Phillies vs. Mets

R.A. Dickey and Cole Hamels locked up in a pitchers’ duel Friday night at Citi Field.  Both pitchers went the distance, but the night belonged to Dickey as the Mets defeated the Phillies 1-0.

Dickey’s knuckleball baffled the Phillies hitters all night long, and as he cruised through five hitless innings, Mets fans wondered if this might be the first no-hitter in franchise history.   But it was the opposing pitcher that spoiled that bid as Hamels hit a clean single to right field with one out in the sixth inning.   Meanwhile, Hamels kept the Mets off balance and off of the scoreboard.  It looked like the Mets had taken a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning when Mike Hessman hit a drive to left field that the umpires called a home run.  However, after a lengthy replay review, the umps ruled fan interference on the play and placed Hessman on third base.   Despite being on third with no outs, the Mets stranded Hessman and let a golden opportunity slip by.

In the sixth, the Mets finally broke through.  With two outs and no one on base, David Wright and Carlos Beltran hit back-to-back doubles to plate the game’s first – and only – run.  Dickey (8-5) didn’t allow a base runner after Hamels’ single, finishing with seven strikeouts in his nine innings.  Hamels (7-9) took the hard-luck loss for the Phils.

 

 

Braves vs. Dodgers

Pitching also stole the spotlight in Atlanta on Friday night as the first place Braves defeated the Dodgers by a score of 1-o.

The Braves’ Tim Hudson and the Dodgers’  Hiroki Kuroda matched zeroes for six innings.  The game’s lone run came in the seventh, when Brooks Conrad, playing third base in place of the injured Chipper Jones, homered to center field off of Kuroda.  

Hudson (14-5) allowed just 3 hits over eight innings of work, striking out six.  Kuroda (8-11) took the loss despite allowing just three hits in his seven innings.  Braves’ closer Billy Wagner came on in the ninth and locked down his 29th save of the season.

 

 

Nationals vs. Diamondbacks

The Nationals scored early and let their pitching do the rest, as the Nats defeated the Diamondbacks 4-2 in Washington.

The Nationals scored three runs in the first off of Arizona starter Joe Saunders (1-2), highlighted by a Ryan Zimmerman two-run single.   Wil Nieves extended Washington’s lead to 4-0 with a solo home run in the second.  The D-Backs cut the Nats lead in half with two fifth inning runs off of starter John Lannan, but managed just one hit after that.  Lannan (4-5) allowed just four hits over seven innings, striking out five.  Sean Burnett pitched two perfect innings, striking out four, to pick up his second save on the season.

 

 

Marlins vs. Reds

The Reds roughed up Marlins’ ace Josh Johnson Friday night as they cruised to a 7-2 victory in Cincinnati.

The Reds jumped on Johnson in the first inning, scoring three runs courtesy of RBI singles by Joey Votto, Scott Rolen, and Jay Bruce.  Bruce later homered as the Reds built a 7-0 lead.   The Marlins’ only offense came off of the bat of rookie Mike Stanton, who hit solo home runs in both the sixth and eighth innings. 

Edinson Volquez (3-1) scattered eight hits over six innings of work, allowing just one run and striking out six.  Johnson (10-5) lasted just 3.2 innings in the loss, allowing six runs and ten hits.

Braves vs. Mets

The first place Atlanta Braves opened up a three game series in New York against the second place Mets on Friday night.  Behind strong pitching and timely hitting, the Braves defeated the Mets by a score of 4-2 to extend their lead to four games in the NL East.

Braves starter Tommy Hanson and Mets starter R.A. Dickey pitched well, with each allowing only two runs over the first six innings.  The Mets threatened to break open a 2-2 tie in the sixth and put runners on second and third, but Bobby Cox called on reliever Eric O’Flaherty, who retired pinch hitter Jesus Feliciano on a ground ball to keep the Mets off of the scoreboard.  Despite throwing over 100 pitches, Jerry Manuel left Dickey in to pitch the seventh inning.  The knuckleballer retired the first two batters in the inning, but then allowed back-to-back home runs to Melky Cabrera and Omar Infante which gave the Braves a 4-2 lead. 

The Braves bullpen did the rest, shutting down the Mets for the final three innings.  Billy Wagner pitched a 1-2-3 ninth against his former club to pick up his 20th save on the season.  O’Flaherty (3-1) earned the win in relief, while Dickey (6-2) suffered the loss for the Mets.

 

Phillies vs. Reds

The Phillies and Reds played the wildest game of the night on Friday in Philadelphia.  The Reds appeared to be cruising to a victory, but the Phillies exploded for six runs in the ninth and used a walk-off home run in the tenth to defeat the Reds 9-7.

The Reds jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning off of Phils starter Joe Blanton, thanks to a three run homer from Jonny Gomes.  The Reds scored three more runs off of Blanton over his 5 1/3 innings, and added another run in the top of the ninth to take a commanding 7-1 lead.  Meanwhile, Reds starter Mike Leake was cruising, holding the Phillies at bay while helping out his own cause with three hits and an RBI.  However, it all came apart in the bottom of the ninth.

After a Ryan Howard RBI single with one out, Leake allowed a three run homer to Greg Dobbs which cut the lead to 7-5.  Leake departed and the Reds brought in their closer, Francisco Cordero.  Cordero retired his first batter, but after walking Ben Francisco, Cordero allowed a game tying home run to pinch hitter Cody Ransom to send the Phillies crowd into a frenzy.   Reliever Ryan Madson pitched a perfect tenth inning for the Phillies. Arthur Rhodes came on to pitch the bottom of the tenth for Cincinnati, and Raul Ibanez greeted him with a leadoff double.  Ryan Howard followed with an opposite field home run to give the Phillies the improbable victory.  Madson (2-0) picked up the win, while Rhodes (3-3) suffered the loss.

 

Nationals vs. Giants

It was the Strasburg and Dunn show Friday night in Washington as the Nationals defeated the Giants by a score of 8-1.

Rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg allowed a leadoff home run to San Francisco’s Andres Torres in the first inning, but settled down after that.  The Nationals tied the game in the bottom of the first off of Giants starter Matt Cain, and took the lead in the fourth inning on an Adam Dunn solo homer.  The Nats added two runs in the sixth and four more in the seventh, highlighted by a three run homer from Dunn.  Dunn’s second blast put the nail in the coffin for Cain (6-8) and the Giants.

Strasburg (3-2) allowed only three hits over his six innings of work, walking just one while striking out 8.  Three Nats relievers combined to shut out the Giants over the final three frames to close out the victory for Washington.

 

Marlins vs. Diamondbacks

After falling in the series opener in Arizona, the Florida Marlins bounced back to even the four game set by defeating the Diamondbacks 3-2 on Friday night.

Marlins pitcher Ricky Nolasco and D-Backs starter Dan Haren each pitched into the seventh inning and did their best to keep their opponents off of the scoreboard.  The Marlins broke through with two runs in the third on RBI singles from Dan Uggla and Cody Ross.  After Arizona scored a run in the fourth, the Marlins got that run back in the seventh.  Uggla’s RBI infield hit brought home Florida’s third run and ended the night for Haren (7-7).  Arizona answered with a run off of Nolasco (9-6) in the bottom of the seventh, but couldn’t bring home the tying run.  

The Marlins bullpen took control from there.  Clay Hensley struck out the side in the eighth inning, and Leo Nunez pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn save number 19 on the season.

Nationals vs. Pirates

 

Stephen Strasburg made his highly anticipated major league debut last night in front of a standing room only crowd in Washington.  It seemed impossible that Strasburg would be able to live up to hype in his first start, but if anything, he exceeded expectations as the Nationals defeated the Pirates 5-2.

 

Strasburg struck out 14 and walked none over 7 dominating innings.  The Nats took a 1-0 lead thanks to a first inning home run by Ryan Zimmerman, and Strasburg was cruising until he surrendered a two run homer to Delwyn Young in the fourth inning.  After Young’s long ball, Strasburg took control.  He faced ten batters and retired all ten, striking out the last seven Pirates to face him.  The Nationals bats put Strasburg in position to win his debut in the sixth, scoring three runs courtesy of back-to-back home runs by Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham off Pirates starter Jeff Karstens.  The Nationals added another run in the eighth, and Matt Capps pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to earn his 19th save.

 

The story of the night was clearly Strasburg.  With a 100 mph fastball, filthy curve ball, and command of the strike zone, it’s going to be fun to watch him pitch every five days.

 

 

Marlins vs. Phillies

 

Another stud prospect made his major league debut on Tuesday in Marlins outfielder Mike Stanton.  Stanton went 3 for 5 with 2 infield singles and 2 runs scored, but the Marlins couldn’t hold onto an early four run lead and fell to the Phillies 10-8 in Philadelphia.

 

Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick and Marlins starter Chris Volstad each gave up two home runs and allowed six runs before departing.  Gaby Sanchez and Hanley Ramirez homered for Florida, while Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino went deep for the Phils.  The Marlins took an 8-7 lead in the top of the eighth thanks to a Wes Helms RBI triple, but the Phillies scored three runs in the bottom of the inning, keyed by Ben Francisco’s two-run single.  Brad Lidge loaded the bases in the top of the ninth, but got Ronny Paulino to pop up to close out the game and earn the save.  Jose Contreras picked up the victory in relief, while Clay Hensley suffered the loss.

 

 

Mets vs. Padres

 

The Padres visited Citi Field to open up a three game series with the Mets, and it was an old fashioned pitchers duel in Flushing.   Thanks to instant replay and a walk-off home run from another NL East rookie sensation, the Mets defeated San Diego 2-1 in 11 innings to earn their ninth straight home victory.

 

Mike Pelfrey continued his dominant pitching for New York.  After Adrian Gonzalez doubled in a run in the top of the first, Pelfrey shut down the Padres, allowing just that one run over nine innings.  San Diego starter Clayton Richard held the Mets scoreless until two outs in the seventh.  Jose Reyes’ long drive to left was initially ruled in play and a double.  After the umpires huddled and went to video review, they correctly awarded Reyes a home run, which tied the game at 1.  The game remained tied until the bottom of the 11th, when rookie first baseman Ike Davis homered to right field off Padres reliever Edward Mujica to give the Mets a walk off victory.  Elmer Dessens earned the victory for the Mets in relief.

 

 

Braves vs. Diamondbacks

 

After falling to the Diamondbacks in Monday’s opener, the Braves evened the series with a 7-5 victory in Arizona.

 

Braves starter Kris Medlen allowed four runs in five innings, including three solo home runs.  Arizona starter Edwin Jackson also allowed four runs over six innings, as neither starter factored in the decision.  Troy Glaus’ RBI double broke a 5-5 tie in the eighth ining, and Billy Wagner pitched a scoreless ninth for his 10th save.  Jonny Venters picked up the victory for the Braves, while Esmerling Vasquez took the loss.  Omar Infante and Melky Cabrera each went 3 for 5 to lead a 14 hit attack for Atlanta.

TPI took last weekend off and you have my sincerest apologies. On a rather humorous note, the Red Sox have tried to trade the Lance Armstrong of the Baseball World (Mike Lowell) to the Texas Rangers and would look to replace him with….drumroll….Adrian Beltre. I am not a general manager, though I do manage several fantasy baseball teams, but do you think it would be wise to bring in a guy who underperforms and is overpaid, into a fishbowl like Boston???? Do you really think Boston’s fans will have the patience for .250, 20 HR, and decent range/arm???? Not a wise move IMHO (In My Humble Opinion). Yes, I speak in acronyms sometimes.

The NL East has been busy this off season. First let me address the Granderson trade. Love this move. Absolutely love it. But not for the Yankees. I love it for the Diamondbacks. Dont get me wrong, Granderson will make a fine addition to the already potent/imposing Yankee lineup. But you have to love what the Diamondbacks did. They imported Edwin Jackson, and Ian Kennedy. They have now added two starters to their rotation. Scherzer was good, and Schlereth might end up being a good reliever, but any time you can get a #2 guy to be your #3, it is a good move. Kennedy is definetly a #4 guy and he will thrive in that roll. Great move all around for everyone involved although I think the Tigers got the worst of the deal, which is not a knock on them. It was a fair and balanced trade all around.

Pudge Rodriguez. 2 years from the Nationals. I like what they are doing here. Sure, it is not 2001, but you have to like the fact that the Nationals are trying.   Getting Bruney from the Yankees is a good move.  Strengthens the bullpen.  If they could get another starting pitcher, they might be decent to watch.

Welcome Back, Enrico Palazzo!

Placido “Enrico Palazzo” Polanco has rejoined the Phightin Phils. I like Polanco as a player. I have a soft spot for guys who take pitches, work the count, and make contact. Very valuable. Like a Shane Battier of Major League Baseball. Does the fundamental things right, but isnt a superstar. My question is, where does he hit in that lineup? Are the Phils going to move him down in the order, which kind of negates his value.  Are they looking to move Victorino down?  That is the only downside of this move.  Polanco would not be a good #6 or #7 hitter.  Mark DeRosa/Adam Kennedy I think would have been a better fit. 

Apparently, not thankful enough to be playing professional baseball!

The Mets and Phillies each got a new backup catcher.  The Phillies picked up Brian Schneider while the Mets got Chris Coste.  Calling this move minor would still overplay its signifigance, but what makes it interesting is Chris Coste’s statements about his remaining “a lifelong Phillie”.   Further, Mr. Coste found it “difficult” to sign with the Mets.   Frankly, I am glad players have a little more invested in their employers than simply their loyalty to the all mighty dollar.  However, Mr. Coste, the Phillies just cut you.  They deemed you worthless, so worthless in fact, that they signed Brian Schneider to replace you.  Mr. Schneider  hit .218 last year.  .218!!!!  I think it would be wise for Mr. Coste to close his mouth, cash his paycheck, and thank the heavens above that someone wants to pay him to play baseball.

Moving on, the Braves signed Billy Wagner and Takashi Saito and traded away Rafael Soriano, who had accepted arbitration.  Really, the Braves moved laterally here, unless you count what was received from the Tampa Bay Rays, right handed reliever Jesse Chavez, as an improvement.  It seems a right of passage for baseball teams to turnover their bullpens.  Usually, guys who one team didnt like move to a team that likes them slightly more.  Is Billy Wagner better than Rafael Soriano?  Not really.  Maybe cheaper, but otherwise, pretty much the same pitcher with similar injury concerns.  Saito is interesting but I think he has fallen from his spot as a stable bullpen presence. 

The Marlins yardsale continues as they have traded away Matt Lindstrom and Jeremy Hermida this offseason.  From Boston, the Marlins received, what else, young talent, in two left handed pitching prospects.  I dont even know what the Marlins got from Houston for Lindstrom.  Let’s just say, for arguments sake, it was a bag of magic beans. 

I cannot comment on rumors because they are just that, rumors.  I am sure there were other moves I missed, such as the Mets setting the world on fire by signing Henry Blanco who should not be confused with Gregor Blanco, because they are not related. 

Wait a second, you are not Cliff Lee....

Oh yeah, another thing, the Phillies just traded for Roy Halladay and three prospects.  If you read NLEastChatter, you knew I said that the Phillies needed pitching.  Well, they got it.  Just not in the way I imagined.  It is a shrewd business move, trading one star for another, especially since it looked unlikely that the Phillies could retain Cliff Lee past 2010.  However, do the Phillies actually get better?  They trade away 2 prospects in Kyle Drabek and Michael Taylor and get three players back.  So essentially, for Roy Halladay, several months of Cliff Lee, and three prospects the Phillies traded 5 prospects, which really isnt a bad deal.  However, at the end of the day, entering next season, the Phillies still have one true ace, a solid number two/maybe ace/maybe bust and J.A. Happ.  This is exactly what they had when the season ended.  While Halladay is a great, great pitcher, the rest of the National League East cannot be any more afraid of the Phillies than when they had Cliff Lee. 

The rest of the offseason will be filled with what the hell the Mets will do.  The Mets, surrounded by Boston, the Yankees, and the Phillies, have watched all three teams pull off great moves and great signings.  They will be pressed into action.  The Nationals are essentially waiting for the dust to settle to see who will accept signing with the Nationals as opposed to playing in Japan, the Braves are quietly trying to put together a team in a city that cares slightly more about the Braves than the Hawks, but well below the Falcons and college football.  Lastly the Marlins appear to be determining who will show up for Spring Training to decide who they should sign.  With that said, feel free to show up to Marlins spring training.  If you manage to look official you might just join the 40 man roster.

Maybe he can pitch better with 1 eye?

Joe Blanton continues to be a rock in the Phillies rotation, with another good start last night.  Blanton(8-6) went eight innings and scattered ten hits and three runs while striking out four in a 12-3 Phils win.  Ryan Howard once again had a huge game as he hit a three run home run and also added an RBI double in the game and was joined by Jayson Werth and Carlos Ruiz in the home run game.  The Phillies completed another three game sweep and are on a nice role heading into New York to face the Mets this weekend, check out Phillies Phandom for more.

Doug Davis couldn’t stop the Phillies offense, but not many can at this point in the season.  Davis(7-11) only got through five innings in taking the loss as he gave up five hits, six runs (five earned) and four walks in cluding a home run.  Alex Romero, Miguel Montero and Chad Tracy all had RBI hits for the Diamondbacks, but that couldn’t save them.

A rare bad start for JJ

Wandy Rodriguez of the Astros continues to have a nice bounce back and surprising year.  Rodriguez(12-7) went eight innings and only gave up four hits and a run, which is a rarity against the Florida Marlins as the Astros won 4-1 to take the series.  He was supported by two fourth inning home runs, a two run shot by Lee and a solo shot by Hunter Pence and Wandy Rodriguez capped the scoring himself with an RBI double in the fifth.  Jose Valverde pitched a perfect ninth with two k’s for his 18th save of the season.

The Marlins have now broken their consecutive ten hit games streak and are on a two game losing streak heading into a weekend against the Braves.  Josh Johnson(12-3) took only his third loss of the year, and could not get out of the fifth inning, recording one out in the fifth but allowing seven hits and four runs with two home runs in all.  Dan Uggla had an RBI ground out to score the only run of the game for the Fish, but check FishGuts for more.

best part of the night for the Mets fans

Former Met Ryan Church took it to the Mets last night, which must not be fun for Mets fans.  He went 2-3 with a run scored and an RBI as the Braves won 3-2 for a series victory in New York.  Brian McCann added a solo home run in the fourth inning and Omar Infante also had an RBI for the Braves.  Starter Kenshin Kawakami(6-9) was able to pick up a win as he went seven innings allowing seven hits and only a single run while striking out five and Rafael Soriano got his 18th save of the season while allowing only a hit in the ninth.  The Braves Baseball Blog will have more information on the Braves for you.

Johan Santana couldn’t even get the win last night , even though he pitched ok..but it certainly wasn’t a Johan classic game.  Santana(13-9) went seven innings and allowed nine hits and three runs and only struck out two for the game.  Corey Sillivan and Omir Santos produced the Mets only runs on RBI singles in the third and eighth.  The best point of the game was Billy Wagner pitching a perfect inning in the eighth on only fourteen pitches and striking out two.  Check out The Real Dirty Mets Blog for more info on the Mets.

a sweep...ouch

The Rockies were able to complete a three game sweep in Washington last night as they rode Jason Hammel’s pitching to a 4-1 victory.  Carlos Gonzalez, Troy Tulowitzki and Brad Hawpe were credited with RBI hits and Torrealba was able to score on a wild pitch in the fifth.  Jason Hammel(8-7) went seven innings and allowed only a single run and three hits and once again Huston Street worked the ninth, this time a perfect one and got his 32nd save of the year.

The Nationals are back to the Nationals everyone knew of, but part of it is surprising.  The pitching wasn’t terrible as Garret Mock(2-5) worked five innings allowing three hits and two runs and struck out eight.  Adam Dunn produced the only run for the Nationals with an RBI double in the sixth but he was the only hitter with two hits and only Guzman and Willingham even had a single hit besides him.  Check out CenterfieldGate for more on the Nats.

Roy who?

Cliff Lee has been absolutely outstanding for the Phillies since being traded in late July.  Lee(4-0) turned in his fourth straight solid, or in this case terrific outting as he threw a complete game while allowing only two hits and one run while striking out eleven while winning 8-1.  His ERA in the National League is now 0.82 in his four starts, and the Phillies must have no regrets about not picking up Roy Halladay.  Ryan Howard and the Phillies supported him with eight runs, including a three run home from Ryan Howard, two solo shots from Jayson Werth and a two run shot from Chase Utley.  Since the Marlins lost,  they added a game to their lead in the division, Phillies Phandom will have more on this.

The Diamondbacks sent their ace to the hill in this game as well, and the game didn’t have the magic that everyone expected.  Danny Haren could only last five innings and he allowed six runs and nine hits.  Haren(12-8) has now given up five or more runs in three of his past four starts, raising his ERA from 2.19 at the end of July to 2.74 now.  For the second straight night, the D’backs only managed a single run and Stephen Drew produced it, this time on a sacrifice fly.

Couldn't get the big hit

The Houston Astros managed to get the win 6-3 last night, despite using six different pitchers throughout the game.  The offense took the lead in the bottom of the first though and never looked back, happy that Lance Berkman got back in the swing of things with an RBI double to tie it early.  Starting pitcher Yorman Bazardo only lasted 4.2 innings and gave up only two runs in the first but left with runners on and a high pitch count.  Sammy Gervacio(1-0) got his first win while recording the final out in the fifth inning and using only five pitches.  Jose Valverde got his 17th save of the season in the 6-3 win.

The Florida Marlins once again did get more than ten hits a game, extending the franchise record and getting closer to the National League record.  Too bad hits don’t always turn into runs though, as they could only muster three runs and one after the first.  Jorge Cantu and Dan Uggla contributed RBI singles and then Ross Glaud capped the Fish scoring in the sixth with an RBI double.  Sean West(4-5) lasted only four and gave up three earned runs and four total and left after only 62 pitches.  FishGuts has more on this Marlins loss and their push to the playoffs.

Ouch

The Atlanta Braves were able to return the favor the Mets gave them on Tuesday night with their own eight run inning.  The Braves scored eight in the second and the game was more than over at that point on their way to a 15-2 victory.  Brian McCann hit a three run home run and Adam LaRoche and Matt Diaz joined him in that homer party.  Diaz finished with four RBI and Infante added three RBI as well.  Jair Jurrjens(10-8) didn’t have to work hard for this win and got six innings done with only two runs and allowed eight hits.  The Braves Baseball Blog is the place to go for all Braves info as well.

Once again, what is to say about the Mets game?  Luis Castillo made a mental error and didn’t cover second on a double play ball and Bobby Parnell never recovered.  Parnell(3-5) got through three innings and allowed nine runs on nine hits and two walks a far cry from his previous gem of a game.  Angel Pagan had an RBI double and Luis Castillo also drove in a run, but this one was over early and the Mets even replaced many of the starters to save them from the looming injury cloud on the team.  The Real Dirty Mets Blog is the place to go for all Mets info.

on fire!

Last night Carlos Gonzalez once again got the big hit for the Rockies, as he hit what would be the eventual winning home run in the eighth inning for the Rockies.  Clint Barmes also hit his second homer in as many days and the Rockies went on to win 5-4.  Jason Marquis(14-8) worked six innings allowing nine hits and three runs and only striking out one and once again Huston Street got the save, his 31st, but not without a problem as he gave up a solo shot.  The Rockies go for the sweep tonight.

Colin Balester(1-3) was awful for the Nationals last night, he only got through 1.1 innings and allowed three runs only three hits but five walks.  Ryan Zimmerman stayed hot, going 2-3 with a walk and two RBI’s on a double and a triple in the game.  Josh Bard contributed a solo shot in the ninth inning to bring the Nationals within a run, but they could not get closer.  Centerfieldgate has more info on the Nationals and what is going on with their team.

You were expecting Pedro?

Last night in Philadelphia, it was Pedro’s home debut, unfortunately Mother Nature didn’t cooperate.  Pedro Martinez got through three innings before a rain delay of just over an hour and he didn’t come back and couldn’t try to get a win, as he left losing.  Jamie Moyer(11-9) came in and pitched the final six innings of two hit ball while striking out five and allowed the Phils to come back and win the game 5-1.  Jayson Werth had a homer and an RBI double and Carlos Ruiz also added two RBI’s as the Phils were able to stay 4.5 up on the Marlins.  Phillies Phandom will have more on the Phils from this game.

Jon Garland did come back after the rain delay, and wasn’t the same as before the delay.  After coming back from the delay, Garland(6-11) gave up five runs in his final 3.1 innings pitched and took the loss.  The only offense the D’backs mustered was a solo home run leading off the game by Stephen Drew.

Nolasco with another gem

Ricky Nolasco saved the bullpen for the Marlins last night in Houston, pitching a gem of a complete game.  Nolasco(9-8) went the distance giving up three hits and two runs and striking out twn, his only mistake was a two run home run in the first.  The Marlins offense once again had his back as they got back even in the fourth and took the lead for good in the sixth inning winning 6-2.  Dan Uggla, Jorge Cantu and Jeremy Hermida all added solo home runs for the Marlins who keep on chugging along and keeping the heat on the Colorado Rockies and the Phillies to keep winning.  FishGuts will have more information on the win and the Marlins current success.

The Astros got all the runs they could in the first inning on a two run home run by Carlos Lee which scored newly back from the Disabled List, Lance Berkman.  Nolasco shut them down after that, including only one additional hit as they couldn’t do anything from either side of the ball.  Bud Norris(3-1) went 5.2 innings and allowed five runs and a walk and two home runs as he took the loss.

Is he ever happy?

Last night, no one could have seen what would happen, with the suddenly heavy hitting Braves, facing the hobbled New York Mets.  Oliver Perez started how all Mets fans figured, as he allowed two home runs in the first three innings and the Mets were down 4-0.  Then the impossible happened, the Mets got ten base hits and eight runs, yes EIGHT in the bottom of the fourth inning and never looked back.  Oliver Perez(3-3) was able to get through five innings and only gave up those four runs and walked only one, but left with a sore knee.  The Mets bullpen went the final four innings allowing only five more baserunners as the Mets took the opener to the series.  The Real Dirty Mets Blog is your one stop shop for mets information.

Derek Lowe was the typical Derek Lowe for the first three innings of this game as he was shutting down the Mets and getting ground ball double plays when needed.  It all came unraveled in the fourth, and oddly enough, after he was hit on the hand with a ground ball, although he appeared to pitch fine afterwards.  Lowe’s(12-8) final line read 3.2 innings pitched, 11 hits and eight runs with no strike outs of ground balls.  The Braves offense was only able to produce a three run home run by Matt Diaz in the second and a solo shot from Adam LaRoche in the third inning.  The Braves Baseball Blog covers this loss and more.

CGon is on fire

The Rockies were barely able to sneak by the pesky Nationals last night visiting the Nations capital.  Going into the eighth inning, they were in a tie game before Carlos Gonzalez stepped to the plate.  Gonzalez hit a home run which broke the tie and lead to the eventual 4-3 win.  Clint Barmes followed with a solo home run in the ninth inning that proved to be the winning run and as mentioned earlier, helped the Rockies keep their lead on the wildcard.  Brad Hawpe added two RBI of his own on an RBI groundout and a solo shot early in the game.  Ubaldo Jimenez(11-9) was able to go eight innings and allowed just seven hits and two runs in earning the win and Huston Street worked a troubled ninth allowing three hits and a run, but did earn his 30th save of the season.

The Nationals bullpen couldn’t pick up the offense in this one, as late in the game, they faltered.  Sean Burnett(2-3) took the loss while recording one out but allowing the home run to Gonzalez and Tyler Clippard came in and finished the game with 1.2 innings but he also allowed a solo shot, putting the game out of reach.  Starter Craig Stammen, who received a no decision helped his own cause in the second with an RBI double and Nyjer Morgan and Christian Guzman added RBI singles as well.  CenterfieldGate covers the Nationals for you, check them out.

I love the odd faces pitchers make

Tommy Hanson continues to impress for the Braves, as the Bravos rolled to victory in a makeup game versus the Diamondbacks yesterday, 9-4.  Hanson(8-2) went six strong innings and allowed only six hits and two runs in earning his eighth win of the season.  Hanson also helped himself with a run scoring fielders choice groundout and LaRoche added a two run homer late in joining Garrett Anderson in Braves who hit balls out.  The Braves Baseball Blog is your place to go for more Braves info.

Max Scherzer struggled today, but also was not helped by his defense in this game.  Scherzer(7-7) went five innings and was charged with nine runs, but only THREE of them were earned as the Diamondbacks made two errors behind him.    Mark Reynolds and Stephen Drew added home runs for the Diamondbacks and Miguel Montero had an RBI single as well, but the errors allowed the game to get out of hand.

how much longer in the rotation?

The San Francisco Giants, a typically low scoring, good pitching team, got a gift wrapped game from the Mets last night.  The Giants scored in six of nine innings and put up crooked numbers within two of them to win by a score of 10-1.  Aaron Rowand hitting out of the seven hole was 4-5 with two runs scored and two RBI and even added a home run in the fourth.  Randy Winn was also 3-5 with two runs scored batting in front of Winn in the blowout.  Rookie Joe Martinez(3-1) went five innings and only allowed a third inning run and walked two.

Livan Hernandez was awful again for the Mets in receiving his eighth loss and costing the Mets a chance to win this series.  Hernandez(7-8) went 5.1 innings and allowed 11 hits and six runs, including a home run while actually only throwing 76 pitches on the day.  Gary Sheffield knocked in Cory Sullivan in the second inning to score the Mets only run.  The Real Dirty Mets Blog has more on the Mets and be sure to check NLEC out for the Chatter Up! Between the Braves and the Mets later.