Braves vs. Nationals

The Nationals took the final game of their series with the Braves by a score of 6-2. Michael Morse got things started for Washington in the 2nd inning, hitting his 9th home run of the season to left field. The next inning, Nyjer Morgan scored on an RBI single off the bat of Ian Desmond to make it 2-0 Nats. Washington tagged on two more runs in the 6th on a double by Roger Bernadina, followed by a single from Ryan Zimmerman. Willie Harris also contributed to the Nationals offense with a two-run home run in the 9th off Atlanta’s Kyle Farnsworth. The only two runs for Atlanta came in the bottom of the 6th thanks to a two-run RBI double off the bat of Matt Diaz.

Washington’s John Lannan got the win, going 5.1 innings and giving up two runs on seven hits while striking out five. Derek Lowe took the loss for Atlanta, going 7 innings and allowing four runs on six hits while striking out six.

Marlins vs. Pirates

The Marlins won the series finale against the Pirates by a score of 4-2. The game was scoreless until the 6th inning when the Marlins put up four runs in the inning. Gaby Sanchez hit a three-run home run to center field. A few batters later, Wes Helms hit an RBI single to drive home Cody Ross. A ground-rule double in the bottom of the 8th by Argenis Diaz to score Chris Snyder put Pittsburgh on the board. The Pirates added another run in the bottom of the 9th with a solo shot off the bat of Andrew McCutchen.

Alex Sanabia got the win for Florida, going 7.2 innings and giving up one run on four hits while striking out five. Paul Maholm took the loss for Pittsburgh, going 5.2 innings and allowing four runs on eight hits while striking out two. Leo Nunez recorded his 28th save for Florida.

Phillies vs. Giants

The Phillies lost to the Giants 5-2, and are now only one game up on San Francisco in the wild card. An RBI double by Buster Posey followed by back-to-back RBI singles by Jose Guillen and Juan Uribe gave the Giants a three-run lead in the 1st inning. Another double by Posey in the 3rd and a home run by Pablo Sandoval in the 4th gave San Francisco a 5-0 lead. The Phillies were only able to get two hits off Giants’ starter Jonathan Sanchez. Philadelphia’s two runs came in the bottom of the 9th on a double by Mike Sweeney off reliever Sergio Romo.

Sanchez got the win for San Francisco, going 8 innings and giving up one run on two hits while striking out seven. Cole Hamels, who once again got little run support, took the loss, going 5 innings and allowing five runs on seven hits while striking out five.

Mets vs. Astros

The Mets fell to the Astros 3-2. New York scored two runs in the 4th inning. The first run coming on a ground out by Jeff Francoeur to score Angel Pagan. The second on an RBI single by Chris Carter. Houston was held to just one hit through 6 innings by Pat Misch, who retired 16 straight, but broke through in the 7th. After singles by Angel Sanchez and Hunter Pence, Carlos Lee hit a three-run home run to give the Astros a 3-2 lead.

Bud Norris got the win for Houston, going 7 innings and allowing two runs on two hits while striking out four. Pat Misch took the loss, going 6 innings and giving up three runs on four hits while striking out one. Brandon Lyon got the save for Houston.

Phillies vs. Diamondbacks

Justin Upton scored in a bases loaded walk in the first inning for the Diamondbacks.  The Phillies scored 2 runs in the third when Ryan Howard singled home Placido Polanco and Carlos Ruiz walked with the bases loaded scoring Raul Ibanez.  Mark Reynolds hit a solo shot in the fourth to time the game and added another in the fifth when Stephen Drew singled home Adam LaRoche.  In the bottom of the inning Jason Werth homered scoring Ryan Howard to take the lead.  The diamondbacks took the lead in the 6th when they scored 2 runs Adam LaRoche hit a sac fly to score Chris Young and a Miguel Montero ground out scored Kelly Johnson.  The Phillies then took the lead in the bottom of the inning when they scored 3 runs when Raul Ibanez singled home Shane Victorino and Ryan Howard homered scoring Raul Ibanez.  In the seventh Cody Ransom homered scoring Carlos Ruiz adding 2 more runs for the Phils.

Cole Hamels pitched 5 innings giving up 6 hits, 3 runs, and 8 strikeouts.  Rodrigo Lopez pitched 5 innings giving up 7 hits, 4 runs, and 4 strikeouts.  David Herndon got the win pitching 1 inning giving up  1 hit, 2 runs and no strikeouts.  The loss went to Jordan Norberto who did not record an out and pitched 2 hits and 2 runs.

Braves vs. Nationals

The Nationals beat the Braves in a score of 3-0. Nyjer Morgan scored in the first for the Nationals on a throwing error by Brian McCann.  In the third the Nationals added 2 more runs when Ian Desmond singled home Ivan Rodriguez and Roger Bernadina.

Miguel Batista won and pitched 5 innings giving up 3 hits, no runs with 6 strikeouts.  Tommy Hanson got the lose and pitched 6 innings, giving up 6 hits, 3 runs, and 8 strikeouts.  Matt Capps got his 25th save of the season giving up no hits with 1 strikeout.

Mets vs. Cardinals

The Mets beat the Cardinals in a score of 8-2. Ryan Ludwick singled home Matt Holliday in the first.  The Mets struck back in the second when Ike Davis grounded out scoring David Wright.  In the third Jeff Francoeur homered scoring Carlos Beltran and Ike Davis.  In the fifth they added on 2 more runs when David Wright hit a sac fly to score Luis Castillo and Carlos Beltran singled home Angel Pagan.  In the sixth Jose Reyes homered scoring Jon Niese for 2 more runs in the inning.  In the eight the Cardinals added a run when Randy Winn grounded into a double play scoring Ryan Ludwick.

Jon Niese got the win and pitched 6 innings giving up 7 hits, 1 run, and 1 strikeout.  The loss went to Adam Wainwright who pitched 5 innings giving up 6 hits, 6 runs, and 6 strikeouts.

Marlins vs. Giants

The Giants beat the Marlins in a score of 6-4. The Giants scored 2 runs in the third when Aubrey Huff doubled home Andrés Torres and Buster Posey singled home Aubrey Huff.  In the fifth the Marlins tied it up when Cody Ross homered scoring Wes Helms.  In the bottom of the inning the Giants reclaimed the lead when Freddy Sanchez singled home Andres Torres.  The Marlins again tied it up when Dan Uggla hit a solo shot in the seventh inning.  In the eighth Juan Uribe and Édgar Rentería both went deep adding 3 more runs for the Giants.  The Marlins added 1 more run in the ninth when Dan Uggla hit another solo shot.

Matt Cain pitched 7 innings giving up 4 hits, 3 runs, and 6 strikeouts.  Josh Johnson pitched 7 innings giving up 8 hits, 3 runs, and 5 strikeouts.  The win went to Sergio Romo who pitched 1 inning giving up no hits and the loss went to Brian Sanches who pitched 0.1 of an inning giving up 3 hits and 3 runs. Brian Wilson got the save but gave up a run and a hit with 2 strikeouts.

Phillies vs. Cubs

The Phillies rallied in the 9th inning to beat the Cubs 4-1. The game was scoreless until the 7th, when the Cubs put a run on the board. Starlin Castro scored on a bunt single by Ryan Theriot. Going into the 9th trailing 1-0, the Phillies scored four runs off Chicago closer Carlos Marmol. Placido Polanco tied up the game with a single. A wild pitch followed by a bases-loaded walk allowed for two more runs to score. Raul Ibanez drove in the Phillies fourth run on an infield single.

Cole Hamels went 7 innings, earning a no decision. He allowed one run on eight hits. Randy Wells went 7 innings, giving up no runs on seven hits, to earn a no decision. Marmol took the loss for Chicago. Brad Lidge recorded his 7th save of the season for Philadelphia.

Braves vs. Brewers

The Braves dropped their second game in a row to the Brewers, losing 6-3. The game was scoreless until the 4th inning when Milwaukee’s Prince Fielder grounded into a double play allowing Rickie Weeks to score.  Atlanta responded in the bottom of the inning with a two-run shot to left field off the bat of Matt Diaz, giving the Braves a 2-1 lead. The Brewers broke the game open in the 7th scoring five runs in the inning. Eric Hinske homered for Atlanta in the bottom of the 7th to cut the lead to 6-3.

Chris Narveson got the win for Milwaukee, going 6 innings while allowing two runs on six hits. Tim Hudson took the loss, going 6.2 innings and giving up six runs on six hits. John Axford got the save for Milwaukee, his 11th save of the season.

Marlins vs. Nationals

The Marlins beat the Nationals 2-0. The only runs of the game came in the 2nd inning. Florida’s Ronny Paulino singled to drive in Dan Uggla and Jorge Cantu. Despite having 11 hits on the night, Washington couldn’t get anybody home, leaving nine men in scoring position.

Josh Johnson got the win for Florida, going six innings and giving up no runs on seven hits. His ERA is now down to 1.62. Livan Hernandez took the loss, going 6 innings and allowing two runs on four hits. Leo Nunez recorded his 21st save of the season for Florida.

Mets vs. Giants

The Mets lost their third straight to the Giants, losing 8-4. The Giants scored five runs in the 2nd inning on singles by Juan Uribe and Pablo Sandoval, and a three-run shot to left field off the bat of Andres Torres. Buster Posey hit his 8th home run in the 3rd, giving the Giants a 6-0 lead. The Mets finally scored some runs in the 7th inning thanks to a two-run home run by Ike Davis.  The Giants responded in the bottom of the 7th with two more runs, taking a 8-2 lead. A sacrifice fly by David Wright in the 8th cut the lead to 8-3. Davis hit his 2nd homer of the night in the 9th to make it 8-4.

Hisanori Takahashi took the loss, lasting only 2.2 innings, giving up six runs on seven hits. Matt Cain got the win, going seven innings and allowing two runs on four hits. Brian Wilson recorded his 25th save of the season for the Giants.

Nationals vs. Giants

The Nationals had a 4-2 lead going into the 7^th inning, but a number of costly plays kept them from getting the win, as they fell to the Giants 5-4. Adam Dunn hit his 10^th homerun of the year, and Josh Willingham and Alberto Gonzalez each went 2-3 for the Nationals. Aubrey Huff went 3-4 and Juan Uribe went 2-4 for the Giants.

Craig Stammen went 6.1 innings for the Nationals, giving up three runs on five hits. Sean Burnett came in to pitch in the 7^th for the  Nationals and wound up with the loss. Barry Zito pitched 6.1 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits. Santiago Casilla finished off the 7^th and earned the win. Brian Wilson got his 12^th save of the season for the Giants.

For more, check out Centerfield Gate.

Braves vs. Marlins

It was an ugly night for the Braves defensively, who committed four errors. But what they lacked in defense they made up in offense in their 8-3 win over the Marlins. Braves and Marlins both scored in the 1^st inning. The Braves then tacked on two in the 4^th, followed by one in the 6^th and 7th, and finally three in the 8^th. Ricky Nolasco helped himself out with an RBI single in the 4^th for the Marlins. Hanley Ramirez and Ronny Paulino each went 2-4 for Florida.

Tim Hudson and Nolasco each went only four innings thanks to a 77-minute rain delay. Peter Moylan took the mound for the Braves following the rain delay and got the win. Nolasco took the loss after giving up three runs.

For more, check out Braves Baseball Blog and Fish Guts.

Mets vs. Phillies

The Mets have  gone 27 straight innings without giving up a run, and won their fifth in a row, sweeping the Phillies with a score of 3-0. Mike Pelfrey pitched 7 strong innings, giving up no runs on three hits to earn the win. Cole Hamels went 6.1 innings, giving up 3 runs on 9 hits, taking the loss. Francisco Rodriguez got his 9^th save of the season.

The Mets got on the board early with an RBI double by Jason Bay in the first inning. Their next two runs came in the bottom of the 7^th on a RBI double by Jose Reyes. Phillies bats were quiet once again. Shane Victorino was 3-4, with the only other Phillies hit belonging to Raul Ibanez.

For more info, go to Real Dirty Mets Blog and Phillies Phandom.

Phillies vs. Mets

The Phillies and Mets faced off at Citi Field for the second game of their series, and the blueprint for this game followed that of the opener: the Mets received another strong pitching performance from an unexpected source, the Phillies offensive struggles continued, and the Mets shut out their division rivals.  Behind 6 scoreless innings from Hisanori Takahashi, the Mets defeated the Phillies 5-0 for their fourth straight victory.

Takahashi (4-1), making his second start after replacing an ineffective Oliver Perez in the Mets’ starting rotation, once again held the opponent off of the scoreboard.  Unlike his last start, however, the Mets offense backed him up to earn him his first major league victory as a starter.  Jose Reyes hit his first home run of the season off of Phillies starter Joe Blanton (1-3), who was charged with all 5 runs.  Reyes drove in 2 runs on the night, while catcher Rod Barajas had 3 RBI to carry the Mets’ offense. 

The Phillies have now been shut out 3 times in their last 4 games.  Meanwhile, with the victory, the Mets moved one game over .500 (24-23) on the season.

 

Braves vs. Marlins

After a brief rain delay, the Braves and Marlins took the field for the middle game of their three game set in Miami.  The Braves broke open a pitchers duel with a 6-run 7th inning and defeated the Marlins 7-3 to even the series at one game apiece.

Marlins starter Nate Robertson held the Braves to just 1 run over 6 innings, but Atlanta took advantage of Burke Badenhop (0-5) and the Florida bullpen in the 7th.  Martin Prado tied the game with a sacrifice fly, and the Braves went on to score five more runs with two outs in the inning.  A bases loaded walk to Chipper Jones broke the tie, and Troy Glaus follwed with a 2-run single to spark the Braves’ offense.  The runs made a winner out of Braves starter Tommy Hanson (4-3), who allowed 2 runs over 6 innings.  Hanson helped his own cause with a sacrifice fly to drive in Atlanta’s first run.

Hanley Ramirez homered and drove in two runs for the Marlins.  Both teams face off in the rubber match of the series this evening in Florida.

 

Nationals vs. Giants

The Nationals faced a tough task in San Francisco as the Giants sent reigning Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum to the mound.  The Nats didn’t let that phase them, scoring six runs off of the Giants’ ace on their way to a 7-3 victory.

The Nationals scored three in the 3rd and three more in the 5th off of Lincecum (5-1), knocking him out of the game after 4 2/3 innings and handing him his first loss of the season.  Meanwhile, Nats’ starter Luis Atilano (4-1) held the Giants to just four hits and walked none over 5 1/3 innings to earn the victory.  Washington shortstop Ian Desmond had two hits and drove in three runs, and Josh Willingham drove in two more to pace the Nationals offense.  Shortstop Juan Uribe homered for Giants in the loss.

Both teams square off in the rubber match of the series this afternoon in San Francisco.

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.

Werth sends Phils fans home happy

Last night, the Phillies offense wasn’t as high powered as it has been, instead most of the support was from pitching on this day.  Joe Blanton pitched seven innings only giving up one run against the Chicago Cubs, and the Phillies could only manage a solo home run from Jimmy Rollins against the Cubs starter.  Then the Phillies relief went six shutout, no hit innings including three by Chan Ho Park and one by Clay Condrey(6-2) who got the win.  Finally in the bottom of the thirteenth, the Phils got two man on with two out for Jayson Werth.  Jayson Werth hit his 21st home run of the year sending the Phillies to a walk off win and their 10th in a row by a score of 4-1.  The Series will conclude this afternoon in Philly, check out Phillies Phandom for more Phillies news and info.

The Cubs came into this series hot, but even on a night when the pitching was solid, their bats still were silent.  Fukudome got an RBI double in the fourth scoring Ryan Theriot for the only run they would get in this game.  After Rich Harden pitched seven innings of one run ball, in 5.2 innings pitched, only Jeff Samardzija(0-1) gave up a run, and the Phillies also only had two hits.

McCann leads the Bravos

Tuesday night in Atlanta brought more of the same for the Braves fans, as they won again by a convincing score.  The Braves were led on Tuesday night by another great night for catcher Brian McCann, going two for four with four RBI including a three run home run.  Martin Prado continued his hot hitting going three for five as well with three runs scored and an RBI as well.  Derek Lowe(9-7) seems to be back on track now, going six innings, allowing seven hits, one walk and only a single run for the win. Make sure to get to The Braves Baseball Blog for more Braves info.

The Giants only mustered one run and that was when the game was out of reach in the fifth.  Juan Uribe hit a single to score Matt Downs as the Giants are losing a hold of their wild card grip.  Ryan Sadowski(2-2) only lasted 3.2 innings and was tagged for eight hits and all eight runs for the Giants.

Volstad gets the W

Chris Volstad is hoping that he has found his groove again, after two of his last three outtings have been quality.  Volstad(7-9) went seven innings to get the win while only allowing one run and four hits before being lifted.  The Marlins scored a run in each of the 2nd, 3rd and 5th innings on RBI’s by John Baker, Jorge Cantu and Jeremy Hermida.  Leo Nunez worked the ninth, while giving up a solo home run, but got his sixth save of the year none the less.  FishGuts is the place to be for all the Marlins news you need.

Chad Gaudin didn’t have a bad game, but as it always seems in San Diego, didn’t get any support.  Gaudin(4-9) worked six innings giving up nine hits, but only three runs but took the loss.  Adrian Gonzalez put the Pads up top in the first, but that would be their only run until Kyle Banks hit a solo shot in the ninth, but the game would end in a 3-2 loss for the Padres.

Lannan goes the distance

John Lannan and the Nationals did something that their fans don’t see much these days, win!  With that win though, Lannan also pitched a complete game shutout, the first since August 15th, 2006 and first in the new ballpark.  Lannan(7-7) scattered seven hits and had a single strike out in only throwing 106 pitches to get the complete game, 4-0, and looks to be the Nats ace.  He got help from RBI’s from an Alberto Gonzalez and Josh Willingham sacrifice flies, and singles by Will Nieves and Adam Dunn.  They will try to take the series from the Mets tonight at 7pm.  CenterfieldGate has more information regarding the Nats.

The New York Mets looked terrible in their approach at the plate, and after hoping that a win Monday might get them rolling, they went right back to what has haunted them all season.  Oliver Perez(2-3) in his third start back from the DL looked solid for the first few innings but in the fourth fell apart, and managed six innings giving up four runs while walking another six batters.  All seven hits the Mets got were singles as well, check out The Real Dirty Mets Blog for more info on this game and the Mets.

Phillips propels Reds

Brandon Phillips helped the Reds try to put a demoralizing loss on Monday behind them.  Phillips went 2-3 with three RBI, two runs scored and even had a key sacrifice in the ninth inning to lead the Reds to a 4-3 win in Philly.  Ageless David Weathers(1-1) got the win while pitching a scoreless bottom of the eighth only allowing a walk and Francisco Cordero worked the ninth for his 21st save of the year.

The Phillies had an early 3-0 lead in this game on two home runs by Howard and Werth and a double by Chase Utley, but squandered the lead by the sixth inning.  Brad Lidge(0-4) took the loss in the ninth while giving up two hits and a walk after having a great weekend versus the Mets.  The two teams play game three of a four game set tonight in Philly.  Check out Phillies Phandom to get more insight on the defending champs.

Josh Johnson with only his 2nd loss

Josh Johnson fell victim to a classic Barry Zito gem last night in San Francisco, which we haven’t seen much since he signed with the Giants.  Barry Zito(5-8) worked until one out in the ninth inning before being pulled while pitching a shutout and only allowing four hits and a walk to the Marlins in a 3-0 victory.  After Brian Wilson had a tough outing on Monday night, Sergio Romo worked the ninth to receive his first save of the year for the Giants.

Josh Johnson(7-2) worked seven strong innings but three runs, two on a home run by Juan Uribe in the fifth inning sent him to only his second loss of the season.  The Marlins offense sputtered off a San Francisco starter for the second straight game and this was the second straight game without all-star Hanley Ramirez.  The Marlins will look to salvage a game of the series tonight in San Francisco with Chris Volstad taking on Ryan Sadowski.

Vazquz pitches the Braves to a win

Javier Vazquez must have heard the rumors that some teams were looking into trading for him this week.  He responded by proving he wants to be a Brave, or auditioning for other teams, depending on how you want to look at it.  Vazquez(6-7) went seven innings only allowing five hits and a single earned run while the Braves beat the Cubs 2-1 on Tuesday night.  Rafael Soriano worked the ninth for his ninth save while Mike Gonzalez worked the eighth to get his eighth holf of the season.  Brian McCann provided all of the offense for the Braves with a run scoring single in the first and a run scoring double in the third inning.  For more info on the Braves, check out The Braves Baseball Blog.

Carlos Zambrano(4-4) pitched on short rest after a terrible outing and went six strong innings only giving up those two runs, but his offense couldn’t help him out on this night.  Koyie Hill got the only RBI for the Cubs while driving in Michael Hoffpauir in the second inning.

The series finale will be a matinee game in Chicago, starting at 2:20PM EST today.

Pelf can't do it again

In what appears to be a normal occurance these days for the Mets, they did not score any runs.  The Mets were shutout for the second straight game by the NL West leading Los Angeles Dodgers 8-0.  Mike Pelfrey allowed three in the second and two more in the fourth before being pulled for the game.  The Mets bats managed only four hits against Dodger pitching in the game as well.  Newly demoted to the bullpen Tim Redding even gave up a solo home run in his two innings of bullpen work on this day.  Check out The Real Dirty Mets Blog if you want more Mets information.

Young lefty Clayton Kershaw(6-5) went six strong innings and only allowed three hits and two walks while striking out seven batters in getting the win.  Manny Ramirez contributed three RBI in the first four innings, but was thrown out of the game in the fifth after striking out for the second time.

The two teams match back up tonight with Oliver Perez making his first start since May for the Mets.

Tavarez takes the loss...again

The Nationals ruined a golden chance to steal one from the Rockies in Colorado last night with sloppy defense.  The Natioanls made three errors including one in the eighth that led to the winning run scoring on a sacrifice fly for the Rockies, leading them to a 5-4 win.  Julian Tavarez(3-7) got the loss while only allowing two walks in one third of an inning, Joe Beimel relieved him and helped the Rockies with a throwing error.  Rookie Jordan Zimmermann only went four innings in this game while giving up two earned runs and four total, but throwing 94 pitches.  CenterfieldGate has all the Nats info you need.

Clint Barmes got the final two RBI for the Rockies to send them to the win over the Nats last night.  39 year old Alan Embree(2-2) worked one third of an innings for the win and Huston Street got his 21st save of the season and second in a row.  The series finale is at 3:10PM EST today with Detwiler facing De La Rosa.