MLB Day 152 2012

Again, we have a full slate, and I must warn everyone that I will try to keep up from here on, but with the summer being over for me today, it may be difficult for the last month of the season. I will try to do football as well, but I cannot promise anything. The games today begin in...

Washington, as the Nationals host the Chicago Cubs. Chris Rusin is mismatched with Edwin Jackson. Washington led off with a first inning Ian Desmond two-run home run, also scoring Jayson Werth. The Nationals padded the lead in the second inning on a Jesus Flores solo home run, followed by a 2-RBI double from Desmond to bring in both Jackson and Werth. Chicago got on the board in the fourth inning as Starlin Castro singled Luis Valbuena in. Washington extended the lead with an Adam LaRoche solo shot in the bottom of the fourth, followed by a two-run Tyler Moore home run, bringing in Danny Espinosa. The Cubs got some back in the sixth inning as Alfonso Soriano tripled to force in Valbuena and Anthony Rizzo, before coming the final 90 feet home on a Castro single. The Nationals shot back in their half of the inning on a Ryna Zimmerman solo home run. Washington struck again in the seventh inning as Werth singled to knock in Bryce Harper. Chicago replied in the eighth inning on a Soriano solo shot. The Nationals answered in their half of the inning as LaRoche hit another solo home run. The final held at 11-5, with the win going to Jackson and the loss to Rusin.

West to Pittsburgh, as the Pirates host the Houston Astros. Jordan Lyles faces a former teammate, Wandy Rodriguez, in pitching. Pittsburgh got things started after a long rain delay with a first inning Andrew McCutchen double to knock in Travis Snider. The Pirates added on in the third inning as McCutchen singled home Brock Holt, and Garrett Jones doing the same for Jose Tabata. Pittsburgh struck again in the fifth inning with a McCutchen single to drive in Holt, followed by Pedro Alvarez reaching on an error that allowed both McCutchen and Jones to come home. Houston got on the board in the eighth inning as Brett Wallace doubled in Matt Dominguez before scoring on a Chris Snyder single. This produced the 6-2 final, with the win going to Rodriguez and the loss to Lyles.

Onward to Detroit, as the Tigers host the Cleveland Indians. Justin Masterson and Rick Porcello are the struggling starters. Cleveland got going in the second inning as Michael Brantley doubled in Carlos Santana before scoring on a Jack Hannahan single. The Indians got another in the third inning as Asdrubal Cabrera hit a ground rule double to force in Shin-Soo Choo. Detroit got on the board in the sixth inning with a two-run home run by Miguel Cabrera, also scoring Andy Dirks. They failed to tie the game, losing 3-2, with Masterson notching the win, Chris Perez turning the save, and Porcello was stuck with the loss.

Up in Canada, the Toronto Blue Jays host the Baltimore Orioles. Zach Britton and Carlos Villanueva are the little known pitchers. Baltimore was first on the board in the fifth inning as Mark Reynolds hit a three-run home run, sweeping in Adam Jones and Chris Davis. The Orioles struck again in the sixth inning as Nate McLouth hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Nick Markakis. Baltimore added on in the seventh inning with Robert Andino hitting a sacrifice fly to allow Davis to dash home, Manny Machado scoring on a balk, and J.J. Hardy singling to plate Markakis. The Orioles padded the lead in the eighth inning with Davis doubling to drive in Jones, followed by Reynolds singling in Matt Wieters, Machado doing the same for Davis, Markakis hitting a ground rule double to force in Reynolds, and McLouth singling to finish Machado's trip around. This was plenty for a 12-0 win, earned by Britton, while Villanueva was pinned with the loss.

Down in the States, the Miami Marlins host the Milwaukee Brewers. Shaun Marcum and Wade LeBlanc are set to pitch. Milwaukee began in the first inning as Ryan Braun doubled to knock in Rickie Weeks. The Brewers added on in the second inning as Norichika Aoki hit a two-run home run, also scoring Marcum. Miami got on the board in the bottom of the second when Donnie Murphy singled home Carlos Lee. The Marlins got another in the fourth inning as Giancarlo Stanton hit a solo home run. The Marlins got the lead in the fifth inning on a two-run home run by Gorkys Hernandez, bringing in Murphy. Milwaukee retied it in the seventh inning as Aoki doubled to plate Nyjer Morgan, before taking the lead as Braun singled Aoki the rest of the way home. The Brewers extended the lead in the eighth inning on a Jeff Bianchi three-run home run, sweeping in Jonathan Lucroy and Carlos Gomez. This made it 8-4, a final, with the win going to Kameron Loe, the save tossed by John Axford, and the loss dealt to Mike Dunn.

Back north, the Cincinnati Reds host the Philadelphia Phillies. Kyle Kendrick and Mat Latos receive the starting nods. Philadelphia got going in the fourth inning as Domonic Brown walked with the bases loaded to force in Chase Utley. Cincinnati took the lead in the sixth inning on a two-run Jay Bruce home run, also scoring Ryan Ludwick. This was good enough to hold as a 2-1 win, with Latos picking up the win, while Aroldis Chapman converted the save as his thirty-fifth of the year, and Kendrick took an unlucky loss.

South again to Atlanta, where the Braves host the Colorado Rockies. Drew Pomeranz and Tommy Hanson are sent out to pitch. Colorado led off with a fourth inning Carlos Gonzalez solo home run. The Rockies added on in the fifth inning as Jordan Pacheco hit a solo shot. Colorado struck again in the seventh inning as Dexter Fowler singling to knock in DJ LeMahieu and Josh Rutledge striking out on a wild pitch that allowed Carlos Torres to dash home. The Rockies padded the lead in the eighth inning on a Pacheco single to drive in Tyler Colvin, and LeMahieu singling, which combined with an error to get Chris Nelson across the dish. This made the final 6-0, with Torres picking up the win and Hanson suffering the loss.

Back into Florida, where the Tampa Bay Rays host the New York Yankees. Freddy Garcia and Alex Cobb are the back-of-the-rotation pitchers. New York started in the first inning on a two-run home run by Robinson Cano, also scoring Nick Swisher. Tampa Bay replied in their half of the inning as B.J. Upton doubled in Desmond Jennings. The Rays took the lead in the third inning when Evan Longoria hit a two-run home run, driving in Ben Zobrist. Tampa Bay struck again in the fifth inning on solo home runs by Jennings and Upton. This stood as a 5-2 final, with Cobb getting the win, Fernando Rodney completed the save, and Garcia was handed the loss.

Up to Chicago, where the White Sox host the Minnesota Twins. Scott Diamond and Jose Quintana are on the mound. Chicago opened in the first inning on a Paul Konerko groundout to bring in Kevin Youkilis, followed by Alex Rios singling in Adam Dunn before scoring on a double by Dayan Viciedo. Minnesota got on the board in the second inning with a Trevor Plouffe bases-loaded walk to force in Josh Willingham, followed by Eduardo Escobar singling both Justin Morneau and Chris Parmelee in, Ben Revere singling to score Plouffe, Jamey Carroll doing the same to finish Escobar's trip around, Joe Mauer singling Revere around, and Willingham hitting a sacrifice fly to allow Carroll to come home. The White Sox shot back in the fourth inning as Alexei Ramirez doubled Viciedo around. The Twins extended the lead in the fifth inning as Parmelee grounded out to provide Morneau time to score before Plouffe tripled to force in Ryan Doumit and then came home on an Escobar single, followed by Carroll's sacrifice fly that got Escobar in, Willingham singling to plate Revere, Doumit doing the same for both Mauer and Willingham, and Parmelee going yard with a three-run home run to sweep in Morneau and Doumit to finish the ten-spot. Minnesota got another in the seventh inning as Doumit hit a solo home run. Chicago got some back in the eighth inning with Happy Hour, as Dewayne Wise doubled Dan Johnson home before coming home on a Ray Olmedo double, and he scored on a double by Tyler Flowers, who then scored on a double from Alejandro De Aza. The White Sox chipped away in the ninth inning as Wise doubled Johnson in again, making the final 18-9. Diamond notched the ugly win while Quintana took an extremely horrific loss. An aside, the best pitcher tonight for Chicago may have been Dewayne Wise, who usually plies his trade as a fourth outfielder.

Moving into Missouri, as the Kansas City Royals host the Texas Rangers. Matt Harrison and Jeremy Guthrie have the green light to pitch. Texas wasted no time in scoring first with a first inning Elvis Andrus solo home run. The Rangers got another in the second inning as Mitch Moreland doubled home Geovany Soto. Kansas City got on the board in the third inning as Alcides Escobar doubled to drive in Lorenzo Cain, before scoring on a Billy Butler sacrifice fly. The Royals took the lead in the fifth inning as Alex Gordon hit a two-run home run, also scoring Escobar, followed by Salvador Perez doubled Butler around. Kansas City extended the lead in the sixth inning on a Johnny Giavotella solo shot. Texas tried a ninth inning rally when Michael Young hit a sacrifice fly to plate Josh Hamilton, but they still lost 6-3. Guthrie was credited with the win, Greg Holland cleaned up a mess for a save, and Harrison was handed the loss.

Across the state, the St. Louis Cardinals host the New York Mets. Matt Harvey and Jaime Garcia will draw the starts. St. Louis began in the second inning on a Skip Schumaker single to plate Yadier Molina, followed by Daniel Descalso doing the same for David Freese, and Matt Carpenter hit a sacrifice fly to finish Schumaker's trip around. The Cardinals struck again in the sixth inning with a Jon Jay groundout to bring in Descalso. St. Louis added on in the seventh inning as Freese singled to knock in Adron Chambers. New York got on the board in the eighth inning on a Mike Baxter sacrifice fly to score Justin Turner. This was as close as it got, with the final being 5-1. Garcia got the win and Harvey was dealt the loss.

Out in Oakland, the Athletics host the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Zack Greinke and Jarrod Parker are the inconsistent pitchers. Los Angeles got on the board in the fifth inning with a Mike Trout single to plate Alberto Callaspo. The Angels got another in the sixth inning on a Callaspo sacrifice fly to bring in Kendrys Morales. Oakland got on the board in the seventh inning on a Brandon Moss solo home run. Los Angeles shot back in the eighth inning as Erick Aybar doubled to drive in Howie Kendrick, before scoring on a Callaspo single. The Angels got another in the ninth inning on a Morales double to knock in Chris Iannetta and also Torii hunter after an error. This made it 6-1, the final, with the win going to Greinke and the loss to Parker.

North to Seattle, as the Mariners host the Boston Red Sox. Jon Lester and Blake Beavan are the under-performing pitchers. Seattle opened with a first inning Jesus Montero single to knock in Dustin Ackley. The Mariners added on in the third inning as both Franklin Gutierrez and Kyle Seager hit solo home runs. Boston tied it in the sixth inning on a three-run home run by Cody Ross, sweeping in Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury, before taking the lead on a solo shot by Ryan Lavarnway. This gave them a 4-3 lead, and they held on to win, with the win credited to Lester, the save turned by Andrew Bailey, and Beavan was on the hook for the loss.

Well south, the Los Angeles Dodgers host the San Diego Padres. Eric Stults and Clayton Kershaw take the hill. San Diego led off with a first inning Chris Denorfia solo home run. Los Angeles tied it in the second inning on an Andre Ethier solo shot. The Dodgers pulled ahead in the seventh inning as Shane Victorino singled in A.J. Ellis and Adrian Gonzalez hit a sacrifice fly to allow Mark Ellis to score. The Padres retied it in the eighth inning on a two-run home run by Yasmani Grandal, also scoring Chase Headley. San Diego took the lead in the eleventh inning as Logan Forsythe singled to plate both Cameron Maybin and Everth Cabrera, followed by Headley singling to drive in Will Venable. This produced the 6-3 final, with the win belonging to Tommy Layne, the save converted by Luke Gregerson, and the loss pinned on John Ely.

Finally, we end in San Francisco with the Giants hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ian Kennedy and Ryan Vogelsong pace the game. San Francisco started in the first inning as Pablo Sandoval grounded out to allow Marco Scutaro to dash home. Arizona tied it in the second inning as Kennedy singled Ryan Wheeler in. The Diamondbacks took the lead in the third inning with Paul Goldschmidt doubling home Aaron Hill before scoring alongside Justin Upton on a single from John McDonald. The Giants replied in the bottom of the third as Scutaro doubled to plate Brandon Crawford. Arizona padded the lead in the fourth inning on a two-run home run by Aaron Hill, also scoring Adam Eaton. San Francisco answered in the sixth inning on a Hunter Pence double to score Sandoval, followed by a two-run home run by Brandon Belt to finish Pence's trip. The Giants tied it in the seventh inning as Sandoval singled to get Angel Pagan in. The Diamondbacks grabbed the lead in the eleventh inning when Jason Kubel tripled to force in Hill before scoring on a Miguel Montero single. This gave them an 8-6 lead they would hold onto, with the win going to Josh Collmenter and the loss dealt to George Kontos.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

MLB Day 151 2012

Happy Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer in the USA, and the benchmark for the stretch run in baseball. Mostly matinees today, beginning in...

Detroit, as the Tigers host the Cleveland Indians. Corey Kluber and Anibal Sanchez are the struggling starters. Cleveland opened as Jason Kipnis scored on passed ball in the first inning. Detroit answered in the bottom of the first as Delmon Young singled to knock in Quintin Berry. The Indians retook the lead in the third inning on an Asdrubal Cabrera single, scoring Shin-Soo Choo. The Tigers retied it in the fourth inning on a Jhonny Peralta single, allowing Young to dash home. Cleveland got the lead back in the seventh inning on a Cabrera sacrifice fly that provided time for Lou Marson to dart home. This made it 3-2, the eventual final, with Kluber picking up the win, Vinnie Pestano turning a spot save, and Darin Downs was handed the loss.

Back east, the Washington Nationals host the Chicago Cubs. Jeff Samardzija and Ross Detwiler are the surprisingly good pitchers. Washington got going in the second inning on an Adam LaRoche solo home run. The Nationals got another in the eighth inning as Ryan Zimmerman doubled to plate Bryce Harper. Chicago tried a ninth inning rally as Welington Castillo singled home Anthony Rizzo, but they couldn't tie it, falling 2-1. Detwiler picked up the win, Tyler Clippard tossed the messy save as his thirtieth of the season, and Samardzija was not freed from the loss.

Up in Canada, the Toronto Blue Jays host the Baltimore Orioles. Joe Saunders and J.A. Happ are the veteran starters. Baltimore began with a second inning Nate McLouth sacrifice to get Manny Machado home. The Orioles added on in the fifth inning as Nick Markakis doubled to plate Robert Andino, before scoring on a J.J. Hardy double. Baltimore struck again in the eighth inning with a Hardy single to knock in McLouth. This was all for the scoring, leaving the final at 4-0. Saunders got the win and Happ took the loss.

Well south, the Miami Marlins host the Milwaukee Brewers. Mike Fiers and Ricky Nolasco are the inconsistent pitchers. Milwaukee led off in the second inning as Carlos Gomez hit a two-run home run, also scoring Jonathan Lucroy. Miami got on the board in the third inning as Jose Reyes hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Gorkys Hernandez. The Marlins rallied ahead in the fourth inning on a Donnie Murphy single to knock in Justin Ruggiano, a Nolasco bunt single that gave time for Rob Brantly to come home, a Donovan Solano single plating Murphy, and a Reyes single doing the same for Nolasco and Hernandez. The Brewers got one back in the seventh inning when Ryan Braun singled to drive in Jean Segura. Miami shot back in the eighth inning when Hernandez reached on an error that allowed Brantly safe passage home. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 7-3. Nolasco earned the win, Steve Cishek finished off for a save, and Fiers was dealt the loss.

Back north a touch to Cincinnati, as the Reds welcome the Philadelphia Phillies. Tyler Cloyd is mismatched with Johnny Cueto. Cincinnati started with a second inning Jay Bruce solo home run. Philadelphia took the lead in the fifth inning on a three-run Jimmy Rollins home run, sweeping in Steve Lerud and the pitcher Cloyd. The Phillies got another in the sixth inning as John Mayberry hit a solo shot. The Reds tried a ninth inning rally when Bruce singled home Ryan Ludwick, but this only made it a 4-2 final. Cloyd got the win, Phillippe Aumont got the spot save, and Cueto took a rare loss.

Back in Florida, the Tampa Bay Rays host the New York Yankees. CC Sabathia and James Shields pace the game. Tampa Bay opened with a second inning Chris Gimenez single to knock in Jeff Keppinger. The Rays added on in the third inning as B.J. Upton hit a solo home run. New York got on the board in the fourth inning with an Eric Chavez sacrifice fly to bring in Robinson Cano, followed by Raul Ibanez tripling to force in Alex Rodriguez, before he came home the final 90 feet on a Russell Martin single. Tampa Bay retied it in the fifth inning on an Evan Longoria groundout to allow Upton to dart home. The Rays took the lead in the eighth inning on a Gimenez single that plated Ryan Roberts. This held up for a 4-3 win, earned by Shields, while Fernando Rodney shut the door for a save, and David Robertson was on the hook for the loss.

Into Georgia, where the Atlanta Braves host the Colorado Rockies. Tyler Chatwood and Kris Medlen get the starting nods. Atlanta struck first in the first inning as Michael Bourn scored on a wild pitch and Martin Prado reached on an error to get Freddie Freeman home. The Braves struck again in the third inning as Prado hit a sacrifice fly to score Bourn, followed by Juan Francisco singling to bring in Jose Constanza, and a 2-RBI David Ross double to drive in both Freeman and Francisco. Colorado got on the board in the seventh inning as a Jordan Pacheco single combined with an error to knock in Carlos Gonzalez. This was as close as it got, with the final standing at 6-1, giving Medlen a dominant complete game win and Chatwood suffered the loss.

Up to Pennsylvania, as the Pittsburgh Pirates host the Houston Astros. Edgar Gonzalez and Jeff Locke are the completely unknown pitchers. Houston quickly scored first in the first inning as Matt Downs grounded out to get Tyler Greene home. The Astros added on in the third inning as Justin Maxwell grounded into a fielder's choice to bring in Greene. Houston padded the lead in the fifth inning on a three-run home run by Brett Wallace, sweeping in Jose Altuve and Greene. Pittsburgh got on the board in their half of the inning as Clint Barmes singled home Pedro Alvarez. They scored no more, losing 5-1, with Gonzalez getting the win and Locke taking the loss.

Back west, the Kansas City Royals host the Texas Rangers. Yu Darvish faces a lesser foe in Bruce Chen. Texas started in the second inning on a three-run home run by Geovany Soto, sweeping in Nelson Cruz and David Murphy. The Rangers struck again in the third inning on a Josh Hamilton solo home run. Texas extended the lead in the sixth inning as both Adrian Beltre and Cruz hit solo shots. Kansas City got on the board in their half of the inning as Tony Abreu tripled both Johnny Giavotella and David Lough in before scoring on an Alex Gordon double. The Royals pulled closer with an eighth inning Abreu single to knock in Brayan Pena. The Rangers extended the lead in the ninth inning on a two-run home run from Michael Young, also scoring Cruz. This produced the 8-4 final, with Darvish getting the win and Chen suffering the loss.

Across Missouri, the St. Louis Cardinals host the New York Mets. Collin McHugh and Joe Kelly are the young pitchers. St. Louis began in the first inning as Matt Carpenter grounded out to get Jon Jay home. The Cardinals extended the lead in the third inning on a Carpenter sacrifice fly to bring in the pitcher Kelly and a Yadier Molina single to knock in Matt Holliday. St. Louis padded the lead in the fourth inning as Skip Schumaker hit a solo home run. New York got on the board in the seventh inning as Kelly Shoppach hit a two-run home run, also scoring Mike Baxter. The Cardinals answered in their half of the inning on an Allen Craig single to score Jay. The Mets pulled closer in the eighth inning when Daniel Murphy hit a two-run home, bringing in Ruben Tejada. They didn't get the equalizer, losing 5-4, with Kelly getting the win, Jason Motte tossing the save, and McHugh was handed the loss.

Out west, the San Francisco Giants host the Arizona Diamondbacks. Patrick Corbin and Barry Zito are the back-of-the-rotation pitchers. San Francisco led off with a first inning Buster Posey double to drive in Marco Scutaro, followed by Hunter Pence hitting a 2-RBI triple to force in Pablo Sandoval and Posey, before he scored on a Hector Sanchez single. Arizona got on the board in the fifth inning with a two-run home run by Chris Johnson, also scoring Miguel Montero. The Diamondbacks pulled closer in the sixth inning as Paul Goldschmidt hit a ground rule double to force in Justin Upton, followed by a Johnson sacrifice fly to plate Jason Kubel, before taking the lead on a Willie Bloomquist single that finished Goldschmidt's trip around,a Chris Young single that did the same for Cody Ransom (yes, he's back with the D-Backs), and Aaron Hill followed suit to get Bloomquist the rest of the way home. The Giants replied in the seventh inning as Sandoval singled Angel Pagan across the dish. Arizona shot back in the eighth inning on an Upton single to push in Ryan Wheeler. San Francisco rallied back in the bottom of the eighth as Brandon Crawford doubled to score Sanchez before scoring on a single by Brandon Belt. The Giants tied it in the ninth inning on a Posey double, getting Marco Scutaro around. San Francisco won 9-8 in the tenth inning as Scutaro singled Crawford across the plate. Sergio Romo was in line for the win, while Bryan Shaw was handed the loss.

Across the bay, the Oakland Athletics host the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. C.J. Wilson and Tommy Milone are on the hill. Los Angeles started with a second inning Vernon Wells single to get Erick Aybar home, followed by Chris Iannetta doing the same for Alberto Callaspo. The Angels added on in the third inning with a Torii Hunter solo home run and an Aybar single to knock in Howie Kendrick. Los Angeles padded the lead as Wells hit a solo shot in the fourth inning. Oakland got on the board in the bottom of the fourth as Josh Reddick singled home Jonny Gomes. The Athletics pulled closer in the fifth inning as Josh Donaldson hit a solo home run. The Angels padded the lead in the sixth inning on a two-run home run by Iannetta, also scoring Wells, followed by Hunter hitting a sacrifice fly to drive in Mike Trout. Oakland took one back in the seventh inning on a Chris Carter solo shot. This was as close as it got, with the win going to Wilson while Milone was shelled in the loss.

Further north, the Seattle Mariners host the Boston Red Sox. Clay Buchholz and Jason Vargas take the mound. Boston opened in the first inning on a Cody Ross single to knock in Dustin Pedroia. Seattle tied it in the fourth inning as John Jaso singled in Franklin Gutierrez, before taking the lead as Justin Smoak did the same for Kyle Seager, and then Eric Thames flied out, which combined with an error to get Jaso home and Carlos Peguero reached on an error to bring in Smoak. This rally paced them to a 4-1 win, earned by Vargas, while Tom Wilhelmsen closed out for a save, and Buchholz was dinged for the loss.

East to Chicago, as the White Sox host the Minnesota Twins. Samuel Deduno and Hector Santiago are the relievers-turned-starters pitching. Chicago led off in the second inning as Gordon Beckham hit a two-run home run, also scoring A.J. Pierzynski. Minnesota answered in the fifth inning with a Jamey Carroll solo home run. The White Sox replied in the seventh inning as Paul Konerko singled home Kevin Youkilis. The Twins shot back in the eighth inning on a Justin Morneau single to plate Joe Mauer. Chicago struck again in the eighth inning when Beckham singled to drive in Alexei Ramirez. This made it 4-2, a final, with Santiago notching the win, Addison Reed turning the save as his twenty-fifth of the season, and Deduno was stuck with the loss.

Finally, we end in Los Angeles, as the Dodgers host the San Diego Padres. Andrew Werner and Joe Blanton have the green light to pitch. San Diego started with a first inning two-run home run by Chase Headley, also scoring Will Venable. Los Angeles shot back in the fifth inning as Mark Ellis singled to knock in Luis Cruz. The Dodgers tied it in the sixth inning on a Hanley Ramirez solo home run. The Padres took the lead in the seventh inning on a Headley single to plate Clayton Richard. Los Angeles tied it in the ninth inning on an Andre Ethier solo shot. The Dodgers won 4-3 in the eleventh inning as A.J. Ellis singled in Ethier. Brandon League was in line for the win while Cory Burns was handed the loss.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion and check out the Best Songs Ever playlist on YouTube by CGYFlames94.

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.

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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.