Mets vs. Braves

The Braves beat the Mets in a score of 6-3.  The Mets scored in the 1st when David Wright homered scoring Carlos Beltran.  The Braves struck back in the 2nd when Álex González singled scoring Brian McCann.  In the 6th Álex González singled home Derek Lee and in the 7th Derek Lee hit a grand slam.  The Mets scored again in the 7th when Josh Thole grounded into a double play scoring Ike Davis.

Derek Lowe got the win pitching 6 innings, giving up 4 hits, 2 runs, with 2 strikeouts.  RA Dickey got the loss after pitching 6 innings, giving up 10 hits, 4 runs, and no strikeouts.  Craig Kimbrel got his first save of the season giving up 1 hit with 3 strikeouts.

Marlins vs. Cubs

The Cubs beat the Marlins in a score of 13-3.  The Cubs scored 2 runs in the 1st when Bobby Scales singled home Darwin Barney and Jeff Baker.  In the 2nd they scored 6 runs thanks to 3 walks, Brad Snyder singled scoring Jeff Baker and Micha Hoffpauir, and Wellington Castillo hit a ground rule double scoring Tyler Colvin.  The Marlins went on the board in the 4th when Dan Uggla hit a homerun scoring Logan Morrison.  In the 5th Darwin Barney scored on a pass ball and in the bottom on the inning the Marlins scored when Hector Luna hit a solo shot.  The Cubs scored 4 more in the 9th when Wellington Castillo homered scoring Brad Snyder, Sam Fuld doubled scoring Thomas Diamond, and Jeff Baker doubled scoring Sam Fuld.

Jeff Samardzija got the win pitching 6 innings giving up 3 hits, 3 runs, and 4 strikeouts.  The loss went to Andrew Miller who pitched just 1.1 innings giving up 3 hits, 5 runs, and 1 strikeout.

Phillies vs. Nationals

The Phillies beat the Nationals in a score of 7-6.  The Nationals struck first when Willie Harris hit a solo shot in the 3rd.  In the 4th Brian Schneider doubled scoring Raul Ibanez and Jason Werth.  In the 5th Jason Werth singled scoring Placido Polanco.  Michael Morse homered in the 6th scoring Ian Desmond and Adam Dunn and in the 7th Danny Espinosa hit a solo shot.  In the 8th Willie Harris singled scoring Michael Morse and Roger Bernadina. In the 9th the Phillies scored 4 runs when Ryan Howard singled scoring Placido Polanco and Chase Utley and Jason Werth homered scoring Ryan Howard.

Yunesky Maya started for the Nationals pitching 4.2 innings giving up 6 hits, 3 runs, and 2 strikeouts.  Joe Blanton started for the Phillies pitching 6 innings giving up 7 hits, 4 runs, and 8 strikeouts.  The win went to Vance Worley who pitched the 9th giving up just 1 hit with 1 strikeout.  The loss went to Drew Storen who did not record an out giving up 4 hits and 4 runs.

Phillies vs. Reds

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

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

Nationals vs. Padres

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

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

Marlins vs. Diamondbacks

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

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

The Mets and The Braves are both off

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.

Phillies vs. Red Sox

The Phillies hoped for a better outcome as they took on the Red Sox in game two of their series at Fenway.  Instead, Philadelphia’s starter gave up nine runs for the second game in a row, and the Red Sox cruised to a 10-2 victory.

Boston starter Daisuke Matsuzaka was scratched just before game time due to a strained forearm, and the Phillies took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second off of emergency starter Scott Atchinson thanks to a Brian Schneider two-run double.   However, the Red Sox jumped on pitcher Joe Blanton in the bottom of the inning.  JD Drew started off the scoring with a solo home run, and Daniel Nava hit a grand slam in his first major league at bat to give Boston a 5-2 lead. 

The Sox added three runs in the third and one more in the fourth off of Blanton (1-5), who gave up 13 hits in addition to nine runs in his four innings of work.  Boston reliever Manny Delcarmen (2-2) pitched two scoreless innings in relief and earned the victory.

 

Mets vs. Orioles

The Mets won back-to-back games on the road for the first time since last July as they defeated the last place Orioles 3-1 Saturday night in Baltimore.

Jose Reyes led off the game with a home run off of Baltimore starter Brian Matusz.  The Orioles tied the game at 1 in the bottom of the first off of Hisanori Takahashi on a Nick Markakis RBI double.   The game remained 1-1 until the top of the sixth, when the Mets took the lead.  The Orioles failed to turn a double play on a David Wright comebacker, allowing the Mets to score the go-ahead run.  Jeff Francoeur added a solo home run in the eighth inning to cap the scoring. 

Takahashi (5-2) gave up just one run and six hits over seven innings to earn the victory, while Matusz (2-7) took the loss.  Francisco Rodriguez pitched a scoreless ninth for his 13th save.

 

Nationals vs. Indians

Cleveland rookie catcher Carlos Santana hit his first career home run, and the Indians jumped on Washington starter JD Martin for four runs in the second inning as they defeated the Nationals 7-1 in Cleveland.

Playing in his second major league game, the highly touted Santana drove in three runs to lead the Indians offense.  Indians starter Fausto Carmona (5-5) went nine strong innings, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out seven.  Ryan Zimmerman‘s eighth inning home run spoiled Carmona’s shutout bid.  Martin (0-2) pitched into the eighth inning, but allowed seven runs and took the loss.

The Nationals hope to avoid a sweep when they send phenom Stephen Strasburg to the mound on Sunday.

 

Braves vs. Twins

For the second straight night, two first place teams played a one run game.  After falling in the series opener, the Braves rebounded to defeat the Twins by a score of 3-2 at Target Field in Minnesota.

Braves starter Derek Lowe and Twins starter Nick Blackburn each allowed only two runs, but neither factored in the decision.  After the Twins took a 1-0 lead in the second, the Braves answered with two in the fifth thanks to a Melky Cabrera solo homer and an RBI double from Brooks Conrad.  A Joe Mauer double tied the game in the sixth, and the score remained even at 2 until the top of the ninth.  With runners on the corners, Conrad successfully executed a squeeze bunt, scoring Gregor Blanco with the go-ahead run. 

Atlanta’s Jonny Venters (2-0) struck out Jason Kubel with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth to earn the victory, while Minnesota’s Matt Guerrier (1-2) took the loss.  Billy Wagner worked around a one out single to nail down his 11th save for the Braves.

 

Marlins vs. Devil Rays

After winning on Friday in Tampa, the Marlins fell 6-5 on Saturday night as the Rays evened the Battle of Florida at one game apiece.

The Rays jumped out to an early 5-1 lead, thanks to home runs by Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena, and Sean Rodrgiuez off of Florida starer Ricky Nolasco (5-5).   However, the Marlins battled back against Tampa starter Matt Garza.  Wes Helms hit a two run homer in the fourth and the Fish scored another in the fifth to cut the lead to 5-4.  After the Rays added a run in the seventh, the Marlins answered back in the eighth with one of their own, but couldn’t bring home the tying run. 

Closer Rafael Soriano pitched a perfect ninth for Tampa to earn save number 16 and preserve the victory for Garza (7-4) and the Rays.

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.

Lidge barely gets a save

Game 1

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

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

Pedro shuts down his former mates

Game 2:

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

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

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

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

Umm..wow

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

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

Carpenter with a rare bad one

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

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

The Phils are all smiles

Why wouldn’t every single player on the Phillies be all smiles right now?  The Phillies can’t seem to lose, and last night they won yet another game, by the score of 4-3.  The Phillies also seem to be able to spread out the nightly heroes, last night could be considerd Shane Victorino.  Victorino went 3-5 with two runs scored and two RBI including a solo home run.  After the help from Victorino, Hamels(7-5) went eight innings only allowing one run and four hits while striking out nine for the win.  Brad Lidge got a shaky 20th save as he worked the ninth but gave up a hit and two runs on a home run.  Check out Phillies Phandom for more as the Phils go for a series sweep today.

The Diamondbacks took an early lead in this game on a Ryan Roberts solo home run, but could get nothing more against ace Cole Hamels.  D’Backs ace Danny Haren(10-6) only got through five innings himself giving up three runs and two earned and walking three while having a very high pitch count.  Mark Reynolds tried to get them closer in the ninth as he provided the two run shot off Lidge, but that would be all.

Gload with his 1st career walk off

The Marlins went into the bottom of the ninth inning on Tuesday night, with the chance to drop out of second place in the National League East to the Atlanta Braves.  Cody Ross walked and then Ross Gload who has been solid all year as a pinch hitter hit a two run shot to win the game 4-3.  The win keeps the Marlins hit and they have now won four of six against the Braves so far this season.  Ricky Nolasco pitched a solid game, going seven innings and giving up two runs and got a no decision.  Leo Nunez(3-3) gave up a run in the ninth on a solo home run and was in line for a loss, but Gload’s heroics saved him and gave him the victory.  Check out FishGuts for more on the win.

The Atlanta Braves Rafael Soriano(1-2) blew his second save of the season as he worked one third of an inning and gave up the two run home run to Gload.  Jair Jurrjens pitched six strong giving up the two runs and Gonzalez and Moylan gave up a hit each in perfect innings, Moylan had been in line for a victory.  Prado continued his hot play with an RBI single in the third and Chipper Jones and Garrett Anderson capped the scoring with home runs for the Braves.  The Braves Baseball Blog has more information on the win and the Bravos.

Big Pelf shuts the Rox down

Tuesday night, the Mets were looking to win four games in a row, for what seems like the first time since the Clinton administration.  They sent Mike Pelfrey to the mound and although he worked in and out of trouble, the Mets managed a 4-0 shutout.  Pelfrey(8-6) worked 6.1 innings scattering seven hits and three walks but working out of two bases loaded jams on way to the win.  The Mets offense got solo runs in four different innings, the second, third , fourth and eighth.  Francouer, Castillo, and Murphy had RBI singles and Brian Schneider had a sacrifice fly for all the Mets offense.  Check out The Real Dirty Mets Blog for more Mets info.

Jason Marquis(12-7) came into this game with the most wins in the National League and took the loss, obviously not adding to his total.  Marquis went six innings, giving up seven hits and two earned runs and left after only 86 pitches as the Rockies tried to jump start the offense.  The Rockies will hope to get a win tonight against Mets ace Johan Santana.

Dunn hits a monster shot

Break up the Nationals! The Nats have now won four games in a row, and by commanding fashion, last night winning 8-3 over the Brewers.  Nyjer Morgan and Christian Guzman had three RBI’s each, with both having a home run and Adam Dunn added a solo shot of his own to go with three walks.  Colin Balester(1-1) got his first win this season and went six innings of two run ball and the win held up through the shaky Nats bullpen.  Check out CenterfieldGate for more info on the Nats and their win streak.

Braun homered for the second straight game, but that doesn’t help when the rest of the pitching and hitting doesn’t support you.  Carlos Villanueva(2-8) went four innings and gave up five runs and two home runs taking the loss.  Tim Dillard did not help the come back shots ashe worked four more innings but gave up three more runs, solidifying the Nats win.

Feliz Powers Phils

The Phillies started this homestand on July 3rd with a terrible record at home, especially for a 1st place team in July of a season.  They changed that with a 9-1 homestand which was capped by a series sweep of the Pirates this weekend.  Pedro Feliz hit his 6th home run of the season and 6th grand slam of his career in the first inning, giving J.A. Happ and the Phillies pitching all the runs they would need in winning 5-2.  Happ(6-0) finished a very solid first half,  with his sixth win against zero losses while starting the year in relief and finishing the half as likely Philly’s most solid starter.  The Phillies will go into the break with a four game division lead, check out Phillies Phandom for more Philly info.

Virgil Vasquez(1-3) took the loss for the Pirates and after a solid debut for the Pirates, has lost three straight starts.

Johnson stays strong

Josh Johnson made sure to show that he is absolutely deserving of the All-Star nod he got a week ago, with another very solid start on Sunday.  Johnson(8-2) got his eighth win of the year while pitching into the seventh allowing eight hits and one run, while striking out seven batters.  He was helped by some early runs by the Marlins hitting with Cody Ross delivering a bases clearing double in the first, and the Marlins led 6-1 when he left the game and won 8-1 at the end of the day.  Florida had been only one game back of first nine days ago, but faltered slightly as the Phillies stayed hot going into the break.  Most of their team and especially relief pitching will get their much needed break this week before getting back to the grind.

Doug Davis(4-9) only lasted four innings on Sunday as he gave up five runs on three walks and seven hits and a home run for the loss.

Hawpe delivers before the ASG

The Braves took a 4-0 lead in the top of the second inning yesterday in Denver, in what would turn out to be a back and forth game between the teams.  The Rockies steadily fought back scoring single runs in the second,third, fourth and eighth while sprinkling in three runs in the seventh and the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.  First time All-Star Brad Hawpe hit a double with the game tied in the ninth which scored Seth Smith to give the Rockies the 8-7 win and sending the Braves to the break on a sour note.  Huston Street(3-1) got the win in relief as he pitched a perfect ninth of the inning before the Braves won the game.  The two teams used a total of thirteen pitchers, so those pitchers are very happy to see the break come so they can rest up.

Luis Valdez(0-1) took the loss while giving up the game winning hits and runs in the ninth inning for the Braves.  Check out the Braves Baseball Blog for more on this.

Schneider ends the drought

The New York Mets did what seemed the impossible this weekend, and won a series and at the same time, winning the rubber game.  Taking two out of three from the Reds will go down as only their second series victory since the beginning of June.  Mike Pelfrey(7-4) pitched seven strong innings giving up three earned runs and leaving with a 9-3 lead, but the Mets bullpen made it interesting before giving him the win.  Sean Green and Pedro Feliciano couldn’t get out of the eighth inning with a single out before Bobby Parnell had to come in and save them, but not before allowing three runs, all charged to Sean Green.  Francisco Rodriguez worked a shaky ninth inning giving up a run, a hit and a walk before retiring the side for his 23rd save of the first half and a 9-7 Mets victory.   Check out The Real Dirty Mets blog for more Mets info.

Aaron Harang(5-9) once again could not get the win in a start, getting his ninth loss while giving up five runs in just three innings pitched.

Valverde looks funny in glasses

The Washington Nationals continue have trouble winning games, and did just that on Sunday afternoon in Houston.  Brian Moehler(6-5) shut the Nats down for 6.1 innings while allowing seven hits and two runs en route to a 5-0 Astros win.  For a while it looked like Miguel Tejada’s RBI single in the first would hold up, but Kaz Matsui gave some insurance runs in the seventh with a three run homer.  Jose Valverde worked the ninth inning with a strike out and a hit to get his eighth save this season for the ‘Stros.

Jordan Zimmermann(3-4) also worked 6.1 innings for the Nats but was charged with four of the five runs the Astros got and now has a losing record for the Nationals.  Late last night, Manny Acta was fired by the Nationals after his team’s 26-61 start to the season., read more about that and the Nationals at CenterfieldGate.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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.

John Mayberry misses a one-run double hit by Aubrey Huff in the sixth inning

And it didn’t get any better from there. The Phillies were taking on the Baltimore Orioles Friday night in Philadelphia. Philly pitching has not stepped up for the defending World Series champs. Over the last 7 games, Philly pitching went 1-6 with a 6.49 ERA and have allowed 15 HRS!!! In the absence of Raul Ibanez, The Phillies managed only 2 runs off winning pitcher Rich Hill(3-1). Antonio Bastardo(2-2) gave the bullpen some needed rest by throwing a solid 7 innings with only 4 runs allowed. Jack Taschner of the Phillies put the final nail in the coffin with this game by giving up 3 runs in 2 innings of work. The Phillies lose 7-2. The Phillies are now 13-20 at home.

Fernando Nieve first pitch against Tampa Bay Rays

The New York Mets took on the defending AL champs the Tampa Bay Rays at Citi Field on Friday night. Fernando Nieve(2-0) turned in another good outing for the Mets by going 6 innings with only one earned run allowed. In a rare show of power, Mets catcher Brian Schneider hit a 3 run home run off losing pitcher Andy Sonnanstine(5-7). David Wright also hit a 2 out double to bring in Alex Cora and make the game 4-0. The game would stay like this for a few frames until Bobby Parnell came on in the 7th and gave up 2 runs on a 2-0 96mph fastball to B.J. Upton who doubled in Gabe Gross and Jason Bartlett. Pedro Feliciano came in and got Carl Crawford to hit one back to him to end the inning. Fransisco Rodriguez(1-2) came in for the 9th with a blown save the night before. Krod retired the side for his 18th save and the Mets won 5-3. For more Mets info and discussion, you can visit The Real Dirty Mets Blog.

Sean West Preparing to face $201 million dollars worth of hurt

The last meaningful game between these two clubs was 6 years ago when the Marlins won their 2nd World Series title. Tonight however is a different story as they took out their aggression from being shut out by the worst team in baseball on the young Sean West(2-2). Sean West only lasted 4 innings and gave up 10 hits and 5 earned runs again the Yankees on Friday night en route to a 5-1 loss. This was all done without the help of Alex Rodriguez who has been benched with “fatigue”. Andy Pettite(7-3) has been by far the Yankees most consistent hurler and threw a gem on Friday. Andy went 7 innings with only 1 earned run and fanning 7. Cody Ross accounted for the only run of the game by hitting his 11th HR off Andy in the 3rd inning. The Marlins came into Friday’s game with a .289 batting average in their first 17 games in June. Also if you didn’t know by now, the Marlins no longer play in Dolphins stadium but rather it has been renamed Land Shark Stadium.

Kenshin Kawakami first pitch against the AL east leading Boston Red Sox

In a testament to a new era in Major League Baseball, Two pitchers from Japan squared off in Fenway Park on Friday night. Japan who has won the last two World Baseball Classics’s in a row have begun to make their mark on Major League Baseball as this sport continues to diversify and showcase high class talent. Kenshin Kawakami(4-6) would be the last man standing in this duel versus his fellow country man Daisuke Matsuzaka(1-5). The Boston Red Sox are desperately needing Matsuzaka to come back to form and be the phenom he has been since coming to the states to play ball, unfortunately they will have to wait another game. Matsuzaka only lasted 4 innings but gave up 8 hits and 6 earned runs. Kawakami on the other hand, stole the show by going 6 innings and only allowing a 2 run shot by Jason Bay. Garret Anderson joined the party with his four-RBI performance as the Braves went on to win this one 8-2.For more Braves info and notes, be sure to check out The Braves Baseball Blog.

Jordan Zimmermann takes on the high flying Toronto Blue Jays

With all the talk about Ken Rosenthal’s report that Manny Acta’s job is on “watch”, the Nationals decided to make that decision difficult by turning in another good performance against the AL at Nationals Park. The Nationals were taking on a hot Toronto Blue Jay team that had just swept the defending World Champion Philadelphia Phillies. Jordan Zimmermann took the mound on this one and kept the Blue Jays at bay by going 5.2 innings with only 1 run allowed. Jordan also helped his own cause in the fourth by bringing in the Nationals first run of the contest on a ground out. The Jays would not go quietly and Rod Barajas made sure of it by bringing Scott Rolen in on a single up the middle. Then in a very uncharacteristic event, the Nationals bullpen combined for 5 and 1/3 innings of no run ball. In the top of the 11th, Adam Dunn hits what in baseball would be termed a “seeing eye single” that eludes 1st baseman Lyle Overbay for a walk off win in extras. That is the Nationals first extra inning win this season as they wrapped up their first 3 game winning streak since May by wining 2-1. Jesus Colome(1-0) picks up the win in this extra inning affair and Jason Frasor(0-1) picks up the loss. You can check out more Nationals baseball info and notes by visiting Centerfieldgate.