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.

Braves vs. Reds

Tommy Hanson (8-7, 3.99 ERA) and the Braves look to take the rubber game of the three-game set with the Reds. Edinson Volquez (1-1, 8.25 ERA) gets the start for the Reds. Game time is 1:10 p.m. in Cincinnati.

Mets vs. Diamondbacks

The Mets send Jon Niese (7-4, 3.43 ERA) to the mound as they go for the series win against the Diamondbacks. Rodrigo Lopez (5-9, 4.68 ERA) starts for Arizona. First pitch is 1:10 p.m. in N.Y.

Nationals vs. Phillies

The Nationals go for the sweep Sunday against the  Phillies in Washington. John Lannan (2-5, 5.76 ERA) takes the mound for the Nationals. Cole Hamels (7-7, 3.48 ERA) starts for Philadelphia. Game time is 1:35 p.m.

Marlins vs. Padres

Josh Johnson (10-3, 1.72 ERA) and the Marlins go for the sweep Sunday against the Padres. Jon Garland (9-7, 3.56 ERA) gets the start for the Padres. First pitch is 4:05 p.m. in San Diego.

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.

Wednesday’s games:

Braves vs. Padres

Tommy Hanson (8-6, 4.19 ERA) and the Braves go for the win as they take on Jon Garland (9-6, 3.45 ERA) and the Padres. Game time is 7:10 p.m. in Atlanta.

Marlins vs. Rockies

The Marlins send Ricky Nolasco (9-7, 4.66 ERA) to the mound as they continue their series with the Rockies. Jason Hammel (7-4, 4.07 ERA) gets the start for Colorado. First pitch is 7:10 p.m. in Florida.

Nationals vs. Reds

Stephen Strasburg (4-2, 2.03 ERA) and the Nationals face Bronson Arroyo (10-4, 3.96 ERA) and the Reds in Cincinnati. Game time is 7:10 p.m.

Phillies vs. Cardinals

The Phillies go for the win against the Cardinals tonight in St. Louis. Joe Blanton (3-5, 6.21 ERA) takes the mound for Philadelphia. Jaime Garcia (8-4, 2.27 ERA) gets the start for St. Louis. First pitch is 8:15 p.m.

Mets vs. Diamondbacks

The Mets look to take the final game of their series with the Diamondbacks in Arizona. Jon Niese (6-4, 3.44 ERA) gets the start for New York. Dan Haren (7-8, 4.60 ERA) takes the mound for Arizona. Game time is 9:40 p.m.

Wednesday’s games:

Braves vs. Phillies

The Braves go for the series win against the Phillies. Atlanta sends Kris Medlen (5-1, 3.01) to the mound. Jamie Moyer (9-7, 4.13) gets the start for Philadelphia. Game time is 7:05 p.m. in Philadelphia.

Nationals vs. Padres

The Nationals send J.D. Martin (0-4, 3.38) as they look to make it two wins in a row against the Padres. Jon Garland (8-5, 3.24) takes the mound for San Diego. First pitch is 7:05 p.m. in D.C.

Mets vs. Reds

Jon Niese (6-2, 3.62) and the Mets look to take the rubber game as this three-game set with the Reds comes to a close. Bronson Arroyo (8-4, 4.25) gets the start for Cincinnati. Game time is 7:05 p.m. in N.Y.

Marlins vs. Dodgers

Josh Johnson (8-3, 1.82) and the Marlins take on Hiroki Kuroda (7-6, 3.78) and the Dodgers in L.A. Game time is set for 10:10 p.m.

Mets vs. Twins

Johan Santana faced his former team for the first time as the Mets hosted the Twins at Citi Field on Saturday afternoon.   Minnesota jumped on Santana early and the Mets couldn’t solve Carl Pavano as the Twins went on to win 6-0.

The Twins scored four runs in the first inning off of Santana (5-5), and never looked back.  Joe Mauer started the scoring with a run-scoring single, and then with 2 outs, Jason Kubel hit an RBI double and Delmon Young doubled home two more runs to give the Twins an early 4-0 lead.  Meanwhile, Pavano (9-6) was dominant from the start.  Pavano went all nine innings, allowing just three singles and a walk to the Mets.  Kubel added a solo home run in the ninth inning to cap the scoring.

 

 

Braves vs. Tigers

The Braves got a timely home run from their longtime third baseman, and the team survived some shaky relief pitching to hold off the Tigers for a 4-3 victory in Atlanta.

Kenshin Kawakami came into the game winless, and though he pitched well over seven innings, left trailing 1-0.  However, the Braves finally gave Kawakami (1-9) some support in the bottom of the seventh when Chipper Jones belted a three-run home run off of Detroit reliever Joel Zumaya (2-1).  The Braves added another run in the eighth on an Eric Hinske RBI double and entered the ninth inning with a 4-1 lead. 

A day after earning his 400th career save, Billy Wagner was unavailable due to a sore left ankle, so Takashi Saito came in to try to seal the victory.   However, Saito allowed a solo homer to Miguel Cabrera and walked two more before being pulled.  Manager Bobby Cox then called on Eric O’Flaherty, but O’Flaherty proceeded to walk the next two batters, the last one forcing in a run and cutting the lead to 4-3.  Peter Moylan then came in to face Johnny Damon with the bases loaded.  With the count 3 and 2, Moylan’s offering to Damon appeared to be outside, but the Braves got the strike three call and the victory.  Moylan earned his first save on the season.

With the victory and the Mets’ loss, the Braves extended their lead in the NL East to 1.5 games.

 

Phillies vs. Blue Jays

Playing the second game of their “road” series in Philadelphia against the Blue Jays, the Phillies couldn’t take advantage of their home ballpark and fell to Toronto 5-1.

The Blue Jays touched up Phillies starter Cole Hamels (5-5) for five runs in four innings.  John Buck, Aaron Hill and Alex Gonzalez each homered off of Hamels to spark the Toronto offense.  Shaun Marcum (7-3) didn’t allow the Phillies to get back into the game, allowing just one run over six innings.  The Phillies only run came courtesy of a Ryan Howard solo home run.  In an unusual site, Howard acted as the Phillies’ DH as the game was played under American League rules in the NL ballpark.  Toronto relievers combined for three scoreless innings to close out their Philly home victory.

The teams will face off on Sunday in the rubber match of their three game set. 

 

Nationals vs. Orioles

A day after blowing a 6-0 lead to the Orioles, the Nationals jumped out to a 5-0 lead in Baltimore.   For the second straight day, however, the Nats blew a large lead and fell in the Battle of the Beltway by a score of 6-5.

Washington scored four runs in the 3rd inning, thanks to a two-run double by Adam Dunn and RBIs from Ivan Rodriguez and Roger Bernadina.  After adding another run in the fourth, the Orioles came back against Nats’ starter Livan Hernandez.  Adam Jones homered in the fourth to get the O’s on the board, and then the Orioles scored four in the fifth.  Matt Wieters  delivered the big hit, as his two-run single tied the game at 5.

The Orioles took a 6-5 lead in the seventh.  With Ty Wigginton batting, Nationals reliver Drew Storen threw a wild pitch that allowed Luke Scott to score the go-ahead run.  Jason Berken (1-1) earned the victory for the Orioles in relief, while Sean Burnett (0-4) took the loss for the Nats.  Alfredo Simon pitched a perfect ninth to earn his eighth save.

 

Marlins vs. Padres

Jon Garland and Josh Johnson faced off in a pitcher’s duel Saturday night in Miami.   Johnson pitched eight solid innings, but the Marlins couldn’t solve Garland or the Padres’ pen, and the Padres defeated the Marlins by a score of 2-1.

The Marlins scored first in the second inning thanks to a Mike Stanton sacrifice fly.  The Padres answered back in the fourth when Adrian Gonzalez doubled home David Eckstein with the tying run.   In the fifth, Jerry Hairston Jr. tripled off of Stanton’s glove, and then scored on Garland’s fly ball to right field.   Garland’s ball took Stanton into foul ground, and Marlins players tried to yell at Stanton to let the ball land foul, but his catch turned into a sacrifice fly and scored the deciding run.

Johnson (8-3) took the loss despite striking out nine and allowing just five hits.  Garland (8-5) allowed just four hits over 6.2 innings and earned the victory.  Heath Bell pitched the ninth inning and struck out two in earning his 21st save.

Saturday’s match ups:

Mets vs. Twins

Johan Santana (5-4, 3.31) and the Mets look to take game two against the Twins. Carl Pavano (8-6, 3.64) starts for Minnesota. Game time is 1:10 p.m. in N.Y.

Braves vs. Tigers

Kenshin Kawakami (0-9, 4.78) once again goes for his first win, as he and the Braves take on the Tigers. Max Scherzer (4-6, 5.67) gets the start for Detroit. First pitch is 4:00 p.m. in Atlanta.

Nationals vs. Orioles

Livan Hernandez (6-4, 2.82) and the Nationals look to bounce back after yesterday’s loss against Baltimore. Brad Bergesen (3-4, 6.50) takes the mound for the Orioles. Game time is 4:05 p.m. in Baltimore.

Phillies vs. Blue Jays

Cole Hamels (6-5, 3.75) starts for the Phillies as they take on Shaun Marcum (6-3, 3.24) and the Blue Jays. First pitch is set for 4:05 p.m. in Philadelphia.

Marlins vs. Padres

The Marlins send Josh Johnson (8-2, 1.80) to the mound as they face Jon Garland (7-5, 3.26) and the Padres. Game time is set for 7:10 p.m. in Florida.

Thursday’s games:

Mets vs. Padres

The Mets play two today thanks to yesterdays rainout. Johan Santana (4-2) takes the mound for game one against Mat Latos (5-4) and the Padres. The game’s set to start at 1:10 p.m. Jonathon Niese (2-2) gets the start in game two for the Mets. Jon Garland (6-3) starts for the Padres. Game two is scheduled to start at 7:10 p.m.

Marlins vs. Phillies

The match up between Roy Halladay (8-3) and Josh Johnson (6-2) was put on hold after yesterday’s rainout. The two will start today instead. Game time is 7:05 p.m. in Philadelphia.

Nationals vs. Pirates

J.D. Martin (0-1) and the Nationals go for the sweep as they finish their series against Paul Maholm (4-4) and the Pirates. First pitch is 7:05 p.m. in D.C.

Braves vs. Diamondbacks

Tommy Hanson (6-3) and the Braves finish their series with the Diamondbacks. Dontrelle Willis (2-2) gets the start for the Diamondbacks. Game time is 3:40 p.m. in Arizona.

Saturday’s games:

Mets vs. Marlins

Jon Niese (1-2) makes his first start for the Mets since being activated from the disabled list.  Nate Robertson (4-4) will take the mound for the Marlins. Game time is 4:10 p.m. in New York.

Nationals vs. Reds

Luis Atilano (5-1) and the Nationals go for win number two against right-hander Mike Leake (4-0) and the Reds. First pitch is 7:05 p.m. in D.C.

Phillies vs. Padres

Jamie Moyer (5-5) gets the start for the Phillies as they take on the Padres. Jon Garland (6-2) will start for the Padres. Game time is 7:05 p.m. in Philadelphia.

Braves vs. Dodgers

Tommy Hanson (5-3) goes for win number six, as he and the Braves continue their series against the Dodgers. Chad Billingsley (6-2) will take the mound for the Dodgers. Game time is set for 10:10 p.m. in Los Angeles.

Mets vs. Brewers

Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (1-0) goes for his second win as the Mets finish up their weekend series against the Brewers. Randy Wolf (4-4) gets the start for the Brewers. Game time is 2:10 p.m. in Milwaukee.

Phillies vs. Marlins

Jamie Moyer (5-4) and the Phillies look to make it two perfect games in a row when they take on Anibal Sanchez (4-2) and the Marlins.  The game is set to start at 1:10 p.m. in Florida.

Braves vs. Pirates

Kenshin Kawakami (0-7) goes for his first win as he takes the mound against Paul Maholm (3-4) and the Pirates. First pitch set for 1:35 p.m. in Atlanta.

Nationals vs. Padres

Livan Hernandez (4-3) and the Nationals look to take the rubber game  as they rap up their series against the Padres. Jon garland (6-2) will take the mound for the Padres. The game will start at 4:05 in San Diego.