Nationals vs. Royals

It was  another fine pitching performance by Stephen Strasburg, but without any offense to back him up, he received his first Major League loss as the Nationals fell to the Royals 1-0.  The Royals got on the board in the top of the 5th when David DeJesus scored on a single by Jose Guillen.  Nationals’ bats were quiet, however, Strasburg did get his first Major League hit and Adam Dunn went 2-4 at the plate for Washington.

Strasburg took the loss, going 6 innings and giving up one run on nine hits. He also had nine more strikeouts tonight, giving him a total of 41 strikeouts in his first four MLB starts, which is a new record. Brian Bannister got the win throwing 6 innings and giving up no runs on five hits. Joakim Soria recorded his 17th save of the season for the Royals.

Check out Centerfield Gate for more.

Mets vs. Tigers

The Mets continue to win at home as they beat the Tigers 5-0. Detroit was held to just five hits on the night. It was a big night for Mets hitters though as Jose Reyes went 3-4 and Ike Davis went 2-4. New York got on the board in the 3rd when Reyes scored on a double by David Wright. Reyes later homered in the 5th to make it 2-0 Mets. They went on to score three more runs in the 7th on a Jesus Feliciano ground out and later on a two-RBI single by Davis.

R.A. Dickey pitched 8 brilliant innings to get the win, giving up no runs on four hits. He has now won six in a row. Jeremy Bonderman took the loss, throwing 6 innings and allowing four runs on seven hits.

For more info, check out the Real Dirty Mets Blog.

Marlins vs. Orioles

The Marlins didn’t seem to be distracted by the firing of Fredi Gonzalez as they took game two in their series with the Orioles, winning 7-5. Baltimore struck first scoring four runs in the 2nd on back-to-back one-run homers by Luke Scott and Adam Jones, and a two-RBI single by Corey Patterson. Florida responded in the top of the 3rd with home runs by Gaby Sanchez and Jorge Cantu to tie the game. The Marlins scored two more runs in the 7th on back-to-back doubles by Ronny Paulino and Chris Coghlan. Patterson would drive in another run for the Orioles in the 8th, cutting the Marlins lead to 6-5.

Ricky Nolasco got the win, throwing 7 innings and giving up four runs on eight hits. Brian Matusz took the loss, going 6.1 innings and allowing six runs on seven hits. Leo Nunez got his 16th save of the year for the Marlins.

Check out Fish Guts for more.

Phillies vs. Indians

The Phillies beat the Indians by a score of 7-6. Cleveland was off to a fast start as they scored two in the 1st on a home run by Shin-Soo choo. The Phillies responded in the bottom of the inning with an RBI ground out by Ryan Howard. They then tied it in the 2nd inning on a Jayson Werth home run. Raul Ibanez would drive in two more runs for the Phillies in the 4th to make it 4-3 Philadelphia. Choo would give Cleveland the lead once again in the 5th as he hit his second homer of the night, a two-run shot to center field. Brian Schneider tied it up for Philadelphia in the 7th with his first home run of the season, making it 5-5. It would remain tied until the top of the 9th when Trevor Crowe scored for Cleveland. Jimmy Rollins then hit a walkoff home run in the bottom of the 9th to win it for the Phillies.

Kyle Kendrick only lasted 4 innings for the Phillies, giving up five runs on six hits. J.C. Romero got the win for Philadelphia. Jake Westbrook went 5 innings, taking a no decision. He gave up four runs on seven hits. Kerry Wood took the loss.

Check out Phillies Phandom for more info.

Braves vs. White Sox

After waiting out a rain delay, the Braves lost to the White Sox 4-2. Atlanta scored first in the 2nd inning on an RBI single by Melky Cabrera. Chicago tied it up in the 4th on a single by Paul Konerko. Later in the inning Chicago scored two more runs on a Carlos Quentin home run. David Ross cut the White Sox lead to 3-2 with a RBI single in the 5th. Quentin homered again in the 7th, making it 4-2 Chicago.

Tim Hudson went 7 innings and got the loss, giving up four runson six hits. Mark Buehrle went 6 innings to get the win, and gave up two runs on nine hits. Bobby Jenks got his 16th save of the season.

For more info, go to Braves Baseball.

Wednesday’s games:

Nationals vs. Royals

Stephen Strasburg (2-0) goes for win number three as he and the Nationals take on Brian Bannister (6-5) and the Royals. Game time is 4:35 p.m. in D.C.

Marlins vs. Orioles

Ricky Nolasco (5-6) and the Marlins face Brian Matusz (2-7) and the Orioles. First pitch is 7:05 p.m. in Baltimore.

Phillies vs. Indians

Kyle Kendrick (4-2) takes the mound for the Phillies as they continue their series with the Indians. Jake Westbrook (4-4) gets the start for the Indians. Game time is 7:05 p.m. in Philadelphia.

Mets vs. Tigers

R.A. Dickey (5-0) looks to win his sixth game of the season as he and the Mets take on Jeremy Bonderman (3-4) and the Tigers. Game time is set for 7:10 p.m. in N.Y.

Braves vs. White Sox

Tim Hudson (7-2) and the Braves go up against Mark Buehrle (5-6) and the White Sox. First pitch is 8:10 p.m. in Chicago.

Phillies vs. Twins

The Phillies beat the Twins by a score of 9-5. The Phillies scored early and often, getting three runs in the 1st and five runs in the 2nd. Philadelphia had back-to-back home runs by Chase Utley and Ryan Howard in the 2nd to make it 8-0. Howard had two home runs on the night along with a triple. The Twins got on the board in the 6th with an RBI single by Michael Cuddyer, and again in the 7th on a Nick Pinto home run. The Twins fought back to score two more in the 9th on a wild pitch and an RBI ground out by Orlando Hudson.

Joe Blanton got the win for the Phillies, going 6 innings and giving up three runs on seven hits. Nick Blackburn took the loss, lasting only 1.2 innings, allowing eight runs on six hits.

For more go to Phillies Phandom.

Nationals vs. White Sox

The Nationals lost to the White Sox in extra innings 2-1. The White Sox jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the 1st inning, but then the game was all pitching. Washington tied it up in the 7th with an RBI double by Adam Dunn. The game remained tied until the 11th when a single by Alex Rios scored Mark  Kotsay for the go ahead run.

Stephen Strasburg, who had a no decision, pitched 7 innings allowing one run on four hits and struck out ten. Drew Storen took the loss for the Nationals. Gavin Floyd also had a no decision, going 8 innings and giving up one run on four hits. J.J. Putz got the win. Bobby Jenks recorded his 14th save for Chicago.

Check out Centerfield Gate for more info.

Marlins vs. Rays

The Marlins snapped a three-game losing streak, beating the Rays 7-4. The Rays jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the 1st on an RBI double by Ben Zobrist. The Marlins responded in the bottom of the inning. After Chris Coghlan scored to make it 2-1, rookie Mike Stanton hit his first Major League home run — a grand slam — to give the Marlins a 5-2 lead. Florida would go on to score two more in the 2nd on singles by Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla. Tampa Bay scored one run in the 4th on an error by Ramirez, and again in the 7th on a single by B.J. Upton.

Nate Robertson got the win, going 6 innings and allowing three runs on five hits. Matt Garza got the loss, throwing only 1.1 innings and giving up seven runs on seven hits. Leo Nunez got his 14th save for the Marlins.

Check out Fish Guts for more.

Braves vs. Royals

The Braves held onto first place in the NL East with their 6-4 win over the Royals. Atlanta struck first, scoring two runs in the 2nd on a sacrifice bunt by Derek Lowe and later in the inning on a wild pitch. Kansas City would tie it up with an RBI single by Jason Kendall in the 3rd and a home run by Billy Butler in the 4th. The Braves scored three more in the 4th with a double by Melky Cabrera and singles by Lowe and Chipper Jones. The Royals scored again in the 7th and 8th on singles by Wilson Betemit and Jose Guillen.

Derek Lowe got the win going 6.1 innings and allowing three runs on six hits. Brian Bannister took the loss, lasting only 4 innings and giving up five runs on seven hits. Billy Wagner got his 13th save for Atlanta.

Check out Braves Baseball for more.

Mets vs. Yankees

The Mets won their eighth straight, beating the Yankees 4-0. The Mets scored in the 1st on an RBI single by Ike Davis. They got two more runs in the eighth when a double by Angel Pagan scored Ruben Tejada and Jose Reyes. Reyes drove in a run in the 9th to make it 4-0. Nick Swisher went 2-5 and Francisco Cervelli went 2-4 for the Yankees.

Hisanori Takahashi pitched 6 strong innings to get the win, giving up no runs on four hits. Javier Vazquez took the loss, throwing 7 innings and allowing one run on three hits. Francisco Rodriguez recorded his 16th save.

Check out Real Dirty Mets Blog for more.

Friday’s match ups:

Mets vs. Yankees

Hisanori Takahashi (5-2) and the Mets head across town to the Bronx to take on Javier Vazquez (6-5) and the Yankees. Game time is 7:05 p.m.

Nationals vs. White Sox

Stephen Strasburg (2-0) goes for win number three as he and the Nationals face Gavin Floyd (2-7) and the White Sox. First pitch is 7:05 p.m. in D.C.

Phillies vs. Twins

Joe Blanton (1-5) and the Phillies begin their weekend series with the Twins. Nick Blackburn will take the mound for Minnesota. Game time is 7:05 p.m. in Philadelphia.

Marlins vs. Rays

Nate Robertson (4-5) will start for the Marlins as they take on Matt Garza (7-4) and the Rays. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. in Miami.

Braves vs. Royals

Derek Lowe (8-5) starts for the Braves as they begin a series with the Royals. Brian Bannister (6-4) takes the mound for the Royals. Game time is 7:35 p.m. in Atlanta.