Monday, October 15, 2012

Monday Night Football Week 6 2012

This week's game comes from San Diego, as the Chargers host the Denver Broncos. San Diego began in the first quarter as Nick Novak made a 32 yard field goal. The Chargers added on as Philip Rivers passed 15 yards to Antonio Gates for a touchdown, and Novak was there with the extra point. San Diego extended the lead in the second quarter as Quentin Jammer intercepted Peyton Manning and took it 80 yards for a touchdown, allowing Novak to make another extra point. The Chargers struck again as Rivers found Gates for an 11 yard touchdown connection, and Novak kicked in the PAT. Denver got on the board in the third quarter as Manning passed 29 yards to Demaryius Thomas for a touchdown, and Matt Prater was good with the extra point. The Broncos shot back with Tony Carter recovering a fumble and returning it 65 yards for a touchdown, allowing Prater another extra point. Denver chipped away in the fourth quarter as Manning found Eric Decker for a 7 yard touchdown pass, and Prater made another extra point. The Broncos took the lead as Manning passed 21 yards to Brandon Stokley, and Prater again handled the extra point. Denver extended the lead with Chris Harris returning an interception of Rivers 46 yards for a touchdown, and Prater was true with the extra point. This made it 35-24, the final, as both teams move to 3-3.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. 

Sunday, October 14, 2012

NFL Week 6 Afternoon/Night Games 2012

Five games finish off this Sunday's set, beginning in...

Seattle, as the Seahawks host the New England Patriots. Seattle led off with a first quarter Steven Hauschka field goal from 34 yards away. New England took the lead as Tom Brady passed 46 yards to Wes Welker for a touchdown, and Stephen Gostkowski handled the extra point. The Seahawks reclaimed the lead as Russell Wilson passed 24 yards to Doug Baldwin for a touchdown, and Hauschka supplied the extra point. The Patriots took the lead back in the second quarter as Tom Brady passed 1 yard to Aaron Hernandez for a touchdown, and Gostkowski made another extra point. New England extended the lead with a Gostkowski 25 yard field goal. The Patriots padded the lead as Gostkowski nailed a 35 yard field goal in the third quarter. New England struck again in the fourth quarter as Gostkowski made another 35 yard field goal. Seattle shot back as Wilson passed 10 yards to Braylon Edwards for a touchdown, and Hauschka was there with the PAT. The Seahawks gained the lead as Wilson found Sidney Rice for a 46 yard touchdown connection, and Hauschka again kicked in the extra point. This stood up for a 24-23 win, with the Seahawks going to 4-2 and the Patriots falling to 3-3.

Down in Arizona, the Cardinals host the Buffalo Bills. Arizona began with a first quarter 49 yard field goal by Jay Feely. Buffalo got some back as Chris Kelsay sacked Kevin Kolb in the end zone for a safety (making it 3-2 on the scoreboard). The Bills took the lead as C.J. Spiller ran 11 yards for a touchdown, and Rian Lindell made the extra point. The Cardinals edged ahead as Kolb passed 9 yards to Larry Fitzgerald for a touchdown, and Feely was there with the extra point to take the lead in the second quarter. Arizona struck again on a Feely 49 yard field goal in the third quarter. Buffalo took the lead back as Fred Jackson ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Lindell kicked in the PAT. The Cardinals tied it as Feely kicked a whopper of a field goal in the fourth quarter, a 61 yard blast. The Bills won 19-16 in the fifth quarter on a Lindell 25 yard field goal. They go to 3-3 while the Cardinals fall to 4-2.

Way to the east, the Washington Redskins welcome the Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota started with a 20 yard Blair Walsh field goal. The Vikings added on as Walsh made a 27 yard field goal. Minnesota struck again with Walsh making another 27 yard field goal. Washington got on the board in the second quarter as Kai Forbath kicked a 50 yard field goal. The Redskins pulled ahead when Alfred Morris ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Forbath's extra point gave them the lead. Washington extended the lead on a Robert Griffin III pass to Darrel Young, good for 6 yards and a touchdown, with Forbath making the PAT. The Redskins kept going in the third quarter as Griffin ran 7 yards for a touchdown, and Forbath supplied the extra point. The Vikings shot back as Walsh made a 37 yard field goal. Washington extended the lead in the fourth quarter with Madieu Williams picking off Christian Ponder and taking it 24 yards to the end zone for a touchdown, and Forbath was true with the extra point. Minnesota pulled back as Ponder passed to Michael Jenkins for a touchdown of 9 yards, and they converted the two-point attempt with Ponder passing to Kyle Rudolph. The Vikings got closer as Ponder passed 1 yard for a touchdown to Rudolph, but the two-point attempt failed this time around. The Redskins padded the lead as Griffin ripped off a 76 yard touchdown run, and Forbath cleanly iced the drive with the extra point. This made it 38-26, a final, with Washington improving to 3-3 while Minnesota dropped to 4-2.

Back west, the San Francisco 49ers host the New York Giants. San Francisco struck first as David Akers made a 42 yard field goal. New York took the lead in the second quarter on a 6 yard touchdown pass to Eli Manning to Victor Cruz, followed by Lawrence Tynes with the extra point. The Giants added on as Tynes kicked in a 34 yard field goal. New York extended the lead in the third quarter as Ahmad Bradshaw ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Tynes booted the PAT. The Giants padded the lead as Tynes made a 30 yard field goal. New York added on with another Tynes field goal, this time from 22 yards. New York got more with Tynes making a 32 yard field goal in the fourth quarter. This ended the scoring at 26-3, with both teams moving to a 4-2 record.

Finally, the night game is in Houston, as the Texans host the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay opened with a first quarter Aaron Rodgers touchdown pass of 41 yards to Jordy Nelson, and Mason Crosby made the extra point. The Packers added on as Rodgers passed 6 yard to James Jones for a touchdown, and Crosby again made the extra point. Houston got on the board with Arian Foster rushing 3 yards for a touchdown, and Shayne Graham was there with the extra point. Green Bay shot back as Rodgers found Nelson again, this time for a 21 yard touchdown connection, and Crosby made the PAT. The Texans replied as Graham made a 51 yard field goal. The Packers padded the lead in the third quarter as Rodgers and Nelson hooked up for a third touchdown, this time only a 1 yard play, and Crosby again handled the extra point. Houston shot back as Foster ran in for another touchdown, rushing 1 yard to score, and Graham booted the extra point. Green Bay answered as Rodgers passed 48 yards to Tom Crabtree for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, and Crosby again kicked the extra point. The Packers extended the lead as Rodgers found Jones again, good for 18 yards and a touchdown, and Crosby was true with the extra point. The Texans got special with their next touchdown, blocking a punt in the end zone and DeVier Posey recovered the loose ball, allowing Graham the extra point. This produced the 42-24 final, with the Packers going to 3-3 and the Texans dropping to 5-1.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NFL Week 6 Morning Games 2012

There are seven games running unopposed for the early slate of kickoffs, beginning with...

The Baltimore Orioles hosting the Dallas Cowboys. Baltimore led off with a 38 yard field goal by Justin Tucker in the first quarter. Dallas took the lead as Felix Jones ran 22 yards for a touchdown, and Dan Bailey supplied the extra point. The Cowboys extended the lead in the second quarter with a Bailey field goal from 42 yards out. The Ravens tied it when Ray Rice ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Tucker handled the PAT. Baltimore padded the lead with a 19 yard touchdown pass from Joe Flacco to Torrey Smith, and Tucker again made the extra point. Dallas chipped away in the third quarter as Bailey nailed a 43 yard field goal. The Ravens extended the lead on a 108 yard kickoff return by Jacoby Jones, and Tucker was good with the extra point. The Cowboys replied as Tony Romo passed 7 yards to Dez Bryant for a touchdown, and Bailey iced the drive with the extra point. Dallas got closer as Bailey made a 34 yard field goal in the fourth quarter. Baltimore added on with a 1 yard touchdown run by Rice, and Tucker was true with the extra point again. The Cowboys got within range as Romo found Bryant again for a 4 yard touchdown connection, but they couldn't repeat on the two-point conversion. The Ravens weathered the storm late and held on for a 31-29 win, improving to 5-1 while Dallas dropped to 2-3.

Down in Miami, the Dolphins welcome the St. Louis Rams. St. Louis started in the first quarter as Greg Zuerlein kicked a 48 yard field goal. The Rams added on when Zuerlein made another field goal, this time from 32 yards. Miami took the lead in the second quarter with a 29 yard touchdown pass from Ryan Tannehill to Marlon Moore, and Dan Carpenter put them ahead with the extra point. The Dolphins padded the lead as Carpenter made a 42 yard field goal. Miami extended the lead in the third quarter as Tannehill threw a1 yard touchdown to Anthony Fasano, and Carpenter made the PAT. St. Louis shot back in the fourth quarter on a 1 yard Sam Bradford touchdown run, and the two-point conversion was good as Bradford found Steven Jackson. They failed to tie, dropping a 17-14 final score, with both teams moving to 3-3.

Back north, the Philadelphia Eagles host the Detroit Lions. Detroit got going in the first quarter as Jason Hanson booted a 46 yard field goal. The Lions added on as Hanson made a 34 yard field goal. Philadelphia took the lead in the second quarter with Michael Vick throwing 2 yards to LeSean McCoy, and Alex Henery put them ahead with the extra point. The Eagles padded the lead in the third quarter as Henery kicked in a 26 yard field goal. Philadelphia added on as Henery knocked in a 32 yard field goal. The Eagles struck again as Henery made a 49 yard field goal in the fourth quarter. Detroit pulled back as Matthew Stafford ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Hanson was true with the PAT. Philadelphia extended the lead as Vick passed 70 yards to Jeremy Maclin for a touchdown, and Henery handled the extra point cleanly. The Lions shot back with a Stafford touchdown pass of 17 yards to Nate Burleson, and Hanson was good with the extra point. Detroit tied it with a Hanson field goal of 19 yards. The Lions won 26-23 in the fifth quarter (commonly known as overtime) as Hanson knocked in a 45 yard field goal. Detroit moves to 2-3 while Philadelphia fell to 3-3.

Over in Ohio, the Cleveland Browns welcome their cross-state rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals. Cincinnati began in the first quarter when Andy Dalton passed 55 yards to Jermaine Gresham for a touchdown, and Mike Nugent handled the extra point. Cleveland tied the game in the second quarter as Brandon Weeden passed to Josh Gordon for a 71 yard touchdown, and Phil Dawson's extra point was the equalizer. The Bengals got the lead back as Dalton threw a 4 yard touchdown to A.J. Green, and Nugent booted the PAT. The Browns pulled closer in the third quarter with a Dawson field goal of 41 yards. Cleveland got closer as Dawson was true on a field goal of 38 yards. The Browns took the lead as Montario Hardesty ran in a 1 yard touchdown, and Dawson knocked in the extra point. Cincinnati answered with a Nugent field goal of 44 yards. Cleveland extended the lead in the fourth quarter as Weeden passed 3 yards to Benjamin Watson for a touchdown, and Dawson was good with the extra point. The Browns extended the lead as Sheldon Brown returned an interception of Dalton 19 yards for a touchdown, and Dawson was there to kick in the extra point. The Bengals shot back as Dalton found the right guy, Green, for another touchdown, this time a connection of 57 yards, and Nugent finished the drive with the extra point. They got no closer, losing 34-24, with Cleveland improving to 1-5 and the Bengals dropping to 3-3.

Eastward to New Jersey, as the New York Jets bring in the Indianapolis Colts. Indianapolis opened with a first quarter Adam Vinatieri field goal from 20 yards out. New York took the lead in the second quarter when Mark Sanchez passed 5 yards to Stephen Hill for a touchdown, and Nick Folk was there with the extra point. The Jets padded the lead as Shonn Greene ran 10 yards for a touchdown, and Folk made another PAT. The Colts shot back on a 50 yard field goal by Vinatieri. New York replied as Sanchez found Jason Hill for a 5 yard touchdown connection, and Folk made another extra point. The Jets extended the lead in the third quarter as Greene ran in another touchdown, this time of 4 yards, followed by a Folk extra point. Indianapolis got some back as Vinatieri kicked a 47 yards field goal in the fourth quarter. New York got more as Greene ran in his third touchdown of the game, a 2 yard run, iced off by a Folk extra point. This made it 35-9, a final, with the Jets moving to 3-3, and the Colts dropped to 2-3.

South again to Florida, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosting the Kansas City Chiefs. Tampa Bay struck first in the first quarter as Josh Freeman connected with Mike Williams on a 62 yard touchdown pass, and Connor Barth was true with the extra point. Kansas City got on the board in the second quarter with a Ryan Succop 38 yard field goal. The Buccaneers extended the lead in the third quarter as Freeman threw a 19 yard touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson, and Barth made the extra point. Tampa Bay added on as Ronde Barber picked off Brady Quinn and returned the ball 78 yards for a touchdown, allowing Barth another extra point. The Chiefs pulled back as they blocked a punt from Michael Koenen, and after he recovered it and attempted to throw, Edgar Jones recovered the fumble and took the ball in 11 yards for a touchdown, allowing Succop to make the PAT on a very odd scoring play. The Buccaneers shot back on a 27 yard field goal by Barth in the fourth quarter. Tampa Bay extended the lead again as Freeman passed to Jackson for a touchdown connection of 17 yards, and Barth was there with the extra point. The Buccaneers kept going as LeGarrette Blount ran 12 yards for a touchdown, and Barth made yet another extra point. The final was 38-10, with Tampa Bay going to 2-3 while Kansas City fell to 1-5.

Finally, the Atlanta Falcons host the Oakland Raiders. Oakland was first to score with a first quarter Sebastian Janikowski field goal of 52 yards. Atlanta took the lead in the second quarter as Matt Ryan passed 4 yards to Roddy White for a touchdown, and Matt Bryant was there with the extra point. The Raiders shot back as Janikowski was true on a 22 yard field goal. Oakland took the lead as Carson Palmer threw a 25 yard touchdown pass to Denarius Moore, and Janikowski made the PAT. The Falcons answered in the third quarter as Bryant kicked in a 41 yard field goal. Atlanta tied the game on a 20 yard field goal by Bryant. The Falcons took the lead in the fourth quarter when Asante Samuel returned an interception of Palmer 79 yards for a touchdown, and Bryant knocked in the extra point. The Raiders tied it up again as Darren McFadden ran 2 yards for a touchdown, and Janikowski's extra point was the equalizer. Atlanta won it 23-20 on a Bryant field goal of 55 yards. They move to 6-0, while Oakland drops to 1-4.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Friday, October 12, 2012

National League Division Series: St. Louis Cardinals VS. Washington Nationals

Welcome to the post for the NLDS between the St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals. Please use this post as a reference for the entire series of games.

Game 1: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri. On the mound: Adam Wainwright for St. Louis and Gio Gonzalez for Washington. Washington began in the second inning as Kurt Suzuki singled to drive in Adam LaRoche. St. Louis shot back in their half of the inning as Yadier Molina scored on a wild pitch and Jon Jay hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Daniel Descalso. The Nationals took the lead back in the eighth inning with Tyler Moore singling in both Michael Morse and Ian Desmond. This held up for a 3-2 win, earned by Ryan Mattheus, while Drew Storen turned the save, and Mitchell Boggs was stuck with the loss. Washington takes a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri. On the mound: Jaime Garcia for St. Louis and Jordan Zimmermann for Washington. Washington was first to score in the second inning as Zimmermann singled Ian Desmond home. St. Louis rallied ahead in the bottom of the second as David Freese doubled to knock in Allen Craig, followed by Daniel Descalso singling to plate Yadier Molina, skip Schumaker grounding out to finish Freese's trip around, and Jon Jay singling to drive in Descalso. The Cardinals got another in the third inning on an Allen Craig solo home run. St. Louis padded the lead in the fourth inning on a Descalso solo shot, followed by Jay reaching on an error to allow Pete Kozma to dash home. Washington shot back in the fifth inning on Ryan Zimmerman and Adam LaRoche solo home runs. The Cardinals replied in the sixth inning as Carlos Beltran hit a solo shot. Washington answered in the seventh inning with Zimmerman hitting a sacrifice fly to bring in Jayson Werth. St. Louis kept going in the eighth inning when Jay tripled to force in Kozma before scoring on a two-run homer by Beltran, followed by Craig doubling, which combined with an error to see Matt Holliday across the dish. This made it 12-4, a final, with the win going to Lance Lynn and the loss pinned on Zimmermann. The series is tied at 1 heading to DC.

Game 3: Nationals Park, Washington, District of Columbia. On the mound: Edwin Jackson for Washington and Chris Carpenter for St. Louis. St. Louis got going in the first inning as Allen Craig doubled in Matt Holliday. The Cardinals padded the lead in the second inning as Pete Kozma hit a three-run home run, sweeping in David Freese and Daniel Descalso. St. Louis struck again in the sixth inning as Descalso hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Yadier Molina. The Cardinals got another in the seventh inning when Molina walked with the bases loaded to force in Jon Jay. St. Louis added on in the eighth inning as Holliday singled to plate both Jay and Carlos Beltran. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 8-0. Carpenter earned the win and Jackson was shelled in the loss. St. Louis now holds a 2-1 series lead.

Game 4: Nationals Park, Washington, District of Columbia. On the mound: Ross Detwiler for Washington and Kyle Lohse for St. Louis. Washington started in the second inning as Adam LaRoche hit a solo home run. St. Louis tied it in the third inning on a Carlos Beltran sacrifice fly to plate Pete Kozma. The Nationals won the game in walkoff fashion in the ninth inning with a Jayson Werth solo shot for a 2-1 victory. Drew Storen picked up the win and Lance Lynn was dinged for the loss. The series is tied at 2, with the decisive game to be played tomorrow.

Game 5: Nationals Park, Washington, District of Columbia. On the mound: Gio Gonzalez for Washington and Adam Wainwright for St. Louis. Washington opened in the first inning as Bryce Harper tripled to force in Jayson Werth, before scoring on a Ryan Zimmerman two-run home run. The Nationals struck again as Harper hit a solo home run, followed by a two-run Michael Morse homer, also scoring Zimmerman. St. Louis got going in the fourth inning when Matt Holliday doubled to plate Carlos Beltran. The Cardinals got another in the fifth inning as Daniel Descalso scored on a wild pitch, followed by Allen Craig walking with the bases loaded to force in Shane Robinson. St. Louis chipped away in the seventh inning as Matt Holliday grounded out to bring in Jon Jay. The Cardinals pulled closer in the eighth inning as Daniel Descalso hit a solo shot. Washington answered in the bottom of the eighth when Kurt Suzuki singled Adam LaRoche across the dish. St. Louis shot back in the ninth inning, tying the game with a 2-RBI Descalso single, knocking in Beltran and Adron Chambers, before taking the lead as Pete Kozma singled both David Freese and Descalso around. This comeback held for a 9-7 win, picked up by Jason Motte, while Drew Storen was handed the loss. The Cardinals win the series 3-2 and play the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS, starting on Sunday.

American League Division Series: Baltimore Orioles VS. New York Yankees

Welcome to the post for the ALDS featuring the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees. Please use this post as a reference for the entire series.

Game 1: Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, Maryland. On the mound: CC Sabathia for New York and Jason Hammel for Baltimore. New York opened in the first inning as Ichiro Suzuki doubled to drive in Derek Jeter. Baltimore took the lead in the third inning on a 2-RBI Nate McLouth single, plating both Chris Davis and Lew Ford. The Yankees tied it in the fourth inning as Mark Teixeira singled to score Alex Rodriguez. New York took the lead in the ninth inning with a Russell Martin solo home run, followed by Suzuki singling to knock in Eduardo Nunez, Robinson Cano doubling to get both Jeter and Suzuki home, and Nick Swisher hitting a sacrifice fly to finish Cano's trip around. This was good for a 7-2 win, picked up by Sabathia, while Jim Johnson was credited with the loss. New York owns a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, Maryland. On the mound: Andy Pettitte for New York and Wei-Yin Chen for Baltimore. New York led off in the first inning as Robinson Cano doubled to score Ichiro Suzuki. Baltimore took the lead in the third inning as Chris Davis singled to drive in both Robert Andino and Nate McLouth. The Orioles added on in the sixth inning as Mark Reynolds singled Matt Wieters across the dish. The Yankees got one back in the seventh inning as Derek Jeter singled to plate Eduardo Nunez. They couldn't get an equalizer, losing 3-2, with Chen picking up the win, Jim Johnson closing out for the save, and Pettitte was dealt the loss. The series heads to the Bronx tied at 1.

Game 3: Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York. On the mound: Miguel Gonzalez for Baltimore and Hiroki Kuroda for New York. Baltimore started with a third inning Ryan Flaherty solo home run. New York tied it in the bottom of the third as Derek Jeter tripled to force in Russell Martin. The Orioles took the lead back in the fifth inning on a Manny Machado solo shot. The Yankees tied it in the ninth inning as Raul Ibanez hit a solo home run. New York won it in the twelfth inning on another Ibanez solo shot, for a 3-2 final. David Robertson picked up the win and Brian Matusz was given the loss. The Yankees hold a 2-1 series lead.

Game 4: Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York. On the mound: Joe Saunders for Baltimore and Phil Hughes for New York. Baltimore began with a fifth inning Nate McLouth solo home run. New York tied it in the sixth inning with Robinson Cano grounding out to bring in Derek Jeter. The Orioles took the lead again in the thirteenth inning as J.J. Hardy doubled to plate Manny Machado. This stood up for a 2-1 win, picked up by Pedro Strop, while Jim Johnson shut the door for the save, and David Phelps was responsible for the loss. The series will be decided in the next game, currently being tied at 2.

Game 5: Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York. On the mound: Jason Hammel for Baltimore and CC Sabathia for New York. New York struck first in the fifth inning as Raul Ibanez singled to drive in Mark Teixeira. The Yankees extended the lead in the sixth inning on an Ichiro Suzuki double to knock in Derek Jeter. New York got another in the seventh inning on a Curtis Granderson solo home run. Baltimore got on the board in the eighth inning when Lew Ford singled Matt Wieters around. This only made it 3-1, the final, with Sabathia going the distance for the win, while Hammel was handed the loss. New York advances to play the Detroit Tigers in the ALCS, beginning tomorrow.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

American League Division Series: Oakland Athletics VS. Detroit Tigers

Welcome to the ALDS between the Oakland Athletics and Detroit Tigers. For those of you that will be checking in frequently for the baseball playoffs, this post will be used to recap the entire series.

Game 1: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan. On the mound: Justin Verlander for Detroit and Jarrod Parker for Oakland. Oakland got going in the first inning on a Coco Crisp solo home run. Detroit tied it in the bottom of the first as Miguel Cabrera grounded into a double play that allowed Austin Jackson to dash home. The Tigers took the lead in the third inning on a Quintin Berry single that combined with an error to bring in Omar Infante. Detroit got another in the fifth inning on an Alex Avila solo shot. This ended the scoring at 3-1, with the win going to a dominant Verlander, while Jose Valverde shut the door for a save, and Parker was stuck with an unlucky loss. Detroit holds a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan. On the mound: Doug Fister for Detroit and Tommy Milone for Oakland. Oakland opened in the third inning on a Yoenis Cespedes single to drive in Cliff Pennington. Detroit tied it in the bottom of the third as Delmon Young singled to knock in Miguel Cabrera. The Athletics took the lead in the seventh inning with a Pennington single to plate Seth Smith. The Tigers took the lead in the bottom of the seventh as Cabrera reached on an error that allowed Austin Jackson and Omar Infante to dash home. Oakland took the lead back in the eighth inning as Cespedes scored on a wild pitch and Josh Reddick hit a solo home run. Detroit pulled even as Don Kelly darted home on a wild pitch in their half of the inning. The Tigers won 5-4 in the ninth inning as Kelly hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Infante. Al Alburquerque picked up the win and Grant Balfour was dinged for the loss. Detroit holds a 2-0 series lead, pushing Oakland to the brink as the series shifts west.

Game 3: O.co Coliseum, Oakland, California. On the mound: Brett Anderson for Oakland and Anibal Sanchez for Detroit. Oakland began in the first inning on a Yoenis Cespedes single to plate Coco Crisp. The Athletics got another in the fifth inning on a Seth Smith solo home run. This was all for the scoring, with the final standing at 2-0. Anderson was dominant in the win, Grant Balfour shut the door for a save, and Sanchez was on the hook for the loss. Oakland cut the series deficit to 2-1.

Game 4: O.co Coliseum, Oakland, California. On the mound: A.J. Griffin for Oakland and Max Scherzer for Detroit. Detroit led off in the third inning as Austin Jackson singled in Alex Avila. The Tigers added on in the fourth inning as Prince Fielder hit a solo home run. Oakland got on the board in the sixth inning when Stephen Drew doubled to drive in Coco Crisp. Detroit replied in the eighth inning with an Avisail Garcia single to get Omar Infante in. The Athletics rallied back in the ninth inning as Seth Smith doubled Josh Reddick and Josh Donaldson home to tie the game before winning it by scoring on a single from Crisp for 4-3 final. Ryan Cook was in line for the win while Jose Valverde imploded and was given the loss. The series is tied at 2.

Game 5: O.co Coliseum, Oakland, California. On the mound: Jarrod Parker for Oakland and Justin Verlander for Detroit. Detroit started in the third inning as Austin Jackson doubled home Omar Infante before scoring on a wild pitch. The Tigers rallied to extend the lead in the seventh inning with Jackson singling to score Jhonny Peralta, followed by Miguel Cabrera being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in Infante, Prince Fielder singling to finish Jackson's trip around, and Delmon Young reaching on an error to bring in Quintin Berry. This ended the scoring at 6-0, with Verlander tossing a four-hit and one-walk shutout, while Parker had no help in the loss that ended the Athletics season with a 3-2 series defeat. Detroit awaits their opponent, which will be decided on Friday.

Thursday Night Football Week 6 2012

Playoff baseball. Vice Presidential Debates. Thursday Night Football. I'm watching all three in bits and pieces, but this post right here is for the football, as the Tennessee Titans host the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tennessee started with a first quarter Rob Bironas field goal of 22 yards. Pittsburgh tied it as Shaun Suisham made a 29 yard field goal. The Steelers took the lead as Ben Roethlisberger threw an 82 yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace, and Suisham tacked on the extra point. The Titans shot back as Bironas made a 38 yard field goal. Tennessee took the lead in the second quarter as Jamie Harper ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Bironas knocked in the extra point. The Titans padded the lead as Bironas made a 47 yard field goal. Pittsburgh pulled back as Suisham booted a 28 yard field goal. The Steelers took the lead in the third quarter on a 1 yard touchdown rush by Baron Batch, and Suisham was there with the extra point. Pittsburgh struck again in the fourth quarter as Suisham nailed a 52 yard field goal. Tennessee answered as Matt Hasselbeck threw 5 yards for a touchdown connection with Kenny Britt. The Titans won 26-23 on a Bironas 40 yard field goal. Tennessee moves to 2-4 while Pittsburgh falls to 2-3.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.