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.

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.

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.

Braves vs. Mets

The first place Atlanta Braves opened up a three game series in New York against the second place Mets on Friday night.  Behind strong pitching and timely hitting, the Braves defeated the Mets by a score of 4-2 to extend their lead to four games in the NL East.

Braves starter Tommy Hanson and Mets starter R.A. Dickey pitched well, with each allowing only two runs over the first six innings.  The Mets threatened to break open a 2-2 tie in the sixth and put runners on second and third, but Bobby Cox called on reliever Eric O’Flaherty, who retired pinch hitter Jesus Feliciano on a ground ball to keep the Mets off of the scoreboard.  Despite throwing over 100 pitches, Jerry Manuel left Dickey in to pitch the seventh inning.  The knuckleballer retired the first two batters in the inning, but then allowed back-to-back home runs to Melky Cabrera and Omar Infante which gave the Braves a 4-2 lead. 

The Braves bullpen did the rest, shutting down the Mets for the final three innings.  Billy Wagner pitched a 1-2-3 ninth against his former club to pick up his 20th save on the season.  O’Flaherty (3-1) earned the win in relief, while Dickey (6-2) suffered the loss for the Mets.

 

Phillies vs. Reds

The Phillies and Reds played the wildest game of the night on Friday in Philadelphia.  The Reds appeared to be cruising to a victory, but the Phillies exploded for six runs in the ninth and used a walk-off home run in the tenth to defeat the Reds 9-7.

The Reds jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning off of Phils starter Joe Blanton, thanks to a three run homer from Jonny Gomes.  The Reds scored three more runs off of Blanton over his 5 1/3 innings, and added another run in the top of the ninth to take a commanding 7-1 lead.  Meanwhile, Reds starter Mike Leake was cruising, holding the Phillies at bay while helping out his own cause with three hits and an RBI.  However, it all came apart in the bottom of the ninth.

After a Ryan Howard RBI single with one out, Leake allowed a three run homer to Greg Dobbs which cut the lead to 7-5.  Leake departed and the Reds brought in their closer, Francisco Cordero.  Cordero retired his first batter, but after walking Ben Francisco, Cordero allowed a game tying home run to pinch hitter Cody Ransom to send the Phillies crowd into a frenzy.   Reliever Ryan Madson pitched a perfect tenth inning for the Phillies. Arthur Rhodes came on to pitch the bottom of the tenth for Cincinnati, and Raul Ibanez greeted him with a leadoff double.  Ryan Howard followed with an opposite field home run to give the Phillies the improbable victory.  Madson (2-0) picked up the win, while Rhodes (3-3) suffered the loss.

 

Nationals vs. Giants

It was the Strasburg and Dunn show Friday night in Washington as the Nationals defeated the Giants by a score of 8-1.

Rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg allowed a leadoff home run to San Francisco’s Andres Torres in the first inning, but settled down after that.  The Nationals tied the game in the bottom of the first off of Giants starter Matt Cain, and took the lead in the fourth inning on an Adam Dunn solo homer.  The Nats added two runs in the sixth and four more in the seventh, highlighted by a three run homer from Dunn.  Dunn’s second blast put the nail in the coffin for Cain (6-8) and the Giants.

Strasburg (3-2) allowed only three hits over his six innings of work, walking just one while striking out 8.  Three Nats relievers combined to shut out the Giants over the final three frames to close out the victory for Washington.

 

Marlins vs. Diamondbacks

After falling in the series opener in Arizona, the Florida Marlins bounced back to even the four game set by defeating the Diamondbacks 3-2 on Friday night.

Marlins pitcher Ricky Nolasco and D-Backs starter Dan Haren each pitched into the seventh inning and did their best to keep their opponents off of the scoreboard.  The Marlins broke through with two runs in the third on RBI singles from Dan Uggla and Cody Ross.  After Arizona scored a run in the fourth, the Marlins got that run back in the seventh.  Uggla’s RBI infield hit brought home Florida’s third run and ended the night for Haren (7-7).  Arizona answered with a run off of Nolasco (9-6) in the bottom of the seventh, but couldn’t bring home the tying run.  

The Marlins bullpen took control from there.  Clay Hensley struck out the side in the eighth inning, and Leo Nunez pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn save number 19 on the season.

Marlins vs. Braves

The Marlins and Braves went extra innings on Friday night in Atlanta.   The Braves blew a ninth inning lead and fell behind in the top of the 11th, but Atlanta bounced back in the bottom of the 11th and defeated the Marlins 4-3.

Braves starter Kris Medlen and Marlins ace Josh Johnson each allowed only one run.  Medlen allowed a solo homer to Hanley Ramirez in the top of the first, but kept the Marlins off of the scoreboard after that.   A pair of RBI singles by Martin Prado in the 5th and 7th innings gave the Braves a 2-1 lead.  The score stayed that way until the top of the ninth.  Billy Wagner came on for the save, but Gaby Sanchez led off the frame with a solo shot to center to tie the game at 2.

The score remained tied at 2 until the top of the 11th, when the Marlins took the lead on a bizarre play.  With the bases loaded and one out, the Marlins attempted a squeeze with pinch hitter Brian Barden at the plate.  Barden missed the bunt attempt and Wes Helms was caught in a rundown breaking from third.   However, the Marlins caught a break when Braves reliever Jonny Venters dropped the ball as he went to tag out Helms, who scored the go-ahead run.   The Marlins brought in closer Leo Nunez in the bottom of the 11th, but he failed to retire a batter.  After allowing a leadoff walk and a double, Omar Infante singled to left to bring home two runs and give the Braves a walk-off victory.  Venters (3-0) earned the victory for Atlanta, while Nunez (3-2) suffered the loss for Florida.

 

Mets vs. Nationals

The Mets received a solid starting pitching performance for the second straight day in Washington.  This time, they provided their starter with some offense, jumping out to an early lead and hanging on to defeat the Nationals by a score of 5-3.

The Mets jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning against Nats starter Luis Atilano on an RBI groundout from Ike Davis, and then knocked Atilano (6-5) out of the game in the fourth.  After loading the bases with no outs, Atilano retired the next two Mets and looked like he might escape the jam.  However, Alex Cora followed with a triple off of the right field wall to clear the bases.  Mets pitcher Jonathon Niese followed with an RBI double to bring home Cora and give the Mets a 5-0 lead.

Niese held the Nationals scoreless until the seventh inning, when Josh Willingham led off the inning with a solo homer to put the Nats on the board.  However, Niese (6-2) retired the next three batters and finished up seven innings, allowing just that one run.  The score remained 5-1 until the bottom of the ninth, when things got interesting.  Mets manager Jerry Manuel elected not to bring in his closer to start the inning with a four run lead, but summoned Francisco Rodriguez once the game became a save situation with two outs and runners on second and third.  Roger Bernadina and Ian Desmond hit back-to-back RBI singles to cut the lead to 5-3 and put the tying runs on base.   Met killer Willie Harris then came up and worked a full count, but instead of coming home, Rodriguez wheeled around and threw to second, picking off Bernadina to end the game.  That pickoff was the only out K-Rod recorded, but it was enough to earn him his 19th save on the season.

 

Phillies vs. Pirates

The Phillies and Pirates couldn’t muster much offense Friday night in Pittsburgh.  The Pirates scratched out two runs in the fourth, and those runs held up as the Pirates defeated the Phillies by a score of 2-0.

Phillies starter Jamie Moyer pitched six strong innings, allowing just five hits and striking out eight.  Unfortunately for Moyer (9-7) and the Phillies, it wasn’t enough.  In the fourth inning, with the bases loaded and two outs, Moyer got Andy LaRoche to hit a slow roller towards third base.  Moyer raced to pick up the ball and fired to first, but he threw wildly over the head of Ryan Howard, allowing two runs to score.  LaRoche was credited with an infield hit and an RBI on the play.

Meanwhile, Pirates starter Ross Ohlendorf pitched seven shutout innings for Pittsburgh, allowing five hits and just one walk while striking out eight.  Octavio Dotel came on in the ninth inning and retired the Phillies in order to earn his 18th save and give Ohlendorf (1-6) his first win on the season.

Nationals vs. Royals

It was  another fine pitching performance by Stephen Strasburg, but without any offense to back him up, he received his first Major League loss as the Nationals fell to the Royals 1-0.  The Royals got on the board in the top of the 5th when David DeJesus scored on a single by Jose Guillen.  Nationals’ bats were quiet, however, Strasburg did get his first Major League hit and Adam Dunn went 2-4 at the plate for Washington.

Strasburg took the loss, going 6 innings and giving up one run on nine hits. He also had nine more strikeouts tonight, giving him a total of 41 strikeouts in his first four MLB starts, which is a new record. Brian Bannister got the win throwing 6 innings and giving up no runs on five hits. Joakim Soria recorded his 17th save of the season for the Royals.

Check out Centerfield Gate for more.

Mets vs. Tigers

The Mets continue to win at home as they beat the Tigers 5-0. Detroit was held to just five hits on the night. It was a big night for Mets hitters though as Jose Reyes went 3-4 and Ike Davis went 2-4. New York got on the board in the 3rd when Reyes scored on a double by David Wright. Reyes later homered in the 5th to make it 2-0 Mets. They went on to score three more runs in the 7th on a Jesus Feliciano ground out and later on a two-RBI single by Davis.

R.A. Dickey pitched 8 brilliant innings to get the win, giving up no runs on four hits. He has now won six in a row. Jeremy Bonderman took the loss, throwing 6 innings and allowing four runs on seven hits.

For more info, check out the Real Dirty Mets Blog.

Marlins vs. Orioles

The Marlins didn’t seem to be distracted by the firing of Fredi Gonzalez as they took game two in their series with the Orioles, winning 7-5. Baltimore struck first scoring four runs in the 2nd on back-to-back one-run homers by Luke Scott and Adam Jones, and a two-RBI single by Corey Patterson. Florida responded in the top of the 3rd with home runs by Gaby Sanchez and Jorge Cantu to tie the game. The Marlins scored two more runs in the 7th on back-to-back doubles by Ronny Paulino and Chris Coghlan. Patterson would drive in another run for the Orioles in the 8th, cutting the Marlins lead to 6-5.

Ricky Nolasco got the win, throwing 7 innings and giving up four runs on eight hits. Brian Matusz took the loss, going 6.1 innings and allowing six runs on seven hits. Leo Nunez got his 16th save of the year for the Marlins.

Check out Fish Guts for more.

Phillies vs. Indians

The Phillies beat the Indians by a score of 7-6. Cleveland was off to a fast start as they scored two in the 1st on a home run by Shin-Soo choo. The Phillies responded in the bottom of the inning with an RBI ground out by Ryan Howard. They then tied it in the 2nd inning on a Jayson Werth home run. Raul Ibanez would drive in two more runs for the Phillies in the 4th to make it 4-3 Philadelphia. Choo would give Cleveland the lead once again in the 5th as he hit his second homer of the night, a two-run shot to center field. Brian Schneider tied it up for Philadelphia in the 7th with his first home run of the season, making it 5-5. It would remain tied until the top of the 9th when Trevor Crowe scored for Cleveland. Jimmy Rollins then hit a walkoff home run in the bottom of the 9th to win it for the Phillies.

Kyle Kendrick only lasted 4 innings for the Phillies, giving up five runs on six hits. J.C. Romero got the win for Philadelphia. Jake Westbrook went 5 innings, taking a no decision. He gave up four runs on seven hits. Kerry Wood took the loss.

Check out Phillies Phandom for more info.

Braves vs. White Sox

After waiting out a rain delay, the Braves lost to the White Sox 4-2. Atlanta scored first in the 2nd inning on an RBI single by Melky Cabrera. Chicago tied it up in the 4th on a single by Paul Konerko. Later in the inning Chicago scored two more runs on a Carlos Quentin home run. David Ross cut the White Sox lead to 3-2 with a RBI single in the 5th. Quentin homered again in the 7th, making it 4-2 Chicago.

Tim Hudson went 7 innings and got the loss, giving up four runson six hits. Mark Buehrle went 6 innings to get the win, and gave up two runs on nine hits. Bobby Jenks got his 16th save of the season.

For more info, go to Braves Baseball.

Phillies vs. Twins

The Phillies beat the Twins by a score of 9-5. The Phillies scored early and often, getting three runs in the 1st and five runs in the 2nd. Philadelphia had back-to-back home runs by Chase Utley and Ryan Howard in the 2nd to make it 8-0. Howard had two home runs on the night along with a triple. The Twins got on the board in the 6th with an RBI single by Michael Cuddyer, and again in the 7th on a Nick Pinto home run. The Twins fought back to score two more in the 9th on a wild pitch and an RBI ground out by Orlando Hudson.

Joe Blanton got the win for the Phillies, going 6 innings and giving up three runs on seven hits. Nick Blackburn took the loss, lasting only 1.2 innings, allowing eight runs on six hits.

For more go to Phillies Phandom.

Nationals vs. White Sox

The Nationals lost to the White Sox in extra innings 2-1. The White Sox jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the 1st inning, but then the game was all pitching. Washington tied it up in the 7th with an RBI double by Adam Dunn. The game remained tied until the 11th when a single by Alex Rios scored Mark  Kotsay for the go ahead run.

Stephen Strasburg, who had a no decision, pitched 7 innings allowing one run on four hits and struck out ten. Drew Storen took the loss for the Nationals. Gavin Floyd also had a no decision, going 8 innings and giving up one run on four hits. J.J. Putz got the win. Bobby Jenks recorded his 14th save for Chicago.

Check out Centerfield Gate for more info.

Marlins vs. Rays

The Marlins snapped a three-game losing streak, beating the Rays 7-4. The Rays jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the 1st on an RBI double by Ben Zobrist. The Marlins responded in the bottom of the inning. After Chris Coghlan scored to make it 2-1, rookie Mike Stanton hit his first Major League home run — a grand slam — to give the Marlins a 5-2 lead. Florida would go on to score two more in the 2nd on singles by Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla. Tampa Bay scored one run in the 4th on an error by Ramirez, and again in the 7th on a single by B.J. Upton.

Nate Robertson got the win, going 6 innings and allowing three runs on five hits. Matt Garza got the loss, throwing only 1.1 innings and giving up seven runs on seven hits. Leo Nunez got his 14th save for the Marlins.

Check out Fish Guts for more.

Braves vs. Royals

The Braves held onto first place in the NL East with their 6-4 win over the Royals. Atlanta struck first, scoring two runs in the 2nd on a sacrifice bunt by Derek Lowe and later in the inning on a wild pitch. Kansas City would tie it up with an RBI single by Jason Kendall in the 3rd and a home run by Billy Butler in the 4th. The Braves scored three more in the 4th with a double by Melky Cabrera and singles by Lowe and Chipper Jones. The Royals scored again in the 7th and 8th on singles by Wilson Betemit and Jose Guillen.

Derek Lowe got the win going 6.1 innings and allowing three runs on six hits. Brian Bannister took the loss, lasting only 4 innings and giving up five runs on seven hits. Billy Wagner got his 13th save for Atlanta.

Check out Braves Baseball for more.

Mets vs. Yankees

The Mets won their eighth straight, beating the Yankees 4-0. The Mets scored in the 1st on an RBI single by Ike Davis. They got two more runs in the eighth when a double by Angel Pagan scored Ruben Tejada and Jose Reyes. Reyes drove in a run in the 9th to make it 4-0. Nick Swisher went 2-5 and Francisco Cervelli went 2-4 for the Yankees.

Hisanori Takahashi pitched 6 strong innings to get the win, giving up no runs on four hits. Javier Vazquez took the loss, throwing 7 innings and allowing one run on three hits. Francisco Rodriguez recorded his 16th save.

Check out Real Dirty Mets Blog for more.

Nationals vs. Astros

The Nationals took on the Astros in Houston on Thursday afternoon looking to salvage a split of the four game series.  The Nats came within an out of doing just that, but poor defense and another blown save cost them as they fell to the Astros by a score of 6-4.

Down 3-2 heading to the ninth inning, the Nationals rallied against Houston closer Matt Lindstrom with two outs and nobody on base.  After a Michael Morse single, Willie Harris tripled to left field to tie the game, and Cristian Guzman followed with a single to give Washington a 4-3 lead.  However, Matt Capps suffered his second blown save of the series.  Guzman, a career infielder, was moved from shortstop to right field in the bottom of the eighth inning, and that move cost the Nats.  With two outs and Michael Bourn on second, Guzman misplayed Lance Berkman’s line drive into a two-base error, allowing Bourn to score the tying run.  Carlos Lee followed with a home run to left field to give the Astros a walk-off victory. 

The Nationals have lost three in a row and ended up with a 3-7 record on their 10 game road trip.  Washington hopes to turn their fortunes around when they return home to face the Cincinnati Reds on Friday.

 

Brewers vs. Marlins

Behind another strong pitching performance from ace Josh Johnson, the Marlins defeated the Brewers 3-2 in Miami to take three of four from Milwaukee.

Johnson went seven innings, allowing just one run and striking out eight to improve to 6-2 on the season.  The Marlins built a 3-0 lead off Brewers starter Chris Capuano, who was making his first start since 2007 in his return from Tommy John surgery.  Catcher Ronny Paulino had two RBI, and Dan Uggla drove in one and scored two for Florida.  Leo Nunez came on in the ninth inning to protect a 3-1 lead and made it interesting.  Three straight singles with one out cut the lead to 3-2, but Nunez rebounded to retire Prince Fielder and strike out Corey Hart to earn his 12th save on the season.

The Marlins head to New York to open up a three game series against the Mets on Friday evening.

 

Braves vs. Dodgers

The first place Braves opened up a ten game road trip on Thursday night.   Atlanta extended their winning streak to nine games as they held on to defeat the Dodgers 4-3 in Los Angeles.

Troy Glaus homered and drove two runs to lead the Braves offense.  Starter Kris Medlen also got into the action with an RBI double in the sixth to extend Atlanta’s lead to 4-0.  Medlen pitched into the eighth inning, leaving with one out and the bases loaded.  Peter Moylan came in and allowed all three inherited runners to score to cut the Braves lead to 4-3.  With closer Billy Wagner unavailable after appearing in four straight games, Takashi Saito was called on to try to seal the victory.  Saito retired the first two batters and got ahead of Russell Martin 0 and 2 before departing with a hamstring injury.  Jonny Venters threw one pitch and struck out Martin to earn his first major league save.

The Braves look to make it 10 in a row Friday night in Los Angeles.

 

The Mets and Phillies were off on Thursday, but be sure to check out The Real Dirty Mets Blog and Phillies Phandom for the latest on both teams.

Hi, everyone. Before I get started, I thought it might be good to introduce myself since I’m new to NLEast Chatter and you’re probably all wondering what the hell an ‘ubermet’ is. Good question. Fact is, I don’t even know. It’s a nickname someone gave me in high school or college or something and I guess it just stuck. I think it’s German or something. I’m not German though, so it’s all a bit unusual. I am a monster Met fan, however, so maybe it’s got something to do with that. Who knows. Nobody really calls me that, but I figured it’s a good nom de plume for this site.

At any rate, my real name is Al and I’m from Queens but no, I don’t call in to sports talk radio shows, even though that’s one hell of a stereotypical moniker, right? “We’ve got Al from Queens on the car phone.” Priceless.

Hope everyone enjoys my posts. And where you don’t, I hope you tell me so.

So how about this NL East, huh? Talk about the land of misfit toys. Outside of Philadelphia, does anyone really get excited when the Phillies clinch the division? Well, it happened again last night as the Phils blasted the Astros 10-3 at Citizens Bank Park. As a Met fan, this creases me, because once again it seems that if only the Phillies had some decent competition in this division, they wouldn’t be perceived as the mini-dynasty they’re otherwise shaping up to be. The Phils won it in 2007 with 89 wins. Then again last year with 92. Now they’ll probably end up with 93 or 94, which is a bit more respectable but hardly indicative of a powerhouse…especially when you factor in that they play the Nationals and Mets alone over 30 times a season.

As for my Mets, they lost in mind-blowingly horrific fashion once again last night, falling to the Nats 7-4 with K-Rod giving up a bottom-of-the-ninth, pinch hit walk off grand slam to light-hitting September callup Justin Maxwell. At this point, I realize K-Rod is about as sick and tired of this season as the rest of us are in Metland, but is it too much to ask to at least permit Met fans to sniff what October might have been like by slamming the door on the lowly Nats? I mean, that was the whole point of K-Rod in the first place, right? With him out there instead of say, Luis Ayala, we’d have taken last year’s pennant. I think maybe even Ayala gets Maxwell last night, I really do. And that’s what it’s like to be Met fan these days, I guess. Never good enough no matter what we do or who’s in charge.

But speaking of mind-blowing, I was literally biting my nails over the 9th inning of Braves/Marlins last night willing Leo Nunez through my laptop to find the goddamned plate so that I could scrape out a save and salvage my fantasy season, when in a matter of seconds (refresh, browser! refresh!) the Marlins pulled him with the bases loaded, replaced him with Brendan Donnelly (does he still wear those funky glasses?), and then picked Matt Diaz off third to preserve the Marlins’ 5-4 win. Who gets the save? Did Donnelly even throw a pitch? Turns out he did…a wild one…almost chucking the game himself before Ronny Paulino threw a dart to Helms at third to nab Diaz and end the game. No save for Nunez. Interesting question though. If Donnelly threw over to 3rd instead of throwing a pitch, and Diaz was tagged out, does he get a save without throwing a pitch?

A question for another day. Perhaps tomorrow.

Pedro celebrates the Phillies divisional win

The Phillies rode a four run fourth inning against the Astros to take this game and the division, 10-3.  Raul Ibanez contributed a two run home run and a total of three RBI and two runs scored as the Phillies had a laugher.  Pedro Martinez only went four innings but Kyle Kendrick(3-1) worked three scoreless innings allowing just two hits for the victory.  Check out Phillies Phandom for more on the victory and congrats to them and their team on the third straight division victory.

Brian Moehler(8-12) was pretty terrible in this game, only lasting 4.1 innings but allowing six hits and seven runs including three walks in the loss.  Josh Towles had a great game, hitting two solo home runs to provide two of the three runs they received.  The series between the two teams ends today.

Chipper watches the playoffs fly away

The Florida Marlins are playing spoiler once again, as they seem to do every year, with their second consecutive win against the Braves, 5-4.  Ross Gload had a two run home run and Jorge Cantu went 3-5 with two runs scored and an RBI to lead the Marlins in this one.  Ricky Nolasco(13-9) went 7.2 innings allowing just four hits and two runs and striking out SIXTEEN batters in this one, what a gem.  Brenden Donnelly came on for the final out to get the save(2) in this one as Leo Nunez was struggling, but still got his 14th save of the season, check out FishGuts for more.

Javier Vazquez had a rare loss in a big game for the Braves.  Vazquez(15-10) went six innings and allowed eight hits and five runs (only three earned) but also struck out nine.  The Braves made a comeback bid in this one as they were down 5-0 entering the seventh.  Adam LaRoche had a two RBI single, followed by Yunel Escobar and Omar Infante RBI singles in the ninth before the Marlins put the game away, check out The Braves Baseball Blog for more.

Maxwell with a walkoff granny

Ah, the sought after matchup of the basement teams was won in a sweep by the Nats, with a 7-4 walk off win on Wednesday night.  Justin Maxwell came to the plate and hit a grand slam sending the Nats to a 7-4 win when they entered the inning down 4-2.  Adam Dunn had walked just before him to get them within one run and he took a KRod pitch out of the stadium.  Ron Villone(5-6) got the win with 0.2 innings pitched and you can get more at Centerfield Gate.

Francisco Rodriguez had one of the worst games a closer can take, thank god it meant nothing.  Rodriguez(3-6) blew his seventh save of the year and got two outs in the ninth while allowing three hits, five runs and two walks on 37 pitches.  Omir Santos had two RBI in this game to lead the Mets along with Carlos Beltran and Fernando Tatis, but all for naught.  Check out The Real Dirty Mets Blog for more.