Friday, May 27, 2011

Eastern Conference Final: 3 Boston Bruins VS 5 Tampa Bay Lightning

Game 1: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts. In net: Dwayne Roloson for Tampa Bay and Tim Thomas for Boston. Tampa Bay led off with Sean Bergenheim potting his eighth of the postseason, courtesy of Dominic Moore and Victor Hedman. Nineteen seconds later, the Lightning got another goal, as Brett Clark notched his first of the playoffs, an unassisted goal. Tampa Bay kept going as Teddy Purcell netted his second of the postseason, also requiring no help. Boston got on the board with Tyler Seguin scoring his first of the playoffs, with helpers provided by Michael Ryder and Rich Peverley. After a scoreless second period, the Lightning got back to work with a power play goal by Marc-Andre Bergeron, his second of the postseason powered by Clark and Martin St. Louis. Tampa Bay added an empty netter by Simon Gagne, his third of the playoffs guided in by Teddy Purcell. The Bruins made it 5-2 with Johnny Boychuk registering his third of the postseason, with the lone assist by Seguin. Moore, Clark, and Roloson (31 for 33 saves) were the three stars. Tampa Bay got out to an early 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts. In net: Dwayne Roloson for Tampa Bay and Tim Thomas for Boston. Tampa Bay opened the scoring thirteen seconds into the game with Adam Hall netting his first of the postseason, with help from Vincent Lecavalier and Nate Thompson. Nathan Horton tied it for Boston on the power play with his sixth of the playoffs, thanks to Dennis Seidenberg and Tomas Kaberle. The Lightning took the lead back with seven seconds left in the first period as Martin St. Louis notched his seventh of the postseason, helped along by Steven Stamkos and Lecavalier. The Bruins tied it in the second period on Tyler Seguin's second of the playoffs, coming off of Michael Ryder. Boston took the lead with David Krejci potting his sixth of the postseason, courtesy of Seidenberg and Horton. Seguin tallied again later in the period for the Bruins, his third of the playoffs and second of the game guided in by Horton and Adam McQuaid. Tampa Bay got one back as Lecavalier put away his sixth of the postseason on the power play, powered by St. Louis and Stamkos. Ryder answered back with a pair of goals, his third and fourth of the playoffs, the first coming on the power play via Seguin and Kaberle and the latter aided by Chris Kelly and Seguin at even strength. Mike Smith relieved Roloson for the third period. The Lightning got back to work in the third with Stamkos registering his fifth of the postseason, assisted by Victor Hedman and Hall. Tampa Bay made it 6-5 with Dominic Moore sinking his third of the playoffs, made possible by Lecavalier, who completed a sock trick, and Sean Bergenheim. This was the final, with Seguin, Lecavalier, and Ryder taking the three stars. The series heads south tied at 1.

Game 3: St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa Bay, Florida. In net: Tim Thomas for Boston and Dwayne Roloson for Tampa Bay. Boston led off with a David Krejci goal, his seventh of the postseason coming via Milan Lucic and Johnny Boychuk. The Bruins made it 2-0 in the third period with Andrew Ference potting his second of the playoffs, assisted by Michael Ryder and Chris Kelly. This was the final, with Thomas (31 save shutout), Krejci, and the returning-from-injury Patrice Bergeron getting the three stars. Boston took a 2-1 series lead.

Game 4: St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa Bay, Florida. In net: Tim Thomas for Boston and Dwayne Roloson for Tampa Bay. Boston led off with the third of the postseason by Patrice Bergeron, an unassisted goal. Michael Ryder added on for the Bruins with his fifth of the playoffs, with Chris Kelly and Tomas Kaberle adding on assists. Bergeron soon struck again, his second of the game and fourth of the postseason coming shorthanded with no help. Mike Smith relieved Roloson after this goal. Teddy Purcell got two goals back for Tampa Bay, his third and fourth of the playoffs, with Simon Gagne taking the lone assist on the first, and Mattias Ohlund and Vincent Lecavalier helping out on the second. The Lightning tied it with Sean Bergenheim netting his ninth of the postseason, courtesy of Dominic Moore. Gagne put Tampa Bay in front with his fourth of the playoffs, coming off of Ryan Malone. Martin St. Louis solidified the win at 5-3 with an empty netter, his eighth of the postseason, guided in by Gagne and Victor Hedman. Malone, Purcell, and Smith (21 saves in relief) were the three stars. The series goes back north tied at 2.

Game 5: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts. In net: Mike Smith for Tampa Bay and Tim Thomas for Boston. Tampa Bay led off with a Simon Gagne goal, his fifth of the postseason, assisted by Steven Stamkos. Boston tied it in the second period with a Nathan Horton tally, his seventh of the playoffs coming off of Milan Lucic and David Krejci. The Bruins took the lead on a Brad Marchand marker, his sixth of the postseason, courtesy of Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara. Boston finished it off 3-1 with an empty net goal by Rich Peverley, his second of the playoffs, made possible by Chris Kelly. The three stars were awarded to Thomas (33 for 34 saves), Bergeron, and Dennis Seidenberg. Boston takes a 3-2 series lead with the win.

Game 6: St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa Bay, Florida. In net: Tim Thomas for Boston and Dwayne Roloson for Tampa Bay. Teddy Purcell led off for Tampa Bay with his fifth of the postseason, coming via Vincent Lecavalier. Boston tied it with a Milan Lucic tally, his third of the playoffs, courtesy of Nathan Horton and Johnny Boychuk. The Bruins took the lead with David Krejci netting his eighth of the postseason, thanks to Daniel Paille. The Lightning retied it in the second period with a power play goal by Martin St. Louis, powered by Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos for his ninth of the playoffs. Tampa Bay took the lead on another power play goal, the sixth of the postseason by Purcell, also his second of the game, made possible by Steve Downie and Brett Clark. Stamkos added on for the Lightning in the third period with his sixth of the playoffs, fueled by Eric Brewer and St. Louis, once again on the power play. Boston answered with a power play goal of their own, the ninth of the postseason by Krejci, also his second of the game, helped in by Horton and Tomas Kaberle. St. Louis replied with his second of the game and tenth of the playoffs, assisted by Downie and Stamkos. Krejci finished his hat trick, making it 5-4 with his tenth of the postseason, with helpers provided by Lucic and Kaberle. The Bruins would fall short though, and they lost by that aforementioned score. St. Louis, Krejci, and Purcell were the three stars. This tied the series at 3, forcing a game 7.

Game 7: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts. In net: Dwayne Roloson for Tampa Bay and Tim Thomas for Boston. The game went scoreless through two periods, until Nathan Horton redirected the puck home, his eighth of the postseason made possible by David Krejci and Andrew Ference. This would be the final score, putting Boston on top 1-0. Horton, Thomas (24 save shutout), and Roloson (37 for 38 saves) were the three stars. With the win, the Bruins take the series 4-3 and will represent the east in the Stanley Cup.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Western Conference Final: 1 Vancouver Canucks VS 2 San Jose Sharks

Game 1: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia. In net: Antti Niemi for San Jose and Roberto Luongo for Vancouver. San Jose led off with Joe Thornton notching his third of the postseason, an unassisted goal. Vancouver tied it with Maxim Lapierre netting his first of the playoffs, thanks to Jannik Hansen and Raffi Torres. The Sharks retook the lead on a power play goal from Patrick Marleau, his fourth of the postseason powered by Dan Boyle and Thornton. The Canucks tied it again in the third period as Kevin Bieksa registered his second of the playoffs, courtesy of Alexandre Burrows and Henrik Sedin. Henrik put Vancouver in the lead 3-2 with his second of the postseason, a power play goal fueled by Christian Ehrhoff and Ryan Kesler. This was the final, with Henrik, Niemi (35 for 38 saves), and Bieksa getting the three stars. Vancouver's win gives them a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia. In net: Antti Niemi for San Jose and Roberto Luongo for Vancouver. Please note that all goals in this game are power play unless explicitly mentioned otherwise. San Jose led off with Logan Couture's seventh of the postseason, courtesy of Dany Heatley and Ian White. Vancouver answered with Daniel Sedin potting his seventh of the playoffs, thanks to Henrik Sedin and Dan Hamhuis. The Canucks took the lead with Raffi Torres netting his second of the postseason, at even strength from Christian Ehrhoff and Jannik Hansen. The Sharks retied it with Patrick Marleau recording his fifth of the playoffs, powered by Joe Thornton and Dan Boyle. Vancouver retook the lead on Kevin Bieksa's third of the postseason, an even strength goal from Chris Higgins and Hamhuis. Bieksa would drop the gloves with Marleau later in the period. Higgins tallied his fourth of the playoffs for the Canucks in the third period, with helpers provided by Mason Raymond and Bieksa, the latter finishing his Gordie Howe hat trick for the game. Daniel notched his second of the game and eighth of the postseason for Vancouver shortly after, with Henrik and Alexander Edler droing the rest of the work. The Canucks added on again with and Aaron Rome goal, the even strength tally being his first of the playoffs, coming via Alexandre Burrows and Henrik Sedin, the latter finishing up a sock trick. Vancouver tacked on another as Raymond sank his second of the postseason, assisted by Higgins and another sock trick earner, Hamhuis at even strength. San Jose cut the damage to 7-3 with Ben Eager registering his first of the playoffs, fueled by Joe Pavelski and Marc-Edouard Vlasic at even strength. Bieksa, Higgins, and Henrik were the three stars. Vancouver lead the series 2-0.

Game 3: HP Pavilion, San Jose, California. In net: Roberto Luongo for Vancouver and Antti Niemi for San Jose. San Jose struck first with a power play goal by Patrick Marleau, his sixth of the postseason powered by Joe Thornton and Devin Setoguchi. The Sharks extended their lead with Ryane Clowe potting his fifth of the playoffs on the power play, courtesy of Dan Boyle and Ian White. San Jose kept rolling with Marleau notching his second of the game and seventh of the postseason, with the lone assist by Thornton. Vancouver got on the board in the third period with Alexandre Burrows netting his fifth of the playoffs, unassisted. The Sharks got the goal back with Boyle's third of the postseason made possible by Marleau and a sock-trick completing assist from Thornton. The Canucks answered with the first of the playoffs by Dan Hamhuis, assisted by Henrik Sedin on the power play. Vancouver pulled within one on another power play goal, registered by Kevin Bieksa as his fourth of the postseason, guided in by Mason Raymond and Jannik Hansen. They would fall 4-3 in the end, with the three stars going to Thornton, Marleau, and Douglas Murray. The Canucks lead has been cut to 2-1.

Game 4: HP Pavilion, San Jose, California. In net: Roberto Luongo for Vancouver and Antti Niemi for San Jose. Vancouver opened the scoring in the second period with a power play goal by Ryan Kesler, his sixth of the postseason, powered by Sami Salo and Henrik Sedin. Salo added on a pair of power play goals for the Canucks, his second and third of the playoffs, with Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin collecting a pair of assists each, Henrik completing a sock trick with his. Vancouver struck again in the third period with the sixth of the postseason by Alexandre Burrows, and Henrik and Daniel again provided assists, with Daniel finishing a sock trick. San Jose got on the board with an Andrew Desjardins goal, his first of the playoffs, assisted by Kent Huskins and Jamie McGinn. Ryane Clowe made it 4-2 with his sixth of the postseason for the Sharks, helped along by Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau. This was the final, with the three stars going to Henrik, Salo, and Daniel. Vancouver now has a 3-1 series lead.

Game 5: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia. In net: Antti Niemi for San Jose and Roberto Luongo for Vancouver. Vancouver opened the scoring with Alexandre Burrows' seventh of the postseason, coming off of Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. San Jose tied it on the power play with the eighth of the playoffs by Patrick Marleau, powered by Dan Boyle and Joe Pavelski. Devin Setoguchi put the Sharks in front in the third period with his seventh of the postseason, guided in by Pavelski and Kent Huskins. The Canucks retied it with 14 seconds remaining in regulation on a Ryan Kesler goal, his seventh of the playoffs, finding twine thanks to Henrik and Alexander Edler. In the second overtime, Kevin Bieksa gave Vancouver the 3-2 win with his fifth of the postseason, a strange goal from Edler and Burrows. Luongo (54 for 56 saves), Bieksa, and Joe Thornton took the three stars. Vancouver's win gave them a 4-1 series victory and a shot at the Stanley Cup.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Fantasy Baseball All-Stars, Week 7

This week's top players are:

Catcher: Yadier Molina, 3 runs, 13 hits, 0 home runs, 4 RBIs, 0 stolen bases, .565 batting average, .615 on base percentage.
First Base: Jason Giambi, 4 runs, 5 hits, 4 home runs, 8 RBIs, 0 stolen bases, .417 batting average, .417 on base percentage
Second Base: Adam Kennedy, 3 runs, 8 hits, 1 home run, 2 RBIs, 4 stolen bases, .421 batting average, .455 on base percentage
Third Base: Alex Rodriguez, 7 runs, 13 hits, 3 home runs, 4 RBIs, 0 stolen bases, .419 batting average, .438 on base percentage
Shortstop: Asdrubal Cabrera, 9 runs, 11 hits, 3 home runs, 7 RBIs, 3 stolen bases, .379 batting average, .419 on base percentage
Outfield: Jay Bruce, 5 runs, 10 hits, 3 home runs, 4 RBIs, 0 stolen bases, .455 batting average, .500 on base percentage
Starting Pitcher: Michael Pineda, 14 innings pitched, 2 wins, 16 strikeouts, 0.00 earned run average, 0.43 WHIP
Relief Pitcher: Fernando Salas, 5 innings pitched, 1 win, 4 saves, 6 strikeouts, 0 holds, 1.80 earned run average, 0.80 WHIP

Song of the Week XX

In our twentieth edition of Song of the Week, we have a song from the band Aranda. The song is called Punish Me, the lead-off song from their debut album. It establishes a heavy rock presence from the beginning of the album that will last throughout. The song itself is very strong, with a slight sense of paranoia around the fact that the singer believes someone wants to punish him. Other than that, it just comes off as a strong message for the rest of the album to follow.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Sandwich Showdown XIX

This week, we go back to the basics, with a Turkey and Ham on Garlic opposing a Chicken on Herbs and Cheese. Starting with the T&H, which was a very strong sandwich all around. The dual-meat combination came in very strong. The bread quality was also at top-notch, giving a very well-prepared deli taste to the sandwich. On the other hand, the Chicken was absolutely succulent. Paired with bacon, the two meats went head to head with the other two meats. Toasted was the bread, which also matched up nicely. Overall, the Chicken gets just a slight edge, with a very well-fought sandwich battle. We will have another showdown next week.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

5/21 Baseball INTERLEAGUE play

The middle games in the series of interleague play that is set for this weekend. We begin with...

The Toronto Blue Jays hosting the Houston Astros. Brett Myers and Brandon Morrow get the ball. Houston led off with Brett Wallace hitting a sacrifice fly to score Michael Bourn and Chris Johnson singling in Hunter Pence. Johnson also ripped an RBI-single in the third, this time bringing home Carlos Lee. Johnson changed his method in the fifth, using a sacrifice fly to score Lee again and extend the Astros lead. Toronto found their bats as Jose Bautista launched a three-run rocket in the sixth, also bringing home Jose Molina and Yunel Escobar. The Blue Jays were back at in the seventh with Molina's single to bring in Eric Thames, before Escobar let a two-run tater tip to finish the trip. Toronto got some insurance from Bautista in the eighth with a solo home run. Houston got an Angel Sanchez double in the ninth as they started playing catch-up, with Bourn coming in again. The final would be 7-5, with Myers taking the loss, Casey Jansen getting the win, Jason Frasor and Jon Rauch grabbing holds, and Octavio Dotel getting the save. Johnson and Bautista were the top batters.

Into the Battle of Missouri, where the Kansas City Royals host the St. Louis Cardinals. Jake Westbrook and Nate Adcock are the starters. St. Louis opened the scoring in the eighth with Matt Holliday's two run home run, also bringing in Albert Pujols. The Cardinals made it 3-0 with Ryan Theriot hitting a sacrifice fly to bring in Daniel Descalso. This was a final, with Westbrook getting the win, Fernando Salas converting a save, and Tim Collins suffering the loss. Holliday and Alex Gordon were the best hitters.

North to Chicago, with the White Sox hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jon Garland and Mark Buehrle are on the mound. Chicago opened with a first inning single by Paul Konerko to drive in Alexei Ramirez. Los Angeles replied with a groundout in the third inning from Matt Kemp that allowed Jamey Carroll to score. The White Sox got the lead back with a two-run Alex Rios home run that also scored A.J. Pierzynski, followed up by Ramirez lining a two-RBI single to knock in Omar Vizquel and Brent Lillibridge, and Konerko doing the same for Gordon Beckham and Ramirez. The Dodgers snagged a run back as Jerry Sands blasted a solo shot in the sixth. Chicago answered with Lillibridge sending a two-run homer out of the park, also scoring Pierzynski. Garland took the loss and Buehrle came out with the win. Sands and Ramirez were named top hitters.

Onward to the Maryland-Area rivalry, with the Washington Nationals visiting the Baltimore Orioles. John Lannan and Jeremy Guthrie are set to pitch. Washington opened the scoring as Laynce Nix reached on an error and Jerry Hairston, Jr. and Ian Desmond both found home. Baltimore tied it with Nolan Reimold drilling a two-run homer, also scoring Mark Reynolds, followed by Nick Markakis singling, and Adam Jones dashing home on an error and Vladimir Guerrero's single finishing up Markakis' trip. The Orioles got back to work in the seventh as Robert Andino doubled in Brandon Snyder, Markakis singling in Andino, Matt Wieters doing the same for Markakis, and J.J. Hardy also following suit to get Guerrero home. The Nationals made it 8-3 with Wilson Ramos sacrificing himself to get Matt Stairs around the basepaths. Guthrie picked up the win and Lannan had the loss. Desmond and Reimold were the top hitters.

Another in-state game, this time from Ohio, has the Cleveland Indians hosting the Cincinnati Reds. Homer Bailey and Josh Tomlin get the starting nods. Cincinnati opened the scoring in the seventh with Scott Rolen's groundout allowing Brandon Phillips to dash home. Cleveland replied in the bottom of the seventh with Travis Buck's two run shot, also scoring Asdrubal Cabrera for a 2-1 lead. This was a final, with Tomlin getting the win, Vinnie Pestano picking up a hold, Chris Perez converting the save, and Bailey unfortunately taking the loss. Ryan Hanigan and Buck were the best batters.

South to Florida, where the Florida Marlins host their in-state rivals, the Tampa Bay Rays. David Price goes against old foe Javier Vazquez. Florida struck in the first to take an early lead as Logan Morrison doubled in both Emilio Bonifacio and Hanley Ramirez. Ramirez would late launch a solo home run, in the sixth. The Marlins tacked on some more in the seventh, with Omar Infante's two run tater, bringing in Wes Helms. Tampa Bay got on the board in the eighth with Kelly Shoppach walking with the bases loaded, forcing in Justin Ruggiano, and Johnny Damon's two-RBI single to score both B.J. Upton and Evan Longoria. The final would be Florida up 5-3, with Price losing, Vazquez winning, Edward Mujica having a hold, and Leo Nunez converting his 17th save of the season. Damon and Ramirez were the top batters.

Into Pittsburgh, with the Pirates hosting the Detroit Tigers. Max Scherzer and Kevin Correia got the starts. Detroit led off with Miguel Cabrera doubling home Andy Dirks, followed by Brennan Boesch doing the same for Cabrera. Pittsburgh got going in the sixth with a Garrett Jones ground rule double to score Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker sacrificing himself for Jose Tabata to score, and Lyle Overbay doing likewise for Jones. The Pirates added on with Matt Diaz singling in Jose Veras and McCutchen in the seventh, followed by Tabata dashing home after a called-strike, for a 6-2 score, the eventual final. Scherzer suffered the loss, Correia got the win, and Joel Hanrahan converted the save. Cabrera and McCutchen were named top hitters.


Bay Area Baseball is next, with the San Francisco Giants hosting the Oakland Athletics. Brett Anderson and Tim Lincecum are set to pitch against each other. San Francisco led off with a Buster Posey first inning groundout, allowing Andres Torres to score. The Giants followed this up with Cody Ross' single in the eighth inning, knocking in Posey, before Miguel Tejada sacrificed himself to bring Ross all the way around. This made the score 3-0, the final, with Anderson losing and Lincecum taking a 3-hit victory. Ryan Sweeney and Posey had top batting honors.

Following up, the Subway Series, with the New York Yankees hosting the New York Mets. Chris Capuano and A.J. Burnett were given the green light to start. The Mets opened with Jason Bay's sacrifice fly to score Jose Reyes, and Justin Turner singling in Daniel Murphy. The Yankees answered with a pair of two-run bombs, in the second and third innings, with Russell Martin knocking around Alex Rodriguez, and Mark Teixeira doing the same for Derek Jeter. Carlos Beltran answered for the Mets with a single to bring Reyes home again. The Yankees replied by having Curtis Granderson and Rodriguez both hit solo shots in the sixth. Capping it off in the eighth, the Yankees got a sacrifice fly by Teixeira to bring Jeter around again. The final was 7-3, with Capuano taking the loss, Burnett snagging the win, and David Robertson and Joba Chamberlain both taking holds. Reyes and Teixeira were the best hitters.

The NL-Only game features the Milwaukee Brewers hosting the Colorado Rockies. Clayotn Mortensen and Shaun Marcum got the starting nods. Colorado led off with a solo home run by Carlos Gonzalez. Milwaukee answered in the bottom of the first with Prince Fielder doubling in Rickie Weeks, and Fielder scoring on an error. The Brewers added on one more run in the fifth with Jonathan Lucroy's solo shot. The Rockies made it 3-2 on Seth Smith's groundout that allowed a dash home by Troy Tulowitzki, but it wasn't enough to win. Mortensen took the loss, Marcum got the win, and John Axford converted a save. Gonzalez and Lucroy were the top batters.

Over to Philadelphia, with the Phillies hosting the Texas Rangers. Colby Lewis and Cliff Lee were handed the game ball. Philadelphia started off the scoring with a second inning solo home run by Ryan Howard. In the sixth, the Phillies added on with a John Mayberry single leading to Raul Ibanez coming around home, for a 2-0 lead, the eventual final. Lewis was the losing pitcher, while former teammate Lee had the win, and Ryan Madson closed out the save. Michael Young and Howard were the top hitters.

Into Boston, where the Red Sox hosted the Chicago Cubs. Carlos Zambrano and Alfredo Aceves were on the mound. Chicago opened in the third with Aramis Ramirez doubling home Kosuke Fukudome. Boston answered with a two-run homer by David Ortiz, also scoring Kevin Youkilis. In the sixth, the Red Sox padded their lead with Jacoby Ellsbury lining a double to get Carl Crawford home. The Cubs got dangerous in the eighth, with Carlos Pena leading the massacre on a bases-loaded walk squeezing in Darwin Barney, followed by Reed Johnson doubling both Starlin Castro and Ramirez home, Pena scoring on a Jed Lowrie error, Jeff Baker hitting a two-RBI double to bring around Johnson and Alfonso Soriano, Barney flying out and Soriano scoring on an error, and Baker doing the same on another error, and finally Castro doubling home Fukudome. This carnage led to a 9-3 Cubs win, with Sean Marshall being lucky enough to pick it up, while Dan Wheeler and Rich Hill had holds before Matt Albers Chernobyl'd it. Castro and Ortiz were the top batters.

To Anaheim, with the Angels hosting the Atlanta Braves. Tommy Hanson and Joel Pineiro were given the ball. Anaheim led off with a two-run Bobby Abreu home run, also scoring Erick Aybar in the first. The Angels added on in the fifth with a two-RBI single by Torii Hunter, driving home Maicer Izturis and Abreu. Atlanta got on the board with Joe Mather's three run blast, also scoring Freddie Freeman and Alex Gonzalez, and tying it on Brian McCann's RBI-double, scoring Martin Prado. The Braves won it 5-4 in the twelfth as Mather doubled in Gonzalez to win the game. Scott Proctor got the win, and Craig Kimbrel converted the save, while Fernando Rodney had a hold before Hisanori Takahashi blew the save, and Trevor Bell suffered the loss. Mather and Abreu had the top hitting status.

A little farther south, the San Diego Padres host the Seattle Mariners. Michael Pineda duels with Clayton Richard. Mike Wilson opened for Seattle with a single to score Franklin Gutierrez, followed by a Jack Wilson sacrifice fly to bring around Brendan Ryan. Mike Wilson added on in the fourth with a double to knock in Ryan. The Mariners added on with Jack Wilson dashing home on an error.This made it 4-0, the eventual final, with Pineda taking the win and Richard being stuck with the loss. Mike Wilson and Orlando Hudson were the best batters.

Lastly, the Arizona Diamondbacks host the Minnesota Twins. Scott Baker and Micah Owings are on the mound. Minnesota opened with Danny Valencia's solo home run in the second inning. Juan Miranda answered with a fourth inning double that drove home Miguel Montero. The Twins got the lead back when Delmon Young dashed home as Denard Span reached on an error. Minnesota added on with a Jason Kubel solo home run and Valencia singling in Justin Morneau in the sixth. The Diamondbacks answered with Chris Young doubling in Stephen Drew in the bottom of the inning, and Gerardo Parra laying down a bunt single to squeeze in Young. The Twins got the Valencia's RBI-single to score Morneau, and Michael Cuddyer dashing home on a pair of errors. Arizona replied with Miranda doubling in both Young and Montero, before they got a 9-6 lead on a grand slam by Kelly Johnson, bringing in Parra, Josh Wilson, and Ryan Roberts. This lead would hold for the win, which Aaron Heilman picked up, and J.J. Putz preserved for a save. Phil Dumatrait, Alex Burnett, and Joe Nathan had holds before Matt Capps blew it up. Valencia and Miranda were the best hitters.

That's all for Saturday. More to come next week.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Baseball, Tuesday, May 17th

Today we have a rain-shortened schedule of games with some lingering storms in the eastern parts of the country. Those games that have been postponed are the Nationals/Pirates, Tigers/Blue Jays, Red Sox/Orioles, and Mets/Marlins. For the games that will be played, we lead off with the...

Atlanta Braves hosting the Houston Astros. Wandy Rodriguez and Derek Lowe get the starts. The scoring started in the seventh with a solo home run by Brett Wallace for Houston. Atlanta answered with Brian McCann hitting his only solo shot to tie the game in the ninth. McCann would provide the winning home run as well, an eleventh inning two run blast to make it 3-1 as Eric Hinske scored. Mark Melancon had a blown save and Jeff Fulchino took the loss, while Cory Gearrin picked up the win. Wallace and McCann were the best hitters for the game. Atlanta took the short series 2-0.

Westward to Colorado, with the Rockies hosting the San Francisco Giants. Jonathan Sanchez and Ubaldo Jimenez were on the mound. San Francisco opened the scoring in the second inning with Miguel Tejada singling in Aubrey Huff. Colorado answered with a solo home run by Troy Tulowitzki. The Giants retook the lead in the third with a double by Pat Burrell, scoring both Mike Fontenot and Buster Posey. The Rockies got to work in the eighth with Ryan Spilborghs scoring on a Sanchez error, Dexter Fowler hitting a ground rule double to score Chris Iannetta, and Carlos Gonzalez's 2-RBI single scoring both Alfredo Amezaga and Fowler. This left the score at 5-3, the final, with Sanchez being stuck with the loss, Javier Lopez being credited with a blown save, Matt Belisle getting a win, and Huston Street converting the save. Burrell and Tulowitzki were the top hitters. Colorado swept the series 2-0.

Back south and east, the Tampa Bay Rays host the New York Yankees. Ivan Nova and James Shields were the lucky starters. Tampa Bay opened in the third with a solo home run by Elliot Johnson. New York answered with a pair of solo shots by Alex Rodriguez, in the fourth and sixth innings. The Yankees added on in the seventh with Chris Dickerson singling home Eduardo Nunez, followed by Derek Jeter's grounding into a double play and a subsequent Ben Zobrist error that allowed a dash home by Brett Gardner. New York added some more in the ninth inning with Gardner singling home Russell Martin before completing his trip on a Jeter single. The Rays made it a 6-2 loss with Zobrist's ground rule double scoring Sean Rodriguez. Nova got the win and Shields was stuck with the loss. Rodriguez and Johnson were the top batters. The teams split the series 1-1.

Over to Cincinnati, with the Reds hosting the Chicago Cubs. Matt Garza and Edinson Volquez got the starting nods. Chicago opened with a three-run homer by Carlos Pena, bringing in Darwin Barney and Aramis Ramirez. Cincinnati tied it with a three-run error by Garza, leading to Brandon Phillips, Ramon Hernandez, and Scott Rolen all dashing home. The Cubs retook the lead with Barney's walk leading to Campana scoring. Campana would add on for Chicago by doubling home Ramirez. The Reds replied in the bottom of the next inning, with a Ryan Hanigan sacrifice leading to Rolen and Fred Lewis coming home, Chris Heisey also sacrificing to bring around Hanigan, and then Joey Votto doubling in Paul Janish. The final would have the Reds on top 7-5, with Sean Marshall collecting a hold before Kerry Wood blew the save and took the loss, while Bill Bray got the win and Nick Masset converted the save. Pena and Rolen were the top batters.

Continuing to Chicago, with the White Sox playing host to the Texas Rangers. Matt Harrison and John Danks had the starts. Ian Kinsler opened the scoring for Texas with by grounding into a double play, but allowing Endy Chavez to score. In the second, the Rangers added on again with Mike Napoli dashing home on an error. Texas kept it up in the fourth with Yorvit Torrealba's sacrifice bringing around David Murphy. Chicago tied it the next inning as Brent Morel drilled a three-run tater to knock in A.J. Pierzynski and Alex Rios. The White Sox took a 4-3 lead in the eighth with Gordon Beckham coming home on a wild pitch. This was the final, with the loss going to Cody Eppley, the win awarded to Jesse Crain, and the save converted by Sergio Santos. Chavez and Morel were the top hitters. The series split 1-1.

To Kansas City, with the Royals hosting the Cleveland Indians. Carlos Carrasco and Sean O'Sullivan took to the mound. Cleveland opened with Travis Hafner doubling in Michael Brantley, Shin-Soo Choo and Carlos Santana. Kansas City got on the board in the second with Matt Treanor's single to score Eric Hosmer. The Indians replied with a fourth inning sacrifice fly by Brantley that allowed Orlando Cabrera to come home. Cleveland kept going in the fifth with Santana's solo shot and Travis Buck singling in Hafner. The Royals would get one back as Hosmer's single drove in Jeff Francoeur. The Indians added a seventh inning solo home run off Asdrubal Cabrera's bat. Kansas City made it 7-3 with Melky Cabrera singling in Treanor, the final run of the game. Carrasco got the win and O'Sullivan took the loss. Hafner and Hosmer were the top hitters. Cleveland swept 2-0 for the series.

Across Missouri, the St. Louis Cardinals hosted the Philadelphia Phillies. St. Louis opened with a fourth inning Yadier Molina single to score Lance Berkman. Philadelphia tied it in the eighth as Placido Polanco hit a sacrifice fly to bring around Jimmy Rollins. The Cardinals won the game with Berkman singling in Jon Jay in the ninth, for a 2-1 victory. Danys Baez had the loss and Fernando Salas got the win. Polanco and Molina were the best batters. St. Louis swept the series 2-0.

To the Desert, for the Arizona Diamondbacks hosting the San Diego Padres. Tim Stauffer opposed Daniel Hudson. San Diego led off with Jason Bartlett drilling a sacrifice fly to bring in Chris Denorfia. Arizona replied as Justin Upton grounded out but allowed Kelly Johnson passage home. The Diamondbacks added on in fourth as Miguel Montero doubled in Upton. Arizona kept going in the sixth as Gerardo Parra hit a two-RBI single, driving home both Chris Young and Montero. The Diamondbacks capped it off with Stephen Drew singling home Ryan Roberts and Montero doing the same for Upton. The final was 6-1, with Stauffer getting pinned with the loss and Hudson grabbing the win. Denorfia and Montero were named best hitters. The teams split the series at 1 apiece.

Into California, with the Oakland Athletics hosting the Anaheim Angels. Tyler Chatwood and Gio Gonzalez made the starts. Oakland opened in the second inning with a Mark Ellis double to bring in David DeJesus, Kevin Kouzmanoff doing the same to complete Ellis' trip, and Coco Crisp driving Kouzmanoff in with a single. The Athletics were back at it in the third with Ellis' two-RBI single knocking in both Josh Willingham and Kurt Suzuki, Kouzmanoff reaching on an error that led to a dash home by DeJesus, and Crisp doubling in Ellis. Oakland added another run in the fourth as Suzuki doubled in fellow countryman Hideki Matsui. The Athletics also punished in the sixth as DeJesus singled in Willingham, Ellis followed with the same for Suzuki, Ryan Sweeney walked with the bases loaded to force in DeJesus, followed by Daric Barton doing the same for Ellis, and capping off the 6-run inning and 14-0 victory was Willingham singling in both Kouzmanoff and Sweeney. Chatwood took the loss, and Gonzalez got the win. Howie Kendrick and Ellis were the top hitters. Oakland won the series 2-0.

Down in the south part of the state, the Los Angeles Dodgers hosted the Milwaukee Brewers. Randy Wolf and Hiroki Kuroda were the starting pitchers. Los Angeles led off with a two-run first inning homer by Matt Kemp, also scoring Andre Ethier. The Dodgers made it 3-0 with Jerry Sands' double to bring in Juan Uribe. This was the final, with Wolf taking the loss, Kuroda snatching the win, Kenley Jansen getting a hold, and Matt Guerrier converting the save. Wolf and Kemp were the top batters. The series was split at 1.

Finally, in the Northwest, the Seattle Mariners hosted the Minnesota Twins. Francisco Liriano opposed Felix Hernandez. Minnesota opened with Michael Cuddyer singling in both Matt Tolbert and Jason Kubel in the first inning. Seattle made it 2-1 with Ichiro's single to score Brendan Ryan. This would be a final, with Hernandez taking the loss, Liriano picking up the win, Glen Perkins getting a hold, and Matt Capps earning a save. Cuddyer and Ichiro were the top hitters. This series also split 1-1.

That's all for Tuesday. Check later in the week for more baseball.