We begin a full slate of games (this sounds repetitive to the baseball fans around here) as all the teams are in action for the last day of the season. This is the busiest day of blogging ever for me, so let me warn you there may be some errors, more than usual if you've ever seen any. With that, let's begin with a huge Central Division rivalry match...
As the Detroit Red Wings host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Jimmy Howard guard the cages. Chicago led off with Viktor Stalberg's twenty-second of the season, assisted by Patrick Sharp and Marcus Kruger. The Blackhawks extended the lead with an Andrew Shaw goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Sharp and Patrick Kane. Detroit got one back in the third period as Johan Franzen scored his twenty-ninth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Red Wings tied the game late with a Pavel Datsyuk goal, his nineteenth of the year, made possible by Tomas Holmstrom and Henrik Zetterberg. Chicago took the game in the shootout with a lone Kane tally for a 3-2 win over Detroit. The three stars were given to
East to New Jersey, where the Devils welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Martin Brodeur are in the creases. Ottawa was first on the board as Matt Gilroy scored his third of the season, with the help of Kyle Turris and Nick Foligno. New Jersey tied it when Ilya Kovalchuk potted his thirty-sixth of the year, a power play goal powered by Patrik Elias and Peter Harrold. The Senators retook the lead when Jim O'Brien registered his third of the season in the second period via Erik Condra and Gilroy. The Devils retied it on a Petr Sykora goal, his twenty-first of the year, a power play goal coming off of Adam Henrique and Dainius Zubrus. New Jersey got the lead back late with a Stephen Gionta goal, passed from Alexei Ponikarovsky and Steve Bernier. The Devils iced it at 4-2 with another Kovalchuk goal, his second of the game and thirty-seventh of the campaign, fueled by Zach Parise. Gionta, Kovalchuk, and Gilroy got the three stars.
Next up, the Boston Bruins host the Buffalo Sabres. Jhonas Enroth and Tim Thomas will be in goal. Boston got things going in the second period as Tyler Seguin netted his twenty-eighth of the season, via Patrice Bergeron. Buffalo tied it with a Brad Boyes goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Brayden McNabb and Thomas Vanek. The Sabres took the lead in the third period with the second Boyes goal of the game, his eighth of the season, set up by Derek Roy and Vanek. Jason Pominville extended the Buffalo lead on his thirtieth of the year, guided in by Nathan Gerbe and McNabb. Seguin got one back for the Bruins with his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the season, powered by Bergeron and Rich Peverley on the power play. Boston tied it when Brad Marchand notched his twenty-eighth of the year, thanks to Bergeron, who got a sock trick. The game went to a shootout, with Bergeron's lone tally lifting the Bruins to a 4-3 victory over the Sabres. The three stars were awarded to Bergeron, Seguin, and Boyes, while McNabb and Vanek get the honorable mentions.
Out west the Calgary Flames welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Henrik Karlsson will protect the nets. Calgary was first to score as Akim Aliu potted the puck with a helper provided by Michael Cammalleri. Anaheim tied the game when Bobby Ryan scored his thirtieth of the season on the power play in the second period, powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Saku Koivu. The Flames took the lead again as Jay Bouwmeester scored his fifth of the year, via Blake Comeau and Tom Kostopoulos. Twenty-five seconds later, Anton Babchuk rifled his second of the season into the cage, with Jarome Iginla picking up the assist. Aliu added on for the Flames in the third period with his second of the game, guided in by Bouwmeester and Matt Stajan. Calgary added on with a Lee Stempniak goal, his fourteenth of the year, thanks to Blair Jones and Cory Sarich. The Ducks got one back a bit late with Ryan's second of the game and thirty-first of the campaign, set up by Niklas Hagman. The final was 5-2, and the three stars went to Aliu, Bouwmeester, and Karlsson (23 for 25 in saves). Ryan gets an honorable mention.
Back east, the Battle of Pennsylvania/tune-up for a great playoff matchup features the Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Sergei Bobrovsky opposes Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Pittsburgh started with a Pascal Dupusi tally, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Arron Asham and Jordan Staal. Philadelphia tied it as Brayden Schenn recorded his twelfth of the year, helped along by Harry Zolnierczyk and Braydon Coburn. The Penguins retook the lead in the second period as Chris Kunitz shelved his twenty-sixth of the season, courtesy of Evgeni Malkin. Brent Johnson relieved Fleury at this time. The Flyers replied with a Jaromir Jagr power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Max Talbot and Schenn. Pittsburgh took the lead again with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Kunitz and Staal. The Penguins extended the lead with Malkin's fiftieth of the year, set up by Kris Letang and Crosby.The third period featured no goals, so the final was 4-2, with the three stars being Malkin, Crosby, and Staal, while Kunitz gets an honorable mention.
Into New York City, with the Rangers hosting the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Henrik Lundqvist were between the pipes. Washington opened the scoring just thirty-two seconds in, as Alex Ovechkin recorded his thirty-eighth of the season with a lone Brooks Laich assist. The Capitals added on rapidly with a Mathieu Perreault goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Roman Hamrlik and Keith Aucoin. Washington extended the lead with a John Carlson power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Nicklas Backstrom and Marcus Johansson. The Capitals stayed strong in the second period with a Backstrom goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Alexander Semin and Hamrlik. Brian Boyle got New York on the board with his eleventh of the season, assisted by Stu Bickel and Brandon Dubinsky. The third period had no scoring, leaving Washington on top 4-1, with the three stars going to Holtby (35 for 36 in saves), Backstrom, and Hamrlik.
Northwest of there, the Winnipeg Jets hosted the Tampa Bay Lightning. Dwayne Roloson and Ondrej Pavelec received the starting nods. Tampa Bay was first to score with the twenty-second of the season by Teddy Purcell, assisted by Vincent Lecavalier. The Lightning added on in the second period when Purcell put away his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, with the help of Lecavalier and J.T. Brown. Winnipeg got on the board with a Nik Antropov goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by Antti Miettinen and Evander Kane. Tampa Bay re-extended the lead in the third period with the sixtieth of the year by Steven Stamkos, courtesy of Martin St. Louis and Brian Lee. The Jets shot back with a Jim Slater goal, his twelfth of the season, via Grant Clitsome and Tobias Enstrom. Winnipeg tied it late with Slater's second of the game and thirteenth of the year, coming off of Blake Wheeler and Andrew Ladd. The Lightning ended it in overtime, as Purcell finished his hat trick with his twenty-fourth of the campaign, set up by Victor Hedman. The three stars of the 4-3 game were Purcell, Slater, and Stamkos, with an honorable mention for Lecavalier.
Backtracking east a bit, the Montreal Canadiens take on their rivals from Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Backups Ben Scrivens and Peter Budaj start in place of injured starters. Montreal dented the scoreboard first with a Tomas Plekanec goal, his seventeenth of the season coming shorthanded and unassisted. The Canadiens added on in the second period with a Max Pacioretty goal, coming off of Josh Gorges as his thirty-third of the year. Toronto got on the board with Dion Phaneuf's twelfth of the season in the third period, made possible by Mikhail Grabovski and Clarke MacArthur. Montreal answered with Erik Cole's thirty-fifth of the year, thanks to Pacioretty. The Canadiens iced it at 4-1 with a Brad Staubitz empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were given to Pacioretty, Cole, and Budaj (30 for 31 in saves).
Keeping with the dismal teams scheduled in at this hour, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the New York Islanders. Al Montoya and Steve Mason are all padded up. Rick Nash put Columbus up first with his thirtieth of the season, fueled by Mark Letestu and Vinny Prospal. The Blue Jackets extended the lead in the second period with a Cam Atkinson goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. New York found the scoreboard with a Milan Jurcina goal, his third of the season, made possible by Frans Nielsen and Michael Grabner. Columbus got it back with an R.J. Umberger goal, his twentieth of the year, courtesy of Atkinson and Derick Brassard. The Islanders replied as Kyle Okposo deposited his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Jurcina. The Blue Jackets answered back with a James Wisniewski power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Prospal and Jack Johnson. Columbus padded the lead with an Atkinson power play goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Derek Dorsett and Wisniewski. The Blue Jackets kept going with a Johnson marker, his twelfth of the year, passed off of Wisniewski and Brassard. Columbus extended the lead again with a Prospal goal, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Nikita Nikitin. New York cut it to 7-3 with a Grabner goal, his twentieth of the year, pushed through by Mark Streit and Dylan Reese. This was a final, with the three stars being Atkinson, Wisniewski, and Johnson, with honorable mentions for Prospal, Jurcina, Brassard, and Grabner.
Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Tending the twines are backups Brian Boucher and Scott Clemmensen. Florida began on a Marcel Goc goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Dmitry Kulikov and Mikael Samuelsson. The Panthers added on as John Madden made his third of the year, with the help of Tomas Kopecky and Ed Jovanovski. Florida extended their lead with a second period power play goal from Stephen Weiss, his twentieth of the season, powered by Samuelsson and Kris Versteeg. Carolina got one back in the third period as Joni Pitkanen notched his fifth of the year, a power play goal with a lone Eric Staal assist. The Panthers iced it at 4-1 with an empty netter by Samuelsson, his fourteenth of the campaign, passed from Jason Garrison and Goc. The three stars were handed out to Weiss, Clemmensen (34 for 35 in saves), and Samuelsson, while Goc gets an honorable mention.
Up in Minnesota, the Wild host the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Niklas Backstrom are in the blue paint. Phoenix was first on the board with a Mikkel Boedker goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Shane Doan. The Coyotes added on with a Taylor Pyatt tally, his eighth of the year, via Boyd Gordon and Michal Rozsival. Minnesota got one back when Dany Heatley netted his twenty-fourth of the season, courtesy of Mikko Koivu and Chay Genoway. Phoenix took it back with Pyatt's second of the night and ninth of the year, helped along by Lauri Korpikoski and Rozsival. Radim Vrbata padded the Coyotes lead with his thirty-fifth of the season in the third period, guided in by Ray Whitney and the goalie Smith. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars being Pyatt, Genoway, and Smith (23 for 24 in saves), while Rozsival gets an honorable mention.
Southward to Dallas with the Stars hosting the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak opposes Richard Bachman from in front of the nets. St. Louis was first to score with a Kris Russell second period goal, his sixth of the season, via Chris Stewart and Jamie Langenbrunner. The Blues added on in the third period with an Alex Steen power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and Alex Pietrangelo. Dallas got one back with Ryan Garbutt netting his second of the season, with the help of Loui Eriksson and Jamie Benn. St. Louis took it back as David Perron recorded his twenty-first of the year, another power play goal, fueled by T.J. Oshie. The Stars got as close as 3-2 but failed to score again after Philip Larsen put down his third of the campaign, assisted by Alex Goligoski and Tomas Vincour. This was a final, with the three stars named as Perron, Bachman (32 for 35 in saves), and Garbutt.
Northwest to Colorado, as the Avalanche host the Nashville Predators. Anders Lindback and Jean-Sebastien Giguere are the masked men. Nashville was first to score as David Legwand potted his nineteenth of the season, courtesy of Gabriel Bourque and Alexander Radulov. Colorado tied it with a Matt Duchene goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming off of Chuck Kobasew and Cody McLeod. The Predators shot back with Craig Smith scoring his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Matt Halischuk and Colin Wilson. Nashville extended the lead on a Patric Hornqvist goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, via Kevin Klein and Andrei Kostitsyn. The Predators sank another one in the second period as Roman Josi scored his fifth of the season, with the help of Smith and Klein. Nashville kept going with a Brandon Yip goal, his third of the year, helped along by Nick Spaling. Pekka Rinne relieved Lindback shortly after this. The Predators struck again on a Halischuk goal, his fifteenth of the season, pushed through by Smith. The final stuck at 6-1, with the three stars going to Lindback (34 for 35 in saves before being rattled), Smith, and Halischuk, with honorable mention for Klein.
Following the same general direction, we land in Vancouver, with the Canucks hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Devan Dubnyk and Roberto Luongo tend the twines. Vancouver finally opened the scoring late in the second period as Henrik Sedin made his fourteenth of the season, with the help of Alexandre Burrows and Ryan Kesler, a power play goal. The Canucks extended their lead in the third period on a Samuel Pahlsson goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Jannik Hansen. Vancouver added on again with a David Booth power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Kevin Bieksa and the goalie Luongo. This was it for the scoring, with the three stars going to Sedin, Alexander Edler, and Dubnyk (39 for 42 in saves), while Luongo (17 save shutout) gets an honorable mention.
Finally, the last game of the season is a vicious Battle of California special, with the San Jose Sharks hosting the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Antti Niemi stand 200 feet apart in goal. Los Angeles drew first blood with a Justin Williams power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Jarret Stoll and Alec Martinez. The Kings added on late in the second period with a Mike Richards power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Williams and Willie Mitchell. San Jose got one back in the third period with a Dan Boyle goal, his eighth of the season, set up by Martin Havlat and Logan Couture. The Sharks tied it with Patrick Marleau recording his thirtieth of the year, a power play goal coming off of Joe Pavelski and Couture. San Jose won it in overtime as Boyle put away his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, assisted by Havlat for a 3-2 win. The three stars were Boyle, Marleau, and Williams, with honorable mention for Couture and Havlat.
Thanks everybody, it has been my pleasure to cover every NHL game the league has had to offer us this season, and I hope you enjoyed reading the recaps. En Español: Gracias a todos, ha sido un placer para cubrir todos los partidos de la liga NHL ha tenido que nos ofrecen en esta temporada, y espero que haya disfrutado de la lectura de los resúmenes. На русском языке: все спасибо, это было мое удовольствие, чтобы охватить все игры NHL лигу должен был предложить нам в этом сезоне, и я надеюсь, вам понравилось читать составы команд. Deutsch: Vielen Dank an alle, es war mir ein Vergnügen, jedem NHL-Spiel die Liga zu bieten hatte uns in dieser Saison hat sich decken, und ich hoffe, Sie hatten Spass die Rückblicke. Melayu: Terima kasih semua orang, telah berbesar hati untuk meliputi setiap permainan NHL liga itu telah menawarkan kami musim ini, dan saya berharap anda seronok membaca ringkasan. Para o Brasil: Obrigado a todos, tem sido o meu prazer de cobrir todos os jogos da liga NHL teve para nos oferecer nesta temporada, e espero que tenha gostado de ler as repescagens. भारत के लिए: धन्यवाद सब लोग, यह मेरी खुशी के लिए हर NHL खेल लीग के लिए हमें इस मौसम की पेशकश करने के लिए किया गया है को कवर किया गया है, और मुझे आशा है कि आप recaps पढ़ने का आनंद लिया. I apologize if any of these translations are tough to read, as I ran them through Google Translate and am not actually fluent in any of the languages above. Playoffs begin Wednesday and the posts will not be by day, but by series, so remember to check the same posts consistently for the information. Also, I will be blogging baseball this season, if any of you would like to check that out. As always, follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
MLB Day 6 2012
First day with a full slate of games, which means the season is really underway now. This is the standard in baseball, and I think it's appropriate to reiterate here that I am hoping to keep up with the workload, but if I can't, I apologize in advance. With that, we'll start the games in...
Cleveland, with the Indians hosting the Toronto Blue Jays. Brandon Morrow and Ubaldo Jimenez will pitch. Cleveland began in the fifth inning as Jason Kipnis hit a two-run homer run, also bringing in Casey Kotchman. Toronto tied it in the seventh inning on a Brett Lawrie 2-RBI single, scoring Kelly Johnson and Adam Lind. The Blue Jays took the lead in the ninth with a solo home run by Johnson. The Indians evened it in the bottom of the inning with Asdrubal Cabrera's solo shot. Toronto gained a 5-3 lead in the twelfth inning as Rajai Davis hit a 2-RBI double to score Edwin Encarnacion and Lawrie, followed by Davis coming all the way home with a Colby Rasmus single carving the path, and finishing the rally was a Johnson single to finish the trip for Rasmus. Cleveland attempted a comeback in the bottom of the twelfth as Travis Hafner singled Cabrera home, but they got no farther than 7-4. Casey Janssen picked up the win while Tony Sipp was stuck with the loss.
West a little, the Chicago Cubs host the Washington Nationals. Gio Gonzalez and Matt Garza get the starts. Chicago struck first in the first inning when Joe Mather darted home on a wild pitch. Washington gained the lead with a two-run homer by Adam LaRoche in the fourth inning, also scoring Ian Desmond. The Cubs answered in the bottom of the inning on Reed Johnson's triple that scored Geovany Soto and Marlon Byrd, and he finished his trip around the bases when Mather hit a single. The Nationals got one back in the eighth inning when Danny Espinosa hit a solo home run, backed it up to take the lead on a Chad Tracy single scoring both Ryan Zimmerman and LaRoche, followed by Roger Bernadina doubling in Jayson Werth, and then Steve Lombardozzi singled to push in pinch runner Brett Carroll for a five-run inning. The final held at 7-4, with Ryan Mattheus getting the win, Henry Rodriguez picked up the save, and Kerry Wood was the losing pitcher.
Farther east, the New York Mets welcome the Atlanta Braves. Jair Jurrjens and R.A. Dickey throw today. New York drew first blood with a David Wright solo home run in the first inning. The Mets added on in the fourth inning with Lucas Duda hitting a solo shot. Atlanta answered in the fifth inning with a two-run blast for Martin Prado, knocking in Michael Bourn as well. New York regained the lead on a Josh Thole single that allowed Ike Davis to score in the bottom of the fifth. The Mets padded their lead with another solo home run by Duda. This made it 4-2, a final, with Dickey getting the win, Frank Francisco converting the save, and Jurrjens taking the loss.
Westward to Detroit, with the Tigers bringing in the Boston Red Sox. Josh Beckett and Doug Fister go head-to-head on the mound. Detroit struck first with a Miguel Cabrera two-run homer, also scoring Austin Jackson. The Tigers added an insurance run in the fourth as Prince Fielder blasted a solo home run, and Alex Avila padded the lead farther with his two-run blast that brought around Delmon Young. Fielder continued the Detroit offensive in the fifth with another home run, this time taking Cabrera with him. The Tigers scored again in the sixth inning as Jackson grounded into a fielder's choice, allowing safe passage for Jhonny Peralta to score. Detroit struck once again with a seventh inning grounding into a fielder's choice by Peralta, eventually resulting in Young scoring as Jarrod Saltalamacchia committed an error, and they followed it up with Andy Dirks' single to score Avila. Detroit would win 10-0, with the win going to Duane Below and the loss to Beckett.
Across the lake, the Milwaukee Brewers host the St. Louis Cardinals. Adam Wainwright and Zack Greinke are given the ball. Milwaukee started the scoring here on a second inning Corey Hart solo shot. The Brewers added a run in the sixth inning as Aramis Ramirez doubled to score Rickie Weeks, and he came all the way home with Hart's second home run of the game. Milwaukee struck again in the eighth with a Weeks solo home run, and a Carlos Gomez double to allow Ryan Braun safe passage home. The final was 6-0, with a win for Greinke and a loss for Wainwright.
On the west coast, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim host the Kansas City Royals. Luke Hochevar and Dan Haren will be pitching. Kansas City started with a Jeff Francouer single to score Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer in the first inning. The Royals struck again in the second inning with Cain hitting a sacrifice fly to allow safe passage home for Humberto Quintero. Kansas City scored again in the fifth when Eric Hosmer went yard with a solo shot. The Royals scored again in the sixth with Mike Moustakas blasting a solo home run of his own. Los Angeles finally got on the board in the seventh when Bobby Abreu doubled to bring home Kendrys Morales, and Vernon Wells followed up with a groundout that allowed Torii Hunter to dart home. Kansas City added insult to injury when Chris Getz darted home on an error in the eighth inning. The Angels only got to 6-3 before falling in the ninth, as Abreu hit a sacrifice fly to get Morales home. Hochevar got the win while Haren had the loss.
Backtracking to the desert, where the Arizona Diamondbacks host the San Francisco Giants. Madison Bumgarner and Daniel Hudson get to call to start. Arizona began with a first inning Aaron Hill solo home run, and they backed it up as Chris Young's double brought in Justin Upton. Hill went yard again for the Diamondbacks in the second inning, this time taking the pitcher Hudson home with him. San Francisco started assessing the damage and working on repairs in the fourth with a two-run homer of their own, off Pablo Sandoval's bat, with Melky Cabrera also scoring. Arizona took one back as Young doubled in another run, this time as Miguel Montero crossed home. The Giants charged back with a Brett Pill two-run homer run, also scoring Brandon Belt. They couldn't quite tie it, falling 5-4. Hudson had the win, J.J. Putz picked up a clean save, and Bumgarner was handed the loss.
East again to Houston, with the Astros welcoming the Colorado Rockies. Jamie Moyer and Lucas Harrell take their turns in the rotation. Houston began with a Jordan Schafer lead-off solo home run. The Astros added on in the fourth inning with J.D. Martinez hitting a two-run homer, also scoring Brian Bixler. Houston scored again in the fifth inning as Schafer sacrificed to allow Marwin Gonzalez to cross the plate. In the sixth inning, the Astros added on with a Chris Snyder single that brought in Chris Johnson. Houston continued to put them in one at a time with a seventh inning Martinez single driving in Travis Buck. Colorado broke up the shutout with a solo shot by Michael Cuddyer in the eighth inning. The Astros took it back as Johnson scored on a passed ball. The Rockies tried making a comeback in the ninth inning with Troy Tulowitzki's triple that got Dexter Fowler across the plate before he was brought around by a Todd Helton groundout, leaving the final at 7-3. The win belonged to Harrell, while Moyer suffered the loss.
Up to the second part of the battle of Pennsylvania today, as the Pittsburgh Pirates bring in the Philadelphia Phillies as the Penguins did for the Flyers earlier in the day. Cliff Lee and Jeff Karstens are on the hill. Philadelphia struck first on a Hunter Pence single to bring around Shane Victorino. In the sixth inning, Pittsburgh tied it with a Yamaico Navarro run on a wild pitch. The Pirates won 2-1 in the tenth inning as Alex Presley singled in pinch-runner Michael McKenry. Juan Cruz picked up the win while Joe Blanton was pinned with the loss.
Down the coast, the Baltimore Orioles host the Minnesota Twins. Francisco Liriano will duel with Tommy Hunter. Baltimore drew first blood on a second inning Adam Jones solo shot. The Orioles padded their lead in the third with Robert Andino singling Ronny Paulino home after a Josh Willingham error and J.J. Hardy's groundout into a double play providing ample time for Andino to dash home. Baltimore scored a few more in the fourth inning, beginning with a 2-RBI Andino single that sent Mark Reynolds and Paulino in, followed by Nolan Reimold using a single to get Andino all the way home. The Orioles got back to scoring in the seventh inning with solo home runs by Nick Markakis and Matt Wieters. Minnesota broke up the shutout in the eighth inning when Jamey Carroll grounded into a fielder's choice, paving the way home for Ben Revere, followed by Joe Mauer doing the same for Alexi Casilla. The final stuck at 8-2, with Hunter getting the win while Liriano takes the loss.
Inland a bit, the Cincinnati Reds bring in the Miami Marlins. Ricky Nolasco and Mat Latos get the manager's approval to start. Miami busted things open with a fourth inning Giancarlo Stanton double to bring around Emilio Bonifacio. Cincinnati shot back in the bottom of the inning with a two-run blast from Joey Votto, also scoring Zack Cozart. The Marlins tied it in the fifth wit ha solo home run from Omar Infante, and took the lead with Stanton's single that allowed Jose Reyes and Bonifacio to score. Miami padded the lead in the seventh inning when Hanley Ramirez went yard, bringing in Bonifacio with him. The Marlins extended the lead in the eighth with a two-run homer for John Buck, knocking in Infante. The Reds got one back as Cozart hit a solo shot in the bottom of the inning. This made the final 8-3, with Nolasco earning the win and Latos taking the loss.
In Florida now, the Tampa Bay Rays host the New York Yankees. Hiroki Kuroda goes up against David Price pitching. Tampa Bay led off with a first inning Luke Scott single to bring around both Desmond Jennings and Matt Joyce. The Rays extended the lead with a second inning Carlos Pena single that scored Jose Lobaton. Tampa Bay added on in the third inning with a solo shot for Joyce. New York found the scoreboard with an Andruw Jones single that knocked in Curtis Granderson, before coming all the way home when Eduardo Nunez singled him in. The Rays replied in the sixth inning with Scott doubling to score Ben Zobrist, and then he came home with a Jennings single helping him get there. Tampa Bay did some more damage in the seventh inning as Joyce singled to bring in both Evan Longoria and Pena. The Yankees tried to make a comeback in the ninth inning with Raul Ibanez hitting a sacrifice fly to drive in Granderson, and Nick Swisher hitting a 3-run home run that also brought in Russell Martin and Eric Chavez, but it still wasn't enough and they lost 8-6. Price earned the win, Fernando Rodney recorded the last out for the save, and Kuroda was given the loss.
West to Texas again, as the Rangers welcome the Chicago White Sox. Jake Peavy and Derek Holland will be entertaining the batters. Chicago struck early with a Paul Konerko single to score Alejandro De Aza. Texas tied it with a Mike Napoli single that knocked in Michael Young in the second inning. The White Sox broke the tie in the third inning with a Konerko double scoring both Brent Lillibridge and Adam Dunn. The Rangers shot back in their half of the inning with an Elvis Andrus single bringing in Ian Kinsler, and he came home on an Adrian Beltre sacrifice fly. Chicago took a 4-3 lead in the ninth inning as Alex Rios hit a solo home run, which was the decisive run. Matt Thornton had the win, Hector Santiago picked up the save with a clean inning of work, and Joe Nathan took the loss.
Farther to the west, the San Diego Padres host the Los Angeles Dodgers. Chris Capuano and Dustin Moseley will play from the mound. Los Angeles was on the board in the first inning with a Matt Kemp sacrifice fly paving the way for Dee Gordon to come home. The Dodgers added on in the third inning as Kemp singled in Gordon before coming home himself on an Andre Ethier double that also scored Mark Ellis. Los Angeles extended the lead again in the fifth inning on a solo home run for A.J. Ellis. San Diego would tie things up in the fifth inning as Chase Headley, Jesus Guzman, and Nick Hundley walked to force in Jason Bartlett, Cameron Maybin, and Chris Denorfia, followed by Headley coming in on a wild pitch and Orlando Hudson producing the tying run with his single to score Guzman. The Dodgers gained the lead again in the eleventh inning as Gordon hit a single that allowed A.J. Ellis to dart home. This held up for a 6-5 win, with Todd Coffey picking up the W, Javy Guerra notching the save, and Anthony Bass taking the loss.
Finally, we end the day in Oakland, with the Athletics bringing in the Seattle Mariners. Felix Hernandez and Bartolo Colon are the starting pitchers. Seattle led off with a first inning Dustin Ackley groundout to get Chone Figgins home. The Mariners extended the lead with a fourth inning Ichiro triple to score Ackley, and then he came home when Justin Smoak singled, followed by Miguel Olivo singling in Smoak, Munenori Kawasaki singling in Kyle Seager, and Figgins doubling in both Olivo and Kawasaki, for a 6-run rally. Oakland made a feeble response in their half of the inning, as Seth Smith hit a sacrifice fly to score Coco Crisp. The Athletics got another back in the fifth inning with a solo home run by Jemile Weeks. Seattle replied in the sixth with a solo shot by Michael Saunders. Oakland fired back in their half of the inning as Kurt Suzuki doubled in Josh Reddick and Smith. The Athletics pulled within one on a Yoenis Cespedes three-run homer run in the seventh inning, also scoring Eric Sogard and Crisp. They couldn't find an equalizer though, and the Mariners held on to win 8-7. The win was awarded to Hernandez, Brandon League pitched a clean ninth inning for the save, and Colon was stuck holding the loss.
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Cleveland, with the Indians hosting the Toronto Blue Jays. Brandon Morrow and Ubaldo Jimenez will pitch. Cleveland began in the fifth inning as Jason Kipnis hit a two-run homer run, also bringing in Casey Kotchman. Toronto tied it in the seventh inning on a Brett Lawrie 2-RBI single, scoring Kelly Johnson and Adam Lind. The Blue Jays took the lead in the ninth with a solo home run by Johnson. The Indians evened it in the bottom of the inning with Asdrubal Cabrera's solo shot. Toronto gained a 5-3 lead in the twelfth inning as Rajai Davis hit a 2-RBI double to score Edwin Encarnacion and Lawrie, followed by Davis coming all the way home with a Colby Rasmus single carving the path, and finishing the rally was a Johnson single to finish the trip for Rasmus. Cleveland attempted a comeback in the bottom of the twelfth as Travis Hafner singled Cabrera home, but they got no farther than 7-4. Casey Janssen picked up the win while Tony Sipp was stuck with the loss.
West a little, the Chicago Cubs host the Washington Nationals. Gio Gonzalez and Matt Garza get the starts. Chicago struck first in the first inning when Joe Mather darted home on a wild pitch. Washington gained the lead with a two-run homer by Adam LaRoche in the fourth inning, also scoring Ian Desmond. The Cubs answered in the bottom of the inning on Reed Johnson's triple that scored Geovany Soto and Marlon Byrd, and he finished his trip around the bases when Mather hit a single. The Nationals got one back in the eighth inning when Danny Espinosa hit a solo home run, backed it up to take the lead on a Chad Tracy single scoring both Ryan Zimmerman and LaRoche, followed by Roger Bernadina doubling in Jayson Werth, and then Steve Lombardozzi singled to push in pinch runner Brett Carroll for a five-run inning. The final held at 7-4, with Ryan Mattheus getting the win, Henry Rodriguez picked up the save, and Kerry Wood was the losing pitcher.
Farther east, the New York Mets welcome the Atlanta Braves. Jair Jurrjens and R.A. Dickey throw today. New York drew first blood with a David Wright solo home run in the first inning. The Mets added on in the fourth inning with Lucas Duda hitting a solo shot. Atlanta answered in the fifth inning with a two-run blast for Martin Prado, knocking in Michael Bourn as well. New York regained the lead on a Josh Thole single that allowed Ike Davis to score in the bottom of the fifth. The Mets padded their lead with another solo home run by Duda. This made it 4-2, a final, with Dickey getting the win, Frank Francisco converting the save, and Jurrjens taking the loss.
Westward to Detroit, with the Tigers bringing in the Boston Red Sox. Josh Beckett and Doug Fister go head-to-head on the mound. Detroit struck first with a Miguel Cabrera two-run homer, also scoring Austin Jackson. The Tigers added an insurance run in the fourth as Prince Fielder blasted a solo home run, and Alex Avila padded the lead farther with his two-run blast that brought around Delmon Young. Fielder continued the Detroit offensive in the fifth with another home run, this time taking Cabrera with him. The Tigers scored again in the sixth inning as Jackson grounded into a fielder's choice, allowing safe passage for Jhonny Peralta to score. Detroit struck once again with a seventh inning grounding into a fielder's choice by Peralta, eventually resulting in Young scoring as Jarrod Saltalamacchia committed an error, and they followed it up with Andy Dirks' single to score Avila. Detroit would win 10-0, with the win going to Duane Below and the loss to Beckett.
Across the lake, the Milwaukee Brewers host the St. Louis Cardinals. Adam Wainwright and Zack Greinke are given the ball. Milwaukee started the scoring here on a second inning Corey Hart solo shot. The Brewers added a run in the sixth inning as Aramis Ramirez doubled to score Rickie Weeks, and he came all the way home with Hart's second home run of the game. Milwaukee struck again in the eighth with a Weeks solo home run, and a Carlos Gomez double to allow Ryan Braun safe passage home. The final was 6-0, with a win for Greinke and a loss for Wainwright.
On the west coast, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim host the Kansas City Royals. Luke Hochevar and Dan Haren will be pitching. Kansas City started with a Jeff Francouer single to score Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer in the first inning. The Royals struck again in the second inning with Cain hitting a sacrifice fly to allow safe passage home for Humberto Quintero. Kansas City scored again in the fifth when Eric Hosmer went yard with a solo shot. The Royals scored again in the sixth with Mike Moustakas blasting a solo home run of his own. Los Angeles finally got on the board in the seventh when Bobby Abreu doubled to bring home Kendrys Morales, and Vernon Wells followed up with a groundout that allowed Torii Hunter to dart home. Kansas City added insult to injury when Chris Getz darted home on an error in the eighth inning. The Angels only got to 6-3 before falling in the ninth, as Abreu hit a sacrifice fly to get Morales home. Hochevar got the win while Haren had the loss.
Backtracking to the desert, where the Arizona Diamondbacks host the San Francisco Giants. Madison Bumgarner and Daniel Hudson get to call to start. Arizona began with a first inning Aaron Hill solo home run, and they backed it up as Chris Young's double brought in Justin Upton. Hill went yard again for the Diamondbacks in the second inning, this time taking the pitcher Hudson home with him. San Francisco started assessing the damage and working on repairs in the fourth with a two-run homer of their own, off Pablo Sandoval's bat, with Melky Cabrera also scoring. Arizona took one back as Young doubled in another run, this time as Miguel Montero crossed home. The Giants charged back with a Brett Pill two-run homer run, also scoring Brandon Belt. They couldn't quite tie it, falling 5-4. Hudson had the win, J.J. Putz picked up a clean save, and Bumgarner was handed the loss.
East again to Houston, with the Astros welcoming the Colorado Rockies. Jamie Moyer and Lucas Harrell take their turns in the rotation. Houston began with a Jordan Schafer lead-off solo home run. The Astros added on in the fourth inning with J.D. Martinez hitting a two-run homer, also scoring Brian Bixler. Houston scored again in the fifth inning as Schafer sacrificed to allow Marwin Gonzalez to cross the plate. In the sixth inning, the Astros added on with a Chris Snyder single that brought in Chris Johnson. Houston continued to put them in one at a time with a seventh inning Martinez single driving in Travis Buck. Colorado broke up the shutout with a solo shot by Michael Cuddyer in the eighth inning. The Astros took it back as Johnson scored on a passed ball. The Rockies tried making a comeback in the ninth inning with Troy Tulowitzki's triple that got Dexter Fowler across the plate before he was brought around by a Todd Helton groundout, leaving the final at 7-3. The win belonged to Harrell, while Moyer suffered the loss.
Up to the second part of the battle of Pennsylvania today, as the Pittsburgh Pirates bring in the Philadelphia Phillies as the Penguins did for the Flyers earlier in the day. Cliff Lee and Jeff Karstens are on the hill. Philadelphia struck first on a Hunter Pence single to bring around Shane Victorino. In the sixth inning, Pittsburgh tied it with a Yamaico Navarro run on a wild pitch. The Pirates won 2-1 in the tenth inning as Alex Presley singled in pinch-runner Michael McKenry. Juan Cruz picked up the win while Joe Blanton was pinned with the loss.
Down the coast, the Baltimore Orioles host the Minnesota Twins. Francisco Liriano will duel with Tommy Hunter. Baltimore drew first blood on a second inning Adam Jones solo shot. The Orioles padded their lead in the third with Robert Andino singling Ronny Paulino home after a Josh Willingham error and J.J. Hardy's groundout into a double play providing ample time for Andino to dash home. Baltimore scored a few more in the fourth inning, beginning with a 2-RBI Andino single that sent Mark Reynolds and Paulino in, followed by Nolan Reimold using a single to get Andino all the way home. The Orioles got back to scoring in the seventh inning with solo home runs by Nick Markakis and Matt Wieters. Minnesota broke up the shutout in the eighth inning when Jamey Carroll grounded into a fielder's choice, paving the way home for Ben Revere, followed by Joe Mauer doing the same for Alexi Casilla. The final stuck at 8-2, with Hunter getting the win while Liriano takes the loss.
Inland a bit, the Cincinnati Reds bring in the Miami Marlins. Ricky Nolasco and Mat Latos get the manager's approval to start. Miami busted things open with a fourth inning Giancarlo Stanton double to bring around Emilio Bonifacio. Cincinnati shot back in the bottom of the inning with a two-run blast from Joey Votto, also scoring Zack Cozart. The Marlins tied it in the fifth wit ha solo home run from Omar Infante, and took the lead with Stanton's single that allowed Jose Reyes and Bonifacio to score. Miami padded the lead in the seventh inning when Hanley Ramirez went yard, bringing in Bonifacio with him. The Marlins extended the lead in the eighth with a two-run homer for John Buck, knocking in Infante. The Reds got one back as Cozart hit a solo shot in the bottom of the inning. This made the final 8-3, with Nolasco earning the win and Latos taking the loss.
In Florida now, the Tampa Bay Rays host the New York Yankees. Hiroki Kuroda goes up against David Price pitching. Tampa Bay led off with a first inning Luke Scott single to bring around both Desmond Jennings and Matt Joyce. The Rays extended the lead with a second inning Carlos Pena single that scored Jose Lobaton. Tampa Bay added on in the third inning with a solo shot for Joyce. New York found the scoreboard with an Andruw Jones single that knocked in Curtis Granderson, before coming all the way home when Eduardo Nunez singled him in. The Rays replied in the sixth inning with Scott doubling to score Ben Zobrist, and then he came home with a Jennings single helping him get there. Tampa Bay did some more damage in the seventh inning as Joyce singled to bring in both Evan Longoria and Pena. The Yankees tried to make a comeback in the ninth inning with Raul Ibanez hitting a sacrifice fly to drive in Granderson, and Nick Swisher hitting a 3-run home run that also brought in Russell Martin and Eric Chavez, but it still wasn't enough and they lost 8-6. Price earned the win, Fernando Rodney recorded the last out for the save, and Kuroda was given the loss.
West to Texas again, as the Rangers welcome the Chicago White Sox. Jake Peavy and Derek Holland will be entertaining the batters. Chicago struck early with a Paul Konerko single to score Alejandro De Aza. Texas tied it with a Mike Napoli single that knocked in Michael Young in the second inning. The White Sox broke the tie in the third inning with a Konerko double scoring both Brent Lillibridge and Adam Dunn. The Rangers shot back in their half of the inning with an Elvis Andrus single bringing in Ian Kinsler, and he came home on an Adrian Beltre sacrifice fly. Chicago took a 4-3 lead in the ninth inning as Alex Rios hit a solo home run, which was the decisive run. Matt Thornton had the win, Hector Santiago picked up the save with a clean inning of work, and Joe Nathan took the loss.
Farther to the west, the San Diego Padres host the Los Angeles Dodgers. Chris Capuano and Dustin Moseley will play from the mound. Los Angeles was on the board in the first inning with a Matt Kemp sacrifice fly paving the way for Dee Gordon to come home. The Dodgers added on in the third inning as Kemp singled in Gordon before coming home himself on an Andre Ethier double that also scored Mark Ellis. Los Angeles extended the lead again in the fifth inning on a solo home run for A.J. Ellis. San Diego would tie things up in the fifth inning as Chase Headley, Jesus Guzman, and Nick Hundley walked to force in Jason Bartlett, Cameron Maybin, and Chris Denorfia, followed by Headley coming in on a wild pitch and Orlando Hudson producing the tying run with his single to score Guzman. The Dodgers gained the lead again in the eleventh inning as Gordon hit a single that allowed A.J. Ellis to dart home. This held up for a 6-5 win, with Todd Coffey picking up the W, Javy Guerra notching the save, and Anthony Bass taking the loss.
Finally, we end the day in Oakland, with the Athletics bringing in the Seattle Mariners. Felix Hernandez and Bartolo Colon are the starting pitchers. Seattle led off with a first inning Dustin Ackley groundout to get Chone Figgins home. The Mariners extended the lead with a fourth inning Ichiro triple to score Ackley, and then he came home when Justin Smoak singled, followed by Miguel Olivo singling in Smoak, Munenori Kawasaki singling in Kyle Seager, and Figgins doubling in both Olivo and Kawasaki, for a 6-run rally. Oakland made a feeble response in their half of the inning, as Seth Smith hit a sacrifice fly to score Coco Crisp. The Athletics got another back in the fifth inning with a solo home run by Jemile Weeks. Seattle replied in the sixth with a solo shot by Michael Saunders. Oakland fired back in their half of the inning as Kurt Suzuki doubled in Josh Reddick and Smith. The Athletics pulled within one on a Yoenis Cespedes three-run homer run in the seventh inning, also scoring Eric Sogard and Crisp. They couldn't find an equalizer though, and the Mariners held on to win 8-7. The win was awarded to Hernandez, Brandon League pitched a clean ninth inning for the save, and Colon was stuck holding the loss.
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Friday, April 6, 2012
MLB Day 5 2012
Nine games of baseball today, meaning we're approaching full speed for the season. Our first stop of the day is in...
Arlington, Texas, as the Rangers host the Chicago White Sox. John Danks and Colby Lewis get the ball. Texas started with a Josh Hamilton sacrifice fly in the first inning, bringing in Ian Kinsler. Kinsler added on in the third inning for the Rangers with a solo home run. Chicago took one back with a sixth inning solo shot for Adam Dunn, and they tied the game later in the inning as Alexei Ramirez singled in Alex Rios. Texas answered as Michael Young hit a single to bring in Hamilton. The White Sox never recovered, falling 3-2 at the hands of the Rangers, with the win going to Lewis, the save coming from a close out job by Joe Nathan, and the loss being stuck on Danks.
Northeast of there, the Baltimore Orioles bring in the Minnesota Twins. Carl Pavano and Jake Arrieta will pace the game. Baltimore took little time in opening the scoring with a Nick Markakis two-run homer, also scoring J.J. Hardy in the first inning. The Orioles extended the lead on a Matt Weiters groundout in the fourth that allowed Markakis to score. Baltimore struck again in the sixth inning as Markakis tripled to score Hardy. Minnesota avoided being shut out with a two-run homer in the ninth inning by Josh Willingham, also scoring Joe Mauer, but they didn't tie the game, losing 4-2. Arrieta got the win, Jim Johnson picked up the save, and Pavano took the loss.
Down the coast, the Tampa Bay Rays host the New York Yankees. CC Sabathia and James Shields are the stud pitchers. Tampa Bay struck early with a first inning grand slam by Carlos Pena, helping to bring around Desmond Jennings, Evan Longoria, and Sean Rodriguez. New York started on the comeback trail with a second inning Raul Ibanez groundout allowing Alex Rodriguez safe passage home, followed by Marx Teixeira darting home on a wild pitch. The Yankees continued to claw back with Nick Swisher reaching on a fielder's choice, and Robinson Cano making it home safely, and they gained the lead when Ibanez went yard, scoring Rodriguez and Swisher too. The Rays got one back in the third inning on a solo Longoria home run. Tampa Bay tied it up in the ninth inning as Ben Zobrist tripled and knocked in Jennings, and then he crossed the plate as the winning run when Pena singled him in. The final was 7-6 Tampa Bay, and Fernando Rodney was the winning pitcher, while Mariano Rivera was stuck with the loss.
Towards the Midwest, the Milwaukee Brewers host the St. Louis Cardinals. Jaime Garcia and Yovani Gallardo will take their spots on the mound. Milwaukee began as Carlos Gomez tripled in Rickie Weeks and traveled the final ninety feet on an Aramis Ramirez groundout. St. Louis got one back with a second inning solo home run for Yadier Molina. The Cardinals followed this up with a third inning combo of Carlos Beltran and Matt Holliday going yard back to back, a solo shot for each, and the bombing continued as David Freese lifted a two-run special over the left field fence that drove in Lance Berkman as well. St. Louis padded the lead with a Freese single in the fourth inning to bring around Rafael Furcal. The Cardinals extended the lead again with a sixth inning Berkman double that allowed Beltran to score. St. Louis peppered another run on the board with pinch hitter Shane Robinson singling to drive in Jon Jay. The Cardinals stepped up the attack in the ninth inning with pinch hitter Matt Carpenter doubling Molina and Daniel Descalso home before finishing the trip when Furcal did the same. The Brewers showed a sign of life in the bottom of the inning when George Kotteras hit a pinch hit home run, also scoring Mat Gamel and Jonathan Lucroy. This made it 11-5 Cardinals, with the win going to Garcia and the loss to Gallardo.
We return to the state of Texas with the Houston Astros bringing in the Colorado Rockies. Jeremy Guthrie and Wandy Rodriguez will throw tonight. Houston began with a first inning Carlos Lee single to bring in Jose Altuve. Colorado answered in a big way in the third inning as Troy Tulowitzki hit a sacrifice fly to score Marco Scutaro, followed by a Todd Helton double that scored Dexter Fowler before he crossed home plate himself on a Michael Cuddyer single. The Astros pulled back and tied with back to back fourth inning solo shots from Lee and Brian Bogusevic. The Rockies broke the tie when pinch runner Eric Young darted home on a Jason Castro error. Colorado got a little separation with a Tulowitzki solo shot in the ninth inning. They held on from there for a 5-3 win, which was credited to Guthrie, while the save belonged to Rafael Betancourt. Fernando Rodriguez suffered the loss.
Farther west, the Arizona Diamondbacks welcome the San Francisco Giants. Tim Lincecum and Ian Kennedy have the manager's approval to pitch. Arizona stepped out to an early lead with first inning home runs by Chris Young, who brought in Willie Bloomquist as well, and Paul Goldschmidt's solo shot. San Francisco got two of them back when Melky Cabrera homered and drove in Angel Pagan. The Giants tied it in the sixth inning on a Brandon Crawford groundout that allowed Aubrey Huff to dart home. The Diamondbacks answered in the bottom of the same inning on a Ryan Roberts 2-RBI double, scoring Justin Upton and Goldschmidt. San Francisco attempted a ninth inning comeback as Pablo Sandoval doubled and Cabrera reached home to pull within one, but they never tied it, falling 5-4. Kennedy got the win, J.J. Putz converted a rocky save, and Lincecum was tagged with the loss.
Finally, we'll end the day in California for three games, beginning with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hosting the Kansas City Royals. Bruce Chen and Jered Weaver will be pitching. Los Angeles started scoring in the eighth inning on a Peter Bourjos single scoring Alexi Amarista, followed by an Erick Aybar 3-RBI triple forcing in Mark Trumbo, Chris Iannetta, and Bourjos, and he finished his trip around the bases on a Torii Hunter single. This was it for scoring, leaving the final at 5-0, with Weaver getting the win and Aaron Crow suffering the loss.
North a bit, as the Oakland Athletics take their rivalry with the Seattle Mariners back on American soil. Jason Vargas and Brandon McCarthy pace the game. Seattle got things started as Chone Figgins reached on an error that allowed Brendan Ryan to score, Jesus Montero hit a sacrifice fly to push in Figgins, and Kyle Seager knocked in both Dustin Ackley and Ichiro with a single, all in the third inning. Figgins added on for the Mariners in the fourth by singling in Michael Saunders. Oakland got some back in the bottom of the fourth with Yoenis Cespedes hitting a two run homer, also scoring Jonny Gomes. Seattle got them back as Figgins reached first on a bunt single to allow Saunders to score, followed by Ichiro's sacrifice fly to bring around Brendan Ryan in the sixth inning. The Athletics pulled to 7-3, a final, on an eighth inning Seth Smith single that scored Jemile Weeks. The win was credited to Vargas while McCarthy was stuck with the loss.
Finally, we go down to San Diego, where the Padres welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers. Chad Billingsley and Cory Luebke are the starting pitchers. Los Angeles started with a 2-RBI double for Andre Ethier, scoring Mark Ellis and Juan Rivera. The Dodgers upped the attack in the third inning as Matt Kemp provided passage for Ellis home before making it on a Rivera single. Los Angeles continued to run up the score when Ethier tripled in the fifth inning to score Kemp and Rivera, making it 6-0, where it would stay through the end of the game. Billingsley earned the win while Luebke was pinned with the loss.
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Arlington, Texas, as the Rangers host the Chicago White Sox. John Danks and Colby Lewis get the ball. Texas started with a Josh Hamilton sacrifice fly in the first inning, bringing in Ian Kinsler. Kinsler added on in the third inning for the Rangers with a solo home run. Chicago took one back with a sixth inning solo shot for Adam Dunn, and they tied the game later in the inning as Alexei Ramirez singled in Alex Rios. Texas answered as Michael Young hit a single to bring in Hamilton. The White Sox never recovered, falling 3-2 at the hands of the Rangers, with the win going to Lewis, the save coming from a close out job by Joe Nathan, and the loss being stuck on Danks.
Northeast of there, the Baltimore Orioles bring in the Minnesota Twins. Carl Pavano and Jake Arrieta will pace the game. Baltimore took little time in opening the scoring with a Nick Markakis two-run homer, also scoring J.J. Hardy in the first inning. The Orioles extended the lead on a Matt Weiters groundout in the fourth that allowed Markakis to score. Baltimore struck again in the sixth inning as Markakis tripled to score Hardy. Minnesota avoided being shut out with a two-run homer in the ninth inning by Josh Willingham, also scoring Joe Mauer, but they didn't tie the game, losing 4-2. Arrieta got the win, Jim Johnson picked up the save, and Pavano took the loss.
Down the coast, the Tampa Bay Rays host the New York Yankees. CC Sabathia and James Shields are the stud pitchers. Tampa Bay struck early with a first inning grand slam by Carlos Pena, helping to bring around Desmond Jennings, Evan Longoria, and Sean Rodriguez. New York started on the comeback trail with a second inning Raul Ibanez groundout allowing Alex Rodriguez safe passage home, followed by Marx Teixeira darting home on a wild pitch. The Yankees continued to claw back with Nick Swisher reaching on a fielder's choice, and Robinson Cano making it home safely, and they gained the lead when Ibanez went yard, scoring Rodriguez and Swisher too. The Rays got one back in the third inning on a solo Longoria home run. Tampa Bay tied it up in the ninth inning as Ben Zobrist tripled and knocked in Jennings, and then he crossed the plate as the winning run when Pena singled him in. The final was 7-6 Tampa Bay, and Fernando Rodney was the winning pitcher, while Mariano Rivera was stuck with the loss.
Towards the Midwest, the Milwaukee Brewers host the St. Louis Cardinals. Jaime Garcia and Yovani Gallardo will take their spots on the mound. Milwaukee began as Carlos Gomez tripled in Rickie Weeks and traveled the final ninety feet on an Aramis Ramirez groundout. St. Louis got one back with a second inning solo home run for Yadier Molina. The Cardinals followed this up with a third inning combo of Carlos Beltran and Matt Holliday going yard back to back, a solo shot for each, and the bombing continued as David Freese lifted a two-run special over the left field fence that drove in Lance Berkman as well. St. Louis padded the lead with a Freese single in the fourth inning to bring around Rafael Furcal. The Cardinals extended the lead again with a sixth inning Berkman double that allowed Beltran to score. St. Louis peppered another run on the board with pinch hitter Shane Robinson singling to drive in Jon Jay. The Cardinals stepped up the attack in the ninth inning with pinch hitter Matt Carpenter doubling Molina and Daniel Descalso home before finishing the trip when Furcal did the same. The Brewers showed a sign of life in the bottom of the inning when George Kotteras hit a pinch hit home run, also scoring Mat Gamel and Jonathan Lucroy. This made it 11-5 Cardinals, with the win going to Garcia and the loss to Gallardo.
We return to the state of Texas with the Houston Astros bringing in the Colorado Rockies. Jeremy Guthrie and Wandy Rodriguez will throw tonight. Houston began with a first inning Carlos Lee single to bring in Jose Altuve. Colorado answered in a big way in the third inning as Troy Tulowitzki hit a sacrifice fly to score Marco Scutaro, followed by a Todd Helton double that scored Dexter Fowler before he crossed home plate himself on a Michael Cuddyer single. The Astros pulled back and tied with back to back fourth inning solo shots from Lee and Brian Bogusevic. The Rockies broke the tie when pinch runner Eric Young darted home on a Jason Castro error. Colorado got a little separation with a Tulowitzki solo shot in the ninth inning. They held on from there for a 5-3 win, which was credited to Guthrie, while the save belonged to Rafael Betancourt. Fernando Rodriguez suffered the loss.
Farther west, the Arizona Diamondbacks welcome the San Francisco Giants. Tim Lincecum and Ian Kennedy have the manager's approval to pitch. Arizona stepped out to an early lead with first inning home runs by Chris Young, who brought in Willie Bloomquist as well, and Paul Goldschmidt's solo shot. San Francisco got two of them back when Melky Cabrera homered and drove in Angel Pagan. The Giants tied it in the sixth inning on a Brandon Crawford groundout that allowed Aubrey Huff to dart home. The Diamondbacks answered in the bottom of the same inning on a Ryan Roberts 2-RBI double, scoring Justin Upton and Goldschmidt. San Francisco attempted a ninth inning comeback as Pablo Sandoval doubled and Cabrera reached home to pull within one, but they never tied it, falling 5-4. Kennedy got the win, J.J. Putz converted a rocky save, and Lincecum was tagged with the loss.
Finally, we'll end the day in California for three games, beginning with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hosting the Kansas City Royals. Bruce Chen and Jered Weaver will be pitching. Los Angeles started scoring in the eighth inning on a Peter Bourjos single scoring Alexi Amarista, followed by an Erick Aybar 3-RBI triple forcing in Mark Trumbo, Chris Iannetta, and Bourjos, and he finished his trip around the bases on a Torii Hunter single. This was it for scoring, leaving the final at 5-0, with Weaver getting the win and Aaron Crow suffering the loss.
North a bit, as the Oakland Athletics take their rivalry with the Seattle Mariners back on American soil. Jason Vargas and Brandon McCarthy pace the game. Seattle got things started as Chone Figgins reached on an error that allowed Brendan Ryan to score, Jesus Montero hit a sacrifice fly to push in Figgins, and Kyle Seager knocked in both Dustin Ackley and Ichiro with a single, all in the third inning. Figgins added on for the Mariners in the fourth by singling in Michael Saunders. Oakland got some back in the bottom of the fourth with Yoenis Cespedes hitting a two run homer, also scoring Jonny Gomes. Seattle got them back as Figgins reached first on a bunt single to allow Saunders to score, followed by Ichiro's sacrifice fly to bring around Brendan Ryan in the sixth inning. The Athletics pulled to 7-3, a final, on an eighth inning Seth Smith single that scored Jemile Weeks. The win was credited to Vargas while McCarthy was stuck with the loss.
Finally, we go down to San Diego, where the Padres welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers. Chad Billingsley and Cory Luebke are the starting pitchers. Los Angeles started with a 2-RBI double for Andre Ethier, scoring Mark Ellis and Juan Rivera. The Dodgers upped the attack in the third inning as Matt Kemp provided passage for Ellis home before making it on a Rivera single. Los Angeles continued to run up the score when Ethier tripled in the fifth inning to score Kemp and Rivera, making it 6-0, where it would stay through the end of the game. Billingsley earned the win while Luebke was pinned with the loss.
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NHL Day 184 2011-2012
One game on tonight as the St. Louis Blues host the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Brian Elliott tend the twines. Keith Yandle began for Phoenix with his eleventh of the season, thanks to Daymond Langkow and Raffi Torres. St. Louis got an equalizer with Patrik Berglund potting his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of T.J. Oshie and Andy McDonald. The Coyotes retook the lead in the second period on a Radim Vrbata goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, pushed through by Ray Whitney and Martin Hanzal. Phoenix added on with a Shane Doan goal, his twenty-second of the year, made possible by Antoine Vermette and Mikkel Boedker. Boedker extended the Coyotes lead in the third period with his tenth of the campaign, assisted by Vermette. This produced a 4-1 final, with the three stars being Smith (31 for 32 in saves), Boedker, and Doan, while Vermette gets honorable mention.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
NHL Day 183 2011-2012
Tick tick tick! The clock is running out on the NHL regular season, and there are 14 games on tonight. We will start with a meaningless game...
As the New York Islanders host the Winnipeg Jets. Chris Mason and Al Montoya got the call to start. New York began with a Matt Moulson goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, assisted by John Tavares. The Islanders added on with a Kyle Okposo goal, his twenty-second of the year, courtesy of Josh Bailey and Frans Nielsen. Tobias Enstrom got one back for Winnipeg on his sixth of the season, via Jim Slater and Dustin Byfuglien. Andrew Ladd tied it for the Jets on his twenty-eighth of the year, coming off of Bryan Little and Zach Bogosian. New York regained the lead with a second period Okposo goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, set up by Tavares. Winnipeg tied it again in the third period as Bogosian shelved his fifth of the year, with the help of Chris Thorburn. The Islanders again took the lead when Michael Grabner sneaked his eighteenth of the season in on a penalty shot. The Jets took little time in finding an equalizer, as Byfuglien found a place for his twelfth of the year, and Enstrom had the lone assist. New York steered the game away from overtime with another Grabner goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the campaign, pushed through by Travis Hamonic and Andrew MacDonald for a 5-4 victory. The three stars went to Grabner, Okposo, and Tavares, with honorable mentions for Byfuglien, Bogosian and Enstrom.
Up north, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Dwayne Roloson and Ben Scrivens try to stop the puck. Tampa Bay struck first with a Martin St. Louis goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Brian Lee and Ryan Malone. Toronto tied it as Tim Connolly netted his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Jake Gardiner and Dave Steckel. The Lightning took the lead with a third period Steven Stamkos goal, his fifty-ninth of the season, made possible by Bruno Gervais and St. Louis. The Maple Leafs got another equalizer with Gardiner notching his seventh of the year, an unassisted goal. Toronto took the game in overtime with Dion Phaneuf recording his eleventh of the campaign, guided in by Phil Kessel. The three stars of the 3-2 game were Phaneuf, Gardiner, and Stamkos, while St. Louis gets the honorable mention.
We finally uncover some playoff teams when we head to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins host the New York Rangers. Martin Biron and Marc-Andre Fleury are in front of the nets. Pittsburgh opened with a Chris Kunitz goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, set up by Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin. New York tied it on a Brandon Dubinsky tally, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Brian Boyle and Ruslan Fedotenko. The Penguins took the lead again on a Tyler Kennedy goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Jordan Staal and Zbynek Michalek. Pittsburgh extended their lead in the second period on a Richard Park goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Pascal Dupuis and Eric Tangradi. The Penguins added on again when Malkin put away his forty-ninth of the season, with helpers provided by Kunitz and Sidney Crosby. The Rangers took one back late in the third period with a Boyle power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Dan Girardi and Dubinsky. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-2 with a Letang empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, with a lone Staal assist. The three stars were named as Malkin, Kunitz, and Letang, while the honorable mentions include Boyle and Staal.
Down to Washington, where the Capitals welcome the Florida Panthers with heavy playoff implications. Jose Theodore and Michal Neuvirth started, but Theodore was spelled by Scott Clemmensen for awhile before returning, and Neuvirth was injured, causing Braden Holtby to relieve him. Washington was first on the board with a Jay Beagle goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Troy Brouwer and Karl Alzner. The Capitals added on in the second period when Alex Ovechkin sank his thirty-seventh of the year, via Marcus Johansson. Washington kept going on a Brooks Laich tally, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Keith Aucoin and Roman Hamrlik. Florida got one back as Mikael Samuelsson scored his thirteenth of the year, with the help of Sean Bergenheim and Marcel Goc. The Panthers pulled within one with a third period goal off the tape of Ed Jovanovski, his third of the season, guided in by Brian Campbell and Jason Garrison. The Capitals iced it at 4-2 with an Alexander Semin goal, his twenty-first of the year, coming off of Laich and Dmitry Orlov. Laich, Beagle, and Semin claimed the three stars.
The other huge Eastern Conference game is back in Pennsylvania, where the Philadelphia Flyers host the barely breathing Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Ilya Bryzgalov guard the cages. Buffalo started the scoring in the second period when Ville Leino netted his seventh of the season, set up by Drew Stafford and Robyn Regehr. Philadelphia tied it up in the third period on a Marc-Andre Bourdon goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Andreas Lilja and Claude Giroux. The Flyers gained the lead as Matt Read scored his twenty-fourth of the season, with the help of Jakub Voracek. They held on from here to win 2-1, putting a serious dent in the Sabres' playoff hopes. The three stars were given to Read, Bryzgalov (25 for 26 in saves), and Miller (33 for 35 in saves).
Down the coast, the Carolina Hurricanes host fellow bottom-feeders, the Montreal Canadiens. Peter Budaj and Cam Ward are in the blue paint. Montreal was first to score with a second period Blake Geoffrion goal, his second of the season, coming off of Mike Blunden and Josh Gorges. Carolina tied the game with a Chad LaRose goal, his nineteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Jamie McBain and Joni Pitkanen.The Hurricanes won 2-1 in the shootout as Eric Staal's lone tally toppled the Canadiens. The three stars were handed to Ward (30 for 31 in saves), Staal, and LaRose.
Back to Canada, with the Ottawa Senators hosting their likely first-round playoff opponents, the Boston Bruins. Youngsters Anton Khudobin and Ben Bishop made the starts. Boston started with a Benoit Pouliot goal, his sixteenth of the season, from Brian Rolston and Jordan Caron. The Bruins extended the lead when Greg Zanon sniped his third of the year, an unassisted goal. Jason Spezza took one back for Ottawa when he netted his thirty fourth of the season, with the help of Erik Karlsson and Filip Kuba. Boston added an insurance marker in the third period when Milan Lucic deposited his twenty-sixth of the year, via David Krejci and Torey Krug. This produced a 3-1 final, with the three stars being Khudobin (44 for 45 in saves), Zanon, and Chris Phillips, while any point-earner can claim the third star.
Just back in the states, we go to Michigan, where the Detroit Red Wings welcome the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Jimmy Howard protect the nets. New Jersey led off with an Alexei Ponikarovsky goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Peter Harrold and David Clarkson. Detroit evened it in the second period as Tomas Holmstrom scored his eleventh of the year, a power play goal powered by Jiri Hudler and Valtteri Filppula. The Devils retook the lead in the third period when Petr Sykora sank his twentieth of the season, with the help of Patrik Elias and Dainius Zubrus. This was all for the scoring, with New Jersey taking a 2-1 win, and the three stars went to Brodeur (23 for 24 in saves), Hudler, and Ponikarovsky.
A tad to the west, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Josh Harding are all padded up. Chicago had the game's first goal with Jamal Mayers recording his sixth of the season, thanks to Michael Frolik. Minnesota tied it late in the third period on a Cal Clutterbuck power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Marco Scandella and Dany Heatley. The game went to a shootout, where the Wild were lifted to a 2-1 victory on a Devin Setoguchi goal to defeat the Blackhawks. The three stars in this contest were Scandella, Clutterbuck, and Harding (22 for 23 in saves).
Down in Nashville, the Predators host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Pekka Rinne are in front of the cages. Nashville finally dented the scoreboard in the third period when Francis Bouillon scored his fourth of the season, with the help of Patric Hornqvist and Andrei Kostitsyn. The Predators added on with a Hornqvist goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, assisted by Brandon Yip and Mike Fisher. They held on to win 2-0, with Rinne (28 save shutout), Bouillon, and Hornqvist getting the three stars.
Westward again, with the Colorado Avalanche hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Steve Mason and Semyon Varlamov received the starting nods. Cam Atkinson got things going for Columbus with his third of the season, thanks to Darryl Boyce and Colton Gillies. Colorado answered as David Jones netted his twentieth of the year, via Jamie McGinn and Paul Stastny. The Blue Jackets got the lead back on a Rick Nash goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, courtesy of Mark Letestu and Vinny Prospal. The Avalanche retied it in the second period when Stastny put away his twenty-first of the year, a power play goal powered by Gabriel Landeskog and Peter Mueller. Columbus took the lead again with another Nash goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the season coming on the power play from Derick Brassard and Jack Johnson. The Blue Jackets extended their lead with Atkinson's second of the game and fourth of the year, with a lone R.J. Umberger assist. Atkinson put the dagger in Colorado as he iced the game 5-2 for Columbus on his fifth of the campaign for a hat trick on the night, and the goalie Mason had the only assist on the empty netter. The three stars ended up with Atkinson, Nash, and Stastny.
Up in Alberta, the Calgary Flames bring in their coastal rivals, the Vancouver Canucks. Cory Schneider and Miikka Kiprusoff tend the twines. Vancouver opened on a shorthanded Alexandre Burrows goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, with a lone Dan Hamhuis assist. Calgary tied it in the third period on a Michael Cammalleri goal, his nineteenth of the year, helped along by Jay Bouwmeester and Akim Aliu. The Flames took the lead with a Curtis Glencross goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, an unassisted goal. Calgary extended their lead as Cammalleri put down his second of the night and twentieth of the year, via Lee Stempniak and Mark Giordano. The Canucks got one back with a Jannik Hansen goal, his sixteenth of the season, set up by Kevin Bieksa and Hamhuis. The Flames held on from here for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being awarded to Cammalleri, Burrows, and Cory Sarich, while Hamhuis gets an honorable mention.
Staying in the province, the Edmonton Oilers host the Anaheim Ducks. Jeff Deslauriers and Devan Dubnyk are the masked men. Sam Gagner put Edmonton on the board first in the second period with his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Jeff Petry and Ryan Jones. Anaheim tied it with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his thirteenth of the year, with a lone Luca Sbisa helper. The Ducks gained the lead when Bobby Ryan scored his twenty-ninth of the season, assisted by Devante Smith-Pelly and Nick Bonino. The Oilers got an equalizer in the third period when Jordan Eberle sank his thirty-fourth of the year, with the help of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Ales Hemsky. Anaheim won 3-2 with an unassisted Ryan Getzlaf overtime goal, his eleventh of the campaign. The three stars went out to Eberle, Teemu Selanne, and Nick Schultz, while putting point earners in there might be a novel concept as the scourge of Anaheim's three star selections travels with them.
Finally, we land in Los Angeles for the second to last Battle of California, with the Kings hosting the San Jose Sharks in a very important game. Antti Niemi and Jonathan Quick are between the pipes. Tensions were high early with Joe Thornton dropping the gloves with Drew Doughty. Los Angeles opened with an Alec Martinez power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar. The agitation increased as Ryane Clowe and Matt Greene fought shortly after the goal. San Jose tied it with Jason Demers potting his fourth of the year, courtesy of Daniel Winnik and Dominic Moore. The Kings got the lead back on a Jarret Stoll power play goal, his sixth of the season coming in the second period off of Dwight King and Willie Mitchell. Los Angeles added on as Brown shelved his twenty-second of the year, assisted by Kopitar and Mitchell. Clowe returned to pugilism after this goal by taking a dance with Kyle Clifford. The Sharks got one back when Thornton scored his eighteenth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Dan Boyle and Logan Couture. San Jose tied it as Clowe turned productive early in the third period with his unassisted seventeenth of the year. The Kings regained the lead when Justin Williams made his twentieth of the season, a power play goal courtesy of Martinez and Mitchell, the latter getting a sock trick. The Sharks got yet another tying goal as Patrick Marleau potted his twenty-ninth of the year, a power play goal set up by Joe Pavelski and Thornton, the latter finishing off his Gordie Howe Hat Trick. Martin Havlat put San Jose in front with a power play goal of his own, his seventh of the season, guided in by Clowe, who completed his own Gordie Howe Hat Trick, and Marleau. Williams retied it for Los Angeles with a, you guessed it, power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year thanks to Mike Richards and Kopitar, the latter getting a sock trick. Before we go to the shootout, it's important to note the array of tricks, animosity, and fortunate non-calls by the referees in this game, so while it's not hockey by the rules, it was a very interesting affair. In the shootout, Pavelski was the only one to find the back of the twine, leading the Sharks to a 6-5 win over the Kings. The three stars (which won't even begin to cover the degree of awesome in the game) were given to Mitchell, Clowe, and Williams, while Thornton, Marleau, Kopitar, Brown, and Martinez all get honorable mentions for their efforts. These two teams meet again up north on Saturday, enjoy.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
As the New York Islanders host the Winnipeg Jets. Chris Mason and Al Montoya got the call to start. New York began with a Matt Moulson goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, assisted by John Tavares. The Islanders added on with a Kyle Okposo goal, his twenty-second of the year, courtesy of Josh Bailey and Frans Nielsen. Tobias Enstrom got one back for Winnipeg on his sixth of the season, via Jim Slater and Dustin Byfuglien. Andrew Ladd tied it for the Jets on his twenty-eighth of the year, coming off of Bryan Little and Zach Bogosian. New York regained the lead with a second period Okposo goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, set up by Tavares. Winnipeg tied it again in the third period as Bogosian shelved his fifth of the year, with the help of Chris Thorburn. The Islanders again took the lead when Michael Grabner sneaked his eighteenth of the season in on a penalty shot. The Jets took little time in finding an equalizer, as Byfuglien found a place for his twelfth of the year, and Enstrom had the lone assist. New York steered the game away from overtime with another Grabner goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the campaign, pushed through by Travis Hamonic and Andrew MacDonald for a 5-4 victory. The three stars went to Grabner, Okposo, and Tavares, with honorable mentions for Byfuglien, Bogosian and Enstrom.
Up north, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Dwayne Roloson and Ben Scrivens try to stop the puck. Tampa Bay struck first with a Martin St. Louis goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Brian Lee and Ryan Malone. Toronto tied it as Tim Connolly netted his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Jake Gardiner and Dave Steckel. The Lightning took the lead with a third period Steven Stamkos goal, his fifty-ninth of the season, made possible by Bruno Gervais and St. Louis. The Maple Leafs got another equalizer with Gardiner notching his seventh of the year, an unassisted goal. Toronto took the game in overtime with Dion Phaneuf recording his eleventh of the campaign, guided in by Phil Kessel. The three stars of the 3-2 game were Phaneuf, Gardiner, and Stamkos, while St. Louis gets the honorable mention.
We finally uncover some playoff teams when we head to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins host the New York Rangers. Martin Biron and Marc-Andre Fleury are in front of the nets. Pittsburgh opened with a Chris Kunitz goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, set up by Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin. New York tied it on a Brandon Dubinsky tally, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Brian Boyle and Ruslan Fedotenko. The Penguins took the lead again on a Tyler Kennedy goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Jordan Staal and Zbynek Michalek. Pittsburgh extended their lead in the second period on a Richard Park goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Pascal Dupuis and Eric Tangradi. The Penguins added on again when Malkin put away his forty-ninth of the season, with helpers provided by Kunitz and Sidney Crosby. The Rangers took one back late in the third period with a Boyle power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Dan Girardi and Dubinsky. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-2 with a Letang empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, with a lone Staal assist. The three stars were named as Malkin, Kunitz, and Letang, while the honorable mentions include Boyle and Staal.
Down to Washington, where the Capitals welcome the Florida Panthers with heavy playoff implications. Jose Theodore and Michal Neuvirth started, but Theodore was spelled by Scott Clemmensen for awhile before returning, and Neuvirth was injured, causing Braden Holtby to relieve him. Washington was first on the board with a Jay Beagle goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Troy Brouwer and Karl Alzner. The Capitals added on in the second period when Alex Ovechkin sank his thirty-seventh of the year, via Marcus Johansson. Washington kept going on a Brooks Laich tally, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Keith Aucoin and Roman Hamrlik. Florida got one back as Mikael Samuelsson scored his thirteenth of the year, with the help of Sean Bergenheim and Marcel Goc. The Panthers pulled within one with a third period goal off the tape of Ed Jovanovski, his third of the season, guided in by Brian Campbell and Jason Garrison. The Capitals iced it at 4-2 with an Alexander Semin goal, his twenty-first of the year, coming off of Laich and Dmitry Orlov. Laich, Beagle, and Semin claimed the three stars.
The other huge Eastern Conference game is back in Pennsylvania, where the Philadelphia Flyers host the barely breathing Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Ilya Bryzgalov guard the cages. Buffalo started the scoring in the second period when Ville Leino netted his seventh of the season, set up by Drew Stafford and Robyn Regehr. Philadelphia tied it up in the third period on a Marc-Andre Bourdon goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Andreas Lilja and Claude Giroux. The Flyers gained the lead as Matt Read scored his twenty-fourth of the season, with the help of Jakub Voracek. They held on from here to win 2-1, putting a serious dent in the Sabres' playoff hopes. The three stars were given to Read, Bryzgalov (25 for 26 in saves), and Miller (33 for 35 in saves).
Down the coast, the Carolina Hurricanes host fellow bottom-feeders, the Montreal Canadiens. Peter Budaj and Cam Ward are in the blue paint. Montreal was first to score with a second period Blake Geoffrion goal, his second of the season, coming off of Mike Blunden and Josh Gorges. Carolina tied the game with a Chad LaRose goal, his nineteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Jamie McBain and Joni Pitkanen.The Hurricanes won 2-1 in the shootout as Eric Staal's lone tally toppled the Canadiens. The three stars were handed to Ward (30 for 31 in saves), Staal, and LaRose.
Back to Canada, with the Ottawa Senators hosting their likely first-round playoff opponents, the Boston Bruins. Youngsters Anton Khudobin and Ben Bishop made the starts. Boston started with a Benoit Pouliot goal, his sixteenth of the season, from Brian Rolston and Jordan Caron. The Bruins extended the lead when Greg Zanon sniped his third of the year, an unassisted goal. Jason Spezza took one back for Ottawa when he netted his thirty fourth of the season, with the help of Erik Karlsson and Filip Kuba. Boston added an insurance marker in the third period when Milan Lucic deposited his twenty-sixth of the year, via David Krejci and Torey Krug. This produced a 3-1 final, with the three stars being Khudobin (44 for 45 in saves), Zanon, and Chris Phillips, while any point-earner can claim the third star.
Just back in the states, we go to Michigan, where the Detroit Red Wings welcome the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Jimmy Howard protect the nets. New Jersey led off with an Alexei Ponikarovsky goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Peter Harrold and David Clarkson. Detroit evened it in the second period as Tomas Holmstrom scored his eleventh of the year, a power play goal powered by Jiri Hudler and Valtteri Filppula. The Devils retook the lead in the third period when Petr Sykora sank his twentieth of the season, with the help of Patrik Elias and Dainius Zubrus. This was all for the scoring, with New Jersey taking a 2-1 win, and the three stars went to Brodeur (23 for 24 in saves), Hudler, and Ponikarovsky.
A tad to the west, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Josh Harding are all padded up. Chicago had the game's first goal with Jamal Mayers recording his sixth of the season, thanks to Michael Frolik. Minnesota tied it late in the third period on a Cal Clutterbuck power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Marco Scandella and Dany Heatley. The game went to a shootout, where the Wild were lifted to a 2-1 victory on a Devin Setoguchi goal to defeat the Blackhawks. The three stars in this contest were Scandella, Clutterbuck, and Harding (22 for 23 in saves).
Down in Nashville, the Predators host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Pekka Rinne are in front of the cages. Nashville finally dented the scoreboard in the third period when Francis Bouillon scored his fourth of the season, with the help of Patric Hornqvist and Andrei Kostitsyn. The Predators added on with a Hornqvist goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, assisted by Brandon Yip and Mike Fisher. They held on to win 2-0, with Rinne (28 save shutout), Bouillon, and Hornqvist getting the three stars.
Westward again, with the Colorado Avalanche hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Steve Mason and Semyon Varlamov received the starting nods. Cam Atkinson got things going for Columbus with his third of the season, thanks to Darryl Boyce and Colton Gillies. Colorado answered as David Jones netted his twentieth of the year, via Jamie McGinn and Paul Stastny. The Blue Jackets got the lead back on a Rick Nash goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, courtesy of Mark Letestu and Vinny Prospal. The Avalanche retied it in the second period when Stastny put away his twenty-first of the year, a power play goal powered by Gabriel Landeskog and Peter Mueller. Columbus took the lead again with another Nash goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the season coming on the power play from Derick Brassard and Jack Johnson. The Blue Jackets extended their lead with Atkinson's second of the game and fourth of the year, with a lone R.J. Umberger assist. Atkinson put the dagger in Colorado as he iced the game 5-2 for Columbus on his fifth of the campaign for a hat trick on the night, and the goalie Mason had the only assist on the empty netter. The three stars ended up with Atkinson, Nash, and Stastny.
Up in Alberta, the Calgary Flames bring in their coastal rivals, the Vancouver Canucks. Cory Schneider and Miikka Kiprusoff tend the twines. Vancouver opened on a shorthanded Alexandre Burrows goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, with a lone Dan Hamhuis assist. Calgary tied it in the third period on a Michael Cammalleri goal, his nineteenth of the year, helped along by Jay Bouwmeester and Akim Aliu. The Flames took the lead with a Curtis Glencross goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, an unassisted goal. Calgary extended their lead as Cammalleri put down his second of the night and twentieth of the year, via Lee Stempniak and Mark Giordano. The Canucks got one back with a Jannik Hansen goal, his sixteenth of the season, set up by Kevin Bieksa and Hamhuis. The Flames held on from here for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being awarded to Cammalleri, Burrows, and Cory Sarich, while Hamhuis gets an honorable mention.
Staying in the province, the Edmonton Oilers host the Anaheim Ducks. Jeff Deslauriers and Devan Dubnyk are the masked men. Sam Gagner put Edmonton on the board first in the second period with his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Jeff Petry and Ryan Jones. Anaheim tied it with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his thirteenth of the year, with a lone Luca Sbisa helper. The Ducks gained the lead when Bobby Ryan scored his twenty-ninth of the season, assisted by Devante Smith-Pelly and Nick Bonino. The Oilers got an equalizer in the third period when Jordan Eberle sank his thirty-fourth of the year, with the help of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Ales Hemsky. Anaheim won 3-2 with an unassisted Ryan Getzlaf overtime goal, his eleventh of the campaign. The three stars went out to Eberle, Teemu Selanne, and Nick Schultz, while putting point earners in there might be a novel concept as the scourge of Anaheim's three star selections travels with them.
Finally, we land in Los Angeles for the second to last Battle of California, with the Kings hosting the San Jose Sharks in a very important game. Antti Niemi and Jonathan Quick are between the pipes. Tensions were high early with Joe Thornton dropping the gloves with Drew Doughty. Los Angeles opened with an Alec Martinez power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar. The agitation increased as Ryane Clowe and Matt Greene fought shortly after the goal. San Jose tied it with Jason Demers potting his fourth of the year, courtesy of Daniel Winnik and Dominic Moore. The Kings got the lead back on a Jarret Stoll power play goal, his sixth of the season coming in the second period off of Dwight King and Willie Mitchell. Los Angeles added on as Brown shelved his twenty-second of the year, assisted by Kopitar and Mitchell. Clowe returned to pugilism after this goal by taking a dance with Kyle Clifford. The Sharks got one back when Thornton scored his eighteenth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Dan Boyle and Logan Couture. San Jose tied it as Clowe turned productive early in the third period with his unassisted seventeenth of the year. The Kings regained the lead when Justin Williams made his twentieth of the season, a power play goal courtesy of Martinez and Mitchell, the latter getting a sock trick. The Sharks got yet another tying goal as Patrick Marleau potted his twenty-ninth of the year, a power play goal set up by Joe Pavelski and Thornton, the latter finishing off his Gordie Howe Hat Trick. Martin Havlat put San Jose in front with a power play goal of his own, his seventh of the season, guided in by Clowe, who completed his own Gordie Howe Hat Trick, and Marleau. Williams retied it for Los Angeles with a, you guessed it, power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year thanks to Mike Richards and Kopitar, the latter getting a sock trick. Before we go to the shootout, it's important to note the array of tricks, animosity, and fortunate non-calls by the referees in this game, so while it's not hockey by the rules, it was a very interesting affair. In the shootout, Pavelski was the only one to find the back of the twine, leading the Sharks to a 6-5 win over the Kings. The three stars (which won't even begin to cover the degree of awesome in the game) were given to Mitchell, Clowe, and Williams, while Thornton, Marleau, Kopitar, Brown, and Martinez all get honorable mentions for their efforts. These two teams meet again up north on Saturday, enjoy.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
MLB Day 4 2012
Seven games as the Opening Day festivities kick up a bit. Most games would be classified as matinees or afternoon specials. We begin in...
Detroit, with the Tigers hosting the Boston Red Sox. Jon Lester and Justin Verlander are the pitchers. Detroit got the first run in the seventh inning as Alex Avila doubled to score Jhonny Peralta. The Tigers added on with a Prince Fielder sacrifice fly that allowed Austin Jackson safe passage home. Boston got one back in the ninth inning as David Ortiz hit his own sacrifice fly and Dustin Pedroia scored. The Red Sox tied it with Ryan Sweeney tripling to drive in pinch-runner Darnell McDonald. Detroit eked out a victory with Jackson hitting a walk-off single to secure a 3-2 win as pinch-runner Danny Worth scored. Jose Valverde got the win despite blowing the save, while Mark Melancon was pinned with the loss.
Back east a bit, the New York Mets host the Atlanta Braves. Tommy Hanson and Johan Santana are given the ball. New York struck first with a sixth inning David Wright single, knocking in Andres Torres. This was it for scoring, leaving the Mets up 1-0, and Ramon Ramirez got the win, Frank Francisco closed for the save, and Hanson was dealt the loss.
Later on, the Pittsburgh Pirates bring in the cross-state Philadelphia Phillies for the battle of Pennsylvania. Roy Halladay and Erik Bedard will start. Philadelphia started off with a Carlos Ruiz sacrifice fly that allowed Ty Wigginton to score in the seventh inning. This was the only run for a 1-0 final, with Halladay earning the win by allowing just 2 hits, Jonathan Papelbon pitched a perfect final inning for the save, and Bedard suffered the loss.
Westward to Chicago, with the Cubs welcoming the Washington Nationals. Stephen Strasburg and Ryan Dempster take the mound. Chicago opened the scoring with a fourth inning Marlon Byrd single to bring around Ian Stewart. Washington tied it when Jayson Werth drew a walk with the bases loaded, forcing Ian Desmond home. The Nationals claimed the lead with a ninth inning Desmond single to score pinch-runner Brett Carroll. This was good enough to earn them a 2-1 win, with Tyler Clippard earning the win, Brad Lidge getting the save, and Carlos Marmol getting handed the loss.
Backtracking east again, with the Cleveland Indians hosting the Toronto Blue Jays. Ricky Romero and Justin Masterson will pace the game. Cleveland began with a second inning Casey Kotchman groundout that allowed Carlos Santana to cross home. The Indians kept going with a three-run homer by Jack Hannahan, bring around Shelley Duncan and Jason Kipnis. Toronto got one back with a fourth inning Jose Bautista solo home run. The Blue Jays attempted a comeback in the ninth, beginning on a Bautista sacrifice fly to score Yunel Escobar, and they got the tying run with an Edwin Encarnacion double scoring both Kelly Johnson and pinch-runner Rajai Davis. Toronto completed the comeback in the sixteenth inning on a three-run blast by J.P. Arencibia, also scoring Brett Lawrie and Omar Vizquel. Luis Perez picked up the win after four inning of relief, and the 7-4 loss was stuck on Jairo Asencio.
Across the state of Ohio, the Cincinnati Reds welcome the Miami Marlins. Mark Buehrle and Johnny Cueto will pitch. Cincinnati first dented the scoreboard with a Jay Bruce sacrifice fly to bring around Zack Cozart. The Reds padded their lead in the sixth inning as Ryan Ludwick doubled to score Scott Rolen. Cincinnati added more insurance with a solo shot from the bat of Bruce in the eighth inning, and then followed it up with a Chris Heisey double allowing Drew Stubbs to make it home. This left the final at 4-0, with Cueto picking up the win and Buehrle getting tagged with the loss.
Finally, the festivities end in a National League Battle of California with the San Diego Padres hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers. Clayton Kershaw and Edinson Volquez were named opening day pitchers. Los Angeles kept things simple when they began scoring in the fourth inning, as James Loney and A.J. Ellis walked with the bases loaded to force in Matt Kemp and Juan Rivera, respectively. The Dodgers added on in the fifth inning as Kemp reached on an error and Dee Gordon darted home. San Diego got to wok in the sixth with a Jesus Guzman double knocking in Will Venable. Los Angeles answered in the top of the eighth on a two-run blast by Kemp, also scoring Mark Ellis. The Padres replied in their half of the inning with Cameron Maybin's two-run homer, which brought around pinch-hitter Jeremy Hermida. They never caught up despite the effort, losing 5-3, with Josh Lindblom getting the win after a sickness-shortened outing for Kershaw, Javy Guerra picked up the save, and Volquez was tagged for the loss.
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Detroit, with the Tigers hosting the Boston Red Sox. Jon Lester and Justin Verlander are the pitchers. Detroit got the first run in the seventh inning as Alex Avila doubled to score Jhonny Peralta. The Tigers added on with a Prince Fielder sacrifice fly that allowed Austin Jackson safe passage home. Boston got one back in the ninth inning as David Ortiz hit his own sacrifice fly and Dustin Pedroia scored. The Red Sox tied it with Ryan Sweeney tripling to drive in pinch-runner Darnell McDonald. Detroit eked out a victory with Jackson hitting a walk-off single to secure a 3-2 win as pinch-runner Danny Worth scored. Jose Valverde got the win despite blowing the save, while Mark Melancon was pinned with the loss.
Back east a bit, the New York Mets host the Atlanta Braves. Tommy Hanson and Johan Santana are given the ball. New York struck first with a sixth inning David Wright single, knocking in Andres Torres. This was it for scoring, leaving the Mets up 1-0, and Ramon Ramirez got the win, Frank Francisco closed for the save, and Hanson was dealt the loss.
Later on, the Pittsburgh Pirates bring in the cross-state Philadelphia Phillies for the battle of Pennsylvania. Roy Halladay and Erik Bedard will start. Philadelphia started off with a Carlos Ruiz sacrifice fly that allowed Ty Wigginton to score in the seventh inning. This was the only run for a 1-0 final, with Halladay earning the win by allowing just 2 hits, Jonathan Papelbon pitched a perfect final inning for the save, and Bedard suffered the loss.
Westward to Chicago, with the Cubs welcoming the Washington Nationals. Stephen Strasburg and Ryan Dempster take the mound. Chicago opened the scoring with a fourth inning Marlon Byrd single to bring around Ian Stewart. Washington tied it when Jayson Werth drew a walk with the bases loaded, forcing Ian Desmond home. The Nationals claimed the lead with a ninth inning Desmond single to score pinch-runner Brett Carroll. This was good enough to earn them a 2-1 win, with Tyler Clippard earning the win, Brad Lidge getting the save, and Carlos Marmol getting handed the loss.
Backtracking east again, with the Cleveland Indians hosting the Toronto Blue Jays. Ricky Romero and Justin Masterson will pace the game. Cleveland began with a second inning Casey Kotchman groundout that allowed Carlos Santana to cross home. The Indians kept going with a three-run homer by Jack Hannahan, bring around Shelley Duncan and Jason Kipnis. Toronto got one back with a fourth inning Jose Bautista solo home run. The Blue Jays attempted a comeback in the ninth, beginning on a Bautista sacrifice fly to score Yunel Escobar, and they got the tying run with an Edwin Encarnacion double scoring both Kelly Johnson and pinch-runner Rajai Davis. Toronto completed the comeback in the sixteenth inning on a three-run blast by J.P. Arencibia, also scoring Brett Lawrie and Omar Vizquel. Luis Perez picked up the win after four inning of relief, and the 7-4 loss was stuck on Jairo Asencio.
Across the state of Ohio, the Cincinnati Reds welcome the Miami Marlins. Mark Buehrle and Johnny Cueto will pitch. Cincinnati first dented the scoreboard with a Jay Bruce sacrifice fly to bring around Zack Cozart. The Reds padded their lead in the sixth inning as Ryan Ludwick doubled to score Scott Rolen. Cincinnati added more insurance with a solo shot from the bat of Bruce in the eighth inning, and then followed it up with a Chris Heisey double allowing Drew Stubbs to make it home. This left the final at 4-0, with Cueto picking up the win and Buehrle getting tagged with the loss.
Finally, the festivities end in a National League Battle of California with the San Diego Padres hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers. Clayton Kershaw and Edinson Volquez were named opening day pitchers. Los Angeles kept things simple when they began scoring in the fourth inning, as James Loney and A.J. Ellis walked with the bases loaded to force in Matt Kemp and Juan Rivera, respectively. The Dodgers added on in the fifth inning as Kemp reached on an error and Dee Gordon darted home. San Diego got to wok in the sixth with a Jesus Guzman double knocking in Will Venable. Los Angeles answered in the top of the eighth on a two-run blast by Kemp, also scoring Mark Ellis. The Padres replied in their half of the inning with Cameron Maybin's two-run homer, which brought around pinch-hitter Jeremy Hermida. They never caught up despite the effort, losing 5-3, with Josh Lindblom getting the win after a sickness-shortened outing for Kershaw, Javy Guerra picked up the save, and Volquez was tagged for the loss.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
MLB Day 3 2012
Only one game as baseball comes back for the stateside debut of the season. We start in shiny new Marlins Ballpark, as the Miami (no longer representing all of Florida) Marlins host the World Series champions St. Louis Cardinals. Kyle Lohse and Josh Johnson were on the mound. St. Louis started with David Freese singling in Carlos Beltran and Lance Berkman in the first inning. The Cardinals added on in the second with a Rafael Furcal single scoring Daniel Descalso. St. Louis then padded the lead in the eighth inning when Descalso grounded out, offering enough time for Freese to dart home. Miami avoided the shutout in the bottom of the same inning with a John Buck double that brought around Omar Infante. The final held from here at 4-1, with Lohse picking up the win, Jason Motte the save, and Johnson getting stuck with the loss.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
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