Phillies vs. Braves

The Braves had a chance to clinch at least a tie for the NL Wild Card with a victory on Friday night.  However, the first place Phillies broke open the game with a five run sixth inning on their way to a 11-5 victory over the Braves in Atlanta.

With the game tied at 2 entering the sixth, the Phillies put two runners on base versus Atlanta starter Brandon Beachy (0-2).  Peter Moylan relieved Beachy with two outs, and after a throwing error by Brooks Conrad prolonged the inning, Moylan walked pinch hitter Domonic Brown with the bases loaded to force in the go-ahead run.  Mike Dunn relieved Moylan and promptly allowed a grand slam to Jimmy Rollins to give Philly a 7-2 lead. 

The Phillies added four more runs in the eighth to take a commanding 11-2 lead.  Atlanta scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth, but that was as close as they would get.  Kyle Kendrick (11-10) earned the victory for the Phillies, limiting the Braves to two runs and five hits over five innings.  Derrek Lee was the lone bright spot for the Braves, going 3 for 5 and driving in all five Atlanta runs.

Mets vs. Nationals

With reports swirling that both their GM and Manager were on their way out, the Mets received solid pitching and used a pair of long balls to defeat the Nationals by a score of 2-1 in 10 innings at Citi Field.

Mets rookie Ike Davis homered off of Nats starter Jordan Zimmermann in the fourth inning to put the Mets on the scoreboard.  New York starter Pat Misch kept Washington off of the scoreboard until the seventh inning, when Michael Morse connected for a solo home run of his own to tie the game at 1.  Misch allowed just two other hits over eight innings of work, striking out 10 batters.

The game remained 1-1 until the bottom of the 10^th, when another Mets rookie went deep.  With one out, Josh Thole blasted a home run off of reliever Tyler Clippard (11-7) to give the Mets a walk off victory.  Mets reliever Hisanori Takahashi (10-6) pitched two scoreless innings in relief to earn the win.

Marlins vs. Pirates

Facing off in the second game of a four game series, the Pirates defeated the Marlins 5-1 on Friday evening in Miami.

Dan Uggla got the Marlins on the scoreboard in the first inning with an RBI single off of Pirates starter Daniel McCutchen.  Pittsburgh answered back in the second when Pedro Alvarez homered off of Adalberto Mendez to tie the game at 1.   The game remained tied at 1 until the fifth, when Chris Snyder hit a two-run home run off of Mendez (1-3) to give the Pirates a lead they would not relinquish. 

Chan Ho Park (4-3) earned the victory in relief, pitching three hitless innings and striking out six batters.  The win was the 124^th of Park’s career and gave him the record for the most wins by an Asian-born pitcher in the major leagues.

Welcome to another edition of Chatter Up! here at NLEC. This week will match up Mark P Centerfield Gate against Matt Smith of Phillies Phandom. Enjoy!

MrNorthJersey(NLEC): Do you want and expect Willingham back in a Nationals uniform in 2010?

Mark P(CFG): There was talk of trading Willingham all season, but it never happened — and for good reason. The guy proved to be the hitter that we anticipated (and that I anticipated) when we got him from the Marlins. I think he’s now untouchable. You know, nothing’s impossible: but it would be hard to name a guy who the nats could get for him that would be as good. The fans love him and the guy just hits the hell out of the ball: who knows what he might have done had he started the season in the outfield, instead of that other guy … what’s his name? Oh yeah, Austin Kearns. How the Nationals brain trust could have ever concluded that he was better than Willingham is a question so embarassing it cannot be asked: and gives the term brain trust a whole different meaning.

MrNorthJersey(NLEC): Do you think MacDougal will opt out of his contract and test free agency?

Mark P(CFG): Good question. I somehow don’t think so. The Nats front office seems to think he will be back, talking endless of getting a set up guy that will make him the reliever for the team in 2010. This scares me, because MacDougal is one of those 9th inning guys who just scrapes by — but barely. The last thing this team needs is another collapses bullpen in 2010. Th next to last thing it needs is placing its trust in just one closer. I wouldn’t hold an audition for the spot necessarily (Joel Hanrahan won the audition in the Spring, for pity sake) but I sure wouldn’t think that “Heart Attack Mike” is the only answer we have.

Matt S(PP): The Nationals have been a much-improved squad over the last several weeks. Adam Dunn has had a tremendous season. Are you surprised by Dunn’s production this year and do you view him as a vital piece to the puzzle for next year?

Mark P(CFG): Yes, I’m surprised. You know, Dunn came with baggage: that he was a good hitter but with an indifferent attitude. That turned out to be false, or rather, perhaps it was true because Dunn got bored in Cincinnati (which is more than possible). I thought he would come in with about 29 to 32 homers and make a mash of the outfield. I could see it in my dreams: Dunning chasing down a ball hit over his head, dropping a line drive, tripping over his feet going into the corner. But not only has he really hit the cover off the ball, he has made a real effort to get better as a first baseman. You can see his defensive improvement, which is key, considering Guzman’s boot em and throw em away capabilities. If his defense gets better and he keeps hitting I would expect that the Nats would try to extend him. There aren’t many guys in the majors who can hit 40 homers and drive in 100 runs. And for some reason (stop the presses) Dunn seems to love it here. Who knew?

Matt S(PP): Are Nats fans clamoring for Stephen Strasburg at this point? Can you explain how Strasburg making the team out of spring training would impact the franchise and its fanbase?

Mark P(CFG): I am surprised and gratified by the patience showed by Nats fans. We regularly draw 20,000 to games in which the late innings are so painful that people have to wish they were somewhere else. But they keep coming back for more, night after night. That same patience is being shown now by fans who realize that while it would be nice to see Strasburg right now — or early next year — it would be far better to see him in the post-seasons, with a healthy arm, in 2011. If Strasburg makes the team out of spring training I would advise the front office (they’re not exactly on the phone with me all the time, but there you have it) to pitch him during the third or even fourth home game — when they absolutely need to fill the stadium. My sense is that when Strasburg arrives DC will have to assign more cops for crowd control. The place will be packed. We’re patient, very patient. But honestly, we can’t wait to see this guy.

Matt R(NLEC): I read on your site that it seems the Nats have asked Christian Guzman to move to 2b, how helpful will this truly be for the Nats going forward or does it just shift his suspect defense to a different position?

Mark P(CFG): I think this is a bad decision that confirms the kind of decision making that baseball eggheads rightly criticize: which is based on the assumption that a bad shortstop will somehow improve when he moves to second. I don’t buy it. Not even a little bit. You know, I am such a fan of Alberto Gonzalez (for those who don’t know, a kid out of the DR) that I hope the Nats put him at second, keep Ian Desmond (our rookie phenom) at short — and work a trade for Guzman. He will command an $8 million dollar salary next year and freeing it up would help us to get some middle infielders who can do the job. Or, better yet, we can use the money to sign a guy like Jon Garland. But then, of course, we’d really need a replacement for Guzman, as Garland is a ground ball specialist. To answer your question: putting Guzman at second simply shifts his suspect defense to a different position

Thanks again Mark, now onto Matt Smith of Phillies Phandom

MrNorthJersey(NLEC): With names like Brett Myers, Joe Blanton, Shane Victorino, Chan Ho Park, Scott Eyre, Chad Durbin, Clay Condrey, Tyler Walker, and possibly Pedro Feliz ($0.5mil buyout), becoming free agents this year who do you feel will they miss most if they do not resign them for 2010?

Matt S(PP): Well, most of these players are arbitration eligible. Blanton, Victorino, Durbin, Walker and Condrey won’t be free agents until after the 2010 season. In fact, I’m pretty sure Victorino has at least two more seasons until he can become a free agent. That said, I’m positive Victorino will be signed to a long-term deal in the neighborhood of three-four years. I have a feeling Blanton will ask for a lot of money, so he could go to arbitration. I don’t expect Myers back unless the Phillies feel he can compete with Brad Lidge for the closer role. At the same time, I don’t think Myers will turn down starter’s money in free agency, and the Phillies don’t really have a spot for him in the rotation. I think Chan Ho Park will re-sign, unless, of course, he’s hellbent on being a starter again. The Phillies should pick up Feliz’s option, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they let him go. And don’t be stunned if Pedro re-signs, too.

Matt R(NLEC): Continuing from the question above, I know the Phillies have bigger fish to fry (literally?) but do you think there are any obvious off-season targets?

Matt S(PP):Not at the moment. I’m sure they’ll look for a left-handed reliever and some bench help. If they part ways with Feliz, they’ll obviously be in the market for a third baseman.

Matt R(NLEC): If you had to choose today, rank what potential National League playoff teams you’d like to see the Phils play and why.

Matt S(PP): Dodgers, Cardinals, Rockies, Giants in order of which team I’d like to see them play in the first round. There is nothing the Dodgers are doing that worries me. I don’t think they have the starting pitching to win a playoff series. The Cardinals have an excellent lineup and an awesome one-two punch at the top of their rotation, but we’ve played them well this year, winning four of five games. The Rockies are hot right now, so they can be a scary opponent. If the Giants somehow get in, I fear facing Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain in the first two games of a five-game series.

Matt R(NLEC): What about the American League? The Phils took two of three from the Yanks early in the year, but this Yankees team is very different now, what about the Angels and Tigers? How well do you see the Phils matching up if they get there?

Matt S(PP):I actually think they match up well with any AL team. It’s so far off the radar, I prefer not to think about any potential World Series match ups right now In the AL, starting pitching isn’t as worrisome as some of those NL teams I mentioned.

Matt R(NLEC): Health check: Bullpen.. . after this weekend, are you more, less, or just about the same confidence in the bullpen?

Matt S(PP):Less. It’s been a struggle. It’s not a good thing having question marks at the back of the bullpen. It’s a different situation from last year, when the team was good to go in the pen. I know the offense has been hit-or-miss the last month or so, but the ninth inning is the biggest concern right now. Nothing will really change from now until October, either.

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. We need questions for our next Chatter Up! Those games are Nats @ Mets and Phillies @ Braves.  Thanks for everyone’s participation!

Only one game on Labor day, and then we get into some divisional games…

A sweep, by the stros?

The Phillies just had a problem in Houston that no one could have seen coming.  The Houston Astros swept the Phils right out of town as they got to Phillies relief pitching.  Hunter Pence hit an RBI double scoring Tejada to tie the game in teh seventh and later in the inning he scored on a bases loaded walk to Michael Bourn for the deciding run in a 4-3 win.  Wesley Wright(3-2) got the victory in relief as he got two outs in the seventh inning allowing just one hit and Jose Valverde got his 22nd save with a perfect ninth inning.

The Phillies offense and relief pitching was suspect in this game, again.  Jamie Moyer made a spot start and actually pitched well going six innings and allowing just three hits and two runs, both runs on a two run shot by Hunter Pence.  As usual, Ryan Howard produced most of the offense as he had an RBI single in the first and a solo shot in the fourth which was followed by a Raul Ibanez home run.  Chan Ho Park(3-3) blew his first game of the year as he only recorded a single out in the seventh and was charged with three walks, two hits and two runs.  The Phillies look to get back on track against the Nationals, but check out Phillies Phandom for numerous articles about the Phils and their troublesome weekend.

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

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

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

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.

Prado drives in the winner

Martin Prado had a huge night in Atlanta on Thursday night, going 4-5 with four of Atlanta’s five runs batted in and a run scored of his own including a home run in the fifth.  Prado drove in Matt Diaz in the bottom of the tenth inning off Chan Ho Park(3-2) who took the loss in 0.2 innings pitched giving up three hits and a walk.  The win brought the Braves   within four games of first even though they are four games under .500.  Peter Moylan(2-2) got the win for the Braves with two thirds of an inning of perfect relief.  For more Braves news, go to The Braves Baseball Blog.

The Phillies got another mediocre pitching performance from one of their starters as Joe Blanton only lasted five innings while giving up three runs, including giving up the lead twice.  Philadelphia took the lead late in the game with back to back homers by John Mayberry and Pedro Feliz in the top of the eighth inning.  The lead was erased when Ryan Madson blew his fourth save of the year and this eventually led the game to extras.  For more Phillies news, please check out the new Phillies Phandom blog.

Game two of the series is tonight at 7:00PM with Cole Hamels going against Jair Jurrjens at Turner Field.

How many times is his picture gonna be here?

Is anyone else noticing a trend of Hanley Ramirez being pictured for the Marlins in the recaps? Ramirez has been on a tear and it did not end last night in Miami against the Washington Nationals.  Hanley Ramirez had two hits in four at bats with a run scored and four more RBI to get the Marlins to their second straight win and eighth straight against the Nationals, 7-5.   This was only a seven inning rain shortened game, but The Marlins took the lead in the sixth and added to their lead in the seventh off Joe Beimel(0-4) and four more Nationals errors.  Renyel Pinto(3-1) worked a perfect inning and picked up the win for the Marlins who are now only 1.5 games back of first place with the Philly loss.

Adam Dunn once again had a solid game for the Nationals while getting two hits, three RBI including a home run in the fifth inning off Marlins starter Sean West.  The two teams will face off in the finale of the series at 12:10PM in Miami this afternoon.  More Nats news at CenterfieldGate.

Its been that kind of year for the Mets

The little league New York Mets once again lost a very sloppy game, which was their fifth loss in a row.  Even ace Johan Santana(9-6) couldn’t help them on this night and was hurt by two errors (really three) en route to a 6-3 loss to the Brewers.  David Wright hit a two run home run in the first and that was all the offense the Mets received until the ninth inning of the game.  In the fourth inning, rookie Fernando Martinez managed to find and get stuck in a divet in center field while trying to track a routine fly ball.  Fast forward a few walks, errors and a double by Ryan Braun and the Brewers had all the runs they needed to win.  Mike Burns(1-1) in only his second major league start got the win while pitching into the seventh inning.  The two teams conclude this afternoon at 2:05PM with Pelfrey going against young Brewers ace Gallardo.  For more on the Mets, go to The Real Dirty Mets Blog.

Still an odd sight for Phils fans

The Phillies were unsuccessful in their bid to win consecutive games since playing the Mets 2 weeks ago, as they fell to the Rays 7-1 in Tampa.  Former long time Philly Pat “The Bat” Burrell hit a two-run homer in the 2nd that proved to be all the offense Tampa would need and got another RBI in the 8th on a ground out on route to Tampa’s 7-1 win.  Joe Blanton(4-4) took the loss going 7 strong innings while giving up  only two runs and left with the Phillies having a chance to get him off the hook.  J.C. Romero and Chan Ho Park dashed those dreams in the 8th inning as they allowed 5 runs between them in the inning.  Matt Garza(5-5) pitched 8 innings while giving up just a solo home run to Jayson Werth in the 7th  to even his record for the season.   The series finale is tonight when Antonio Bastardo gets the start against Andy Sonnanstine at 7:08PM.

Nieve goes to 3-0

The New York Mets barely recognizeable lineup managed to score a season high in runs against the NL Central leading St. Louis Cardinals last night, winning 11-0.  David Wright contributed four hits while scoring 3 runs, and newly recalled Nick Evans got 2 hits and a 2 run home run in his 1st start of the season for the Mets.  Fernando Nieve(3-0) remained undefeated on the season picking up the win going six strong innings and three other Mets pitchers finished off the 4 hit shutout for the Mets.  Converted reliever Brad Thompson went five innings giving up five runs and eight hits to take the loss in the game.  The Mets and Cardinals finish off the four game series this afternoon at 1:10PM with a great matchup of Chris Carpenter taking on Johan Santana.  Check out The Real Dirty Mets Blog for more Mets info.

Hanley Ramirez with a 2 run single

The Florida Marlins kept up their late resurgence taking their fourth straight and second straight against the Baltimore Orioles in Miami.  Hanley Ramirez was once again a main contributer with a single in the 1st to score 2, and Dan Uggla also contributed two hits and two runs.  Ricky Nolasco(4-6) continues to get back into form after a trip to the minors working 7 innings for the win.  Jason Berken(1-4) took the loss for the Orioles, while Dan Meyer picked up his 1st save while filling in for the Marlins injured closer Matt Lindstrom.  The Marlins send Sean West to the hill against Rich Hill tonight in Miami before they travel north to Tampa this weekend.

You may not see this ever again

The Yankees were finally able to get a win, while jump starting their offense on Wednesday night in Atlanta.  Unlikely hero Francisco Cervelli got a rally started in the 6th inning to give the Yankees the lead, and they never looked back.  Joba Chamberlain(4-2) got his control back for this game, walking zero over 6.1 Innings pitched and giving up three runs, two earned on his way to the victory.  Mariano Rivera worked 1.1 Innings for his 16th save while striking out every batter he faced and even earning a rare at bat(pictured above) where he lined up.  Kenshin Kawakami left the game in the third inning after being hit in the neck with a line drive, the injury is said to not be serious.  Kris Medlen(2-3) took the loss in 2.2 Innings pitched for the Braves.  The series finale will feature Andy Pettitte on the mound for the Yanks and Derek Lowe for the Braves tonight in Atlanta.  More Braves information, always over at The Braves Baseball Blog.

Is this Fenway South - NL?

The Red Sox won their fourth straight last night, while “visiting” Nationals park in Washington D.C. and playing the Nats.  A crowd of 41,530 saw the Red Sox take their second straight in the nations capital, with help from Ortiz and Varitek’s home runs in a 6-4 victory.  Jon Lester went six innings giving up 3 runs and striking out six in getting the victory for the Red Sox and Jonathan Papelbon worked the ninth for his 17th save of the season. Craig Stammen(1-3) couldn’t bring the same magic he had last week at The New Yankee Stadium and worked 5.1 innings and got the loss in this game.  The series finale features Nats rookie Jordan Zimmermann facing off against former long time Brave John Smoltz.  This will be Smoltz’ first start since last season and first pitch is at 7:05PM.  For more Nats info, check out CenterfieldGate.