Marlins vs. Rockies

The Marlins beat the Rockies 5-2 Wednesday. Florida jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the 1st on back-to-back doubles by Dan Uggla and Jorge Cantu. The Marlins added three more runs in the 2nd on a home run to center field off the bat of Gaby Sanchez. The Rockies did not get on the board until the 8th, when Seth Smith homered, cutting the Marlins lead to 5-2.

Ricky Nolasco got the win, going 8 innings and giving up two runs on four hits. Jason Hammel took the loss, lasting 7 innings and allowing five runs on six hits. Leo Nunez recorded his 23rd save of the season for Florida.

Nationals vs. Reds

The Nationals beat the Reds 8-5. Cincinnati struck first, scoring in the 3rd inning on a single by Orlando Cabrera. Washington tied it up in the top of the 4th, and scored two more in the 5th and added 4 runs in the 6th.  The Reds tacked on two runs in the bottom of the 6th on a Miguel Cairo single. Ryan Hanigan scored in the 7th for Cincinnati, cutting the Nationals lead to 7-4. Chris Heisey singled in the Reds 5th run of the game in the 8th. Willie Harris homered in the 9th to make it 8-5 Washington.

Stephen Strasburg got the win, going 5.2 innings and giving up three runs on seven hits. Bronson Arroyo took the loss, throwing 5.2 innings and allowing seven runs on six hits. Matt Capps recorded his 24th save for Washington.

Phillies vs. Cardinals

The Phillies fell to the Cardinals 5-1. The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the 4th inning on a single by Albert Pujols. The Phillies tied it up in the 5th on a home run off the bat of Ryan Howard. Matt Holliday gave St. Louis the lead in the 7th with a homer to left field. The Cardinals would go on to score three more runs in the 8th.

Jaime Garcia got the win, going 7 innings and giving up one run on four hits. Joe Blanton took the loss, throwing 7 innings and giving up five runs on seven hits. Ryan Franklin got his 18th save for  St. Louis.

Braves vs. Padres

The Braves lost to the Padres in  12 innings 6-4. Singles by Everth Cabrera and Jerry Hairston Jr. gave San Diego a 2-0 lead in the 2nd inning. Atlanta tied it up in the 3rd when Chipper Jones singled, scoring Martin Prado and Jason Heyward. Brian McCann homered in the inning, giving Atlanta a 4-2 lead. It remained 4-2 until the 9th, when the Padres tied up the game on a Scott Hairston home run and Yorvit Torrealba double. The game was tied until the 12th when Nick Hundley hit a two-run double giving San Diego a 6-4 lead.

Starting pitchers Tommy Hanson and Jon Garland both had a no decision. Hanson went 6.1 innings and gave up two runs on six hits. Garland lasted 5 innings and allowed four runs on six hits. Tim Stauffer got the win for San Diego. Heath Bell recorded his 27th save.

Mets vs. Diamondbacks

The Mets lost to the Diamondbacks 4-3 in extra innings. The Mets took an early 1-0 lead in the first thanks to a home run off the bat of Angel Pagan. Chris Young led off the bottom of the inning with a home run for Arizona. Rusty Ryal and Mark Reynolds both homered for the Diamondbacks as well, giving Arizona a 3-2 lead in the 4th. Rod Barajas homered for the Mets in the 6th to tie the game. The game was tied until the 14th inning when Arizona’s Chris Snyder hit walkoff single.

Jon Niese went 5 innings and allowed three runs on six hits to get a no decision. Dan Haren got a no decision as well as he went 6 innings and gave up three runs on six hits. Oliver Perez returned for the Mets, and threw 1.1 innings, giving up one hit and walking two. Fernando Nieve took the loss for New York. Blaine Boyer got the win for Arizona.

Marlins vs. Braves

The Marlins and Braves went extra innings on Friday night in Atlanta.   The Braves blew a ninth inning lead and fell behind in the top of the 11th, but Atlanta bounced back in the bottom of the 11th and defeated the Marlins 4-3.

Braves starter Kris Medlen and Marlins ace Josh Johnson each allowed only one run.  Medlen allowed a solo homer to Hanley Ramirez in the top of the first, but kept the Marlins off of the scoreboard after that.   A pair of RBI singles by Martin Prado in the 5th and 7th innings gave the Braves a 2-1 lead.  The score stayed that way until the top of the ninth.  Billy Wagner came on for the save, but Gaby Sanchez led off the frame with a solo shot to center to tie the game at 2.

The score remained tied at 2 until the top of the 11th, when the Marlins took the lead on a bizarre play.  With the bases loaded and one out, the Marlins attempted a squeeze with pinch hitter Brian Barden at the plate.  Barden missed the bunt attempt and Wes Helms was caught in a rundown breaking from third.   However, the Marlins caught a break when Braves reliever Jonny Venters dropped the ball as he went to tag out Helms, who scored the go-ahead run.   The Marlins brought in closer Leo Nunez in the bottom of the 11th, but he failed to retire a batter.  After allowing a leadoff walk and a double, Omar Infante singled to left to bring home two runs and give the Braves a walk-off victory.  Venters (3-0) earned the victory for Atlanta, while Nunez (3-2) suffered the loss for Florida.

 

Mets vs. Nationals

The Mets received a solid starting pitching performance for the second straight day in Washington.  This time, they provided their starter with some offense, jumping out to an early lead and hanging on to defeat the Nationals by a score of 5-3.

The Mets jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning against Nats starter Luis Atilano on an RBI groundout from Ike Davis, and then knocked Atilano (6-5) out of the game in the fourth.  After loading the bases with no outs, Atilano retired the next two Mets and looked like he might escape the jam.  However, Alex Cora followed with a triple off of the right field wall to clear the bases.  Mets pitcher Jonathon Niese followed with an RBI double to bring home Cora and give the Mets a 5-0 lead.

Niese held the Nationals scoreless until the seventh inning, when Josh Willingham led off the inning with a solo homer to put the Nats on the board.  However, Niese (6-2) retired the next three batters and finished up seven innings, allowing just that one run.  The score remained 5-1 until the bottom of the ninth, when things got interesting.  Mets manager Jerry Manuel elected not to bring in his closer to start the inning with a four run lead, but summoned Francisco Rodriguez once the game became a save situation with two outs and runners on second and third.  Roger Bernadina and Ian Desmond hit back-to-back RBI singles to cut the lead to 5-3 and put the tying runs on base.   Met killer Willie Harris then came up and worked a full count, but instead of coming home, Rodriguez wheeled around and threw to second, picking off Bernadina to end the game.  That pickoff was the only out K-Rod recorded, but it was enough to earn him his 19th save on the season.

 

Phillies vs. Pirates

The Phillies and Pirates couldn’t muster much offense Friday night in Pittsburgh.  The Pirates scratched out two runs in the fourth, and those runs held up as the Pirates defeated the Phillies by a score of 2-0.

Phillies starter Jamie Moyer pitched six strong innings, allowing just five hits and striking out eight.  Unfortunately for Moyer (9-7) and the Phillies, it wasn’t enough.  In the fourth inning, with the bases loaded and two outs, Moyer got Andy LaRoche to hit a slow roller towards third base.  Moyer raced to pick up the ball and fired to first, but he threw wildly over the head of Ryan Howard, allowing two runs to score.  LaRoche was credited with an infield hit and an RBI on the play.

Meanwhile, Pirates starter Ross Ohlendorf pitched seven shutout innings for Pittsburgh, allowing five hits and just one walk while striking out eight.  Octavio Dotel came on in the ninth inning and retired the Phillies in order to earn his 18th save and give Ohlendorf (1-6) his first win on the season.

Phillies vs. Reds

The Phillies fell to the Reds 4-3 in their series finale Wednesday afternoon. Philadelphia took a 3-0 lead in the 4th inning thanks to a three-run home run by Dane Sardinha.  The Phillies bats were quiet for the remainder of the game, only recording three hits after the the 4th. The Reds began to chip away scoring a run on a Joey Votto homer in the 6th and again on a RBI single by Orlando Cabrera in the 7th. The final blow came in the bottom of the 8th. Leading 3-2, Roy Halladay gave up a two-run shot to right field.

Halladay pitched a  complete game, but took the loss, his 7th of the season. He pitched 8 innings, giving up four runs on 13 hits. Reds starter, Aaron Harang, got a no decision, throwing 6.1 innings and allowing three runs on eight hits. Reliever Arthur Rhodes got the win for Cincinnati. Francisco Cordero recorded his 21st save of the season.

Check out Phillies Phandom for more.

Marlins vs. Mets

Following a rain delay, the Mets salvaged the final game of their series with the Marlins, winning 6-5. A double by David Wright and a single by Ike Davis gave the Mets a 3-0 lead in the 1st. The Marlins bounced back quickly scoring two runs in the bottom of the 1st on singles by Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla. New York extended their lead to 4-2 in the 2nd on an RBI single by Jesus Feliciano. Florida tied up the ballgame in the 5th with a double by Jorge Cantu and a single by Uggla.  The Mets scored a run in the 6th and 7th innings, giving them a 6-4 lead. The Marlins cut the lead to 6-5  in the 8th on an RBI double by Gaby Sanchez.

Chris Volstad pitched 5 innings, but got a no decision. He gave up four runs on six hits. Mike Pelfrey lasted 4.2 innings to get a no decision as well. He allowed four runs on 12 hits. Elmer Dessens got the win for the Mets, while Alejandro Sanabia took the loss. Francisco Rodriguez recorded his 18th save of the season for the Mets.

For more, check out Fish Guts and Real Dirty Mets Blog.

Braves vs. Nationals

The Braves won the series against the Nationals, winning the final game by a score of 4-1. The Braves jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on a RBI double by Brian McCann in the 1st. Atlanta scored two more runs in the 4th on a single by Jair Jurrjens and a sacrifice fly by Martin Prado. Washington got on the board in the 6th when Ivan Rodriguez grounded into a double play allowing Ryan Zimmerman to score. Atlanta scored again in the 7th after Washington pitching walked in a run.

Jurrjens got the win, pitching 5 innings and giving up one run on six hits. J.D. Martin took the loss, going 5 innings and allowing three runs on six hits. Billy Wagner recorded his 16th save of the season for the Braves.

For more info, go to Braves  Baseball and Centerfield Gate.

Nationals vs. Royals

It was  another fine pitching performance by Stephen Strasburg, but without any offense to back him up, he received his first Major League loss as the Nationals fell to the Royals 1-0.  The Royals got on the board in the top of the 5th when David DeJesus scored on a single by Jose Guillen.  Nationals’ bats were quiet, however, Strasburg did get his first Major League hit and Adam Dunn went 2-4 at the plate for Washington.

Strasburg took the loss, going 6 innings and giving up one run on nine hits. He also had nine more strikeouts tonight, giving him a total of 41 strikeouts in his first four MLB starts, which is a new record. Brian Bannister got the win throwing 6 innings and giving up no runs on five hits. Joakim Soria recorded his 17th save of the season for the Royals.

Check out Centerfield Gate for more.

Mets vs. Tigers

The Mets continue to win at home as they beat the Tigers 5-0. Detroit was held to just five hits on the night. It was a big night for Mets hitters though as Jose Reyes went 3-4 and Ike Davis went 2-4. New York got on the board in the 3rd when Reyes scored on a double by David Wright. Reyes later homered in the 5th to make it 2-0 Mets. They went on to score three more runs in the 7th on a Jesus Feliciano ground out and later on a two-RBI single by Davis.

R.A. Dickey pitched 8 brilliant innings to get the win, giving up no runs on four hits. He has now won six in a row. Jeremy Bonderman took the loss, throwing 6 innings and allowing four runs on seven hits.

For more info, check out the Real Dirty Mets Blog.

Marlins vs. Orioles

The Marlins didn’t seem to be distracted by the firing of Fredi Gonzalez as they took game two in their series with the Orioles, winning 7-5. Baltimore struck first scoring four runs in the 2nd on back-to-back one-run homers by Luke Scott and Adam Jones, and a two-RBI single by Corey Patterson. Florida responded in the top of the 3rd with home runs by Gaby Sanchez and Jorge Cantu to tie the game. The Marlins scored two more runs in the 7th on back-to-back doubles by Ronny Paulino and Chris Coghlan. Patterson would drive in another run for the Orioles in the 8th, cutting the Marlins lead to 6-5.

Ricky Nolasco got the win, throwing 7 innings and giving up four runs on eight hits. Brian Matusz took the loss, going 6.1 innings and allowing six runs on seven hits. Leo Nunez got his 16th save of the year for the Marlins.

Check out Fish Guts for more.

Phillies vs. Indians

The Phillies beat the Indians by a score of 7-6. Cleveland was off to a fast start as they scored two in the 1st on a home run by Shin-Soo choo. The Phillies responded in the bottom of the inning with an RBI ground out by Ryan Howard. They then tied it in the 2nd inning on a Jayson Werth home run. Raul Ibanez would drive in two more runs for the Phillies in the 4th to make it 4-3 Philadelphia. Choo would give Cleveland the lead once again in the 5th as he hit his second homer of the night, a two-run shot to center field. Brian Schneider tied it up for Philadelphia in the 7th with his first home run of the season, making it 5-5. It would remain tied until the top of the 9th when Trevor Crowe scored for Cleveland. Jimmy Rollins then hit a walkoff home run in the bottom of the 9th to win it for the Phillies.

Kyle Kendrick only lasted 4 innings for the Phillies, giving up five runs on six hits. J.C. Romero got the win for Philadelphia. Jake Westbrook went 5 innings, taking a no decision. He gave up four runs on seven hits. Kerry Wood took the loss.

Check out Phillies Phandom for more info.

Braves vs. White Sox

After waiting out a rain delay, the Braves lost to the White Sox 4-2. Atlanta scored first in the 2nd inning on an RBI single by Melky Cabrera. Chicago tied it up in the 4th on a single by Paul Konerko. Later in the inning Chicago scored two more runs on a Carlos Quentin home run. David Ross cut the White Sox lead to 3-2 with a RBI single in the 5th. Quentin homered again in the 7th, making it 4-2 Chicago.

Tim Hudson went 7 innings and got the loss, giving up four runson six hits. Mark Buehrle went 6 innings to get the win, and gave up two runs on nine hits. Bobby Jenks got his 16th save of the season.

For more info, go to Braves Baseball.

Mets vs. Yankees

The Mets got off to a fast start in the Bronx, but the Yankees answered back and went on to defeat their crosstown rivals 5-3 to end the Mets’ winning streak at eight games.

Jose Reyes led off the game with a home run off of Phil Hughes, and added a two-run shot in the third inning to give the Mets an early 3-1 lead.  However, Mike Pelfrey allowed two-run homers to Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson in the third and fourth innings to put the Yankees on top.  Pelfrey (9-2) settled down after Granderson’s homer and gave the Mets seven innings, but took the loss.  Hughes (10-1) shut down the Mets after Reyes’ second home run and earned the victory.   Mariano Rivera pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his 16th save on the season.

 

Phillies vs. Twins

The Phillies and Twins played home run derby at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday afternoon.  Philadelphia was poised to take their second straight from Minnesota, but the Phillies could not hold onto a five run 9th inning lead and fell to the Twins 13-10 in 11 innings.

The Phils jumped on Twins starter Kevin Slowey for seven runs in 1 2/3 innings, powered by home runs from Wilson Valdez (yes, that’s right) and Ryan Howard.  Longballs by Raul Ibanez and Jayson Werth helped the Phillies build a 9-4 lead in support of starting pitcher Cole Hamels.  Jose Contreras started the ninth for the Phillies and allowed a two run homer to Jim Thome before giving way to closer Brad Lidge.  Lidge allowed an RBI single to Denard Span and a two run shot to Joe Mauer to cap off the Twins’ five run ninth and tie the game at 9.

In the 10th, Chad Durbin allowed a solo homer to Drew Butera to give the Twins a 10-9 lead, but the Phillies answered back with a Ross Gload home run in the bottom of the inning off Twins’ closer Jon Rauch to tie it up.   However, the Twins went ahead for good in the 11th off of Danys Baez (2-3), scoring three runs thanks to a Delmon Young RBI single and a two run double from Matt Tolbert.  Rauch (2-1) bounced back from his blown save to pitch a scoreless 11th and earn the victory.

 

Nationals vs. White Sox

The Nationals and White Sox engaged in a pitcher’s duel for the second straight day in Washington.  The pitchers were different, but the result was the same as the Sox defeated the Nats 1-0 on Saturday.

Jake Peavy (6-5) was the story of the day, allowing just three hits and pitching a complete game shutout.  Nationals starter J.D. Martin (0-3) pitched well, allowing just one run over six innings, but that one run was the difference.  Carlos Quentin singled home Omar Vizquel in the fourth for the game’s only run.  The Nats threatened in the ninth off of Peavy, but couldn’t break through.  Nyjer Morgan walked to open the inning and was sacrificed to second.   However, Ryan Zimmerman struck out, and after an intentional walk to Adam Dunn, Peavy got Josh Willingham to pop out to seal the shutout.

 

Braves vs. Royals

The first place Braves hosted the Royals on Saturday night in Atlanta and used a walk-off home run to defeat Kansas City 5-4.

The Braves jumped out to a 3-0 lead off of Royals’ ace Zack Greinke, scoring two in the first and adding one more in the fourth on Brian McCann‘s solo homer.  Braves starter Kris Medlen entered the top of the seventh with a 4-2 lead, but Medlen and reliever Eric O’Flaherty allowed two runs in the inning as the Royals tied up the game at 4 apiece.   The game remained tied until the bottom of the ninth, when Troy Glaus led off the inning with a home run off of Robinson Tejeda (2-3) to win it for the Braves.  Closer Billy Wagner (5-0) pitched a scoreless ninth and picked up the win for Atlanta.

 

Marlins vs. Rays

The Florida teams played a wild game in Miami on Saturday night.  Played to a soundtrack of vuvuzelas (you know, those air horn instruments that have been the “buzz” of the World Cup), the Marlins scored three in the 8th inning to send the game to extra innings.  Florida mounted another furious comeback in the 11th, but couldn’t bring home the tying run and fell to the Rays by a score of 9-8.

The Marlins got solo home runs from Chris Coghlan and Hanley Ramirez  off of Rays’ starter Jeff Niemann, but the Rays scored four runs against Marlins’ starting pitcher Chris Volstad and entered the bottom of the eighth with a 5-2 lead.  However, Ramirez doubled in two runs, and Ramirez scored the tying run after Evan Longoria couldn’t field Cody Ross‘ ground ball cleanly.

In the top of the 11th, the Rays scored four runs thanks to the wildness of reliever Jorge Sosa (1-2).  Sosa allowed an infield single and walked two to load the bases, and then walked B.J. Upton and Reid Brignac with the bases full to force in two runs.  Jason Bartlett added a two run single as the Rays built a 9-5 lead.

The Marlins fought back, as Chris Coghlan singled home two and Gaby Sanchez singled home another to cut the lead to 9-8.  With runners on the corners and no outs, the Rays called on Andy Sonnanstine, who had pitched 4 2/3 innings the night before.   Sonnanstine struck out two and got Dan Uggla to fly out to right to end it and earn his first career save.  James Shields (6-6), who started on Thursday for the Rays, pitched the 10th inning and earned the victory in relief.

Mets vs. Orioles

The Mets kicked off interleague play with a win as they beat the Orioles by a score of 5-1. The Mets got off the to a fast start, scoring a run in the 1st inning on a single by David Wright. Wright had two RBI’s on the night. They added three more runs in the 4th when Chris Carter hit his first Major League homerun. The Orioles got on the board in the bottom of the 7th on a wild pitch by R.A. Dickey allowing Matt Wieters to score.

Dickey, the Knuckleballer, got the win throwing 7 innings, allowing one run on seven hits while striking out a career high 8 batters.  Jeremy Guthrie took the loss, lasting 7 innings and giving up four runs on seven hits.

Nationals vs. Indians

Despite getting on the board early, the Nationals fell to the Indians 7-2. The Nats scored in the 1st inning on a RBI double by Adam Dunn. The Indians responded in the bottom of the 1st with a 3-run homer by Austin Kearns. Kearns hit two home runs in the game. The Indians went on to score a run in the 4th and two more in the 6th. The Nationals scored their second run of the night in the 8th inning when Adam Kennedy scored on an error.

Luis Atilano took the loss for the Nats, throwing only 5 innings and giving up six runs on seven hits. Jake Westbrook got the win, going 7.1 innings and allowing two runs on seven hits. Chris Perez got his 6th save of the season for the Indians.

Phillies vs. Red Sox

The Phillies were crushed by the Red Sox, losing 12-2 in Boston.   The Red Sox scored early and often off Jamie Moyer. Boston put up five runs in the 1st, four in the 2nd, and three in the 3rd. The Phillies remained scoreless until the 4th inning when they got a run on a ground out by Raul Ibanez. The Phillies scored another run in the 7th on an RBI ground out by Carlos Ruiz.

Moyer made an early exit after lasting only one inning and giving up nine runs on nine hits to take the loss. John Lackey got the win for the Red Sox, going 7 innings and giving up two runs on six hits.

Marlins vs. Rays

Down in Florida, the Marlins beat up on the Rays, winning 14-9. Gaby Sanchez, who went 4-5, hit two homeruns and had six RBIs for the Marlins. Chris Coghlan had a good night at the plate for the Marlins as well, going 4-4. The Rays scored in the 4th with a two-run double by B.J. Upton. Down 14-4 going into the 8th inning, the Rays began to fight back scoring four runs in the 8th and one in the 9th, but eventually fell short.

Anibal Sanchez got his 6th win of the season, going 7 innings and allowing four runs on seven hits. James Shields, who only pitched 3.1 innings, took the loss giving up 10 runs on nine hits.

Braves vs. Twins

The Braves ended up on the wrong side of a pitchers duel as they lost to the Twins by a score of 2-1. The Braves scored in the 2nd inning on an RBI ground out by Omar Infante. The Twins remained scoreless until the 7th, when they got two runs on RBI singles by Jason Kubel and Delmon Young.

Tim Hudson took the loss, allowing two runs on seven hits in 8 innings. Francisco Liriano got the win, going 8 innings and giving up one run on five hits. Jon Rauch got his 16th save of the season for the Twins.

Nationals vs. Pirates

 

Stephen Strasburg made his highly anticipated major league debut last night in front of a standing room only crowd in Washington.  It seemed impossible that Strasburg would be able to live up to hype in his first start, but if anything, he exceeded expectations as the Nationals defeated the Pirates 5-2.

 

Strasburg struck out 14 and walked none over 7 dominating innings.  The Nats took a 1-0 lead thanks to a first inning home run by Ryan Zimmerman, and Strasburg was cruising until he surrendered a two run homer to Delwyn Young in the fourth inning.  After Young’s long ball, Strasburg took control.  He faced ten batters and retired all ten, striking out the last seven Pirates to face him.  The Nationals bats put Strasburg in position to win his debut in the sixth, scoring three runs courtesy of back-to-back home runs by Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham off Pirates starter Jeff Karstens.  The Nationals added another run in the eighth, and Matt Capps pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to earn his 19th save.

 

The story of the night was clearly Strasburg.  With a 100 mph fastball, filthy curve ball, and command of the strike zone, it’s going to be fun to watch him pitch every five days.

 

 

Marlins vs. Phillies

 

Another stud prospect made his major league debut on Tuesday in Marlins outfielder Mike Stanton.  Stanton went 3 for 5 with 2 infield singles and 2 runs scored, but the Marlins couldn’t hold onto an early four run lead and fell to the Phillies 10-8 in Philadelphia.

 

Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick and Marlins starter Chris Volstad each gave up two home runs and allowed six runs before departing.  Gaby Sanchez and Hanley Ramirez homered for Florida, while Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino went deep for the Phils.  The Marlins took an 8-7 lead in the top of the eighth thanks to a Wes Helms RBI triple, but the Phillies scored three runs in the bottom of the inning, keyed by Ben Francisco’s two-run single.  Brad Lidge loaded the bases in the top of the ninth, but got Ronny Paulino to pop up to close out the game and earn the save.  Jose Contreras picked up the victory in relief, while Clay Hensley suffered the loss.

 

 

Mets vs. Padres

 

The Padres visited Citi Field to open up a three game series with the Mets, and it was an old fashioned pitchers duel in Flushing.   Thanks to instant replay and a walk-off home run from another NL East rookie sensation, the Mets defeated San Diego 2-1 in 11 innings to earn their ninth straight home victory.

 

Mike Pelfrey continued his dominant pitching for New York.  After Adrian Gonzalez doubled in a run in the top of the first, Pelfrey shut down the Padres, allowing just that one run over nine innings.  San Diego starter Clayton Richard held the Mets scoreless until two outs in the seventh.  Jose Reyes’ long drive to left was initially ruled in play and a double.  After the umpires huddled and went to video review, they correctly awarded Reyes a home run, which tied the game at 1.  The game remained tied until the bottom of the 11th, when rookie first baseman Ike Davis homered to right field off Padres reliever Edward Mujica to give the Mets a walk off victory.  Elmer Dessens earned the victory for the Mets in relief.

 

 

Braves vs. Diamondbacks

 

After falling to the Diamondbacks in Monday’s opener, the Braves evened the series with a 7-5 victory in Arizona.

 

Braves starter Kris Medlen allowed four runs in five innings, including three solo home runs.  Arizona starter Edwin Jackson also allowed four runs over six innings, as neither starter factored in the decision.  Troy Glaus’ RBI double broke a 5-5 tie in the eighth ining, and Billy Wagner pitched a scoreless ninth for his 10th save.  Jonny Venters picked up the victory for the Braves, while Esmerling Vasquez took the loss.  Omar Infante and Melky Cabrera each went 3 for 5 to lead a 14 hit attack for Atlanta.

( 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.

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.