Nationals vs. Braves

The Nationals beat the Braves in a score of 4-2.  In the top of the 2nd Justin Maxwell hit a grand slam for the Nationals to take a 4-0 lead. In the 4th Melkey Cabrera grounded out scoring Troy Glaus to put the Braves on the board.  In the 5th Martin Prado singled scoring Omar Infante.

John Lannan got the win pitching 6 innings giving up 8 hits, 2 runs, and 6 strikeouts.  The loss went to Mike Minor who pitched 5 innings giving up 4 hits, 4 runs, and 6 strikeouts.  Drew Storen got the save giving up no hits with 1 strikeout.

Marlins vs. Phillies

The Phillies beat the Marlins in a score of 10-5. The Phillies scored 3 runs in the 1st when Jason Werth singled home Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez doubled home Ryan Howard and Jason Werth.  In the bottom of the 1st The Marlins got on the board when Dan Uggla singled home Emilio Bonifacio.  The Phillies scored 3 more runs in the 3rd when Chase Utley hit a solo home run, Wilson Valdez singled home Ryan Howard, and Shane Victorino singled home Raul Ibanez.  In the 4th Wilson Valdez singled home Jason Werth and Raul Ibanez scored on a wild pitch.  In the bottom of the 4th the Marlins scored when Hector Luna hit a sac fly to score Gaby Sanchez.  In the 5th Placido Polanco singled home Shane Victorino.  The Marlins added a run in the 6th when Gaby Sanchez hit a solo homerun and in the 7th Hanley Ramirez grounded out scoring Logan Morrison.  In the 9th Ross Gload doubled home Carlos Ruiz.  In the bottom of the inning with the bases loaded Gaby Sanchez walked bringing home Emilio Bonifacio.

Roy Halladay got the win after pitching 6 innings giving up 10 hits, 3 runs, and 9 strikeouts.  Jorge Sosa got the loss pitching just 2.1 innings giving up 6 hits, 6 runs, with 1 strikeout.

Mets vs. Pirates

The Mets beat the Pirates in a score of 8-7. The Pirates scored a run in the 3rd when Jose Tabata hit a sac fly to score Ronny Cedeno.  In the 4th then Pirates scored when Pedro Alvarez tripled scoring Garrett Jones,  John Bowker doubled home Pedro Alvarez, and Andrew McCutchen singled home John Bowker and Chris Snyder.  The Mets took the lead in the 4th when Ike Davis doubled home Carlos Beltran, Mike Hesserman singled home David Wright, Ike Davis and Nick Evans, and Mike Hesserman scored  due to 2  fielding errors, and Angel Pagan singled home Ruben Tejada and Joaquín Árias.  In the 6th Jose Reyes hit a solo homerun.  The Pirates fought back scoring in the 8th when Ryan Doumit doubled home Ronny Cedeno and in the 9th Andrew McCutchen hit a solo homerun.

Jenrry Mejía left early due to injury after pitching just 2.1 innings giving up no hits, 1 unearned run, and 1 strikeout.  Raul Valdez got the win pitching only 1.2 innings giving up 4 hits, 4 runs, and no strikeouts.  The loss went to  Paul Maholm who pitched 3.2 innings giving up 7 hits, 7 runs, and 1 strikeout.  Hisanori Takahashi got the save after giving up 1 hit, 1 run, and 2 strikeouts.

Marlins vs. Nationals

Jason Marquis was good, but Anibal Sanchez was better, as the Marlins beat the Nationals 4-1. Marquis had himself a no-hitter through the first four innings before Florida got to him in the 5th. With two outs in the top of the 5th, Emilio Bonifacio singled to drive in Chad Tracy and Mike Stanton, giving the Marlins a 2-0 lead. Florida would score another run in the 8th on an RBI single by Logan Morrison, and again in the 9th on a fielding error by Washington’s Adam Dunn. Sanchez had his own no-hitter going until the 5th inning. Washington was held to just five hits in the game. Their only run came in the bottom of the 8th on a double by Wilson Ramos to score Nyjer Morgan.

Sanchez got the win, going 7.2 innings and giving up one run on four hits while striking out four. Marquis took the loss, going 6 innings and allowing two runs on five hits while striking out eight. Clay Hensley recorded his 2nd save for the Marlins.

Mets vs. Phillies

The Mets held on to play spoilers today, beating Philadelphia 4-3. New York got it going early against Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick. Ike Davis drove in the Mets first run in the 1st on a ground-rule double. New York would later add a run in the 3rd on a solo shot off the bat of Jose Reyes. Davis drove in two more runs in the 7th to make it 4-0 Mets. Philadelphia, however, made things interesting in the top of the 8th. Ross Gload scored the first run for Philadelphia on a single by Shane Victorino. A few batters later, Ryan Howard knocked in two runs on a single to center field. The Mets bullpen was able to hold on though and finish the game to get the win.

Mike Pelfrey got the win, going 7.1 strong innings and giving up two runs on six hits while striking out five. Kyle Kendrick took the loss, going 5 innings and allowing two runs on five hits while striking out only one. Hisanori Takahashi recorded his 6th save for the Mets.

Braves vs. Cardinals

It took 12 innings, but the Braves were able to hang on and beat the Cardinals 6-3 in yet another walk-off win, putting them back in a tie for first place in the NL East. With two outs in the 1st inning, Cardinals starter Jake Westbrook walked Nate McLouth to force home the first run for Atlanta. It remained 1-0 until the 5th when McLouth tripled to drive in Martin Prado. St. Louis tied it up in the top of the 6th on a two-run double by Albert Pujols. Jason Heyward put the Braves ahead in the 7th with a solo shot to right field. In the top of the 8th, however, it was Pujols once again who tied up the game. Pujols grounded into a force out allowing Brendan Ryan to score. The game was tied until the bottom of the 12 when, with two men on, Alex Gonzalez hit his second career walk-off home run.

Atlanta’s starter Tommy Hanson went 7 innings to get the no decision. He allowed two runs on five hits while striking out five. Reliever Craig Kimbrel got the win for Atlanta. Westbrook went 6 innings in his start for St. Louis to also get a no decision. He gave up two runs on seven hits while striking out three. Mitchell Boggs took the loss for St. Louis.

Marlins vs. Braves

The Marlins blew a 6-0 lead to the first place Braves, but scored a run in the bottom of the 10th to earn a 7-6 victory Sunday afternoon in Florida. 

The Marlins jumped on Atlanta starter Mike Minor for six runs in the first three innings.  Hanley Ramirez ignited Florida’s offense with a run-scoring single in the first inning, and then hit a two-run homer in the third to put the Marlins up 6-0.  Marlins starter Alex Sanabia held the Braves scoreless until Nate McLouth singled home a run in the fifth, and Atlanta rallied for five more runs in the sixth to even the score.  Florida outfielder Cameron Maybin kept the Braves from taking the lead when he robbed McLouth of what would have been a go-ahead grand slam.  Instead, McLouth’s long drive turned into an unusual two-run sacrifice fly which tied the game at 6.

The score remained tied at 6 until the bottom of the 10th.   After lining a foul ball off of on-deck batter Logan Morrison, Florida’s Emilio Bonifacio tripled off of Atlanta reliever Eric O’Flaherty (3-2) to open the inning.  With Morrison unable to take his turn at bat, pinch hitter Scott Cousins delivered his first major league hit to score Bonifacio with the winning run.  Burke Badenhop (2-5) earned the victory in relief for the Marlins.

Phillies vs. Brewers

The Phillies remained a game back of the Braves as they fell by a score of 6-2 to former Phillie Randy Wolf and the Brewers in Philadelphia.

Prince Fielder blasted a three-run homer off of Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick (9-8) in the first inning to give Milwaukee an early lead.  The Phillies pulled to within a run in the second inning when Carlos Ruiz doubled home two runs off of Wolf, but the Brewers answered back with single runs in the third and fourth innings.   The Brew Crew pounded out 13 hits, including three each by Rickie Weeks and Ryan Braun.

Wolf (11-10) allowed just two runs and seven hits over 6 2/3 innings, and John Axford pitched two scoreless innings to earn save number 20.

Mets vs. Cubs

The sliding Mets avoided a sweep as their offense exploded for 18 runs and 21 hits in an 18-5 victory over the Cubs in Chicago.

The Cubs built a 4-2 lead off of New York starter Jonathon Niese, helped by a two run homer from Aramis Ramirez.  However, the Mets knocked out Chicago starter Ryan Dempster (12-10) in the fifth with a five run inning.  Ruben Tejada singled home two runs to break a 4-4 tie, and added his first major league home run in the seventh as the Mets took the lead for good.   The Mets broke open the game by scoring five runs in both the eighth and ninth innings.  Tejada drove in five runs on the afternoon, and Ike Davis added four hits, including a home run.  Niese (9-7) wasn’t on top of his game, allowing five runs over six plus innings, but earned the victory thanks to New York’s offensive outburst.

Nationals vs. Pirates

The Nationals used a five run inning and solid starting pitching on their way to a 8-1 victory against the Pirates at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

After scoring a run in the first on an RBI ground out from Ryan Zimmerman, the Nationals took control of the game in the fourth inning off of Charlie Morton (1-11) and the Pirates.  Adam Dunn homered, and Zimmerman singled home two more in the five run frame.  Meanwhile, Washington starter Jason Marquis (2-7) allowed just one run over six innings, courtesy of a Pedro Alvarez solo homer.  Zimmerman added another run scoring single in the sixth, finishing the game with four RBI to lead the Nationals to the victory.

Phillies vs. Padres

The Phillies took game two against the Padres Saturday afternoon, winning 3-1. Shane Victorino drove in Philadelphia’s first run in the 5th on a single to center field to score Jayson Werth. San Diego starter Jon Garland helped himself out at the plate in the bottom of the 5th with a single to left field to tie the game. The game remained tied until the top of the 7th when Victorino hit an RBI triple. He would later score on a ground out by Mike Sweeney, making it 3-1 Philadelphia.

Joe Blanton got the win, going 6 innings and giving up one run on six hits while striking out three. Jon Garland took the loss, going 6.1 innings and allowing three runs on three hits while striking out two. Brad Lidge recorded his 18th save for Philadelphia.

Nationals vs. Cardinals

Washington beat up on the Cardinals 14-5. St. Louis got an early 3-0 lead in the 1st inning on a ground-rule double by Albert Pujols and a two-run shot off the bat of Jon Jay. Back-to-back doubles by Kyle Lohse and Felipe Lopez would drive in the Cardinals other two runs in the 5th inning. After scoring a run in the 2nd on an RBI single by Ivan Rodriguez, the Nationals followed with four runs in the 3rd. In the bottom of the 5th, Adam Dunn hit his 32nd home run of the season to make it 8-5 Washington. Roger Bernadina hit his 10th home run of the season to cap off the Nationals six run 8th inning.

Livan Hernandez got the win, going 6.1 innings and giving up five runs on eight hits while striking out two. Kyle Lohse took the loss, going 5 innings and allowing eight runs on 11 hits while striking out two.

Braves vs. Marlins

Atlanta snapped a four-game losing streak as they beat the Marlins 12-3. The Braves scored six runs in the 2nd. Matt Diaz led off the inning with a solo shot to center. Later in the inning, with the bases loaded, Martin Prado walked to force home a run. Brian McCann followed with a three-run double to right field. An RBI single by Prado in the 2nd made it 8-0 Atlanta. Gaby Sanchez scored the Marlins first run in the 3rd on a sacrifice fly by Emilio Bonifacio. Atlanta responded in the bottom of the inning with two more runs thanks to a home run by Eric Hinske and a fielding error by Florida’s Logan Morrison allowing Diaz to score. In the 7th, Prado hit a two-run homer to make it 12-1 Braves. Prado had five RBIs for Atlanta. Florida tagged on a run in the 8th and 9th on a double by Donnie Murphy and single by Brad Davis.

Tim Hudson pitched 7 strong innings to get the win, giving up one run on six hits while striking out a career-high 13. Ricky Nolasco only lasted 2 innings, giving up six runs on seven hits.

Mets vs. Astros

The Mets dropped the second game of their three-game series with Houston by a score of 4-1. Singles by Carlos Lee and Tommy Manzella gave the Astros a 2-0 lead in the 1st inning. Lee hit a two-run home run in the 5th to make it 4-0. The Mets offensive woes continued as they went 1-10 with runners in scoring position. The only run for New York came in the bottom of the 8th on an RBI single by David Wright to drive in Luis Castillo.

Brett Myers got the win and extended his streak of pitching 6 complete innings to 27 games. Myers went 7 innings and gave up no runs on six hits while striking out six. Meanwhile, Johan Santana’s streak of three straight complete games came to and end with  the loss. Santana went 7 innings, giving up four runs on eight hits while striking out four.   Brandon Lyon recorded his 9th save of the season for Houston.

Phillies vs. Cardinals

The Cardinals beat the Phillies in a score of 8-4.  The Phillies scored 3 runs in the first when Ryan Howard doubled home Placido Polanco and Shane Victorino singled home Raul Ibanez and Ryan Howard.  The Cardinals scored  a run when Albert Pujols grounded out to score Felipe López in the bottom of the inning.  The Cardinals added another run in the 2nd when Brenden Ryan grounded out to score Skip Schumaker.  In the 4th the Phillies added there 4th run of the game when Jimmy Rollins singled home Carlos Ruiz.  In the 5th inning the Cardinals tapped on 5 more runs thanks to a Jay Bruce double and 3 home runs from  Albert Pujols, Allen Craig and Skip Schumaker.  The Cardinals added another run in the 6th when Randy Winn hit a solo shot.

Blake Hawksworth got the win and pitched 6 innings giving up 10 hits, 4 runs and 1 strikeout.  Kyle Kendrick got the lose and he pitched 5 innings giving up 7 hits, 7 runs and 2 strikeouts.

Marlins vs. Rockies

The Marlins beat the Rockies in a score of 9-8. The Rockies struck first adding 2 runs in the top of the 3rd when Jason Giambi singled home Jonathan Herrera and Carlos González scored.  The Marlins had 3 runs of there own in the bottom of the inning when Emilio Bonifacio singled home Mike Stanton and Hanley Ramirez reached on a bunt single that scored Emilio Bonifacio.  In the 6th the Rockies added 2 more runs when Ubaldo Jimenez and Seth Smith singled home Brad Hawpe and Clint Barmes.  In the bottom of the inning Mike Stanton homered scoring Jorge Cantu and Cody Ross.  The Marlins added another run when Jorge Cantu singled home  Emilio Bonifacio.  The Rockies struck back adding 4 runs in the 8th when Ian Stewart hit a solo shot and Jonathan Herrera hit a homer that scored Clint Barmes and Seth Smith.  The Marlins came back to win it when they scored 2 runs in the 9th when Donnie Murphy homered scoring Dan Uggla.

Ubaldo Jiménez pitched 5.1 innings giving up 6 hits, 6 runs with 5 strikeouts.  Anibal Sánchez pitched 6 innings giving up 8 hits, 4 runs with 4 strikeouts.  Jhan Maríñez got the win pitching 1.1 innings giving up 2 hits, 1 run with 2 strikeouts.  Houston Street got the lose pitching .2 of an inning giving up 1 hit and 2 runs with no strikeouts.

Nationals vs. Reds

The Reds beat the Nationals in a score of 7-2.  The Reds scored 4 runs in the 2nd thanks to a Drew Stubbs double and Johnny Cueto singled that scored Jonny Gomes, Jay Bruce, Miguel Cairo, and Stubbs. In the 3rd the Nationals got 2 runs when Nyjer Morgan hit a sac fly to score Willie Harris and Christian Guzman singled home Ian Desmond.  The Reds added 2 more runs when Jonny Gomes and Miguel Cairo both hit solo shots.  The Reds scored 1 more run in the 8th when Miguel Cairo singled home Jonny Gomes.

Johnny Cueto won and pitched 6 innings, giving up 4 hits, 2 runs, and 4 strikeouts.  JD Martin got the loss and pitched 5.1 innings giving up 6 hits, 6 runs, and 2 strikeouts.

Mets vs. Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks beat the Mets in a score of 13-2. The Diamondbacks scored 4 runs in the 1st thanks to hits from Kelly Johnson, Mark Reynolds, and Gerardo Parra.  They scored 2 more runs in the 2nd inning when Justin Upton doubled home Chris Young and Adam LaRoche singled home Justin Upton.  The Mets scored in the 5th when Angel Pagan singled home Josh Thole.  In the 6th the Diamondbacks added 5 runs when Justin Upton tripled, Miguel Montero doubled, and Mark Reynolds homered and they added  2 more runs in the 8th.  The Mets added 1 more run in the 9th when Jose Reyes doubled home Luis Castillo.

Ian Kennedy got the win and pitched 5 innings giving up 4 hits, 1 run and 1 strikeout.  Mike Pelfrey got the loss and pitched only 1.1 innings giving up 7 hits, 6 runs with 1 strikeout.

The Braves were off.

There goes another segment of Chatter Up! please feel free to email any recommend questions or comments about this or a future segment to mrose@nleastchatter.com or go to this forum topic and post a reply.

Howard produces all the runs

The Phillies were able to take the final game of the three game set last night with a score of the Ryan Howard’s 4, Braves 1.  Ryan Howard produced all of the offense for the Phillies as he smashed two home runs, a second inning solo shot and a sixth inning three run bomb.  He finished the night going 3-3 with two runs scored and a walk in addition to those four RBI as the Phillies had J.A. Happ cruising to victory.  Happ(9-2) went into the eighth inning while allowing only three hits and a run but did walk six in getting his rookie leading ninth victory.  Brad Lidge rebounded from a tough outting on Saturday and got the final out of the game to get his 23rd save of the season.  Phillies Phandom will have more on this victory and the Phillies for you.

Javier Vazquez did not pitch very badly in this game, but unfortunately two mistakes to Howard ensured him of an L next to his name.  Vazquez(10-8) went seven strong innings, but gave up four runs and six hits, but three hits to Howard while striking out seven, his ERA stands now barely under 3 at 2.99.  Matt Diaz produced the only run for the Braves in the seventh inning on a solo shot.  The Braves Baseball Blog is your place to go for more Braves news and info.

Coghlan celebrates a 3 run shot

Game 1

In the first game of a double header in Miami on Sunday, the Marlins bats were alive early, as they scored seven runs by the end of the third.  Those runs were care of two home runs, one solo shot by Ramirez and a three run shot by rookie Chris Coghlan amongst a few other run scoring singles.  Chris Volstad(9-9) got the victory after allowing an early run, but then buckled down to go five innings only allowing that one run to get this victory in this one by a score of 10-3.

Rockies starter Aaron Cook just could not do anything against the hot hitting Marlins during the first game of the double dip.  Cook(10-5) stressed the bullpen as he could only make it 2.1 innings and was charged with seven runs and three walks on eight hits.  Carlos Gonzalez had a nice game for the Rockies as he homered in the first and later added a sacrifice fly to produce two of the three runs the Rockies were able to score in this one.

HanRam looks on during a loss

Game 2

In the second game of the double dip, the Rockies knew they needed to take one game in order to ensure they stayed alone in the wildcard race.  Jorge De La Rosa did something not many pitchers can these days and kept the Marlins offense fairly quiet.  De La Rosa(11-8) went 5.2 innings and did not give up an earned run, although one unearned in giving up seven hits and striking out 9 during a 7 -3 Rockies win.  Carlos Gomez got his second homer of the day with a solo shot in the third and Clint Barmes and Brad Hawpe got in the home run fun with two run homers of their own.  Huston Street got his 29th save of the season as he worked 1.1 innings and struck out two allowing no hits.

The Marlins only managed three runs, which is unheard of for them.  They did, however get 10+ hits for the thirteenth consecutive game, but unfortunately could not get more than three runs in this one.  Emilio Bonifacio, Jorge Cantu and Cody Ross had RBI singles for the Marlins, but it wasn’t enough.  Rick VandenHurk(2-2) lasted 5.2 innings but gave up six runs on only five hits and three walks, but with three home runs allowed.  FishGuts has more on the doubleheader.

Is he doing the chicken dance?

Jeff Francouer scored the winning run for the Mets yesterday on a Daniel Murphy single and for one day, the Mets got through the loss of their franchise player, David Wright with a 3-2 walkoff win.  With one out in the bottom of the ninth, a single to right scored Francouer and Murphy was quoted as saying that Wright was in the Mets thoughts and Prayers.  Immediately after the game it was announced Wright was placed on the DL with no timetable for return, so the DL hits continue for the Mets.  Francisco Rodriguez(3-4) worked the ninth inning while striking out the side to get the win a day after taking a loss after a nicely pitched game by Mike Pelfrey.  Luis Castillo also hit a two run home run for the Mets into the second deck in left, yes, into the second deck and by Luis Castillo.  The Real Dirty Mets Blog has all the Mets info you need.

The Giants’ Jonathan Sanchez continues to try to find his rhythm after he got a no hitter a few months back.  Sanchez pitched a good game in this one going seven innings allowing only four hits, four walks and two runs, both on Castillo’s home run and got a no decision.  Eugenio Velez had an RBI single in the fifth to put the Giants up early and then Randy Winn got an RBI double in the eighth inning to temporarily tie the game, scoring Valez.  Sergio Romo(3-2) got the loss as he put the winning run on in the ninth inning but overall worked 1.1 innings and gave up only the one hit and that run scored.

Zimmerman comes up big

Ryan Zimmerman had been given the day off for the Nationals yesterday until he came up in the eighth inning with a chance to tie the game or take the lead.  Zimmerman singled in Adam Dunn and then Josh Willingham scored as a lazy throw to the infield cost the Reds the game 5-4.  Willingham also homered in the fourth to score Dunn and doubled Dunn in in the sixth.  Jorge Sosa(2-1) got the win in relief as he went 1.2 inning sand allowed just one hit and Mike MacDougal got his thirteenth save of the season working 1.1 perfect innings of relief.  CenterfieldGate will cover more of this and all the Nats wins.

The Reds were up 4-2 at the end of the fifth inning thanks to another Jonny Gomes home run, who has been on fire.   Gomes home run in this one was a three run shot and added to what Joey Votto had done earlier in the inning with an RBI single.  Unfortunately Arthur Rhodes could not hold the lead.  Rhodes(0-1) recorded his first loss and blown save of the year working .2 innings and giving up two hits and two runs.

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.

Happ sparkles again

In Miami, the Phillies were looking for a sweep in what was originally slated to be a four game set against the Marlins.  They sent the undefeated J.A. Happ to the mound, looking for his seventh win without a loss and the team’s eighth straight win.  Happ(7-0) continued to be great, as he went seven innings only allowing five hits and walking one while giving up zero runs, lowering his season ERA to 2.68.  He got all the runs he needed in the second inning as the Phillies took a three to nothing lead on an Utley HBP and a Raul Ibanez two run double.  The Phillies added two more insurance runs throughout the game en route to a 5-0 win. Phillies Phandom has all your Phillies info.

The Marlins offense once again sputtered against the Phillies as they fell seven games back of them in the National League East.  Starter Andrew Miller(3-5) couldn’t get through three innings as he gave up six hits and four runs and walking four while also hitting a batter.  As mentioned earlier, the offense managed no runs, but Bonifacio and Cantu both had two hits each.  Check out FishGuts for more information regarding the Marlins.

Nieve decides to join the OTHER Mets team

The Mets went into Sunday’s game off a solid team effort on Saturday afternoon and with a shot to split the four game set with the rival Braves in Atlanta.  Things didn’t start well for the Mets as starter Fernando Nieve went down with what looks to be a serious right leg injury in the second inning while trying to leg out an infield hit.  Tim Redding(1-4) came in and worked three innings while giving up five runs, but only two were earned, as the Mets went on to lose 7-1.  New Met and former Brave Jeff Francouer got the only RBI for the Mets with a third inning RBI single.  The Mets offense again was silent against the Braves pitching staff.  The Mets are now nine games back of first place, and be sure to check out The Real Dirty Mets Blog for all your Mets information.

The Braves got another solid start from Javier Vazquez and a break out game from Yunel Escobar.  Vazquez(7-7) went seven strong innings only giving up the single run in the third inning while allowing a total of six hits and five strike outs.  Yunel Escobar went three for four with four rbi and a run scored to lead the Braves to the three of four series victory over the Mets.  Check out The Braves Baseball Blog for more information on the Bravos.

Its rough, eh Zimm?

The last place Nationals wish they could have a streak like the first place Phils have.  The Nationals have now lost five straight and nine of their last ten, even while making many roster moves and getting a new manager.  Yesterday, the Cubs completed a four game sweep by winning 11-3 in Washington, fueled by a seven run fourth inning.  Garret Mock(0-3) who got the start for the Nats only lasted 3.1 innings but gave up eight hits and seven runs(four earned) in taking the loss.  A bright spot for the Nationals was another home run for Adam Dunn, his 24th of the season, but there wasn’t much else in this game.  Check out Centerfieldgate for more commentary on the Nats.

Rookie Jake Fox had a great game for the Cubs, going 3-5 with four RBI, two runs scored including a home run.  Soriano added another home run for the Cubs in support of starter Kevin Hart.  Kevin Hart(1-1) went five innings giving up two earned runs and five hits to get the victory.

Jurrjens loses no-no in the 7th

Wednesday night was another tough one for the Phillies, but it was almost a whole lot worse for them as Jair Jurrjens(6-6) of the Braves went seven innings while only giving up a single hit, in his last inning of work.  He had the no hitter going into the seventh despite giving up an unearned run in the fourth inning on the way to one of his best pitched games in his short career.  The Braves supported him with plenty of offense starting in the fourth inning with Tuesday night’s hero Martin Prado getting two RBI and scoring a run in the third inning, and adding another two runs scored later in the game.  The Braves racked up seven runs on nine hits against Philly ace Cole Hamels(4-5) and got fourteen hits and eleven runs overall in winning the game 11-1.  Additional Braves information can be found at The Braves Baseball Blog.

There wasn’t much going for the Phillies on this night both on the offensive and defensive side of the game.  Cole Hamels couldn’t get through the fifth inning and the only reliever to pitch a perfect inning was Sergio Escalona in the seventh.  Greg Dobbs hit a sacrifice fly to get the only run in and struggling Shortstop Jimmy Rollins went 0-3 again and is now only batting .205 for the season.  To get more news and info on the Phillies, be sure to check out our new Phillies Phandom Blog here at NLEC.

The two teams meet again tonight at 7PM with the Phillies sending J.A. Happ to the hill against Javier Vazquez as the Phillies try to avoid a sweep and keep their divisional lead over the Marlins.

Marlins sweep the Nats

On a day when Marlins ace Josh Johnson didn’t have his best stuff, the Marlins offense was able to pick him up.  Josh Johnson was only able to last one out into the fourth inning, giving up five hits and four walks but surprisingly only one earned run.  The Marlins offense got him off the hook, but relief pitching almost gave the game right back to the Nationals when Renyel Pinto blew a save in the seventh inning.  Late in the game though, the Marlins offense was able to come through against the Nationals reliever Julian Tavarez(3-6) who gave up two runs without recording an out in the eighth inning taking the loss.  Dan Meyer(2-0) worked the final two outs of the eighth for the Marlins and Leo Nunez worked a perfect ninth to get his fourth save of the season.  Hanley Ramirez was able to record his 10th straight game with an RBI when he doubled in Chris Coghlan and Emilio Bonifacio home in the third inning of this game.

One of the bright spots for the Nationals in this game was that young pitcher Jordan Zimmermann pitched another quality game, going six innings giving up only six hits and two earned runs while striking out six in the no decision.  He also drove in a run in the first inning with a single.  You can get more Nationals info over at CenterfieldGate.

Both teams have the day off on Thursday and check back tomorrow for their series preview of the weekend as the Marlins welcome in the Pirates and the Nationals return home for the Braves to come in.

Pelf balked, but it didn't cost him!

Mike Pelfrey(6-3) was exactly what the Mets needed yesterday, going 7.2 Innings of shutout ball against the power hitting Milwaukee Brewers yesterday.  A day after the Mets had a closed door 25 minute meeting and all were required to get on the bus to the park, it was must win game for them.  The final score of the game was 1-0 on a Ryan Church single, scoring Luis Castillo from second base in the top of the sixth inning.  Francisco Rodriguez came in and got the save in the ninth for the Mets while only allowing one hit for his 21st save of the season.  Pelfrey even balked during the game, but thanks for a base running error by Prince Fielder, it did not cost him a run.  Get more Mets news and info at The Real Dirty Mets Blog.

Yovani Gallardo pitched another gem against the Mets, but gave up the single run in seven innings.  He had twelve strikeouts during those innings only allowing five hits and two walks, but is now 0-1 against the Mets this year in two sterlings starts.

The Mets head to Pittsburgh for one game this afternoon as Tim Redding will hope to get the Mets on a streak before a matchup with their rival Phillies this weekend in Philadelphia.