Braves vs. Giants

The Braves took the opening game of their four-game series with the Giants by a score of 3-2. San Francisco jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the 1st as Andres Torres scored on Aubrey Huff’s ground out. The Giants tagged on another run in the 2nd when Torres hit a double to center, driving home Aaron Rowand. Atlanta tied up the game in the bottom of the 2nd with a two-run shot to left field off the bat of Alex Gonzalez. Eric  Hinske would homer for the Braves in the bottom of the 6th to make it 3-2 Atlanta.

Jair Jurrjens got the win, going 6 innings and giving up two runs on seven hits while striking out three. Tim Lincecum took the loss, going 6.1 innings and allowing three runs on six hits while striking out seven. Billy Wagner recorded his 26th save of the season for Atlanta.

Marlins vs. Phillies

The Phillies beat the Marlins 5-4 in 10 innings. The game was scoreless until the top of the 6th when Carlos Ruiz doubled, hitting  a line drive to center to drive in Raul Ibanez and Domonic Brown, giving Philadelphia a 2-0 lead. The Marlins came back in the bottom of the 7th to score four runs. Donnie Murphy hit a ground-rule double to drive in a run. Two batters later, Logan Morrison walked with the bases loaded tying the game at 2-2. Gaby Sanchez followed with a single to drive in two more runs for Florida. Going into the 9th with a 4-2 lead, a Hanley Ramirez error along with poor pitching from the Florida bullpen allowed for the Phillies to tie up the game. The game winning run for the Phillies came in the top of the 10th on a homer to left field off the bat of Ruiz.

Phillies starter Roy Oswalt went 6.1 innings, giving up two runs on three hits while striking out five. Ryan Madson got the win for Philadelphia. Chris Volstad went 5.2 innings for Florida, allowing two runs on eight hits while striking out two batters. Will Ohman took the loss for Florida. Brad Lidge recorded his 12th save for the Phillies.

Nationals vs. Diamondbacks

The Nationals lost to the Diamondbacks by a score of 8-4. A fielding error by Adam Dunn in the 2nd allowed for Rusty Ryal to reach base and Adam LaRoche to score for Arizona. Ryal would score later in the inning on a double by Bobby Crosby. Adam Kennedy got Washington on the board in the 3rd with a solo shot to right field, cutting Arizona’s lead to 2-1. The next inning, Stephen Drew hit an RBI single for Arizona. Arizona starter Barry Enright helped himself out at the plate, driving in Drew with a single to center field. Ryan Zimmerman homered in the top of the 5th, cutting the lead to 4-2. Zimmerman had two home runs on the night. Arizona would respond, however, with three more runs in the bottom of the 5th. Roger Bernadina homered in the 7th for Washington. Arizona tagged on their 8th run in the 8th on a sacrifice fly by Justin Upton.

Ross Detwiler took the loss for Washington. He lasted only 4 innings, giving up seven runs on  nine hits while striking out five. Barry Enright got the win for Arizona. He went 6 innings allowing two runs on six hits while striking out three.

Marlins vs. Phillies

The Phillies beat the Marlins in a score of 6-1. In the 2nd inning Ben Francisco and Carlos Ruiz both went deep for the Phillies with a pair of solo shots.  In the bottom of the inning Dan Uggla also went deep with a solo shot.  In the 4th Roy Halladay singled scoring Ben Francisco and Carlos Ruiz.  In the 5th the Phillies added another run when Carlos Ruiz singled home Raul Ibanez.  In the 7th the Phillies added another  a final run when Wilson Valdez singled home Placido Polanco.

Roy Halladay got the win and pitched 7 innings giving up 5 hits, 1 run, and 9 strikeouts.  The loss went to Sean West who pitched 5 innings giving up 9 hits, 5 runs, and 4 strikeouts.

Mets vs. Braves

The Mets beat the Braves in a score of 3-2. The Braves struck first in the 2nd when Melkey Cabrera grounded out into a fielders choice scoring Alex Gonzalez.  In the bottom of the inning Jose Reyes doubled scoring Luis Castillo.  The Braves took the lead in the 5th when Melkey Cabrera single home Rick Ankiel.  The Mets tied it up in the 7th when Chris Carter singled home Jeff Francoeur.  The Mets took the lead in the 9th when Jeff Francoer hit a solo home run.

Derek Lowe pitched 6 innings giving up 6 hits, 1 run, and 3 strikeouts.  RA Dickey pitched 6 innings giving up 5 hits, 2 runs, and 2 strikeouts.  Manny Acosta got the win after pitching 1.2 innings giving up no hits with 1 strikeout.  Billy Wagner got the loss after pitching 1 inning giving up 1 hit, 1 run, and 1 strikeout.  Francisco Rodríguez got the save after pitching a perfect 9th.

Nationals vs. Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks beat the Nationals in a score of 6-1. The Nationals took an early lead when Ryan Zimmerman hit a solo shot in the 1st.  In the 3rd the Diamondbacks tied it up when Stephen Drew hit a solo shot.  In the 4th the Diamondbacks took the lead when Mark Reynolds homered to score Adam LaRoche and Miguel Montero.  In the 6th the Diamondbacks added another run when Miguel Montero hit a sac fly to score Justin Upton.  In the 7th Kelly Johnson singled scoring Rusty Ryal to add another run.

Joe Saunders got the win after pitching a complete game with 5 hits, 1 run, and 5 strikeouts.  Scott Olsen got the loss and pitched 5.2 innings giving up 7 hits, 5 runs and 3 strikeouts.

Phillies vs. Cardinals

The Cardinals beat the Phillies in a score of 8-4.  The Phillies scored 3 runs in the first when Ryan Howard doubled home Placido Polanco and Shane Victorino singled home Raul Ibanez and Ryan Howard.  The Cardinals scored  a run when Albert Pujols grounded out to score Felipe López in the bottom of the inning.  The Cardinals added another run in the 2nd when Brenden Ryan grounded out to score Skip Schumaker.  In the 4th the Phillies added there 4th run of the game when Jimmy Rollins singled home Carlos Ruiz.  In the 5th inning the Cardinals tapped on 5 more runs thanks to a Jay Bruce double and 3 home runs from  Albert Pujols, Allen Craig and Skip Schumaker.  The Cardinals added another run in the 6th when Randy Winn hit a solo shot.

Blake Hawksworth got the win and pitched 6 innings giving up 10 hits, 4 runs and 1 strikeout.  Kyle Kendrick got the lose and he pitched 5 innings giving up 7 hits, 7 runs and 2 strikeouts.

Marlins vs. Rockies

The Marlins beat the Rockies in a score of 9-8. The Rockies struck first adding 2 runs in the top of the 3rd when Jason Giambi singled home Jonathan Herrera and Carlos González scored.  The Marlins had 3 runs of there own in the bottom of the inning when Emilio Bonifacio singled home Mike Stanton and Hanley Ramirez reached on a bunt single that scored Emilio Bonifacio.  In the 6th the Rockies added 2 more runs when Ubaldo Jimenez and Seth Smith singled home Brad Hawpe and Clint Barmes.  In the bottom of the inning Mike Stanton homered scoring Jorge Cantu and Cody Ross.  The Marlins added another run when Jorge Cantu singled home  Emilio Bonifacio.  The Rockies struck back adding 4 runs in the 8th when Ian Stewart hit a solo shot and Jonathan Herrera hit a homer that scored Clint Barmes and Seth Smith.  The Marlins came back to win it when they scored 2 runs in the 9th when Donnie Murphy homered scoring Dan Uggla.

Ubaldo Jiménez pitched 5.1 innings giving up 6 hits, 6 runs with 5 strikeouts.  Anibal Sánchez pitched 6 innings giving up 8 hits, 4 runs with 4 strikeouts.  Jhan Maríñez got the win pitching 1.1 innings giving up 2 hits, 1 run with 2 strikeouts.  Houston Street got the lose pitching .2 of an inning giving up 1 hit and 2 runs with no strikeouts.

Nationals vs. Reds

The Reds beat the Nationals in a score of 7-2.  The Reds scored 4 runs in the 2nd thanks to a Drew Stubbs double and Johnny Cueto singled that scored Jonny Gomes, Jay Bruce, Miguel Cairo, and Stubbs. In the 3rd the Nationals got 2 runs when Nyjer Morgan hit a sac fly to score Willie Harris and Christian Guzman singled home Ian Desmond.  The Reds added 2 more runs when Jonny Gomes and Miguel Cairo both hit solo shots.  The Reds scored 1 more run in the 8th when Miguel Cairo singled home Jonny Gomes.

Johnny Cueto won and pitched 6 innings, giving up 4 hits, 2 runs, and 4 strikeouts.  JD Martin got the loss and pitched 5.1 innings giving up 6 hits, 6 runs, and 2 strikeouts.

Mets vs. Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks beat the Mets in a score of 13-2. The Diamondbacks scored 4 runs in the 1st thanks to hits from Kelly Johnson, Mark Reynolds, and Gerardo Parra.  They scored 2 more runs in the 2nd inning when Justin Upton doubled home Chris Young and Adam LaRoche singled home Justin Upton.  The Mets scored in the 5th when Angel Pagan singled home Josh Thole.  In the 6th the Diamondbacks added 5 runs when Justin Upton tripled, Miguel Montero doubled, and Mark Reynolds homered and they added  2 more runs in the 8th.  The Mets added 1 more run in the 9th when Jose Reyes doubled home Luis Castillo.

Ian Kennedy got the win and pitched 5 innings giving up 4 hits, 1 run and 1 strikeout.  Mike Pelfrey got the loss and pitched only 1.1 innings giving up 7 hits, 6 runs with 1 strikeout.

The Braves were off.

Phillies vs. Reds

The Phillies beat the Reds in a score of 4-3 in extra innings. The Reds scored first when Joey Votto hit a solo shot in the 1st.  In the bottom of the inning Shane Victorino tied it up when he also went deep. The Phillies took the lead when Jimmy Rollins scored off a fielding error when Shane Victorino singled.  In the top of the 8th Drew Stubbs scored on a wild pitch to tie up the game.  In the bottom of the inning the Phillies reclaimed the lead when Jimmy Rollins hit a sac fly to score Wilson Valedz.  In the 9th the Reds tied it up again when Miguel Cairo doubled home Joey Votto.  Brian Schneider hit a walk off homer in the 12th for the Phillies.

Kyle Kendrick pitched 6.2 innings giving up 3 hits, 1 run, with 4 strikeouts.  Johnny Cueto pitched 7 innings giving up 4 hits, 2 runs with 3 strikeouts.  Nelson Figueroa got the win pitching 2 innings giving up no hits with 2 strikeouts.  The loss went to Jordan Smith who pitched 1.1 innings giving up 2 hits, 1 run, and no strikeouts.

Nationals vs. Padres

The Padres beat the Nationals in a score of 7-1. Yorvit Torrealba singled home Chase Headley in the first to score the first run of the game.  They added 2 more runs when Chris Denorfia and pitcher Mat Latos both went deep in the 3rd.  In the 6th Chris Denorfia singled home Yorvit Torrealba.  They again added 2 runs in the 7th when Chase Headley homered scoring Mat Latos.  The Nationals finally put a run on the board in the 8th when Adam Dunn singled home Roger Bernadina. In the 9th Jerry Hairston Jr. hit a solo shot to add another run for the Padres.

Mat Latos got the win after pitching 7 innings giving up 5 hits, no runs with 8 strikeouts.  The loss went to  Luis Atilano who pitched 5.1 innings giving up 8 hits, 4 runs with 2 strikeouts.

Marlins vs. Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks beat the Marlins in a score of 10-4. Arizona scored in the 1st when Kelly Johnson grounded out scoring Stephen Drew.  In the 3rd the Marlins tied it up when Chris Coghlan hit a sac fly to score Michael Stanton. Cole Gillespie doubled home Chris Snyder and Gerardo Parra then Kelly Johnson tripled home both Cole Gillespie and Stephen Drew, and Justin Upton singled home Kelly Johnson in the 4th inning to score 5 runs in the inning.  In the 6th Donnie Murphy scored for the Marlins on a throwing error.  In the bottom of the inning Arizona scored 4 more runs thanks to a long single from Adam LaRoche, a sac fly from Chris Snyder and an error.  In the 7th the Marlins added 2 runs when Brett Hayes homered scoring Cody Ross.

Anibal Sánchez lost after he pitched just 4 innings giving up 9 hits, 6 runs, and 2 strikeouts.  Rodrigo López got the win after he tossed 7 innings giving up 5 hits, 4 runs and 3 strikeouts.

The Mets and The Braves are both off

I never knew why it was called the Hot Stove, and I suppose in the age of Google and Wikipedia, I could easily find the answer to that question. Ultimately, it does not matter so I will simply continue on in blissful ignorance. Sports has become a 24 hour a day, 365 investment. Baseball is no different. As soon as the season ends, whether your team won or lost the World Series, the question is the same, what about next season? It does not take long before everyone wonders where free agents are going, how much money they are going to get, and who is the favorite next year. The Yankees are already facing questions like, are they going to resign Johnny Damon? What about Matsui? Is Pettite going or coming back? What about Holliday, Bay, and Halladay? I mean this team just won the World Series. I am going to be honest. I do not have any inside information. No one at any of the NL East teams is feeding me information.
Here is what I do know and it has been said by much smarter and more eloquent people than I. You cannot win in the offseason. So let’s take a stab at some of the more popular off season rumors and take the opposite position and see where that gets us.

Popular Theory #1

The Phillies are only looking to add a third baseman and complimentary pieces. Otherwise, they are still the team to beat.

I have to be honest, despite the nausea that ensued from watching the World Series as a Mets fan, I was envious of the way the Phillies were constructed. However, that same World Series exposed a lot of problems that the other NL East teams were not in a position to capitalize on last year. Cole Hamels is a question mark. Can Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ be counted on to perform as well as they did last season? Jayson Werth a 40 HR guy? Did Brad Lidge turn into a pumpkin? The least of the Phillies problems is 3rd base. With the Phillies lineup, they need someone slightly better at the hot corner than, say, Roger Dorn. The Phillies though could use a Randy Wolf type starter or try and catch lightening in a bottle with Eric Bedard. Rafael Soriano is available and if he can stay healthy, he would be a great setup man, push Madson to the 7th inning and also serve as insurance should Brad Lidge regress further into pumpkin pie. (Hope you appreciate the seasonal reference.) I understand that the Phillies will not overspend for John Lackey, but pitching wins. You cannot outslug everyone, especially in the playoffs. The Phillies need to find find a wily veteran to play third base, like the Marlins did with Jorge Cantu, and hope for the best. The rest of whatever money is available should be poured into the starting rotation and the bullpen.

Free Agents to Target: Joe Crede, Marco Scutaro, Rafael Soriano, Ben Sheets, Randy Wolf, Billy Wagner, Melvin Mora, Adam Kennedy, Jason Marquis.

#2

The Braves should look to unload salary by trying to dump Derek Lowe or Javier Vazquez.

I am going to say it, the Braves could be on the short list for the Wild Card next year. Chipper Jones, Yunel Escobar, Adam LaRoche and Brian McCann create a pretty competitive lineup. Lowe, Hudson, Vazquez and Hanson are not a bad front 4. With the Mets and Phillies looking vulnerable, why would the Braves start bailing? While I dont think the Braves should make a run at Holliday or Bay to try and “go for it”, I do think they should look to invest their money. I am thinking Mike Cameron. I think they try to bring in Randy Wolf, or make a trade for Edwin Jackson. Speaking of trades, make an offer for Dan Uggla, I bet it would take less than you would think. The Braves can compete and though Lowe and Vazquez are huge contracts, can you really consider trading them? The Braves knew what they were getting into when they signed Lowe. Might as well make the best of it.

Free Agents to Target: Mike Cameron, Scott Podsednik, Marlon Byrd, Bobby Howry, Octavio Dotel.

#3

The Mets need to sign Matt Holliday and/or Jason Bay and/or John Lackey.

As a Mets fan, it would be great if the team could be run like fantasy baseball team. It cannot. While a left fielder would be great, and the Mets could sorely use the power, this team needs to be more artfully constructed then just plugging in Holliday. Now, the Mets could have a Yankee moment and burn money by signing Lackey and Holliday/Bay and turn the baseball world on its head, but that wont happen. This team needs a more focused approach. The Mets have won before with the likes of Darryl Hamilton, Benny Agbayani and Todd Pratt. The Mets need quality top to bottom. They need a solid rotation. The bench was exposed last season. The Mets should not have players on their team that might appear on a 1998 baseball card. Signing one big free agent will not solve this problem. There is better ways to invest money than in Holliday.

Free Agents to Target: Austin Kearns, Rich Harden, Adam Kennedy, Jarrod Washburn, Fernando Rodney, Jason Kendall, Jon Garland, Miguel Olivo.

#4

The Nationals should….

Eek. I dont know where to begin. The Nationals need to establish a winning culture. Right now, they are about inspiring as East Germany before the wall fell down. (Again, another culturally relevant point, Google it if you dont know why.) However, there is hope. Adam Dunn and Ryan Zimmerman. Stephen Strasburg. A mildly intriguing starting rotation. The fact is, Washington, right now can neither afford nor attract top talent. So it needs to continue to build like it did when it signed Adam Dunn. In this market, given the fact that bigger teams are reluctant to give up draft picks and pay out top dollar, teams like the Nationals can sign players like Adam Dunn and thereby become competitive.

Free Agents to Target: Orlando Hudson, Justin Duchscherer, Hank Blalock, Ben Sheets, Brett Myers, Carl Pavano, Paul Byrd, Jose Contreras.

#5

Marlins? Marlins? Bueller?

As with the Nationals, the Marlins are a total mystery as to what direction they will take. They are rumored to be looking to move pieces. I just dont know. I dont even know what to say. It wouldnt surprise me if the Marlins found a way to finish below the Nationals next year or if they won the World Series. What I do know is that they have cheerleaders. Yes, you read it correctly. Rivaled only by the Kansas City Chiefs Cheerleaders for “Fewest Fans to Entertain”, the Marlins have decided cheerleaders are a good way to get people to the ballpark. They have been around for a few years and it always surprises me when I see them. Is this the UFL? What happened to this baseball game? How much are they getting paid? How much could a ticket possibly cost to sit directly behind them? Anyway, the Marlins will probably have one signing that makes you go, oh yea, remember when he was good for that one season? The Marlins should give out an award to that guy. Call it, the Ken Bottenfield Award and it should be written into the contract.

Free Agents to Target: Mike Hampton, Vicente Padilla, LaTroy Hawkins, Shawon Dunston, Russell Branyan, Bruce Chen, Eddie Guardado, Rocco Baldelli. (Although to type this list makes me feel like I am wasting my time).

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see who the teams in the NL East decide to sign and/or trade for, but there are always some surprises.

Pedro celebrates the Phillies divisional win

The Phillies rode a four run fourth inning against the Astros to take this game and the division, 10-3.  Raul Ibanez contributed a two run home run and a total of three RBI and two runs scored as the Phillies had a laugher.  Pedro Martinez only went four innings but Kyle Kendrick(3-1) worked three scoreless innings allowing just two hits for the victory.  Check out Phillies Phandom for more on the victory and congrats to them and their team on the third straight division victory.

Brian Moehler(8-12) was pretty terrible in this game, only lasting 4.1 innings but allowing six hits and seven runs including three walks in the loss.  Josh Towles had a great game, hitting two solo home runs to provide two of the three runs they received.  The series between the two teams ends today.

Chipper watches the playoffs fly away

The Florida Marlins are playing spoiler once again, as they seem to do every year, with their second consecutive win against the Braves, 5-4.  Ross Gload had a two run home run and Jorge Cantu went 3-5 with two runs scored and an RBI to lead the Marlins in this one.  Ricky Nolasco(13-9) went 7.2 innings allowing just four hits and two runs and striking out SIXTEEN batters in this one, what a gem.  Brenden Donnelly came on for the final out to get the save(2) in this one as Leo Nunez was struggling, but still got his 14th save of the season, check out FishGuts for more.

Javier Vazquez had a rare loss in a big game for the Braves.  Vazquez(15-10) went six innings and allowed eight hits and five runs (only three earned) but also struck out nine.  The Braves made a comeback bid in this one as they were down 5-0 entering the seventh.  Adam LaRoche had a two RBI single, followed by Yunel Escobar and Omar Infante RBI singles in the ninth before the Marlins put the game away, check out The Braves Baseball Blog for more.

Maxwell with a walkoff granny

Ah, the sought after matchup of the basement teams was won in a sweep by the Nats, with a 7-4 walk off win on Wednesday night.  Justin Maxwell came to the plate and hit a grand slam sending the Nats to a 7-4 win when they entered the inning down 4-2.  Adam Dunn had walked just before him to get them within one run and he took a KRod pitch out of the stadium.  Ron Villone(5-6) got the win with 0.2 innings pitched and you can get more at Centerfield Gate.

Francisco Rodriguez had one of the worst games a closer can take, thank god it meant nothing.  Rodriguez(3-6) blew his seventh save of the year and got two outs in the ninth while allowing three hits, five runs and two walks on 37 pitches.  Omir Santos had two RBI in this game to lead the Mets along with Carlos Beltran and Fernando Tatis, but all for naught.  Check out The Real Dirty Mets Blog for more.

Lidge blows #11

The Florida Marlins were looking to take two of three against the first place Phillies last night and pull closer in the wildcard and division, but were down headed to late innings.  They fought back late in the game with a Gaby Sanchez home run in the eighth, a Cody Ross RBI single in the eighth and finally a Jorge Cantu RBI single to tie it in the ninth.  That wasn’t the end of it though, as Brett Carroll singled home Hanley Ramirez with the winning run against struggling closer Brad Lidge in the bottom of the ninth to win 7-6.  Dan Meyer(3-1) got the win while working a scoreless inning in the ninth as the Marlins try to keep their playoff hopes alive, FishGuts has more.

Brad Lidge is a far cry from last year’s perfect season, now with his 11th blown save of the year.  Lidge only recorded two outs in the bottom of the ninth while allowing three hits and a walk while giving up two runs and his ERA is now 7.48 on the season.  The blown save took another win away from starter Cole Hamels and took the emphasis off a game in which both Raul Ibanez and Ryan Howard homered and Howard had a total of four RBI.  Phillies Phandom will cover Lidge’s struggle.

Cox with an extension and another win

On a night when it was announced that Bobby Cox would manage for another season, the Braves gave him another win.  Tim Hudson(2-1) went six innings allowing nine hits and two runs to continue a successful Tommy John comeback and the bottom of the order did the heavy lifting for the Braves.  Adam LaRoche went 3-5 with two RBI and Kelly Johnson went 1-3 with two RBI on way to the 5-2 win.  Rafael Soriano once again worked the ninth allowing just a walk to get his 26th save of the season, check out Braves Baseball Blog for more.

Mike Pelfrey absolutely can’t find the magic he had last year as he lost again.  Pelfrey(10-12) went six innings and allowed nine hits and four runs (although three earned) in taking another loss.  Luis Castillo singled home Pelfrey in the third and then Angel Pagan had an RBI on a fielders’ choice error in the fourth for their only runs.  The Real Dirty Mets Blog has more on the game and the Mets floundering season.

The Nats win one in walk off fashion

The Nationals took a game from the Dodgers last night, with a final score of 5-4 and in walk off fashion on Pete Orr’s sacrifice fly in the ninth.  Ryan Zimmerman had a big blow in the sixth as he hit a three run home run off Chad Billingsley to temporarily tie the game.  The Nats would go ahead onf Elijah Dukes RBI groundout before giving it back again in the ninth.  Saul Rivera(1-3) got the win as he worked the final two outs of the top of the ninth inning on only three pitches. Check out Centerfield Gate for an in depth recap on the game.

Chad Billingsley pitched well through the first six innings but then appeared to break down in the sixth inning.  Billingsley went six innings allowing just one hit and three runs, but walking four and striking out nine, the one hit being the big three run homer.  On offense, Andre Ethier, James Loney and Russell Martin were credited with RBI’s in the game but no one had more than two hits for the Dodgers.

Lee with a CG

Cliff Lee rebounded from a few bad outtings with a stellar game on Tuesday night.  Cliff Lee(7-2) pitched a complete game shutout giving up only six hits and walking three while striking out nine batters on 124 pitches.  He was given all five runs of offense in the first and second on a Chase Utley RBI single, a Carlos Ruiz two RBI double and a Jimmy Rollins RBI single during the 5-0 win.  Check out Phillies Phandom for more info on this game and the Phillies continued march to the playoffs.

Garrett Mock managed to get through six innings to save the bullpen a bit, but pitched poorly, especially early.  Mock(3-8) went six innings allowing seven hits and five runs and his season ERA is now 5.89.  The Nats offense was sleeping and only Jason Maxwell had more than one hit in this game, Centerfield Gate has more.

Uggla with the big blow

Neither team ran away with this one in St. Louis, but courtesy of Dan Uggla, the Marlins came away with a 2-1 win over the Cardinals.  In the sixth inning, while down 1-0, Dan Uggla hit a two run shot off starter Adam Wainwright and the Marlins bullpen closed the door to win this game 2-1.  Sean West(7-5) went six strong innings allowing six hits and just one run and nine k’s in this one and Leo Nunez got his 21st save on a perfect ninth with two strikeouts.  Check out FishGuts for more on the Marlins.

Albert Pujols hit a sacrifice fly in teh fifth scoring Rick Ankiel and that would be all the scoring the Cardinals got in this one, giving no run support to Wainwright.  Wainwright(18-8) went seven innings allowing seven hits and two runs and eight strike outs with his main blemish being a home run.

LaRoche with two long balls

Adam LaRoche had a huge day against the Mets last night during the Braves run away 6-0 victory.  LaRoche went 4-4 with four runs scored and three RBI, two of those RBI on home runs in leading the way.  Rookie Tommy Hanson(10-3) got his tenth victory of the year in a stellar seven inning three hit and eight strikeout performance for the win.  The Braves have now won five in a row to keep their small playoff hopes alive, check out The Braves Baseball Blog for more.

What can you say about the Mets?  No much!  Pat Misch(1-3) went five tough innings allowing eight hits and four runs in taking the loss and the bullpen wasn’t much better behind him.  The Mets recorded only four total hits on the night, with two coming from Daniel Murphy but obviously no runs scored, The Real Dirty Mets Blog covers them.

Lidge barely gets a save

Game 1

In the first game of a double dip yesterday, Kyle Kendrick made a spot start for the Phillies and looked great.  Kendrick(1-1) went 7.1 innings and only allowed seven hits and two earned runs, both on an Anderson Hernandez two run shot in the eighth.  He was supported by a Ben Francisco homer and a Shane Victorino two run homer early.  The hit that mattered though was an Andy Tracy RBI single in the bottom of the eighth giving insurance runs.  Brad Lidge narrowly got his 29th save of the season working the ninth and allowing three hits and two runs before getting the final out to end it.

The Mets sent John Maine to the mound after a long absence and although he could only pitch through the third because of a pitch count, he did well.  Maine(5-5) took the loss even though he only gave up two hits and a run on 57 pitches.  The Mets relief gave up a combined eight hits and four runs in the final five innings and did not help the Mets comeback.  Anderson Hernandez had the two run shot to bring them closer and in the ninth Josh Thole singled home Francouer and then came in himself on a Jeremy Reed single, but they could not get closer.

Pedro shuts down his former mates

Game 2:

Pedro Martinez is now 2-0 versus his former team and he absolutely shut them down last night in the nightcap.  Martinez(5-0) went eight innings allowing six hits and striking out seven while throwing 130 pitches! The only run was scored on an RBI single by Chase Utley, scoring Jimmy Rollins in the first inning.  Ryan Madson got his eighth save of the year but did allow one batter to get on base for the shaky bullpen.

Phillies Phandom has more on both games of this double dip for you!

Tim Redding pitched very well and well enough to win, but again, no offense behind him.  Tim Redding(2-6) went six innings and allowed three hit sand only the run in the first inning in taking a real tough luck loss.  Only Brian Schneider and Anderson Hernandez had multiple hits for the Mets as they will regroup and hope to win a few in Atlanta this week.

The Real Dirty Mets Blog will have more on the double dip from the Mets side of the diamond.

Umm..wow

The Florida Marlins ended a deflating and disappointing weekend with a 7-2 loss at the hands of the last place Nationals.  Nats ace John Lannan(9-11) went the minimum only allowing one run on six hits to get his 9th win of the year and let his offense do the rest.    Elijah Dukes and Pete Orr added two RBI a piece and rookie Ian Desmond continued to play well going 2-5 for the Nats in this one.  Centerfield Gate will have more on this game and the series and all the Nats news you need.

Chris Volstad was back from the minors to make a start and it did not go well for him.  Volstad(9-12) went only three innings and allowed five hits and four earned runs (five total) and allowed five walks and a home run on the day.  Unfortunately the offense couldn’t do much to get back in the game in this one.  Jorge Cantu and Cody Ross had the only RBI for the Marlins on this day and Hanley Ramirez added three hits, but this was a disappointing weekend for the Fish.  FishGuts has more on this.

Carpenter with a rare bad one

Javier Vazquez continues to be solid for the Braves, as he led them to a series sweep over the Central leading Cardinals yesterday 9-2.  Vazquez(9-2) went a complete game allowing seven hits and two runs and eight strikeouts to get the victory here.  Nate McClouth had four hits and Adam LaRoche had two hits and three RBI to lead the Braves to the sweep.  The Braves Baseball Blog has more on the Bravos.

Chris Carpenter does not have many starts like this, but unfortunately he laid an egg on Sunday.  Carpenter(16-4) managed through six taxing innings but gave up nine hits and seven runs and the offense was stagnant for him as well.  Matt Holliday had the only two RBI for the Cardinals in this one and Skip Schumaker had three hits, but the Cardinals will look to rebound from this tough weekend this week.

Madson cleans up for Lidge

The Philadelphia Phillies got back on the winning track last night, even though their closer gave them a scare, yet again.  Five solo home runs produced the runs, and they included two Ibanez shots, and one each by Jayson Werth, Carlos Ruiz and Chase Utley.  Pedro Martinez(4-0) stayed perfect in a Phillies uniform going 6.2 innings allowing just seven hits and three runs before giving way to the Phillies bullpen.  Lidge came in for a save but loaded the bases with just one out before Ryan Madson earned his fifth save of the season without allowing a run in for a final of 5-3.  Phillies Phandom has more on this win and Lidge’s struggles.

Nationals starter John Lannon started out well, but in the seventh it fell apart for him.  Lannan(8-11) lasted 6.2 innings allowing six hits on four runs and four solo home runs in taking this loss, and all four home runs were between the fifth and seventh innings.  Christian Guzman and Will Nieves contributed RBI singles for the Nats and Willie Harris got them closer with a solo shot but that would be it.  Check out Centerfield Gate for more Nats news.

Maybin with the final blow

Last night the Marlins did not get a whole lot of offense, but the offense they did receive was big. Hanley Ramirez hit a third inning two run home run scoring Chris Coghlan and in the fourth, Cameron Maybin hit another in the fourth scoring Cody Ross in the 4-2 victory.  Rick VandenHurk pitched well enough to win but left in the fourth with back spasms after allowing only one run on four hits.  Brian Sanches(4-1) was credited with the win by pitching two scoreless and hitless innings for the Marlins as Leo Nunez worked a perfect ninth for his 19th save of the season, FishGuts has more on this game and the Fish.

Tim Redding couldn’t find the strike zone last night at all, as he walked four in five innings.  Worse than that was when he grooved a few balls down the zone rather than walk a few other batters, leading to the walks.  Redding(2-5) had a final line of five innings with five hits four runs and four strike outs and the two homers.  The Mets got their runs on rookie Josh Thole’s first MLB RBI and a Luis Castillo infield single in the fourth and fifth respectively.  Check out The Real Dirty Mets Blog for more.

Vazquez stops the streak

Javier Vazquez finally stopped what turned into a five game losing streak for the Atlanta Braves.  Vazquez(12-9) went seven innings and allowed only three hits on four runs and nine strike outs and allowed zero runs.  He got run support from Adam LaRoche and Nate McClouth both hitting solo home runs for the small margin of victory, 2-1.  Rafael Soriano got his 22nd save but not after giving up three hits and a run in the ninth inning, The Braves Baseball Blog has more on the Bravos.

The Astros put Felipe Paulino on the mound and he absolutely pitched well enough to win.  Paulino(2-8) went six innings while allowing four hits and two runss, both on home runs but the Astros offense faltered.  Hunter Pence got the lone RBI as he drove in Miguel Tejada in the ninth inning.