TPI took last weekend off and you have my sincerest apologies. On a rather humorous note, the Red Sox have tried to trade the Lance Armstrong of the Baseball World (Mike Lowell) to the Texas Rangers and would look to replace him with….drumroll….Adrian Beltre. I am not a general manager, though I do manage several fantasy baseball teams, but do you think it would be wise to bring in a guy who underperforms and is overpaid, into a fishbowl like Boston???? Do you really think Boston’s fans will have the patience for .250, 20 HR, and decent range/arm???? Not a wise move IMHO (In My Humble Opinion). Yes, I speak in acronyms sometimes.

The NL East has been busy this off season. First let me address the Granderson trade. Love this move. Absolutely love it. But not for the Yankees. I love it for the Diamondbacks. Dont get me wrong, Granderson will make a fine addition to the already potent/imposing Yankee lineup. But you have to love what the Diamondbacks did. They imported Edwin Jackson, and Ian Kennedy. They have now added two starters to their rotation. Scherzer was good, and Schlereth might end up being a good reliever, but any time you can get a #2 guy to be your #3, it is a good move. Kennedy is definetly a #4 guy and he will thrive in that roll. Great move all around for everyone involved although I think the Tigers got the worst of the deal, which is not a knock on them. It was a fair and balanced trade all around.

Pudge Rodriguez. 2 years from the Nationals. I like what they are doing here. Sure, it is not 2001, but you have to like the fact that the Nationals are trying.   Getting Bruney from the Yankees is a good move.  Strengthens the bullpen.  If they could get another starting pitcher, they might be decent to watch.

Welcome Back, Enrico Palazzo!

Placido “Enrico Palazzo” Polanco has rejoined the Phightin Phils. I like Polanco as a player. I have a soft spot for guys who take pitches, work the count, and make contact. Very valuable. Like a Shane Battier of Major League Baseball. Does the fundamental things right, but isnt a superstar. My question is, where does he hit in that lineup? Are the Phils going to move him down in the order, which kind of negates his value.  Are they looking to move Victorino down?  That is the only downside of this move.  Polanco would not be a good #6 or #7 hitter.  Mark DeRosa/Adam Kennedy I think would have been a better fit. 

Apparently, not thankful enough to be playing professional baseball!

The Mets and Phillies each got a new backup catcher.  The Phillies picked up Brian Schneider while the Mets got Chris Coste.  Calling this move minor would still overplay its signifigance, but what makes it interesting is Chris Coste’s statements about his remaining “a lifelong Phillie”.   Further, Mr. Coste found it “difficult” to sign with the Mets.   Frankly, I am glad players have a little more invested in their employers than simply their loyalty to the all mighty dollar.  However, Mr. Coste, the Phillies just cut you.  They deemed you worthless, so worthless in fact, that they signed Brian Schneider to replace you.  Mr. Schneider  hit .218 last year.  .218!!!!  I think it would be wise for Mr. Coste to close his mouth, cash his paycheck, and thank the heavens above that someone wants to pay him to play baseball.

Moving on, the Braves signed Billy Wagner and Takashi Saito and traded away Rafael Soriano, who had accepted arbitration.  Really, the Braves moved laterally here, unless you count what was received from the Tampa Bay Rays, right handed reliever Jesse Chavez, as an improvement.  It seems a right of passage for baseball teams to turnover their bullpens.  Usually, guys who one team didnt like move to a team that likes them slightly more.  Is Billy Wagner better than Rafael Soriano?  Not really.  Maybe cheaper, but otherwise, pretty much the same pitcher with similar injury concerns.  Saito is interesting but I think he has fallen from his spot as a stable bullpen presence. 

The Marlins yardsale continues as they have traded away Matt Lindstrom and Jeremy Hermida this offseason.  From Boston, the Marlins received, what else, young talent, in two left handed pitching prospects.  I dont even know what the Marlins got from Houston for Lindstrom.  Let’s just say, for arguments sake, it was a bag of magic beans. 

I cannot comment on rumors because they are just that, rumors.  I am sure there were other moves I missed, such as the Mets setting the world on fire by signing Henry Blanco who should not be confused with Gregor Blanco, because they are not related. 

Wait a second, you are not Cliff Lee....

Oh yeah, another thing, the Phillies just traded for Roy Halladay and three prospects.  If you read NLEastChatter, you knew I said that the Phillies needed pitching.  Well, they got it.  Just not in the way I imagined.  It is a shrewd business move, trading one star for another, especially since it looked unlikely that the Phillies could retain Cliff Lee past 2010.  However, do the Phillies actually get better?  They trade away 2 prospects in Kyle Drabek and Michael Taylor and get three players back.  So essentially, for Roy Halladay, several months of Cliff Lee, and three prospects the Phillies traded 5 prospects, which really isnt a bad deal.  However, at the end of the day, entering next season, the Phillies still have one true ace, a solid number two/maybe ace/maybe bust and J.A. Happ.  This is exactly what they had when the season ended.  While Halladay is a great, great pitcher, the rest of the National League East cannot be any more afraid of the Phillies than when they had Cliff Lee. 

The rest of the offseason will be filled with what the hell the Mets will do.  The Mets, surrounded by Boston, the Yankees, and the Phillies, have watched all three teams pull off great moves and great signings.  They will be pressed into action.  The Nationals are essentially waiting for the dust to settle to see who will accept signing with the Nationals as opposed to playing in Japan, the Braves are quietly trying to put together a team in a city that cares slightly more about the Braves than the Hawks, but well below the Falcons and college football.  Lastly the Marlins appear to be determining who will show up for Spring Training to decide who they should sign.  With that said, feel free to show up to Marlins spring training.  If you manage to look official you might just join the 40 man roster.

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.

Pelf comes up big

In a series in which the Mets best hope is to begin playing spoiler, they sent the up and down Mike Pelfrey to the mound against the struggling Cole Hamels.  Pelfrey(9-8) got the best of the Phillies for the third time this season in this one, going six innings and allowing just two runs and six hits and striking out five on route to a 4-2 victory.  He was helped by the Mets getting two runs each in the second and third inning, including Pagan having an RBI single and Jeff Francouer with a solo home run, continuing his hot play with the Mets.  The Mets bullpen did not allow another run, though they did give up four more hits, including Franky Rodriguez allowing two hits before striking out Ryan Howard to end the game, it was his 27th save.  The Real Dirty Mets Blog is the place to go for more Mets information

Cole Hamels had another tough game as his disappointing season continues after an outstanding 2008.  After a rain delay of over an hour, Hamels could not find his best stuff in this one.  Hamels(7-8) only lasted five innings but allowed all four Mets runs and ten hits in the loss.  The only run support he got as well was a Ryan Howard RBI single in the first and a Pedro Feliz RBI single in the sixth, but they squandered other opportunities.  The four game set should continue Saturday night, weather permitting, check out Phillies Phandom for more Phillies insight.

the Marlins welcome Sanchez back

The Florida Marlnis had just allowed the Braves to come back and tie them for second in the NL East and for third in the Wild Card this week.  They rebounded last night by sending newly back Anibal Sanchez to the mound while visiting the Braves in Atlanta.  Sanchez(2-4) pitched into the seventh inning allowing only two hits and one run while striking out seven Braves as the Marlins won 5-3.  Lucky for him, Hanley Ramirez recorded an RBI single in the top of the sixth to allow him to be the winning pitcher and then they added in the seventh.  In the seventh Jeremy Hermida hit a solo shot, Ramirez added a two run blow and sandwiched between was a Ross Gload RBI single.  Sanchez and Dan Meyer combined to give up three runs in the seventh inning, but that was all the Braves would get.  Leo Nunez worked the ninth giving up just one hit to get his 14th save of the year as Cody Ross threw out Adam LaRoche trying to stretch a single to a double to end the game.  FishGuts has more on this game.

Javier Vazquez(10-9) lost again to a division rival, this time going 6.2 innings.  He was charged with ten hits and all five runs, including two home runs and eight strikeouts this time.  Adam LaRoche produced all the Braves runs as he continued his hot play since returning to the Braves with a three run home run in the seventh scoring Ryan Church and Chipper Jones. The Braves Baseball Blog is your one stop shop for Braves info.

Fielder with another blast

The Milwaukee Brewers are trying to get their team straight and were able to get on their way last night with a 7-3 win in Washignton.  Prince Fielder hit a two run shot and Casey McGehee had solo shots on the way to the victory for the Brew Crew.  Former Met Braden Looper(11-6) got the win as he pitched six innings allowing only two runs on four hits, with one blemish being a shot to Adam Dunn.

J.D. Martin was pitching a pretty solid game until the seventh inning came around.  In the seventh, Martin gave up an RBI single which made the game 4-2 and with the lack of Nats offense at that point, he was headed for a loss.  Martin(2-3) had a final line of 6.2 innings pitched with four runs on eight hits in the game.  Ryan Zimmerman had an RBI groundout and a solo shot in the ninth and Adam Dunn also had a solo home run the game.  It was the Nats fourth loss in a row, check out CenterfieldGate for more on them.

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.

You were expecting Pedro?

Last night in Philadelphia, it was Pedro’s home debut, unfortunately Mother Nature didn’t cooperate.  Pedro Martinez got through three innings before a rain delay of just over an hour and he didn’t come back and couldn’t try to get a win, as he left losing.  Jamie Moyer(11-9) came in and pitched the final six innings of two hit ball while striking out five and allowed the Phils to come back and win the game 5-1.  Jayson Werth had a homer and an RBI double and Carlos Ruiz also added two RBI’s as the Phils were able to stay 4.5 up on the Marlins.  Phillies Phandom will have more on the Phils from this game.

Jon Garland did come back after the rain delay, and wasn’t the same as before the delay.  After coming back from the delay, Garland(6-11) gave up five runs in his final 3.1 innings pitched and took the loss.  The only offense the D’backs mustered was a solo home run leading off the game by Stephen Drew.

Nolasco with another gem

Ricky Nolasco saved the bullpen for the Marlins last night in Houston, pitching a gem of a complete game.  Nolasco(9-8) went the distance giving up three hits and two runs and striking out twn, his only mistake was a two run home run in the first.  The Marlins offense once again had his back as they got back even in the fourth and took the lead for good in the sixth inning winning 6-2.  Dan Uggla, Jorge Cantu and Jeremy Hermida all added solo home runs for the Marlins who keep on chugging along and keeping the heat on the Colorado Rockies and the Phillies to keep winning.  FishGuts will have more information on the win and the Marlins current success.

The Astros got all the runs they could in the first inning on a two run home run by Carlos Lee which scored newly back from the Disabled List, Lance Berkman.  Nolasco shut them down after that, including only one additional hit as they couldn’t do anything from either side of the ball.  Bud Norris(3-1) went 5.2 innings and allowed five runs and a walk and two home runs as he took the loss.

Is he ever happy?

Last night, no one could have seen what would happen, with the suddenly heavy hitting Braves, facing the hobbled New York Mets.  Oliver Perez started how all Mets fans figured, as he allowed two home runs in the first three innings and the Mets were down 4-0.  Then the impossible happened, the Mets got ten base hits and eight runs, yes EIGHT in the bottom of the fourth inning and never looked back.  Oliver Perez(3-3) was able to get through five innings and only gave up those four runs and walked only one, but left with a sore knee.  The Mets bullpen went the final four innings allowing only five more baserunners as the Mets took the opener to the series.  The Real Dirty Mets Blog is your one stop shop for mets information.

Derek Lowe was the typical Derek Lowe for the first three innings of this game as he was shutting down the Mets and getting ground ball double plays when needed.  It all came unraveled in the fourth, and oddly enough, after he was hit on the hand with a ground ball, although he appeared to pitch fine afterwards.  Lowe’s(12-8) final line read 3.2 innings pitched, 11 hits and eight runs with no strike outs of ground balls.  The Braves offense was only able to produce a three run home run by Matt Diaz in the second and a solo shot from Adam LaRoche in the third inning.  The Braves Baseball Blog covers this loss and more.

CGon is on fire

The Rockies were barely able to sneak by the pesky Nationals last night visiting the Nations capital.  Going into the eighth inning, they were in a tie game before Carlos Gonzalez stepped to the plate.  Gonzalez hit a home run which broke the tie and lead to the eventual 4-3 win.  Clint Barmes followed with a solo home run in the ninth inning that proved to be the winning run and as mentioned earlier, helped the Rockies keep their lead on the wildcard.  Brad Hawpe added two RBI of his own on an RBI groundout and a solo shot early in the game.  Ubaldo Jimenez(11-9) was able to go eight innings and allowed just seven hits and two runs in earning the win and Huston Street worked a troubled ninth allowing three hits and a run, but did earn his 30th save of the season.

The Nationals bullpen couldn’t pick up the offense in this one, as late in the game, they faltered.  Sean Burnett(2-3) took the loss while recording one out but allowing the home run to Gonzalez and Tyler Clippard came in and finished the game with 1.2 innings but he also allowed a solo shot, putting the game out of reach.  Starter Craig Stammen, who received a no decision helped his own cause in the second with an RBI double and Nyjer Morgan and Christian Guzman added RBI singles as well.  CenterfieldGate covers the Nationals for you, check them out.

Hamels comes up short again

Cole Hamels and the Phillies weer looking to take the second game of the series against the Marlins and hoping last season’s post season hero would get back in form.  Through five innings it looked good for Hamels, who had a 3-2 lead and was pitching well, but then he gave up a two run bomb to Cody Ross to be down 4-3.  Jeremy Hermida and Chris Coghlan added RBI singles later in addition to Coghlan’s home run in the first and the Marlins went on to win 6-4.  Brian Sanches(2-1) worked the fifth inning and was credited for the win as the Marlins took the lead in the sixth and ran with it, and Leo Nunez worked the ninth allowing two hits and a run for his 11th save.  FishGuts has more information on this win and the Fish getting closer to the Phils in the division.

The Phillies bats were fairly silent on Saturday, as groundouts by Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley produced two of their four runs.  The other two were on an RBI single by Shane Victorino and by a dropped popup by first baseman Nick Johnson temporarily giving the Phils the lead.  Hamels(7-7) went 5.1 innings and allowed four runs on five hits while allowing four walks and two bombs.  Phillies Phandom will cover more of the Phillies troubles this weekend against the Marlins.

Kelly Johnson with the big blast

In Los Angeles, another nail biter and extra inning game took place, and had a similar result.  The Braves and Dodgers were scoreless for nine innings but in the tenth inning, Kelly Johnson changed that.  Johnson hit a two run pinch hit home run also scoring Adam LaRoche to give the Braves a 2-0 lead and eventually give them a 2-1 win.  The Braves had three hits in the entire game, but luckily got excellent pitching throughout including seven shutout innings from starter Kenshin Kawakami.  Kris Medlen(3-3) pitched two shutout innings being rewarded with a win and Rafael Soriano nailed it down, but did give up a run in earning save number 17.  The Braves Baseball Blog is your place for all Braves information.

Clayton Kershaw pitched seven innings of no run ball himself, only allowing two hits a walk and striking out ten while leaving with 103 pitches.  Guillermo Mota(3-3) took the loss working the tenth and walking Adam LaRoche before giving up the blast to Kelly Johnson.  Andre Ethier produced the only run for the Dodgers as he doubled in Juan Pierre in the tenth inning but that was all they got.

Talking about winter vacations?

The San Diego Padres were looking to take their third straight agains the once again Reeling New York Mets.  They sent rookie Mat Latos to the hill, and Latos looked great, except for a first inning run.  Will Venable and David Eckstein had RBI singles and Cabrera walked to score a run as the Padres won 3-1.  Latos(4-1) went six innings and allowed four hits and only a first inning home run for the win.  Former Met Heath Bell worked the ninth inning and got his 28th save of the season, the Padres go for a four game sweep on Sunday afternoon.

What can you say about the Mets that hasn’t been said?  They started Bobby Parnell as Mike Pelfrey had to attend to the birth of his son.  Parnell(2-4) lasted only 2.1 innings allowing two runs on four hits, but had an extremely high pitch count of 68 before leaving.  Five Met relievers got them through the game only allowing one extra run and Alex Cora gave all the offense with a 1st inning home run. The Real Dirty Mets Blog will have more information on the Mets as they just hope to get a quick ending to the season.

The Nats are happy

The Washington Nationals have won yet again, making it seven in a row Saturday by a score of 5-2.  Garret Mock(1-4) got his first win of the year while going six innings and allowing two runs on five hits with seven K’s.  The offense was carried by Homeruns by Willingham and Josh Bard as well as an RBI single from Adam Dunn.  The team looks good lately, and you have to wonder if it is care free play, the youth, or the new manager.  Jorge Sosa got the save in the ninth as Mike MacDougal had been in need of a day off.  Make sure to check out CenterfieldGate for more information on the new Nats.

Danny Haren(11-7) had his second straight rough outting against a NL East opponent but this time got the loss.  Haren gave up five runs and seven hits in six innings after giving up five runs against the Mets earlier this week on his way to this loss.  Mark Reynolds hit a two run home which proved to be all the offense the Diamondbacks would muster as they look to avoid a sweep on Sunday.

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.

Maybe its the socks?

Tuesday night in Philly, the Rockies were looking for their fifth straight victory and send a message that they were for real.  They started the series well, as Garrett Atkins had a huge game including four RBI on a two run double and a two run home run.  Catcher, Chris Iannetta also added in two RBI as the Rockies went on to beat the Phillies 8-3.  Starter Jason Hammel(6-6) went 6.2 innings only allowing three runs, but scattering nine hits and six strike outs.

The Phillies have now lost five out of six games and three games straight since Cliff Lee’s masterful game on Friday night.  Tuesday’s starter Jamie Moyer had another bad start, and with Pedro Martinez on the horizon, when will the rumors of his demise begin?  Moyer(10-8) went five innings but was charged with six runs on six hits and four walks.  Former starter Rodrigo Lopez came on in relief and gave up two more runs in only two innings of work.  Jimmy Rollins was a bright spot for the Phillies as he went 2-5 with a two run home run, his twelth of the season.  Check out Phillies Phandom for more on this game and the Phillies.

Dunn with another blast

Tuesday night began an inter-division series between the Marlins and the Nationals (look for the Chatter Up! later today).  The Nationals drew first blood in this one even after being held scoreless for the first seven innings.  Going into the eighth inning of Tuesday’s game, the Nats were down 4-0, and thing didn’t look well as Josh Johnson was dealing.  That is when the bats got going though.  In the eighth inning, the Nationals had six runs including a two RBI double by Ronnie Belliard and a RBI single by Guzman.  The inning and game scoring was capped by Adam Dunn hitting a two run home run that put the Nats ahead 6-4 for good.  Nationals starter J.D. Martin only got through 4.1 innings before being pulled, but the relief was solid behind him.  Ron Villone(4-5) got the win in relief working 1.1 scoreless innings and Mike MacDougal got his ninth save of the season while getting through a shaky ninth inning.  Check out CenterfieldGate for more information regarding the Nats.

The Marlins were cruising in this one with Josh Johnson, and will be second guessing themselves for leaving him on the mound for a while.  Johnson got a no decision but was charged with four runs and six hits, all runs from the eighth inning he worked in but could not record an out.  Kiko Calero(2-1) was charged with the loss and a blown save in this game as he only got one out in the eighth.  Former National got the Marlins started in this game with an RBI in the first and scored another run on Jeremy Hermida’s seventh inning single.  Cody Ross who is on fire hit a home run in the fourth and was followed by another home run by PITCHER Josh Johnson.  FishGuts will have more on the Marlins and this game.

Vazquez comes through

The Braves were in need of a win on Tuesday night, as they had been free falling of late.  They sent Javier Vazquez to the mound against the last place San Diego Padres, and got what they wanted.  The Braves were down early, but Vazquez(9-7) got through seven innings only allowing four hits and two runs, while striking out six while throwing only 98 pitches.  The Braves scored in six different innings, putting up crooked numbers in the sixth and eighth to put the game away as the Braves won 9-2.  Adam LaRoche had another RBI since rejoining the Braves, and they got home runs from Martin Prado and Matt Diaz on way to a 9-2 victory.  Prado added another two RBI single in the game while staying on fire for a final line of 3-5 with 3 RBI and two runs scored.  The Braves Baseball Blog has more Braves information for you!

The Padres bats went back to sleep on Tuesday night adn they couldn’t help out starter Tim Stauffer.  Stauffer(1-3) got through five innigns scattering eight hits and three runs and got the loss even though he left with a close game.  Edward Mujica gave up four earned runs in in only one third of an inning.  Will Venable hit his fifth home run in the first inning and scored the only other Padres run on a Chase Headley double in the fourth.

What next?

The New York Mets can’t get out of their own way.  On Friday, they lost a game on a wild pitch and last night the deciding run was scored on a hit by pitch with the bases loaded by the same Pitcher, Sean Green.  In this back and forth game, the Cardinals took a 4-3 lead in the fifth, only to give up four in the bottom of the frame.   The Cardinals then got closer in the eighth on a solo home run by Pujols and tied it in the ninth.  Against Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez, the Cardinals got two runs on two doubles by Ankiel and Julio Lugo and a single by Skip Schumaker.  In the tenth inning, after Mark DeRosa was hit to give them the lead, Albert Pujols put it away with a grand slam to left center field.  Kyle McClellan(3-2) got the win while going through the ninth inning giving up only a hit and a walk before the winning inning.

The Mets had a lot of positives early in this game and it would have been a great win, rather than a demoralizing loss.  Johan Santana helped his own cause with a two run double in the second inning and was picked up later.  While down 5-4, the Mets got a two RBI double from Gary Sheffield followed by a Daniel Murphy double and a Cora single to take a 7-4 lead.  They would not get any other runs in the game.  Santana finished with a no decision while getting through eight innings and giving up five runs on nine hits.  Francisco Rodriguez got tagged with his fourth blown save of the season and Pedro Feliciano(4-4) got charged with three runs as he loaded the bases prior to Sean Green’s appearance.  The Real Dirty Mets Blog has all the Mets info you need.

I hope everyone enjoyed the first Chatter Up! segment, and as I mentioned, 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.

Rollins with a grand slam

The Phillies played a game on Saturday that entailed 29 hits and 20 runs, lucky for them, they had 14 of those 20 runs, winning 14-6.  Jimmy Rollins saved starter Rodrigo Lopez by hitting a grand slam in the bottom of the sixth inning.  The Phillies took an early 3-0 lead, but squandered it by the top of the sixth inning.  Lopez (3-0) worked six innings giving up three earned runs and four total in staying undefeated on the season.  Jimmy Rollins finished the day with a career high five RBI and Shane Victorino went 4-4 with three runs scored, three RBI and even added in a walk.  Check out Phillies Phandom for more Phillies info from this game and all others.

Cardinals pitching could almost have not been worse today.  Three pitchers combined to give up the fourteen runs, starter Kyle Lohse was let off the hook of a bad start by giving up three runs in only four innings of work as he left for a pinch hitter with a high pitch count.  Jason Motte(3-4) left after getting one out and giving up back to back home runs, one of them being the grand slam to Rollins.  New Cardinals Julio Lugo and Matt Holliday had good games again, going 6-9 with two runs scored and two RBI combined.

Blake gets the game winning RBI

In Los Angeles, Casey Blake saved the Dodgers from another possible loss to the Marlins.  With two out in the ninth inning, Casey Blake stepped to the plate and singled to drive home Rafael Furcal to win the game 4-3.  Blake had also scoredt he tying run in the sixth inning as the Dodgers came back from a 3-1 deficit to win this game.  Jonathan Broxton(7-0) got the win as he worked the top of the ninth for the Dodgers in this game and Andre Ethier and Orlando Hudson each had three hits for the Dodgers.

The Marlins as mentioned took a 3-1 lead in by the sixth with RBI singles from Cody Ross and Jeremy Hermida and an RBI double in the first by Jorge Cantu.  Besides that though, their bats couldn’t break Dodger pitching.  VandenHurk had a second straight solid start going five innings of one run ball and left in position for his second straight win, but the bullpen couldn’t hold it.  Renyel Pinto was charged with two runs in one third of an inning in the sixth and then Dan Meyer(2-1) took the loss in the ninth as he had put the baserunners on, even though Luis Ayala let up the final hit.  Check out FishGuts for more info on the Marlins.

Gallardo does it again pitching and hitting

The Brewers were able to rebound from a late loss to the Braves and their bats on Friday night, and sent their ace to the mound.  Yovani Gallardo(9-7) pitched 7.1 innings only giving up four hits and four runs and striking out six as the Brewers went on to win 4-0.  Gallardo helped himself with an RBI single in the fifth for the games first run.  Craig Counsell had an RBI groundout in the same inning and pinch hitter Casey McGehee had a two RBI single in the eighth for insurance.

The Braves sent previously undefeated Tommy Hanson to the hill on Saturday.  Hanson(5-1) took the loss even though he went seven innings and only gave up two runs because the Braves bats were silent.  Check out The Braves Baseball Blog for more on the Braves.

Niese pitches a gem

There have not been many days where I have been able to write about multiple story lines for the Mets.  Tonight you can take your pick, as the Mets won 10-3 against the Astros with a great performance from a rookie, a superb game from a newcomer and a home run from a player who hadn’t hit one all month.  Jonathon Niese(1-0) went seven innings giving up a single run on four hits and two walks to get his first win since last September on a day the Mets needed it.  Jeff Francouer also went 2-4 with a run scored and four RBI, three of them coming on a home run fifth inning, it was his second as a Met and seventh overall.  David Wright hit his sixth home run in the ninth inning and it was impressive because he hadn’t hit one this month.  The Real Dirty Mets Blog has more info on the Mets.

Russ Ortiz(3-5) started for the Astros and only lasted 4.1 innings while giving up six runs on five hits and four walks.  The Astros managed a run early on a Pudge Rodriguez RBI single and then nothing until the bottom of the ninth when they had a nine run deficit.  Hunter Pence hit a two run homer in the ninth off Francisco Rodriguez, but that was all they would get.

Adam Dunn hits a granny

The Padres and Nationals waited out an over three hour rain delay in the second inning of the game Saturday in Washington, it could have been local time for the San Diego fans.  The Nationals got two runs in the first on a Zimmerman homerun and never looked back after the rain delay in the second.  Off a new pitcher, the Nationals scored five more after the delay, on a Adam Dunn grand slam.  Zimmerman ended this game with three RBI and Dunn had five RBI as the Nationals won 13-1.  Tyler Clippard(2-0) worked four innings after the rain delay to qualify for the win in this game as J.D. Martin had to leave after two innings because of the delay.  Check out CenterfieldGate for more info on the Nationals.

Padres starter Tim Stauffer(0-2) didn’t come back after the rain delay and went one inning giving up three hits and two runs to take the loss.  Five more Padre relievers combined to give up eleven more runs to make this game way out of reach.  The two finish their series on Sunday afternoon in D.C.