Marlins vs. Phillies

The Phillies beat the Marlins in a score of 6-1. In the 2nd inning Ben Francisco and Carlos Ruiz both went deep for the Phillies with a pair of solo shots.  In the bottom of the inning Dan Uggla also went deep with a solo shot.  In the 4th Roy Halladay singled scoring Ben Francisco and Carlos Ruiz.  In the 5th the Phillies added another run when Carlos Ruiz singled home Raul Ibanez.  In the 7th the Phillies added another  a final run when Wilson Valdez singled home Placido Polanco.

Roy Halladay got the win and pitched 7 innings giving up 5 hits, 1 run, and 9 strikeouts.  The loss went to Sean West who pitched 5 innings giving up 9 hits, 5 runs, and 4 strikeouts.

Mets vs. Braves

The Mets beat the Braves in a score of 3-2. The Braves struck first in the 2nd when Melkey Cabrera grounded out into a fielders choice scoring Alex Gonzalez.  In the bottom of the inning Jose Reyes doubled scoring Luis Castillo.  The Braves took the lead in the 5th when Melkey Cabrera single home Rick Ankiel.  The Mets tied it up in the 7th when Chris Carter singled home Jeff Francoeur.  The Mets took the lead in the 9th when Jeff Francoer hit a solo home run.

Derek Lowe pitched 6 innings giving up 6 hits, 1 run, and 3 strikeouts.  RA Dickey pitched 6 innings giving up 5 hits, 2 runs, and 2 strikeouts.  Manny Acosta got the win after pitching 1.2 innings giving up no hits with 1 strikeout.  Billy Wagner got the loss after pitching 1 inning giving up 1 hit, 1 run, and 1 strikeout.  Francisco Rodríguez got the save after pitching a perfect 9th.

Nationals vs. Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks beat the Nationals in a score of 6-1. The Nationals took an early lead when Ryan Zimmerman hit a solo shot in the 1st.  In the 3rd the Diamondbacks tied it up when Stephen Drew hit a solo shot.  In the 4th the Diamondbacks took the lead when Mark Reynolds homered to score Adam LaRoche and Miguel Montero.  In the 6th the Diamondbacks added another run when Miguel Montero hit a sac fly to score Justin Upton.  In the 7th Kelly Johnson singled scoring Rusty Ryal to add another run.

Joe Saunders got the win after pitching a complete game with 5 hits, 1 run, and 5 strikeouts.  Scott Olsen got the loss and pitched 5.2 innings giving up 7 hits, 5 runs and 3 strikeouts.

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. Cardinals

The Cardinals beat the Phillies in a score of 8-4.  The Phillies scored 3 runs in the first when Ryan Howard doubled home Placido Polanco and Shane Victorino singled home Raul Ibanez and Ryan Howard.  The Cardinals scored  a run when Albert Pujols grounded out to score Felipe López in the bottom of the inning.  The Cardinals added another run in the 2nd when Brenden Ryan grounded out to score Skip Schumaker.  In the 4th the Phillies added there 4th run of the game when Jimmy Rollins singled home Carlos Ruiz.  In the 5th inning the Cardinals tapped on 5 more runs thanks to a Jay Bruce double and 3 home runs from  Albert Pujols, Allen Craig and Skip Schumaker.  The Cardinals added another run in the 6th when Randy Winn hit a solo shot.

Blake Hawksworth got the win and pitched 6 innings giving up 10 hits, 4 runs and 1 strikeout.  Kyle Kendrick got the lose and he pitched 5 innings giving up 7 hits, 7 runs and 2 strikeouts.

Marlins vs. Rockies

The Marlins beat the Rockies in a score of 9-8. The Rockies struck first adding 2 runs in the top of the 3rd when Jason Giambi singled home Jonathan Herrera and Carlos González scored.  The Marlins had 3 runs of there own in the bottom of the inning when Emilio Bonifacio singled home Mike Stanton and Hanley Ramirez reached on a bunt single that scored Emilio Bonifacio.  In the 6th the Rockies added 2 more runs when Ubaldo Jimenez and Seth Smith singled home Brad Hawpe and Clint Barmes.  In the bottom of the inning Mike Stanton homered scoring Jorge Cantu and Cody Ross.  The Marlins added another run when Jorge Cantu singled home  Emilio Bonifacio.  The Rockies struck back adding 4 runs in the 8th when Ian Stewart hit a solo shot and Jonathan Herrera hit a homer that scored Clint Barmes and Seth Smith.  The Marlins came back to win it when they scored 2 runs in the 9th when Donnie Murphy homered scoring Dan Uggla.

Ubaldo Jiménez pitched 5.1 innings giving up 6 hits, 6 runs with 5 strikeouts.  Anibal Sánchez pitched 6 innings giving up 8 hits, 4 runs with 4 strikeouts.  Jhan Maríñez got the win pitching 1.1 innings giving up 2 hits, 1 run with 2 strikeouts.  Houston Street got the lose pitching .2 of an inning giving up 1 hit and 2 runs with no strikeouts.

Nationals vs. Reds

The Reds beat the Nationals in a score of 7-2.  The Reds scored 4 runs in the 2nd thanks to a Drew Stubbs double and Johnny Cueto singled that scored Jonny Gomes, Jay Bruce, Miguel Cairo, and Stubbs. In the 3rd the Nationals got 2 runs when Nyjer Morgan hit a sac fly to score Willie Harris and Christian Guzman singled home Ian Desmond.  The Reds added 2 more runs when Jonny Gomes and Miguel Cairo both hit solo shots.  The Reds scored 1 more run in the 8th when Miguel Cairo singled home Jonny Gomes.

Johnny Cueto won and pitched 6 innings, giving up 4 hits, 2 runs, and 4 strikeouts.  JD Martin got the loss and pitched 5.1 innings giving up 6 hits, 6 runs, and 2 strikeouts.

Mets vs. Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks beat the Mets in a score of 13-2. The Diamondbacks scored 4 runs in the 1st thanks to hits from Kelly Johnson, Mark Reynolds, and Gerardo Parra.  They scored 2 more runs in the 2nd inning when Justin Upton doubled home Chris Young and Adam LaRoche singled home Justin Upton.  The Mets scored in the 5th when Angel Pagan singled home Josh Thole.  In the 6th the Diamondbacks added 5 runs when Justin Upton tripled, Miguel Montero doubled, and Mark Reynolds homered and they added  2 more runs in the 8th.  The Mets added 1 more run in the 9th when Jose Reyes doubled home Luis Castillo.

Ian Kennedy got the win and pitched 5 innings giving up 4 hits, 1 run and 1 strikeout.  Mike Pelfrey got the loss and pitched only 1.1 innings giving up 7 hits, 6 runs with 1 strikeout.

The Braves were off.

Phillies vs. Reds

The Phillies beat the Reds in a score of 4-3 in extra innings. The Reds scored first when Joey Votto hit a solo shot in the 1st.  In the bottom of the inning Shane Victorino tied it up when he also went deep. The Phillies took the lead when Jimmy Rollins scored off a fielding error when Shane Victorino singled.  In the top of the 8th Drew Stubbs scored on a wild pitch to tie up the game.  In the bottom of the inning the Phillies reclaimed the lead when Jimmy Rollins hit a sac fly to score Wilson Valedz.  In the 9th the Reds tied it up again when Miguel Cairo doubled home Joey Votto.  Brian Schneider hit a walk off homer in the 12th for the Phillies.

Kyle Kendrick pitched 6.2 innings giving up 3 hits, 1 run, with 4 strikeouts.  Johnny Cueto pitched 7 innings giving up 4 hits, 2 runs with 3 strikeouts.  Nelson Figueroa got the win pitching 2 innings giving up no hits with 2 strikeouts.  The loss went to Jordan Smith who pitched 1.1 innings giving up 2 hits, 1 run, and no strikeouts.

Nationals vs. Padres

The Padres beat the Nationals in a score of 7-1. Yorvit Torrealba singled home Chase Headley in the first to score the first run of the game.  They added 2 more runs when Chris Denorfia and pitcher Mat Latos both went deep in the 3rd.  In the 6th Chris Denorfia singled home Yorvit Torrealba.  They again added 2 runs in the 7th when Chase Headley homered scoring Mat Latos.  The Nationals finally put a run on the board in the 8th when Adam Dunn singled home Roger Bernadina. In the 9th Jerry Hairston Jr. hit a solo shot to add another run for the Padres.

Mat Latos got the win after pitching 7 innings giving up 5 hits, no runs with 8 strikeouts.  The loss went to  Luis Atilano who pitched 5.1 innings giving up 8 hits, 4 runs with 2 strikeouts.

Marlins vs. Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks beat the Marlins in a score of 10-4. Arizona scored in the 1st when Kelly Johnson grounded out scoring Stephen Drew.  In the 3rd the Marlins tied it up when Chris Coghlan hit a sac fly to score Michael Stanton. Cole Gillespie doubled home Chris Snyder and Gerardo Parra then Kelly Johnson tripled home both Cole Gillespie and Stephen Drew, and Justin Upton singled home Kelly Johnson in the 4th inning to score 5 runs in the inning.  In the 6th Donnie Murphy scored for the Marlins on a throwing error.  In the bottom of the inning Arizona scored 4 more runs thanks to a long single from Adam LaRoche, a sac fly from Chris Snyder and an error.  In the 7th the Marlins added 2 runs when Brett Hayes homered scoring Cody Ross.

Anibal Sánchez lost after he pitched just 4 innings giving up 9 hits, 6 runs, and 2 strikeouts.  Rodrigo López got the win after he tossed 7 innings giving up 5 hits, 4 runs and 3 strikeouts.

The Mets and The Braves are both off

Crickets. Nothing is really going on. After last week’s flurry of activity, it is all quiet on the Free Agent/Trade front. I think it is safe to assume that the Bay/Holliday sweepstakes will not be over until sometime in January. There may be minor free agent signings over the next couple of days, but nothing major.

Surprisingly, this article is not about me.

Though I admit, I find it more exciting to find out where the under the radar free agents end up as opposed to the high priced stars. We all know Jason Bay is going to a handful of places. Same with Matt Holliday. Its guys like Orlando Hudson and Ben Sheets who will be interesting and it is those types of signings that make the difference.

Orlando Hudson signed a 1 year deal with the Dodgers and suffice to say, he was a major part of the Dodgers offense for most of the season. Certainly the Dodgers got a great return on their one year investment.

For example, Jayson Werth signed a one year $850,000 deal with the Phillies prior to the 2007 season. I think that has worked out quite nicely for the Phillies. Adam Dunn signed with the Nationals last season for 2 yrs/$20 million, which while high, isnt too bad considering the Nationals received 38 HR’s, 105 RBI, and a .267 average for their money. If I remember correctly, no one wanted to pay him because of the cost/value differential. Think the Braves or Mets wouldnt mind having that kind of production in the lineup?

The point is, unless you are the Yankees, and you fill almost every position on your roster with a big name free agent signing, teams win and lose from 1-40 on the roster. This means that you have to maximize your budget and find the best deals. Typically those deals are for guys, like Ben Sheets, who may end up being the Comeback Player of the Year next season. We could be talking in July saying things like, can you believe the Rangers signed Sheets for only $3 million for one season, when Sheets has a 10-2 record with a 3.13 ERA. Or how could a team NOT sign Matt Capps after he gets his 20th save.

I know it is a fairly obvious point but I think it often gets overlooked, especially during free agency.  Many fans overlook the value guys.  Sure Mark DeRosa or Adam Kennedy may not be stars, but what they add to their new teams might be more valuable than adding merely one big star.  Every season it seems like players who no one wanted in December end up playing a big role during the season.  Jeff Weaver for the Dodgers is another example.  Pedro Martinez for the Phillies. 

 

Does anyone want to sign me? I will bring my attractive wife!

Here is a list of guys, in no particular order, who I think will be a steal when they are finally signed:  (A steal reflecting a positive production/cost ratio as compared to other players)

-Doug Davis (P)

-Brett Myers (P)

-Hank Blalock (1B/3B/DH)

-Octavio Dotel (P)

-Kelly Johnson (2B)

-Xavier Nady (OF)

-Scott Podsednik (OF)

Now, I think there are more guys available who are valuable and not included on this list, but I think this is representative of the players who can definetly help a team win.  These are guys who I am interested in seeing where they end up and following them next year.

 

Happy Holidays!

Lidge blows #11

The Florida Marlins were looking to take two of three against the first place Phillies last night and pull closer in the wildcard and division, but were down headed to late innings.  They fought back late in the game with a Gaby Sanchez home run in the eighth, a Cody Ross RBI single in the eighth and finally a Jorge Cantu RBI single to tie it in the ninth.  That wasn’t the end of it though, as Brett Carroll singled home Hanley Ramirez with the winning run against struggling closer Brad Lidge in the bottom of the ninth to win 7-6.  Dan Meyer(3-1) got the win while working a scoreless inning in the ninth as the Marlins try to keep their playoff hopes alive, FishGuts has more.

Brad Lidge is a far cry from last year’s perfect season, now with his 11th blown save of the year.  Lidge only recorded two outs in the bottom of the ninth while allowing three hits and a walk while giving up two runs and his ERA is now 7.48 on the season.  The blown save took another win away from starter Cole Hamels and took the emphasis off a game in which both Raul Ibanez and Ryan Howard homered and Howard had a total of four RBI.  Phillies Phandom will cover Lidge’s struggle.

Cox with an extension and another win

On a night when it was announced that Bobby Cox would manage for another season, the Braves gave him another win.  Tim Hudson(2-1) went six innings allowing nine hits and two runs to continue a successful Tommy John comeback and the bottom of the order did the heavy lifting for the Braves.  Adam LaRoche went 3-5 with two RBI and Kelly Johnson went 1-3 with two RBI on way to the 5-2 win.  Rafael Soriano once again worked the ninth allowing just a walk to get his 26th save of the season, check out Braves Baseball Blog for more.

Mike Pelfrey absolutely can’t find the magic he had last year as he lost again.  Pelfrey(10-12) went six innings and allowed nine hits and four runs (although three earned) in taking another loss.  Luis Castillo singled home Pelfrey in the third and then Angel Pagan had an RBI on a fielders’ choice error in the fourth for their only runs.  The Real Dirty Mets Blog has more on the game and the Mets floundering season.

The Nats win one in walk off fashion

The Nationals took a game from the Dodgers last night, with a final score of 5-4 and in walk off fashion on Pete Orr’s sacrifice fly in the ninth.  Ryan Zimmerman had a big blow in the sixth as he hit a three run home run off Chad Billingsley to temporarily tie the game.  The Nats would go ahead onf Elijah Dukes RBI groundout before giving it back again in the ninth.  Saul Rivera(1-3) got the win as he worked the final two outs of the top of the ninth inning on only three pitches. Check out Centerfield Gate for an in depth recap on the game.

Chad Billingsley pitched well through the first six innings but then appeared to break down in the sixth inning.  Billingsley went six innings allowing just one hit and three runs, but walking four and striking out nine, the one hit being the big three run homer.  On offense, Andre Ethier, James Loney and Russell Martin were credited with RBI’s in the game but no one had more than two hits for the Dodgers.

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.

Blanton with another strong game

The Philadelphia Phillies were looking to have another successful series and take two out of three games from the formerly Central division leading St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.  They ended up routing them for the second straight day, led by home runs from Utley, Howard, Rollins and Ibanez, all of the two run variety on way to a 9-2 victory.  Starter Joe Blanton(7-4) went eight innings, having yet another strong start giving up seven hits, two runs and six strike outs as Brad Lidge worked the ninth in a non save situation.  Check out Phillies Phandom for more info on the Phils.

The Cardinals once again had production from their latest trade pickups, but they will need the rest of the team to produce to be successful.  Lugo went 2-4 with a run scored, Holliday was 1-2 with a walk and a sacrifice fly and Mark DeRosa was 2-4 with a solo home run for this game.  The rest of the team only had three hits and produced no runs as Todd Wellemeyer took the loss.  Wellemeyer(7-9) went 5.2 innings giving up seven runs, five earned on this day.

HanRam takes one for the team

The Florida Marlins yesterday were able to derail the best team in the National League, by taking two out of three games from the NL West leading Los Angeles Dodgers.  Hanley Ramirez finished with three RBI while going 2-4 with a run scored to lead the Marlins and even was retaliated against by Jeff Weaver for having such a game.  Chris Volstad(8-9) worked 5.1 innings giving up eight hits and four runs but that held up for the win by a final of 8-6.  In the bottom of the seventh inning, Burke Badenhop was ejected along with manager Fredi Gonzalez for retaliation for Hanley Ramirez being hit, or so the umps thought so.  Check out  FishGuts for more Marlins insight.

The Marlins were down 8-0 yesterday before fighting back with six runs between the sixth and ninth innings.  James Loney had a two RBI double and an RBI single, Russell Martin had a two home home run an RBI single by Ethier capped the scoring.  Jason Schmidt(1-1) only lasted three innings while getting tagged for five runs and five hits, but only four earned runs.

A

Kotchman with a bomb

The Braves were only up 1-0 yesterday on the Brewers when entering the sixth inning yesterday but Casey Kotchman and the rest of the team wanted to put this one out of reach.  Kotchman hit a three run home run to make it 5-0 in the sixth after Matt Diaz had produced a run with a single before him.  They added five more runs in the final four innings on a McCann and Kelly Johnson home runs, a Prado Sac fly, and a bases loaded walk for Yunel Escobar.  Derek Lowe(10-7) worked six strong innings only giving up a two run home run as the Braves won 10-2 to take the series in Milwaukee.  The Braves Baseball Blog will have more info on the Braves for you.

The Brewers offense was held in check yesterday by Brave pitching except for one inning in the game.  In the sixth inning after falling behind 5-0, Corey Hart hit his 10th home run of the season to cut the lead to 5-2.  Braves relief pitching though couldn’t hold on to allow them to come back.  Braden Looper(9-5) went six innings giving up seven hits and five runs on four walks to take the loss in this one.

Livan rebounds for a good outting

After the first inning yesterday in Houston, it looked like the same old rubber game for the Mets this season.  Livan Hernandez(7-5) gave up three runs on three consecutive doubles to start the game before the Astros made some baserunning mistakes to get him out of an even bigger inning.  After that, Hernandez settled in for six more innings allowing no more runs than the initial three as the Mets came back to win 8-3.  The Mets had three triples in this game, one each from Luis Castillo, Angel Pagan and Jeremy Reed.  Sean Green worked the final out of the eighth and the ninth inning to get his first save fo the season.  The Mets now return home to face the wild card leading Colorado Rockies for four at Citi Field and hope to bring some momentum with them.  Check out The Real Dirty Mets Blog for more.

Doubles in the first by Miguel Tejada, Carlos Lee and Geoff Blum after a single by Kaz Matsui provided all three runs for the Astros.  Hunter Pence followed with a single by Blum was thrown out at home for the second out by a mile, followed by Pence being caught stealing while Pudge was at bat.  Brian Moehler(7-6) worked 4.2 innings but gave up five runs on eight hits and walked two in taking the loss for the Astros.

Kearns sends fans home happy

The Washington Nationals completed their second straight series victory with a walk off victory against the San Diego Padres.  Austin Kearns with his first at bat of the game, replacing Adam Dunn hit a walk off single which scored Nyjer Morgan to give the Nats a 3-2 victory.  Josh Willingham homered in the seventh to even them with the Padres at 1 and then Adam Dunn singled home Willie Harris in the eighth inning for the lead.  John Lannan worked eight innings but got a no decision as Mike MacDougal blew his first save of the year for the Nationals.  Joe Beimel(1-5) worked two thirds of an inning and qualified for the win.  Centerfieldgate has more info for you on the Nats.

The Padres started Chad Gaudin pitched well but also got a no decision and Luke Gregerson was thankful for Kyle Banks hitting another home run, this time off Mike MacDougal to save him from a loss.  Greg Burke(2-3) took the loss as he was an out away from getting out of the rally when Kearns won the game for the Nats.

According to David O’Brien of the AJC, the Braves have sent Brooks Conrad back to AAA Gwinnett since Kelly Johnson is coming back from the DL.

Conrad had a great cup of coffee as he hit .344 and had 2 three baggers, two home runs and eight total RBI.

I don’t know about this move, but i’m not Bobby Cox…

Rollins breaks out of his slump

Jimmy Rollins went 2-5 with 2RBI and a run scored last night, further breaking out of his slump while helping his Phillies win versus the New York Mets 7-2.  The Phillies got all their runs in the first three innings against Mets starter Livan Hernandez(5-4) who lost his third decision in a row and looked terrible from the start last night.  Greg Dobbs, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley each had two RBI each for Philly to move back into first place all alone in the NL East.  Rodrigo Lopez(1-0) won his first game in almost two full years pitching into the seventh inning only giving up six hits and two earned runs.  To get more info on the Phillies and their win last night, check out Phillies Phandom.

Some bright spots for the Mets were that Ryan Church continued to be hot, going 3-4 with a run scored, and his one out actually was a trapped ball by Greg Dobbs.  Also, the bullpen in their second straight day of long relief, pitched five innings of one hit ball.  To get additional info on the loss, check out The Real Dirty Mets Blog.

The Phillies and Mets will meet up today at 4pM on the Fox game of the week, Fernando Nieve takes on Jamie Moyer.

Volstad didn't have it tonigh

Rain delays aren’t a new thing to the Marlins being in Miami, and lately the Pirates have seen their fair share too.  The Pirates went through two rain delays Thursday against the Mets and dealt with another delay during the opening game of a series in Florida last night.  After all was said and done though, former Brave Charlie Morton(1-1) pitched six innings of one hit and no run ball against a big hitting Marlin team to get the win.  Pittsburgh pitching chased Marlins starter Chris Volstad(5-8) after only three innings and 47 pitches but four earned runs and added more later against Marlin relief.  Three pirates contributed two RBI each for Pittsburgh to take the opening game of the set and knock the Marlins out of their first place tie temporarily.

The Marlins’ Hanley Ramirez ended his RBI streak at 10 games when he failed to drive any runs in during this game and actually had no hits as well.  Catcher Scott Baker contributed three RBI on two hits and had two RBI in the game to lead the fish.

The two teams match back up at 6:10 in Miami tonight.

Nice debut

Brooks Conrad who was just called up to replace the injured Kelly Johnson wasted no time in making an impact for the Bravos.  In the seventh inning of a 5-5 game between the Nats and Braves, Conrad hit a three run home run to give the Braves the lead in a game they would eventually win 8-5 over the last place Nats.  Neither starting pitcher in this game could last a full five innings, and it was up to which relief pitchers could get the job done to win it.  The Braves had the better relief pitching, but by a slim margin as Rafael Soriano gave up two runs in his save chance in the ninth to record his ninth save by one run.  Boone Logan(1-0) worked a perfect 1.2 innings to earn the win for the hot Braves, winners of 5 in a row now, and they stayed two games behind the Phillies and moved into a third place tie with the Mets.  Jesus Colome(1-1) gave up the three run home run and took the loss for the Nationals who have now lost four games in a row.  Check out The Braves Baseball Blog for more.

The Nationals continuously fought back in this game, including Christian Guzman getting two hits in four at bats and driving in three runs.  Adam Dunn hit his 21st home run as well to lead the team.  Check out CenterfieldGate for more Nats news.

The two teams continue their series at 1:05PM on Saturday afternoon.