Now that Memorial Day has come and gone, it’s time to take a look at the standings and see how your team is faring.  With a  third of the season in the books, it’s not too early to get excited about a team’s hot start – or too worried about a team’s struggles.  As of June 4, here are the NL East standings:



The NL East is shaping up to be a 3 team race between the Phillies, Marlins, and Braves.  Meanwhile, the Mets and Nationals continue to struggle as most had predicted coming into the season.

What will happen between now and the trade deadline?   Will the Phillies add a bat?  Will the Marlins stay in the race? Will Dan Uggla get off of the interstate?  Will the Mets trade Jose Reyes (or go bankrupt)?  Will the Nationals ask Jayson Werth for their money back?

With only one month until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training, it’s time for the Command Center to give its offseason grades to the teams in the NL East.   It’s been an interesting winter, so here it goes…

Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies made the move of the Hot Stove season by landing Cliff Lee. Many, including the Command Center, were skeptical of reports that a “mystery team” was bidding on Lee.  It looked like a given that Lee would either return to Texas, or follow the trail of dollar bills to the Bronx.  Instead, the Phils went against team policy and inked Lee to a 5 year, $120 million deal.

Philadelphia might have had the best starting rotation in the league before the Lee signing.   Now, with a starting 4 of Halladay, Lee, Hamels, and Oswalt, there is no debate.  But will it be enough?  The Phils lost a key member of their starting lineup with the expected departure of Jayson Werth (more on him below), and they will be hoping that rookie Domonic Brown can help fill the void in RF.  The Phillies bullpen remains a question mark, but if their aces pitch like they are capable of – and stay healthy – that might not matter.

Command Center’s Grade: B+

I went with a weighted average here.  I give them an A for having Lee on board for 2011, but feel the club will later regret the dollars and long term deal.  Of course, if they win it all in 2011, it will all be worth it.

What about the rest of the NL East? Stay tuned!

Braves vs. Phillies

Despite a late rally, the Braves were able to hold on to win 8-7 against the Phillies, and with a San Diego loss, became the 2010 NL Wild Card winner. Philadelphia got things started in the 3rd with a two-run blast off the bat of John Mayberry. In the bottom of the 3rd, Jason Heyward tripled to drive home Rick Ankiel to cut the lead to 2-1. RBI singles by Brooks Conrad and Tim Hudson, followed by a two-run triple by Omar Infante equaled a four-run 4th inning for Atlanta. Derrek Lee homered in the 5th to make it 6-2 Atlanta. Conrad singled home the 7th run of the game for Altanta. The Braves would tag on one more run in the 6th. Jayson Werth hit a two-run shot for the Phillies in the 7th to cut the lead to 8-4, and added three more runs in the 8th.

Tim Hudson got the win for Atlanta, going 7 innings and allowing four runs on two hits while striking out three. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel allowed for three of his starters to get a few innings in today’s game. Cole Hamels began the game though, going 2 innings and giving up no hits while striking out two. Roy Oswalt and Joe Blanton also pitched an inning, giving up one run and four runs respectively. Danys Baez took the loss for Philadelphia. Billy Wagner recorded his 37th save of the season for Atlanta.

Mets vs. Nationals

It took 14 innings, but Washington beat the Mets 2-1 in the final game of the season for both teams. The first runs of the game for either team came in the 5th inning. In the top of the 5th, Roger Bernadina scored on a single by Alberto Gonzalez. In the bottom of the inning, Josh Thole grounded into a double play allowing Angel Pagan to score. It remained tied until the top of the 14th when Oliver Perez entered the game for the Mets. After striking out Ian Desmond, Perez then hit Adam Kennedy and walked the next two batters to load the bases. Perez then walked Justin Maxwell forcing home the winning run for Washington.

Both starters got a no decision in game. Mike Pelfrey went 7 innings and allowed one run on four hits while striking out four. Livan Hernandez went 6.2 innings and gave up one run on six hits while striking out one. Joel Peralta got the win for Washington. Oliver Perez took the loss for New York. Miguel Batista recorded his 2nd save for Washington.

Marlins vs. Pirates

The Marlins beat Pittsburgh 5-2 Sunday and grabbed third place in the NL East. A two-run home run by Dan Uggla in the 1st inning gave Florida a quick 2-0 lead. Pittsburgh cut the lead to 2-1 in the 2nd inning on a solo shot off the bat of Ronny Cedeno. A single by Andrew McCutchen in the 5th tied up the game. In the bottom of the 6th, a potential home run off the bat of Wes Helms turned into a ground-rule double after the umpires reviewed the play. Uggla scored on the play. Florida went on to score two more runs in the 7th inning.

Anibal Sanchez got the win for Florida, going 6 innings and giving up two runs on four hits while striking out seven. Brian Burres took the loss, going 5.2 innings and allowing three runs on five hits while striking out four. Clay Hensley recorded his 7th save for Florida.

Braves vs. Phillies

The Phillies won in a score of 1-0 in a pitchers duel.  The only score came in the 8th when Raul Ibanez doubled scoring Jayson Werth.

Tommy Hanson pitched 6 innings giving up 2 hits, no runs, and 4 strikeouts.  Roy Oswalt pitched 7 innings giving up 1 hit, no runs, and 8 strikeouts.  The win went to Ryan Madson who pitched a perfect 8th.  Brad Lidge also earned his 26th save of the season.

Nationals vs. Astros

The Nationals beat the Astros in a score of 3-4. The Nationals scored in the 3rd when Ian Desmond singled home Danny Espinosa.  In the 4th Jason Michaels singled scoring Chris Johnson.  In the bottom of the inning Michael Morse hit a solo shot for the Nats.  In the 7th Angel Sanchez singled scoring Jason Michaels and Anderson Hernandez.  In the bottom of the inning Danny Espinosa homered scoring Justin Maxwell.

Wandy Rodriguez pitched 6.1 innings giving up 6 hits, 3 runs, and 6 strikeouts.  Jason Marquis pitched 6 innings giving up 7 hits, 2 runs, and 2 strikeouts.  The win went to Tyler Clippard who pitched 1 inning giving up 1 hit, no runs, and 2 strikeouts.  Sean Burnett got his 3rd  save after pitching to just 2 batters and giving up 1 hit.

Mets vs. Marlins

The Marlins beat the Mets in a score of 7-5. The Marlins scored 5 runs in the 1st when Dan Uggla singled scoring Cameron Maybin, Mike Stanton walked with the bases loaded scoring Logan Morrison, Wes Helms doubled scoring Dan Uggla and Gaby Sanchez, and Brad Davis grounded out scoring Mike Stanton.  The Mets scored in the 3rd when Jose Reyes singled home Ruben Tejada and in the 4th when Carlos Beltran hit a solo shot and Lucas Duda hit a sac fly to score David Wright.  In the 5th Wes Helms hit a sac fly to score Logan Morrison.  In the 8th Josh Thole walked with the bases loaded scoring Carlos Beltran and Chris Carter grounded out scoring Ike Davis.  In the 8th Dan Uggla singled scoring Osvaldo Martínez.

Alex Sanabia got the win and pitched 5 innings giving up 6 hits, 3 runs, and 2 strikeouts.  Jon Niese got the loss and pitched 5.2 innings giving up 5 hits, 6 runs, and 7 strikeouts.  Clay Hensley earned his 5th save of the season pitching the 9th and giving up 1 hit.

Braves vs. Mets

If the Mets are trying to be spoilers, they aren’t doing a very good job of it, as Atlanta beat New York for the second straight game 4-2. With the loss, the Mets have been eliminated from contention in the NL East. Nate McLouth got things started for Atlanta in the 2nd inning with a double to score Derrek Lee. The Mets tied it up in the bottom of the 3rd, however, on a solo shot off the bat of Jose Reyes. Atlanta struck again in the top of the 4th, scoring two more runs on an Alex Gonzalez double to center field. The second run for the Mets came in the 5th. After fouling a ball off his right foot, Luis Hernandez drove the next pitch into the right field seats, hitting his second home run as a Met, and cutting the Atlanta lead to 3-2. Hernandez would come out of the game with a broken bone in his foot.  It remained 3-2 until the top of the 9th when Atlanta tagged on an insurance run with a solo shot to right field by McLouth.

Tim Hudson got the win, going 7 innings and giving up two runs on six hits while striking out seven. Dillon Gee took the loss, going 7 innings and allowing three runs on six hits while striking out three. Billy Wagner recorded his 35th save for Atlanta.

Nationals vs. Phillies

The Phillies beat the Nationals 5-2, keeping their three-game lead in the NL East. Washington got on the board with a run in 1st inning when Ian Desmond tripled to score Danny Espinosa. Philadelphia put up two runs in the 2nd on a homer run by Jayson Werth and an RBI double by Wilson Valdez. The Phillies followed with three more runs in the 3rd on a two-run homer by Ryan Howard and a solo shot off the bat of Raul Ibanez. The only other run for Washington came in the 6th when Michael Morse singled to score Ryan Zimmerman.

Kyle Kendrick got the win for the Phillies, going 6 innings and giving up two runs on six hits while striking out three. Jordan Zimmermann took the loss for Washington, going only 3 innings and allowing five runs on nine hits while striking out three. Brad Lidge recorded his 23rd save for Philadelphia.

Marlins vs. Cubs

The Marlins lost to the Cubs 5-3 and are now only one game from being mathematically eliminated from contention in the NL East, and four games away from being eliminated from postseason play altogether. Florida took an early 1-0 lead in the 1st inning with an RBI single by Mike Stanton.  It remained 1-0 until the 5th when Chicago put up four runs in the inning. Three of those runs scored as a result of walks. An RBI double by Brad Davis and an RBI single by Logan Morrison helped Florida cut the lead to 4-3. Chicago added on another run though in the 8th on a double by Blake DeWitt, making it 5-3.

Anibal Sanchez took the loss for Florida, going 5 innings and giving up four runs on five hits while striking out six. Casey Coleman got the win for Chicago, going 6 innings and allowing three runs on five hits while striking out five. Carlos Marmol recorded his 33rd save for Chicago.

Phillies vs. Nationals

The first place Phillies exploded for six first inning runs, and Roy Oswalt tossed six solid innings as the Phils defeated the Nationals 9-1 in Philly.

After a Ryan Zimmerman RBI single put Washington ahead in the top of the first, the Phillies went to work against Nationals starter Jason Marquis.  Marquis (2-9) retired the first batter of the inning, but then allowed the next eight batters to reach base before being knocked out of the game.  Jayson Werth tied the game with an RBI infield single, and Raul Ibanez followed with a two run single.  Oswalt contributed to the offensive outburst with an RBI single of his own as the Phils jumped out to a 6-1 lead. 

Oswalt (13-13) allowed just one run and six hits over his six innings, striking out seven along the way.   Werth and Carlos Ruiz homered off of the Nationals bullpen to cap the scoring for the Phils.  Zimmerman finished with a 4 for 4 night at the plate in a losing cause for the Nats.

Braves vs. Mets

The Braves overcame an early three run deficit and the ejection of their manager, defeating the Mets by a score of 6-4 at Citi Field to keep pace with the Phillies in the NL East.

In the bottom of the second inning, Bobby Cox was ejected for the 158th time (a major league record) for arguing balls and strikes.  The Mets went on to score three runs in the inning against Atlanta starter Tommy Hanson, thanks to RBI singles from Lucas Duda, pitcher Jonathon Niese, and Jose Reyes.  The Braves bounced back in the fourth inning, captilizing on a David Wright throwing error to score six unearned runs off of Niese (9-9).   Melky Cabrera hit an RBI single to start the scoring, and Omar Infante delivered a two run double to tie the game.  Jason Heyward then delivered the big blow, launching a three run homer to right field to give the Braves a 6-3 lead.

Duda hit his first major league home run off of Hanson in the bottom of the fourth inning, but that would be the last run of the night for either team.  Hanson (10-11) went six innings to earn the victory, and Billy Wagner pitched a perfect ninth to earn his 34th save.

Marlins vs. Cubs

The Marlins and Cubs each received solid pitching on Friday night in Florida.  Chicago was the only team to score in the pitchers’ duel, defeating the Marlins by a score of 2-0.

Ryan Dempster (14-10) pitched seven shutout innings against his former team, allowing just four hits while striking out five.  Florida starter Alex Sanabia (4-3) pitched well, but couldn’t keep the Cubs off of the scoreboard.  Alfonso Soriano hit an RBI double in the second inning, and Geovany Soto doubled home a run in the sixth inning to deliver the only two runs of the evening.  

The Marlins had a chance in the ninth as Cubs closer Carlos Marmol walked the first two batters of the inning.  However, Marmol rebounded to retire the next three batters and earn save number 32.

Mets vs. Cubs

New York dropped their second straight game to the Cubs, losing Saturday 5-3. Chicago scored a run in the 2nd and 3rd innings to take a 2-0 lead. Luis Castillo made things interesting for the Mets in the top of the 4th, when he stole home after Lucas Duda struck out swinging, to cut the lead to 2-1. The Cubs responded in the following inning with two runs. Marlon Byrd doubled to drive home Starlin Castro, and Mets starter Jenrry Mejia threw a wild pitch to allow Byrd to score. Trailing 4-1 in the top of the 7th, Ike Davis hit a solo shot to right field to make it 4-2. This was the first home run for Davis since July 29. Just as soon as the Mets gained a run, however, they gave it right back. In the bottom of the 7th, Aramis Ramirez hit a home run to center field. The Mets tagged on their final run in the bottom of the 8th when Carlos Beltran doubled to bring home Castillo.

Carlos Zambrano got the win, going 7 innings and giving up two runs on four hits while striking out eight. Mejia took the loss in his big league debut as a starter. He went 5 innings and gave up four runs on eight hits while striking out two. Carlos Marmol recorded his 27th save for the Cubs.

Phillies vs. Brewers

The Phillies beat the Brewers 5-4 in Philadelphia. Home runs by Prince Fielder and Alcides Escobar in the 2nd inning made it 2-0 Milwaukee. Philadelphia responded with two home runs of their own in the bottom of the inning off the bats of Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth. Corey Hart would put the Brewers back on top in the 3rd with a solo shot of his own to right field. The Phillies would tie it up in the bottom of the inning when Jimmy Rollins scored on a single by Chase Utley. The game would remain tied until the 7th when Hart hit his second home run of the game, another solo shot, this time to left field. Just as they had in the other two innings in which the Brewers scored, Philadelphia came back once again in the bottom of the inning two score two runs. With the bases loaded, Placido Polanco hit a sacrifice fly to left field, allowing Carlos Ruiz to tag up and score. Milwaukee’s left fielder Ryan Braun made a throwing error on the play, which allowed Wilson Valdez to score the go-ahead run.

Roy Halladay got the win, going 7 innings and giving up four runs on seven hits while striking out six. Milwaukee starter Dave Bush went 6 innings in his no decision. He allowed three runs on six hits while striking out five. Kameron Loe took the loss for Milwaukee. Brad Lidge got his 20th save for Philadelphia.

Nationals vs. Pirates

The Nationals beat up on the Pirates, winning 9-2. The game was scoreless until Washington put up a five-run 4th inning. Ivan Rodriguez drove in two runs with a single to center field. Danny Espinosa followed with an RBI single to drive home Roger Bernadina. Rodriguez would later score on a sacrifice fly by Justin Maxwell. Nyjer Morgan capped off the inning with a single to score Espinosa. Washington put up two more runs in the 5th inning thanks to a two-run shot by Rodriguez to make it 7-0. Pittsburgh finally got on the board in the bottom of the 5th with a home run off the bat of Andrew McCutchen. In the top of the 6th, Ian Desmond would double to drive in another run for Washington to make it 8-1. The final run of the night for Washington came in the top of the 8th on an RBI single by Michael Morse. Pittsburgh’s only other run of the game came in the bottom of the 8th on a double by Ronny Cedeno to score Pedro Alvarez.

John Lannan got the win for Washington, going 7 innings and giving up one run on five hits while striking out seven. Paul Maholm took the loss for Pittsburgh, going 4.1 innings and allowing seven runs on nine hits while striking out four.

Braves vs. Marlins

The Braves beat the Marlins 2-0 to hang on to their lead in the NL East. Atlanta’s Alex Gonzalez drove in the Braves’ two runs. The first run came in the 2nd inning on a double to center field to score Melky Cabrera. The second run came in the 6th on a single to center again allowing Brian McCann to score. Atlanta starter Jair Jurrjens held the Marlins to just four hits in the game.

Jurrjens and Florida starter Josh Johnson were in a pitchers duel for much of the night. Jurrjens got the win, however, going 7 innings and giving up just three hits while striking out seven. Johnson took the loss, going 6 innings and giving up two runs on eight hits while matching a career-high 12 strikeouts.  Billy Wagner recorded his 32nd save of the year for Atlanta.

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.

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.