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Oct

03

NL East Recap 10-3

Filed Under (Daily Recap, NL East Chatter) by klake13 on 03-10-2010

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Braves vs. Phillies

Despite a late rally, the Braves were able to hold on to win 8-7 against the Phillies, and with a San Diego loss, became the 2010 NL Wild Card winner. Philadelphia got things started in the 3rd with a two-run blast off the bat of John Mayberry. In the bottom of the 3rd, Jason Heyward tripled to drive home Rick Ankiel to cut the lead to 2-1. RBI singles by Brooks Conrad and Tim Hudson, followed by a two-run triple by Omar Infante equaled a four-run 4th inning for Atlanta. Derrek Lee homered in the 5th to make it 6-2 Atlanta. Conrad singled home the 7th run of the game for Altanta. The Braves would tag on one more run in the 6th. Jayson Werth hit a two-run shot for the Phillies in the 7th to cut the lead to 8-4, and added three more runs in the 8th.

Tim Hudson got the win for Atlanta, going 7 innings and allowing four runs on two hits while striking out three. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel allowed for three of his starters to get a few innings in today’s game. Cole Hamels began the game though, going 2 innings and giving up no hits while striking out two. Roy Oswalt and Joe Blanton also pitched an inning, giving up one run and four runs respectively. Danys Baez took the loss for Philadelphia. Billy Wagner recorded his 37th save of the season for Atlanta.

Mets vs. Nationals

It took 14 innings, but Washington beat the Mets 2-1 in the final game of the season for both teams. The first runs of the game for either team came in the 5th inning. In the top of the 5th, Roger Bernadina scored on a single by Alberto Gonzalez. In the bottom of the inning, Josh Thole grounded into a double play allowing Angel Pagan to score. It remained tied until the top of the 14th when Oliver Perez entered the game for the Mets. After striking out Ian Desmond, Perez then hit Adam Kennedy and walked the next two batters to load the bases. Perez then walked Justin Maxwell forcing home the winning run for Washington.

Both starters got a no decision in game. Mike Pelfrey went 7 innings and allowed one run on four hits while striking out four. Livan Hernandez went 6.2 innings and gave up one run on six hits while striking out one. Joel Peralta got the win for Washington. Oliver Perez took the loss for New York. Miguel Batista recorded his 2nd save for Washington.

Marlins vs. Pirates

The Marlins beat Pittsburgh 5-2 Sunday and grabbed third place in the NL East. A two-run home run by Dan Uggla in the 1st inning gave Florida a quick 2-0 lead. Pittsburgh cut the lead to 2-1 in the 2nd inning on a solo shot off the bat of Ronny Cedeno. A single by Andrew McCutchen in the 5th tied up the game. In the bottom of the 6th, a potential home run off the bat of Wes Helms turned into a ground-rule double after the umpires reviewed the play. Uggla scored on the play. Florida went on to score two more runs in the 7th inning.

Anibal Sanchez got the win for Florida, going 6 innings and giving up two runs on four hits while striking out seven. Brian Burres took the loss, going 5.2 innings and allowing three runs on five hits while striking out four. Clay Hensley recorded his 7th save for Florida.

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Sep

25

NL East Recap 9-25

Filed Under (Daily Recap, NL East Chatter) by klake13 on 25-09-2010

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Braves vs. Nationals

The Braves beat Washington 5-0 Saturday, giving Bobby Cox his 2,500th win and putting Atlanta in a tie for the Wild Card. A throwing error by Washington’s third baseman Alberto Gonzalez in the 3rd inning allowed Brian McCann to reach base and Derrek Lee to score, giving Atlanta a 1-0 lead. It remained 1-0 until the 6th inning when the Braves tagged on four more runs. Derrek Lee got things started with a double to score Martin Prado. Alex Gonzalez capped off the inning with three-run home run to make it 5-0. Nationals hitters couldn’t do much against Atlanta starter Derek Lowe.  Washington left 12 men on base and were 0-10 with runners in scoring position.

Lowe got the win for Atlanta, going 5 innings and allowing just five hits while striking out four. Yunesky Maya took the loss for Washington, going 5.1 innings and giving up five runs on eight hits while striking out one.

Mets vs. Phillies

The Mets snapped the Phillies 11-game win streak, beating Philadelphia 5-2. Philadelphia struck first with two runs in the 1st inning thanks to a two-run shot off the bat of Ryan Howard. The score stayed 2-0 until the 7th when the Mets broke through to score five runs in the inning. Josh Thole drove in the first run for the Mets with a single, but the inning’s biggest hit belonged to Lucas Duda. Pinch hitting with the bases loaded, Duda hit a bases clearing double to make it 4-2 Mets. A few batters later, Jose Reyes hit an RBI double to center.

Dillon Gee got the win, going 7 innings and giving up two runs on five hits while striking out five. Kyle Kendrick took the loss, going 6.1 innings and allowing four runs on six hits while striking out four. Hisanori Takahashi recorded his 8th save for the Mets.

Marlins vs. Brewers

The Marlins shut out the Brewers 4-0 to win the third game of the four game set in Milwaukee. Logan Morrison singled home the first run of the game for Florida to make it 1-0 Marlins. It stayed that way until the 7th when Mike Stanton hit a solo shot to left field. In the 8th, Gaby Sanchez hit an RBI single to score Osvaldo Martinez. The Marlins tagged on their final run in the 9th with an RBI double by Martinez.

Chris Volstad went 6.2 innings to get the win. He gave up six hits while striking out two. Chris Narveson took the loss for Milwaukee, going 6.2 innings and allowing two runs on six hits while striking out five.

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May

28

5-27 NL East Recap

Filed Under (Daily Recap, NL East Chatter) by klake13 on 28-05-2010

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Nationals vs. Giants

Nationals Giants BaseballThe Nationals had a 4-2 lead going into the 7th inning, but a number of costly plays kept them from getting the win, as they fell to the Giants 5-4. Adam Dunn hit his 10th homerun of the year, and Josh Willingham and Alberto Gonzalez each went 2-3 for the Nationals. Aubrey Huff went 3-4 and Juan Uribe went 2-4 for the Giants.

Craig Stammen went 6.1 innings for the Nationals, giving up three runs on five hits. Sean Burnett came in to pitch in the 7th for the  Nationals and wound up with the loss. Barry Zito pitched 6.1 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits. Santiago Casilla finished off the 7th and earned the win. Brian Wilson got his 12th save of the season for the Giants.

For more, check out Centerfield Gate.

Braves vs. Marlins

It was an ugly night for the Braves defensively, who committed four errors. But what they lacked in defense they made up in offense in their 8-3 win over the Marlins. Braves and Marlins both scored in the 1st inning. The Braves then tacked on two in the 4th, followed by one in the 6th and 7th, and finally three in the 8th. Ricky Nolasco helped himself out with an RBI single in the 4th for the Marlins. Hanley Ramirez and Ronny Paulino each went 2-4 for Florida.

Tim Hudson and Nolasco each went only four innings thanks to a 77-minute rain delay. Peter Moylan took the mound for the Braves following the rain delay and got the win. Nolasco took the loss after giving up three runs.

For more, check out Braves Baseball Blog and Fish Guts.

Mets vs. Phillies

The Mets have  gone 27 straight innings without giving up a run, and won their fifth in a row, sweeping the Phillies with a score of 3-0. Mike Pelfrey pitched 7 strong innings, giving up no runs on three hits to earn the win. Cole Hamels went 6.1 innings, giving up 3 runs on 9 hits, taking the loss. Francisco Rodriguez got his 9th save of the season.

The Mets got on the board early with an RBI double by Jason Bay in the first inning. Their next two runs came in the bottom of the 7th on a RBI double by Jose Reyes. Phillies bats were quiet once again. Shane Victorino was 3-4, with the only other Phillies hit belonging to Raul Ibanez.

For more info, go to Real Dirty Mets Blog and Phillies Phandom.

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Sep

18

Chatter Up! Nationals @ Mets 9-18-09 to 9-20-09

Filed Under (Chatter Up) by mrose on 18-09-2009

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Nats Logo chatterup Mets Logo
Welcome to Chatter Up! This week features Mark Perry of Centerfield Gate against DirtySanchez and TRS of The Real Dirty Mets Blog. On the field, there isn’t much to determine, but maybe this can be more interesting, lets see.
DirtySanchez(TRDMB): Most likely you guys will have the first pick in the draft again. Since you drafted a phenom of a pitcher last year, what position do you think they will use their #1 pick on?
Mark P(CFG): I would love to see them draft a middle infielder – unless there’s a Babe Ruth on the board. But what I want and what will happen are two different things. This is Stan Kasten’s team and his philosophy is unyielding: draft pitchers, pay for players. So that seems to indicate that it’s likely that we’ll draft and sign a big lefty or some big righty (out of some college is my bet) and draft a middle infielder in about the third round. That’s the typical thing for Kasten. The next draft is filled with power arms, so that seems to tilt it in favor of pitching. But there is one guy who could change all of this. Bryce Harper is the newest can’t miss player: a high school catcher who is considering enrolling in community college just to be eligible for the draft. If I were Kasten and Harper is there, I would grab him.
DirtySanchez(TRDMB): Do you think the National will add payroll for next years roster? There were rumors about the money you were willing to drop on Texieira…any chance the Nationals use that cash to bring in some FA talent?
Mark P(CFG): My understanding is that the front office has been wiggling all year to cut here and there to have some money in the bank at the end of the season: they reportedly have about $20 million they can spread around and that’s what I expect them to do. I don’t think they’ll offer a blockbuster deal to anyone like they did with Tex: I wouldn’t expect, for instance, that they would bring in a John Lackey. Instead, I think they’ll try to land two or three guys that will bolster the overall team: a reliever, a middle infielder and a second tier starter. I would like to see them dangle some money to Orlando Hudson and John Garland – and re-up Livan Hernandez and then go for a high end middle innings guy, like Oakland did with Mike Wuertz. Of course, he won’t be around, but someone like him would really go a long ways to fixing some sadly broken things. You know: I bet I will be writing the same damn thing next year.
Matt R(NLEC): How has attendance been this year at Nats park? From a fan perspective, are they optimistic of the future right now? The off-field stories like Strasburg have to be a nice plus, but on the field, there is no consistency.
Mark P(CFG): I think we have to find a way to assess attendance as a function of projected and real team finishes. It’s probably already being done, but if not I’ll take full credit for the idea. For instance, I think we need to assess whether (as the worst team in baseball) the Nats could have been expected to draw better than the A’s, Marlins, Pirates, Indians, Reds and Royals — which they have. And I think the answer would be “no.” Which leads me to conclude that the front office got a gift: the fans did all the heavy lifting. Everyone else in major league baseball has a better record and yet the Nats are 24th in attendance and not all that far behind the O’s, Blue Jays and Padres. That’s pretty strong stuff. The really weak team in that list — as a measure of fans against production — are the Marlins, who are contending for the wild card but playing in a mausoleum. You could pass gas in Land Shark stadium without anyone hearing it. No. No. You’re exactly right. And there’s no getting around it. This is a terrible team. But the fans keep coming. You know, it’s weird in D.C. If you show up in the first inning, before the first pitch (a matter of principle for me), there’s no one there. And you think: oh, oh. But then you look up in the second inning and people are streaming in. And by the third the stadium is half full — or almost so. And then they announcement attendance, and it’s always between 20-24 thousand. Which isn’t bad at all. If this city had any kind of team at all we’d be in the top 10 in attendance. Which is a great thing, really, when you think about it. Because the slam against the city is that it is a football town. And it is: but the Nats, just in virtue of what they’ve drawn this year, are here to stay. They are going to draw 1.8 million for the worst team in baseball. Not bad.
Matt R(NLEC): You wrote in one of your blogs lately that you think the Nats will finish ahead of the Mets next year (I think). How do you come to this conclusion?
Mark P(CFG): Because next year the Nats will have a better team. Well, okay. Let me explain and I am saying this not simply to bait Mets fans or because I am a Nats fan. I actually believe that all of the evidence points to it. Most of all, I point to the differences in the front office. My sense is that the Mets front office knows that their team had a terrible year and that it has to be improved. But for them it’s: ‘well, we can do this. We’re not that far away: a little dit here and a little dat there, and bingo, we have a contending club.’ And then they think: ‘and if Reyes comes back and Beltran is healthy and Johan is Johan,’ … well you know — there they are. Atop the NL Least. Winner winner chicken dininer. The Nats operate under no such illusion. The front office knows this is disaster and they have been working all year to get it better and to clear things out for the off-season. It’s not a little dit here and a little dat there, it’s a reset, a makeover. They don’t need to start the makeover in the offseason, they started in July. Then too, the Nats have more at stake. If the Mets fail, well you’re in New York and there’s all that TV money and the payroll is above $100 million and sooner or later they’ll get it right and they have a history — and the Miracle Mets and Casey and Tom Terrific. There’s history there. Not so with the Nats. They need to get it right and they need to do it right now. They’ve got $80 million and that’s it. And in DC, everything is at stake. Even the future of the franchise. At the end of the day, I don’t think it comes down to Wright or Zimmerman, or Dunn or Murphy or any of that. The strength of a team starts in the front office. And right now, amazingly, the Nats front office is just better. Something happened in New York. And it wasn’t on the field — and it wasn’t good. And it hasn’t been repaired. That’s not true for the Nats.
Matt S(PP): Rob Dibble is a blabbering idiot. Did you enjoy his color commentary and should he return to the booth next season?
Mark P(CFG): Yeah, Rob Dibble is a blabbering idiot, but he’s our blabber idiot. Thankfully, he’s married to a schoolteacher, so at least she’s in her element. That poor woman, I’ll bet he’s a handful. I look at it this way: if you think Dibble is bad, you oughta get a load of what we had before him. We once had Ron Darling in the booth and he was as soft as a pillow. He used to hang around media conventions looking for a job. He was desperate. It was pathetic too. So he ended up on Nats’ broadcasts for about a year. I remember he once said, as the Nats took the field: “Wow, those are sharp looking uniforms.” Sharp looking uniforms? The guy was total Brooks Brothers. If you go down there now in Manhattan and wait a while he’ll show up. Then we got Don Sutton. This guy spent his time in front of the mirror practicing his salute and telling us how great Austin Kearns was because he was just such a solid citizen. I mean, who cares? I would sign Stalin if he could hit the ball. And Sutton had this habit of talking, unintentional I’m sure, that signaled all the wrong things: like how he was giving us these really inside little gems that were big secrets. So now it’s Dibble, and he’s a child – but he can be fairly entertaining and when he actually talks about the game (which isn’t all that often) he can sometimes actually be right. Thing is, he’s often as wrong. He and his sidekick (Bob Carpenter, who really is very good) loved Ronnie Belliard, for instance – going on and on about what a good hitter this guy was. I think Ronnie was hitting about .183 at the time. And they play favorites. They don’t like Alberto Gonzalez (not the attorney general, the second baseman), who’s actually a good, young, up-side guy. But they’re down on him. Thing is, when he started to break out of his slump last week the damage was done. So they treated everything he did as a fluke. You know, I think I have to say something good about Dibble, just to kind of even it up. So here it is: back when the Nats were really suffering (back in April and May) he just let them have it. He was unrelenting. It was ruthless, ugly, articulate, and right on. So I give him that. He’s not a homer. There are long silences during some of these games, in the middle of a sixth inning collapse, and you can actually hear him breathing. And then he’ll say: “Long inning.” Great stuff, really. The really good news is the in-studio guy is Ray Knight, and he’s terrific. A great grasp of the game, a way of putting the viewer at ease, and he can be very outspoken. I like him: he cares about the team, the fans, the viewers. Just an all around nice guy who is always prepared.
Thanks again Mark, now onto DirtySanchez and TRS
Mark(CFG): I know things look bad now and it’s been a long season. But can you take a look at the bright side? What was the good news for the Mets this year? What surprised you? What was the good news, the unexpected news — the player who exceeded expectations that promises a brighter future?
DirtySanchez(TRDMB): Lol not sure there are too many bright sides but here we go. The good news for the Mets is next year, since they did so awful they will have a high draft pick that most likely will be protected. Personally what surprised me is how drastically the defense deteriorated as soon as Randolph left. Have to admit, we played better defense under him and we improved every year. The good news is like the old saying “obstacles in life are opportunities in disguise”. With all the injuries this year, we were able to put players in a position to showcase their talents. We saw Omir Santos, Fernando Nieve,Jon Niese and Bobby Parnell all step up to the bright lights and deliver. Granted Nieve and Niese both ended up with everyone else on the DL but I do not think they would have had the chance if the starters were all healthy. I believe at this point the only player that promises a bright future would be Josh Thole. Thole looked very good in his brief time up here but obviously still needs work. I believe we will see him in the majors sooner than later.
Mark(CFG): You have a new stadium and now you have a bullpen. And the NL East is weak. There is a minimal best case scenario for the Mets winning the NL East next year — especially with the Nats, Marlins and Braves in the mix. Can you give a sense of what the Mets could do in the off season that might catapult them into contention next year?
DirtySanchez(TRDMB): Well first things first they need a #2 pitcher. Mike Pelfrey has been given the chance to fill this role but obviously he cannot…yet. With the Phillies having the tandem of Hamels/Lee, Marlins with JJ/Nolasco and the Braves with Lowe/Vasquez…we need to be able to trot out a good 1-2 punch. What the Mets in my opinion have going for them to get this accomplished is the fact they play in such a pitchers park. If I were Omar Minaya I would totally use this as a selling point to bring in someone like Lacky. Its no secret AL pitchers do better in the NL. Now couple that with a pitchers park and you have a good foot in the door.
Mark(CFG): Who is the one pitcher, this year (obviously, the answer is not going to be Tim Redding — but all of us in Washington could have told you that) who could shine next year — outside of Johan. Is there a guy sneaking around at Triple A who’s the next C.C.., the next Tom Terrrific?
DirtySanchez(TRDMB): I unfortunately don’t think we have anybody of the caliber of CC or Tom Terrific in our system. I believe the pitcher that could realistically shine next year would be Jon Niese(if not traded) or Fernando Nieve(if not traded). These two defiantly picked up their game in the majors and had their season cut short due to injury. They should be good to go in ST so it should be interesting to keep an eye on these two.
Mark(CFG): There’s no doubt in my mind that David Wright can and will bounce back. If you had to predict the other one player who will also bounce back, who would that be?
DirtySanchez(TRDMB):That’s a hard one to judge because David was the only core guy healthy for most of the season. I would guess that Reyes will have a bounce back season next year and this is why. There has been many rumors in the media that Reyes was “milking” his injury. Reyes has come out the media and appeared to take that to heart. I want to say that Reyes will use this as motivation for next season to prove a lot of these media guys wrong…at least I hope lol.
Matt P(PP): H Is Jose Reyes on this team next year? What are the Mets fans’ feelings about Jose and his struggles to return from injury. His drive and motivation (and, uhh, baseball intelligence) have been called into question before. Agree or disagree?
TRS(TRDMB): Yes there are few things for certain in Mets land, however, injuries to Beltran and Reyes actually in my mind assured the core would stay intact for 2010. If they had both been healthy all year and we still missed the playoffs they were both game in my mind. I don’t think you can question his baseball intelligence as he is still developing that as all players do. I can’t speak to motivation or drive because I am not around him only what we see on the field and aside from a few times in which his immaturity has shown I do not recall seeing Jose dog it. I do think his maturity is questionable and because of that he allows talk to go to his head. What bothers me, as I have pointed out at TRDMB is that for 2007 and 2008 he had terrible Septembers. We can blame that on conditioning, coincidence, choking, but that is for sure a concern.
As I felt this year, I believe that next year will be the last for the core unless they win.

Please feel free to email any recommend questions or comments about the segment to mrose@nleastchatter.com or go to this forum topic and post a reply.

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Sep

12

Chatter Up! Nationals @ Marlins 9-11-09 to 9-13-09

Filed Under (Chatter Up) by mrose on 12-09-2009

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Nats Logo chatterup Marlins Logo
Welcome to another edition of Chatter Up! here at NLEC. This week will match up Mark P CenterfieldGate against Wally Londo of Londo of FishGuts. Enjoy!
Stickguy(TRDMB): rate the odds (highest to lowest) on which guys will get traded in the off season. For the Nats, special emphasis on Dunn.
Mark P(CFG): The odds? I think the odds of Cristian Guzman being traded are about 80 percent, Dunn about 10 percent and Zimmerman 0 percent. The marginal, veteran .230 to .250 hitters (Belliard et al) are gone and what is left are prospects, projects and the core. No one will touch the core (Zimmerman, Lannan, Dunn, Willingham, Flores, Morgan) the projects (Gonzalez and Dukes) are projects (no one really knows how good they will be — or if they will be good at all) and the prospects are the great unknown — like Ian Desmond and Stephen Strasburg are coming, they are good, and they will make a difference. But not right away. So trades? There’s not much to trade, to be honest, with the exception of Guzman.
Prismo(TRDMB): What do you think is the most needed area for improvement in the offseason for the Nationals?
Mark P(CFG): Defense, defense, defense. And I don’t see how the Nats get better at defense without moving Guzman off the ballclub. The problem is his $8 million (due next year) and his shakiness at short. So if you can’t move him and Ian Desmond is going to be handed the shortstop job, you think odd things: like shifting him to second. It’s a bad idea, but you never know. With Nyjer Morgan playing a full year and Flores back from an injury the Nats should be better in the field, but should be probably won’t be good enough. They need a good glove man, like Orlando Hudson, up the middle.
Prismo(TRDMB): Starting pitching seems like the obvious pick, but the offense has been bipolar, the bullpen mostly terrible, and the defense very shoddy at times. Or should they just ignore these problems, and fully focus on minor league development?
Mark P(CFG): If you ignore these problems for this next year, the next problem you will have will be putting people in the seats. And right now, that’s not a crisis. People here in DC still go to the games and still root for the team. But it could be a problem in the future and you can’t ignore it. So I don’t think the Nats are just going to focus on minor league development. Yes, it’s important to Mike Rizzo, but the Nats lost so much credibility before he was named as Bowden’s replacement this year that the team just can’t afford to ignore what’s happening in the parent club with all eyes on the future. I would expect them to resign Livan Hernandez and pick up another veteran pitcher (like John Garland, or a John Garland type) and sign a middle infielder with a good glove. And their offense hasn’t been “bi polar” — it’s been good. Very good, in fact. You know, I also hate to read on the internet about how some club has a top ranked farm system. Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati — they have very solid farm club operations. But who the hell cares? And Nats fans will sometimes say that: well we have a good farm system. That’s great, but you know, I don’t live in Harrisburg.
Matt R(NLEC): Strasburg watch: is he pitching yet in the minors? off season plans?
Mark P(CFG): He’s not pitching yet, but he’s close. He’ll be in Arizona and he’ll then do some offseason throwing. I get the feeling from the front office that they’re watching his pitch count very closely: he has had an entire year of college ball and no one wants to see him with a dead arm. I would expect, also, that we won’t see him next year until sometime in July. He needs to get to know professional pitching — and the people in the franchise need to get a good look at his tendencies. That takes time.
Matt R(NLEC): Is it just that I don’t know much about the Nats, but who is Ian Desmond? Where did he come from?
Mark P(CFG): Hope springs eternal: so here goes. He is the bright shortstop of the future who is going to hold down that position, with Gold Glove after Gold Glove for the next ten years. Well, that’s the hope. More specifically, Ian Desmond is a 24 year old talent rich guy and former 3rd round 2004 draft pick of the Montreal Expos who has had his share in injuries, but who has gotten through them and worked hard at his game. Everyone in the Nats organization predicted that sooner or later he would be in the show. “Later” ended up being this September. He showed this year in AA and AAA that he can hit the cover off the ball. He’s solid. The only question is: has he really arrived? He looks ready to me. The other night, against the Phillies (and in his major league debut) the thing that impressed the most is that he didn’t look nervous, he didn’t look scared, he didn’t overswing. He looked like he belonged. You kind of had to be there to feel it, frankly. Down in the lower boxes, the Nats new brain trust just fell silent as he trotted on the field. And when he put one into the center field seats later in the game, they didn’t really cheer — they just kind of looked at each other. Mike Rizzo had this “I told you so” grin on his face. I think he’s here to stay.
Thanks again Mark, now onto Wally @ Fishguts
Metsfan4decades(TRDMB):Anything to the rumor of trading Uggla? If yes, what kind of chips would the Marlins want?
Wally(FG): He’s gotta be gone. Jorge Cantu and Dan Uggla each look like 6m players at least in arbitration, and we can’t afford to pay one player that much if their name isn’t Hanley. For the price of one Dan Uggla, we could have a Cody Ross and a Jeremy Hermida and a Matt Lindstrom. To me, you have to spread your resources around unless it’s an absolute slam dunk of a player, which Uggla isn’t, unfortunately. He’s very good, and a big reason why we’ve been so successful recently, but he’s not worth it to us anymore.
They’ll be looking for at least what the Pirates got for Freddy Sanchez: A B+ pitching prospect, at the very least.
Prismo(TRDMB): How do you feel about the future of the organization?
Wally(FG): Wonderful. There’s a stadium 2 years away, Hanley’s locked up long term, and Josh Johnson will probably be locked up this year too. Plus there are 2 real monster prospects in AA right now (Mike Stanton and Logan Morrison) and a couple of other really really nice ones in AA or higher. The future of this franchise looks great.
Prismo(TRDMB): Are you satisfied with the low payroll, the failure so far to build a new stadium, and the low attendance numbers if the team can still be competitive?
Wally(FG): I’m a realist. I understand the limitations of our franchise, and I’m done complaining about it. it’s not worth it. A lot of Marlins fans whine endlessly about how cheap Jeffrey Loria is and the crappy fan base and all that, but at the end of the day, my team has been close to or better than .500 6 of the last 7 years, with a World Series in there. And the stadium is being built. The concrete is mixed, the base is set, the first pitch has been thrown. It’s just a matter of laying brick now.
Matt R(NLEC): Will Hanley Ramirez hold on for the batting title in your opinion? Has that spat ended now and with any permanent damage to the team?
Wally(FG): He’s definitely going to win it, I think. It’s going to take a lot for him to fall off, and he’s got a 30 point advantage on Pujols.

Everyone is saying the spat is over now, but I’m sure Hanley and Danny aren’t chummy anymore. But you know what? Hanley’s hitting .440 since that spat, and both have 3 home runs. If they hate each other and hit like they have, I’m all for it.

Matt R(NLEC): Has the buzz around the Marlins making the postseason all but diminished now? Or are you hoping for a Phils/Rockies collapse??
Wally(FG): Well, 5 games back from the Phillies with 6 games left against them. It’s a very, very, very slight chance, but I’ve got some faith. And they can’t hit right now, so it’s certainly not completely out of the realm of possibility. I’m hoping the Phillies play this years Mets, while the Marlins can cue up some of the magic the Phillies had last year.

Please feel free to email any recommend questions or comments about the segment to mrose@nleastchatter.com or go to this forum topic and post a reply.

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Aug

05

Chatter Up! – Marlins @ Nationals 8-4-09 to 8-6-09

Filed Under (Chatter Up) by mrose on 05-08-2009

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Marlins Logo chatterup Nats Logo
Welcome to the second edition of Chatter Up! here at NLEC. This week will match up Wally Londo of FishGuts for his second appearance in a week, as his Marlins travel to Washington to take on the Nationals. For our Nationals blog, CenterfieldGate, we have Mark P. representing for this segment. Enjoy!
Matt R(NLEC):(via MrNorthJersey) Does it bother FishGuts that they(The Marlins) don’t seem to be taken seriously even though they have won 2 World Series?
Wally(FG): Well, it comes with the territory. Do people take Arizona seriously? Colorado? The Rays before last year when they became giant killers?
You have to take time to develop a fan base and a tradition, and with the constantly overturned rosters, it’s hard. Casual fans see the Marlins as a joke, but people who know what the front office is doing and what they have to deal with have a great respect for the team.
You have to be competitive, have a loyal and large fanbase, and be stable to be taken seriously, and they’ve already got the first down. The new stadium should take care of the rest before long.
Matt R(NLEC): Are you happy with the acquisition of Nick Johnson at the deadline?
Wally(FG): Ecstatic. Emilio Bonifacio was 2nd to last amongst qualified players in OPS at the time of the trade, and we’ve essentially replaced him with a .200 point increase without losing anything in defense. I’m not surprised more noise wasn’t made about it, but this was one of the hugest net upgrades any team made at the deadline.
Matt R(NLEC): What areas do you wish they would have improved upon at the deadline?
Wally(FG): For all of the talk about the Marlins looking to upgrade their bullpen, the guys in the pen have been lights out over the course of the season, so I haven’t been worried about that.
For me, getting another reliable 5th starter was the biggest thing we could’ve done after replacing Bonifacio, and I can’t help but thing a post waiver move is in the works. We don’t need a 5th starter for a few days, so I won’t be surprised if Carl Pavano is a guy the Marlins look to add soon.
Matt R(NLEC): Who is the closer for the Marlins?  I know Lindstrom just came back and Nunez took the loss Saturday night, but Nunez has been very solid in replacement of Lindstrom.  What should they do from here?
Wally(FG): Leo Nunez is the closer now, but they seem hell bent on getting Lindstrom back in there. I don’t mind that, if he can find some control, because I’d much rather use a consistently good guy like Leo as the 7th and 8th inning fireman along with Kiko Calero and Dan Meyer than use him in the relatively low leverage save situations.
Matt R(NLEC): As may be a staple with the questions of Chatter Up!, who on the Nats pitching and hitting staff puts the most fear in you and other Fish fans?
Wally(FG): Josh Willingham is a man on a mission this season, and he’s really making the Marlins regret trading him and not Hermida. He’s been on fire, and you don’t want to see him right now. Jordan Zimmermann is going to be a legitimate front line starter, and he’s got enough stuff right now to cause any lineup fits.
Thanks Wally, we will move on to Mark from CenterfieldGate’s first appearance at Chatter Up!
Matt R(NLEC): Do you feel the Nats made the right decision with Nick Johnson’s value? Paying most of his salary for one prospect seems to be a bit much while giving up a player of Johnson’s (healthy) caliber.
Mark P(CFG): I was not surprised that Mike Rizzo sent Nick Johnson, but i was surprised that he sent along the money. This is very unusual for the Nats ownership, which likes to sign off on these kinds of things. Despite that, I think that the Nats got good value for Johnson: there was no guarantee he would be back next year and his history of injuries makes every Nats fan skeptical of his value. I think adding the lefthander that they got — Aaron Thompson — was a very good move. He was not the top-rated pitcher in the Marlins’ system, but the Nats scouted him and he’s the one they wanted. They’re stockpiling pitchers, which is what they should be doing.
Matt R(NLEC):Overall, are you happy with the moves the Nationals made at the deadline and before?
Mark P(CFG): I’m ecstatic, and so are Nats fans. The team, and interim GM Rizzo, piled up a lot of good faith among their faithful with the Milledge and Hanrahan trade. Nyjer Morgan has been exactly what the team needed. But I think the big thing, at least for me, is who they didn’t trade. They kept Zimmerman (of course!) but also Willingham and Dunn. I am a little concerned with the middle infield situation, there’s a real problem at second base. I fear Alberto Gonzalez is still not ready. I’m still steaming that the team didn’t sign a veteran pitcher (Jon Garland) or an infielder (Orlando Hudson) in the offseason.
Matt R(NLEC): I noticed what you wrote this weekend in regards to building vs rebuilding.  Regardless of what you call it, do you honestly think that this team is close to being a .500 team or better as was quoted, or is that just appeasing the fans by ownership?
Mark P(CFG): Are we close — will it only take one or two players? Well, it depends on the players. Let’s be honest: if we get a great infielder to fill the gap at second, we still have one at shortstop. The team says they’re not worried about first base, but they should be. With Johnson gone that’s another weak fielding position. Now we have Dunn and Willingham and Belliard there. That puts Elijah Dukes in the outfield, and not many Nats fans have much faith in him. Including me. So we’re four players away. Still, my bet is that what we’re seeing now (with the Nats climbing to just below .500 since Riggleman took over) is where we could easily be next year. A .500 ballclub can compete for the wildcard. Then too, Nats’ fans have low expectations. We want a World Championship, just like everyone else, but we’ll take a better ballclub, and a .500 ballclub next year.
Matt R(NLEC): What is Nationals Ownership’s obsession with starting pitchers?  Another starting pitcher from the Marlins, and it seems every single prospect they develop or trade for are simply pitchers and mainly starters!  When will they realize that at some point you need to attempt other positions on the field as well?
Mark P(CFG): Yeah, I know. That’s right. But if you take a look at what Stan Kasten did in Atlanta in the late 90s, this is the way he does things. Then too, while I am exasperated by the stockpiling of pitchers, I know that for every four good young hurlers, two are going to develop arm trouble, one will never develop, and the other will only be so-so. And there’s this: there’s no guarantee that simply because the Nats have ten young pitchers that “the odds are” that three of them will be good. There are no odds when it comes to pitching. All of them might be busts. I think about criticizing the ownership for obsessing over pitching, and then I remember Ben McDonald, and Ben Sheets, and Mark Prior …. and the list is endless.
Matt R(NLEC): What Marlins hitter and pitcher strike fear into you and Nats fans the most?
Mark P(CFG): Dan Uggla. I just love Dan Uggla. He’s a Nats’ killer. I always pine for the day that the Marlins’ ownership will get tired of going to arbitration with him and send him on to Washington. I would be at every game. Geeez Louise, if we had this guy at second base we would have some kind of team: he’s a gamer, hardnosed, tough at the plate, just plays and plays and plays. Yeah, I know, he doesn’t hit for average, but he’s got a lot of pop in his bat. Lightstand power. He’s good around the bag at second. He’s only going to get better. And whatarewegonna do? Play Ronnie Belliard? So my advice for Florida fans is — start a petition drive to trade Dan to the Nats.

Please feel free to email any recommend questions or comments about the segment to mrose@nleastchatter.com or go to this forum topic and post a reply.

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Aug

03

NL East Daily Recap from 8-2-09

Filed Under (Daily Recap) by mrose on 03-08-2009

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Zito beats the Phillies

Zito beats the Phillies

The San Francisco Giants went into Sunday’s afternoon game against the Phillies with a chance to take three of four in the series, but a tough task of the Phillies ace Cole Hamels was in front of them.  For four and a half innings it looked like Hamels would shut them down.  In the fifth though, Freddy Sanchez got a two RBI double scoring Zito and Valez which tied the game.  Then later in the game, on a Ryan Howard error, Sanchez scored the go ahead run, and the Giants cruised from there.  The Giants added three more in the sixth inning on a Randy Winn RBI single and a Eugenio Valez two RBI single making the final score 7-3.  Barry Zito(7-10) lasted through six innings and was rewarded with a win, after the Phillies were up 3-1 by the top of the fifth inning.  Giants relief pitching went three innings and only allowed three hits the rest of the way.

The Phillies’ Cole Hamels is still trying to find his postseason form from last year, and it really seemed like he found it.  Things fell apart as mentioned above in the bottom of the fifth and Hamels took the loss.  Hamels(7-6) went five innings but pitched to four in the sixth inning and was charged with six earned runs, but seven overall because of Howard’s error.  Jimmy Rollins hit his 11th home run of the season in the fourth and the Phillies got two RBI singles by Jayson Werth and Carlos Ruiz to cap their scoring.  Phillies Phandom will have all your Phillies info.

Different Uni, same result

Different Uni, same result

The Marlins had a tough task this weekend when they welcomed the Chicago Cubs into town for a three game set.  All three games were exciting and included a lot of come backs and bad relief pitching.  Sunday was no different, as the Marlins won in walk off fashion.  Ricky Nolasco went seven strong innings and gave up only one run on four hits and a walk while striking out seven, but actually left losing.  Cody Ross hit his 16th of the season in the seventh inning which for the time being tied the game.  That held up until Brenden Donnelly gave up a solo home run to Jake Fox and was headed for the loss.  Lucky for Donnelly, Kevin Gregg the former Marlins closer entered in the ninth inning for the save.  Gregg got one out before he gave up back to back home runs to Dan Uggla and Cody Ross, the second of the game from Ross and a game winner by a score of 3-2.  Check out FishGuts for more Marlins info and on their series victory against the Cubbies.

The Cubs also had a great starting otuting by Ryan Dempster, who went six scoreless innings while scattering three hits and four walks.  Aaron Heilman, the former Met instantly gave up the lead he had worked with, and as you read, Kevin Gregg blew the game for the Cubs.  Derek Lee had the lone RBI in the first six innings with an RBI single in the third and Jake Fox produced the only other run.

Kemp with a 3 run bomb

Kemp with a 3 run bomb

The Dodgers managed to get back on track this weekend taking two of three in Atlanta against the Braves.  Yesterday, Chad Billingsley was pitching a gem until he left after the fifth with an injury.  Billingsley(11-6) only allowed two hits, zero runs and one walk while striking out nine and left after 83 pitches and an apparent injury.  The Dodgers bullpen combined for four innings and only allowed three hits and one run on way to a 9-1 victory.  Matt Kemp had a huge game, going 3-5 with one run scored and five total RBI.  Three of those RBI came in the fifth with a three run home run, and he added two more in the eighth with a two run single.  James Loney also added two RBI for the Dodgers.

Jair Jurrjens had a rare mediocre start for the Braves, but was pitching well for the first four innings.  Jair Jurrjens(9-8) went five innings allowing ten hits and four runs, but all four runs came in the fifth inning of the game.  Martin Prado produced all the Braves runs with an RBI single in the eighth scoring Matt Diaz.  The Braves Baseball Blog will have more Braves info for you.

Pelf has a mediocre start

Pelf has a mediocre start

The New York Mets went into Sunday’s game hoping to have another solid game after a late inning win on Saturday night.  Mike Pelfrey, who had pitched great on Tuesday night against the Rockies just didn’t have it on Sunday though.  Pelfrey(8-7) took the loss going only five innings while allowing three runs and three walks and two more hit batsmen, in a row.  Jeff Francouer homered for the Mets and Alex Cora doubled in the fifth to produce the Mets only runs in the 5-2 win.  The Mets hope to get a series split tonight as the four game set ends at 7:10Pm.  Check out The Real Dirty Mets Blog for more.

Jon Garland had his second victory since May 19th in this game, as he was able to pitch a complete game.  Garland(6-10) allowed seven hits and two runs and pitched all the innings while using only 106 pitches.  He was helped by a Chad Tracy two run double and Gerardo Parra getting two late RBI to secure the victory.

Maholm serves one up

Maholm serves one up

The Nationals were able to take the final game of the three game set against the Pirates in a battle of the young and rebuilding teams on Sunday.  Josh Willingham had the big blow in this game as he hit a two run home run in the seventh inning putting the Nats up 3-2 at the time.  Alberto Gonzalez added his second RBI in the game that inning on a ground rule double.  Willingham added his third RBI of the game in the eighth inning and put the game away for the Nationals.  Former Pirate Sean Burnett(2-2) got the win in relief recording just one out in the sixth inning.  Mike MacDougal recorded his seventh save of the season while only allowing a walk in the ninth inning.  CenterfieldGate will have more Nats info for you.

Paul Maholm(6-6) did not make many mistakes in this game, but in the sixth inning, he allowed the two run home run to Willingham and then was charged with the final run of the inning. The Pirates only three runs recorded were on two home runs.  The first was by Ronnie Cedeno in the third scoring Brandon Moss and the final was by Delwyn Young in the seventh, but that was all they would get in losing 5-3.

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Jul

24

NL East Daily Recap from 7-23-09

Filed Under (Daily Recap) by mrose on 24-07-2009

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Ibanez keeps the Phils goin

Ibanez keeps the Phils goin

The Philadelphia Phillies welcomed in the Padres to CBP to complete a rain-shortened series from April.  The Phillies battered around the San Diego starter and ace Cole Hamels got the win.  Seven different Phillies had RBI’s, including a two run double by Ibanez and a solo home run from catcher Carlos Ruiz.  Jayson Werth also continued to be hot, going 3-5 with an RBI and two runs scored.  Cole Hamels(6-5) went seven innings allowing three runs, all in the fourth inning and struck out six to get the victory by a score of 9-4.  Check out Phillies Phandom for more Phillies info, also with a piece on the Phillies latest injury news.

The Padres could only muster four runs against Philly pitching, and two of those came on a Kyle Blanks home run, his second of the year.  Starter Kevin Correia(6-8) didn’t keep them in the game long though as he gave up eight runs in only 3.1 innings.

The Padres move on to Washington for the weekend, as the St. Louis Cardinals, a more formidable opponent come into Citizens Bank Park to face the Phillies.

Zito looks good

Zito looks good

The Giants were finally able to slow down the surging Braves yesterday in the series finale in Atlanta.  Zito(6-10) went seven innings of three hit ball giving up only one run, but he did walk five against six strike outs.  It looked for a while that his efforts would be for nothing, until the Giants offense broke through in the top of the eighth.  The Giants scored four in the eighth inning, but none of the runs were earned because of Brave errors while winning 5-1.

The Braves offense went silent yesterday, which hasn’t happened often.  They managed only one run, on a Yunel Escobar home run in the second inning and that topped off their scoring for the game.  Mike Gonzalez(3-3) took the loss as he didn’t record an out in the eighth but also did not take an earned run because of errors.  The Braves travel to Milwaukee this weekend for a three game set, check out The Braves Baseball Blog for more.

Balester gets a tough loss

Balester gets a tough loss

Last night the Nationals looked to build on a series win against the Mets with the suddenly struggling Cardinals coming in.  The St. Louis Cardinals though, had other plans, as they won a rain shortened game by a score of 4-1.  Rick Ankiel hit a home run in the second inning as three other Cards had RBI’s including Mark DeRosa and Skip Schumaker.  Adam Wainwright(11-6) technically pitched a complete game, going six innings only allowing a single run, but striking out seven against eight hits.

The Nationals sent Colin Balester to the mound since rookie Jordan Zimmermann went on the disabled list.  Balester(0-1) lasted only three innings and left during a rain delay after giving up three runs, two earned and a home run.  Alberto Gonzalez drove Adam Dunn in with a sixth inning double for the Nats only run.  Make sure to check out the CenterfieldGate for more Nats information and insight.

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Jul

22

NL East Daily Recap from 7-21-09

Filed Under (Daily Recap) by mrose on 22-07-2009

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Werth sends Phils fans home happy

Werth sends Phils fans home happy

Last night, the Phillies offense wasn’t as high powered as it has been, instead most of the support was from pitching on this day.  Joe Blanton pitched seven innings only giving up one run against the Chicago Cubs, and the Phillies could only manage a solo home run from Jimmy Rollins against the Cubs starter.  Then the Phillies relief went six shutout, no hit innings including three by Chan Ho Park and one by Clay Condrey(6-2) who got the win.  Finally in the bottom of the thirteenth, the Phils got two man on with two out for Jayson Werth.  Jayson Werth hit his 21st home run of the year sending the Phillies to a walk off win and their 10th in a row by a score of 4-1.  The Series will conclude this afternoon in Philly, check out Phillies Phandom for more Phillies news and info.

The Cubs came into this series hot, but even on a night when the pitching was solid, their bats still were silent.  Fukudome got an RBI double in the fourth scoring Ryan Theriot for the only run they would get in this game.  After Rich Harden pitched seven innings of one run ball, in 5.2 innings pitched, only Jeff Samardzija(0-1) gave up a run, and the Phillies also only had two hits.

McCann leads the Bravos

McCann leads the Bravos

Tuesday night in Atlanta brought more of the same for the Braves fans, as they won again by a convincing score.  The Braves were led on Tuesday night by another great night for catcher Brian McCann, going two for four with four RBI including a three run home run.  Martin Prado continued his hot hitting going three for five as well with three runs scored and an RBI as well.  Derek Lowe(9-7) seems to be back on track now, going six innings, allowing seven hits, one walk and only a single run for the win. Make sure to get to The Braves Baseball Blog for more Braves info.

The Giants only mustered one run and that was when the game was out of reach in the fifth.  Juan Uribe hit a single to score Matt Downs as the Giants are losing a hold of their wild card grip.  Ryan Sadowski(2-2) only lasted 3.2 innings and was tagged for eight hits and all eight runs for the Giants.

Volstad gets the W

Volstad gets the W

Chris Volstad is hoping that he has found his groove again, after two of his last three outtings have been quality.  Volstad(7-9) went seven innings to get the win while only allowing one run and four hits before being lifted.  The Marlins scored a run in each of the 2nd, 3rd and 5th innings on RBI’s by John Baker, Jorge Cantu and Jeremy Hermida.  Leo Nunez worked the ninth, while giving up a solo home run, but got his sixth save of the year none the less.  FishGuts is the place to be for all the Marlins news you need.

Chad Gaudin didn’t have a bad game, but as it always seems in San Diego, didn’t get any support.  Gaudin(4-9) worked six innings giving up nine hits, but only three runs but took the loss.  Adrian Gonzalez put the Pads up top in the first, but that would be their only run until Kyle Banks hit a solo shot in the ninth, but the game would end in a 3-2 loss for the Padres.

Lannan goes the distance

Lannan goes the distance

John Lannan and the Nationals did something that their fans don’t see much these days, win!  With that win though, Lannan also pitched a complete game shutout, the first since August 15th, 2006 and first in the new ballpark.  Lannan(7-7) scattered seven hits and had a single strike out in only throwing 106 pitches to get the complete game, 4-0, and looks to be the Nats ace.  He got help from RBI’s from an Alberto Gonzalez and Josh Willingham sacrifice flies, and singles by Will Nieves and Adam Dunn.  They will try to take the series from the Mets tonight at 7pm.  CenterfieldGate has more information regarding the Nats.

The New York Mets looked terrible in their approach at the plate, and after hoping that a win Monday might get them rolling, they went right back to what has haunted them all season.  Oliver Perez(2-3) in his third start back from the DL looked solid for the first few innings but in the fourth fell apart, and managed six innings giving up four runs while walking another six batters.  All seven hits the Mets got were singles as well, check out The Real Dirty Mets Blog for more info on this game and the Mets.

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Jun

22

NL East Weekend Recap: 6-20-09 to 6-21-09

Filed Under (Daily Recap, mrose, NL East Chatter, Weekend Recap) by mrose on 22-06-2009

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Howard Hits a 3 run home run

Howard Hits a 3 run home run

6-20-09:In the 7th inning on Saturday night, Ryan Howard hit a pinch hit three run home run off Oriole reliever Danys Baez after being hospitalized with flu symptoms.  It looked like Philly may have finally found the magic they had in 2008, but this was before the 9th inning.  Still filling in as the closer for Brad Lidge, Ryan Madson(2-3) blew yet another save while giving up a solo home run to Greg Zaun and a 2 run shot to Brian Roberts which proved to be the game winner.  Mark Hendrickson(2-4) pitched the final 2 outs of the 8th and got the win while George Sherill pitched a perfect 9th for his 14th save.

Brian Roberts hurts the Phils again

Brian Roberts hurts the Phils again

6-21-09: Sunday did not bring much relief for the Phillies and their home woes.  Cole Hamels(4-3) was the victim of a lack of offense as he went 8 strong innings, giving up only 2 runs on 9 hits including 10 strike outs.  Jeremy Guthrie(5-7) was just a bit better, going 7 strong innings only giving up 3 hits, one being a solo home run and the only run he surrendered for the win.  The phaithful have resorted to booing 2007 MVP Jimmy Rollins.  The Phillies have now lost 8 of their last 9 and will be happy to travel to Tampa Bay for a World Series rematch this week.

Mets fans have that same look

Mets fans have that same look

6-20-09: Johan Santana(8-5) pitched 7.1 innings on a rainy Saturday afternoon at Citi Field, giving up only 2 runs.  The problem was that James Shields(6-5) went 7 innings while only giving up one run, including setting down his final 14 who faced him on route to the win.  The Mets can be happy that Santana had a nice bounce back start, but it is bittersweet since they still lost the game 3-1.  J.P. Howell got his 4th save in the 9th inning of the game.

Schneider with another 3 run HR

Schneider with another 3 run HR

6-21-09: On Sunday, The Mets offense came to play, the problem was that the pitching decided to stay home.  Seven Mets pitchers stumbled through the game, giving up leads two separate times en route to a 10-6 loss.  The loss gets pinned on Bobby Parnell(2-3) who looks to be worn out lately after a blazing start to the season.  The Rays relief pitching wasn’t up to par either, but the hitting bailed them out.  Joe Nelson(2-0) got the win while giving up an earned run on a 3 run home run to Schneider in the 6th with two men on.  The Mets will now welcome in the NL Central Division leading Cardinals for a four game set.  For all Mets info, visit The Real Dirty Mets Blog.

Josh Johnson stifles another NY team

Josh Johnson stifles another NY team

6-20-09: The Marlins rebounded from a loss to the empire on Friday night with a lights out performance from Josh Johnson.  Johnson(7-1) went 7 innings giving up just 3 hits in earning another victory against a team hailing from New York.  A.J. Burnett(5-4) was hurt by bad play in the field by Johnny Damon and was collared with a tough loss.  Matt Lindstrom worked the 9th inning on only 6 pitches for his 13th save of the season.

Girardi argues a double switch

Girardi argues a double switch

6-21-09: Sunday brought another 35,827 (Yankee) fans to Land Shark Stadium in Florida, hoping to see their former home town Yankees win with the ace on the mound.  They saw nothing like that, including Sabathia leaving after only 1.1 IP and giving up 1 earned run with tightness in his left biceps.  The bullpen managed to piece it together pretty well for the rest of the game, except for Brett Tomko(0-2) who gave up 3 runs in two innings to take the loss.  The Marlins and starter Chris Volstad(5-7) who got the win, took advantage of a rough day for Yankee pitching and took 2 out of 3 this weekend.  Matt Lindstrom got his 14th save of the season, but he left the tying and go ahead runs on base when Derek Jeter made the final out.  The Yankees are protesting the game though because of a lineup mixup in the 8th inning, so we will keep an eye on that, odds are nothing changes.  The Marlins will welcome in the suddenly hot Orioles to Miami this weekend, after the O’s have won 5 in a row against the Mets and Phillies.

Lowe gets a nice ovation, and a loss

Lowe gets a nice ovation, and a loss

6-20-09: Fresh off a great start by Kawakami on Friday night, the Braves hoped to have another top notch performance by their ace, Derek Lowe.  Unfortunately, they saw another masterful performance by a former NL East foe, Josh Beckett.  Josh Beckett(8-3) continued his resurgence this season with a complete game 5-hit shutout of the Braves on Saturday night while striking out 7 and giving up 11 hits.  Derek Lowe pitched into the seventh inning while being charged with all 3 runs but received a great ovation by the Boston faithful when he left the mound.

Bobby Cox gets tossed...again

Bobby Cox gets tossed...again

6-21-09: Sunday brought a common site to Brave fans, as Bobby Cox was tossed yet again.  The Boston Red Sox won in walk off fashion on a Nick Green hit an unexpected home run in the bottom of the 9th.  Jonathan Papelbon(1-1) got the win in teh back and forth game, as Braves reliever Jeff Bennett(2-4) gave up the homerun to Green for the loss.  The tough loss gave the Red Sox the series victory and the Braves missed another chance to gain ground on both the Mets and the Phillies in the NL East.  The Braves return home to face the Yankees on Tuesday night, and visit The Braves Baseball Blog for more Braves news and info

Alberto Gonzalez reacts to another walk off

Alberto Gonzalez reacts to another walk off

6-20-09: The Washington Nationals are getting used to this walk off thing and this winning thing!  The Nats won their second straight game in walk off fashion and the fourth overall.  In the bottom of the 12th inning, after failing to move Alberto Gonzalez over on a sacrifice bunt, Willie Harris decided to end the game himself.  Harris hit his 2nd home run of the year, and sent Scott Richmond(5-4) to the loss in the 12th inning.  Julian Tavarez (3-4) got the win after pitching 1.2 innings of scoreless relief for the Nationals.

Acta is still the manager!

Acta is still the manager!

6-21-09: Over a week after reports surfaced that his job was in jeopardy, Manny Acta was managing and going for a series sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays at home.  He should just be glad he still has a job, as the Blue Jays were able to manage a win and avoid the sweep of the last place Nationals.   Behind 9 runs and 5 RBI from Lyle Overbay, Ricky Romero(4-3) got the win on 7 strong innings of 2 run ball.  Nationals rookie Sharon Martis(5-2) took only his second loss of the year, despite an ERA over 5.  The Nats welcome in another big task as the Boston Red Sox come to town this Tuesday night.  Check out CenterfieldGate for more information on the Nats.

For more information on the National League East this week, stop back for the NL East Series preview later today.

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