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.

Time passes quickly most days down here under ground.

Has it really been 3 weeks since I cared enough about baseball to spill some electronic ink on Matt Holliday’s drop to cost the Cards game 2 of the NLDS? Were the Cardinals even IN the NLDS? Who did they play? Man, it’s tough when your team sucked as much as the Mets did this year.

I guess all that matters today is Phillies/Yankees in the 2009 World Series. As a Met fan, it’s no secret that this is a killer choice. I mean, of course I’ll watch the games, but since it’s impossible for me to passively watch any game in any sport “just for fun” without finding some (often ridiculous) reason to root for one over the other….I’ll have to eventually pick a side in this one. Trouble is, picking between the Phillies (ACK!) and the Yankees (D’OH!) for me is almost like deciding whether to wait for a week in the lifeboat and die of dehydration or to just jump in the water now and be immediately eaten by sharks.

Do I do the “New York” thing and root for the Yankees to win it all? That’s a tough sell for me, because I don’t view my allegiance to the Mets as having much if anything to do with me being physically located in New York. I became a Met fan because the seats were always cheap and plentiful in the ’70′s when I was a kid (and the Mets were losers) and my Uncle Danny (who worked at Shea) would sometimes get us in for free. I stayed a Met fan because of the early ’80′s promise of Hubie and Mookie and Ed Lynch and Keith Hernandez…who would turn us into winners…if I stayed loyal and wished for it hard enough. Which of course happened in 1986. I’ve remained a Met fan deep into my adulthood waiting for it all to happen again. Patiently most of the time, but recently with an urgency that has eaten me up.

Geography? Not so much.

Do I root for the Phillies because they’re from the NL East? Sounds like more geography to me. Not buying it.

To me, it comes down to this:

Had someone told me in the beginning of the season that while the Mets would be out of it (shocker), I’d have the choice of seeing either the Yankees or the Phillies lose the World Series and get embarrassed on a national stage, I wouldn’t hesitate to choose the Yankees. Again and again and again.

Because sometimes being a fan is all about flat out hating the other guy, and there’s no team I flat out hate more than the New York Yankees. Don’t get me wrong, I also hate the Phillies. But there are different levels of hate, and the Phillies just don’t spur me to the same level of disgust as the Yankees do. Maybe it’s because the Mets and Phils have both had their fair share of heartache these past 30 or so years and the Yankees seem to be perpetually awesome. Maybe it’s because I grew up with and continue to co-exist with oceans and oceans of Yankee fans who never let me forget that, you know, the Yanks are sort of good and have been for like a thousand years. In your face. Around the clock. Sort of wears on a guy, you know?

Phillie fans? Not so much. They’re way out in Philadelphia, which I’m pretty sure is in New Jersey. Sure, a pretty sizable group shows up now and again at CitiField when they make the trek up to antagonize me at a Met game. But other than that?

I can go whole weeks at a time without being made to eat shit by a Phillie fan, but I can’t walk 10 feet in New York City without being made to feel like I’m a leper for wearing a Met hat by some slack-jawed Yankee fan in a Giambi jersey.

Irrational? Sure, but that’s not unusual, is it?

I mean, it’s baseball, not molecular biology.

So Penny needs the NL

Brad Penny made his first start since coming back to the National League and it looks like he found his problem, the American League.  Penny(1-0) pitched great while going eight innings and getting five hits and only walking one while striking out two to hold the heavy hitting Phillies scoreless.  He got some offense behind him as well, but not until the fifth inning when Andres Torres had an RBI single.  This was followed by two home runs in the sixth inning, a two run shot by Juan Uribe followed immediately by a solo shot by former Philly Aaron Rowand to seal the 4-0 win.

J.A. Happ looked human on this night, taking an unusual loss in the game.  Happ(10-4) lasted six innings and allowed eight hits and four runs while striking out seven, but all four runs came in his final two innings of work.  Unfortunately the offense was silent behind him and he could not pitch a shutout as Cole Hamels did.  Rollins was the only Philly with more than one hit and only four Phillies in total got base hits in this game, Phillies Phandom has more on how they will try to rebound in the series finale tonight.

Helms gets the Marlins winning again

Last night the Marlins had a lead going into the ninth and typically with Leo Nunez on the mound, this is a done deal this year, but not in the current streak they were in.  Leo Nunez(4-4) blew the save as he gave up a solo shot to Yunel Escobar to tie the game at seven and Marlins fans must have been wondering what was happening.  Luckily in the bottom of the ninth, Wes Helms hit a game winning home run and sent all the fans home happy with an 8-7 win.    Dan Uggla is hot lately, as he had two more hits with two RBI on a home run and Jorge Cantu also had two hits and an RBI in the game as well.  The Marlins will look to start a winning streak after this and keep their very slim playoff shot alive, check out FishGuts for more.

Javier Vazquez had one of his worst games of the year on Wednesday night, going barely into the fifth and giving up five runs and seven hits, but getting a no decision.  The Braves actually fought back with the big blows being a bases clearing double in the seventh by Chipper Jones and the already mentioned Escobar shot to tie it in the top of the ninth.  Unfortunately the relief pitching was shaky and Mike Gonzalez(3-4) only got one out before giving up the home run to Helms and taking a tough loss.  The Braves Baseball Blog is the place to go for Braves news.

David dreams of an offseason

With a tie game in the eighth inning last night, the Colorado Rockies sent former Yankee Jason Giambi to the plate as a pinch hitter with the bases loaded.  He delivered, he had a two RBI single which proved to be the winning runs in the game, even after Yorvit Torrealba singled home Ian Stewart with an insurance run, while winning by a score of 5-2.  Ubaldo Jimenez(13-10) pitched a solid game going eight innings and allowing just two runs on five hits and a walk, while Franklin Morales got his 1st save of the year in for the injured Houston Street.

The New York Mets got another well pitched game from Tim Redding in this one.  Redding went 6.2 innings allowing only seven hits and two runs while throwing 114 pitches but left with a no decision.  Brian Stokes(1-4) continues to struggle as came in and was charged with three hits and three runs and THREE walks in just one third of an inning of work.  The Mets runs were supplied by a sac fly by Daniel Murphy scoring Angel Pagan and Jeff Francouer’s 12th homer of the year, a solo shot.  The Real Dirty Mets Blog covers all the Mets struggles.

The Pads sweep

The Padres continued to impress with their young, mainly unknown team yesterday as they beat down the Nationals in a 7-0 victory to get the series sweep.  The Padres had no runs until the fifth when they put up a five spot started by Adrian Gonzalez’ two RBI double and was added to by another two RBI double by Chase Headley and finally a Will Venable rbi single to capp that scoring.  Kevin Correia(10-10) went 7.2 innings and allowed only three hits and two walks and Edward Mujica worked the final 1.1 innings allowing only one additional hit as the Padres cruised in this one.

Even John Lannan can’t do it right now for the suddenly very cold Nats.  Lannan(8-10) went five innings allowing six hits and five runs and walking three in one of his worst starts of the year and second straight.  Nats hitting was atrocious as Ryan Zimmerman was the only player with two hits and only three total players had a hit in this one, and obviously nobody had an RBI or a run scored.  Centerfield Gate covers more on whats going on with the Nats.

Hamels with a classic gem

Cole Hamels pitched his second straight great game, the only difference was this time, he didn’t let the bullpen ruin it for him.  Hamels(8-8) went the distance in a 1-0 win versus the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night while only allowing three baserunners on two hits and one walk and using 118 pitches.  The Phillies have been waiting and hoping for Hamels to find his good stuff, and if he has now, it could not have come at a better time with the playoffs around the corner.  Ryan Howard was the only Philly player with two hits as he went 2-4 and contributed the only RBI on a double in the fourth inning, scoring Shane Victorino for the only run of the game.  Check out Phillies Phandom for more on Cole and this game.

The San Francisco Giants did what they did best, but also did exactly what they do worst.  Jonathan Sanchez(6-11) was a tough luck loser going six innings and allowing only three hits and three walks while striking out eight and only allowing Howard’s RBI double.  The Giants bats though only managed three baserunners with Ryan Garko and pinch hitter Rich Aurilia with a single in the ninth before pinch runner Andres Torres was thrown out trying to steal second.  The loss put the Giants down one game in the wildcard to the Rockies who won last night.

He's back!

Tim Hudson came back last night to the Braves after missing over a year with Tommy John surgery and I don’t think any Braves fans are complaining with his performance.  Hudson(1-0) worked into the sixth, getting one out in the inning and allowed six hits and three walks while allowing two runs and striking out five and only using 82 pitches.  The Braves bats got on the board early as Chipper Jones scored Matt Diaz on a double play ground out in the first.  In the third, when the Braves were now down 2-1, Tim Hudson himself scored on a balk after he walked earlier in the inning and Brian McCann later doubled in Martin Prado to give the Braves the lead for good.  The final insurance run that was necessary was scored by Chipper Jones on a Garrett Anderson RBI infield single in the eighth.  The Braves bullpen was solid until the ninth when Rafael Soriano got his 21st save but not without allowing a solo homer to Dan Uggla to pull the Marlins within one and allowing the tying run on base but held on for the 4-3 win.  The Braves Baseball Blog will have more on the Braves win and Hudson’s return.

The Marlins are basically in free fall at this point and they have now lost two in a row to the Braves after a tough weekend against the Padres.  Last night Chris Coghlan continued his hot hitting, going 3-4 with a run scored and Jorge Cantu also contributed three hits and a couple RBI.  Anibal Sanchez(2-6) didn’t pitch terribly, but still took the loss in going five innings allowing five hits and three runs along with two walks and four k’s and a balk to score a run.  FishGuts discusses the Marlins latest struggles.

Rockies break their slide

The Rockies came into this series at home against the Mets having lost their wild card lead and were tied with the Giants for that spot.  Luckily for them, the Mets are the Mets.   Jorge De La Rosa(13-9) survived a tough first inning in which he gave up two runs and threw 28 pitches and rebounded to go six innings allowing only four hits, two runs (1 earned) and three walks while striking out six.  The Rockies offense feasted on bad Met pitching as they scored their first on a bases loaded walk and then had a two run homer by Carlos Gonzalez in the second, a three run homer in the fourth by Todd Helton.  Another interesting note is that Jason Giambi, the former Yankee walked in the seventh as a pinch hitter with the bases loaded to get an RBI in his first at bat for the Rockies who now have a one game lead in the wildcard race.

The New York Mets really wish it was October 4th right now, its just terrible.  Mike Pelfrey(9-10) fell below .500 on the year as he only lasted four innings and allowed six hits, seven runs (only six earned), walked five and gave up two huge home runs and his ERA is now above 5 for the season.  Jeff Francouer did get the Mets on the board with a sac fly in the first inning and Fernando Tatis added an RBI single later in the inning.  The Mets got nothing else until the seventh against the Rockies relief pitching when Angel Pagan hit a triple scoring Corey Sullivan.  The Real Dirty Mets Blog will cover this Mets loss and all the Mets losses for you.

Bell with another save

The San Diego Padres are actually a “hot” team right now, just at the wrong time of the year.  The Padres got single runs in the second, fifth, seventh and eighth on their way to a 4-1 victory against the Nationals.  Will Venable had an RBI single to start the game, Kouzmanoff added a sac fly, Oscar Salazar had a solo home run and finally Drew Macias had the final nail with a single in the eigth scoring a run.  Clayton Richard(4-1) went 6.2 innings and allowedonly a single run and four hits and walking two to get the victory for the Nats and Heath Bell worked a perfect ninth with two k’s for his 33rd save of the season.

The Nationals bats have absolutely gone silent, which is a far cry from a few weeks ago.  The Nats only got four hits as a team last night, luckily one of them a home run.  Josh Bard hit his fourth homer of the year in the seventh inning chasing Clayton Richard and making the only blemish for Pads pitching.  J.D. Martin(3-4) pitched a good game going six innings with five hits, three runs but only two earned and three walks while striking out five and allowing a home run in the game.  Centerfield Gate covers more of the Nats struggles lately.