Nationals vs. Tigers

The Tigers beat the Nationals in a score of 8-3.  Alex Avila doubled in 2 runs in the 2nd scoring Carlos Guillen and Brandon Inge.   In the 5th and 6th inning they tacked on 5 more runs thanks to hits by Carlos Guillen, Miguel Cabrera, and Ramon Santiago.   The Nationals scored in the 6th when Christian Guzman singled home Ian Desmond.  In the 7th they added another run from an Adam Dunn homer and again in the 8th when he singled home Christian Guzman.  Magglio Ordonez added the 8th run for the Tigers in the 8th inning when he singled home Ramon Santiago.

Jeremy Bonderman got the win pitching 7 innings giving up 5 hits, 2 runs, and 7 strikeouts.  The lose went to Luis Atilano who pitched 4.1 innings giving up 9 hits, 5 runs, with 1 strikeout.

Mets vs. Indians

The Mets beat the Marlins in a score of 8-4.  The Mets scored 3 runs in the first thanks to singles by Ike Davis, Henry Blanco, and a sac fly by Jeff Francoeur.  The Indians scored 2 runs in the 2nd and 3rd  but the Mets countered with 2 more runs in the 4th.  Travis Hafner grounded in runs from both the 5th and 7th inning.  Jose Reyes added the 8th run for the Mets when he tripled home Ruben Tejada.

R.A Dickey got the win pitching 6 innings giving up 7 hits, 3 runs, with 5 strikeouts.   Jake Westbrook  took the loss pitching 7 innings, giving up 11 hits, 5 runs, and 5 strikeouts.

Phillies vs. Yankees

The Phillies beat the Yankees in a score of 7-1.  Ryan Howard singled home Shane Victorino in the 4th to score the first run of the game.  In the 5th Shane Victorino hit a homerun with Carlos Ruiz on base.  The Yanks scored the only run of the game in the 6th when Robinson Cano singled home Mark Teixeira.  The Phillies added 4 more runs thanks to Wilson Valdez, Plácido Polanco, Ryan Howard, and Raul Ibanez.

Kyle Kendrick got the win pitching 7 innings, 4 hits, 1 run with 3 strikeouts.  Andy Pettitte got the loss pitching 7 innings, 6 hits, 3 runs with 7 strikeouts.

Braves vs. Rays

The Braves beat the Rays in a score of 3-1.  Carlos Pena singled home Carl Crawford in the 4th to score the 1st run of the game.  Jason Heyward hit a solo shot in the 4th to tie the game.  In the 6th Troy Glaus doubled home Tim Hudon and Martin Prado.

Tim Hudson got the win pitching 7 innings giving up 4 hits, 1 run and 5 strikeouts.  James Shields got the loss pitching 6 innings giving up 5 hits, 3 runs with 2 strikeouts.  Billy Wagner got his 12th save of the season with 1 strikeout.

Marlins vs. Rangers

The Rangers beat the Marlins in a score of 6-4.  The Marlins struck 1st scoring 3 runs in the 2nd from hits by Ronnie Paulino and Chris Coghlan.  Guerrero put the Rangers on the board with a solo shot in the 4th.   The Rangers added 3 more runs in the 5th thanks to Elvis Andrus and Ian Kinsler and 2 more runs in the 7th when Michael Young singled home David Young and Ian Kinsler hit a sac fly to score Elvis Andrus.  The Marlins added another run in the 8th when Cody Ross doubled home Dan Uggla.

Dustin Nippert pitched 3 innings giving up 7 hits, 4 runs, and 4 strikeouts.  Alexi Ogando got the win pitching just 2.1 innings with 4 strikeouts.  Ricky Nolasco got the loss pitching 6 innings with 7 hits, 4 runs, and 4 strikeouts.  Neftali Feliz got his 18th save of the season including 1 strikeout.

( Written by our New Author: KLake13 )

Mets vs. Yankees

Mets opened up six game homestand with the first subway series of 2010, and this game was all pitching, as the Yankees beat the Mets 2-1. Hisanori Takahashi, making his first career MLB start, pitched 6 strong innings, giving up 5 hits and no runs. Elmer Dessens, who came in relief of Takahashi, took the loss. Javier Vasquez kept the Mets hitless through 4 and a 1/3, and striking out six to get the win.

Game changing play came in the top of the 7th with an error by Alex Cora. As a result, the Yankees took a 2-0 lead on a double by Kevin Russo. The Yankees bullpen kept the Mets scoreless until the 9th when Ike Davis hit an RBI double off Mariano Rivera. For more info, check out The Real Dirty Mets Blog.

Phillies vs. Red Sox

Boston was off to an early lead with a one-run homer by Victor Martinez in the first, but it wasn’t enough as the Phillies went on to beat the Red Sox 5-1. Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth each homered for the Phillies. The only other Boston hits belonged to Adrian Beltre and Darnell McDonald.

Cole Hamels got the win for the Phillies going 7 innings and giving up one run on three hits. J.C. Romero got his second save of the season for Philadelphia. John Lackey took the loss, going 5 innings and giving up four runs on six hits. Check out Phillies Phandom Blog for more.

Marlins vs. White Sox

It was a big night for Chicago’s Alexei Ramirez who hit an RBI double and a three-run homer, as the White Sox went on to beat the Marlins 8-0. Florida bats were quiet most of the night, with the only hits belonging to Gaby Sanchez, Cody Ross, and Wes Helms.

Mark Buehrle got the win, throwing 7 shut-out innings for Chicago, and allowing only 3 hits. Ricky Nolasco, who took the loss, got beat up in his 5.1 innings, giving up 10 hits and 8 earned runs.  Check out Fish Guts Blog for more on last night’s game.

Braves vs. Pirates

The Braves beat the Pirates 7-0. The Braves took an early 1-0 lead on a Chipper Jones RBI. Jason Heyward had three RBI’s on the night. The Braves scored another run in the 7th off Jeff Karstens who pitched 3.1 innings of relief for the Pirates. Pittsburgh’s bats were quiet with their only hits coming from Bobby Crosby and Garrett Jones.

Tim Hudson got the win, going 8 innings for the Braves, and giving up 3 hits and no runs. Ross Ohlendorf took the loss, pitching only 3.2 innings for the Pirates, giving up 6 hits and 7 runs. For more in depth coverage, go to the Braves Baseball Blog.

Nationals vs. Orioles

The Orioles hung on to beat the Nationals by a score of 5-3. Adam Jones got the Orioles off to a quick start hitting a two-run homerun in the 2nd giving the O’s a 2-0 lead. Craig Tatum knocked in a pair of runs in the 3rd. The Nationals got on the board with a run in the 6th on a RBI ground out by Ivan Rodriguez. Willie Harris homered in the 8th, cutting the Orioles lead to 4-3.

David Hernandez got the win, going 5.1 innings for Baltimore, giving up one run, one hit and 5 walks. Scott Olsen took the loss, lasting 3 innings for the Nationals, and giving up 4 runs on 6 hits. Miguel Batista came in to pitch 4 innings of relief for the Nats. Go to Centerfield Gate Blog for more on the game.

Lidge blows #11

The Florida Marlins were looking to take two of three against the first place Phillies last night and pull closer in the wildcard and division, but were down headed to late innings.  They fought back late in the game with a Gaby Sanchez home run in the eighth, a Cody Ross RBI single in the eighth and finally a Jorge Cantu RBI single to tie it in the ninth.  That wasn’t the end of it though, as Brett Carroll singled home Hanley Ramirez with the winning run against struggling closer Brad Lidge in the bottom of the ninth to win 7-6.  Dan Meyer(3-1) got the win while working a scoreless inning in the ninth as the Marlins try to keep their playoff hopes alive, FishGuts has more.

Brad Lidge is a far cry from last year’s perfect season, now with his 11th blown save of the year.  Lidge only recorded two outs in the bottom of the ninth while allowing three hits and a walk while giving up two runs and his ERA is now 7.48 on the season.  The blown save took another win away from starter Cole Hamels and took the emphasis off a game in which both Raul Ibanez and Ryan Howard homered and Howard had a total of four RBI.  Phillies Phandom will cover Lidge’s struggle.

Cox with an extension and another win

On a night when it was announced that Bobby Cox would manage for another season, the Braves gave him another win.  Tim Hudson(2-1) went six innings allowing nine hits and two runs to continue a successful Tommy John comeback and the bottom of the order did the heavy lifting for the Braves.  Adam LaRoche went 3-5 with two RBI and Kelly Johnson went 1-3 with two RBI on way to the 5-2 win.  Rafael Soriano once again worked the ninth allowing just a walk to get his 26th save of the season, check out Braves Baseball Blog for more.

Mike Pelfrey absolutely can’t find the magic he had last year as he lost again.  Pelfrey(10-12) went six innings and allowed nine hits and four runs (although three earned) in taking another loss.  Luis Castillo singled home Pelfrey in the third and then Angel Pagan had an RBI on a fielders’ choice error in the fourth for their only runs.  The Real Dirty Mets Blog has more on the game and the Mets floundering season.

The Nats win one in walk off fashion

The Nationals took a game from the Dodgers last night, with a final score of 5-4 and in walk off fashion on Pete Orr’s sacrifice fly in the ninth.  Ryan Zimmerman had a big blow in the sixth as he hit a three run home run off Chad Billingsley to temporarily tie the game.  The Nats would go ahead onf Elijah Dukes RBI groundout before giving it back again in the ninth.  Saul Rivera(1-3) got the win as he worked the final two outs of the top of the ninth inning on only three pitches. Check out Centerfield Gate for an in depth recap on the game.

Chad Billingsley pitched well through the first six innings but then appeared to break down in the sixth inning.  Billingsley went six innings allowing just one hit and three runs, but walking four and striking out nine, the one hit being the big three run homer.  On offense, Andre Ethier, James Loney and Russell Martin were credited with RBI’s in the game but no one had more than two hits for the Dodgers.

Game 1

Ibanez with a blast

The Phillies drew first blood in the double dip in Miami yesterday, as they came on late for a 9-3 win.  Joe Blanton(11-7) went seven shutout innings allowing only two hits and two walks while striking out nine to get the victory.  Ryan Howard had two hits and three RBI to lead the Phillies in the game with a big two run double to put the game away.

Josh Johnson has been struggling of late, and yesterday was no exception.  Johnson(15-5) went five innings allowing seven hits and four runs, but struck out ten batters.  He left down 4-0 but also got little run support during the game in taking this loss.  In the eighth inning, the Marlins socred their only three runs on a Hanley Ramirez RBI double and then a Dan Uggla two RBI single.

In the second game of the double dip, the Marlins got even, with a 3-0 victory.  Anibal Sanchez(3-7) pitched a gem, as he went eight innings of two hit ball and allowed no runs before giving way to Leo Nunez for his 24th save of the season.  Dan Uggla and Cody Ross hit solo home runs and to cap the scoring, Hanley Ramirez had an RBI double in the fifth inning.

Jamie Moyer is usually a Marlin killer, and in this one he pitched well, but not well enough to win.  Moyer(12-10) went seven innings of three run, nine hit ball in taking the loss.  The Phillies as a team only had four baserunners, so the bats were pretty silent in this one.

Check out FishGuts for more on the Marlins aspect in this doubleheader and Phillies Phandom for the Phillies.

Why is Chipper front and center when playing the Mets?

The Atlanta Braves continued steamrolling the lowly Mets last night, with a 3-1 victory in New York.  Jair Jurrjens(13-10) won again versus the Mets as he went seven innings and allowed just five hits and a single run in this one.  The Braves actually were down 1-0 before Yunel Escobar singled home Martin Prado and Chipper Jones in the second inning.  That 2-1 score stood until the ninth when Adam LaRoche singled home Yunel Escobar with an insurance run.  Rafael Soriano worked the ninth allowing one walk around striking out the side to get his 25th save of the year.  The Braves Baseball Blog has more info on this win.

The Mets, what more can you say about them and how many times have I wrote that?  Nelson Figueroa(2-7) actually turned in a quality start as he went seven innings of two hit, three walk and two run ball, but had no run support behind him.  Luis Castillo had an RBI single scoring Anderson Hernandez in the third, but that would be it for the Metsies, check out The Real Dirty Mets Blog for more on them.

Kuroda shuts down the Nats

The Los Angeles Dodgers came in and beat down on the worst NL team, the Nats last night 14-2.  Rafael Furcal had a pair of two RBI singles to lead the way for the Dodgers and former Nat, Ronnie Belliard added two hits, two runs and an RBI during the rout.  Hiroki Kuroda(8-6) went six innings allowing just four hits and two runs to get the win in this one, leaving at only 81 pitches.

Livan Hernandez had his worst start as a National this year.  Hernandez(8-12) went 3.2 innings and allowed eight hits, eight runs and four walks to put the Nats in a big early hole.  The lone Nats runs were scored on a two run homer by Adam Dunn scoring Ryan Zimmerman in the third inning, which temporarily had them in a lead before Hernandez’s imposion.  Check out Centerfield Gate for more on the Nats.

Jason Werth's Granny clinches the win

The story for the Phillies win last night went from a solid start for Joe Blanton after a tough one, to a big blast by Jayson Werth in the 6-1 win.  Jayson Werth hit a grand slam to put the game out of reach in the seventh inning for his 34th home run of the year against the last place Nats.  Joe Blanton(10-7) went six innings and allowed only five hits and four walks and seven strikeouts in getting his 10th win of the year.  Phillies Phandom has much more on this game and all Phillies news.

The Nationals once again could not muster any offense and let this game get away from them late even though they weren’t down much most of the game.  Livan Hernandez(8-11) took the loss but did go six innings only allowing seven hits and two runs during the game.  The only run was scored in the ninth inning on a RBI single by Willie Harris which scored Jason Maxwell.  Centerfield Gate is your place to go for all Nats news.

Cody Ross backs the fish

Cody Ross and the Marlins went on to beat the NL Cenrtal leading Cardinals again yesterday by a final score of 5-2.  Ross went 3-4 with two RBI and two of those runs were scored by second basemen Dan Uggla.  Josh Johnson(15-4) got back on track with a six inning outting allowing nine hits and just one run and no walks.  Once again Leo Nunez came in for the save recording the final two outs for his 22nd of the year on a Matt Holliday double play.  FishGuts has more on this game.

The Cardinals are having a rough go lately, losers of five of their past six against NL East opponents.  Joel Pineiro(14-11) went 5.1 innings and allowed ten hits and four runs for one of his worse outtings in taking the loss.  Julio Lugo got the first RBI for the Cardinals on a single in the sixth and the only other run was credited to Albert Pujols as he was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the ninth, but that would be it.

Braves beat the Mets on an error

The Atlanta Braves were down two going into the bottom of the ninth against the Mets, but came out winning 6-5.  The Braves tied the game with an Omar Infante sacrifice fly to start it and then an error by Daniel Murphy allowed David Ross to score the winning run to keep the Braves hot.  Former Met Ryan Church was the person who hit the error and also had an RBI single earlier in the game too.  Derek Lowe left this one early with a blister and Eric O’Flaherty(2-1) as the seventh Braves pitcher got the win with a scoreless top of the ninth.  Check out The Braves Baseball Blog for more info on the Braves late march towards the postseason.

The New York Mets seem to want to lose games sometimes.  Francisco Rodriguez(3-5) got his 6th blown save of the year in this one and then took his fifth loss on the Daniel Murphy error.  It was a good night for Mets catchers as Josh Thole got a two RBI single in the second and Omir Santos hit a pinch hit solo homer in the eighth inning as well but it all got overlooked with the blown game.  The Real Dirty Mets Blog has more on this game and the Mets follies.

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.

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.

Madson closes this one out

The Phillies put their big trade aquisition on the mound last night in Washington, hoping that he could get back in form.  Cliff Lee looked great through four innings, while only allowing a run and then things got scary.  Lee(6-2) ended up allowing ten hits and five runs(four earned) in seven innings plus of work.  He allowed three in the fifth, temporarily allowing the Nats to tie the game before the Phillies came back to secure the win.  The win was secured by back to back jacks by Jayson Werth and Pedro Feliz, even though Lee gave one more back in the eighth.  Brad Lidge stayed on the bench and gave way to Ryan Madson in the ninth who gave up one hit as he recorded his sixth save of the year by a 6-5 score.  Phillies Phandom has more on this.

Garrett Mock put the Nats in the hole early as he allowed three runs in the second and an additional run in the fifth inning, giving up six hits, and walking three in five innings of work, but the Nats got him off the hook.  Tyler Clippard(2-2) ended up taking the loss as he went one inning and allowed two solo home runs in the eighth inning.  Adam Dunn had two RBI for the Nationals as well as Christian Guzman joining him with two as well during the loss, Centerfield Gate has more.

Cody Ross with the big blow

Last night the Marlins put the Mets down really early, with a four run first inning, with three runs coming on Cody Ross’ 21st home run, a three run shot.  Ricky Nolasco(11-8) held down the Mets for 6.1 innings and allowed only three runs and four hits and Leo Nunez once again worked a perfect ninth to get his 20th save of the season in the 6-3 victory.  Dan Uggla also added a solo home run and an RBI groundout in the first for the Fish, check out FishGuts for more on this game and the Marlins.

Pat Misch(1-2) who had a nice start his last couple times out, one earning his major league win just did not have it last night, especially early.  Misch went six innings allowing five runs on six hits including two home runs and hit one batter.  All the Mets offense came in the seventh with a Daniel Murphy RBI double, a sac fly by Francouer and a Tatis RBI groundout.  The Mets will look to salvage one game today, check out The Real Dirty Mets Blog for more.

Tejada gets the walk-off hit!

The Houston Astros ruined another beautiful game from rookie Tommy Hanson last night with a ninth inning rally.  Miguel Tejada singled home Kaz Matsui and Lance Berkman with a one out single in the ninth, giving the Astros a 2-1 victory over the floundering Braves.  Wandy Rodriguez got off the hook of taking a tough loss as he went seven innings allowing only three hits and a single run as well.  Jose Valverde(4-2) worked a perfect top of the ninth with two k’s to get the credit for the win.

Tommy Hanson went eight innings allowing only five hits and struck out seven and allowed zero runs, is he a true candidate for rookie of the year?  Matt Diaz was the only person who could give any run support with a second inning RBI single scoring Yunel Escobar.  Rafael Soriano(1-5) blew his fourth save of the year getting only one out and giving up three hits and two runs and a walk, check out The Braves Baseball Blog for more.

Madson cleans up for Lidge

The Philadelphia Phillies got back on the winning track last night, even though their closer gave them a scare, yet again.  Five solo home runs produced the runs, and they included two Ibanez shots, and one each by Jayson Werth, Carlos Ruiz and Chase Utley.  Pedro Martinez(4-0) stayed perfect in a Phillies uniform going 6.2 innings allowing just seven hits and three runs before giving way to the Phillies bullpen.  Lidge came in for a save but loaded the bases with just one out before Ryan Madson earned his fifth save of the season without allowing a run in for a final of 5-3.  Phillies Phandom has more on this win and Lidge’s struggles.

Nationals starter John Lannon started out well, but in the seventh it fell apart for him.  Lannan(8-11) lasted 6.2 innings allowing six hits on four runs and four solo home runs in taking this loss, and all four home runs were between the fifth and seventh innings.  Christian Guzman and Will Nieves contributed RBI singles for the Nats and Willie Harris got them closer with a solo shot but that would be it.  Check out Centerfield Gate for more Nats news.

Maybin with the final blow

Last night the Marlins did not get a whole lot of offense, but the offense they did receive was big. Hanley Ramirez hit a third inning two run home run scoring Chris Coghlan and in the fourth, Cameron Maybin hit another in the fourth scoring Cody Ross in the 4-2 victory.  Rick VandenHurk pitched well enough to win but left in the fourth with back spasms after allowing only one run on four hits.  Brian Sanches(4-1) was credited with the win by pitching two scoreless and hitless innings for the Marlins as Leo Nunez worked a perfect ninth for his 19th save of the season, FishGuts has more on this game and the Fish.

Tim Redding couldn’t find the strike zone last night at all, as he walked four in five innings.  Worse than that was when he grooved a few balls down the zone rather than walk a few other batters, leading to the walks.  Redding(2-5) had a final line of five innings with five hits four runs and four strike outs and the two homers.  The Mets got their runs on rookie Josh Thole’s first MLB RBI and a Luis Castillo infield single in the fourth and fifth respectively.  Check out The Real Dirty Mets Blog for more.

Vazquez stops the streak

Javier Vazquez finally stopped what turned into a five game losing streak for the Atlanta Braves.  Vazquez(12-9) went seven innings and allowed only three hits on four runs and nine strike outs and allowed zero runs.  He got run support from Adam LaRoche and Nate McClouth both hitting solo home runs for the small margin of victory, 2-1.  Rafael Soriano got his 22nd save but not after giving up three hits and a run in the ninth inning, The Braves Baseball Blog has more on the Bravos.

The Astros put Felipe Paulino on the mound and he absolutely pitched well enough to win.  Paulino(2-8) went six innings while allowing four hits and two runss, both on home runs but the Astros offense faltered.  Hunter Pence got the lone RBI as he drove in Miguel Tejada in the ninth inning.

Moyer with a rare appearance

The big bat of Ryan Howard provided the firepower for Philadelphia in their soggy 4-2 win over the Atlanta Braves in Philadelphia on Friday, extending the Phillies lead in the N.L. East to eight games. The Braves were hoping to sneak up on the Phillies, sending ace rookie Tommy Hanson to the mound, but Hanson could not keep the Phillies bats off the board, giving up a home run to Howard in the second before being relieved (he was pulled from the game because of a rain delay) by a bevy of Braves relievers who kept the game close, but could not keep it close enough: Howard homered again in the fourth. The Phillies, meanwhile, started Pedro Martinez – but like Hanson he was also pulled from the game as a result of the deluge. This is becoming a habit with Martinez, whose last start was also shortened by showers. In both cases, Martinez was relieved by Jamie Moyer, relegated to a bullpen role as a result of Martinez’s signing and promotion.

The soggy field did not dampen the spirits of Phillie fans, however, who stayed throughout the contest – knowing that the Braves-Phillies tilt would help put the final touches on a successful Phillies season. The frosting on the Phillies cake was a 9th inning appearance by a sometimes-shaky Brad Lidge, who set down the Braves for his 26th save. Full coverage of the Braves can be found at The Braves Baseball Blog. And check out Phillies Phandom for more on the Phillies.

Blanks crosses home...man hes big!

The Florida Marlins pitching staff, which has been up and down all year was down on Friday night, as Chris Volstad suffered through one of his worst starts in the majors – and the Marlins went on to drop a key game against the San Diego Padres 9-5. Volstad, who had pitched brilliantly in some of his starts earlier in the year, lasted only 1.2 innings against the Pads, despite help from some lively Marlins’ bats: Chris Coghlan was 3-5, Wes Helms was 2-5, Hanley Ramirez was 2-4 and Cody Ross was 2-4. But as any conch collector in Key West can tell you, without pitching you just can’t win. So it was with the Marlins tonight – as the team fell into a tie with the Braves for second place in the N.L East, a full eight games back of the surging Phillies. It now seems unlikely that either of them, both of whom were retooled and ready for the summer campaign in the spring, can catch Philadelphia.

While the Marlins have not raised the white flag on the season – they still have Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco throwing hard and well (and are well-stocked with a formidable wall of power hitters) – they have decided that Chris Volstad needs more work. In the wake of their loss to the lowly Friars, the team sent Volstad (9-11) packing to the minors. The decision shows just how far the fastballer has fallen. “People are going to struggle, but when you see frustration and lack of confidence, that’s when we have to make a decision as coaches and an organization on what’s best for the kid, and we’ve done that,” Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “We’re going to option Volstad down to New Orleans to give him a little breather and come back.” You can read all about the game, and the decision on Volstad, on FishGuts. 

Soriano with the big fly

Mets lefty Pat Misch baffled the Cubs for seven solid innings on Friday, but it wasn’t enough, as the New York bullpen melted down – and ended up giving the game away to the Chicago North Siders 5-2. The loss was particularly frustrating because the Mets had seemed to master Cubs’ starter Ted Lilly, touching the always tough veteran for two hard earned runs – one in the second and one in the eighth. The Cubs, skidding after losing two of three to the lowly Nats, were ripe for the picking, but the Mets bullpen could not take advantage: the usually dependable Brian Stokes gave up a three run shot to Alfonso Soriano (who victimized his team with two outfield gaffes) that effectively sealed the contest.

Misch, who grew up in Illinois watching the Cubs, said that he was nervous playing in Chicago. “I couldn’t eat a thing,” he said after the game, “and I usually eat a lot before I pitch.” The Mets, who have only won nine of their last 21, are desperate to finish the season on an up-beat note, but things have not been going well for them lately – Friday was only the most recent example of their recent troubles. When the starting pitching is going well (as it was on Friday in Wrigley) their bullpen lets them down, and when their bullpen is going well, it seems their starting pitching lets them down. Worse yet, on Friday the team got word that shortstop Jose Reyes, who has not played in three months, may well have to undergo surgery on his right hamstring tendon. The Mets will attempt to bounce back from Friday loss on Saturday, when Bobby Parnell faces off against Ryan Dempster at Wrigley. The Real Dirty Mets Blog covers everything you’d ever want to know about this game . . . and the Mets.

Pujols with the walk-off winner!

Who would pitch to Albert Pujols in a 2-2 tie before a screaming throng at Busch Stadium in St. Louis? Why the Washington Nationals, that’s who. Washington Nationals reliever Jason Bergman served up a fastball in Pujols wheelhouse in the ninth inning of a beautifully pitched duel between Nats’ pitcher John Lannan and newly acquired Redbirds’ ace John Smoltz – and the Cardinals beat the Nats 3-2 in St. Louis. Lannan pitched eight innings of four hit ball before giving up a home run to Khalil Greene that tied the game and was subsequently relieved by Jason Bergman, who came on to pitch the ninth. Washington’s long-suffering fans didn’t have to wait long to determine the results: Pujols put a fastball into the upper deck in left field at Busch to pull out the victory.

St. Louis fans gave a warm welcome to Smoltz, who was sharp in his second start for the Redbirds. The former Atlanta star pitched four innings of four hit ball, but left with little damage – two doubles by Elijah Dukes. Washington’s big boppers: Adam Dunn, Ryan Zimmerman and Josh Willingham flailed away in vain against Smoltz all night in vain. For all things good and bad about the Nats, be sure to check out CenterfieldGate which also has a lot more on this game.