Jul

28

NL East Recap 7/27

Filed Under (Daily Recap) by samlevenstein on 28-07-2010

Tagged Under : , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Phillies vs. Diamondbacks

Justin Upton scored in a bases loaded walk in the first inning for the Diamondbacks.  The Phillies scored 2 runs in the third when Ryan Howard singled home Placido Polanco and Carlos Ruiz walked with the bases loaded scoring Raul Ibanez.  Mark Reynolds hit a solo shot in the fourth to time the game and added another in the fifth when Stephen Drew singled home Adam LaRoche.  In the bottom of the inning Jason Werth homered scoring Ryan Howard to take the lead.  The diamondbacks took the lead in the 6th when they scored 2 runs Adam LaRoche hit a sac fly to score Chris Young and a Miguel Montero ground out scored Kelly Johnson.  The Phillies then took the lead in the bottom of the inning when they scored 3 runs when Raul Ibanez singled home Shane Victorino and Ryan Howard homered scoring Raul Ibanez.  In the seventh Cody Ransom homered scoring Carlos Ruiz adding 2 more runs for the Phils.

Cole Hamels pitched 5 innings giving up 6 hits, 3 runs, and 8 strikeouts.  Rodrigo Lopez pitched 5 innings giving up 7 hits, 4 runs, and 4 strikeouts.  David Herndon got the win pitching 1 inning giving up  1 hit, 2 runs and no strikeouts.  The loss went to Jordan Norberto who did not record an out and pitched 2 hits and 2 runs.

ian-desmondBraves vs. Nationals

The Nationals beat the Braves in a score of 3-0. Nyjer Morgan scored in the first for the Nationals on a throwing error by Brian McCann.  In the third the Nationals added 2 more runs when Ian Desmond singled home Ivan Rodriguez and Roger Bernadina.

Miguel Batista won and pitched 5 innings giving up 3 hits, no runs with 6 strikeouts.  Tommy Hanson got the lose and pitched 6 innings, giving up 6 hits, 3 runs, and 8 strikeouts.  Matt Capps got his 25th save of the season giving up no hits with 1 strikeout.

*Jul 11 - 00:05*Mets vs. Cardinals

The Mets beat the Cardinals in a score of 8-2. Ryan Ludwick singled home Matt Holliday in the first.  The Mets struck back in the second when Ike Davis grounded out scoring David Wright.  In the third Jeff Francoeur homered scoring Carlos Beltran and Ike Davis.  In the fifth they added on 2 more runs when David Wright hit a sac fly to score Luis Castillo and Carlos Beltran singled home Angel Pagan.  In the sixth Jose Reyes homered scoring Jon Niese for 2 more runs in the inning.  In the eight the Cardinals added a run when Randy Winn grounded into a double play scoring Ryan Ludwick.

Jon Niese got the win and pitched 6 innings giving up 7 hits, 1 run, and 1 strikeout.  The loss went to Adam Wainwright who pitched 5 innings giving up 6 hits, 6 runs, and 6 strikeouts.

Marlins vs. Giants

The Giants beat the Marlins in a score of 6-4. The Giants scored 2 runs in the third when Aubrey Huff doubled home Andrés Torres and Buster Posey singled home Aubrey Huff.  In the fifth the Marlins tied it up when Cody Ross homered scoring Wes Helms.  In the bottom of the inning the Giants reclaimed the lead when Freddy Sanchez singled home Andres Torres.  The Marlins again tied it up when Dan Uggla hit a solo shot in the seventh inning.  In the eighth Juan Uribe and Édgar Rentería both went deep adding 3 more runs for the Giants.  The Marlins added 1 more run in the ninth when Dan Uggla hit another solo shot.

Matt Cain pitched 7 innings giving up 4 hits, 3 runs, and 6 strikeouts.  Josh Johnson pitched 7 innings giving up 8 hits, 3 runs, and 5 strikeouts.  The win went to Sergio Romo who pitched 1 inning giving up no hits and the loss went to Brian Sanches who pitched 0.1 of an inning giving up 3 hits and 3 runs. Brian Wilson got the save but gave up a run and a hit with 2 strikeouts.

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Sep

12

Chatter Up! Nationals @ Marlins 9-11-09 to 9-13-09

Filed Under (Chatter Up) by mrose on 12-09-2009

Tagged Under : , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Nats Logo chatterup Marlins Logo
Welcome to another edition of Chatter Up! here at NLEC. This week will match up Mark P CenterfieldGate against Wally Londo of Londo of FishGuts. Enjoy!
Stickguy(TRDMB): rate the odds (highest to lowest) on which guys will get traded in the off season. For the Nats, special emphasis on Dunn.
Mark P(CFG): The odds? I think the odds of Cristian Guzman being traded are about 80 percent, Dunn about 10 percent and Zimmerman 0 percent. The marginal, veteran .230 to .250 hitters (Belliard et al) are gone and what is left are prospects, projects and the core. No one will touch the core (Zimmerman, Lannan, Dunn, Willingham, Flores, Morgan) the projects (Gonzalez and Dukes) are projects (no one really knows how good they will be — or if they will be good at all) and the prospects are the great unknown — like Ian Desmond and Stephen Strasburg are coming, they are good, and they will make a difference. But not right away. So trades? There’s not much to trade, to be honest, with the exception of Guzman.
Prismo(TRDMB): What do you think is the most needed area for improvement in the offseason for the Nationals?
Mark P(CFG): Defense, defense, defense. And I don’t see how the Nats get better at defense without moving Guzman off the ballclub. The problem is his $8 million (due next year) and his shakiness at short. So if you can’t move him and Ian Desmond is going to be handed the shortstop job, you think odd things: like shifting him to second. It’s a bad idea, but you never know. With Nyjer Morgan playing a full year and Flores back from an injury the Nats should be better in the field, but should be probably won’t be good enough. They need a good glove man, like Orlando Hudson, up the middle.
Prismo(TRDMB): Starting pitching seems like the obvious pick, but the offense has been bipolar, the bullpen mostly terrible, and the defense very shoddy at times. Or should they just ignore these problems, and fully focus on minor league development?
Mark P(CFG): If you ignore these problems for this next year, the next problem you will have will be putting people in the seats. And right now, that’s not a crisis. People here in DC still go to the games and still root for the team. But it could be a problem in the future and you can’t ignore it. So I don’t think the Nats are just going to focus on minor league development. Yes, it’s important to Mike Rizzo, but the Nats lost so much credibility before he was named as Bowden’s replacement this year that the team just can’t afford to ignore what’s happening in the parent club with all eyes on the future. I would expect them to resign Livan Hernandez and pick up another veteran pitcher (like John Garland, or a John Garland type) and sign a middle infielder with a good glove. And their offense hasn’t been “bi polar” — it’s been good. Very good, in fact. You know, I also hate to read on the internet about how some club has a top ranked farm system. Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati — they have very solid farm club operations. But who the hell cares? And Nats fans will sometimes say that: well we have a good farm system. That’s great, but you know, I don’t live in Harrisburg.
Matt R(NLEC): Strasburg watch: is he pitching yet in the minors? off season plans?
Mark P(CFG): He’s not pitching yet, but he’s close. He’ll be in Arizona and he’ll then do some offseason throwing. I get the feeling from the front office that they’re watching his pitch count very closely: he has had an entire year of college ball and no one wants to see him with a dead arm. I would expect, also, that we won’t see him next year until sometime in July. He needs to get to know professional pitching — and the people in the franchise need to get a good look at his tendencies. That takes time.
Matt R(NLEC): Is it just that I don’t know much about the Nats, but who is Ian Desmond? Where did he come from?
Mark P(CFG): Hope springs eternal: so here goes. He is the bright shortstop of the future who is going to hold down that position, with Gold Glove after Gold Glove for the next ten years. Well, that’s the hope. More specifically, Ian Desmond is a 24 year old talent rich guy and former 3rd round 2004 draft pick of the Montreal Expos who has had his share in injuries, but who has gotten through them and worked hard at his game. Everyone in the Nats organization predicted that sooner or later he would be in the show. “Later” ended up being this September. He showed this year in AA and AAA that he can hit the cover off the ball. He’s solid. The only question is: has he really arrived? He looks ready to me. The other night, against the Phillies (and in his major league debut) the thing that impressed the most is that he didn’t look nervous, he didn’t look scared, he didn’t overswing. He looked like he belonged. You kind of had to be there to feel it, frankly. Down in the lower boxes, the Nats new brain trust just fell silent as he trotted on the field. And when he put one into the center field seats later in the game, they didn’t really cheer — they just kind of looked at each other. Mike Rizzo had this “I told you so” grin on his face. I think he’s here to stay.
Thanks again Mark, now onto Wally @ Fishguts
Metsfan4decades(TRDMB):Anything to the rumor of trading Uggla? If yes, what kind of chips would the Marlins want?
Wally(FG): He’s gotta be gone. Jorge Cantu and Dan Uggla each look like 6m players at least in arbitration, and we can’t afford to pay one player that much if their name isn’t Hanley. For the price of one Dan Uggla, we could have a Cody Ross and a Jeremy Hermida and a Matt Lindstrom. To me, you have to spread your resources around unless it’s an absolute slam dunk of a player, which Uggla isn’t, unfortunately. He’s very good, and a big reason why we’ve been so successful recently, but he’s not worth it to us anymore.
They’ll be looking for at least what the Pirates got for Freddy Sanchez: A B+ pitching prospect, at the very least.
Prismo(TRDMB): How do you feel about the future of the organization?
Wally(FG): Wonderful. There’s a stadium 2 years away, Hanley’s locked up long term, and Josh Johnson will probably be locked up this year too. Plus there are 2 real monster prospects in AA right now (Mike Stanton and Logan Morrison) and a couple of other really really nice ones in AA or higher. The future of this franchise looks great.
Prismo(TRDMB): Are you satisfied with the low payroll, the failure so far to build a new stadium, and the low attendance numbers if the team can still be competitive?
Wally(FG): I’m a realist. I understand the limitations of our franchise, and I’m done complaining about it. it’s not worth it. A lot of Marlins fans whine endlessly about how cheap Jeffrey Loria is and the crappy fan base and all that, but at the end of the day, my team has been close to or better than .500 6 of the last 7 years, with a World Series in there. And the stadium is being built. The concrete is mixed, the base is set, the first pitch has been thrown. It’s just a matter of laying brick now.
Matt R(NLEC): Will Hanley Ramirez hold on for the batting title in your opinion? Has that spat ended now and with any permanent damage to the team?
Wally(FG): He’s definitely going to win it, I think. It’s going to take a lot for him to fall off, and he’s got a 30 point advantage on Pujols.

Everyone is saying the spat is over now, but I’m sure Hanley and Danny aren’t chummy anymore. But you know what? Hanley’s hitting .440 since that spat, and both have 3 home runs. If they hate each other and hit like they have, I’m all for it.

Matt R(NLEC): Has the buzz around the Marlins making the postseason all but diminished now? Or are you hoping for a Phils/Rockies collapse??
Wally(FG): Well, 5 games back from the Phillies with 6 games left against them. It’s a very, very, very slight chance, but I’ve got some faith. And they can’t hit right now, so it’s certainly not completely out of the realm of possibility. I’m hoping the Phillies play this years Mets, while the Marlins can cue up some of the magic the Phillies had last year.

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.

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Aug

03

NL East Daily Recap from 8-2-09

Filed Under (Daily Recap) by mrose on 03-08-2009

Tagged Under : , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Zito beats the Phillies

Zito beats the Phillies

The San Francisco Giants went into Sunday’s afternoon game against the Phillies with a chance to take three of four in the series, but a tough task of the Phillies ace Cole Hamels was in front of them.  For four and a half innings it looked like Hamels would shut them down.  In the fifth though, Freddy Sanchez got a two RBI double scoring Zito and Valez which tied the game.  Then later in the game, on a Ryan Howard error, Sanchez scored the go ahead run, and the Giants cruised from there.  The Giants added three more in the sixth inning on a Randy Winn RBI single and a Eugenio Valez two RBI single making the final score 7-3.  Barry Zito(7-10) lasted through six innings and was rewarded with a win, after the Phillies were up 3-1 by the top of the fifth inning.  Giants relief pitching went three innings and only allowed three hits the rest of the way.

The Phillies’ Cole Hamels is still trying to find his postseason form from last year, and it really seemed like he found it.  Things fell apart as mentioned above in the bottom of the fifth and Hamels took the loss.  Hamels(7-6) went five innings but pitched to four in the sixth inning and was charged with six earned runs, but seven overall because of Howard’s error.  Jimmy Rollins hit his 11th home run of the season in the fourth and the Phillies got two RBI singles by Jayson Werth and Carlos Ruiz to cap their scoring.  Phillies Phandom will have all your Phillies info.

Different Uni, same result

Different Uni, same result

The Marlins had a tough task this weekend when they welcomed the Chicago Cubs into town for a three game set.  All three games were exciting and included a lot of come backs and bad relief pitching.  Sunday was no different, as the Marlins won in walk off fashion.  Ricky Nolasco went seven strong innings and gave up only one run on four hits and a walk while striking out seven, but actually left losing.  Cody Ross hit his 16th of the season in the seventh inning which for the time being tied the game.  That held up until Brenden Donnelly gave up a solo home run to Jake Fox and was headed for the loss.  Lucky for Donnelly, Kevin Gregg the former Marlins closer entered in the ninth inning for the save.  Gregg got one out before he gave up back to back home runs to Dan Uggla and Cody Ross, the second of the game from Ross and a game winner by a score of 3-2.  Check out FishGuts for more Marlins info and on their series victory against the Cubbies.

The Cubs also had a great starting otuting by Ryan Dempster, who went six scoreless innings while scattering three hits and four walks.  Aaron Heilman, the former Met instantly gave up the lead he had worked with, and as you read, Kevin Gregg blew the game for the Cubs.  Derek Lee had the lone RBI in the first six innings with an RBI single in the third and Jake Fox produced the only other run.

Kemp with a 3 run bomb

Kemp with a 3 run bomb

The Dodgers managed to get back on track this weekend taking two of three in Atlanta against the Braves.  Yesterday, Chad Billingsley was pitching a gem until he left after the fifth with an injury.  Billingsley(11-6) only allowed two hits, zero runs and one walk while striking out nine and left after 83 pitches and an apparent injury.  The Dodgers bullpen combined for four innings and only allowed three hits and one run on way to a 9-1 victory.  Matt Kemp had a huge game, going 3-5 with one run scored and five total RBI.  Three of those RBI came in the fifth with a three run home run, and he added two more in the eighth with a two run single.  James Loney also added two RBI for the Dodgers.

Jair Jurrjens had a rare mediocre start for the Braves, but was pitching well for the first four innings.  Jair Jurrjens(9-8) went five innings allowing ten hits and four runs, but all four runs came in the fifth inning of the game.  Martin Prado produced all the Braves runs with an RBI single in the eighth scoring Matt Diaz.  The Braves Baseball Blog will have more Braves info for you.

Pelf has a mediocre start

Pelf has a mediocre start

The New York Mets went into Sunday’s game hoping to have another solid game after a late inning win on Saturday night.  Mike Pelfrey, who had pitched great on Tuesday night against the Rockies just didn’t have it on Sunday though.  Pelfrey(8-7) took the loss going only five innings while allowing three runs and three walks and two more hit batsmen, in a row.  Jeff Francouer homered for the Mets and Alex Cora doubled in the fifth to produce the Mets only runs in the 5-2 win.  The Mets hope to get a series split tonight as the four game set ends at 7:10Pm.  Check out The Real Dirty Mets Blog for more.

Jon Garland had his second victory since May 19th in this game, as he was able to pitch a complete game.  Garland(6-10) allowed seven hits and two runs and pitched all the innings while using only 106 pitches.  He was helped by a Chad Tracy two run double and Gerardo Parra getting two late RBI to secure the victory.

Maholm serves one up

Maholm serves one up

The Nationals were able to take the final game of the three game set against the Pirates in a battle of the young and rebuilding teams on Sunday.  Josh Willingham had the big blow in this game as he hit a two run home run in the seventh inning putting the Nats up 3-2 at the time.  Alberto Gonzalez added his second RBI in the game that inning on a ground rule double.  Willingham added his third RBI of the game in the eighth inning and put the game away for the Nationals.  Former Pirate Sean Burnett(2-2) got the win in relief recording just one out in the sixth inning.  Mike MacDougal recorded his seventh save of the season while only allowing a walk in the ninth inning.  CenterfieldGate will have more Nats info for you.

Paul Maholm(6-6) did not make many mistakes in this game, but in the sixth inning, he allowed the two run home run to Willingham and then was charged with the final run of the inning. The Pirates only three runs recorded were on two home runs.  The first was by Ronnie Cedeno in the third scoring Brandon Moss and the final was by Delwyn Young in the seventh, but that was all they would get in losing 5-3.

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Jul

31

NL East Series Preview 7-30-09 through 8-3-09

Filed Under (Series Preview) by mrose on 31-07-2009

Tagged Under : , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Phillies Logo VS Giants Logo
The Philadelphia Phillies(58-41, 1st in NL East) made a big splash before the trade deadling, obtaining Cliff Lee and Ben Francisco from the Indians prior to the deadline.  Both should be meeting up with the team in San Francisco this weekend with Lee expected to debut on either Friday or Saturday night, which will shape the rest of the rotation.  The Phillies continue to win and took two of three from the Diamondbacks this week and now will face the wild card leading San Francisco Giants for four. Check out Phillies Phandom for more Philadelphia insight.

The San Francisco Giants(55-46, 2nd in NL West 7GB, 1st in WildCardl) were also players before the trade deadline.  The Giants acquired infielder Freddy Sanchez from the Pirates for a minor league player, and he didn’t have to travel far as the Pirates were just swept out of San Francisco, Sanchez will simply extend his stay.  They also got the news this week that Randy Johnson has a rotator cuff tear and will be out for an extended period of time.  They hope that they can extend their wild card lead, and take some games from the leagues hottest team at the same time.

Probable pitching matchups are below:
Thursday @ 10:15PM EST – Giants 7 Phillies 2 (WP – Sanchez LP – Lopez)
Friday @ 10:15PM EST – Lee,PHI(7-9,3.14 ERA) vs. Sadowski,SF(2-3,4.81 ERA)
Saturday @ 9:05PM EST – Blanton,PHI(7-4,4.11 ERA) vs. Lincecum,SF(11-3,2.30 ERA)
Sunday @ 4:05PM EST – Hamels,PHI(7-5,4.42 ERA) vs. Zito,SF(6-10,4.54 ERA)
Cubs Logo
VS
 Marlins Logo
The Florida Marlines(53-49, 2nd in East 6GB, 3GB of wildcard) welcomed in the Braves to LandShark stadium this week for a three game set.  The teams have no played eight games, with the Marlins winning five of the eight.  The Marlins had a late heroic game from surprisingly solid pinch hitter Ross Glaud on Tuesday, a hitting pitcher on Wednesday, but couldn’t keep the same heroics on Thursday for the sweep.  The Marlins are now winners of 7 out of 9, and hope to continue to march toward the wild card this weekend.  In their way will be the Central Division leading Chicago Cubs.  Check out FishGuts for more insight.

The Chicago Cubs(54-46, 1st in NL Central) had a fairly mediocre first half of the season, but since the All-Star break, they have really turned it on.  The Cubs have now won eleven of fourteen games while only losing one series to the red hot Phillies.  The Cubs have even made a trade with the division rival Pirates yesterday, acquiring reliever John Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny while sending Kevin Hart, Jose Ascanio and a minor leaguer back.  They lead the Central division by a half a game and will look to extend it this weekend in Miami.

The probable pitchers are shown below:
Friday @ 7:10PM EST – Harden,CHI(7-5,4.55 ERA) vs. Volstad,FLA(8-9.4.44 ERA)
Saturday @ 7:10PM EST – Zambrano,CHI(7-4,3.36 ERA) vs. TBA,FLA
Sunday @ 2:05PM EST – Dempster,CHI(5-5,4.31 ERA) vs. Nolasco,FLA(7-7,5.24ERA)
Dodgers Logo vs_120x120 Braves Logo
The Atlanta Braves(52-50, 3rd in NL East 7GB, 4GB of wildcard) are still one of the hottest teams since the All-Star break, with nine wins against five losses since then, but they are off a tough series loss to division rival Florida Marlins this week.  They went into the weekday series tied for second and now are one game behind the Marlins for both the wildcard and division lead, after losing  a couple tough ones. One game, closer Soriano blew the save with a walk off home run for the Marlins and in the next, starter Kenshin Kawakami couldn’t keep Josh Johnson in the yard.  They welcome in the Dodgers to Altanta, so it gets no easier for them. Check out The Braves Baseball Blog for more Braves news and info.

The Los Angeles Dodgers(63-39, 1st in NL West) had a very tough week, especially since we last talked about them in a series preview last weekend.  They went only 2-5 against the Marlins in LA and then the Cardinals on the road.  The Marlins were able to take two of three and the Cardinals crushed them in three of the four games.  The Dodgers salvaged the final game yesterday and luckily they have such a large lead that this stretch did not effect them.  They will hope to get back on a role this weekend in Atlanta.

The probable pitchers are shown below:
Friday @ 7:30PM EST – Schmidt,LAD(1-1,7.88 ERA) vs. Hanson,ATL(5-1,2.95 ERA)
Saturday @ 4:00PM EST – Wolf,LAD(5-5,3.43) vs. Lowe,ATL(10-7,4.20 ERA)
Sunday @ 8:00PM EST – Billingsley,LAD(10-6,3.96 ERA) vs. Jurrjens,ATL(9-7,2.69 ERA)
D'Backs Logo vs_120x120 Mets Logo
The New York Mets(49-52, 4th in NL East 9.5GB, 6.5GB of wildcard) finally had a good week to report here.  The Mets went into Houston last weekend then finally returned home for the first time since the break to face the red hot Astros then Rockies.  The result?  The Mets won five of seven games, including all five of those being consecutive.  They lost the bookends of the seven games, but in between they had great pitching, timely hitting and showed life while coming back in a number of games.  They hope to continue their success with a four game wrap around set against the Arizona Diamondbacks from Friday to Monday. Check out The Real Dirty Mets Blog for more Mets news.

The Arizona Diamondbacks(44-58, 4th in NL West 19GB) are now 6-7 since the break, and they only have won one series, against the lowly Pirates last weekend as they took three of four.  They are coming off a series loss to the Phillies where they could salvage the finale, but even their ace, Danny Haren couldn’t win that one.  The D’Backs did make a few trades earlier this month and have all but ended their season.

The probable pitchers are shown below:
Friday @ 7:10PM EST – Davis,ARI(5-6,3.76 ERA) vs. Hernandez,NYM(7-5,4.87 ERA)
Saturday @ 7:10PM EST -Scherzer,ARI(6-6,3.61 ERA) vs. Perez,NYM(2-3, 7.42 ERA)
Sunday @ 1:10PM EST -Garland,ARI(5-10,4.42 ERA) vs. Pelfrey,NYM(8-6,4.72 ERA)
Monday @ 7:10PM EST – Haren,ARI(10-6,2.19 ERA) vs. TBA,NYM
Cardinals Logo vs_120x120 Pirates Logo
The Washington Nationals(32-70, 5th in NL East 27GB) are definitely on what they can consider a high.  The Nationals had won two straight series heading into Milwaukee this week, where they won the first two to put together a four game winning streak.  They did drop the final two, but all in all, it was one of the better weeks they have had in recent memory.  This weekend they will welcome in the youngest team in baseball after this week’s trades, the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Check out CenterfieldGate for more news, information and insight on the Nats.

The Pittsburgh Pirates(43-58, 6th in NL Central 11GB) are on a five game losing streak and this week completed trades to send more players away and rebuild.  Like the post world series Marlins teams, the Pirates have traded away ten players from the opening day roster in exchange for many minor leaguers.  You have to wonder what a Pirate fan must think.  They will hope their young team can beat out another young team in the Nationals, and will welcome Lastings Milledge to the major league club.

The probable pitchers are shown below:
Friday @ 7:05PM EST -Lannan,WAS(7-7,3.25 ERA) vs. Ohlendorf,PIT(8-8,4.51 ERA)
Friday @ 7:05PM EST-Stammen,WAS(3-5,4.46 ERA) vs. Vasquez,PIT(1-5,6.21 ERA)
Sunday @ 1:35PM EST – Balester,PIT(1-1,4.00 ERA) vs. Maholm,PIT(6-5,4.70 ERA)

Be sure to check back to NLEC or the team affiliate blog frequently!

If interested in helping the NLEC, please contact mrose@nleastchatter.com

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Jul

30

NL East Series Preview 7-30-09 to 8-2-09 Phillies only Edition

Filed Under (Series Preview) by mrose on 30-07-2009

Tagged Under : , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Philadelphia Phillies are the only team starting a new series on Thursday night, so we will have a scaled down version just for them today, with a full version tomorrow afternoon. Enjoy!

Phillies Logo VS Giants Logo
The Philadelphia Phillies(58-41, 1st in NL East) made a big splash before the trade deadling, obtaining Cliff Lee and Ben Francisco from the Indians prior to the deadline. Both should be meeting up with the team in San Francisco this weekend with Lee expected to debut on either Friday or Saturday night, which will shape the rest of the rotation. The Phillies continue to win and took two of three from the Diamondbacks this week and now will face the wild card leading San Francisco Giants for four. Check out Phillies Phandom for more Philadelphia insight.

The San Francisco Giants(55-46, 2nd in NL West 7GB, 1st in WildCardl) were also players before the trade deadline. The Giants acquired infielder Freddy Sanchez from the Pirates for a minor league player, and he didn’t have to travel far as the Pirates were just swept out of San Francisco, Sanchez will simply extend his stay. They also got the news this week that Randy Johnson has a rotator cuff tear and will be out for an extended period of time. They hope that they can extend their wild card lead, and take some games from the leagues hottest team at the same time.

Probable pitching matchups are below:

NOTE: Cliff Lee WILL make his Phillies debut in the series, it just has not been announced whether he will slot in on Friday or Saturday.
Thursday @ 10:15PM EST – Lopez,PHI(3-0,3.09 ERA) vs. Sanchez,SF(3-9,4.92 ERA)
Friday @ 10:15PM EST – Blanton,PHI(7-4,4.11 ERA) vs. Sadowski,SF(2-3,4.81 ERA)
Saturday @9:05PM EST-Moyer,PHI(10-7,5.32 ERA) vs. Lincecum,SF(11-3,2.30 ERA)
Sunday @ 4:05PM EST – Hamels,PHI(7-5,4.42 ERA) vs. Zito,SF(6-10,4.54 ERA)
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