close....but...no

The Pirates were looking to do something that probably not many picked earlier this week, and that was to win a series versus the Phillies.  After Garrett Jones came through with another late inning home run for this Pirates team, they were on their way to a game win of 3-2 and a series victory.  Garrett Jones hit a two run home run in the eighth inning with two out and one on, that put the Pirates in the lead for good, as Matt Capps held the Phils in the ninth for his 24th save.  Danny Bautista(1-0) got the relief victory for the Pirates as he worked two perfect innings with two strikeouts behind a well pitched game by Charlie Morton who went five innings and allowed only two runs.  The Pirates only other run was on a home run by Andrew McCutchen in the first.

J.A. Happ pitched very well in this game and really only made two mistakes.  Unfortunately both of those mistakes were home runs and led to the loss for Happ(10-3) as he went eight innings and allowed seven total hits, but two home runs.  His only run support was a Ryan Howard RBI groundout in the first and a Paul Bako solo shot in teh second before the Phils bats went silent.  Phillies Phandom has more on this game and all Phillies games.

Redding...wins?

In a rare event for the New York Mets yesterday in South Florida, they won by a score of 10-3.  Even more odd is that every position player had at least two hits including Daniel Murphy with two hits and three RBI and Anderson Hernandez with three hits and two runs scored and the Mets knocked seventeen in total.  Tim Redding, newly into the rotation pitched his second straight good start going 6.2 innings and only allowing five hits and three runs, but all three on homers to get the victory.  The Real Dirty Mets Blog covers all things Mets for you.

With the arm and bat!

Another shot, what else is new?

The Washington Nationals really hurt the Cubs this week, by now taking the series from them in Chicago by winning yesterday 5-4.  Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn added solo shots for the Nats, who barely held on to the lead for starter J.D. Martin.  Martin(3-3) went five innings allowing four hits and three runs, but two home runs in earning the victory.  After relief pitching allowed the Cubs to get within one, Mike MacDougal recorded his 14th save of the year with 1.2 innings of work only allowing a walk.    CenterfieldGate has more on this.
The Cubs had sent Randy Wells to the mound for this one, but he could not give them a series win.  Wells(9-7) lasted 6.1 innings allowing all five runs while walking four batters in taking the loss.  They almost got even for him as Aramis Ramirez hit a two run shot and Derek Lee added a solo homer, but that was all.