Fantasy Baseball All-Stars week 21 2012

More teams are clinching the fantasy playoff berths available in their leagues. My teams look like feast or famine this year, so I don't have many that need good weeks from anyone at this point. Here's who played well last week.

Batters: Ryan Braun, Rickie Weeks, Carlos Gomez, Pedro Alvarez, Josh Reddick, Tyler Colvin, Mark Reynolds, Adrian Beltre, Aramis Ramirez, Chris Heisey. (honorable mention to Torii Hunter's strong week)

Pitchers: Hisashi Iwakuma, Brett Anderson, John Axford, Samuel Deduno, Marco Estrada, Joe Nathan, Max Scherzer, Kris Medlen, Edwin Jackson, Ricky Nolasco.

MLB Day 150 2012

Full slate as the playoff races heat up. First up...

The Cleveland Indians host the Texas Rangers. Derek Holland and Zach McAllister take their turns in the rotation. Texas opened with a third inning Jurickson Profar solo home run (welcome to the Majors), followed by Nelson Cruz hitting a ground rule double to force in Michael Young, and David Murphy singling both Josh Hamilton and Cruz in. Cleveland answered in their half of the inning on a two-run Carlos Santana home run, also scoring Jason Kipnis. The Rangers padded the lead in the fifth inning with three solo shots, hit by Hamilton, Adrian Beltre, and Murphy. Texas extended the lead in the eighth inning when Young doubled to drive in Elvis Andrus. The Indians took one back in the bottom of the eighth on a Thomas Neal double to get Santana home. This was as close as it got, with the final being 8-3, giving the win to Holland and the loss to McAllister.

East to New York, where the Yankees host the Baltimore Orioles. Chris Tillman and Phil Hughes will pitch. New York got going in the second inning as Chris Dickerson hit a two-run home run, also scoring Russell Martin. Baltimore got on the board with a fifth inning Mark Reynolds solo home run. The Yankees answered in their half of the inning as Nick Swisher singled home Dickerson. The Orioles pulled ahead in the sixth inning as Matt Wieters singled in Nate McLouth, followed by a three-run Reynolds home run, sweeping in Adam Jones and Wieters. Baltimore extended the lead in the eighth inning with Robert Andino drawing a bases-loaded walk to force in Wieters, followed by Nick Markakis hitting a 2-RBI single to score both Reynolds and Manny Machado. This made the final 8-3, with Randy Wolf notching the win and Hughes suffering the loss.

Up in Canada, the Toronto Blue Jays host the Tampa Bay Rays. Staff aces David Price and Ricky Romero are pitching. Tampa Bay began with a first inning Evan Longoria double to knock in Desmond Jennings. The Rays struck again in the second inning on a Ben Francisco solo home run, followed by Jose Molina singling to score Carlos Pena and Jennings doing the same for Ryan Roberts, a 2-RBI Ben Zobrist single to plate both Molina and Jennings, and Jeff Keppinger grounding out to provide B.J. Upton time to score. Tampa Bay added on in the third inning as Pena hit a solo shot. The Rays got another in the fourth inning as Francisco hit a ground rule double to force in Longoria. Toronto got on the board in the seventh inning with an Edwin Encarnacion sacrifice fly to drive in Adeiny Hechevarria, followed by Adam Lind singling to bring around Rajai Davis. The Blue Jays tried a ninth inning rally as Encarnacion hit a two-run home run, also scoring Colby Rasmus, but this only made the final 9-4. Price got the win while Romero was shelled in the loss.

Way south to Miami, as the Marlins host the New York Mets. Chris Young and Mark Buehrle are the overrated starters. New York started in the first inning as David Wright grounded out to bring in Ronny Cedeno, followed by a Jason Bay grand slam, sweeping in Justin Turner, Ike Davis, and Kelly Shoppach. Miami got on the board in the fifth inning as Justin Ruggiano double to knock in Rob Brantley. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 5-1, giving Young the win and Buehrle was handed the loss.

Back north, the Washington Nationals host the St. Louis Cardinals. Jake Westbrook is mismatched with Stephen Strasburg. Washington was first to score in the fourth inning on a Kurt Suzuki solo home run. The Nationals struck again in the sixth inning as Suzuki singled to plate Ian Desmond. St. Louis tied it in the seventh inning when Daniel Descalso hit a two-run home run, also scoring Pete Kozma. Washington got the lead again in their half of the inning as Desmond singled to knock in Eury Perez, followed by Danny Espinosa doing the same for Chad Tracy. The Cardinals shot back in the eighth inning as Tony Cruz doubled in David Freese. They failed to tie the game, falling 4-3, with Ryan Mattheus in line for the win, Tyler Clippard closing out for the save, and Lance Lynn was dealt the loss.

Southward to Houston, where the Astros host the Cincinnati Reds. Bronson Arroyo and Bud Norris will be handed the ball. Houston got things going with a fifth inning Brian Bogusevic fielder's choice that brought in Matt Dominguez. The Astros got another in the seventh inning on a Fernando Martinez triple to force in Jason Castro, followed by a Tyler Greene solo home run. Cincinnati tied it in the eighth inning on a three-run home run by Jay Bruce, sweeping in Drew Stubbs and Brandon Phillips, before taking the lead as Chris Heisey doubled home Todd Frazier before scoring on a Miguel Cairo double. This outburst paced them to a 5-3 win, picked up by Jose Arredondo, while Aroldis Chapman turned the save, and Xavier Cedeno was pinned with the loss.

North to Milwaukee, where the Brewers welcome the Pittsburgh Pirates. James McDonald and Yovani Gallardo take the mound. Pittsburgh led off in the first inning on a Gaby Sanchez single to knock in Andrew McCutchen. Milwaukee answered in their half of the inning as Ryan Braun hit a three-run home run, sweeping in Norichika Aoki and Rickie Weeks. The Pirates pulled back in the second inning on a Michael McKenry solo home run. The Brewers shot back in the bottom of the second on a Jeff Bianchi solo shot, followed by a two-run homer from Weeks, also scoring Aoki. Pittsburgh shot back in the third inning as McKenry singled both Jose Tabata and Garrett Jones across the dish. Milwaukee replied in their half of the third on a two-run Carlos Gomez blast, bringing in Corey Hart. The Brewers padded the lead in the fourth inning as the pitcher Gallardo hit a solo home run, followed by a 2-RBI Aramis Ramirez single to plate both Aoki and Weeks. The Pirates answered in the fifth inning with a two-run Sanchez home run, pushing in Jones, followed by Brock Holt singling to get McKenry safely home. Pittsburgh pulled closer in the sixth inning on a Jones solo shot. Milwaukee got it back in their half of the inning as Ramirez singled weeks across the plate. The scoring ended here at a final of 12-8, with the win belonging to Kameron Loe, the save tossed by John Axford, and the loss was handed to McDonald.

Backtracking to Kansas City, where the Royals host the Minnesota Twins. Esmerling Vasquez and Luis Mendoza are the relatively unknown pitchers. Minnesota opened in the first inning as Justin Morneau grounded out to get Jamey Carroll home. The Twins got another in the second inning on a Chris Parmelee solo home run. Kansas City rallied ahead in the bottom of the second as Eric Hosmer hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Salvador Perez, followed by a 2-RBI single from Tony Abreu to plate both Mike Moustakas and Lorenzo Cain. The Royals got another in the fifth inning when Billy Butler singled home David Lough. Minnesota tied it in the sixth inning on an Alexi Casilla single to score both Morneau and Ryan Doumit. Kansas City retook the lead in their half of the inning as Abreu singled to get Hosmer across the dish. The Royals extended the lead on an eighth inning Cain double that provided time for Perez to score. This produced the 6-4 final, with Tim Collins in line for the win, Greg Holland converting his tenth save of the season, and Vasquez was on the hook for the loss.

Over in Chicago, the Cubs host the San Francisco Giants. Matt Cain faces a lesser foe in Travis Wood. San Francisco began in the third inning as Angel Pagan singled to knock in Xavier Nady, followed by Pablo Sandoval doing the same for the pitcher Cain, and Buster Posey followed suit to finish Pagan's trip around. Chicago answered in their half of the inning as David DeJesus singled to drive in Darwin Barney. The Cubs rallied ahead in the fifth inning as DeJesus singled, which combined with an error to bring in Barney, followed by a three-run Alfonso Soriano home run, sweeping in DeJesus and Anthony Rizzo. The Giants replied in the sixth inning as Brandon Belt tripled to force in Nady, before he came home on a wild pitch. San Francisco got the lead in the ninth inning with Pagan singling to plate Gregor Blanco, followed by Marco Scutaro doing the same for Brandon Crawford. This was good for a 7-5 win, picked up by Santiago Casilla, while Javier Lopez turned the save, and Carlos Marmol was pinned with the loss.

Out west, the Colorado Rockies host the San Diego Padres. Casey Kelly and Jeff Francis are the back-of-the-rotation pitchers. San Diego wasted no time in scoring in the first inning on a two-run home run by Chase Headley, also scoring Logan Forsythe. The Padres added on in the third inning when Headley singled home Forsythe. Colorado rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the third with Dexter Fowler singling in Jonathan Herrera, followed by Jordan Pacheco doubling both Josh Rutledge and Carlos Gonzalez home before scoring on a go-ahead two-run home run from Tyler Colvin, and then Ramon Hernandez also hit a two-run blast, bringing in Chris Nelson. San Diego answered in the fourth inning when Chris Denorfia singled to drive in Cameron Maybin, followed by Headley hitting a 2-RBI single to get both Alexi Amarista and Denorfia in. The Padres retook the lead in the sixth inning as Forsythe singled to push in Amarista, followed by Headley doing the same to finish Forsythe's trip around. San Diego struck again in the seventh inning on an Amarista single that brought in Yasmani Grandal. The Rockies took the lead back in the bottom of the seventh on a three-run home run by Nelson, sweeping in Gonzalez and Pacheco. Colorado struck again in the eighth inning as Fowler singled Charlie Blackmon across the plate. The Padres tried a ninth inning rally as Amarista singled to push in Maybin, but they still lost 11-10. Guillermo Moscoso got the win, Rafael Betancourt tossed a rocky (no pun) save, and Brad Brach was given the loss.

Further west, the Oakland Athletics host the Boston Red Sox. Daisuke Matsuzaka and Brett Anderson are the oft-injured pitchers. Oakland staked out a first inning lead as Seth Smith hit a two-run home run, also scoring Coco Crisp. The Athletics added on in the second inning on a Stephen Drew solo home run. Oakland struck again in the third inning as Josh Reddick hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Crisp, followed by Drew singling to knock in Smith. The Athletics got another in the fourth inning as Yoenis Cespedes grounded out to get cliff Pennington home. Boston got on the board in the sixth inning with a Cody Ross single to drive in Pedro Ciriaco. The Red Sox tried a ninth inning rally as Mauro Gomez hit a sacrifice fly that allowed Dustin Pedroia to dash home safely, making the final 6-2. Anderson earned the win while Matsuzaka took a rough loss.

Up to Seattle, where the Mariners welcome the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Jered Weaver and Hisashi Iwakuma take the hill. Seattle opened in the fourth inning with a Jesus Montero solo home run. The Mariners added on in the fifth inning as Carlos Peguero hit a solo shot. Los Angeles got on the board in the ninth inning as Howie Kendrick singled home Vernon Wells, but they failed to tie it, falling 2-1. Iwakuma was credited with the win, Tom Wilhelmsen turned a rough save, and Weaver had little help in the loss.

Back south, the Los Angeles Dodgers host the Arizona Diamondbacks. Wade Miley and Chris Capuano are the surprisingly good starters. Los Angeles led off in the second inning as Matt Kemp hit a solo home run. Arizona tied it in the third inning as John McDonald hit a solo shot. The Diamondbacks took the lead in the fourth inning as Miguel Montero hit a two-run home run, also scoring Paul Goldschmidt. The Dodgers took one back in the sixth inning on an Andre Ethier groundout to bring in Kemp. Arizona shot back in the seventh inning on a McDonald single, driving in Goldschmidt. Los Angeles replied in their half of the inning on a Shane Victorino single that plated A.J. Ellis. The Dodgers won 5-4 in the ninth inning as Adrian Gonzalez hit a 2-RBI double to score both Mark Ellis and Victorino. Ronald Belisario was in line for the win while J.J. Putz blew the save and took the loss.

Way to the east, the Atlanta Braves host the Philadelphia Phillies. Cole Hamels and Paul Maholm pace the game. Philadelphia started in the first inning with a 2-RBI Ryan Howard double to plate Kevin Frandsen and Chase Utley, followed by a 3-RBI Erik Kratz double to sweep in Howard, Ty Wigginton, and John Mayberry. Atlanta answered in the second inning as Reed Johnson doubled in Jason Heyward. The Phillies shot back in the third inning as Hamels hit a ground rule double to force in Wigginton and Mayberry. The Braves replied in the sixth inning on a Johnson single scoring both Freddie Freeman and Heyward. Atlanta staged a ninth inning rally as Martin Prado doubled both Johnson and Paul Janish across the dish before Chipper Jones sealed the deal with a three-run home run, plating Bourn and Prado for an 8-7 win. Peter Moylan was in line for the win while Jonathan Papelbon blew up in extraordinary fashion for the loss.

Finally, we end in Detroit, as the Tigers host the Chicago White Sox. Chris Sale and Justin Verlander pace the game. Chicago began with a first inning Alejandro De Aza solo home run. Detroit tied it in the fifth inning on a Brennan Boesch solo shot. The Tigers took the lead in the sixth inning on a three-run home run by Delmon Young, sweeping in Omar Infante and Miguel Cabrera. The White Sox tried a ninth inning rally as Dan Johnson singled to knock in Jose Lopez, but this only made it 4-2 for a final. Verlander pitched well for the win, while Jose Valverde turned a messy save, and Sale had little help in the loss.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion, and check out my Best Songs Ever playlist on YouTube; username CGYFlames94.

MLB Day 149 2012

We have a sixteen-pack today as the rainout from yesterday is scheduled to be made up today. We begin the day in...

New York, where the Yankees host the Baltimore Orioles. Wei-Yin Chen and David Phelps are sent out to pitch. Baltimore led off with Nate McLouth grounding into a double play to get Nick Markakis home. The Orioles got another in the second inning as Manny Machado singled in Chris Davis. Baltimore padded the lead in the fourth inning on a Matt Wieters solo home run. New York got on the board in the bottom of the fourth as Robinson Cano hit a solo shot. The Yankees struck again in the seventh inning when Eduardo Nunez singled to drive in Steve Pearce, before tying it as Derek Jeter walked with the bases loaded to force in Jayson Nix, followed by Nick Swisher reaching on an error that allowed Nunez to come home for a go-ahead run. This held for a 4-3 win, picked up by Boone Logan, while Rafael Soriano tossed his thirty-fifth save of the season, and Chen was stuck with the loss.

West to Chicago, as the Cubs host the San Francisco Giants. Tim Lincecum and Justin Germano are set to pitch. San Francisco got going in the first inning as Hector Sanchez was hit by a pitch with the bases-loaded, forcing in Pablo Sandoval, followed by a 3-RBI Xavier Nady double to sweep in Buster Posey, Hunter Pence, and Sanchez. The Giants added on in the second inning when Marco Scutaro hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Angel Pagan. Chicago got on the board in the third inning as David DeJesus hit a two-run home run, also scoring Darwin Barney. This ended the scoring at 5-2, with Lincecum earning the win, Sergio Romo converting the save, and Germano was handed the loss.

North into Canada, where the Toronto Blue Jays host the Tampa Bay Rays. Jeff Niemann returns from the disabled list to pitch against Henderson Alvarez. Tampa Bay began in the third inning as Ryan Roberts hit a solo home run, followed by Ben Zobrist doubling in Jose Lobaton, and a 2-RBI Matt Joyce double to knock in both B.J. Upton and Zobrist. Toronto got going in the fourth inning as Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run home run, also scoring Colby Rasmus. The Rays shot back with an eighth inning Joyce solo shot. The Blue Jays pulled back in their half of the inning when Adam Lind singled to plate both Adeiny Hechavarria and Rajai Davis. They failed to tie it, losing 5-4, with Wade Davis in line for the win, while Fernando Rodney notched his fortieth save of the season, and Alvarez was pinned with the loss.

To the west, the Seattle Mariners host the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Ervin Santana is mismatched with Felix Hernandez. Los Angeles opened in the first inning on an Albert Pujols double to drive in Torii Hunter. Seattle tied it in the third inning as Trayvon Robinson hit a solo home run, followed by Franklin Gutierrez doubling to knock in Dustin Ackley. The Angels rallied ahead in the eighth inning as Pujols reached on an error to bring in Mike Trout, followed by Mark Trumbo singling both Hunter and Pujols across the dish, and a Howie Kendrick double providing time for Vernon Wells to dash home. This made it 5-2, a final, where Santana was given the win, Ernesto Frieri turned the save, and Hernandez was on the hook for the loss.

Back east, the Washington Nationals host the St. Louis Cardinals. Kyle Lohse and Jordan Zimmermann take the hill. Washington started with a first inning Adam LaRoche single to knock in Bryce Harper, followed by Ian Desmond reaching on an error that allowed both LaRoche and Michael Morse to dash home, and a Kurt Suzuki single to finish Desmond's trip around. St. Louis got on the board in the second inning with a two-run David Freese home run, also scoring Yadier Molina. The Nationals padded the lead in the bottom of the second as LaRoche went yard with a two-run home run, bringing Ryan Zimmerman with him. The Cardinals replied in the third inning on a two-run blast from Matt Holliday, bringing in Jon Jay. St. Louis pulled ahead in the fourth inning as Matt Carpenter doubled all of Freese, Daniel Descalso, and Jay in before scoring on a single by Allen Craig. Washington answered in the sixth inning as Danny Espinosa hit a solo home run and Zimmerman singled Jayson Werth across the dish, followed closely by Harper scoring on the throw. The Cardinals tied it up in the eighth inning on a Carlos Beltran single to get Shane Robinson in. St. Louis took the lead in the ninth inning as Freese singled to plate Craig. This made it 10-9, a final, with Mitchell Boggs getting the win, Jason Motte tossing the save, and Drew Storen was stuck with the loss.

South into Atlanta, as the Braves host the Philadelphia Phillies. Cliff Lee and Tim Hudson are on the mound. Philadelphia led off in the first inning as John Mayberry singled in Juan Pierre. The Phillies added on in the third inning with a Jimmy Rollins solo home run. Philadelphia struck again in the fifth inning as Chase Utley doubled home Pierre. The Phillies extended the lead in the sixth inning as the pitcher Lee drew a bases-loaded walk to force in Laynce Nix, followed by Ty Wigginton grounding into a fielder's choice that brought in Kevin Frandsen. Atlanta got on the board in the eighth inning with a Martin Prado solo shot. This was as close as it got, with the final standing at 5-1. Lee notched the win while Hudson was dealt the loss.

Northwest to Kansas City, as the Royals host the Minnesota Twins in a doubleheader. In game one, the pitchers are Cole De Vries and Will Smith. Minnesota struck first in the first inning as Justin Morneau doubled home Josh Willingham. The Twins added on in the fifth inning when Morneau hit a sacrifice fly to get Pedro Florimon in, followed by Ryan Doumit singling to plate Darin Mastroianni. Kansas City got on the board in the seventh inning when Johnny Giavotella singled to knock in Mike Moustakas. This ended the scoring at a 3-1 final, where De Vries picked up the win, Glen Perkins tossed the save, and Smith was given the loss.

In game two, the starting nods go to Liam Hendriks and Luke Hochevar. Minnesota established a first inning lead as Justin Morneau grounded into a double play to bring in Ben Revere, followed by a three-run Chris Parmelee home run, knocking in Alexi Casilla and Josh Willingham. Kansas City got some back in the bottom of the first inning as Salvador Perez singled to bring in David Lough, followed by Mike Moustakas doing the same for Billy Butler. The Twins extended the lead in the second inning as Joe Mauer hit a grand slam, sweeping in Drew Butera, Pedro Florimon, and Revere. The Royals shot back in the third inning on a Moustakas double to get Butler home. Kansas City pulled closer in the fourth inning as Alex Gordon singled, plating Lough, and Butler singled to drive in Alcides Escobar. The Royals chipped away in the seventh inning on an Eric Hosmer single to get both Butler and Perez across the plate. They didn't get the equalizer, falling 8-7, with the win going to Anthony Swarzak, the save again thrown by Glen Perkins as his tenth of the year, and Hochevar was pinned with the loss.

Up into Detroit, where the Tigers host the Chicago White Sox. Francisco Liriano and Max Scherzer are the struggling starters. Detroit got going in the third inning when Brennan Boesch tripled to force in Austin Jackson before scoring on a Miguel Cabrera single. The Tigers got another in the fifth inning as Avisail Garcia singled to knock in Delmon Young. Detroit struck again in the seventh inning as Young hit a solo home run. The Tigers padded the lead in the eighth inning on a Cabrera single to plate Jackson. Chicago avoided the shutout in the ninth inning as Orlando Hudson tripled to push in Paul Konerko. This made it 5-1, with the win going to Scherzer and the loss to Liriano.

South into Houston, as the Astros host the Cincinnati Reds. Homer Bailey and Lucas Harrell are the underrated pitchers. Cincinnati led off with a first inning Ryan Ludwick sacrifice fly to allow Zack Cozart to score. Houston tied it in the fourth inning on a Justin Maxwell solo home run. The Astros won it in the ninth inning as Jose Altuve reached on an error, providing time for Matt Downs to dart home for a 2-1 win. Wilton Lopez was in line for the win while Sean Marshall took the loss no thanks to the defense.

Back to the north, the Cleveland Indians host the Texas Rangers. Scott Feldman and Jeanmar Gomez are the uninspiring starters. Cleveland rallied to a first inning lead as Carlos Santana singled both Shin-Soo Choo and Jason Kipnis home before scoring on a Casey Kotchman groundout, followed by Jack Hannahan grounding out to bring in Michael Brantley. Texas got on the board in the third inning with a David Murphy solo home run. The Rangers got another in the fifth inning as Mitch Moreland hit a sacrifice fly, allowing Murphy to dash home. Texas pulled closer in the sixth inning as Adrian Beltre hit a solo shot. They failed to get the equalizer, with the final being 4-3, giving Gomez the win, while Vinnie Pestano turned a spot save, and Feldman was not freed from the loss.

Over in Milwaukee, the Brewers host the Pittsburgh Pirates. A.J. Burnett and Marco Estrada take the hill. Pittsburgh began in the second inning on a Pedro Alvarez solo home run. Milwaukee tied it in the third inning as Carlos Gomez scored on a wild pitch. The Brewers took the lead in the seventh inning as Gomez doubled to plate Corey Hart. The Pirates retied it in the eighth inning on an Andrew McCutchen single to knock in Brock Holt. Milwaukee won it in the ninth inning by a 3-2 score in walkoff fashion as Hart hit a solo shot. The win was given to John Axford, while Joel Hanrahan was responsible for the loss.

Down in Miami, the Marlins host the New York Mets. Jeremy Hefner and Josh Johnson have the green light to pitch. Miami opened in the third inning on a Bryan Petersen double to drive in Donovan Solano. New York tied it in the fifth inning as Josh Thole grounded out to get Mike Baxter in. The Marlins pulled ahead in the sixth inning as Giancarlo singled to knock in Jose Reyes. Miami got another in the eighth inning with a Carlos Lee single, plating Reyes. The Mets rallied ahead in the ninth inning with Lucas Duda singling to get Daniel Murphy across the dish, followed by Kelly Shoppach's 2-RBI single to take the lead when David Wright and Jason Bay crossed home, as well as Andres Torres on an error. This made it 5-3, a final, with the win going to Ramon Ramirez, the save finished off by Frank Francisco, and the loss was handed to Steve Cishek.

Westward to Colorado, where the Rockies host the San Diego Padres. Edinson Volquez and Jhoulys Chacin are the staff aces pitching. Colorado got going in the first inning as Wilin Rosario singled to knock in Carlos Gonzalez. The Rockies got another in the second inning on a Tyler Colvin solo home run. Colorado padded the lead in the fifth inning as Colvin doubled both Josh Rutledge and Rosario across the dish before scoring on a Chris Nelson single. San Diego got on the board in the sixth inning with a Will Venable solo shot. The Rockies extended the lead in the eighth inning on a Dexter Fowler grand slam, sweeping in Jordan Pacheco, DJ LeMahieu, and Tyler Chatwood. The final ended up being 9-1, with Chacin getting the win and Volquez was pinned with the loss.

Further west, the Oakland Athletics host the Boston Red Sox. Felix Doubront and A.J. Griffin are the young pitchers. Oakland quickly got a lead in the first inning as Coco Crisp hit a solo home run. The Athletics struck again in the third inning as Yoenis Cespedes singled to plate Jonny Gomes before scoring alongside Chris Carter on a Brandon Inge double, and Inge came home on a Derek Norris single. Oakland added on in the fifth inning as Norris singled to drive in Cliff Pennington. Boston got on the board in the sixth inning as Dustin Pedroia singled to knock in Pedro Ciriaco. The Athletics replied in the seventh inning with a Carter solo shot.  This produced the 7-1 final, with Griffin getting the win and Doubront being dealt the loss.

Finally, down in Los Angeles, the Dodgers host the Arizona Diamondbacks. Tyler Skaggs and Josh Beckett have the green light to pitch. Los Angeles was first on the board with a second inning Hanley Ramirez solo home run. Arizona tied it in the third inning as Justin Upton hit a solo shot. The Dodgers regained the lead in the sixth inning on an Andre Ethier solo home run. This held up for a 2-1 win, giving the win to Beckett, while Brandon League turned a spot save, and Skaggs was stuck holding the loss.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion and check out my new music project on YouTube, CGYFlames94's Best Songs Ever playlist.

MLB Day 148 2012

Only fourteen on today, as the Royals and Twins were rained out. The rest of the games begin with another matinee from...

Wrigley Field, as the Chicago Cubs host the San Francisco Giants. Madison Bumgarner faces a lesser foe in Chris Volstad. Chicago began in the first inning as Alfonso Soriano singled in Joe Mather. The Cubs added on in the third inning when Soriano went yard on a two-run home run, also scoring Anthony Rizzo, followed by Welington Castillo doubling to score Starlin Castro before scoring on an error. San Francisco got on the board in the fourth inning as Buster Posey doubled in Pablo Sandoval. Chicago shot back in the fifth inning as Castro grounded out to get Rizzo home. The Giants replied in the sixth inning on a Sandoval sacrifice fly allowing Angel Pagan to dash home. San Francisco pulled closer in the eighth inning as Posey singled to knock in Pagan, followed by Hunter Pence grounding out to provide time for Ryan Theriot to dash home. This was as close as it got, with the final being 6-4. The win went to Volstad, while Carlos Marmol picked up the save, and Bumgarner was handed the loss.

East to New York, as the Yankees host the Baltimore Orioles. Miguel Gonzalez and Hiroki Kuroda make the starts. Baltimore started in the second inning as Chris Davis hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Adam Jones, followed by Mark Reynolds hitting a two-run home run, also scoring Matt Wieters. The Orioles struck again in the sixth inning as J.J. Hardy hit a solo home run. Baltimore padded the lead in the ninth inning with Reynolds hitting a solo shot, followed by Nick Markakis singling home Robert Andino. New York tried a ninth inning rally as Curtis Granderson hit a solo home run, but they still lost 6-1. Gonzalez notched the win while Kuroda was stuck with the loss.

Over in Washington, the Nationals host the St. Louis Cardinals. Adam Wainwright and Gio Gonzalez are on the mound. Washington struck first in the first inning as Adam LaRoche singled both Jayson Werth and Bryce Harper. The Nationals got more in the third inning with Ian Desmond singling to knock in Ryan Zimmerman, followed by Danny Espinosa singling to get LaRoche home, Kurt Suzuki doing the same for Desmond, and Werth following suit to finish Espinosa's trip around. Washington added on in the fifth inning when Harper singled both Suzuki and Werth across the dish. The Nationals padded the lead in the eighth inning with a two-run home run by Zimmerman, also scoring Werth. This made the final 10-0, with Gonzalez turning in a five-hit and three-walk complete game shutout, and Wainwright had little help in the loss.

Westward again as the Cleveland Indians host the Texas Rangers. Ryan Dempster and Ubaldo Jimenez are the struggling pitchers. Texas opened in the first inning as Adrian Beltre singled to knock in Ian Kinsler. The Rangers added on in the third inning with Michael Young singling to plate Josh Hamilton and David Murphy singling to drive in Beltre. Cleveland got on the board in the fourth inning as Carlos Santana singled to bring in Asdrubal Cabrera. Texas extended the lead in the sixth inning as Kinsler doubled to score Murphy. The Rangers got another in the seventh inning when Young singled to get Beltre home. The Indians tried a ninth inning rally as Casey Kotchman hit a two-run home run, also scoring Santana, but still lost 5-3. Dempster earned the win, Joe Nathan turned the save, and Jimenez was pinned with the loss.

North to Detroit, as the Tigers host the Chicago White Sox. Jake Peavy and Doug Fister take their turns in the rotation. Detroit led off in the first inning on a two-run home run by Miguel Cabrera, also scoring Andy Dirks. Chicago answered in the second inning on an A.J. Pierzynski solo home run. The Tigers answered in the bottom of the second as Dirks doubled in Austin Jackson. The White Sox pulled back in the third inning with Paul Konerko grounding into a fielder's choice that allowed Kevin Youkilis to dash home. Chicago tied it in the fourth inning as Dewayne Wise was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, forcing in Dayan Viciedo. Detroit got the lead again in the fourth inning on a Jhonny Peralta solo shot. The White Sox tied it in the sixth inning as Konerko's sacrifice fly gave time for Wise to score. The Tigers took the lead in the seventh inning as Delmon Young hit a 3-RBI double to sweep in Dirks, Cabrera, and Prince Fielder. This was good for a 7-4 win, picked up by Octavio Dotel, while Jose Valverde tossed the save, and Peavy was responsible for the loss.

Into Canada, as the Toronto Blue Jays host the Tampa Bay Rays. Jeremy Hellickson and Brandon Morrow are the young pitchers. Tampa Bay got going in the third inning as Desmond Jennings hit a solo home run. Toronto tied it in their half of the inning on a Moises Sierra solo shot. The Blue Jays took the lead in the fourth inning on an Edwin Encarnacion solo home run. This held up for a 2-1 win, giving Morrow the win, Casey Janssen the save, and Hellickson was handed the loss.

Down in the States, the Miami Marlins host the New York Mets. R.A. Dickey and Nathan Eovaldi are sent out to pitch. New York started with a fourth inning Ike Davis sacrifice fly to bring in Ruben Tejada. The Mets added on in the seventh inning on a two-run home run by Davis, also scoring David Wright. This was all for the scoring, with the 3-0 final in favor of Dickey's five-hit and three-walk shutout, while Eovaldi had little help in the loss.

Up to Georgia, as the Atlanta Braves host the Philadelphia Phillies. Roy Halladay and Mike Minor take the hill. Philadelphia was first to score in the second inning on a Ryan Howard solo home run. Atlanta took the lead in the fifth inning on a two-run home run by Martin Prado, also scoring the pitcher Minor, followed by Freddie Freeman's two-run long ball, bringing Chipper Jones in as well. The Phillies pulled back in the sixth inning as Howard hit a 2-RBI single to plate both Jimmy Rollins and Kevin Frandsen, before tying it as Ty Wigginton's sacrifice fly brought in Chase Utley. The Braves took the lead back in the bottom of the sixth on a Dan Uggla solo shot. Philadelphia tied it again in the ninth inning on an Erik Kratz solo home run. The Phillies pulled ahead in the tenth inning as John Mayberry hit a three-run home run, sweeping in Frandsen and Howard. This held for an 8-5 win, with Josh Lindblom in line for the win, Jonathan Papelbon turning the save, and Cristhian Martinez was dinged for the loss.

West to Houston, as the Astros host the Cincinnati Reds. Mike Leake and Fernando Abad are penciled in to pitch. Cincinnati struck first in the third inning as Zack Cozart hit a two-run home run, also scoring Dioner Navarro. Houston tied it in the fourth inning as both Fernando Martinez and Matt Dominguez hit solo home runs. The Reds took the lead back in the fifth inning as Chris Heisey singled in Cozart, followed by a three-run home run from Jay Bruce, sweeping in Heisey and Ryan Ludwick. Cincinnati padded the lead in the seventh inning with Brandon Phillips singling to drive in Heisey. The Reds got more in the eighth inning as Miguel Cairo singled to bring in Scott Rolen, followed by Heisey grounding into a fielder's choice that allowed Navarro to dash home. The Astros got one back in their half of the inning as Jimmy Parades hit a sacrifice fly that got Brett Wallace home. This only made it 9-3, a final, with Leake earning the win and Abad was stuck holding the loss.

North to Milwaukee, where the Brewers host the Pittsburgh Pirates. Jeff Karstens and Mark Rogers are the relatively unknown pitchers. Milwaukee wasted no time in scoring in the first inning as Aramis Ramirez singled both Nyjer Morgan and Rickie Weeks in before scoring on a two-run home run by Corey Hart. The Brewers struck again in the second inning as Morgan scored on a passed ball. Pittsburgh got on the board in the fourth inning with a Garrett Jones solo home run. The Pirates got one back in the seventh inning as Alex Presley grounded out to bring in Gaby Sanchez. Milwaukee padded the lead in the eighth inning on a two-run home run by Ramirez, sweeping in Ryan Braun, followed by Carlos Gomez doubling to plate Jonathan Lucroy, before he scored on a Jean Segura single. Pittsburgh got another in the ninth inning as Presley singled Josh Harrison around, making the final 9-3. Rogers earned the win and Karstens was dealt the loss.

Southwest to Colorado, where the Rockies host the San Diego Padres. Clayton Richard and Alex White get the green light to pitch. San Diego led off in the second inning on a Carlos Quentin solo home run, followed by Logan Forsythe singling to knock in Yasmani Grandal. The Padres struck again in the third inning as Chase Headley grounded out to get Will Venable home. Colorado got on the board in the bottom of the third as Jordan Pacheco grounded out to provide time for Josh Rutledge to score. San Diego added on in the fifth inning as Quentin hit a ground rule double to force Headley. The Rockies pulled closer in the sixth inning on solo shots from Pacheco and Wilin Rosario (apologies to the latter for misspelling his name for months on end). The Padres shot back in the eighth inning on a Chris Denorfia single that allowed Cameron Maybin to come home. Colorado tried a ninth inning rally on an Andrew Brown solo home run, but still fell 5-4. Richard held onto the win, Luke Gregerson turned the save, and White was stuck with the loss.

Westward to Oakland, as the Athletics host the Boston Red Sox. Aaron Cook is mismatched with Brandon McCarthy. Oakland rallied to a lead in the second inning as Brandon Mos doubled in Yoenis Cespedes before scoring on a Jonny Gomes single, and then Josh Donaldson hit a two-run home run, also scoring Gomes. The Athletics added on in the third inning with Moss doubling to knock in Josh Reddick, before finishing his trip on a single from Gomes. Boston got on the board in the fourth inning when Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a solo home run. Oakland got some more in the fifth inning as Moss went yard on a two-run home run, bringing Cespedes with him. The Athletics padded the lead in the sixth inning as George Kotteras hit a solo shot. The Red Sox shot back in the seventh inning with Mauro Gomez grounding out to give time for Pedro Ciriaco to dash home. Oakland replied in their half of the inning as Donaldson reached on an error to get Cespedes home, followed by Kotteras hitting a 2-RBI single scoring both Moss and Gomes, a Cliff Pennington double to bring around Adam Rosales, Stephen Drew singling Kotteras in, and finally Reddick capped the rally off with a grand slam to sweep in Pennington, Coco Crisp, and Drew. The Athletics hit the magical 20 in the eighth inning as Kotteras went yard again, a two-run blast that also brought in Rosales. This made it 20-2, with McCarthy having the epitome of run support in the win, while Cook (and Alfredo Aceves, Daniel Bard, Craig Breslow, Mark Melancon, and Vicente Padilla; we spare no suckers here, except for Junichi Tazawa's clean performance) were shelled in the loss. 

Down in Los Angeles, the Dodgers host the Arizona Diamondbacks. Trevor Cahill and Aaron Harang pace the game. Arizona got going with a second inning Chris Johnson triple to force in Miguel Montero. The Diamondbacks added on in the fifth inning as Cahill singled home Johnson before scoring on an Aaron Hill double. Los Angeles got on the board in the bottom of the fifth as Mark Ellis singled to plate both Luis Cruz and A.J. Ellis. The Dodgers tied it in the sixth inning on an Andre Ethier single to knock in Matt Kemp. Arizona took a 4-3 lead in the eleventh inning on a Jason Kubel solo home run, and this held to be a final. Brad Bergesen was in line for the win, J.J. Putz got the save, and Matt Guerrier was dealt the loss.

Finally, in Seattle, the Mariners host the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Dan Haren and Kevin Millwood are the veteran pitchers. Los Angeles established a lead in the first inning on a three-run home run by Kendrys Morales, sweeping in Torii Hunter and Albert Pujols. Seattle got on the board in their half of the inning as John Jaso singled home Franklin Gutierrez. The Angels shot back in the second inning with a Pujols single to drive in Mike Trout. Los Angeles struck again in the fourth inning as Morales singled Trout across the dish. The Angels got another in the sixth inning as Hunter doubled Trout safely home. Los Angeles rallied to extend the lead in the ninth inning with Alberto Callaspo doubling Aybar around before scoring on a two-run home run by Bobby Wilson for a 9-1 final. Haren earned the win while Millwood was hit hard in the loss.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

MLB Day 147 2012

This is post #800 for the blog here, and it's on a travel day. Games begin today in...

Cleveland, as the Indians host the Oakland Athletics. Jarrod Parker and Justin Masterson make the starts. Cleveland led off in the first inning on a Jason Kipnis solo home run. Oakland tied it in the third inning as Coco Crisp hit a solo shot. The Athletics took the lead in the fourth inning with a 3-RBI George Kotteras double, sweeping in all of Yoenis Cespedes, Seth Smith, and Josh Donaldson, followed by Cliff Pennington hitting a two-run home run to finish Kotteras' trip around. The Indians took one back in their half of the inning as Jack Hannahan singled in Ezequiel Carrera. Oakland replied in the fifth inning as Josh Reddick hit a two-run home run, also scoring Stephen Drew. Cleveland shot back in the bottom of the fifth with Shin-Soo Choo grounding out to give Kipnis time to score. The Athletics added on in the sixth inning when Drew hit a sacrifice fly to bring around Pennington, followed by Reddick singling to drive in Crisp. The Indians chipped back in their half of the sixth as Kipnis walked with the bases loaded to force in Casey Kotchman, followed by a 2-RBI Choo single, plating Carrera and Hannahan. Oakland shot back in the seventh inning as Chris Carter's sacrifice fly brought in Brandon Moss. Cleveland got one back in the bottom of the seventh with Lou Marson singling to knock in Carlos Santana. The Athletics got one more in the ninth inning on a Donaldson solo home run, making the final 12-7. Parker picked up a sloppy win, while Masterson was knocked around in the loss.

East to Baltimore, as the Orioles host the Chicago White Sox. Jose Quintana and Zach Britton are the back-of-the-rotation starters. Chicago started in the second inning as Gordon Beckham singled in Dayan Viciedo. Baltimore answered in the third inning as Taylor Teagarden hit a solo home run, followed by J.J. Hardy doubling home Nick Markakis before scoring on a two-run home run by Adam Jones. The Orioles added on in the fourth inning when Teagarden doubled to score Nate McLouth. The White Sox tried a ninth inning rally as Alexei Ramirez singled both Alex Rios and Hector Gimenez in, but they still lost 5-3. Britton got the win, Jim Johnson tossed the save, and Quintana was dealt the loss.

Into Philadelphia, as the Phillies host the New York Mets. Jonathon Niese and Kyle Kendrick receive the starting nods. New York got going in the first inning with a Mike Baxter solo home run. The Mets added on in the second inning with a Scott Hairston solo shot. Philadelphia got on the board in the third inning when Kevin Frandsen singled in Jimmy Rollins. The Phillies tied it in the fourth inning with a Ty Wigginton double to knock in John Mayberry. Philadelphia took the lead on a fifth inning Ryan Howard sacrifice fly to allow Frandsen to score. This held up to be a 3-2 final, with Kendrick picking up the win, Jonathan Papelbon turning the save as his thirtieth of the season, and Niese was stuck holding the loss.

Northwest to Minnesota, where the Twins host the Seattle Mariners. Blake Beavan and Brian Duensing are the struggling starters. Seattle began with a first inning Kyle Seager double to plate Franklin Gutierrez. Minnesota rallied ahead in their half of the inning as Alexi Casilla singled in Ben Revere and Justin Morneau hit a sacrifice fly to finish Casilla's trip around. The Mariners took the lead back in the sixth inning as Seager's sacrifice fly allowed Brendan Ryan to score, followed by Jesus Montero reaching on an error to bring in Dustin Ackley, and then a 2-RBI Trayvon Robinson single gave them the lead as both Gutierrez and Montero scored. The Twins pulled back in the eighth inning on a two-run Josh Willingham home run, also scoring Casilla. They failed to get an equalizer, falling 5-4, with the win going to Beavan, while Tom Wilhelmsen turned a rocky save, and Duensing was dinged for the loss.

Down in Chicago, the Cubs host the Milwaukee Brewers. Shaun Marcum faces a lesser foe in Brooks Raley. Chicago opened in the first inning with Starlin Castro tripling to force in David DeJesus before coming the final 90 feet on an Anthony Rizzo double. The Cubs got another in the second inning when DeJesus singled to knock in Brett Jackson. Milwaukee took the lead in the third inning with a Jonathan Lucroy grand slam, sweeping in Rickie Weeks, Ryan Braun, and Corey Hart, followed by Cody Ransom singling in Carlos Gomez. The Brewers struck again in the fourth inning on a two-run home run by Braun, also scoring Weeks. Milwaukee padded the lead in the sixth inning on a 2-RBI Lucroy singled, plating Weeks and Braun. Chicago rallied closer in the bottom of the sixth as DeJesus doubled to knock in Jackson, followed by Josh Vitters scoring on a passed ball, Luis Valbuena singling to finish DeJesus' trip around, who then came home on a bases-loaded walk drawn by Welington Castillo, and a Jackson double to tie the game as both Castro and Alfonso Soriano crossed the dish. The Brewers reclaimed the lead in the seventh inning as Ransom hit a solo home run. Milwaukee got another in the eighth inning on a Lucroy single to drive in Weeks. The Cubs tried a ninth inning rally with Castro singling to drive in DeJesus, Rizzo doubling to push in Valbuena to tie the game, and they won 12-11 as Soriano singled Castro the rest of the way home. Carlos Marmol was in line for the win, while Francisco Rodriguez was responsible for the loss.

Back east, the Washington Nationals host the St. Louis Cardinals. Jaime Garcia and Edwin Jackson are on the mound. Washington led off with a two-run home run by Bryce Harper, also scoring Jayson Werth in the first inning. The Nationals got another in the third inning as Adam LaRoche hit a sacrifice fly to allow Werth to come home. Washington added on in the fifth inning on a Werth solo home run. The Nationals padded the lead in the sixth inning as Werth grounded into a fielder's choice to bring in Danny Espinosa, followed by Harper singling to drive in Jesus Flores. Washington extended the lead in the seventh inning with a 2-RBI Flores single to plate Michael Morse and LaRoche. St. Louis got on the board in the eighth inning as Jon Jay reached on an error to allow Bryan Anderson to come home. This was as close as it got, with the final being 8-1. Jackson notched the win and Garcia was dealt the loss.

Up in Canada, the Toronto Blue Jays host the Tampa Bay Rays. Matt Moore and Carlos Villanueva are the relievers-turned-starters pitching. Toronto quickly started in the first inning as Kelly Johnson singled to plate both Edwin Encarnacion and Adam Lind. This was the only scoring, with final standing at 2-0. Villanueva earned the win, Casey Janssen tossed the save, and Moore had no help in the loss.

Back stateside, the Houston Astros host the San Francisco Giants. Ryan Vogelsong faces a lesser foe in Jordan Lyles. Houston began in the first inning as Jason Castro doubled in Jose Altuve before scoring on a Jimmy Parades single. The Astros added on in the second inning with Brian Bogusevic's sacrifice fly allowing Matt Dominguez to dash home. Houston struck again in the third inning as Tyler Greene hit a solo home run. San Francisco got on the board in the fifth inning when Angel Pagan doubled to drive in Gregor Blanco, followed by Marco Scutaro singling home Vogelsong and Pablo Sandoval hitting a sacrifice fly to finish Pagan's trip around. The Giants tied it in the seventh inning as Sandoval singled to get Scutaro home, before scoring alongside Buster Posey on a 2-RBI Hunter Pence single to take the lead. San Francisco padded the lead in the eighth inning when Joaquin Arias hit a solo shot. The Giants made it 8-4 in the ninth inning as Brandon Belt doubled to knock in Pence. This was a final, with Vogelsong getting the win, Sergio Romo tossing the save, and Fernando Rodriguez was responsible for the loss.

North to Kansas City, as the Royals host the Detroit Tigers. Rick Porcello and Jeremy Guthrie are penciled in to pitch. Kansas City got things going in the fifth inning as Johnny Giavotella grounded into a fielder's choice to allow Mike Moustakas to score. The Royals struck again in the sixth inning as Alex Gordon hit a solo home run. Detroit got on the board in the eighth inning with a Jhonny Peralta single to knock in Prince Fielder. They failed to tie the game, falling 2-1, with the win belonging to Guthrie, while Kelvin Herrera picked up a spot save, and Porcello took an unlucky loss.

Out in California, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim host the Boston Red Sox. Joe Lester and Zack Greinke are on the hill. Los Angeles opened in the first inning as Albert Pujols doubled in both Mike Trout and Torii Hunter. Boston got on the board in the second inning on a Mike Aviles sacrifice fly to allow James Loney to score. The Angels shot back in the third inning as Mark Trumbo singled Hunter across the dish, followed by Alberto Callaspo doing the same for Pujols. Los Angeles padded the lead in the fourth inning as Trout grounded into a double play that gave time for Vernon Wells to come home. The Red Sox got one back in the sixth inning on a Loney solo home run. This was as close as it got, leaving the final at 5-2, with the win belonging to Greinke, the save tossed by Ernesto Frieri, and Lester was pinned with the loss.

Along the freeway, the Los Angeles Dodgers hosted the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ian Kennedy and Clayton Kershaw pace the game. Arizona led off in the fourth inning as Chris Young hit a two-run home run, also scoring Miguel Montero. This was it for the scoring, with the final standing at 2-0. Kennedy pitched a strong win, J.J. Putz closed out for the save, and Kershaw had no help in the loss.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

MLB Day 146 2012

Getaway day for a handful of teams, which means games start early. We begin in...

New York, with the Yankees hosting the Toronto Blue Jays. J.A. Happ and CC Sabathia are the pitchers going by initials. New York opened in the first inning as Andruw Jones singled in Derek Jeter and Curtis Granderson grounded into a fielder's choice to bring in Nick Swisher. Toronto answered in the third inning as Edwin Encarnacion singled to knock in Rajai Davis, followed by Adam Lind doing the same for Mike McCoy, and then Yunel Escobar doubling to finish Encarnacion's trip around. The Yankees gained the lead again in the bottom of the third as Granderson doubled both Swisher and Jones across the dish. The Blue Jays edged ahead in the sixth inning when Escobar hit a two-run home run, also scoring Lind. Toronto got another in the eighth inning as Jeff Mathis sacrificed to give time for Escobar to come home. New York replied in the bottom of the eighth as Russell Martin doubled to plate Raul Ibanez. The Blue Jays extended the lead in the ninth inning with Escobar doubling both McCoy and Encarnacion home. This was good for an 8-5 final, with Happ getting the win, Casey Janssen tossing the save, and Sabathia was pinned with the loss.

West to Colorado, as the Rockies host the Los Angeles Dodgers. Joe Blanton and Drew Pomeranz are sent out to pitch. Los Angeles busted open the scoring in the third inning as Mark Ellis reached on an error to get Juan Rivera home, followed by Shane Victorino singling A.J. Ellis in, and Adrian Gonzalez singling both Mark Ellis and Victorino around, before he scored on a two-run Hanley Ramirez home run. Colorado got on the board in the seventh inning as Tyler Colvin singled to knock in Charlie Blackmon. The Dodgers padded the lead in the eighth inning as A.J. Ellis hit a grand slam, sweeping in Luis Cruz, Andre Ethier, and Rivera. The Rockies answered in the bottom of the eighth with Chris Nelson singling home Jordan Pacheco, followed by DJ LeMahieu doing the same for Ramon Hernandez, Dexter Fowler singling to finish Nelson's trip around, Colvin being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in LeMahieu, Jose Rutledge grounding out to give Andrew Brown time to score, and Carlos Gonzalez singling to plate Fowler and Rutledge. They got no closer, losing 10-8, with Blanton holding on to the win, Ronald Belisario turning a spot save, and Pomeranz was stuck with the loss.

Down in Arizona, the Diamondbacks host the Cincinnati Reds. Mat Latos and Patrick Corbin are the serviceable pitchers. Arizona was first on the board as Aaron Hill scored on a balk. The Diamondbacks got another in the fourth inning on a Jake Elmore double to knock in Justin Upton. Cincinnati tied it in the seventh inning on a two-run home run by Chris Heisey, also scoring Todd Frazier, followed by a Dioner Navarro solo home run. The Reds padded the lead in the eighth inning as Brandon Phillips hit a two-run home run, sweeping in Drew Stubbs, followed by a Heisey solo shot. This made it 6-2, the final, with Latos picking up the win and Corbin was handed the loss.

Out west, the San Diego Padres host the Atlanta Braves. Tommy Hanson and Eric Stults receive the starting nods. San Diego got going in the fourth inning as Logan Forsythe doubled in Yasmani Grandal, followed by Cameron Maybin grounding out to get Mark Kotsay home. Atlanta got on the board in the fifth inning with Michael Bourn hitting a sacrifice fly to bring in Dan Uggla. The Padres replied in the bottom of the fifth as Chase Headley singled to knock in Everth Cabrera and Will Venable. San Diego extended the lead in the eighth inning as Chris Denorfia hit a 2-RBI single, scoring both Forsythe and Maybin, followed by Grandal singling Alexi Amarista across the dish, and Yonder Alonso following suit to finish Denorfia's trip around. The Braves tried a ninth inning rally as David Ross hit a solo home run, but they still fell well short and lost 8-2. Stults cruised to the win while Hanson was roughed up in the loss.

Back east, the Philadelphia Phillies host the New York Mets. Matt Harvey and Tyler Cloyd are the little-known pitchers. Philadelphia led off with a first inning Ryan Howard sacrifice fly, allowing Juan Pierre to dash home. New York tied it in the second inning as the pitcher Harvey singled to bring in Scott Hairston. The Phillies replied in the bottom of the second when Jimmy Rollins doubled Kevin Frandsen in. The Mets took the lead in the third inning on a two-run home run by Lucas Duda, also scoring Ike Davis. The rest of the game was silent for scoring, with the final standing at 3-2, with Harvey picking up the win, Frank Francisco tossing the save, and Cloyd was stuck with an unlucky loss.

Into Baltimore, as the Orioles host the Chicago White Sox. Dylan Axelrod welcomes Joe Saunders back to the American League for pitching. Chicago staked a lead in the first inning when Alex Rios doubled in both Dewayne Wise and Adam Dunn before scoring alongside Paul Konerko on a 2-RBI single from Alexei Ramirez. The White Sox struck again in the fourth inning with Gordon Beckham doubling home Ramirez. Baltimore got on the board in their half of the inning as Omar Quintanilla hit a sacrifice fly to get Matt Wieters home. Chicago extended the lead in the sixth inning as Beckham singled to get both Dayan Viciedo and Ramirez across the dish. The White Sox added on in the seventh inning as Viciedo singled to knock in Dunn. This was all for the scoring, leaving the final at 8-1, with Axelrod picking up the win and Saunders getting dealt the loss.

South to Texas, as the Rangers host the Tampa Bay Rays. Alex Cobb and Matt Harrison are the young pitchers. Tampa Bay began in the first inning as Ben Zobrist doubled in Desmond Jenning and then scored on a two-run home run by Evan Longoria. The Rays extended the lead in the second inning as B.J. Upton hit a three-run home run, sweeping in Sam Fuld and Jennings. Texas got on the board in their half of the inning as Mitch Moreland hit a two-run home run, also scoring David Murphy. The Rangers got another in the third inning on a Nelson Cruz fielder's choice to bring in Elvis Andrus. Texas pulled back in the fifth inning on a Josh Hamilton solo home run. Tampa Bay replied in the sixth inning on an Elliot Johnson solo shot. The Rays padded the lead in the ninth inning as Longoria hit a solo home run, producing an 8-4 final, with Jake McGee in line for the win while Harrison was stuck with the loss.

Back north a tad, the Cleveland Indians host the Oakland Athletics. Travis Blackley and Corey Kluber have the green light to pitch. Cleveland struck first in the third inning on a Jason Donald solo home run, followed by Jason Kipnis grounding out to allow Ezequiel Carrera to dart home. Oakland got the lead in the fourth inning on a three-run Josh Donaldson home run, sweeping in Yoenis Cespedes and Chris Carter. The Athletics added on in the sixth inning as Derek Norris grounded out to get Josh Reddick home. Oakland struck again in the seventh inning as Seth Smith double to score Coco Crisp before scoring himself on a single from Carter. The Indians chipped away in the eighth inning with a Brent Lillibridge sacrifice fly to bring in Shin-Soo Choo, followed by Casey Kotchman grounding out to provide time for Lou Marson to cross the dish. The Athletics extended the lead in the ninth inning with Cespedes singling to drive in Stephen Drew, before he scored on a Reddick double, producing the 8-4 final. Blackley got the win, Ryan Cook turned a save, and Kluber was not freed from the loss.

Over in Pennsylvania again, the Pittsburgh Pirates host the St. Louis Cardinals. Joe Kelly and Wandy Rodriguez are the decent starters. Pittsburgh started in the first inning as Garrett Jones doubled in Travis Snider. The Pirates added on in the third inning with a three-run home run by Pedro Alvarez, sweeping in Snider and Jones. Pittsburgh struck again in the fifth inning as Josh Harrison singled Alvarez around. This stood for a 5-0 win, picked up by a strong Rodriguez, while Kelly had no help in the loss.

South to Miami, where the Marlins host the Washington Nationals. Ross Detwiler and Jacob Turner are the back-of-the-rotation pitchers. Washington rallied to a lead in the fourth inning as Bryce Harper hit a two-run home run, also scoring Jayson Werth, followed by Michael Morse tripling to force in Adam LaRoche, before coming the final 90 feet on a single from Ian Desmond. The Nationals got another in the fifth inning on a Harper solo home run. Miami got on the board in their half of the inning as John Buck hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Giancarlo Stanton. The Marlins pulled closer in the sixth inning as Jose Reyes singled to drive in Bryan Petersen, followed by Carlos Lee grounding into a fielder's choice to knock in Donovan Solano. Miami chipped away in the seventh inning on a Greg Dobbs sacrifice fly that gave time for Justin Ruggiano to score. Washington got an insurance run in the eighth inning as Morse singled to plate Ryan Zimmerman. The Nationals padded the lead in the ninth inning with Kurt Suzuki hitting a solo shot and Werth singling to bring around Steve Lombardozzi for an 8-4 final. Detwiler was given the win while Turner took the loss.

West to Houston, as the Astros host the San Francisco Giants. Barry Zito and Dallas Keuchel are the struggling starters. San Francisco established to a first inning lead as Pablo Sandoval singled in Angel Pagan, followed by a three-run home run from Hunter Pence, sweeping in Sandoval and Buster Posey. Houston got on the board in the second inning as Brandon Barnes singled home Chris Snyder. The Astros pulled closer in the third inning as Brett Wallace single to knock in Jose Altuve, followed by Jimmy Parades hitting a sacrifice fly to get Tyler Greene in. The Giants extended the lead in the sixth inning as Joaquin Arias tripled to force in both Sandoval and Pence. Houston replied in the bottom of the sixth as Scott Moore singled Snyder safely home. This was as close as it got, with the final being 6-4, giving George Kontos the win, Javier Lopez finished off the save, and Keuchel was stuck holding the loss.

North to Chicago, as the Cubs host the Milwaukee Brewers. Mike Fiers and Jeff Samardzija are the surprisingly good pitchers. Milwaukee opened as Aramis Ramirez grounded into a fielder's choice that allowed Norichika Aoki to come in the first inning. Chicago tied it in the second inning as Darwin Barney grounded out to give time for Bryan LaHair to dash home. The Brewers took the lead again in the seventh inning when Jean Segura singled to knock in Nyjer Morgan, followed by Segura scoring on a pair of errors. They held on for a 3-1 win, with Fiers notching the win, John Axford tossing the save, and Samardzija was stuck with the loss.

Back south a touch, the Kansas City Royals host the Detroit Tigers. Anibal Sanchez and Bruce Chen are the overrated pitchers. Kansas City was first to score with a fourth inning Eric Hosmer single, knocking in Mike Moustakas. This was the only run, resulting in a 1-0 final, with Chen earning the win, Greg Holland converting the save, and Sanchez having no help in the loss.

Northward again, as the Minnesota Twins host the Seattle Mariners. Jason Vargas and Samuel Deduno are on the mound. Minnesota got things going in the third inning with Joe Mauer singling both Trevor Plouffe and Pedro Florimon home, followed by Justin Morneau doing the same for Jamey Carroll. The Twins added on in the fourth inning as Plouffe hit a two-run home run, also scoring Chris Parmelee. Minnesota struck again in the fifth inning on a Josh Willingham solo home run. The Twins padded the lead in the seventh inning with Willingham hitting a sacrifice fly that allowed Mauer safe passage home, followed by Plouffe doubling both Morneau and Parmelee safely home. Minnesota got another in the eighth inning as Morneau's sacrifice fly allowed Carroll to dash home. This was plenty for a 10-0 win, earned by Deduno, while Vargas was shelled in the loss.

Finally, we return to California, as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim host the Boston Red Sox. Zach Stewart is mismatched with C.J. Wilson. Los Angeles led off in the first inning with Torii Hunter doubling in Mike Trout before scoring on an Albert Pujols single, and then Kendrys Morales hit a two-run home run to finish Pujols' trip around. Boston got on the board in the second inning with Scott Podsednik hitting a sacrifice fly to bring in Mauro Gomez. The Angels replied in their half of the inning with Hunter singling Aybar across the dish. Los Angeles padded the lead in the third inning on an Alberto Callaspo double to knock in Morales, before scoring on a double by Aybar, and then Chris Iannetta went yard on a two-run home run, taking Aybar with him. The Red Sox got some back in the fifth inning as Podsednik scored on an error and Dustin Pedroia singled to plate Jacoby Ellsbury. The Angels padded the lead in the bottom of the fifth as Callaspo grounded into a double play that provided time for Mark Trumbo to cross home. The scoring stopped here, with the final sitting at 10-3, giving Wilson the win and Stewart the loss.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

MLB Day 145 2012

Back to the full schedule today, beginning in...

The Bronx, as the New York Yankees host the Toronto Blue Jays. Ricky Romero and Phil Hughes make the starts. New York opened in the third inning as Nick Swisher singled in Jayson Nix. The Yankees got another in the fourth inning as Curtis Granderson hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Steve Pearce. Toronto got on the board in the fifth inning on a solo home run by Adeiny Hechavarria. They couldn't muster an equalizer, losing 2-1, with Hughes getting the win, Rafael Soriano shutting the door for a save, and Romero was stuck with the loss.

Over in Philadelphia, the Phillies host the New York Mets. Chris Young and Vance Worley are the average pitchers. New York led off in the first inning as David Wright singled in Ruben Tejada. Philadelphia stormed ahead in their half of the inning on a Ryan Howard grand slam, sweeping in Jimmy Rollins, Kevin Frandsen, and Chase Utley. The Mets pulled back in the fourth inning on a two-run Mike Baxter home run, also scoring Lucas Duda. New York tied it in the fifth inning on a Wright sacrifice fly to get Tejada home. The Phillies retook the lead in the bottom of the fifth as Utley hit a solo home run. The Mets retied it in the eighth inning as Kelly Shoppach doubled Wright across the dish. New York rallied ahead in the tenth inning as Ike Davis doubled Wright in, followed by Duda singling to bring in Davis, and then he scored on a two-run blast by Shoppach. The rally gave them a 9-5 win, with Bobby Parnell picking up the win, and B.J. Rosenberg was responsible for the loss.

Across the state, the Pittsburgh Pirates host the St. Louis Cardinals. Jake Westbrook and James McDonald are the reliable pitchers. Pittsburgh got going in the first inning as Garrett Jones hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Jose Tabata. The Pirates added on in the third inning with a two-run Pedro Alvarez home run, also scoring Andrew McCutchen. Pittsburgh padded the lead in the fifth inning as Alvarez doubled McCutchen across the dish, followed by Michael McKenry singling Jones safely home, and then both Alvarez and McKenry scored on a Clint Barmes single. The Pirates got another in the sixth inning on an Alvarez solo home run. Pittsburgh struck again in the seventh inning when Travis Snider tripled to force in Jeff Clement. This ended the scoring at 9-0, with McDonald notching a strong win and Westbrook suffering the loss.

Onward to Ohio, as the Cleveland Indians host the Oakland Athletics. Tommy Milone and Zach McAllister are the little known starters. Oakland started in the second inning as Brandon Moss singled to knock in Seth Smith, followed by Adam Rosales doing the same for Chris Carter. The Athletics added on in the third inning with a two-run home run by Moss, also scoring Smith. Oakland got another in the fifth inning on a Carter solo home run. The Athletics padded the lead in the ninth inning as Carter doubled to score Josh Reddick, followed by Smith scoring on a wild pitch to make it 7-0. This was a final, with Milone easily earning the win and McAllister taking the loss.

Back east, the Baltimore Orioles host the Chicago White Sox. Chrises Sale and Tillman are set to pitch. Baltimore began in the second inning on a 3-RBI Nick Markakis double, sweeping in Nate McLouth, Manny Machado, and Robert Andino. The Orioles added on in the third inning on a Lew Ford solo home run. Baltimore got another in the sixth inning as Machado hit a sacrifice fly that provided Mark Reynolds time to dash home. The Orioles padded the lead in the seventh inning as Adam Jones hit a solo shot. This made it 6-0, a final, with Tillman cruising to the win and Sale getting knocked around in the loss.

South into Miami, as the Marlins host the Washington Nationals. Stephen Strasburg faces a lesser foe in Ricky Nolasco. Miami struck first in the first inning with a Justin Ruggiano solo home run and a Giancarlo Stanton single to knock in Carlos Lee. The Marlins added on in the third inning when Lee reached on an error to bring in Bryan Petersen and then scored alongside Jose Reyes on a single from Greg Dobbs. Miami struck again in the fourth inning on a Ruggiano single to get Rob Brantly home. The Marlins padded the lead in the fifth inning as Donovan Solano singled to drive in Stanton. Miami kept going in the sixth inning when Stanton singled to plate Nolasco and Ruggiano. This was plenty for a 9-0 win, with Nolasco tossing a five-hit shutout while Strasburg had little help in the loss.

Westward to Texas, as the Rangers host the Tampa Bay Rays. James Shields and Yu Darvish are on the mound. Texas began with a fourth inning solo home run by Ian Kinsler. This was the only run, resulting in a 1-0 final, giving Darvish a dominant victory, Joe Nathan tossed the save, and Shields took a hard-luck loss.

Staying in the state, the Houston Astros host the San Francisco Giants. Matt Cain and Bud Norris are the staff aces pitching. San Francisco started in the fifth inning with an Angel Pagan solo home run. Houston tied it on a Fernando Martinez solo shot in the bottom of the fifth. The Astros took the lead in the eighth inning as Tyler Greene drew a walk on a wild pitch that got Jimmy Parades in. The Giants retied it in the ninth inning on a Joaquin Arias double to knock in Brandon Belt, before taking the lead as Hector Sanchez singled Arias the rest of the way home. This gave them a 3-2 lead they would hold on to, giving Santiago Casilla the win, Sergio Romo tossed the save, and Wilton Lopez was pinned with the loss.

North to Chicago, where the Cubs host the Milwaukee Brewers. Yovani Gallardo and Travis Wood have the green light to start. Milwaukee established a second inning lead with a three-run home run by Jeff Bianchi, sweeping in Martin Maldonado and Carlos Gomez. Chicago got on the board in the third inning as the pitcher Wood hit a solo home run. The Brewers replied in the eighth inning as Norichika Aoki darted home while Rickie Weeks was caught stealing second base. This made the final 4-1, with Gallardo notching the win, John Axford turning the save, and Wood taking the loss.

Backtracking to Kansas City, as the Royals host the Detroit Tigers. Justin Verlander opposes Luis Mendoza for pitching purposes. Detroit led off with a first inning Andy Dirks double to knock in Austin Jackson, followed by a two-run home run from Delmon Young to finish Dirks' trip around. Kansas City got on the board in their half of the inning as Billy Butler singled home Alex Gordon, followed by a 2-RBI Mike Moustakas single plating both Butler and Salvador Perez. The Royals rallied ahead in the second inning on an Alcides Escobar single to get Johnny Giavotella home, followed by a 2-RBI double from Gordon, scoring both Jarrod Dyson and Escobar, and then he came home on a Butler single. The Tigers pulled back in the third inning with Prince Fielder doubling both Jackson and Miguel Cabrera in before crossing the plate on an Alex Avila single. Kansas City extended the lead in the sixth inning on a Perez double to drive in Dyson. Detroit shot back in the seventh inning when Cabrera singled Jackson around. The Tigers pulled even in the eighth inning on a Jhonny Peralta solo home run. The Royals took the lead again in their half of the inning as Moustakas doubled around Lorenzo Cain. They held on for a 9-8 win, earned by Aaron Crow, while Greg Holland notched the save and Brayan Villarreal was stuck with the loss.

North again into Minnesota, where the Twins welcome the Seattle Mariners. Hisashi Iwakuma and Scott Diamond are on the hill. Seattle opened in the third inning as Kyle Seager doubled both Brendan Ryan and Franklin Gutierrez home. Minnesota got on the board in the bottom of the third as Ben Revere hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Jamey Carroll. The Mariners padded the lead in the fifth inning on a three-run home run by Dustin Ackley, sweeping in Trayvon Robinson and Ryan. The Twins tried a ninth inning rally as Ryan Doumit doubled to knock in Josh Willingham, but they only made it 5-1 before falling. Iwakuma had a strong outing for the win, while Tom Wilhelmsen cleaned up a mess for his twentieth save of the year, and Diamond was dealt the loss.

Out to Colorado, with the Rockies hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers. Chris Capuano and Tyler Chatwood are penciled in to pitch. Colorado staked out a lead in the first inning as Jordan Pacheco doubled in Josh Rutledge, followed by Willin Rosario singling to finish Pacheco's trip around, and then Rosario scored on an Andrew Brown single, who then scored on a DJ LeMahieu double. Los Angeles got on the board in the second inning with an A.J. Ellis sacrifice fly to get Andre Ethier home. The Rockies extended the lead in the third inning on a Rosario solo home run. The Dodgers shot back in the fourth inning as Adam Kennedy grounded into a double play that saw Adrian Gonzalez dash home. Colorado answered in the bottom of the fourth as Tyler Colvin singled to give time for Charlie Blackmon to score. The Rockies padded the lead in the seventh inning when Rosario singled to get Rutledge home and Chris Nelson grounded into a fielder's choice that allowed Pacheco to dart home. Los Angeles fired back in the eighth inning on a Juan Rivera sacrifice fly that plated Mark Ellis. The Dodgers tried a ninth inning rally as Hanley Ramirez hit a solo shot, but it wasn't enough to avoid an 8-4 loss. Chatwood got the win while Capuano was handed the loss.

Down in Arizona, the Diamondbacks host the Cincinnati Reds. Johnny Cueto and Wade Miley are the talented pitchers. Arizona got going in the first inning on a Jason Kubel sacrifice fly to bring in Gerardo Parra. Cincinnati tied it in the second inning as Todd Frazier scored on a wild pitch, followed by Ryan Hanigan singling to score both Scott Rolen and Chris Heisey for a lead. The Diamondbacks got one back in the fifth inning on a Parra double to knock in John McDonald. The Reds padded the lead in the eighth inning as Frazier tripled to force in Brandon Phillips and Ryan Ludwick. This made it 5-2, giving Cueto the win, Aroldis Chapman the save, and Miley took the loss.

West to Anaheim, as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim host the Boston Red Sox. Clay Buchholz and Jered Weaver pace the game. Los Angeles was first on the board in the first inning on a Mike Trout solo home run, followed by a Mark Trumbo sacrifice fly to bring in Torii Hunter. Boston got on the board in the second inning on a Jarrod Saltalamacchia solo shot. The Red Sox rallied ahead in the fourth inning on a James Loney single to score Dustin Pedroia, followed by Saltalamacchia doing the same for Jacoby Ellsbury, and then Ryan Kalish grounded into a double play to allow time for Ryan Lavarnway to get home. Boston got another in the sixth inning on a Lavarnway sacrifice fly to knock in Ellsbury. The Angels pulled closer in the bottom of the sixth on an Albert Pujols solo home run, followed by Howie Kendrick doubling to drive in Trumbo. Los Angeles won it 6-5 in walkoff fashion after a ninth inning rally including Trout singling the tying run, Erick Aybar, before Hunter hit a sacrifice fly to bring in the decisive runner, Alberto Callaspo. Kevin Jepsen got the win, and Alfredo Aceves again was dealt the loss.

Finally, we end south in San Diego, as the Padres host the Atlanta Braves. Kris Medlen and Andrew Werner take their turns in the rotation. Atlanta led off in the first inning as Chipper Jones doubled in Martin Prado. The Braves added on in the fifth inning as Dan Uggla hit a solo home run. This held up for a 2-0 win, earned by Medlen, while Craig Kimbrel converted the save, and Werner had no help in the loss.

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