in the second inning with a 2-RBI Dewayne Wise single, scoring both A.J. Pierzynski and Alexei Ramirez. The White Sox added on in the fourth inning with a two-run home run by Wise, also scoring Dayan Viciedo. Toronto got on the board in the fifth inning as Rajai Davis struck out but an error allowed Omar Vizquel to dash home. The Blue Jays tied it in the sixth inning on a three-run Kelly Johnson home run, sweeping in Edwin Encarnacion and David Cooper. Chicago took the lead again in the seventh inning as Adam Dunn hit a three-run home run, bringing around Alejandro De Aza and Kevin Youkilis, followed by a two-run blast by Viciedo, knocking in Pierzynski. Toronto tried a ninth inning rally as Jeff Mathis hit a solo home run, but they still lost 9-5. Floyd got the win while Romero was dealt the loss.

Back stateside, the Cincinnati Reds host the New York Mets. R.A. Dickey faces a lesser foe in Mike Leake. Cincinnati was first on the board in the first inning as Brandon Phillips singled in Zack Cozart. New York tied it in the fourth inning as Daniel Murphy grounded into a double play to get Mike Baxter in. The Reds answered in their half of the inning with solo home runs by Scott Rolen and Todd Frazier. Cincinnati added on in the sixth inning with a Jay Bruce solo shot and a Leake single to knock in Frazier. The Reds got another in the seventh inning when Ryan Ludwick singled Drew Stubbs across the dish. This was all they needed to win 6-1, with Leake getting the win and Dickey took the loss.

Down in Atlanta, the Braves host the San Diego Padres. Edinson Volquez and Paul Maholm are the reliable pitchers. San Diego was first to score in the third inning as Logan Forsythe hit a solo home run. Atlanta took the lead in the bottom of the third as Dan Uggla hit a three-run home run, sweeping in Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman. The Braves added on in the fourth inning as Michael Bourn grounded out to bring in Paul Janish before a 2-RBI Heyward double plated both Maholm and Martin Prado. This gave them a 6-1 lead, which was a final, with the win belonging to Maholm and the loss was given to Volquez.

Northwest to Kansas City, as the Royals host the Oakland Athletics. Brandon McCarthy and Will Smith get the starting nods. Kansas City struck first in the first inning as Billy Butler reached on a fielder's choice to bring in Alcides Escobar. Oakland tied it in the second inning as Brandon Moss singled in Chris Carter. The Athletics took the lead in the fourth inning on a solo home run by Josh Donaldson. The Royals took the lead in the seventh inning as Lorenzo Cain doubled home Eric Hosmer before scoring on a double by Chris Getz. This held up as a 3-2 win, with the win going to Smith, while Greg Holland tossed the save, and McCarthy was stuck with the loss.

Across the state, the St. Louis Cardinals host the Arizona Diamondbacks. Joe Saunders and Adam Wainwright are penciled in to pitch. Arizona began with a fourth inning Paul Goldschmidt solo home run. St. Louis answered in the bottom of the fourth as David Freese hit a two-run home run, also scoring Carlos Beltran. The Cardinals got another in the fifth inning with a solo shot by Allen Craig. The Diamondbacks got one back in the sixth inning when Goldschmidt grounded into a double play, allowing Aaron Hill to dash home. St. Louis replied in their half of the inning when Rafael Furcal tripled to force in Daniel Descalso and Tony Cruz. This ended the scoring at 5-2, with Wainwright notching the win, Jason Motte picking up the save, and Saunders was in line for the loss.

Finally, we end in Anaheim, where the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim host the Cleveland Indians. Fausto Carmona Roberto Hernandez and Ervin Santana are the strangely named pitchers. Los Angeles opened with a second inning Alberto Callaspo single to get Kendrys Morales, followed by Vernon Wells reaching on an error to bring in Mark Trumbo, a Chris Iannetta sacrifice fly finished Callaspo's trip around, Wells scoring an error, and Erick Aybar tripling to force in Mike Trout. The Angels got another in the third inning when Wells grounded into a fielder's choice to bring around Morales. Los Angeles struck again with a fourth inning solo home run by Trout. Cleveland got on the board in the sixth inning with an Asdrubal Cabrera double to knock in Ezequiel Carrera. The Angels shot back in the bottom of the sixth as Iannetta hit a solo shot. The Indians pulled closer in the eighth inning on a three-run home run by Shin-Soo Choo, sweeping in Jack Hannahan and Jason Kipnis. This made it 8-4, a final, with Santana getting the win and Hernandez suffering the loss.

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